Torch Volume 55, Issue II

TORCH

John F. Kennedy High School Volume 55, Issue II

May 2022

Table of Contents 1. The Whirlwind Life of Boring Ellie ...03 2. Sports Highlights..................................04 3. Senior Advice........................................05 4. Fashion Forward...................................07 5. How Do AP Classes Affect Your Future?..09 6. Which Administrator Are You?.......................11 7. I Spy: Pep Rally Edition..............................................12 8. Representing With the Rainbow..........................................13 9. Speeding Through Senior Year................................................. .14 10. PLTW: Introducing Students to STEM.....................................15 11. The Wenig Word Search .............................................................16 12. Join Our Clubs!.....................................................17 13. Photo Showcase .....................................19 14. Torch Spring Staff.............................21

Letter From the Editors A

s the school year creeps to a close, the stress and exhaustion among students and teachers is apparent. Everyone is ready for the year to be done. Sometimes, it can be difficult to see the positives of the year.

While the pandemic raged on, we continued to be students. Our sports teams blew away expectations, clubs made a major comeback and more seniors will graduate as valedictorians and salutatorians than ever before.

But success alone doesn’t make fatigue disappear. A brain break can provide a much-needed opportunity to release pressure. On pages 11, 12 and 16, we’ve included a stress-free quiz, an I Spy challenge and a Kennedy-related word search. Take an opportunity to relax your mind in these final days of the school year.

The Class of 2022 is nearing the end of their time at Kennedy. In this magazine, we commemorate the seniors who defied circumstances to live their high school experience to the fullest.

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The Whirlwind Life of Boring Ellie “I

’m a very boring person. My email is ‘Boring Ellie,’” said senior Ellie Wilkes.

On the contrary, the stories Wilkes had to share suggest the opposite. She’s done everything from theater tech and marching band to teaching herself obscure new tricks.

As a freshman sousaphone player, Wilkes wreaked havoc within the marching band.

“I brought light sabers to the eighth grade [performance] and that’s when you learn don’t ask for permission, ask for forgiveness,’’ said Wilkes. “Because there’s no way [the directors] would’ve okayed that.”

This became a tradition Wilkes kept through her senior year. Wilkes went as far as bringing the sabers to the marching band’s Ireland trip this past spring break.

When not busy with band, Wilkes enjoys helping out in the theater. She recalled her sophomore year, when she worked on the 2019 Kennedy production of Frozen.

“I had to bring in the house,” Wilkes described, referring to the red curtain seen before and after productions. “I’d grab the house and it’d lift me into the air Mary Poppins-style, because it was so heavy and I had to do it fast.”

In March of Wilkes’ sophomore year, COVID-19 hit. The global pandemic continued through Wilkes’ junior year, canceling the 2020 marching band season.

“That was lame … Not having marching band.” Wilkes said.

As the 2021 school year continued on, pan03

Profile

Jersey Bilyeu

demic restrictions started to loosen up. Wilkes was once again thrown into the learning curve of technical theater for Kennedy’s production of Clue.

“Everything went wrong on my side of the stage,” Wilkes explained. “The screen came down on top of these rotating walls … There was a bird in the rafters on my side during the last show … We had a prop gun and we ran out of bullets … I wasn’t next to [the gun] one time so the guy had to improv getting off the stage to get the gun and come back.”

Shortly after the chaos of the Clue production, Wilkes entered her senior year, with band back in full swing.

“I’m technically a section leader, but that doesn’t even matter because we’re a democracy. We always have been. We always will be,” Wilkes said.

Soon after, band settled down and the theater department took precedence.

Wilkes explained that Director Nick Hayes didn’t hesitate to ask her to play the infamous role of the abominable snowman, Bumble, going into Kennedy’s 2021 production of Rudolph.

Wilkes was caught off-guard. “I already knew how to walk on stilts, but he didn’t know that.”

Wilkes explained she made acrobatic stilts by following a YouTube video and then taught herself how to walk on them.

As Wilkes nears the end of her high school career, she’s started planning for college life.

“I was gonna go to ISU for some sort of engineering,” said Wilkes. “Maybe I’ll be in the marching band … It’ll be something.”

Wilkes’ senior year isn’t over yet—a fact she wants everyone to remember.

Sports Highlights Football...

The football team, led by first-year quarterback Carson Blietz, who threw for 1,685 yards, went 9-0 in the regular season.

Their 2021 season ended at the hands of Iowa City High in the state quarterfinals 32-13.

Noah Hargrafen

Boys’ Golf...

The boys’ golf team made it to state, led by brothers Gannon and Reid Hall, winning 7 meets throughout the season.

Wrestling...

Boys’ Basketball...

The boys’ basketball team went to the state semifinals, led by the junior backcourt duo of Colby Dolphin and Kenzie Reed, who averaged a combined 26.9 points per game with 9.4 assists.

Girls’ Basketball...

Wrestlers Lexi Byrne, Alex Koch and Colin Flannagan placed at state this year, and the team finished with a winning record in duals.

Girls’ Swimming...

The girls’ swimming team finished tenth in the state, led by diving trio Audrey Leno, Lacie Neighbor and Kylie Link.

The girls’ basketball team, led by 19.2 point per game scorer Kaliyah Sain, finished above .500 this year.

Volleyball...

Led by seniors Molly Joyner and Megan Feldmann, the volleyball team finished 24-11, and missed state by way of a heartbreaker against Johnston.

Men’s Track and Field...

Though the track season is still ongoing, the Kennedy Men’s 3200m record was broken twice by junior Miles Wilson. His latest record is 9:16.62.

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Senior Advice Homework Advice

Use the block scheduling to your advantage! If you’re behind on homework, use A days to work on B day homework, and B days to work on A day homework. Work at your own pace but in a timely matter.

— Holly Mehaffy Try not to wait till the last second on getting homework completed, use free periods or extra time in class to get it done.

— Keana Millsap

James Belding

Extracurricular Advice

If there is a sport or activity that you want to do, but you're scared to try, just go for it. It can be scary but it's worth going for.

— Jacob Steenblock Join them! Try everything! Do something you’ve always wanted to do but never felt brave enough to try. Everyone is helpful and kind and you can only succeed, I promise.

— Maria Shaikh

Is it annoying? Yes. Can not doing it make you fail a class? Yes. — Trisha Freytag

Try and get into leadership positions by your junior or senior year. Colleges love that and you are able to talk and meet with so many new people.

— Elizabeth Adamson

School Life Advice

Scholarship Advice

Be respectful to teachers. It’s not funny or cool to disrespect them and they want to help you succeed — Maddisen Beitzel

APPLY APPLY APPLY!!! Start as early as you can! If there was one thing I wished I would have done different it would have been applying for more scholarships you are applicable for more than you think!

— Kameran Bex Apply for literally everything you qualify for.

You don’t understand how expensive college is until you get that financial package.

— Elizabeth Adamson

Don't judge people by their appearance because they may have more in common with you then you realize.

— Nowa Bugale

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Class Recommendations

Time Management Advice

forensic science is a super fun elective!!!!

— Maddisen Beitzel

Have your friends and family keep you accountable for what you have to get done. You can try a planner but that can be easy to forget at times. Ask a teacher for some advice if you feel lost and use the resources given to you.

— Alexis Smith

AP LA isn’t easy, but extremely helpful in teaching you HOW to write all the stuff you have to write.

— Ellie Wilkes

AP Advice

Take. Advantage. Of. Block. Scheduling.

— Holly Mehaffy

Start preparing for the exam at the start of the year, the test will sneak up on you.

— Dakota Harris

General Advice

Even if you don’t take the exam it is worth the challenge and pushes you to become a better student.

— Trisha Freytag Treat it like any other class! Don't be scared to ask questions the teachers know it's a hard class but are more than willing to help you! All they want is to see you succeed!

— Kameran Bex

Relationship Advice

Don’t have a set plan just yet. Make sure you explore all of your options before deciding anything within your life.

— Elizabeth Adamson Enjoy it, it flies by. Feels like yesterday I walked into Kennedy for the first time. Take pride in what you do, and make some friends have fun but know the consequences of your actions.

— Caden Reece

If only one person is making an effort, reevaluate the relationship and have a talk if needed.

Sometimes you just need to speak up and things can easily be fixed.

— Jacob Steenblock

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Fashion Forward

Lizzy Hawkes

Samuel Larson is a sophomore who loves to layer. He creates his own style, rather than basing one off an influencer. He could be found in Target or scrolling through Amazon for a new look.

Katherine Stone is a junior who describes her style as either soft or indie. Her sense of style is influenced greatly by social media, where she finds inspirational outfits to put her own spin on. You can find her shopping at thrift stores, Von Maur or crocheting a new sweater.

Elise Kim is a senior who expresses her style with bold colors and loads of accessories. Pacsun, Zara and Garage are her muststop places when in pursuit of a new outfit.

She loves to scroll through Instagram and Pinterest and finds most of her inspiration comes from Asian influencers.

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Cordelia Alpers is a sophomore who enjoys the music from rock stars and their favorite bands.

Their style can be described as grunge and quirky. Thrifting, Ragstock and Depop are their favorite places to find their next look.

Sumaiya Kellum is a senior who describes her style as feminine but tomboyish. You can find her at Rue 21, Footloose or shopping online. Her go-to piece is anything that stands out to her and prepares her to take on the day.

Taryn Gerjets is a sophomore who finds their style inspiration from local songwriter Alisabeth Von Presley. They love thrifting and finding new accessories from Spencer’s and Hot Topic to complement their next outfit.

Their style is a mix of hyperfeminine and gothic high fashion.

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How Do AP Classes Actually Affect Your Future?

Feature

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ne of Kennedy’s most prized statistics is its AP participation, which is among the highest in Iowa. More than 47% of Kennedy students took an AP exam in 2021, and 34% passed at least one, according to U.S. News. AP credit is said to save students time, money and energy in college. What have AP classes done for Kennedy graduates?

Kayde Bowers is a sophomore at Iowa State University who graduated Kennedy in 2020.

Bowers will major in Aerospace Engineering, which takes most students nine semesters to complete. The credit from his high school AP classes will allow Bowers to graduate in eight semesters.

“I haven’t met anyone who said they graduated in four years,” Bowers said. “But my AP classes got me out of over half a semester worth of classes, so all my [semesters] are less than 15 [credit hours], and my senior year, I’ll have a 12 credit hour semester.

Which is nice, because you can’t go underneath 12 or else you’re no longer a full-time student.”

Graduating earlier saved Bowers a semester’s worth of payments, not to mention

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time.

Joel Dillman

“I was kind of worried I would have to take a fifth year, which would have been fairly expensive and [I] wouldn’t have wanted to go for the extra year,” said Bowers. “College is fun, but I’m kind of excited to start doing something, you know?”

AP classes let graduates to take on double majors with their extra time. Madison Strait, another sophomore at Iowa State University, is pursuing majors in chemistry and mathematics. Originally, she only planned to major in chemistry.

“I came into Iowa State with 29 credits under my belt, which is an entire year’s worth of credits,” said Strait. “So, I was like, ‘Huh, I’m not going to be able to graduate early because certain classes have to be taken [in] certain semesters.’ So I figured, why not add a second major?”

Kaleigh Martin is in a similar situation. After graduating from Kennedy in 2021, she went to

Salem State University to double-major in history and education. Due to high school AP credit and extra college courses, Martin will be able to jump directly into her junior year in 2022.

“With the program I’m in, I’m going to graduate with my undergrad a year early,” Martin said. “I’m going to combine grad and undergrad programs, so I will still graduate in four years, but I’ll have a master’s at [the] end of that four years instead of a bachelor’s.”

By skipping her sophomore year, Martin will save $32,291 in tuition and room and board fees. However, Martin found her most beneficial AP class was one from which she did not receive college credit: AP Research.

“With how Research is structured, you work the entire year on your research topic,” said Martin. “You have to kind of plan that out and stay on top of it. I’m one of those

people who sometimes needs to fail before I get it right, and I definitely struggled with the time management, so it kind of helped me be better with time management now.”

Likewise, Bowers and Strait found that AP classes prepared them better for the college workload. Strait spends an average of five hours per day outside class on work. She’s also involved in three bands, a chemistry club, a sorority, undergraduate research, ISU After Dark and resident advising.

“High school was a very boring time for me. I succeeded in a lot of classes, and I didn’t really need to try hard in high school.

So the AP classes provided some difficulty and challenge for me,” Strait said. “It didn’t allow me to sit around and do nothing in high school.”

Although AP classes are harder than high school classes, Bowers found them easier than the college alternative.

“When you take an AP class in high school, you have, what, four and a half hours of class per week? For a full year?” Bowers said. “When you get to college, those four and a half hours become two and a half. And what you had to learn in an entire year, you have to learn in a semester …

I know people might not want to hear this, but it’s less stressful to take them in high school because they’re usually easier. Because you have so much more time.”

Still, AP classes aren’t a universally positive experience.

The $96 end-of-year AP tests are a point of contention for some.

AP tests, taken early May, challenge students to recall everything they’ve learned since August for a mix of multiple-choice and free-response questions. Their performance on the test deter-

mines their AP score, which is the sole factor in whether or not credit for the class counts in college. If their AP score is lower than what their college requires, the student receives no credit there, regardless of their grade in day-to-day class.

The alternative is dual enrollment classes through Kirkwood Community College, which provide free college credit to Kennedy students. Dual-enrolled students only need to focus on passing the class to earn full credit. The course is taken at the college level, so participants must keep up with an increased difficulty, workload and speed of learning.

“I know people might not want to hear this, but it’s less stressful to take them in high school because they’re usually easier.”

—Kayde Bowers But dual-credit classes don’t get the same promotion as AP classes at Kennedy, so fewer students know about them. Kennedy offers various STEM classes through Project Lead the Way, as well as one-off classes like Composition and U.S. History, that guarantee credit for high school and college.

Bowers, Martin and Strait were glad they took AP classes in high school, but Strait preferred dual enrollment.

“I don’t feel like AP classes do as much benefit as dual-credit courses through Kirkwood, because I did both of those,” Strait said.

Martin prioritized the skills gained in advanced classes over college credit. High school

AP classes were more than worth it to her.

“Even for the ones I ended up not taking the test for, there’s always the time management skills and … the workload. But I’m also just the type of person that [likes] the challenge, so I probably would’ve taken them even if there wasn’t the AP credit at the end of it,” Martin said.

The gulf between high school and college course difficulty can be a rough transition for teens. AP classes help act as a stepping stone toward a college level, according to Strait.

“AP classes sort of bridge the gap a little, where you’re not overwhelmed by the workload anymore because you had to deal with it with AP classes,” said Strait.

“Just don’t expect college to be exactly like AP classes, because that’s just not how it is.”

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Which Administrator Are You? Would you rather go to a football game or a pep rally?

Football Pep Rally Game Would you rather go to show choir or the school play?

Show Choir

School Play

Would you rather work behind the scenes or out front?

Behind the Scenes

You’re Mr. Kline!

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Would your rather be on the sidelines or in the student section?

Sidelines

Student Section

do you love twitter?

Yes No

Out Front

You’re R. Johnson!

You’re J. Johnson!

You’re Coach White!

y p S I

Taco Bird

Snake Fish

Pep Rally Edition

Alligator Head Eye Patch

Bat

broccoli

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Representing With the Rainbow Profile

T

he scratch of a colored pencil and the soft swish of paint fill the room as senior Wilsee Kollie begins a new art piece.

Her palette is the rainbow. As she works, the colors come together to display three women surrounded by vibrant hues.

After her first art class in elementary school, Kollie embraced this creative outlet. She was mesmerized with the way a pencil could create a masterpiece. She had discovered a new passion.

“I just love … art because it allows you to express your creativity,” said Kollie.

However, in art class, she saw art portraying white people, not people of color. The lack of representation affected Kollie’s creations.

“A lot of times when we learn art … your focus or person … would be another white counterpart, so I would always draw my focus being another white counterpart and I would never draw someone who looked like me because that wasn’t what I learned,” said Kollie.

In high school, she made it her goal to change this. She worked to include the representation in her art she hadn’t seen in class.

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Anabel Bradley

“I really want to … showcase minorities, specifically Black people, because that’s not what you learn in the beginning,” Kollie said.

In a world where Black people have to fight to be heard, Kollie learned her art could become a way to express herself.

“Through life, especially as a Black, dark-skinned woman, you are very much silenced so once I started getting into art … it made me continue to find my voice,” said Kollie.

Kollie works to amplify other students’ voices as well. As a leader of the Black Student Union, Kollie helped organize Voices of the Voiceless. She also collaborated with the art department to create a display case for Black students’ art, fulfilling her goal of showcasing minorities.

Kollie will continue to express herself through art after she graduates.

“I am going to continue art and go into writing, but still paint, draw, fashion—all those things.

I just love everything that comes with art,” said Kollie.

At first, she did not notice the lack of representation. It was what she had been taught. After attending the Academy of Scholastic and Personal Success in 2018,

Kollie gained a new appreciation for Black history and culture in America. She began to realize the importance or representation. “[The academy] just expands your knowledge on what you should know from school but they don’t teach it to you or they don’t teach correctly,” said Kollie.

With the free time quarantine provided, Kollie picked up acrylic paint and a paintbrush and began painting. Each individual stroke came together to form a portrait of George Floyd.

With some more paint, a colorful display of a young man protesting was created, reminiscent of the words “I can’t breathe” and “No Justice, No Peace” that were resounding worldwide. These portraits depicting the Black Lives Matter Movement opened up a new world for Kollie.

Speeding

Through Senior Year Profile

Jasmite Hite

S

enior Brian Stubblefield was introduced into the world of Electric Car months before his high school career. Stubblefield’s interest set in during open house in eighth grade. His scouting friend suggested that he take a look at student-built cars. With a pamphlet in hand, he headed home.

Electric Car has been around for decades at Kennedy. The program is built upon students who share an interest in engineering and mechanics.

Students work together to build an electric car. The program allows students to take a much-needed break from their typical classes and enjoy bringing their ideas to life. Electric cars are built on respect, dedication and most of all, trust.

Stubblefield has been part of the program all four years of high school. 2022 marks the end of his Electric Car career.

Kennedy’s Electric Car adviser, Barry Wilson, has led the program for the past 24 years. Perhaps more interesting is the fact Wilson has been teaching at Kennedy for 50 years.

“Little bit of trouble with concentration once in a while, but otherwise [Stubblefield is] going ninety miles an hour,” Wilson said.

According to Stubblefield, Wilson helps teach new members how to use different types of machinery and tools. He manages funds, drives the group to and from races, advises crew chiefs on car design and much more.

Stubblefield served as a telemetry engineer for

Electric Car for two and a half years.

Now, he is involved in documentational writing. His work consists of writing a daily report of what is going on in the shop to send to Wisconsin and Nebraska every month. Stubblefield is required to watch each group and keep track of them. These groups consist of graphics, mechanics, electrical and documentational.

Overall, Electric Car has created a lot of memories for Stubblefield. His favorites involve attending and participating in races.

“It’s a bunch of teenagers organizing and running a race at [the] ones we go to,” Stubblefield said, “And it’s a bunch of cars built by teenagers that are flying around a track at 40 miles an hour.”

Kennedy Electric Car has had several opportunities to put on races at larger venues.

“The ones [races] we have put on at Hawkeye Downs and Prairie, we put on every spring, are always really fun,” said Stubblefield.

Although Electric Car has been a big part of Stubblefield’s school career, he wishes to pursue a career as a paramedic at Kirkwood Community College.

“I could see myself, if my current plan doesn’t work out, with electrical engineering. But no, it isn’t my main goal,” Stubblefield said.

As of now, Stubblefield is attending the EMT Academy at Kirkwood Linn Regional Center. In MayNext month, he will graduate from the academy and take the next step towards his career as an EMT.

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Project Lead The Way: Introducing Students to STEM Feature

P

roject Lead TheWay (PLTW) was founded in 1997 to promote STEM education in elementary, middle and high schools throughout the United States.

PLTW offers a variety of classes at Kennedy, from engineering to computer science.

Students at Kennedy join PLTW for a unique experience in STEM, getting time to progress research and development skills in the classroom. The classes are based in hands-on, project-based learning. They offer space and resources for students to create something that interests them rather than follow a traditional teaching style.

“Project Lead The Way is really unique,” freshman Camryn Meyer said. “I took the Intro to Engineering Design course, and it helped me figure out that I definitely want to do something based in engineering. It was a great class to take as a freshman while I’m still deciding what I want to do with my life.”

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PLTW challenges students with real world problems and encourages innovative thinking. According to the PLTW website, 92% of high school students believe PLTW furthered their interest in STEM and 70% reported PLTW aided in areas other than STEM. “It was exciting for me to find a position teaching Project Lead The Way classes,” instructor Jake Hemann said. “I try to make it really fun—really project-based.

It’s a pretty active class. We do a lot of activities, try and keep it moving.”

PLTW classes can be se-

Sonja Woerner lected when registering for classes on Infinite Campus. They count as dual credit and prove to universities that students can handle higher-level STEM courses.

“Students get Kennedy and college credit, so it’s a dual credit class,” Hemann said. “They can even help you pass out of some basic college classes in most STEM majors. It’s a one of a kind program and students really feel like they have a leg up in college after taking PLTW classes. It’s big picture.”

The Wenig Word Search P B I G S G G B Z W B V K B U

U F A R H T Z O I R A M E V H

A L X E A J A S L W D S R X D

I U F E H N P Z O D J W Q Y X

K K S N F A U I K J V D X M K

W H I T E G P L P C W S U S X

N S C C H X I P Y Z U V C M S

R V R Y R N B Q I R V Y T W T

O O A A E Q Y O Q N K T H O E

C E S W G V C N T G E Z O T C

Q C O T E U B O F A Z S U D K

F O H G A K O T O R C H S E E

K J F G U Y E C S K C Y P Y R

Corn

Cougars

Gold

Green

Happiness

Iowa

Kennedy

Kline

Stecker

Torch

White

Sus

F D X X C Y D E N N E K E K P

W N G O J O Q H U G S V V E K

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B

Black Student Union

lack Student Union (BSU) is based on representing and celebrating our Black students’ unique identities here at Kennedy. They raise awareness about racial injustice and how it connects to the school. Mackenzie O’Connor and Rachel Collins, the staff sponsors, let students drive most of the meetings, events and ideas. The two do their best to support any initiatives the students bring up.

“Our end goal for BSU is to promote awareness and intercultural understanding as it comes to racial equity in our building. [It’s] also to celebrate our Black students, their stories and their identity,” O’Connor said.

BSU partnered with Gay-Straight Alliance in 2022 to hold an event called “Voices of the Voiceless.” This event gave students

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a platform to speak in front of an audience.

“This was done for the opportunity for student voices who are in a minority group within our school to be heard,” Wilsee Kollie, a BSU student leader, said. “Minority voices are more likely to be silenced, so … this open mic night, it gave a safe space for many who are overlooked. “ BSU is open to people of all races and ethnicities. Students are welcome to join the club at any time by coming to one of the meetings, which are held every Thursday after school in room 125. The meetings are casual and easygoing.

“It is a safe space for everyone,” Gentine Nzoyikorera, vice president of BSU, said. “Even if you’re not Black, you can be an ally and that’s just as powerful.”

Esports Club

he growth of esports in recent years has sparked the formation of esports clubs in high schools across the country. Now, Kennedy has an esports club of its own. Riot Games’ tactical first person shooter game, “Valorant,” and Nintendo’s fighting game, “Super Smash Bros.,’’ are two of many video games played competitively in front of an audience. Kennedy’s computer science teacher Jason Lester started an esports club in 2021 for students to compete at Kennedy.

Esports club provides students with the opportunity to develop communication and interpersonal skills.

“Esports is important for Kennedy because participation in esports helps develop teamwork and relationships between students,” Lester said.

In the 2021-2022 school year, the 18 varsity and JV Rocket League teams 17

competed as a part of the Iowa High School Esports Association (IAHSEA) for the first time. Varsity finished third out of five in their division competing against the top two Rocket League teams in the state. JV finished first in their division.

The Valorant and Rocket League teams regularly compete in the High School Esports League (HSEL). They are also looking to add a Super Smash Bros. team to compete in the IAHSEA in fall 2022.

“No matter what grade you’re in, you’re becoming a stepping stone and building something big for those to follow,” Nat Jun, student head of the esports club, said.

Esports club is open to casual and competitive players of all grades. Anyone interested in competitive gaming is highly recommended to join.

Join Our Clubs!

Agriculture Club K

ennedy students wanted to take steps toward self-sustainability by growing their own foods and giving back to the community. With this mindset, junior Erin Renshaw created an agriculture club.

Renshaw and fellow junior Emma Welsh brought the idea to life.

Agriculture club currently meets in room 230 and plans to start meeting outside in the school garden when the weather improves.

Renshaw explained she started the club to bring people who wouldn’t normally be in a club together to share their love of gardening. “[We’re] bringing gardening to more people and spreading inclusion,” said Renshaw. “Also, we are trying to put a group of people together that normally wouldn’t go up to one another to come and share their excitement to be a part of something that you can put your hands into.”

This club lets people relax after a hectic day. A study from Environmental Health Perspectives found spending only two hours outside after a day at work or school can improve your mood, decrease stress and improve sleep.

“This club is open to anyone. I am a total garden nerd and there are some people in the group that can’t keep a small house plant alive. We like to invite everyone,” Renshaw said.

The agriculture club is hoping to donate the food they grow to local food banks and shelters. They also work with Feed Iowa First, a non-profit organization that helps local communities grow produce for those in need.

Students are welcome to join the agriculture club anytime. Renshaw is available to answer questions about the club at 23erenshaw@crschools.us.

“This club is open to anyone, whether or not they have gardening experience. We just want to share the gardening experience with everyone,” Renshaw said.

Isaac White

Claire Frank

Feature

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Staff Editors

Anabel Bradley Joel Dillman Merideth Langton Molly Martin

Designers

Cael Cummins Lara Secl Ayrianna Sherwood

Staff

Emma Beachner James Belding Jersey Bilyeu Abby Bunker Claire Frank Alyx Goldensoph Noah Hargrafen Lizzy Hawkes Jasmine Hite Sarah Martin-Trainor Nolyn Melsha Sam Miranda Tori Paga Kymburlee Vanover Isaac White Jaiah Willis Sonja Woerner 21

Our Mission Statement The student staff and adviser are committed to producing top-quality student publications, applying high standards of writing, editing and production. These media seek to fairly serve the Kennedy High School faculty, students and staff showing no favoritism to any particular interest, individual or group. Final decisions about content are the responsibility of the individual editors and the Editorial Board.

Non-Discrimination Policy It is the Torch’s policy not to illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, disability, religion, creed, age (employment only), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or socioeconomic status (students/program only) in its educational programs and its employment practices.

Ownership The Torch publication, website, official social media and broadcasts serve as a public forum produced by the students in Journalism-Newspaper. Student editors make content decisions consistent with the Torch Editorial Policy, Iowa Law and ethics of journalism.

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