iMAJE

iMAJE IOWA CITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL - 2901 MELROSE AVE - IOWA CITY, IA 52246 - VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 - JUNE 5, 2023

THE DEMOLITION OF DRAMA iMAJE explores the demolition of the Northwest Junior High little theater and what it means for the drama programs in both middle and high school.

PHOTO FEATURE

Cassidi Tsang ‘28, Freya Bevan ‘28, Aahana Gupta ‘27, Carter Wagner ‘28 and Lucy Harris ‘28 start to drag Etta Graber ‘28 away as part of their small-group production during drama club.

Photo taken by Anna Greenlee

LETTER FROM THE STAFF

Happy end-of-the-school-year! This is the first issue of the publication iMAJE, which is pronounced ‘image’ and stands for the staff’s names. We hope you can unwind while reading, especially after finals and other end-of-year projects.

To take your mind off of school and/or make a summer watchlist, you can find reviews on recent TV shows and movies on page 12.

Speaking of shows and productions, there will also be a demolition of the Northwest Junior High little theater over the summer. The decision to get rid of the theater and its impacts are explored on page 8.

Happy reading, and we wish you a good summer!

SINCERELY, ANNA GREENLEE

MEGAN O’NEILL

(she/her)

(they/them)

JAY SAINSBURY

EVELYN KRABER

(they/he/she)

(she/they)

Staff photo taken by Callie Gao

STAFF LIST(Left to right)

Megan O’Neill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Designer, Reporter Anna Greenlee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Artist, Designer, Reporter Jay Sainsbury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reporter Evelyn Kraber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editor-In-Chief, Reporter

CONTACT US Letters to the editor and corrections may be sent to room 111 or emailed to evkra26@icstudents.org.

iMAJE reflects the views of the staff and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the school administration, faculty, student body or West Side Story, the school’s newspaper. This magazine was made for Foundations of Journalism, the prerequisite for joining WSS. For more information, go to wsspaper. com/join.

TABLE OF CONTENTS COVER

PROFILE ENTERTAIN

NEWS

ENTERTAIN

OPINION

NEWS BRIEFS

04

THOMAS GIBSON

06

FRONT COVER DESIGN BY ANNA GREENLEE

THE DEMOLITION OF DRAMA

08

COMMOTION PICTURE

12

THE VEGIMAL

14

EXAM ESCAPADES

15

Greetings from

H G I H T S WE NEWS BRIEFS

WRITTEN BY MEGAN O’NEILL ART AND DESIGN BY ANNA GREENLEE

e nder th u e i f l ir se

Cho

04 NEWS

JUNE 5, 2023

arch

iMAJE explores the many places West High students have traveled recently.

Business in Beverly Hills PHOTOS PROVIDED BY EMILY HUDACHEK

BPA NATIONALS

West High BPA went to Anaheim, California on April 24 to 30 for the Business Professionals of America National Leadership Conference, bringing 41 student qualifiers, a record for the school. West represented about 70% of Iowa students that made the finals at the national level.

Voices like angels PHOTOS PROVIDED BY DAVID HAAS

CHOIR TRIP

On April 27 to 29 West choirs, Virtuosa and West Singers went to St. Louis on the 2023 choir tour, bringing the melody and music to the Shrine of St. Joseph and the STL Old Cathedral.

Reaching the finish line PHOTO TAKEN BY JOSH KIDMAN

DRAKE RELAYS

West High took the competition by storm on April 28 and 29, placing first in the boys distance relay, second in the boys 4x200 relay, and third in the boys 4x100 race. Also, Aidan Jacobsen placed third in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 52.83 seconds and placed ninth in the long jump, with a jump of 21 feet, 1.75 inches.

Partying it up at prom PHOTO TAKEN BY SACHIKO GOTO

WEST HIGH PROM

May 6 was West High’s Junior and Senior prom at the University Heights Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Iowa City from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Afterward, students came back to West High for the after-party at 10:30 pm to 2:00 am for more fun and games, including a hypnotist, mechanical bull, and minigolf.

NEWS JUNE 5, 2023

05

THOMAS GIBSON

06 PROFILE

JUNE 5, 2023

PRIZES &

PRAIRIES

After years of hard work, Thomas Gibson ‘25 received the Congressional Award on May 3.

T

homas Gibson ‘25 is a sophomore at West High School who was recently awarded the Bronze Congressional Medal in early May of 2023 by Iowa’s US representative, Marianette Miller-Meeks. He’s been a percussionist in West High School’s Jazz and Wind Ensembles for two years, starting as a freshman and plans to continue playing through the end of his high school career. He also runs for West High’s Track and Cross Country teams and is an Eagle Scout outside school. After planning and executing an extensive project, Gibson became an official Eagle Scout on July 20, 2022.

The Bronze Congressional Medal is an award given to hard-working American youth, first established in 1979. According to wild.house.gov, the requirements for the bronze level include 100 hours of voluntary public service, 50 hours of personal development, 50 hours of physical fitness, and a two-day/one-night trip for the expedition category. Gibson earned his physical fitness hours while on the track and cross-country teams. His personal development time was obtained through a summer job at Dane’s Dairy in Iowa City, and the expedition from an Eagle Scout campout.

Though it seems simple, his project was much more complicated and time-consuming than meets the eye. It started with the approval of the idea from his scout leaders, then came a presentation at his church and a grounds committee meeting. After gaining approval, he began to apply for grants to start the project. The grant Gibson received supplied him with lots of milkweed plugs, but that wasn’t enough for the whole prairie. He said, “I spent hours and hours harvesting seeds from existing prairies.” He then had to contact experts in the community that guided him in this lengthy process.

After members of his community had helped him remove seeds from the plants that were donated to him, he reached out to people from his church who worked in land maintenance. They

Thomas and his father work together on the prairie, Thomas’ eagle scout project.

applied for the controlled burn because Gibson was still a minor, The prairie is and provided the control-burned, materials needed which is proven to execute the burn.

He even wrote letters to rejuvenate to notify the residents ecosystems. nearby of the plan so they wouldn’t have any concerns with the smoke.

Through this experience, he earned his required 100 hours of voluntary public service, as well as improving the wildlife around him. This process improved his communication, delegation, and leadership skills, abilities every Eagle Scout needs.

When asked about his motivations for achieving the medal, Gibson wrote, “I thought [the medal] would be nice to put on college applications and I mostly do all the stuff to get the award anyways, it’s just a matter of paperwork.” He said tracking the requirement hours took some discipline, but having a place that he regularly volunteered at, such as his community garden and spending large amounts of time communicating with people for his Eagle Project. He said “For the planting, I just got some people together with buckets of seed and we went and scattered it on the field. It was pretty easy.”

Gibson said, “It felt good” when talking about receiving the medal, and was honored that Miller-Meeks made a special trip to West High to present the medal. His parents, Aaron and Kari Gibson, and sister, Kaylee Gibson ‘23, attended the award ceremony on May 3, 2023.

WRITTEN BY JAY SAINSBURY

Thomas recieves the Congressional Bronze Medal for his hard work.

Flowers in the prairie bloom.

Photos taken by Emily Rabe and courtesy Thomas Gibson

DESIGN BY ANNA GREENLEE

“ I FE E L A G R EAT SE N SE OF ACH I EVE M E NT BECAUSE IT WAS A HAR D AWAR D TO G ET, AN D I WOR KE D HAR D, AN D I GOT IT.” - THOMAS GI BSON ‘25

PROFILE JUNE 5, 2023

07

THE DEMOLITION

OF DRAMA The Crimson House Murder

ct One, Scene One SOUND EFFECT: Heavy Rain.

AT RISE: Main room of Crimson House, evening. The lights flicker and dim, giving a shadowy look to establish a mysterious mood.

It’s April 29, 2022, the opening night of Northwest Junior High’s production of “The Crimson House Murder.”

It’s the first production the drama program has done since the pandemic, and after months of hard work, both the cast and crew are excited to put on the show. The small theater in the center of the school is full of people, its small stage decorated to look like a 20th-century home.

But soon, the house will lie in shambles, taking the heart of the theater department with it.

A

The Demolition

“I

learned about [the demolition] moments before our play started for its Saturday night performance from custodial staff,” said Lauren Darby, last year’s director of “The Crimson House Murder” and the current director of the City High Theater program.

It all started after the decision to move 6th

grade into ICCSD Junior High schools to make room for a Pre-K program in the district’s elementary schools. The Junior High schools need to be larger to accommodate another grade, and decision-makers made plans to fit hundreds more students into the school.

“Northwest isn’t big enough to hold another grade of students. As the contractors and architects walked through the building, they noticed that the Little Theater was a huge area in that building. So they were asking questions about how often it is used, what’s it used for. It’s a lot of space that just isn’t being used, [only] once a year for the play,” said Elizabeth Breuning, last year’s principal of NWJH and current assistant principal of West High School. She said that the space was also occasionally used for things like study halls and speakers during the day, but the school needed to use it more for it to be cost-effective to keep it.

Choosing between the arts and saving money is always a difficult decision. Public schools are often underfunded, and due to recent legislation in Iowa giving money to families to send their kids to private school, the issue of underfunding is not being solved. This means measures have to be taken to save money, and

these decisions often lead to the arts receiving less money and resources, as seen in the case of NWJH theater.

Another reason for the demolition was that the other Junior Highs in the district don’t have a theater. “I was told it was “not equitable” for NWJH to continue to have a theater when NCJH and SEJH did not have them, but building North Central without that space and getting rid of it at Southeast were intentional choices that were made, not a matter of inequitable resource allocation,” said Darby.

Northwest was the only junior high school that would regularly put on productions.

While the other schools occasionally have a drama club or elective, there isn’t an established theater program like NWJH has.

Due to the demolition, which will likely occur over the summer, the drama program can no longer put on productions at the school.

The Impact

W

ithout the theater, the drama department at NWJH will suffer a significant loss. “Theatre is a particularly important space for students who don’t necessarily have another “home” in the school. At a time when there is a reported mental health crisis and need

The cast of Crimson House Murder discover the Bum’s body and take their bows after their last dress rehearsal. Photos taken by Michelle Nourski

for investment in social-emotional learning, it is upsetting to feel that decision-makers in the district do not see (or even inquire about) the value of these programs,” said Darby, and she isn’t the only one noticing the lack of investment in theater at NWJH. “I’m sure they wouldn’t tear down a football field, but they would tear down a theater, and we’re the only junior high that has a theater like that,” said Luke Reimer ‘27, a student at the school.

Tearing down the theater extensively affects all students who participate in the program.

Theater allows students to meet new people and spend time with one another doing something they enjoy. It provides a safe place for them to be themselves and try new things.

“Theater, for me, is a space to make new friends and have new experiences. Watching a play is such an amazing opportunity to see how all these talented actors and singers and dancers perform, and a glimpse of the hard work they put into amazing sets and songs they sing, the directors and stage managers, just to have this little preview of all the effort that went on to make it possible. Being inside the production is even more amazing because you get to see all this first hand, and be a part of it, you meet these great people, and just really have a good time,” said Etta Graber, a seventh-grader at NWJH. Outside of play season, the drama club meets biweekly at the school. Brooke Freund, a literacy teacher at the school, runs the club. It pro-

vides a stress-free environment for students to learn about and participate in theater.

Club meetings can consist of drama games, mini-performances, and more. The theater is also used for the club, meaning they must relocate their meetings elsewhere in the school.

The Productions

T

he last play done at the school was “The Crimson House Murder.” The play was about a hotel where its eccentric inhabitants pay incredibly high rent for lackluster service. And, of course, someone gets murdered.

Participating in the play allowed students to dip their toes in the theater pool, seeing what doing a production is like in a low-pressure environment. Most of those that participated had little to no experience with theater, and participating in the show let them experience drama while still having a lot of fun. “[Crimson House Murder] kind of became like a second home, at least for a little bit, so it’s kind of like they’re tearing down a home,” said Reimer. Reimer played a lead role in the show, a young detective named Hercules Porridge. Aahana Gupta ‘27, played a journalism student and had a positive experience doing the show. “[Crimson House Murder] was extremely fun; I really liked it. I made a lot of friends and so many memories.”

Participating in school theater isn’t the only way to participate in drama. The Iowa City area is very diverse and offers many opportu-

nities, such as community theater. Organizations such as Young Footliters offer camps as well as put on productions for young people.

Some recent shows done by Young Footliters include “Wings,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr.” and “Jack and the Giant Beanstalk.”

Community theater is a great way to get exposed to the world of drama and be involved.

There are roles for all ages, allowing young children to participate in theater as long as adults who are passionate about the arts.

While it is a great opportunity, doing camps and productions can take time and money.

Only some have access to the transportation and money necessary to participate in community theater, which makes having drama offered at schools so important.

Also, unlike school theater, not everyone can participate in a production. “It’s extremely difficult for kids to join the theater community from an older age like me, because we have no experience with previous productions, and are often not let in. Drama club, on the other hand, is inclusive to everyone, and gives you a chance to be in a production regardless of skill and experience.” Said Etta Graber ‘28.

Those that can’t participate in community theater will likely have to wait until high school to be a part of a production, which can be a completely different experience than just participating in a club. There are late nights

“ IT I S U PSETTI NG TO FE E L THAT DECI SION - MAKE RS I N TH E DI STR ICT DO NOT SE E TH E VALU E OF TH ESE PROG R AM S.” - LAU REN DARBY, CH M DI RECTO R AN D CITY H IGH DRAMA DI RECTO R

and lots of hard work from both the cast and crew, but it all pays off on opening night to know you had an impact on creating something incredible.

The Future

no replacement plans for the theater W hile are in place, the drama class and club

will likely still exist.

But not having a theater does complicate some things.

“We have to move all of our theater equipment to the janitor’s closets, so we’re gonna be losing some things and we also just don’t have a space to do theatre things anymore,” said Gupta. Along with the theater, the costume closet and backstage area will no longer be accessible to drama students.

The lack of a theater at NWJH could also impact West High’s theater program. West High has a diverse theater program, with hundreds of students participating in each production.

Those numbers rely on NWJH students’ exposure through the drama program there.

Being able to put on shows at the junior high

level exposes many of those students to drama and can ignite a passion for it. “If you’re doing it early on, and you’re being encouraged to be creative in that way. That is so helpful, and we think that Northwest has done just a fabulous job and print there has done an amazing job with setting students up to be confident and feel like they can come here and audition or sign up to be part of our crew, and she’s given them all her students a place to create something together,” said Katy Nahra, an English and theater teacher at West High.

“There’s no one that really seems to care enough about it growing, or how can we add on to other schools to have a space, or how can we replace this space?” said Freund. She’s been doing what she can to keep the program alive as she has for the past ten years, working to figure out alternative ways to still put on productions.

Considerable options include putting on plays at the Coralville Center for Performing Arts or in the gym. Doing productions at the CCPA would be a great option; it’s an amazing space. But students can’t drive themselves,

and not everyone can access transportation.

“They say they’re going to put stuff on in the gym, but I doubt that they’re going to be able to do that. The gym doesn’t have a podium or backstage area,” said Reimer. A crucial part of theater is everything that happens backstage.

Without a backstage area, it’s hard to do set or costume changes or have a place for actors to be when not performing. It wrecks the magic of it. While the little theater was small, the drama program made it work, hanging up curtains to create wings and making the best use of their space. It was better than nothing.

And now that space has been taken away, leaving the future of the drama program uncertain. Without a theater, the program lacks an area designated for creating theater. The future now lies in decision-maker’s hands to give the students the space they deserve, allowing them to create and explore the performing arts.

WRITTEN BY EVELYN KRABER ART AND DESIGN BY ANNA GREENLEE

1.

2.

3.

1. During the last drama club meeting of the year, Ayla Bleil ‘28 sings “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” by Tori Kelly.

2. The drama club applauds after Ayla finishes singing.

3. Cassidi Tsang ‘28, Freya Bevan ‘28, Etta Graber ‘28, Aahana Gupta ‘27, Lucy Harris ‘28 and Carter Wagner ‘28 perform their small group play about death and devils.

4. Etta, Carter, and Cassidi wait offstage for their entrance while Lucy and Haley DeMeulenaere ‘28 perform.

See more CHM and drama club photos in the online version on wsspaper.com, or scan this code.

4.

Photos by Anna Greenlee and Evelyn Kraber

NOW SHOWING

COM-MOTION PICTURE Jay Sainsbury ‘25 and Anna Greenlee ‘26 offer their possibly contradictory opinions on movies and TV shows. Warning: spoilers ahead!

DESIGN BY ANNA GREENLEE

IN THEATERS

Mario and Luigi have just started a plumbing business when they’re thrust into a new world where Bowser is trying to reach Princess Peach to profess his undying love, to which she is oblivious. Mario, who landed in Mushroom Kingdom with Peach, spends the majority of the movie searching for Luigi who ended up in the Dark Lands, and helping Peach prepare for Bowser’s arrival.

12 ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 5, 2023

Bella Swan moves from Phoenix, Arizona to the small, small town of Forks, Washington. Sitting to her left in her Biology class, she finds a man, Edward Cullen, who she finds herself enamored with almost instantaneously, though he doesn’t seem to reciprocate these feelings.

She then discovers, through his very suspicious actions, that he’s a vampire, and her dad’s friend Billy hasn’t been warning her for nothing, though she can’t keep herself away from Edward.

Listen to the Com-motion Picture podcast episode, the pilot episode of Afterthoughts.

Sofia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz is on her way to become Britain’s first black queen, after being promised to King George III by her brother. Things seem to be going well for the young couple, until George decides to stay in a separate house in Kew. He begins lashing out at Charlotte, having violent mood swings, all while she is under incredible pressure due to being the first POC to be a part of the British Empire.

Jay’s Reviews

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

I

have mixed feelings. Overall, it was a really funny movie with a great plot. I loved that instead of trying to kidnap her, Bowser was trying to marry Princess Peach. She was a great role model, and a very strong, independent leader, even when delivering her Disney-esque speeches. But the whole movie felt like it was targeted toward young children, which doesn’t make sense to me. These kids really haven’t played this game so I expected more teenage and adult humor. I did enjoy the movie, I guess I just expected more from it. I will say that I liked the fact that they kept elements of the video game with sound effects, the color schemes, even the way that they portrayed Donkey Kong as he was in the original game. As far as the Peaches song goes, it definitely deserves the Oscar it was nominated for.

I

Anna’s Reviews

wasn’t really planning on seeing this movie, to be honest. But once I saw Jack Black in a Bowser costume and heard snippets of “Peaches,” I was all in. “Peaches” obviously did not disappoint, along with bangers such as “Holding Out for a Hero,” “Take On Me,” “Thunderstruck,” and “Mr. Blue Sky.” The soundtrack also had motifs that referenced music from the games and were a really good link between old and new. Other things like the 2D angled shots, power-ups, and Luigi’s whole ‘falling-behind-and-being-bad-at-everything’ shtick were also very nostalgic for me. I used to play New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario 3D World with my siblings, and let’s just say Luigi isn’t alone in his lack of skill. Personally, I always played as Toad, so seeing Toad represented so well in the movie was just amazing. After the movie, Jay told me Toad reminds them of me, so take that as you will. I personally take it as a compliment.

Twilight (2008)

I

started reading the Twilight Saga in the summer before 6th grade and finished the first book in 5 days, so I’d say I’m a little biased when it comes to the movies. Whenever I’m asked about them, I always say, they’re so bad that they’re good. The first movie is so cringey, the dialogue is so awkward, like nobody talks like that in real life. I do kind of hate that it doesn’t adhere to the book’s plot for most of the movie. When Edward shows Bella his sparkles it’s supposed to be on their first trip to Edwards safe place, a beautiful sunny meadow. In the movie, they’re in the muggy gross forest which, to me, takes away from the overall mystical vibe that the meadow provides.

Something that’s even more irritating is that their first kiss is supposed to be the same day of the meadow date on a rock after he carries her on his back and she’s super disoriented. In the movie, it takes place in her room and adds a whole sexual context that wasn’t there in the first place. I do still love the movie, I just hate that it isn’t accurate. The best part is arguably Bella’s face in the ballet studio when she goes cross-eyed looking at Edward and screaming in pain. It’s comedic gold, as is the whole production. So like I said before, it’s so bad that it’s good.

I

I

have never read or watched anything in the Twilight series, yet I’ve seen some hilarious clips on YouTube. Scenes like “Bella, look it’s a worm!” and “Where’ve you been, loca?” live in my head rent-free. So I was a little more excited than I’d like to admit to finally see the movie.

Immediately I was hit with intense awkwardness; Bella’s gasping and lip bites, Edward’s entire personality(emphasis on dialogue), and, my god, the staring. And it couldn’t just be awkward, no no no, it had to be cringey. There’s a sped-up piggyback ride, standing like creep in Bella’s room, and weird animal references like ‘spider monkey’ and ‘monkey man.’ All of these things sound like they’d make me wildly uncomfortable, but for some inexplicable reason, they didn’t (at least not extremely). I actually enjoyed this movie, and it’s a little frightening that I can’t tell if it’s because ‘it’s so bad it’s good’ or because I’m devolving into my young pick-me-girl self that would genuinely enjoy this. So even though there are enough red flags for a parade (Edward said gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss), and they stare more than they talk, I’m making plans to watch New Moon.

Queen Charlotte (2023)

absolutely loved Queen Charlotte. It kept the same feeling to it as Bridgerton with the romance being the make or break of them as people and their status. It’s very heated and passion filled. There were so many twists and turns within the plot, and I didn’t mind the mental whiplash. I may be biased though, because both young Charlotte and George, specifically Farmer George, are very easy on the eyes. It felt like I was in Charlotte’s position with all of George’s mood swings and secrecy bothering me so deeply. I liked that it switched between 1813 and 1761, showing the effects of her earlier choices 50 years later. Lady Danbury’s plot was a bit conflicting for me. I hated her fling with Lord Ledger, but adored her growing confidence and climb in social status. Overall, I think that it definitely lived up to the hype on TikTok and was executed very well.

WRITTEN BY JAY SAINSBURY AND ANNA GREENLEE

A

s a Bridgerton fanatic, I jumped on this show immediately. I’ve always been curious about Queen Charlotte and King George’s backstory after George’s appearance in Bridgerton season 2. I expected a sweet love story (which it was most of the time), but I also got angst and *spice,* which added some fun flavor. Even the B plots and side characters had their zest. Lady Danbury and Brimsley’s romances were sometimes fun, sometimes infuriating, and I love them for that (however, I cannot say the same for their partners). Even some of the anti-heroes were compelling and funny, like Princess “I don’t remember names, I am female” Augusta.

The show switches between the story’s past and present, and I would often find myself disappointed when we go back to the present. But, later, I found myself enjoying Queen Charlotte’s bonding with her children and Lady Danbury and Violet Bridgerton’s developing friendship. Though, as I said, I could do without the dad affair. Otherwise, great show, 10/10, now give me Eloise’s season, I’m begging.

ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 5, 2023

13

THE VEGIMAL A parody of the Radish, which is a parody of the Onion, satirizing controversial or mundane events.

Please, don’t take it too seriously. We don’t.

Disclaimer: iMAJE does not own the characters depicted.

Battle of the Bands

Wind Ensemble

Anticipation builds as students wait for the results. Anxious incoming freshmen trying to get a leg up and out of 9th Grade Band, upcoming Sophomores hoping to make it out of Varsity and up to Symphonic, Upper Classmen trying for Wind Ensemble. Band kids going insane, a week of no sleep, and chaos to find out where they lie in their social circle.

12:17, May 1. Finally. A sigh of relief. Medd and Middleton send out the email that holds students’ fates. Scrambling to Canvas, rushing to climb the pyramid. Shouts of joy and celebration can be heard alongside cries of agony. The crowd is split between the Elites of Symphonic and Wind and the Peasants of 9th Grade Band. The future has begun.

Symphonic Band Varsity Band

Freshmen Band

The Hunger Games

The bell rings, and the competitors race to be the first to get to the games. Waiting in the queue, hundreds of students are lying in wait; they have been waiting for this moment. They stand close, the room smelling like body odor and sweat. A line of competitors push through the crowd, trying to get closer to the door. One competitor checks her phone, trying to connect to the outside world, with no success. The door opens, and the games begin A swarm of teenagers are pushing and shoving and falling to get into the lunch serving line. One falls, and the cannon goes off. There are only a few seconds left. The door starts to close, and they start to run for their lives, racing under the shutting door. The ones that were too slow will have to wait, and for that, they will pay the price later.

Old Men

Do you struggle with homophobia and lack of enough power? Do you think gun laws in America are too strict and should be relaxed? Do you enjoy being politically corrupt and making decisions about the lives of people you don’t know anything about?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, you may be affected by a centuries-old condition, Geriatric White Man. This is a very common condition in the United States. While For more refusing to retire from your position of political power may information seem like a good solution, sadly, it is not. Instead, we suggest and help, scan retirement. The suggested form of retirement is a nice vacation home in Florida, spending your days working at a golf course, here. and spending large amounts of money on your grandchildren.

WRITTEN BY JAY SAINSBURY AND EVELYN KRABER ART AND DESIGN BY ANNA GREENLEE

14 ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 5, 2023

TITLE:

EXAM ESCAPADES

DECK:

Every year, students are required to take mandated tests.

While it may seem like those scores don’t mean anything, they have effects on both students and the school system.

s the end of the school year keeps coming closer, it keeps piling on assessments and final projects to the number of things that students are stressed about. Adding to the stress of the end of the year, West High School students spent their morning taking the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP), one of the many standardized tests ICCSD students take over the year.

Throughout my school career, I have taken aMath, fitness tests, Fast reading, among many others. All of these take performance and compare it to others to create a number that is supposed to represent how smart, strong, fast, etc you are compared to other people.

One thing I’ll never forget was when one of the guys in my grade congratulated me after I did well on a fitness test in 5th grade. I remember that making me feel like I was strong, something I already knew to an extent, but I needed a test to prove that to myself. I started to realize that I was good at taking standardized tests, and started feeling like I needed those scores to prove my intelligence.

But taking a test doesn’t show the amazing diversity that exists in the human mind. Our minds are all different, and a percentage from a test cannot accurately represent a person.

Many standardized tests just measure reading and mathematical ability. This belittles other classes, such as art, science, or social studies. Someone could be an extremely talented artist or know a lot about history, but a standardized test would only show their writing and mathematical ability, something that they may not need very much in the future.

The ISASPs are not only meant to indicate one’s intelligence, they determine school funding. Every year a school must meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). If AYP is not met, a school may not have access to some grants or forms of funding. If a school fails to meet AYP for five or more years, it can be closed.

If a school is not doing well due to a lack of funding and resources, why is more money taken away? People that support this system say it reserves the best resources for the best educators and schools, but this system has many flaws. If the best resources are sent only to the best schools, the students attending those schools will get a very good education.

But that means the opposite happens too, the schools that are not doing well won’t have the resources to then improve their system. The students attending those schools then don’t get as thorough an education as the richer schools. As a result, the education gap widens.

Since these tests are likely only measuring reading and math, basing the funding on only two subjects is extremely problematic. While some may say these are some of the most important things that are taught in schools, this is not true. There are so many careers out there that use a plethora of different skills that aren’t necessarily calculus or grammar, for example. Basing funding on only a few subjects can also mean those subjects are focused on more, meaning other vital skills in life are taught less in schools.

Alternatives to standardized testing do exist. Some schools are starting to use methods such as portfolio and performance-based assessments. Portfolio-based assessments would include things such as awards, written assessments, or artwork. Performance-based testing tries to demonstrate high-level thinking and real-world applications.

While these methods are less practical, not resorting to essays and multiple choice questions on math and reading will be very beneficial to students. Current methods of testing associate students’ worth with test scores, making many feel like they are less worthy and can create a reliance on high scores for well-scoring students.

PLACE TEST ID HERE

PLACE STUDENT ID HERE

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Infographic made on Inforgram by Megan O’Neill

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Standardized test: a test taken by a large group for use as a standard of comparison. (adapted from Merriam-Webster Dictionary) ISASPS: The Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress; reading, writing, math, and science tests administered in Iowa public schools.

Fast Reading: A reading test

that measures words per minute and uses it to determine proficiency.

WRITTEN BY EVELYN KRABER

Fitness Tests: Tests that measure strength, flexibility, and endurance. In Iowa, these typically are the pacer, curl-up, push-up, and flexibility tests.

DESIGN BY ANNA GREENLEE

aMath: A computer-administered adaptive math test that measures broad mathematic skills.

aReading: A computer-admin-

istered adaptive reading test that measures broad reading skills.

OPINION JUNE 5, 2023

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ART AND DESIGN BY ANNA GREENLEE

iMAJE has prepared some tracks for you to live your summer to the fullest. Find beach pop for vacations, fun songs for your cinematic road-trip montage, and some more relaxed beats for quiet nights.

Have fun!

Beach days

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Road trip

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