TH
ig r iL e i
Feb. 4, 2009
Volume 49 Issue 13
1015 Division St. Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613
Sisters travel to D.C. for inauguration Ben Sadkowski Staff Writer
For senior Sarah Halloran and sophomore Lauren Halloran, the experiences at Obama’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., are not just remarkable. They are something they got to experience in person with their family. Just the experience of traveling there was unique. “We didn’t need tickets to get into the actual inauguration. The problem was getting plane tickets and finding a place to stay. We somehow managed to find a flight (through Cedar Rapids and Cincinnati and Atlanta, with a five-hour layover) and my aunt works for NPR and has a house right in D.C., so we were able to stay with her. We were so lucky that we got to go at all,” Sarah said. “My dad got plane tickets online and my aunt has a house in D.C. so that wasn’t a problem,” Lauren said. Also, just the visual experience in D.C. was memorable. “It was so much fun. There was so much energy and enthusiasm throughout the city. Obama was everywhere: on shirts, keychains, earrings, T.V. screens and in conversations. Everyone had a story to tell,” Sarah said.“It was really fun because people were really emotional and I didn’t know that people were so excited about Obama. People were so touched that they had tears running down their faces. However, the experiences from D.C. ran far deeper than on just a visual level. “Another surprising aspect was how friendly everyone was. Strangers would move over to make room on the already overcrowded metro, hold the door leaving a coffee shop or start up a conversation while waiting in line. I don’t know if I heard one rude comment my entire trip,” Sarah said. Apart from the sights and sounds that stemmed from simply being in D.C., the actual inauguration was also a powerful event. “I loved Obama’s speech. It wasn’t a feel-good speech; it brought to attention the problems we face and how we as a country must approach them. And although critics point out the lack
Three juniors will represent CF in national writing contest Jordyn Carias Staff Writer
Submitted Photo
For the historic inauguration of President Obama, the entire Halloran family traveled to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Pictured above are the Halloran family children (left to right) Andrew, Sarah, Lauren and Kate. of a ‘memorable quote’ in his speech, I don’t think his message will be forgotten any time soon,” she said. One particular experience stands out in Sarah’s mind: “As we were waiting at a crosswalk, a little, white dog ran up and jumped on my sister. The dog’s owner, an older couple, came up and apologized, but my dog-loving sister was already asking if she could pet him. This initiated a conversation, and I soon learned that the couple used to live next door to Obama. They named their dog Barry, after Barrack, when the dog broke free from his leash one day and peed on one of Barrack’s se-
cret service agents. ‘I don’t think they liked Barry very much after that,’ the older lady said.” Contradictory to popular belief, travel for some families was not as difficult as it seemed. “Despite the five-hour layover, all the traveling was pretty simple. My favorite part was talking to the guys sitting next to me on the plane on the flight back home. They so badly wanted to attend the inauguration that, even though every hotel was booked and they had nowhere to stay, they came anyway and camped out in the mall in below zero weather,” Sarah said. To Sarah, the significance of the
inauguration is tremendous. “Obviously, this event was historically significant due to the fact that Barrack Obama is our first AfricanAmerican president. I think it is also significant because it brings so much hope to America. Right now, our country isn’t in great shape. We have a failing economy, terrible foreign relations and a miserable reputation. Many consider George W. Bush one of our worst presidents yet. Obama promises change. There has been so much hope invested in this election, we all hope the inauguration is the beginning of fulfilled promises and change for the better,” she said.
The annual National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) competition is back, and three CFHS juniors will be front and center to compete. The top three writers, as chosen by the department, are Rachel Connelly, Alex Entz and Bailey Pons. The students had to nominated by their English teachers, submit a piece of their best work and write an impromptu essay. After each member of the English department looked everything over, they notified the three finalists. Pons said, “I was surprised. I was so happy about it; I just started writing for fun. I was so happy.” Pon’s peers, and now competitors, also shared the excitement. Along with the honor and opportunity of it all, it racks the students’ nerves as it puts their writing skills on the line. Connley said, “I’m nervous about coming up with something to write about. I’m also nervous about having other people read the stuff that I write because that’s always scary when you put lots of effort into something — you’re afraid someone else won’t like or they’ll knock it down.” Once the juniors were in the early stages of the competition, they had to come up with an impromptu piece to submit. They were given two potential prompts, told to choose one and had time to write the work they would turn in. English teacher Michelle Rathe, who also facilitates the NCTE competition at the high school, gave the advice to future writers, “Show skill, be creative with the content and show style. Style is huge.” The final competition will be held in early April. Last year’s winners from Cedar Falls Hish Schoool at the national level were Michael Miller and Michelle Reidenbough.