The Little Royals

The Little Royals

TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover Page Ryan Stark

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T.O.C. 2 Caleb Thurman and Ryan Stark Summer Fun (Opinion) Caleb Thurman and Ryan Stark

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When I Grow Up (Survey Says) 4 Caleb Thurman and Ryan Stark FASHION (Entertainment) 5-7 Caleb Thurman and Ryan Stark Shreddin’ the Gnar (Profile) Caleb Thurman

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Which Turtle Am I? (Quest) 10 Caleb Thurman and Ryan Stark

DESIGN BY // CALEB THURMAN

OPINION

summer fun Two students share their, interesting, summer stories with us. Interesting is only one way to describe these stories.

BY CALEB THURMAN AND RYAN STARK

cthurmanmusic@gmail.com

Meg Moreland ‘18 loves the summer but there is only one problem: it drags on for too long and she just gets sick and tired of it.

“Typically, I sleep— it’s my Meg Moreland ‘18 big sleep time. I get to watch Netflix, and watch a show in it’s entirety,” Moreland said.

Moreland enjoys having a schedule for her summer, while also putting in some relaxation time. This summer,she plans to be a research assistant at a cancer cell research company.

Summer isn’t her forte, she prefers fall. She doesn’t love the summer because she crisps, not burns or tans, but crisps.

“My friends call me a porcelain princess,”Moreland said.

Her favorite summer memory was when her and her extended family went to a lake and had a great time tubing and jetskiing.

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Tommy Conolly ‘17 can’t wait for this summer. Conolly enjoys fishing, working, but he hates the sun.

“I normally fish at least six times a week,” says Conolly.

Tommy Conolly He usually goes fishing at Lake Macbride. He will also be working a lot this summer as a swim instructor at the the North Liberty Aquatic Center.

“My best summer memory was when I was fourteen and caught over fifty -Tommy Conolly ‘17 frogs, that night I found out I really enjoyed frog legs.”

Conolly burns very easily in the summer because of the sun’s strength. “I’m pastier than mayonnaise,” says Conolly.

“My best summer memory was when I was fourteen and caught over fifty frogs...”

DESIGN BY // CALEB THURMAN

And that he is.

For a pie-chart of a survey of other students and what they do.

THE LITTLE ROYALS / MAY 2015 / OPINION / 03

SURVEY SAYS

WHEN I GROW UP

BY CALEB THURMAN AND RYAN STARK

cthurmanmusic@gmail.com

Objection! You’re a Teacher, Marianne McGrane!

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Up, Up, and Away, with Brian Martz!

As a second career to FOS 3 teacher, As a young boy playMarianne McGrane, she loves her decision. ing in the sandbox, Mr. Brian She doesn’t regret getting her teaching degree seven years ago and starting Martz, current Industrial Techover in college to become a teacher at the nology teacher, had a dream Marianne McGrane Brian Martz age at 23 or so. “I love love love love love of becoming an Air Force Pilot. my job, I have the best job in the world,” McGrane says. She wanted to be a lawyer He always thought it looked when she was growing up, she loved the debating and arguing. like a lot of fun. His family and him lived right by When she lost her first job she decided it was time to pursue an airport and that’s where the inspiration of his something else, the inspiration came to her in tenth grade dream came from. As a sophomore in college Mr. during biology class. Her teacher was her biggest influence because at this point in her life and in this class she finally felt Martz decided to go into education as a career, he like she was worth something and she wanted to feel that way had multiple influences, such as his high school again so she decided to pursue the one thing she loved as a and college athletic coaches and his high school

drafting teacher. Mr. Martz said he doesn’t regret becoming a teacher but he is excited to fulfill the hobbies he wants to do. “Go down the path of art… probably not performing art but visual art…” was Mr. Martz’s answer after being asked what <-- For the video of the other profession he would choose if he could restart in a teachers. snap of his fingers.

child and made her feel better about herself.

The Rock Star of West HIgh, David McNair!

When he was, somewhere in between fifth and sixth grade, David McNair started playing the guitar.

His idol, Eddie Van Halen, was one of the best in his time. That’s what started McNair into playing. “I wanted to be Eddie Van Halen,” McNair said. That dream left the mind of this current Spanish two and two honors teacher, when he already graduated college with a bachelor degree.

He always had a thought about David McNair becoming a teacher but fought as long and hard as he could because, like any other rebellious teen ager he didn’t want to pursue the same profession as his parents.

That didn’t work out the way he intended it to. His parents were both teachers and they had the biggest influence on McNair. He is glad not to be a rockstar, -David McNair he doesn’t think he could handle being away from his family ten months or so out of the year. He would miss almost every milestone his kids would have achieved, just to be on a tour bus and playing an instrument. “If I could snap my fingers right now and be anything, I really don’t think I would change,” McNair says. He has no regrets of becoming a teacher and his plans for after he retires is still helping young adults for as long as he can. He loves his job and he now knows this is what he was meant to do, he loves the interaction with his students and just loves to be apart of the community he is in at West High.

“If I could snap my fingers right now and be anything, I really don’t think I would change.”

04 / SURVEY SAYS / MAY 2015 / THE LITTLE ROYALS

COMPILED BY // CALEB THURMAN AND RYAN STARK

Fa S H I O N

THE LITTLE ROYALS / MAY 2015 / FEATURE / 05

featurettes Ala Mohammed ’17 strikes a laid back pose for TLR while listening to Riptide by Vance Joy. She describes her style as different; she wants to express herself, not what’s on trend. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia she wears quite the peachy shirt to express that.

“I grew up there and have many close friends and hope to return soon. I love Georgia!”

Caeceilia Shoppa ’18 coined the term “thriftage” to describe her style. “[It means] thrifty and vintage. Most of my clothing is from thrift stores; I love the older 50s-90s looking pieces!” If you would like to see more of Shoppa, check out her YouTube channel at ItzTheChicas, where you can find fashion-oriented videos, inspiring videos, and everything in between!

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DESIGN BY // CALEB THURMAN

pHOTO COLLAGE Nate Frese, teacher

PHOTOS BY // CALEB THURMAN AND RYAN STARK

Maria Salazar Rios ‘15

Ryan Braverman ‘18

Kylie Fahrenkrug ‘15

THE LITTLE ROYALS / MAY 2015 / FEATURE / 07

PROFILE

Shreddin’ the Gnar Jonah Marcussen ‘18

West High is home to a diverse group of students with a diversity of dreams and life aspirations— some want to be doctors, football superstars, teachers, CEOs of their own business, music majors, Ellen Degeneres...But, for this

freshman there is a dream unlike many: to become the next proskater.

again, he began learning BY CALEB THURMAN tricks left and right, cthurmanmusic@gmail.com progressing rapidly. Within three years time, he has put in countless hours of hard work, blood, sweat and energy into skateboarding. “[I’ve progressed] A lot. After I learned how to ride, it came naturally and I’ve been doing it for the past three years and I’ve loved it,” Marcussen said.

“I’ve spent two or three hours trying to ollie an eight-stair”

Tyler Brand ’18, one of Marcussen’s Jonah Marcussen friends, has been ’18 has been skating skating with him since since he was six years the start, and has old after his father seen his progress -Jonah Marcussen ‘18 bought him his first throughout the years. skateboard. Upon first “I’ve been skating glance, Marcussen never would have guessed that with Jonah since the end of the seventh grade, and his life would change as drastically as it has from he used to just be able to ride, and now he can ride one thin piece of wood, metal trucks, grip tape and without falling and separating his shoulder,” Brand four plastic wheels. said jokingly. “But he’s honestly progressed a lot!”

Soon after Marcussen’s father bought him that Brand and Marcussen continue to skate together board, he became disinterested in skateboarding today. But, to branch out from the Iowa City skating and stopped for years on end. Years down the community, Marcussen has plans to compete in a road, he picked the sport back up when he was skating tournament with his good friend Mohamed twelve and began taking it much more seriously Nour ’18. than before.

“Skating with Jonah is super fun,” Nour explains.

“What got me back into skateboarding was my “[He’s a] real good skater, and an even better step-brother Matt; he showed me a video on friend!”

YouTube called “Pretty Sweet” and that made me Nour has been skating with Marcussen since the want to start again,” Marcussen said. end of summer 2k14. He believes that Marcussen Once Marcussen got the hang of riding a skateboard has progressed exponentially since they first started 08 PROFLE MAY 2015 THE LITTLE ROYALS

DESIGN BY CALEB THURMAN

skating.

“Honestly, he has accomplished a ton of stuff.

He gets better every time I skate with him. He has learned three grind tricks in one day, which is very impressive,” Nour said.

B u t , Marcussen cannot stop there. He plans to continue learning new tricks and progressing.

He is currently working on his backside heel flip, back 5-0, and front side tail slide. His favorite tricks to do are his tre flip, hard flip, and nollie flip.

But one day, all of this will seem effortless to him.

“I’ve spent two or three hours trying to Ollie an eight-stair...Another trick that took me a while was kickfliping the 6-stair— it took me five hours of straight skating.”

Skater Slang

Marcussen aspires to either become a pro-skater, or to run his own local skate shop here in Iowa City.

“It’s something I’ve thought about...I don’t know about the future to come, but it’s one of my dreams.

I definitely want to do something that involves skateboarding in the future,” Marcussen said.

• That Was Buttery (phrase) used after landing a trick that was smooth.

• Gnarly (adj.) Sick, amazing, well-done, usually said with a trick or grind.

• Momma’s spaghetti (adj.) A phrase said when someone lands a trick very well.

• Poser (n.) Someone who makes himself appear to be a skateboarder, but isn’t.

• Bail (v.) To (either) fall, or to jump off of your board right before falling.

FOLLOW MARCUSSEN AT: _JONAH_MARCUSSEN

To watch some tricks use this QR Code

THE LITTLE ROYALS MAY 2015 PROFILE 09

DESIGN BY // CALEB THURMAN AND RYAN STARK

WHICH TURTLE AM I? I’m a leader

I’m smart

I eat 1/4 of a pizza alone

Raphael

I’m a rebel

I eat the whole pizza alone

I eat 1/2 of a pizza alone

I like cool colors

Leonardo

I’m the class clown

I like warm colors

Donatello

Michaelangelo

THE LITTLE ROYALS / MAY 2015 / QUEST / 10