2024-04-18

W EST S IDE S TORY

WSS covers student experiences with the 2023-24 college admissions process.

PHOTO FEATURE

Daniel Robinson ‘24 clears 5 feet 8 inches in the high jump, taking third at the Steve Roth Relays March 21.

Photo By Colin Wehrle

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Hey there, Trojans!

Who is pumped for the last stretch of the school year? I know I am. As you prepare for your exams and AP tests, take a break and recharge with the April issue of the West Side Story.

If you’re planning on staying up late and cramming this third trimester, maybe reconsider drinking that iced coffee at three in the morning after reading Energy Drinks on page 6. Learn more about the unprecedented side effects of that extra 200 mg of caffeine.

To all the freshmen, sophomores and juniors: give your favorite senior a hug goodbye! With the end of another college application season, take a moment to learn about different paths after high school and flip to page 18. Also, are you wondering what the class of 2024 is up to after West? Check out the Instagram account @wssfutures!

Speaking of futures, Caitlin Clark entered the WNBA draft after a historic season for the Iowa women’s basketball team. Turn to pages 28-29 to read about the impact the Hawkeye women have had on the Iowa City community.

Enjoy this latest issue of the WSS, and as always, stay safe West.

SINCERELY,

CONTACT US

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.

ADVERTISING

The WSS strives to correct its errors. If you notice any inaccuracies, contact westsidestorypaper@gmail.com.

EDITORIAL POLICY

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.

EQUITY STATEMENT

It is the policy of the Iowa City Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, 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.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Tiktok:

ZAIRA AHMAD (she/her)

NEWS BRIEFS

Newspaper

The student news source of Iowa City West High School.

BY CARTER HOUCHINS-WITT ART & DESIGN BY GIANNA LIU

As we enter the middle of Spring, explore the events that happened over the course of March and the first half of April.

westhighathletics . Following ...

wsspaper Students in French and Spanish classes recently traveled to Vannes, France and Dos Hermanas, Spain, respectively. Those on the French trip had host families in the seaside town of Vannes for the first half of their trip and ended their journey in Paris. Highlights included going to Versaille and climbing the Eiffel Tower. Those on the Spanish trip spent time in Madrid and Dos Hermanas, which is a small town near Seville, Spain.

westhighathletics The track team had their first meet on March 4 for the Dickinson Relays, where Moustafa Tiea ’25 qualified for the Drake Relays. The team also competed in the varsity home meet at the Hollingsworth Relays and ended up placing first overall. Izaiah Loveless ’24, Rent Todd ’24, Mason Woods ’25, Julian Manson ’26 and Aidan Jacobson ’24 qualified for the Drake Relays as well, which will take place April 24-27.

wsspaper . Following ...

therealBJMayer Aidan Jacobsen ‘24 jumps over a hurdle in the 110-meter hurdles at the Steve Roth Relays.

BY

View all 5 comments March 21 Liked by wssfutures and 300 others

Follow @wsspaper @westhighathletics @trojan.epic @wssfutures on Instagram, Facebook and X

TESSA GIBSON Liked by TrojanEpic and others

View all 22 comments March 13

DuoLingo The 2024 France group poses in front of the Eiffiel Tower on their spring break trip.

PHOTO COURTESY

OF

PHOTO

COLIN WEHRLE

wsspaper . Following ...

wsspaper . Following ...

wsspaper After eleven weeks of rehearsal, Theatre West performed “The Secret Garden” April 11-13. Briar Martin ’24 starred as Mary, Andreas Warren ’24 as Archibald, and Luke Reimer ’27 as Neville. Over 125 students, including cast and crew, participated in the show. Liked by threatrewesthigh and 278 others

westhighathletics . Following ...

public-Garden203 The Secret Garden cast pose for a 0.5x photo in between rehearsal April 8.

PHOTO BY MAILE KRUSE View all 14 comments April 8

Liked by dailyiowan and others

wsspaper Nine students competed at the Iowa Science and Engineering Fair in Ames, Iowa April 4-5. Every student from West placed in their category with Winston Fan ’26, Shanza Sami ’26, Anjali Lodh ’25 and Sabrina Du ’25 qualifying to go to The International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Los Angeles, California.

Liked by mitchgross and 455 others

westhighathletics The Varsity Boys Soccer team started the season with a 2-1 record, beating Davenport West 8-0 and losing to Ankeny Centennial 1-2. The Varsity Girls Soccer team also began the season with a 2-1 win against Urbandale but lost to Southeast Polk 1-2. The next game for the girls and boys will be against Prairie April 18.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLYN WALLING View all 60 comments April 6

IssacNewton’sApple_ Anjali Lodh ‘25, Sabrina Du ‘25, Shanza Sami ‘26 and Winston Fan ‘26 pose with their tickets to The International Science and Engineering Fair.

leomessi Nate Heenan ‘24 attempts to steal the ball from Valley. The Trojans win 2-0 against the Tigers.

PHOTO BY ANNA SONG View all 46 comments March 29

POWERED UP

Exhausted by challenging course loads, extracurriculars and athletics, students turn to energy drinks for an extra boost. However, these drinks can pose significant risks to teens’ health.

BY GRACE BARTLETT & MRUDANI RAMKUMAR

While working on an assignment due tomorrow, you look at the clock to see it’s already midnight. You glance at your To-Do list; you still have 5 assignments and a test to study for. Your eyes start to droop. The energy drinks stacked on the kitchen counter tempt you, and you ultimately grab one to stay awake a little longer. While the occasional use of stimulants can provide a boost of energy, energy drinks are detrimental to people’s health when consumed frequently.

When she has practice, softball player Anneke Nielsen ’24 usually drinks Alani or Celsius about two to three times a week. She was initially attracted to energy drinks when she saw her peers drinking them.

“I started drinking coffee, and then I was like, ‘I need something different that would still give me caffeine.’ I knew people who were drinking energy drinks, and I wanted to try them. I started liking them and drinking them,” Nielsen said. Nielsen prefers energy drinks because there are more options and flavors than other traditional forms of caffeine.

“There are so many different fla-

vors and types of [energy drinks] that there’s a variety of what you can choose from. With coffee [or tea], there are not as many options,” Nielsen said.

For many students, energy drinks are useful for providing energy to wake up early enough for school. For Jalani Mack ’25, this seems to be the case.

“I was always really sleepy and tired for school even though I would get a good amount of rest,” Mack said. “So I stopped at the gas station before school and grabbed [a Celsius], and it gave me enough to get through the school day, so [I was] like, ‘I’m just going to have them every morning.’”

Additionally, many students like Nielsen use energy drinks to make it in time for early-morning sports practices.

“[Energy drinks are] just to boost energy for me. I do get a good amount of sleep, but I have practices that are early in the morning,” Nielsen said. “I wake up at 5:30 to go to practice, so I still need some more energy, and that’s why I usually drink them.”

Dr. Benjamin Reinking, MD, a clinical

I WAS ALWAYS REALLY SLEEPY AND TIRED FOR SCHOOL EVEN THOUGH I WOULD GET A GOOD AMOUNT OF REST.

-JALANI MACK ‘25

professor of pediatrics-cardiology at the Univer sity of Iowa, discusses the ingredients in energy drinks and the potential effects of consuming these drinks as teenagers.

“The biggest concern is that when the heart rate increases, the heart works harder [and] it needs more oxygen,” Reinking said. “The heart receives oxygen when it’s relaxed, and there’s a point when the heart’s beating so fast that there’s not enough time for oxygen to be delivered to the heart.”

While energy drinks have a lot of caffeine that can affect the body, Reinking explains the other threats presented by energy drinks.

“[Energy drinks] also have other stimulants in them like green tea extract and guarana seeds,” Reinking said. “There’s three or four different herbs that are also simulants, and it’s a combi nation of things that ends up being more dangerous than just the caffeine alone.”

ART & DESIGN BY GRACE BARTLETT

land Clinic, native to has seeds that most double caffeine of coffee beans. As a result, guarana is commonly found in energy drinks. Though it can increase concentration, guarana can cause headaches, heart palpitations and high blood sugar. Energy drinks also have about 41 grams of sugar, which increases an individual’s risk of type 2 diabetes and weight gain.

Additionally, caffeine can have especially harmful effects on athletes. According to the National Institute of Health, energy drinks can cause dehydration after prolonged exercise, resulting in higher body temperature, heart rate and perceived rate of exertion. Reinking discusses other potential effects for active individuals.

“Some of the energy drinks actually have components in them that constrict blood vessels that go to the muscles. People drink caffeine because it does give you energy, but actually it decreases blood flow to your muscles,” Reinking said. “It can have a pretty negative effect if you have really high doses.”

link caffeine consumption and screen time together,” Reinking said. “When you drink a lot of caffeine and are on a screen at nighttime, it creates a cycle where people don’t sleep and then creates this bad cycle of mental health issues as well.”

While many know the detrimental effects and try to decrease their energy drink intake, it can be difficult. Nielson describes her path to decreasing her caffeine consumption.

“Junior year, I was kind of addicted to [energy drinks]. I drank one every single day and now it’s at two [a week],” Nielsen said. “Some of the energy drinks I drink [have] less caffeine, because I know caffeine is not the greatest for you, so trying to cut down that amount is very helpful for me.”

Mack has had similar struggles with cutting her caffeine intake.

“During spring break, I told myself I wasn’t going to have any more,” Mack said. “But the Sunday before we came back, I got no sleep and so I needed something.”

Reinking acknowledges the impor

NUTRITION FACTS

Servings Per Container 1 Calories 10

Caffeine stimulates the nervous system and increases heart rate.

Green Tea Extract is a stimulant that contains caffeine and increases heart rate.

Guarana stimulates the nervous system and heart muscles and is banned by the National Collegiate Athletics Association.

Sugar imitates stimulant effect and can raise blood pressure and heart rate.

Yerba Mate stimulates the brain and heart and raises blood pressure.

Sources:ClevelandClinic,Healthline&NationalInstituteofHealth

BY MINNA ABDALLA

BLACK EXCELLENCE AT WEST

In the fourth installment of the Black Excellence at West, Waad Dafalla ’26, Trinity Myers ’25 and Juju Manson ’26, are highlighted for their achievements at West and beyond.

The Urban Dictionary defines Black excellence as “Someone that is Black and portrays great qualities and abilities that make the Black community proud.” However, Black excellence goes beyond just great qualities, it also represents someone who is breaking the barriers set by systemic racism.

At West, Black students represent 24.1% of the student body, the second largest demographic after White students, who comprise 49%. To celebrate their achievements and highlight their contributions, West Side Story initiated this series dedicated to showcasing the excellence of Black students at West.

As of 2024, West High School is ranked the number one public high school in the state of Iowa. For years, its motto has been “Where Excellence is Tradition.” Here are some current students who have exemplified Black excellence in their time at West and beyond.

WWAAD

WAAD DAFALLA WAAD DAFALLA DAFALLA

aad Dafalla ’26 stands as a beacon of academic excellence. With an unwavering dedication to her studies and extracurriculars, Dafalla consistently excels, setting a high standard for herself and inspiring her peers to strive for greatness. Not only does Dafalla’s talent shine on the debate stage, but her persuasive rhetoric has propelled her to success. Dafalla joined the Iowa City West Speech and Debate team her freshman year, inspired by media coverage. “I started debate officially my freshman year here at West but I knew that I wanted to be a part of a Speech and Debate club since sixth grade. I would hear about it on TV shows, and it seemed like such a fun club.”

Despite only being on the team for two years, Dafalla has already seen a huge improvement since joining the varsity pool. She was one of two national qualifiers in her events during her freshman and sophomore years.

Although Dafalla is an excellent debater, her color still affects her ability to excel in the field.

DESIGN BY ANNA GREENLEE

PHOTO BY SHANZA SAMI

“I have to be extremely cautious of my audience all the time. The amount of times I’ve had to ask around about a judge before a round to confirm their political and racial stances is too high,” Dafalla said. “The fact that I often have to edit my speeches to not risk being voted down for my opinions on race and politics is also very

ALL THE HARD WORK YOU POUR INTO SOMETHING WILL BENEFIT YOU ONE DAY.

-WAAD DAFALLA ‘26

Trinity Myers ’25 exemplifies Black excellence in athletics, particularly wrestling. Her dedication and skill have set her apart as a standout wrestler. Myers’ achievements not only inspire her teammates but also serve as a powerful example of resilience and determination as a Black woman.

Myers started wrestling her sophomore year, but it wasn’t until this season that she started seeing improvement.

“I started to see myself improve after a tournament earlier in the season where I got my first medal. I realized after those matches that I have to go out there and genuinely give it my all without doubting myself,” Myers said.

tough.”

Ellie Chen ’26, Dafalla’s close friend and fellow debater, explains how, despite the prejudice towards her, Dafalla doesn’t let it get to her head.

“She’s hardworking and is efficient at achieving her goals. Even if a round doesn’t end the way she wants, she doesn’t let that keep her down,” Chen said.

Not only does Dafalla excel in the debate space, but she thrives academically as well.

“My parents came to America specifically so they could ensure we get the strongest education we can. I want to do well in school so I can make them proud and prove to them that they didn’t just leave everything behind for nothing,” Dafalla said. “I want to do my best so I can go as

One of Myers’ greatest mentors has been her coach, Elijah Sullivan.

“I love all of my coaches and mentors equally, but I feel that he has gone the extra mile to ensure that feeling of confidence in the foundation of my wrestling,” Myers said. “He has made me tougher mentally and physically and always been there when I step off the mat, regardless of the outcome of the match. My love of the sport genuinely comes from the passion that he has put into every single one of us wrestlers.”

Michael Mettenburg, Myers’s head coach and West social studies teacher, even describes how she not only excels in wrestling but also shines in the classroom and other settings as an individual and student.

“Trinity is a great example that hard work pays off in the classroom and on the wrestling mat,” Mettenburg said.

One of Myers’ most recent achievements was

BEING BLACK, TO ME, IS REPRESENT[ING] A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT IS LOOKED DOWN UPON [TO] BREAK STEREOTYPES.

-JUJU MANSON ‘26

Juju Manson ’26 is the epitome of excellence on and off the field. As a distinguished Black student, he not only excels in academics with a 4.0 GPA, but he also dominates the sporting arena.

Manson is involved in many athletics and is on varsity for every single one of them. He started basketball when he was five, football when he

far as I can and gain as many accomplishments as I can. I can’t predict my future but through school, I can set myself up to have the best life that I can.”

The debate space isn’t the only place where Dafalla, as a Black woman, has to go beyond her peers.

“Even at school, I feel like I often have to prove myself. I’ve had to prove my ‘competence’ to multiple teachers before,” Dafalla said.

On Feb 9., Dafalla qualified for the Nation

TRINITY MYERS TRINITY MYERS TRINITY MYERS

qualifying for the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) state wrestling tournament by placing second in her weight class at

was seven and track in seventh grade. Manson started seeing improvements in his athletics throughout the years, but especially during his high school career.

“I saw the most improvement in basketball in high school because I had to step into a big role early into my high school career. For football, I’d say this past year [I saw improvement] as well. I’ve also been getting looks from many D1 schools in football after last season. Last track

READ MORE ABOUT DAFALLA, MYERS AND MANSON ON WSSPAPER.COM

PHOTO BY JOSIE SCHWARTZ

PHOTO BY MARIE STIER

THE ARAB

IDENTITY

BY ZAIRA AHMAD, REEM KIRJA & MARIE STIER ART & DESIGN BY ERINN VARGA

Arab students at West share their experiences and the uniqueness of their culture and community in the United States.

The Arab World is a region comprising of 22 countries in Western Asia and Northern Africa. Arabs, while united by culture and history, consist of a diverse group of people from countries ranging from Sudan to Lebanon to Iran. Fundamental practices are based on the religion of Islam, as an estimated 93% of Arabs are Muslim; the religion’s influences are showcased in architectural practices based on geometrical shapes to region-wide celebrations of the Mawlid, Prophet Muhammed’s (SAW) approximate birthday. However, other religions are prevalent as well, including Christianity and Judaism.

April is designated Arab American History Month, celebrating Americans of Arab descent. During this month, Arab individuals reflect on the importance of their identity and share their culture with those around them. The first Arab

immigrants arrived in the U.S. in the late 19th century, with a second wave of immigration starting after World War II and continuing in the modern day. According to the Arab Amer ican Institute, the Arab American population in Iowa is 18,987.

CULTURE

Despite living in America, Arab culture remains a large part of the everyday lives of many Arab Americans. For Palestin ian-American Jinann Abudagga ’25, her culture is most prevalent at home.

“Arab culture has always been a big part of my life. I go home, I practice Arab culture, my house is decorated with Arab decorations, we eat Arab food all the time, my name is Arab. It’s always part of me and my daily life,” Abudagga said.

Though she acknowledges many sectors of Arab culture are well-established in her daily

“Like any other culture, food is a big part of [Arab] culture, especially for Palestinians,” Abudagga said. “[Everyone attends] the lunches we have with my family on Fridays, and we eat traditional food. It’s a big tradition in Pal-

In addition to Arab dishes, Abudagga identifies other aspects of her culture that make up her identity, such as the Arabic language.

“My family tries to speak Arabic on Fridays. I’m not allowed to speak English at home on Fridays to keep my Arabic good,” Abudagga said. “We go to the mosque on Fridays, and I feel like that’s a big part of Muslim culture, but not necessarily all Palestinians are Muslim. We get together with our Arab community and celebrate, eat our food, talk to each other in Arabic.”

LOCAL MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANTS TABOOLEH

A sit-down Mediterranean restaurant that offers various foods from falafels to koftas to baklava. Halal food is the primary focus of this restaurant, and although you can order food, Tabooleh also offers a buffet during Ramadan.

MR. SHAWERMA

Located in the Coral Ridge Mall, this restaurant is perfect for a quick meal. You can find traditional shawarma, falafel or kabab sandwiches flavored with hummus, rice and Middle Eastern sauces.

OASIS FALAFEL

Located in downtown Iowa City, this restaurant serves a variety of Middle Eastern foods, including falafel, rice bowls, gyros and more. If you want a sweet treat, try one of their famous desserts like baklava and rice pudding.

CORTADO MEDITERRANEAN CAFE

A metropolitan-inspired restaurant that offers both coffee and food. Order a classic Mediterranean salad or falafel burger to go along with one of the various coffees Cortado offers.

Source:Tabooleh,Mr.Shawerma,Oasis Falafel and Cortado Mediterranean Cafe

Family-oriented weddings are also a prominent part of many Arab cultures. Arab countries like Sudan celebrate a marriage with religious ceremonies, a unification celebration and a henna gathering, which consists of close friends and family coming together to decorate the bride’s — and, in some countries, the groom’s — hands with henna, a natural dye. However, while similarities occur in the process, Palestinian-American Shahd Suleiman ’26 notes that each country still holds its own unique traditions.

“Most weddings in Arab countries are very big and extravagant. You invite many people, and there are multiple parties that go into place. They can go on at the mosque, and then the engagement party will be done somewhere else,” Suleiman said. “The night before a Palestinian woman gets married, we have henna, which happens in a lot of Desi and Islamic cultures. Palestinian women [also] have their mother or someone close to them [bring] a tatreez dress and [give] it to them the night before their wedding.”

Many Arab weddings invite music, dancing and traditional customs. Sudan, a country with an African and Arab-blended culture, incorporates a sword dance to specific celebrations. The sword dance consists of using decorative swords as chorographical props accompanied by traditional drumming and dancing. Sudanese-American Ahmed Elsheikh ’24 describes the vibrant energy of his own parents’ wedding.

“We were able to watch [my parents’ wedding video], and there were all these beautiful drums playing the entire time, and then I saw the parallels that remind me of the drumline here at school,” Elsheikh said. “There was also sword dancing, and it’s just a beautiful thing.”

Although Sudan is generally viewed as an Arab country due to its Muslim-majority population, Elsheikh notices a unique culmination of African traditions as well.

“Sudanese culture has much more African in-

fluence [than other Arab countries] — it kind of blends together, and in this way, is really unique,” Elsheikh said. “A lot of Sudanese music has a very specific Sudanese [sound] to [it]. When I hear Arab music, it’s close to my heart, but there’s lots of little things, like the use of flutes and violins, that are very unique to Sudanese music.”

Living in the United States, Elsheikh has maintained his religious identity and a strong connection to his roots.

“Islam dictates a lot of our culture. Religion is very important to me, especially these past couple of years when I’ve been kind of trying to find myself,” Elsheikh said. “I find sticking to my roots really important because I know that’s where all my family’s from.”

One of the most notable aspects of Arab culture is the family-like community, which is a significant aspect in the lives of many Arab people.

“I really like how Arab culture is very family-centric,” Abudagga said. “I’m really close with all my cousins. They’re some of my best friends, and I really appreciate that about [Arab culture].”

Abudagga has noticed that the family-like community is a large part of her life, not only in Palestine but also in Iowa City.

“I have family friends [in Iowa City] that I’ve known since I was born, and they’ve been extremely supportive. We’re all Arab, and we treat each other like family no matter how long we

I FIND STICKING TO MY ROOTS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT’S WHERE ALL MY FAMILY’S FROM.

-AHMED ELSHEIKH ’24

IT REALLY HELPS TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE LIKE ME, AND I’M NOT IN THIS ALONE.

-JINANN ABUDAGGA ’25

haven’t spoken to each other,” Abudagga said.

Elsheikh finds this same sense of family within the Sudanese and Arab communities. During Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha, two important Islamic holidays, Muslims within the region come together for community prayer, socializing and general celebratory practices. Elsheikh notes that a diverse array of individuals, Arabs and non-Arabs, come together for these two special occasions.

“Even though most of the people [in Iowa City] that are Arab are Sudanese, on Eid, you still see [Arab Muslims] and non-Arab Muslims

all coming together for prayer and then going out to eat,” Elsheikh said. “I feel like there’s more of a family presence.”

Having a community of Palestinian friends allows Abudagga to hold onto her culture. Her Palestinian friends have been a pillar for her to lean on, especially in times of hardship.

“It really helps to know that there are other people like me, and I’m not in this alone. For example, my friend Rana is also from Palestine. When the war broke out, me and her really got to connect over how we felt,” Abudagga said. “It’s a great way not to lose our culture. We’ll do Palestinian dances together. Whenever we go back to Palestine or the Middle East, we’ll bring stuff for each other.”

Elsheikh emphasizes that Sudanese individuals value community gatherings and generally socialize for long periods of time.

“[Sudanese people] talk a lot. It’s a very wellknown thing. Let’s say you’re at a family friend’s house, and you’re hanging with the younger kids, and your parents are like, ‘Alright, we’re going to leave now.’ Then you’re standing there for another hour, and they’re like, ‘No, no, we’re gonna leave,’ but they just keep talking and talking,” Elsheikh said. “That’s a thing for Arab people, but I think it’s even more for Sudanese people.”

Suleiman finds that no matter where you come from, in any Arab group, people always stick together and hold a strong bond through their culture.

“Everyone’s very welcoming in Arab culture in general. Most people are very welcoming and open and charitable and they all have a very deep connection,” Suleiman said. “Even if you guys just met each

other for the first time, everyone’s very open with each other. I felt like they have a sweetness to them.”

IDENTITY

While similar in community activities, Elsheikh points out that North African Arab countries differ from Middle Eastern countries in regard to physical features and appearance.

“A lot of differences are geographical. Over time, people adapt to their surroundings,” Elsheikh said. “[Some] Sudanese people have darker skin than other Arabs from the more Asian part of the Middle East.”

Elsheikh has also noticed that Sudan’s location puts many Sudanese individuals in a unique and often disconnected position.

“Being Sudanese is an awkward space where you’re stranded in identity. [Sudanese people] are not exactly Arab, but we’re also not exactly African,” Elsheikh said. “I feel a little different from people who could, for example, be Saudi Arabian, Palestinian or Yemenis.”

Abudagga finds a similar situation within the United States, where she notes that people’s misconceptions about Arabs negatively impact her daily life.

“One of the biggest stereotypes is that all Arabs are terrorists [or] all Arabs support terrorism, which is not the case. I definitely have experienced some things where people treat me differently because of where I’m from or the way I look or because my mom wears the hijab,” Abudagga said. “A big part of Arab culture is to love everyone and treat everyone equally, so terror-

ism is the exact opposite of what Arab culture does.”

Abudagga emphasizes that she also faces racial prejudice because of the stereotypes tied to her Arab name.

“[I see stereotypes] especially at airports … They look at my name, and I get pulled aside for security,” Abudagga said. “I’ve been put in an interrogation room before, and I feel like that definitely is because of my name.”

Suleiman has also noticed that Western individuals have preconceived notions about Arab people.

“I feel like they see us as angry a lot of the time. In daily life, no one is like that,” Suleiman said. “Of course, there are reasons to be angry, [like] politics. We’ll be upset, but Arabs themselves are not angry or mean people. They’re very respectful and calm.”

Abudagga points out that as a young person traveling alone via airplane, these stereotypes can have an even greater negative effect.

“It was definitely frustrating because I am a child traveling alone without my parents. I’m scared and want this to go as fast as possible,” Abudagga said. “I made it through security just fine — I obviously don’t have anything on me. It’s not fair that I’m getting pulled aside because of the way that I look or the way I sound.”

Elsheikh acknowledges that he has experienced similar stereotypes and believes such misconceptions reinforce a cycle of hatred.

“People think a lot of us are lazy. A lot of them are more rowdy people in the halls, and there’s the whole conversation to be had of, ‘Does that make them a bad person?’” Elsheikh said. “Some

of it is a cyclical thing. A lot of [Arab people] are already living not the easiest and you don’t want to just judge them.”

Stereotypes about Arab individuals transcend their identity, focusing on garments worn specifically by women. Suleiman emphasizes that some in the Western world view modesty as a form of oppression, even if such modesty is the choice of the wearer.

“Americans will say that to reclaim feminism, people will dress however they want and do whatever they want. But when it comes to dressing modestly, that’s going backwards,” Suleiman said. “In reality, [Arab women] are just reclaiming [feminism] in the same way as someone going out with less clothes. If you’re dressing in more [clothes], I don’t understand why that’s an issue for people [because] it’s really just reclaiming [feminism in a different way].”

Because stereotypes overgeneralize the Arab population, Elsheikh feels that people often confuse different identities with one another.

“I wish people were able to differentiate a little more. There are people who don’t know the difference between Muslim, Arab or Arabian. I wish people were a little more knowledgeable about it,” Elsheikh said.

Despite the prejudices against Arab culture that remain, Abudagga believes that as society moves forward, education will ultimately help dispel these assumptions.

“[Arab culture is] a beautiful culture,” Abudagga said. “I wish people would take the time to learn about our culture instead of taking what the media says about our culture and automatically going with that.”

IN REALITY, [ARAB WOMEN] ARE JUST RECLAIMING [FEMINISM] IN THE SAME WAY AS SOMEONE GOING OUT WITH LESS CLOTHES.

- SHAHD SULEIMAN ’26

For years, sports have played a pivotal role in American culture. Especially for teens, sports create an environment that develops unity and pride. However, these experiences are not limited to traditional sports teams; rather, esports, short for electronic sports, fosters similar values. Esports involves teams competing in single and multiplayer video games. In the last five years, esports’ popularity has increased significantly among both regular viewers and people who only watch occasionally. Since 2020, esports viewership has gone from just over 400 million viewers to over 600 million viewers projected for 2025.

Responding to the widespread growth of esports, the Iowa High School Esports Association (IHSEA) established its first official season in 2020. IHSEA’s mission is to create a competitive environment for students to participate in esports programs. Although there are a variety of games that students compete in across the fall, winter and spring seasons, West’s esports team participates in two: Super Smash Bros. in the fall and Mario Kart in the spring.

West’s head librarian Jill Hofmockel started the esports team in 2020. At the time, they competed in Overwatch and Rocket League. Chemistry teacher Jeff Conner began coaching West’s esports team this fall, hoping to help connect students who enjoy video games.

“As a state, the Iowa High School Esports

GAME ON

West’s esports team shares their experiences with competitive video gaming amidst a time of its growing popularity.

BY ZAIRA AHMAD & MARIE STIER

Association has been formed to try to give these students a space to compete. A lot of it wouldn’t have happened if there weren’t these big esports players playing nationally and internationally,” Conner said.

Sawyer Smith ’25, a member of the Super Smash Bros. team that competed in the fall, noticed that the rising popularity has made esports more mainstream.

“[Esports is important] because it is becoming more serious now, so you can be a lot more competitive than usual and actually have it go somewhere,” Smith said.

West’s esports team captain Emma Semler ’24, first joined her esports team in Oklahoma. After moving to Iowa City, Semler joined West’s team in hopes of finding a similar community to her previous school. Despite her initial worries about joining West’s team, Semler has since developed strong bonds with her teammates.

“At first I was really apprehensive because these people already really all knew each other from [the] Smash Bros [season],” Semler said. “I thought it was going to be really clique-y and I felt like I wouldn’t belong, especially since I was one of the only girls that was there at the time. But it didn’t turn out that way. We found a lot of common ground and I made friends that I never thought I would have made.”

Every week, the team meets in West’s Library on Mondays to sharpen their skills and then takes Tuesdays to compete against other schools.

These practices allow team members to practice specific techniques that Conner believes are important to competitive gaming.

“There’s a difference between playing these games casually versus playing them competitively. I don’t think if you’re just picking up a game with your friends on the weekends that you’re thinking about the technical skills,” Conner said. “A lot of these games actually do get highly technical. For instance, Emma [Semler] was talking about how on Mario Kart, picking up the coins actually makes you go faster. As somebody who’s played Mario Kart for a very long time, [I] had no idea that that was a thing.”

Smith notes that the technical aspects of esports are what drives him to compete.

“I really like technical games. I don’t need to think about it. It’s more of me literally doing it than playing chess and strategizing,” Smith said. “You do have to strategize, but it’s more reaction based, specifically Super Smash Bros. It’s all in the moment.”

Though he doesn’t consider himself a highly skilled gamer, Conner believes he serves an important role as a coach.

“I would say with any set of skills, even if you are not somebody who’s super proficient at it, you can still help young people try and organize their thoughts, practices and methods, in terms of improving themselves on things as a generalized set of skills,” Conner said.

One of the ways Semler prepares players for

ART & DESIGN BY MARIE STIER

INTERESTED IN JOINING ESPORTS?

ESPORTS MEETS IN WEST’S LIBRARY EVERY MONDAY TO PRACTICE

THEIR SKILLS AND TUESDAY TO COMPETE AGAINST OTHER SCHOOLS.

their competitions is by organizing workshops to work on specific techniques

“When I was running practices in our offseason to keep us sharp and get ready for Mario Kart, there were times I would do a PowerPoint presentation, like talking about a certain skill that I thought we should work on,” Semler said. “After that, we’d apply the skills that we discussed during the little mini lesson. Those were some of my proudest moments when I felt like I was able to teach my peers something new and see them execute it.”

To help the players improve their skills, Conner leads practices that place teammates as opponents. Though he finds success in this strategy, Conner notes that there are sometimes unintended consequences.

“The club members train by competing against each other, which is sometimes counteractive to trying to build a strong team, because they spend practices competing against each other, then you need them to be rooting each other on and happy [during competitions],” Conner said. “That’s sort of a delicate thing to balance, although they do it pretty well.”

Semler notes that one of the esports team’s strengths—collaboration—is often unexpected by people outside the club.

“When you think of people playing video games [you think], they’re sitting alone in their chairs. Like if you’re playing Call of Duty, [you’re] just shooting people and getting mad when you lose, but it requires a lot more cooperation than you’d think,” Semler said.

Conner finds he is able to provide club members with a supportive and inclusive space for

notes that esports is difficult to compare to traditional sports.

“It’s a very interesting environment, because yes, it’s a real sports team. And it’s like an athletic team, but also, it’s a strange fusion between a sport and a club. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s just something else,” Semler said.

One of the ways Semler distinguishes esports from other sports is the communication required while competing.

“[Practice] gets very loud, rambunctious and very high energy. And honestly, not always staying on task, but I feel like it’s a more relaxed environment than sports,” Semler said. “Since we’re not using our bodies so much and we’re using our minds, it gives us a lot of time to really communicate with each other. Especially in Mario Kart, you really need to be able to communicate effectively what’s going on around you. That brings us closer and [makes us] able to communicate with each other better and feel more tight knit.”

Despite gaming’s rise in popularity, Semler notes that some people may have misconceptions about what characterizes an esports team.

“People think that [gamers] don’t take care of themselves. They have all these stereotypes that they’ve made, like, ‘Oh, they don’t do anything.’ But there’s a lot of esports kids who are athletes or participate in music and theater,” Semler said. “[Esports is] just as diverse of an environment as any other activity in the school. And that could be surprising to others, like, ‘Oh, wow, it’s not just a bunch of nerds.’”

Smith agrees, noting that esports attracts a variety of students.

“Everybody there is different; there are people who are kind of shy, and then people [who] are really passionate about their knowledge,” Smith

As a result of esports’ diversity, Conner believes many people can find a place in the club.

“I would recommend [esports club] to people who obviously enjoy the games. I think that a lot of people who are gamers tend to be sort of loners, and I think it’s a good opportunity to meet people who are interested in something that you’re interested in,” Conner said. “You might not get to practice in an athletic sort of competition, [but esports] gives some students an opportunity to do what they wouldn’t otherwise

be able to. If you’re somebody who hasn’t had a chance to compete a lot, but you like the idea of being involved in a competition and you’re good at games, [esports] is a good opportunity for you.”

Smith agrees, noting that the esports club not only creates an opportunity to compete, but also an accessible avenue for reaching goals.

“When you play on the team, it’s a lot more structured; you can use your skills to go towards a goal … because esports is already set up with all the schools and tournaments, like state,” Smith said.

Semler also believes that more people should get involved with esports because it is a community that brings people with common interests together.

“For a lot of people, one of their hobbies is video games, whether it be Minecraft or Roblox or Candy Crush, even,” Semler said. “There are a lot of people in esports who dip their toes in all sorts of games, and that’s a great way to find a common ground with somebody and start a friendship.”

However, Semler has noticed that many people who may be interested are unaware that West has an esports team.

“I don’t feel like we get much of a spotlight… Because there have been multiple situations in which I was talking to somebody in one of my classes like, ‘Oh, I’m going to esports after school today,’ and they’re like, ‘We have esports?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, you want to come see?’ And then they start doing that regularly, become a very heavily involved member and stick around for the rest of their high school career,” Semler said. “It’s sad because I think about how many people don’t get to experience [esports] because they didn’t meet one of the few of us that are in it.”

For those who do join esports, Conner believes they find a positive environment to continue to grow.

“Some of these students say [esports] is their favorite part of school. The fact that I can help to create an environment where these students feel valued and have confidence in what they’re doing, it means a lot,” Conner said. “I’m really glad to be a part of that, and I’m glad this group exists. I hope they will continue to exist and that these students will continue to have a place in it.”

AROMANTICISM AND ASEXUALITY

BY LYDIA CRUCE ART & DESIGN BY ATHENA WU

WDo you know what the “A” in LGBTQIA+ stands for? Aromatic and asexual students at West share their experiences with their identities.

ith around a 51% minority enrollment, West is known to have a diverse cast of students and staff who work continuously to understand one another. This is highlighted by the high school’s annual “Walk It Out” multicultural fashion show and the celebration of Women’s History Month. Despite efforts to recognize its diversity, there is still room for improvement within the West community.

Some LGBTQIA+ identities, like bisexuality and homosexuality, are regularly discussed in classrooms, so students tend to know more about them. However, with fewer educational resources for lesser-discussed identities, some are left misunderstood. This can result in stereotypes and cause misinformation to spread.

Two such spectrums that aren’t frequently explored in classrooms are asexuality and aromanticism.

Sexual attraction is the amount of interest someone has in being in sexual contact with another person or persons, while romantic attraction is the amount of interest someone has in being in romantic contact with another person or persons. Being asexual means someone feels little to no sexual attraction, and being aromantic means someone feels little to no romantic attraction. Someone can be asexual but not aromantic, or vice versa. People can also be both aromantic and asexual, which can sometimes be abbreviated as aroace.

and white; there is a gray area. Asexual people can be anywhere on the spectrum; some have had sex in the past, but it doesn’t reflect where they stand now, and others haven’t had sex before, but don’t feel the need to try it. Some feel infrequent sexual attraction and others only feel sexual attraction once they have a close bond with someone. The extent of sexual attraction someone feels, when they feel it and who they feel it with, varies depending on where they lie on the spectrum.

Eric Clark ’27 identifies himself on the asexual spectrum.

“My sexual identity is demisexual. This means I have to have a very deep and long-standing relationship with someone [before wanting to have sex with them],” Clark said.

This range goes for aromanticism as well; people can be anywhere on the aromantic spectrum. Some people never feel romantic attraction, some only sometimes, and others only with certain people, at certain points in a relationship.

Since asexuality and aromanticism are not discussed as frequently as other identities, it can be a long journey for some people to discover this part of themselves. For a long time, Nicole Lee ’24 was aware of the asexual spectrum but didn’t believe it applied to herself.

Phoebe Ephraim-Gill ’25 notes how a common misconception is that asexuality and aromanticism mean the same thing.

“Asexuality does not mean no romantic attraction. You can be a lesbian and asexual,” Ephraim-Gill said. “I also wish people knew that you can be heterosexual and asexual. … Asexuality is a spectrum, with some other labels [on the spectrum] such as sex-repulsed, sex-positive, sex-negative, sex-neutral, etc.”

Often, when people think of the term “asexual,” they think it means that an asexual person has never had sex in the past and never feels any sort of sexual attraction. However, it is not just black

“It wasn’t until I was surfing the internet, seeing all these people post thirst tweets and which celebrities they want to sleep with, when I thought to myself, ‘Who does that? Who just imagines having sex with a person like that? That’s, like, an actual person they’re talking about,’” Lee said. “And then I realized, ‘Who do I imagine having sex with, if not an actual person?’ when it finally clicked.”

Lily Zukin ’24 agrees that discovering their aroace identity did not come all at once, but took time.

“Discovering that I don’t feel something that had been shoved into my face all my life as a universal experience wasn’t easy,” Zukin said. “But I had friends who knew what they were talking about, and I had Google.”

An anonymous aroace student stated in an interview that they began to feel like an outsider

NICOLE LEE

LILY ZUKIN

in middle school and later in high school. They were introduced to the terms “aromantic” and “asexual” in 8th grade.

“I felt like there was something that made me unable to relate to a lot of my peers on some level, and I could never fully put my finger on it,” the anonymous student said. “Eventually, I did manage to click with a small group of people, and I cannot begin to describe how relieving it was to talk to them each day. … Slowly, I realized that it was [missing] crushes and the desire to be in a relationship that made me feel so isolated.”

When someone doesn’t know a lot of people with the same romantic or sexual identity as them, it is normal for them to feel like they don’t fit in. Ephraim-Gill believes the best thing to do is to find a community of understanding, supportive people.

“I found a large space in the LGBTQ community and online spaces, and even with fellow asexual friends. It’s very nice to be able to talk about romantic relationships without the context of sex,” Ephraim-Gill said.

Colors club can be a safe space for people who are on the aromantic and asexual spectrums. Colors is a student-run organization that unites

all LGBTQIA+ identities at West High. Members of the club discuss topics relating to LGBTQIA+ issues and allyship, and complete fun activities together, while also meeting new people.

Even after finding a supportive community, Zukin said they still feel different from their friends.

“I’ve found the LGBTQ+ community in real life and some things online, but even with supportive friends, I’m still different. There’s still something off,” Zukin said. “I’m not looking for relationships, not even a [queerplatonic relationship]. Though the LGBTQ+ community is very positive and open-minded, there are still exclusionists who exist within that community.”

Even within the LGBTQIA+ community, there are some who are excluded because they identify as aromantic and/or asexual. Without proper knowledge of different identities, misconceptions can easily form. One common misconception about asexuality is that all people on the asexual spectrum are opposed to the idea of sex and do not like physical touch. However, physical touch can be different for everyone. Some people may like it and be open to it, while others do not like it. In addition, some people who identify as asexual are okay with having sex, while others are not. It depends on the person, what they are comfortable with and what they want for their body.

Another misconception about asexual individuals is that they “haven’t met the right person yet.” Identity is a fluid concept, and can change over time, like it did for the anonymous aroace student.

“All around me, people were talking about their crushes and who they liked,” the anonymous aroace student said. “They also started talking about sex. However, I held off on identifying in any certain way until high school, mostly for fear that I was simply ‘too young to know.’ Eventually, I finally accepted that I had never actually been attracted to a single person in my entire life, and that ‘asexual’ and ‘aromantic’ both felt like far better ways to describe me than ‘straight,’ which is what I was basically told my entire life that I was.”

One common misconception about aromanticism is that people who are part of the aromantic spectrum do not feel love.

“There’s kind of an assumption that being asexual or aromantic means that there’s something wrong with you,” the anonymous student said. “Also, if you don’t feel romantic love, then you must be a colder, more heartless person than most people. To be quite honest, that second assumption is why it took me so long to accept that I’m aromantic.”

AROACE IDENTITIES

Demisexual : the need for a long-standing bond/relationship with someone before feeling sexual attraction

Asexual : feeling little to no sexual attraction

Aromantic : feeling little to no romantic attraction

Aroace : the combination of both asexuality and aromanticism

Sex repulsed : someone completely disinterested in the idea of sex

Sex neutral : someone who isn’t repulsed by sex but isn’t actively seeking it out

Sex positive : someone who is open to sex

Source:AUREA&TheAsexualityVisibilityandEducation

In addition to misconceptions about emotion, many also confuse asexuality for abstinence, believing they are the same thing. The major difference between asexuality and abstinence is that abstinence is a choice, while asexuality is not. Some people on these spectrums choose to be in romantic and/or sexual relationships, and some choose to focus on friendships. Josie Schwartz ‘25 agrees that no matter someone’s identity, it is very important to have strong bonds with friends.

“I love people so much. My friends are the most important things to me, and sex and love … can exist without the other, and it’s okay to

APPLICATION inside the

by kamakshee kuchhal, jane lam, shanza sami & henry timmer-hackert

WSS explores the 2023-24 college admissions cycle and alternative routes to a traditional four-year college.

y the end of their junior year, high school students have compiled a lengthy list of extracurriculars, internships and volunteer hours to impress college admissions committees at their dream institutions. As March comes to a close, millions of students across the world simultaneously refresh their college application portals, all hoping ‘Congratulations’ will fill their screens. For the majority, visions are shattered as rejection letters flood in. West students share their success stories amid an increasingly competitive admissions process.

contemplating college

s students nationwide apply to colleges, many overlook post-secondary options such as a gap year, entering the workforce or enlisting in the military. Societal stigmas often discourage these options, labeling

attend a traditional college after graduation.

A gap year is a hiatus from directly pursuing college after high school graduation to pursue work, travel or other activities. During a gap year, individuals can gain valuable life experiences and contemplate their future career paths. The time offers individuals flexibility to save money for college, gain work experience or focus on personal growth. However, gap years can result in a more difficult transition back to school due to a lack of momentum in the process of receiving a post-secondary degree.

After high school, students may enter the workforce directly or pursue vocational training, which involves acquiring skills and knowledge specific to a particular occupation. In 2021, 27.8% of graduates directly entered the workforce after obtaining their high school diploma.

However, a lack of higher education can lead to limited job opportunities with lower earning potential, limited networking and challenges in evolving career paths.

Students may also consider joining the military immediately after high school. Senior Yaya Orszula will attend the United States Military

Academy at West Point this fall. This exclusive four-year federal service academy is located in West Point, New York and offers a typical cadet life: military training, leadership development and academic classes.

“I want to be the best I can be in academics, leadership-wise and physically, and I think West Point gives me the best opportunity to do that,” Orszula said. “Most people don't even know that service academies exist, but I think it's important to let the student body know [they do].”

Orszula was first interested in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), a leadership program that prepares college students for military service while also offering scholarship opportunities to support their college education. However, after learning about an alumni's Naval Academy experience, Orszula applied to military academies.

Although military academies, like West Point, require mandatory service, they also develop valuable skills applicable to civilian life and specialized fields, creating the potential for increased income, job security and opportunities

ment System is specifically designed to produce leaders through its cadet honor code. Additionally, these schools offer tuition-free education and provide stipends to students during their attendance.

“They want people who are determined, persevere through adversity and have a lot of character. Character is one of their big things, that you're morally upright,” Orszula said. “If you're only going to a service academy for prestige, you're not going to make it because I talked to people, and they're like, ‘You have to know your “why” when it gets hard’.”

Despite the mandatory service West Point requires, Orszula believes its academics and training make it the best opportunity for her future career as a military police officer.

“West Point gives you a really good foundation as the best leadership training in the world that has excellent academics,” Orszula said. “They prepare you to make hard decisions in tough moments when you're under pressure.”

In addition to college alternatives, 43.4% of 2023 high school graduates attended a fouryear institution directly after graduating high school. Notable advantages of attending such institutions include increased post-graduate career satisfaction and financial stability, with a 20% difference in annual household income observed between four-year institution attendees versus others.

According to counselor Kelly Bergmann, 70% of West graduates attend four-year colleges. She believes West excels in guiding students through both alternative pathways and college education.

“We do an outstanding job of [preparing students for college]. In fact, a lot of the feedback that we get is that college is easier than what they did at West High, so I think we have really high standards and expect a lot out of our students,” Bergmann said. “In the past, we were very focused on four-year colleges and Ivy Leagues. Now, especially with the addition of [people] like Russ Johnson, who does a lot of our career stuff and helps our students who are doing trade school, military or starting at Kirkwood, we really like to meet the student and figure out what's best for them.”

Andrew Dong ’24 was accepted into Harvard University as a restrictive early action (REA) applicant. He reflects on the many possible paths to success after high school.

“College admissions these days is a test to see who matures first and who is able to realize what they want to do first in this world,” Dong said. “Getting into Harvard is not at all an indicator of your future success because there'll be people when they're 24, 25, 26, who actually discover

what they want to do, and they'll do it far better than you did when you were 18 or 17.”

campus calling

ithin the past few years, the most selective universities have become even more selective, with acceptance rates at anall-time low. Dong believes the college application process has become streamlined through CommonApp and test-optional policies, which leads to a rise in the number of schools each applicant applies to. For example, Stanford University's low acceptance rate of 3.7% in 2022 has led the institution to no longer release its admissions data in 2023 to prevent discouraging students from applying.

“If you look at the stats, the applications to all the top universities have increased a lot, but the applications to the state-level universities have remained the same. There's this big shift in chasing prestige now,” Dong said. “You go back 20 years ago, and the college admissions landscape [was] drastically different than today. Any research into it will tell you that, with the introduction of the CommonApp and kids applying to 20+ schools yearly, acceptance rates are bound to decrease.”

Lower acceptance rates often correlate with a school’s prestige, where students are frequently drawn to a school due to the reputation of its programs and opportunities. However, for Dong, the connections he has made are the most significant factor that has impacted his choice of college.

“I had a lot of friends who [got] into Harvard. These were friends that I looked up to when I was around them, and they were friends I wanted to be around. I wanted to surround myself with people like them for the next few years as I

chart your course

higher education (college or university): pursue a master’s (two-year) or bachelor’s (four-year) degree in a field of interest through specialized coursework, research and connections

trade or vocational schools: provide hands-on experience and practical skills for immediate employment in trade fields

military service: join the armed forces for leadership training, opportunities for specialization in various fields and education benefits

gap year: take a break from formal education to travel, work, explore personal interests or save money workforce: seek entry-level positions in various industries to gain work experience, skill and financial independence

moved into college,” Dong said. “You can get a good college education anywhere. What matters are the people you surround yourself with.”

As students weigh their options, money is often one of the biggest factors influencing their choice. Siomara Luna-Garcia ’24, a QuestBridge Scholar, matched with her second choice of Dartmouth. QuestBridge aims to provide low-income youth with post-secondary education opportunities primarily through full-ride scholarships.

“My college plan before finding out about QuestBridge was essentially just go to the University of Iowa,” Luna-Garcia said. “There's no way I would financially be able to go [to Dartmouth]. Even if I got scholarships, it's 80,000 [dollars per year], which is a lot.”

Luna-Garcia was inspired to apply as a QuestBridge Scholar by English teacher Kerri Barnhouse as a junior.

“I stumbled upon [QuestBridge] by accident my junior year because they have a junior program that gets you involved,” Luna-Garcia said. “I went through with it because Ms. Barnhouse told me about it, and she really encouraged me to apply.”

QuestBridge is binding, which means the program requires students to commit to attending a school if accepted. While this may appear restrictive, it guarantees financial aid and reflects the investment schools make in their admitted students.

“You, your parents and your guidance counselor have to sign a form saying that if you get accepted into one of these schools that you're applying to, you’re going to go,” Luna-Garcia said. “It's mostly just because they're giving you such a big scholarship, so if a school accepts you, they want you to go.”

Aside from nonprofits like QuestBridge, the most common way students receive financial aid is through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. FAFSA is a government program responsible for allocating federal aid to students based on a comprehensive survey used by colleges to determine the financial assistance students need to attend college. Eligibility is calculated by subtracting the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from an institution’s Cost of Attendance (COA), determining the amount of need-based aid a student will receive. Higher family income reduces opportunities for grant money, emphasizing the importance of FAFSA

as a valuable tool for low-in come families.

This year, the U.S. Depart ment of Education is updating FAFSA to make it easier to complete and to broaden the eligibility criteria for the federal Pell Grant. However, the primary reason for the change is to adjust for inflation so students qualify for more financial aid.

Yet, due to its delayed release from the usual October timeframe and numerous difficulties in accessing the form, many individuals are concerned that they won’t have adequate time to compare fi nancial aid packages.

Russ Johnson serves as West’s work-based learning facilitator, dedicated to guiding students in exploring employment opportunities through internships, job shadows and trade schools. He feels the recent delays will primarily impact students reliant on financial aid to afford a college education.

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

THESE DAYS IS A TEST TO SEE WHO MATURES FIRST AND WHO IS ABLE TO REALIZE WHAT THEY WANT TO DO FIRST IN THIS WORLD.

-andrew dong ’24

Aside from traditional college routes, Johnson also recommends other cost-effective alternatives.

“[The FAFSA form] works really well and it's very easy, but because they changed it so much, it has affected the senior class in tremendous ways,” Johnson said. “It really affects the students who are depending on financial aid to make a decision as to where they're going to school.”

Despite these challenges, Johnson believes that programs like FAFSA can offer essential assistance to marginalized students aspiring to pursue higher education. Access to financial aid can open up new opportunities for students to attend college.

“If they complete the form and find out that they're going to get a grant that may pay for all or most of their school, they're more likely going to go. So, we offer FAFSA help to every student, but we try to target who we offer the most help to because we know that getting the grant can positively affect whether they go to college,” Johnson said.

In addition to working with FAFSA, Johnson engages with students to provide them with other financial aid programs. This includes ICAN, a resource that pairs college counselors with families to discuss the nuances of paying for college.

“The state of Iowa has a shortage of workers. Most are hands-on construction-related, some [are] two-year technical, medical [or] engineering programs. The state, for years, has encouraged high schools to not only talk about four-year programs,” Johnson said. “There is a scholarship called the Last Dollar Scholarship offered at every community college in Iowa. At Kirkwood, it pays for [around] 33 two-year programs.”

Many students may resort to need-based loans, such as subsidized loans or federal grants, to pay for their college education. However, student debt burdens students, preventing them from making financial decisions like buying a house later in life. The average student takes 20 years to pay off student loan debt, with the number increasing to over 45 years for some professional graduates. Additionally, interest accumulation increases the total amount owed, further exacerbating the financial burden on students.

Regardless, students who receive economic aid to afford college are presented with new opportunities to explore cutting-edge research and programs of study. The West counseling department is dedicated to ensuring all students have access to post-secondary opportunities.

“We want to make sure that everyone has the option to go to college. For example, we recommend all kids take two years of the same world language, that way they have that admissions requirement, but we like to make sure that we're focused on what their goals are,” Bergmann said.

college challenges

1-

pplying to colleges comes with a variety of decision plans. Early action (EA) applicants can submit their materials before the regular deadline, typically in November, and receive a decision earlier, often by December or January. Moreover, some schools may offer restrictive early action (REA) or single-choice early action (SCEA), which allow students to apply early to an institution but typically restrict them from applying early to other private institutions. Early decision (ED), on the other hand, is a binding agreement. If a student is accepted, they are obligated to enroll in the specific institution and must withdraw all other college applications.

On the other hand, regular decision (RD) applicants adhere to the standard deadline, typically in January or February, with admission decisions released in March or April. This timeline allows students to polish their applications, finalize grades or complete projects. Additionally, students can compare their college choices before making their final decision.

Dong emphasizes that the choice to apply early depends on what is best for each individual.

“The awards that I won junior year are usually won by seniors. When I applied early, the seniors of my class still hadn’t won that award yet, so I feel like there was some benefit in applying early,” Dong said.

After the COVID-19 outbreak, the college application landscape changed drastically when

average cost of tuition and fees for an out-ofstate two-year institution

$8,415 average cost of living on campus in a four-year institution

$9,670

$14,890 average in-state tuition and fees for public Iowa four-year institutions

$36,436 average student financial aid for all four-year institutions

$27,145

62.2% average tuition and fees for public fouryear institutions

graduation rate for all post-secondary education

to utilize a more holistic review. However, Duke University recently emerged in news headlines for no longer assigning a numerical rating to essays due to a rise in artificial intelligence. While nearly 83% of colleges adopted test-optional policies in 2023, an increasing number of colleges have since begun reinstating standardized

standardized tests is the diminishing accuracy of the Grade Point Average (GPA) as a metric for assessing students’ academic performance. With an uptake in flexible testing policies and an increasing number of classes offering GPAs above a 4.0, Bergmann renders GPA a less reliable indicator of academic success.

THE STATE OF IOWA HAS A SHORTAGE OF WORKERS. MOST OF THEM ARE HANDS-ON CONSTRUCTION-RELATED, SOME TWO-YEAR TECHNICAL, MEDICAL [OR] ENGINEERING PROGRAMS.

- russ johnson

ly] a hundred kids,” Bergmann said. “A lot more [courses] are weighted now. Project Lead the Way and Kirkwood are now weighted, so there are far more students who have above a 4.0. Teachers are doing a lot more accommodating than they've ever done before, which leads to students having the ability to improve their grades more often, like the retake policy. It’s not that we're trying to [increase grade inflation] purposefully — a lot of factors play into it.” Schools, such as the University of Iowa, score students based on index-based criteria for general admissions. University of Iowa Director of Admissions Kirk Kluver explains the use of the

Regent Admission Index (RAI) in the admissions process.

“I would define holistic review as looking at several factors that go beyond test scores and GPA. We're looking at essays, letters of recommendations and maybe an interview, so Iowa does not have a holistic review for general admission by that definition,” Kluver said. “The RAI is a very transparent formula that assures a path to admission for students who have completed the minimum core courses and have an RAI for Iowa residents of 245 or above.”

Nepotism and socioeconomic status can also significantly influence the college admission process. Students who benefit from legacy-based admissions, which is favoritism shown to relatives or close associates of an applicant, are more likely to gain admission to a selective university than those navigating the process for the first time. First-generation college students frequently encounter difficulties navigating the application process due to their lack of a family member with higher education experience. Bergmann recommends using resources online and at West to research deadlines, application tips and scholarship opportunities.

“There's a list of 50 [full-need colleges]; a lot of them are private liberal arts schools that are smaller and will meet full need. It's also about knowing what your options are instead of thinking, ‘My only option is Kirkwood because I don't have a lot of money’ — the sticker price versus what it will actually cost you [can vary greatly]. It does take a lot of research, collaboration with

[counselors] and Google to figure out ‘What other options do I have?’ if money is that barrier,” Bergmann said.

Luna-Garcia agrees that using online resources to search for scholarships can assist all students in uncovering potential opportunities for financial aid. Furthermore, she emphasizes that applying for scholarships, even those with competitive selection processes, can provide significant benefits to students seeking economic assistance.

“[You should] spend hours going through ev ery single link you can find online. Even if you just search up ‘scholarships,’ try to narrow it down to scholarships for women, tennis, foot ball, STEM or whatever racial or sexual orienta tion [you are],” Luna-Garcia said. “Keep trying until you find something. Even if you're not sure that you can get that scholarship, still submit your application. I wasn't sure if I was going to get into QuestBridge or into the other scholar ships that I got my junior year, but I still submit ted [an application].”

As the number of applicants who apply to se lective colleges continues to rise each year, the bar for extracurricular involvement is set higher to distinguish oneself as an applicant. Students face pressure to engage in various activities, such as playing a sport or instrument, starting a non profit, conducting research in a lab, completing internships, accumulating volunteer hours, tak ing more Advanced Placement (AP) courses or pursuing passion projects to demonstrate their commitment to their interests. Dong emphasizes

IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF RESEARCH, COLLABORATION WITH [COUNSELORS] AND GOOGLE TO FIGURE OUT ‘WHAT OTHER OPTIONS DO I HAVE?’ IF MONEY IS THAT BARRIER.

-kelly bergmann

the importance of self-agency when discovering activities that an individual is passionate about.

“You have to demonstrate a certain level of initiative if you want to achieve your goals, whether that be in the workforce, trade school [or] community college. Nothing is ever going to be handed to you. Sometimes, if you want to do something and there aren’t opportunities available, you just have to start your own. I don’t think [this is] a problem with West; the opportunities are there, you just have to seek them,” Dong said. “I really enjoyed what I did throughout high school.

I didn’t feel like I was forcing myself to do anything — that shines through in the end.” Finding opportunities, submitting applications, and awaiting responses can evoke intense stress for countless students. For many, the outcomes of college decisions will carry profound implications for their mental health. Bergmann has witnessed firsthand the palpable anxiety students face as they grapple with pursuing admission to prestigious institutions.

“I'm looking at your generation and some of the things you guys do at your age. I can't fathom ever doing that, even as an adult with perfect coping mechanisms. [Students] are busy from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. At some point, we also have to shift [focus] to students’ well-being,” Bergmann said. “It's been really hard, because a lot of students base where they stand in terms of peers to where they get into schools. There's lot of weight in self-worth, of ‘[Am I] good enough to be able to do X, Y and Z?’, when in reality, it sometimes truly is the luck of the draw.

From visiting an orangutan sanctuary in Borneo to cuddling a panda in China to taking a zero-gravity flight, chemistry teacher Carolyn Walling’s life has been marked by many adventures. In fact, Walling keeps a running tally of her travels; currently, she has visited 46 countries and has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.

For Walling, the best aspect of traveling is its novelty: learning something different and meeting someone new in each country. Her all-time favorite trip was to Antarctica.

“Antarctica is number one because it was so unique and full of life and not what I expected — I thought it was going to be cold, gray and sad, but the sun was shining every day, and it was warmer there than [in Iowa],” Walling said. “Animals and colors were everywhere. You wouldn’t think snow could be 10,000 different colors, but it can be.”

Walling’s status as a world traveler began at a young age. Her father was raised on a farm without running water, and his experiences were limited to rural Nebraska until he attended Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.

“[At Grinnell], he met people from all over the

place and was so impressed by other people in other places that when he got the opportunity to travel, he did. He and my mom went everywhere,” Walling said. “When I was little, we lived in Italy and England, and we would travel all the time. There are pictures of me in my little carrier in Rome, Greece and all over the place.”

Following her high school graduation, Walling returned to Europe, taking three months to backpack alone through a total of 12 countries.

“I don’t recommend doing a lot of the things I did, like sleeping on the floor of a train station or hitchhiking,” Walling said. “[But] all I did during that time made me want to see more and more. I had a Euro Rail (train pass), so if I didn’t have a place to stay for the night, I would just take an overnight train to Italy, and then I’d wake up and spend the day in Italy.”

Walling then attended Grinnell College, where she ran cross-country, double majored in Spanish and chemistry and met her future husband in the same lab where her parents had met 30 years earlier.

After Grinnell, Walling’s path to teaching was circuitous; she first worked as a researcher in St. Paul, Minn., then as a full-time lab instructor at

Drake University, where she obtained her master’s in education. She began her teaching career as a Spanish and chemistry teacher in St. Louis, eventually arriving at West in 2007.

“[With teaching], I like that every day is different and every year is different. Sometimes, things happen that you don’t expect, but that’s fun because it is something different,” Walling said. “I don’t like to be bored, so I try to keep things moving because I get bored easily, and if I get bored, I’m sure everyone else is bored.”

Retired chemistry teacher Michelle Wikner, who worked alongside Walling for 15 years, describes the energy Walling brings to her role as a teacher.

“[Walling] had more new ideas because I was stuck in my ways. She was always finding new things, or she’d go to some teachers’ workshop and text me, ‘Hey, we should try this,”’ Wikner said. “She was more of a visionary, and I was more of, ‘Okay, where do we put this in? How do we make it work here?”’

Wikner also stresses the value of Walling’s chemistry background.

“I taught chemistry, but I wasn’t actually a chemist. Especially in the early years, there

Walling poses with her family in Seville, Spain July 2018.

were some things that I was like, ‘Okay, I’m teaching [concepts], but I don’t know if I totally understand them,’” Wikner said. “So, [I liked to] bounce things off of [Walling]. She’s super smart, and she knows so much about so many things that she was always such a great sounding board.”

Walling’s love for adventure extends into her teaching career; she and Wikner have attended a variety of professional development events across the country.

“She would find [opportunities] that were grant-funded that were basically free teacher vacations; we got to go to cool places and learn,” Wikner said. “We went to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and we went to the astronaut training center in Houston. My favorite memory was last summer; the trip was a geology minifield course for teachers. She and I are not geology majors in any way, but she found this, and she [was] like, ‘Do you like rocks? We should go.’”

Not only did these educational opportunities bring them closer as colleagues, but they also nurtured their companionship. Because Walling “forced” Wikner to eat lunch with her every day, their working relationship developed into a close friendship. Wikner deeply values the lifelong bond they’ve developed over the years.

“[Walling] is one of the most generous, most caring people I’ve ever met. She’s super loyal; she’s humble; she’s a rule-follower,” Wikner said. “She’s just somebody you can always count on. I am just so grateful that I had so much time working with her and getting to know her.”

Former West student Dasia Taylor ’21 also highlights how dependable Walling is. As West’s science fair teacher sponsor, Walling helped Taylor take her invention — a low-cost suture that changes color after detecting infection — to the most prestigious high school research competition, the Regeneron Science Talent Search, where Taylor finished as a Top-40 finalist in 2021. Taylor’s research propelled her to the national stage, from an interview with Ellen DeGeneres to profiles in The Smithsonian Magazine and The Washington Post.

“[Walling] was very supportive of my science

fair journey, and then afterward, as my name started to grow in the public light, I would always mention her in the same breath as my invention because she was such an important part of my journey,” Taylor said. “She cheered me on at every single turn.”

Walling’s role as a research mentor began with her daughter, Abby. Walling first introduced Abby to science fairs in eighth grade, and Abby continued with research in high school, qualifying for the International Science and Engineering Fair her sophomore and junior years. Now, Walling guides students through science fairs, just as she did for her daughter.

“After my kids went to college, I had so much time that I started asking kids [to do science fairs]. But now, people ask me,” Walling said. “Some people work with a lab at the University [of Iowa], and they do everything by themselves. But for some, I help them through every step, including ideas. Dasia’s project was [from] start to finish with me. It really just depends on what people need from me; there’s no set way of doing things.”

Taylor is eternally grateful for Walling’s mentorship and tries to emulate her teaching style during the STEM workshops Taylor hosts.

“I classify her as a friend and a mentor. I look up to her; this is how I want to connect with my students. This is the dedication I want to have with my students,” Taylor said. “I do STEM workshops, and kids come up to me and say that they’re really big fans of my work. [With them], I want to embody Mrs. Walling’s nurturing spirit.”

Whether in the classroom or embarking on adventures, Walling always emphasizes the importance of seizing any and all opportunities.

“You can find adventures everywhere. I recommend applying for everything,” Walling said. “If someone gives you an opportunity, just take it because there are so many cool things you could do that you don’t even know you want to do.”

1. An orangutan looks on in Borneo, Malaysia July 2023.

2. A silverleaf monkey poses in Borneo, Malaysia July 2023.

3. A chinstrap penguin tends to a chick in Antarctica Jan. 2015.

4. A scene from the Great Pyramids of Giza in Giza, Egypt July 2022.

5. Abby Walling poses next to a chinstrap penguin in Antarctica Jan. 2015.

2 4

3

5

THE CC EFFECT

Smashing records, selling out arenas and shooting threes, the Iowa women’s basketball team has become an inspiration everywhere. Caitlin Clark’s legacy transcends her record-breaking career, as she has brought together Iowans and basketball fans across the nation.

BY GIANNA LIU, CELIA SADEWASSER & ANNA SONG

The shot clock counts down five…four… three…two… the Carver-Hawkeye Arena is dead silent as everyone in the crowd — young fans with signs, long-time ticket holders, families and friends — watch in anticipation as number 22 dribbles and takes the shot. The ball swishes into the net milliseconds before the buzzer sounds, and the crowd goes crazy. This is the Caitlin Clark Effect. A six-minute drive from West to the Carver-Hawkeye Arena is all it takes to witness a highly sought-after and completely sold-out Iowa Hawkeye women’s basketball game. The Iowa women’s basketball team is not only an Iowa City phenomenon but a national sensation, headlining every sports news outlet and leaving their legacy in women’s collegiate sports. Before Caitlin Clark’s rise to fame, Iowa women’s basketball was often overlooked. The average attendance for Iowa women’s games in the 2019-20 season was around 7,100. However, in the 2023-24 season, these averages have skyrocketed, as attendance has doubled to almost 15,000. Prior to the start of this year’s season, the Hawkeyes faced off against the DePaul University Blue Demons in an exhibition game on Oct. 15, 2023. Making history in Kinnick Stadium, this event recorded the highest attendance of a women’s basketball game, at 55,646 fans. Even at the end of the season, Hawkeye fans continue to stay invested. In just 30 minutes, tickets for the NCAA March Madness first and second rounds sold out at the Carver-Hawk-

eye Arena against Holy Cross and West Virginia, respectively. Clark and the women’s basketball team continue to shatter records, keeping basketball fans on their toes.Becky Peterson — former West media secretary and assistant girls

...THERE’LL BE OTHER GREAT PLAYERS, I JUST DON’T KNOW THAT THEY’LL BE TWO MILES AWAY, THAT PART OF IT IS PRETTY AWE-INSPIRING. -NATE FRESE

basketball coach — has been a long-time Hawkeye fan. Peterson began regularly attending the Iowa Women’s basketball games around 15 years ago when she first moved to Iowa City. After settling down and having kids, the women’s games became a way to bond with family. Peterson recalls her early years of attending games when crowds would peak around 1,000. “For weekday games, they would try to make it smaller and more intimate, so they would put curtains down on three-quarters of the seats,” Peterson said. “Fast-forward now, it’s crazy. We have to leave the house at least an hour before game time so we have time to get in the long car lines into the parking lot.” Brandee Britt, the Director of Social Media and Digital Strategy at the University of Iowa Athletic Department, believes that the environment at the women’s games is unique to the team. With a blend of new and old fans, the women’s team brings a fanbase like no other. “We have 15,000 [fans and] they’re loud. Now, there are a lot more youthful voices in that crowd, which is awesome for the next generation. Sports are a big part of my family connections,” Britt said. “I’m witnessing these [same] family connections happen around women’s basketball and I’m so excited because I feel that brought a lot of good in my relationships.” West varsity girls basketball head coach and English teacher Nate Frese has held the highly coveted season tickets for seven consecutive years. Frese initially bought the tickets when

PHOTOS BY GIANNA LIU & ANNA SONG

DESIGN BY TYLER SHANE

Fans stand in front of Carver before the game March 23.

his daughter became interested in basketball. Being in the crowd for so many years, Frese credits Coach Lisa Bluder’s coaching style for impacting the energy in the crowd and unifying the Hawkeye community. “I appreciate the way they play [and] the way that they coach even if I don’t necessarily coach that way,” Frese said. “They are all very team-first and family-oriented. They try to build a family, and it’s really engaging to watch from the sidelines, in addition to the product on the court.” Frese also notes how Clark has elevated the game since becoming a Hawkeye. “There’s a greater unifying factor to Clark and that’s what changed,” Frese said. “[Other players] just didn’t have the dynamism we see from Clark…You know how many people [not only] in our state but certainly around the country are now out shooting logo threes because they want to be the next Caitlin Clark.” Frese appreciates the significance of having these prominent basketball players in such close proximity to West. “If you have that right in your backyard, there’s no way that it’s not influencing young players in the area,” Frese said. “There’ll be other great players. I just don’t know that they’ll be two miles away, that part of it is pretty awe-inspiring.” While most fans admire Clark solely for her abilities on the court, Peter-

son appreciates the way her skills have brought well-deserved recognition to others. “[I] feel that Caitlin can shine the spotlight on other stories of women who played before the NCAA,” Peterson said. “[She] shines a light on every record she passes, [and on those] whose record she’s broken.” Like Peterson, Britt is grateful for the recognition Clark has brought to the women’s basketball team and the sport. “You have a player who captivates people and [draws] people to watch a sport regardless of gender, and we’re breaking barriers,” Britt said. “Caitlin’s light shines on everybody else. She’s brought a lot of attention, but now that attention has floated to the rest of the team and the state. People are coming to watch Caitlin Clark and staying to watch women’s basketball.” Britt also recognizes Clark’s impact on the entirety of women’s basketball and on the new Hawkeye fans. “You come to Carver and you’re seeing the bigger sto-

WE WILL PROBABLY NEVER SEE A PLAYER LIKE THIS AGAIN AT IOWA.

-BECKY PETERSON

ry here and how [the women] impacted women’s basketball, you have fans in the stands that are inspired by Caitlin Clark. For example, on the drive home after the Ohio State game, at home, I see an older man, who’s washing his car in his Caitlin Clark shirt. Next door, kids were outside playing basketball with their parents, little kids wearing Caitlin Clark merch shooting a ball in,” Britt said. “That’s the impact it excites me because those little kids, all they have seen in their lifetime is a sold-out crowd for women’s basketball. They don’t know anything different.” While older generations of women’s collegiate basketball and women’s sports haven’t received enough credit, Britt believes that this phenomenon and the Caitlin Clark Effect will and has already impacted future generations. “That’s where the expectation is now. We’ve risen to that occasion, now let’s keep rising,” Britt said. “All [kids] have seen is women and men on the equal playing field because they’re tuning into the women just

as much as they’re tuning into the men. That is where I think it’s gonna keep growing because that generation knows something different than we knew when we were kids.” With Clark declaring her entrance into the 2024 WNBA Draft on Feb. 29, many fans wonder what this will mean for the future of the Iowa Hawkeye women’s basketball team. Frese, however, believes in living in the moment. “This is a Mount Rushmore-type figure,” Frese said. “That’s really neat for an area that’s our size and Iowa City. It just doesn’t happen that often.” As for the future of Iowa City’s local basketball sensation, Frese foresees Clark’s influence becoming global. “I think you can see the trajectory here,” Frese said. “Within a couple of years, there are gonna be Caitlin Clark Indiana

Fever jerseys on little kids in France, and in Sudan and Singapore. I just see that coming.” As an Iowa native, Peterson feels a strong connection to Clark, who grew up in West Des Moines and decided to stay in Iowa after graduating from Dowling Catholic High School. “It’s cool, and then just the pride to have an Iowa girl staying home and representing our state. Iowans take an immense amount of pride in Caitlin Clark, but she’s homegrown,” Peterson said. “Iowans are proud people anyway, but when it’s one of our own, everybody’s behind her, except for maybe Iowa State fans.” Peterson and her husband constantly remind their children, “‘You guys don’t understand how spoiled you are to get to see this.’ We try to tell them [but] I don’t know if they understand,’” Peterson said. “We will probably never see a player like this again at Iowa.”

READ MORE ON WSSPAPER.COM

A Clark and Nike advertisement hangs downtown Iowa City on Clinton St.

The Nike-sponsored Caitlin Clark banner hangs on Burlington St.

CARS OF WEST

BY MADDY COOK ART, PHOTOS & DESIGN BY MCKENNA STEPHENS

WSS explores the unique cars in West’s parking lot and their owners.

2008 TOYOTA CAMRY

ELLIE ROETLIN ’26

KAYLIE MILTON ‘24

“My favorite part of my car is probably its color. My least favorite part of it would be the maintenance light that has always been on.”

BABY BLUE

2008 PT CRUISER

“The car’s name is Britney because I was watching my favorite show, “The Office.” Watching one of the episodes, I realized this was the same type of car Michael [Scott] has, and he has this iconic scene pulling up to the office saying, ‘It’s Britney.’”

BRITNEY

GRETA GROMACKI ’26

ELLA VAKINER ‘25

2004 HONDA CIVIC

“I named her after David Bowie because his music reminds me of car rides in the summer.”

BOWIE

2003 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE DOLLY

“My car is very girly. It’s a convertible and has flowers and rhinestones all over the inside. My favorite part of my car is the Volkswagen flower holder that comes in every Beetle.”

THE FAILURE THEOREM

Olympiad season is nerve-wracking and too often disappointing. But take it from a failed mathlete, they’re worth it, just not for a score.

It’s over. All the olympiads that took over my life and controlled my self-worth, all those endless hours hunched over a textbook and grinding practice problem sets — it’s over. I can confidently say that in terms of olympiads, I failed miserably.

First, for the mercifully uninitiated, olympiads are knowledge tests. Think trivia bowl, but much more focused on problem-solving in a singular topic. Math olympiads, which I primarily competed in, are the most famous, but there are also olympiads in chemistry, astronomy and even linguistics. They usually consist of several rounds of selection tests that eventually qualify the top students for the coveted prize: a seat on Team USA to compete at that subject’s international olympiad.

How far did I get?

Fresh out of junior high with a perfect score on the AMC 8, I thought I could get as far as I wanted. Numbers played together beautifully because I’d put in the hours of work, reading textbooks and solving practice sets; I could juggle fractions with ease and calculate angles at a glance. I loved math and worked for it, and it rewarded me amply.

I went into the summer and the pandemic with even more fervor to improve over my next four years of high school, which I thought was equivalent to all the time in the world.

Instead, I quit. Well, quiet-quit.

As a freshman, I threw myself into studying. I worked through textbooks, took practice tests, tabulated theorems and mistakes — I did everything I used to. But when competition season rolled around, I scored significantly worse.

While struggling to learn the increased difficulty of high school competition material, I hated myself for my flagging interest, looking at the faltering scores that should’ve instead lit a fire under me. I couldn’t do anything right — Fermat’s little theorem made no intuitive sense; whatever hell De Moivre’s crawled out of wasn’t one that I could comprehend. I couldn’t even stay focused long enough to get past definitions. Whatever I did, the scores stayed unerringly, infuriatingly, constant.

I quit. I stopped seriously practicing, closed

the textbooks and left them gathering dust. I’d failed; I wasn’t cut-out for math competitions. I was some, possibly improper, subset of lazy, stu pid and weak-willed.

Some dim memory of the joy I’d felt, innocent ly poking at elementary permutations back in middle school, led me to begin tutoring compe tition math, locally and online, for the rest of my high school years. The irony of someone who’d given up on mathematics convincing pre-teens of the “joy of mathematics” was not lost on me.

I’m a senior now. This year was my last shot at competitions, and I thought, why not give the thing that’s sucked dry years of my time and self-confidence one last hurrah? Without any expectations, I dusted off my textbooks and gave my self two weeks to mess around before the competition. I was rusty, but some how, with the pressure valve missing, I found a semblance of the old rhythm I had with numbers. Not quite a proper dance or juggle, but the muscle memo ry and the same joy I had when I first learned about permutations was still there, long-buried.

And now I’m left with the bittersweet wonderings of where I might’ve gone had I not quit so soon, had I allowed myself a break for the burnout. More than if I simply could’ve exponen tiated my scores, but found more happiness with my numbers.

BY ATHENA WU ART & DESIGN BY ATHENA WU

shoot for some integer cutoff; more often than not, statistics and a normal distribution will dash

I do love math, and olympiads offered me oppor tunities to learn niche trigonometry and weird Euclide an cevian theorems they don’t teach in high school and nev er bother to in college.

And therein lies the triteness of my message: do things for their joy, learn things because they’re interesting. Don’t

FOR THE BOYS

Boys don’t participate in art-related activities as much as we should. The community is awesome and it grants you the ability to express yourself.

When I was a freshman, I wasn’t involved in many activities. The few activities I was involved in had very little commitment, so most of the time, I just went home bored after school. I finally decided that I needed to have something that was mine. That’s when I found theater. Cliché, but it’s true that the arts can let you express yourself. You get to be among people who also show themselves outwardly.

The fact is, at West, boys don’t generally participate in art-related activities. I am currently writing this in a newsroom with a ratio of he/ him-ers to others of about 1:8. This isn’t only true for writing but also for performance. The ratio of boys to others in Theatre West’s “The Secret Garden” is about 1:2. Out of every three people, only one is a boy. This is a gaping hole that needs to be filled. Boys should be joining more artistic-related activities because it creates a much more enjoyable environment and increases competition.

Diversity increases how applicable pieces of art are to the audience. There are two main sections of arts: performing arts, such as band and choir, and visual arts, such as writing and painting.

For performing arts, most of the time in theater, boys don’t compete with girls over lead roles. However, adding more boys to the pool increases the odds of finding a boy better suited for a character as well as greater diversity in talent. This also applies to visual arts in terms of receiving feedback. For writing, you get comments and suggestions from a more diverse gender pool of people, making your product applicable to larger demographics.

BY CARTER BIRCH HOUCHINS-WITT

In general, arts allow people to do things they can’t do in other classes because they get to be creative. A class like painting or creative writing is the opposite of a class like calculus because there isn’t one answer. And, unlike sports, you don’t have to follow guidelines or rules. I can’t read over a drawing or speech and say, “This is wrong, it should be this.” The arts allow you to create whatever you want.

Additionally, the community involved in art-related activities is authentic. They are the realest people you will ever talk to. Since everyone can express who they are, they have no reason to hide things. This results in more honest conversations than people who do have some-

thing to hide, and so much learning about individuals in general. It’s also easier to be vulnerable in an environment where people aren’t hiding. It allows you to empathize with more people. There are a couple of reasons why boys don’t join the arts. One big one being that they’re playing sports or doing different activities. However, arts take surprisingly little time out of your schedule if you just want to dip your toe into it; people can easily do both at once. Not only that, but you can even mix different types of activities together, such as doing sports journalism. Another reason is some people get scared of what others think of them. However, like I said, the people in the arts are open to the inclusion of every person and far better than those people who are judging you.

Boys, I know it might not be your thing or seem boring, but trust me. There is no way the arts are going to disappoint you. Every aspect of them is just so fun to do. The community, the ability to express yourself — everything. Let me remind you of that 1:8 ratio. It’s pretty low. So, I really have to end off with one final message. Please join journalism. Please. I’m begging.

Bass choir sings “Sweet Caroline“ with soloist Gabe Conrad ‘26.

DESIGN BY ANNA SONG

PHOTOS BY ANNA SONG, MCKENNA STEPHENS & WEST SIDE STORY

BY WSS EDITORIAL BOARD DESIGN BY ANNA SONG

The WSS Editorial Board urges the West community to increase their political engagement and demand the Iowa Senate reject House Files 2586 and 2652 to instead pursue preventative policies against gun violence.

n an ordinary Thursday morning Jan. 4, students of Perry High School file into their respective classes to begin another day. Twenty minutes before the first-period bell, a 17-year-old shoots four of his classmates and three staff members before killing himself. Shot while trying to protect his students, Principal Dan Marburger remained in critical condition before dying along with sixth grader Ahmir Jolliff. This tragedy sparked outrage and devastation across Iowa, marking yet another case of senseless gun violence, which was the leading cause of death among U.S. teenagers in 2023, topping drug overdoses, cancer and automobile accidents.

Currently, Iowa Code 2024, Section 724.4B permits authorized school employees, such as peace or corrections officers, to carry firearms. However, as a response to the Perry shooting, Iowa House legislators have also passed House File 2586 Feb. 28, which expands the school staff who can obtain a permit to carry firearms on campus and provides legal immunity if those firearms are discharged with reasonable force. While awaiting the Iowa Senate’s approval, Iowa House legislators are also pushing for the passage of House File 2652, which would provide $3 million for training school districts that choose to arm staff members and buy firearms for school employees. Another Iowa high school, Spirit Lake, previously tried to arm school employees in November 2022 prior to the passing of HF 2586; however, liability concerns resulted in insurance companies denying them coverage. These new bills allow school employees to have legal immunity in the case of reasonable firearm use to encourage coverage from insurance companies.

For school districts with more than 8,000 students, armed educators and at least one Security Resource Officer (SRO), as also mentioned by HF 2586, are mandatory unless a school board chooses to opt out of the program. Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) Superin-

tendent Matt Degner explains that despite an increased probability that insurance companies will now provide coverage to arm teachers, the ICCSD School Board will still likely vote against implementing these policies. This decision stems from the belief that arming teachers is not the most effective solution to prevent gun violence. “Will we allow staff to be armed? No. Will we pursue SROs in our school district? No. The district [has] had that conversation before, and I don’t feel like there’s been any new or compelling information that would change the district’s stance,” Degner said.

The WSS Editorial Board urges lawmakers in the Senate to vote against the bill. According to Iowa House Representative Adam Zabner, as of now, there are zero precautions to ensure that the guns are stored safely and zero restrictions on what type of gun staff can carry. Along with the lack of specificity in the HFs themselves, a 2004 Harvard study concluded that greater firearm prevalence corresponds to higher rates of homicide, which continues to be reinforced today with further analysis. While arming educators might increase the chance that the school shooter is shot, it definitively increases the chance innocent bystanders are killed since teachers will receive less instruction compared to trained officers.

Beyond the simple fact that increasing the number of firearms on campus magnifies the risk for gun violence, this bill will create an imbalanced, dangerous power dynamic between the student and teacher. Imagine a school environment where a teacher has an assault rifle in their cabinet drawer: If the gun goes off and accidentally shoots a harmless student, who will be held accountable? This poses a huge liability concern despite insurance coverage, with 54% of teachers believing firearms would create a less safe school environment. HF 2586 and 2652 blur schools’ responsibility to protect students. Schools should be a safe place to learn; however, this attempt is a lackluster approach that points

us in the wrong direction.

The solution to the senseless gun violence that is wracking our country is not to add more guns — it is systemic change. Instead of centering our attention on reactionary policies for addressing a scenario where a school shooter is armed and a teacher must safeguard their students, we need to prioritize preventative policies to stop situations like these from occurring in the first place. HF 2586 and 2652 put more people in the line of fire instead of ensuring that the problem doesn’t occur at all. To best protect our children and ensure firearms don’t fall into the wrong hands, we must enact policies such as extreme risk protection orders, or “red flag” laws, that take guns out of the hands of those who pose a risk to themselves or others — a statistically proven method that prevents gun violence. There is already federal funding available to support this, with Biden passing over $750 million in June 2022 of grants to incentivize state implementation — a solution the Iowa government has failed to tap into, which is a shameful mark on Iowa’s history of gun control.

Furthermore, these new HFs signal the importance of voting in local and national elections. As a new generation of voters, we can change the outcome of what legislation is placed in our country simply by electing representatives who believe in policies that have a tangible, positive impact. Statewide legislation like HF 2586 and 2652 have an immense impact on our towns, schools and homes. We urge our community to call their local representatives to vote no and demand that legislators pursue real solutions that create real change.

Source:Everytown

Cooper

gets ready to shoot the ball at the annual Community Inclusion Club basketball game March 21.After a tight match, the students win 38-25 against the teachers.

Wiley ‘27

PHOTO BY GIANNA LIU

S PRING C ROSS W ORD S PRING C ROSS W ORD

Celebrate the influx of warmer weather and the start of third trimester with a WSS spring crossword!

BY GINGER MCCARTNEY

Across 1. ___ garde. 2. Referred to as a Mother with her own Day.

Across 1. ___ garde. 2. Referred to as a Mother with her own Day.

3. Red ____ is both a descendant of the dinosaurs and a restaurant chain.

3. Red ____ is both a descendant of the dinosaurs and a restaurant chain.

4. A palindrome of awe.

4. A palindrome of awe.

5. A non-literal type of bug, and something you should never do, especially on the West campus.

5. A non-literal type of bug, and something you should never do, especially on the West campus.

6. The New York Times has a ___ Mini. 7. A potato’s sweet cousin.

6. The New York Times has a ___ Mini. 7. A potato’s sweet cousin.

8. As the school year comes to an end and seniors begin solidifying plans for the next year everyone is ready to start a ___.

9. A line with a fixed start point at the sun. 10. April ___ bring May flowers.

8. As the school year comes to an end and seniors begin solidifying plans for the next year everyone is ready to start a ___. 9. A line with a fixed start point at the sun. 10. April ___ bring May flowers.

Answers

Down

Down

1. The first of this month marks a holiday made for mischievous individuals.

1. The first of this month marks a holiday made for mischievous individuals.

2. A furry friend associated with a recent spring holiday.

2. A furry friend associated with a recent spring holiday.

3. You ___ to flowers and other plants during the spring season.

3. You ___ to flowers and other plants during the spring season.

4. What all gardeners hope their flowers will do.

4. What all gardeners hope their flowers will do.

5. The ground has finally begun to _____. 6. This animal can spin its head around 180 degrees.

5. The ground has finally begun to _____. 6. This animal can spin its head around 180 degrees.

7. ___ League or referred to as a vine.

7. ___ League or referred to as a vine.

8. During the spring Iowa receives its fair share of ___.

9. Both a month in the calendar and a tread. 10. I before E except after C or ___. 11. Iowa has some of the most fertile ___.

8. During the spring Iowa receives its fair share of ___. 9. Both a month in the calendar and a tread. 10. I before E except after C or ___. 11. Iowa has some of the most fertile ___.

ART & DESIGN BY GINGER MCCARTNEY