2018 Feature Magazine

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ZINE Dec 20, embe 201 r 8

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F E AT U R E

DEC. 20, 2018

ACROSS THE THE GLOBE GLOBE ACROSS

BY SARA BARONCINI AND CAROLINE CHANDLER

Many students around the world experience the thrill of moving to a new country to study. Our community is filled with various cultures and traditions carried over from foreign countries and brought down through generations. While not every student has the chance to travel abroad, Youjoo Lee ‘21, Marcos Cheng ‘21, Cristina Cinotto ‘19, and Val Trussov ‘19 share their personal experience of making the journey, and the differences they have observed between their home country and the United States.

Youjoo Lee ‘21 Youjoo Lee first moved to the U.S. at the age of 10, but moved back to her home in South Korea after a year. “I really liked my experience here. So when I went back to Korea, I missed the U.S. and wanted to come back.”

Because of the strenuous education system, in 2017, Youjoo, along with her mother and sister, moved back to the U.S., her father joining them later that year.

When she first moved the U.S. something that Lee wasn’t expected was the mix of so many cultures and people from around the world. “The diversity was what surprised me, because in Korea it’s mainly just Koreans,” said Lee. Lee notes that the biggest difference between the two countries is the education system. “There [South Korea] we start school around 7:30 and end at 10:00 p.m.,” Lee said.

“The classes go until 4, and then we have dinner at school. After we have a studying period until 10:00 or 11:00 p.m. Once we go home we study more until 2:00 a.m.,” Lee said.

As for cultural differences, South Korea and the U.S. are different in the ways that you meet people. “Here, even if you’re a freshman or a sophomore, you can be friends with seniors, but in Korea you don’t really get to talk to seniors if you’re a freshman or a sophomore.” Lee said.

In Korea with much focus around schoolwork, meeting and spending time with friends is not as common as in the U.S. and can be more challenging. “Here you can make friends by joining a club or sports, but in Korea there isn’t really much time to join like a club or sports so it is more difficult.”

Marcos Cheng ‘21 For Marcos Cheng, the decision to move to the United States was made by his parents. “My parents were given jobs here and they believed that the United States has a better education system,” Cheng said.

Cheng moved from China in 2017 and said that the transition was hard due to the language barrier. “It was difficult at first because the language was blocking me from socializing, but I studied hard so I could talk fluently,” Cheng said.

He was able to distinguish direct differences within the school system. “In school [in the United States] there are more speaking opportunities and presentations, while in China basically you just do homework in books or assignments on paper,” Cheng said.

The system in China is very unified because everyone takes the same classes, unlike having the decision to pick your own.

Not only this, but it is a very strict and dominant classroom.

“You have to obey your teacher. You can’t talk freely or stand up in the middle of class,” Cheng said.

The school day is longer than in the U.S. and there is much more time spent studying. “Homework takes at least 3 hours.

School starts at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m.” Cheng said.

Cheng also noticed differences between the people and students around him. “In China, students mostly focus their time on school while here students are more outgoing and get together more.” Because there are much tasks for studying in China, there isn’t as much time to do activities with friends. “When we are with friends we usually play sports after school and go out for a movie on the weekends,” Cheng

said.

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With the many fresh opportunities offered in the U.S., a handful of families move each year for educational and work benefits from distant countries. According to the students interviewed, the Iowa City community provides a good environment for foreign students who travel to the area in order to study. Schools are also very welcoming and strive for a diverse community where students are able to embrace their own cultures. This provides for a supportive system for students who have recently moved to the community and are adapting to the changes.

Cristina Cinotto ‘19 Having a father that is very interested and passionate about the United States is what lead Cristina Cinotto to come to America as a foreign exchange student from Italy.

“Staying here for so long with another family is kind of difficult,” Cinotto said. She explained how it causes you to miss many things back home, and it made her realize some of the things she has are not necessarily privileges others experience. “[In Italy] We all stick together and we can go everywhere either by walking, taking a bus, or biking.”

Once in high school, students are able to focus on a certain subject or major while continuing to study the main subjects.

“My brother did the classic school that is about Italian language, where he studied Latin, Greek and history. I was in the artistic high school, where I was doing visual arts and the history of art,” Cinotto said.

Cinotto is temporarily in the U.S. on a foreign exchange program which enabled her to spend her last year of studying abroad. “With my association they sent around 20 students to Iowa with me. All you can do is choose a country, then you are given a specific location where you are matched with a host family,” Cinotto said.

“I was at first okay with moving at first but now I realized that it was actually pretty great to do it. It’s cool to do a different thing for a year then go back to what I am used to,” Cinotto said.

Having this opportunity was in the end one she was happy of pursuing because of everything she has learned so far and getting to experience a different culture.

F E AT U R E

DEC. 20, 2018

Val Trussov ‘19 When Val Trussov was given the opportunity by his brother to come to the United States from his home country, Kazakhstan (just south of Russia.) It was one he couldn’t resist.

Trussov first went to a small school in West Branch, Iowa, that was a private religious school. “It was kind of hard for me my first year because the school was very different from what I was used to,” Trussov said. “So, I thought if I went to a school like West High it would be way easier and not as different.”

It was also difficult making friends because in such a small community, it is hard to make connections with others.

“I obviously missed my language because I couldn’t express myself as well, which is kind of hard sometimes,” Trussov said, explaining the ways it was difficult to make conflict with others. There are few direct differences that Trussov was able to point out between the two places. “[In Kazakhstan] we have about 20 to 23 subjects every year and you cannot choose, it is all required. Here, [the school system] is way easier.”

Trussov also noticed similarities and differences within the sports system. “I’m an athlete, and the biggest difference I’ve seen is the sports system. We have little support, if you did something back home, you have to do it by yourself outside of school.”

Trussov explains how he has learned and gained much since moving over here, but there will always be a spot in his heart for his home country. “ I love my country, I am Russian and I will never forget that,” Trussov said. “It’s the biggest thing for me because a lot of my great grandparents died in the war, and my grandma taught me to love it.”

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CULTURED CRAVINGS

F E AT U R E DEC.20,2018

Food is part of every holiday tradition that brings family together.

By Ashley Baum, Sarah Callanan and Will Haddy

JAPANESE NEW

G

KWANZAA

lazed mango pound cake is an African tradition. The cake is usually eaten during Kwanzaa. Food is an important part of Kwanzaa that most people find more enjoyable with family. Kwanzaa is the celebration of African heritage that consists of gift giving and a lot of food. Kwanzaa has seven main cores including Umoja: to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race, Kujichagulia: self-determination, Ujima: collective work and responsibility, Ujamaa: cooperative economics, Nia: purpose, Kuumba: creativity, and Imani: faith. Kwanzaa is also a celebration of African and African-American culture and a way for African-Americans to reconnect with a side of their culture that was taken away during slavery.

YEAR

M

ochi is a traditional Japanese delicacy that is mainly eaten and made during the Japanese New Year; one of the most important Japanese holidays. According to the tradition of Shinto, Japan’s original religion, a god enters the house at New Year’s. In a lot of Japanese households they participate in mochitsuki, which is an annual tradition where members of a household, community, or neighborhood come together for the pounding of rice to make mochi. This traditional Japanese food has been around for ages and is eaten by some in hopes of better fortune for the next year. Although it takes a lot of time to make, it is worth it for the taste.

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CHRISTMAS T

hough cake pops are not a traditional Christmas treat, it’s easy to transform them into delicious unique Christmas treats. Making them into Christmas trees, Santa hats, reindeer, or even something as simple as a candy canes. Cake pops are relatively new being made for the first time in Georgia in 2008 and have been very popular since. Christmas is one of the most important holidays for Christians, its celebrating the birth of Jesus. Maddy Negley ´21 loves the excitement and family aspect of Christmas ¨A normal Christmas we have our full family over for lunch and to play cards,¨ said Negley. If you want a design for your cake pop, you can make a Santa cake pop. Santa originated from the 4th century, and was based off a rich man who would give to those in need out of the kindness of his heart. Later he became a saint for his good heart; in the 16th century england the tradition of giving presents returned and ¨Father Christmas” was re-born.

F E AT U R E

DEC.20,2018

“LOSING TO ALL MY BROTHERS AT DREIDEL AND LOSING ALL MY CHOCOLATE”-BOAZ ABRAMOFF ‘22 “WHEN MY DOG ATE THE WHOLE TURKEY AND CHOCOLATES”-MADDY NEGLEY ‘21

“I WAS AT A FRIENDS HOUSE AND WE HAD ALL THIS CONFETTI AND EVERYTHING AND WE WERE READY. WE WERE LIKE HAPPY NEW YEAR, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY 11:59” -HANAH KITAMOTO ‘22

“ON THE 26,THE FIRST DAY OF KUANZAA, IT IS ALSO MY BIRTHDAY, SO SOMETIMES THE HALF OF MY FAMILY THAT DOESNT CELEugel is a classic Jewish dish that is often served on Hanukkah and Yom Tov. Cooking kugel is one way to participate in Hanukkah BRATE KUANZAA GETS A LITTLE along with celebrating with family, getting presents and eating other CARRIED AWAY WITH CELEBRATJewish delicacies. Hanukkah is the ING MY BIRTHDAY WHEN ALL I festival of lights and is an eight day WANTED TO DO WAS CELEBRATE event that commemorates the re- KWANZAA” -LILI DUCAN ‘20

HANUKKAH K

dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and defeating the Syrians.

For Boaz Abramoff ´22 Hanukkah is an amazing time for him to get together with his family and spend time with loved ones “Just like most other Jewish Holidays, it is very family oriented, so the best place to be is just at home with loved ones.¨

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F E AT U R E

DECEMBER 20, 2018

THE WAY OF WILL BY: BROCK PELFEY AND GARY CHEN

Will Hoeft ‘20 explains his wrestling beginnings and his rise to a potential state title.

Hoeft is a wrestler with a tough season ahead of him. He is working very hard to be the best at his weight. “It is awful to go gainst him, because he’s a very strong guy, and he knows all the moves out there. He’s never afraid to try anything new, and not afraid to hurt you.” - Mason Sorge ‘19.

When you get on that mat, what’s going through your head?

“Nothing really, just getting to my shots and scoring more points.”

What awards and titles have you won?

“In 8th grade I was the AAU state champion, and last year I was second in the MVC (missouri valley conference). I have also been on a few iowa national dual teams.”

How does Will impact the other wrestlers?

“He impacts with leadership, you know, just having someone with experience at the State Tournament.” - Sorge ‘19

What advice do you have for other wrestlers?

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F E AT U R E DECEMBER 20, 2018

“Work hard all the time, and whenever you can, put in more work if you want to be the best.”

At what age did you start wrestling and why?

“I started to wrestle around 11 or 12 because my dad suggested it because I was very into football when I was younger.”

Is he looked up to by others, and why?

“He is looked up at because he made the state tournament last year, and he knows how hard you have to work to get to that point.”- Mason Sorge ‘19

Did your dad wrestle, and if he did, how did that influence you?

“He did but only in jr high and his senior year of highschool, but he influenced me to wrestle because he said it would make me a better football player, and I wound up liking it.”

What is it like wrestling with Will?

“It is awful to go against him, because he’s a very strong guy, and he knows all the moves out there. He’s never afraid to try anything new, and not afraid to hurt you.” - Sorge ‘19

- AAU state champion - MVC runner up - Iowa National Dual teams - 3 year starter at ICW HIgh.

“10 Films you gotta watch during the Winter Break”

A group of sources have come together to give a list of 10 movies to watch after the Christmas Break!

BY: FOUAD EL-KERDANI

C

hristmas break is almost here! Many have vacation plans and some are looking forward to playing in the snow or drinking eggnog, but for those who don’t have a plan or need something to help the Christmas spirit, here are ‘Ten movies to watch during the Christmas break!’

There are a lot of movies in this vast green Earth of which humans stand on, but here are at least ten recommended movies students should watch during Christmas:

Polar Express the idea of a train that comes to people’s houses to ‘kidnap’ children so they could see Santa is ‘interesting’. The film itself is very good and comedic in certain moments. It has a high rating on websites and audiences.

Home Alone 2 is about a nine year who gets lost in New York City during the Christmas and has to cope with the situation. And, he uses his dad’s money to do whatever he wants!

The Grinch 1966 is an classic movie about the Grinch who wants to stop Christmas from occurring only to redeem himself at the end! Very classic and shows the true meaning of Christmas!

The Transformers movies have had a reputation of failing for critics and audiences but the latest installment, Bumblebee 2018, has received 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and is considered to be the best Transformers movie ever made! Also, this film comes out four days before Christmas of this year!

Thor Ragnarok is a comedy movie that was released in November of 2017, and is regarded as the best Thor movie in the trilogy and perhaps the best comedy movie in all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Very funny, family friendly, and worth watching … on Netflix!

Shrek is a well respected movie character and has been for a long time. His first film has some Christmas elements in it and will entertain all audiences who enjoy a wonderful time with their families.

Arthur Christmas, has good reviews and is considered to be one of the best Christmas movies of all time according to fans and reviewers. So, why not?

ELF 2003, is considered to be a great Christmas movie according to some students and adults who have seen the movie so , why not? Besides who doesn't like Will Ferrell? Anyone?

IRON MAN 3, is about Tony Stark coming to terms with nightmares and panic attack about the near-death experience in Avengers and during Christmas. This film has a lot of Christmas elements.

Daddy’s home 2, is controversial with audiences, critics, and websites. However, the film is comedic and has a lot of Christmas elements in it that makes it very enjoyable for families and friends.

These are film recommendations from a West high student. There are other sources like a website called “Film School Rejects” (very unusual name but still trustworthy) has their own share movies to bring. Their recommendations include: • Christmas Story (1983) • Radio Days (1987) • Home Alone (1990) • Panic Room (2002) • Die Hard (1988) • Key Largo (1948) • Elf (2003) • Big (1988) • White Christmas (1954) • Gremlins (1984) • Bad Santa (2003) • National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) At the end of the day, it’s up to a person to decide what kind of entertainment they would want in their Christmas Break. Whether it’s to sit down and drink some good old fashion eggnog or for some reason eat fruit cake.

Merry Christmas West High!

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F E AT U R E

DEC. 21, 2018

TOP HOILDAY MOVIES The classic must watch movies for your snowy winter break

BY MARY WOODWARD

“The Grinch”

The Grinch and his dog, Max, live together inside a cave on Mount Crumpet. As Christmas time approaches, the Who’s down in Whoville begin to celebrate their favorite holiday As the holiday festivities continue , the Grinch realizes that there is only one way to gain peace and quiet. With Max’s help the Grinch comes up with a plan to ruin Christmas for all the Whos in Whoville.

“Elf ”

Buddy the Elf was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler. He was raised to adulthood by Santa’s elves.

As Buddy grows older, he can’t get rid of the feeling that he doesn’t fit in, and travels to New York in search of his real father Walter Hobbs. After a DNA test proves the connection, Walter reluctantly starts to bond with Buddy with increasinly chaotic results.

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F E AT U R E

“Home Alone”

DEC. 21, 2018

When 8-year-old Kevin McCallister causes trouble the night before a big family trip to Paris, his mother forces him to sleep in the attic. After the McCallisters accidentally leave for Paris without Kevin he wakes up to an empty house and mistakenly assumes his wish to no longer have a family has come true. But when two con men plan to rob the McCallister residence. Kevin must protect the family home.

“The Year Without A Santa Claus”

Santa thinks that nobody believes in him any more so he decides to cancel Christmas. Mrs. Claus sends two elves Jingle and Jangle with a baby reindeer Vixen to encourage Christmas spirit, all while the two brothers Heat Miser and Snow Miser try to ruin it. Will Jingle and Jangle save Christmas?

“The Polar Express”

On Christmas Eve, a young boy embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express, while learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas.

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F E AT U R E

DEC 19, 2018

THE DONUT DUEL Do you have a hard time deciding which donut place is the best goto place? Listen to what your classmates have to say.

BY SANYA SAMI There are a variety of donut places in town, but there are two big competitors: Hurts Donuts and Dunkin Donuts.

Many students have questioned where they should go to get donuts when they get the chance, but have a hard time deciding where to go. Some have a standard go-to donut place, while others like to mix it up.

Emily Shie ‘19 is “new to the world of donuts”, but already has a prefered place.

“I prefer Dunkin over Hurts because I’m super basic and only like glazed donuts,” Shie said.

Along with that, Shie finds Dunkin Donuts to be good quality. “For me, there is no con for Dunkin. They know what’s up and how to make a good donut,” Shie said.

However, to be fair, Shie has never eaten at Hurts Donuts but believes that their donuts look “really intricate”. She also said, “Hurts isn’t the best for super picky eaters like me, but great for people who love to try new things.”

Along with the factor of taste comes the factor of price.

Aashika Gadkari ‘22 prefers Dunkin Donuts over Hurts Donuts “because they are light, fluffy, reasonably priced, and not too sweet.” However, when Gadkari had Hurts Donuts, she said, “[Their] donuts are too sweet, especially the icing, and they’re very heavy.” She also said that Hurts Donuts are “more expensive” than Dunkin Donuts.

And those costs add up, especially when buying for a group, like Gadkari did as a member of junior high student council. “Every week, one person signed up to bring donuts for the council to enjoy. It was one of the perks of junior high student council,” Gadkari said. Gadkari bought Dunkin’s for the group, and said, “I remember that everyone enjoyed them very much, and while this didn’t actually happen at that moment, most people were telling me they were glad I picked Dunkin over other places.”

“ H U RTS I SN ’T TH E B EST FO R SU PE R PI CK Y EATE RS LI K E M E , BUT G R EAT FO R PEO PLE WH O LOVE TO TRY N EW TH I N GS.” - E M I LY SH I E ‘19 To some, there are pros and cons of both. This is the case for Taoheedul Tanim ‘20, although he ends up preferring Dunkin Donuts. “Dunkin Donuts is not as fancy, but the service is quick compared to Hurts,” Tanim said. “Dunkin is great when I want to come and go.” The place Tanim decides to go to depends on his mood as well.

However, Tanim’s opinion on Hurts Donuts include, “[They] are too big, and the special donuts just have too much on them.” He also said, “But Dunkin Donuts fell to be too simple and plain.” Tanim tends to find more pros in Dunkin Donuts and therefore prefers Dunkin’s.

Although Dunkin Donuts is a very popular choice for many, Sanmati Thangavel ‘20 prefers Hurts Donuts. “My first time going to Hurts was last year with my best friend,” Thangavel said. She believes Hurts Donuts are higher quality and taste good.

However, for Dunkin Donuts, Thangavel said, “I feel since their donuts sit out in the open, they become super dry. They are left exposed to the environment and you don’t know what’s in the air touching them, so I don’t prefer them.”

Though Hurts is pricier, Thangavel doesn’t let that get in her way. “Although a little more expensive, Hurts has a variety of donuts so you know you can walk out with something you like, unlike Dunkin,” Thangavel said.

Still can’t decide? Donut worry. In the end, any donut is better than no donut.

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F E AT U R E

DEC 19, 2018

DONUTS BY THE STATiStics THE

FAVORITE TYPES OF DONUTS

THE

PREFERRED DONUT SHOP

Glazed (38.75%) Hurts Donuts (48.75%)

Dunkin Donuts (51.25%)

Cinnamon (3.75%)

Jelly (3.75%)

Powdered (5%)

Chocolate (27.50%)

Other (21.25%)

WHY

THE

OTHER FAVORITES

THAT PLACE IS LIKED

The environment of the place (1.25%) Their donuts (51.25%) Cheesecake (11.76%) Sprinkled (5.88%) Maple (11.76%)

Frosted (11.76%)

Cream-Filled (11.76%)

Cake (11.76%)

Vanilla (11.76%)

Both (47.50%)

Strawberry (11.76%)

SPRINKLES!

Long John (5.88%)

Double Chocolate (5.88%)

YAY OR NAY?

The Statistics 80 high school students were surveryed throughout ICCSD to provide all information displayed on this page.

Yay (57.50%)

Nay (42.50%)

Compiled by Sanya Sami

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F E AT U R E

Merry and Bright DEC.21,2018

PUTTING UP HOLIDAY DECORATIONS MAY SEEM TEDIOUS, BUT FOR THESE FAMILIES IT MEANS MUCH MORE.

H

e sits in his favorite chair in the house, a gray recliner that has been with him as long as he can remember. Cars stream by his house, slowing at the display in his yard. Families get out of their cars to see the 18 foot Grinch, giant Gingerbread house and many other inflatables shown on his snowy lawn. Kids smile against the car windows and neighbors observe his extravagant display, making this 18 hour set-up worth it.

For Kent Smith, Christmas is more than just his favorite holiday, it’s a chance to give back to his community. His yard is lined with inflatables of all sizes and a big tree strung with lights. Smith has set up decorations for 24 years in a row while also displaying decor for other holidays such as Halloween, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and many more. The tradition began a few years ago when a neighbor encouraged him to do a display.

“When we moved in, [my neighbor] told me the neighborhood needed a big display to draw the people in, so I went big,” Smith said.

Lorrie Crandall also put her all into creating a elaborate holiday display. Before she created her intricate design, she was like any other house with a few decorations and lights—nothing extravagant. As the years passed, she found inspiration from the luminaries in Coralville and the enthusiasm found in her neighborhood, which resulted in a pile up of decor. She and her husband spent three full weekends dressing their house in lights and decorations. Due to the growing fame of her decor, her home has been pegged “The Gingerbread House” of North Liberty due to her many candy like decorations.

“We usually look for anything candy or Gingerbread-related for the Christmas display and we do make several things as well,” Crandall said. One decoration called the “In-Santa-Tree” is constructed of pvc pipe.

Smith has hundreds of decorations, most for Christmas. A tree in his front yard is one of the highlights of the display, consisting of more than 45 strands of lights and eight hours of work alone. For other holidays such as Halloween,

Smith dresses the tree in orange lights, creating a giant pumpkin. His other Christmas decorations include 22 inflatables, one being Ralphie from “A Christmas Story.”

Smith said he loses about 20 percent of his lights each year which can be caused by damage from the weather or a problem within the lights, which adds to his budget of $600.

As to be expected, there are complications with setting up their displays. Some can be as minor as lights not working or the location of a decoration. Other factors such as weather conditions, motivation to set-up the display or animals damaging the decor can also affect their displays.

“One complication is the set of lights that test ok, but stops working once they are in place,”

“ WH E N WE M OVE D I N , MARG R ET (H I S N E I G H BO R) TO LD M E TH E N E I G H BO R H OO D N E E DE D A B I G D I SPL AY TO DR AW TH E PEO PLE I N , SO I WE NT B I G,” SM ITH SAI D. Smith said.

Others can be more dangerous, such as the use of ladders or even legal matters involving theft or complaints.

“One year we looked out at our display one morning and noticed footprints in the snow,” Crandall said. “Someone had stolen our beloved blow mold Santa that we got when we were first married.”

Crandall contacted the police and her Santa was returned to her a few months later. The incident resulted in an accumulation of Santas

due to many donations through neighbors and friends.

“The next day our doorbell rang and a neighbor left us a replacement blow mold Santa that she had bought,” Crandall said. “Our neighbor found some Santas at a garage sale and bought them for us. A friend brought over another, and soon we were overrun with blow mold Santas.”

Although Smith has never had encountered any problems with theft, he does worry about the congestion of cars that fill the streets.

“I live on 12th Avenue, one of only three streets that cross over the interstate. I have to be very careful about the congestion I cause on 12th Avenue,” Smith said. “I was told by a city official once as long as I kept it simple and didn’t add any animation to the display I won’t be bothered.”

Although putting up the amount of decorations Smith and Crandall have may seem excessive to some, they bring warmth and joy to many during the holiday season. With people like Smith and Crandall, a close-knit community is formed, pathing the way for holidays that are merry and bright.

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F E AT U R E

DEC.21, 2018

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F E AT U R E S DEC. 11, 2018

PIERCING THE SURFACE A closer look at West High’s body and ear piercing trends.

BY YOUJOO LEE & FRANCES BLOUNT

Although the practice of piercing dates back to 2500 BCE, multiple body and ear piercings have not always been the norm for teenagers in the U.S. Piercings used to be commonly associated with drugs and rebellion and were not generally accepted in society. However, instead of the bold rebellious statement piercings used to make, they have become a modern and trendy way to express one’s individual style.

Andres Fajardo ‘20 2 LOBES 1 GAUGE “First it was something that I saw in the street and it was something my friends wanted to do and I wanted to try to have one… also I remember that I saw one DJ called Zomboy and he had with one gauge in only one ear and I liked it…. The ones that I have in the right ear I saw in anime, it’s called One Piece, one of the characters called Zoro he had 3 piercings in one ear and I wanted to have something like that.”

Cristina Cinotto ‘19 1 NOSE 1 LOBES 3 GAUGES “My dad hates my piercings.

He didn’t want me to do these normal ones because he was a punk when he was young so he has ears full of holes and my mom too so they were like ‘my ears now suck and I don’t want the same for you’, but I didn’t care.”

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F E AT U R E S

DEC. 11, 2018

Jillian Prescott ‘21 2 LOBES “Me and my two other cousins really wanted to get our ears pierced so we made a pact that we would like go to Claire’s together. It didn’t happen so I just went to Claire’s one day and I was like bam.”

Erin Elizalde ‘20 1 CARTILAGE 2 LOBES “I kinda like simplistic [jewelry].

I feel like sometimes all these colors can be too much so if it’s just really simple I feel like it looks good”

Olivia Benda ‘19 4 LOBES 1 TRAGUS 1 ROOK 1 CONCH “It was maybe not even so much about the piercing itself and cause I think that they look cool but it’s also a really fun experience. It’s a really interesting feeling that you don’t get from anything else .”

Emily Krummel ‘21 7 LOBES 1 INDUSTRIAL 1 CARTILAGE “My family members were kind of hesitant about it but they were never like ‘don’t do it’. My mom thinks that ear piercings are kind of an alternative for not letting me getting my nose pierced, but it’s more like ‘I actually was gonna do that too’.”

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F E AT U R E DEC. 6, 2018

2000’S ONLY

KIDS WILL REMEMBER

By Ella Rosenthal

Skechers, Capris, Powdered Do- Ferb, and The Suite Life of Zack nuts, Razor Scooters, Big Wheel and Cody. trikes, Jumbo Legos, HARLEM “I remember watching Austin SHAKE, Gangnam Style, are slowly becoming things of the past. But “ I N EVE R R EALLY GOT now that all West High students I NTO TH E TR E N DS, I were born in between the years of 2000 and 2004, what do they re- WAS M O R E LI K E TH E member?

PE RSO N THAT TH OUG HT

‘ EVE RYBO DY ’S DO I N G

Gwen Watson ‘21, recalled watching shows from Disney Channel, a TH I S, O K AY,” source of much childhood entertainment, from shows like ICarly, and Ally … and a specific episode Hannah Montana, Phineas and where they broke a window,” Wat-

son said.

On the other hand, Emma Gibson ‘20 says that she didn’t really dive into the trends of the 2000s.

“I never really got into the trends, I was more like the person that thought ‘everybody’s doing this, okay,” Gibson said. Gibson did enjoy one of the more memorable trends that took hold in 2010 and 2011: Silly Bandz, but she says that they’ll remain in the past.

Cameron Reimers ’22 remembers the fashion of her childhood that was meant for children. “ Clout goggles were the thing as a toddler, I wore them everywhere!” Reimers said

Jack Harris ‘22 also remembers one of the more modern ways to watch entertainment.

“I remember liking Netflix more back when it was a movie mail order service.” Harris said, adding a memory of one of his memories of the news. “ I [also] remember thinking it was really stupid that pluto didn’t get to be a planet” Harris said.

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MOVING FOWARD “They’re just old and stupid,” Gibson said. “They don’t seem like something we’d have now because I feel like we’ve grown smarter as a community.”

Bess and Rosalynn Frerichs ‘21 were very aware of “the phase of leopard print,” Rosalynn said. Bess, on the other hand, remembers “all the jump-roping songs,” like the ones that featured Cinderella and Fuzzy Wuzzy the teddy bear.

Looking forward, Samantha Croco ’22 believes that popsockets will continue to be a trend, saying that “Not only are they fun and cool, but they are really helpful while holding your phone. About a month ago I switched my case with a popsocket to a case without and I

couldn’t stop dropping my phone.

God bless popsockets.” Jack Harris ‘22 also thinks that Vines will remain in the 2010s. “vine shut down so no one who wasn’t already making them is going to start making them.”

“ VI N E SH UT DOWN SO N O O N E WH O WASN ’T ALR EADY MAK I N G TH E M I S GO I N G TO START MAK I N G TH E M ,” - JACK HAR RI S ‘22 “ MY F RI E N DS AN D I WOU LD SK RT SK RT AROU N D TOWN O N OU R RI PSTI CKS. WE TH OUG HT WE WE R E SO COO L” - SAMANTHA CROCO ‘22

Mattel also began their popularity with toys like Hot Wheels, Barbie, American Girl, and Bratz dolls. America Marungo-Murillo ‘21 took part in the Bratz doll craze “I had all the bratz dolls my favorite one was Yasmin, and I remember watching also their movies.”

Marungo-Murillo said.

Design by Cymry Hieronymus

REWRITING THE HUMAN CODE We now have the ability to rework our genome-with nearly limitless possibilities. But where do we draw the line?

By Jonathan Chen and Kailey Gee

Genetic editing has reached unimaginable heights. It has reshaped agriculture, and shed new light on the code of animal and plant life. Furthermore, in November, Chinese biophysicist He Jiankui reportedly birthed the world’s first genetically modified human babies (eliminating genes that caused HIV).

Although none of He’s claims have been confirmed, the news spread quickly around the world. This is because of an unspoken taboo: the birth of gene-edited humans was not to be attempted. Thus, it added fuel to an already highly contested debate in human gene-editing: Is it ethical?

Merriam-Webster defines ethics as “a set of moral principles.” Ethical simply means that the action in question follows these moral guidelines. However, what those principles are, and how far they stretch is largely based on personal opinion.

THE SCIENCE OF GENETIC EDITING Before judging ethicality, it’s crucial to understand how gene-editing works. Current work usually involves a DNA-based tool called CRISPR-Cas9. It utilizes a group of DNA sequences, clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats, called CRISPR. The tool, using CRISPR sequences to guide the enzyme Cas9, can “cut” sequences of DNA that contain mutated genes. The cell rebuilds the sequence, only without the mutation.

Researchers have also developed methods to replace mutated strands with healthy strands of their own choosing, injecting the healthy strand alongside CRISPR-Cas9.

CRISPR tools are already in wide use, notably in the agriculture industry, where it is used to create stronger and higher-yield crops. It’s also in common use with plants and animals to study the genomes of various species. The ethicality of these methods has almost never been challenged.

Editing the human genome, however, is much more complicated. Human gene-editing is generally divided into two groups: gene therapy and enhancement. Both have two subdivisions: somatic, gene-editing on live patients, and germline, gene-editing on embryos. Gene therapy is the use of geneediting to combat and treat diseases, and enhancement is the use of gene-editing to give benefits to already healthy individuals.

In somatic gene therapy, ethical issues are almost entirely absent, and many clinical trials involving somatic gene therapy are already in development. Somatic gene therapy has already been accepted as a viable method of treatment. However, in the three other types of gene-editing, controversy is much more prevalent. Somatic enhancement is essentially a tool to better perform plastic surgery and do what steroids and other drugs are currently. Germline enhancement is often strongly discouraged and is viewed as potentially dangerous to our entire species, ART BY KAILEY GEE

due to the enhancements being inherited through descendants.

Germline gene therapy is the most controversial of the gene-editing types. This type of gene therapy includes the experiments

by He, with genes that allow for specific diseases being ‘turned off ’ by CRISPR. This gives the embryo an immunity to the disease.

However, because it edits an unborn embryo, germline gene therapy lies in an ethical gray area.

ETHICAL CONFLICTS Many people who oppose germline therapy point out medical risks like off-target effects, in which wrong genes are edited. Another risk is mosaicism, which occurs when only some cells are rid of the mutation. Concerns have also risen that these types of edits will lead to germline enhancement, and even down a slippery slope to a ‘superior’ human race.

Another moral conflict is present in the issue of consent. When germline edits occur, it’s impossible for the patient to give consent, the patient being the unborn embryo. The procedures are decided upon by a third party. Furthermore, changes are inherited by the patient’s descendants. This creates a consent conflict in embryos and all of their descendants since the descendants can’t give consent.

With those moral objections in mind, it appears that He’s project, if proven true, violates many ethical standards. His work has been criticized severely, with some describing it as “appalling” or “monstrous”.

The birth of the edited twin girls referred to by their pseudonyms “Lulu” and “Nana”, is illegal in China and most advanced countries.

He’s work wasn’t condemned because he genetically edited the embryos, nor was it because he eliminated the HIV-causing CCR5 gene. Many edits have been performed on human embryos in the past, but none received the criticism He’s work did. The backlash that resulted was because he put the embryos into the womb to be born.

However, a British bioethics study in July came to the conclusion that the editing and birth of human embryos are ethical, although conditionally. The study decided that as long as the work met two defined principles, it would be ethical. The editing would have to be done to secure the embryo’s welfare, and could not create disadvantages or discrimination among different groups. It presented one of the strongest arguments that the genetic editing of human embryos is ethical. Geneediting has the ability to be very beneficial to the embryo’s welfare, and those who support germline therapy say this outweighs the risks.

Using those two principles as standards, it seems that He’s work could be considered ethical if he actually did give the two twins an immunity to HIV. However, even if his claims are true, that was not the case. During He’s presentation at the summit, he reported that only one of the twins had both of her CCR5 genes turned off. The second only had one gene turned off, suggesting that she would still be vulnerable to HIV. At the moment, it isn’t known if this was intentional, which would essentially make her a control subject.

Unintentional or not, it violates the principles.

A LOCAL LOOK INTO GENETICS He’s project in mind, it seems that the world is not quite ready to go as far in germline gene therapy as he did. However, human gene therapy is still a promising field, with somatic gene therapy being advanced every day, even close to home.

Recently, a genetics team at the University of Iowa received a two million dollar grant to develop new methods of somatic gene therapy.

The research would be used to fix mutations in airway cells that can cause life-threatening lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, that currently have almost no treatment options.

Paul McCray is the leader and principal investigator of the team, as well as the executive vice chair in the Stead Family Department of Pediatrics. He’s taken care of children suffering from cystic fibrosis and has

21

been working on gene therapies for N EWS decades. McCray DEC. 17 2018 also warns that now is still not the time for germline gene therapy.

“I think that we do not understand the safety profile and off-target effects well enough to consider treating genetic diseases in embryos,” said McCray. “A time may come where we understand these issues well enough to consider moves in that direction.”

That may be a scientist’s perspective, but what does West High think? It seems most students agree: there is a fragile balance between what is ethical and what isn’t. In a recent survey, 66.7% of surveyed students said that germline editing is only ethical in certain situations.

However, there are still those that disagree.

Miles Clark ’22 is a student on the speech and debate team, who recently covered human gene-editing. When speaking about the ethicality of germline therapy, Clark said, “I think as long as the embryo’s life is not terminated then it’s okay.”

In germline editing, it’s very possible that not all procedures can succeed, and that embryos will die. Clark is aware of these risks.

“I suppose you got to make some sacrifices for the greater good.”

Biology teacher Brad Wymer said editing human embryos is only ethical in certain situations. “I believe it is ethical only if there is a disease being treated/prevented. Outside of that, I feel that too much power is being placed in scientific hands.”

There is certainly a fragile balance between what is ethical and what isn’t. The ethical consequences of changing the human genome can be heavy, but so can the ethical benefits.

While there is a common consensus that some procedures tread on an ethical line, in the end, people can only decide for themselves when the altering of the human code becomes immoral.

STUDENT SIDEBAR What does West think about gene edting embryos before birth? “ TH E Y H AVE N O SAY I N WH AT SO M EO N E DO ES TO TH E I R BO DY ” - E M M A H A L L ‘ 21

“ IT CO U LD B E A RG U E D TH AT N OT DO I N G TH I S WH E N TH E R E I S TH E O PPO RTU N IT Y TO DO SO WO U LD B E CO N S I D E R E D U N ETH I C A L , R ATH E R TH A N DO I N G IT A N D I M PROV I N G TH E LI F E O F TH AT BA BY.” - B I VA N S H R E STH A‘ 2 2

“ I J U ST TH I N K TH AT PEO PLE S H O U LD H AVE TH E CH O I CE TO DO TH I S I F TH AT I S WH AT TH E Y WA NT.” -S I D N E Y K I E RS H ‘19

Start

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F E AT U R E

DEC. 20

GAMING STEREOTYPES DEBUNKED Students share their opinions and experiences on stereotypes

BY XIAOYI ZHU

Stereotype: Gaming is a guy thing

Kailey Gee ‘22

Camereon Reimers ‘22

“The stereotype that gaming is a guy thing is actually pretty toxic and a lot bigger than I think people realize. The stigma in general is another reason why I stopped playing games as much. There’s been a couple times where I felt out of place, and like people were judging me for playing certain games. I used to say that one of my hobbies was playing video games, and I would sometimes get pretty weird looks.

I got tired of having to prove that I was good enough at games to be considered a ‘gamer’ so I started to play less and less.”

“I think it’s kinda sad, I had a lot of times when I’m playing with my brother and people can’t see me but they can hear my voice and they assume I’m a guy. They were like you just do it for the attention, but I really like it. Gaming is something that is supposed to be fun, it’s not supposed to be for boys or girls.”

Gamer Profile Favorite games: Fortnite Plays about 4 hours per day

Gamer Profile Favorite games: Stardew Valley Plays about 2 hours per week Stereotype: Gamers are antisocial Ethan Chen ‘19 “As for being antisocial, let me paint you a picture: when you enter a counter strike game, you’re matched with four completely random people that you’re required to coordinate with in order to win.

You tell me whether or not that’s antisocial. Bottom line is that it’s no less social than social media.”

Gamer Profile Favorite games: CS:GO Plays 6-7 hours per week

Miles Clark ‘22 “The stereotype that gamers are antisocial isn’t true because one of the biggest aspects in most of today’s games is multiplayer. This is really important because in multiplayer you interact with friends and other people through the game causing you not to be antisocial.”

Gamer profile Favorite games: Legend of Zelda breath of the wild, Mario Plays 2 hours and 21 minutes per day

End

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F E AT U R E

DEC, 20

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F E AT U R E

DEC. 20, 2018

A PASSION FOR TEACHING

BY MISHA CANIN AND CAROLINE BARKER

West High is filled with a diverse group of people. Students and teachers come from all over and have different backgrounds and experiences. These experiences they have had in the past help shape who they are. Here are a few stories of teachers from West High. They came from all different places and have all different stories, but somehow each one of them ended up here, at West. Learn what makes each teacher so special, and what made them decide teaching was their passion.

Karen Meyer, one of the Algebra II Honors teachers, wasn’t originally planning on teaching math. “I actually thought I wanted to be a history teacher, but back in the day...if you were a female in math, that was a good thing to be in,” Meyer said. Meyer’s favorite position was teaching math at an experimental school in Switzerland. The school had a special schedule, leaving most Thursdays free for students to take part in a variety of different experiences, from skiing to culinary practice. As for her years teaching, Meyer’s advice is “Be kind. Be patient. Be ready when kids need you, but don’t nag.” What she loves so much about her experience teaching is being able to watch and be a part of her students’ journeys to becoming successful. Meyer’s advice is “To know what your own goals are, to know what you want to do. I always make it a goal to say hello to my students every day,” Meyer said. “You’ve got to set your own individual goals.”

Kathy Bresnahan, the health teacher, better known here as Brez, grew up in southwest Wisconsin, in a town called Dickyville. She remembers working a tiresome, tedious job as a high schooler. “I hated corn detasseling in high school. That’s what everybody did in Wisconsin, walked for eight hours a day through wet spider webs and pulled tassels off the corn stocks. That was the only high school job in our area and I think we got 75 cents an hour. That was the worst.” Thankfully, Brez has found a job she loves. “I have been blessed because I don’t know if there’d be anything better than what I do. I love what I do.”

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F E AT U R E

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Travis Henderson, West’s only AP Psychology teacher, had a variety of jobs before settling down here in the fall of 2014. A few of these jobs include working with Fulbright Scholars, packing tests at ACT, and working for CVS. Henderson’s favorite job, however, is the one he’s doing now, but what he learned from all these experiences is what made him want to become a teacher. “...I cannot stand jobs that are mindless ….What I love about teaching is that it’s never the same day,” Henderson said. He has realized there isn’t one path a person can take to find a job they love and sometimes it takes multiple paths to find the one that’s right for you. “Sometimes the plans you lay out for yourself aren’t the ones that are best for you,” he said. Even though teaching can be challenging, Henderson reminds himself even when it’s difficult, it’s difficult in a good way.

Maureen Head, a science teacher, came out of high school unsure of the jobs available to her. Although she got an education degree at Drake University, she went into exercise physiology, with a dream job at The Michael Johnson Performance Center in Dallas, Texas. Head recognized something, however. “I realized, I’m not really making a difference, these people don’t need my help...I realized I was working with a really privileged group.” After being contacted by Brez, Head’s high school volleyball coach, she got a job at West. Head now knows that this job is meant for her.

“This job, hands down, is my calling. This is what I’m supposed to be doing. I love the people that I work with, I love the students.

I get depressed in the summers when I’m not teaching...I lose my sense of purpose when I’m not teaching, so I know this is what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Alexander Lalagos, a social studies teacher, didn’t expect to have the career he has now. After college, he applied to be in the Peace Corps. Lalagos was assigned to West Africa, specifically the Gambia. He worked on agroforestry, and ended up teaching fifth grade for a year and a half. After the Peace Corps, Lalagos went back to Chicago where he worked in logistics. “My job in downtown Chicago, I didn’t have any passion for it. I was always trying…to feel like I was making some kind of difference and I didn’t feel that,…But, when I’m in the classroom, when I’m in school I have a feeling I’ve never had in any other occupation.” Lalagos has held many jobs and has a piece of advice for his former self, “...Not to worry so much, that it’s a long process and it took me much longer to find my career than a lot of other people do and that’s okay. As long as you have enough to live on and you keep on working...you’re going to make it eventually.”

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DEC 12, 2018

It’s all in the Wrist Stereotypes, pros, and cons about writing style

Y

ou maybe have never thought about it, but there are actually pros, cons, and stereotypes to the style of writing you choose to do your work in!

Of all the ways to write, Reagan Yamashita ‘22 writes in “a wierd, too-lazy-to-do-print and too-lazy-to-do-cursive style,” as she describes it. Yamashita mentions how her writing is very efficient, even though it may not be the prettiest.

“I guess in a way, the faster you think, the messier your handwriting,” Yamashita says.

Cameron Reimers

You probably have also tried to change your handwriting, just like Katie Ruppenkamp ‘23.

“Trying to change my handwriting never lasts. It lasts for like a class period when I am actively thinking about it, but then it just goes back to normal.”

Sophia Kouba ‘22 is quite the opposite of Ruppenkamps writing style.

“I try to make it look as neat as possible, even if that means writing slowly.”

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What about you as writer?

F E AT U R E DEC 12, 2018

Although handwriting doesn’t really say anything for sure about one’s personality, there are some theories about handwriting. small letters You may be shy or socially withdrawn, or concentrated and meticulous.

average letters

large letters

You are well adjusted and adaptable

You may be outgoing or people-oriented.

Wide spacing this could mean you enjoy freedom and don’t like being overwhelmed

rounded letters mean you could be creative or artistic

pointed letters could mean you are more intense or intelligent

connected letters mean you are logical and make careful decisions

narrow spacing You can’t stand to be alone, maybe you crowd people or are a bit intrusive.

dotting your i’s high over the i means you have a great imagination. slashing the i could mean you are over self critical or impacient. dotting to the left could indicate a procrastinator dotting right over the i means you have attention to detail and

you could be organized.

Circle your i’s could mean you are visionary or have a young mind.

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N EWS

FEB. 17, 2017

MEET DAVID HAAS: CHOIR DIRECTOR By: Kiley Butcher

When you walk into the choir room at West High, you are greeted by a smiling David Haas. You wouldn’t know that he has memorized the lyrics to the first three Eminem albums. Although his favorite music to sing is early English, polyphonic renaissance, he likes Eminem, Dr Dre and 50 Cent. For Haas, music has been a part of his life since he was a little boy. When faced with a deciding what to do with his future, he decided to be a choir director. “I felt how music impacted me, I was responsible for sharing that potential joy with as many people as I could and not keep it to myself.”

Haas loved singing in general music and started playing the piano in 3rd grade.

When he entered the 5th grade, he started playing the saxophone. When he was in junior high, his father joined the school board.

That year, the school board reinstated the choral program, so when he was able to sing in the choir. “ I sang in a choir of 32 people 7th grade thru 12th grade- all together in the gym. If you wanted to be in the choir you came to school at 7:15 and sang until 8:00.”

Haas has a mantra: “Literacy, community, outreach”. All West choir live by these words.

Literacy helps students read music and understand what is happening when they look at a piece of music. Community helps students know that his classroom is a safe place where people come together and outreach helps his students take their music outside the choir room and into the community. “On MLK Day, we will take a group of people to go sing at Melrose Meadows and another group to sing at the Children’s Hospital as a way to outreach to the community,” Haas revealed. Haas’ goals are to continue with this mantra in the years to come. He hopes to see improvement in his students’ sight singing so they can be successful in the future.

He wants to continue the choir tour where students get to visit other cities and hear new voices. Haas is passionate about teaching high school students. He sees potential in every student that enters his classroom. He is amazed at the amount of talent and dedication in the students. “ I have found that at a school like West where kids are dedicated and bought in, there are hardly any pieces I couldn’t choose. There is a huge amount of growth,” Haas said about his students. He knows that high school students are at an important time in their music education saying “They (teenagers) are still kind of finding out what interests them and what they love to do- and having a stake in those people’s live is really impactful.” Haas’ dedication is rewarded when he sees how far his students have come. Haas says “My favorite part of choir is seeing students connect with a piece that will stay with them forever and have a great deal of emotional impact and being able to see that emotion on their face.” Sometimes the reward doesn’t come until after his students have graduated and have a chance to look back at their time at West, “ I will get emails. The best parts come after students you’ve had have graduated and they don’t realize how much they have learned until they have gone to other places and realize that the way they have been set up for success is unique.” Haas sees music in his future. “I would love to travel to the future and see what my career will be like right before I’m about to retire. To see if I am still teaching at West.”

He also sees music in his children’s future. “I hope my kids do something that makes them happy- I would hope it has something to do with music. I hope they find something they’re excited to do all the time and they are passionate about and they help people as well.”

With a father who is so passionate about music and giving back to the community, his hope might not be too far off.

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N EWS

FEB. 17, 2017

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F E AT U R E FEB. 17, 2017

SOCIAL MEDIA PREFERENCES

We have countless options for social media, but what do we prefer?

BY MADDY SMITH There are 4.012 billion Internet users worldwide and 3.196 billion social media users as of 2018. People have never been more connected to people across the world than we are today.

With the click of a button, a person can share information and communicate with someone on the other side of the world. People have different preferences for social media, some choosing to not use these platforms at all. We are living in a digital world and communicating behind screens and profiles.

Innika Dalton ’22 can see the advantages and disadvantages of social media.

“I think it can be a really good way to keep up with your friends, [but] it can be a place where a lot of bullying [and] negativity happens. People can get really harsh in the comments. They say really mean stuff they would never say to someones face.”

Anna Verry 22’ also recognizes the downfalls, “ I believe social media is a great form of communication, but I also feel that we are wasting valuable time by using it. We could be spending that time with family or being with friends or even doing your homework. We could be using it in a better way,”

Timeline of social media: When they launched:

“My favorite social media platform is Snapchat,” says Sanmati Thangavel ‘20. “It’s an easy way to send a quick snap or chat to a friend, the images disappear after being opened and the filters make it cool. Also the updates of it have evolved making snap a more unique experience.” Thangavel likes that the app has streaks and a snapscore. She has caught herself getting too wrapped up in things like that a few times.

She was too involved in social media, so she decided to fix the problem. “I quickly broke the bad habit of being on snap by turning all notifications off besides my texts, this really limited the amount of time I was on Snap.”

Thangavel also has some advice on social media “The main problem overall is distraction and how anyone is able to find and get in contact with you, it’s good to know the do’s and don’ts on social media so you don’t fall prey to it, and just make sure you are mature enough not to abuse it.”

All of these students have different ways that they use social media. They recognize the pros and cons, like communication and bullying.

People can hide behind profiles, saying things they usually wouldn’t say.

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FEB. 17, 2017

Instagram is owned by FacebookInc. It was launched exclusively on IOS. More than 40 billion photos have been shared on the app. Instagram was sold for $1 billion in 2012. Around 95 million photos are uploaded every day.

Twitter was launched by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams on July 15, 2006. The app was almost called “Friendstalker”.

This was the idea of Evan Williams, co-founder of the app. The Twitter bird is named Larry Bird after the Boston Celtics player. In the last reported quarter, Twitter had 338 million monthly users worldwide.

YouTube was founded by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim on February 14, 2005.

Google bought the site for $1.65 billion in November 2006. YouTube’s first headquarters were in San Mateo, CA, above a pizzeria and a Japanese restaurant.

YouTube was recently valued by Forbes at around $70 billion.

Eighty students took a survey asking about their favorite social media preferences. Most students chose Instagram. followed by YouTube and Snapchat.

Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerburg in February 2004.

Originally, Facebook was launched

by Zuckerburg and Harvard classmates Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moscovitz, and Chris Hughes as a type of “hot or not” game. Facebook introduced the word ‘friending’. The company estimate that they had 1.49 billion daily users.

Snapchat was founded by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown.

It was originally going to be called Picaboo but was named Snapchat in 2012. In the last reported quarter, Snapchat had 186 million worldwide users daily.

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F E AT U R E

DEC 19, 2018

The Veggie Community

Understanding people who follow plant-based

BY ELISE SEERY AND SOPHIA DAVIS diets and what they eat

I

n a state like Iowa, meat is always on the table, but for some they won’t be having any of that bacon. Plant based diets are diets that consist primarily of plants and restrain from meat and some animal products. There are a variety of plant based diet types and many reasons why a

person would choose a plant based diet., there are a few students who identify as part of this community.

“ I AM A VEG ETARIAN AN D HAVE B E E N FO R MY E NTI R E LI F E . I AM A VEG ETARIAN FO R BOTH R E LI G IOU S AN D E NVI RO N M E NTAL R EASO N S.”-ADVI K A SHAH ‘22

“ I ’ M A VEG ETARIAN , FO R A N U M B E R O F R EASO N S. MY FAM I LY HAS N EVE R B E E N H UG E O N M EAT. MY PAR E NTS AR E N ’T STRI CTLY VEG ETARIAN , BUT MY S I STE R WAS B E FO R E I STARTE D SO I DECI DE D TO B E O N E TOO.” - E LI SA N I SLY ‘19

BY T H E

NUMB E RS

1

less than one in ten people in the US adhere to a vegetarian diet

31%

Of India’s population is vegetarian

987%

Vegetarianism: Plant-

based diet excluding the practice of meat eating but still eats other animal products like honey, milk and eggs

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F E AT U R E

DEC. 19, 2019

Veganism: Plant-based diet excluding the practice of meat and animal product consumption

Pescatarian: A plant-

based diet that doesn’t eat land animals like cows, chickens, pigs, etc.

But still eats fish and other animal products

Increase in the demand for meat free products in 2017

“ I AM ALLE RG I C TO M I LK SO I EAT A LOT O F SOY PRO DUCTS... AN D I DO EAT EGGS FO R PROTE I N BUT N O OTH E R M EAT. B E I N G VEG ETARIAN I S J U ST H OW I WAS R AI SE D.” M O HAN KU MAR ‘21

“ I AM A PESCATARIAN , B ECAU SE I DO N ’T AG R E E WITH H OW M OST AN I MALS R AI SE D FO R SL AUG HTE R AR E TR EATE D.” -AN N E LI ES K N I G HT ‘21

“ I AM VEG ETARIAN AN D HAVE B E E N FO R MY E NTI R E LI F E . EVE RYO N E I N MY FAM I LY I S VEG ETARIAN SO I ’ VE B E E N R AI SE D N OT EATI N G M EAT.” - N IYATI V YAS ‘21

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F E AT U R E DEC.21,2018

PEACE CIRCLES A NEW TREND RELIEVING STRESS FOR STUDENTS

BY MARIAM KEITA.

Y

ou’ve been stressed all week with tests and quizzes and want your feelings and opinions to be heard and acknowledged.

You step into your classroom, and all the seats arranged in a circle.

Finally you get to speak your mind. Staff members and teachers have had training in a new activity called Peace Circles that help students talk about and resolve problems as a community. The Peace Circle is designed to help students take responsibility, reconcile and forgive, and promote community healing.

Rick Hancock, a special programs teacher, first introduced Peace Circles to West staff and students, leading training sessions with interested teachers last month. “The circle is a structured process in which you can have different types of communication,” Hancock said.

“They can be used in what is called talking circles or teaching circles where teachers can use them in a lesson.”

Hancock first introduced this new idea when he noticed a “missing component” at West. He saw the tremendous amount of stress and mental health issues students were dealing with it, but they weren’t acknowledged as much as they could be. The circle gives students an opportunity to be able to have a voice and actively listen to their peers.

“ I F E E L LI K E IT ’S B E E N SO POS ITIVE I F E E L LI K E MY STU DE NTS AR E J U ST LI K E , A LOT M O R E PRESE NT ”- BOYL AN Peace Circles are not merely a circle. They have rules and regulations that need to be followed. One of the most important rules incorporated in the Peace Circles is the rule that everyone holds the same amount of power and that you must listen to everyone and respect the opinions being stated. It is a unique type of process that can be used in a variety of ways. “The circles are unique in the fact that everyone within the circle has the same level of power,” Hancock said.

Not all students feel comfortable talking in the circle, and the circles process respects that wish. It does, however, require students to listen even if they don’t personally want to share.

John Boylan, an English teacher, has adopted Peace Circles into his classroom and seen amazing results. ”I think the relationships is the biggest thing for me and building relationships with me but also with students,” Boylan said.

He describes the Peace Circle as an incredible experience that revolutionized the way he has taught and learned from students in his classroom. “I just feel that my students now have a place in ways that they didn’t have a place before,” Boylan said.

He encourages other teachers to try and find a way to incorporate the circle in their classrooms. “I think circles have given [space] to students, and if there is space for students, they could connect with other students more,” Boylan said.

“Teachers could relinquish some of our power and step away and be like, let’s see where we go with some stuff.”

Maureen Head, a Science teacher held a peace circle with her class and she saw very beneficial results with her students.“I think it (the circle) helps kids that don’t normally speak up it gives them a space to do that, and permission to like, be heard…”. Students get to express themselves through the circle and say what has been on their mind all day.

Madame Juhl, a French teacher, has also held Peace Circles with some of her classes. Students have responded positively, in general. ”It was nice because it was a very positive environment, and I know that if I wanted to say something with the group I wouldn’t be judged,” said Amanda Brown ‘19. Maia Degrazia ‘20, Sumner Wallace ‘20, and Anna Carmen ‘20 have also had very positive reactions toward the circle.They described it as a bonding moment that created a safe and comfortable place that they enjoyed partaking in, where “a weight feeling lifted off,” Wallace said.

Students are responding positively, according to teachers and a survey Hancock conducted with some participating classes many students in Madame Juhls class have been happy that they had a space to feel safe, open and be able to express their opinions and feelings about any topic .They learned about their peers in a respectful way and bonded within a circle.

Hancock, Head, and Boylan all have hopes and dreams for Peace Circles being introduced and exposed to teachers and students.

Head hopes that West can become more diverse in friend groups and that kids can overcome prejudice and stereotypes that kids have towards each other. Boylan wishes that teachers can find a way to fit a way to put circles in their schedule. Hancock dream is that West can have a way to use circles to resolve any major issues students are involved in.

“There’s a lot of stress and mental issues everyday about school that I think students carry with them daily, and it’s not acknowledged unless the students acknowledge it themselves,” Hancock said. “I found that through the circles students really appreciate it,that their allowed to decompress and say something that they want to say..“

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DEC.21.2018

I TH I N K IT (TH E CI RCLE) H E LPS K I DS THAT DO N ’T N O R MALLY SPEAK U P IT G IVES TH E M A SPACE TO DO THAT, AN D PE R M I SS I O N TO LI K E , B E H EAR D…”.

34 Feture Project Dec. 20, 2018

MUSIC HELPS America Marungo Most of the time teens are more likely on their phones in social media Q:Do you listen to music when you they can also be listening to music during hard moments that they are are sad? going through.

Many resources have said that listening to music can help with depression, anxiety,and stress. During the school day many students are wearing headphones and its usually because they just enjoy listening to music or maybe because thy are just not in the mood and they just want to be lonely.

Artist to listen to according to students.

-Lil Peep -Suicide boys -Post Malone -Ski Mask the Slump God -Keaton Henson

A:I don’t like to listen to songs that

that talk about topics mostly a lot of people have a hard tome talking to, I usually listen to musc that hypes me I’m not the kind of girl who listents to music thta helps me out beceause I’m never in that position, I usually listen Playboi Carti., his music hypes me up” Darlyn Gossiho’22

“I’m not that type of girl.”

Darlyn Gossiho ‘22 a freashman who loves to listen to music in general, but one thing she doesn’t like is listening to sad music or that talk about hard topics “I really don’t like listening to that type of music because I feel like it puts you in a worst scenerio, and I like to be happy no matter what there is no day where im sad” Gossiho’22

Q:How does his music helps you

out when you are going through hard times?

A: ‘XXXTentacion his music in

35 Feature Project Dec. 20, 2018

general talks about tiopics that people don’t really like to talk about, but his music gives you a mesage that its okay to feel the way youa re feeling ath the moment. The lyrics are really powerfull. He use to go throuhg a lot. Some people “HIS MUSIC STILL HELPS ME NO don’t MATTER WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF like him HIM.” because of his criminal records,but his music still helps me no matter what people think of him.” Dilara Guran’21

Q: Who is your favorite artist and why?

A: “Billie Eilish is one of my favor-

ite, I love her music, I listen to her music when im stressed, I usually dont like talking to my parnets about my problems because we aren’t that close and they “ B I LLI E E I LI SH I S O N E may tell me to just get O F MY FAVO RITE over it. Billie is around ARTI ST I LOVE H E R my age which I like because she is going M U S I C , IT H E LPS M E through stuff that many U SUALLY WH E N I M teens are going through.”

STR ESSE D.” Maathir Elsheik ‘21 BILLIE EILISH & KHALID’S LOVELY “Oh I hope someday I’ll make it out out of here.Even if it takes all night or a hundred years” the music video is a visual representation of of feeling trapped and overwhelmed by mental health issues,while fighting to overcome depression “Need a place to hide can’t find one near,wanna feel alive,outside i can’t fight my fear”, Billies verse are a somber cry for freedom and safety in a tome needed. “Isn’t lovely all alone heart made of glass, my mind of stone.”

Note: Most of the people kept saying that XXXTentacion was their favorite artist.

“I MEAN MOST SONGS ARE ABOUT HEARTBREAK IF NOT I GUESS A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH STRESS OR BATTLING THINGS AND MUSIC THESE DAYS PORTRAYS A LOT OF THAT. “-ELSHEIKH ‘21

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DEC. 19, 2018

THE PERSON I WISHED I COULD BE

BY JACK HARRIS

People are extremely different. I know, shocker. In writing this article, I mostly unique responses. Of the 44 unique responses, 35 were movies found that movies are merely an extension of that. Everybody I talked from between 1991-2009. It seems like children were introduced to had different opinions and reasons that they had held a bunch of to something as a child and just clung onto it. A recurring theme moving pictures so near and dear to their heart. They might look throughout the each response is that they would watch the movie over back on this fondly and over. ”I loved [Cinderella] because I would just watch it on repeat,” or with disgust. said Aashika Gadkari ‘22.

One thing stays “ I WAS AN I D IOT It seems like these movies can potentially impact children in certain consistent though, ways. Kids seem to base their fantasies off of what they see their favorite they all have an CH I LD THAT LI K E D characters doing. identifiable favorite.

“My cousin and I “ TO B E H O N EST, I DO N ’T This seems odd ANYTH I N G THAT H E LD always pretended because most people that we were the R EALLY K N OW. MAYB E once they grow older MY ATTE NTIO N .” main characters,” are indifferent and said Kara IT WAS B ECAU SE O F have several movies Wagenknecht ‘19 they might consider their favorite. Fouad El-Kerdani said,“My all about the Barbie TH E F U N PE RSO NALITI ES time favorite is probably “Overlord” or “Thor Ragnarok.” We’re all so Movie.

“Our different that the main thing we have in common is that we can’t make personalities were O F ALL TH E D I F F E R E NT up our minds. similar to them.”

In a poll asking students about their favorite movie as a child, there Kids are creative, AN I MALS..” were 61 responses and 44 unique responses. Unsurprisingly, the have no selfmost common responses were the ones that had the most toys and awareness and have wild imaginations, so when a movie introduces products behind them, “Star Wars”, “The Lion King” and “Cars” are all them to a world or an idea that they enjoy, they go running with franchises that have made over $500,000,000 in toy sales. Some people it. Almost every child has dressed up as Spider-Man or Ariel for acknowledge this once they Halloween. But they do it in more have grown. One such person is than just Halloween. They might

BY TH E Avi Seguel ‘22. ”I Liked Nemo, buy little plastic cars and race because I was an idiot child who them around on the floor boards liked anything that held my seeing which will win. They might attention,” Seguel said. run through their backyard with This isn’t necessarily the child’s their friends holding lightsabers fault, they just see big cool The average release date and water guns trying to “get” each spaceships on their TV and other, doing this until it inevitably for favorite childhood so they get the toys which just ended because one of them got hit movie makes them like the movie more. a little too hard on the head and Kids aren’t known for their decided to tattle about it.

The latest release date intelligence, but they don’t care, You might not even have toys. for favorite childhood they’ll ignore you and just keep You might just watch the movie movie (The Avengers) playing with the Millennium and connect with the story or The earliest release Falcon because Han Solo and the characters in the movie. Like Chewbacca are much cooler than the executioner in “Pulgasari”, date for favorite you are. you might just love the movie childhood movie (The Adults easily fall victim to this because you can see yourself in the Wizard of Oz) trap too though. Adults see character. We form these bonds Moana or Mulan being a bad with these characters as children ass on screen and decide to get that this makes us happy and gives those toys for their kids. It’s not a us an escape. When we see these bad thing, it’s just who we are. This is part of the reason studios have characters, we are transported to an attitude where we are happy started attempting to write better leading roles nowadays. For instance because nothing else matters. The studios that make these movies will Lilo from “Lilo and Stitch” is popular because she is creative, socially always want us to watch their movies and buy their products. When our awkward, and enjoys things that many people would avoid. This makes parents like these choices they just throw it on to us even more. When her charming and endearing, which only serves to makes the movie we watch these over and over and these connections grow stronger. We better and have it sells more toys. This is why it’s unsurprising to see just get more and more ideas as we watch movies more. This is how many more recent princess movies on the list like “Princess and the these stick with us, through nostalgia and to this day, if you were to turn Frog” or “Beauty and the Beast”. on your TV and turn on the movie that you held dear, you would feel Despite having so many recent movies on the list, there are still like a child again and you would be entertained.

N U M B E RS

1994 2 012 1939

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F E AT U R E

DEC. 21, 2018

The Evaluation Of “13 Reasons Why”

Y

BY MIHAD OSMAN AND AYAH OSMAN

ou’ve probably heard of a popular show called “13 Reasons Why,” but what you might not have heard of is how this popular show may have increased teen suicide. The research, published in “The Journal Psychiatric Services,”surveyed 87 teens, mostly girls and found that early 49 percent of teens have watched at least one episode of the show, and 84 percent of those watched it alone. More than half of viewers believe that watching the show increased their risk of suicide due to the lead role, being female.

According to research, teenagers also reported experiencing an increase of sadness, depression and anxiety while watching the show.

The show is about a 17 year old girl named Hannah Baker. Hannah commits suicide and creates seven tapes explaining why she kills herself. She leaves the box of tapes at the front door of a trusted friend with instructions on what to do with them. Anybody who receives the tapes is one of the reasons why she commits suicide.

“13 Reasons Why” is an emotional story that shows many truths in what a person can go through emotionally and physically. Maria Osman ‘19, Sabrin Mohamed ‘22 and Malaz Hashim ‘21 all shared their ideas and views of the show.

“I didn’t think the show would be so detailed when I first started watch-

ing it,” Mohamed said. “But they did a really good job portraying the life that a lot of people go through, and I think that it was like really important for people to get a glimpse of how it feels to be in those situations and how hard it can be.”

“13 Reasons Why” definitely shows how harsh reality can be, but it shows what keeping quiet for too long can do to a person.

“I feel like the show really shows the cruelty that can happen to many teenagers and I especially feel like it shows the struggles of sexual assault and how scary it can be,” Osman said. “There are so many people that think it’s the victim's fault and ‘13 Reasons Why’ shows a little of what really goes on inside someone’s head when they're in that kind of situation.”

“13 Reasons Why”addresses sexual assault and how scary it can be.Hashim discusses her thoughts about this and how the show speaks up on things that we may not normally talk about.

“Life can be hard and ‘13 Reasons Why’ really shows that,” Hashim said.

“I think the show really got people thinking of what they would have done if they were in some of the character’s shoes and if they would have spoken up about sexual assault. The show really revolves around things being kept quiet, and that some of the time, it’s not for the better.”

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F E AT U R E

DEC. 20, 2018

STOREBOUGHT VS HOMEMADE Which do West High students prefer?

Let’s find out!

BY ALEXIS DICK AND SYDNEY WILDES

“The homemade one was pretty doughy and chewy. I just love the storebought one so I had to go with my og.”

“They were both good but Sydney will fight me if I don’t choose hers.” “[The homemade] was a much better consitency and so much of a better flavor overall”

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DEC. 20, 2018

“[The] cosmic brownies were fake and gross tasting.”

“The store bought had slightly better texture but the homemade had significantly better flavor” ALL PHOTOS BY SYDNEY WILDES

Overall Results

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DEC. 20, 2018

RUNNING184 MILES IN 168 HOURS.

Deb Carneol, took on one of the hardest running challenges in the world and she is my Mom. The marathon is called The World Marathon Challenge it is a logistical and physical challenge to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. Competitors must run the standard 26.2-mile marathon distance in Antarctica, Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, South America and North America within 168 hours, or seven days. The clock starts when the first marathon begins in Antarctica. Each runner has a tracker on their person to keep track of when they start to when they finish amounting to the total time it took to complete each marathon. When Deb Carneol first decided to take on the World Marathon Challenge, her family and friends had two words to say: You’re crazy. “They weren’t thrilled when I first started talking...,” Carneol said.

Carneol and all the participants do this for charity. “We figured if we’re gonna kill ourselves might as well do it for charity!”

Carneol’s charity is Club Foot Solutions, which treats a congenital foot disorder that bends the foot at the ankles making that bend inward. They provide braces for kids with this condition “I want to bring awareness with all of this and not worry so much about the money because hopefully awareness will bring in the money.”

The idea of running the World Marathon Challenge was brought to Carneol by a Family friend, David Samson. Samson and Carneol talked about the Dopey Challenge which is located in Orlando, Florida it consists of a: 5K, 10K, half marathon, and finishing with a full marathon.

“I said ‘ If I can finish that, I’ll be on board.’”

Carneol has completed other difficult challenges such as five “Tough Mudder” events, the first GORUCK Tough Challenge (20 miles/12 hour Military Team Building event), the Dopey challenge, the Chicago Marathon and lastly the Marine Corps Marathon.

Now she has completed the World Marathon Challenge and had since continued to complete a second Chicago Marathon and will soon do a second Dopey Marathon in Orlando in Mid January.

She used to say “I don’t run!”

Kari Bakaris, a friend of Carneol’s, talks more about their friendship togehter.

How would you discribe her (Carneol)?

“She is a very determined woman. Deb is up for most challenges put in front of her. She is one tough cookie!! But she is also one of the kindest caring generous people I know.”

Bakaris is also a runner/ marathoner herself Why did you start running? “I started because it was an easy way to work out no matter where you are, and it helped with stress relief too. Now I just love it.”

I also talked to Sarah Lacina, who ran along with Carneol for training purposes and during the World Marathon Challenge. Both Lacinca and Carneol were first introduced the the World Marathon by David Samson. Once Lacica and Carneol were introduced it was an instant connection. After talking to Carneol Lacica realized that both of them only lived 20 minutes away from each other so when both of them started to train for the big event they ran together. After a couple of months of running together Lacina and Carneol started to become very close and developed a special bond.

“I remember her pushing me through our marathon in Cape Town. She would not let me give up and stayed by my side the entire time.”

Since running the marathon Lacina and Carneol still run together and have developed a lifelong friendship.

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Carneol was honored later that year as one of the 100 Women Who Care: Hawkeye Chapter.

She was chosen to give a speech the night of the event about her charity work with Club Foot and all she had done for the non-profit organization.

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DEC. 20, 2018

Wardrobes of West

BY ELLIE GUTHART

Come and discover the trends and different styles around school.

Hafia Mohamednour ‘20 has a full outfit from marshalls.

Assen Olivio ‘20 wears a patagoina shirt, jeans from american eagle and adias shoes.

Adriadne Mcclure is wearing a GTC show choir shirt and jeans from khols and Birkenstock sandals with forever 21 socks.

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DEC. 20, 2018

90%

of people are happy without a uniform

10%

would be happy with one

Emma Barker ‘22 wears a sweatshirt and pants both from brandy melville and doc martins booots.

Nicolas Hribar ‘20 wears a american eagle shirt with a roots sweatshirt and levis jeans and thrifted shoes.

Kate Cannon ‘21 wears sweatpants and shirt from PINK a North face jacket boots from target.

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F E AT U R E DEC.20.18

NEVER SEWN BEFORE to do costumes on the play “MIracle on 34th street� without knowing to sew has been an experience.

Grace Christopher working on one of the dolls that needed to have browm hair insead of blond.

the costumes loft, where the costumes go

T

heatre is a thing a lot of people won’t do. I wasn’t planning on doing it in middle school but now I just decided to give it a try. I decided on costumes simply because it’s the only one of the crews my friends have not done and it’s just something different. I didn’t really like it not because of the people just because I decided that’s not really me. I do have stories though, lots of them, the simple thing to say here is. I, Quinn Brewer ‘21, did costumes without knowing how to sew.

Costumes is an experience that was good for me, because it showed me how to manage my time when doing something that made me stay for hours after school. Costumes has a medium time requirement, not as much as set but not as little as lights, a happy medium. While being in costumes I tried my hardest not to ruin outfits and all that.

The goal for most of the outfits was to use alterations, like making the stashes on the band uniforms on the band costumes or sewing on buttons on Mr. Macy’s outfit. Easy enough to do but hard to do correctly.

I did a lot of alterations feeling very nervous about messing something up though both Ariadne McClure ‘20 and Becky, the heads of costumes, helped me. The hardest part for me was destroying a doll with red paint which wasn’t very fun but accidents happen.

I did like a lot of the people there. Becky if you will, and after her is Ari. Becky has only recently had her anniversary of doing costumes alone, as one leader along with the teenage crew chief. Her first play alone was beauty and the beast. “My first show as costume designer for Theatre West. I wasn’t thrilled with my concept for the enchanted dishes and flatware, but when the actors came on stage and started “Be Our Guest” Becky Dagle said, “and the audience clapped and cheered, I got goosebumps!”

Tech week show week are nightmares in their own way.

Tech week required me to be

there for a long time and show week was pretty much the same times ten. At a time I had walked into the costumes with a ton of little kids in reindeer outfits. The costumes room is pretty small and that got chaotic real fast with actors coming in and out asking Becky for things. We got that mess fixed the next day though, the kids went in the music theory room.

We also had the problem of the dolls and the actors that played them. For one I messed up one of the dolls so there’s that and one of the actors has dark hair and her doll had light hair. The actors were supposed to be replicas of the dolls which made that whole thing hard. We used store bought hair dye to fix that.

Another thing that had happened was one of the actors came in the costumes room during fridays performance, the sole of his shoe was coming completely off. That we tried everything on.

We used hot glue and looked for super glue, we tried to use pieces of fabric to use it. We finally got a chance to steal a set member to drive a nail through the shoe and then we put a piece of cloth so his foot wouldn’t be hurt. That was the worse emergency of that time.

The other times, during rehearsal, I was put in the back hallway. I watched as the actors ran by me to get to there next scene in time. The little kids with their reindeer outfits halfway on and their people outfit underneath. The poor girl actors with high heels running as if they’re gonna die, which they will if Nahra knew they were late.

Costumes for me was definitely an experience and even if I don’t go with it for the next plays I’m in, it still does have a place in my heart. I think I’ll be going with set next time so for now, see ya costumes.

-QUINN BREWER

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DEC.20.18

Q and A West side Story: What made you do costumes in the firdt place?

Becky Dagle: My daughter started doing theatre when she was 6 years old. I would hang out with her during rehersals and got talked into doing costumes.

WSS: do you like doing costumes even if it’s stressful?

Becky Dagle: Actually I do, every job has it’s stressful moments. but once you make it through that period you look back and it’s not that bad/ WSS: What is your favorite thing about costumes in general?

Becky Dagle: I love the creativity invloved in desiging costumes. (I) sometimes come up with these idea that are difficult then getting that “Aha” moment.

“ I LI K E SE E I N G YOU N G PEO PLE STE P OUT O F TH E I R CO N FO RT ZO N E , LI K E J O I N I N G COSTU M ES CR EW WH E N TH EY DO N ’T K N OW H OW TO SEW.”

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DEC. 20, 2018

RAMEN: LIFE AS A 13 CENT MEAL THE FOOD TREND FROM AROUND THE WORLD MAKING AN IMPACT ON HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS

I

BY OWEN AANESTAD AND WYLAN GAO nstant Ramen is consumed by 95 billion worldwide over for a year would add up to $150, which helps with students a year, the snack that can be made in three minutes and budget when attending a university. Nasim Abu Dagga ’17 is it’s the price for pocket change. Westerners have been an engineering student attending the University of Iowa and slurping the cheap fix since the ’70s and only recently has explains how much money he saves. Compared to a college there been a development of restaurants serving ramen in the the students the college meal plan cost $17 on average per Iowa City restaurant culture. day.

Iowa City has recently saw a “The meal plan at Iowa is really pricey change in the Food Scene for “ MY FAVO RITE R AM E N and as a person who has student loans local natives due to the large it much more financially smarter to eat population of Foreign Exchange I S KOREAN R E D at home..this is why I eat ramen all the Students. According to Iowa time,” Dagga said.

PACK AG E R AM E N International Student website, Top and Maruchan have monopolized there are approximately 3,665 (SH I N R AMYU N)... the instant ramen industry in the United international students at Iowa.

States. Although, instant ramen has The development of international I G ET [IT] F RO M made an impact on foreign countries student has led to restaurants such brands as Mama, Indomie and opening such as Soseki Cafe TH E STO RE I N TH E Shin Ramyun are just a few that are located on Dubuque Street popular in Asian countries.

CO R ALVI LLE STRI P Downtown.

Designed for convenience the package The casual eatery serving Asian consists of a wavy square of dried inspired cuisine known for there (CH ON G’S MAR K ET). noodles and a silver packet filled with Taiwanese Beef Ramen. seasonings. Mixing the packet together “If I wouldn’t eat it or like it MY G I RLF RI E N D AN D with noodles and water creates an myself I wouldn’t serve it,” said identity for this special noodle soup.

I U SE TH E PACK ETS Kevin Wu, the Owner of Soseki The noodles are designed to have waves Cafe. so the wheat pasta will not clump, this AN D WE ADD A SO FT The Taiwanese Ramen simple creates a slurping sensation in ones and elegant served in a china BOI LE D EGG O N TO P.” mouth. bowl with cilantro garnish and a beef based broth gives comfort to - NASI M ABU DAGGA ‘17 HISTORY foreign students.

The phenomenon began in postwar There are various ways to Japan, people were starving and the prepare ramen, but all ways of preparing usually take under U.S. gave out rations of flour. The problem was the locals five minutes. The ways of cooking include using the stove and did not use flour. The ingredient at the time was considered boiling water or the microwave (which is not recommended). unknown and it did not fit the Japanese food palate. A For Alec Murley ‘20, the best part of cooking ramen is watching visionary, Momofuku Ando, flash fried wheat noodles in it heat up in the microwave..and once the ramen is out of the hot oil to create a new a hunger crisis, by flash frying wheat microwave the kitchen overcomes the smell of chicken.” noodles in oil Ando created what we know today as instant According to Spoon University, the cost to eat ramen everyday ramen.

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DEC. 20, 2018

CONTROVERSY

The sensation of umami in ones mouth has a cost to one’s health. The silver packet contains Monosodium Glutamate, also known as MSG, which is a sodium found in many foods.

It creates an imitation of umami a Japanese savory taste.

MSG, resembling a powder salt form, has caused controversy in the health community since some saying consuming it creates headaches, asthma and can even cause brain damage.

On the other hand, the FDA and a study from Healthline: People who are considered to be MSG sensitive is around 36.1 percent. While reactions with actual MSG are 24.1 percent while experiencing a placebo effect.

Instant Ramen has shifted the culture of what a person defines quick eats relying on a plastic cup of carbohydrates and hot boiling water. The population of foreign exchange students in Iowa is increasing which affects local businesses and creating a market for more authentic taste.

LIVING OFF RAMEN ON AVERAGE ONE RAMEN PACKET COSTS

13 CENTS EATING RAMEN EVERYDAY FOR ONE YEAR WOULD COST

$142.65 ON AVERAGE FOR ONE PERSON ON A MODERATE BUGET TO EAT FOR ONE YEAR IT COSTS

$2,928

RECIPE INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon sesame oil 3 teaspoons grated ginger 4 teaspoons grated garlic 4 cups broth (I used chicken, but vegetable would also work) 4 cups water 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms 2 packages instant ramen (noodles only!)

1/2 cup chopped scallions or chives 2 cup chopped kale 1 cups shredded carrots Sriracha to taste crunchy golden panko crumbs for topping INSTRUCTIONS Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add the garlic and ginger; stir fry for 2 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Add the broth and the water. Bring to a simmer; add the mushrooms and simmer for 10 minutes or until the mushrooms have softened and the broth is flavorful.

Add the instant noodles to the hot liquid and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until the noodles have softened. Add the scallions and stir to combine. Remove from heat, stir in the kale and carrots, and top with crunchy panko crumbs (see notes) and hot sauce to taste.

Recipe By Taste of Yum. Com

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N EWS

FEB. 17, 2017

SPEAK THE LANGUAGE

ICCSD might not be doing enough to create a global world language experience.

By Rachel Podhajsky

West High prides itself on being a diverse and worldly school, but the language offerings aren’t helping students become as worldly as the district hopes. With only two offerings throughout the school day, French and Spanish, students are left in an environment with little choice. There used to be one more option, German, but the Iowa City Community School District began phasing out the program in the 2013-2014 school year due to budget cuts. In comparison, Cedar Rapids offers 7 languages, including languages such as Spanish, French, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and Arabic.

This limited option of languages could negatively impact students preparedness

for the world. The most spoken languages in the world are Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, English, and Arabic according to a study by Ethnologue. Our district is only teaching two of these: Spanish as a world language, and English through ELL. By adding more globally spoken languages students could be better integrated into a global society. The removal of the German program along with beginning the world language program in 7th grade was a large setback.

“To say the least it was really emotional. You’re happy to see the kids graduate, you’re happy to see they got their four years in, but the program left, the kids left, and so did the teachers. That was really hard.”

says Madame Juhl, a French teacher.

The German program had a very important role in our World Language

“ L AN GUAG E LEAR N I N G I S R EALLY ESSE NTIAL FO R A G LO BAL MAR K ET.” -J U H L

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Department. German shares a lot in common America. with the English language, and Germany has a

“You gain some cultural knowledge very influential economy. Aside from the ways it makes you a lot more aware of cultural to use German, it is important for students differences, that in some aspects are subtle to feel passionate about the languages they and in other aspects they’re obvious. Just in are learning. Languages are regarded as more a language expression level, they have a very difficult classes, so to different way of saying have students be ready “ YOU GAI N things and it makes you and willing to learn more aware of what words is essential to their SO M E CU LTU R AL you choose and why,” Juhl success. says, “I think that learning “L anguage K N OWLE DG E IT a language makes you a lot learning is really more open minded to a lot essential for a global MAK ES YOU A of different things whether market. Part of the you realize it over time or district mission LOT M O R E AWAR E not. You get used to the statement is to create idea that things are going O F CU LTU R AL global citizens so you to be different, it’s going to would want to keep D I F F E R E N CES.” be hard, and you don’t take them open to being anything for granted.” able to learn as many -J U H L

In the end, languages as possible.” languages are very helpful says Juhl. learning tools. Our school

The German district needs to reevaluate program wasn’t all the way it funds and teaches we lost in 2014, we also lost the 7th grade languages. For a truly worldly school, we need language classes. Before these were removed, worldly languages. students would be able to take Spanish,

French, or German I for two years to get a solid foundation before moving on to level 2.

Learning a language at an earlier age is shown to be easier, just think of how we learn to speak as babies. Starting in 7th grade might only be one year earlier, but that extra time can make a difference.

“I would really like to see our 7th grade program back to help kids gain their five years of language and have it spread out a little bit more and not cram quite so much into things.” says Juhl.

But it’s not all bad. The state of Iowa has implemented a program for students who speak a different language at home to earn a Seal of Biliteracy to show their strength in English and another language. Through this program students are able to gain recognition for more languages than many schools offer.

Even with the Seal of Biliteracy, our school is offering students an exclusively Western view of world languages. French and Spanish are both languages that are spoken predominantly in the Western Hemisphere.

Offering languages such as Arabic, Chinese, or Japanese would increase students’ cultural awareness to the Eastern Hemisphere, something that our school is not offering right now.

Languages are one of the ways that our education system helps us learn more about a different culture. For a true worldview we need more diverse options to help us understand more than just Europe and Latin

FEB. 17, 2017

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WHATS GOING ON AT FILM SCENE DURING DECEMBER Written by: Sam Westergaard As the weather begins to get cold, frigid, and of course snow-ridden, it is usually best to stay indoors. And what better way to stay indoors than to see a movie at a warm theater? Towards the end of the year, blockbuster movies begin to pop up, such as the Star Wars films, but there are other, lesser known film options, too, including several films being shown at Film Scene.

December at Film Scene includes their annual Eye Opener. The Eye Opener showcases what films will be shown during December and the upcoming year.

Like every month at Film Scene, there are a lot of newly released films being shown, including “The Favourite”, “Mary Queen Of Scots”, “Roma”, “At Eternity’s Gate”, “Wildlife”, and Border”.

There are also some movies being reshown from previous years. “Lady Bird and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri were both really big in 2017, and 2016 had Moonlight, which is one of our most popular films to date,” said Rebecca Fons, programming director at Film Scene.

According to Fons, December is an important month for Film Scene. “We’re in a really great time for art house movie theaters, because it is award season,” Fons said. “While the summer is ruled by blockbusters, the fall and winter are typically our best times of year, and when we see some truly unforgettable films.”

Weather also plays a role in movie attendance this time of year. “It is also a nice time of year because we aren’t competing with beautiful weather and sunny skies,” Fons said.

“On a chilly, inclement day, sometimes the best remedy is a big bucket of popcorn and a great movie. We’ll see steady, sizable crowds well in to the new year.” So you’re looking for something to do over the course of winter break stop by Film Scene.

MOVIES TO SEE DURING WINTER BREAK WILDLIFE

A Teenage Boy in a small town in1960s Montana mus deal with his mothers complicated responses after his father abandons them.

BORDER

A customs officer who can smell fear develops an unusual attraction to a strange traveler while aiding a police investigation.

AT ETERNITY’S GATE

Famed but tormented artist Vincent Van Gogh spends his final years in Arles, France Painting masterpieces of the natural world.

THE FAVOURITE

In the early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne occupies the throne, and her close friend Lady Sara governs the country in her stead.ww

MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS

Mary Stuart’s attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England condemned her to prison.

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TIME TO SHINE DEC. 20, 2018

The Nutcracker 2018 hit the stage Nov. 30 through Dec. 2. Put on by Nolte Academy of Dance, many students of West participated. They know how many constant hours of preparation is needed to make the show go on.

BY COSI BARRY AND QUINN KOCH

The Englert Theater is filled with people young and old, excited to watch the velvet curtains glide open and for the show to begin. As spectators, you don’t really think about what is going through the performers’ minds. Are they nervous?

Are they prepared? They are prepared.

With over 30 hours of practice in the last week alone, and they can’t muster their excitement to finally be hitting the stage.

Brynn Miller ’22 knows how much time and effort it takes to be in the Nutcracker because she has been in it for the past six years. ¨There are a couple years that I didn’t really want to do it, but then once it gets around to tech week I enjoy it more,¨ Miller said.

Miller took a year off when she was seven to witness the other side of the show: the spectator.

Watching the show instead of performing in it is a very different experience. ¨I still had friends in it but I didn’t interact with them as much,¨ Miller said. Emma Furlong ‘21 is in the

Nutcracker for the first time this year and has always watched the Nutcracker in previous years. ¨Sitting and watching the Nutcracker always just made me feel like I really wanted to be in it,¨ Furlong said.

Abbey Schley ‘22 has never experienced the spectator because she has always been a part of the show ever since she was 11 years old. This year Schley played the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, one of the main parts in the Nutcracker.

Despite never seeing the show from the other side Schley still loves it all. ¨I love watching the whole process and watching the whole production come together,¨ Schley said.

With the long hours of practicing under her belt they still aren’t off the hook until the show starts. ¨There’s usually a warm up like an hour and a half or two hours before the show starts so you have to get there two hours earlier,¨ Miller said.

With the 30 hours of practice from the last week alone, and five hours a week for the past four months, Miller knows

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her choreography like the back of her hand, but having this much practicing takes away from the girls social life and studies. Plus with the immense amount of time the nutcracker takes, you miss a lot of school, especially in tech week.

With Miller playing her part in four separate roles it is hard to get a handle on the new choreography, set and cast. ¨When we would already know [the choreography] then it would be less practices but now with new choreo it takes months,¨ Miller said.

Furlong also believes that rehearsing takes away from other commitments and time management too. ¨You have to spend so much time rehearsing, it’s a lot,¨ Furlong said.

Along with Miller, Furlong also thinks the practices are worth it just to be able to perform in the shows. Furlong performed two parts, the maid and flower. ¨The maid was kind of goofy and fun so I think that was my favorite,¨ Furlong said.

After scenes, and even at the end of shows, there is a mix of emotions.

Ranging from tired, excited, confused and exhausted, there is so many thoughts going through these girls heads.

Emma Furlong ‘21 played the role of a maid and a flower in the Nutcracker. This year was the first year Furlong decided to participate in The Nutcracker. Furlong’s favorite part of preparation was just hanging out with her friends at the rehearsals and getting to know her friends better.

“AFTE R A SH OW I F E E L ABSO LUTE LY EXHAU STE D, BUT AFTE R A GOO D SH OW I F E E L N OT O N LY PROU D O F MYSE LF BUT O F EVE RYO N E WH O WAS I NVO LVE D I N TH E PE RFORMAN CE .”

Brynn Miller ‘22 was involved with the nutcracker this year. She performed the roles of Spanish, Russian, Snow, and Flowers. Her favorite being Spanish. Miller has been in the Nutcracker for six years, ever since she was just seven years old. Her favorite part of preperation is applying the bold makeup for the show.

¨After a show I feel absolutely exhausted, but after a good show I feel not only proud of myself but of everyone who was involved in the performance,¨ Schley said.

The large cast for the Nolte Nutcracker has room for all ages.

From preschoolers to seniors, and even to a select few parents, there is a spot for everyone.

Sandrah Ochola ‘19 has been performing in the Nutcracker for the past four years and this year performed in the Ballerina doll role.

Ochola has only been in the Nutcracker for four short years but is already learning the way it works and how to be a better peer on and off the stage. ¨The first day of dress rehearsals and getting to watch all the parts and everything finally come together [is my favorite part],¨ Ochola said.

The hours of rehearsals for Nutcracker are so long that a big chunk of the time is spent observing the practice but not participating in it. ¨Being in Nutcracker, there is a lot of downtime just in the studio where you are scheduled to be practicing but you aren’t really doing anything,¨ Ochola

Abbey Schley ‘22 played the beautiful role of the sugarplumfairy. Schley has been involved with the nutcracker for four years now. Her favorite part is just being backstage, right before she goes onstage.

Schley also loves how supportive everyone is of eachother right before they perform their piece..

Sandrah Ochola ‘19 played the role of the ballerina doll, and has been involved in the Nutcracker for four years. Her favorite part of preparation is the first full day of dress rehersals, especially since this year is a new nutcracker, so watching the new choreography, set designs, and costumes come together is nice.

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STARTING SMALL

A small closet turned cafe now favored by many

BY HANAH KITAMOTO

You are walking down the hallway going to your next class. You want to stop by for coffee so you look for the big purple sign that says, “Come in! We are open!¨ You can tell that this place is welcoming just by looking at the sign.

Many students go in and out of the coffee shop every day, but very few are familiar with the history of it.

The Pump It Up Cafe is now a lounge filled with chairs and tables for students to spend their time studying or to hang out, but it all started with a small closet.

The history of the cafe goes back to seven years ago when Diane Fickel, advisor of Business Professionals of America (BPA) and business teacher, came up with the idea. Fickel noticed that students didn’t have the desire to leave school for a snack.

“I decided to fill that need, I´ll offer a service selling snacks and coffee to students,” Fickel said.

Pump It Up employees, comprised of about six BPA members, were serving from a small room out of a window until two years ago.

At the beginning of last school year, they expanded the cafe by transforming an old computer lab into the cafe.

The transition to the new coffee shop wasn’t easy and took three months to get everything together. The cafe’s seven employees built a visual plan for the cafe’s arrangement during June 2017.

Their first step was to figure out the rough layout of the cafe, followed by online shopping and finding furniture and decorations.

While scavenging for decor to use for the cafe, they found comfy chairs from the library, tables from other classrooms, and Assistant Principal Luke DeVries even made a wooden counter for the cafe.

This modern style differs from the West´s hallways. After many Lowe’s trips for paint and finding the shade of purple and gray that matches with the Pump It Up logo, the coffee shop finished right when the new school year was about to start in 2017.

“TH EY AR E N ’T GO I N G TO R E M E M B E R H OW FAST YOU MADE TH E I R CO F F E E , TH EY AR E GO I N G TO R E M E M B E R YOU B E I N G SU PE R F RI E N DLY TO TH E M .”MADDY LU EG E RI N G ‘19 Not only is the coffee shop a convenience to students, but it also teaches the employees lessons about business. Maddy Luegering ´19, an employee, feels her motivation improved since she started working at the cafe. ¨You have to be self-driven to make it happen,” Luegering said. “Through the coffee shop, that’s something that I had to learn because if everybody [does not play] their part, then this place would be messy.¨ The employees do everything- from buying food to cleaning the cafe to doing chores. Although the work to run the cafe can be tiring at times, one of the main goals of the coffee shop is to have every customer feel welcomed the second they step into the cafe.

“They aren’t going to remember how fast you made their coffee, they are going to remember you being super friendly to them,” Luegering said.

Joshua Hurtado ´22, a frequent customer of the coffee shop, notices this hard work. ¨They always smile and say ´Hey what can I do for you?´ and they are always happy to attend you,¨ Hurtado said. The coffee shop’s history is relatively short but customers have an unforgettable experience.

Photo Credit: Diane Fickel

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F E AT U R E DEC 20 2018

PRACTICALITY OF THE RECORDER Why elementary students are taught to play the recorder.

BY EMMA DUNLAP

Sitting criss-cross on the music room carpet, surrounded by other third graders blasting high pitched noises is a memory of many of our elementary years. Being taught to play the recorder during elementary school can bring back good and oftentimes chaotic memories to students.

Both instruments are good for new musicians. Wickham Elementary’s music teacher, Mrs. Stiegelmeyer, believes that the recorder is a good instrument for young musicians because it is simple to play, has good sound, and success comes quickly. The recorder doesn’t require a reed or strings, only breath. Recorders are made of cheap plastic, making them easily affordable to schools.

It is debatable whether students enjoyed learning the recorder. Nineteen out of thirty three students on a survey did enjoy learning the skill.

“I believe the main reason is that they feel successful playing an instrument, especially when they know if helps prepare them for band or another instrument. They are successful with a few notes right away and able to play simple songs. That is when it becomes fun for them.” said Steiglemeyer.

In the ICCSD General Music Curriculum handbook, teachers are required to teach children grades three through five recorder skills. The handbook also states that students should be able to collaborate to create melodic music on the recorder as a group and

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an important instrument to develop an un- “Totally, it helps your fingers get use to the derstanding of pitch. However some stu- feeling of keys and moving your fingers in dents did not have that experience. time” said Selby when asked if the recorder “I liked blowing as hard as I could and an- helps her play the flute. noying the teacher with the Emma Barker ‘22 also high pitched shrieks” Campays flute at West and “It can be frustrating, eron Reimers ‘22 responded she disagreed when but I have very high within a survey. asked the same question. expectations for the “It can be frustrating, but I She simply replied that students.

They are very have very high expectations the recorder unit did not successful when they for the students. They are very help her at all. follow them” successful when they follow Students who did enthem!” replied Steiglemeyer. joy playing the recorder Her biggest challenges while can consider going on to teaching the young kids is to get them to take pursue it as a musical hobby. However, most breaks from noise-making. Although she tend not to use the skill past their elementary still loves teaching, her favorite part is years.

“Connecting with students, helping them find enjoyment and success through music.”

To guarantee success of students, she will listen row by row to see which kids need more instruction and pointers.

Many have forgotten the skill of playing hot cross buns and the basics on the recorder, but some students continue to use the skills in band. The popular instrument most similar to the recorder is the flute. At West, we have several flute players participating in band, who started out by learning the recorder. Emma Selby ‘22 plays the flute for West’s band.

Different strokes for different folks

By Lataeja Brown

The beginning of 2018, loads of new music is coming out and new artist are prospering. New albums, Ep’s and Singles are being dropped by a huge amount of different artist.

Some people have a diverse taste in music, while others might just listen to a select few artist. You could look at someone and because of their bangs think “They must listen to punk rock music” Or someone with a skirt and heels on and think “She must listen to Ariana Grande” but as you dig into their playlist you may find things you never thought you’d find. You may here about Artist or Bands you’ve never thought twice about or even heard of a day in your entire life.

Aaliyah Clayton ‘22 “My favorite band is Big Bang (A korean band) and I would have to say its because they sing about things other than sex.”

Dana Sharairi ‘22 “My favorite artist is Sia and my Favorite band is The Fray, they make great songs and they are about more than meaningless things life.”

Adama Katile ‘22 “My favorite artist(s) would have to be Pink and Major Lazer, just because their like amazing people and their music shows that.”

Emma Westgard ‘22 “My favorite artist is Panic! At the Disco, because, I like his style of music. The fact that he makes songs that everyone can relate to. He also makes different Genres of music. From Pop to Alternative rock.”

You may also be surprised at how many people dislike the artist you might love or look up to. It’s all about a person’s preference. Not everyone likes the same music or artist or bands.

“Cardi B has to be my least favorite artist and its because she just raps and makes music about things that just don’t really matter,” Sharairi said. “Material things are not everything in life, fighting is not everything in life and that’s what she raps about.”

Clayton said, “My least favorite artists or band or whatever has to be the City Girls, but only because they talk about all the wrong things.”

Katile said, “My least favorite artist has to be Taylor Swift. It’s not that she’s a bad artist. It’s more so just because I’m not into her music.”

Westgard said, “My least favorite artist is Sam Smith. Only because all of his songs sound similar and they are all about the same things (Break-ups or love stories). He just sounds like he’s whining all of the time” You may meet some people who have the same view in music as you but you may also run into people who may really dislike the artist you like. It takes some getting used to for some people but others may have an easier time accepting the unbalanced taste of their friends music (Haha) To many people, music isn’t just something they listen to when they’re bored. Music actually helps a lot of people in different ways. Some people even listen to it when they’re stressed, going through a rough patch in life or just need some motivation. Branch out and give different music a listen.

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The Damage Of Depression and how it is commonly missunderstood

In the past five years, there have been 3 Million cases of Major Depressive Disorder per year. Ma-

jor Depressive Dissorder, more commonly known as Depression, affects roughly 6.7% of all U.S. Adults as of 2016. Scientists believe this large number can be attributed to many causes, the main being how glamourized depression and other mental health issues are becoming. Over the past few years, depression and suicide numbers have been on the rise since 2013, and have been increasing drastically since the 2016 elections. When President Trump won, the suicide rate peaked

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at 31% according to the CDC. Not only was his win a shock that caused an increased rate, so did his new policies. After Trump’s repeal of Obamacare, rates jumped an average of 7% all across the states.

Trump was not the only cause for suicide though.

Social media is also to blame for a 16% increase in depression and suicide rates. This is caused by many things, but the main factor is the popularization of depression and suicide. Over the past few years, depression and suicide have been turned into jokes and have been twisted by comedy to seem like no big deal. This is completely incorrect. Depression, and other mental health issues are not a joke. They should always be taken with utmost sincerety. If someone around you makes jokes about suicide, take it as though they are about to do it. Talk to an adult as soon as you can and help the other person seek help. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in teens and is often overlooked because people think it’s “just a phase“ or that it’s “part of being a teen.” When overlooked, depression can wreak havoc on a student and their grades. When depressed, a student may lose interest in school entirely and lose motivation to do even small things such as get out of bed or eat. With loss of motivation to do this minor things, doing homework is tortureous. Due to that, students’ grades will start to take a dive for the worse.

Symptoms of Depression: • Feelings of sadness, including random crying spells for unapparent reasons • Frustration or feelings of anger, even over small things • Feelings of hopelessness and or emptiness • Irritable or annoyed mood • Low interest in, or conflict with, family and friends • • Low self-esteem • Feelings of worthlessness or guilt • Fixation on past failures or exaggerated self-blame • Extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure, and the need for excessive reasurance • Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions, and remembering things • Ongoing sense that life and the future are grim and bleak • Frequent thoughts of death, dying or suicide If you or someone you know is depressed and is or may be contemplating suicide, contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline by calling 1-800-273-8255 or going online to chat with someone right away at Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

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BIAS IN MEDIA

How corporate ownership affects bias in media

BY TOSH KLEVER AND ISAAC YOUNG

I

t’s a phrase we hear all too often, “fake news.”

Politicians and many others at the forefront of today’s media use this phrase to refer to news that has been tainted by outside bias. A valid and common contributor to this “fake news” phenomenon is the influence of large companies on the news outlets that they own and exert control over. These massive media companies like ABC, NBC and FOX are all common names, but there are other companies that have flown under the radar. Names like Sinclair Broadcast Group, Nexstar Media Group and Tribune Media are just a few of the companies that contribute to the amount of news consumed by Americans. While many companies keep their biases to a minimum, there are some examples of corporations that clearly choose a political side.

Sinclair Broadcast Group is a company that owns many media forms, including television newscasts, online news sites and print publications. The conservative nature of segments running in and on their platforms gained them praise from President Donald Trump.

“The Fake News Networks, those that knowingly have a sick and biased AGENDA, are worried about the competition and quality of Sinclair Broadcast” Trump tweeted Apr. 2, 2018.

Their affiliation with President Trump and his campaign goes much further than a tweet.

Sinclair partnered with the candidate during the

A survey at West High

19%

81%

Do not think there is bias in media

Think there is bias in media

2016 presidential election. In December of 2016, Jared Kushner, son-in-law and campaign adviser of the previous president elect, announced that the company would receive exclusive interviews and access to the campaign.

On a more local level, Sinclair presents a political agenda in must-run segments sent out to KGAN CBS 2 and KFXA FOX 28 as well as their more than 200 stations across the nation.

These must-run segments include “Terrorism Alert Desk,” a segment supposedly dedicated to warnings about terrorism around the world.

However, this segment has included subjects such as the word “ISIS” being spray-painted

on a New York City subway station, someone hanging up an ISIS flag in a New Hampshire neighborhood, and the banning of burkinis in 22 French towns against the ruling of the federal government. Another common mustrun segment is the political talk show “Bottom Line with Boris.” The show features political commentary from Boris Epshteyn, senior advisor for Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and former White House aide Although companies such as Sinclair influence the content of their outlets, this is certainly not always the case. Many companies stay out of the journalistic process and leave it to their

“ I TRY MY B EST NOT TO LET ANY PE RSONAL B IAS B E RE F LECTE D I N MY COVE R AG E .” experienced, local journalists.

“I have never felt pressured by our company to lean one way, when it comes to stories,” said Abby Turpin, KWWL news anchor, in an email interview with WSS. Turpin and other local news anchors make it their duty to report the news as it is, and in the case of KWWL their owner, Quincy Media, does not hinder this goal.

“I try my best to not let any personal bias be reflected in my coverage, so I try not to make public comments regarding my personal feelings about issues,” said Ron Steele, KWWL news anchor.

Editorially and financially, the Daily Iowan is run independently by students at the University of Iowa. Although their company is close to the university, Gage Miskimen, editor in chief of the Daily Iowan, believes that the university does not affect their content.

“No, I don’t think so. If we run something they don’t like, I’ll get an email about it from one of their PR people… but it doesn’t ever really stop us from running anything.”

In the current financial state of many media outlets, it is very difficult to maintain independent and competitive. While news outlets like the Daily Iowan bring certain freedoms to their journalists, owned companies like KWWL still strive for journalistic excellence and unbiased reporting. Both owned and independent news bring certain advantages and disadvantages to the table. It is important for consumers of journalism to be aware of these differences and the track record of certain companies in order to get the facts.

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WSS: Is the Daily Iowan independently managed and owned?

Gage Miskimen: “Yes, we are independent from the university, so everything is student run.”

WSS: Do you think the closeness to the university affects the content you run?

Gage Miskimen: “No, I don’t think so. If we run something they don’t like, I’ll get an email about it from one of their PR people… but it doesn’t ever really stop us from running anything... Usually it’s like wording [that they don’t like]... if it feels unfair to them I’ll have a conversation about it.”

WSS: Is the daily Iowan budget provided by the university?

Gage Miskimen: “The Daily Iowan is self funded through donations or advertisement.”

WSS: Do you think being independent affects the content positively, or are there some ways it’s negative, too?

Gage Miskimen: “The idea of being independent is so that no one has any say other than you. I know that there are other college newspapers around the country that are pretty controlled by the university… where student governments have threatened to pull funding from newspapers based off stuff they didn’t like they wrote. For us I think it’s very positive we have been independent.”

THE AGE OLD QUESTION: HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL? I mean, technically, it’s completely full. 50% air and 50% water. Just saying.

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BY ANUM ANSAR AND RENEE GOULD

W

hen reading a story about teenagers in love, there are usually two main types of mindsets. Those who look at it as a point-blank view, as a cute love story about two people who care about each other, and those who look at it as a story about broken hearts, and how they’re just teenagers and aren’t actually in love.

This is a very clear divide in personalities and shows the two major personalities: optimists and pessimists.

Pessimists and optimists are considered

to be the two major types of people, with optimists being those who only see opportunities and are relatively happy, and pessimists being those who only see problems and are more likely to be negative; or at least, that’s what the extreme cases are.

In fact, optimists can be simply considered as people who are more likely to look at situations positively, and pessimists are those who are more likely to look at situations negatively.

After interviewing teachers, around

60 percent said they were pessimists, and around 40 percent said they were optimists.

One pessimist in the moment, Jess Harms, said, “At some times, it keeps you grounded in reality and things that could actually happen, do happen and you make plans for the wacko things that could happen and as a pessimist, you think the worst, worst possible scenario.”

As well, other pessimists said that they thought being a pessimist helped them to plan ahead for possible issues.

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.”

-Rabindranath Tagore, poet and artist

“A pessimist is a person who has had to listen to too many optimists.”

-Don Marquis, humoist and journalist

“When it rains, look for rainbows.

When it’s dark, look for stars.”

-Oscar Wilde, Irish playwrite

“If you hate yourself, remember that you are not alone. A lot of other people hate you too.”

-Aman Tiwari

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement, nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”

-Helen Keller

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t s i m i t p O VS.

t s i m essi

P One optimist in the moment, Beth Belding, said, “I think positive energy generates positivity generates good things. I think just housing negative energy can be like a blank stifling the good that can come out.” As well, other optimists said that they thought being an optimist helped them see opportunities in difficult situations.

Another pessimist in the moment, David Rosenthal, said that an advantage of being a pessimist is that “when things turn out well, you’re pleasantly surprised,” as well as saying that there were “a lot of different levels [of pessimistic]”.

An optimist in the moment, Jill Hofmockel, said that an advantage of being an optimist is because “I think being an optimist means that your heart is lighter at any given moment,” and another optimist, Claire Matthews

brought up the attitude it gives you, “Attitude is what makes your life for you, and so I’m a look on the sunny side kind of person, because it just gives you a better attitude.”

This also seems to be the general consensus on what makes an optimist an optimist and a pessimist a pessimist.

Pessimist is a general term meaning someone who will react realistically to situations but are much less likely to see constant opportunities.

Optimist, on the other hand, is a general term meaning someone who will be more likely to see opportunities in every situation but are less grounded in pure reality.

Despite the general meaning of these terms, most people end up falling into the less extremes. An extreme optimist would never stop seeing opportunities,

no matter the situation, and an extreme pessimist would never see the opportunities, no matter the situation.

Most people actually end up fluctuating between being an optimist and being a pessimist.

Many people end up being more pessimistic as they get stressed out or are having some sort of problem in life, whereas people end up being more optimistic as they spend time with family or friends or are having fewer problems.

There is a general idea that being an optimist is the better option.

However being a pessimist has its upsides such as pessimists are very realistic, are often more cautious, and will be more ready for the biggest problems in their lives.

“If life doesn’t break you today, don’t worry. It will try again tomorrow.”

-unknown

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The lunchroom During A Lunch.

The lunchroom during C Lunch.

Lunch Changes How do students and teachers at West feel about changing the lunch schedule?

BY LILLI DUNCAN

I

t’s fourth period. Half the school is eating lunch, and the other half, is in class. A bell rings in the middle of the period, signifying the start of B lunch. But, unlike the day before, there are no students rushing out of class to get to lunch. The students in the lunchroom stay in the lunchroom, and students in their classrooms remain there.

The change was announced on Nov. 28, which is also when it started. Both teachers and students are divided on the issue, some happy with the change and others irritated by it.

Many upperclassmen were unaffected by the change because they have fourth period open, and either go out to eat or eat

at any lunch they want to. As is the case with Maria Gamon ’19, ”On days I do get school lunch, I notice the lines are a little crowded but they go by a bit faster. The lunch room is tighter so it’s harder to walk through but I eat lunch in the choir room.”

On the other side, there are also some students wary of the new lunch schedule. “It’s awful, because the cafeteria is too crowded.

I would prefer lunch the old way because it wasn’t very crowded,” said Linda Alcaraz ’22.

What was once B lunch was added to A lunch, making the lunchroom more crowded during A than C. “The lunch thing doesn’t really bother me because I have C lunch, but I feel like we should stick to three so it’s not

as complicated and so the lunches aren’t as big,” said Bella Trevitt ‘19.

While some students feel like they aren’t as focused after B lunch, others disagree. “I like ABC better because there’s a little break in between classes,” said Demetrick Byers ‘20.

Even some teachers were cautious of the trial at first. Jill Hofmockel, a teacherlibrarian was a little apprehensive because she knew that students who have fourth hour open wouldn’t be able to hang out in the cafeteria. “We knew it was a possibility that we might see an increase of kids who maybe were used to being a little louder than we might like in the library,” Hofmockel said.

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“ I TH I N K THAT CHAN G I N G F RO M TH R E E LU N CH ES TO TWO I S M UCH M O R E CO NVE N I E NT FO R PEO PLE WH O HAD B LU N CH , ESPECIALLY TH E TEACH E RS.” - E M I LY H I LL ‘2 0 Extra tables set out in the hallway for lunch

“ I F E E L LI K E WE SH OU LD STI CK TO TH R E E SO IT ’S N OT AS CO M PLI CATE D AN D SO TH E LU N CH ES AR E N ’T AS B I G,” - B E LLA TR EVITT ‘19 After the change went into effect, though, Hofmockel decided the change is good.

“Honestly, the kids who have come to spend their fourth open in the library have been just fine,” Hofmockel said. “So, we are totally okay with going to two lunches. Two lunches seems like a perfect way to schedule, I think.

When I am teaching classes that have B lunch, it is always difficult to get things back on track with the disruption of lunch in the middle. If it works for our cafeteria staff to host two lunches, I’m hopeful that we will be able to stick with two.”

As of right now, it seems that most students like the change or are indifferent. Students who liked the change didn’t like leaving in the middle of class and then coming back. Emily Hill ‘20 said, “I think that changing from three lunches to two is much more convenient for people who had B lunch, especially the teachers. I remember not liking B lunch when I had it last year.”

Razan Hamza ‘21 originally disliked the change, but has since changed her mind, “It’s alright, I think it was definitely more crowded

when we had first started this change but it’s kind of died down. I think it works really well right now, or at least the lunch lines flow to the best of their ability” Crandon Davis ‘20 had B lunch at the start of the trimester, and is now in A lunch, “I think it’s better because there’s more people I know. It’s not fair when you’re late to the 2nd half of the period they mark you unexcused for the whole period,” From a teacher who has had to teach B lunch class periods before, Mr. Butler, science teacher, is a fan if the change, “My fourth period has labs about two times a week.

With no B lunch this trimester we do not get interrupted. Also, my fourth period doesn’t get behind my fifth because of having a few less minutes each day,” said Butler.

Luke DeVries, Assistant Principal, discussed the technicalities and the original reason for wanting a more efficient lunch period in the first place, “Overall I have been very happy with the change from three lunches to two. The cafeteria staff has done an outstanding job of getting students through the lunch line. In both A and C lunch it takes approximately 10 minutes for every student to get their food which leaves every student at least 20 minutes to eat. I have also heard from some of the cafeteria staff that having the time in between lunches, gives them a chance to set up and prepare for the next lunch. From an administrator’s perspective,

the two lunches are a good thing because it maximizes instructional time by eliminating the split class, gives us the opportunity to increase supervision in the cafeteria by having all three of our supervisory staff in the cafeteria during lunch, and reduces the temptation for students to stay in the cafeteria for all three lunches. The downside is that we have had to add tables by the gym entrance to ensure everyone has a seat during lunch. At this point, I feel the pros certainly outweigh the cons of switching from three to two lunches.”

“ I F E E L TH E PROS CE RTAI N LY OUTWE I G H TH E CO N S O F SWITCH I N G F RO M TH R E E TO TWO LU N CH ES.” - M R . DEVRI ES Some students also feel like the switch came out of nowhere and was really unexpected, But, DeVries says that this has been in the works for a while now. “We started our discussion about changing lunches during third trimester of last year with three options that we considered. The first, was to stay with the same format and keep three lunches. The second, was to go to an extended one lunch schedule with AFT time built in to lunch. The last, was to switch from three to two lunches like we are trying right now. After much discussion on the benefits and challenges of each option, we decided that switching to two lunches would be the best option to try.”

Overall most teachers and students at West like two lunches more than three.