2

THE

e n i l i h tiger

VOLUME 51 ISSUE 22 1015 Division St. Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613

Judy Timmins recognized with Gold Star Award Endeavor Award recipients chosen

Chandal Geerdes Staff Writer

Each year, the R.J. McElroy Trust selects 10 teachers from the Cedar Valley to receive the Gold Star Award for Outstanding Teaching, a prestigious honor recognizing superior teacher performance. Hundreds of nominations are submitted by students, parents and teachers themselves, and this year, English Department Head Judy Timmins was selected to be one of the recipients. “She is one of the most efficient and kid-focused teachers I have ever met. She’s got a handle on everything,” English teacher Jennifer Paulsen said. Timmins’ coworkers agree that she is very organized and always has it together. She does very well at answering questions and helping not only students but also the English department staff with its daily work. “[She’s] always on top of things. Not many problems come up that she can’t communicate and find a solution,” English teacher Matt Klemesrud said. Timmins also radiates the high dedication she has for the work she does with students and staff. “[Timmins] is always meeting with [students] individually. Students know they can come to her,” English teacher Courtney Lubs said.

Jessica Dally Staff Writer

Sara Gabriele photo Sara Gabriele photo

English teacher Judy Timmins gives senior Alex Huffman individual attention with her writing.

In fact, Timmins received her nomination from the students themselves. Seniors Hannah Easton and Tori Hurst came together and decided that, before they would nominate Timmins, they would compile a book of letters from former and current students expressing their gratitude for her work. “We feel that Mrs. Timmins is a very exceptional teacher, and we really wanted her to get recognized for it,” Easton said. Timmins said she was very flattered to receive the award but even more touched that students made

the effort to reflect on their education and create a book because they regarded her teaching so highly. “I was very touched that students would take the time to be so appreciative for the things they believe I’ve done for them,” Timmins said. Overall, Timmins has done an innumerable amount of great things for Cedar Falls High School and created a lasting impact. “Not everyone goes to the length she does to try to prepare her students and coworkers to be the best they can be,” Klemesrud said.

Kickin’ It for Cambodia set for Saturday race Sandra Omari-Boateng Staff Writer

Student Senate will hold the 5th Annual Kickin’ It For Cambodia 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, April 30. The 5K will be held at George Wyth Park and will begin at 8 a.m. To enter the Run/Walk, the cost is $15 before the race and $25 the day of the race, and admission will include a Kickin’ It For Cambodia T-shirt. Five years ago, the high school raised $15,000 to fund the construction of an elementary school in Cambodia. The were other sponsors that helped match the amount through the American Assistance for Cambodia program, and then they built a school in Cambodia.

The school, called The Black Hawk School in the Memot district of the Kampong Cham, was finished on March 24, 2009. All the proceeds from the race now go towards funding the school. The extra annual money helps mainly provide upkeep of the building and funding the bills, but it also provides English and computer teachers, Internet and access towards clean water and other needs. Other than just having the 5K to raise money for the school, there has also been some other fundraising done in the past like the snowflakes and the wristbands that have been sold. And this year there was a Coldstone Fundraiser, which was a success, and then, of course, just the general donations given to help out the school.

“They raised $33 in tips, and I heard that they were busy all that night. Whatever ColdStone made that night, we got 10 percent of the proceeds, so we will have to wait and see what we got,” Student Senate adviser Erin Gardner said. There are also many ways that donors can help without just entering the race. Anyone can make a donation and get named on the T-shirts and sponsor forms in the race packet. Anyone could also make a donation for the door prizes or could help distribute race registration forms to promote it. The pre-race price is available through Friday, April 29. For answers to any questions, contact Gardner at 319-553-2633 or gardnere@cedar-falls.k12.ia.us.

Junior Logan Henderson, senior Samantha Doyle, science teacher Scott Bohlmann and custodian Josh Schrum were recently chosen for the Endeavor Award. The Endeavor Award aims to “recognize the positive achievements and efforts within the community and, by doing so, inspire others to initiate similar efforts, bringing hope into the future.” Henderson was nominated by business teacher Julie Cuvelier and was very humbled by his selection. “I feel as if there are many others that deserve the award more than I do, but I am very thankful for being nominated and receiving the award.” Doyle was nominated by senior Austin Javellana, and he said that she portrayed great leadership. “I nominated Sam for her leadership and character on the cheerleading team. Getting third at Nationals and placing at the Sate meet doesn’t just happen. Her leadership and determination are some of the reasons why our cheerleaders are so good,” Javellana said. Doyle relayed her shock about receiving this unexpected award. “I was very surprised, and it was awesome to hear about all the good things Austin had to say about me.” Bohlmann was nominated by associate Dayle Hayes, and she had much praise to give. “Mr. Bohlmann’s dedication and fairness stands out towards his students. He is patient, yet compassionate, and those two attributes don’t usually go together.” Bohlmann also expressed surprise and gratitude about his recognition. “It’s a huge surprise to get the award. You don’t do things in the community or school just to get noticed. You do it because it’s the right thing to do.” Schrum was nominated by English teachers Judy Timmins, Diane Flaherty and Teresa Martin, who all agreed that Schrum was an ideal person for the Endeavor Award. Mrs. Flaherty said that Schrum was humble and unassuming. “He goes above and beyond in everything he does and rarely gets or expects credit for all the things he does.”

e n i l i h r e tig THE

2 opinion our view Try one of the many ways to go green on Earth Day Earth Day has come and passed again this year, which leaves the question of, did you do anything to help the Mother Earth? If not, it’s never too late to help. We’ve done some researching here and have found that there are an infinite amount of ways to make our lives a little more green. We all have used the student parking lot, and if you haven’t noticed, ours is getting a little overcrowded with litter. If you see it, pick it up; this simple task could be a major help in making our high school more green. Another small act we have an opportunity to do daily is to recycle and reuse paper. Using the backs of notebook paper or printing on both sides both are actions that go a long way when done on a regular basis. Now due to the advent of technology, we also have opportunities to make greener lifestyle choices. For example, subscribe to online newspapers and magazines instead of getting the print version or use google docs to get help from teachers instead of printing eight-page drafts of papers. Here at the high school, John Black’s ecology class has done its fair share by learning about the environment and participating in a variety of earth friendly activities such as checking the health of Dry Run Creek. Resource students pick up the recycling boxes weekly to ensure that everyone does his or her part. Even the administration had a say in last week’s announcements regarding the amount of trash in the parking lots. There are countless ways to make our world a greener place; why not start today?

April 26, 2011

Pastor’s Koran burning causes bloodshed in Muslim world Karl Sadkowski Staff Writer

In September, Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Florida threatened to destroy a copy of the Koran. At roughly the same time huge debate riddled the United States over the construction of an Islamic center near the location of the Manhattan Sept. 11 attacks of 2001; the timing of Jones’ threat seemed coordinated; however, numerous individuals intervened in the escalating issue, including President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and General David Petraeus. Jones temporarily reconsidered his promise on their argument that the decision could threaten the lives of Americans abroad. But in January, he once again announced that he would “put the Koran on trial,” creating strong religious tension in the Muslim world as he publicly burned Islam’s holy book in a portable fire pit on March 20. Since then, Jones’ audacity has set off violence in Afghanistan, where mobs attacked a UN compound, killing six peacekeepers and

provoking ongoing riots in the country. A $2.4 million bounty has been placed for his death in Pakistan, and the Gambian government condemned the act as a “declaration of war” against Islam, urging the United States to put Jones himself on trial. Unfortunately, Pastor Terry Jones has not realized that religious conflicts do not stem solely from Islam. In fact, Christianity has also led to the deaths of tens of millions of people in the last 1700 years, including the Crusades, witch burning, the Spanish Inquisition, the persecution of Muslims by Serbian Orthodox Christians in Bosnia and the “Troubles” territorial conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland. Despite the list, the Bible’s guilt does not mean it should be “put on trial” as well; destroying either controversial book is an extremely onesided idea, and one should keep in mind that these books have shaped the minds of billions of people since their creation and hold central roles in humanity, regardless of their byproducts. With so much worldly influence, the Koran and the Bible should be

understood and respected, not negated for what would appear to be a dogmatic defense for one’s own beliefs. If something good should come of Jones’ outspoken disrespect for another religion, his decision should act as a reminder to others intolerant of differing faiths: there lies no compromise in proving one religion’s superiority to another, and nothing but conflict will derive from it. The German Nazis also participated in book burning, forbidding and depriving people of certain knowledge. Such actions helped lead to events such as the Holocaust. Heinrich Heine, one of Germany’s most famous poets, made the famous prediction in 1821 that “where they burn books, so too will they in the end burn human beings.” Burning the Koran (or the Bible, or any other religious work) is like taking a step backward into the Middle Ages, when religion was the root of so much violence and bloodshed. Book burning will not help humanity progress. The modern world will never applaud the gross attempts to change religion by radicals such as Terry Jones.

“I helped pick up trash with Student Senate outside in the parking lot.”

“I went and used my plastic travel mug, and I went to Starbucks to support their cause of the free coffee.”

What did you do for Earth Day? Contact the Tiger Hi-Line

The Tiger Hi-Line is a weekly publication of the journalism classes of Cedar Falls High School, 1015 Division St., Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613. Our website is www.hiline.co.nr. The Hi-Line is distributed to CFHS students on Tuesdays to read in their DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) classes. Columns and letters do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Hi-Line or Cedar Falls Schools. The Hi-Line editorial staff view is presented weekly in the editorial labeled as Our View. Reader opinions on any topic are welcome and should be sent to the Tiger Hi-Line staff or delivered to room 208. All letters must be signed. Letters must be submitted by 3 p.m. on Thursday for publication the following Tuesday. Letters may not exceed 300 words and may be edited to meet space limitations. Include address and phone number for verification.

Editorial Staff

Editors-in-Chief: Sara Gabriele and Ellen Gustavson News Editor: Ben Olson and Sara Gabriele Opinion Editor: Meg Lane and Kaylee Micu Sports Editor: Ben Olson and Allyson Vuong Feature Editors: Ellen Gustavson Entertainment Editors: Meg Lane and Kaylee Micu Photo Editor: Tracy Lukasiewicz

“ I remembered the history of it, then put some thoughts together as to what we might do this week in ecology class.”

- John Black Ecology teacher

-Carly Naaktgeboren Senior

- Michelle Rathe English teacher

e n i l i h r e tig THE

sports

April 26, 2011

3

Athlete Week of the

Katie Todd Women’s Tennis Junior

Billy Howard Photo

Tracy Lukasiewicz Photo

The men’s and women’s track qualifiers are lined up for Drake Relays that begin on April 28 and end on April 30. Among the qualifiers are senior Cara Strike and senior Marshall Hill, who were both pictured here from action last Thursday, April 21. The women’s team qualified the largest Drake Relay group ever from Cedar Falls.

Track teams gear up for Drake Maya Amjadi Staff Writer

One of the most competitive track meets of the season approaches for both the men’s and women’s teams with the Drake Relays on April 28-30. From Cedar Falls High School, 19 female athletes will compete, a larger number than have ever participated before. Nine athletes will compete for the men’s track team. For those who’ve qualified, they are looking forward to performing, even if it will be the toughest competition they’ve faced all season. “I enjoy performing at Drake Relays because I know that it is an honor to qualify since there are very limited entries. I get pretty nervous just because it is such a big event, but really I just have to remember that it is nothing new and that it is the same race that I have been preparing for,” senior Kaitlyn Gillett said. She will be racing in the shuttle hurdle race, and it will be her third time competing in this event at Drake. Her goal is to set a new personal record split time in the race. Sophomore Allison Gregg said she is excited to spend time with the team and to race against the hard competition. This is Gregg’s second

year in a row to qualify in the 3,000-meter run, and this year she will also compete in the 1,500-meter run. “Every year girls get faster, so I expect the competition to be tougher this year. However, I believe our team has trained well for this and

Senior Cara Strike is running at Drake for the third time on the 4x800 meter race. Her biggest competition is Iowa City West, whose team is seeded with almost identical times to Cedar Falls’ times. “I just want to run the best time I’m capable of, and I

Drake Qualifiers Barkley Hill James Harrington Luke Toyosi Marshall Hill Tanner Reyhons Mitch Dowell Nick Gary Nick deBuhr Shane Shaddox Kaz Brown Cassie Crotty Katelyn Gillett Allison Gregg Ashley Griffin Katelyn Haan Megan Hartmann Madison Hersom is prepared,” Gregg said. “I think our coach Don Williams has prepared us physically to the best of our ability, and you just have to stay mentally tough during races with a positive mind set.” Gregg’s goal is to place in the top six in the 3,000-meter race and to run a personal record time in the 1,500-meter race.

Brianna King Imonee Qualls Hannah Savage Lizie Shimp Melanie Stoss Ashley Stow Cara Strike Carrie Traetow Daianera Whitaker Madison Wood Molly Youde Alternates: Jakob Stoner Brayden Longnecker KC Groomes want the team to place in the top five,” Strike said. “These are the races I live for. There’s just something about running in the Drake stadium that pumps me up like nowhere else can.” This year, the men’s track team has four relays and three individual events qualified. Senior Marshall Hill, who qualified for his second year

in a row, is running the 4x200, 4x100, 4x400 and medley relay. “The hardest part about the competition is that there’s a lot of it,” Hill said. “They combine all the classes so you are running against the best in the state.” The Drake Relays are his second favorite race behind running at State. Coach Jeff Hartman said the team is prepared for the tough competition. “The most difficult thing about Drake is running so many races across two days. James (Harrington), Luke (Toyosi) and Marshall (Hill) will each have six races over two days counting the preliminaries if they make finals in everything. You also have long stretches between races which can be tough for some competitors to stay focused,” Hartman said. “The weather can also be a big challenge. Sometimes it’s cold and rainy, and other times it’s very hot. No matter what the weather conditions, the athletes have to make the adjustments so they can compete to the best of their ability.” His goals for the team are to have fun and compete hard in all the events. “With a little luck, good starts and good baton exchanges, we think we have as good a shot as anyone else to win in everything we’ve entered,” Hartman said.

1. When did you start playing tennis? “I’ve been playing tennis since I was about 10 years old. My parents are really proud of me, and they support me all the way.” 2. Do you plan on playing in college? “I’m thinking of going to a Division III school.” 3. What’s the best thing about playing tennis? “I love the competitiveness of it, and it’s fun. I really like teenis beacuse it’s a great sport.”

Tigersin

Action

Men’s Soccer 4/26, vs. Waterloo East, 4:15 p.m. 4/30, vs. Dub Wahlert/ Dub Senior @ home, 8 a.m. & noon. Men’s Track 4/28-4/30, Drake Relays Men’s Tennis 4/26, vs. CR Xavier, 4 p.m. 4/28, vs. Waterloo Columbus, 4 p.m. 4/30, vs. CR Xavier/ Linn Mar @ home, 8 a.m. & noon. Trapshooting 4/30, Cedar-Falls Annual Shoot, 8 a.m. Women’s Soccer 4/26, vs. Waterloo East @ home, 5 p.m. 4/30, vs. Dub Wahlert/ Dub Senior, 8 a.m. & noon. Women’s Track 4/28-4/30, Drake Relays Women’s Golf 4/27, Metro Meet @ Warren Park, 3:15 p.m. 4/28, MVC Triangular - CR Washington, 3:15 p.m. 5/2, MVC Super Meet- IC West, 9:30 a.m. Women’s Tennis 4/26, vs. CR Xavier @ home, 4 p.m. 4/30, vs. CR Prairie/ Linn Mar, 8 a.m. & noon.

e n i l i h r e tig THE

feature

April 26, 2011

4

Students help make leukemia victim’s final wish come true Chandal Geerdes Staff Writer

Max Low, also known as Mighty Max, is a 12-year-old boy from Neola, Iowa, who has been suffering through a long battle with leukemia. Low was diagnosed with cancer at the age of five, and he has continued fighting it ever since. He has been staying at the Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha. Like many leukemia patients, Low has gone through chemotherapy and may soon undergo a bone marrow transplant. To make Low’s situation a little less painful, one of his friends came up with the idea in 2008 of Low receiving one million cards in the mail. This transformed into the Max-a-Million campaign, which unfortunately lost its

momentum in 2009. Recently, though, efforts have been renewed to make Low’s wish for one million cards come true. He has already received words of encouragement and support in over 35,000 cards, which were either homemade or store bought. Low’s story has even gone world wide on the Internet and television. With groups on Facebook, such as Make Mighty Max Low’s Wish Come True!!!!!, word has spread quickly. Last week, members of sophomore leadership set up tables during lunch shifts to help Max reach his goal. Just over 300 cards were made by the students and staff at Cedar Falls High School. “I think it’s neat for this kid to have a goal and just for us to be a part of that,” sophomore Beth Keesy said. Other places around the

Cedar Valley have contributed to Low’s wish as well. La’James International College had a fundraiser for Mighty Max and his family. Promoting his wish for one million cards and contributing

Support Student Press

The list of businesses and individuals included here are backers of the real world educational opportunities made possible by all the publication and broadcasting programs at Cedar Falls High School. Check out their links at our website: http://www.hiline.co.nr

their time to “Mohawks for Max,” the La’James staff gave $3 from each of those mohawks to Low and his family. This fundraiser brought in a lot of customers and people who wated to help contribute

to Max’s wish. La’James raised $972 for Max and his family. “It was amazing. The students and the staff felt good to help out,” La’James Administrator Wendy Dirks said.

Juniors Logan Henderson, Donald Halbmaier and other CFHS students spent their lunch shift making cards for Max Low, a 12-yearold with leukemia. Low has already received over 35,000 cards. Gold Star Sponsors ($250) •Sandee’s Silver Star Sponsors ($180) •Cedar Falls Community Credit Union

Bronze Star Sponsors ($100) •Ruth N. DeHoff •Glass Tech •Larry and Judy Timmins

To find out how you can be a Journalism Backer, call 553-2590 or email hiline.winkel@gmail.com