e g h iin Ti er l THE
May 11, 2010
Volume 50 Issue 28
1015 Division St. Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613
CF music groups excel at contest Ellen Gustavson Staff Writer
Seven CFHS large groups earned a Division I “Superior” ratings at the state large group music contest on Saturday, May 8. These groups include wind ensemble, symphonic band, bass clef choir, treble cleff choir, concert choir, full orchestra and string orchesta. The mixed chorus earned a Division II. Held at both CFHS and NU schools, the event is sponsored by the IHSMA (Iowa High School Music Association). Both CFHS bands received a unanimous Division I rating, the highest rating at IHSMA events,
from panel of three judges. two songs, including “Der reach college, and to pull it A total of 17 schools made Traum des Oenghus”, a off here was a great achievefor 53 performing groups at song based on a German ment for our students.” the contest. fairytale, and “American At the time the Tiger The wind ensemble, Riversongs.” Hi-Line went to press, directed by Gerald Ramsey, The first song was a results for choir performed and orchestra “To work as a member of a band, a song had not been dedicated to choir or orchestra is to be involved in released yet. Rosa Parks, critical thinking, problem solving, colEngelhardt called “A laboration, analysis, leadership and felt that while Song For giving an excelRosa.” adaptability.” lent perforWind mance was an ensemble —Kyle Engelhardt important part member Band Director of this contest, Alexandra students will much more difficult piece to benefit from their skills in Stewart said she felt their master, but the band’s hard performance went well. the long run as well. work paid off. “We all performed our “To work as a member Engelhardt said, “Many best,” she said. of a band, choir or orchestra high school students don’t Under the direction is to be involved in critical get a chance to play literaof Kyle Engelhardt, the thinking, problem solving, ture of that nature until they symphonic band performed collaboration, analysis, lead-
Concerts to wrap up year Jayne Durnin Staff Writer
The end of the school year is just around the corner, and the musical department will be wrapping it up with end of the year band, orchestra and chorus concerts. First on the list is the orchestra concert on May 13. The concert starts at 7:30 and will be held in the high school auditorium. “(There will be) great music and great playing from the students. We will also be recognizing the seniors in the orchestra,” orchestra director Scott Hall said. The concert will be featuring performances
from the chamber orchestra, string orchestra, symphony orchestra and a solo performance by senior Alex Bowman. “This will be a concert you do not want to miss with great tunes by major composers and amazing playing by the students. (There will also be) a surprise performance by two students from the orchestra playing an instrument never before in the history of Cedar Falls High School music programs,” Hall said. The year end vocal concert will be on May 24th at the auditorium at 7:30. Unlike the last concert, the orchestra and chorus will not be performing together.
For the concert, the seniors will make a powerpoint filled with pictures from events within the last year. They will also be recognized for what their plans are for next year, whether or not they plan to go on musically or not. Also, this will be choir teacher Kendra Wohlert’s last concert at Cedar Falls High School, so the chorus will be sure to make this a night to remember for her. Last up, the band will be hosting a concert on May 25th in the auditorium at 7:30. Mr. Engelhardt and Mr. Ramsey’s band will each play approximately three songs.
ership and adaptability; it also allows for a fair amount of curiosity and imagination,” Engelhardt said. “These skills worked for us to have a great performance, and will also help our students succeed in the future, whether they’re in music or not. The music program as a whole is a wonderful place for students to learn and grow — and Saturday’s performances from all of our groups should be an immense point of pride for everyone in the community and schools.” The last chance to see both bands perform will be at the Spring Awards Concert, which will be held later in the month on Tuesday, May 25.
Kaylee Micu Photo
Grace Valdez’s Spanish classes took off the morning of May 4 for an early Cinco de Mayo celebration with visiting students from Price Lab.
2 news CFHS staff, students to take part in blood drive Kaylee Micu Staff Writer
On May 14, Cedar Falls High School will again be hosting something that can literally save a life. In the band rooms, students can go during any school period to give blood starting at 8 a.m. “I just like the feeling I get after donating. It makes me feel like I’ve helped saved someone’s life,” senior Carter Allen said. To sign up, donors have to be at least 16, complete a parent consent form and weigh at least 120 pounds. Forms can be found in any science classroom, the guidance office and the nurse’s office. “It’s for a good cause. I feel very strongly about it, and it’s really important to target this age group because the earlier you start something, the better,” science teacher Marcy Hand said. This year the turn out is expected to be anywhere from 80 to 100 students. Some will have to overcome personal reservations. “Well, to have blood drawn for me is kinda scary because I really don’t like doctors needles, yet I can get pierced. It’s weird,” junior Kayla Andorf said. Parents are also allowed to give blood without filling out a form ahead of time. They can just walk in if they wish. “Giving blood is an invaluable gift because it’s so far beyond that (gift),” Hand said.
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tiger hi-line May 11, 2010
To weight or not to weight? Vincent Stigliani Editor-in-Chief
Combing through the over 40 years of Tiger Hi-Line archives, one issue stands out as timeless, repeatedly discussed and debated year after year after year. It has spanned countless Hi-Line staffs and many school administrations. The subject is weighted grades. A weighted system is one that applies “weight,” or extra credit, to classes deemed more rigorous. There are many methods for weighting classes and even for deciding which ones will carry this weight. A common practice is to grade advanced classes on a 5-point scale. This means that a student earning a B in an advanced class receives the same grade as another student receiving an A in a regular class. In theory, it adds a powerful incentive for students to take more challenging coursework and reward those who succeed in difficult classes. In reality, however, some question its merit. “It is a complicated process and many schools seem to differ. The quote, ‘A rising tide lifts all boats,’ seems to fit here. A weighted system would elevate all students and not further differentiate those near the top. In looking at our top 15-20 students, I’m not sure there is an accurate way to say one is better than another. They all take a number of classes that might qualify for a weighted grade,” CFHS principal Richard Powers said. “If a person takes one more weighted class instead
of band, I’m not sure that would make them a better student. There are those who have one strength and maybe not another.” There are additional concerns with instituting such a system. “I believe it would be very difficult to establish a fair weighting system,” long-time professional educator and professor emeritus at the University of Northern Iowa Carl Bollwinkel said. Students seem split on the issue. Some see weighting as simply an extension of current problems with grades. “I feel it would definitely encourage more students to take harder classes and to not be as afraid that their GPA would suffer, but I think it would only make the problem (obsession with grades) worse,” CFHS senior Linden Terpstra said. “Students who take harder classes now would just push to get their GPA as high as possible and still not be happy while the ones who now get average grades in harder classes would not be happy because their GPA wasn’t as good as those above them.” On the other side, some students feel it is time for a change. “I think it’s a great idea that the school would be wise to incorporate in our school district if they want to prove they’re serious about reforming our district. Dr. Powers and other administrators have taken aggressive action to remain academically competitive with neighboring districts — Infinite Campus comes to mind immediately. Unfortunately, our grade weight-
ing system has remained unexamined,” CFHS senior Mike Droste said. Another consideration says, “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?” “I’m not certain there is a problem with our current system. If there were we would have much greater push back from both schools and students,” Powers said. He then added, “I also believe that no system is perfect and/or fair for all students. It is a balance, what can help one can hurt another. We have tried to maintain the system that has been effective over the years.” “A lot of people in the top of the class already are taking tough classes,” CFHS counselor Susan Langan added, summarizing her research on the subject a couple of years back. Still, critics of the current system feel there is room for improvement. “Over the past two decades the Advanced Placement system has become more and more ingrained into the Cedar Falls curriculum. This is a good thing for the school and students, and I hope more AP classes are added in the future, but the administration can’t ignore the fact that many of the classes being added to the curriculum are higherlevel classes that simply shouldn’t be graded on the same 4-point scale that other classes merit,” Droste said. One way to objectively analyze the debate lies in case studies. Around the state, there are multiple systems in place, yielding mixed results. For many years, Burlington High School gave .5
more points for each grade in honors or AP classes. This meant that a B in such a class would amount to a 3.5, an A- 4.0, and so on. “These points would be used only to determine rank, so students taking honors or AP classes would normally be higher in rank than students earning the same grades in average level classes,” Burlington High School counselor Nancy Clemenson explained. Recently, however, the school moved away from such a scale, as it proved counterproductive in encouraging students to challenge themselves. “We ended the practice because many students took only the minimum classes (48) and seldom took any class that was not an honors or AP class in order to remain in the top of the ranks,” Clemenson said. “It kept them from exploring other interests such as art, music and business classes for example.” The impact weighting may have on enrollment in areas outside the core curriculum is a concern voiced by many. “It may hurt our elective enrollments in art, band and journalism due to them not having a weighted option,” Powers explained. “We believe a comprehensive education is the best, not simply focusing on the core area.” Some involved in these areas, however, question this notion. “I don’t believe that students who are truly wanting to excel in those areas of art would be deterred by a weighted system,” CFHS NEWS, page 3
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tiger hi-line May 11, 2010
Weighted Grades from page 2 art department head Lisa Klenske said. “We already require them to have an A or B in the beginning courses before being accepted into any of the advanced art courses. I get very few advanced students who aren’t serious about their art.” Others question the notion that weighting harms the students not utilizing it. “Art classes could still be graded on the same 4-point scale, and they could still graduate with the same 4.0 unweighted GPA that those who indulge in an AP-heavy curriculum could attain. The only difference a weighted system would present is a higher possible GPA total for those in higher-level classes. It provides an incentive to dedicated students without punishing those who aren’t as interested in AP courses.” Additionally, under certain systems these courses could potentially be weighted. “I would support a system that would allow certain advanced art classes to be weighted. I feel it’s up to the instructors to prove that the curriculum is worthy of being rated at a higher level,” Klenske added. Slightly north of Burlington at Wilton High School the results of weighting have been more positive. Their system was originally instituted in response to student interest. “We surveyed students over a two-year time period regarding the 0.333 GPA weighting being considered for AP scores. We asked if it would impact their decision to take an AP class, reduce their concern over a more rigorous course’s effect on class rankings, and also sur-
veyed the AP students under the non-weighted system at that time,” Wilton High School counselor Charlene Paper said. “The results showed that a slight weighting would encourage some to attempt an AP class they may not have chosen before, while others reported they would have taken the AP courses regardless.” Paper admits that the effects of this method are relatively small. As they currently only offer threeyear-long AP classes, the maximum GPA is roughly 4.05. But, as Paper explained, it still can “shuffle some of the rankings.” But the effects extend beyond class rank. “For students wanting to maintain a very high GPA, it does provide a ‘cushion’ that an A- counts as an A or if you get a B+, it doesn’t drop your GPA as much. Students have the opportunity to re-earn a 4.00, with a previous A- or B+ in a couple classes with A’s in AP classes. The weighting acknowledges the higher level of difficulty and rigor in our AP offerings,” Paper said. There are still some kinks in Wilton’s weighting method, however. “We have a few other senior courses that students report as equally challenging as AP courses, but are not weighted. We chose to limit the weighting to the AP courses, with the standardized College Board curriculum they must follow,” Paper said. Still, though, on the whole the weighted system has been positive for the school and its upper-level classes. “We have seen increased interest and enrollments in AP class,” Paper said. Debate on the topic
tends to open a Pandora ’s Box of questions about fundamental components of today’s educational system. “Is the main purpose of high school to attain a high GPA? Should science students be required to take more courses in other areas so as to gain a more rounded high school education? Should class ranking be based on other things than GPA? Should class rank be very important?” Bollwinkel asked. The over-simplifying of student analysis was a common concern. “I believe grades are only one measure, as is a test score. One test on one day does not define a person. It is simply another measure,” Powers said. Stepping outside the debate, though, most agree that the pursuit of challenging coursework carries longterm benefits regardless of the credit given. “If you don’t do it (challenge yourself) now, you’re gonna pay later,” Langan said. But for now, debate on weighting will continue.
No
Tyler Schaub Photo
Junior Jacob Stoner works on a lab in AP Biology last year. Some wonder whether weghted grading would increase participation in such classes.
Would you be more likely to take advanced/AP classes if they were graded using a weighted scale?
Yes Yes: 76.7% No: 23.3%
Hi-Line Poll
Based on survey results of a representative sample of 10% of the student body
4 opinion our view AP Index results: CFHS 17th in state Congratulations to CFHS for being named a top AP school in the state of Iowa. This is at least the sixth time we have achieved this in the past six years. The Iowa AP Index tells how many AP opportunities there are for students. In May of 2009 more than a million high school students took more than 2.9 million AP exams. The Advance Placement tests provide a standard of comparison that doesn’t judge upon geography, school size or ethnicity. AP tests include 33 subject areas and are scored on a scale of 1 to 5. The number of students taking AP exams has certainly grown since 2001, with 4,069 students taking at least one AP exam compared with 8,298 in 2009. Also, in 2001, 5,995 tests were taken compared with 12,512 in 2009. The Iowa AP Index is the ratio of AP tests taken dividing by the number of senior graduates. If, for example, a school received an index of 1.00, that would mean the number of AP tests taken equaled the amount of senior graduates. Cedar Falls ranked 17th in the state, coming in with an index of 0.75. The top two high schools were George Washington High School and John F. Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids with indexes of 2.60 and 2.50. Even though we didn’t achieve the highest index in the state, we still did extremely well, and we are appreciative of the oppotunities available here.
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: 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 Senior Writer: Alex Entz Photo Editor: Ben Sadkowski
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tiger hi-line May 11, 2010
College: making freedom a reality Vincent Stigliani Editor-in-Chief I used to always imagine that my senior year would be a relaxing time of little work, the distracting bug of senioritis nipping my butt as I waited in this long limbo between high school and college. It turns out I was quite wrong in my previous thoughts, but I am grateful that my vision was never realized. It began last summer, when I was stranded in a town of no more than 300 people (and fewer than five between the ages of 10 and 20) in upstate New York. To stifle my boredom, I began an informal college search to explore my post-high school options. The excitement grew as the realization hit me: I have more control than ever before with the next four years of my life. By the time the school year came around, my research whittled a list down to six colleges that I found attractive. Outside of school, the subsequent semester was spent filling out long, arduous applications, writing essays, re-writing essays, creating and expanding a resume, pondering what I wanted to do with my life and writing more essays.
Then I sent off my applications and waited three months in purgatory for the decisions. Spring came around, and judgment day finally approached. The news was mixed; I was rejected from three (including one of my top two choices) and accepted at the other three (including my other top choice). At the time, it was bitter-sweet, but now I am very happy with my decision. Additionally, upon further reflection I realized there were many more, slightly less tangible gains from the experience. First moral of the story: you can’t be accepted where you want if you don’t apply. Few students really know all of there options after high school. I became ambitious, maybe even naively so, because I realized that, for the first time in my life, I had near-total autonomy for my future and I wanted to make the most of the opportunity. Motivated and excited, I threw myself into the applications and sent them out to a wide selection of schools. And chance dictated that I would at least get into one. It really has given me an increased appreciation of risk-taking. Another valuable lesson this past year has taught me is the ever-important skill of
self-advertisement. The gist of the application process entailed convincing a board that out of the thousands of applicants, I was a worthy one, deserving of their investment. I succeeded, and I failed, but nearly as important is the experience I gained in doing so. The ability to pitch yourself, clearly stand out from the crowd, is necessary for success in so many facets of life (from climbing the corporate ladder to dating to playing politics), and this was a wonderful opportunity to hone it. In a sense, the experience also facilitated muchneeded introspection. I had to seriously think about what genuinely interests me, where and how I want to live for the foreseeable future or whether I prefer a small, close-knit feel over a large, opportunity-filled environment. Previously I had not put much thought into my future beyond high school, but this autonomy certainly encouraged it. So with the experience behind me, fellow Cedar Falls High School students, I encourage you all to take control and challenge your complacency, exploring your options beyond the well-treaded educational path.
Concert article needs updating In the April 27 issue, you mentioned the Jägermeister Tour. Just wanting to inform evryone that the tour has been moved from McElroy Auditorium to the Val-Air Ballroom in Des Moines. In addition, the ticket price has changed from $35 to $45 to a new price of $22.50. Overall, I feel dissa-
Letter to the Editor pointed that the concert has been moved. The excuse was the ticket sales were too low and they decided to have a change of venue. I have personally been to three concerts in McElroy, and I have always seen a
packed crowd in the auditorium, and I feel like they should have had plenty of Korn fans. Now I will have to drive two hours to see the Jägermeister concert. Also, Five Finger Death Punch is playing at LazerFest in Indianola, Iowa, and not at the Jägermeister tour. —Mitchell DenHartog Senior
opinion tiger hi-line 5 THE
May 11, 2010
Writer argues points of Arizona’s immigration controversy: disagrees with previous article Last week Hi-Line editor Alex Entz penned an article detailing his thoughts on Arizona’s recent immigration controversy, while in the process exposing his own xenophobic tendencies and a rash ignorance of the American legal system. “Arizona Upholds Legal System,” the title of Entz’s article, may well have been the largest laundrylist of lies and misrepresentation that I have seen the Hi-Line ever publish in three years as a CFHS student. The law, passed last month by Arizona’s legislature and signed by Governor Jan Brewer, gives police the authority to ask anyone for documents proving their citizenship based entirely on the officer’s suspicion that they are illegal immigrants. Legal challenges to the law are expected from the Department of Justice and the ACLU due to the questionable constitutionality of the bill and apparent promotion of racial profiling, amongst other petty concerns Entz regards as “liberal blathering.” Entz first states that, by virtue of their status as illegal immigrants, suspects are not entitled to the same protections our Constitution provides to citizens. This is demonstrably false. The 14th Amendment guarantees equal protection regardless of race, color or nationality; furthermore, the Supreme Court has illustrated unequivocally for over a century that this means an il-
legal alien is entitled to the same rights as a citizen. I quote the Supreme Court in the case of Plyler v Doe in 1982: “The illegal aliens who are plaintiffs in these cases challenging the statute may claim the benefit of the Equal Protection Clause … Whatever his status under the immigration laws, an alien is a ‘person’ in any ordinary sense of that term …” The next argument that Entz presented was that “illegal immigrants represent an untraceable criminal threat.” Perhaps fearing that he had not done enough to convince the reader of this, only a few paragraphs later he refers to them as “violent illegal immigrant criminals.” The problem with this argument is that the facts simply don’t corroborate with his incendiary rhetoric. El Paso, Texas, for example, is situated right across the Rio Grande River from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, sometimes called (for good reason) the most dangerous city in the Western Hemisphere. El Paso has exorbitantly high levels of illegal immigrants and poverty, and … a murder rate that is one-fifth of that which Milwaukee, Wis., boasts. El Paso, quite possibly the largest hotbed of illegal immigration in America, has half the violent crime and half the property crime per capita of the national average. This is not endemic to El Paso; Tucson, Ariz., often cited as another nest of immigration, can also rightfully claim to
Letter to the Editor be several times safer than Milwaukee. According to the Department of Justice, Arizona’s violent crime is at a four-decade low and their property crime at it’s lowest level since 1966.
“Illegal immigration is a serioius problem to our country- that much everyone can agree on.” —Michael Droste Senior
This is the sort of common sense that the facts do corroborate; why would an illegal immigrant risk deportation with senseless violence? Entz closes his article by challenging the reader to find where it’s “illegal to uphold the law that’s already on the books.” Luckily for him, there’s three grounds under which this law is clearly unconstitutional. The first is the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. Popularly known by giving federal legislation priority over state law, the clause also gives the federal government exclusive power to deal with other countries … including in immigration law. The city of Dallas
tried passing laws to crack down on illegal immigrants in 2008, only to be ruled unconstitutional by US District Judge Jane Boyle. In her decision, Boyle wrote “Ordinance 2952 is a regulation of immigration and is preempted by the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution because the authority to regulate immigration is exclusively a federal power.” Certainly the precedent outlined above is enough reason for the law to be ruled unconstitutional, but it isn’t the only reason. The bill’s verbiage dictates that a police officer is allowed to ask for papers if there is “reasonable suspicion” that a person is an illegal immigrant. What, exactly, constitutes reasonable suspicion? Thankfully, the court case Terry v. Ohio (1967) states that reasonable suspicion can be established only with “specific and articulable facts,” that is, any officer in the same circumstance should make the same decision because there is an objective standard for it rather than “just a hunch.” Unfortunately, “just a hunch” is all the bill has to rely on. There is no objective standard for what constitutes “reasonable suspicion” when determining if someone is an illegal immigrant; unless we’re basing it upon color or nationality, which as we established above is a violation of the 14th Amendment. What is the Governor of Arizona’s opinion?
“We have to trust our law enforcement,” Gov. Jan Brewer said. Sorry, Jan, that’s not constitutional, either. As Justice Potter Stewart wrote in his concurrent decision on Beck v. Ohio (1964) , “Good faith on the part of the arresting officer is not enough. If subjective good faith alone were the test, the protections of the Fourth Amendment would evaporate, and the people would be secure in their persons … only in the discretion of police.” Gov. Brewer’s own party appears uncomfortable with the bill’s passing, as well; Karl Rove, former chief strategist of President Bush, conceded that the law had “constitutional problems.” Lindsey Graham, South Carolina’s outspoken and staunchly conservative senator, also remarked that “they’ll have a hard time upholding this law.” Even Jeb Bush, brother of the former President and former Republican governor of Florida, made vocal his opposition to the bill, noting the issues with civil liberties it obviously presents. Illegal immigration is a serious problem to our country — that much everyone can agree on. Dealing with the problem by propagating racism and tearing the civil liberties afforded by our Constitution to shreds in the process, however, is politically irresponsible and morally reprehensible. —Michael Droste, Senior
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tiger hi-line entertainment May 11, 2009
New Releases Music:
-Crash Test
Dummies Oooh La La! Keane Night Train Woods At Echo Lake The Black Keys Brothers The National High Violet
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Movies:
-Letters to Juliet -Robin Hood -Just Wright
-Daddy Longlegs -Looking for Eric -Princess Ka’lulani -TIMER Feature Podcast This week’s feature podcast as well as others that are updated every other week can be found on The Tiger Hi-Line Online (http://www.hiline.co.nr) by following the links.
Music News with host Andy Weld
This show will take you on a tour of a variety of musical offering you may have missed. April 30/Episode 4 This week former American Idol star Jason Castro gets the focus for his standout recent release.
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Iron Man 2: sequel trumps original Kaylee Micu Staff Writer
On Friday May 7, yet another one of Marvel’s comics came to life. Iron Man 2 entered theaters with a, if you will, bang. This film creatively combines new characters with the old. It returns the talents of Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark), Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Pots), Jon Favreau (Happy Hogan) and Don Cheadle (Lt. Col. James Rhodes). Newbies to the Iron Man scene are Scarlett Johansson (Natalie Rushman, Natasha Romanoff), Sam Rockwell (Justin Hammer) and Micky Rourke (Ivan Vanko). In the beginning, we are introduced to Ivan, the sun of a Russian physicist who used to work with Stark industries. With the death of
his father, Ivan decides to replicate Tony’s arc reactor in hopes of revenge for his
father’s falling. The film progresses to where Tony is exiting the Stark Expo, and we are then introduced to the lovely Natalie Rushman as she
tells Tony that he has been summed to “hand over” Iron Man because he is thought to be a dangerous weapon. After winning his right to Iron Man, Tony realizes that the arc reactor in his chest is keeping him alive but is slowly killing him. Tony travels to France and decides to go into a street race with his new found knowledge of dying. After all, would you want to be stuck in meetings all day it you knew you were dying? Ivan shows up at the track with his own arc reactor as a power source for his own invention and slices the front part of Tony’s car off. Tony manages to subdue Ivan and put him in jail thanks to some quick thinking from his butler Happy. As the film progresses, Ivan is broken out of jail by Hammer who wants his knowledge as a physicist
saw it with a bunch of girls, and they all cried. I was the only one in the theater who wasn't crying, and there were only three other guys there," sophomore Oguguo Asota said. In New York Times' review of the movie, however, they were not so generous to Cyrus. This was said about her acting: "Another big problem is Ms. Cyrus. Her Hannah Montana persona has a certain aggressive charm, and she seems to be a young celebrity with a good attitude and a strong work ethic. But acting, for the moment at least, seems almost entirely beyond her." Actress Miley Cyrus not only met with writer Nicholas Sparks and inspired him,
but she also got to name her own character, Ronnie. A lot people's reasons for seeing the movie seemed to be to judge whether or not Cyrus would be a good actor, apart from her stint as Hannah Montana. "I heard it was going to be good, and I wanted to see Miley Cyrus' acting. I thought it was a good movie, and I plan on reading the book," senior Makenze Mobley said. As for the book, it seemed to get very good reviews from many sources. "I read a book every two weeks, and someone recommended this one. I think so far that it's one of his better books: it pertains to high schoolers and the characters were very well thought out.
“This film creatively combined comedy, action, drama and romance all into one.” —Kaylee Micu, Junior
to build him his own “Iron Man” army. Tony quickly gets into gear and rushes out to stop Ivan and Hammer who just happens to be at the Expo, waiting to show off Hammer’s army. What happens next, is just something you’ll have to see for yourself. This film creatively combined comedy, action, drama and romance all into one. Around every corner awaited a new surprise and a good spark of the imagination. I really enjoyed watching this film, for, unlike most sequels, this one truly out-shined the first film. It also was just one of those films that you can’t help falling in love with because of the fact that it brings out the child in all of us. Anyone who enjoys superheros, adventure, action, science and a good laugh, go see this movie!
Book, movie The Last Song make big splash Jayne Durnin Staff Writer
If you were to inquire what everyone in your class was reading at DEAR time, there is a good chance that at least one person was reading Nicholas Sparks' new novel, The Last Song. The Last Song has spent eight weeks as the number one book in it's category on the New York Times bestseller list, and it has been a huge hit with teenagers. But in addition to the book being a huge hit, Nicholas Sparks also wrote a screenplay even before the book, which has been made into a movie starring Miley Cyrus and Liam Hensworth. "I really liked Miley Cyrus' acting abilities. I
If the book isn't predictable, I will probably see the movie," art teacher Emily Luensman said. “The Last Song is, by far, one of the best books that I have ever read. It is a lot different from many of the other Nicholas Sparks books, as it mostly touches on family," Jody Morse, a writer for Associated Content, wrote. It seems like both the book and the movie benefited from each other, as many people wanted to experience both. "I thought the movie looked good, so I wanted to read the book first. I thought that the book was really good, and I read all of it in almost one day," sophomore Elizabeth Zars said.
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tiger hi-line May 11, 2010
SPORTS 7
Tiger baseball is back, confident: Team hoping for Tour de force against rival West Ali Miller Staff Writer
As baseball season opens, head coach Jack Sole has high hopes of this being a good year compared to the last few. "The last few years our team has been down, but this year I think we'll compete and be right there with them again." With Waterloo West as this year's rival yet again, Sole is confident about beating them. West and CF have been "fairly well matched from 2001-2006," he said. Since 2006, West has only had about three victories against CF. "It's become a pretty nice rivalry." Part of this confidence comes from the boys having plenty of experience from club baseball prior to their playing for the high school. Many players play travel team baseball, where others play IBL (Iowa Baseball League) in the metro area. "It does make quite a bit of difference if you play on a travel team or not. Those guys get to experience playing all over the midwest and see all different types of talent. It's one of those things that would help us more if more guys would get involved in travel teams through the summer," Sole said. The number of athletes has gone down from last season. There are 16
this year, compared to the 27 who had field time last year. Upperclassmen are making up a good portion of this number. Sole noted, "This year we are finally what I would call 'experienced' with upperclassmen. We're majority upperclassmen where the last couple years we've been very young. This class of seniors right now, three of them got playing time as freshmen, which in our league, is almost unheard of. The kids that we have this year have a lot of experience and we're looking forward to what we have." There are seven returning senior letterwinners and one junior letterwinner. A pair of sophomores also return with letters. Assistant coach Nick Kline has been part of the Exell program, so he constantly works hard with the boys on weight lifting and strength and conditioning. Instead of two-adays, the boys have extreme nights. Practice in the summer usually begins at about 3:30 and ends at about 7. "We're just really excited about this year. The first few days have been a really great atmosphere. We have some great leadership, which is something we haven't had in a while. Some intensity," Sole said. The head coach feels like a lot of the success he's sensing ahead is coming from the indoor hitting
facility that the boys have just had available to them this year. The season officially kicks off against rival Waterloo West at River Front Stadium in Waterloo on May 24. The first pitch will be at either 5 or 7 o'clock. As of now, it is undetermined. "We're 'rejuvenated' is what I've been using with the guys. It's really been a hard three years for us. Our guys are excited, and it's just all around the campus. You can feel that there's some intensity that we haven't had in a couple years, and I think the guys realize that and are excited about succeeding," Sole said. Being a varsity player so early in his career, Strempke is at cloud nine. "It feels like I always dreamed it would." Strempke also has the same feeling as his coach about the upcoming season. "We don't expect anything less than State," he said. "All the hard work and dedication pays off." Strempke is strongly looking forward to game time on the field. "I think the strongest part of our team is the talent we have within the team and the intensity we have out on the field with our players." The boys are sure kicking it off strong this year. "I can really see the confidence and potential in our boys both on the field and off," Sole said.
On tennis team, Ju is better than one Ellen Gustavson Staff Writer
They always say that two is better than one. It looks like that could be the case with the CFHS men’s tennis team this year. Rex and Roy Ju, freshmen twins, are ranked number one and two on varsity, which might be a first for the team. They have been playing since they were only five years old. Time committment is important to the brothers. They play all year round, usually at least five hours a week, sometimes nearly every day. However, just because they are twins doesn’t mean they always
play doubles together. “We are doubles partners for the high school season and sometimes tournaments outside the high school season, but there are occasions where both of us can’t attend a tournament,” Roy said. Seniors Colin Ashwood and Vincent Stigliani, and junior Louis Redfern, make up the rest of the team’s five-man rotation. Rex and Roy have high hopes for themselves already. “My goal for the end of the season is to have twice as many wins as losses at least,” Rex said. “I hope to have represented the team well.” With the sesaon already well un-
der way, the brothers have already had the opportunity to improve their skills. “I have learned a lot of things that have strengthened my mental game,” Rex said. The team is 6-7 right now and have played two of the top five teams in the state this season. “My favorite thing about tennis is definitely the satisfaction of a hard won match; it’s a great feeling,” Rex said. The team won their match last Thursday against East, winning five of six singles matches and all three doubles matches to win eight-one overall. The Ju twins won both singles and their doubles match.
Athlete Week of the
Tracy Lukasiewicz Women’s Tennis Junior 1. How has the tennis season gone for you? The season has been a huge growing experience for me. As the season has gone along I have slowly gotten better with my mental and physical game which has made me so much more competitive with other girls. 2. What’s your favorite thing about tennis? I love going out on a beautiful day and just being able to relax and hit balls with my friends in the sun. 3. What are your favorite things to do outside of tennis? Outside of tennis I love to be outside, dancing and listening to music.
Tigers in Action
Women’s Track Away 5/14 @ Marshalltown @ Coed District/Regional Meet, 4 p.m. Men’s Track Away 5/14 @ Marshalltown @ Coed District Regional Meet, 4 p.m. Women’s Soccer Home 5/11 vs. Linn-Mar, 5 p.m. Away 5/14 @ CR Kennedy, 8 a.m., @ CR Jefferson, 12 p.m. Men’s Soccer Away 5/11 @ Linn-Mar, 4:15 p.m. Away 5/13 @ IC West, 4:15 p.m. Women’s Golf Away 5/11 @ Waterloo East Away 5/14 @ South Hills @ Metro Meet, 2:30 p.m. Women’s Tennis Away 5/11 @ IC High, 4:30 p.m. Men’s Tennis Home 5/11 vs. IC High, 4 p.m. Trapshooting Home 5/18 vs. Mason City and IC West, 4 p.m.
tiger hi-line feature 8 THE
May 11, 2010
Swan Song
Choir teacher decides to shift focus next year Donald Halbmaier Staff Writer
Cedar Falls High School is bidding “fare thee well” to four-year choir teacher Kendra Wohlert. It is never a good thing for a high school to lose a teacher, let alone the director of its entire choral program. Understanding the impact of her decision, Wohlert has taken it nowhere near lightly. “It has been the hardest professional decision I’ve ever had to make. It has been a long thought out decision with many mind changes.” Junior Choir President Elect Catherine Dunbar commented how how she feels about how the choir will be after Wohlert departs. “I think the choir will be sad without Wohlert there to make us ‘smell the flower of the day’ or listen to one of her awesome stories about Henry (Wohlert’s son) or her time in Africa, but most people in choir are looking at the future of the choir program with an optimistic stand. We know she’s not going to leave us in bad hands and would rather continue teaching than give over all she’s worked for to someone who wouldn’t be up to the challenge of working with a bunch of choir nerds.” Wohlert also says that it is strictly a personal decision. “My decision was prompted by the early death of a best friend who was also a choral director at the
beginning of last summer. She had two young kids. It just hit me hard that she didn’t have much time with her children as she could have.” She added, “I’m not preaching for what other women should do, but I just want to make nutritious meals from our garden and take Henry to and from school, which takes time.” After a brief reflection, Wohlert looked back on her years here at Cedar Falls High School. Even with her diagnoses of Hypothyroidism several years ago, she says her years have changed her forever.
“I will miss my job, but I won’t regret the decision to leave.” — Choir teacher Kendra Wohlert “From my first year here being so difficult and having to figure out a way to turn it around to try to find a positive space for singers. That was a real personal evolution for me. Now how people comment on how positive and beautiful the singers are, and the feedback I get from parents, students and faculty. I just feel like the positive energy that exudes from the choral rehearsals is infectious, and I think it has fed me and my love for music making,”
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Choir teacher Kendra Wohlert
Leaving CFHS after four years of teaching choir.
Wohlert said. She will also continue with her love for making music even after she has gone. “I plan to get more involved in my church’s music program as well as start a herb and gardening business with my friend.” President of Choirs Senior Sara Strever gave a few words about how much of an inspiration Wohlert has been on her all three years of her high school career as well on how she works with her choir. “I could talk for hours about the profound difference she has made in my life regarding simply music: the process of learning notes/rhythms, learning how to sing forward and control my voice or learning music history,” Stever said. “For the sake of bettering the
student’s musical education and the program, she is always willing to go the extra mile for her students. During All-State and Solo-Ensemble, she is always willing to accommodate her schedule to students, coming into the school on weekends, staying late into the evenings and be right on time for the early, early morning practices. However, she has gone beyond the role as simply a choir director; she has personally inspired me to be a better person, challenging me to go beyond my comfort zone on and off stage. “Her door was always open for me to come and talk, offering an ear to listen or to offer advice concerning music, life, love and everything in between. When first learning a piece, I always look forward to the wisdom she offers beyond musical text, giving her input on how to interpret the music, which ultimately makes a world of difference when performing on and off the stage. I cannot think of a person that has made a greater impact on me during my high school career, and I am so grateful for the time that I have had with her.” Strever said. Wohlert summed up all her feelings in one final saying. “I will miss my job, but I won’t regret the decision to leave.”
Editor note:
Later Tiger Hi-Line editions will cover retiring teachers and ones who are leaving.
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