The
Tiger HI-LINE
Friday, Dec. 6, 2013
Volume 53 Edition 11`
Media Monarch:
Swimming In Swim team faced Dubuque Hempstead in opener/page 3 Follow us on Twitter at tigerhiline, Facebook at TigerHilineOnline and on our website at www.hiline.cfschools.org
Social network hierarchy subject to change
Social media is one of the most prevalent sources of entertainment and communication in society today. Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter have been taking over most of the world in full force, and they are showcased in everything, whether it be news, television, the Internet itself or in talk among students. However, the truth is that after several years of use, many social networks depreciate in value to those who use them, and everyone is constantly looking for the next big social network to use. This occurred to one of the first big social networks, MySpace. This site was founded in 2003 by Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe and was an instant hit among teenagers, especially with the music emphasis on the site from pop singer Justin Timberlake. It was a place for the most basic of social networking, which also had a large influence on pop music and pop
culture. MySpace was the social network everyone needed to use. A survey stated that in 2006, 85 percent of teenagers owned a MySpace account. As of 2013, the survey stated that a mere 7 percent of teenagers owned a MySpace account. It is arguable that this decline of users could be because the site became too old and nostalgic. However, the downfall of MySpace can be most likely attributed to the creation of Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook, founded in 2004. The site began as a small website created by college students, but soon exploded into a huge corporation, overtaking MySpace as the top social networking website in 2008 with a higher number of worldwide visitors. This social networking site is a place for people to share the details of their lives through statuses and photos. Facebook also has a messaging system so people can talk privately to their friends individually or in groups.
Additionally, Facebook has several apps and games available for its users and fan pages for books, movies, TV shows and celebrities. Its primary goal is to connect friends and family, whether they live in a different city, state or even country. Facebook has been the reigning site in the social networking hierarchy for years, but many now say that the king of social networks is heading into decline. Many say that the site is “getting old” and “no one uses it anymore.” Several teenagers complain that Facebook has become too cluttered and complicated to use, which is understandable considering how often Facebook makes changes to its site and policies. Now, Twitter is on the rise, attempting to overtake Facebook as the lead social network. Many Twitter users claim to prefer the simplicity of the site, with a very open and thoughtful layout and design.
Senior Anna Hubbard said, “I like Twitter better because it has a younger user age, and older people are taking over Facebook.” Although Twitter has a limit of 160 characters per post, those who own both a Facebook and a Twitter account tend to tweet more than update statuses. Twitter is also linked to several other apps, such as Vine and Instagram, which allows posts from their respective apps to be easily posted and viewed on the site. Senior Erik Mueterthies said, “I like Twitter [better than Facebook] because my account is protected, so I can control who sees my stuff.” In general, Twitter appeals to people in that it has simpler design and functionality, while Facebook continually attempts to add more and more things to its site, creating more clutter and disappointment among its users. Among teenagers, Facebook has become a social network to occasionally post
in, while Twitter is the needed social media. In fact, Twitter is used constantly in the news and television for discussion on topics among viewers, and people also “live tweet” movies they are watching. Everyone can easily access what topics they wish to see with the use of hashtags on Twitter, which Facebook has tried to use a bit unsuccessfully. Junior Emily Banes said, “I like Twitter because I can see what’s going on with my favorite celebrities.” In general, it appears as though Twitter will take over the social network hierarchy, leaving Facebook in the dust with its main users most likely being those of an older age who wish to connect with old friends. Twitter will most likely stay the top social networking site for several years until something younger and better comes along for teenagers to flock to.
The scene opens on old black-and-white footage. A spaceship hurtles towards Earth, bringing mystery with it. This is a short film with a lot of character, called “Battle of the Big’uns: Kongoro the Indestructible.” The film’s masterminds are CFHS seniors Luke Kreger and Tarrell Christie. They’ve made dozens of films, often featuring fellow students as actors. Produced under the name LT Shorts, Kreger and Christie first started filmmaking in September 2011. Their interest started before that, however. Kreger took acting classes as a kid. Christie watched a “making of” documentary as a child and was immediately inspired. “[I]t really just amazed me how much went into a movie because you never really think about it,” Christie said. Using birthday money, Christie bought a camera and soon started production on his first movie, called “Ghost Rider vs. Catwoman.”
Today, their filming process has greatly changed. The films are now shot on a Panasonic SD90 HD camera. The team plans to update to Canon Rebel cameras soon. Using tripods, microphones, lights and green screens, the team carefully films and edits the footage using Sony Vegas. Christie typically edits footage while Kreger creates a soundtrack using programs like GarageBand and Pro Scores. Coming up with ideas, writing and directing are a team effort and require significant time and dedication. The editing process varies from project to project, depending on the length of the film. A shorter video could take a night or two of editing, while larger videos have taken up to 60 hours to edit, according to Christie. “There’s never a dull moment during editing, though, because you finally get to see your movie come to life, and you always learn something new with each video when ed-
iting,” Christie said. The characters in the films are often played by the pair themselves. In those cases, one will switch roles and act while the other films the scene. Family and friends often play major roles. However, they’re open to working with other aspiring actors that are interested. Kreger’s favorite films he’s worked on range from “Slender” to “Bio-Bluh 2” to “Legend of Out Realm 22.” Both Kreger and Christie cite their recent film “Battle of the Big’uns: Kongoro the Indestructible” as a personal favorite. “[A]s a kid I always loved writing stories about the classic monster movies I grew up on like ‘King Kong vs. Godzilla.’ I felt that video really captured the spirit of those movies,” Christie said. The pair’s inspiration includes superhero, monster, science fiction and other classic movies. Filmmakers like Peter Jackson, Kevin Smith, Christopher Nolan and Ishiro Honda
also inspire their films. Real life experiences and music also lend a hand in the creation of ideas. “I draw a lot of inspiration from the films of my childhood because that’s where film really had the biggest impact on me,” Christie said. Issues are often unavoidable during the film and editing process. Weather plays a large role, interrupting the flow of filming. It can be tough channelling focus onto a video, Christie said. “[Y]ou’ll start filming one but then all of a sudden inspiration will strike for another, and then the focus tends to shift towards that video instead of the one you’re working on.” Both Kreger and Christie plan to continue filmmaking after high school. Kreger hopes to study film at the University of Iowa and go into directing film. Christie also plans to make movies throughout college. “[A]fter that I plan on going to film school to increase my experience and hopefully
turn it into a career,” Christie said. Christie and Kreger make their videos with the goal of entertaining people and providing an escape from the everday world. “The only message I could really want for people to take away from our videos is just to be happy and have fun,” Christie said. “If I was able to inspire or take someone away from any troubles they were having for even a few minutes and have them leave my video feeling better, then I feel I succeeded as a filmmaker.”
By Editor-In-Chief Mallory
VALLENTINE
Filmmaking team brings excitement to short films
LT Shorts youtube.com/outrealm22 facebook.com/ltshorts
By Editor-in-Chief Martha
HALL
2
The
OPINION
Do Better. Be Better.
Tiger
HI-LINE
Friday, Dec. 6, 2013
Our View
Brian Winkel Photo
For Smith PE teacher Jamie Smith has always made being active and fit a big priority in her life. Thankfully, her level of fitness is proving to be an asset in helping her, and her baby, from a stroke she suffered back in October. Both Smith and her unborn baby, who was announced to be a little girl, are doing well and recovering a little more every day. Smith is expected to return second semester. As a way of supporting Smith and her speedy recovery, students and staff can purchase red “Do Better. Be Better.” bracelets for $1 in the in the main office while they’re still here. Anyone can also purchase black shirts in the main office until this coming Tuesday, Dec. 10, in support for Smith. All proceeds will go to Smith and her family. Prices for shirts vary between $10 to $12: adult small through XL are $10, adult XXL are $12 and children’s small through large are $10.50. On Tuesday, Dec. 10 there will be a basketball game at home with the Tigers vs. the Waterloo East High Trojans. The sophomore’s game starts at 6 p.m. with the varsity game following at 7:30 p.m. If you’re a Tiger fan, wear red to show your support not only for the Tigers, but also for Smith. This is because this game will be a “red out” in honor and support of Smith, but the proceeds will all go to the Heart Association. Shirts are available for $10 in the main office. Cedar Falls High School is more than just a school. Though many will deny it, we’re like a giant family. When one of our own is hurt or in trouble, we step up, band together and try to help them out together. We are all wishing Smith a quick and healthy recovery, and in the upcoming days, let’s take advantage of the many options for showing our support.
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 Fridays to read during their fifth period classes. 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 Monday for publication in the following Friday edition. Letters may not exceed 300 words and may be edited to meet space limitations. Writers should include their contact information for verification.
Editors-in-Chief: Austin Anderson, Martha Hall, Mallory Vallentine and Ellen Wallingford Staff: Zuhayr Alam, Sara Ashar, Bailey Bartels, Kaleb Bengston, Kaitlyn Brocka, Mackenzie Dallenbach, Olivia Heath, Josh Peterson and Abby Young
Trey Bronner Photo
As people see much less of the sun in the winter months, the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder can begin to emerge for some.
Know the Signs of S.A.D.
Winter can bring seasonal depression Sometimes depression can change your view of the world, making everything seem hopeless. Depression can make you feel utterly alone. But no one is alone: about 14 million Americans are depressed every year. One type of depression is common during the winter season, seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that can affect a person during the same season each year. If you get depressed during winter but feel more “alive” during spring and summer, then you may have SAD. SAD is still a major type of depression, so someone with it could be just as depressed as someone with regular depression. The only difference between the two is that SAD occurs at a specific time. Most symptoms of SAD start in fall and occur throughout winter. Some of the symptoms include loneliness, anxiety, loss of energy, starting to become antisocial, over/under sleeping, loss of activities once enjoyed and weight gain/loss. People who live in places with longer winter nights are at a higher risk for SAD. The main cause for SAD is still unknown, but most doctors say that it’s because of your circadian rhythm (your body’s biological clock). The reduced level of sunlight in fall and winter may mess with your body’s internal clock, which lets you know when you should sleep or be awake. This disruption of circadian rhythm may lead to
feelings of depression. One treatment for SAD is a technique called light therapy. In light therapy, also called phototherapy, you sit a few feet from a light therapy box so that you’re exposed to bright light. Light therapy mimics outdoor light and appears to cause a change in brain chemicals linked to mood. Light therapy is one of the best treatments for seasonal affective disorder. It generally starts working in two to four days and causes few side effects. Research on light therapy is limited, but it appears to be effective for most people in relieving seasonal affective disorder symptoms. Other forms of treatment for SAD include psychotherapy and medications. Most students, even here at Cedar Falls High School, say that a main cause to their depression during winter is from all of the stress from school. Studying for finals, trying to maintain or improve grades, having a job, etc; “binge” studying can cause stress, and a good way to manage studying and maintain levles of low stress is to organize and to divide out what to study and when to do it. It may seem ridiculous, but it’ll decrease all the stress that is being thrown at students. Another reason why SAD is common for teens is because teens’ circadian rhythm seems to shift from a morning preference to an evening preference as they enter or have gone through puberty. Their internal
clocks are out of sync with their early morning schedules. It’s been proven that teens have more energy and are willing to learn around noon. A few psychiatrists who had continued and gone deeper in research on SAD include Dr. Norman Rosenthal and Dr. Steven Targum. Dr. Rosenthal, in his book called “Winter Blues: Seasonal Affective Disorder: What it is and How to Overcome it,” said, “Every year, as the days become short and dark, people with SAD develop a predictable set of symptoms. They slow down and have a hard time waking up in the morning. Their energy level decreases, they tend to eat more, especially sweets and starches, and they gain weight. Their concentration suffers, and they withdraw from friends and family. As you can imagine, their work and relationships suffer, and they can become quite depressed. This symptom cluster often lasts for four or five months until the days become longer again. Since the syndrome is linked to a lack of light, people with SAD may become depressed during cloudy weather at any time of year, or if they are confined to windowless offices or basement apartments.” The book also states other ways besides light therapy, to help overcome and survive SAD. Some of these include, exercise and a healthy diet. Staff Writer Sara
ASHAR
The
Tiger
HI-LINE
Sports
Friday, Nov. 22, 2013
Men’s basketball ready for new season, coach The CFHS men’s basketball team is filled with fresh faces everywhere you look. The Tigers have something to prove this season with just one returning starter and a new man running the show. 2013 Mississippi Valley Conference coach of the year Tom Bardal resigned this offseason and assistant coach Ryan Schultz was handed the responsibility of getting the Tigers back to the state tournament. Coach Schultz has been the assistant coach under Bardal for the last five seasons after being the head coach of the sophomore team. He has plenty of experience with Cedar Falls as he is one of the
school’s all time leaders in career assists. After graduating from Cedar Falls he went on to play collegiate basketball at Wartburg College. Schultz will face a great deal of adversity this season with only four varsity members back from a year ago. Junior Keeon Johnson is the lone starter to return and will be counted on as a go to guy this year. “I’m excited to help my team in any way, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get the win,” Johnson said. Former sophomore coach Chris Dyvig will take over Schultz’s former assistant position. The Tigers return seniors
Wrestlers face busy week The CFHS wrestling team started its new season yesterday at the MVC Double Dual at home at 5 p.m., and it faces an even bigger contest tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. at the Keith Young Invitational. This tournament is one of the biggest in the state, and features many of Iowa’s top high school wrestling programs. Sophomore varsity 126 pound wrestler Jacob Watters is feeling confident about the upcoming season. “Well, I’m excited,” Watters said. “ I think we have a great team, and hopefully we’ll be able to surprise some people this year.” Watters possess an enthusiasm about the season that assistant coach Ethan Wiechmann shares. “We are excited to get the season’s competition started,” Wiechmann said. When it comes to the meets later this week, Watters
Diving In
wants to make sure and please the fans and the team itself. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to put on a good show for our home fans and be able to come out on top,” Watters said. The Tigers want to send at least five wrestlers to the state competition and have no wrestler miss competition due to their grades. Wiechmann is looking forward to another great season for the Tigers. “As a team, we have had the best start to a season in years,” Wiechmann said. “The wrestlers are working very hard together and pushing each other to be better every day.” CFHS faces a tough district, including the likes of Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Waterloo West. The toughest competition in their division perhaps is Linn Mar. By Staff Writer Zuhayr
ALAM
Jackie Norman Photo
The men’s swim team lost its dual meet with Dubuque Hempstead 110-45 on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
Lewis Mickey and Jared Deines as well as juniors Johnson and Durrell Jackson. Junior Drew Marchesani and sophomore Jacob Leisinger also got valuable experience as they got to practice and travel with the team throughout their state tournament run. With senior big man Kyle Boomgarden out for one-two months with an ankle injury, Cedar Falls will have to rely on the transition game and outside shooting particularly from Marchesani, Deines and Johnson. In their final preseason tune up against Dike-New Hartford, over 60 percent of the Tigers points came from beyond the three-point arc.
Marchesani led the scoring for the Tigers against D-NH and is excited to light it up from deep this season. “The coaches give me a lot of confidence to pull the trigger. I’m looking for my shot more this year, and I’m always ready to shoot.” The season tips off in Decorah on Dec. 6 before returning home to play Waterloo East in the home opener. With a sense of unfamiliarity indulged in the program, there is something to prove in Cedar Falls, and the basketball team is eager to do so. By Editor-in-Chief Austin
ANDERSON
Women’s basketball splits opening games The women’s basketball team started its season off winning a game and losing a game, beating Charles City on Tuesday, Nov. 26 55-37 and losing a week later on Dec. 3 to Cedar Rapids Kennedy 45-67. In the Charles City game, senior Madison Wood led the team in scoring with 13 points, while junior Jamie Becker and sophomore Emma Gerdes each got 10 points and junior Adrienne Boettger put in eight. In the Cedar Rapids Kennedy game, junior Addison Long led the team with 12 points, Wood put in 11 points and Boettger got 10 points. The game ended with Cedar Falls having 21 turnovers and Kennedy having 12. This year the team’s goals are to get better as a team and also individually get better each game. Ultimately they are shooting to make it to State. “This year is early yet, but it appears the team chemistry is much better than last year,” head coach Dan List said. The team does many bonding things together before and during the season. They have team meals, team sleepovers and during the summer they have many camps where they would just get some extra work in together. “My favorite part of bas-
“This year is early yet, but it appears the team chemistry is much better than last year.” —Head Coach Dan
LIST
ketball is all the girls and coaches. Everyone gets along great; we would do anything for each other, which makes playing together so much more fun,” Boettger said The varsity team has 11 players on it this year: seniors Wood and Symone Robinson; juniors Becker, Boettger, Martee Grainger, Allison Griffin, Lauryn Kramer and Long; sophomores Anne Bigler, Ellie Burken and Gerdes. As a senior Wood would like to win as many games as possible. She is also hoping to go on and play college basketball somewhere when she is done with high school. Robinson is planning on going to a junior college for two years to work her way up to play division one college basketball after high school. “I will miss playing with my teammates. We had a great summer together. Our chemistry is awesome on the court,” Robinson said. By Staff Writer Abby
YOUNG
Athlete of the
3 Week
Addison Long Basketball
Junior Addison Long is hoping to take the CFHS women’s basketball team to a succesful season as well as a state tournament run.
How is the team looking so far? We have great chemistry this year. We have heart, detemination and everyone really wants to be out there and give 100 percent. We lost our last game, but the rest of the season looks good. It’s early in the year, so we’d rather lose at the beginning than the end so we can learn from it. What are your personal goals for the season? I hope to increase my points per game average and lead the state in assists. What are some team goals? We want to make it to State for sure.
Tigers in
Action
Dance Team: State Competion Dec. 6 Wells Fargo Arena
Men’s Basketball Dec. 6 At Decorah 6 p.m. Wrestling Keith Young Invitational Home 10 a.m. Women’s Basketball Dec. 6 vs CR Jefferson Home 6 p.m. Men’s Swimming Dec. 7 Ames Invitational 11 a.m. Bowling Dec. 6 vs Waterloo East at Maple Lanes
Follow Sports Editor Austin Anderson on twitter @AndersonSports1
4
The
FEATURE
Tiger
HI-LINE
Friday, Dec. 6, 2013
Home for the Holidays?
Anticipating new families, animals wait for adoption at remodeled Cedar Bend The Cedar Bend Humane Society is all remodelled for a temporary home to many furry friends of all sizes and ages. Though the adoption center is open Tuesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the office and services remain open every day of the week 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Along with the remodelling, animals no longer sleep on the cold concrete floor, but rather on mini cots called kuranda beds and little blankets that keep them nice and warm. There are three “cat rooms” where the adult to elderly cats are divided up into two small/medium rooms that have two to three ceilingto-floor windows. These two rooms are filled with scratching posts, blankets and boxes and ledges to climb on and sleep on. The kittens and younger cats are separated from the larger cats in a smaller room filled with toys and objects to climb. Where the cats have free range in their rooms, the rabbits are in their own cages, all of which are located in a small room just across the hall from the cats. Every, or mostly every, dog has its own kennel in the dog room that is home to the large dogs up front and the little ones in the back smaller room, where they have some more room to stretch their little legs in their private section.
Since the remodel, the kennels are a little bit larger and have a separate doggy door for the larger dogs that leads to a smaller private section for them to take a quick nap in quiet or just get away from the goo-goo eyed people constantly walking through. Along with the new kennels and rooms, there aren’t as many “prison cell” bars that were used to decorate the kennel’s doors. Now most of the kennels have see-through hard plastic/glass doors. The only kennels with bars at the newer building are those that belong to a handful of cats that don’t like to be in a cat room, the rabbit cages and the last two or three inches from the bottom of the small kennels that belong to the small dogs that are right up at the front of the dog room. According to the Cedar Bend’s website, cedarbendhumane.org, they “take in roughly 10,000 animals every year. [We] have roughly 50-70 kennels for dogs that still need beds.” Cedar Bend worker Caitlyn said that “currently there are about 130 dogs and around 27 to 30 dogs in the shelter, and between 15 to 17 workers at the shelter.” With the holidays arriving, the Humane Society’s little and big furry animals are ready to meet new owners and new homes. ‘Tis the season to adopt, especially during their Christmas Open House; an
To the left a friendly feline poses for a quick picture, as does his friend at the bottom right. Top Right: Maddie Jo curls up in a corner for a little snooze. adoption marathon sometime this December. The only way the Cedar Bend can take care of all of these animals is due to the donations of people and the community. They are always looking for donations and are very thankful for them. This year on their wishlist are dog beds (kuranda beds), newspapers, dog food, laundry detergent and other cleaning supplies. They are also looking for “wet cat food, towels, blankets and some office supplies,” Caitlyn said. Along with donations, the
Cedar Bend also relies on help from volunteers. The process to becoming an official volunteer has changed. Now you must go online and fill out an application, go through a training class to become familiar with the shelter and learn how things are done, then pay a $15 fee. The one dog that is considered to be “urgent” is named Jasmine, who is a mixed adult dog that has been at the shelter since June and is becoming restless in the cage and excited to find a new home. “Once an animal goes up for adoption, they stay there
until they are adopted. We don’t euthanize unless an animal becomes really sick or is aggressive,” said Caitlyn on what actually happens when animals are at the shelter for long periods of time.“Urgent” is basically used for when an animal is at the shelter for long lengths of time over several months. Anyone looking for an affordable option to bringing home a pet for the holidays should stop by the Cedar Bend Humane Society. By Staff Writer MacKenzie
Dallenbach
Just a few more of the Cedar Bend Humane Society’s approximately 150 felines, K9s and handful of bunnies
Pictures taken on Nov. 17. Animals may have been adopted since. Mackenzie Dallenbach Photos