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Tiger HI-LINE
Friday, Dec. 19, 2014
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Volume 55 Edition 12
Record number preparing for early graduation
Photos by Annebeth Ahrenholz
Participants such as sophomore Miranda Rokes, at top, and senior Maria Garcia, at right, helped to deliver approximately 2,333 gifts on Saturday, Dec. 13, in the annual Christmas in Walnut, an event in which local churches work together to create an affordable shopping opportunity for some Cedar Valley parents to complete their Christmas shopping lists while their children enjoy holiday-themed activities.
Many CFHS students assist Christmas in Walnut Many people, including CFHS students, volunteered on Saturday, Dec. 13, and helped show the true meaning of Christmas: giving. At Christmas in Walnut, for the fifth year in a row, Orchard Hill partnered with the boys and girls club and Harvest Vineyard Church in order to offer extremely discounted gifts to low-income families. The mission of this event is to develop community and capacity, so the Cedar Valley might become a different kind of community moving forward. Volunteers of Christmas in Walnut wanted to give those who shop in the store an opportunity to volunteer throughout the day if they would like so they feel more like they are giving back. The gifts sold at the event were around $2 to $5, normally 75 percent off of retail price. The organizers do it that way so the parents buying the gifts can still have the satisfaction of paying for the gifts they are buying. While the parents are busy in the Christmas in Walnut Store, they have the opportunity to send their children up to do crafts with volunteers. This year at the craft workshop
upstairs, 195 children made gifts and experienced the joy of giving them to their family members. At one moment, a mother of a child began to cry as she saw the photo craft gift this year. It had her child’s face imprinted on a glass vase with the glow of a candle inside. There are many stories of how students and volunteers gave back throughout the day at Christmas in Walnut. One way was that Orchard Hill Kids gave $960 that purchased 64 of the Action Bibles given to families at the Christmas Store. The six-person prayer team prayed for many of the shoppers, including a woman who recently moved here to support her brother who is testifying in a murder trial, a woman who recently lost her job and a person who recently separated from her marriage. Senior Maria Garcia is a member of the prayer team and said, “Something that was super-influential in spreading God’s love and truth is being a prayer warrior. Not everyone feels comfortable praying for themselves, especially if they don’t feel connected to God …
sending up prayers for someone is a huge way to support them in their walk with Christ.” A total of 2,333 gifts were donated to this year’s store. “I watched so many families help their little ones deposit toys they brought to the big wrapped box at church. People generously gave finances to help fund the event yesterday. Christmas in Walnut is witness to so many cheerful, sacrificial givers,” the coordinator of Christmas in Walnut, Laura Hoy, posted on her blog Sunday after the event. Overall, the day was very eventful with 345 volunteers who gave time and talents to the day. “This effort could not be done without the outstanding team leaders and volunteers who own their part in the day. Amazing to see that in acton,” Hoy said. Many lives were touched and hearts were made happy on last Saturday at Christmas in Walnut. Volunteers and a lot of CFHS students got to truly experience the gift of giving, in this giving holiday season. By Copy Editor Annebeth
AHRENHOLZ
The first semester of the school year is finally winding down, which for most means two weeks of relaxing and not having a worry about school at all; however, for some students, it marks the ends of their high school careers. Around 40 seniors are planning to graduate early this year as soon as finals are over, which is about 10 more students graduating compared to last year. Students interested in leaving early filled out forms with their parents’ or guardians’ signatures by Oct. 1. They are also days away from passing the final courses for the 45 credits that are required for graduation by the end of the first semester. According to counselor Susan Langan, the reasons to graduate early are incredibly varied, ranging from starting college the second semester to working second semester for college money in the fall. “We always stress to them to make sure and take advantage of college credits here,” she said. “but a lot of times, for whatever reason, they feel like this is a better decision for them.” According to Langan many factors contribute to students’ choices. “It’s really a case by case thing, but they may have family changes, and it might be something that benefits them to get it done and leave in January.” One of the early graduates
List of 2014 Early Graduates (pending all final obligations are completed)
Alexys Abbas Kaleb Bengston Chase Buckingham Madison Corwin Ashley Draeger Austin Fernau David Frederick Hannah Hanson Madeline Heath Hunter Heiselman Jacob Juhl Paige Jungweber Alec Larsen Alex Leytem Caleb Lovell Nicole Loy Claire Matson Hannah Mattingly London Moore Dillon O’Neil
Colton Petersen Katherine Pitzenberger Shyann Reichert Alexander Rodriguez Silvia Rodriguez Diana Rojas Brianna Sankey Tayben Sankey Sustin Smith Tristan Smoot Shelby SouhradaRogers Noah Terrell Joseph Thrall Daniel Wilkens Jaime Wilson Jordan Wilson Rachel Wilson Yuzhe Zhuang
is senior Hannah Mattingly, who said, “I don’t like high school very much, and I don’t need to be in it anymore.” Mattingly plans to work right after school and make money for when she’s going to college in August. Another students who is planning to graduate is senior Chase Buckingham. Similar to Mattingly, Buckingham wants to leave because she doesn’t really like high school either. “I just really want to get out of here and out of Iowa.” As soon as she leaves, Buckingham says that she really wants to pursue her tattooing career that she has wanted to begin for about three years. By Staff Writer Sarah
STORTZ
Chess club makes opening moves There is a new club at CFHS that students can join: the Chess Club. The club’s first meeting was on Dec.11 in math teacher Rich Strike’s room. The group plans to meet after school every Thursday, and the meetings will run until 4 p.m. Junior Sam Ponnada helped to form the group. “Sam [Zhang] and I both had chess clubs at the schools we were at before we came to Cedar Falls High School,” Ponnada said. “We both like chess, and we realized that there was no chess club here, and we thought it would be cool.” Ponnada said he hopes the the club will help its members. “I hope that the club can increase interest in chess at CFHS
as well as provide a place to play and learn chess,” Ponnada said. “Playing chess can also give the player peace of mind and helps you to think clearly.” Co-founder Sam Zhang agreed with Ponnada.“We have seen many people play chess in school,” Zhang said. “We wanted to give them a place to assemble as one group.” At their last meeting, there were a total of 10 players, but Ponnada would like to remind students that the doors will be open. “Anyone can join, even if they haven’t played chess before,” Ponnada said. “The doors will be open.” By Online Editor Zuhayr
ALAM