The
Tiger HI-LINE Friday, Feb. 14, 2020
Volume 59 Edition 15
DUNKIN’ DUBUQUE CF downs Wahlert 72-48 on Tuesday at home/See Page 7 Follow us on Twitter at tigerhiline and on our website at www.hiline.cfschools.org
One Act earns All State in Dubuque Six teams finish with straight 1’s in large group contest Speech students dominated in Dubuque on Saturday, Feb. 8 at the State Large Group Contest. Fifteen students rode up together at 5:45 Saturday morning, eager to perform the pieces they’d been working on for months. Large groups, consisting of events like choral reading, ensemble acting, group improvisation, one act play, group mime and many others advance through multiple levels of competition. Groups start with Districts in January, after which select groups are chosen to move on to State. The students on the bus that Saturday morning had all qualified to perform again at the State Large Group Contest, with hopes of being picked to perform at All-State on Feb. 22 in Ames. Students earn ranks from IV to I. The best score is a I, demonstrating an excellent and well executed performance. Earning a II means the performance was well done, but minor flaws detracted from the overall effect. III’s are much more uncommon, but often indicated an unfinished or complete meltdown of the piece. IV’s are rarely given out, but indicate a rule violation. Cedar Falls walked away with six out of eight teams earning I’s, with two teams earning twos and the one act play “Where Does All The Good Go?” being chosen to perform at All State. This devised play, “Where Does All The Good Go?,” has been the effort of 15 students for months now. The entire play was written from scratch in a collaboration between the students and speech director Danae Dieken. After an audition process for the one act, the cast gathered and made vision boards of their characters. They began
Marissa Johnson Photos
Six teams came home with straight 1’s, and two earned 2’s at the state large group speech contest in Dubuque on Feb. 8. The One Act earned an All State rating. Pictured at left are Malina Amjadi and Emma DeGroote, and above is Nathan Smith, Issac Morlan, Ahmad Madlock and Josh Mitchell. to start pulling inspiration on how their characters would move, talk and interact with others. Script and character inspiration, Dieken notes, came from both modern shows like “The Good Place,” and also older classics like “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Then, the real writing process began. Students would push their desks together and start talking, as comments and jokes started to weave themselves into a script. After rehearsing since Thanksgiving, the one act cast and seven other large groups were ready to perform. Cedar Falls students joined 80 other schools in the Dubuque Senior gym, the home base for the day. But instead of the gym feeling tense
Canine Companions
Sophomore Alice Zhang and psychology teacher Melissa Rogers were just two of the many who spent part of their power hours on Wednesday, Feb. 5 with two furry friends that visited from the Cedar Bend Humane Society. The visit was planned so that staff and students could take advantage of the natural stress relieving powers of the visiting animals.
Marissa Johnson Photos
and competitive, Dieken described it as the “most supportive form of chaos I have ever experienced. As you walk through, try not to step on the people sleeping as some had even a longer drive than us, there are line dances, group singalongs to ‘Country Roads,’ and this year we have ended every day with a Cedar Falls led dance party as we wait for our final results to be posted.” But that doesn’t mean these students aren’t serious about their performances. “When you exit the gym it becomes all business as there are performances happening all around the school; they actually have ‘shush-ers’ whose entire job is to walk around and tell people to stop talking so close to performance centers,” Dieken said. “The sharp con-
trast from gym to hallway is one of the most unique things about [speech] competitions.” While all the groups walked away with either I or II ratings from their judges, the real prize comes from the lessons learned in collaboration and self exploration. Dieken said she urges students to look past three judges’ opinions on a performance, and instead asks them to “reframe success in speech as what they learn, how they treat each other and if they were honest. Honesty and acting might seem incongruous, but just like great writing, great acting can make the people who take it in feel a little more seen, a little less alone.” By Staff Writer Kellen
CHENOWETH
2
The
FEATURES
Tiger
Friday, Feb. 14, 2020
HI-LINE
Popular Performers
Bailey Seegers Photos
The choir and orchestras had their annual pops concerts on Jan. 27 and Feb. 6. The next music performance is the band cookie concert on Feb. 18. Pictured top left to right: DaQuevion Burke and Dalton Blackford, Josiah Bailey, Emma Fuchtman. Bottom left to right: Erin McRae and Annie Brown, Mira Keeran, Elias Smith, Gus Ferguson.
The
Tiger
Song Sisters
HI-LINE
Co-Artists of The Week
AMARA LYTLE & SARA GOODENBOUR Singers
Juniors Amara Lytle and Sara Goodenbour have been good friends since their freshman year. Their mutual love of singing and the countless hours they’ve spent together rehearsing has only strengthened their bond as friends. “We share our love for music and singing, which I don’t have in common with most of my other friends. Without our passion for creating beautiful music, I feel like we wouldn’t be as close,” Goodenbour said. “Amara’s basically my other half, so doing music without her doesn’t seem possible. I’m extremely thankful for our friendship developed by choir.” Lytle echoed the sentiment and said their friendship has only blossomed with each performance. “Jazz and choir have brought a lot closer together. With the big high school and so many classes, I am guaranteed one period with Sara and my friends. We always have something to talk about, and the fact that we share the love of music in a very similar way helps our friendship also,” Lytle said. Lytle joined her school choir in the fourth grade while Goodenbour got involved in the sixth grade. For both of them, it was their first year trying out vocal jazz, but both girls agree they will be participating in it together next year. Both girls also agree that receiving Division I Ratings for multiple ensembles they’ve been a part of has been their best achievements in music. Goodenbour said it was a Division I rating with Lytle that really kickstarted their duo into multiple more performances together. “I was especially proud of the Division I rating Amara and I recieved for our duet. It was the first time we have sang together, and since then we’ve loved to perform together,” Goodenbour said. “I enjoy singing with Amara because we both understand
the way our voices blend together and can create incredible harmonies. I couldn’t pick a better duet partner.” At the recent pops concert, Lytle and Goodenbour returned to the stage together again to deliver an adorable performance of “Love is an Open Door” from “Frozen.” They sang the duet as a quartet with seniors DaQuevion Burke and Dalton Blackford. “When Amara and I first had the idea to get a group together and choose a piece of music that would fit our voices, I never thought we would have been so successful. Through much convincing and browsing YouTube for SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) arrangements of Disney songs, we finally formed our group,” Goodenbour said. “Although we had many unproductive rehearsals, everything came together for the audition, including our fabulous dance moves. I loved performing at the pops concert with three of my extremely talented best friends.” Lytle agreed and said the experience was one to remember. “I would say the process was the most enjoyable part. Getting together out of school and working through the song was a lot of fun,” Lytle said. Enjoying all that music has to offer her, Lytle said she wants to continue to develop as a singer. “I am a musician because I feel like I have some talents, and I want to keep growing in music because it is something I can take with me everywhere,” Lytle said. “I love how music can be so analytical at times and be so methodical, but at other times, it can be filled with emotion, and music is a great medium to share those emotions.” Adding on to that, Lytle said singing brings a certain joy to her life that she would like to keep pursuing. “I would just say little moments of happiness associated with music or singing really remind me of why I like and inspire me to continue what I’m doing,” Lytle said. Similar to her friend, Goodenbour said singing is an outlet in her life that brings
Friday, Feb. 14, 2020
FEATURES
3
Juniors’ mutual love of music brings them closer as friends
“I enjoy singing with Amara because we both understand the way our voices blend together and can create incredible harmonies. I couldn’t pick a better duet partner.”
— Sara Goodenbour singer
her so much happiness. “I’m a musician because I love the way it makes me feel. When I’m upset or frustrated, I go to my piano, start to play and sing, and I immediately feel better,” Goodenbour said. “Singing takes me to a place where I can be the most vulnerable, raw and beautiful version of myself.” Dealing with the struggles of having heavy loads of homework her junior year, Goodenbour said music is an escape that no amount of words can describe its meaning to her. “The way I feel about music is indescribable. It’s something I do for myself. Unlike most things in my life, I don’t feel any pressure to be perfect when I’m singing. I let the notes of the pieces surround me, and it fills me with a sense of peace and happiness,” Goodenbour said. “There’s nothing I enjoy doing in my life more than music.” Goodenbour said her love of music started early, back in elementary school when she attended Cedar Heights. Goodenbour said her music teacher, Ben Bartlett, made a significant difference in her life then and continues to today. “I vividly remember my first day of school in fifth grade when he approached me, asking me to audition to be part of the Opus Honor Choir. He told me, ‘I know you’re afraid and that’s OK, but you have the potential to be an amazing musician. I can sense it,’” Goodenbour said. As a scared fifth grader, Goodenbour said she was nervous to try out. “At this time, I liked to sing, but it wasn’t something I would
Submitted Photo
Last summer, juniors Amara Lytle and Sara Goodenbour sang “Rewrite the Stars” from “The Greatest Showman” together at the Bill Riley Talent Show. choose to do on my own. Mr. Bartlett made me start to love music,” Goodenbour said. “After I got into the Opus Honor Choir, I began to have a new appreciation for music. I heard how beautiful music could be when hundreds of people sang together and knew from that moment on, I found my passion.” In 2015, Bartlett and two of his children died in a car accident. Goodenbour said she took the loss particularly hard. “The person who allowed me to discover how music changes people’s hearts, was gone. I felt so defeated and confused that I questioned even continuing my music career because I didn’t want to have a different teacher and do music without him,” Goodenbour said. “I soon realized that I was going to continue pursuing music because Mr. Bartlett believed in me. Even to this day, I still reflect on the things he has taught me and will never forget the love of music he shared with me.” Although Lytle didn’t have a clear cut inspiration for getting into music, she said she
found joy in it at an early age and let her passion for it blossom ever since. “I can’t say that there has been any specific person that inspired me to start or continue music, but the programs I have grown up with fostered my love for the musical arts,” Lytle said. “I attended St. Patrick for the first eight years of elementary school where there was a required musical every year. I loved participating in all the musicals. From there I joined the worship team and was fully into the music scene from that point on.” Both girls are unsure where music will find its place in their futures, but they can’t say it hasn’t crossed their mind. “I am hoping to join a recreational choir in the future, but I don’t see myself pursuing music as a career,” Lytle said. “I’m not sure if I want to pursue it (music) as a career. I’ve considered it, though, but I definitely will be singing and doing music in my free time for the rest of my life,” Goodenbour said. By Co-Editor-In-Chief Alayna
YATES
4
The
FEATURES
Tiger
HI-LINE
Friday, Feb. 14, 2020
Former exchange student pursues teaching path In 2018, another Alex came to the Cedar Falls High School, but instead of Iowa, this Alex was from Romania. Catalin (Alex) Vilae came as a senior to the high school through the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program. Throughout his visit, Vilae stayed with Thompsons and the Poes. Vilae was a part of men’s cross country, soccer, journalism (which he planned on continuing after high school), culture diversity club, theatre and Environmental Awarenss Team (E.A.T) Although Vilae said he enjoyed his time in the United States and was ready to return to Romania, he said it was challenging making adjustments. “I must admit that the whole exchange year, including before and after, wasn’t easy at all,” Vilae said. “When I came back to Romania in May 2019, I couldn’t stop crying for a couple of hours. I was shocked in the sense that all those places that used to be familiar to me seemed really strange. Everybody was telling me that I had an American accent in my mother tongue, Romanian, and I couldn’t believe it. The accent disappeared in a couple of weeks, but some habits that I’ve developed throughout my exchange year are still there.” “It was kinda hard to readapt to the Romanian culture, food, different mentalities, but I do love my country and that made me overcome all the impediments that I might have encountered,” he said. Immediately when Vilae returned, he had the task of studying for a final exam and deciding where he wants to attend college. “I had to take my final exam (Baccalaureate or just Bac, as we call it), and for that I’ve only had three weeks to prepare. All my colleagues had studied hard for the past few months before the exam, but I only had three weeks to do it,” he said. “Of
Catalin (Alex) Vilae, former exchange student at the Cedar Falls High School, is getting prepared to enter college this summer as a freshmen at University of Bucharest. He plans to be an English teacher. He also wants to teach Romanian as a second language.
course, I studied a little bit while in the U.S., but I didn’t get much out of it since I had a lot of things to do during my exchange year.” However, even under the time constraints, Vilae received a 9.16 out of 10 on his Bac and was able to go to college, yet Vilae said he was still lost with where he wanted to go. “All my friends were like, ‘Oh yeah. I know where I am going. This university is really good yada yada yada …,’’ but I wasn’t sure about anything that had to do with college. A part of me wanted to go to college in Romania, because I feel that I belong here, not anywhere else, but also the University of Sheffield sounded good to me and my parents as this university is on top of a lot of universities in the world, and even their journalism program was high-ranked,” he said. Vilae decided that he wanted to attend University of Sheffield in the Unit-
Submitted Photo ed Kingdom, but he ended up moving after one semester. “I didn’t feel good in the U.K. I didn’t feel welcome, I didn’t feel that I belonged to that place, but these are not the main reasons why I did it. The fact that I didn’t have a lot of lectures, Wednesdays and Fridays I had nothing to do. It was the worst in terms of academics. I was paying tons of money for nothing. For the first semester I wouldn’t have had any exams. I know a lot of people might argue that this was just the beginning and stuff like that, but I don’t agree with them. I looked over the schedule for the next semester, and it was nearly empty. Then I realized that my place was not there, that I should go back to Romania and start all over again,” Vilae said. “Since I was a little bit reluctant before going to the U.K, my decision wasn’t a surprise for me, but it definitely was a surprise for my family, friends and people I know
social aspects, it is important to know where students who attend there are from. Do you want to be part of a very diverse campus where people are from all over the country or do you want to be a part of a more regional-based campus? Along with the student makeup, it is important to look at the groups and activities that are available to you. Are you interested in sororities and fraternities, writing for the school newspaper or serving in student government? Reviewing all of these options and talking to the student groups when you visit can provide a lot of information about how you will fit socially on campus. One constant among all colleges is that you will be taking classes. Finding the right college fit is determined by how these classes are taught. Do they offer small class sizes so that you can build a relationship with your class-
mates, or do they have large classes where you listen to lectures and don’t participate? What courses are required in order to graduate? Is there enough time left after those courses for you to study the different content areas that you are interested in or is your schedule so tight there isn’t room for any classes you want to take just because they interest you? It is also important to know how many of your classes will be taught by faculty versus teaching assistants because that changes the dynamic of the classroom, too. What does the college do to provide you with real world experience? Do they offer internships or undergraduate research opportunities so that you are able to apply the knowledge that you are gaining in the classroom? What do the study abroad programs look like? Can students study abroad and still
because they had no idea that I was going to do it.” Since he has been back in Romania, Vilae said he has decided on a new plan regarding college. “Now my plan is pretty straightforward, and I am 100 percent sure I am going to stick with it. So, in July this year I will take an entrance exam for the University of Bucharest in Romania, the foreign languages faculty,” he said. “I wanna become an English teacher in the future. I also want to be able to teach Romanian language as a second language, it will be such a satisfaction for me to see people interested in learning Romanian and me being part of it … it’s just dreamy. I’ve already stated to teach my father English, and it works. I am so happy I can help people learning languages.” While he waits to go to college in Romani, Vilae said he will help his father with his roofing company. Vilae also said he will be getting his driver’s license. From America and Americans, Vilae said the most valuable thing he learned during his exchange is to smile more and what patriotism is. “The best thing that I’ve learned is to smile. It might sound like a normal thing to you, but I wasn’t smiling enough before coming to the U.S. I love that mentality in which people smile to you on the street, and being friendly really helps your wellbeing. I don’t know If I’d ever come back to the U.S or Cedar Falls, but, hopefully, I will. After all, Cedar Falls is my second home,” he said. “This patriotism that I show here (Romania) is thanks to the U.S. I don’t know what happened, but I came back as a patriot from the U.S. I think that all those American flags hanged outside the porch definitely made me realize how much I appreciate my country, habits, etc. Those things should be preserved if you want a country to prosper,” Vilae said.
Preparation key to college visit success As the spring semester begins, whether you are a junior or a senior, now is the time to be visiting colleges to help decide where to apply or where to attend. For seniors, as acceptance letters arrive, it is really important to make the right decision about the college you will attend since you will spend the next four years there, if not more depending on how you like the community. Three key questions are helpful in guiding your decision: Do you feel like the people on campus are people who can be your friends? Does the college offer enough academic paths that you will be able to find your passion there? Does the college set you up for success during and after college? When looking at a college for its
graduate in four years? Does the college take an active part in mentoring the students as they begin looking for employment after college? Most colleges have great statistics showing that their students are either employed or in graduate school after they get their degree. Don’t forget to ask what percentage of students provided that information because it is likely that the students who don’t have solid plans did not respond to the survey. Deciding on a college is an extremely difficult choice. Each college brings their “A” game to the admissions process so it’s important to know what you value when attending the campus visit. Then be relentless in getting the information that will help you find your fit. By Staff Writer Kaitlyn
HARRIS
The
Tiger
HI-LINE
Friday, Feb. 14, 2020
Pop artists release Valentine’s Day tunes for everyone
With new music from Niall Horan, Justin Bieber and Khalid, no need to look any further. These male pop vocalists have all recently released the perfect songs for your Valentine’s Day playlist. Each of these songs preach self-love and being one’s unfiltered self, which is a message everyone needs to hear this time of year when love is in the air. Seeming to be the most perfect Valentine’s Day anthem, Justin Bieber and Quavo collabed to create this song about spoiling the ladies in their lives. Admiring their girls’ features, natural beauty and charming personalities, Bieber and Quavo flatter listeners with this fun and upbeat love song. This collab by Khalid and Disclosure promotes healthy relationships and doing what’s best for you. This song proves that Valentine’s Day is about more than romantic love; it’s about loving yourself and finding complacency in waiting for the right person. In this calm and mellow, guitar-driven song, Niall Horan discusses that kind of “oldmarried-couple” love many search for. Horan expresses that Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a big production. Instead, it can be about staying in, wearing sweatpants and just being your unapologetic self. By Co-Editor-In-Chief Alayna
YATES
‘Birds of Prey’ thrills audiences with action scenes Harley Quinn without the Joker is still a lot of fun and entertaining. “Birds of Prey” came out in theaters on Friday, Feb. 7. “Birds of Prey” is a breakup movie. This is obvious from minute one when Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie, reprising her role from Suicide Squad) explains via an animated prologue of her history as a psychiatrist who fell for Batman’s most notorious villain, Joker. The movie is meant to seem like a big team-up between Quinn and several other DC antiheroes, but in reality, the story centers itself on Harley and the many people who want to take revenge on
her now that she’s no longer under Joker’s protection. Just about every big fight in the movie is choreographed and staged in the most interesting way possible: pink and blue smoke fills the air, a grenade launcher fires glitter bombs, there’s a car chase on roller skates, and the movie’s biggest brawl is a big game of keep-away on a merry-goround. The movie is chaotic and fun from beginning to end. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and it fits with Harley Quinn’s personality. At times it feels rushed, but at the end it is very entertaining. By Staff Writer Kaitlyn
HARRIS
ENTERTAINMENT
5
New Wattpad story sure to surprise readers “I’m a Gay Wizard” is the last addition to the new “Wattpad Orginal Six” collection, written by the Latinx, gay, nonbinary author, V.S. Santoni. This story was published recently in October of 2019. It is rightfully listed in the fantasy fiction category. If the title didn’t give anything away, one is in for a surprise, for only haunting spells and creatures of darkness await. “Alison would’ve killed me if she’d known I was daydreaming about fast food while we were trying to cast a spell… Alison gasped. I cracked open an eye. Then I gasped too. The piece of paper was floating in the air right in front of us, dangling like it was being held up by invisible fishing line.” Though comedy is common as well. The story begins with the main characters Johnny and Alison as they attempt to conjure up a powerful spell to get back at a group of ruthless bullies, opening wonderous doors that could greatly improve their lives forever. Little do they know, their attempt at true magic opens more doors than they might have wanted, even a door holding their fate at the hands of an elite magic school: Marduk Institute. As classes are called into session and the main characters meet many friends and foes alike, slowly, the secrets of this institute of magic begin to make their way into the light. With a budding romance and blooming spells, death-defying stunts and magic-grade bullies, will Johnny be able to handle the pressure? Or will the secrets of Marduk Institute drown him in their dark depths? Only one way to find out.
Skylar Promer Photo and Art “I’m a Gay Wizard” is a truly magical tale of friendship, romance and, of course, unicorns. It will enchant and ignite readers’ imaginations as one soon comes to find that anything is possible even in wizard standards. This story is available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Wattpad. The original version of this story (the unedited version) is available for a free insight on V.S. Santoni’s Wattpad page. By Staff Writer Skylar
PROMER
‘Toy Story 3’ sees fan-made live-action interpretation Disney has made quite a few live-action movies in the past few years from “Cinderella” to the upcoming “Little Mermaid,” but nothing could ever compare to this fan-made “Toy Story 3” full-length live-action movie. Yes, that’s right, fan-made. Uploaded on YouTube on Jan. 25, this live-action remake has already hit over 103k likes and 2,630,484 views that are increasing by the day. “Toy Story 3 In Real Life | Fulllength Fan Film” as it is labeled on YouTube, was created by two brothers, Morgan and Mason McGrew. Production of said movie has taken them nearly eight years due to the rigorous process of stop-animation. That said, the accuracy from the movements of the characters all the way down to the close details of the film are impressive indeed. Though unlike the original Pixar movie, this fan-adaption was unable to pull off the usual mouth-
ing of the words traditional animation is normally used to be doing. Despite this fact, the film is quite enjoyable to watch and a great inspiration to future animators and creators alike. The McGrew brothers have been given direct permission from Walt Disney Records to use the entire audio and music from the original film and incorporate it into their own. “For about a month, our fan film, ‘Toy Story 3 In Real Life,’ has been complete. Now that we have the OK from Disney, you're now able to view the film. Thank you for
Submitted Photo your ongoing support and enjoy!” They have since uploaded their movie for all to view on their YouTube account named “Toy Story 3 IRL.” The brothers have dedicated their film to their late “Buster,” who is the dog staring in “Toy Story 3 In Real Life.” One may follow the process of the project and the brother’s future projects on their Facebook page “Toy Story 3 In Real Life Project.” By Staff Writer Skylar
PROMER
6
The
OPINION
Our View
Coronavirus reminds us to follow flu prevention
With outbreaks spreading from China to Europe and even to the United States, national media has turned its attention to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). With a death toll of just over 900, most stemming from the epicenter of the outbreak in Hubel province, China, this new virus has been met with near-hysteria from people around the world. Both scientists and citizens are frantically searching for information on the viruses severity, and more importantly how to avoid it. This new virus is different from others in a couple ways. First, it’s a respiratory virus, a type of virus that tends to travel quickly from person to person, although severity does vary from virus to virus. Respiratory viruses spread through droplets from a cough or sneeze that can hang in the air for sometimes hours at a time, and be inhaled by those nearby, making it quite infectious and fast spreading.Second, it has no vaccine yet. Vaccines can take decades to develop, but scientists are trying to create one in just months. The tragic loss of lives, especially in China, has put many people into a panic around the world. However, at least in the United States, the risk and severity remains very low. To put it into perspective, coronavirus can be compared to another must more well known respiratory virus, the common flu, another type of respiratory virus. According to an article by Yale NewHaven Health, there have been 11 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States. In contrast, there have been nearly 15 million flu illnesses in the United States alone since October 2019, and between 10,000 to 20,000 deaths. On a local level, The Iowa Department of Public Health recently issued a statement assuring that, “risk associated with the Novel Coronavirus to the general public remains low at this time.” They also clarify that the virus is associated primarily with, “travel to China, not to a specific ethnicity or group of people.” Regardless, there are still risks that come with contracting any virus or bug, so staying safe and healthy is a must. The Center for Disease and Protection gives some tips on how to help prevent contracting respiratory diseases like the novel coronavirus. Because it can be spread from person-to-person contact, thoroughly washing hands before and after eating, using the bathroom, blowing your nose, and coughing and sneezing. If water and soap are not available, using a sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol can also work. Next, keeping hands away from eyes, ears, mouth and nose can help prevent things from spreading. If you are in the same space as someone who is sick, avoid contact and make sure to thoroughly disinfect surfaces. While this may seem like basic advice, these precautions can really help keep both you and others safe. Lastly, if you feel sick or have been exposed to someone who is, make sure to get medical attention. While there isn’t yet a developed vaccine, supportive care to help relieve symptoms is available. While there is a lot that is still being learned about the new coronavirus, keeping updated through reliable sources and using basic precautions to stay healthy and clean are some easy steps to help keep yourself and others safe.
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. Editor: Sophia Schillinger Staff: Alexia Downs, Kaitlyn Harris, AQuandas Jackson, Ashlyn Keve, Kendall Masalak, Alyssa Nelson, Skylar Promer, Chloe Schuerman, Myra Stineman, Aaliyah Tournier, Justine Yang, Ryan Westhoff, Alayna Yates
Tiger
HI-LINE
Friday, Feb. 14, 2020
Mr. Rogers models love for all for Valentine’s Day In a whirlwind of hearts and candy, the message of what Valentine’s Day is gets muddled with presents and messages of romance. When, at the root of the holiday, the true message is love. Love in any form deserves to be celebrated. The best example of how to accept and exemplify love is shown by the work of Mr. Rogers. Throughout his life, Mr. Rogers preached lessons of welcoming and devoting oneself to love, regardless of the source. With discussion of taboo topics on his beloved show, “Mister Rogers Neighborhood,” he taught children how to approach difficult times with kindness and love. This lesson still applies today. We, as a society, are caught up in a never ending stream of heartbreaking news stories, threatening tweets and social media expectations. So days like Valentines Day become a hotbed of celebration, a chance to distract oneself from the static outside. But the focus on Valentine’s Day in the past has always been focused on romantic love. Couples go out to fancy dinners and plan extravagant gifts as a way of showing their undying devotion. While it is wonderful that so many couples have this kind of relationship, it often isolates those who aren’t in a relationship, leading to bitterness towards the holiday itself. It’s important to recognize that romantic love, while wonderful and exciting, is not the only kind of love present in most people’s lives. There is a love of family, a love of neighbors and friends that should hold equal importance. Mr. Rogers felt love toward nearly every single person who watched his television show. Looking through Twitter, there are stories after stories of how he changed peoples lives. One tweet chronicles how a young blind girl was concerned if Mr. Rogers was feeding his fish, because she could never see her television. She and her father wrote a letter to Mr. Rogers, and from that day on, every time he fed the fish, he would say, “I’m feeding the fish now,” just so that one little girl felt reassured and heard.
Fred Rogers made a lifetime mission out of showing us what love looks like in practice.
Submitted Photo It’s a simple task, and one that many of us often neglect. Listening. Mr. Rogers listened to each and every person who cared to talk with him. Many people could stand to follow his example and listen to the others around them. Mr. Rogers once said, “All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors—in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.” One story about Mr. Rogers’ vast footprint is told in a Facebook post by Wendy Roosevelt D-Angelo. As a young child, she faced bullying and was very lonely. It was Mr. Rogers, she said, who truly made her feel happy. “I felt as if he was the only person who liked me and accepted me just as I was. I never met him, but he is one of the most precious friends I have ever had,” Roosevelt D-Angelo wrote. Love was at the center of everything that Mr. Rogers said and did. He focused on the good, but wasn’t afraid to address the inevitable bad that surrounds most
people in their everyday lives. His loving attitude and caring actions showed the world a new way of loving others that captivated audiences around the country. So, as we begin to think about Valentine’s Day and what its true meaning is, we should remember one of Mr. Rogers famous sayings, “Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.” Love can be celebrated every day. Valentine’s Day just provides people with a reminder that love really surrounds everybody. Taking time to recognize that romantic love is not the epitome of what we should strive for is extremely important. Take time this Valentines Day to remember the true meaning of what love is, and how it envelops each person that walks the earth. At the root of the holiday, the message has always been and will always be delightfully simple: love. By Staff Writer Erin
MCCRAE
What are your Valentines Day Plans?
“Going to see the movie Sonic and hang out with my friends.”
—Nick Thompson junior
By Staff Writer Kendall
MASLAK
“Buying my family candy and flowers.”
“Probably hang out with friends and go to —Zoe Lenton the basketball game.” junior
—Riley Fleshner senior
“I’ll be working, then maybe hang out with friends.”
—Noah Smith senior
7
The
Tiger
HI-LINE
Friday, Feb. 14, 2020
SPORTS
Dunkin’ Dubuque
CF downed Wahlert 72-48 at home on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Chase Courbat (#50) and Carter Janssen (#32) are pictured in the jams, and they racked up 10 and 13 points respectively in the victory. Trey Campbell (#4) added 9 points, while Ben Sernett (#15), Landon Wolf (#11) and Josh Ollendieck (#2) contributed 8, 2 and 2 points. Jaxon Heth had 11 points and Cael Loecher sank 10 points for the Tigers, who are next in action on the road at Waterloo East on Feb. 14. Lex Hesse Photos
8
The
SPORTS
Tiger
Friday, Feb. 14, 2020
Tiger Nation Twitter delivers varied reactions Tiger Nation: Striped overalls, face paint and everything red, white and black. Since the position of a student section leader was contrived by the students themselves, the definition of what makes a student section leader varies from person to person. In this third installment, the representation of Tiger Nation on social media will be discussed. Next week, in our final article of the series, athletes and coaches will evaluate the importance of Tiger Nation and assess how school spirit makes a difference in their activities. With 2,075 followers, the Tiger Nation Twitter account has become a powerful resource for students and the account leaders. Whether it’s informing students of the events going on at the high school or letting the student body know what the “out” is at certain athletic events, the impact the Tiger Nation Twitter account has is widespread. Like senior section leader Jack Moody said, “It can spread fast and be seen by many with retweets and likes.” Regarding the student section leaders’ responsibilities on Twitter, former student section leader, class of 2017, Lucas DeWitt tweeted about the different outs and reminders for the upcoming games and activities. Current student section leader senior Jack Plagge said their presence on social media hasn’t changed since DeWitt graduated. He said they try to post about all activities equally. “We only tweet stuff we know about. If there is an event that we might not know about, simply come to us and ask us to tweet something. We usually will. Sometimes we forget because we get sidetracked with school, but we try our best,” Plagge said. Referring to the tweet pictured on the right, some students feel the Twitter account sometimes isn’t used for the right reasons. “They aren’t exactly the most respectful leaders, especially on Twitter. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not really bashing them because I don’t really mind what they do, but they could work on their reputation,” senior Mia Dexter said. On Oct. 30, 2019, the Dubuque Senior student section account posted a picture of tiger skins laid in a row with the names of CFHS football players’ last names written across them with the caption “UNI-Dome. #letshunt.” Tiger Nation then responded two days later, posting a picture of two overall-wearing leaders, whose faces are covered by tiger heads, performing “vulgar” acts on the mascot statue located on
Senior’s campus. Although Dubuque and Cedar Falls may have been just trying to have fun and build up tension, DeWitt said, “There is a fine line between jabbing before a game and full online bullying and attacking other schools (not acceptable).” Dexter said when she saw the exchange of tweets she was unsure how to feel. Although Tiger Nation didn’t start the argument, Dexter said they didn’t have to feed into it. “The Dubuque kids posted … first, which isn’t really nice or respectful either, but then they (Tiger Nation) responded with that? I’m all for playful arguments, but like?” Dexter said. Moody said he believes our student section’s Twitter account is fairly tame compared to other schools in the state. “I think our Tiger Nation account is pretty similar to most other schools accounts. I believe we actually do a better job as far as posting tweets that leave a good reputation for our school,” Moody said. “If you look at other schools’ student section Twitters, some of the things they put out are pretty questionable.” Other students said they don’t think the postings done by Tiger Nation represent Cedar Falls High School in a positive way. “The current Twitter drama and pettiness represents Cedar Falls in a negative manner and doesn’t put the focus on the athletics,” junior Erin McRae said. Moody said they have good intentions for Twitter. “Sometimes we will post pictures or memes, and most of the time they’re meant to be funny. We try not to get too involved with arguments with other schools because our Twitter is a direct reflection of CFHS.” Trusting it will be used responsibly, the Tiger Nation Twitter account is completely in the hands of the current student section leaders. “We (administration) have no affiliation with that (the Nation’s social media),” Principal Jason Wedgbury said. “Although, I would say we’ve always had some interactions with our student leaders just to always try and give reminders or stay on the positive side of things. So we’ll have discussion, but we do not oversee it. We do not control it. Nor do I want to.” Activities Director Troy Becker said that though the student section leaders have control of the account, sometimes they are cautioned by administration. “The leaders we have had recently have been very accepting of our feedback and our comments and have made appropriate changes to make sure were representing Tiger Nation in a correct way,”
HI-LINE Athlete of the
Week
ABBIE LYNMAN Wrestling
Above is a screenshot of a tweet posted by the student section leaders during the 2019 football season in response to a post by the Dubuque Senior student section. Becker said. Wedgbury said there is a lot riding on the student section Twitter account and stressed the responsible use of it. “It is a representation of our school whether it is connected or affiliated with our school, it is a representation. It has a lot of followers. It has a major influence on what people see, view or think. Great tool, if it’s used appropriately,” Wedgbury said. Women’s basketball coach Gregg Groen said that social media is a great way to inform the students about events. “I do think it can be a great way to inform fans and support our student athletes, promoting the great things they are doing,” Groen said. To ensure the tweets come across how they’re meant to, current student section leaders said they consult with one another before posting. “What gets tweeted is usually discussed by everyone for the most part. We ask for each other’s opinions on what to say, what the theme is, etc.,” Moody said. In a survey conducted by the Tiger Hi-Line, some students said they didn’t see any problems with how the Twitter account is managed. One student said that social media helps bring awareness to teams not getting as much attention. “They shout out a ton of sports that aren’t as popular as football and wrestling, and really get the word out to support all Cedar Falls athletes,” junior Landon Schaul said. Another student praised the leaders for hyping up a lot of different activities. “I believe that Tiger Nation lives up to the ideal student section, because they post about a lot of different things and are very good at hyping up the team and the students,” senior Jaylynn Easterly said.
As a member of the cross country team, senior Ryan Westhoff said he’s disappointed but not shocked by the lack of recognition the Tiger Nation Twitter gives his sport. “It didn’t really anger me that much because I pretty much expected that to be the way it would work,” Westhoff said. “Tiger Nation is good for what it does. I don’t really see it as being applicable to a lot of other sports that are less ‘popular’ like cross country, but it does disappoint me sometimes in the fact that there’s not as much student support.” Westhoff said although it’s not a huge concern, even the simplest of acts, like a retweet, would suffice. “Not doing a gesture as simple as sending a tweet out or retweeting a CFHS Athletics post tends to show where the energy and priorities of a group like Tiger Nation lies,” Westhoff said. The current student section leaders said they apologize for the lesser attendance and spirit when it comes to the less popular sports. More specifically, they apologize for the small turnouts and less planning going into women’s basketball games. “I guess I personally can’t answer why we didn’t have outs for women’s basketball games. I guess we didn’t really think about it, and we apologize,” Plagge said. Despite their oversight, Moody said they are actively trying to be more representative of the school population, starting with women’s basketball. “We are definitely going to try to get a crowd for the upcoming girls games like substate and senior night,” Moody said. By Co-Editors-in-Chief Sophia
SCHILLINGER
& Alayna
YATES
What makes your sport special and different? I think something that makes wrestling special is the family you build through the sport. While you’re wrestling, it’s individual, but surrounding your mat is all the people you’ve worked with all season supporting you. It’s really big to have people around you cheering you on. Do you think more people should get into the sport? I think it would be awesome to get more girls into the sport. If we had an entire girls team we could set up duals for both girls and boys. What motivates you to do better? I’d say my teammates. We all push each other to our best abilities, and seeing a teammate win makes you want to go out and secure another win for the team. What has been a highlight for you so far this season? A highlight for me personally this year was placing 4th at the girls state tournament. Considering it was my first year, I beat some girls that have been wrestling for years, which helped my mental state in knowing I was seeing the results of how much work I put in. What’s the most rewarding thing about your sport? I think the most rewarding thing is the people. Like I’ve said in all these questions, having a team is so beneficial. I feel as though I gained an entire room of brothers. Who has been particularly influential in helping your growth in this sport? I would say the most influential person would be my stepdad because he always asks how my practices go, if I think I need to work on something he’s always willing to pull up film and watch it with me.