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1015 Division St. Cedar Falls, IA 50613

“Materials used in the English classrooms are selected for their literary merit, meeting of curriculum goals and student interest. In fairness, a novel and other literature should be judged in its entirety.”

—Judy Timmins

English Department Director

http://www.cedar-falls.k12.ia.us

Brain Buster The shopping aisles filled with soduko puzzle products show that this brain teasing Japanese number game may well be one of the hottest games this season. For details about the craze,

See FEATURE page

Volume 47 Edition 11

Kirstin Riggs Photo

Relient K

Mark Schultz

Building 429

Haste the Day

Thousand Foof Krutch

Alli Rogers

Reading the criticized novel What’s Eating Gilbert Grapes after its expulsion from an Iowa High School is English teacher Jennifer Paulsen.

Staff react to Gilbert Grape controversy Torie Jochims Staff Writer

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, a critically acclaimed novel set in Iowa and written by Iowan author Peter Hedges, has been making national headlines lately. The book, which is taught in English teacher Jennifer Paulsen’s modern literature class, was recently yanked from the English classes of Carroll High School in Carroll, Iowa. Carroll’s superintendent Rob Cordes pulled the book after reading only the controversial sexual passage. “I think the superintendent made a mistake in not reading the entire book before pulling it,” Paulsen said. Paulsen’s modern literature class had read the book before the Carroll incident took place. Paulsen said that there is a higher capacity for controversy when a book is taught in the classroom as opposed to a material available for checkout in the library. According to her, the story has deeper themes to be explored other than the brief, yet blunt, sexual passage. She said the themes, symbolism and messages the students can take away from it outweigh the small sexual portion. Paulsen said that ignoring that part of the novel wasn’t an option, especially since it consists of something that is an inevitable part of growing up. “One parent held up the book to Penthouse magazine and said they were the same,” Paulsen said of a point of controversy at a meeting on the book at Carroll. Paulsen said that it was obvious the parent was not familiar with either pieces because the two were incomparable. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is not a banned book at Cedar Falls High School, and Paulsen

said that she would absolutely continue to use the book as part of her curriculum. “It had a strong impact on me,” she said. Carroll had been teaching the book for four or five years before it was pulled. “I don’t recall ever hearing of it being challenged [anywhere],” Paulsen said. At Cedar Falls High School, the books that are a part of the curriculum go through a review process before they are approved. The review process has the main objective of implementing, enriching and supporting the instructional program. General selection criteria used in the review process includes educational significance, validity, contribution to the subject matter, the interests of students and staff, reviews and recommendations, examination of the material by professional personnel, reputation of the author, publisher, etc. Judy Timmins, head of the English department, is also responsible for approving materials before they are allowed into the curriculum. “Materials used in the English classrooms are selected for their literary merit, meeting of curriculum goals and student interest. In fairness, a novel, and other literature, should be judged in its entirety,” Timmins said. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape made it through the review process at Cedar Falls High School and came to Paulsen highly recommended. Paulsen said that a few students were uncomfortable with the questioned aspect of the book, but the majority really enjoyed it. She said all the students took away much more from the book than those few passages. Among other reasons, Paulsen chose What’s eating Gilbert Grape because of its main theme of tolerance and intolerance.

33-hour concert coming Dec. 29 Ellen Wrede Staff Writer

So you’ve seen the ads, you’ve seen the articles and you’ve seen the billboards, but you’re still wondering: What is Onefest really about? “The biggest reason that we do it is because Jesus prayed for oneness. My goal is that churches won’t be criticizing each other, but come together and understand the message of Christ better,” Onefest director Walt Rogers said. And they most certainly have done that. Last year they brought together some of the biggest names in Christian music under one roof at the UNI Dome. For its second year anniversary, Onefest has undergone a makeover and is now stretching its time limit by nine extra hours. As opposed to last year’s music from 1 p.m. to 1 p.m., the concert now lasts from 1p.m. on Friday, Dec. 29, and ends at 10 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30. It also features a family-friendly day with artists like Bibleman and 321 Improv. Just like last year, there is going to be a major

sponsor at the festival. This year features Food for the Hungry, similar to last year’s sponsor, Compassion. “Our goal is to get people to think of poverty and hunger around the world and how they can actually do something about it by sponsoring a child,” Rogers said. This year they are also hoping to feature a live ultrasound on stage “for people to know about the growth of the baby in a mother’s womb, and how cool life is,” Rogers said. Some returning artists include Stellar Kart, Alli Rogers, Ben Glenn and Leven. “I think we have a broader line up this year. More diverse musical interests,” Rogers said. The headliner this year is Relient K. “I’m excited because Relient K is going to be there, and they have really good music, and it was fun last year. It’s really cool to see all the Christians there in one place,” sophomore Natalie Oehler said. Tickets are on sale at the Onefest office which can be purchased through calling 319-266-9796 and at the UNI Dome. To find a complete list of ticket sales and bands, visit www.onefest.org.

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OPINION

Our View Students continue to outdo past holiday service projects

Every winter, students at CFHS manage to top their own records of charitable fundraising and volunteering. And every winter we like to recap some of these successful holiday events. From volunteering at the food bank to school-wide mitten drives, the clubs at the high school have provided all students with an opportunity to participate in this year’s season of community service. For that, we would like to thank those involved. Senior and Sophomore Leaderships, Student Senate, Amnesty International, the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) and Students for Social Responsibility (SSR) were among the clubs that contributed to the numerous causes at CFHS. Senior Leadership now has the contribution of a gift box for the House of Hope to add to their list of seasonal giving. Sophomore Leadership ran a successful school-wide mitten drive and the CF Branch of Amnesty International’s art show raised over $2,300 for Ugandan children. As always, the Toys for Tots drive hosted each year by the Student Forum met with incredible success. The school collectively raised $4,100 in toys and Tammy Frahm’s winning class raised just over $389 alone. The GSA, in their first service project of the winter, raised money through caroling and bought presents for an impoverished family. SSR also contributed well to the school’s participation by working at the Iowa Food Bank for two successive Saturdays. Altogether, they managed to put together over 800 food boxes. Every year’s contribution from CFHS is admirable, but this year probably tops the rest in mass participation. With a number of developing groups at CFHS, the opportunites for community service seem to be increasing. The fact that students throughout the school are taking advantage of these opportunities is more than commendable.

Write the Tiger Hi-Line

The Tiger Hi-Line is a weekly publication of the journalism classes of Cedar Falls High School, 1015 Division St., Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613. Each edition is published on Wednesdays during the school year in The Insider and Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier, 501 Commercial St., Waterloo, Iowa 50701. Columns and letters do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the HiLine or Cedar Falls Schools. The Hi-Line editorial staff view is presented weekly in the editorial labeled as Our View. Reader opinions on any topic are welcome and should be sent to the Tiger Hi-Line staff or delivered to room 208. All letters must be signed. Letters must be submitted by 3 p.m. on Thursday for publication the following Wednesday. Letters may not exceed 300 words and may be edited to meet space limitations. Include address and phone number for verification.

Editorial Staff Editors-in-Chief-Sheila Moussavi & Kirstin Riggs News Editors-Kelsey Ihde & Audrey Kittrell Opinion Editors-Andrea Huber & Robb Klassen Sports Editors-Josh Betts & Katy Schult Feature Editors-Briana McGeough & Willa Simmet On-Line Editors-David Jacobson & Olivia Schares

Christmas season provides chance for examining many aspects of love

“What we call ‘being in love’ is a glorious state, and, in several ways, good for us. It helps to make us generous and courageous, it opens our eyes Honor Heindl not only to the Staff Writer beauty of the beloved but to all beauty and it subordinates (especially at first) our merely animal sexuality; in that sense love is the great conqueror of lust. No one in his senses would deny that being in love is far better than either common sensuality or cold self-centeredness.” C.S. Lewis wrote the quote above in the book Mere Christianity. It’s quite powerful, yet it only describes one of the four main types of love. Usually love is categorized into one big pile of emotion, when one could categorize different aspects of this emotion like Lewis explained in his book when he detailed the differences between storge, eros, agape and philo. Below gives you a closer look at these loves and two movies that portray each type the best. Storge means to feel natural affection especially between parents and their children or the love between a master and his dog. It’s automatic from the day a parent and child or human and their pet are connected. Beethoven or any of the classic animal movies are perfect examples for storge love. When I was younger, Beethoven was always a favorite because the St. Bernard is crazy neat but also because it’s really cool how the family is willing to do pretty much anything for their dog; Beethoven is an equal member of the family. Finding Nemo is more of a children’s movie, but it shows family bonds nevertheless. Nemo is caught by scuba divers and taken all the way to Sydney, Australia. His father, Marlin, travels the seas searching high and low for his only son. Although Marlin starts out as a very safe, non-adventurous type, he ends up running into a hilarious fish named Dory who joins him on his bon voyage, overcoming obstacles along the way. They eventually reunite, and it’s assumed that they live happily ever after. Eros, the physical attraction and

longing for another, would describe C.S. Lewis’s quotation above; it is also known as the sense of “being in love.” This love can sometimes get carried away, but for the most part it’s an amazing feeling shared between a man and woman. Eros is romantic, passionate and sensual. Today we have an immense collection of romantic movies or “chick flicks.” so it is hard to pick just two. Titanic has to be on the list seeing as it’s a classic love story of how two people from totally different worlds meet each other. Boy saves girl numerous times, even giving up his own life for hers at the end with a bunch of romance in between; it’s definitely a tear-jerker. A Walk to Remember is another one of my personal favorites. Once again, two really different people fall in love. Jamie saves his life in religious and behavioral ways as he gives her memories of a lifetime; all the while her illness worsens and eventually kills her. The love they have for each other is fantastic and one every young girl dreams of experiencing. Agape is the most commonly heard of love: God’s love. This is the unconditionally sacrificial love that we should all strive to show toward others just as God has done for us. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” [John 3.16] This verse is a perfect example of agape. If you love someone like that, you’ll love him or her no matter what happens, which is something we all struggle with. Of course, if we did accomplish loving everyone in this world completely, there

wouldn’t be wars, abortions, divorces or any evil in general. The Passion of the Christ is, in my opinion, one of the best movie definitions of agape. Jesus dying on the cross for all of the world’s sin has to be one of the most meaningful and heartfelt actions; agape lasts forever. Saving Private Ryan is another incredibly well done motion picture that strongly portrays the love and loyalty of a troop who dies fighting and protecting a single man. The soldiers risked everything just so Ryan could go home safe to his mother who had already lost three of her sons in war. Now that’s powerful. Philo is the friendship love that occurs in strong bonds between humans, usually referred to as affection. This can mean love for things or people. A step below agape, philo is love between brothers and sisters, friends, soldiers fighting side by side, patriotic love and anyone in general, yet because it expects the same feelings in return and doesn’t have quite as high of a purpose; philo is inferior to agape. Loyalty, virtue, equality and familiarity are found in these types of relationships. Once again, there’s quite the list of movies applicable to philo, but Harry Potter and My Girl are my winners. Harry Potter has many themes, some controversial, others very inspirational, but the bond between Hermione, Ron and Harry is unquestionably deep. Those three would go to any measure for each other and have. My Girl is one of those movies that just makes you smile. The friendship is so obvious in that movie, and, even though it’s an older pick, it still does a great job of showing best friends. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says, “Love is patient; love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.” I realize we’re nowhere near Valentines Day, but love shouldn’t just be celebrated once a year. The love in our lives, whether it’s agape or philo is what keeps us going and gives us belonging. The holidays are here and as we move toward Christmas, we should all be reminded of the truest agape love of all: the birth of Jesus Christ.

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SPORTS

CFHS men’s basketball defeats Hempstead, falls to Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Ames last week Josh Betts Sports Editor

The CFHS men’s basketball team came into this week looking to build some momentum going to the last week before the holiday break, but three tough tests were ahead. Conference games against Cedar Rapids Jefferson and Dubuque Hempstead, and a nonconference contest against the No. 4 Ames Little Cyclones. On Tuesday, the Tigers welcomed the J-Hawks of Cedar Rapids Jefferson to Tigers gymnasium, but after rallying throughout the game after a quick start by Jefferson in the first quarter, the Tigers fell just short by a score of 66-59. CFHS head men’s basketball coach Jerry Slykhuis talked about his team’s play against Jefferson. “I can’t fault the team’s effort,” Slykhuis said. “I was very pleased with how the kids played. We’re going to be a good team before the year’s over.” The J-Hawks came out of the gates on fire, outscoring the Tigers 22-9 in the first quarter.

“If you get behind early, you have a lot of time to catch up,” Slykhuis said. “We could never (seem) to get the free throw, basket or rebound (to put us over the hump).” In the second quarter, the Tigers clawed back, outscoring the J-Hawks 17-11. The Tigers did take a brief 3029 lead late in the second quarter on an Andy Youde free throw. That would be the Tigers’ only lead of the night. Jefferson would quickly retake the lead, and would lead 36-34 at halftime. “We went (to a) zone defense in the second quarter, and that slowed them (Jefferson) down a bit,” Slykhuis said. Jefferson would outscore the Tigers 10-9 in the third quarter to take a slim 46-43 lead after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, the Tigers would get close but could only draw within one point of the J-Hawks. DJ Deery converted a lay-up to cut the Jefferson lead to 46-45, but that’s as close as the Tigers could get. Jefferson would outscore the Tigers 20-16 in the fourth quarter to seal the win. The Tigers had four players in

double figures. John Landau led the Tigers with 16. Austin Pehl scored 15. Mike Schindel had 12, and DJ Deery added 11. “I like having four guys in double figures,” Slykhuis said. “It’s important to get balanced scoring.” On Friday night, the Tigers welcomed the Mustangs of Dubuque Hempstead to Tigers’ gymnasium and snapped a two-game losing streak with a 55-47 victory. “It was a big win,” Slykhuis said. “This was a conference game. Anytime you are trying to stop a losing streak, a win is important.” The Tigers would lead 22-21 at halftime. In the second half, the Tigers’ bench made some key contributions. The Tigers outscored the Mustangs 1810 in the third quarter to take a ninepoint lead at 40-31 after three quarters. With 2:15 to go in the fourth quarter, Tim Jackson, who led the Tigers with 12 points, drained a three pointer to widen the Tiger lead. After Hempstead cut the Tiger lead to single digits, Jackson expanded the Tiger lead once

again, and the Tigers held on for the victory. Darion Howard also added eight points off the bench for the Tigers. “Tim Jackson came up big,” Slykhuis said. Slykhuis talked about his starters having sort of an off night offensively. “You have good nights and bad nights,” Slykhuis said. “Every night’s not going to be a good night offensively.” Saturday, the Tigers traveled to Ames to face the No. 4 Ames Little Cyclones and fell by a score of 62-43. “It was a great opportunity for us,” Slykhuis said of getting a chance to play the No. 4 team. “For the most part we did a good job. It was a fourpoint game at halftime. I thought we played hard.” Schindel led the Tigers with 15 points. Pehl added six. The Tigers hosted No. 2 Iowa City West last night, and return to action following the holiday break on Friday, Jan. 5, when the Tigers travel to Waterloo East to battle the Trojans.

Cedar Falls wrestlers off to quick start this season Katy Schult Sports Editor

The CFHS Tigers wrestling team is off to another good start to the season. Seven of the Tiger wrestlers are returning from last year and three have moved up to the varsity team from the junior varsity team. The Tigers have also gained five new wrestlers. Last year at the state tournament, four of the returning seven wrestlers qualified. These five wrestlers include junior Kevin Hancock (103), senior Dan Twito (135), senior Taylor Morris (152) and senior Tyler Parker (275). Both Twito and Parker placed at the state tournament, Twito placed third and Parker placed fourth. So far this season the Tigers have faced the Waterloo Columbus Sailors, Waterloo East Trojans and Iowa City West Trojans. At the annual Keith Young Invitational, two of the Tiger wrestlers finished in first place, those two include Morris (140) and Twito (145). Two

of the Tigers also finished in second place, those two include Michael Kelly (130) and sophomore Aidan Brock (152). Senior Artyom Ivakh (135) also finished in fifth place. On Thursday evening, the Tigers faced the Iowa City West Trojans. The Trojans are the top-ranked team and defeated the Tigers 44-31. Despite the loss, the Tigers had a good showing. The Tigers had pins from Twito (152), senior Nathan Yokem (171), junior David Weidenbacher (119) and junior Jesse Froehner (125). Morris and sophomore Brandon Nicholson also had wins for the Tigers. Twito pinned Evan Shaw in 5:31, Yokem pinned Alex Kron in 1:38, Weidenbacher pinned Austin Reeves in 1:07 and Froehner pinned Tracy Bowers in 1:03. Morris defeated Owen McKinley 7-6, while Nicholson defeated Alex Ginsberg 14-4. Tomorrow night, Cedar Falls faces Iowa City High at home at 6:15 p.m.

Athlete Week of the

Austin Pehl Men’s Basketball

Junior Austin Pehl has helped guide the CFHS men’s basketball tean to a 4-3 start. Pehl scored 15 points against Jefferson on Tuesday night. Pehl and the men’s basketball team’s next game will be Friday, Jan. 5, when Pehl and the Tigers travel to Waterloo East to take on the Trojans. 1. What is your favorite part of basketball? Really close games. 2. How long have you been playing basketball? I’ve been playing on teams since third grade. 3.What do you do before games to get ready to play? I eat a ton of macaroni and cheese and drink a lot of Gatorade and stay focused. 4. What is your favorite basketball team? I don’t know if I have a favorite college team, UNI or Texas. My favorite pro team would be the Minnesota Timber Wolves. 5. What is your most memorable basketball moment? Eighth grade basketball season, overtime vs. Logan.

Tigers

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Men’s Basketball (4-3) lost to CR Jefferson 66-59 beat Dubuque Hempstead 55-47 lost to No. 4 Ames 62-43 played No. 2 Iowa City West last night Next Up: Waterloo East 1/5 (Away at 6 p.m.) Women’s Basketball (5-4) beat No. 15 CR Jefferson 73-68 in 2 OT beat Dubuque Hempstead 71-34 played at No. 6 Iowa City West last night Next Up: Waterloo East 1/5 (Home at 6 p.m.) Wrestling (2-1 in team duals) competed at CR Duals Next Up: I.C. High 12/21 (Home at 6:15 p.m.)

Photo By Raquel Facciani Wrestling against Ely Ackles of Waterloo East High School is sophomore Aidan Brock (152). Brock took second place at the annual Keith Young Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 2. The Tigers defeated the East High Trojans. Tomorrow night, Dec. 21, the Cedar Fall Tigers face the Iowa City High Little Hawks at home at 6:15 p.m.

Women’s Bowling Next Up: Waterloo East 12/21 (Home at 3:45 p.m.) Men’s Swimming competed at Iowa City West Invite 12/16 Next Up: Dubuque Hempstead (Home at 6 p.m.)

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FEATURE

S U D O K U

Student obsessed with Sudoku Torie Jochims Staff Writer

The word Sudoku has become just as much a part of our language as iPod or mp3. Everyone from nine-year-old boys sitting on trampolines to 64-yearold grandmothers in recliners can be found playing this delightfully challenging game. Just what is so attractive about this extremely difficult number game? Allison Meier, a CFHS sophomore who loves to use her free time solving Sudoku puzzles, says the attraction has to do with a person’s interest in numbers. “I’m a left-brained person. Numbers fascinate me. I like challenges with answers,” she said. When the point of the game is to fill in all the empty squares so that the numbers one to nine appear once in each row, column and 3x3 box, a player of Sudoku must like numbers. How to go about solving them is

something you have to learn on your own, but Meier agreed to share her personal techniques. “First I try to see if there are any obvious answers,” she said. “Then I use some strategies I have picked up.” Even though some people just pick up strategies with the crowd, Meier said she isn’t one of those people. “I used to do them before they became popular. I had an old children’s puzzle book with Sudokus in them,” she said. With so much to figure out, and a serious addiction to them, Meier said that she is somehow able to invest only a normal amount of time in the puzzles. “If I am bored and don’t feel like reading I’ll grab one. I have cut out of my book and do a few,” she said. “I might say (I spend) about an hour or two each week.” Even for the number-impaired, these games can quickly become a habit.

It’s just the idea of figuring it out, and once you start you simply must know the answer. The only issue could be deciding where the obsession’s line is drawn. “It was an obsession over the summer because I babysat a lot. My sister likes to play by herself or try them too, but now it is just a time filler,” Meier said. “When I am having a hard time concentrating, it is a mind stimulator.” To some, Sudoku seems like a pointless fad, but not to Meier, who has been a fan of Sudoku long before it became a popular part of society. “I think it is a fad for the majority (of people), but it will stick with some people,” she said. When asked about her overall feelings on the puzzle Meier said, “It isn’t a puzzle for everyone, but it is fun for most.” If you want to give it a try, get on the web and surf on over to http://www.naturebee.com/sudoku/.

How To: “Well, according to www.sudoku.com it’s really quite simple! Just ‘Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9!’“

Guess WHAT?

1. There is really no right

or wrong way to start your Sudoku puzzle!

2 There’s no math involved.

Books

The Little Black Book of Sudoku by NY Times crossword editor Will Shortz contains Sudoku puzzles that range from “Light and Easy” to “Beware! Very Challenging.” It is available at B. Dalton for $12.95.

This page-a-day calendar has a Sudoku puzzle on every page. It is published by Barnes & Noble Calendars and is available at B. Dalton for $12.95.

Calendars

Board Games

Sudoku “So ... how do you play?”

Stocking Stuffers

3.

It’s fun, addicting

AND challenging!

Sudoku The Board Game by Pressman, Inc. gives a family and competitive element to classic Sudoku. It is available at Go! The Game Store for $14.95.

Electronic Games

This electronic game brings a new twist to Sudoku by combining traditional Sudoku rules with the rules of a Rubik’s cube. It is available at Go! The Game Store for $12.95.