April Little Hawk 2012 by The Little Hawk

TheLittleHawk Iowa City High School Iowa City, Iowa volume LXX-issue V April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

The boys’ team is back on track by Kris Kindl

kriskindl@thelittlehawk.com

photo by ELI SHEPHERD Protestors hold up signs in the downtown Iowa City pedestrian mall as part of the Trayvon Martin ‘Million Hoodie March.’ The march was in protest of the lack of legal action taken against the killer, George Zimmerman, in the shooting of Florida teen Trayvon Martin.

Trayvon Martin case brings protests to I.C.

On February 26, 2012, a Florida teen named Trayvon Martin was shot and killed. The killer has gone unprosecuted under Florida’s self-defense laws, which has drawn nationwide protest, Iowa City being no exception. by Oli Peters & Sonora Taffa

olipeters@thelittlehawk.com sonorataffa@thelittlehawk.com

Clad in colorful hoodies, teenagers scaled the metal ladders of the ped mall play structure to overlook hundreds of Iowans, some waving signs, others standing quietly with their families, all protesting one incident. On Monday, March 26, the one month anniversary of the shooting of Sanford, Florida teen Trayvon Martin, a protest march took place in downtown Iowa City, contesting the lack of legal action taken against the killer, George Zimmerman. “Living in Iowa City, you don’t think about things like that happening,” Fas Trac member Jordan Sullivan ’12 said. “I hope that it’s an eye opener for others. I think African Americans are completely aware of what’s going on. Other people know about it, but I don’t think it’s necessarily affected them as much.” Sullivan was one of five City High students and Fas Trac members who

gave a personal speech at the protest march. Fas Trac is a non-school affiliated program, made to help minority students succeed. The club’s advisor, Henri Harper, heard about the case a week before the march and instigated the students’ involvement in the protest. “I just brought it to their attention. I told them what I was planning for the protest, and they wanted to be part of it. They jumped right on it and started doing research,” Harper said. “The more they learned about it, the more they realized that it could have been their big brothers, cousins, anyone.” Fas Trac member Jasper Washington ’12 felt a strong connection to the Trayvon Martin case and spoke emotionally at the rally. “(George Zimmerman) should be tried, and it shouldn’t have taken this long. If [the trial] had happened when it should have, then none of us would be here,” Washington said. “I’m also grateful that it’s taken so long, as much as I am sorry that it happened, because I have this opportunity to make a change.”

Fas Trac was originally a City High club, however in 2010 it was separated from the school and is now a community organization. “...we had a lot of black kids fighting and they were out of control, so we sat down and created Fas Trac,” Harper said. “[Fas Trac] is about the fact that we have an education program that can bring people up. It’s about the fact that we can learn from one another and help each other succeed. We want everyone to think that if one of us is failing, then all of us are failing.” Harper believes that this attitude should extend into the entire Iowa City community. In the past five years a large relocation of Chicago residents to the Iowa City area has thrown social issues such as these into the limelight. “People assume that we’re doing well but that’s not the case. In this population we have two Iowa Cities,” Harper said. “We have the side that has been here for a while and they’re doing well, and then we have the side of people whose families and students haven’t been, and are

not, doing well.” The Trayvon Martin case sparked outcries across the country, and Iowa City experienced its own social upheaval due to the diversity of the town. “I think that people in the community care and they think it’s sad, but maybe not to the extent that they should,” Sullivan said. “I hope that [George Zimmerman] gets sentenced to life in prison. You should never kill someone and get away with it, no matter what the situation is.” On April 10 the Seminole County grand jury of Florida decided if files against George Zimmerman should be charged. Check thelittlehawk. com for recent updates. “If we don’t talk about this case, we’re going to forget about it and then it will happen again and nothing will change,” Harper said. “There’s going to be another killing, or just another injustice. We need to talk openly about biases, about racism, about equality for everyone... It’s time to start.”

The coming of spring not only marks the beginning of warm weather, shorts, and short-sleeve shirts, but also the start of a new track season at City High. This season, the Little Hawks are preparing to achieve their ultimate goals both as a team and individually. “My goals for this season are just to get better, get faster and stay healthy, and to just help this team win and do as well as we can and get a state championship for this team,” Joey Kebschull ‘13 said. Last season the boys placed 19th at the state track meet to complete the season. Many of this year’s athletes are returning members from last year’s season, and have high hopes of seeing the team bring back a state title. “A state title would really mean a lot to this team. This is a hard working team, one of the hardest working track teams in the state. I know that this team is hungry for that state title,” Kebschull said. The letter-winners and seniors returning to lead the team include Javon Duarte, Peter Krumm, Quinn McNutt, Dwight Donahue, Jeremy Johnson, Mason Greer, and Kody Dailey. “There is always things to be improving on so I’m always constantly working on everything to improve myself and help improve the team,” Kebschull said. “The team itself has improved just with maturity and there’s a lot more leadership this year. We’ve all gotten better and we had a young team last year so we have a lot of good guys back and a lot of depth.” The varsity boys team will compete in 10 meets this season. Two of these, the Forwald relays on April 19 and the MVC divisional meet on May 4, will take place at Rafensburger Track. “I’m excited to see what this season holds. There is a lot of competition amongst the team right now, so it keeps everyone going and pushing. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a few guys come out of the wood works this year and really blossom later on in the season,” Kebschull said. “It’s going to be an interesting season, I have no doubt about that.”

For more coverage of boy’s sports, visit thelittlehawk.com

PREVIEW April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

inthis

ISSUE ... news

Fas Trac’s civil rights trip

This Spring Break, 36 ICCSD Junior High and High School students took a cross-country bus trip for the Iowa City Civil Rights Trip.

Recent grads in rowing meet

City High graduates Annelise Jacobson and Destinee Gwee, as well as West branch graduate Anna Bruns are now rowing for The University of Iowa.

A17

Chicago the Musical

The drama department is expecting Chicago to be the highest grossing production in the history of City High.

sports

features

Spring Fashion

City High students feature this spring’s hottest new looks.These include stripes, color blocking, blazers and more.

Scattergood

An in-depth feature of Scattergood, a Quaker boarding school located in West Branch, Iowa that focuses on environmental awareness.

Project C

Society has over-glorifed the party scene, but the reality of it is that one night can change everything.

Girls Tennis takes strides

The City High Girl’s Tennis team starts the season facing challenges and training their new varsity athletes.

Former City athletes

2008 City High graduates, Kelly Krei and Cameron Foreman, find success as Division 1 athletes.

Tattoos in sports

Several City High athletes are getting tattoos that are inspired by the sports they play.

EDITORIALSTAFF renata stewart co-executive editor

max friedman

co-executive editor

cassie wassink news editor

jake binggeli sports editor

alex perez

features editor

gabriel basile a&e editor

reporters

eli shepherd

photo/video editor

Nathaniel Alder Emma Baxter Ellen Carmen Naftalia Flatte Olivia Hamilton Lily Howard Claire Jacobson Christian Kennedy Kris Kindl Sarah Lange Daniella Perret

Olivia Peters Shannon Randall Jack Rogers Harris Thompson Annika Wasson Ryan Young Kierra Zapf Ethan Zierke

mission statement The Little Hawk, the student newspaper of City High School, aims to inform, educate and entertain readers; to provide an educational opportunity for the students who produce it; and to provide a medium for commercial advertising. Equity Statements

sonora taffa

co-opinion editor

kieran green

co-opinion editor

jon myers

online editors

nora holman design editor

jason arnold designer

emma gier designer

mikiel curtis advertisements

English Version: It is the policy of the Iowa City Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or socioeconomic status in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices. If you believe you have (or your child has) been discriminated against or treated unjustly at school, please contact the Equity Director, Ross Wilburn, at 509 S. Dubuque Street, 319-688-1000. Spanish Version: Declaración de Equidad: Es la política de Iowa City Community School District no descriminar en base a raza, credo, color, género, origen, religión, edad, estado civil, orientación sexual, estado de veterano, incapacidad, =estado socio-económico en sus programas educacionales, actividades, o políticas de empleo. Si usted piensa que usted o su hijo (a) han sido descriminados o que han sido tratados injustamente en la escuela, por favor comuníquese con el Director de Equidad, Ross Wilburn, 509 S. Dubuque Street, teléfono: 319-688-1000.

News TheLittleHawk

April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

Local environmental activists ‘Focus the Classroom’ at City

The Iowa City chapter of ‘Focus the Nation,’ an environmentally-friendly organization, presented to a group of City High students on April 8th in the Little Theater. by Eli Shepherd

elishepherd@thelittlehawk.com

On the morning of Thursday, April 8, much of City High’s student populous woke up, got dressed, and drove to school. That very same morning, Tim Dwight spoke of changing that and, in turn, changing the world. “This is what we do every day,” Dwight said, gesturing to a U.S. oil consumption graph. “But we can change that, we can get into wind, into solar.” Dwight spoke during third hour on Thursday to a small collection of students about environmental issues and how he was planning to address them in Iowa City. He opened a slide with an image of houses with solar panels lining the roofs. “This is going on in Germany right now. Any building you build there right now has to be positive carbon. You know what that means?” Dwight said, looking into the audience. “It means you have to give out more energy than you take in. This is how they’re building, and this is what I want to do in Iowa City. Imagine that building except with solar panels all over. How cool would that be?” He let the rhetorical question sit with the crowd before moving on to budget issues with energy. He also spoke against the possible nuclear installations in Iowa, repeatedly saying how “they want to make you pay for that.” He also referenced the dangerous aspects of nuclear energy to build his case for wind and solar. Third hour was not the only workshop held, similar ones were also held during fifth and sixth hour that day.

Present at the other two was Scott Koepke of the New Pioneer Co-op and Liz Christiansen from the University of Iowa, who spoke of similar issues, as well as steps the City High community could take to address the issues. The event was called ‘Focus the Classroom’ and was organized in part by Annika Bergstrom from the suggestion of students from the Iowa City chapter of the Focus the Nation organization. Similar events were also held at West High. “I think this was a good example of City High’s dedication to the betterment of our community,” said Bergstrom. “I greatly appreciate having the ability to get the word out about City High’s participation alongside West High in a truly community-focused event.”

photos by ELI SHEPHERD & KIERRA ZAPF LEFT: Scott Koepke of the New Pioneer Co-op speaks in the Little Theatre on Thursday April 8. ABOVE: Students watch the ‘Focus the Classroom’ presentation TOP: Tim Dwight gestures while speaking to students about environmental issues.

ICCSD petitions new elementary Parents in the district question the use of funding to build a new high school. Their suggested alternative is the construction of a new eastside elementary. by Naftalia Flatté

naftaliaflatté@thelittlehawk.com

A petition was created by Dan Shaw, a Longfellow elementary parent, with the main goal of creating a new elementary school. The petition, which was presented to the board in March, suggested that in solution to the overcrowding issues of the eastside elementary schools, the board take millions from the fund to build a new high school and use them to make an elementary school on the eastside instead. Julie Eisele, co-president of the PSTO of City High, was among the first to sign the petition. ‘‘It makes no sense to hold up SILO funds for building a third high school when there are other more ba-

sic building needs that are not being met.” Eisele said. Eisele described one impracticality of building a new high school. “There is space available at City High while West is overcrowded. Until we absolutely have to, it makes no sense to build a third high school when City has room. Of course this will mean some redistricting, a very divisive topic in this community,” Eisel said. Eisele also says there are some definite questions surrounding the necessity for a new high school, and doesn’t believe that the district has adequately addressed them at this point. The petition, which is nearing 700 signatures out of 750, also addresses the overcrowding issues in two of the

west-side elementary schools, Penn and Kirkwood Elementary, as well as the balance of population dilemmas that City and West High are experiencing. Several older elementary schools, on both the east and west side, are experiencing problems with basic needs such as climate control and technology updates, and are also considered in the petition. According to the 2011-2012 Official Enrollment Report, there was a 442 student number increase from last year to this year in Iowa City, which is expected to continue. Even taking into account the unused desks in the schools that feed into City High, more space will be needed to account for the rising number of elementary students.

Some redistricting proposals have been made, including moving 106 students out of Wood and into Longfellow, moving 104 students out of Longfellow to Twain, and moving 69 students out of Twain to Hills. If the board approves, these changes are expected to take place the fall of 2013. This plan will address overcrowding at Wood and utilize available space at Twain and Hills. “It has been 42 years since any new elementary schools have been built in this part of the district,’’ Eisele said. “A new school was planned near the Windsor Ridge area, but for whatever the reason, that plan was canceled, and several new elementary schools have been built elsewhere in the district.’’

Senior wins award for short story by Nat Alder

natalder@thelittlehawk.com

Sage Behr ‘12 received the Young Arts Honorable Mention in Short Story Writing this year. Along with the mention, Behr recieved a 250 dollar award. Behr was caught off guard when she heard about the prize. “I was completely shocked,” Behr said. “I sent the story out on a whim, so I was excited to say the least.” The story is about a mother grieving the loss of her child. “The story follows a more traditional story line,” Behr said. “However it studies emotion more than it does plot.” Behr claims to have her own comprehensive writing process. “Once a year I sit down and write something, for a day,” Behr said. “Luckily enough it turned out well this time.” Behr wrote the story all in one long car ride. “During the ride, as I was writing it, my feelings kind of evolved with the story,” Behr said. “The story builds up to a certain point, and as I was writing it, I felt like I had built up to a certain point with it,” said Behr, “By the end of the car ride I was frustrated with everybody!” Behr admits that her process hasn’t always been the same. “I would write every day in freshman year, I loved writing poems,” Behr said. “But towards sophomore year I just stopped writing. It was in my Junior and Senior year that I got back into writing, but way less frequently.” Behr’s schedule is busy, but she still finds time to write. “I don’t get too much free time,” Behr said. “But I let my ideas build up and build up, and then when I’m free, I just write until I’m done.” Behr says that the story didn’t go through very much editing. “I only did one or two drafts, and Mrs. Fettweis took a look at it and helped me revise the ending before I sent it in.” Behr, who just got done performing in the community play “Our Town”, gets something out of writing. “I really enjoy writing, I find it to be therapeutic.” Behr said. Behr accredits a lot of her writing voice from her experiences in acting. “I’m kind of an eavesdropper sometimes,” Behr said. “I like to hear the way people speak, the way they interact, and I’m able to apply that to acting, and more recently, writing.” Behr, who is going to study at Stanford University, doesn’t plan on taking many writing courses. “I’m planning on studying international relations and Spanish, so I’m not sure I’ll take too many writing classes,” said Behr. “But you never know.”

NEWS April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

City garden plans grow by Sonora Taffa

sonorataffa@thelittlehawk.com

Plans to create a City High garden are emerging, led by science teacher Mary Lestina and secretary Renee Tonning. “We thought it would be a great tool for the community, for classes, and for clubs to all come together and work at City High,” Lestina said. “In the end, we would like to create enough food so that it would be possible to use it in the cafeteria. If not that then the farmer’s market.” Although organizational meetings and equipment ordering have barely begun, there seems to be a fair amount of interest expressed in the garden from different areas of the school and community. “We’ve had interest from the art department, the social studies department, and the LMS classes,” Lestina said. “We definitely want to get students involved. It could create some good project based learning here.” Organizers hope to create a garden club, as well as to incorporate science elective classes into the maintenance and usage of the garden. Science teacher Phil Lala plans to utilize the garden to teach his Botany class. “It’s the first time I’ve really taught this course, so this garden getting started up gives me a new direction I can take this class,” Lala said. “I think this is positive, because it’s something new and it can be developed over time. “ The garden is planned to feature a wide array of food-producing plants, along with flowers. Lala hopes to use these plants to further his students’ knowledge of practical botany. “There are a lot of students that don’t really realize what botany is to begin with, and the types of things that plants can actually do for us every day,” Lala said. “Many don’t realize that just beyond the food you eat, clothes and many other things are tied to plants. If we could somehow get them interested through this garden, then that would be a very positive thing.”

The FasTrac to equality

FasTrac toured civil rights landmarks, HBCUs over Spring Break. From their trip many translated inspiration to action by speaking at Trayvon Martin march.

ABOVE: Students explore “Freedom Park” in Birmingham, AL.

ABOVE: Students from FasTrac pose on the stairs of 16th St. Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL.

by Eli Shepherd

elishepherd@thelittlehawk.com

From the home of Martin Luther King Jr. with note pads, to the pedestrian mall with a microphone and a message, Iowa City FasTrac members have been hard at work; learning about the past, preparing for the future, and speaking out against injustices in the present. “We had several students that actually spoke at the Trayvon Martin march,” Jill Harper, FasTrac head mentor at City High, said. “I think people need to speak out more, when they see injustice. It just needs to be talked about more, that’s how things start to change.” Coming off of their Civil Rights trip in March, Harper many students felt inspired by the actions those be-

fore them had taken for justice and equality for people of all races. “Having just been on the civil rights trip and then having this issue come to light, this national issue, I’d say it was definitely an inspiration for them (the students) to speak out at the Trayvon Martin event.” The trip itself was a cross-country bus tour that took approximately 36 ICCSD junior high and high school students to historic Civil Rights Movement locations over Spring Break. On the trip students visited landmarks including the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN, where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in Alabama. While journeying between landmarks, different students recorded their reflections, wrote poetry, or posted photos of

After Prom party moved by Emma Baxter

emmabaxter@thelittlehawk.com

While many students are settling down to glide into summer, Student Senate juniors are hurrying to finalize plans for prom. “We [the juniors] have been working hard in and out of Student Senate, organizing prom,” Student Senate member Amel Ali ‘13 said. Prom is run by the junior class, which splits itself into committees to be more productive. Communication and weekly Wednesday meetings make sure the 15 junior members are on track. “We have a decorations committee, a food and music committee and an advertising committee,” Ali said. This year’s prom theme is an “Evening in the park.” “We want it to feel very romantic with lights everywhere,” Ali said. “Decorations are going to be so awe-

some this year!” Decorations that Student Senate has invested for the evening in the park theme are designed to make the romantic setting seem realistic. They have bought fake trees and a huge black arch that will be illuminated. Centerpieces are going to be wreaths with candles that go along with the color theme of black, silver, and purple. In order to buy these decorations, Student Senate has to work for their prom budget. “We work concessions at the football games,” Ali said. “And the school allows us to take some of the profits. We also get money from ticket sales.” Party After Prom is at the University of Iowa Wellness Center. This is a new location for the after-party, which is usually held at the Recreational Center. “The junior parents have the control in planning party after prom,” Ali said. “They want to keep the details a

big surprise.” Although the parents are trying to keep it a secret, some things are known. “We know that everything is going to be open. That means the pool, rock wall, and smoothie bar,” Ali said. “Apparently there is going to be a slide from the high dive to the diving well.” The theme for party after is Wipeout. It’s based off of the popular game show where people compete in ridiculous obstacles. “This party after is going to be way better than all the past ones, bring your swimsuits!” Ali said. Prom is the last event for City High seniors to come together before graduation. “The senior class is always going to be the class you’re the closest to, minus your own,” Ali said. “I’m really close to the seniors and I just want to plan the best prom for them that they could have.”

photos couresy of FAS TRAC

ABOVE: Juwairiah Omar ‘13 speaks at the Trayvon Martin march.

their experience on a blog set up specifically for the trip. Also on the blog, videos were placed of interviews with scholars and locals about their opinions on different civil rights issues, as well as historical accounts. Some of the videos were recorded on campuses of HBCUs (Historically black colleges and universities,) where students learned of future opportunities. One thing that was often mentioned on the blog was the statement that “there’s more to civil rights than just Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.” “I think students really started seeing how many people were truly involved in the movement,” Harper said. “It wasn’t just a few big names, there were so many people from all walks of life, all working for a greater cause; equality.”

photo by ELI SHEPHERD

Harper also said that, despite the huge advances made since the civil rights movement, more work lies ahead, especially in the case of race. “I think race is one of things that people don’t want to talk about, it’s just avoided at all costs and that’s part of the problem.” Harper expressed pride in the students who directly addressed race publicly at the Trayvon Martin event, saying addressing the issue is a big step in fixing it. “Here in Iowa City, where people are so educated, there are so many great things here, I just think we need to keep re-evaluating ourselves,” Harper said. “We all have our prejudices whether we want to or not, we just have to address them in order to deal with them.”

visit THE LITTLE HAWK WEBSITE www.thelittlehawk.com

for NEWS SPORTS FEATURES OPINIONS PODCASTS VIDEOS PHOTOS

Students at the SPOT

NEWS April 13, 2012

Junior high and high school students from both sides of town gather together on the eastside to share their faith and gain academic encouragement.

www.thelittlehawk.com

Film Festival Preview by Max Friedman

maxfriedman@thelittlehawk.com

ABOVE: Students enjoy spending time at the SPOT, where they get academic motivation.

by Claire Jacobson

clairejacobson@thelittlehawk.com

At the Spot, students get more than a fun time and good food; they get academic motivation and accountability, mentorships, and a presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. “While we are about having fun and getting kids together, our ultimate goal is to present the gospel,” assistant director DeDe Parker said. A tool for academic motivation is No Zeroes Heroes, where students are encouraged to get assignments in on time, and improve their GPA. While the Spot is not currently involved with the FasTrack program, “we may work more closely with them in the future,” Parker said. Each Wednesday night, junior

high and high school students gather at the Spot for ReMix, where they work on memorizing a Bible verse with their small group, play games, eat a snack, and have a large group chapel time. “[I like] learning about Jesus, and having fun, and being with Doug [Fern], ‘cause I’ve known him since I was ten,” Kijuan Smith ‘13 said. Fern is the director of the Spot. The students are divided into four teams, with jerseys and coaches, and they compete against each other in games and activities. “We get to come together with students from other schools,” Mariah Arneson ‘14 said. There are kids from both City and West, even from Northwest Junior High, even though the Spot is on the east side. “Some of us do mentorships,” St.

photo by CLAIRE JACOBSON

Louis rapper and Spot staff Jason “J’son” Watson said. These mentoring relationships involve anything from inviting a kid to hang out at their house, to doing a Bible study, and “even remembering birthdays,” Watson said. Parker and the girls she mentors sometimes go on trips, as well. “We just went to Chicago last week,” Parker said. Students also visit urban outreaches, and go on missions trips. This summer, five Spot kids will be going to Belize with a group from Parkview Church. The Spot is not just a ministry to ‘clean up’ the neighborhood around it. “In order to impact community, you have to impact people. You can clean up as much as you want, but if you don’t impact people you just decorating,” Watson said. “It’s the

same model Jesus had--- to impact people, who impacted more people, and here we are now, impacting people.” It is a purpose evident in all of the Spot staff. “Our desire is to impact lives for Christ. Our hope for impacting the community is to present the gospel to them as a way to pursue a better life,” Parker said. Watson was once one of these kids, back home in St. Louis. “The ‘Broadway’ or ‘East side’ kids, they just regular kids, who like having fun. They hurt and feel,” Watson said. “They may have different experiences or different backgrounds, but they still just children. We don’t want to deem them ‘bad kids’ when they just regular kids.”

Class clowns and future filmmakers all gather together in front of the silver screen for one night only-- the annual CHS Film Fest. “I’m very excited for this year’s event, we have a ton more submissions this year,” Art Teacher Mrs. Harper said. Mrs. Harper is the sponsor of Art Club at CHS, which organizes and hosts the event, in addition to judging the films. “With all of this year’s submissions, Art club will have to spend a long time judging,” Harper said. Exactly 14 films have been submitted this year, with genres ranging from horror to romantic comedy. Among the several filmmakers is Sage Behr ‘12, who is submitting a film fest movie for the first time. “It’s a romantic comedy about an awkward high school romance, it’s semi-autobiographical,” Behr said.” The cast of the movie includes Juniors Sam Buatti, Alex Perez and David Maize, in addition to Behr herself. “I love the cast with all my heart,” Behr said. “I’d say that Alex Perez is the strong point; she would charm anyone.” While Behr is submitting a romantic comedy, Senior John Law is submitting a film with different intent, a batman-themed action movie. “Basically Joker found a military steroid that he wants to put in his henchmen” Law said. “The drug will make them huge and scary and Batman needs to stop it.” Joker will be played by Senior Dwight Donahue while Batman will be played by Law himself. A trailer was released recently that shows the interaction of the characters, and the apparent high-quality of production that went into making the movie. “The filmmaking process was very difficult and enduring, but the final product is gonna be really good,” Law said. Law believes that the conclusion of the movie is what makes it so special. “The grand finale will blow you away, it blew me away and I made it,” Law said. Before the films are shown to the public, the art club must judge them carefully and decide which films will make it to the big screen. “We all vote on categories like Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Cinematography,” Harper said. Students can get involved in the voting process through the People’s Choice award, which goes to the audience’s favorite movie. “There is also the Costume Contest which is really fun,” Harper said. “The award is given to the student with the best costume, and some of them are ridiculous.” The event will take place on April 27th in Opstad Auditorium. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show will begin promptly at 7 p.m. “I’m excited to wear my prom dress from last year,” Behr said. “I can’t wait to see the range of films that students put into film fest,” Law said.

ADS April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

Come experience one of the following events hosted by your local organizations March 10-18, 2012 - MYEP-Fastrac Civil Rights Tour

Experience and learn about the Civil Rights Movement by traveling and touring museums, churches, and historically black colleges the leaders attended. Open to all high school students.

April 28, 2012 - Coretta Scott King Scholarship Luncheon

Hosted by the Tau Psi Omega Alumnae Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Learn about the extraordinary woman, Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leader, and world peace advocate. Open to the public. 11:30am - 1:30pm at the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame.

May 19, 2012 - NAACP Youth Empowerment Luncheon

SNO BIZ

shaved ice done right New Location! Corner of Muscatine Ave & 1st Ave Iowa CIty, IA 52240

Celebrate the achievements and accomplishments of 2012 AfricanAmerican high school seniors. Featuring SHIFT Speaker, Azure Antoinette. Open to the public. 11:30am - 1:30pm at the Clarion Hotel in Cedar Rapids, IA.

May 19, 2012 - Student Leadership Conference Unplugged

Did you attend last years’ Student Leadership Conference? Then you know the force that is Azure Antoinette. Well she’s back! Spend the afternoon with this world renown poet and spoken word artist and enjoy a real dialogue discussing issues surrounding today’s youth. Specifically for past attendees of Diversity Focus’ Student Leadership Conferences. Seating is limited for additional students. 2:00pm - 4:00pm at the Clarion Hotel in Cedar Rapids, IA.

(319) 558-8012 Like us on Facebook!

NEWS April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

Denmark brings new perspective

City High student Elena Fenneman reports back to the states on her studies overseas attending Struer Stratsgymnasium in Denmark. Her discoveries include less homework and a wide variety of foreign language. by Elena Fenneman Guest Writer

I’ve been in Denmark for almost two months, and I’m loving it here. One of the things that I really like about Denmark is the Danish school system. I’m currently attending Struer Statsgymnasium and I’m part of a class that is in their second year of three years at gymnasium. An interesting feature of the Danish school system is that I have all my classes with the same people. There are 16 students in my class, and except for foreign language where you can choose between German, Spanish, French or Latin, we are in every class together. We also have one classroom where most of our classes (not including science labs and P.E.) take place. My class 2E specializes in English, Social Studies, and Math, but also has classes in History, Danish, Physics, Biology, Classical Studies, P.E., and foreign language. It would be impossible to fit 10 classes into your schedule at City High, but the flexibility of the Danish system makes it possible. The first period of the day starts at 7:55, and there is room for nine forty-five minute class periods, but most days I am finished at 3:10, after having four double periods and a 30 minute lunch. I don’t have every class in my schedule every day, and I don’t have any classes every day of

the week. My schedule is also different from week to week. As a person who gets really bored with the same classes every day, I really enjoy the Danish system. Another nice thing is that there is no bell; students know when they need to get to class, and there is no official passing time. If a student is a few minutes late to class that’s OK. The flexible schedule is made possible by Lectio, which is a website that is very similar to Powerschool, where you can view your schedule, upcoming assignments, message your teachers, and upload documents. Computers are a big part of school. Most students bring and use their computers every day. Teachers will often upload documents to Lectio so that the students can have a digital copy, which is very handy for students like me who tend to misplace paper copies. Lectio also allows a teacher to make a homework assignment due when there isn’t a class that day. The students can just upload their assignments to Lectio. There is a lot less homework turned in in Denmark, but that doesn’t mean that school here is easy. When you are given an assignment to be handed in, it is much more important that it be completed and turned in on time. There is a lot of work that is not graded, but you need to do it if you want to do well in class. One of the most impressive things about the Danish school system is the

ABOVE: Elena Fenneman poses with her newfound Danish friends at a school dance.

language programs. Everyone here speaks Danish, excellent English, has at least 3 years of German, and some take Spanish, Latin, or French. Not only do they speak many languages, but they’re also very good at all of them! I’ve taken three and a half years of French, and my French is only slightly better than my French class, where the stu-

New graduation

DO honors system implemented City High students will be presented with a wide variety of new honorable mention opportunities this upcoming graduation. by Cecilia De Boeck

ceciliadeboeck@thelittlehawk.com This May, as City High seniors walk across the stage at Carver Hawkeye Arena, their red robes will be decorated with previously unavailable medals. “One hope is that this new system will give kids an incentive to take more honors classes, not to the point where they won’t be successful because that doesn’t benefit anyone, but hopefully it will give incoming freshman or any City High student a goal to work towards.” Assistant Principal Terry Coleman said. According to Coleman, the new honors system will award a medal to those students who complete 10 honors classes by the time of graduation. Coleman and Principal Bacon were two of the main people involved in starting this honors system. “When Mr. Bacon came on board,

we looked at what other schools were doing to recognize their honors students.” Coleman said. “Kennedy and Washington are both doing something similar to the honors system. There’s a lot of recognition for students who excel in sports and the fine arts, but not so much for students who do well with academics.” Coleman described some potential kinks that may need to be worked out in the future, based on this year’s experience. “We’re not really sure what to do about students who are graduating early, “ Coleman said. “If you’re graduating one tri early then the number probably won’t change, but if you’re graduating a whole year early, then possibly.”

photo courtesy of ELENA FENNEMAN

dents have only had a year and a half of French. Part of the reason that Danes are so good at languages is that they start learning early. They start learning English in the third grade. I think that City High could benefit from learning more about how the Danish school system works.

ICPL’s eBook & eAudio book collections include thousands of titles to choose from.

Download? We have

eBooks!

We have

eAudio Books!

Visit

overdrive.icpl.org today to nd:

• Popular young adult ction • Book report books • School reading list books • Biographies • American history books • Language learning books

Good Books Any Way You Want to Read Them

For residents of Iowa City, rural Johnson County, University Heights, Hills, and Coralville.

NEWS April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

GlobalExposure

Robotics team places regionally by Christian Kennedy

christiankennedy@thelittlehawk.com

The Iowa City F.I.R.S.T. Robotics team recently returned from a successful regional competition. This year, the robot was required to complete various tasks, in a game described by Abram Nothnagle ‘13 as “basically basketball for robots.” Over the course of six weeks, this robot was designed by a group of City High, West High, and Regina students. According to Nothnagle, they were limited to $5000 to spend on extra parts. “The robot had to score points in a game called ‘Rebound Rumble’, there was two minutes for manually operating the robot, then a 15 seconds for an autonomous mode, where the robot would score points by itself.” According to Nothnagle, the last season was not successful in a competitive sense. “Last year we had a very good learning experience where everything seemed to go wrong,” Nothnagle said. “But this year, we made a robot that was quite stellar.” According to the team, the robot was able to reliably score about 20 points per game. Part of the competition requires the robots to balance a bridge. Nothnagle described the team’s special system of accomplishing this. “Basically a ramp was built into the robot, and that would deploy and tip the bridge.” Nothnagle said the team had the advantage of encoders on the wheels that allowed the robot to remain balanced while performing an entire 360 degree turn. During the competition, Team 167 won several games in the first round, and were seeded as alternates for the playoffs. Fortunately for the Iowa City Team, another team’s robot broke down and Team 167 moved on to the playoffs. “Then we competed with two other really good teams, played some good defense, then made it to the finals, where we just barely lost.” “We ended up 2nd place. For perspective, 1st place qualifies for the world championships.” said Nothnagle. Nothnagle noted, “It was really great time for all of us. We get to work with engineers from Rockwell and the University of Iowa. It’s a great learning experience.”

Recycling by Olivia Hamilton

oliviahamilton@thelittlehawk.com

City High Student Senate has returned the bin in the cafeteria for recycling of bottles and cans. “We realized that it’s ridiculous that it’s 2012 and the school that leads isn’t recycling,” Sophie Neems 12, Student Senate President, said. As appealing as the project sounds there is still a lot to accomplish. “Students sort the tub in the cafeteria every week and drive it to the plant. It’s not realistic since most students are underclassmen and don’t drive,” Neems said. Administrators are being consulted to resolve these issues.

1 2

1 2 3

A 28-year old man in Sweden went amok in a hospital, injuring several staff members in a so-called “nutmeg induced rage.” The man has had trouble in the past for his “llama-like spitting in strangers’ faces. A man who hacked off a German dentist’s finger during a vicious robbery is being hunted by police using an artist’s impression of his dirty, twisted teeth. The image of the mugger’s teeth was created by police artists in Fichtenwalde, working with victim Markus Phillipp Daecher. A chef in England, who nearly died after his girlfriend stabbed him with a kitchen knife, went to her trial, and then proposed marriage. 48-year-old Gregory Todd took a gold and diamond engagement ring with him and got Tiffany Baillie’s attorney to pop the question in the court.

4 Average spring temperatures soar A 94-year-old Mexican woman crossing the border at Nogales, Arizona is facing drug-trafficking charges. The woman was crossing the border when officers say she was picked for further inspection. Officers say they found six bundles of marijuana – 10.5 pounds – strapped to her legs.

compiled by MAX FREIDMAN

March and April have proved to have the hottest temperatures in at least a decade. by Ethan Zierke

ethanzierke@thelittlehawk.com

For many occupants of the Midwest, an extraordinarily warm spring seems to already be indicative of summer. While temperatures at this time last year averaged 46.5, this year’s weather presents a great contrast. At temperatures pushing the upper 70s and 80s, Iowa is experiencing weather “unlike any other this year,” said KCRG meteorologist Kaj O’Mara. “Summer weather is very difficult to predict at this time. However, the records we have been breaking have come from the 1930s, late 1980s, and 1995,” said O’Mara. “These years tended to be warmer and drier than average. It is very difficult to tell if a repeat may occur, but trends are pointing towards warmer than average conditions, and perhaps slightly drier at this time.” Local meteorologists are not the only ones noticing the significant change in spring temperatures this year. “I like it [the warmer weather]. It’s better than being cold,” Mason Greer ‘12 said. “On the news, it said that around this time it’s supposed to be around 40 degrees so this year is a big change. It was kind of surprising coming back from Spring Break

where it was warm, and here it’s just as hot.” With such extremes, people are discussing past weather patterns and possible signs of global climate change. “My thought is the warming cannot be fully contributed to that [global warming]. With the records falling from hot and dry years in the past, I can say there is probably some kind of cyclical thing to weather, in additional to anthropogenic [human-caused] warming,” O’Mara said. Given the knowledge of the Midwest’s recent record-breaking temperatures, many are concerned with what the upcoming summer has in store, and what this may mean for the future. “Once winter had come and gone, it was pretty clear that we were in for an early spring. Winter was almost nonexistent!” Ava Vargason ‘13 said. “I personally dislike cold weather because I always seem to be cold, though it is pretty weird. It may be global warming. I hope we don’t all melt in 3 years because it’s 1,200 degrees outside.” A popular belief that is supported by these high temperatures is the correlation between climate change and global warming. O’Mara suggests that it’s still too soon to tell.

“While we can make comparisons to other years as a reference, it remains very difficult to determine if this weather is cyclical, or a new pattern,” O’Mara said. “Regardless, most of us alive right now have not seen this, so forecasting from it is quite difficult. When a lot of records fall at once like we’ve seen this year, your weather year tends to be very interesting weather-wise. We can expect to see more extremes occurring.” The obscure change in the weather has also had a significant impact on local growers’ crops. The biggest problem they face is the wide variance in temperatures that are characteristic to transition seasons, triggering early sprouts and early weeds. “With the uneven temperatures, we have a lot more growth in seedlings than we should,” Susan Jutz, of ZJ Farms, an organic CSA (community supported agriculture) farm owner said. “It’s still too soon to plant them in the ground outside of the greenhouse. In the case of a hard frost, they would be damaged. The other problem we’re facing, since we’re organic, the weeds are coming on a lot earlier and we’re not sure how to deal with them. It’s important to remember that we’re a vegetable farm, much different than the corn and soybean guys.”

Average Spring Temperatures in Iowa City the Past 10 years o

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

42o

2009

2010

2011

47o

2012

o o

graphic by RENATA STEWART

Recent graduates row for Iowa team

NEWS April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

Physics club to competition by Cassie Wassink

cassiewassink@thelittlehawk.com 12 City High students competed in the Physics Competition of Iowa on Friday, March 23, presenting and testing devices that they had prepared beforehand, as well as undertaking some on-the-spot challenges. Science Club adviser Mary Lestina described satisfaction with the results of the team’s first competition. “The majority is a young team, with some upperclassmen leadership help,” Lestina said, describing the dynamics of this year’s team, which is composed of only three returning members out of the 12 students involved. Overall, the team scored sixth in the region out of 13 total teams, re-

photo courtesy of ANNELISE JACOBSON

Annelise Jacobson ‘11, Destinee Gwee ‘11, and Anna Bruns ‘11 have all moved from other sports to join Iowa’s Division I team. by Claire Jacobson

clairejacobson@thelittlehawk.com

At City High’s 2011 graduation, Annelise Jacobson received her diploma in a walking cast, recovering from a stress fracture. Three months later, she was a Division I athlete. Jacobson, Destinee Gwee ‘11 and West Branch ‘11/City High cross country runner Anna Bruns are on the University of Iowa Women’s Rowing Team. “I was walking around campus during orientation and this girl came up to me and asked if I played basketball for Iowa,” Jacobson said. “I said no, and she asked me to join the rowing team. I ended up going to the meeting and feeling like that team was something really special, and I wanted to be a part of it.” Bruns had a similar experience at Iowa’s freshman orientation. “A coach came up to me and was like ‘want to join rowing?’ and I thought I would try it. So I went to the meeting the first weekend we all moved in and decided to go through with it.” Gwee’s story is slightly different. “I joined the rowing team because one of my friends took me to a meeting with her. She ended up quitting before long, but I stayed on.” The rowing team has three different kinds of practices--- out on the water, on the “erg” (rowing machine), and weight lifting. The boathouse also has a rowing tank, an indoor simulator for working on technical strokes. “Rowing a 2k is like doing squats for eight minutes without stopping,” Jacobson said. “It doesn’t sound hard, but let me know how you’re doing about four minutes in.” The rowing team, however, involves much more than grueling practices and competitions.

“As a team, we like to go eat at the dining hall together after practices. We do other things like just hanging out together too,” Bruns said. Jacobson, standing 6’1’’, is of an average height on the team. “My biggest advantage in this sport is my size, which is, ironically, the one thing I can’t control,” Jacobson said. But the rowing team is not just a place for the tall and mighty. Gwee is only 5’1’’, but she plays an essential part on the team as coxswain. Because the rowers in the boat are facing backwards, Gwee’s main roles are to direct the boat and provide encouragement. “I am responsible for the boat from the moment that my rowers put their hands on it to take it out of the boathouse until it is cleaned and safely stored back in the racks,” Gwee said. Gwee both steers the boat, and gives commands to the rowers. “I also act as their eyes, since they can neither see in the direction that we are moving, nor are they supposed to look around them. I make sure that they move together, and most importantly that we don’t hit anything or anyone.” Bruns, although she graduated from West Branch High School, competed on the City High cross country team along with several others from her school, and competed on several West Branch teams. “Having this athletic background helped a lot for being in shape and just knowing what the coaches expected, such as working hard and having a positive attitude,” Bruns said. “The cross country team taught me how to not give up when things get hard, how to push yourself and others, be an encouraging teammate, and to lead by setting a good example.” Bruns was a valuable team member, placing high at the 2010 state meet.

While being a coxswain doesn’t have the same physical difficulties as actually rowing the boat, “coxing” has its own challenges. “I’ve been the notoriously “sweet” coxswain. On the day of the race, we started off behind Boston University, Indiana, and Clemson, but we just kept moving forward. Eventually, we were in first place, but barely,” Gwee said. “I remember calling out ‘Clemson is making a move right here, are you going to let them pass us? Hell no!’” Halfway through the race, Gwee’s boat had cleared the competition, and finished two boatlengths in front of second-place finisher Clemson. “At the end of it, Paige Ranking turned to Jenny Schwickerath and asked, ‘Was that even Destinee coxing us?’ Jenny replied, ‘I... I don’t think so.’ I guess another side of me took over during the race.” The rowing team had a successful off-season and a hopeful beginning to this season during spring break training in South Carolina and their first home meet in March. However, Bruns maintains that this is only the beginning. “I think some of the greatest experiences are yet to come,” Bruns said. “We have improved a lot since the beginning and I am excited to see how we do in our upcoming spring races.” While each of the women on the team work hard daily to improve their own times and records, the athletes describe the invaluable nature of the team aspect. “It doesn’t matter how strong you are as an individual; if you aren’t rowing with your crew you aren’t going anywhere. That’s why it’s the best team sport,” Jacobson said. “There’s no room for individual glory. If you’re not a team, you won’t make it.”

ceiving individual scores of around fifth and sixth place. Preparation for the competition included the creation of several mechanical devices, including a selfpropelled catapult, a mouse trap car, and a toothpick bridge. The students were divided into groups in which they prepared their devices for the competition. “They really worked in a group to figure out the best design,” Lestina said, describing the catapult team. In the end, although the team did not take home first place, Lestina felt that the experience was worthwhile in terms of the growth of the individual students. “This was a relatively young team, and they gained a lot of good ideas for next year.”

Students weigh in on fall elections Distribution of Republican Delegates *1151 remaining delegates

Mitt Romney

661

Rick Santorum

285

Newt Gingrich

136

Ron Paul

1,144 delegates needed for nomination

by Kieran Green

kierangreen@thelittlehawk.com

Four months after the Iowa Caucuses, Republican voters have finally picked a nominee. For almost the past year, voters across the nation have been bombarded by thousands of TV advertisements, internet videos, and full-page features in newspapers, as well as 24/7 news coverage of every twist and turn of the election cycle. So far, though, all of that coverage has failed to persuade Republican voters to make up their minds. Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum have each garnered delegates (supporters who will “elect” them at the Republican Convention) from several primaries, and thusfar Romey is in the lead with 660 delegates. 1,144 delegates are needed to win the nomination. The long campaign has given students an opportunity to assess the candidates. Many have criticized the candidates. “I think Romney is out of touch with the real world. Ron Paul is decent; it’s about time we legalized marijuana. Newt Gingrich is... well, Newt. He seems really lost at times,” Drew

Gartner ‘15 said. Rick Santorum, in particular, had become a target for students. “Santorum doesn’t seem sane. I don’t think think that we need a religious fundamentalist in the White House,” Arthur Wold ‘14 said. Santorum announced Tuesday that he was going to be dropping out of the race, leaving contestants Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Newt Gingrich. Romney is the presumed nominee. Students have also voiced dissatisfaction with the election process itself. “[The campaign] is just a publicity and popularity contest,” Jake Rios ‘15 said. When asked about the issues that mattered most to them in the election, students gave somewhat mixed responses. “Civil rights is a big issue for me. I’m not a big fan of discrimination,” Gartner said. “Candidates need to start collaborating instead of fighting,” Gartner said. “New Energy and alternative resources are important to me,” Wold said. “NASA as well. They’re not getting much attention.”

A10

SuperNews

April 13, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

A11

TheLittleHawk

What is your opinion on students graduating High School early? 16%

Hard and fast distinctions between grade levels are blurring as freshmen are allowed more opportunities to challenge themselves with more rigorous courses than ever before. Along with the general increase of available courses at City High has come an increase in the amount of AP and honors courses available to freshmen. “This is for students who are truly ready,” Principal John Bacon said, “by providing a truly rigorous educational opportunity kids need if they are going to be competitive at the highest level.” Biology, which was previously a sophomore course preceded by the requisite Foundations of Science, was opened up to freshmen for the first time during the 20102011 school year. In addition, AP US History and optional English 9 honors credit will become available to freshmen next year. Eligibility for these courses depends on Iowa Assessment Test scores and grades in previous science or social studies courses. “If the kids prove ready to, it’s an opportunity to allow them to build a stronger resume,” Bacon said. While Bacon has thrown in his support behind these openings for freshmen, some teachers remain skeptical about the benefits of these changes. “9th grade is a transition, and that transition is not smooth or seamless,” Foundations of Science and Biology teacher, Matt Stier, said, “Certain things are not contentspecific, like skills, organization and preparing.” During the most recent curriculum review, in which the board reviews curriculum areas of K-12, a group of City High science teachers recommended to the board that FOS continue to be a required course for freshmen. “We look at their [the course’s] strengths

and weaknesses and how kindergarten builds through 12th grade,” Stier said. “Foundations of Science played a critical role in promoting that process.” The board, however, chose not to follow this recommendation, making the case that West High unofficially employs this system. “Their justification was that West does it, instead of the other way round.” Stier said.

Bacon maintains the position that it is too early to tell the results of the opening of Biology to eligible freshmen. “It’s too soon to know, if there is an impact at the higher level,” Bacon said. “I believe strongly in the values of Foundations of Science, but we are going to carefully watch how these students are performing in Biology.” Continuing to increase freshmen availability, two more previously unavailable opportunities will open up to freshmen with the start of the 2012-2013 school year: namely, AP US History, and optional English 9 honors credit. Bacon described his rational behind opening up AP US History to freshmen. “I’m not interested in backing up on AP offerings. If it [AP US History] works, it fits right in the sequence,” Bacon said. This change, spearheaded by Bacon, will take the AP US History course already offered to upperclassmen at City High and open it up to high-achieving freshmen. The criteria will revolve around Iowa Assessment scores and previous social studies grades as well as a teacher recommendation. “We contemplated doing the same thing that they are doing in English 9 where everyone takes the same class but can do ‘honors’ assignments, but we decided that we already have this course and juniors and seniors can still take the class,” AP US History teacher Melanie Gibbens said. Gibbens communicated with AP US History teachers around the country that offered this course to freshmen, and described mainly positive comments from these teachers. “Most of the teachers who responded had been teaching it for awhile and felt like the motivation and commitment level was really high for 9th graders taking the class,” Gibbens said, although, “some of the skill development in writing would take a little bit longer.” Although Gibbens cannot change her curriculum extensively, due to the fact that the class is a College Board course and the curriculum is largely dictated, she may make an effort to place more emphasis on strengthening writing skills to prepare freshmen for the AP exam. While added freshmen may cause some accommodations, Gibbens is optimistic about her experience working with these freshmen. “I love ninth graders because I can create this relationship with them originally,” Gibbens said. “I think they [freshmen and seniors] both are motivated, but in different ways, because ninth graders are just beginning and seniors are just finishing something.” The final option opening up to students in the 2012-2013 school year is the opportunity to earn English 9 honors credit. Rather than a separate honors class opening up, English 9 will take on a “class within a class” model, according to English 9 teacher Ali Borger-Germann. “The mixture of abilities in 9th grade is

essential,” Borger-Germann said. “There’s a togetherness in the tenor of the classroom.” Every student in English 9 will have the choice to strive for the honors credit, which will eventually be apportioned based upon the criteria of participation, writing, choice of reading texts, and a summative portfolio at the end of the year. While these opportunities will allow students to diverge from one another in various ways, there will still be an overarching curriculum that holds all the students together. “We teach everyone the same big understandings, but students have various levels of success and mastery,” Borger-Germann said. “Students have to choose higher level texts and participate actively.”

46%

INDIFFERENT

38%

SUPPORTIVE

Noah Kauffman

photo by ELI SHEPHERD

Do you think that freshmen should be allowed to take more advanced courses?

YES 53% INDIFFERENT 26%

In order to create this new, modified curriculum for the 2012-2013 school year, Borger-Germann met with Colleen Davis, another English 9 teacher and Mr. Nasafi, Davis’s student teacher. The three of them put together a prospective curriculum, which was then presented to a larger group meeting of collective staff from City and West High. Borger-Germann feels that this is an effective “stepping stone” to pave the way for English 10 or English 10 Honors. “It gives the students a lot more scaffolding,” Borger-Germann said. “We’re acknowledging that there are those upper level students who should be earning honors credit and giving them the chance to do that.” With all of these new opportunities opening up, some people worry that, whatever the academic abilities of these accelerated freshmen, their behavior will not measure up to that of the sophomores and upperclassmen who may be sharing their classes. Bacon, however, remains optimistic and faithful in the abilities of these freshmen to rise to the occasion. “There is the contention that with freshmen achieving at high level, they will not be at the standard maturity and intellectual level,” Bacon said. “I think they are going to be ready to interact with juniors and seniors in the same class.”

NO 21%

How do you think that classes are affected by the addition of freshmen?

27%

POSITIVELY

14%

NEGATIVELY

59%

NOT AT ALL

graphics and design by RENATA STEWART

by Ellen Carman

ellencarman@thelittlehawk.com

Next fall, sophomore Noah Kaufmann will be attending college. He is 30 credits short of a diploma but, considering that he has already been accepted into the University of Iowa’s honors program, that won’t stop him. “I knew that if I was going to stay here I would end up taking a lot of the university classes anyway,” Kaufmann ‘12 said, “and the high school classes I’d be required to take would just sort of get in the way.” Kaufmann will not be receiving a high school diploma. Doing this would require taking a semester of government and economics and four semesters of English. “Well, I really don’t like English and I won’t have the time to take the classes.” Kaufmann said. “I only plan to take the two English classes required for general education.” Next year, Kaufmann will be living on campus. “I will only be living a couple miles away from my house,” Kaufmann said, “so it’s not going to be that bad.” Kaufmann will be missing most things that high school students look forward to. He won’t be graduating with his class, attending prom, or participating in senior skip days. “Obviously I’m missing out on two whole years of high school, but I think that I will have more opportunities in college to do things I wouldn’t get to do here,” Kaufmann said. “I probably wouldn’t have gone to prom anyways.” At City High, he has participated in chess, math club, robotics, and cross country.

“I’ve always really liked learning,” Kaufmann said. “And I really like the way university classes work.” After Kaufmann finishes his undergraduate degree, he plans to get his Ph.D. and become a math professor. This ambition is part of the reason why he has decided to leave high school early. “I’m already done with math here and I will be done with science by the end of the year,” Kaufmann said. “So there’s not many classes left that I really want to take here.” Kaufmann began taking accelerated math classes in second grade at Hoover. “In elementary school, they didn’t let me do that much.” Kaufmann said. “They didn’t really advance me as much as they should have.” After fourth grade, Kaufmann left Hoover Elementary to attend Willowwind School, looking for more challenging classes. Since then he has become four years ahead in math. “Right now, I only plan to go [to the U of I] for two years.” Kaufmann said. “I will be entering with a third of the credit you need to graduate and it won’t take me that much time to get a math major.” Kaufmann has already been granted the Old Gold Scholarship, which goes to the top 350 applicants. He doesn’t expect much to change next year. “I’m already the youngest person in a lot of my classes here,” Kaufmann said. “So it’s not going to be too different.”

‘

by Cassie Wassink

cassiewassink@thelittlehawk.com

OPPOSED

Opinion TheLittleHawk

A12 RECONSTRUCTING April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

THE RULEBOOK

Student life is dictated by rules: Dress code, schedules, and regulations give structure to our education. For the most part, that is. Some of the most obstructive and arbitrary rules need to be tweaked, to produce a more robust learning atmosphere.

ver the past few years, City High has undergone some pretty drastic changes. We’ve welcomed new redistricting policies, a new district supervisor, and, of course, a new principal. And, to a large extent, these changes have been positive. The City High community has been more egalitarian, energetic, and friendly as a result. However, one area that hasn’t seen much noticeable change is the school’s disciplinary code. Though it should be noted that City High has a relatively liberal disciplinary program, The Little Hawk staff feels that it is outdated in some areas. The current policies do not actually correct students’ bad behavior, and sometimes even punish students who really haven’t done anything wrong. The Little Hawk Staff believes that, in order to truly be “the school that leads,” we need to update our disciplinary policy to make it more streamline and effective. Therefore, we suggest the following changes that we think should be made to school policy.

CYBER PRIVACY

When City High’s disciplinary code was first drawn up in 1938, the internet had not yet been invented. As a result, City High’s policy regarding activities on the internet has been confusing and muddled in many places. Thus, we believe that the

art by LILY HOWARD

school should provide a short, easy to understand layout of its policies regarding students’ online behavior. The school’s internet policy has been very progressive thusfar, with students being able to access Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and many other useful social networking sites. We believe that City High should take the logical next step, and set an example to other schools by clarifying in the student handbook that it is against school policy to take an interest in students’ online lives. Though we are supportive of the administration’s current stance opposing cyber bullying, we believe that students should not be punished for opinions or statements that they share online, so long as those statements are not deliberately intended to harm a student. For example, if a student were to make a derogatory comment about a class, or make a political statement, that student should not be punished. To punish the student would be the same as punishing them for making the same comment while talking face to face with a friend. We believe that the students should have the right to some degree of privacy online. Regardless of what the administration thinks of the student’s statement, the student should not be punished. The Supreme Court has yet to rule in cases regarding a student’s right to privacy, and

so City High has the ability to truly impact the policies of schools around the country by making it explicitly clear that we will respect our students’ rightto privacy online.

ABSENCES

Another policy that we believe should be changed is the school’s absence policy. Though we believe that students should be punished for skipping out on class, those punishments should help the students overcome their problems. Instead of automatically assigning students detentions for failing to show up to class, the Little Hawk staff believes that the offending students should be given the option to attend a counseling session, to help them work out ways to avoid absences in the future. We believe that this will help to solve delinquency in the long run, by attacking the problem at the source. Additionally, we believe that students should never be harassed by the administration for absences received in the case of illness. Currently, it is possible for students to receive grade reductions, or even to be dropped from a class if they have enough excused absences, even in the case of illness. It is absurd that students are punished for things that are completely outside of their control. If a student is willing to do the work to make up for the fact that

they have been absent, the administration should be supportive. On a similar note, we also believe that the school should cancel its policy of assigning grade reductions for absences. Oftentimes the students receiving the reductions are having a hard enough time passing their classes as it is, and it is unnecessary to add insult to injury. Instead, we believe that the school should focus on preventative efforts such as having the offending students work with councilors to develop a plan to avoid further absences.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Teenagers are notorious for making bad decisions, and it is inevitable that some teenagers will end up running into trouble with the law. However, The Little Hawk staff believes that students should not be punished in school for crimes that they commit off campus. The job of educators should be to educate their students, and not to enforce arbitrary standards of morality among their students. For example, students caught drinking off campus will oftentimes face at least some sort of punishment from law enforcement. The school should not compound this by further punishing the student. Current policy stipulates that students that are punished by law enforcement can face serious punishment by the school, including being

dropped from activities, suspension, and expulsion. While we agree that these punishment options are sometimes necessary, we think that they should only be when the administration legitimately thinks that the student in question would be better off continuing their education at some other school. Otherwise, by stopping a student from participating in extracurriculars or from attending school, they are further isolating the student, and discouraging them from getting involved. This creates a vicious cycle, in which problem students are increasingly less likely to be able to succeed. This is counter-intuitive to everything City High shouldaspire to as an institution. We should be helping students to succeed, not throwing up barriers to their success. We are not saying that students should go unpunished for crimes they commit, we are merely saying that the administration should change the way it enforces its disciplinary policies to focus more on helping students who have “messed up” and ensuring that their behaviour changes in the future. To do otherwise would impair the students’ ability to learn, which is an affront to the purpose of the school. In cases such as these, a student’s right to education trumps other considerations.

OPINION April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

ENERGY DRINKS

otor bikes spitting gravel as they leap and twist from ramps, revved up race cars, bucking bulls and, of course, babes in bikinis: These are the images presented on Monster Energy Drink’s website. These images are dripping with manly power. Looking at these advertisements I can almost taste the adrenaline and testosterone that must be somehow magically brewed into this beast-inducing drink. Monster Energy Drink is amazing. Or so I thought. The truth is, I recently consumed a Monster and found myself anything but energized. It was awful. My mouth felt as if it had been assaulted by a swarm of belligerent bees, and it actually tasted like it looked: like toxic sludge. It’s widely accepted that these drinks are terrible for your body, so I won’t go too in depth on that. But for reference, a 24 Oz can of Monster contains 81 grams of sugar, 540 mg of Sodium, 3000 mg of Taurine, 600 mg of Ginseng and a 7500 mg “Energy Blend”. This is a blend of substances like Glucose, Caffeine and Guarana. The scary-sounding substances are just Caffiene-producing plants that stimulate your Endocrine system even more (yay). So it’s obvious that

these drinks wreak havoc on your body, plus they taste awful! Maybe I’m missing the point, but how is consuming that even worth it? Advocates for such beverages claim that Monster makes you feel energized and, more importantly, that they need them to get through a busy week of school. Hold on a second. Do you really “need” that drink? Does your life depend on this toxic beverage? You didn’t hear it from me, but that sounds an awful lot like something a drug addict would say. That may be a separate matter, but it seems that these drinks have the same addictive qualities as many harmful drugs, which forces me to put the two under the same umbrella. The notion that you would need a substance like this, that your wellbeing depended on a stimulant such as Monster, is truly a scary thought. I propose that teenagers who consider themselves dependent on these drinks, should try some healthier al-

A13

Max Friedman

Hunger Games Warm weather Exciting prom askouts art by OLI PETERS

ternatives. Natural beverages such as coffee and tea provide a good amount of caffeine, without the nasty amounts of sugar and hard-to-pronounce stimulants. Every once in a while, I’ll drink a cup of black tea to help get through early Jazz Band rehearsals or a cup of coffee when my homework load proves to be a daunting task. You can complain about coffee being bit-

PINK SLIME

ter, or tea not having enough flavor but at least they’re healthier. Plus, there are plenty of tasty coffee flavors and sweet tea variations out there that make the natural choice more enjoyable. In my opinion, anything is better than a Monster. Because personally, I don’t enjoy hooking my tongue up to a car battery.

Film Fest New press box Fun. visiting Iowa City! Picnics Chicago The Musical

Ellen Carman

WIPE OUT Party After Prom Root Beer

Bipolar weather

oming home from a track also been sold as 100% beef at our meet that goes late, the very own Hy-Vee. Since there has team will often stop at Mc- been opposition Hy-vee has decided Donald’s for dinner. I can to identify what meat has the lean never wait for my burger and fries finely textured beef in it. The product and I devour them is illegal to sell on with ease. But afit’s own but it can ter I eat I always be in up to 15% feel so sick and of a beef product. The product is illegross. Maybe this In Canada, it’s ilhas something to gal to sell on its own legal to sell at all. do with the ‘pink has all led but it can be in up to This slime’ that until me to realize that 15 percent of a beef if I haven’t been recently, McDonald’s used in their eating USDA approduct. burgers. proved organic ‘Pink slime’, or beef my entire life lean, finely tex(which I haven’t), tured beef, has then I have been gotten a lot of media attention lately eating a ton of pink slime. And that’s and rightfully so. Some scientists not all. consider this kind of beef a “salvage BPA or bisphenol A, makes up the product”. According to ABC news it cans that we eat or soup and baked is sold in 70 percent of beef products beans, and other canned food. Also, in U.S grocery stores. Pink slime has the Institute for Agriculture and

art by EMMA GIER

Trade Policy found that mercury can be found in High Fructose Corn Syrup, which is in most processed foods. These examples only scratch the service of the unhealthy, inedible and sometime poisonous things that find their way into our food. Furthermore, the companies that are slowly poisoning America with mercury, BPA and pink slime are doing so legally. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) doesn’t really seem to be looking out for American consumers from what I can see. As a runner, I wonder how these things are affecting my performance. I know that McDonald’s can’t be good for me. I feel sick immediately after eating those fries that have been soaked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which tends to cause heart disease. But as far as eating red meat goes, that’s an important part of many diets. And canned foods are one of the most inexpensive means of feed-

ing one’s family. At this point even healthy people are eating foods that could be hurting them. This is becoming part of our lives that is hard to avoid. Many people are put in a corner unable to buy the more expensive organic options. The media attention on pink slime will hopefully lead to a better understanding of what we are eating and push companies and the government to provide foods that are not only affordable but also organic. However, until that happens, people need to be aware of what they are eating. As a society, we need to start paying attention and stop trusting that the food we eat is good for us. So even though McDonald’s has announced that they are removing pink slime from their burgers, I think I’ll think twice next time I want one, because you never know what might be lurking in that burger.

Burnt popcorn Spring PDA increase ACT Makeup work Cancelling LH issues No more pep rallies Rainy track meets Allergies AP tests Pink Slime

A14

OPINION April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

THE ‘LIFE’ OF A ‘GUARD’

kay. Picture a big, buff, and extremely attractive male running down a sandy beach in California, holding a red rescue tube in his hand. He dives head first into the cold, blue, salty water and starts swimming toward a drowning victim. The victim, gasping for his last breath of air before becoming another of Poseidon’s targets, gets saved by the guard and saves him from death. Now if every lifeguard did this every time they worked, it may be an exciting job. But the question is, what is a lifeguard? Is it someone who is protecting you while you swim, someone who is there whenever you need assistance? Or is it some stranger watching you swim back and forth, judging your technique and thinking to themselves, What am I doing here? Well I am a lifeguard and I hate to burst your bubbles but the second statement maybe the best answer I can think of. There is no buff sexy male saving hot damsels in distress like in Baywatch. I’ve found that life guarding may be the easiest job a high schooler can ask for. I have worked as a lifeguard for almost three years, since

the summer of my freshman year, and I have yet to save some poor soul from drowning in one foot of water. All I do when I walk into Mercer, the Rec Center (the Robert E. Lee rec center not the cool new rec center) and City Park is put on my red guard shirt and my fanny pack, sit in the guarding chair with my guarding tube and watch...and watch... and watch some more...then some more watching...and then after 15-20 minutes of watching, some other lifeguard will rotate me out. Then, I have a 40 minute break to sit and socialize with other guards, do some homework or just talk about what happened last night at the bars. But lifeguarding isn’t just about watching people swim, oh no. You also have to make sure people are obeying the rules, and keep them safe. Some people think we just suck the fun out of their swimming. Well that is somewhat true, because lets be honest, the “truly” fun things to do in a pool are all dangerous. However doing those dangerous

I’ve found that lifeguarding may be the easiest job a high schooler could ask for.

Harris Thompson

“Fire. Fire gooood.” - Mr. Wilson lighting a match in lab

“Fo shnizzle? Fo Snizzle? Is that how you say it?” - Mrs. Davis in agreement to something.

art by LILY HOWARD

things can really hurt you and that’s a problem for you and, more importantly, me. If I’m working, then I may laugh at you depending on the situation. I also don’t know why kids think it’s a good idea to run on the wet pool deck when the number one rule is “NO RUNNING.” I also don’t know why they think it’s a good idea to dive head first into the kid-

he world is an odd place. Look them. Don’t try to tell me I’m wrong, because around our great blue planet and this is simply a personal inference, from my you can find any number of ab- own observations. I’ve noticed everywhere I go normal behavioral habits common that there are these girls that complain about among various species. For example, it’s com- being lonely, wanting a boyfriend, how nobody mon procedure in the praying mantis commu- likes them, and so on and so forth. So then, nity for the females to mate with someone overhears this the males, then proceed to decapiconversation. A boy. tate them. Why? I don’t know, I We all perceive life as One that’s slightly...undon’t think it’s appropriate to ask Okay, maybe something that keeps attractive. them, either. picture a hairier, shorter However, I’m beginning to giving, something that Vince Vaughn. They ask think the most backwards species girl(s) out, and the will deal us all this luck the of all may just be homosapiens. girl(s) say no. Which is Teenagers in particular are probfine, no judging there, with girls and boys, ably the weirdest, most hypocritithen one must anawhen sometimes, it’s but cal division of the human species. lyze who they actually As a teenager, I like to observe just time to stop trying. want. It seems that these other teens, especially the ones girls have this unattainthat think that they are above evable dream, these uneryone else, and the ones whose realistic expectations, egos need to be put in check. What I’ve found and that if the most beautiful guy isn’t willing is that we, as an angsty teenage populous, give to date them, then they’re done. Sad, maybe. ourselves some of the most hypocritical, ridicu- Falsely modest. Not willing to date anyone else. lous situations to overcome. It’s kind of hilari- Then, on the Twitter, they “hashtag” or whatously depressing. ever about how it sucks to be single. Which, by Okay, fine, I’ll give examples. Girls, or rath- my calculation is...stupid. Unequivocally stupid. er, single girls have this odd complex about Also, hypocritical. But hey, guys are not really

ck hly o R ont M with Jesus and the Buddha

to remain

silent...

die pool. Really. I don’t know, maybe they can’t see or read that it clearly says “NO DIVING” in bold near the edge of the pool. Oh well, I guess kids will be kids, and I’ll have to help those kids when they hurt themselves doing something against the rules. Boy do I love my job.

ALL I SEE IS HYPOCRISY

RIGHT

Nat Alder

any better. Some guys, especially some of the unattractive guys, complain about how these beautiful girls are so shallow, and not willing to date us. It’s at that point when the guy must reflect upon himself and realize that his expectations are also unrealistic, and by going for her, he is setting just as bad an example as the girl is. We’re all dumb! We all perceive life as something that keeps giving, something that will deal us all this luck (dating luck being only one example). Sometimes we just have to stop trying so hard to reach that unrealistic dreamland we all have in our heads. That’s not really what’s going to make our lives suddenly happy and perfect. However, we must all hope for a brighter future. None of us can feel down, I hear most people find love and/or teddy bears in college. I’m not positive though, after all, I’m just a stupid, hypocritical teenager, who loves pizza bagels and Nelly Furtado karaoke. So next time, think a little before you complain about your woes, whether they be girls, boys, classes, or bigfoots; and realize, that your argument can probably be turned on you. But hey, that’s what life is; the gift that keeps on spinning you in circles.

Hey Buddha! Did you see “The Hunger Games”?

Oh...well...the...the um... the action scenes were... really...really intense.

“Sometimes I talk about whipping out my chainsaw and slicing through whatever it is we’re cutting.” Ms. Smirl, on cross-sections.

“That will be the title of my first jazz compostion, Jazz Waitress.” - Mr. Arp explains future plans.

“I know we may have had our problems, but please don’t shoot me. We can work it out.”

- Mr. Rogers endeavors to prevent school shootings.

“I’m paralyzed by the beautiful snow, I need some ritalin or something...yeah...” - Mr. Hartwig describes his feelings.

“What is...the ‘skanky leg’?” - Sra. Hall misprounounces the popular dance move.

“Did I rob a bank? Well...yeah.”

No, but I know a lot about being hungry. You see, I starved myself for quite a long time in order to reach Enlightenment.

- Hall Monitor Chip

explains his dark past.

by MAX FRIEDMAN

If your teacher says something stupid, silly, or downright wrong, submit a quote to room 2109 to get it published in the next issue.

DAYDREAMS OF A WORLD THAT LEADS

The classic ‘What a Wonderful World’ was written by Bob Thiele (under the penname of George Douglas) and George David Weiss. First recorded by Louis Armstrong, the song sang of “trees of green” and “skies of blue;” and all the wonderful things the world has to offer each and every one of us. It taught us to stop and smell the roses, or at least reminded us to do so, and with the joy it brought, it also brought an induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. I was four years old at the time. Fast forward to 2012; as I walk to second hour, I whistle the lovely tune, dreaming of what is sung of in the melody. I smile at friends as we pass, and make my way into the classroom. I greet my classmates nearest to me and take my seat. We all may be tired, but things are nice, we’re more or less happy. Then the bell rings.

When I was in kindergarten, I made my knowledge of mathematics known to all; I was proud of my ability to multiply ten and ten. Throughout my elementary career I continued to develop those skills, discovering the magical world of decimals in the lunch line in first grade. I spoke with my parents on occasion about advancing in math class placement. By the fifth grade that dream came true and I entered “upper-unit” sixthgrade math. I was warmly welcomed into the class, by both Mr. Kemp, the teacher, and the students, many of whom I was already friends with, and I astonished the class with my ability to read a seven-digit number out loud, first try. During spring the windows were always open; it was a nice balance between inside and out. Sweet fragrances often times wafted through into the welcoming learn-

ing environment. Life was good. I felt I was learning useful and engaging material, and I did so with enthusiasm. Most of my learning occurred in class so I was still allowed plenty of time for the smelling of the roses. The roses smelled wonderful. I finished my “introductory conversations,” as they have become known, sighed, and pulled out my well-used pre-calculus textbook, adorned in a dull red cover. The room smelled of chemicals, as it had for most of the year, probably due to a construction technique of some sort. I looked out the window. There were the roses. There was the storm window, blocking the smell from penetrating the classroom’s confines. If you’ve ever analyzed poetry, or done any sort of analytical reading, you’ll understand the metaphor present in the previous statement. Math has replaced the ros-

OPINION April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

A15

Lily Howard Eli Shepherd es, and the way the school system is laid out today, it seems that the rose’s scent is destined to die for students at younger and younger ages. But why on earth should it have to ever leave at all? What I ask for isn’t much, or at least it shouldn’t be. Give me the freedom to smell the roses, pursue my passions, in a way that does not require dropping out of school, which isn’t a way at all. Who decided that we all have to learn approximately seven subjects, and that our success in life depends on a letter-percentage based ranking of your performance in those areas. History has proven that the truly successful are those who step outside or beyond the path made for them by society, so why have that remain the sole path for all? For on that path there are no roses.

A Few Things About Facebook -If you have 2,000 facebook friends chances are you don’t know all of them... or even half. -If you spill all your relationship drama in your status... you need a new relationship, or a dog. -If you’re posting pictures of yourself more than twice a day then you need either a hobby or an ego reduction. -If you have 20 friends from Morocco but you’ve never been there, you need to say no to a few of your friend requests. Just a few. -If you find yourself “liking” more than 5 photos of someone you don’t know, you need to reevaluate your choices in life. -If your mom is the only one writing on your wall, good work, I’m sure you’ll be a very successful calculator repairman someday.

UNDER MY INFLUENCE

art by Oli Peters

Ethan Zierke

“It would be difficult to exaggerate the degree to which we are influenced by those we influence.” Be yourself. Do you. It’s a free country. Don’t do what all your friends are doing. Phrases like these are pretty familiar to the ears of most teenagers, but most of the time we simply accept these as mere words of wisdom, and don’t attempt to dig for the true meaning. After doing some thinking on the subject, it came to my realization that not only do these phrases have uncertain meanings, they also contradict each other. As a somewhat average high school student, I’m sure I’m not the only one to discover the overwhelming number of mixed messages we receive throughout our high school

days. my age, finding that thing that How can a teenager be expected you love and want to do for the to adhere to rest of your their parents’ career seems expectations like the only I will never be left at home, avoid thing that can the dangerous save you from without an temptations all certain high around them, and opportunity to make school doom. maintain healthy However, along things right. relationships with it lingers with friends, all an intimidating while pursuing feeling that lifetime goals, seems to follow not to mention you as you e x t r a - c u r r i c u l ar frequent the activities, part-time jobs, or halls of high school. It’s important volunteering? For many students to keep an open mind and try new

things, but it’s equally as important to know the cause and effect of everything you do. Is what you’re doing now going to be worth it later, taking into consideration the consequences and the toll it may take on those around you? Maybe even what you’re doing will not only provide instant gratification, but long-term benefits or memories to last a lifetime. By doing this, we not only have the potential to better our own lives, but those around us may observe the success of our actions and use them as an example of how they might shape their own lives. There’s only so much time before

-Eric Hoffer we make that decision that will shape the rest of our lives. This sounds like a scary step, but I remind myself that my mind will be ever-changing my entire life. I may not be entirely satisfied with my decisions right now or in the future, but there always exists a chance to take a turn in the right direction. I will never be left without an opportunity to make things right. I let this fact linger in the back of my mind and use it as a source of motivation to expose myself to as much as I can while I have time left to spend in high school.

A16

April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

WEB

TheLittleHawk

BEST OF THE

A&E

The Little Hawk @thelittlehawk

March 22, 10:04 AM; Kevin Kopenick appeared in Press-Citizenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 34 Students and Teachers who make a difference.

The Little Hawk @thelittlehawk

March 21, 10:10 AM; Junior Mickey Hansche wins Athlete of the Week. See her featured on KCRG and make free throws blindfolded:

The Little Hawk @thelittlehawk Students gather at College Green to support Trayvon Martin and end racial profiling. Video by Eli Shepherd.

April 3, 6:27 PM; Girls soccer takes a win over Mt. Vernon in the Washington Jamboree, final score 7-0.

The Little Hawk @thelittlehawk

March 6, 4:31 PM; A week before Spring Break, and rehearsals for Chicago going strong. It opens April 19 in Opstad Auditorium.

The final spirit assembly of the year sure closed them up with a bang! Want to relive those moments? Visit the slide show! Photos by Gabriel Basile

The undefeated girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; track team had outstanding performances during their last meet at the Sherwood Relays. Check out the brief and photo slide show here! Photos by Kierra Zapf.

The Little Hawk @thelittlehawk

March 9, 2:14 PM; Have a story fot the Little Hawk? Log onto www.thelittlehawk.com and fill out a form to suggest a story idea!

The Little Hawk @thelittlehawk

April 9, 7:19 PM; Get ready for a brand new April edition for the little hawk... Comes out Friday morning! #schoolthatreads

A&E April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

Sounds of Chicago After last year’s incident, City High drama received the go ahead to perform the high quality musical “Chicago.”

A17

FOOD for

THOUGHT by Mikiel Curtis

Flapjacks of Iowa City IHOP When you walk into the International House of Pancakes, you are met with the sweet smell of maple syrup and greetings from the friendly staff. The menu has a large variety ranging from breakfast foods to dinner meals. The atmosphere was very quaint and inviting. IHOP was very impressive upon arrival. However when

the food is brought to you, moods shift quickly. The food was less than adequate, lacking in flavor and presentation. I was met with what tasted like rubber eggs, elastic bacon, and cardboard pancakes all plopped on a plate. IHOP gets a low rating on Food for Thought this issue, but not as low a rating as our next contestant receives...

Hamburg Inn ABOVE: Grant Forsythe returns to his place on stage after rehearsing “Mr. Cellophane” with the pit orchestra in Opstad Auditorium. Forsythe plays the part of Amos Hart in the muiscal.

by Sonora Taffa

sonorataffa@thelittlehawk.com

After a over a year of fighting to attain the rights to Chicago, the theatre department is ready for its biggest show yet. Chicago’s opening night will include $5,000 worth of lighting and sound equipment, a 30 foot LED screen, and lots of Broadway dance moves. “I think people are going to love the show,” Alex Perez’13 It’s funny, it’s risque, and the dancing is super cool. There’s murder, false pregnancy, drama, guns! There’s a little bit of everything, and it’s just a great story.” Perez will play the lead in the play, the manipulative murderess Roxie Hart. Other large roles include Velma Kelly, played by Della Nuno’12, Amos Hart, played by Grant Forsythe’12, and Billy Flynn, played by Ryan Shellady’12. “Roxie is the most brutal, heartless, and almost deranged character ever,” Forsythe said. “I think that’s maybe one of the reasons that Chicago is so interesting. Everyone loves the vil-

lain.” The play features a colorful cast of murderous female jail inmates, who perform one of the most famous numbers in Broadway, Cell Block Tango. “Sure Roxie and her jail mates aren’t nice, but at least they’re sticking up for themselves. That was such an important thing in the 1920’s, and it’s a big theme in the play as well,” Perez said. “Women were suddenly cutting their hair and drinking and dancing. They were showing off their knees, just because they could and they wanted to. They weren’t going to let these men control them anymore.“ Adult themes are present in the play, a fact which has sparked varying interest and concern throughout the community. “Oh gosh, I hope controversy occurs! I really do. That’s what this is about,” Shellady said. “Not everyone is going to receive the show really well, because it isn’t a family show. I mean, we did Wizard of Oz a couple of years ago, and Chicago is no Wiz-

Photo by ELI SHEPHERD

ard of Oz.” The cast of Chicago is prepared to respond to any questions, or criticisms that may come their way after the premiere of the play. “We’re going to get some letters saying, ‘Why would you have high schoolers in lingerie? That’s not appropriate.’ We’re going to have some letters saying, ‘Why didn’t you cut out the language?’, even though we already have,” Shellady said. “Theatre isn’t meant to be clean though. It was written that way for a reason; we’re just performing it.” The attention surrounding the play is far from completely negative however. The drama department is expecting Chicago to be the highest grossing production in City High history, beating the current number one, Peter Pan. “I think (Chicago) is going to be phenomenal,” Nuno said. “I think that this could be a show that people will talk about for ages.”

Upon arrival one is placed in an overcrowded and claustrophobic room where you are expected to sit and enjoy one’s self. Once semi comfortably seated (which could take a while depending on what time of day you go), you are met with a not so friendly staff. The service is sometimes very kind and attentive , but at other times very rude and neglectful. Then comes the food. Although the meals have a nice homey presentation, the food was plain and

simple. Considering that Hamburg is a celebrity hot spot and a main restaurant attraction for Iowa City, the food is neither extraordinary or special. The food choices and recipes could easily be conjoured up at home. The pancakes were uncooked and doughy, not to mention the absense of syrup and butter. But there was one place that will give one exactly what they are looking for when it comes to pancakes.

Bluebird Diner The Bluebird was a real surprise. The first thing one should note about this restaurant is its old fashion diner look. One would enjoy their creamy coffee with out sugar which really tells one about the quality of their beans. Although Bluebird may look like a lunch diner, it has very fine breakfast options, the best indulgence being their fluffy, tasty pancakes. The pancakes were perfectly buttered and you have a plethora of

syrup options to choose from. If pancakes aren’t your thing, then you should definitely try the cinnamon roll french toast. It was totally decadent with its orgasmic flavors and cinnamon swirl. Although the food was spectacular, the service was the most delightful of all. The ladies made sure to stay on top of their game while serving me plump, luscious food and water.

Chait Gallery Winners Ten students bring home awards from art show.

by Shannon Randall shannonrandall@thelittlehawk.com

Each year, the Chait gallery holds the Next Generation Art Show for young artists in Iowa City. This is the fifth year that the Chait Gallery has offered this great opportunity to high school students. The young artists’ work will be showcased alongside many accomplished artists in the gallery. This year ten artists were chosen from City High; Jordan Adams, Della Nuno, Kaya Bonar-Rivera, Kara Hartley, Grace Friedman, Lucy Van Gorder, Samantha Steine, Allison Mosbeck, Veniesa Dillon, and Clara

Emery. All of the students’ work is for sale, and City High students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to attend the reception. Many of these students plan on pursuing careers in art after they leave City High. Della Nuno, a senior at City, will have three of her pieces featured in the Chait Gallery this year. “Attending city high has really shaped my viewpoint on art,” Nuno said. “Everyone here is so supportive of the arts and has helped me achieve my goals. I have had so many great opportunities here in Iowa City, including the Chait Gallery show, that have helped me grow as an artist.” The Next Generation Art Show

opens April 13th, from five pm to eight pm, and goes until May 11. On the opening night there will be a free show open to the public, where the art will be for sale. The community is encouraged to come and show their support. The night will also consist of a jury of professional artists who will award several prizes to the featured artist and sharing their knowledge. “Chait is a really good opportunity to get your work out there,” says Kara Hartley, a junior at City. Kara has three paintings featured in the Chait Gallery this year. “It feels good to know your artwork has been bought and is in someone’s home or business.”

photo by ELI SHEPHERD ABOVE: Kara Hartly ‘13 was one of the City High students to be honored with an award from this years Chait Gallery Art Contest.

A18

A&E April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

HOROSCOPES “Your destiny... revealed.” By Gabriel Basile and Nat Alder

Aquarius [Jan 20-Feb 18]

Don’t buy that cream colored wallpaper! It comes alive at night.

Pisces [Feb 19-March 20]

Prom not your deal? There’s this thing called “Redbox.” It’s open 24/7.

Aries* [March 21-April 19]

This month, do to eat any orange Tic Tacs. For more information, bring a cake over to room 2109 and tell them José sent you.

Taurus [April 20-May 18]

www.thelittlehawk.com/ShamelessPlug

Gemini [May 21-June 20]

You will meet your doppelganger. He will have a mustache. Drown him.

Cancer [June 21-July 22]

Nobody likes the guy that takes the last slice of pizza. And then writes you angry stalker letters. And follows you to Iowa City. And sits behind you in every class. Everyone knows someone like that, right? Right?

Leo [July 23-Aug 22]

But everyone likes the guy who gives you a piece of gum. It’s okay to be that guy.

Virgo [Aug 23-Sept 22]

Don’t try to re-create The Hunger Games. That’s how kids get arrows in the faces.

Libra [Sept 23-Oct 22]

Try something new. This time skydive with an umbrella.

Scorpio [Oct 23-Nov21]

Pink isn’t your thing this month. It’s fuscia. Fuscia is your thing. Wear fuscia.

Sagittarius [Nov 22-Dec 21]

Well, another year without a prom date. At least you’re a level 90 paladin.

Capricorn [Dec 22-Jan 19]

Snickers™ satisfy, but shoehorns satiate.

REVIEW: HUNGER GAMES by Nat Alder

natalder@thelittlehawk.com

The event of the season- maybe even of the year for some folks-is finally here. No, it’s not Justin Beaver’s new single- It’s The Hunger Games! The movie comes highly anticipated mainly because of the book it’s based off of, which is making waves in pop culture in ways that only Harry Potter and Twilight have been able to achieve. The film is co-written by the book’s author, Suzanne Collins, and directed by Gary Ross, of Seabiscuit fame. Now, I haven’t read any of the books, so I’m judging this as a film alone. For those unfamiliar with the story, The Hunger Games is set in a not too distant future in which, what I’m assuming is the United States is divided into several districts, signifying a kind of dystopic social structure that one hopes won’t become a reality. The main character, Katniss Everdeen, lives in District 12, a coal mining district. Katniss is a tough as nails girl who hunts outside of her district for her family. Every year, two kids are chosen at random from each district to take part in a deadly competition known as The Hunger Games. The competition consists of all of these kids fighting to the death

in very diverse environments. If you don’t die from being killed in The Hunger Games, you’ll more than likely die of natural causes. Katniss, and fellow District Twelver Peeta are both chosen to participate, and, well, people start to die. Firstly, this is a film that deserves recognition from its extremely diverse cast. In the lead as Katniss, Jennifer Lawrence(who was previously nominated for an Oscar for Winter’s Bone) is just plain fearless. She brings an understanding to the character photo by EMMA GIER of Katniss, which is something these book Several students wait in line for the midnight preadaptations have been missing lately. She mier of The Hunger Games. makes us understand her pain, and it works, keeping you fully immersed and invested in the story, and where the characters go in it. The co-star, Josh Hutcherson, is fantastic as Peeta. He is extremely vulnerable here, and it’s portrayed in a very realistic manner. The film starts off at a brisk pace, and is very cute, and simple, and feels a little like a retread. When the action kicks in, things get real. The intensity is felt, the action is grit- start to a new series, and that’s especially a ty, and yes, the film is fairly violent. This is compliment from someone who hasn’t read what separates The Hunger Games from the the books. Bring on Catching Fire! Harry Potter series or Twilight. It has a heart, it’s real, it’s grounded, and its action is choreographed in beautiful ways. This is a great

littlehawk

RATING:

THE SHINS RETURN: miraculously. by Gabriel Basile

gabrielbrasille@thelittlehawk.com

After a five year sabbatical, alternative music group The Shins released their new album Port of Morrow on March 20 to the rejoicement of fans and indie music lovers alike. Luckily for all the patient fans, the album is quite good. Mixing many of their styles into one album, Port of Morrow can’t be described by just one genre. Indie rock, folk rock, dream pop, even surf rock are all present in the album. Some tunes like “September” or “Port of Morrow” make the listener relax, slipping ever closer to absolute zen, while others like “The Rifle’s Spiral,” or the single “Simple Song” make listeners hop to their feet bustin’ out moves. Or at least bobbing their heads. For such a “feel good” album, the songs have a dark and ironic past. Songwriter and frontman James Mercer shared the origin of the album with interviewers.

“There’s a sign by the side of the road that says ‘Port of Morrow’ and I always just wondered about it, I guess,” Mercer said. “When writing that song it popped into my head and I was thinking of it as death, like what’s beyond the exit point, the ‘port of morrow,’ the port into tomorrow? Everyone’s future is death. That’s a very dark way to look at it, but in the song it just happened to fit in with that thing.” Mercer also included that the main themes of the album are love and the duality of nature; how the beautiful and grotesque can be combined. Even though the album has a slightly dark origin, it is no doubt a happy one. At some times, the album relaxes the listener, getting closer to enlightenment than ever before, and at others the album moves people

to their feet and compels them to dance. There isn’t much that Port of Morrow can be accused of, other than perhaps its back and forth nature between slow relaxing songs and more groovy tunes. However, Mercer did mention that the album is inspired by the duality of nature, so the duality of the songs could be a very conscious choice to accentuate the inspiration of the album. Quite poetic, really. Port of Morrow may have its more relaxed moments, but they rarely reach the point of being called depressing. No matter what mood you’re in or what genres you like, The Shins’ new album is sure to satisfy. LITTLE HAWK RATING: 8/10

A&E April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

Dessert Concert by Ellen Carmen

ellencarmen@thelittlehawk.com Tonight at 8:00 p.m. in the Iowa Memorial Union Ballroom, City High’s Symphony and Concert Orchestra will be performing in the annual Dessert Concert. “It’s in a really big fancy area, so we feel really professional,” Symphony Orchestra violin player, Meg Richardson ‘12 said. “Its a really special thing because everyone takes it really seriously.” Some of the songs they will be featuring include “The Orange Blossom Special,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Stars and Stripes Forever,” “Overture to Zampa,” “Radtezky March,” and the “Concert Polka.” “It’s all sounding really good,” Richardson said. “and everybody is working really hard.” Desserts will be given to guests at intermission. The orchestras are under the direction of Ms. Candace Wiebener “It feels really magical to be up there and you’re playing something beautiful for other people,” Richardson said. “I remember going to it eighth grade and thinking it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.”

things better than

Carley Jesper’s

“Call Me Maybe” By Gabriel Basile and Nat Alder

1. Hitting yourself

with a brick.

2. Flo from Progressive Insurance. 3. “Wrath of the Titans.” 4. Hitting yourself with two bricks. 5. MySpace. 6. “Snakes on a

Plane.”

7. Real life Hunger

Games.

8. Nickelback. 9. Haggis. 10. The acting talent

of Nicolas Cage.

A19

UAY Benefit Concert City High students recently put on a benefit concert for United Action for Youth, featuring City High musicians. They raised a total of $254 for the youth center.

Max Friedman ‘13 of The Projectors sings an original song to the crowd.

by Gabriel Basile

gabrielbrasile@thelittlehawk.com With drums pumping, guitar strings vibrating, and amps turned up to 11, several rock groups performed at United Action for Youth on Friday, April sixth. These rockers had one thing on their mind: benefiting the youth center. “We needed to do a service project for our English class, and it had to be a fund raiser,” Max Friedman ‘13 said. “We decided that because we’re all musically involved to put on a benefit concert.” Friedman, along with Nat Alder ‘13, Michael Gloer ‘13, and Avery Mossman ‘13, organized the concert together for their junior English class. Friedman says it was relatively easy to organize. “We started out by figuring out who we could get to play at the show,” Friedman said. “The core of the show was a band I’m in, The Projectors. I also know people like Della from shows I’ve played and other people like Avery and Michael who are in our group.” Alder’s recollection, however, was

more hectic. “For a long time, we didn’t know who we were giving money to or even where we were playing,” Alder said. “It took a long time to figure those things out and because of a combination of that and the Spain trip, we had to push back the show twice. We finally settled on April sixth, which worked out perfectly.” The group decided to donate all proceeds from the show to United Action for Youth, a youth center dedicated to helping teenagers in the form of counseling, art and recording studios, and a fun place to hang out. Friedman says he and The Projectors have had past experiences with UAY. “The Projectors have played there before so we knew the people and venue,” Friedman said. “So I asked and UAY was more than happy to help out.” In total, the group raised 254 dollars for the youth center, which Friedman feels is a great success. “It felt great,” Friedman said. “Not only did we raise over $250 for UAY, we also had a wonderful time performing and entertaining our friends and family.”

photos by GABRIEL BASILE, MAX FRIEDMAN, AND NAT ALDER

ABOVE: Gabriel Basile ‘13 and Nat Alder ‘13, of Bass/Drum, performed for the audience. Della Nuno ‘12, opened up the show with an acoustic set.

A20

PROM April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

Page compiled by Ryan Young, Lily Howard, Nora Holman, Alex Perez.

Dress to Impress

From mermaid to cut-out, shapes and styles of dresses this prom season are fresh and funkier than ever.

NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL CUTE! Ryan Young asked Abbey Vitosh by the labor intensive process of jamming nearly 100 tennis balls in Mercer Park fence spelling out the word “PROM?”. This athletic partnership was a match made in sports heaven. Matt Lee asked Baylee Avery by gallantly strutting into Ms. Wilson’s chemistry class and presenting her a homemade cake and a bouquet of flowers. They may just have some chemistry this spring. Ethan Zierke asked Nora Holman by rerouting the electricity in her room to trigger a disco ball to drop from her ceiling casting a bedazzling light on a sparkly “Prom?” poster. Add to that cookies and flowers, it was the perfect question.

One shoulder

Halter

Cut-out

High to low

Classic sweatheart

Open back

Mermaid

Short but formal

Things to do instead of going to Prom that you are Katniss and fight > Pretend to the death. (with pillows of course)

Iowa River Givanni’s Blackstone Devotay Power 503 Westbury Drive #1 Iowa City, IA 52245 Call for reservations (319) 338-1770

7 North Linn Street Iowa City, IA 52245

Call for reservations: 319-338-5967 or online www.givannis.net/reservations

Type of food: American menu with Asian and Mediterranean influences

Type of food: Tapas (several small appetizers)

Type of Food: Homemade Italian inspired American and Vegetarian cuisine.

Little Hawk Staff favorite dish: Honey Chipotle Chicken with a side of bubbly Mac & Cheese

109 East College Street, Iowa City, IA 52240

501 1st Avenue, Coralville, Iowa 52241 Call for reservations: 319-351-1904 Type of Food: American Cuisine

Little Hawk Staff Favorite Dish: New York Strip with a Baked Potato. Price:: A little more on the refined side, IRP is a little pricey but worth it. The average meal costs around 20 dollars.

Little Hawk Staff favorite dish: Bruschetta Price: 16-18 dollars

Price: Blackstone is moderately priced. They have entree’s priced from 10-24 dollars so there’s something for everyone.

Call for reservations (319) 354-1001

Little Hawk Staff favorite dish: Roasted portobello, gnocchi, sun dried tomatoes, porcini cream Price: This restaurant is a little pricier with entree’s for about 18-20 dollars but if you’re wanting to spend less but stay classsy they have a tapas menu priced from about 7-10 dollars.

> Pluck your toe hair > Retail therapy

out that gross lint in your belly > Clean button > Make animal mating calls sounds > Youtube cat videos > Have an Anti-Prom party > Cinnamon challenge > Lick your elbow creep and anticipate the > Facebook instant prom pictures

> Conning/ Planking > Punk your mom > Make nice pair of jorts > Don’t be silly, Go to Party After Prom!

Features TheLittleHawk

ON THE OF THE

LAW

April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

WRONG SIDE

GARETTES

FEATURE April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

Behind the Scenes Everyone knows the name of the school quarterback, the funniest teacher, and the coolest principal. However, many never have never even spoken to custodial staff. They are City High’s unsung heroes. by Maddi Finley

maddifinley@thelittlehawk.com

At four thirty in the morning, frost still shimmers on the front lawn, birds have barely begun to greet the day, and City High is for the most part, still asleep. However, as the Roberts Dairy milk truck bustles up the drive to the cafeteria, City High head custodian George Volk is there waiting to greet it. Wait. City High has a milk man? Who knew?! It’s simply not one of the things on the mind of a busy teenager...Along with how the bathroom stalls stay surprisingly graffiti-free, and how that apple core that you may or may not have accidentally dropped under your English teacher’s desk yesterday magically disappeared. City High’s custodial staff works from the wee hours of the morning until midnight to ensure that the students and staff have the best possible environment to work and learn in. “After I open up the doors, if it’s nice out, I head outside to pick up any trash on the grounds. As students begin to arrive I end up dodging the crazy moms in their minivans who don’t want to be late for work and don’t care if they hit the custodian” Volk says with a laugh that hints to more than one close call. Volk along with one other custodian, Marty Mellecker, is here until 2:30 in the afternoon most days. “In the fall though, I am here from 4:30 to midnight when there are football games. I have only missed one football game since 1997,” Volk said. However, after students clear the halls in the afternoon, the rest of the janitorial crew emerges from the woodwork armed with big yellow carts, mops, brooms and any tools they might need to battle the residue and general wear and tear left from a day of 1200 stinky teenagers. Students complain about how much time they spend at City High each day, while, working most evenings until midnight, the custodial staff spends just as many long hours minus the desks. “Yeah, my girlfriend complains all the time,” Custodian Wegayewu Faris said, glancing up at the clock, a constant reminder of the time spent away from his family. “I have another job too, my son actually. He’s two. His name is Samuel. I take care of him in the morning while my girlfriend works at the VA hospital, then in the evening we switch off when I come to work.” Besides raising a son, Faris also helps to support the rest of his family at home in Ethiopia. “I moved here from Ethiopia in 2004,” Faris said, slowly swinging his legs as he sat on a desk. “I send money home for my older sister who is going to college. I am the middle of five kids...Before my son was born, I took classes at Kirkwood in the morning. Maybe when my son gets older I’ll go back, but day care is very expensive.” Art Connell has been at City High for fourteen years. “It will be fifteen [years] in October” Connell said. “When there are problems, we are the ones that they call so that no one sees...They just call the custodian to fix the problem and that’s it.” The unsung choir of the school that leads, the janitorial staff work hard and often without appreciation for what they do despite the integral role that they play in the success of the school. “I can certainly say that our custodial staff works very hard to keep this school performing at the level that it does” Principal John Bacon said. As one can imagine, there are a lot of nasty things that a janitor might see in a day, that most of us would hope never to see. “I’ve been working here for a long time, so I try not to let things faze me, it’s just business. You can’t take it personally...I call it job security,” Connell said.

FEATURES April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

for the love of

fashion Whatever your personal style is, these trends will make your wardrobe stand out for spring. Along with the sunny weather, City High students are warming up to spring fashion trends. Trends for spring utilize winter colors. Neutrals are still popular, but adding a touch of bold, bright, neons make a statement for any outfit. The most visible color is tangerine. Whether you have fair or dark skin, this orange/coral shade will bring out the natural tone of your skin. Along with bright colors, pastels are also trendy. Romantic baby pinks, blues, and sea foam greens are going to be a hit. The colors will also look great with a tan. Sheer fabric is slightly provocative, but classy and light for the mild weather. Paired with a bandeau, this look is adorable. Retro tribal and geometric patterns from last summer and fall are still going strong. This spring, try to find those unique, abstract prints. Expect to mix and match indie prints as well as combining bright colors together. Color blocking is a way of giving an outfit a contemporary geometric feel. Digital imaging is a must. Screening an artsy photograph over a simple t-shirt is perfect for a laid back spring day. Look for hip pictures such as landscapes, animals, and people. Outer space inspired galaxy clothing is also hip and funky. Kimono styled jackets are in

demand this spring. This flowing top looks great in any color or pattern. You can style it for an elegant night, or a lazy day. What’s great about this piece is that it can be styled up or down depending on the event. Classic silhouettes are making funky patterns modern. Designers are taking the 1920s’ flapper-inspired dresses, like the drop-waist, and turning it from a costume to a feminine dress. 1950s’ inspired clothing such as the A-line dress and trench coat are popular trends this season. They are versatile and classic staples to have in your closet. Peplum, a flared ruffle at your waist, creates a slim flattering hourglass figure. High to low isn’t just for prom dresses. This shape has been seen in shirts, skirts, and dresses. Maxi clothing is definitely still popular for a slightly chillier day, but a leg exposing high to low dress adds an unique twist to clothing. For guys, look for tailored clothes, such as skinny cut pants and jackets. Stripes, linens, and khakis are reminiscent of the nautical trend. Prominent colors include navies, whites, oranges, and reds. Similar to women’s fashion, 1920s shapes used with touches of bright colors are popular. Printed shirts and tribal patterns add a laid back vibe to an outfit, but paired with a classy blazer, and you’re totally ready for spring.

Bright Sheer T op

Fitted blazers

Digital Imaging

photos by EMMA GIER

by Emma Baxter

emmabaxter@thelittlehawk.com

1920’s Peplum

Neons

cking Color Blo

1950’s

kis Linen & Kha

High to Low

Bright Maxi

SuperFeature

April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

by Lily Howard and Mikiel Curtis

“I regret it everyday,” Gabe Caballero ‘14 said, “because it affects me everyday. I went to get my license on my birthday, I was so excited, but they were like ‘nope,’ when they hadn’t even informed me of what my consequences were.” Caballero, among other City High students, has received punishment for disobeying the law. Caballero was pulled over by an unmarked police car in June of last year. “It was the sheriff and he was with his family. I was on Dodge, or Highway 1, and it was sort of later at night,” Caballero said, “I was actually on my route, but apparently I had been issued a school license that I wasn’t supposed to have; it had something to do with distances because I live in Marion, but I was actually on my route.” The unmarked car made the case a little unusual. Caballero had no idea that he was passing a police officer. “I guess I was sort of speeding: 7 miles an hour over. I mean it just looked like a family, so I guess you can’t really tell, he just had two little sets of lights,” Caballero said, “I thought it was unfair to be pulled over when he wasn’t on duty, but since he’s the sheriff, I guess he can pull people over whenever he wants.” The confusing situation didn’t end there. Even Caballero’s punishment was jumbled.

“I was supposed to have 30 days suspension and six months of driving probation, but instead they took five months to do anything about it and then I couldn’t drive all summer,” Caballero said. According to the Iowa Department of Transportation, for an Iowa minor school license, a conviction for a single moving traffic violation will result in a 30-day suspension. A conviction of two or more violations will result in a revocation for one year. Instead of taking action immediately, the Iowa DOT waited five extra months to react. This delay caused Caballero to have five unnecessary, unenforced months of not driving. “They made a huge mistake and if we hadn’t gotten it fixed it would have been April of this year when I finally could have gotten my license. Fortunately we talked to the right people, but I can’t really talk about that.”

Doug Blosse: Doug Blosse ‘13 was recently charged with possession of tobacco as a minor. “I drove to school at 7:30 and decided I would take a smoke break on the little path and smoked a cigarette, and someone reported me for smoking a joint. Then, fifth period, Coleman pulled me out of class and he took me to the office and showed me that he had searched my locker. They called the police and I got a ticket, a fifty dollar ticket. I wasn’t able to audition for Chicago, and I was told if our group made it to All-state we wouldn’t be able to perform,” Blosse said.

Luckily, Blosse’s speech group was rated non-performing All-state, meaning they would go to the All-state competition but they would not perform. “I would have felt awful if we would have not been able to perform because of me. I still feel bad ‘cause I caused a lot of stress and worrying and anger within the team. We had all worked really hard and it would have been terrible for all us,” Blosse said, “I definitely regret not being careful because I put everyone at risk.” Along with his other punishments, Blosse received 30 days of suspension from activities and one day of in-school suspension. On a less official level Blosse’s parents’ punishment for him was very unique. “My dad said I needed to get addicted to good things, instead of bad things, and if I wanted to get a high then I should get it from raising my endorphins through running. So he dropped me off a few miles out of town at five in the morning and told me, ‘school starts at 8:05, start running, don’t be late.’” The feeling of being caught can be described in many ways, “It was sort of like I felt like crap. I knew at that point I couldn’t perform in show choir, so my dance partner wouldn’t have a partner, and All-state, and I had been really excited about the musical and talking about it so that was a huge let down. Frankly, I was pissed, and I still have no idea who reported me,” Blosse said. Blosse’s punishment is continuing without a set end date. “I feel pretty dumb, I don’t know what to stay, I’m still in the midst of being punished, I guess I have a lot of time on my

hands.” As his words of advice to fellow students who want to avoid a situation like his, Blosse says, “Just don’t do it, but if you’re going to, be smart about it. If you’re gonna get the height, stay out of sight.”

City’s Policy:

City High has policies dealing with student’s actions both outside of and in school. “Well, it’s all basically set in stone,” Dean of students, Doug Lestina, said. “When you get in trouble with the law outside of school then your extra curriculars are at risk.” When you are arrested or charged for a crime outside of school, the school usually finds out through a police report in the newspaper. If you are in any extra curriculars such as show choir, jazz ensemble, debate, etc., your punishment is determined by the school administrators. The standard set of punishments for seasonal activities is: first-time offenders get taken out of ¼ of the season, second-time offenders get taken out ½ of the season, and third-time offenders are taken out for the whole season. These punishments are the same for getting in trouble in school. “The thing with getting in trouble outside of school is that unless there is a police report, we don’t have to know,” Lestina said. When there is no police report filed, the only way for the school to find out is through self-reporting. “Self reporting is actually advised,” Assistant principal Terry Coleman said, “When you self report what you did, rather than us finding out some other way, we tend to go a

little easier on you,” There are also consequences for students engaging in illegal activities in school. “If someone files a complaint about seeing you with, or thinks you’re on, an illegal substance or drink, we have the right to search your locker,” Coleman said. If the faculty finds what they are looking for, then the student will be punished. “The standard punishment for drug or alcohol possession at school is a five day suspension.” Lestina said. “Two of the five days you are suspended must be served outside of school.” Sometimes, however, there is a discrepancy between allocated punishment and delivered punishment. “I was assigned 5 days of in-school suspension and served them all in school.” Troy Chavez said. Punishment can vary depending on individual situations. “I only had to serve one in-school suspension when I was drug busted,” Patty Schwab said. “I think the majority of my punishment came from me being involved in so many extra curriculars and having to sit out for the end of the season.” The set of punishments for repeat offenders is far more extreme when it comes to alcohol or drug possession in school. First-time offenders get a mandatory five-day suspension and a prosecution according to the law. Students will also be required to attend a Substance Abuse Education-Based Group class through the City High MECCA program. Repeat offenders will face additional consequences, including support services and outside agencies.

Student Poll:

Do you know what happens if you get caught with drugs or alcohol?

What is the standard five day suspension rule?

Which gets a worse punishment in school?

10%

11%

45%

58%

23% All five days out of school

3 out of school, 2 in

Illegal drugs

All five days in school 2 out of school, 3 in

I don’t know

Alcohol

37%

Tobacco

graphics by NORA HOLMAN

On the Wrong Side of the Law

FEATURE April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

Scattergood

n a gravel road about 15 miles outside of Iowa City lies a small cluster of classrooms, dorms, farm animals and a small group of students eager for an alternative way of learning. Scattergood Friends School was established in 1890 by Iowan Wilburite Quakers, and is owned and operated by the Iowa Yearly Meeting Of Friends. Scattergood Friends School is one of Iowa’s best kept secrets. “I found out by word of mouth,” Junior Shane Fickbohm said. “My parents’ friends knew someone who went there and I decided to come check it out.” Shane is one of the fifty-two students that comprise Scattergood’s diverse student body. Representative of many different states and countries, about 25% of the school’s population is international. “We aren’t all Quakers,” Senior Tremayne Abazs said. “The school has Quaker values but we’re all free to believe and practice what we like.” While the community accepts people of any and all faiths, the school’s Quaker values influence its curriculum and daily life. The core Quaker values include simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality. Each week students and faculty attend a Quaker style worship where they sit in silence and reflect on life through thought or prayer. “I really enjoyed Collection, our 15 minute worship in the mornings,” one student said. “I am not a Quaker, but I just enjoy the time to sit and have a peaceful moment to collect my thoughts for the day.” The students’ daily lives are run on a fairly tight schedule: the morning starts with an optional breakfast in the dinning hall, Collection, and then classes. Later in the morning, the entire school gathers for lunch. The majority of their food is grown at their school’s farm and cooked fresh daily for each meal. “The food is usually pretty good,” Abazs said. “It’s great knowing where my food comes from.”

Instead of having a set menu, the staff and group of students who cook the meal decide on what to make for the community. After lunch, classes resume until dinner time, after which students are allowed time to study, and then given free time for the night. Classes at Scattergood are structured some-

jects of math, science, social studies, and foreign language. For these courses, most teachers lean towards a more hands on style of learning, which includes group discussion instead of lecturing. The afternoons are filled with more nontraditional classes, ranging from poetry or spoken word play to animal husbandry or archery.

On a remote plot in West Branch, Iowa, students receive a unique education focused on environmental awareness and Quaker values. story by Alex Perez and Shannon Randall

what differently from those of a regular public school. Instead of using letter grades, Scattergood employs a simple pass-fail and honors system. Morning classes consist of the core sub-

Scattergood has a 1:2 student to teacher ratio, so students describe forming easy personal connections with teachers. “We call the teachers by their first names,”

Abazs said. “It’s much more casual and makes a friendlier environment. It’s nice knowing the teachers on such a personal level; they become not only your teachers but your mentors and your friends.” Along with academics, the environment is a very important part of life at Scattergood. The school urges the community to be as sustainable as possible by doing small things like conserving energy and composting. The school itself has solar panels that help power the dorms and classrooms. Students also help take care of the 140-acre campus by tending to the farm and restoring the prairie. Scattergood teaches students about nature, as well as giving them opportunities to appreciate it. Trips are a very exciting feature built into the Scattergood curriculum. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors take a week during the second semester to go on Spring trips. These trips are usually nature-focused and educational. The trips vary from a week long canoe trip in Missouri to a bike trip across the eastern part of Iowa, and often include a service project, as well as wilderness training. At the end of each school year, Juniors and Seniors take part in a month long service trip where they can either travel abroad, take a bike trip from Mississippi to Iowa, or take part in an internship in Iowa City. These trips vary from year to year and allow students to challenge themselves by trying something that they have never done before. “This year I am going to Costa Rica,” Abazs said. “I love that my high school gives me the opportunity to travel and experience different cultures.” Through an alternative style of learning and a close knit community, Scattergood helps to prepare students for the future and, according to their website, lives by the following philosophy: “At Scattergood, we foster the development of the whole person in becoming a global citizen and steward of the earth. We strive toward instilling a sense of place and purpose in our values and commitment into the wider and rapidly changing world.”

graphics and design by RENATA STEWART

FEATURE

April 13, 2012

www.thelittlehawk.com

Everyday

Superheroes

Doctors and firefighters are two types of super heroes who walk around rescuing damsels without the help of a cape or a laser blaster. While the villians come in a different form, the threats they pose are just as real. by Mikiel Curtis

mikielcurtis@thelittlehawk.com

When Dr. John Buatti found out that he would need to complete over 10 years of schooling to be a Radiation Oncologist, he figured it’d all be worth it in the end. “If you want to be good at something it takes time and experience,” Buatti said. “All of this schooling and training made me better at my job by exposing me to a broad range of experiences and clinical scenarios.” This is a common belief between Dr. Buatti and fire fighter Marc Reyhons. “I have an EMT and Fire Science certificate from Kirkwood. I also attended an eight week Fire Academy in South Carolina where I received advanced training in firefighting,”

Reyhons said. “I still regularly attend educational classes to keep my certificates up-to-date.” Like most superheroes, the need to protect and save others starts when you’re young. “The first girl I had a crush on in grade school ended up having her leg amputated and receiving cancer therapy in 7-9th grade,” said Buatti. “We were good friends and the illness and pain seemed unfair. Later, when she was a freshman in high school, she died from her cancer. On her casket was the famous John Donne poem – ‘Death, Be Not Proud’. It was then that I vowed to try and fix this wrong and when I was older and got close to medical school it was that background that made me obsessed to know everything there was to know about cancer.” But like any other job, saving lives

is very time consuming. “Working 24 hour shifts, I miss a lot of holidays and family activities that other people who work 8-5 shifts would not miss.” Reyhons said. Having jobs like these also cut into their personal life. “A true profession is part of your life. It is not separate from your personal life,” Buatti said. “I enjoy my work so it is not only my job, but also my main interest. I work at it a great deal, often on evenings and weekends.” Jobs that involve saving lives are often plagued with stereotypes and assumptions, such as cops always eating donuts in their spare time. “Most people think all firefighters are heroes, but that's not true. You're only a hero by chance if put in certain situations,” Reyhons said. “People also think that all we do is lay

around and sleep at the station and play cards, but in reality we have a structured work environment. We do inspections, training, and run emergency calls which occur a lot more than people think. Sometimes we get no sleep at all.” The stereotypes sometimes affect the precautions that are taken to make someone better. “Most people don’t understand how radiation works but are afraid of cancer and afraid of cancer treatments as well,” Buatti said about treatments such as chemotherapy. “They assume all the treatments will make them sick or assume they will lose their hair. This is seldom true for many types of treatments.” People even question why others would want to be in a position where another person’s life can literally hang in their hands.

“Some people don’t understand how I could like to take care of patients that I know are going to die sooner rather than later,” Buatti said. But there is always one thing that people with extraoridinary jobs such as these have in common. To save lives and make the world a safer place. “My main goal in my profession is to keep myself safe while helping others so that I can come home to my family at the end of the day,” said Reyhons. “My main goal in my profession is to cure patients when possible and alleviate symptoms like pain when not possible for patients with cancer.” concluded Buatti. graphic by LILY HOWARD & NORA HOLMAN

FEATURE April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

graphics by EMMA GIER

Just like in Project X, high school parties have been glorified in the media. Here are three true stories of how parties have affected City High students. by Sarah Lange & Ryan Young sarahlange@thelittlehawk.com

usic blaring, ping pong balls flying through the kitchen, a haze of smoke as you pass by the puking kids in the bathroom. It’s a high school party. Legalities aside, most students underestimate the consequences of partying. High school student Dan* went to a simple house party that started out as any normal night, but little did he know he would end up in the hospital. “We went to the West High football game, and then decided to go back to a friend’s house.” Dan said. “It started out with just a few people and then more and more came. That’s when the booze showed up; I didn’t realize how much I had drank.” As the night made a turn for the worse and the alcohol caused Dan to pass out, Dan’s friend Nancy* had to call another sober friend to come pick Dan up. The whole way home Dan was vomiting profusely. “I was really angry and scared,” Nancy said. “We spent about ten minutes trying to get him to wake up but he wouldn’t. The worst part was having to knock on Dan’s front door and seeing his dad’s face.” Dan’s parents rushed him to the emergency room, where doctors had

to pump his stomach. “The hardest thing was seeing my mother crying by my bedside when I woke up. And I couldn’t stop throwing up,” Dan said. Dan’s blood alcohol level was .345. At this level, there are breathing impairments, severe central nervous system depression, and a high risk of death. “If I hadn’t gone to the hospital, I would have died,” Dan said. “I’m so thankful for Nancy. She was really looking out for me.” Dan was then grounded for three months. In this time he realized that partying might not be all that it is made up to be. “I never thought that this would happen to me,” Dan said. “One night has changed my perspective of what partying is really about.” While Dan ended up in a hospital after partying, other people like Karen* ended up walking miles home as her partying experience took a turn for the worst. “One time I was at this party and we decided to leave because it was getting sketchy,” Karen said. “We were on our way to another party, and I got really upset and I started to get into a fight with a friend. I ended up getting out of the car and walking home at two in the morning. My phone died on my way home, so I ended up stopping in a backyard and charging it in an outlet on the side of

the house. Then I walked the rest of the way,” Karen said. Karen believes that drugs and alcohol tend to make people aggressive, and this becomes a major problem as these substances are common elements of partying. “It is very easy to argue and fight with people,” Karen said. “Little things make me really mad.” Like Karen, Jane* has been affected by parties. However, she is on the other side of the issue: she hosts the parties at her house when her parents are out of town. “My parents were gone for the weekend and I wanted to have a good time,” Jane said. When she woke up the morning after the party, she noticed that things had been moved around the house without her knowledge. “A picture was moved to the other end of the piano, and a cap from a bottle was left out.” Jane said. “My mom’s bed was made wrong, and a chair was ripped at the seam.” Her parents were able to easily pick up on these changes, which caused her parents to question what she actually did that weekend. “I got a really awkward lecture from my parents when they got home,” Jane said. “My car got taken away, and I was grounded for a while. My parents don’t trust me anymore. When they leave town now they often check in a lot and make sure I’m tell-

ing the truth.” Jane was lucky that her belongings were just moved around. When you throw a party you risk having them stolen, which is what happened to Dean*. He threw a party in March and when he woke up the next morning, he realized that some things were missing. “My laptop got stolen, along with all the medicine in my medicine cabinet and all of my food,” Dean said. “Someone tried to steal my flat-screen TV too.” When Dean’s parents left for the weekend, Dean claims that his friends convinced him to throw the party “It wasn’t my decision,” Dean said. “It just exploded and got way out of control.” Roughly 60 people ended up attending Dean’s party that night. “People need to think things through before they happen. I didn’t really think it was gonna be that big,” Dean said. Things took a turn for the worse when the cops and Dean’s parents were called. “I was upset,” Dean said. “Luckily they [the police] didn’t end up coming.” In our society, partying and getting drunk is glorified. However, through these experiences, it shows that the real situation can be quite the opposite; one night of partying can have dramatic and long-lasting effects on the life of a teenager.

TheLittleHawk STUDENT POLLS Was your first experience with alcohol at a party?

67% YES

33% NO

Have you ever been in trouble because of partying? If so, how?

Parents Police School

*names have been changed

31 students said they partied, but haven’t been caught.

Sports TheLittleHawk

April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

STAYING ON TOP photo by DANIELA PERRET

see GIRLS TRACK, page C3

SPORTS

April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

Golf Team Practices for Upcoming Season

Smart and clean boys tennis With a great coach, and a positive outlook on the season, the boys tennis team is looking forward to what this season will bring.

photos by JON MYERS

ABOVE: Katherine Van der Woude ‘12 takes a practice putt at Pleasant Valley Golf Course.

by Jon Myers

jonmyers@thelittlehawk.com

Led by captains Mackenzie Mertens, Jordyn Theisen, and Katherine Van der Woude, the CHS girls golf team has high goals for this season. “Coach Gregg is very ambitious, and hopes we have a season greater than .500,” Katherine Van der Woude ‘12 said. With all of the practicing, the team has bonded quite a bit and created a fun and challenging environment to perform in. “The atmosphere is great, and our team bonds during practice,” Jordyn Theisen ‘12 said. The team won their first meet at Airport National Golf Course on Tuesday hosted by Cedar Rapids Kennedy. Mackenzie Mertens and Rachel Stewart both led City High with 40 strokes. The team total at the end of the day was 167 strokes edging out the competition by eight strokes. “Our drives are good, but we need to work on our short game,” Van der Woude said. The team has their first home meet on next Tuesday the 24th against West and Solon.

ABOVE: Wes Stephan ‘12 practices tennis after school at City High.

by Lily Howard

lilyhoward@thelittlehawk.com

Eyes follow a fluorescent yellow ball back and forth over the net; left to right, right to left, until with a scuffle of sneakers and a desperate lunge, the point is over. Coach, Chip Hardesty nods and mutters pointers to his players from the sidelines. “They’re a great group of boys,” Hardesty said, “they’re smart and they’re clean.” There is a unanimous opinion from the team towards their coach. “Chip Marshall Hard-

photos by LILY HOWARD

esty is the greatest coach we’ve ever had.” said Wesley Steffen ‘12, “he’s pretty awesome.” After his winning match Josh Cabbage ‘12 offered a few words about his success, “I’m proud of my match because I followed the exact game plan set out for me by my masterful coach Chip Hardesty.” he said, “He’s the sole reason I won.” Aside from their wonderful coach, the players also have a positive outlook for this year’s season. “We’re very excited.” said Steffen, “We have a lot of returning players.” The Little Hawks won their first meet of fourteen against

Cedar Rapids Prairie 9-0. “It’s a very tough conference, to do even middle of the road is a huge accomplishment.” said Hardesty. The Little Hawks will have a challenge in the middle of their season when they go up against two of the best teams in the conference West High and Ames within three days of each other. “West High is totally stacked, if they don’t win state this year it’s a failure.” said Hardesty. Though their coach is a bit skeptical the players are staying very positive, Erik McCoy ‘12 said, “I’m confident we’re beating West this year.”

Girls Tennis start off strong despite changes

BY thenumbers

Unusable courts, young varsity players, and new leadership start out the tennis season. by Sarah Lange

sarahlange@thelittlehawk.com

freshman girls are varsity soccer team, Sam Blowers and Rebecca Story

games is the average life span for a tennis ball

days until the much anticipated CityWest boy’s soccer game

400

hurdles Sarah Plock beat defending state champion

ABOVE: Abbey Vitosh ‘13 returns a forehand against CR Jefferson.

The girls’ tennis season is starting off with several changes. Due to the winter weather, the courts on campus were declared unusable. The team has moved to the Mercer Park courts. “It stinks that we had to move to mercer because it doesn’t feel like home court advantage anymore.” Elizabeth Hubing ‘13 said. “We hope that won’t hold us back.” Along with the move, the team also has two freshmen on their varsity squad. Kit Finely ‘14 and Eve Small ‘14 (Regina) filled the top half of the varsity roster, and are bringing a new ‘spunk’ to the team. “They are a great addition to the Little Hawk team.” head coach Fred Pedersen said. Finely and Small are currently undefeated. Returning varsity letter win-

ners Lindsay Hall ‘12 and Abbey Vitosh ‘13 are setting the bar high as they promote the message to become a more united team. “Being a senior, I am always trying to set a good example for the underclassmen.” Lindsay Hall said. After moving up from the number six spot last year, junior Abbey Vitosh has improved a lot. Vitosh currently has a 1-2 record, losing two very close matches. “We hope to win as many matches as possible this season.” Vitosh said. “We’ve made great improvements from last year.” “We definitely are starting off the season with a bang.” Said Lauren Coffey ‘13. “I can’t wait to continue our winning streak.” The Varsity team is undefeated with a 3-0 record. The team travels north on Saturday for a double-header against Cedar Falls and Waterloo West.

SPORTS April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

GIRLS TRACK

LEADING THE WAY

Terra Perez ’13 practices on Raffensberger Track at City High in the pre-season.

photo by KIERA ZAPF

Starting the season off as defending state champions, the girl’s track and field team is focusing mainly on team unity and improving at every meet throughout the season. by Daniela Perret

danielaperret@thelittlehawk.com

As she crosses the finish line at the first outdoor track meet of the year, Sarah Plock’15, is swarmed by teammates after winning the varsity 400 hurdles, beating last year’s state champion. “It was kind of a surprise because I had never ran that race before, and I found out that she was the state champion after I had finished the race.” Plock said. “[Winning] was a big accomplishment, not just for me, but for everybody because it was a big deal to beat her and now that we did, we know we can push harder.” Plocks’ performance was one of many at the Little Hawks first outdoor track meet of the year, the 2012 Sherwood relays. The team won both the JV and Varsity portions of the meet, continuing their undefeated record of winning the Sherwood relays. “I think [the Sherwood Relays] went really well.” Nicole Kuddes’12, captain, said. “All the girls performed to their highest ability.” As well as performing well, newcomers and younger runners have been stepping up to replace last year’s seniors. Stand-outs for the team include Amara Lehman ’14, Morgan Sammons ’14, Sonora Taffa ’14, Mollie Shepherd ’15, Sarah Plock ’15, Abby Saehler ’13, and Haley Lorenzen ’14.

“I feel like the team is doing very well.” Stella Thompson ’15 said. “From the beginning of the season a lot of girls have been stepping up and becoming leaders.” Although the team is starting off strong, the saying “It’s always harder to stay on top than to get on top” is becoming relevant as the team strives for their goal of taking home a consecutive state title this season. “Last year we surprised a lot of people, maybe even ourselves a little bit, and this year, with the number of people we have back, there are certainly higher expectations for what we’re going to accomplish.” Head coach Terry Coleman said. “People have a lot of goals now that they know what if feels like and they want to get there again. I would say that there is a lot to having a little added pressure on us, but I think that’s part of what makes us a good team, we always respond positively.” Starting the outdoor season off as defending state champions, the girls’ track team faces the pressures of filling in the shoes of graduated seniors. “I think there are [pressures on the team]. Especially for the younger kids coming up, like sophmores and juniors, who have to with-hold that position after the seniors left.” Morgan Sammons ’14 said. “It’ll be tough, but we can do it.”

photos by DANIELA PERRET

Top Left: Kirstin Feeney ’12 jumps the second hurdle in the shuttle hurdle relay. Left: Mickey Hansche ’13 long jumps at the Sherwood Relays. Above: Megan Plock ’14 runs the last leg of the 4x800 meter relay.

Kelly Krei

April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

by Annika Wasson

annikawasson@thelittlehawk.com

City High graduate Kelly Krei ‘08 is more than just a Big Ten basketball player. She has always been a leader on and off the basketball court. During her years at City High, Krei was an active member of many athletic teams and succeeded in the classroom as well. She still strives to leave a positive impression for all who know her as she finishes her under graduate college career. “I think it is an honor to be a role model even if it is to just one person in the community,” Krei said. “I take pride in doing things the right way and setting a good example for younger people.” During her high school basketball career, Krei was honored three times as a member of the first team allconference, all-district, and all-area. She was a team captain two years and a member of the 2008 State Championship Basketball team. In her senior basketball season Krei was named to the all-academic team and was honored as the 2008 Iowa Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year, Iowa state tournament MVP, and Mississippi Valley Conference Athlete of the Year. Basketball was not her only strength as she currently holds the school record for the 400 meters and was a memeber of the record setting sprint medley team. Kelly was not just one dimensional and did not let herself be defined as just an athlete. As indicated by her all Academic team honors and membership in the National Honor Society, scholastic work was important as well. “I had some great teachers and coaches at City High that challenged me,” Krei said. “That was something I value in college.” Krei has continued her dual role success in college as a Hawkeye. She

SuperSports Two 2008 City High graduates have found success in Division I NCAA athletics. Cameron Foreman calls Stanford home, as one of the country’s top gymnasts. Kelly Krei was a starter for the University of Iowa women’s basketball team here in Iowa City. says her time at Iowa couldn’t have been better. “It’s been a great experience. I mean its taken me all over the world and all over the country and I’ve gotten to play with great teammates.” Krei played immediately in her freshman year at Iowa and became a full time starter in her sophomore season, started all 31 games as a junior and has continued to start all 31 games so far as a senior. While you may not always see her at the top of the scoring list, Krei does many things that often go unnoticed. As a senior she has played nearly all 40 minutes in each of the team’s games and was second on the team in rebounding during conference play while often undertaking important defensive roles. Playing and going to college in your hometown has some perks according to Krei. She often can be seen returning to City High athletic events to lend her support to her former school. She is able to maintain the support of her games and she says she likes to get together with them every once in a while to share a meal. “It’s nice to have my family right in the backyard and they can come to my games and to have dinner once a month or so.” Krei continues her classroom achievements in college as well. She is a two time Academic all-Big Ten honoree. With a major in bio-medical engineering and hopes to pursue medical school after graduation, she says the biggest challenge has been balancing school and basketball. “Basketball takes up a lot of time, but school is obviously a higher priority, so it’s hard to balance,” Krei said. As her days as a Hawkeye wind down, Krei hopes to have fun and make the most of her remaining time. “I just want to have a good time and really savor every minute I have left,” she said.

photos courtesy of The Daily Iowan

by Ryan Young

ryanyoung@thelittlehawk.com

Another City High alumni has found success in NCAA Division I athletics. Cameron Foreman ’08 , a member of the Stanford Gymnastics team, has had a great year. He was a semifinalist for the Nissen-Emery Award, the highest award in all of college gymnastics. His team has done very well too. They have climbed in the rankings, and are now ranked 3rd in the country. Last week, they attended the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Conference Championship meet in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Cardinals finished second, falling short to number 2 Oklahoma. Foreman also finished second in the parallel bars. The team will compete in the NCAA championship meet next week. Foreman will be competing in 5 of 6 events, and hopes to qualify to the event finals.with hopes to win a third national championship. “While I was pleased with my preformance in the past, I am really looking to improve this year,” Foreman said. “The championships should be alot of fun.” However, it took a lot of hard work for Foreman to get to where he is now. He first started gymnastics at age five in the Mighty Minis program at the Iowa Gymnest. “He was a very active little kid,” mother and City High faculty member, Daphne Foreman said, “Within the first year they wanted to move him up to the gifted program.” Cameron’s love for gymnastics just took off from there. Starting with just one or two hours of practice a week, to practicing around twenty-five hours a week in high school.

photos courtesy of Daphne Foreman

Cam Foreman “It was never really about the competition,” said Ms. Foreman, “He just loved to go to practice. We never had to force him to go. The only times he ever missed was when he was sick.” Foreman was always setting goals for himself. When he first started, his goal was to make it long enough to be able to do his own routine. Once he accomplished that, his next goal was to make it to collegiate gymnastics. “At some point in highschool he got it in his head that he wanted to go to Stanford. He knew that it would offer him great academics, as well as a great gymnastics experience. It has been everything we could have imagined and more.” Ms. Foreman said. And what a great experience it has been. Over the past three seasons, Foreman has accomplished a lot. After redshirting his freshman season, he has been a two-time All American and a two-time NCAA champion. Last season he was a MPSF All-Academic selection and finished third in the parallel bars in the NCAA championships. Foreman plans to compete for one more year at Stanford. After his final season, he will then likely start medical school. However, the possibility of making the national team is not out of reach. “If I think that making the team is possible, I will definatly consider competing a bit longer,” He said. Foreman hopes to win another national title again this season. While they are not the favorite to win like they have been in the past, they still have a great shot at taking the title. “My goal first and foremost is for our team to win a national championship,” Foreman said. “We have made steady progress, and our best is yet to come.”

SPORTS April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

Imprinted Athletes T attoos have become very popular in the world of sports, and many City High athletes are following the trend. Sierra Chambers, Kody Dailey, Ronald Thompson, and Alex Perry all have sports-related tattoos that inspire them to perform better in the athletic arena.

Above: Senior wrestler Kody Dailey has a tattoo of USA going across the upper half of his back. “I’m a wrestler and I will always fight for America at any point,” Dailey said. Dailey got his tattoo midway through his very successful wrestling season this year.

From the boy’s basketball team, senior Ronald Thompson has a tattoo ‘Misunderstood’ on his right arm. “I got this tattoo because people always misunderstand me and misunderstand why I love the sports I play so much. They just don’t get me and that’s why I have ‘Misunderstood’ on my arm.” said Thompson. “ Not gonna lie, when people see me that don’t know, they think of me being a big scary guy and I don’t like when people assume things, when they don’t even know me.” said Thompson. However, Ronald Thompson is not misunderstood on the basketball court. By the end of the season, Thompson averaged 8.5 points per game, the second highest on the team.

Junior Alex Perry also has a tattoo of a basketball on his arm. “I got it to remind me to keep working hard.” Perry said. “This is what I would love to do for the rest of my life.” Perry has worked hard to revamp the reputation of the boy’s basketball team, starting this season as a point guard. His leadership has helped to improve the boys’ record dramatically this year, as they finished with a 9-14 record.

Senior Sierra Chambers has a tattoo of a basketball on her upper right arm. “I got this tattoo because basketball is my life and I don’t know what I would be doing if I couldn’t play basketball. Plus I just want people to remember me here at school because of my basketball skills,” Chambers said. She definitely will be remembered for leading her team to state with 326 points her senior season. “I got it because I’m married to the game, and basketball is my first love.” photos by EMMA GIER

C7 Girls’ soccer aims to kick last year’s record SPORTS April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

Young team loses their first two games, both in overtime and penalty kick shootouts, but aims to improve. by Annika Wasson & Oli Peters

annikawasson@thelittlehawk.com olipeters@thelittlehawk.com

After finishing last year’s season with a record of 2-15-1, the City High women’s soccer team is looking up. In the past the Little Hawks have flown under the radar with the student body and opponents, but with improved play and determined effort, they are looking to draw more interest and fans to their games. “We have the element of surprise on our side,” head coach Torsten Opitz said. “We want to come back with a vengeance and show that we are willing to fight.” After losing only two seniors from the 2011 squad, a roster full of players with multiple years of varsity experience return to work on changing their team’s fortunes this season. In order to do this, the team is improving three specific points of their game. Opitz says they need to improve air strength, keep possession, and be tough on the ball in order to compete with the strong teams in their conference. “We have a pretty good core, we have solid players,” assistant coach Edgar Arceo said. “If everybody is willing to go 100 percent I think we’re going to have a good season ahead of us.” In their first test of the year it appeared that the extra work had paid off as they were able to defeat Mount

Vernon in the Washington Jamboree. The team was able to keep possession of the ball for most of the 40 minutes, which was a major improvement from last year. While the Mustangs may fall short in skill level, the 7-0 win gave the Little Hawks confidence going into their season opener against Cedar Falls. “The game showed the team that if we put our hearts to it, we can win,” Opitz said. The team was able to take their momentum into their match up against the Tigers, but couldn’t hold on and lost the game in penalty kicks. The Little Hawks maintained fairly good possession in regulation, but being unable to score sent them into over time. In the extra minutes, the team had more shots on goal, but could not get the job done. The game ended after City missed their sixth penalty. “I was happy we were able to play a full game without having any letdowns,” captain Erin Danielson ‘13 said, “It would’ve been nice if we could’ve finished, but I thought we did a pretty good job.” The inability to finish is what contributed to a loss against Union as well. After sudden death overtime the score was 0-1. As the season progresses the team hopes to keep improving and add more wins to their record. “We have a good year ahead of us if we keep working hard everything will fall into place,” Danielson said.

photos by JAKE BINGGELI

ABOVE: Erin Danielson ‘13 fights off a Cedar Falls defender for the ball at Schrader. BELOW LEFT: Maddie Schroeder ‘13 dribbles the ball. BELOW RIGHT: Abby Schroder ‘12 takes a corner kick in team’s season opener against Cedar Falls.

SPORTS

April 13, 2012 www.thelittlehawk.com

Looking for redemption

After a Substate final loss, a young boys’ soccer team looks to make it farther in this year’s tournament. by Jake Binggeli & Jon Myers

jakebinggeli@thelittlehawk.com jonmyers@thelittlehawk.com

The Little Hawks boys’ soccer team lost eight seniors from last year but this young squad has high hopes heading into this season. Chavez ‘12 Last year the team fell in the substate finals to Bettendorf, but were ranked number 8 in the preseason rankings. Team captain Tyler Chavez hopes he will have a successful senior season before he heads to Western Illinois University to continue his career. “We’re a young team,” Chavez

says, “We haven’t played together and it shows.” Chavez is one of only three seniors on the team, which creates difficulties trying to be a leader. “A lot of guys are inexperienced, and in some cases they are playing guys four years older than them,” second captain Luke Mennen ‘13 said. In the Cedar Rapids Jamboree, a one half game showcasing teams from across the area, the Little Hawks outplayed number 6 ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy. A pass sent in from Tyler Chavez to Fernando Pacheco ‘13 was headed into the goal in the 25th minute. With only seven reserve players, everyone on the team should see plenty of playing time, especially during weekend tournaments. In the Muscatine Tournament, City led number one ranked West

Des Moines Dowling 1-0 at the half. “In the second half, it was like we all cramped up at the same time,” Alejandro Pacheco ‘14 said. The boys eventually lost the game 2-1 and was their only loss in the three game tournament. Last Tuesday, City took down Cedar Falls 2-1 with goals from Chavez and Alejandro Pacheco. Their next game is Tuesday, April 17th against Dubuque Hempstead at Schrader Field at Longfellow. Then the team has a home doubleheader on Saturday, April 21st starting at 9:00 a.m. The game of the year, mark the date, Tuesday, April 24th at the University of Iowa Soccer Complex. The Little Hawks take on the cross-river rivals, West High. “We want to beat West, then focus on making it far in the state tournament,” Chavez said.

photos by JON MYERS

Grant Lewis ‘13 fights off a Kennedy defender at the Cedar Rapids Jambo-

Coach Jose Fajardo and reserve players look on at the CR Jamboree.

“Hoops! I Did It Again” finish undefeated, Rec League champions

After an almost upset-free tournament, the one seed takes down the two, in the Rec League finals. by Jake Binggeli

jakebinggeli@thelittlehawk.com

The Rec League regular season wrapped up last month and the playoffs began after Spring Break. The first game of the tournament featured an 8 vs. 9 match-up between the Oh Gee Mudbones(2-6) and Wh!t3 Gurlz(0-7). “We really wanted a win, but at least we had fun,” Emma Hanson ‘12 said. The Wh!t3 Gurlz held a slim margin for most of the game until late in the second half when Steve Ferentz ‘12 led a Mudbone comeback win 5651 sending them into the ‘Acceptable Eight’. The Mudbones’ road quickly came to an end after facing the one seed, and eventual champions, Hoops! I Did it Again. “Through all seven of our techni-

cals, the team managed to get through to the second round,” Mudbone Jon Myers ‘12 says, “So that’s all that counts.” The two seed Plastered Penguins(7-2) faced off against the seven seed Sesame Street Bangerz(2-5) who handed the Penguins their only previous loss of the season. The Penguins sought revenge and defeat the Bangerz 46-33. Third seeded Dirty Houdinis(5-3) demolished the Spain-plagued, six seeded Ball-Stars(2-5), winning 92-53 punching their tickets to the semifinals. The five seed Rim Robbers(4-4) handed four seed Tate High(4-3) their first ever, first round playoff loss in Rec League history. The Rim Robbers won 41-30 in the only upset of the entire post-season tournament. “We felt good all week about that

game,” Rim Robber Peter Mickelson ‘12 said. The Rim Robbers took their hunger with them the next week in their match-up against Hoops. With a spot in the finals, the Rim Robbers got off to an early lead and kept it until the final minutes of the first half. The Rim Robbers then kept it close for the remainder of the game but never regained the lead and Hoops secured the win 53-46. At the same time, the Plastered Penguins had to knock off Regina’s Dirty Houdinis. They did just that, but in an interesting fashion. The Penguins led by 22 at one point in the game but in the final minutes of the game the Houdinis mounted a comeback and shrunk the Penguins’ lead to only two points.

With only two seconds left, the Houdinis fouled Coale Cooper ‘12 who knocked down the first free throw securing the win. The Houdinis then took a technical foul and forfeited the game with the score at 53-50. Just 10 minutes later, undefeated Hoops and the one-loss Penguins would face off in the Rec League championship game. “The atmosphere at the Rec was bumping,” fan Olivia Hamilton ‘13 said. Without fresh legs and almost no warm-up time, will is the only thing that could decide the champion. When the score was still 0-0, five minutes into the game, it was obvious that whoever won the game, had to do it with almost no energy. The game went back and forth through the entire first half. Isaiah Washpun ‘12 and Jasper

Washington ’12 both lit a spark under Hoops, as they came out for the second half and they quickly pulled away. The Penguins put together a comeback with a strand of three-pointers and tied the game up. Fatigue then kicked in for the Penguins and nothing would go through the net. Then came on the half-court shots and crazy alley-oops that makes Rec League what it is. “Between the refs and just being exhausted, we knew it was over,” Penguin Coale Cooper ‘12 said. Hoops would go on to win the game 46-32, finishing off the season undefeated, with both the regular season and tournament championship in hand. “The whole time we were trying to stay hungry while we stayed humble,” Razavi said.