Cool Cartoons
Tiger Hi-Line The
Volume 48 Edition 12
Students remember their favorite cartoons, such as Tom and Jerry, pictured at left. For more cartoon memories, turn to the Feature page.
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Amnesty to hold CF choir raises money for trip art show Dec. 8 with caroling gigs around town Sara Strever Staff Writer
The CFHS Amnesty International club is hosting another fundraiser for their Cambodia School. Last year, the group intivited many other CFHS groups in a goal to build an elementary school in Cambodia. With the help of CFHS students’ drive and dedication, CFHS raised $15,000. “The school had a skating party, student versus faculty basketball game, bake sales, raffle and May Day baskets. The Conservative Club donated money as well. There was a tremendous amount of school organization. Senior Leadership and Student Senate were very involved,” Amnesty International President Briana McGeough said. This year, Amnesty International’s goal is to raise $4,000
in order to provide furniture, books and a teacher’s salary. To kick off this drive, Amnesty is planning an art sale on Saturday, Dec 8, in the CFHS lobby from 10-4. The art is from UNI students, CFHS students and the Art Club. “I really hope it will make a significant dent. It would be great to be in the quadruple digits,” McGeough said. Amnesty is also planning other fundraisers, such as a calendar with photography from Amnesty participants and a Culture Fair in the spring where students could try different foods, learn about different cultures and see dancers perform various ethnic dances. “I feel this is an excellent opportunity to support our school, but to contribute to the worthy cause of education Cambodian children is even better,” McGeough said.
Nadia Honary Staff Writer
December is the month of holiday spirit and the CFHS choir knows just what to do to bring the festivities alive. Members of the choir will be volunteering to perform Christmas carols throughout the month of December. Kendra Wohlert, choir director, plans on continuing the new holiday tradition. “We started the Christmas caroling just last year. It’s good community service. Last year we caroled around the community for free, but this year we will be asking for donations for our choir trip,” Wohlert said. The singers have been hard at work learning the classic Christmas carols, from “Jingle Bells” to “Silent Night,” for a long time.
“We have been rehearsing the songs since the end of October. At the beginning, everyone learns the songs. Then we have after school rehearsals offered for the kids who want to carol. Certain gigs will rehearse because some groups never sang together,” Wohlert said. Not all the students involved in choir do the carols. “Out of the 140 choir students, about 30 students will do the carols. It’s a volunteer group,” Wohlert said. Choir members who do the carols certainly have many opportunities and places to go. “We already did a pre-concert at the Gallagher Bluedorn. We performed at the Sartori Fest of Trees. We had a performance inbetween services at the church of St. John’s Artist Series, and a Jingle and Mingle performance on Thursday where we sang at different shops in downtown
Seasonal Selections: Arlene Freudenberg Staff Writer
Choir, French horns, violins and more will be stirring the spirits for the season in three upcoming concerts from CFHS music students this December. On Dec. 10, directors Kyle Engelhardt and Gerald Ramsey will transform their energetic moving marching band into two talented concert bands. “If the only time you’ve heard the band was in the UNI Dome, then you have no concept of what the band really sounds like. After the memorial ceremony, people came up to me and complimented on how good the band sounded. Come to the concert to hear what we sound like without the 10-second delay,” Ramsey said. The band has been split into two separate bands. Ramsey’s band will be playing “Symphonic Prelude” by Mark Camphouse, “Third Suite” by Roger E. Jager and “Salvation is Created” by
Tschesnokoff. “The literature has to provide a significant challenge for the advanced players, but the less advanced players have to be able to play it. The literature has to be artistically significant. We don’t want to play literature just because we are able to play it. We want to provide a variety,” Ramsey said. Engelhardt’s band will be performing “Havendance” by David R. Holsinger, “Solas Ane” by Samuel R. Hazo, “Dreams and Proclamations” by Roland Barrett and “All is Calm” by Robert W. Smith. Engelhardt’s band will perform songs featuring stronger sections of his band. “I picked ‘Havendance’ and ‘Dreams and Proclamations’ because it features the percussion and French horns,” Engelhardt said. On Dec. 17, Kendra Wohlert’s choirs will show off their vocal styling. The whole choir will sing “Yuletide Fanfare” by Dave and Jean Perry,
“Awake Awake: A Joyous Noel” by Carl Strommen, “Wintertime Aglow” by Audrey Snyder and “Sleigh Bells” by Earlene Rentz. Senior Enora Wu will play a piano solo, and The Cantus, a small select singing group, will sing “Hodie, Christus Natus Est” by Healey Willian, “Before he Paling” by Douglas E. Wagner, “I Saw Three Ships” by Edwin Fissinger and “Ding-a Ding-a Ding” by Greg Gilpin. The vocal jazz group will be singing “Let it Snow, Let is Snow, Let it Snow,” “I’ll be home for Christmas” and “Jingle Bell Rock” by Michele Weir. Junior Rhys Talbot will also offer a rendition of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” The concert choir will sing “Riu Riu Chiu,” “O Magnum Mysterium” by Morten Lauridsen, “This Child, This King” by Daniel E. Gawhrop, “Go Where I Send” by Paul Caldwell and Sean Ivory. Finally, the whole choir and past alumni will come together to sing “Still, Still, Still” by Norman Luboff.
Nadia Honary Photo Choir members Sarah Anderson, Alice Miller, Amelia Gotera, Lizzy Lockard, Joe Fagersten, Daniel Veenstra, and Sam Lilja sing carols.
Cedar Falls from 6 to 7:30,” Wohlert said. Their latest gig dates to Dec. 14 at the Beaver Hills Country Club, but that will not be their last gig. The choir is still taking dates as people keep calling in. One student, junior Brennden
Budak, is excited to carol. “It’s very exciting. I love to sing; it’s always fun. My favorite Christmas carol is ‘Hark the Harold Angels Sing.’ Even though it’s really cold caroling outside, it’s still worth it,” Budak said.
Upcoming performances showcase holiday music
“One of the highlights will be Rhys Talbot’s arrangement of ‘You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch,’ and we’re starting a tradition of having all the kids in choir and alumni from past choirs come back and sing ‘Still Still Still,’” Wohlert said. However, these special songs are not the only highlights this concert has to offer. “The concert choir will be performing ‘O Magnum’ in Latin. It’s just a beautiful arrangement of the sacred text, and the harmonic colors are just beautiful,” Wohlert said. “It’s a really long process [picking out songs for the choir]. I have to like the piece. It has to fit the ranges of voices, and it has to have the right level of difficulty. It has to have contrast of musical styles, tempos and key signatures. It’s difficult because I don’t know my new singers that are coming up as sophomores,” Wohlert said. On Tuesday, Dec. 18, Scott Hall
will showcase his symphonic orchestra. They will be playing “Christmas Favorites: It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, Silver Bells and The Christmas song” by Bruce Chase. They will perform an arrangement from the Nutcracker Ballet Suite “March of the Nutcracker, Trepak, and The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.” They will play “Stille Nacht” by Mamnheim Steamroller, “Concerto Grosso I” by G.F. Handel and “Baechande” from “Samson and Delilia.” “I picked songs, of course, that are somewhat seasonal, such as the Nutcracker, and I picked songs that showcase the talents of different orchestra players,” Hall said. All the concerts will be held in the high school auditorium at 7:30. “I think they’ll [the audience] will be impressed with the great sound we produce and enjoy some of the familiar work. It will get them in the holiday mood,” Hall said.
Tiger Hi-Line The
OPIn n IO OPI IOnn
our view our view
Media consolidation threatens democracy On Feb. 8, 1996, President Bill Clinton opened Pandora’s Box of media consolidation by signing the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The act alarmingly transformed the ownership of the media by loosening the restrictions on major media conglomerates. While the act was billed as a fosterer of media competition, it instead contributed to the industry consolidation trend that began during the Reagan administration. The number of major media companies was about 50 in 1983 and fell to 10 in 1996. Under the Telecom Act, the field narrowed to six by 2005. Kevin J. Martin, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), hopes to further loosen the restrictions on the number of radio and television stations a company can own in the same city. Martin hopes to expedite the process of deregulation and hold a final vote of the five FCC commission members in December. Three years ago when former FCC Chairman Michael Powell attempted to take a similar action, nearly three million comments of criticism were sent to the FCC and organized opponents ranged from the National Rifle Association to the National Organization for Women. The Tiger Hi-Line staff strongly opposes measures to deregulate the media. The first amendment of the Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law. . . abridging the freedom of speech or of the press. ” Although legal media consolidation may not be an explicit attempt to restrict freedom of the press, that is the end result of limiting the number of media sources. As newspaper editors, we hold a deep regard for the power and influence of the media. We wholeheartedly believe that it is the strongest contributor to an informed population and ultimately the foundation of democracy. The responsibility of informing the public is far too important to be left up to a few individuals. Instead, information should be available from sources and perspectives that are as diverse as the American population. Your voice can make a difference. To take action against media consolidation, please contact the FCC at www.fcc.gov/contacts.html.
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 Wenesdays 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 Hi-Line 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
Editor-in-Chief: Briana McGeough News Editors: Olivia Schares and Kellie Petersen Opinion Editors: Andrea Huber and Torie Jochims Sports Editor: Jacqueline Jordan Feature Editors: Honor Heindl and Briana McGeough On-Line Editors: Ellen Wrede Entertainment Editor: Kristen Hammer
Writer experiences day in hands of others Arlene Freudenberg Staff Writer
Eyes are a simple luxury that many people take for granted. However, for about 40 million people living in the world today, it’s a luxury that they have learned to live without. On Monday, Oct. 16, I chose to walk the Cedar Falls High School hallways with a blindfold on to learn and hopefully understand the difficulties of being blind. There are many challenges to being blind. One I learned very quickly is to maneuver around. One has basically two options: I could have chosen to stumble around running into every wall, locker and door I could find. Another, more realistic choice, is to put complete trust into fellow students to guide me around and trust they won’t let any harm come to my way. My greatest challenge with this exercise was trusting my guides. In the beginning I wouldn’t believe them when they told me there were no stairs in front of me. How was I suppose to know? The school is a maze, and I couldn’t see where I was lead. As the day continued, I became more accustomed to not being able to see where I was going, but the trust factor was still an issue. It’s hard to completely put down your guard and even harder when you have one of your senses blocked out. I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many times I fell down the stairs, ran into people or ran into some inanimate object. Before this experiment, I never imagined how hard it is to figure out what something is without being able to see it. It takes a lot of practice. I would run my fingers against the ridges of my binders, books and folders countless times before I could successfully identify what I was looking for. Because I was unable to see, I had to learn how to learn in a different way than everyone else. In my third period Spanish class my teacher had someone read to me, and I had to tell my partner what the answer was. I thought it would be interesting to see how well I could write down the answers, and when I reviewed my paper later that evening, it was unbelievable how sloppy it was. I had legible sentences but they had overlapped each other, and it made reading very difficult. I am really impressed with people
who are blind that are independent. I couldn’t imagine going through life without being able to see and take care of myself. There are people out there who have adapted to living by themselves, maneuvering on their own and cooking their own food. Justine Dencklau Photo I couldn’t even walk through a Discovering what it’s like to put her trust in others, staff writer Arlene Freudenberg spends a day in the hallway without care of students like staff writer Maggie Devine. running into someone. Although, I have a little experience for those who have to live every day with guiding the blind, so I understand of their lives unable to see. how it feels to be talking to someone “My cousin John Du Bois lives in who can’t see you. I also know how Washington, D.C., and has been blind it feels to have someone entirely trust since birth,” junior Sara Ahlschwede you that you won’t run them into said. something. It’s remarkable to hear the stories This summer I worked at the Cross- about those who are blind. They are roads Hy-Vee, and one day when I able to take care of themselves without was working a blind woman came into assistance. the store. My boss had me guide her “He lives alone in an apartment around our store and help her shop. and rides the metro bus through the I had to lead her and her cart busy city to work daily. He cooks and around, read her all the numerous cleans just like any other person,” amounts of brands of food and pray to Ahlschwede said. God I was getting her the right things. Du Bois has learned to cope with It was a very difficult experience his disability and learned to overcome because she would try to explain little challenges life throws at him. something to me, and I sometimes “He reads Braille and has learned wouldn’t understand what she meant. to lable his clothing with Braille to She didn’t always know the brands know what will match,” Ahlschwede of the food she wanted, so she would said. describe it, and I had to suggest what However, clothes are not the only it might be. obstacles he comes across. John has When one thinks of someone belearned how to identify his friends and ing blind, they generally don’t think family by other means. how hard life is for them. Whenever “John has an excellent memory and I opened my eyes I became really identifies people by their voices. He depressed that the only thing I could also feels the palms of people’s hands see was the black cloth around my because he can tell by the lines and eyes. I couldn’t see who I was talking veins who is who,” Ahlschwede said. to, so I had to focus more on their Even though he is blind. John is voices. As the day went on I became still part of the family, and the Ahlaccustomed with not being able to see. schwede’s family sees him as just any I could even guess how some people other part of the family. were feeling just by the tones in their “We will try to trick him, but he alvoices. ways knows who we are, even though I found living blind for one day I only see John once a year, if I’m was very challenging, and through my lucky. He knows my voice and the feel experience I have gained new respect of my hands,” Ahlschwede said.
Tiger Hi-Line
SPORTS SPORTS
The
Winter Sports Preview II
Men’s basketball will rely on seasoned letter winners
Paul Strike Staff Writer
Michael Hanson Staff Writer
The Tiger men’s basketball team has had a lot of good seasons, but they never got over the bump to get to State. This year, they are hoping for a successful season with a lot of returning players and a talented sophomore team from last year that will give the them a lot of depth on the team bench. The tigers will be looking up to seniors Austin Pehl, Mike Schindel and Tim Jackson. Jackson said that his goal for this season is to be able to be the best player he can be. Also, he included that in order to have a good season, the team will have to be team players with good chemistry. Junior Darion Howard said that he wants to make it to State and have a good season as a player and as a team. For the returning starters from last year, one of the keys for them will be the down low game, which was manned last year with Pehl and Howard. The Tigers scored most of their points off three pointers last year and will be looking to do that again. Junior Shane Fuller said that he hopes he can be a key part of the team, and he will likely share time with senior Tyron Hacket that transfered
Marcussen returns as men’s swimming coach
Ben Bremner Photo
In the victory over Ballard on Friday, Nov. 30, senior Michael Shindel heaves one up from threepoint range. The Tigers won 54 to 38. from East High. Hacket said that he is ready to play after not being able to play any of last year because of the transfer rule. “I am ready to step on the court and play some ball and play East on their court,” Hacket said.
Men’s Basketball Season Overview
Coach: Jerry Slykhuis How Last Year Went: Last Year went really well, we had a young team/inexperience, 13-10 tied for metro-champs with East, and they beat us in Districts. Goals For Last Year: We have about five returning lettermen, so we plan to finish high in our conference and go to State. Key Players This Year: Austin Peel/two-year letter and all conference player Mike Schindel/returning letter winner and all conference Tim Jackson/returning letter winner Darion Howard/returning letter winner Kyle Bernard/returning letter winner Thoughts On This Season: We have come back with a good size, good shooters and a lot of experience. This should be a great year for us. Thoughts On The Team As A Whole: We have a very good group of young men, fundamentally sound. We have 13 boys out. All can play. They are a fun group. First game: Nov. 30, which is a home game Any Additional Comments: We are looking forward to the year, and we’re glad we’ve started.
As the winter sports season comes around, one of the most successful Cedar Falls Tiger teams begins its season. The Cedar Falls men’s swimming team, led by a return of coach Dick Marcussen, is eager for another great season capped with a strong State Meet showing. The 20-man roster is filled with experience, with 15 swimmers having experience prior to this coming season. The Tigers last year finished in fifth place at the state meet. There are three returning state meet qualifiers in juniors Josh Bower, Nick Challgren and Brian Verink. Coach Marcussen, now in his 40th year of coaching Cedar Falls swimming, is complimentary on the team’s effort so far. “The team is working hard and doing it as a team, so practice has a purpose for each swimmer,” Marcussen said. The veteran coach also said he thinks that the competition among the Cedar Falls swimmers will be key in making each swimmer improve, therefore making the team improve overall. “Any slacking off and thinking your event is a lock … surprise, it isn’t!”
Men’s Swimming Season Overview
Coach: Dick Marcussen How Last Year Went: 1st place at districts and 5th place overall at State Goals For This Year: Pull the team together as a team, and get the younger kids to do well and have them blend in well with the team and have a good year. Key Swimmers This Year: Andy Peck Brian Verink Nick Challgren Garrett Moses Josh Bower (all returning letter winners from last year) Thoughts On This Season: Just to keep everyone competeing so at the end of the year we have a full slate of swimmers in all events Thoughts On The Team As A Whole: Better than last year. They all work well together and have great team effort. First Meet: First of the month against Ames should be like another. (At the) state meet, (the) top five teams will be there, and we want to go down there and just shake up the state a little bit let them know we are back.
Bonds’ real reckoning will come at grand jury Alex Entz Staff Writer
An NPR Sports reporter Opinion crackled over the car radio. “In sports news today, San Francisco Giants slugger and career home run record holder, Barry Bonds, was indicted today on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice.” I high-fived my dad; the hated superstar had finally fallen from grace. The evidence against Bonds is there. He tested positive for amphetamines earlier this year and Game of Shadows chronicles a brilliant investigation. Maybe the reason the American public is so infatuated with Bonds is because he is such a poisonous superstar. McGwire is still revered, likely because he is a congenial hero. Bonds’ activities are undeniable— from recovered calendars to others testimonies to hat size. It’s all there. A year and a half after the damning book Game of Shadows came out and just months since Bonds shattered the most hallowed record in all of sports, Bonds has been indicted. It is arguably the biggest sports story since McGwire’s record-setting 1998 year. The federal grand jury that had been breathing down Bond’s neck sat on their hands during the hullaballoo around Game of Shadows’ release. As if to add insult to injury, they then sat on their hands and watched him hit number 756 to an announcer roaring, “And Bonds, hits it high, hits it deep … it is OUTTA HERE! 756!” So, when Bonds enters that court on Dec. 7, defiant and testy as always, I will stand and applaud. America may have lost its innocence, but Bonds’ time has come.
Tiger Hi-Line The
FEATURE FEATURE
Students have fondness for shows of yesteryear Briana McGeough Staff Writer
According to Nielsen Media Research, the average American views nearly five hours of television daily. While experts debate the effects of this much television on developing minds, there is little question that children form fond memories and attachments to their favorite television shows that stay with them for the rest of their lives. Senior Kristin Adams’ favorite childhood show was Tom and Jerry, a classic short cartoon literally dedicated to the game of cat and mouse. Tom, a disgruntled and likely very hungry cat, seems to be on a constant quest for something to eat. Jerry, an adorable and clever mouse, is constantly running, hiding and playing tricks on Tom. When Jerry is not the subject of Tom’s hunts, he spends his time protecting other potential meals, including the family goldfish and canary, from Tom’s desperate plots. “I liked Tom and Jerry. It was really funny and cute. You had to love the mouse and cat,” Adams said. Jerry consistantly attains victory over Tom with less than peaceful means. The show is infamous for some of the most violent scenes in animated television history. Though it has been in production on-and-off since 1940, some of the quality standards have changed since its debut, and scenes in-
cluding ax murders and violence with waffle irons were deemed unacceptable for the young viewing audience. Adams’ favorite character was Tom “because he tried so hard and failed so often.” Interestingly from a cross-cultural perspective, foreign exchange student from Slovokia and CFHS junior Miska Balazecova, also favored Tom and Jerry in her youth. “It was funny and my name in my language means mouse,” Balazecova said. It may be due to the name similarity that Balazecova feels a kinship to Jerry. “I liked how the mouse was smart and the cat couldn’t catch it,” Balazecova said. Another popular show among CFHS students is Blue’s Clues. The show premiered on Nickelodeon in 1996. It featured a blue dog (Blue) who would mark objects around the house (clues) with his paw print, and his owner would peruse the house looking for the clues. In order to find the clues, Blue’s owner would speak to various characters around the house who were based off of inanimate objects such as a sidetable drawer, salt shaker, and a mailbox. Once Blue’s owner had found all of the clues and jotted them down in his handy dandy notebook, he would sit down in the thinking chair and piece the clues together. The clues always added up to what Blue wanted to do that day, and
then Blue and his owner would promenade off to a day of wholesome fun. “I liked how they tried to put the clues together,” junior Shelby Macleod said. Blue is a popular character who is loved by the show’s young audience. Sophomore Liz Brandhorst liked that the show was “about a talking dog who was blue.” Blue’s Clues has had several other notable characters. In 2002, Steve Burns, Blue’s original owner and host of Blue’s Clues, decided to leave the show. Burns was replaced by actor Donovan Patton, who played Joe, the character Steve’s younger brother when Burns (who was 29 at the time) “left for college.” Rumors erupted when Burns left the show; Burns even made a talk show appearance in order to dispel the rumors that he had died of a drug overdose or terminal illness. Scooby-Doo is another popular and long-running children’s series that is plagued with rumors of tomfoolery. One rumor of drug use spawned from a character named Shaggy and his beatnik appearance. These rumors are further fueled by the live-action film based on the TV series, in which Shaggy falls in love with a girl named Mary Jane. A scene in the film contains a date between the two characters with smoke exiting a vent of the room they are in. It is later revealed that the two of them were simply cooking together.
Despite these rumors, Shaggy remains a popular character in the series. “I like Shaggy because he is tall and dumb,” sophomore Jonathan Smith said. The show, which has aired nearly constantly under various titles since 1969, has remained popular, though infamous, for its predictability. In each episode, a group of four friends (Shaggy, Fred, Velma and Daphne) and their dog, Scooby-Doo, drive around in their van The Mystery Machine, until they come across a supernatural phenomenon involving a villain. After a lot of detective work and typically a failed attempt at capturing the villain, the gang solves the mystery logically and unmasks the culprit who often claims that he or she would have gotten away with his or her plot “if it weren’t for those meddling kids.” “The people who were in the monster costume were always someone the characters knew,” Smith said. The show ends with the friends leaving the scene of the crime with justice being served. Another popular crime and punishment cartoon is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The show is based off of a 1984 comic book which was intended to parody several popular comics of the age. The show is about four turtles that after exposure to radioactive ooze become very large and develop their ninja abilities under the guidance of a mutant rat named Master Splinter. They use
their skills to combat the evil forces of petty criminals, super villains and alien invaders. “I liked how there were four of them, but they all got along so well and fought together,” senior Michelle Bamber said. The four turtles are characterized by solidarity, teamwork, a love of pizza and the catch phrase Cowabunga! The turtles are named after Renaissance era artists. Their individual characteristics are best summarized with the lyrics of the original 1987 cartoon series’ theme song: “Leonardo leads, Donatello does machines, Raphael is cool but crude, Michelangelo is a party dude!” “Michelangelo was the coolest. I wanted to be just like him: wear orange and kick butt, and he could dance,” Bamber said. Although the 1987 version of the series was discontinued in 1996, a more modern version was created in 2003 and is still airing new episodes. Although all of these shows can be seen in various forms on television today, the joys of the internet can satisfy nostalgic urges by providing original versions of each of them. Websites such as youtube.com feature entire and partial episodes. Additionally, information databases such a wikipedia.org also contain information that is ideal for a trip down memory lane with the shows of yesteryear.
Fanciful Foto Flashbacks
Photos (left to right) are courtesy of flamingskull.com, epguides.com, wikipedia.org and moviecommunities.com