Tiger Hi-Line The

Volume 48 Edition 16

State Speech Results The CFHS speech team brought home three Division II and four Division I ratings from the State Large Group contest in Decorah on Feb. 2. Events that earned Division I ratings were musical theater “Anatomy of a Musical,” ensemble acting “Mornings at Seven” and both group improv events. Events that earned Division II ratings were choral reading “Beat,” readers’ theater “Just a High School Play” and ensemble acting “Vanities.”

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In Case of Emergency Jill Dally Staff Writer

With the recent donation of the Lions Club for upgrading the emergency supplies stored in every classroom, the safety of every Cedar Falls student and staff member has grown more secure. The $7,000 to $7,500 donation will ensure that the school’s emergency buckets are ready whenever the need may arise. “This project is important because it contributes to the overall safety plan for the school district. In a wide variety of emergency situations, it may be beneficial for teachers and students to have these supplies readily available to them in each classroom to assist in an emergency,” school nurse and member of the safety committee Suzanne Gettman said. “The emergency can be any one of a multitude of types —power outage, bomb threat, fire, dangerous intruder, etc.,” she added. Recently Principal Dr. Rich Powers and Suzanne Gettman put together a presentation for the Lion’s Club. “I really thought the idea was a good one, and three years ago devel-

CF Lion’s Club donates money to improve emergency buckets

oped the emergency “We want supply buckets at the to assure stuhigh school in all the dents and staff classrooms and inthat these supserviced the faculty plies are readon the contents and ily available purposes,” Gettman should the said. need arise— The school has this contribhad emergency suputes to a safe ply buckets for some environment years. Dr. Powers for students said we are just in to learn in need of updating the and teachers contents and checkto teach in,” ing it yearly. Gettman said. “The safety comPowers mittee is updating the ensured that models to be more efthe buckets fective. They are also will not be a adding to them. The Mackenzee Quarnstrom Photo distraction or emergency buckets any kind of will contain basic Sophomore Student Senate member Kathryn Kloss concentrates while problem for first aid require- placing a sticker on an emergency bucket. Student Senate members from all teachers or ments. It will have grades helped assemble the emergency buckets, which were made possible students. sugar if there are dia- with donations from the Lion’s Club. “They are betics, personal supgoing to be Gettman stated that we have no way plies in case we have near, around of knowing when an emergency will or under the teacher’s desk. They will to be kept in a classroom for an extended period of time and flashlights,” Dr. arise and hope that we will not have to be sealed up so it would take some time use these buckets often. Powers said. to get into, and there is nothing very ex-

citing in them anyways,” Powers said. Students are going to be teaming up with members of the district safety committee and other school nurses to put these buckets together. “The supplies are coming from a variety of places. We ordered from a school health supply company, Walmart and an industrial supply company. The contents won’t be changed unless something is used and/or something is not functioning,” Gettman said. This project has been in effect for our school for many years, but for other schools they will soon be getting new buckets for the first time. This project was extended to all the Cedar Falls schools as well as St. Patricks. “I made a proposal of what the anticipated costs would be to do this project district wide–Dan Conrad, director of secondary education, is also on the safety committee and suggested we ask the CF Lion’s Club to consider funding it as a service project (Conrad is a member of the Lion’s Club as well). They chose to support it by funding it as well as extending the offer of the emergency supply containers to St. Patricks school,” Gettman said.

Orchestra prepares for POPS concert, Iowa State HS solo/ensemble contest Jakob Zierer Staff Writer

Students walking down the southeast hall of Cedar Falls High School during fourth period are likely to hear the exuberant pieces of the CFHS band, but they may miss the softer, but equally impressive sounds of the school orchestra that fill room 157. Here, director Scott Hall spends a lot of time directing the CFHS orchestra and using his extensive experience to oversee the orchestra program. Hall has been an orchestra conductor for 24 years, nine of them at Cedar Falls High School. He is primarily a

cellist, but he can also play the violin, viola and bass. Hall is passionate about his activity and the important contribution it makes to the curriculum. “I feel that a strong orchestra is important for the school because the students deserve having the chance to play in a good orchestra. Symphonic orchestral music is so important for our culture. The orchestra regularly plays music from the historic music history periods and performs music composed by master composers of classical music. Having a strong orchestra allows me to be able to choose difficult music of the great composers so that the students have the opportunity to perform

those great pieces,” Hall said. Guidance counselor Susan Langan agrees with Hall. “A strong orchestra demonstrates a comprehensive school. We have a great balance of music and sports,” she said. This concert, Hall and his string orchestra are supported by winds and brass instruments. “The winds and brass add a lot to a symphonic orchestra. They add color and different sounds because of the timbre of the different instruments,” Hall said. The symphony orchestra is working on its upcoming POPS concert, which

includes numbers such as “Theme from Halo: The video game,” “Brazil - a Brazilian Samba,” “Theme from Titanic,” “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina,” “Wizard of Oz medley,” “Jupiter: From The Planets” and “The Lord of the Rings Medley.” The big concert will take place on Monday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium. Hall is looking forward to the concert. “ I am very excited about the POPS concert. The students are working hard and playing very well,” he said. “It’s fun music to play and fun music to listen to.” Besides these interesting and wellknown pieces, this concert will feature

extras like special effect lighting, laser light show and a picture show. “It will be fun to put it all together on the stage with the lights and special effects along with the music,” Hall said. The next big event coming up after the concert is the Iowa State High School Solo/Ensemble contest on Saturday, April 12. “Next the students will be working on solos and small ensembles to perform them at the Iowa State High School Solo/Ensemble contest,” Hall said. “Also we will start working on our Large Group contest music for the end of the year contest and concerts.”

Tiger Hi-Line The

OPIn n IO OPI IOnn

our view our view Freerice.com offers chance to relieve world hunger For students who are looking to help people in need and who are also interested in improving their vocabulary, they can do both at once! Freerice.com is a website that asks multiple choice questions about the definitions of uncommon words, and for every correctly answered question, 20 grains of rice are donated to people in the poorest regions of the world. The current recipients include 20,000 refugees from Myanmar who are currently residing in Bangladesh, and the next recipients will be Cambodians, Ugandans and Nicaraguans. The Tiger Hi-Line Staff supports the Free Rice initiative. We believe that the opportunity to build vocabulary while helping others is certainly worthwhile. We support all measures to promote the general welfare of humanity and we are strong believers in the power of education. We feel that interestingly the two goals of the Free Rice program are strongly correlated. Thus, we appreciate recognition of the unity of these two noble goals, and we believe that Freerice.com bears a strong resemblance to the aims of our civic-minded high school. Despite the unique service opportunity, we recognize that the Free Rice initiative is a relatively inefficient way to help others. We believe that the best way to help others is through direct service. Hands-on community involvement helps far more people than the Free Rice initiative can because of the nature of the program. Though sitting at your computer and learning a few new words is a fairly simple way to help a little, it will never subsitute the larger scale opportunities that are available to aid in the same, or similar problems. As the internet continues to replace face-to-face interaction, we must realize that the personal relationships we forge and the accomplishments we achieve are dependent on true interaction. We can not trade the more personal, hands-on chances with sitting idly behind a screen and clicking definitions. We support the concept of Freerice.com, but we believe that online humanitarian aid is no substitute for real involvement.

Write the Tiger Hi-Line

The Tiger Hi-Line is a weekly publication of the journalism classes of Cedar Falls High School, 1015 Division St., Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613. Each edition is published on Wenesdays during the school year in The Insider and Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier, 501 Commercial St., Waterloo, Iowa 50701. Columns and letters do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Hi-Line or Cedar Falls Schools. The Hi-Line editorial staff view is presented weekly in the editorial labeled as Our View. Reader opinions on any topic are welcome and should be sent to the Tiger Hi-Line staff or delivered to room 208. All letters must be signed. Letters must be submitted by 3 p.m. on Thursday for publication the following Wednesday. Letters may not exceed 300 words and may be edited to meet space limitations. Include address and phone number for verification.

Editorial Staff

Editor-in-Chief: Briana McGeough News Editors: Olivia Schares and Kellie Petersen Opinion Editor: Torie Jochims Sports Editor: Jacqueline Jordan Feature Editors: Honor Heindl and Briana McGeough On-Line Editors: Ellen Wrede Entertainment Editor: Kristen Hammer

Bottle bill increase provides promise Collecting a dollar’s worth of can deposits on any given day in Cedar Falls is a challenge. These valuable discards are sparse. As time drags on, luck may bring one to a can here or a bottle there. However, on UNI’s homecoming Sunday, as the sun slowly peeks over the horizon, the stench of stale beer signals in a more hopeful tone. Getting up early to deliver Donnie Simmet the Sunday Staff Writer morning papers on my childhood route, I passed by yards covered with sticky, smelly, shiny gold. This is when I first realized the incredible amount of beer cans that cycle through the homecoming ritual. I was filled with a sense of wonder and amazement as the wheels started turning in my head, and I realized what wonderful possibilities this sudden income could bring. This sense of wonder and amazement is not unlike the excitement that crept into my mind when I learned that Gov. Culver’s bottle bill proposal would bring in $20 million to fund Iowa conservation and recreation projects. Yet, just like the liquid contents of these containers, fated for inevitable consumption, my hopes were drained into the gullet of political differences and skepticism.

Currently there is a deposit of 5 cents on alcoholic and carbonated drinks, which the retailer pays to the distributor and the consumer pays to the retailer. When the consumers redeem the containers, they get 5 cents back. Then, the distributor collects the containers from the retailer, giving them their 5 cents back on each one, plus a one-cent handling fee. The governor’s proposal called for the payment of a 10-cent deposit on containers. Consumers would have received 8 cents back for each container returned. The two cents lost constituted a kind of tax or fee. One cent would have gone to what would have been annually about $20 million for Iowa’s Resource Enhancement and Protection program (REAP). The other cent would have gone to the retailers and redemption centers that bore the burden of taking the messy containers back in. However, this two-cent tax is no more. Gov. Culver has backed down on this essential aspect of his bottle bill revamp proposal, essentially spilling the can of guaranteed $20 million annual funding for REAP. REAP provides money to better the state’s natural and cultural resources. This includes parks, trails, water quality and conservation projects. Whether you like to hunt, fish, bike, hike, picnic, camp, boat or really enjoy any outdoor activity, this means good things for you. Actually, you can dislike outdoor activity and this still means good things for you, assuming you care about the Iowa economy. Iowa is toward the bot-

tom as far as state spending on natural resources goes. Putting more money into something like this would attract more tourists and increase property values. This is also something that should be considered in the attempt to keep young Iowans here. Outdoor opportunities are certainly something that I will consider when deciding where to live and work. Gov. Culver claims that he is still going to press for an increase in REAP funding, but with the termination of this tax, his intentions take on no concrete form. Besides pressing for increased REAP funding, Gov. Culver also intends to push for an increase in the deposit from 5 cents to 10 cents, a broadening of the bottle bill to cover bottled water, sports drinks and fruit juices, and an increase in the handling fee paid by distributors to redemption centers. The current deposit has been very successful in reducing litter and increasing recycling. A higher deposit will only strengthen this. The broadening of included drinks will increase recycling. Redemption centers need more money to deal with increasing loads. While I hope the revised proposal is implemented, I still have a hard time understanding the great concern that ensued over the 2-cent tax proposal. Would it really be that hard to pay an additional two cents for your sugary soda? Some may argue that it adds up. If you were to buy one taxed drink every day of the year, it would cost you an additional $7.30. A $7.30 well spent.

Chet Culver and the Iowa Legislature are currently in the process of debating and processing a bill that would up the age at which you can drop out, from 16 to 18. Good or bad? On the surface, it seems great. But look a little deeper, and you’ll find flaws. Cedar Alex Entz Falls has a Staff Writer dropout rate of less than 1 percent, while Iowa has an average of roughly 9 percent. “A good reason why we wouldn’t

want to give kids (the choice to drop out at age 16) is the possibility that they could make a poor decision,” Dana Deines, an associate principal at Cedar Falls High School said. At age 16, students have made up their minds about whether or not they want to continue with school. Forcing students to stay in school could potentially create sticky situations. What will the school do when students, deciding that they’re done with school, are forced to stay in for two more years? They will intentionally fail and will be huge disruptions to the academic progress of those around them. Severe disciplinary action will be nothing but reward, as they feel they have no more use for school. Not to mention the fact that it will

be expensive. Hiring additional teachers to teach those 9 percent would cost tens of thousands, and it could create serious disciplinary problems. These students have decided that they don’t need school, and it’s unlikely that they will decide to continue their education further after forced high school. And since many of them will turn 18 before they graduate, it is likely that they won’t receive their diplomas anyway. “Obviously, we’d like to have all of our students complete high school,” Deines added. In a dream world, yes. Unfortunately, it is an unrealistic vision. This move would be disastrous— not only for the taxpayers of Iowa, but also for the academic progress of students in public schools.

Drop-out age should remain as is

Tiger Hi-Line The

SPORTS SPORTS Athlete Week of the

Men’s swim team finishes first at Districts

(14). Coach Marcussen said he is pleased After getting second at the MVC with the results and is looking forward Conference Meet, the last stop before to State. State was Districts on Saturday, Feb. “I believe we finally got back to 2. swimming as a team. This season will Winning the Districts is a confibe a success if we finish at State with a dence builder and will help us as we high finish, he said. prepare for State, Dick Marcussen, Verink agreed. “I think it went coach of the CFHS swim team, said. really well and we got first, so that’s The meet started at 12:30 at the perfect.” Bobcats pool, and the Tigers started State, the last upcoming event in strong by getting second in the 200 the swim season, takes place on Feb. Medley Relay (1:40.65minutes). 9. The taper worked and times were Everyone is excited, especially sedropped. Therefore the team was fired nior and ’08 state-qualifier Andy Peck. up for the upcoming events. “It’s always exciting going into “A lot of State, but this people dropped year seems a their times from little special “A lot of people their life time because it’s best. Everyone dropped their times my senior was excited for year,” he said from their lifetime the next events,” after Districts. Brian Verink, best. ” He is en’08 state qualijoying his last —Brian Verink fier, said. high school State Qualifier But the team swim season goal to win Disand has his tricts was in danger goals for State set. when Iowa City High started making “This season has seemed to fly by. the big points in events where the We’ve all worked hard, and now it’s Tigers were not, or were only barely, time to really enjoy it. My goal for represented. State is just to swim best times. If I The Little Hawks passed the Tigers place good, great, but the most imporafter event 7 (500-yard freestyle), and tant thing is always times,” he said. the scoreboard showed the alarming Verink made it to State in 2006 and truth: Iowa City High 1st, Cedar Falls 2007, and his goal now is to rank as 2nd. high as possible in the 500 free. He But no one forgot the goal to win also hopes to make it to the award Districts, and everyone worked hard to podium in the 200 IM (Individual get important points for the team. Medley) and ensure all three relays do The coaches and parents had to well. be satisfied because 99 percent of the Before State, every swimmer has swimmers improved, Marcussen said. his own preparation and his own After event 10 (110-yard Breasthabits, and also the workouts changed stroke), the Tigers passed the Little a lot. Hawks, and the scoreboard told the “Our workouts have changed from spectators and the teams that Cedar quantity to quality: rest, diet, mental Falls had to finish at least fourth in the attitude, visualizing, hydrating and 400-freestyle relay to win Districts. more are essential to performing at After 3:23.89minutes, the relay 110 percent on State day,” Marcussen team finished third and brought the said. victory home to Cedar Falls. While Verink is working the week Cedar Falls (276) won Districts and before State on his strokes and techoutpaced Iowa City High (255), Marnique, Peck is enjoying the taper. shalltown High School (244), Iowa “I usually only taper three times a City, West (156), Grinnell/BGM (152), year, and it’s always my favorite part Waterloo West (87) and Waterloo East of the season,” he said.

Jakob Zierer Staff Writer

Sydney Good Women’s Bowling

Garrett Moses competes in the 500 free at the District Meet on Feb. 2 .

1.) What kind of ritual do you have individually? I don’t really have a ritual, but I do try to relax myself by just visiting with my teammates. 2.) What have you learned from bowling? Good etiquette and sportsmanship. There’s actually a lot more than people think. 3.) What motivates you? My other teamates and their scores along with the other teams’ scores. 4.)Is there anything that you can tell others about bowling that you think others wouldn’t know? Every lane is different with oil patterns, and depending on your type of ball, you have to read the lane and decide where to stand and where to throw your ball. 5.)What do you like the most about bowling? That so many different kids go out. Bowling is one sport where you don’t have to be a athletic, so you get a huge variety of kids, and everyone gets along with each other.

Tigers in Action

Jakob Zierer Photos

Clif Paulsen(Coach), Jack Kosmicki(Senior swimmer), Hillary Steinkamp(Student Coach-UNI) cheer on swimmers at Districts. The team took first place.

“The last week before State is always an exciting time for the team,” Marcussen said. “We can now figure out what it’s going to take to place high at State. We are looking at a top five finish, but if we really step up to the plate it could be top 3.” The CFHS swim team qualified in the 200-yard medley relay, 200-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard freestyle relay. Individual state qualifiers are Austin Abbas (200-yard IM, 100-yard backstroke), Brian Verink (200-yard IM, 500-yard freestyle) and Andy

Peck (50-yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke). After State, Coach Marcussen, who returned this season from a one-year break, would like to continue coaching the CFHS swim team. “As for my job as coach, I would like to continue because I see a great future for this team and because I just enjoy coaching and the challenge, he said. There will be a day when the Administration will say, ‘Enough is enough. It’s time,’ but for now, I’m having great time.”

Men’s Basketball 2/1 won against East 62-54 2/2 lost to Ames 49-62 Next up: 2/8 against W. West (Home 6 p.m.) Women’s Basketball

2/1 won against East 70-45 Next Up: 2/8 against W. West (Away 6 p.m.) Wrestling Next Up: 1/31 IC West (Home 6:15 p.m.) Men’s Bowling Next Up: 2/8 CR. Xavier (Home 3:45 p.m.) Women’s Bowling Next Up: 2/8 CR. Xavier (Home 3:45 p.m.) Men’s Swimming 2/2 1st at Districts- TBA Next Up: 2/9 State Meet @ Marshalltown

Tiger Hi-Line

FEATURE FEATURE Youth on a Mission! The

Where: San Francisco What: Poverty Relief Who: Students in 11th- 12th Grade When: March 17-23 Cost: $650 Leaders: Becky Geerdes and Hannah Burkle Register by: Feb. 6 (with a $250 deposit) Contact Info: Cedar Falls Church of Christ Attn: Hannah Burkle 2727 W. 4th St. Cedar Falls, IA 50613

Where: Dallas What: Provide women and Children with food and shelter Who: Students in 9th- 12th Grade When: March 15-22 Cost: $185 Leaders: Walt and Jenny Rogers Register by: Feb. 13 (with a $50 deposit) Contact Info: Orchard Hill Church Attn: Walt Rogers 3900 Orchard Hill Dr. Cedar Falls, IA 50613 wrogers@orchardhillchurch.org

Where: Cedar Falls What: Community Service Leaders: Nikki Britzman and Kris Hoskinson Register by: Feb. 27 Contact Info: nikkib@naz.org (319) 266-7589 or khoskinson@orchardillchurch.org (319) 266-9796

Where: New Orleans What: Hurricane Relief Who: Students 16+ When: March 15-22 Cost: $295 Leaders: Matt Hoffert and Steve Nelson Register by: Feb. 29 (with a $50 deposit) Contact Info: Nazareth Lutheran Church 7401 University Ave. Cedar Falls, IA 50613

Where: Pearlington, Miss. What: Hurricane Relief Who: Students in 8th-10th Grade When: March 14-21 Cost: $260 Leader: Ken Mattenson Contact Info: Grace Brethren Church Attn: Ken Matteson 1760 Williston Ave. Waterloo, IA 50613 kmatteson@ gracebrethrenwaterloo.org (319) 235-9586

Mission Trips provide opportunities for service, development Honor Heindl Feature Editor

As spring crawls closer, inches from our fingertips, students gladly anticipate the week in March often spent on sandy beaches or in cities bustling with tourists. Many teenagers have found a wonderful way to escape the chills of Iowa, yet still use their Spring Break to make a difference not only in the lives of those less fortunate but also within their own hearts. Juniors Alyssa Beckman, Bethany Olson and Haley Patterson are just three of hundreds of high school students that have journeyed across the continent, serving in countless ways and experiencing unforgettable memories with friends new and old. Beckman and Olson ventured to the heart of Denver, Colo., last year, our country’s homeless capital. They spent

the week helping to organize and clean homeless shelters, boxing provisions at a food bank, interacting with homeless people and painting a building for single moms and their kids. Each night they retired to a church where they ended the days in worship and small groups. “High schoolers might not think that working in soup kitchens, building houses or painting sounds like the best way to spend spring break, but they will be surprised. Mission trips are a week filled with helping other people by showing them God’s love—there is no better feeling. During the week, you forget about your own small, selfish problems and focus on people that really need help. You will find that the joy of helping others is more fun than any vacation to the beach. Mission trips reward kids and leaders with more than just a good tan. Instead you will be re-

warded with friendships, life-changing experiences and growing relationships with Christ,” Olson said. Volunteers also find stereotypes often crumble after meeting people different from themselves. “The mission trip completely changed my outlook on homeless people. I realized how many people are affected by poverty and that homeless people are not all alcoholics and drug addicts,” Olson said. Mission trips offer a ticket to unfamiliar grounds where students encounter poverty face to face. They work “hands on” and directly impact those who suffer or struggle, all the while developing long-lasting friendships with their peers and leaders. “The best part of mission trips is just the way it takes you totally out of your comfort zone. After all is said and

done, the trip was a blast. We bonded throughout that fantastic 15-hour van ride there and back,” Beckman said. Patterson has found the joy in serving the Lord by embarking on mission trips over the past two years; her first destination: Oaks, Okla. “I think this tornado impacted a lot of us on the trip and brought us close together. I realized that everything in life is temporary, and anything you own could be gone at any moment, even the people you love the most,” Patterson said. The tornado also provided a window of opportunity to offer aid. They roamed the town, picking up debris and helping the community in any way they could. Last year, Patterson signed up for the trip down to Nuevo Progresso, Mexico, where she got to test her Spanish with the children and build a home

for a family of five. They also provided the area with basic household items and clothing. “When we gave out clothing to different families, they were so excited to have new shirts, even if they were used. They didn’t care if it was ‘cool’ or what it looked like—they were just so excited; that is something I take for granted almost every day. Even though the kids don’t have very much, they live happy lives. We got to play sports with many different kids and just be kids again.” These trips lead to personal development. “These mission trips have definitely helped shape the kind of person I am, and who I want to continue to grow to be,” Patterson said. “These trips have helped me how to love, how to serve and how to be thankful, and that’s only the start of a long list! Mission trips set my heart on fire”