2012-12-14

westsidestory IOWA CITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL

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WSSPAPER.COM

SHADES OF DEVOTION:

Exploring religious diversity at West High

VOLUME 44 ISSUE 3

DECEMBER 14, 2012

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DECEMBER

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A HANDSOME GAME

Olympic-bound handball player Youssef El-Far ’14 traveled from Egypt, and became a member of the U.S. national handball team.

[17-19] IN-DEPTH

PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS One moment you’re happy and you know it and the next … not so much. Get the scoop on what students perceive as true happiness, and what causes the ups and downs of teenage years.

[28]SPORTS

WEIGHED DOWN

Exercise impacts an athlete’s physical condition, but what happens when sports influence body image?

[30]HEALTH

AU NATUREL

PHOTO BY//ABBIE SKEMP

Tong Yu ’13 leads the Wind Ensemble clarinet section.

Finding fresh produce in the winter months doesn’t have to be a struggle. Plus the WSS will fill you in on the “dirty dozen” foods you should always purchase organic.

Corrections: The Oct. 26 edition misspelled the name of Mental Health Case Manager Jamie Schnider.

Nathaniel Boland ’14 is the athlete pictured in the middle left photo on page 30 of the Oct. 26 edition.

It is the policy of the Iowa City Community School not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, martial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or socioeconomic programs, activities, or employment practices. If you believe you have (or your child has) been discriminated against or treated unjustly at your school, please contact the Equity Director, Ross Wilburn, at 509 Dubuque Street, 319-688-1000.

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 of 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.

WSS STAFF

EQUITY STATEMENT

Juliann Skarda Editor-in-Chief Shirley Wang Design Editor, Front/back Ed. Ashton Duncan Managing Editor Amelia Moser Copy Editor Frannie Rizzo Business Editor Hannah Merrill News Editor Pombie Silverman A &E Editor Olive Carrollhach In-depth Editor, Artist Katie Mons Feature Editor Velarchana Santhana Feature Editor Blake Oetting Profiles Editor, Sports Ed. Abbie Skemp Photographer, Sports Ed. Jordan Rossen Columns Editor Brenna Deerberg Editorial Editor, News Ed. Frank Weirich Photo Editor Leela Sathyaputri Comics Editor, Artist Hannah Muellerleile Photographer, Designer Erin Weathers Photographer, Designer Amiela Canin Writer Megumi Kitamoto Writer Brittani Langland Writer Lushia Anson Writer, Designer Kaitlyn McCurdy Writer, Designer Aileen Norris Ad Designer Alyssa Mckeone Designer Tyler Voss Designer Sara Jane Whittaker Adviser Fiona Armstrong-Pavlik Web copy Editor Audrey Hopewell Web copy Editor Zora Hurst Web Editor Paul Curry Video Editor COVER ART BY//LEELA SATHYAPUTRI

INSERT COVER PHOTO BY//ABBIE SKEMP

wsspaper.com

{DESIGN BY FIONA ARMSTRONG-PAVLIK}

what’s new on:

1 2

PHOTO BY//FRANK WEIRICH

1 - The varsity poms team performs

during half-time at the Cedar Rapids Washington girls’ basketball game. In the midst of her performance, Kiara Mitchell ’14 grins.

PHOTO BY//HANNAH MUELLERLEILE

3

PHOTO BY//ABBIE SKEMP

4

2

- Making conversation with her subject as she pats down another layer of foundation, Jackie Dowling ’13 applies stage make-up on Jack Christensen ’14 before It’s a Wonderful Life. Want to see more exclusive behind-the-scenes photos of the actors and crew? Check out the website.

3 - Inspired by Humans of New York,

of the New York Times, Humans of Iowa City reveals the faces behind our city’s character. Check out our Flickr account: WSSPaper for more candid protraits.

4

- Winner of American Idol’’s latest season, Phillip Phillips presents a breakout album sure to prove his mettle. Our head of reviews gives an honest breakdown of his tracks.

VIDEO BY//PAUL CURRY

5

5 - After speaking on The Ellen Dege-

neres Show, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, MSNBC and at universities across the country, Zach Wahls ’09 is taking a well-deserved break. In this WSS informal interview session, Wahls opens up about his formative years, what he does to keep busy on plane rides and why Democrats throw the best after-convention parties.

DON’T SPACE OUT. CHECK OUT THESE FACTS INSTEAD. } DECEMBER 2012 WEB 3

{DESIGN BY SHIRLEY WANG}

2.6 NEWS BY THE NUMBERS

HOLIDAY

COUNTDOWN @wsspaper asked West High students

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

10 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS

2

@IOWAsjoking:

roasting the boar. South Indian life.

DAYS UNTIL SOF HANUKKAH

Zach Richmond ’14’14 Jeremiah Anthony

@bigkats:

eating food with my grandpa!

@valeriehsieh:

Tommy Duffy ’16

12

Unwrapping presents by the Christmas tree and waiting for the day when I can finally tell my sister the truth about Santa...

Valerie Hsieh ’16

DAYS UNTIL KWANZAA

Percent increase in students in the Iowa City Community School District over the past year.

26

Points the West High boys’ basketball team scored against Davenport Central. West originally beat them by 20 points, but at the end of the game it was discovered that six additional points needed to be added to West’s score.

COMPILED BY//ALYSSA MCKEONE

COMPILED BY//MEGUMI KITAMOTO

HARD AT WORK

stories

Blake Maternach ’13

OFF TO THE GRAMMYS

Senior Blake Maternach won’t be tuning in to watch the GRAMMYS this year—he’ll be there.

Maternach and his trombone will be performing with GRAMMY winners and nominees at jazz venues events – including the Post-GRAMMY Celebration, as a part of the GRAMMY High School Jazz Band.

Maternach is the third West High student to have ever

been accepted into the band.

“I’m not that into trombone, I’m more into jazz music,” he said.

Jazz Ensemble director Rich Medd says he is proud of Maternach’s achievement, but not surprised.

“I knew Blake was talented enough to do it, but I also knew that there are a lot of other factors. I’m just glad they made the right decision,” he said.

COMPILED BY//JULIANN SKARDA

HOW TO

NUT A E P E K MA CONES E N I P R BUTTE

Try making these peanut butter pine cone ornaments to share with feathered friends.

Supplies: pine cones, peanut butter, bird seed and string.

COMPILED BY//FRANNIE RIZZO

1 Lay out newspaper for easy clean up.

4 Roll in birdseed.

of recommendation from Dr. Arganbright, a current student and a former student.

“It seemed like the panelists really liked the discussion that my students had in the video.

I feel very strongly that the best way to learn science is by doing science. That includes designing scientific investigations, collecting and analyzing data, identifying patterns and making reasoned, scientific arguments,” Harding said.

COMPILED BY//ASHTON DUNCAN

WEST SIDE WORD

Side

Matt Harding, science teacher, was presented with the Robert Yager Exemplary Science Teacher Award, an award presented to two exemplary science teachers trained at the University of Northern Iowa.

The nomination process took about six months, including a nomination from one of Harding’s former professors at UNI, demonstrated success of students, essays, a videotaped lesson and letters

swole (swole)

The condition one undergoes after pumping enough iron to create a small bridge.

COMPILED BY//JORDAN ROSSEN

2 Wrap string around the top of pine cone for hanging.

5

3 Smear peanut butter over pine cones.

6

Freeze for one hour. Hang pine cones on branches.

4 NEWS DECEMBER 2012 { NASA EAGLEWORKS IS WORKING ON WARP DRIVE TECHNOLOGY SIMILAR TO WHAT’S IN THE STAR TREK FRANCHISE.

{DESIGN BY HANNAH MERRILL}

West High to host Mini-Dance Marathon

BY AMIELA CANIN

acanin@wsspaper.com

Not all dances require a date, a corsage and tuxedo. In fact, West students will be hosting a minidance marathon where comfortable clothes are expected and proceeds will benefit a fundraiser rather than paying for flowers and limousines.

Similar to the University of Iowa Dance Marathon, the West High Mini-Dance Marathon will raise money for pediatric cancer patients and their families treated at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Many schools around Iowa hold their own mini-dance marathons every year, and this year a group of West High students took the initiative to organize it because they were inspired by dance marathons in the past.

“It’s indescribable,” said organiz-

er Alli Peterson ’14. “It takes you these kids is contagious! It’s really through a roller coaster of emo- an indescribable, life changing extions. It’s a sad experience, but it perience and I encourage everyone makes you realize how precious life to get involved as much as they is.” can.”

Idan Nadler ’16 (DJ Baron) will be Dancers are encouraged to wear D Ji n g comfortable clothes and for the be prepared to dance for event, five hours. Local restauwhich rants will cater food for w i l l the dancers, and baked a l s o goods, treats and bottled i n water will be on sale to -Elena Wilson volve all participants and visipretors. Dance participants sentaare required to raise at tions by families affected by child- least $50 in donations as well as a hood cancer. These testimonials $5 entrance fee for the event. This have always been a central part of fee covers a t-shirt, free meal ticket the University of Iowa event. and enters the participant to win “This really does make a differ- door prizes. ence to the kids and their families.

The event will take place on SunI dance for those who can’t,” said day, Jan. 20 from 2-7 p.m. Because Elena Wilson ’13, who helped to it will run five hours, organizers organize the event. “The hope for hope it will be possible for more

“

I dance for those who can’t.”

PHOTO BY//ERIN WEATHERS

ABOVE: Emily Starman ’14 poses in her shirt from the University of Iowa Dance Marathon. students and community members to take part than the 24 hour marathons.

Steve Murley up for superintendent position in Omaha

ICCSD Superintendent Steve Murley has been named a finalist for the superintendant position in Omaha’s Public School System.

BY ASHTON DUNCAN

aduncan@wsspaper.com

Superintendent S t e v e M u r ley was named one of three fiSuperintendent nalists Steve Murley for superintendent in the Omaha Public School System. The selection process began through a recruiter identifying Murley as a candidate and Murley applying for the position. Each candidate then went through an interview process to get to the finalist stage, according to Murley.

This week the OPS Board of Education hosted three meet-and-greet events with Murley and the other two candidates -- Mark Evans, su-

perintendent of Andover Public Schools in Wichita, Kan. a n d Carey Wr i g h t , c h i e f academic officer for the District PHOTO BY//HANNAH MERRILL of CoABOVE: The Iowa City Community School District building is lumbia pictured. Steve Murley is a finalist for a job in Omaha.

Public Schools. munities the student population is While the other candidates have changing and that requires changes more experience with more urban to the way we educate students,” school districts, not one has a di- Murley said in an email. “The most rect connection to the Omaha Pub- obvious difference would be in the lic Schools. scope of the two districts. Iowa City “I see many similarities between has 12,774 students and Omaha Omaha and Iowa City. In both com- has over 48,000. In addition to that,

the demographics are different, with more students in poverty and more students for whom English is a second language.”

“It’s the whole package, the whole person that we’re interested in,” OPS Board President Freddie Gray told the Omaha World-Herald. She said the board wouldn’t favor a specific type of experience, tenure or the size of the candidate’s school district.

As well as being superintendent, Murley has served as a teacher, coach, athletic department/building administrator and human resources director. He became superintendent of ICCSD just a year and a half ago in April 2011 after leaving the Wausau School District in Wis. The ICCSD school board could not be reached for immediate comment.

THE LIGHT THAT WE SEE EACH MORNING WHEN THE SUN COMES UP ONLY TOOK 8 MINUTES TO GET HERE. } DECEMBER 2012 NEWS 5

{DESIGN BY HANNAH MERRILL}

RUMOR BUSTER

BookMark project at West?

Recently, a mysterious book has popped up outside of the West High auditorium, leading students to wonder if it is related to all of the other books that have appeared in Iowa City.

According to art teacher Christian Aanestad, the book is in fact a donation from someone in the community as a part of the BookMarks project in Iowa City.

Local artists design and make different themed books for the project--local artist Tam Bodkin Bryck painted West’ s book.

CONFIRMED

WHATIN THEWORLD? United Kingdom

United States (Michigan)

Several people were left without a home after a serious apartment fire. The man who started the blaze had an accident with a propane torch while trying to burn the fur off a squirrel so he could cook it.

United States (California)

Several sex offenders sued the city after a new ordinance required them to put up signs sending kids away on Halloween. Their argument? None of their past crimes were committed on Halloween.

30

years ago

A look at the West Side Story in December of 1982.

COMPILED BY//HANNAH MERRILL

Switzerland

Researchers are working on a heart monitor for sheep.

When predators approach and the sheep’s heart rate spikes, a warning text will be sent to the shepherd so he can hurry to the scene.

COMPILED BY//BRENNA DEERBERG

Iowa City to vote on new RPS

Voters will vote for the new Revenue Purpose Statement this Feb. to allow ICCSD to access School Infrastructure Local Option tax funds.

BY JULIANN SKARDA

A throwback to

A man convicted of sneaking into the changing room of China’s female swim team during the Olympics was sentenced to five years of banishment from any bathrooms or changing rooms intended for females.

jskarda@wsspaper.com

A vote will take place on Feb. 5 of 2013 to pass or reject the new Revenue Purpose Statement for the ICCSD. If passed, the RPS will allow the Iowa City Community School district access to funds from SILO, or the School Infrastructure Local Option tax, to spend on school buildings through 2029. The ICCSD estimates it would borrow 100 million dollars against the sales tax revenue in order to begin a series of projects.

“Our intent is to spend these dollars as soon as possible to upgrade our current facilities,” said Superintendent Steve Murley.

Murley said one of the goals of these upgrades is to ease crowding within schools in the district.

“Borlaug [Elementary], Garner [Elementary] and Van Allen [Elementary] are all full and will be over capacity next year. … Four

years ago we would not have pre- through SAVE, or Secure an Addicted this much growth … this vance Vision for Education. Murley is our best prediction as to where said the proposed RPS is subject to these dollars should be allocated,” change along with the needs of the Murley said, adding that there are district. currently 41 modular classrooms “It is tough every time you look throughout the district to accom- at something … and develop timemodate the lines. We’re never growing stugoing to have all the dent populamoney [at once] … tion.

That’s what longPossible uprange planning is,” grades may said school board include the member Patti Fields. construction If the new RPS is of two new passed, it will allow elementar y the ICCSD to legally -Superintendent Steve plan for long-term schools on Murley the East side projects such as the and one in the construction of new North Corridor. They could also schools, as well as immediate upinclude a budget of 32 million dol- grades to buildings. If it does not lars for the construction of a third secure at least 60 percent of the high school. votes, the ICCSD will lose conHowever, none of the proposed trol of the funds in 2017 and extra upgrades may be guaranteed un- money will return to taxpayers in til after the money is borrowed the form of property tax relief.

“

Our intent is to spend these dollars as soon as possible...”

6 NEWS DECEMBER 2012 { THE MOST DETAILED PHOTO OF THE UNIVERSE TOOK TEN YEARS OF HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE PHOTOS.

{Design by Velarchana santhana}

A handsome game From Egypt to Iowa City,Youssef El-Far ’14 continues his love for handball.

By HANNAH MERRILL

hmerrill@wsspaper.com A player rushes toward the opponent’s net, skillfully weaving around defenders, a hexagonal-patterned ball in his possession. While this sounds like a typical soccer match, in this game it’s not illegal to use your hands. In fact, it’s required.

Handball has played an important role in the life of Youssef El-Far ’14.

At the age of five, El-Far’s father put him on a handball team. El-Far says he was a “really bad player” when he started out, because he was small and not very strong.

Although El-Far played for the best handball club in Egypt [Al Ahly], his father decided to move him to another club because he believed his son was not getting very many chances to play. However, El-Far chose to return to his old team two

your body, your health

years later, which soon led to a spot on Egypt’s national team.

“Handball became one of the most important things in my life,” El-Far said.

But things changed for El-Far last year when his family decided to move to Iowa in order to escape the political, social and educational problems in Egypt. Finding a club when he reached the United States was not easy. He began to search for clubs while still in Egypt via the Internet; after looking for about two weeks, he finally settled with the team Chicago Inter.

El-Far tried out for the team, and found himself in a tournament only three weeks later, despite having practiced only once with his new team.

“I was so excited about the tournament … and I had to put a lot of

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effort [in] to achieve something,” El-Far said.

El-Far played well in the tournament, leading the club to contact the U.S. national team coach, who showed up for the last day.

Unfortunately, because of Hurricane Sandy, the last two matches were canceled. However, El-Far gave the national team coach his information and later received an email to notify him that he was a part of the national team. While filling out forms, he learned that the team will go to the Olympics in 2016.

But El-Far’s handball career has not been easy. Besides having to search for a new team, El-Far also struggled when he left his old club back in Egypt because he lost the support of his father.

“My father gave up on me. I wasn’t that interested in handball,” El-Far said, “I didn’t care.”

With the help of his friends, El-Far rediscovered his love for the sport, which motivated him to continue his practices.

His handball career has taken him to places such as Sweden, and many other cities around Egypt. And El-Far has no desires to stop now, as he wishes to make it to the Olympics.

“I have to play handball,” El-Far said.

Caught in the web West students struggle to

find a balance between technology usage and faceto-face interaction.

BY KAITLYN MCCURDY kmccurdy@wsspaper.com

ALL ART BY//LEELA SATHYAPUTRI

W

e live in a world of constant communication.

Check your phone and receive an instant Twitter update about the Gaza conflict or a text from a friend. Later, you can Skype with your sister while she’s on the other side of the world. Social media, texting and email have changed the way we interact. Facebook has over one billion active users, Twitter has over 500 million and Tumblr has 81 million. While technology and social media certainly increase our knowledge of the world, do they hurt our relationships with others?

According to Dr. Karen Nelson, a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa, technology can be an easy and safe place to practice interacting.

“The kids that already have some good skills are going to use social media and technology just to enhance their already good skills. But the thing I worry about - I lead a group for high school girls, and sometimes I [notice] they’re less skilled at real-time conversation, and that’s sometimes at the expense of knowing how to offer support to one another in the moment,” she said.

Nelson noted that there is equal opportunity for boys to be affected in the same way, but girls already tend to be more social. Therefore, it’s easier to notice this with girls rather than boys.

A study conducted by the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that there is “a link between 10 FEATURE DECEMBER 2012 { THE SUN IS OVER1,300,000 TIMES LARGER THAN EARTH.

the time teenagers spend staring at their TV or computer monitor and their difficulty in forming meaningful relationships with their parents and friends” in which for “every hour of TV watched increased the teen’s likelihood of detachment from friends and family four percent and each hour of Internet increased it five percent.”

Some worry that technology is actually causing teenagers to lose their social skills, rather than gain them.

“If more reliance is placed on social media, I think that kids will continue to lose their ability to have a real conversation with somebody in person. The ability to have a conversation is something you learn as you grow up without technology, kids [don’t] have Facebook or Twitter, so they talk in person. That’s their social media. If you stop [talking in person] then you start to lose the skill,” said Max Cashen ’14.

What has caused kids to turn more towards social media, rather than having a real-time conversation?

“It’s easy, it’s fun, it’s quick, [and] you can [text] under your hoodie sweatshirt during class. People worried that the automobile was going to ruin that generation, [that] the horseless carriage was going to ruin young people. People worried that rock and roll was going to ruin young people. Those things are here, and technology is here - it’s a matter of how we use it,” Nelson said.

According to Introna, social networking sites are extremely convenient, especially for people who are more shy.

{DESIGN BY KATIE MONS}

“If you’re not looking at somebody face-to-face, and you’re afraid of that, it’d probably be easier for you to do that through Facebook,” Amalia Introna ’13 said.

According to Carly Fridrich ’14, social media is easier for quieter people as it allows them to have time to think of what they are going to say.

“You feel more comfortable when you’re not face-to-face,” she said.

Introna has been using YouNow, a broadcasting site that allows people to chat with others from all over the world, for about a year. She’s been on the receiving end of not so nice comments, or simply strange ones.

“If you were actually sitting there with that person, and their YouTube video was a presentation, you wouldn’t just say that kind of thing to them. … A lot of people are like ‘Will you marry me?’ or they call [the maker] really bad names. You would never say that to my face, but because there’s that disconnection, you feel fine saying it,” she said.

Fridrich recently created a Facebook account. She’s noticed it’s taken up much of her time, and she’s become distracted.

“I’m definitely more focused on stuff on Facebook. It draws you in. It’s tempting, because there’s so many different things going on.

It’s so addicting, but yet there’s really nothing to do on it, but you still want to be on it. It just consumes your time,” she said.

Nelson has also noticed these effects, and hopes they are just short term response to creating some-

thing new. She has also noticed people leaving Facebook because they either just don’t like it or hate how much time it takes up.

Nelson also has an idea of what causes people, teens especially, to have such a fascination with Facebook in particular.

“It endears just to the [need] to find out what other people think of us and how other people are presenting themselves. We all want to know what people think of us and how we’re received by others. It also makes you think that whatever everybody else does is interesting and important,” she said.

Fridrich believes social media shouldn’t be relied on for communication.

“It works great if you’re on it a little bit and if you communicate with assignments and projects, but it definitely can become a problem when you’re on it too much,” she said.

The idea that people who spend too much time on the internet also spend more time alone is another concern amongst psychologists and parents.

“There is a fine line to be walked between using social media and over using it. People who spend their whole lives looking at a computer screen on Facebook are more alone because they have no real connection to the people, they have a connection to the screen,” Cashen said.

So how can we fix this? There’s the idea of distancing yourself from technology altogether, but that’s not a realistic solution in this day and

age.

“People now have expectations that you will message them ahead of time, whereas if that social media wasn’t there, you wouldn’t be able to tell them until the next day,” Introna said.

Along with expectations, there is also the trend of using technology in order to distract kids while parents are busy. This is common especially in the very young kids when parents need to talk to another adult or any other responsibility.

“The instinct is to hand them their phone so that they can amuse themselves. In the past, kids would have to learn how to either fit into the conversation, eavesdrop on the conversation or amuse themselves. But now, the instinct is to self-soothe by using something other than our own skills or brain. That leads to kind of lower ability to tolerate frustration and lower confidence in our ability to generate something or just to sit and wait,” Nelson said.

With new social media constantly being created, the lack of actual face-to-face communication is apparent. Introna has more advice to those who wish to digress from talking strictly through technology.

“Go out of your comfort zone, or just remove yourself from technology for even a day or something like that. Then if you need information, you’re forced to go out and get the information or go out and talk to somebody, rather than just texting someone or sending an email,” Introna said.

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{DESIGN BY ASHTON DUNCAN}

These West students dress up as their favorite characters from anime, manga and beyond.

BY JORDAN ROSSEN jrossen@wsspaper.com

For most West students, a typical weekend encompasses hanging out with friends, watching sports or getting yelled at by parents. However, for a few the weekends are opportunities to escape and create their own identity.

Cosplay is dressing up as a character from anime or Japanese cartoons, and many students at West are participating.

Shelby Maxwell ’13 said that cosplay isn’t limited to Japanese cartoons.

“You can do cosplay not just for anime, it can be done for movies, TV shows and American cartoons,” Maxwell said.

For Clarkson, cosplay isn’t just about becoming someone else.

“My favorite part is making the costumes . . . I just like making pretty things,” Clarkson said.

Maxwell said her favorite part is getting to experience something new.

“It’s super fun to get to be someone else,” she said.

Connor Jones ’13 stressed the community aspect more than anything else.

“My favorite part is the reactions you get [from other people]. It’s great to see how much everyone Dressed as Link FROM THE LEGEND OF ZELDA series, Connor Jones ’13 continues the everlasting quest to save Zelda, the princess of Hyrule.

appreciates a good costume,” Jones said.

According to Clarkson, the most common setting for cosplay is an anime convention.

“People typically dress up at conventions. You can talk to people, there are lots of videogames, different dealers, anime, plushies, [and] some people sell art,” Clarkson said.

“The conventions are really cool.

Anime lovers get together; everyone dresses up. They’ll have these things called panels where anything from voice actor appearances to tea parties can happen. Also, they tend to have a rave at the end,” Maxwell said.

However, cosplay isn’t something to be taken entirely lightly.

“There definitely are some rules or you’ll be in trouble. You have to know who you are, what you’re from. Or else people will get mad at you,” Clarkson warned.

The rules of cosplay aren’t the only things to be afraid of. Some cosplayers get passionate about the difference between live action role playing and cosplay.

“LARPing is more like you completely become your character.

You can do that in cosplay, but you definitely don’t have to,” Maxwell explained.

SHELBY MAXWELL ’13 cosplays as YUKI Cross from vampire knight, which is about a school divided between vampire and human students.

ART BY//JAEHO LEE

PHOTO BY//FRANK WEIRICH

PHOTO BY//FRANK WEIRICH PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM// CATHERINE STAIB

Ca the r ine Staib ’13 cosplays Ryou Fujibayashi from Clannad, which is a visual ... novel, anime and game.

THE COLUMN OF DUST AND GAS RISING FROM THE EAGLE NEBULA IS THOUGHT TO BE A STELLAR NURSERY. } DECEMBER 2012 FEATURE 13

{DESIGN BY LUSHIA ANSON}

1

That One Kid

BY KRISTEN LINEBACK WSS intern

PHOTOS BY//ERIN WEATHERS

As Asperger’s Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism, continues to become more frequently diagnosed and recognized,West students fight to be recognized as individuals outside of their disorder.

For most students, the best part of the school day is lunch. They’re able to socialize, a relaxing activity that soothes the stress of seven periods of class. However, for students with autism, lunch may be the most difficult subject to pass.

Social interaction, an ability that most people take for granted, is not as inherent an activity for these students.

Asperger’s Syndrome is a high functioning autism spectrum disorder, often characterized by difficulty with social interactions, heightened sensitivity to stimulation and repetitive behaviors and interests.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates just over one percent of the population has the disorder, but diagnosis rates have been on a steep rise in recent years [they have doubled since 1992]. A 2006 study calculated that 90% of children with Asperger’s reported being bullied to their parents, and other studies have indicated that autistic students are at least three

times more likely to be bullied than neurotypical students.

“I believe it,” was the response David*, a West student with Asperger’s, gave when he heard the statistics.

David defines autism as a spectrum: no two people have the same level and it affects everyone differently. David has had his own difficulties with Asperger’s in the past couple years, from dealing with being picked on to trying to explain the disorder to his friends.

“I would try to explain to people [that I had Asperger’s], but back then they didn’t seem to understand as well what it meant. There was this one kid who would really pick on me because I had Asperger’s. He would make fun of my mental condition, at times he

“

would make fun of my appearance.

It was a really unpleasant experience,” he said.

David explains that having Asperger’s has made it harder for him to pick up on social cues such as sarcasm, which has made him an easy target for being tricked in the past.

“One time [a group of boys] had told me that I should ask out this one girl, and I said, ‘How -David* so do I ask her out?’ and once they told me what to say, I did. So then they said I should ask another girl out, and so I did. At this point I didn’t know what asking someone out even meant,” he said.

I would try to explain to people, but back then they didn’t seem to understand ... what [autism] meant.”

Although the experience was upsetting to David, he acknowledges one positive outcome. “I’ve decided to forgive and forget. I’m thankful in a way,” David explained. “I did learn a very important lesson from that, which is what other people say you should do, [sometimes] is what you should not do.”

Students with Asperger’s also often face social difficulties in the classroom. English teacher Jeff Finn recalls a specific instance in which a student with Asperger’s Syndrome was picked on regularly during class.

“He didn’t know when to talk at the right time or when to stop talking; the class would get kind of angry ... The kids treat[ed] him negatively, and attribut[ed] it to poor social skills,” Finn said.

The student eventually agreed to allow Finn to explain that he had Asperger’s to the class in order to stop the issue.

“As soon as I discussed that with the class, it was like a complete 180,” Finn said. “[His classmates] under-

Common symptoms associated with Asperger’s Syndrome Difficulty with social interactions such

as trouble picking up on physical and verbal social cues, as well as expressing thoughts while communicating with others.

This may include difficulty understanding sarcasm, making eye contact or showing emotion.

Unusual physical movement which may

include clumsiness at an early age, as well as repetetive body movements and ticks such as rocking, tensing and hand flapping.

Excessive focus on

one topic, which may be described as an obsession on one area of interest.

When exhibited, the person is often very knowledgable on the subject, and may constantly talk about it without being able to tell when to stop.

Skilled or talented

in a particular academic subject or any other skill.

Many savants are believed to have had an Autism spectrum disorder, including composer Amadeus Mozart, President Thomas Jefferson, and creator of Pokémon Satoshi Tajiri.

COMPILED BY//KRISTEN LINEBACK

14 FEATURE DECEMBER 2012 { NGC 4522 MOVES SO FAST IT RIPS SLOWER-MOVING GAS OUT OF PASSING GALAXIES AND DESTROYS THEM.

stood he wasn’t choosing to do that.”

Finn expressed that problems in class often stem from a lack of awareness of Asperger’s Syndrome.

“I don’t think the kids know [when a classmate has Asperger’s Syndrome],” Finn said. “They just quickly assume that the kid is weird - they don’t try or really care to figure out why they’re weird.”

Government and psychology teacher Gary Neuzil has recognized that students with Asperger’s Syndrome often may face difficulties in the classroom due to being “deemed as different, or an outsider,” which is caused by a combination of factors.

“I think it’s a two-way street,” Neuzil said. “Their comfort level is more inward, but as a result they may find themselves socially isolated.”

Neuzil believes that a higher level of awareness can help students with Asperger’s be more successful socially.

“It’s the acceptance of the classmates that don’t have an understanding that can sometimes be the issue... Educating the students can lead to a higher level of respect,” Neuzil said.

Stephanie Higgins spends part of her day working with students

with Asperger’s Syndrome at West.

According to Higgins, symptoms associated with Asperger’s cause many students to label that person as weird or quirky.

“People don’t know that there’s a real reason why a student behaves a certain way,” Higgins said. “[Students with Asperger’s] just don’t always have those social skills.”

Along with facing challenges of being picked on, people with Asperger’s may have issues maintaining long-term friendships.

“Friends, I’d say, is always a challenge,” Higgins said.

June*, a student at West who shows symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome, has also had trouble in the past with bullying.

“One of them slapped me, and one of them punched me in the arm,” she said, describing a time when she was beat up on the bus by a group of students. “I told them to stop ... I don’t really know [why they did it].”

June also faced verbal harassment during lunch at school.

“There were boys at lunch saying sexual things to me. They end up being mean when they’re trying to be funny.”

June’s mother believes that June’s naïveté makes her an easy target

since some of her symptoms cause her to have a narrow vocabulary as well as difficulty deriving meaning from conversations.

“Sometimes she would come home and ask me, ‘mom what does this mean?’ She doesn’t know a lot of cuss words,” June’s mother explained. “It did bother her. I would walk by and hear her crying in her room at night.”

David has had a much easier time at West High since he started being open about having Asperger’s.

“I think it’s very important to raise awareness. A lot of people are scared to say they have autism, because they might get made fun of like I did ... but it’s amazing how quickly peoples’ attitudes can change when they understand where you’re coming from.”

David has a message for West High: “Even though our behavior may seem a little out of place at first, we’re actually pretty nice people. All it takes is seeing through the autism.”

“

All it takes is seeing through the autism.”

-David*

*name has been changed

THE CARTWHEEL GALAXY LOST ITS SPIRAL SHAPE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER GALAXY. } DECEMBER 2012 FEATURE 15

{DESIGN BY OLIVE CARROLLHACH}

f o e c n e i c The s

s s e n i p ap

The WSS investigates happiness and what really affects teen contentment.

How often are you happy?

Is West’s

glass

half full?

COMPILED BY//AMEILA MOSER GRAPHICS BY//OLIVE CARROLLHACH

December 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11121314151617 18 19 20 21 22 2324 25 26 27 28 2930 31

66% 24% 4% 6%

daily weekly monthly less

*From a survey of 859 students

T

he clacking of your teacher’s heels sound as she paces the classroom, handing tests back to her ever-anxious students. As the offending sheet of paper lands on your desk, face down, you give it your best “reveal-your-secrets-to-me” glare, afraid to turn the page and see the red-ink grade. You decide that you could live with a C and flip the test over.

It’s an A. And in that moment, you are happy.

What exactly does it mean to be happy? In a world where your best friend can become your enemy in the span of a few seconds, it is easy to make the mistake of attributing happiness to trivial events. You may be ecstatic about getting an A on one test, but that joy will likely dissi-

pate in a cloud of obligations by the end of the day.

According to Joseph Barrash, PhD, an associate professor for the University of Iowa’s departments of Neurology and Psychology, there is a major difference between happiness in the moment and an “enduring happiness across high and low situations and over time.”

“I suspect most teenagers … have a pretty good idea about what makes people happy. However, … you can think about happiness in different ways. That can cause misconceptions,” Barrash said.

One such misconception is that “enduring happiness” implies that a person is happy all the time. According to Barrash, the difference between a person who is only temporarily happy and a person who is

enduringly happy is that the enduringly happy person will have a much easier time bouncing back from major disappointments.

Barrash stressed that, “when it comes to human behavior and feelings it is critically important to think about individual differences,” but that, in general, a man’s enduring happiness is mainly determined by the type of family in which he was raised.

“Kids are best off and happiest when the family has two basic sets of characteristics,” Barrash said.

These two characteristics are “integratedness” and “differentiation.”

The idea of integratedness suggests that the family members share feelings of mutual support, interests, activities and core values.

On the other hand, the charac-

teristic “differentiation” means that a child feels supported by his family in being his own person with his own goals, interests and beliefs.

These two characteristics, according to Barrash, tie into all of the secondary factors that promote happiness, the most important being self-confidence. “[Factors that contribute to happiness are] one big connected ball of wax … [if you can] feel respected, feel it’s okay to be your own person, then these allow you to do a lot of things and live your life in a way that promotes happiness,” Barrash said.

Barrash suggests that having strong family bonds can outweigh even an extreme lack of money.

“Given an adequate income to meet basic needs, income or social class by themselves are not major

{DESIGN BY OLIVE CARROLLHACH}

What makes you happy?

75

believe that

material % posessions contribute to

their overall

happiness

4 % 33% 46% material

friends

family

5% education

*12% other

PHOTOS BY//ERIN WEATHERS AND ABBIE SKEMP

influences on happiness,” Barrash said.

Leah Miller ’13 and Sophie McClatchey ’14, along with other West High students participated in Appalachia Service Project (ASP). On this trip, volunteers helped residents with manual labor around their homes.

“It was really cool at the end of the week to see how happy [the residents] were,” Miller said. “The stuff that we did that we didn’t think would be a big deal ... made their day.”

However, Miller doesn’t believe it was the help around the house that the residents appreciated most.

“It was mostly the people they were surrounded by that made them happy, not the material things,” Miller said.

“

It doesn’t matter

how much you have in

material wealth.”

-Sophie McClatchey ‘14 McClatchey agreed with Miller’s assertion.

“ASP opened my eyes to see that it doesn’t matter how much you have in material wealth,” McClatchey said. “These people have close to nothing, yet they are so happy to

be alive and have their families safe ... It made me happy to be a part of something so positive. I feel like I am doing something to make these people even a little bit happier.”

Still another minor factor can have a massive effect on a person’s overall happiness: hormones, those pesky little chemicals teenagers like to blame their problems on.

According to Barrash, hormones are greatly affected by the amount of sleep a person is getting, their stress levels, genetics and other factors.

Physical activity is one factor that promotes positive hormones and endorphins.

“Being fit and exercise to me has so many [factors] that can contribute to happiness,” said West High art teacher Jennifer Saylor. “[It] makes you feel strong, makes you feel con-

fident.”

In addition, Saylor believes that hobbies can contribute to a person’s happiness in much the same way. “[Hobbies] keep me interested and I think they also make a person interesting,” Saylor said.

All things said, a typical happy teenager is a product of a healthy family and personal drive. While a bad family situation may present a great challenge for a teenager, all teens can make an effort to build on their self-confidence through athletics and other hobbies. In the end, lasting joy comes from within, which means trying new things and striving for success is the ultimate cure for the blues.

{DESIGN BY POMBIE SILVERMAN}

ABOVE: Isaac Jensen ’13 stirs dinner’s main dish, a pumpkin sage soup, in the kitchen of Friendly Farms in Iowa City.

LEFT: Getting their hands dirty, Eats members Megan Kann ’16 and Katie Klopp ’16 make pie crust for apple pies for dessert.

PHOTOS BY//HANNAH MUELLERLIELE

EDIBLE SELBY

INCREDIBLE EATS

APPLE PIE, Irish Soda Bread and pumpkin sage soup fill the plates of members of EATS, the love child of Slow Foods and Eco-Centric. EATS is a club that combines environmental-savvy deeds with culinary-centered meetings, partaking in activities such as helping Friendly Farms in Iowa City.

FOR MORE OF THIS ARTICLE “The merge is nice because we still have things to do in all GO TO WSSPAPER.COM seasons, even when the garden is dormant in the winter,” said co-leader Kate Anstreicher ’14.

EATS meets Fridays after school in Mrs. Barnhouses’s room.

ABOVE: Helping with dinner, Megan Kann ’16 and Hilah Kohen ’14 tear up fresh sage from Friendly Farms’ garden for Irish soda bread.

LEFT: Taking a break from cooking, Sandra Amouzou ’15 smiles while nibbling on leftover apple pieces from making the apple pies in the kitchen at Friendly Farms.

20 A&E DECEMBER 2012 { THE RED RING IN SPACE, SNR BO509-67.5, IS 23 LIGHT-YEARS ACROSS AND EXPANDING AT 11 MILLION MPH.

{DESIGN BY ALYSSA MCKEONE}

ART BY//LEELA SATHYAPUTRI

BY BRITTANI LANGLAND

langland.brittani@gmail.com

F

or most students, music at West High is synonymous with choir, band and orchestra. However, nestled in the band wing, room 11 is home to a less-known musical outlet for students. In the class Adaptive Music, advisor Diane Miller uses music therapy as a way to practice music and social skills with students.

The goal of the class is to improve each student’s self-confidence through performing arts.

Adaptive music student Brian Slade ’13 enjoys singing and playing instruments.

“I feel happy becuse I like music class and playing guitar,” he said.

“It really gives them a moment to unwind and prepare for the rest of the day,” said Quinn Terrill ’13, who volunteers regularly in the class.

The music class also helps students to develop social skills. Terrill said students learn song lyrics in order to improve communication, and singing along with the music helps practice speech clarity. “[The students] will eventu-

ally have to sing in front of 75 to 100 people at the talent show in the spring,” Terrill said.

Students also learn how to dance, which helps with “performance and fluidity,” Miller said. Dancing lessons also give students an opportunity to be involved in the West High community through activities such as the talent show. Miller believes that by performing, students are able to gain self-confidence.

“What we teach here is more than just music,” she said.

Adaptive Music also helps students prepare for school as well as real-world situations.

According to Miller, “Keeping a steady beat helps [students] learn how to focus.”

Miller said that the skills students learn in the class can help aid them in job interviews.

“I look forward to seeing [students] have a great time in music; dancing, singing and getting excited for the next song,” Terrill said. “I get to see them grow, learn and have fun with each other, which is so rewarding.”

A passion for music

PHOTO PHOTO BY//ERIN WEATHERS BY//ERIN WEATHERS

ABOVE: Brian Slade ’13 twirls teacher Diane Miller during Adaptive Music class.

Andy Rosse ’13 prepares for a music therapy career by volunteering in the Adaptive Music class.

WEST SIDE STORY: What instrument do you play?

ANDY ROSSE: I play a bunch of

the door.

WSS: Why did you start helping with the Adaptive Music class?

AR: I was bored during my open

dudes. I’ve known Mikey Schupp ’13, Garth Ratchford ’14 and Brian Slade ’13 since eighth grade when I helped them with math during my study hall back at Northwest [Junior High].

things, but mainly guitar.

last year and was walking around and saw [students] jamming and wanted to jam, too; so I opened

WSS: What is your favorite part of Adaptive Music?

AR: Hanging out with the cool

WSS: What do you personally get out of helping with Adaptive Music?

AR: I get to hang out with some pretty cool dudes and play guitar.

Sounds like a sweet deal to me.

COMPILED BY//BRITTANI LANGLAND

EVERY SECOND, THE SUN’S CORE RELEASES ENERGY EQUIVALENT TO 100 BILLION NUCLEAR BOMBS. } DECEMBER 2012 SECTION A&E 21

Arts

the

student mixtape

Hope Shreves ’14

“The Morning”

BY THE WEEKND “This song is good when you want to relax. Another good song by him is ‘Loft Music.’”

“Pilot Jones”

BY FRANK OCEAN “His voice is just so pretty and it makes me happy. Channel Orange is one of my favorite albums.”

“Sarah”

BY TYLER, THE CREATOR “You should listen to it when you’re really angry, because it’s a really disturbing song, but he adds humor into it.”

“Money Trees”

BY KENDRICK LAMAR “The chorus is very catchy and is always stuck in my head. This song is from his new album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City.”

“Famous”

BY CURREN$Y “It’s a very chill song and it’s the first song I ever heard by him. I like Curren$y a lot because not a lot of people know about him and he’s a really unique artist.”

“Mojo So Dope”

BY KID CUDI “Kid Cudi is the type of person you can listen to when you’re in any type of mood. His flow is really smooth and easy to listen to.”

“Believe”

BY ONE ROOM “I like it because it’s unique and it’s a mix between R&B and rap. The music is soft, which contrasts with his distinctive voice.”

“Been Around the World”

BY ASAP ROCKY “It’s a very catchy song and you can listen to it when you’re about to go out with friends.”

PHOTO AND COMPILED BY//ERIN WEATHERS

22 A&E DECEMBER 2012 { THERE IS AN OCEAN IN SPACE THAT HAS 140 TRILLION TIMES THE AMOUNT OF WATER IN EARTH’S OCEANS COMBINED.

{DESIGN BY POMBIE SILVERMAN}

choir director David Haas

Choir director David Haas discusses the new jazz vocal group at West High.

PHOTO BY//FIONA ARMSTRONG-PAVLIK

Kelsey Keranen

BY FIONA ARMSTRONG-PAVLIK farmstrong-pavlik@wsspaper.com

Kelsey Keranen ’16 is only a freshman, but her vintageinspired fashion sense brings charm and whimsy to the halls of West.

Bright colors and loud prints can be a challenge for some people to pull off, but Keranen styles them with ease.

“I put stuff together that most people wouldn’t and pretend to pull it off,” Keranen said. “I’m kind of an old lady, so I prefer clothes that look kind of worn out and like you would’ve worn it 50 years ago.

I think I was born in the wrong decade, honestly. I should’ve

fashion profile been born in the ‘50s. That’s when all the clothes that I just love are from.”

Locally, Keranen likes to shop at White Rabbit and Second Act. “I like thrift stores because you find stuff that’s unique.

You know nobody else will have it,” Keranen said. “If I want to look for something inexpensive, I generally go to Forever 21.”

For inspiration, Keranen frequents websites such as Pinterest and Lookbook.nu.

“I always go in with a plan, but I never follow through with it,” Keranen said of her shopping strategy, “Usually, I come out with something that I thought I would never actually buy.”

West Side Story: How do vocal jazz groups work?

HAAS: Vocal jazz uses a lot of contemporary music. A lot of the time, vocal jazz groups will sing with a jazz combo like a saxophone, guitar, percussion and bass, but we’re going to be doing vocal jazz that’s mostly a capella, which is without instruments.

Vocal jazz is known for really tight harmonies and really descendant chords.

WSS: Your group is one of the four extracurricular vocal groups in the choir department. Why did you decide to add another?

HAAS: During the All-State process everybody’s responsible for not necessarily having a conductor and being able to hold really strong onto one part. So when All-State was over, we thought it would be good to have a group. There are only 16 people in the group, so a lot of our music is split into eight parts. Sometimes you might be the only person on your part or there might be one other person or two other people, but that’s about it.

WSS: Do you see this group as being more than an extracurricular?

HAAS: It is an extracurricular. But also we get to do some arrangements of music that [students] hear on the radio, like we’re doing an arrangement of “Heartless” by Kanye West and “When Somebody Loved Me” by Sarah McLachlan. It’s really good for their musicianship in the fact where they really have to hold onto their part.

WSS: Why contemporary music?

HAAS: We spend so much time in the choir classroom exposing kids to new music that they might think is older.

It’s kind of good for them to hear contemporary pieces in a different way. A third of the music we’re doing is kind of standard jazz music and a third of the music is contemporary a capella, which is like the beatboxing and music on the radio. The instrument parts have just been replaced with voices.

Another third of the music is Renaissance music that was written around the 1500s, which also has a lot of really independent lines.

WSS: This is your first year at West

Q&A High. Is this group something you have wanted to add since being a teacher?

HAAS: We started a jazz group at the school I was at and it was really helpful. Currently, [a lot of ] the people that are in jazz choir are also in show choir. I would hope in the future that it would give an opportunity for the kids that don’t necessarily want to sing and dance to do some more contemporary music.

WSS: Were you ever part of a vocal jazz group?

HAAS: I was never part of a vocal jazz group in high school. In college, my friends and I sang some contemporary a capella music and some Renaissance music. When I was at Florida State, we received some more training in that and got to listen to the group there and so I’ve always been very anxious to start one.

WSS: What is your biggest goal with this group?

HAAS: Just for the people in the group to become really independent musicians and for that to help them become even stronger leaders in each of the choirs that they’re in and hopefully expose them to jazz and a new kind of choral music that they haven’t been exposed to previously.

We’re going to try to go to a few festivals and competitions for them to hear some other groups too.

COMPILED BY//SHIRLEY WANG PHOTO BY//ERIN WEATHERS

SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THE SPACE OCEAN IS DUE TO THE BLACK HOLE IN THE AREA EXCRETING WATER VAPOR. } DECEMBER 2012 A&E 23

ON ARTS {DESIGN BY POMBIE SILVERMAN}

PHOTO BY//ERIN WEATHERS

THE

DAVID RYU ’15

BY CEE CEE SHENG WSS Intern

The bell signaling the end of the period chimes throughout West High’s empty hallways. The effect of this simple sound is immediate as students from every-whichway come pouring into the oncedeserted corridors, bearing heavy backpacks and clunky textbooks, pencil cases and binders, and ... a cello?

When David Ryu ’15 goes to school, pencils and books aren’t the only thing he’s carrying.

Alongside a bursting-full black messenger bag, the shiny white cello case with a “My Kid’s an AllStater!” sticker is clearly visible in his arms as he marches down the hallways and climbs up the stairs to reach his classes. He and his cello are literally joined at the hip and have been since age six.

Born into a musical family with a

piano-playing mother and a violinist sister, it wasn’t long before Ryu decided he wanted to make music as well.

“After I heard my sister playing the violin, I immediately knew that [playing an instrument] was what I wanted to do,” said Ryu. Rather than opting for a violin, Ryu chose the cello.

“The violin was too small, the bass was too big. The cello was just right,” Ryu explained. It seems improbable that any instrument wouldn’t be right for Ryu, though, when one witnesses his incredible prowess at this one. No one watching him play can deny his love of music as he dances along to the cello’s low melody using extravagant gestures and foottapping. Still, even with such talent, Ryu idolizes some cellists.

“I really love Mstislav Rostropovich,” Ryu said. “He died three

years ago, but I definitely still consider him the greatest cellist to have ever lived.” Ryu’s next favorite is the world-famous Yo-Yo Ma and there is even a page on Facebook titled “David Ryu--the next Yo Yo Ma,” which has amassed 170 likes.

“He’s a talented young man,” said West orchestra conductor Wayne Thelander. “[He] practices probably more than any other freshman or sophomore I’ve had for a few years.”

Along with being very committed to his instrument, Ryu possesses the ability to shut off everything else when he plays the cello. He acts as if he is away from reality when playing, letting go of all stress and letting the music take over. He has been known for excessive swaying and staring at something in the distance while he plays, the former of which

sometimes causes his glasses to go askew.

“Seeing [David Ryu] play is entertaining,” said concert orchestra violinist David Wu ’16. “It’s like watching TV. It’s hilarious, but it’s also really, really good at the same time, so I don’t feel bad if I chuckle every now and then.”

Despite being such a virtuoso cellist, Ryu is humble about his accomplishments.

“I think the greatest achievement [in music] is learning,” Ryu said. “You don’t learn anything from competitions; you don’t gain any more knowledge.”

Someday, Ryu hopes to become a composer and performer for cello. Until then, the world will be watching ... or at least, all of West High.

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ABOVE: At the wrestling meet on Nov. 27 against Waterloo East and Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Colin Foerstner 13’ attempts to pin a Jefferson wrestler. The Trojans next meet is today in Waterloo.

BELOW: Representing the varsity team, Beth Crow ’14 bowls against Cedar Rapids Xavier on Nov. 30. The varsity team lost a close match against the Saints

2406-2279. Bowling faces Cedar Rapids Prairie today after school.

RIGHT: In the final seconds of the game, Austin Swank ’13 shoots the winning basket against Davenport Assumption on Nov. 27. “I wasn’t even planning on taking the last shot, but I just happened to be open and my teammates got me the ball,” Swank said.

PHOTO BY//ERIN WEATHERS

26 SPORTS DECEMBER 2012

PHOTO BY//ABBIE SKEMP

{DESIGN BY ABBIE SKEMP}

PHOTO BY//FRANK WEIRICH

We stand proud As the Winter season brings a chill to the air, the West High courts are just heating up. After last year’s double state wins in girls’ and boys’ basketball as well as a dualstate win in wrestling, there are high expectations for each Trojan team this season.

And the Trojans are ready for battle. With bowling meets on Mondays and Wednesdays and basketball on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Trojans are hoping that practice really does make repetition and possibly even perfection.

ABOVE: Butterflyer Logan Guerra ’14 swims against Cedar Falls on Nov. 27. Guerra helped West win the meet 102-68 against the Tigers.

BOTTOM LEFT: Hurling his ball down the lane, Noah Knosp ’14 bowls against Cedar Rapids

Xavier Nov. 30. The varsity team fell to the Saints 2767-2686.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Looking to score, Ally Disterhoft ’13 takes a shot against Linn-Mar on Nov. 30. The Women of Troy beat the Lions 54-47.

PHOTO BY//JAMES KANG

COMPILED BY//ABBIE SKEMP PHOTO BY//ERIN WEATHERS

DECEMBER 2012 SPORTS 27

W E I G HE D D O WN

BY AMELIA MOSER AND BRENNA DEERBERG amoser@wsspaper.com bdeerberg@wsspaper.com

We’ve all heard the horror stories. A rail-thin 16-year-old girl decides she’s too heavy, stops eating and ends up in the hospital with IVs hooked to her arm, desperately trying to make up for the loss of nutrition and weight.

Another teenager has a similar thought process, and begins to disappear after meals. Hidden in a bathroom, forcing the barelyeaten food out before the fat and calories can take hold and change them.

We’ve heard these stories. And we know these teens face serious, life-threatening issues.

But what if you’re losing weight for more than just an ideal body image you’ve concocted for yourself? What if keeping the weight off is what allows you to compete in your favorite, most intense and competitive sport or activity? How far would you go? And, perhaps more importantly, how far is too far?

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY//SHIRLEY WANG

28 SPORTS DECEMBER 2012 { V886 CENTAURI IS A FADED STAR AND A 10 BILLION TRILLION CARAT COSMIC DIAMOND 50 LIGHT-YEARS AWAY.

{DESIGN BY SHIRLEY WANG}

IN WRESTLING O

ne such sport is wrestling, where athletes have to weigh-in before they can

compete.

“If you don’t make weight, you either have to go up a weight class or you don’t get to wrestle,” said Aydan Wynos ’14, a member of the West High wrestling team.

Ending up at the weight you’ve been practicing for is important according to fellow wrestler Mitch Yoerger ’15.

“You want to go at a weight you want to do well at … if the weight you’re at now … might be tougher, you might want to cut down, so it’s easier,” he said.

These wrestlers have a variety of methods for keeping the weight off, for both long-term and right before meets. These include various workouts, as well as skipping meals or going to the sauna.

Jasmine Bailey ’14 described it as a “weekly thing” for her to leave wrestling practice at six p.m. and not eat anything until her meet the following day at five p.m. She added that sometimes she does workouts without drinking, to try to lose water weight when a meet is coming up.

“What’s the point of doing all that

work if you’re just going to drink that water?” she said.

Jackson Voigt ’14 is a wrestler who keeps an eye on his weight as well.

He said he lost 17 pounds within the span of a week and a half this year , through a combination of eating and drinking less and working out.

Wynos pointed out not all methods of cutting weight are particularly safe.

“They’ll put all their sweats on and run … it’s kind of a dangerous thing,” he said.

Cutting weight quickly isn’t uncommon.

“The most I’ve seen someone drop is five pounds in a day … most people are going to do it if they have to cut,” he said. “[Where’s] the line? I don’t know if there really is one.”

Yoerger said there is a line for what’s too big a drop in weight.

“The line is where you get so sick you just can’t function, where you’re not really eating anything,” he said.

Regardless, Bailey says weight loss is here to stay as a part of wrestling.

“No matter how many rules they make [against dangerous ways to cut weight], it’s not going to make a difference - it’s not going to change anything,” she said.

IN DANCING A

nother sport in which participants are pushed to meet a certain body standard is dancing.

Ballerinas are in a perpetual quest to better themselves, and the drive to be better in every way can lead to some unhealthy mindsets about food.

Camilla Hippee ’13 recalls how as she aged her perspective changed when she looked at her fellow dancers. “[When I was five] there were different body types in my class, but I didn’t notice. It wasn’t important to me at that time,” Hippee said.

Around fifth-grade, that innocent mindset started to shift.

“I noticed I had a different body type than the girls around me,” she said. “I was going through a chubby stage and all of the girls around me were really skinny.”

Mandy Rosse ’14 went through a similar experience when she recently switched studios.

Rosse saw that she was the “biggest” girl there, but “then I realized how stupid it would be for a 98-pound-girl to think about losing weight.”

The idea that girls need to fit a certain body standard to be more successful at dancing drove Hippee to consider quitting the sport in her

freshman year. Hippee saw herself as too inflexible and physically weak compared to her fellow dancers.

“It became really upsetting to see others succeed because of [their body types],” Hippee said. “[It’s competitive] to have the body that’s perfect to be a ballerina.”

According to Rosse, part of having a perfect body for ballet is being marketable as a partner.

“Especially for classical ballet, size is definitely an issue,” Rosse said.

“You can’t lift a morbidly obese person … people should be fit, but I don’t really think an anorexic body type is necessary.”

Rosse watches what she eats because she wants to feel healthy, not to maintain a ballet-worthy body.

“For the past year and a half, I’ve been making sure I’m eating good foods … I would eat fast food, and I didn’t gain weight, and I could still do everything, but it wasn’t the best idea … I eat real food that I make,” Rosse said. “My dance teacher recommends specific foods.”

Recently, Rosse’s teacher asked her to cut sugar out of her diet completely.

“I’ve ignored [her request that I cut out sugar,]” Rosse said. “I just haven’t gone into the excessive sugar thing. There’s a consciousness, but it’s not obsessive.”

A PERSON WHO WEIGHS 100 KG ON EARTH WOULD ONLY WEIGH 38 KG ON THE SURFACE OF MARS. } DECEMBER 2012 SPORTS 29

going

{DESIGN BY HANNAH MUELLERLEILE}

organic The weather outside may be getting colder, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t options for fresh, healthy food.

BY MEGUMI KITAMOTO

mkitamoto@wsspaper.com

Behind every organic fruit and vegetable is a pair of soiled, healthy hands. A gardener grows produce with all-natural hard work and ingredients, creating healthy food to sell. Although “going organic” can seem arduous and time-consuming, swapping a convenient fast food burger for a locally-grown apple can be highly beneficial.

“When you choose local, organic and Fair Trade items, you’re voting with your dollars. Not just for better personal health, but for the health of the workers involved in producing your food and the environment, too–and that’s something you can feel good about,” said Allison Gnade, editor of New Pioneer Coop’s newsmagazine, The Catalyst.

Students at West are starting to take the shift towards eating organically.

“I don’t eat fast food. It freaks me out that fast food has chemicals that are addicting and I don’t want those in my body. [Eating organically] has benefits because there are more nutrients [in the food] than processed chemicals,” said EATS

member Kirk Saylor ’15.

However, when the weather is too cold for planting and maintaining crops, finding local organic goods can become difficult.

“The Farmer’s Market [in Iowa City] isn’t open during the winter and there aren’t as many fruit options at the grocery store. The produce is usually more expensive, too,” said EATS member Rebecca Wen ’14.

Knowing what kind of food is in season is crucial to eating organically, especially in the winter when there are not as many options to choose from. In the winter, root vegetables like squash, beets and carrots are in season.

In order to find organic goods, try heading to a local foods store.

“I especially look at the sales at the New Pioneer Co-op. I also try to focus on the Dirty Dozen,” Wen added.

“The Dirty Dozen is a list created every year by the Environmental Working Group, a consumer-advocacy organization, of the fruits and vegetables in grocery stores that have the most pesticide residue, when grown conventionally. It helps us decide which fruits and vegetables are most important to purchase organically for our own health (as consuming pesticides isn’t usually considered a good thing.) The Dirty Dozen makes it easier to remember to make healthy choices,” Gnade said.

Even though the cold weather makes finding fresh foods hard, the feeling of eating organic always outweighs the difficulties.

4 ways to ART BY//LEELA SATHYAPUTRI

go organic The WSS asked EATS members and New Pioneer Co-op employees for tips on how to stay organic in the winter COMPILED BY//MEGUMI KITAMOTO

1“

Shop at the Co-op and the farmer’s market, and

grow your own foods.”

-Olivia Sheff ’15

2

Eat local.

“The further away it has been sent from, the more it has traveled and the less

[environmentally friendly]

“ 3 “4 Eat food that is in season.”

-Rebecca Wen ’14

Look for the

USDA organic symbol or the word ‘organic’ at the Co-op and other grocery stores.”

it is.”

-Jackie Dowling ’13

30 HEALTH DECEMBER 2012 { EVERY YEAR THE MOON MOVES ABOUT 3.8 CM FURTHER AWAY FROM THE EARTH.

-Allison Gnade, Editor of Catalyst

{

{DESIGN BY LEELA SATHYAPUTRI}

BY MAMA OETTING

Blake Oetting’s mother

Dear Invisible, Be careful what you wish for. Your wish may come true.

I could offer the obvious platitude: be yourself. The truth, however, is that winning the heart of your dream guy is very simple.

Boys want to feel special and to expend minimal effort. They are more responsive to the opinions of their male peer group than to their own feelings. Therefore, in order to win over the object of your desires, you need to impress

his friends. His friends will tell him how hot you are and then he will come hit on you. You should make him feel very intelligent and humorous when he flirts with you so he is at ease in your presence.

This is how you will win over the cutest guy.

Keeping the cutest guy is more challenging. You must avoid making any demand for romantic expression such as birthday or Christmas gifts. Extoll the virtues of Pancheros, food of the gods, and let him know there is no reason to eat at any other restaurant.

Tell him that your perfect date

would be spending the evening in his boy cave watching him play Call of Duty with his best friend.

During the video game you will have plenty of time to ask yourself if this really is how you want to spend the best days of your life.

Be careful what you wish for. Your wish may come true, but the best guy may be the one who doesn’t take so much manipulation. The best guy may be your clever, slightly quirky, devoted friend.

The one that secretly thinks you are the cutest girl.

*letter is fake, advice is real.

IDEA BY//ELLIE BORRECA ART BY//LEELA SATHYAPUTRI

COMPILED BY//ASHTON DUNCAN

why why why why why why This tri will be different!

YOLO

Trimester

on the floor

West side effects

Graphs

Marathons on TV

Amount of work done

Mommy Dearest, I’m in love with the cutest guy but he doesn’t know I exist. How can I get him to like me?

--Invisible*

Likelihood of eating food dropped

Monthly mama

Relevancy to current holiday

the

BY

Age: 0-10 11-20 21-30 31-40

FOR MORE WEBCOMICS, CHECK WSSPAPER.COM EVERY WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 2012 HUMOR 31

{DESIGN BY BRENNA DEERBERG}

Plan 2.0 New policy means teens under the age of 17 can preemptively get a prescription for Plan B without parental consent.

Five days. Less time than it takes to get through holiday leftovers and days left until Winter Break. In five days you might study for winter finals or work on college applications.

Or you might make a mistake that will take a lot more than 120 hours to fix.

The American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP] recently issued a new policy statement recommending pediatricians give teenagers [16 and under] prescriptions for emergency contraceptives such as Plan B before they start having sex. Teens 17 or older can get emergency contraception over-the-counter or with a prescription for younger teens.

According to the AAP, teens are more likely to use emergency contraception when prescribed in advance and pediatricians should play a more proactive role, part of a larger strategy to counsel teens on various options for birth control

including, but not limited to, Plan B contraceptives.

Last year the West Side Story found 37 percent of West High seniors were sexually active. According to the AAP, “many teens have unprotected sex and around 10 percent are victims of sexual assault.” Plan A isn’t always just having protected sex, either. When contraception fails, emergency contraception, which can be taken within 120 hours after having unprotected or under-protected sex, is the only method that can prevent unwanted pregnancy.

If a teenager under 17 has unsafe sex, they have to schedule a doctor’s appointment, get a signature from the doctor and their parent, get the prescription and take the pill within five days. The pill is less effective as hours go by and most effective in the first twelve hours, but anyone who has tried getting a day-of doctor’s appointment mid-flu season

knows that isn’t likely to happen.

This isn’t promoting the promiscuity of teens or about a political agenda. This is about providing young teens with information to consider before the fact. It’s planning for the worst so that if Plan A does fail, they have all of the information before the clock starts ticking on 120 hours.

11-4 The WSS editorial board voted in support of doctors preemptively prescribing Plan B to teenagers.

Scouts and students alike fight to end discriminatory attitudes in the Boy Scouts for America organization.

32 OPINION DECEMBER 2012

Although Boy Scouts for America is founded on a policy of teaching young men disciplines closely tied to the Christian Church, there are ways to accomplish their goals that are more accepting of all children.

Openly gay Eagle Scout Nick Wagner ’13 does not believe that the “hypocrisy” of the Boy Scouts should go unnoticed.

“It’s unfair for them to say they provide an [environment] to foster growth for ‘all boys,’ except for some,” Wagner said.

Even in more accepting troops, leaders approach the issue with a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy which can be constricting to some openly gay scouts. Dan Kauble ’13, an openly gay Boy Scout, says that

INDEX DECEMBER

Winter Break Two beautiful weeks of nothing but eating and sleeping. No homework, no tests and definitely no waking up before nine at the earliest, thank you.

Should doctors preplus 12 scribe Plan B to minors before they’ve had sex? Let it Snow, Please

Scouting for equality

In recent months, the Boy Scouts of America Organization has been subjected to much scrutiny from the press, sponsors and members alike for its stance on homosexuality. In July 2012, the Scouts declared that the organization will continue its ban on open homosexuals, atheists and agnostics.

West High graduate and former Eagle Scout Zach Wahls ’09 is a strong leader in the fight against homophobia in the Boy Scouts.

In response to the new policy, Wahls formed a group called Scouts for Equality. So far, more than 1,000,000 people have signed petitions opposing the Scouts’ policy, and 3,000 Eagle Scouts have joined Wahls’ organization.

QUALITY of life

while he feels that the Boy Scouts is generally a strong and accepting community, “troops in Iowa City just don’t talk about [the issue of homosexuality].”

The West Side Story supports groups like Scouts for Equality in their fight to equalize the Boy Scouts for America. While it may take years to see a positive change in the group’s policies, in the past few months organizations like Scouts for Equality have succeeded in bringing the issue into the forefront of American news, and Boy Scouts for America’s largest funder, Intel, even refused to provide money to troops that refuse to accept homosexual boys.

Why is it so brown? Mother nature, please give us a Winter wonderland so that we may more fully appreciate our time indoors.

minus 4

Sparks Fly I am truly greatful for electricity, but not static electricity. I’m tired of being zapped every time I go for my car door.

minus 5

Snuggly Sweaters Who doesn’t enjoy being cocooned in a warm, cozy knit sweater? Plus a bonus -- not only are they warm, but they hide that extra layer of hibernation-fat us teens naturally acquire in this merry season.

plus 10

. . . As We Know It The world is ending. Come on, you know it’s true. I’m just jealous of last year’s seniors - they actually got to graduate.

minus 6

Total: plus 7 COMPILED BY//BRENNA DEERBERG

{Design by BRENNA DEERBERG}

Jailbook blues Johnson County and Linn County jails adopt new prisoner database that poses a threat to the prisoners’ privacy rights.

Many employers run background checks on job applicants; hopeful teachers, for example, undergo an investigation of criminal records, driving records, past employment records, civil records, educational certification and credit history to name just a few. Anyone with Internet access may peruse the Iowa Sex Offender Registry to see the names and locations of registered offenders living in local communities. Police reports are public record, online and often published in local newspapers.

These resources are made available

in the name of public safety, but it should not be forgotten that criminals are included in this populace and deserve a certain level of protection as well.

On Dec. 1, Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek enacted a project that allows the county jail to put an inmate’s name, charges, photograph and bond amount on the jail’s website. Explained as a move to create clarity for taxpayers, this “Jailbook” is available to anyone with an Internet connection.

However, we at the West Side

Story believe that this program discloses more information than is necessary. While this is within the law, it is unethical. Information posted is permanent, and will allow a prisoner’s past to further haunt his or her future. Second chances are hard to come by in this age, and programs such as this make it nearly impossible for someone who have served his or her punishment and learned lessons to move on and make positive contributions to society.

Instead of simply putting these

people behind bars, we’re putting them on display, and no one can say what the long-term ramifications will be. Profiles on this program will forever mark them no matter what they do to correct mistakes or how much they regret their actions.

When we forgo human dignity, even after a punishment has been served, so that others may track the use of their tax money down to individual people, we have lost our moral compasses.

Is the new prisoner database an invasion of prisoners’ privacy?

10-5 The WSS editorial board voted that the new database was an invasion of the prisoners’ privacy. art by//LEELA SATHYAPUTRI

opinion DECEMBER 2012 33

{DESIGN BY JORDAN ROSSEN}

Hardcore wrapping

BY BLAKE OETTING

boetting@wsspaper.com

D

ec. 25 was always an important day for me.

Waking up early from a restless sleep, rushing downstairs and demolishing wrapping paper was an annual tradition for my young self. Back then, my aims were solely to garner the most video games and candy possible.

However, as I entered my junior

high years, filled with metalbound teeth and insecurity, my affinity for the winter solstice declined.

My ravenous desire for presents gave way to a façade of indifference and reluctance to interact with the family (because, of course, I was way too cool for them). During these years, I lost the unique feeling I got during December.

However, this year, my love of Christmas has returned.

Last year, my sister left for college, leaving me as the only child.

So as winter break rolled around, I was desperate for human contact at home. The holidays brought this to me. My aunts and uncles, grandparents and siblings all came to our house to eat good food and

enjoy each other’s company. Last year, I saw the true value of these events. Whether you are Christian, Jewish or a Tribal Agnostic (yes, it is a real religion, I promise) the goal of these celebrations is to unite. Even though it is a cliché, and it is a cliché to say it’s a cliché, these holidays help people come together. I am not religious, not in the least. However, these religious holidays bring happiness upon a cold December, bringing my family home, and truly do impart a special spirit in everyone.

That is why, this year, I am impatiently waiting for December 25 to arrive. In my idealized imagination, in the upcoming weeks I will be attending classy soirées chiming with spirit and jolly behavior.

There, I will intelligently speak of matters of the times and embarrassingly belt out karaoke.

My lack of tone or rhythm won’t discourage me however, because it will be Christmas, and my favorite people will be there, and I will get presents, and everything will be jolly (I use this adjective twice, because it is the only acceptable way to describe any holiday emotion).

I am glad my junior high years are behind me because I can now proudly express my nerdy love for the holidays.

I got my braces off (this helped my life in other ways as well), I realized my parents are manageable and I remembered that I love this time of year.

Gosh, it is just great.

Putting the green back in gold

BY FRANK WEIRICH

fweirich@wsspaper.com

I

grew up a West High kid from day one. Being the youngest sibling of three, I knew that I’d end up walking around this school. I was always aware of the pride that West High instilled in the community. Attending West track meets for family friends and helping my sisters with school-related activities like bake sales or car washes, I built my appreciation for the school before I even arrived. I believe West High is a unique group, always determined to break the mold of a “normal” high school.

There’s a problem, however. As 34 OPINION DECEMBER 2012

the wise, old Ben Parker once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” We’ve got a lot of power, but have we been acting responsibly? Sure, some of us stay in on Friday and Saturday evenings to study for AP tests and perfect our American Literature essays, but aside from our efforts to better ourselves, are we in over our heads? Do we take our shiny gold medals and trophies and unceremoniously beat other schools over the head until they bleed green and gold? That’s not excellence, that’s assault. First degree.

Now you’re probably thinking something along the lines of, “We don’t do that! We’re nice. I have friends at other schools and they don’t mind us.” However, that doesn’t help that we put on an overwhelming display of pride on almost every social media site,

or at sporting events. There isn’t any reason to put our excellence on display, especially if it is unnecessary.

Yes, I love my school, but I don’t need to slap a “My school is one of America’s best high schools” sticker on my car. Remember Ryan Gosling in Crazy Stupid Love? “Be better than the sticker, West. Be better than the sticker.”

There is a difference between looking like a modest, but extraordinary school and looking like the stereotypical rival high school. If we lose, we should lose like winners; shake the hand, admit defeat and prepare for next year. If we win, we should congratulate the other team on a game well played. We have been taught this idea since elementary school, yet sometimes we forget how to properly win and lose.

Remember that we come

“

We’ve got a lot of power, but have we been acting responsibly?” from a tradition of excellence.

To maintain that tradition, we should act like we are excellent.

We’ll get the respect we deserve if we do. The important thing is to remember that, at the end of the day, we are all high schoolers and, ultimately, West High will play a small, albeit memorable, role in our lives. We should work hard and succeed silently. After all, humility is the best quality we can possess.

{DESIGN BY ERIN WEATHERS}

ORANGE TO STRAWBERRY JUICE

MARGE’S HAIR

CANDY EXPLOSION

Safety first, don’t try this at home!

ORANGE TO STRAWBERRY JUICE

1. One beaker containing water, baking soda, methyl orange, and soap.

2. One beaker of hydrochloric acid.

3. Mix the liquids together to create foam.

MARGE’S HAIR

1. Combine methane gas with soap and let bubble.

2. Place suds on a fire-safe block.

3. Set Marge’s hair ablaze.

CANDY EXPLOSION

1. Put potassium chlorate in a vile.

2. Heat up until it melts.

3. Add a Skittle, or anything containing sugar, to the vile.

ART BY//ZORA HURST COMPILED AND PHOTOS BY//ERIN WEATHERS

8

believers cite severAl peculiArities from the pAst yeAr to support the ApocAlypse.

1

here Are A few notAble APOCALYPtic Predictions thAt were less thAn cAtostrophic.

Bee extinction 90 percent of wild bees in the U.s. hAve died.

7

ufo reports Are predicted to be up 50 percent from 2011.

AccurAte predictions of mAny solAr And lunAr eclipses

birds vAniShing

A study by the chicAgo tribune shows mAny people believe the eArth’s dAys Are numbered.

5

med ...

10% be soo lieve n we’re goner s on t he 21s t

doo All

we’ ieve 15 %

bel

85 %

be

lie

6

A dwArf plAnet cAlled nibiru will collide with the eArth.

The essentiAls first Aid kit (lots of) Asprin flAre gun non-perishAble food entertAinment kit

Aw hil

ve

re

EA

there Are too mAny historicAl doomsdAy predictions to pAss up. to the right Are A few.

st

the erruption of mt. vesuvius blAcKened the sky over pompeii, AppeAring to confirm seneccA’s prediction.

powerful solAr flAres could send sAtelites plumMeting to eArth And destroy the globAl mArketplAce.

e

the book of revelAtion clAims fire will destroy All life on eArth.

2

Some Are uncleAr As to how exActly the world will end. here Are some populAr thories.

the plAnets will Align And their grAvitAtionAl pulls will cAuse the sun to shift in the sky.

According to the MAyAn cAlendAr, the world is set to end on December 21st. People of the world, you hAve just A week to prepAre yourselves for the worst.

While every theory here hAs been debunked by one study or Another, here Are some Of the mAny PREDiCTiONS ABOUT whAt the future mAy hold.

prediction of hAlley’s comet, over 1500 yeArs before its first documented sighting.

1666

1914

jehovA’s witnesses clAim christ’s kingdom will return to eArth.

mAny bird species Are disAppeAring globAlly.

rt hw ill lA

knowledge of the cycles of the plAnet venus

79 Ad

2011

ufo sightings

ApocAlypse “doomsters” defend the mAyAns with instAnces where they got it right.

A rAdio preAcher predicts mAy 11 to be judgement dAy or the “rApture”.

as we know it

the end of the world

“

i’d try to find some plAce smAll

And secure. underground, mAybe.”

-DAniAl Syed ’14

the rule of survivAl is to be prepAred. here is one student’s gAme plAn.

4

the y2k crisis increAsed the sAle of survivAl kits. here Are A few necessities for the end.

3