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BACK SI DE STO RY IOWA CITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL

2901 MELROSE AVE.

IOWA CITY, IA 52246

WSSPAPER.COM

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 MAY 24TH, 2018

WHY AMERICA ISN’T ALL BAD

f o e l b ta

S T N E

T N O C

In the Life of a Bolt

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04

Why America isn’t All Bad

What Takes the Most Funding at West High?

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Director of Avengers: Infinity War

Fashion Friday: Swesh Dhungel ‘21

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Crossword

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04

F E AT U R E

MAY 21TH, 2018

A DAY I N TH E LI F E OF A BOLT

By: Alyssa Skala

Rolling chairs, triangle shaped desks, and whiteboards that double as smartboards, and apple computer labs. These are all common things that are in every classroom at Liberty. While there are many differences between Liberty High and West High there are still some similarities.

The Liberty High Theater is just about the same as West’s, they consist of about the same number of seats and the same stage size.

Liberty has multiple computer labs, this one is constructed of Apple computers. This is a big difference than West High’s, dell computer lab.

Seeing wall paint and stickers like this is common around liberty, they have windows that are decorated with lightning storms.

There’s only one large cafiteria at Liberty, along with one place that they serve lunch. The lunch bar moves quickly with two checkout places. This makes it easier for the lunnch staff to serve.

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N EWS

MAY 25TH , 2018

SI M I LARITI ES:

DI FFE RENCES: WAYS OF TEACH I NG

CO RE CLASS REQU I ERM ENTS

TEACH I NG TECH N I QU ES TEM PATU RE CLASS SIZES

STUDENT OPINIONS: “Honestly I wouldn’t go to West if I lived less than a mile away. Liberty is just the same as West and I really like it here.

The class sizes are really small, my largest class has about 20 kids. This makes it for a lot more 1:1 time with the teacher and the learning experience is just overall great.”

- Olivia Hall ‘21

“I really liked how Liberty jumped in and had a ‘LHSDM’. the first year of the school opening-- [it] made for a lot of fun experiences and really helped. FTK for life! ” - Blythe Geiman ‘21

“I’m a die hard sports fan and being involved in XC (Cross Country) and Basketball at Liberty with the same guys is super lit.

I hope that we get more students next year for the numbers. ” - Jack Kinzer ‘21

Why America Isn’t All Bad

07 OPINION

FEB. 17, 2017

Bernardo Perez and Kareem Shoukih Although it seems America is in a rough spot, there are many good things we should be looking at. The survival of the Affordable Care Act, America’s withdrawal in the Middle East, a larger effort towards ending misogyny, and a large reduction in teenage pregnancy are helping in improving American society. If you ask anyone about their outlook for the world, their attitudes tend to be quite a downer. There are plenty of reasons people choose from all the time. Gas attacks in Syria, an increasing numbers of mass shootings, hurricanes devastating cities in the United States and an undeniable political mess. Take your pick, there are plenty of reasons to choose from. This negativity dominates our conversations, and as a whole, our lives. However, there is more than enough positivity where there may seemingly be none. You just have to look in the right places.

NUMBERS THAT INSPIRE

67%

is the percentage of mothers that have decreased between the ages of 15 and 19

The number of Americans that have gained access to health insurance has increased to

3 million

33 million due to Obamacare Participated in the Women's Day March in 2017

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OPINION MAY 24,2018

Protection of the Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (Also known as Obamacare) has survived multiple attacks made by the Trump Administration. This act has been in debate for a good amount of time, and has been subject to change by the Trump Administration. Trump and the Republican party have tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but have repeatedly failed. Based on statistics and facts, this is significant news. Sixty-million people did not have health insurance prior to the Affordable Care Act, but now only 27 million people remain without healthcare insurance, and that number keeps decreasing. Some Americans are less economically fortunate than others, and because of Obamacare, 19.4% of lower class Americans are medically covered by Medicaid, another quality that helps millions of Americans everyday. Whether you support or oppose the Affordable Care Act, it has helped millions of Americans, and facts can back that up. However, the system could be improved, like everything else in life. We all hope to see these improvements in the future where this act could help all Americans.

“ WHTETH E R YOU SU PPO RT O R O PPOSE TH E AF FO R DAB LE CAR E ACT, IT HAS H E LPE D M I LLI O N S O F AM E RI CAN S...”

Withdrawal from the Middle East After presidents Bush and Obama deployed many American troops into the Middle East and in Afghanistan, many have been killed and more terrorist groups seem to keep developing.

US drone air-strikes haven’t been very effective, and the tactics they used have not delivered any result. Trump’s decision to withdraw American troops, and in general, evacuate American military movements from these areas is a good decision.

According to the Huffington Post and the New York Times, over 6,500 American troops have died in Iraq and Afghanistan alone.

“ TH I S PROCESS WI LL TAK E TI M E , AN D WI LL N OT B E DO N E OVE R N I G HT, BUT LOO K I N G AT TH E LO N G TE R M R ESU LTS IT WI LL B E WO RTH IT.”

This is a large amount in comparison to results in recent years. If 6,500 soldiers isn’t enough to make the U.S. evacuate its troops , then how many people have to die? One-million?

Well it’s getting closer and closer to that million marker, because of the number of wounded soldiers have already exceeded that. These wounded soldiers not only come back home with physical injuries, but also return suffering from mental illness.

Another aspect readers should take into consideration would be the cost that these wars are having on the United States.

They have already cost America well over a trillion dollars, and if it is to continue, it is estimated to reach over 6 trillion dollars. Terrorism is an issue all over the world, and Trump removing troops from the Middle East does not remove the idea of the “War on Terrorism.” Instead it changes America’s tactics in this battle on terrorism. Direct military actions have not seemed to work in the Middle East, and if anything, they keep creating tension with Russia and Iran, as well as power vacuums that open a door that terrorists can use to come into power.It is about time to try a new method and new tactics to win this war, and American troops shouldn’t be pointlessly dying while these problems are still being worked on. This evacuation has shown through facts that it will aid America through saving lives and keep the government budget in check. This process will take time, and will not be done overnight, but looking at the long term results, it will be worth it. Keep in mind, this doesn’t mean the “War on Terrorism” is over, but our government is going to work on a better way to accomplish victory without sacrificing American lives.

09 OPINION

FEB. 17, 2017

Lowered Teenage Pregnancy Rates There’s another noticeable social improvement occurring in the United States that has seen a major improvement in a short span of time: teenage pregnancy. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the amount of mothers from ages 15-19 has decreased 67% between 1991 and 2016. In the past, teenage pregnancy has been a peculiar social issue particularly for the United States, occurring because of the contrast of natural human development vs society today.

U.S. society favors a much more abstinent and reserved approach to motherhood, compared to other countries. Here, it is difficult to hold a family at such a young age. It tends to lead to higher high school dropout rates and increased health care costs. Coupled with the lack of economic income for anyone of that age, it becomes nearly impossible to live a comfortable life. The recent decline is in part due to the increased access to contraceptives, and the improvement of teenage pregnancy programs in the United States. As such, it makes it all the better to see teenage pregnancy decreasing throughout the United States.

”COU PLE D WITH TH E L ACK O F ECO N O M I C I N CO M E FO R ANYO N E O F THAT AG E , IT B ECO M ES N EAR LY I M POSS I B LE TO LIVE A CO M FO RTAB LE LI F E .”

In essence, although the world could be better, we should still focus on what’s improving. Many of the good things tend to go unrecognized, partially because people tend to focus on negative events in the world.

However, being able to look at our strengths gives us the ability to see what we are doing well, and use the same mentality to apply them to other parts of America that need working on. Hopefully, we will continue to improve so that one day we can say, “maybe america isnt that bad after all.

The Me Too Movement One event that has been on everyone’s minds in the past year or so is the rise of sexual harassment allegations. Sexual abuse is a heinous and scarring experience that remains prevalent throughout society. Especially against celebrities and popular figures, ability of this caliber to speak up against abuse mirrors the courage of other great movements. The movement, called “Me Too,” is not entirely new. The Me Too movement was started back in 2006, but it has recently come into the limelight after a string of accusations came out. The main case that brought this back was against Harvey Weinstein, who was accused by around 84 women. After Weinstein, more than 100 public figures have been accused of sexual misconduct.

It’s not just women’s rights, but the treatment of women which is an incredibly important social improvement in the United States. One century after women obtained their right to vote in the United States, we are still struggling with misogyny in our own country. We can see this through the vast amounts of sexual harassment that women are subjected to. In fact, the numbers are higher than one would expect. In a survey conducted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), 40% of employed women stated that they had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. This ties right in to the #MeToo movement, as we see that not just celebrities, but many women in America experience much sexual harassment. There have been two major public showings against sexual harassment that occurred in Washington D.C., taking form as the women’s marches. These took place in 2017 and 2018, having been the two largest protests that have occured in the history of the United States. The 2017 march had over 3,000,000 people, and the 2018 march had over 1,000,000 people. These marches show how America’s problem with misogyny is improving.

“...WE AR E STI LL STRUGG LI N G WITH M I SOGYNY I N OU R OWN COU NTRY.”

In essence, although the world could be better, we should still focus on what’s improving. Many of the good things tend to go unrecognized, partially because people tend to focus on negative events in the world.

However, being able to look at our strengths gives us the ability to see what we are doing well, and use the same mentality to apply them to other parts of America that need working on. Hopefully, we will continue to improve so that one day we can say, “Maybe America isn’t all bad.”

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F E AT U R E

MAY 21, 2018

RAINING MONEY Article by Kareem Shoukih and Bernardo Perez

Eight times more. That is how much more money the science department in West High is funded compared to the math department. Are there reasons? Of course. Science takes more resources, chemicals and expensive equipment than other classes in other departments. These differences in funding and the needs of each class vary greatly from one class to another.

Getting funds can be difficult. At the beginning of the year, each teacher has to request the materials they want for their own class. The amount of money and resources that can be funded for each department is not only highly limited but very competitive. Karen Meyer, an Algebra teacher in the math department, explained that they get a budget at the beginning of the year. They use this to order compasses, calculators, and other materials. However, she said, “It is a very small budget.” For many classes, they need to charge a fee for some materials for students to own, rather than just provide them with the materials. Despite this, she believes that the lack of budget for their department is not a big deal. “Teachers are willing to use their own funds,” Meyer said. She feels that the Iowa City Community School District is much better off compared to other school districts in Iowa. “However, I think we’re an oasis. Kids have access to so many things,” Meyer said. After having known teachers in other school districts, she’s happy with the amount of support this district has.

Design by Chris Kim

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F E AT U R E

MAY 21, 2018

Even though Meyer thinks the math department is doing well overall, there are still things she wishes she had. One thing Meyer wants for the math department is better support for students., “A full time employee, who would strictly run a math lab, we need a math resource like that.” Meyer said. This is because many students have many questions, but one teacher is not enough to answer all of them. If an employee strictly had a job specifically to answer questions from students, and nothing else, it could have dramatic effects on the student’s educational experience. Funding towards this could give students a much smoother learning experience in high school.

Even though Meyer thinks the math department is doing well overall, there are still things she wishes she had. One thing Meyer wants for the math department is better support for students., “A full time employee, who would strictly run a math lab, we need a math resource like that.” Meyer said. This is because many students have many questions, but one teacher is not enough to answer all of them. If an employee strictly had a job specifically to answer questions from students, and nothing else, it could have dramatic effects on the student’s educational experience. Funding towards this could give students a much smoother learning experience in high school.

According to English Teacher Katy Nahra, the English department experiences different problems in funding, but she holds similar views on the effect it has on education. One of Nahra believes books currently need funding, because although he department has most of the books they need, they tend to get really worn down over time. Another thing English teachers would appreciate is new supplies. Currently, supplies like Kleenex, Expo markers, and pencils usually end up cutting out of their own paycheck. Narha said, “Teachers spend a lot of money of their own.” And, if there was one thing she could spend money on, it would be a speaker to come in and talk for the class.

Although funds are important, most teachers don’t believe that these are crucial to quality of education. Nahra said, “Some of the things we spend a lot of money on, but I don’t think having more or less money will impact good teaching.” This response seems to be a trend through multiple departments, including the science department. Chemistry teacher Carolyn Walling stated, “It seemed like when Liberty opened we lost a lot of money, but we survived.” At the end of the day, most of what each department receives fills the majority of their needs. However, if the departments were able to fulfill their requests, it might make West High that much better.

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PROFILE

MAY 24, 2018

FASH ION FRI DAY: S W E S H DHU N G E L ‘21

By Alyssa Skala

West Side Story: What’s your favorite

fashion trend?

Swesh Dhungel: My favorite fashion trend is probably little accents of the 80’s fashion, i feel like it adds more character to one’s overall essence since it’s not something you typically see.

WSS: What is your least favorite? Why? SD: My least favorite fashion trend is wearing lots of jewelry, i feel like it’s very distracting and takes away from the overall outfit. In my opinion, everything is good in moderation.

WSS: What designers/brands are your favorite?

SD: My favorite brand is Abercrombie by far. Their clothing is really comfortable and of good quality.

I find that they sell their items for a fair price as well, and their routine of having sales at least once a month is convenient. I also love clothing from Tommy Hilfiger,I find that this brand represents my style really well. something i like, this is definitely not a good thing lol. ultimately, i think i buy bulks of clothing as the seasons change.

WSS: How unique is your fashion?

SD: I think my fashion isn’t too unique, i’m your usual comfy and casual clothing type of gal but sometimes i always try to wear something different. For example i’m often wearing unique color sand patterns along with different pairs of shoes which in my opinion make a statement and tie the whole outfit together.

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PROFILE

MAY 24, 2018

WSS: What color schemes are your favorite?

SD: i often like wearing monochrome since i find it to be bold as well as stylish. i also love wearing bright colors, especially in the summer.

WSS: What is your opinion on shoes?

SD: i love, love, love shoes. as i said before, i think they complete an outfit and often make a statement. for example, wearing converse with dresses is something i personally do a lot.

WSS: How often do you purchase new clothing items?

SD: i don’t really have a certain time period in which i decide i want new clothing. i’m very impulsive so i buy clothes whenever i see WSS: Do you find it more important to be comfortable or confident? i prefer to be more comfortable since i often feel uncomfortable wearing stylish clothes for long periods of time bright colors, especially in the summer.

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N EWS

MAY 28, 2018

DIRECTOR OF “Avengers: Infinity War,” COMES TO IOWA, TALKS ABOUT FUTURE MARVEL

By Bernardo Perez MOVIES The director of Avengers: Infinity War and University of Iowa Alumnus, Joe Russo, came to the Englert Theater to talk about his thoughts on his future Marvel movies at the Englert Theater on April 30th.

Joe Russo is an alumnus from the University of Iowa who came for a visit the Monday after the release of Avengers: Infinity War. Many of the attendees were University of Iowa students, who had come to hear what Russo had to say.

Russo has directed many notable shows and films, such as “Arrested Development” and two other Captain America movies, “Captain America: Winter Soldier” and “Captain America: Civil War.” Now, with Joe’s and his brother’s most successful movie to date, Joe Russo came to talk about his career and aspirations for the film.

Russo originally came to study at the University of Iowa for the Writers Workshop. He felt he had already known everything there was to learn about film, and started getting involved with a variety of courses. Russo’s description of producing movies was, “You have to write scripts relentlessly.” After schooling, Russo ended up executive producing for almost a decade. His motto for this, “if you want to be a great carpenter, you got to build a lot of tables.” What Russo learned through all of this though was that filmmaking is a progressive storytelling experience that is tailored to each individual person. A group of people can all have different opinions on any given story. Russo brought this into mentality into his Marvel films, stating, “...we were intentionally trying to mislead you.”

“Captain America was not my favorite character growing up,” Russo told the crowded room. Rather than stay with the patriotic stereotype, Russo’s goal was to change the character into something more complex, insurgent, and rebellious. When asked why Russo would take such actions, he responded, “You can go see a superhero film and just watch superheroes.” But what he really enjoyed was, “The emotional resonance of people sitting in stunned silence in the theater…inciting conversation and making people see characters in a different way or the world in a different way.”

Russo wants to progress and change the layout of Marvel films in the future. Russo believes that, “Marvel is succeeding because they are trying something new.” He wants to change movies to be more controversial and touching subjects. He feels that the theme of his films are, “What is the cost to be a hero in a world there are no easy answers.”

He also looks to make these films more mixed, in terms of a cast of characters. “What’s interesting about the Marvel Universe moving forward is that you’re going to see it become more diverse,” Russo said. He hopes that the next movies will have a wider selection of heroes in order to speak to many different cultures.

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F E AT U R E

MAY 28, 2018

STUDENT’S VOICE ON INFINITY WAR

By Kareem Shoukih

Infinity War was released on April 2, 2018 and many West High students rushed to the theatres to watch it. Many had contradicting thoughts on the movies and here is one way to view the pros and cons of the movie.

“Infinity War” has already reached a record high debut amount of $640.9 million worldwide and 250 million nationwide, placing it as the highest debut amount ever reached. Many superhero and Marvel fans have watched and had their say about what was good and bad about the movie. One very dedicated Marvel fan, Hariram Saravanan ‘18, stated “I have watched all the movies and shows and read a good amount of the comics.” Saravanan gave his opinions on how good the movie was compared to passed avenger movies, it’s cinematic qualities.

Saravanan’s overall reaction of the movie was a positive review with him stating, “Good action, good balance between comedy and tragedy, and music was on point and the costumes are better than the original movies.” As for Saravanan’s favorite characters he stated, “Thor first of all, his Stormbreaker is a better weapon, and how he was the only one who had significant damage to Thanos, and Doctor Strange was super meta and you can’t deny the bromance he had with Stark.” On the other hand, he disliked multiple characters for their insignificance in the movies, as he said, “I hated Hulk and Vision, they were completely useless to the plot, and appeared really weak, like Vision got defeated by Thanos´ minions.”

Before the movie even came out, many youtubers, bloggers, and fans predicted and created many theories about what the outcome of the first “Infinity War” movie would be. Just like them, Saravanan made his own predictions, and they ended up coming true, which made the outcome of the movie less satisfying to him. Probably too many other viewers who shared the same predictions. “It’s a capitalist market technique because all the characters are probably gonna come back and it was very predictable on who was gonna die and when they would die. The movie was designed to consume each person to watch the sequel because they have to see the characters comeback.” He not only had predictions for this Infinity War, but he has predictions for the sequel where they will be resurrected with the stones and eventually defeat Thanos. Whether or not this theory comes true, the majority of the viewers do feel this movie to be incomplete, which will consume many fans and people to watch the sequel.

Marvel’s movie turned out to be one of the most successful movies in history of movies and this will only grow the large Marvel enterprise. The action and comedy of this movie was perfectly balanced in the eyes of Saravanan, but opinions are being placed all over the internet with many different perspectives and views of the movie.

TRY THIS Name:

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