The
urveyor Volume 61
Issue 7
21 March 2018
Staffbox
Letter from the
EDITOR...
Other Staff Members:
Lars Andersland, ’20 - Staff Reporter Jaxon Brems, ’19 - Staff Reporter Isaac Gomez, ’20- Staff Reporter Gabe Greco, ’19- Chief Photographer Miguel Jacobo, ’19- Staff Reporter Jayla Johnson, ’18- Staff Reporter Rielle Jones-Teske, ’18- Staff Reporter Sophie Lindwall, ’21- Staff Reporter Tyler McGuire, ’18- Staff Reporter Paul Schneidermann,’19- Staff Reporter Abby Throndson, ’21 - Staff Reporter
Welcome back from spring break! We practically only have two more months of school left, and it’d be an understatement to say I am super duper uber excited!!!! I can’t believe this is the second to last real issue that I get to be involved in! The feature of this issue is one of my favorites so far- Quinn and I got to investigate what it is like to be a member of the LGBTQ community while attending Xavier High School. We got to meet and talk with Landon Santel ’18 and hear his story, and you will want to hear it, too! So, check out page 11 and read on. Other stories to note in this issue are closer looks at the Mr. Washington candidates, students a part of the rugby team, and one of our own Washington Warriors, Lily Palmersheim, ’20, as Anne Frank in a TCR play. As always, thanks for reading!
-Sarah Altemeier
News Editor
Quinn Wilcox
Opinions Editor Profiles Editor
Sports Editor
A&E Editor
Copy Editor
Seth Keppler
Ben Janssen
Araya Dunne
Becca Turnis
Kate McCartan
Photos from the Black History Month Assembly by Kyle Phillips
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Find Inside >>
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News
4 5 6
9
WLP Nationally Recognized Elementary School Shutdowns Fine Arts Recap
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Feature
11-13
The Fight for LGBQT Rights
Opinions
7 8 9
The Right Way to WPA Styrofoam Trays, Yay or Nay? Is America Great Again? Staff Editorial: Gun Control
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14 15 16
Profiles Meet the Mr. Washington Candidates
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18 17 18 19 20 21 22
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Sports
WLP Photo illustration by Quinn Wilcox,, Walker Ochs photo by Paul Schneidermann, Flag photo by Gabe Greco, Julian and David photoss courtesy of Lindsey Yock, Tyonchi Johnson photo courtesy of Dennis Oliver, Lily Palmersheim photo courtesy of Theatre Cedar Rapids, Surveyor logo graphic by Haven Henningsen
Table of Contents
Finding a New Home? Rugby Warriors
A&E The Diary of Anne Frank: Starring Lily Palmersheim Hole in the Wall: The Map Room
News
WLP Nationally Recognized
Abby Throndson Staff Reporter
The Washington Literary Press (WLP) recently learned that they won awards from the 2016-2017 school year. WLP is an extracurricular student group that is dedicated to publishing poetry, prose, and art. The magazine is advised by David Duer, an English teacher here at Washington. It features students’ work in four publications of ‘The Unfortunate Mr. Farrows’ and one culminating issue of ‘Fingerprints.’ “I joined WLP because it had an amazing group of minds that I wanted to be a part of,” said Caitlin Sievers, ‘18. The group also sponsors PAM Slam, an event that showcases a student poetry slam, as well as students’ musical and artistic talents, that takes place in early December. The 2017 Fingerprints edition won
‘recommended for the highest award’ by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), through its program to Recognize Excellence in Student Literary Magazines. Fingerprints was also awarded the ‘first place award’ from the American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA). Sievers received an award for ‘best art’ in a piece called ‘Hijab Woman’ which was published in the awarded ‘Fingerprints’ issue. She was one of the 11 featured artists across the country recognized for their outstanding art pieces. “(I was) extremely surprised,” said Sievers. “I entered the piece for ‘Fingerprints’ last year, and when I found out I had won the award, I had almost forgotten about it. I was super happy and honored.” The NCTE is an organization
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made up of English teachers around the country, while the ASPA’s panel of judges is made up of educators who have had experience advising these types of publications before. “It allows us to compare ourselves to other high school literary magazines from across the country,” said Duer. “The ASPA award comes with a detailed score sheet and a narrative critique; it often gives us good ideas of how to improve the quality of the magazine.” The members last year are proud of what they have accomplished and what they will accomplish in the future. “It is a nice recognition of the hard work last year’s staff put into the magazine,” said Duer.
News Isaac Gomez Staff Reporter
Elementary School Shutdowns
On Jan. 22, the school board held a board of education meeting about the plan to shut down eight elementary schools. They had around two and a half hours worth of public comments, where concerned and passionate parents voiced their opinions about the closing of eight schools. Voicing their displeasure, parents urged the district to rethink and push the vote back 90 days. They told the school board that they had no reason to rush the vote, considering the fact that this is a plan starting in 2020. Janelle Lund, one of the many people taking a stand, commented on the new changes. “It is hard to trust our leaders when there has been such wasteful
Jaxon Brems Staff Reporter
spending and lack of public outreach.” Lund stated in the beginning that she wasn’t against updating schools or getting rid of old and outdated schools, she just didn’t trust the district with the money because of poor spending from past years. Lund thinks it’s a good idea but she wants to make sure that they think everything through and doesn’t rush through everything. The school board listened to everyone who had an opinion about the topic, but that still didn’t change their minds. They voted unanimously to close all eight elementary schools over the course of 20 years.
Schools Being Closed: Garfield
Grant Wood Kenwood Madison Nixon Taylor Truman Van Buren
Substitute Shortage
Iowa has been suffering from a substitute teacher shortage, and Washington is feeling the effects. There are a few different reasons behind the shortage. Valerie Nyberg, an the associate principal at Washington, says that the faculty and administration at Wash is fully aware of the issue. Nyberg says there are a few reasons for the shortage of substitute teachers. One is that the process to become a substitute teacher has become more complicated and difficult over time meaning more and more teachers are less willing to go through this process. Earlier this year during the first semester Jess Johnson, a science teacher, left on maternity leave and had a long-term sub set up for the time she would be absent. The original longterm sub was Tracy DeMoss. About a month into her time at Washington, DeMoss didn’t want to continue the job, and quit. After DeMoss quit, it was challenging to find another long-term sub. For a
couple months, many different subs were coming and going as there was not an available sub for a long period of time. Johnson has returned and is here to stay. This was just one example of the substitute teacher shortage and how it has affected our school. Ian Kleman, a teacher at Washington is an Instructional Design Strategist (IDS) in addition to his role as a teacher. The IDS job is to analyze the way that teachers teach and assure that it was an effective instructional design. Due to the substitute teacher shortage, he is now back as the teacher for the AP Physics class at Washington. Wash was unable to find a long term sub for this class, so Kleman was put back in his old role. Washington has the ability to bring in various substitute teachers and have them instruct the class, similar to the situation with Johnson’s class. But it was seen as a more effective alternative to have Kleman instruct the class for the entire second semester.
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Kleman said that this is a much better way to handle the issue because the relationships that students have with their teacher greatly affects the amount and the way that each of those students learn and receive the information. If there is a different teacher in the classroom each day, it will affect the students’ education in that class in a negative way. “You’re already putting a negative eaffect on the classroom by placing a sub in it, but changing the sub each day makes it worse.” Kleman also says that this idea of having a new sub each day is unfair to the faculty in the main office. They are in charge of assigning subs to the classrooms they are wanted in. This puts a lot of pressure on them and affects Wash negatively as a whole. The substitute teacher shortage in Iowa is very prevalent at Washington High School, and it sounds like it will continue to be an issue in years to come.
News Paul Schneidermann Staff Reporter
Show Choir
>Vivace started their season out strong, winning first place in their first competition and second competition. In their third competition they got Outstanding Performance. >Celebration has had a successful year so far. They have never gotten lower than second in a competition, with a record of second, first, first, and second for the season. >Momentum has made finals at every competition this season. They have one fourth place finish, two second place finishes, and they won Grand Champions at Lacrosse taking home Best Vocals, Best Choreography, and Best Band.
Jazz Band The Revolutionists got third at the
Tall Corn Jazz Festival. Lewis Kleman, ’20, Caleb Kleman, ’18, and Grant Lapoint, ’22, all got outstanding solo honorable mention. At the Jazz Summit competition Jazz Also took first in 4A second band, Nick Ryan earned outstanding soloist. In the NEIBA Jazz Festival at Waterloo West on Saturday March 3 The Revolutionists were unanimously voted top band, and Caleb Kleman earned the title of Overall Top Soloist. Simon Baker, Lewis Kleman, and Grant LaPoint all won Top Soloist Honorable Mention.
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Speech In large group speech the Warriors had a very strong showing of out performing arts abilities. The AllState performing groups were the large group speeches that made all state were One act play: “Cut,” Group Improv: Ochs,Ochs, Barton, Group Mime: “On the Clock,” Musical Theater: “Disaster! The Musical.” The All-State non-performing groups were Musical Theater: “She Loves Me” and Ensemble Acting: “The Shape of Things.”
opinions
The Right Way to WPA
Each year there are two dances open to all students at Wash, the alluGabe Greco sive HomecomStaff Reporter ing Dance and the ever changing and evolving WPA. If you are like myself both of these are times of stress and utter confusion. WPA in particular has always felt like a desperate reach for money. I imagine a group of students in the 50s trying to conceive a way to raise money for their prom when a male student stands up and proclaims “Eureka! Homecoming but where we make girls do all the extra shouq us boys usually do.” The room erupts into applause. The boys cheer “free food!” I digress. As a freshman I would’ve
Recently,
never imagined going without a date but as I have learned from my sophomore and junior years that it is the most superior way to do WPA. Not to mention the fact that majority of girls do not seem very eager to ask a fella to the big dance. Which is why I am a strong supporter of Wash having a Toga Dance. Each year Linn-Mar has a big Toga Dance where all the students get in groups with all of their pals and dress up in wacky costumes and go dance the night away. Not only could this make more kids attend the dance it would also eliminate paying for a fancy dinner, buying new dress clothes to match your date, buying a corsage and whatever the heck else you spend money on. I am very much a strong supporter in Wash having a toga in
future years but right now we are still stuck with the same lame WPA. To all the young freshmen wondering if who they are going to ask to WPA or who is going to ask them I say, grab your best friends, get the goofiest costumes possible, go get pizza and dance your little hearts out.
because students can just throw them away. Simon Baker ’19, says that he eats lunch at school pretty often. However, he doesn’t care for the styrofoam trays. He prefers to use the plastic trays. Baker prefers the trays because they are larger and a lot more durable. Baker says that the styrofoam trays have cracked and broke causing him to spill his entire lunch. “I really prefer the plastic trays, I’ve spilled my lunch one too many times.” I really don’t mind using the styrofoam trays. They are a little weaker than the plastic trays, but if you want to get a lot of food you can always make two trips. They are also very easy to dispose of after you have finished eating. The plastic trays you have to walk up to the window for
them to be washed, but the styrofoam trays can just be thrown away. So I am okay with using either tray during lunch.
Styrofoam Trays, Yay or Nay?
Washington has been using styrofoam trays off and on in Jaxon Brems the lunchroom. Staff Reporter Students have been wondering why these trays are being used as opposed to the typical plastic trays. Many students have also been complaining and wondering if this will be an ongoing thing. Associate principal Valerie Nyberg, says that these trays are used when the lunch room is shorthanded. When there are not enough people working in the lunchroom, they cannot clean the plastic trays as efficiently. So the styrofoam trays are a good alternative
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opinions
Is America Great Again?
The answer is a resounding no. According to a poll by US News & World Report, Trump has fueled impressions that America is becoming “less progressive, less trustworthy, and more politically unstable.” Trump has become the antagonist of environmental advocacy. Water should not be a political maneuvering device, but he has also moved Rielle Jones-Teske to derail Clean Water initiatives, to the detriment of communities and Staff Reporter national parks. Trump desires to drastically reduce the budget and staff of national parks - the biggest cut since WWII, which would be extremely damaging. He has ordered an oil-drilling plan that puts 88 coastal national parks in the path of destruction. On the whole, Trump’s policies on the environment are disastrous for our planet’s health, our health, and the health of future generations. When he embarrassingly pulled out of the Paris Agreement, Trump sent a message to the world that the United States is in disregard of the consensus of the scientific community, and is negligent toward the environment as a whole. Trump has only been in office for one year, and we’ve had numerous mass shootings in America since his election. Now, no one’s asking him to rush in and personally save the day (although, he has said that he would’ve done so at Parkland, despite having avoided the draft five times). What the people want is to have better gun control laws to prevent such atrocities from happening again, like the ones enacted in similar first-world countries that have had mass shooting and sought to prevent them. People desire change in legislation, not just the “thoughts and prayers” of elite politicians charged with protecting us. According to CNN and his own Tweets, Trump is in favor of arming teachers. This reactionary, instead of preventative, policy will endanger more lives. Without having having delved into topics like immigration, trade policy, and his general childish tweets and overall vacuous demeanor, you can see that Trump, with his 35% approval rating (CNN), has alienated the United States from the rest of the developed world with his harsh environmental policies, radical gun armament ideas, and crude general attitude and words.
Photo of Trump at the State of the Union (2018) from The White House
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Donald Trump has been President of the United States for a over a year now and things are definitely looking up. The stock market has hit record highs, unemployment is at a record low, and GDP has been growing over this last year. I’m sure we all can agree that this is great news and that President Trump is surpassing some expectations. Stock market averages have Tyler McGuire soared this year. The stock market Staff Reporter is 12 percent higher than it was last year. Companies are earning more and are in turn pushing the markets into their desired directions. Business has boomed in Trump’s economy due to companies expanding and staying in the United States. Businesses are investing quite a bit and creating life in the stock market. Consumer spending is also set to increase in 2018. 2017 saw 2.1 million new jobs, which is on par with 2016. Certain sectors of the job market saw significant increases in jobs and growth. Thanks to the new tax reform, hiring is expected to increase over the next year. Unemployment is at its lowest level since 2000. People are earning more under President Trump. 2017 saw a 2.9 percent increase in wages compared to previous years. 2018 also looks to be a strong year for the United States. The economy is set to grow 2.7 percent in 2018, and job growth is supposed to skyrocket. Even more tax cuts are expected to come from the Trump administration this year, which would hopefully drive the markets even higher than they were this year. GDP is supposed to continue to increase, the stock market doesn’t show signs of slowing down and businesses will continue to get richer. So, is America Great Again? Well, it’s certainly on its way.
Want to weigh in on this issue? Write an article and Email us! crwashsurveyor@gmail.com
opinions
Staff Editorial: Shooting Down Gun Violence
We believe that America should have better gun control laws. 2018 has been a wake up call to people all over our country, we need more effective gun control. In light of the recent shootings, a change is needed now more than ever to keep civilians safe. Something is wrong, and needs to be fixed one way or another, hopefully a way that is effective in preventing teens from getting a gun. There have been 98 people who have died in mass shootings in 2018, and over 150 people injured, and we aren’t even four months in to the new year. There have been walkouts all over this country, including at Washington High School. Every person who attends these walkouts has a different opinion and reason they walkout, as do the people who don’t walkout, but we think that something should change in our system. In the state of Iowa, almost any person can buy a rifle at the age of 18, this includes the AR-15’s that are popular for committing some of the most devastating mass shootings in America. It is illegal to buy a handgun or its ammunition until someone is 21 years old. We think that it should be illegal to buy any gun until one is 21, there are reasons that one isn’t allowed to drink or buy a handgun until age 21, so why is buying a rifle any different? We are by no means saying that
guns should be banned, but we think that pushing back the legal age is a first step in the right direction, an idea that could help the country stay a bit safer. “There is no one solution, there’s a lot of issues in our system that need to be fixed,” said Paul Linville, ‘19. Linville was one of the students who organized and spoke at the Washington Walkout after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. To him, this isn’t what party someone chooses to side with, it’s a problem of keeping Americans safe in their own country. Currently there is the debate of ‘guns don’t kill people, people kill people.’ We think that guns give
people the power to kill other people. “Of course people kill people. But it’s a lot easier for ‘people’ to kill in massive numbers quickly and efficiently when they’re armed with a weapon that is nearly military grade,” said Miriam Ochs, ‘18. Ochs was also a main organizer and speaker at the walkout. When someone has access to a handgun, that gun can do much less harm in a shooting than a rifle would do, but one would need to be three years older to buy that handgun. What use does someone have for a semi-automatic rifle? The assault-style guns don’t have a
purpose for the everyday American
citizen, but they are legally allowed to buy a near military grade gun if they are adults. There are attachments that can turn a semi-automatic rifle into a near fully-automatic rifle. “The use of guns for hunting and at recreational shooting ranges is perfectly okay in my book, but one does not need an assault weapon for these activities,” said Ochs. Six of the ten most deadly mass shootings in the United States history have been committed by a person with an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle. All of these six shootings have taken place in the last six years, but nothing has changed in terms of our country’s gun control laws, nothing has happened to keep Americans safe from these violent weapons that an 18 year old is legally able to buy. In fact, the country hasn’t seen much effective change since Columbine, a mass school shooting in 1999. We believe that our country’s gun control laws could see some improvement in light of recent events. We believe that being older to buy a gun and citizens not having easy access to near military grade weapons are a few vital steps in the right direction towards our country’s safety.
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(All photos are of the walkout which took place Feb. 21, 2018.)
Bottom left and top right photos by Paul Schneidermann, center photo by Aamillaya Green
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Feature
The Fight for LGBTQ Rights Sarah Altemeier and Quinn Wilcox Editor-in-Chief and News Editor “Xavier High School is an equal opportunity educational institution. No person shall, on the grounds of race, color, age, gender, national origin, or physical disability, be subject to discrimination, be excluded from participation in, or denied that benefit of, or any program or activity sponsored by Xavier High School.” That is Xavier’s statement about discrimination in their handbook, but it makes no mention of sexuality. Landon Santel, ’18, spent his freshman and sophomore year at Xavier, before transferring to Wash this year, “I was tired of the environment at Xavier and the LGBTQ hostility there. There’s a lot of different actions or policies that may be written or unwritten that were enforced that really stigmatized LGBTQ students further than the societal struggles that every LGBTQ youth goes through.”
Twitter screenshot from Santel’s phone
Photo of Landon Santel ’18 by Gabe Greco ’19
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Photo of Check Please script with lines blacked out. Photo courtesy of Landon Santel.
Xavier High School Photo Courtesy of Kenadee Dekko
Feature
Santel wrote an open letter to the Xavier Administration:
My name is Landon Santel and I’m a junior graduating this May from George Washington High School. Out of school, I volunteer at various organizations (300+hrs), work as a CNA in advanced long-term care, and participate in several extra-curriculars. Before transferring to Wash this past August, I spent two years at Xavier High School facing social hostility for accepting what I cannot change. Like many other LGBTQ youth, I knew my sexual orientation for a length of time, but struggled with accepting it, justifiably so. At its core, our society subjects minority groups, especially LGBTQ, to violence and defamation. In fact, being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender statistically puts you at the highest risk of hate crime among minorities, not including the Orlando nightclub shooting. Fundamental legal rights for the LGBTQ community started only 15 years ago and sexual orientation is still not a federally protected civil rights class. At Xavier, LGBTQ inequality and inequity are both prevalent, yet constantly neglected. The discrimination is not commonly individual-based, but is institutionalized through less-overt actions and policies. During my required theology classes, teachers lectured several times on how the national legalization of same sex marriage was a tragedy to society because gay sex is just as bad as beastiality. Additionally, a priest who presented in another theology class (different grade level) taught the same belief. My same-sex attraction being equated to a perverted desire to rape animals by influential educators and a spiritual leader was devastating. I was also shocked as a stage manager in the 2016 spring play when numerous lines were deliberately blacked out of the script to eliminate the existence of homosexuality. The director even had to come up with a new character to fill the void. When I expressed my concerns to the director, it was clear that she was not the person who made the edits, nor was she allowed to revert them. May 2016, a Xavier student was presented the Matthew Shepard [LGBTQ] Scholarship at the annual senior awards assembly, but there was significant backlash from students, parents, faculty, and visitors. Students, for instance, made comments like “I wish that I could get a scholarship for being straight” and “is this even allowed”. Six months later, the Archdiocese of Dubuque Catholic School Board implemented a policy targeting the scholarship, barring any outside organizations from presenting awards at assemblies, also stating that it was to “Insure any award/scholarship description is in accord with Catholic teachings”. The Eychaner Foundation will no longer be allowed to present this scholarship, if awarded to a student at Xavier or any other Dubuque diocese school, which attacks their key mission of speaking at awards assemblies to “provide hope to kids in the audience who don’t even know how to talk about it yet, but know LGBT kids are valued, are important, and are recognized publicly”. Sophomore year, being the first year I could attend school dances, I heard from upperclassmen that going as a same-sex couple to school dances was not allowed. I later confirmed this unwritten policy with the administration, who said they don’t want to ‘promote’ same-sex relationships. This rule is still in effect today. I’m baffled by the rationale that allowing a legal relationship to exist, is somehow promoting or supporting a sexuality. If anything, it would be simply complying with Iowa Code 216.9 by affording the benefits of a program/activity to persons of a protected class [sexual orientation included in Iowa]. After starting the Xavier Amnesty International Chapter, the club faced significant scrutiny from the administration through in-person confrontation and emails, particularly due to the coverage of basic LGBTQ rights (i.e. gay execution camps). A few months ago, the administration suggested dissolving the chapter after receiving ‘concerns’ from members of the Xavier community. Less specifically, students have tweeted and said gay hate slurs such as “f*ggot” during school hours and have received no punishments after being reported to administrators. With that logic, students are allowed to go around saying other offensive slurs like “n*gger” with no disciplinary action. There’s an overarching shame and disgust towards LGBTQ students that is experienced frequently, but is less blatant than some of the incidents which have been described. Acknowledging everything stated above, you can see why a gay student, like myself, avoids going to a school that cultivates this extent of hostility in an educational environment. I am finally publicizing the LGBTQ inequity at Xavier after exhausting all other private means of addressing this issue with the administration through numerous meetings and writings. During the most recent meeting a few weeks ago, Principal Tom Keating said that my concerns were ‘appreciated’, but nothing is changing. All of the Xavier-specific factors combined with the societal struggles of being LGBTQ, have real consequences. Several curent LGBTQ students I’ve spoken with say they feel “unsafe”, and every current LGBTQ student that I’ve contacted say they feel unwelcome and shamed. According to a 2018 Xavier publication, enrollment is at an all-time low, which makes me wonder why there is such a push for exclusion, and not a focus on acceptance. To be clear, some of my best friends go to Xavier and there are plenty of amazing students and faculty who’ve helped me grow as a person. Also, I am still involved in the Catholic Church and do not think that Catholicism is anti-gay or hateful in practice. Moreover, Xavier is committing injustice in the name of Catholicism, which is so unfortunate for the reputation of most Catholics who welcome and love everyone for how they were created. This entire ordeal is unacceptable on a multitude of levels, especially since I’ve pleaded for change so many times. The Xavier administration has lost sight of their core purpose- to establish and maintain a safe and effective learning environment for all students. Instead, they’ve become Catholic police, concerned with enforcing doctrine. I truly hope that you [Principal Tom Keating, Associate Principal Angela Olson, Dean of Students Nick Satterlee, Activities Director Andrew Unthum, Campus Minister Fr. Dustin Vu, XHS School Board, Archdiocese of Dubuque Catholic School Board, and Archbishop Michael Jackels] will finally choose to address this issue of ignorance, bigotry, and hostility that Xavier is perpetuating. You have the authority and responsibility to make these conditions better. I would absolutely be willing to suggest solutions, speak at meetings, answer questions, and/or help in any other capacity to help improve the current situation. Please… acknowledge your obligation to address this issue for the sake of each student who’s being marginalized and remains voiceless.
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He is not alone. Santel has reached out to LGBTQ students at Xavier for comment on their experiences and thoughts. The following comments were obtained by The Surveyor from screenshot text conversations the students had with Santel. They requested to remain anonymous for fear of disciplinary consequences: “I would say that I feel the need to live a lie of sorts, like, I have to appeal to the majority, faking that I’m going to live a heterosexual life with a wife and procreate. The school fails to project that as LGBTQ children, we belong to God. We are made in his likeness and image with a unique purposes in life. We aren’t defective. God made me, me. If he wanted me otherwise, he would have made me otherwise,” said one student. “I don’t feel safe at school because the school doesn’t make the atmosphere accepting. There is nothing wrong with me. I feel isolated because I fear that I would be discriminated against and bullied for being me. I can only find peace in those a part of the LGBTQ community, which is like 5 people I know out of the whole school. The school would benefit from a GSA group, a place where we can be ourselves, a place where we’ve accepted as God’s children,” he/she continued. “We had a priest come in one time that said adoption and in vitro fertilization (IVF) are basically sins because they are having a child
outside ‘god’s plan’ and that couples that have children that way are sinning,” said another student. Santel has met with the archdiocese (the representatives of the Catholic Church), priests, and the administration at Xavier. “I truly believe that the Xavier administration isn’t trying to target the LGBTQ youth. I know them. Mr. Keating, I live in his neighborhood. I see him out for walks, I really don’t think he’s that type of person. But, he receives so much backlash from parents in the Xavier community. With that said, I think that Xavier needs to prioritize their students mental health and well-being over public image,” said Santel. When reached for comment, the Xavier Principal Mr. Tom Keating said “[I] welcome the opportunity to discuss this with Landon.” Keating declined to comment further. Keating has blocked Santel on Twitter. Some students believe that everyone is accepted at Xavier, “There’s always been controversy about whether being gay is a choice and if it’s wrong in the Bible and all that crap, and it make a lot of people upset and I understand why… It’s not my place to judge you for being gay, I wouldn’t even know what it’s like to be gay. But I know the majority of my classmates and teachers are good people. We are taught to respect all life, and we won’t treat someone different because they’re gay, even if
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Feature
it doesn’t exactly come to terms with our Scripture. We accept all people, and we aren’t to judge, God is the judge” said Jax Junge, ’18, at Xavier. Meanwhile, others believe there is evident discrimination. “I feel the main reason students are hesitant to come out is because of the backlash they would receive if they did. This is especially a problem in religion classes. In these classes teachers pretend to be accepting of everyones sexual orientation. They say it is acceptable as long as the person does not engage in a homosexual relationship, which is in direct contradiction to their statement of acceptance,” said another Xavier student who requested anonymity. Given that Xavier is a private high school, there’s nothing that can be legally done regarding the policies Santel addressed in the statement above. Iowa Safe Schools, a group whose mission is to create a safe environment for LGBTQ students across the state, said that private schools are not held to the same standard as public schools. “The school has to provide a safe space for all students including those who identify as LGBTQ, but the school can also get away with some discrimination which you can argue creates an unsafe learning environment,” said Nate Monson, the executive director of Iowa Safe Schools. Santel plans to continue his fight to change policies at Xavier.
Profiles
Meet the
Mr. Washington Contestants Questions
1. What is something people don’t know about you? 2. What is your dream date? Jaden Chapman
1. How much of a nerd I am. 2. A warm summer night where we get lost on a great adventure and end up in the country staring at the stars.
Ben Hunter
1. After I graduate, I will become a fifth generation Dairy farmer for an unknown period of time. 2. Something wholesome like a picnic, nothing too complicated or stressful.
1. I was the runner-up for cutest baby in the year 2000 for Cedar Rapids. 2. Long walks... in the food court, and staring into the sunset... from my castle in Minecraft. Realistically anything that will make my date happy.
Julian Klepach
Drew Christensen
1. I really don’t know because my life is an open book. 2. Going skiing in the mountains and then taking it back to a cabin to enjoy some coffee and each other’s company.
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Profiles
Nathaniel Burke 1. I’m the hottest rapper alive. 2. (rap this) I would ride my bike, then I would do a hike, both with a girl I really really like.
1. I’m really good at whistling. 2. My dream date is September 27th.
Quinn Wilcox
Tyler McGuire 1. I freaking love dinosaurs. 2. Conquering distant lands, then maybe seeing a movie.
1. I love trying new things and perservering through obstacles. 2. A sunset on the beach with pizza and good music.
Jon Taylor
1. People think I’m quiet but if you get to know me I’m pretty funny to be around. 2. Taking my date to California and going to the beaches.
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Filipe Rocha
Profiles
Brennan Regan
1. I love chick flicks. 2. First I pick the girl up at her house, then we go to Chick-fil-A, then we have a picnic at Brucemore and stargaze. Also, we would debate if aliens exist. They do, but we would still debate.
David Abraham
1. I work on a farm and am an Eagle Scout. 2. A nice night in the haymow, throwing hay, laying in the hay, and if the night is perfect, eating some hay.
Marcus Gillis
1. I have low iron levels.:( 2. Going to the airport to watch planes fly over and watching the sunset.
1. I am a D&D Dungeon Master. 2. Having a cup of coffee in northern Scandinavia and watching Arora Borealis.
Hunter Blake
Thomas Corbett 1. I watch Hetalia anime. 2. Going on a night picnic in the country and stargazing.
1. I pee in the pool. 2. Having her parents drop us off at Super Skate and then holding hands during the couples skate. Finally, ending the night with a quick smooch after the Cha Cha Slide.
Quinn Spivey
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sports
Finding a New Home? Isaac Gomez Staff Reporter Seven years ago the Cedar Rapid Kernels, a professional baseball about them while he was on vacation. He heard about it from team and the Rough Riders who were an amature hockey team, a press release and, on the same day he sent an email to Chris were the only things for a sports fan to look forward too. In 2012 Kokalis. “At that point I had not played competitively for about Cedar Rapids added a professional indoor football team called a year and a half or so and it was already itching at me to play the Cedar Rapids Titans. Four years later, Cedar Rapids added an competitively again.” said Johnson. amature indoor soccer team named the Cedar Rapids Rampage Like a lot of teams that move locations, they need to find a team United. to put together. Johnson had an open tryout and that’s how he was When the Titans first started in 2012, they able to make the team. Every game was almost a were playing in the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena, tryout for the player. “At any point and time you sharing it of course with the RoughRiders. They could be fired and they could hire someone else.” had to play in the Ice Arena because the U.S. Johnson said. Cellular Center was being remodeled following Johnson had played indoor soccer prior to the the Flood of 2008, so they couldn’t play there Rampage, but it was much more specific rather until they were done with construction in 2014. than outdoor soccer. He felt more comfortable The Cedar Rapids Rampage United were the outside because he had played more outside than second new team to come to Cedar Rapids and indoor. “It’s a little more specific in terms of types they had their first season in 2016. For the past of movements, plays and subbing rotations. It’s a couple of years their attendance isn’t where lot more like hockey,” Johnson said. they wanted it to be. Because of this there are With the rumors of the Rampage leaving, rumors that the owners are looking to move the he wouldn’t follow the Rampage to Orlando franchise to Orlando, Florida. Both The Titans and rather stay here and coach and teach due and The Rampage brought something new to student loans and a secure job here. “This is Jacob Johnson practicing to Cedar Rapids. They also gave the U.S. Cellular soccer when he was a where I earn the majority of my income. It’s a nice Center two new activities to promote. Some senior. Photo courtesy of thing to do on the side. For some they can support students may know that Jacob Johnson, a science The Monument. themselves entirely doing that but a lot of them teacher at Washington and girls varsity soccer don’t have them same amount of college education,” coach, is a member of the Cedar Rapids Rampage. Johnson said. Johnsons’ background with soccer is quite extensive before He would still play with a team if they were to move. He was able the Rampage. He has played college and club soccer, including to meet a lot of people who live around the U.S. He was able to playing at Eastern Illinois University and has played locally with meet all these people through the MASL. the club Cedar River Soccer Association. He also was a part of the No matter what happens to the Rampage, Johnson will continue Olympic Development Program. It’s a state team that you have to playing soccer. He will stay in town, have his same job and play the qualify for to be on the team. same sport. When the Rampage first moved to Cedar Rapids, Johnson heard
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sports Ben Janssen Sports Editor
Rugby Warriors
Finishing as the State runner up after only one year in existence sounds like something out of a Hollywood movie, but it happened at Wash just last year. The Warrior rugby team was the only athletic team to achieve such a finish for Wash last year. Despite this enormous accomplishment in their inaugural season, not many students know of this team or their success. Rugby is a classic sport that is popular around the world. It is a physical sport similar to football and soccer, but players wear little to no pads. “Its like if you’re a tough football player and you like smacking people it’s like, go play rugby they are damn near the same thing and that’s like really attractive to the wrestlers and football players typically,” Chris Karamitros ’18 said. Although most rugby played around the world is 15s (15 on 15) Wash plays rugby 7s. This means that there are fewer people playing at a time and the halves are shorter. Wash rugby games take about 15 minutes, with two seven minute halves and a two minute halftime. Rugby is a great option for athletes in the springtime. It’s a more physical alternative than soccer or track. . “It’s all fast paced the ball rarely stops, you’re going hard for seven minutes, I think people like that. Straight up were going to go balls to the wall against you for seven minutes, then you’re going to get a two minute break before we do it again, and I think they find that attractive and I think that it’s just so unfamiliar to them that when they hear that they’re like, rugby you’re tackling without pads it’s scary but then they do it and they’re like,
well this is fun,” Karamitros said. Rugby has been growing rapidly in the United States, and in Iowa. There are more students joining teams, and there are more teams joining the Iowa Youth Rugby Association (IAYRA) every year. There are currently three teams (Jefferson, Washington and Linn-Mar) in Cedar Rapids Metro and IAYRA director and state representative Dennis Oliver projects there to be even more in 2019. “I would say that it’s attributed to the passionate coaches and fans that we have. They are able to convey their passion for the game to their players and allow them to fall in love with the game. We emphasize camaraderie, sportsmanship, and that its a game played by all creeds, genders, and races across the world. I also think it is because we play the Olympic version of the game, 7s, which is fast paced and high scoring,” Oliver said. Rugby is growing in the high school level and is new to a few schools in the
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area. Rugby has a long history in the state. The Cedar Rapids Headhunters is a rugby team that has been competing since the 1960s. Rugby also exists at the collegiate level, and to some athletes, can provide a way for them to help pay for their next level of education. “One other thing I think that gets missed is the opportunity for financial assistance for college. To be blunt, some kids that would not earn a football scholarship, could potentially still find money for college through playing rugby. Iowa Central Community College for instance has a varsity program that is currently ranked #1 in the nation in the small school division. (They) offer scholarships to their varsity athletes,” Warrior head coach Patrick Lausen said.
Parks McBride ’18. Photo courtesy of Patrick Lawson
sports
Warrior Rumble Invite
Tyonchi Johnson ’18. Photo courtesy of Dennis Oliver Washington’s second year rugby team is coming off of a successful first season. Last year the Warrior team, consisting of just 11 members, made it to the state championship match, while only having nine players due to injuries. The Warriors eventually fell to Iowa rugby powerhouse Southeast Polk in a close match. This season the team has almost doubled in size and team captain Chris Karamitros is looking forward to a good season. “I was out obviously, and Connor Malcolm, (’17,) who was our starting fly half, which is a position, was out as well. Jarred Scherrman, (’18,) had to move over to fly half and we had to put in someone off the bench to play center. So, we lost, but one or two tries (Scores like touchdowns), to Southeast Polk who has won it six years in a row, so we are going for that title baby, it’s going to be crazy,” Karamitros said. Coach Lausen also has high hopes with a few goals. First: win our conference. Second: Earn a
sub-state bye. Third: Win state. Fourth: Start a girls program to compete in the fall. If they accomplish all of these, it would not only mark an incredible season for the team, it would mark the first high school girls rugby team in the area, with the closest current IAYRA team being the Ankeny team. “Rugby is more than just a game that is played inside the white lines of the pitch. The rugby community is what drives people to be so involved after their playing days are over, this game is still small enough that the community feels more like a family. Beyond the emotional response, Rugby is an incredible companion sport to football. We focus daily on proper tackling techniques and fitness. You will go to football in the fall as an improved athlete ready to produce on the football field additionally we find that Wrestlers seem to convert to rugby like ducks to water” Lausen said.
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This year there is a great opportunity for wash fans. The Warrior team is hosting a tournament on April 6 at Kingston Stadium. This will be the first time a Rugby game will ever be held at Kingston. “YES, April 6 we are hosting 11 teams, we are going to be playing two games that night and the other teams are going to play each other, were going to make a tournament out of it. man it’s going to be crazy. It’s the first time at Kingston a rugby match has ever been held it’s going to be awesome. We’ve got to publicize it. I’m super excited,” Karamitros said. This tournament is going to be especially important because rugby is not an IHSAA sanctioned sport. Because of this the Wash team cannot receive any funding from the school. The tournament will fund the team for the year. “So right now it’s a sanctioned sport so we get no support from the school and like no money or whatever I mean, obviously the school supports us like go you guys or whatever sort of but no one really knew we had a team, but Mr. Schultz has been awesome he’s actually going to let us paint the field out here this year so you’re going to see some rugby lines out there and it’s going to be awesome, if we could get buses, because if we get sanctioned then we could get buses and they could buy us our kits, so right now were doing that all ourselves, but this game at Kingston is going to be huge because all that money is going to go into our own system so if y’all come out and pay, the more people that come out the more money we get, the more we will be able to pay for ourselves and we are going to be rolling from there,” Karamitros said.
Graphic by Ben Janssen
Photo Courtesy of Theatre Cedar Rapids
Anne Frank:
The Diary of
Starring: Lily Palmersheim, Class of 2020 Sophie Lindwall Staff Reporter
Theatre Cedar Rapids is cur“When I first found out I got the rently in rehearsal for their next role, I was shocked. I didn’t think show, “The Diary of Anne Frank,” I was being considered for the starring Lily Palmersheim, ’20, in role because of my age, but I was the title role. This is Palmersheim’s very excited. I called my mom and first major role on dad when I the TCR stage, but found out, even not her first run “When I first found though I was around the block. at school,” said out I got the role, I Palmersheim. She has also been in “Billy Elliot,” “Peter was shocked. I didn’t “The Diary Pan,” and shows in of Anne Frank” think I was being “The Underground considered for the tells the well Theatre Festival” known true role because of my story of Anne all at TCR. She also age,” participated in a few Frank. The play of the “Cedar Rapis based off of ids Follies” at the her diary that Paramount and “The Great Gatswas later turned into a book, “The by” and “Newsies” here at Wash. Diary of a Young Girl.” Anne Frank
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and her family were jews who went into hiding during Nazi Germany. They were discovered by the Gestapo in 1944 after 25 months in hiding in the secret annex of her father’s office building. Anne kept a diary during her years in hiding, and her diary entries are what the play entails. Not only is “The Diary of Anne Frank” a story of the life of a jew during World War II, but it is also a coming of age story. Anne Frank grows from a child to a woman during her more than two years in the secret annex. In the play, the character discusses the topics that comes with growing up, including her sexuality and the physical and mental changes in her body.
A&E
“The Diary of Anne Frank” is directed by Angie Toomsen, Theatre Cedar Rapids Artistic Director. “Angie Toomsen is 2,000 percent the greatest director ever. She’s so nice. She’s so sweet. I love her so much,” said Palmersheim. Toomsen has directed nearly forty shows, the most recent being “Detroit” at Riverside Theatre. She has directed seven plays and four musicals at TCR. “Lily is wonderful. She is fantastic and super,” said Rachel Potthoff, TCR’s stage manager. Potthoff is not the only person who feels that way about Palmersheim. “Lily is very, very dedicated to her work and it’s been amazing working with her because she gets better and better every rehearsal and you can tell that she really understands Anne and it’s like watching her transform into another person. It’s like a revelation. I am very impressed by her work,” said Tad Paulson, who is playing Otto Frank. “This is a story we can never forget. Not just because what it means and how it helps us to understand all the human beings that were impacted by the Holocaust, but it helps us to remain vigilant because I think cruelty and inhumanity are things that we still have
to remain aware of and conscious of in our world,” said Toomsen. Theatre Cedar Rapids reached out to the Amsterdam Museum that toured with the annex exhibit to get large posters that show quotes and pictures from the annex. They are displayed in the lobby of the theatre. Another feature associated with the show is “Beyond the Stage.” “We are going to have Holocaust researches come in and talk about World War II, the Holocaust, and other issues regarding “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “Bent”* to an audience,” said Palmersheim. Overall, according to all of Palmershiem’s co-stars, directors, and students here at The Surveyor, we are sure that “The Diary Of Anne Frank” will be a show that you won’t want to miss.
*“Bent” is the affiliating play about the persecution of homosexuals during the Holocaust. It will be showing in the Grandon Studio at TCR from March 16 to March 31.
Show Times: “The Diary of Anne Frank” will be playing at Theatre Cedar Rapids from March 9-25.
Friday, March 9, 2018 at 7:30 PM Saturday, March 10, 2018 at 7:30 PM Sunday, March 11, 2018 at 2:30 PM Friday, March 16, 2018 at 7:30 PM Saturday, March 17, 2018 at 7:30 PM Sunday, March 18, 2018 at 2:30 PM Friday, March 23, 2018 at 7:30 PM Saturday, March 24, 2018 at 7:30 PM Sunday, March 25, 2018 at 2:30 PM
Pictured: Ian Wolverton-Weiss, ‘21, and Lily Palmershiem, ‘20, pose together in a promotional photo for Theatre Cedar Rapids. The pair portray characters Peter Van Daan and Anne Frank. 21
Photo Courtesy of Theatre Cedar Rapids
THE MAP ROOM A&E
Hole In The Wall:
Seth Keppler Opinions Editor
On the outside, it looks like a shy, four-cornered, shanty pub, but on the inside, The Map Room is an outlandish restaurant with a whimsical style. The interior is anything but hole in the wall quality, however The Map Room does have a hole in the wall history. Unlike your average burger joint, The Map Room serves gourmet burgers with heaps of toppings. Each item on the menu has its own one-of-a-kind exquisite flavor, and if you’re accustomed to the average joe patty, cheese ketchup, and bun type of burger The Map Room may not be for you. The one prominent feature of The Map Room is its central theme, maps. The interior is decorated with a zillion maps from maps of the original thirteen British colonies to maps of the Bahamas. There are old maps, new maps, big maps, little maps, and even a globe. The dark wood floors and lighting also gives off the vibe of a smooth jazz cafe which many locals would call, “cool.” Piled high with pulled pork, sprinkled with french fried onions, pickles, doused with their homemade BBQ sauce, and completed with American cheese and juicy beef patty, The Memphis is a burger that packs a flavorful punch of BBQ taste in a way unknown to the traditions of the old books of
barbeque. The sweet flavors of the homemade BBQ sauce tag team with those of the delicious pulled pork and elbow drop your taste buds from the top rope. The sour acidity from the two pickles dances with the sweetness of the pulled pork makes a lovely couple. The patty of the burger and cheese bring a classic American flavor that surprisingly stays present underneath the mountain of pulled pork and homemade sauce. The french fried onions also provide an excellent crispy texture that crunches giving your mouth a break from the immensity of chewing from the pulled pork. And may I recommend getting french fries as a side, their crispness and salty flavor are always a classic side for a great burger. The atmosphere is noisy yet relaxing, and depending on which time you go, a little cramped. Nevertheless, The Map Room provides excellent
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food a n d quality service. Exotic entrees pack flavors from all around the world, and with the many maps plastered and framed about the walls will make you feel like an explorer.
Photos and Illustration by Seth Keppler
Backpage CC by mia_marianne & emilie.rollandin
Roses & Thorns -Black History Month Assembly -Snapchat Update -WPA after parties -WPA song selection -Black Panther -Tom Brady kissing his children -Hy-Vee Sugar Cookies -Your 2nd Hy-Vee Sugar Cookie -All-State Speech -Millie Bobby Brown dating Jacob -Finstas Sartorius -Mini Van Novak -Discrimination -Table Tennis Team -Xavier -Next big break is SUMMER -Spring Break is over -Snow Days (especially for seniors) -When you don’t have a 1st hour and -Unicornis Captivatur there is a schedule change you are -The Steppers unaware of -Caramel DeLites -The R-word -Field Mouse -Snow -Wash Walks -Chihuahuas a.k.a. rats with fur -Free Speech -Not meeting AP test goal -The Ochs Brothers -Milk... why it taste like dat -Amnesty calling elected officials to express -Tomi Lahren opinions on gun control -Mr.Washington being delayed -Wash having a rugby team -Long track workouts -Coach Wood -The NRA -Get Out -Warm water in the drinking fountains -Parkland students doin’ their THANG -When your hair gets stuck in the back -Lily Palmersheim being Anne Frank in a TCR part of the school desk play -Losing an hour of sleep -Stacey Walker -That one leaky bathroom -The Surveyor -Thin mints
The Zucchini Headline of the issue
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www.crwashsurveyor.com
mission The Surveyor is established as a school-sponsored designated forum dedicated to informing and entertaining its readers. The staff will report as fairly and well-balanced as possible. All activities and news will be covered to the best of the staff’s ability. The Surveyor accepts the Society of Professional Journalist’s Code of Ethics as the basis for good journalism. Readers are encouraged to express their viewpoints through guest editorial. The Surveyor also welcomes letters to the editor, with these guidelines: it is not libelous or obscene, it explains the material clearly, it is not longer than 500 words, and that it is signed.
creative commons
Girl Scouts of America Under Fire After Poison Cookie Outbreak 23
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