Valley Spotlight vol. 53- Issue 8

VALLEY

Spotlight

Volume 53, Issue 8 May 18, 2015

West Des Moines, Iowa

“There’s no place like home”

Senior Jessica Martens plays Dorothy Gale in the Wizard of Oz.

Seniors say goodbye

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Senior Destinations 2015 Moustafa Abdalla Dema Abdulmahdi William Abeling Ian Adams Lakota Adams Samantha Adams Maykel Ajening Suryatej Akavaram Cornel Akers Angui Akok Kierra Alexander Megan Alexander Adnana Alicic Dianna Anaya Chavez Alex Anderson Hanna Anderson Joseph Anderson Julia Anderson Luke Anderson McKenna Anderson Samuel Anderson Taylor Anderson Marisa Anfinson Carter Annett Nyamuti Anur Claudia Athens Andrew Axman Miles Bach Alyssa Bailey Madelyn Baker Ryan Baker Simren Ballagan Hakeem Banks Tanner Barkley Coral Barner Mason Barr Quintin Barr Brennan Bartlett Samuel Basler Kallie Baughman Ali Baumann Hannah Baysinger Megan Baysinger Joseph Beal Joshua Beaman Ellizabeth Beardsley Jeffery Beaty Matthew Bechtel Sarah Beckett Mary Beckman Victoria Behm Nicholas Behrends Jillian Belieu Sarah Bell Trevor Bell Samantha Benson Jacob Bentley Maria Berber Mason Berg Emily Bergez Noah Betten Jessica Bierbaum Brandon Blythe Jasmine Boddicker Carson Boffeli Zachary Bollinger Lee Bonner Abbyann Bougher Seth Brady

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Iowa State University DMACC Missouri Western State University Iowa State University Lindenwood University DMACC Undecided Iowa State University Undecided Golden State Baptist College DMACC UNI/Allen School of Nursing DMACC DMACC DMACC Carleton College Iowa State University Grinnell College The University of Iowa DMACC University of Northern Iowa DMACC Iowa State University Iowa State University DMACC Iowa State University The University of Iowa Undecided Home Schooled DMACC DMACC Iowa State University Military Iowa State University Undecided Iowa State University Iowa State University DMACC Gonzaga University United States Military Academy Iowa State University Iowa State University Grand View University Military DMACC Iowa State University Undecided Iowa State University Iowa State University DMACC Otis College of Art & Design University of Northern Iowa Drake University Drake University Iowa State University Iowa State University Undecided DMACC Iowa State University Iowa State University Colorado Mountain College DMACC The University of Iowa Military/Navy Iowa State University Iowa State University Undecided Employment Western Illinois University

Anna Davidson Carl Brandt Undecided Dylan Davis Ann Braverman Creighton University Jade Davis Robert Bray DMACC Logan Davis Dinka Brdar The University of Iowa Grace Breiholz University of Northern Iowa Bradley Day Ryan Day Shannon Bristow DMACC Samuel Dayton Katelyn Broman Iowa State University William Dayton Alexis Brombaugh Undecided Giavanna Dean Jessica Brown The University of Iowa Natalie Dean Ciarra Bryson-Welch Undecided Roman Dean Aaron Buelow The University of Iowa Colby DeCarlo Alejandro Buentello Iowa State University Leah DeClerck Haley Burgduff Undecided Max Degen Joshua Burkey Undecided Samantha DeHaai Cisco Burton DMACC Leonel Delgado Josef Butters DMACC Dante DeLisle Logan Byl DMACC Keaton Denker Lucy Cade DMACC Andrew Denkinger Zachary Callahan Military-Airforce Colin Dennis Kyle Campbell Simpson/DMACC Leslie Denton Luis Campos DMACC Gina Caranci University of Northern Iowa Neal Desomber Baldeep Dhingra Lesdy Cardenas DMACC Andrew Dickerson Tyler Carlson Iowa State University Benjamin Dickinson Courtney Carr Undecided John Dickinson Michael Carroll DMACC Conner Dickson Ilisha Carter Undecided Broderick Diehn Cody Casaubon Drake University Cheyenne Castleberry Art Institute International of M.N Admir Djedovic Ryan Dmowski Ramon Castro Berber DMACC Tobias Downing Oscar Castro-Juarez Undecided Jeffrey Downs Jordan Chandler DMACC Zachary Downs Arjun Chawla Iowa State University Camryn Dreyer Allison Cherry Iowa State University Ian Dubbs Brienna Chladek Undecided Courtney Early Cooper Christensen Undecided Hannah Clark University of Northern Iowa Alexis Ebensberger Annie Edelman Kimberly Clark Undecided Molly Ehrlich Noah Clark DMACC Dylan Elder Samuel Clemens Iowa State University Elizabeth Cleven Columbia College - Chicago Brian Elliott Emma Erhard Collin Coffey Iowa State University Rachel Espinosa Nicholas Collins DMACC Katherine Essman Madeline Colosimo Iowa State University Priscilla Esuruoso Collin Comstock Undecided Sadie Etzel Rebekah Conard Undecided Caleb Evans Lauren Conte Texas Christian University Anna Cook University of Northern Iowa Ariana Fabian Joshua Farmer Bailey Cook The University of Iowa Kyra Farrell Harrison Cooper Iowa State University Alexis Faust William Coppess Truman State University Carson Feldman Jose Coronel Ruiz Undecided Hunter Feldman Haley Cox-Benson Undecided Alex Fell Mitchell Crawford Undecided David Creighton University of Northern Iowa Lawrence Feng Katelyn Criner University of Northern Iowa Nathanial Filby Martin Filitti Rachel Cron The University of Iowa George Fisher Coleman Cross DMACC Kaylianna Fisher Daisy Cruz-Rodriguez Undecided Rachel Fix Daniel Cunningham Undecided Anna Flatley Victoria Cunningham The University of Iowa Emily Foertsch Benjamin Curry Employment Jacob Foltz Jontrell Curry Undecided Dominique Dafney Iowa Western Community College Ashley Fontenot David Forney Kathryn Daft Central College Hannah Fox Nolan Dahm Wake Forest University Nicholas Fox Amanda Daley Iowa State University Collin Franzen Samantha Danielson The University of Iowa Lauren Frederick Felicity Danquah Undecided

The University of Iowa Iowa State University Iowa State University DMACC Iowa State University DMACC The University of Iowa Undecided The University of Iowa Uni. of Northern Iowa DMACC College Uni. of Northern Iowa Iowa State University Grand Canyon University DMACC DMACC The University of Iowa St. Louis University Uni. of W.I - Platteville DMACC DMACC The University of Iowa Uni. of Northern Iowa DMACC Iowa State University Undecided Loyola Uni. - Chicago DMACC Undecided Military Marines Iowa State University Grand View University University of Denver Uni. of Northern Iowa Uni. of Northern Iowa Graceland University Iowa State University Iowa State University DMACC DMACC Baylor University Creighton University St Olaf College Rutgers University DMACC DMACC DMACC DMACC Aveda Institute Grinnell College Iowa State University Iowa State University Iowa State University Uni. of C.A - Berkeley Uni. of South Dakota Undecided Uni.of Northern Iowa DMACC The University of Iowa Iowa State University Uni. of Northern Iowa Undecided Iowa State University The University of Iowa Taylor University US Merch. Marine Acad.

Iowa State University DMACC

Annie Fredericksen Ashley Freeman Jared Freiburg Anna Freihage Samuel Freihage Brock Frunzar Brandon Fuchsen Whitney Fuller Olivia Fulton Liam Fultz Olivia Gadlin Katie Galles David Galligan Jacob Galloway Angelin Gandhi Brianna Gaskill Sara Gates Cody Genzen Anna Gernant Kevin Gillespie Camilla Giraudo Nicholas Gladstone Koral Glenn Jacob Goetz Jeffrey Goetz Lucero Gomez Joanna Gonzalez Lauren Goodes Dustin Goodwin Riley Goodwin Edi Gracanin Travis Graff Katherine Graham Zachary Grasso Andrew Gray Justin Groene Aaron Groves Grant Gullickson Dylan Haase Dakota Hagen Christopher Hahn Ashley Hambrick Sydni Hampton Andrew Han Brady Hanson Daly Hardy Cole Harvey Logan Harvey Shkumbin Hasani Rachel Havens Erin Healy Hannah Heathman Murat Hecimovic Haley Heinen Gabrielle Helverson Margaret Hemken Benjamin Hendel Colton Henderson Mariah Henness Cheyenne Hensley Grisham Hentzen Kyle Herman Bertha Hernandez Hailey Hilts Josiah Hintz Samuel Hites Semiu Hodza Nathan Hoepker Gabriel Honnold Brielle Horn Haley Howell Belmina Hrkic

University of Iowa Austin Hronich Simpson College University of Iowa Dakota Hutchison Undecided The University of Iowa California State University - Long Beach Katherine Iles The University of Iowa Abdul-Hadi Issa Iowa State University DMACC Alana Jackson The University of Iowa DMACC Gabriel Jacobs University of Denver Undecided Katelynn Janssen Drake University DMACC The University of Iowa Ousainou Jatta DMACC Jacob Jenkins Undecided DMACC Alexa Jensen Iowa State University Undecided Jennifer Jimenez DMACC Butler University Brandon Johnson DMACC Undecided The University of Iowa Micala Johnson Wartburg College Concordia University - Wisconsin Morgan Johnson The University of Iowa Undecided Madison Johnston Valley Forge Military Acad& College Missouri Western State University Eric Joloka Iowa State University Military Bradley Jones The University of Iowa Graceland/Iowa Western CC Logan Jones DMACC Calvin College Mackenzie Jones Undecided DMACC Zachary Jones Undecided Foreign Exchange Student Zachary Jordan Undecided Anna Jordan Bartolo Iowa State University Undecided DMACC Nicholas Juffer Iowa State University The University of Iowa Allison Kacer Iowa State University The University of Iowa Emily Kacer DMACC Nikolaus Kammerer Foreign Exchange Student Undecided DMACC Brianna Karns Iowa State University Xavier University of Louisiana James Karns The University of Iowa Emma Carolyn Kazeze University of Oklahoma -Norman Military Iowa State University Kyle Keesey DMACC Iowa State University Justin Kelana Iowa State University The University of Iowa Sydney Kelderman Iowa State University Employment Nicholas Kenkel Undecided The University of Iowa Nicole Kennedy DMACC Grand View University Rey Khalil DMACC Undecided Tyler Kinney The University of Iowa Undecided Kaylee Kirpes DMACC Simpson College Kara Kissel University of St Andrews - Scotland Undecided Elsa Klein Undecided Undecided Ethan Klement Iowa Lakes Community College - Estherville The University of Iowa Abbie Kliegl University of Northern Iowa The University of Iowa Alex Kobberdahl University of Missouri - Kansas City Iowa State University Sunita Kolareth University of Iowa The University of Iowa Kameron Kopaska Undecided Chase Koschmeder The Univeristy of Iowa DMACC Iowa State University Wilimina Kpor University of Northern Iowa Undecided Bradley Kramer Iowa State University Undecided Joel Kroeger Undecided Undecided Colin Krohn Creighton University DMACC Benjamin Kruse Iowa State University Iowa State University Rachael Krysa DMACC Iowa State University Zerina Kustura Iowa State University Undecided Anne LaMair The University of Iowa Coe College Jordan Lansing Kirkwood Community College The University of Iowa Jovonte Lawrence DMACC Iowa State University Anthony Laybon The University of Iowa Iowa State University Justin Le The University of Iowa Undecided Riley Leaders The University of Iowa Employment Kelly Lee University of Northern Iowa Cottey College Alexander Lefkow Undecided Iowa State University Djenet Leluc Drake University Kirkwood Community College Madelyn Lemons Gillette Community College - Wyoming DMACC Caitlyn Lennon South Dakota School of Mines &Technology DMACC Channing Lennon Grinnell College Cedarville University Braden LeSher The University of Iowa Undecided Allison Levis Iowa State University University of Northern Iowa Peter Lewis Iowa State University The University of Iowa Jessica Lin Illinois Wesleyan University Iowa State University Maria Lind The University of Iowa DMACC Dani Lipman Iowa State University Grand View University Michael Litscher University of Kansas DMACC Ellinor Little

Cody Lockhart Jose Lopez Sarahi Lopez Jay Lorts William Lounsbury Mary Lowe Sydnee Lowery Anna Mable David Maller David Malone Claire Maly Nathan Maly Hussein Mandil Mrinalini Manektala Morgan Mankle Samuel Manning Carlye Marshall Jessica Martens Agustina Mateo Rachel Matera Zachary Matt Alex Mbayo Martha McAllister Erin McCauley Daniel McCoy Elizabeth McCoy Megan McCoy Alexandria McNunn Joseph McVey Joshua McVey Haris Mehmedovic Matthew Meline Savannah Mendenhall Mariela Mendez Sanchez Kyle Miller Sydney Miller Zacharias Miller Anna Mokricky Skylar Monahan Wesley Montoya Moriah Moore Mackenzie Moran Elizabeth Moreno Mia Moreno John Morris Samuel Morton Cody Motz Cole Mullins Cory Mullins Hebah Musharafa Hira Mustafa Charles Napier Natasha Narayan Joseph Nobis Erin Nubel Anthony Nucaro Eliot O’Callaghan Kellen O’Connor Alyson O’Hara Jacob Oberender Kaylee Olson Kyle Olson Joaquin Ortega Clara Ortgies Madison Oster

Oregon Coast Community College Undecided The University of Iowa The University of Iowa University of Oklahoma - Norman Iowa State University DMACC University of Northern Iowa Iowa State University Undecided University of Nebraska - Lincoln The University of Iowa DMACC The University of Iowa The University of Iowa Iowa State University Iowa State University Oklahoma City University Foreign Exchange Student Univrsity of Minnesota - Twin Cities St Ambrose College DMACC Undecided University of Illinois- Chicago DMACC Iowa State University Iowa State University DePaul University Iowa State University Iowa State University Undecided The University of Iowa Iowa State University DMACC Iowa State University Fashion Inst. of Design & Merch.

Iowa State University Iowa State University Augustana College University of Northern Iowa Missouri State University Iowa State University Undecided Employment Undecided University of Dubuque Iowa State University University of Iowa Upper Iowa University Undecided The University of Iowa Iowa State University Iowa State University DMACC The University of Iowa Iowa State University Missouri Western State University Iowa State University DMACC North Central University - MN Grinnell College The University of Iowa DMACC University of Northern Iowa Iowa State University

2015

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Mathew Overton Central College Jared Paine Case Western Reserve University Brian Parraga DMACC Maxson Pauley Iowa State University Katelyn Paulsen University of Arizona Madison Pendegraft Undecided Nicholas Peters Iowa State University Chloe Peterson Iowa State University Jack Peterson Iowa State University Matthew Peterson Undecided Lauren Pfeil University of Nebraska - Lincoln Kayla Phalen Harvard Lauren Phalen The University of Iowa Derek Pham Temple University Sueann Pham The University of Iowa Abigail Pickens Undecided Isabelle Pierotti Boston University Selena Pimentel DMACC Nicholas Pingel DMACC Joseph Pitts Washington State University Jackson Plath Iowa State University Blake Porter Iowa Central Community College Marisa Potts Arizona State University Ojas Pradhan The University of Iowa Keller Prien Iowa State University Patrick Prosser The University of Iowa Armin Prutina Undecided Taylor Pugh The University of Iowa Daniel Quill DMACC Elmin Rahic Iowa State University Elise Ramaekers Long Island University Post Juana Ramirez Gaspar DMACC Kyle Rasmusson NIACC/DMACC Colton Redford Undecided Charlie Redrovan Undecided Elizabeth Reed Franklin and Marshall College - PA Hayley Reeder Iowa State University Jacob Reimers-Sihavong Undecided Matthew Remmers DMACC Megan Renkel The University of Iowa Rachael Rethman Iowa State University Hector Reza DMACC Bradley Rhein Iowa State University Jenna Rhein The University of Iowa Christopher Ridgway University of Northern Iowa Timothy Ridgway The University of Iowa Tia Rieckhoff Iowa State University Jack Riley Army Wendy Rios DMACC Abigail Roach University of Northern Iowa Nathan Robb DMACC Jacob Robbins Undecided Tucker Rochleau Simpson College Jake Rodgers The University of Iowa Aimee Rodin Iowa State University Diego Rodriguez Undecided Ricardo Rodriguez DMACC Niran Rodriguez Lozano DMACC Blanca Rodriguez MorenoUndecided Ariel Rogers Truman State University Benjamin Rogers Undecided Jacob Rojohn Central College Hayden Ross Employment Zachary Ross Undecided Paul Roth Iowa State University Charles Ruby Military Caleb Rush DMACC Megan Rushing DMACC John Ryan Iowa State University Lukas Rysavy Foreign Exchange Student Shubkarman Sahi Washington State University Haley Sales DMACC Blake Salsbury Iowa State University

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Dylan Sams The University of Iowa Jordan Samuel Undecided Ryan Samuelson Iowa State University Orlando Sanchez-SalasUndecided Nimrata Sandhu University of Northern Iowa Daniel Savage Iowa State University Chase Scharfenberg Undecided Anja Schepp St Louis University Abigail Scheppmann Illinois State University Morgan Schlee The University of Iowa Brett Schwers Iowa State University Abbey Schwery The University of Iowa Gina Scorpiniti Wellesley College Marta Scucchia Foreign Exchange Student Bryce Sederburg Iowa State University Ashley Segura-Roman The University of Iowa Emily Seibel Iowa State University Rachael Seibert Undecided Adem Selimovic DMACC Sophia Seltz School of Visual Arts - NY Dominique Senteza Washington University - St Louis Rishi Shah John Hopkins University Sonya Shah Drake University Anhelina Shaposhnikova Foreign Exchange Student Logan Shea Iowa State University Kaylee Shelton Iowa State University Adam Shepherd The University of Iowa Trystin Shoesmith Iowa State University Anna Shultice The University of Iowa Diana Silva DMACC Michael Simmons Iowa Western Community College CarleyJo Simonsen Undecided Emma Sink Luther College William Sipfle Baylor University Colin Skellenger The University of Iowa Rachel Slezak Iowa State University Hannah Slusinski Utah State University Alissa Smith Mount Holyoke College Braden Smith Iowa Western Community College Emily Smith University of St Thomas Jared Smith Iowa State University Megan Smith The University of Iowa Travis Smith Iowa State University Katherine Smoldt University of Missouri Arina Soda DMACC Daniel Soto The University of Iowa Logan Spacek University of Central Missouri Rolf Stageberg Iowa State University Allyson Standefer University of Northern Iowa Grady Stein The University of Iowa Emily Steinmetz University of Northern Iowa Michael Stevens Undecided Dalton Stewart Undecided Chase Stine University of Iowa Jordan Stone University of Northern Iowa Alyssa Stoppelmoor Undecided Miranda Strelecki Drake University Madison Summers DMACC Ni Sung DMACC Samu Suominen Undecided Benjamin Swanson Iowa State University Alyssa Tainter Iowa State University De’Ante Taylor DMACC Melanie Taylor The University of Iowa Alyssa Terrill Employment Abigail Thalman DMACC Siang Thang DMACC Alexis Thomas The University of Iowa Andrew Thompson Richmond Intl Acad. & Soccer Aca. Ryan Thompson Iowa State University Kalyn Thorne The University of Iowa Samuel Ti Tha Zam DMACC Joshua Tobias DMACC

Abigail Tobin Brin Toland Fares Touma Oliver Trachsel Tatyanna Triplett Austin Turner Courtney Twit Meredith Tyler Nolan Underwood Grace Vander Weide Belmin Velagic Arun Velamuri Ashley Velez Matthew Vertin Mia Vettese Brenda Villegas John Vincent Ravjot Virdi Ryan Voggesser Giang Vuong Kianne Vuorenmaa Omar Waheed John Walsh Mary Walsh Trey Walsh Nicholas Wang Yitong Wang Cooper Warner Ross Warren Eric Watters Annie Weinberg Braden Weiser Hannah Welch Noah Welch Amber Wessels Kiann Wessels Jacob West Taylor Whetstone William Whisler Carter White Noah Whitley Samuel Wiedemeier Joshua Wildman Hannah Willard Daniel Williams Gretchen Williams Nathan Williamson Benjamin Wilson Jessica Witherly Zachary Witt Cole Wittern Sarah Wittman Clayton Wolf William Wood Claire Wright Zhiyong Yang Zhixin Yao Satya Yaramati Christoline Yeanay Matthew Yeates Andrew Yi Mitchell York Samantha York Sydney Zachar Dulce Zarate-Berber Brianne Zbylicki Yuti Zhang Allison Zieser Brittany Zink Nicholas Zink Bailey Zoss

University of Northern Iowa DMACC DMACC Undecided University of Missouri Military Grand View University Undecided Iowa State University Missouri State University Undecided Gustavus Adolphus College DMACC The University of Iowa Iowa State University DMACC Iowa State University The University of Iowa The University of Iowa Drake University Undecided DMACC Undecided University of Northern Iowa Kirkwood Community College Universtiy of Iowa DMACC Drake University Undecided University of Nebraska - Omaha Luther College Iowa State University DMACC Military DMACC DMACC Iowa State University Iowa State University Undecided The University of Iowa Undecided Iowa State University DMACC University of Nebraska - Lincoln Columbia College - Chicago Iowa State University Iowa State University Iowa State University Oregon Coast Community College The University of Iowa Iowa State University University of Denver DMACC Iowa State University University of Northern Iowa DMACC Iowa State University University of Pittsburgh DMACC The University of Iowa Iowa State University Military Undecided Iowa State University DMACC University of Portland DMACC The University of Iowa Undecided DMACC Indian Hills Community College

Congrats Thank you!

for supporting Valley and Walnut Creek After Prom!

Committee Members Jill Anonson Christy Bierma Liz Brennan Susan Bridge Juliann Cline Kim Edwards Lisa Farrell Melodie Grinvalds Jill Grossklaus Wendi Henning Abigail Hohensee Betsy Hrdlicka Teresa Lagomarcino Tina Neustrom Dawn Rafferty Dawn Schacht Mary Shoemaker Karla Simon

Corporate Donors

Mr. and Mrs. James Hanks “Amber’s Pretzels, LLC” “American Prosthetics & Orthotics, Inc.” Berg Audio & Video Berkshire Dental Central Bank “Cutler Law Firm, P.C.” First National Bank David and Debra Lind Hilsabeck Schacht Inc. Hummel’s Nissan Hy-Vee Inc. Iowa Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons PC Jordan Creek Animal Hospital Gregory Able Smile Orthodontics Stivers Ford Lincoln GuideOne Foundation “West Bancorporation Foundation, Inc.” Polk County Board of Supervisors - Community Betterment Grant Valley / Valley Southwoods PTO “Sullivan & Ward, P.C.”

Buisness Donors

Americana American Eagle Foundation Applebees Arbys Bbops Bed Bath & Beyond Bella Boutique Innovative Injection Tech Biaggis Blond Genius Bravo! Cucina Italiana Buffalo Wild Wings

class of

2015

Mike Thomas/Booster Club Monahan Photographic Artist Nan's Nummies Noodles & Company NYC Pizza CafŽ Olive Garden On the Border Orchestrate Hospitality Outback Steakhouse Palmer's Deli Panchero's Mexican Grill - West Des Moines Panera Bread of Iowa Pizza Hut Prairie Life Fitness The Principal Charity Classic Rainbow Nails Raygun Red Lobster Red Rosa Julie Alsted/Salon Tec Sky Zone Smashburger Soleil Tan Spa Spaghetti Works Squiggles Subway - West Des Moines Taki Japanese Steakhouse Target Tasty Tacos The Tavern Pizza and Pasta Grill Tim Vorland Photography Traviss Audio Video Valley West Mall Waterfront WDM Aquatic Center Wicker and the Works Pages created by Paige Weiand and Camryn Dreyer

Five

News

Colors for Cancer 5K

By Sarah Thompson

Valley Student Government hosted the VHS Colors for Cancer 5K Run/ Walk on May 3. Over 150 participants ran or walked “The Triangle” to support the cancer center based in downtown Des Moines. The race began at one after Care Coordinator, Gina Mandernach, kicked off the afternoon with a speech. Families who sponsored the different colors then

Important note for students All @wdmtigers.org email accounts are being deleted this summer. If students would like to keep anything from their @wdmtigers.org account, they will need to download that data to a personal device before they leave for the summer. This fall, students will have a new email address ending in @wdmcs.org, as this is a requirement for New Tech Network.

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told their story with participants. “I thought it was a good time. Everyone had a lot of fun. We walked up the hills, but we definitely ran down them,” sophomore Rachel Anfinson said about her 5K experience. Valley Student Government has hosted a 5K for the past three years. The Colors for Cancer 5K raised over $3000 for John Stoddard Cancer Center.

May 18, 2015

Cutthroat technology: 2016 election rundown Russian scientist to undergo first human head transplant

By Paige Weiland

Plans are set for 30-year-old Russian computer scientist, Valery Spiridonov, to become the world’s first ever recipient of a human head transplant. Despite knowing that such procedures on monkeys, mice, and dogs have all failed, Spiridonov is optimistic.

“I am afraid,” Spiridonov said, “but what people don’t really understand is I don’t really have many choices.”

Since childhood, Spiridonov has suffered from Werdnig-Hoffman disease--a rare, debilitating, genetic muscle-wasting condition. Spiridonov believes that, with today’s technology, and the help of a braindead man’s donor body, this surgery could rid him of his condition once and for all. However, many believe his faith in such a surgery is unrealistic.

“I don’t see how the surgery wouldn’t kill him...There are too many complications,” Biology Teacher, Terri Pond, said. “His head will have to deal with rejection from the donor, and his brain will be trying to using neurological pathways that haven't been built. I sympathize [with Spiridonov and his condition], but I think [this surgery] is a Hail Mary of a throw. It may be tossed up on high hope, but it probably isn’t going to get caught.”

Italian Doctor Sergio Canavero, the neurosurgeon who proposed this test procedure, which he named Project HEAVEN-Gemini, plans to lead the operation. “It is my contention that the technology only now exists for such linkage," Canavero said in his proposal.

Canavero plans to complete a proper spinal fusion by using an “ultra-sharp” knife to separate Spiri-

donov’s head from his body cleanly.

Then, he will use a “special” spine fusing ingredient called ‘polyethylene glycol’ to encourage the conjoining of both Spiridonov’ and the donor’s spinal cords.

Resources for the surgery would consist of over 150 assisting doctors, and an estimated fund of 13 million dollars. Canavero has claimed to already have a portion of the fund procured, though he has made no comment as to the money’s source.

Spiridonov estimates these staffing and funding will be in order by 2017.

No location has been set for the surgery. Canavero hopes that the sheer incredibility of the head transplant concept will appeal to a hospital in the United States after he proposes it at the American Academy of Neurological and Orthopaedic Surgeons Scientific Meeting in Annapolis, Maryland this June.

As for the ethics of such a surgery, volunteer Spiridonov feels that there is no question as to if he should or shouldn’t do this, and he compares it to the experience of the first man in space.

“Someone needs to be first,” Spiridonov said. “Someone needs to go further where no one has been before.

The first spaceman was afraid . . . But [like him] I understand that it must be done, because if you don’t try it, it’ll never happen.”

No matter the success of the operation, Spiridonov has made up his mind that this surgery’s potential in advancing neurological research trumps out whatever fate he will face.

“After this operation, whether I live or not, any way it happens, there will be a huge science basis after that. So, it’s totally worth it,” Spiridonov said..

By Sarah Thompson

With 539 days until the 2016 Presidential election, politicians and citizens alike are announcing their candidacy.

A selection of Democrats and a large group of Republicans are running. As of May 8, former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are running for the Democratic Party’s nominee. Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Marco Rubio, Dr. Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina and former Gov. Mike Huckabee are running for the GOP’s nominee.

Along with announcements for candidacy, there have been a couple announcements by politicians who are not running; this includes former Gov. Mitt Romney (2012 republican presidential nominee) and Elizabeth Warren.

Although this is just the beginning of the process, future voters should be aware of party platforms in order to

make a decision.

The Democratic Party’s platform includes higher taxes for those who have higher incomes, decreased military spending, typically support abortion and gay marriage, and a larger government. The Republican Party’s platform includes lower taxes, increased military spending, typically oppose abortion and gay marriage, favor a flat tax, smaller government, and free enterprise.

Major contenders at this point are former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Sen. Marco Rubio. It is very early to tell where these candidates will be at a year from now.

Cruz has been known for extreme views and Hillary Clinton is currently being criticized for emails sent from the 2012 Benghazi attack.

Some politicians that may running include Sen. Jim Webb, Gov. Jeb Bush, and Gov. Scott Walker.

photographybymichel.com 515-822-3224 VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR SPECIAL $300.00 30 Years Experience facebook.com/MikeYounadam

Seven

Opinion

An open letter to the Valley administration I did not sit down to write this letter and think to myself: you know what I bet these professionals would enjoy? An eighteen year old, brand new high school graduate telling them how to do their job.

I have written this letter to voice student opinions that have existed throughout the year, but kept quiet because until now we are still students and would rather not stir up trouble.

Let me start with this: I have great respect for the professionals who run this school and I understand that Valley High School is a phenomenal institution. Forget about the extra mile. Here at Valley we have a staff whose dedication to their job and to their students goes far above and beyond the call of duty.

But frankly, some of the policies are utterly ridiculous.

To start, the administration needs to quit assigning seniors work while the sophomores and juniors take the Iowa Assessments and register for classes. First of all, no one does it anyway. Seniors have their mom or dad sign the form and they spend the day watching Netflix. Seniors don’t spend their day off following their parents around at work so that they’ll

sign a form.

And as for the required eight hours of college planning on the registration day for sophomores and juniors, that day is in January and the majority of seniors have already applied to colleges. I don’t know what college planning I could possibly do for eight hours, especially considering most seniors aren’t even at school for eight hours.

Also, eighteen year olds should be able to sign themselves out of class without a parent’s permission. Sixteen year olds can drop out of high school.

Legal adults should be able to sign themselves out to go to a doctor’s appointment without the hassle of their parents calling them in. If some students were to abuse this privilege, well, come final time, that’s their problem.

Sophomore should not have open parking in the senior and junior lots.

Many current seniors and juniors were stuck paying for parking as sophomores (or rather, their parents were stuck paying) and now they can’t even

find a spot in the regular lots.

No senior should have to park in the church lot while sophomores park ten feet from the school doors. Especially in the winter.

And speaking of the winter, every student would be very appreciative if the administration would allow us to use the nearest door to enter the building, especially when it is negative six degrees outside.

My final complaint is advisory.

At this point I think most people are wondering why we have it once a week or why it even exists.

From what I’ve gathered, I understand that the administration meant for this year to be different. They meant for advisory to finally, finally, be relevant. It’s still not. I’m not sure at this point that it’s even possible.

The whole single gender advisory is totally pointless. Never has my advisory, or any other that I know of, discussed a topic relevant to only one gender.

The anti-bullying campaign was

admirable, but fell flat. The fact that advisory is between fifth hour and seventh hour gives any student with seventh off no incentive to attend. To be honest I haven’t been to my advisory in so long my advisor probably thinks I dropped out.

I recognize that advisory has very important administrative purposes that could be completed if advisory met, say, once a month. Or maybe once a quarter.

I know this letter sounds long and full of complaints, but I’m simply bringing to the attention of the administration what every student thinks but no one has the time or energy to actively complain about. These concerns may sound trivial, but they have significant impact.

I would like to end this letter on a positive note by saying that the staff at Valley, from the custodial staff to the teachers and administers, are by far the most hardworking, dedicated high school staff in Iowa. They are appreciated (even if it’s hard to tell by this letter) and have consistently helped students mature and prepare for the journey ahead.

What about the Valley Pond?

Why am I having hot flashes?

What’s with making passes?

Do we need to start learning selfdefense in P.E.?

Every time it rains hard, a pond appears in the middle of the east parking lot. Not only does this create a mess for students whose cars end up halfway submerged in the pond, but it also leaves fewer spots the following days.

Isn’t there a drain that we can unclog? Can something be done to fix this problem? Or could the school at least start handing out snorkeling gear?

Spotlight Staff

Editor-in-Chief: Cooper Warner Managing Editor: Marisa Potts Copy Editor: Katie Galles Design Editor: Camryn Dreyer Page Editors News—Katie Galles Opinion—Alexa Kort Sports—Trevor Tyma

Eight

They meant for advisory to finally, finally, be relevant. It’s still not. I’m not sure at this point that it’s even possible.

Even with all of the construction completed, we still have a huge problem with climate zones at Valley. In one classroom I feel like I’m on a tropical vacation and then in the next classroom, it’s the frozen tundra. I have to run to my locker after fourth hour and grab my parka before fifth hour begins.

Staff Reporters & Page Designers: Elizabeth Ash Claudia Athens Connor Ferguson Koral Glenn Logan Jones Cole Schulte Julie Sisler Sarah Thompson Paige Weiand Adviser: Diane Hicks

Spotlight is a publication of the students of Valley High School, 3650 Woodland Avenue, West Des Moines,

A Spotlight senior

So, I am a senior and I’m about to be on my own in a few months. Yet here I am, being told that I can’t walk down a hallway without a pass even though I am trying to leave the building. Now, I understand that students should not be wandering the halls, but sometimes writing and getting passes is a hassle. If I’m going home who am I going to give the pass to? My mom?

February 12th, 2015 was the day three fights broke out at Valley. This became the lead story in the local media for three days. That’s all I have to say, because the first rule of fight club is you don’t talk about fight club.

Wouldn’t self-defense lessons be better than running the $*%! mile again?

Iowa, 50266. Advertising can be purchased at 515-633-4059. Spotlight strives to inform readers of current news and social issues affecting the lives of Valley High School students.

Letters to the Editor, guest articles and editorials are highly encouraged but must be submitted to a member of the staff at least one week prior to publication. Spotlight reserves the right to edit all letters for space available. Spotlight is a member of the Quill and Scroll Society, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the Na-

tional Scholastic Press Association and the Iowa High School Press Association. Any questions or comments pertaining to Spotlight may be dropped off in Room 1676 at Valley High School.

Spotlight has received The International First Place Award from Quill and Scroll International Journalism Honor Society, First Place Award from the American Scholastic Press Association, and First Class Award with distinction in Writing and Editing from the National Scholastic Press Association.

May 18, 2015

Spotlight staff’s VHS survival guide: What underclassmen really need to know

and secret staircases.

1.Know how to get around the school. Use the ramp, use back hallways,Marisa P. faceplant. Twice.

2. Don’t wear slippery shoes for the pacer. You mightKatie G. it builds character.

3. Take at least one AP class, –Cooper W. soul, but go to class.

4. Go to class. I know it may crush your–Claudia A. them on your side.

5. Be extra polite to the attendance secretaries. You’ll need –Camryn D. and before activities.

6. Keep a blanket in your car so you can power nap during off periods–Marisa P. late, be extra late.

7. If you’re gonna be–Logan J. can’t opt out of your final.

8. Don’t hit the snooze button too many times. It might mean you –Camryn D. you’re not going to do homework, don’t pick the class that has homework weighted at 50 9. Ifpercent.

–Claudia A. school is about more than building your college resume. Get involved with things 10. High that you truly enjoy.

–Katie G. —

—

Letter to the Editor Life is not based on the test grade or a grade point average but based on the ability to survive. We all have different abilities, thinking processes, and experiences, which makes us unique and different from another.

These make us individuals.

Our society has difficulties accepting different people. People who do not conform to the social norm and standards are considered abnormal.

But being different is not the same as being wrong. Society defines different as abnormal, but the difference between normal and abnormal only exists in perceptions. This perception

that is based on an individual’s experiences, culture, and personal life.

Often, we look at successful people in the society and admire their success. Yet what we don’t see is the hardships and painful experiences those people went through to achieve their success. We look at currently successful people and see them at the climax of their life. The sad truth is that no one is watching when you fall, but everyone stares when you stand up all by yourself. That is part of the life we all live.

Society tells us to ‘do what you are passionate about’ or ‘do what you

are talented at.’ However, in reality individuals with different abilities, thoughts, and experiences are put in the same classroom and are being tested by the same means. Then the results of the test tell these individuals what they are worth.

But we can’t let society tell us what we are worth because this is the same society that says discrimination is wrong, but passes a law that justifies businesses’ decision to discriminate based on sexual orientation. Society says abortion is wrong, yet looks down upon teenage parents. Society emphasizes on the importance of

learning and higher education and then increases tuition fees every single year.

6+3 equals 9 but so does 4+5 or 3^2, it is all about the individuals’ perception and thought processes. No one should be evaluated by a single answer key when the answer was written in free-response. The point is, it does not matter how many As or Ds one received or how many degrees one has, because one’s abilities, thoughts and experiences are the qualities that will define who he or she is.

Kelly Lee

Nine

Opinion

Indiana law tarnishes Republican image

By Katie Galles

It didn’t take long for an outpour of disproval to ensue after Indiana Governor Mike Pence, signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) this March.

Although Pence argued that the new law ensured the free exercise of religion, as promised by both the United States Constitution and the constitution of the state of Indiana, it seemed to promote discrimination more than anything.

When reporters asked Pence whether or not the new law would allow religious business owners to deny service to members of the LGBT community, he kept his responses short and vague. He still has yet to address such questions and

there are concerns that conservative republicans justify bigotry in the name of religion.

Not only does this raise questions about violations of the separation between church and state, but it also suggests that far-right Republicans are focusing on the wrong issues.

In 2007, Republicans made up about 35 percent of registered U.S. voters. Today, that number is down to 28 percent.

Whether the drop is correlational with far-right legislation like Proposition 8, which eliminated the rights of same-sex couples in California, is uncertain. However, its hard to deny that such laws have not played a part in Republicans’ decrease in

popularity.

If the Republican party wants to regain followers and win elections, it must focus less on radical social reform and more on the more important political change.

To be blunt, religion is not meant to influence legislation at any level of government. Conservatives need to give up their fights against anyone who does not agree with their religious beliefs—LGBT community members, abortion advocates, etc.—and shift their efforts toward reforming America’s economy and foreign policy.

Republican Senator Ron Johnson explained that, in order to win upcoming elections, republicans must

clearly state their positions of economic and foreign policy and leave social issues like gay marriage and abortion to be decided by the public.

“I’ll certainly go with the judgment of the American people in terms of where they want to fall on, whether it’s abortion issues or gay marriage or wherever,” Johnson said in an interview with Igor Volsky of Think Progress.

In general, the majority of Americans are in favor of the separation of church and state. If republicans want to win upcoming elections, particularly the 2016 presidential elections, they must leave their religious views behind and focus on more pressing political issues.

Prom: keeping the night special

By Julie Sisler

There are few milestones that mark high school students’ careers.

Besides events such as the first day of school and graduation, there is the magical night that some teenagers have been dreaming about since they were little: prom.

At Valley, prom is open to juniors and seniors only, except when an upperclassmen brings an underclassmen as their date. However, other high schools believe that prom should only be for seniors, or that prom should be open to all classes.

This raises and interesting point: who should be allowed at prom?

“I think prom should be for juniors and seniors, because it’s getting toward the end of their high school years, so it gives them something to remember with those who they’re closest to. Freshmen and sophomores have the other dances, so upperclassmen should get a dance to themselves,” sophomore Sammy Kobberdahl said.

Having prom open to juniors and seniors means there will be a larger income generated for student government, because prom is free for seniors and the primary revenue comes from juniors and underclass-

Ten

men dates. This also means upperseniors. It’s more of a reward and classmen have two chances at their it’s not actually being exclusion“night to remember.” ary because eventually everyone With both juniors and seniors, will get one,” senior Nathan Robb prom is a lot more crowded, espesaid. If prom were changed to only cially with all of the underclassmen include upperclassmen and their who are invited by their junior and dates, there would be a smaller, more senior friends. intimate crowd at prom. This would With all of the also make prom more underclassmen at “I think underclassmen special because you prom, the dance should be happy with only get one junior would become one senior prom, homecoming because if and a lot more meaning that there’s crowded, which they had another formal only two nights like it, might irritate dance, it wouldn’t make unless you’re invited as upperclassmen. prom as special. Prom’s an underclassmen.

Prom is sup“I feel prom is a posed to be their something to look for- special enough of an special night, and ward to, but it wouldn’t occasion that it should a dance overrun reserved for juniors be if everyone had al- be with underclassand seniors. If it was men might cause ready experienced it.” open to all grades I conflict. think it might reduce “I went to prom as a freshman some of the distinction of the event,” because I had a boyfriend who was a counselor Mr. Eric Traynor said. junior. It’s okay to bring an underWhile some underclassmen classmen as your date, especially if believe they deserve their own dance you’re dating, but it’s going a little since prom is reserved for upperoverboard when it’s just a ton of classmen, that’s not necessarily true. underclassmen in a group because Freshmen are able to have their first the upperclassmen just wanted to get homecoming dance, which is a pretty them in,” Kobberdahl said. big deal as it’s their first dance as a “I can see why it would be good high school student. for prom to be only for juniors and “I think underclassmen should be

happy with homecoming because if they had another formal dance, it wouldn’t make prom as special.

Prom’s something to look forward to, but it wouldn’t be if everyone had already experienced it,” Kobberdahl said.

Since prom is a much anticipated night for many high school students, it’s important to make sure that students keep it special. Part of keeping it such a unique night is making sure it’s special, the way it would not be if you went multiple times. Making the prom only for upperclassmen would keep it more exclusive and special, ensuring that it truly is a night to remember, not one of the series of prom nights from throughout your high school career.

Therefore, prom should be only for juniors and seniors. Though it makes sense to want to bring an underclassmen that you are perhaps dating, juniors and seniors need to keep their fellow upperclassmen in mind and not invite a group of sophomores or freshmen with them.

Prom is a special night and is supposed to be for the upperclassmen, and therefore should be treated as such.

Letter to the Editor:

May 18, 2015

WDMCS should uphold non-discrimination policies for all My name is Danielle Reyes, and I am a junior at Valley High School.

As a passionate human rights activist and a former parochial school student, I am proud to say that my school district upholds the same basic principles of egalitarianism and respect that I do. On April 27th, I spoke to the school board about amending the non-discrimination policy to include district-owned facilities. Although KCCI, the Des Moines Register, and other news stations reported on the school board meeting, Valley’s students deserve to hear a fellow classmate’s point of view.

Currently, the West Des Moines Community School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, disability, religion, creed, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status in its educational programs and its employment practices. However, this policy does not include district-owned facilities. Therefore, the school board should extend the district’s nondiscrimination policy to the use of facilities and require all parties/organizations who utilize any districtowned facility to sign and adhere to the district’s non-discrimination policy. In the event that the amendment is ratified, Dowling would have full access to WDMCS facilities as long as it signs and adheres to our nondiscrimination policy while using facilities. Any party/organization who does not adhere to this non-discrimination policy will not be granted permission to utilize the facility.

The WDMCS school board code No. 907.1 states, “All local civic, religious, fraternal, political, patri-

otic and community welfare organizations, including any individual or group interested in promoting not-for-profit cultural, educational, or recreational activities, are eligible to use school properties, providing the activities to be conducted are not contrary to public interest as determined by the Board of Education or as provided by law.” Extending the district’s non-discrimination policy to the use of facilities would explicitly mandate that any individual or group

Junior Danielle Reyes speaks to the WDMCS school board as a part of her petition for an amendment to the district’s non-discrimination policy. Hundreds have signed her petition, and she has appeared on KCCI and in the Des Moines Register.

interested in utilizing the district’s facilities must abide by the policy to be granted permission.

Some people may be wondering if this has anything to do with the recent scandal at Dowling, and the answer is yes. Unfortunately, my efforts have been mischaracterized as “infringing on freedom of religion” or “school rivalry.” In response to the

former, this amendment would only extend the non-discrimination policy to WDMCS-owned facilities. We are not forcing Dowling to abandon their Catholic pedagogy; rather, we are asking Dowling to abide by our rules when using our facilities. National embassies work the exact same way: people in Japanese embassies must follow Japanese laws, people in American embassies must follow American laws, etc. In response to the latter, this is not - I repeat NOT - petty mudslinging between rivals or a means to antagonize Dowling’s students. Valley and Dowling students should work together to break down baseless bigotry and cultivate a learning environment based on respect and egalitarianism. The maintenance of human rights for ALL students is necessary to achieve this harmony.

In school, I was taught to respect all opinions regardless of whether or not I agree with them. However, I believe that we should modify that pedagogy. Opinions that dehumanize people on the basis of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, socioeconomic status, etc. do not deserve my respect nor yours.

The school board’s purpose is to serve the people of the West Des Moines Community School District. Allowing individuals or organizations to persecute others would destroy not only the school board’s dignity, but the community’s dignity as well. 150 years ago, the Civil War ended. 50 years ago, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law. Today, let’s amend the non-discrimination policy to include district facilities, marking another milestone in human rights history.

Photo Credit: Kelsey Kremer/ Des Moines Register

Eleven

Behind the scenes

O

By Cooper Warner, Julie Sisler

All that goes on behind the stage is necessary in creating spectacular productions like the spring musical, the Wizard of Oz. Stage managers, set, lights, sound, and costume are some of the tireless crews that allow productions to shine.

“The biggest challenge is the hours and hours of work we put in to make the show a success,” sophomore stage manager Josh Rodriquez said. The time commitment pays off in dividends though, including lasting friendships, and getting to know all the cast and crew members.

The tech crews’ bonds begin early. They come together to start building sets, painting, and gathering props before roles are even cast. “I’m on the tech crew because I love getting to see how your work changes and how all the hard work pays off in the end.”

The hard work is organized by Amanda Pichler, Performing Arts Center Manager and spring show assistant technical director and lighting designer.

Her job includes coordinating performances in the new PAC and managing tech students. “The Wizard of Oz was in the works for three years,” Pichler said. The Valley alumni enjoyed spending the first play in the PAC working with students and teaching them about tech theatre.

The tech crews are meant to make the actors look good and the show go smoothly. Sophomore Tommy Anderson cautions the actors though, “Even if you’ve made a really good point, please don’t drop the mic. It’s quite damaging, and they’re not super cheap!”

Photo credit: Abi Roach

Z Dorothy’s house was built by a group of set crew students. It adorned the stage during the Kansas scenes and the crushing of the Wicked Witch of the East at the very start of the show.

Seniors Sam Anderson, Josiah Hintz, Jared Paine, Joseph Beal, and Nick Behrends make things a little more interesting at Wizard of Oz orchestra rehearsal on by having a pajama night. “Our rehearsals are in the evenings and we are with all of our friends, so we don’t really care about our appearance, so we planned to have a pajama rehearsal and almost everyone participated,” Beal said. The orchestra has practiced twice a week every week, but starting on April 19th rehearsals were everyday until the show.

Junior Grant Hillenbrand pieces together an apple tree for the spring play.

Twelve

1

Photo credit: Abi Roach

2

Tech Crews 1 3

2

The Wizard of Oz pit orchestra is ready for the curtain to go up. The actors, musicians, and crew have been rehearsing four or more hours a day to prepare for opening night. “For those of us who haven’t been involved in a Valley play before, it’s a little overwhelming,” senior Sofia Jordan said, “but we are all super excited and ready to be part of the first play in the new PAC.”

Juniors Jennifer Bryant and Reid Epstein work together to paint one of the sets for the May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd performances. Sets are built and painted in the tech shop with the supervision of Amanda Pichler, assistant technical director, and lighting director for the Wizard of Oz, and manager of the Performing Arts Center.

3

Junior Connor McCarville searches for costume pieces at Wizard of Oz rehearsal. Costume crew organizes all the costumes so the actors don’t lose pieces. McCarville said, “I can’t sing very well so I joined costume crew so I could still be part of the play.”

4

Sophomore Ben Burright helps build the set for the spring musical in the tech shop. Burright is also the light board operator for the production.

4 Thirteen

OZ

1

By Cooper Warner|Photos by Marisa Potts

2

3

1 Cowardly Lion (Chase Stein), Dorothy(Jessica Martens), Emerald City Guard (Keaton Denker), Tin Man (Jared Freiburg), Scarecrow (Nick Wang), and Toto (Derek Pham) rouse the troops to go kill the wicked witch and bring her broom to Oz (Ryan Voggessor, not pictured).

Fourteen

2 Dorothy (Jessica Martens) begs Uncle Henry (Grady Stein) to help her keep Toto in the opening scene in Kansas. The Wizard of Oz opened May 1st. This was the first play presented in the new Performing Arts Center.

3 Dorothy (Jessica Martens) clings tightly to Toto during the twister in Kansas. Parts of the play a real dog was used and other parts Toto was played by student Derek Pham.

Rumor has it that Mister the dog didn’t get along well with Dorothy off stage.

On Stage 6

4 5 5

4 The Jitterbug Dancers shimmied away from the wicked witch when she tried to grab Dorothy’s ruby slippers. Dance scenes were an opportunity for a multitude of students to get on stage even if they weren’t a lead actor. There was over 100 students cast for the spring production and 90 involved with different tech crews.

5 Dorothy (Jessica Martens) sings somewhere over the rainbow.

Martens is going to study musical theater in the fall. She has been involved in all of Valley’s productions since her freshman year.

6 The Wicked Witch (Elise Ramaekers) plots to steal Dorothy’s ruby slippers. After the twister hits Dorothy’s town, the Kansas residents turn into Ozians.

Fifteen

Dissecting dual-enrollment

By Elizabeth Ash

Mounting college costs have driven more high school students to dual-enrollment classes. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, college tuition (including room and board) at the average public school increased 40 percent between 2002 and 2012.

Dual-enrollment classes allow students to pass out of entry level college courses and get credits out of the way for free. “No matter what your major is, there are requirements you need to graduate. Being able to start college with some credits puts you ahead of pace and gives you flexibility,” Valley counselor Mr. Eric Traynor said.

Navigating the variety of college credits can be difficult. The distinction between Advanced Placement (AP) and DMACC credit can be especially blurry, because most AP classes at Valley are also dual-enrollment.

DMACC credit works like typical college credit—if you pass, you get credit. “A [disadvantage] with DMACC credit is that you get credit no matter what your grade is,” Mr. Traynor said. “This grade becomes a permanent college grade at some schools, and building your college GPA is a factor to be aware of.”

Through DMACC, students can even earn associate’s degrees before graduating from high school. “I’m planning to get my associate’s degree because then I can start out as a junior in college. I want to go into the

$29,370 Average Iowan’s college debt

70%

of 2013 college graduates left college with debt

40 million Americans have student loans

1,348

Valley students took dual-enrollment courses this year

medical field, so an associate’s degree will help me save some money and time,” junior Chad Wang said.

On the other hand, AP credit hinges on one’s performance on the AP exam in May. While a 3 (out of 5) is considered passing, many colleges require a 4 or 5 for credit. The required score also varies by class within a college.

Occasionally, an AP credit can earn more than one class of college credit. For example, according to the College Board, scoring a 5 on the AP Spanish Language and Culture test can earn future Iowa State students 16 credit hours.

One advantage of AP credit is that it is almost universally accepted, Mr. Traynor said. DMACC credit will transfer to state schools, but schools farther away (especially selective ones) may not accept DMACC credits.

“I have no idea if my credits are going to transfer. I’m hoping they will, and I think they will, but I don’t know. A lot of people were really mad to find out that some of their credits didn’t transfer. Why would you take this extra hard class that’s supposedly collegiate level, and then not get any credit for it? It’s frustrating and unfair,” senior Riley Leaders said. Leaders will attend University of Iowa next year.

Some credits do not transfer because of one’s major. “If you take AP Bio and want to do pre-medicine, they’re not going to let you off with no more biology,” Traynor said.

Despite the complications of credit transfer, dual-enrollment classes can still save students thousands of dollars and give them greater flexibility in college.

Sources: College Board, US News and World Report, CNN and university websites

THE COST OF COLLEGE University of Iowa

Total estimated cost*

$8,104

$19,072

$270.13

Iowa State

$3,865

$8,246

$128.83

Out-ofstate public

$11,990

-

$399.67

Private

$27,293

-

$909.76

Harvard

$45,278

$60,659

$1,509.27

All cost calculations are based on a 30 credit hours/year assumption. *Includes tuition, housing, meals, books and supplies

Sixteen

Cost per credithour

Tuition

The hidden costs of college

By Logan Jones

Average University of Iowa graduate debt

$18,943 per year is the average price of tuition, room and board for an in-state undergrad at a four year university. For those out of state, the average price is $32,762, according to USA Today. These prices are usually not a shock for most high school seniors and their families.

College is not cheap, and the price of tuition continues to rise. Colleges are, by federal law, required to let students know the full cost of attending their college. But even though that may give college students a rough estimate of how much they can look forward to paying, it is not exact.

A big question among soon-to-be college students is if they are “going to rush.”

Joining a sorority or fraternity is appealing because it gives students an opportunity to be part of a large organization and create friendships when they enter college. What may not be so appealing and usually overshadowed is the price of participating in a sorority or fraternity.

It is difficult to compare direct costs between colleges and the price of living in sororities or fraternities may not be much different than non greek housing, but there are extra fees on top of them that may add up to make greek life a hidden expense.

Many members can expect to pay new member fees. At some colleges these fees can range from $600 to $900. Then in following semesters, members may have to pay around $200 to $300 per semester, according to Investopedia.com.

Sororities and fraternities offer an opportunity for leadership development, service, personal development, volunteer opportunities and lifelong social networks. “My sister is in a sorority and she loves it. Even though it is a lot of commitment I know I want to be in one,” senior Lexie Jensen said. Commitment to sororities and fraternities is important, so considering how much effort a student is willing to put in is key to avoiding extra costs.

$28,131

61 percent of students graduate with debt Average UNI graduate debt

$23,151

75 percent of students graduate with debt

Average Iowa State graduate debt $29,898

62 percemt of students graduate with debt

Another hidden cost of college is the big game ticket prices. Students can get discounts for their school’s sporting events, but that does not mean their tickets will be cheap.

Going to football and basketball games is a great way to socialize and meet new people, but students need to consider how many games they will actually attend. If someone is a die-hard fan and knows they are going to go to every game, then getting season tickets is a smart choice.

Season tickets for football for students going to a Big 10 school can range anywhere from $60 to $250 according to Businessofcollegesports.com. Other college conferences may have varying prices depending on the reputation of the schools program and the demand for tickets.

Besides sports, students should also focus on classes, and with those classes comes textbooks. “The average college student will spend $655 on textbooks each year, but with a single textbook easily costing as much as $300, that total can easily be much higher. In fact, the College Board puts the annual cost of books and materials at $1,168,” according to the National Association of College Stores.

Buying the textbooks is not avoidable, but being smart about where students buy them and which ones they buy can help keep textbooks from being a hidden cost.

There are several other ways to help keep the cost of textbooks down.

There are many online stores such as Amazon that may have the books cheaper than the campus bookstore. If the textbook is available as an ebook, purchasing that instead may be a cheapper option. Also, buying older versions of a similar book may be available at a less expensive price. Being smart about where and which textbooks students buy is important for saving money.

As college approaches and the reality of paying for it hits, every dollar counts.

College offers many great opportunities, but it does not come without a cost .

Figuring out what is worth spending money on is the key to avoid hidden costs.

Seventeen

Top five midwest college towns

By Camryn Dreyer, Julie Sisler

01

University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, offers real entertainment with a mix of cuisine, bars, museums and parks. During football season the high spirit of the students at the University of Michigan give the city a real college town feel. Google’s AdWords offices are located here, as well as a large branch of Toyota, offering students employment opportunities.

02

Indiana University at Bloomington, ranked as the 15th most college campus in the United States, has a campus perfect for the picturesque college experience. With a blend of historic grounds known for their tranquility and beauty at Old Crescent and the lively, modern area of Showalter Fountain Plaza, Bloomington has something for everyone.

School supported events such as rallies, athletic events, and programs for the arts are held on a weekly basis, creating an atmosphere that makes it easy for students to get involved.

Photo credit: Michicantourism

Missouri University in Columbia, Missouri is hailed as having “the quintessential college town” by U.S. News & World Report. Located a two hour drive from St. Louis or Kansas City, Columbia still holds the small town feel. Between that and the high school spirit, Columbia produces a strong sense of community for students. Mizzou is home to more than 700 student organizations of all kinds, as well as state-ofthe-art buildings such as the students’ recreation center, and beautiful scenery.

Source: The Fiscal Times

Source: www.ihqs.org

04 University of Wisconsin at Madison keeps life interesting for students, offering a variety of events year round. Set between two beautiful lakes full of aquatic activities and with a gorgeous, lively downtown atmosphere, Madison is a town perfect for those who love the outdoors and community events. The school and area is full of rich history and culture, adding greatly to the school atmosphere.

psych.wisc.edu

Eighteen

03

05 Iowa State University at Ames, Iowa features an abundance of attractions such as museums, art displays, sporting events, and even a virtual reality applications center. Ames is a city with hundreds of acres of parks, 35 miles of bike trails, and festivals and celebrations on a weekly basis. In 2014, Livability.com ranked Ames as the best college town in America.

admissions.iastate.edu

“We push threatening information away; we pull friendly information close. We apply fight-or-flight reflexes not only to predators, but to data itself” said political scientist Arthur Lupia of the University of Michigan (The Science of Why We Don’t Believe Science).

Fact or fiction?

By Marisa Potts

Why people dont always believe what they hear “We push threatening information away; we pull friendly information close. We apply fight-or-flight reflexes not only to predators, but to data itself.”

-Political scientist

Arthur Lupia of the University of Michigan

37

percent of the public thinks Genetically modified food is okay, 88 percent of scientists say GMO “generally safe” to eat.

65

percent of the public think vaccinations should be required in childhood compared to 86 percent of scientists.

65

percent of the public thinks that humans evolved over time while 95 percent of scientists do.

68

percent of the public says climate change is a

problem, 95 percent of scientists agree.

Source: Pew research Center

National Geographic, March issue included an article about the “war on science.” I immediately delved into the story, cringing at the fact that people challenged issuess like vaccinating children and adding fluoride into drinking water-- facts that have been proven through time and studies-- are dismissed simply because people don’t put their faith in science.

Some people choose to put their faith elsewhere-- like in their religion or their own intuition. Humans choose what to believe, “We push threatening information away; we pull friendly information close. We apply fight-or-flight reflexes not only to predators, but to data itself” political scientist Arthur Lupia of the University of Michigan said in “The Science of Why We Don’t Believe Science.”

Of course humans aren’t solely emotion driven beings, we use reason as well. However, reasoning works slower while emotion can create a thinking bias. Consider a person whose beliefs have been challenged; they subconsciously have a negative response to the new information. In “The Science of Why We Don’t Believe Science”, political scientist Charles Taber of Stony Brook University said “They [humans] retrieve thoughts that are consistent with their previous beliefs and that will lead them to build an argument and challenge what they’re hearing.”

According to “Americans Believe in Science, Just Not Its Findings”, in a new report by the Pew Research Center, at least 71 percent of people think science is useful and pays off . 94 percent of scientists say climate change is a “very serious” or “somewhat serious” problem; 65 percent of the public agrees.

According to “Here’s Why People Don’t Believe In Climate Change”, a report done by the Public Religion Research Institution concluded that the most common answer for not believing in climate change was that people had not noticed a change in the weather around them or that the weather was actually getting colder where they lived. Second -- temperatures are not rising because of human actions, instead they are just fluctuating as part of a larger natural cycle.

According to “Why Cold Weather Doesn’t Mean Climate Change” people use a few cold days to reject the climate change. In actuality, when averaged out, the climate still continues to be warming. However, there is plenty of compelling evidence showing that humans do in fact contribute to climate change.

Much like climate change, evolution has been fought by the public for years.

Since the Scopes trial in 1925, the idea of evolution in and out of the classroom has created controversy. Why? Well, according to “Why Do Many Reasonable People Doubt Science” when science conflicts with a person’s core beliefs, it usually loses.

In the Pew Research Study, 98 percent of scientists said they believe humans evolved over time, compared to a shocking 65 percent of the public. The level of education and religion also impact how people view evolution. Scientist can get a very accurate age of a fossil through carbon dating, yet people still ponder how we could come from primal monkeys, which we didn’t, humans and monkeys have a common ancestor that both descended from. Yet from this resistance to evolution, there is a deep disdain for scientific understanding and how the natural world works.

Nineteen

Senior Profiles

Rishi Alyson Shah O’Hara

Lexi Faust

Kayla Phalen

Photo Credit: David McGinnis

Photo Credit: Jon Hahn

By Claudia Athens

Photo Credit: Joelle Blanchard

By Claudia Athens

After graduation, senior Alyson O’Hara will be taking a gap year to explore a career in dance with Ballet Des Moines. O’Hara has spent several years with the company and has decided to take the next step.

“Being a part of Ballet Des Moines’ professional company for the last few years has opened my eyes to the world of dance. I’m excited to continue on with what I’ve learned there and to have new experiences with different teachers as well as other dancers,” O’Hara said.

O’Hara has yet to decide what she wants to do with dance career-wise.

“I hope to continue dancing for as long as possible. I haven’t decided yet if I want dance to be my whole life or just a small part of it, but that’s something I hope to figure out in my time off from school. There are a lot of options for a career in dance,” O’Hara said.

Ballet Des Moines puts on three shows a season, so O’Hara is often busy either rehearsing or performing. In spite of that, O’Hara has still managed to involve herself in some extracurriculars within Valley such as IHSSA and the Tigerlillies.

O’Hara will especially miss all the events put on by fine arts program at Valley. “I will miss all the incredible performances put on by Valley Drama and Choir!” O’Hara said. “I’m often in the audience and sometimes on the stage, but either way, I love how Valley showcases all the talent we have at this school. Plus, a lot of those people are my good friends and it’s fun to see them do their thing.”

Twenty

Next year, senior Rishi Shah will attend Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. with a major in economics. Shah hopes to eventually have a career related to international economics looking into the global market, possibly with an organization like the International Monetary Fund.

Shah has spent the last four years participating in policy debate, mock trial, Model UN, and piano. However, Shah says that one of his favorite moments at Valley was in his advanced economics class with Mr. Eric Chappell playing a test review game called “basenomics.”

“It is a super modified version of baseball that we played in a classroom, which was really fun because there were things like baserunning and fielding but the entire field was super small, like half the classroom, so lots of goofy stuff happened,” Shah said.

Chappell has had a lasting impact as Shah’s advanced economics teacher. His class helped Shah solidify his decision to study economics in college. Shah cites Chappell’s passion for the subject and a great sense of humor as some of the reasons that he’s one of his favorite teachers.

Shah is excited about the opportunity to move nearly a thousand miles away from Iowa and make the transition into the “real world.” “I’m really excited to get out of Iowa and see what the world looks like after high school,” Shah said.

On the other hand, Shah is less excited about having to leave his friends behind. “I’m going to miss the friends I made at Valley. I won’t be going to the same college as them, and not being able to hang out with the friends I’ve spent the last six years of my life with is going to suck,” Shah said.

By Claudia Athens

By Sarah Thompson

Photo Credit: Jamie Ehlert

Grinnell College, sitting an hour east of Des Moines, will be senior Lexi Faust’s new home next semester. The school, known for its rigorous academics and tradition of social activism, is ranked at seventeenth among all liberal arts colleges.

“I plan to study biology and political science. I am not sure if I will double major. I’m planning on taking all the medical prerequisites, but at the moment I am leaning toward political science as my major,” Faust said.

Whether it’s mattress sliding or making a two a.m. bakery run, Faust is sure to have fun. “My uncle went to Grinnell and he really enjoyed his time there. What I loved about Grinnell is that it’s closer to home and the campus is beautiful,” Faust said about her decision making process.

When asked what Faust was most nervous about, she replied, “The closet space. I’m very into fashion and I don’t know I’ll deal with the tiny closets just yet.”

Throughout her career at Valley, Faust has been very involved academically. “I’ve loaded up on AP courses since I’ve been here and have done Silver Cord. I’ve done 10 AP’s total. Other than that I don’t do school affiliated activities because I have a lot of family obligations,” Faust said.

Despite her current focus on biology and political science, Faust has an open mind about her future. “I’m not sure what I want to do as a job yet.

Something that will hopefully give me the stability to travel. Being an orthodontist is a backup, but if I find something new I love at college, I’m open to almost anything.”

Senior Kayla Phalen will spend the next four years at one of the world’s most prestigious schools, Harvard University. At Harvard, Phalen is planning on majoring in human biology with a minor in either chemistry or Spanish while going pre-med.

“I plan to go to medical school, but I am not sure where yet. I may stay in Boston, but I really want to move to California after I finish my undergrad,” Phalen said. “As of now I want to go into orthopedics. After having many broken bones and sprains, it got me interested in becoming a doctor.

I originally planned to go into neurosurgery, but I think I can relate better to orthopedics.”

Throughout her time at Valley, Phalen has been highly involved in extracurriculars. She has been involved in varsity competition cheerleading, chamber orchestra, Silver Cord, World Cultures Club, and NYCL, all while working as a gymnastics coach at Chow’s and as a lifeguard at Valley View. However, Phalen says one of her best experiences she had at Valley was the ELP program.

“I loved the sense of community I felt with the people in it and benefitted from the support network it provided me. I think it prepared me a lot for life after Valley, because most of the assignments are meant to prepare you for college applications, such as a college resume and Common App college essays,” Phalen said.

Although Boston is over a thousand miles away, Phalen sees this as a bittersweet opportunity. “I am very excited to be leaving Iowa, even though I think I’m going to miss it a little bit,” Phalen said. “I think that I will be able to meet a lot of new people and a lot of unique opportunities will be presented to me.”

Nick Fox

May 18, 2015

Jack Riley

Elsa Klein

Liz Cleven

Photo Credit: Nick Fox

By Sarah Thompson

Most students go to college to study. Others go for athletics. A select few go to college for athletics, academics, and training for the armed forces. Senior Nick Fox is going to the Merchant Marine Academy to swim and pursue a career in engineering.

Fox has been on the swim team since his freshman year and was a captain of the team his senior year.

“My favorite memory about swim team are a collection of memories.

Breakfast with the team were always a great start to the morning,” Fox said.

With his love of swimming, he is able to combine it with college. “I am majoring in marine engine systems at Merchant Marine. I don’t know what my end goal is yet, but I just know that the military is the direction I want to go in. The academy prepares future leaders for both the military and Merchant Marine industry.”

The academy is one of five U.S. service academies and is located in Great Neck, N.Y. “I’m going into the military because I feel like I have an obligation to serve my country and protect the freedoms that I was given that so many cannot dream of,” Fox said.

Although the academy is over a thousand miles away, Fox is very comfortable with the idea. “I’m most excited to move far away from home and meet new people, They will prepare me for my future by putting me in a regimental lifestyle while balancing my academic, athletic, and social lives. The pressure upon the students turns regular civilians into highly trained soldiers,” Fox said.

Swim, study, and train will be what the next four years of Fox’s life will look like. “I’m excited and nervous at the same time and I know it will be a lot of hard work, but I know it will pay off in the end,” Fox said.

By Claudia Athens

Photo Credit: Laura Erickson

Although Elsa Klein is just a senior in high school, she has already built up an impressive theatrical resume.

Next year, Klein will be continuing her education in theatre at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, with a major in English and dramatic literature. “My dream is to be involved with theatre, as a director or playwright. But, who the hell knows?”

Klein said.

Klein has been extensively involved in theatre since the sixth grade when she was in her first show at the Playhouse. Since then, she has also been involved with Des Moines Onstage, DM Young Artists’ Theatre, and Repertory Theatre of Iowa.

Klein is a founding member of Adolescent Anarchy (AA), a theatre company established and run by teenagers. “Last year, I wrote a three act play with was produced by the company as well and directing the musical ‘Title of Show’. This year I am the dramaturg of our musical ‘Big Fish’” Klein said.

One reason Klein chose the University of St. Andrews was because of its vibrant theatre scene. “The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the largest theatre festival in the world. They perform everything--schemes pears inside a McDonalds, musicals literally inside public restrooms,” Klein said. “It’s like the whole town just becomes a theatre playing space. It’s my dream to write and produce shows to apply into the fest every year.”

Klein’s passion for theatre stems from its ability to evolve. “The best play is one that the director didn’t force, it becomes what it is because of what the people--the directors, actors, designers, even audiences--make it.

It’s one of the reasons that AA is so successful and so fulfilling--we trust that evolution, and we give ourselves the power to follow it,” Klein said.

Photo Credit: Shelly Randle

By Connor Ferguson

Senior Jack Riley is not your average teenager. While balancing his work as a sales associate at Best Buy and school, Jack is preparing to go into the army as an E-1 Private.

An E-1 does most of the basic orders of the army, and is the rank they give new recruits when first entering.

Upon being promoted to his next rank, an E-2 Private, Riley will earn his first insignia, a yellow and green curved arrow pointing up. It is similar to a patch on the side of a baseball jersey.

“The E-1 Private is a rank they give to all recruits,” Riley said.

“However, it would be cool if I could make it all the way to Command Sergeant Major.”

First, Riley will start off by getting ready for basic training. He will have to pass his physical exam shortly before leaving for basic training on July 7. Riley will be going to Fort Benning, Ga. for his training.

“For my physical testing prior to basic training, I have to be able to do 17 consecutive sit-ups and 13 consecutive push-ups in a minute,” Riley said. “I also have to be able to run a mile in less than eight minutes and thirty seconds.”

Riley hadn’t always looked at the army. His grandparents actually wanted him to join the Marines, but said he did not want to be in a boat for that long of a time.

Riley decided on the army and looked into what position he wanted to fill.

“I started learning about the army and at first I was going to be an MP, a military policeman, but that position would be hard to get into,” Riley said.

“I researched other jobs and determined to be in the Airborne Infantry.”

By Claudia Athens

Photo Credit: Marisa Potts

Next year, senior Liz Cleven will be attending Columbia College Chicago, a school renowned for its top ranked fine arts programs. She will be majoring in acting with a primary focus in comedy writing and performance.

In the future, Cleven hopes to continue acting as a career. “I am very open to anything. I hope to be doing multiple things involving acting.

Working in front and behind the camera, writing, directing, and improv. I love it all!” Cleven said.

Cleven is excited to have the opportunity to leave Iowa and live in Chicago. “I’m definitely most excited about getting used to a whole different lifestyle than I live right now,” Cleven said. “Living in the city will be amazing and so different than my cornfield and tractor.”

Cleven has been involved in many fine arts activities including the school plays, IHSSA, jazz choir, show choir, and Baker’s Dozen Mime Troupe. She has also been involved with Silver Cord and synchronized swimming.

Cleven will leave Valley with many fond memories. “The thing I will miss most about Valley is definitely running the mile in P.E. It will be so sad knowing I will never be running around a track ever again,” Cleven said.

“But seriously, real talk, I will miss knowing everyone around me. Moving to Chicago will be huge, and I will know like three people instead of the many I have known since kindergarten!” Cleven said.

Twenty-one

Call of Duty: Black Ops III

The best just got better

By Cole Schulte and technology are closer than ever, with technological implants and weaponized limbs, war is fought on a whole new level. Little is known about the story so far but it seems to wrap up some loose ends that have been hanging from the other games.

What people also loved about the black ops games was the fun and fast zombies mode. Advanced Warfare tried to reinvent zombies with adding technologically advanced zombies, but it was not received well. Zombie die-hards are ready for something new and better than Advanced Warfare.

Multiplayer will only get better with new weapons, mechanics, and gadgets to rain havoc on the opposing team. Search and destroy, arguably the best game mode in the black ops games,will most likely see a return to the game. The competitive and fast warfare COD games have to offer will have people running to stores to pick up a copy this summer when the game comes out.

Call of Duty is known worldwide for its massive success and blockbuster sales throughout the years. The recent installments have done little to impress me, seeming like just mediocre games getting the Activision seal of approval. But, before the past few games there was a time of real simulated warfare, where people fought on the virtual battlefield together. This was the age of the Black Ops games.

Call of Duty Black ops was the 2010 installment in the COD series.

Players recalled the cold war and help the CIA. Two years later, Call of Duty Black Ops II was released, tying the story of the first game to a futuristic cold war the U.S. was struggling to win. Call of Duty fans were on cloud nine with these two beasts of games, but then the series produced some less than great games and people were stuck wondering what to play. So, popular developer Infinity Ward answered by announcing Call of Duty: Black Ops 3.

Set in 2065, Black Ops 3 takes players in a new direction. Humans

Players will now have specific soldier classes to choose from to add diversity to the battlefield. This allows for players to play to their strengths, by picking a class that focuses on a set job, such as support or stealth. This new addition plus the wide variety of weapons will make multiplayer truly customizable.

Twenty Two

“It would be a dream to represent Iowa State as a D1 baseball player.”

- ISU Club team catcher, Matt Odland

Title

IX

“As for the rule itself, the flaw with proportionality is that it assumes each male and each female have equal interest in participation.”

- UNI Athletic Director Troy Dannen

“I think changing the rule to equalize the number of sports would be effective in not forcing schools to have small sports that don’t make a ton of money.”

- Valley Senior, Nick Kenkel

An athlete’s opinion on reverse discrimination

By Connor Ferguson

Title IX was originally created with good intentions, however today it is hurting athletes in smaller sports.

Title IX, which was passed in 1972, is a law that requires gender equity for men and women in every educational program that receives federal funding. It is an active law. Since its implementation 43 years ago, its ideas have been applied to over 20 proposed amendments and Supreme Court cases.

The law requires that males and females receive the same amount of scholarships.

One might think that this keeps it fair and equal, however the Title IX rule is actually doing what it was set to prevent: discriminating against a gender. That gender being males rather than females.

The rule prevents some colleges from funding Division 1 sports that other schools might be able to fund.

Iowa State University, for example, had a Division 1 Baseball Program until 2001. The university had to get rid of it because they could not

Six

fund more female sports to include the demands of Title IX. ISU now is the home of a club team sanctioned under the National Club Baseball Association.

One Cyclone baseball player, Matt Odland is very passionate about reinstating the D1 program at Iowa State and says he would play on the team in a heartbeat.

“It would honesty make my world.

I have been a huge Iowa State fan from day one and it would give all Iowa kids something to work for as an athlete,” ISU sophomore Odland said. “It would be a dream to represent Iowa State as a D1 baseball player.”

The Big 12 features nine schools that have baseball as a D1 sport, Iowa State being the only one left out.

But, why do these other schools get past the rule while some schools do not?

Because these schools have sports such as Equestrian (Baylor) and Rowing (Texas) they can balance out the number of females in their athletic

program. Let’s be honest here, either of those schools would be lucky to see 500 people attend those meets.

Rather than imposing a rule on the number of athletes, lawmakers should instead place the rule on number of sports.

When schools fund football programs with 80 or more male athletes, it takes three to four female sports to accompany it in terms of the Title IX rule. That’s one sport that plays six to seven home games a season versus three sports that could combine for 30 home games.

Changing the rule would ensure that schools would lose less money funding small sports. It would allow schools to open up more sports, and thus opening up more opportunities for athletes to go to college under scholarship.

“I think changing the rule to equalize the number of sports would be effective in not forcing schools to have small sports that don’t make a ton of money,” senior Nick Kenkel said.

It would also eliminate the prob-

lem of the number of athletes in one sport outweighing the number of them in another.

Another flaw in Title IX is that it does not influence the number of students in each gender that are interested in participating in college sports.

“As for the rule itself, the flaw with proportionality is that it assumes each male and each female have equal interest in participation,” Northern Iowa Athletic Director Troy Dannen said. “On our campus, with 58 percent females, the truest measure of interest would be intramural participation. That is voluntary and is a good example of interest in athletic participation. Only 33 percent of the students who play intramurals are female.”

The law does some good, but provisions need to be made to allow more variety for males.

“I do support the legislation,” Dannen said. “I question some of the interpretations, but the legislation has been a valuable piece of our culture that last four decades.”

Twenty Three

Sports

A look into spring and summer sports The 2015 softball team poses for their varsity picture.

“I like laying people out and winning championships, like we’re going to this year.

But what I really like about lacrosse is it that’s a team sport and a team has to come together.”

-Noah Hughes-Reilly, sophomore

Colin Lane, junior, gets ready to catch throws from teammate Hunter Fellows, junior, during baseball practice.

“I feel great about our season, but no one else in Iowa will... I really like what we got this year.”

-Head coach Ryan Cooley

“We feel great coming into the year,” said Fellows.

College student-athletes destinations Where seniors will be playing sports next year Seth Brady

Dominique Dafney Andrew Denkinger Zachary Downs Alexis Ebensberger Nick Fox Anna Gernant Andrew Gray Austin Hronich Mackenzie Jones Brady LeSher Moriah Moore Sam Morton Cole Mullins Cory Mullins Jacob Rojohn Megan Rushing Emma Sink

Brady Smith Emily Smith Daniel Soto Grace VanderWeide Eric Watters Bailey Zoss

Twenty Four

Swimming Football Baseball Football Soccer Swimming Softball Football Football Softball Baseball Swimming Football Cross Country Golf Baseball Softball Softball Football Basketball Cross Country Basketball Baseball Volleyball

Western Illinois University Iowa Western Community College St. Louis University Grandview University Graceland University US Merchant Marine Academy Calvin College Grandview University Simpson College DMACC Grinnell College Missouri State University University of Dubuque University of Iowa Upper Iowa University Central College DMACC Luther College Iowa Western Community College University of St. Thomas (MN) University of Iowa Missouri State University University of Nebraska-Omaha Indiana Hills Community College

Serious injuries in America’s favorite sport

by Maddie Scott

Americans love the game of football, but some may not realize the toll it takes on the athlete’s bodies. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, the injury rate for football players in the NCAA is 8.1 injuries per 1,000 athlete exposures.

Austin Deeming, a sophomore, broke his fibula and tore a ligament in his knee while playing in a game. “I was tackled and my ankle rolled so I fell over and three other players fell on top of me. Due to the weight of them, my knee just gave out.” Deeming had to go through two surgeries to repair the damage done to his knee and has completed five months of physical therapy with more to come.

Recently on ESPN, Dr. Tarek O. Souryal explained, “There are between 250,000 and 300,000 ACL injuries per year and they’re almost exclusively happening to athletes.”

Along with knee injuries, football players have an estimated 75 percent chance to get a concussion at some point in their football career, according to the Sports Concussion Institute.

Casey Roth, senior, started playing football at age five and continued to play for twelve years until his junior year of high school. By that time, Roth had received six concussions.

The Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine says that “there is no magic number” of concussions an athlete can have before they should retire, but after six concussions, Roth’s doctor advised he hang up his jersey. After his concussions, Roth had to go through cognitive therapy and still today he says he has a slower reaction time, will sometimes stutter, and gets headaches frequently.

“I can’t really remember it [the concussions] happening, just bits and pieces of the aftermath,” Roth said.

Deeming and Roth agree that they do not regret playing football despite their injuries that still affect them today. They all say they would allow their sons to play if they wanted to, even knowing what it did to their bodies.

Dealing with injuries

by Kalyn Thorne

Every athlete’s biggest fear is an injury, especially a major, career-ending one. Some athletes go most of their career without an getting hurt and then, during an important season, have injuries all year long.

For cross country and track runner Cole Mullins, this has been his problem in his senior season. Mullins is considering running next year in college, but his injuries make that dream difficult.

“I have had Achilles tendonitis and peroneal tendonitis this year, which put me out for close to two months for each injury. I had to rest and ice all the time.

I also used the elliptical and bike a lot for less straining workouts. Ice and ibuprofen were my best friends,” Mullins said.

Valley math teacher Jana Edwards 70% of AC L injuries occur in a gili

15 in

such as fo

er, and ba sk

etball

in

student athletes will report a concussion during the season

Risk: 1 in 9800 exposures

41% all of ACL injuries

are sustained in football

6

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e us

i

n

si

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h es

ts

s

in pl

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le

2015 Drake Relays Results Event

Place

Boys 3200 meter run 3rd place Boys 3200 meter run 4th place Boys 3200 meter run 9th place Boys shotput 10th place Boys 110 meter hurdles prelim 10th place Boys 1600m sprint medley 13th place

Girls 800m sprint medley 20th place

Girls 4x200 meter relay 14th place

Boys 4x100 meter relay prelim 10th place

Girls 4x100 meter relay prelim 17th place

Boys 1600 meter run 5th place Boys 1600 meter run 16th place Boys 1600 meter run 17th place Boys 4x800 meter relay 3rd place

Boys 4x110 eter shutle hurdle 5th place

Girls 4x800 meter relay 6th place

Name

Time

Daniel Soto (SR)

Greg Rinn (JR) Trevor Kirk (SO) Cody Genzen (SR) Jack Wilson (JR) Sam Weidemeier (SR) Grant Peterson (SO) Trevor Bell (SR) Cole Mullins (SR) Brooke Granzow (SO) Bri Andrew (JR) Hannah Olson (FR) Katie Iles (SR) Brooke Granzow (SO) Hannah Olson (FR) Myranda Johnson (JR) Katie Iles (SR) Joe Hayes (JR) Colin Skellenger (SR) Sam Wiedemeier (SR) Trevor Bell (SR) Brooke Granzow (SO) Bri Andrew (JR) Mrinalini Manektala (SR) Myranda Johnson (JR) Greg Rinn (JR) Daniel Soto (SR) Trevor Kirk (SO) Collin Coffey (SR) Daniel Soto (SR) Greg Rinn (JR) Cole Mullins (SR) Jack Wilson (JR) Jack Hamborg (SO) Blake Porter (SR) Colin Skellenger (SR) Emily Seibel (SR) Danielle Rinn (FR) Katelyn Criner (SR) Lauren Casely (JR)

9:18.64 9:23.52 9:30.69 51’7” 15.16 3:35.87

1:52.55

1:47:78

43.73

50.91

4:22.85 4:30.90 4:32.06 7:57.25

59.43

9:45.41

Des Moines Area Community College

coached girls track at DM North High School for 23 years. She had a lot of girls out due to injury at her time there.

“It was mostly just shin splints, but it was still mentally draining,” Edwards said.

Continuing to participate while injured is important for both Edwards and Mullins. While injured, Mullins would still show up to practice and cheer on his teammates or do alternative workouts.

“My teammates, friends and family were very supportive and were constantly checking on me to see if I needed anything, how I was doing, and how I was healing. I could tell they wanted me back really bad,” Mullins said.

ty sports

otball, socc

May 18, 2015

4-5 million concussions in HS sports annually

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Twenty Five

Tiger Tales

“I will be majoring in business at Iowa State University. These past few years at Valley have given me plenty of memories, but I will forever cherish my time spent with the diving, synchronized swimming and cross country teams. I will miss losing my voice at every Friday night football game. #X #rolltigers”

Seniors

The 2015 yearbook staff contributed content for this final Spotlight, and we would like to recognize our fellow publications staff for their hard work.

“I will be attending Iowa State University this fall. My long term goal is to teach secondary math in the Des Moines area. My favorite memories have been in yearbook and on the field.

Soccer and cross country have allowed me to make many friends. I am also going to miss the soccer and football games every week.”

Sammi Benson

“I will be attending Iowa State University in the fall. I hope to finish my undergrad there and possibly move on and continue education to obtain a law degree. My favorite memory from Valley was meeting lifelong friends though out my four years.”

Emily Bergez

Emily Kacer Co-Editor in Chief

“Next year I plan on attending Iowa State University and majoring in business. My favorite memories at Valley came from yearbook,cross country and bowling meets, soccer games, and Friday night football games. I am going to miss my teammates and all of the friends I made the last four years.”

Allison Kacer

“I will be going to the University of Iowa to study health science and human physiology. My favorite memories were spent with my friends at the stadium cheering on the football players. I also enjoyed playing soccer and volleyball.”

Annie Frederickson

Co-Editor in Chief

Congratulations to the Tiger Tales yearbook team for selling more yearbooks than any other high school in the state of Iowa. Recently the Tiger Tales volume 63 was featured in Ideas That Fly, volume 20, a showcase of the nation’s best ideas in coverage, design and photography in high school yearbooks. This is the fifth time in the past five years that Valley has achieved this honor.

Sophomore and junior Tiger Tales staff, from left to right: sophomores Mara Smith, Madelyn Bodin, Elena Soto, Logan Benson, junior Sharissa Panatanapanich and sophomore Megan Yeates. Junior Savannah Scallon is not pictured.

Twenty Six

Abi Roach

“I will be double majoring in social work and sociology at the University of Northern Iowa. I plan to be on the panther color guard squad and involved in the pep band. My favorite Valley memory would be winning the Iowa Jazz Championships for three consecutive years, I’ve loved being a member of the jazz orchestra and I will really miss the Valley band program.”

“I plan on majoring in graphic design at Iowa State University. My favorite memories from Valley have come from being involved in the Tigerlillies. I have been on the team for four years and I really loved working with the amazing girls. I’m really going to miss the friendships that I have made here.”

Tia Rieckhoff

Megan Renkel

“I plan to major in biochemistry at the University of Iowa. I recently made the Iowa coed cheerleading team and cannot wait for so many exciting experiences. I have loved working on Tiger Tales during my time at Valley and cannot wait to see how it turns out next year.My favorite Valley memory would be winning state with the competition cheerleading team for the eighth time this year; the team has meant so much to me, and they will always be my family.”

“I'm excited to be attending The University of Iowa as a health and human physiology major. I've made so many amazing memories and friends here that I will definitely miss. From cheering in the bleachers to cheering on the sideline, Friday Night Football was hands down the best part of my high school career.”

Ashley Freeman “I will be attending Utah State University and majoring in interior design. I am so grateful for my time as a Valley cheerleader. All of the teams are so supportive of one another and I will miss all of them so much. Some of these girls have become my best friends. I love my coaches, not only as coaches and leaders, but as mentors and friends. It was the experience of a lifetime.”

Moriah Moore

Hannah Slusinski

“I will be attending the University of Missouri where I will continue to swim and major in dietetics. Valley has given me countless memories, with some of my favorite including being on the swim and dive team, bowling team, and synchronized Swimming team. I will miss all of my teammates and friends I have made over the past four years. #TigerBait #R2Plaza”

The 2015 Tiger Tales arrived at Valley on May 15. Go to Student Services if you have not yet picked up your copy.

Twenty Seven

Seniors of Spotlight This year the back cover of the Spotlight is mirrored after Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York and offers a glimpse into the lives of the Valley population. For the final issue, we traditionally highlight the senior staffers instead. Throughout the year we have spent countless hours in the journalism lab. We determine content, write articles, take photos, design pages, and sell advertisements to produce this award winning monthly news magazine. As the seniors of Spotlight say goodbye, we want to thank the entire staff, and especially the tremendous efforts of our adviser Mrs. Hicks, who is retiring this year. Being the editor this year has challenged and humbled me in many ways. The staff has been amazing and I especially thank my editorial board Marisa Potts, Camryn Dreyer, and Katie Galles for going above and beyond every issue. Even as we say goodbye and move on to new challenges, the seniors will never forget our years on staff. As always, all of us from the Spotlight staff thank you for reading. ~Editor-In-Chief Cooper Warner

COOPER WARNER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Drake University

My ultimate goal is to get paid for doing something I love whether that be traveling, writing and photography or napping, watching Netflix, and listening to Beyoncé songs.

MARISA POTTS

CAMRYN DREYER

Arizona State University

University of Denver

My favorite quote is “We often overestimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can do in a lifetime.” Although I am sad to leave the Spotlight I am excited to go Arizona State and major in graphic design and photography and see what I can do in my lifetime.

I’m very excited to move to Colorado! First thing on my to do list is to learn how to ski. The second thing is to accustom myself to communal bathrooms.

KATIE GALLES

LOGAN JONES

MANAGING EDITOR

COPY EDITOR

Butler University I’m so thankful for all the opportunities that the Valley journalism program has given me over the last three years. Although I’m sad to leave the Spotlight staff, I can’t wait to continue my education in Indianapolis next year.

CLAUDIA ATHENS

Iowa State University

Writing for the Spotlight for two years has really helped me decide what I would like to study in college. I’m excited to attend Iowa State University with a major in Aerospace Engineering.

DESIGN EDITOR

University of Iowa

I’m excited to join the nursing program at Iowa and I’d like to give partial credit to Grey’s Anatomy. I’m not sure how well I’ll navigate college when people mistake me for a twelve year old.

They told me I was the Editor of fun but apparently that’s not a real position.

KORAL GLENN

DMACC

The paper has taught me a lot of lessons about how to deal with people and how you can grow close to people. I hope to continue on with both of these things, even without the staff as I venture on toe ven better things in my future.