The
CHASING DREAMS
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Friday, Dec. 18, 2015
Senior faces up to his second kickboxing challenge/Pages 14 Follow us on Twitter at tigerhiline, Facebook at Hiline and on our website at www.hiline.cfschools.org
Volume 56 Edition 12
Santa shares his magical secrets Santa took time out his busy schedule at the mall to explain some of the many mysteries of his trade.
Q: How do you get in the house if there’s no chimney? Santa: Through the door. Q: If there’s a fire in the fireplace, why don’t you get burned? Santa: Freeze the fire with magic. Q: How do you fit down the chimney? Santa: I shrink myself by the power of magic. Q: What makes the reindeer fly? Santa: Magic. Q: What are the reindeers’ favorite treats? Santa: Carrots. Q: If you have a toy shop, why do some of our presents say Amazon or Walmart on the packaging? Santa: To hide the magic. Q: How do you know if we moved?
Santa: Special GPS. Q: How do you know if I’m on a trip and how will you find me? Santa: Special GPS. Q: Do you have any kids? Santa: No. Q: What’s the first name of Mrs. Claus? Santa: Beth Claus. Q: How do you pay the elves? Santa: Cookies and milk. Q: How many elves do you have? Santa: Around 5,000 elves. Q: How do you eat all the cookies? Santa: I end up taking some back home with me. Q: Do you have a cookie you don’t like to eat? Santa: Ginger snap. Q: What’s your favorite cookie? Santa: Chocolate chip. Q: Do you really read all the letters we send him? Santa: Yes, I try to. By Staff Writer Kaylee
OLSON
Sanders clear favorite in Hi-Line survey, Carson, Rubio tie for distant second Breakdown by Candidate
Emily Barth Photo
The band students wrapped up their holiday concert on Monday, and the orchestra students followed suit with their concert after the Hi-Line deadline on Thursday night. The choir is set to wrap up the holiday performances on Monday, Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $4 for students and $5 for non-students.
Bernie Sanders: 49.16% (59) Ben Carson: 10.8% (13) Marco Rubio: 10.8% (13) Hillary Clinton: 8.3% (10) Jeb Bush: 6.6% (8) Donald Trump: 6.6% (8) Ted Cruz: 4.16% (5)
Carly Fiorina: 0.83% (1) Rand Paul: 0.83% (1) Rick Santorum: 0.83% (1) Chris Christie: 0.83% (1) Mike Huckabee: 0% John Kasich: 0% Martin O’Malley: 0%
Breakdown by Party Republican Candidates: 42.54%
Democratic Candidates: 57.46%
This Hi-Line Poll represents 10 percent of all students in proportion to gender and the three grades at the high school. This poll was conducted by staff writer Jacob Jensen.
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The
OPINION
Our View
As holidays are approaching, learn to appreciate Christmas experiences Take yourself back into the mindset of a young child during the holiday season. Without a doubt, Christmas was one of the most exhilarating parts of the year for many of us growing up. Aside the fact that we received gifts, Christmas seemed much less like a holiday to us and more like entering a new, magical world. Christmas was a world where there was a man who lived in the North Pole with his elves, and he delivered presents on his sleigh; where there was festive music and decorations everywhere we went; where we could immerse ourselves in memorymaking times with our loved ones. However, as we all grow into adults, our attitude towards Christmas seems to completely shift around. We start to see how commercialized Christmas has become over the years and how we feel so much pressure to spend money on buying the right gift. If anything, Christmas is nothing but a huge burden. This type of thinking makes most of us forget why this holiday has so much anticipation in the first place. When you first unwrapped that one toy that you’d wanted for weeks, was that really your fondest Christmas memory? What about when the time you helped your grandmother make Christmas cookies for your family and they were all impressed over how you decorated them? What about the time when you gathered with members of your church and you all sang Christmas carols together? What about the time you visited Santa Claus at the mall, and you could finally sit on his lap without bursting into tears? These types of memories still remain with us today because they provided us with something that gifts could never give us. They all gave us experiences. The reason we became so excited for Christmas as children is because we knew it would give us lasting experiences. We don’t have the same type of expectancy since we’re focused on so many other things, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have those same type of experiences again. Instead of fretting over presents, take a moment to emerge yourself into the Christmas atmosphere and remember what gave you so much joy. Even something as simple as spending quality time with your friends and family on Christmas Day is enough to create wonderful experiences. Sometimes, it’s also the best gift that you can give. After growing up, you immediately stop believing in the Christmas magic such as Santa Claus or flying reindeer, but once you look beyond the materialistic side of Christmas, you finally realize that the magic you felt in the past never really went away.
Tiger
HI-LINE
Friday, Dec. 18, 2015
Iowa’s cannabis oil laws need more options A 14-year-old girl collapses on the hallway floor, her eyes roll to the back of her head, her body starts thrashing about. Her head hits the floor as the teacher runs over to protect her head from hitting the ground again. Everyone in the hall stops and stares, and there is nothing they can do to stop it. But in a neighboring state, another child diagnosed with epilepsy is not experiencing the seizures because he lives in a state that permits the uses of medicinal cannabis. Cannabis essential oil is a green liquid that is considered highly volatile, and its component parts are very powerful, including monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and other highly active organic compounds. Mainly it is distributed from France and other European countries. Cannabis oil has so many health benefits, such as helping with anxiety, stress, sleep issues, appetite, pain relief, cancer prevention, heart health, skin protection, glaucoma, headaches, migraines and epilepsy. Cannabis is different than just smoking weed. Medicinal cannabis has 0 THC, which is the hallucinogenic part of the drug. Cannabinoids are different chemical compounds for different issues. There are over 100 different
“... in a neighboring state, another child diagnosed with epilepsy is not experiencing the seizures because he lives in a state that permits the uses of medicinal cannabis.” cannabinoids being discovered. CBD, which is a cannabinoid, is by far the most used. Kendall Maslak, a 14-yearold girl who goes to school at Holmes Junior High who had her first seizure at 17 months old, has tried upward of 10 medications, seen eight doctors and had two brain surgeries, and it all could have been, for the most part, avoided. Maslak’s father, Ed, is vice chairman of the greater Chicago Community Council for the epilepsy foundation of Iowa. He said, “Unlike other man-made medicine, it’s very natural. It doesn’t have nasty side effects like others, such as weight gain and weight loss.” Ed and Fadua’s daughter Kendall hasn’t had a seizure in a long while, but they have no idea how long this seizure-free streak will last. The Maslaks’ have tried to push for changes to the law. They have been to many of the presidential candidate conferences. Iowa’s current medicinal
cannabis laws basically say that you can get a license to have medicinal cannabis, but there is no way to access it in Iowa because it is illegal to bring it across state lines. Regarding which candidate they have heard speak with the highest chance of legalizing medicinal marijuana, Ed’s response was to the point. “Clinton. Republicans have been for the most part against it. Chris Christie doesn’t want to make it a federal issue due to it being a schedule 1, which means it’s looked upon like heroin is. It is tough to do research due to it being a Schedule 1.” The Maslaks have jumped through many hoops to bring awareness to cannabis oil, and they know they are not alone, but they are hoping others will join them in their quest for changing Iowa’s restrictions limiting the use of these potentially life-saving medicine. By Staff Writer Scott
MILLER
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 third 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: Zuhayr Alam, Sommer Danielsen Entertainment Editor: Tana Gam-Ad Features Editor: Sommer Danielsen News Editor: Sarah Stortz Online Editor: Zuhayr Alam Sports Editor: Jason Rathjen Graphic Artist: Sierra Steen Staff Writers: Annebeth Ahrenholz, Billie Ann Albert, Daphne Becker, Madison Belden, Jamie Blair, Ben Boezinger, Abbey Carlson, Gabi Carr, Miranda Cole, Amanda Crockett, Ashton Cross, Sommer Danielsen, Alyssa Dekutoski, Noah Forker, Emma Gerdes, A. J. Godbey, Camryn Grubic, Amna Haider, Aaron Heimbuck, Noah Hermansen, Cody Hood, Nathan Hoy, Jacob Jensen, Kierston Johnson, Brennan Kohls, Mercede Kraabel, Sam Magee, Olivia Martin, Jade McBroom, Scott Miller, Nolan Nickerson, Madeline Nicol, Kaylee Olson, Austin Reyhons, Hannah Sanderman, Lane Schwickerath, Lexi Sheeley, Allie Taiber, Tehya Tournier, Isaac Turner-Hall, Drew Walker, Isabella Wilson
Popular podcast kicks off its second season If you are into podcasts, or even if you aren’t, you have probably heard about Serial. This podcast is a spin-off of the widely loved radio show, This American Life, that has episodes each week surrounding a theme with contributors who tell real stories. Serial is hosted by Sarah Koenig, a long-time producer of This American Life. However, Serial takes a different approach than that of This American Life. Instead of featuring many short stories, Serial focuses on one, big story over a span of episodes. In its first season,
the story unraveled the details of Adnan Syed’s conviction for killing his ex-girlfriend in 1999. Through the podcast, listeners became riveted with Adnan’s story and the quest to find out if he was guilty or not. According to CNN, Serial has had over 40 million downloads, and it is widely regarded as being the most-listened-to podcast of all time. On Dec. 10, Season 2 of Serial was released to an excited and growing fanbase. This time around, the podcast tells the real story of a soldier, Bowe Bergdahl. Bergdahl was held
by the Taliban for five years. President Obama made a deal with the Taliban, one that many regard as highly controversial, to allow Bergdahl to return home. At first, his homecoming was the kind expected for a returning war hero, but as people gained more and more knowledge about his story, some started calling him a deserter and a traitor. To learn more about Bergdahl’s fascinating story or to hear last season’s, visit serialpodcast.org. By Staff Writer Olivia
MARTIN
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Friday, Dec. 18, 2015
Life is Long
OPINION
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and focus on its rewards is key to fighting depression It’s a radiant day outside. The sun is shining, the breeze only slight, and you’re listening to your best friend talk about his or her day. In the moments that pass, you’re doubled over, laughing at something they said. Your eyes are twinkling with happiness, and you think nothing gets better than spending time with someone you love. You order Chinese and spend the rest of the night talking about your crushes, while a new television show is playing in the background. It’s just a typical day for you, and nothing seems out of place. As you fall asleep, you wonder what types of adventures you will go on tomorrow. On the other side of the bed, your friend twists and turns trying to get comfortable. You fall asleep listening to her soft breathing, and everything feels at ease. But the next morning, you wake up, and it’s like something in your brain changed. You wake up and you feel nothing. It’s like you’re immune to what it feels like to feel anything, and as your best friend says something that would normally make you smile, you don’t. You know what’s happening inside of your mind, but it’s something you won’t admit to yourself. You see, when depression hits, it’s not like a poem, nor is it like a scripted scene out of a movie. Depression comes and goes as it pleases. It’s there for the best moments of your life, and it’s there to take everything away. So, now, you can see the sun peaking out from behind your curtains, but the light is already too much, and you throw the blankets over your head. You hear the footsteps of your parents running about, trying to get things ready for the day. Your sister is laughing loudly with her friends in the room above you, and you wonder how your childhood got away so quickly. Your phone is buzzing from the texts your friends are sending, telling you to wake up because today you were supposed to go on a road trip and spend the day living wildly before the weekend came to an end. But you shut your phone off and roll over to the other side of the bed. It’s colder on that side, and the coolness reminds you to feel something. You woke up this morning, and the first thing you thought was damn. You stare at your wall thinking nothing and feeling as if you’re a failure for not getting up or even turning on the light. You’d rather lie in bed because the thought of seeing other people makes your heart race like you had just run a few miles, and you feel sick. Not physically, but emotionally. Your panic attacks become constant, and it’s like an earthquake struck your body while the world itself stayed still. You’d run to the bathroom at school when your voice started to get weary, and your body would shake uncontrollably. Normal day to day life becomes hard because you feared everything surrounding you. You had a hard time enjoying things, and you knew that you’d fall back into the hands of
Depression can cloud the whole world view of those who suffer under it’s grip. depression. You fought and fought until it overcame you, and when you woke up, the lights in your mind went blank. You fall back asleep until three and groan, and you decide to leave your room. Your mom smiles at you but doesn’t say anything because she knows too how your mood has shifted, but she doesn’t know how to comfort you anymore. You shut people out of your life while you try to understand why you can’t be happy like them. Everyone you’ve ever loved somehow becomes background static, and it’s like they cease to exist. You heat up some leftover food, and as you start to eat, you can’t swallow more than two bites of food. Your mom stares at you as you swirl it around the plate, and you leave it there on the table and retreat back into your room, which hasn’t been cleaned in days. I became depressed in sixth grade when I started struggling with self-acceptance. It’s something many young people deal with well into their teenage years, but I let my insecurities destroy who I was. It wasn’t easy dealing with the anger I felt towards myself, and I resorted into sadness that has stayed with me. I was unable to cope and love myself, which I’ve learned is a valuable thing. I’d like to think that being able to love and accept yourself is the biggest weapon out there. I just wish I had understood that at a younger age. I didn’t want to reach out for help. In some ways, I was ashamed of what I was feeling. I was still pretty young when
things got bad, and often times people looked at depression as if it’s some type of self-diagnosed illness. There’s nothing romantic about my story. To this day, people have told me my experiences through depression are some kind of a beautiful yet tragic instance. I’m a hell of a fighter, to say the least, but what I went through is anything but beautiful. You see, depression likes to make everything feel and look wrong. Depression likes to make living seem like too much of a burden. Thousands of lives are taken from mental illnesses, and I don’t want to associate my life with praising the fine line between life and death. Seventh and eighth grade were extremely rough. I’d been in therapy, and I was able to start to find ways to cope that weren’t harmful to myself. I developed my love for writing, and I realized I wanted to do so much more with my life than to be weighed down by unrealistic thoughts. I was on medication to try to balance the chemicals in my brain, but I now think overcoming depression is more than just three or four pills a day over the course of a year. You find a reason to live, and you hold onto that will for the rest of your life. And, yeah, I had some terrible days. I’d sit on my floor and scream and cry while my parents hid behind my door wondering how they could fix their little girl. Over the good and bad days, I wanted to start living my life as an actual life, but as I started to get better, I’d just crash again. It’s been five years, and I still struggle many days with finding the courage to
be happy. I’ve come to learn I have an amazing life. Even through my darkest years, I’ve managed to be OK for long periods of time. And when I say happy, I mean undeniably happy. I look around me, and I see there’s always light in the worst moments, and it’s helped me get past the days I swore to myself I’d never make it through. Some days I relapse, and I feel no different than those moments of questioning whether my existence was a gift or a burden, but as cliche as this sounds, I know I’m here for a specific reason. Allowing mental illnesses to overcome a precious life is truly heartbreaking, and I hope those struggling start to fight for their god-given right to live. It’s extremely hard to stop yourself from falling into the mess of self destroying words you tell yourself day after retched day, but hope is an amazing thing that can carry you to happiness. I look back, and it amazes me how far I’ve come. It’s OK to be proud of yourself, and I’ve learned to appreciate the things I’ve done. I am not a victim but a mere survivor. Sometimes, it’s just easier to let the darkness consume you, but I’ve managed to overcome those things that stood in my way. Terrifying is an understatement for some of the things I felt, and to be here today is the greatest feeling I’ve ever felt. To those struggling, I applaud you. I know it takes a great deal of courage to pull yourself up, and it takes strength to keep moving. I also understand that in a judgmental world, it’s hard to reach out for help and comfort. But don’t be afraid. There are so many lovely people out there willing to support you. I used to think it was cliche to say that over time things got better, but I’m glad I listened. There is always a reason to live, and I hope you can find solace in something. For a while, I thought I was doomed to be depressed for the rest of my life. Honestly, I was scared of the things I was able to think of when I was at my worst, but I’m grateful I’m still here. I’m glad I fought through it. And I’m glad to be alive and happy. Cancer and any type of mental illness are no different. Many people will die from both, but whether or not we perceive them as opposites is beyond me. There may not be cures to either, but survivors come out of both. The scars on my body are no different than those of a cancer patient. In the end, we do what we must to survive. So, I don’t promise much, but I can promise this: no matter who you are or what you’re going through, big or small problems, everything will be OK. It’s easier said than done, but I can guarantee looking back and saying “I made it” is what living is about. By Staff Writer Lexi
SHEELEY
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Sanders connecting with young voters’ interests Some of us grew up wondering whether or not we would be eating that night or if our parents would be home yet after working the graveyard shifts at their second jobs. We watched our parents struggle to provide for us in a time of recent economic devastation. We grew up in households full of stresses over how we would afford to attend college, with many being the first in our families to even be able to go. Our generation grew up full of uncertainty. We are the “gloom and doom” generation, tucked away and sharing our thoughts only within cryptic messages posted on social media to be decoded by someone scrolling past who takes a minute to read it because he or she might actually care about us. We grew up wanting change. We were born into a world that was designed to knock us down before we even got a running start, and much more so if we are in a minority group. As we grow older, we begin to look for things that we have the ever-expanding power to change. What many of us don’t realize is how much power our generation holds, especially now that many of us have one of the world’s strongest powers — the power to vote. The millennial age group makes up approximately 20 percent of our population. When we look at demographics in the United States for minorities alone, in our generation, minorities make up around a third of our population, while if you look at those in previous generations, they make up a mere fifth of their population. Why does this matter? We are all aware that the next election is creeping up faster than we are comfortable with, yet many Americans have found safety in selecting a candidate to show our support. Albeit not being a hugely popular candidate at first, Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders has suddenly taken the political world by storm, and none other than the millennials have shown massive support for him. It’s time to break down a few key reasons why so much of our generation is “feeling the Bern.” In my opinion, one of the
Friday, Dec. 18, 2015
Sierra Steen Photos
In a recent campaign rally held at Waterloo West High School, Bernie Sanders spoke out to locals hoping to gain support in the upcoming election.
most imperative strategies that Sanders has used is to actively include us in his campaign. Plastered across all of his advertisements and emails is the statement that they’re all supported by our donations — not by super PACs or other billionaires. As our generation is beginning to get into the workforce, where our money goes is a huge statement of our personal interests, and to have enough people donating bits of their hard-earned money towards Sanders’ campaign to where it can be fully operational truly proves how much
he is supported. Not only does Sanders have his supporters fund his campaign instead of buying the election, but he also lets us speak up for ourselves. A rally that Sanders was speaking at was interrupted by Black Rights Matter activists, and instead of speaking over them (like most do) or kicking them out, he simply sat back and let them speak. By giving the youth a voice, he is allowing us to speak for our future and for the change that we desire. Sanders also explores the idea that America is not pre-
paring young minorities for school, but instead for prison. He claims that with the way that police target youth of color, mixed in with racist attitudes and poverty creating an environment that fuels potentially harmful choices, young people of color are so easily being set up to fail. America also has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with rates being significantly higher for people of color. In a country that sets up so many of our youth to fail, many of these targeted individuals are looking to Sanders and his compassion and yearn
to decrease incarceration rates and help get minorities back on the right track. In the meantime, other candidates (I’m looking at you, Trump) want nothing to do with minorities, lest we forget all of the recent racist, sexist, homophobic and xenophobic remarks he has made. Of course, as many supporters have gone crazy about Sanders’ free college tuition plan, there’s been critique as well. The question “how does he expect to pull this off?” constantly plays in our minds. One thing’s for sure, being a student about to go to college and already stressing about the expenses, my ears are perked. Many of our parents were not able to go to college due to financial stress and wanting to instead save for our futures. Unfortunately, tuition prices continue to skyrocket, and in these years, college is more mandatory than not thanks to rising competition in the workforce. Right on Sanders’ website, he discusses in depth his desire and plan for free college. “In a highly competitive global economy, we need the best-educated workforce in the world. It is insane and counterproductive to the best interests of our country and our future, that hundreds of thousands of bright young people cannot afford to go to college, and that millions of others leave school with a mountain of debt that burdens them for decades.” Sanders is aware that our generation is the future, and he knows that the key to our country’s success is education. When you eliminate college debt, you eliminate a huge barrier keeping many of our youth from getting the higher education that they need. Parents can also go back to college if need be and get a degree, leading to better jobs and more financial stability. Although he got off to a slow start, Sanders is taking the world by storm and is steadily gaining ground in the political world. When you have a candidate who is so passionate about fixing our youth and the obstacles keeping them from reaching their potential, it only makes sense that so many young people are “feeling the Bern.” By Graphic Artist Sierra
STEEN
5 The Right Stuff Rubio has plan America needs The
Tiger
HI-LINE
With the 2016 presidential election right around the corner and still 17 candidates running, Sen. Marco Rubio seems to be the best option. For starters, let’s focus on Rubio’s tax reform. The current tax law has seven brackets in it. Rubio’s plan has three brackets in it. Rubio’s tax plan dramatically helps out the middle class. For single filers making $37,451 to $90,750 a year, taxes will be cut by 10 percent. This group is the backbone of America, the working class. These are the teachers, construction workers, manufacturers, nurses, cooks, restaurant managers and small business owners. These aren’t the people sitting in the big square offices; these are the people doing the hard
OPINION
Friday, Dec. 18, 2015
“Rubio seems to be flawless and has a perfect plan to get America back on track.” work. These are the same kind of people that practically built America. There is no one more deserving of this tax cut than these people. This tax cut will push these people over whatever little hump they are facing. They will finally have enough for that car they have been saving up for, or to get a mortgage and get their dream house. Maybe, they might go out to eat three times a week instead of two, or even invest in a stock. Whatever it is, the point is they will spend more money, which
means more money into the economy. With all the extra money being spent, the tax cut will almost pay for itself because of the 7 percent sales tax. For people making $150,000 to $189,300, there is a 7 percent tax increase. This increase may seem steep (because it is), but these are the lawyers and doctors and high up officials of big businesses. These workers already have job stability and are in a profitable career. With time, taxes on this group can be cut
back down, but without this 7 percent tax increase, it would be like yanking a Band-aid off as fast as you could. It would sting for a bit. There would be a hiccup in the economy, and the increase would help keeping the economy stabilized. Social security has been a huge problem lately, and Rubio has the answer. Here is a quote about it from his website: “These programs won’t be around for future generations unless something is done to reform them, however. For future retirees, Marco will: Gradually increase the retirement age for future retirees to keep up with changes in life expectancy. Marco will also reduce the growth in benefits for upper-income seniors while
strengthening the program for low-income seniors.” Rubio also said he wouldn’t change anything for anyone on social security right now or for anyone about to be on it in the near future. There is no way America can keep paying for social security the way it is at now. Rubio’s plan makes perfect sense and will save America billions. It seems as if every candidate has a flaw — Hillary’s email scandal, Trump’s repeated derogatory comments and Bernie being a socialist to name a few, but Rubio seems to be flawless and has a perfect plan to get America back on track.
By Staff Writer Jacob
JENSEN
Trump speaks truth of what voters really thinking
Since he entered the election, Donald Trump seems like he says a remark every week that manages to make people mad and grab the headlines, but his numbers continue to rise. His latest being the banning of all Muslim immigration to the United States, causing a huge uproar from the liberal left and some outrage from the right. Tashfeen Malik and her husband Syed Farook shot up the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, Calif., killing 14, and wounding 21, causing debates ranging from gun control, to our country’s vetting process, and ultimately what we need to do to prevent future terrorist attacks. After the attacks, Trump stated that he wants a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.” The statement, as expected, brought about the usual name calling from the “tolerant” Democrats. A tweet from Martin O’Malley, a Democrat presidential candidate, said this: “.@RealDonaldTrump removes all doubt: he is running for President as a fascist demagogue.” Also in a tweet, Democrat presidential frontrunner, Hillary Clinton said: “This is reprehensible, prejudiced and divisive. @RealDonaldTrump, you don’t get it. This makes us less safe.” Even the Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, a Republican, condemned Trump’s statements as, “not what this country stands for.” First let’s get his statement straight, he wants to stop all Muslim immigration TO the United States. He’s not banning Islam in the United States. This is not a violation of the First Amendment because contrary to popular belief of Democrats, the Constitution only applies to American citizens. Second, it’s obvious that our vetting process is severely flawed because we let a Muslim woman slip through the
Brennan Kohls Photo
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump made a campaign stop in the Cedar Valley earlier this fall.
“[Trump] actually has a spine, something we haven’t seen in a political race in a long time.” cracks when she was very outspoken on social media against the United States. She and her husband killed 14 people. It’s completely absurd that anyone could think that our government could thoroughly vet every single Muslim immigrant coming from terrorist ridden areas. The barring of Muslims is not be-
cause Trump hates Muslims; he’s not “Islamophobic” as most liberals want you to believe. “This is not about religion. This is about national security,” said Trump in an interview with Fox News. This is not the first time that certain groups of people have been barred from entering the United States. In
World War II, Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, banned all immigration coming from Germany, Italy and Japan. He also put Japanese that lived in America in internment camps. In 1979, Jimmy Carter, also a Democrat president, signed an executive order allowing the government to make 50,000 Iranian students living in the United States report to an immigration office and put strict policies in place, basically barring Iranians from the United States, so this is not the first time we’ve ever heard about banning a specific group of people. Lastly, Democrats keep saying that banning Muslims only helps “recruit and instigate” further terror attacks from ISIS and other groups. How does keeping potential terrorists from entering the United States cause a boost in terror attacks? Democrats are more worried about being politically correct than protecting American citizens. “I’m not looking to be politically correct. I’m doing this to do the right thing,” Trump said in an interview with CNN. After most politicians say something that makes people mad, they apologize, and they refuse to do interviews, but Trump takes it head on. If a network asks him for an interview, he does one. He doesn’t care what the mainstream media think about him. He actually has a spine, something we haven’t seen in a political race in a long time. We cannot expect to win the war against radical Islamic terrorism if our leaders insist on being politically correct. After every inflammatory remark he makes, Trump’s numbers rise. To me, and all other Trump supporters, Donald Trump is that voice in our head that says what we’re all thinking. Americans are sick and tired of political correctness and trying not to offend people. We need action, not talk. By Staff Writer Brennan
KOHLS
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ENTERTAINMENT
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Friday, Dec.18, 2015
Critics picks for tops in 2015 do not follow box office Movies:
#1: Spotlight Starring: John Slattery, Liev Schreiber, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Stanley Tucci Summary: Spotlight tells the true story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe investigation that would rock the city and cause a dilemma in one of the world’s oldest institutions. When the newspaper’s determined “spotlight” team of reporters burrow into claims of abuse in the Catholic Church, their investigation brings to light a decades-long cover-up at the top levels of Boston’s religious, legal and government establishment. Runner-up: Inside Out Honorable Mention(s): Creed, Clouds of Sils Maria
Television:
#1: Veep Network: HBO Summary: Veep follows the life of the charismatic, beloved by the people, Sen. Selina Meyer after her election to vice president and later president of the United States. Meyer (expertly played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is beholden to advisers, rivals and her own vanity in her rise to the top. Though few politics-themed shows on TV accurately depict what goes on among our government’s most powerful, Veep depicts just how those walls of power tend to close in tighter and tighter as one’s power grows. Runner-up: Empire Honorable Mention(s): Mr. Robot, I nside Amy Schumer
Video Games:
#1: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Available on: PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One Summary: Following the prologue, Metal Gear Solid V: Metal Gear Solid, this game concludes the entire experience by following the story of the protagonist of the series, Big Boss (a.k.a. Snake). Metal Gear Solid V is creator and director Hideo Kojima’s first time incorporating open world gameplay to the groundbreaking Metal Gear franchise. Runner-up: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Honorable Mention(s): Batman: Arkham Knight, Undertale
Music:
#1: No Cities to Love Artist: Sleater-Kinney Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Rock Review: An amazing comeback after 10 years by the infamous indie rock trio of Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss. Runner-up: To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar Honorable Mention(s): Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett, 25 by Adele By Entertainment Editor Tana
GAM-AD
Christmas
Check out these alternatives Overload? to traditional holiday movies
I’m not a grinch. I just can’t stand the same old Christmas and holiday movies being played over and over and over again on all the main channel networks, so I’ve compiled a list of movies that aren’t holiday related at all, but are totally perfect for finals season and long winter nights.
By Staff Writer Albie
NICOL
Dead Poet’s Society
Produced in 1989, this PG emotional film is perfect for a cozy night at home. Robin Williams, check. A gaggle of teenage boys, check. A strict boarding school and an aspiring actor with a verbally abusive father, check. I chose this film because it is full of companionship, solidarity and learning to love the unknown before you go out and seek it. If you’re feeling bittersweet about your friends being gone over break, this is the movie for you.
Peter Pan
Rated G and rolled out all the way back in 1953, the animated version of Peter Pan is a classic childhood staple for many of us. It’s such a fun and bubbly movie, but it holds so much symbolism. Now that we’re high schoolers, we can tell that being adults isn’t as great as we thought it would be and some of us don’t ever want to grow up. I can assure you that this film will ease your growing pains with empathic and sympathetic advice from Wendy on the subject of growing up.
Newsies
In 1992 Christian Bale starred in a PG musical film, Newsies. What do you do when you have no power? How do you face oppression when you have no say? Form a modge-podge union and start a strike — or at least that’s how the newsboys of New York City did it when Pulitzer and Hearst raised the price of papers. Want a story of brotherhood, strength and courage? You can borrow my copy.
Ella Enchanted
In 2004, Ella Enchanted came out and was rated PG. If a story full of hope and overcoming one’s own obstacles is a perfect preparation, you need look no further than one of Anne Hathaway’s most famous roles. Start with a girl and a “gift” of obedience. Throw in a Prince Charmont, an elf who defies all elfen stereotypes and a magic book/boyfriend and you’re ready to take on the world — but let’s start with finals.
The Way He Looks
The Way He Looks came out in 2014 and stole my heart. While a Portuguese speaking film, you can easily utilize the English subtitles. Not rated, but definitely a modest and straight-foward film, it’s hands down the best foreign film I’ve seen. I recommend this film for nights when you feel alone because Gabriel, the protagonist is blind, and if he can find love blindly, then you can find love in plain sight.
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ENTERTAINMENT
7
‘Princess Tutu’offers confusing quest
‘Court of Thorns’ tops fantasy romance
The anime of “Princess foe, will princess TuTu prevail? Tutu” is about a little girl named In the manga of “Princess Duck, who is a ballerina but is TuTu,” a girl named Ahru, which bad at dancing. The story in ironically means duck, goes on itself is very confusing to me, a similar journey as the quest of but I’ll explain it simple. BasiDuck in the anime. The manga cally, a man was writing a story, is a bit differently worded with but he died before he finished. certain events, and some events The characters in the story, a are completely changed. There prince and a raven, escaped. is nothing huge that stands out The prince sealed the raven, Manga Master Noah to me in the manga, but it was a FORKER very nice and kinda cute manga. and because of the forbidden magic, his heart shattered. In the first Overall, the show was confusing in the episode, Duck receives the magical trans- little that I watched. I can name many difforming pendant from Drosselmeyer that ferences, as several events are very, very would transform into princess Tutu, who is different, and even a character or two are supposed to be a tragic character starting changed. Even though both are very good, her adventure of collecting the heart shards. I’m going to side with the anime. This is only One thing that stands out is when Duck because the manga was very confusing, and transforms into princess TuTu. The transfor- I found the anime easier to understand. Fimation system is very well done, and I think nally, I would recommend this anime/manga it’s really cute. When faced with a dangerous if you’re looking for a cute anime/manga.
In “A Court Of Thorns And Roses” by Sarah J. Maas, Feyre thinks that her life can’t get any worse. Her family is poor, and she is the one who is hunting for food and trying to get everyone else to help around the house. Feyre wasn’t always poor. When she and her sisters were younger, they were rich, but after her mom died, her father got into some bad business and lost all of his money. Years later, they are still poor, so every day Feyre goes out into the forest and hunts for food. One night right before she gives up, she spots a deer. But then she spots a wolf, and she didn’t know if it was a faerie or if was a real wolf. She decides to kill it anyways because it was gonna get her deer. She soon finds out that it was a faerie. Now she has to go into the land of the faeries because she broke the treaty rules that their two lands once created, but she finds out that there was more to it than just break-
Tubular ’Toons
ing the treaty. She meets Tamlin and Lucien, and she falls in love with Tamlin. Now she has to find a way to save the ones she loves from the cures that they are under. I absolutely love this book. This book is in my top five favorite books. I didn’t want to put the book down after I started to read it. When I was reading “A Court Of Thorns And Roses” and someone wanted me to do something, I would get mad at them because I wanted to keep reading. It is one of the best fantasy romance books that I read in awhile. I loved the way Feyre doesn’t give up when everything else is against her. She keeps trying her best to take care of her family and when she goes to try to save Tamlin. I can’t wait until May 2016 so that I can read the next book. By Staff Writer Mercede
KRAABEL
Cartoon Network turns crude after hours in Adult Swim
The cartoons of our past remind us of our childhood, innocent and playful. But we are not exactly children any more, and we’re not adults either. That’s where Adult Swim comes in. The late night shows on Cartoon Net-
work have a channel all their own, and Adult Swim has original cartoons for adults … or immature teenagers. From shows that get us engaged in the storyline to shows of talking food that dies every other episode.
Rick and Morty One of the favorites on this late night channel is the adventures of Rick and Morty. The show follows an alcoholic scientific genius Rick and his naive and skittish grandson Morty. With Rick’s thirst for adventure, he drags Morty though the cosmos to other planets and even other dimensions, where they are either praised or shot at. The show has been known to go from a humdrum life at home to amazing Sci-Fi action in 0.2 seconds. This show is hysterical, with its improvisational feel and jokes that land every time.
Venture Bros A childhood adventure show gone terribly wrong. The main characters Hank and Dean Venture are naive and hyper boy adventures. Their father, Doc, is the example of what happens when a boy adventurer grows up and is forced into a life of super science after being shown as a miserable old man, with a slight diet pill addiction. But being an adventurer is not all it’s cracked up to be. They are constantly being harassed by the “super villain,” the Monarch and his deepvoiced wife Dr. Girlfriend. One of the only continuitybased cartoons out there, it hits the nail on the head.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force OK, this show is … hard to explain, mostly because I’m not sure what I’m explaining. The main characters are a floating box of french fries named Frylock, a huge milkshake named Shake and a meatball named Meatwad. Oh, and their human next door neighbor, Carl. The show has nothing to do with water, teenagers or being in any sort of force. I guess you could consider them heroes, being that Frylock does have laser vision, but that’s about it. The show makes absolutely no sense, but it’s strangely addicting and funny.
Superjail The most cartoon gore you will ever see, Superjail is about The Warden. Known only as The Warden, he has seemingly magic powers to make the world around him bend to his will and that of his exceedingly nervous assistant Jared and their bodyguard, who may or may not be a man, Alice. The show is based in a huge jail in a volcano that’s inside another volcano. The inmates have free range to kill each other, which they do, a LOT. The Warden doesn’t do anything to stop it because he really doesn’t care. Sounds messed up huh? It’s way too graphic, way too gory, but somehow remains really funny.
China, IL The series follows a teaching assistant Pony and an undergrad BabyCakes while they work and attend at the University of China, Ill., dubbed the “Worst College in America” and located at the edge of town. The school’s poor reputation is celebrated by the school’s uncaring faculty and staff, constantly shown drinking while teaching and/or trying to avoid teaching altogether. They constantly get in trouble from everything to goofing off at school to being chased down by a crazed Easter bunny. The humor is crude and inappropriate, but amazing.
Robot Chicken A stop-motion adventure that proves you can do anything on TV as long as the actors are not real people. The only way to describe this show is: random. It takes childhood TV characters and twists them into something else. With its use of violence, bodily fluids and sexual content, these are not the toys kids should play with.
By Staff Writer Kierston
JOHNSON
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Y
oga: it challenges the body, renews the mind and tunes the spirit. It builds appreciation for the present. With everything yoga offers, it’s no surprise this age-old discipline is so popular, not only in the United States but with high school students. Senior Anne Petersen has been practicing Vinyasa at Balance Hot Yoga for just over a year. Diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta, a bone disease which makes her bones fragile and susceptible to breaking, she decided to try yoga while looking for a workout that was as comfortable as it was challenging. “I love being active, but I had to find activities that wouldn’t cause further stress on my body leading to more breaks” Petersen said. Junior, Kendra Malin first started yoga when she was invited by a friend. After attending just one class, this former gymnast knew she had entered into a life -long love affair. “It [yoga] is something that I find incredibly relaxing. It helps me to center and focus my mind, as well as get in a good workout including stretching, and a lot of strength conditioning,” Malin said. Like Petersen, Malin attends Vinyasa classes at Balance Hot Yoga in Cedar Falls. Among the traditional styles of yoga, Vinyasa yoga is commonly called the most popular style in America. Fluidly moving from pose to pose, the lively style of Vinyasa is also called “flow” yoga. Vinyasa flow classes are offered locally at Sol and Balance Hot Yoga studios.
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Friday, Dec. 18, 2015 the bridge of the nose). On another day, one could frequently visit downward dog (when hands and feet are on the mat, pressing the chest toward the thighs, forming a v shape with the body) relieving theiran aching back. Yoga is recognized as a restorative practice because it calms the body’s response to stress. Stress is all around, embedded in our daily tasks. It can be emotional or mental strain as a result of demanding or unfavorable circumstances. Short term, or momentary stress, causes the body to switch into “fight or flight” mode. This name is given to describe a primitive human response where the body feels threatened and has to decide whether to flee the situation or take a stand. When this happens, muscles tense a n d h o r -
But prepare to sweat; in hot yoga (traditionally called Bikram Yoga) the studio temperature climbs to 104 degrees, detoxifying the body and speeding up it’s strengthening process. Hatha yoga is another popular style of yoga. It focuses on gentle, slow movements that gradually awaken or gently unwind it’s practioner. Sequences of Hatha yoga are commonly referred to as “Sunrise” or “bedtime” yoga. Many are surprised to find just how far the benefits of yoga stretch given its delicate reputation. Yoga improves balance, strength and flexibility. It also boosts metabolism as lean muscle is gained. Sports journals have even gone as far as to prove that regular yoga practice increases bench press maximums for both men and women. Those who exercise, benefit from increased endorphin production, improving their moods. It can also increase daily energy levels and one’s capacity for social and occupational functioning. With endless variations, it’s hard to get bored in class. “The classes are usually different every day, so I’ve loved having variety in my everyday workout,” Petersen said. New sequences can always be created using different poses: the basic vocabulary of yoga. This way, practice can be adapted to fit the needs of its practitioner on a daily basis. For example, on a stressful day, one might take an extended savasana (also called corpse pose, where one lays on theirhis or her back releasing all tension from their body, from the toes to
HI-LINE sets it apart from other exercise methods. It is essential for many who want to relieve the tension that stress imposes on their life. During practiceyoga, practitioners focus on their breaths, quieting endless mind chatter and anxiety. Every inhale and exhale is calculated in time with movement. This deep b re a t h ing
yo mones l i k e adrenaline and cortisol c o u r s e through the body. Digestive, reproductive and immune systems are also suppressed. With all these altered body functions, people begin living in a state of constant alert. People under stress narrow their focus, becoming vulnerable to exaggerated feelings of fear and frustration. With all these consequences, it’s easy to see why periods of chronic stress become toxic to the body. Without proper coping techniques, high school students are at risk for experiencing chronic stress. Facing large study and work loads, along with hectic schedules, there is rarely time to catch a breath. Each individual also faces long term stressors from time to time, including unmended relationships, sickness of a family member, looming decisions about the future and the list goes on. The mind body connection in yoga
Practice for the mi
calms the body’s response to stress and returns the body to homeostasis. “My favorite part of class, is when the focus really starts to happen, and you’re just moving through the poses and focusing on how the intakes and exhales of breath correspond to those movements,” Malin said. “It helps with focusing the mind on the present, s. Something you can apply at any time, not just in the yoga studio.”.
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HI-LINE High school students often pine for a future with more freedom and less monotony, making mindfulness, or appreciation of the present moment, an arduous effort. However, finding pockets of time to appreciate the intricacies of life is crucial. It offers a lot more perspective than the simple task of counting
FEATURE
Friday, Dec. 18, 2015
tune the spirit. Take advantage of yoga’s teaching; developing mindfulness to appreciate not only the big milestones in life, but the smaller moments that get us there.
Places to Pr ac t
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principles yoga has taught them. The key is to balance anticipation for the future with mindful moments. “I think yoga has made me much more patient and conscious of my body,” Petersen said. Just like any workout regimen, each person’s experience and gains are different; however, experienced yogis report increased self confidence, improved senses of well-being and mindfulness. Practicing yoga with a specific group or class also provides a sense of community and an opportunity to make new connections. Making the choice to start practicing may seem intimidating, but the reward that awaits makes it worthwhile. There is so much satisfaction in learning to perfect a pose that was at one time impossible. It may require breaki n g
LOCAL Balance Hot Yoga Sol Yoga
ONLINE Yoga with Adriene Yoga Glo
oga
ind, body and soul
down the days until we reach the next life milestone that gleams in the distance. More often than not, upon arrival we find that the milestone we wanted to reach so badly only shines with opportunity for a short while. All too soon, we are chained to the cycle of anticipation again. Instead of adopting the same hasty disposition as many of their peers, Petersen and Malin try to implement the
through the physical and mental barriers which clutter the way, but that is just another part of the practice to love. Attending yoga classes also provides the opportunity to find community. “I love both the physical challenge and the environment. At Balance Yoga, the community is one of my favorite parts,” Petersen said. “The community is such an amazing aspect of the practice. There are other students who I’ve met through the studio, just being by each other almost every day, and the instructors are all so amazing too. I’ve made friends, and it’s a place where I feel comfortable enough to go and just be,” Malin said. “It’s an incredible thing to be a part of, and I believe that everyone should have a chance to experience that.” Practicing yoga is all it takes to challenge the body, renew the mind and
Story by Editor in Chief Sommer
DANIELSEN
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After returning from Alaska, junior Rachel Sears returned with beautiful images to go along with her memories of Alaska.
Travelers return with tokens from trips
Alaska Germany
Junior Rachael
Junior Anna
Sears
Robisky
In August I went on a trip to Alaska via Carnival cruise lines. We spent seven nights on board the beautiful Carnival Legend. On our vacation, we visited four ports and cruised the Tracy Arm Fjord. Our first excursion was going on a glacier tour in the Tracy Arm Fjord. On this excursion we were able to get up close to the glaciers and were even able to hold a piece of a glacier that had fallen off. This excursion was one of the coolest things I have ever done. The closer you got to the glacier, the colder it got. In Skagway we rode a train all the way to the Canadian border. On the ride we were able to see the beauty of Alaska from a higher perspective. Our next port was Juneau. At this port we went on a whale watching tour. We were able to see whales up close, which was cool. On our way farther into the ocean, we got to stop by an island, which was covered with seals. Our entire trip was absolutely beautiful. If you ever get the chance to visit Alaska, I would highly recommend it to anyone that would be interested in going.
St. Pete, Fla. Hawaii
In summer of last year, my family went to Germany for two weeks. We went to Mannheim, Rothenburg and Munich. Even though it was all really cool, Mannheim was my favorite. One of the days we drove to Munich and went to the Dachau Concentration Camp. That was the very sad part of the trip, but cool. We saw the bunkers where they slept, the gas chambers and the crematorium where they burned the dead bodies. We also went to the Neuschwanstein castle, which was my favorite and where I got my sweatshirt. I was fascinated by how cool and pretty it was. They told us when we were there that it inspired Walt Disney to make the Walt Disney castle.
Junior Aurion
Junior Hayden
Redding
Clausen
July of 2015 I went to St. Pete, Fla., for my dad’s birthday. I wanted to get something that I could remember this trip and my family forever. Helen and Terrance are my parents and are extremely close to me and are my best friends. I thought getting their signatures on my wrist would be the best way to keep them close to me at all times, so on July 4 I went and got my tattoo. My parents were in love with the idea. I was pretty shocked that they were alright with me getting them. I’m in love with my tattoos and would never regret the decision I had.
I went to Hawaii with my family two summers ago. We did a lot of neat things while we were there, but my favorite was cliff diving. While we were on one of the cliffs, I noticed a hole that I could barely stick my hand in, but I saw something sticking out, so I made it my mission to get it and see what it was. When I finally got it out, it was this necklace that had some sort of stone on it. Ever since then I’ve worn it around my neck to bring me luck and to remember Hawaii.
Staff Writer Kaylee
OLSON
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FEATURE
Six Holiday Phone Etiquette Tips Take a tech break this holiday season, give your family the gift of your time
Block off phone free time
Have your family decide on a time where everyone puts the phones down. Either set aside a specific amount of time like two hours, or chose to put the phones away during certain events when the whole family is spending time together. For example, during Christmas dinner or opening pres-
Have a basket for phones
Start a new tradition this holiday season. Have the host of your celebration go around and collect everyone’s phones when all guests have arrived if you are going for a technology-free event. If your family doesn’t want to go completely tech free, just have the host collect devices before the designated phone-free time.
Turn off sound on phones
If you do have your phone by your side during a holiday gathering, make sure to turn the ringer off or, even better, switch to airplane mode. By the quick and easy press of a button, you can avoid the constant dinging of text messages and notifications from social media while hanging out with your family.
Leave the phone at home
Play games with the family
Our phones tend to isolate us from our surroundings, and during the holidays, our surroundings most likely include our families. However, there is a way to use your phone and still spend time with your family: playing games. If the entire family can be involved with the game, this is a great way to integrate technology while still having fun with your fam. One of my family’s go to games is Heads Up.
Take a family selfie
Another way to include the fam while using your phone is to take a group selfie. Half the fun of taking a selfie with a big group of people is trying to fit everyone into the frame, and once the picture is snapped, you’ll have that memory of you and your family to look back on for years to come.
When attending a holiday concert or church, either leave your phone at home, keep it in the car or make sure it’s on silent or airplane mode during the event. This way you can fully enjoy the festive occasion and the people you are attending it with.
All Photos and Story by Staff Writer Hannah
SANDERMAN
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Hour of Power
Lunches Pan-made Lasagna makes easy meal in under 60 minutes Pan Made Lasagna Prep time: 2 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes Feeds: 2-4
Step 1
Step 2
Needs: A large pan 1 lb of ground beef 1 jar of Ragu (1 lb. 8 oz) 3 cups of water 1 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese 3/4 cup or more of shredded mozzarella Garlic Handful of diced onions Italian seasoning Greek seasoning 2 cans of mushrooms Lasagna noodles Prep: Set out the meat the night before.
Step 3
Step 4
Lane Schwickerath Photos Cook: Heat the pan to medium heat. Brown the meat with onions, garlic and all the other seasoning except for Italian. While the meat is browning break 12 lasagna noodles in 2-inch pieces. Stir in the water and sauce. Add a handful of Italian seasoning. Stir. Add the noodle chunks and stir some more. Put a lid on it, and let it simmer for 20 minutes while stirring to make sure the noodles don’t stick. Top off with the Ricotta cheese and cover in mozzarella. Stir again. Top with mozzarella and wait 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite sides and some garlic bread.
By Staff Writer Lane
SCHWICKERATH
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SPORTS
Junior aims high under dad’s lead Heart beating fast, sweat dripping profusely, muscles aching and only one thing is on the mind of junior Gabe Penrith: do not let this guy beat you. As the mental battle becomes more real, all that matters at the end of those seemingly hour-long periods is a victory over his worst enemy at the moment. Wrestling was kind of inevitable for Penrith while growing up in a wrestling household. It was one of those things that he was just expected to do, and something he was expected to be good at. And he was just that; good at it. Penrith’s dad may be a little more decorated in athletics than most dads. When his father Brad grew up in New York, he was a one-time state champion and got recruited to wrestle at the University of Iowa where he won a national championship and became a three-time finalist on the world team and took the world silver. However, after getting hurt, Brad didn’t make the Olympic team but was as close as one could’ve possibly gotten. He then went on to coach for Arizona State, Boise State, Nebraska and the University of Northern Iowa. Brad is now currently coaching for Cedar Falls High School. “I like having my dad as a coach,” Penrith said with a smile. “He can see what I’m doing and talk to me about what I’m doing right and what I’m doing wrong. It’s also a lot easier to get extra work done. My dad’s not afraid to get on me at practice, which I’m thankful for, and he makes sure I’m doing the right thing.” Along with Penrith’s dad being a coach and being with him every step of the way, his younger brother Jakey is up wrestling varsity this year alongside him as well. Jakey wrestles at 106 pounds and is already having a great year.
Madison Wright Photo
Junior Gabe Penrith works on an escape at the Keith Young Invitational at home on Saturday, Dec. 5 where the team went on to finish in 11th place out of 15 teams. “Jakey is doing really good this year,” Penrith said. “He wrestles a lot like my dad. He’s a tough, good little wrestler.” Jakey took 5th at Keith Young, which is pretty tough to do, and expectations for him are very high. The two brothers get along very well and wrestle at different weights, so there really isn’t any competition between the two. Wrestling varsity as a sophomore, Penrith had a whole year to see what the big league was like and got to compete at a level that many sophomores don’t get the opportunity to compete at. He wrestled at 113 pounds and got a first
hand look at what it would be like helping to lead a very successful wrestling program the next year. The past season the varsity wrestling team had a bunch of seniors who played a huge impact on the success of the team. Penrith took note of these guys and a lot of the things they did to make them so successful. “I definitely looked up to some of the older guys like Dan Kelly, Blake Halstead and Rayce Willett,” Penrith said. “They taught me that things will get tough, but you just can’t quit.” This year is a little different. Penrith is wrestling at 120 pounds and has expe-
rience, determination and a hunger for success that has grown even from last year. “My goal is to make it to State and hopefully place this year,” he said. Throughout the offseason, he put in loads of extra work practicing drills, staying refreshed, loose and lifting every chance he got. As the season rolled around, practices got intense, and the time had finally come for all the offseason work to pay off. During the beginning, practices were tough with lots of wrestle offs to determine who would wrestle varsity. Wednesdays are “make weight” day and are still pretty tough. “It’s get in get out, short and hard,” Penrith said as he smirked and shook his head a little. “A normal practice usually just looks like warming up, drilling, technique and usually we just wrestle for conditioning but sometimes do a little extra.” Penrith said he enjoys eating a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches during the season and is constantly drinking water and watching his weight. “It’s kind of a misconception when it comes to the way wrestlers eat,” Penrith said. “It’s not like I totally starve myself. However, I do reduce meals, and I don’t drink pop, just a lot of water. It gets tough. You gotta be disciplined. Without discipline, it’s gonna be tough constantly watching weight.” As Penrith’s arm is raised in the air once again, his mind quickly switches to who is next in line. It’s a legacy that’s been well carried out and a legacy that will not die for a very long time. “Wrestling gives me a challenge. I like knowing that I’m accomplishing something,” Penrith said. “I like staying busy, and it definitely keeps me busy.” By Staff Writer Nathan
HOY
Sports Opinion Football fans ready for bowling ’Tis the season for gifts, the sweet smell of Christmas and season-ending bowl games. The whole season leads up to this month of extremely important games. The games symbolize the long road from summer team practices to the games to the conference championships, and I will select my top five bowls for this holiday season as well as the champions. Outback Bowl Northwestern (13) vs. Tennessee (23) Jan 1, Noon; ESPN Who I pick to win: Tennessee 16-8 Both of these teams weren’t picked to be anywhere close to such a good bowl at the beginning of the season.
Northwestern came out of the gates firing on all cylinders. They beat a young Stanford team behind Pat Fitzgerald’s strong defense, then winning out before losing in week five and week six to very skilled Michigan and Iowa at a combined score of 58-10. After those back-to-back losses, the Wildcats cruised under the radar, beating a tough Wisconsin team. Finishing with a record of 10-2, Pat Fitzgerald’s defense will be the key to them winning. Tennessee has had quite an eventful season thus far. They’ve played full four quarter games against top teams Alabama and Oklahoma, only losing in both games by seven points. They beat an underachieving Georgia Bulldogs
team and only lost by one to an at the time, top tier Florida team. While you may see an 8-4 record as not being very good, in all four loses, they were in the game till the end. That being said, I think that the Vols can hold off the strong and resilient Wildcat defense and take home the Outback Bowl. Look for quarterback Joshua Dobbs to be the key to the game. Military Bowl Navy (21) Vs. Pitt Dec. 28, 2:30; ESPN Who I pick to win: Navy 21-6 Navy’s season has been nothing short of electric. They run the triple option offense perfectly, and star QB Keenan Reynolds is one of the best
players to come out of the college since Roger Staubach in the ’60s. His NCAA-best 81 career rushing touchdowns (19 this season) put him fifth in the Heisman voting. He’s really led this team to its 11-2 season and kept them in the games that they lost against Notre Dame and Houston. This Navy team has been tested, and I think that Keenan Reynolds will have a monster final game. The Pitt Panthers season has been about what people thought. They’ve lost some tough games against Iowa, Notre Dame and North Carolina, but they’ve also beaten some good teams like Duke and Louisville. For Pitt to win this game, QB Chad Voytik will have to run and pass the ball efficiently all game — some-
thing he hasn’t done well this season. Russell Athletic Bowl North Carolina (13) vs. Baylor (17) Dec. 29, 5:30; ESPN Who I pick to win: North Carolina 35-24 Baylor started the season and continued to be in the top 10 throughout the beginning and middle of the season. The Bears first loss came against Oklahoma to eliminate their playoffs hope. The season went downhill from there after losing to TCU in an overtime thriller and an awful Texas team at the end of the season. Since both the Bears’ starting and backup QB’s are
BOWLING
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CHASING DREAMS Friday, Dec. 18, 2015
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CFHS alum defies all odds to reach top
Sam Ahrenholz lay paralyzed in disbelief. His dreams were crushed beneath him, his mind flashing back to just 15 seconds ago when he was running for the opportunity to change his entire future. The opportunity of a lifetime. Just seconds earlier, a cloud of smoke dissipated into the warm luminizing air as the trigger of the 2014 Iowa High School State Track Meet starting pistol was released. The shot echoed throughout the stadium, transforming the runners of the open 800-meter race into a trance of surreality. Erupting from the blocks, the runners’ spikes penetrated deep into the synthetic surface of the blue oval track, thrusting them towards an eager victory and a chance to prove their ability as some of the most talented athletes in the state. Ahrenholz, a CFHS senior at the time, was among the runners. Spectators and college scouts looked out as the steady rhythm of his pumping legs flew Ahrenholz into the lead within the first 200 meters. But suddenly an opponent approached Ahrenholz on his right side, catching him off guard. As Ahrenholz crossed his right foot over, his spikes caught the metal inside curb of the track, and he crumbled to his defeat, finishing dead last. “My track career felt like it was over. I knew there was no chance of running for an Iowa school,” Ahrenholz said. But the pressure was still on for his next race. A silence swept over the stadium and nerves were settling in. He gathered with his relay mates and prayed for success. The team crushed its competition. With a first place finish and record-breaking times in the 4x400, Ahrenholz experienced a transcendent feeling that day, completely forgetting the fall. “That win took everything else. Nothing could compare to celebrating with my best friends and coach that day,” said Ahrenholz reflecting on the win. Feeling on top of the world after his last ever high school meet, Ahrenholz piled into the van with his teammates, ready to return home with a state
Eileen Crotty Photo
Graduate Sam Ahrenholz sprints to a state champion 4x4 title last spring. champion title, but the high only lasted for so long. As they were driving back, his coach, Dirk Homewood, received a call from the University of Iowa informing him that they were no longer interested in offering Ahrenholz a scholarship. Not a single Division I school was interested in him. “God works in mysterious ways,” Homewood said. “Everything happens for a reason.” But a heartbroken Ahrenholz accepted the defeat and
was a diehard Gator fan,” Ahrenholz said. He became obsessed with analyzing Tebow’s every move. After reading his book and researching his workouts, Ahrenholz was dedicated to replicating his success. Just as Tebow did, Ahrenholz woke up at 4:30 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to do 400 sit ups and 400 pushups before weight lifting. He wanted to replicate everything Tebow did, including
quickly became the most loved and most hated football player in America, but Ahrenholz, who shares a mutual faith, ate it up. “I loved it. He was a fantastic leader, both spiritual and physical. He started a fire inside me, inspiring me in my sports and faith.” His obsession with the Gators was everywhere. His sophomore year, in an exhibition race, Ahrenholz gave his best effort, but he was far from
“My track career felt like it was over. I knew there was no chance of running for an Iowa school.” the ending of his track career. His dream of being an athlete began when he was no more than five years old. But ever since quarterback Tim Tebow stepped onto the field for the University of Florida Gators in 2006, a greater spark of motivation ignited inside him. “I completely idolized Tebow. From that point on, I
being a Florida Gator. “I told everyone I was going to be an athlete at Florida, but they all said it would never happen — that I didn’t have the athletic ability.” In addition to his playing skills, Tebow received considerable press attention for his public displays of Christianity, both on and off the field. He
the state champion runner he would soon become. As he crossed the finish line in last place, he clamped his hands together in a signature “Gator Chomp.” Homewood wasn’t happy but talked it out with Ahrenholz, who learned his lesson. After receiving no DI recognition, Ahrenholz decided to
switch gears and develop his skills elsewhere. He enrolled in Iowa State University with the intention of being accepted into their School of Architecture. Everyone around him was thrilled. “He was focused on his learning and what he wanted. I don’t think the transition was hard for him. God always has a perfect plan. Sam had the patience and faith to believe that,” said Beth Harris, Ahrenholz’s mother. But he wasn’t content. His most substantial goals were still fixed on the track. “Everyone told me not to run, join a fraternity, don’t waste your time,” Ahrenholz said. “No one truly believed in me.” While everyone around him gave up on his athletic dreams, there was only one person who saw his true potential: his beloved high school coach and role model. “I knew Sam had the mental and physical abilities. If he wanted to be an athlete, he could. The only one that could help him accomplish his goals was himself,” Homewood said. He told Ahrenholz exactly what to do. Even 90 miles away, Homewood continued to impact his life every day. “Homewood had always told me to use my failures as motivation, and I did. I knew I was fast, I had faith and I improved for a reason.” Ahrenholz started to work behind the scenes. He woke up at ISU to lift every other day from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. and ran his workouts from 10 p.m. to midnight every day. Ahrenholz was consumed by working hard, but this dedication was no surprise. With no days off since he started pursuing his dream years ago, his determination held constant. In the summer of 2015, Homewood put Ahrenholz in a USA Track and Field meet. He was set at the starting line once again in an open 800-meter race. He wasn’t running for anyone — just half for his love of the sport and half for one last attempt to be noticed in a chance to achieve his dreams. The starting pistol’s bite echoed in the back of his head as he ran one last time. Hours of work pushed him to the fin-
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Eileen Crotty Photo
Graduate Sam Ahrenholz shows an expression of his faith before race at the state track meet in Des Moines last spring. ish line, and with a first place finished, he felt fulfilled. As Ahrenholz mosied to the list of reported times while on the phone with Homewood, he saw his time, and he knew he was finally going to catch his break. A 1:52.7 second race. Unheard of by those he was running with. On his ride home from the meet in Ames, ISU called and offered him a spot on the team.
the prestigious architecture school. Now Ahrenholz sat at home in the same bed he grew up in. The same bed where he would spend nights dreaming of opportunities. People talked behind his back, assuming he was depressed, or they were angry he was wasting such a fortunate opportunity. But Ahrenholz was far from depressed. The email he received on
finding a place where he can shine for others,” said Harris with tears in her eyes. In just two years, Ahrenholz went from falling at the state track meet and not receiving interest from a single Division I school to being offered a scholarship to his dream school, which also happens to be the defending national track and field champions. Ahrenholz is now count-
“At this point everything came together. It started to make sense why everything happened the way it did. It was truly a miracle from God.” He was also accepted into architecture school before his sophomore year started at Iowa State. It seemed like his life was finally falling into place. Ahrenholz sat in his first class of the semester when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. As he walked out to his next class, he checked his email. He couldn’t believe what he was reading. He skipped his next class. One week later, he was no longer enrolled at Iowa State. He lived at home with his parents and started a part time job earning minimum wage. The whispers could be heard throughout his hometown. He had just begun to live out his dream as a D1 athlete, on top of getting accepted into
the opening days of the semester was from the University of Florida. The track and field coach messaged Ahrenholz after noticing his times. Ahrenholz was being offered a scholarship to come down and run as a Gator. “At this point everything came together. It started to make sense why everything happened the way it did. It was truly a miracle from God,” Ahrenholz said. “We’re incredibly proud of him — the faith and courage that he’s shown throughout all the adversity he’s faced. We know that no matter what happens, it’s all about God’s plan. I’m at peace knowing he’ll continue to pursue his dreams while
ing down his last week, after which he’ll be packing his bags, loading the car and driving off to fulfill his dreams in the new and exciting chapter of his life. The dreams where Gator Chomping is now encouraged, embraced and applauded. “God’s plan really is just amazing to look back on,” Ahrenholz said. “A key thing I’ve learned is to enjoy life and the journey of chasing a dream. Just enjoy it. It’s simple. It sounds cliche, but sometimes the cliche things are true. It’s the about journey not the destination.”
By Staff Writer Allaire
TAIBER
out, the Bears will have to rely on sophomore Chris Johnson. The Bears defenders will have to rally around themselves to stop the highpowered Tar Heel offense. However, I don’t think that the defense will be good enough, and I have to doubt the play of their QB will be enough to overcome. North Carolina lost its first game of the season to a terrible South Carolina team who only went 3-9 this season, but they bounced back and won out until their bout in the ACC championship with Clemson. In that game they showed me they can really keep up with high quality teams and the resilience that the Tar Heels have might prove to be the difference. I think the Tar Heels will overcome the diminished Baylor Bears. Rose Bowl Iowa (5) vs. Stanford (6) Jan. 1, 5:00, ESPN Who I pick to win: Stanford 17-10 Iowa began the season hoping to erase the embarrassing season that they had last year, including getting manhandled by Tennessee in the Taxslayer Bowl. Hawkeye fans were calling for Kirk Ferentz’s head, but the Hawkeyes had other plans and cruised to a 12-1 season. They showed they can stay with the big guys in their Big Ten Championship loss to Michigan State. Iowa’s defense will have to be able to step up and hold the line to prevent Heisman runner-up McCaffrey. Along with C.J. Beathard throwing with good accuracy deep, the Hawk’s defense will be key if they want a win. The Stanford Cardinals began their season with a loss to the Northwestern Wildcats. Many thought that the Cardinal’s season was over, but some key elements fell their way. One of them was Christian McCaffrey’s rise to fame. Maybe the next Johnny Manziel, the running back broke Barry Sanders’ record for all-purpose yards in a single season. After beating a great Notre Dame team and a mediocre USC team, Stanford’s confidence will be sky high. The key for Stanford winning will have to be the play of McCaf-
frey. Since the Cardinals don’t have to worry about Iowa’s defense too much, McCaffrey will have to be able to shoulder the offensive load and break for some big runs. Iowa will be able to hold Stanford to a close game, but in the end Stanford will prevail. Goodyear Cotton Bowl Michigan State (3) vs. Alabama (2) Dec. 39, 8:00; ESPN Who I pick to win: Alabama 31-24 Michigan State was arguably the team with the highest hopes at the beginning of the season. Until their game against Nebraska, the season was going as planned with the exception of a few injuries. Then they lost to a struggling Nebraska team, but all was not lost because the mighty Buckeyes were still on the schedule. Sparty handed them their first loss in a season, and the CFP was in their sights, but what stood in the way where the rising Hawkeyes. After a clutch drive to win the game over Iowa, now all Michigan State has to beat is Derrick Henry and the Crimson Tide — not an easy thing to do. Just ask Ole Miss. The key to them taking down the high and mighty Crimson Tide is stopping their offense. Since they rely mostly on the run and Henry, I expect struggling Jacob Coker to have a monster game throwing the ball. Shilique Calhoun will have a lot to deal with. Alabama has not taken an easy road to get here. After the loss to Ole Miss, many thought the Bama Dynasty was over and the rebuilding stage had begun, but no hope was lost in the Tide’s eyes. They were able to get their feet under them against Georgia and Arkansas. Then they walked right into Death Valley and took a win right under Les Miles’ nose. After easily handling Auburn in the Iron Bowl and Florida in the SEC championship, what lies ahead is the first great test of the season. Like I said earlier, if Henry can perform like he has all season and if Coker can play well, then they leave it up to their defense to coast into the national championship. I expect the Tide’s defense to hold a banged up Connor Cook to a less than championship performance and win it for the boys back in Tuscaloosa. By Staff Writer Ben
BOZINGER
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HEAD GAMES Friday, Dec. 18, 2015
Athlete of the
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Impact of concussions felt among CFHS athletes
Senior Hannah Gaffney was in the middle of her coed dance routine at the state dance competition on Friday, Dec. 4 when out of nowhere, a foot from one of the other CFHS dancers collided into her face with a force that she could not comprehend. She took a seat and miraculously went back out later and performed her pom routine. It was not until the bus ride home that everything would snowball into a terrifying situation. Gaffney was found unresponsive by her teammates, and they frantically tried to wake her up but did not succeed. Gaffney was taken by ambulance to the hospital where she underwent numerous tests and scans. The effects of her concussion were some of the worst that can occur with a head injury. She went into a coma-like state on the bus, and she is still suffering from severe memory loss as she doesn’t even remember who some people are. Gaffney is forced to relearn things every day due to her injury. “We’re just taking it day by day, and even though I don’t remember any of it, my last State was certainly memorable,” Gaffney said. Doctors say that it will take time for her to return to functioning normally. Each year high school athletes accumulate nearly two million injuries, 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations. Gaffney was one of the ones unfortunate enough to be among the 30,000 hospitalizations. These numbers are alarming to many who are involved in the athletic world. What she suffered at State was a concussion, which is basically a bruise to the brain. The brain is not fixed in position in the head, and there is a little bit of space between the brain and the inside of the skull. A concussion occurs when an impact to the head or neck area causes the brain to bang against the inside of the skull, which in turn causes bruising. Concussions are not something to be taken lightly and can cause lifelong complications. As awareness of the implications of concussions rises, many coaches today are trying
CONCUSSIONS BY THE NUMBERS
Vanessa Kime Photo
In her exhibition performance before the state tournament, senior Hannah Gaffney performed during her routine. Little did she know , her state experience would be one to remember. out new coaching philosophies that emphasize “heads-up” play. “From a coaching standpoint, we educate coaches on the causes and symptoms of a concussion and teach athletes to remove the head from blocking and tackling,” head football coach Brad Remmert said. “We also have strength training to prepare athletes for the contact of football and provide high quality helmets and equipment for our players.” School administrators are also taking proactive steps to making sure that their student athletes are as safe as possible. “We require all student athletes and their parents/ guardians to sign a form stating that they have read and understand the ‘Heads Up: Concussion in High School Sports’ fact sheet,” Athletic Director Gary Koenen said. “We are also fortunate that we have an athletic trainer (Pete Watters) at all our practices and competitions that can help diagnose and treat a concussion should medical attention be needed,” Koenen said. This style of coaching encourages the athletes to make a tackle or play with their bodies instead of their heads. Even the pros are relearning how to be safe. The NFL Seattle Seahawks teach their players rugby style tackling, which is tackling with the shoulder and driving through the opponent. This style of tackling greatly diminishes the risk of a head injury as the head is taken out
- 3.8 million concussions in 2012 - 33% of all sports concussions occur at practice - Football is the riskiest sport for men with 64-74.8 concussions per 100,000 exposures* - Soccer is the riskiest for women with 33 concussions per 100,000 exposures* - Roughly 5.3 million Americans live with a traumatic brain injury disability *An exposure is defined as participation in practice or competition no matter how long
SYMPTOMS OF A CONCUSSION
- Light-headed - Slurred Speech - Dizziness - Confusion - Blurred Vision - Fatigue - Lack of Balance - Vomiting - Headache - Fatigue - Nausea - Memory Loss - Loss of Consciousness Source: Centers for Disease Control of the play, but this does not mean the risk of a head injury is not still there. Parents are also a big influence, encouraging their children, pushing them but most of all making sure they are safe. Today the concern that athletes’ parents have on their children getting injured has skyrocketed. “My concern is that schools are providing proper equipment, proper techniques to help avoid injury and that when an injury does occur, recovery protocol is followed so that players are not returning to activity before they are ready,” parent Kim Williams said. Players are working harder than ever, and the pace of play in all sports has dramatically increased. This combination has led to an alarming increase in sports injuries, especially concussions. The players themselves also see the injury and concussion risk that comes with any sport. Although it may not seem like it, players are taking responsibility for their bodies as much as they can to avoid an injury. “I try to avoid the big hits, and if I do get hit, I try to pro-
tect my head from the ground so it doesn’t whip into the ground,” senior Taylen Alexander said. Players like senior defender David Cook are also taking safety precautions. “There are rules about dangerous plays like high kicks and elbows, but I mainly work on heading the ball correctly and taking precautions when going into certain challenges,” Cook said. Eating well, building strength and maintaining condition all contribute to diminishing the risk of sports related injuries. According to the Center for Disease Control, more than half of all sports injuries are preventable. Concussions are one of those preventable injuries. With correct technique and education, the concussion rate could be dramatically decreased in all sports. Concussions have been found to be behind recent deaths of former NFL players like Junior Seau and Frank Gifford. Both deaths were influenced by a disease that stems from this preventable injury. By Sports Editor Jason
RATHJEN
Emma Gerdes Women’s Basketball
Senior shooting guard Emma Gerdes is leading the Tigers to a fast 7-0 start to their season, shooting 11 for 26 from the field and averaging 14.7 points per game while shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc. Gerdes is the sole returning senior starter on the team from a year ago when the Tigers qualified for the state tournament, and with her return, Gerdes brings the skill and leadership that is crucial to the team’s success. What do you think has lead the team to such a hot start? We are just playing really well together because we have a lot of talent on this team, also everyone is bought into the team concept playing for each other not just themselves, propelling us to a great start. How does the team plan to continue its early season success? The whole team knows that it is a long season, so we aren’t going to let this success get to our heads. We treat every practice and game the same way, push ourselves every day and play with a chip on our shoulder because we want to do some damage this season at State. What has Cedar Falls basketball meant to you reflecting back as a senior? Ever since I can remember I have wanted to put on the Tiger jersey. I can still remember all the nights I spent with my brothers and sisters pretending to be a Tiger, making the game winning shot. Now that it’s almost over it all seems unreal, but there is still work to be done this season. That being said, I will still savor the rest of the season.
Tigers in
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Men’s Basketball Lost @ Dubuque Hempstead 52-58. Next up Dec. 18 vs. Iowa City High 7:30 p.m. Women’s Basketball Won 42-24 vs. Dubuque Hempstead Next up Dec 18 @ Iowa City High 7:30 p.m. Wrestling Next up Battle of Waterloo Dec. 18 and 19. Men’s Bowling Dec 18 vs. CR Washington at Maple Lanes Women’s Bowling Beat Iowa City High Next up Dec 18 vs. CR Washington at 4:15 p.m. Men’s Swimming Next up Mercer Invitational @ Mercer Park Aquatic Center at 11 a.m.