e g h iin l Ti er THE
Feb. 16, 2010
Volume 50 Issue 17
1015 Division St. Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613
Teachers apply Google to classwork Sara Gabriele Staff Writer
The phrase “Google runs the Web” seems to be true now more than ever. The recent advent of new software applications has broadened Google’s reach beyond searching the internet, and many teachers and schools are now trading in their standard paper assignments for the free web-based alternatives Google offers. Power of the Media teacher Jen Paulson has been using Google’s free word processing application, Google docs, in her class for three years. She requires it for two group projects and allows it as an option for essay tests and papers. Students make an online document and then “share” it with her and any other students also working on the assignment. This can provide an easier method for communication and collaboration because, once a document has been shared, the collaborators can view or edit it at any time after logging into Gmail. Paulson said she feels this is one of the biggest advantages of using Google docs for assignments. It allows for collaboration that may not otherwise be possible, especially for
student-to-student teamwork on projects that require group work. “It allows them to collaborate without being in same place at the same time,” Paulson said. “They may not have work schedules and school schedules that allow them to meet, so it allows them to (work together) when they’re not together in time and space.” The web-based medium also provides a convenient avenue for communication. “It makes it more convenient for students to turn in assignments on their schedules,” said Paulson, who uses an 11:59 p.m. digital turn in deadline. It also allows teachers to edit directly on the site, which eliminates time-consuming sharing back and forth from student to teacher. “I think it opens up a whole realm of possibilities. You can have collaboration from student to student or students to teachers at any time, and you can also collaborate with experts in the field,” media specialist Kim Traw said. Business teacher Julie Cuvelier uses Google docs in her class as a way to save paper. A goal of hers is to become paper free. Other teachers agree this
is a definite benefit of using the application. “It saves paper — lots and lots of paper. For my conflict analysis paper it’s eight-14 pages, and if you keep printing drafts and everyone in the group prints out a copy, it’s a lot of wasted paper,” Paulson said. Another major benefit of using Google docs, as opposed to software programs such as Microsoft Word, is that everything is saved to the “Cloud,” or Web. Because documents are not saved to individual hard drives, projects can be accessed anywhere there is Internet. “No matter where they are, what they’re doing, what computer they’re on, they can access their document,” Paulson said. “They don’t have to remember how to upload and download to the server. It’s all on the Web in the same place.” Using online software also saves money for school systems because it allows them to purchase computers with less memory. “I think there’s a question for schools, especially in times of budget constraints, to ask, ‘Do we need to spend money on purchasing software
CFHS Club Opportunities
Book Club Instructor: Kim Traw Meetings: Currently, they are scheduled to meet on March 11. Agenda: Usually, they decide on a book to discuss at the previous meeting, so before the next meeting everyone tries to read the book, and they father to discuss it. Also, people talk about what books they’ve read recently that they have liked. They also talk about movies and have treats.
Art Club Instructor: Lisa Klenske Meetings: We meet every Tuesday from 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. Agenda: It depends on if we are getting ready for a sale right away or not. Most of the time is spent making art to sell on the Art a la Carte. Time is also spent planning events where we can arrange to have the Art Cart selling art and signing up workers to sell. Students also take turns teaching each other new art projects.
GSA Instructor: Melissa Breddin Meetings: We meet every Monday night from 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Agenda: They often discuss issues going on around the school. They hosted the coordinator of the Iowa Pride Network for a special meeting in October. They will have more guest speakers on various topics related to the GLBT community.
when there are now these free alternatives?’ I think this may be one place we could save,” Traw said. In addition to Google docs, Google provides several other free online applications. One is a blog function called Reader that Cuvelier also uses in her classes as a forum for discussion. She posts a question, such as a current event topic, and gives students points for sharing their opinions outside of class. “It gives students that may not otherwise talk in class a chance to share their opinions. It encourages everyone to be part of the discussion,” Cuvelier said. Because students can also read what other students post, she feels it allows them to focus on what’s being said instead of other things that may prohibit students from contributing in a classroom setting. Also available through Google are a presentation application (like Powerpoint), a spreadsheet and form applications that present possibilities for teachers. The form function can be used as a method to submit online quizzes; teachers create the questions and then students’ answers are automat-
ically put into a spreadsheet. However, not every class has embraced the innovations. Some teachers find the site presents more complications than benefits for certain types of assignments. English teacher Judy Timmins began to use it for her logs for her semester project, but she has opted not to because she said it creates an organizational headache. “I think for projects that require collaboration, revision and editing back and forth it could be very useful, but for others, the cons may outweigh the pros,” Timmins said. Replacing old methods with new software alternatives can be more time consuming at first for new users and may present some complications. However, many feel using digital technology such as online applications is a trend worth adopting. “I think digital technology could transform the education system: how teachers teach and how students learn,” Traw said, “But a lot of it is figuring it out. Yeah it’s out there, but is it really going to help my students learn what they need to learn in class? The challenge is figuring out how to use it and make it so.”
Meg Lane Photo
Penny War:
Junior Colton Smith adds money to world language teacher Melissa Breddin’s third hour collection jar. The Penny War is a Senior Leadership initiative to raise money for the Haiti earthquake disaster. Today is the last chance to donate to third hour classes.
2 opinion our view Dance was great way to fundraise for Haitians
On Saturday, Feb. 13 the school put on a February Fling dance to raise money for Haiti. With a little over 200 students showing up, the dance garnered in about roughly $1,300. There were posters up all around the school, and it was been on the announcements. One of our peers, senior Nate Buck, was the DJ and did a fantastic job creating and exciting environment. The advertising seemed to pay off, with over $1,000 of the proceeds going to help the victims in Haiti. This dance was a success on both ends; students had an overwhelmingly positive response and a considerable sum was raised. This dance is another encouraging indication that people, including high schoolers, are generous. With all the other Haiti fundraising events going around the school, the turnout shows that we sincerely want to help Haiti. We've bought T-shirts and donated directly. We’ve had a Penny War and yet still managed to raise significant funds at a dance. It is a great thing that our school pays attention to the horrible tragedy in Haiti with many different fundraising activities. This dance was the pinnacle of Haiti fundraising efforts, creating a fun, spiritbuilding event to benefit not only the needy recipients in Haiti but also students right here in Cedar Falls. We'd much rather be here than somewhere that made no effort to raise money. We also applaud the school’s decision to allow Buck the opportunity show off his talents and impress us with his ornate setup and innate abilities.
Contact 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. Our website is www.hiline.co.nr. The Hi-Line is distributed to CFHS students on Tuesdays to read in their DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) classes. 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 Tuesday. 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: Maggie Devine and Vincent Stigliani News Editors: Vincent Stigliani and Ben Sadkowski Opinion Editor: Monica Clark Sports Editor: Alex Entz Feature Editor: Aubrey Caruso On-Line Editors: Vincent Stigliani and Maggie Devine Entertainment Editor: Maggie Devine Senior Writer: Alex Entz Photo Editor: Ben Sadkowski
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tiger hi-line feb. 16, 2009
Of big three, Domino’s tops in delivery pizza Pizza is probably the most popular type of food in the world. In America alone, 350 slices are consumed each second. That's a lot of
Dustin Peverill Staff Writer pizza! So I can bet someone who reads this article will order pizza within the week, and, being the nice person I am, I'm gonna share with you the top three pizza joints in the U.S. and grade them based on speed of delivery, cost and quality. The first place I'll talk about is Papa John's. This is probably my favorite pizza ever made. They only took 15-20 minutes to deliver, and quality was great, as always. Cost was great due to the special they have at the moment. You can get all large pizzas for $10 each. Maybe Papa John's isn't your slice of pizza, pun intended. Pizza Hut is another great place to get your pizza fix. Cost isn't going to be much different from that of Papa John's, seeing as Pizza Hut has the exact same deal. Any pizza, any topping, just $10! Pizza Hut took a little longer to deliver the pizza, though. On the phone, they said they'd take about 20 minutes, and we got the pizza five minutes late. It's not that big of a deal, but they were still late. The
pizza was terrific though; it was still warm when we ate it, despite the freezing temperatures outside. All in all, Pizza Hut wasn't terrible, but Papa Recently Domino’s Pizza has released its John's was a new recipe that is much better than the tad bit old. give Papa John's a 7 out of better. 10 for quality delivery and Now if you're thinking, quality taste. The reason it "I don't like Papa John's loses some points is the simor Pizza Hut!" I might tell ple fact that it was barely you not to be so picky, but warm when we got it. instead I'll share with you Next is Pizza Hut. I don't one more pizza place before know if the delivery guy I rate them on a scale of one was just having a bad day or to 10. if traffic was bad, but being Domino's recently five minutes late gives Pizza changed everything about Hut a 5 out of 10. The pizza their pizza. From changwas good, though, so that ing their "cardboard" crust saved them a couple points. into perfection and their Last, but certainly not "ketchup" sauce into a party least is Domino's. With in my mouth, Domino's did speedy delivery and out-ofan amazing job. It took them this-world food, Domino's only 10 minutes to deliver gets a 10 out of 10. When I from the time I got off the heard they were changing phone. The pizza was still up their pizza and giving hot and smelled amazing. it an insanely low price, I Domino's also has a special knew I had to try it, and I'm going on. You can try their really glad I did. So if your new and improved pizza for family is in need of great a really low price: $6 for food within 10 minutes, two medium, two-topping give Domino's a call, and pizzas! The pizza is much they'll help you out! better than it was before — I hope you like at least a 100% improvement, and I one of the pizza joint's I've was really impressed. mentioned. If you don't, Finally, I'll rate each don't be so picky! Domino's place from one to 10 and was definitely the strongest tell you why they get the competitor this time, and I rating they do. encourage you to try their First up is Papa John's. I new pizza. It's amazing!
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tiger hi-line Feb. 16, 2010
SPORTS 3
Women’s basketball finishes regular season, looks to Regionals Sara Gabriele Staff Writer
The women’s basketball team reached a fitting end to its season Friday night, beating East 62-39. Head coach Dan List summarized the girls’ overall play. “We came out ready to play and had a very good first half. Things got a little sloppy the second half, but overall we were pleased with the girl’s effort.” The win clinched third place for the team in the conference and gives them some momentum as they head into the postseason tournament play. In the opening round, they will play Marshalltown at home on Wednesday. The
girls feel confident they will be able to get the win, but that it will be very important to maintain focus. “If we go out and stay focused and just play our game, we should be good,” senior Sarah Korte said. However, in the next round the team is set to play at Ankeny, which will be a challenge. “Our regional is very difficult due to the fact we would have to play Ankeny in the second round if we get by Marshalltown in the opening round,” List said. “Ankeny was ranked second when the pairings were handed out and the fact we would have to play them on their home floor makes it that much more difficult.” Although it will be a difficult task, the girls feel up
to challenge. “All of us are pretty excited because if we beat them, we should have a pretty good shot of getting to State,” Korte said. “We just have to go in and stay focused and know that we can play them if we follow our game plan.” Senior Laura Johnson, the sixth CF women’s basketball player to reach 1,000 points, agreed. “They’re going to be a really tough team to get by, but we’re definitely up for it. We’re not going to back down for anyone, and we’re confident we can get by anyone when we’re on.” For their third round game, the girls will play the winner of the Waterloo West/ Cedar Rapids Jefferson game.
“We have beaten both of them in the regular season, but they are both quality teams, and the games were close,” List said. “The winner of that third game goes to State, and anything can happen down there.” Johnson went on to describe some of the strengths she feels the team has this season and her thoughts about the team’s chance to go to State. “I think we have the most team chemistry out of any team I’ve ever been on. I think we’re definitely as talented as the year we went to State; we don’t have as good a record. I think that’s because we lost some really close games, but I think if we play like we’re capable of, we can make it down to State again.”
Manning deserves credit
Opinion: Colts’ star needs recognition Maggie Devine Senior Writer
Sunday, February 7th: 5 P.M. Peyton Manning ... what a guy! Seriously, he may be the best quarterback of all time. There’s no question that he’s going to lead the Colts to a huge win over the Saints. He is a leader. He is so talented. His stats are amazing. Sunday, Feb. 7: 10 p.m. Peyton Manning ... what a failure! He lost this game, it was all his fault. He is 9-9 in the post season now. Everybody knows the Colts lost to the Saints in a very entertaining Super
Bowl game last Sunday. It was a well-played game, and the Saints won it out. It’s not the first time an underdog has beaten a favored team, but it wasn’t like the Detroit Lions won. The Saints have been winning all year, and it’s plausible they were able to defeat the Colts. That said, football is a team sport, and it is not all Peyton Manning’s fault. The Saints won the game. How does Peyton Manning go from “The Best Ever” to absolutely nothing in one game? A big statistic being thrown out there is his 9-9 postseason record. I don’t understand why sports commentators are so put-off by Manning now
that he lost one game. Even though it was a big game, it was only one game. Guess who still holds the record for the Colts single season passing completions? Peyton Manning. Who was the first player to in NFL history with four consecutive 4,000yard seasons? Most pass attempts, completions, yards gained and touchdowns in their rookie season? If you want to argue that he’s the best, the stats were there, and they still are. Maybe he’s not the greatest ever, or even the greatest right now, but losing one game shouldn’t cause him to fall in the minds of the fans and become the punching bag for the Colts losing
a big game. If he was doing as horrible as the commentators are saying now, why wasn’t he taken out of the game? The problem here is the sports personalities. With the exception of a few people like Mike Greenberg, they’re all degrading Peyton Manning. It’s unneeded. Manning wasn’t the one who said, “I’m the best quarterback that has ever lived.” It was the television and radio personalities. If you’re going to decide that someone is suddenly worthless, you should have a better excuse than a Super Bowl loss. After all, Manning led his team to their shot at the Super Bowl.
Athlete Week of the
Courtney Dreyer Women’s Basketball Senior Despite a tear to her ACL, Dreyer has rebounded as a team leader, knocking down a 3 to win against IC High. 1.What motivated you to come back before you were supposed to? It is my senior year and I wanted to play with my team. I also really want to go to State, so I wanted to get used to playing with the injury so I would be ready to go by Districts time. 2. What is your role on the team? I am a captain. I am one of the leaders in keeping everyone under control and making sure they are working hard and doing the right thing. I am also the point guard. 3. What is your favorite activity outside of basketball? Hanging out with friends and Big House.
Tigers in Action
Wrestling Away 2/17-2/20 @ State Wrestling Meet @ Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines Bowling Home 2/16 vs. Linn-Mar, 3:45 p.m. Women’s Regional and Men’s Substate Tournament 2/20 @ Valley Park Lanes, 11:30 p.m. Women’s Basketball Regionals vs. Marshalltown @ home @ 7 p.m. Men’s Basketball Home 2/16 vs. Cedar Rapids Prairie, 6 p.m. Away 2/18 vs. Linn-Mar, 6 p.m.
tiger hi-line feature 4 THE
Feb. 16, 2010
Techno craze
New blogging website gains popularity Jayne Durnin Staff Writer
There are many social networking websites out there, but rising in popularity in 2010 is Tumblr. Tumblr is essentially a blogging website. You can post quotes, videos, audio clips, photos and links, and your followers will see it on their dashboard. You can also reblog and “like” things that other people post. “I just write what I feel, and post pictures and quotes
that I like,” sophomore Rachel Sharkey said. According to the Tumblr website, “The average Tumblr user creates 14 original posts each month, and reblogs three. Half of those posts are photos. The rest are split between text, links, quotes, music, and video.” When you first start out on Tumblr, it’s best to have one or more of your friends follow you. Eventually more people will notice when your friends reblog your posts and will start following you.
In terms of finding people to follow, you can use the directory to find different blogs that people recommend for specific categories, such as: art, fashion, music, news, and travel. “My favorite Tumblr to follow is Melina Gotera’s,” Sharkey said. There is also a special category called “Book Deals.” All of the blogs in this category have had books published with the material used in their blogs. In addition to following
different blogs, you can also manage several blogs from one user name and create a private blog that is just made up of you and your friends. One example of this a blog from the Waterloo area where locals just post their own picture each day and maybe add a little caption. You can also send messages on Tumblr and set your posts and reblogs so that they will show up on other people’s dashboards on a more regular basis. “My favorite part about
Tumblr is being able to use my creativity to get my feelings out. I also love looking for unique photography and quotes,” Sharkey said. You can customize your Tumblr page as much as you want using different themes and you can even create your own domain name. There are also no advertisements on Tumblr to crowd your dashboard, and most importantly, it’s free. Tumblr is also available as a free Facebook and iPhone app and a dashboard widget for Mac users.
range from Apple products to amazon.com gift cards. Those who participate in Swagbucks don't have to use just the website either to earn these points. Users can also trade in old cellphones, invite people to join, shop, send photos or videos, find codes, or submit and answer poll questions. But it's not that easy. There are several rules users must follow if they want to win. This is a sweepstakes, meaning that at any time this can be stopped. Also
users can only have one account per household. Multiple accounts will result in disqualification from the sweepstakes. All searches must be legitimate searches, not just the letter "A." Hacking is strictly prohibited and will also result in disqualification. When users claim a prize, all information must be correct, and if found invalid the users will not receive the prize. Users must also claim the prizes earned within 24 hours of receiving a notification about earning one. No cash substitutes will be allowed to receive prizes.
Swagbucks is not responsible for any lost or stolen merchandise. For more rule information, users can visit the site. Another item that people interested in using this should note is that they have to pay for the shipping. Also, multiple searches don't increase a user's chances. But despite all of this hassle, junior Aubrey Caruso said, "It takes a lot of Swagbucks to get anything, but think of how much you use Google, and for just searching random things
you do on a daily basis, you get free stuff." Signing up is free, and when users join Swagbucks, they will automatically get two Swagbucks. From there, users can find codes and earn from using either search engines. If they have saved up enough, they can visit the online store to research items they want. Using Google or Ask. com has never been so rewarding until now. If anyone would like to find out more, they can checkout Swagbucks.com for more information.
Students utilize search engine reward system Meg Lane Staff Writer
Most of us today have used search engines such as Google or Ask.com, and because the creators want us to keep using them they have created a new system where you can earn points and prizes. They're called Swagbucks, virtual points earned periodically when you search on either website. Users can earn prizes depending on how many points they've earned. Prizes
Support Student Press
The list of businesses and individuals included here are backers of the real world educational opportunities made possible by all the publication and broadcasting programs at Cedar Falls High School. Check out their links at our website: http://www.hiline.co.nr
Gold Star Sponsors ($250) •Cedar Falls Community Credit Union •Element Portraits and Design •National Dance Academy Cedar Falls •Sandee’s •The Shirt Shack •Together for Youth at Allen Women’s Clinic
Silver Star Sponsors ($180) •Gary and Margaret Clark Bronze Star Sponsors ($100) •Raymond and Judith Burfeind •Jiva Salon Spa •Larry and Judy Timmins
To find out how you can be a Journalism Backer, call 553-2590 or email hiline.devine@gmail.com or hiline.stigliani@gmail.com.