The Noise

The Noise Iowa City West High School

Volume 1, Issue 1

News Amplified

BU

May 31, 2012

LLY Pg. 8

By: Gage Van Dyke Alyssa Hancock Jorden Rossen

Cover art by: Alyssa Hancock

Table of Contents 4

Summer Reviews

~Popsicles ~Pools ~Sunscreen

New10York 6

Sushi

BULLY8

Hunger Back Games Quiz

Editorials ~YOLO 13 ~Calcium Crowdout ~Indian Thing

12

Designed by: Alyssa Hancock

SPF 5000

BY ALYSSA HANCOCK Zazahancock@gmail.com

A tan is great in the summer time, but is the risk really worth the reward? Be sure that you stay safe this summer

and show your skin some love, by using sunscreen anytime you are going to be out and about.

To get you started here are a few different kinds of sunscreen you can use. I like to go for the ones that are less expensive.

They tend to work just the same as name brands and keep more money in your pocket.

Of course these brands are not the only ones. You can use what ever kind you like the best, as long as you are being safe in the sun!

Be sure you make this summer one to remember. No one likes a pink face in all their summer party pictures. But skin cancer is even less attractive.

Kids sunscreen spray up&up Don’t let the name of this sunscreen sway you. Using it will won’t make you younger by any means. It is still an effective way of protecting your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. This sunscreen is in a neat and easy spray can. It is also water resistant with an SPF of 50.

The spray benefit makes it easier to reach all exposed body parts.

You also only have to reapply every 80 minutes. On the down side this sunscreen can leave you feeling sticky. It also runs out faster than you would think.

Sports sunscreen up&up This sunscreen is not only for those who are physically active outdoors. It works just as well for people simply out and about on a sunny day. This sunscreen has the benefit of sweat resistance. This brand only needs to be reapplied every 80 minutes. It has an SPF of 50 and is cheaper than your spray

sunscreen. Because this brand is a lotion it will last for many more adventures. The down side is the heavy feeling it leaves on your skin. It also is harder to make sure you reach every inch of exposed skin.

Bubble Blowout Bobalicious

BY JORDAN ROSSEN Jordanerossen@gmail.com

It takes some courage to get over the initial horror that you are about to consume something from a place with such an unattractive exterior directly adjacent to a gas station, but it’s worth it.

04 REVIEW

THE FIRST POPSICLE WAS CREATED BY LEAVING A CUP OF SODA OUTSIDE OVER NIGHT

The bubble-tea felt more like a smoothie with balls of tapioca than more traditional bubble tea, but that’s not to stay it was inferior in the slightest. The balls of tapioca taste much better than those at Chile Yummy and are even more fun to play with in your mouth.

The selection of flavors is multiple times that of Chile Yummy and once you get inside the building has a fun almost picnic-y feeling decor.

Chile Yummy Chile Yummy seems to be the exact opposite of Bobalicious. While the exterior looks foreign and exciting, the interior appears dark and dull. The bubble tea comes with a smaller variety and a fraction of the satisfaction.

The initial fear struck when in response to a question about the selection, a worker placed jars of flavoring

powder on the counter. The balls of tapioca taste stale and have a texture tough enough to make pushing them around your mouth seem like a chore. The bubble-tea tastes overpoweringly sweet and very little like the requested flavor.

It’s possible I caught Chile Yummy on an off day, but Bobalicious seems to be the safer bet.

Sun so Hot it’ll Melt your Popsicle

BY JORDAN ROSSEN Jordanerossen@gmail.com

As a staple of any summer diet, popsicles have become an important part of teenage American summer break culture. However, the act of acquiring these mystical treats is complicated exponentially by the sheer selection. The Noise has taken it upon itself to simplify this process for the good of the everyday American and freezer aisles throughout the Iowa City area.

Popsicle brand (far right) provided the most full feeling flavor while maintaining a dark cherry-like composure.

North Star (right) tasted the most watered down

WWW.WSSPAPER.COM

Log on for more photos and exclusive web coverage .

out of the selection. When coupled with a crystalline, granular texture it quickly became the Noise’s least favorite summer treat.

Edy’s (middle) tasted the most like the fruit it was trying to emulate, but tasted a little bit too sweet, which resulted in an aftertaste almost reminiscent

of Tylenol.

Hy-Vee brand (left) represented what one expects when they hear the word “generic”. The initial lack of flavor was accompanied only by a disappointingly stale aftertaste. Fortunately, the price reflects the quality and Hy-Vee comes in as cheapest of the selection.

Pop Jr.’s (far left) reminded the testing crew the least of cherry out of all the selection and still managed to obtain the stale aftertaste embodied in the Hy-Vee brand.

Price (Oz/dollar) Taste(Out of ten) Melt Time(Time at beginning of melt) Popsicle Brand 6.9 8 28:00 North Star 10 4 24:00 Edy's 3.6 5 24:00 Hy-Vee Brand 11.7 4 32:00 Pop Jr.'s 11.7 6 24:00

PAGE DESIGN BY//JORDAN ROSSEN

DURING WWII THE POPSICLE WAS CHOSEN BY THE AIRFORCE AS A SYMBOL OF AMERICAN LIFE

05 REVIEW

Takanami A.K.A. Taka-Yummy

PO-PO n’ SUSHI I am taken to a room separated by the main core of the Sushi Po-Po restaurant.

People hustle and bustle in the smallish rooms, but the room I am taken too is curtained. The curtains are garned with ancient (I am assuming mimicked) stitches. A beautiful family that loves to shout and cackle like drunks at a bar in the Old South get the next room. Let’s just say the curtains are the opposite of sound proof. Minus the cackling, the sushi is awesome.

Crab softly packed in a surrounding of clean sticky rice with seaweed that is not indestructible.

The crab to my astonishment had a somewhat light chicken feel and taste. Very good chicken, mind you.

The packed sushi is nice and squishy in the mouth, but not with the stubbornness of a sponge.

On a cool black, sleek tabletop, California sushi rolls are presented on long wooden panels with a side of peach-kissed ginger that folds over itself and a scoop of stark green wasabi. The sushi looks compact, and when refined chopsticks pinch it, the sushi does not bust under pressure, but gives in, accommodating the sticks.

When picked up the race does not flake, but holds together the taste of the sushi is filled with soft, hardly crunchy carrots and crab that squishes in the mouth like soft, fish-flavored tissue.

That’s a good thing. The avocado is present in vision, but leaves no remnants on the taste buds.

While there are no overpowering ingredients in the plump sushi, the taste is one dimensional.

However, the one-dimensional

Bring On The Sushi

BY ASHER GAGE VAN DYKE agvdmaster@gmail.com

We’ve all had our own humorous meetings with Sushi. Like that one time the sushi was stuck to the tray so you had to cut it off or when the crab jiggled. On its own. Ok, the likeliness of these happening to you are slim, but here’s a look at some of IowaCity’s popular joints to get sushi.

Sushi: Co-Op Style Black packaged box presented with a thin, waxy faux leaf that protects wasabi and ginger from invading the sushi is what you get with New-Pioneer’s Co-Op California Sushi. With a price of 4.99 (not including tax), worthy sushi is a prize. The sushi features wet cucumber that crunches brightly in your mouth, and crab that serves a purpose to differentiate texture. The sushi falls

apart slightly when grasped, but I guess if it took a chainsaw to rip sushi apart, nobody would buy it.

flavor, crab mixed with rice, has a filling effect and a soft richness which can be compared to soft plain shrimp. But what really sold me with the sushi

was the price. I got 2 platters of California rolls for 10 dollars.

The amount of sushi I got was rough around 17 pieces. It’s not overpriced, and the quality is better than packaged brand and the quality beats packaged sushi hands down.

HY-vee sushi RHYME 5 dollars equals nine pieces of sushi, packaged wet ginger and saucy wasabi in Hy-Vee land. However, the word tasty is not in Hy-Vee’s sushi language. As I plopped the edged shaped sushi, rice flecked off like dandruff. As opposed to other sushi found in restaurants, the sushi I had a fortune of tasting fell apart in blocks. The insides of the sushi fell out when I picked it up, leaving the sushi looking like a toilet seat with no plumbing system. The taste department didn’t please me either. I couldn’t find a distinct taste that made me want to keep investigating. It was dry, especially the “fish” that remained in one piece, regardless of force wrecked on it. I give it a nay out of yay.

PAGE DESIGN BY//ASHER GAGE VAN DYKE

06 REVIEW

MORE THAN TWO BILLION POPSICLES ARE SOLD ANUALLY

: A look at the notoriousness of bullying and its impact on West High students.

“

I guess when our parents were little and stuff, bullying was something that happened at school and around. But now, bullying is evolving into something that can be used to hurt people anywhere at anytime. Cell phone and social media really dont help bullying. You get taunted at school and then you go home and you cant escape because there are still so many outlets for people to reach you through.

“

PAGE DESIGN BY//ASHER GAGE VAN DYKE

bul·ly 1. person: an person who intimidates or mistreats weaker people 2.intimidate: to intimidate or mistreat a weaker person

COMPILED BY// ASHER GAGE VAN DYKE-

BY ASHER GAGE VAN DYKE agvdmaster@gmail.com

Bully, a documentary...

A young boy at the age of 17 called Tyler Long dies on October 17, 2009. A boy in elementary at the name of Ty Smalley dies in May, 2010. These boys did not have connections together, nor did they know each other. Their names are conjoined because of their tragic demises. It was not because of drugs or gun. Tyler Long had committed suicide. Long did not have a chance to live out his years because of bullying. Tyler Long was bullied due to being autistic, and is one out of many teenagers in the U.S. that commit suicide due to bullying. Ty Smalley was pushed and shoved because of his weight and height. His parents kept going to the Smalley’s school principle for help, and they were told that “boys will be boys”. With the help of the help of the new movie called Bully, a documentary directed by Lee Hirsch showcases bullying of teenagers and students in the states of Iowa, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia and Oklahoma. While there have been many sermons on bullying, critics praise Bully for its rawness and the reality it brings to an audience.

T.V. contributes greatly to getting victims of bullying to speak out...

While documentaries have served a punch to bullying in the U.S., some channels like MTV have opted to show bullying as an entertainment gig. In Bully Beatdown, victims are met with the bullies and have a chance to fight them in a caged ring, boxing style.

The bully starts the round with $5,000 but loses $1,000 every time he is forced to tap out the bully wins $5,000. If they can manage 3 minutes, but does not get any money if he quits or gets KO’d or the referee stops the fight. After the round ends, Mayhem, the host of Bully Beatdown, deals out the money, and asks the bully if there is anything they want to say once the fight ended, in which is almost always an apology to the victims of the bullying.

CONCERNING WEST...

As students go by, writing notes in class, dozing off thinking about summer and conversing with friends, some kids are struggling with the fact that they are bullied, and how hard school can be due to being bullied.

“

REALLY, LAW MAKING ISN’T GOING TO MAKE BULLYING GO AWAY OR BE ILLEGAL

Percent of how much bullying is verbal

bullying

12-17 – The age span of teenagers who have witnessed violence in their school 85 –

Percent of bully cases that are not prosecuted by any adminitration

80 – Percent of high schoolers who have been cyber bullied 35 – Percent of teens that have actually been threatened online 282,000-

students that are physically attacked in secondary school eachmonth.

71 – percent of students that report incidents of bullying as a problem at their school.

“

08 COVER

Numbers Matter 77 –

THE TWIN POPSICLE WAS CREATED DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION SO THAT TWO PEOPLE COULD SHARE A POPSICLE FOR A NICKLE

W N d D

When the Noise went to interview West High Students about how bullying affects their lives, we learned that it’s not easy going when you are a bully’s target.

“Being bullied is an experience no one should have to go through. People are really vicious and will do anything to see you crumble. The taunting and looks can seem bearable during the day but as soon as you get home you just want to break down. It is really upsetting wondering why you are the one the bullies have chosen to make fun of. Being bullied has made me a very anxious person and I am much more self-concious now. I feel hyper aware of people who i think are judging me.” Suzie Powell* said. ““I think bullying is something that goes undetected at school. People are smart enough to taunt others the “perfect amount” where the victim is upset about the treatment they receive but might not feel hurt enough to go to an adult.” Powell* said.

What about laws in Iowa? Does that subdue the bullying nature of some students? “Really, law making isn’t going to persuade a bunch of ignorant teenagers to stop bullying. People just need to be more aware of what is happening to those around them. The change has to start with us and work its way to others.” Powell* said.

When proposed with the same question, another student felt bullying is never cracked down on because it is undected. “I think that at school, bullying goes undetected unless you make an effort to bring it to an adult and even then, they cant stop what is happening.” hinted at the fact that students have been able to counter

PHOTOS BY// ASHER GAGE VAN DYKE

What’s More Effective?

News coverage, A Beatdown Or a Docmentary? Out of 92 students

46%

Talk Shows

35% Bully, the documentary

19%

Bullying on the news

When proposed with the same question, another student felt bullying is never cracked down on because it is undected.

“I think that at school, bullying goes undetected unless you make an effort to bring it to an adult and even then, they cant stop what is happening.” Powell* said.

The student even hinted at the fact that students have been able to counter adult intervention by not crossing a line.

Iowa has actually stepped in and taken charge with making an anti-bullying act. On or before September 1, 2007, the board of directors of a school district and the authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school adopted a policy declaring harassment and bullying in schools, on school property, and at any school function regardless of its location as against state and school policy. The board and the authorities shall make a copy of the policy available to all school employees, volunteers, students, and parents or guardians and shall take all appropriate steps to bring the policy against harassment and bullying and the responsibilities set forth in the policy.

The policy also grants the school access to storing bullying records and data.

Bullying is a national problem, and has become a more prevelant problem due to the uses of technology. When an anonymous student was questioned with how much bullying spreads socially, we found out that media outlets are able to reach and hurt numerous people with a click of a button.

“I guess when our parents were little and stuff, bullying was something that happened at school and around. But now, bullying is evolving into something that can be used to hurt people anywhere at anytime. Cell phone and social media really dont help bullying.

You get taunted at school and then you go home and you cant escape because there are still so many outlets for people to reach you through”. Jack Levy* said.

Whether people are being bullied outright or through a computer, the statistics of suicides and depression among teens proves that bullying is not a matter to laugh about.

EDITOR’S NOTE

*

- Names with this symbol placed by it are fictional names used to respect the anonymousy of the students interviewed in this article.

COMPILED AND DESIGNED BY// ASHER GAGE VAN DYKE

POPSICLE STICKS ARE MADE FROM BIRCH WOOD

09 COVER

BY ASHER GAGE VAN DYKE agvdmaster@gmail.com

The Iowa City West High Choirs had the great fortune to travel up to the big NYC to perform at St. Mary’s Cathedral in New York City and train with a syndicated music professor from Westford College during a music clinic, where the professor gave the choirs advice on how to imrpove their sound and technique. Mind you it was a 19 and a half bus ride trip to the City That Never Sleeps, the students enjoyed a great getaway. The Choirs got to spend free at Times Square and were able to see the The Statue of Liberty, Central Park and John Lennon’s shrine.

TOP: An iconic view of Times Square from the Red Stairs. The cast of glee once sat on those stairs.

LEFT; A helicopter flies in a beautiful, quaint cloudy sky. Due to excessive traffic, helicopters are vital during emergency calls and rescuing civilians from distress.

RIGHT: A John Lennon memorial is shrined in perky yellow petals and playful, oddly untouched, stuffed animals. Lennon’s criticism of the Vietnam War almost lead to him being deported by former President Richard Nixon’s administration.

BOTTOM RIGHT: The Staue of Liberty is viewed from afar. The Statue of Libert y was a gift from the French during the French Revolution.

TOP LEFT: Lauren Dunkelburg ‘14 looks for her families name on Ellis Island’s museum about the station where Immigrants were sent to be checked in order to enter the state of New York.

TOP RIGHT: A bright white building is framed by a grand tree. There are 5.2 million trees in New York City.

RIGHT: Flowers are represented by John Lennon’s shrine. The flower, rosa, was named the State flower in 1955.

BOTTOM: Tyler Voss ‘14 readies her camera for a great shot of New York City from the “Top of the World” tourist site. 47 million tourists visit New York City annually.

PHOTOS BY// ASHER GAGE VAN DYKE

Mascot Mayhem: Should the University of North Dakota’s mascot be changed?

Background As students of the University of North Dakota cheer for their coveted hockey team, the Fighting Sioux’s, others are also shaking their heads. The hockey team has been underfire for stereotyping and discriminating against Native Americans. However, the school refuses to be silent claiming that the tradition is meant to honor the

strong Siouxes.

This widespread criticisim of supposedly racist remnants of a less tolerant age has largely been ineffective with professional teams such as the Vikings and the Redskins chosing not the change their mascot despite frequent dissaproval.

Evolution of Tradition Often tradition is thought of as the trump card of any argument. If it has been done one way for centuries then why change anything now? This is one of the silliest lines of thought popular in modern America. Regardless of if we’ve done it in the past, we should be willing to change what we think is wrong. This is the only way to force society to constantly best itself.

In the same way that society learned to recognize that women deserve equal rights to those of the opposite gender, we need to see what traditions are those that should be cherished and maintained and which are getting a little crusty and need to be reconsidered.

This is not to say that all traditions are something 12 OPINION

that should be rebelled against. Some traditions have legitimate merit and should be protected and preserved. Tradition can help bring people with similar ideas together and help maintain a vibrant and diverse cultural environment.

However, racist mascots are not one of these traditions that make the world better. In a world where we are taught that certain races of people are “fighting warriors”, it implies that they don’t have another side to them. While, most people aren’t ignorant enough to base their beliefs off the mascot of a sports team, it’s something that can offend certain races and it’s certainly possible it could help shape one’s interpretation of the world around them.

PHOTOS BY//ASHER GAGE VAN DYKE

THE NOISE EDITORIAL BOARD Jordan Rossen Alyssa Hancock Asher Gage Van-Dyke

Should the University of North Dakota’s mascot be changed?

3-0 The Noise editorial board voted for changing certain mascots.

THE POPSICLE WAS ORIGINALLY CALLED THE EPSICLE

Preserving what we have While some instances of stereotypical sports mascots may not be justified, the North Dakota Fighting Sioux is not one of these. Tradition is an important tool in helping bringing people together.

We should try to preserve tradition, however only if it doesn’t cause any harm.

The Sioux is used as a symbol of power and motivation to the North Dakota school. The school did not choose such a mascot because they thought of it as weak or inferior.

It seems unlikely that anyone is going to form a lasting position on the characteristics of an entire race of people based off of a mascot of a sports team. People form opinions based off of interactions with certain people, by cheering on a favorite mascot.

Last, it should be up to the college as to if it should change its mascot. Preserving the college’s right to express itself through a mascot is vital to continuing an environment of productive new ideas. While changing the mascot of a college may not seem very close to inhibition of the basic right to free speech, it is the same principle that must be upheld.

COMPILED BY// JORDAN ROSSEN AND ASHER GAGE VAN DYKE DESIGNED BY// JORDAN ROSSEN

Calcium Crowdout

BY JORDAN ROSSEN Jordanerossen@gmail.com

According to the United Nations , one child dies from hunger related causes every eight to twelve seconds. In 2009, more than 50 million Americans didn’t have the ability to get enough food to lead healthy lives. Despite all of this, the lunch ladies of West High still require me to take a bottle of milk with my Trojan meal.

BY ALYSSA HANCOCK zazahancock@gmail.com

You only live once.You probably know this term. If not, I hope its not too cold under your rock. I will admit that this can be a very motivational statement. When it is used in the proper context that is. Such as: “Applying to Harvard,YOLO” “Saving a cat in a tree,YOLO”

On an almost daily basis, I stand in line to punch in my five-digit code and receive my proper allotment of food-like substances.

Every day this happens, I am presented with the sometimes unpleasant prospect of drinking a bottle of juice or milk. I have attempted to explain that I will not drink it, regardless of what healthy-child legislation someone in charge has decided is necessary. I regularly proceed to throw it into the nearest trashcan, while

trying the best I can to maintain constant eye contact with the messenger of my pain.

Please, don’t feel bad for me.

Feel bad for the children, whose Oreos long to be united with the precious elixir that they were made for. Feel bad for the cows, who are tortured and not even able to see the spoils of their labor. Feel bad for the delivery workers, who drive thousands of miles, simply to have their efforts wasted by ungrateful children.

However, I don’t think it’s fair to paint the lunch ladies, those who are simply following orders, as the bad guys in this conundrum. We should set our sights higher. While it seems like a small issue, the positions of policymakers on more localized, less commonly debate issues need to be given a larger consideration

“Learning to speak Chinese, YOLO” These are good examples of using the term YOLO appropriately. In my book it should be used to emphasize some great feat you are making in your life. This term is being used and abused like no other. It’s just one of those things that everyone says because everyone says it. When you are in a situation where YOLO could be used appropriately, why is that YOLO is the first thing that pops into your head? Personally, If I was applying to Harvard,YOLO, would not be what runs through

my brain.

Not only is it getting annoying when people use YOLO the way it’s supposed to, but is it for everyday activity? What? Please share.

“Had two pieces of cake,YOLO” “Opened a jar of pickles on my own,YOLO” “Parked my car in the street, YOLO” These are terrible uses of YOLO, simply because YOLO has no need to be said in these situations. No. Need. Don’t tweet it.

YOLO is not only abused in these ways but it can be abused.

in our decision-making process.

Next time you have the ability to help change who decides what you eat, ask yourself one question, “What’s best for the Oreos?”

Just Wrote This Article, YOLO

“Once i saw a door that said pull, and I pushed it.

YOLO.”

WHAT IS YOUR

BEST

YOLO

in a much more terrible manner.

Some people seem to use it as an excuse to do bad bad things. Life should be spent doing things you can be proud of and not looking back at what you could have done better with your time. If you only live once, don’t waste it. Make the most of it and treasure every moment. There is no problem with wondering what things would be like, just try and make sure you are wondering about things that will change your life for the better, and not the worse.

I mean, you only live once, right?

“Getting bit by a snake, yesterday. YOLO.”

“Going 115 in a 35 zone and losing your license.

YOLO.”

MOMENT? Daniel Syed 12’

Max Levasseur 12’

Kevin Chin 13’

COMPILED BY// ALYSSA HANCOCK #YOLO

13 OPINION

Quiz

HUNGER GAMES Connect your character to how you most commonly answered the questions

Your house is on fire! a.) evacuate everyone b.) run! c.) fight the flames

Nothing on televison? a.) read a book b.) go outside c.) work out

You lost your family pet! a.) put up flyers around town b.) he will come home, like always c.) hunt him down yourself You stumble upon a deer: a.) shoot it b.) watch it to see if it knows where there is food c.)shoot it and anyone who comes between you and your chances of servival

Your sick, do you: a.) tough it out b.) stay home c.) I don’t get sick

Katniss(A) You are a very level headed person. Loyalty to those you are close with is a strong feature. You tend to put to much on your plate at one time.

Just make sure you dont spread your self to thin and stress your self out.

COMPILED BY//ALYSSA HANCOCK

Test tomorrow? a.) study up on your own b.) study with a friend c.) cram the hour before, you know this stuff anyway

In the forest you would first find: a.) water b.) shelter c.) food

Rue(B)

Cato(C)

You are a very sweet and innocent person. New people are your weakness, the timid side goes away after you get to know someone. You put your heart and soul into all that you do and have a very kind spirit.

You are a very strong willed person. Showing your true colors is not a problem. whether they are good or bad. You tend to be insensitive, even to those close to you. Work on opening up and seeing