THE
Iowa City, IA
LITTLE HAWK Vol 75
Friday, September 29th 2017
Issue 1
thelittlehawk.com
General Obligation Bond Passes for $191M By Victor Kalil Executive Editor
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Going Green The Current State of Recycling At City High By Lottie Gidal News Editor
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very day students at City High go through the lunch line in the cafeteria throwing away milk bottles, uneaten sandwiches, plastic bags, untouched apples, and plastic bottles. There is no special plastic recycling bin, or a bin for organic waste, just the one that’s heading straight to the landfill. A study by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency found
that over 78% of waste produced by public schools could be diverted into recycling or composting programs, cutting the estimated 90 to 180 thousand pounds of garbage produced by the City High cafeteria each year significantly. City High does have a paper recycling program, led by Mr. DeNeice. However, many feel that this system is not enough. Izzy Jones ‘19 is troubled by the amount of waste she sees occurring at City. “We have paper recycling, but that’s not used very well,” Jones said. “We have the bins but I see a lot of people throwing their paper away in
the trash when there is a recycling bin right next to it. If we had plastic recycling and composting at lunch that would be great, a lot of people would throw away their extra fruit and vegetables and sandwiches, and that could really be used for good.” Addy Smith ‘18 dominated her campaign for student class president with the promise of increased recycling at City High. She lost the election, but is pursuing that goal regardless. “It was never about the candidacy for me, it was about the issue,” Smith said. “I felt that the candidacy would help me accomplish my goals
of establishing a sustainable recycling system at City High. It is something that I need to get accomplished before I leave, because I feel like it is my moral responsibility to get something done because I have 80 years left on this planet.” Smith, along with fellow students Rachael Volkman ‘19, Naomi Meurice ‘19, and Lottie Gidal ‘19 have started a recycling club to try to address this issue. The club’s first goal is to install school wide plastic recycling, before trying to tackle the cafeteria. “Right now we are working on
Continued on 4A
n September 12th, the people of the Iowa City Community School District voted yes to the record breaking General Obligation Bond (G.O. Bond). Nearly 17,000 residents voted and 65% of them voted yes, passing the 60% barrier to pass the $191.5 million bond The bond affects every school in the district, along with some upcoming ones, by completing the Facilities Master Plan and more. The Facilities Master Plan (FMP) is a ten-year plan put together to create an equitable environment across the district and answer the accelerated growth in number of students. A new elementary school will be built to compensate for the growth in the region, and classrooms will be added to many schools and most temporaries will be removed. One major issue that the bond will solve is making sure all parts of buildings comply with the American Disabilities Act. However, many people are not satisfied with the G.O. Bond’s parts, such as creating more space in buildings. “The Facilities Master Plan overcompensates in some areas and underestimates needs in other areas or even ignores needs. Enrollment projections for the district are already out of date.” said Martha Hampel, treasurer of the Vote No September 12th campaign. Due to the unequal compensation in the district, Hampel believes some students in North Liberty will have to be bussed to Iowa City schools, which presents more issues. “[Bussing] is an expense that cannot be covered by the General Obligation bond which only covers facilities.” Hampel said. “The only alternative to bussing is temporary...
Continued on 4A
New FAM at City By Phoebe Chapnick-Sorokin News Editor
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any Freshmen struggle with the transition from junior high to high school, so this year the Ambassadors have started a program to help them out. Starting in October, the third Tuesday of every month during advisory, the Ambassadors with host a FAM: FreshmanAmbassador Meeting. Each month, a group of ambassadors will work to plan an engaging activity to help City High freshmen thrive. The first meeting took place on September 19 in City High’s Opstad Auditorium. The theme of this meeting was “getting involved”. “When I was a freshman, I knew that I should be getting involved, but I didn’t really know how,” said Beatrice Kearns ‘19, one of the ambassadors planning this month’s meeting. “This would’ve really helped me as a freshman because I was nervous to join clubs and different
activities.” Kearns and a group of ambassadors spent the past few weeks planning a meeting that would be fun for the Freshmen, while teaching them how to get involved. They planned a game of Charades, where the two teams, one of ambassadors and one of Freshmen, acted out different clubs of City High. The winning team, which ended up being the Freshmen, won freeze pops. The idea for these meetings came from the Ambassador Club advisor, Renee Tonning. “What we’re hoping is that the new coming freshmen will make a connection with upperclassmen and it will make their transition to high school easier,” she said. Although it was Tonning’s idea to start this program, she is leaving it up to the ambassadors to keep it going. Ideas for future meetings came from brainstorming by the Ambassadors. Some future topics are bullying, peer pressure, anxiety and stress, schedules, and cyberbullying.
ABOVE: Ambassadors onstage at first FAM. Freshman Ambassador Meeting. PHOTO BY GABE BAIRD
NEWS
A2
SEPTEMBER 29th, 2017
LH FEATURE
Section
3
Magazine
Inside City’s Gender Neutral Bathroom
6
Head to Head
By Nina Lavezzo-Stecopoulos
By Lottie Gidal
By Olivia Baird and Lindy Rublaitus Two students write opposing opinions about the implementation of Chromebooks
One-to-One Goes into Effect
8
Violation or Not? By Mina Takahashi
By Carlotta Giddal
13
Unbelieva-bowl
The Little Hawk staff sits one on one with City’s newest teachers
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5
6
The Teachers that Lead
Zoë Butler: A New Face Breaking Into the Art Scene By Zoë Miller Inspired by her connections with others, Zoë Butler has created her own unique style.
12 The Mirrors We Need
How representation in schools affects us By Maya Durham
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Dear Readers, We welcome you to the first issue of The Little Hawk this year. It’s full of surprises, seriousness, and just the right amount of silly. Our news section has articles about recycling at City, Q & A’s with City’s newest teachers, and so much more. In the Opinion section, you’ll read a staff editorial about the mainstream media’s portrayal of violence. Arts & Entertainment has a few stories on student artists, with some really beautiful photos. Sports is kicking off the year with cross country and football (the usual suspects.) Finally, the Features magazine has stories on diversity at City and national dress code policies. ABOVE: Co-Executive Editors Maya Durham and Victor Kalil eating chocolate cake and pizza during a work night. PHOTO BY GABE BAIRD
On a more personal note, we (your friendly neighborhood editors) are really pumped for this coming school year. With one of us on his way out the door and the other only dreaming about it, we’re determined to give you guys a [butt]-kicking quality newspaper (and affiliated magazine). Here’s a toast (get it, ‘cuz of our picture?) to the next eight months of school. We’ll get through it, with a little help from The Little Hawk. Love, Maya Durham & Victor Kalil
TheLittleHawk.com
NEWS 3A
SEPTEMBER 29th, 2017
Inside City’s Gender Neutral Bathroom Over the last year, City students collaborated with the school board to create a gender neutral bathroom the phone with Botchway the students learned they needed to write a memo to be officially approved by the Reporter school board. Tyne wrote this memo at the end of the school year and then n the second floor of City High sent it to the school board who apthere is a new sign for a new proved it. bathroom that is for everyone, The changes made to the once not just boys or girls. Over the male bathroom of the second floor school year of 2016-17 the Stu- of City High were getting rid of the dent Senate members realized that urinals and changing the sign. This students were in need of an all gender contradicted what the senate membathroom. The senators had chosen a bers originally wanted changed in the specific bathroom and even planned bathroom. the operation. The next step was to “I don’t really know what haptalk to someone from the district. pened with the urinals, they have Bihotza James ‘18 started pushing been taken out...And they might’ve for this new bathroom the summer just done it because of a safety thing. of 2016. She had talked to Mr. Ba- If it’s gender neutral just to have all con and he told her another student stalls is fine but we have yet to put at City, Xenophilius Tyne wanted to in the feminine disposal boxes,” said make this change as well. They start- senate member James. ed working together. “I think it makes sense just to have “We had both been trying to email stalls, for privacy matters.” said Steve the school board and they never re- Tygrett, a teacher at City High who ally got back to us,” James said. oversees Student Senate. “I know he wasn’t really responJames also mentions that if she sive to Bihotza,” added Tyne. and other members had known that “[Communicating with the those were the changes the district board]took a really long time so by was planning to do changing the sign the time Student Senate got onto it on a female bathroom would have and we had talked to the district and been sufficient. the whole school year had basically “It would’ve just made more sense passed,” James said. to just change a female restroom.” When the student senate mem- said Tyne. bers learned of this issue they conNick Adams ‘18 at City responded tacted Kingsley Botchway II the Di- with, “Probably two months [until it rector of Equity and Engagement for is remodelled].” ICCSD and set up a meeting with Another student, Rashae Smith him. But he is also a City Council ‘22 guessed around a month. In realmember here in Iowa City. ity, once the student senate members Student Senate set up numerous notified Kingsley Botchway that they times for Botchway to come to one needed this change in the new bathof the senate’s meetings but he could room system, Superintendent Murnot make it to most because of his ley responded that it would take 3-4 busy schedule. After a while he told months-in other words, one whole the students he would come to the year since James and Tyne first purnext meeting. sued the issue. Student Sen“I know ate waited and the goal was Botchway did to have it in not show. The and ready to go meeting endbefore the beed up with the ginning of the Senate memschool year,” bers talking to said Murley. “It him on speakdeXeniphilius Tyne probably er phone. pended mostly STUDENT SENATE MEMBER “Kingsley on the schedBotchway is ule of our staff really busy,” members.” said XenoThe estiphilius Tyne mated cost of ‘20. the changes While on made to bath-
By Nina LavezzoStecopoulos
By Zoë Butler and Mira Bohannan Kumar
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“I also feel like there was a lack of things getting done on certain ends ”
Excellence
Award Introduced By Allyson Guyer Reporter
City High is introducing the Excellence Award, a way for City High to recognize teachers and staff that go above and beyond with their jobs. Students have the option to nominate two teachers or staff members that they believe are exceeding expectations. “I know it is really going to make our teachers feel good and feel appreciated. I strongly encourage City High students to take the time to nominate a deserving staff member for this award.” said City High Principal Mr. Bacon Students can nominate their favorite teacher by submitting a short letter containing reasons why this
LHNEEDTOKNOW
HOW TO NOMINATE A TEACHERS? Write a letter and turn it into the main office. staff member should be selected for the reward. “I plan to present the awards at the end of every month. Every single letter I received will be put on nice City High stationary and presented to the teacher. I will also be drawing two or three letters per month to receive a special prize, which is a nice City High sweatshirt as part of the award.” Mr. Bacon said.
Student Senate Recap Editors
ABOVE: A student walks into the gender neutral bathroom PHOTO BY NINA LAVEZZO-STECOPOULOS room was $1,516.00. “I feel like for the school district it happened really quickly, but I also feel like there was a lack of things getting done on certain ends.” said Tyne ‘20. An similar issue relating to the lack of gender inclusive restrooms was first brought up 4 years ago according to Superintendent Murley. A student needed their own private bathroom. Not necessarily a gender neutral bathroom but a single stall restroom. This bathroom is located by the art rooms in the dungeon. Student senate considered transforming this bathroom into a gender neutral one but the men’s restroom they chose on the second floor is in a more accessible area.
Both Nick Adams and Rashae Smith thought that if they ever wanted to make any changes in City they that it would be hard. “If people really want something to happen, usually they can make it happen.” said Adams. “I think they’re(the district) as accessible as you make them be...any student that goes to the board with issues makes them listen,” said Tygrett. “We’re trying to be as responsive as we can to those who come forward and raise issues and ask questions.” said Mr. Murley. Smith did believe that students here at City have a say in their environment. “We are certainly working as hard as we can to meet those needs,” said Murley.
Student Senate kicked off the year trying to focus in on helping students be better represented and providing a more inclusive way to get everyone involved in the club. Ideas were brought up to add an extra meeting once every couple of weeks during an Advisory so that students who couldn’t make it on Wednesday mornings could still be heard. Likewise, a monthly meeting between possible class representatives and administration was proposed–a meeting at which issues from the student body would be addressed. On September 6, 2017, the Senate took a final vote and determined the theme for Homecoming 2017, “Under the Sea”, and that Homecoming would be on September 23 from 8-11 pm with a portion of the profits going to a relief fund for Hurricane Harvey. It then began to make plans and arrangements for the Homecoming dance, as well as the Homecoming parade and subsequent Powderpuff football game. On Wednesday, September 13, the meeting began with the Senate voting to determine that the Secretary and Treasurer positions will be two separate roles performed by two individuals. Following that decision, the candidates for Secretary and Treasurer gave one-minute speeches. It was determined that Bihotza James-Lejarcegui ‘18, who ran uncontested, would take on the role of Secretary, while Gabby McCormick ‘18 would be the Treasurer, winning the vote over Eric Thomas ‘18. The Senate decided that it would meet once after Homecoming to discuss its agenda and regroup after the first major dance of the year. The date for this meeting has yet to be determined. The Homecoming parade, Homecoming dance, and Powderpuff football committees then reported on their progress. It was decided that Powderpuff football would take place on Tuesday, September 19, directly after the parade. Six teams played, and David KeffalaGerhard ‘18 was the announcer. On Wednesday, September 20, the Senate meeting began with a review and discussion of the Homecoming parade, which was on Tuesday, September 19. The leader of the Homecoming dance committee, Zoë Butler ‘19, reported on the progress of the dance. Decorations were bought and the art club would continue to paint other decorations throughout the week. The Senate made plans to decorate the cafeteria on the morning of Homecoming. The sign-up for ticket sales was set up, with a sign-up sheet available for members. The Senate also discussed the need for faculty and parent chaperones for the dance. Amy Kahle, City High’s studentfamily advocate, talked about the gender-neutral restrooms with the Senate, which brought up the need for feminine hygiene disposal facilities and the removal of the urinals, as well as its wish to educate students about the fact that the restroom is an all-gender space. The Senate then split into committees to continue Homecoming planning. The Senate meets every Wednesday morning in room 3311 at 8:15 am. To learn more, contact Mr. Tygrett.
4A NEWS
TheLittleHawk.com
SEPTEMBER 29th, 2017
G.O. Bond continued from 1A ...classrooms which the district claims it will reduce if the bond is passed.” City High will receive some major renovations with the passing of the G.O. Bond. including more classrooms, an expansion of gym space, the cafeteria, and the kitchen. Renovations will also be made to the roof and lighting, not to mention a geothermal heating system, new tennis courts, and other sports facilities. Air conditioning will also be improved as approximately 52% of City has access to air conditioning. These changes will only be completed by winter of 2021, with an estimated cost of roughly $30 million. Although Sarah Nunez ‘18 supports the G.O. Bond, she believes it is missing some things. “I do wish the bond would focus more on the learning aspect such as having teachers and resources available to students who aren’t as privileged to the everyday classroom setting, like special education, homeless students, and students suffering in poverty.” said Nunez ‘18. Shay McLean ‘18 holds a different position. Although he believes there are many positives that can come with a G.O. Bond, this one does not fit ICCSD. “I think that in essence, a bond for the school district is a good thing, but one of this size is a bit overkill.” said McLean ‘18. “Such a massive amount of money means that there will be many new additions to many schools, and with all these additions you need to precariously plan. One mistake, one setback, and everything could come to a grinding halt. 191.5 million dollars is just so much to handle all at once and I think that breaking it down into smaller bonds over a longer period of time will in the long run be much more practical.” Although the G.O. Bond will not affect McLean ‘18 or Nunez ‘18 since they will have graduated, it will inevitably impact their siblings.
Student Senate President Teagan Roeder ‘18 reaches out to his fellow students By Teagan Roeder Reporter
Art by Victor Kalil and Zoë Miller
McLean ‘18 has four siblings, down to a fourth grader. “I believe the bond will definitely do more harm than good. Additions to currently functioning schools along with the building of new schools and destruction of the current ones would really mess with the whole flow of things and really disrupt their school lives.”
explains McLean ‘18. “Having parts of a school quarantined from the rest or even requiring students to transfer schools for a year or two is something that nobody really needs.” “I think it will still benefit my sister who will graduate in 2022 because all of the additions to the schools will build excitement to students” said Nunez ‘18. Despite the fact that over 10,000 people voted yes to the General Obligation bond, McLean ‘18 is skeptical that it will go as planned. “I’d like to think that everything that is entailed Shay McLean in the bond will be executed smoothly but I find CITY HIGH SENIOR that hard to believe.” said
“I’d like to think everything that is entailed in the bond will be executed smoothly but I find that hard to believe ”
Recycling continued from 1A “Right now we are working on specifically fundraising to buy some more containers,” Smith said. “Then from there we will look more into the transportation, logistical side of things.” The club plans to sell water bottles to both promote awareness and raise funds to buy more recycling bins. However, the main question of this attempt is who would collect the plastic from the bins and pick it up from the school to take to the recycling center. The students appear willing to do it themselves, at least at first, but to achieve the kind of recycling that they want, a true new system needs to be put into place, such as the kind at Regina. Missy Aitchison is a parent volunteer at Regina Catholic School. Seven years ago, she started a rigorous, school wide recycling and composting program. “I started out just wanting to recycle plastic, but then I thought we could try composting, and the administratives were super supportive,” Aitchison said. “We just jumped in on the first day of school, and we’ve done a lot of education since then.” Regina went from having their trash picked up five days a week to three. “My goal was to have a net of zero increase, so that we can be green but we aren’t costing the school any money,” Aitchison said. “A lot of times that’s what everyone’s excuse is; Well, I’d love
Letter from the President
to do it but it costs too much.” Regina is a private school, which means that they have to pay someone to pick up their trash, unlike the iowa city school district that does this internally. Thus if City High were to recycle and thereby reduce their waste production, they wouldn’t be saving money by not having their trash picked up. “But still, most people now want to do it because it’s the right thing to do, even if it costs a little bit,” Aitchison said, referring to the district’s own cost. Addy Smith couldn’t agree more. “I think that a school of our caliber needs to be doing recycling,” Smith said. “The waste we are generating is unacceptable, and frankly irresponsible. We need to be leaders for other schools and for our community.” But ultimately, the success of a recycling program rests on the people who participate in it. “Everyone has to buy in,” Aitchison said. “It really takes a village, but it’s just such a great thing that I really think is worth my time, and everyone else’s time and energy.”
This is something that makes implementing a program like this especially difficult at the high school level, as Smith points out. “A lot of times, especially as teenagers, we tend to get lazy, and just do what’s convenient, Smith said. “If the recycling is just a little bit farther away than the trash, we will just put it into the trash. So I hope that we can make it easier for students to still make the convenient choice that is also the right choice.” At Regina, Aitchison says that the recycling program was actually easier to implement with the elementary age kids than with the older ones. “The younger kids, because they have grown up with it, are just used to it,” Aitchison said. “So I’m hoping that for the kids who’ve grown up with this that it just becomes a natural part of life.” Despite the enormity of the task she is attempting, Smith seems committed to continue working. “It definitely is a big project and we definitely have ambitious goals in mind, but I think that whatever impact we make will be an impact, so that whatever we get done will be better than where we started,” Smith said. “So yes, I think that this will take some time, and I may not be able to get it where I want it to by the end of senior year, but we need to start someAitchison where.” Parent Volunteer
“We just jumped in on the first day of school, and we’ve done a lot of education.” Missy
As we enter the new school year, I’m looking forward to serving the people of City High as your class president. My priorities are to increase the amount of communication the Senate will be doing with the student body. However, many of the plans we currently have are on hold while we prepare for Homecoming. However, in the weeks following Homecoming, we will be exploring ways to communicate better and be more representative of the Student Body. My first step in this initiative is to write to you all through The Little Hawk to let you know what is happening in the Student Senate. First and foremost, If you have an issue or something you’d like to do but don’t have the means to do it, the Senate will do its duty in helping you achieve that. “I want to be sure that We have an you understand that amazing range of creativity the Student Senate, here at City. and by extension I, That creativity can be turned are here to advocate into events to for you.” make the 20172018 school year memorable. We can explore a wide TEAGAN variety of ways ROEDER to carry out the STUDENT SENATE requests of the student body. PRESIDENT Second, we in the Student Senate want to be sure that students are able to communicate directly with the Class Officers. An issue in the past is the lack of ability to effectively bring up student concerns. I wish for this to happen no more. I hope that everyone is able to comfortable with bringing ideas to the Senate. It is for that reason that I’ll be giving contact information for myself at the end of this letter. I am open to communication at any time during the school year. And finally, to my fellow seniors; You remain the most fascinating group of people in the range of talent, skill, and personality. You are all deserving of the greatest year of your education. I will not be doing my duty if you’re not enjoying yourselves. My duty is to you and your happiness. I want to see everyone on the floor of Carver Hawkeye Arena happy for all the memories we have here in the next few months. Yours,
Teagan Roeder Email: Teagan.Roeder@gmail.com Snapchat: ThatCynicalTeen
TheLittleHawk.com
NEWS 5A
SEPTEMBER 29th, 2017
Liberty High School Opens By Anshul Gowda Reporter With the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, Liberty High School has welcomed over 720 new students to attend the district’s newest high school. Ever since the plan was approved in January 2015, students and parents throughout the district have been wondaering how the $75 million school would turn out. “[It was] the most rewarding work of my professional life,” said Principal Scott Kibby of Liberty. “To be a part of building a school from the ground up is an experience few people get to have.”
The number of upperclassmen transfering to Liberty is still in flux as students can choose where to attend high school. When asked about the transition from West to Liberty, Henry Krain ‘20 said. “I think it was overhyped a lot, cause really when you get down to it, sitting in class the whole time feels the same just as West High,” said Henry Krain ‘20. The curriculum’s between the two schools will eventually be almost identical, the only question for this school year is whether enough students will sign up for each class. According to Principal Kibby, the administration is working with the Kirkwood Regional Center and West to provide access to classes not offered on campus.
Some were also concerned that the lack of tradition at Liberty would make the school not as attractive to deans of admission at colleges and universities. But Kibby does not seem overly concerned with this. “[Colleges] know that City and West are high achieving schools and that Liberty is a subset of those two quality schools,” Kibby said. “The teachers are working incredibly hard to make sure the expectations are high and the atmosphere of the school is positive.” “Liberty High is a great school full of wonderful students and staff,” Ehrman said. “The building, all around, is an amazing school. This school has some amazing opportunities and is a wonderful way to be acknowledged”
PHOTO: Liberty High School’s front entrance PHOTO BY: Lottie Gidal
One to One Goes Into Effect By Lottie Gidal News Editor
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n giving every single high school student across the district their own personal computer, the ICCSD has joined the growing number of school districts nationwide who are going one to one. “It makes it easier for kids without computers at home.” said Joe Simmons ‘21. “It also gives an opportunity for people who are sick to know what they missed, and make up their work” Simmons hit on the the driving factor behind the chromebook decision; giving students who had been previously unable to work on ABOVE: Foreman explores her chromebook, specailly gien online assignments access to a ing and distributing the chromebooks at City computer. “I think the whole district wants to be one to High. “I was certainly enthusiastic about the idea of one within the next few years,” said John Burkle. getting access for every kid,” said Foreman. “But “The high schools were the easiest place to pilot at the same time obviously troubled about the it, because you guys already use technology logistics, about the wi-fi, I wasn’t sure if kids were whereas with the elementary schools there’s more going to have access even if they got a computer, of them.” I was worried about theft, loss, breakage. Just the Elizabeth Schau and Daphne Foreman were logistics of distributing them for 1700 kids.” two of the people in charge of initially organiz-
to all the teachers as well However, some students are conflicted about the district spending too much money on chromebooks. “I don’t like them at all,” said Marin Irvine ‘19. “They’re a waste of money. We cut programs and then we spent all this money on chromebooks that we didn’t need.” But these are comments that the librarians tend not to hear all that often.
“We haven’t really heard that many complaints,” Forman said. “Probably a lot of people say that privately. But we hear more from kids who wouldn’t have had one otherwise, who are still two finger [typing] it because they just had phone access before.” But even as students receive access to their own computers, the question becomes when and how they will use them. “Most kids use it properly but there’s some kids who don’t,” Burkle said. “It’s a learning experience, and we are still in the infant stage of it.” This is something that the librarians are aware of, but have decided to depend on the students to manage. “Like any tool, it depends on what you use it for and how you use it,” Foreman said. “I hope that the new expectations of using them more for academic purposes will make new users realize that it’s not just an entertainment tool, that there’s stuff for the mind there too.”
TheLittleHawk.com
NEWS 9A
SEPTEMBER 29th, 2017
Asked to Homecoming 2017
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1. Molly Brennan ‘18 and Kawther Rouabhi ‘18 2. Sopohie Trom ‘20 and Joseph Bennet ‘20 3. Maya Durham ‘19 and Samba Traore ‘19 4. Charlie Maxwell ‘19 and Anna Lindower ‘19 5. Sophia Friton ‘21 and Joe Bacon ‘21 6. Grace Parrott ‘20 and Paul Cornell ‘20 7. Kate Swenning ‘19 and Joe Ring ‘19
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Right to Remain
Silent
2 6
5 • “Patrice, if you ruin the glitter behind you I’ll ruin you” - Monsieur Balcaen • “Knees are kind of abstract. You’re not really sure when they are there, and then they are” - Burkle • “Those are my overalls!” - Stucky
• “It’s like if you have twins, there’s going to be one that doesn’t have as much LOVE given to it” - D Schnoeb • “Sometimes it’s okay to be incestual... in journalism.” - Rogers • “They were’nt selling you safe sex, they were selling you super soft gloves” - Monsieur Balcaen
TheLittleHawk.com
NEWS 7A
SEPTEMBER 29th, 2017
The Clubs that Lead Gardening Club: “The School That Seeds”
Paula Mompio Reporter
The gardening club’s slogan is “The School that Seeds” a play on words of “The School That Leads.” The gardening club believes thinking about the environment is always important, so the club brings students together around sustaining the City High environment. “[In this club] you can be a hard worker, you can be quiet, you can be good at math, or cooking, but there’s a lot of things that we can do together,” said (first name of bovey) Bovey. “It is an inclusive and organic garden, where kids of all abilities can participate easily.” Bovey believes there are many ways students can gain from the club “We use [gardening club] for science, vocational, and also nutrition lessons. We grow different products and all goes back into the City High usage for different classrooms,” said Bovey.
Photo by Ava Otoadese
Bovey thinks that it’s kind of an old fashion idea about the kids being gardeners. “I think it’s very important for kids to understand the process of growing plants from seeds to arbust and what needs to be done to take care of those things, and a lot of kids don’t grow up gardening anymore,” said Bovey. Mary Liebig ‘18, the president of the club, is looking to expand the club this next year. “This year in gardening club we want to try to start a butterfly garden, and we also want to do some stuff to increase the school’s environmental awareness,” said Mary. Liebig ‘18 is excited to be participating in this club for her second year. “The reason I like putting my time
Mock Trial Turnout Unexpectedly High
ABOVE: Returning members from the white team. Photo by Carlotta Gidal
Mrs. Bovey’s Room
Mira Bohannan Kumar
At the first Mock Trial meeting on Friday, August 25th, returning members were shocked: every desk in the room was occupied, and people were sitting on extra chairs and sprawled on the wood floor. Over 40 students had squeezed into history teacher Jason Schumann’s classroom, twice the number of the 2016-2017 teams. “We went from having two teams last year--about twenty students--to this year, we’ve had about fifty to sixty students express interest in being part of Mock Trial,” Schumann said. “That would be somewhere in the ballpark of three or four teams, so we’ve almost doubled.” Jessica Sheffield ‘18 has been a member of Mock Trial for three years and had thoughts about this sudden growth. “When I was a sophomore it was really, really small,” Sheffield said. “I think [the reasons were] posters, word of mouth, and we started becoming more competitive...I think that alerted people to what we’re all about.” With such a sudden change, both posi-
not wasting your or other people’s time.” Parrott said. Volunteering also can offer good memories along with earning the silver cord hours. “You can volunteer with your friends which is fun. You can get connections like jobs. I like volunteering because you earn silver cord hours and it’s a great way to give back to the community.” The presidents of Interact this year are looking to improve the club by working to make more volunteering opportunities for students in areas that they are interested in. One president, Teagan Roeder ‘18, is looking forward to these changes in Interact this year. “Me and Addy have been working toward trying to pair people up based on their interests. I am excited to give opportunities to students and to give back to
Friday Mornings (Subject to change)
Copy and Opinion Editor tive and negative ramifications are sure to come in droves. “It’s certainly going to be harder to coordinate...and allow for students to work together with their friends,” Schumann said. “I think it’s going to be really challenging to put the teams together in a way that everyone’s happy with who they’re working with.” However, there are also positives to this change. “if we’re able to scrimmage and go up against a couple of different teams, we’ll be prepared for more strategies and ways of doing things,” Sheffield said. “More experience with different strategies is really important.” Schumann is excited about the year ahead, despite the daunting prospect of having nearly fifty students in the program. “There [are] two teams that are coming back. We’re hopeful that we can get both those teams to State, and potentially get some of our new teams also up to speed and competing at a level where they can also qualify for State,” he said.
Interact Club Starts Off the Year with Fresh Leadership Volunteering and helping the people of Iowa City is what Interact club is all about. Every Thursday morning at 8:20 in room 3106, this group meets to talk about volunteering opportunities in the community. They work with groups such as Habitat for Humanity, Helping Hands and Iowa City ReStore. Members of the club use this as an opportunity to earn silver cord hours and to enjoy the experience of volunteering. Interact Club member Grace Parrott ‘20 appreciates Interact’s opportunities. “I know there is opportunities all over but sometimes you go and it turns out they don’t need you so you don’t feel like you’re making as big of an impact as you could be. But with Interact, the places they suggest have actually contacted City High saying that they would like high school students so you know that you’re
into it is because it’s going to improve the school’s appearance as well as environmental impact,” Liebig ‘18 said.
“I think we feel really solid about where we’re at and where we’re headed.” Sheffield is also looking forward to this season and to see the changes in the Mock Trial program at City in future. “I know that my team especially is ready to hopefully win State or at least be top four,” she said. “One thing people may not always realize is that Mock Trial is a lot, a lot, a lot of time and work, but I think it’s definitely worth it.”
Fridays at 8:00 A.M. Mr. Schumann’s Room
Sylvia Gidal Reporter
the community.” Roeder ‘18 said. Interact members will have many different volunteering opportunities. Whether the programs are at City High or not, the club’s purpose remains to help the Iowa City community.
Thursdays at 8:20 A.M. Room 3106
ABOVE: Students take a survey during interact club. Photo by Sylvia Gidal
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8A NEWS
SEPTEMBER 29th, 2017
TheLittleHawk.com
16 New Teachers Started Teaching at City High This Year
NEW TEACHER Elizabeth Lily: TCW By Reese Hill
Reporter
Among the new staff members working at City High this year is Ms. Elizabeth Lilly, assistant social worker and certified scuba diver. “I started my career after college working for residential treatment ... hopefully [giving students] positive experiences that would then carry over into school and other areas of their life,” said Lilly, who has been a social worker for 23 years. Lilly worked at a hospital where she finished her masters, then worked with off site school programs for students who didn’t receive sufficient support until those were absorbed by the district. “I really enjoy working with all children and young adults,” said Lilly when asked why she decided to come to City High. “But I really do love working with high school students. I think that’s when it’s great because student’s minds are still open, but they’re changing, and they’re challenging beliefs, and it’s great to be involved in that and see that happen. To throw some questions at them that maybe make them think about things.” Lilly describes her philosophy for teaching any subject as presenting the material in a way that is relatable and carries meaning to the students, as well as making sure it’s fun. She likes to use her own stories from high school to relate to her students. “My whole goal working across the populations I work with is to try to make their world bigger and have less adults involved, and help them learn the skills to make decisions and deal with their stress so their world doesn’t get smaller or more confined.” Lilly explained. “It should get bigger as you get older; whatever I can do to help that.” Lilly loves exercising, biking, reading, going to movies, and “wogging”, an activity she describes as somewhere between a walk and a jog. “I got certified in scuba diving like two years ago,” Lilly said. “It’s never too late to do something new.
Peter Byler: Math By Katherine Guerdes
Reporter
Math may not a subject that most high school students enjoy, but for one of City High’s newest Principles of Engineering and Physics teacher, Peter Byler, it’s what shaped his future career. “I really remembered a handful of teachers [from high school], and the teachers I remembered the most happened to be my math teachers. I had five different math teachers in high school and I can still see their faces in my head like it was yesterday,” Byler said. It was the result of those teachers’ influence that inspired Byler to major in physics. Though it was only after working in an architectural firm that Byler discovered his interest in teaching. He made the decision to enroll in a licensure program, and became a student teacher in the Principles of Engineering class. “City High has a really exciting energy and diversity.” Byler said.“I have 150 new people that I’m excited to get to know.” However, Mr. Byler is not completely new to City High. He walks by it every day when taking his kids to school, and has been a resident of Iowa City for four years. He also lives right next to City High, and talks about the beneficial atmosphere City High provides for him and his neighbors. “City High is really the thing that brings our neighborhoods together. I’m really excited to be a part of that.” As his first year teaching continues, Mr. Byler looks forward to continuing to help his students. He especially wants to encourage any and everyone to pursue careers in STEM fields if they’re interested. “I want to reach out to every student and let them know that if they have any interest at all in science or engineering that those types of fields are going to open a lot of doors down the road.” Byler expressed “I want to help students broaden their expectations for what they can do.”
James Tutson: IJAG By Henry Mildenstein
Reporter
James Tutson has worked in social services for a long time. He has run a college prep course, a special education classroom at Southeast Jr. High, and various student groups. However this year he is excited to start his first year of teaching IJAG (Iowa jobs for America’s graduates) at the school that leads. “What I really like about it is it’s a diverse group of kids,” Tutson said. “One of the big things we try to do is have a very diverse community and focus on tight knit relationships.” The goal of IJAG may sometimes be unclear. But according to Tutson, it has many applications beyond high school “IJAG is a program to prepare students for whatever’s after high school,” Tutson said. “Some students are preparing for college so we’re going to help them with the ACT and help with the application process. IJAGs big focus is jobs. A lot of what I do is help students learn how to get jobs so they can get money. If if they aren’t going to college they will still know how to put together a resume and cover letter. We also help students that want to go the military get there by working with recruiters.” Mr. Tutson also loves music, his style is a combination of gospel and soul. He has many albums such as Red Hot Riot and On Me. In addition to doing music outside of school he also works at a summer program called young life. Young life focuses on loving the kids of Jesus no matter who they are or what there story is. Tutson also seems to be well respected by his students, Diangelo McNeal one of Tutson’s students commented about his first impressions of Mr. Tutson, “He is a good guy. He is energetic, he jokes around, and he knows how to relate to people.” “He is laid back person, he isn’t strict or an angry person.” “Things I learn in IJAG are very applicable we learn about job preparation which I think is important as we are juniors and seniors.”
TheLittleHawk.com
NEWS 9A
SEPTEMBER 29th, 2017
RS THAT LEAD Aaron Ottmar: Music By Lindy Rublaitus
Reporter
After graduating 6 years ago from City High, Aaron Ottmar is returning to replace Mr. Arp as assistant band director. “I love being back here at City High,” Ottmar said. “The people are so friendly, there are so many great opportunities, and everyone here really cares about providing the best for students, so it is cool to be a part of that.” During high school, Ottmar discovered his love for music and helping people with Mr. Arp and Dr. McReynolds as his teachers. He was asked at a young age if he could help elementary students start percussion. From then on, he knew that he wanted to share his knowledge with the rest of the world to help people become better musicians. Coming back to City High was just one of the perks. “Once I knew I wanted to do music and music education, I always knew I wanted to get back here at some point,” Ottmar said. He got the chance to come back when Mr. Arp was offered the head band director position at Liberty High school. Although he feels it is now strange that he is on a first name basis with Mr. Arp, he enjoys being able to collaborate and work with him in the same district. “Taking over for Mr. Arp has been really interesting because Mr. Arp and Dr. McReynolds were both my band directors.” Ottmar said. “Taking over for Mr. Arp is quite an honor, actually, because he was awesome and I know a lot of people really learned a lot from him and enjoyed him as a teacher...I am glad that I can be a part of it.” With more opportunities coming as the school year starts, Ottmar is excited to meet all of the students. He is prepared to make marching band season and Symphony Band some of the highlights of his first year back.
Elizabeth Schau: Librarian By Reese Hill
Reporter
South East alumni may remember her from her teaching days at the junior high school, but now Ms. Elizabeth Schau is working in the City High library. Schau is excited to work with the familiar (and new) faces in her twelfth year of teaching. “[Coming to City] was an exciting opportunity,” Schau said. “I really enjoyed working with junior high students, but I also wanted a chance to work with older students as well and get to know them at a different age. By far, my favorite part [of my job] is working with students, but I also enjoy the variety. No day is the same.” Schau believes teaching is about inspiring students to take matters into their own hands and take initiative. “I think it’s really important to enable and empower students to become learners,” Schau said. “Whether that’s helping them become better readers, or better researchers, I’m just trying to put as much into their hands as possible.” Schau spends a lot of time with her family and has four children. The oldest is a seventh grader. “I enjoy reading and running,” Schau said. “Well, I don’t know if I enjoy it, but I run.” Students are likely to find Schau in the library throughout the day, ready to recommend a good book or assist in a research project. Students are advised to heed her words of wisdom: “Read as much as you can and always question your sources.”
Angela Knutson Science By Julia Powers Reporter
Angela Knutson is new to City High after working for two years at Lone Tree High School. At first Knutson didn’t know what she was going to do after she got her bachelor’s in Biology, but after talking with her father she came to the decision. “My dad said ‘Hey, have you ever thought about teaching?’ and I thought, hmm. I hadn’t really up until then, then I started thinking about it and it was a really good fit,” Knutson said. “So I get to meet new people, I get to have variety every single day, and I get to teach the new generation of people coming through.” After discovering her passion for teaching she never looked back and returned to school to get her education degree. When the opportunity came up to teach at City High she decided to apply. “I think it’s got a reputation of fantastic students and teachers and so the job position came up and I thought I’d give it a shot, and I made it which is really exciting,” Now, after getting the job, she teaches 5 sections of biology where she is getting rave student reviews. With the start of the new school year, Knutson is hoping to meet new students and teachers, along with having as many new experiences as possible. A way she is making this happen is by being a sponsor for the City High Science Club. “I think we are going to try and something with the Science Olympiad--competitions in science--and so that could be really fun. I’ve never done it before. There are some kind of kooky events, like Pictionary but science version, and building things, and I think it will be really fun.” When Knutson is not working she can be found doing trivia or enjoying activities outside. “I have a dog and a cat, so we play and go for walks. That is what I enjoy. I like to do trivia. I’m not super great at it but I try my best,” Knutson said. “I like being outside. Sand volleyball is quite fun!” Knutson hopes to keep teaching and inspiring future generations with the world of science. “The future of our society is you guys. So I get to be a part of that. It’s pretty exciting.”
10A OPINION
TheLittleHawk.com
SEPTEMBER 29th, 2017
Through Someone Else’s Eyes
LH
How the media portrays minorities matters-- whether they are guilty or not.
Executive Editors
Maya Durham & Victor Kalil
News Editor Lottie Gidal
Opinion Editors Eden Knoop & Mira Bohannan Kumar
Feature Editor Mina Takahashi
Sports Editor Addy Smith
Photo and Video Editors Noah Bullwinkle & Jacob Strathern
A&E Editors Zoë Miller and Phoebe Chapnick-Sorokin
Copy Editors Theo Prineas and Mira Bohannan Kumar
Web Editor Zoë Butler
Staff
Jack Bacon, Landon Clay, Quincy CoghillBehrends, Sylvia Gidal, Anshul Gowda, Alyse Lacina, Nina Lavezzo-Stecopoulos, Henry Mildenstein, Teagan Roeder, Lindy Rublaitus, Dylan Ryfe, Katherine Geerdes, Reese Hill, Olivia Lusala, Paula MompioMartinez, Samba Traore, Escalade Smith, Robert Tharrington, Olivia Baird, Orson Codd, Alexis DuBrava, Allyson Guyer, Liam McComas, Julia Powers, Gabriel Baird, & Abbott Ruhinda.
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 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.
ART BY KATE GOODVIN
I
n the early morning hours of August 27th, violence broke out in the heart of Iowa City. Three people were shot in the ped mall after a fight started. Two men were arrested and charged in connection with the shooting: alleged shooter Lamar Wilson, 23, and Donte Taylor, 21. The charges against Wilson were upgraded days later when one of the victims, Kaleek Jones, 22, died in the hospital. Lamar Wilson is an Iowa City man. Four years ago, he was arrested and acquitted of another murder in Homewood, Illinois. It is that murder charge that much of the press coverage of Wilson has focused on, rather than the fact that he was found not guilty. Specifically, the media has focused on the fact that he was charged in Illinois, or as The Gazette put it, “near Chicago.” The murder Wilson was charged with did take place in Homewood, a suburb of Chicago. But Homewood is far from stereotype of inner city that the name Chicago conjures up. It was ranked by Forbes as one of the top three liveable suburbs in Chicago. Intentionally done or not, Wilson was another black man linked with inner city gang violence–despite being from Iowa City, where the police have balked at the idea of local gangs. Depictions of black men as gangsters or thugs are not new. Rather, they have been a part of American media since there has been an American media. One of the earliest films in the modern sense of the word was The Birth of a Nation, a movie supposedly about the Civil War and the Reconstruction. In it, black men, portrayed by white actors in blackface, were characterized as lazy, brutish, and dangerous, especially to white women. In contrast, the KKK was shown as a heroic presence in the aftermath of the war. This film is widely viewed by historians as one of the inspirations for the second wave of the KKK, which lead the Klan to the height of its popularity, bringing with it bigotry, discrimination, and violence in the form of the lynchings of thousands of black people. The racism in today’s media is far more subtle and insidious. In their eyes, it must seem so different from the bigotry of the past. It’s not black people that are violent, per se, but just those inner city thugs and gangbangers. The fact
that they depict those groups as majority black and the fact that they depict a large percentage of black people as being in those groups is just semantics. It is so easy to justify racist beliefs under the cover of gang violence. But when you justify racist beliefs, it becomes so easy to justify violent, racist actions. Take the infamous case of Trayvon Martin, killed for being a “thug.” His crime? Buying a pack of Skittles and being a black man in a white America. Martin was innocent. But what if he hadn’t been? What if he had been standing out on a corner, selling marijuana? Would that be justification enough for Zimmerman to shoot him? What if he had gotten into a fight? Would that be enough to condemn him to death, no judge or jury, only an executioner? The problem with focusing on a black person’s innocence when they are wrongfully killed is that it justifies their wrongful death had they been anything but perfectly innocent. It justifies racist beliefs and racist actions if they are against anyone other than a model citizen. It justifies the depiction of black people in the inner cities as violent and lazy because, after all, no group of people are all saints. All people need to do to justify their bigotry to themselves is look at the crime rates. Any bigoted views they have are alright because minorities in the inner city deserve it–they’re either criminal or criminally lazy in their eyes. Eventually, all black people are linked to the inner city, linked to that blackface caricature of their race. On August 29th, in a University hospital, Kaleek Jones, one of the three victims of the shooting, passed away. Jones was a father of two, with dreams of starting up his own restaurant. He was also a City High graduate and a black man. Now, almost a month after his death, the GoFundme set up by his family hasn’t even reached half of its goal: $10,000 to cover the medical and funeral expenses and to support his family. Where was the outpouring of support? Where was our community? Where were the headlines declaring how good of a person he was? Those headlines were there in July, only months before, when West High graduate Jared Donovan, 20, was killed in a motorcycle crash. But for Kaleek Jones, our eyes were closed, and our mouths were shut.
Do you agree with the media’s portrayal of minorities, specifically of black men?
YES: 0
NO: 11
TheLittleHawk.com
OPINION 11A
SEPTEMBER 29th, 2017
Correlations
By Mira Bohannan Kumar and Zoë Butler
Reasons You Should Visit Your School Therapist By Olivia Lusala Keeping up with grades, friends, family, and just being a teenager gets the best of us from time to time. We spend a good portion of our time in a school with a school-provided “therapist,” and paying them a visit wouldn’t be a bad idea; in fact, you could only benefit, because therapy is helpful for a range of issues. Here are some reasons why you should consider talking to a school therapist.
LH Book Review: A Gentleman In Moscow By Theo Prineas
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles is a take on an aristocratic and scholarly man from an antiquated era. This man is Count Alexander Rostov. Five years after the October Rebellion, when the Russian monarchy was toppled by the Bolsheviks, Rostov is placed under house arrest, convicted of being an “unrepentant aristocrat.” He is thrown into the illustrious “Metropol,” a hotel he frequents on each of his visits to Moscow. After this, the Count spends his hours fighting boredom in the various sections of the hotel, congregating with patrons and discovering connections with people whom would be considered “commoners” before the Bolshevik rebellion. These people include a British diplomat, a nine-year-old girl named Nina, a famous actress named Anna Urbanova, and even a high-ranking Kremlin politician. All the while, outside the walls of the hotel, the world experiences an economic depression, Stalin’s Terror, and Hitler begins the bloodiest geno-
cide in history. Thus, we reach the mid-1940s. By this time, the girl, Nina, is an adult with a child of her own. She and her husband are sentenced to ten years of hard labor in Siberia by an increasingly paranoid Kremlin. She leaves her daughter, Sofia, with Count Rostov, who raises this child as his own.
“A Gentleman in Moscow is full of humor, Russian spirit, and intimate characterization.” At the very end of the book, they both leave the hotel-- thirty years after Count Rostov was first locked away. Overall, I would say this book is a solid four out of five. It depicts a man who is much too proper to be openly affectionate, yet still feels emotionally close to the hotel’s patrons, especially
Nina and Sofia. What I found most intriguing, however, is the contrast between the inside of the hotel and the history happening outside. The inside of the hotel is a sanctuary unaffected by history, where Russian citizens can socialize, reminisce, and forget their worries. Outside is chaos and uncertainty. However, the Count cannot leave this space, even if he wanted to. When he leaves in 1954, he has missed the prime of his life and all of this history. This is the only thing I didn’t like; while the characters and the writing in this book are marvelous, the plot has little to it, and there is no momentum or suspense. Waiting in the hotel is a long and often feels monotonous. A Gentleman in Moscow is full of humor, Russian spirit, and intimate characterization. I recommend it for readers who are willing to be patient with their reading, and are looking for a fascinating and immersive perspective on the 20th century.
And We Mean All-Gender By Olivia Baird and Mira Bohannan Kumar
Over the past year, City High’s Student Senate has been working with GLOW Club to bring an important matter to the attention of the school board: the initiative of transforming a gender-designated restroom into a neutral gender restroom in City High. It took several months and many meetings, but finally the Senate received the go-ahead to make the requested changes. While City High had had a gender neutral restroom last year, it was technically gender-designated as a women’s restroom, was only one stall, and was located in a far corner of the school in the basement of the music wing, making it nearly impossible to use the restroom and get to class on time. We needed another gender-neutral restroom, one that was accessible to students trying to get through their normal school day.
The second-floor restroom in the new wing was officially made gender-neutral over the summer. Its purpose is to create a safe place for those students who are transitioning and transgender. Having a restroom for anyone and everyone to go to the restroom at City is a very important thing to have and, in my opinion, this should be required in all schools. Prior to this change, there were several problems pertaining to the lack of gender-neutral restrooms. Some students who were members of the trans* community did not feel safe using the gender-designated restrooms at school. Some felt unable to use them at all, and had to wait until they arrived home at the end of the day to use the restroom. This created an uncomfortable and extremely stressful school environment
for these students, the complete opposite of what school should be like for anyone. Many teachers and students seem to be under the impression that this restroom is specifically for members of the trans* community, but this is not true. The new restroom is called an all-gender restroom, so this includes everyone. Letting everyone in one bathroom may appear to raise some concerns, but if it were just for those who are transgender or transitioning, that would be exclusive and the reverse of what it is all about. This new bathroom is for everyone–trans* or cis–and thinking that its purpose is anything less than inclusion for all is not doing justice to what it means that our school is taking this important step toward making sure everyone feels valid in our community.
“If a parent or a teacher or the student themselves feels like they need counseling or therapeutic support, they can reach out to me,” Amy Kahle, City’s student-family advocate, said. “Then I can connect them with Lydia [City High’s school based therapist] or with an outside therapist.” Students can receive school based services after a parent or guardian gives consent to therapy.
12A OPINION
TheLittleHawk.com
SEPTEMBER 29th, 2017
By Lindy Rublaitus
By Olivia Baird
Most people at City are very excited about the upgrade to Chromebooks, but I am a member of the small percentage who preferred the original ways of learning. I will admit, being able to access files in class and working on homework without needing a textbook is nice. I understand the benefit of having technology at your fingertips, especially for those who don’t have computer access otherwise. There is plenty of good that comes out of this, but there are also many cons. Computers are distracting. Being an Internet “addict,” it is always tempting to go off in class to check my Facebook and whatnot, and Chromebooks make those things easier to reach. Being left with a computer and free Wi-Fi while your teacher is not looking can make it tempting to use technology to your advantage. In previous years, I have heard teachers explain that studying is easier when you write, not type. Writing down notes is extremely helpful for me and many of my peers in class. Flashcards are also prefered over Quizlet or other studying sites. Being able to write things down with a physical pencil on paper can help academically, which is being threatened by having Chromebooks. While on this topic, I would like to thank all of my teachers who say, “Get out your notebooks.” Although discussions are available on Canvas and Google Classroom, one-on-one interaction has vastly decreased. I only know the name of the person next to me because I saw it when I was finding my seat. People can prefer to work alone, but being involved can help prepare for future jobs or experiences that require interaction. Devices have been sucking interaction out of our lives for years now, starting with online chats and social media. Sadly, I can imagine a classroom where we simply are given a task and we spend the day not talking and typing away on our Chromebooks. The more we put technology in our classrooms, the less interaction we will have with one another. I don’t want my future, whether it is in the rest of high school or through college, to be based around a single laptop rather than talking and writing and working together with other people. I believe that Chromebooks on top of all the technology we have in the classroom is exceeding the limit to how much we actually need, as students, to learn.
Chromebooks: Helpful or Hurtful?
Ready to Represent By Eden Knoop Opinion Editor
What gives someone the right to vote? The right to vote in America is just that: a right. But it’s a right that is and has been systematically denied to people on the justification of age, race, and education. The argument is that people have to have a certain level of competency to vote, which makes sense, because an infant is clearly not capable of making sound decisions about issues that even adults struggle with. Babies don’t understand DACA. But that logic has also been used to deny the right to vote to people on based on their race and their class. The justification was always the same: the laws weren’t racist or classist. Minorities and poor people simply weren’t educated enough to make these decisions. This is, of course, utterly wrong. But it does raise an important question: what qualifies someone to vote? In other words, we need to decide at what point a person becomes mature enough to become a full
citizen. There are two obvious answers to that question: education and capacity to understand the issues on which they are voting. However, how you test either of those things is much less obvious. Any sort of written exam on politics brings back uncomfortable reminders of Jim Crow. Besides, any educational test disproportionately affects lower-income voters due to unequal access to education. So that leaves only one good option to test someone’s capacity: an age limit. The problem with age limits is that they are and always will be arbitrary, to some extent. It has already been changed once with the 26th Amendment. There is no special biological milestone at age 18. People don’t go to bed the night of their 18th birthday playing Call of Duty and wake up quoting Plato.
“People don’t go to bed the night of their 18th birthday playing Call of Duty and wake up quoting Plato.” There will always be people who are
Despite the varying opinions and numerous restrictions on the new Chromebooks here at City High, I really enjoy the resource. The Chromebooks have made my schoolwork a lot more accessible and consolidated, especially with the addition of online textbooks and other materials. Although I can understand some of the reasons why people would dislike the Chromebooks–like the fact that not everyone has Wi-Fi at home or the screen time issue–I believe the pros outnumber the cons. My teachers are very good at using Canvas to the best of their abilities to help us as students. For instance, my Chemistry teacher puts up the answers to our homework after school so that I can check if I’m doing it correctly. This is very useful because last year, if I got a problem wrong, I would have to scramble to correct it as we were checking together in class. With these tools and online resources, I’ve found that I’m learning a lot more and truly understanding what I am doing. Another thing that I have been able to try out with the Chromebooks has been happening in my math class. We have worked with online activities that were more engaging and fun compared to our typical class. Having a variety of ways to learn within the classroom is helpful for keeping students interested in the material. Third, with all of the unusual weather and natural disasters happening currently, global warming is making its presence known. With the Chromebooks, we don’t use pencil and paper as much as we used to, and that is awesome. Cutting down on the amount of paper used here at City can positively impact the environment over time. This may seem very small and not very impactful, but if this idea of online classes and decreasing paper usage in schools continues to develop, it could really make a difference. The Chromebooks are just a step up in helping our environment by decreasing paper usage in our schools and ultimately in the rest of our lives. Overall, the new Chromebooks provided by the school district are a great and handy resource that make school work much more accessible for students who don’t have access to electronics ordinarily, give new opportunities for more in-depth learning, and helping our environment one sheet of paper at a time.
mature enough to vote who won’t be able to, much like there will always be people who aren’t ready who are able to. Since age limits are relatively arbitrary, their goal should be to be as inclusive as possible. An age limit of 16 would be the best way to enfranchise the most capable citizens as possible. At age 16, teenagers can already drive and have jobs, which makes them participating members of society. At age 16, they have both their long-term interests, like climate change and national debt, and their short-term interests, like educational funding and school board elections, at stake. Yet at age 16, they are still denied one of their fundamental rights, despite being functional members of society with much at stake in elections. Similarly, children as young as 12 have been criminally charged as adults, and teenagers as young as 16 are regularly charged as adults. In some states, children as young as 14 can legally emancipate themselves from their parents, becoming adults in the eyes of the law. If someone is considered responsible enough to be punished by society as an adult, if they
13A
September 29th, A&E
Zoë Butler:
A New Face Breaking into the Art Scene
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By Zoë Miller A&E Editor
ith focus in her eyes, Zoë Butler ‘18 brushes strong curves and crisp lines onto her page. As she paints, a face emerges. Finally, she tucks the number four into her piece. Butler’s fixation with the figure comes from the connection she makes between colors and numbers. “I saw the number four as a beautiful forest green. Four became a symbol for ultimate beauty. It was my Aphrodite,” Butler said. “It was a way for me to express something that I was completely in love with.” Zoë Butler has spent many an hour doodling and creating but it was not until this past summer that she found her niche. This previous summer on a whim Butler signed up for an art class at the Robert A. Lee Rec Center in Downtown Iowa City. Upon attending her first day she found she was the only student in the class taught by Mary F. Coats, a visual artist and teacher. Butler found Coats to be a supportive and encouraging person to work with who soon became a friend. “We would talk and make art next to each other and [Coats] would recommend different materials and mediums,” Butler said. “I spent that whole summer making my style. It felt so awesome to finally create it.” Butler based her style on contour lines and the way they can emphasize features. Butler spent time exploring different mediums to express her art.. She began with watercolors and soon branched out to acrylics. Finally she settled upon Indian Ink due to the crisp lines she could create with it. Similarly she branched out to painting on shoes, backpacks and screen printing. Butler’s work began gaining interest when she printed her first couple of T-shirts. “My T-shirts opened up a lot of opportunities for me. [They] reached so many people and got [them] thinking about my art and wanting more,” Butler said. “It was overall a super good experience for me,” Butler’s connections in the art community grew as she met and collaborated with Jason Smith, a videographer from Little Village.
Frankie Schneckloth, a colleague of Smith’s, contacted Butler with an interest in her art. Schneckloth asked Butler if she would be interested in doing a window display for Velvet Coat, a clothing store in downtown Iowa City. Butler’s idea for the project was to have enormous bald hanging faces in the window. The first time Butler saw her art presented in the midst of the downtown scene, she was stunned. “[The window display] turned out so well,” Butler said. “I had such a strong feeling of ‘Wow, I actually did this and someone saw something in me and wanted the world to see my art.’” Butler defines her style as using minimalism and details to point out what she finds beautiful in the human face. She found inspiration for faces in her own when she realized she had a crooked nose. “I went through a hard freshman year where I built up a lot of insecurities. [Through my art] I was trying to find a way to express being more confident and trying to find the perfections in the imperfections,” said Butler. “It made me feel so optimistic about life that I [could have] a lopsided nose...[that when] drawn on paper, was so beautiful.” Pablo Picasso is one of Butler’s biggest inspirations. She first saw his art in person when she went to the Art Institute of Chicago. “Pablo Picasso inspired me so much to experiment with color and lines and using contrasts. Looking at his paintings I was thinking, ‘This is so wrong. This is so distorted and bold and crazy and confident and screaming in your ear--’ and I loved [them]!” Butler has a strong support system through her family and especially her father. The two them share a special bond because of their deep interest in art. “My dad always pushes me to follow my passions and work hard for them,” Butler said. “My art has proven that [by putting] hard work into something and [being] productive... it can get you somewhere.” Butler’s strongest inspiration comes from experiencing life and being able to translate it onto paper. She believes that art will always be something she does with her life, even if it is simply in her spare time. “I think art is so important to our society because humans need to express themselves,” Butler said. “We are creators by nature.”
“I THINK ART IS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR SOCIETY BECAUSE HUMANS NEED TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES. WE ARE CREATORS BY NATURE.” ZOË BUTLER ‘18
ABOVE: Zoë Butler ‘18, Elise Heck ‘17, Gwenyth Durian ‘19, and Erin Crawford model Butler’s designs around Iowa City. PHOTOS BY VIVIAN KOESTER ‘18
14A
September 29th, A&E
MARCHING INTO A
NEW SEASON By Mina Takahashi & Lindy Rublaitus Reporters
L
ong days, sunburns, tan lines, and hours of repetition. Marching band rehearsal starts bright and early every day, with students always preparing for the next football game or marching competition. The theme for marching season this year is “West Side Story,” with music by Leonard Bernstein. “I had never actually seen ‘West Side Story,’ so I had no idea what to expect,” Drum Major Casey Yeaman ‘18 said. “Now after working with the music, I am able to appreciate it a bit more.” Besides the directors, Myron McReynolds and Aaron Ottmar, drum majors also play a large role in leading the band. This year’s drum majors are Jacob Fields ‘18, Casey Yeaman ‘18 and Lindy Rublaitus ‘19. Besides overseeing the band, drum majors also take turns conducting songs. Drum majors and individual section leaders are responsible for learning the formations before everyone else so that they are able to help their sections and make the learning process easier for the rest of the band. “The most difficult part is probably time management. It’s not so much creating the show but getting things done when you need them done. Everything’s on a timeline,” McReynolds said. “For us, our main goal is the first competition show on September 30th. We do things incrementally. For our first show, we only performed half the program and we gradually add to that.” Before the band even gets started on learning the choreography, drum majors and section leaders need to make sure the band has mastered the fundamentals. “We need to make sure everyone can march, and march in the same way,” Fields said. “How we look on the field is a crucial part of the show.” It takes a lot of time and practice to complete a full halftime show. Students must memorize not only the music, but also the drill for all four songs. Before school starts, band members go through “Heck Week,” so they have a solid start on the halftime show by the time school begins. Heck Week consists of two eight-hour rehearsals for 1012th graders, and shorter practices for freshmen. However, Heck Week doesn’t solely consist of long hours in the sun. Section leaders carry on the tradition of “Freshman WakeUp,” which serves as a bonding experience between freshmen and upperclassmen. “Heck Week is like a school day camp for marching band,” Yeaman said. “This is when we teach everyone in grades 10-12 how to march, as well as teach freshman the fundamentals for pregame. We try to get a stable base all around for all of the students,” Fields said. As for the directors, they must first come up with a concept and music for the show. After this is decided, they work with a drill writer to come up with the formations the band creates while on the field. “The most important and thrilling part of the process is to see the evolution of the band and to see that we are improving,” McReynolds said. “It’s not really whether we win or lose or where we place, but rather that at the end of the 4-6 weeks we can say ‘We worked hard and we’ve got things to a place where we can feel good about what we’ve done,’ and that’s the ultimate satisfaction.”
“HECK WEEK IS LIKE A SCHOOL DAY CAMP FOR MARCHING BAND”
CASEY YEAMAN ‘18
15A
September 29th, A&E
City High takes Field Trip to Hamilton ABOVE: Liza Sarsfield ‘19, Miriam Keita ‘18, Lucy Freers ‘19, Katrina Murray ‘19, and Fiston Namutchibwe ‘20 await opening act. PHOTO BY LOTTIE GIDAL
This fall, students were offered the chance to see one of Broadway’s biggest shows in person. By Reese Hill Reporter
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hen the opportunity to see one of the hottest Broadway shows in Chicago arose, a group of City High students did not throw away their shot. Some of the students had never listened to the soundtrack and some knew it by heart, but none could give up the chance to see Hamilton in real time. English and acting teacher Troy Peters got the idea to formulate this trip last winter after reading reviews of the show. He faced some challenges, but once he received positive feedback from adults and students alike, he purchased 54 tickets. They were gone in eight months. “When I heard that there was going to be a trip to see Hamilton, I could barely believe it,” Aidan Smith ‘19 said. “I’d heard so much about it from other people, but I had never gotten the opportunity to see it myself.” Hamilton, the “THE PERFORMANCE hip-hop Broadway WAS EMOTIONALLYhit about the founding father on the $10 CHARGED AND LEFT bill, is an incredibly popular (and thereEVERYONE IN AWE AS fore incredibly pricey) endeavor. While WE BOARDED THE BUS.” many students adore the show and dote on the soundtrack, most who conCity High Director sider themselves fans unfortunately don’t have the financial or practical abilities to see it in person. “We had some parents and other adults come forward and sponsor eight kids who might not have been able to attend because the cost was prohibitive,” Peters said. “It was great to see these kids at the show, inspired to create their own art in their own way. The performance was emotionallycharged, and left everyone in awe as we boarded the bus.” Hamilton is a very popular show for many reasons, but perhaps the most notable way it has risen to such fame is its ability to speak to such a diverse audience. It draws in thespians and
TROY PETERS
ABOVE: City High students lineup to enter The Private Bank Theatre and see Hamilton. Students road the bus up to Chicago and back on a Saturday. PHOTO BY LOTTIE GIDAL non-thespians alike, hooking in lovers of the arts and strangers to the profession with a whirlwind of rap and technical wizardry. “The set was absolutely stunning, which can only mean the crew busted their butts to make it,” Smith said. “The cast obviously worked so well together, they didn’t seem like characters at all, and they were all so in sync with the pit orchestra. It was amazing, all of it.” Not everyone who went on the trip knew of the show beforehand, but that didn’t stop the experience from impressing them. “My English teacher recommended it to me,” Shenae Green ‘20 said. “I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll go. It sounds fun.’ I don’t really watch plays, but this one was really good.” School-sponsored activities like this have opened doors for students who don’t always have the ability to participate in such important trips on their own. School trips can create memories that last students a lifetime, giving last-
ing impressions that influence career paths and life choices. “I believe these types of trips are very important for schools to have,” Smith said. “Not many people get these opportunities to see such high end shows, and seeing them with people you know makes it even better, plus it could inspire someone to pursue a career in acting. There have been some historical productions out there, but I feel like Hamilton really brings a new meaning to it. Not only does it tell history how it occurred, but it is delivered in an entertaining way that almost seems impossible with the plot. I believe it will inspire many writers in the future of drama.” Peters has an optimistic outlook on the chances of more schoolsponsored drama trips in the future. Fortunately, there seems to be no lack of student interest in exploring the arts and theatre further. “[Hamilton] was amazing,” Julia Ozolins ‘21 said. “It was just really fun to see, and to be there and see it in person.”
16A
Q&A
September 29th, A&E
PHOTO BY ZOE MILLER
ARTIST OLIVIA LUSALA Lusala '18 uses vibrant colors and images to create her pop art inspired style. By Samba Traore & Zoe Miller Reporters
When did you begin creating art?
Where do you draw inspiration from?
I started creating art in elementary school, but I wouldn’t say that I got serious about it until this past summer.
I create off of the things people say or how they act. Lately I’ve been doing pieces where I chop off the half of someone’s head and then fill it with things that they say. I take inspiration from people through conversations.
How would you describe your style? I would describe it as pretty funky. It’s colorful and the shapes are really wacky.
What is your favorite medium to work with and what are the benefits of it? I’ve been using a lot of colored pencil and scraps of newspaper and magazine. I think it looks cool when you can combine two different styles together. Colored pencil are the easiest to work with in my opinion.
What artists influence you? One of the first artists I really got into was Banksy (an anonymous street artist). Banksy makes a lot of political statements and tags walls throughout London and New York City. When a new [mural] pops up it’s a huge deal.
When you view art, what’s something that pulls your eye? Definetly color. I’m not a fan of anything too bland and I like the mix of different art styles with each other, which is why I like pop art.
Why do you believe art is important? I feelthat, especially in the media the art is what draws someone in. I also think that you can make bigger and bolder statements with art than you can with words.
How do you see art fitting into your future? I would like to be a creative director of some sort, so art is going to play a huge role in that. I’d like to go to a college for art.
TheLittleHawk.com
Sports
September 29th, 2017
ALL IN
Leaders Caden Turnbough ‘20, Quenton Max ‘18, and Robbie Strang ‘18 play an integral role on the #8 ranked Boys XC team. PHOTO BY EMI-BERGMAN CORBET
SPORTS
SEPTEMBER 29th, 2017
TheLittleHawk.com
Preview
3 Sept.
29
Football Starts Fresh
4&5
XC Aims High
Both teams remain consistent in their pursuit of elite performances amid new beginnings for each.
FOOTBALL Davenport Central @ City
Bates Field 7:15 p.m.
Oct. BOYS GOLF 3 DISTRICT MEET
7
Pheasant Ridge Golf Course- Cedar Falls 10:00 am
Oct. GIRLS 3 SWIMMING & DIVING
City @ Linn-Mar Linn-Mar Aquatic Center 6:00pm
6
Powderpuff Football
Big Team, Even Bigger Goals Young Leadership Paves Way for Volleyball Team
8
Oct. VOLLEYBALL 3 City @ Cedar Falls
8
Cedar Falls High School 7:00 p.m.
A Dynamic Duo
The new husband and wife girls XC coaches discuss juggling parenting, careers, and coaching.
Oct. MVC CROSS5 COUNTRY MEET Dubuque Soccer Complex 3:30 p.m.
A LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR Addy Smithl Well Little Hawks, with the start of a new year comes fall sports, different teams, and luckily for you, new Little Hawk leadership. Our old pals Geerdes and House have moved on to “bigger and better things”, which means that I have inherited the divine pleasure of steering the sports section for the next nine months. These past few weeks my greatest challenge has been teaching my young grasshoppers what a kicker, lede, nut graf, and lirqs are and how to incorporate them into their articles. With hopes of receiv-
ing high marks on Canvas, my reporters have set out to bring you quality coverage of all City High sporting events including, but not limited to, the girls swim team’s recordbreaking membership, the once-a-year highly anticipated tradition of Powderpuff football, and the newly-appointed young couple with cute kids that is leading the girls crosscountry team. Although the pictures are great, the stories are there for a reason too! Give them a read XD Make sure that I’m not doing to you what I did to Burkle all of last year by putting
profane words intermittently The first 20 newcomers will throughout my essays :) receive a limited edition copy Once you’re done inhaling of my autograph on your the pictures AND the words copy of The Little Hawk and trapped between B1 and B8 a kiss on the cheek. See you I strongly encourage you to there! XOXO, dispose of your copy of our AWARD-WINNING newspaper in the bin labeled with a triangle instead of the bin ith that reeks of week-old Crispim S tos and the tissue you just F. used to blow your nose with. n Additionally, if you want to yn l e take your Earth-loving ways dd three steps further, I would A love if you came to Recycling Club Monday mornings @ 8:15 in Barnard’s Room.
SPORTS
B3
September 29th, 2017 FOOTBALL
Football Starts Fresh After graduating a majority of last year’s starters, this year’s team must fill the shoes they left behind.
Q&A with Special Teams By Liam McComas
By Addy Smith
Quincy Wells ‘19 PAT Holder
Just five games into their season, the Little Hawk Football team has already seen their fair share of ups and downs. After handedly defeating Linn-Mar in the first game of the season, the team lost Devontae Foster to an ankle injury for the next two games, including when they faced West in the Battle of the Boot. After three discouraging losses in a row, the Little Hawks bounced back last week to take down Clinton 41-29. “[It’s all about] putting together the consistent effort and execution that it takes to beat good football teams. In football there are so many different plays and different things that happen out in the field and we haven’t been doing well enough at executing eleven players at the same time. We did better at that [when we played Clinton] so we got better results. [It’s just a matter of] getting everybody coordinated and doing their job,” Head Coach Dan Sabers said. Up next on the Little Hawks’ radar is their home game against Davenport Central tonight. “We have a very big ball game [tonight]. Davenport Central is coming and they have a running back that ran for 400 yards last night. They’ve got a big line, they’re big up front, and they’re pretty athletic. We’ve got our work cut out for us but I think if we continue to make progress then we’ll have a shot,” Sabers said. Senior Quarterback Bryce Hunger also acknowledges that in order for the Little Hawks to pull away with the win they will need to tighten things up on the defensive side. “We really focused on playing better and harder defensively this week in practice. We have to have better tackling because they have a very good running back,” Hunger said. Although defense was the focus for this week’s practices, Coach Sabers doesn’t have a whole lot of concerns when it comes to his team’s offense. “We’re explosive. We’ve got some playmakers out there. Especially on the offensive side. Last [week] we could throw a little quick screen to Zach Jones and he can go turn it into a 75-yard touchdown,” Sabers said. “Devontae Foster had a couple of nice runs and Bryce Hunger has proven that he can make people miss.”
#16 Q: What motivates you to play football? A: “[The chance to be] out there grinding, and fighting with my brothers.” Q: What are some of your long term goals? A: “[Getting] a state title.” Q: Do you have any pregame rituals? A: “Watching Big Worm dance.” Q: Football role models? A: “Yes, Carson Went. He’s a dog.” Q: Favorite postgame meal? A: “A fat burger with fries.” ABOVE: Zach Jones ‘18 evades oncoming defenders during the Little Hawks’ season opener at Linn-Mar.
Q: Best Coach Sabers story? A; “When someone says they had Frosted Flakes for breakfast and he gets mad and asks them if they believe in Tony the Tiger.
Max DePrenger ‘19
LEFT: Bryce Hunger ‘18 hands the ball off to teammate Devontae Foster ‘18.
Kick and Kickoff Return
PHOTOS BY ADDY SMITH
When all of the pieces come together, the Little Hawks have shown that they can be a force to be reckoned with. Although they have had some bumps in the road this season, they still have their sights set high. “We have to win this upcoming week if we want to go to the playoffs and I think we’re one of the best teams in our district so I’m excited to see what we can do against teams outside of our district in the playoffs,” Hunger said. Sabers knows what his team is capable of and
credits an insufficient level of focus at times as a barrier to his team’s success. “The mind can only deal with so much and we let too many distractions interfere, so if we focus in on the game of football and what it takes to be successful, then we’ll get ten out of eleven guys doing their job at the same time, and hopefully eleven out of eleven, then I think we’ve got a chance to be a very good football team,” Sabers said.
#24 Q: What motivates you to play football? A: “To show people that size doesn’t matter.” Q: Major highlights/achievements? A: Returning a kickoff against Linn-Mar my sophomore year. Q: What gets you through grueling practices? A: “Joking around with the guys and just knowing it will all pay off on Friday.” Q: Football role models? A”I look up to Julian Edelman because he shows me that size doesn’t matter.” Q: Do you ever get tired of playing? A:“No, never, I love the sport way too much.”
Miles Morrow ‘18 Kicker
#24 Q: What motivates you to play football? A: “I like being a part of a team, I like the team aspect. And also the ladies love it.” Q: What do you enjoy most about football? A: “Having the chance to get a point for my team every time I step out onto the field.” Q: Best Coach Sabers story? A: “Last year during the playoffs he was yelling at something, or someone, in his room and then he got mad and kicked the trash can and dented it and then started limping away.” Teammates Zach Jones ‘18 (84) and Malik Kimber ‘19 (5) celebrate after Jones’ touchdown during their season opener. PHOTO BY ADDY SMITH
B4 SPORTS
SPORTS
September 29th, 2017
September 29th, 2017
B5
CROSS-COUNTRY
Renewed Energy Propels Team With new head coaches and varsity leaders, the Girls Cross Country team prepares for post-season success. By Sylvia Gidal
T
hey’re only four meets into the season, but the City High Women’s Cross Country team is already off to an impressive start. Both the Varsity and JV squads have scored in the top six each meet, and don’t plan to steady anytime soon. The team is continuing with long, aggressive workouts and maintaining their competitive energy for every meet. The arrival of new co-head coaches Lynn and Ryan Ahlers have brought a new drive to the team, and are hoping to see the girls intensify that liveliness throughout the team. "I believe that all the athletes are learning to take risks and be aggressive in their races,” Coach Lynn Ahlers said. “So I guess not only the improvement that runners are making on their own but just the fact that they’re learning from each other; watching [others] and also getting that energy from the runner ahead of and behind them.” The Heartland Classic in Ames on September 16th was the team’s biggest meet so far with over 100 young women in every race. “At Heartland Classic there was a runner coming in almost every second,” Ahlers said. At the Heartland Classic the varsity team placed sixth, JV1 placed third and JV2 came in second. Coach Ahlers believes that increasing confidence levels among a predominantly underclassmen squad will significantly boost the team in their racing, preparing them for the higher-stakes meets to come. “I’d say [that we are] becoming more confident that the teams we haven't beaten yet are beatable. I believe that [the girls] should be able to see themselves starting off races and even finishing races further up front.”
ABOVE: Captain John Momberg '18 races at the Heartland Classic. PHOTO BY JACOB STRATHEARN
Putting the Pieces Together After a series of illnesses, the boys cross-country team is patiently waiting to run the key members of the varsity team together in order to accomplish their big goals for the
Ahlers also feels that another way to make the team stronger would be to act on existing goals and ideas. “An obstacle that some runners have shared with me is putting their insights into action. Taking their reflections and actually doing them in races. That takes practice.” Varsity runner and consistent #1 finisher Esti Brady ‘20 feels a very strong team this year, especially concerning the varsity team. “Not only are our freshman and JV teams very strong this year, but our varsity team has a very special thing going this year. We don’t have a designated place for everybody in it so the fact that we’re all kind of competing amongst each other for those spots I think that’s going to make us a very strong [contender] for state this year,” Brady said. Members of the team are grateful for not only the strong work ethic and potential success of the team, but of the connections and friendships fostered amongst teammates. This aspect of the team has expanded this season thanks to the dense population of girls that went out for cross country this year. Brady appreciates this aspect of the group. “The City girls cross country team is the biggest it’s ever been. The fact that our team is so big and we can still bond as a group is really great,” Brady said. The atmosphere of the team is felt by many to be extremely welcoming. Georgia Corbin ‘20 loves how supportive and encouraging the team is. “Everyone is so supportive. So many different girls are all on one team but we all share this great bond because of running,” Corbin said. “We all struggle together and share our achievements with each other. I
ABOVE: Esti Brady '20 competes at the Heartland Classic in Ames on September 16th. Brady placed 25th. PHOTO BY JACOB STRATHEARN don’t think there could possibly be a better environment than what we have now.” As the season continues, Coach Lynn Ahlers is determined to help the team reach their goals and be as successful as possible. “I’m excited to see workouts. I’m excited to see some really important workouts be confidence building. I’m excited to see girls making some more dynamic moves, and being even more aggressive. I’m just so excited for the rest of the meets.”
By Addy Smith The boys cross-country team has yet to run their en- no doubt that we’re in the toughest conference in the tire line-up together. Their biggest challenge this season state, overall. But we’re feeling very good,” Skay said. has been staying healthy enough to compete, and at the “If we can hang with [teams like] Cedar Falls and Linnsame time. Mar, and West High, I think our future’s looking very “It’s just getting our core group of guys training bright.” together and competing in meets together. We’re just Senior Quenton Max has been a contributing memtrying, like any other team, to stay healthy. If we can ber of the varsity squad since his freshman year. Max keep all of our guys running well, and healthy, I think has unfinished business and wants to do everything he we have a chance to do amazing things,” Head Coach can to guarantee that it becomes finished business. Jayme Skay said. “I put in a huge summer milage base in preparaAlthough they haven’t had a tion for this season, logging 608 miles chance to show it yet, the team beover eleven weeks. I’ve also been averaging lieves that when they are able to fiaround 60 miles per week for the past ten "WE WANT TO WIN weeks,” Max said. “I know this is my last nally run together that they have the AND DO AS BEST season of cross country and I want to do ability to do some damage. WE CAN. WE'RE “We have a solid group of guys anything and everything I can to ensure UP THERE, AND that could turn some heads when we that it’s a great one.” really bring it all together,” Quenton WE WANT TO STAY Running alongside guys like Michael THERE." Max ‘18 said. Berg and Matthew Dodge since his freshDespite changing line-ups and man year, Max also has to adjust to their struggles to acquire consistency, the absences this year. team’s goals haven’t changed. “It still feels a little weird to be in this “We want to beat West, that’s a position after three years of looking up huge one. We always want to beat to those guys. The performance [aspect] them. But we want to get podium at came as a product of hard work, but the state, and we just want to do better leadership took a bit longer to learn,” Max than last year,” Caden Turnbough said. ‘20 said. Coach Skay thinks the seniors have amplified their In order to place at the state meet in late October, efforts in order to fill the shoes of last season’s strong the team will first need to get through the conference. leaders. Prairie placed third at state in 2016, West came in fifth, “I think [that our team] has come together. After last and CR Washington nabbed seventh; all members of the year we lost some very good leadership and our seniors Mississippi Valley Conference. have really stepped up. We’re really strong in our fresh“Well we know that at state that we’ll have probably man, and sophomore, and junior classes, and the seniors five to eight of our teams in the Mississippi Valley Con- have done a great job, so I think that’s been of the best ference in the state meet and placing high. So I have things that we’ve done this year,” Skay said.
CADEN TURNBOUGH '20
Although the team is currently struggling with consistency, an integral part of their success is the depth they are able to bring to each meet, thanks to vast underclassmen representation. “I would say if we ran ten runners at all of our varsity meets and scored seven that we would probably be one of the top teams in the state,” Skay said. “We may not have your top one or two, or three individuals in the state, but we have a group of about seven or eight guys that are so strong, and run very good times, that as a group of ten they could dominate.” One of those underclassmen, sophomore Caden Turnbough, has consistently led the varsity team from the front this season. “Last year I was a freshman coming on as one of the lower guys on a team with three seniors. Last year I wanted to make my name known and this year I wanted to build off that and become one of the top runners this year. It’s been a big transition from last year,” Turnbough said. Like Max, Turnbough has cranked up the mileage and intensity of his workouts in the off-season, in order to help his team achieve their goals. “We want to win and do as best we can. We’re up there, and we want to stay up there,” Turnbough said.
ABOVE: Caden Turnbough '20, Quenton Max '18, and Robbie Strang '18 have emerged as leaders of the varsity team this year.. PHOTO BY EMI BERGMAN-CORBET
ABOVE: Caden Turnbough '20 battles with a Linn-Mar runner at Noelridge. PHOTO BY JACOB STRATHEARN ABOVE: The varsity Girls Cross Country team leads all competitors at the IMS Meet. The team went on to achieve a perfect score. PHOTO BY ZOË MILLER
SPORTS
B6
SEPTEMBER 29th, 2017 Profile
Gabe Baird
Weeks of play-learning, nickname choosing, ball catching, and smack talking all came down to one night: six teams made up of junior and senior girls all fighting for one thing. In the end, Grab That Pass came out as the victors of the 2017 Powderpuff Football game. “[Winning it all] felt great, especially coming off of the disappointing year last year when we didn’t get what we wanted. We trained all year and very vigorously for the past two weeks so we could get what we wanted tonight, and we came here and did that,” Addy Smith ‘18, wide receiver for Grab That Pass, said after winning the championship game Grab That Pass was one one of two senior teams to get a first-round bye. For their first game they played the junior team Vicious and Delicious and pulled away early in the second half to nab the 16-6 win. Quarterback Nia Washington ‘18 threw for 86 yards and connected with Shevonna Norris ‘18 and Addy Smith ‘18 for two touchdown passes. Grab That Pass went on to defeat Back That Pass Up in the championship. “From the get go I had a little bit of doubt because [my players] weren’t trying to listen but as soon as we came together and we had to face adversity I didn’t have many doubts,” Zach Jones ‘18, Grab That Pass Coach and Wide Receiver for the Varsity football team, said. Coach Jones acknowledges preparation as the reason behind his team’s success. “Hard work, grinding, and the best strength and conditioning coach in the league, Marcelo. He got them ready for the game plan and they executed,” Jones said. Vicious and Delicious picked off Wide Open in the first round thanks to Naomi Meurice’s Quarterback scrambles and repeated connections with Ellie Evans ‘19 in the red zone. Coach Liam McComas recognized the importance of distributing the ball more evenly amongst his players in order to give his team a better chance of advancing past the next round. ”We went into the second round game knowing that the team that we were facing had a bye game, so they had fresh legs. We knew that we would have to have one of the best games for everybody, not just Naomi. Everybody had to contribute to get the win,” McComas said. Although his team lost, McComas remains hopeful for his team’s chance of winning next year. ”We scheduled a couple practices and [my team] went when they could. But, next year, we’re going to make it a key point to come to every practice.”
Quarterback for Vicious and Delicious, Naomi Meurice ‘19, makes a run during the annual Powderpuff game on September 19th.. PHOTO BY OLIVIA BAIRD
SPORTS
B7
September 29, 2017
Laura Lorenger ‘18 swims the Butterfly during the Little Hawks’ dual with Williamsburg. PHOTO BY EDEN KNOOP
Girls Swimming Returns, Bigger Than Ever The largest team in City Girls Swimming history anticipates the conclusion of their season.
By Eden Knoop Opinion Editor
After three years of team growth, City Girls Swimming has reached a milestone: the largest team in City High history. There are 34 girls competing this year, three of whom are divers- the largest number of divers on the team since Zane Hugo was made coach in 2014. “That’s been benefiting us a lot,” Hugo said. “We’ve been able to see more people’s strengths this year.” This season is the third year of swimming for Kate Wilson ‘19, who is optimistic about the rest of the season.
“I think we have a lot of great swimmers this year,” Wilson said. “They’re really leading our team.” Clara Froeschner ‘18, one of three of the team’s captains, agreed. “I think we have a lot of younger swimmers who are stepping up,” Froeschner said. “I think everyone has learned a lot from last season and is ready to take on this season.” From Hugo’s perspective, there is a lot to be optimistic about. “If you look at the past few years, relays are faster now than they were at the end of the season,” he said. “Not just by half a second, but by two or three seconds. Hugo has already set goals for the rest of the season, for both the larger meets and the
dual meets that come in between. “I’m just looking for progression at every single meet,” he said. “I’m not always looking for a faster time, just that something is done better every single time.” In order to accomplish this, Hugo has approached how he structures practice this year. “This year I’m trying to get a little bit more intensity in practice. I think that that is what is going to cause us to have a little bit better taper by the end of the season when we rest.” As a team captain, Froeschner has similar goals. “[We want to have] positivity and keep consistent while racing,” she said. “We want to be aggressive in general both in mindset and in the water.”
Young Leadership Guides Little Hawks By Addy Smith Sport Editor
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oung. A term frequently used in reference to the 2017 City High Volleyball team; a group with only three returning varsity letterwinners and one senior. On the outside it may be easy to write off the team due to their lack of experience, but Head Coach Craig Pitcher wants to make sure his team knows that being young doesn’t have to be an excuse for not being successful. “We’ve talked about it and we decided that yeah we might be a young team, but are we a good team? I don’t want young to be an excuse that it’s okay not to complete a task, or finish a set when we’re up 19-13. I told them that, ‘Young is no longer, you guys are the varsity team,’” Pitcher said. Led by Juniors Ellie Evans and Mackenzie Murphy, the team is 6-8 on the season, and captured big wins against #3 ranked West Des Moines Valley and #15 Johnston. Last week the team swept Cedar Rapids Kennedy, a team that went to state last year. “I think that when we focus, this team can make some noise and could be a tough out. Everything depends on matchups,” Pitcher said. “There are
some teams that have a strong middle that might be a bad matchup for us. We can make our matchups better depending on how we play.” After losing starters Shannon James, Alexa Aldrich-Ingram, Ellie Grace Dixon, Sydney Schroder, and Shannon Stamp this year’s team has had to fill key positions on the court with brand-new members of the varsity squad. “This year [we’ve had to] regroup and understand we’re a young team and accept that we have a lot more to improve individually and as a team,” Mackenzie Murphy ‘19 said. A side effect of putting players together who have never played together are the challenges that come along with not having the Craig Pitcher earned trust necessary to Head Coach work as a cohesive unit. “Now I think [our biggest challenge] is turning into trust. Do we trust each other to do everyone’s job? Do I know the person in front of me is not going to get a ball when it’s coming at that angle? Whatever the case may be,” Pitcher said.
“I THINK THAT WHEN WE FOCUS, THIS TEAM CAN MAKE SOME NOISE AND COULD BE A TOUGH OUT.”
No matter the amount of time spent spent playing together, every player on the varsity team has off-season playing experience which boosts the team’s ability to execute routine skills. According to Quikstats, the team boasts a 0.911 serving efficiency and 63 aces on the season. “Lately as far as the actual physical skill, our serving has been pretty solid,” Pitchsaid. “We’ve been taking teams out of what they really want to do initially, which gives us a chance to play some defense.” Although he remains focused on the present, Coach Pitcher can’t help but be excited for the future of his so-called young team. “Now it’s just a matter of thinking, ‘What pros and what cons does this team have and what do we need to do [to improve]?’”Pitcher said. “So yes there’s some excitement [for the future], but we also need to look for deficiencies and think about how they can be addressed from the players that we have here, as well as the incoming players.”
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Setter Lindsey Bolton ‘20 looks to make a play. PHOTO BY ALEXIS DUBRAVA
SPORTS
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September 29th, 2017
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The Ahlers family (L to R: Lynn, Winnifred, Ryan, and August) is in their first year of head coaching the girls cross-country team. PHOTO BY ADDY SMITH
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ince day one, Lynn and Ryan Ahlers’ relationship has been rooted in City High cross-country. “For our first date we talked in the foyer of City High while our teams, that we were assistant coaches for, were stretching after a run. I asked Lynn if she wanted to get some dinner and a drink at the Mill,” Ryan Ahlers said. Laughing, Lynn adds, “I think we even went to the Mill in our running shorts.” Eight years later, the couple is embarking on their next journey together as co-head coaches of the City High women’s cross-country team. “We want to show and give the program the same amount of love as it gave us,” Ryan Ahlers said. “We know that we have the ability as coaches to maintain a high level of performance on the cross-country course and win championships, but most importantly the day-to-day coaching of a bunch of athletes is really what got us hooked on coaching this sport to begin with.” The Ahlers’ first began coaching together in 2014 as assistant coaches with middle-distance runners on the track team at Bozeman High in Bozeman, Montana. “That year in Montana we knew when we were coaching that group of 45 boys and girls that this was something that felt so right and natural,” Lynn Ahlers said. “Doing it together [we found out that] we have similar enough philosophies that at the heart of it we could agree on the big things. The small things that we didn’t [agree on] we really grew from and we learned a lot from each other. So, we knew. We knew right away [that this was something we loved to do]. Even the next day we were like, ‘This is fun.’” Initially, the couple feared that their runners would pick favorites between them, but they soon realized that to their athletes, they came as a package. “What we noticed is that the kids really enjoyed us together. Kids felt that they could talk to me and Lynn, at the same time,” Ryan Ahlers said. Those 363 days that Lynn and Ryan spent in Bozeman played a crucial role in shaping their future coaching desires. “We knew from day one that [coaching a team together] was something that we have to do at some point again in our life,” Ryan Ahlers said. “At that point I knew I wanted to be a head coach someday. And Lynn did too. We were like, ‘How cool would it be if we were able to coach a cross-country team together?’”
A Dynamic Duo Lynn and Ryan Ahlers, the new co-head coaches of the women’s cross-country team, open up about balancing parenting, careers, and coaching. Addy Smith Addy Smith
Since that realization three years ago, the Ahlers’ have since moved twice, and had two kids, August and Winnifred. Winnifred was born less than two months ago, on July 31st, the same time as cross-country pre-season camp. “We knew that this was going to be crazy with two young girls. We kept saying, ‘Can we do this? Yes we can do this! Can we do this? Yes we can do this!’ And we know we can’t do it alone. If there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s that we wouldn’t be able to do anything without the help of our family,” Lynn Ahlers said. A typical day in the Ahlers household begins after an intermittent night of sleep, thanks to two-month old Winnifred. Ryan and Lynn then head straight to work, Ryan to City High where he teaches Success Center, and Lynn to Southeast where she teaches Spanish. Once the final bell sounds to end the day, they each rush to practice, and take turns leaving practice early to hurry home to the kids. When asked how they are able to sustain this routine day after day, Ryan and Lynn put it quite simply. “Don’t run out of love. During the day we both teach and then we go to practice and that entire time we love what we do,” Ryan Ahlers said. “There are challenges with it, there are stressful parts of that too, but if you can stop
and think back about why you do it in the first place you end up sitting back and being able to smile.” Lynn hopes that by diving into both mothering and coaching simultaneously, that she is inspiring those around her by proving that having multiple commitments requires sacrifice and compromise on both ends. “For me it’s trusting my heart to know that my kids will one day understand that when I’m away it’s because I’m modeling doing something that I care about to them,” Lynn said. “I also have to trust from the team standpoint that I know that when I have to leave practice to run home to breastfeed that I’m modeling to the girls on the team that I’m being a mom.” Not only are August and Winnifred Ahlers surely noticing their parents’ display of devotion, but their love of running as well. When the time comes, however, Ryan and Lynn don’t want their girls to feel pressured into running. “We want their interests to guide them to try things and not be afraid to take risks with trying new things, with activities, and athletics,” Lynn Ahlers said. “If they are interested in running, we want them to approach it in a way that feels healthy and in moderation, especially at a young age.”
Not only do Ryan and Lynn Ahlers have plans for their young family’s future, but for the future of their team as well. At the top of that list lies their ultimate goal: “[Winning] state championships and conference championships”. “I have no doubt in my mind that we can get back there, but it takes a different level of thinking, it takes a different level of training, and it takes a different level of the way we approach day-to-day things,” Ryan Ahlers said. “One thing I want to do is show the entire team that you can have all of the fun in the world with the social aspects of the team and you can still be really stinkin’ fast and enjoy being competitive, tough, and gritty [all whilst being] nice, beautiful people. It can all come in one package, we just have to figure out how to get there.” In attempts of figuring out how to obtain their end goals, the coaching duo hopes to diffuse some of their shared running beliefs to the next generation of competitors along the way. “Some of the philosophies that we both share are that a person doesn’t have to fit into a certain mold to be a great runner, that positivity and enthusiasm go a long way, that mileage should progress thoughtfully, and that it’s fun to work hard,” Lynn Ahlers said. Although they have many beliefs they hope to pass down to their runners, their coaching style is most accurately described as exampledriven and laissez-faire. “It’s up to the girls to run the races and do the workouts and it’s up to us to teach them how to do that effectively. The girls run the program--we guide it--but they run the program,” Ryan Ahlers said. At the end of the day, no matter what lies in City High girls cross country’s future with the Ahlers’ at its helm, both Lynn and Ryan acknowledge that they wouldn’t have even been in the position to think about the program’s future without each other. “With our family right now, with two young kids that we adore, to be able to keep our minds and our hearts constantly juggling [everything going on in our life], we need each other,” said Lynn Ahlers. “We both respect the passion and the dedication that it takes to sacrifice time with each other to be doing something for cross-country.”