May 28, 2008 hi line

Season Opener

Tiger Hi-Line The

Volume 48 Edition 30

With a double header against Dubuque Senior on Thursday, May 22, the Tigers and junior Jillian Zaputil opened the softball season. Check out more pictures of the action on the Sports page.

http://hi-lineonline.shorturl.com 1015 Division Street, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613

Changes in curriculum aim to increase rigor of Iowa schools, better preparing students for future skills, global competition Kellie Petersen News Editor

“Well, the Core Curriculum is kind of revolutionary for Iowa,” English teacher Jennifer Paulsen said when asked what she thought of the recent passage of the Iowa Core Curriculum.

Paulsen teaches the reading enhancement class at CFHS, which aims to provide students with developing improved fluency in reading, vocabulary development, comprehension and independent reading skills.

As a teacher of this specific class, Paulsen can provide some insight into the Iowa Core Curriculum, since classes like reading enhancement contain similar objectives for improvement.

“It’s definitely going to reinforce this class. The class is designed to build strategic readers and the state is now establishing reading curriculum at the secondary level,” Paulsen said.

The Iowa Core Curriculum, formally known as the Model Core Curriculum, became official after being passed by the Iowa legislature on April 25, the last day of the legislative session. The Iowa Core Curriculum was then signed

by Gov. Chet Culver May 1 in Independence.

According to the Iowa Department of Education website, the Iowa Core

Curriculum will provide “a guide to delivering instructional content that is challenging and meaningful to students.” The Iowa Core Curriculum aims to provide this content in five main areas of literacy, mathematics, science, social studies and 21st century skills, which include civic literacy, financial literacy, technology literacy, health literacy and employability.

Dan Conrad, the Director of Secondary Education for Cedar Falls schools, said that the new Iowa Core Curriculum would require a “reshaping of our K-12 curriculum.”

“There will be some things included in English, math, science or social studies that we may not already be including in our 7th grade, 6th grade, 4th grade, 3rd grade curriculum,” Conrad said.

Conrad elaborated on how the Iowa Core Curriculum may change Cedar Falls, as well as other, schools.

“Ultimately, we will probably need to revise graduation requirements to meet the Iowa Core. Over the next couple of years, we will be reviewing and learning more about the Core and the gaps in what we are currently requiring all students to demonstrate and what will be required when the Core is implemented,” Conrad said.

Conrad said that the Cedar Falls school district would need to re-ex-

amine the “structure” of its schools, including schedule and course requirements, in order to make revisions that will meet the Iowa Core Curriculum.

Although the Iowa Core Curriculum may ask some school districts to make changes to what they teach, it is all a part of a larger goal to better prepare students for life after school by providing a more rigorous and relevant education. Judy Jeffery, Director of the Iowa Department of Education, described the Iowa Core Curriculum as providing the “essential concepts and skills” necessary for students to achieve a more rigorous and relevant education.

Rigor and relevance may seem like familiar phrases to any students in Iowa, and they are an important part of the Iowa Core Curriculum.

William Callahan, the Dean of the College of Education at the University of Northern Iowa, helped develop the Iowa Core Curriculum as a member of the Leadership Team. “Rigor means that it challenges the students and delves deep into content setting high expectations for student performance.

Relevant means that the activities are relevant to the content and to real life,” Callahan said.

The concepts of rigor and relevance are one way that Cedar Falls schools have utilized concepts of the Iowa Core

Curriculum prior to its implementation.

“For the past three years, the high school and both junior high schools have been working with the Department of Education and AEA267 on the Rigor, Relevance, Relationships Framework. Especially at the high school, this has been a major focus of our professional development for teachers,” Conrad said.

Although the concepts of rigor and relevance are important to the Iowa Core Curriculum they are certainly not the only key components. The addition of what are being called 21st century skills, or literacy in the areas of civics, health, financial situations and technology as well as employability skills, are also very important to the Iowa Core Curriculum.

Jeffery explained why the addition of 21st century skills were made to the Iowa Core Curriculum, citing that it was noticeable that students were not as prepared as they could be in these important areas.

“Whenever we have those high concerns, schools need to take a good look at what they’re teaching and how they’re teaching,” Jeffery said.

In addition to giving students more of a foundation in 21st century skills, the Iowa Core Curriculum also aims to

help students in Iowa compete better on a global scale. The ability of Iowa’s and America’s students to be on the same educational level students in other countries is an issue that has become increasingly important.

“It’s really happening across the nation…states are really taking a look at what students need to compete in a global way,” Jeffery said of he initiative to better prepare both Iowan and American students to compete with their foreign counterparts.

Regarding global competition, Callahan also noted that as of now there is no way the United States could compete with a country like China.

“The future workers have to be smart, creative and well-educated,” Callahan said.

Whether or not it is working to create students and future workers that are better able to compete on a global scale, the Iowa Core Curriculum aims to help students be better prepared for their futures, whatever they may hold.

Not only does the Iowa Core Curriculum students by preparing them for their futures and helping them to compete with students in foreign countries, but it also helps teachers by creating more clear, concise and uniform educational standards.

Continued on Feature page

How do you think the Iowa Core Curriculum will affect you department?

Judy Timmins English Department Head

“We have already begun to compare our present standards and benchmarks to the Iowa Core Curriculum, but the intended changes seem to be more minor than major.”

“Well, I think basically we’re in pretty good shape. It will just be a matter of going through and seeing how our math curriculum meshes with the Iowa Core Curriculum.”

David Koefed Mathmatics Department Head

Lynn Griffin Science Department Head

“I just think it’s going to make each of us evaluate our core objectives and look at the gaps.

It’s also going to make us look at if we need to add any courses or realign any courses”

Tiger Hi-Line The

OPIn n IO OPI IOnn

Sounding Off our view view our MP3 player misuse threatens teen hearing

Senior editors served with vision, empathy As the senior’s last day came and passed, the staff at the Tiger Hi-Line said goodbye to two of our favorite editors—Olivia Schares of the news page and Briana McGeough, feature editor and editor-in-chief.

They served the paper loyally for three years, and finally we have to say goodbye to them. This year, the advanced news class had a chance to get to know these two veterans very well, and we’ve come to find that they are two of the hardest working, most enthusiastic and fun people to be around.

Briana has saved us on deadline day countless times with her calm collectedness, and Olivia is always there with the right thing to say, the best advice to help you with your situation. Throughout the year, they have produced excellent news and feature pages as well as having been responsible for a lot of editor bonding. Between Briana’s ever-positive attitude and Olivia’s deep passion for the things she believes in, this paper would truly not have been the same without their presence.

Though we must wish them the best of luck with their futures, there is a sadness within the staff as we send them off. Their hard work and dedication have only been outmatched by their fun-loving, free spirits. Next year, Olivia will be heading off to St. Olaf to study environmental issues, and Briana will be headed to Brown to study psychology.

Our greatest tribute to these two will undoubtedly be the memories shared, but we at the Hi-Line felt that they deserved something more. Good luck, Briana and Olivia.

You will always be appreciated and certainly missed!

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 Wednesdays 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 and Jacqueline Jordan Sports Editor: Jakob Zierer Feature Editors: Honor Heindl and Briana McGeough On-Line Editor: Ellen Wrede Entertainment Editor: Kristen Hammer

I bet at least once a day was no warning that these conseyou are found riding your quences would occur. These problems bike, relaxing at home or shouldn’t be put on the shoulders of even sitting in class with the company but those of the consumlittle white ear buds that are er, but other than just turning down the blasting over 80Db of loud volume on your player, many compascreaming music into your nies have came up with solutions to eardrums, but although this growing issue. most drums are meant to There are two popular headphone take a beating, these little styles that are fairly different that miniguys have taken a little too mize background noise so you will not much in the past few years. have to turn up the volume as loud as Your ipod or mp3 can your normally would. Sony, Panasonic Katie Dexter generate a pretty loud noise and Bose sell more of the expensive Staff Writer Katie Dexter Cartoon when the headphones are brand “no noise” headphones while within millimeters of your eardrum. It brands like Shure and Etymotic are the is permanently impaired. should be clear to all consumers that turning cheaper ones.

Researchers have studied this particular up the volume of these players will eventuSony’s battery-powered ear buds have situation numerous times and have found ally cause injury to your ears and possibly tiny microphones in each bud that detect amthat hearing loss in teens from 13 to 18 has result in one long term effect, hearing loss. bient noise.

They then generate sound waves risen nearly 30 percent over the decade.

Those with good hearing have tiny hair that cancel out the ambient noise before it They also recommend to limit the exposure cells that line the inside of your ear. They reaches your ears. your ears have to your headphones. They transmit signals to the brain and then interThe cheaper option is simply “sound-isorecommend the louder your play your music pret it as a sound. When your ears are relating.”

These are by far less expensive that the shorter amount of time you should be peatedly feeling worn out or uncomfortable are made of sound proof material that helps listening to your music player. For example, due to headphones or loud music at concerts, if you have your volume at about 60 percent, block out background noise. these hair cells require a rush of blood or In the end, Apple and other MP3 manuyou should be listening for no longer than oxygen resulting in “death.” facturers could help listeners by turning an hour. Another rule of thumb: If you have Although these little cells are not actudown the volume levels they sell in their to remove your headphones from your ears ally dead, they are trying there hardest to products, but ultimately it is still up to the to hear people talking to you, the volume is recover, resulting in temporary hearing loss users. too loud. or ringing of your ears. But time after time if Ipod and MP3 listeners need to make Because of the injuries teens and many you blast your music into your ears, recovtheir own decisions on whether or not to others are obtaining, many have attempted ery becomes nearly impossible and hearing avoid hearing loss in the future. suing Apple for their product by saying there

Take a hike from end of year anxieties It’s that time of year when camping at least three times the deadlines just pile up on top along Lake Superior over the of each other and the things that years. Split Rock Lighthouse, I’ve been putting off all seGooseberry Falls, Palisade mester come back to haunt me.

Head, Britten Peak and One thing that propels me on is Tettegouche are all places we thinking about how this summer explored.

I’m going to backpack part of One time we followed the the Superior Hiking Trail. north shore of Lake Superior The Superior Hiking Trail to a place called Sleeping is a 205-mile long footpath Giant Provicincial Park in Onthat follows the rocky ridgetario. It seemed at the time to Donnie Simmet be in the middle of nowhere. line above Lake Superior in Staff Writer northeastern Minnesota from I remember my parents takTwo Harbors to the Canadian ing us on an eight-mile hike. border. There are 275 total miles in the There were abandoned towns, mines and at trail system. The trail has 81 backcountry one point after driving down a rock laden campsites. There are no fees, reservations, road, we came to a rocky overlook where we or permits required to hike or backpack on actually walked out over the lake which was the trail.

100s of feet below.

My parents took my sister, Willa, and I Several times we’ve camped at Tette-

gouche State Park. We left our car in a parking lot and then carted our gear a mile down a path to a secluded campsite. It was quiet and at night it got quite dark. We always had a campfire. At night we could hear the waves lapping at the rocks.

It seems like everywhere you go along the Lake Superior shore there’s a wonderland of rocks for climbing on and over.

This year, I’m going into the Lake Superior wilderness with all I need to live for a few days packed on my back.

I’ll just see where it takes me. I am hoping to interest a few friends. We’ll hike all day, eat when we’re hungry and sleep when we’re tired.

As I worry about getting everything done in these remaining days of school, wondering if it will ever end, I keep thinking about the Superior Hiking Trail and the adventures that lie ahead.

Tiger Hi-Line The

SPORTS SPORTS

Despite mistakes of high profile sports stars,

With summer effort, cross country’s tradition will persist

Athletes rely on natural paths to success Jacqueline Jordan Opinion Editor

The world stood in amazement of Marion Jones and her three gold and two bronze medals at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. It was equally in awe after the revelations of what Jones did to win her medals.

Former CF student Sarah Gall, who is now the owner of the Runner’s Flat in downtown Cedar Falls, said, “After hearing about Marion Jones this past year, I was truly disappointed as most people were.”

This upsetting news brought many people to wonder whether taking growth hormones was now the most common way to earn gold in sports, but the evidence against steroids is still strong.

“It doesn’t look like it helps, and there’s a hint of evidence it may worsen athletic performance,” said Dr. Hau Liu of the Santa Clara Valley Medical center in San Jose, Calif., in a NY Daily News story.

According to Liu, taking growth hormones doesn’t help create lean body mass; instead, it worsens exercising ability and strength, which is the whole point of taking growth hormones in the first place.

“I do think it’s OK to take sup-

“Athletes need to realize that there is no short cut. You can’t replace hard work with stimulants that set aside real talent.”

—Pete Watters CF athletic trainer plements to enhance performance and recovery as long as they don’t contain illegal substances,” Gall said. This includes natural growth hormones that aren’t synthetic but natural. One product that is natural and is a growth stimulant has a main ingredient known as colostrums.

Dona Jordan, a distributor for Total Wellness International program in the Cedar Falls area, said, “Growth hormones in colostrum helps with many things such as: helps aging men and women maintain a more youthful vitality, trim the body, boost immune system and cardiovascular function.”

Colostrum contains over 95 immune factors to provide protection against bacteria, toxins, viruses and disease.

But that’s for aging athletes, and just taking supplements isn’t the only answer to avoiding the factor

of having to go to synthetic growth hormones. Basic hard training and eating healthy can give the same results to become in shape.

“It goes back to a common sense balanced diet. Eating a clean diet, meaning lots of fruits and vegetables,” CF’s athletic trainer Pete Watters said.

Having this in mind, staying shape in the best shape you can be in is really not that mysterious. Gall goes back to her CFHS days for insight.

“My senior year in high school I earned a trip out to the Olympic Training Center in San Diego.

Out there I met a nutritionist that changed my life at that point in my life. I had started eating more and running faster than ever. I credit fantastic nutrition, rest and training to this success.”

Basics such as getting enough rest plays can play a bigger role in

performance than taking a supplement would.

Steroids and other synthetic growth hormones have been looked upon as the key to success for the big time pros, but Watters said, “I feel that the media has made it seem that using steroids is the only way to compete at the next level— from high school to college following the professional sports.”

He emphasized that the media presses the idea of steroids and has given professional athletics their success. “Athletes need to realize that there is no short cut. You can’t replace hard work with stimulants that set aside real talent,” he said.

The pressures to perform have led to calls for more testing even at the high school level. Regarding testing, Watters said, “Because of the prevalence of steroid use in sports, we may get to a point where drug tests may be needed.”

There would be problems with adding testing, though. “One large problem is the cost. Who is going to pay for the testing?” Watters asked. “I really don’t feel like it is a major problem in our area.

Performance enhancing drugs are everywhere, but I really don’t think it is as common in our area.”

Girls of Summer

Mackenzee Quarnstrom Photos

In a split decision double header on Thursday, May 22, junior Alison Jaynes and junior Shyann Beach were just part of the efforts vs. Dubuque Senior.

When it comes to the fall athletic season, the Tigers have traditions like its perennially dominant football team, but one sport at the high school that has gone under the radar has also had tremendous success: CF men’s cross country.

Since 1995, when current coach Troy Becker started his tenure, the men’s cross country team has made it to the state cross country meet every year.

The team has had top-10 finishes at State since 2003, with two titles in 2004 and Paul Strike 2005 being the highest Sports Opinion points.

Now, though, the team needs help. After a somewhat disappointing 8th place finish at State last year, the Tigers are looking for fresh legs and ready hearts.

The varsity team is losing five of its seven runners due to graduation, and these five spots— well, to be honest, all seven spots, are up for grabs.

There will be no Alex Mark, who took 1st Team All-State honors last year, or Drew Poland, who won the MVC Athlete of the Year award in 2006. There are some big shoes to fill, to say the least.

What does it take to be a varsity runner? Well, all it takes is running. That’s the simple truth.

There is a catch, though; the running has to take place over the summer.

For the lazy, this is just too much to handle, so the diligent workers will get the spots.

Get out and run! There are so many opportunities during the summer, like Hilltoppers Running Club, that people can join and run quality workouts with friends and friendly competition.

If that is not your cup of tea, then just run with a friend or by yourself. It has been proven that running with others improves your performance, though, so group running is always encouraged.

No excuses exist that can pardon someone from running.

Cross country is fun. The group dynamic of cross country is like no other sport because every day people come to practice to push each other.

The group is just a big group of friends. It may be a little dysfunctional, but a group of friends nonetheless.

The Tiger cross country team is a tradition, and to keep the tradition going a revival of work ethic needs to be installed. Running over the summer is such an easy and addicting thing to do because of the opportunities and also the friendships that can be created. With group work ethic, the cross country team will once again find itself on the podium in Fort Dodge.

Tiger Hi-Line

FEATURE FEATURE Homebodies The

As for all teens, homeschoolers defy stereotype Ellen Wrede Online Editor

“Do you have school in your pajamas?”

Socially inept “Do you have any friends?”

These are just some of the stereotypes homeschooled kids are used to hearing on a daily basis from people everywhere.

“My favorite one is that all homeschooled children are sheltered. I would watch Monty Python’s Flying Circus and read Agatha Christie novels when I was 10,” Monica Reida, now a junior at CFHS said. She was homeschooled until she joined the CF district in 8th grade “Homeschooling” is really quite self explanatory. Students are taught at home by their parents, by other students’ parents (as in a co-op) or are taught by a tutor.

The reasons for homeschooling are many and varied. Anna Danforth, a CFHS world language teacher, was homeschooled because she lived in a village in Africa.

“We had a little room where we

were set up, with my myself and my older brother and my little brother. My parents tried to make it interesting.

They would have reading competitions to see who could read the most books and things like that, to keep us motivated. A lot of it was also cultural studies because we were living in a village.

They would send us out and have us do case studies on our friends’ homes,” Danforth said.

One of the perks of being homeschooled is the ability to work at your own pace.

“That is a big one really,” Reida said. “If you understand a concept, you can move on. That’s my biggest problem with education in general is that the kids who understand ideas and concepts have to wait for the rest of the class to catch up,” Daniel Veenstra, a CFHS junior, is currently homeschooled during the afternoons. Diagnosed with turrets syndrome in elementary school, Veenstra he has had his own struggles with people who stereotype homeschooling.

“People occasionally think that homeschooling is a lot easier. I do have a more flexible schedule, but my school

Curriculum Changes continued from News page

“What this is going to do is equalize teaching across the state,” Schoenjahn said.

As a former teacher he said he would welcome the Iowa Core Curriculum.

Although many praise the Iowa Core Curriculum, it is not without its share of opposition.

“Any education research you’re going to have people on both sides,” Conrad said.

Among the criticisms for the Iowa Core Curriculum are that it does not provide rigorous enough standards and was not supported strongly enough by experts.

State senator Paul McKinley has been an outspoken opponent of the Iowa Core Curriculum for these two reasons.

“What we need to be dealing with is rigorous standards. This is curriculum and what is needed is world-class standards,” McKinley said.

McKinley cited examples of other states,

work keeps me busy most of the time.

The curriculum I use is quite challenging.”

Veenstra is enrolled in an on-line course, where he emails his assignments to his teachers and can chat online with students taking the same course.

Students who have been homeschooled but have made the leap to public school are often regarded as quiet and studious by their teachers.

“Usually they’re more motivated.

They take school a little more seriously. It comes after social life,” Danforth said.

Homeschooled students do tend to miss out on a few things that public school offers. Veenstra, for instance, came to the public school for chorus, and Reida missed having art and writing classes.

Homeschooling comes under fire from various sources about a wide range of topics. Whether homeschoolers should have to take standardized tests is among the most vehement.

Homeschoolers in Iowa are not required to take the ITBS or any other sort of standardized test. Instead they

specifically Massachusetts, that had the types of standards he believed would have been more of a benefit to Iowa students. He said that many educational experts acknowledge the Massachusetts standards as the best.

“Their students perform a very high level and that’s what we should aspire to,” McKinley said.

Another aspect of the Iowa Core Curriculum that McKinley disagrees with is its support and approval by educational experts.

“We had it independently reviewed, and it came up short, “ said McKinley of the Iowa Core Curriculum.

Another topic of concern that has gained the attention of many people in addition to McKinley is the influence of the educational consultant Willard Daggett on the Iowa Core Curriculum. Recently, many of Daggett’s concepts and examples he uses to back up these concepts have been publicly criticized.

“The curriculum is based on a faulty theory of learning in my opinion and many others,” McKin-

submit a portfolio review by a licensed Iowa teacher or have a supervising teacher during the school year.

Ann Wrede, a certified teacher who has been supervising homeschooling families for 16 years, mentioned another conflict: “People wonder if the kids are really learning,” Wrede said. “They definitely are, just maybe not at the exact same speed as kids in public school.

This is true with all kids. You just tend to notice it more in homeschooled setting.”

Wrede also homeschooled her own children for seven years. “I think homeschooling in elementary school is a good thing. You can protect them a little more, while still giving them a very solid foundation in the basics of school.

Once you know your kids can read, write and do math, everything else will fall into place,” Wrede said.

Children

ley said.

However, the influence of Daggett on the Iowa Curriculum and the effect his influence had remains an issue of disagreement. Callahan explained how much Daggett actually influenced the Iowa Core Curriculum, specifically through the concepts of rigor and relevance.

“Many of Daggett’s concepts were reviewed, but many were not included, this one was. This sort of thinking had a lot of influence into what we wanted the Iowa Core Curriculum to do, so in that sense Daggett had a lot of influence, but the way in which things were done was not how Daggett would have done it,” Callahan said of the concepts of rigor and relevance.

In spite of how little Daggett may have actually influenced the Iowa Core Curriculum, its effectiveness remains a divided issue.

“Our kids are better than that. They deserve better,” McKinley said of the Iowa Core Curriculum.

Although there may be some disagreement

of missionaries in foreign countries, like Anna Danforth, often find homeschooling to suit their family better than a public school. “There’s so much curriculum out there, and you can do so much with it. You can tailor it to your own family and your own lifestyle to make it work,” Wrede said.

Homeschoolers are often given a bad rap that, but just like public school students there is no such thing as a “stereotypical homeschooler.”

over the Iowa Core Curriculum, the reality is that with its passage by the Iowa legislature it will become a state mandated educational policy.

Currently, the Iowa Core Curriculum is set to be full implemented in grades nine-12 by 2012 and grades kindergarten-eight by 2014. However, individual school districts will be allowed plenty of time to implement the changes brought about by the Iowa Core Curriculum, as well as flexibility in how they chose to implement changes.

“The state gave the school districts time to adjust to this new core,” Jeffery said.

Conrad also acknowledged that with an implementation deadline of 2012 Cedar Falls would have time for planning.

Jeffery described how the Iowa Core Curriculum would implement changes without creating strict requirements as to how the changes should be implemented by individual school districts.

“It’s more of an explanation of what students need to have in order to obtain state standards,” Jeffery said.