2013-04-19

westsidestory 2901 melrose ave.

PG. 16-19

iowa city west high school

iowa city, IA 52246

wsspaper.com

Volume 44 issue 6

A little birdy told me The WSS takes an in-depth look at the perpetual struggle between bullying language and student speech rights, and how the internet changes it all.

april 19, 2013

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APRIL

[7]

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EDUCATION MAKEOVER

From stricter standards to achieve certification to frequent evaluations in the classroom, education reform in Iowa is assessing which teachers make the grade.

[10-11] FEATURE

BEST THING I EVER ATE

West students weigh in on the best dishes out there at local restaurants in Iowa City.

[16-19] IN-DEPTH

A LITTLE BIRDY TOLD ME A series of anonymous Twitter accounts have sparked controversy at West. The WSS takes an in-depth look at the battle between student speech rights and school jurisdiction.

[28-29]HEALTH

PATERNAL PREVENTION

Rehearsing for performances of Legally Blonde: The Musical this weekend, leads Lexi Weber ’14 and Paul Ross ’13 act out a scene.

EQUITY STATEMENT

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

EDITORIAL POLICY

The West Side Story reflects the views of the staff and does not represent the school administration, faculty or student body. Guest articles may be accepted to represent an additional point of view or as a part of a collection of reader contributions. The staff will carefully scrutinize all reader submissions.

All ads are subject to approval by the business staff. Those that are libelous, obscene or plainly offensive may be rejected. The West Side Story attempts to publish all letters, which must be signed, to the Editors, but may reject submissions due to space limitations, inaccuracy or poor quality. It is the responsibility of the opinion editor to verify authorship.

Editors can make minor edits for the sake of clarity, length and grammatical correctness.

The appearance of a new, reversible male birth control procedure has the capacity to change how we approach adolescent birth control— and health class curriculum.

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

WSS STAFF

PHOTO BY//ABBIE SKEMP

COVER PHOTO BY//FRANK WEIRICH

{DESIGN BY FIONA ARMSTRONG-PAVLIK} COMPILED BY//AUDREY HOPEWELL

what’s new on:

wsspaper.com

Check out our recurring web posts:

BELOW: Look forward to a new crop of photo stories and videos coming to the website this month. The West Side Story is covering everything new and newsworthy, from EATS club’s first planting of the season to both girls and boys soccer.

PHOTO BY//ABBIE SKEMP

In “My week in music,” Zora Hurst compiles her favorite tunes to help you get through five more days of school.

MWM

With beautiful art and witty captions, Leela Sathyaputri’s “Webcomic Wednesdays” will surely be the highlight of your week.

PHOTO BY//MEGUMI KITAMOTO

ABOVE: Daniel Lin ’13 discusses playing the saxophone, what influences him,

and performing at the MOST Benefit concert in a new video, now on wsspaper.com.

RIGHT: Looking for a movie to see this weekend? Read Aileen Norris and Kaitlyn McCurdy’s review of The Host, the new Stephenie Meyer-written sci-fi flick, on the website. Spoiler: it’s “much, much better than Twilight.”

IN CELEBRATION OF UPCOMING EARTH DAY, STUDENTS SHARED THEIR FAVORITE PLACES ON THE PLANET.} APRIL 2013 WEB 3

@wsspaper asked West High students

{DESIGN BY SHIRLEY WANG}

A LOOK BACK: GAY RIGHTS

What’s your favorite spring activity?

1951 First national gay rights organization was formed.

Homosexuality is removed from the 1973 American Psychiatric Associations list of

@LonelyWolfPackk:

driving around with friends, with the windows down Richmond ’14 and the music turnedZach up. #ItsAlwaysAGoodTime

mental disorders.

1982

Discrimination based on sexual orientation is outlawed for the first time ever by Wisconsin.

2009

Melaney Uhlrich ’13

Iowa Supreme Court strikes down the ban on same-sex marriage, making it legal.

APRIL 19, 2013

@ColinFoerstner:

Frolicking through beautiful fields full of flowers every color of the rainbow Colin Foerstner ’13

@Claire_APillar:

Day of Silence: students take a vow of

24 117

Bonfires and picnics!

Claire Shive ’15

silence for a day to encourage schools to address the bullying and harassment of LGBT teens.

COMPILED BY//FRANNIE RIZZO

NEWS BY THE NUMBERS

COMPILED BY//FRANNIE RIZZO

“

Side

We work on vo-

cational skills. It

teaches [students] how business works.”

stories

- Steve Merkle said about the chairs made by the Special Education program. They will be sold at the Functional Programs Talent Show at 6:30 pm on April 25.

Having many boos, living in a mansion, swagging to the maximum and looking fresh. It’s a way of life.

“Wow, that guy’s so cool.”

“Nah, he’s based.”

COMPILED BY//BLAKE OETTING

FRESH PAINT WEST SIDE WORD

based (ba-st)

Days of school left for seniors

Points the West High boys track team won by at the Hollingsworth Relays

In Iowa City, benches are for more than sitting; they’re pieces that illustrate the life, culture and innovation of Iowa City artists.

The University of Iowa Community Credit Union BenchMarks program, which started last year, is stripping down their benches and beginning this summer’s project with a fresh purpose.

“It’s going to be a little more collaborative with the community than last year’s project,” said John Engelbrecht, director of Public Space ONE and the lead for the project.

The Live Like Line bench by For-

COMPILED BY//ALYSSA MCKEONE

mosa, however, will remain painted.

Engelbrecht plans to hold workshops throughout April and May to gather potential painters and work toward a common theme that will make the benches altogether more “intellectually and conceptually complex.”

“Regardless of artistic talents, we’ll take anyone because we want to work with a full range of people,” he said.

Workshops will be held at Public Space ONE on April 28, May 12 and May 19.

COMPILED BY//SHIRLEY WANG

4 NEWS APRIL 2013 { “THE OCEAN; THE BRINY SMELL FILLS MY NOSE.. I USE TO LIVE NEAR THERE, BEST TIME OF MY LIFE.”-LUCY BLAIR ’16

{DESIGN BY HANNAH MERRILL}

Nat’l Endowment for the Humanities selects English teacher for Summer Scholars Program Kate Jacobson will study medieval language and literature in Isle of Man and Scotland this summer.

BY KAITLYN MCCURDY kmccurdy@wsspaper.com

English teacher Kate Jacobson will travel to Isle of Man and Scotland Kate Jacobson, in order to English teacher study medieval language and literature this summer. She was one of 15 teachers picked for the trip out of 200 applicants, and recieved $3,300 to cover flight, housing and supply expenses from the grant-funded program.

Jacobson will spend two weeks on the Isle of Man, a small island in the Irish sea between England and Ireland, and two weeks in Scotland. “[Afterwards,] I’m flying my niece out for an early high school graduation present.

We’re going to run around Ireland for another 10 days or so.

We’re going to look up [my] friends [from graduate school].”

Jacobson discovered she was accepted to the program on April 1.

“I woke up in the morning, and I could see that I had three e-mails. It just didn’t register,”

she said.

However, according to Jacobson, getting in wasn’t a guarantee.

“They give preference to people who haven’t done it before. ... I studied folklore and ethnography in Ireland, so I figured they’d say ‘no, she’s had her fun.’

I really didn’t think I was going to get it. But I thought, ‘what the heck,’ if I didn’t try, I’d never know. I’d been scoping it for years, but the timing was never right, and this year it was,” she said.

This isn’t Jacobson’s first time studying through this program.

In 1999, she spent six weeks at Harvard studying medieval Irish epics of the Tain, one of Old Ireland’s greatest works.

“That was such an awesome experience that the following year I took a leave of absence from my job, and I went to graduate school in Ireland,” she said.

Jacobson says that the experience changed the course of her life.

“I never would have gotten that master’s had I not had that experience at Harvard,” she said. “So who knows where this one is going to lead.”

Mastering the IBA

The West High Jazz Ensemble was selected out of all high school jazz bands in the state to perform at the Iowa Bandmasters Association conference in Des Moines.

BY JULIANN SKARDA jskarda@wsspaper.com

After 18 years of sending audition recordings to a selective jazz band competition, Director Rich Medd decided this year’s tape would be the last.

And things ended on a good note.

The group sent off the audition materials in Dec. to the Iowa Bandmasters Association, leaving Medd to await the fateful Jan. phone call.

“Word usually gets out the day [the judges] are listening to the tapes, so you’re either waiting by the phone being depressed if it doesn’t ring, or you’re really happy if it does,” he said. Medd said the group was ecstatic when he shared the news, but not all members were surprised. Some students had been confident that they

would be the band to break the competition.

18-year streak.

“I felt like this was a really good “I can't say I was extremely shocked that we made it, because, y o u k n ow, Aidan [Manig o l d ’13] and B l a k e ABOVE: Members of Jazz Ensemble rehearse Stompin’ [ M a - by John Rapson for their performance on May 9. ternach ’13], but I was extremely ex- band, [but] … I’ve had a couple cited. I love jazz band, so I'm of other incredibly strong bands thankful for any opportunity not make it,” he said. He attribI get to play in it,” said trum- uted this year’s success to the pet player Timothy Kelley ’15. presence of the largest group of Medd, however, had not antici- seniors the band has ever had, pated the group’s success in the and the strength of the ensem-

ble as a whole. “[This year], every section is really strong. Usually we have three sections that are really strong, and one that’s good but not great,” Medd said.

In preparation, the group is currently rehearsing 10 pieces which will eventually be narrowed down to eight or nine for the performance. The selections span a range of styles and composers.

“I picked a wide variety of music from traditional stuff like Duke Ellington to wacky, crazy stuff like Charles Mingus,” he said.

And according to Medd, their frequent rehearsals will pay off on May 9.

“It’s probably the toughest crowd you’ll ever play for because 90 percent of the audience is band directors … there are a lot of good ears,” he said.

“THIS IS REALLY CHEESY, BUT MY FAVORITE PLACE IS DISNEY WORLD. ”- PAYTON KNUPP ’14 } APRIL 2013 NEWS 5

{DESIGN BY HANNAH MERRILL}

Dan Kauble ’13 receives Matt Shepard Scholarship

The scholarship will grant him $40,000 to the University of Northern Iowa.

BY MEGUMI KITAMOTO

mkitamoto@wsspaper.com

G etting scholarships isn’t unheard of for seniors.

However, this parDan Kauble ’13 ticular $40,000 scholarship to the University of Northern Iowa is especially significant to Dan Kauble ’13 because of the deep meaning behind it.

The scholarship that Kauble received is the Matt Shepard Scholarship, which is named after an openly gay student who was beaten to death partially because of his sexual orientation. Former governor Tom Vilsack created the scholarship in 2000, which is currently

backed by the Eychaner Foundation, a “non-profit organization committed to promoting tolerance and non-discrimination,” according to its website. This scholarship is awarded to 10 openly LGBTQ high school seniors in Iowa who are active in the LGBTQ community.

Kauble found out about the s c h o l a r s h i p leads by through a family member.

-Kerri “My aunt told me about [the scholarship], and I read an article about it, and I wanted to do it, too, because you get awarded to get more involved,” Kauble said.

However, it was not an easy application process.

“

“I wrote eight essays about things that I want to do in the future, which is to be a teacher and continue participating in the gay-straight alliance. I also talked about things that I want to do to advance the cause,” he said.

Kerri Barnhouse, West English teacher and the administrator for COLORS, West High’s gaystraight alliance says that Kauble Barnhouse is very deserving of the scholarship. “[Dan is] very secure, and has done a lot for [COLORS]. He is also very knowledgeable on the topic, and definitely leads by example,” Barnhouse said.

[Dan] has done a lot for COLORS ... and definitely example.”

WHATIN THEWORLD? Japan

United States (New York)

In New York, leaders of the ice-fishing community, in hopes of achieving Olympic recognition as a sport, asked the World Anti-Doping Agency to randomly test participants. However, the tests do not include a screen for alcohol, as drinking is a largely accepted aspect of this “sport.”

A businessman in Japan recently donated replicas of “Venus de Milo” and Michelangelo’s “David” to a local park. Local citizens were not impressed and asked if the statue of David could at least be given undergarments.

United Kingdom

Two English men recently plead guilty for heisting over $2.7 million in artwork. Upon being offered a sentence reduction for handing over the stolen goods, the two crooks had to decline as they had forgotten where they hid the stolen art.

Hikers later accidentally discovered the stash.

COMPILED BY//BRENNA DEERBERG

6 NEWS APRIL 2013 {“MY HOMETOWN OF CHICAGO, WHERE I WAS BORN AND RAISED.”-ROB NELSEN ’14

RUMOR BUSTER Hyped up consequences?

A proposal to make energy drinks illegal to minors is currently undergoing discussion by Iowa lawmakers.

Students have been worried that if such a law were to pass that there would be harsh schoolwide consequences for possessing energy drinks.

However, Principal Jerry Arganbright said he would have a hard time comparing energy drinks to other illegal substances.

“I would have a hard time figuring out what [consequences would be],” Arganbright said. “Let’s hope that we don’t have to mess with that.”

busted Cut back on Mac? A new policy in the ICCSD states that schools cannot purchase Mac computers anymore with few exceptions. “We’ve had special circumstances [where we can purchase Macs],” said Principal Jerry Arganbright.

According to Arganbright, having one platform districtwide will be cheaper, improve compatibility between computers from different schools and make computers easier to service.

CONFIRMED COMPILED BY BRENNA DEERBERG

{DESIGN BY KAITLYN MCCURDY}

PHOTO BY/ / AMELIA MOSER

ABOVE: Debators Richie Zhang ’16 and partner Kai Trepka ’6 prepare for their upcoming speech during the semi-final round at the debate tournament hosted by West High on April 12.

The great debate

“

We learned from our mistakes and were able to

come back and

win.”

-Kai Trepka ’16

Novice debate partners Kai Trepka ‘16 and Richie Zhang ‘16 surpassed 48 teams to win the Great Midwestern Novice Debate Championship [GMNDC]. The tournament, consisting of six preliminary rounds followed by four elimination rounds, was held at West High April 5-7.

Trepka and Zhang defeated Highland Park Senior High School in the final round.

“It could’ve gone a little better in [preliminary rounds], we lost a couple rounds there. Overall we learned from our mistakes and were able to come back and win,” Trepka said. “I’d say this tournament was a lot harder than all the other tournaments this year, because everyone’s kind of familiarized themselves with the topic, and they know what their advocacies are. … The teams were a lot better prepped, they were from a lot more states and they were running a lot more weird stuff.”

Trepka enjoyed reading the arguments he used at the tournament.

“For our elimination rounds, we were running a space towers affirmative; we build a tower literally into space, and then drive stuff on it.

It was like the coolest [affirmative] ever. I don’t know what else to say about it. We had advantages, like it allows us to colonize space, [and] we can help save the ozone layer. It was just a really neat plan to read. The author was actually super qualified,” he added.

Trepka attributes his success to his coaches – Director of West High Speech and Debate Megan Johnson, assistant coach Travis Henderson, as well as various varsity members of the team including Kai Yan ’14 and Hilah Kohen ’14.

“I think in debate the coaches do a lot of work getting you into the tournaments, prepping you a few weeks [before] ... but during the tourna-

BY AMELIA MOSER

amoser@wsspaper.com

ment, it’s really the varsity members of the debate team who do a lot of the work and it’s thanks to them that we were able to have success at [GMNDC]. … The varsity members would come and help us whenever we needed it.”

Fellow debater Layla Siddig ’15 competed in the junior varsity division, ending with a 3-3 record. “[My partner and I] weren’t expecting to debate this weekend, we were just expecting to help [the tournament] out, but we [unexpectedly] got to debate,” she said. “I think considering the amount of preparation time we had, we did OK.” Siddig liked the social, as well as the academic aspects of the tournament.

“It was kind of fun just getting to see everyone before the topic [and season] ended,” she said.

“MY FAVORITE PLACE IS MY AUNT’S HOUSE IN CHICAGO. I FEEL RELAXED THERE.” - LILLY PYPES ’14 } APRIL 2013 NEWS 7

{DESIGN BY LUSHIA ANSON}

e c n e r e f n o c s ’ r o s n s r e e n v e o n G e r a w a s d a e r sp

BY AMIELA CANIN

acanin@wsspaper.com

“Protect kids. Stop bullies.” This is the motto of Iowa Safe Schools, an organization devoted to helping LGBT students feel comfortable in their learning environments. Iowa Safe Schools held its eighth annual Governor’s Conference, an event unique to the state of Iowa, on April 3.

More than 800 people attended the conference, a record number and a vast increase from its original attendance in 2006. Students and teachers attended sessions on subjects ranging from homosexuality in the Bible to gender stereotypes in popular music. The keynote speakers were JD Ordonez of Real World Brooklyn, Isis King of America’s Next Top Model, Ruthie Alcaide of Real World Hawaii, activist Ryan Sallans and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil of India, the world’s first openly gay royal.

“I was really impressed by the diversity of the speakers,” said Lauren Logsdon ’13.

Logsdon said that she also appreciated the variety of topics covered.

“I was [happy about] the inclusion of so many transgender issues,” she said. “That was something that was addressed in past conferences but it was never one of the first big things. It was really cool to see that we’re moving on to a point where we’re starting to address ‘sub-issues.’”

Dan Kauble ’13 added, “it was really awesome being around so many people who care about LGBTQ rights.”

Junior Kate Thorne was also optimistic, especially about LGBT relations at West.

“I feel like West High is a bit of a haven for LGBT youth,” she said. “Although things definitely aren’t perfect, West’s community is much more accepting of gay people than most of the rest of Iowa, and this is usually pretty apparent at the conferences.”

West High’s inclusiveness, Thorne said, “[is] partially thanks to the teachers and administrators, partially because of our students, and partially just due to the nature of Iowa City.”

“It was really nice to see that people who are trying to become teachers know that this is an issue and they want to be informed about it. That’s really cool for the generations who are going to have these people as teachers,” Logsdon added.

However, Thorne believes there is still work to be done.

“It’s very important that we provide resources and a place to go for everyone, gay or straight, who needs it,” she said.

English teacher Kerri Barnhouse added that the most important thing “is just to continue the discussion, [because] the more people tell their stories, the more comfortable everyone becomes.”

TOP: Students gather after a day at the conference.

TOP LEFT: Barnhouse discusses which sessions to attend.

MIDDLE LEFT: His Royal Highness Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil of India, a keynote speaker.

BOTTOM LEFT: Students attend a session on the medical aspects of gender transitioning PHOTO BY//LEELA SATHYAPUTRI

8 NEWS APRIL 2013 {“UNDER A WEEPING WILLOW IN INDIANA, [WHERE]I SPENT MANY DAYS READING AND GROWING.”-BRITTANY TODD ’13

APRIL 2013 ADS 9

I ever

ate

The

best food

Like the Food Network show with the same name, the WSS asked students about Iowa City’s best dishes.

Francis Jayoma ’16

What: Krakatoa omelette from Blue-

bird Diner: eggs with bacon, jalapenos, red onions and cilantro-lime cream cheese with pepperjack.

Why: Jayoma usually goes to Blue-

bird Diner after church on Sundays with his family. “I have rice a lot, so it’s something different,” he said. His favorite part of the dish is by far the cheese. “It’s one of the things that actually stands out for me. It’s this amazing cheese,” he said.

{ }

COMPilED by/Fiona armstrong-pavlik art by//leela sathyaputri PHOTOs by//fiona armstron-pavlik

Bennet Luethje ’15 What: Pesto and shrimp pizza from Basta.

Why: “I loved it because the shrimp

was really big and I love seafood ... and I think Basta’s one of the best Italian restaurants in Iowa City.”

10 FEATURE APRIL 2013 { “Village Inn because they have pancakes.”-Rachel Stovall ’13

Olivia Ewing ’14 What: Buffalo chicken burrito from

Atlas comprised of buffalo chicken, celery, mashed potatoes, crispy onions

and carrots in a tortilla.

Why: “I pride myself on the fact that I can eat more of it than my older brothers. They’re big guys who play sports, so I feel accomplished,” and “it’s one of those things that you crave.

You want it at any time of the day.”

{ }

{{

{Design by Hannah Muellerleile}

Greg Ludwig ’13 What: Falafel from Oasis. He gets it with lamb in a pita.

Why: “They do it right.”

Simone Fernandes ’13 What: Dragon roll from Takanami made of shrimp tempura, eel and avocado.

Why: “They always make their sushi look like works of art – it’s really pretty.

You almost don’t want to eat it, but you get past that pretty easily ... Last summer, [my mom and I] tried almost every sushi place in Iowa City, and we decided Takanami was hands down the best.”

“[My favorite place is] my bed because I really like to sleep.”-Timothy Kelly ‘15 } APRIL 2013 FEATURE 11

More gold than green

With Earth Day fast approaching, the West Side Story investigates West High’s impact on the environment.

COMPILED BY//AMELIA MOSER ART BY//LEELA SATHYAPUTRI

Walling has been working on a research project at the University of Iowa, studying whether it’s “possible to ferment backyard grass into ethanol.”

According to Horton, one source of emerging pollutants from agriculture is animal manure. “Animals are ... given antibiotics to fend off sickness. Some of the antibiotics exit the animals in manure, the manure is spread on agricultural fields, and the antibiotics impact the soil and water microbial communities. A concern is that more antibiotic-resistant microbes develop which can lead to health problems in ... humans.

“[It’s] necessary for someone to stand up and make a change [for the environment], and I wanted to be someone who could [do that],” Walling said.

“Grass is so abundant, and ... it uses resources that are presently being wasted,” Walling said.

Farmers are growing in awareness of soil and water conservation practices

“I’ve noticed more people biking, and the [EATS’s] garden - I think West is a green school and will continue to help the environment,” Walling said.

At the start of 2012, soils held a good supply of water. The water was extracted by the crops, and soils were dry at the end of the cropping season. Coming into 2013, the soils do not have an ample supply of water for the crops. The situation is more dangerous for crops this year than it was in 2012.

Often only a meter or less in thickness, [soils] cover most of the terrestrial surfaces of the earth. Because they are exposed at the land surface, [they] are threatened by accelerated erosion, degradation of soil structure and fertility, and surface pollution.

Soil erosion causes great damage to the most important natural resource in Iowa and are as vital a resource for sustaining life on earth as are air and water.

12 FEATURE APRIL 2013 { “[THE] HOUSE WE HAVE IN COLO. IT’S THE FEELING OF BEING FREE OF A SCHEDULE.” - CAMERON BRAVERMAN ’15

{DESIGN BY KAITLYN MCCURDY & LEELA SATHYAPUTRI}

*These numbers come from the three main teacher copying machines; there are other printers available to teachers which these calculations do not take into account. **based on West library estimates of numbers of computers, and Energy Star statistics.

SOURCES: 1. EATS CO-PRESIDENT KATE ANSTREICHER ’14 2. ABBY WALLING ’15, RECIPIENT OF THE IOWA JUNIOR ACADEMY OF SCIENCE INSPIRATION AWARD 3. ROBERT HORTON, DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF SOIL SCIENCE AT IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

FOR MORE OF THIS ARTICLE GO TO WSSPAPER.COM

*Teachers are on track to print roughly 2,700,000 pages this school year, in addition to students’ 252,000 - the combined equivalent of roughly 354 trees.

**West High has 562 desktops and 285 laptops the school could save approx. $33,880 annually by turning off computers at night.

“There’s a difference in what’s plugged in and what needs to be,” Anstreicher said.

West recently participated in a recycling competition with other Iowa schools.

“We kind of expected to [win], but then we got the list back and we [almost] weren’t even on it,” Anstreicher said. West recycled 2 lbs per capita, while “some schools were in the teens ... so that was a little sobering.”

According to Anstreicher, EATS preserved 10 acres of rainforest in Brazil using the $500 in coin drive funds they collected. Anstreicher said they chose Brazil “because it’s urbanizing at such a high rate.”

“MY FAVORITE PLACE IS ANYWHERE THE PEOPLE I LOVE ARE ... I FEEL TRULY AT HOME.” - MARIAH WESTON ’15 } APRIL 2013 FEATURE 13

{DESIGN BY KATIE MONS}

PHOTOS BY//BRITTANI LANGLAND

I’ll never forget the time...

WSS asked students about their most memorable moments.

COMPILED BY//BRITTANI LANGLAND

Calli Linebarger ’15

{

The time I got lost in France

A

fter traveling around Paris for three days, then eightyear-old Calli Linebarger ’15 and her mom were getting off a train that took them to the airport.

“My mom stepped off the train,

Ryan Bozer ’15

R

and I stayed on to hand her our bags,” Linebarger said.

But the automatic doors on the train shut just as Linebarger handed her the last bag, separating the two.

“My first thought was that some-

{

yan Bozer ’15 was surrounded by historical artifacts when he volunteered at the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History last summer.

One day, Bozer’s boss was notified that there was a dig site in the city of Oskaloosa, and asked if Bozer wanted to help.

“I couldn’t pass it up, so the following day I went,” Bozer said.

The area around the historical artifact had already been dug up, and Bozer was pointed in the direction of where they believed a mammoth bone was buried. The bone had been uncovered by the 2008 flood.

The time I found a mammoth bone “To look for a bone, you look for any rock bigger than a walnut,” he said. Certain shapes and discoloration can also help distinguish the bone.

Using probes to detect the bone, trowels to scrape mud away and chopsticks to loosen it, Bozer pried the mammoth bone out of the ground. According to Bozer, it was quite large and caused him to fall over as he tried to pull it from the ground “I was covered in mud but was holding a piece of history: the rib of a mammoth,” he said.

one was going to take her, because we were somewhere new and foreign,” said Deb Linebarger, Calli’s mom.

Another passenger on the train tried to inform the driver that Calli didn’t make it off the train.

“A French man came up to me and started yelling things to me in French, so I figured I should just tag along with him. I know, stupid,” Calli said.

At the next stop the man took Calli to an alley where there was another man with tattoos up and down his arm. The two men argued back and forth.

Alena Mueller ’16

A

“I never thought I was going to see my mom again,” she said. However, Calli remembered something that she and her mom had previously discussed. It was a plan that was if she was ever left on the train, she would ride it until it arrived back to the original stop since the train traveled in a circle. The man with the tattoos pushed the other man and yelled “get out of here.” The French man hurried Calli out of the alley and back to the train station. She then got onto a train that took her back to the original spot where her mom was waiting, “and we were reunited,” Calli said.

{

The time I taught an art class

fter attending many art classes at Maroger Fine Arts in Coralville, Alena Mueller ’16 was finally given some responsibility. This year, one of the teaching assistants in Mueller’s class was about to have a baby. Subsequently, owner Yvette Jury contacted Mueller to ask for her help.

To prepare for the position Mueller went through two weeks of training.

“I had to watch a lot of videos, and for my final test I had to make a step drawing,” Mueller said. She explained that a step drawing is a tutorial to draw something that demonstrates each step in the process. After completing her training,

Mueller was finally ready to help out in the class. Mueller said she was nervous that she would have to help teach the class in which she was formerly a student. She worried the students of that class would be confused as to why one of their classmates was teaching. However, her first class was with a group of kids that she had never met before.

“They started asking me a lot of personal questions ... and they would remember all of the answers,” she said.

Mueller enjoys teaching the classes, and plans on to continue teaching in the future.

“THE CORNER OF OUR COUCH; IT’S COZY AND THE BEST PLACE TO WATCH DANCE MOMS FROM.”-ERIN KALLSEN ’13} APRIL 2013 FEATURE 14

APRIL 2013 ADS 15

A LITTLE

BIRDY

TOLD ME

BY BRENNA DEERBERG, JULIANN SKARDA AND AMELIA MOSER

{DESIGN BY OLIVE CARROLLHACH}

AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE PERPETUAL STRUGGLE BETWEEN BULLYING LANGUAGE AND STUDENT SPEECH RIGHTS, AND HOW THE INTERNET CHANGES IT ALL. A RECENT RASH OF ANONYMOUS SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS HAVE DOMINATED THE NEWS FEEDS OF WEST HIGH STUDENTS. RECENTLY, WEST HIGH ADMINISTRATORS DECIDED TO INTERVENE AGAINST SOME ACCOUNTS. THE WEST SIDE STORY INVESTIGATES THE RESPONSIBILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH OPERATING ANY SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT, THE LEGAL RIGHTS OF SAID OPERATORS AND THE SUBSEQUENT RIGHTS OF ADMINISTRATORS TO PUT THEIR COLLECTIVE FOOT DOWN TO THE CONTENT OF STUDENT ACCOUNTS.

APRIL 2013 DPS 17

{DESIGN BY OLIVE CARROLLHACH}

A sit-down with Sauser ACADEMIC DEAN BRIAN SAUSER DISCUSSES SCHOOL POLICY INVOLVING STUDENTS AND SOCIAL MEDIA Thunderous applause at the school musical and chants and cheers at basketball games make one thing impossible to ignore: the crowd. But while cradling a laptop or looking down at a smartphone, it’s much easier to ignore the multitude of people whose lives are connected through social media—and that a post or a tweet isn’t private. And, according to Academic Dean Brian

“

If you have something

good or bad to say … put

your name behind it.”

-Brian Sauser, Acedemic Dean

Sauser, it’s when students forget about the presence of this online audience that they can find themselves in a lot of trouble.

“It happens fairly frequently,” Sauser said of the number of students who are called into the office for online offenses. “Anytime [offensive posts are made], whether they’re about staff or students, we try to intervene.”

As for consequences, he says school administrators “don’t really have a one-size-fits-all consequence,” but instead “try to do

18 DPS APRIL 2013

things case-by-case so there’s room for discretion.” This strategy allows for consideration of the number of prior offenses, the severity of the case and the student’s attitude towards the situation.

And while typing a message may take no more effort than saying it aloud, Sauser warns that the former is a far greater mistake in the administration’s eyes. He believes that the privacy of home can create a false sense of security as to the privacy of posts. However, Sauser said, “If it spills over into school, it doesn’t matter if it was posted at school or while [a student was] at home.”

So what kind of content spills over into school jurisdiction? According to Sauser, it’s anything that harasses or threatens to harm a school employee or another student.

He says another common misconception is that anonymous social media accounts allow students to post inappropriate content freely.

“Sometimes kids think that if it’s anonymous, ‘I can’t get caught.’ Kids get caught up in that,” he said.

However, the school administrators do not monitor social media sites themselves, but instead act only when instances are reported.

“We don’t spend all day on Twitter. [We don’t take action] unless it’s brought to our attention,” he said.

And while not all anonymous accounts are subject to disciplinary action from the school, Sauser advises students to put an end to all anonymity in social media.

“If you have something good or bad to say … put your name behind it,” he said.

{

What do you think of anonymous Twitter accounts?

COMPILED BY//POMBIE SILVERMAN

Deja vu in blue LAYSHOCK V. HERMITAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT, PA 2005: High school senior Justin Layshock created a MySpace profile parodying his school principal on a computer in his grandmother’s home. The account contained profane language including derogatory language towards homosexuals.

When school officials discovered the profile, he was suspended for 10 days, banned from his graduation ceremony and placed in the school’s educational program for students with behavioral problems. However, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Layschock’s suspension was unconstitutional as his conduct occurred outside of school and there was no evidence his actions caused a significant disruption.

SNYDER V. BLUE MOUNTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICT, PA 2007: A middle-school girl in Pa., — who was not identified by name in the ruling — created a MySpace profile of her principal using an actual photo of the administrator. She presented him as a bisexual Alabama middle-school principal named “M-Hoe.” As a result, the student was suspended for 10 days and received a call home from the state police. The Supreme Court said “the profile was so outrageous that no one took its content seriously.” Thus the account was an example of parody which is protected by the First Amendment.

Rachel Anderson ’13

Hannah Abram ’14 “They’re ridiculous. If you want to tell someone something, you should just tell it to their face.”

“There’s no point to them.

None of them are particularly funny, and they just cause problems.”

Aisha Jones ’14

Eric Jacobsen ’14

“They’re kind of stupid. There’s no point to them and they’re usually deleted within the first week of being created.”

“They’re very mean. There should be punishments for saying things that might make people feel down—it’s really just another form of cyberbullying.”

What Dr. A has to say PRINCIPAL JERRY ARGANBRIGHT SHARES HIS VIEWS ON WHERE THE LINE IS BETWEEN DERAGATORY AND BENIGN ACCOUNTS AND POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES TO FOLLOW Online social media has revolutionized communication. Things like the Kony 2012 video spread like wildfire through Facebook, quickly reaching many more viewers than they would have without the help of the Internet. While the phrase “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” has long been considered a fallacy, online social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter increasingly magnify the impact words can have as these sites continue to gain more users.

Principal Jerry Arganbright recently made an announcement over the PA system at West High, in which he explained anonymous Twitter accounts that are disparaging toward people at the school would not be tolerated.

“It came to my attention that somebody had created an anonymous Twitter account, and we had a student who was involved, and being disparaged, and also a fac-

ulty member [being put down], ... and then on top of that, there were other students who had looked at the tweet, and then [retweeted] it,” he said. “It said something disparag-

“

The gray area

STUDENT PRESS LAW CENTER ATTORNEY ADAM GOLDSTEIN ADDRESSES THE GRAY AREA BETWEEN HARASSMENT AND PARODY As students, we understand that there exist a multitude of ways to make fun of someone. However, some methods are our constitutional right - no matter how unethical - while others are downright illegal.

Parody, according to Student Press Law Center attorney Adam Goldstein, is an imitation of a person for comedic effect, whereas harassment is behavior that is threatening or disturbing. Often, the line between the two is hard to define when it comes to imitating another person on social media.

“The key question is whether a reasonable person could be confused,” he said. It is considered parody if the account contains information that

clearly does not belong to the name it is under.

“If instead of being actually ridiculous, it’s just creepy, it’s actually bad,” he said, adding that over-the-top tweets or posts that make it obviously parody are within the law. However, a misleading, believable tweet or post may be punishable.

According to Goldstein, a social media account impersonating a student is more likely to lean towards harassment than one claiming to be an administrator.

“The school still has to maintain a bullying-free environment. [Parodying students] puts them in danger of someone retaliating [if it is not clear that the account is made up],” he said.

Arganbright said the school wants to set a standard where if people know something is inappropriate they don’t “blanketly [retweet] it.”

“What we’re trying to do is prevent somebody from harassing somebody else through the use of social media. … And if somebody is being harassed, we don’t want others to [retweet] that level of harassment just by the language used,” he said.

“Over the year, probably less than a handful [of accounts have been brought to my attention, and] none that were quite [like] this. A couple have been what I call ‘way, way out of line,’ regarding what language used and the suppositions made,” he said. “We’ve had students involved with inappropriate tweets before, but it was never anything that had been forwarded and/or had this number of students involved.”

With regard to asking that the accounts be taken down, Arganbright said he is always concerned with student speech rights, adding, “I would only ask [students to take Twitter accounts down] if I thought I had good cause to do so. I think we’re very sensitive in this school and in this community, particularly, of student rights, student free speech, etc., and I think most people would think I would be. … We try not to overreact to this, of course, because even at my age I am very sensitive about how teens look at things compared to how I might. … Normally when [negative online posts are] brought to our attention … it’s something that doesn’t take a lot of judgment to determine that it’s inappropriate.”

Social media is a really complicated

issue, we’re still, frankly, feeling our way along just like everybody else,”

-Dr. Jerry Arganbright ing that the staff member had done, and then one, in their poorer judgment, could have assumed, maybe, that the staff member had actually written something so egregious, but of course that’s not true. ... I thought I needed to tell everyone ‘don’t be forwarding tweets that you suspect are disparaging, number one, and/ or can be anonymous.’”

{DESIGN BY OLIVE CARROLLHACH}

“Social media is a really complicated issue, we’re still, frankly, feeling our way along just like everybody else, regarding where are the boundaries, but to me the boundary rests where somebody else’s person is impacted negatively.”

The account about the staff member was different from others Arganbright has seen.

APRIL 2013 DPS 19

20 ADS APRIL 2013

{DESIGN BY BLAKE OETTING}

“I have submitted a couple of po- out-of-state math competitions as ems and one prose work through well as the state and regional tourFavonius, including ‘Sector H’ and naments. what I think was titled ‘The Sniping “I’m looking forward to State of a Nerd,’” he said.

Math and the Mankato math comAlong with all of these activities, petition ... There’s also the American Sheff is also an avid member of the Regional Math League in June that West and City High Robotics team. is pretty fun,” he said.

According to Sheff, in FIRST RoSheff also conducts research on botics, the tournament the team string theory and particle physics competes in, participants use their with a group at the University of own robot, along with the robots of Iowa. two other teams, to race other teams According to Sheff, studying these to complete a task. concepts is important because, “they “Robotics gives an opportunity to look at the fundamental construcdo something fairly unique. Some- tion of our universe and everything times you think about building elec- it contains.” tronic devices or mechanisms but, Although these activities take up between laziness a large amount of or money you time, for Sheff it don’t get around is worth it. to it, and robot“It might sound ics is a chance to cheesy, but I redo that. We get ally like getting to build a robot to be a part of the from start to fincommunities asish ... we design sociated with my and build it mostvarious activities. ly from scratch,” I enjoy the activiSheff said. ties themselves According to as well, but I’ve Sheff, last year made a lot of the team made it close friends,” to the finals, winSheff said. ning second place Sheff ’s passion -Ben Sheff ’13 and this year the for science and team had one of math stems from the top robots. his belief that, “...

“Last year ... we weren’t chosen for science can explain all things in the the elimination rounds. This was universe. In order to have any real really disappointing, so a group of understanding of the world around us went and each got a pint of ice us, we need to look to science and cream to eat while watching elimi- mathematics.” nations. Then one of the robots on the top-ranked team broke, and since we were the top-ranked notpicked team, we subbed in. We made it to finals that year,” he said.

Sheff looks forward to several

“

In order to have any real understanding of the world around us, we need to look to science and mathematics

Along with being a leader in many of West High’s math and science clubs, Sheff has “submitted ... poems and one prose work through Favonius ... titled ‘The Sniping of a Nerd.’”

Master Sheff

BY VELARCHANA SANTHANA vsanthana@wsspaper.com

Although many students are plagued by subjects like science and math, Ben Sheff ’13 thrives off them.

Sheff is president of West’s physics club, leads of F-cubed and participates in West High’s Mu Alpha Theta [West’s math club], Favonius and Chess Club.

“When I got to high school, I tried clubs my brother had been in and ones I attended in junior high.

This, along with talking to teachers and my friends, got me [interested in many other clubs],” Sheff said.

For instance, Sheff joined Favonius because, “I like hanging out with the other people in Favonius, but there’s also a lot of talent in West, and it’s fun to read and review the work submitted,” he said.

Along with analyzing the works of others, Sheff has submitted a few of his own pieces.

PHOTOS BY// ABBIE SKEMP

Here, Sheff is pictured with some of the many awards he has won with his various clubs including: F-cubed, Mu Alpha Theta and chess club.

“MY FAVORITE PLACE IS MY ROOM BECAUSE ITS MINE”- ALENA MUELLER ‘16 } APRIL 2013 PROFILES 21

Arts

{DESIGN BY POMBIE SILVERMAN

the

bee gees “STAYIN’ ALIVE” My top favorite song of all time.

Did you know the Bee Gees were British? wild cherry “PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC” 70’s funk-rock plus epic guitar solo equals epic win.

SINCE MANY STUDENTS at West listen to current radio hits, JD McLure’s ’16 taste for classic pop music stands out. He describes his music preference as, “Pretty much anything that has a good beat and not too many swear words.” McLure shared some of his favorites with the WSS.

psy “GANGNAM STYLE” An awesome song plus an awesome dance. What’s not to love? fort minor “REMEMBER THE NAME” I really feel like the chorus describes life in general. Interestingly enough, the first time I heard this was at a West High girls basketball game. mc hammer “U CAN’T TOUCH THIS” Old-school 90’s rap. ‘Nuf said. edwin starr “WAR” There’s a bit of military history in my family, so this song really has a deep meaning to me. My cousin Jesse has served in Afghanistan, my grandpa Bill had served in the Korean War as a Navy medic and my greatgreat-uncle Dorsey ... fought in Germany in WWII. laura storey “BLESSINGS” This is one of my favorite songs because it always cheers me up when I’m feeling blue.

PHOTO BY/FRANK WEIRICH COMPILED BY//VERLACHANA SANTHANA

mixtape:

jd mclure ’16

22 A&E APRIL 2013 {“OLIVE GARDEN, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NEVER-ENDING GARLIC BREADSTICKS THAT ARE TOO DELICIOUS TO PASS UP. ”-SHARON XIANG ’16

review:

{DESIGN BY POMBIE SILVERMAN

the 20/20 experience justin timberlake

BY KAITLYN MCCURDY kmccurdy@wsspaper.com

Almost seven years have passed since FutureSex/LoveSounds and fans have been waiting restlessly for the next JT effort. Since ’NSync, he’s proved himself to be a great solo act. The booming beats of FutureSex/LoveSounds are replaced by a brass section and jazz feel. The shortest song is shy of five minutes while the longest is over eight, which explains why the album only has ten tracks.

“Pusher Love Girl” is the best album opener I’ve ever heard.

Strings set the jazz-inspired feel of the album.Timberlake’s dreamy falsetto kicks in and I’m basically melting. The lyrics compare being in love to being a drug addict, which has been done too many times [Ke$ha’s “Your Love is My Drug,” anyone?], but the lyrics and a fantastic breakdown set this one apart. Let’s be honest, although I blast “Suit & Tie” when it comes on, it wasn’t the best pick for a lead single after a hiatus. Within the album, however, “Suit & Tie” fits perfectly. If DJs don’t play

“Don’t Hold the Wall” at clubs, they’re idiots.The track is the perfect grinding song [not that I condone grinding. I shield my eyes at Homecoming]. There is so much going on, from the tribal drums to the breakdown four minutes in that gives the song a darker edge.

Possible single, definitely.

There’s not a lot I can say about “Strawberry Bubblegum” considering I’m a staff member of a high school newspaper and the song is pretty sexually driven. Just know, this is pop music at it’s finest.

“Tunnel Vision” is one of my favorites from the album. JT croons, “I look around and everything I see is beautiful ’cause all I see is you.” However, the constant loop of a high pitched “I know you like it,” throughout the song is annoying, but it’s a minor flaw in an otherwise genius track. The song unfolds smoother than the other tracks on the album. I’m in love.

“Spaceship Coupe” is probably the weakest on the album. Romance in space, woah! The track just seems out of place. You can tell the track is seven minutes

long. Actually, it feels like ten. It drags and while I don’t hate it, I can’t love it.

An introduction reminiscent of “Señorita” kicks off “That Girl.”

The main track is simple, with its jazz ensemble and clear lyrics. It’s incredibly suave and one of the album’s strongest tracks.

“Let the Groove Get In” is the most upbeat song on the album.

The Latin flare makes it impossible to stay still, and even JT demands you move, shouting “Are you comfortable, right there, right there /Let the groove get in, feel it right there.” I can’t wait to see live performances of this from JT. Ah, “Mirrors.” Thanks whoever decided this had to be a single, because it’s perfect. JT’s voice is gorgeous [when isn’t it?] and the instrumental fits the song so well. I feel horrible for those of you who have only listened to the radio edit, which cuts out a breakdown that is just as beautiful as the main track. I’m just. I can’t even.

“Blue Ocean Floor” ends the album on an unexpected depressing note.The chorus croons “If my red eyes don’t see you anymore / And I can’t hear you through the white noise / Just send your heartbeat / I’ll go to the blue ocean floor / Where they’ll find us no more / On that blue ocean floor” and the instrumental is fairly haunting. The track is mature, pensive and amazing. It’s something we’ve never really heard from JT. A bold choice to end the album.

I highly recommend just buying the deluxe version of The 20/20 Experience to get the bonus tracks, “Dress On” and “Body Count.”

This is one of the most well-crafted albums I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. Each song was meticulously, lovingly put together all the way down to the finest details. The almost seven-year wait was worth it. Perhaps The 20/20 Experience is fantastic because it is so different than FutureSex/LoveSounds. Both albums are great in their own unique ways, and JT’s growth between the two is outstanding.

review:

jiro dreams of sushi

BY OLIVE CARROLLHACH ocarrollhach@wsspaper.com

You don’t have to love documentaries, Japanese culture or even food itself to appreciate this movie.

Rather, you only need to admire true perfection.

David Gelb’s Jiro Dreams of Sushi examines the life and mind of 86 year-old master sushi chef Jiro Ono, a man who has devoted the entirety of his life to his craft. He has spent decades perfecting processes often overlooked by lesser chefs, learning the precise temperature at which eel should be served, how many minutes a piece of squid should be massaged for [45] and finding the best fish markets in Tokyo.

A 20 minute-long meal at Jiro’s 10-seat restaurant must be booked a month in advance and costs an average of $300 per person, however the sushi is of such outstanding quality that reviewers around the world say his fish is well worth the price.

This film serves as a subtle and understated portrait of not only Jiro and his legacy, but of the global food industry. Phillip Glass’ music serves as a backdrop to sparse and emotional interviews with Jiro and his staff, intercut with long and mouthwatering shots of the sushi they devote themselves to.

In short, Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a masterful documentary, both haunting and beautiful. Jiro’s relentless pursuit of perfection will alter your every bite for weeks to come.

“LAKE TAHOE BECAUSE OF THE TREES, THE WATER AND THE MEMORIES. CHEESY ENOUGH FOR YOU?”-GINA PAYNE ’13} APRIL 2013 A&E 23

ON ARTS {DESIGN BY POMBIE SILVERMAN}

PHOTO BY//ERIN WEATHERS

THE

PHOEBE LOW ’13

BY POMBIE SILVERMAN psilverman@wsspaper.com

Although Phoebe Low ’13 is known for her accomplishments as a violinist, she has been writing stories since “she was physically capable of writing,” according to Low. While balancing a bow in one hand and a pencil in the other, Low received the Scholastic American Visions and Voices medal, a nationally recognized award, for her essay titled “Daddy,” a narrative about the culture conflict present in her household.

During her junior year, Low enrolled in an essay writing class at the University of Iowa, primarily to “learn how to write college essays,” according to Low. “[The class] helped me talk about stuff … I learned that life was stranger than fiction,” Low said. However, the class also helped her write “Daddy” after she was given a profile assignment.

“At first I was going to write

about a person in my Brit Lit class, but I was told to write about what you know, so I chose [to write about] my dad. I chose a couple of scenes to write about and decided I wanted to rant at [my father] a little,” Low laughed. “The class encouraged rambling, so it was okay.”

Low submitted the essay through the Belin-Blank Center and later received the good news.

“I was very excited [to receive the medal]. Since it’s a national level, I got to compete against lots of writers,” Low said. “You see the competitors and realize where the future of writing lies … once the older authors have died off.”

However, this was not Low’s first victory. She also received the award in eighth grade for a science fiction story. “[When I first entered in eighth grade], I didn’t think I could win,” Low said. “I was like ‘Wow, I might actually be a writer, not just a per-

son who slaves away in their basement making things that no one wants to read.’ … At the time, I was reading lots of science fiction.

My story was about a girl who gets a magical transformation surgery, sort of like Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies … there’s a lot of teen angst manifested in the novel.”

Low’s first story was “a 40-page novel I wrote for my first-grade language arts class about guinea pig creatures. I made illustrations on the side, but I was mostly proud because [it was 40 pages long],” she said.

According to Low, she was an avid reader, emulating her favorite authors such as The School Story author Andrew Clements. “[Clements] inspired me that even if I was little, I was still capable of publishing books,” Low said.

Low believes writing provides a middle path between violin practice and schoolwork.

“Writing is verbal, but isn’t at the

same level of expression as music.

When I was younger, I was told to practice music, but reading and writing was something I wanted to do. Between strict academics and highly emotional music, writing provides something different,” Low added. “When I write I can say or delete anything I want or use a big vocabulary without worrying that no one will understand me. Music takes hours of practice to achieve expertise, but writing is something you have written yourself and is something that no one can take away from you.”

However, don’t expect to read over Low’s current works.

“I don’t share stuff that I’m currently working on … I don’t want to broadcast, ‘Look at my beautiful story!’ or fish for praise,” Low said. “[Writing] is my own thing … I don’t write for the audience, I write for the story.”

24 A&E APRIL 2013 { “THE TOP OF A WHISTLER MOUNTAIN IN VANCOUVER WHEN SKIING BECAUSE IT’S PEACEFUL, PRETTY AND A RUSH.”-HAYLEY ROSS ’13

ARPIL 2013 ADS 25

“Decision-making ... about whether to come out to defend a player.”

Jayne Heinrich ’13

“Directing your team and making sure everyone is in the right place doing the right thing.”

Beth Crow ’14

SOCCER

THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF BEING A GOALIE IS...

“Besides making saves, being ready for anything.”

Ryan Holte ’13

At the grand opening of Barker Field, Alli Peterson ’14 goes for the goal. The girls won April 4 against Waterloo West 10-0 with the mercy rule.

To keep the ball from the Waterloo West goalie, Mueng Sunday ’13 directs a header to a teammate. West won the April 4 game 13-1.

TRACK&FIELD PHOTO BY//ABBIE SKEMP

Boys and girls track swept their home meets, Hollingsworth Relays and Women of Troy Relays, respectively. Three meet records were broken.

3200m: Daniel Gardarsson ’14, 9:42.59 Long Jump: McKennan Cronbaugh ’13, 18’ 1” 800m: Kaleb Greiner ’14, 1:58.65 PHOTO BY//ABBIE SKEMP Pushing through the

26 SPORTS APRIL 2013

In the 1600, seniors Isaac Jensen and Bailey Wetherell battle for the lead. Wetherell finished first with Jensen just behind.

end of her leg of the shuttle hurdle relay, Lauren Bobst ’13 goes for first place.

Her team had a time of 1:07.01.

Arms outstretched, Ashlynn Yokom ’14 hands the baton off to Ashley Knudson ’13 to take off on the final leg of the 4x800.

PHOTO BY//FRANK WEIRICH

PHOTO BY//FRANK WEIRICH

PHOTO BY//FRANK WEIRICH

Soaring above the long jump pit, Tavian Smith ’13 uses his momentum to propel him to a first-place jump of 21’ 5.75”.

PHOTO BY//ABBIE SKEMP

TENNIS COMPILED BY//ABBIE SKEMP AND ERIN WEATHERS

{DESIGN BY ERIN WEATHERS}

vocabulary points

tree: when a player gets lucky on a shot pusher: someone who hits a shot very softly and waits for the opponent to make a mistake; very annoying notch: when you hit your opponent with the ball Senior Kyle Appel returns a forehand to his West Des Moines Valley opponent April 2.

The boys won their meet 11-0.

First seed Elena Wilson ’13 goes for a volley against her Linn-Mar opponent. West won 7-2 April 4.

PHOTO BY//ABBIE SKEMP

Playing the sixth seed singles match, Karl Wenzel ’14 reaches for a return April 2.

GOLF

PHOTO BY//ABBIE SKEMP

S

WH

’ AT

IN

G?

BA

E

TH

“Lots of us have these golf bag push carts. It takes the load off your back when you’re playing.”

Madyson Boardman ’13

PHOTO BY//HANNAH MUELLERLEILE

Practicing putting during practice April 5, Olivia Ewing ’14 helps Tiffany Danger ’14 get lined up to take her shot.

“Our coach gave each of us a bracelet last year to sym bolize our golf goals. Each bead represents a different goal.”

Allye Boardman ’15 “I keep lip balm in my bag because it gets pretty cold and windy on the course.”

Hayden Bevelacqua ’14 APRIL 2013 SPORTS 27

ART BY//ABBIE SKEMP AND VELARCHANA SANTHANA

{DESIGN BY VELARCHANA SANTHANA}

The other option A new male contraceptive is slated to begin clinical testing in the U.S. later this year. The WSS investigates this new, reversible, procedure, and the possible future effects on sexually active individuals.

BY BRENNA DEERBERG

bdeerberg@wsspaper.com

As freshmen, all West High students learn the ins and outs of birth control. There is such a large array of options that students may have trouble keeping them straight. The most well-known contraceptive methods, with the exception of the traditional condom, are used by or on females. However, within the next few years a new method may become available for men.

Fifteen years ago, Sujoy K. Guha, professor of biomedical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, invented RISUG [Reversible Inhibition of Sperm Under Guidance] now known as Vasalgel in the U.S. A clear gel, Vasalgel is injected into the vas deferens during a minor surgical procedure.

The drug works by coating the vas deferens and damaging the sperm that pass through so that they are no longer viable. Additionally, this sterility can be reversed by injecting a different drug at any point in time. Thus far, the reversal has been shown to always restore fertility within one to three months.

“I would hope that it would be treated like all hormonal birth control, and people choosing this

option would understand the im- have been taking place in India on portance of safer sex practices,” humans and animals for the past 25 said Dana David, CMA, a medical years. At this time, no adverse efspecialist-GYN fects have been for the Emma reported by men Goldman Clinic who have taken in Iowa City. part in the trials.

“I also imagIn fact, in addiine that this, in tion to being rethe beginning versible, this new at least, will be procedure has more widely been shown to used by monogeliminate some amous couples of the health that are lookrisks associated ing for alternate with full vasectolong-term opmies.

-Dana David tions.”

“Unfortunately medical specialist-GYN I am not very faClinical trials

“

Getting men ... used to the

idea of being ‘on

birth control’ might take a while.”

miliar with the procedure. But the little I have read it seems to be a fairly safe procedure with few side effects. Of course, getting men to believe this and get used to the idea of being “on birth control” might take a while,” David said, adding that, “If the manufacturer takes training practitioners seriously, risks can remain low.”

Currently, Vasalgel is undergoing a preclinical efficacy study, and is slated to be introduced into clinical trials in the U.S. later this year upon securing sufficient funding.

Assuming Vasalgel earns FDA approval, it is planned to be released to the public in 2015 as a low-cost alternative to vasectomies.

“Initially, I think there will be a resistance to male birth control, by both men and women,” David said. “I think there will be a question of efficacy, and a matter of trust that now the responsibility will be in men’s hands. Things that I believe will resolve with time, and I do believe our clients are ready for something new.”

“[IT’S] MY CAMP, BECAUSE IT’S FILLED WITH AMAZING PEOPLE THAT JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN.” -MOLLY LIPMAN ‘15 } APRIL 2013 HEALTH 29

30 ADS APRIL 2013

2012-2013 Editorial Board

Behind the screen A series of anonymous Twitter accounts have surfaced around West. While not all accounts offer up insults, the West Side Story discourages all anonymous social media users.

We’ve all had someone say something about us behind our backs.

It’s human nature to want to discuss the events and people that surround us and make up our lives. However, social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are changing the platforms in which these conversations take place, and it’s not always for the better.

Gone are the days when spreading a rumor or giving a compliment involved face-to-face interaction. And without this human element, both compliments and insults lose sweetness and sting, respectively.

Take an anonymous compliment for example. While it’s nice to be spoken of kindly, not knowing the identity of the speaker certainly takes away from the overall positive effect. Perhaps the stranger posting sweet nothings about how great you are at soccer actually has no clue that soccer isn’t the sport where you bump, set and spike.

Additionally, there is not a set definition of a compliment. Phrases such as ‘You’re so awkward, I love it,” may be appealing to one person, while simultaneously offending another. By hiding behind a computer or phone screen, the poster refuses to take responsibility for his or her intended “good deed,” and takes away from the effect it has on its recipient.

While operators of positive unattributed accounts at least appear to have good intentions, not all anonymous accounts are as wellmeaning.

More despicable are those who cower behind anonymous profiles to attack their peers or just people they happen to know. And even when an account or profile is considered parody, meaning it is technically legal, there is no guarantee that it is morally or ethically sound.

There’s a fine line between criticism that’s constructive and that which is sim-

ply meant to bring others down.

And one who wishes to provide the former should have no reservations putting their name behind something that is meant to help, not harm. Therefore, the desire for anonymity in posting negative things about a fellow human being stems from cruelty and cowardice; two things our school could do without.

We at the West Side Story would like to offer some advice to everyone using social media. Remember that what you post or tweet is public, and once it’s on the Internet, it may be up forever. And last but not least, if you feel strongly about something, be it negative or positive, put your name behind it.

Fiona ArmstrongPavlik Olive Carrollhach Brenna Deerberg Ashton Duncan Zora Hurst Alyssa Mckeone Katie Mons Amelia Moser

Blake Oetting Jordan Rossen Pombie Silverman Juliann Skarda Abbie Skemp Shirley Wang Erin Weathers Frank Weirich

Is it acceptable to operate an anonymous social media account?

10-6 The WSS editorial board voted against operating anonymous social media accounts.

PHOTO BY//FRANK WEIRICH

OPINION APRIL 2013 31

{DESIGN BY BRENNA DEERBERG}

QUALITY of life

Is that affirmative?

INDEX

The college search and acceptance cycle is greatly influenced by acts of affirmative action in hopes of enforcing equality of APRIL opportunity between different races and genders. The WSS Cap and gown are unwrapped and othlooks at whether or not affirmative action is still relevent in Some ers plastic-clad. Either way, they wait to be donned like this day and age. the proverbial suit and tie.

Every year as college rejection letters traverse the country, the same angry story traverses West High.

While the seemingly most qualified candidates for the most prestigious schools have been rejected, an underdog was accepted and, according to the rumor, it’s only because of his race.

A f f i r m at ive action is the process of taking factors such as race, income and gender into account in the context of education and employment opportunities in order to benefit an underrepresented group.

The Supreme Court of the United States is currently in the process of determining the constitutionality of race-based affirmative action in the case Fisher v. University of Texas. The court had previously ruled that race may be used for admissions process, but may not play a dominant role. The ruling of the court in Fisher v. University of Texas could set a precedent for if and to what extent race may be used as a criterion for admitting applicants into educational institutions.

32 OPINION APRIL 2013

Despite having a black president, racism is alive and manifests itself frequently in our daily lives. From racial profiling at the airport to stereotypes shouted across the hallway, one can see that many minorities are put at a distinct disadvantage.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2012 the average weekly income for blacks was $606, as opposed to $755 for all Americans. This racism causes a clear disadvantage in the employment and educational process. Putting aside dispositions of employers and admissions officers, minorities have to deal with racism when trying to attain accomplishments that would bolster a resume for employment or application for a school.

A lower income is also likely to cause a serious lack of opportunity.

Communities that a low-income American are likely to be a part of are also likely to consist of other low-income individuals. These low income communities are much less likely to have connections with high paying jobs that would help lift one out of poverty. A low-income individual is also less likely to be able to devote the time and resources to gain the necessary training and experience to access this type of job.

Even worse, this tends to create a cycle of poverty where one doesn’t have the means to lift himself out of poverty because he is in poverty. In this way the poor remain poor and the rich remain rich.

While affirmative action is unarguably an imperfect solution, it is one step of many that can be used to correct racism and cycles of poverty.

When race is used as a criterion for employment and education to increase the representation of minorities and those with a lower income, it helps provide the tools to the individual to fight racism and poverty.

Specifically in an educational context, affirmative action provides benefits not solely to the favored pupil, but to the community as a whole. If a school has a more racially and economically diverse student body it enables more opportunities for understanding different cultures and the breakdown of stereotypes than would a more whitewashed campus.

It is possible that someday society will have progressed far enough that certain types of affirmative action will no longer be needed, because minority groups have equal access to education and employment opportunities. When this happens, affirmative action will only serve to entrench racism, but until then, affirmative action is an important part of the drive to make the U.S. a truly diverse and accepting nation.

Is affirmative action still relevant?

10-6 The WSS editorial board voted in support of continued affirmative action.

Graduation cannot come soon enough. plus 7

AP test time Those rather unfortunate time-sucks have finally arrived, and many a student’s time is currently filled with desperate study sessions. It’s cram time.

minus 5

Spring fever We are all indoor cats— spending our lives staring out the windows at the blazing robins and catching whiffs of summer air. If only we didn’t still have several weeks to go.

minus 2

Activity winddown As much as we West High students love our extracurriculars, I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say that the lazy days ahead will be much appreciated. plus 5

Junioritius?

I am allowed to violently expell the term “senioritius” at any time that I may please. However, you non-seniors should stop claiming to have premature senioritius—you’re just regular lazy.

minus 3

Total: plus 2 COMPILED BY//BRENNA DEERBERG

{DESIGN BY JORDAN ROSSEN}

Cult of AP Euro

BY JORDAN ROSSEN

jrossen@wsspaper.com

Welcome to Blessed High, where every adorable woodland creature is above average and the ones that aren’t we don’t need to talk about.

Here at Blessed High, at the end of every rabbit’s freshman year, a ritual is observed. All the creatures gather around a single course catalogue as they choose to check a box that has more influence on their academic standing, in their peers’ eyes, than almost any other decision

Blessed High has to offer.

If the animal checks the box that says AP European History, the animal’s companions either nod agreeingly, or creully snicker about an absence of qualifications.

If the animal decides to check some objectively lesser box, then all AP parties get to experience their first taste of self-proclaimed supremacy.

As the petite pets enter their second year at Blessed High, some realize they checked the wrong box. Some frantically hop from class to class upon the realization that they aren’t the special test-aceing snowflake they hoped to be; many are terrified of dropping, because they don’t want to be the bunny that tried and couldn’t. The bunnies of Blessed High have already decided which

creatures are smart based almost entirely off of a single check mark.

As the end of first trimester creeps closer, the sophomores go viral. Chasebook explodes with “5 hours left, time 2 start my timeline!!!” and announcements of an unrealistic number of dates with Kagan. At the same time, every AP Euro student is required to tell everyone who checked “the other box” about how excessively difficult their end of trimester project was and how little they tried, but still pulled off an A. This kind of frantic showmanship continues until the Wednesday of the second week of AP tests when it is replaced by a feeling of concern about the content of their junior year Skitter account.

This cult of those who have

decided that they are the best of the blessed persists not through any one class, but in the minds of those who participated in it.

Even in a bunny’s senior year, the memory of who checked what box persists and continues to influence the fuzzy friends’ impressions of each other.

It’s possible that this cult of academics is a good thing.

Maybe it pushes kids to confront challenges that they otherwise wouldn’t have attempted, but it also creates a viscous out-group, in-group distinction that forces kids into classes that aren’t best for them.

Playing the role of wise senior, here is my advice. Push yourself, but push yourself for yourself, not for the other bunnies who judge you based on your box.

Confessions of a Directioner

BY BRITTANI LANGLAND blangland@wsspaper.com

While sitting in a packed theater waiting to see Les Misérables (mainly to watch Anne Hathaway look ugly for once), I noticed a Pepsi ad appear on the screen.

It’s the one where Harry Styles walks over to a full-size fridge that only has one (yes, only one) Pepsi can inside of it. Despite the logic of the commercial, I could still hear all the girls in the theater swoon over the sight of a One Direction member, their simple minds so easily entertained by this product of the music industry. I was far too complex to be taken under this One Direction spell, but as Drew Brees tried to take the Pepsi

can away from the boy whose hair resembles to a bird’s nest, the boy said “and I’m Harry” in a British accent, I sat up a little. For some reason the effect of the British accent was equivalent to the joy I get when eating Spongebobshaped Mac and Cheese.

During the bland parts of the movie (of which there were many), I would think back to that Pepsi commercial. I could finally see that one thing that One Direction had.

I rushed home to go watch the commercial again, and made the sad and creepy decision to stalk them more than I’ve ever stalked anyone in my entire life. I watched their whole X-Factor story. I learned their names: Niall, Liam, Harry, Louis and Zayn. They’re like Spice Girls or X-Men, each with their own personality. I started to listen to their music that once made my ears bleed. I was able to recognize them by their shadows, and I knew all the little

things about them (like how Harry has four nipples).

My obsession grew worse. I would become easily irritated if anyone made fun of them. You can be sure that I gave those YouTube parody videos a thumbs down, followed by a strongly worded comment about how the video did not accurately portray the boys.

One time I even bit a person (well actually I just imagined biting them, but it was pretty graphic).

I no longer cared that they were “created” by the X-Factor, or that they didn’t write most of their music. I blocked that whole part out of my mind and only focused on what made them beautiful.

And all seemed good in this pink, fluffy Jigglypuff-filled world of mine where sparkling narwhals would sing One Direction music into my ear every day. I had lived in this “crazy fangirl” stage for a whole month when it finally hit me. That I was alone, on a Friday night, shoveling choco-choco

chip ice cream into my face while laughing at clever Tumblr posts about the boy band that had taken control of my brain. I turned my head to wipe chocolate sauce from my face onto my shoulder, and I noticed a pile of homework that I had been putting off ever since I went to go see Les Misérables.

I realized that I gave up my whole life, my goals and my dreams for this boy band that will never love me back. I had become “that girl” that I once made fun of.

Overwhelmed with confusion, I passed out for a day or five. When I woke up I promised myself that I would never go into that dark place ever again.

From then on I have been slowly recovering from my One Direction infection. Of course I still love One Direction, but now I’m just a normal, respectable fan, and I’m finally able to live while I’m young.

OPINION APRIL 2013 33

BY PAPA MOSER

Amelia Moser’s father

Dear Leaf Eater, Congrats on being a concern and inconvenience to your parents! Maybe you’ll stay vegetarian forever and maybe you won’t, but you’ve clearly given this a lot of thought and have made a choice that’s important to you. So I’d advise that you stick to your guns and eat what you want. Having said that, there are a number of ways you can help smooth this over with your family so they don’t completely freak out and worry that you’re going to run off to a commune, change your name to Unicorn Planet and eat nothing but pine cones for the rest of your

life. Here’s what you do: First off, don’t be preachy or provocative.

It’s not cool to stand up and shriek “Murder!” when your mom orders the steak fajitas at Chili’s.

Instead, try to gently educate your family about the benefits of a plant-based diet, backing it up with facts and stats as opposed to opinion and drama. Next, be as flexible and reasonable as your conscience will allow. For example, instead of insisting that your family always order veggie pizza, maybe you’d occasionally be willing to simply pick off the meat (no heavy sighing, oinking or eye rolling allowed) before eating it.

Trust me—ingesting two drops of left-behind pepperoni grease isn’t going to kill you or turn you

West side effects

34 HUMOR APRIL 2013

into a rabid carnivore. Finally, take some responsibility and do some of the cooking. There are a ton of great vegetarian cookbooks out there (“The New Moosewood Cookbook” by Molly Katzen, for example) with delicious and easyto-make recipes. Be sure to start with relatively safe stuff like spinach and feta pancakes, though. If you give them tofu right off the bat they’ll probably sprint all the way to Burger King. So that’s my advice. Do all that and I’m pretty sure that your parents will chill and—who knows?—you might even turn them into vegetarians.

Good luck and good health!

Papa.

*letter is fake, advice is real.

ART BY//LEELA SATHYAPUTRI

Graphs

Laying facing room

Laying facing wall

the

BY

COMPILED BY//ASHTON DUNCAN

Infectious earth-vexing miscreant!

Quality of insults

Dear Papa, I recently decided to become a vegetarian. I made this decision for health, environmental and ethical reasons, but my parents have been really weird about it, calling it “concerning” and an “inconvenience to the entire family.” Got any advice?

---Leaf Eater*

Time spent at school

Monthly papa

Likelihood there’s a monster in the room

{

{DESIGN BY LEELA SATHYAPUTRI}

Milk-livered halfwit! dork.

Centuries passing

Time spent worrying about the future of humanity

FOR MORE WEBCOMICS, CHECK WSSPAPER.COM EVERY WEDNESDAY

{DESIGN BY ABBIE SKEMP}

Duck, duck ... chicken?

West High explores the Iowa City urban chicken ordinance.

A batch of chicks may be the perfect way to stay busy this spring.

New laws allow Iowa City inhabitants to house up to four hens in a backyard as long as neighbors comply. Now is the time to bring home the peeping bundles and have them laying by summer. One local family made the plunge two years ago, and purchased six chicks to raise for eggs on their farm outside Iowa City.

The two daughters, Natalie and Caroline Young, are now on their third batch of chicks, with counts now running up to over 30. Daily chores, completed with help from their mom, Susan, consist of feeding

their 16 two-week-old chicks in the basement and collecting eggs daily from the 14 grown hens kept outside in the big coop.

The duo sells their “Organic eggs from happy hens!” to friends throughout the community and say their business has been a success. “We have loyal customers who love to know and support local businesses,” Caroline said.

Funds are used to buy feed, make repairs and when the time is right, purchase new chicks.

Not all families have the space and resources to keep 31 chickens on their property, but the Youngs encourage anyone interested to consider adopting four new daughters.

“No neighbor is going to complain about your hens if eggs show up on their doorstep twice a week,” Susan said.

COMPILED BY//GRACE YOUNG

W

West High TRIVIA

{DESIGN BY TYLER VOSS}

How well do you know West High? Test your knowledge with this WSS Trivia about West High’s history, students and staff. Be the first one to bring this page filled out and correct to room 109 and win a prize!

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

What is the name of the Trojan mascot?

a. Henry b. Hector c. Kevin

What sport did Nate Kaeding play after high school? a. Basketball b. Soccer c. Football

When was the ninth grade wing built? a. 2004 b. 2005 c. 2006

Which is one of the West High sports that ties for most state championships won? a. Boys soccer b. Boys track c. Girls track

Who is West High’s new soccer field named after? a. a teacher b. a student c. a principal

Who is one person that has earned a 36 on the ACT at West High? * ________________

What television show did West High Bros have a segment on earlier this year? a. Good Morning America b. Oprah c. Today Show

What are the names of a set of twins at West High? * _______________

What is the name of one West High athlete planning to play a division one sport in college? * __________________ What is the name of a staff member that is a West High alumni? a. Mr. Kahler b. Mr. Aanestad c. Mr. Shutt *Bonus points for more than one name