2019-11-15

WEST SI DE STO RY IOWA CITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL

2901 MELROSE AVE.

IOWA CITY, IA 52246

WSSPAPER.COM

VOLUME 52 ISSUE 2

NOVEMBER 15, 2019

PHOTO FEATURE

OWEN AANESTAD Longtime teammates and lifelong friends Grant Henderson ’20 and Tate Crane ’20 embrace as they celebrate their Battle for the Boot victory amongst their classmates and reflect on their final game in Trojan uniforms. Crane and Henderson played pivotal roles in West High’s 36-32 victory over City High on Oct. 25 at Bates Field.

FOR MORE COVERAGE, GO TO WSSPAPER.COM

Hello readers!

Congratulations on making it to the end of the first trimester! While cramming for final exams, is there any better way to spend your precious studying time than reading the latest edition of the West Side Story? Of course not.

In this issue, we focused on giving a voice to students whose stories and struggles have been hidden.

Reporters Marta Leira and Hanah Kitamoto shed light on misconceptions and the obstacles that learning disabilities bring. In the cover story, reporters Kailey Gee and Jenna Wang took a deeper look into the sexual harassment and catcalling culture here at West.

These two topics that play such a fundamental role in our learning and community at school have gone unspoken of for too long, and our goal is to spark conversation and gain awareness.

In our related staff editorial, the editorial board proposed a change to the health class requirement and curriculum.

Study hard and enjoy your well-deserved day off! And if your teachers catch you reading the WSS during class … well, at least your phone was secured.

NATALIE KATZ

CONTENTS

FOLLOW US @WSSPAPER

NEWS NEWS BRIEFS 4

FEATURE THE PRICE YOU PAY 6 OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND 8

PROFILES DOUBLE DUTY 12 JAZZING UP EXERCISE 14

COVER VOICELESS 17

ENTERTAINMENT CUSTODIAL CATASTROPHES 24 P.O.S. 26

SPORTS ATYPICAL ATHLETICS 28 RISING STARS 30 SCREEN PLAY 31

OPINION CANCELED 32 A NEW WORLD 33 EDITORIAL: THE UNHEALTHY CHOICE 34

STAFF LIST Owen Aanestad Fareeha Ahmad Abdul Ahmed Mohammedhalil Al-Ani Caroline Barker Sara Baroncini Paras Bassuk Aditi Borde Kiley Butcher Sarah Callanan Misha Canin Alex Carlon Caroline Chandler Carmela Cohen Suarez Alexis Dick Natalie Dunlap Maddy Ephraim

Bess Frerichs Asst. Online Sports Editor Asst. Yearbook Sports Editor Brenda Gao Photographer Wylan Gao Kailey Gee Reporter Yearbook Copy Editor Joe Goodman Yearbook Editor-in-chief Photographer Renee Gould Videographer Photographer Emma Hall Photographer Jack Harris Photographer Videographer Annabel Hendrickson Photo Editor Social Media Editor Vivien Ho Cymry Hieronymus Photographer Selina Hua Yearbook Staff Yearbook Staff Natalie Katz Edward Keen Reporter Yearbook Staff Mariam Keita Hanah Kitamoto Online Managing Editor Tosh Klever Online News Editor Asst. Sports Editor Luke Krchak Online Copy Editor Online Entertainment Editor Youjoo Lee Marta Leira Online Reporter Amy Liao Online Editor-in-chief Reporter Abby McKeone Business Editor

Online Feature Editor Alice Meng Entertainment Editor Jessica Moonjely Online Reporter Designer Jillian Prescott Sports Editor Cameron Reimers Sports Editor Yearbook Sports Editor Ella Rosenthal Online Reporter Alyssa Skala Book Critic Artist Online Reporter Film Critic Maddy Smith Copy Editor Feature Editor Nicole Trout Photographer Sumner Wallace Art Editor Jenna Wang Print Editor-in-chief Arts Editor and Critic Gwen Watson Online Reporter Sam Westergaard Reporter Videographer Online reporter Ken Wilbur Columnist Sydney Wildes Designer News Editor Isaac Young Design Editor Online Graphics Editor Xiaoyi Zhu Online Reporter

Reporter Managing Editor Profiles Editor Broadcast Editor-in-chief Artist Yearbook Staff Designer Humans of West High Coordinator Photographer Yearbook Managing Editor Photographer Yearbook Student Life Editor Yearbook Editor-in-chief Columns Editor Copy Editor Editorial Editor Photographer Photographer Podcaster Videographer Podcast Editor Photographer Videographer Reporter Podcaster Designer Yearbook Staff

NEWS BRIEFS

Have you been hiding in your turtleneck to keep warm and missed the news? Here is your briefing for the past month.

BY SUMNER WALLACE

5 Oct.

4 Oct.

GRETA THUNBERG VISITS IOWA CITY Activist Greta Thunberg visited downtown Iowa City to speak at a climate strike organized by City High student Massimo Biggers ’23. Biggers, inspired by Thunberg, started weekly Friday climate strikes. It is estimated that around 3,000 people packed the intersection of North Dubuque Street and Iowa Avenue to demand the University of Iowa coal plants be phased out and to hear Greta and other activists speak.

PHOTO BY CAROLINE BARKER

HOMECOMING

For the second year in a row, West’s homecoming dance was held in the south gym. Like last year, the dance featured Heroes of Troy in place of a homecoming court to create a more inclusive environment. This year’s Heroes of Troy were seniors Christopher Caruthers, Natalie Dunlap, Chris Kim, Jessica Moonjely, Julian Wemmie and Natalie Young.

10 Oct.

9

Oct.

HALLE SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING A gunman fired shots outside of a synagogue in Halle, Germany on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. Spurred by anti-Semitic and rightwing extremist views, he live-streamed his attempts to gain entry to the synagogue. After a few unsuccessful attempts at entering, he killed two people, one outside the synagogue and one in a nearby kabob shop.

04

PHOTO BY GWEN WATSON

CALIFORNIA BLACKOUT Predictions of high winds and dry conditions caused fears that another wildfire on the scale of the Camp Fire could start. The Camp Fire of 2018, sparked by electrical infrastructure, was the deadliest fire in California history. As a result, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, one of California’s biggest utilities, shut off power to millions of residents and ruffled many feathers in the process.

NEWS

NOV. 15, 2019

ART BY CAMERON REIMERS

13 Oct.

15 Oct.

US WITHDRAWS TROOPS FROM SYRIA President Trump ordered the withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria. This move left America’s long time Kurdish allies with little support against invading Turkish forces. The decision prompted criticism from Pentagon and State Department officials as well as from some of Trump’s closest allies.

17 Oct.

GIRLS SWIM MEET The girls swim team finished an undefeated dual meet season for the fourth year in a row against Linn Mar. West won the meet with 128 points. Aurora Roghair ’21 set a school record of 52.21 seconds in the 100 free.

PHOTO BY SARA BARONCINI

25 Oct.

BLOOD DRIVE This year 43 pints of blood were donated in the annual blood drive, with 62 student and staff participants. For emphasis, 43 pints equates to about 5.3 gallons of blood. Raven Davenport ’20 was the winner of the scholarship drawing.

BATTLE FOR THE BOOT West defeated City to keep The Boot for another year. The final score was 36-32, with three touchdowns from Grahm Goering ’21. Senior linebacker Grant Henderson came up with multiple key fourth-down stops late to seal the game.

PHOTO BY OWEN AANESTAD

28

2

Nov.

Oct.

WORKS IN PROGRESS West High show choirs performed alongside City and Liberty High’s show choirs at the annual Works in Progress performance. The show provided a sneak peek of the choreography and music that the members have learned thus far. This year, West’s prep group Showtime, has a show entitled “Fight with Flash” and the varsity group, Good Time Company, has a show called “The speed of life”.

PHOTO BY KILEY BUTCHER

STATE CROSS COUNTRY The boys cross country team ran at the state meet, earning West a team ranking of 8th place overall.

Sophomores Nicolo Schianchi and Alex McKane both placed in the top 30 with times of 16:13 and 16:26 respectively.

PHOTO BY OWEN AANESTAD NEWS

NOV. 15, 2019

DESIGN BY XIAOYI ZHU

05

Nation-wide corporations make decisions that don’t always align with local beliefs. With Iowa City hosting several such businesses, the dynamic between the city and these companies can become tense.

BY NATALIE KATZ & ISAAC YOUNG

C

hick-fil-A. Walmart. Hobby Lobby.

This myriad of companies may seem very different on the surface; after all, how many similarities can there be between an arts and crafts store and a chain famous for chicken sandwiches? It turns out, quite a lot.

Large corporations hold a significant influence over the public, and these three stand out in that they have taken controversial stances in the past. Decisions like these play a prominent role in the community and can affect consumer and employee choices regarding where they choose to shop and work.

In recent times, many companies have come under fire for controversial stances on important social issues. Chick-fil-A, now the third largest fast food company in the nation according to the Washington Examiner, was widely criticized for comments made by their CEO, Dan Cathy, in opposition to same-sex marriage.

Hobby Lobby, a chain of arts and crafts stores, also caught some negative attention when their corporate team insisted that the company had the right to deny insurance coverage to employees looking for contraception.

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FEATURE NOV. 15, 2019

Since both of these companies operate locally, their stances have caught the attention of the more liberal views of the Iowa City area.

“I don’t want to compromise my morals for a chicken sandwich,” said Isabelle Paulsen ’21, an active member of the LGBTQ community.

When companies voice conservative views, they are often met with resistance. This was certainly the case in the heat of the Chickfil-A controversy in 2011. Many advocates for LGBTQ rights called for a boycott of the fast food giant.

“I would say it’s probably smarter to keep [controversial views] behind closed doors because I know it definitely turns me away as a consumer,” Paulsen said.

However, according to the Washington Examiner, Chick-fil-A’s sales have over doubled since the scandal, proving the boycotts less than effective.

“I DON’T THINK IT’S UNFORGIVABLE IF THE COMPANY COMES OUT AND SAYS WE MADE MISTAKES.” - ISABELLE PAULSEN ‘21 Locally, it seems that Chick-fil-A holds a more accepting outlook, with the Coralville franchise location donating 200 meals to the Iowa City Pride Parade in 2015. However, some question whether this is a move to avoid consequences or a genuine sign of growth.

“I don’t think it’s unforgivable if the company comes out and says we made mistakes and we are changing our opinions,” Paulsen said.

The West Side Story reached out to Chickfil-A and Hobby Lobby, but they declined to comment.

When large corporations take stances on social issues, it can be difficult to remember that underneath these marketing tactics lie hundreds of thousands of employees that don’t necessarily want to take the brunt of these decisions. Living in Iowa City, a very liberal town, makes for a unique mix of companies that have taken traditionally conservative stances.

Soha El-fadil ’20 experiences this unusual dynamic in her work as a cashier at Walmart, a store that has refused to take action on gun regulations in the past and routinely donates to Republican organizations. El-fadil was initially unaware of the stances Walmart has taken. After educating herself on it, she acknowledges that while she cares about not supporting businesses that don’t align with her views, it hasn’t gotten to the point where it affects her job.

“I feel like once it enters like my workplace and starts affecting the people around me, that’s when I’m like, ‘Oh, I don’t feel like I need this job anymore and I would just find a different one.’ But as of the moment I feel like it’s not really affecting my job or anything,” Elfadil said.

While El-fadil’s job is secured at Walmart whether she supports their beliefs or not, many Walmart employees lost their jobs in the spring of this year. The job of the “people greeter” was one that was well-known throughout Walmart, a company that holds a status as the largest private employer in the US. In February of 2019, Walmart announced the removal of the job of the greeter, changing the job requirements in a way that seemed to disproportionately affect people with disabil-

“AS OF THE MOMENT I FEEL LIKE IT’S NOT REALLY AFFECTING MY JOB.” - SOHA EL-FADIL ‘20 ities.

Greeter jobs had been a good fit for those with certain disabilities, as the job entailed little physical activity and less responsibility.

However, with the new job “customer hosts,” employees must also be prepared to do things such as assist shoppers and handle security.

These tasks require the workers to be able to lift 25 pounds, stand for long periods of time and collect carts—tasks that can be difficult for someone with a disability.

With this action being a glaring detriment to those with disabilities, there are only a few

voices amongst a wave of backlash that haven’t taken the side of the workers. After working with disabled students for 22 years, special education teacher Steve Merkle is experienced in helping disabled students at West find employment after graduation. Standing out against the backdrop of criticism, he believes that people were perhaps too quick to attack.

“It’s like Walmart got targeted and almost vilified by making this decision. Walmart has a pretty good track record, so to see them getting kicked around by this one decision that they had to make probably came down to the bottom line on how much money they were paying employees,” Merkle said. “Maybe they did it because it was too much to pay a person when all they’re doing is standing there saying, ‘Hello,’ and ‘Hi.’” Even though Merkle understands the decision wasn’t necessarily made to target a specific group of people, he recognizes that this is a major loss in their fight to find jobs for those with disabilities.

“I always thought it was an awesome job for some students, because that’s what they’re good at,” he said. “But are they good at knowing where everything is in the store or how to price or how to run the cashier? Some kids, absolutely not. Where do you draw that line?

Oh, ‘We’ll take them if they can do everything but the cashier?’”

With corporate decisions battling ethics and equality every day, the separation between financially sound and discriminatory decisions is becoming blurred. It can be nearly impossible to decipher the reasoning behind every action large businesses are taking, but change can still happen.

“Decisions like Walmart just made are in the wrong direction,” Merkle said. “But, if we could just create an open mindset with some businesses, that would make a huge difference.”

“DECISIONS LIKE WALMART JUST MADE ARE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.” - STEVE MERKLE, SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER

FEATURE

ART & DESIGN BY ELLA ROSENTHAL

NOV. 15, 2019

07

OUT OF SIGHT,

OUT OF MIND

From difficulty focusing to trouble writing things down, learning disabilities affect a large number of students at West.

BY HANAH KITAMOTO & MARTA LIERA

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FEATURE FEA-

NOV. NOV.15, 15,2019 2019

“I’m trying to listen, but my mind gets easily sidetracked.”

- Carly Norris ‘21

T

he soft glow of the SMART Board beams at the front of the room, casting a low-lit shadow over the faces of those residing in the front row. As you are concentrating on the presentation in front of you, the disgraceful “ding” of an unsecured cell phone jolts you from your focus. As you attempt to return to your notes, the concerning “thud” of a hammer pounding away echoes throughout the courtyard. Now imagine if these inconveniences were paired with an added challenge: a learning disability.

LEARNING ABOUT LEARNING DISABILITIES “I’m trying to listen, but my mind gets easily side-tracked.”

Carly Norris ’21 is among the nearly six million children in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2016 survey data. She was diagnosed in third grade, a common age for children with this condition to be identified.

Although ADHD is not considered a learning disability, it can make the learning process for students more difficult, as it is characterized by the struggle to pay attention and the inability to control behavior.

According to Norris, focusing in school can be tough at times because she is easily distracted during class.

“It’s really hard when I’m writing essays, because I’ll be on one topic, and then suddenly I’m talking about a different topic and I don’t even know how I got there,” Norris said.

Holden Logan ’21 was diagnosed with ADHD and Dysgraphia at the age of six. Dysgraphia is a condition that causes a person to write illegibly with inconsistent spacing.

“I can’t write my own name without me not PHOTOS BY CAROLINE BARKER ART & DESIGN BY AMY LIAO

even being able to read it sometimes,” Logan said.

Although there is no “cure” for Dysgraphia, it can be supported through various accommodations such as 504 plans and Individual Education Programs (IEP) which provide students with varying degrees of assistance.

“I know one big thing is that teachers always complain about my handwriting,” Holden said.

“So I will always ask them if I can take notes on the computer.”

Dyslexia is another common learning disability among students. According to the Dyslexia Center of Utah, it affects 20% of the U.S. population.

This type of disorder affects the left hemisphere of the brain which processes language and can cause an individual to mix up letters or entire words while reading.

Jenna Alden ’23 was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia in kindergarten, affecting her experience in the classroom. According to Alden, although it can be a challenge to read fluently, that doesn’t stop her from learning.

“I couldn’t understand how to read, but I could read to understand,” Alden said.

Gus Elwell ’22 has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and ADHD, both of which are conditions that share a significant characteristic: difficulty focusing.

“In your mind, you’re constantly jumping from one thing to another,” Elwell said.

Although both conditions are classified as neurological disorders, the symptoms of ADHD manifest themselves in a more physical manner, through fidgeting or hyperactivity, than ADD. Elwell finds these things affecting him on a daily basis.

“A lot of the times, I will be having a normal conversation with someone, and I will just start talking about something completely different,”

Elwell said. “It connects in my brain.”

COEXISTING CONDITIONS “They all trigger each other.”

Norris also struggles with depression and anxiety. Although similar, these conditions and other similar ones aren’t learning disorders, but they often coexist with them.

Many learning disabilities are accompanied by “co-occurring conditions,” which take place when a disability triggers another disorder. For Norris, it can be difficult to manage these different conditions all together.

“If I’m having a bad case of ADHD, I don’t get anything done,” Norris said. “Then I have a lot of anxiety about not being able to get that done, which leads me into a state of depression where I don’t want to do anything because I feel like I’m a failure.”

Logan’s situation is similar to Norris’. While he has known he has ADHD and Dysgraphia since the age of six, he was only recently diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

“As high school has gone on, Dysgraphia and ADHD hasn’t become as much of a problem,” Holden said. “That switches the focus to the depression and anxiety which have also greatly affected my grades before, because they do greatly affect my ability to learn.”

According to one of Enrichment Learning Therapy’s Speech Language Pathologists Suzanne Moore, one learning disability can lead to the progression of another and can further amplify the stress a student is feeling.

“If you already have trouble understanding what you’re reading because you have a hard time with comprehension of language. And you have a hard time looking at the letters and the word and decoding what that actually means, it’s just a huge snowball effect,” Moore said.

FEATURE NOV. 15, 2019

09

LABELED “So many people have these issues and people don’t seem to want to talk about it.”

Katherine Yacopucci ’20 fears she is commonly seen as “overly talkative,” which is one of the symptoms of her ADHD. Oftentimes, this causes her to feel self-conscious.

“I don’t think people realize how many people have ADHD and how bad it can be,” Yacopucci said. “I literally don’t know how to stop talking.

A lot of people just call me annoying, and [I say] stuff like ‘Guys I really don’t know how to stop talking’ … It comes in so many different forms.”

According to Norris, there are also a multitude of misconceptions surrounding the condition.

“I feel like people have a lot of stereotypes about ADHD,” Norris said. “They think it’s that kid who’s fidgeting in class, looking all over the place, but sometimes it’s the person who’s staring at the board just trying to concentrate.”

Logan has also experienced individuals questioning his intelligence due to his Dysgraphia.

“I’m not stupid, I just can’t get my thoughts on paper,” Logan said. “I may be physically slow to write things down, [but] it’s not the fact that I’m stupid ... it’s the fact that it just takes me a little longer.”

According to Logan, growing up in a conservative part of Montana, he was surrounded by a stigma around mental health. It was not until he moved to Iowa that he began to talk about it.

“The entire [mentality] was men don’t cry, and

men don’t talk about mental health. So I was very quiet about it for most of my life,” Logan said. “[Now] I’m all about just being open about it because it should be talked about more than it is.”

Yacopucci agrees that raising awareness surrounding these conditions is a necessary solution to ending the stigma.

“If you don’t get help … [the conditions] will just keep decreasing how you feel about yourself,” Yacopucci said.

UNSEEN STRUGGLES Students with learning disabilities face a plethora of challenges throughout their early years of education. But in high school, another stressor is added to the list of things looming over them: college.

“In high school, it’s been a lot more difficult because you have to start balancing college preparation with the fact that these grades are going to follow you to college,” Yacopucci said. “Your grades actually matter.”

Yacopucci also experienced a difficult adjustment period due to her medications. “You don’t start seeing results from your meds usually for like a month,” Yacopucci said. “Which also makes it difficult because you’re experiencing new symptoms or new side effects while you are experiencing your anxiety and ADHD because your [medicine] isn’t working yet.”

According to Ewell, it can be increasingly hard to focus when off of his medication.

“When I’m off my meds, I get sick and really tired, or I get really energetic,” Ewell said. “But usually on my meds I’m just ... at a good place, not too tired, not too crazy.”

Another challenge is that language is unavoidable, especially in an academic atmosphere.

According to Moore, this can take an emotional toll on students.

“Kids can really just shut down because everything about school [is] learning to read when you are in first, second, third grade. That’s the biggest goal,” Moore said. “Language is everywhere ... By third grade, we really start to expect kids to not only be able to read but be able to read to learn.”

Language is divided into two areas: what you can express linguistically and what you can understand. According to Moore, the skill that is worked on the most at the high school level is reading comprehension.

“Our ability to read and our ability to understand spoken language is so intertwined that kids in high school, if they still have a language impairment, they’re going to have a really hard time,” Moore said. “Everything is going to be a challenge if you have a language impairment.”

ACCOMMODATIONS & ACCESSIBILITY Students with learning challenges have multiple options for support, both formal and informal, that they can receive in the classroom.

For many, these accommodations come in the form of IEPs and 504 plans.

IEPs and 504 plans aim to ensure that a child who has a disability that is recognized under law has access to specialized instruction and other related services. Although they are created for similar purposes, the main difference is that students with 504s do not require specialized instruction.

While IEPs have funding and money tied to the program, 504 plans do not. This causes IEPs to have a higher level of requirement to be eligible for a special education.

Administrative consultant Steve Crew is responsible for ensuring that the districts are obeying the policies and procedures.

“They are required by law to make sure those students’ civil rights are not violated,” Crew said.

“No matter how severe a student’s [needs] are, the district has to be able to provide those services.”

“I’m not stupid, I just can’t get my thoughts on paper.”

- Holden Logan ’21

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FEATURE NOV. 15, 2019

“If you don’t get help… [the conditions] will just keep decreasing how you feel about yourself.”

- Katherine Yacopucci ‘20

Some students, however, feel that these policies are not successful.

“In school, it’s been a little less helpful just because my teachers don’t seem to recognize the fact that I have [accommodations],” Yacopucci said. “I feel like they are very much ignored … and I know it’s really hard for a lot of kids to actually get them.”

All Iowa schools are required to have a designated 504 plan coordinator to oversee that these accommodations are being met. For West High, Molly Abraham is in charge of this.

According to Abraham, it’s crucial that students talk to their guidance counselor if they feel as though their plan isn’t being followed.

“It unfortunately has to be a two-way street.

Once they leave this setting, it’ll be a one-way street, they’ll have to be the one to ask for them which is tough,” Abraham said. “So I guess in a way it’s getting them ready for that too.”

Once a student is diagnosed with a disability, the medical records are released to the school.

Families are then given the opportunity to meet with Abraham to discuss a potential plan.

According to guidance counselor Greg Yoder, it’s imperative that the goals in the plan are attainable.

After the plan has been agreed upon, it is then sent out to teachers on a trimester basis.

“If something’s not a realistic accommodation to be having in college we typically don’t try to implement that at the high school level,” Yoder said. “We don’t want to set students up to fail down the road.”

Accommodations on standardized testing can also be an option for students with learning disabilities. Yacopucci found these were beneficial to her.

“Just extra time in general was such a relief,” Yacopucci said. “I felt like pressure lifted off my shoulders, and I felt like I was able to concentrate and look at the questions more.”

Although the accommodations may be helpful, it can be challenging to receive the necessary support from them.

“All of my other teachers expect me to bring them up, even though they are implemented by the school, and all the teachers have access to the fact that I have them,” Yacopucci said. “It puts a lot of pressure on the student that already has issues.”

Norris echoes Yacopucci’s views on how difficult it is to approach teachers about her accommodations.

“Having anxiety, it’s really hard to make that leap to actually open up to a teacher,” Norris said. “It’s something very personal. You don’ t always want to have that conversation ... It kind of makes you feel like you’re less than them.”

Student Family Advocate Jamie Schneider emphasizes the importance of communication between teachers and students. By doing this, the student will be able to confirm their accommodation plan with their teachers. Her advice is to find a trusted adult to help facilitate the conversation.

“I 100% do not think it’s about staff or teachers not wanting to follow any type of plan. I think it’s just there’s a breakdown sometimes between the communication between the adults and the students,” Schneider said. “I really think that the students can do more in building those self-advocacy skills … Grab an adult that you trust and feel comfortable with, and go talk to those teachers together.”

1/ 2

Children with ADHD had a behavior or conduct problem

3/ 10

Children with ADHD had anxiety

504 PROGRAM Child with any disability is eligible No funding for individuals that have a 504 plan

IEP PROGRAM Child has to have one or more disabilities listed in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Funding for individuals that have IEP FEATURE NOV. 15, 2019

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DO U B L E

D U TY

From the good, to the bad, to the just plain awkward, here’s what it’s like to have a parent that doubles as a teacher.

BY MISHA CANIN & JESSICA MOONJELY

T

he relationship between a parent and child is unlike any other. First thing in the morning, the pair might eat their breakfast together before going their separate ways. Later in the evening, they recap the day over a family dinner. Now imagine if that relationship went beyond home life — seeing your mom or dad everyday, for example, when going to school or work. For some students and teachers at West High, this is the case. There are a number of students whose parents are West High staff members, and for many of them it creates a special bond, unique among most parent-child connections.

For Asha Sandhu ’20 and her mother, Spanish teacher Jamie Sandhu, this connection is something they hold dear. The majority of the past eight years that Jamie has worked at West, one of her two children has attended the school.

“I’m not going to know what to do when she goes go away [to college],” Jamie said. “It’s comforting for me [to know where she is], and I love my daughter so much. I think it’s really good for the students to see us interact. It makes them realize that ‘She’s more than just a Spanish teacher; she’s a mom too.’”

From sharing a laugh together in between class periods and storing food in their parent’s classroom to getting passes to class (only in dire circumstances of

Jill Hofmockel Tom Ham ‘22

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PROFILE

NOV. 15, 2019

Jamie Sandu Asha Sandu ‘20

course), having a parent as a teacher definitely has its benefits.

“Coming into high school it was really nice to have that fluid home and school life,” Asha said. “If I had a question about school, not even about a certain class but about high school in general and the norms, my mom could answer that.”

Another advantage is the ability for these parents to give advice to their children on what learning resources and classes are available. Since they are constantly at West, these parents sometimes know of opportunities other parents wouldn’t be keyed into. To librarian Jill Hofmockel and her son Thomas Ham ’22, these words ring true.

“I don’t think [Thomas] would’ve known about the Tech Support class if he weren’t my kid. He had an elective where he was Mr. Meade’s helper and learned how to fix broken chromebooks,” Hofmockel said. “It’s never a ton of kids, usually one or two kids per class period. I just thought it was totally up his alley.”

When it comes to the downsides, a common one among teachers’ children is hearing negative comments about their parents. Teachers tend to be aware that students talk about them from time to time, but when your child is in the social ring, hearing comments about their own parents can add a whole

ent kind of conversation because we know all the same [students and teachers]. I know exactly who he’s talking about,” Christian said. “We can talk about something that impacted us both.”

One of Asha’s fondest memories with her mom is the time Jamie escorted her onto the football field when the homecoming court was announced.

“People were like, ‘Señora! Señora!’ And I said to my nana, ‘Half of the people just know me because of my mom.’ And it’s true. But I think it’s funny when my school friends love her as much as they love me. My whole life is memories with her. I don’t really do anything without her,” Asha said.

Christian Aanestad Owen Aanestad ‘22

other layer most people don’t think about.

Though frustrating at times, learning how to let the comments roll off one’s back is crucial. For Asha, she’s come to just ignore them and move on.

“It doesn’t really make me feel awkward, but maybe it’s just because I don’t really care that much what other people think in general,” Asha said.

On the parent’s end, working alongside their colleague who is also their child’s teacher can sometimes prove difficult to balance as well.

Ensuring that one maintains a professional and normal parent-teacher relationship is something many teachers with students at West have to manage. Art teacher Christian Aanestad has found a system that works for him and his son Owen Aanestad ’22.

“Most of the time, if there is a grade issue or other things, I ask, and my co-workers have been very good about this, that they communi-

“ MY WHOLE LI FE I S M E MOR I ES WITH H E R . I DON ’T R EALLY DO ANYTH I NG WITHOUT H E R .”

-ASHA SAN DH U ‘20

cate first with my wife so that we can have that conversation at home just like [other students] would,” Christian said.

As for unrealistic expectations that follow children of teachers, a customary one is that a teacher’s child should excel at the subject their parent teaches. According to Asha, many of her classmates expect her to be bilingual as a result of what her mom teaches.

“I think it’s more the students [making assumptions] than the teachers because teachers have kids,” Asha said. “They know that their kids aren’t necessarily smarter in their subject area.”

Though all three students have some degree of interest in their parent’s specialization, none of them are passionate about these subjects. Ham, for example, doesn’t consider himself an avid reader and doesn’t believe teachers expect him to be.

“They don’t have any higher expectations of me I don’t think, that I know of, but they already know me on a semi-first name basis before I’ve ever seen them,” Ham said.

Spending so much time together, both at home and at West, means a few awkward moments here and there are inevitable. Owen remembers one such instance at the homecoming dance this year. “[My dad] was chaperoning the homecoming dance, and everybody’s at the dance. He gave us a ride on the Gator,” Owen said. “I don’t know if that’s an advantage or disadvantage, but it’s embarrassing.”

While there are some uncomfortable instances, there are plenty of sweet ones too. For Christian, it’s the little moments, like the conversations they get to have at home, that he cherishes the most.

“When he comes home and I’m like ‘Hey, how was your day at school?’ We can have a differ-

“ [MY DAD] WAS CHAPE RON I NG TH E HOM ECOM I NG DANCE , AN D EVE RYBODY ’S AT TH E DANCE . H E GAVE US A R I DE ON TH E GATOR .

I DON ’T KNOW I F THAT’S AN ADVANTAG E OR DI SADVANTAG E , BUT IT’S E M BAR R ASSI NG.” - OWEN AAN ESTAD ‘22 Having a teacher that doubles as a West High staff member has its ups and downs, but most of the time results in a special connection between the staff member and their child, a relationship not many are lucky enough to share. Though accidentally calling your teacher “Mom” or “Dad” may have seemed like the end of the world in elementary school, for a select group of West High students they’re proud to do so.

PHOTOS BY SARA BARONCINI DESIGN BY XIAOYI ZHU PROFILE

NOV. 15, 2019

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Social studies teacher Jessica Mehegan recounts her time as an attendee and instructor at the Jazzercise Iowa City Fitness Center.

BY FAREEHA AHMAD

W

hile some may drive right by the “Feeling sweaxy?” sign outside of the jazzercise fitness center on Gilbert Street, other curious individuals might just be intrigued enough to stumble upon their new favorite workout routine. When walking into the center, they’ll notice a group of lively and enthusiastic jazzercisers already in motion. Even as sweat runs down these jazzercisers’ backs as they try to mirror the moves of their instructor, nothing can take away from the upbeat music, positivity and laughter that fills the exercise room. Contrary to what most people might think, jazzercise does not necessarily have to include jazz. Rather, it is a unique combination of dance paired with any genre of music. If an individual walks into a class Sunday morning or Wednesday afternoon, they’ll most likely see social studies teacher Jessica Mehegan leading a group of ardent jazzercizers.

Despite her reluctance at first, Mehegan attended her first jazzercise class in high school after her mother suggested that she accompany her.

“I’m like, ‘Uh, my mom is telling me to do this.

No, I don’t want to’ and then I’m like, ‘Wait, this

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is actually really fun,’” Mehegan said.

Although Mehegan only took up jazzercising her senior year of high school, this was not her first time dancing. Starting around the age of four, Mehegan decided to try ballet, tap and jazz. In addition to dance, she also played the oboe, clarinet and piano. Mehegan believes her musical background helped her find her musicality and rhythm. Since there were no jazzercising opportunities when Mehegan went off to Miami University in Ohio, she took a break from it in college. After returning to Iowa to earn her master’s degree, Mehegan got back into the beat of attending weekly classes. Soon, her current jazzercise boss and previous coach, Kristee Bontrager, suggested that she become an instructor as well.

Bontrager knew Mehegan’s mother and had seen Mehegan attend her classes during high school but grew to know her well after she came back home from Ohio.

“We were having class at the Iowa City Recreation Center and she came back from college… and I’m watching her, and she moves really well.

It’s clear that she’s had dance technique before.

She’s got a lot of energy and a lot of personality,

“ SH E B R I NGS SO M UCH E N E RGY. I SM I LE TH ROUG H TH E WHOLE TH I NG. DON ’T TE LL , BUT SH E’S ON E OF MY FAVOR ITES.” - LEAH BU RKE, JAZZERCISE ATTEN DEE

Jessica Mehegan enthusiastically leads a high energy routine in an afternoon jazzercise class. Performing moves of increasing difficulty, she keeps the parcitipants enganged through every song.

and that’s what you need to be a good jazzercise instructor,” Bontrager said.

Mehegan decided to seize this opportunity, but in order to become an instructor she had to work through a training process. With the help of a training specialist and Bontrager, Mehegan prepared for her audition to become an instructor. Along with the audition, there was a written component to the certification process, which tested Mehegan’s knowledge of anatomy and other health information. Nevertheless, Mehegan felt the process went smoothly and soon was up on the small stage at the front of the room, leading classes to her favorite songs.

“Everyone was so nice [my first day as an instructor]. The community is so nice and so supportive and friendly that even if I had fallen over on the stage or something people would’ve just been really supportive and helpful,” Mehegan said. “Everyone understands what it’s like to do something for the first time, and so people were just enthusiastic and cheering me on.”

Each class is an hour long, with the objective of the attendees reaching a certain heart rate before gradually working back down. The songs get progressively harder as the lesson goes. Afterwards, attendees work on strength building with weights, which does not involve dancing.

As Mehegan continues to teach, she now feels more comfortable coaching jazzercise and enjoys coming up with her own sets and routines.

Even while dancing, Mehegan calls out to her attendees and asks what they have been up to.

Individuals who have had Mehegan as an instructor emphasize how much they love her personality.

“Nobody else does the moves with as much enthusiasm and exaggeration as her. I really feel like when I take one of her classes I leave really pumped up and feel like I got a great workout,” Stacey Mckim, one attendee said.

Another attendee, Leah Burke, agreed.

“She brings so much energy. I smile through the whole thing,” Burke said. “Don’t tell, but she’s one of my favorites.”

As for her double life, being both a teacher for social studies and jazzercise, the dynamic between the two is evident in the exercise room.

“If I say something extra aggressive or whatever like ‘Okay, do this’ then I’m like ‘Oops, that’s my [high school] teacher voice.’ I joke about it a lot,” she said.

For Mehegan, jazzercise makes for a great stress-reliever from her busy life as a high school teacher. She tried multiple other activities beforehand, like running and yoga, but none com-

pared to the enjoyment she found in jazzercise.

“I think that the biggest thing that’s different regarding jazzercise to other workouts is that you get a different variety based on what instructor you go see,” Mehegan said. “And there’s really fun moves and everything is choreographed, so you don’t feel like you’re just left to your own devices to just figure out ‘What should I do next?’

Someone always tells you.”

Because of Mehegan’s motivation and enthusiasm for jazzercise, Bontrager could not be happier with hiring her as an instructor. She admires Mehegan’s ability and dedication.

“What I love about [Mehegan] as an instructor is that…she locks that choreography down and she just knows it,” Bontrager said. “She’s [also] extremely reliable. If there’s an open class and she can help, she jumps in and she does it.”

Acknowledging how exercise is important, not only for physical health but for mental health as well, Mehegan is grateful for being able to work out with such an energetic community.

“People in general put off health to take care of others or other things, and so I think it’s important to do something for you,” Mehegan said. “It’s definitely my ‘Me Time.’”

PHOTOS BY PARAS BASSUK ART & DESIGN BY YOUJOO LEE PROFILES NOV. 15, 2019

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BY KAILEY GEE & JENNA WANG

I

nappropriate touching. Unwanted sexting.

Catcalling down the hallways.

All of the above have happened right here at West High.

Almost five years ago, WSS wrote a cover story titled ‘No Excuse’ about the culture of sexual harassment in West High at the time. Through detailed accounts of catcalling, the story revealed a climate of sexual harassment that continues on today.

And it isn’t just at West. According to a survey done by Stop Street Harassment, 81% of women and 43% of men have experienced sexual harassment at some point in their lives. While the #MeToo movement helped raise awareness and support for victims, has the overall climate around these issues on a community level changed?

In an effort to shed light on how close these issues still are to our community, WSS shares the stories of three students who discuss their experiences and how the student body and administration as a whole can work towards a better solution.

*Some sources in this story have been given aliases, as they chose to remain anonymous.

PHOTOS BY CYMRY HIERONYMUS SELECT ART BY VIVIEN HO DESIGN BY BRENDA GAO

By the numbers Over 47 years ago, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibited sex discrimination, including sexual harassment or violence, in any education insitution or program receiving federal funding.

Y

ou often hear about sexual harassment headlined on the news and depicted in movies, but how often does it happen right next to you? When you’re walking the streets? When you’re making your way down the school hallway?

Jane Doe* recalls several experiences where she was catcalled while walking the halls at West High.

“I was walking during lunch and there was this dude sitting and he made a comment about my butt. He said something like, ‘Dang that ass.'

And when I turned around, he said, ‘But you ugly though,’” Doe said. “Once as I was delivering passes, a guy started catcalling and whistling at me. I was like, ‘Dude let me do my thing. I don’t need your comments.’”

Anyone can be catcalled no matter what they wear. Still, if they’re wearing revealing clothing, some students worry their chances of being catcalled are higher, which can make them anxious.

Not only that, but some worry that others will use what they’re wearing as an excuse to blame the sexual harassment victim for their choice of clothing. “[Wearing leggings] make me feel self-conscious. When guys make comments about your butt just because you’re wearing leggings, it makes you feel like you can’t wear [them] even though you should be allowed to wear pretty much whatever you want,” Doe said. “You shouldn’t be afraid to wear a piece of clothing because you think someone’s going to harass you about it.”

While catcalling happens frequently in-person, it also occurs online, with perpetrators sending or asking for unsolicited nude pictures.

“Sometimes guys will add me on Snapchat and try to talk with me. It gets to, ‘Will you send me pictures,’ and then immediately I usually say, ‘Hey, can you not? No one likes that.’ Girls do not like being asked for those kinds of pictures nor do they like being sent those kinds of pictures,” Doe said. “No one wants it to happen, because it makes you feel so violated. Why are you thinking about that part of me?”

At West, the attitudes surrounding sexual harassment across both genders differs.

“I have lots of friends who’ve been sexually ha-

rassed at West and I feel like it’s an issue. What’s weird is that some people don’t mind it or are even flattered, and that’s why some guys think it’s okay,” Doe said.

Moreover, many victims don’t feel comfortable speaking up about what has happened to them. In a survey done by Stop Street Harassment, only 10% of women and 5% of men that have been sexually harassed or assaulted filed a report.

“There’s definitely a thing about girls to keep quiet, because you don’t want to be a snitch.

There’s a big thing about not being the snitch because even though we have an anonymous text reporting thing at West, if the catcaller gets called out on it, they know who said it,” Doe said. “Girls just don’t bother anymore. It’s kind of like they’ve given up.”

Many victims have done just that. While the school has an anonymous text message system, many of the reports don’t specify the harassers by name. Therefore, the administration is limited in the ways it can address the issue. “The hard part is that sometimes the reports are so vague that we can’t figure out what’s happening, but sometimes people are very specific and they use [the harasser’s] name and what happened and we call [the harasser] in,” said Assistant Principal Molly Abraham. “My impression, and I could be wrong about this, is that kids generally feel comfortable [at West]. They’ve got somebody they will go talk to here. And so they don’t necessarily feel a big need to text it in anonymously.”

Reflecting on her experiences, Doe believes that awareness and education are the most important steps to raising attention and action.

“I think it’s important for awareness to be spread because I completely understand why a woman might not want to speak up, because it’s a really private experience. The fact that someone has called out a part of them that they might not even be comfortable with, especially in high school in the middle of puberty — it could honestly be a trauma in your life, something you might not want to bring up again,” Doe said. “I feel like educating about what harassment is to boys and girls is important, because anyone can be harassed. It’s way more important than just counting on women to speak up.”

Over 35 states have passed Erin’s Law, requiring public K-12 schools to teach students how to report incidents of assault.

Iowa is not one of them.

Over ¾ women have been sexually harassed at some point in their lifetime.

10% of women and 5% of men that were harassed/assaulted reported it.

Majority of sexual harassment happens between 14-17 years old for both men and women.

Sources: i-Sight, Stop Street Harassment

t the age of 12, many students expect an average middle school routine where they take classes, hang out with friends and do homework. What they don’t expect are perverted comments to be made about their bodies. For Emma Furlong ’21, that situation became an unwelcome reality.

“My family took a vacation to LA. I just bought this romper I was wearing and … this guy comes up to me and was like, ‘Hey, you looking fine,’ and he was super creepy about it,” Furlong said.

“I just remember feeling super uncomfortable and not really knowing what was going on.”

When women feel vulnerable and uncertain in situations like these, Furlong believes that it’s easier for them to be taken advantage of, regardless of the type of clothing that they wear.

“I’ve been catcalled when I wear more re-

vealing things, but also I’ve been approached when I’m wearing just a sweatshirt and sweatpants,” Furlong said. “[Catcallers and harassers like] dominance, to see that they’re in control.

I’m still always nervous whenever I walk past a group of guys — I’m always scared they’re going to say something. It happens when I’m walking downtown. Especially if I’m by myself, I feel pretty nervous about it.”

Furlong also believes that sexual harassment is so prevalent because there are misguided conceptions about the emotions a person on the receiving end should feel.

“I think there’s an expectation that [girls] should just take it because that’s just what guys do. I’ve also heard people say, ‘Why don’t you take it as a compliment?’ That really makes me upset because that’s not a compliment and we don’t want to be objectified,” Furlong said.

“We’re just living our lives walking down the street.”

The atmosphere surrounding the topic leads victims to become more self-conscious. One study done by the University of Melbourne on 81 women revealed that being personally targeted or witnessing others being objectified was associated with a “substantial increase” in “self-objectification." The National Women’s Law Center also found that 1 in 3 students who experienced harassment reported not wanting to go to school anymore, leading to poorer academic performance and attendance.

“When it happens, you kind of feel ashamed.

Maybe it’s because you were wearing something more revealing and you think people will say that ‘She was asking for it, she wanted it.’ You think that it was your fault and it’s a really uncomfortable thing to talk about,” Furlong said.

According to Furlong, there’s power in shared vulnerability.

“This issue really relates to the #MeToo movement because it’s important to speak up and say, ‘This is what happened to me and it’s not okay,'” Furlong said.

Compliment vs. Creepy? “[Creepiness] is always so objectifying. Most likely, the harassment is comments about your body, which can be especially uncomfortable if it’s from a random person you don’t know. Tone makes a difference as well.

A honk from a car, a wolf whistle or yelling from across the street? I don’t consider that a compliment.

It’s about respect.”

- Emma Furlong '21

“I think the difference between a compliment and being creepy is whether the receiver of the commentary is ambiguous as to whether they would like to receive that commentary. It should be crystal clear that any type of commentary that could remotely be perceived as creepy by the receiver shouldn’t be given out.”

- Mallika Huynh '21

PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMMA FURLONG & MALLIKA HUYNH

ll too often, many people are exposed to sexual harassment at a very young age, before they even have a grasp on what the concept even means. Mallika Huynh ’21 was one of those who experienced this, recalling the time when, at 11-years-old, she first created an Instagram account without realizing that accounts could be set on private.

“A bunch of older men slid into my DM’s and would be like, ‘What’s up babe? You’re pretty sweet looking,’ like weird perverted pedophile comments, and I didn’t know how to deal with it," Huynh said. "It was definitely uncomfortable because when you’re 11-years-old, you don’t want a bunch of old men asking you to come meet them in an alley.”

Huynh also received similar messages from people around her age that she found difficult to deal with.

“One was like ‘Hi, you’re cute. How old are you?’ And I felt like I was polite enough when I was like, ‘I’m probably too young for you.’ Suddenly, then he says ‘You ugly ass bitch,’” Huynh said.

As Huynh grew older, she began to experience these situations more frequently and increasingly in-person.

“A friend and I were walking downtown in the library and we were 12 to 13. This homeless man walks up to us, lifts up his shirt, and was like, ‘Ladies, you should see how I am in the bedroom.

You should come with me.’ The library staff took it really seriously so they called the cops and he got arrested,” Huynh said. “Since then, there’s been a lot of stereotypical catcalling, like ‘Hey mami, what’s up? Hey sexy, how you doing?’”

As Huynh entered her high school years, the sexual harassment and catcalling she experienced became more physical.

“At a football game some random guy who’s friends with one of my friends comes up to me and starts playing with my hair and touching my body and grabbing my ass and was like, ‘You

fine, you know that?’ I don’t really understand how they think that it makes someone feel nice.

I felt uncomfortable. [They were] in my space,” Huynh said.

The attitude that men should do what they want and that women are at the fault of the issue is felt differently around the world.

Huynh experienced this firsthand in India when she was 14, where a family acquantince touched her inappropriately without her consent. After finding out about the altercation, her mother was able to get the man fired from his job.

“I didn’t really know what was happening at the time. The man didn’t even seem to think that what he did was wrong,” Huynh said. “There’s a view set towards women in India — it’s a very cultural thing and that’s not excusable when women are oppressed and put under these gender roles that are weighing them down. When you see women being gang raped and their rapists not even brought to justice, there’s a huge issue there and it’s not really spoken or known about.”

According to the Thomas Reuters Foundation’s survey of 550 experts on women’s issues, India was found to be the most dangerous nation for sexual violence against women. In another report by the Livemint, about 99% of cases of sexual violence in India go unreported, due to cultural attitudes and a conviction rate as low as 18.9%.

Part of the reason why Huynh believes the issue isn’t spoken about more is because when women do speak up, their voices often become lost or silenced. Huynh felt her own voice was drowned when she spoke up to a very close figure in her life.

“When I told someone really close to me, a huge adult figure in my life, they first asked me what I was wearing and what I was doing. He was like, ‘Maybe he didn’t know better, maybe you don’t understand what he was doing.’ So

you’re willing to defend a guy you don’t know over someone you’ve known your entire life?

That’s not even just for me, it’s common everywhere,” Huynh said. “When there is a surge of women coming forward, everyone’s like ‘Oh, they just want to lie,’ but no — it’s empowering when other women come forward because you feel like you have the ability to do that as well.”

Reflecting on her experiences from her childhood to the present, Huynh realizes the inevitable reality that women still have to face on a day-to-day basis.

“This is a real thing in the world. Unfortunately, we have to be prepared. In reality, women still have to fear for their safety walking down the street. A lot of times when men do these things, women don’t necessarily know how to react,” Huynh said. “People are always like, ‘Oh, it's fine now. It was so much worse back then.’ Just because we made progress doesn’t mean there’s no more to be made.”

Through sharing her own personal voice and letting it be heard clearly, she’s hoping to see more awareness about sexual harassment in the future.

“If you’re uncomfortable, still talk about it.

Talking about it recognizes it as an issue and that’s what everyone needs to do because there’s so much denial,” Huynh said. “This is an issue and once we give it that recognition, then we can take the steps to move forward. And hopefully, provide a space where women feel safer and be more able to speak out.”

What to be done?

Say something...

1. Text "@SaySomething" to 35134.

2. Select "Report Bullying" in the bookmark "ICCSD Links".

3. Use RAINN's 24/7 hotline by calling 800-656-4673.

B

eing a victim of sexual harassment can bring a flurry of emotions along with it.

Some feel guilt, convincing themselves it was their fault. Others feel hopeless, thinking that even if they reported it, nothing would be done. These feelings, along with others, cause victims to stay in the shadows instead of reporting the incident. It can be especially hard to talk to teachers and adults about the harassment claims, which poses a problem for West’s administration. If students don’t report it, then how will they be able to crack down on harassment at West?

Luckily, the administration has a solution.

Through a recent training program called Mentors for Violence Prevention (MVP), a few staff members at West have been introduced to a new way to handle sexual harassment prevention.

“The whole gist of the program is to train juniors and seniors how to give lessons to freshmen about verbal, emotional, technological, physical and sexual abuse,” said Abraham, who attended the session.

The goal is to have the program in full swing by next year. Juniors and seniors would be trained on the issues, and then teach their assigned freshmen various lessons. The program has the ability to become an immensely powerful tool, especially because of the newly arising challenges regarding social media. Having underclassmen being taught by students who have first hand experience with modern issues could make the experience more relevant and realistic.

Not only that, but students in general can easily trust other students.

Abraham recognizes the power of student voices, which is why she’s confident the program will help the school climate. “If we ever involve our students, it always goes better because they just step up, show leadership and they know how to talk to other kids,” Abraham said. “Kids listen to kids. I think juniors and seniors could do a better job talking to freshmen about these issues than adults can.”

Even though the program won’t start until next year, West currently has strict guidelines against

sexual harassment. All staff members are briefed on procedures through an online training program. The program quizzes them on how they would react to certain situations, including recieving a report of sexual harassment. According to French teacher Sydney McDermott, who was hired four years ago, sometimes the training isn’t enough. “I can probably pass a test over what I’m required to do, but in the event that it happens, that’s a whole different story,” McDermott said. However, students can be assured that any teacher in the building will be able to help them in some way. The school has a mandatory reporting policy, so if a student reports sexual harassment to a teacher, they’re required to report it to the administration.

In order to report an incident of catcalling, the first step is for the affected student to reach out to a trusted adult. After hearing the report, the adult will pass it on to the administration, where the assistant principals will handle it. “[Once receiving a report] I would have a conversation with that person [who was harassing others],” Abraham said. “Lots of times, a conversation is all it takes, actually. Kids will sort of say, ‘Okay, oops, I shouldn’t have done that.’” If the harassment is a repeated offence, administrators become more involved. The student’s parents are brought in, and the harasser may have to speak with the district equity coordinator as well.

Despite these procedures, students are often afraid to speak out about their experiences, especially to a teacher. In recent years, the ICCSD has formulated a response to combat these fears: the ‘Say Something’ campaign. Since the launch, an anonymous text message line was formed to allow students to report not only sexual harassment, but bullying or assault as well.

As assistant vice principal, Abraham is copied on these reports, and the procedure in dealing with harassment is often the same: talk to those harassing others about how what they did was wrong. “The difficulty is, all I can really do is have a conversation with the person, because ... I can’t say you did this to this person on this day,” Abraham said. However, Abraham is confident in the program. “Typically, once we start the process, kids do stop.”

The introduction of social media has also posed challenges for the administration. Screen names give a perception of safety or anonymity, which can encourage attackers to sexually harass others because they believe they can’t be tracked down. “It gets complicated because screen names aren’t always ... the person’s name,” Abraham said. “Sometimes kids will say, ‘Well, I

don’t know who that is, that wasn’t me.’”

In general, a large part of sexual harassment culture is because of students' mindsets. Often times, harassers don’t know what they’re saying is inappropriate. “I don’t exactly know what the school could do about it. I think even if the school brought it up, it wouldn’t make a difference and people would just laugh it off,” Furlong said. “They could reprimand students for it, but I don’t think the student would respect the request, and the harassment wouldn’t stop. The person who reported it might be harassed even more ... if people found out [they reported it].”

Despite this, West’s health curriculum is trying to combat these issues. By teaching what’s inappropriate and what’s not, the aim is to help students realize what they’re saying has the ability to negatively affect others. “I do feel that oftentimes, young people and adults say things when maybe they’re just joking around, and they’re not meaning to be mean or hurt someone’s feelings, but those remarks are inappropriate and we need to think before we speak,” said Paul Rundquist, West’s health teacher.

Another issue that promotes sexual harassment is a fear among students of speaking out.

“I think that kids are afraid to report things because they feel like they’re going to be in trouble, or they feel like they did something that caused it to happen to them,” McDermott said. “For example, if a student doesn’t feel comfortable reporting behavior because they’re not sure what’s going to happen to them, that’s going to keep that kid from saying anything.”

Rundquist believes the key to encouraging victims to stand up is keeping the conversation going. “Hopefully the more we discuss it, the more people will be willing to step up and say something,” Rundquist said. “I think it’s on us as educators to make sure that we continue to discuss it and discuss the importance of saying something.”

You can help by speaking out about your experiences. If you or a friend is struggling, make sure to reach out to a trusted adult here at West, or submit an anonymous message by texting @SaySomething to 35134. In your message, make sure to add specific details. For cases involving sexual assault, RAINN’s confidential national helpline is available 24/7 by calling 800-656-4673. RAINN also has an online chat feature. You can access it by going to online. rainn.org. For more information, be sure to visit RAINN’s website. There are also specific hotlines for street harassment, males who have been a victim of sexual assault and more.

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23

From mopping up spills to fixing maintenance problems, it’s no secret that custodians play a pivotal role in maintaining a clean environment at West. As crucial as their job is, however, these custodians sometimes have to face messes on par with the grossest of horror movies.

Here’s just a few of the numerous horror stories that custodians Donnie Binegal, Daniel Carlos and MJ Plank have to share from right here at West.

BY ANNABEL HENDRICKSON

KANYE WEST (HIGH)

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ENTERTAINMENT NOV. 15, 2019

If you’ve ever visited the old weight room and noticed a tiny face staring down at you from the ceiling, you’re not alone. A senior prank in 2013 left stickers of Kanye West’s face scattered around the school. While the custodians were able to get most of them, an elusive few have stuck around in mysterious places. “I’ll never like that man’s music again, or anything with him because of those damn stickers that got put up everywhere,” Plank said.

“Some of them were in these ridiculous places too. We were just like ‘Nope, those are going to stay there.’”

PIPE DREAMS

COST OF THE JOB It’s a dangerous job, and no one understands this better than Plank. When he was removing an old table from a conference room, the legs suddenly snapped shut quicker than planned, taking a piece of Plank’s middle finger in the process. “I didn’t realize at first, I thought I had just smushed it,” Plank said. “And then Dan had to bring out the extra piece [to the hospital], but it was too mangled to attach.”

DEFINITELY NOT MILK

Of all the things to be found running through pipes, a snake is probably the least expected. In a desperate attempt at freedom from the science department, the snake found refuge in the pipes at West. “The snake got loose from the science labs and was in the tunnels around the school. That’s where we found it, in the tunnels,” Binegal said.

It’s no surprise that the custodians have experience dealing with a wide range of problems involving the bathroom. For MJ Plank, however, one of these stories happened in an unusual place: the auditorium. “I had one kid go down to the auditorium and poop and pee in a milk container and just leave it there,” Plank said.

TO FLUSH OR NOT TO FLUSH

Apples. Oranges. Paper towels. A chunk of braided hair. The one thing these objects all have in common? They’ve all been the cause of major headaches for the custodians in the PE locker rooms. At one point, the build-up from objects being flushed down toilets that don’t belong there was so bad that the pipes were backed up 175 feet out from the school.

“That’s why we don’t flush things that aren’t supposed to be flushed,” Plank said.

SQUIRRELGATE

They’re cute. They’re furry.

They’re detrimental to I.T. lines. Nicknamed by teachers at the time as “Squirrelgate,” the discovery of a family of squirrels living in the ceilings at West was a particularly memorable issue for the custodians. “There were squirrels that got up in the ceiling and tore out the I.T. lines, and stuff like that caused a big problem,” Plank said.

ENTERTAINMENT

NOV. 15, 2019

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P.O.S.

BY NATALIE DUNLAP

dent in driver’s side door

is my baby. I “This obably in will d pr dies,

Jacob Nyberg ’20 gives a tour of his 2004 Chevy Impala, which he has named “Lil Imp”. “This is my baby. I will drive it until it dies, probably in a couple months,” Nyberg said.

A student’s first car is one of their most important and memoryfilled possessions. Jacob Nyberg ’20 got his car in August of his sophomore year from a used car salesman nearby. In the two years since he bought the car it has acquired many stories and scratches.

“I think it was at 120,000 miles…There was like one dent and now there’s a lot. I put 50,000 miles on it,” he said.

Besides a scratch he put on his mom’s car while backing out of the garage, Nyberg claims most of his car mishaps haven’t damaged other cars.

“I’ve hit two mailboxes, knocked both of them down…I put my car in a ditch as well, and I had to pay to reconstruct whatever below got broken. It happens. I don’t really count that as a crash because I didn’t hit anything,” he said.

26

ENTERTAINMENT NOV. 15, 2019

il it

rive it unt ac oup le months.”

“ “My middle mirror is also now dangling from its place. That means I have one functioning mirror…I got to my car after school one day— I used to leave my car unlocked, now I don’t— and it was just dangling there.”

“My car won’t start every couple weeks,” Nyberg said. He then demonstrated what he does to get it running: he pops the hood, fidgets with the engine, hits parts of the machinery with an open palm, “and then it starts.”

taped side mirror

“This is a taped mirror.

This happened when I was backing out of my driveway, and I hit the recycling bin. This just fell out, so it’s been taped for coming up on a year now.”

ed to leave my c ed, ar unlock “I us no w i d on’t.”

broken rearview mirror

ABOUT THE CAR 2004 Chevy Impala Started driving it August 2017 Bought it from a used car salesmen when it was at 120,000 miles

used to be h is here nd “T ause as backing o out a lot bec w I n e ut wh , my mom’s ca of my garage y m t i h r r.” doo

“When I first got the car, paint along the edges was peeling a little bit. My mom offered to replace it, and I said no because I’m an idiot. It just started chipping more and more.”

DESIGN BY VIVIEN HO PHOTOS BY VIVIEN HO & SUMNER WALLACE

ENTERTAINMENT NOV. 15, 2019

27

PHOTO COURTESY OF MASON DAINS

t all started because he was allergic to outdoor mold and cats. As a way to avoid his allergens, Timothy Bergal ’22 joined a “Learn to Skate” program at five-years-old. After elevating his skills with a private teacher, Bergal realized the difficulties that arise from learning more advanced skills like jumps.

“I think the learning curve is very difficult.

When you start learning, it’s very easy,” Bergal said. “But quickly, boom, it’s exponential. The difficulty picks up, and eventually, it gets much more frustrating and more difficult to learn new tricks or skills.”

However, through intense two-hour daily practices, he is able to grasp new techniques.

“It’s really rewarding to see how in comparison to the first week when I’m just struggling and saying, ‘Why can’t I land this jump? Why is no progress being made?’ over the course of several months, to being able to finally land that jump successfully for the first time,” Bergal said.

In 2018, Bergal went on to finish sixth at the U.S. Figure Skating National Championships for Juvenile Boys Freeskate. Even after this remarkable feat, Bergal is still learning each day and continues to strive for impressive accomplishments in the future, including qualifying for Nationals again this season.

“I feel like skating has really taught me to persevere even when you think something is impossible,” Bergal said.

“

SK ATI NG HAS R EALLY TAUG HT M E TO PE RSEVE R E”

28

-TI M OTHY B E RGAL ‘22 SPORTS

NOV. 15, 2019

t first glance, it appears to be a typical football game. The players run, cradle a ball and tackle each other. Looking closer, however, you see that the way the players toss the ball to each other is unlike many have seen before: it’s thrown in every direction but forward. This isn’t a game of football. It’s rugby.

For Mason Dains ’20, this spectacle is a normal part of his daily routine during rugby season, which lasts from February to May. When his friend’s team needed more players last year, he decided to try it out, eventually becoming a committed player on the team.

However, every sport has its fair share of challenges, and rugby is no exception. “[Rugby] is not very common, and nobody really knows the rules of it,” Dains said. “To get used to those and know what to do and where to be at what time [is difficult].”

Much like football, a crucial key to winning games is teamwork. Through a supportive environment, Dains’ team is able to cooperate and play well together. “[My teammates and I] all get really excited to play [and] really hyped up,” Dains said. “That makes the adrenaline start pumping and make things a lot more fun out there.”

f one rower on the team zones out and doesn’t match the strokes of the rest of the team, the boat could flip over. If an oar gets caught on some underwater plants, the boat could flip over. If it’s a rainy and windy day and the boat fills with water, yet again, it could flip over.

Rowing is one of the few sports that requires constant communication and collaboration between crew members to avoid disaster.

Jim Li ’21 and Emily Shian ’22, rowers with University of Iowa Hawkeye Community Rowing, believe that teamwork is an important component for success.

“Rowing is more of a collaborative effort instead of just [an] individual [effort],” Shian said.

“Everything is basically with a team. You all have to trust one another and make sure you’re all together.”

The crew has become close-knit through everything they have accomplished together, but acknowledges the separation between work and play.

“We’re all pretty close, everyone knows each other, and we can all laugh and joke with each other,” Li said. “When practice starts, we can shift our attitude to being focused and engaged and ready for practice pretty quickly.”

ROWI NG I S MO R E OF A COLLABO R ATIVE E FFO RT.”

“

“TH E ADR E NALI N E STARTS PU M PI NG.” - MASO N DAI N S ‘20

“

- E M I LY S H IAN ‘22

Many sports are not offered at high schools, but that doesn’t keep West students from participating in them.

ART & DESIGN BY ELLA ROSENTHAL

BY ALICE MENG

PHOTOS BY SYDNEY WILDES

PHOTO COURTESY OF ETHAN BUCK

he fear of heights is one of the most common phobias in the world. It’s not a problem individuals usually have to face, but if you rock climb on a regular basis, you may be in for some trouble. Unlike many, however, Ethan Buck ’21 has not let his fear of heights overcome him.

Since he first started climbing at the age of 10, his fear was a major obstacle to his improvement, but he has been able to manage it with practice.

“That was pretty challenging to push myself to keep going when I was really high up,” Buck said. “Now I don’t have that much of an issue with it. I can kind of tune it out, which is good.”

Despite rock climbing typically being viewed as an individual sport, Buck believes that collaboration with other climbers plays a valuable role in the whole experience.

“It’s really all about collaboration with people.

And I feel like [that] more than [with] other sports, like learning how to do different routes and just everybody helping each other,” Buck said. “I feel like that’s the bigger part of climbing, rather than becoming better than everybody else.”

“

IT’S R EALLY ALL ABOUT COLLABO R ATION WITH PEOPLE .”

- ETHAN BU CK ‘21

lone, cross country is demanding enough. Now take biking and mash the two together. Then, just throw some mud, hills and barriers into the mix. Finally, you’ve got cyclocross.

Luke Arens ’21 has faced this challenging mash-up in person. Often regarded as one of the toughest forms of cycling, cyclocross features a variety of difficult obstacles that can trip up the racer. These include logs that the biker has to jump over and thick mud that causes them to resort to carrying the bicycle.

“After [my] first race, I’d crashed five times — bloodied elbows and knees,” Arens said. “After that, I knew it was going to be challenging, and I was up for a fun challenge.”

With daily practice on his personal bike trainer at home and skill training every Wednesday, Arens is able to better tackle jumps, corners and off-camber turns. A few of his biggest races include the Union Cycliste International, an international junior race in Louisville, and a World Cup race in Wisconsin, which boasted many top riders from the US and various European countries.

Arens now mentors younger members in Corridor Diva, a local racing team, and greatly values the many relationships he has made through biking.

“There’s a big community inside cyclocross and biking in general. I met so many people, so many friends,” Arens said. “It’s just fun that no matter where I go, I always see someone that I know, and it’s just cool to meet people and branch out.”

“

I WAS U P FO R A FU N CHALLE NG E .”

PHOTO COURTESY OF BETH-ANNE PIGGE

PHOTO COURTESY OF LUKE ARENS

- LU KE AR E N S ‘21

he players zoom by on their skates, managing to maintain their balance while also having incredibly accurate aim when passing and shooting the puck. Hockey is one of the most action-packed sports that requires many skills to master.

Chris Pigge ’21 first got into hockey after his father played it as a child and encouraged him to try it out. He enjoys the exhilarating environment that it provides. “[My favorite part is] the energy that comes with it because when you’re playing a game, it’s super fast-paced,” Pigge said. “You really have to keep your head on a swivel, and that’s exciting.”

Pigge currently plays for the Cedar Rapids Roughriders Club. It includes players from many other schools, such as City High, Liberty High and Solon. Despite rivalries between the schools in other sports, the players set these differences aside for the better of the team.

“Like any team, people have their differences, but at the end of the day we always look over them,” Pigge said.

Through hockey, he has learned that hard work is the most significant determinant for success.

“If you’re slacking, you’re going to get skated, which means ... you skate back and forth until the coach tells you to stop. So it’s hard work over talent,” Pigge said. “It doesn’t really matter how good you are, it matters how hard you’re working.”

“

IT MATTERS HOW HARD YOU’RE WORKING.”

- CH R I S PI GG E ‘21 SPORTS

NOV.15, 2019

29

RISING STARS

G I R L S BAS K E T BA L L

BY CAROLINE CHANDLER

IN

EMMA

’22

Emma Ingersoll-Weng: I’d say my older brother with Down Syndrome did. I started at the age of three at one of his basketball games.

I just took a basketball on the court and started dribbling and I fell in love with the game.

G

SO LL- WEN G

West Side Story: Who first got you into

basketball?

ER

injury, and how did you get injured?

forward to as a returning member of the varsity team?

EIW: It was during my club season during the

first game of the tournament. It was on a regular plant, and my ligaments collapsed. Then [my ACL] popped. I was out for the rest of the game.

Then I got surgery. It was hard because this just [happened] immediately, and then school season started in like three months.

EIW: The team dynamic and the energy. We’re

a really good team and it’s just a really great program. I think what makes our team dynamic special is all the bonding activities we do that force us to get to know each other and become more of a family. We each push each other to do better outside and inside of school.

2018-2019 SEASON

7.3 74.5 FT%

WSS: What are some goals you have for the

PPG

team, either individually or as a whole?

RY VES

T ’22

WSS: Do you play on a club team, and how does that improve your skills for the school season?

Avery Vest: During the summer, I normally play on an Amateur Athletic Union team (AAU.) It just helps so that you don’t lose your skills.

Playing AAU allows you to meet and compete with players at a higher level.

WSS: What are some goals that you have for this season either individually or as a team?

AV: I would really like to help the freshmen and be an important part of the team. My goal this year for the team is obviously to get as far as we can, but also to work together and play hard the whole year.

WSS: So far, what has been your greatest

30

SPORTS

NOV. 15, 2019

the West High basketball program way instead of not being a team like last year. We weren’t playing as a whole team. My individual goal for this season is to continue getting college letters and possibly being able to play in at least one game towards the end of the season.

WSS: What was it like to have such a tough

WSS: What is something that you are looking

VE A

EIW: I’d say trying our hardest and playing

accomplishment as an athlete?

AV: Making varsity as a freshman is kind of impressive. I was really excited to make varsity because it’s a goal that many other players have and I have.

WSS: What was it like to have such a tough injury, and how did it happen?

AV: It happened in a game on a layup. I drove into a bunch of people and it just landed wrong. [The recovery process] has been eight or nine months, so it’s a really long process.

The surgeries hurt but it’s gone by faster than I thought it would.

2018-2019 SEASON

14 75 FT% REB

DESIGN BY VIVIEN HO PHOTOS BY MADDY SMITH

BY JOE GOODMAN

F

antasy football is a game of preparation, luck and a healthy amount of trash talk.

The Monday night thrills and last-second missed field goals make up the highs and lows that prove the game is about more than just the wins and losses. It’s about the never-ending taunting, tantalizing lineup decisions and hopeful

glory of winning one’s league and taking home the coveted cash prize.

Within West High, there is a range of different fantasy leagues, each with their own levels of trash talking and competitiveness. Below are quotes from some of the best (and worst) fantasy football players that we could find.

ART & DESIGN BY VIVIEN HO PHOTOS BY JOE GOODMAN

CLASS

NAME

QUOTE

22

BOAZ ABRAMOFF

“Gardner Minshew is my quarterback, so that’s not great. I was down 30 points to [Nate Gudenkauf ’22]. Then Christian McCaffery got me 46 points, and I won the game so that was nice.”

20

ERIN ELIZALDE

“I joined [my family’s league] in sixth grade. They pay more attention to it than I do. When I first started everyone was doubting me, but I was really into football in junior high. I ended up winning my division and went on to the playoffs.”

23

RYNE

“Our league’s been around four or five years ... I’m the commissioner. This year is our first year playing with money, so there’s a lot of pressure on me to figure that out.”

21

OWEN SMITH

“I only have one win, but I do talk the most trash. In person, in our group chat, just anywhere really. Once I get Saquon [Barkley] back, things will start looking up hopefully.”

20

MATTHEW CUPP

“Honestly, I don’t trade. I stick with my dogs. I won the ’ship two years ago with Todd Gurley and Alvin Kamara, superstars out of the backfield [who] just carried my team to an easy win.”

21

KEVIN LU

“I follow [the NFL] a lot. I do my research and make my own tier list of all the good position players that I want. Then I make a second-rate list in case the first ones are taken.”

VANDERLEEST

SPORTS

NOV. 15, 2019

31

CANCELLED

BY ISAAC YOUNG

I

nnocence is a basic human right in the United States. When tried for a crime, the accused maintain their innocence until it can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that they are guilty. However, there is one place where this fundamental, and often forgotten, prerogative is ignored: the courtrooms of social media.

The rise of “cancel culture” has been one of the most dangerous developments of social media.

It is characterized by a mob of unforgiving internet users boycotting some prominent public figure, company or brand for anywhere from hours to months on end.

The main reason “cancel culture” has become so toxic is because the user base of platforms like Twitter and Instagram is not fit to act as a judge, but is given the right by business executives. In this way, “cancel culture” is the ultimate, irresponsible exercise of power from the consumer.

Companies and networks have become so fearful of losing profit over controversial news that they are far too willing to take immediate action.

Take Carson King, a man who selflessly raised money for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, for example. There was some initial outcry against King for his infamous tweet that quoted a racist joke from “Tosh.0,” so Anheuser-Busch quickly terminated their deal with him, which would have supplied him with a year’s worth of beer embellished with his face.

However, this in itself was deemed a mistake by the public. The opinion of the social media masses is so volatile that companies like Busch make a decision only to have the public alienate their cause or change their minds completely.

The authority to make big decisions for net-

32

OPINION NOV. 15, 2019

works, brands and companies has been handed over to a loose collective of people online whose only commonality is their boredom, which they try to remedy by stirring the pot of whatever controversy they can get their hands on.

An extremely frustrating aspect of “cancel culture” is its seemingly random nature. It is impossible to decipher what events the internet will decide to retaliate against. This is more evident in the world of comedy than anywhere else. Recently, up and coming comedian Shane Gills lost his chance on “Saturday Night Live” after it was exposed that he made a racy joke at the expense of Chinese communities. A comedian has lost a promising career because of a joke he made several years ago, while countless others who have performed offensive comedy routines face no repercussions, not to mention “SNL’s” own fair share of insolent bits.

Sometimes, like in the case of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who donned blackface before his political career, a wrongdoing is acknowledged, and then nothing is done by the community to pressure action against those responsible. The public noticed Trudeau’s mistake, but in this instance decided to let him off scotfree, and even re-elected him. “Cancel culture” would be somewhat bearable if there were clear do’s and don’ts, but the inconsistency makes appeasing the public an impossible task.

Under the jurisdiction of social media users, there is no discernible statute of limitations.

Because of this, people are punished for things they said or did in the past very frequently. The abandonment of Carson King, Shane Gills and others have been caused by words and actions

from the past. Ignoring the timeframe of events alienates an important aspect of humanity: people change over time. How ridiculous would it be if high school students were evaluated based on their intellectual capabilities in elementary school? The same applies here, only with an aptitude for morality instead of knowledge. People are having their lives and careers ruined because of jokes they made as a completely different person. Holding people accountable for their past is one thing, but if the punishment continues after the accused acknowledges their wrongdoing, things are being taken too far.

It is also important to address those who are judged for their decisions in the present. It is far more appropriate to judge someone based on their contemporary actions than it is on those from far in the past, but it is also essential to realize everyone is in the process of growing as a person. A mistake made today is not necessarily indicative of wickedness in the future.

The “cancel culture” phenomenon has turned into a gross misuse of power. It is admirable to cause an uproar in cases of sexual assault, or in other circumstances where a crime has been committed, but a great number of “cancel culture’s” victims are targeted because of far less pressing issues. While things like racial slurs, insensitive remarks and inconsiderate actions are by no means excusable, they probably do not reflect the entirety of a person’s beliefs. It is my hope that in the future, when a prominent figure is on trial in front of a social media jury, the substance of the person will be judged as a whole, and not only by a mistake they’ve made.

PHOTO BY ADITI BORDE ART & DESIGN BY SELINA HUA

A N E W WO R L D

BY CHEN-YOU WU

V

olunteering for this, volunteering for that, blah blah blah. Volunteering never really made sense to me. Why would I be wasting my time doing something that didn’t necessarily benefit me? I could be doing work that I’d be paid for, or I could be pursuing academic or extra-curricular interests. Hell, I could even be lying around at home doing nothing, which is certainly better than unpaid labor, right? At this point, you’re probably wondering, “Chen-You, how can you possibly be such a selfish a**hole?”

Fast forward to now, and you may be surprised to know that I have actually volunteered. Things have thankfully changed for the better. Some of the most memorable experiences happened at a coat drive with some classmates, such as seeing the gratitude and relief on a woman’s face after she realized that she and her family would be able to stay warm this winter. Or watching the worry and stress disappear when another woman realized we could speak French, which made the whole process that much easier for her.

Knowing that I made a significant impact on a person’s well-being was something so foreign to me, and it’s truly such a gratifying experience that I can’t wait to repeat. It only took me a mere 17 years to realize that...

I was raised in the “typical” Asian household, which meant that everything was about my future. Everything I did was so I could do well in school, get into a good college, get a good job and thus live a good, stable life. It didn’t really matter what others were going through; my job was to do what I needed to do to get ahead in life and honestly, spending time volunteering did not accomplish that for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very proud of my culture and upbringing, but it’s also certainly led to some serious flaws.

Thankfully, I’ve been able to grow past some of those flaws and become a better person thanks to a new course the district offers: the Seal of Biliteracy.

PHOTO BY PARAS BASSUK ART & DESIGN BY SELINA HUA

Most students have probably heard of it before, especially if they’re enrolled in a higher level language class. However, they almost certainly have the same misconception I had—that it’s “just another language class.” But it’s so much more than that. It teaches a very important concept that is way beyond language—a concept that my classmates and I have truly come to believe everyone should not only learn about, but actively use as a guide in their lives.

Throughout the course, we focus on the idea of global citizenship. While the notion of global citizenship is quite complex, at its core, it’s just about building and fostering a more sustainable world, not only environmentally, but also socially. Thus, a big component of this class is community service, where we are trying to create a more inclusive Iowa City for all members of our community. Through our volunteering we develop not only our foreign language skills, but our understanding and applications of the skills and concepts it takes to be a global citizen—things that help us become competent

members of society in the 21st century, such as communication, initiative, cross-cultural skills and leadership.

The reason why the concept of global citizenship resonates so strongly with me is indeed because of my childhood. But now, with the extreme political and social climate the world is situated in, it’s easier than ever to understand the importance of such a concept.

The ability to work across cultural and social differences is so important in today’s hyper-connected world, and with all the conflict occurring, it requires us to put aside our differences and build a better place for us now and for those in the future. It’s imperative that we start building the skills to become multi-faceted members of the global community and to take what we learn and apply it. Even if you can’t take a Seal of Biliteracy class, at least educate yourself about global citizenship. Apply it to your life and together, we can be leaders, inspirations and most of all, global citizens. Together, we can be the change that is much needed in this world.

OPINION NOV. 15, 2019

33

THE UNHEALTHY CHOICE WSS’s Editorial Board re-evaluates how health class is presented at West.

West High offers a wide variety of subjects ranging from American history to AP computer science and everything in between. Core classes, electives and physical education credits are all required of students in order to graduate. There is one class, however, that provides information valuable to all students, regardless of their future career choice. Health class offers some of the most pertinent information in all of high school, yet it is considered “optional” (more on that later) by the administration.

In recent years, health class has been seen almost as a speed bump for incoming students trying to plan the next four years. The editorial board feels that the general consensus on health class is that it covers the same topics students learned in eighth grade personal development, and that it isn’t necessarily crucial to partake in.

While there are some who have legitimate reasons to not take health, it is far too easy for students to excuse themselves. All it takes is a parent signature—real or forged—no explanation, no questions asked. By a vote of 22-1, the West Side Story Editorial Board proposes making this class mandatory, not just in theory, but in practice.

Replacing the parent signature with a meeting between parent, student and guidance counselor would allow students a way out of the class for religious or moral objections, while making

34

OPINION NOV. 15, 2019

it more difficult for students who have no other reason but disinterest to opt out. This would increase the number of students enrolled in the class and as a result, increase the overall well-being of the student body. “We’ve got a wide range of topics, and not all of the topics are going to relate to every student, but some of them will at one point of their life or another,” health teacher Paul Rundquist said. “I think it’s unfortunate that they’re not getting that exposure.”

To make the class accessible to those who don’t want to sacrifice a trimester of their schedule, health could be offered online. In fact, many

POLICY PROPOSAL: West High needs to better enforce its health class requirement in addition to rebranding it as a course taken by upperclassmen. colleges and universities, such as the University of Iowa, have mandatory internet-based health education. The ICCSD already offers economics online, and other school districts have gone so far as to offer some AP classes online. If this material is possible to learn online, it doesn’t seem like a stretch to offer health online as well.

In addition to offering an online option, the class itself should be geared more towards up-

perclassmen. Rundquist estimates that upwards of 90% of the students in his classes are ninth graders. While Rundquist has made efforts to connect with his younger students, including bringing in experts on topics such as vaping, alcohol and drug abuse, he feels that there can be a disconnect for students who may not be experiencing some of the issues at the time. “We touch on some of those things, but it’s not as relevant to freshmen who are like ‘Yeah okay whatever,’” Rundquist said. “We talk about it, but it maybe doesn’t hit home as much.”

By the time students are upperclassmen, friends and social media can skew their self-perception and world-view, making them more susceptible to exploring new substances with their health class knowledge so far behind them.

According to The Recovery Village, only 2% of eighth-graders nationally reported consuming alcohol to the point of being drunk. When you compare that number with the 18% of high school seniors that reported being drunk nationally, it becomes clear that teens start to experiment with alcohol later in high school.

Health class would be more effective if it was required during one’s junior or senior year. Students who take health as freshmen and don’t receive guidance from their parents or peers later in high school are essentially thrown to the wolves when they enter college or experience these issues later in life. These crucial, formative years in a high schooler’s social development should be guided by health professionals who can help them navigate the worlds of alcohol, sex and drugs in a safe and responsibile manner, further preparing them for life in college and beyond.

ART & DESIGN BY SELINA HUA

PHOTO FEATURE

CAROLINE BARKER Greta Thunberg, 16-year-old Swedish activist, sits in solidarity with thousands of Iowa residents during 11 minutes of silence at the Climate Strike in downtown Iowa City on Oct. 4th. The 11 minutes represent the 11 years left to reverse climate change. Thunberg’s sign reads, “School strike for the climate.”

FOR MORE COVERAGE, GO TO WSSPAPER.COM

ART BY KAILEY GEE AND BODIE WILLIAMSON DESIGN BY KAILEY GEE