Issuu

The

Science Smackdown

Tiger HI-LINE Peet principal Jason Wedgbury takes high school position

Physics students apply skills to contest triumphs/page 4

Friday, April 4, 2014

The new Cedar Falls High School principal is Jason Wedgbury, the currently the principal of Peet Junior High. He will take Dr. Rich Powers’ position next year as Powers takes over the superintendency for Bondurrant-Farrar. Editorin-Chief Ellen Wallingford was able to ask Mr. Wedgbury some questions to get to know him and some of his ideas for the coming school year.

Volume 53 Edition 20

Q: What influenced your decision to apply for and accept the high school principal position? In other words, why did you want the high school principal position? A. I had been encouraged by a number of individuals including teachers, administrators, parents and community members to consider this opportunity. Cedar Falls High School has a great reputation, and I believe it is a wonderful opportunity to ex-

pand my secondary experience as a leader. I am excited about the possibility of engaging in the construction process as our community evaluates the status of our current facilities and considers a new high school building. The next few years will be exciting as Cedar Falls Schools continue to improve facilities and move toward an environment for 21st century learning.

Q: Can you briefly describe the application process for the high school principal position? A: The process for my consideration of the high school principal position included stating my interest as an internal candidate for the position. Dr. [Andrew] Pattee and Mr. [Dan] Conrad asked the high school staff to complete a profile for characteristics they desired in their next building leader. As a result of the determined profile, the executive cabinet reviewed the data and determined that I was a good fit for the needs of the high school in relation to the profile. Q: What did you enjoy most about Peet Junior High? What will you miss the most? A: What I have enjoyed is directly related to what will be missed the most. The students, staff and parents are the most enjoyable aspects of my time at Peet. It is exciting that I will be able to continue these relationships with the wonderful opportunity to stay in the Cedar Falls school system. Peet Junior High is an excellent school where the staff work extremely hard to appropriately challenge students in the learning process. In addition, I look forward to building strong relationships with the staff at the high school as I seek to understand their current reality. The high school is headed in a positive direction, and I want to support staff as we continue in this direction.

Jason Wedgbury, currently the principal of Peet Junior High, addresses CFHS staff at a meeting on Monday, March 31. Wedgbury will take the high school principal position next year.

Q: Are there any specific achievements or events that occurred during your time

there that you are most proud of? A: One of the most impactful aspects of a principal’s role is to hire well. I believe we have hired and supported very talented educators who have formed strong teams in the PLC process. A result of this is the implementation of Tiger Time as an avenue to allow teachers and students to work together in a common time during the day. The teachers at Peet are deeply engaged in the PLC process, and they provide a quality classroom learning experience. Q: Do you know yet who the next principal will be at Peet? If, so, what are your thoughts? A: I do not have any information regarding the next principal at Peet. Similar to the high school, I am sure that Peet will determine a profile for their next leader and that will guide the process for filling the vacancy. I have a high level of confidence that we will find the right person for the position. Q: What do you hope to see happen at Peet Junior High after you leave? A: I expect to see Peet Junior High follow their continuous school improvement process. This includes supporting the areas that are going well and looking to improve in areas which need attention. The direction of Peet Junior High has been a very collaborative approach, and I do not look for that to change. Q: Do you have any plans, goals or visions for your time at the high school? Are there any specific changes that you feel need to be made? A: As I stated earlier, my immediate plans and goals include meeting with high school staff and seeking to understand the current reality at the high school. Education is a people business, and I am motivated to begin building strong relationships and trust during the transition process. The vision that I have

for the high school includes a common pathway with the district vision. Establishing a shared vision at the building level, for how we will continue to enhance the learning experience for all students, is paramount. Q: What are your thoughts on the school’s new 1:1 technology policy with the Chromebooks? How will you continue this during your time? A: I am very supportive of integrating technology into the learning process and encouraging students and staff to take risks as they work to gain confidence with technology. We have an effective structure in place to support and fine-tune this process with the use of building technology leaders. The increase in accessibility for students to engage in 21st century learning is extremely valuable, and I look forward to continuing this support. Q: The high school is, obviously, much bigger than Peet. How do you plan to adjust to the size of the school population? A: I have experience working in a school with a similar size to the high school. As the number of people increases, the requirement for effective communication increases. It is my belief that you have to build capacity by empowering and trusting people and providing a variety of leadership positions within the school. It will continue to be my goal to be visible and accessible for students, staff, parents and community. Q: What are you most excited for regarding the high school? A: I am thankful and look forward to the opportunity to lead another outstanding faculty who has earned an excellent reputation. The next few years will be exciting as Cedar Falls Schools continue to improve facilities and move toward an environment for 21st century learning.

The

OPINION

Tiger

Friday, April 4, 2014

Divergent Disaster:

HI-LINE

Movie based off book a disgrace to watch

One of the most popular books among students this year is Divergent by Veronica Roth. The novel and the rest of the Divergent trilogy quickly rose to fame with high school students putting the books at the top of their reading lists, and finally, the long awaited Divergent movie came out on March 21. Book to movie franchises are always difficult. From The Hunger Games to Twilight to Harry Potter to Ender’s Game, books always create the most anticipated movies. However, they also create the most feared movies due to the possibility of screenwriters and directors ruining the book and straying from its true purpose. As an intense reader of all of the series, I found the Divergent movie was a disgrace. There are so many flaws in the movie compared to the book that I can’t even count them. From casting to plot to technological choices, it was just awful. I went into the theater expecting to see one of my favorite books come to life in a wonderful way, and what I got was not my favorite book at all. Granted, I did not expect everything to be identical to the book, not even close. However, there were so many things changed or done wrong that I found myself to be furious throughout the movie. The first issue was the casting of characters, mostly for their physical appearances.

I understand that it is more important to focus on acting ability than physical appearance, but those who create movies should at least attempt to make actors look how they’re supposed to in the book. Shailene Woodley (Tris) was a fairly strong actress, and I think they made a good choice casting her. In reality, Tris should have been shorter, as it is made evident throughout the Divergent novel that Tris is very small, almost childlike in appearance. However, Shailene Woodley was probably the most reasonable actress to cast as Tris. The most frustrating casting for me was probably Zoe Kravitz (Christina). The second I saw Kravitz and realized that she was Christina, I wanted to pause the whole movie and yell, “Wait, that’s Christina? No, no, no. That’s all wrong.” First of all, Kravitz is tiny. She’s incredibly short, much more so than Shailene Woodley. This is incredibly wrong because Tris should be much shorter than Christina. Secondly, Christina’s first spoken line was not strong at all and had no reflection of the tough, sassy character she’s supposed to be. As the movie went on, her character became much better, but I was still fairly disappointed with her throughout the movie. Jai Courtney (Eric) was probably one of the best cast characters for performance. His acting was phenomenal

Contact Us The Tiger Hi-Line is a weekly publication of the journalism classes at Cedar Falls High School, 1015 Division Street, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613. Our website is www.hiline.cfschools.org. The Hi-Line is distributed to CFHS students on Tuesdays to read during their RCTs fourth period. Columns and letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hi-Line staff or Cedar Falls Schools. The Hi-Line editorial is presented weekly in the editorial labeled Our View, and it is the view of the majority of the editors listed below. 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 in the following Tuesday edition. Letters may not exceed 300 words and may be edited to meet space limitations. Writers should include their contact information for verification. Editor-in-Chief: Maya Amjadi News Editor: Katherine Mayhew Opinion Editor: Maya Amjadi Sports Editor: Jared Hylton Feature Editor: Sandra Omari-Boateng Entertainment Editor: Lindsey Davis Hi-Line Online Editor: Martha Hall Staff Writers: Ana Cunha, Kayla Gulbranson, Amanda Harwood, Linne Hoofnagle, Karley Izer, Alyssa Jensen, Maddie Kemp, Lauren Nickerson, Quinn Stabenow, Liam Tate

and completely fit the harsh, brutal character of Eric. However, his appearance was completely wrong. His hair was blond and incredibly short, his face had two piercings and his appearance was neat in general. Eric is supposed to be grotesque to look at, with long, greasy, dark hair and so many piercings that it’s hard to distinguish some of his features. You might argue that an actor might not want to pierce his face all over, but come on, how hard is it on a movie set to put a bunch of fake piercings on a guy? They chose the perfect actor, but they needed to make him look right. The second issue with this movie was character development. Summit Entertainment was obviously trying to appeal to teenage girls, as all it seemed to focus on was the romance aspect of the novel. The only relationship that seemed to matter was the one between Tris and Four. However, in the novel, all of Tris’s relationships are incredibly important, with minimal romance between Tris and Four throughout. If Summit Entertainment plans to create sequels out of this movie, I don’t know how because no background has been established into the more minor characters of the story (who, by the way, gain a lot of prominence in the book sequels). Often, Tris’s despair at the loss or betrayal of a loved one seems completely

unwarranted in the movie because they show maybe only two infinitesimal moments of friendship between Tris and other characters. Summit failed to even show important relationships between minor characters, which is crucial to plot development in the sequels. The movie doesn’t let you get to know characters like Will, Christina or Al at all, and with so many important moments in the plot involving them, it leaves a lot of gaps. In fact, the focus on romance even deteriorates Tris’s character. She is supposed to come off as a strong, inspiring heroine, but in much of the movie she appears much weaker than you’d want her to be with only small moments of strength. The final thing that infuriated me about the Divergent movie was the deviation from the plot. Understandably, movies remove moments from the plots of books in order to make the film a reasonable time limit. However, so many crucial elements were removed in this movie that I was horrified. In fact, they changed the entire ending. The second I realized they changed it, my mouth popped open in shock. The ending is the climax of all the action and tension, with an easy segway into the next story. In the way it was done, the movie does not contain that segway at all. As for the other parts of the movie, sev-

eral plot points were left out or were slightly out of order or were even changed unnecessarily. Even minor details were changed in order to make the movie look more technologically appealing, such as the rankings of initiates being written on a floating screen instead of a chalkboard or guns shooting “darts that simulate the pain of a real bullet” instead of paintballs. I’d like someone at Summit Entertainment to explain to me why these changes were necessary at all. It made me think that maybe the writers just read a summary of each chapter of the book and ignored simple details, which is really frustrating. The movie certainly had its positive points: soundtrack, special effects and a few very strong actors. It was obvious that lots of time was spent trying to make this movie appealing to its key audience, and they certainly tried to make it flow as best as they could. Honestly, if you haven’t read the book, the movie is a decent one to see. Had I not read the book, I’m sure I would have enjoyed it much more. However, I did read it, and what I saw when I watched the movie was incredibly disappointing for a novel that I rank highly with my favorites. By Editor-in-Chief Mallory

VALLENTINE

Our View

Recent efforts deserve praise This last couple weeks has highlighted a number of character-defining contributions around the high school, so we’d just like to point out some of these efforts so those involved can take a bow. First up for recognition are all those who are donating in today’s blood drive. According to the statistics, every pint of blood has the potential to impact up to three lives, and perhaps some of those who receive the gift of these CFHS contributors will be for matters of life and death. Everyone who contributes today is

a hero, and that includes all of the volunteers who showed up early to coordinate the event behind the scenes. Another big group of students had the chance for experiencing a Shakespeare play staged right here in the community on Monday. Taking a third of the school to this event was no easy task, and the English teachers who set this up deserve a round of applause for helping all those involved experience their curriculum in ways that the sophomores will never forget. Field trips and community involvement are in-

creasingly rare, but this connection proves their value. Last but not least, three other students recently turned their dedication to excellence into distinguished attention. Jazz musicians Michael Stow on trombone, Isaac Smith on trumpet and Kyler Boss on drums joined the 20-member All State Jazz Band comprised of musicians from all 4A classes around Iowa. They and directors Kyle Englehardt and Gerald Ramsey are just another example of a string of Tiger efforts hitting the high notes.

The

Tiger

HI-LINE

Friday, April 4, 2014

SPORTS

Though March Madness run ends, Cyclone fans anticipating another big year from Hoiberg’s crew The Iowa State Cyclones opened up the NCAA tournament against No. 14 seed North Carolina Central. They won the game that night with ease 93-75, but the loss that they endured was the biggest news. With just under nine minutes left in the game, Georges Niang, quite possibly the team’s most important player, had his foot stepped on and had to leave the game a few plays later. Niang suffered a fractured right foot and would miss the rest of the NCAA tournament. Speaking with CBS Sports, head coach Fred Hoiberg said, “You can’t sit here and cry about it. We’ll miss him, but at the same time, I believe in these guys, the five guys we’ll put on the floor.” The loss of Niang was a big one, but luckily for the Cyclones, they didn’t lose the most important thing that night allowing them to move ahead and face perennial college basketball powerhouse and No. 6 seed, North Carolina. Hoiberg had a lot of scheming to do with the loss of Niang. He inserted Daniel Edozie into the starting lineup after he averaged 5.2 minutes and 1.0 points per game. Size hasn’t been a strength of the Cyclones this season and didn’t get any easier with the matchup against potential first

round pick, 6’9” James Michael McAdoo and 6’9”, 290-pound Kennedy Meeks. The disadvantage was apparent when Iowa State missed nine of their first 10 shots to open the round of 32 matchup. The Cyclones were up by three at halftime but found themselves down by eight with just under four minutes to play. Clutch buckets from Naz Long, Monte Morris and Melvin Ejim tied the game allowing Coach Hoiberg to draw up a play for the win. The clock read 16 seconds, and the ball was in senior DeAndre Kane’s hands as he drove right and flipped up a shot over North Carolina defenders. The ball bounced off the backboard and right through the nylon of the net. The Tar Heels were down two when the clock ran out after a bit of controversy. Nonetheless, Kane propelled the Cyclones to their first Sweet 16 since 2000. The boys from Ames advanced to play the UCONN Huskies with a trip to the Elite 8 on the line. Despite 34 points from junior Dustin Hogue, Iowa State was unable to overcome a 16 point deficit with seven and half minutes left and a huge disparity in free throw shooting, losing 81-76. Big 12 player of the year, Ejim and fellow first team All-

fidence as they improve while learning to love the sport followed by a close second, [which] is hearing from girls who have been out of school [for] a while about how much they learned about life [while] participating in high school athletics at CF,” Williams said. Although there are many seniors on the team, one specifically will be running next year at Central College. Senior Maddie Smith runs the shuttle hurdle relay, open 100 hurdles, sometimes the four by one and sometimes the four by three. “I am going to miss how much fun we have at meets, and I will miss state track the most. It is always a really fun weekend where your team gets to bond and have fun. My goal is to qualify for the state meet, so I can enjoy it for the last

the

Week

Maddie Smith Track

Senior Maddie Smith is returning to help lead the Tigers to State. She has participated in the shuttle hurdle relay, 100 hurdles, 4x100 relay and the 4x300 relay.

Austin Anderson Photo

The Iowa State student section rushed the court after a big early season upset of then No. 7 Michigan. Big 12 performer Kane will move onto the next stage of their basketball careers, possibly the NBA or overseas basketball. Losing such big parts of their team is a tough loss, but the 2014-2015 Iowa State Cyclones actually have a chance to be better than this year’s team. They should be ranked in the top 25 to start the season with the return of Niang, Hogue, Morris, Long and last year’s top recruit Matt Thomas. The biggest newcomer to the team will be Marquette transfer Jameel McKay, the 6’9” big man who would have contended to be the best player

on an already stacked team this season. With continued success, Hoiberg is becoming a hot commodity in the NBA. The former NBA player and executive has revitalized and restored the competitive and fan-friendly basketball that fans haven’t seen in Ames since the days of Jamaal Tinsley at the turn of the century. Hoiberg is widely considered one of the best coaches in all of college basketball, and with “The Mayor” at the helm, deep runs in the NCAA tournament will come with a sense of familiarity. By Editor-in-Chief Austin

ANDERSON

Women’s track and field look to improve on 2013 The women’s track team is hoping to start off the season a little better than it ended it last year. Last year the team ended the season with a 14th place finish at State, which is not what it was hoping for, but the youthful contributions of four freshmen and six sophomores pointed to a bright future. Another positive thing that happened for the team at State last year was that seven girls picked up all time personal bests, and four relays earned their fastest times of the year; 16 of these athletes are returning for this season. Head coach Don Williams loves to see the growth of each athlete as the year rolls on. “My favorite part of coaching track is a toss up between watching these girls gain con-

Athlete of

How long have you been running and how did you get into track? I have been running since seventh grade. I got into track in junior high because I liked to stay busy and try as many new things as I could. How did it feel to start the outdoor season with a win in the shuttle hurdle relays? It felt great knowing that the hard work we have been putting in is really paying off, and I am so excited to be running my senior season with this group of girls. What do you want to achieve as a team and individually this season? Our team goal this year would be to qualify in as many events as we can for the Drake Relays and the state meet. My personal goal would be to qualify and place at the Drake Relays and the state meet. Are you thinking about running in college at all? I will be running for the Central Dutch in Pella, Iowa, next year.

Tigers in

Action

Men’s Track

April 4 @ Marshaltown 5 p.m.

Women’s Track April 5 @ CR Jeff

Costi Axinte Photo

Senior Maddie Smith races through hurdles last year. time ever,” Smith said. The team’s goals for this season are to improve its standing at State. It also wants to be a top contender in the Mississippi Valley Conference, which includes Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Iowa City and Waterloo schools. The Tigers also want to, “es-

tablish a tradition of excellence in all venues, throwers, jumpers, sprinters, hurdlers and distance, and to continue to improve on everyone being more encouraging to everyone else on the team,” Williams said. The team’s next meet is on Saturday, April 5, in Cedar Rapids.

10 a.m. Men’s Tennis

April 5 @ Waterloo West

9 a.m. Women’s Tennis April 5 vs. Waverly 9 a.m.

Men’s Soccer

April 5 North Scott Tournament 10:30 a.m. Women’s Soccer April 7 Waterloo West TBD Women’s Golf April 5 @ Waverly 4 p.m.

The

CAPTURED

Tiger

Friday, April 4, 2014

HI-LINE

Balancing Act Physics students bring home medals

Jessica Ubben photo

Megan Wallace photo

Megan Wallace photo Megan Wallace photo

Top right: Seniors Drew Langel and Eddie Todd prepare their catapult. Middle right: Seniors Spencer Van Dorn and Melanie Stoss work on their catapult. They won the catapult competition. Bottom right: Seniors Amanda Fishel and Sophie Mallaro watch their machine made of CDs take off.

Jessica Ubben photo CFHS students competed in the AEA 267 Regional Physics Competition at the McLeod Center on March 27. Top left: Seniors Gabe Clark and Ahmad Shehata examine their toothpick bridge. Second row, left to right: Seniors Nathan Lockard and Allison Bogaard assemble their structure. Seniors Justin King and Michael Niebert won third place in the soda straw arm competition. Far left: Seniors Carlos Black and Lauren Weinert took second place for their toothpick bridge. Middle: Seniors Jacob Pence and his partner prepare their catapult. Bottom left: From left to right, seniors Carlos Black, Lauren Weinert, Spencer Van Dorn, Melanie Stoss, Joe Kosmicki, Jacob Hayes, Michael Niebert, and Justin King.

Megan Wallace photo

Jessica Ubben photo

Megan Wallace photo