LH Magazine

September 26, 2014

LH Feature Magazine

Unmasking the

Mascot An exploration of life as Louie the Little Hawk

9.26.2014

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Photo By Caroline Brown

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Louie the Little Hawk

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Breakfast Plus Bacon

Bad Breed

Fashion at City

The Truth About Racial Profiling

Food inspiraiton from LH staffers Will Barker and Dominic Balistrieri-Fox.

Pitbulls are often perceived as dangerous dogs. But are they really?

City High students are kicking off the school year in style.

The Iowa City community is forced to confront the issue of racial stereotypes in law enforcement following national events.

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A Long Way from Home Meet City High’s exchange students of 2014, here from Norway, Bulgaria, and beyond.

Teacher Profile

Mr. Hansen new kid

ON THE BLOCK

by Teghan Gevock Most teachers teach at one place, all day, every day. For new math teacher Phillip Hansen, things are a little different. He began his Iowa City teaching career at Elizabeth Tate High School, and now splits his day between City High and South East Junior High. “I don’t think I could compare them, in all honesty,” Hansen said. “At the junior high I love their sense of humor. It’s completely different than here at City, but here is just more than great to me.”

Each day, Hansen now teaches at City High until sixth hour, and then goes to South East Junior High to finish his day. Getting to know students at different schools is the key for Hansen.

“Helping them out with anything, whether it’s their current situation or something they will deal with down the road, it’s all part of the job,” Hansen said.

Hansen understands tough situations. Growing up, he didn’t have a lot of help with his educational transitions in life, so he wants to help those students with what he never got to experience.

“I didn’t have a resource, I did it all on my own,” he said. “I had to figure everything out, so I want to help those kids who are trying to do it all on their own. That is why I am at City.”

Before teaching in Iowa City, Hansen grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. After high school, he attended the University of Iowa. During this time, many factors influenced his decision to go into teaching.

“What got me into teaching is that I would think back on the role models in my life. I spent so much time in school that I can name a couple of teachers that I still keep in touch with today, because they had that big of an impression on me,” Hansen said. “That’s definitely the reason I got into teaching: because I wanted to have that positive impact as students go on through their lives.”

Hansen went on to say that the best part of teaching is really getting to know students. Students are getting to know Hansen quickly as well.

“He brings fresh ideas to the table and is willing to help us no matter the problem,” Lexi Wichman ‘15 said.

Outside of school, Hansen likes to get a good workout in. He’s in the classroom most of the time, so getting outside is what Hansen enjoys in his free time.

“I love doing anything outdoors: fishing, playing sports, soccer in particular. Or lately I’ve taken on

running, for training for a marathon or whatever the case may be,” Hansen said.

For Hansen, being a new teacher came with new challenges.

“Coming in as a new teacher, there’s a lot you have to grasp with new situations. However, everyone here has been so helpful,” Hansen said. “It’s been great to get started, and fit in right away.”

Hansen felt overwhelmed just looking at City for the first time.

“The first thing is when you walk up and see how big and beautiful the school is...” Hansen paused remembering his first day at City. “I’ve never seen a school like that on top of a hill.”

Coming to City High was a big change for Hansen. “It was a great first impression,” finished Hansen with a smile.

Photo by Kierra Zapf

Food

baking soda

milk

bacon pancakes eggs

flour

butter

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Food

with

FOOD Will

and

By Will Barker & Dominic BalistrieriFox

Dominic

Photo by Caroline Brown

Breakfast was lacking something. We personally think that special something, was bacon. In a search for easy breakfast recipes, we came across the decadent “bacon pancake dippers”—cooked bacon strips surrounded by buttermilk pancake—and they cer-

tainly fit the bill. The dippers are surprising light in comparison to the rich flavors of the bacon and buttermilk pancakes, so don’t worry about the quantity. We still recommend, however, that they be paired with something healthy. We never said they were healthy.

Buttermilk Pancakes with Bacon Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour 3 1/2 Tbsp. granulated sugar 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda 3/4 tsp. salt 3 cups buttermilk 1/2 cup milk 3 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract 12 strips bacon 1/3 cup butter, melted

Nutella Syrup

1/2 cup Nutella 1/2 cup maple syrup 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Pancake Procedure

1) In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2) In a separate bowl, whisk room-temperature buttermilk, milk and eggs, vanilla extract, and melted butter. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just blended, being careful not to overmix the batter. You want your batter to remain fairly thick.

3) Apply butter or cooking spray to the griddle, and set stovetop to medium heat.

4) Using a spoon, pour batter onto the griddle in a thin oval shape—a little goes a long way—and place a strip of bacon in the center

5) Layer a small amount of batter over the strip of bacon. Flip when golden brown.

Nutella Syrup Procedure

In a small saucepan, combine the Nutella, maple syrup, butter, and vanilla. Place the pot over low heat, stirring constantly until the butter is melted, and the mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Serving Suggestions

To serve, drizzle the Nutella syrup over the pancakes.

Alternately, pour the syrup into a bowl and dip the pancakes into it. Serve warm and enjoy!

September 26, 2014

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Bad Reputation by Innes Hicsasmaz

Photos by Caroline Brown

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woman walks her pitbull down the street. Eager to be

outside, the dog strains against her leash, practically dragging her owner down the road. A man walking in the opposite direction sees them approaching and immediately crosses to the other side of the street. Unaware of the change, the dog continues enjoying the walk, wagging her tail with excitement and energy.

“A lot of times when people see her, they try to avoid her,” Kyle Brown, the owner of Tige, a female pitbull-boxer mix said. “The biggest misconception is that pitbulls are vicious . But they’re not. They’re sweethearts.”

With her brindle coat that resembles the stripes of a tiger, rippling muscles, and a powerful jaw, Tige is a fearsomelooking animal and it’s obvious why she scares people.

“Bully breeds” like rottweilers, bull terriers, and pitbulls have a reputation as powerful, aggressive, and unpredictable dogs, responsible for violent attacks against humans and other dogs.

“They’re imposinglooking dogs, and once there’s a couple of incidents, people focus on those dogs as the culprits. They forget that other kinds of dogs can also be bad actors,” Brown said. “It’s sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Once people have decided they’re vicious and there are incidents where they’re involved, they get played up by the media.”

Since the 1980s, cities around the country have adopt-

A

ed breed-specific legislation, or BSL, that restricts the sale or ownership of pitbulls. Certain cities have put into place complete bans of pitbulls, warning owners to remove their dogs or have them put down. However enforcing these laws is a challenge because “pitbull” is not technically a dog breed; it is a term that describes multiple breeds, most notably the Staffordshire bull terrier the and American Staffordshire terrier.

These dogs share “pitbull” characteristics: short hair, a muscular body, and a squareshaped head. Non-pitbull breeds with similar characteristics, like boxers or bulldogs, are often mistaken for pitbulls, and subjected to the penalties of breed-specific legislation.

Pamela Nemec is a member of the Staffordshire Terrier Club of America (STCA) and is a professional dog trainer.

She believes local governments should promote leash and antitethering laws and responsible dog ownership instead of breed-specific legislation.

“I have never personally met a pitbull that deserved to be put down. I have met some that might be more active than others that required more training or an experienced hand in raising them,” Nemec said. “If you have one that is more needy in that it might be full of energy, then you need to be able to satisfy its desire to work or keep busy.”

After a series of pitbull attacks in 2005, Council Bluffs, Iowa enacted breed-specific legislation, restricting the ownership of pitbulls. While the number of pitbull bites went

down, the overall number of dog bites increased, from 115 to 132 the following year.

“If pitbulls, and dogs that look like pitbulls, are dangerous or aggressive and are responsible for more than their fair share of attacks on humans, then we should see decreases in attacks in places with bans,” Brown said. “And if you can’t show that, then that means that this assumption is incorrect.”

Ninety percent of dog bites happen to people who know the dog.

Holden Feagler ‘14 was bitten by a family dog as a small child. All that remains for him is a small scar on his cheek and a feeling of responsibility on his part.

“Part of my face was bitten by a labrador that I had,” Feagler said.

“I woke her up while she was sleeping, and she had to be put down because of that.”

Iowa City, like most cities in the United States, has laws addressing the handling of vicious dogs. However, they do not reference pitbulls or any breed by name.

The pitbull’s fighting reputation started in the mid-1800s. They were bred solely for “bloodsports,” or what we know as dogfighting today. However, as time went on, pitbull terriers were used more as family companions and protectors. Their temperament allowed them to watch after young children,

September 26, 2014 7

Their temperament allowed them to watch after young children, earning them the nickname “nanny dogs.” “[Pitbulls] are not some kind of isolated super power lock jaw type of breed that is incapable of being a family pet,” Nemec said. “They have been around since forever and they were the number one family dog.”

In recent years, pitbull owners and animal-activist groups have stood up against breed-specific legislation, arguing that pitbulls are no more dangerous than any other type of dog. Campaigns like Not a Bully have organized photoshoots, walks, and speeches to counteract the negative image of “bully breeds” in the media. In 2010, a documentary called Beyond the Myth was made to raise awareness of breed discrimination.

Their efforts seem to be working; more and more states are outlawing breed-specific legislation. In addition, research gathered by the White House concluded that breed-specific legislation was “largely ineffective and a waste of public resources,” which made banning it an attractive option to local governments. “ think that some people who own pitbulls aren’t very nice to them and that’s why they’re not nice to other people,” Feagler said. “I think a dog’s behavior is a direct reflection of the owner’s treatment of the dog.”

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Pitbull Facts • 90% of dog bites happen to people who know the dog • Only 17% of dog bites are reported in the U.S. • Some pitbulls get into fights because the ability to express body language has been bred out of them.

• 87% of American Pit Bull Terriers passed the temperament test • Only 85% of Golden Retrievers passed

The Review City High’s Literary Magazine

We are looking for: -Poets -Writers -Artists -Designers

Enter your work at:

cityhighreview@gmail.com and check us out on: twitter, facebook and online: cityhighreview.com

September 26, 2014

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Photos by Kierra Zapf

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Starting In Style: What City High Students are Wearing

By Arielle Soemadi What’s in? What’s out? What stores should I be investing in? These are the fashion questions on teenagers’ minds, especially at City High.

“I shop mostly online,” Jacob Pajunen ‘15 said. “Forever 21 actually has a lot of good guy stuff, along with GAP. Any place that’s fairly cheap,” he said. “My style changed back in the day. I used to not really care, but after going to this new school, I had to start dressing more business casual.”

On the girls’ side of fashion, Katrina Scandrett ‘15 let us in on her favorite places to shop, and her personal style.

“I really love shopping at Dry Goods at the mall. Statement jewelry is my thing, and they have a lot of it, but I don’t really stick with one store,” Scandrett said. “As a freshman and sophomore, I felt like I tried to fit in more with everyone else, but I really changed my style during junior year. I feel that as we mature, we start to gain our own style because you aren’t trying to fit in as much,” she said.

When it comes to school-appropriate attire, Scandrett has a definite opinion.

“There’s a fine line of what’s too far, and pajamas to school is too far,” Scandrett said.

Deckard Finley ‘17 disagrees.

“The lowest form of it is probably wearing something because it’s

in, not because you like it,” Finley said. “If you find it comfortable and you’re confident enough in what you’re wearing, then comfort clothes are great.”

Comfort aside, Pajunen had some strong opinions about what styles need to change at City High.

“All I see guys wearing are athletic clothes or just cargo shorts with a button up,” Pajunen said. “Mix it up. Get some colored slacks, guys.”

Scandrett shares Pajunen’s opinion.

“If guys think that girls are basic, please. That’s all they wear. Who’s really basic?” she said.

But in Finley’s opinion, City High has style.

“If you’re wearing what you like and you’ve put a little thought into it, then I think you’re automatically well-dressed,” Finley said.

“Personally, my inspiration is from the Kennedy family, or somebody out of a Wes Anderson movie. Although brand isn’t a big deal, I usually shop at places like Brooks Brothers, Vineyard Vines, and Ralph Lauren,” he said.

Ultimately, Finley agrees that while there are some limits, fashion is in the eye of the wearer.

“I don’t care about my fashion sense so much as my presentability,” Finley said. “I think you should just put some effort into your appearance; fashion sense isn’t really the important thing.”

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Art by Cora Bern-Klug

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ACCUSED

MINORITY FERGUSON

PROFILED PREJUDICE R A C I S M B R U TA L I T Y September 26, 2014 13

PROFILED

With the events in Ferguson, Missouri and a recent study conducted by Christopher Barnum, the issue of racial profiling has come to Iowa City. As students protested and watched the events of Ferguson unfold on Twitter, they were all too familiar with the results of Barnum’s study that found that minority drivers in Iowa City were stopped, searched, and arrested at disproportionate rates. The Little Hawk investigates what it means to be PROFILED.

By Caroline Brown & Payton Evans

In Our Nation

O

ver a month and a half has passed since the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting of the unarmed African American teenager by Darren Wilson, a local police officer, led to riots and peaceful protests against racial profiling and the militarization of the Ferguson law enforcement.

This case, along with the Trayvon Martin incident and other cases in recent times, has brought to light the controversial issue of racial profiling, forcing our society to confront it.

After his visit to St. Louis, Missouri in 2004, University of Iowa history professor Colin Gordon became interested in racial dynamics in the area, hoping to answer questions and calm the confusion about racial profiling found among many citizens in both Missouri and other parts of the country alike.

Ever since his visit, Gordon has been tracking changes in populations by race from the mid-1900s through present day. In light of the recent events in Ferguson, Missouri, located just outside of St. Louis, his work is especially relevant.

He has documented his studies in his book, Mapping Decline: St. Louis and the Fate of the American City, which discusses many ideas about how racial segregation was first established. The inspiration for his book came from his first day in the city.

“I walked out the door and my jaw hit the ground,” Gordon said.

“There were beautiful three-story brick houses that were just completely abandoned.”

That curiosity left Gordon begging for more information about how

Photo by Cora Bern-Klug

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this city could have abandoned itself. Over the next few years he began tracking racial populations in the St. Louis area.

“I think the story is a fairly simple one,” Gordon said. “From the 1940s through the1960s, the city of St. Louis was having issues raising money to pay for school, their factories are going out of business; the city in general is struggling financially.”

Because of the financial devastation resulting in poor living conditions, people started to leave the city.

“There were restrictions on African Americans about where they could and couldn’t live,” Gordon said. “So what happened is that all the whites left Ferguson and went to St. Louis, but blacks had to stay.”

According to Gordon’s research, the 1970s were when the rules began to loosen. It became much easier for African Americans to access insurance and home mortgages.

“About a generation later, once the new rules are in place, black families are able to leave the city and flood into inner suburbs, and when this happens the whites begin to move out,” he said.

This pattern of racial migration is something Gordon predicts will continue to occur. It was also the first thing he thought about after hearing that the death of Michael Brown had occurred in Ferguson.

“Clearly my mind went straight to all the tension in Ferguson,” Gordon said. “All the more so because it’s at that point right now where the population is majority black, and all of their policing and authorities are majority white.”

The shooting by Daron Wilson is being thought of by many as an unforgivable act of police brutality, but Gordon has a theory about the reasoning behind it all. “It is one of those very small towns, and they have trouble paying for basic services,” he said. “To compensate they practice very aggressive policing,” Gordon said. “They’ve got officers walking from door to door saying, ‘There’s a crack in your sidewalk. I’m charging you $25. And if I come back tomorrow and see that it’s not fixed, I’m charging you $50.’”

The financial instability, as well as the divided population, create a more likely situation for incidents like the Michael Brown shooting to occur. The problem doesn’t appear to be improving.

“There’s also just the casual racism of white cops being suspicious of black kids, and vise versa. Part of it is the need to fine people, and another part of it is petty reasons just to raise money,” Gordon said. “Over time, this continues to create bad relations between citizens and the police.”

Gordon has some suggestions intended to lead Ferguson towards financial and social stability.

“If the background issue is the inability of the city of Ferguson to run itself, they need to share tax revenues across the area,” he said.

The varied incomes and resources within the city create a huge divide among the whole community. Gordon believes that this is the source of the problem.

“Schools are a basic public service that shouldn’t be determined by how much money people have,” Gordon said. “The community and the state should pay as needed rather than by those who have money and who

Photo by Cora Bern-Klug those who don’t. Otherwise poor schools get poorer! It’s the kids who really need it, that are getting the worst education, and they can’t escape their neighborhood and life because they don’t have the resources to get out.”

Racial profiling and economic chaos can be a problem anywhere.

Though it may have improved, its impacts are visible everywhere, even in Iowa City. “I would not say it’s entirely a racial issue in Iowa City,” Gordon said. “However, certain neighborhoods get more attention from the police.”

Although less severe in Iowa City, elements of the Ferguson story

can occur at any time you have a minority in a contained part of town.

Profiling is often unique to such areas and their neighborhoods.

“There’s a strong amount of profiling on my street. It’s over-policed and there seem to be constant patrols,” Gordon said. “There are the same sort of dynamics at work; the assumption that the local population is prone to breaking the law.”

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Photo by Cora Bern-Klug

In Our City In response to the situation in Ferguson, a group of more than 80 people gathered at the Iowa City pedestrian mall on August 21st to protest racial profiling and the excessive force and militarization of local law enforcement.

“I definitely think racial profiling happens, but sometimes I think the claim of racial profiling can be exaggerated,” Logan Lafauce ‘15 said.

“Something happens between an officer and a white person and there’s no problem, but the same will happen between an officer and a minority and all of a sudden it’s a problem.”

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A traffic study analyzed earlier this year by the Iowa City Police Department showed that minority drivers were stopped and searched at a disproportionate rate in comparison to white and Asian motorists throughout the Iowa City area.

The study was conducted by St. Ambrose University professor Christopher Barnum, who analyzed six years of traffic stop information recorded prior to 2013. The results of Barnum’s study were presented to the City Council in June, but Iowa City Councilman Kingsley Botchway II requested further analysis due to Barnum’s claim that he didn’t have enough

information to prove that the disproportionate traffic stops in Iowa City were a result of racial bias. When the study was presented to the City Council, Police Chief Sam Hargadine said the results were a concern, but he did not believe any of his officers had ill intent. Both he and Barnum stated the time period with the greatest amount of uneven traffic stops followed increased police activity because of concerns of violence in the area.

“We do participate in hot-spot policing,” Hargadine said in response to the study results. “If there’s a problem in town, we are expected to go in and take care of it.”

City High teacher Carrie Watson grew up in Iowa City, and being familiar with the police department, agrees that most officers are wellmeaning.

“I don’t think our police department is going out and saying we’re going to arrest every black man that we possibly can,” Watson said. “I think their goal is the same as everybody’s in that they want to create a community that is as safe as possible, but we do know as human beings through socialization there are stereotypes that are embedded in our society. Whether we are willing to admit they exist or not in our brain, they are entrenched in our subconscious and to claim that they’re not is ultimately never going to solve the problem.”

Shane Bracko ‘15 agrees with Watson about the evolution of stereotypes.

“I’ve had a few instances -CARRIE [with racial profiling],” Bracko said. “I come from Mississippi and I’ve seen it before. For some people it’s just a way of life, because that’s what they were taught.”

Bracko also sees stereotyping as being the root of the profiling issue.

“Stereotypes work,” he said. “If someone is constantly labeled as being a certain way, they can easily become that stereotype. I feel like a lot of people become that stereotype because that’s what they are labeled as so often.”

Lafauce shares Bracko’s point of view.

“I think profiling is based off of the fact that there are stereotypes, which aren’t always fitting. But some stereotypes exist based off the actions of a certain group of people,” Lafauce said. “That doesn’t apply to every single person in that group though, which is the common misconception.”

Sheldon Brown ‘16 has also had experiences with racial profiling.

“It’s about 8:00pm, I’m walking past the light by the downtown area,” Brown said. “The police officer pulled up, flashed his light and told me to stop. He asked me to open my bag because there had been some stealings in the area.”

Brown felt that he was stopped unfairly by Iowa City Police.

“I was just walking, and I was stopped for no reason,” Brown said. “There were other people walking downtown, but he stopped me.”

As incidents of racial profiling gain more media attention, Watson hopes conversations about the issue will continue in our community.

WATSON “What we need is a honest discussion about racism from all sides with less finger-pointing and more collaboration,” she said.

“I THINK [OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT’S] GOAL IS TO CREATE A COMMUNITY THAT IS AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE, BUT WE DO KNOW AS HUMAN BEINGS THROUGH SOCIALIZATION THERE ARE STEREOTYPES THAT ARE EMBEDDED IN OUR SOCIETY.”

Photo by Cora Bern-Klug

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Art by Nova Meurice

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Life as Louie A look at what happens behind the mask of City High’s mascot.

L

ouie the Little Hawk is a timehonored City High tradition.

But he’s just one of the more recent in a long line of historical mascots. While Louie plans to keep up City High tradition, this year, some things are changing behind the mask.

Though much is known about the origin of mascots—the first can be dated back to 18thcentury France—little is known about their original purpose. However, Louie believes that he knows the answer.

“Louie brings school spirit and makes people feel included, like they’re a part of the school,” Louie said. “And with kids, little kids who come to see their fellow family or friends play, they love it. They love Louie, they love giving Louie high fives. It just adds a little bit of fun.”

Before the article continues, one thing needs to be cleared up: Louie’s anonymity is extremely important to the school and the team of six students who perform as Louie. To avoid disclosing any confidential information, we will call the interviewee “Louie the Little Hawk”.

Javier Perez, a University of Iowa Herky Security team member, understands the severity of this rule best.

“Louie represents the entire school; he’s the face of the school,” Perez said. “People don’t know every kid at the school, but everyone in the school knows Louie.”

Confidentiality is only one of the many rules of being a mascot. This year many new rules will be added to Louie’s regimen, one of the biggest differences being mascot tryouts. All of this is monitored by cheer coach, Lucy Joseph.

“This is the first year having the try out. A lot of things are going to change,” Joseph said. “Before this year, Louie didn’t have a practice or anything like that, so the goal is to incorporate more structure into it.”

During these new mascot practices, Louie team members will be working on things ranging from dance routines to Louie’s walk.

“Right now we’re just going to make him have more personality, so whoever on the team is playing Louie at that event will be the same,” Louie said. “We just want to get more crowd involvement and we hope to make people know that Louie is a part of the school this year.”

Joseph agrees that the entire spirit team would like to see Louie escalate to becoming a vital part of City High.

“I’ve been the coach for five years now. Obviously there hasn’t been a

By Nova Meurice & Sarah Smith

lot to do with the mascot. He’s kind of just been that person walking up and down the sidelines, giving a couple high fives to kids, jumping in on a couple cheers, but this year my goal is to get him more involved,” Joseph said. “Just trying to bring an image to him and getting him more exposed to the community as well as the school. As I mentioned, we want to increase school spirit, and one way is obviously to bring more to the mascot.”

And although Louie is thrilled to become a more influential part of the school, there is worry that the added attention will result in

more mascot harassment.

“The people who audition and try out and make it, we aren’t ourselves when we’re playing Louie. So when people call us by our names, if they happen to know or if they have any clues that we might be it, it’s really degrading and it makes our time not as fun,”Louie said. “The things that we would do in costume aren’t the same that we would do out of costume, so when we get called our real name we are taught to ignore it. But it’s really hard to because then you become a little more self-conscious of your actions.”

Louie admits that he also receives physical irritants as well.

“The most common thing is when opposing team members high five and then try and take off the glove,” Louie said. “Or when people at football games try and take your head off, like in the stands they’ll reach down and try to pull off the head. It’s just little things, but they add up and it gets kind of old.”

Through all of the annoyances and pressure, Louie would never give up his position of being the school mascot.

“Overall it’s really fun,” Louie said. “It’s a really great experience.”

And it’s the experience that makes Louie want to continue to perform.

“You’re just so happy that you got to add to that event,” Louie said. “Or that you got to make that little kid’s day.”

In the future, Louie hopes more and more kids will be influenced by the mascot.

“I hope after I graduate, that it’ll just keep growing and growing and getting better,” Louie said. “I’m not expecting a direct turn around, I’m not expecting at the end of this year that everyone will know who Louie is, and everyone will be excited when he comes in the room, like Herky at a football game. But I think within the next ten years, we’re going to see great improvement.”

September 26, 2014 19

Q&A With Louie Q: What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you in costume?

A: The craziest thing that has ever happened to me, it was self inflict-

ed, was at one of my first football games last year. People who are working on the field have to have these duffel bags, cheer poms, jackets, and water bottles just laying there on the ground. But when you’re in costume, you can only see two strips of rectangles at eye level. So you can’t really see where you’re walking very well. I was near the parent section where all of the kids usually line up to give me high fives, and there was a black dufflebag that I didn’t see. I tripped right over it and my head started to fall off, so I did a somersault and rolled right with it. I did an entire flip on the ground and stuck the landing. I stood up and the kids just erupted. They were cheering, and everytime I talk about it, my heart starts to beat faster.

I was so scared that I was going to blow my cover for not only myself, but for the kids, because I know it’s a magical part of going to these games.

Q: Is there camaraderie among the Louies?

A: We’ve never had a team before this year.

This is the first year that we’ve held true try outs, where people really audition. This year I hope that there will be a little friend group, but it’ll have to be a secretive friend group. We definitely get along really well; we all have the same goals for Louie but, it’ll grow. It’s just going to be continuously growing. And we don’t know what the future’s going to bring, but I’m hoping that it’ll bring good things.

Q: Do your parents and friends know?

A: My parents only know because they’re

Q: How hot does it get in the suit?

A: Oh my goodness, it gets really hot. The hottest I’ve ever been was

just the other day, the beginning of this year at the Friday Night Kickoff. It was really hot out for everybody, even for the people outside a really thick costume. And my face, I’m not exaggerating, was so red that I was City High red. You get out of the costume and you’re so hot and exhausted.

You’re dripping in sweat, I mean your socks are wet. Everything is just wet. Your hair is frizzy and tangled because it’s been mangled. You’re hot and exhausted, but at the end when you get undressed you just feel so confident. It does get really really hot, so hot and stuffy, but it’s definitely worth it.

“I TRIPPED AND MY HEAD STARTED TO FALL OFF, SO I DID A SOMERSAULT. I DID AN ENTIRE FLIP ON THE GROUND AND STUCK THE LANDING. EVERY TIME I TALK ABOUT IT, MY HEART STARTS TO BEAT FASTER. I WAS SO SCARED I WAS GOING TO BLOW MY COVER.”

my main support structure, and they always help me critique the music and the skits and the props.

They help me get everything organized. My friends -LOUIE THE however do not know. I can count on one hand how many people know that I am Louie, and I hope it stays that way. Mr. Bacon knows, two of my teachers know, and my parents know. Obviously there are other Louies too, but I keep [who knows about me] very limited. It’s very important to me and I think that if my secret ever got out, I would quit. I would have to quit because I couldn’t do the things I do.

Q: How important is anonymity?

A: To me, it is 100 percent important. Con-

fidentiality is really important to me. I don’t know if my other team members take it as seriously, but I’m hoping that throughout the years it gets just as big of a secret as Herky the Hawk is in the University of Iowa. We’re trying to kind of mirror what they do, Louie’s going to be a really big part of the school this year, and we’re all really excited.

LITTLE HAWK

Q: How did it feel to walk onto the field on the first football game as

Louie the Little Hawk?

A:

Oh man, I was so nervous because I hadn’t been to very many sports games. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was confident. That’s the number one thing that I have to remember, because no matter what you do, the crowd is going to go along with it. If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it 100%. Louie should never be reserved. At the end of my game I felt totally fine, but I’m always critical of myself, of what I could have done better. Or if I see a picture of Louie on social media I always will be critical about my stance, the way I walk, or how I was standing in that moment.

Photo by Caroline Brown

20 Little Hawk Feature Magazine

September 26, 2014 21

Long-Distance

Every year, students leave behind their friends, family, and country with one destination in mind: City High. Many join clubs and sports, and most jump right into the school spirit that permeates City High. But it’s hard to meet new people, in a new language, surrounded by a new culture. Here at the Little Hawk, we got to know five of this year’s foreign exchange students.

Jakob Hillebrand Munich, Germany

Hillebrand came to America with only a faint idea of what, exactly, Iowa was.

“You always hear about the East Coast and the West Coast more than about Iowa,” he said. “But Iowa is great.”

Though there were few surprises for Hillebrand once he got to Iowa, school is very different in America than in Germany.

“In Germany, we have a block system. You don’t have French every day,” he said.

“You have different classes here. Yearbook is after school [in Germany], but it’s a real class here.”

Even after just a few months in Iowa City, Hillebrand has decided that it’s “pretty cool” to be here.

“The people are nice here,” he said.

Malin Flateby Flateby, Norway

Little Hawks

By Sonali Durham Photos By Kierra Zapf

22 Little Hawk Feature Magazine

When Flateby got the chance to take a foreign exchange trip, she took it.

“It seemed really exciting and new and different,” she said. “The food is really different, and sports are much bigger. Almost everything is different.”

The biggest surprise in America for Flateby was, perhaps, predictable.

“You guys have a McDonald’s on every corner,” she said.

Despite the differences, Flateby has jumped right into life at City, joining yearbook staff and cross country. Sports are very different here than back in Norway, according to Flateby.

“You guys have sports right after school,” she said. “Our sports are kind of separate teams outside the school.”

Though there are things to miss, “the people” are Flateby’s favorite part of City.

“I miss my friends and family,” she said. “And my old school, but people are very welcoming here,” she added.

Eleanora Cherubini Rome, Italy

Cherubini had definitive reasons backing up her decision to leave home for a year.

“I think that I decided to take a foreign exchange because it let me know better how the American culture is,” she said. “It can help me to speak better English. You can also understand yourself better if you go to a foreign country.”

She had equally set expectations for America.

“I thought American school was less hard, and people were more like in films, much more... I don’t know, more selfish or more confident,” she said. “But here you can find lots of beautiful people. I thought something wrong.”

While Cherubini misses her family and her home (the food in particular), she has found plenty to like here in Iowa.

“I think that the most beautiful thing is that everybody cheers for this school, like in volleyball games or in football games,” she said. “Also the teachers. This evening there’s a football game, and the teachers wear City High School t-shirts or red and white. Everybody seems to like school.”

Viktoriya (Vicky) Hakhamaneshiyan Varna, Bulgaria

Hakhamaneshiyan earned the chance to take a foreign exchange trip, and she took it.

“I just had the opportunity. It was a competition,” she said. “So I said, ‘Let’s go for it,’ because you don’t often get that chance.”

Even though she accepted the opportunity, Hakhamaneshiyan had some misgivings about America.

“It surprised me that people are actually really openminded. You don’t get that a lot from America,” she said. “And then you also get that it’s kind of also a hateful country, so I was really surprised when I came here that it wasn’t.”

Iowa City is a big change from Hakhamaneshiyan’s hometown.

“We live in a kind of small city [here], so everyone knows each other,” she said. “You can wave at neighbors. I’m from a big city so I don’t get to experience that.”

Ultimately, Hakhamaneshiyan’s experience so far in America has been positive, despite her initial doubts.

“I love the spirit of the school for one, and the faculty and students work as a team,” she said. “I love it so far.”

Amanda Sanderfelt Stockholm, Sweden

Sanderfelt was looking for a change of pace. A trip to America provided the perfect opportunity.

“I was kind of a little bit bored of my life in Sweden,” she said. “I wanted to try something new, and learn English, and just get experiences that can help me later in life.”

Sanderfelt is keeping busy with cross country here at City.

“I don’t really miss much,” she said. “I mean, I miss my friends and family, of course, but it’s not like I want to go home and see them. It’s more like I want them to be here and experience this with me.”

In keeping with other foreign exchange students, Sanderfelt arrived in Iowa with few expectations.

“I tried not to have too many expectations at all because I didn’t want to be disappointed,” she said. “But of course I hoped that it would be like in the movies.”

For Sanderfelt, the biggest surprise was not the school or the food.

“I didn’t really expect people to be so interested in where you’re from,” she said. “There are a lot of people who ask me questions. I didn’t expect that, so that’s fun.”

Sophie Horstman Bielefeld, Germany

When Horstman embarked on her foreign exchange trip, she wasn’t sure what to expect. She just knew she wanted to go.

“I didn’t know much about America, just the picture that everyone has from the movies,” she said.

“I’m really interested in other cultures, and I really like the English language, so I wanted to speak it fluently. I think it’s an amazing experience.”

Although Horstman found that there was “not really” anything surprising about America, there were some noticeable differences.

“There are a few differences, like the food,” she said. “The school is really different because my school has, like 600 students in total. This school is really big. That was confusing for me at first.”

Outside the classroom, Horstman has been enjoying Iowa.

“I think the people are really nice,” she said. “You just go on the street and everyone is greeting you.”

September 26, 2014

23

ABOVE: Principal Bacon, Athletic Director Terry Coleman, and Vice Principal Scott Jesperson take the ice bucket challenget at the end of the first pep rally.

CORA BERN-KLUG/ THELITTLEHAWK

Little Hawk Feature Magazine