Nov 10, 2017 hi line

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Tiger HI-LINE

Friday, Nov. 10, 2017

Volume 58 Edition 9

SHOW TIME Two plays will take the stage this Friday and Saturday/pages 4-5 Follow us on Twitter at tigerhiline, Facebook at TigerHilineOnline and on our website at www.hiline.cfschools.org

UNI fashion show makes statement A woman shuffles out from behind a screen dressed in a grey sweater, shawl and wool hat. Her appearance draws the feeling of poverty and sadness, but shockingly the sweater and hat come off to reveal nursing scrubs. The woman, now donning the appearance and feel of someone professional and capable, struts off center stage.

This was one of many pieces in the UNI Un(Dress) the Stigma empowerment fashion show on Oct. 20, in which the UNI dress and human behavior took on some of the stigmas put on clothing through a runway show held at the Rod Library on campus.

Inspiration for the show came through Humanize my Hoodie Project, which makes a statement on the senseless killing of black people based on what they wear, and works to dismantle the stigma of hoodies being associated with crime. With this in mind, the students worked to dismantle other clothing stigmas.

The show had five categories, each tackling a different aspect of someone being judged on what they wear. The first section was named for the show and was called “Un(Dress) the Stigma.” It addressed everyday situations women face on a

Parker Strauss Photos

Two of the students participating in the UNI Un(Dress) the Stigma empowerment fashion show at the Rod Library on Oct. 20 made statements about how clothing stigmas can affect perceptions. daily basis such as catcalling, touching, criticism and more. The aim of this section was to make women feel comfortable in their own skin without worrying about others determining their worth based on appearance.

Section two was called “Tell Me.” It tackled the issue of victim blaming

in an abusive situation whether in relationships, work or sexual assault cases.

Section three was named “MKTG 4562” named after the marketing strategy and asked: What is professional, and who gets to be it?

The fourth section was the one

dant’s guilty plea must be voluntary and have complete and accurate information concerning the constitutional rights given up and the possible punishments when pleading guilty.

In this case, after pleading guilty and being sentenced for his crimes, Weitzel appealed to overturn his guilty plea because he said the district court failed to warn him of the additional surcharge imposed as a result of his guilty plea in violation of Iowa Rule of Criminal Procedure 2.8(2)(b).

On Nov. 3, seven Supreme Court judges sat on the Clare Stanard auditorium stage and argued the case. Over 75 spectators, clerks and officers filled the seats of the auditorium, listening intently to the lawyers plea their case to the judges.

After about an hour, the case was put to rest for the night and people flooded into the lobby, greeted by members of student senate along with cookies provided

by Main Street Sweets and refreshments.

“I think it is really cool that they do these so that people in the community can learn more about our judicial system,” Student Body President Arlo Hettle said.

The court previously visited Davenport before going to Cedar Falls for a hearing.

“The purpose of the courts touring was to have an outreach to the communities.

A few years ago a few people were voted off and that caused a big upset, so this is almost to humanize the court and connect them to the people of Iowa,” lawyer and organizer Bruce Gettman said.

In a live back and forth argument, it not only educates citizens, but makes them feel as if they know the court.

“I liked when they would make sassy comments,” Hettle said.

Gettman also sees a positive impact that the visiting trial has on not only the community, but the students as well, “I see a great impact in the community, and the student outcome is amazing. I don’t know how

involving the girl with the sweater and nursing scrubs. It was called “Parallel perspectives. It spoke on the stigmatization of others’ identities based on the clothing they have on. It zeroed in on mistaken identities and opened up a new perspective on what may and may not appear at

first glance.

The fifth section was called “Phrontistery,” meaning a place to think or study. It focused on breaking out of the gender box, finding empowerment and being one’s true self.

Section six was called “Free Mavericks.” It protested the identity ambivalence that comes with being bullied. It brought to light that people struggle to know who they are when opinions are being forced on them.

This section showed the effect that bullying has on everyone.

The final section had the fun and bold title, “Scary Spice.” It dismantled the stigma that is put on people who dress very edgy, the idea that “I could never pull that off.”

Jackie Conrad, a CFHS alumni and UNI student, is in the UNI textiles and apparel program and took part in the show. She dressed like a waitress on the victim blaming section of the show.

“I stood up to the idea of being a waitress and how people think it gives them the right to touch or do something inappropriate to me,” she said. “It meant a lot because I am actually a waitress, and this is something I deal with all the time, and it never really gets talked about.”

By Staff Writer Parker

STRAUSS

Iowa Supreme Court deliberates case at CF Cedar Falls High School hosted an Oral Argument of the Iowa Supreme Court on Thursday Nov. 2. In this special session, deliberated the State of Iowa v. Jason Gene Weitzel in a further review from the Iowa Court of Appeals.

In this case, defendant Jason Weitzel pled guilty to charges of domestic abuse assault, possession of methamphetamine, carrying weapons and operating while intoxicated. The district court sentenced the defendant to a prison term and is required by the Iowa Code to impose certain fines for each offense, totaling $3,250. In addition to fines, the Iowa code section 911.1 imposes a “criminal penalty surcharge” of 35 percent of the total amount of fines. In this case, the 35 percent surcharges amounted to an additional $1,135.50 that Weitzel owed to the government.

In the Iowa criminal justice system, defendants have the right to plead guilty to a criminal charge instead of pursuing their constitutional right to a jury trial. The justice system also requires that a defen-

Rachel Schmid Photo

Student Senate president Arlo Hettle visited with an Iowa Supreme Court justice after he and the rest of the Court deliberated a case here on Thursday, Nov. 1. many were forced to be there, but I heard talk of some of them driving down to see them have a true trial, which is amazing.”

By Co-Editor-in-Chief Rachel

SCHMID

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Photographer brings senior year into focus Senior Delaney Tate pushes a strand of auburn hair behind her ear and puts her eye up to her Canon 6D digital camera, twisting the lens to bring her subject into focus. She squints as she patiently waits for the perfect combination of backdrop and lighting to come together.

She takes a breath and snaps the photo.

Tate has a passion for photography. Seeing the world through her camera lens, she captures stunning moments through her work. Photography is a large part of her life. Her weekends and school nights are occupied by photo shoots. She photographs both models and herself, experimenting with makeup and lighting to portray her artistic vision.

Recently, Tate’s passion to take pictures has evolved into something both new and exciting: a business.

Tate had done a couple of photoshoots for engagements and graduation parties in the past and found that it was a great way to earn some extra cash while doing something that she enjoyed. Many of her peers suggested the idea of taking senior photos, so this school year, Tate decided to take on the challenge.

“I love to create interesting and beautiful things. I’ve always loved art; in fact, I planned on being an illustrator until I took my first photography class. I really felt like I had found my calling, and I was happy to be challenged and to challenge myself,” Tate said.

“And I think my senior photo services are different from what you would normally get because I am a student, and I’m always learning, but I am dedicated to every single one of my clients to making their photos unique, beautiful and personal. I will always try to go the extra mile for my clients, because I truly believe they are also my

Senior Delaney Tate has used her photography skills to take photos for many graduating students this year. Among those students are seniors Gina Mueterthies (top right), Grace Burken (middle right), and Lauren Smothers (bottom right).

friends.”

Tate currently has 25 clients. She charges $100 for a one-hour shoot, $180 for two hours and $200 for a three-hour shoot. However, she has worked with students to make sessions more affordable because she knows that not everyone can cover the cost of the photos.

“I think having having senior photos is really special because it allows you to have nice photographs of yourself at an important time in your life, that you can always have. I think everyone should be given the opportunity to feel good about themselves and feel the same as other students who can afford to spend $200 on senior photos.”

Tate also ensures that her clients have as much time as they need to make sure that they get the shots they would like.

“I don’t put a time cap on sessions; it really depends on the weather, how long I’m available, how long the client is available and if we get the shots we need,” Tate said.

One of Tate’s clients, senior Gina Mueterthies, explained why she loves to see a fellow student taking this kind of initiative.

“I think that it’s really cool for students to take their peers’ senior photos because it’s a good way to support your classmates in their passions. It also just made a lot of sense to me to have another senior take my photos because I felt like she would have a really good understanding of what I would want from my photos since she would also be getting senior photos done this year,” Mueterthies said.

“Delaney inspires me through her creativity and work ethic. She always had creative ideas for unconventional photos during our shoots that turned out really cool, and the turnaround between the shoot and when I received my

Friday, Nov. 10, 2017

photos was super fast,” Mueterthies said. “I am incredibly happy with how they turned out. Delaney took a wide variety of photos and made sure that everything I asked for was done. She was a very pleasant and comforting person to be around in a situation that can definitely feel awkward.”

Tate is shown an immense amount of support for her work by both her peers and her family. Her father, Thomas Tate, said he takes pride in seeing his daughter work so hard.

“I’m very proud of Delaney for shooting senior portraits this year,” he said. “She is a very talented artist and photographer, and despite her natural abilities, she keeps pushing herself to be better and do more. I’m so pleased that she is able to share her talents with her classmates in such an impactful and memorable way.”

Tate draws a lot of her inspiration from music. She said that she has “a very broad taste in music, and I think it shows in my photography.

I’m very visual, so when I’m reading or listening to music, it really just fills me up and makes me want to be creative. I almost always have music playing when I do photoshoots to set the mood.”

While Tate does not wish to pursue a career in photography, she knows that her passion will carry with her for the rest of her life.

At a recent photo shoot, Delaney feels the familiar ridges of the camera under her fingertips and twists the lens slowly into focus.

The corners of her lips turn up slightly, her fingers ready to capture the moment. The lighting is perfect.

The backdrop is perfect. She knows that she is where she is supposed to be.

She takes a breath; and snaps the photo.

By Co-Editor-in-Chief Clare

ROLINGER

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Senior planning gap year mission trip Traveling across the globe has become a bucket list norm that people intend to scratch off, yet some, never get the chance to actually do it. Senior Kat Wikner, is scratching off traveling from her list in the summer of 2018 and is taking a gap year with Adventures in Missions, World Race.

Wikner was inspired to take a gap year by recent graduates who have taken a gap year with World Race.

“I have always been interested in the program. My mom actually suggested a few years back that I look into taking a gap year. My parents feel the program ‘fits me’ and will be a good step,” she said.

Adventures in Missions is a huge organization that has several mission trips, such as World Race, that helps people get involved around the world and in other communities.

Mission trips through this organization are for people of all ages that range from a few days to over a year in time.

At the end of summer 2017, Wikner said she still had no idea where she wanted to go to college and what she wanted to do; therefore, she started seriously considering taking a gap year and traveling.

“I knew that I wanted to go to college, but something else was missing I guess,” she said.

Once applications opened for the next year, Wikner said she told herself she needed to apply and sees what happened.

“I thought long and hard about it and definitely started to second guess myself,” she said. “Then, I got a call saying that I had been accepted and that was when I was sure that I wanted to do this.”

For nine months, starting in the summer of 2018, Wikner is traveling to Costa Rica, South Africa, Thailand and Myanmar where she will be doing mission work.

Fifty-five other teenagers, scattered across

Senior Kat Wikner is selling T-shirts and bracelets to fund her worldwide mission. Half of the bracelet proceeds will go to people in need in the Philipines.

the country, will be joining Wikner in World Race. Typical missions work activities that they will be involved include helping in churches, helping teach English in schools, volunteering in orphanages and getting to know the people in the communities in which they will be staying with. Each day will have it’s own schedule and adventures.

“I'm not totally sure how traveling will affect me. I am 100 percent sure though that I will come home with a new perspective of what I consider to be home,” Wikner said.

This will not be Wikner’s first mission trip.

In her last trips, she said she has learned a lot people of other cultures.

“I think that more often than not, in America, we are oblivious to the world around us,” she said. “We live lives in which we are only concerned about what is happening to us.”

Wikner said she feels that sometimes we often forget how fortunate we are to live in one of the most prosperous countries in the world.

“After spending nine months in second and third world countries, I think I will be more appreciative of what I have here,” Wikner said.

Fundraising is has become Wikner’s life.

She has to raise $16,000.00 by December

2018. Wikner will be selling T-shirts, bracelets and keychains.

Adventures in Missions sent those who applied a list of companies that have helped past racers raise money in order to attend and help. Wikner came across the company, Threads of Hope, and using this organization, 50 percent of Wikner’s profit will go to at-risk families and children in the Philippines. Having a close connection, Wikner’s little cousin was adopted from the Philippines and said it made her think of him and how selling bracelets can help kids that in are in similar situations that he was in.

“I’m very nervous, to be honest,” Wilner said. “It’s kind of intimidating to travel for nine months (and not be able to come home) with people you hardly know.”

Wikner has had short term experiences with traveling out of the country, the longest being out of the country for 10 days with family and a group of people from her church.

Horror stories have spiraled and landed into Wikner’s brain when thinking about her gap year. She said she is most frightened of being sick in the different countries because one never knows what can happen.

But, her overall feelings illustrate excitement to experience different cultures in a way she never has before. Wikner said she is also super pumped for the friendships that will be formed with her teammates.

The country Wikner is most excited about going to is South Africa.

“I've heard amazing things about it and have always been interested in it. I know that South Africa has some really big cities, and I'm excited to experience those as well as the rural areas.”

Wikner has also expressed how much she is going to learn, and said she cannot wait to experience everything that is to come her way by taking a gap year.

“I know that Jesus is working all around the globe, and I'm excited to see people's lives be changed first hand. I'm also hoping to help people, but I'm sure the same people I am trying to help will help me grow as a person just as much,” she said.

Arriving back home in Iowa of June 2019, Wikner’s plan is to attend to University of Iowa starting in fall of 2019.

“But that's kind of a long ways away, and I feel like I could always have a change of heart,” she said. “I'll cross that bridge when I get there.”

Being 18 and an experienced world traveler was never in the books for Wikner, but she is making it a reality and is ready to see what the world has to offer.

The T-shirts she is selling are $25, round bracelets are $2 each or three for $5, flat bracelets are $4 or three for $10 and keychains are $5 or three for $12. The best way to get in contact with Wikner to buy one of these products is text at (319)-242-1404 or email at 18katwik@student.cfschools.org.

By Co-Editor-in-Chief Teyha

TOURNIER

Sophomore recalls part in family’s movie

When sophomore Medha Patel’s aunt, Geeta Patel, brought her big video camera into their family reunion back when Medha was 10, little did she know that she would be in a documentary that would go on to win several awards in big film festivals including the Los Angeles Film Festival.

“My Aunt Geeta told us that she was shooting a movie, and everyone knew she was a director and going to be doing that. I didn’t think I was going to be put in the movie, but then I was a part of it which was so fun,” Medha Patel said.

The 2015 documentary film “Meet the Patels,” directed by Geeta Patel and her brother Ravi Patel, is about Ravi Patel trying to find a wife while dealing which the pressures of a Indian family. Arranged marriages are common in Indian culture, and usually people are pushed to marry into a family with the same name —

for example Patel, a very common Indian name.

According to the newspaper, The Times of India, there are more than 1,450,000 people with the name Patel in the United States.

“Since we all have the same last name, it’s like ‘Oh, here you can have a discount on this,’ when you meet another Patel because most people with the last name Patel own some type of convenience store or hotel.

They usually give us a discount, so the stereotype of this is actually true,” Medha said.

The main character of this film, Ravi, is on his quest to find a wife.

He is secretly in love with a fiery redhaired American woman, someone he knows his parents would not approve. Ravi turns to online dating, Indian marriage conventions and dozens of dates around the country with women hand-picked by his parents. Finding this “perfect Indian

wife” proves to be a hard task when the arranged marriage process feels forced for Ravi.

As plot of the film ends, Ravi still without a wife, his parents slowly accept his red-haired girlfriend, but things have changed since then.

“He got married to another woman. Her name is Mahaley, and she is the best. She isn’t Indian, but it’s totally OK. I went to their wedding last May, and they are really happy with a new baby girl now,” Medha said. “We were all very happy when he got married because we thought it was never going to happen. He made what we thought was never going to happen come true.”

Since the documentary was made, Ravi has worked with actors like John Stamos in the movie “Grandfathered.” Many people will recognize him from “Master of None,” the Netflix comedy series starring Aziz Ansari. In fact, Medha

was close to meeting Ansari at Ravi’s wedding.

“I was too scared to meet Aziz Ansari, so I just stood there and looked in awe, but I met Holland Roden from the show “Teen Wolf” and cried. It’s awesome to have an uncle like Ravi. He knows a lot of celebrities like John Stamos, which is so cool. I will definitely use him as an advantage to meet other cool people when I am older,” Medha said.

Medha is likely to not encounter the same match-making difficulties that her Uncle Ravi experienced.

“I think that it is important to continue my culture. I know my parents would like me to marry an Indian man, but they just want me to marry someone that is good to me. They do not care about if he is Indian or not.” Medha said.

By Co-Editor-in-Chief Sabine

MARTIN

Submitted Photo

When sophomore Medha Patel was 10, she had a part in the movie “Meet the Patels,” which was created by her aunt.

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I Never Saw Another Butterfly The first play is a one act set for the stage on Friday, Nov. 10, and Saturday, Nov. 11 at at 7:30 p.m. in Clare Stanard Auditorium tells the tale of a young girl named Raja living in a Jewish ghetto during the Holocaust.

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The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged The second play tells some of the most famous Shakespearean plays in a quick and comedic fashion.

Ticket for the plays are $4 for adults and $5 for students. Activity passes will be accepted.

Jayda Habinck Photos

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OPINION

Our View

News Team of the Year

Hi-Line staff owes success to support

This past week the Iowa High School Press Association ( I H S P A ) selected five member news teams as the top performers for 2016-17.

The news teams were selected from a field of 15 that were identified by accumulating points during the Spring Journalism The Hi-Line earned top honor at the Contests.

The finalists state journalism contest for 2017. submitted three complete issues (a spring edition, fall issue and an editor’s choice) and their website for review.

Three members of Iowa news organizations reviewed the entries and selected the top five. For the third year in a row, the Tiger Hi-Line was selected as the Class B newsteam of the year.

We would like to thank the administration, staff and students for the support and distribution of the Hi-Line.

Without you, our readers, none of our accomplishments would be possible.

Thank you to the administrators for letting us have a platform to inform and express ourselves. Most importantly, thank you, Mr. Winkel, for being the best adviser that we could ask for. For inspiring us, pushing us and making us better writers. You push our creativity to levels that we could not attain in any other class, bringing us together and making huge accomplishments. Thank you for everything, we couldn’t do it without you.

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.

Editors-in-Chief: Elise Leasure, Sabine Martin, Clare Rolinger, Tehya Tournier Staff: Benjamin Boezinger, Noah Forker, Aysiah Keller, Chase Kline, Sierra Miller, Skylar Promer, Rachel Schmid, Parker Strauss, Matthew Walsh

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U.S. needs to join world on Paris Accord Even with North Korea regularly threatening nuclear war, Trump doing his best to defile the office of president and political violence from both white supremacists and Antifa growing increasingly dangerous to all who may be involved, the most important challenge facing us today is climate change.

This is not a national issue. We cannot tackle it alone.

Even with the 13.2 percent of our energy that is derived from renewable sources, which is a full two percent higher than the global average, it doesn’t make up for the fact that we, as just five percent of the world’s population, consume 25 percent of the its energy.

To significantly fight climate change, we need to band together with the rest of the world. In 2015 the Paris Climate Accord was agreed to after being signed by all but two countries: Nicaragua and Syria.

Nicaragua believed the accord did not do enough to fight climate change.

Syria was in the middle of a civil war.

The Paris Climate Accord involved ensuring that global temperature rises stayed under two degrees celsius, limiting the amount of greenhouse gases being put into the world (below 2100), assessing each country’s contribution each five years and allowing richer countries to aid poor countries in

increasing their renewable energy.

Overall, it was a fairly innocuous deal that did absolutely nothing to damage the United States economy, though President Trump clearly believes otherwise.

On June 1, Trump vowed to pull the United States out of the accord, citing that it would lose the United States 6.5 million jobs and $3 trillion of the GDP, and claiming that economies like that of China and India were treated more fairly by the accord. None of these claims possess even a shred of evidence.

Then again, Trump has also stated that climate change itself was “created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive,” which is simply absurd.

In October, Nicaragua joined the accord, with Vice President Rosario Murillo saying that it was “the only instrument we have” with which to battle climate change. Nicaragua had originally avoided the accord due to it not being harsh enough.

This left Syria and the United States as the only two countries not a part of the accord. Syria’s reason remained the same: making any national move to fight climate change is difficult when you’re in the middle of a bloody civil war. The U.S.’s reason remained ridiculous: our president doesn’t believe in climate science.

Then, early this week, Syria signed onto the accord, leaving the United States alone.

Nicaragua and Syria joining the accord leaves the values of the American government all too obvious.

Our president does not believe in what science is clearly telling him. Our EPA director, Scott Pruitt, is tasked with protecting the environment, but does not believe in climate change and is beholden to the oil industry.

Recently, Pruitt revealed that scientists who receive funding from the EPA cannot be key advisers, effectively replacing scientists with government officials and critics of climate change, and citing the Bible in the process (the Joshua Principle, to be more specific).

This decision, as well as several decisions of President Trump, make it clear that the U.S. government right now simply does not care about climate change. It will not regulate the industries causing pollution, and it will not sign on to the Paris Climate Accord.

It will not fight against the destruction of the environment, especially with businessmen concerned solely with profit sitting at the helm.

This is not good for the country, and it is not good for the world.

By Staff Writer Sierra

So here we are, the worst part of the year. The long stretch from November to February is almost certainly the worst four months that baseball fans have to deal with.Butnowthatwearesadlyattheend, there is something that everyone must discuss: juiced balls.

The league certainly won’t either denyorconfirmtheuseofjuicedballs,but numbers never lie. The home runs, both the amount and distance, is a tale-telling sign that something different is brewing.

Unseensincethesteroidera,thelong balls were record-breaking, and it didn’t take long to do it. Juiced balls, I think, make the game more fun to watch. In this era where attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, the juiced balls might be a good for the upcoming audience.

However, I don’t know if it is best for the league in the long run.

This past season, the league combined for a record 5,707 home runs.

This is after an increasing spike that started in 2015, and has continued through this year. The previous record was in 2000, smack dab in the middle of the steroid era. From that point on, the league faced a steady decline, that is until 2015 which faced a respectable spike compared to the previous four years.

That spike continued onto 2016, which faced the largest spike since the steroid era. The top 30 batters all averaged over 405 feet per home run and a whopping 200 players averaged over a 110 mph exit velocity.

In 2015, the longest home run was 495 feet hit by Kris Bryant. The exit velocity on that home run was 111.5, but

compared to the longest home run hit in 2017 from Aaron Judge, that is eight mph slower than the average.

Not only does the longest home run have an increased exit velocity, but an incredible amount of balls hit have gone over 112 mph mark. If the balls were juiced, they would be able to speed off the bat like that.

The juiced part of the ball would be the cork in the middle that the rest of the ball is wrapped around. The jumpier the cork is, the more boost the ball would initially get off the barrel of the bat. That would be a great reasoning as to why the balls are coming faster out of the box.

You can also make the argument that pitching might be getting slower, and easier to hit. After all, mutually, I think majority of the sports journalism world would agree that this is not the age of the pitcher.

With players like Judge, Kris Bryant and other young powerful sluggers, strikeouts are coming in at extreme rates.

Judge was 15 strikeouts away from the single-season record for strikeouts and also broke the record for strikeouts in a postseason.

And it’s not like Judge was getting on base a whole lot either. Compared to others around the league, his BA was just average.His.284wasnothingspectacular and is part of the new long ball era of power swings over contact swings.

Cody Bellinger is another example of juicing balls in the majors. The young superstardoesnothaveagiant-likestocky frame that Judge has. Instead, he is built more like a Justin Hayward-type.

Bellinger’s season average was in the .260s, but he still was able to hit 39 home runs. He was electrifying part of the Dodgers lineup during their recordbreaking performance during the middle of the season. Bellinger’s pop was not something that would have been as powerful two or three years ago. If both Bryant and Bellinger joined as rookies in the year 2017, things would different.

Bryant’s stats would match Bellinger’s almostidentically,andIdon’tthinkitisfrom a year or two more in the minors.

There isn’t a whole lot of evidence thatjuicedballsareathing,andIalsodon’t think that the league will ever come out and own up to the new baseballs. The fact that monthly newsletters are being sent out to players explaining that juiced balls aren’t real just seems like an intricate plan to cover up.

The information lies in the stats, which means systems like Statcast have a real-world implication. After gazing over oblivious stats and comparing years, I have seen something that is too obvious to be a coincidence. I do think baseballs are being juiced, but I also think that it is not necessarily bad for the brand. With people’s short attention spans, they want to see something exciting. The thing that is exciting is the longball.

IftheMLBdiddecidethatjuicedballs for the way to go, I think they made the right decision in terms of getting ratings up and making the game more exciting for the youth.

MILLER

‘Juicing’ certainly added MLB home runs

By Staff Writer Ben

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Artist of the Week: Senior Frank Opoku “Music is important because music can change who you are as a person ...”

“The more I write, the more I keep getting better, and the more creative ideas pop into my head. I learn something new every day from making music,” senior Frank Opoku said.

Opoku, a native of Ghana, West Africa, began his start in rapping by performing songs by mainstream rappers to his friends, which morphed into an unexpected passion.

“I started making parody versions, and my friends liked it. I felt like I had this talent in me,” Opoku said. “The more I kept writing these parodies, the more they kept getting better, and then I began to have a passion for it.”

After spending time adding his own spin to other verses, Opoku began to write his own, and has been since 2013, under the name Je Skido.

As a rapper, Opoku aims to spread messages about life through his own perspectives, as well as the perspectives of others. “I think, ‘How would someone going through depression and suicidal thoughts feel like? What about someone going through a breakup? What kind of words would they say and think?’” Opoku said. “I write from that perspective as if I’m the one going through these problems.”

In addition to creating emotionally driven verses, Opoku also makes songs he hopes people will enjoy when performed live. “These jam songs would be the songs I would be performing when I’m on stage and concerts.”

Growing up in Ghana, Opoku’s sparking influence was Sardokie, a Ghanaian rapper. Just as Opoku himself has done, his influences branch globally with artists like Joyner Lucas from Massachusetts and

Hopsin from Los Angeles, as well as more mainstream American rappers like Kendrick Lamar. “They spit real facts and give you chills,” Opoku said.

When making music, Opoku’s creative process requires inspiration and drive from a variety of places like pop culture and life.

“Every time you see me alone, I’m thinking of ideas because to get an idea and a concept to talk about can last you a lifetime, so I utilize each free time I get,” Opoku said But perhaps the most important part of his process is building the base from which the entire song will be constructed: the beat.

Opoku begins his creation process with listening to beats to use as muses.”Powerful beats can drive you to this a fantasy world where you get a whole lotta ideas to pick from, and finding this type of beat is so hard

Math Julie Kirkpatrick has a knack for combining her fondness of Girl Scouts and mathematics into her daily lessons with the help of topology.

“Topology, or at least geometric topology, is the study of properties of spaces that are kept the same through deformation like stretching and bending, but not tearing. Another way to think about it is the study of geometrical objects without considering things such as angles, lengths or shape,” Kirkpatrick said.

“A particular field of low dimensional geometric topology is knot theory, the study of mathematical objects called knots. One can imagine a mathematical knot as a knot that one would tie with strong, but the ends are fused together to form a closed object and the string is infinitely stretchy,” Kirkpatrick said.

Kirkpatrick’s journey in topology all started when her professor suggested an independent research project. “I got

interested in geometric topology in a Euclidean geometry class taught by Dr. TJ Hitchman. He saw that I was a big nerd and a hard worker and asked if I wanted to do an independent research project with him. I said yes, not knowing what we would study,” Kirkpatrick said.

During this experience Kirkpatrick knew she had made the right choice of her independent study. “The joy of working on an open problem is knowing that no one else has solved this particular issue in mathematics; you’re literally inventing and discovering the math,” Kirkpatrick said.

Job opportunities are slim for topologist.

“There aren’t a ton of practical applications with the field, and most of the careers that deal with topology are academic in nature: professor, mathematician, microbiologist, robotics engineer, etc.,” she said.

Kirkpatrick was a given the

Frank Opoku Photos

Senior Frank Opoku released his first album titled “Genesis,” which can be streamed on Spotify, iTunes, Soundcloud and more. you might give up really fast,” Opoku said.

While writing a rap is a challenge within itself, Opoku faces further challenges as an artist. “After I get an idea, another big struggle is writing,” Opoku said. Because Opoku is a native of Ghana, English is not his first language. “I find it so hard to express myself in [English], but that doesn’t make me quit. Most of the time I know what I’m trying to say in my language, but then expressing it for [you all] to get it, I get the urge to give up,” Opoku said.

However, this challenge is one that Opoku seems to enjoy. “I see struggling to come up with ideas and expressing myself as a competition/test to see if I actually love music like I say I do,” Opoku said.

Through persistence and dedication, Opoku has released an album entitled

“Genesis,” which includes 10 original songs, which sold 50+ CDs within the first week of release. “Everywhere I went I had my CD with me. At Village Inn I tipped a waiter and some waitresses my CD a couple times,” Opoku said. “It looked funny tipping them a CD, but also I was building my fan base and spreading my music to them.”

In a location like Iowa, where there are not many resources for up-and-coming artists like Opoku, as a rapper, Opoku set some hefty goals, including a short term plan for a video production and a long term goal of growing his platform. “My goal is to shoot a music video that’s going to inspire people that go through bullying and depression,” Opoku said. “In the future, my goal is to build my fanbase and get more people to join the fam.”

To accomplish this, Opoku plans to pursue music after high school and extend his efforts into college amidst his studies. “I will have a schedule for when to write songs and when to actually study,” Opoku said.

Opoku’s music, released under the name Je Skido, can be found on multiple streaming platforms such as Spotify, Soundcloud, iTunes, Amazon and Google Play.

“Music is important because music can change who you are as a person. Good music like what I do would make you question yourself about ‘Is what I’m doing right or not,’ and also when you are running out of words or can’t express yourself, music helps you express yourself in so many different ways,” Opoku said. “Music is powerful. Music is beautiful. Music is art.”

By Co-Editor-in-Chief Elise

LEASURE

Tying It Math teacher using Girl Scout passion Together for creative geometic inspiration

Sabine Martin Photo opportunity to be a professor in New Hampton, N.Y., but in turn chose to be a mathematics teacher at CF.

By Staff Writer Aysiah

KELLER

Math teacher Julie Kirkpatrick has drawn on the complexities of tying knots as an inspiration for lessons in geometry.

8

The

SPORTS

Tiger

Friday, Nov. 10, 2017

Football season comes to close in Iowa City The chills of the Friday, Nov. 2 night traveled up the spines of each Tiger football player sprinting out of the locker room with adrenaline rushing as they faced the No. 1 ranked team in the state, the Iowa City West Trojans, in Iowa City. Little did they know, it would be the Tiger seniors’ last time to pump up with the brotherhood they established playing together the last three years.

“I will miss my teammates the most. We have become a family, and I just love being around those guys,” senior Luke Gillett said.

Excitement shot through Gillett’s feet and landed in his palms, where everything starts for the quarterback, leader and face of Tiger football.

Gillett said it was just like any other game. He was ready to play, be focused and looked forward to being on the field, driving for a win alongside his best friends.

“It’s not about winning. As long as you continue to get better, the winning will come on its own,” he said.

Gillett said he is most proud of the way the team played against Iowa City West both times. Playing the No. 1 team and putting up a fight in both games shows a lot about the players, coaches and community.

Going into halftime under the dark sky, the players on the field and scoreboard looked grim. Iowa City West led, 10-3, as players trotted off the field in hopes of firing back up.

Junior Sam Gary, who suffered from a mild shoulder injury versus Cedar Rapids Prairie and still was experiencing pain, wore

Maddie Posekany Photo

The season came to a close for junior Sam Gary and the rest of the football team in the playoff quarterfinal against Iowa City West on Friday, Nov. 10 in Iowa City. The final score was 27-9 in favor of the Trojans. a brace on that Friday night in Iowa City, but that didn’t stop this tailback. Running for 193 yards on 32 carries, Gary finally found a home in the end zone with 10 seconds remaining in the third quarter, painting a prettier picture on the scoreboard of 13-9.

“I just wanted to win. I wanted to get back to the Dome so it would be like we would be playing at home and right in front of our home crowd,” Gary said.

Gary said he too felt nerves, but once the now 9-2 team took the field roaring, everything eased away, and he was back to business.

He said he felt the coaching staff was amazing throughout the whole year, always preaching hard work, team efforts and the drive for success.

“They were awesome

throughout the year,” he said.

“They put us in the position to succeed and make big plays.”

The wind blew hard against the backs of Cedar Falls. Flags were thrown and touchdowns were caught, but in the end, the men of Cedar Falls swallowed a tough loss, once again, to Iowa City West, ending 27-9.

“It was a heartbreak. There is no bond I’ll find ever again like I have with these boys,” senior defensive back Daequan Thomas said.

According to Thomas, both offense and defense were well prepared going into this game and fought until the end to show what they were made up. Defensively, he said he wanted to set the tempo stepping onto the field with every play.

“I wanted to be a leader, tell my guys that we gotta stay in it

and set a high tempo. One person to spark a fire. In the end, it was just a ‘what if’ situation,” he said.

Thomas said all season long it was a goal to win on Friday nights and for him, it was more than goals, but a dream he was proud to have played for in this community.

“Tiger football is a tradition. It’s very honorable to have played in the Dome, as our home turf, for the crowd that cheered us on,” Thomas said.

Thomas said it was what the team was driven on. They were coached to be the best that they could be. He said the team sas persistent in every aspect, mentally strong and very intense, both in practice and in games.

“Losing wasn’t an option for us,” Thomas said.

Of all the memories shared, these three young men agreed that spending time in practice, long bus rides home and pumping up in the locker room to “Gucci Gang” by Lil Pump will forever be instilled into their hearts.

Many of these players will go on playing for another season of high school ball, play for bigger schools at the next level, attend college or go into the workforce.

Yet, each player with a number in his back will forever be a known as a Tiger, and the bonds formed will last a lifetime.

“No matter what happened during the day, none of that matters when you step onto the field. You can just play football and not think about anything else,” Gillett said.

By Co-Editor-in-Chief Tehya

TOURNIER

Sophomore’s team takes third in goalball Sophomore Justine Yang and a group of other blind girls ranging from the seventh to the 10th grades got third in the high school goalball championships last weekend.

Goalball is a sport designed specifically for blind athletes. It includes lines of raised tape, elbow pads, blackout goggles, a maximum of six players, a ball with bells in it and a silent room.

With only five players on their team, and only one practice, the Iowa girls division had no chance.

Or so the other teams thought.

“At lot of the schools are boarding schools, and they practice more, but we only have one practice. It was surprising that we won. Since we only have one prac-

tice, everyone (the other schools) always thinks that we would be easy to beat, but we always try our best no matter how much practice we get,” Yang said.

Everyone watched intently as the teammates listened for the ball coming their way, ready to block it from entering their goal.

“It was my first time competing in goalball competitively, but I have to say that it was so much fun, and I would totally do it again,” Yang said.

Every time the sound grew closer, Yang could hear it. In a flash, she was down in front of the goal, successfully blocking the ball from it’s path.

“You would think that you would be more nervous because

you couldn’t see, but it’s actually better, and it makes your nerves go away.” said Yang, concerning the blackout goggles.

At one point in the game, Yang took a deep breath, picked up the ball and stood, preparing to throw it. With the 10-second time limit for throwing running out, she aimed and threw, hoping to get it into the goal. All she could hear was the jingle of the bells, until, goal!

A few more rounds and goals later, and she and her team comprised of freshman Ashlyn Schlus, freshman Bailey Martin, seventh grader Olivia Midcalf and eighth grader Angela Wittrock, were standing in front of everyone with their trophies.

“I would say it’s a good pretty

intense sport, but we learn how to trust our teammates, and we learn how to work together as a team, and no matter how well or not well we do, we all agree that we’ll try our best. And we also learn how to depend on our hearing rather than our sight to play the sport,” Wittrock said.

“It’s fun and intense and a pretty underestimated sport,” Schlus said. “People think that blind people can’t do anything, let alone play sports, so we kind of made our own sport.”

“It was our first time ever for Iowa women’s division to score in the top four. It was amazing,” Yang said.

By Staff Writer Skylar

PROMER

HI-LINE Athlete of the

Week

Tayah Mahi Women’s Volleyball

How long have you been playing volleyball?

I’ve been playing volleyball since I was in kindergarten.

What has been your biggest accomplishment this season so far?

My biggest accomplishment this season was being able to get 4,000 assists with the help of my team.

What are some of your personal goals?

My personal goal is to go into State prepared and play my hardest.

What are some team goals?

Our main team goal is definitely to win a state championship, but first we have to take care of the quarters and semis.

Any state traditions?

A state tradition of ours is dancing in the locker room and getting super excited before our game.

Best memory from this or previous seasons?

My best memory is the state championship last year. The atmosphere was insane.