WESTSIDESTORY IOWA CITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL
2901 MELROSE AVE.
A MATTER OF
IOWA CITY, IA 52246
P R I N C I PA L After 31 years as principal of West, Dr. Jerry Arganbright will retire but his impact will be remembered.
PAGES 24-27
WSSPAPER.COM
VOLUME 44 ISSUE 1
APRIL 10, 2015
A tradition of excellence for 31 years
DR. ARGANBRIGHT
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Director Katy Nahra observes the cast of Cinderella while they practice the royal ball scene. The productions will take place on April 16-18.
Photo by CHANEL VIDAL
NEWS | 8-9 | Media Motives
|22-23| aFeature Look into
Islamophobia at west
Is the Press-Citizen more aptly titled the “WestCitizen?” Are both comprehensive area high schools covered equally in the local media?
For more coverage visit,
WSS asks Muslim students about their experiences with Islamophobia and how to change the public’s perception of Islam.
entertainment |28-29| Out of context
SPORTS |38-39| spirit shortage
Read how texting is, or isn’t, destroying written expression among teenagers and how it is affecting students in academic writing and day-to-day conversation.
Glancing at the student section, athletes have noticed a lack of support from their peers. WSS investigates the way our students support our athletic teams.
wsspaper.com
wss staff
cover PHOTO By Madie Miller
Aaron Carter Sports Editor Akash Borde Editorials Editor Allie Biscupski Writer Avery Smith Videographer Barbara Badovinac Videographer Benjamin Bliven Writer Braedyn Dochterman Artist Brittani Langland Editor-in-chief Cameron Cook Writer Chanel Vidal Photographer Claire Murray Designer Consuelo Mendoza Writer Christina Dai Writer Danetta Dobre Writer Ebony McKeever Writer
Eleanor Ho Writer Eugenia Chen Assistant Design Editor Gabby Skopec Sidebar/Sports Editor Hannah Song Artist Isabelle Robles Copy Editor Jaycie Weathers Design Editor Jiung Jung Writer Kai Gui Web Programmer Katarina Fuhrmeister Designer Katie Peplow Feature Editor Kelsey Keranen Artist, Columns/Copy Editor Lauren Knudson Profiles/Web Editor Layla Hannaford Videographer Leola Eko Writer Lexi Shaffer Writer
APRIL
Lily Westemeyer Designer, Writer Lushia Anson Copy/Web Editor Madie Miller Photo Editor Maggie Terry Writer Mary Mondanaro Photographer McKenna Harris Designer Megumi Kitamoto Managing/Social Media Editor Michael Moonjely Entertainment Editor Miriam Perez Photographer Morgan Schmitt-Morris Designer Nick Deerberg Photographer Olivia Read News Editor Ryo Ohashi Designer, Writer Paige Brazina Photographer Sara Whittaker Adviser Schyler Davis Tech support Shanthi Chackalackal Artist, Writer Sharon Xiang Archivist, Circulation Manager Simran Sarin Assistant Design Editor Taylor Libby Designer Zayetzy Luna Business Editor
wsspaper.com APRIL 2015 Table of contents 3
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Looking for an update on the search for the new principal? Check out wsspaper.com for updates.
for more
coverage visit
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WEST HIGH WEEKLY
Stay up to date with what is going on at West High with West High Weekly, posted online every Wednesday.
MUSICAL COVERAGE
WSS interviews the leads of the musical Cinderella which will be performed April 16-18. PA I D
A DV E RT I SE M E N T:
U N I V E R SI T Y
O F
I O WA
S T U DY
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DESIGN BY LAUREN KNUDSON
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NEWS HOPE YOU CAN DO THIS WELL Audrey Hopewell recieves perfect SAT score. Less than 0.025 percent of high school seniors in the United States who take the SAT get a perfect score. One of them walks the halls of West High— Audrey Hopewell ’15 received a score of 2400, after taking the test on Dec. 6. “At first I was kind of in shock, but when I realized what was happening it was pretty exciting. I screamed a little and my parents thought I had seen a spider, so they were pleasantly surprised when I told them what had actually happened,” Hopewell said. On test day, Hopewell started her morning off by getting coffee at Java House with her father. It is one of her test day traditions. Along with that, she made sure to get a good amount of sleep the night before. “The most important thing for me is feeling relaxed on test day,” Hopewell said. She credits most of her success to the work she did in school, rather than any outside practice. “Doing practice in class essays and FRQs in AP psychology and AP English helped me a lot. Take those seriously,” Hopewell said. Local artist Hani Elkadi, father of student Nina Elkadi '18, drew five sketches of Dr. Arganbright during an administrative meeting last year. The final watercolor and ink drawing you see took Elkadi two hours to complete. "We all probably agree that he is a legendary leader. I like his loyalty and homage to [West]. I am not disclosing a secret to mention the countless opportunities he had refused to move to a higher position somewhere else. His home [was at] West High..and nowhere else,” Elkadi said. COMPilED by Michael Moonjely
BY THE NUMBERS
15 31 91
COMPilED by Maggie Terry
math team state titles years that Dr. Arganbright has been principal at West dollars to take an AP Exam this year
WEST SIDE WORD: COMPilED by EBony McKeever
THROWING SHADE (verb) PHOTO by NICK DEERBERG COMPilED bybRITTANI brittani LanglaNd COMPilED by lANGLAND
the act of being so condescending or rude towards someone that it seems to cast a shadow over everything in sight.
STUDENTS PREPARE DRESSES FOR HAITI This summer, students will be going on Mission Starfish Haiti to assist and provide educational opportunities to children in Gonaives, Haiti. However, the volunteer work does not just start when they arrive; students have been working this trimester to sew dresses for children in need. Biology teacher Jenifer Secrist will be traveling to Haiti with students to deliver these dresses. “It was [Southeast FCS teacher] Beth Long’s decision to take me up on the idea of sewing for the kids in Haiti,” Secrist said. “We will be travelling to Haiti in July giving these dresses to the children at the school.” The mission is open to donations
so they are able to get the materials needed to sew dresses and bring other necessities on the trip. “This money is used for special projects, camp materials, feeding the poor and opportunities to empower the people of Haiti,” Secrist said. Still, Secrist believes it is not just the materials they bring that make the trip; instead, it is the feeling they spread. “We have learned that things do not create happiness,” Secrist said. “I have met some of the poorest children in the Western Hemisphere who have shared the most abundant happiness and love with me.” COMPilED by Olivia Read
TEAR OFF COVER TO REVEAL POSTER *Tear front and back cover off together.
6 News April 2015 wsspaper.com
DESIGN BY OLIVIA READ
wsspaper.com APRIL 2015 aDS 7
NEWS
THE
FIGHT
FOR THE
FRONT PAGE Lately, conversation between West and City students has sprung up on social media regarding the representation of both schools in the media, specifically in the PressCitizen. WSS gave students from both schools and reporters from the Press-Citizen a chance to back up their assertions.
T
he rivalry between West and City dates back over 40 years. Since then, both schools have been covered in the newspaper for sports, clubs and academic achievements. But recently, has West High been portrayed in a better light than its crosstown rival? According to some Little Hawks, this assertion is true. “At City High, the Press-Citizen has come to be known as the ‘West-Citizen,’” said senior and class president at City Cora Bern-Klug, “We find [the coverage] to be very unequal.” Paige Harken ’18 of West agrees. “I believe with every fiber of my being that the media is biased towards West High and doesn’t equally represent both schools in their publishings ... The local media outlets don’t cover as many sporting events, achievements and students from City as they do for West.” Bern-Klug says the local media often exaggerates small fights and skirmishes at City much more frequently than at West. “This kid got in a fight with someone else, and he had the next
hour open so he left to go home, but the headline for the article was something like ‘Huge brawl at City High, victim leaves the scene’ and that wasn’t what had happened at all,” Bern-Klug said. In addition, Bern-Klug believes that both schools should receive similar attention in the media, regardless of their performance. “At this level, we’re in the same city and in the same division, same level of schooling,” she said. “We should have equal representation ... City High shouldn’t be put down while West is brought up.” Gabe Gibbens, sophomore at City, agrees with this idea of equal representation for equal schools. “Everyone at City is proud of our school and knows we go to a great school, just like the other great one across town,” he said. “We sometimes feel defeated because no matter how well we do and no matter how positive we are it seems like we are always demeaned by West High and put down, when in reality the schools are for the most part equal.” Press-Citizen K-12 education
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reporter Holly Hines said there is no reason for the newspaper to be biased. “From my perspective in the newsroom, I don’t sense any kind of bias in my fellow staff members. For me, I don’t really have any reason to be biased. I don’t have kids in the district.” Hines said education reporting between the two high schools isn’t an exact science, but a daily process that depends on what other events are going into the newspaper. “We do consider both how newsworthy a story is and how recently we’ve covered it [for] the rivaling schools. We’re certainly not going to ignore a newsworthy story. Just because we wrote a story about West doesn’t mean we aren’t going to write another
by akash borde and isabelle robles
borde.akash@wsspaper.com robles.isabelle@wsspaper.com one [if it is newsworthy].” Like Hines, Tommy Duffy ’16, West boys basketball manager, believes that if a school has done something worth sharing, it ought to be published. In his opinion, this is the case with the amount of coverage West has recently received. “I think that West’s accomplishments do deserve to be recognized … I think that arguing for media equality when there isn’t equality in our accomplishments is just [uncalled for] because of what we’ve done,” he said. “I think that City deserves to have their accomplishments talked about and in the media just as much as West does, but [recently] West has accomplished more [that is newsworthy].”
BY THE NUMBERS
130 145
entries at Press-Citizen online for “City High”
entries at Press-Citizen online for “West High”
From Aug. 2014 to Feb. 2015
STUDENT OPINION Everyone that goes to City is proud of our school and knows we go to a great school, just like the other great one across town. We sometimes feel defeated because no matter how well we do and no matter how positive we are it seems like we are always demeaned by West High and put down, when in reality the schools are for the most part equal.”
-Gabe Gibbens ‘17 City High Student “Every time someone tries to make an argument to me about why West is better than City, they use sports as a way to defend their side of the disagreement. It’s almost like the fact that we have “better sports teams” than City is the only reason people can think of to try to back up their opinion. They don’t take into account their fabulous arts programs, the fact that they’re one of the top schools in Iowa as well, and that they’re all just really nice people.
-Paige Harken ‘18 West High Student
West High is definitely better at sports this year than City High and has been for a while. At this level, we’re in the same city and in the same division, same level of schooling ... we should have equal representation ... City High shouldn’t be put down while West is brought up.”
-Cora Bern-Klug ‘15 City High Student
“I think that arguing for media equality when there isn’t equality in our accomplishments is just [uncalled for] because of what we’ve done ... I think that City deserves to have their accomplishments talked about and in the media just as much as West does, but [recently] West has accomplished more [that is newsworthy].
-Tommy Duffy ‘16 West High Student DESIGN BY LILY WESTEMEYER
wsspaper.com APRIL 2015 NEWS 9
PROFILES The eSports club features some of the best gaming talent around the state. Gamers from all grades enjoy games such as “League of Legends,” “Hearthstone,” “Counterstrike” and “Super Smash Bros.” While some gamers game for pure enjoyment, others take it more seriously and go to competitions. WSS interviewed some of the prime time gamers featured in eSports club. COMPilED by Kai Gui and Jiung Jung
Michael Cho ’17 West Side Story: What game would you consider your specialty? Why? Michael Cho: My main game would have to be “Hearthstone.” For a card game, it has a lot of things that somebody has to learn to have any sort of skill. On top of it all, it’s a very simple and fun game to play and learn. WSS: If you could be any video game character, which would you be? MC: I’d have to say I’m like Gragas, kind of a big guy always happy and ready to charge in. Or Yoshi, kind of loud, happy, and jumpy. WSS: Who’s your video game character crush? MC: My video game crush was always Peach or Samus Aran. I also really like Lucina from “Fire Emblem Awakening” but not really a crush.
Anu Tiwari ’16 West Side Story: What’s your favorite game and why? Anu Tiwari: “Bioshock Infinite.” The intense historical detail put into creating a fascist American dystopia makes the game very intriguing. WSS: If you could be any video game character, what would you be? AT: I would be Jeremiah Fink, because the world needs strong, powerful individuals to pave the road forward. WSS: Who’s your video game crush? AT: No video game crush; I keep my focus on reality where the choices are all the more entertaining. WSS: What’s your gamertag? Why? AT: Ecclesial Rabbit, because cool adjective and decent noun.
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If it’s league specific I’m really into Katarina and Jinx, I guess I have a thing for crazy girls. WSS: What’s your gamertag? Why? MC: My gamertag for “Hearthstone” is currently Sentoki. One of my closest friends at the time, David Wang, owned a rabbit and it was the cutest thing ever and ever since then I’ve always wanted a rabbit, unfortunately I never could so I made my username mountain rabbit in Korean which is Sentoki.
Jacob Nishimura ’16 West Side Story: What game would you consider your specialty and why? Jacob Nishimura: [My specialty is] “Super Smash Bros” melee. I don’t spend much time on the computer playing “League of Legends” anymore. “Smash” has better single player and one versus one play. My favorite part is the amount of mind games and skill that go into the game. Each time you play well, you know there is a bunch of room to improve. WSS: If you could be any video game character, which would you be? JN: As a character, being a Pokemon trainer would be awesome. There are many huge regions to explore and many opportunities to battle and test your strength WSS: What’s your gamertag? Why? JN: My tag is dumb. It’s JohnLaurain. Sounded cool and debonair as a ten year old. Apparently John Laurain is a real life person in Mississippi.
Christian Zirbes ’16 West Side Story: What’s your favorite game and why? Christian Zirbes: [My favorite game is] “Counterstrike,” because it’s fun and you get a rush. The people you meet online can be extremely funny also. WSS: If you could be any video game character, which would you be? CZ: If I was a video game character I’d be Ash from Pokemon. I grew up with that show and I think it’s pretty cool just running around with your friends beating everyone you come across with mutant animals. WSS: What’s your gamertag? Why? CZ: My gamertag is Xianz, because one time in the car my best friend Zeke’s dad asked me if I ever signed my name Xian, because they replaced “christ” in Christmas with an X turning it into Xmas. So I was like, ‘Hey! That’s pretty unique!’ and from there on out I’ve gone by Xianz.
DESIGN BY MORGAN SCHMITT-MORRIS
art by hannah song
photos by miriam perez
wsspaper.com April 2015 profiles 11
PROFILES COLORS club prepares for
Day of Silence on Friday, April 17.
S E IN L E H T E ID S T U O COLORING
12 PROFILES April 2015 wsspaper.com
photo by chanel vidal
by Lushia Anson AND Kelsey Keranen
anson.lushia@wsspaper.com keranen.kelsey@wsspaper.com
S
tudents mingle or sit cross-legged on top of desks and chat idly as students drift in until COLORS club leader Ryan Hansen ’15 calls the meeting to order. The atmosphere is casual and welcoming as students gather in a circle to discuss anything that comes to mind--current events, books or even dreams.“It’s like family, basically,” said Kayla Shader ’18. “We’re all talking and sitting around together. It’s all very calm and happy and fun.” The COLORS club is not one that is entirely unknown to the student population; most trojans are familiar with this seasoned club that spreads awareness about LGBT issues. However, not all students may have an explicit understanding of what goes on at the club. The club is currently busy preparing for upcoming events, such as the annual Day of Silence, the Governor’s Conference and have met with legislators to discuss LGBT issues such as a ban on conversion therapy. In addition, the club is planning and raising awareness for the Day of Silence, which will be on April 17. Students may elect to stay silent for the entire school day and wear stickers that show their support for the LGBT community. “I think that the day of silence is such a great opportunity to raise awareness that there are people that have to hide their true selves or have to pretend to be something they’re not and it’s just a great way to have people walk past you and say ‘Oh, I wonder why that person’s silent,’ and then that gets them thinking and they ask questions and that’s what the whole purpose is, to get people to ask questions and raise awareness,” said Jacob Heid ’16. “I think that this year has a little bit more of a serious connotation. Last year, the day of silence was still serious and to raise awareness, but last year people had rainbow color duct tape to add a sort of special ‘Oh, fun,’ to the situation. This year, I think it’s more hollowed, like we’re doing a very
DESIGN BY TAYLOR LIBBY
important thing by raising awareness.” Another big project for the club is advocating for a gender-neutral bathroom at West High. “One thing that colors is trying to do is get gender-neutral bathrooms, or at least just one bathroom that’s gender-neutral,” said Ann Kovoor ’18, a COLORS member. “We’re talking to the administration about it, and hopefully that works out.” Hansen drew a chart on the SMART board, listing arguments for the addition of a genderneutral bathroom, and rebuttals for argument against its addition. The bathroom would not involve any construction; a girls’ bathroom in a prominent location would simply be switched to a gender-neutral bathroom, which would be open for anybody of any gender orientation to use. “Nobody’s going to notice if we just switch a sign,” Hansen said while presenting the arguments. “Five years from now, nobody’s going to care.” Although COLORS often tackles serious topics and subjects, the atmosphere of the club is decidedly upbeat and warm, the small gathering of a diverse array of students discussing movies and TV shows and bubbling over with laughter. “It’s a great environment; everyone is so open and accepting and it’s just a great place [where] people can share stories and people will have experiences that will relate to it, and we’ll give them advice or we’ll band together and help that person through their experience … It’s a very safe place, and that’s why it’s such a great place [to be],”
Heid said. Shader agrees, adding that the club has helped her in staying true to her identity. “It’s helped me to be more self confident, because if people asked me if I was gay I would usually have no comment to it, but now I’m like, oh, yeah, whatever,” Shader said. As Shader noted, the club not only bring to light topics of LGBT interest within the community, but also helps individuals who are coming to terms with sexual orientation and gender identity. “There was one week that we had where we talked about coming out and there was this girl that came out to us as being bisexual and it was the first time she had told anyone … It was just great because people went up to her and and hugged her and we told her that it was okay and that she’s a great person and she should be proud and happy with who she is. It really helped her and everyone just felt a great sense of community and it was a great time,” Heid recalled. Ultimately, COLORS is more than an ordinary, run-of-the-mill high school club; the members of COLORS actively pursue making changes at the school and in the community, and is not necessarily limited to members or close allies of the LGBT community.
““It’s a great environment;
everyone is so open and accepting.” -Jacob Heid ‘16
wsspaper.com April 2015 PROFILES 13
PROFILES
by MEGUMI KITAMOTO
kitamoto.megumi@wsspaper.com The lights dim in the West High auditorium. A spotlight hits the stage. They may seem like insignificant actions to the audience, but that is Daniel Dagle ’15’s job. Dagle, who is working with the crew on his ninth and final Theatre West production, serves as the lights crew chief. “[Through theatre], I’ve made a lot more friends. Doing lights has given me good leadership skills, and it’s a lot of fun to work on the catwalks,” Dagle said. However, Theatre West did not provide him with his first theatrical experience. He acted when he
was younger, but he “would actually prefer tech because people who work on tech are pretty similar, and I think I fit in well,” Dagle said. Dagle went backstage for the first time in 2008 for a community theatre production of Grease. “I did lights for the first time because they needed help with the spotlights,” Dagle said. However, he was not the first in his family to get involved with theatre. His sister Elizabeth Dagle ’11 was an active theatre member, and Dagle’s mother Becky is the costume crew chief for Theatre West. “We’ve always had a close relationship and theatre has given us a common thread, especially as he got older. I’ve volunteered for a
1 2000
DANIEL DAGLE ’15
in
lot of activities he is involved with, [and] theatre is something we can do together,” Becky said. Dagle’s favorite Theatre West memory is not as the lights crew chief, but from Beauty and the Beast, his first show. After high school, Dagle intends to attend Iowa State University to study engineering. Although he would like to “enjoy theatre as a hobby through community theatre,” his passion for math and science has helped him in theatre as well. “Since [lights] has a spreadsheet to see where everything goes, it’s a lot easier to visualize where things will go,” Dagle said.
PHOTO by MADIE MILLER
SOFIA PEREZ ’17 by CHANEL VIDAL
vidal.chanel@wsspaper.com
invite you to callbacks,’” Perez said. Those who got called to callbacks were auditioning for some of the bigger roles. “I was like, ‘how cool would it be to be the magic mirror?’ I wasn’t thinking lead roles,” said Perez. A week later, Perez got the longawaited e-mail. “I was in the newspaper room and when I got the email and it was like ‘You’re Snow White’ and I was freaking out, it was so exciting and it was just awesome,” Perez said. Those few words were capable of making Perez happier than ever. Once the show was over, Perez was happy to see all of the smiles she put on the faces of those in the audience; especially little girls who adore princesses. “I liked seeing them smile, and knowing that I did that was a really great feeling,” said
Everyone has hidden talents. Some find out they’re able to bend their tongue in weird ways, or lick their elbow. Sofia Perez ’17’s hidden talent is a bit more exciting than that. Perez auditioned for Nolte’s production of Snow White and got the lead role. Perez’s newfound talent in acting and singing lead her to great things and exciting experiences. Perez’s lack of experience with singing and acting did not scare her away from auditioning for the musical. Perez was very excited to get involved with something she loves, but she was not expecting to get the lead role. “I was thinking, like, tree number seven, but then they emailed me and they were like ‘we would like to 14 PROFILES APRIL 2015 wsspaper.com
Perez. Music is innate in Perez, who can identify notes by ear. This talent was more than helpful through the whole process of the play. “I just kind of did the whole show by ear. They would plunk it out on the piano and I would listen to it and then put the pieces together and sing the song,” Perez said. Even Perez’s supportive friends thought she was a natural on stage. Leah Rhodes ’17 and Perez share a mutual interest in musical theatre. “I was really impressed with her performance. And it seemed like she had been [acting] for forever, but it was only her first [performance],” Rhodes said. Perez would like to continue acting as a hobby and work on her performing skills. Theatre will be a big part of Perez’s life.
PHOTOS by PAIGE BRAZINA DESIGN BY CLAIRE MURRAY
MADDIE FLETCHER ’16 by SHANTHI CHackalackal
chackalackal.shanthi@wsspaper.com Maddie Fletcher ’16 may seem quiet and shy at first glance; however, she is also a passionate and determined dancer. “Once you get to know her, she is high-energy and very fun to be around,” said Mitchell Boxwell ’16, a friend of Fletcher. Fletcher channels much of that energy through dancing. Since third grade she’s been dancing with Kate Carol and Company, learning ballet, jazz and tap. “I really enjoy it because it relaxes me and allows me to express myself,” Fletcher said. “Plus, it’s great exercise.” Fletcher’s dancing career was suddenly interrupted in fourth grade. “When I was nine, I had to have a liver transplant,” Fletcher said.
“One day my liver failed unexpectedly from a genetic disorder and I was immediately taken to a medical center in Omaha, Nebraska. It happened so fast. I was on the transplant list for only a day until they found a liver for me. I was lucky to have gotten one so quickly because I was only going to live for two or three more days.” Having to deal with a serious health issue at such a young age scared Fletcher, but it has made her a more active advocate for organ donations. Although she will have to be on medication for the rest of her life, she is grateful that she was able to get a donation. “Not everyone is as lucky as I am, so I always encourage people to sign up to be an organ donor because someone may need it like I did,” she said.
BRAD DILEO ’18 by BRITTANI LANGLAND
langland.brittani@wsspaper.com Raising a total of 1,400 dollars, Brad DiLeo ’18 was the top fundraiser for West High School’s Dance Marathon, or WHSDM. By using social media, he was able to collect donations from family and friends and spread the word about childhood cancer. This will be DiLeo’s second year participating in WHSDM, and he plans on being involved with it all four years at West. “I thought it was really cool how they put Flash up on the big screen, so he could see everyone,” DiLeo said. However, WHSDM isn’t the only club DiLeo is involved with. He is also a member of Best Buddies, a group dedicated to making friendships with students who have in-
tellectual and developmental disabilities. His interest with these friendships started in junior high, and continued to high school when he saw the club’s booth at the club fair. “My favorite part about Best Buddies is that the buddies are so funny, and we get to do a lot of things together. Like a couple weeks ago, we went bowling. I like having fun with them,” DiLeo said. Another important passion of his lies in the sport of tennis. Because his whole family plays, he was able to start at a young age. He will be a member of the boys varsity tennis team this year, but he isn’t nervous. He already knows the team from being in the tennis community for so long. His brother, David DiLeo ’15, will also be on the team with him. “I’ve always thought being on a
team would be really fun, so I am excited,” DiLeo said. Similar to his experience with joining the tennis team, DiLeo was not nervous to start high school. This is because both his mother, guidance counselor Kay DiLeo, and his brother are at West with him. “It is wonderful to have both of my sons here at West with me. I try and let them have their space but they know that if they need anything from me that I am in the building, which makes it very convenient for them,” said Kay DiLeo. Brad would like to attend the University of Northern Iowa, and become an elementary teacher when he grows up. One of his role models is English teacher Sarah Heenan. “Ms. Heenan inspires me because she always has fun when she teaches, and plays games, and that’s the kind of teacher I want to be,” Brad said.
wsspaper.com April 2015 PROFILES 15
FEATURE
SPRING FEVER COMPilED by Jaycie weathers and Eleanor ho
The ground is a beautiful slush of mud, sand and leftover snow. The wind whips your hair into a tangly mess with every trip from your car to the school. You may even make the bold decision to wear short sleeves despite the slightly above freezing temperatures. What am I describing? Spring in Iowa, of course. And as Iowans, we take this much-needed spring to get out and adventure around the city. Reporters Eleanor and Jaycie accompanied three students as they broke their winter routine with their favorite springtime activities.
1 DOG PARK
W
e’re at the Thornberry Dog Park with Emily Reasoner ’15 and her pure white husky, Kobi. It’s the first warm day of the year, and the dog park is filled with canines and their owners welcoming change from the bitter cold. Reasoner, Jaycie and I take a stroll around the park, following the small paved walkway. “I usually come every two weeks when it’s warm,” Reasoner tells us
Emily Reasoner ’15 runs after her dog, Kobi, at Thornberry Dog Park on March 10. LEFT: The pair takes a moment to pose for a photo before leaving the park for the evening. Photos by mary mondanaro
as we watch Kobi chase the other dogs around. She keeps calling Kobi over to us to keep him out of trouble. However, we end up with a confused, but sweet dog named Chloe running over to us as well. As we continue circling the park, I ask Reasoner what her favorite part of the dog park is. “Just watching the dogs play; seeing what they do when they have the opportunity to roam free,” is her reply. We do just that, relaxing on a bench as dogs
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gather around puddles from the melting snow and owners gather in little groups. While we sit on the bench, we take the opportunity to talk more about the dog park. While Jaycie and I are distracted, Reasoner still keeps a close eye on her dog. “Right now he’s following some stranger,” she says, the three of us laughing. We see all sorts of dogs, from a tiny yorkie the size of a cantaloupe
to a friendly, photobombing fluff ball of a collie. According to Reasoner, this type of diversity is common. “At one point, I’ve seen forty dogs,” she recounts. That’s how the rest of the afternoon goes, passing by with easy conversation, pleasant weather, and the sight of happy dogs playing with one another.
DESIGN BY KATIE PEPLOW
2
FROLFING
Hugen looks on as Mentz completes the hole with a short toss. LEFT: Jacob Mentz ’15 and Hank Hugen ’15 search for the perfect discs before their frisbee golf game March 10.
Photos by jaycie weathers
F
inally, after what seemed like centuries, we were granted a beautiful spring day: sixtyfive and sunny with a slight breeze. Eleanor and I accompanied Jacob Mentz ’15 and Hank Hugen ’15 on a frolfing outing. Not sure what that means? Neither did I. It’s a combination of the words “frisbee” and “golfing” which I think is fitting for the relaxed nature of the sport. Basically, you throw a frisbee at a “hole,” essentially a metal wire
basket with hanging chains to catch the frisbees, and whoever finishes the course in the least amount of tosses wins the game. Mentz began frolfing his sophomore year when his cousin invited him to play with him, and the hobby took off from there. “[My] junior year, Justin Barry ’14 and I actually played a couple of times during the winter, which was really fun. Hank [Hugen] and Peter [Murry ’15] also came,”
Mentz reminisces. For me, playing in the spring was difficult enough, proving the amount of practice that is necessary to play this sport. Hugen’s favorite spot is called Turkey Creek which is near the Coralville reservoir. He talked about meeting people on courses, describing frolfing as a very social and laid-back activity. “I got into frisbee golfing when a couple of my lifeguard friends liked to go a lot, and then I started going with them
GREENHOUSE
O
3
n a Sunday afternoon in March, we met up with Rachel Weeks ’16 as she showed us around a special greenhouse hangout. “I like the smell. It’s fresh and springy even when outside isn’t,” she said semi-jokingly. We are at Pleasant Valley Flower Shoppe off of Gilbert St. and I can’t help but agree with her. The air felt refreshingly floral and the humidity
Photo by mary mondAnaro Rachel Weeks ’16 examines her options while buying plants at Pleasant Valley Flower Shoppe on March 8.
a couple times a week after work just to relax and then I got kind of into it and started going with Jacob,” Hugen remembers. Although I’m not a star frolfer yet, I can say I enjoyed my time hanging out with Hugen and Mentz. I can definitely see why this is their activity of choice; the proximity to nature, the strategy of the game and time well spent with in good company.
was a welcomed change from the outdoors. For Weeks, the greenhouse reminds her of fond childhood memories. “My mom used to come here when we were little to buy flowers and so now I come and buy her flowers,” she said. We walked up and down every aisle and inspected the plants. Although many were not flowering, I found the small green sprouts just as nice, enjoying the relaxed environment. “I’m really into cacti. I think they’re really cool and easy to maintain, so it’s fun to have those around the house,” Weeks notes, looking at the collection of succulents. “They’re like a great pair of shoes [because they go with anything].” Somehow, I understand what she’s saying perfectly, as I became attached to several small succulents. Finally deciding that I’m not responsible enough to care for a plant, I set my small potted friend down.
wsspaper.com april 2015 feature 17
FEATURE
EXCELLENCE STEMS FROM WEST “We prepare research for the essays and practice math problems,” terry.maggie@wsspaper.com Staskal said. They have ho.eleanor@wsspaper.com biweekly meetings held by Dominic Audia, the teacher of many of the engineering classes. West High’s JETS team has been rocketing its At a recent competition, way to success this year. JETS or Junior Engiover twenty students neering Technical Society, is a program that went to Kirkwood to take encourages students to pursue engineering the test. In the 11/12 catthrough teamwork. egory, the B team and A “It’s a one day conference for engineering inteam came in first and terestsecond respectively. ed and In the 9/10 catego- PHOTO FROM DOMINIC AUDIA oriented ry, the yellow team students “It’s a one day conference came in first place, to go the green team in third place and the orange through this program. It is organized through for engineering interested to,” said team in fourth place. the national TSA TEAMS program. This year’s O r i o n and oriented students” Sometimes practical portions are included theme is The Power of Engineering. Staskal -Orion Staskal ‘17 in competitions for fun. At a recent compe- “You can make it to nationals, at which point ’17. Stutition, students were asked to build a wind you would go to Washington D.C. You don’t dents go to competitions which consist of two turbine using cardboard, paper and masking know until everyone in the state and nation have parts; a multiple choice math test and an essay tape. While not a part of the official competi- taken it then they release the results,” Staskal portion. Teams work together to answer the tion, students had fun applying their knowledge said. However, results have yet to be released. questions using knowledge of math and science. to a practical purpose. The competition is open to all grade levels with Teamwork is the big emphasis in the competiScholarships opportunities are available a special category for junior high. tions, as well as preparation for the main event.
BY MAGGIE TERRY AND ELEANOR HO
JETS
STEM CENTER
The University of Iowa is planning on building ties for engineering classes and will change the a STEM center with programs for high schools existing programs at West and City,” said Scott students. This program would be for high school Kahler, an engineering teacher at West. students from all across the state who apply to be Students would live in the dorms at the univera part of the program. sity and much of the classes would be preparaMain classes include those focused on science, tion for entering a lab intensive college path. The math and engineering and center is expected to take students would have the in about fifteen to thirty opportunity to take classes “The STEM center will offer students living there full at the university for coltime for the first year or so more opportunities” lege credit as well as online but, would grow over time. -Mr. Kahler AP classes. There will also be engiConflict about funding has delayed the open- neering and technical programs offered for local ing of the center which was initially expected to high school students. The district is prepared to open in 2015. However in January the state lege- pay tuition for 200 students to attend programs strateur decided to award a $150,000 grant to be at the center. Buses would take students to and divided among five science inactive programs. from West and City to the center for classes. This was one of the programs included so it is The partnership with Kirkwood allows students hoped the additional funds will allow the center to earn both high school and college credit at the to open sooner. same time. Students can enroll in engineering Many teachers are excited about the center. and technical programs. While the opening of “The STEM center will offer more opportuni- the center has been delayed indeterminately, it is
18 FEATURE APRIL 2015 WSSPAPER.COM
sure t o be an interesting addition to the community when it does.
DESIGN BY EUGENIA CHEN
team was supported by a grant of about $3,500 from the state to begin their work. “S ome obstacles were definitely time, and we also PHOTO FROM DOMINIC IANNONE had to learn to stay focused. We would find one problem, discuss, start to fix it and then all of a sudden we The First Tech Challenge robotics team is new were on a whole different problem,” said Khuat West High this year. Composed shi Kapoor of eleven students, all underclass’18, the men, and coached by social studies “Our team consisted of great, i n c o m i n g teacher Dominic Iannone and Rockteam capwell-Collins engineer Mike Pownell, hardworking people” tain for the the team began work in the fall. sea-Khushi Kapoor ‘18 next “Students were responsible for all son. “Many design decision, construction, game strategy, of us were [involved in other activities]. This and software. They had to learn basic engineer- caused time shortages when we would need ing principles, how to write code, and how to those few extra practices.” But despite some wire up all the electronics,” Iannone said. The obstacles, the team managed to pull through to
FTC ROBOTICS
regionals. “Our team consisted of great, hardworking people and I think that played a big role in our success,” said Kapoor. The team was ranked fifth out of 22 teams at the Regional Tournament in February. “Competitions start with hardware and software inspection, where judges make sure our robot fits the requirements, size, materials and correct parts,” Kapoor said. Judges then do a test run for the robot. After one final check of batteries, motors and screws, the competition begins. While the FTC team was cut short of their goal of making it to the state level, they won the Control Award for exceptional programming. Additionally, Jared Termini ’17 was a finalist for the Dean’s Award. His name will be passed up to the national level for consideration. But even with the success the FTC achieved, team members look forward to higher honors next year. “For next year I would love to make it to state and move on from there as well. I would also like to reach out to our community as well as our student body by going to elementary schools to do demos so that future students can test run our robots,” Kapoor said.
FRC ROBOTICS The Iowa City robotics team or Children of the Corn is a joint engineering effort between City and West students. It is described as “A year round program for students from both West High and City High that come together to design and build a robot that solves a problem given to us by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology).” said team members, Nathan Lange ’15, Joshua Kwok ’17, Joe Crooks, Kaz Smith ’15 and Ian Wallace ’17. Cross town rivals spend six weeks working together to build a robot, meeting three times a week. Once the build period is done, they are not permitted to even take the robot out of the bag until the competition. Competitions involve 60 teams coming together for three days of robotics. “Each team bringing around 15-20 members all PHOTO BY CHANEL VIDAL dressed up and ready to cheer on their team, some even bring their own mascots” said Lange, Kwok, Crooks, Smith on how quickly and how well they accomplish and Wallace. The first day of a compe- these tasks and the points determine rankings. tition is By the time the third day reser ved rolls around, the qualification for prac- “Our team is diverse and meets finish and it comes to tice with the elimination rounds based on teams robot. focused, but we also have fun” the rankings. The second “The competition is stress-Team 167 day begins the ful, but very exciting. Lots qualification matches. Students use their robots of work.” said Lange, Kwok, Crooks, Smith and to accomplish tasks such as moving objects and Wallace. building ramps. They are awarded points based The team recently traveled to Milwaukee for
their first competition of the season. Despite being ranked 48th out of 60 teams after the first round, the team persevered and ended up making it to quarterfinals before being knocked out of the competition. They have another competition coming up later this month in Minneapolis. Despite the team being made of students from two different schools the students work well together. “Our team is diverse and focused, but we also have fun and try not to be excessively serious or stressful.” said Lange, Kwok, Crooks, Smith and Wallace. WSSPAPER.COM APRIL 2015 FEATURE 19
FEATURE
MEET THE CAST OF
THEATRE WEST’S
CINDERELLA
FAIRY GODMOTHER MADISON VOIGT’ 15
“I guess it’s not always about the people who help you, but sometimes you just have to discover how to help yourself. [The fairy godmother] helps Cinderella discover how strong she is and how she can do things by herself.”
CINDERELLA ANNIKA JOHANNSEN ’15 “I’m hoping there will be a lot of a little kids at the show. I remember being younger and seeing the movies of the princess and totally in awe of all of that. The main message [of the musical] is that you need to be treated with kindness and respect and no matter how [many] harsh criticisms you receive, and I think we need to show that message to the kids more than anybody.”
JOY STEPSISTER
STEPMOTHER
“My character is Joy, one of the stepsisters, and she doesn’t really know what’s going on. She has a really obnoxious laugh with a snort at the end and she gets really nervous around [the prince]. My favorite part about that is that I get to be really weird … and it’s fun because I’m really good friends with the other stepsister, so we get to be on stage and be really silly.”
“I want [the audience] to know that I’m really wacky because my character [in Cinderella is] really crazy … she is really flamboyant and out there. I’m kind of like the stepmother because I’m really goofy, and it will be fun to have the audience see that crazy side of me.”
PiIPER WENZEL’16
ASHLYNN DALE ’16
PRINCE CHRISTOPHER NOAH TIEGS ’16 “I grew up in a theatre household, [since] my dad directed a lot of theater when I was a kid. So when I got to high school I decided to try this theatre thing out, and Cinderella was the next in line. It’s a lot of fun to bring something up from the ground; we are in a community with a lot of opportunities and the people are supportive so that’s awesome.”
LIONEL
THE PRINCE’S ASSISSTANT
AUSTIN WICKE ‘15 “I saw Beauty and the Beast my freshman year, and I was so blown away and once I really got into choir, I knew I was going to try out the next year. I’ve always gone back [to try out for musicals] because they’re so much fun and so interesting.”
COMPilED by MEGUMI KITAMOTO
20 feature april 2015 wsspaper.com
DESIGN BY ALLIE BISCUPSKI
Each spring, Theatre West puts on a musical, and this year’s musical is Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. From people onstage, backstage and in the pit orchestra, the work of all involved is showcased during four shows from April 2325.
GRACE STEPSISTER LEELA BASSUK ’16
“I actually was in the Cinderella in the pit at Nolte this summer, so I got to hear what was happening up above from below. I got some tips from the people who played the stepsisters, so observing them was definitely [helpful].”
ART BY SHANTHI CHACKALACKAL
KING MAXIMILLIAN ZANE LARSON ‘15 “[Cinderella] is tailored towards younger audiences. There is a princess role, but there is a prince role so young boys can enjoy it since there’s a lead role for a guy. The cast is also really big and they’re really good so it’s going to be a great show.”
QUEEN CONSTANTINA EVA MYSNYK ‘15
“I like the love story between the king and queen because when I get married, I want my relationship to be like [them]. You can joke around with them but you clearly love them and have the best intentions for them.”
wsspaper.com april 2015 feature 21
FEATURE
CONSIDER
PEACE:
THE PORTRAYAL OF ISLAM by cameron cook and Sharon xiang cook.cameron@wsspaper.com
xiang.sharon@wsspaper.com
Islamophobia is the prejudice against, hatred towards or fear of Muslims or those perceived to be Muslim and it is something students have experienced. WSS investigates just how prevalent Islamophobia is, why it happens and what can be done to stop it.
F
or many students at West, are thugs, so I’m going to keep my a rat.’ He said, ‘Ha ha, don’t worry, for some Muslims. “I’m a black Muslim, it’s worse it’s not a bomb,’” Elgaali said. religion doesn’t play purse next to me.’” And it’s not just what other people for me than to be a white Muslim. much of a role in others’ Even if they don’t feel as if they’re do; lots of stereotypes So sometimes, I’m afraid to go to a perceptions of him or her. being specifically athave been internal- job interview because I’m afraid I But for some Muslim stu- tacked, many Muslims won’t get the job because ized. Ala dents, their religion– or rather, oth- do feel these unintenI have the hijab on,” said Mohamed er’s attitude toward it– is a constant tional pressures. ’17 feels as Fatima Saeed ’15. factor in their daily lives. “People stare you But why is Islamothough she Most of the discrimination against down. I notice that, but phobia so prevalent in always has Muslims is because of microag- I tend not to look for to be on American society? A gressions, which are everyday ver- reactions,” said another Ruaa Elkhair ’10 2010 Time magazine guard. bal, nonverbal, and environmental graduate, Ruaa Elkhair. survey showed that 28 “I would never say the slights, snubs, or insults, whether “I just go about my day. Sometimes Ala Mohamed ’17 percent of voters beintentional or unintentional, which you just notice some odd stares, so word ‘bomb.’ I would communicate hostile, derogatory, you just kind of assume it’s because never say the word ‘gun’ or any- lieved that Muslims should not be or negative messages to target per- of how you look and stuff like that.” thing like that. I know that saying eligible to be a US Supreme Court sons based solely upon their marWhile most of these microaggres- any of those words would just bring judge and one-third believed that ginalized group membership. sions come in the form of strange on bad things,” Mohamed said. “I Muslims should be prohibited from running for president. “If a black guy walks glances and slips of the don’t like leaving the Many people believe into an elevator, a womtongue, some people house a lot, being a that the media has misan will hide her purse; seem to go out of their Muslim. I’m always scared that someone’s construed the beliefs of it’s kind of an instinct. way to call out Muslims. Islam. It’s a microaggression,” “Once there was a going to come up to “I think the media plays said Doaa Elgaali, a noise, and I thought it me and say something a huge role in showing former West student. was a rat, and I kind of and I’m not going to be how people are,” said “Even though she’s not Doaa Elgaali ’12 looked startled. My pro- able to defend myself as Mohammed Elobeld ’16 Mohammed Elobeid ’16. calling him out, it’s that fessor was like, ‘what’s much as I want to.” Race is also another added factor “The media is only showing the bad thought that, ‘okay, black people wrong?’ and I said, ‘I thought it was
“
Sometimes I’m afraid to go to a job interview because I’m afraid I won’t get the job because I have the hijab on.
22 FEATURE APRIL 2015 wsspaper.com
”
-Fatima Saeed ’15
DESIGN BY KATARINA FUHRMEISTER
side of Islam, not focusing on the good side, which is a lot bigger and better. But they only show the bad people on TV.” The media has also guided Americans to fear Islam. “If I wasn’t a Muslim and you told me a Muslim terrorist [was behind] 9/11, I would automatically judge all Muslims,” said Saeed. “But ... Islam actually means peace in Arabic. There’s a passage in the Koran that comes right after Cain and Abel that says if one person kills another person, it’s as if he killed all of humanity. Another [misconception] is Jihad; jihad is the struggle for each person, not ‘let me shoot everyone who doesn’t believe in my word of God.’ Terrorist is often associated with Muslim, but that’s not true.” Students believe Islamophobia can be fought with education and changes in media coverage on
“
when [other] people don’t go out of their way to learn about Islam.” Elgaali believes that as well, but with the added stipulation that it’s the general American public that needs to be doing the work. “I don’t think that I should go out of my way to teach people and to make sure that people understand that Islam isn’t a violent religion. When I want to learn about other cultures or other people, I go out and do my own research, and I’ll ask around,” she said. “I think if people are genuine and they really want to know if something is right or wrong, whether it’s a religion or a sect, they will go out and they will do the research.” However, change may take more than a personal reevaluation. Students believe that change is possible when Islamophobia ceases to be the status quo. “If you show everyone that Mus-
“
[I] hear that Muslim women are oppressed and I don’t agree with that … Muslim women were able to vote way before [other women]... Prophet Muhammad’s wife was a businesswoman; so we were able to work way before any women were to work. We were able to own land before others were able to. [People] only see the image of Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia has its own rules but they aren’t Koran rules. Like the ‘women can’t drive’ rule? That’s not an Islamic rule, that’s just [Saudi Arabian] law. A lot of scholars say that that’s actually against the religion because [they’re] degrading women.
”
-Fatima Saeed ’15
Islam actually means peace in Arabic. There’s a passage in the Koran that comes right after Cain and Abel that says if one person kills another person, it’s as if he killed all of humanity.
”
-Mohammed Elobeid ’16 Muslims. “Not everyone’s the same. That’s been said about everything; we’re all different and we have to accept our differences,” said Elkhair. “I think Americans should be more open, should understand that not every single person that follows a certain religion acts a certain way.” Saeed believes that people should learn about Islam. “I took Biblical Lit … and it was a surprise … that I was a Muslim in a Bib-Lit class but it’s the Bible; we agree with the Bible, we think Jesus happened too, so why not learn about it? So Muslims go out of their way to learn about other religions,
lims are good using the media, you would basically have a chance to get the information to the people,” Elobeid said. Despite experiencing Islamophobia, Saeed is very proud to be a Muslim. “I make sure when I’m doing something, I say that I’m a Muslim. I don’t want to hide it away … I want my friends to say ‘I know a Muslim girl and she’s not like [the media portrayal of Muslims] at all.”
“
Terrorist itself is just a word. If you see in the news that a Muslim person does something here that kills someone, they’re a terrorist. But if someone from another country did it, they wouldn’t be called that.
”
-Ala Mohamed ’17
“
Islamically speaking, [terrorists] are not considered Muslims. In Islam, you aren’t supposed to kill. If you kill one person, it’s as if you’ve killed all of mankind. It’s one of the major sins.
”
-Doaa Elgaali ’18
wsspaper.com APRIL 2015 FEATURE 23
ART BY BRAEDYN DOCHTERMAN
T
he name Jerry Arganbright
has resonated through the halls of West High for longer than most students can remember. It’s a name that, from the moment students cross the school’s threshold as freshmen, is regarded as a staple,
a piece of the school as much as any layer of foundation or steadfast staircase. It’s all too easy to take for granted something like a name; however, Dr. Arganbright’s recent decision to retire from his position as principal of West High School has given students a much-needed opportunity to reflect on how much more Arganbright has done for the school than offer it a passing reference to his moniker. West Side Story sat down with Dr. A to discuss his time at West and present a rare look into this man’s recollections of all he has seen and done at the school in these past 31 years.
“My first day here was a bit overwhelming … I remember eating lunch with some students the first day just to try to start the process of better knowing the culture and personality of the building, and then find ways that I could help improve the school in whatever ways possible,” said Dr. Jerry Arganbright, reflecting on his beginnings at 2901 Melrose Ave. After this school year, Arganbright will retire as principal. Arganbright became a principal because he believed the “position offered more opportunities for influence and impact on a school.”
After several years of being principal at a small high school outside of Lincoln, NE, Arganbright earned the job as principal and for 31 years Arganbright has been the respected face of the Trojans. However, the school has changed a lot over his time here. “When I came here, the school was 15 years old and it didn’t really have what I call a very strong high school community. There were five municipalities that encompass West High’s geographical boundaries...and so we had a diverse geographical area, but [in] those communities
“I was always really impressed with the amount of time above and beyond just the school day that he spent supporting the students and the student athletes throughout the course of it.” -Nate Kaeding ‘00, former NFL player, entrepreneur His willingness to support us unconditionally but also his attendance at our performances has shown that he is somebody who cares about all activities here at West High.
Patty Burger, math teacher
Ryan Person, choir director
“He helped turn me into the teacher I am today, and I think I’m a rather good one, so I owe a big thank you to Dr. Arganbright.”
there really wasn’t a strong bond attached to the high school. Then you think of today and all the pride and connection we have with our high school; I think it’s been very rewarding to see the high school community come together.” As West High’s presence has grown in the community, Arganbright has grown into his administrative role, as well. Jason Schuchert ’88 was a freshman during Arganbright’s first year and his daughter Anna Schuchert ’15 will graduate during Arganbright’s last year. “He’s become comfortable being a leader not only for this school
“The most enjoyable thing is watching you guys come as ninth graders, and in four years to see your voices change, bodies change, and your minds change. It’s really gratifying to see what happens.” -Principal Jerry Arganbright
but for other administrators … [going from] being the new guy to being a mentor is not something that happens overnight. You kind of have to grow into it, so I think he’s comfortable giving back now based on all the experience that he’s gained over the years,” Jason said. Since the day Arganbright first strolled the halls as principal, the school has produced over 50 athletic state championships, been awarded recognition from the Grammy Foundation, and has been ranked the best public high school in the state of Iowa by Niche. His leadership has shaped the school into an admirable example of success, illustrated in the motto he created: “Where Excellence iS a Tradition.” Arganbright hopes for for the school to continue this excellence. “When you think of all the ACT scores and national merit finalists and all the academic work that young people do, I would certainly like to see that continue,” Arganbright said. His goals, however, expand beyond ac ademic a c h i e v e m e nt alone. “I think our building needs to be renovated,”
he said. “It’s 47 years old.” Without a doubt, Arganbright says the best part of his job is the relationship he develops with students during their four years. “The most enjoyable thing is watching you guys come as ninth graders, and in four years to see your voices change, bodies change, and your minds change. It’s really gratifying to see what happens. You only have high school once. Someday you will appreciate this, more than you do today … I can clearly remember so many things that happened to me in high school. It’s just the pleasure and joy of seeing young people pass through these important four years of life.” With countless achievements in Arganbright’s career, it is needless to say that the new principal has some large shoes to fill. With a search already underway for the new leader, Arganbright has some key advice. “Never forget that this is a student-centered building,” he said. “I like the climate in this building. I like that fact that we don’t have any more rules than we need. In my view, students are the main cog
of what goes on here, and the new [principal] shouldn’t forget that.” Arganbright says that staying in the community and not being involved with West High would be challenging and “drive him nuts.” After this school year comes to a close, Arganbright and his wife will move to the Kansas City area to be closer to family. “It’s been a very difficult decision, as you can imagine, just being here this many years and stepping away,” Arganbright said. “But the timing seemed to work for me because the new principal could come in and have a few years before the new high school opened.” However, Arganbright’s influence on the school will last forever. For the class of 2015 and beyond, Arganbright says, “Love whatever vocation you pursue. Money is nice, but it’s so important that you have passion. You don’t want work to be work, you want it to be something that you truly enjoy.” “And I like that motto,” he adds, pointing to a sign in his office. “Work hard and be nice.”
BY LAUREN KNUDSON AND MICHAEL MOONJELY leknudson18@gmail.com
He’s the embodiment of a tradition of excellence. -Zach Wahls ‘09, political activist, bestselling author
michael.moonjely@gmail.com
visit WSSPAPER.COM for uncut interviews and a teacher tribute video
COMPILED BY CHRISTINA DAI PHOTO BY MADIE MILLER DESIGN BY JAYCIE WEATHERS
ENTERTAINMENT The WSS chose to highlight three students who walk the halls with
ECCENTRIC FASHION photos and compiled by MARY MONDANARO AND iSABELLE rOBLES
TYREK ALLEN ’15
“My style is basically whatever I feel like that morning.”
- Tyrek Allen ‘15
28 entertainment entertainment april april2014 2015 wsspaper.com wsspaper.com 28
DESIGN BY ISABELLE ROBLES
LESLIE McANDREW ’16 “My style is different or more unique than everyone else. [It’s] nice to be different.” - Leslie McAndrew ‘16
JENA SHAVER ’17
“I find [clothes] at thrift stores and I think ‘these would be cool if I could wear them.’” - Jena Shaver ‘17
wsspaper.com april 2015 entertainment 29
ENTERTAINMENT
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by Danetta dobre & avery smith
dobre.danetta@wsspaper.com, smith.avery@wsspaper.com
Is texting destroying written expression among teenagers? WSS reveals how texting is, or isn’t, affecting students in academic writing and day-to-day conversation. 30 entertainment April 2015 wsspaper.com
DESIGN BY SIMRAN SARIN
For many, it doesn’t seem to be ’16. “But I don’t always take outside the realm of possibility the time to structure sentences for a less than tech-savvy adult to correctly with punctuation.” say, “You kids and your texting are Phrases like “lol,” are not destroying the English language.” explicitly used to say that you just However, research by the “laughed out loud,” rather they can University of Tasmania suggests act as punctuation to break up a moms and dads may sentence, or clarify not be quite right: poor the lightheartedness grammar in text messages of a statement. shows little correlation to The separation of grammar usage in written texting as its own and spoken expression. dialect of sorts still “Texting can offer leaves the question children the chance of its affects on our to practice their Emma Christison ‘16 speech and other types understanding of of writing. Maddie how sounds and print relate Moriyama ’18 believes the effects to each other,” said Clare are unique to each individual. Wood, Professor of Psychology “I think it depends on the person in Education at Coventry and how often they carry texting University in the British Journal lingo into their daily vocal speech,” of Developmental Psychology. said Moriyama. “However, most Texting is comparable to writing a people I know and talk to don’t use letter, which is seen as a formal way words like “lol,” “lmao,” or “omg,” of contacting someone, both in their writing today and in the past due to and/or speech.” the slower nature of mail. A In a study whole syntax was created conducted by back in the 19th century and the Washington earlier when writing a letter Post, a group of from one person to another. 243 students’ text The existence of these messages were rules are similar to texting Maddie Moriyama ’18 analyzed. Those who today, with a twist. Due to used abbreviations the short amount of time and omission of it takes to send a text as opposed punctuation and capitalization were to a letter, texting has evolved to found to score higher on spelling emulate speech and its casualness. tests, while grammar wasn’t clearly “I do use formal language correlated with these texting trends. a lot,” said Emma Christison “[The results surprise me] a
TWITTER TALK: COMPilED by DANETTA DOBRE
Q: What are your top five most used emojis?
little, but I personally have not found [texting] to affect [my writing],” said Christison. “I guess it’s not that surprising.” Moriyama was intrigued by the results. “[I was] a little bit [surprised],” said Moriyama. “I just assumed that people who text in a way
TEXTING ETIQUETTE
Should people use proper grammar and punctuation when texting?
COMPilED by SIMRAN SARIN
Which is more acceptable in a text; “k,” “ok,” or “okay?”
that’s grammatically incorrect would relay it back to their written and verbal expression. That’s actually very interesting to hear.” So as texting becomes more prevalent in our modern society, don’t run from it in fear of corruption. As far as language is concerned, the rest of your life should be fine.
WSS
“If I wanted to speak with correct grammar I’d be an English major. “
WSS
“‘Ok’ because the last ‘okay’ seems a little too formal and the first one seems a little too informal.”
Nathan Abramoff ’17 Zach Ring ’18
“‘Okay’ because saying ‘k’ is sassy and no one wants to respond to ‘k.’”
“Lmo ppl shud jus txt how they like cuz autocorrect will catch evrthing always.” Yuxuan Zheng ’16
Matilda Mackey ‘17
For more coverage on teen lingo, go to http://wsspaper.com/2015/03/teen-lingo/
“‘K’ is definitely not alright. You don’t even have enough time for me to type an ‘O?’ Okay is the best one.” Catherine Ju ‘18
wsspaper.com April 2015 Entertainment 31
WHICH EMOJI ARE YOU?
ENTERTAINMENT Which Michael do you look up to more?
Michael Cera
a pile of filth
Michael Jordan
Who is the greatest?
How would you describe yourself?
~mysterious~
Dr. A
Which is your preferred class?
Dr. A I don’t have a phone
Dr. A
How often do you check your phone?
Android
NOT spookY
How often do you throw shade?
only on occasion
iPhone or Android?
constantly
so spookY
Chrome is my everything
I only click the blue “e”
Firefox
How spooky are you?
AP study hall
study hall
What is your preferred web browser?
the best thing that has happened to the world
I dont just throw shade. I am the shade. reddit
Iphone
What is your greatest asset?
kindness
How do you feel about children? They terrify me
confidence
32 ENTERTAINMENT APRIL 2015 wsspaper.com
COMPilED by Ebony McKeever and Ben Bliven
ball
“If Newborn Babies Could speak They Would Be The Most Intelligent Beings On Planet Earth”
Pick a Jaden Smith tweet.
PEPE THE FROG
“I Build Pyramids Constantly”
tfw no gf
What is life?
Pick a meme.
“How Can Mirrors Be Real If Our Eyes Aren’t Real” 0-4
Shrek “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea
Pick a social media outlet.
5-6
“WHATCHA SAY” by Jason Derulo I Get Funky
Pick a song. Twitter
“fergalicious” by fergie
For your last six Instagram posts, how many of them are a picture of you?
Like a small grandmother I love the small humans
How do you slide into someone’s DMs?
Carefully
Treat yo self <3
I don’t have an instagram
What will your last words be?
DESIGN BY BRITTANI LANGLAND
At least I was punk rock
#neverforget
How often do you cry?
every time
wsspaper.com APRIL 2015 ENTERTAINMENT 33
Monday - Saturday: 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sunday: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. 925 E 2nd Ave. Coralville, IA
34 ads april 2015 wsspaper.com
615 Westwood Drive, North Liberty, IA
ENTERTAINMENT
STUDENT MIXTAPE
PATRICK KARANJA ‘16 “ADHIAMBO LADY” NAIROBI CITY ENSEMBLE
My brother introduced me to [this song.] I don’t understand what they’re saying; I think it’s South African and I don’t know what they speak, but it has the name Nairobi in it.
“KUNA DAWA” ESTHER WAHOME
[The name is] Swahili and it’s saying that “there’s medicine.” The song is about how there’s healing for everything; it’s Kenyan gospel. So if you’re having trouble in life, there’s always a way to fix it. Everything has a higher note to it.
“IWYE” COCO MBASI
I have no idea what culture this is, but it might be from Congo. I like it mostly because it has that African vibe to it, and I like anything I can dance to. It sounds deep even though I don’t know what they’re saying, and I connect to it. COMPilED by ebony mckeever
ARTIST OF THE MONTH
VICTORIA CICHA ’16 West Side Story: What kind of
artwork do you do?
Victoria Cicha: I do a lot of
watercolors, and I like working in pen. WSS: What’s your favorite piece of artwork that you’ve made recently? VC: I did a piece of a man reading a newspaper, and he’s wearing a horse mask. It involves a lot of mixed media. I used acrylic paint, newspaper, and even some string. WSS: What do you like about
design by mary mondanaro photos by nick deerberg
making artwork? VC: It’s kind of hard to explain; I don’t really think about it because I draw and paint most of the time. WSS: Why do you prefer to draw as opposed to other activities? VC: It’s a very portable activity; Everywhere you go, I feel like you can draw something. I draw most of the time anyway; it’s something to do. Compiled by leola eko
wsspaper.com april 2015 entertainment 35
SPORTS by AARON CARTER
carter.aaron@wsspaper.com With more underclassmen on the roster, the boys soccer team looks to repeat as state champions for the fourth consecutive season. Nick Andersen ’15 is one of the seven seniors on this year’s team. Andersen has been a member of the varsity team for all four years of his high school career, which makes him a part of every state championship during this run. “It motivates me to work hard [knowing I can win another championship,]” Andersen said. “Being on the other [state championship] teams has given me an idea of what it takes to win it all, together.” Andersen knows that for him, this year will be different from his previous three. “I think I have to become more
of a leader this year, and try and be a role model for some of the younger guys,” he said. One of those “younger guys” is Andersen’s brother, Alex Andersen ’17. Alex was on varsity the previous season, so he also has expeNick Andersen ’15 rience in the state cup. Despite his underclassmen status, he is ready to step into a bigger role this year. “We lost 10 or 11 seniors, including Ben Troester [’14], so I think I am going to have to step up a lot this year and make bigger plays,” Alex said. Just as much as his brother
Nick, Alex wants to repeat as champions. “I think we need to just work as a team, and take it game by game,” Alex said. “For my brother it might be more of a focus, but we all, as a team, want to Alex Andersen ’17 win.”
Four
SOCCER
the win Boys tennis and soccer compete for their fourth consecutive state title.
36 SPORTS APRIL 2015 wsspaper.com
PHOTOS BY MIRIAM PEREZ AND CHANEL VIDAL DESIGN BY BARBARA BADOVINAC
wsspaper.com APRIL 2015 sPORTS 37 Winning a state title is also no small feat for the boys tennis team, since they are also the only 2A team that has gotten a “3peat”. The team will have to overcome many challenges as they prepare for this coming season. “The biggest challenge we will face this season would have to lie in the JV kids that are moving up to varsity. Many of them are not as experienced, but I have full faith in all of t h e m to compete with the best teams in the state,” Jiung Jung ’17 said Jiung Jung ’17. Although the team lost four varsity players from last year, they plan on overcoming this. “For the team there is [some pressure] because we have a completely different team from last year. We cope with it by
just playing the way we play and to work our hardest,” said Cole Schneider ’17. The team is willing to do what it takes in order to experience the “best feelings ever”,as Schneider puts it, of winning another state title. “We’re definitely working harder than we did last year. We know we lost a lot of key seniors from last year so everyone feels a need to be more motivated to fill in the gap that the previous seniors left,” Jung said. The team has strong core aspects
they are expecting to return again this year. “Our confidence is pretty good. If we go into every meet thinking we’ll win that’ll give us a better chance to do well,” Jung said.
Cole Schneider ’17
“Our confidence is pretty good. If we go into every meet thinking we’ll win that’ll give us a better chance to -Jiung Jung do well .”
TENNIS “I want to do it [win state] for the school, and try to keep it [the streak] alive,” Antonio Sanchez ’15 said. The team is willing to do what it takes to accomplish their goal, even if that means going outside of what they have done in Antonio Sanchez ’16 the past.
“It leaves it up to us, the guys that have been around, and know how to win and what it takes to win another state championship,” Sanchez said. This drive and competitive nature of the team is necessary, and they know they need to back it up with their play. “We need to work hard every practice, every day is another day to get better, so I try to go 100% every day,” Alex said.
38 Ads April 2015 wsspaper.com
SPORTS
MISSING: Does our bare student section reflect our athletic success?
wsspaper.com April 2015 sports 39Photo by Madie miller
Dominating the athletic scene, students clad in green and gold uniforms are frequently holding the championship trophy and expecting to step foot on the top of the podium. With the boys tennis and boys soccer team eyeing a fourth consecutive state championship and the boys swimming team coming off of a back-to-back domination in the pool, it is expected for West’s athletic teams to consistently be at the top. It isn’t uncommon for students to see underclassmen that are Olympic trial qualifiers and division-one recruits walking the halls. However, an integral part of the high school experience seems to be lacking in comparison to the high levels of success—the student section is empty.
by madie miller
madiemllr@wsspaper.com
MISSING
D
avid DiLeo ’15 has victoriously conquered the competition in every team he has been a part of. From the tennis court to the basketball court, he believes that having an involved student section “creates a nice home advantage when playing.” A large student section proves to be beneficial for varsity swimmer Will Scott ’16. “It makes it feel like you are swimming for more than just yourself,” he said. As an announcer for all of football, volleyball and some basketball games for 28 years, psychology teacher Gary Neuzil has noticed the bare student sections. “It’s kind of silly to announce my blurb about sportsmanship when it feels like there are only three students in the stands,” he said. Senior starter and point guard for the girls basketball team Bella Lozano-Dobbs feels that attending the games shows that people care about the team, and it influences what happens on the court. She remembers a time when a student yelled “there’s a snake in my boot” before the opposing team missed two free throws. “When there is nobody in the student section, the gym isn’t as loud and it feels like nobody cares about girls basketball because we can’t dunk or other stuff like that,” she said. Athletic director Scott Kibby is active on social
media to keep students informed on athletic events and results. In addition, he coordinates buses to take students to away games and makes announcements over the intercom. He recognizes the value of a strong support system for the athletes. “[A strong student section] definitely brings the students together, especially this time of year where the student body can get behind the teams and support them as they’re making a run for the state championships,” he said. “It gives enthusiasm and energy to the teams and they
“It makes it feel like you are swimming for more than just yourself.” -WILL SCOTT ’16
complete
the
lyrics How well do students know the West High Fight Song?
love it.” Former volleyball coach and health and P.E. teacher Kathy Bresnahan values the impact an active student section can provide for the school and the community. Specifically, she praises the way the school came together to support the volleyball team during the 2011-2012 season. “Students packed the bleachers for many sports,” she said, “There was an incredible sense of solidarity that school year. Students Will Scott ’16 bonded together in order to deal with their
West high fight song WSS: We are loyal to the Maria Burtch: green and gold WSS: They’re the colors of Yeshuwa hicks: King Yesh Kaitlyn Bernhard: A rival WSS: team, forever solid gold, Unrivaled by the rest!
PRIORITIES DIVIDED A gym lined in colorful banners and trophy cases that seem to be busting at the seams are all obvious examples of a dominating athletic program. Students have begun expecting trophies at the end of the season, as current students have not experienced a year where West went without a state championship. This confidence has translated to the lack of support in the student section. “People forget our 33 football losses in a row in the 80s. Students now haven’t had that; that was a generation ago,” said Neuzil. “I do think there is an attitude of expectation.” With the University of Iowa just down the street, West is unlike most schools due to its busy community. High schools in smaller areas seem to be the central hub for activity and support in their community, whereas West is not. Lozano-Dobbs transferred to West after attending Keokuk High School and has noticed that the city plays a role in the availability of fans as they support both programs. “Iowa City is a big town compared to Keokuk so there’s a lot of events going on during Friday night games,” she said. Neuzil adds, “If you’re at a smaller school,
We have burtch: Courage WSS: We’re the B-E-S-T hicks: King Yesh
Maria Burtch ’15
40 Sports April 2015 wsspaper.com
grief and sadness due to the death of Caroline Found.” When the drive is there, students and the community have the ability to make a positive impact. In regards to support from the students, Bresnahan said, “People like to follow a winning program.” Trojan athletics proves to be a winning program. So, where are the fans?
WSS: it- We’re fom W-E-S-T Hail, hail, hail, the mighty Trojans As we fight for Bernhard: Victory
Yeshuwa Hicks ’16
Kaitlyn Bernhard ’15
COMPilED by consuelo mendoza
the high school is the focus of the community, whereas in Iowa City we have multiple centers.” Some may translate the empty student sections to poor school spirit. However, Neuzil urges people to think about the number of students involved in the teams themselves. For example, according to Spanish teacher and coach Dave Rosenthal, the girls soccer team has 52 members competing on the varsity and junior varsity teams this season. In addition, the girls tennis team has had to hold tryouts and cut members due to the number of interested student-athletes. According to Neuzil, school spirit can be measured by the sheer number of students participating on the teams. “I think right now you see the same amount of students not in the stands, on the benches or in the seats at a band concert performing or debating,” he said. The competition between students who are successful athletically, academically and artistically has played a role in the prioritization of activities. Students are concerned with acquiring internship and volunteer experiences. In addition, students strive to be involved in various clubs and extracurriculars. “We have to realize that students are more involved in so many more activities than ever before, [there are] more work obligations for example, more pressures to study,” Neuzil said, “I do think times have changed a little bit in that way.” Student-athletes agree and are understanding of their peers having busy schedules. “I think the number one reason that students don’t attend sporting events is that they just don’t have the time,” said Scott. Kibby adds that “West kids are really busy kids, we’ve got a lot of kids involved in music and performing arts, to kids in athletics, so when the activities slow down a bit that’s when students attend more sporting events.”
that more people would come if we had “dance-offs and prizes students can win at halftime.” Neuzil agrees and says, “The whole list is there to entice students Reagan Grieser-Yoder ’17 to maybe prioritize their time and money to support the teams.” Another aspect that could improve would be the absence of the pep band during the secondhalf of games. When the band is done playing at halftime, a majority of students choose to leave. Saxophone player Reagan Grieser-Yoder ’17 thinks that “pep band members should not be obligated to stay for the game after they leave, but it’s always good to show school spirit, and they get in for free, so why not [stay]?” Overall, a vast change in the student section
on the spot
Why Do you attend sporting events?
Rachel David ’16
“
“I would say the students who do show up are having a good time. I think that right now there are a lot of students missing that opportunity.”
THE NEXT STEP Student-athletes have enjoyed the increased support from their peers during championship seasons. Organizing themes for dressing up have made students more excited about attending the games. “Since the basketball teams have hit the postseason, the student section has been way better,” DiLeo said, “It has themes and people stand and cheer loud.” Lozano-Dobbs supports these engaging activities organized by students and suggests DESIGN BY RYO OHASHI
-Gary Neuzil, social studies teacher will take student initiative from clubs and organizations. “I think it is just as much a student responsibility as it is on an administrative level,” said Neuzil. “Student participation in the stands is an extension of the educational experience,” he added. Senior varsity volleyball player Laynie Whitehead said that during the Laynie Whitehead ’15 championship seasons, making up schoolwork could be a problem for some students. “Teachers should push back tests so that more students are willing to attended because they won’t have to make up as much work,” she said. Despite the open seats during games, students are proud to attend such a high-achieving school. However, improving support at games could positively influence the high school experience for all students. “People are proud of being a student here. I think that is just as much of a measurement as how many people are in the stands,” said Neuzil. “I would say the students who do show up are having a good time. I think that right now there are a lot of students missing that opportunity.”
I attend sporting events because I think it is part of the high school experience. I think it’s awesome that just one sport can bring so many people together.”
Conner Greene ’15
“
I think it’s really important to attend sporting events and show good school spirit, because as an athlete, I know how much I appreciate having our students there behind me. I really want the other sports to have a similar or better experience.”
Chase Blatz ’16
“
Some schools around Iowa would do anything to be as great as West and I think we should be more spirited at games. I personally think that being spirited and having a big student section is a lot of fun regardless of the score.”
COMPilED by Consuelo mendoza
wsspaper.com April 2015 sports 41
SPORTS “I think it’s brought us closer, honestly. We have more time with each other than normal, so now we have more inside jokes and we get to hang out..”
-Chandler Haight ‘18
RISING STAR CHANDLER HAIGHT by ALLIE bISCUPSKI AND GABBY SKOPEC biscupski.allie@wsspaper.com skopec.gabby@wsspaper.com
“Is there anything else you want to say?” I asked, it’s a question always asked to round out an interview. “Lets see, what’s something clever we can say, Chandler?” said Danica Haight ’07. “Cmon, say something clever!” Danica said as she playfully shoved her sister. With ten years between them, Danica and Chandler Haight ‘18 didn’t spend much time together growing up. “...It’s kinda hard to bond when I’m in college and she’s in junior high,” said Danica . Now they are getting a second chance. Danica is the throwing coach for the girls track team and Chandler is one of the athletes. “It allows us to bond more and to understand each other so we
PHOTOS BY PAIGE BRAZINA
get to be closer to each other,” said Chandler. Track and field isn’t just a way to bond for the sisters, it’s a family tradition. Chandler remembers going to Danica’s meets when she was little. “That was practically all I did for fun was go to her competitions,” she said. Chandler says that experiencing the meets and seeing her sister’s achievements has pushed her to continue with the ones she loves. “It helped to push me to try and do some sports, and it allowed me to actually fall in love with the sports and keep wanting to play them.” she said. Track and field coach Mike Parker believes that having Danica coach Chandler will continue that motivation. “We’re hopeful that it inspires her to take on a lot of the attributes
her sister, who was a phenomenal thrower and worked literally every minute of the day ... Some people could fear that if you have a sibling who has done really well that you think just because you share the last name that you’ll do well [also] and I don’t think that will be the case,” said Parker. Coaching wasn’t something that came naturally to Danica; she credits taking a step back to helping her in refining her coaching skills. “It was really fun to come back to high school [to coach] because I got to leave and get to that other kind of experience and then bring that experience back here. So I got to use both my high school experience and college experience to develop a coaching strategy.” she said. The track season has only just begun, but both Chandler and her coaches have high hopes for this
season. “[I hope to] go to Drake if possible and state and just try and do as best as I can and have [Danica] push me as hard as I can,” Chandler said. “To work as hard as she can and push through the pain of throwing. It’s not the most exciting thing in the world you have to keep repeating things and feeling things so I want her to get the feeling,” Danica said. “I hope for her to get better every single day ... She has the benefit of not just having Danica, but her other sister Micaela as well, both state champions. All of her sisters have been huge successful throwers and hopefully that inspires her to want to do the same thing,” said Parker.
IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY 42 sports april 2015 wsspaper.com
DESIGN BY McKENNA HARRIS
GIRLS GOLF Last year was the first time our entire team went to state in West history. We placed fifth, but our goal right now is just to qualify again.” -Allye Boardman ‘15, varsity golfer
TRACK AND FIELD
BELOW RIGHT: Olivia Moore ’17 runs the 3000 meter run at the Women of Troy Relays on March 31. Moore won the event in 11:11.83. BELOW: Bailey Nock ’18 anchors the distance medley relay to a win in a time of 4:19.37. The team won the meet with a score of 146, edging Linn-Mar out by one point. ABOVE RIGHT: Xavier Koch ’16 leads a sprint workout at practice April 2. The boys track team has begun their season and will compete in the Forwald Relays that will take place at City High on Thurs, April 16 at 4:30. PHOTOS by PAIGE BRAZINA
TENNIS
PHOTO by MIRIAM PEREZ DESIGN BY GABBY SKOPEC
BELOW: Abby Jans ’17 plays a ball back to her opponent during a warm up.
PHOTO by MIRIAM PEREZ
SOCCER PHOTO by chanel vidal
BELOW: Katie McGrane ’17 kicks a soccer ball at practice on April 1.
wsspaper.com APRIL 2015 sPORTS 43
quality
OPINION
of life
A matter of principal index: WSS says goodbye to Dr. A and offers advice for our incoming principal Well, this is it — the last year of having Dr. A as principal at West. Although he is ready to move on and spend time with his family, we know he is leaving with even more enthusiasm about this place than when he began 31 years ago. Ultimately, the responsibility of being a principal is not only to make decisions and keep everyone in line, but it is also about being a good role model and a caring friend, and that is exactly how Dr. Arganbright has chosen to lead. It is clear to see that he strives to be involved with all aspects of this school, but one area that is often unrecognized is his support of
West Side Story. His willingness to participate in countless interviews, his quick replies to our questioning emails and his constant encouragement have all helped us continue to grow and produce quality content. His transparency gives us the ability to provide the community with accurate news. When we have questions, he has answers, even if they reflect poorly on the school. Additionally, Dr. Arganbright has never tried to micromanage our paper or monitor all the content to see if it was to his liking.
Dear future principal,
1
The most important tip is that a great principal builds the community up and tries to get students, parents and staff members excited and involved with the school. If you can bring everyone together and lessen the divide, we’re positive that you can change many experiences.
4
Please accept that technology is here to stay. Be an advocate for moving things online. Also, we strongly recommend that you create a Twitter account, so students can connect with you even more.
2
Be visible. Get out of your office. Go walk around the school and communicate with people, even if you’re just saying “hello.” Remember, it always comes back to frequency of contact. People won’t form a relationship with you if they haven’t seen or heard from you. It would even be beneficial to become an expert small talker, so you can avoid awkward silences.
5
Another thing to remember is to honor the history of our school. We have a tradition of excellence that we have been keeping and plan on continuing to keep. So don’t think that you need to come in and change a lot right away. Talk to teachers and students, and get to know the school and people first.
He allowed us to remain a studentrun paper, which is something on which WSS prides itself. Our next principal will have some big shoes to fill. So we thought we would offer some advice to Dr. A’s successor.
[Do]ugh A need: collegiate need
-$40,000.00 B[re]ak The stop from school was fun
+$9.00 [Me]mes The dank ones are the best
+$4.20 [Fa]r art by brittani langland
3
You’re going to be in the limelight a lot, so be a good example. Be friendly, but don’t let people walk all over you. Also, you could take advantage of this spotlight by coming up with a cool catchphrase to add a little humor to everyone’s day.
A long way till school’s done
-$60.00
[S]h[o]w The teaser is next week
+$8.00
[La]st Our year with Dr. A
6
Lastly, remind students to throw their trash away. That is one area that we seem to slack in, but Dr. Arganbright always keeps us grounded.
We will truly miss Dr. Arganbright. He has left a legacy here in this community in a way that few people are able to do. We wish him luck in the next chapter of his life, and best of luck to you as you start this chapter here at West.
44 opinion April 2015 wsspaper.com
The Sound of Music edition
-$31.00 Compos[ti]ng Is finally here to stay
+$40,169.80
total (But I still need lots of dough)
DESIGN/COMPilED by akash borde
WSS editorial board Aaron Carter Akash Borde Brittani Langland Consuelo Mendoza Chanel Vidal Isabelle Robles Jaycie Weathers Katie Peplow Kelsey Keranen Lauren Knudson Lushia Anson Madie Miller Megumi Kitamoto Michael Moonjely Nick Deerberg Sharon Xiang Equity Statement
Gender-Neutral Bathroom COLORS club is advocating for a gender-neutral bathroom in order to help each student at West feel validated and comfortable. WSS editorial board offers its thoughts on the issue. COLORS is one of many clubs at West that most students are familiar with. The club, an acronym for “Community Of Loving Others Regardless of Sexuality,” is a group of students whose goals are to promote tolerance and acceptance of all sexualities and gender identities as well as to create a safe and positive environment for all students. The COLORS club’s main focus is to change negative attitudes and behaviors toward LGBT students and those who support them. Recently, the club is advocating for gender-neutral bathrooms at West. It wants to change the sign on a girls bathroom so a student with any gender identity can use it and feel comfortable. The club has decided on changing the signs on the girls bathroom because there are stalls, which will make privacy less of an issue. COLORS wants to help each student at West feel comfortable. Having just a girl or boy sign on the outside of a bathroom is a strong statement. It is sort of an
equivalent to putting “blacks only”, and “whites only” signs on the bathroom. Neither race nor gender identity is a choice. Not having gender-neutral bathrooms at West makes students at our school feel invalidated, therefore creating one
Should there be genderneutral bathrooms at West?
13-3 The WSS editorial board affirms the proposal. is a good idea. For starters, it is only fair to have bathrooms for all students to feel comfortable using. Everyone should feel equal, and the school should offer facilities that everyone else has. However, this isn’t any easy change and has the potential to be controversial. There are many people who stand against the
club’s beliefs and refuse this idea. With the small amount of nonbinary or transgender students at West, some feel that it is not necessary to have a gender-neutral bathroom. Creating the bathroom could also cause controversy and instead of preventing bullying, it might increase it by drawing more attention to non-binary or transgender students. Also there are already faculty bathrooms that non-binary students are welcome to use, so many think that that’s good enough and changing all the girl bathrooms is not necessary. It would be nice to have the option to use a girls bathroom, a boys bathroom, or a genderneutral bathroom. Making one of the girls bathrooms gender-neutral will make every student at West feel comfortable with their gender and feel more accepted and secure when using the restroom.
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, 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 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.
wsspaper.com April 2015 opinion 45
OPINION OPINION
IGLOOS IN AUSTRALIA sold it for me. Maybe I’m being too hard on her; after all, freestyling is hard and, as she so excellently put by eBONY MCKEEVER mckeever.ebony@wsspaper.com it, the paparazzi was flockin’, so it only makes sense she’d be a bit nerggy Azalea, the renowned “rap- vous. Not surprisingly, all prompts per,” made her grand debut in to get Iggy to freestyle since that 2014 and since then has simply fateful day have been harshly rerefused to go away. The young buffed and therefore do not exist. artist at first glance seems to have This horrific lack of talent, in adbeaten the odds, quickly rising dition to her not-so-low-key racto the top in a field that is neither ism, puts the cherry on top of this kind nor forthcoming to people unacceptable excuse for a human of her demographic. Under dif- being. When I say racism, I’m referent circumstances, I may have ferring to the fact that she has retaken this moment to congratulate peatedly showcased her ignorance her in her accomplishments and and remorseless behavior when it move on with my life with maybe comes to social issues and yet she a couple songs of hers in my mu- still has the audacity to take black sic library— if only she possessed culture and manipulate it for her any talent on any level whatsoever. own personal gain. She has openly Now, it seems like in this day and admitted that the nasally pathetic age, anyone with a decent voice voice she ‘raps’ in is not the voice who comes up with a catchy hook she speaks in normally but is meant and a funky beat can make a hit to imitate the sound of black artpop song, and I’m not complain- ists. Azalea states that she finds it ing, since this formula has brought “ironic and funny,” essentially makup some of the sickest tunes imag- ing a mockery out of the industry inable, but Iggy has taken this that she so effortlessly tainted. By to the utmost degree and quite far the worst offense she made is frankly ruined it for all of us. With in her song “D.R.U.G.S.” when she the pinnacle of her biggest song changed the sampled verse from being “I’m so fancy, you already Kendrick Lamar’s “Look Out For know” you can’t help but wonder Detox” from “When the relay starts if she even tried. But disregarding I’m a runaway slave” to “I’m a runthat as a by-product of our time, away slave-master”. I honestly don’t there might still be hope that Iggy’s understand how a person can do not a complete failure, right? No, that without understanding the full wrong, not even by a long shot. implications behind it and in the Being able to freestyle well is the end still be entirely unapologetic. hallmark of a good rapper since it While in the beginning I may requires both creativity and quick have held out hope for Iggy, she thinking. When I heard her at- seems to be determined to prove tempts to freestyle on the radio to everyone just how awful of a show Sway, her halting speech and person she really is. I can only say discoordinate rhymes were cringe- that she’s smashed every chance worthy to say the least, but the DJ’s I’ve given her with uninspiring lyrsad head-bobbing, as if he were ics and a giant ego. I can only pray trying to convince himself it wasn’t that Iggy’s reign of terror trickactually that bad, was what really les out and ends with a whimper.
I
46 opinion april 2015 wsspaper.com
REFLECTING ON
UNBROKEN
W
hen I first began reading Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, a novel about former Olympic athlete turned prisoner of war Louis Zamperini, I was just expecting to read another perspective of World War II. However, after finishing the novel, I was overcome with emotion. Zamperini and some of his troop survived a plane crash, 47 days on a raft in the Pacific Ocean and horrifying treatment from Japanese prisoner of war administrators. His story prompted me to reflect upon my thoughts on my life as a Japanese American. This novel reaffirmed for me how lucky I was to be born in a different generation and live in a town that is accepting and interested in other cultures. If I had lived in the United States a generation earlier, I would not have been able to take advantage of all of the wonderful opportunities around me, whether it is through education or sharing aspects of my Japanese culture. I could have been shunned and not have been able to live my life in the United States to the fullest. This novel also made me realize the importance of perspective in history. Although I have taken history courses from both the American and Japanese perspective, I have not been exposed to very many accounts from prisoners of war from either side. Zamperini’s story made me think because the Japanese who were abusing Zamperini at the prisoner of war camps completely contradicted the values that I learned while I attended school in Japan over the summer, such as respecting others and being polite. Because of the effects of World War II in Japan, my grandparents were stripped of opportunity and prosperity during their youth, as were many other civilian Japanese during that time. Hearing their stories about having no money or education makes me think of the atrocities of war, and how we as
BY MEGUMI KITAMOTO
kitamoto.megumi@wsspaper.com a society are blessed to not have had a war that occurred directly on our soil and impacted most, if not all, aspects of our lives. While reading this novel, the places that I have been to while I stay in Japan were prisoner of war camps where Zamperini and others were brutally treated by the Japanese. This resonated with me because I got a new perspective of the Japan that I know and love. Even with the story of war aside, Unbroken put my life in perspective with Louis Zamperini. He was such a brave man during all of the difficult times he went through in his life. I have an immense amount of respect for his emphasis on forgiveness to the people who committed atrocities towards him, and this makes my everyday grudges seem like nothing at all. This is not an anti-war, antiAmerican or anti-anything opinion column. Unbroken was a novel that made me think about the mundane things that I take advantage of, and it put my life into perspective with others who endured a massive amount of suffering.
I’M A MODEL
WEST HIGH, BEST HIGH?
I
n American society Asians are considered “models”: as in the model minority, the minority that other minorities should strive to be like because of our “hard-working mentalities.” A lot of people assume that we already have the same rights as white people because we seem to “have it all,” but this is far from the truth. No one, not even Asians, know where Asians belong in American society, but what we do know is that we’re the outsiders of a neverending race debate; we’re the ones that know we should speak up for racial justice, but we don’t know if we should because we enjoy a lot of the rights that most minorities don’t get. This contradictory statement shows the internal conflicts that we face as minorities who aren’t considered to be minorities by many. Due to this “outsider” mentality, our culture is snuffed out because we’re expected to conform to American white culture. Asian culture has been erased in white society; when most people think of “Asian” they only think of people from Eastern Asian countries such as China, Korea and Japan. They neglect to realize that “Asians” are made up of people from every single region in Asia; Israelis, Saudi Arabians, Kazakhstanis, Afghanis, Indians, Malaysians, etc. are ALL Asians. Ignorant people seem to think that even though there are about 4.5 billion people residing in Asia, all of those cultures can be defined by three groups of Asians. We should be celebrating our distinct cultures and our unique features, but the lack of respect that we face has caused our culture to slowly become more and more whitewashed in an attempt to conform. We only see examples of white beauty and we believe that we have to aspire to these impossible “white” standards by getting plastic surgery or dyeing
T BY SHARON XIANG
xiang.sharon@wsspaper.com our hair brown or blonde to fit in. One side effect of the dilution of Asian culture is the severe underrepresentation we face in the media. I bet most people can only come up with one person, if even one, on the spot. A new TV show is currently playing on ABC, Fresh Off the Boat, and disregarding its imperfections, it’s the first show in 20 years to feature Asians as MAIN characters. Other than the initial buzz when the show first premiered, there is little publicity over it; telling us, once again, that we don’t matter. When we are portrayed, Asians are over-sexualized school girls, frigid nerds, heavily accented immigrants, and kung fu masters. I’ve gotten curious looks for my outspoken views because people expect me to be submissive, simply because of my race. Our contributions to American society or the racism that we’ve faced, and continue to face, in America are long forgotten, yet people expect us to just be happy with what we have, something that wouldn’t dare be said to any other minority (fun fact: Asians are minorities.) Over the years, our culture has been disrespected and diluted; I’ve noticed this and many of my friends have noticed this, so take note, ignorant people: we aren’t afraid of fighting back.
his is many students favorite phrase used to gently make fun of West, and I admit to having used it on multiple occasions, never without a sprinkling of sarcasm. However, looking into it, I BY MAGGIE TERRY have discovered some informaterry.maggie@wsspaper.com tion causing me to reconsider. First of all, West wins a lot. With definite lack of school spirit among the exception of football, we have students. For sports other than won State in many sports fre- football, the student section is ofquently. We currently have records ten empty. It has become fashionfor winning State in basketball and able to not pay attention during swimming. We have players on JV advisory. And, of course, there’s teams that transfer over to other the phrase “West High, Best High,” schools to start on Varsity teams. which is used by many to comment You only have to look at the trophy ironically on the schools emphacases to see that there is no deny- sis on excellence. Lack of school ing we have a proud tradition of pride has become the norm lately. excellence in sports here at West. Many students just don’t seem to Also, we are the best public high care. Not everyone, many students school in Iowa. A website called take a lot of pride in their school Niche that ranks high schools and and have never even said “West colleges has ranked West first in the High, Best High” ironically. But state of Iowa. We out perform most there’s no denying the large perof the other schools on standard- centage of the population of the ized testing. Our SAT and ACT test school couldn’t care less about the scores are off the charts. There are fact they attend a really good school. classes offered at West, like AeroNow I’m not saying this school space Engineering, that are offered is perfect. There are definitely at no other school in the state. In some issues in the school. I’m not academics, we really are at the top. saying anyone has to go to every And we shouldn’t discount other sports meet or game (disclaimer: activities, either. Our music pro- I never go to sports stuff) or exgram is so large that students have change their wardrobe for all to audition to audition for All- green and gold, but people should State. Our show choirs have won take some pride in their school. multiple competitions. West’s math West is a really good school. I team has won fifteen out of sixteen hope someday everyone will be total state championships, the last able to say “West High, Best High” ten in a row; check out their over- proudly, without a trace of sarcasm. crowded trophy case sometime. We have debaters that go to nationals. BPA is sending multiple students to nationals as well. There are so many successful teams at West I can’t hope to name all of them. Now despite all this, there is a DESIGN BY KELSEY KERANEN wsspaper.com april 2015 opinion 47
HUMOR ARGANBRIGHT NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE WEST DUE TO INCOMPLETE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS by schyler davis
davis.schyler@wsspaper.com West High students, parents and alumni learned of principal Jerry Arganbright’s decision to retire. However, he may not be leaving as soon as he thought. The reason? Arganbright has not finished the required credit hours
to leave West High. He needs to take one more math class and two more P.E. classes. He skipped those courses when he was a high schooler because he spent a good part of his senior year training to be an Olympic gymnast. This has sparked a controversy because the school board is considering waiving the classes, but the Iowa
Department of Education insists that Arganbright takes the classes before he leaves West. Arganbright regrets his discisions. “I have made good and bad decisions as principal of West. Not finishing my classes has set a bad example and I will work tirelessly to finish my high school education before I begin to relax,”
Arganbright stated. When asked what she thought of Arganbright’s Olympic ambitions, Maria Martin said “Arganbright is without a doubt the world’s greatest principal. I hope West High can rally and support Arganbright as he trains to be the world’s best gymnast.” *This is a satire and is not meant to be percieved as factual.
THE LITTLE REBELLIOUS MERMAID
I started to notice that “The Little Mermaid” is very popular in this school. Sometimes I contemplate whether Ariel is a symbol of teenage rebellion and rising to your own authority or that the West High kids like her just because. So when I was reading “The Catcher in the Rye” and other novels for teens, I connected “The Little Mermaid” to both rebellion and the modern-day era. Speaking of modern-day era, Francis Ford Coppola’s daughter, Sofia, is making her own “The Little Mermaid” movie, so that’s also how I got this idea. This is dedicated to Charlie Hebdo after being attacked this year, because their publication makes me laugh.
CARTOON by BRAEDYN DOCHTERMAN
complete THE
lyrics
WITH CUSTODIAN DANIEL CARLOS
“LOSE YOURSELF” EMINEM
“SANDSTORM” DARUDE
WSS: His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy There’s _______ on his sweater already CARLOS: Drool
WSS: Do do do do do, do do do do do do do, do do do do do do do, do do do do do, do do, do do do do do, do do do do do ____ CARLOS: You know how to spell do?
“nEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP” RICK ASTLEY
WSS: Never gonna let you down Never gonna _____ and desert you CARLOS: Breakfast, lunch, dinner COMPilED by AKASH BORDE
48 humor april 2015 wsspaper.com
DESIGN BY MEGUMI KITAMOTO
wsspaper.com April 2015 Ads 49
T
he third Miles Of Smiles Team benefit concert took place on March 29 in the West High auditorium. The event raised $6,300 in ticket sales and donations to aid cleft lip and palate reconstruction surgery in Guatemala. The amount of money raised was tripled by matches from donors Herb and Janice Wilson and Bill Olin for a total of $18,900. Donations are still coming in and being calculated
MOST ILES
as of press time. Over 40 students performed musical acts, dance routines and drama performances. Six artists displayed artwork and 18 businesses donated refreshments. The concert was put on by current West students Anna Schuchert ‘15 and Anoushka Divekar ‘16, as well as alum Kasra Zarei ‘13.
F
MILES
EAM
BENEFIT CONCERT
BELOW: Sean Chi ‘17 performed a percussion medley with friends Jonathan Neese ‘16 and Kai Trepka ‘16. The trio called themselves “The Three Amigos” and wore matching sombreros.
It’s a good feeling to see that we are
positively impacting third world countries. It’s a fun, cheap night that helps others in ways that [the audience]
couldn’t even imagine.”
-Anna Schuchert ‘15
$
BELOW: Senior Kate Gylten led Vox Novus in a rendition of “Misery” to close the event. LEFT: Anoushka Divekar, Simran Sarin and Khushi Kapoor danced to a Bollywood medley with Akash Borde, Chirag Jain and Akar Jani. COMPilED by megumi kitamoto/photos and design by madie miller
18,900 raised for cleft lip and palate reconstruction surgeries
BELOW: Maria Shriver ‘16 and Jasmin Gu ‘16 played “Virtuoso’s Libertango” with Virtuoso, West’s chamber orchestra. LEFT: Thanking the audience and donators of the cause, Kazra Zarei ‘13 expresses his best wishes to the students who will be organizing the event next year. Zarei started the event in 2013 and continues to be involved in the event as he studies at the University of Iowa.