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1015 Division St. Cedar Falls, IA 50613
http://www.cedar-falls.k12.ia.us
Health Alerts Beginning new habits at an early age can be a key factor in prevention of carbon monoxide poisoning and cervical cancer. To find out more about awareness, prevention and the dangers that can be avoided, see the FEATURE page. Volume 47 Edition 10
GSA carols for needy family Willa Simmett Feature Editor
As the holiday season approaches, many school groups are concentrating on giving to those who truly need it in the Cedar Valley. It was hard not to notice the huge refrigerator boxes sitting throughout the school last week, put out by sophomore leadership for their mitten drive. It was almost impossible for students not to walk into their fourth hour classes without wondering who brought toys in the Toys for Tots drive, which was put together by the Student Senate (the fourth hour bringing in the most gifts wins a party). Another group that contributed to the cause went a little out of the ordinary, connecting a lost tradition with fund-raising. The CFHS Gay Straight Alliance went caroling. “I was thinking about it, and people tend to like Christmas music early in the holiday season,” GSA member Alex Warner Barnes said. “They aren’t sick of it yet, so I thought to go caroling to raise money was a good idea. It was something we could all do together and have fun.” Barnes brought up the idea at the weekly meeting. After considering
other ideas, the group finally decided Barnes’ suggestion was the most intriguing. A week later, 21 members of the Gay Straight Alliance were bundled up in Santa hats with sheet of Christmas music in hand and ready to sing their hearts out. “I was pleasantly surprised that we had such a great turn out for a meeting dedicated to a service project than for most of our business and recreational meetings,” junior GSA executive board member Briana McGeough said. The group set out from the high school around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 6. After singing everything from “Silent Night” to “Frosty the Snowman” to everyone from elderly couples to playing soduku to dancing toddlers in their pajamas, the group came back an hour later with $180 in hand. “I was really pessimistic at first,” senior GSA executive board member Rachel Jensen said. “I didn’t know if it would turn out so well. I didn’t think we would raise any more than $20, but we ended up raising almost $200.” The group turned something no one thought would actually bring in much money into something bigger. The GSA will be playing Santa for a very
needy family in the Cedar Valley. They adopted the family with three young children and will spend an afternoon picking out presents for the family in need of everything from shoes to a set of dishes. “I really hope the family knows that there are people out there who care for them,” Jensen said. “I can’t imagine that kind of situation on Christmas. I’m used to sitting by the fire with my parents, opening presents.” The GSA isn’t stopping with caroling. This week, before and after school, members will be selling hot chocolate, apple cider and tea in the lobby in hopes of raising even more money for the adopted family. Jensen laughs when said she’s hoping for colder weather during the week of selling hot drinks. “We want to squeeze as much as we can out of these people,” Jensen said. Along with this project and the sixmile CROP Walk, a walk raising money for hunger relief locally and worldwide in Africa, the GSA plans to have one more service project this year. “I want people to realize that we don’t care about one single issue, but that we want to be helpful and productive members of society,” Jensen said.
to discourage it. “I thought it was really eye-opening for students to see the panel,” CFHS guidance counselor and Harmony faculty adviser Susan Langan said. The students that were on the panel shared their personal experiences with discrimination in response to questions asked by Pramanik. Members of the audience then had the opportunity to ask questions as well. “I like doing panels because I like communicating with people,” Jensen said about her experience with the discussions. As the panel discussion ended and the night continued, members took part in role-playing activities and other positive discussions. Students were able to “fill each other’s buckets”, or reflect positively on how someone affects their life. Although the main point of the evening was to educate students about discrimination at the high school, the
idea of learning to disagree with other people’s opinions peacefully was also mentioned. “I hear people say things like, ‘I’m not going to come support gay people.’ Harmony isn’t about supporting them. It’s about learning to disagree without hurting other people’s feelings,” Core member Elahi said. About 40 people attended the training, but the group believes the night could have been more successful if students outside of Harmony would have attended. Even though, Langan said the night’s activities helped students to “Challenge the discrimination in appropriate ways. Hopefully they learned some things that will help our school become more accepting of diversity.” Harmony members encourage other students to take part in other training sessions throughout the year on topics such as religious tolerance, gender/ LGBT issues and cliques.
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Amnesty International Art Show successfully raises over
$2 3 0 0
for Invisible Children, Inc.
Harmony training focuses on equality Kellie Petersen Staff Writer
Though not a big problem at Cedar Falls High School, everyone has been a witness to discrimination at some point in his or her life. As Harmony, antidiscrimination club at CFHS, starts its training sessions for the year, they have been focusing on eliminating that statistic. “I don’t think it’s a problem. It’s just that not many people know about it,” said Nirmeen Fahmy, CFHS junior and Harmony core member. One of the main activities of the training night was a panel discussion lead by Aaron Green, Rachel Jensen, Safiah Elahi, Diamond Lee and emcee Ananya Pramanik. The goal of the discussion was to educate other members about the discrimination that does occur at CFHS. Students were informed on how they could handle it and effective ways try
Top: Setting up her clay display for her miniature scultpures, senior Hanna Boelts was among the top sellers at the art show. Middle: Setting up stands for the silent auction are seniors Jaime Gowans and Peter Fegley, who were also among contributing artists at the art show. Bottom: On display are Boelt’s clay sculptures which were a large success at the event. Amnesty raised over $2,300 for Invisible Children, Inc., through student art, bake sales, donations and a silent auction.
Brian Winkel Photos