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VOLUME 51 ISSUE 25 1015 Division St. Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613
GSA modifies name to encompass students Maya Amjadi Staff Writer
The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) at Cedar Falls High School has changed its name to Love Knows No Gender (LKNG). Although the two names offer different titles, the group is still the same in the aspect that it still works to promote acceptance and tolerance. Junior Falken Jaramillo, an avid participant and leader in the group, does not particularly approve of the name change. “It was changed to both get away from use of the word ‘gay,’ which will keep some folks from attending and also to include other sexualities, such as bisexuality, pansexuality, etc.” The group is working to spread awareness. Members attend conferences every month that are put on by the Iowa Pride Network. Another thing the group does is participate in the Day of Silence, which is the annual day of action to protest bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. It is a day-long vow of silence recognizing the silenced LGBT community. The group is for gay, lesbian or questioning students as well as heterosexual students who feel that there is a lack of tolerance and understanding. “I feel that CFHS is a tolerant place. I have never been harassed or accosted based on my sexual orientation, although I hear a lot of derogatory slang terms,” Jaramillo said. Junior Oliver Weilein said the group has two main focuses. The first is to do whatever it can to raise awareness about the
struggles that face the LGBT community and to help promote an open-minded and tolerant society. “[A society] where you can love whoever you may choose without the bigoted judgements of others — whether they be judgements expressed through individual intolerance or through government legislature,” Weilein said. The second main focus is to provide a safe and accepting environment in which homosexuals, bisexuals and transgenders can express their emotions to others who don’t judge them based on who they are attracted to. “To some, it can be the sole place where they feel comfortable talking about their true sexuality,” Weilein said. Some people have said that the LKNG is only for people who are gay, but the focus is to bring all groups together. “There were people of all races who marched with the civil rights advocates a few decades ago. There were men who advocated women’s rights and were active in the movement. There were Europeans who stood with the Native Americans when the settlers took their land,” Weilein said. “And likewise, there are people who will march in gay pride parades and be fully supportive, who are, in fact, straight. I happen to be one of those people.” The group would like to relay an important message: when it comes to accepting people, it is important to make sure the conclusions drawn are not based on things out of an individual’s control, such as race, gender, age, disability, social status and, also, one’s sexual orientation.
Kaylee Micu photo
Drivin’ for Life
Junior Meg Lane waits to donate blood at the student senate-sponsored blood drive on Friday, May 13. The annual drive attracted many student and staff donors, and the blood is donated to the Life Serve Blood Center of Iowa.
Board approves late starts, adjusts school calendar Sandra OmariBoateng Staff Writer
A new policy that was approved by the Cedar Falls School Board on Monday night, May 9, will change the school year calendar and schedule for the 2011-2012 year. Next year, there will be a 90-minute late start every Tuesday for the secondary schools which are the junior highs and high school. In the past, there were about five to six professional development days about once a month in the year, but now the weekly late starts will let the teachers get together to confer and do professional development meetings once a week instead of spreading them out so much. Now that teachers will meet once per week, the school calendar will lose some professional development
days and half days. On the weeks of conferences, secondary schools will have a full day of school on Thursdays but still no school on Fridays. This system will add back a couple of days next year. “Change is always tough. The professional development days were too spread apart, so we needed to do something different to help the teachers get more out of it,” Principal Dr. Rich Powers said. With the late starts, the high school will be losing about 10 minutes of class every Tuesday but getting the class time back by staying in school for those professional development days. To accommodate the schedule, lunch will begin third period, but since the hours will be shorter, everything will stay on schedule. Because of the lost professional development days,
there will be one or two built-in snow days to help keep on track, so if those snow days are not used, the high school will get those days off. Of course, some CFHS teachers have concerns about the changes to come. “I’m a little concerned about the class time, and I’m not sure about what it’s going to look like. If I had a choice, I would keep school the way it is,” social studies teacher Jeremiah Longnecker said. “The reason the school year is changing now is to realign with the Iowa Core [Curriculum guidelines]-[this] helps us learn how to help some students adjust to what they are learning. [Students] could need help catching up to curriculum, or, if they’re ahead, [teachers could] start teaching them on a different level,” Powers said.
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2 opinion our view Board makes right call in staff development Professional Development Days, the days to catch up on sleep for many high school students and the days of training for teachers, will be undergoing reform next school year, as voted by the Cedar Falls School Board. An effort, called the Professional Learning Community (PLC), will allot 90 minutes every Tuesday in the CF middle schools and high school for teachers to come together and improve student learning. The effort will also be implemented in elementary schools, too, with an early out every Wednesday. This plan will also The plan is a great allow for two conferidea because it will ence days within the calendar to be allow for teachers added back as student to have more time contact days in the school year. Days that more frequently to students would not communicate efhave had class due to professional developfectively and train ment days will now effectively, too. also be added back. Professional Learning Community is a team effort. The School Board wants everyone to know that it is not just about becoming a “Professional Learning Community”, but more about helping students to learn better for future achievement. The plan is a great idea because it will allow teachers to have more time more frequently to communicate effectively and train effectively in order to better reach students. Also, it will help cut down on the number of days kids are out of school. Classroom time is precious, so it is important to make sure that instruction time will be used effectively. If teachers make a strong effort and use this time productively, the Professional Learning Community idea will be a wonderful opportunity for both students and teachers. If we can make this effort work as a school, we can aim to make this school a great place of learning and improvement.
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: Sara Gabriele and Ellen Gustavson News Editor: Ben Olson and Sara Gabriele Opinion Editor: Meg Lane and Kaylee Micu Sports Editor: Ben Olson and Allyson Vuong Feature Editors: Ellen Gustavson Entertainment Editors: Meg Lane and Kaylee Micu Photo Editor: Tracy Lukasiewicz
May 17, 2011
Artists recycling old tunes for instant hits Lucas Hamilton Staff Writer
Have you ever listened to a song and thought to yourself, “Wow, that sounds so familiar? Where have I heard this before?” Well, maybe you haven’t heard the words before, but nowadays it is becoming more and more common for artists to sample melodies from other bands and create a new song out of it. It sincerely bothers me when popular artists get credit for making a song when it is based off of a different less popular song. One such song would be “Fergalicious” by Fergie. This tune was a very obvious spin from “Supersonic” by JJ FAD right down to the beat of the lyrics. Another would be “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice, which
sampled the exact same bass line from “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie, except for a very subtle addition of one note. The song “Girlfriend” by Avril Lavigne was put under the spotlight after The Rubinoos alleged that she stole their song “I Want To Be Your Boyfriend.” If you don’t believe it, look it up on YouTube for yourselves and compare the two. As a musician, I can understand artists’ desires to recreate magic because they are so inspired by fellow musicians, but I believe that true musicianship comes from creating for yourself and having your own ability to make melodies. I believe that the true artists, the ones that tend to be the most unappreciated, use their creativity to make a flowing song with unique-
ness and stray away from the generic song structure. Unfortunately, with popular music, more automated beats and generic lyrics have caused unoriginality to step into the limelight. I believe that there is a difference between incorporating influences into a sound, but going as far as using the same chord progression and rhythms just crosses the line in my book. I love it when bands come out with a revival of an old sound, but to go as far as to overstep copyright laws is wrong, not to mention illegal. In order to love what is new, we must first respect and understand where it came from. Unfortunately, many are skipping this step and essentially creating a cookie cutter model for what music should be like.
Amazon lauches online music storage Aaron Parsons Staff Writer
At the end of March 2011, Amazon announced it will be releasing a new feature on its website called the Amazon Cloud Music Player. Amazon released it so it could beat Google in the undending race to be the best of the best by releasing the first web-based music player. Here is what Amazon’s Cloud system does: It lets you store your music and other files, including movies, on Amazon’s servers. It lets you play your music–but only your music–on Google’s Android devices via an app and on Macs and PCs via a Web browser. Here is what it does not do: It will not let you play your music on any Apple iOS device (iPad, iPhone or iPod). It will not help you find and listen to music you don’t own. Amazon gives you five gigabytes of server space for free. That is about 1,200 songs, which is a decent sized library for many people. You can also upgrade the
Photo courtesy of Amazon.com
Increasing its stakes in the world of digital music files, Amazon recently launched its Amazon Cloud Music Player which makes it possible for patrons to upload their personally owned music files and then play them on other computers or cell phones later, though it doesn’t work on all systems. size of your library. 20 GB is $20 per year, and you can upgrade all the way up to 1000 GB, which is $1,000 per year. If you buy digital music, this new technology might make you more inclined to
buy from Amazon because the file will not count against your storage limits in your digital music library, but stuff you buy from Apple’s iTunes Digital Store, which dominates the market, will work just as well, too.
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May 17, 2011
Athlete Week of the
Adam Streicher Men’s Track Junior
Allyson Vuong Photos
After winning the Mississippi Valley Championship last year, the CFHS Tiger baseball team is undergoing a transition and seeking to fill the spots of last year’s many graduates and to return to full competitive form. Last Tuesday May 10, the team scrimmaged at Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex, and many of the younger freshmen and sophomore players (above and right) demonstrated their talents to try to make varsity.
Young baseball team prepares to follow last season’s success Jessica Dally Staff Writer
Tiger men’s baseball has always strived to be strong defensively, and last year, varsity men’s baseball took home a first place championship at the Mississippi Valley Conference. This year, head coach Jack Sole expects no difference, even with the many challenges he has to face this year. Due to early graduates and transfer players, the team lost nine out of its 15 varsity starters. Last year, the Tigers pitched 220 innings, but only
twenty of those innings are coming back, which means that Coach Sole has to find 200 more innings worth of pitchers. Junior Andy Kloos is going to help bring back some of those innings. He’s going to help reload the team, but he is only one of the many contributions that the team has. “This year’s focus is reloading and not rebuilding like what we’ve done in the past,” Sole said. It’s going to be a tough year considering all the players they’ve lost. The
sophomores and freshmen are being looked at to fill the void, but no final decisions have been made on who will be playing varsity yet. Luckily, the team does have talented players who are returning from last year including seniors Forrest Benton, Brady Zwanziger, Matt Klinehart and Joe Schwickerath and juniors Shawn Hagarty and Jake Gallu. While everybody else is gearing up for the season, team captain Schwickerath will be showing leadership on the sidelines until June due to a shoulder labrum
tear he received. Other captains include Hagarty and Klinehart. “Winning Conference was a huge step for us, and it’s something we need to work for every year. The indoor facility we used helped our team a lot, and we need to make sure our team uses the resources they have in to better themselves,” Sole said. This year’s team is really young, but Sole said that they have the right players in the right spots that will help the team continue to grow and get better.
1. What’s your favorite event to run? “My favorite event to run is the 3,200 because I would always chooose a longer race over a shorter race.” 2. How did you do at districts? “I ran well at Districts. We had a pretty average District, and I was able to get fourth, which gives me a chance at going to State.” 3. What motivates you? “Competition motivates me. I always look forward to the next race for the thrill of competition.” 4. Are you happy with what you accomplished this season so far? “I am very happy with what I have accomplisted this season, and I look forward to the next challenge.”
Tigersin
Action
Men’s Soccer 5/23, Substate, Men’s Track 5/12 - 5/21, Coed State Track Meet @ Drake Stadium Men’s Tennis 5/21, Substate @ CR Washington Women’s Soccer 5/18, vs. Iowa City High @ home, 5 p.m. 5/23, vs. Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 4:15 p.m. Women’s Track 5/12 - 5/21, Coed State Track Meet @ Drake Stadium Women’s Golf 5/23. Regional Meet @ Jones Municipal Golf Course in CR. Women’s Tennis 4/21, vs CR Kennedy. 9 a.m. 4/21, Regional Meet, 1 p.m.
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May 17, 2011
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Resource teacher announces retirement Chandal Geerdes Staff Writer
Kris Brimm, resource teacher, has been teaching for 37 years. She taught in Ottumwa at Walsh Junior High for two years and at Wapsie Valley Junior and Senior Highs for three years before coming to Cedar Falls in the fall of 1979. Over these years, she has seen students mature and improve their skills in a multitude of ways. She has been a teacher for students grades 7-12 and will be retiring this year. As a teacher, Brimm has helped students develop their skillls to be the best individuals they can be.
“I try to determine each student’s strengths and help them use them to develop their skills,” Brimm said. Brimm has watched students grow from grades 10 through 12 since she teaches them all three years. She sees students mature and become better decision makers. “She teaches me differently than other teachers. She gets to know me before she tries anything,” junior Talor Mussman said. Throughout her teaching career, the main way Brimm has seen education change is through technology. “Technology has made information more readily available,” Brimm said. Besides helping students
Kris Brimm retiring after 37 years
develop their skills, Brimm has also tutored students after high school. “I have tutored students after high school when they have needed it to be successful at Hawkeye,” Brimm said. “She really doesn’t give
In her spare time, Brimm plans to work with her horses and read all the Tom Clancy books. She also plans to supervise home improvements and do some 4-H judging and volunteer some time at their office. “I have always been impressed with the leadership and citizenship projects that the members complete on their own,” Brimm said. Students have mixed emotions about her retirement. Some are happy, others are sad, but one thing they agree on is that she was a great teacher. “[I’m] happy for her! I wish she’d stick around for one more year,” Mussman said.
up on students,” senior Matt Hoover said. Brimm did not want to retire at the end of last year because of a group of students that she wanted to see all the way through graduation. If it wasn’t for them, she would have retired due to the death of her younger brother who died last spring, six months before he was eligible for retirement. After she retires, Brimm plans on visting her daughters and sister who have moved away. She also plans on taking a trip to the Black Hills. “My husband and I like rocks and natural land forms. The Black Hills are a unique geological area, and we have wanted to see it,” Brimm said.
Junior fosters dog from Humane Society Melanie Rasmussen Staff Writer
All animals at the Cedar Bend Humane Society are in need of help. In some cases, people come down and make short term adoptions to give animals homes until someone can give them a permanent home. Most of the animals that have the most dire need for help are the young ones who have been abandoned or ones with owners who have dealt with illnesses or accidents. Volunteers take in animals to help them get used to surroundings other than the constant loud barking and craziness of the Humane Society. In fostering, the Humane
Society is in charge of all vet bills needed along with food and kennels. All the animals need is time and energy. Junior Brianna Keigan is taking part in fostering. Her family has taken in a young Treeing Walker Coonhound named Mokey. “We wanted another dog, but my step dad didn’t want one because of expenses and that we have two other dogs,” Keigan said. “My mother wanted to volunteer at the shelter, and my little brother wanted a dog, so my mom decided to adopt Mokey for fostering because it was urgent.” Mokey needed a place to stay, whether it was permanent or not, so they took her in. “It is very hard trying to
train a puppy and get it adopted out, but great dogs that are well trained are hard to let go of. You get attached, but it’s for a good cause,” Keigan said. Keigan added that untrained pets are very hard to get adopted out so they are in need of someone to help train them so they can have a good home. “It will be hard to give her away . . . She is making a lot of progress, and all she needs is time for someone to sit down with her and give her attention,” Keigan said. “I’ll be somewhat upset when she leaves yet happy because she has a good home and she won’t chew my stuff up anymore,” Keigan said.
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Melanie Rasmussen Photo
Mokey, junior Bri Keigan’s lovable foster hound, is temporarily staying at her home until a permanent one can be found.
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