The Good Time Company poses after performing “Mr. Blue Skies” and placed second in the Norwalk “Nexus” competition Feb. 3.
Hey there Trojans,
Happy last day of the second trimester; I hope these past few months have been fulfilling for you all! As we head into the third trimester, find moments of joy in these last three months of school.
With the start of 2024 comes a new election season, and as the Iowa Democratic Caucus quickly approaches on March 5, take a second and flip to pages 6-7 to learn more about the 2024 Election and how you can get involved.
Speaking of big events happening in March, today marks the first day of Women’s History Month. Head over to pages 18-23 to read this issue’s cover story honoring impactful women from the Iowa City community.
This issue also features guest columnist Caled Medina Sagastume, who talks about his journey immigrating from Honduras to the U.S. on pages 30-31. You will also find columns from Reem Kirja, who discusses the dehumanization of Palestinians, on page 32 and Nicole Lee, who breaks down offensive comedy, on page 33.
Enjoy this latest issue of WSS. As always, stay safe and happy reading West!
SINCERELY,
ZAIRA AHMAD (she/her)
Mailing address: 2901 Melrose Ave., Iowa City, IA 52240
Website: wsspaper.com
Email: westsidestorypaper@gmail.com
West Side Story reflects the views of the staff and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the school administration, faculty or student body. For students who want to join WSS, enroll in Foundations of Journalism or go to wsspaper.com/join.
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The WSS strives to correct its errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, contact westsidestorypaper@gmail.com.
The Editorial Board will select editorial topics. These editorials will not be signed by the writer, but will reflect the opinion of the majority of the Editorial Board. The Board takes full responsibility for all editorials. Any person with an interest in the Iowa City community who has an opinion to be voiced is encouraged to submit letters to the editor or guest columns, and they must be signed. For our full editorial policy, visit: wsspaper.com/policy.
It is the policy of the Iowa City Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, martial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or sociaeconomic programs, activities, or employment practices. If you believe you have (or your child has) been discriminated against or treated unjustly at your school, please contact the Equity Director, at 509 Dubuque Street, 319-688-1000. Please contact westsidestorypaper@gmail.com for questions or comments.
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Grace
Lilly
Carter-Birch Houchins-Witt (he/him)
Reem Kirja* (she/her)
Kamakshee Kuchhal* (she/her)
Jane Lam* (she/her)
Jessie Li* (she/her)
Gianna Liu* (she/her)
Ginger McCartney* (she/her)
*Editorial Board Member
Helen Orszula (she/they) Artist, Designer
Mrudani Ramkumar* (she/her)
Celia Sadewasser (she/her) Intern
Shanza Sami (she/her) Reporter
Tyler Shane (he/him) Intern
Zoe Smith* (she/her)
Anna Song* (she/her) Assistant Design Editor
McKenna Stephens (she/her) Designer
Marie Stier* (she/her) Feature Editor
Henry Timmer-Hackert* (he/him) Assistant Opinion Editor
Erinn Varga* (she/her) Design Editor, Opinion Editor
Sara Whittaker (she/her) Adviser
Athena Wu* (she/her) Entertainment Editor
As the second trimester comes to a close, read on to learn more about what West students have been up to.
After a West home court sweep Dec. 22, the Trojan basketball teams traveled across town to City High Jan. 26 for another double-header match-up. Following a 63-57 victory Dec. 22 with a 33-point performance from sophomore stand-out Grace Fincham, the girls team lost to City 46-63 Jan. 26. Coming in with a six-game winning streak and a nearly perfect record (10-1), the boys team dominated City with a 70-44 win. As of print time, the girls team ended their regular season ranked No. 15, and the boys are ranked No. 2 for Class 4A.
The West High Dance Team qualified for the Universal Dance Association (UDA) National Dance Team Championship held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla Feb. 2-4. The dance team qualified for nationals after placing 3rd for Pom and 5th for Jazz at the UDA Chicagoland regional competition Jan. 7. On Feb. 3, they advanced to the finals of nationals for the first time since 2019, in the Small Varsity Jazz category, ultimately placing 18th.
Chilling temperatures, icy conditions and heavy snowfall were behind school cancellations throughout January. The ICCSD builds ~6.5 additional school days into the calendar each year. After six missed school days this school year, only 2.5 extra hours remain as of print time. If more than 2.5 hours are missed, the ICCSD will employ make-up measures, such as converting April 19 from a no-school day to a school day or holding classes virtually. Additionally, West student government scheduled a Northern Lights themed SnoCo Jan. 20 but administration canceled it due to winter weather and low ticket sales.
In girls wrestling’s second year as a sanctioned sport, three West wrestlers, Helen Orszula ’24, Peyton Van Dyke ’27 and Trinity Myers ’25, punched their ticket to the state tournament Jan. 27 at the Region 4 qualifier at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines. They competed at the state tournament in a sold-out Xtreme Arena Feb. 1. Orszula’s season ended after a first-round consolation loss, with Van Dyke and Myers falling in their second-round consolation matches.
4
Following their fourth consecutive year as Iowa High School Speech Association (IHSSA) State champions, the West Speech & Debate team hosted the East Iowa District Tournament Feb. 9-10, in hopes of qualifying for the 2024 National Speech & Debate Tournament. 10 West members qualified across five events and will be traveling to nationals in Des Moines June 16-21 to compete among 6,700 students for 42 champion awards. SPEECH
The West Speech & Debate team Feb. 10.
West’s varsity show choir, Good Time Company, kicked off its competition season with a fourthplace finish at the Prairie Premiere Jan. 27. For their second competition, Good Time Company placed first-runner up Feb. 3 at the Norwalk Nexus. A week later, Good Time Company took home the “Best Stage Presence” and “Best Soloist” awards at the Cedar Rapids Washington MoShow.
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Ahead of the 2024 presidential primaries, the WSS compiles election information for the student body.
BY CARTER BIRCH HOUCHINS-WITT & MARIE STIER ART & DESIGN BY MARIE STIERJOE BIDEN is the incumbent Democratic presidential candidate. He was elected to the Senate from 1973-2009 and served as the vice president under President Barack Obama. Biden is currently the top candidate for the Democrats. He campaigns on tackling climate change, forgiving student loans and expanding healthcare availability.
DEAN PHILLIPS has been serving in the House of Representatives as a Minnesotan Democrat since 2018. He first rose to prominence by being an entrepreneur, owning three different businesses. Phillips’ campaign platform includes universal health care, increased border security and an easier path to citizenship for immigrants. 49%
NIKKI HALEY is a Republican who first served as a representative and governor of South Carolina. She later became the U.S. ambassador for the United Nations under the Trump Administration. Her campaign emphasizes her foreign policy expertise and hard stances against gun reform and illegal immigration.
DONALD TRUMP is a Republican who first made a name for himself as a New York realtor in the 1980s. He served as president of the U.S. from 2016-2020, a presidency that was marked by two impeachments. Trump currently has 91 felony counts in four criminal cases yet remains the front-runner for the Republican party. His campaign focuses on limiting immigration and cutting taxes.
Must be at least 17 years old and 18 by election date.
Must be a United States Citizen.
Must be an Iowa Resident.
Cannot be a convicted felon.
Cannot be judged mentally incompetent by a court of law. Cannot claim the right to vote in any other place.
5 NOVEMBER 2024
Iowa voters will vote in the presidential election (a presidential candidate running with their chosen vice president), the congressional election (four House members to replace Iowa’s representatives) and two amendments to add to Iowa’s Constitution.
Iowa Republican caucus
MARCH 5
Iowa Democratic caucus
JULY 15-18
Republican Convention (Milwaukee, WI.)
AUG. 19-22
Democratic Convention (Chicago, IL.)
SEPT. 16
Presidential Debate
Iowa was the first state to caucus in the Republican primary Jan. 5. This traditional caucus system has a section designated to each candidate, with voters standing in their respective sections as representatives — giving speeches to convince others to join their candidate. Donald Trump won Iowa’s caucus with 51% of the votes and 20 delegates, followed by Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, receiving nine, eight and three delegates, respectively. Trump won every county in Iowa except for Johnson County, where he lost to Haley by a single vote. Following their Iowa caucus performances, DeSantis and Ramaswamy both ended their presidential bids.
While the Republicans continue with Iowa being the first state to caucus — which has been the case for the past thirteen elections — the Iowa Democratic Caucus changed dramatically after the 2020 election. Iowa’s caucus date was moved to March 5, making Iowa no longer the first state in the Democratic Caucus. Also known as Super Tuesday, March 5 will feature a dozen other state’s Democratic and Republican primaries and caucuses. Democrats now send in their preferred candidate via mail instead of an in-person caucus. Democrats will have to be registered by Feb. 19 and request a Presidential Preference Card to vote in their primary.
The presidential election will take place Nov. 5, with electors casting their votes Dec. 17. The elected president will be sworn into office Jan. 20, 2025.
OCT. 1
Presidential Debate
OCT. 9
Presidential Debate
NOV. 5
Presidential Election
DEC. 17
Electors cast vote
JAN. 20, 2025
President sworn into office
The phrase “sent to Tate” has a negative connotation within the halls of West High. But what does it mean for a student to transition to an alternative school?
BY ZOE SMITHThe Iowa Department of Education defines alternative education as “a perspective, not a procedure.” While students at the ICCSD’s traditional high schools may overlook Tate, it remains a vital part of the school district. Tate focuses on providing its students with a personalized education plan and resources es sential for their success.
Named after Elizabeth Crawford-Tate, the owner of Iowa City’s first rooming house for Black tenants, Tate honors her legacy by creating a safe and inclusive environment for all students.
Tate’s schedule closely resembles West’s Thurs day schedule, with classes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Like West, Tate’s days are filled with various classes, field trips and clubs. Besides core class es, students participate in Kirkwood Academies, where they enroll in free college classes at Kirk wood Community College and can earn an as sociate’s degree. Additionally, students can join in extracurricular activities and travel to other schools for sports.
“Tate has clubs to help kids thrive and feel comfortable in their environment, such as Glitter Club (LGBT), Girls Group, Boys Group, a club for teen parents, as well as a bunch of student-made clubs. I started a dance club the year I went,” Gabby Williams, a 2023 Tate Graduate, said in an interview conducted over email.
AAND IT’S BEING ACKNOWLEDGED.
-GABBY WILLIAMS ‘23
I was like, ‘Oh no, what have I gotten myself into?’” Browning said. “Kids would leave, go down to McDonald’s and come back. Or maybe smoke across the street.”
nn Browning is Tate’s principal and has been an educator for 37 years. She was previously a City High assistant prin-
Despite Browning’s initial concerns, she hopes to make Tate a pillar of support for its students. Alternative high schools strive to help students
for free and reduced lunch, compared to 34% at West. According to Browning, Many students work outside of school to support themselves and their families, and many experience mental health issues, identity issues and houselessness. These factors, coupled with the typical stressors that accompany high school, can lead students to seek a different environment where they can thrive.
“When [students] get referred and come to Tate, they have a chip on their shoulder and feel like they got voted off the island. Like, ‘I have to come here now, and I heard nothing but bad kids come here,’” Browning said. “It’s just a misconception. We’re a really great school. We’re just smaller [than a typical high school].”
Tate a distinct method of educating students, starting with open communication.
“Kids get here and really like the school. We have a lot of things that help. We have our Student Advisory Center (SAC), where if anybody acts out more than three times, they go down there,” Browning said. “We work out the issue, and they can’t go back until they talk to their teacher. We pull the teacher out and have a quick conflict resolution [to]repair that relationship.”
Browning is committed to ensuring every student at Tate feels supported within the school environment. To achieve this goal, the administration transformed Tate into a Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) school. With the integration of the program, students earn “tickets” for attending classes and demonstrating positive behaviors. These tickets can be exchanged at the school store for a variety of food items or prizes. Notably, all ICCSD schools utilize this system in different capacities.
doing really good things, and it’s being acknowledged.’ We have positive office referrals [sent in] emails. We [also] have positive note cards that go home, and we have a shout-out board where we write positive things,” Browning said.
ICCSD defines PBIS as “an application of a behaviorally-based system approach to enhance the capacity of schools and the communities around them.”
“We took administrators, teachers and kids to [PBIS] training and learned how to focus on the positive. Instead of saying, ‘You’re late, where’s your pass? You’ve missed three days of school. Where have you been? We say, ‘Hey, great choice coming here today,’” said Browning. “Instead of commenting on the tardy person, we say thanks to all those who are on time.”
Tate makes every accomplishment, no matter how small, a win. Browning and the Tate administration understand every student faces their own battles, and sometimes, arriving to school on-time is an achievement. As part of being a PBIS school, selecting a mascot is integral. With
training, Browning carefully deliberated a mascot that embodies the spirit of the school.
“[PBIS] said, ‘You need a mascot,’ and threw out all these warriors. So, I’m like, ‘I don’t know, you guys, we want a really good perception in the community,’ and [the students] said, ‘But Ms Browning, we feel like warriors every day just battling our own unique battles just to get to school.’ And I said, ‘I love it. That is how we are going to be, we are going to be warriors.’”
Due to their focus on academics for self-improvement, Tate restricts phones and homework in their curriculum. A study by World Education found that test scores increased by 6.4% when mobile phones weren’t used in the classroom and by almost double for low-achieving students. Browning also acknowledges the lack of phones helps with the social side of school by reducing interpersonal conflict.
“[Put] your phone down and unplug from the drama. If I see it or hear it during nine to three in the Academic Wing, the phone is mine for the day,” Browning said.
If students don’t hand over their phones, Browning tells them to leave Tate for the day and return the next to start over. This is with the assumption that students are able to be more successful when they’re focused on their academics rather than outside distractions.. Tate works hard to ensure students struggling outside of school don’t fall through the cracks.
“We might have work days if somebody has a mental illness or depression, and they stayed home for three to four days. I will say, ‘Let’s just go down to the SAC, I’m going to get all your work. We’re just going to sit here until you’re caught up,’” Browning said. “We keep on top of their grades and have interventions, so they’re not failing.”
Tate’s administration, along with other high
schools in the district, utilizes an “F list.”
“Teachers’ grades are due at the end of every week. If a kid has an F, they tell me why the student has an F. Could it be attendance? Could it be that they’re having a hard time processing, when they miss one day it’s like missing three?” Browning said.
This is the most important step in the intervention process for the Warriors. Every day, there is “Warrior Work Time,” a specific academic focus time for students with Ds and Fs.
Students’ efforts and achievements are celebrated at the end of each trimester.
“We have an award ceremony for academics, attendance, attitude and we have student of the month, and so we’re just always trying to acknowledge and just see growth in people.”
Browning said.
Not only does Tate help students with academics, the school also helps connect students with therapists, food bags to take home, personal care items and housing help. Many students experience houselessness and live in housing provided by United Action for Youth (UAY).
For Browning, the best part of teaching and working at Tate is reaping the joy kids feel when they succeed.
“ I just I love to see [the kids] find their self-confidence and their worth when they work really hard to graduate,” Browning said. “Some of my favorite success stories are kids who really find out that their confidence grows in themselves, and they realize, ‘Wow, I can do this.’ They start showing up, and then they graduate. We’ve had
IT’S A SCHOOL WHERE YOU CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE AND REALLY COME OUT OF YOUR SHELL AND NOT FEEL SO ANXIOUS ALL THE TIME. -GABBY WILLIAMS ‘23
AND I SAID, ‘I LOVE IT. THAT IS HOW WE ARE GOING TO BE, WE ARE GOING TO BE WARRIORS.’
-GABBY WILLIAMS ‘23
kids take Kirkwood regional classes and gradu ate with college credits. Last year, we had a stu dent who went through the Automotive Colli sion Academy, and all the places in town were just waiting for her to graduate because she was so good; she was at the top of her class there.”
Although there are various reasons a student may choose to enroll at Tate, Williams believes some attend the school for a less stressful academic environment.
“Not everyone is comfortable in a big school, and some people’s anxiety is through the roof every single day out of fear of being judged by everyone,” Williams said. “Tate is significantly smaller and more of a tight-knit community. It’s a school where you can feel comfortable and really come out of your shell and not feel so anxious all the time.”
Williams struggled with West’s population of over 1,500 students. After talking with her mom, who works at Tate as an Engagement and Intervention Strategist (EIS), they decided moving to a school with 150 students would be better for Williams.
Unlike many high schools, Tate is a tenth of the size of a typical public high school and has
a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio. This ratio helps teachers hone in on individuals’ needs, ensuring students reach their goals and graduate. Tate’s administration individualizes the process so students are able to have the best educational experience possible.
When students are directed to Tate, they are met with an opportunity to find paths that work for them. Along with meeting students’ academic needs, the staff at Tate encourages adequate attendance, behavior and mental health practices. Using this information, they determine the best plan of action for students to graduate.
“At Tate, we are really responsive to individual needs,” Browning said. “So when students come over here, we sit down and figure out what they need to graduate and what support [they need].”
Although Tate’s education spurs students’ academic and personal growth, getting students to accept support can be challenging, as they often don’t know what to expect initially.
“In orientation, [the administration] says, ‘What do you guys want to do? Do you want to
graduate possibly early, stay here and graduate or earn your credits and go back to your high school?’” Browning said.
When given the opportunity, Williams knew she wanted to graduate early from Tate.
“As soon as I enrolled at Tate, I talked with my counselor and asked to get put on the early graduation schedule because I was on track with my credits and would have what I needed by the end of the year,” Williams said.
Because of the switch, Williams graduated a year earlier than her class and had a more individualized educational experience consisting of smaller class sizes and personal guidance.
Williams feels that her time at Tate allowed her to gain control of her life and pushed her to where she is now.
“Tate was a better choice for me because it’s smaller, so I could come out of my shell a lot more and the teachers made classes easier for me to understand. Teachers at Tate give a lot of extra help and support to their students,” Williams said. “They want everyone to succeed and really pay attention to you. If something seems off, they know you well enough to figure out what they could do differently to help.”
West students share their experiences with FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC).
BY KAMAKSHEE KUCHHAL & SHANZA SAMI ART & DESIGN BY HELEN ORSZULAThe arena comes to life with a symphony of whirring gears and electronic hums; the whistle blows, signaling the start of another robotics competition. Drivers clutch their controllers, navigating between scoring elements and gliding under obstacles. Each maneuver is a testament to skill and strategy. Welcome to FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology), a nonprofit organization where innovation meets excitement in the world of robotics.
To foster enthusiasm for robotics and STEM among students across age ranges, FIRST is split into three competitive levels: LEGO League (FLL), Tech Challenge (FTC) and Robotics Competition (FRC). Each program features its own set of scoring criteria, advancement strategies and season competitions.
West’s FTC team, Trobotix 8696, is competing in the season CenterStage. Robots are tasked with creating a mosaic using colored pixels on a board, launching a drone (paper airplane) and hanging on a truss. During the autonomous period, robots are programmed to operate independently to perform tasks, while in the teleoperation phase, human drivers control the robots to score colored pixels for points. In the endgame, robots score additional points by adhering to spe-
cific game rules.
As co-captain of Trobotix, Jinann Abudagga ’25 oversees the creation of weekly agendas and the management of the team’s four subsections: Strategy, Build, Programming and Business. Each subsection handles its respective roles, such as determining advancement criteria, designing and building the robot, programming the robot, and organizing out-
nights to recruit kids for FLL, show them our robot and [help them] gain interest in robotics. We went to our local Children’s Museum, the Jazz Fest and the Red Shoe 5K & Run to do the same,” Abudagga said. “We’ve also mentored at a local FRC camp with FLL bots to get kids interested in FLL. We started two FLL teams at Weber this year because a bunch of kids were interested, so we gave them the opportunity to compete.”
...THERE’S A LARGE AMOUNT OF DIVERSE SKILL SETS NEEDED TO MAKE AN ENTIRE TEAM RUN. -BEN KLEIMAN ’24
reach and the engineering portfolio.
“When I joined in the middle of the season freshman year, there was no leadership, and we didn’t get a lot done. As a leader, I try to keep everyone organized and have everyone’s opinion be heard. It helps us stay on track to reach our goals,” Abudagga said. “Without working together as a team, the robot would not get done; the key way to do that is to communicate.”
At the Horace Pippin League Tournament Jan. 20, Trobotix won First Winning Alliance Captain for the best robot performance and 1st place Inspire, the highest judging award. Inspire is given to the most well-rounded team in terms of robot functionality, engineering design process and community outreach. Despite advancing to the State Championship March 1-2 at the Xtreme Arena, Trobotix has faced many challenges along the way.
“Problems are a part of the engineering design process. You’re never going to solve a problem immediately without failure,” Abudagga said. “So we expect failure and learn from failure, and we think failure is important in order to learn.”
Besides problem-solving, a significant aspect of FIRST is community outreach to promote robotics and STEM education. Trobotix, for instance, constructs paper airplanes as an interactive method to teach students about the engineering design process.
“We went to four elementary STEM
Although Trobotix achieved its two main goals for the season — creating a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) for the robot and winning Inspire — they hope to advance to the World Championships following State. In addition to setting goals, Abudagga reflects on the technical, leadership and communication skills she’s learned from FTC.
“I enjoy challenging my mind and trying to think outside the box to solve problems. I’ve always known I really liked STEM, but robotics helps me enjoy STEM even more,” Abudagga said. “I’ve always known I wanted to go into engineering, and robotics helped reinforce that. Everything we do in FTC is something you would have to do in an engineering job, so it helps me get ready for my future.”
Abudagga recommends everyone, regardless of their programming or building experience, to join robotics.
“If you have interest in it, come and try it out before you find it intimidating because everything’s intimidating when you first start off,” Abudagga said. “At first, I was like, ‘I don’t know if I want to do this,’ but I stuck with it. I really enjoyed it and learned as time went on.”
FRC Children of the Corn 167 is a community-based team where members, such as Ben Kleiman ’24, attend the Kirkwood Regional Center for meetings. In the FRC season’s game, Crescendo, FRC has a similar match structure
PHOTO COURTESY OF TROBOTIX Trobotix’s robot, affectionately dubbed “Troballin.”Team Names: Splash Bots 60679, Dolphinators 60839
Age Range: 9-14
Team & Field Size: A maximum of 10 members on a team. The competition field is around 8 feet by 4 feet. Robot Complexity: The robot must fit within a 12-inch cube and is primarily built using LEGO components.
This Year’s Season: Masterpiece
Contact Information: travislrobinson@gmail.com
to FTC: autonomous, teleoperation and endgame. Teams aim to score rings, called “notes,” in two locations, the “speaker” or “amp.” Additional points are earned by the robot scoring extra notes, cooperating with an alliance team or hanging on a chain at the end.
Along with mechanisms related to this year’s game, the team is working on various long-term projects off-season. For example, Children of the Corn is creating a novel swerve drive system to increase efficiency when maneuvering the robot.
“We’re switching to a drive system called a swerve drive, [where] the wheels are omnidirectional, meaning you can move in any direction at any point in time,” Kleiman said. “That’s really difficult to do, both from a hardware and software perspective, because there are a lot of encoders and signals to make sure you’re doing accurate turns.”
Kleiman highlights the critical role of coaches and mentors in contributing to Children of the Corn’s progress and success.
“[Our coaches and mentors] have participated in FIRST activities, so they always know what the correct solution [to] our problems is. They are extremely helpful in creating opportunities for us to show off our robot and the outreach that we do on the team,” Kleiman said. “You get
Team Name: Trobotix 8696
Age Range: 12-18
Team & Field Size: A maximum of 15 team members on a team. The competition field is 12 feet by 12 feet.
Robot Complexity: Robots have size constraints, usually within an 18-inch cube and up to 42 pounds.
This Year’s Season: CenterStage
Contact Information: trobotix8@gmail.com
Source:firstinspires.org
to be in the same room as people that are experts in STEM, and that’s always really exciting.”
While FIRST values technical skills, Kleiman notes that soft skills are equally important when developing a successful team, such as fundraising, marketing and writing for award submissions.
“People that aren’t necessarily interested in [technical skills] can still find a home in FRC,” Kleiman said. “While I think that if you’re interested in math and computer science, you should be in robotics, if you aren’t, [that] shouldn’t push you away because there’s a large amount of diverse skill sets needed to make an entire team run.”
Similar to FTC, FRC is heavily involved in community outreach initiatives in hopes of recruiting new members.
“We have over 150 children attend our summer camps. Afterwards, a lot of these kids say that this camp opportunity and exposure to these STEM ideas has led them to join their local FLL or FTC team,” Kleiman said. “Somebody that I taught how to program at our summer camp is now working with us and is on the team.”
Outreach initiatives, such as creating a Girl Scouts computing badge, help expand the scope of STEM to diverse groups of people in terms of gender, race and other facets of identity.
“Robotics club has the stigma of [comprising of] nerdy white kids. Doing outreach activities and ex-
Team Name: Children of the Corn 167
Age Range: 14-18
Team & Field Size: No limits on team size. The competition field is 27 feet by 54 feet.
Robot Complexity: Robots have more flexibility in terms of size (within 28 inches wide by 42 inches long by 78 inches tall) and weight (up to 125 pounds) and are more complex compared to FTC robots. This Year’s Season: Crescendo
Contact Information: info@iowacityrobotics.org
panding the horizons of STEM makes it more accessible for people of color in the future,” Kleiman said. “Something I will definitely take away from robotics for years to come will be the impact created from our [outreach] in STEM, and I definitely think that’s something people don’t think about when they hear a robotics team.”
Abudagga and Kleiman emphasize that diversity is crucial to the success of FIRST and the future of STEM, making participation in robotics a fulfilling experience for those hoping to contribute to innovation and problem-solving in STEM fields.
“Diversity of opinion is important in everything, [because] there’s never one way to solve a problem. The final project never ends up being [one] idea or [the other] — it always be ends up a conglomeration of all the different ideas and thoughts we’ve had in the process,” Kleiman said. “If you’ve been doing programming and engineering, you should do robotics. But [for] people who don’t have any experience in anything at all whatsoever, robotics is going to be the most valuable for them.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHILDREN OF THE CORN Members of FRC team Children of the Corn tinker with their robot.
Jinann Abudagga ‘25 mentors FLL participants.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TROBOTIX
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELLA VAKINER
For Ella Vakiner ’25, a typical seven-period school day is not the norm. Acting and costume design replace classes like math and government, and rehearsing choreography substitutes memorizing the periodic table. Since dual-enrolling at West and the Iowa Conservatory (ICON), a new performing arts high school in Iowa City, Vakiner has been preparing to take stages across Iowa and the U.S.
After her debut in “Alice in Wonderland” with Nolte Academy when she was six years old, Vakiner has continued her community theater career and participated in 30 shows.
“I’ve always been a performer; when I was little, I used to choreograph dances, write plays and sing,” Vakiner said. “I’ve just always had a passion for it. It’s always connected with me; I’ve always enjoyed it.”
Vakiner’s mother, Jamie Beedle-Vakiner, explains that Ella was a dramatic child who loved to perform, so her decision to pursue theater as a career was no surprise.
“I’ve always expected that theater is what she would do. If she chose something different, I
would be surprised,” Beedle-Vakiner said. “I’ve always felt like this was her path and she would go where her passion is.”
Vakiner joined Theater West her freshman year and has since landed multiple leading roles, such as Tsarina Alexandra in “Anastasia,” Mrs. Potts in “Beauty and the Beast” and Rose in “Secret Garden.”
“I started Theatre West my freshman year with ‘Footloose,’ which was the fall show, and immediately, I really loved it,” Vakiner said. “Theater West is a community; we all support each other.”
I’VE JUST ALWAYS HAD A PASSION FOR IT. IT’S ALWAYS CONNECTED WITH ME, I’VE ALWAYS ENJOYED IT, -ELLA VAKINER ‘25
Vakiner’s talents don’t stop at acting and singing; she is also involved in several backstage crews at Theater West.
“It’s fun to not only be actually performing, but I also like the backstage stuff,” Vakiner said. “I love costuming and hair and makeup. [During the] last school musical, I was on Sound Crew, so it was really cool to see the backstage parts of [theater]. I just love all of it.”
In addition to theater, dancing and crew, Va-
kiner has competed in singing competitions statewide and nationally for four years.
“I started singing competitively because my coach thought it could help expand my opportunities. It sounded fun to be able to show off my work, and I really enjoy [competitions],” Vakiner said.
While working with vocal coach Mia Gimenez, Vakiner competed in the American Protege Vocal Competition. After winning second place in the Musical Theater category, Vakiner received the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall.
“When I found out [about performing at Carnegie Hall], I was in shock,” Vakiner said. “I wasn’t nervous, weirdly enough. I was just so excited that it took everything else away.”
Although Vakiner planned to perform in New York Nov. 2021, COVID-19 restrictions pushed the performance to Nov. 2022.
“It was weird; with most things, you audition and practice. But with Carnegie Hall, we just dropped Ella off,” Beedle-Vakiner said. “There was no practicing, she just walked out on the stage and sang. Even for an adult, that would be intimidating.”
Vakiner performed “The Wizard and I” from the show “Wicked” at Carnegie Hall. Her performance pushed her to continue singing professionally.“I was so nervous, but before I went on, this fog went over my vision — like a filter. I remember walking on stage and being so happy to be there,” Vakiner said. “I don’t remember what I sounded like or if I said the right words, but I was just so happy to be there.”
In addition to working with vocal and acting coaches, Vakiner dual-enrolled at West and ICON her junior year. ICON is a performing
arts school that offers courses like costume design, dance and acting classes.
“I’m excited for ICON and to have it in our community, and the opportunities that it allows other students to have moving forward,” Beedle-Vakiner said.
Vakiner splits her time between West and ICON, taking five classes at West in the mornings and spending her afternoons at ICON. Vakiner sat down with her counselor to ensure she met graduation requirements while enrolled at both schools.
“I fulfilled a lot of my mandatory classes my
freshman and sophomore year. This made it possible for me to take less classes as a junior and senior and participate in ICON,” Vakiner said.
Established and currently directed by Leslie Nolte, ICON began at Nolte Academy in 2020. It has since expanded to three buildings in downtown Iowa City, including dance and acting studios as well as dorms for out-of-state students.
“ICON is a really amazing place. I love it so
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER ABOUT THE DIRECTORS, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WATCHING YOU, THEY WANT WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU. -ELLA VAKINER ‘25
much,” Vakiner said. “I’ve never really liked traditional school, so ICON is a really good place for me.”
Vakiner attends ICON to help her build her dancing and vocal skills and receive more training before she begins auditioning for Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) programs and professional theater.
“I don’t really like traditional school, so I thought this would be a really good outlet for me to do something I enjoy while also learning, developing more skills and getting more credits to help my future career,” Vakiner said.
BFA programs are highly competitive, with top universities like New York University, Michigan University and Yale University only accepting a few students into their theater programs each year. Students
who apply must go through several rounds of auditions and callbacks and receive an academic acceptance to participate in BFA programs.
“It’s a really scary process. It takes lots of time to get comfortable and used to people sitting there judging you, even though they want what’s best for you,” Vakiner said.
Beedle-Vakiner believes that theater has shaped her daughter’s life and pushes her to accomplish new things.
“You get a lot of feedback from a young age, lots of redirection and rejection. You learn to take corrective feedback and criticism, and you figure out what to do with it without being defeated,” Vakiner-Beedle said. “Sometimes when you’re a little kid, it feels like rejection, but it helps you grow and become a better performer and human.”
After high school graduation, Vakiner hopes to attend school in the New York area and begin her career in professional theater after college.
“The dream is, obviously, to get on Broadway,” Vakiner said. “It’d be amazing if I was in an original cast or a workshop of a new musical.”
For anyone considering a professional career in theater or even just auditioning for a school production, Vakiner urges them to try it out.
“It’s such a great learning experience; it’s a very vulnerable activity. There’s a place for everyone; you can do hair, costumes or set. I’ve met so many amazing people and tried new things,” Vakiner said. “The arts are important, and you make so many new connections. There’s a place for everyone.”
Since 1968, countless women have walked the halls of West, and in honor of Women’s History Month, WSS interviewed some notable West alumni, among others.
March is dedicated to recognizing women’s impacts by celebrating those who have shaped society for the better. In 1908, women workers in the Needle Trade marched in New York to demand women’s suffrage while protesting child labor and sweatshop conditions. In honor of these women, the first Women’s Day occurred Feb. 28, 1909. Since then, 27 countries across the globe, including the U.S., have agreed to hold International Women’s Day on March 8.
Years later, Women’s History Week began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California. The Commission on the Status of Women of Sonoma County planned and executed a “Women’s History Week’’ celebration in 1978, holding it the week of March 8 to align with International Women’s Day. The movement spread across the country as other communities initiated their own Women’s History Week celebrations in 1979.
The National Women’s History Alliance led women’s groups and historians in lobbying for a nationally recognized Women’s Day, leading to President Jimmy Carter issuing the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the week of Mar. 8 National Women’s History Week for the year 1980. Following Carter, presidents continued to proclaim National Women’s History Week every year until 1987, when Congress passed Public Law 100-9, declaring March “Women’s History Month.”
Every year, the National Women’s History Alliance sets a theme for Women’s History Month. This year’s theme is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion,” recognizing women who spearhead change in their fields. Here are the stories of women from West, among others, who have impacted the Iowa City community.
Since 1987, the National Women’s History Project has designated a specific theme to celebrate the annual Women’s History Month. Here are the themes from the last 10 years:
2023:
2022:
2021:
2020:
2019:
2018:
2017:
2016:
2015:
2014:
Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories
Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope
Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to be Silenced
Valiant Women of the Vote
Visionary Women: Champions of Peace & Nonviolence
Nevertheless, She Persisted: Honoring Women Who Fight All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
Honoring Trailblazing Women in Labor and Business
Working to Form a More Perfect Union: Honoring Women in Public Service and Government
Weaving the Stories of Women’s Lives
Celebrating Women of Character, Courage and Commitment
Source:Wikipedia
Art & Design by Anna
SongPhotos Courtesy of Amy Kanellis, Janice Weiner & Trojan Epic
For centuries, women trailblazers have revolutionized the world and their respective fields. Here are some lesser-known, yet, remarkable women and their monumental marks on history.
Sources:NPR,MarieClaire,Fortune,PBS,RosalindFranklinUniversity,NationalAirandSpaceMuseum,NASA,MSNBS,Wikipedia
In 1843, Lovelace wrote what is accredited by computer historians as the first computer algorithm using inspiration from her embroidery and musical lessons. Now, the second Tuesday of each October marks “Ada Lovelace Day,” in honor of the world’s first computer programmer.
In 1921, Coleman became the first African American woman to earn a pilot’s license. Originally denied acceptance into American flight schools due to her race and gender, Coleman would start her stunt pilot career in pursuit of inspiring other African Americans, particularly women, to pursue their dreams despite the obstacles they faced.
In 1936, del Mundo is known to be the first woman to be accepted into Harvard Medical School (almost 10 years before the institution officially began accepting women) after the admissions department mistook her for a man because of her name. Del Mundo would then revolutionize medicine in the Philippines through her extensive contributions to public health, authoring hundreds of scientific articles, and eventually founding the first pediatric hospital in the Philippines.
In 1952, Franklin took Photo 51, revealing DNA’s double helix structure and unlocking “the secret of life.” However, Franklin’s significant contribution would go unacknowledged for nearly half a century. Without her knowledge, a colleague showed Franklin’s findings to Francis Crick and James Watson, who would later go on to win the Nobel Prize for their publication without crediting Franklin.
In 2010, Edurne became the first woman to climb all 14 of the eight-thousanders (mountains 8,000 meters above sea level) in the world — and the 21st person to do so. Edurne was only 16 when she climbed Mont Blanc and, at 28, had already conquered her first eight-thousander, Mount Everest.
In 2002, Whitson, an Iowan native, embarked on her first space mission despite having been rejected from NASA’s astronaut training program four times. Now, at 675 days, Whitson holds the record for the most cumulative days spent in space as a NASA astronaut worldwide. Additionally, Whitson served as the first female commander of the International Space Station, the first female chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office, and also holds the women’s record for most spacewalks, having performed a total of ten.
From a young age, Seung Min Kim ’03 knew she wanted to be a journalist. Before spending four years of high school writing for WSS and dedicating her life to reporting, Kim’s journey in journalism started when she was offered a spot to shadow a reporter in middle school.
“When I was at Northwest Junior High, we did a Career Day. We chose a professional we wanted to shadow for a day, and I picked a local reporter,” Kim said. “I’ve always loved to read and loved to write; I thought that I wasn’t creative enough to be a fiction writer. I was like, ‘I’ll try writing for a newspaper and try this journalism thing.’”
After being the Feature Editor for the WSS, Kim received a scholarship to The University of Iowa, where she jump-started her career by writing for the Daily Iowan. While studying for her Journalism and Political Science degree, Kim interned for the Des Moines Register and the St. Petersburg Times (Tampa Bay Times). After graduating from Iowa in 2007, her passion for reporting led her to the heart of American politics: Washington, D.C.
“My first job after college was at the Star-Ledger, based in Newark, New Jersey,” Kim said. “Having grown up in Iowa City, I didn’t really want to go anywhere beyond Minneapolis. Midwest culture is my home. But this job offer came calling from the Star-Ledger, which is in the New York media market, and I was terrified. It was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down, even though it freaked me out.”
Although she was reluctant to leave home, Kim soon found a love for covering American politics, her favorite subject to this day.
“[My] favorite place I’ve covered is Capitol Hill and Congress,” Kim said. “Congress is very representative of the American people, and that means you have a really wide variety of members when it comes to political beliefs and personality. It keeps life interesting, and uncovering Capitol Hill is like seeing the wide diversity of the American people.”
Kim covered Congress for news outlet Politico for 8 years until moving to the Washington Post
in 2018 where she began reporting for the White House. Kim then took her experience to the Associated Press and has been a White House correspondent ever since 2022.
During her time following the White House, Kim has noticed distinct differences between her current job and covering Congress.
“[Capitol Hill] is a place where reporters can get so much access. You are able to interview and talk to these elected officials face-to-face,” Kim said. “You can theoretically run into someone really important, and as long as you can think on your feet or things you want to ask, you can report out a story. You can even break news sometimes.”
While the White House has access to more expansive topics and global affairs, White House correspondents have more restrictions.
“It’s so cheesy, but just pursue [your dreams]. Never be afraid to take opportunities that make you nervous.”
“Everything at the White House is very closely and tightly choreographed. But it’s the White House, you’re covering the President of the United States, which is a massive privilege and a massive responsibility,” Kim said. “[Capitol Hill] is something that we don’t get at the White House. I’m not wandering around the West Wing and into the Oval Office and say, ‘Hey, Joe, what’s up?’”
Kim noticed that women in journalism are often overlooked, especially covering politics as a Korean-American woman.
“If you’re a woman covering politics and government, you’re always going to be outnumbered, but things are definitely getting better. Politics
and Washington is still very much a male-dominated town.” Kim said. “Sometimes, it’s small things like being continuously talked over during meetings by your male colleagues.”
Even though her gender and race can bring negative comments, Kim was never discouraged from continuing her path with journalism.
“Being an Asian woman, I deal with racism way more than I would deal with sexism, and that can actually be more vicious,” Kim said. “Being a minority woman, you just have to deal and grapple with [it] and overcome.”
Although Kim has long been set on becoming a reporter, she never thought that she would be in the position she is today. Covering politics came naturally to Kim — whose mom took her to political rallies since Kim was young — but if she hadn’t taken the job in Washington, D.C., then she wouldn’t have known what the opportunity would bring.
“It’s so cheesy, but just pursue [your dreams]. Never be afraid to take opportunities that make you nervous,” Kim said. “I never thought I would cover Capitol Hill. That was an opportunity that my editor at the time just gave me. He was like, “We have an opening on the Congress team. I know you want to be a reporter. Do you want to try covering Capitol Hill?’ and I was like, ‘Oh, let me think about it.’ And I loved it, it was the best [coverage] I will ever have.”
Whether it’s writing about Congress or the White House, Kim feels very lucky to be in a career that impacts so many people.
“Washington is really complicated, and I’m learning something all the time. If it’s complicated to me, someone who gets paid to do this and who’s done this for 15 years, it’s complicated for the rest of the country,” Kim said. “Having reporters being able to cut through the noise for the rest of the country is really important.”
From running together in high school to being teammates in college, Bailey Nock ’18 and Valerie Welch ’17 have fostered a tight friendship throughout their journeys.
Both Nock and Welch recall winning the girls 4A State Track Distance Medley in 2017 as one of their favorite athletic achievements. Nock ran the 800 leg, and Welch ran the 400 leg.
“Winning as a team was way more fun than ever winning as an individual because you’re sharing that joy with the people that you have been practicing with every single day,” Nock said.
Welch expressed similar excitement when racing together.
“Whenever we [raced alone], we’d be absolutely crushing it and would get to cheer for each other … The other race [where] we actually did get to run together and win at state [for] was super fun,” Welch said. “To be together and to have known that we both contributed to one event to dominate was super cool.”
Both Welch and Nock committed to run for the University of Colorado Boulder for track and field and cross country, respectively.
Nock describes the drastic shift from a high school to a collegiate sports program.
“You’re going from high school, which is a much smaller pond, to college; it’s a huge leap,” Nock said. “My coach in college made sure we all knew that it takes about two years for anybody to get used to the program, let alone to race well. It was a huge learning curve and a huge adjustment.”
Nock’s interest in studying the environment began when she took Biology I and II in college. She discovered she liked working outdoors, which led her to continue her interest in biology, choosing to study Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
“About halfway through my sophomore year, I realized, because of Kirkwood and AP credits, I was going to be done with my degree through my junior year, and I didn’t want to be done yet,” Nock said.
“COVID hit, so I added Environ mental Studies and a Business minor to make sure I had a fulltime schedule until the end of my senior year.”
During Nock’s
first internship, she worked with Ralphie’s Green Stampede, SEA Boulder’s on-campus sustainability partner, and interviewed corporations to see how campus and athletic events could be more sustainable. At another internship with United Way, Nock interviewed different organizations about disaster reliance, specifically wildfires. Nock shares her biggest takeaway from her internships.
“You don’t need a job description to fit exactly the skills you have. You can do a job and do it well,” Nock said. “Even if you feel like you don’t have a background in that, everybody has to learn things for the first time.”
Nock notes that seeing women in the science field was important to her finding success.
“I had a ton of very supportive science teachers at my time [at West]; a lot of [them] were women, which was really important to me, seeing some-
“Then you’re like, ‘Okay, science isn’t just for men, and technology isn’t just for men. If I want to do that, I can do that because I know there are a ton of women in my past that did it and were successful.’”
one in front of you be so successful,” Nock said. “Then you’re like, ‘Okay, science isn’t just for men, and technology isn’t just for men. If I want to do that, I can do that because I know there are a ton of women in my past that did it and were successful.’”
Similarly, Welch’s older sister is an engineer, showing her that she could follow her dreams, too. Since high school, Welch has known that she wanted to follow in her sister’s footsteps, but was unsure what type of engineering to pursue. After applying to an internship at Nike, she was able to secure a position as a pattern engineer.
“I work in the footwear product creation organization within Nike. My team specifically makes footwear prototypes, and my job is more well-
known as a pattern engineer,” Welch said. “We [make] the pieces of material that are going to get stitched together in 2D software, and then they’ll be cut out of material and can actually be built.”
Welch expands on the role that West has played in her future and mentality.
“A lot of people … were very focused on their studies, and they were also in sports or extracurriculars that they were really passionate about,” Welch said. “Being surrounded in that type of environment made it really easy to do the same in college.”
During high school, Nock was very ambitious in her plans for the future, but she notes that the support she received was essential to her achievements.
“My parents, my siblings, my coaches, my teammates, my roommates, my friends, everybody was always supporting and encouraging me to reach my potential. They set high expectations, but at the same time, I would rather have the people around me have high expectations than have them be disappointed,” Nock said.
Welch shares the struggles she’s faced with entering the STEM field.
“I’ve faced more struggles for being young than I have as a woman. I sometimes feel [I have] impostor syndrome. I have a lot of coworkers who are significantly older than me,” Welch said. “In my [college] classes, I’d be one of maybe four girls. It didn’t really bother me and didn’t necessarily cause me any struggles, but it was interesting to see that [STEM]’s definitely a male-dominated field and was pretty obvious in my classes.”
As Nock continues her graduate studies, she shares her plans for the future.
“At this stage of my life, I’d like to be employed next year and move out West [and] definitely get back into outdoor recreation, just being within nature,” Nock said.
Though Welch has already started her professional career, she shares her goals for the future.
“I want to keep learning and excelling in my current job. Eventually, I will leave the footwear world, but I do really love product creation,” Welch said. “I’d like to be in an area of the industry that’s more useful, [where] the goods have a use beyond looks. [I want] to continue enjoying what I do and making sure that I’m learning and, to be more specific, probably in outdoor gear product creation.”
As she recounts her experiences being a woman, Welch shares some advice she has for other women at West.
“Don’t be afraid to go get what you want. I knew
Self-proclaimed band kid and nerd in high school, West graduate Janice Weiner ’76 had no idea that she would eventually become an Iowa Senator.
“I was a music kid in high school, so most of my activities at high school were with band and AllState,” Weiner said.
Weiner recalls how her upbringing and connection to public service originated from her household.
“I was raised [believing that] we should be in jobs that benefit the community, the state and the country and that public service was a worthwhile undertaking, even if it is not the most lucrative,” Weiner said. “I paid attention to politics. I volunteered to do things like stamp [and] stuff envelopes.”
After graduating from West, Weiner began her undergraduate studies at Princeton University,
women were first admitted. We celebrated 10 years of women at Princeton while I was there,” Weiner said. “Which tells you, I may not be young, but it [has] not been all that long when you look at the arc of progress.”
Following her years at Princeton, Weiner attended Stanford Law School, graduating in 1984. Weiner describes how, at that time, it was difficult for women to secure certain legal professions despite having credentials that were identical or superior to those of their male counterparts.
“I was in law school when Sandra Day O’Connor, a Stanford graduate, was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Reagan, which was hugely momentous,” Weiner said. “But if you go back and look at when she graduated from Stanford Law School in the 50s, at the top of her class, [in the] same classes as William Rehnquist, the only job she could get was as a legal secretary.“ Weiner appreciates the efforts of women who contributed to broadening women’s opportunities.
“I was extremely fortunate to be in college and law school when I was because others not very long before me had opened those doors. They opened the doors to attending Princeton, to jobs, law firms and a variety of other things that just hadn’t been there very many years before for women,” Weiner said.
“I was highly cognizant of my great fortune to be at those institutions when I was and not, say, five or 10 years earlier.”
After graduating from law school, Weiner returned to Iowa City and dived into the political scene.
“I never re
law school with the intention of practicing law. When I decided I wasn’t going to work for a law firm, I came back to Iowa City, and in 1984, I was hired by the state democrats to run their Get Out The Vote effort in Johnson County. I knew nothing about it, so I had a lot to learn,” Weiner said. “That
“Never underestimate any smart woman or anyone who has made it into a profession. You do so at your own peril.”
was my first really intensive experience with political organizing and getting the vote out.”
After gaining first-hand experience in civics, Weiner worked for the United States Foreign Service.
“[I spent] a year and a half abroad at an International Law Institute in Munich, and when I came back, I figured I should at least try the law firm thing. I had become a member of the California Bar while I [took] the Foreign Service exam and was in [that] process,” Weiner said. “I worked for a law firm … I didn’t really like the work. And from there, after about a year and a half, I was accepted into a class at the State Department and joined the Foreign Service.”
Weiner credits her foreign language education at West as giving her an advantage in landing her first job in the Foreign Service.
“There’s a direct line between West High and the Foreign Service, particularly my first post. I had a fabulous, fabulous German teacher at West High, Heidi Gaylor,” Weiner said. “My first Foreign Service posting was in East Berlin when the German Democratic Republic existed. The reason I got the job was because I already spoke German. They
[pulled] someone from the post and needed someone who already spoke the language. West High gave me a big leg-up, and that’s how I got to East Berlin and was fortunate enough to be there in the lead-up to the fall of the Berlin Wall and then for the only democratic elections that followed.”
Weiner reflects on her time spent in the Foreign Service, recalling very few women in her class.
“The Foreign Service had long been a white male-centric institution,” Weiner said. “In my entering class, we didn’t have very many women. I was unimpressed with the number of [women in] the class. It didn’t mean we didn’t have opportunities, but just think, now, the classes are pretty much even. When I came in, we were still a substantial minority.”
Alongside the disproportionate representation of women in class, Weiner recalls how the treatment of women was also different.
“It was more of how we were treated in some of the countries where we served than necessarily how we are treated in the Foreign Service. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing because sometimes people would underestimate us,” Weiner said. “Never underestimate any smart woman or anyone who has made it into a profession. You do so at your own peril.”
After spending many years working for the Foreign Service, Weiner returned to Iowa City.
During the years she worked as a foreign service officer, political officer, human rights officer and consul general, Weiner served in numerous countries such as Belgium, Turkey (during the height of the PKK insurgency), Poland, Canada, Mexico and Germany, before returning to the U.S. for her final posting in Washington D.C., liaising with Capitol Hill.
“I spent a little bit of time working for AFSA, the American Foreign Service Association, which is both the professional association and bargaining unit for the Foreign Service, and I spent time on Capitol Hill with them as well,” Weiner said. “When I ended up coming [to Iowa City], I really came back here for West High and the Iowa City schools. I was looking for ‘what am I going to do next now that I’m retired,’ and I gravitated naturally toward politics.”
Weiner learned to speak seven languages throughout her career. Weiner utilized her extensive foreign language background and became a substitute teacher for the ICCSD, teaching French and German before returning to the political scene.
“I joined the program committee, the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council. I did that stuff for about a year, and then in 2016, as we were approaching that election, I became a field organizer for the coordinated campaign here,” Weiner said. “It was intensive, on-the-ground-work for a number of months through the 2016 election, and that really got me hooked on local politics.”
Now, Weiner is an Iowa Senator representing District 45 after being elected to her first term in 2022. She also serves on the Board of the Agudas Achim synagogue and is currently rais-
ing her granddaughter. Throughout her lifetime of accomplishments, Weiner remembers one of her proudest accomplishments during her last overseas post as consul general in Dusseldorf, Germany.
“I started a women’s group to bring together women of different professions with the goal of really helping pull other women up,” Weiner said. “And that organization still exists.”
Weiner gives a piece of final advice to the women currently attending West.
“A lot of women will say, ‘I’m not qualified to do this, or I’m not qualified to do that.’ Yes, you are. You are qualified. You have the ability. You have the capacity. You have the support network. And you absolutely are the person we need in whatever the moment is. Don’t ever sell yourself short.”
Known as a radio icon, a broadcasting legend, the first female Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Iowan and the host of the Dottie Ray Show, Dottie Ray is a trailblazer for women in journalism. Dorothy “Dottie” Ray graduated from the University of Iowa with a journalism degree and led the first-ever all-woman Daily Iowan staff in 1942. Despite passing away in 2016, Ray’s legacy continues to live on today.
Amelia Kanellis, Ray’s daughter and former West counselor, recalls that Ray was always driven to advance in the field of journalism.
“She always knew what she wanted to do. When [Ray] was in high school, she worked for the Eagle Grove newspaper and interviewed people. She always loved newspaper,” Kanellis said. “She would have described herself as nosy.”
Despite Ray’s leadership accomplishments working for the Daily Iowan, such as hiring and leading an all-woman staff in a male-dominated field, Kanellis believes Ray’s biggest success came from the stories she told.
“She was a journalist who chose to bring the best out of others. She didn’t choose to be in attack mode. She wanted to learn about people and hear their stories,” Kanellis said.
On Sept. 4, 1959, Ray aired her first talk show on KXIC radio. For the next 55 years, with 14,144 shows and 32,397 guests, Ray dedicated each radio show she aired to connecting Iowans, up-
“She did it with kindness and grace. She made it so others thought, ‘Oh, wow, maybe I can do that.’ [Journalism] was a very male-dominated world, and just on this tiny scale of Iowa City or the University of Iowa, she showed that it was very possible [to succeed as a woman].”
lifting the community and bringing awareness to charity organizations.
“[Ray] interviewed the guy that wanted to start FilmScene and she was like, ‘Well, you know what, this is something Iowa City needs.’ And then she would get on the phone, call her friends and say ‘Hey, guys. FilmScene. It’s gonna be an amazing thing. We all need to give him money. We need to get this going.’ That’s just who she was. She would hear about needs in the community and then she would do everything she could to encourage others to take care of those needs,” Kanellis said.
While sharing these important stories, Ray also paved the way for women in journalism. Kannelis attributes her mother’s success to her confidence and believes she helped other women feel they were capable of reporting just like their male peers.
“She always treated everybody the same, and therefore, was treated with great respect by everybody. She was kind of fearless[and] not intimidated by males — she had unconditional respect. I think she paved a path for women in the journalism world by just being good,” Kanellis said. “She did it with kindness and grace. She made it so others thought, ‘Oh, wow, maybe I can do that.’ [Journalism] was a very male-dominated world, and just on this tiny scale of Iowa City or the University of Iowa, she showed that it was very possible [to succeed as a woman].”
Looking for something to do over spring break? Look no further and check out these recently released movies.
Argylle tells the story of an award-winning author, Elly Conway, and her cat, Alfie. Elly has trouble writing the ending of the 5th installment of her spy novel series when her mother suggests returns home on a train. Aboard the train, Elly meets an undercover spy named Aidan, who tells her that her books predict the actions of the malevolent spy agency known as The Division. When The Division tracks her down, Aidan and Elly scramble to write the fifth book’s ending while on a wild chase to stop The Division from completing their mission. But, after they are cornered by The Division, Elly’s world is flipped upside down, and she is left to contemplate what is reality and what is fiction.
The 2024 movie-musical adaptation of Mean Girls follows a new student, Cady Heron, who gets befriended by “The Plastics” — an elite group of three popular girls at the top of the social food chain. However, when Cady makes the fatal mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels — the Plastics’s leader Regina George’s ex-boyfriend — she finds herself caught in their relationship. As Cady sets out to take down Regina with the help of her “outcast” friends Janis and Damian, she must learn how to stay true to herself and navigate high school.
JAN. 12 B u R n B O O K
STARRING ANGOURIE RICE · RENEE RAPP · AUI’LI CRAVALHO
COMPILED BY TYLER SHANEThe Book of Clarence is a biblical comedy that follows an indebted man named Clarence in A.D. 33 Jerusalem, looking for another chance at life. When Clarence and his friend Elijah lose a chariot race, Clarence mustface a loan he hasn’t paid back yet. Then, a light shines above his head and Clarence decides to become a fake messiah to clear his debt and live a life of honor inspired by the rise of Jesus Christ. Clarence is ridiculed and dismissed as a messiah until he is guided to free a group of gladiator slaves. As he faces a moral decision, his plan to become a fake messiah becomes clouded.
STARRING LAKEITH STANFIELD · JAMES MCAVOY · RJ CYLER
This biographical musical follows Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley’s rise to fame in the 70s up until his death in 1981. From surviving an at- tempted assassination in 1976, his time abroad recording Exodus and a tour that introduced the word to reggae music, this film covers Marley’s journey to becoming an international phenomenon. In addition to Marley’s professional life, the film focuses on Marley’s backstory from his childhood and complex adult life with his family. As he grapples with fame and relationships, viewers leave the movie with more insight into Marley’s life.
STARRING
KINGSLEY BEN-ADIR · LASHANA LYNCH · JAMES NORTON
On my first date in middle school, I asked a boy to go to the fall festival with me. He said yes, but day-of, he was unable to get a ride, effectively standing me up. But I ran into a friend! We rode all the rides and played carnival games. I won a goldfish! … A month later, my cat ate it.
- Kailey Mgrdichian, Building Substitute
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COMPILED BY JANE LAM
ART & DESIGN BY ATHENA WU
From silly to sweet, the West com munity shares their first date expe riences.
[During my] sophomore year here at West High (1998), I met my first “real” boyfriend at a friend’s birthday party in early October. We slow-danced, and he asked me for my phone number (my parents’ landline at that time). He called me the next day, and we made plans to meet at the Coral Ridge Mall to go to the movies. We saw a movie called “Urban Legend” (I think I still have the movie/ ticket stub!) Neither of us could drive, so I got dropped off by a friend, and he rode his bike to meet me, carrying a single rose with him. We dated until the beginning of senior year and remain friends to this day.
We walked to Java after school, where he bought us lemonade, and we played 20 questions. He had a bike with him, and I made the joke, “Look, the bike is third-wheeling!” As we were walking back to West, there was a beautiful sunset. It’s his contact photo to this day.
- Anonymous Student
- Kristin Brack, SPACE Coordinator
My now-husband and I bought a large canvas from Blick and created a collage together. We used artist inserts from his extensive record collection. Then, we went to a sushi restaurant downtown, where I showed how bad I was at using chopsticks (I’ve since gotten better). I knew he was the right person when I didn’t feel embarrassed. We’ve been teasing each other ever since.
- Susanna Ziemer, Science TeacherMy first date was in the winter. We went to my favorite restaurant, Sumo, downtown and ate sashimi [and] ramen. We walked around for a while, bought him a too-big black jacket, drove home and talked for an hour more. I’d say it was a pretty successful date. We’re still dating.
- Sin Luena ‘25I washed clean clothes in a dorm laundry room because the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen was doing laundry in there. Laundry takes a while, so it ended up becoming a sort of date. After two hours of talking, we drew up and signed a contract to be best friends forever (as a bit). Five years after that, we signed a marriage contract.
- Darien Robins, English TeacherMy first date was very simple but very romantic. We went to a park and had a picnic full of fresh fruit. The water and nature near us were really beautiful, and I felt like a giddy kid who was living out something I had been dreaming of — a movie come true.
- Anonymous Student
In February 2019, [at] a Valentine’s Day party in fifth grade, I passed out candy to classmates and gave a special box of chocolates to a girl I liked. I felt nervous, and I thought she was going to reject me, but she loved it! We dated for four days.
- Andres Perez Lopez ‘26
The time I asked my girlfriend out, we walked to a nearby park. I asked her to be my girlfriend on one of the benches. It took her a VERY long time to say, “Yes.” We have been dating for three and a half years, so hopefully, she isn’t regretting it!
- Ben Kleiman ‘24West athletes share their experiences being a part of club sports outside of school.BY JESSIE LI & CELIA SADEWASSER ART & DESIGN BY HELEN ORSZULA
High school presents student-athletes with opportunities to participate in var ious sports, yet several, like gymnastics, rowing and boys volleyball, are notably ab sent from most high school athletic programs in Iowa. However, this absence doesn’t deter students at West from pursuing their athletic dreams.
Although boys volleyball is not offered at West, Matt Cannon ’24 has found a way to pursue his passion. With support from his father, he has been actively involved in club volleyball since the age of 13.
“Once [my dad] got to college, he started playing for fun and he just kept on playing. Eventually, I wanted to try [and] it just grew from there,” Cannon said.
While playing club sports can separate ath letes from their classmates, Madeline Fincham ’24 views the opportunity to meet new people outside of the school environment as integral to the success of her rowing career.
“For me, the biggest thing was being able to find my own place that was separate from school, being able to start my own journey that didn’t involve everything back at home,” Fincham said. “Since I row for a team further away, I’ve been able to grow my
...THE BIGGEST THING WAS BEING ABLE TO FIND MY OWN PLACE THAT WAS SEPARATE FROM SCHOOL... -MADELINE FINCHAM ‘24
network and friendships from a different place than I was able to have here, and it was just nice to have a balance between my sport and school.”
However, for some athletes, participating in a club sport can be very time-consuming. Emma Moniza ’26 notes challenges of being a gymnast include balancing rigorous practice schedules and academic commitments.
“Teachers are a little less flexible with [gymnastics] because it’s not a school sport. I have to
drive 30 to 40 minutes [to practice] almost every single day,” Moniza said. “Since practices are also three to four hours long, I get home pretty late every night. With homework, it can be a lot.”
Despite the inconvenience of traveling for practices, Moniza finds that it doesn’t negatively impact her or her teammates’ motivation.
“Everyone on my gymnastics team has the same goal — to [compete] in college. So we all go and work hard at the gym,” Moniza said.
While the commitment demanded by club sports can be detrimental to one’s motivation to continue, Fincham views it positively. She believes club rowing instills in her a sense of responsibility that prepares her for life after high school, commited to row D1 at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.
“It’s definitely been difficult, but it’s helped me work on managing my time, and since I’m gonna go to college to row, it’s set me up for success before I get to college,” Fincham said.
Playing a club sport comes with higher motivation because athletes invest in participation fees and continuous training. However, the cost can deter some and affect participation rates; Fincham believes school sports have higher interest levels due to their low expense.
“Club sports are really expensive. Having [school sports] is nice for the kids who want to try it but maybe don’t have the time to travel or can’t afford the expense of going to all these crazy places,” Fincham said.
Although school sports are free and offer students opportunities that increase participation, they are ultimately less competitive compared to club sports.
“The biggest reason why I switched [to club] was because I wanted a more competitive team. It’s like comparing the West High basketball team to [my sister’s] AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball team. It’s just [a] different level of competitiveness that I was looking to do,” Fincham said.
This highly competitive nature come with disadvantages. Oftentimes, sports outside of school can have toxic environments.
“[Gymnastics] is a lot of time commitment. Sometimes, the environment and culture aren’t very good, which makes a lot of people quit,” Moniza said. “Abuse in gymnastics is so common because [of] the way you look in a [leotard] when you’re competing, and so for me and some of my teammates, it can be hard because you’re always comparing yourself to other people.”
As a West football and club volleyball player,
Cannon finds that the club and school sports communities aren’t all negative.
“I feel like the environment at West is better because you have more players and coaches to support you, but you also find very motivated people when you play club because people are paying to be there,” Cannon said.
For Moniza, being able to showcase her talent is the most rewarding aspect of competitions and what motivates her to work hard..
“I like the competing part of competitions. It’s just fun to show everything you’ve been working on all year,” Moniza said.
In addition to competing against athletes of similar motivation, Cannon appreciates the opportunities of meeting new people from all over the world.
“[Competing] is really cool because you have teams coming from [everywhere]. I’ve played teams from Puerto Rico, Hawaii, California, the Northeast,” Cannon said. “It’s also really cool because of [how] volleyball jerseys are; they’re very exotic. I’ve seen Travis Scott AstroWorld jerseys before … It’s really cool, super colorful; it’s awesome.”
Although club sports have advantages and disadvantages when compared to school sports, Fincham believes the decision to join either one depends on what the athlete is looking for with-
YOU LATCH ON TO THE SPORT YOU LOVE AND YOU JUST TRY TO PLAY FOR AS LONG AS YOU CAN. -MATT CANNON ‘24
in a team.
“High school sports are so cool; it’s a great way to meet people at school through them, but club sports have [a] different coaching staff specific to their one and only sport. I know a lot of schools [where] the coaches are also teachers,” Fincham said. “It’s just different, and it depends on what you have time to do and what you’re interested in.”
Besides fees and competitive levels, another factor affecting participation in club sports is its promotion. Cannon believes a lack of promotion is the reason why sports such as boys volleyball are not offered at most high schools in Iowa.
“[Boys volleyball] just needs a little more promotion. I’ve played club in Iowa for almost five or six years. When I started playing, there were like two teams in Iowa, and now there are like 10 teams here; [the number] just keeps on going up,” Cannon said.
While more teens have participated in sports over the past few years, many misconceptions about lesser-known sports still persist. Fincham recalls her initial impression of rowing and how it has since changed.
“I thought [rowing] was super weird because I’d never really heard of it before. And here, it’s not really a known sport through schools,” Fincham said. “People think it’s just canoeing, or people singing ‘Row Your Boat.’ It’s so much more than that, and I think it’s so cool because it’s not very known.”
Stereotypes are a common result of a lack of popularity. Cannon notes the judgment he received towards the beginning of his volleyball journey.
“I think it might just not get enough promotion because in the past, we’ve gotten, ‘Oh, that’s a girl sport. You shouldn’t play that,’” Cannon said.
But no matter the cost or lack of opportunities in club and school sports, Cannon believes the reason an athlete continues to play their sport comes from the heart.
“You latch on to the sport you love and just try to play for as long as you can, even if it’s not competitively,” Cannon said. “My dad’s been playing forever, [but] he never played super competitively. It’s just being able to keep those relationships going with people and having fun while you do it.”
BY CALED MEDINA
DESIGN BY ERINN VARGA
PHOTO BY GIANNA LIU
Caled Medina ‘27 discusses his experience coming to the USA from Honduras.
Iam 14 years old. I am from Honduras. In my family, there are 22 relatives from my father’s side and 16 of them are in the United States.
Back in Honduras, I always played soccer in a field with my friend. One day, some gang members told him that he needed to join the gang. Since he desired respect and money, he joined the gang.
The gang specifically deals with the selling and distribution of drugs, and if the boss tells someone to kill a person because they haven’t paid the quota, they have to do it because otherwise it will be bad for them. Since the gangs have people infiltrated in the police force, if you file a complaint they can beat you up or even kill you. The gangs have only one sentence for people who talk: “See, listen and shut up!” If you don’t follow their orders, they can kill you, fire at your house or get you evicted.
My parents both worked in a garment factory. My mother worked at night and my father worked during the day. We had a normal life. My brothers and I went to school. The one terrible thing in our perfect life was the gangs. I would say that it is very common to have a nice house in Honduras, but my parents worked hard to give us the opportunities we had, like being able to go to school. My family is like all other families; in my family we are very united and sometimes that is why we had enemies. The gang didn’t like the unity in my family.
My family and I emigrated to the U.S. because of threats against my father. As I said earlier, my parents worked a lot to have a nice and tidy house. The gang noticed how successful my parents were and they asked for quotas. If we paid them money, they said our house and family would be okay too, otherwise…
My parents picked Iowa because my uncle had been living here for 17 or 18 years and said there was a lot of work in Iowa. It took my parents two weeks to make the decision to leave Honduras.
My dad and my brother emigrated to the U.S. together with help from a smuggler. When they
MY MOTHER WORKED AT NIGHT AND MY FATHER WORKED DURING THE DAY. WE HAD A NORMAL LIFE.
-CALED MEDINA ‘27
arrived here, they were still paying the quota to the gang. After a whole year had passed, my dad sent for my oldest brother. He was still paying the quotas to the gang in Honduras. For two years after he left his country, my dad was still paying the gang because my mom and I were still in the country, and the gang would have killed us if he didn’t pay. A year after my eldest brother reached the U.S., my dad decided to bring me and my mother so that we could be together and not have to pay any more money to the gang.
My brother had to travel first with my dad because my dad couldn’t run by himself. He had been in a bus accident and needed help moving fast. The smuggler made it very clear that my dad wouldn’t be able to run across the border without help.
The accident took place while my dad was riding in a bus going to work. There was a sugar cane transport truck that struck the bus, injuring many people, including my dad. My dad lost strength in his hands and feet. The smuggler told my dad that he would have a better chance of staying in the U.S. if he brought both himself and his middle son over to immigrate.
My mom and I were the last to emigrate. Those two years without my brothers and my dad were terrible. I was home alone at night because my mother worked, and I missed my brothers and father a lot. Sometimes I went to my neighbor. She was like my grandmother because she fed
MY FAMILY IS LIKE ALL OTHER FAMILIES; IN MY FAMILY WE ARE VERY UNITED AND SOMETIMES THAT IS WHY WE HAD ENEMIES.
-CALED MEDINA ‘27
me and helped take care of me.
I came with my mother in March of 2021. I left Honduras on March 17 at 10 a.m. I traveled across the country with my mother for six to eight hours. I lived in Potrerillos Villanueva Cortes, Honduras and traveled to Omoa, Puerto Cortés. There, we rested a bit on the border of Honduras and Guatemala called Corinto, which is near a beach where many smugglers meet to prepare to cross the border. Then, we walked to cross the Guatemalan border, but we couldn’t cross because two immigration cars were coming. Some motorcycles came to pick us up to avoid the immigration cars. We moved quickly on the motorcycles. However, the motorcycle that was carrying me took the wrong way on the street and we ended up in an accident, all three of us: the driver, a woman and me.
Later, my mother went to where the Guatemalan police were located. She showed her identity papers and was able to cross normally, but I couldn’t go through the border because I was a minor. All the young people who were ready to cross had to drive around the border and then walk across.
The world needs to shed light on the overlooked dehumanization of Palestinians and the Israeli-imposed genocide that has plagued them since Oct. 7, 2023.BY REEM KIRJA
Israeli soldiers raided Nawaf Salaymeh’s home and arrested his 12-year-old son, Ayham, who endured abuse at a police station. Palestinian doctor Mohammed Abu Moussa lost his son, Yousef, in an Israeli raid that destroyed their home. Mohammed al Tamimi, a two-year-old, died after being shot by soldiers along with his father, Haitham.
These stories are typical occurrences in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, where Israeli soldiers hold regular raids, arrest children as young as four years old and kill whoever crosses their paths. However, these are the stories that don’t make it to the news; these are the stories that are suppressed for fear of being “anti-Semitic.” Western media outlets, such as BBC News, censor the atrocities committed by Israel by calling their war crimes “acts of self-defense”— guns versus rocks are a fair fight in their eyes. Moreover, when Russia attacked Ukraine, the media called Russia’s invasion what it was: an invasion. The Western media’s hypocritical reaction proves their continuous dehumanization of Palestinians to appease the Israeli government’s narrative.
Since the creation of the Israeli state in 1948, their government has consistently broken international law by encroaching on Palestinian land. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Israeli settlements vio late the Fourth Geneva Convention, specifically Article 49, which bans the unjust displacement of individuals from private property. However, 700,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced by Israel in the same year as its creation, indicating that Israel’s very existence is built on breaking international law.
In response to the Israeli government’s at tacks, Gaza has one line of defense: Hamas. Nonetheless, the organization has been des ignated as a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department since 1997. However, the Israeli government, which has killed over 25,000 Palestinians as of Jan. 21 in the name of “turning Gaza into an island of ruins,” as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Net anyahu said, and claims that “there
& DESIGN BY ERINN VARGAare no innocent civilians in Gaza,” as stated by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, has been widely celebrated by the U.S. as the only democratic and innocent power within the Middle East.
Despite Israel’s false claims and its constituents ignoring clear evidence, the Palestinian crisis is reaching stage 9 of 10 on the stages of genocide, meaning that without humanitarian aid, Palestine will soon cease to exist. This is precisely what Israel wants, and it is evident by their actions of blocking humanitarian assistance and their statements, such as Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir’s quote, “The only thing that needs to enter Gaza are hundreds of tons of explosives from the Air Force, not an ounce of humanitarian aid.”
While Israel justifies their war crimes by stating that they are focused on retrieving the hostages and crushing Hamas, the current civilian death count speaks otherwise. Through their military action and quotes during interviews, Israel has illustrated that its only purpose is to illegally expand a land that wasn’t theirs to begin with and expel the natives, which, in this case, are the Palestinians. As David Ben Gurion, a war criminal and one of the primary founders of the Israeli state, said, “We must expel the Arabs and take their places.”
Moreover, the Israeli government has been tak-
cide to maintain an in through Israel within the Middle East.
“When you deny people freedom and dignity… they become very angry, and they do to others what they do to them,” Munir Akram, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said. Over 75 years of oppression, dehumanization and living in an “open-air prison” breaks a society and soon boils over into an act of rebellion against the colonizers. However, Palestine’s call for freedom was answered through Israel’s bombing of refugee camps, hospitals, and civilian areas.
The Israeli-Palestinian war is not a war. It is a genocide—one side has access to billions of military funding and is illegally using white phosphorus, and the other is barely hanging on with only freedom fighters as their line of defense, 60% of its infrastructure destroyed and over 85% of the population displaced.
So, I ask you, what number is big enough? How many more Palestinians need to die for a ceasefire? How many more need to be displaced for the recognition of their humanity? History is repeating itself, and world leaders are degrading the situation by ignoring Palestinian deaths, refusing to recognize that a genocide is occurring and enabling the aggressor by not calling for an
When the natural defense to a joke falling flat is calling people too “woke,” it’s time to reevaluate if it’s the humor that’s offensive or you.
“Satire is meant to ridicule power. If you are laughing at people who are hurting, it’s not satire, it’s bullying.” – Terry Pratchett
In the age of “cancel culture” and sensitivity training, it is easy to feel as though people “can’t take a joke” or are “too woke” to have any fun. With people readily prepared to spread awareness about any social issue under the sun, one might think any lighthearted joke could be deemed offensive if someone gasps hard enough. On the other hand, another could easily argue that internet culture has been desensitizing our younger generations to darker, crueler and more graphic types of humor — look no further than any Reddit thread. The idea of “edgelord” humor, primarily found on the internet and involves expressing purposefully controversial statements in order to rouse a reaction, depends largely on shock value through extremist views. However, after a while, the joke loses its heat and becomes normalized in everyday life. People have never been more comfortable with joking about terrorism or death. The truth is, oversensitivity isn’t what’s killing comedy; it’s what is being excused as satire or “dark” comedy where the line is being blurred.
The debate of whether offensive comedy should still be considered acceptable in more socially aware times has been around for ages, with various comedians giving their own verdicts. The problem lies with the fact that humor is an incredibly subjective concept; not everyone finds the same things funny. But we can also agree that bad humor exists. “Why did the chicken cross the road?” isn’t necessarily offensive, but say it in a stand-up act, and you’re asking for tomatoes to be thrown in your face. Uncreative puns, cheap shots and poor delivery can all be attributed to bad comedy. So, how can we tell the difference between a bad joke and an offensive one?
When comedy is done well, it is an effective tool for making complex or uncomfortable topics more digestible to a general audience. Although there is a negative connotation to being offended, shock value has its uses to make people pay attention to what matters. Lenny
and social satirist in the 1950s and ’60s, paved the way for freedom of speech in America through his stand-up routines filled with vulgar language and obscenity, where he faced numer ous arrest charges for the content of his acts. At the same time, those very routines acted as commentary on countless social matters considered taboo during his time, such as, censorship, religious persecution, drug abuse and so on.
“If Jesus had been killed 20 years ago, Catholic school children would be wearing little electric chairs around their necks instead of crosses,” –Lenny Bruce.
Bruce’s obscene sense of humor sparked further insight into topics that were once deemed too indecent and only spoken about in hushed whispers. Even if it was offensive for its time, such comedy shed light on issues that would’ve continued to be swept under the rug. “If I’m not offending someone, then I’m not doing my job as a comedian.” Bruce didn’t push boundaries for the sake of comedy; he used comedy to help push the boundaries that were constraining our ability to perceive the world. Making people laugh at serious matters makes them easier to talk about and understand.
What people misunderstand about satire or dark humor is that it is not without purpose — at least the well-thought-out kind. There is a difference between when a popular adult sitcom such as “Bojack Horseman” remains relevant through disturbing humor that pokes fun at the toxic, drama-rampant environment of the Hollywood industry and Matt Rife getting canceled for joking about domestic abuse on stage. “Canceled” refers to the ostracisation a public figure faces after behaving in a manner shamed by the community. One is a skit that is supposed to be a direct reflection on the absurdity of ideologies we hold as people, while the other is a callous jab made without any compassion, ridiculing the victim instead of the perpetrator. Rife’s refusal to take accountability and instead double-down by posting a fake apology on his Instagram story with a link to a website selling special-needs helmets only further highlights the stance that society has gotten “too woke” for humor. This narrative is objec tively
one else’s expense is unavoidable in comedy; most folks are happy to lean into it. What people don’t enjoy, however, is shallow jokes riding on the prospect of appearing “edgy” or “controversial” rather than what they truly are: insensitive and problematic. Like Bruce once said, “What you end up with is outrageousness without the laugh — comedy as electroshock therapy.”
Chalking it all up to people being more sensitive compared to back in the day misses the mark. It’s important to distinguish between making an insightful point through caricatures or obscenity and normalizing cruelty by disguising it as a joke. Jo Koy’s jokes during the 2024 Golden Globes may have sparked public outrage, but they were in no way meaningful.
“‘Oppenheimer’ is based on a 721-page Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Manhattan Project, and ‘Barbie’ is on a plastic doll with big boobies,” – Jo Koy.
There was no insight or social commentary there; it was hardly even witty — it was just misogynistic undertones justified by bad writing. You can try to blame it on poor delivery or little time to workshop the routine, but it’s clear the intent was to stir up the audience by ridiculing a popular film that held a special place in many people’s hearts. For a movie that was meant to educate people on feminist values and the struggles of womanhood, Koy’s joke not only added nothing to the conversation, it demeaned it. Shock value is not a punchline — it can’t make up for everything.
Satire is about using humor to send a sincere message about serious matters, not treating them lightheartedly and desensitizing the masses to the concept. This is how offensive comedy has been utilized for years, so it’s unlikely that “cancel culture” will be the one to end it. As such, we must not let it be the scapegoat to excuse cruel humor. Comedy shouldn’t be the wool over our eyes; we should use it to help weave a liberating narrative that puts the world through a progressive lens.
When West’s new Advisory class started this year, few could predict the backlash from students. An anonymous Instagram account, @students_against_advisory, created a petition to remove it, which has reached 137 signatures as of Feb. 16. It begs the question: why was Advisory created, and why have students reacted so negatively?
Starting fall of 2023, the school district announced Wednesday’s Academic Focus Time (AFT) would be replaced with Advisory. AFT allows students to complete school work or meet with teachers, while Advisory has time to teach the district-mandated social-emotional lessons (SEL) and relay grade-specific information.
Under Advisory, students travel to meet with a designated teacher. Organized by last name and grade level, these classes are meant to stay the same for every year a student is at West. Although Advisory benefits students by giving them grade-specific information, it fails to cre ate sustainable relationships between students and teachers. Advisory classes lead to awkward silences more than anything else, and the con cept of trusted adults among staff is
seem to feel neutral or both ered by the class, and very few students buy into the emotional learning sections, which makes the idea of building student-teacher bonds less ef fective. While some negative feelings may stem from a dislike of change, students’ annoyance isn’t aided by teachers who seem unenthusiastic about the district-mandated lessons.
pay attention. While this may be pass-
Most teachers will run through Advisory without going into any sort of depth. Teachers already have their own lessons to prepare, and many don’t have the time to learn an addition al one once a week. This also harms the efforts to have students build a consistent relationship with a school faculty member, as most teachers and students won’t have any meaningful discus sions during Advisory. This lack of investment from teachers is also caused by a lack of training or efforts from the district to teach SEL.
The district’s slideshows provided to class es are often pointless or monotonous for high schoolers. Some are repeated through the years; many teachers just want to get through the lessons. This is
to class for a pointless lesson you’ve already seen. Aside from grouping students for convenience, the system was designed for legal reasons alone, and students aren’t intended to
when specific information needs to be communicated to students would keep students more engaged. While the schools may be unable to change the legal requirements for SEL, they should change how it’s delivered. Advisory every Wednesday is not the solution.
Peyten Van Dyke ‘27 looks for a pinning combination against her opponent at the girls State Championship meet at the Xtream Arena Feb. 2.
PHOTO BY MARIE STIER
Find the 10 differences between the WSS fantasy themed photos in a new edition of spot the difference.