2012-09-21

westsidestory IOWA CITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL

2901 MELROSE AVE.

IOWA CITY, IA 52246

WSSPAPER.COM

VOLUME 44 ISSUE 1

SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

{pages 17-19}

Armed America an in-depth look at the culture of guns

[6]

NEWS

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DIGGING DEEP

HBO’s “Real Sports” will feature the 2011-12 volleyball team’s state championship and triumph over loss. The WSS takes a backstage look at the making of the documentary.

[10-11]FEATURE

RUNNING DRY

Drought conditions in Iowa are wreaking havoc on crops. Listen to what local farmers have to say, and check out these simple tricks to help you conserve water.

[21] A&E

TO THE POINTE

Miriam Miller ’15 is leaping off to New York City to study with the School of American Ballet.

PHOTO BY FRANK WEIRICH

The Trojan football season is kicking off. Catch the home game tonight against Debuque Senior.

[17-19] IN-DEPTH

CHAMBERED DEBATE

The debate over gun culture in the United States has some citizens up in arms.

[pg. 35]

It is the policy of the Iowa City Community School not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, martial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or socioeconomic programs, activities, or employment practices. If you believe you have (or your child has) been discriminated against or treated unjustly at your school, please contact the Equity Director, Ross Wilburn, at 509 Dubuque Street, 319-688-1000.

EDITORIAL POLICY

The West Side Story reflects the views of the staff and does not represent the school administration, faculty or student body. Guest articles may be accepted to represent an additional point of view or as a part of a collection of reader contributions. The staff will carefully scrutinize all reader submissions.

All ads are subject to approval by the business staff. Those that are libelous, obscene or plainly offensive may be rejected. The West Side Story attempts to publish all letters, which must be signed, to the Editors, but may reject submissions due to space limitations, inaccuracy or poor quality. It is the responsibility of the opinion editor to verify authorship.

Editors can make minor edits for the sake of clarity, length and grammatical correctness

WSS STAFF

EQUITY STATEMENT

Juliann Skarda Editor-in-Chief Shirley Wang Design Editor, Front/back Ed. Ashton Duncan Managing Editor Amelia Moser Copy Editor Frannie Rizzo Business Editor Hannah Merrill News Editor Pombie Silverman A&E Editor Olive Carrollhach In depth Editor, Artist Katie Mons Feature Editor Velarchana Santhana Feature Editor Blake Oetting Profiles Editor, Sports Ed. Abbie Skemp Photographer, Sports Ed. Jordan Rossen Columns Editor Brenna Deerberg Editorial Editor, News Ed. Frank Weirich Photo Editor Leela Sathyaputri Comics Editor, Artist Hannah Muellerleile Photographer, Designer Erin Weathers Photographer, Designer Amiela Canin Writer Megumi Kitamoto Writer Lushia Anson Writer, Designer Kaitlyn McCurdy Writer, Designer Aileen Norris Ad Designer Alyssa Mckeone Designer Tyler Voss Designer Sara Jane Whittaker Adviser Fiona Armstrong-Pavlik Web copy Editor Audrey Hopewell Web copy Editor Zora Hurst Web Editor Paul Curry Video Editor

COVER PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY FRANK WEIRICH AND SHIRLEY WANG

what’s new on: NEWS

WSSPAPER.COM

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FEATURE

PHOTO BY//HANNAH MUELLERLEILE

A

SPORTS

VIDEO

OPINION

C

{DESIGN BY ZORA HURST}

HUMOR

C

PHOTO BY//SHIRLEY WANG

B E

D

PHOTO BY //FRANK WEIRICH

A - The WSS captured the varsity football team’s

first home victory, the first marching band performance and the enthusiastic student section in a 12-part photo story, available online. Find us on Twitter and Facebook for live coverage of games.

B - Couldn’t make it to see the President of

the United States when he visited Iowa City?

No problem. The WSS has all the details, plus exclusive photos of Obama, Biden and their wives.

D

PHOTO BY//ERIN WEATHERS

C - Finding stylish young men doesn’t require a tick-

et to New York Fashion Week. Inspired by West High graduate Tim Yu ’12, sharply-dressed Jonah Pouleson ’13 shows off his style in a fashion photo essay.

D - In the first home game of the season, Mikaela Morgan ’15 and Hannah Fairfield ’14 put up a block against CR Jefferson. Stay up-to-date with the volleyball team and other sports with our online photo galleries.

Follow @wsspaper for live tweets of games and meets!

COMPILED BY FIONA ARMSTRONG-PAVLIK

BREATHE A LITTLE EASIER THIS SEPTEMPER WITH THESE HELPFUL STRESS MANAGEMENT TIPS.} SEPTEMBER 2012 WEB 3

{DESIGN BY SHIRLEY WANG}

{

ART CORNER

“I enjoy that black and white drawing is so detail-oriented. I think not using color makes it a greater challenge to create a representation of an object because we use color so often to identify things.”

-Cami Hippee ’13 COMPILED BY//JULIANN SKARDA

Positively perfect

Asya Bergal ’13 keeps busy with chemistry club, robotics and math club.

Now, she has a perfect ACT score to add to her acheivements Bergal’s study strategy consisted of concentrating her preparation on only one Asya Bergal ’13 portion of the test.

“I only studied for the essay portion for the ACT because I wanted to do better on it,” she said.

James Kirpes, math teacher, thinks that Bergal has the traits to succeed.

“She [Bergal] has a wonderful personality, is organized and dedicated to academics,” said Kirpes.

Bergal stresses the importance of practice tests for hopefuls wishing to improve their scores.

COMPILED BY//MEGUMI KITAMOTO

¢ stories 5 Side

New clubs Anglophile Club Board Game Club Disney Club EATS (Environmental Advocates Teaching Sustainability) Phosetphone Starving Hunger Club TSA teens (Tech. Student Association) Psychology Club National Historical Club

The saying goes that the third time’s the charm, but Dominic Muzzin ’13 never needed that third try.

He received a perfect score on the ACT after taking it for the second time on June 9.

“I wasn’t really nervous, because I had taken the test before,” Muzzin said.

Muzzin also says that practice tests are a must to score well on the ACT, as they help students to become familiar with the test.

Though he has a knack for test taking and an academic mind, Muzzin doesn’t take himself too seriously.

“He’s really a jokester, but he is [also] a really serious person,” said close friend Jonah Pouleson ’13.

Dominic Muzzin ’13 Muzzin is also a member of physics club and the golf team.

ART COURTESY OF//CAMI HIPPEE

School lunch prices for both Trojans and Little Hawks will increase by five cents this year due to a mandate from the Department of Education. The adjusted cost will be $2.80, and will be effective October 1st.

#2 21 The University of Iowa was rated the second best party school in America on the Princeton Review’s annual top 20 list of party schools.

A combined 37 students from around the Iowa City area were crowned National Merit semifinalists on Sept. 12, with 21 of them from West High, 12 from City and four from Regina.

@wsspaper asked West High students

What’s your favorite club/sport at West? @LoBohner:

wrestling because it’s one on one and intense!

Lauren Bohner ’15

@RossHayley:

Disney Club!! It’s full of fun activities and Disney movies! You can meet lots of new people! #bestclubever

4 NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 { A CUP OF STEAMING TEA CAN SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER ANXIETY LEVELS.

Hayley Ross ’13

{DESIGN BY BRENNA DEERBERG}

While you were sleeping (in)

While West High students slept in last summer the school was full of activity

BY LUSHIA ANSON

lanson@wsspaper.com

One of the major projects of the summer was replacing the mortar between the bricks of the older parts of the school by a process called tuckpointing. Some of the older bricks themselves, which may have deteriorated, were also replaced.

“People don’t usually think of West as an old school,” said Principal Jerry Arganbright, adding that 40 years is long enough for the spaces between bricks to weather, and to possibly pose safety hazards if left unattended.

New windows Students will no longer have to try to cram all of their heavy textbooks onto tiny shelves that are not able to accomodate them. This

is thanks to the installment of many new lockers over the summer. The school plans to replace the remaining lockers next summer.

Temporaries Plans for the future include finishing the replacement of lockers and windows next summer, as well as

adding two more temporaries, and possibly renovating the area around the main office in a year or two.

Exterior bricks Some of the windows have also been changed, including the ones in the cafeteria. Before, the windows were single-pane, meaning that there was only one layer of glass in between the room and the outside; now the windows are more energy-

efficient, helping to keep the building warmer on cold days, and vice versa. According to Arganbright, this past summer was the first in a three-summer process replacing the old windows in the building.

Larger lockers Two new temporaries have also been added this year to the three already in existance, in an effort to ease growing class sizes at West.

Arganbright is cautious about us-

ing the word “overcrowding” when describing the situation, preferring the term “expanded student enrollment.” “We’re trying to make it so it doesn’t feel overcrowded,” he said.

ART BY//ALENA MUELLER ART BY//LEELA SATHYAPUTRI

PLAYING AN INSTRUMENT OR LISTENING TO MUSIC CAN SLOW THE HEARTRATE AND RELEASE ENDORPHINS. } SEPTEMBER 2012 NEWS 5

WHATIN THE WORLD?

{DESIGN BY HANNAH MERRILL}

United Kingdom

United States

Ohio police are on the lookout for a man who was caught on surveillance tapes several times in the same convenience store stealing up to $600 of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

United States

A bar in South Carolina filed a lawsuit against a city ordinance banning motorcyclists’ “burnouts” (where they spin their back tires to kick up dirt and create a loud noise).

Apparently, the burnouts are a necessary expression of the bar’s customers’ “manliness and macho.”

COMPILED BY//BRENNA DEERBERG

A London farmer added fine wine to the food source of three of his cows for four months as an experiment.

The resulting meat has been dubbed “Vinbovin” and is now considered a delicacy in Paris restaurants.

China

A Buddhist group in Beijing caused an uproar in a nearby village while trying to improve their “karmic balance.” The group purchased over 200 snakes and, chanting, released them near said village. The inhabitants of the village were able to club many of the snakes to death, but were still uneasy.

HBO films at West

Bryant Gumbel coming to West documenting the volleyball team’s triumph in loss and their state victory.

BY HANNAH MERRILL hmerrill@wsspaper.com

HBO’s “Real Sports,” with Bryant Gumbel, is in the process of filming a segment about how the 2011-12 West High volleyball team overcame the year’s tragedies and won the state tournament. The segment will air on Oct. 23.

Kathy Bresnahan got the ball rolling when she notified sports writer Frank Deford in December of 2011.

“I have always admired him as a sports writer and just thought, you know, I think this is a pretty amazing story—what our team was able to accomplish,” Bresnahan said.

Although Bresnahan did not expect anything, Deford responded within a month explaining that he was exhausted from his book tour, but that he would recommend including a segment on the team to HBO’s “Real Sports,” with Bryant Gumbel.

On Aug. 4, at North Central Junior High, HBO began interviewing members of last year’s volleyball team. They then talked to Kelly

Flieler alone, and later, Richard Bryant.

“They had asked for someone that I felt really epitomized what Live Like Line meant ... so I recommended Richard,” Bresnahan said.

HBO will also interview Ernie Found and Bresnahan for the segment.

The filming will include footage of the team in action. HBO is interested in all aspects of the team.

They even asked Bresnahan if they could come to the Dubuque Wahlert tournament for footage of the bus ride and coaching, but Bresnahan explained that everyone sleeps the whole time and nothing interesting would happen. Finally, HBO settled on filming the CityWest game, solely because it will be a home match—not because of any City-West rivalries. The match will be Tuesday, Oct. 2.

Not only is the filming an incredible opportunity for the team, but also for the school.

“I think this is a really neat thing for our school,” Bresnahan said.

“This whole thing last year became bigger than our team—it became bigger than our school, because I think so many people were dealing with the tragedy of Ellyn and Caroline through the success of the volleyball team.”

As she explained, this was Caroline’s favorite kind of season, and that to her, Live Like Line means “that you’re passionate about life and you are kind to people, and that you wake up everyday and say ‘Wow, what am I going to experience today?’”

“I want the nation to know about Caroline Found, and what a tremendous man Ernie Found is, just as much as I want people to realize that what the kids pulled out last year was so improbable from an athletic standpoint,” Bresnahan said.

“You don’t lose your top setter in the state and then come back and do what they did,” she said.

RUMOR BUSTER Re-setting the stage?

With a new director, Theatre West must be undergoing dramatic changes, right? Wrong. According to director Katy Nahra, all changes to the program are minor. The main change is the flip-flop of the musical and the play. According to Nahra, this switch has been anticipated for the past few years. Nahra added that the changes will not affect the quality of Theatre West.

“The program is going to be as excellent as it ever was,” Nahra said. “We have really good upperclassmen leading [Theatre West].”

busted New computer lab?

Librarians at West High anticipate the new computer lab, located in room 121, will be done by the end of September. According to librarian Jill Hofmockel, the work that had to be done, such as wiring an entire classroom, was paid for by the school district. The computers were purchased for the library last October.

There will be a contest to name the new lab at a later date. Details will be released as they become available.

CONFIRMED COMPILED BY//BRENNA DEERBERG

6 NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 { USE ESSENTIAL OILS SUCH AS LAVENDER, SANDALWOOD AND LEMON FOR AROMATHERAPY.

{DESIGN BY ASHTON DUNCAN}

Fair grounds 1 Though delayed a week by heat advisory, the club fair

1

was bustling with activity on Sept. 6, representing old favorites and a few new clubs.

2 Playing as black, Michael Scudiero ’13 promotes Chess Club at the very front of the club fair.

3 Young Republicans Club president Nathan Schuchert ’13 high-fives a possible initiate, trying to get students to swing right into their club meetings.

4 Logan Natvig ’13 steals the spotlight (and megaphone) from Film Club and Kevin Chin ’13 to showcase Shakespeare Club.

COMPILED BY//ASHTON DUNCAN PHOTOS BY//ERIN WEATHERS

4

2 3 SEPTEMBER 2012 NEWS 7

S ’ T A H W THE

{DESIGN BY ALYSSA MCKEONE}

DEAL?

PHOTO BY//ABBIE SKEMP

D

riving into the underground parking garage of Costco feels like flying an airplane into its hangar. The size of the garage is dwarfed only by the immensity of the store itself. Costco’s selection ranges from fried chicken to cell phones to to wireless LED candles.

Costco has a surprisingly wide selection of organic options, sporting some many items that could be found at the local Co-op. The chefs of Costco work in large, glass rooms that allow the shopper to watch as their food is created, alleviating much of the fear regarding mass-produced food. One sweep through the food section of the store at twelve on a Saturday yielded a total of ten small samples.

The clothing section of Costco was larger than expected, but still not particularly impressive. The selection showed off a limited range of slightly more expensive main brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, but otherwise stuck to mostly house brands.

Costco’s electronics seemed to

rival those of Best Buy on many of the most popular products, but the selection suffered from a lack of accessories and more obscure products. Cameras and televisions were plentiful, but camera bags and TV stands were not.

On the other hand, the parking lot of Sam’s Club isn’t quite as impressive as that of Costco, but what Sam’s Club is missing in flash is made up for in selection. The electronics selection of Sam’s Club is larger than Costco’s, but hosts a similar range of brands. Sam’s Club had a larger selection of clothing and main brands including Eddie Bauer, Nautica, Levi and IZOD, but also hosted a large selection of house brands.

The food section of Sam’s Club placed less emphasis on organic goods and more on frozen foods.

The majority of the “fresh” produce wasn’t refrigerated and didn’t look quite as perky as Costco’s. A sweep through the food section at three on a Saturday yielded ten samples, often two or three times the size Costco’s.

ART BY//LEELA SATHYAPUTRI

Bigger is always better. Sam’s Club and Costco, membership-only warehouses that have sprung up in the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids area, take this idea to its logical extreme. The warehouses sell almost exclusively in bulk, allowing for extremely low prices. The enormous selection covers organic produce, televisions, funeral caskets and everything in between. Costco is closer to West at approximately 3.9 miles, while Sam’s Club is about 29 COMPILED BY//JORDAN ROSSEN miles. Is it worth the extra miles?

$35

Membership Cost

$55

47 million

Number of Members

58 million

Pharmacy, auto, photo

Services

Pharmacy, auto, photo, funeral caskets

100, 000+

Size

142,000

ft.2

8 FEATURE SEPTEMBER 2012 {CUDDLING A PET CAN REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE.

ft. 2

out to dry

The USDA states that 80% of US agricultural land has been affected by the current drought. America’s breadbasket, as well as the rest of the nation, is desperate for rain.

Turn the page to read more.

BY JULIANN SKARDA jskarda@wsspaper.com

COVER PHOTO BY//ABBIE SKEMP

{DESIGN BY OLIVE CARROLLHACH}

As the drought across America continues, farmers are feeling the heat as crop yields decrease and prices rise.

T

here’s no question that the drought has left its mark on Iowa—take a look at the fields of parched crops, with row after row of dying plants, or the scorched, brown lawns of those who turned their sprinklers off this year. The temperatures were high this summer, and Iowa was awfully dry. In fact, Iowa only received 1.15 inches of rainfall this July, far

below the average of 4.5 inches, according to State Climatologist Harry Hillaker. With the harvest approaching, many Iowa farmers are feeling the drought’s full effects.

Brooke Stutsman ’13 has lived on her family’s farm for her entire life, and has experienced firsthand the struggle with this year’s crops.

“We grow corn, soybeans and alfalfa. Since there has been no rain,

the crops have not been able to grow to their complete potential,” she said.

Stutsman also predicts that crop yield will be significantly impacted.

“With lack of rain, comes lack of product. Therefore, the corn and bean yield will be significantly lower, meaning less corn and beans per stock,” she said.

She’s not the only one anticipating such a dire outcome. Accord-

ing to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the predicted 123.4 bushels of corn per acre would be the lowest yield since 1995.

This will lead to roughly four billion fewer bushels than in 2011.

However, crops are not the only farm commodity impacted by this summer’s dry heat. Alex Dooley, who lives and works on her family’s farm just north of Iowa City,

1

Five ways to save water that make a difference.

h2o help!

COMPILED BY// JULIANN SKARDA

Next time, grab a bottled water instead of a can of soda. It takes 16.5 gallons* of water to make 12 ounces of pop.

*Parker Water and Sanitation District

10 FEATURE SEPTEMBER 2012 { MAKE TO-DO LISTS AND CHECK OFF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

2 0

45

Aim to keep showers less than five 15 minutes.

30

PHOTO BY//ABBIE SKEMP

{DESIGN BY HANNAH MUELLERLEILE}

I had farmers telling me that they had never done that before in their lives,” she said.

While it’s clear that mother nature is calling the shots, the state government has promised that it plans to provide aid to Iowa farmers. Governor Terry Branstad told farmers that the state is prepared to deal with circumstances as they take place.

“We want to ensure that the state of Iowa is doing all it can to provide assistance to those who have been impacted by the drought conditions … With continued communication and collaboration we can make sure our state is in the best position to battle any conditions that come our way,” Branstad said in an address to fellow Iowans on his website.

With 40 of the 50 U.S. states containing drought-designated counties as determined by the federal government, nearly the entire nation is desperate for rain.

“Many farmers have just been waiting it out and hoping that more rain is on the way,” Stutsman said.

has noted problems with livestock.

“I lost some broilers due to the heat [this summer],” Dooley said, explaining that broiler chickens are raised specifically for meat.

“The chickens stopped laying eggs. [The heat] almost forced them into [an early] molt.”

Those dead, brown lawns are not just eyesores dotting suburbia, but are also hard on the animals that

3

rely on grass for nutrition. Dooley, whose family also raises cattle and horses, understands the ill-effects of a parched field on the animals.

Her grazing land, like much of the rest across the state, suffered under the hottest July on record.

“The grass fried in the sun … horses and cattle will eat it, but the nutritional value is much lower,” she said. Dooley has also noticed a lack

Let your lawn go dormant during the summer; it only needs to be watered every three weeks.

of grass forcing many farmers to use feed that should have been stored for winter. “[Other farmers] had to start giving the round bales in the middle of the summer.

“

Many farmers have just been ... hoping that

more rain is on the way

4 Landscape and garden with lowwater use plants such as morning glories and zinnias.

-Brooke Stutsman ’13

Use the nutrient-rich water from cleaning out fish tanks to water plants.

5

TRY MASSAGING THE PALM OF ONE HAND IN A CIRCULAR MOTION WITH YOUR THUMB. } SEPTEMBER 2012 FEATURE 11

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follow @wsspaper

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We’ll make your day brighter!

{DESIGN BY VELARCHANA SANTHANA}

Cheated potential

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY//FRANK WEIRICH

HAVE YOU EVER PLAGIARIZED ON AN ESSAY?

A recent New York Times article on cheating shows more students are cheating now than ever before--including high achievers. In the light of this, the WSS looks at West’s new anti-plagiarism program.

BY AMELIA MOSER

amoser@wsspaper.com

T

he proliferation of the use of the internet has led to great things. Providing access to millions of diverse sources in seconds, search engines give students research tools their parents and grandparents didn’t dream of in their own school days.

Unfortunately, these resources aren’t always used correctly or with the best intentions. Cheating and plagiarism in school assignments has been evident for years – but in the last couple of decades, the World Wide Web has changed the way people go about it.

“There’s more temptation … because of the access one has via the internet,” said Darci Witthoft, an English teacher at West.

Not to be outdone, teachers at West High are looking to adopt something called turnitin.com, an online program that would re-

quire students to turn their essays in digitally to check for plagiarism.

The company’s website boasts, “Turnitin uses three databases for content matching: 20+ billion web pages crawled, 220+ million archived student papers [and] 120+ million articles from 90,000+ journals, periodicals, & books.”

The English Department called for the website in an effort to crack down on cheating. “[Cheating] really goes right to the heart of undermining what I hold dear … you’re basically acknowledging … what someone else thinks is more important [than your own thoughts],” said Margaret Shullaw, another English teacher at West.

“I want to be impressed with how thoughtful you are … all my enthusiasm comes crashing down.”

Witthoft agrees that it’s unpleasant to catch cheaters.

“It’s so uncomfortable for everyone involved,” she said. “That’s

what bothers me the most – it’s lying, you feel like there’s a lack of respect … and it comes out of fear … I don’t feel good about [catching someone] – it’s disheartening … and then I’ve had to sit here and [take time to] find evidence to prove this person plagiarized.”

Kerri Barnhouse, an English teacher at West, says high schools aren’t the only ones to use turnitin.com “We’ve had [turnitin.com] before … most colleges use it … at the University of Iowa, I don’t think you can turn in an essay into any class without turnitin.com,” Barnhouse said. She added that she would like turnitin.com to become a routine for West students.

“The consequences [of getting caught cheating] in college are much more severe … you might get a bad grade here, but you will get kicked out of college,” she said.

10% 79% 11% HAVE YOU EVER PURCHASED AN ESSAY?

3% 95%

2%

DO YOU THINK THAT TEACHERS KNOW WHEN STUDENTS PLAGIARIZE?

22% 13%

YES

66%

NO

NOT SURE

500 STUDENTS SURVEYED COMPILED BY//WSS STAFF

FOODS THAT ARE HIGH IN CARBS STIMULATE THE RELEASE OF SEROTONIN, WHICH INDUCES CALM.} SEPTEMBER 2012 FEATURE 13

New teachers on the block COMPILED BY//BLAKE OETTING, FRANNIE RIZZO AND ALYSSA MCKEONE

We are starting a new year at West High, and that comes with new educators.The West Side Story interviewed the new recruits to learn more about them.

“

Jeff Conner

As you may know, I am a West High alumnus (Class of 2005), and during my time at West I was fortunate to have a number of phenomenal teachers. Those teachers were life-changing for me, and I chose to go into education in hopes that I would achieve the same sort of relationship with my students.”

“

I originally was going to graduate school to be a scientist, but then I started coaching. I loved how curious the youth were. I love seeing them develop into the people they will become.”

Kim Humpal

“

I love the school, the atmosphere and getting to be with interesting people every day. I love learning and I want to be a lifelong learner.”

Katy Nahra

“ Julie Many

PHOTOS BY//ABBIE SKEMP AND FRANK WEIRICH

“

I can help students make connections and understand why something is important. I can help them understand how things connect to each other.”

Sakinah Haque I love math because it challenges students. Students use their mathematical knowledge every day (outside of class) without realizing it, so it’s important for me to help students have a better understanding of these basic skills.

Hopefully, they can take something they’ve learned from me and put it to use in whatever path of life they take.”

“

I chose to teach to help students and hopefully change some of their experiences and lives. I want to be a positive influence.”

Monica Winterberg

“

[In choir] you can express yourself, build self confidence, and learn self discipline ... [choir] helps with all of life.”

David Haas

14 PROFILES SEPTEMBER 2012 { MAKE A LIST OF YOUR STRESSORS, AND RECOGNIZE THOSE WHICH YOU CANNOT CHANGE.

{DESIGN BY BLAKE OETTING}

“

I chose to teach ELL because I love getting to know cultures other than my own .... [and] to have the opportunity to learn about different parts of the world from my students.”

“

“Students have opportunities to communicate with people who speak another language. It also helps them when traveling and studying abroad.”

Molly Zywiec

“

[The kids] always keep me on my toes. They seem to genuinely want to do well and they are a lot of fun.”

Collin Swanson

“

[My favorite part about West is] my students. I like how unique and friendly everyone is. I like to make a difference.”

Stephanie Higgins

“

Social studies offers students a chance to get to know their world (local and global), find their place in it and be inspired to get engaged. Whether it’s ancient history, current events or even travel, social studies is a unique perspective on the world.”

“

Kourtney Kaalberg

A teacher is never bored.

I could never handle a job where I sit in a cubicle and do the same thing endlessly. [I have] the chance to have a different experience every day with the opportunity for so much interaction teaching the great students at West High.”

Kevin Brown

“

I have enjoyed West’s welcoming culture and positive atmosphere. I am grateful for the other staff members who have used their time to acclimate me to procedures here at West. I have also enjoyed my students.

They are hard working, positive and a pleasure to be around.”

Tom VanDyke

“

I knew what I wanted to do in 7th grade. The thing that sealed the deal, was my high school teacher. When she was gone, she would let me teach. That’s when I fell in love with it.”

Melissa Nies

Scott Kibby

CONCENTRATE ON PLEASANT MOMENTS SUCH AS FEELING A BREEZE OR EATING A TREAT. } SEPTEMBER 2012 PROFILES 15

{DESIGN BY LUSHIA ANSON}

Taelor Mormon-Thein

Annie Belding

boetting@wsspaper.com

acanin@wsspaper.com

BY BLAKE OETTING

When people imagine models, pictures pop into their heads of gorgeous, tall women sashaying down runways or making mean faces in international fashion magazines.

So some might be surprised to know that, here at West High, we have some models of our very own. Since the age of six, Taelor Mormon-Thein ’14 has aspired to model. But only a couple of months ago was this dream realized when Ford Modeling Agency called Mormon-Thein’s Iowa home.

“Last year, in October, I submitted my photos- completely natural with no makeup- and sent them to Ford, Wilhelmina and Elite [a modeling agency].

Four months later Ford called and wanted to see more,” said Mormon-Thein.

Mormon-Thein then made the trip to the Chicago headquarters to show the agency

Many a girl has fantasized about becoming a model.

That fantasy became a reality for Annie Belding ’15 when she was scouted by Factor Model Management at the Water Tower mall in Chicago.

Now Belding is employed by Factor and beginning to live the exciting and busy life of a model.

Being employed as a model is a serious commitment.

Belding goes to Chicago every other Thursday to attend classes on various aspects of modeling. At these classes, she and other young models learn about everything from posing for photo shoots to runway walking.

Belding is currently working on building up her profile, which means going to various photo shoots to take pictures for potential employers. At these shoots, which Belding described as “so much fun,” she is styled and made up by professionals and then has her picture taken in various locations, ranging from the city to the beach to the modeling studio. Factor then supplies these pictures to companies looking for models.

Belding’s friends and family have offered her encouragement in her newfound interest, although not all of them know about it.

“I actually didn’t tell very many people or friends at first,” Belding said, “Only my family really knew and wanted me to pursue it. As school was starting up again I started to tell more people because I was missing some

PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM//FACTOR MODEL MANAGEMENT

PHOTO BY//ABBIE SKEMP

her skills. After a brief photo shoot and an agonizing wait in the lobby, the verdict was in and Mormon-Thein scored a three-year contract with the agency. The astonishment, according to Mormon-Thein, did not dissipate quickly.

“I was in shock for about two months. On the way home I called my friend and she was so happy for me. That’s when I knew I could do this,” Mormon-Thein said.

Mormon-Thein will get to experience the modeling industry firsthand, but most people only have images from the media on which to base their opinions. Models have been seen as anorexic, unintelligent and divas. However, according to Mormon-Thein, these stereotypes are completely false. “[The models] are all really nice. I have made a lot of new model friends,“ MormonThein said.

With a new friend base and a portfolio already impressing clients (she has been offered jobs by Abercrombie & Fitch, Kohl’s and Carson) MormonThein seems to be on her way to a successful career in the modeling world. However, landing jobs or making millions doesn’t seem to be her goal. MormonThein’s love for modeling stems from something much simpler.

“When I’m in front of the camera, I can become someone else,” Mormon-Thein said.

When she is not in front of the camera or jet-setting around the world, Mormon-Thein will be a normal student, walking down the halls of West High- a much different kind of runway.

BY AMIELA CANIN

school. But everyone who knows is super supportive and excited for me.”

Belding said that she “would love to pursue [modeling] as a career,” but it depends on how things go in the next few years. She would love to model for any of her favorite brands: Alexander Wang, Moschino or Elie Saab. In the meantime, learning the ins and outs of the modeling industry is proving to be quite an adventure.

16 PROFILES SEPTEMBER 2012 { PLAN YOUR EVENING ACTIVITIES TO ALLOW FOR A MINIMUM OF SEVEN HOURS OF SLEEP EACH NIGHT.

{DESIGN BY OLIVE CARROLLHACH}

e t a b e d d e r e b Cham

{

NCAN,

BY ASHTON DU aper.com aduncan@wssp

VERMAN POMBIE SIL @wsspaper.com psilverman

SER AND AMELIA MO per.com amoser@wsspa

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Check out pages 18 and 19 for an in-depth look at gun culture in the United States

w

{DESIGN BY OLIVE CARROLLHACH}

e t a b e d d e r e b Cham

THE EFFECTS OF GUN LAWS ON OUR COMMUNITY

As children, many played Cops and Robbers, mischievously shooting imaginary guns at playmates. However, as we grew up, our desire to take aim and fire diminished.

But with new legislation, that reality may not be so far away.

According to Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek, any citizen is capable of owning a handgun, excluding felons or persons recently convicted or charged with domestic abuse.

A Concealed Carry permit is required and renewed annually.

Starting in 2011, Iowa passed a bill changing the policy for acquiring Concealed Carry permits from a May-Issue to a Shall-Issue. According to Pulkrabek, that means sheriffs can no longer choose to allow or deny Concealed Carry applicants’ permits, and applicants aren’t required to take classes. “[The Shall-Issue bill] allows people with criminal records and mental illness to be able to get a permit to carry a handgun … I don’t support the ShallIssue. As a sheriff, I am highly concerned with the safety of an

average citizen. Allowing basically any individual to walk into [a store] and buy a gun makes the streets less safe,” Pulkrabek said. “Lots of people think the Sheriff Association’s opposition to the Shall-Issue is an ego-trip or that we are anti-gun, but we’re really just looking out for public safety. I understand that citizens have the right to the Second Amendment, but there’s a difference between wanting a handgun to protect your family and wanting a handgun to bring to downtown Iowa City.”

West High Republicans president Nathan Schuchert ’13 agrees.

“The typical Republican response might be ‘Hey, everyone should be allowed to own a gun’, but we can’t issue them to everyone because people can get hurt ... Lots of people have a Concealed Carry permit in order to increase their family’s security or have as extra protection or just as a way to provide comfort.

[In Iowa City] it’s unlikely, but someone may want to harm, rob or hurt that family. Just because that thought is unlikely doesn’t mean people aren’t allowed to [have a permit],” Schuchert said.

West High Republicans and Trapshooting Club member Mark Alatalo ’13 supports the

Have you ever shot a firearm?

No 54%

Yes 46%

*468 students surveyed

Shall-Issue bill. For Alatalo, hunting and guns in general have played dominant roles in his life. According to Alatalo, the Shall-Issue provides easier access to handguns, which would be helpful in Trapshooting Club. “[Trapshooting] is a big part of my life … I started hunting as soon as I could walk … It’s a

“

There’s a difference between

wanting a handgun [one] to bring to downtown Iowa City.”

-Nathan Schuchert ’13 great way for me to bond and connect with other people. ...

Different people have their own hobbies and pursue different interests; mine just happens to be trapshooting,” Alatalo said.

According to Pulkrabek, the Shall-Issue is safe for law-abiding citizens, but there is still a black market where criminals

can obtain stolen handguns.

“The system is definitely not perfect, and a sheriff ’s discretion would certainly help. People that may not be safe individuals can now acquire guns, which is a public safety issue,” Pulkrabek said.

Pulkrabek does not expect the legislation to change any time soon.

“Right now the Sheriff ’s Association is just focusing on trying to prevent the Shall-Issue from extending. There’s not much we can do to prevent more shootings from occurring, but we do have good communication with the well-trained public,” he said.

NATIONAL PERCEPTION

What makes something a part of American culture? Is it tradition - like Thanksgiving comfort food and weekend football games? Is it popularity - like pizza, which doesn’t even originate in the Western Hemisphere? Or is it history? “[Tradition] is part of our cultural folklore that Europeans came here, to a strange land, hunted, fished and farmed our way to prosperity, drove the British away from here once we tired of them, and drove Native Americans away when we got into disputes with them,” said Kevin Leicht, professor and chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of Iowa.

How strongly have the recent Iowa City shootings affected students?

Very little 2% Strongly

4% Not at all 9% A bit 14% Neutral 64%

*473 students surveyed

0

Guns are tools, capable of a multitude of functions. Over the years they have served to incite revolutions as well as to quell them. They have fed the starving as well as oppressed them. Guns have done their part to shape American history, in every conceivable sense. As their functions shift, so do the policies surrounding their obtainment.

Standing on the brink of yet another evolution, many Americans feel as if they are shouting across a great divide. “The full consequences of mass violence isn’t an experience that is part of our cultural history,” Leicht said.

Unlike in Europe, where countries were ravaged by the World Wars, or like the Middle East, where the War on Terror continues on, American has remained relativevely free from war-related violence. Not having generational experience with conflict close to home may mean that Europe’s stricter gun laws are a bi-product of an experience foreign to Americans.

“I think [personally seeing violence] affected the laws a lot,” said Laura Willmann ’14, a

German exchange student who moved to the U.S. just a couple months ago. “We don’t have gun culture [in Germany] … just the people who hunt own guns … it’s not important.”

Whereas it isn’t unusual for Americans to own guns, Willmann says it’s “pretty rare” in Germany. In China, the laws are even more strict.

“No [private citizen] is allowed to own a gun in China … I think even if a knife is long enough, you probably need a certificate to own it,” said Scott Zou ’13, who moved to the U.S. from China two years ago.

Zou says that liberty is a somewhat new idea in China.

The US, unlike China, has a strong tradition of guns.

“We associate guns with the good things that come from them deep in our history ... food, mostly, but also individual protection ... In spite of our crime rate and our violent crime rate, relatively few people in America are exposed to random violence in ways that would justify owning guns for protection.

The hard facts Gun-related homicide by country China

India

*

5

** **

*

Great Britain France

United States

But there are lots of different things you can do with guns and most of that activity is associated with positive feelings that spread across generations,” Leicht said.

In the Midwest especially, using hunting as a primary food source was common until just a

“

...Mass violence isn’t an experience that is part of our cultural

history.”

-Dr. Kevin Leicht, Professor of Sociology

few generations ago. Now, many use that same cross-generational activity to exercise, control animal populations and hunt for food recreationally rather than out of necessity. Guns are a popular item passed down through family members and

both familial and gun tradition.

Other portrayals of guns paint an even brighter image for younger generations, perhaps falsely coloring perception or increasing a desire to possess guns, Leicht suggested.

“Media portrayals give us an exaggerated sense of what guns and their shooters are capable of, especially fictional accounts, movies and TV shows. Our skills with guns, even among people who are trained to use them, aren’t nearly as good as [they are] on TV. Most police never take their gun out of their holster and most of them are proud of that,” Leicht said.

Whether guns are part of American culture or not, guns are an undeniable truth in American history. From colonization to more recent tragedies, guns have impacted Americans for hundreds of years. As future laws settle, the place of guns in American hands will undoubtedly change, but culture may prove significantly less moldable than policy.

Does West think guns are an important part of American culture?

Yes 62%

be % No y a M 38 % 3 *479 students surveyed

4

Shots heard across America

3

Colorado theater shooting >>>>>>>

1 0 *per 100,000 deaths

2012 Virginia Tech >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 1999 Columbine >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 2007

{DESIGN BY KAITLYN MCCURDY} COMPILED BY//KAITLYN MCCURDY

#wssinstagram

With a new school year comes new memories, new friends, new experiences and new social medias. Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest and many more give people ways to share their favorite moments, but one of the most popular is Instagram. The free app for smartphones allows the user to take, edit and share pictures of their daily lives. So what have West High students been capturing with the app? The WSS asked students to tweet what they thought were their best moments caught on camera.

WHO SENT THEM IN? TOP ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: ALLISON DYKSTRA ’14, ALEXA KRAMER ’13, JAYCIE WEATHERS ’15, CECI WHITE-BAER ’15. SECOND ROW: QUINN STEIGLEDER ’13, EMILY WEIS ’13, JOEY ABREU ’13, ALLY FRANZ ’13. THIRD ROW: KENZIE WISKUS ’13, QUINN TERRILL ’13, MICHAELA RECKER ’13, ANALISA STEWART ’14.

20 A&E SEPTEMBER 2012 { HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO SUCH AS WEEKEND PLANS OR HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS .

{DESIGN BY POMBIE SILVERMAN}

BY AMIELA CANIN

acanin@wsspaper.com

Miriam Miller ’15 seems to fly through the air, a radiant smile on her face as she leaps and spins around the room. This beautiful and apparently effortless act has taken Miller years of work to master, years which have also earned her a place as a student in what is arguably the world’s premier ballet school.

Founded in 1934 by dancerchoreographer George Balanchine and art connoisseur Lincoln Kirstein, the School of American Ballet is one of the most renowned institutions in the dance world.

In the summer of 2011, Miller was accepted into their summer program on a full scholarship and was asked to remain at the school year-round.

“I realized I had potential when [The School of American Ballet] asked me to stay,” said Miller.

Although Miller and her family decided to decline the invitation last year, this year she felt ready to make the move to New York and follow her dreams.

Miller began her dance training at Dance of Iowa when she was three years old and soon fell in love with it. At age five, she switched to the University of Iowa

Dance Forum, where she met her long-time teacher Sarah Barragan, a former School of American Ballet student herself. Barragan recognized Miller’s potential and began to train her at her own studio, City Ballet of Iowa. “[At City Ballet] I got a lot of individual attention to really improve,” Miller said, “Sarah trained at the School of American Ballet, so she knew the training I needed.”

Although Miller’s natural talent is undeniable, it takes much more than that to succeed in the world of dance.

“She does the work. She shows up, she does what she has to do,”

MIRIAM MILLER ’15

THE

ON ARTS

said Miller’s friend and dance classmate Kate VanFosson ’13.

Miller’s work ethic was crucial in her training, but has taken a toll on her body. Her biggest challenge has been dealing with injuries, a problem common to dancers.

“You have to care for your body when you’re working it so hard,” she said.

All of that hard work has unquestionably paid off.

“This [opportunity] is what I’ve always been waiting for,” Miller said.

PHOTO BY//SARAH BARRAGAN

SET ASIDE FIVE MINUTES OUT OF AN HOUR OF WORK TO DANCE AROUND OR LISTEN TO MUSIC. } SEPTEMBER 2012 A&E 21

How teens get their tunes

Global information company Nielsen Holdings recently published its annual Nielsen 360 report, measuring consumer and market trends. According to the survey, published in August 2012, radio is still the dominant way people discover music. However, with an increased use of technology among teens, evidence suggests otherwise. Here are the West Side Story’s student statistics.

COMPILED BY//WSS STAFF

*500 West High School students surveyed

How do you learn about new artists/songs/music?

yo

a day ago

28%

il /fam y ds

21%

frie n

When was the last time you downloaded music?

ube t u

app

dio

retailer 1%other ra 7% website 8% 27% 7%

week ago

1-3

months

3

months+

= 25 people ART BY//JAEHO LEE

22 A&E SEPTEMBER 2012 {STEP BACK AND COUNT TO TEN; IT MAY PREVENT YOU FROM SAYING OR DOING SOMETHING YOU’LL REGRET.

{DESIGN BY TYLER VOSS}

Which of the following most influences your decision to listen to a new artist/song/music?

Do you have a:

331 250 musicstore 317 app

350 recommendation 300 250 200

other

150 50 0

brand endorsement music blog

advertisements

When was the last time you bought a physical CD?

week 1 -

3m

4 month ths s on

r+ a e y

100

music app radio app

What form of music do you most often listen to?

cd

CD radio

radio

internet records record internet

digital

digital

cassette

cassette = 25 people

other

= 25 people

other

SHARING YOUR TROUBLES WITH A FRIEND CAN HELP YOU GAIN PERSPECTIVE AND RELIEVE YOUR BURDEN. } SEPTEMBER 2012 A&E 23

{DESIGN BY KATIE MONS}

ART BY//LEELA SATHYAPUTRI

Cyber strain: eye on computers

BY BRITTANI LANGLAND blangland@wsspaper.com

F

rom the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed, our days are filled with screens.

From televisions to computers to the ever-present cell phone, they have become a regular part of daily life. However, this prolonged exposure could negatively impact your next health screening.

According to Dr. Lyse Strnad, an optometrist at Iowa City Ophthalmologist, after staring at any screen for a prolonged period of time, you might feel eye pain or develop a headache. This condition is called Computer Vision Syndrome, or CVS, caused mainly by eye strain.

“Eye strain occurs because the eyes are constantly trying to focus on the unnatural backlit image of a screen as opposed to a ‘real’ piece of paper,” Strnad said.

This soreness is similar to the ache your muscles develop after lifting weights. Other symptoms of CVS are blurred vision, dry eyes, excessive tears, double vision and irritation. CVS can be very painful, but it only causes short-term damage.

The most common problem CVS causes is slight short-sightedness.

Short-sightedness, also called myo- away from computers for a pia, is more likely to occur in chil- couple of hours,” Jans said. dren and young adults because their Students should consiseyes are still developing. Short- tently relax their eyes evsightedness caused by screens can ery two hours of screen time. last for five to ten years. Excessive “For eye strain, relax the focustime looking at a screen only in- ing by looking off into the distance creases your chance of short sight- for a minute or two to let the foedness, but does not guarantee it. cusing muscle relax, Strnad said.

“I get about seven or more hours The second way to avoid probof screen time on the weekend, but lems is to adjust the screen. AdI have always had good vision,” said just the screen size and screen Megan Jans ’15. However, people lighting so that you are comfortwho aren’t as lucky as Jans may able looking at it. Using a glare feel the need to purchase glasses. resistant cover can also help.

Recent government testing has not Lastly, always blink. According to found proof that screens can per- the National Eye Institute, the mamanently damage a person’s health. jor cause of dryness and fatigue of If it is not the computer that causes the eye is because people who use the pain in CVS, what is it? The an- screens don’t blink enough. This swer is the surrounding conditions may sound strange, but a perof the computer screen itself. Poor son looking at a screen blinks less lighting, screen settings and proper than half as much as a person not placement of the screen are key looking at a screen. Not blinkcauses of CVS. These positions take ing causes dry eyes and irritation. more muscles in your eye to focus on “To help with evaporation, the screen. Sitting too close or too far use artificial tears,” said Strnad. from the screen stresses eyes as well.

CVS may not cause extreme There are quick and easy ways stu- pain, but it can be the differdents at West can avoid CVS. The ence between a good and a day first is obvious, but very necessary: with a headache. Making small take a break from the computer. adjustments each day a person “Sometimes, I have to get can avoid the symptoms of CVS.

24 HEALTH SEPTEMBER 2012 { VISUALIZE RELAXING SCENES SUCH AS WALKING THROUGH A FOREST OR LYING ON A BEACH.

October 19, 2012

8:00am - 3:00pm Mount Mercy University Students & Educators in public, private and home schools are invited to “Step Up for Diversity.”

The Student Diversity Leadership Conference will empower and inspire attendees to be more understanding and accepting of all avenues of diversity.

This years’ conference will focus on taking a stand for diversity, being proud of who you are, accepting and helping others accept that diversity is the key for success, growth, and knowledge.

Free to attend Register at www.diversityfocus.org/student

{DESIGN BY//ERIN WEATHERS}

PHOTO BY//FRANK WEIRICH PHOTO BY//ERIN WEATHERS

PHOTO BY//ERIN WEATHERS

ABOVE: At Noelridge Park in Cedar Rapids, Ashlynn Yokom ’14 passes her competition in the first 400 meters. The team finished third overall on Sept. 6.

LEFT: Back from retirement, Ally Disterhoft ’13 successfully blocks the ball in the third set.

West defeated Jefferson in three sets on Sept. 3.

TOP: Early in the third, Jeremy Morgan ’13 watches Nate Boland ’14 block a pass intended for the Cougar reciever. The Trojans beat Kennedy 35-14, continuing the three-game winning streak.

26 SPORTS SEPTEMBER 2012 { RUB YOUR HANDS TOGETHER AND PLACE THEM OVER YOUR EYES. THE WARMTH AND DARK ARE COMFORTING.

PHOTO BY//HANNAH MUELLERLEILE

TURNING OVER

A NEW LEAF

COMPILED BY//ERIN WEATHERS

After training hard all summer, West athletes hit the ground running this fall. The girls’ swimming and diving team is breaking records from 1985. Football has a new quarterback and a winning record. Boys’ and girls’ cross country is starting strong, with runners finishing in the top five. The volleyball team has made a strong debut, despite returning with only three starters.

Our Trojans are looking sharp this year, to say the least. It’s only a matter of time until more records are broken and rivals defeated. With so many teams on the rise, a strong State showing is on the horizon. Follow these athletes all the way to Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls, and Des Moines.

PHOTO BY//FRANK WEIRICH

PHOTO BY//ERIN WEATHERS

ABOVE: Neck and neck, Isaac Jensen ’13 and Daniel Gardarsson ’14 fly through the first mile at Noelridge Park on Sept. 6.

Boys varsity placed second at the Cedar Rapids Invite.

PHOTO BY//HANNAH MUELLERLEILE

LEFT: Emily Culver ’13 swims in a dual meet against Williamsburg on Aug. 28. The Trojans defeated the Raiders 146-29. Assistant Coach Jordan O’Donnell described this year’s team as “Extremely dynamic and extremely deep … Our girls are very close— they’re like family.”

MIDDLE LEFT: Quarterback Nate Boland ’14 makes a dash to pick up another set of downs. The drive ended with touchdown for the Trojans.

TOP LEFT: With her team cheering her on in the background, Jackie Dowling ’13 swims the backstroke in the meet versus Williamsburg.

COMPOSE A MANTRA TO REPEAT THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY SUCH AS “I FEEL CALM, I AM CAPABLE”} SEPTEMBER 2012 SPORTS 27

dangerous play Athletes are often more vulnerable in the locker room without their shirts than on the field without their shoulder pads. The WSS explores the dynamic between perception and reality when the court is empty, the lights are off, and assumptions can be dangerous.

BY ZORA HURST

zhurst@wsspaper.com

PHOTOS BY//ZORA HURST

{“

{DESIGN BY ASHTON DUNCAN}

Homophobia is often used to deride someone’s athletic ability; people think you have to be straight to throw straight.”

-Eva Thomas ’13

L

o cker-ro om jeers and catcalls are portrayed as a normal part of the jock’s high school experience in films, sitcoms and commercials. While slurs like “faggot” and “homo” are frequently tossed around on screen, the actual perceptions of homosexuals in high school athletics are slowly changing.

For Eva Thomas ’13, a gymnast who has spent the last five years involved in a sport not offered at high schools in Iowa, attitudes toward orientation are dependant on perception more than anything else.

“For male athletes, “gay” is often used to deride someone’s athletic ability. People think you have to be straight to throw straight. On the flip side, both gay and straight women in traditionally masculine sports have to face accusations of being gay if they’re good at sports,” said Thomas. After coming out to her fellow gymnasts, Thomas has not felt excluded from her teammates.

“If anyone has a negative opinion, she keeps it outside of the gym.

Sexual orientation has nothing to

do with ability.”

Xavier May ’13, a four-year athlete in football and basketball, sees these terms as misnomers. “The guys usually call each other ‘gay’ or ‘faggot’ as a term of endearment. We never really mean to hate on each other ... We’re a tight-knit family.” He recalls using such language as motivating insults, “It gets inside the other team’s head,” said May. Agreeing with May, Ryan Holte ’13 says such comments are only meant to be taken lightly.

“They’re just jokes ... I don’t think it really has effect.” A soccer player at West for the past four years as well as a member of club teams, Holte has never had an openly gay teammate.

“If there were anybody [on the team that was gay] I don’t think anyone on the team would have a problem with it. Don’t be scared, the environment at West High is safe. Don’t be scared t0 join the team,” Holte said.

However, those who are around these athletes most frequently have something else to say.

“Coaches know it’s not just boys being boys. If they hear an athlete

using that kind of language, they’ll confront them about it. It’s inappropriate,” said Charlie Stumpff. In his 20 years of coaching baseball at West, Stumpff has not had an openly homosexual member on the team.

“I think things have gotten a lot better in the last 10 years ... [when I started] slurs were a lot more prevalent ... Society has changed.”

Eleni Katz ’14, a two-year member of the varsity girls’ soccer team, has never heard any disparaging sexual remarks about fellow or rival teammates.

“Being gay shouldn’t limit the activities you do in high school,” says Katz. “[Members of the LGBTQ community] aren’t any different than my other teammates.”

Thomas would give this advice to any LGBTQ athletes involved in high school sports: “Gauge the atmosphere of the team before openly discussing [your] sexual orientation. Nobody should have to stay in the closet, but sometimes it is wiser to wait and make sure the environment is safe. Then again, people can surprise you with their open-mindedness.”

SMILING REDUCES THE INTENSITY OF THE BODY’S STRESS RESPONSE. } SEPTEMBER 2012 SPORTS 29

Did you know . . .

that high school students get $50 exams at the Emma Goldman Clinic?

319-337-2111 www.emmagoldman.com

SophiB Photography Sophi Brenneman (�the lady in the office�) www.facebook/sophib photography.com sophibphotography@gmail.com 319-325-1187

Specializing in unique senior photography!

{

{DESIGN BY ASHTON DUNCAN}

the

BY

West side effects

*letter is fake, advice is real.

ART BY//LEELA SATHYAPUTRI

Number of political ads on TV

BOOKS prep course ACT HEADSTART

SAT

little nod and say, “Uh-huh.”

My best piece of advice, though, if you really don’t want to talk, is to read a book (or at least appear to be reading a book). I don’t know any parent who is going to complain about a kid reading a book.

As for your mom, I assume she does have a life of her own, one that involves exciting trips to the grocery store and arranging calendars for everyone in the family.

I myself have been known to spend hours by myself sorting and washing laundry.

Mama wishes you a conversationfree trip!

Happy Trails

Choice in November 2012

Dear Family’d, Ah, yes, the dreaded family road trip. I suspect your parents want to talk to you because they’re interested in you, but they probably aren’t very interesting themselves, so 10 hours of actual conversation with them would be tough. Mama will let you in on a little secret, though: If you don’t want to engage in conversation with your family, the trick is to give the illusion that you’re engaged.

First, use your electronics wisely.

Want to text back and forth with your friends the whole time? Turn your sound off and text by touch.

Touch screen phones are trickier, but with practice you should be fine.

Want to listen to your own music instead of your parents’ crappy music (or, God forbid, public radio), but the sight of you plugged in to your iPod sends your dad into a fit? Thread your headphones under your shirt, plug in one ear (this will work only with earbuds), and rest your head in your hand so that the headphone is hidden. The bonus with this maneuver is that holding your head cocked to the side makes you appear interested. If, while you’re listening to your music, your dad asks you a question but you don’t hear what he said, just give a

SUMMER CAMP

Brenna Deerberg’s mother

How many times I hear a song

Accomplishment

Dear Mama, I hope you can help me. My parents are dragging me on a 10 hour car ride to visit my aunt. My mom keeps talking about how we can talk and play games in the car. She calls it family time—I call it torture. Is it possible to avoid this family time without getting in trouble? Also, why does she care if we talk? Doesn’t she have a life of her own?

All Family’d Out in Iowa*

How much I like a song

COMPILED BY//ASHTON DUNCAN

Monthly mama

BY MAMA DEERBERG

Graphs

ON NEXT YEAR

PREP PSAT COURSE ROAD

JOB

TRIP

COLLEGE ESSAYS

Z zz

Things you wanted Things you actually did to do this summer

dear,

FOR MORE WEBCOMICS, CHECK WSSPAPER.COM EVERY WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 2012 HUMOR 31

{DESIGN BY BRENNA DEERBERG}

Un-Warranted A proposed Iowa City ordinance would let police fine absent residents for noise violations

Iowa City residents all remember the passing of the 21 Ordinance in 2010. The intention of this curfew is to cut back on underage drinking, and in downtown Iowa City results were almost immediately noted. However, as the University of Iowa party-rocks it’s way up to the Princeton Review’s number two party school in the nation, the Iowa City police find a different problem on their hands—house parties.

As the law stands, when the police respond to a noise complaint from a house party they have very little luck actually shutting the party down. Sure, they could offer a noise citation to the on-site resident. That is, if said resident decides they wanted to open their door. Obtaining a warrant to enter a house may take hours, and this is a huge waste of the police’s time.

All of this may change. The Iowa City City Council voted for the first consideration of a new ordinance. If this proposed ordinance is passed and the Iowa City police show up to bust a house party and the residents refuse to open the door, then the police can report the house as a “disorderly house” to the city housing inspector. As a result, all of the current residents of that address will be fined $750 to $1000 dollars (for first offenses) even if they weren’t at the party. Why should a person have to pay a $1000 fine just because their roommate decided to go a little too crazy? Granted, if you can go to the police station and provide them with an alibi you don’t have to pay the fine. However, how does this make getting the fine in the first place acceptable? It doesn’t.

Making one person pay for an-

other’s mistake isn’t only unfair; it’s unethical. The Iowa City police don’t need to have this new ordinance to increase their power. It’s more reasonable for the police to wait for a warrant. It may be a waste of time, but at least it’s due process.

7-8

The WSS editorial board voted against the proposed ordinance.

32 OPINION SEPTEMBER 2012

SEPTEMBER

Crashes in Back Lot I think I can speak for all West High drivers when I say that we don’t appreciate when someone forgets to take his car out of gear before school.

This really doesn’t need to be elaborated on.

minus 5

Senior Advantage

A weighted GPA system for West High would benefit students and negatively impacting their GPAs. However, it is vital for students to take on challenging course loads, especially in subjects which may shape their future careers, in order to prepare them for college or other post-secondary options.

At the start of the year, Student Senate presented the administration with a petition to switch to a weighted GPA scale. This would mean that an A in an honors or AP class would be worth a five, which would account for the more difficult grading in these courses. Ultimately, this would give students more freedom to take challenging classes and maintain their GPAs. For example, this would make a B in AP physics class equal to an A in regular physics. However, the administration rejected the proposal.

We at the West Side Story believe

INDEX

Should Iowa City police be allowed to fine all minus 5 residents for a noise violation?

First Month of School

GPA upgrade From German to Metal Working and Jewelry to AP U.S. History, West High has a lot to offer when it comes to diverse classes. But even with such a wide range of curriculum, each class has an equal influence on a student’s GPA, or grade point average.

Currently, West does not weight GPAs. This means that every A receives a four, B’s receive three’s, C’s receive two’s, D’s receive one’s and F’s receive zero’s. These numbers are then added and divided by the total number of classes a student is taking in order to determine the grade point average.

This system is flawed because it does not take into account that certain classes are more rigorous than others. Students might opt out of taking honors or AP versions of classes for fear of receiving lower grades,

QUALITY of life

that making this change would have been beneficial to the majority of the student body. Our school should be encouraging and rewarding students who take on challenges, rather than putting the spotlight on letter grades.

Should West High adopt a weighted GPA system?

14-1 The WSS editorial board voted in support of a weighted GPA system.

Only 31 weeks of school left! I can make it. Oh, wait. Make that thirty-four for you unfortunate non-seniors.

plus 3

Cooler Weather I like saunas as much as the next person, but a classroom seems a weird place to have set one up. Thankfully, we can start wearing actual clothes to school now! plus 10

Unskippable Ads Why do political candidates think that forcing us to wait through their overly dramatic ads before we can enjoy Youtube will endear them to us?

minus 8

Total: minus 5 COMPILED BY//BRENNA DEERBERG

Two lefts don’t make a right

{DESIGN BY BRENNA DEERBERG}

The new left-turn only sign that popped up on the right side of the West High driveway has sparked a lot of controversy among students. Two West Side Story writers face-off over their views on the new right-turn-only rule

FOR

AGAINST

BY ERIN WEATHERS

BY ASHTON DUNCAN

eweathers@wsspaper.com

T he new left turn rule benefits the majority of students at West.

It forces all vehicles to turn right, making the 3:20 traffic jam run more smoothly. No longer will you have to wait impatiently for the car in front of you to cross two lanes of traffic to turn left onto Melrose Avenue.

The street is busy, so it can be several minutes before the preceding car finds an opening to turn left. Since turning right is the easier choice, the minivan caravan now flows in a steady clockwise direction, relieving road rage and stress.

Another advantage will emerge once the first snow falls in the winter. The slick streets become a risky real life version of Rainbow Road for fledgling drivers (this is the underclassman lot, after all). Even with a sprinkling of sand, making a left PHOTO BY//ERIN WEATHERS

aduncan@wsspaper.com

turn onto Melrose Avenue can be a perilous venture. We do not need any more accidents than what already occurs, so the new rule is both safe and time-saving.

Juniors and seniors who live in North Liberty, Walnut Ridge, or Galway Hills who need to turn left out of the front lot could park in the back lot and turn left at the light instead. This is also a safer and faster alternative, because the light cycles give left-turners priority, unlike turning left from the front lot where there is only a stop sign.

The underclassmen who drive have a disadvantage, though. Because are only allowed to park in the front lot, they only ever have the option to turn right onto Melrose Avenue, even if they live just west of the school.

A simple solution to this problem would be to allow both underclassmen and upperclassmen to park in the back lot. That way, everyone who needs to turn left would always have that option, and those who only need to turn right would be able to do so quickly and safely from the front lot.

Even though it is not perfect and may require some parking lot rearranging, the advantages of safety and speed make the new rule well worth it for most drivers at West.

Because of these benefits, the new rule needs to remain implemented.

At best, putting up a no left-turn sign is as useless as slapping a bandaid on a gaping wound. At worst, it puts student drivers at more risk.

The recent decision to outlaw left turns from the auditorium parking lot is, beyond its almost inherent lack of enforceability, ridiculous.

The parking lot is the freshmansophomore parking lot, but claiming they’re the least experienced drivers in the school and therefore require more protection is far-fetched and seems to criticize their ability to even obtain a license. I ask, should students who cannot turn left across a 35 mile-per-hour zone directly preceded and followed by a stop light and with a large turning median even be allowed to drive by themselves?

If West High doesn’t believe they should, it would be simple to require freshmen and sophomores to get special permission from the school to drive, immediately lessening all parking issues. Or simply making the upperclassmen lot the auditorium parking lot, since many upperclassmen already park there because there aren’t potholes large enough to lose whole cars in. But that’s irrelevant, because if West High believes underclassmen drivers have the right to a license and to make responsible driving decisions, they should trust in the students’ ability to turn left.

Asserting the no-left rule because of safety is classic overregulation of something that should be common sense for a capable driver. If traffic is too heavy, if you fear being unable to cross left into oncoming traffic or if it is safer for you to turn right, turn right. It’s really just that simple, and any licensed driver should know that.

Forcing people to turn right,

can create more hazardous situations, focusing students into heavier traffic further along Melrose. This was specifically obvious when construction was done on Melrose in early September, causing all traffic to merge into the left lane with the traffic jam reaching up to West’s main intersection.

Beyond that, turning left into West High via that entrance is still allowed, though it logically poses near the same risk. Does that standard of safety not matter, so long as a car accident occurs before school rather than after?

While the rule does make traffic flow faster out of West High, it does not provide a faster route home for that group of students stuck turning around so they can head the correct direction. Those who have the ability and desire to turn left should be able to. For students with longer commutes, usually to North Liberty, taking a right on Melrose means much heavier traffic and a longer drive for those who have, in general, already both a longer drive and fewer well-plowed roads than others. That certainly doesn’t seem safer.

The no-left turn rule is a wellintentioned idea lost in ineffectiveness. Getting rid of left isn’t right.

2012-2013 Editorial Board Olive Carrollhach Brenna Deerberg Ashton Duncan Zora Hurst Alyssa Mckeone Katie Mons Amelia Moser

Blake Oetting Jordan Rossen Pombie Silverman Juliann Skarda Abbie Skemp Shirley Wang Frank Weirich

SEPTEMBER 2012 OPINION 33

{DESIGN BY JORDAN ROSSEN}

Trash

BY ASHTON DUNCAN

aduncan@wsspaper.com

I

n North Liberty, it’s literally the wrong side of the tracks. In many other places it’s just the derelict eyesore the city chooses to ignore. Forest View, Apollo Place, Golfview, Holiday Lodge, Western Hills - the stereotype is the same with varying degrees of cringeworthy naming that cover the city’s shame like a cheap Band-Aid. In those houses, it’s tornado season coming and most people are standing outside predicting,

hoping and watching the clouds roll by because they simply have nowhere else to go. It’s the forced lack of privacy in homes that are 70 feet long and have just a few rooms with thin cardboard-like walls.

It’s having a home, your home, called a “trailer” and the city putting up evergreens to disguise the wound in their city’s upstanding pride. For explaining that, no, you can’t just hook your house up to a truck and drive away. Your house isn’t a trailer. It’s mobile, but just barely.

It’s putting up with “white trash” stereotypes and derogatory remarks, then trying to come home and feel like that’s where your heart is supposed to be.

For me, it was striving to overcome the lowbrow stereotypes of the uneducated, uncouth trailer

park resident. It was looking down on my neighbors and telling white lies, keeping my social life locked away from my home life. It was inviting few friends over and even fewer to stay.

As I strove to overcome the stereotype I also wholeheartedly bought into it, typecasting my neighbors into society’s role for them. The belief of “white trash,” of an entire group of people told they are refuse, the scourge of society, due to the actions of the few and their residence. And worse, those people believing it of themselves because their dreams of a mobile home being just a stepping stone into a better life have gone and passed.

I also live in a little blue house with paper thin walls. When the tornado sirens go off I wonder if we finally won’t be lucky anymore.

“

... at the end of the day, we

come home.

And we are not trash.”

We grow orchids outside and can’t seem to get our lilacs to grow - especially after the heat this summer.

We pay taxes and put the recycling out and do dishes and go to school and go to work and at the end of the day, we come home.

And we are not trash.

Master chef

BY OLIVE CARROLLHACH ocarrollhach@wsspaper.com

B

efore me sits an open can of beans and a reheated bowl of rice.

I know a gerbil could make this meal. With enough time, even a colony of ants could carry the beans one by one to the rice and call it dinner. Yet as a fully functioning human, I am full of apprehension at the prospect of fusing just two simple ingredients.

I like to believe that my instincts are trustworthy. I know to avoid the sinister white van, what temperature bathwater should be, 34 OPINION SEPTEMBER 2012

even to tell when a friend needs comfort. Yet when it comes to food preparation, the last thing I should listen to is my gut. For example, the aforementioned beans and rice seemed a little bland. Meal time that night resulted in a soy sauce and salsa soaked disaster.

“To add flavor!” I told my dad as I choked it back, my face contorted into a false smile.

“Mmmmm. You should have had some!”

My ineptitude in the kitchen comes as a perpetual shock to me.

As a small child, I would stand on my tip-toes, passing my mother bowls of tomatoes and vials of spices. I looked on in awe as she would add a pinch of this or that, cock her head and toss in a little more.

Watching her at her work, I assumed that past a certain age every person could “whip up” a decent meal. One day the

knowledge would appear in my head, and bam! Who’s up for souffle? Cooking seemed built into growing up along with a knowledge of street names, the multiplication tables and how to drive a car. Yet as I approach adulthood, the herbs and vegetables in the kitchen remain as tasteless in my hands as the grass in the mud pies I once crafted.

I might be able to stomach my lack of kitchen know-how and be satisfied with cereal and Hot Pockets, were it not for my essential love of all things domestic. Come winter, I sit wrapped in an afghan for hours, knitting like the old woman I am. However, when my stomach begins to grumble, my alter ego splits at the seams. By the time I have clicked off my program and skulked into the pantry, I have shucked my etiquette along with my grasp of technology, coming to closely resemble a neanderthal.

I forage for nuts and grains in the cupboards, perhaps emitting a low growl if an invasive species has consumed the last of the peanut butter.

After wolfing a handful of baby carrots, fruit snacks and a can of tuna, I vow, “Next time, you will eat like a human. You live in a house with running water and a stove, and you will use it if it kills you.”

I know these promises are empty ones, but I can’t help fantasizing about the day my stomach growls and I draw a BLT from thin air, or even a simple omelet. For now, though, I will remain seated on the floor of the kitchen with a spoonful of peanut butter in hand, confident that while it may be a step backwards, I am going where no chef has gone before.

{DESIGN BY HANNAH MUELLERLEILE}

PHOTO BY//HANNAH MUELLERLEILE

In high spirits

BY MEGUMI KITAMOTO

PAGE DESIGN BY//HANNAH MUELLERLEILE

Above: The student section, including Ally Disterhoft ’13, Jayne Heinrich ’13, Rachael Mysnyk ’13, Justin Baker ’13 and Jonah Pouleson ’13 show their colors cheering for the football team.

PHOTO BY//HANNAH MUELLERLEILE

mkitamoto@wsspaper.com

I

t’s a Friday night home game at West High. It’s a Monday volleyball game in the gym. Bright lights illuminate the football field or the volleyball court, where players in green and gold play their hardest. In the benches near the game, those same colors dominate the stands. As West scores, there is a big roar. That is the West High student section. They are always ready to cheer their school on with spirit, in green and gold.

PHOTO BY// FRANK WEIRICH

Below: Between sets, the girls volleyball team gives high fives to keep spirits high.

Left: Tailgating at a students home, Tyus Adkins ‘14 plays a round of bags before the game.

PHOTO BY//ERIN WEATHERS

Above: The student section dances as West wins 62-37 against Cedar Rapids Washington.

Right: Michaela Recker ’13 cheers on the girls volleyball team.

PHOTO BY//ERIN WEATHERS

Answers: 1. Stained glass, 2. Sponge, 3. Marching band shoes, 4. Golf cart pedal, 5. Photo of Theodore Roosevelt on top floor, 6. Drum

5 6 3 4 1 2 Can you guess what each zoomed in photo is?

A closer look at West High

{DESIGN BY KATIE MONS}

PHOTOS BY//ERIN WEATHERS