2016-04-08

WEST SIDE STORY IOWA CITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL

2901 MELROSE AVE.

IOWA CITY, IA 52246

WSSPAPER.COM

VOLUME 48 ISSUE 5

APRIL 8, 2016

CREATING CULTURE PAGE 25

TEACHERS HAVE FRIENDS TOO Teachers at West describe the friendships they have developed with their coworkers.

“We met through a summer camp up at Luther College... [Haas] was MR. HAAS & MR. KNUTSON my boss for about five years.

Clearly that boss relationship is pretty set. We became friends over time,” Knutson said.

“She’s an amazing person, and I know that she will have my back 100 percent and she gives great hugs, and you always need a great hugger in your life, even if I feel conspicuously short when I do that,“ Bresnahan said.

MS. BRESNAHAN & MS. HEAD

CONTENTS PROFILES

SUBSTITUTES OF WEST HIGH When West High’s teachers aren’t in class, who are the substitutes that take their spots?

FEATURE UNDERNEATH THE UNIFORM

Students offer insights into what it’s like to have a family member serve in the military and the effects it has on family life.

ENTERTAINMENT THEATRE PREVIEW

The West Side Story gives a behind-the-scenes sneak peak at the upcoming Theatre West production of Mary Poppins.

SPORTS

SAME SPORT, DIFFERENT SUPPORT? Despite the increase in female athletes, the gender gap is still an issue nationwide and at West. The WSS investigates how this affects athletes and what can be done.

LETTER EDITORS

FROM THE

Dear Reader, The end is near for us seniors (~finally~). And with the school year nearing its end, it’s easy to fall into a final stretch slump. Morale is dropping and the desire for summer’s sweet, sweet release is at an all-time high.

At this time of year, it’s easy to lose faith in high school, and to forget about all the things you have or have yet to learn from your time here. To quell these misgivings about the high school experience, we wrote our cover story on the individual student and how everyone’s

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journey through high school is different. We also chose to do this story because there was popular demand for a less “serious” topic from readers and staffers alike.

Last but not least, may the best promposal win free prom tickets. Get a prom date, kids!

XOXO,

Karen PHOTO BY JEREMY HU COVER ART BY HANNAH SONG COVER GRAPHICS BY SIMRAN SARIN COVER DESIGN BY SIMRAN SARIN

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FASHION AND FRIENDSHIP TODAY Sophomore best friends Angie Zirbes and Bailey Raso have bonded over their love of self-expression and fashion.

1 IN 2000: MAX COLLINS ’18

Max Collins ‘18 manages a family with 8 cats.

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GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD TEAM WINS WOMEN OF TROY RELAYS The extends their winning streak to 18 with the score of 174 points.

LOHAUS’ BUZZER BEATER The miracle moment produced by Tanner Lohaus ’16 sent #6 West on to its fourth title game in the last five years.

NEWS KIBBY TO BE LIBERTY PRINCIPAL Current West High Athletic continue to be present in the halls Director Scott of Liberty High.

“That part of the Kibby was recently community is excited nominated for the to have their own position of principal school, and there is at Liberty High. At the school board meeting energy there,” he said. on March 23rd, the “I try to be positive and upbeat, and to me nomination was [Liberty] is a nice fit.” approved.

Scott Kibby, Athletic Director Although Kibby is Kibby’s cheerful looking forward to personality will

his new position, he will miss the community at West.

“I’m excited. The opportunity to start something fresh and build our own culture and climate is neat. The downside is that I’m leaving here,” Kibby said. “I love West High,

NEW YEAR, NEW TIMES

BY NINA ELKADI

I love the kids, I love the coaches, I love the staff; there is a little bittersweet part in that.”

BY KATIE FUHRMEISTER

The 2016-2017 school year will conflicts that prevent students Miller. With the implementation center to have the swimming pool have a big change from previous from attending later afternoon of an earlier time schedule, from 3:30 to 6:30 [p.m.] and this years. An Iowa City Community classes. extracurricular activities will have has to cover both junior high and School District meeting earlier “For now, we are making sure to be moved to the morning, or high school swimming,” Shoultz this year decided to change start that all students are aware of have some time reserved for the said. times across the district, with the regional high school option. morning.

Some swimming activities may West High starting at 8:50 a.m. in Students taking classes in a “We are still looking into which have to move to the morning, but compliance with the multitude of Kirkwood Academy will be able to activities will likely move to the nothing is determined yet. complaints from some get in a full slate of classes morning,” Shoultz said.

“Another challenge school parents. Issues and still have seventh Sports practices will be outdoor sports have already arisen hour open,” Shoultz said. currently occurring in the that don’t have lights,” concerning the new The Kirkwood regional morning will continue Shoultz said. times and the safety of morning classes will to meet in the morning Along with practice students participating occur from 7:30 a.m. to 9 next year. Jazz band times, another issue in extracurricular a.m., leaving students to and the dance team are to occur will be game activities.

Rumors only miss first period next actively seeking to move times.

Jeff Wieck, Dr. Gregg Shoultz have been circulating year. The biggest impact practices to before school Junior High Sports “We will see more about the possibility of early on the new time schedule will and some club meetings missed school time Director bird classes and whether some be the afternoon Kirkwood and may occur in the morning. with the [competitions] out of extracurriculars will meet in the PSEO (Post Secondary Enrollment However, these will be determined town,” said Junior High Sports morning.

Options) classes, in which students at a later date. The schedule for Director Jeff Wiek.

“We have looked very closely will leave during sixth extracurriculars at Students will leave school earlier at early bird classes and we have period.

West High has not been next year for out-of-town games, run into a considerable number Along with the decided as of now. which leads to the dilemma of of problems,” said Gregg Shoultz, possibility of early Another conflict has rescheduling times with the Cedar West High’s principal. Due to costs bird classes, some arisen facing sports Rapids School District. and teacher availability, the return extracurriculars may using off-site facilities.

“This creates a problem with the of early bird classes remains meet in the morning as The times scheduled Cedar Rapid schools . . . they get undecided until registration for well. in agreement with out much earlier than us. When Colby Miller, next year’s classes are complete. If “A [big] concern the facilities does not they want to play 3:30 [p.m.], we Assistant Principal the need arises, early bird classes would be how late correspond with West can’t until 4:30 [p.m.],” Wiek said. that may occur will target students we are going in the day, and how High’s new time schedule.

Rescheduling times for games has who have a full class schedule but that will impact students staying “A big problem for us is not been finalized, and will likely also need to go to jobs, take care very late in the day,” said West swimming. We have an agreement be set so students only miss part of of younger siblings or have other High’s Assistant Principal Colby with the Coralville [recreation] seventh period.

GRAPHICS BY CATHERINE JU DESIGN BY JACOB NISHIMURA

WSSPAPER.COM APRIL 2016 NEWS 5

THINGS YOU’RE AFRAID TO ASK

ZIKA VIRUS

BY THE NUMBERS

BY DANETTA DOBRE WHAT IS ZIKA VIRUS?

Zika is a rare virus spread by a particular species of mosquito called Aedes. While the mosquitos can be found in most continents, the virus itself had not reached the Western hemisphere until recently, leaving people in affected areas particularly vulnerable to infection, as they have no natural defenses. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that, due to its mild symptoms (if any develop at all), about four out of five people infected with the virus don’t even realize they have it. It can also be transmitted through blood transfusions as well as sexually transmitted by infected men to their partners.

THE SYMPTOMS

Common symptoms for the virus include fever, rash, joint pain, red eyes, muscle pain

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COMPILED BY DANETTA DOBRE

cases of Zika virus reported in Iowa (as of March 25)

travel-associated cases of Zika virus in the continental U.S. (as of March 23) percent of those infected with Zika virus show symptoms

according to the Iowa Department of Public Health

and headaches. Symptoms usually last only a few days and rarely require hospitalization.

There has been some evidence showing that children infected with the virus in the mother’s womb may develop birth defects such as microcephaly, a condition in which the head is much smaller than average,

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along with stunted brain development. The connection between microcephaly and the Zika virus is still being investigated.

THE SIGNIFICANCE

No cases of the virus being transmitted through mosquitoes have been discovered in the continental

U.S. but some travelers that have recently visited affected areas of the Americas such as Brazil and the Caribbean have brought the virus with them.

Little substantial research has been done on the virus due to its rarity and relatively mild symptoms on adults. Due to this, there is no cure or treatment for the virus, and little information is known about exactly how it is transmitted and how it affects pregnant women. The virus’ low visibility makes studying it difficult, as most cases are mistaken for some other ailment or aren’t reported at all. To reduce travelassociated transmission, the CDC has issued a level-2 travel alert urging people to educate themselves on the virus as well as on mosquito bite prevention before going to parts of South America, Central America, the Pacific Islands and the Caribbean.

GRAPHICS BY OLIVIA READ

THINGS YOU’RE AFRAID TO ASK

THE ELECTION

BY THE NUMBERS

BY CHRISTINA DAI DONALD TRUMP

While you may be quick to dismiss Donald Trump as a serious Republican nominee, Trump seems to be the most likely candidate to be chosen.

West High sits in the middle of a highly liberal area, where Trump haters and Democrats run amok. Most don’t take kindly to Trump and his policies, but that is certainly not the case in many other states, even in Iowa.

On March 1, the first Super Tuesday, Trump won seven out of eleven states, Ted Cruz won three and Marco Rubio finished with one. According to an article published on political pundit website FiveThirtyEight.com, Trump was the only candidate that night who actually met and exceeded the number of delegates needed to be on track to gain the nomination. Since then, the “Trump Train” has DESIGN BY OLIVIA READ

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days left in the primary season (as of April 8) million dollars raised by Hillary Clinton, the candidate with the most money raised people participated in the Iowa caucus

according to Bustle and The New York Times

only picked up speed, coming in strong in Rubio’s home state, Florida.

Since then, Rubio has dropped out, leaving Trump, Cruz and Kasich to battle it out for the remaining delegates. Only time will tell how all the pieces of this unconventional primary season will fall into place.

DELEGATE ALLOCATION

With all the hubbub surrounding Bernie Sanders, it may seem like he and Hillary Clinton are nearly tied.

However, this is not the case.

The nomination is based off of something called delegate allocation. For each party, there are a set number of delegates,

some from each state, depending on the population of each state.

Delegates are separated into two categories: superdelegates and pledged delegates. Each pledged delegate is assigned to a district in their state, but superdelegates are simply selected by the party they belong to. Superdelegates are not bound to one candidate and can change their position whenever they so please, but often don’t because they have an obligation to their state. This is more true in the Republican Party since superdelegates are expected to choose their state’s candidate, but still applies to the Democratic Party.

As of March 30, the delegate count for the Democratic side of the race is 1,712 for Clinton and 1,008 for Sanders. Though many of Clinton’s delegates are unpledged superdelegates, it is unlikely they will switch because of the choices their home states made.

WSSPAPER.COM APRIL 2016 NEWS 7

NEW LEADERSHIP, NEW

UPGRADES MAKERSPACE A “Makerspace” will be a place where students can produce podcasts, make posters and create videos.

According to Shoultz, Associate Superintendent Matt Degner is currently working on the initiative, and The ICCSD Foundation is working on funding.

“We are looking at having a video, audio and print Makerspace in the library,” Shoultz said. “Junior highs and all of the other secondary schools will be receiving this.”

TVS IN THE LIBRARY STUDY ROOMS All three of the study rooms in the library will be fitted with TVs and a Chromebox. Students will be able to checkout a keyboard and a mouse to work on group projects together on the screen. They will be able to log on to their school account and collaborate while having their project displayed.

This will be funded using leftover activity funds.

DIGITAL SIGNAGE Digital signage is just a fancy way of saying there will be TVs everywhere. These TVs will display current events happening in the building, and any other information relevant to students. Student groups and clubs will be able to display information they want to get out to the student body, and just need to give it to the west wing secretary.

“I want a platform for student activities,” Shoultz said.

The goal is to add a TV display wherever there isn’t a SmartBoard. The fund for the TVs came out of the guidance account, and each cost $600$2500 depending on the size.

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Within the remainder of the year and next school year, Principal Gregg Shoultz has quite a few plans he hopes to implement.

COMPILED BY NINA ELKADI

INTERVENTION BLOCK The purpose of this time period will be to catch up on homework, or if you’re struggling with concepts, talk to your teacher. Although the time of day or amount of days each week isn’t finalized, next year there will be an intervention block each a week. These blocks will replace advisory and be 20-25 minutes long.

“You identify the students who are not getting the core concepts. If they’re not getting it, you make sure you’re not waiting until the end of the trimester [to realize they don’t understand],” Shoultz said. “A lot of people would have time to read or do homework in their current classroom.”

NEW FURNITURE IN THE CAFETERIA With the library the prime hangout spot at West, it has undoubtedly also become the most crowded area. Shoultz hopes to transform the cafeteria into a similar hangout place where students can go to do homework and work on projects.

“We are hoping to get more high-top tables and chairs, instead of just those benches we have now,” Shoultz said.

CAMERAS IN THE AUDITORIUM There will be television production cameras in the auditorium to stream plays, concerts and any other event taking place there.

DESIGN BY LILY WESTEMEYER

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SUBSTITUTES OF WEST HIGH There is always more to a person than just their job, but how much do you know about the subs that often work at West?

BY NINA ELKADI

MR. VAVROCH

Inspired by the educators he had growing up, Matt Vavroch began teaching straight out of college. Teaching isn’t the only profession that Vavroch has under his belt, as he also plays lead guitar for a country music band.

“The best part about it all is whether working [during the week] as a substitute teacher or traveling to play music, it’s very enjoyable to make a living pursuing both passions,” Vavroch said.

Vavroch first began his interest in guitar after spending countless hours playing

GUITARIST

Guitar Hero.

“Why am I playing a game when I could actually be investing time into really learning the instrument itself?” he said.

Although the dream would be to make a steady income from making music, Vavroch enjoys the personal aspect of teaching.

“I really enjoy getting to know all of the students with teaching and investing myself as an educator to hopefully better their future,” Vavroch said.

MR. COOPER John Cooper quit his steady job of teaching in Illinois to move back near his family and pursue his writing career.

Cooper also applied to attend the Writer’s Workshop at the University of Iowa.

“My style is an attempt at honesty, I want to be heard,” he said. “There is no good writing that isn’t good reading, and if I am read aloud I want to pop off the page like fire-cracker.”

Currently, Cooper is at an “extraordinary fork in the road of his life.” He is also skilled in subjects such as law and theatre that could potentially take him completely different

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WRITER

directions than teaching and writing.

“The dominoes are all standing on end but they are by no means lined up,” he said. “The strength of fate’s breath will determine my future.”

Despite his many other passions and skills, Cooper is still drawn to teach at West.

“West High has proven to be one of the most progressive schools I have ever had the pleasure to be in,” Cooper said. “Having having been in hundreds of schools, [West] would be a wonderful place for me to end up.”

PHOTOS BY JEREMY HU

MR. DESY

PARROT ENTHUSIAST

When former science teacher Joe Desy isn’t searching for fossils, listening to music, aspiring to be a vegan or observing birds at the raptor center, he’s taking care of his Quaker parrot Shamrock.

“Since he was just over a year old he has learned to say over a hundred words and phrases, sing songs, recite nursery rhymes and occasionally make real bird sounds when he remembers he’s actually a bird and not a person,” Desy said.

Desy first came to Iowa from New York City to attend Iowa State University and

MR. UPMEYER Inspired by his father who played in a British style brass band, Paul Upmeyer decided to learn piano. This was just the beginning of his music career, as he graduated from Iowa with degrees in trombone performance and secondary music education.

During college, Upmeyer toured with a band for five years across the U.S. singing and playing the trombone.

“I think the longest trip we ever took was 27 hours from the Florida Keys,” he said. “I was

remembers experiencing the vibrant city life of the 50s.

“I saw the Beatles perform twice in concert.

I say only ‘saw’ because I could never really hear them sing over the loud screams of the many Beatles-adoring girls in the audience,” Desy said.

Shamrock the parrot is also a star on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

“If you wish, you can follow him on Twitter at @Shambo, friend him on FB, also as Shambo, or see or hear him on YouTube,” Desy said.

TROMBONIST

really good at caffeinating myself.”

Upmeyer aspires to one day be a band director to help inspire students grow just as passionate as he is about music.

“Music has been such a big part of my life that teaching it is such a no-brainer,” he said.

“When you have a breakthrough with a kid, if they’ve been having trouble learning a note or learning a line in a song, and they finally get it, and they light up and they’re like ‘Yes!’ it’s the best thing ever.”

MS. THARP

AUTHOR

Throughout her life, Diana Tharp has dreamed of being a teacher. Due to something as simple as timing, she was unable to fulfill her dream until after retiring.

“Back in the 60s it was the Vietnam Era. The guys really wanted to be teachers so they wouldn’t have to go to Vietnam, so the teaching profession was inundated in college,” she said.

Since retiring, Tharp has become a writer.

“I go home and write about some of the more

GRAPHIC BY WINGEL XUE DESIGN & GRAPHIC BY CLAIRE MURRAY

interesting days of substitute teaching,” she said. “I’ve experienced such sublimely beautiful moments.”

Tharp is also a Buddhist and sometimes advises her elementary students to get out of their comfort zone and meditate when they get out of hand.

“This is the best I’ve ever been,” she said. “I just want to keep putting more frosting on the cake.”

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“College Raptor really helped me narrow down my choices for colleges.”

-Morgan Hoeft ‘16

Graduation is coming.

Do you know what’s next?

Go to www.collegeraptor.com for college help.

WANNA BE EXTRA COOL AT PROM? Show up at the North Liberty Dairy Queen for a medium blizzard at the same price as a small if you show up with your school ID. Doesn't matter if you're from West or City!

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1 IN 2000:

LUKE AND JACK REYNOLDS

BY PRATEEK RAIKWAR

Many times, the media seems to convey the message that all siblings avoid and dislike each other. The siblings might purposely develop different friendships or try to enjoy separate activities; just anything to ensure that they don’t have any of the same interests -- but what if those siblings really do have the same interests after all?

For Jack and Luke Reynolds ’18, growing up as twins was never a problem. Individually, they each have their own interests: Luke enjoys writing, whereas Jack relishes reading and singing, among other things. Despite these differences, they both savor their time together and even enjoy some of the same activities.

One such activity that the pair has grown to love is watching anime.

“I feel like there’s just something [in anime] that’s very different than what’s on television. With American shows, you usually see similar plot lines, but with anime, there’s always something different,” Jack said. “The creators always

seem to have these little quirks that they associate with certain characters, and I love when we focus on those characters because you just get to see where these people come from, see how they develop and see where they go.”

These character developmental styles that certain anime programs boast helped spark an interest in writing for Luke.

“I love coming up with characters; I love putting them in plots and seeing where they go,” Luke said.

“When you’re first introduced to [the characters], you only see basic stuff, but then as you go, you get to see how they develop, where they come from, and you just feel their life. It’s so powerful.”

Although he initially only wrote science fiction and fantasy, Luke is beginning to develop a realistic influence within his writing. “[Writing realistic fiction] just feels so much more authentic. I feel like with fantasy and science fiction, you’re separating yourself, but you’re also taking away the

real emotions of everyday life. With realistic fiction, you can take direct inspirations from places you’ve lived in,” Luke said.

Luke continues to want to improve his writing, and just like anime, he believes writing realistic fiction gives him more of an opportunity to develop more relatable characters, ultimately helping him connect with his audience. One small step he has taken has been by including certain characters to represent smaller demographics.

“If there’s a gay person that reads my book and they are able to relate and connect to characters, that’s really powerful for me because I feel like other pieces of writing just leave those groups of people out.

I feel like if I can make another person happy and proud of who they are, then I’ve done my job.”

Luke said.

While Luke finds joy in making others happy through his writing, Jack makes himself happy through his singing. Similar to anime, there’s something about music and

DESIGN BY WINGEL XUE GRAPHICS BY WINGEL XUE, JUNHEE LEE & EUGENIA CHEN

singing that has always seemed natural to him.

“If you can find a particular lyric that you just find beautiful or can just connect to, it is really powerful.

Lyrics can just stick into your head,” Jack said. “If you read something, you might not remember it, but if you remember the chorus, for example, then it can bring a lot of people together.”

Together. Sure, together, the twins’ interests may seem entirely different -- but are they, really? If we look closely, they really do have a similar interest: the arts.

“People can be themselves, in a way, [through the arts] … It’s just amazing all the connections that the arts can develop and how much it can change you.” Jack said. “Art can develop how you view the world and even other people.”

Specifically for the Reynolds twins, the arts have indeed changed the way they view each other.

Instead of finding a way to separate each other, they’ve used the arts to help bring themselves together.

WSSPAPER.COM APRIL 2016 PROFILES 13

THE

IOANA S T CHERASCU ’16 R A N

BY STEFAN SCHMIDT

Ioana Cherascu ‘16 uses art to create her own surreal version of the world.

Although Ioana has been true to reality. It’s a little bit weird. doodling since she was a small A little bit surreal,” Cherascu said. child, her journey into art officially Cherascu has spent lots of time began with an eccentric woman practicing through sketching and obsessed with charcoal producing intriguing still lifes. artwork.

However, “My first art class despite her skill and was auctioned off at interesting work, she a charity event. . . For insists, at heart, she’s still the three years I was doodling. with [the teacher], “I don’t really have a she only had us do specific point of conflict charcoal still lifes,” said Ioana Cherascu ’16 that has led me to Ioana Cherascu ’16. However, since express my pain in any way or a then, Cherascu has diversified her deep thing like that. It’s fun to have interests and developed her own the freedom to mess around with unique style. things a little bit … I don’t really do C h e r a s c u art for anyone other than myself. learned a It’s not something I necessarily lot from show off or advertise. It’s really a still lifes, personal thing.” like how However, Cherascu does say that to more as she developed and learned she closely took inspiration from several other examine artists, including Salvador Dali. o bj e c t s “I really like Salvador Dali. . . a n d he has a realistic style but very carefully surrealistic content matter.” put those But more important than details onto learning from the artwork of paper. But others, Cherascu said part of in her own art what has helped her grow she isn’t satisfied as an artist are the art with reality. classes at West High. “[My art is] Students “have a somewhat lot of autonomy … realistic [the art teachers] but not give constructive necessarily feedback,” Cherascu said. “I’ve done black and white

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drawing and exploratory art; I’m in AP art. All of them have been really fun.”

In fact, Ioana uses a printing technique she learned in AP art to help her experiment with her art to create the unique effect she looks for. She carves a drawing into plexiglass, fills the crevices with ink, and presses the plexiglass onto paper to print a duplicate copy of the original carving.

“I like it because I can create a series of the same image but play around with them without compromising a continuity amongst them.”

Ad d i t i o n a l l y, the freedom to experiment on multiple identical prints lets Cherascu work to create t h e strange feeling s h e

displays in her work.

“The printing process also yields kind of an unpredictable, organic result.”

ART BY IOANA CHERASCU DESIGN BY LEAH DUSTERHOFT

BY EBONY MCKEEVER

E

mma Guthart ’16 can only be described as a connoisseur of modern fashion here at West.

Whether she is decked out in her classic monochrome black and white, or her colorful eye catching accessories, these clothing choices are without a doubt a style that can be appreciated by many.

When asked to describe her style, Guthart said “I’d say [my style] has two different parts. Sometimes I just like wearing black and white things like monochrome. I have Adidas superstars that are black and white, and I have black jeans too. Then there’s a girly side, because I like wearing dresses and skirts and floral stuff. I feel like because I wear black and white so much I have to mix some colors into it so it’s not just like, ‘Why are you not wearing any color?’ all the time.”

Her overarching view of her fashion choices may not be entirely concrete, but what truly makes an impact is how her visions take form. “[My go-to look] is probably my Adidas shoes, black jeans and either a plain white shirt or a white shirt with a bralette underneath; I like the ones from Urban Outfitters. That adds some color so it spices up [the look] a little bit,” Guthart said.

When out and about around town shopping, it’s most likely you’d find Guthart finding more signature pieces at Forever 21 or Urban Outfitters.

“I love Forever 21 because I can go there and buy so many things for a very small amount of money.

It’s not the highest quality, though, so if I want something that’s going to last a little longer I’ll go to Urban Outfitters,” Guthart said. “I also like Brandy Melville because all their stuff makes it feel like I’m wearing a blanket.”

However, inspiration for her killer style doesn’t manifest from thin air, and in Guthart’s case she most often looks to social media for inspiration.

While describing her method for gaining inspiration, Guthart said “I follow a lot of people on social media and Instagram who make videos online, and they just look cool wearing anything, so I’m just like, ‘Wow, maybe I can wear that.’”

This laid back yet ridiculously effective take on fashion could and should be adopted into the hearts of many as it spreads the simple, lighthearted message that a fantastic fashion breakthrough can be as easy as trying something that looks cool and new on for size.

DESIGN BY LEAH DUSTERHOFT PHOTO BY MARY MONDANARO

WSSPAPER.COM APRIL 2016 PROFILES 15

DARIAN’S STORY

BY ISABELLE ROBLES

Journalism is about telling stories. Oftentimes, we forget that everyone who fills the halls of West has something unique to say and share. Darian Showalter ’16 has a story that few understand fully. This is only a part of her story. For the full length version with more interviews, head to wsspaper. com.

D

ysthymia, or chronic Darian says this attempt was After her first attempt, Darian’s depression, is a relatively stomach was pumped and she after a break up with a boyfriend. common diagnosis with stayed in the in-patient unit for four Later, she realized being in approximately 4 million cases days. After that, she began intense relationships doesn’t fill the documented annually in the U.S., therapy, about two sessions a week, void depression can create. according to the National Institute at the University of Iowa and took “You can’t put all of yourself into of Mental Health. For some, the antidepressant Prozac, but she a relationship, especially since you dealing with their depression is a was not happy with the effects it don’t even have a love for yourself. matter of not had on her. I think I tried to take and take so being able “You have to know that a D a r i a n much from someone, but I didn’t to regulate feeling is temporary, that a at t e mp t e d give anything back,” she said. “I e m o t i o n s , feeling lasts 30 seconds. . . s u i c i d e wanted all this love to make up for turning again at the the love I didn’t have for myself.” things worse Taking 40 pills takes 30 seconds, b e g i n n i n g Since she was close to 18, her than they or I could talk myself out of it of her doctors expressed that it was really are. that takes 30 seconds, too.” sophomore time for a change. She began Showalter year.

She a new medication, Lexapro, Darian Showalter ‘16 is one ove rd o s e d and started sessions with a of these people. on cough medicine and was sent new therapist who helped her “I’ve gotten to the point to the hospital as a precaution, focus on emotion regulation. sometimes where I don’t know while continuing therapy and “A lot of people think when how to get out of the feeling that antidepressants.

For Darian, you’re depressed you can just take I am in, which kind of leads to communicating with doctors medicine and then it gets better, those [suicidal thoughts],” she said. about her feelings was difficult. but no, that’s just for the chemical Showalter starting having “It’s really hard to gauge something imbalance in your head. You suicidal thoughts at the end of like still have to get to this [depression]. eighth grade, but was not yet You could lie and say mental state of mind diagnosed or vocal about it with you’re feeling better,” where you can control family or friends. It wasn’t until she said. “How do you how you’re feeling,” she September of her freshman year really tell someone said. “It’s a matter of when she overdosed on over-the- they’re ‘How do you make this not better counter pills that those around when they are telling [sadness] something that her started to see her struggles. you that they are?” is not such a big deal?’”

Darian Showalter “A lot of times I feel like suicide Around the end of Darian described her ’16 attempts are a cry out for help . . . junior year as her worst. her junior year, Darian You’re not trying to seek attention In January, Darian overdosed on an turned to alcohol in an attempt by a suicide attempt,” Showalter anxiety medication; she passed out to drown out her thoughts. said. “In your head you’re like and began seizing. An ambulance “When you’re drunk, you feel ‘I wanna die, I want to do this arrived at her home and she was good for a second, but then action,’ but then you’re like ‘Do I rushed to the hospital. There, tomorrow what do you have?” really want to die, or do I just want they discovered her overdose It took a friend to pull her out of it. people to see this is how I feel?’” caused acute kidney failure. “[They said] ‘You need to find 16 FEATURE APRIL 2016 WSSPAPER.COM

something better than this. This is not okay for you.’ After that point, after I realized how bad I got, I just stopped . . . I had to make the decision on my own.”

Though some times have been worse than others, Darian looks back on moments of strength, such as her sophomore year Dance Marathon. That year, she decided to shave her head and donate her hair to be used for children with pediatric cancer.

“I wanted to feel like I was good for something. I was doing something good for myself, [when I shaved my head], I felt strong at the point.

I wasn’t going to feel insecure about my hair or anything.”

Now, Darian is more able to look back on her experiences and reflect on where she has improved.

“You have to know that a feeling is temporary, that a feeling lasts 30 seconds . . . Taking 40 pills takes 30 seconds, or I could talk myself out of it -- that takes 30 seconds, too.”

Although she admits to having suicidal thoughts often, her attitude before she takes action has changed.

She urges others who have felt similarly to her to remember the world is greater than a moment. “[Now] the first thing I think about is ‘How will this affect other people’s lives?’ Because it’s just not fair. You might think you were put on this earth alone, but you’re not alone here. There [are] so many people here you will affect.”

Now Darian plans on continuing medication, but only goes to therapy once a month.

Darian graduated early this year, at the end of the second trimester. She is planning on going to Kirkwood for two years to get her associate’s degree and a minor in psychology.

From there, she plans to goto school to go out of state in hopes of becoming a child psychologist. “[I’m excited] to see what life has to offer,” she said. “I know wherever [I end up] I’ll be successful. The joys of life are actually something I want now, and I think when someone feels that way they’re doing better; they’re actually excited for all the things out there.”

DESIGN BY SHARON XIANG PHOTO BY NICK DEERBERG

UNDERNEATH THE

UNIFORM

BY FENNA SEMKEN

Students from military families can face misconceptions about the military which hide the many advantages military families receive.

18 FEATURE APRIL 2016 WSSPAPER.COM

DESIGN AND GRAPHIC BY JUNHEE LEE PHOTO BY MIRIAM PEREZ

T

hroughout Iowa City and West High, military families are often faced with large misconceptions about their families’ career paths, such as what the military entails and what families must go through. Though there are hardships that come with being a part of the military, students of these families believe they are over-powered by the benefits and experiences.

De’ja Bunyan ’17 has come face to face with many of these negative outlooks.

“People don’t understand [the military]. Take Iowa for example, I was very surprised how they view it in such a negative light,” Bunyan said.

“If only they were just around it and they saw how much the army is a part of everyday civilian life, their views would change . . . Sometimes we forget to appreciate the people who protect us on a daily basis. I hear a lot of negative jargon against the army, but if they just knew how much we put on the line, you wouldn’t say that.”

Bunyan is not alone in her experiences, as Rebecca Sandhu ’17 believes people are unaware of the definition of the military.

“A lot of times people don’t understand what it’s like to be a part of a military family and can make careless comments about not supporting the military and the battles they’re fighting,” Sandhu Rebecca Sandhu ’17 said. “I wish people were more aware of the fact that ‘the military’ is such a broad term and by bashing them, you could really be bashing someone’s parent or sibling.”

Sometimes we forget to appreciate the people who protect us on a daily basis.

-De’ja Bunyan ’17 Kathleen Cave, a family therapist at the Veterans Affairs (V.A.), believes the cause of these misconceptions is from the unique experience of being in a military family.

“Even though those who are not military try to understand, there are so many factors civilians wouldn’t even think about,” Cave said. “If you’re living on base in military housing, your houses will be different based on the parent’s rank. If you’ve grown up in one or two places, you really can’t understand the feelings of not fitting in that military kids face. And military parents are sometimes more strict and ‘by the book’ than civilian parents.”

Misconceptions about what the military involves are common, according to Nathan Abramoff ’17.

“A lot of people just don’t realize what being part of the military entails. As family to [my brother], we realize much more than before about how difficult it is to see and visit him, or

keep in contact,” Abramoff said. “We are always sort of on edge since we know when he is done with the Academy, he will be deployed and put in harm’s way.”

These misconceptions can hide the truth, obscuring many benefits military families have.

Bunyan believes that being part of the military is such a good experience, and she plans on joining herself.

“I am happy I am part of a military family and I wouldn’t want anything else. In fact, I plan joining the military, just like my dad, because I want my kids to experience the things I went through,” Bunyan said. “It’s something to prepare you for life.”

Niki Alden ’18 believes the military is full of life lessons and important experiences.

“I had the experience of truly understanding the importance of family. One can’t truly appreciate what Niki Alden ’18 they have until it is gone, so I feel like my family is closer because we have a better appreciation of the importance of having everyone at home safe. I think there is a different world view that comes with [a military family],” Alden said. “When you move a lot, you tend not to accumulate lots of stuff, because you can’t, and you really learn to value experiences and people over objects in a way I don’t feel like most people understand.”

Cave shares Alden’s beliefs, thinking there are many advantages, but hardships that come as well.

“If parents have been stationed overseas, the kids get to live in a completely different culture and environment for a few years. If they like change, there are always new adventures and places to explore,” Cave said. “But disadvantages are worry about the deployed parent, or fear of loss of the parent at a much younger age than civilian kids think about death.”

Maddie Rhinehart ’18 agrees with Cave, as she has been faced with the challenge of the fear of loss.

“The fear of not coming back is the biggest challenge. If [your family member] is going overseas it’s really scary, and if they don’t come back, how will your life change without them?

It can definitely affect school with the thought of ‘Oh, so-and-so is over Maddie Rhinehart ’18 there, are they okay, are they going to be okay, will they come back?’” Rhinehart said. “School is already stressful, and now adding that on top, it’s hard.”

Bunyan has also been faced with challenges, having her childhood put to a halt.

“It put a strain on the family and everyone had to step up in a way. I have two younger sisters and we had to grow up so not everything was so stressful for [my mom] when my dad was deported,” Bunyan said. “I feel like my childhood was definitely put to a stop to make sure my family was taken care of.”

Social studies teacher Holly Robinson is a member of the military, and, like Bunyan, has also dealt with challenges involving her family.

“The biggest challenge for me is balancing both [teaching and the military] because neither of them are nine to five jobs, and both of them are very challenging careers in different ways,” Holly Robinson Robinson said. “It can be taxing, it can be overwhelming and it can be frustrating for my family because I am working a lot.”

Despite these challenges, Alden believes they end up becoming an advantage.

“One of the challenges I had being from a military family is that I don’t have a ‘best friend’ because when you grow up in a military family, you move so much that you have a lot of friends, but you are not in one place long enough to have a best friend,” Alden said. “I have really close relationships with my siblings because we all moved together and could be each other’s ‘best friends.’”

Bunyan has the same beliefs as Alden.

“We have this saying in the army where we adapt and move on. This means you assess the situation, figure out what choices you have, take one of those choices and then you move out smartly. You may have to sacrifice a little bit, but being able to move on is a great way to look at things,” Bunyan said. “It teaches military kids how to adapt which is really great for life experience.”

Katy Alden ’16 believes the military is a huge advantage to have in life, despite the misconceptions and challenges.

“I love my background, and the experience and perspective it provides, and am extremely proud of my parents for having served our country,” Alden said. “I loved the atmosphere of camaraderie and friendships that could continue for years and oceans apart.”

One can’t truly appreciate what they have until it is gone, so I feel like my family is closer because we have a better appreciation of the importance of having everyone at home safe.

-Niki Alden ’18

WSSPAPER.COM APRIL 2016 FEATURE 19

TV

Movies

Your mother

Team Captain America or team Ironman?

DAMN IEL!

WHICH

Movies or TV?

Converse or Vans?

Under Upper

Uh... backpack?

What are you scared of?

Fanny pack all the way

No comment

Ballin’

How good are you at FB messenger’s basketball game?

The weather playing with my emotions

What are you fed up with?

It’s April now, no joke. Two more months until summer break.

Suddenly, it’s getting harder to listen to Breitbach’s words of wisdom: “Finish strong.” If you’re not going to do your homework, you at least should have a good excuse.

Pants

ARE YOU?

Go-to storage when traveling?

Under or Upperclassmen?

START

EXCUSE N DA

COMPILED BY ELEANOR HO CC IMAGES COURTESY OF SPARTOO UK, ANDERW BUCKINGHAM, WOOLENNIUM, HAJILELIHP, GOMERWA FILS DESIGN BY CATHERINE JU

“I had a -*sniff*- really hard week.”

Pull out all the stops.

Channel your inner Theatre West kid. Make Nahra proud. Unless of course, it happens to be for her class . . .

Saturday

Sunday or Saturday?

“I left it at home. Can I turn it in tomorrow?”

Say it with your best “I’m a good student” voice.

Even if you’re not.

Sunday

Cup

Cone

Waffle cone or cup?

She needs a refund

Rockin’

“ I didn’t do my homework, sorry.” Sometimes, the truth hurts.

...

How much do you care?

Uh, sorta?

What’s up with your friend’s haircut?

Spiders

“ I was sick.”

If you rub your nose until it’s red and whisper, it might just work.

“My hedgehog ate my homework.”

An old classic with a twist. Extra points for actually having a hedgehog to demonstrate.

AP tests

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CREATING

CULTURE

BY KELSEY KERANEN, MICHAEL MOONJELY & SHAWN THACKER PHOTOS BY SARAH LONGMIRE DESIGN BY SIMRAN SARIN

It’s croquet and color coordination. It’s a greasy Matthew McConaughey with a mustache. It’s an amalgam of Shakespeare retellings. It’s that one time at band camp and Heath Ledger dancing across a set of rickety bleachers and the moment when the glasses come off and the shy girl was hot all along. It’s the high school experience, and its definition and portrayal is utterly unpredictable.

T

he high school experience is a nuanced thing; depending on the subject matter you’re consuming, it can be anything from a constant party to literally the worst four years of your life.

But the movies we watch and the

books we read have generated a culture that may not be altogether accurate; the stilted characters on screen and in print can feel distant and detached, part of some separate reality where high school is something more romantic than

maladjusted temperatures and crowded halls. It’s easy enough to get caught up in these images we’re presented with and accept them as fact, but slightly more difficult to seek out a truth within our own environment. We present

to you here the closest thing to the truth that we’ve been able to find; six unique stories from six unique individuals that reveal the culture being cultivated by the students at our own high school.

JARED KULA ’19

N

orth Liberty native Jared Kula ’19 has attended ICCSD schools since he was in kindergarten. After successfully navigating the playgrounds of Penn and Garner Elementary and the crowded halls of North Central Junior High School, he thought West would be easy.

“I thought West would give me more freedom, which it has, but I also thought it would be a lot easier than it is, and I could just cruise through it and hang out with people. This year has been a big pool of anxiety,” Kula said.

Kula’s relaxed expectations of high school extended beyond the classroom. He found his free time to be filled with algebra problems

and essays instead of parties and video games.

“High school is not as fun as I thought. I thought the weekends would be a cool break and a huge party scene, but I learned quickly that it is full of homework and is just a break from stress. You have to use your weekend as school away from school,” Kula said.

Due to his schoolwork, Kula found it difficult to pursue his many hobbies outside of classes.

“I spend my free time at my house or skating with friends. I am also trying to teach myself to play the guitar. I have no idea how kids are involved in so many extracurricular activities. I am already stressed enough as it is,

and I’m barely in any extra things outside of school.”

As Kula prepares for his next three years of high school, he is taking a slightly different approach.

“I would tell incoming freshman not to have expectations, because mine have changed a lot. Over the next three years, I want to take more fun classes in subjects that actually interest me. I am planning on taking more theater and music classes.”

Although before high school Kula aspired to be a lawyer, after his English classes at West, he has decided to pursue a career as a writer.

JEN KUEHN ’17

A

s junior Jen Kuehn watched her sister Molly Kuehn ’15 go through high school, she had a clear idea about what her life would be like at West.

“My sister gave me great advice before I came to West. She said that I should get involved in as many things as possible early on so I would have the opportunity to become a bigger part of them when I got older.”

Kuehn knew that her freshman

year would involve soccer and volunteering, activities that she had participated in since elementary school; however, she stumbled upon new passions that have become an integral part of her life.

“I did not really know that I would be involved in WHSDM and show choir, which have ended up becoming really important to me,” Kuehn said.

Kuehn has taken her sister’s advice in stride and has made clubs a large

part of her life as a student, and has taken up leadership positions in a variety of them, including 1440 Interact.

“This year I am vice-president with Kasey Baller ’17. Next year as president I hope to recruit more underclassmen so they can experience the club as long as I did,” Kuehn said.

Although juggling clubs and classes has been a challenge, Kuehn does not have any regrets.

“My outlook isn’t changing going into my senior year. You have to have a positive one, because if you aren’t enjoying [your extracurriculars] you obviously aren’t doing a lot of the things that you love. Putting too much time into something that you don’t enjoy isn’t a good way to handle high school,” Kuehn said.

S

ARSHAQ SALEEM ’18

ophomore Arshaq Saleem has always had a hobby.

When he was four years old he started playing chess. In the beginning, it was just a fun game to play with his dad, but over the years it has grown and developed into so much more than just a hobby.

Although Saleem had an interest in chess from a very young age, he never felt compelled to participate in competitive matches and tournaments until later on. “[In] 2009, I participated in the Weber Chess Tournament. [That] tournament really peaked my interest in chess,” Saleem said. “After the Weber Chess Tournament … I realized how anyone can pick up [chess] and it really appealed to me because of the strategic aspects of it and trying to outsmart your opponent.”

This competitive mentality manifested itself in Saleem’s prior choice of extracurriculars coming into his freshman year.

“I participated in Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics and Science (TEAMS)—the science, technology, engineering and math competition—and in my eighth grade year with some of the other students who [currently] go to West, we were able to win the first prize for nationals,” Saleem said.

Even with his academic success in TEAMS, Saleem still had some worries about high school when he

first started out at West. “[Coming into high school] I was just worried about the homework load and, to be honest, I still am.

Sometimes my homework goes late into the night, but it’s more or less what I expected.”

Despite the potentially heavy workload of high school, Saleem still manages to make time to work on, improve and enjoy his childhood passion. In fact, Saleem has become so proficient at chess as to participate in many prestigious chess competitions, such as the international competition called the World Youth and Cadets Chess Championship. “[During] first trimester, I went to Greece for two weeks to participate in the World Youth and Cadets Chess Championship in the U-16 division,” Saleem said.

“It was pretty tough … I started off horribly, actually. One win out of five games. But I was able to turn it around and I got six out of 11, which is at least decent.”

Out of the 150 participants in this international competition, Saleem placed 89th.

In addition to the chess tournament in Greece, Saleem has also qualified to represent Iowa at the Denker Tournament of High School Champions in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Saleem’s enthusiasm and pursuance of chess has not only led him to participate in prominent

tournaments, but has also helped him with his academic life at West.

“When you sit down to play chess it’s really all about getting the job done and that [mentality] helps me get my homework done and … stay on task with my grades,” Saleem said. “In a chess game you’re constantly planning and thinking about your [goals] and your opponent’s threats. [This attitude helps me in] making decisions.”

Even though academics and

chess take up the majority of Saleem’s time and effort, he does believe that there is more to high school life than that.

“I used to think [the high school experience] was just about getting good grades,” Saleem said. “That’s still important, but I try to also be involved in some social activities.

I think that’s also important to the experience because if you’re just completely focusing on studies, you’ll just get burned out.”

TOMMY DUFFY ’16

I

t seems as though Tommy Duffy ’16 has never felt the cold sting of teen angst that plagues so many high school goers; he’s amiable when he recollects his time spent here, contrasting the atmosphere of the chilly classroom.

“I’m one of the few that I think has really enjoyed high school,” he began. “High school kind of gets a bad rap from a lot of kids, but I’ve loved high school, I think it’s a great thing. The most defining parts of it for me have definitely been what

I’ve done with the basketball team and Best Buddies.”

“I’ve been pretty involved with Best Buddies, and my buddy Willie,” Duffy continued. “That’s something that kind of blossomed from nothing sophomore year.

That really changed me as a person, and that’s something that happened directly because of West.”

Duffy, who became the basketball team manager on a whim during his sophomore year, believes that this experience marks the turning

point in his progression as a person. “[I began managing] because I wasn’t going to make the sophomore basketball team -- I can’t play basketball. That was something I never thought about, but once my dad suggested trying it I was like why not, and I got JD Goodfellow ’16 in on it, too, and we just decided to take a step out into the darkness and it worked out amazingly. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made, hands down.”

Admittedly, he still made some missteps, namely one in the past year that was particularly effective

in a change in character.

“I definitely did let my pride for West carry me away a couple times - last year I talked a lot of crap before the second City-West basketball game, and that was an awful idea … I tweeted stats from their past twelve games against West, and we just dominated them in that streak, so it made [City’s basketball team] look really bad. I didn’t lie about anything, but it was a jerk move on my part … it was a learning experience.”

However, Duffy is proud of the growth he’s made in the past four years.

“The biggest change I’ve noticed in myself is that freshman year I was an obnoxious, loud kid … [I] thought it was funny, but everyone else thought it was annoying and distracting. But then I was like, ‘Everyone else is coming here to learn, and if I’m getting in the way of their learning process, [I’m] ruining the whole purpose of school for them.’ I definitely realized you have to manage the impact you have on other people and make it better, so my classroom behavior got a lot better, which sounds kind of miniscule and boring and beside the point, but that really did change

who I was as as person.”

The most significant rewards from this experience, Duffy believes, are derived from the success of his peers “I’d say [the most rewarding part] is still to come, because for me the most rewarding thing is seeing my friends, because I’m really good friends with the guys on the team, it’s awesome to see them succeed.

Seeing my friends succeed in what they love, that’s really rewarding.

Being a manager, you don’t have very many places to go, like I’m not going to be Lebron. But I might be able to hang out with him one day.”

FRANCIS JAYOMA ’16

S

enior Francis Jayoma expected high school to be a breeze. As a shy freshman with a record of academic success, Jayoma entered West High with the sole goal of leaving with a perfect GPA. Little did he know, over the course of his high school career his horizons would expand and his experience would differ vastly from the strictly academic vision he imagined.

“I was very timid as a freshman.

I was afraid of trying new things, mainly because I was afraid of what people would think of me,” Jayoma said. “Going into high school [I

thought I was] going to get a 4.00 … and little did I realize, I actually had to start putting in effort.”

Jayoma may have been afraid to get involved in new activities, but he surely was not afraid to pursue one of his favorite activities starting in his inaugural year at West: running. In fact, Jayoma participated in both cross country and track for the majority of his high school career.

By participating in West High’s athletic program, Jayoma gained a new friend group that encouraged him to expand his involvement in school activities.

“I had a lot of upperclassmen tell me that [swimming] was really fun to do,” Jayoma said. “Because I did cross country prior … the upperclassmen told me that [I] should try swimming. So I did.”

Although this new experience may have seemed like a good opportunity to make new friends and participate in a new sport to Jayoma, it did involve a fair amount of struggles in the process.

“When I first started swimming my freshman and sophomore year, I didn’t know how to swim. So, I swallowed a lot of water,” Jayoma said. “Meaning, I almost drowned several times.”

However, during his first two years of high school the combination of his goal of academic success alongside his increased participation in a demanding array of sports led Jayoma to become entangled in a cycle of exhaustion from all his extracurriculars.

“I was staying up pretty darn late … keeping up with all my academic work,” Jayoma said. “I was probably taking classes … I wasn’t ready for.

So, I got stressed out [and felt] I needed a change.”

This necessary change came to Jayoma in the form of transferring to Iowa Mennonite School (IMS), a private high school nearby Kalona, for one semester in his sophomore year.

In addition to his stressed-out schedule at West High, Jayoma battled with depression during this

time, which further convinced him to switch over to IMS. “I do miss some of the teachers [at IMS]. I think the teachers there helped me a lot,” Jayoma said. “I ... struggled a bit with depression and [they] were really able to help me get back on my feet … It felt like a family [at IMS].”

Through his experience at IMS, Jayoma was able to overcome his depression. So, he decided to return to West, once again.

Once back at West, Jayoma became more involved in a wide variety of activities- ranging from wrestling to Business Professionals of America (BPA) club. Through these new experiences Jayoma branched out of his original friend group and made achievements in different aspects of his life.

Some of these accomplishments include receiving varsity letters in cross country and track and also getting his first job at Hy-Vee. However, one of the accomplishments he is most proud of is winning the state competition for the entrepreneurship section of BPA. “Junior year I started expanding out [and] that’s when I started meeting a lot of new people and I became outgoing,” Jayoma said.

“Senior year is crazy in how everything goes. I’ve been able to be part of so many different things now and I’ve accomplished so much more … than I have any other year.”

OLIVIA MANALIGOD ’18

O

livia Manaligod ’18 has found her niche in the high school ecosystem as an avid participant in West choirs and the theatre department.

Manaligod began pursuing choir and theater in junior high, participating in Northwest’s show choirs and drama club (“You’re kind of learning how to at at that point,” she added about the drama club. “We wrote some of our own skits. I wrote this one about -- it was really stupid -- but it was about this girl who forced her dad to go buy her some groceries in the middle of the night,”) but felt discouraged about these activities near the end of the eighth grade.

“I almost quit choir, actually, in the eighth grade,” she said. “I didn’t like choir at all … but I saw a show choir performance and I thought ‘Wow, that’s really cool, I want to do that.’ I found out that the only way I could do show choir was to be in choir, so I dropped band and signed up for [the class].”

This was how it began; Manaligod, after much thought, called the guidance office her freshman year and requested to be moved from band to choir. That year, she also had the privilege of making it into show choir.

“I kind of [went into it] blind,” Manaligod said, “but I’m really glad I did this, because I’m still friends with people from band, but I’ve also made a whole new group of

friends by continuing with choir …

Now I have these cool teachers, like Mr. Haas and Mr. Knudson and Mr. Person, from last year, and I’ve found something that I’m actually good at.”

Expounding upon what she’s learned from her experience, Manaligod said: “I can dance better now,” she laughed. “I was really awful at it before. I can get choreography down faster now. I feel like I’ve become more comfortable with myself, because part of show choir and theater is that you have to act really confident. After a while, if you act it on stage over and over again, you feel confident more often. You know how to carry yourself.”

When she considers her experience and how it sets her apart from the rest of the student body, Manaligod believes the differences lie in the lessons she’s learned.

“No one can have exactly the same experience I’ve had,” she began. “I’ve auditioned for plays and didn’t get in, and I’m okay with that. There are people who are super talented and they get in every time and they’re going to go really far, and that’s awesome. But I feel that I’ve dealt with doing really well in certain areas and badly in others, and I feel like I’ve learned what I’m good at and what I’m bad it.”

When asked if she had some sage advice for students like herself,

feeling discouraged in their place in the junior high environment, Manaligod intoned “If you like doing [something] on your own, don’t be afraid of what it’s going to

be like in high school. The classes aren’t too difficult and the teachers are really nice and you should continue with it if you like to do it.”

The movies, it seems, haven’t told us the entire story; as enthralling as the images on the screen might be, they recount half an experience, something disconnected from our plane of existence. There’s more to this tale than this star-studded world would suggest.

What we learned from these students is that it’s taking a chance. It’s making a mistake and learning a lesson. It’s having a plan and following through. It’s taking some time to find yourself because transformations take a while. It’s cultivating a talent, keeping calm and carrying on, being found and lost and found again. It’s the high school experience, and it is what you make it.

What goes around comes around

BY ALLIE BISCUPSKI

O

ften regarded as the dark ages of fashion, the iconic loud styles of the 80s have made their way back into modern fashion. High waisted pants, Ray Ban sunglasses and the ubiquitous blinding neon colors have all made their way back into today’s closets. English teacher Kerri Barnhouse has seen some of the iconic 80s looks she fondly remembers come back into style.

“The high-waisted jean is back!” Barnhouse said. “The wide belts are back! The really wide belts. I loved that! I loved it then, and it’s back.

You always tucked your sweater into your pants.

I’ve seen the tucking in of the sweater [coming back into style].”

Barnhouse remembers outfits with high-waisted pants, a wide belt and a tucked-in sweater, not unlike an outfit seen in the halls of West.

Junior Lily Lucas said she sees 80s fashion coming back into the mainstream, especially at bigger fashion stores.

“I enjoy going thrifting and buying things like high-waisted mom jeans that are ten sizes too big but are the most comfortable thing on

Earth,” Lucas said. “Birkenstocks have made a comeback. Major stores like TopShop and American Apparel sell things that are influenced from those decades, and those are high [end] stores.”

Trends like neon sunglasses, chunky necklaces and overalls have been seen by both Barnhouse and Lucas.

Lucas said while her mom got rid of most of her clothes from when she was a teen, Lucas wishes she could raid her closet for those pieces that are popular once again.

[My mom] got rid of a lot of her stuff ... and I said “Mom, why did you get rid of that? It’s what I want to wear right now, and I think “Those are what I was looking for for my outfit!”

For five days, I dressed and lived as if I was living in the 80s to see what living in that decade was like. This challenge also meant I wasn’t allowed to use the technology that was not available in the 80s. So, no cellphone and no computers were allowed. We made a concession to allow for the use of computers for school assignments, but no technology was used for social media or other social uses.

The first day was by far the hardest. I quickly

28 ENTERTAINMENT APRIL 2016 WSSPAPER.COM

realized my phone is my lifeline when I woke up 20 minutes late because I didn’t have my phone for an alarm. Walking down the hall, everyone is staring down at their phones in hand. I’m a firm believer in technological advances and I love how my phone allows me to connect with my friends. But when you’re sitting across from your friends and they don’t look up to talk to you, it’s clearer to see why some say technology is furthering us from each other instead of bringing us closer.

After the week was over, I found myself being more productive during school and focusing more on the tasks I was doing. Instead of sending my friends a snapchat of me not wanting to do homework, I would sit down and get it done.

Although I felt like I was missing out when I couldn’t login to Instagram, I did accomplish more with my time.

I still use my phone on a daily basis and believe phones have given us the opportunity to connect with others, but slowing down and putting down the phone when you’re with your friends is a tip we can all take.

DESIGN BY EUGENIA CHEN

So yesterday

BY KELSEY KERANEN

S

omewhere within the core of every individual’s existence is an inherent desire to be a 90s kid. We’ve all seen the memes; only true nineties kids will remember this Beanie Baby, this green-blazered pessimist with stylish glasses, this motley assortment of live action films with animated characters. When I volunteered to rewind my existence back about eighteen years (I chose to live in 1998 for obvious reasons -- it was just late enough to naively enjoy such luxuries as the internet and the cinematic masterpiece that is Titanic) for five days, I was eager to be a part of such an iconic decade. Surely, I thought, this was the best idea I had ever had.

In preparation for this immersion project, I

PHOTOS BY PAIGE BRAZINA

tried to gather as much information as I possibly could from the most credible sources I could find: teachers Tyson and Mr. Frese, a pair of dudes who ended their teen years in the 90s.

What I initially assumed would be a ten-minute interview to round out my open hour ended up spilling deeply into fourth period orchestra.

They recounted tales of terrible music, political scandal, the rise of hip-hop and all sorts of grunge, and at the end of the half hour-long interview I found myself prepared to take on my week.

My first few days were full of disappointments.

Apparently they don’t sell Lisa Frank school supplies anymore. I must’ve entered every single office supply store in the area, and I left empty-handed from all of them. The kids don’t like

heavily embellished multicolored unicorns and jungle creatures like they used to.

The concept of ranscribing interviews by hand and then typing them into a Word document and emailing them to myself was a lot less character-building than I had anticipated. It didn’t make me appreciate the trials endured by the people twenty years prior so much as it just made me exceedingly infuriated with my situation.

No one called me on my landline despite distributing my landline number before I commenced the experiment. I would’ve been the most uncool kid the 90s had ever seen.

My Discman appeared to have stopped working at some point between 2004 and the day I tried to use it again. My Xtina and Britney CDs were useless. Never again would I be able to listen to my copy of N*Sync’s No Strings Attached.

My leftover relics of the forgotten age had all failed me.

Clothes were the easiest part of the week; it didn’t come as too much of a surprise that a majority of the clothing housed in my closet corresponded closely with the favorite styles of the day, but it did make me feel a little too much like the token quirky girls of 90s television.

I fell ill in the final days of the experiment, but boy did I still try to be the sickest 90s kid I could be. I watched half of a season of the Simpsons from my sickbed. Admittedly, it was on my computer, and this probably wasn’t a thing that was possible 20 years ago, but whatever. A girl’s gotta live.

I’ll admit I cheated a few times -- I was too lazy to find a newspaper and checked the weather on my phone. I used facebook messenger because I figured it was close enough to AOL. I drove the only car at my disposal which was, in fact, made in 2004. I eventually gave up on transcribing interviews by hand and just typed it into Google Docs because I’m weak and I can’t do anything right.

I can’t say I learned a lot from this experience, but something I definitely noticed was the phones. When you’re not attached to your screen, you notice a lot of other people exhibiting this behavior. It was kind of spooky, seeing so many people looking down; I don’t intend to sound like your grandmother or some other baby booming pessimist, but it was just a bizarre experience. Technology isn’t everything, folks.

Maybe let yourself be a 90s kid every once in a while.

WSSPAPER.COM APRIL 2016 ENTERTAINMENT 29

30 ADS APRIL 2016 WSSPAPER.COM

ENTERTAINMENT

P.O.S. INSTRUMENT EDITION

BY JUNHEE LEE

While most musicians search for high quality instruments to enhance their sound, not all instruments are as pristine. Anytime a band instrument goes below playing quality, Mr. Rob Medd, a band teacher at West High, moves it to an upstairs storage closet.

TRUMPET SAXOPHONE With crushing dents all around the bell and a mouthpiece that won’t come out of the instrument, this trumpet is certainly one of the worst horns to make it upstairs. Without two valves, this trumpet is as unplayable as it is visually unappealing. “[This is] likely a trumpet that someone left here after they graduated and we were never able to get in contact with them to pick it up. It just got kind of got trashed at the end, and they choose to leave it,” Medd said.

This saxophone, found in the upstairs storage closet, has noticeable dents all around it and metal pieces that either don’t press down or come flying off.

“They’re not playable, they’re not usable,” Medd said. Regardless, he tries to find a useful life for these lower quality instruments, either by giving them to students for temporary use or by selling parts to local music stores.

“The thought of taking an instrument and throwing it in the trash just doesn’t work for me.”

FOR MORE COVERAGE, GO TO WSFISPAPER.COM

PHOTOS BY CHANEL VIDAL AND MEG MORELAND DESIGN AND GRAPHICS BY MADDIE MORIYAMA

WSSPAPER.COM APRIL 2016 ENTERTAINMENT 31

BY MADELINE SILVA E. JEFFERSON

ST

NEW THINGS IN THE CORRIDOR IO WA A VE

OUTFOX 2401 Coral Court Suite 3

32 ENTERTAINMENT APRIL 2016 WSSPAPER.COM

E. W ASHINGT

ON ST

ON S T

Opened last September in northern Coralville, Outfox is a unique alternative to typical group outing choices like bowling or mini golf. Outfox is an escape room, a real life puzzle where groups of up to eight are “locked” (for safety reasons, not literally) in a room and forced to use clues around the room and their puzzle solving skills to achieve their goal and get out.

Players must put all the pieces together within an hour to win. Fans of point-and-click escape video games will be familiar with this concept.

Outfox offers two challenges to choose from: Lost Will, where participants must find, you guessed it, their father’s will hidden in his study; and Jurassic Iowa, which tasks players with the responsibility of saving Iowa from dinosaurs.

As per their website, Outfox is open Thursday through Sunday and costs $30 per person for a session. Up to eight players can participate at a time, and it should be noted that unless you book all eight spots, you may be playing with others. Spots in the room must be booked 24 hours in advance.

S. CLINT

Boredom is definitely a common feeling among high schoolers.

Many people have felt at some point that this town has nothing more to offer and that all possible activities have been exhausted.

But complaints that the Corridor has the lamest towns ever to exist aren’t wholly true -- there are always new things going on to explore. Here are a few things to make your spring a bit more novel.

PHOTOS BY STEFAN SCHMIDT DESIGN BY WINGEL XUE

CITY P

630 Iowa Ave

H IS

VE

Over on the east side of downtown at the former location of Ride is one of Iowa City’s newest restaurants, Augusta. This New Orleans-inspired eatery opened in February after relocating from Oxford, its home for eight years. They serve lunch, dinner and weekend brunch in a fairly casual setting at mid-range prices.

The atmosphere and service is warm and inviting.

The menu is simple, consisting of American food with a focus on classic Louisiana dishes like Po’ Boys and New Orleans-style shrimp and Iowa staples such as hamburgers and tenderloin. This unique mix reflects the restaurant’s origin: the owners settled in Iowa and opened their business after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. At the risk of editorializing, I highly recommend the cheesy grit cake and chocolate drizzled beignets.

S 6 ICU TO R

UBER? One new addition to the Iowa City scene is Uber -- maybe.

The ride-sharing service, an app-based alternative to traditional taxis, is popular in many cities and already operates in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines. Although last year Iowa City was removed from Uber’s list of potential markets due to regulations they thought were too burdensome, the company is now reconsidering.

Uber wants the local government to lift its requirement that taxi drivers be registered with the city, claiming that it already keeps a database of driver information that is provided to customers. The city council is now considering an amendment to remove that requirement for Uber and similar ride-sharing services, but opponents claim it would be unfair treatment and bad for local taxi businesses. Depending on the council’s decision, Uber could be in Iowa City as soon as late spring, but as of press time, the outcome is unclear.

Given its popularity with college students, who often have no car, it is clear why Uber would want to expand to Iowa City. Some West students, especially those who have experienced the convenience of on-demand transport, also want it here. “We need it … I used a [similar] service in Korea ... and it’s amazing,” said Dasol Hong ‘16.

LU CA S S T

GILBERT ST

LINN ST

EAST A

AUGUSTA

AR K

WSSPAPER.COM APRIL 2016 ENTERTAINMENT 33

34 ENTERTAINMENT APRIL 2016 WSSPAPER.COM

INSTRUCTIONS Slice the chicken into one inch pieces.

In a large pan, bring mirin and sake to a boil over medium high heat. Add stock, soy sauce and sugar and bring back to a boil.

Add the onion in a single layer and place the chicken on top. Cover and bring to a boil.

Cook over medium heat for ten minutes. Occasionally skim off the scum and fat.

Lightly beat the eggs and drizzle them over the chicken and onions. Cover and continue cooking until the egg is done.

Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle on the green onion. Divide between two bowls of rice and serve with desired amount of sauce.

Makes two servings.

Adapted from justonecookbook.com

PHOTO AND COMPILED BY JEREMY HU PHOTO DESIGN BY CATHERINE JU DESIGN BY CATHERINE JU

WSSPAPER.COM APRIL 2016 ENTERTAINMENT 35

PUTTING ON A SHOW

At Theatre West musicals, there’s a lot to see, both on stage and off. The WSS takes a look behind the scenes of their latest production, Mary Poppins.

BY ELEANOR HO When the lights go down in the Arganbright Auditorium, theatergoers always know they’re in for a good show. But what they don’t know about is what the members of Theatre West do in preparation.

“There are a lot of working parts on a typical day,” said Katy Nahra, director of Theatre West shows.

“In rehearsal we’re just taking the actors through the script, working on memorization and blocking for the musical and they have set days . . . Mondays are choreography days, Tuesdays are vocal days, things like that.”

Though Nahra is the director of the play, there are many student leaders that are on the drama board who help out.

“It’s the crew chiefs; plus we have a president that’s more in charge of relating things to the actors and kind of like the cheerleader, the information mogul, that’s Noah Tiegs,” Nahra said. “[Drama board meetings are] a time to get together and make sure we’re all on the same page.”

One member is Matthew Harper, a vocal captain.

“It’s hard to always make sure everyone’s on the same page, because everyone learns at a different pace,” Harper said. “[I help by] doing morning rehearsals.

Whenever [chorus members] need

36 ENTERTAINMENT APRIL 2016 WSSPAPER.COM

help with songs I play pitches for them, or if they need to hear parts together I do that too.”

Singing, however, isn’t the only thing that chorus members have to do. They also have to learn choreography for the many songs in the musical, with the help of their two choreographers and two dance captains.

“There are a ton of different dances in Mary Poppins, and I’m not in all the scenes but I still have to learn all the dances,” said Jacob Heid ’16, a dance captain. “The hardest thing we’ve had to deal with this year is time management . . . We want to make sure that all the people know the dances, so it’s hard to say we can only spend a set amount of time on each dance.”

In particular, the song “Step In Time” has proved difficult for the chorus. “‘Step In Time’ is definitely the hardest dance because of the tapping aspect, and it’s a very fast song . . . [and there is] a lot of syncopated dancing,” Heid said.

“I don’t have prior experience tap dancing, but in that scene we do have some girls and a few boys that have been tapping for a really long time. For the tapping portions, I ask them for advice and I lean on them a lot. They do a great job explaining all the moves.”

But the effort definitely shows, to audience members and crew members alike.

“I can see all the hard work during the final production,” said Christine Kallsen ’16, one of Theater West’s four stage managers, the people who keep everything organized, a task that isn’t to be taken lightly.

“During tech week when everything’s coming together, it can be really stressful,” Kallsen said. “If the directors get mad, they get mad at us.”

Tech week is the all-important week where all aspects of the show come together at once. Students typically stay from after school until nine o’clock that night working on all aspects of the musical.

“Tech week is when things come together, for better or for not so better,” said Harper.

“When everyone’s getting ready together, and the energy is really high, it’s a great bonding experience,” Kallsen said.

Thomas Barker ’16, a member of the sound crew, agrees.

“Both crew and cast are really fun, but they’re so different. They’re two different types of people,” Barker said. “Being able to hang out with [people] after school is fun, but also working together on something is very rewarding.”

DESIGN BY BARBARA BADOVINAC

APRIL HOROSCOPES Happy Birthday!

And many mooooooore. Celebrate big this year, because why not? Harness your impulsiveness and don’t let yourself get too carried away in trivial things. Focus instead on things that matter most to you.

ARIES

MARCH 21-APRIL 19 Flexibility. And I’m not talking being able to hold your leg over your head. Being able to go with the flow is something that goes a long way. Control your stubbornness. Life throws things your way and you have to be able to change accordingly. Also, you should learn to hold your leg above your head.

Life-long skill.

Do something out of the ordinary soon. Changing things up will allow you to balance your life and let in a little fun. Don’t get caught up in materialistic items. They will only bring you temporary happiness. Look for things in life that grant you permanent happiness and concentrate on those.

TAURUS

APRIL 20-MAY 20

GEMINI

MAY 21-JUNE 20 Your openness and trustworthiness are admirable, but you shouldn’t utilize these traits all the time. Learning to know when to be open and when to be closed off, is something that will leave you a lot less hurt in the end when things don’t go right.

CANCER

JUNE 21-JULY 22 Your determination matched with your innate kindness allows people to look up to you as a leader. Don’t take advantage of that fact. Show everyone that you have that right to be a leader and take responsibility for that position.

LEO

JULY 23-AUG. 22 Don’t focus on perfection. Be realistic in what you can and cannot do. You have lots of things going on this Spring and not everything you do is going to reach that standard of perfect. Allow one less important thing to take the back burner while you devote your attention to the most important thing.

COMPILED BY MEG MORELAND DESIGN BY MADDIE MORIYAMA

VIRGO

AUG. 23-SEPT. 22

LIBRA

SEP. 23-OCT. 22

Focus on your friends. Let them know that you trust them by not hesitating in telling them important things. It will strengthen your friendship and bring you closer. You’re a character and everyone knows it. Let your personality shine and be proud of who you are.

One of your less admirable traits is the fact that you get jealous very easily.

Don’t allow Nick Jonas to influence you!

Remain reasonable and don’t compare yourself to others. Let your selfless side show. People will be drawn to you and close friends will be made.

SCORPIO

OCT. 23-NOV. 22

SAGITTARIUS

Independence is your middle name. You don’t need anyone for anything. But don’t forget about how many people love you and are on your side. Just because you’re independent doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate those around you.

NOV. 23-DEC. 21

CAPRICORN

DEC. 22-JAN. 19

AQUARIUS

A common characteristic of Cappies is that they can be very passive. So try to say what you mean and mean what you say (if you’re a high school girl, I can understand how this could be a little difficult). Let your desire to succeed drive you to finish this school year strong.

Let your creative juices flow this spring.

Take some photos, paint a picture, live the vida loca! Make sure that you are involved in your life these next few weeks. Don’t let anyone tell you what to do or what you should be doing.

JAN. 20-FEB. 19

PISCES

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Lots will be coming your way this spring. Don’t wait too long to make a decision and make sure that you stick with it. Be aware that you are easily hurt and don’t let the meanies get you down.

FEB. 20-MARCH 20 WSSPAPER.COM APRIL 2016 ENTERTAINMENT 37

SPORTS NO PERSON IN THE UNITED STATES SHALL,

ON THE BASIS OF SEX,

BE EXCLUDED FROM PARTICIPATION IN,

BE DENIED THE BENEFITS OF OR BE SUBJECTED TO DISCRIMINATION

UNDER ANY EDUCATION PROGRAM OR ACTIVITY

RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

Despite actions such as Title IX meant to close the gender gap in sports, many coaches and athletes around the world, nationally and at West still feel that male and female athletics are not treated as equals. Whether it is participating in a gender-dominated sport or receiving media attention, many feel that the gender gap is still apparent.

SAME SPORT,

DIFFERENT SUPPORT?

B

efore the 1970s, participation by females in sports was small. In a 19711972 participation survey by the National Federation of High School Associations, total participation in U.S. high school sports was 93 percent by males and only 7 percent by females. But in 1972, Title IX changed the sports world forever by requiring equal opportunities for male and female athletes, and participation on the female side since then has skyrocketed.

BY ELLIE GRETTER & GABBY SKOPEC

“Title IX came in there and forced some of those stubborn programs to add girls [sports programs] and that was good. What we saw was this big spike in girls’ participation, and college athletics has just ballooned over that time,” said Athletic Director Scott Kibby.

“But I think we see now that we’ve plateaued and we are not really growing anymore, and I’m not sure why that is.”

After the initial boom, participation slowed and now

38 SPORTS APRIL 2016 WSSPAPER.COM

ranges around 57 to 60 percent for boys and 40 to 43 percent for girls. Other than participation, the gender gap in sports describes the differences between male and female athletics in several areas which also includes media attention and salaries. Many coaches and athletes agree that the gender gap is not a positive thing for boys or girls, but have different opinions on what causes it, and how it can be closed.

“I think the gender gap needs

to be closed. It gets on my nerves that people find guys’ sports more entertaining and more important. I feel like if girls show they are just as aggressive and just as willing to compete in their sports as guys, then I feel like we can change that,” said Taleah Smith ’17.

Girls soccer coach Dave Rosenthal agrees that people may see female athletics as less entertaining at first, which causes the disinterest.

“I really wish that people would see women’s sports as equivalent,

just as enjoyable, and it might the team, she will be treated like out because she wants to play, and physicality advantage for guys be a different game . . . I think if all other team members,” (IHSAA she wants to compete in a great competing against girls, so they you recognize that they are not 2015-2016 Handbook), among game,” Hartwig said. wouldn’t want a 6’2” senior boy necessarily similar sports, if they other recommendations. One Another athlete who has on the volleyball team against our are playing men’s and athlete with experience participated in a girls. It’s a blanket thing women’s, but that they in this area is Smith, who g e n d e r - d o m i n a t e d to make sure the girls are different types of participated in football sport is Ben Jaeger ’18, have a great experience sports, and you look for at the junior high level. who participates in and they’re safe,” Kibby different types of things “I showed up the first cheerleading, said. to appreciate, I think day of practice and for “[Cheerleading] is All in all, the gender that’s an important the first few weeks we a really cool thing to gap is an ongoing component,” Rosenthal did conditioning and the do because it’s a very problem not just at Taleah Smith ’17 Ben Jaeger ’18 said. coaches were impressed different experience West but also nationally.

In Iowa, there are two with how than most Rosenthal agrees the governing bodies for athletics: a well I was doing with people have, but since gender gap is present in moderngirl’s union (IGHSAU) and the conditioning. Then in it is a female dominated day high school athletics, but that boy’s association (IHSAA). These the first game I ended up sport there’s a lot of there is a still possibility that the two agencies set the rules for starting and did pretty gender stereotypes that gap can be closed. how participation works on each well,” Smith said. go along with it,” Jaeger “[The lack of participation of girls side, which means the rules may Although Smith did said. in athletics is] a large part due to not seem cohesive. On the boys not continue to play Cheerleading is societal history. We haven’t had the Scott Kibby side, the IHSAA allows females football in high school governed by the IHSAA respect for female athletes in our to participate in sports due to size and the Iowa culture and in many, such as wrestling or concerns, football Cheerleading Coaches many others across football, where there is coach Garrett Hartwig Association and not by the world, and that has not an equivalent sport says he would the girls’ union because changed drastically over on the female side. If a encourage girls who are originally, when cheer the years. In women’s girl wishes to participate interested to join the was created, it was for soccer, the success of in one of these sports, team, but wants it to girls to cheer for the the national team and the IHSAA recommends be for true passion for boys’ sports. However, the support by U.S. Garrett Hartwig Dave Rosenthal a meeting between the sport, rather than the governing system, soccer to develop that, coaches, parents, political statements. is why Jaeger was able that helps, the national principal, athletic director and the “I don’t want a girl to come out to participate in cheer, as the exposure helps. The fact that there’s athlete where, “The girl and her for the football team to make a IGHSAU does not allow boys to a women’s professional basketball parent(s) should be informed that statement that she’s a girl on a participate on girls sports teams, league helps. You get more and once she becomes a member of football team, I want her to come such as volleyball or softball. more press for these women, I “They believe that there’s a think that all helps,” Rosenthal said.

GENDER DISTRIBUTION IN SPORTS 1971-1972

25%

75% WEST HIGH

2014-2015

7%

93% NATIONAL

43%

42%

57% WEST HIGH

58% NATIONAL BOYS

DESIGN BY LILY WESTEMEYER

GIRLS

WSSPAPER.COM APRIL 2016 SPORTS 39

HEADING TO THE TOP Freshman Gada Ambo has had many opportunities through soccer, including being invited to join the Sporting Kansas City team. However, Ambo decided to stay and now hopes to continue his career on the field with a West jersey.

BY LEXI SHAFFER

Most athletes can only dream of becoming a professional, but only one in every 5,355 actually make it to the professional league after high school.

Gada Ambo ’19, already a top player in the state and at the regional level, is on his way to eventually accomplish this prestigious feat.

Ambo started playing soccer when he was very young. “[I don’t remember when I started], but it was what all the kids did at the time, so I just jumped in and played with them. I started playing club soccer when I was eight with Iowa City Alliance,” Ambo said.

This is when his career truly started. Since then, Ambo has tried out and made the Iowa Olympic Developmental Program (ODP) four years in a row. He has also advanced onto the Midwest Regional Olympic Developmental Program the last four years. Ambo is one of five Iowa players who had this opportunity to represent his state.

Ambo appreciates all of his experiences. He also enjoys working with so many different teams and coaches at different levels. Ambo especially credits his club experience and believes it will benefit him on the West team. “[Club soccer has] made me better. I play [with kids older than me] so I get to play with some of the kids from the West team,” Ambo said. “I think it will really help our chemistry on the field.”

Ambo also realizes the challenges he will face playing in a new environment.

“It will be different playing with bigger and older kids, but I’m not nervous. I know most of the players and we are all friends,” Ambo said.

“I’m looking forward to playing with better players and improving.”

One of Ambo’s keys to success is setting goals and then working to achieve them.

“My goal for this season is to make varsity and [hopefully] get a starting [position]. I also hope to help the team win the state title,” Ambo said. “I think we have a really good chance this year; we didn’t lose a lot of players and I think everyone has really improved [since last year].”

On top of hoping to make varsity, Ambo has also recently been invited to play in Kansas City, Missouri for Sporting Kansas City, making him one of two Iowa players to be invited.

“Sporting Kansas City is a professional team and this [club] is their academy. If you are good enough you can make the first team, which is the Major League Soccer (MLS) professional team. Or you could also get good scholarships to really good colleges,” Ambo said. “I’ve been down there twice but I’m still looking for a host family.”

When asked about his future with soccer, Ambo said he hopes to play professionally or at least continue his career at the collegiate level. In order to make this happen he will continue to try his best, spending countless hours practicing both by himself and with teams in order to reach his goal.

FAST FACTS: 40 SPORTS APRIL 2016 WSSPAPER.COM

Favorite team: Chelsea Favorite move: “I just like keeping it simple.”

Favorite Player: Hazard Club: Iowa City Alliance Soccer Club PHOTO BY SARAH LONGMIRE DESIGN BY MORGAN SCHMITT-MORRIS

CREATING A RACKET

As the brother of a state champion tennis player, Jack Wenzel ’19 enters West High with a certain amount of responsibility and excitement. Wenzel now takes his turn to make an impact on West High tennis.

BY JIUNG JUNG

T

o say that Jack Wenzel ’19 has big shoes to fill in the tennis department of West is an understatement.

As a member of a remarkable senior class that only suffered one team loss throughout their four years, his brother Karl Wenzel ’14 compiled three team state championships and took three trips to the individual state tournament, winning the entire tournament with David DiLeo ’15 in 2014.

Two years after his state championship, Karl Wenzel is passing the torch to his little brother Jack Wenzel, but Jack is ready to live up to his expectations, having focused on tennis ever since his youth.

“I have played tennis ever since I can remember,” Wenzel said. “It’s kind of a family tradition.”

Wenzel is definitely correct when DESIGN BY LEXI SHAFFER PHOTO BY PAIGE BRAZINA

he says tennis is a tradition in his competition. His success would not family. Alongside his brother, who have come without countless hours currently plays tennis for Wheaton of guided practice.

“I practice tennis three to four College, his father was also a former state doubles runner up and played days a week in an academy, and I Division I tennis at Iowa State. also have one to two private lessons Wenzel realizes the per week,” Wenzel said. “[I am coached] by Matt significance of his Hagan, who played #1 family’s success. singles for Iowa, and “Yes, there is a little bit Warren Locke, who of pressure because of how well [my Dad and was a former junior Davis cup player for Karl] did, but I like the Australia.” challenge,” Wenzel said.

Mitch Gross Since tennis is an “They have been great individual sport, role models in showing me that working hard shows Wenzel has had to build a strong results.” mentality during his many hours However, this is not to say Wenzel spent on the court by himself.

“I don’t like that in tournaments has not had his fair share of success. In fact, he has won several it’s more of an individual sport. state tournaments and has even If you’re playing badly you have represented Iowa three different no one to pass the ball to like in times in a state-to-state style basketball,” Wenzel said. “But

because it’s an individual sport it has taught me how to be mentally strong on my own and how to selfmotivate myself.”

Now Wenzel enters a whole new environment. High school tennis brings a new aspect of teamwork and camaraderie; however, Wenzel’s transition onto the team atmosphere has been a smooth one.

“I have high expectations for Jack this season,” boys tennis coach Mitch Gross said. “He has shown great promise with his off-season preparation.”

Wenzel, like much of his family, hopes to make his mark on Iowa high school tennis.

“I would love to be an individual doubles or singles state champion,” Wenzel said. “After my high school tennis career, I plan to follow in my brother and my dad’s footsteps by playing college tennis.”

WSSPAPER.COM APRIL 2016 SPORTS 41

FLY

BY MASON WANG

O

ne West High program has in anything. It was just a great won the state championship experience for me,” said Crowell. every year in its existence, “It pretty much sparked defeating a dozen teams from Linn my passion for Mar, Ames, Ankeny, Waterloo, frisbee.”

Urbandale and West Des Moines Valley.

Just kidding. The West High Metallic Wings Ultimate club isn’t Despite endorsed by West High. Wings, which has existed since 2013, its success, Wings is not a WestHigh endorsed club, and placed seventh at the likely never will be. biggest Midwestern “Ultimate frisbee isn’t tournament in the fall, a high school sport in the Chicago Invite.

It has been the state Iowa, and it’s not super champion for three popular, [so] it’s hard for us to recruit players years in a row and for our program,” said captain Dillon Crowell, Dillon Crowell ’17 handler Ethan Upchurch ’17 is hoping for four. ’17. “We believe that we “My best Ultimaterelated memory is winning the should be associated with all of state title last year. Last year was my Iowa City, since we have players first year on the team and it was the from other schools.”

Although they’re very dedicated first time I had won a tournament

42 SPORTS APRIL 2016 WSSPAPER.COM

to

ING

the sports, the players

TO VICTORY

don’t mind being unofficial.

“I play

“We were playing an intimidating team out of Neuqua Valley, and we were down by a point and I threw the frisbee deep for a score to tie up ultimate the game,” said Upchurch, recalling b e c a u s e his best Ultimate memory.

I’ve never At times like these, Crowell recalls been more passionate why he joined the team about anything else in in the beginning. my life. I actually have “The payoff of never done something becoming good and that’s as consistently fun contributing on the as frisbee,” said Crowell. field to help your team “I’m always learning how win is an amazing to be better, so it never feeling,” said Crowell.

Ethan Upchurch ’17 gets old.”

Wings puts its While frisbee is thrilling, association aside as it the players treat it as a serious and looks for its fourth state title. competitive activity. There are often intense moments when the team’s preparation pays off.

PHOTOS BY MEG MORELAND DESIGN BY EUGENIA CHEN

PROFILE:

COACH CRAIG BOYS TRACK COACH

1

TRACK&FIELD PHOTOS BY SARAH LONGMIRE

1. Alex Willis ‘17 does the high jump at the Women of

Troy Relays on March 29. Willis placed sixth with a jump of 5-00.00. The team won the meet with a score of 174 points. Linn Mar was second with 122.

2. Deniz Ince ‘19 competes in the junior varsity 800 meter run. Ince won the event in a time of 2:32.65.

3. Nia Basabe ‘17 passes the baton to Tiara Green ‘18 during the distance medley relay, the team placed second in 4:18.66.

4. Valerie Welch ‘17 competes in the 100 meter hurdles.

Welch took first place in 15.26 and teammate Grace Young ‘16 placed second.

5. The boys track team practices on March 30. From left to right: Coach Craig, Nick Feeley ‘16, Matthew Schneider ‘16, Micah Smith ‘17, Ace Holst ‘18 6. Smith and Will Conrad ‘19 run an interval during practice.

Travis Craig

2

4 3 6

5

This year the coaching staff of the boys’ track team will look almost entirely different. The team brings in many new assistant coaches, all with different areas of expertise, but will keep some familiar faces around. At the helm will be new head coach, Travis Craig.

ExperienceAssistant track coach for 11 years at West and worked with middle distance and distance.

Craig was the cross country coach at North Central Junior High for three years. Also coached at other schools across Iowa for six years.

Areas of emphasis for the team1. Friends and family. “Everyone is an important part to our team and we should be held accountable to each other. This should be an opportunity to learn a little about themselves, but also about the sport of track and field and working together as one unit,” Craig said.

2. Faith. “Having faith and trust in each other to be what we need, when we need it . . . Track involves so many talent areas and events that if we learn to use our talents collectively to achieve greatness, we will be successful,” Craig said.

3. To have fun.

4. To compete. “An old coach and mentor of mine used the phrase, ‘When you compete, you always look good.’” Craig said.

Additionally, the team will have a home meet on April 9. “[We] would love to have a large student section cheering on our athletes that work very hard on a day to day basis as well as enjoy our awesome facilities,” Craig said.

DESIGN BY GABBY SKOPEC COMPILED BY TAYLOR LIBBY

APRIL 2016 SPORTS 43

44 ADS APRIL 2016 WSSPAPER.COM

OPINION ENCRYPTED AMERICA

BY BENJAMIN BLIVEN The FBI has recently tried to get into the phone of Syed Rizwan after the tragic attack on the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California. However, the attempts have been unsuccessful due to what is known as phone encryption.

If you don’t already know, an encryption is a way to store data on your phone in a unreadable way, with the use of a personal

BY ELEANOR HO

“Teenagers.” Often accompanied by an eyeroll, it’s not just something I hear while innocently checking my phone. I see it in the stares of some people if I happen to laugh too loudly in a public place while joking with friends.

Well guess what? We have a name now: Generation Z. Our generation.

And it turns out, we’re not just the self-absorbed ambiguous phase between childhood and adulthood that the media says we are.

Generation Z has only recently begun to be defined by researchers and marketers, who are trying to understand how our generation’s identity is formulated. Even at these early stages, however, it is important to see how our generation has diverted from all the other generations in play.

DESIGN BY ELEANOR HO

identification number or (PIN) number. Using the backdoor the government is requesting, it would allow them to bypass the encryption and get into the phone.

However, this doesn’t bode well for American security.

These issues are important for us to understand, because technology like this is a large part of our lives, and the decisions here could impact us in the future.

The government isn’t requesting a backdoor for just Syed’s iPhone, they are requesting a backdoor for every iPhone out there. If this were to get into the wrong hands, hackers

could get into any iPhone out there, and steal all of your information.

While it may be good to find out the plans for the attack, it’s more important to protect and secure the information of the people.

Recently, the FBI was able to get into the iPhone, without the help of Apple. While the FBI withdrew their case, Apple says they still would like to help as much as they can. The company did their best, and helped the FBI as much as they can, without risking our security.

Smartphones are an important part of everyone’s lives, and we use them to store a lot of personal

information. Apple has done everything they can to help the FBI in their investigation; however, giving access to unlock the phone threatens our security. We have seen issues like this before, with the Stop Online Privacy Act and Net Neutrality. Both allow the tracking of users online and the ability to access their information. These are trying to take away our freedom, and also want to invade our personal privacy. While these acts have been fought against, we need to keep in mind the main points of these acts: the safety and security of the American people.

GENERATION GAP

Though researchers have had trouble defining the specific time of births, with some saying the first members of Generation Z were born ranging from 1991 to 2001, the thing that sets Generation Z apart is technology.

You and I grew up with the Internet at our fingertips. We hear about things like “dial up internet” and “the dewey decimal system” but do we really know what they are? Nope. Everything these days has become fast, fast and faster. Generation Z has grown accustomed to being in constant contact with the rest of the world.

This doesn’t just come down to the question that adults always seem to be asking us: “Why do you have to be on your phone all the time?” But this connectivity means more than just checking your Facebook every five minutes. The need for constant feedback has caused something else much lamented by adults: our need for quick answers, if not accurate ones.

But this has also come to benefit Generation Z in a way. With readily accessible information always near us, it has made us

into more independent decision know what problems we need to makers. We don’t need anyone to solve and we know we have the tell us anything, we can just figure capability to do it. We can sense it out for ourselves. And, as fast the weight of the world rapidly information processors, we are descending on our shoulders, and better able to handle any variety of we’re determined to do something future there is. about it. Our flexibility will allow The other most influential piece us to confront problems in a way of information that has shaped other generations won’t be able to. our generation is the state of the So this is all well and good, but economy and world affairs. Most you might be wondering, “Why of us have grown up with little to does this matter?” no memory of what the world Generational identity is a lot was like before global terrorism like personal identity: you need affected the United States, or the to explore it and understand it to era of economic prosperity before enrich your life and the lives of the downturn that lasted through those around you. While there’s our childhood. Environmental no promise I have any idea about problems are more prevalent now the latter, we have no excuse not than they ever have been before. to further analyze generational We have grown up in a time with identity and find out how to work a slew of new problems has affected around the gaps. society, differentiating us from the If we can understand the typical carefree nineties kids that differences and motives behind make up the Millennials. generations and reconcile them, Our new awareness for problems we’ll be able to function and in the world and the initiative solve problems better as a society. that we’ve developed from having By better understanding both information available at all times ourselves and the people around has affected us in ways that many, us, we can develop more elegant jaded by the ‘selfish teen’ archetype, solutions to problems we can’t have missed. At a younger age, we escape.

WSSPAPER.COM APRIL 2016 OPINION 45

THE RAILWAY CONDUCTOR From braving the vast Atlantic to taking their first step upon American soil, my grandparents wove the threads that would fashion an intimate family.

BY LAUREN KATZ

As a child, I fretted over what was socially acceptable and was easily embarrassed. When my family and I went ‘out on the town,’ I would take great pains to ensure I was a full three steps behind them.

My aspiration was, of course, to save the occasional passerby from the presumption that I was indeed a member of the circus act commencing before me. Back in the olden days - elementary school, that is - my mother would sporadically bring me lunches. She would sit on the bench outside the lunchroom, curls askew and smiling brightly when she caught sight of me. As for me, I’d stay in line, take a furtive glance about and take the plastic bag from her with a pained smile.

To this day, my mother denies ever being disappointed in my dismissive nature, but I regret more than anything not giving her a hug for those slices from Pizza on Dubuque. My grandparents strove their whole life to create a tight-knit family, but at the time I was used to parroting the banal phrase: “Yes, Grandma. Friends they come and

go. But sisters you have forever.”

My grandparents sought to embed the importance of family early on, but it took years and snippets of stories for me to understand.

On April 26 1957, my grandparents boarded the SS United States. They frantically pushed their way to the front of the railing, jostling their fellow passengers in attempt to locate their parents. As the faces blurred and the German shoreline receded, they murmured goodbye to everything they knew to be true, and fortified themselves in preparation for a new beginning.

Where my grandfather was from, there were 13 people stuffed in a house no bigger than a kitchen and slept on straw mattresses. The second everyone was seated at the dinner table, it was a scramble for food, for there were no seconds.

For him, the chance to build a better home wasn’t something he could afford to pass up.

They knew from the beginning that it wasn’t going to be easy being foreigners (moreover Germans) in America after World War II. Wounds were still seeping and

46 OPINION APRIL 201 WSSPAPER.COM

those who were homegrown weren’t so easy to forgive. My grandparents worked to build a foundation for a family, navigating the New Jersey bus system, finding a job even though they couldn’t speak English and developing a backbone among the sea of unwelcoming faces.

When I think of the love between my grandparents, I realize that it is a partnership. They get up each morning and make the bed.

He whistles and she sways to her German music. She measures her coffee, and he takes out a knife for her to butter her roll. Him, with a towel around his neck, the fixer-upper guy, and her, the getthings-done woman. She says that in Germany they are not as quick to bestow sudden displays of affection -or any affection at all- as folks are here in America. If her father said to her mother that he loved her, they would all ask what was the matter with him. When I imagine what love is, I think of my grandma asking my grandpa to save the lotion for her, and him acquiescing, but not before confiding, “She wants a way to get

rid of the wrinkles without using an iron.”

My grandparents’ sole purpose is to ensure that the ties within our family remain strong, rather than fray over the years. They may disagree with some of the choices we make, but they keep their thoughts below the surface.

I remember what my grandma told me long ago: “I call you every weekend; I’ve been doing it a long time, and I’ll keep doing it.” She keeps us up-to date on the cousins, on life back East. All she asks for in exchange is news on the parental unit, so she can relay our adventures to the rest of the family. She calls because her father died when he was 34, because she was walking home with her mother when she slipped between my grandmother’s arms. Her heart had given out and all my grandma could catch was the husk. Because she felt her mother’s heartbeat fade beneath her palms, and she was not ready to say goodbye. Because she is the last sister of four left upon this planet. Because in the end, family is family.

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL MOONJELY

STOP KILLING THEM. PLEASE.

DESIGN BY ELEANOR HO

THE BASIC ISSUE

BY EMMA BRUSTKERN

BY STORMY SNYDER

Throughout my fifteen years of life, I’ve heard many slang terms come and go: bae, shade, on fleek and turnt, just to name a few. Some I embraced, and some I wished would die in a hole, but there is one term I truly hated: basic.

Basic, a word often considered to be synonymous with “basic bitch” or the “white girl” stereotype, is generally used to describe a girl who follows mainstream trends and is seemingly devoid of any originality.

The word became popular in 2014. I listened in as it was thrown around to describe the girls in my grade. “All she listens to is Top 40 music,” they might say, “and she wears UGG boots all the time. How basic can you get?”

This word really hit home for me.

As a kid, I felt like I didn’t really fit in with the rest of my peers. I had different interests, wore different types of clothes, and I didn’t like to talk. In a sense, I was estranged from the rest of the people in my class.

As I got older, I began to come out of my shell a bit and realized I really wasn’t that different from everyone else. I socialized more, and found out I had more in common with kids my age than I thought.

And that’s where the word basic comes in. Right as this term rose to popularity, I was blossoming into my newfound confidence and overall happiness. In the meantime, the word evolved to not only mean someone who follows trends, but to mean almost the same thing as ditzy, attention seeking and unoriginal.

I immediately ran away from all my progress. I became absolutely terrified of becoming basic. It felt like a terrible and unfair circle: I had been the kid who didn’t fit in, and I felt outcasted for that. Now,

as I was beginning to correlate with the mainstream, there was a possibility of being outcasted for that. What was a girl to do?

Suddenly, I felt the need to monitor everything I did more closely. I felt anxious whenever I wore my UGG boots to school. I tried desperately not to post too much on Instagram. I avoided leggings, converse and absolutely anything from Starbucks.

Even after the term finally reached its peak and disappeared, I had been scarred. It was toxic for both my self-esteem and lifestyle. To this day, I still look at clothing in stores and think, “Will I look too basic if I wear this?”

The fact of the matter is, my feelings of fear centered around being basic were no different than my fear of being too unique. This feeling stemmed from a societal urge to push young people, especially girls, into metaphorical boxes. As a culture, we push each other to embody a single role– basic or unique, sociable or shy, athletic or intelligent.

In reality, human beings are full of multitudes, and basing our entire personalities off of a single interest is inaccurate and wrong.

Claiming that a person who likes something such as leggings is unoriginal and therefore unworthy of your time isn’t only rude, it doesn’t make sense. Leggings and other stereotypical staples of a basic person don’t make anyone unoriginal or ditzy, just as wearing glasses doesn’t make one smart.

In conclusion, the slang term basic is stupid, demeaning and stereotypical.

Unless you’re referring to “the essential facts or principles of a subject or skill”, or to something with “a pH greater than seven,” please refrain from ever using the word again.

WSSPAPER.COM APRIL 2016 OPINION 47

OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS: WSS EDITORIAL THE START TIME PRO:

CON:

For high schoolers, the 50 A solid 50 percent of what minute later-start that will teenagers complain about is lack be implemented next school year contains a of sleep. But when the opportunity comes, plethora of issues; especially for student athletes. people decide to pass it up? Why would you?

It’s one thing to just be a teenager with a busy These busy students will need to miss more class life who can’t get any sleep to save their life. periods when they go to away games. The same That’s a choice we make, to be sleep deprived. athletes will also be practicing later into the But it’s something completely different when night, taking away from time with their families there are studies that exist that say teenagers and making them practice in the dark.

For working students, this change will cause function better when school starts later. Imagine being able to get out of bed at a godly hour, them to work one hour less every single day. being able to actually shower and eat breakfast, Many of these students work to provide their families and will be unable to something that doesn’t happen work before school due to the nearly enough. It might even turn us all into morning people. Do you support the change time constraint.

Anyone that doesn’t walk Then there are those people in start time? to school will now be caught who are hanging out whining in the nine-to-five rush about how their extracurriculars hour traffic, increasing the are getting shuffled around probability of accidents for like crazy. But do you come to young and inexperienced school to play basketball, or drivers. They will also be play for the jazz band? No. You driving in the dark much more The WSS editorial board voted come to school to take classes. frequently during the winter. against this measure.

That bit is even required by law.

Students that get dropped The learning part of school is off by their parents in the the most important. We should morning will arrive at school be prioritizing that over extracurriculars, and optimizing the time that we do spend in school. ridiculously early, as their parents can’t change And let’s not be self-centered here. This was their work schedule in accordance to the new mainly about the elementary kids, whose school schedule. It will be impossible for older parents have to run out to work and leave them siblings attending high school to pick up their at home until the bus can come pick them younger siblings because the high schoolers are up. I don’t know about you, but I don’t trust a in school an hour after their younger siblings kindergartener who can’t read an analog clock get out. This will force families to pay for an after school program, which in many cases, is yet in a house all by themselves.

The ICCSD also saved $116,000 through this unrealistic.

Whatever budget cuts or sleeping studies caused measure. That means there’s $116,000 that can the school board to come to this conclusion go to academics, athletics and your precious are not enough to convince the student body. extracurriculars.

Student input needs to be considered much So all in all, maybe this start time change isn’t such a bad idea after all. If you just give it a more when concluding decisions that will affect student life greatly. chance, you might actually like it.

5-11

FOR CLARIFICATION

Some readers of the West Side Story have expressed anger at some of the columns printed in the opinion section, wondering as to why the newspaper chose to print them.

The editorial board of the West Side Story would like to clarify that the articles printed in the opinion section with a named author portray the individual opinions of the writer alone.

It is the job of the editorial board to decide whether or not an article, including opinion pieces, is ethical or not. The board is made up of leaders on staff who apply to be an editorial board member at the end of each year.

48 OPINION APRIL 2016 WSSPAPER.COM

The editorial board also is responsible for the editorials published in the paper. The specific writers are not named, as the editorials reflect the majority opinion of the entire editorial board. They are also usually accompanied by an editorial vote related to the article.

The editorial board hopes that this clears up any confusion readers have about the opinion section, and we hope you continue reading and enjoying the West Side Story. If you want your opinion to be heard, contact us at westsidestorypaper@gmail.com for a guest column or to send in a letter to the editor.

BOARD

BARBARA BADOVINAC ALLIE BISCUPSKI PAIGE BRAZINA AARON CARTER CHARLIE CODE CAMERON COOK SCHYLER DAVIS DANETTA DOBRE NINA ELKADI ELEANOR HO KELSEY KERANEN MICHAEL MOONJELY ISABELLE ROBLES SIMRAN SARIN CHANEL VIDAL LILY WESTEMEYER SHARON XIANG CHRISTIAN ZIRBES EQUALITY STATEMENT 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 ,Kingsley Botchway, at 509 Dubuque Street, 319-6881000. Please contact westsidestorypaper@ gmail.com for questions or comments.

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.

WEST SIDE STORY EDITORS

Kelsey Keranen Sharon Xiang Barbara Badovinac Allie Biscupski Paige Brazina Aaron Carter Charlie Code Cameron Cook Danetta Dobre Nina Elkadi Layla Hannaford Eleanor Ho Zayetzy Luna Ebony McKeever Michael Moonjely

STAFF

Isabelle Robles Simran Sarin Morgan Schmitt-Morris Fenna Semken Gabby Skopec Maggie Terry Chanel Vidal Lily Westemeyer Christian Zirbes

STAFF

Leela Bassuk Benjamin Bliven Shanthi Chackalackal Eugenia Chen Shati Cooper Christina Dai

Schyler Davis Braedyn Dochterman Leah Dusterhoft Katie Fuhrmeister Ellie Gretter Louis Ho Jeremy Hu Abby Jans Catherine Ju Jiung Jung Junhee Lee Taylor Libby Sarah Longmire Mary Mondanaro Meg Moreland Maddie Moriyama Claire Murray

Jacob Nishimura Ryo Ohashi Miriam Perez Anthony Pizzimenti Prateek Raikwar Olivia Read Stefan Schmidt Lexi Shaffer Madeline Silva Hannah Song Shawn Thacker Mason Wang David Wu Wingel Xue Sara Whittaker– Adviser

ART BY BRAEDYN DOTCHERMAN

DESIGN BY ELEANOR HO

WSSPAPER.COM APRIL 2016 OPINION 49

[

HUMOR

WEST HIGH CLASS OF 2052 FINDS

LOST HEADLINES

BY LEELA BASSUK

FROM SPRING OF 2016

]

Earlier this week, WSS staff members discovered an old USB containing several top stories from an eventful two months in 2016 at West High. Staff member Jonny Smith ‘52 commented: “The USB kinda looked like my RoboNanny, and reading the headlines re-triggered my root vegetable allergy.”

March 13, 2016

March 28, 2016

March 29, 2016

BIOLOGY TEACHER DEVELOPS ASSAY TO DISTINGUISH MR. MEDD FROM MR. MEDD

AMAZING, WATCH THIS VIDEO OF MARCHING BAND WHERE FLUTE IS ACTUALLY HEARD

AFTER-SCHOOL COUNSELING NOW AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS WITH VENDING MACHINE ANXIETY

CANNED MOLE IN WIKNER’S LAB SPEAKS OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 17 YEARS

April 5, 2016

April 4, 2016

April 3, 2016

April 2, 2016

March 30, 2016

WEST HIGH WRESTLER IN OUTRAGE AFTER LEARNING CAULIFLOWER EAR MAY NOT ACTUALLY BE EDIBLE

“IT WAS FOR A PSYCH EXPERIMENT,” CLAIMS 10TH GRADE BOY

DOLPHIN WATCHES WEST HIGH BOYS SWIM MEET, DEFEATEDLY SWIMS AWAY IN SHAME

FAMILY OF BADGERS RESIDING IN 2ND FLOOR BATHROOM FILE COMPLAINT ABOUT ‘70’S DECOR’

STUDENT PAINTS ENTIRE BODY BEIGE

March 10, 2016 STUDENTS INSIST PILES OF TRASH LEFT FROM C LUNCH ARE MODERN ART

March 12, 2016

April 8, 2016

April 11, 2016

April 12, 2016

Aprili 15, 2016

April 16, 2016

AB AND BC CALCULUS ARE OFFICIALLY ‘ON A BREAK’

TEMP 4 CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY

PUMP IT UP OPENS SECOND LOCATION IN LOCKER #67

DR.SHOULTZ WHEELS GIANT WOODEN HORSE INTO CITY HIGH: “IT’S JUST A GIFT,” HE SAYS.

WEST HIGH RENAMED WEIAT HIGH TO MATCH ‘WHERE EXCELLENCE IS A TRADITION’ SLOGAN

SO FAR IN Q1 2016

50 HUMOR APRIL 2016 WSSPAPER.COM

ARTWORK BY BRAEDYN DOCHTERMAN DESIGN BY CATHERINE JU

MR. FRESE & MR. HARDING

“I can talk to him about anything that I am failing at: playing guitar, parenting, coaching, teaching, marriage, fashion.

He is a great listener and is honest in his insights and advice,” Frese said.

“We’re very similar in a good positive, helping, friendly way. every human has their own quirks, and I’m fine with his, he’s fine with mine. we laugh about it, we joke about it, and he’s just a great guy,” Kirpes said.

MR. KIRPES & MR. BACH

COMPILED BY FENNA SEMKEN PHOTOS BY JEREMY HU DESIGN BY CATHERINE JU

CAN YOU FIND DR. SHOULTZ?

PHOTO BY CHANEL VIDAL DESIGN BY LILY WESTEMEYER

SPOT SHOULTZ