the arrowhead
Waukee High School • 555 University Avenue • Waukee, Iowa 50263 • Volume 26, Edition 5 • January 2019
Inside: -2018 recap (pg. 10-13) -student features with paige fahrenkrug, andrew jenecke, and jenna herman (pg. 5-7) -censorship in the uk (pg. 8-9)
tweets of the month
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Entertainment
in this issue... a year in review 10 | 2018 trends 11 | 2018 trends (cont.) 12 | Year of the pods 13 | Beyond waukee
community 4 | upcoming events 5 | 1 in 2100 - jenna herman 6 | 1 in 2100 - andrew jenecke 7 | 1 in 2100 - paige fahrenkrug
entertainment & News 2 | tweets of the month 14 | Cindi mcdonald resignation back cover - 2018 photo spread
opinion 8 | Censorship 9 | Censorship (cont.)
Meet with more than 30 non-profit organizations at the Love to Volunteer Fair on Thursday, February 14th during lunch in the gym! Stop by to enter a raffle for gift cards. Follow @whssilvercord for updates!
The Silver Cord Program is collecting old mobile devices for Cell Phones for Soldiers, an organization that recycles them to purchase calling cards for service members. Drop off your old cell phones for extra raffle entries at the Love to Volunteer Fair! February 4-14 in the Principal’s Office.
dear students, more stories! more photos! explore our website!
The Arrowhead is a student-led, student-funded paper distributed to students, faculty and more than 60 businesses around Waukee, Iowa. Our paper is a two-way communication system and welcomes students to contact The Arrowhead staff with questions, concerns or news through waukeearrowheadeditorial@gmail.com or through any of our linked social media. The views expressed in the Arrowhead do not reflect those of the Waukee Community School District. The rights and responsibilites of the student journalists are protected by the Iowa Code 280.22.
- The Arrowhead Staff
Waukee Girls’ and Boys’ Bowling teams
Waukee Girls Basketball team
is having four games coming up Against Hoover High School @ Hoover on January 29th. Against Southeast Polk High School @ Southeast Polk on Febuary 1st. Against Roosevelt High School @ home on the 5th. and against Marshalltown High School @ home. All games will be 6:15pm to 7:15pm
are having a match against North High School at Waukee Lanes from 3:30 to 4:30pm on January 31st. On Feb 7th they play Marshalltown, Fort Dodge, Mason City, Southeast Polk. WDM Valley at Totem Bowl from 12:00pm to 1:00pm.
January 31st, February 7th Waukee Boys Basketball team
Waukee Show Choir is Performing at the Urbandale Invitational @ Urbandale High School. It is an all day event.
is playing against Hoover High School at Hoover on January 29th, Against Southeast Polk High School at Southeast Polk on Febuary 1st, Against Roosevelt High School at home on the 5th, against Marshalltown High School at home and against North High School @ North. All games are at 7:45pm to 8:45pm.
February 9th
January 31st, February 1st, 5th, 8th and 15th
Waukee Wrestling team is having a meet against Ames High School @ Ames. The meet will be from 6:30pm to 7:30pm
January 31st Page 4
January 29th, February 1st, 5th, and 8th.
Go out and
support your Waukee teams By Rashed Alsharqi, Reporter
Community
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Jenna Herman Sophomore Jenna Herman moved to Waukee two years ago from Southeast Polk. “It was really calm,” Herman remembered. “You would expect going to a new school to be really stressful, but I was welcomed right away.” Herman had fun at Southeast Polk, but she feels that the Waukee teachers are more involved with
“When I first got here, I wasn’t really involved in all that much stuff.” their students and are more interested in their well beings. Moving schools opened her up to new experiences. “When I first got here, I wasn’t really involved in all that much stuff, and I knew, like, a few people; but now I have joined all these new things and met people through that, and have met people through other people... I don’t think [that] if I still went to Southeast Polk I would ever become a wrestling manager or try out theatre arts’ stuff. I just wasn’t really interested in that kind of stuff back then, but now that I’ve tried it out, it’s one of my [biggest] hobbies.”
“She said ‘you might as well just try it out,’ and so I did and it’s pretty fun.” Herman heard about the theatre arts programs through some of the friends she knew when she first transferred. She admired how quick Waukee students were to involve her in their projects and activities.
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She soon noticed how accepting they were of one another. “I tried crew for Laramie and I really liked it. It was like one of my favorite things ever. I was really glad to be a part of that, so I acted in FNL. That was really fun, too. I’m going to do that next year, of course.” As for wrestling, Herman’s older step sister had a background in sports management. “She said ‘you might as well just try it out,’ and so I did and it’s pretty fun... It can be really stressful at times, especially when we had tournaments and other coaches yelling, but I think it’s fun overall.” Jenna was even a part of the district’s German exchange trip. “It was amazing. I miss Germany so much. It was such a cool trip and I’m glad I went on it… For the first two weeks, we stayed with exchange families and went to school, and then for four days we were in Berlin.”
By Erin Holler Reporter
“It was amazing. I miss germany so much. It was such a cool trip.” The visit to Germany took place over the course of three weeks in the summer. Though her participation in the event did not do much to improve her German language strategies, she took away a better understanding of the overall culture in German speaking areas such as the ones she visited. She is currently in her second year of German class. Next year, she plans on taking AP History as a junior. She aspires to be a history teacher. “I either want to go to DMACC or try UNI. I might go out for Army Reserve and have it paid for by them.” Jenna is keeping her options open and might even work in the army regarding affairs with other countries in order to have financial aid.
Community
Andrew Jenecke Theatre, skateboarding, hiking and the color green all encompass one person: Andrew Jenecke. The active senior proudly participates in the Waukee Theatre Arts community. If there ever was a ‘theatre kid,’ Andrew Jenecke would surely be it. He has been a part of the Waukee theatre family since freshman year. He’s done everything from the fall play
By Kathryn Shumaker Reporter
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“You never really expect it, you know.” to speech team. Jenecke has participated in Promedy, Dracula, Peter and Starcatcher and The Laramie Project. In The Laramie Project, Jenecke played Doc O’Connor, a limousine driver, and Rob Debree, detective sergeant for the sheriff ’s department. The play told the story of a town that had to deal with the tragedy of Matthew Shepherd’s death occurring on their own soil. Since the play was based on a true story, Jenecke was tasked with playing characters who were real, living people. “With Doc O’Connor it was easy because him and I share a lot of the same personality traits, but that’s what made Rob Debree so fun and interesting, because it was a challenge,” he explained. Jenecke’s theatre career did not end with the fall play, as speech team was another activity he participated in. The improv team has been Jenecke’s home for the majority of his time on speech team. In fact, he and his other improv teammates made it to All State last year, marking the first time a Waukee improv team has ever performed in that event.“You never really expect it, you know. You think ‘okay, you’re good’ but you never think ‘oh my goodness, this happened,’” Jencke commented. In addition to improv, Jenecke participated in another speech event: ensemble. This year marks the first year Jenecke is in the category ensemble. Jenecke expressed, “Getting to do [ensemble] with a lot of people I’ve worked with before is really fun. It’s really different, too, because you get to try the same thing in different ways and kind
of experiment.” Other than ensemble and improv, Jenecke has participated in OneAct Play. Outside of school activities, Jenecke enjoys hiking and skateboarding. One can sometimes catch Jenecke hiking Lake Equave near Indianola. Jenecke’s love for hiking began back in middle school.“I’d hang out with my friend Henry, and he lives in Indianola, so I’d have my dad take me down there every once in a while. There’s not a lot to do in Indianola, ‘cause it’s a small town, so we just go hiking and just talk,” he explained. On the other hand, his passion for skateboarding began more recently, as he just got into it last year. He frequently skateboards the half pipe that’s a couple blocks down from his house. Being a senior, Andrew Jenecke’s high school experience is almost over; but he certainly has no regrets. He took risks, and he advises everyone else to do the same “I didn’t know I was even going to be into theater until ninth grade when I had speech with Mr. Jorgenson, so just [be
“I didn’t know I was even going to be into theater until ninth grade.” open with] all possibilities, because you never know where life’s gonna take you,” Jenecke concluded.
Community
w o l ”
Paige Fahrenkrug “I try and live in the moment,” states sophomore Paige Fahrenkrug. Many know Fahrenkrug as an outgoing, hardworking individual. She never stops moving, and she is a big believer in trying new things. Fahrenkrug participates in many different school activities, the biggest ones being
“I try and live in the moment.” jazz choir and speech team. She is a member of the jazz choir Sound Check, and she competes in the musical theatre event for speech team. Speech team takes up the majority of her time, as she participates in both large group speech and individual speech. Fahrenkrug commented, “I love it, so it’s not like the time commitment isn’t worth it for me.” All of the time put into speech team paid off, as she made it to All State speech for individual musical theatre last year. “That was really cool because me and one other freshmen were, like, the first people to ever go to All State in musical theater as freshmen. That was really exciting,” she added.
“I love how enthusiastic the entire cast and crew is.”
across the metro, Fahrenkrug needs a strong support system, and her parents provide just that. She expressed, “They support me in everything I do. My dad is actually helping me get on my individual theater stuff ready right now, and my parents are really supportive of me trying new things.” In addition to her parents, her two brothers, Ben and Max, support her as well. “My brothers go and see all the shows that I’m in… all my speech stuff. I could probably go to a few more of my brothers stuff,” Fahrenkrug said. She also has a dog named Sniff and a fish who she can go to as well if she ever needs some love from her pets. “I love my fish a lot. He’s great,” she added.
“They support me in everything I do. Because of Fahrenkrug’s participation in many different activities, she always has to work hard and put her best foot forward. “I always try to remind myself, even if I’m tired, to work hard and keep going at anything that I’m doing and don’t give up. Don’t quit,” Fahrenkrug concluded.
Fahrenkrug’s love for singing doesn’t end at school. She is also an active member in community theatre and has been a part of shows all across town, ranging from Des Moines Playhouse to Des Moines Young Artist. Community theatre allowed her the opportunity to play Penny in Hairspray, Rhonda in Fancy Nancy the Musical and Jessie in The Boxcar Children. “I love how enthusiastic the entire cast and crew is, and it’s a great environment,” Fahrenkrug said. Since she participates in theatre all
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Community
First World Burning
Editorial by Stephen Holko
Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat evolved into some of the biggest social media platforms at the center of American society today. Where 200 years ago one would go to the town center to share their ideas, that center today is widely acknowledged as social media platforms. America falls in a unique position as it is one of a fixed amount of countries with the freedom of speech. Our 1st Amendment does come with a few restrictions, “The high court has identified five areas of expression that the government may legitimately restrict under certain circumstances. These areas are speech that incites illegal activity and subversive speech, fighting words, obscenity and pornography, commercial speech and symbolic expression.”(1) This rule, as of now, does not apply online to the internet where most of first-world society spends its time. In previous years, most social platforms were exceedingly lenient in what was allowed on their sites, besides blatant pornography and direct calls for violence. Anyone could pretty much say and do whatever they would like on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram without worry of censorship or negative repercussions. Today, there are several issues with what citizens can say on social media platforms worldwide. A prime example of these issues is in the United Kingdom. In Europe many citizens from different countries dislike their government’s immigration policies. People will try to reverse this, and say these same accusations about the hosting country they stay in. So these disgruntled citizens take to the internet, complaining about the way their government avoids prosecuting these people because they do not want to appear racist.(2) The situation in the United Kingdom happens to be one of the most noticeable for what’s happening there. Violent crimes have nearly doubled since 2014, and have risen from about 620,000 to 1,300,000. Sexual crimes are no better for having an increase, from 60,000 to nearly 140,000 during the course of just three years.(2) The main question is why? There are several attributing reasons. Firstly, the number of police officers in Europe is at their lowest since 1996, coming out to roughly 122,000 officers. Many officers simply are unable to deal with the various crimes.(2) Secondly, many officials neglect to investigate crimes committed by certain ethnic groups to avoid being labeled as a racist. So with the police in the UK not resolving these violent crimes, what are they doing to help? Arresting those who upload “hate speech” posts online. In this case, “hate speech” exists as a generous term to describe what is simply a justified complaint towards the excessive violence in these people’s countries. On top of that, the rise of knife attacks in the country resulted in police consistently performing
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UK Hackeny Police Twitter; the source of the butter knife tweets.
For sources and further information
Opinion
weapon sweeps-- which can lead to finding some pretty nasty looking machetes and knives, but you see the occasional oddities, like bike wheels, big sticks, and butter knives. These items in particular often have downright silly defenses as for why police obtaining items into custody, like, “a butter knife in the chest will kill as surely as a bayonette.”(4) In Europe, the majority of Parliament is conservative at the moment,(3) although they still vote in bills and laws that greatly restrict and control the people (like Article 13, which would place more responsibility on websites like Facebook, Youtube and Twitter to moderate any copyrighted material illegally being shared on their platforms). Previously, the responsibility of moderation fell upon the owners of the copyrighted material, having them report that their content was being used and the companies would then take action to remove the material shortly. This change could have catastrophic impacts on content production of all forms on the internet. While the situation with Article 13 seems far away, companies could easily lobby for similar legislation in the United States. Many Americans view Europe as our “first world neighbor,” and just watching this ever-growing downward spiral of events unfold is, just interesting. The countries are extremely similar in culture, government and modern lifestyle. Yet, when reading and watching this situation unravel, it feels like watching a 7-car collision on the freeway. As for Europe, what happened? Why is no one talking about this? It’s not like America doesn’t act like the superhero of the world. We usually have stuff like this jammed down our throats. So what’s different? We live in a unusual world now, one where people are fighting hard facts with feelings, one where people remain purposefully uneducated just to make the big complex world around them feel safer and simpler. Politically, America is on edge, both the left and right demonizing one another, dehumanizing people who could be their neighbors, friends, calling one another fascists and Nazis. People hide issues behind labels and ideologies, ignoring simple fact so their ideas are the only way and without fault. Things are indecisive everywhere. it’s fairly likely major reforms are going to come to the internet in the next decade, and those could be for better or worse, silence or freedom. At the end of the day, what do you want?
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Opinion
2018 Ne https://www.vox.com/world/2018/5/8/17329052/iran-nuclear-deal-trump-winners-losers
President Trump pulls the United States out of the ‘Iran Nuclear Deal’, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, created in 2015. South Korea hosts this year’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, with America winning 9 gold medals, 8 silver medals and 6 bronze medals. This was the year Russia was banned from competing for controversies surrounding doping.
May
February
https://www.denverpost.com/2017/02/08/political-scandal-south-korea-olympic-prep-2018/
2018
Whether it was the sound of brush bristles or intense whispering, ASMR videos were described as giving people a physical tingling sensation.
After Bazzi releases his viral hit song ‘Mine,’ fans start submitting their own remix versions as a way to express feelings towards celebrities, fictional characters or crushes.
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https://9to5toys.com/2017/11/03/best-mac-ios-microphones/
February https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2018/04/15/everything-you-needknow-bazzi-voice-behind-viral-sensation-mine/508097002/
March
Year in Review
By: Angela Trinh and Keegan Pickering
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45542415
News & Trends
A controversial case regarding alleged sexual assault sets the world on fire when Judge Brett Kavanaugh is placed on the U.S. Supreme Court after long weeks of accusations, denials and political bickering.
October
https://wheadlines.com/all-news/international-news/thai-cave-rescue-footballteam-and-coach-found-alive/
A soccer team and its coach are trapped inside of a cave in Thailand due to heavy rain causing floods. Rescue teams worked tirelessly to allow them to leave safely, and all managed to escape without any deaths.
July
2019 December
https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-bird-boxabout-2018-12?r=UK&IR=T
On December 13, Netflix released Bird Box, a movie about an unknown force that takes form in every individual’s worst fear. Along with the hype for the movie were memes and challenges.
A high school student recorded a short audio clip containing two syllables, flaring up a huge debate that separated people into two sides. Was it “Yanny” or “Laurel?”
May Page 11
Year in Review
https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/audio-interface-buying-guide/
2018: THE YEAR OF PODS Written By: Hailey Oswald Layout By: Delaney Deering
Various trends have come about this past year; some that legitimately affected the world in a positive way, like the “Me Too” movement and the reduction of plastic straws. Other trends that appeared throughout the year became more of a meme than anything else. Tide Pod eating was one of the first trends to come about. According to Forbes magazine, “In 2012, P&G released a new product, Tide Pods, that were meant to make doing laundry easier. Following the launch of the product, poison control saw an increase in calls by children eating Tide Pods.” At this point, only a few people had seen the issue with the product. People had not yet started voluntarily eating them. In late 2017, Twitter started making fun of the idea of eating Tide Pods, and a video on College Humor is where it all started. From then on 2018 was full of kids and teens “Can I hit that?” or “I consuming Tide Pods. Another noted need nic” trend that started this past year looked something along the lines of a flash drive or a stick of gum: Juuls. They’re smooth, sleek and about the size of the average person’s middle finger. It is designed specifically to not look like a cigarette, as to help its intended demographic with their primary goal: quitting smoking. The issue with their logic is that the majority of their clientele is teenagers. The trendy contraband not only sucked many kids into addiction, it also became somewhat a joke around hallways of high schools. Phrases like, “can I hit that?” or “I need nic” became mantras students heard every day. Junior Jared Dooley suggests why the hype has died down more this year. “Pods are so freaking expensive,” he says. The price adds up and students need money for new fads. Many teenagers came out in their snapchats with airpods flexing them in a side profile picture in their streaks.
The most recent pods that have come about are AirPods. The trend began a bit before the holiday season but took off after Christmas. Many teenagers came out in their snapchats with AirPods flexing them in a side profile picture in their streaks. In May of 2018, AirPods became the top sellers on both Best Buy and Amazon. Later in the year, the hype over the pods came to a climax, and soon every person knew five other people who had them. Over the years trends come and go, but some remain a constant memory. Page 12
Year in Review
Article by Katie Ogden Reporter Layout by Kathryn Shumaker Reporter
Supt. Cindi McDonald Resigns Friday, January 11, hundreds received an email from Waukee CSD. “It is with mixed emotions I announce my retirement from public education effective at the completion of the 2018-19 school year,” wrote Superintendent Cindi McDonald. She went on to thank “outstanding educators in Waukee and across the state of Iowa.” Monday, January 14, the Board met to approve the resignation. Reporter Katie Ogden spoke with Director of Communications Amy Varcoe on the subject of McDonald’s resignation.
What was the result of the vote on superintendent McDonald’s resignation last night? 6-0, as Mary Scheve was absent.
When does the search for a new superintendent begin?
Now, our Board leadership will be meeting later this week with state associations to start the process. Board leaders will be meeting with students, staff, and community members as well.
Will the search process be conducted internally, statewide, or nationwide?
The search will include all candidates, including those you mentioned.
What are the parameters of the search process?
The search criteria and parameters are still yet to be determined.
Will an outside firm be retained to conduct the search? If so, how much is that estimated to cost? The initial meetings our board leadership is having will determine if an outside firm will be used, including the cost of using an outside firm, which is industry standard in hiring for superintendents.
What makes for a good superintendent?
A great superintendent has a clear vision for the district. He or she works with the board of education to set the vision, goals and objectives for the district, and then sees to it that the goals are achieved. A great superintendent is an instructional leader. A great superintendent is an effective communicator.
Is Cindi McDonald’s resignation tied to the state audit and subsequent criminal charges? No.
Does district office believe its reputation has been tarnished? If so, how does it plan on fixing this?
I hope you understand that the district office is filled with amazing staff, just like the rest of our buildings. I encourage you to meet the 40 plus staff members in our district office that help maintain the high level of education our students receive in Waukee Community School District. The public scrutiny Waukee CSD has been under has been a distraction for our entire district including, staff and students. Over the next few months, Waukee Community School District will look at each of the findings included in the recent State Audit and share actions taken by the district to address the recommended control procedures. Many of these changes took place prior to the audit being released and others were already in progress. To improve transparency and communication with our community, at the first Board meeting of each month, Angie Morrison, Chief Financial Officer, will provide a Spotlight on Finance that will include addressing the audit recommendations. The first communication began last night at the first regular Board meeting of 2019. In the future, updates and documents will be found on our website prior to the meetings whenever possible. It is our goal to have all audit-related items specifically addressed by the Board in the next six months. Upon completion of the audit-related items, the Board and Administration will continue the Spotlight on Finance on a monthly basis sharing important information as it relates to the current budget year. Thank you for your support as we continue to move forward.
What are three reasons a potential candidate would want to take the superintendent’s job at Waukee? This would be a question for the candidates themselves. I think each candidate would have their own reasons for taking this amazing opportunity.
What is Cindi McDonald’s annual salary? $204,000
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Entertainment
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Year in Review
By Aubrey Mahoney Reporter