westsidestory ELECTION 2010
everything you need to know about this year’s candidates. p. 6-7
FASHION these west high students excel in style p. 16-17
BEHIND THE SCENES
from recycling to monster cookies, the west wing functional lifeskills students have a major impact on the school p. 18-19 IOWA CITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL
WSSPAPER.COM
2901 MELROSE AVE.
IOWA CITY, IA 52246
VOLUME 42 ISSEE 2
OCTOBER 29, 2010
last week marked the last home football game, but west high fans have a lot to look forward to with state competitions right around the corner. check out pages 22-27 for more sports coverage
PHOTO BY//LINDSAY BEST
november elections
[news 6-7]
everything you need to know about the upcoming midterm elections
a day in the life
[profiles 8]
think you have a tough job? find out how the west high custodians spend their days
star in the making
[a&e 11]
meet cassandra ceurvorst, a former west high student building her career as a performer
fashion forward
[feature 16-17]
wss staff members lilli oetting editor-in-chief anna hippee design editor, in-depth editor emily kreiter managing editor garrett anstreicher managing editor david huang copy editor eleanor marshall copy editor lauren parsons business editor alissa rothman news editor madhu srikantha opinion editor becky sweeney feature editor anna egeland feature editor olivia lofgren profiles editor caroline van voorhis profiles editor evan smith a&e editor caroline found sports editor daniel rothman sports editor elizabeth dagle backpage editor saranya subramanian beats editor bridget novak artist sarah dirks photo editor jojo silverman photographer lindsay best photographer elizabeth lin ad designer, staff designer audrey evans staff designer laura stamnes staff designer leah murray staff designer ashton duncan staff writer ansel landini staff writer amir sabbagh staff writer juliann skarda staff writer pombie silverman staff writer adam canady webmaster sara jane whittaker advisor
west high trendsetters share their fashion tips
west wing
[in-depth 18-19]
as the founders of several clubs and businesses associated with west high, the west wing functional lifeskills students are a major force in the school
overachievers
[sports 27]
equity statement It is the policy of the Iowa City Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or socioeconomic status in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices. If you believe you have (or your child has) been discriminated against or treated unjustly at school, please contact the Equity Director, Ross Wilburn, at 509 Dubuque Street, 319-688-1000.
october athletes training outside of the high school season
tableofcontents
COVER PHOTO BY//SARAH DIRKS
Actively pursuing education 03 news
BY SARANYA SUBRAMANIAN
2
O
saranya.subramanian@wsspaper.com
n Oct. 17 no one cares who’s from City or West. It’s not about what colors you wear or your mile splits. It’s about the time of education. Run for the Schools raised money for the school district. All ages turn out to support our schools, ranging from infants in strollers to old women wearing fanny packs. West High was represented not only by runners but volunteers as well. “Student Senate also always has 20-30 student volunteers along the race course each year,’ said Shutt. Both Student Senate and 1440 placed volunteers all around the course to direct runners in the right direction. Videos of Run for the Schools can be found at wsspaper.com and photos and runners times can be found at runfortheschools.com.
PHOTOS BY//SARAH DIRKS
1
Kirkwood Ave. Highland Ave.
Keokuk St.
Summit St.
7th Ave.
START
Gilbert St.
College St.
6
10 K Turnaround 10K RACE 6.2 MILES 5K RACE 3.1 MILES HALF-MARATHON
13.1 MILES
GRAPHIC BY//ANNA EGELAND
3 1 2
Brian Martz takes the tags of runners as they come to the end of their race. Martz is also the boys’ cross country coach at West High. “[Run for the Schools is] another reminder of why I enjoy living and teaching in Iowa City,” said Martz. Mike Wagner ‘14 pours water cups for runners at the volunteer table. Over 2,200 people registered and ran on Oct. 17 to celebrate the 17th year of Run for the Schools. “Our community values education and is very supportive of this event as evidenced by the number of participants each year,” said Brian Martz, the boys cross country coach.
3
Coming in seventh overall in the half marathon, teacher Brady Shutt ran the half marathon in 1 hour and 26 minutes. He also placed first in his age group. “I love Run for the Schools the most because our community comes together to support each other in an activity that is something so many people can do.”
Halloween is this Sunday! Check out these scrolling facts about pumpkins
CURRENT EVENTS Freshman recovering from 04 news
QUIZ DO YOU LIVE UNDER A ROCK?
1
Google recently announced that it has developed . A) A VOICE CONTROLLED INTERNET BROWSER B) CARS THAT DRIVE THEMSELVES C) THE WORLD’S FASTEST INTERNET BROWSER D) ROBOTS The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to a human rights activist in . A) CHINA B) IRAN C) SUDAN D) NORTH KOREA In the new survey released by Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life were most knowledgeable about religion. A) CATHOLICS B) PROTESTANTS C) JEWS D) ATHEISTS AND AGNOSTICS Millions of gallons of toxic sludge have spilled out of a reservoir in , killing seven people. A) RUSSIA B) POLAND C) HUNGARY D) LATVIA Chilean miners were finally rescued from a mine collapse. A) 31 B) 33 C) 23 D) 41 Human rights activist and former president of recently released his memoirs. A) CHILE B) UNITED STATES C) CHINA D) SOUTH AFRICA
3
2
4 5 6
1.B, 2.A, 3.D, 4.C, 5.A, 6.D
04
recent spinal stroke BY ALISSA ROTHMAN
alissa.rothman@wsspaper.com
Kai Patterson-Stark ’14 is a normal teenager. She faces high school stress and loves cheerleading practice. She likes to text, shop and go on Skype and Facebook. The only difference is Patterson-Stark is in a wheelchair after suffering from a spinal stroke. “I was just sitting in class, American Studies first period . . . [when] my legs felt like they were burning. I thought they were just falling asleep so I asked Mr. Jones if I could go to the bathroom. I tried to get up, but I just fell down and couldn’t get up. They had to call the wheelchair people and then I was sent to hospital,” said Patterson-Stark. Patterson-Stark went to Mercy Hospital and spent three hours in the MRI. She was then sent to the University of Iowa Medical Center for five days. Later, she was trans- PHOTO BY//LINDSAY BEST ferred to Covenant Medical Center Kai Patterson ’14 gets a lift into the famlies new van with the help of her father in Waterloo where she spent three before heading to the mall with friends. Patterson is learning to adjust to her new weeks in rehabilitation. Now, she life, while still enjoying typical teen activities. is finally home and back at school who had it and didn’t need it anymore. They’ve (though she will continue going to already come and talked to us about the ramp and rehab three times a week at the University of Iowa). did primary measurements.” “It took the whole month at Covenant to figure out Support doesn’t stop there. 1440 Interact recently what had happened. At first I couldn’t feel anything hosted a bake sale at North Central Junior High in from the belly button down. Now I can feel someorder to help raise money for Habitat to build the times, if I press down, I can feel it,” Patterson-Stark ramp.The cheerleaders are also trying to raise money said. to help cover Patterson-Stark’s medical bills. There Patterson-Stark is very thankful for all the support will also be a live benefit concert to help cover the she has gotten from her friends. medical bills on Nov. 7 at 2:00 p.m. at the Johnson “When I was in the hospital there were probably County Fairgrouds, featuring Nashville recording always six to nine people visiting me at a time. I artist Jake McVey. like having friends around. It’s better than sitting on “I think its cool people want to help. Clearly we my bed, by myself, playing Mario,” Patterson-Stark have financial problems, I was in the hospital for a said. while and that ends up being a lot of money,” Pat“We almost beat [Mario Galaxy]; we’re on the last terson-Stark said. “We could use help with anything world,” added Patterson-Stark’s friend Nicole Gaeta people can come up with.” ’13, who stayed with Patterson for almost her entire Patterson-Stark is now back in school, something first week back. that she was not very excited for. However, her Now that Patterson-Stark is back home, her family friends were thrilled. is starting to see the full effect of her stroke. “I am excited for you to come back,” Gaeta said “This is as new and unknown for us as it is for evto Patterson-Stark. “That way I won’t have to worry eryone else. It has affected everything in our lives. about you sending me ten texts during class.” My wife has quit work to help out full time. Things Patterson-Stark hopes to one day become a phoyou never think about all of a sudden matter. You tographer. change your outlook on everything, you’re more “I like to take pictures of myself or my friends or aware of space and things. Our house has narrow just of other people. I like taking pictures of people doorways and stairwells, it’s very old. We have had to when they don’t expect it, like when they are walkinstall a chairlift and widen doorways and rearrange ing down the street or just not looking at me,” Patthe house. It is things like that that you don’t norterson-Stark said. mally think about,” said Patterson-Stark’s father,Chad Right now though, Patterson-Stark’s goals are a Stark. little simpler. Luckily the family is getting some assistance. “I’m hoping I’ll be able to walk… I am just hoping “Habitat for Humanity has been very helpful for it. They don’t know if it will happen… it is just a already,” said Stark. “This van is here because hope,” Patterson-Stark said. Habitat put us in contact with a family from Hills
compiled by alissa rothman The largest pumpkin pie ever baked weighed 2,025 pounds (900 of which were pumpkin) and stretched twelve feet in diameter. It produced 3,000 slices.
What in the WORLD? RUMOR
05 news
GERMANY
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK Edible “dirt” has recently appeared on the menus of several of the world’s most renowned restaurants Actually, the “dirt” only looks and feels like dirt. Each chef creates signature tastes from dried or charred powders with the appearance and consistency of sand, soil or ash -- from a base of plants, vegetables or eggs, or even dried beer.
WATSONVILLE, CA Mark Smith, 59, was arrested at a bank after he had allegedly threatened a teller with a bomb (spelled “bom” in the ransom note) and demanded $2,000. The teller, apparently skeptical of Smith’s toughness, convinced him to borrow the money instead, and she had him wait while she retrieved an application (during which time she called 911). By the time police arrived, Smith was filling out the loan form.
Risto Koiva of Bielefeld University has invented the “Intelli Chair” after researching “sonification” -- the use of noise to convey information. If the chair detects that its occupant is sitting in the wrong position or has remained seated for too long, it makes a noise to tell the user it is time to change position.
JAPAN Broken hips and sprained ankles might be a thing of the past for elderly Japanese citizens thanks to the invention of the human airbag. A pouch is strapped around the waist, and if sensors detect any sudden movement, airbags inflate in a tenth of a second and provide padding on the “most vulnerable parts of the body in a fall: the back of the head and the bottom.”
ART BY//BRIDGET NOVAK COMPILED BY//ALISSA ROTHMAN
Speech and debate excel
Forensics recieves 200 degree ranking BY AMIR SABBAGH
amir.sabbagh@wsspaper.com
The latest in a string of awards and accomplishments, the West High forensics team attained a degree rating of 200 or more last year, placing it among the top five percent of National Forensics League teams nationwide. Degrees are allocated based on the number of points won at competition events as well as the number of participating students. This is the second straight year that the team has won the honor, an accolade West also recieved in 2005 and 2006. This distinction places the team in the league’s elite “200 Club,” according to forensics program coordinator, Cyndy Woodhouse. “It really attests to the consistent quality of the kids, year after year,” said Woodhouse. “I’m very proud of them.” Students attribute their success to
hard work all around. the best in the country. On top of that, “It really comes down to how well the the team understands what needs to coaching staff works with the students happen in order to perform well at and how much we work at it,” said Dan- these tournaments,” said McKinley. iel Dai ’11, a member of the debate Despite the honor, members of both team. “We have teams haven’t really dedicated put their members, and I guards down, think that’s why focusing on we continually winning upsucceed.” coming tourS p e e c h naments, and, captain Paul in the long McKinley ’11 run, performagreed, citing well at nathe overall tionals. DANIEL DAI ’11 ing PAUL MCKINLEY’11 quality of the “I think this program and the preparedness of the award will be nice for the team, but teams at competitions. we’re really not a team that succeeds “The coaches, [Megan and Melanie and then stops trying. To us, speech is Johnson, Kathleen Hession, Michael about continual improvement. With Smith and Travis Henderson], continu- a season that spans over the length of ously make it possible for the team to the school year, we’re constantly asking travel to larger out of state tourna- ourselves what we can do to get better,” ments where we can compete against McKinley said. More than 50 million pumpkin pies are consumed in the U.S. each year.
BUSTER
MR. GROSS ON TV?
Those double takes at your TV and a quick playback on TiVo will confirm this one. “Yes, I’m in an ad. As a city councilor I am in it talking about a new bridge being built with money from [the] I-JOBS program,” said social studies teacher Mitch Gross. Gross said the experience was enjoyable overall. “It took quite a while to shoot, so I was shocked that I was only on for ten seconds,” Gross said.
CONFIRMED
SCHOOL HEATING HAS SPECIFIC DATE TO START?
After a week of cooler weather, students shivering in the north side classrooms asked, “When is the heat coming on?” According to Principal Jerry Arganbright, the school usually has a target to turn the heat on between Oct. 15 and Nov. 1. “We try to get through a good part of October,” said Arganbright. Students will be happy to know that Mike O’Connor, the head custodian, expects for the heat to be on by sometime this week.
CONFIRMED
MAGNET SCHOOL IN ICCSD?
Rumors have surfaced that the proposed third high school may turn into a magnet school, similar to those in the Des Moines area. “Yes, no, maybe,” Arganbright said. “Nobody knows yet what we’re going to do. The third attendance center could be a traditional high school or something else. I know North Liberty is expecting a traditional high school, but I know the superintendent is going to lead the discussion and try to find the best fit for the community.” So, for right now it seems as though anything is possible.
MAYBE?
05
ELECTIONS 2010
06 news
CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR
COMPILED BY ELEANOR MARSHALL eleanor.marshall@wsspaper.com
Name: Terry Branstad
Party: Republican Age: 63 Political background: Branstad was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1972, ’74 and ’76, elected lieutenant governor in 1978, elected governor in 1983 and served as governor until 1999. Record as governor: When Branstad left office in 1999, the unemployment rate was the lowest in the nation (2.5%) and there was a budget surplus of $900 million.
Name: Chet Culver
PHOTO BY//SARAH DIRKS
Party: Democratic Age: 44 Political background: Culver began his career in the Iowa Attorney General’s Office as an environmental and consumer advocate. He was elected as Iowa Secretary of State in 1998, reelected in 2002 Record as governor: A 2010 study called “The Best and Worst Run States named Iowa the third bestrun state in America. “This is just more great news for our state that shows our commitment to fiscal responsibility,” Culver said in an October press release. “Last week we celebrated a higher-than-expected surplus for our ending balance, and this week we are being recognized for it.”
Culver’s views on:
Job creation and business: passed and implemented $875 million I-Jobs program to create jobs and economic growth without raising taxes, created the Iowa Power Fund investing $35 million to employ Iowans in renewable energy development Health care: proposes requiring health care insurance companies to cover children on their parents insurance until age 25, keep free health insurance option for state employees, place a cap on the cost increase of long-term insurance policies at 12% per year, force insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions and drop the required waiting period between switching from a group to individual trading policy Military personnel and veterans: passed legislation enhancing housing, unemployment and education support and benefits for the spouses of deployed soldiers, creating programs to hire unemployed veterans and inform them of their benefits Marriage: supports upholding the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage in Varnum v. Brien and opposes a vote on the issue Government reform: government efficiency initiative projected to save $300 million Education: raised teacher salary up to the national average, would provide publicly-funded pre-school for all four-year-olds and increase funding for schools by up to 4% Abortion: pro-choice Environment: supports government regulation on the amount of commercial agricultural chemicals applied to the land, I-Jobs will supply $55 million in water quality improvement and $11.5 million for habitat reconstruction after the 2008 floods, established the Iowa Power Fund in 2007 to invest $100 million over four years in renewable energy
OTHER
BALLOT 06
Job creation and business: opposes Culver’s I-Jobs program as too costly for the creation of too few jobs, promises to create a better climate for business by reducing commercial property taxes and cutting corporate income taxes in half, use the Iowa Partnership for Economic Prosperity to make entrepreneurship skills a part of each student’s core curriculum, 50% tuition tax credit for businesses who agree to pay tuition for an applied science community college student and hire the student upon graduation Health care: supports requiring partial health insurance payment from public employees to cut costs Military personnel and veterans: exempt soldiers on active duty outside of Iowa from the state income tax, create the Iowa Veterans’ Job Bank to match unemployed veterans with jobs suiting their skill level Marriage: supported the 1998 Defense of Marriage Act defining marriage as a union of one man and one woman through a constitutional amendment approved through a vote Government reform: strict enforcement of the government’s state spending limitation laws, adopt a biennial instead of annual budget process, implement a five-year financial plan Education: disallow illegal immigrants to attend school Abortion: pro-life, supports the Oklahoma Law requiring women considering abortion to watch ultrasounds of the fetus before making the decision (no exemptions for rape or incest) Environment: doesn’t support government regulation of the amount of agricultural chemicals applied to the land or other government environmental regulations or conservation spending
21-only ordinance: An Iowa City ordinance it. anti-21-ordinance campaign Yes to Enter- Iowa’s Water and Land Legacy Amendto prohibit people younger than 21 from being taining Students Safely argues that the facts ment: On Nov. 2, Iowans will get a chance to
in bars later than 10 p.m. was enacted on June 1, but will be subject to vote via referendum on Nov. 2. The 21 Makes Sense campaign sites compiled by Iowa City police statistics about reduced publiceleanor marshall intoxication charges and PAULAs as evidence of the ordinance’s success and a reason to continue
ISSUES
Brandstad’s views on:
are misleading and don’t account for the unmonitored house parties underage drinkers will turn to. Careful, the ballot language is counter-intuitive. Voting “no” will preserve the ordinance while voting “yes” will get rid of it. Pumpkin blossoms are edible.
vote directly on a constitutional amendment to establish a conservation trust fund used for soil conservation,water quality improvement, grassland and wetland restoration and outdoor recreational activities. Iowa currently ranks 47th in the nation in conservation spending. If passed, the amendment
CANDIDATES FOR U. S. SENATE
07 news
Name: Roxanne Conlin
Party: Democratic Age: 65 Political experience: Conlin ran in and lost the 1982 election for governor and served as the 1998-99 chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party Record/history: served as United States Attorney for Iowa and has led women’s rights, wrote the first law protecting the privacy of rape victims, passed a law making firing women for pregnancy illegal, owns and manages the law firm Roxanne Conlin & Associates Economy: opposes the $700 billion Wall Street bailout, wants to provide $50 million in aid to state and local governments to retain public employees, end tax cuts for the top 2% of Americans, create tax incentives for businesses to keep and create jobs, invest in small businesses, impose a tariff on imports from countries that don’t follow American regulations and invest in domestic goods Education: ensure preschool education for every student through increased funding for Head Start, increase the American Opportunity tax credit to attend a university from $2,500 to $4,000 and lower the interest on student loans Health care: supports the health care reform bill, wants to repeal the MacCarran-Ferguson Act to allow competition in the insurance industry Environment: eliminate $36.5 billion in subsidies for oil companies and invest in clean energy, invest in a smart grid across the Midwest Afghanistan: favors better cooperation with the Afghani government and a narrowly focused mission, opposes deployment of 30,000 more troops LBGT rights: supports legalization of same-sex marriage, supports repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, would support and co-sponsor the Employee Non-Discrimination Act Abortion: pro-choice
Name: Chuck Grassley
Party: Republican Age: 77 Political experience: Grassley has served as a U.S. Senator for Iowa since 1981. Served three terms in the US House of Representatives, represented Butler County in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1959-74 Record/history: is currently a senior member of the Committee on Finance, the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on the Budget. He is the only working farmer on the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and is co-chair of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. In 1992 he won the federal first tax incentive for wind energy production Economy: Smaller government, increased international trade, opposes tax increases, supports small businesses Education: universities re-examine endowment policies, tax-free college savings account, remove 60-payment limit for deducting student loan interest, tax deductions for college tuition Health care: Opposes Obama’s health care bill, create payment incentives to reward quality versus quantity of services, recognize differences in rural versus urban healthcare Environment: energy independence through development of alternative renewable fuels, authored successful bill for wind energy tax credits, supports extending biodiesel tax credit and creating ethanol, cellulosic ethanol and small producer tax credits Afghanistan: National security is the number one priority, opposes closing Guantanamo Bay and trials for prisoners accused of terrorist acts LBGT rights: voted for the Defense of Marriage Act defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman, supports retaining Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Abortion: pro-life
CANDIDATES FOR 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Name: Dave Loebsack
Party: Democratic Age: 65 Political experience: Has served in the US House of Representatives since 2006, Professor Emeritus of political science at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon Record/history: Currently serves on the Committee of Armed Services and the Committee of Education and Labor Economy: Supports American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Education: Provide for development of Health care: supports the health care reform bill, wants to repeal the MacCarran-Ferguson Act to allow competition in the insurance industry Environment: eliminate $36.5 billion in subsidies for oil companies and invest in clean energy, invest in a smart grid across the Midwest Afghanistan: favors better cooperation with the Afghani government and a narrowly focused mission, opposes 30,000 more troops Women’s/LBGT rights: supports legalization of same-sex marriage, supports repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, would support the Employee Non-Discrimination Act Abortion: pro-choice wouldn’t provide immediate funds, since the money would come from threeeighths of every cent in the next sales tax increase approved by the Iowa legislature. The tax would provide an estimated $150 million per year in conservation funding. Opponents question its potential impact on low-income families.
Name: Mariannette Miller-Meeks
Party: Republican Age: 65 Political experience: 2008 candidate for the Second Congressional District of the U.S. House of Representatives Record/history: 24 years of service in the U.S. Army, first woman president of the Iowa Medical Society Economy: Enact a balanced budget amendment, decrease taxes and regulation of businesses and lower corporate income tax rate, extend Bush-era tax cuts, de-prioritize reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and give TARP bailout money from banks directly to taxpayers, new system of competitive bidding for local projects based on merit to reduce wasteful projects Health care: opposes health care reform bill and government-run option, reduce costs through increased competition by opening up inter-state health purchasing, insurance as safety net rather than primary means of complete coverage Environment: Opposes cap-and-trade, supports developing cleaner coal technology, increasing domestic oil production, helping bring second nuclear power plant to Iowa, developing wind power, ethanol and biofuel Afghanistan: Supports increased troops, more political input from military experts, opposes civilian trials for Guantanamo Bay detainees, increased veteran support and medical care LBGT rights: supports repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Abortion: pro-life with exceptions for rape and incest victims and when the mother’s life is endangered
Retaining Iowa’s Supreme Court Justices: This moving the judges wouldn’t automatically reverse the rul-
Midterm election, three of the justices on the Iowa Supreme ing, but those who oppose the judges’ retention hope it Court will be subject to a public vote on their retention. No could lead to a different ruling in the future. Former U.S. justice has ever lost in a retention race since the vote was Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and groups implemented in 1962, but in light of the ruling to legal- like the Fair Courts for Us Committee have counter-camize same-sex marriage in Varnum v. Brien, campaigns to oust paigned for the retention of the judges in support of the the judges have popped up across the state, led by former independence of the judicial branch and/or the same-sex Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats. Re- marriage ruling. 07 The largest pumpkin ever recorded weighed 1,140 pounds.
08 profiles
A day in the life of a Custodian
Meet the three daytime custodians, the backbones of West High
PHOTOS BY//SARAH DIRKS
BY JULIANN SKARDA AND CAROLINE FOUND juliann.skarda@wsspaper.com & caroline.found@wsspaper.com
Brian Donohoe
Ron Melsha
7:00 a.m. prepares the Main Office for the day.
2:00 p.m. arrives at West and picks up the 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Miscelplaza. Afterwards he responds to pages for miscellaneous tasks.
4:00 p.m.cleans17 to 18 classrooms and
cleans chalkboards, sweeps and sometimes mops the floors.
6:00 p.m. cleans the West Wing office. Donohoe enjoys working with people, students and parents at football dinners and band concerts. “The custodians set up a lot of the behind the scenes things such as bleachers and score boards for games.”
08
laneous tasks and handiwork. “What I most enjoy about my job is that everyday is different,” he said. His least favorite task is cleaning up vomit.
Mike O’Connor 5:00 a.m.
Arrives at West to make sure things are ready to go for the day. “A difficult thing about being a custodian is being short staffed and trying to get all of the work done,” O’Connor said.
12:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m. Cleans restrooms. He feels that the effort put into the cleanliness of the bathrooms goes unnoticed by the student body.
Cleaning up after 1,800 kids in the lunchroom is always a highlight. The day is almost over for Mike, a couple more hours of doing jobs and helping people will make it complete. “Helping people is something I enjoy doing everyday,” O’Connor said.
3:30 p.m. End of shift.
2:30 p.m. The day is over, and Mike
Melsha’s pet peeve is when he pushes carts down the hallways and students ignore him by not moving out of his way. Pumpkins are 90% water.
is ready to go home. “Being a custodian, there is no such thing as a normal day. Everyday is a new adventure.”
09 profiles
Ballet is Blake’s forté
BY OLIVIA LOFGREN
B
olivia.lofgren@wsspaper.com
lake Boseneiler ’14 has legs long enough to carry her across the country, leaping from Iowa City to Seattle to Texas (and everywhere in between) to pursue dance. From her first twirls at age six to the pirouettes she now spends hours perfecting at the Nolte Academy of Dance, Boseneiler has worked her entire life for dance, taking few breaks. She has attended the Houston Ballet in Texas for six weeks during the summer, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle,Wash. for five weeks. “My favorite part was dancing for so many hours in a day
and learning from so many new instructors,” she said. She’s quite the jet-setter, but Nolte will always be Boseneiler’s “second home.” She has a soft spot for ballet, but she also participates in jazz and contemporary dance classes along with Affect, the studio’s competitive dance team. This winter will mark Boseneiler’s seventh appearance in Nolte’s performance of The Nutcracker ballet. Last year, Boseneiler snagged the lead role of Clara, which was “a scary experience because of all the acting that goes along with the dancing.” This year Boseneiler will be Snow Queen, Arabian and Sugar Plum, which are all leads.
ART BY//BRIDGET NOVAK
“I’m split casting these roles with Lauren Carmen [’12], who I spend many of my dancing hours with,” Boseneiler said. Miranda Sauvé ’13 also dances at Nolte and has danced with Boseneiler for three years. “I love doing Nutcracker with Blake, she is an amazing dancer and inspires me to work harder to achieve my goals,” she said. Although the future is distant, Boseneiler plans to go to school to dance. “I know I’d like to go out of Iowa, there are so many places and opportunities that I’m undecided on a school as of now,” she said. PHOTOS BY//JOJO SILVERMAN
From left: Blake Boseneiler leaps at Nolte Academy of Dance; Lauren Carmen and Boseneiler stay in sync; Carmen executes a stag leap during dance practice.
Lauren’s leaps and bounds BY ELEANOR MARSHALL
L
eleanor.marshall@wsspaper.com
auren Carmen ’12 executed her first plie when she was five years old. Tendus came next, then pirouhettes and pointe shoes. Grace came last
of all. She dances ballet, pointe and “a little bit of modern” at the Nolte Academy of Dance and is already rehearsing for featured roles in the Nutcracker ballet including a sugar plum, the snow queen and the Arabian knight.This is Carmen’s seventh year performing in the Nutcracker. “My mom signed me up [for dance class] because I was always running into tables and she hoped it would help me be a little less clumsy. And then I liked it and stuck with it,” Carmen said. Carmen has been in search of grace in more ways than one – saying she was first inspired to pursue
dance seriously in fourth grade when she transferred to the Dance forum and met her current teacher Grace Snyder. Amanda Bartels ’13 dances with Lauren everyday, and after seven years of classes, Bartels respects Lauren as a dancer and a close friend. “She brings a lot of energy to the classroom and a lot of focus. Every [dance skill] she has is stuff that she works for. . . . She is always nice. If your hair looks like crap, she’ll point out that your eye makeup is really pretty,” Bartels said. Bartels added that although Carmen has a lot of natural ability, it’s her determination that really stands out. “[Dance is] supposed to be impossible. Everything you do can always be better. There’s always something to work at. . . . It’s life compacted down. All aspects of life can be condensed into it,” Carmen said. But when you expand Carmen’s life back out, it still
looks a lot like a ballet. She dances every single day for several hours, and for nine hours on Saturday. Five to six weeks of her past few summers have been spent training with prestigious dance companies like the Houston Ballet and Texas Ballet Theatre. “I don’t really have a life. I end up staying up late a lot and in the summer it feels like you didn’t really have a summer. You come back and all of the sudden school starts. But I can’t think of anything I’d rather do,” Carmen said. In fact, Carmen dreams of dancing professionally for a company like Houston one day. She’s interested in all aspects of the performance, and hopes to also work in costume design and even create her own ballet. While dance is first and foremost an art form to Carmen, she isn’t quick to dismiss the caliber of athleticism required. To the non-believers she just says, “You try dancing on your toes all day.”
The word pumpkin comes from the Greek word “pepon” meaning large melon.
09
10 A&E
1
Upcoming Events
Rocky Horror Picture Show, at the Englert Theatre, tickets are $15.
Saturday, Oct. 30
2
Jack’s Mannequin performs
at the University of Iowa main lounge, tickets are $31.85. Sunday, Nov. 7 7:00 p.m.
7:00-11:00 p.m.
compiled by audrey evans art by bridget novak
3
State Competitions for fall sports Saturday, Nov. 6 Girls’ Swimming Cheerleading
Wednesday, Nov. 10, 12 & 13 Girls’ Volleyball
4
Kate Nash preforms at the Englert theatre. Student tickets are $14.
5
The Fall Sports Awards Program is taking place in the West High Auditorium.
Monday, Nov. 8 Tuesday, Nov. 9 7:00 p.m.11:00 p.m.
6
West High’s Fall Musical- Guys and Dolls
will be in the West High Auditorium.
Thursday, Dec. 2-3
7:00 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 4 2:00 p.m.
P.O.S
of the month
1991 Off-White Toyota Previa named Gloria
compiled by evan smith
“Gloria is in the prime of her life.”
Davy Perlman ’12
“It’s very spacious and excellent for parties.”
“The side sliding door doesn’t open, so passengers have to climb through the trunk to get in.” “The back shocks don’t work so it’s a really bumpy ride.”
10
“I have a CD player, but there’s a CD stuck in it, so that sucks.”
Antarctica is the only continent pumpkins can’t grow on.
“Last week, someone put this thing in it, I don’t know what it is, but I kind of like it.”
Ceurvorst takes on California BY JULIANN SKARDA
of the Los Angeles area, Ceurvorst and her peers had 12 days to create, write and produce a show at the La Miranda Theatre. Working together, the group created a string of vignettes that were tied together with the common theme of relationships. Ceurvorst wrote scenes, choreographed, composed and performed music for the show. Although California boasts warm weather and a promising shot at the music industry, leaving Iowa has brought it’s share of struggles. “I really miss my family and friends. It’s a weird feeling that I have to use Skype to talk to my little
juliann.skarda@wsspaper.com
brother,” she said. For former West High classmate and close friend Allie Gilbaugh ‘12, the separation is trying, but not impossible to overcome. “I miss her... but we have a lot of good memories together which keeps our relationship strong and sweet,” said Gilbaugh. Her parents switch off staying with her in California, and her mother Tami Ceurvorst says that Cassandra is adjusting to life on her own very quickly.
From Iowa to California, Cassandra Ceurvorst ’12 has talent that is taking her places ... literally. Though friends and family know her as Cassandra Ceurvorst, the music industry knows otherwise. Most who work with her know her under her stage name, Cassandra Michaels. “I’m working on my first demo right now, which has been a lot of fun. I eventually want to get into the music industry. I’m excited [to see] where that takes me,” she said. This year the former West High student moved to Burbank, Calif. PHOTO COURTESY OF//CASSANDRA CEURVORST to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Along with working on her first demo CD, she is taking acting classes, meeting with music producers and taking dance lessons from talented choreographers like Shane Sparks from America’s Best Dance Crew and Sonya Tayeh of SoYou ThinkYou Can Dance. Beginning dance lessons at the age of two, Ceurvorst’s hobby grew until she was taking 12 hours of dance per week by sixth grade. With a busy dance schedule, her singing hobby was confined to lessons with a private vocal instructor. Further proving her versatility, she also writes songs and plays both the piano and guitar. “One of my acting coaches heard me singing and encouraged me to start writing my own music. I haven’t had much training in piano and guitar, but I play by ear so I can pick up tunes,” Ceurvorst said. She was able to get her first big taste of the entertainment industry while working on The Young Artist Project. The youngest of ten performers aged 16 - 23 cast out Cassandra Ceurvorst ‘12 records her first demo in the studio. Ceurvorst has spent this year in
COMPLETE THE
LYRICS with jon bach
California, pursuing her of dreams of acting and singing professionally. WSS: When I see your face, there’s not a thing that I would change cause your... BACH: face is nice and symmetric. WSS: Yeah, baby tonight, the DJ got us falling in love again so dance, dance, like it’s the... BACH: end of the world. WSS: You know I know how To make ‘em stop and stare as I ____,
11 A&E
THE MONTHLY CD REVIEW
by pombie silverman & anna egeland
Bruno Mars DooWops & Hooligans Brought to you by the same man who sang the hooks of B.o.B’s “Nothin’ on You” and Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire,” Mars’ debut CD belts out his silky smooth Doo-Wops for the ladies (“Just the Way You Are”) and Hooligans for the guys (“Marry You”). A standout track of the album is “The Lazy Song,” filled with clever lyrics about just wanting to stay at home: “I’ll be lying on the couch just chillin’ in my snuggie/Click to MTV so they can teach me how to dougie.” This newcomer proves his talent through his ten radio-ready, Jason-Mraz-like catchy pop tunes.
Lil’ Wayne I Am Not A Human Being While Lil’ Wayne is most famous for his lollipop licking innuendos, it’s nice to see Weezy F. Baby moving in a new direction. Not only does he feature up-and-coming artists like Nicki Minaj and Gudda Gudda on eleven of his thirteen tracks, there seems to be a more serious tone stirring in Lil’ Wayne’s lyrics. Despite his lyrical growth, he seems to be losing some of his individuality when it comes to his sound. There are less psychedelic guitar riffs and his voice is, well, less weezy. “Single” is a good example of why Lil’ Wayne doesn’t attempt slow songs often and “With You” had me wondering if I was actually listening to Mariah Carey. I can’t picture any of these songs becoming hits like “Lollipop,” but “Bill Gates” and “Right above it” seem to have potential. This album is a clear sign that Lil’ Wayne should continue to collaborate with other artists.
The club can’t even handle me right now BACH: do my thing. WSS: I was thinkin about her, thinkin about me, thinkin about us... BACH: thinkin about our retirement. WSS: Party like like its the end of the world, we gonna party like like...
BACH: 1999. WSS: If it’s love, and we’re two birds of a feather, then the rest is just whenever, and if I’m addicted to loving you, and you’re addicted to my love too, we can be them two birds of a feather that... BACH: roll together.
The tradition of pumpkin carving originated with the Irish, although they originally carved radishes and turnips.
11
12 A&E
ART BY//BRIDGET NOVAK
The whole enchilada COMPILED BY DAN ROTHMAN, EMILY KREITER, & MADHU SRIKANTHA
PHOTOS BY//EMILY KREITER
B A+ Los Portales could only be described as a classic Mexican restaurant. From the good, authentic food to the décor of sombreros and piñatas, Los Portales fits perfectly into the mold. The chips and salsa were good, but nothing particularly special. The large variety of ingredients in the taco salad ensured that the consumer would not be bored with the wonderful concoction. Most of all, the chile rellenos were the best of all the restaurants visited. All craving a typical Mexican meal will surely find their fix at Los Portales.
Azul Tequila was, in a word, Californiatacostand. In other words, wonderful. Azul Tequila features a large variety of seafood creations on their menu, from the traditional fish taco to the more unusual lobster burrito. Despite the lack of a nearby sea or ocean (or just any relatively large body of water), the quality of the fish was top-notch. The fish taco was a perfect combination of pico de gallo, cabbage and fried cod, topped with a sauce reminiscent of California taco stands. The seafood fajita provided an outstanding mix of grilled vegetables, shrimp, and scallops. Most importantly, the complementary chips and salsa at the beginning of the meal were marvelous.
B- D+ A semi-recent newcomer to the Iowa City Mexican food scene, El Cactus is a pretty decent place to get your Mexican on. And no, we won’t say that out loud, even if you ask. The burrito, while lacking in the anything-other-than-meat-inside-the-tortilla department, made up for it in the well-seasoned-meat category. The chile relleno was nothing special, but was comparably one of the better ones we ate during our excursions and the enchilada was rather average. The service is nice, the place is cozy and it is in a decent location. Overall, El Cactus is on the good side of average.
Iguana’s only positive – their tasty, warm chips – only created a juxtaposition that highlighted the unfortunate rest of the meal: an olive-covered chile relleno with an oddly sweet aftertaste and a beef taco without seasoning except for one well-seasoned chunk that lay on the latter half of the taco. We did not finish our food and the service was surprisingly slow for only having two tables to cover in the restaurant. Overall, Iguana’s is not a place we will be returning to willingly. As in, we would need to be tied, gagged, blind-folded and driven there by an enemy. And no, we’re not encouraging this.
B+ A El Dorado was by far the most hit-or-miss place we ate at, with the quality of the food varying greatly from dish to dish. The fajitas, for example, were very strong (especially the steak), but the burritos left much to be desired. I understand that authentic Mexican burritos typically have very few ingredients, but after ordering a steak burrito I couldn’t help but be disappointed to only get a bit of tasteless ground beef in a tortilla. A special mention must be made, however, to the pre-meal chips, which were our personal favorites.
12
La Reyna is located in a tiny building nestled away next to the Iowa City K-mart, but while the location is less than ideal the food is a step above the rest. The food is both authentic and delicious, just what you would expect from a family-owned resteraunt. The burritos and enchiladas were both top-notch, and a whole meal could be (and in our case, was) made out of their fantastic guacamole. By combining great food with an authentic atmosphere, La Reyna was exactally what a great Mexican place should be, and was one of our favorites.
Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A.
14 feature
wacky collections
West High is a collection of people. Specific people in that collection of people have collections of things that are not usually collected. The WSS set out to find a collection of people who don’t have collections of mundane items, but of unusual ones. COMPILED BY ASHTON DUNCAN ashton.duncan@wsspaper.com
Mitch Gross, social Erin Cook ‘14 collects studies teacher, collects magnets sugar packets West Side Story: When did you start collecting? MG: Probably about ’98. I was working for the government, in politics, and wanted a way to show where I’d been. WSS: What inspired you to start collecting? PHOTO BY//JOJO SILVERMAN MG: What inspired me to display my magnets at school was when I was a student teacher for [social studies teacher Brady] Shutt. He had a porcelain thimble collection and probably spent about an hour a week polishing them. WSS: Any stories from items that stand out from your collection? MG: I have a Marlin [magnet] from the island of Kawaii and I actually caught a Marlin there. I [also] have a pre-9/11 magnet from New York City that has the twin towers on it. WSS: How do people react when they find out or see your collection? MG: People are always shocked when they see all of the places I’ve been.
WSS: When did you start collecting? EC: I’m not really sure when I started making a horde of emptied packages in my sock drawPHOTO BY//ASHTON DUNCAN er, but I’d estimate about two or three years ago. WSS: What inspired you to start collecting? EC: I just have some great memories that go along with them, and decided to keep them to remind me. WSS: How do people react when they find out or see your collection? EC: Most people just look at me strangely, and then check to make sure that they’re all empty. The odd person out will actually ask me why I collect empty sugar packets, but mostly they just stare. WSS: Any stories from items that stand out from your collection? EC: My favorite one is probably the pink Sweet ‘n’ Low one ... because it reminds me of the time that I was at Terrapin with a couple of my friends, and there was a phone number on the package to call if you had questions. One of my friends called the number and started asking dumb questions like, “What’s it made out of?” and, “Why does it taste so sweet?” while the rest of us just cracked up and almost choked on our donuts.
Elizabeth Vandenberg ’12 collects makeup samples WSS: When did you start collecting? EV: My mom gave me a perfume sample. And then the lady at the Chanel counter gave me one. And then the lady at the Clinique counter gave me a lipstick sample. WSS: What inspired you to start collecting? EV: I’m saving up for when I become the ruler of a small European country. I’ve heard through the grapevine that one of the requirements for entering the country is owning a large supply of cosmetics. WSS: Any stories from items that stand out from your collection? EV: It’s actually not too shabby, but I’m holding out for another hundred items before I show anyone else. WSS: How do people react when they find out or see your collection? EV: My grandmothers wear Chanel number five (because they’re old school) and PHOTO BY//JOJO SILVERMAN so I spritzed some at my wrist when I was at the Chanel counter. The lady who was manning the booth gave me a strange look (not that many sixteen-year-olds are willing to shell out the big bucks for perfume), so I told her that my grandmothers wore it and she gave me a sample bottle. Obviously, she observed that I am a particularly awesome person.
14
Pumpkins were originally recommended for curing snake bites and freckles.
15 feature
BY EMILY KRIETER
emilykrieter@wsspaper.com
WHEN HEADPHONES AND DRUM RHYTHMS BECOME HEARING AIDS
AND DOCTORS VISITS, IT’S TIME TO FACE THE MUSIC. BY EMILY KREITER emily.kreiter@wsspaper.com
During the West High Football games, you can hear the marching band from blocks away. The section highest in volume? The drumline. Curtis Boysen ’11 has reaped the benefits, and the costs, of being part of the loudest section of the band. “I began to realize I was losing my hearing when I started to reply to people’s questions with the word ‘what?’ Today, even after protecting my ears with earplugs when I play drums or snare in drumline, I still find myself asking peo- CURTIS BOYSEN’11 ple ‘what did you just say?’ or ‘would you speak up?’,” said Boysen. And he’s not alone. According to a report published by CBS News, hearing loss is up 30% in teens since the 1980s and 1990s, and increased headphone
[ [ “IF YOU NOTICE ANY RINGING
IN YOUR EARS OR FEEL
THAT SOUNDS ARE MUFFLED, CONSIDER IT
A WARNING THAT YOU’VE DAMAGED
YOUR EARS.”
DR. SHEA BECKER, UNIVERSITY OF IOWA AUDIOLOGIST
use is targeted as a possibility for this increase. “The issue isn’t the earbuds, per se, but the increased length of time persons use the systems and the volume at which they listen,” said University of Iowa Audiologist Dr. Shea Becker. “The availability of personal headsets has greatly increased the use time; this, coupled with the desire to increase the volume to overcome environmental interference and/or for listener preference, can result in levels that are damaging to the ear.” Boysen said that to avoid further hearing loss he is starting to wear earplugs. “Anytime I play drums I wear them. Drums are the main reason for my hearing loss. I also try to avoid being around really loud things, but if I
have to be near things that make a lot of noise I make sure to wear earplugs,” he said. Becker said that these measures are what she would recommend, as well as a few other tips. “If you notice any ringing in your ears or feel that sounds are muffled (especially after a concert or sporting event), consider it a warning that you’ve damaged your ears. With repeated exposure, that damage will become permanent. A basic rule of thumb is that if you can’t talk over it, it might be loud enough to damage your hearing. Limit the use of personal headphones, and when wearing them be sure that you can hear a person talking an arm’s length away – any louder than that may be damaging; wear earplugs when us-
Morton, IL is the pumpkin capital of the world.
ing power tools, mowing, or shooting recreationally,” she said. “I would also recommend that anyone suspecting hearing loss have a hearing test by an audiologist to get confirmation.” Despite the expense of drumline, Boysen said that he will not give it up. “[I like drumline because] I like to think up complicated ideas such as polyrhythms or play melodies with out actually having different pitches to play them … It is a form of music and I love music.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.asha.com
[American Speech-Language-Hearing Association]
www.audiology.org [American Academy of Audiology] www.hearingloss.org
[Hearing Loss Association of America]
15
FASHION AT WEST
16 feature
Fashion: forward and backward BY CAROLINE VAN VOORHIS
caroline.vanvoorhis@wsspaper.com
You’re searching through online clothing websites when you come across the cutest skirt. The price? 80 dollars. At this point, Katherine Stratton ’12 would think to herself, “Hey, I could make that myself and not have to spend so much money.” “I’ll see something online or in a store that I couldn’t afford, and try to make it myself,” Stratton said. In fact, Stratton has made countless articles of clothing since second grade, when she took her first sewing class. “[In the class] I made a pair of boxers that I still wear sometimes. But they’re falling apart,” Stratton said. Aside from the classes, she has improved her sewing skills with the help of her grandma. “My grandma sews a lot, so if I ever need help with a project, I just take it over to her,” Stratton said. Since making the boxers, she has sewed many more sophisticated pieces, including dresses for homecoming and prom. She made herself a feather dress for prom last year, as well as West High graduate
Megan Stroback ’10’s homecoming dress. “The dress is based off a Japanese fashion that is called Sweet Lolita. I am an offbeat kind of girl and I wanted a dress that described me. I ordered the fabric [online] from Japan and [Stratton] made the dress. Katherine has also made me skirts. She has an amazing talent . . . [the dress] turned out amazing,” Stroback said. Stratton’s inspiration for clothing pieces comes from her fashion icons Zooey Deschanel and Janis Joplin, and also from fashion blogs. Her favorite blog is www.lookbook.nu, a website where people post pictures of their outfits after they apply and are accepted to the blog. Although she doesn’t make and wear homemade clothes as much as she would like to, Stratton still tries to keep her outfits unique. “This year I’m trying not to wear jeans all year [to school]. And I don’t wear sweatpants, ever. These are my only two rules,” Stratton said. As for fashion plans in the future? “I would like to [do something with fashion] maybe once in a while. I don’t know if I could do it as a job; it would be really time-consuming and draining.”
PHOTO BY//LINDSAY BEST
PHOTO BY//SARAH DIRKS
Making anime avant garde BY ELEANOR MARSHALL
eleanor.marshall@wsspaper.com
16
Chic-er than New York, New York. Even fashion-forwarder than Paris and a world above Milan. Homemade used to mean frumpy home economics projects, but lately DIY is the new DKNY. Just ask Acacia Williams ’12, with style that’s anything but safe. After learning the “ins and outs” of sewing from her mother (a seamstress),Williams started sewing her own clothes two years ago while creating a costume for an anime convention. Realizing her knack for sewing,Williams stitched her way to a wider audience, and she has already started booking clients for her new sewing business. “This year at the anime convention people started asking me where I got my costume, and when I told them I made it, they asked if I would help them make theirs. [. . .] People really enjoy what I make and I can make money from it,” Williams said. Patterns are often just a starting point for Williams, and the end is wherever a creative mind and a cross-stitch lead. Williams began sewing “big, poofy dresses,” moving to body suits and Lolita dresses. Pumpkin seeds may help prevent prostate cancer.
“[Acacia] can make you something completely different from anything else, as opposed to those who stick to patterns and precise cookie-cutter designs,” said Elle Short, former West student and one of William’s clients. Williams’ business is new, and she’s rapidly expanding. With Halloween just around the corner, Acacia is working on up to four commissions at a time, but she always remains committed to working collaboratively with the client. “She did well with getting me what I wanted out of the dress and also made some alterations that fit my body type and I really ended up loving. It was so much fun working with her and being able to get input from her. It made me want to go home and sew all the time,” said Emmi Clarkson ’13, who sewed her first anime costume with Williams’ help. “It feels good to sit down and focus on something and be able to create something. ... I think my business will last after high school. It will stay a hobby to have fun and make money. It’s nice to know I could fall back and support myself with it,” Williams said.
HAUTE TOPIC
17 feature
WSS interviewed two stylish seniors Erin Richmond ‘11 and Nicoll Manhica ‘11
compiled by becky sweeney WSS: What styles in magazines or celebrities’ styles do you try to emulate? NICOLL MANHICA: Emma Watson. She has some of the best styles out there. It’s always classic, but she makes it her own. ERIN RICHMOND: I like anything that stands out. If I see something in a magazine, I want to recreate it. WSS: What are your favorite stores? What do you like about these clothes? NM: Oh, this is an easy question! Revival, White Rabbit, Ann Taylor Loft and Dillard’s. Revival has used clothing. The first time I went into White Rabbit was because of the art. But now I like that you never know what you’ll find. ER: I love J-Crew. That is great for classic pieces. But for the fun things I like Revival and H&M for more unique pieces. WSS: Who are your favorite designers? ER: Alexander McQueen. You have to see [his designs]. They are very artistic. You would never wear them, but the presentation of them are magical. NM: Kate Spade because everything she designs is PHOTO BY//LINDSAY BEST
brightly colored. Also Marc Jacobs, his styles are all clean and fresh. WSS: Where else do you get inspiration? ER: I like lookbook because it’s everyday people, not models or people with lots of money. They put together really cohesive looks with non-expensive clothes. NM: I’m just a people watcher. I know that sounds really creepy, but I look at other people’s clothing. My mom and I do this all the time. We look at people and say “look at what they’re wearing.” WSS: What do you like about each other’s style? ER: I like how our styles are the same but different. Things that she would wear, I would wear. NM: Yeah, when we go shopping we will reach for the same thing. WSS: How has your style changed since junior high? DIG THIS? NM: No more ties, thank god. I was such a weirdo. I used to wear my dad’s ties to school. CHECK OUT OUR SITE: ER: I think I’ve just discovered WSSPAPER.COM more in the world of fashion. I went FOR AN EXTENDED from wearing really basic things to INTERVIEW AND MORE PHOTOS. more adventurous things.
On Richmond (left): Banana Republic black leather jacket. BCBG Maxazria purple and white geometric dress, $100. Express black pattern tights, $6. On Manhica (right): Revival boots, $20. Gap denim jacket, $35. Earrings, $3.50. Vintage yellow dress.
On Erin Weathers ‘13: White Rabbit dress, $18. Gap black blazer, $60. Steve Madden sandals, $50. Revival Earrings, $15. White Rabbit bag, $12.
PHOTO BY//JOJO SILVERMAN
On Tim Yu ‘12: Urban Outfitters fedora, $28. Urban Outfitters blue cardigan, $35. Polo Ralph Lauren button down, $50. Ray-Ban sunglasses, $159. Polo Ralph Lauren khaki pants, $55.
PHOTO BY//JOJO SILVERMAN George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew pumpkins in their gardens.
17
BEYOND FUNCTIONAL A look at the West Wing Educational Program BY EMILY KREITER
T
emily.kreiter@wsspaper.com
PHOTOS BY//SARAH DIRKS
hey’ve been called a lot of things. Special. Challenged. Handicapped. But what about just calling them kids? High school students. Friends. The West Wing Functional Program teaches students with mental disabilities to be much more than functional, but to be a wide and deep presence around West High. “A school like this allows a lot of opportunities to present themselves and makes it happen,” said Steve Merkle, West High’s Special Programs coordinator. From making mons t e r
cookies to helping West High go green, the functional program students play a role in each West High students’ life, no matter how small.
RECYCLING CLASS
Twelve years ago, West High was recognized for being a green school for starting a recycling program, a fairly new concept at the time. Since then, the recycling program has grown into a larger program that meets every day during fifth period. The class, with the help of student volunteers, picks up all the bottles, cans, and papers that are collected each day in various classrooms. The students divide the school up into four routes to pick up recyclables from classrooms and sort them to be taken to the recycling center. Charmel Davis ’13 is an active participant in recycling class. “Charmel works and runs his own route all by himself,” said Merkle. “He doesn’t need any help. He likes the inde-
pendence, right?” “Yeah,” said Davis. “I like sorting and recycling.” “We create projects that teach vocational skills so students can be independent workers. There are all sorts of skills we work on, from memorizing the route to even organizing the route and being totally independent in all the skills necessary to complete the route. Get the paper, put in its proper channels, and the plastics and the tin cans, we even sort the cans that are worth money from the cans that aren’t worth money to take to the can shed,” Merkle said. Much of the money raised from the Recycling Class goes towards buying more recycling bins for the school.
PRODUCTION CLASS
With fruit from the music department, Girl Scout Cookies and Boy Scout popcorn, it’s easy to overlook smaller organizations trying to package and sell their own goods. Despite the competition, West High’s Production Class has been working hard to hold their own in the market. The class makes a wide array of
products, from monster cookies to cedar lawn chairs. “I like making chairs. I like putting things together,” Davis said. “I started [the class] around ten years ago, and we just started out making some cookies and my goal was that they would sell them to pay for the ingredients so we could continue to do it. [We do it] as a production line to give them production skills and vocational training, working in a plan where you would have an assigned task and you’d have to complete that and as the group does each task, you produce a final product. That’s what Production Class is all about, and I’ve found that we can really make almost anything on that principle,” Merkle said. The students have created their own sales brochure to sell their goods to all who are interested. The class discusses quality control, as well as research and design of various products. Still in the works is a coffee shop to replace the school store that was disestablished at the end of last year. “It’s being coordinated through the BPA. City High has had a successful one for years, and we’re probably not going to follow
their model, but we still might sell some of our monster cookies, scotcheroos and puppy chow,” Merkle said. Profits from the production class go towards funding the students’ ski trip
{
to show that I have talent to other people. This year we’re singing ‘Celebration,’ ‘Locomotion’ and the ‘Banana Boat Song,’” said Stephanie Crawford ’12, a participant.
}
“IT’S REALLY AN EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE
WORKING WITH THEM.
YOU REALLY GET TO KNOW
THE STUDENTS AND HOW THEY SEE THE WORLD.” -MADDIE BUSHNELL ’11, BEST BUDDY MEMBER
and a trip to Camp Courageous in the summer, as well as towards supplies to make new goods.
THE TALENT SHOW
Every April, West High’s Special Programs puts on a Talent Show to perform for parents, teachers and students. “I would have to say the Talent Show [is my favorite part of the year]. It started off as a really small idea of just getting family and friends to come together and now it’s turned into a pretty big event. The whole staff gets involved throughout the building, and students and parents attend, and it has just really taken off. Every year it’s just a blast once it all comes together,” Merkle said. “[I like the Talent Show because] I get
A wide variety of acts such as singing, dancing and skits are put together with a unifying theme. This year’s theme is transportation. “The kids will probably be doing a PowerPoint project about trains or airplanes or something about transportation,” Merkle said. “It’s a great show. It gives our kids an opportunity to perform at their own levels, it seems like anybody who has ever come to it goes away feeling good about what they’ve witnessed. … It’s a pretty good experience for people to get involved in and parents really love to see their kids getting up there and giving their best performance.” This year’s show will take place on April 28 at 6:30 p.m in the North Band Room.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Bowling, softball, basketball and skiing are just a few of the sports that Special Education students are involved in during Special Olympics. The students compete every season in various sports with students from all over the state of Iowa. “[I like Special Olympics] because I can do fun stuff with all my friends,” said Crawford. “I like doing bowling, basketball, track and field and softball.” Merkle has also created a program known as the “Cycling Project” where students with various levels of disabilities are accommodated if they have a desire to ride a bicycle. “We have probably over $30,000 of cycling equipment now. Pretty much any kid who wants to ride some kind of a cycle, we can make that happen, no
matter what their disability, from getting out of a wheelchair and going for a ride to being able to choose to pedal or not to pedal, or even the kids that can’t ride a bike but can independently steer and brake. We have [tricycles] that they can ride that they don’t have to worry about the balance, so it’s pretty neat,” Merkle said. And the Cycling Project has grown dramatically. From its kick-off in 2001 with five participants, Merkle has now integrated more than 50 students throughout the district. “It gives them the opportunity to be social and get involved in physical activity. The whole concept is a chance for them to be a winner and earn the medals, especially at a school like West High, where just your regular Joe tries to go out for football and finds it very competitive, and then having a disability on top of that can make it more challenging. Special O ly m p i c s gives them that opportunity to compete and have fun with it,” Merkle said.
BEST BUDDIES
Since its inception last year, Best Buddies has taken off as a club, with more than 30 participants. Each “buddy” is matched up with a student with special needs, with the hope that they develop a meaningful relationship. However, this year, the problem has not been in developing a friendship, but in making sure all the volunteers have someone to be a buddy to. “Participation is way up from last year,” said Best Buddies volunteer Maddie Bushnell, “We’ve been doubling up on buddies.There’s also a part of the program called an ‘associate buddies’ which is a little different. Associate buddies just say hi to their buddy at school and eat lunch with them, rather than doing activities outside of school.”
Merkle cited the school’s large volunteer base as a reason for the program’s success. “I think just the concept of what it’s all about is just a fun idea for a lot of kids that have had club experience through junior high of helping out with Special Olympics and special needs students, and they see Best Buddies as just another opportunity to continue that,” he said. “This year we’re still in the process of putting together the one-on-one stuff. We’re kind of taking a path where we want to create some party ideas and get all the kids together and maybe see if some of these relationships kind of spark their own beginning and turn those into one-on-one relationships that can grow. [We are trying to] work on simple stuff like group activities to create opportunities for the kids.” “It’s really an eye-opening experience working with them. You really get to know the students and how they see the world,” said Bushnell. Special Programs students said that they enjoy the activities during and outside of Best Buddies meetings. “Katie Kelley [’11] is my Best Buddy. We went to the homecoming parade with Pheobe [Yetley ’11]. On Tuesday (Oct. 12) I went to watch her play volleyball. She’s a good volleyball player. They kicked Kennedy’s butt,” said Seth McNeish ’11. “I like it because I can hang out with new people. We go to the movies and the library,” Crawford said.
21 sports
Sports Picture of the Month Linebacker Michael Cooper ’14 closes in on running back Andre Marsh ’13 during Sophmore team practice on Tuesday Oct. 19. The team finished the season with a 5-4 record after losing their final four games. The varsity team finished the regular season with a 4-5 record going into Wednesday’s substate game agaisnt North Scott.
PHOTO BY//LINDSAY BEST
Freshman ahead of the pack BY POMBIE SILVERMAN
pombiesilverman@wsspaper.com
D
aniel Gardasson ‘14 is out of sight before you can say Reykjavik. Hailing from Iceland, Gardasson is now running all over West High cross country. As a member of the Northwest track team, Gardasson ran in the 800 and 1600 meter races and also broke 2010 West High graduate Frank Canady’s two mile junior high record. This summer he competed at the Junior Nationals Track and Field competition in Iceland, winning the 3000 meter run. Gardasson started running with his mother in fun runs and became a member of the Northwest track and cross country team. Now he’s a member of West’s varsity team. Gardasson’s goals for this season include breaking 16:30 in the 5K and winning state as a team. He looks up to Canady and professionals Steve Prefontaine
and Haile Gebrselassie. Gardasson hopes to achieve his goals by working hard at practice. “Practice is the most exciting part of the day. I just look forward to seeing all the guys and running with them. Our team is very motivated, so we all want to go out there and do the best we can. We all help each other out and try to help each other reach our goals,” Gardasson said. Along with support from the team, Gardasson has a specific race tactic. “I always try to stay with the lead group. If I feel like the pace is going to slow, I try to push the pace and tear down everyone’s energy by the end. I try pushing myself mentally as well,” Gardasson said. “It’s hard to expect freshmen to perform consistently at a varsity level due to their current stage of development but [Gardasson] is ahead of most kids his age. He consistently has been one of the top freshmen in all of our meets,” said Coach Brian Martz. Gardasson hopes to become a professional runner someday. Until then, the freshman hopes for a successful cross country season.
Daniel Gardasson ‘12
Favorite Food: Pizza Favorite Sports Drink: Blue Powerade Favorite Class: American Studies Favorite Store: White Rabbit Favorite Band: Death Cab for Cutie
PHOTO BY//SARAH DIRKS Native Americans called pumpkins “isqoutm squash”.
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Swimmers make a splash 22 sports
The girls swim team sets its sights on state
Q&A
SARAH WEIHE
THIS VARSITY SWIMMER WAS RECENTLY NAMED ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AT THE CONFERENCE MEET. HOW DID IT FEEL TO WIN THIS AWARD? PHOTO BY//LINDSAY BEST Junior Kathleen Bowman practices her starts after school at the Coralville Recreation Center. “We have really improved this season, being second in MVC is a great accomlishment for us,” Bowman said.
BY KATIE MUCCI
katie.mucci@wsspaper.com
{
}
“WE HAVE BEEN SECOND
With swim season underway, the team has high hopes for the meets ahead. “Our number one goal is to win the MVC Super Meet. We have been second a number of times in the past 12 years I have been coaching, but with the large size of our conference and the tremendous talent we have not yet been able to pull off an overall conference title,” Head Coach, Robert Miecznikowski, said. In addition to a win at the MVC Super Meet, the team is also striving for other goals this season, such as placing at state. “I think the team goals are to finish the season by kicking City’s butt at Tuesday’s meet and getting as many girls to state as possible,” team captain, Stephanie Keith ‘11, said. Although the team is undefeated so far, the highlight of the season has not yet come.
ALMOST EVERY YEAR
FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS.
WE WANT FIRST.”
22
“Conference, regionals and state. Those will be the meets that should give us the satisfaction for a season of hard work,” Miecznikowski said. Fortunately for the team, they have a strong basis in the upperclassmen, as well as talented
sophomores and freshmen. The team doesn’t achieve their best by just swimming during the school season, many of the members train year round. “We have 15plus swimmers training year round now instead of the two to four swimmers, which has been the case in previous seasons. We are hoping to increase that number to 30 or more year-round swimmers which will solidify our program’s success and place as one of the state’s top tier programs,” Miecznikowski said.
The original pumpkin pie was made by baking honey, spices and milk in a hollowed-out pumpkin.
I was surprised to get the award because there are a lot of other really good swimmers that were at our conference meet. I definitely think that the relationships with the people that I swim with have helped me because I know that they are going to be there every practice, and we push each other to get better. I also have a lot of support [from] my parents.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR TEAM? My favorite part about the West High Swimming team is when I am swimming I can see them cheering on the side of the pool, and I really like the aspect of our team.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO OTHER SWIMMERS TO GET TO THIS POINT? If it’s something they enjoy and would like to continue doing, I would say to stick with it. If it is something you want to do in college, try to get your name out there to get the attentions of recruiters and make sure you are always having fun with it!
23 sports
Crossing the finish line
PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM//LINCOLN ROSEBOOM
The boys cross country team lines up at the MVC Super Meet at Noelridge Park in Cedar Rapids on Oct 7.
BY POMBIE SILVERMAN
W
pombie.silverman@wsspaper.com
ith the cross country season wrapped up, the West High boys’ team has had a fair season. Despite failing to qualify for the state cross country meet for by one point, the team has hopes for Ryson Stuart ‘10, who qualified individually at the district meet on Oct. 21. Despite the upset, the team has had a successful season.The team recently had a victory at the West High Invitational on Sept. 28, the first home meet win in six years. “This race showed us that we could go out there and run with the best. We
MEET THE
RUNNERS Bailey Wetherell ‘13
were definitely a stronger team this year than last year and certainly a lot deeper. Going into the year we knew that we had a chance to surprise some people who wouldn’t be expecting us to be that strong. Our main goal was just to go out there and compete to the best of our ability and see where it got us,” said returning varsity runner Isaac Jensen ’13. “We had a pretty good season this year.” With a greater depth at the varsity level this year, the team has placed higher in meets compared to last season. “The guys have spent a lot of time working together to reach their goals. We sharpened our speed and competitive focus on getting all we can out of ourselves in 3.1 miles,” said Coach Brain Martz. The teammates have used each other as motivational support. In addition,the team used other race tactics to help them succeed. compiled by caroline van voorhis
Height: 5’ 10” How long he’s been running: for 2 1/2 years Favorite Pre-Race Meal: Anything with pasta Pre-Race Rituals: Thinks about what he has to do Newest Obsession: Trying to beat people who are better than he is
[
]
we have sharpened our speed and competitive focus on getting all we can out of ourselves in 3.1 miles. Coach Brian Martz
Stuart will be competing at the state cross country meet on Oct. 30. “I was pretty happy when I found out that I qualified,” Stuart said. “It had been a pretty tough year for me. I had been sick at the beginning of the year and didn’t recover until the very end. I just hope to compete to the best of my abilities. I know that my teammates will go [to the state meet] to support me.”
As for next year, the team hopes to keep improving. “We have a good mix of talent at all grade levels. We could be a better team next year if the returning runners continue to train consistently, review their goals and be willing to do what it takes to reach them. I’m excited to continue to build and prepare teams that can remain highly competitive in the future,” head coach Brian Martz said.
Ben Fick ‘12 Height: 5’ 6” How long he’s been running: since fourth grade Favorite Pre-Race Meal: Spaghetti Pre-Race Rituals: Get enough sleep, warm up properly, eat 1 1/2 hours before Newest Obsession: Drumming
Pumpkin pie wasn’t actually served at the first Thanksgiving. It made its debut at the second Thanksgiving dinner
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24 sports
THE ULTIMATE GAME BY GARRETT ANSTREICHER
“W
garrett.anstreicher@wsspaper.com
hen a ball dreams, it dreams it is a disk.” So states Tyson Smith, a social studies teacher at West High who has been an avid player of ultimate frisbee (or “disk,” as they call it. According to Smith, “Frisbee” is just a trademark name of an inferior brand of disks) for six years. Smith, along with John Goupell, a teacher at Regina High School, is attempting to create a multi-school competitive ultimate team that would participate in competitions in the spring. Several West High students have joined in on the f u n . Prior experience i n playing Ulti-
ULTIMATE
FRISBEE
LINGO compiled by garrett anstreicher
24
mate is not needed; most student members, such as Dillon Galer ’11, only tossed disks around casually with their friends before joining the team. “I had always loved throwing a Frisbee around with my friends,” said Patrick Carr ’11, another student member of the team. “Then we played ultimate in P.E, and I thought it was the best thing ever. When I heard there was a team forming, I jumped in it.” While there aren’t a large number of schools that have Ultimate teams, there may still be some serious competition between the schools that do. “My understanding is that there were a small handful of teams in the state that competed this past spring,” Smith said. “Hopefully, we will have some opportunities against them and maybe some against other regional schools. Minnesota and Wisconsin have strong club teams and collegiate teams, and my guess is that they have more active high school teams than Iowa.” The team practices for an hour and a half every Wednesday. Although the team is not yet playing competitively, it does emulate a competitive environment. Ultimate is a game that demands both physical fitness and precision to play well. According to Smith, although being in good running shape is the most
CHICKEN-WINGS: An uncommon throw where the thumb is in the inside of the disk’s lip while the other fingers are on top. Thrown on the forehand side. STACK: An offensive tactic where four receivers line up horizontally.
important qualification to play ultimate well, one must also be able to throw the disk precisely and coordinate with their teammates when formulating strategies. In its practices, the team does its best to cover all of these areas. Of course, the best way to improve in Ultimate skills is to simply play the game. “[Practices] are pretty simple,” Carr said. “[We do] a few stretches and run around, then we play against each other.” Of course, with enough scrimmages, entertaining incidents are sure to happen eventually. “A Frisbee landed on one of our teammates [bodies] when he was on the ground,” Carr said. “It counted as a catch.”
“Another person and I caught the disk [at the same time],” Galer said. “We sat there for a split second, both of us holding either end. Then I ripped it out of his hands and threw a touchdown pass.” One of the most intriguing areas of Ultimate is the numerous different kinds of throws that exist. While fancy throws like “scoobers” and “chickenwings” exist, the West High team is
focusing on the more basic throws. “There are a lot of ways that you can throw a Frisbee,” Carr said. “I’m still learning some, but the most popular are the backhand, the forehand and the hammer. . . . It just takes practice; the coach said that you have to throw the forehand at least 150 times before you can get it down.” “I’m starting to learn some of the more advanced throws,” Galer said, “It’s really not that hard; you just have to use your wrist correctly. . . . It looks really cool when done the right way.” Despite the fun in throwing a disk with style, however, the true fun in ultimate lies in the people that play the game. “The idea of ‘Spirit of the Game,’ which includes sportsmanship but also calling your own fouls and overall respect for opponent and game before desire to win [is present],” Smith said. “Since I started playing, nearly everyone I have run into who is involved in ultimate has that good spirit.” PHOTOS BY//JOJO SILVERMAN Dillon Galer ’11 practices his passing during Ultimate Frisbee practice.
LAYOUT D: A play where a defender dives to stop a pass completion.
Z: Zone defense (a type of defense where areas, instead of spaces, are guarded.)
I/O FLICK: A forehand throw where the disk’s outer edge is pointing down.
POP: An offensive player whose main task is to “pop” into a guarded area to receive a short pass.
HANDLER: An offensive player whose main task is throwing to recievers.
SCOOBERS: An uncommon throw where the disk flies upsidedown.
Pumpkins are a fruit. The world’s largest fruit, in fact.
Competitive cheering 25 sports
Cheerleaders head to state with riskier routines BY SARANYA SUBRAMANIAN
saranya.subramanian@wsspaper.com
PHOTO BY//JOJO SILVERMAN FLYIN’ HIGH: The West High Cheerleaders practice their stunts they plan to use for state as well as other competitions throughout Iowa.
Volleyball
BY LEAH MURRAY
leah.murray@wsspaper.com
The Women of Troy are looking forward to their two regional games which they easily won last year. The team is back at it again, fully expecting to accomplish just as much, if not more, than they did last year. “We fully expect good competition but that we will prevail and make it to the state tourney,” said Kathy Bresnahan, the teams’ head coach. Katie Kelley ‘11 and Alli O’Deen ‘11, both captains of the team, feel as though the season is off to a good start. “We have overcome a lot of adversity with new players, new positions and injuries,” O’Deen said. Injuries including O’Deen’s torn ACL. She was on the bench for the earlier games, recovering from her injury last Februrary. So far, the teams record is 31-7. But being undefeated is not where their goals stand this season.“We’ve had a few disappointing losses but we’re not really worried about our record if it pays off in the post season,” Kelley said. PHOTO BY//SARAH DIRKS
This football season, it wasn’t just fans cheering on our football team. The team brought in four victories with the support of a riskier cheer team. This year, the cheerleaders added a whole new list of stunts like extensions, pendulums and basket tosses. The team will be taking their new stunts to state on Nov. 6 in Des Moines. “I think we improved our difficulty level with our stunts. We’ll definitely be more competitive this year,” said Sara Anson ’11, a cheerleader who competed at state last year. Last year at state the team felt they did well. They only competed in large group, bringing seventh place home. This year, the team has two different student group, and one large group teams. In a stunt group the routine is a continuous flow of stunts by a five- person team ac-
Girls’ Cross Country BY DAN ROTHMAN
dan.rothman@wsspaper.com
The West High girls’ cross country team is on it’s way to state after last Thursday’s regional meet. The team placed second behind Linn-Mar by only two points. Leading the way was Molly Leveille ’13, who finished third with a time of 15:03, and Brett Guerra ’12, who placed fifth with time of 15:12. The team will compete in the state meet tomorrow in Fort Dodge, trying to improve upon last year’s third place finish. PHOTO BY//JOJO SIVLERMAN
Pumpkins have been grown in North America for 5,000 years.
companied by music. West High is bringing 25 girls to dance to a mash-up of many songs. One of the cheers the team will be presenting at state has never been done on the football field. For those interested in attending, stunt groups will be competing at 3:50 p.m and 4 p.m. Large group will compete at 8:30 p.m. The team is hoping to attract a goodsized audience at the competition. Fans will have a chance to choose winners in a category called sideline in which in one minute schools will try to get their fans and others riled up. West High will not be competing in this category, but this part of the competition has always been a favorite for fans. It seems like Trojan fans may have one more thing to cheer for next year: a winning cheerleading team.
Football BY CAROLINE FOUND
caroline.found@wsspaper.com
After a 3-7 record last year, West High football (4-5) this year is making drastic improvements. Defeating Waterloo East, Cedar Rapids Prairie, Cedar Rapids Jefferson and tenth-ranked Cedar Rapids Washington is just a beginning for the future years of West High football. “We showed improvement Friday night against Washington,” head coach Brian Sauser said, “We made a decision to play, execute responsibilities and do jobs.” The Trojans took special pride i n knocking off Washington in their second to last regular season game. “It felt awesome, man,” Sauser said. “Other than City, there is no other team I would rather beat.” Sauser said his team’s speed has been one of its biggest strengths. “We can match anyone speed-wise. Both sides of the line, offense and defense,” he said. The Trojans concluded their regular season at home against Cedar Falls. To open the playoffs, West High faced Noth Scott at North Scott on Wednesday, October 27, playing to advance in sub-state. PHOTOS BY//LINDSAY BEST
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26 sports
A true greek trojan BY ANSEL LANDINI
ansel.landini@wsspaper.com
As West High’s football captain, Ian McBrearty ‘12 is a leader. A player. A Trojan. And like a true Trojan he shows no weakness, even when wounded in battle. McBrearty is still playing hard and supporting his team after sustaining an injury to his shoulder last season. The injury, a tear to his right labrum (cartilage attached to the shoulder socket), caused enough damage to the nerves in his shoulder to require surgery last winter. Since then, he has worked hard to get himself back into top physical condition for the new football season. Even if that comes with the price of an occasional shot of Cortisone, a steroid hormone used to alleviate pain. “It makes it feel numb, not that I can’t feel my arm, but it makes the pain go away,” McBrearty said. However, a shot of Cortisone doesn’t always take all of the pain away. After the first hit, with his shoulder is jarred, the familiar pain starts to come back. It’s difficult for him during practices but his will to play the game masks it. He’s in PHOTO BY//LINDSAY BEST every defensive play, takes hits all game
Run, baby, run BY SARANYA SUBRAMANIAN
saranya.subramanian@wsspaper.com
To most West High students, she goes by Ashlynn Yokom ’14. To her teammates, her name is “the baby.” West High’s “baby” holds a best time of 15:40 on the cross country course. Her quick feet and perseverance have made Yokom this month’s rising star. “I want to beat my time every single meet. I’ve [been successful] so far,”Yokom said. Yokom has been running cross country since eighth grade, but she began her running career in seventh grade track. After running long distance, she was encouraged to run cross country the following year. She took twelfth in the state cross country meet. Her biggest meet was at Kansas this year. The team took the top seven varsity girls, which included Brett Guerra ‘12 and Molly Leveille ’13. However, for the girls’ team, the cost of being good meant missing Homecoming.
26
“I was a little bothered by [missing Homecoming] but I realized this was a really big opportunity. Kansas became one on the best moments of the year,” Yokom said. As the star continues to rise...well, race... her teammates are more than excited to see her lead the team to victory in upcoming years. Her teammates have confidence in her speed, hard work and socks. “I always have to wear a [certain] pair of green socks [when I’m racing], “ Yokom said. The combination, though a bit odd, proves to be quite successful for Yokom and the team. Keep running, baby. RIGHT: Ashlynn Yokun races down the finish chute at the West High home corss country meet at the University of Iowa’s Ashton Cross Country course. The team won the meet, beating out out second place Kennedy by 34 points. Ashlynn placed third on the West high team behind Molly Leville ‘13 and Pombie Silverman ‘13.
PHOTO BY//JOJO SILVERMAN The U.S. produced 1.1 billion pounds of pumpkin in 2008.
long and still plays his hardest. “I just want to play ... I had to sit out all of basketball season with the injury, and I just can’t sit out again,” McBrearty said. The nice thing about being on any sort of team is you’re playing with a family. Teammates like quarterback and free safety Charles Rogers ‘12. As team captain, McBrearty is very enthusiastic, and keeps his team going as they play. “It’s a great feeling [playing beside him], he just plays hard and isn’t bothered by his injury,” Rogers said. His team helps him as much as he helps them, by taking his mind off his injury and keeping his focus on the game. And he plays just as well as he would without the injury. Whomever the opponent, whatever their rank and whenever they play, McBrearty brings all he’s got, and shows the crowd that no injury can slow him down. “Being out on the field, and hearing the crowd, it just gets my adrenaline going and I’m able to play through it all,” he said.
NAME GAME
27 sports
THE
OF THE
Are club sports taking over West High athletics? BY POMBIE SILVERMAN
I
pombie.silverman@wsspaper.com
magine a piano player who practices for only three months a year playing in the same concert as one who plays all year round. Or imagine you’re considering two job applicants, one with years of training and experience and another who just considers it a hobby. Now imagine a locker room. They’re subtler and sweatier, but the same dynamics apply. Many athletes pour time, money and dedication into yearround club sports, leaving strictly school athletes in the JV dust. Club focuses individually on the specific athlete. Club coaches help their athletes perform in skill, training them to help them improve i n weak areas. In addition, it is easier to get attention from college scouts while participating in club sports. Practices can last up to three hours and require a great amount of effort such as weight train-
DO YOU LIKE
TO PLAY CLUB OR
HIGH SCHOOL
SPORTS MORE?
compiled by caroline found
ing and morning practice. But only hard work will show results, according to varsity swimmer Savannah Butler ’13. “Club can get pretty intense, and you have to be willing to work really hard to get results that you want. Club won’t necessarily make you better, unless you put in the work.,” said Butler. “Club swimming is fun too, but it focuses more on the individual. Everyone always told me I had talent in swimming, but without club I wouldn’t be anywhere close to my times now.” Although club sports help with skill significantly and provide opportunities to travel, cost is a disadvantage. Club has a high-priced monthly fee, in addition to travel and equipment costs. “Club is grotesquely more expensive than West. We may pay for a few t-shirts and sandwiches during high school season, but in club, players and their families foot the bill for uniforms, tournaments, travel, fees just for being in the club. I think my parents could probably send me to college with the money they’ve spent on soccer for me and my siblings,” said varsity soccer player Sarah Moore ’11. With high costs, financial issues can be a problem for athletes who cannot afford to pay for club. Usually most club sports have scholarships or other forms of financial aid for athletes unable to pay. “Clubs want people who are committed and talented. If the only thing holding a player back is finances, the club usually tries to help the player,” Moore said. Even though the participation in club sports is often related to making the high school varsity level team, it does not guarantee a spot on varsity. “I don’t think you need to play club in order to make varsity. There are girls I know in soccer who had never even touched a ball in their lives and then
“High school, because although club has better competition, you get to play with your friends in school sports.” Shelly Stumpff ‘12
ended up on the varsity team. But if you look at who’s playing at that top level, most of them are club players. Participating in club sports definitely helps,” Moore said. Hard work, dedication and commitment are just some of the factors required to make varsity, according to West High soccer coach David Rosenthal. “I chose varsity players based on physical, mental, and ability factors, but I do not choose players based on their participation in club sports. [However] the team’s performance would be nowhere near its current level without the contribution of these club players who dedicate a lot of time to the sport,” Rosenthal said. Club sports are even less of a factor for sports like track. Last season, the Women of Troy track team won their sixth team state championship. “We won State last year and there was no one involved in a club sport relating to track,” said returning varsity member Molly Leveille ‘13.
“High school, because it doesn’t get any better then playing in front of the West High fans with all my friends watching me.” Austin Swank ‘13
One cup of pumpkin contains 30 calories and is fat free.
“Club, because you get to play with players from other schools and meet new people. It is a higher level of competition.” Paige Yoder ‘11 27
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29 radish
Report
Radish More than perfect
Note: All Radish content is satirical and is not meant to be perceived as factual
The
SPIN
ZONE
Terrified by having almost the entire world freak out about them, wishing to retain some form of a private life and sorely missing their cylindrically-baked pies, the recently rescued Chilean miners quickly decide to return to being trapped underground.
After distributing his new nail polish, Justin Bieber finally decides to reveal that he is actually a teenage girl. Nobody is surprised. Christine O’Donnel, unable to face further drops in ght polls, throws herself into a lake tied to a rock. Unfortunately, she floats.
compiled by garrett anstreicher
Local student Bung Hole receives unheard of extra credit on his ACT
BY MADHU SRIKANTHA
A
madhusrikantha@wsspaper.com
fter years of priming, practicing, praying and secluding himself from the likes of society, Bung Hole, a senior at local high school Best High recently received an unheard of 37 on his ACT. “It’s quite remarkable how intelligent I am. I received a 36 the first ten times I took it, but I desired to excel above all others,” Hole said with the voice of an impetuous robot. And that he did. According to a representative from the ACT agency, Hole received extra-credit for the brilliance of his answers. “Well, us boys at the agency take real pleasure in re-grading Bung Hole’s test. I mean he’s just so brilliant that it brings tears of joy to our eyes. Look, I’m crying right now,” said Stu Phid of the ACT testing agency as he lapped up the tears dripping down his face. “But in all seriousness. On his most recent test,
BY THE GRAPHS
Bung Hole actually created questions for himself to answer and then answered them correctly. Who else but our good pal Bungy would have thought to do something so magnificent?” asked Phid as he gazed longingly out the window at a cloud miraculously shaped like Hole’s profile. But not everyone is impressed with his feat. “I’m not impressed with his feat,” said Sue Gelus, a student at Best High. “I mean, I got a 36 on my ACT – a PERFECT SCORE. Why isn’t anyone building a shrine for me on the front lawn? Seriously, they’re building a shrine for him on the front lawn.” With Hole’s huge fan base, and evidence of its existence, he is sure he’ll be successful in life. “I will go to the best of all colleges and have the most money when I die,” Hole said with the amount of enthusiasm only a robot could muster. And finally, Hole said that to study for the ACT he simply oiled his joints and downloaded the latest software, whatever that means in newfangled teenager terms. compiled by david huang
Chris Rock equilibrium
Percent of this pie that is each type of pie Rhubarb Pumpkin
Offensiveness
Michael Scott asymptote
Apple
Racial Insensitivity 29
30 opinion
Internet crackdown T
he Internet has always been a free domain. Free for wonders like the KKK homepage (they offer a message of “love, NOT hate,” their website will kindly remind you). Free for the American Nazi Party (which supports freedom from persecution for beliefs, don’tcha know). Free for pornography (for those eighteen years and older, of course. Let’s not break the law). And even free to answer the question of whether Charlie bit my finger. We love the Internet because it’s filled with endless opportunities for anything imaginable. But Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and sixteen other co-sponsoring Senators have decided that leaving the Internet a free domain is an absolutely deplorable idea, furthering their decision in the form of S. 3804, the Combatting Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA), a piece of legislation which would give the government the power to blacklist certain web domains. Not web domains that directly sponsor illegal activity or promote hatred and violence outright, by the way, but those which “facilitate a vilation of title
17.” Essentially, websites which facilitate copyright infringement or intellectual property theft would be blocked for every American who is provided Internet within the United States. The bill would allow the government to issue and create two blacklists. One, created by courts would list websites that are required to be blocked by ISPs (Internet service providers). A second, created by the Attorney General, would list websites which are encouraged to be blocked by ISPs. The WSS strongly opposes the COICA. The first issue with such a piece of legislation is that it is outright censorship. Any website with the potential to facilitate copyright infringement can be taken to court or sued under this act, and very likely could be blocked. Thus, web domains which are otherwise perfectly legal, but used by others for illegal purposes would blacklisted. Useful websites like MegaShare, drop. io or even YouTube could be blacklisted if companies like Viacom complain enough and decide that Jon Stewart is, in fact, not a public good to be viewed by all.
Because remember, folks: Every time you watch lengthy clips from TV shows or movies on YouTube not sponsored by the owner of the content, you are engaging in criminal activity. And the government don’t like no criminal activity. Secondly, if we’re being honest, as tech-savvy as the government is, it is more likely than not that intellectual property theft will occur regardless of whether the government says it’s okay or not. Not only would requiring a court ruling on every web domain that can potentially result in copyright infringement take time, it would be ineffective. Just as there are such web domains today though the government says that’s not okay, there will be “illegal” web domains tomorrow, even if the government says “that’s not okay!” with an exclamation point. The COICA would thus amount to only a hindrance to the general public who wish to use useful online services that are then blocked. Finally, legislation such as the COICA always has the potential for sliding down the ominous, oft-mentioned slippery slope. If it is okay for the government to blacklist websites that may
ART BY//BRIDGET NOVAK
result in this specific illegal activity, why isn’t it okay for the government to blacklist websites that may result in any other illegal activity? Websites that offer information about drug use? Those that condone anarchy or violent revolution? Even domains which are satirical in nature but perceived as promoting illegal activity? The Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act is a bad idea. Not only because it’s useless, but because it’s censorship. Plain and simple.
Should the government have the right to censor websites?
0-11 The WSS thinks not. 30
Quality of Life Index October
Halloween
Girls have an excuse to be a slut, boys have an excuse to look at slutty girls and little children in the kosher, wonderfully cute versions of the slutty girl costumes! Halloween is the best time to be... well… anyone. Plus 3
Douchey Drivers
There are far more drivers that have been worthy of obscene language and heftily violent gestures this month than ever before. Have people just gotten worse? Or have I just gotten so good at driving that everyone else pales in comparison? I’m betting on the latter. Minus 2
Harry Potter Numero Siete
TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE FOR THE MIDNIGHT SHOWING!!! Plus 4
The Cold
Did you guys get how clever that double meaning is? HAHAOMGTTYLLYLAS. Yay to the weather being cold, neigh (the horse kind) to the widely unrecognized sickness called “the cold.” Which I think I have. So if you want to join the bandwagon, come closer. Minus 1 Interviews on local news channels “Lately the area has been, uh, smellier than usual.” Facebook quote! Seriously, go check my FB. Plus 2
Total 6 compiled by madhu srikantha
Perfecting the political process 31 opinion
H
ey, here’s a funny joke. So, this group of lawmakers that control this enormous nation are sitting around, talking. This one proposal comes up; it’s to give $1 billion of aid to an already impoverished nation that has recently been completely ravaged by a cataclysmic earthquake. Then, one single lawmaker prevented a single cent of aid from reaching said devastated country. Here’s the punchline: that lawmaker was hailed for stopping the waste of taxpayers’ dollars. Isn’t that hilarious? Apparently the Senate thought so. The American populace has begun to view politics with a healthy dose of skepticism, and with good reason: the legislative body of the American government is a hopelessly inefficient and congested institution that rarely gets anything done. A bill to provide health services to 9/11 veterans that were seriously afflicted was blocked. The effort to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell failed miserably, and Haiti has not received a penny of the money that the U.S government promised to give it. This isn’t a problem that can be fixed in one election cycle. And no fresh faces promising to work for US in Washington will offer real change. The problem isn’t in the people that are currently in office but the nature and rules of the political system that make it so difficult to get anything done. For example, a single person can anonymously inhibit the progress of a bill, and anybody can read out of a phonebook all day to simply stall, and then stall some more. The solution? Simple. Disallow the filibuster and all of the tactics that senators can use to prevent progress.
True, it may seem like the filibuster is what keeps the majority party from becoming a complete tyrant in the legislature. However, the filibuster is no longer used as a legitimate procedural check. Legislators use the filibuster only when they believe that doing so will get them political brownie points from their constituents; the prevention of tyranny is hardly a factor. Although the filibuster and many other legislative rules may have started as a decent idea, they have degraded into the rules of a political game that gets the nation nowhere. And hey, what about that whole incumbency problem? Because people in the legislative branch have potentially endless incumbency, to them it seems far more appealing to make legislation based on how happy it will make their constituents, not how it will benefit America. In essence, the cycle of incumbency turns legislation into a political game instead of a legitimate effort to improve America. The solution is, again, simple: establish congressional term limits so that there’s no point in playing the game anymore. In the end, the solution to ending the gridlock in congress isn’t by getting rid of all of the people in it. As long as the political system has so many opportunities and provides so many incentives for stalling, congress will never be able to move with the speed that Americans want. Thus, it is integral for us to stop thinking that throwing everybody out of D.C will solve everything and instead start to petition for changes in how our system works to ensure that it works to legitimately improve America, to ensure that it passes legislation more quickly and efficiently, and to ensure that Haiti finally gets that aid.
Editorial Policy The West Side Story reflects the views of the staff and does not represent the school administration, faculty or student body. Guest articles may be accepted to represent an additional point of view or as a part of a collection or reader contributions. The staff will carefully scrutinize all reader submissions. All ads are subject to approval by the business staff. Those that are libelous, obscene or plainly offensive may be rejected. The West Side Story attempts to publish all letters, which must be signed, to the Editors, but may reject submissions due to space limitations, inaccuracy or poor quality. It is the responsibility of the opinion editor to verify authorship. Editors can make minor edits for the sake of clarity, length and grammatical correctness. Staff responses to letters are not allowed. A full copy of the Editorial Policy is available in Room 111.
Correction We apologize for incorrectly implying that Melanie Johnson left her position as 1440 advisor due to budget cuts in our September issue. The club understands that Johnson left due to other responsibilities in the school.
31
32 opinion
Harry disappointed Loose BY MADHU SRIKANTHA
madhu.srikantha@wsspaper.com
A
fter whittling away the nonessential parts of any person (i.e. face, personality, likes/dislikes, identity) I have found the basic difference between people lies in whether they were supremely disappointed when their twelfth birthday came about and they had not received affirmation of their magical talents, or they had no idea what I was talking about when I brought up my irreparable despair, i.e. “Who is Hagwarts?” April 8, 2004 was by far the most disappointing day of my life. Not only was I not yet a teen and not yet old enough for middle school, but my window for acceptance into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had closed. Apparently it didn’t matter to Headmaster Dumbledore that I considered myself a perfect Ron-Harry-Hermione mixture of talent, humor; and resilient bravery or that I had been diligently practicing my magic ever since reading the books a year before. I am, in fact, quite proud to say that I had perfected the act to a tee – whispering well-pronounced incantations under my breath and waving my wand in a perfectly crisp arc just as Hermione had advised, playing along any time a spell had been cast against me, and conjuring up potions that clogged my bathroom’s sink each time without fail. My heart was broken at that surprisingly young age when I finally faced the fact that I just did not have the gift of spontaneous desire followed by immediate satisfaction – I was not magical. For others in my grade, 2005 passed without a batted eye. But between the post-12th-birthday Harry Potter readers, there was a certain understanding that came from experiencing such a large disappointment at such a young age – the others would have to wait for their first love, discovering one of their parent’s affairs or finding out that their favorite athlete was on steroids. They did not feel the same remorseful bite that we did but as a tradeoff, they could never experience magic the same way we did. But then again, for them, there was no sinking disappointment as each red X on the calendar marked a day closer to their twelfth birthday, the date of no-return, as there had been for me. But even taking into consideration the pains I went through, I still don’t regret wishing that magic was real so earnestly. Although I had to face the fact that actual magic was not within my grasp, I learned to settle for something much more human. I became willing to believe the unbelievable – my small venture into the impossibility of magic made me willing to accept the unrealistically idealistic possibility of no limits. Without that all-consuming belief in magic and the endurance of the disappointment in learning its nonexistence, I would not have come to be the absolutely magnificently strong being that I am today. Just kidding. But now, as the Harry Potter movies approach their end, I’m reminded of those years in which I was way too old to believe that magic was real, but still believed it anyway. And I know that there are still some of us out there (anyone?) still waiting for an owl to drop an acceptance let32 ter, seven years late, on their porch.
laces
BY POMBIE SILVERMAN
I
pombiesilverman@wsspaper.com
t’s the little things that matter. The trivial stuff. The details you never remember, but shouldn’t forget. Measure twice, cut once. Look both ways, then look again. Loop the bunny through the hole and pull tight. Everyone knows these expressions. But I cut twice, only looked one way and decided it looked cooler to wear my laces loose. I should have known it would be that last one that would get me. In elementary school, the only thing that looked cool were gauchos and Lizzie McGuire chokers. Somehow, I was the only naive fifth-grader in school unaware of this. The Thursday before the elementary school track meet, the class decided to practice on the playground. The event I looked forward to the most was the 300 meter run. This was an event only for the ten year-olds capable of enduring astounding feats like running three-quarters of an entire track. I decided I was up to the challenge of beating all of the boys. My shoelaces were untied when Mr. P.E. teacher blew his whistle and we were off in a sprint. About fifty meters in, my race was cut short. Suddenly, I was flying through the air, flipping and twisting like a rampaging bird. Sadly, my ninja skills were not fully developed, and I could feel my squirrel-sized wrist crack. I heard the screeching halt of my classmates’ Batman shoes and my own voice, crying out in annoying bursts. Somewhere along the way, I stupidly managed to hurt myself by tripping over my laces. A mob of students huddled around me as if I were Lady Gaga in the mosh pit and interrogated me with their embarrassing, tearinducing questions. I used a classmate’s shoulder to hold steady my non-existent limp, trying to make it seem that there was more damage than I actually had. It would be my second excuse, in case my arm wasn’t broken. My father drove me to the emergency room, where I got my xray and I waited for my results. The hope of a broken arm continued, I needed a reason for crying so expressively. The results came, and I got the next best thing: my wrist was broken. I felt ecstatic the next day. I had proof of my little battle, and I was going to let everyone see my bright green cast. No heroics had been required to break my wrist; I was merely being stupid. I needed to be the victim, even though the accident was clearly my fault, and the incident was not that big of a deal. As people signed my cast, I considered buying Velcro shoes so no more accidents would happen; when I realized that I should just take responsibility for myself and tie my own shoes. I accepted that I had simply forgotten to knot the laces. Sometimes, something as simple as tying a shoe or checking the coffee-maker can have the largest consequences. Hm… I’m sure I turned off the faucet over the tub … well, I think I did.
33 opinion
A Treatise on Hallway management
T
BY DAVID HUANG
davidhuang@wsspaper.com
he madness of our dear West High’s hallway policies are now beginning to affect me personally. While this originally was intended to be an idea for the Radish (“Vice-principal escorted out of middle hallway during A lunch for using ‘outside voice’”), I realized that the issue was obnoxious enough to deserve an entire treatise of Lockean quality. And so here it is. If you’re unaware of the recent addition of fascist oppression to our lunch periods, simply stroll into a “non-designated for use” hallway during an unfortunate time. Chances are, you will be targeted like a Mexican in Arizona and told to leave and use the “designated” floor instead. I imagine the reasoning is that students walking around during lunch are often disruptive to those still in class, being the loud, talkative, hormonal adolescents we, admittedly, often are. But while I realize that despotism and terror are
often excellent tactics for establishing peace and harmony (see: early 20th century), there is a problem with our hallway management style. It’s, like, really freaking dumb. There are a couple logical inconsistencies I would like to graciously point out for the uncritical thinker. The other day, a few minutes into A lunch, I was walking along to the newspaper room to acquire some homework to finish, as I had fourth period open. Although I often give the impression of loud, obnoxious and disruptive, appearances can be deceiving, and I was actually walking silently (as I have no friends to talk to). Nonetheless, I was stopped, my useless pleas that I was getting something from a classroom reduced to nothing but echoes through a dark, lifeless chamber as I was dragged by the ears through shards of glass to outside the hall. This illustrates the first fallacy behind arguments in support of the status quo. I’ll explain it for the slow. If even silent behavior is disruptive, the mere presence of hallway monitors (and indeed, air, lockers, floor tiles, ceilings, millions of bacteria and other microscopic living organisms, dust and walls) should be disallowed because they exist in the hallway, regardless of whether they are being loud or not, because clearly volume is not the problem. Otherwise it would be ridiculous
to close off entire hallways at a time, hindering access to entire thirds of the school to those who may just want to get to a locker or a classroom. But David, one might say, though your logic is undeniably brilliant and refreshing, if we open up the hallways, then won’t disruptive people also be allowed through? And that brings me to my second argument: there are much better, less annoying methods to deter classroom disturbance that should be enforced instead. For instance: punish disturbers (I know, genius. I don’t even get paid for these ideas). I realize they’re called “hallway” monitors, but I think the actual intent is to monitor activity in hallways, not the empty hallways themselves. Not that watching over empty hallways isn’t useful (though, you are putting a lot of rocks out of their jobs by hiring humans to sit around and do nothing). And as I see I’m probably approaching the limits of my word count, I’ll address remaining grievances in short, snippy sentences: Walking isn’t loud. The additional distance needed to go up or down stairs to get to the library is actually quite annoying. Students need access to their lockers or teachers who have open periods regardless of the floor they’re on. Snape kills Dumbledore. Darth Vader is Luke’s father.
If Dante Alighieri had known the horrors of the American public school system, I can’t help but think that there would’ve been another circle in hell. That circle would be reserved for students who do their homework during class and whose minds are in another galaxy completely as teachers try to drill phrases and proofs into them for their own good. I would be one of the guilty. However, I take some solace in the fact that Dante might not have been as cruel as national educational board members because I know that high school is just a necessary evil that plagues us for four years after which we escape into the world that isn’t much better. Or that might just be my own special brand of cynicism. Just the other day, somewhere between where my mind actually is (in a galaxy far, far away) and 3:15 p.m., it occurred to me. When am I going to use all of the information I’m (not really) slaving over in real life? Considering I have absolutely no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life, or even what I want for lunch today, I came to the conclusion that it was time I draw up a list. A list of things to do before I push up any daisies:
3. Have a Chinese fire drill in a clown car. 4. Run with scissors and live to tell the tale. 5. Get a gold medal in the Olympics for speedtyping. 6. Spoil the Sixth Sense Bruce Willis was dead the ENTIRE movie. 7. Find Waldo. Give the poor, stalked man a moose. 8. Crush the pineapple under the sea. (And while I’m down there, find Nemo.) 9. Beat Extreme on Beatles Rockband. Become the Walrus. 10. Duel against Abe Lincoln with a light saber. 11. Construct an origami army. 12. Use the word “hippootomonstosesquipedalian” casually in a sentence. 13. Wage war with said army in an epic battle against the French. Win. 14. Hitchhike through Europe. Hitchhike to Neptune. 15. Have a soundtrack to my daily life. 16. Cross a black cat’s path and give the cat bad luck. 17. Grow to the great heights of... taller than 5 feet 1 inch. 18. Save the whales, and, subsequently, save the 33 world.
Certainly uncertain BY ASHTON DUNCAN
ashtonduncan@wsspaper.com
A
fter I’ve wasted all of the time allotted to morning preparation, avoiding even getting out of my comfy, warm bed, and realized that if I don’t get up right that instant I’m going to be late, I’m about three minutes away from running out the door. When I do sprint down my street, I’ve barely shaken off my four to five hours of sleep. No breakfast. I’m not a great example of what students should aim for, and I accept that fact. I could, and (admittedly) should change, but at midnight the night before a huge test, I find myself still awake, plugging away at something I don’t need to be worried about for another month. I procrastinate going to sleep because sleep just part of an endless, monotonous cycle of weekday life and avoiding it is my little rebellion. Useless, but crucial to my sanity. Go to school, seven periods, come home, do homework, sleep, rinse and repeat.
1. Cultivate a new life form in my fridge. 2. Invent a crayon color.
Living with my regret 34 opinion
J
BY SARANYA SUBRAMANIAN
saranyasubramanian@wsspaper.com
uly 7, 2010 marks the day of my first regret. I don’t really like to talk about my accident but let’s just say I ended up in the hospital for a while and my car was sent to the junkyard. I lost the 18-year-old family car, my independence and more importantly my and my parents’ innocence. On the way to the hospital I kept repeating to myself ‘I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe I just hit another guy. I can’t believe I’m in an ambulance with a neck brace.’ I even remember sitting in drivers’ education thinking I’m not dumb enough to be in an accident, because I’m not the speeder, the partier or the risk taker. Soon after taking every kind of x-ray in the book, my parents finally got to see me. The minute they stepped into the room a whole new set of tears came rushing down my face. My mom was a mess but my dad… he could hardly look at me because it was too painful. I became the nightmare parents prayed to never see. We never said it to each other but it was then we realized they couldn’t protect me forever. They couldn’t stop the world from inflicting any pain on me. Thirty seconds changed our lives and perspectives. Regret means to feel sorry. I feel sorry not for myself but for my parents. Accidents happen, and I’ll always heal, but I regret the pain my parents felt (and the 14,000 dollar bill that’s driving their insurance premium). Carless, I now rely on my parents and friends to take me places. I feel like an inconvenience at least two to three times a day; the feeling lies somewhere between guilt and self-pity. While they watch the road my eyes tend to wander to the car next to me. I see the not-so casual look down towards your lap. I see your left hand leave the steering wheel. That’s right I see you texting. I’ve heard it all from my friends like, I’m a good driver, I don’t care, or it doesn’t count if I’m at a red light. Listen people, just forget the text. Pretend that you don’t have friends or a crazy girlfriend or boyfriend who requires you to text them every second. Seventeen is way too young to have any regrets. Do you really want to lose a car or sleep for that matter? When I had my car I texted occasionally and I knew that there were times that were just too close, but each time I managed to stop before anything happened. For lack of a better word I would almost describe myself as lucky, because those times I texted and sped I was able to squeeze by, but I never learned my lesson. I definitely learned my lesson, but my debt is a possible lifetime sentence of night mares and guilt. I imagine one day I will get over it, but it’s not today. I’m on my way. Last weekend was the first time I drove since July. Just think about it: A text spends spend around two to three days in a 34 person’s inbox but regrets live forever.
Extra-prepped BY DAN ROTHMAN
I
dan.rothman@wsspaper.com
t started just over a year ago, on a particularly swelteringly hot July afternoon. Two fellow West students and I were enduring the torturously boring rite of passage that is driver’s ed. When it was not our turn at the steering wheel, we squeezed into the back of that small car for hours on end, trapped, with no hope of escape, coming up with any possible topic of conversation that could possibly entertain ourselves. It was during just such a conversation when one fellow prisoner made the seemingly innocent comment that would stick with me much longer than it really had any reason to. “You know, I saw Transformers 2 last night,” he said. “It was awesome. Probably even better than The Dark Knight!” I was immediately awakened from my daily driver’s ed nap by the shocking level of bad taste displayed by this comment. Sure, I hadn’t actually SEEN the movie, but it was the recipient of a mere 20% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (a website that compiles the percentage of movie critics who gave a given film a positive review), where critics complained about the lack of a coherent plot or well-written dialogue. The Dark Knight, by comparison, sports a 93%. “What are you talking about!” I exclaimed, any hope of sleep rapidly vanishing. “How can you even compare the two? Transformers 2 has no plot and terrible dialogue. It’s just 2 ½ hours of explosions!” Confident in my superior taste (a.k.a. ability to use Google), I set about trying to recapture that elusive sleep. It wasn’t until much later that I reflected on that exchange and realized something very important: Why are any of those criticisms a bad thing? Sure, the movie is dumb, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be ridiculously entertaining. Sure, there are more explosions than lines of dialogue, but you know what? Explosions are awesome. At the time I had felt like I needed to be sophisticated. I had what I like to call College Prep Syndrome: as high-schoolers we often feel like in order to get into a strong college, we must live up to their standards, starting in the classroom and extending into our private lives. I have known countless smart kids who, due to the consistent pressures of the college process thrust upon them by their parents, have built up incredibly inflated image of themselves. They feel as if they must look down condescendingly upon those unsophisticated things, and in many cases people, that don’t match up with their image of an ideal college applicant. But seriously, we’re just high schoolers. I think that that right there may be one of the most important lessons that I’ve learned in my time here at West: being well-cultured has its place, but sometimes we all must release with some pure dumb fun. Is it good to be able to appreciate a classic black-and-white movie? Sure, but given the choice I’d much rather go see Jackass 3-D. Is it good to be able to enjoy a piece of classical music composed by Beethoven? Sure, but I’ll take the new Bruno Mars CD any day. The day we forget the importance of chilling out and having fun is the day that high school gets the best of us. I’m determined to not let it happen to me again.
LEFT: Cara Jansen ’11 tests out an apple while at Wilson’s Apple Orchard on a Saturday morning. MIDDLE LEFT: The sun peeks over the stalks of the corn maze in Bloomsbury Farms in Atkins, IA. BOTTOM LEFT: Justin Gorgone ’12 walks down the neverending paths of Wilson’s Apple Orchard in Iowa City. The orchard is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. from August to September and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in October. BOTTOM: Bloomsbury Farms in Atkins, IA boasts a number of attractions, such as pumpkin picking, a petting zoo and a corn maze.
PHOTO BY//JOJO SILVERMAN
WHEN LEAVES BEGIN TO BY SARANYA SUBRAMANIAN
F
saranyasubramanian@wsspaper.com
all air bites like a good apple: cool and crisp and just a little sweet. As summer’s exuberance matures into a cornucopia of leaf piles and thanksgiving dinners, it is finally cold enough outside to curl up and be cozy. It’s a time for slowing down, for preserving and reflecting and for sharing. We share slices of pumpkin pie and sips of warm cider as puffs of condensed air act as speech bubbles, punctuating our words with something decidedly ethereal. PHOTO BY//SARAH DIRKS
FALL PHOTO BY//SARAH DIRKS
PHOTO BY//JOJO SILVERMAN
Would you rather..... compiled by elizabeth dagle
...walk on your hands wherever you go or slither like a snake?
...attend Hogwarts or Harvard?
“I would slither like a snake and hiss at the same time.” -Justin Gorgone ’12
...age only from the neck up or down? ...lick a toilet clean at West or lick the cafeteria floor after all three lunches? ...have super hearing or laser vision?
...communicate solely through interpretive dance or talk only in an opera-like manner?
...be adopted by Lady Gaga or Madonna? ...eat a jar or flies or a jar of snails? “I would want to get a jar of snaileating flies and have the flies eat all of the snails, and then the flies would get snail poisoning and die and decay so that there would be no way for me to eat either. Or I would just rather have a jar full of flies.” -Wadood Daoud ’14
{
“Probably [talk in an] opera-like manner because [with interpretive dance] you couldn’t talk, and I can’t go without talking for that long. Also, you would get tired dancing all over the place.” -Sophie McClatchey ’14
“Probably dead flies because they wouldn’t be as crunchy.” -Rachel Anderson ’13
c r e a t e your own
Ve r b Flirt with Eat Play cards with Scream at Cheat with Go scuba diving with Talk to Cuddle with
Noun A rock Dr. Arganbright A hobo Corn-on-the-cob Your neighbor A tuba Barney John Travolta
“I would rather slither because it seems easier.” -Daquan Crawford ’13
OR
“Interpretive dance, because I’m really active. And since I couldn’t talk, I’d have to let it out in some way.” -Ivy Vance ’12
Choose one from each category, and viola, you’ve got the perfect dilema. Ve r b # 2 Sing to Fight with Tickle Scratch Smile at Cook Dream about Smell
{
Noun #2 Your math textbook A tiger A bacon-cheeseburger Your little sister Justin Beiber Dirty laundry All of your Facebook friends compiled by anna egeland