May 6, 2016 hi line

The

SUPER SMASH BROS

Tiger HI-LINE

Friday, May 6, 2016

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Volume 56 Edition 26

Swartdogs wrap up season with semifinal finish in St. Louis This past weekend, the Swartdogs reached the semi-finals of their division at the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) World Championship in St. Louis.

Since there were nearly 30,000 students and hundreds of teams participating in this competition, the layout of the tournament had to be changed. The teams were split into eight smaller divisions that were run as smaller competitions. The winners of each division would then meet in a final competition dubbed “The Einstein Round,” in which a final winner would be announced. Team 525 was knocked out in the semi-final round in its division, the Carson Division.

This year’s game consisted of two teams of three robots each attempting to breach enemy defenses, usual-

ly through obstacles or steps of some sort, to get to a row of “boulders” on the opposing side of the field of play. Once the robots reached the boulders, they attempted to launch the boulders into windows of a tower to score points. The game was called “Stronghold.”

Senior Jason Cheng was ecstatic at the team’s performance.

“On our team, we believe that after the robot is finished, the rest of the season is bonus,” Cheng said. “In regionals, we just wanted to do well.

We ended up winning two events and a chairman’s award, the highest award in FIRST. We were just happy to make champs, and we just wanted to have fun and enjoy the competition. In fact, semifinals are tied for the farthest our team has ever made it, and is the deepest run we’ve made since 2008.”

Junior Noah Wolf echoed Cheng’s remarks.

“We were defeated by the three seed in the divisional semifinals, which was a disappointing exit, but it was as far as we’ve ever finished at the championship event, so it definitely qualifies as a success in my book,” Wolf said. “It was a lot of fun, interacting with awesome people from around the world and also competing with some of the best teams in the world. I’m sure our many seniors would’ve liked to finish better, but in my opinion, the event was an overall success for the Swartdogs.”

Cheng will look back on his years as a Swartdog with great fondness.

“I think that it was the most enjoyable experience I’ve ever had in my life,” Cheng said. “I’ve been a part of a family and loved every minute.

Chemistry students give third graders transformative lesson in states of matter

Juniors Matt Timmer and Jordan Hardy returned to their old elementary school at Orchard Hill to teach a chemistry lesson. Junior Abby Buss also joined the group in Mrs. Michael’s third grade classroom to introduce students to the properties of dry ice.

Third graders had completed a science unit about water where they learned about the three stages of matter: solid, liquid and gas. Dry ice, which is the solid form of carbon dioxide, does not follow these three stages because it melts directly from ice to a water vapor.

Chemistry teacher Brad Baker assigned this project to all of his students to give high school kids a chance to get younger students excited about science. Before he began, Timmer made sure to warn the kids about how dangerous dry ice can be. The high school students then showed students what dry ice looks like by displaying it in a beaker. Next they showed how a quarter will immediately stick to dry ice because the ice is so cold.

Timmer’s favorite part was when the ice went from ice to water vapor because the look on the kids faces made his day.

“When the ice turned into vapor, all the kids jumped up and ran over, and they were all wowed,” he said. “It was pretty

Submitted Photo

Juniors Matt Timmer, Jordan Hardy and Abby Buss wowed Mrs. Michael’s Orchard Hill third graders with a lesson using dry ice. cool.”

For the final experiment, Timmer put dry ice into a container and added green food coloring. A student from Mrs. Michael’s class said, “It was really cool when Matt put the green food coloring in the dry ice. I thought that the vapor from the dry ice would be green, but it wasn’t. It was white. Matt said this is because the dry ice evaporates but not the food coloring,” Hardy’s little brother, Noah, said. “It was really fun having my sister at my class. I liked learning about dry ice. I also liked being able to ask them about high school.”

Mrs. Michael was impressed too. “I really appreci-

ated Matt, Jordan and Abby coming to my classroom. It is always meaningful for students when they get a chance to learn from other experts.

The lesson that was presented built on concepts my students learned in previous science lessons about water. However, none of my students have had any experience with dry ice.

They were fascinated. I was impressed with the high schoolers’ enthusiasm and willingness to answer questions about dry ice, chemistry and high school in general. They were thrilled to find out that everyone takes chemistry in 11th grade. They can’t wait.”

By Staff Writer Jacob

JENSEN

Curtain Call

I think four quality robots came out of this experience, and I mean I have nine medals, which some teams don’t have in their entire history, and have driven a robot at the biggest robotics competition in the world, so no complaints on my end. This season was one of our most successful to date, and was an amazing experience.”

Wolf is looking forward to the future.

“I’m looking forward to another trip to China over the summer, as well as the Cow Town Throwdown in October with a brand-new drive team on this year’s robot,” Wolf said. “It’ll be fun to see the development of the younger students on the team and see them grow into leadership roles.”

By Editor-in-Chief Zuhayr

ALAM

At the awards banquet night on Monday, May 2 for the speech program, All State winning groups like the “Cellblock Tango,” including Meron Abebe, Mary Daphne Becker Photos Lawson, Gabbie Holtzman, Abbie Lund, Mallorie Sckerl and Sydney See got a chance to reprise their roles, as well as speech coach Alex O’Connell with an old high performance and individual All State winner Sydney Coloff with her series of poems about rape.

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OPINION

Our View Sign up for blood drive next week on Wednesday On Wednesday, May 11, the school will be hosting its annual blood drive. This is a great opportunity for those who qualify to give back in a different way.

Donating blood helps many different people in many different ways. For every two seconds that pass in the United States, someone is in need of blood. This could be due to a disease, a car accident, cancer or a variety of other situations.

Donating blood is a relatively easy and painless process. You can be in and out in as little as 30 minutes depending on how fast your blood is flowing. One donation is typically around one pint of blood. This may seem like a lot, but adults average 10 pints of blood in their bodies. One pint of blood can potentially help more than one person.

Counselor Erin Gardner is coordinating this year’s blood drive and said that students who are able should donate. “Hospitals are always in need of blood donations. Cancer patients can use up to five donations per week. Burn victims may use up to 20 donations.Trauma victims may use up to 50 donations. Premature infants may use up to five donations. Heart surgery patients use up to six donations. Organ transplant recipients use up to 40 donations,” Gardner said.

With the vast amount of blood needed by hospitals, the more donors the better.

Donors must be at least 16 years old with parent permission, or 18 without parent permission. You can get waivers in the counseling office. Donors must weigh at least 120 pounds and be in good health.

For those who are weary of having a needle stuck in their arms, senior Luke Lawson has some calming words.

“It is not scary at all. The nurses are very nice, and I got some juice afterwards.”

Gardner also offered some words of advice. “Giving blood is very safe,” Gardner said. “Make sure you eat a good meal prior to donating.” The nurses present make sure that they follow all the safety procedures and make sure that you are safe.

If you are interested in donating blood, you can sign up on the link that is on Schoology. The drive will be taking place all day on the 11th in the gymnasium. Be sure to bring a form of picture ID to your donation appointment.

If you find you enjoy the feeling of helping people in need, Gardner said it’s easy to find a place to donate. “Local places such as churches hold blood drives throughout the year, or you can contact LifeServe to find an area holding a blood drive near you,” Gardner said.

Contact Us

The Tiger Hi-Line is a weekly publication of the journalism classes at Cedar Falls High School, 1015 Division Street, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613. Our website is www.hiline.cfschools.org. The Hi-Line is distributed to CFHS students on Fridays to read during their third period classes.

Columns and letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hi-Line staff or Cedar Falls Schools. The Hi-Line editorial is presented weekly in the editorial labeled Our View, and it is the view of the majority of the editors listed below. Reader opinions on any topic are welcome and should be sent to The Tiger Hi-Line staff or delivered to room 208. All letters must be signed. Letters must be submitted by 3 p.m. on Monday for publication in the following Friday edition. Letters may not exceed 300 words and may be edited to meet space limitations. Writers should include their contact information for verification.

Entertainment Editor: Tana Gam-Ad Editor-in-Chief/Features Editor: Sommer Danielsen News Editor: Sarah Stortz Editor-in-Chief/Online Editor: Zuhayr Alam Opinion Editor: Olivia Martin Sports Editor: Jason Rathjen Graphic Artist: Sierra Steen Staff Writers: Billie Ann Albert, Daphne Becker, Jamie Blair, Ben Boezinger, Tyler Campbell, Miranda Cole, Ashton Cross, Alyssa Dekutoski, Haley Erickson, Noah Forker, Camryn Grubic, Aaron Heimbuck, Noah Hermansen, Cody Hood, Nathan Hoy, Jacob Jensen, Kierston Johnson, Brennan Kohls, Mercede Kraabel, Sam Magee, Olivia Martin, Nolan Nickerson, Madeline Nicol, Kaylee Olson, Hannah Sanderman, Lane Schwickerath, Sydney See, Lexi Sheeley, Allie Taiber, Tehya Tournier, Isaac Turner-Hall, Cala Villavicencio, Drew Walker

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HI-LINE

Friday, May 6, 2016

School lunches toss away better options for veggies Over my 13 years in the Cedar Falls public school system, I’ve seen what the lunch lines have to offer.

I rarely bring my own lunch for reasons like lack of time in the morning and there isn’t much food that I like that will stay fresh after hours in a lunchbox. Also, I’m not the type of person to go home during lunch every day either considering I would have to drive, which wastes my time and gas.

This means my best option is to stay at school and try to enjoy what the cafeteria gives me. It’s not often that I get the main lunch option considering it’s very often a hamburger or chicken tenders. Since I’m not vegan, I do have the choice of cheese pizza or bosco sticks when they are offered.

There are salad options, but they usually come with meat in them … not in a separate container, but mixed in with the salad. This completely defeats the purpose for me. It’s pretty gross to me to pick out all the chicken from the salad and still possibly not get all of it.

Thursdays are great, though, because for the taco salad I don’t have to pick up the ground beef if I don’t want to. I think it would be a good idea for the meat to be in a separate container from the salad because not everyone wants it.

There are no vegan meal options because in order to

get a “meal,” you have to buy milk. I think it would be wise to include soy or almond milk as an option for people who do not want dairy.

If you don’t get the meal, each item is rung up a la carte and costs more. This is silly because, once again, not everyone wants milk.

This leads to plenty of garbage. According to a study done in Boston public schools, students throw away around 72 percent of vegetables and 47 percent of the fruit. The researcher estimated that around $1.23 billion worth of food is thrown away annually in the United States.

This is likely due to the quality of the food we get, which is a whole different topic.

I think some of the best options would be to always allow a vegan option on the lunch line. The salads should come

without meat or cheese because not everyone wants it.

They should be an option at the end of the salad bar.

I also think there should be at least one entree that does not have meat in it. Usually there is cheese bread or cheese pizza or bosco sticks, but consuming that much cheese every day gets pretty unhealthy.

Another idea would be to give students the option for almond or soy milk. This would give more options for students to get meals. I see many students throw away milk because the only reason they got it was to buy the meal.

We should stop wasting so much and actually give students a nice fresh lunch that actually looks appetizing.

By Staff Writer Haley

As seniors move on to posthigh school choices, reality will soon hit them in the form of financial issues. Fortunately, for those who plan to move on to further education, there happen to be many different discounts they can take advantage of. Most online student discounts simply require a student email address, so once a student is accepted at their school of choice, these discounts are available to them.

Adobe Creative Cloud For those planning on going into a creative field, Adobe offers a $30 per month discount to their “All Apps” plan, which includes their full suite of creative applications, as well as a TypeKit personal subscription and 20 GB of cloud storage in an all-in-one package.

Amazon Amazon’s student program gives students a six-month trial of their Prime service, which allows for free and unlimited twoday shipping and access to their video streaming service. After the trial, students will have access to this service for 50 percent off the original cost of $99 per year.

Antivirus Companies like McAfee, Norton and Avast offer large discounts on their products in order to keep student products safe.

Many colleges also offer their own free alternatives for Antivirus programs that fit with their systems.

Apple Apple offers up to $200 off on their hardware devices, such as their Macbooks starting at $849,

iPad Pros starting at $579, iWatches starting at $299 and other related accessories. For those looking into design and computer science fields, Apple products may be the perfect solution.

Dell, Lenovo, Microsoft, Sony For other college computer needs, these companies offer significant discounts much like Apple, and also serve well for their needs with their academic programs.

Cell Phone Plans Verizon, AT&T and Sprint offer cheaper plans available to students who sign up with their .edu email address linked to the school they are attending.

Alyssa Dekutoski Cartoon

ERICKSON

Students can cash in on tech discounts

By Staff Writer Sam

MAGEE

The

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MUSIC

•ANOHNI: Hopelessness •WHITE LUNG: Paradise •GOO GOO DOLLS: Boxes •KEITH URBAN: Ripcord •HOMEBOY SANDMAN: Kindness for Weakness •MEGHAN TRAINOR: Thank You •PIERCE THE VEIL: Misadventures

MOVIES

•A BIGGER SPLASH 05/04/’16 •CAPTAIN AMERICA CIVIL WAR 05/06/’16 •DARK HORSE 05/06/’16 •THE IDOL 05/06/’16 •LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP 05/13/’16 •DHEEPAN 05/13/’16 •THE LOBSTER 05/13/’16

GAMES

•TALES FROM THE BORDERLANDS (PC) (PS4) (XB1) •BATTLEBORN (PC) (PS4) (XB1) •RAY GIGANT (PSVita) •UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END (PS4) •THE BOOK OF UNWRITTEN TALES 2 (WiiU) (PC) (PS3,4) (XB360,1)

ONLINE EXTRAS

Beauty with Sasha with host Sasha Jackson Each episode of Sasha’s show will reveal a fashionable flair from the halls of CF. This week’s feature: A School Divided With the presidential election ahead, political divisiveness has entered the school, but are some parties represented better than others?

Find the video online at h t t p s : / / w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m / watch?v=-gNOdpOjP1s

Friday, May 6, 2016

ENTERTAINMENT

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Beethovens strike top notes In this edition of Sole Food, we will be taking a look at a simple, yet striking colorway of the Kobe Nine series: The Beethovens.

The Beethovens are a classic black and white colorway with a unique pattern and texture. The Kobe 9 silhouette is sleek and wearable. Inspired by the famous composer, the Kobe 9 Beethovens just may strike the perfect note.

First, we will examine the comfort of the Kobe 9s. The 9s are a lightweight shoe with a flyknit upper for comfort and fit. They are easy to walk and run in and are very breathable.

There really aren’t any negatives in reference to comfort with the 9s besides a slightly oversized tongue that can often be annoying. They run true to size and are an excellent option for both on and off the court. Overall, I would rate the comfort a nine and a half out of 10.

Next, we’ll analyze the look of the shoe. The Kobe

9 Beethoven’s colorway is inspired by a piano: black and white; however, when mixed with the flyknit pattern, the shoe appears grey. It has accents of black and white throughout the shoe. The flyknit upper gives the shoe an interesting and unique pattern that really makes t h e m p o p .

They are a very wearable s h o e , a n d the fact that they’re low tops makes them even more wearable.

Personally, they’re one of my favorite all time Kobe colorways. However, they do lack color and don’t appeal to everyone. So, while they go with everything, they sure won’t stand out. I’d give the Beethovens an eight and a half out of 10 for this reason.

Anime bests manga in Sword Art story

The anime of Sword Art Online is about a seemingly innocent day in an online game called Sword Art Online. When the first episode starts, Kirito, a very skilled beta tester swordsmen, is helping a noob kill a boar, which is a very simple enemy to kill. After helping the player, the player says his name is Klein. After talking a bit, Klein needs to log out to get a pizza, but it is found that there is no logout button.

After being surprised by this, everyone currently online is teleported to the Town of Begging where some shocking news is revealed. The news that will change all the players lives forever.

The manga of Sword Art Online starts off with Kirito, Asuna and some other players facing off against a boss.

Kirito and Asuna are trying to get the army to retreat, but they refuse. After this brief scene from the future, the manga flashes back two years, where events similar to the anime take place. When the news is revealed, the game becomes truly real.

The manga’s art is nice,

Now we move on to the performance of the shoe. The Kobe 9s are one of the best performance Kobes made yet.

With a solid balance between mobility and stability, the Kobe 9 is one of the premier shoes to ball in. A unique traction pattern on the sole of the shoe provides optimal traction to prevent sliding. The lining and insole of the shoes provide proper support and comfort while you run up and down the courts.

There is a slight downside to the 9s. They are a low top shoe, which isn’t ideal for ankle support. They are more geared toward mobility and speed but still provide above average support for a low top shoe.

Overall, I give them a nine out

of 10 on performance.

Lastly, let’s take a look at how much a pair of Beethovens will run you. The 9s retailed on release day for $200. This is a little steep for a low top Kobe. The resale prices are much higher. Frankly, there is no way you are grabbing a pair of Beethovens without breaking the bank. Even used pairs go for over retail. It was a very popular colorway that sold out fast, and resellers took advantage of it. Overall, I’d give the cost a five out of 10.

In conclusion, The Kobe 9 Beethovens are an excellent shoe in many ways. They are stylish and wearable. They are very comfortable and lightweight. They provide excellent performance on the court.

However, they are very costly and hard to find. One of my favorite all time Kobe’s gets a solid eight and a half out of 10 overall.

1. Don’t breathe.

don’t hug strangers, kiss their cheeks or anything of the sort.

You may think you know these people like the back of your hand, but they have a life that isn’t on the Internet/stage/ page, believe it or not. So unless they are offering a hug, stay with a hand-shake or high five when it’s your turn to meet them.

Follow these easy steps to keep it cool in meeting celebrity heroes forget

to

Not only does breathing keep you alive, it keeps you present and in the moment.

One of my favorite acting teachers, Richard Glockner, always says “Shallow breathing is shallow living.” Take deep breaths, and it will keep your nerves under control.

Jamie Blair Graphic but the speech bubbles are a bit hard to see at times.

Overall, it is very hard to speak about this anime because there is a very obvious plot point that I could reveal, but I feel it’d be much better if readers saw it for themselves. The manga and anime are similar, but not the same. The main difference in the anime is at the start because the manga starts two years in the future and then goes two years back.

They are both amazing, so it’s tough to say which I like more, but I’ll have to go with the anime simply because it’s not slow like the manga is.

By Staff Writer Noah

FORKER

Staff Writer Aaron

HEIMBUCK

2. Know what you want to say.

4. Be polite.

Again, it goes without saying. These people are just like you at the end of the day: human.

Be kind and have whatever you’d like them to sign Keeping it cool, Albie Nicol or give them (‘17) meets award winning ready. It saves poet Andrea Gibson. everyone time.

Yes, every star/actor/ singer/author loves to hear about how much they mean to you: but why do they mean so much to you? Is there a quote/lyric/ role of theirs that you just really love? Knowing what you want to say keeps the conversation meaningful but short, so they can get through everyone who wants to meet them.

3. Mind your body language.

This should go without saying, but I wanted to elaborate in case it’s unclear: you just

5. Smile and enjoy the moment.

It’s not every day you get to meet your favorite stars/actors/ singers/authors, so soak in the moment and ask for a selfie, but respect them if they say no or don’t hear you. Just enjoy the moment.

By Staff Writer Albie

NICOL

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The

TRAVEL

Tiger

Friday, May 6, 2016

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Spring showers delivering lush flowers at Katoski Woods

One Tank

TRIPS

Photos by Staff Writer Billie Ann

ALBERT

Katoski Woods are easily accessed near where Black Hawk Creek crosses Ridgeway Avenue, down by the Cedar Valley Soccer Complex. There are trails on the north side and south side of the street that extend for many miles. Bluebells are currently at their peak of blooming.

The

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FOOD FEATURE

Friday, May 6, 2016

5

Hour of Power

Lunches Brown Sugar Chicken makes easy meal in under 60 minutes Lane Schwickerath Photos

Brown Sugar Chicken Cook time: 20 minutes Feeds: 4 people Needs: 1 Large pan 1/4 Stick of Butter 1 Clove of Garlic 1 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar 4 Filets of Chicken Breast Pepper

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Cook: Turn the heat on medium and melt the butter.

Mince garlic.

Brown the garlic in the butter.

Put the chicken in the pan.

Sprinkle the chicken with pepper.

When the chicken is cooked all the way through, add brown sugar on top.

Let simmer for five minutes or until the brown sugar is melted.

Serve hot with your favorite sides.

By Staff Writer Lane

SCHWICKERATH

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The

FEATURE

In the Spotlight Friday, May 6, 2016

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Sophomore building his passion for the stage

The lights dim.

The curtains open.

The stage comes to life.

These are the moments that make the heart of sophomore Joel Ochoa start to flutter with excitement and energy.

Seeing his older sister perform on stage was the spark that ignited an undiscovered passion.

“I fell in love instantly and was like, I want to do this,” Ochoa said.

Appearing in a small church production was Ochoa’s first taste of theater, and then soon after, he got a role in his first community theater show in “Jack and The Beanstalk” when he was only in second grade.

Ochoa continued to be involved with theater periodically up until eighth grade.

“That’s when I started to really pick up the amount of shows I was in, and I’ve been doing a lot of shows ever since,” Ochoa said.

After that turning point in eighth grade, Ochoa realized that theater wasn’t just a hobby, it was his passion.

Sophomore Joel Ochoa as a chimney sweep in his favorite production, “Mary Poppins” at The Oster Regent Theatre (2015).

“Telling a story on stage life doing if I can,” Ochoa and then sharing it with said. “I love the relationpeople is something I love ships that you get to build, to do, and it’s so much fun,” especially with cast memOchoa said. bers. That’s one of my faOchoa cannot name vorite parts is meeting all only one thing he loves kinds of different people. about theater; he could go Putting together a show on for days. and having the finished “Theater is my passion. product of a show is the It’s what I want to spend my best feeling. When you’re

Submitted Photos

done, you think this is so good, and it’s exhilarating to be able to perform it and to tell a story. I also just love embodying someone else.”

Broadway is at the top of Ochoa’s list of goals looking into the future.

Getting on Broadway is not an easy thing to do, and Ochoa is fully aware of that.

“You have to be talented first off, and you have to be a hard worker ” Ochoa said.

“There is no guarantee that I’m going to get there, but anything involving theater that I can have in my life would be amazing.”

However, college comes first.

“There is a lot of different colleges that offer a lot of different types of theater,” Ochoa said. “I would love to go into musical theater as my major. I’m really looking at Ithaca college in New York or Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.”

When looking back at all the productions he’s been a part of, it only takes Ochoa a second to pick his favorite.

“Mary Poppins, which I was in this past year,”

Roles of Ochoa: starting from left, Prince Eric in “The Little Mermaid” at The Blackhawk Children’s Theatre (2016), Dylan in “Racing the Train” at The Lampost Theatre (2015) and Mully in “Twelve Dancing Princesses” at The Blackhawk Children’s Theatre (2014).

Ochoa said. “The cast was really, really fun, and, I mean, it’s Mary Poppins.

It’s just a fantastic show: the energy, the dancing, the music. I just loved it. I loved performing it every night for people.”

Currently Ochoa stars as Prince Eric in the Blackhawk Children’s Theatre’s production of “The Little Mermaid,” which just had its opening weekend.

“It’s the Disney classic, obviously,” Ochoa said.

“It’s a really high energy, high color, family show. It is very funny, very fun and I love it, and I love performing it in front of audiences every night.”

There are still some tickets available for “The Little Mermaid” this next weekend on Friday at 7 p.m. and on Saturday at 3 p.m., but for those who can’t make this weekend, no worries, because Ochoa has another role in the Oster Regent production of “Hello Dolly,” which will have its opening weekend June 10.

By Staff Writer Hannah

SANDERMAN

The

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T

GAP

FEATURE

Friday, May 6, 2016

he number of students taking a “gap year,” or year of pursuing other interests between high school and college, is on the rise. Among these students are senior Aditi Rao and junior Bethany Rowland.

Rao plans on taking a year to pursue her political passions before attending college in the fall of 2017. Starting in June and extending until November, Rao will work with the Iowa Democratic Party in an effort to put Democrats in office during the senatorial, congressional and presidential elections. For Rao, seeing further than this is difficult without knowing the results of the November elections. However, after her year is completed, she will attend Barnard College at Columbia University in New York.

Rao is not the first in her family to seize the opportunity of a gap year. Her older brother also chose to take a year between high school and college. In her home,

7

of understanding when sharing their plans for the future with others. “It’s just that we push college so strongly, that considering anything else but going straight from high school to college is unnatural,” Rao said. Sometimes a person’s response to hearing about a gap year turns negative instantaneously.

“One common response I’ve gotten is, ‘Oh, so you have more time to party now,’” Rowland said.

Rao senses that people start to question her motivations for taking a gap year as well.

“The automatic assumption when I say I’m taking a gap year is that I didn’t get into a school I liked,” Rao said. “The second thing you’ll hear commonly is that gap years are for kids inexperienced and naive, unwilling to ‘deal’ with college.”

However, these rash assumptions don’t fit the modern student who takes advantage of a gap year. The American Gap association reports that 90 percent of students who take a gap year attend college the fol-

YEAR Students participating in growing trend of taking a year between high school and college to pursue their passions

Submitted Photos taking a gap year is an option that has always been on the table. However, none of the options for gap year programs seemed to fit Rao until the opportunity to work with the Democratic Party arose.

“The issues I’m passionate about in an incredible job setting presented themselves in the most timely way, and that’s something you can’t turn down,” Rao said.

For Rao, a gap year will not only give her experience in a field she is passionate about, but the grit and confidence she needs to pursue her interests wholeheartedly when she attends Barnard College in 2017.

“I’m hoping to learn more about myself before jumping into the unknown,” Rao said.

Junior Bethany Rowland plans to take a year between high school and college, dedicating her time to work as well as a novel she wishes to publish. Rowland made the decision to finish high school early as a freshman, hoping to enter college right away. However, after being accepted to Colorado University for the fall of 2016, Rowland realized she didn’t want to make the move until she was sure what she wanted to pursue.

After this, she was offered the position of manager at Pablo’s restaurant in downtown Cedar Falls, convincing

her that taking a gap year was the best choice for her.

Her time will be valuable to her goal of becoming a published author as well as helpful financially. This gap year will also allow Rowland to explore all of her options for schooling and careers without the stress of school work and prior commitment to a university.

“I’m looking forward to just working and focusing on my own hobbies and interests,” Rowland said. By this Christmas, Rowland is hoping to have moved out of state with an idea for her future in 2017 and a large part of her novel completed.

The idea of a gap year continues to bound toward a nation-wide acceptance as the daughter of President Barack Obama, Malia, announced her decision to take a gap year after being accepted to Harvard University for the 2017-2018 school year. According to National Public Radio, after her announcement, the number of web inquiries for “gap year” rose 2,600 times its normal amount. The director of the American Gap Association, Ethan Knight, believes Malia’s decision essentially legitimizes the concept of a gap year.

Even with more students taking advantage of this opportunity, a stigma still exists for the idea of a gap year. Both Rao and Rowland have experienced a lack

lowing year, and that when they do, they often finish in less time and with higher marks.

The statistics show the stigma surrounding gap years is proving to be very unfair and outdated, which highlights a need to change how America thinks about and addresses the situation. “Approaching the whole thing with an ‘educational attitude’ helps a lot in making it perceived as a healthy decision,” Rao said.

The evidence also shows a gap year can have priceless value for the students who take advantage of it. “I plan on taking this year seriously as an opportunity to figure out what my next step in life will be,” Rowland said.

Part of that priceless value is a sense of rejuvenation waiting to be gained from a gap year.

“Take a gap year. It’s a great time to just pause in between heavy hitting high school and even heavier hitting college,” Rao said. “Everyone needs time to rest their body, their mind and their being. Gap years give this, but in a context of growth and experience, which makes them one of the most appealing choices.”

By Editor in Chief Sommer

DANIELSEN

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Senior Leadership and the residents of Bickford Cottage got together on Sunday afternoon, May 1 for their annual social event that included about two hours of conversation, cakes, coffee and chicken dancing. Listed in the order of the numbered pictures, among those participating were Jarod Smith as Andrew Nurse admired his dancing; Isaac Smith and Jacob Hartman with a conversation over coffee; Kelcie Loughren serving up the sweets; Erika Beinfang taking a spin; Anna Stillman taking a tour; Annie Petersen enjoying a chat; and Petersen, Stillman, Emma Gruhn and Beinfang going over some of the finer points to a dance.

Bree Zubrod Photos

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Friday, May 6, 2016

Vikings, Jaguars top NFL draft NFC

NFC North

Green Bay Packers-C The Packers didn’t make any sexy picks in this draft, and it was actually a fairly quiet draft for them. They didn’t draft a skill position until the fifth round, but the addition of UCLA’s DT Kenny Clark will help their D-Line after B.J. Raji retired.

Minnesota Vikings-A+ The Vikings cashed in big time with their first two picks in a Michael Irving-type WR in Laquon Treadwell, who will help take pressure off Stefon Diggs and Mackensie Alexander, who should’ve been taken in the late first but fell all the way to the mid second round.

Chicago Bears-B+ The Bears drafted solid players and at all positions they needed. Georgia LB Leonard Floyd is their best pick, who is the best athlete in this year’s draft. They also took a defensive player at every level to help depth, and Indiana running back Jordan Howard to help replace Matt Forte.

Detroit Lions-C The Lions first two days helped them big time, drafting OT Taylor Decker and C Graham Glasgow to help protect Matthew Stafford this year, who is going to be without Calvin Johnson, but they didn’t draft a WR to replace the hall of famer who retired last season.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons-C The Falcons didn’t focus on pure talent. They want size and physicality, and that’s what they got through hard hitting safety Keanu Neal and versatile LB Deion Jones.

Their draft wasn’t the most flashy, but the Falcons still improved through the draft.

Carolina Panthers-D The Panthers panicked over losing Josh Norman and wasted three of their first four picks on CB’s, but they also bolstered their pass rushing attack with massive DT Vernon Butler in the first round.

Tampa Bay BuccaneersCEven if Florida State kicker Roberto Aguayo is the second coming of Adam Vinatieri, trading up into the second round to pick him was too high of a price tag, but

they also improved their defense with solid picks in Vernon Hargreaves III and Noah Spence.

New Orleans Saints-D The Saints simply spent too much on trading up into the draft and only ended up with five picks in the draft, but the addition of DT Sheldon Rankins and safety Vonn Bell will help their struggling D.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys-D The Cowboys went with the sexy picks of Ezekiel Elliott at No. 4 overall and standout LB Jaylon Smith, who is out a whole year for knee surgery, although Elliot will be an instant contributor and put up solid numbers his first year. They also drafted Dak Prescott, who could be the heir to Tony Romo. The Cowboys drafted several players who will take multiple years to develop, but a few years from now, this may be a great class, but it raises a lot of questions until then.

Philadelphia Eagles-D The Eagles only solid draft pick was Carson Wentz this year, and being a quarterback, that is a big hit or miss draft pick, especially at No. 2 overall.

New York Giants-BThe Giants drafted likely instant contributors in Eli Apple, Sterling Shepard and Darian Thompson. After that, they drafted depth for the rest of the team and drafted well. Overall, it was a solid draft for the Giants Washington Redskins-C Josh Doctson and Su’a Cravens will play right away, but they won’t be major impact players right away. They also drafted a solid third down linebacker in Steven Daniels. The Redskins had a mediocre draft overall, but they still improved.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals-B The Cardinals filled the need for a pass rusher in the first round when DT Robert Nkemdiche fell all the way to the No. 29 overall pick, and Nkemdiche has been a star since his senior year of high school, and he could be the steal of the draft if he can fix his off-the-field problems.

Los Angeles Rams-B The Rams went all in this year to draft Jared Goff at No. 1 overall. They traded six first and second round picks

to get him, and the success of this class solely weighs on how he does, and he will have to transition from an air raid style to a pro style offense.

Seattle Seahawks-B+ The Seahawks addressed the needs on their offensive line when they drafted three linemen and spent their first pick on Germain Ifedi, a standout OT from Texas A&M, and they also kept their DLine strong with the selection of Alabama DT Jarran Reed.

San Francisco 49ers-F The 49ers draft simply does not make sense. They took DeForest Buckner with the eighth overall pick, but they didn’t need a lineman.

He was just the best available player, and then they traded up into the first round again to draft a position that they already addressed, and they drafted three cornerbacks and no LB’s, plus a QB in the sixth? This draft class is a total head scratcher.

AFC

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers-C+ The Steelers drafted size in this draft because that’s what they need in their first two picks: Artie Burns, who many said was a second round talent, and Sean Davis.

Both CB’s are over 6’0”, so that gives them the size and physicality that they wanted from this draft.

Baltimore Ravens-A The Ravens may have had one of the greatest draft rounds ever in the fourth, having five picks in the fourth round, and they also took Ronnie Stanley and Kamalei Correa, who are both solid picks, who are fundamental and will contribute right away.

Cincinnati Bengals-B+ The Bengals did not take what they needed in the first round with CB William Jackson III, but they took care of the receiver issue with Tyler Boyd, who is a great pass catcher in traffic. They also landed strong defensive picks in Andrew Billings and Nick Vigil, who are solid players who don’t make mistakes and will contribute right away.

Cleveland Browns-BIt’s always hard to get excited about the Browns draft picks because they always bust, but this year the draft class looks solid with the se-

lections of Corey Coleman, Jordan Payton and Rashard Higgins, who were all great receivers and will help aid RG3 be successful at Cleveland.

AFC South

Houston Texans-B+ The Texans are trying to help new quarterback Brock Osweiler by drafting weapons around him like Notre Dame WR Will Fuller and Ohio State’s offensive weapon in Braxton Miller. The Texans had a solid draft.

Indianapolis Colts-B The Colts didn’t make any flashy picks this year, but that’s OK because there is plenty of flash on their roster.

This year their best selection was Alabama center Ryan Kelly, who will be a day one starter and hopes to end the revolving door at center for the Colts.

Jacksonville Jaguars-A+ The Jaguars cashed in on draft day, landing two of the top five defensive players in the whole draft (Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack). They also took D-linemen Yannick Ngakoue and Malik Jackson, and they finished with taking safety Tashaun Gipson, so now one of the worst defenses from a year ago may be one of the best next year, and you can’t forget about Dante Fowler Jr, their 2015 first round pick who missed the entire season due to injuries.

Tennessee Titans-B+ The Titans began the rebuilding process in the right place. They drafted leaders and players who are used to winning in college like Michigan State’s Jack Conklin and Alabama’s Derrick Henry.

They also took Clemson’s DE Kevin Dodd. All of these guys are tough leaders, ready to take on the challenge of rebuilding a team.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills-B+ The Bills got both the best players they could at the 19th pick of the draft with Shaq Lawson who was the leader of the Clemson defense this past year, and the guy they took in the second round, Reggie Ragland, who should’ve been gone before their first pick.

Overall, the Bills had a good draft top to bottom.

Miami Dolphins-A The Dolphins drafted four immediate starters at important positions and landed

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the best player in the draft in Laremy Tunsil after he fell all the way to No. 13 after being projected to go 1-3. The other three future starters are CB Xavien Howard, RB Kenyan Drake and WR Leonte Carroo.

They will all be expected to play big time right away.

New England Patriots-C The New England Patriots didn’t draft any needs, but the Patriots don’t really have any glaring needs, which might have helped them because they had their first round pick stripped because of Deflategate.

New York Jets-CThe Jets most important pick was Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg, who is a hit or miss prospect who could wind up being their franchise QB or another one of their bust QB’s

AFC West

Denver Broncos-B The Broncos got the guy they’re hoping will replace Peyton Manning, if replacing is what you wanna call it in Paxton Lynch out of Memphis after they traded up five spots to No. 26. Overall, a lot of the Broncos draft weighs on Lynch’s shoulders.

Oakland Raiders-BThe Oakland Raiders drafted a position that they needed in Karl Joseph, but they need to target a safety who could stretch to LB, and Joseph won’t do that at 5’8”, but the Raiders also took Connor Cook to create some competition for Derek Carr, who is still their franchise QB. Kansas City Chiefs-CThe Chiefs had a good volume of picks. They turned seven picks into nine, with six picks in the top 125. The draft is a percentages game, and the Chiefs upped their chances of finding athletic players who will contribute quickly.

San Diego Chargers-C The Chargers could have had one of the best drafts, but missing on LB Myles Jack and drafting TE Hunter Henry ruined that, but don’t think Henry isn’t talented or won’t contribute right away, being taught by future hall of famer Antonio Gates, and they drafted probably the best defensive player in the draft in Joey Bosa, who will be a breakout star his rookie year.

By Staff Writer Isaac

TURNER-HALL

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Softball team leads off with fresh faces in coaching and players in the field

Drake delivers mixed results for men’s team

The softball season starts practice May 9, and the girls’ first game is May 24 against Iowa City West.

With the new season comes new leadership, and all the coaches are very knowledgable about the game of softball and are ready to show what the team has got.

“I am very much looking forward to the 2016 softball season. I really enjoy high school girls softball and enjoy coaching it even more. I’m looking forward to getting to know all the girls on the team and putting a quality team on the field,” new head coach Steve Chidester said.

Chidester has just previously coached softball at Denver High School for 17 years.

His assistant coaches, Sheena Canady and Cari Collins, are ready for the season to start as well.

Canady was a catcher in high school and played outfield at Kirkwood Community College and Mount Mercy. She also coached at Oelwein High School for three years, Mason City for two years and Linn Mar

The men’s track team walked away with a mix of results at the Drake Relays April 28-30 after competing in almost every event on the slate, including a 7:59.30 first place finish from the 4x800 relay team consisting of seniors Ethan and Isaac Smith, junior Seb Gearheart and senior Hunter Lavallee.

The 4x400 team followed up the success with a strong second place finish, clocking in at 3:20.34 in a loaded field. The team was made up of three seniors Gavin O’Hair, Hunter Lavallee and Ethan Smith rounded out by junior Nathan Hoy. Lavallee led both relay teams, posting a 1:55.69 in the 800 and a 49.47 in the 400.

The shuttle hurdle team was hurt by a hamstring injury to senior leader Isaiah Barney, leaving the team with a disappointing finish after high expectations, but the team was led by the long distance runners in individual competition, including a second place 3200 M finish from junior Sam Schillinger, and a fifth place finish from senior Hunter Lavallee in

for one year.

“Until recently, I have never taught and not coached. I took a couple seasons off to focus on completing my master’s.

I am anxious to get back to coaching. I am a firm believer that good things come when athletes understand and have mastered the fundamentals,” Canady said.

Assistant coach Cari Collins played all throughout her high school career at Cedar Falls and went on to play at Kirkwood community college for two years, the first year her team went to Nationals. Collins also has coaching experience at the high school level as well. She coached at Cedar Falls with Eliott Kranz one year and coached at Jesup for two years.

“I am looking forward to this season because we are young, and people do not expect much from us. I enjoy being the underdog in situations and showing everyone what we can do. We have so many girls that are going out. We will have a lot of talent,” Collins said.

All of the coaches agree that the team is young but oozes with potential. They are looking forward to teaching fundamentals, working on being competitive and having fun this year.

Junior Leah Forsblom is the only returning upperclassmen who has signed up to play this upcoming season. Forsblom said that being the oldest on the team comes with a lot of responsibility.

“I really have to be a good leader for the team. It’s kinda sad, though. I grew up with all those girls who played previous years,” she said.

Forsblom said she wants to be the best leader she can be and to try to be positive in order to keep the team moving in the same direction.

“I’m not really focused on having a really good team.

Physically, I want the team to be harmonious and everybody is growing together. I want everybody to get along and almost treat each other like sisters,” Forsblom said.

By Staff Writer Tehya

TOURNIER

the open 800 dash. With the state meet less than a month away, the Tigers look to improve on short distance events and heal nagging injuries as the team eyes a state title. “We know how good we can be.

We’ve shown it before. Now we just have to get back to it,” senior Andrew Walker said. “I feel like we have a really good combination of short and long distance runners. Now we just have to come together. We have a really good chance at bringing home a title, and winning state would just be the perfect way to go out.”

The Tigers are loaded in talent and backed with senior experience. Senior Michael Abbas said, “I feel like myself and all the other seniors have really done a good job this year keeping everyone focused through the peaks and valleys any season or sport is going to bring. You know going through it for four years now, you get used to it, but this team is special. Any senior would tell you that.”

By Staff Writer Noah

NICKERSON

Men’s soccer facing disappointing start

Women’s soccer eyes State

The 3A men’s soccer teams this season are quite superior, presenting a challenge to the CFHS soccer team. They are 3-9 this season and have faced many tough match-ups and unlucky overtime losses.

“We’ve had a rough season so far. Things haven’t been going our way so far this season, especially after two overtime losses last week, but we’re beginning to find our footing,” senior Chris Keys said.

Senior Leo Brocka agreed on getting back in the groove. “We have a senior heavy lead team this year, and going into the season, we had high hopes and a lot of potential to go far this season. We have had a rough start to the season and have had many bumps along the way, but we are slowly gaining momentum,” Brocka said.

The team has many seniors playing important roles this season. “We have a ton of experience and leadership because of our

Women’s soccer has an overall record of 6-6 and a record of 5-3 in the conference. The team will need to work hard to make it to State this year, and it has been focusing to make that happen.

“We are all working very hard, and our main goal is to go to State this year. We’ve made some major improvements from last season, but we still have a room for improvement,” senior Kelcie Loughren said.

Senior Erin Hendrickson said if the girls play to what they’re capable of, State will come in June. “Our coach Chris has really stepped it up this year with pushing us and helping us realize that we are good enough to make it to State if we play to our abilities.”

The team has tough games ahead, one being Cedar Rapids Kennedy, but each member of the team has confidence in their roles to help to defeat the competition. “As a midfielder, our main focus is to distribute the ball to forwards and to recover on defense,” Hendrickson said. The team is doing many things to try to win games. “As a forward, we all are working on getting more shots on frame and challenging

strong senior class,” Keys said.

Many positions have important roles to the team’s success this season. “I play center defensive back and am also one of the three captains on our team with Aaron Iehl and Steven Skidmore,” Brocka said.

Iehl is the goalie and likes the challenge. “Playing goalie is a lot different from any other position I’ve played. I am kind of put on an island being the last line of defense, but I like that. Nobody else can cover my back, so I make sure to be dependable for the team with my play,” Iehl said.

“I’m a midfielder on the team and kinda just try to facilitate us on offense and help organize on the defensive side,” senior Nate Shull said.

Cedar Falls has a tough schedule ahead for the remainder of the season as well. The boys agree that the schedule for the remainder of the year will be tough, but they have confidence as substate is around the corner.

“We play a bunch of Cedar Rapids schools, and they are no slouches. Our first game is

today against Washington.

We have struggled against them in year’s past, and it would be a great to get a quality win and some momentum for a run at State,” Keys said.

Shull agreed that the Cedar Rapids teams will present challenges. “Some tough match-ups coming up are Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Washington,” but Brocka has confidence in his team as they will be presented upcoming challenges. “The rest of the games in the season will be tough from here on out, but I believe in this team as well as everyone else that we can do great things still in the season we have left and going into substate,” Brocka said.

The boys have high hopes to peak and do well as substate is approaching.

“Right now we’re just trying to get playing good at the right time and peak going into substate,” Shull said.

By Staff Writer Noah

HERMANSEN

the keeper,” Loughren said.

The team is close, and this is important for their success. “The team dynamic is very good this year. It’s easy playing with these girls because we are so close, and we know each other so well,” Hendrickson said. “Overall, our team has bonded really well together this year, and it’s shaping out to be a good season,” Perez said.

The team has high hopes for this season as they get closer to their goals. “Our goals for this season are to host a substate final and to ultimately go to State.

We’ve really been focused on winning key games against teams like Kennedy and Iowa City West. We have a lot of good leaders on the team this year, and we definitely have the potential to compete at State,” senior Carly Ekstrom said.

Senior Ali Perez agreed that State is an accomplishable goal.

“So far this year we’ve been playing really well together as a team, and I think our drive to get to State is strong because it’s been over 10 years since we’ve been to State,” Perez said.

By Staff Writer Noah

HERMANSEN

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SPORTS HI-LINE Turkey hunt delivers far beyond chance to bag bird Friday, May 6, 2016

The morning of April 22, opening day of Iowa’s second turkey season, my friend John and I set out for New Hampton at 4:30, not so bright but early enough to beat the birds to the grounds of the timber.

The foggy air made the drive seem like hours, but John eventually parked the car near the opening of the trail at the head of the woods at about quarter after five, and we set out on our trek. The forest was oddly quiet, and there didn’t seem to be any conversation between tom turkeys and the barred owls, as there usually is.

Being set up at the bottoms of the Wapsipinicon River made for a brisk morning full of the sounds and calls of several species of waterfowl like blue-winged teal, both mallard and wood ducks, Canada geese, trumpeter swans and sandhill cranes. Not a being in the woods was suspicious of us, so it was like we weren’t even there with our camouflaged clothes behind our camouflaged blind and branches.

Allow me to explain, trying to twist nature is as difficult as it sounds. The male birds fly down from their roosts around sunup and make their loud gobbles, strut their feathers and fan their tails.

This is all to show off and to let a hens know where they are; they wants the hens to come to them.

That’s how the nature of it works. For hunters, however, we want to mimic the sounds of a hen

“Being set up at the bottoms of the Wapsipinicon River made for a brisk morning frull of the sounds and calls of several species ...”

Submitted Photo

Senior Cam Grubic with this year’s turkey. turkey and argue back and forth all day with a Tom gobbling across the woods, enough to make him give in and make way toward us.

So at 6:15, the sun began to crest above the swaying twigs and branches, exciting the first gobblers to begin making their presence known not only to their mates, but for us as well. I pulled my slate call out of my pocket and gave a few soft yelps, letting them think a potential mate was near by.

I was surprised that I immediately got a response and decided to keep quiet for 10 minutes and make him think. Sooner or later I gave some more yelps on my slate, this time more loud and aggres-

sive, to excite that bird even more.

He gobbled again, just 60 yards or so from our setup and then walked on by, just out of range.

John and I waited for hours.

Giving some short yelps and a few clucks now and then, we finally got the response we had long been waiting for. Four nice jakes, young males, came hurrying in toward us but kept so clustered that taking a shot would risk killing them all.

They scurried on, and I thought one was going to come in range, but instead, it followed the rest out; the rest of the day was quiet.

On day two, we found a different set up, with better cover this time. Facing south with our backs

north to the river so nothing could come up behind this time, there were no signs of turkey presence around us.

Having been set since 5:45, we waited past 1 in the afternoon. We neither heard any or saw any. We decided to eat our lunch, which we had with us down in the timber, and once I was finished, I moved to retrieve my gun, which was resting against a tree; right then John had ordered me to not make a move because he could see a bird headed toward us from down the trail.

I followed his orders, and once I knew the bird was behind a tree and blinded from my movements, I slowly grabbed the gun and brought it to my shoulder. I slipped in my reed to give him a few clucks and purrs when he looked right at our decoy and stood straight up.

He was intrigued and began to move forward but with caution, almost like he knew something was up.

Once he came out from behind that tree, I made my shot and took him down. I then put my gun on safety, shucked a new shell and

made my way to his body as it was still violently flapping it’s wings, as they usually do.

The hunt was more than successful this year, and the meat of the young bird will treat us better than that of a big old bird. However, most turkey hunters don’t hunt just for the annual harvest of a nice bird, but for the bond with nature that seems to grow every year.

We literally strike up conversations with the wild and see things that no one could ever imagine. We’ve had coyotes just a few feet from us, squirrels hop across our laps, pairs of wood ducks preparing a spring nest in a tree that I was sitting at the base of and so much more.

It’s an incredible world out there, you just have to dig for it.

You don’t have to be a hunter to experience these things, but as a hunter, especially in the spring turkey season, we witness so much. I wouldn’t trade it for anything, and I look forward to the experience of nature and a fresh turkey dinner every year.

By Staff Writer Cam

GRUBIC

Baseball Prediction

New faces will win MLB divisionals The air is warm, and the big bats of MLB sluggers are finally cracking again. With a long season ahead and plenty of teams with very different looks, 2016 looks to be an interesting year for baseball. The offseason exploded with headline trades and signings, and it’s time for these additions to show what they’re made of.

There’s a ton of young talent in the Bigs right now, which will make for an electric year. I’m going to take a look at each division and make some bold predictions on this year’s final outcome. However, we never know what surprises are in store this year.

NATIONAL LEAGUE: West - I’ve gotta go with the San Francisco Giants for the West. Plain and simple: their pitching is just too good.

Every pitcher in their rota-

tion has been an ace at some point in his career, and all have playoff experience. Lead by ace Madison Bumgardner, the Giants have possibly the deepest rotation in the MLB. A solid bullpen and great defense should more than make up for the lack of offensive production. Look for the Giants to make a run again this year.

Central - As a huge Cardinals fan, it pains me to say this: The Chicago Cubs will lead the Central division at the end of the season. Chicago has finally put it together with a rare combination of youth and experience. Their bullpen is definitely an issue with a lack of depth.

However, the amount of talent everywhere else makes Chicago one of the scariest teams in the NL on paper. With a great rotation, upgraded defense and powerhouse offense, there

might actually be a chance for the Cubbies to finally have their year.

East - After several seasons of failing to put together a successful playoff run, it’s finally time for the Washington Nationals to reach their full potential. The Nats are just a solid overall team. They have one of the better rotations, topped by the equally hot aces of Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer. Mix that with a some power bats and a good bullpen, and you have a recipe for first place. It also helps that their division isn’t the strongest. Lead by last year’s MVP, Bryce Harper, the Nationals are poised to make their mark this season.

American League: West - The West is tough because there isn’t a whole lot of talent in this division. I’m

picking the Seattle Mariners because of their good balance of talent. Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz are solid bats in the middle, and Felix Hernandez can win games. They have a decent bullpen and a good defense as well. I think if they’re able to stay healthy, they should be able to trump the rest of the weak AL West division.

Central - I’m going with the Chicago White Sox to take the AL Central this year. With an above average rotation, some big bats in the middle and one of the best closers in the league, I think the Sox are set to impress a lot of doubters in 2016. Chris Sale is a freak on the mound. Jose Abreu is a production machine. There are also a lot of solid role players who are important pieces to a well-rounded White Sox team.

Look for the Sox to take the division and even make a decent run in the playoffs this year.

East - The East seems to be a toss up every year. This year I’m going bold and picking the Baltimore Orioles to win the division. The O’s have some big bats who often fly under the radar. I think Manny Machado is finally going to make the move to elite status this year. The O’s definitely have some question marks, however. Injury prone players, streaky bats and a lackluster rotation may prove to be difficult, but I think they can pull the pieces together this year and use the untapped talent they have to make a serious run.

By Staff Writer Aaron

HEIMBUCK

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Athlete of the

Week

Seb Gearhart Men’s Track

Senior Austin Reyhons saw action on both sides of the ball in a contest in Iowa City on Friday, April 29 against the Iowa City team. The Tigers dropped this contest, but they beat Marion in the front end of the double header. “We have a huge amount of potential this year.

Our morale took a hit when we lost Richard Horton to a wrist injury. To be honest, it showed these past two games, but we’re straightening our heads this week and have our eyes set on State,” Reyhons said.

Super Smash Bros Logan Cole Photos

Even among competitors, rugby teams share uniquely mutual respect “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” This is the rousing motto on the minds of seven CFHS Tigers as they take the field each Friday evening of the spring season to compete in tournaments hosted by the Iowa Youth Rugby Association. With each tournament, the young rugby program works to establish its legacy as a club sport. Though not officially sanctioned by the high school, as the shrill whistle pierces the air, the boys commence in two grueling seven-minute halves of fullspeed action. After last Friday, the team’s record stands at six wins, three losses and one tie game.

The rugby team was created only four years ago after efforts undertaken by Cedar Falls alumni Brennan Alexander. The team is currently headed by the seasoned and proficient rugby coach Casey Hansen. The team is also led by three senior captains: Caleb O’Connor, also known as “Lucky Charms,” and Richard Horton and Rodney Hinton, who are together known as “Reese’s Puffs.” Together, these captains are collectively known as the “Cereal Killers.”

The captains make up three of

“We’re just a little family. It’s a bunch of really friendly guys — lots of friendly teasing.”

—Caleb O’Connor rugby team captain 10 total players on the small team, though Horton has been unable to participate for a majority of the season due to a broken wrist. The small numbers on the team have not proven to be a hinderance.

Rather, it has contributed to the synergy and brotherhood shared amongst the team. “We’re just a little family,” O’Connor said. “It’s a bunch of really friendly guys — lots of friendly teasing,” he added with a smirk.

In the intensely physical game of rugby, the Tigers have worked to hone their strategy to focus primarily on speed. “We’re a team that’s known for being smaller guys [in physical size], but we love to bring the intensity. We use our speed. Momentum isn’t just about weight, it’s about speed too, so we use that to our advantage. We’re a hard-hitting team

for our size,” O’Connor said.

To elaborate on the physical aspect of rugby, senior Austin Reyhons explained the calculated dynamics of tackling in hopes to dispel misconceptions about the recklessness of the sport. “A smart rugby player has a controlled takedown. He’s not going in there to smack someone’s head with his head. Since it’s full-speed, no pads, it means that both teams are more aware of that. You won’t run at someone and dive at them like you would in football because you don’t have a helmet,” Reyhons said. “There are more concussions in baseball than in rugby.”

Like all team sports, and perhaps even more so in the case of rugby, teamwork is the foundational aspect of success. “Rugby is huge on team chemistry and

working as a unit,” O’Connor said.

“If you can manage those things, no matter your size and speed, you will be successful. That’s why we’re a family — we just really like each other and get along well, so we play well.”

“A good rugby team is a team that can trust each other wholeheartedly and play smart on the field,” Reyhons agreed.

For Reyhons, the most profound and unique aspect of the sport is the level of respect that is reciprocated by all players on the field. “Respect goes all around.

Respect is everywhere. I’ve played plenty of sports throughout my life, and I’ve never had a real sport where every team truly respects the other team, except for rugby,” he said.

This key component of rugby, along with the brotherhood and intense exhilaration that come with the game, is why Reyhons and all teammates highly encourage any and all athletes to join the sport. “Rugby season is the best time of the year. It fulfills my high school experience,” Reyhons said.

By Staff Writer Ben

LOUVIERE

Junior Seb Gearhart recently made history with the 4 x 800 meter relay team. Gearhart and seniors Hunter Lavallee, Issac Smith and Ethan Smith captured the first Drake Relays flag in the 4 x 800 in school history. Even after thetasteofsuccessatDrake,Gearhartis hungryformoreattheupcomingstatemeet.

What was the atmosphere at Drake like?It’slikenoneother;there’snobetterplace to run a race than the blue ovel. You’re runningagainstthebestcompetitioninthestate, and at the same time, you’ve got collegiate and pro runners around to watch and learn from too. Getting to run in front of thousands ofpeopleisawesometoobecasueyoudon’t get that anywhere else. The crowd really gets yourheartpumpingandmakesyourunfast.

What did it feel like to win the 4x800 at Drake for the first time in school history? It feels really great knowing that our team’shardworkisstartingtopayoffandthat we were able to do something no 4x800 at CF has done before. It’s a huge confidence booster for us moving forward, and it’s somethingIwillneverforget.

What do you do for the rest of the season after your success at Drake? We’ll keep working hard in practice so we can performwellatconference,districtsandState.

Have you accomplished all of your goals this season? No. Personally I’ve met some times that I set out to run at the beginning of the season, but in doing that, I’ve set new goals for myself. Winning at Drake was really great, but the real goal that we’ve had set since day one is to win the state championship.

Tigers in

Action

Men’s Track Thursday May 5 Divisionals (Home) 4:30 p.m.

Women’s Track Thursday May 5 Divisionals (Away @ Kingston Stadium) 4:30 p.m.

Men’s Tennis Monday May 9 Iowa City West (Home) @ 4:30 p.m.

Women’s Tennis Saturday May 7 Waterloo West (Away) @ 9 a.m.

Men’s Soccer Friday, May 6 vs. CR Washington (Home) @ 6:45 p.m.

Women’s Soccer Friday, May 6 vs. CR Washington (Away) @ 7:30 p.m.

Women’s Golf Monday, May 9 Divisional (Away) @ 9:30 a.m.

Trapshooting Saturday, May 7 @Cedar Falls Gun Club (Home) @ 8:30 a.m.