westsidestory THERE’S PAGES 18 TO 19
NO PLACE
LIKE HOME The WSS takes a look at how urban students adapt to life in Iowa City.
IOWA CITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL
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2901 MELROSE AVE.
IOWA CITY, IA 52246
VOLUME 42 ISSUE 4
FEBRUARY 4, 2010
turn to page 23 to read about the west high dance team’s upcoming trip to nationals! PHOTO BY/LINDSAY BEST
new classes
[news 6]
wss staff members
four new classes will be offered at west high next year
feeling thrifty?
[feature 9]
check out these deals found at local secondhand stores
theater leaders [a&e 13]
SPIT is tonight! learn more about the student directors of the four SPIT productions.
hunters [profiles 20]
west high students share their hunting experiences
urban students
[in-depth 18-19]
students from the city adjust to life as an iowan
girl power
[sports 28]
jasmine bailey ‘14 defies stereotypes as a standout wrestler and international judo competitor 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. COVER ART BY//BRIDGET NOVAK
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 jojo silverman photo editor 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 katie mucci staff writer adam canady webmaster sara jane whittaker advisor
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.
corrections In the last issue, we misspelled Leena Ibrahim ‘12’s name in the in-depth article. Also, Luke Brooks ‘12 is not involved in the Protestant Sects and was incorrectly identified as a member. We apologize for these mistakes.
february
tableofcontents
03 news
ART BY//BRIDGET NOVAK
BY POMBIE SILVERMAN
pombie.silverman@wsspaper.com
With AP tests coming up in May, it’s time to crack down and crack open your books - review books, that is. From stand-in notes for the days when you were just too busy for the textbook to a supplement to your complete notes, review books can be a score saver. If you choose the right one.
Aside from buying books, try this helpful tip from AP Government teacher Brady Shutt:“I encourage students to choose a different review book than their usual study partners’ so that they can exchange the books back and forth to get a look at more practice tests. The content review of the various books is pretty comparable, so the way the book presents review tests (ideally including them at the end of each chapter as well
If you like... straight forward summaries You’ll love... Barron’s.
If you like... helpful diagrams and charts You’ll love... Cliffs Notes Recommended for: AP Biology
Recommended for: AP Statistics Barron’s has short, straight-to-the-point overviews of each chapter and includes a list of key terms at the beginning of each unit.
“I prefer Barron’s because it is written in a pretty straightforward way that doesn’t really pad the main points with useless details like some other review books I’ve found. There’s sometimes issues with things being covered in the review book that aren’t covered in class or vice versa, but for the most part, the Barron’s books have been pretty close to what we’ve done in class,” said Evan McCarthy ’12.
If you like... good practice exams and topical reviews You’ll love... Princeton Review
Recommended for: AP Calculus AB/BC, AP Chemistry, AP Spanish Princeton review books are filled with good practice exams and topical reviews that are concise yet complete. “The review book that I recommend for student use is Princeton because, in my opinion, it is most closely aligned with the AP Calculus syllabus. Additionally, it appears to be more adaptive to the somewhat frequent changes in the syllabus,” said AP Calculus teacher Jon Bach.
PHOTOS BY//JOJO SILVERMAN
as the end of the book) is the thing to look at.” AP European History and AP Economics teacher Tyson Smith has some advice as well. “In the end, talk to the teacher in that subject area about what will help you most. They not only know the books better than you do but they also know you a bit … and might be able to make a suggestion that allows you to work on what you most need improvement on.”
“I like Princeton Review. All the review books have good practice exams, however, I think Princeton Review does the best job in the topical reviews. They are short, sweet, and to the point. Some of the others are more like having another textbook which isn’t real helpful if you’re trying to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time,” said AP Chemistry teacher Michelle Wikner.
Cliffs is all about visual. Each page is filled with helpful diagrams and charts, covering events and dates in history or different organisms’ anatomies, and helpful explanations. In addition, Cliffs has a “QuickReview” series where you’re sure to get the essentials fast. “The practice exams are good and it also has questions for review and practice exams over major lab components. None of the review books have really great diagrams or visuals. Students need to rely on biology textbooks for those,” said AP Biology teacher Doug Herman.
If you like... explanations for practice test answers You’ll love... REA Recommended for: AP European History
“For European history, REA’s book has a full paragraph explaining why all the wrong choices for each MC question are wrong, whereas the Barron’s book only has one sentence for each question merely stating the right response in some cases,” Smith said.
If you like... advice on how to study You’ll love... Kaplan Recommended for: AP U.S. History
You can rely on Kaplan to leave out unnecessary materials and information, so you don’t waste time studying unnecessary topics. Filled with difficult practice tests, Kaplan is sure to guarantee a safe bet for the AP test. Bonus! Kaplan’s review books contain hints advising you how to study correctly and how to approach the big day in May.
If you like... millions of practice exams You’ll love... AP website Recommended for: AP English
“The AP website has some practice exams—I’d recommend those first before any book,” said AP English teacher Nathan Frese.
Check out these Valentine’s Day facts!
03
04 news
PHOTO BY//LINDSAY BEST
QUIZ
CURRENT EVENTS DO YOU LIVE UNDER A ROCK?
1
The and the Green Bay Packers will be playing in the Super Bowl. A) PITTSBURG STEELERS B) INDIANAPOLIS COLTS C) NEW YORK JETS D) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 211 organized crime suspects were indicted in the largest Mob sweep in U.S. history in A) DETROIT B) BOSTON C) CHICAGO D) NEW YORK CITY won award for best drama, director and screenplay at the Golden Globes. A) TRUE GRIT B) THE KING’S SPEECH C) THE SOCIAL NETWORK D) BLACK SWAN Chinese president recently made his first state visit to the U.S. A) JIANG ZEMIN B) MAO ZEDONG C) KIM JONG Il D) HU JINTAO Steve Jobs, the CEO of announced he will take a medical leave of absence. A) SONY B) MICROSOFT C) APPLE D) GOOGLE
2
Daniel Seabra ‘12 plays one of the games he designed called Scratch. Other games include Galleon and Hallowed be thy Name.
Programming prodigy BY ANNA HIPPEE
see if something hit a cube, I ternet for more public enjoywould probably use the distance ment. “I just set up a website, www. Growing up in Argentina, Bra- formula six times to check every zil and the United States, Daniel side. And you would have to do danielseabra.net, where I could Seabra ’12 became well-versed that for every cube in the game.” put my games and other creIn addition to math and phys- ations. Right now everything is in quite a few different languages. But prior to creating his very ics, making video games requires free. Officially it’s just me workown video games, Seabra had to creativity and artistic talent, ing on things, but I like to collearn a new language: computer both of which Seabra possesses. laborate with other people too,” Seabra is a self-taught pixel- Seabra said. programming. The process of creating video Many people assume that com- artist. He used pixel-art to creputer programming and math ate his favorite self-made game, games is time-consuming. A are one and the same, but for Scratch. Seabra also enjoys writ- game has several different comSeabra’s purposes, programming ing short stories in his free time ponents, such as graphics, music gets much more complicated and is currently working on a and programming, which all take copious amounts of time to crethan pure mathematical equa- novel. “I usually get ideas for both my ate. While Seabra has the graphtions. “If I were to create a game games and my writing when I ics and programming aspects where you walk and jump run, because I have nothing else mostly down, music is a little bit around, I would need to know to think about then. Scratch took more challenging for him. “I can’t do music, I’ve tried. basic physics. If gravity was a ve- about two full years to make. locity instead of an acceleration, It features a man from the past So I like to work with people or if you could walk through who finds himself in a destroyed who can make music and release walls, [the game] would look and society. He must then fight en- the final product as a collaborafeel terrible,” explained Seabra. emies and bosses in order to find tion of both of us. ... Right now “Basically, to make games you out what truly happened to his Andy Butler [’11] is working on a game with me, for example,” not only need to know how to world,” Seabra said. Paul Yon ’12, a fellow program- Seabra said. make them, but also how to According to Seabra, programimplement everything in them mer, has been helping Seabra out as well, which can be quite com- since he first developed an inter- mers are to thank for quickest in game making in 2007. paced, amazing video games. plicated.” Recent mudslides in have “When I first met [Seabra], “Programming creates the baIt gets even more complex killed over 600 people. when working in three dimen- I don’t think he knew much sic framework for the game and sions. According to Seabra, the about programming. ... [He] has is undoubtedly the most imporA) PERU difficulty lies not only in com- worked hard to get where he’s tant part. Design decides whethB) INDIA plex trigonometric ratios and at, and it definitely has paid off,” er the game is fun or not, but beC) BRAZIL fore that choice can be made, the calculations, but also in the pure Yon said. D) INDONESIA After spending four years per- game actually has to work, and tediousness of some of the mathfecting his video games, Seabra that is up to the programmers,” ematics itself. “For example, if I wanted to recently posted them to the In- Seabra said. compiled by alissa rothman One billion Valentine’s day cards are exchanged in the U.S. each year, second only to Christmas. 04
5
4 6
1.A, 2.D, 3.C, 4.D, 5.C, 6.C
3
anna.hippee@wsspaper.com
Elephantine legislation RUMOR Republican reforms in Iowa congress BUSTER
05 news
BY ASHTON DUNCAN
ashton.duncan@wsspaper.com
An elephant instead of a donkey. Red instead of blue. The Iowa Legislature is definitely a different place this year, but what does that mean about its legislation? On Jan. 10, the 84th Iowa State General Assembly swung back into action. With the elections last November, Republican Governor Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds have taken the place of Iowa’s previous Democratic Governor Chet Culver and Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge. Mirroring the national Congress, Republicans gained 16 seats and the majority in the House, while Democrats still hold their majority in the Senate. Around 650 bill requests are to be considered during the 110-day session, ranging from the publicly discussed and controversial issues like job creation in Iowa, same-sex marriage, abortion, mental health care and stem cell research to lighter topics, such as the baiting and feeding of wildlife, and rural curbside recycling. “This first [omnibus] bill has some divisions that are good for Iowa. [However,] I am disappointed in the drafters avoiding open government [by putting together the bill before we opened session],” said Dave Jacoby, Democratic State Representative in the House for the 30th District,
which is Johnson County. cost and size of government by 15%, School issues are also on the agen- making Iowa’s education top in the da, including school reform plans, nation and adding 200,000 jobs to plans for charter schools and finances the state, which will be reflected in for K-12 schools and Area Education Iowa legislation. Agencies. “ N a Also in t i o n a l ly, the works the federis a plan to al governcut state m e n t ’s funding debt is for preover $14 school. trillion “ T h e and states major hurall across dle is the the counfact that try are many new facing a H o u s e financial m em ber s crisis. are very We ’ l l negative need to about pubm a k e -Dave Jacoby, lic schools t o u g h Dem. State House and their decisions mission. to ensure Representative They do l o n g not fully term susunderstand the great system we have tainability for the state of Iowa. In here and especially the great job our Iowa’s budget, over $700 million of students and the teachers do at West,” state spending was funded through Jacoby said. one-time money. Last year alone, the On both the Republican and Demo- state underfunded its commitment cratic side of the debate, there is high to schools by $156 million. ... My emphasis on regaining lost jobs and budget will make significant progress putting Iowans to work, and Bran- in ending the games and gimmicks,” stad’s goals for his term are raising Branstad said in a press conference family incomes by 25%, reducing the Jan. 24.
“THE MAJOR HURDLE IS
THE FACT THAT MANY NEW
HOUSE MEMBERS ARE
VERY NEGATIVE
ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND
THEIR MISSION”
BUILT-IN SNOW DAYS?
The speculation on the number of built in snow days has ranged from none to five and it’s finally time to put these rumors to rest. According to Principal Jerry Arganbright there is one built-in snow day on March 28. However, he also states that in the past, April 29 (the Friday before AP tests start) has been used as a make-up snow day. This is the first year we have had a built-in snow day. The calendar is decided every year by a Calendar Committee. And for all the seniors upset at this years lack of snow days, Arganbright insists that this is more of a return to normalicy than a stark drop. “Over the last three years that seniors have been here we have had the highest average number of snow days in my career [ranging from three to five a year]. Prior to that we had one or two at the most. Hopefully we have none this year,” Arganbright said.
CONFIRMED
NEW RENOVATIONS?
Students will rejoice to learn that this rumor is true. “We are planning on making changes to the cafeteria facility. We are looking at modifying it to make it more contemporary, a food court concept. It hasn’t changed in the 42 years West has been open but it can no longer accommodate the students. We are hoping to get rid of the long lines,” said Principal Jerry Arganbright. Arganbright hopes to start the project by next summer. Another new renovation will be new student lockers. “The lockers right now are, what is the right word? Pathetic. They are too small and too worn out,” Arganbright said.
CONFIRMED
ART BY//BRIDGET NOVAK
COMPILED BY//ALISSA ROTHMAN Women buy 85% of Valentines.
05
Choose your own education 06 news
New courses offer students a jumpstart on careers pharmaceutical academy
ART BY//BRIDGET NOVAK
Students next year and beyond will have amir.sabbagh@wsspaper.com the privilege to take specialized courses like architecture and digital electronics that they usually wait until college to learn. “We just wanted to give students interesting courses that will give them exposure and experience to certain fields of study,” said West High counselor Renato de Leon. Rather than having to choose between demanding AP and honor courses and trimester classes, students will have more courses that are better aligned to their interests and expectations. Some courses, like Pharmaceutical Academy and Aerospace Engineering, will offer the depth of an AP class (and potential college credit, too) without the prospect of a looming AP test.
BY AMIR SABBAGH
ap german
For the first time, German students will have their very own AP course. Students have been taking the AP German test for years, but because German IV was the highest level offered. Unlike the AP course, German IV was not designed to give adequate and regimented preparation for the test, said West German teacher Linsey Choun. “With the new AP Course,students will gain necessary preparation with speaking and listening exercises as well as discussion over German literature, art and film,” Choun said.
advanced online media
Using Facebook or Twitter in school is usually not only punishable, but blocked. Advanced online media requires them. Journalism, art and social media meet in this web-based course designed to upkeep and update the West Side Story’s website with podcasts,soundslides, videos and other forms of multimedia. In addition, students will also have access to journalism scholarships, contests and events, says future course instructor Sara Whittaker. “[Online media] is the future of journalism,” Whittaker said. “This course focuses on various forms of media, so the course description will be constantly evolving.”
aerospace engineering
NASA, anyone? For those of you answering yes, look no further. Joining the Project Lead the Way class set next year will be Aerospace Engineering. Students will learn primarialy through hands-on projects developed with NASA, covering subjects like aerodynamics, astronautics, space-life sciences and systems engineering. In addition, students will have the opportunity to work with robotics and flight simulation. “I think a new class like Aerospace Engineering will be a great opportunity for us to explore new grounds with applicable hands-on experience,” said Riko Ohashi ‘12.
06
This year-long class, offered through Kirkwood’s Academy Program of dual-credit courses, exposes students to the study of pharmacy. Following the success of the Nursing and Culinary academies, both of which are offered here, West administration sought to offer more opportunities for students to gain real-world knowledge. The class, according to West Career Coordinator Russ Johnson, will give students looking into pharmacy (or pretty much any medical field) a competitive edge not only in college admissions but also college coursework itself. “I think course is good for students in high school to prepare for college, college coursework, and potential careers” Jonson said.
construction architecture
Technically not a new course to West, construction and architecture will be a revised version of the home construction course, which was offered at West until four years ago. This time, though, students will do all their work on computers, and there will be an emphasis on the engineering aspect of construction. The study of architecture will be incoporated as well to add further depth to the course. According to Russ Johnson, this will be, ideally, a two year course, meaning students are advised to take it starting Junior year, though it is not necessary to do so. “Students who take this course will gain skills in various areas of architecture and construction design as well as working knowledge of computer design programs,” Johnson said.
digital electronics
One of the most widely applicable of the new course offerings Digital Electronics is, according to next year’s course guide, “the study of electronic circuits that are used to process and control digital signals.” The aim of this course is to expose students to the design process of combinational and sequential logic design, teamwork, communication methods, engineering standards and technical documentation. Anyone looking to pursue post-secondary study in engineering or technology will find this course especially valuable as well as fascinating. And yes, there will be robots.
world literature
English teachers always say reading can transport us, and next year it will come even closer to a trip around the world. Students will have the opportunity to explore global cultures in the only new literature course offering: World literature. Students will “travel” across many pages of literature from around the world, gaining a worldly perspective and appreciation for the diverse cultures of the world. “This course will be especially good for future seniors because they will no longer have to choose between only difficult courses like AP English or British Literature Honors or relatively easier trimester courses,” said course instructor Tom Lindsey. “I really do think students will enjoy this course.”
About 3% of pets receive Valentines.
07 news
What in the WORLD? NORTHERN MICHIGAN
A northern Michigan woman has put her own spin on Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” by making a 14-foot-long, 4-foot-tall replica out of laundry lint. She needed about 800 hours to do enough laundry to get the lint, and 200 hours to recreate the mural.
UNITED STATES Among the Major League Baseball players who spent time on the disabled list in 2010: Kendry Morales, who broke his leg jumping on home plate after hitting a home run; Brian Roberts, who was out a week with a concussion when he smacked himself in the head with his bat after striking out; and Geoff Blum, who needed elbow surgery after straining his arm putting on his shirt.
BELARUS
A wounded fox shot its would-be killer in Belarus by pulling the trigger on the hunter’s gun as the pair scuffled after the man tried to finish the animal off with the butt of the rifle. The hunter, who had approached the fox after wounding it from a distance, was in hospital with a leg wound, while the fox made its escape.
BERLIN, GERMANY Newly discovered documents have revealed that for several months the Nazis obsessed over a Finnish mutt who could do the Nazi heil, feeling that the canine was parodying Germany’s Fuhrer. Berlin’s Foreign Office commanded its diplomats in Finland to gather evidence on the dog and its owner — and even plotted to destroy the owner’s pharmaceutical business.
TOKYO, JAPAN
A Japanese fruit company has been playing Mozart to its ripening bananas. Mozart’s “String Quartet 17” and “Piano Concerto 5 in D Major,” play continuously over speakers in their ripening chamber. The company believes it makes the fruit sweeter, and since the debut of the “Mozart bananas,” sales have increased over last year’s non-music-listening bananas. ART BY//BRIDGET NOVAK compiled by alissa rothman
Redistricing for ICCSD Lincoln, Hills express continued concern over move to City BY JULIANN SKARDA
juliann.skarda@wsspaper.com
STEVE MURLEY, SUPERINTENDENT
Despite a new superindentent and principal at City High, the district will be moving forward with the redistricting plan agreed upon last year. As of the 2011-2012 school year, students attending Lincoln and Hills Elementaries will be en route to attending
City High school. Students are also being recommended to switch to Southeast Junior High instead of Northwest. The switch will add 100 seventh and eighth grade students to Southeast, keeping it under capacity. “At the junior high school level, all of our schools are currently under-utilized so we will need to be cognizant of future enrollment patterns such that we utilize available space as this population increases,” said superintendent Steve Murley. The goal of these changes is to balance Iowa City’s
growing population between all of the elementary and worries about families that will have one student and junior high schools and to ease the crowding at attending West and younger siblings attending City. West High. School counselorshave been sent to aid the students “At the high school level, the Board has acted to in putting together their schedules for next year at reconfigure the high school attendance zones to take their new schools. advantage of the additional space City High principal, John Bacon, is at City High School. Within a encouraging the students and their few years this goal will have been families to embrace the changes. achieved,” Murley said. “As principal of City High, I am But redistricting of the Hills deeply committed to every single area may become unnecessary if TO MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE one of these students and families, the school closes. Hills Elemenand I know that we must work very tary’s student population has hard to make absolutely sure that the dropped to 98 students in K-6, transition is extremely positive. We making it the smallest school in must take time to … help them get the district. Along with size probinvolved in our excellent coursework lems, the school is also struggling and co-curricular activities. This will -JOHN BACON, financially. Fifty-six percent of CITY HIGH PRINCIPAL serve to build relationships and help the student population receives the students get off to a great start to free or reduced lunch, making it the fifth highest in their high school career,” Bacon said. the district. Another source of financial distress has The school board says that it will look at building been a recent surge of open enrollments which the a third high school when the student population reschool is required to pay for. flects it as a necessity. It is predicted that this will be Parents of Lincoln and Hills students have raised some time in the next few years. concerns about class scheduling on such short notice
“WE MUST WORK
VERY HARD THE TRANSITION IS
EXTREMELY
POSITIVE”
About 50 million roses are given out for valentine’s day worldwide.
07
08 feature
iliatr a hum enuity fo ething on g in to ’s som d turn g/there eone an ination k at som en on the ceilin tion and imag c a b t e g tt ra ri a to w p d s. re e d le frien ou ne gullib time, p by your where y classic “ lots of DINI ts with mbered situation e people the n e e a m d ANSEL LAN u in re Y st n B to e m COMPILED Ever be , for so gh. West High nk that is sure ll e W nk? nou a pra ing pra is not e ing for t” gag ose look th r fo your shir s a few ide have a
He put 2 one time. ‘1 ls Pa n so found a d by Ja fully pranke ping and he e ss e e sl cc s su a w un I s er hand “I wa while I took my oth n my hand ut o B m it. a e ith cr w your other shaving my nose g ‘God, use rted tickling in a y st sa n nd a so r Ja e feath up to y nose. I woke and itc hed m ack asleep ntually fell b ve e I ut b !’ m hand at hi on my face w expletives warm feeling fe a , a ht d e lig ut e o ns sh I an inte wakened by ind. ce, only to be a ought was w ont of my fa th I t ha w f o d thrower in fr e un m es so a fl tiv e e le th d p a nd ex m a e more had lit a hom ut and shout o k a e fr I realized he lly fu lly. ed to ungrace hing hysterica so I proceed d to by laug e nd o sp re he at him. Which r the rest of the night.” fo p e e sl t I didn’ g attempt. ’ ’12 prankin ls Pa n so Ja s to g ’12 respond - James Dulin
“In Omaha once, me and my friends an d I called this McDonalds late at night. We told the m that the two hobos outside were undercover Bo rder patrol agents, and unless they gave them a free meal, stuff would go down . Ten minutes later, two hobos received a free me al.”
--- William Henk ‘1
2
my amp, ll c y e hock can fu r at my garbage e m i t a doo a “One nd I filled it against en he ed sa wh friend r and lean oom, and ver his r o e t l ’s a a y gu ed l of w other water spill s i h t e to ‘13 d it, th Abréu y e opene o J room.”
“So I wa s at my wanted ninth bir to ride thday p our bike arty an were in d we ha s down working in our n d all de conditio lines cut. e cide ig n ,e hborhoo S d. All th d we that on o we then decid xcept for one e of my eb wh ed to go friends would h for the b ic h had had its ikes should appen, ike ride brake rid and it’d [a it. And w be hilar e the broken b nd] I decided e were ious. So ik going, u see how I had m e to see wha ntil fa t y friend stop. Kim st we could go we got to the Kim rid big hill, down th went do e so we w e of frigh wn and an tc tried to hill and then d o a bra ted to test his work. S ame over his ke cur ve brakes o he stu face wh a ck en he r wobble ealized nd a shockwav . And he his feet out to e th stop it, sw e brake laughed whic h c s didn’t hysteric er ved off into a u ally and a sed the did they said, ‘W ditc h and into b ?’” the cree ike to ell, I gue k. Then ss the b I rakes d idn’t wo rk, - Tony P
hinney ‘1
08
Men buy 73% of valentines flowers.
3
Secondhand chic
09 feature
Brand names are everywhere in the halls of West High: Uggs, Silvers, North Faces. But you don’t have to break your bank to keep up with the trends. WSS staffers set out to compare the prices of similar items and brands from stores in the mall to secondhand stores. What did we find? Used is the new new.
hoodies
D. Revival $12 (originally from Abercrombie & Fitch) E. Abercrombie & Fitch $60
pants
B
E
D
A
F. Revival $38 (originally Seven for all Mankind) G. Stuff Etc. $34.99 (orginally Silver) H. Buckle Seven jeans $155
sweaters
A. The White Rabbit, $16 B. Stuff Etc., $7.99 (originally from The Limited) C. Abercrombie & Fitch $34
F
G
H
boots
J. The White Rabbit $36 K. Dilllards Gianni Bini $79.99 I. Revival $42
C
fun finds
J
FUN FINDS L
L. Tiny baby shoes...so adorable! (Stuff Etc.) M. T-shirts to show off your Iowa and Midwest pride. (The White Rabbit) N. Cupcakes to fuel a day of shopping. Featured flavor here: Snickerdoodle (Revival). O. Warm (and cute!) hats to liven up a winter day. (Revival)
I
K
M
N
O
COMPILED BY//CAROLINE VAN VOORHIS & BRIDGET NOVAK Verona, Italy (the setting of Romeo and Juliet) receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet each year. They are judged and the best one receives a prize. 09
west high lookbook
10 feature
ALL PHOTOS BY//JOJO SILVERMAN AND LINDSAY BEST
Paris? Milan? New York City? Nope, these fashion icons can be seen strutting their stuff through the halls of West High. Rachel Ascoli ‘11
Sue Kim ‘12
Josiah Gordon ‘13
“My favorite store is Francesca’s. It’s a fun place to work because you can see the unique things they have.” - Elizabeth Shirazi ‘12
“My style is all over the place. It’s whatever piece of clothing stuck out in my closet that day or what I found in my dad’s old sweaters, matched with whatever I found to go with it in my or my sisters’ wardrobes. My favorite place to shop is the sale section at Vonmaur. I love shopping downtown as well, even if I can only afford accessories. I love interesting hairbands, and my absolute favorite are sunglasses.” -Emma McClatchey ‘11
Julia Truszkowski ‘14
“I like Ann Taylor because it’s a sophisticated look.” -Lauren Murphy-Moore‘11
Nathan Rossen ‘11
10
Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone on Valentine’s Day in 1876.
11 feature
Jordan Gunning ‘11
Style: comfy-casual Daniel Lin ‘13
Erin Richmond ‘11
Katherine Stratton ‘12
“I try to make sure it’s different, new and that not a lot of people have it.” Josh Gordon ‘12
“I wouldn’t say it’s a certain label style. I like to mix and match everything that I have to create new looks and be unique. I consider fashion as a way to express myself.” - Vicky Zhu ‘13
Over 35 million heart shaped boxes of chocolates are sold for Valentine’s Day each year.
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12 feature
Project Runway
These student designers learn to make it work BY JULIANN SKARDA
juliann.skarda@wsspaper.com
Project Runway has come to West - with some minor alterations, of course. Unlike the show, no prior sewing experience is required, and according to Natalie Kasper ‘12, a member of the new class, the atmosphere is anything but competitive. “When everyone is working, it feels very lighthearted. [I think] everyone appreciates the break from the boring, rigid school curriculum,” she said. So far, students have been working on a series of challenges ranging from making a doll-sized dress to creating an accessory using trash to transforming dated clothing into something new and wearable.
From fabric to fashion
1. “This class is like an escape from school because it’s a chance to be creative and free,” said Taylor Paul ‘12. 2. “I always think about time management [while I work] because I like to spend way too much time on projects,” said Katherine Stratton ‘12. 3. “My favorite thing that I’ve made was my halter top that I made out of a dress. It made me realize that I love florals,” said Tamara Williams ‘14. 4. “My favorite project would have to be the recycling project where... I took a bunch of men’s ties and made a dress out of them. It was fun because I was just working off of an idea and some pictures,” said Kathryn Jensma ‘13.
Make & Model “I had made a pattern for a different skirt, but then I found some fabric that really caught my eye, so I made it. I’m definitely pleased with how it turned out.” -Rachel Ascoli ‘11
PHOTO BY//JOJO SILVERMAN “I like the freedom we have in this class to make almost anything that we would like within parameters,” Hannah Muellerleile ‘14
Design sew create PHOTOS BY//LINDSAY BEST AND JOJO SILVERMAN
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Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is sold in the U.S. alone for Valentine’s day.
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Direct effect SPIT directors explain the process of directing a show of their own. 13 A&E
Production Dates: February 4-5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Little Theatre Ryan Courtney ’11
Emma McClatchey ’11
Why did you decide to direct for SPIT? I decided to direct for SPIT because I have performed in SPIT the past two years and I felt like directing was the next step. I also think it will be cool to tell people “I’ve directed a play” before I even graduate high school. How does being involved with speech help you and certain cast members perform? Being in speech helps me a lot because when I perform a speech, I have to direct myself with the acting, movements, facial expressions, etc. So speech has helped me learn how to create an enjoyable performance. There are also many speech members on the cast which is nice because I already get along with them and they have their own ideas to improve the play. What are your responsibilities as a director? As a director, I have to pick the script that is performed, organize props and costumes, help create the set and lead the performers. I also have to stay after school every day for rehearsals and make sure the performers are doing a good job.
What was it like to audition your peers? It was a lot of pressure. I was excited come audition time for getting started and putting the cast together. When it came down to it I didn’t necessarily feel bad about doing it, because everyone knew the reality that there were only 15 cast members. It was hard because I thought that the characters would just jump out of everyone and it would be obvious, but it was hard to choose. What kind of humor can future audiences expect? Everyday is different when we run through it because so many people improv, especially speech kids, and every day they surprise us. The kind of humor is natural high school humor because that’s the setting of the play, so it’s a lot of humor that you can relate to. Summarize “The Devil in Sherman Marsh.” It is about a nerdy kid at your average American high school who asks a girl to prom and he doesn’t get accepted. As a way to try to fit in at school, he makes a deal with the devil, or Lucifer. He makes a few wishes, but the devil spins it in his own way. In the process he figures out who he is and learns to fit in.
Gina Thayer ’11
Madhu Srikantha ’11
Summarize “Offerings.” It’s about a group of kids who all come to this random location and they present their offerings, but it’s all really unclear as to why they are there and what exactly is going to happen to them. It’s all just mysterious and unknown. What kinds of props will “Offerings” be using? Our props for our play are really specific because everyone has their offering that they present. [They’re] very basic. We have a soccer ball and a pencil, so it’s really simple and nothing extravagant. What are your responsibilities as a director? It’s really important to make sure that the cast gets along really well because if the cast doesn’t get along then things will fall apart. [We have to] make sure that there is a good team dynamic. Describe an average rehearsal. Usually we start off with some dumb games, but they’re a lot of fun. They get us relaxed, but we’re still in the mindset of performing. Each character in our play has a monologue, so we will usually go through the monologue and then we will run through a scene. COMPILED BY JULIANN SKARDA
How long have you been involved with theater at West? I have been involved with SPIT since my freshman year, but I have never actually done anything with Theatre West. What will audiences be able to take from “Offerings?” I think that our play is more like a social commentary. The direction that people have taken it in the past was drama, which [means] having really depressing moments happen at the end of the play. I think that the audience will have less of a teary-eyed moment and more of a realization moment. How do you and Gina work together? We get together every weekend and we talk about what we are going to do during the week. Do you have any specific goals for “Offerings?” To make it very entertaining and shape everyone into the right character. Describe “Offerings in under ten words... The desire to be accepted and not knowing how.
Fifteen percent of women send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day.
PHOTOS BY//JOJO SILVERMAN & LINDSAY BEST
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14 A&E
Iowa City’s soup-er spots
COMPILED BY DAN ROTHMAN, MADHU SRIKANTHA, & EMILY KREITER
Bread Garden
A Mama’s Deli
An Iowa City favorite, the Bread Garden never fails to live up to the lingering phantom taste of a previous visit, as many places do. Not only were there six soups to choose from (varying types on a given day), but each cup was reasonably pirced at about $4. If you’re currently sick or just in the mood for food that the sick frequent, then let your taste buds wander down the path of the Bread Garden’s robust chicken noodle soup. While erring on the side of overly peppered, the broth stood all on its own, merely complimented by tender chicken and noodles. The Tuscan tomato was perfectly thick and was the most suitable soup for a bread bowl. We will definitely be returning.
Brueggers
B+ Guidos
C
A- Mia Za’s
B
Although Brueggers is better known for its fresh bagels than its soups, it features a formidable variety of soups. However, it soon became apparent why Brueggers focuses on their bagels. Their soups were thoroughly average. The broccoli cheddar was far too strong, with a sharp, overpowering cheese taste, while the tomato soup tasted slightly off. Even the chicken noodle soup was barely an improvement over the canned variety.
Her Soup Kitchen
Her Soup Kitchen is a great venue for chilly winter days in Iowa. With a cozy setting located on the east side of Iowa City, their wide variety of soups, as well as sandwiches, lends to a comforting atmosphere. The chunky vegetable stew tasted like it sounds. Chunky vegetables in a tomato-esque broth. The turkey noodle soup was better than most chicken noodle soups we sampled throughout the trip, with a plethora of tender turkey and noodles. The best soup we sampled was the chicken wild rice, which contained a large variety of ingredients in a creamy broth.
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B
Immediately upon entering the cozy Mama’s Deli, we noted that their large variety of soups was perfect for our mission. More than ten varieties of soup ranged from the gourmet lobster bisque to the comfort food of chicken noodle soup. Their chicken noodle soup, while tasty, was most definitely not what is expected of Mama. The broccoli cheddar was much more broccoli than cheddar, which is not typical of this type of soup, but was still satisfying. The minestrone was the highlight of the visit, containing a hearty mixture of vegetables and beans. (Note: if you bring in a photo of yo’ mama to hang on the wall, you get half off your meal).
At several peoples’ suggestion, we ventured to Guido’s with our eyes glazed over in wonder (or possibly hunger) and the promise of a simmering, spectacular spoonful of soup. We were quite disappointed. That said, the two soups they offered that day – French onion and corn chowder – tasted average. The French onion tasted like liquefied beef ramen and looked pretty inedible. The corn chowder was completely bland and would have benefited greatly from a little salt.
One of the most notable characteristics of Mia Za’s is the vast array of choices their menu offers. In addition to a suitable selection of soups, the downtown restaurant offers a range of sandwiches, pastas and pizzas. In fact, if the soups’ flavors could simply match the magnitude of the choices offered, Mia Za’s might have earned our highest score. Unfortunately, this was not the case; both the tomato and chicken florentine soups (the latter of which actually contained practically no chicken) were fairly mediocre. In fact, the only soup that managed to stand out was the broccoli cheddar, which managed to strike just the right balance between cheese and vegetable, so that, unlike at several other locations, neither flavor was overpowering. PHOTOS BY//EMILY KREITER
The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love.
P.O.S.
15 A&E
THE MONTHLY CD REVIEW
of the month
The Decemberisits The King is Dead
COMPILED BY GARRETT ANSTREICHER garrett.anstreicher@wsspaper.com
1995 Chevy Cavalier Definitely its jankiest feature is its lack of radio ... it was stolen while the people I bought the car from still owned it, so, instead of a radio, I have a mass of bare wires. I’ve been told that’s of questionable safety, but whatever.
Ella Brown ‘11
The driver’s side doesn’t have a sun visor. It used to, but the first time I tried to put it down, it came off in my hand. So I am now quite competent at driving while the sun is shining directly in my eyes. There is nothing automatic about [my car] ... at all. The windows open via crank. The driver’s side mirror has a little handle on the inside you use to adjust it. The passenger side mirror doesn’t even have a handle. You have to get someone else to adjust it while you’re inside looking at it.
The King is Dead is a pleasant little folk-rock album, and hard to put down. The quintet’s sixth studio album opens with “Don’t Carry It All,” a tune full of Neil Young-esque harmonicas and strings. The opener hooks you in through all 10 tracks, each a pretty song with a happy-go-lucky tone, deeper complexity, and a slight country feel. “Down by the Water” is a foot-tapping tune, bringing out Colin Meloy and Sara Watkins’s splendidly harmonious croons. But the Decemberists strip it down as well, ditching the arrangements in “June Hymn,” a beautifully simple tune with picturesque lyrics and hints of the Beatles’ “I’ve Just Seen a Face.” The King is Dead is a CD the whole family will enjoy, so pop this baby in the speakers the next time you’re on a long car ride, enjoying a lazy afternoons, or writing CD reviews with too many clichés to count.
Tennis Cape Dory
The inside lights and sounds don’t work, so my car doesn’t ding when I’ve left my lights on or when I’m not wearing my seatbelt, and I have to keep a flashlight in my car so I can find stuff in the dark.
There is no clock. In fact, there is absolutely nothing unnecessary on the dash: only the controls for the heating/AC. Speaking of the heating/AC, that doesn’t always work. I just have to pray that the heat works in the winter. Otherwise, my only temperature options are “windows up” or “windows down.”
COMPLETE THE
LYRICS with Mr. Frese compiled by garrett anstricher
PHOTO BY//JOJO SILVERMAN
WSS: Mad women, bad women, that’s just what you are, yeah. You’ll smile in my face then... FRESE: Do a Proactive Ad. WSS: I see you driving ‘round town With the girl I love and I’m like, FRESE: Street lights, people, up and down the boulevard. WSS: Bottoms up, bottoms up, what’s in ya cup
PHOTOS BY//LINDSAY BEST
Cape Dory captures newcomer Tennis’s relationship (aka husband and wife duo Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore, who created Cape Dory after a yearlong tour of the Eastern Seaboard) perfectly through each of the ten tracks. Moore croons effortlessly with oos and ahhs throughout the disc, combining Best-Coast-meets-Gwen-Stefani vocals, 60’s simple guitar and relaxing melodies. So turn up the volume to this nautical-themed LP, because no matter how cliché that just sounded, this is (and will be) the perfect summer album. BY POMBIE SILVERMAN
Got a couple bottles, but a couple ain’t enough Bottoms up, bottoms up, throw your hands up Tell security we ‘ bout to … FRESE: Turn this mutha out. WSS: hey boy I really wanna see if you can go downtown with a girl like me hey boy, I really wanna be with you cause ... FRESE: You understand sexual innuendos.
Teachers receive the most valentines followed by children and wives.
WSS: So this one’s dedicated to them girls. That let us flop around on top of them. If you’re near or far, whether short or tall. We wanna thank you all for ... FRESE: Letting us pontificate all up and down your cerebrum.
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16 profiles
At the end of this school year Nick Mirr ‘11 plans on heading to Peru for ten months where he plans on perfecting his spanish and traveling throughout the country
After spending the last four years away from her native country, Vanessa Plata ‘12 may be heading back to Venezula when her visa expires in June from left: Jose Miguel Plata, Fernanda Plata Mora,Vanessa Plata, Sebastian Plata Mora, and Marie Claire Plata
BY ADAM CANADY
BY ALISSA ROTHMAN
Senior year couldn’t come quick while I’m there,” he said. enough for Nick Mirr ’12, who is leavBut Mirr hopes to do more than ing this summer for ten months with sight-see, and complete book work. an exchange program in Peru. Mirr His main goal is to learn the language.“I is traveling through an exchange pro- want to be pretty much fluent in Spangram called AFS (American Field Ser- ish and get a better perspective of the vice) that helps students live and study world, and I hope this experience helps abroad with me.” a host fam“I will be ily selected there for for them. about 10 Mirr made months, afthe deciter my stay sion to go I plan to do after talksome traveling about it ing in South Nick Mirr ‘11 briefly with America with his parents. my family,” “My dad recommended that I do this Mirr said. because he thought it was something I But leaving his friends and family for would enjoy and would be a good ex- ten months will be hard. “Mirr and I perience for me,” Mirr said. have been friends since first grade. I “I am really excited to go, but I’m hope he becomes fluent in Spanish and nervous at the same time. I’m going can come back home with awesome to a country that I haven’t been to be- stories and Peruvian jungle friends,” fore.” said best friends Sawyer Kieffer ‘12. Mirr will keep himself busy by visiting Mirr does have some family living in the mountains, rainforest, maybe going Peru, “My cousin’s husband is Peruvian skydiving and attending school there. “I and he has a few aunts and uncles that don’t know where I will go to school, live there, but I have only met them what classes I’m taking or what classes once,” he said. are like. I don’t really have a plan, all I know is that I have to go to school
“When my father said we were moving to the United States, I just couldn’t believe it at all. I was so excited; it came as a shock,” said Vanessa Plata ‘12 That was four years ago, when Plata, was told by her father that she and her family would be leaving the town of Merida, Venezuela, for a faraway place called Iowa. “I had no clue about Iowa at the time,” Plata recalled. “I pictured tall buildings and bright lights. I knew it would be completely different [from Venezuela and I was so excited.” Even though Iowa may not have fulfilled Plata’s initial expectations about the United States, she has come to love Iowa City and has found her niche among the West student body as a member of Theater West and Goodtime Company. Plata’s father, who moved here from Venezuela in 2007 to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Iowa, obtained a student visa viable for only four years. After that, Plata said, she and her family would have to move back to Veneuzela where her father will assume professorship at Los Andes University. And here we are four years later. As her father’s visa inches closer to the initial expiration date, the prospect of moving back to Venezuela has come.
Plata’ s pending permit Incans inspire Mirr Nick Mirr ‘12 jets off to Peru for his senior year Vanessa Plata ‘12 may graduate early adam.canady@wsspaper.com
[ ] “[I want to] get a better perspective of the world, and I hope this experience helps me.”
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alissa.rothman@wsspaper.com
Men spend an average of $130 on their sweetheart for Valentine’s Day.
Her father’s visa is set to expire this June, but the family hopes to extend the deadline to accommodate Plata’s need for graduation requirements. The family will find out the final decision this March. Assuming her family would have to leave in June, Plata would have to complete three trimester English classes, one trimester of language and one trimester of either math or science. If their request for an extension is granted, Plata will be able to stay at West High until December 2011, at which point she will graduate high school. If not, then she will be a part of the graduating class of 2011 this May and leave the U.S. in June. Despite being here for only four years, Plata says she’s conflicted about her Venezuela homecoming. “I have mixed feelings about moving back,” Plata said. “If you stay somewhere long enough, making friends and getting used to the feel of things, it just starts feeling like home. I’ll miss Iowa City and the friends I’ve made here so much..” “We’re all really sad to see her going back home. We want to make sure that the time she has left here will be memorable,” said T’keyah Fair ’12, a good friend of Plata’s.
W S S P A P E R
.COM
The Princess Bride auditions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GO FOR THE
goal
Feb. 8, 9 and 10 From 3:30 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. In the Little Theater
support
BUILDING A SOCCER FIELD AT WEST
at the
CORALVILLE WHICH WICH
TODAY from
11 A.M. TO 10 P.M.
Bring your West ID, SPIT or basketball program, or a Go for the Goal card to get a free drink with a sandwich purchase.
BY ANNA EGELAND
ART BY//BRIDGET NOVAK
anna.egeland@wsspaper.com
Imagine being uprooted: plucked from the familiar city skyline and dropped into a town surrounded by corn fields, where everything is similar but strangely distinct. Sure, it’s a fresh start, a new beginning, a great opportunity. … but the fact is that change is uncomfortable and it takes a long time to adapt and embrace the opportunities that come with it. To some students, Iowa City may never feel like home. One thing is certain: everyone has a different story. Ten years ago, the Chicago Housing Authority began tearing down large public housing developments, such as Cabrini Green. Thousands of people lost their homes and eventually trickled West into towns including Iowa City. According to Sue Freeman, director of the Johnson County Neighborhood Centers, the families were left without homes, and for many, finding a new home was limited by transportation resources. “[Iowa City] is on highway 80, on the greyhound bus line. … I know that sounds like a really short answer, but for a lot of families, that is the case,” Freeman said.
For these families, the first stop is often the Broadway neighborhood, which includes one and two bedroom apartments for low-income and homeless families, according to Freeman. “Families who move here often move with the clothes on their back. ... Families will arrive on the bus with whatever they could put together, sometimes in a garbage bag, and then start a whole new life. That’s the challenge of starting your way in Iowa City, in any city,” Freeman said. West High guidance counselor Amy Kanellis has a different perspective on the challenges of moving. She describes the feeling of walking into the cafeteria on your first day at a new school: “Your heart just sinks,” Kanellis said. Kanellis has a solution in mind: a lunch group where students volunteer to sit with new students while they are still adjusting to West High. “Moving into any kind of environment, there are established groups and figuring out how to fit in [is a challenge],” Kanellis said. “It’s not so much giving up friends as it’s like, giving up my home,” said Aaliyanah Marshall ’13, who moved to Iowa City from Chicago four months ago.
Marshall says she moved here with her mother and five-month-old son because of the cheaper housing and lower crime rate. Marshall says the last straw was when her 22-year-old brother was shot in the hand by a gang member and lost two fingers. Marshall’s brother was recruited into a gang when he was twelve years old. “He’s still in a gang, but he doesn’t ‘gangbang’ anymore. He doesn’t go around looking for problems,” Marshall said. Although Marshall likes the quiet and laid back atmosphere in Iowa City, she misses the excitement of living in Chicago. “I haven’t said ‘I’m going home’ yet [since I’ve been in Iowa City],” Marshall said. The original plan was to stay here for a year, until Marshall’s mother could gain financial stability. But Marshall’s mom likes it here, she likes the quiet, and Marshall thinks her mom might decide to stay longer. For Andrea Butler ’13, who moved from Chicago in August, the biggest difficulty was adjusting to a different school. “The biggest challenges are the grades here because you have to be moving to get it done right and in Chicago you just do the work and
they don’t really care if you get a good grade. … Here they help you and they want you to be a better person. They want you to be able to do well,” Butler said. Butler says this expectation is part of what has helped her to succeed. “I think I’ve become a better person because in Chicago I would get into trouble sometimes because I was hanging out with the wrong people. And when I came here, I stopped,” Butler said. “I have positive people around me influencing me.” Freeman says that one of the most difficult things for the poor urban families who move into the Broadway neighborhood is developing a new set of skills for life in Iowa City. Freeman recalls an incident several years ago when a grandmother was visiting her family in the Broadway neighborhood. She was suffering from depression and shot her-
self in the garage. Her two young grandsons came home from school and found her. The police came and the neighborhood center was called to help with the boys. The six-year-old boy was chattering on the way to the center: “‘They’re not going to have an open casket now because grandma’s head is gone. Do you think they’ll have ham at the service or not?’ He immediately went into this mode of planning his grandmother’s funeral,” Freeman said. “I asked him how many funerals he’d been to and he had already been to eight. I have a six-year-old who has never been to a funeral, who has never seen that level of violence, who has not had that in [his or her] world. And so, my children couldn’t survive that. They don’t have that skill set internally.” Freeman tries to stay positive by focusing on the benefits of these skills, while also helping urban families develop the new skills re-
quired for life in Iowa City. Similarly, West High student Cory Statten ’10, who moved from Chicago to Iowa City four years ago, has had some time to acclimate to life in Iowa City. “I think I communicate more here. In Chicago I was quieter. … [In Iowa City people are] way more interactive,”he said. Statten found his niche at West when he got involved in sports. “When I moved here I started playing football and basketball.” Things are different for Marshall, who still considers Chicago her home. “People don’t look at the good in Chicago. It has a lot of options for you,” she said. Marshall’s still not sure if she and her son will stay here, where there’s less violence, or go back to Chicago where his father lives. Marshall does know one thing for sure: “I plan to go to college. … My life does not end just because I had a kid. I’m still going to follow my dreams,” she said.Marshall’s grandmother inspired her to be a therapist for the elderly. “Down here, I feel I’m closer to my dreams,” she said.
20 profiles
CHOOSE YOUR PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM//BEN HARTMAN
WEAPON
One of several West students who hunt recreationally, Ben Hartman ’12 holds up his kills from a recent hunt.
PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM //JOE LIDRAL Camouflaged in the right hand side, Joe Lidral ’11 displays his fowl after a successful hunting trip.
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BY ANSEL LANDINI
ansel.landini@wsspaper.com
Where there’s wildlife, there’s hunting. And where there’s hunting, there are high schoolers. You can find Joe Lidral ‘11, Garrett Hathaway and Ben Hartman ‘12 out in the fields doing just that. The hunters grew up around guns and game, starting as children and continuing to hunt through their schooling years. The animals that they hunt include deer, elk, pheasant, duck, geese, rabbits, squirrels, coyote and even bear. During the hunting seasons, you can find hunters entrenched in woodlands or at the reservoir. The three of them go out almost every day to survey the skies and trees for these animals that, due to their habitats, would easily be overpopulated without the constant check. “The populations have to be controlled somehow and a bullet is much less painful than starving to death or getting hit by a car. There are plenty of deer out there with bum legs from car accidents,” Lidral said. Hathaway has been on many hunting trips, and each trip yields variability in the way that he hunts. His favorite trip so far was last October when he went up to Wyoming to hunt antelope. “I ended up getting a buck and a doe,” Hathaway said. The gun that Hathaway typical-
ly uses is a 12-gauge shotgun but shotguns are never enough. Hunting offers a wide variety of gun possibility, ranging from bows to fully functional rifles. But there are standards that must be followed when hunting. “You can’t deer hunt with automatic weapons like Uzis. Also, you can only hunt certain things with certain types of guns. For example, deer are shotgun slugs, bows and pistols,” Lidral said. Hartman has a personal connection to his first gun, an old sideby-side double barrel 12-gauge shotgun that has been handed down in his family for generations. Hathaway couldn’t comment on his most unique hunting experience, but was quick to note that antelope are the dumbest animals he’s ever hunted. Hartman plans on passing down his family’s gun, as all of them will pass the hunting sport to their children. “I’m sure if [my children] are exposed enough like myself they will love it just as much” Hathaway said. Wherever they go, hunting stays with them. And they often can’t wait to get out there again. “When I see ducks or geese at school, I just get the jitters to go out and hunt,” Hartman said.
At least ten new sayings are introduced to conversation hearts every year. Recent additions include “yeah right,” “call home” and “puppy love.”
Misael says adios to America BY CAROLINE VAN VOORHIS
caroline.vanvoorhis@wsspaper.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF//MISAEL ROMERO
Most juniors at West High have only just started the long search for that perfect college. Misael Romero ’11, on the other hand, has already decided that he’s graduating after his junior year and moving back to Mexico to attend college at Tecnologico de Monterrey. After finishing off this school year, Romero will return to Mexico City for the first time in three years. Romero first arrived in Iowa City before freshman year when his dad got a job at the University of Iowa. He and his parents only planned to stay for one year, but renewed their visas to be able to stay another. After the second year was over, the visas required that Romero’s parents return to Mexico. However, Romero was able to obtain a visa from the ICCSD to stay another year at West as an international student. He is currently living with guardians Laura and Salvador Martinez. “[Misael] had mentioned he wanted
to finish school in the USA and be able to get credits to go to college in the USA. We noticed he was a dedicated and responsible student, so we decided to support him and his family with this dream,” said Misael’s guardian mom Laura. The extra year has allowed Romero to receive enough credits to graduate a year early. “The visa is only for one year, and I have enough credits to graduate, so I said, ‘Why not?’” He has to pay the school $6,000 for enrollment, but Romero said it’s worth the cost. “I like life here, it’s so much better than in Mexico. Here, [people are] more kind, more friendly. I learn more here than I did back in Mexico,” he said. Laura agrees that finishing high school in the United States is beneficial for Romero. “He is mastering his English skills, which can open doors in his country, Mexico. Earning credits to go to col-
21 21Profiles profiles
Misael Romero ‘11, far left, and his family in Florida at the Epcot Center. Romero is currently living with guardians because his parents moved back to Mexico. He is graduating early in order to attend Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico.
lege helps to establish a better future for him,” she said. Romero tried to find a college here so he could stay in the United States, but was largely unsuccessful. “It’s really hard for an international student to find a college and financial
aid, so I decided to move back to Mexico,” he said. Aside from seeing his parents and friends, Romero is looking forward to other aspects of his return to Mexico. “The food. There’s nothing like it here.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF//KELLIE MURPHY
Kellie achieves independence BY JULIANN SKARDA
juliann.skarda@wsspaper.com
Kellie Murphy ‘11 poses with her father. Murphy remained in Iowa City by herself to finish her senior year after her father received a job in Stafford, Virginia. Murphy is living with college student and West High grad Marianna McCue.
Leaving the nest. It’s the time for adolescents to spread their wings and achieve independence, and for guardians to learn to let go. Generally, takeoff happens the first year of college or a few years after turning 18, but Kellie Murphy ’11 has hatched a little early. When her dad, Major Murphy, was transferred to Stafford, Virginia, Murphy prepared to leave West High. She and her father were living in Virginia when her mom made a suggestion. “My mom called me and asked if I’d thought about moving back to Iowa, but I told her that my dad would never allow it. Then she told me it was his idea,” Murphy said. Murphy left her home and job in Stafford and arrived in Iowa City three days before the start of her senior year. “When I first got back, I got so many double takes. People were like, ‘Didn’t you move?’” Murphy said. Now adjusting to life apart from her family, Murphy says that still being a minor has its inconveniences.
“When I need papers signed, I have to figure out a way to get it to my dad to sign them and then get them back to me,” she said. Murphy has had to take on a lot of new responsibilities while living apart, but the biggest change she has noticed has involved groceries. “I buy my own food; that was our deal. I buy my food, he pays my rent. And so balancing what I should eat and what I want to eat, that’s the biggest difference,” Murphy said. Murphy’s roommate, college student Marianna McCue, says that though Murphy is the only high school student in the house, her age makes no difference. “It has its ups and downs, but Kellie and I have a lot of ups,” McCue said. Though she is learning to enjoy her new freedom and responsibility, Murphy says that people often underestimate the hassles of living apart from parents. “I think the biggest deception that people have is that it’s fun not to deal with family, but you kind of miss them after a while. It does get a little difficult without having a parent there when you need them,” Murphy said.
Jeopardy! includes questions about candy hearts on the show every year.
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DRAMA AND COMEDY PRODUCTIONS TODAY AND TOMORROW 7:30 P.M. in the Little Theatre
West spares no competition
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PHOTO BY//LINDSAY BEST West High bowler Bess Fevold ‘11 takes her turn during a team practice on Jan. 19 at Colonial Lanes in Iowa City. The team’s next meet is today at 3:45 against Dubuque Hempstead. compiled by pombie silverman BY POMBIE SILVERMAN
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pombie.silverman@wsspaper.com
hey may be lacking in numbers, but they make up for it in strikes. After last year’s 8-3 conference record, the Women of Troy bowling team is back and ready for regionals. With significant improvements, returning varsity members and a great team atmosphere, this year’s team is sure to knock some pins and have fun, too. The main goals include improving weekly and getting more bowlers out for next year. Currently, the Women of Troy lack enough members to support a JV team. “This is the smallest team since we have started the bowling team [except the first year when we merged with City]. An ideal team size would be around 14 players, that way when bowlers are missing you still can fill a team,” said head coach Mike Mellecker. “Inexperience is also a weakness. We have received eight new girls, but none of them have gone out for bowling before. Our strength is that we all work well together; we are willing to help one another.” Returning varsity members Allie Volk ’11 and Megan Wiechrt ’11 have worked hard to improve since last season, according to Mellecker. Wiechart and Volk, along with new team member Stacey Bowen
’11, have been building skills and friendships at the Saturday Morning Bowling League at Colonial Lanes. “Everyone gets along very well from the freshmen to the seniors. They are willing to help one another with their game. This is probably the closest nkit group of girls I have had from top to the bottom,” Mellecker said. “The team captains have helped the new bowlers by giving them pointers and plenty of encouragement.” “It’s just a good atmosphere,” Volk said. “This year is one of the best years for team chemistry. I love bowling practice because we all help each other and have a ton of fun both at and outside of practice.” As for competition, the team wants to finish high in the conference, and perhaps even make it to state. “They have worked very hard. Their form is getting better and they are taking the game more seriously. Every match from here on out is a key match on trying to win the conference.We just need to keep working hard and keep improving. We have a good team that wants to win and works very hard,” Mellecker said. “As for regionals, we just want to bowl well and let the pins fall where they may. If we pick up spares, we will do well.” Hallmark first offered Valentine’s Day cards in 1913.
Libby Logsden ’11
Strategy: I have a routine that I do before I throw every ball and I just try to relax and throw the ball straight. Pump-up Song: “Like a G6” by Far East Movement Special Shoes: None, but I wear crazy patterned socks when I bowl. Fun Fact: My bowling ball and bag are pretty awesome. 23
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Fresh from the start Wyatt Lohaus ‘14, varsity basketball standout, follows in the footsteps of of his father, a former NBA player BY GARRETT ANSTREICHER
garrett.anstreicher@wsspaper.com
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In Wales it is common to give your someone special a spoon with carvings on it.
PHOTO BY//LINDSAY BEST
The swish of a basketball through a hoop is a beautiful sound. It carries a certain sense of satisfaction; it sounds like victory. And few people appreciate it more than Wyatt Lohaus ’14. Lohaus has already set himself apart as a rising star by playing point guard on the West High varsity basketball team as a freshman. Currently, Lohaus scores an average of 4.6 points per game with 1.2 rebounds and assists, along with a 42% shooting accuracy. According to him, many factors go into being skilled at basketball. “You have to have a high basketball IQ, hard work and obviously some talent helps, too,” Lohaus said. “You need to practice everything, that way you don’t have any big weaknesses.” His coach also recognizes Lohaus’ broad skill set. “The strongest part [of his game] is that he does everything very well,” said Steve Bergman, the coach of the basketball team. “He puts a lot of time in improving his skills on his own, and he has for many years.”
According to Lohaus, the fun in basketball comes from the rush he gets when he plays the often hectic game. “[Basketball is] fast paced,” he said. “You don’t really have to think out there, just react.” Lohaus has been playing basketball for as long as he can remember. Brad Lohaus, Wyatt’s father and a former NBA player, piqued Wyatt’s interest in the game. “He actually liked football more at first,” said Brad. “He just gravitated to [basketball] from being surrounded by it.” “I’m very proud of him,” Brad added. “He’s worked very hard, and he has a passion for the game.” Wyatt’s father, along with Larry Bird, is his basketball hero. The two used to play frequently, although less often now. “He usually blocks my shot a lot when we do play,” Lohaus noted. This is understandable, as, standing at around six feet, he still has enormous potential to grow, both figuratively and literally. Bergman firmly believes that Wyatt will go on to play basketball in college and possibly beyond. “He’s going to play basketball for a while,” Bergman said. Indeed, this impressive freshman point guard still has much more to offer the West High basketball team in the future. While he is a rising star now, he knows that his ascent is nowhere near finished: “I can’t dunk . . . yet.”
Driving for a strong season 25 sports
West High boys’ basketball looks to improve MEET THE PLAYERS compiled by caroline found
Dane Cronbaugh ’11
PHOTO BY//LINDSAY BEST West High sophomore Dondre Alexander drives to the hoop against three City High players. West defeated City 57-46 to top their record of 10-4, placing them sixth in the state.
BY DANIEL ROTHMAN
I
daniel.rothman@wsspaper.com
n the modern sports world, it has become a cliché for perennial powerhouses to claim something along the lines of “we don’t rebuild, we reload.” Yet, few of these upper tier teams manage to achieve what the West High boys’ basketball team has done this year, compiling a 10-4 record despite a starting lineup that includes two sophomores and a freshman. “Our whole team has done a great job of stepping up their game,” said head coach Steve Bergman. “We’ve just got to keep improving.” West’s record is on pace to improve significantally from last years 12-12 record from a team predominately featuring several now-departed seniors. In fact, the Trojan’s current record was almost even better: the team lost back-to-back road games against
very strong Washington and Jefferson teams (who boast a combined 19-7 record) by a total of six points. “We’ve been doing well, but I’m not satisfied yet. Once we get later into the season with a few more wins I will be,” said Jeremy Morgan ’13, one of the team’s starting guards. “We had one very tough week, but we had great chances in both games,” said Bergman. “But when you have such a young team, that’s to be expected.” On the offensive end, the team has been paced by top scorers Morgan and Dondre Alexander ’13, both of whom started last year as freshmen. “Morgan and Alexander have both played very well, and guys like Wyatt Lohaus ’14, Jake Gylten ’12, and Okey Ukah ’11, just to name a few, have done a lot to contribute, too,” Bergman said. However, the team still has room for
improvement. “As you would expect with such a young team, we’ve been a little inconsistent. One quarter we’ll score tons, and then the next we’ll barely be able to hit a shot,” Bergman said. “We’ve just got to work on our mental toughness. Our defense has improved, but we just have to work on playing our best every time we go out on the court. That all starts in practice. Once we start viewing practice as and opportunity to prepare, we’ll go to the next level.” “Our offense still needs some work,” Morgan said. “But our team chemistry keeps improving, especially with our trips to Buffalo Wild Wings. It really helps us get comfortable with each other.”
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Years playing: Seven Favorite Basketball Memory: Beating City twice last year. Pump-up song: “Show Goes On” by Lupe Fiasco Favorite pre-game food: I always eat a sub from Subway or Quiznos
Richard Bryant ’12
Years playing: Seven Favorite basketball memory: Beating City High in substate my fresman year. Pump-up song: rap or hip-hop Favorite pre-game food: I really like to go to Wyatt’s house to eat dinner before a game.
In the Middle Ages men and women wore the names of their Valentines pinned to their sleeves.
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26 sports
Pinning for a win West wrestles for state title BY POMBIE SILVERMAN
T
pombie.silverman@wsspaper.com
PHOTO BY//LINDSAY BEST
his year, they are going for everything. “Our goals never change from year to year. We want to win the MVC dual meet and tournament titles. We want to win the district title, win the state tournament and win the state dual titles.We want it all,” said head coach Mark Reiland. This year’s expectations for West High wrestlers are very high, according to Reiland. Most varsity wrestlers are expected to make the trip to state, and then win or at least place (depending on the individual). Indeed, the team’s biggest strength this year is the lineup. From the top of the weight class to the mere 103-pounders, almost every spot is filled with a high-ranked wrestler, some even ranked nationally. Although, as the season progresses and the teams rankings improve, Reiland thinks little of it. “Rankings mean noth-
At a dual home meet against Washington and Prarie, Kegan Wakefield ‘14 wins a match.
Britt Thompson‘12
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ing. After each meet, we must go out and prove ourselves each and every time, again and again,” he said. Returning varsity members include Kegan Wakefield ’13, Jack Hathaway ’12, Sam Chalkley ’12, Gradey Gambrall ’12, Garrett Hathaway ’11, Justin Koethe ’12, Mike Watkins ’12 , Mickey Pelfrey ’12 and AJ Bailey ’11. “We are always trying to qualify as many as we can for the state meet. We want to perform better this year. Last year, too many [wrestlers] failed to reach their goals, and this year we are trying to change that,” Reiland said. This goal seems highly likely with a batch of newcomers including Phillip Laux ’12, Ernest Willis ’12, Dakota Bauer ’12, Elijah Sullivan ’11, Payton Kauzlarich ’14 and Britt Thompson ’11. So far, the season has been quite a success. The team has recently hailed new victories including winning the Battle of Waterloo, finishing third at the Cedar Rapids Duals and placing third in a large tournament in Illinois, despite missing some starters. The team recently dominated the Lepic Duals on Jan. 8 for the third consecutive year, placing first. As for next year, the future looks bright. We have only a handful of seniors on this year’s team, so we have a lot of hope for next year,” Reiland said.
MEET THE WRESTLERS
compiled by leah murray
Years Wrestling: 14 Pump-up song: “Soldier” by Eminem Favorite pre-meet food: Oatmeal cream pie or cosmic brownie Favorite team moment: Will be when we win state and state duals Fun Fact: “I’m adopted and don’t get along with any of my siblings except my bro Jack.”
Gradey Gambrell ‘12
In Medieval times, women ate bizarre foods to make them dream of their future husband.
Years Wrestling: 13 Pump-up Song: “All Along the Watchtower” .by Jimi Hendrix or Real Slim Shady by Eminem. Favorite Pre-meet Food: Peanut butter ,jelly chicken and tuna sandwich. Favorite Team Moment: When I/we win state and when we win state dls.
PHOTOS BY//JOJO SILVERMAN
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Dancing with the Poms Emily Fairfield ‘11 (bottom), Jessica Baker ‘11 (top left) and Wynne Fuller ‘13 (top right) show off their dance moves during practice.
WEST HIGH DANCE TEAM HEADS TO NATIONALS BY OLIVIA LOFGREN
olivialofgren@wsspaper.com
Practice makes perfect.We’ve all heard it, but for the West High Poms, it’s more than a cliché. It’s a strategy, keeping the entire team motivated to practice their nationals routine to perfection. The poms squad will travel all the way to Orlando, Florida to compete against 45-60 teams at the national dance competition on Feb. 5 and 6. The team has been working rigorously since last April for this opportunity and hopes to make it all the way to the finals. “The girls are working extremely hard. We set team goals throughout the season and aim for those goals. We spend a lot of time together outside of practice watching tapes, studying our competition and, of course, having fun. You can’t have a successful team if you aren’t a successful family,” said coach Katie Melloy. The girls spend nearly 20 hours a week practicing to get better. “There’s no point in being here if you don’t want to get better,” said Jessica Baker ’11. “In anything in life you have to work extremely hard to achieve your goals. Sometimes goals seem
very far from our reach, and it’s overwhelming to know where to start on your path to reaching them,” Melloy said. But for the West High Poms, goals and dreams are slowly becoming reality. This year will be the first year that the West High dance team has ever made Nationals, something that every girl on the squad has hoped to experience. “The difference between this year and last year is that we have to spend more time cleaning and practicing for Nationals, and we don’t have as much time for fun half time routines,” said Emily Fairfield ’11, team captain. “We have worked so hard and have come so far, not only in dance but in life,” said Brooke Lofgren ’14. Meanwhile, each girl looked forward towards their biggest competition of the year for a multitude of different reasons. “My goal for Nationals is to make a name for West High, nationally,” said Maddie Vernon ’12. On, the other hand, Mallory Gilispie ‘14 was just anticipating the change in scenery. “I’m looking forward to dancing outside for semis and prelims, and if we make finals dancing with the Disney World castle behind us,” she said.
There is a superstition that if a robin flies over a woman’s head on Valentine’s day she will marry a sailor.
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PHOTO BY//LINDSAY BEST Jasmine Bailey ’14 poses with some of the medals she has won for various judo and wrestling competitions. She has competed in international judo competitions in both Canada and Peru where she placed third in her weight class.
Wrestling like a girl BY ELEANOR MARSHALL
eleanor.marshall@wsspaper.com
J
asmine Bailey ’14 could probably wrestle you to the ground in a matter of seconds. Boys, too, she doesn’t discriminate. As a 103 pound freshman girl, Bailey doesn’t look like an international judo competitor and top West High wrestler at first glance, but look again. Bailey is probably best known as a breakout wrestler on a team where breaking out is tough to do. She has wrestled several meets on varsity this year and gave up the varsity spot in her weight class only to a now first-in-the-state ranked wrestler. Although Bailey underplays it, her accomplishment is even more extraordinary because of her gender. Bailey has yet to wrestle another girl this year, but isn’t fazed by going up against the guys in practice or competition. “I don’t feel like I’m at a disadvantage, but there’s a difference and I think it’s just that: different. It doesn’t make me better or worse, I mean, I’ve wrestled varsity for a couple of tournaments,” she said. Since kindergarten, Bailey has been tagging along to meets with her brother, West wrestler AJ Bailey ’11, and got her start by signing up to compete impromptu. She didn’t begin formal training until she joined the team at Northwest and began to excel.
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“As I’ve gone to tournaments there was a referee who, after refing my match, said he had refed at the Olympics and said he thought I could go there. And someone else’s mom at a wrestling tournament said, ‘My girl wrestled and went to the Olympics and I think you could go to the Olympics too, if you want to.’ Is that a trick question? Of course I want to go,” Bailey said. Bailey’s Olympic dreams are even more vivid in judo, a sort of martial arts version of wrestling that Bailey began training for at age 11 and competes in worldwide. Although she is technically old enough to try for the Olympic team, she plans to spend a few more years honing her skills and avoiding “burn out.” “I picked up on [judo] very quickly. Within a year I had won a national [tournament] in judo, which is uncommon because some people after that that I competed with had been doing it since they were five. I give lots of credit to my coaches and I went to lots of different places to train and to work with different coaches and competitors and learned different styles,” she said. Although a herniated disc kept her benched for the entirety of this past summer (judo’s season), she has previously competed internationally in Canada and Peru, where she won third place even after getting moved up a weight class (due to a
lack of competitors her size) on the day of the competition. “[Moving up a weight class was] not really a big difference, because you don’t have to force your move on someone else; you just use their movements, you shouldn’t feel their weight when you’re throwing them. It’s their momentum, you just add a little bit of force for continuing their direction and steering it,” she said. This restraint and thoughtfulness, according to Bailey, is a key difference between judo and wrestling. “A memory that sticks out for me is when I was [practicing] judo with one of the adults and [I set up a move called fireman’s carry]. With a fireman’s carry you pull someone on you and they flip over, and I didn’t even feel the weight, and I got the best score you can get in judo. I don’t know how I did it, I don’t know what he did to counter and it just worked perfectly. It’s the perfect example of how judo is supposed to be done because it’s about reacting and timing and noticing the other person’s movement and not having to force anything. . . .Which is different from wrestling because in wrestling its fine to smush someone’s face into the mat, sometimes it’s encouraged even,” she said. Bailey plans to continue her dedication to both sports, pinning her hopes high.
Hallmark releases 2,000 different valentine’s cards each year.
Fast Facts FAVORITE JUDO MOVE:
Taioposhi (“It’s literally translated to body drop. It’s where you stick your leg out and the other person falls, but they don’t actually touch your leg and all you do is turn your hands and pull them forward.”)
FAVORITE WRESTLING MOVE: Headlock
FAVORITE PRE-COMPITITION FOOD: Enchiladas
BEST PUMP-UP SONG: “Stronger” West
by
Kanye
SPORT SUPERSTITION:
for judo competitions I always braid my hair the same way
FAVORITE MOVIE: GI Jane
WORDS OF WISDOM: No pain, no gain
compiled by eleanor marshall
visit
wsspaper.com updated daily
FINALS WEEK FEB. 17 TO FEB. 25
Report
30 opinion
Radish
Note: All Radish content is satirical and is not meant to be perceived as factual
The Congress passes legislation, gas BY DAVID HUANG
david.huang@wsspaper.com
A bundle of legislation that would newly tax certain greenhouse gases passed this week in Congress. “It’s not the traditional carbon tax people usually think of,” said Al Gore, an environmental activist who worked heavily with legislaters in drafting the new taxes. “The things being taxed are the same types of things that ninetyseven percent of climate scientists agree are causing warming. Methane. Carbon dioxide. We like to call it An Inconvenient Tax.” Inconvenient, indeed. The laws will put into place several new taxes on
all exhaling, flatulence and burping, aimed at reducing smelly farts by 25% by 2025 and 50% by 2050. Additionally, Gore is aiming to make Silent But Deadlies committed in public a criminal offense. Though Democrats hailed it as the next new step into combating global climate change, the legislation angered not only Republicans, but also economists and exhalation lobbies. “If this is because I looked like I had gas during the entirety of the State of the Union, I’m sorry,” Speaker of the House John Boehner angrily commented. Civilian exhaler Joan Stevens was
similarly peeved. “Breathing is a fundamental human right,” she explained. “Seriously, what’s next? Ending the subsidies that highly profitable Big Oil companies absolutely-definitely-for-certain need? It’s a dangerously steep freaking slippery slope, here.” Additionally, some analysts explained that while a progressive flatulence tax may raise billions in revenue and decrease net carbon emissions, it may also plunge the country into a economic depression. Paul Krugman, a stringent opponent of the new carbon tax, argued that taxes that disincentivize flatulence would
Man buried alive after refusing to move left
Authorities puzzled over man’s stubborness BY ANSEL LANDINI
ansel.landini@wsspaper.com
A man walking outside of Unstable Corps, a business focused on testing the balance of large objects, was buried alive today after the building toppled from an underground tremor. The tall but unusually thin building had a poorly constructed base that cracked from the movement of the ground. Stu Bourne was walking with his friend Turner Wright out to lunch. When the ground started shaking. And the front windows of Unstable Corps shattered. The building bent on its base and started falling forward. “It was like the movies” Wright said, “only it was happening right in front of us.” As the building started to come down,
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Wright ran quickly to the right to avoid the falling building, but Bourne kept heading forward, directly in the falling path of the building. “I yelled to him to step off to the left so he could easily avoid danger but just kept running,” Wright said. Even with all of his determination, adrenaline, and action movie mindset, Bourne was unable to outrun the perfectly avoidable building as it toppled to the ground. An onlooker said he was very disappointed. “I saw the whole building come down, and it was falling so straight and he thought he could outrun it. It made me think about every Die Hard film.” he said, “I wanted to see someone actually do it.” As it would turn out, outrunning a falling building isn’t as easy as the movies led us to believe.
“Bourne made it about 100 feet forward in the 12 seconds he had before the building came down around him, he only needed fifty to either side to avoid danger, at his path he was an estimated 250 feet from safety,” said inertia expert Fal Ingquick, “It’s not even humanly possible to run that far so quickly.” “I kept shouting at him ‘Go left! Go left!’ but he just shook his head an continued, he’d always told me that his name meant something, but all he seemed was stubborn to me,” said Wright. The search for Bourne is still being conducted over the wreckage, no signs of him have been located. A large joint lawsuit is being filed against Unstable Corps for not quote “Practicing what they preach” more on that as we receive word.
inadvertently crush the Mexican fast food industry, a growing sector in the modern economy. “Seriously, warming or no warming, environment or no environment, this tax is going to destroy the economy, one Taco Bell at a time,” Krugman said. Republicans are expected to fight for a repeal of the new taxes. Boehner explained that the main point of contention for the GOP was not the actual taxes, but the suggestion that the tax revenue go into investments into alternative energy funds. “Taxing farts, I get. Improving research on green technology? Ridiculous,” he was heard saying.
SPIN
ZONE
Arizona takes early lead in the annual “State with the most crazy happenings” competition; South Carolina and Texas vow to catch up. Depressed that he can no longer harass homosexuals by blocking DADT, John McCain resorts to retiring (finally) from the senate to yell at gay kids to get off his lawn. Enraged students plan to attack the superintendent as an angry mob for not giving snow days; unable to reach his house due to slick roads. compiled by garrett anstreicher
An affront to us all T
he news of the recent censoring of Mark Twain’s classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn comes not only as a shock, but a huge disappointment, because it is yet another example of our society shying away from its past. From now on, all 219 uses of the word “nigger” have been replaced with “slave” as well as “injun” being replaced with “indian.” First of all, the term was historically accepted and therefore has no place being removed. In the times in which this was written, this term was not only common, but socially accepted. Removing it from the text not only takes away from the dialect from the time, but also the historical accuracy. Having such a racially charged word show up all over the text should bother readers, but avoiding discomfort allows us to leave the racist attitudes of the past and the residual intolerance still prevalent unconfronted. The way African Americans were treated was awful, and we cannot keep shying away from the problems. We are outraged when radicals deny the tragedy of the Holocaust, but this censorship is doing the same: rewriting history to leave out the parts we wish had never happened. Even though it’s not a bright spot in our his-
tory, its tales like Huckleberry Finn that teach us important lessons about these times, so by covering it up, the story loses this valuable aspect. AP English classes at West have read the book without censorship for years, and each time discussions center on racism and social roles. But allowing scholars to clean up the mess before students can understand how it was made prevents the schools that only allow a censored version from discuss-
ing and grasping the whole ugly truth. Finally, “nigger” and “slave” are not synonyms. Calling someone a slave implies ownership, when the character in reference ran away from the institution that had taken his freedom. Using the word slave is historically, contextually and factually inaccurate. It’s time for us to face the nasty parts of our history. They may not be the most comfortable or pleasant things to talk about,
31 opinion
but by covering them up we lose the chance to learn valuable lessons from our mistakes. Not only should the book be left complete and uncensored, it should continue to be discussed in schools throughout the country for its valuable, if difficult, lessons about racism.
a r t by
b r id ge
t n o va k
A derailed opportunity T
he federal government appropriated $230 million last October for a proposed highspeed passenger rail line between Iowa City and Chicago. Although similar lines already exist (running from Chicago through mainly southern towns in Iowa with stops all the way to Oakland, California), current plans are necessary to become inclusive of more populated areas of the state as well as create an expansive easily accessible high-speed intercity passenger rail service throughout the Midwest. Unfortunately, recently sworn-in Governor Terry Branstad has decided not to allocate the necessary funds in the 2011 budget. In addition to the approximately $10 million appropriated last year for planning, the state would be required to provide another $20
million to construct the line and $3 to $4 million per year in operation subsidies. Thankfully, Branstad maintains the possibility of allocating the funds in the future, unlike the governors of several other Midwest states who have completely rejected the possibility of rail lines. Cost is clearly an important factor, but the economic impact of the railroad isn’t all bad, considering it will create an estimated 600 jobs in a scarce market. Additionally, the rail line is convenient not only to those traveling to Chicago as tourists or on business, but also for the large number of University of Iowa students from the Chicago area who don’t have cars. Currently, the options available for travel directly between Iowa City and Chicago are cars and the relatively new Megabus. The Megabus is
less expensive than the rail would be ($40 for a train ride versus bus tickets as low as $1) but suffers many of the same downfalls as car travel, including inclement winter weather, cramped space and the massive traffic around the Chicago area. High-speed rail lines are one of the safest forms of ground transportation, avoid all traffic, connect directly to inner-city public transportation and are more comfortable than either cars or buses. They are also more environmentally friendly, using 1/3 less energy per passenger per mile than the average car. Building lines such as the one between Iowa City and Chicago will lead to further development of intercity rail transportation throughout the Midwest, allowing easy and efficient travel for business and pleasure.
This network will benefit both the economies and the residents’ quality of life of all the states involved. Currently the rails use 110 mph trains, but, with further development, 220 mph trains could be put into effect. A nation connected through these rail lines would offer safer, easier travel and less dependence on oil. By refusing to move forward on this project, the state of Iowa is wasting an amazing opportunity to be on the forefront of a movement towards a more efficient method of travel. The federal government has already provided the major bulk of the necessary funds, and the state should step up and make the environmentally, economically and socially smart decision.
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Quality of A Life Index L 32 opinion
February
VALENTINE’S DAY Love is in the air. Well, maybe not - it might just be the scent of another fire from the boys bathroom. Plus 4 (Minus 17 for you single losers)
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
As always, the coming of February means the coming of the American government’s most apologetic month. STOP IT! Minus 3
POOP JOKES Never get old.
Plus 4
safer society
et’s say that Larry is a nutcase who is extremely mad at Bob. He goes and finds a gun with little hassle. Several outcomes to this situation are possible. Maybe Bob has a gun as well that he keeps on him. If so, the threat of mutually assured destruction may deter Larry, or he may just go for it, likely resulting in the deaths of both men in a firefight. Or maybe Bob doesn’t have a gun, leading to him dying alone. Whatever happens, it seems likely that somebody is going to die. So, how could we have prevented this predicament? Could Bob have been less mean to Larry? Maybe, but the simplest thing that would have solved this whole dilemma would have been if Larry was not able to obtain that gun in the first place. This analogy, while simplified, fairly relates to the issue of gun control that the nation is currently debating. Americans have always been extremely reluctant to give up their right to tote firearms wherever they please, but the recent school shootings and the tragedy in Arizona, like incidents in the past, have demonstrated just how important it is to have gun control if we want to keep our society as safe as possible. The most frequently used argument to attack gun control is the “we need guns to protect ourselves from the crazy gunmen” assertion, rather similar to the scenario in which every nation has nuclear weapons. The importance of firearms in protecting ourselves is vastly overrated. A one-week survey conducted by TIME magazine found that of the 464 gun-related deaths nation-wide, only 14 were motivated by self defense. The idea that guns save lives by letting citizens protect themselves is absurd.The reason that we established an armed police force in the first place was so that the average citizen wouldn’t
THE OSCARS
Bar none, this is the most important night of the year. And yes, my opinion on this matter might suggest the sad nature of my existence. Plus 3
TEACHERS
I see that smirk lurking below your affected calm façade as you add each assignment to my overwhelming schedule. Thanks. No, really. THANK YOU. Minus 3
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compiled by katie mucci and madhu srikantha
art by bridget novak
have to do the enforcing themselves, and no matter what sense of security owning a gun provides, it will usually do little to help in instance of mass panic like the Arizona shooting. The reason behind this is fairly easy to understand: discharging firearms when surrounded by screaming and running people, even with good intentions, will rarely help quell the situation. A man in the Arizona shooting was carrying a concealed weapon, and it stayed in his pocket as he elected to tackle Loughner to the ground instead of shooting at him. Having more guns simply does not make us any safer. In the meantime, striving to minimize the people that had guns would. It may be true that making gun control laws much stricter would not absolutely prevent any madman from getting his hands on a firearm. However, while it is unrealistic to assert that more gun regulations would prevent every possible shooting instance, it is similarly irrational to assume that it would not help in any way whatsoever. Times have changed. The right to bear arms has ceased to be “necessary to the security of a free state” and instead has become a hazard to it. For these reasons, the West Side Story believes that increasing gun control laws would be effective in making our society a safer one.
Will increased gun regulation actually prove effective?
9-2
Nine members voted that gun regulation would be effective
33 opinion
Member of a dying breed BY GARRETT ANSTREICHER
G
garrett.anstreicher@gmail.com
reetings! I am a member of a near-extinct species: the male humanities buff. I enjoy writing creatively and critically analyzing different literary works while listening to zen music. Long walks on beaches are only OK. My top choice as far as careers go is a professor; after that, my options are limited to being a pizza delivery man or a convenience store night clerk. The job market isn’t great for us. This leads to an obvious question: if it’s less likely that I’m going to get a good job in studying the hu-
manities, then . . . why the hell am I studying the humanities? I should clarify one thing: worry not, ye engineers who think that I’m about to launch a rant about how math and science suck when compared to English and history, as they do not; the two cannot be compared in the least. However, if you are someone who thinks that math and science are better than English because careers related to them pay more, then, frankly, you should be worried. I’m going to use every ounce of my super English powers to contradict you. As I traveled far and wide, scouting out different universities, I regretfully noticed what seemed to be a growing trend: a focus on education solely for the sake of preparing people for the workforce. The soul of learning was lost; bright-eyed, curious students were entering the universities ready to learn, and were churned out mechanically to start working. Anything about intrigued students deeply engrossing themselves in topics to satisfy their fascination for the field vanished. I, myself, am somewhat of a purist when it comes to
learning. I’m the epitome of a nerd; I strongly believe that the act of learning itself is fulfilling and rewarding. It doesn’t need to achieve a specific goal to be valuable. I obtain more gratification from writing a paper than from seeing an “A” on it. And even if you don’t buy that learning is intrinsically valuable, let’s be honest: the majority of stuff that we learn in high school AND college will be ultimately useless, but the methods of thinking and analyzing that we glean from the process of learning itself will help us more our careers than any data. And thus do I launch a somewhat desperate plea at all West High students: the workforce is a long way from now; don’t worry about it. Use these years to find your calling, be it biology or basket-weaving, and pursue it like nothing else. You’ll have one heck of a better time in college than those who unhappily take premed to get paid more later on, and in the end, you’ll find that you aren’t so screwed for the workforce after all. And hey, I could use the company. It’s lonely being a member of a dying species.
Vicariously bullying I
GUEST COLUMIST: SARAH MOORE
’ve never considered myself a bully. Just the thought of applying that noun to myself is absurd, actually. I’ve always been shrimpier than most, and I have all the malice of a snail. Physically or physiologically, I don’t aim to, nor am I even capable of, inflicting pain upon others. However, I have developed a new, roundabout way to enjoy the rather sick practice of mocking others in order to elevate my own ego: Thursdays, at 9 o’clock central time, I flip on MTV and critique the antics of the cast of Jersey Shore. In general, I consider myself a reasonably classy girl.Yet every week I choose to indulge in this hour of garbage. I can’t even call it a guilty pleasure because, quite frankly, I just
enjoy it way too much to feel even a touch of guilt. So a few weeks ago, around 8:45 on a Thursday night, a friend of mine and I were partaking in a little pre-Shore snack when her father posed me with this question: “Why do you watch that trash show?” Without even pausing to think, I answered, “Because it makes me feel better about my own moral character.” He laughed (I was, by the way, quite proud to get a guffaw out of a retired Marine). And though there’s no denying that I tend to be quite humorous, that was a completely honest answer. When I sit down and watch the Situation attempt to seduce any woman within a 10-mile radius, or Jwoww spend hours staring at the air bags implanted in her chest, or Snooki fall down drunk on a beach at two in the afternoon, I get to sit there and say to myself, “Wow, I am so much better than that.” Really, before the Shore premiered, it wasn’t like I was sitting around longing for people I could mock mercilessly (see ‘emotional malice of a snail’). But now that I have
the opportunity, well, I take advantage, along with about 4.8 million other viewers. See, it’s not just me. We like sitting in our basements judging people on TV because it makes us feel good and has none of the consequences of ridiculing people who are actually present in our lives. I suppose that’s the ultimate appeal of reality television. The media worries that the other 4.8 million young viewers and I see the Jersey Shore cast as role models. I suppose I can’t speak for the other 4.8 million, but I personally look at the screen and see girls I don’t wish to become. In particular Angelina, who might actually be Satan reincarnate. For real. But in all seriousness, media, no worries. Counterexamples might actually be just as effective as truly positive role models. In some strange backwards way, by watching Jersey Shore, I feel motivated to hold on a little tighter to my own integrity. For if I don’t, I know I won’t enjoy my Thursday nights quite as much. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WRITING A GUEST COLUMN, CONTACT MADHU.SRIKANTHA@WSSPAPER.COM
33
34 opinion
Friends by choice Another world
I
BY ELEANOR MARSHALL eleanor.marshall@gmail.com
talk about my sister too much. She’s twenty and magic and I can’t even make her stand still in my memory. She’s the only person who can tell me we’re on the same page about everything and I am on the same page about that too instead of feeling smothered. She’s gloriously imperfect. She misses flights and rebooks them and travels anyway and she eats too much candy when my mom buys it and she contemplates the morality of making profit on yoga. It’s only recently that I’ve been able to appreciate her, really. I was too young and she was too old and we were both too busy and a little disinterested until somehow the stars aligned and weeds grew through the cracks in the pavement and she came home from college. We began cooking en Español and taking walks and doing random crafts really late at night and something happened and we started to really love each other. It reminds me of this card I saw in a gift shop one time that said “sisters by birth, friends by choice,” and in a dorky, cliché way, that’s exactly how it is. My favorite thing about her is how I am around her (which is probably just as selfish as it sounds). I stop wearing makeup and stop worrying about how I look without makeup and remember that feet are meant to get dirty and trees are meant to be climbed and people are meant to do something unique and important. I have more energy for walking places and doing crazy projects and taking a break from crazy projects to do nothing even though I will be up until three working on stuff. I remember one time she was home for a week and I was buried under my usual Mount Everest of homework and she looked at me and said, “You can do homework or you can spend time with me. Both are equally important.” And I think about that a lot: both are equally important. It informs a lot of my decisions and makes me realize that the things I’m doing are even decisions in the first place, and I don’t even think she was trying to be wise when she said it. I’m jealous of lots of things about her. How big and how small she thinks and how smart but unassuming she is and the way she stands for so many things but none of them in a self-righteous way. I’m jealous of her in that irrational little sister way, too: envying her age and independence and her ability and inclination to just take off at any moment. But being around her you just feel good about yourself without measuring because that’s how she is.You can just say things without worrying about being smart or right and she’ll just give you an honest response without worrying about being smart or right either. Being around her gets old in a good way, like shoes that mold to your feet or oak tree trunks with uncountable rings. I’ve only met a handful of people that get that kind of old. Who I don’t always want to see, because no one always wants to see anybody, but who I want to see enough of the time to know them, really. Who I listen to even though I’m busy and who I talk to because I need someone and I can’t think of anyone else and who I don’t bother lying to and tell about the lies I told other people. So it’s your turn to know them. Not my sister (she’s in Guatemala, anyway), but someone. Everybody should find it in their heart to appreciate somebody else because, as Maya Angelou once wrote, if you can do that, then you will have succeeded. And then hold that person in your heart so hard that they beat as part of it and listen to that part of your heart when you are lost, because in your mind they will become the best version of you and then you will become the best 34 version of you. I told you I talk about my sister too much.
BY KATIE MUCCI
A
katie.mucci@wsspaper.com
s we have departed from the year 2010, I’ve been forced to look back at what the past year has brought (no seriously, I had to write about it).Within the last year I have lived in three states, I have attended three high schools; I have gone from social butterfly to social pariah (not kidding). I’m not complaining about living in Iowa, but I must say, living the fast-paced city life was much different. I started off in a suburb of lovely Dallas, Texas. I had lived there for eight years and was completely content. Some people called me Nico’s little sister, some called me KatieMucci (one word of course, it’s more fun to say that way), and some called me Student Body Vice Prez. No biggie. I had it made there. Not to say there weren’t challenges, but when you live somewhere long enough, you can easily get over the problems. Well except for the complete lack of anything to do within 20 miles. Then came October of 2009. My parents asked me if I was okay with moving, when I asked where and they said “San Diego,” I was all in. Somehow throwing away my social life to live on the beach seemed like such a smart idea. So once the first semester of my junior year was over, we packed up (well, someone else did, we just watched) and we made the three day drive to our new house. There I was introduced to a whole new world of people. Smart people, dumb people, pretty people, ugly people… oh wait, there weren’t any ugly people there. My bad. I started school, and it started out like any new school does. If you don’t know what that means, well… be glad. Once I finally got around to making a solid group of friends, I began enjoying all the benefits of the SoCal lifestyle (beaches, boys, rich people, etc). Oh, and I can’t forget to mention the best thing about California. In-N-Out. Anyone who tells you it isn’t good is lying to themselves to make up for the fact that they are over 1,000 miles away from it. It’s heaven. Literally. Whenever you take a bite, I swear there are little angels singing “Hallelujah” into your ear. I finished out my junior year in California, but frankly, once the summer came, my patience for my friend’s problems and scandalous ways flew out the window. After one too many car chases by a friend’s crazy ex, I decided to abandon that friendship. Thanks to my new independence, I was not too hesitant when my parents suggested yet ANOTHER cross-country move. Fast forward to now. I’m living in Iowa, eating at places that don’t come with their own private singing angels, and working. Eww. While I am stoked to not have to deal with any of my friend’s problems, I kind of wish I was, because that would mean I’d have a social life. Not to sound like a whiney brat, but I want all back. Advice to everyone: Do not, I repeat DO NOT move during high school voluntarily. You will regret it, and you will be stuck with one month to make your 18th birthday party (or lack thereof) not suck. Since I’ve moved here, I have quickly forgotten why I was so ready to leave California. I mean… there was a beach. Regardless of all my other problems I could hop in my car and be in the ocean in five minutes. Unfortunately, I am now landlocked and bored. In the famous words of one of the world’s most intellectual beings, “Where’s the beach?”
PHOTO BY//LINDSAY BEST
S.P.I.T.
ABOVE: Paul Curry ‘14, Vicky Zhu ‘13, Elizabeth Dagle ‘11, Apoorva Raikwar ‘14 and Emerson Grow ‘12 practice their comedy skit.
RIGHT: Izaak Sunleaf ‘11 reaches for a “pencil” during his monologue for the comedy and drama S.P.I.T. auditions. Sunleaf will be performing in the drama skit.
BOTTOM LEFT: Ryan Courtney ‘11, co-direTctor of the drama group, gives his crew stage direction after school. Courtney will be directing the comedy play alongside Emma McClatchey ‘11.
PHOTO BY//JOJO SILVERMAN
BOTTOM RIGHT: Getting into character was no problem for Paul McKinley ‘11 and Paul Curry ‘14 during a S.P.I.T. practice after school January 18.
BY ELEANOR MARSHALL
eleanormarshall@wsspaper.com
Two plays. Four directors. No adults. It’s that time of year again: Theatre West steps down and gives four chosen seniors center stage to choose, cast and present their own one-act plays. This year Ryan Courtney ‘11 and Emma McClatchey ‘11 are directing the comedy, The Devil in Sherman Marsh and Madhu Srikantha ‘11 and Gina Thayer ‘11 are directing the drama, Offerings (check out page 13 for more information on this year’s lucky seniors). S.P.I.T.’s opening night is tonight, Feb. 4, and will also be showing Saturday, Feb. 5, in the Little Theatre. “I hope everyone comes to the performace. It’s going to be a radical experience!” Courtney said.
PHOTO BY//JOJO SILVERMAN
PHOTO BY//LINDSAY BEST
Pick Up Lines ines WEST HIGH’S BEST
Did it hurt when you fell? Because it’s a long drop from heaven. Emily Nicholson ’12
compiled by caroline found
Short on time? Practice these pick up lines to snag yourself a valentine. Did you just fart? Because you blew me away.
good thing i’ve got my library card, becausE I’m checking you out. Jason Stewart ’13 If you’re acting stuck up, i can be your robber. Oh, these are shoulder blades? i thought they were wings.
Daniel Dai ’11
Liz Dodge, Language Arts Teacher
Sheila Johnson ’13 ART BY//BRIDGET NOVAK