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One Cell
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Adult stem cell research proves to be a major treatment source for previously untreatable illnesses. See FEATURE page
Volume 47 Edition 24
Large groups take top honors Steve Ramsey
State Contest Results
Staff Writer
Allison Bernard photos
Partner Finishes
Finishing a 5K for “Kickin’ it for Cambodia,” CFHS participants raised money for an education center in Cambodia. Above, taking times is senior Kallie Thompson for staff members Tracy Johns and Jane Carter. At left, with a helpful hand, junior Abby Conrad helps father and Director of Secondary Education Dan Conrad across the finish line.
You’re cordially invited CFHS Prom 2007 Date: May 12 Time: 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. Location: Electric Park Ballroom Price: $15 per person CFHS Post-Prom 2007 Date: May 13 Time: 12:30 to 3:30 a.m. Location: Orchard Hill Church Price: $5 per person
Cedar Falls High School hosted the annual Iowa High School Music Association Large Group Music Festival on Saturday May 5 and the CFHS Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, Concert Choir, Mixed Choir, String Orchestra and Full Orchestra performed at the event with all but one of the groups receiving Division I ratings. Two of the orchestra’s performances were awarded with perfect scores. “They played really well, I thought, and played very musically,” orchestra director Scott Hall said. The choirs performed in the CFHS auditorium along with the bands in the north gym. “Both choirs sang so musically and really connected with the audiences,” choir teacher Kendra Wohlert said. Ramsey said that in the gym, percussionists must play quieter so they don’t overpower the band, and wind and high brass players must exaggerate articulation, but as far as gyms go for performing in, it’s not too bad. “The symphonic band played with a lot of heart, and I am very proud of them,” Engelhardt said. The orchestras played at N.U. High
Symphonic Band Division I Wind Symphony Division I Concert Choir Division I Mixed Chorus Division II String Orchestra Division I Full Orchestra Division I
School so that they could play in an auditorium. “Large group contest is a very exciting day,” wind symphony director Gerald Ramsey said. Ramsey also pointed out that it was very kind of N.U. to allow the orchestras to use their facilities and equipment for contest.
Prom connects families in time for Mother’s Day Kristen Hammer Staff Writer
Dresses are bought and reservations are made for what will be the emotional high point for many students, prom, but some forget those who will not be attending prom but for whom it is still a very emotionally overwhelming night. They would be the parents. They are the moms and dads who have watched their sons and daughters grow from needing to hold their hand to being taken to prom holding the hand of their date. Until this night, parents have only dreamed of seeing their daughter in a prom dress or their son in a tux, and for some, this upcoming event will be the last prom they see their child attend, as in the case of CFHS senior Kathryn Graen’s mom, Nancy. “The time’s gone really fast, but Kathryn always loved to dress up and put on Mommy’s
“It’s a good chance for kids to live up to the moment where they can put on their best and experience a magical evening,” —Nancy Graen senior Kathryn Graen’s mom
dress and stuff, so there were visions of things to come,” Nancy said. To parents, prom is more than just buying an expensive outfit and wishing them a fun night. It’s witnessing their children’s youth and proudly watching the kids they’ve raised have a great time with their friends just as they once did. “We’re hosting prom pictures this year, and I’m going to miss all the interaction like that between Kathryn and her friends and all of the hang out time. We’ll definitely miss that,” Nancy said.
In all of the good and bad times that parents walk their kids through, their children attending prom is high up on the most memorable. For parents of seniors, they are watching their kids live it up in high school one last time before they walk out into the real world as adults. “It’s a good chance for kids to live up to the moment where they can put on their best and experience a magical evening,” Nancy said. As much as parents look forward to seeing their kids go to prom, it’s important to students, as well, to know their parents support and admire them. It’s a moment of gratitude as kids reflect on how much their parents have done for them and how they have raised them to be who they are. “My relationship with my mom is great. We’re a lot alike. This past year has been great between us, and I know she’s going to miss me when I’m gone, and I’ll miss her too,” Kathryn said.
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Our View
OPINION
Everyone should participate in National Bike to Work Week As the weather continuously gives off its positive rays of sunshine and summer months are noticeably getting closer, there’s never been a better time for biking. Fortunately, this beautiful weather corresponds with National Bike Month. National Bike Month was put together in hopes of raising awareness for alternate methods of transportation, as well as encouraging earth friendly commuting. One event that takes place during this eco-friendly event is National Bike to Work Week held throughout the week of May 14-May 18. For those who cannot bike to work every day next week, there is also a National Bike to Work Day, which will be on the last day of the week (the 18th). The Hi Line staff encourages you to wheel your bike out of the garage and ride to your workplace or school. Spread the word to all of your friends and encourage them to ride their bikes with you. After all, it’s to your advantage as well as the environment’s. Over the past week, the gas prices have reached a national all-time high. With prices ranging around $3.07 per gallon, choosing to bike will now save you more money than ever. As their first event, CFHS Green Project invites students to celebrate National Bike to Work Week by riding their bikes to school. They will hold a culminating event on Thursday in which biking students are invited to free breakfast food and a bike decoration contest. After school, all bikers are invited on a group bike ride. We hope the rising gas prices and continuing need for ecofriendly alternatives will encourage everyone to ride their bikes more often than drive their cars.
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 HiLine 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 Editors-in-Chief-Sheila Moussavi & Kirstin Riggs News Editor-Kelsey Ihde & Audrey Kittrell Opinion Editors-Andrea Huber & Robb Klassen Sports Editor-Josh Betts Feature Editors-Briana McGeough & Willa Simmet On-Line Editors-David Jacobson & Olivia Schares Photo Editors-Katy Schult
Breaking the Bounds:
Senior’s fight to overcome criticism leads to admiration “When you are in a state of nonacceptance, it’s difficult to learn. A clenched fist cannot receive a gift, and a clenched psyche grasped tightly against the reality of what must not be accepted cannot easily receive a lesson,” John Roger said. Entering high school is a huge change for many teenagers, including Honor Heindl myself. I’ve Staff Writer been exposed to a large mixture of people with different beliefs, hobbies and interests, and I’ve made new friends along the way. There’s definitely one girl who really stands out, however, and, although I’m leaving her name anonymous, this CFHS senior has been through a huge struggle with insensitivity and she was willing to discuss it. This article is not intended to alter your beliefs; it’s more to remind the public that our actions and words can shatter hearts. We are hesitant when it comes to talking about sexuality, so we tend to avoid the subject or close the door to different lifestyles and the people underneath the stereotype. Whether we agree with the lifestyle or not, we can’t keep treating bisexuals or gay people like aliens. This particular friend participates in school activities, enjoys art, is involved in school sports and is studying hard to continue on to college. Is this your stereotypical bisexual? Didn’t think so. “I realized I felt differently in about 6th grade. I decided to come out in 8th grade, which was really, really stupid at the time because it basically destroyed
junior high for me, but I’m glad I didn’t have to do it in high school. I told a lot of people. I figured ‘Why should I hide who I am from everyone?’” she asked. “My best friends started turning on me for things I couldn’t help. I really felt like I had absolutely no one during my last two years. The boys were probably the worst because they’d say things right in front of me—really derogatory, put down things. I remember one time when I was giving a presentation in English: one boy in a group of about five called me a dyke right in front of the class, but it was only loud enough for me and his friends to hear, of course.” Teens grow up with a great deal of insecurity, like teasing peers in order to get the focus off ourselves or put the “oddball” down to make others laugh. It’s a game to see who can make fun of who the most or give the worst “burn.” Our words have an impact and can tear down someone’s self-esteem. “I remember when the rumor was flying around that my boyfriend and I had broken up because ‘he wanted kids.’” Our world and even community is cynical when it comes to differences. After hundreds of years, there’s still racism among contrasting skin colors, and being anything but straight is still frowned upon. These differences do not make the person. A caucasian can find common ground with an African American, just like I’ve become good friends with a bisexual. She’s one of the funniest people I know; along with that, we also have some of the deepest, most meaningful conversations. Do not let stereotypes block out any chance of friendship; you might miss out on some really incredible individuals. Sexuality is only a small part of the whole package.
“I don’t mean to make this sound like a sob-story, because I know a lot of other people have so much more of a hard time than I have. I never got the physical abuse or anything, but the name-calling and everyone turning on you for who you are when you think you can trust them ... I mean none of it’s easy.” “I’m so insanely thankful for my mom—she’s truly the one person that pulled me through all of it—that was unconditionally there for me. She was there when I got pushed to the edge and almost took the bait to go off of it. I think the one thing that I’ve carried with me through the whole thing was that you shouldn’t hide who you really are. No one should ... gay, straight, black, white, rich, poor … That’s the complete opposite of the point of life.” Her story has been an excellent example of the harassment students can face just for a small dissimilarity. She endured loneliness and rejection all because a piece of her doesn’t follow the norm. Her uniqueness is what makes her stand out; she was bold enough to go public with her feelings, and the strength and perseverance she demonstrated is admirable. CF schools students are faced with this every year; whether someone is bisexual, gay, lesbian or not, they should be accepted and respected as students and as friends. “I still find people that are weirded out by it. I’ve been lucky and have been able to find the most amazing friends, though. If they’re going to be weirded out by it, then more than likely, it’ll be in the back of their minds the whole time,” she said. “That’s one thing I’ve learned—people that actually care about it have a hard time ignoring it and just accepting people for who they are, not what they prefer.”
Seniors settle in for last year
Students’ Safety in School
Students who do not feel safe in school
Students who are physically assaulted
Students who receive threats
KEY Iowa LGBT Students All Iowa Students
61% 17%
18%
5%
59% 18%
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MVC Showdown Women’s soccer defeated 0-2 by Dubuque Wahlert Katy Schult
Senior member of the Cedar Falls women’s tennis team Alexa Davidson has played tennis all throughout high school and a few years before. She has been a crucial member of the women’s tennis team all throughout her career. How long have you been playing tennis? Since I was seven, on and off.
Anne Walsh Photos Driving the ball down the field (left), is junior Molly Cuvelier in the game against Iowa City High on April 28. At right, freshman Courtney Dreyer chased the ball down the field during the same Iowa City High game. Cedar Falls beat Iowa City High in this game (1-0). Also, this day the Tigers fell to Iowa City West (0-4). Next up this season, the Tigers will face Dubuque Senior on May 11 away. The Tigers have a 1-1-0 conference standing so far this season.
Men’s tennis searching for elusive win after dropping two matches last week Josh Betts Sports Editor
The CFHS men’s tennis team entered the second to last week of the regular season action searching for that elusive match victory, but the task would be a tall one, having to face Class 2A powerhouse Cedar Rapids Washington and Cedar Rapids Prairie. The Tigers fell to Cedar Rapids Washington 8-1, and fell to Cedar Rapids Prairie 6-3. “We haven’t really excelled this year as you can tell from our record,” tennis coach Jeremiah Longnecker said. In singles play Tuesday against Cedar Rapids Washington, the Tigers Jacob Dreyer lost to Barney O’Donnell of Washington 6-1, 6-2. Ty Vance defeated the Tigers Nick Singh 6-0, 6-0. The Tigers Zach Messerschmidt was also defeated 6-0, 6-0 by Sam
of the
Alexa Davidson Senior Women’s Tennis
Sports Editor
The CFHS women’s soccer team, composed of four seniors, six juniors, six sophomores and four freshmen has a conference record of 1-1 and an altogether record of 1-5 for the season so far. The team started its season with the Metro Jamboree against Columbus. The Tigers fell to the Sailors 0-1. The team has also faced Cedar Rapids Kennedy (0-3), Cedar Rapids Xavier (0-5) and Cedar Rapids Jefferson (0-2). In the recent game against Dubuque Wahlert, the Tigers fell 0-2. In order to be part of the team this season, players were required to pass the Cooper Test, completing six and one half laps around the track within 12 minutes. Next up, the Tigers will face Dubuque Senior away on May 11.
Athlete Week
O’Donnell. Johan Ansterus defeated the Tigers Collin Ashwood 6-4, 6-0. Adam Hoffman defeated the Tigers Andrew Clopton 6-1, 6-2, and Brett Gasway defeated Andrew Higgins 6-3, 6-1. In doubles play, Dreyer and Singh fell 6-1, 6-2 to James McMehimem and Robby Worley of Washington. Mark Hackendahl and Doug Land of Washington defeated Messerschmidt and Ashwood 6-1, 6-3. The lone victory of the match for the Tigers came from the doubles team of Clopton and Higgins, who defeated Washington’s Erick Parks and Pat Renyolds. Park and Renyolds won the first set 4-6, Clopton and Higgins won the second set 6-1, and the tiebreaker 10-8. “We played well up and down the
lineup—as well as we could have, I of Prairie defeated Dreyer and Singh thought,” Longnecker said. 6-1, 6-2. Grabe and Christner of Prairie “They are defeated a favorite to Messerwin the 2A schmidt state title a n d this year, so Clopton they aren’t 5-7, 6-3, exactly a (11-9). pushover.” The Ti—Jeremiah Longnecker In Thursgers lone day’s singles doubles CF men’s tennis coach play against v i c Prairie, tory came Dreyer def r o m feated Kyle Tucker of Prairie 5-7, 7-6, Ashwood and Patterson, who defeated (10-8). Parker Linn of Prairie defeated Droessler and Tindall of Prairie 6-2, Nick Singh 6-0, 6-0. Messerschmidt 6-3. defeated Colton Christener 6-5, 6-3. “We didn’t play our best as a team Jason Grabe of Prairie defeated the Ti- (Thursday against Prairie),” Longgers Ashwood 6-4, 6-1. Dave Droessler necker said. of Prairie defeated Andrew Clopton 6“Dreyer and Messerschmidt played 4, 6-3. In the final singles match of the well individually.” day, Spencer Pool of Prairie defeated The Tigers played their final regular the Tigers Tony Patterson 3-6, 6-0, season match against Waterloo Wes (10-2). WaHawks last night, and travel to WaIn doubles play, Tucker and Linn terloo tomorrow night for district play.
“We haven’t really excelled this year as you can tell from our record.”
Who are some of the people that have been most influential in your tennis career? My dad and my sisters What other activities are you involved in? Swimming Who are some of your favorite people to watch play tennis? (Both at CF and professionally) Mr. Minor and the Williams sisters What is your favorite part of tennis? The tan lines baby! What do you do to prepare for meets? Eat food and try and relax. If you could play tennis anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? Italy, just because I want to go to Italy.
If you could challenge anyone in the world to a game of tennis, who would it be and why? Roger Federer, because he is really swell at tennis. What is your most memorable moment throughout your tennis career? When I gave some guys my coaches phone number and told them to call me. Also, I told them my name was Chrissy (our coaches name was Chris), and they called my coach while they were in the bathroom. Good times! He was mad.
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FEATURE
Crash Course: an in-depth look at stem cell research Stem Cells Kirstin Riggs Editor-in-chief
One cell. Debate sears the country over this cell, for within it lie cures, hope for incurable diseases. This powerful cell, the nucleus of the great debate, is a stem cell.
Feature Analysis Stem cells are master cells from which all types of cells in the body are derived. Scientists have harnessed the power of stem cells to a degree to become specific tissues used to help treat diseases. Stem cells are split into three categories, based on their source: adult, embryonic and neonatal. Embryonic stem cells are taken from an embryo, resulting in the destruction of the embryo. Adult stem cells are taken from living humans like bone marrow, fat, the brain or skin. Neonatal stem cells are taken from the placenta, amniotic fluid or umbilical cord blood. Embryonic Moral Dilemma The debate begins with moral arguments against embryonic stem cell research. Some feel that embryonic stem cell research holds the most promise of the three because they are more pluripotent, meaning they have more ability to develop into many different kinds of tissues. However, it requires the destruction of an embryo (which many people consider to be a human) for the potential cure for a disease. Adult and neonatal stem cell research does not pose this moral dilemma. Doctor Randall Bremner opposes embryonic stem cell research. “Our knowledge base in embryonic stem cell research is in its infancy compared to what we know about the use of adult stem cell research. In addition, embryonic stem cell research has several major disadvantages,” Bremner said. These disadvantages include their tendency to form malignant (cancerous) tumors, their inability to be accepted by human immune systems and our inability to control the growth and differentiation of the stem cells into various tissues. “My view is that life begins at conception, and as a society we should strive to protect the weakest and most vulnerable members of that society,” Bremner said. “Research dollars should be more wisely directed toward pursuing alternative sources of stem cells such as those found in amniotic fluid that don’t have all the problems associated with embryonic stem cells.”
Cures with Adult Stem Cells Adult stem cells, Bremner added, have none of the ethical concerns of embryonic stem cells. “Adult stem cells can be taken from the patient and genetically matched, and thereby not rejected by that patient’s own immune system,” Bremner said. Adult stem cells are currently used in over 1,200 clinical trials. On April 4, British scientists used adult stem cells to create human heart valves, which heart surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub, who led the team, said could be used in transplants within three years. A whole heart, he told the Guardian newspaper, could be produced from stem cells within 10 years. Only a few days later on April 10, news of a cure for diabetics hit the presses. Thirteen young diabetics in Brazil underwent a procedure and then left with no need for treatment again. In this procedure the doctors stimulated the body to produce stem cells and then harvested them from the patient’s blood. After wiping out their immune system through several days of chemotherapy, the doctors then injected the stem cells back into the body. The stem cells then build a new immune system that does not attack the insulin-producing cells, thereby curing all but two of them. “It’s the first time in the history of Type 1 diabetes where people have gone with no treatment whatsoever … no medications at all, with normal blood sugars,” said Dr. Richard Burt of Northwestern University’s medical school in Chicago in a story that ran in the Des Moines Register. These breakthroughs are only two of 1,200 clinical trials related to adult stem cells, versus zero clinical trials in humans related to embryonic stem cells.
Bill Supports Embryonic Despite overwhelming evidence for adult stem cell research, politicians continue to pursue embryonic stem cell research. The Senate voted on April 11 to ease restrictions on federally funded embryonic stem cell research. The vote 63 to 34 is not enough to override the President’s expected veto, but Iowa Senator Tom Harkin remains enthusiastic about the bill. “The overwhelming majority of Americans—and their members in Congress—want to take the shackles off of researchers. They want to move forward with some of the most exciting and promising research of modern times,” Harkin said The bill Harkin supports, called S. 5, would allow the “400,000 leftover, unwanted embryos” in fertilization clinics to be used for embryonic stem
cell research. “They are being discarded daily,” Harkin said. However, these embryos may not be as “unwanted” as Harkin claims. Couples can adopt these frozen embryos, as 84 families have done in this country already. These adopted embryos, called “Snowflake Babies,” are proof that these embryos can, indeed, become human. In spite of this, Harkin and many other politicians continue to pursue embryonic stem cell research, appealing to the public’s emotions to support the bill. “First and foremost, S. 5 is about giving hope—real hope—to millions of people in this country suffering from juvenile diabetes, ALS, Parkinson’s, spinal cord injuries and many other devastating diseases and conditions,” Harkin said. What Harkin does not acknowledge is that all of these diseases he listed can currently be treated using adult stem cells. Patients do not need hope; they need the knowledge of treatments available. Monetary Motives With such evidence for adult stem cell research, why would politicians support embryonic? According to Bremner, it boils down to money. “Biotech patent attorneys claim that millions of dollars would be awarded to anyone who was able to patent embryonic stem cells for human use. In contrast, no such patent is possible with adult stem cells.” These patents are not available for adult stem cells because they are taken from the patient’s own body. An embryo, on the other hand, can be created and patented, thus making money. As the debate rages on, Bremner relates the debate over stem cell research to the debate over slavery. “Abraham Lincoln once said when referring to slavery, ‘Some things that are legally right are not necessarily morally right.’ As a society, we are going to have to address the same issue as it pertains to the use of embryos in research. Are embryos merely property or people? As we advance in science, should we as a society strive to protect the weakest and most vulnerable or not? As the President’s Council of Bioethics stated recently, ‘We must make certain we don’t force ourselves into a false choice between science and ethics—because we need both.’”
Back to the Basics
What are stem cells? Stem cells are master cells from which all types of cells in the body are derived. Scientists (to a degree) have harnessed the power of stem cells to become specific tissues used to help treat diseases. What is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)? IVF is the process of combining a sperm with an egg to create an embryo. These embryos are then implanted into a woman’s uterus. Hundreds of embryos may be created for each pregnancy, the leftovers frozen after a success. The nation has 400,000-plus embryos frozen. What to do with these embryos is a heated debate among politicians. They could be used for stem cell research, which would require their destruction, or they could be “Snowflake Babies,” adopted by other women. What is Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT)? SCNT is a fancy term for cloning. The nucleus of an unfertilized egg is removed and replaced with the genetic information of the egg’s donor. This produces a cloned, one-cell embryo that will eventually grow to full term. Dolly the Sheep is the most famous example of a cloned animal. Dolly was the only clone out of 277 cloned embryos to survive to live birth (human cloning is even more difficult to accomplish). Even then she lived to be six years old (half the average life-span of a healthy sheep) and experienced a number of medical problems and had to be euthanized. Typically, cloned embryos are destroyed for stem cell research (cloning for scientific use is called Therapeutic Cloning. This is legal in Iowa. Reproductive Cloning, bringing a cloned human embryo to birth, is illegal in Iowa.) There are three categories of stem cell research: 1. Embryonic – these cells are taken from an embryo. These embryos are supplied either by In Vitro Fertilization (see below), Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (see below), or from aborted fetuses. In all cases, the embryo is destroyed when the stem cells are taken. -Pro’s: Great potential to turn into many different kinds of tissues. -Con’s: Never have been used successfully. When implanted into a patient, these cells create tumors and are rejected by the body. Cell growth is difficult to control. Moral issue arises because embryonic stem cell research requires the destruction of human embryos. 2. Adult – these cells are taken from living humans -Pro’s: Used successfully to treat many diseases today. A human patient can be his or her own stem cell donor, therefore avoiding a problem with rejection. On April 2 researchers at Harefield hospital in
England managed to grow tissue that works in the same way as human heart valves. Other diseases treated with adult stem cells include leukemia, -Con’s: Are not as pluripotent (meaning they can not turn into as many different kind of tissues) as embryonic. 3. Neonatal – these cells are taken from the placenta, amniotic fluid or umbilical cord blood. -Pro’s: Are as pluripotent as embryonic stem cells without the moral issues of destroying an embryo. Do not cause rejection. Cells are easier to obtain. They grow faster in the lab than adult stem cells.