Feb 5, 2015 hi line

The

The Long Walk Home

Tiger HI-LINE

Friday, Feb. 6, 2015

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Volume 55 Edition 15

New options coming in fall of 2015 Power Hour

Yet again, CFHS students will be anticipating schedule changes for next year.

On top of new classes that can be taken, ‘Power Hour’ will be implemented.

Essentially, Power Hour is a one-hour block of time in which students can seek help from teachers, eat lunch or just hang out. It will replacing a system that does not work as well as some had hoped: the Academic Zone.

“It got so bad that at one point, Mr. Strike, a math teacher, had to help a student with Spanish homework,” Principal Jason Wedgbury said. “That won’t happen in the new system.”

Wedgbury and some other teachers

went to Florida to see this system in action.

“We talked with a lot of students, and they said they couldn’t imagine life without Power Hour,” Wedgbury said. “We saw that it gave them a sense of school pride.”

Sophomore Allie Taiber said that the benefits will ultimately help her education.

“I think the main benefit is that students will have a lot more freedom, which will be enjoyable and ties into a lot of other benefits. As someone who’s relatively busy, it’ll be nice to have an hour to meet with teachers, eat and get things done. The only drawback would be going from eight hours to seven, but in the end it will benefit my education,” Taiber said.

By Online Editor Zuhayr

ALAM

What is Power Hour?

Power hour is a one-hour block of time in which students can do whatever they need to do.

They can see teachers, form study groups or just socialize and de-stress.

How does this affect the schedule?

There will be seven periods that are 47 minutes long. The Power Hour will go in between 4th and 5th hours.

How will this affect the classes I can take?

We went to an eight-period day so we could implement a mandatory study hall, with seven periods of content. With the Power Hour, there will still be seven periods of content, so students will have the same opportunities as this year.

What will happen to study hall?

Students will still have the opportunity to have a study hall and can still be assigned to small study hall, but it will not be mandatory. The Power Hour can serve as a replacement for study hall.

What is wrong with the current system?

We implemented an Academic Zone in order for students to get help from teachers. One of the drawbacks to this is that there are only core teachers available, and we want all teachers available to all students. Some students also find it difficult to approach unfamiliar teachers, even if they can help.

What will happen to lunch?

Instead of having different lunch shifts, there will be one shift spanning the whole Power Hour. Students can go to the cafeteria at any time during the hour and can leave at any time as well. Students will still have the option to eat food from home, and can eat that anywhere in the school.

Who will have the privilege of leaving the school during Power Hour?

The rules for Power Hour will be concurrent with the rules for release. Sophomores have to stay on campus, but juniors and seniors will be able to leave. As for restrictions for grades, that will be the students’ call.

New courses

Honors Spanish IV essentially teaches the same material that would be expected in a Spanish IV class, only moving in a much faster pace. Instead of covering certain units, the class gives students an opportunity to learn more material about the Spanish language by doing more reading and speaking. It’s highly recommended that any student taking Honors Spanish III should take this class as well, though any student in regular Spanish III who would like more of a challenge and covering more of the material is welcomed to sign up as well. Spanish teacher Patricia Black said that any student who really wants to learn Spanish should definitely take the class. Something that Black frequently tells her students is to consider this class while they’re thinking about college.

“Although grade point averages do count, we know that most universities now look at the classes that the students take more than the grades.” Black said, “If you’ve taken an Honors class, that means that you are a hardworking student, and that you want challenges.”

AP Environmental Science is a collegebased science course that is designed to be an equivalent of a one-semester college course in environmental science. What the class will specifically teach students is a mixture of biology, chemistry, earth science and how humans affect all of those subjects. The prerequisites to take the class are to have a minimum grade of a C in biology or honors biology and algebra I. Science teacher Meghan Reynolds, who plans to teach this class next year, said that this would be a good class for students who aren’t going into a science field but are looking to satisfy a science requirement for college. It can also help for career options for science-driven students. “If [a student] has any interest in the environment and they want to know more about it, then it would definitely be a good option,” Reynold said. “Or if they want to tackle an AP science class, but they don’t want to go into those other three, then this would be a good option for them as well.”

AP American Government is a semester-long, college-based class that goes deeper into the subject matters that would be found in the regular American government class. To take it, the student needs to have at least a 3.25 GPA or an instructor’s approval, along with taking American government in previous years. Social studies teacher Chad Van Cleve said, “I think if you’re interested in government or political issues, then this is a class for you.” Though a student doesn’t necessarily need to plan a career involved in politics to take this class, since they can also take it for college credit by preparing for the advanced placement exam in May. “It’s a challenge, and if you want to be as prepared for college as you can, then you need to take as many challenges as you can in high school so you’re ahead of the pack when you get to college,” Van Cleve said.

Advanced Conditioning and Theory is a brand new physical education class that functions differently from the others by requiring a PE exemption in order to take it.

How the class works is that there will be two days in the weight room where the students will focus on more advanced types of lifting, such as the power clean, power snatch and other types of advanced movements. After that, the other days will be set in a classroom where the students will learn about sport theory so they can grasp a better understanding on the extracurriculars that they take. Physical education teacher Brad Remmert believes that this class should be taken by students who have had lifting experience and are ready to take those skills to the next level.

“The sport theory part of it may help you gain a better understanding of the current sport that you may be out for,” Remmert said, “but if you want to be a coach down the road, it would give you some background in theory and strategy for different sports.”

By Staff Writer Sarah

STORTZ

We, Robot: Robotics teams gear for action Taking their math and science knowledge beyond mere classroom material, members of robotics team First Tech Challenge are headed to League Championship this Saturday, Feb. 7, at Central Middle School, with matches from 11:30-4 p.m.

The event is a contest of 24 teams. “You compete with your robot. Our robot places wiffle/golf balls into large tubes and pushes those tubes up a ramp,” junior Elizabeth Pierce said.

The CFHS team is coached by math and science teacher Ron Hoofnagle and science teacher Meghan Reynolds, and there are two other teams from Cedar

Falls junior highs who will also be among the 24 teams competing on Saturday.

This tournament will also serve as a qualifier for the state FTC tournament in Coralville on March 6-7. “We have been building since August. I’m most impressed with the teamwork the students exhibit when working on all the different aspects of the robot, from building to programming to team sponsorship to fundraising,” Reynolds said.

There is much more to FTC than just the competitions. Each team member has specific duties. Pierce handles the engineering notebook and contributes to building the robot. “The engineer-

ing notebook is a documentation of all that we do. I include something for every day, goals for next time and what we learned at that meeting,” Pierce said.

FTC also has sponsors, people who have resources and help the robotics team. “I design certain aspects of the robot. If I need help, I can ask a sponsor. You can also go to a sponsor’s work site, and they can help us build certain parts we can’t,” Pierce said.

Cedar Falls has another robotics team as well, the FIRST Robotics Challenge Team 525, coached by physics teacher Kenton Swartley.

That team will have a scrim-

mage on Feb. 14 at the Nielson Field House (the old NU gym), accompanied by eight other Iowa teams, before heading to Duluth on Feb. 25-28 to qualify for the international tournament.

“The FIRST organization switched up the game a lot this season. It changed the team perimeters and made many of the earlier rules obsolete. We are attacking it from a different level by building two fully functioning robots. The new rules allow for a lot more creativity; the robot can be as big as you want.

We are building elevator robots,” junior Aditi Rao said.

Pierce, who also participates in FIRST, details the competition:

“For the competition this year, you are picking up and stacking crates with robots; there is no defense,” Pierce said.

The team has a six-week build session where the students put in three to four hours a day building the robot. In addition to building, the robotics team works on public relations and fundraising.

Pierce works on the communications committee, writing the FIRST newsletter and including current robotics events. FIRST is currently selling LED lightbulbs to raise funds for its trips and parts of the robot.

By Staff Writer Agatha

FENECH

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Friday, Feb. 6, 2015

Swimming, soccer teams econd easons find ways to extend action

Swimmers committed to club competitions

Winning. Stepping up to the next level in the sport.

For women involved with club swimming, this is exactly the plan, and despite the chlorine burn or chlorine cough, these girls have been swimming together for years, and spending hour after hour, day after day in the pool doesn’t even phase them anymore. It is what they love, what they do and who they are.

The club swim team has a very strict schedule. They start their spring/summer season at the end of April and continue throughout the beginning of August.

After that season, they take about two weeks off and start back up at the beginning of October for their fall/winter season, and that takes them all the way to spring break.

These girls only have about one month off of the whole year.

For girls who are involved on the high school swim team along with club, the high school season overlaps club starting in August. Girls who are participating on the high school team participate in that club season too, and that takes them to the beginning of November.

The state championships for high school swimming are in November, and then they take about three days off before getting right back in the pool to resume training for their club season.

These swimmers practice every day after school for two and a half hours, as well as

Submitted Photo

Members of club swimming become like family as they compete together week after week. every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 5:30 a.m.

They take no days off, with the exception of Sundays, which is commonly used to make up a missed workout previously in the week. Junior club swimmer Madison Hall explained that once swimmers reach a certain age, all of these practices become mandatory, including the morning ones.

Hall has been a part of the swim team since fourth grade.

She said she has always had a love for swimming since she stepped foot in the pool for the first time, though as she has gotten older, finding the time to balance this love with all of her other priorities has grown challenging. “A lot of times I try to get as much of my homework done. It’s not as hard as it seems to manage

time. Sometimes it sucks, but you get used to it. There are certain times where it is very hard, but once you’re at meets with your teammates, you realize how much you love it.”

Hall said she appreciates how swimming is a team sport, yet at the same time it is completely based individually. “I love the team; it’s a team sport, but it’s also just you and the clock. It’s the team and my coaches. We are growing up together.”

Hall plans to swim in college, and said many of her senior friends on the team have also been seeking out different colleges to possibly swim at next year. “It’s weird to think they will be practicing with different schools, and we won’t be on the same team next year.”

The swimmers are currently in the midst of training during their winter season. Their biggest competition for this season is Sectionals, which is one of the top meets. A week before Sectionals, they have State, which is also a big meet.

Several swimmers on the team this year also have times qualifying for Junior Nationals in Florida over spring break and may be attending.

Senior Martee Granger has been swimming for 11 years now — swimming with the same people since 3rd grade.

Granger realized how much she enjoyed the sport at the first meet of her freshman year.

“Everyone swam super well. I realized how close everyone was and how fun it was to suffer through together as a team. I loved how encouraging everyone was.”

Swimming also takes up a lot of Granger’s time, making it hard to do some other things.

“During season, it sucks. You have to pull some late nights and spend less time with other stuff like Netflix.”

Granger plans to go to Eastern Illinois University next year. She is still undecided if she will be swimming or not.

Senior swimmer Natalie Shimp started off her swim career by failing both of her swim lesson tests. Ironic, because since then she has been swimming since she was five years old, and has now been a part of a swim team for 12 years.

Shimp has moved several times, from Cedar Falls to Minnesota and back to Cedar Falls

again, so she has experienced being a part of different swim teams. But for the most part, she has been on the same swim team with the same girls.

Shimp has always loved swimming, but said that sometimes it is very easy to hate it.

“Swimming for 12 years, you can really get sick of it. At least right now being a senior and stuff, but it is always a good stress reliever.”

Having practice sometimes twice a day and meets several weekends, Shimp said she gets most of her homework done during her release periods or after school. “Sleep is also important to me,” Shimp said.

Next year Shimp will be swimming at Luther College, and she said she is really excited. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to swim because I have never really focused on school, so I thought that for college I should do that, but I knew I couldn’t stop swimming.

I looked at a lot of smaller schools. I never wanted to go somewhere in Iowa. I have always wanted to get out of here, but when I found Luther, I knew this was the place I wanted to be.”

Shimp said she is sad to leave her teammates and friends who she has been so close with for so many years, but she is ready for the next step. “It is time to move on to the next chapter. It’s going to be hard not to be around all these people I have been swimming with forever.”

By Copy Editor Annebeth

AHRENHOLZ

Soccer team finds home in new Sportsplex The CFHS soccer team is having its annual indoor soccer practice for all players looking to try out for the soccer team.

Players are split up into two to four teams, depending on how many people show up and play against one another.

Head coaches and assistant coaches watch the players’ skills and think about recruiting for the JV, freshman/sophomore or varsity teams.

Spencer Steffy will be coaching the varsity team this year. Wade Timmons

will be coaching the JV team this year, and Harrison Brocka will be coaching the freshmen/sophomore team.

Junior student Leo Brocka, Harrison Brocka’s brother, has been a part of the varsity team for two years so far and is looking forward to trying to make it to varsity once again this year, despite having surgery on his shoulder. “I’m just playing my heart out and trying to recover,” Leo Brocka said.

Sophomore Ami Ikanovic is working hard for a spot on the freshman/sopho-

more team.

“I think I would be a big help to the team this year,” Ikanovic said.

Ikanovic was on the freshmen/sophomore team his freshman year, and he’s hoping to earn his spot once more.

“If all goes well I’ll be out on the field with my fellow teammates kickin’ butt at some soccer,” Ikanovic said.

Junior Connor Houlihan played on the JV team last year and is looking forward to showing his skills off to the coaches and earning a spot on the var-

sity team.

“I’ve been practicing like crazy,” Houlihan said.

Indoor soccer is held at either the CFHS gym, if it is available, or at the NU gym.

All information about the soccer season or about the indoor soccer times and dates can be located at the men’s soccer website: http://www.cfhsa.cfschools.org/spring-sports/mens-soccer

By Staff Writer Dino

ODOBASIC

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Friday, Feb. 6, 2015

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Athleteof Week the

Eleven Tigers sign letters of intent National signing day is a big day across the United States where high school student athletes sign their national letters of intent to play their sports in the colliagate ranks. Eleven CFHS seniors sat down to commit to their future schools on Wednesday, Feb. 4 in the high school gym.

Brandon Jerome

Bowling

Trey Bronner Baseball

Brady Corson Baseball

Jared Halterman Football

Kelsey Kramer Soccer Central College

Lauryn Kramer Soccer Central College “I chose Central because the coaches and girls are really nice, and it seemed like a really good fit.”

Alexa Rabune Soccer

Iowa Central Community College “Coach Pederson (Iowa Central head coach) knows how to develop players and get them to the next level.”

Trey Hansen Football University of Minnesota “I can’t wait to play for my dream school in the Big Ten and play for coach Kill.”

“I chose Central because after visiting the campus and being around the team and coaches, it seemed like the perfect fit for me.”

Iowa Central Community College “I chose Iowa Central because I saw a winning program and I really wanted to be part of it.”

Iowa Western Community College “I chose Iowa Western because they played in the juco national championship last year, and they transfer a lot of guys to D1 schools.”

Minnesota State University, Mankato

“I knew instantly the minute I stepped onto the campus and met the coaches and met the team that it was the school for me.”

Junior Brandon Jerome has been bowling nearly his whole life and is turning the promising bowling team into a contender.

How did you get started with bowling?

My mother was a bowler and she told me to try it out when I was about six years old. I just tried it out, liked it and have been doing it ever since.

What’s the best score you’ve ever recorded?

The highest score I’ve ever gotten was 299, and that was last year at a high school meet.

How did it feel to be so close to a perfect score?

I was happy that I shot a really good score, but I was a little disappointed.

How has the team been able to turn it around and succeed?

We added three freshman to the varsity team, and we have a lot of good depth. We have a lot of people that are more active even outside of school. We just have people that care about it and come to every practice.

Are you thinking of bowling after high school?

I don’t know, hopefully. There is college bowling, and that is something I would like to do.

Tigers in

Action

Men’s Basketball Next up: Feb. 6 Waterloo East Away at 6 p.m.

Women’s Basketball Next up: Feb. 6 Waterloo East Home at 6 p.m.

Wrestling

Next up: Feb. 14 Districts TBA

Tyler Schmidt Football

Minnesota State University, Mankato

“I’m excited about the opportunity to play college football. Mankato is going to be awesome because of the great coaches, great athletics and chance to win a natty.”

Skylar Starbeck Field Hockey Lindenwood University

“I’m pretty pumped to play with a great team at the collegiate level. I knew this was a great opportunity for me and my future, and I hope to suceed with whatever faces me.”

Richard Stevenson Football Wayne State College “I chose Wayne because it felt like home as soon as I met the guys. I’m excited to further my education and have fun at Wayne State College.”

Rayce Willett Football South Dakota State University “I’m really excited about playing at a higher level where I get to push my limits and play very good players.”

By Editor-in-Chief Austin

ANDERSON

Men’s Swimming Next up: Feb. 7 Districts Home 12:30 p.m.

Bowling

Next up: Feb. 6 Waterloo West Home 3:45 p.m.

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The

Tiger

FEATURE

HI-LINE

Friday, Feb. 6, 2015

The dress, the date and the details Follow this three-part series for making prom preparations months before May One doesn’t have to listen too carefully to hear talk of prom steadily increasing throughout the halls. Even though the dance is months and months away, students begin to anticipate it as early as February, making preparations far in advance. Every element, from the dress to the date to the final details of prom night itself, seems to be planned earlier and earlier every year. What’s the rush all about anyway? The Hi-Line is setting out to discover in a three-part, three-week series. This week’s topic: The dress.

Prom dress advertisements started playing on the radio in the beginning of January. Internet ads started popping up on my computer a few weeks later. The Junior League of WaterlooCedar Falls Prom’s Closet event happens in February, and every day I hear girls talking about their prom dresses as I walk through the halls. I can’t help but wonder what all the anticipation of the dress is all about. Prom is months away afterall. After interviewing CFHS students and conducting various polls, I’ve come to an answer. Girls begin to worry about their prom dress months in advance because the dress is the most important element of the night. The perfect dress is what makes girls feel elegant, beautiful and like a princess. It takes time to find it.

Girls want to make sure they have enough time to find and alter the perfect prom dress, not to mention they want to make sure they get their first dress picks, before they are registered and unavailable to other CFHS students. Plus, it’s just fun! Why wait to try on dresses? It’s exciting!

However, this push to find the dress as soon as possible causes many girls, myself included, to stress. While everyone else has already found their dress, I still have no idea where to look, or what to look for.

Junior Katy Lockard: “{Choosing the right dress] is not the biggest decision in the world, but having the right dress is important. You want to feel pretty. It’s the key to having a fun night.”

To post or not to post?

We asked 120 CFHS students: When a girl finds her prom dress, should she post pictures of it on social media?

Men: 54% said Yes

46%

said No

“No, I get tired of seeing all the prom dresses.”

-Senior Erik Tazegul

Pr

“Yes, so that other girls don’t buy the same dress.” -Senior Tyler Schmidt

Women: 48% said Yes “

Yes, so that other girls know that it’s taken.”

- Junior Sara Ashar

52% said No “No, it should be a surprise.”

-Senior Emily Banes Senior Haley Alexander: “I think {the dress] is pretty important because it’s fun to get dressed up. [Girls] only get two times to dress like that before [their] weddings.”

The

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HI-LINE

Friday, Feb. 6, 2015

FEATURE

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Where to shop: The first major decision you have to make regarding your prom dress is where you want to look for it. Luckily, there are countless options to choose from. Local shops, such as GLAM and Simply I Do offer wide ranges of dresses. Senior Haley Alexander found her dress at Cedar Falls’s Simply I Do. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here in town, you can travel to other shops in Iowa City, Des Moines, Minneapolis or Chicago. Senior Kennedy Kiley found her dress all the way up in Rochester, Minn.

If you’re not thrilled about price tags on new prom dresses, you can purchase used ones from area girls through the Facebook page Cedar Valley Prom Dresses. Junior Katy Lockard, who found her dress on CVPD, said, ”I thought the process was simpler [through CVPD]. It made it easier.”

Another cost-saving option is renting your prom dress through renttherunway.com.

Rent the Runway will send you multiple sizes of any dress you select from their website that you’d like to wear to prom. After prom, you just send them back, all for only $100.

A fifth cost-effective option is borrowing old dresses from friends or family. Junior Lizzy Swanson is borrowing her cousin’s dress. “[My cousin] goes to Phoenix every spring break for formal dress shopping. I’ve never had an occasion where I needed a fancy dress, but now I get to use hers. [It’s great because] no one else will have that dress, and I don’t have to spend any money.”

What to shop for: Junior Lizzie Swanson: “I think [finding the right dress] is very important. The dress says a lot about your personality and how you want to be viewed.”

Once you’ve decided where you’d like to look for your prom dresses, you’re bound to be bombarded with a neverending string of overwhelming choices. Short cocktail or long formal? Fitted mermaid or full ball gown? Sweetheart neckline or open back?

Strapless or one shoulder? Lace or silk? Neon pink and blue or neutral white and black?

Sequins and jewels or feathers and fringe? Polka dots pattern or camo print? The list goes on and on and on, creating endless possibilities and it’s guaranteed that almost every variation will be found on the dance floor. How can you possibly find a dress that will both flatter your style and distinguish you from everyone else?

A sure way to is to just start trying dresses on, taking note of what you like and what you don’t. It can be a long and tiring process with a heaping “No” pile and an empty “Yes” one, but stick with it and you’ll eventually find the dress of your dreams.

Even if you think you know what you’re looking for in a dress, you should still try on a few different styles. You might end up falling in love with a dress that’s extremely different from what you envisioned. Kiley and Alexander can atest to this. “I was expecting to get a sophisticated, black, lace dress, but I ended up with a pink poofy ballgown with polka dots. I didn’t think I was getting that,” Kiley admitted.

Alexander was similarly surprised. “I wanted something red and draped, but mine is completely not that. I wanted strapless; [mine] is one shoulder.” No one knows what dress they’ll look best in without first seeing themselves in different dresses.

After trying on dress after dress after dress, the most important thing to remember is to choose the one that you felt most beautiful in. Every girl should feel absolutely stunning in their prom dress. Never let the opinions of family, friends or boyfriends sway you into choosing a dress you don’t feel stunning in. The most distinguished, noticed and admired girls on the dance floor will be the ones beaming with confidence. Such confidence can only be obtained by choosing the dress that makes you feel truly beautiful, whether it be simple and elegant or embellished and bedazzled to the max.

Senior Kennedy Kiley: “I’m kind of picky. I want it to fit exactly who I am. [The dress] should show how you want to present yourself and how you want yourself to look.”

By Staff Writer Mikaela

MALLIN

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The

OPINION

Pink Party

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Friday, Feb. 6, 2015

Our View

Join weekend fight vs. cancer while supporting Tiger sports The UNI Relay for Life organization has reached out to Cedar Falls about hosting a Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser as a way for more people in the Cedar Valley to get involved in their annual Relay for Life Event.

Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration with the American Cancer Society to help raise awareness and fight against cancer.

The game will be held in the gym on this Saturday, Feb. 7 where the Tiger men’s basketball team will face WaverlyShell Rock.

Increasing awareness in the Cedar Valley is a way to bring the community together in helping those local who are battling with cancer. However this game is quite special for CFHS sophomore Adison Pace, who has dealt with her own battle with cancer.

During halftime Pace will be sharing her story with cancer and the obstacles she has overcome. As a result, this fundraiser means a lot to those who are dealing with or know someone who is dealing with cancer.

At the game, all proceeds will be donated to the UNI Relay for Life organization, then passed onto the American Cancer Society.

Last week, the sophomore leadership group held a bake sale in the Tiger’s Den raising over $450 to donate to this event. T-Shirts have also been sold for the pink out game, which also contributes to the event as well as the silent auction for UNI men’s and women’s basketball jerseys.

Another chance to donate is to the “Fans vs. Cancer Wall,” which is on display by the gym for $1.

By donating to this fundraiser, it empowers our community to help build a better cause by making a difference together.

With everyone’s helpful donations, it is helping contribute to saving lives and fighting for everyone against this awful disease.

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 fifth 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-in-Chief: Austin Anderson Online Editor: Zuhayr Alam Copy Editor: Annebeth Ahrenholz Staff Writers: Sommer Danielsen, Agatha Fenech, Taylor Hylton, Ben Louviere, Mikaela Mallin, Malcolm Musoni, Dino Odobasic, Josie Speltz, Skylar Starbeck and Sarah Stortz

from NASA Royalty Free Resources

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, lunar module pilot, walks on the surface of the Moon near the leg of the Lunar Module (LM) “Eagle” during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA). Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this photograph with a 70mm lunar surface camera.

Crazy COSMOS Space documentary series poses intriguing questions If you’re interested in some mind-blowing, life-changing, and truly amazing stories about the most ridiculous thing that’s ever happened — you can find them from the comfort of your living room in the 2014 hit-documentary series, Cosmos.

Hosted by renowned astrophysicist (and one of my favorite humans on the planet) Neil deGrasse Tyson, this 13-episode series may be the most awe-inspiring, informative experience of your life.

Why? Because it’s the story of everything. It’s the story of you, me, your TV, our galaxy, the atoms in your eyes that are reading this article — it’s all real, and it’s all happening.

What is it? What is the most ridiculous thing that’s ever happened? It’s the only thing that’s happening — the universe.

Here we are — you, me, humans, organisms — life. But what are we really? In a sense, we are conscious manifestations of the universe itself.

Our atoms, cells, brains — they’re all just as much a part of the universe as the atoms that make up stars in the sky or oxygen in our atmosphere.

Everything you can think of is a

If you consider a Saturday night spent watching Netflix to be boring, then think again. It’s the most amazing thing that’s ever happened ... part of it. We are the universe experiencing itself.

How cool is that?

It’s pretty baffling — this beautiful experience that we get, perceiving this reality through the filters of a human nervous system.

Can we explain it all? Absolutely not. It’s crazy. It’s a circus, and we hardly have any idea what’s going on. But can we explain some of it? Yes, we can, and Tyson would like nothing more than to show you some of what we humans do have figured out — and, holy cow, you are not going to believe it.

Using absolutely stunning, top-tier visuals, Tyson explains the frontiers of scientific knowledge in ways that are so easily understandable. So understandable, in fact, that it’s just exciting to learn about.

How can learning be exciting? Because there is a black hole that is 40 billion times the

mass of our sun, and there are at least 100 billion galaxies in our observable universe. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, contains about 7 sextillion stars.

What are we? We are lifeforms on a planet orbiting around ONE star.

Watch the first episode about our cosmic address and you will be hooked. It’s wilder than you could ever dream of — and what’s wilder is that it’s not a dream.

If you consider a Saturday night spent watching Netflix to be boring, then think again. It’s the most amazing thing that’s ever happened — all of this is the most amazing thing that’s ever happened!

All you have to do is sit back, watch and realize it.

By Staff Writer Ben

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Friday, Feb. 6, 2015

The Long Walk Home

OPINION

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Lessons from faithful friend will stand by boy forever

Dogs are a man’s best friend, and that’s exactly why I was so excited to get a best friend of my own. I remember everything about meeting my best bud, Friday, for the first time.

On April 17, 2007, I came home from a soccer tournament in Verona, Wis. As I walked inside, exhausted from the weekend, out came a cute, little, white cocker spaniel with burnt orange spots and a tiny stump tail moving at the speed of light any time he was breathing. He was jumping around, enthused to start his new life by peeing the second I reached down to pet him.

I was shocked. I had no idea at that moment, but I wasn’t just coming home to a new dog, but rather a new lifestyle.

From that day on I would be blessed with an adorable, loving, lazy, calm, crazy, troublemaking, mischievous, longeared best friend.

It was the perfect situation. My family’s backyard is big and fenced in. I could take him for walks and runs all the time, and I would give him baths whenever they were needed. We could take him to the 44 acres of my grandparents’ house in Tama, to the lake and even my grandma’s house in Georgia.

Unfortunately, perfect only seems to exist in fairy tales as Friday found ways to escape the back yard and take himself for walks. On our attempted runs he would stop at nearly every tree to mark his territory, and his least favorite things in the whole world are baths.

The first time he went to my grandparents’ house he was bitten by their black lab in the ear, and the next time he visited, he went outside and wasn’t found until he was discovered shaking on the top of a picnic table a few hours later. At the lake, he was too afraid to swim even though cocker spaniels, historically, are good swimmers, and nobody asked to stop more on the 22hour car trip to Georgia than, yup, you guessed it, Friday.

Despite all of that trouble, as well as him being a slow learner that the bathroom is outside or coming home to find the entirety of the garbage that is supposed to reside in the can, sprawled out on the kitchen floor, I loved him.

There is nothing like the love of a dog. In a world where people will show you affection then tear you to shreds the moment you turn your back, a dog couldn’t care less about how you’re dressed or how your hair looked that day. They’re just thrilled to see you each and every time you walk through the door. Do you jump up from the couch and rush over to greet your friends and family every single time they come to you?

There are so many things that can be learned from dogs, such as that they live in the moment they’re in. Dogs

don’t worry about things that have already happened in the past or things that could happen in the future. They don’t have regrets or hold grudges.

This seems to be the exact opposite of humans.

Even though the past cannot be changed no matter how badly we want to, humans still worry about it and wish things could have been done differently. We also worry heavily about the future even though the only things that can be done to affect the future are the choices we make in present time, making this exact moment the only time that should matter. If we stopped wasting energy on the past and future, all of our energy could be focused on the now, making our lives the best they could possibly be.

Dogs also have a great sense of feelings. Have you ever been so sad, mad or frustrated that you felt like nothing could cheer you up only to have your dog come over to you almost as if to ask you what’s wrong? A dog’s love is pure and consistent while asking for nothing in return, a rare commodity amongst humans.

Though we see ourselves higher up on the hierarchy of life, dogs seem to the secret to the keys of heaven.

Heaven is a bit of a mind boggling concept for many people to grasp and believe. For some, it’s the reason for life while for others it’s pure optimism, hoping something better than what they see now exists. If heaven does exist, does everyone get in, and if not, then is there some type of selection committee like the one the college football playoff relies on?

Like many aspects of religion, there are many different views of heaven.

Pope Francis reportedly has a view of heaven in which many animal lovers may rejoice. A report surfaced that Pope Francis told a young boy that he would see his beloved dog again one day in heaven. If the common person were to make this claim, it would be brushed aside, but when a global superstar like the Pope says it, then it must be taken note.

I hadn’t given much thought about whether dogs go to heaven or not simply because I had never needed to. That all changed on a cold day in November.

My mom, dad and dog had all gone to Ames to visit my sister at Iowa State. As much as I would like to say I am Friday’s favorite, that honor would definitely go to my sister, Mariah. They are nearly inseparable when she comes home, and when she leaves, Friday is definitely her hardest goodbye.

After we ate pizza and watched Iowa State’s lowly football team lose, a family meeting was called in my sister’s apartment. I immediately knew nothing good

Austin Anderson Photo

A Boy and His Dog: Editor-in-Chief Austin Anderson and Friday was about to come out of this meeting, and every bad thing that could possibly be happening rushed through my mind.

Then it hit me like the worst punch to the gut imaginable.

Friday had cancer.

My sister and I sobbed continuously, hoping we had heard my parents wrong as they explained he had lymphoma.

There was nothing that could be done about it, and he likely had six months left remaining.

I haven’t told him, but he knows. He knows he struggles to jump up on the couch and lays on the ground alone instead of being with his family. He knows he’s being showered with treats at an unprecedented pace and people food is “accidentally” dropped more often for him to eat now. He knows the “I love you’s” and the hugs are coming in at record amounts. He knows the two big bumps on his neck aren’t supposed to be there, and he knows there’s nothing he can do about it.

I asked him if he wanted to go for a walk, and he just laid down on the ground. When I showed him his lead, however, he jumped up and sprinted downstairs and out the door faster than he had in years. The dozens of times we had taken this walk over the years, I always got to the end of the driveway and every single time turned left to start the walk. This time I told him to take me

where he wanted to go. He went to the end of the driveway and turned right without hesitation.

As we started out, it was almost like nothing was wrong. The retractable leash was fully extended, and he was taking me for a walk this time.

Even as he started to slow his pace as we continued, I didn’t speak. Instead memories rushed through my head of the times I had spent with my best friend. Times that are slowly running out. Maybe someday when both our times have come, we will see each other again, but if not, the memories we have made will last.

As the walk nears its end, Friday has become much slower, stopping at every tree to rest or simply to inspect it as his ego would tell you, I’m sure. When our home is just a few feet away, he stops to a halt and looks around at the neighboring houses that he’s stared at out the window for years, maybe searching for something new he might have missed.

He turns into the driveway on his own and waits for the door to be opened. The walk is over now, but I hesitate to unhook his leash from his collar, not wanting to let him go. I crouch down as his big, brown eyes stare right into mine and take him off his leash.

By Editor-in-Chief Austin

ANDERSON

8

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OPINION

Oscar Inspirations Friday, Feb. 6, 2015

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American Sniper honors soldiers, not war With 160 confirmed kills, he was named the deadliest operative in U.S. Navy history. After serving four tours in the Iraq War, Navy SEALS Special Forces Sharpshooter Chris Kyle was rewarded with approval for his acts of heroism.

Receiving two Silver Star Medals, five Bronze Star Medals, one Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, as well as two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, Kyle was then honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy and wrote the bestselling book, American Sniper.

This book was later made into the film directed by Clint Eastwood, which recollects the events that Kyle witnessed as well as the hardships of what he did over his four tours in Iraq. It also touched base on the battles he faced once returning home, trying to reintegrate into a normal life.

The film has shattered past records with its $90.2 million debut weekend release, earning its spot as the top movie of the year, so far. Sniper has also received nominations for Best Picture and well as Best Actor for the upcoming 2015 Oscars.

This film has been given many great reviews, such as a review by Fox News that said, “While the majority of recent war films focus on the horrors of war, Sniper shifts the focus to honor the brave men and women who sacrifice every-

thing – including their families – to protect each other. A must-see!”

Although this review is one look at all of the positive things that have been said in regards to Sniper, it has also caused much controversy over the issue of praising the killing made by Kyle. Film maker Michael Moore made a tweet about Sniper saying, “My uncle was killed by a sniper in WWII. We were taught snipers were cowards, they will shoot you in the back. Snipers aren’t heros, and invaders are worse.”

His tweet shows an opposing view to the movie, thinking that Kyle should not be thought of as a hero. However, Moore has since gotten much animosity about his words and has taken back his posting, saying that he was unable to get his full message across in the few characters allowed in a tweet. He also stated that he actually enjoyed the movie.

A considerable amount of CFHS students that have seen Sniper possess views that tend to side further on Kyle being a hero, and consider the movie to be right for praising his actions of protecting his fellow soldiers in the hardships of war and risking his life for our country. Senior Ben Mord has both read the book and seen the movie, and in regards to the overall aspect of Sniper said, “I think that they dramatized a lot of what happened in the book, but it made it a

good movie. I also think that Chris Kyle’s is a hero, and don’t see his actions as being bad.”

Senior Richard Stevenson also had good things to say regarding whether the killings in the movie were accurate. “I think that it was portrayed in an acceptable way.

They viewed him as doing it for a good cause and not just killing people just to kill people.”

The real issue, however, starts to brew when people do not fully understand the point of the movie.

Some are making remarks in reference to how everyone of a certain religion is a terrorist, not getting the full point as to the reason behind Kyle’s actions being a sniper, which was solely to protect the Marine troops from being killed, to save American lives, not to kill as many terrorists as possible.

Since Sniper shows the events that just take place to Kyle and everything that he had to go through when on tour, this movie seems to be more pro-soldier, referring to how we should be grateful for those who risk their lives for the freedom and comfort of America. It does not seem to be pro-war, which implies what caused the controversy.

By Staff Writer Josie

SPELTZ

Boyhood worth three-hour journey Somewhere between December and the end of the year I made a deal with myself that I would try and watch all of the movies that were going to be nominated for various awards since it was awards season.

It’s been maybe a month and a week since I made that pact to myself, and, due to my immense procrastination, I’ve only watched two movies out of the 10 or so that have been getting the media spotlight: Boyhood and Selma. After I watched Selma I made up my mind right then and there that this was the movie that deserved every best director award for the season; that all that changed once I watched Boyhood.

I had steered away from watching Boyhood because it was three hours long, and three hours is really a long time to sit down and watch one thing if you’re me, but last week on Tuesday I made up my mind that I was going to watch Boyhood no matter how long it took me.

I would watch it and figure out exactly the hype. Though I had to watch it in segments where I

could find the time over a span of six hours, I have to say it was maybe the greatest six movie watching hours of my entire life.

Boyhood takes the viewer through 12 years of the main character Mason’s (played by Ellar Coltrane) life. What makes it so excellent is that the director Richard Linklater took 12 years to shoot this movie so we could get a realistic view of the characters growing up during those 12 years.

You see and can relate to all the changes that Mason is going through from elementary school to when he’s about to leave for college. Mason fights with his sister, he goes through his “emo goth” phase, he tries drugs, he gets that talk from his teacher about reaching his full potential and he falls in love for the first time. Everything that we experience as teenagers going through the motions of wanting to be heard and wanting to be understood is shown in this movie.

As a viewer my favorite part of the movie was watching his father really grow and mature

to be the father that Mason and his sister really needed. At the beginning of the movie Mason’s father (played by Ethan Hawke) hadn’t been around and had been in Alaska really avoiding his parental duties, but as the movie goes on you see him try to be around more and start to really take care of his children and even get married and have his own. I think that character growth from his father and the other characters in the movie help to really illustrate the complexity of growing up.

The movie is called “Boyhood,” but it’s not just about the boy Mason; it’s about everyone around him growing up as well and how (little) he reacts to the pains of truly growing up.

Mason is a very simple character who takes a very easy way through life. It’s his father and his mother who really shine as complex characters as the movie takes you through their roles in the journey of entry to adulthood.

By Staff Writer Malcolm

MUSONI

Nominees for Best Picture American Sniper Birdman Boyhood The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Selma The Theory of Everything Whiplash