Friday, Nov. 20, 2015
Beak ‘n’
Eye
Getting the most out of the
HOLIDAYS West High School
3505 W Locust St.
Davenport, Iowa 52806
Vol. 56 Issue 1
Assoc. principal brings new ideas to West High
news
BY MORGAN CASHMAN Reporter
Principal Jenni Weipert invited the news media to watch the football team parade through the halls with the drumline and out to the front of the buidling on Sept. 9. Weipert said she likes to recongize students in as many ways possible.
New principal doesn’t fit the mold BY CAYLLA TOWNSLEY News Editor
J
enni Weipert isn’t what one might imagine the average principal to be. West High’s new head principal has brought new ideas to improve the learning environment. She’s adventurous and driven by goals. She’s bold, and that sets her apart from the the rest. She said one goal is to organize the school day so that students have a supportive learning environment. When visiting West last year, she noticed food wrappers in the hall and students standing in congested hallways talking. Consequently, she and her administrative team prohibited outside food and shortened passing time from five minutes to four minutes. Also, students cannot enter the building before 7:55 a.m. because of the lack of hall supervision. Another goal is to get students to feel together as a whole--even if students play just a small part, she wants it to be some part. “I want to increase the school spirit, student pride, and purpose. I want the kids to have a purpose and be proud of this school, themselves and each other.” “We are a very diverse community with lots of talent and lots of potential,” she added. “We are very fortunate to have a lot of talented teachers as well, and some pretty unique course offerings. The talent is here, and the knowledge is here. We just have to bring it together a little tighter.” She said one challenging aspect of being a principal is “having to meet the wants and needs of 2,000 different students.” She says the job requires “making sure you’re doing the right thing at the right time. It’s a pretty intense job.” When she’s stressed, she’ll go out to classrooms and talk to the students. “I love talking to kids. It makes me feel so much
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started off as something fun for her and her better and makes me feel like what I’m dodaughter to bond over, until it became someing is important.” thing she enjoyed and was very good at. One of the biggest rewards of her job is Weipert also got to experience what it was “watching kids grow.” She said she wants like to be on an all army team for both softstudents to know that “I am here for them, ball and volleyball while in Germany. If you and that my door is always open. We don’t don’t believe it, she has a mangled finger to have to agree all the time, but we have to prove it. “I love sports, that’s a big part of agree to work together.” my life,” she explained. While in Germany Growing up, her family moved around she was in a championship game for vola lot. She attended Smart and West for a leyball. She went up to block a short while, and she graduball and got what she thought was ated from San Angelo High “I want the kids a jam. The coach pulled on her School in Angelo, Texas. to have a purpose finger to get rid of the jam, only She described herself as a to tear it even more than before. good academic student, but and be proud of Weipert had no other option because she felt bored, “I was challenging” for teachthis school, them- though. She got back on the court finished out the game, helpers. selves, and each and ing her team get the victory. She went to St. Ambrose Another sport that is huge in University and graduated other.” her life is football. “I watch every with a bachelor’s degree in --Principal Jenni Weipert Iowa Hawkeye game,” she said. education, reading, language “I’m a huge fan.” She’s also a arts and social studies. She huge fan of Peyton Manning and is willing got her master’s degree at the University to follow whatever team he plays for. “I just of Iowa in administration with a minor in love football.” psychology. She also has a special education Weipert enjoys weight training. She has administration degree. She graduated from been lifting weights for over 20 years. It both schools at the top of her class. plays a huge role in her life. She started teaching at Wood, and then Sometimes while running on her treadmill was the principal at Smart, associate princishe likes to read. “I read everything from pal at Central, and principal at Walcott. Moby Dick and Edgar Allen Poe to romance At West she leads students in the Pledge novels and mysteries,” Weipert explained. of Allegiance to begin each day because it She likes being able to mix two of her favorbuilds a sense of community. Her sense of ite things together, reading and working out. organization comes from being part of an “I like to go on walks, ride my bike, and Army family. Weipert has spent her entire go on motorcycle rides. Any kind of outdoor life traveling the world. From the years activity,” she said. “I like to dabble in pretty 1982-86, she lived in Germany with her much anything.” husband and daughter. While living there, She said she loves the high school level she got to learn things that most people in because of all the sports, activities and clubs. America take for granted. “All the excitement of high school is just “They don’t sell traditional baked goods fun to be around. That’s what makes the job in Germany, so I started making my own worth it everyday.” birthday cakes and pastries,” said Weipert. It
This year brought a lot of new changes and faces to Davenport West High School. Along with new principal Jenni Weipert, West also has a new associate principal, Adam Pagett. Being an associate principal, he mostly deals with discipline. Because of this, some students may not want to speak with him and he doesn’t get to get to know the students that would. He does not only care about being an administrator in our building, he also cares about the positivity within the student body and things like sports and extracurriculars. He helped to liven up the pep assembies by making them faster paced and held in front of the whole school during Block 2 instead of Block 4. As a student, Pagett was from Rock Island and attended Alleman High School. There, he played basketball, baseball, and football. After graduation, he was accepted into Illinois State University where he graduated with a history education major. Using this major he taught at Tremont High School,
Associate principal Adam Pagett prepares students for a cheer during the pep assembly on Aug. 28.
a small school outside of Peoria, for his first five years. After this, he transferred to Davenport Central for three years, and then to West this year. When asked what he liked best about West High, he responded with, “I really, really like the parental support and student pride at this school.” Pagett mentioned really being surprised at all our school spirit, like our homecoming events. This was a surprise to him because coming from Central, every
school in the district likes to talk negatively about the other schools because they believe their school is better. In his personal life, Pagett likes to spend time with his wife, who he married October of 2014, and their chocolate lab. He also likes to golf with his friends. He encourages students to come talk to him when they have an event coming up, as his wife and him both love to support Davenport students.
Students help hunger drive Students collected food and Senate held fundraisers bo buy food for the Student Hunger Drive last month. The Mr. Falcon pageant had eight guys competing for the title on Nov. 5 by doing special perfromances, dance moves and answer questions. On Oct. 24 West had the fun run, and about 30 people came out to run. The run had many sponsors and raised a large number of cans and money for the food drive. In addition, Senate just sponsored the neon dance on Oct. 28 and 20 people attended. Senate has been to eight local schools to tell younger students about the hunger drive and to get their support as well as ours.
beak ‘n’ eye News Editor Caylla Townsley Focus Editor Katie Griffith Style Editors Kate Kealey, Nathan Rozinek Leisure Editor Ryan Hayes
The hunger drive ended on Nov. 12. All of the food collected will go to the Riverbend Foodbank, and will then be donated to those in need. Bettendorf High brought the most cans per student in the large school category with 35 pounds per student. Student senate president Carolyn Wojtkowski strongly believes in the hunger drive. “Student senate is always extremely busy during the food drive,” she said. “ Even though it’s a lot of work, we love it. It’s awesome seeing our student body come together to collect cans and money for people in need.” by Katie Griffith
Sports Editor Iris Hayslett Voice Editor Donna Taylor Satire Editor Austin Black Reporters Morgan Cashman, Ericka Whitehead, Ariana Pizano Photographer Ronni Lugo Cover Photo Sofeya Mewes Adviser Steve Lyle -
Senior Tyler Poggenpohl maneuvers a cookie from his forehead to his mouth in the Mr. Falcon pageant on Nov. 5 in the gym. Procceds went to the West Hunger Drive. photo by Iris Hayslett
The Beak ‘n’ Eye is published four times a year by the students of West High School, 3505 W. Locust St., Davenport, IA 52804. The content is produced by students, and it does not represent the views of the Davenport school district or its employees. The Beak ‘n’ Eye is an open forum and welcomes signed letters to the editor. We are a member of the Iowa High School Press Association. Also visit WHSToday.com November 20, 2015 / beak ‘n’ eye
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Getting in
style
STYLE Women
Sweatshirts, scarves are popular BY KATE KEALEY Style Editor With the fall season ending and the winter season about to start, not only will the air get cooler but so will the fashion styles. Mackenzie Ray, a cashier at Dicks Sporting Goods who watches the changing of styles everyday as she works, said, “The most popular clothing item this season is probably sweatshirts and that’s for both boys and girls.” Not only are the plain hoodie sweatshirts popular but so are the half zip ones and hoodless sweatshirts. Mackenzie believes that North Face is probably the most popular brand during this time, and that deals are better during the fall and winter times. North Face products can range from $100 to $175. So now is the time to do your holiday shopping if you want to get the hottest clothes.
Taylor Robinson of Plato’s Closet said one brand of jeans sells well.“Miss Me jeans is one of the most popular clothing item because most places they are almost $200, but here we sell them for $40 which is about the cheapest you will find them,” she said. Plato’s Closet has a lot of in style clothes like the brand PINK from Victoria Secret and Hollister. All clothes are secondhand, so they will always be cheaper there than at the big brand stores. There is no need to give up keeping warm for style, scarves are very in style lately they are good ways to complete any outfit and make a throw together style look like runway ready. Every year Ugg boots have been the most popular winter shoe for girls. Lately they have been worn with sweater socks that go up to about your calf and will keep you warm for the whole winter.
Maddie Jones (left) ,Andrew Lord, and Makenley Skinner finish off the fall season in style with Ugg boats scarves and North Face jackets . Photos by Kate Kealey.
Bailey Bow Ugg boots and Combat boots are the latest fall and winter fashion for shoes. To go with these stylish boots you can also accessorize with boot socks.
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pages by Kate Kealey
Popular fall colors include reds, grays, browns and blacks. You can commonly found in flannel shirts and scarves.
Moto jeans have are ribbed on the legs and have extra stiching to add comfort at the knees
Men
The new casual wear is in BY NATHAN ROZINEK Style Editor Casual wear for men is a wide variety of different styles and brands of clothes and is constantly changing. It will vary for each person, but some styles have most of the attention of teens. One of the most popular styles that have came in is floral designs. The design has made its way from the pocket to a shirt all the way to covering an entire shoe. The same goes to the tribal print appearing on a lot of different shirts. Some of the larger brands such as Hollister have started to become less popular and being replaced by other street brands such as Obey Propaganda and Diamond. A very new and odd but yet trending style is on jeans and is called Moto denim. These kinds of jeans have a ribbed pattern usually right above the knee and more stitching than a normal pair of jeans. Shirts have even been altered. They have introduced the longer length T’s that are like any other kind of shirt, except with a longer length on the body. You can pick all of these new trendy brands and styles at stores such -
as Tilly’s, Zumiez, and Pacific Sunwear. Athletic clothing is always a big hit no matter what season, but we’re not talking about basketball shorts and bro tanks. The new style the last few seasons has been soccer pants. These are like sweatpants but aren’t as baggy and get tighter at the ankles. For shoes, Nike is a very popular brand, and the 5.0’s are the latest model. The shoes are flexible and have many different designs like no other shoes. For shirts UnderArmor, Addias, Nike, and North Face are very popular. Nike has their famous “Just Ddo It” shirts that are always in style. Addias sweatshirts are very popular too you can get them in almost any design you can dream of. The latest hairstyle is the man bun. Not only are your classmates trying this crazy hairstyle but famous people like Harry Styles andother singers and actors enjoy this funky look. Students at West High School have mixed opinions about these new man dues. Many say that it just depends on who you are, others say it’s a flop.
additional reporting by Kate Kealey
November 20, 2015 / beak ‘n’ eye
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feature
Get festive this holiday Food
Games Games are an important aspect of your party and most people’s favorite part is beating their friends and family in games. Games you can play with your family include:
People dance in their ugly sweaters. Planning your food, theme, and games are important for a good time. Photo by flickr.com
Add life to your holiday parties BY KATIE GRIFFITH AND ERICKA WHITEHEAD Deciding what holiday party you want to have
I
f you’re not sure how to theme your holiday party, you first need to decide what holiday you would like to focus this party on. You have three choices for the next upcoming holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and News Years. Thanksgiving is a big family holiday that revolves around giving thanks and being appreciative of all that you have, so going all out is not a hard task to fulfill. If you plan on having a Christmas party, things will be a little different. Christmas is about being together as a family, and it is expected that a Christmas party be very festive. A lot of decorations are pretty much necessary for this type of party. Christmas parties are often a bit more expensive than others considering there is a lot more to buy and a lot more to decorate Finally, a News Years Eve party is always very fun, because it is a way for friends and family to bring in the start of a new year
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together. No matter what type of party you chose to have, being around friends and family garuntee a great time.
What should the theme be?
a theme. It’s a lot harder to come up with a New Year’s theme because it can literally be anything you want it to. You could have people come dressed as animals, or characters from your favorite movies. A more classic theme would be “winter wonderland” with colors such as silver, white, and ice blue. Your party is what you make of it.
If you have choosen to go with a Thanksgiving party, your theme should include many fall colors such as yellows, dark reds, and browns. You could have people come dressed up as different things Who To invite “An ugly such as indians and pilgrams, When throwing a Thanksgiving or just dressed casually. Christthemed party, it should be pretty sweater theme obvious who to invite. Thanksgivmas and New Years is when the options for themes become adds fun to any ing is all about family, so natumore broad and theres many rally, that’s who should be invited. holiday party” Christmas parties are very similar more options. For Christmas, there are in this aspect. Like Thanksgivendless themes to chose from. ing, Christmas is usually a family Whether it be “ugly sweater,” “Christmas focused holiday, but inviting a few close carol karaoke night,” or a Christmas “movie friends would be perfectly acceptable. A night,” guests are sure to have a great time. News Years party is more relaxed and open Another fun idea would be to have people to a broader spectrum of guests. It’s usually come dressed as elves or maybe even reinexpected to see lots of friends and family at deer. these types of parties, so inviting multiple Ultimately, the biggest themed party will friends is perfectly reasonable. Once all the always be a New Years Eve party. Let’s be preparations are complete, you can spend the honest, is it really a New Years party if it’s rest of your night enjoying the company of not themed? Just like Christmas, there are those close to you. extensive options when it comes to choosing pages by Katie Griffith
For Christmas*Snowman Building Contest Have teams of two people each build a snowman and whoever builds the best one in an hour gets to pick either the next game or a whole desert to themselves. *Christmas Tie Game Use old ugly ties and give team of two one, They are only allowed to use one hand to tie the tie around their partner’s neck. The first team done wins *Ornament Guess Have each person write down how many christmas ornaments are the Christmas tree, at the end of night go through them and whoever guessed the correct number or guessed the closest wins a prize. There should be a first, second and third place prize. *Christmas Carol Lyric Guess Say the lyrics to a christmas carol for 12 rounds and whoever gets them all correct or closest to all correct wins a prize. For Thanksgiving*A Scavenger Hunt Have everyone go outside after you hid certain objects. Create several lists for everyone and the first one to find all of the objects in the littlest amount of time wins. *Hand Paintings Its super easy. Get some paint and some paper and make a Thanksgiving painting. The most creative while staying on the topic of Thanksgiving wins. For New YearsThis one is much simpler. You can pull out board games, card games, and games for the Xbox, wii, or even PS3. Anything you choose will bring fun and lots of laughs for everyone involved.
The food you provide for your guests is one of the most important aspects of party planning. Many people follow a more traditional menu, including foods such as turkey or ham, mashed potatoes, about every kind of pie imaginable, all the desserts you could ask for and many other dishes. For New Years though, it is important to have a main dish and then snack throughout the night. There are endless ideas when it comes to delicious and easy snacks to serve your guests. Chips and dip, hot wings, a veggie plate, pizza rolls, or even snack size sausages are all tasty and convenient. The more snacks you provide, the better. Everyone loves snacks.
Pumpkin Bars
Recipe by: Deb Martin Source: Allrecipies.com Ingredients: 4 eggs 1 2/3 cups white sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened -1/2 cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until thoroughly combined. Spread the batter evenly into an ungreased 10x15 inch jellyroll pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven. Cool before frosting. Note: To make the frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in vanilla. Add confectioners’ sugar a little at a time, beating until mixture is smooth. Spread evenly on top of the cooled bars. Cut into squares. -
Fresh chocolate brownies. Photo by pixabay. com
Brooke’s Bombshell Brownies Recipe by: Brooke Recipe from: Allrecipes.com Ingredients: 1 cup butter, melted 3 cups white sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 4 eggs 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips Directons: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. 3. Combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended. 4. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl. Gradually stir flour mixture into the egg mixture until blended. 5. Stir in the chocolate morsels. 6. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. 7. Bake in preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove, and cool pan on wire rack before cutting.
What’s your favortie holiday desert ? Pie-
40%
Cookies - 31% Brownies-19% Cakes-
6%
Pudding- 4% SOURCE: Beak ‘n’ Eye survey of 54 students
November 20, 2015 / beak ‘n’ eye
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Hot video games:
Holiday Shopping
feature
Call of Duty: Black Ops III Fallout 4 Halo 5
Popular movies:
Jurassic World Pitch Perfect 2 Straight Outta Compton
Homemade gift ideas anyone would love BY KATIE GRIFFITH Focus Editor
Black Friday shoppers anxiously wait in line to search for good deals. Photo by foxbusiness.com
Crowds flock to Black Friday
BY ARIANA PIZANO Reporter
B
lack Friday is the time of year when all of the big sales happen for the holidays, and often people go crazy to get the good deals. Normally the doors of the stores open at midnight on black friday and people fly in, well atleast if that is a big store that people love to go out and get good deals from. When senior Dalton Jones was asked if he had any crazy experiences he said “yes, I almost got trampled trying to buy a shirt. At JC penney, and right when they opened the doors and everyone ran in and didn’t care who was in the way, as long as they got a good deal.” Sophomore Ricky Vance said “One time I saw some people fighting over some beats, at
it was, I was paying attention Best Buy and one of the guys to the fight just like everyone got punched in the face but else was. Once the fight got didn’t care, all he wanted was the beats but then security came broken up, both of the guys started shouting at each other and kicked both of the guys while they were being kicked out. I’ve never seen anyone out. One of the guys even had fight over some headphones some other guy come and start like that, it scared me.” screaming at the other man too. Freshmen Levi Roe said It was the stupidest argument “One year I begged my mom I’ve ever seen to take me with her so that I but also the could get some good deals most enon Christmas presents. tertainAlthough she was ing. I reluctant, she finally now said yes. I didn’t understand why Of the West Students underit was such a big surveryed have never stand deal whether I went why black friday shopbeen Black Friday my ping or not. Once we shopping mom was got to our first store, so hesitant.” a huge fight broke out in Black Friday the middle of everyone. We is not only the day to get great were at Best buy so naturally deals but also to witness crazy it was over an electronic. I shoppers and make memories. didn’t get to see what exactly
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34%
The holiday season is coming up, which for many people means good food and lots of time spent with family. One of the best parts of the holidays, however, is giving gifts. Not all presents have to be expensive. There are many affordable yet fun and unique presents that you can give to those you care about.You don’t have to spend a lot of money to bring joy to those around you. A present that could be very meaningful and easy to make is a a photo album. You can order pictures at a local store or you can print them out yourself. Writing a note about each picture would add a lot of meaning to the gift. All that’s left is finding the perfect album to put them in. This is a great present for anyone, because memories are important to most people. Another popular gift idea is a coupon book. This idea would probably work best for a family member such as your Mom or Dad. The coupons are used to redeem different things, such as cooking dinner, going on a lunch date, or even doing chores around the house. This is an extremely affordable idea and is a gift that any parent (or other family member) would love to receive. They are unique, which makes them greatly appreciated. Themed gift baskets are also really popular right now. A movie night gift basket with popcorn and candy, or a spa themed gift basket with lotion or bath salts would both be good ideas. The theme of the basket really just depends on who you’re giving it to. Other great ideas for gift basket themes include a date night basket, a family game night basket, or even a craft themed basket. page by Katie Griffith
Trendy clothing items: Joggers Flannel shirts Vans
Best-selling electronics: iPhone Playstation 4 Xbox One This gift idea has very high potential, just be creative. Although they aren’t as mainstream as they used to be, personalized music CD’s are also still a great gift idea. This is a gift that will not only have sentimental value, but it will be a keepsake to the person you give it to. The presentation of the CD is just as important as the songs on it. You can decorate the CD itself with sharpies, or you can make a creative case to put it in. Another gift idea for family is a board game. These days, families don’t really spend enough time together, and this is something that would assist in spending more time with one another. Board games such as Monopoly, Sorry, and Life are highly affordable and something that the whole family will enjoy. It’s time to bring family game night back. Whether your gift ideas are store bought or homemade, both can be done on the average high schooler’s budget. There are so many cool ideas out there, and there are numerous things that can be done on a small budget. Ultimately during the holiday season, it’s the Coupons uniq make u thought that counts. famil e presen a great, y more membe t for any r. detai l, the The bette r.
Popular books:
Roommates by Erin Leigh Carry On by Rainbow Rowell Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher Sources: Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon, Barnes and Noble
album hoto cover p e d dma lored rest. A han bright co one’s inte r. e a t y with pture an il, the bet a a c t l e wil ore d The m
Students’ first choice of stores 1. Walmart - 23% of students surveryed had said that they would go to Walmart 2. Best Buy - 13% of students surveyed said that they would go to Best Buy 3. Dicks sporting goods - 10% of students surveyed said that they would go to Dicks sporting goods Source: Beak ‘n’ Eye survey of 52 students -
November. 20, 2015 / beak ‘n’ eye
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satire
leisure
Selfie sticks banned
People play in the Analog Arcade Bar on Brady Street. Photo from Twitter
ARCADE A blast from the past: arcade gaming BY RYAN HAYES Reporter ooking at the video games of today, you will see mind-blowing graphics, massive set pieces that stretch for miles, intricate stories that are sometimes more compelling than today’s movies and TV shows, and the millions of dollars and years of development needed to produce these blockbuster games such as the Call of Duty franchise and The Last of Us. But what were the yesteryears of gaming like? Your parents and teachers will remember fondly getting their weekly allowance, and hooking up with their friends and heading over to the arcade. Kids would flock to the Pocket Change Park, the old 25,000 square foot arcade that was in Northpark Mall in Davenport to spend all the money they had. Hours upon hours of joyous laughter, sugar and caffeine-induced hyperactivity, and typical one-upmanship would occur as kids try to beat the high score. The scent of sweat coming from the kid’s adrenaline would overpower the arcade arena that was filled to capacity with rambunctious kids and when the day is done, either the joy continues into the rest of the day or the joy crashes and burns, all depending if you took home the high score in Pacman or took home that life size manikin of Donkey Kong or that gi-
L
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ant stuffed animal that cost 1,000,000 tickets to buy, a feat that may have seemed unattainable when first stepping foot into the arcade that day. “Trying to scrounge up as many quarters as possible and trying to make them last a while was the best memory” says language arts teacher Aaron Rietz. “My best memory was playing X-Men multiplayer for hours on end with my friends” says math teacher Mike Wells. “I would spend 50 percent of my weekly income and my entire weekend at the Pocket Change Park, I would play a lot of Pinball and Skeeball back then--two games I think I’m still pretty good at to this day” says Wells. Back then, there was no such thing as the Playstation 4 or the Xbox One, the only way people could play games was to go to the arcade and play classics like Pac-man and Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. You couldn’t run into a Gamestop and grab the latest title off the shelf and take it home to play for hours on end, you had to scrounge up your quarters and go to the arcade to play your games. Multiplayer today is seen as hopping on Xbox Live and playing Call of Duty with your friends that could be in the next house, or the next country, but multiplayer back in the arcade era was seen as sit-
ting right next to your friend using the same machine as the controller to try and beat the game. “There were so many, but my favorites would be Track and Field, Moon Patrol, and Galaga” says Rietz. The arcade game genre may seem like a thing of the past, but recently a new adult arcade arena has opened up in Davenport, Iowa. Analog Arcade Bar on Brady Street opened up officially for business on Oct. 23. Though students won’t be able to partake in the old joys of arcade gaming for the time being because people under the age of 21 can’t enter, your parents and teachers should be able to rekindle their love for their favorite past times as kids.
Timeline of Arcade Gaming 1972 - Pong, first commercial arcade game released 1973 - Astro Race, first arcade racing game released 1978 - “Golden Age” of Arcade Gaming begins with release of Space Invaders 1979 - Asteroids released by Atari and Nintendo releases first title: Sheriff 1980 - Pac-Man released, Namco’s highest selling game. page by Ryan Hayes
Father Gabriel scoping out a computer that groans after it is turned off. photo by Flash Bulb
School hopes to solve problems with blessing of computers BY AUSTIN BLACK Reporter After numerous complaints about computer problems, West High is calling in Father Antonio Gabriel to bless the computers on Nov. 28. Father Gabriel will bless any computer that has had strange phenomena happen since the start of school. West has tried everything from computer technicians, clicking repeatedly on one icon to try to make it go through, and even hitting the monitor while saying “Come on!” This all started when there was some strange activity on Mr. Cook’s computer. “Some days the Internet would work, but sometimes the screen would just go black,” he said. Other teachers were also noticing how sparks would jump off the screen at random times. “In my years of teaching I’ve never seen such weird activity. The other day some pens and pencils were moved around on my desk near the computer. That has to be some sort of spirit,” said Ms Frisk. Cook called us two days after we interviewed him and said, “I just turned on my computer and in red letters it says ‘your soul will be mine’. I don’t know what to do or who to call; I checked and the Ghostbusters aren’t real so I’m kind of scared. Father Gabriel said, “I basically only do blessings, I’ve been doing them for about 25 years now. If it’s too much for me to handle I do have an uncle upstate who does exorpage by Austin Black
cisms but due to him being homeless and crazy, I’ll probably take matters into my own hands.” The librarians have tried to pour salt around the computers to protect them. “We really need the demons to leave so I can watch more cool cat videos without it buffering” librarian Ted Doodle said. Senior Fred Franklin said, “We can have demons in our computers but god forbid if we have a backpack.” Colby Jack, senior, said, “I’m not looking forward to the blessing of the computers because I’ve been able to postpone this five page paper thanks to the demons. Who would’ve thought I’d ever thank a demon?” However, some teachers such as Mrs. Leeker, are skeptical about the blessing. “I really think we should shouldn’t the demons because they could use their powers to connect the computers and create transformers. Then we’re going to wish we had weapons in our school to fight all of them.” Father Gabriel sounded very and confident about this mission at a press conference in front of the school. “Get your crosses and bibles ready because I’m coming ready to get this demon on his way out of your computers. I’m going to RKO this demon right back to his home. Because I ain’t afraid of no ghosts” and then he took the microphone out of the podium stand and dropped it. -
Disney World banned all selfie sticks. “Unfortunately selfie sticks have become a growing safety concern for both our Guests and Cast,” said Disney’s spokeswoman Kim Prunty. There have been complaints of guest sticking their tongues out and Mickey Mouse had this to say, “I’ve never seen such weird activity since all those dwarfs started stalking that Snow White girl.” The cast had a lot to say about the banning of the selfie sticks. “Look man, I’m sick of these people. If the banning gets overturned then I’m going to unfreeze Walt Disney’s head and run around the theme park scaring people off,” says Goofy of all dogs. On a higher note you can buy a selfie stick from your local Party City for $9.99... and all your dignity. By Austin Black
Cage-free eggs a hit Taco bell has decided to switch to cagefree eggs for their breakfast menu. This is due to customers complaining about too much cage in their Waffle Tacos. Local Taco Bell customer Steve, said “Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind eating metal, just not with my Waffle Tacos.” Soon after the interview Steve voluntairly ate an entire steel cage in front of us. We were all worried because after he ate it he passed out and didn’t wake up. We haven’t heard back from Steve. If you don’t know what cagefree eggs are, they are eggs from chickens that are free to roam the farm, some forming gangs over prime locations. Actor Nicolas Cage is thrilled about this change because it’s the first time anyone has said anything good about “cage” since his movie Face Off. Taco Bell has banned Nicolas Cage from the restaurant due to Ghost Rider 1,2, and 3. By Austin Black November 20, 2015 / beak ‘n’ eye
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sports
Coach Justin Peters holds up a play during practice in August. Left: Peters winks after speaking at the pep assembly on Aug. 28. photos by Iris Hayslett
Coach works to turn around attitudes BY IRIS HAYSLETT SPORTS EDITOR
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ew football coach Justin Peters, isn’t just changing the football team’s record; his plan is to change West students’ attitude toward success. School spirit is pumped up thanks to the team’s three straight wins. Peters has brought a new game plan to West High. “When I stepped in I gave them a direction,” he explained. “People who wanted to change are making a change. It’s not just me, it’s administrators, coaches, students, players, parents, and community members--they all want to see this program succeed.” A 3-0 start sparked more students wearing red on Fridays and packing the student section with 200 students at the Central game. Peters is all about motivating people, not just the football team. The chant that he led the school in at the Aug. 27 pep assembly applies to not just sports, but to life itself. “The battles we go through life, we ask for a chance that’s fair; a chance to equal our stride; a chance to do or dare…. Day by day, we get better and better, till we can’t be beat, won’t be beat.” “The words in that saying is everything that life should be,” Peters said. “We say it before games because it reminds us how we should live our lives… It’s not just about any sport that you go out and play because there are battles in life that you do want a fair chance at. The only way to do that is getting better and better and you won’t be beat by the downfalls in life, won’t be beat by the naysayers you don’t have to be mean to them, just won’t be beat by them;
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sports, but if you look back their are tons of then till you can’t be beat because the mind sports and programs here and activities that set that is setting you on the right path.” are competitive This is Peter’s first head coaching posi“But with the spear head of football if tion, however he’s bringing new offensive we can make football competitive everyone and defensive schemes from other programs will look at different programs he has assisted with in Colothat are consistently at the top rado high schools. Being a “If we can make of their programs that don’t head coach for the first time football competiget recognition,” he said, “and doesn’t seem to scare him, once that starts happening although he said it takes a tive, everyone will with football being competilot of effort, patience, and look at different tive people are going to start understanding to be a good coach. The head coach is programs that are looking at other programs and saying West is the place to go.” where the vision stands and The players give Peter’s where it comes from, so you consistently at the credit for the turnaround. can help lead the way, Peters top of their pro“ If it wasn’t for him we said. He said the most grams that don’t wouldn’t have the record we do enjoyable part of coaching today or the school spirit in the for him is the planning and get recognition.” hallways,” senior Robert Olson strategizing for the next --Coach Peters said. game. Junior Andrew Studer said, Peters said it is important “He has changed our attitude, and our proto hold the boys accountable for the good gram around… He believes in us, and has and the bad things that they do. Hills and greatly improved our program from previous pushups serve as consequences, but love years.” brings respect and with coach the boys are Peters said he had people who inspired respecting more, than ever. him from day one. His dad was a football “Everybody wants respect, but how many and basketball coach. He said his junior high are willing to give it,” he said. “That’s one baseball coach was influential, as was his thing this team understands that they want high school football coach. Coach John Sirrespect, they also have to give it.” riani inspired him when he played baseball The attention West is getting for its for Simpson College. football team is starting to change the pub“If you want to do something in your life, lic’s veiw of the school. If West becomes you need to get out there and do the things competitive in football, everyone is going you need to do to make yourself better,” to look at things a little differently, because we are competitive here at West, but because Peters explained, “and that way you’re ready football struggled, they haven’t really looked for that moment you step into the spotlight.” West as a school that’s competitive in other page by Iris Hayslett
At the top of their game
Andrew Wright Cross Country
Claire Straetker Girls Swimming
Dot Combs Football
Alison Wheeler Volleyball
Coach: Marty Leal Accomplishments: Qualifying for state with a time of 16:16 that’s just under five minute miles. How do you get motivated during the season? By improving and always thinking about going to the next level, and wanting to go D1. Quote that inspires you? “ It’s your legacy, so do what you want with it.” - Coach Marty Leal. What was a major disappointment this season? At the MAC meet I took fourth place and that’s not as good as i wanted to do, i was going for first or second place. What was or is the best memory of the season? Winning the City meet, I took first place in the City. This is out of all the students in the district; North, Central, Assumption and West. What other sports do you participate in? Track, running the 400, and the 800 relay. Are these sports something that you want to continue to do after high school? Both, are something that I want to do in college.
Coach: Brian Heller and Mike Wells Accomplishments: Making State in all four events, and holding a record in the backstroke with a time of 1.00.68. She is also apart of the 200 freestyle team that qualified for state. What is a major disappointment this season? Not breaking my own record in this season, but next year I will beat my record by a lot, that’s my goal for my senior year. What was or is the best memory of the season? Districts, we did our absolute best. We had two girls qualify for three events, two girls qualify for three events, one girl for one event and I qualified for four events this season. What do you do to get motivated during the season? Staying positive and listening to music, and talking to the team. Because staying motivated and positive is always helpful. What quote inspires you? “In order to succeed, your desire to be successful must be greater than your fear of losing.”
Coach: Justin Peters Accomplishments: Winning three games instead of two games in the last five years. His personal accomplishments include getting 10 rushing touchdowns for a total of 783 yards. What do you do to get motivated during the season? Talk with the team and huddle up with friends and listen to music. What quote inspires you? “Light your hair on fire and cause a train wreck.”- unknown. What was a major disappointment this season? Started out good and then we started to struggle. Working together is what helped the team succeed and make good progress but as the season went on and we were winning we stopped working as a team and stopped playing for the team and more for ourselves. What was or is the best memory of the season? Becoming the City Champs, by beating North 16-14 and Central 35-20. I hope that after the seniors leave this year that we will hold the title as City Champs and even years after us.
Coach: Alyssa Grip Accomplishments: Taking the role of being captain during this years season. What do you do to get motivated during the season? I listen to upbeat music and hangout with the girls. But right before the games and we walk onto the court we have motivational talks. Because no matter what the scoreboard says at the end we all worked our hardest and really tried. What was a major disappointment of the season? Losing more games than we won. I just wish that we had better team chemistry and that the team was a whole and we did more team bonding. What was or is the best memory of the season? When Abby Tunnis and I collided, we were going after the same ball and she fell straight on the ground we both thought that is was pretty funny. What other sports do you participate in? Basketball and softball Are these sports something that you want to do outside of high school? I would like to, but we will see what that brings us then. Right now I’m a Falcon and I want to remember my years as a Falcon
page by Iris Hayslett
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November 20, 2015 / beak ‘n’ eye
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NFL should get tough on abusers
voice
art by Donna Taylor
Show support for all groups
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his past football season, it was great to see the student section packed with screaming students supporting the football team. Students were actually pumped up to see the team play every Thursday or Friday night. But why stop now? There are other sports that need the same support that the football team got this season. For instance, the girls swimming team has been doing great things this year, but they have received little fanfare. There are girls on the team breaking school records, yet nobody seems to care. Another example is school plays and musicals. Sure, people come to the school day performances, but mostly as an excuse to get out of class, not necessarily to enjoy the show. A few actually pay close attention to the show and actually congratulate the performers afterwards.The night-time performances, however drew much fewer students because most students don’t seem to care. Another event that happened just recently was the first Neon Dance that Student Senate put together. The Senate showcased an array of interesting things at this dance, such as the fog machine, the DJ and the strobe lights. This could have had all the makings of being a memorable high school event for
a lot of people, but sadly only 17 showed up to the dance that night. Senate even dropped the price of admission from $10 to a more affordable $5 to get people to come, but for whatever reason, people failed to show up. In years past, the homecoming activities were big draws in attendance and participation for students such as dodgeball or powderpuff football. We used to get 6-8 teams together and compete to take each other’s heads off with dodgeballs or air it out with the pigskin. But this year, we had one team sign up to do powder puff football and dodgeball seemed like it was less enthused than in year’s past. It shouldn’t be like that at West. We should support all of teams and activities the same, not have everyone crowd one and leave the rest barren. Why don’t we send 200+ students to the swim meets or the plays or any school spectator event and pack the places to capacity? The biggest reasons are “we don’t care” or “we don’t have the time” or “that’s boring” A school is like a community, we should all celebrate the accomplishments and great work done by all the sports and activities at West, not just football and basketball because they are the most popular.
Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy caught the public eye recently when photos surfaced of the alleged domestic assault of his girlfriend Nicole Holder. The photos in question showed bruises across her back and neck. The Greg Hardy incident isn’t the first domestic violence controversy that has riddled the sports world in the last calendar year. The Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson scandals dominated headlines for the majority of 2014 and the early part of 2015. All three of these men make millions of dollars playing football in the NFL and find it necessary to beat their spouses or children to a pulp for whatever reason they find justification in doing these heinous acts. Another thing these “men” have in common is that they should not be allowed to step foot on an NFL playing field again. It is hard to call them men, because no Columnist real man would stoop low to the animalistic point of beating a woman or child like they did. The NFL has had a checkered past when it comes to discipling their players, mainly being too light or too heavy on punishments. The NFL suspended Hardy 4 games for what he did to his girlfriend. In contrast, they suspended Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon 16 games for testing positive for marijuana. Under their logic, smoking marijuana is more dangerous than beating a woman to the point of near death. The argument has been made that the NFL did not have any knowledge of the women’s condition because they did not have the evidence to prove it, but they allegedly had the photos of the Hardy incidence in April, three months prior to Hardy being suspended. If this man is willing to hit a woman or child harder than he hits 250 pound running backs on a weekly basis, he doesn’t deserve to play in the NFL, he deserves jail time.
‘The Nerd’ actors go for laughs
Falcon Theatre presented a delightfully energetic rendition of the comedy “The Nerd” on Nov. 7. Larry Shue’s script provides a of range humor, from snappy oneliners to slapstick antics, all centering around how to get an annoying Army buddy to leave his friend’s home. The cast of seven obviously had fun playing their characters, making them all the more amusing. Tanner Mecham made the Nerd both annoying and charming with his absurd comments and playful grin. From his unabashed singing and banging on a tambourine to the dead-pan seriousness of his strange requests, Mecham kept the audience riveted on him throughout the play. Danny Whiskeyman made Willum’s frustration with the Nerd seem unbearable, and his character really comes to life when he aims a T-square at the Nerd and pretends to shoot him. Ryan Hayes captured Axel’s scheming, cynical personality with his mature stature and smug finesse. Sophie Crago was delightful at being caught in the middle of the fray, giving an amusing sense of bewilderment to her character Tansy. She often mirrored how the audience felt about the Nerd. John Dubberke played the outraged businessman trying to keep a semblance of order while indulging in the Nerd’s idea of fun. In one scene he is walking barefoot in his suit with a paper bag over his head complaining
REVIEW
Tanner Mecham makes his character the Nerd delightfully annoying on Nov.7 in the auditorium. photo by S Lyle
that he can’t see. In another scene he enters the house with cottage cheese dripping from his hair after it was tossed out the window moments earlier. Madison White’s expressions while trying to hold back her outbursts of anxiety before needing to break a plate were spot-on hilarious. Michael Trettin played the spoiled kid who hides in fear of the adults’ bizarre behavior. He, too, provided many laughs, especially when he faints and is drug into a closet by a panicked Willum. The living room set was detailed and spacious, allowing characters room to interact in a realistic setting around a comfy couch. Upgrades to the auditorium’s lighting system lit the stage brightly without the shadow ar-
eas seen in the past. The sound system made everyone’s voice easy to hear. Those who attended enjoyed a two-hour treat. There is nothing like connecting to characters on a live stage. Both actors and audience must engage their imagination to create a believable story. This creates an intimate relationship with the actors on stage, something that you don’t feel while watching a movie. It’s worth the effort to see a live performance and enjoy what the actors and crew have worked so hard to produce. This was director Kristin Koski’s first production at West. “The Nerd” was a great way to start, and we look forward to her next production of “Guys and Dolls” on April 8-10.
What Star Wars character are you? “Chewbacca, because my fluffy hair and when I yawn I make his noise,” - Chris Bernal, 10
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“Chewbacca, because he is unintelligable which is what my personality is like,” - Jim Heinrich, 12
“Yoda, becaus3 he is cool and I can sound like him.,” - Kaitlyn Bailey, 12
Reported by Donna Taylor
page by Donna Taylor
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November 20, 2015 / beak ‘n’ eye
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Homecoming
spotlight
Alison Wheeler poses after she was crowned the Homecoming Queen before the bonfire on Oct. 1. photo by Iris Hayslett
Senate sponsored a homecoming parade around the West High neighborhood on Oct. 1. photo by Iris Hayslett
The seniors of the homecoming court gather outside after the presentation aud. photo by Iris Hayslett
Alison Wheeler got to smash whipped cream pies in the face of teachers Jane Kroening and Christine Gray. photo by Ronni Lugo
The colorful parade of floats, the crowning of queen Alison Wheeler at the bonfire and the couples dressed in picture-perfect attire at the dance were the highlights of Homecoming Week. The parade from the fairgrounds on Oct. 1 was lead with the homecoming court riding in convertibles. Right behind them was the football team dressed in red and white riding on a fire truck. The swim team took best float overall with the soccer team right behind. “The parade was something different and fun,” biology teacher Heather Cress said. At the bonfire, Alison Wheeler was crowned queen by last year’s queen Hannah Bellman, Then the crowd gathered around and the drumline played as the queen lit the flame as everyone cheered and got pumped for the game on Oct. 2 against the Dubuque Senior Rams. However, West lost 52-13. On Saturday, Oct.3, students headed to the iWireless center in Moline for an evening of dancing to a DJ. Attendance was up from last year, said Student Senate adviser Katherine Searle.
Students stand around the bonfire behind the school on Oct.1. photo by Justin Garcia -
November 20, 2015 / beak ‘n’ eye
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