torch the
“The torch has been passed to a new generation.� - John F. Kennedy February 25, 2011
forward. pay it
John F. Kennedy High School 4545 Wenig Rd, NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 Volume 44, Issue 6
graphic by rachel gilman
student assignment inspires wave of generosity pg. 10&11
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JFK Torch
editorial
February 25, 2011
torch the
John F. Kennedy High School 4545 Wenig Rd. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 Volume 44, Issue 1
Mission
The Torch staff and adviser are committed to producing a top quality student newspaper, applying high standards of writing, editing, and production. The Torch seeks to fairly serve the Kennedy High School faculty, students and staff, showing no favoritism to decisions about content are the responsibility of the individual editors and the Editorial Board. Letters to the editor will be printed from anyone in the Cedar Rapids community. However, Torch retains the right to edit stories for length and style, without changing the writer’s intent. We also reserve the right to refuse publication for legal and ethical reasons. All letters must be signed in order for them to be published.
Advisor Gary Lindsay
Editorial Board
Editor-In-Chief Alex Busbee Managing Editor Michael Hoefer Photo Editor Asmaa Elkeurti Design Editor Allison Kindig
Editors
News Darcey Altschwager Profile Jessica Rowan, Rachel Gilman Feature Michael Nordstrom Copy Editor Sean McQuade Lifestyle Allie Sindlinger, Shane Goodall Sports Riley Galbraith, Mohammad Cheetany
Writers
Jordan Calef, Zack Goodall, Grant Sheeley, Spencer Grekoff, Austin Johnson, Amy Brause, Nicole Lindo, Tyler Marsceau, Allison Nemecek, Katy Sullivan, Grace King, Bailey Zaputil, Hanna Krivit, Andrea Traeger, Katie Hefflefinger, Norm Althoff
Photographers Erle Kaasik
Page by Alex busbee
Letter from the editor
As February comes to a close, we look back on everything that has happened this month. Even though it’s the shortest month of the year, it’s been a rollercoaster ride. Firstly, I want to thank everyone involved with Happiness (page four). They had a tough, emotional week. And during that time of raw emotion, they were still willing to speak with me about everything that had happened. Thank you. You’ve been living under a rock if you are unaware of the revolutions in the Middle East (page six). Like dominoes, country after country breaks into rioting, as repressed citizens rise
up against oppressive dictators. This issue hits home for students who used to live in Egypt. We dig into the lives of introverts and extroverts to see life through their eyes (page 14). Most of us live life towards the center of the spectrum, but this story opens a window to the lives of the small minority on the fringes. Our section, artist of the month, is going strong, highlighting Janelle Monoe (page 17). Monoe is a soulful singer who is long overdue for her shot at the big time. Bowling is a sport, unfortunately, that doesn’t receive the respect or fan
sport like football or basketball (page 19). Now they got their well-deserved moment in the lime light. Casey Sheets, sr., and Paige Ermer, sr., are two terrific bowlers interviewed in this story. And last but not least, I want to thank our graphic designer, Rachel Gilman, jr. She is over-worked, and is the reason our paper looks as aesthetically appealing as it does. Thanks Rach!
t able of Contents Enjoy, Alex Busbee
Feature 3 10 Profile In-depth 12 4 14 News Lifestyle 5 16 6 17 Ads Sports Photo 18 8 19 Staff Editorial: Cutting education Editorial
Haters add fuel to JB’s fire
Pay it forward
Happiness overcomes
Chrome cassette Love prevails for JFK couple
What does Black History Month mean to you?
Violence erupts in Egypt
Oscar picks
Janelle Monoe hits scene
Winter wonderland
Artistic perspectives
It’s no secret—times are tough. As we begin to claw our way out of the recession, we are forced to make difficult decisions to stay afloat. But education cannot be one of the first programs cut. Iowa is ranked as one of the top ten states in education. Iowa is one of the few states with universal preschool. This is not a coincidence. Kids who do not receive the benefits of preschool are at risk of falling behind, and eventually being left behind. Arya Forbes is a five-year-old kindergartener at Nixon Elementary school, and a future Kennedy Cougar. Coming from a low-income family, she was able to attend Waypoint preschool last year for free due to the universal program. She enjoys school, and her mother, Nicole Forbes, credits preschool for that. “I seem to think [preschool was the reason] because before that she wasn’t that interested in reading or writing or anything like that,” Nicole photo provided by Nicole Forbes Forbes said. Nicole Forbes has another daughter, two-yearBookworm. Arya Forbes, a old Ainslee. She worries that if they replace the kindergartener at Nixon Elemenuniversal program, she won’t be able to afford to tary, enjoys school, which her send Ainslee to preschool. The only other resort mom credits to preschool.
Girls bowling team makes state lacking support
will be daycare, where Ainslee won’t receive the focused education that other kids her age will, placing her at risk of being behind before she even reaches kindergarten. The Forbes family is just one of many low and average income families that may not be able to afford preschool if universal preschool is cut. While Governor Terry Branstad is trying to cut education funding, he is also trying to reduce corporate taxes, which will mostly benefit big business, which pays out 65 percent of the taxes. This will cost the state roughly $110 million in lost revenue, whereas the cuts to education funding will only save about $27 million. These numbers leave the impression that Governor Branstad is choosing big business over Iowa’s youth. Governor Branstad believes his corporate tax cuts will bring more jobs to Iowa. If he succeeds, he will be sacrificing our long-term prosperity for short-term relief. Education is an investment in the future. Businesses will not come to Iowa for an under-educated, under-skilled work force. Education must be a priority.
JFK Torch
editorial
Page by Alex busbee
February 25, 2011
Haters add fuel to JB’s fire Ask most anyone what their thoughts on Justin Bieber are and you’ll get something along the lines of one of the following responses: either A) I hate him, he’s a pretentious d-bag, or B) A long declaration about how you’ve just met his biggest fan. What I don’t get, though, is how such a kid could work up such strong feelings from anybody.
White Chocolate Persausion asmaa elkeurti My first run in with Justin Bieber consisted of my seeing his live performance on Good Morning America or some other early morning national broadcast show through Youtube. Justin Bieber had been a trending topic on Twitter that day, so I decided to investigate this name I‘d been hearing so much about. I wasn’t exposed to him until this moment, which was long after he’d been popular for a while. He seemed like a cute kid during the interview, constantly pushing his beautifully kept blonde bowl cut out of his eyes, and flashing his sweet smile. He was all dimples and rosy cheeks. And then he grabbed his guitar, and he
seemed to know how to play pretty well, especially so for the preteen I thought he was (imagine my surprise when I learned he was only a year younger than me). He had a pretty nice voice, nothing spectacular, but nice enough. I figured that his potential was limited to being the next Disney Channel star or something along those lines. Related videos to the right of what I was watching directed me to the official video for “One Time”, which was the song I’d just seen him perform live. I thought the video was pretty silly and processed, a contrast to the live acoustic performance, and didn’t think much of it. Then I became aware of the ridiculous ‘Bieber fever’ that was quickly escalating. It seemed that people either hated him or loved him, but what I couldn’t understand is how anyone could take him so seriously. He’s a kid. The Aaron Carter/Jesse McCartney to the current preteen generation. Yeah, he may be a little arrogant, but he obviously has reason to be. Girls go nuts over him. He was signed and produced by Usher, and some also expected him to grab a Grammy at the last award show, and now he‘s got this movie coming out. He’s 16 years old and has had such an impact on the music industry, and an unnecessary one, too. It can easily be understood how, all things considered, this can lead to such overconfidence.
Honoring black history month A wise man once had a dream. A dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” For me that is one of many themes of black history month, “equality”. There are many accomplishments and historic moments achieved by all races, but in black history month we highlight some of the many accomplishments executed by African Americans. Not only that but we remember the good times such as the Emancipation Proclamation of Jan 1, 1863, and the bad times such as the death of civil rights
leader Martin Luther King Jr. on Apr 4 1968. There are a lot of triumphs carried out by African Americans such as Daniel Hale Williams, the first person to ever perform open heart surgery in history and successfully at that. Another great honor was the first African American to receive the MVP award at Super Bowl 9 was Frank O Harris, and the creator of
J Fresh joshua carew
Sharing is caring
graphic by Rachel Gilman
It’s all ridiculous, and it’s all because of the uncalled for attention that he’s received. Hate him or love him, you’re still giving him too much of your emotion that just shouldn’t be wasted. As far as Justin Bieber goes, any news is good news. Justin Bieber is a symbol of corporate pop, and I think that’s what many people really hate, what he’s portraying. The corporate machine personified. Current pop culture can be characterized by the above average popularity of indie music
(arcadefirebestalbumoftheyearanyone?), and we’ve got this polished, gleaming teen pop sensation with choreographed dance moves, his designer wardrobes, and his heavily processed hair and stage make up in stark contrast. While you’ll never catch the kid on my iPod, you’ll also definitely never catch me declaring some burning hatred for Justin Bieber. He’s done nothing to deserve this hate, or love for that matter. Frankly, he’s just not worth it.
the traffic light and gas mask was Garrett Morgan. The most recent accomplishment is that of our first African American President Barack Obama. The month of February is an important month for a lot of people, and just the thought of all the past accomplishments and those to come, makes me proud to be born in this month of pride and glory.
with the people that want a piece. The game’s It’s 1:30 PM, 5th period, less than two called... hours left of school. You decide you want to See What You Can Make People Do For a chew on a piece of gum to make the lecture Piece Of Gum go by faster. You pull out the gum, unwrap it, and stick it (Pun intended? Yes.) in your mouth. Next thing you know, the person to your right asks for a piece. You give in; give him one. You look left, only to see three cupped hands attacking you, expecting a piece. You give in; give them each one. You Michael hoefer look back at your pack, and realize its empty. It can be anything. Make someone sing Are you always expected to share gum? a Disney song. Make someone do 10 pushIt seems every time someone brings out a ups on the classroom floor. Make them give pack of gum, five people start clamoring for a you a high five. Make them ask out the girl piece. Come on man, gum is expensive. Good sitting next to you. Whatever it is, just know money has been saved up for that gum. Can that if you own the gum, you are we be expected to give away a pack every time in control. we want to have one piece? No way. Now, if it Don’t give is just you and one or two other people, you into peer could offer them a piece, but pack sharing is presnot required. If their breath stinks, it’s not sure. your fault. To avoid the mobs, I have started bringing out gum in secret. I will open the pack in my backpack, and slowly sneak the piece above my desk. There, I will try to unwrap it in my hands, so nobody else will see. I then sneak it into my mouth, usually by “coughing.” However, let’s say you’re feeling devious and photo illustration by Asmaa Elkeurti have tons of gum. There is a fun game you can play
Mikey J in the Morning
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artwork by Josiah Wilbur
Disney movie rewind When you grow up, your interpretation of movies that you used to watch all the time changes drastically without you even knowing. It is strange to look back at your old favorites and see them in a different light then you did when you were little. First off, I’ll just put it out there that Disney movies are the greatest thing ever created in this world. Whenever I am having a horrible day, I just pop in a Disney movie and it’s like I am six years old again. Recently, I have had multiple ‘Disney movie days’ with some friends of mine. To my surprise, there are so many hysterical things that I have missed the first time. I have never found myself laughing so hard at movies in my entire life. For example, I
was watching the Aristocrats the other day with my mother. The butler in the movie was opening a bottle of champagne. Meanwhile, the little detective mouse was tying the butler’s shoes together.... the cork flew off the champagne bottle and across the room, taking the mouse with it. The mouse proceeded to say the line, “Oh he got me,” as if he’d been shot. I literally died of laughter. I don’t know why it was so funny to me, but it just cracked me up. I have learned so much over the years that I have begun to understand so much more of what is actually taking place in the movie. The plots don’t seem as intense as they did before, and the movies seem so much shorter. But when I watch these movies, I have learned to look at the
bigger picture. The joy you get out of the movie is what counts the most. I recommend everyone takes a look at their old favorite movies. Need any ideas on what to watch if you don’t have any old favorites? These will always present you with some enjoyment; 1.) The Little Mermaid (my absolute favorite) 2.) The Lion King (if you like a good cry in the middle of movies) 3.) A Bug’s Life (the caterpillar alone will make your entire week) 4.) A Goofy Movie (the title says it all) 5.) Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, or Sleeping Beauty (a love story is always necessary) Jessica Rowan
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JFK Torch
In-depth
February 25, 2011
Page by Alex Busbee
Family. Ethan Gascho, sr., Emily Pei, sr., and Mackenzie Thompson, sr., pose with their show choir trophies. The dance captains and other seniors stayed up until three in the morning filling spots after nine Happiness members were kicked off the night before the competition.
Happiness overcomes
After losing nine of their members the night before a competition, Happiness comes together as a family, places third Two weeks ago, the students of Happiness Inc. found themselves in unfamiliar territory. It was the Friday night before a competition in Lacrosse WI, and they were told to stay in their hotel rooms until further notice by their director, Storm Ziegler. They were in for a sour surprise. Ziegler called an emergency group meeting to explain that nine members of Happiness would not be performing the next day because they were under the influence of a controlled substance—marijuana that had been baked into brownies. The remaining members now had one night to fill nine spots in their show. “Frankly, it was damage control,” Ziegler said. “The analogy I was using was, ‘I’m just hoping that the train can stay on the track.’ Lets just get through this.” In order to fill the gaps, a few seniors watched a video of their show and determined where the holes were and developed a plan of how to place people in them. They were teaching choreography until about three in the morning when Ziegler made them get some
rest for the competition the next day. After a short morning practice, they had to perform, whether they were ready or not. “The day show was great,” Ziegler said. “They did great. They were in third place [out of 13] at the end of the day. That was a huge psychological boost for them. It gave them the knowledge that they could really do this.” And they carried their momentum into the night. “The rest of the afternoon we were preparing for our performance in the finals. We just did a couple more tweaks because we had some time. And then the night show was even better because they weren’t as emotional about it. It was a much tighter show. They had confidence in what they were doing. It was one of the more inspirational things I’ve seen in my life.” With the odds stacked against them, Happiness finished in third place. Later, Ziegler decided that the kids should wear their signature yellow jackets to school on Monday. He was hoping that it would help
them feel more like a family because of everything they had been through. But what he didn’t know was that over the weekend the Internet was buzzing with gossip. Kids back in Iowa knew the night of the incident due to Twitter, Facebook, and texting. The yellow jackets turned the show choir members into sitting ducks for ridicule and harassment. Ziegler asked that all interview questions be directed to him and not to the students. “I didn’t anticipate that [the yellow jackets] would turn them into targets like it did,” Ziegler said. “Which was my error. But when we talked about it later they were actually glad that they were wearing them because as they were walking through the halls they could quickly see another member of the family who was going through the same thing. What was really frustrating about them taking the hits were they weren’t the kids who did it.” Looking forward, Ziegler feels the group has come together as a family. He says they plan on approaching the rest of the season as
though the group they have today is the group they started with. The nine students were suspended for a week and are sitting out for four to six weeks for violating the good conduct policy. The adminstration refused to comment on whether the students face any other consequences. “I guess what I would say is that we have a tendency to focus on the shocking or the drama or the crisis or the negativity,” Ziegler said. “But frankly what I’ve been most moved by is how the kids have responded to that situation and how positive and hardworking and loyal and dedicated they have been in the face of everything that they are dealing with on a day-to-day basis here at the school. The anger and the betrayal they must feel. The way they are responding and handling this to me is a way bigger story than why they are having to deal with this.” Alex Busbee
Kennedy Students weigh in with their opinions Do you sympathize with the nine members kicked off of Happiness? No 47% Yes 53% Happiness Members Rest of the School
Were you bullied or harassed? [Happiness members] Yes, by students 80%
Yes, by teachers 76%
graphics by Rachel Gilman
Yes 22%
No 78%
When did you hear about it? Sat 25% Sun 10% Mon 35% Fri 16%
News
JFK Torch
Page by Darcey Altschwager
February 25, 2011
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What does Black History Month mean to you? Students around Kennedy were asked what Black History Month means to them and how they celebrate with their friends and family “It shouldn’t be something that we have to look at for a whole month on the accomplishments of African-American people but more as a day-to-day basis.” -Joe Bunch, teacher.
“It means everything, I love this month and what it stands for. It gives me the time to research my past.” -Samuel Miller IV, so.
“We usually just eat a lot of different black people food and pretty much just celebrate when we can.” -Matika Strums, fr.
Black History Month is an annually celebrated month that celebrates the achievements of African-Americans throughout history. Black History Month originated as Black History Week in 1926, and was recognized as an official celebration month in 1976. Since 1976, Black History Month is celebrated in February in the United States and is celebrated by other countries around the world as well. (Information from History.com)
“It means honoring the people who made it so that I had rights today and for the freedom that I have today.” -Ashley Carter, so.
Mohammad Cheetany
“We have celebrations at the church and celebrate the black people who do and have done stuff for our country.” -Desmond Epps, jr.
“Black history month means to just getting to know your African-American roots and learning about the diversity.” -Scott Dooley, jr.
Winter conditions cause driving hazards With the recent arguments of the lack of cancellations due to the weather, one student comments about an accident she was almost involved in on the way to school. “I slid down the hill in our neighborhood, and into the street,” Madison Currie, jr., recalls about her winter road conditions scare, where she was almost involved in a serious collision. “I ended up spinning left and almost hitting a snow bank. Luckily, I was able to miss an oncoming school bus. It could’ve been a very serious accident.” This is a prime example of a teen driving-related incident, and Currie is not alone. There have been several car accidents involving students from Kennedy since the winter weather kicked in back in November, mostly because of the lack of experience new drivers have with handling skids, ice, and winter maintenance on their cars. The school board has a
big responsibility this time of year, as they have to make the decision of whether school is cancelled or delayed because of weather. Gary O’Malley, associate superintendent of the Cedar Rapids School District, helps make these critical decisions that involve the safety of students getting to and from school without problems. “The process of deciding on delays and cancellations is a very collective effort,” O’Malley said. “We have directors of transportation that get up at 4:30 in the morning to go out and drive the roads. They call back to the Cedar Rapids, Linn Mar, and Marion superintendent offices to give an honest opinion of the drivability and safety of the roads for students and parents alike. The superintendents then communicate to compare decisions, and then it is released around 6 a.m.” Though the process of cancellations is not a split-second decision, and takes time and
effort, students and parents do not always see eye to eye with the school board in regard to their decisions. “I hate when there’s like six inches of snow in my driveway, and once I get out of that, there’s only four inches on the road, so there isn’t a snow day,” Currie said reflecting on her frustrations of cancellation decisions. “I also worry about the kids who don’t have the convenience of living only five miles from the school, and have to deal with different conditions. I think the school board needs to focus more on the safety of those minorities as much as they do the majority of the school.” The safety of the students is top prioty to the school district. It can be very hard to cover everyone, and keep everyone safe in the district. “We really try our best to put safety as our first priority [when calling delays and cancellations.] We concentrate
photo provided by Taylor Oltmann Crashed and Crumpled. Recent road conditions have been causing problems among teen drivers.
especially on the prime time when students and parents are arriving to and exiting the school. There’s thousands of kids in these schools, and we want to cut down the frequency of accidents as much as possible. So, in order to do that, we mostly focus on the weather between seven and
nine in the morning, and two and four in the afternoon,” O’Malley said. Overall, it can be a very challenging job to balance what is dangerous and what is drivable, but the school board really tries to keep our safety in mind. “I want the students to
know that we try to protect classroom time, but we know weather is unpredictable, and we try to make the best decision for them and we truly have their best interest at heart.” Andrea Traeger
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JFK Torch
news
February 25, 2011
Page by darcey altschwager
Violence erupts in Egypt For over two weeks, Egypt has been the topic on everyone’s mind. A mass protest erupted and lasted for over two weeks to try and get the president, Hosni Mubarak, to resign from office. The protests paid off and Mubarak stepped down from his position in office, making the people of Egypt very happy. Egypt is a big part of the Middle East diplomacy and a key ally with the United States. Mubarak had ruled for 30 years, and is the second leader forced to quit by a protest or uprising. Mubarak took office in 1981, after the assassination of Anwar El Sadat. When Mubarak took office, people were unsure about him. The main reason people didn’t like him is because of his view on Muslim Brotherhood, which is an Islamic transnational movement, and how it was officially banned. When protests broke out on Jan 25, Mubarak refused to step down. His government seemed like they were just
photos by Asmaa Elkeurti Family time. Abdel Azkalany poses with his family . Although Azkalany only lived in Egypt for two months, he still has family that lives in Egypt. Azkalany and his family return to Egypt about every two years . Together, they support the protests in Egypt. waiting out the protests that were going on. He sent out police officers to try and calm the crowd of over ten thousand people protesting in the Tahrir (Liberation) Square. Trying to keep this protest peaceful, Mubarak informed
the police officers they could not open fire on the people. The protests were not taking any affect on Mubarak and his ruling. On Feb 10, Mubarak gave an address to his people saying he will continue ruling until the end of
his term. This made the people of Egypt happier but it still wasn’t enough. On February 11, Omar Suleiman, the new vice-president, informed the people of Cairo that Mubarak was stepping down from office. This caused the people of
Egypt to burst in celebration, chanting “Egypt is free!” A student at Kennedy knows all about what is going on. Abdel Azkalany, so., is from Cairo and goes back to visit every two years. He said he still has family who
live there and they were actually involved in the protest. He even got to participate in some protests held here in Cedar Rapids. Although Azkalany only lived in Egypt for two months, he knows his life would have been different if he hadn’t moved to the United States. “I can’t really say I remember Egypt as much because I only lived there for like two months but I have adapted to the American culture here, but my life would have been completely different if I still lived there,” Azkalany said. Egypt is forever changed by this huge milestone in their history. With a new government and president in place, things will never be the same. A new era has begun and Egypt is figuring out what to do with what is going on right now. The protestors are now happy that Mubarak has stepped down. Jordan Calef
Student speaks out for same-sex marriage With same-sex marriage being a reoccurring issue in the media, a Kennedy student speaks out about what it is like to be raised by same-sex parents. “My parents are just like any normal people. They don’t mean any harm and they are so caring and kind,” Aria Polglaze-Carter, fr., said. Polglaze-Carter and her sister Susan PolglazeCarter, sr., were raised by two moms. There has been a lot of media attention on same-sex marriage due to the laws that are currently being debated in the Iowa House. There are a few different laws being proposed; the first law would once again put a ban on samesex marriage. If this bill were to be passed, the Polglaze-Carters would still remain legally married. However, there is also another law being proposed. This law would allow certain groups and small businesses to refuse services to same-sex couples based on their beliefs. “It’d be sad for all same-sex parents because they should have the same rights as anyone else,” Aria said. “I am no different than anyone else. I work hard, pay taxes and have a right to live my life without harassment. I have hurt no one, in fact I am raising two children who were neglected and abuse by their straight parents,” Pam Polglaze-Carter said. There are many politicians throughout Iowa, as well as other states, who are working to pass the bill to ban same sex marriage, such as conservative activist Bob Vander Plaats who led the effort to oust three Iowa Supreme
Court justices based on their vote on the samesex marriage law. However, many lawmakers have very different opinions. “I cannot cooperate with taking away the rights of a significant number of Iowans,” Senate Majority Leader, Mike Gronstal said. Gronstal currently stands in the way of this law being passed due to his refusal to take up the issue. “Marriage says ‘we’re a family’ like nothing else and is an important way we care for those we love,” one Iowa executive director Carolyn Jenison said. “Writing discrimination into the Constitution will only divide us at a time when we need to work together to tackle common concerns.” The Polglaze-Carters say they are just like any other family. Aria is actively involved in swimming and color guard, and she enjoys many family activities as well. “We like to go out to eat together, go shopping, go for walks, and watch movies, stuff like that,” Aria said. It hasn’t always been this simple for Aria and her family. “I constantly got picked on in elementary school and even got accused of being gay because my parents are. People also won’t be my friends because of my parents. I think they think that it’s wrong, but it’s not like I chose this life for myself. I wouldn’t have it any other way though.” Despite the differing opinions of others around her, Aria keeps an optimistic attitude “It has made me a more positive person and also very accepting.” Amy Brause
photo provided by the Polglaze-Carter family Family portrait. Aria Polglaze-Carter (left) and Susan Polglaze-Carter (right) pose with their moms after the wedding ceremony. The family is upset with the wanted changes to the same-sex marriage law.
One campaign continues to help those in need The One Campaign returns to Kennedy for the fourth consecutive year with plans to continue to reach out and help those in need around the world. “Our goal is to raise at least $10,000 a year, Patty Walsh, art teacher and manager of the ONE Campaign, said. “The ONE Campaign’s goal is to make poverty history.” The One Campaign helps raise money for people all over the world that have been struck by issues such as HIV/AIDS, clean water and sanitation, poor education, food, orphans, housing, debt, and trade justice. Walsh’s grandson, Josi, was adopted from Ethiopia and was delivered by his grandfather
in a mud hut with no running water. His brought in as many coins as I could for the penny wars, and I’ve given about 50 mother, who had just lost her dollars this year in pennies.” two older sons from impoverBoth Walsh and Rowley ished conditions, decided to encourage students to donate take him to an orphanage so he and participate in the ONE could live a better life. campaign. Rowley says that Walsh’s compassion has everyone should bring at least also inspired other students to five dollars and whatever more go above and beyond, such as they can afford because it goes Ike Rowley, sr. to a great cause and to people “The ONE Campaign helps who have nothing. Walsh states me help people in Haiti,” Rowley said, “If we didn’t have graphic by Rachel Gilman that students can help out by participating in Penny Wars, the ONE campaign I wouldn’t be able to help those people. I have always buying T-shirts, wristbands, packaging food,
ONE
attending the ONE Concert, and the ONE at the Improv. “The ONE Campaign has helped me realize how lucky I am to live in America and how just giving up your loose change or buying a T-shirt can help change people’s lives,” Rowley said. “I really am constantly impressed by the giving here at school by the students and staff,” Walsh said.” We are so blessed I feel like it’s unfair that where you live determines whether you live, like people in the countries of Africa and Haiti. In Haiti, some areas are so poor that they set up places to make dirt cookies to eat, because it has some nutritional value.” Bailey Zaputil
news
JFK Torch
Page by darcey altschwager
February 25, 2011
What is your ideal class? “A class where the first half would be a super intense workout, then the second half everyone would bake something yummy and eat it.” -Amy Hanson, sr.
Kennedy classes by the numbers: 12 Language Arts World Languages 5 11 Science Classes Math classes 7
“We should have a class devoted to sleep because scientists say students should get eight to ten hours of sleep. Most students do not meet this requirement.” -Jack Vanoort, so. “A class where everyone learns how to be a shark, how to swim like a shark and grow dorsal fins. Also learn how to be a shark and a vegetarian at the same time.” -Kerry Brousard, so.
“I think a sports class sounds good with all my friends and no homework.” -Logan Steffens, fr.
New classes open to Kennedy students next year: AP Art History and AP American Government
information gathered by photos by Katy Sullivan Asmaa Elkeurti
Best buddies receives grant
photo by Allison Kindig A friendly hello. Matthew Dudley, sr., and Amanda Brause, sr., participate in Project UNIFY.
Kennedy High School’s Best Buddies club recently received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The Special Olympics’ Project UNIFY is a grant that uses sports and education programs to partner special education students with general education students. Mary Gibney, advisor for Best Buddies, hopes that Project UNIFY will help the special education students develop friendships with other schools and promote respect and dignity for all students and staff. “I work with students with special needs, but I hope with this club we’re connecting with all people,” Gibney said. Stephanie Wenclawski,
jr. and vice president of Best Buddies, helps plan events, notify other members of club activities, and tries to get everyone more involved. “They’re all really awesome kids. We think incorporating them more into our school and community is really important,” Wenclawski said. There are three activities that were funded by Project UNIFY on February 18. “We are meeting up with Prairie and Linn-Mar. There will be some group activities, we’ll have a speaker, and we’ll have lunch together,” Gibney said. Douglas Boyd, a Best Buddies member, said, “Project UNIFY was a good way for the regular students and the special education
students to come together so the regular students can fit into our shoes.” Boyd thinks Project UNIFY helped general education students learn about different disabilities. Spread the Word to End the Word is also part of Project UNIFY. The campaign is designed to help eliminate the use of the “R” word (retarded) in derogatory ways. “We’re beginning to talk about promoting positive, safe, and inclusive environments in our schools,” Gibney said. “I think every year that the Best Buddies program continues to grow and it gets better and becomes more student driven,” Gibney said. Grace King
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Downtown making progress After the flood of 2008, many businesses, houses and important buildings were destroyed. It has now has been two and a half years and much construction has been done to help rebuild downtown Cedar Rapids. When the flood waters rose to 31.12 feet, there were 310 city facilities that were damaged. “With that unbelievable destruction, the city of Cedar Rapids is in the process of rebuilding and repairing hundreds of buildings and facilities,” Cassie Willis, Communications for the City Manager’s Office, said. The 310 city facilities include the Courthouse, the Five Season Center, the public library, the Paramount Theater and many more. “The federal courthouse is in the process of being remodeled into the new city hall,” Willis said. The new city council chambers will be ready for use on April 26, 2011. The remodeling of the rest of the three-story building will be complete in June 2012. The convention complex will be located downtown. It will include repairs of the U.S. Cellular Center and the Crowne Plaza Five Seasons Hotel. This complex will be the second largest center in the state of Iowa, once it is done in February 2013. The complex is expected to attract more than 375,000 visitors a year. There will be many rooms in this new complex, such as, exhibit halls, ballrooms, and meeting room space. But the price for this new convention complex will not be cheap; the estimated cost is about 75 million dollars. The public library is estimated to start construction in August 2011. The library is projected to be completed in the summer of 2013. The cost for the new library is 45.5 million dollars. The Paramount Theater will be restored so it can hold symphonies, plays, and other performances. The Paramount will be larger, and improved. It will have a new seating layout for the comfort of the people who are attending events. After the flood of 2008, the downtown was almost non-existent, but it is making its way back. Businesses and government agencies are returning either to their same location or to a new location but, they are returning. The reconstruction will cost a lot, but FEMA and many other fundings will help the city return to normal. Hanna Krivit
Test your skills on events happening around the world 6. True or false? House Speaker John Boehner is working toward removing the misconceptions that Obama is a nonChristian, non-citizen. a) True b) False c) I’m not sure d) I don’t know
1.What is the name of the Egyptian president that just resigned? a)Mahmoud Ahmadinejad b) Hosni Mubarak c) Zine al- Abidine Ben Ali d) Alli Kutomb ala Askoska Nillan 2. GM will give approximately how much of a bonus to the majority of its hourly employees? a) $4,000 b) $10 c) $50,000 d) None
7. Who did Obama submit his $3.73 trillion budget to? a) Congress b) Dr. W c) None, he keeps it a secret d) Head of the executive branch
3. Why was Tiger Woods fined by the European Tour during the Dubai Desert Classic? a) Cheating b) Spitting c) Theft d) Smiling too brightly
8.Who was hit and killed by a car along a Florida highway this Valentine’s Day? a) Tim b) George Bush’s wife c) The Dalai Lama’s nephew d) Both A and B
4. The price of which common consumer good is expected to rise in the next few months? a) Food b) Aluminum foil c) Love d) Clothes
9. How was Ken able to win back Barbies’s heart? a) Billboard messages b) Social networking c) Designing a special d) All of the above cupcake
5. A federal judge disallowed a request to stop the killing of 500 _______ at Yellowstone National Park? a) Peacocks b) Humans c) Buffalo d) Antelope
10.Which odd location recently started offering wedding celebration services? a) The black box b) McDonalds c) Hogwarts d) Wal-Mart graphic by Rachel Gilman
Answers: b, a, b, d, c, a, a, d, b, b
Information gathered by mike hoefer
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February 25, 2011
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Pay it foward:
Assignment inspires kindness On Jan 28, social studies teacher Brian White gave his zero hour Philosophy class a simple yet unusual assignment for the weekend; perform one random act of kindness for a stranger and come back ready to discuss. The proposal came after White had his class watch the movie Pay it Forward. “We watched Pay it Forward which was about a guy assigning an assignment to a bunch of little kids to go and change the world and one of the kids decided that he would do three things that people can’t do for themselves and then tell them to pay it forward so it could be a never ending chain of kindness,” Weston Haldemen, sr., said, when asked to explain the assignment. “Then Coach White gave us breakfast on a day that I was having a particularly bad day and we were supposed to do some
thing nice for someone else.” “I gave them the option [to perform a random act of kindness]. They had free will to either do it or to simply write about it. About 50% of the students paid it forward and the students that did pay it forward did some incredible acts of kindness,” White said. Students from White’s class completed a wide range of acts of kindness, ranging from paying for someone’s groceries to filling up a friend’s tank of gas. The idea behind a random act of kindness is that after a stranger receives the act, he or she is supposed to pass it on and keep a chain of kindness going forever. While a random act of kindness is supposed to be purely derived from wanting to help someone else, Dana Melone, AP Psychology teacher, offers another explanation. “There’s something called the reciprocity norm. If someone helps us, we feel the need to help them in return,” Melone said. Melone added there are other things that influence one’s likeliness to perform an act of kind
ness. “There’s a really neat phenomena called ‘feel good, do good’...People who report that they are in a good mood are more likely to do good things for other people,” Melone said. “Also, the more people that are present in a situation make them less likely to help. They think someone else may help the situation.” Benefits from kind acts not only benefit the person accepting the act, they also benefit the giver. “It made me feel good knowing that I did something nice for someone else,” said Eric Gibson, jr. “I think everyone should [do random acts of kindness] because people would get along better if they helped each other out.” “I think as a school we’re supposed to prepare students for the real world… and one of the best tools for coping with society is being kind,” White said. Michael N o r d strom
Graphic by Rachel Gilman
a
“We wa Pay it Fo movie, on eryone bre for them to nice for som to pay you b somebody either do
-Brian W
“I invited a kid out to dinner with the wrestling team because he usually didn’t go with us even thought he’s on the team and then I paid for his dinner.” -Ryan Sheldon, sr.
Feature
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Page by Michael Nordstrom
February 25, 2011
“I was at Target and when I went to the checkout line there was this woman who was having problems with her credit card. So I went up to the cashier and said I would pay for her things.” - Ivy Seufferlein, sr.
The assignment:
atched a movie in class called orward and at the end of the n a Friday morning, I brought eveakfast. And the assignment was o pay it forward. Go do something mebody else and don’t expect them back but instead pay it forward to else. I gave them the option to it or simply write about it.”
White, Philosophy teacher
“I went to my bank and withdrew $155. It was 5% of what I had. Then I stood in the halls and walked around until somebody I didn’t know said ‘good morning’ and then I just gave it to them.” -Weston Haldeman, sr.
“Me and my friend were going to the gas station so I was like ‘Hey, you can just stay in your car and then I’ll go pump your gas for you.’ So I took money in and came out and pumped his gas.” -Eric Gibson, jr.
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February 25, 2011
Graphic by Rachel Gilman
Alex Neff YouTube is a popular website for students to share and watch videos, as well as listen to music. YouTube is not limited to the common young crowd; teachers have begun their own accounts too. Alex Neff and Michael Moran are among the crowd of teachers at Kennedy who have YouTube accounts. Owlneff, also referred to as Mr. Neff, is an Advanced Geometry and AP Stats teacher. He has worked at Kennedy for four years. Neff has been a member of YouTube since 2007. “I made a YouTube account so I could share stuff with friends and family far away,” Neff said. His videos are mostly of him playing
Page by Jessica Rowan
Dakota Reed, sr., has an extracurricular activity that is not too common among Kennedy students. Reed is a Disc Jockey. There are many kinds of
DJs. Radio DJs introduce and play music over the radio. Club DJs play music in bars or nightclubs. Hiphop DJs select the music they play with more than one turntable. Mobile DJs travel with their equipment and play at a variety of events. Even reggae DJs, who rap or talk over a track, but they do not select and play the music. Reed taught himself how to DJ and has been doing it for the past year and a half. “I just really like electronica music,” Reed said. “It just interested me.” Reed taught himself by listening to a bunch of other DJs. He finds inspiration from them, Steve Aoki being one of these DJs
that he looks up to. Reed owns a single turn table, a double turn table so he can mix songs together, a sound system, and DJ software on his laptop that he uses. A turntable is a circular platform that spins a record while it plays. A DJ uses a turntable to play songs, along with being able to move the records to influence sound. DJs have many important devices that add to their performances; a DJ typically uses headphones so they can listen to something else that the audience is not listening to, sometimes a microphone to speak to the audience, and an audio mixer that is used to transition from song to song. To have different sound effects, a DJ would have to have other equipment. Reed mainly DJs at parties by himself, but has also DJed at public events. Reed DJed at the Kennedy Halloween
Teachers use YouTube to share music his guitar. The one word he uses to describe his YouTube style is anonymous. “Nobody ever finds my videos. It’s like a message in a bottle… you send out and see if anyone finds it.” When asked what his favorite YouTube video was, Neff said, “it changes from day to day.” He likes all kinds of music. As of today, Neff has published nearly 30 videos, and has attracted around 4050 views. Kennedy’s Perspectives in Lit, LA10, and Creative Writing teacher Mr. Moran, aka Theiowagoatsinger, has taught at Kennedy for 11 years. He got his username from the Greek word
tragoidia, which means goat song, and the Iowa part due to him living in Iowa. “If you tell someone you’re the Iowa goat singer, they’re gonna remember you,” he said. He has been a member of YouTube since last April. He created an account to upload and share his own videos. He describes his YouTube style as him playing guitar and school productions he helped work on. “It’s all music based,” Moran said. To this date, Moran has around 27 published videos, and has received around 2200 views. Moran said if he had to choose his favorite
Spooktacular in October where he was helped by Thanh Nguyen. Nguyen assisted Reed by helping set up everything, changing cds, picking songs, and also doing some of the same things Reed does. “I was really interested in it and the reason why he asked me to help him was because I like the same kind of music,” Nguyen said. Reed plans to continue DJing in the future. Reed said, “Yeah, I mean not full time. Just, like, in my free time. You know, a hobby.” Reed doesn’t know if he would want to DJ at more school dances, but he would not mind doing them. He likes doing parties because he can remix songs and make it more electronic instead of just playing today’s hits. Reed will be hosting a techno festival this upcoming summer and will be DJing at that. Alli Nemecek
Michael Moran music it would be blues. His favorite YouTube video is “North Arrow” by Jess Chalker. Mr. Moran has no advice for teachers that want to have accounts, but Mr. Neff does. “Just remember you’re a teacher and keep the videos clean. Teachers, if you want a YouTube account, remember students are bound to find your videos, so be careful what you post. Have fun with your YouTube style. And students, now that you know that there are some teachers with accounts, you might want to watch what you upload as well,” Neff said. Nicole Lindo
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February 25, 2011
Love prevails for JFK couple
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After seven years, pair remains together With the ups and downs of high school, and happen with us,” Schmitz said. Rohrssen bethe constant changes of students, friends, and lieves that the hardest thing is trying to figure fashion, one high school couple comments on out their future plans. “Well I don’t know if you would call it funny how they continue to make their relationship ,but I threw up on him once. It was so embarlast. Alex Rohrssen, sr., and Vinessa Schmitz, rassing,” Schmitz said. This is just one of the sr., have been dating for seven years. Schmitz many memories that Schmitz has from over gave Rohrssen a note to ask him out. “Real cool the years of being with Rohrssen. Rohrssen and Schmitz do not think that sixth grade stuff,” Schmitz said. The two have had their breaks during these seven years, but it is weird that they have been dating for so none lasting more then six months. All of the long. Both families approve of their relationship. Their friends, however, tease them about breaks occurred during middle school. “I really don’t know what the key has been it. “They definitely think its weird,” Rohrssen to our relationship lasting so long. I guess we said. Some of Rohrssen and Schmitz’s friends just really like being with each other. It hasn’t already have their entire wedding planned out. Next year Rohrssen will be attending Iowa been easy throughout the years, but we both know how we feel about one another. I know State and Schmitz will be attending Kirkwood. They already talk 24/7 that no matter what and plan on continuhe cares for me and ing to talk every night he will always be “I know that no matter what he when they are away. there for me when cares for me and he will always Schmitz plans on livI really need him to be there for me when I really ing at home while trybe. And I personally need him to be. And I personing to figure out her don’t know what I next move. The two would do without ally don’t know what I would do plan on visiting on him. I would be lost,” without him. I would be lost.” holidays and breaks. Schmitz said. -Vinessa Schmitz, sr. “I wouldn’t say “I knew I liked her [I’m] scared, but the but I would not think time apart is definitethat we would be here ly going to be difficult,” Rohrssen said about his now,” Rohrssen said. Commitment has been the key to their thoughts on leaving high school. “There’s a part relationship. “We are both strong willed peo- of me that is kind of sad to leave high school, ple,” Rohrssen said. They both agree that they but I am really excited to move on and begin have great communication and that it is really a new chapter in my life,” Schmitz said. “I am easy to just be themselves around each other. sure at times it is going to be really hard, but Schmitz believes that the hardest thing about if we are meant to be, then things should work their relationship is that they are two com- out in the end.” Darcey Altschwager pletely different people. “Compromising doesn’t really tend to photos by erle kaasik
Roloff achieves win record of 300
Dennis Roloff It is something very few high school coaches get the chance to say in their lifetime…300 wins. Dennis Roloff, the Girls vc Basketball coach, recently achieved this monumental mark, after 20 years of coaching at Kennedy. His record displays the hard work and determination it takes to be a successful coach. By pushing his teams to do the best they can each year, he has been able to naturally produce something to show for it. After Roloff’s 300th win against Marion, he and the team celebrated. “The team was so excited. We were screaming and jumping around, and hugging each other. It was one of the biggest moments of
the season. His achievement career; he just enjoys seeing meant a lot to all of the team,” the team play the best basCourtney Strait, jr., said. ketball they are capable of. Many special memories They took pictures and he received a plaque with encompass his 300 wins. his name and a 300 on it. “I have had a lot of special It was a memorable mo- games. A couple of games ment because he got to would be when Anna Swanson see his hard work pay off. hit a half-court shot to win Roloff has been coach- the district game, vs. a fifth ing for 34 years; 20 work- ranked Linn Mar. Also, when ing as a coach at Kennedy. Anne O’Neil broke the state With years of experience, he scoring record vs. Dubuque understands the patience Hempstead,” Roloff said. Strait feels good that she and focus needed to win. and the “It took 20 “The team was so excited- we t e a m y e a r s were screaming and jumping w e r e able to for me around, and hugging each contribto reach ute in t h i s other. It was one of the bigs o m e m i l e - gest moments of the season. w a y . s t o n e . His achievement meant a lot “ W e T h a t played m e a n s to all of the team.” a huge I have -Courtney Strait, jr. role in h a d the hisa lot of very talented young la- tory of his career, and that is dies playing for me through something no one else can say the years,” Roloff said. they did. He is a great person His all time record is 300- and he truly cares about every 154. Racking up the wins teammate, and wants them to isn’t something he typically succeed in every way possible.” Grant Sheeley thinks about in defining his
Grapic by Rachel Gilman
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Defining human dynamics An introvert: a person characterized by being primarily concerned with his or her own thoughts and feelings. People who are considered introverts keep to themselves. “Introverts have a life of the mind,” said Nancy Sauerman, psychology professor at Kirkwood Community College. They tend to be reserved and quiet. They work well alone and don’t like making new friends. An extravert is a person concerned primarily with the physical and social environment. “Extraverts are interested in the world around them,” said Sauerman. Extraverts tend to easily make new friends and say what they think. People have varying personalities
that’s what makes us all different. Most would consider themselves “in between” when looking at the differing traits, but people that dramatically sway more one way than another, can have dangerous personalities.
“
Introverts have a life of the mind.
”
-Nancy Sauerman
“Extreme introversion,” Sauerman said, “might isolate a teen such that she or he has no one to play, work, or solve problems with, no one to confide in.” Whereas, “Extreme extraversion might lead a teen to constantly seek social interaction, possibly too many or too
Introvert Becca Lensing
Torch: How do you feel about being an introvert Becca: That’s just who I am. I sometimes wish I was a little more outgoing, be a different person to see how it is. T: Why do you think you’re like that? B: I’m kind of quiet and shy, but I can come out of it with my friends. T: What do you feel most comfortable doing because of your personality? B: I like to read and be myself.
close relationships so she or he never develops any self-reliance or independence or has time for homework, reading, and employment.” Normally, these people are completely fine but there are times that these behaviors lead people down dark roads. Sometimes extreme introversion can lead to deep depression or even suicide. Extreme extraversion can lead to attention-seeking activities such as what Sauerman would define as, “The extreme social compulsion to build a network of friends can lead to desperation and risk-taking or bargaining in order to achieve social connection.” The extremes of these behaviors could potentially be harmful to the
vs.
Senior
person, but there are healthier, even common forms of introversion and extraversion.
“
Extraverts are interested in the world around them. In everyday life there are introverts and extraverts. We all know chatty people and people who are quiet. They are toned down versions. When asked why she thought she was an extravert, Kaela Dickerman fr., said, “I think what makes me an extravert is because I would be the one to just do something spontaneous at the most random time.”
Extravert Alosha Robinson
Torch: What are you involved in? Alosha: Football and Speech T: How does this affect your social life? A: It’s more fun, but in certain situations you have to tone it down. T: Describe what it is like to be an extravert. A: Being an extravert has the right time and place. You have good social skills and have to have a good balance. But at the same time, you can get into serious trouble if you don’t use it right.
Sophomore
Austin Christensen
T: How do you feel about being an introvert? Austin: I don’t mind. It’s really who I am and how I’ve been. I’m happy with who I am. Everyone’s not the same. T: Do you wish you were the opposite? A: Yeah, I think so. I would like to be more like that. It’s hard to change. I don’t mind. T: Describe what it is like to be an introvert. A: Get what you have to get done. Don’t worry about what other people think about you.
”
-Nancy Sauerman
Whether you are an introvert or extravert depends on your environmental surroundings, like most things, aspects such as your childhood and social life are both contributing factors. There are also ways for a person who was formally an extravert to have some sort of trauma in their life that might push them more towards introversion. All of these personalities are simply just that: personality traits. They are behaviors that we see everyday in class, in the hallways, and even at work. We need to work with the different types of people out there, because no two are exactly the same. Katie Hefflefinger
Chloe Brigl
Senior
T: How do you feel about being an extravert? Chloe: It’s who I am, I like being outgoing, its easier to meet new people and to have fun. T: Why do you think you’re like that? C: I am talkative; I don’t want to be boring. T: Do you wish you were the opposite? C: No, but people in my classes might. T: Describe what it is like to be an extravert. C: Being an extrovert is fun, it makes hard times easier. It makes awkward situations better.
Senior
Emily Brown
Kaela Dickerman
T: How do you feel about being an introvert? Brown: I wish I was more outgoing. I feel like I don’t talk to as many people. T: Why do you think you’re like that? B: [I’m] not in as many activities. T: Do you wish you were the opposite? B: Somewhat, but sometimes it’s better to be quieter.
T: How does being an extravert affect your social life? Kaela: A lot of people when they first meet me think I’m weird because I’m loud. T: How do you feel about being an extravert? K: I love it! I love talking and being loud. T: Why do you think you’re an extravert? It’s just my personality. I go up to people and I’m just naturally like that. T: Do you ever wish you were the opposite? K: No, never.
Sophomore
Freshman
Andy Washburn
Serina Monetathchi
T: How do you feel about being an introvert? Serina: Kind of sad. I wish I could be more outgoing, more involved so I could experience more new things. T: Why do you think you’re like that? S: Because when I was young, I started reading lots of books. I became more interested in books than people. It’s a sanctuary where I can escape. T: Do you wish you were the opposite? S: Yes, because then I wouldn’t regret not doing things…so I could say I have done that before…I wish I kept with ballet.
T: Why do you think you are an extravert? Andy: I like seeing people’s reactions; I like to sing into their ear when you don’t know them. T: Do you act different at home than at school? A: No, I don’t have as many people to sing to at home. T: What do you feel most comfortable doing because of your personality? A: Wearing banana suits to sporting events. Freshman
Junior
Information gathered by Hanna Krivit and Allison Kindig
What personality are you? Have you ever wondered if you were an introvert or an extravert? This survey will take you one step closer to classifying your social characteristics.
01
Which most accurately describes your birthday parties? A) A big get-together with several people. B) A small get-together with a few close friends or family.
02
You notice a glaring mistake on a classmate’s project, which most accurately describes your reaction? A) You tell them about it. You
wouldn’t want them to make a mistake. B) You ignore it. They could have meant it to be that way.
03
Which more accurately describes you when in a group? A) You like to entertain others. B) You like to listen to others.
04
If given the choice for a school assignment, you would rather choose which of the following? A) An interesting presentation to be given to the class. B) An informative written report.
05
How do you feel as deadlines approach for assignments? A) I am okay with it. Deadlines help me get things done. B) I hate deadlines! I get flustered as they approach.
06
When communicating with others, you are more comfortable with which of the following? A) Talking in person. B) Texting.
07
At sporting events, which more accurately characterizes your behavior? A) Loud cheering and talking
with friends. The actual sport is secondary. B) Quiet focus on the event. The sport is why you came in the first place.
08
How do you feel about group projects? A) They are fun! It’s exciting to get to work together. B) They’re a pain! They take too much communication, I would rather work alone.
09
Which type of work do you feel most suited for? A) Politician. B) Accountant.
10
Would you rather....
A) Star in a play. B) Write a play.
Now tally up your score. Mostly A’s: extravert. You are sociable, outgoing, talkative, responsive, easygoing, lively, carefree, & a leader. Mostly B’s: introvert. You are passive, careful, thoughtful, peaceful, controlled, reliable, even-tempered, and calm. information gathered by Shane Goodall
Lifestyle
JFK Torch
Page by Alexandria Sindinger and Shane Goodall
February 25, 2011
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Electric car makes gains
Photo by Hanna Krivit Teamwork. Members of the electric car team work together on their project in the auto shop.
One class in Kennedy High School is working to accomplish a task unlike any other class in the school: make a car powered by electricity. We use electricity for just about everything. It’s the basic source of energy. It powers our TVs, light bulbs, and our household appliances. Some students at Kennedy have been working to do incredible things with this valuable resource. The Kennedy Electric Car team is a group of 23 students. Using electricity, they work to power a small, onemanned car. This vehicle is built entirely by the students themselves. The car itself is only about one third of the mass of a typical car. The car may be small, but it is also complex. A complete electric car has over 250 pieces used to build it. There are also over 100 different gear choices for the car. The whole process, from the start of the manufacturing to the finished, glossed-up, working model, it takes almost a year. The cars designed by electric car run completely on battery power. It’s only about half of the size of a small, commercial car battery and barely uses any energy at all.
Using only 850 watts of power improvement,” said Barry an hour, these cars easily use Wilson. Barry, as he’s known less than half as much energy by his students, has been the as common household appli- advisor/teacher of the electric ances. car class for 12 years. “There “[It’s] tons of fun,” says is no chance that the car that Branden Reynolds, fr.. won last year will win this Reynolds is part of the electric year. You always gotta come car team. up with a It’s his first better anyear on the There’s no end to imswer.” team. “You T h e provement because get to meet assembly new people there is no chance that of the car and build will only the car that won last things.” get harder T h e year, will win this year. for the Kennedy class. Each electric car You always gotta come year, the team travbattery up with a better answer.” els to many that the different electric car places to - Barry Wilson team uses compete. continues Other than to shrink Iowa, the team has gone in size. Yet, as the difficulties to Michigan, Kansas, and may increase, so does the enNebraska. In the past year, joyment of the class. the team has brought home 2 “[It’s] fun. You should championships. come and check it out. You “It’s fun and we get shiny learn about engineering,” says hardware!” says Erin Wilson, Reynolds. If you want to join sr. Erin was the driver for the electric car, talk to your both of the championships counselor and request the that they won recently. class. They meet 7th hour in Regardless of the team’s Mr. Wilson’s classroom. successes, they continue Tyler Marsceau to look for better solutions. “[There’s] no end to
Speech team improv group supports ONE cause Speech team is bringing its improvisational talent home for a performance to raise funds for the ONE campaign. Danny Yuska is in his third year as a Speech team coach at Kennedy and his sixth year overall. He coaches teams of students who compete interscholasticly across the state. “I like to call the Speech team the competitive acting troupe,” Yuska said. According to students involved in Speech team, the idea of traditional speeches is just a small part of the Speech team as a whole. Alosha Robinson is a sophomore involved with Speech team. “People hear the name Speech team and they get the idea that all it involves is speeches, but that’s far from the truth. There are several different events and only one is actually giving a speech,” Robinson
said. Robinson is a member of one of Kennedy’s very successful improvisational acting groups. Improvisational acting involves using quick thinking to preform group scenes with often hilarious results. It is just one of the long list of Speech team events that also includes one-act play, choral reading, reader’s theatre, ensemble acting, musical theatre, mime, broadcast, monologue, storytelling, prose, poetry, and written speeches among others. This year, almost 90 students tried out for speech team, and all who were auditioned found a spot on the team. Kennedy’s speech team is one of the most successful in the state, sending 20 teams to the state competition, the most of any school in the state. Of these 20 state
qualifiers, nine performances received all-state honors, including one improvisational acting group that earned AllState Critics Choice Banner, the pinnacle Speech competition honor in Iowa. This team, in addition to the other two improvisational acting groups, have decided to put their talents to use in an event to raise funds for the ONE campaign. “One at the Improv will be a showcase of improv games and situational improvs,” Yuska said. One at the Improv will take place on March 11th in the black box theater beginning at 7pm with all proceeds benefiting the ONE campaign. “You better get there early,” Robinson said. “Last year’s show sold out and this one is set to be even bigger. It’s going to be a great time for sure.” Shane Goodall
Speech: by the numbers
91%
of performances qualified for state.
9
teams won allstate honors: - 1 Choral reading - 2 ensemble acts - 2 musical theaters - 1 group mime - 1 solo mime - 2 group improvs
1
team won All-State Critics Choice Banner Photo by Asmaa Elkeurti Speaking out. Mr Yuska diligently works with members of Speech.
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JFK Torch
Lifestyle
February 25, 2011
Page by Shane Goodall and Alexandria Sindlinger
Students make Oscar picks
The torch asks kennedy students to give their predictions about this year’s oscar Awards. Graphic by Rachel Gilman
Best Picture: -Black Swan -The Fighter -Inception -The Kids Are All Right -The King’s Speech -127 hours -The Social Network -Toy Story 3 -True Grit -Winter’s Bone
Best Actor: -James Franco -Colin Firth -jesse Eisenberg -Jeff Bridges -Javier Bardem
Best Actress: -Natalie Portman -Michelle Williams -Jennifer Lawrence -Nicole Kidman -Annette Bening
Best Animated Film: -How to Train your Dragon -The Illusionist -Toy Story 3
Nick Appleget, jr.
“Toy Story 3. It made me sad and not many movies do so. PLus I love Toy Story.”
“Jesse Eisenberg. He is really funny and Did a good job. ”
“Natalie Portman. she really played her role well.”
“How to TRAIN YOUR DRAGON. IT WAS AN OVERALL GREAT MOVIE...I ALSO LOVE DRAGONS.”
Kendal C o rk l e , So.
“TOY STORY 3. It is a fun yet sad movie. It was also really cute.”
“Jesse eisenberg. He acted like a jerk in the movie, but he plays the part very well.”
“Natalie Portman. She is the best actress out of all of the nominees.”
“Toy Story 3. I love all of the cute characters. It was an overall fun movie.”
“Inception. I like complicated movies, and this movie really made me think.”
“Colin firth. I really like Bristish actors.”
“Natalie Portman. She did an amazing job at swithcing roles throughout the movie.”
“Toy Story 3. it was in 3d which i liked and I always liked The original Toy Story when I was Kid.”
P i e tr o B assani , Jr.
ben Long, Fr.
M o rgan Studt, Sr.
“Toy Story 3. I watched toy Story when i was little and still enjoy watching it.”
“Jesse Eisenberg. He really played the part of Mark Zuckerburg well.”
“Nicole kidman. She really did a great job.”
“Toy Story 3. It’s just a cute movie overall.”
“Toy Story 3. It will Win for sure.”
“Jesse Eisenberg. He is a really good actor overall.”
“Natalie Portman. She did a very good job, She really made the movie dramatic.”
“Definitely Toy Story 3.”
New TV show pushes limits MTV has run a lot of shows that could be considered sketchy and hit touchy subjects like “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom” just to name two. Although their new show “Skins” takes the cake and could be one of the most controversial shows to ever hit the air on MTV. For everyone that hasn’t seen “Skins”, it’s a show about one group of high school kids and their lives, which basically include nothing but drugs, sex and other various scandals. Some big name
Photo by Asmaa Elkeurti Shenanigans. A scene off of the show Skins captures the crazy antics of the show.
corporations have even taken notice to the show’s main points of drugs and sex. According to foxnews.com four companies (Taco Bell, Subway, Wrigley and General Motors) have pulled their advertising after being targeted by the Parental Television Council because of the fact that the show has bordered on child pornography, after a 17-year-old actor appeared to be in a state of arousal on the show. The show’s cast also features children as young as 15. MTV is standing by “Skins”
though; they fired back, indirectly, at the Parental Television Council by telling FOX411 “We are confident that the episodes of Skins will not only comply with all applicable legal requirements, but also with our responsibilities to our viewers.” “Skins” is also rated TV mature and steps are taken to alert viewers about the subject matter of the show. Spencer Grekoff
Lifestyle
JFK Torch
Page by Shane Goodall and Alexandria Sindlinger
Graphic by Rachel Gilman
February 25, 2011
White Stripes divided
17
The White Stripes, a popular alternative rock band has recently broken up. Now, fans such as Hannah Kaiser, sr., and Dan McCoy, jr., reflect. “It’s sad that it’s over,” Kaiser said, reminiscing. The White Stripes, famous for their hits such as “Seven Nation Army”, “Icky Thump” and “Blue Orchid”, broke up after a 13 year-long run on February 2. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, the two-person band of Megan and Jack White produced 86 songs throughout five albums. “I liked Jack White’s guitar playing, especially his mastery of old time blues techniques. They really know how to play hard and fast but thoughtful at the same time,” McCoy said. “I love Jack White’s voice, how their music is so diverse, how it is so different, like with the bagpipes, and how some songs are more hard while some are more folkish,” Kaiser said. Both Kaiser and McCoy became fans at young ages. Kaiser said she heard them over the Rock 108 radio station in fifth grade and fell in love with them, while McCoy discovered them in sixth grade. “Me and my friends found out about them and geeked over them for a while. We played a lot of really bad covers in our band, then,” McCoy said. Kaiser said that she found out about their break up by getting a phone call after school from her sister. “My reaction was what? No!” Kaiser said. Dan McCoy said that he had just simply assumed that they had broken up a while ago, as they hadn’t put out any music in a while, and the music they had put out in the past few years he didn’t much care for, saying that he liked the earlier White Stripes. Kaiser and McCoy both also note that Jack White is in other bands and is still going to continue making music. When asked if they thought that the White Stripes would get back together, both said they thought it was a possibility. “I love them, but maybe it’s just one of those things,” Kaiser said. Bailey Zaputil
Janelle Monáe hits scene
Versatile new Soul and R&B singer
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia commons Rising star. Janelle Monae performing. Monae is an up and coming artist.
Janelle Monáe is one of the freshest upcoming soul and R&B singers that has recently hit the mainstream with her hit song “Tightrope”. Monáe who originally was hoping to make her career in Broadway, decided against it when she decided that she should pursue a career in music. Soon after she was able to land a spot recording with the hip-hop group Outkast for the soundtrack of their movie Idlewild. A member of the group Outkast [Big Boi] recommended her to Sean Combs [Diddy] where she was signed to his record label, Bad Boy Records, in 2006. In 2007 Monáe released her EP album, Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) and released her debut album, The ArchAndroid (Suites II And III) in 2010. Monáe has one of the most unique musical styles in the music industry today and is one of the most flexible artists in the way that she experiments with her music. Much of her music contains soul singing but also includes quite a bit of R&B, with very percussion-based instrumentals. Her music also includes a lot of funk and indie funk mixed in with the soul which can be pleasing to fans of different musical genres. Overall, Monáe has developed her music in many ways and can be listened to by fans of multiple genres which really show that all her
music can get experimental. Even if you aren’t a fan of soul, R&B, or funk, Monáe is still worth a listen since she is one of he most flexible artists and is one of the most prominent soul artists in the music industry. Mohammad Cheetany
Quick Facts: Artist: Janelle Monáe Real Name: Janelle Monáe Robinson Genre: Soul/R&B Hometown: Kansas City, Kansas Hit Songs: “Tightrope” “Cold War” “Come Alive (The War of Roses)” “Many Moons”
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JFK Torch
Sports
February 25, 2011
Page by Mohammad Cheetany
Winter wonderland
During the cold weather, many wish to stay insulated under a blanket. However, to a group of Kennedy students winter is the best time of the year because they can ski and snowboard, even though there is only one ski resort in Iowa. Sundown and is more than an hour away but to two groups of Kennedy riders that doesn’t matter. They also travel to Chestnut ski resort in Illinois. There are two different groups of students each having their own YouTube channels for their skiing and snowboarding videos: Fosproductions1 and SnowEveryday. Throughout the winter season they frequently travel to Sundown or occasionally Chestnut, to hit the slopes. Skier Matt Eveland believes that chestnut offers a better environment. “It has a better terrain and all around skiing but it is a longer drive so we go to Sundown more.” They also go to each other’s homes, where they film themselves attempting tricks. A large number of videos are now out displaying their creativity and uniqueness during the long and cold winter, in Iowa. TheSteezyCrew is the original YouTube channel before two groups were formed for separate video recording. Fosproductions1 is one of the newly formed groups and is made up of: Matt Eveland, so., Donovan Kosman, so., Cory Hutchison, so., Cole Henry, so., and Jonny Webb, so. SnowEveryday is the second and consists of Sam Nordstrom, So., Andrew Shannon, So., Jonny Webb, so., Grant Miller, so., and Cole Henry, so. Even though there are two groups; all of them often ski and snowboard together. “We didn’t really split up, we just use multiple accounts,” said Sam Nordstrom, so. Typically, trips to Sundown occur every weekend in the winter and incorporate every person within the two groups.
The challenge of taking on new obstacles and coming up with new ideas, are the main reasons why they enjoy skiing and snowboarding, to such an extent. Most of them do not have any set goals and simply go out for the fun of it, and to improve. Eveland, Nordstrom, and Shannon are the only ones that ski, while the rest of the group member’s snowboard. A variety of tricks and moves are done in the videos. Some are completed in one of the group member’s back yard, while others are done on more complex structures. A 360° turn off a jump is a common trick. Others include rails and boxes, where the rider can move sideways on the rail and then attempt a 270° turn to land straight, for example. The moves typically take awhile to conquer and that is where the true fun comes into play. “Our goals would probably be just to have fun and learn new stuff,” Kosman said. Kosman has been with the group since it began around four years ago, and simply enjoys going out and attempting new tricks. Even though skiing and snowboarding are not school sports and they aren’t the most popular sports ThesteezyCrew and Fosproductions1 still love it. “The popularity of snowboarding and skiing at Kennedy is very very small, and it isn’t growing much,” Kosman said. “The X games have really helped the sports popularity though, because it shows what the pros can do and how cool and fun it really is.” Spencer Grekoff & Grant Sheeley
Photo provided by Samuel Nordstrom Grinding. Grant Miller, so. grinds on a rail at Sundown while snowboarding. Grant and a few of his friends often go snowboarding and skiing at Sundown or Chestnut during the winter months.
Overworked athletes cause awareness of health condition
Workouts are used to make an athlete better open at the training room for questions about and make them compete at a high level. What workouts, supplements, or injury. Andrew Schulze is a Biology student teacher happens if that workout is too intense for your body to handle? There is a fine line between and also played football for the Iowa Hawkeyes. making yourself better and going to far. For He says the workouts are not uncommon, that 13 Iowa Hawkeye football players they pushed he himself had to do them in 2007. “I don’t themselves too far and ended up hospitalized know why it happened and I never felt like the coaches were pushing us too far.” He also added with a condition know as rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis is a syndrome that occurs that he supports the workout 100%. “Coach when muscle fibers are broken down and re- Ferentz and Coach Doyle have helped me as a leased into the blood stream. Some symptoms football player 100%. I would do whatever they are very sore muscles or very dark urine color. asked of me, I never felt pushed too far.” Tim Lewis, This conditon is harmful and head varcould be damaging to the kid- “If players don’t work hard sity football ney. It is treatable with fluids enough during the off season or coach, wasn’t and athletes are able to make are not in shape, it can happen. If too surprised a full recovery. that this hapLynn Groth, the athletic players are in a good off season He trainer for Kennedy, says workout program, they should be pened. added that she has never seen a case of if you aren’t rhabdomyolysis in her ten fine.” properly preyears here. She suggests that -Tim Lewis, Wellness teacher pared for a the condition doesn’t usually hard workout occur, but it happens with a combination of risk factors, creating a “perfect or practice, this type of thing could happen. storm.” Such risk factors include dehydration, “If players don’t work hard enough during the condition of the athlete, and although it is de- off season or are not in shape it can happen. bated the use of supplements, particularly cre- If players are in a good off season workout atine. Even though every time someone does program they should be fine.” Players should an intense workout they are at risk Groth says, be committed to their workout to ensure that “I don’t believe any of the coach supervised they do not put themselves at risk. Ultimately, programs at Kennedy are putting athletes at this is a syndrome that can be easily prevented risk for rhybdo. Using supplements could fur- if you take your sport seriously and are comther put you at risk, so be extremely careful mitted to taking care of yourself. Nathan Althoff & Austin when taking them.” She says her door is always Johnson
JFK Torch
sports
Page by mohammad cheetany
February 25, 2011
Girls Bowling team makes state lacking support
19
Graphic By Rachel Anne Gilman
STRIKE
“
We don’t get much support in the first place since we are a newer sport and people don’t know what we do, but the meets are fun and I think if people came to them we could show them how much fun we have.
-Paige Ermer, Sr.
”
As one of the lesser known sports at Kennedy, bowling has made a tremendous effort this season but has lacked in fan support. The Girls Bowling team recently finished their season and is continuing with their success through regional and onto the state meet. The girls team won at the regional meet on Feb. 19th and were able to gain a spot in the state meet. The girls team heads to state today in Des Moines where the girls will compete along with the best teams in the state. The girls finished their season 6-4 and are hoping to compete for the state championship after the successful season we had. “We’ve done really well, and we’ve connected more which has helped us do well this whole season,” Paige Ermer, sr., CoCaptain said. Individually, the whole team has accomplished a lot. Ermer in particular, accomplished
a lot this season and has recently received scholarships from multiple colleges and has decided to take her talents to LaCrosse, Wisconsin to play for Viterbo University. “Deciding where to go was my hardest decision but probably my largest accomplishment this season,” Ermer said. The Boys Bowling team recently finished their season as well, placing 4th in the regional meet, but wasn’t able to place a spot in the state meet. The boy’s finish their season with a record of 3-8 and have accomplished a lot this season individually and as a team. As a team, this season of the largest accomplishments that the team has reached was bowling a perfect 300 baker game. A baker game is a bowling match in which five members of the team bowl ten frames and bowl the entire match in a rotation by each member of
the team. The boys team is the first team in the the whole season, but have lacked support MVC to have bowled a perfect 300 baker game from students and parents. “We don’t get much ever. “We were the first team to ever do so in support in the first place since we are a newer sport and people don’t our conference know what we do, but and it was cool “We were the first team to ever the meets are fun and that we were able do so in our conference and it I think if people came to do that,” Casey was cool that we were able to do to them we could show Sheets, sr. co-capthat [get a 300 baker game.]” them how much fun we tain said. have,” Ermer said. Both I n d i v i d u a l l y -Casey Sheets, sr. teams hope to get more this season, the support in the coming Boys Bowling team accomplished a lot. Sheets was named seasons. “Having the support is good and helps the MVC athlete of the week during the month us all once we move onto regional and state,” of February. “I made a lot of improvement this Ermer added. Mohammad Cheetany season and my top accomplishment was being able to be the MVC athlete of the week,” said Sheets. Both of the teams have been high on talent
Nikki Rowland, Attendance Facilator
Ryan Rodriguez, Junior
Brooklyn Mally, Senior
Zachary Deitrich, Senior
“I have a problem with high school girls and boys wrestling against each other at a certain age, once boys get to a certain age it puts them at a real awkward position.”
“If they want to wrestle that’s cool, if it’s their choice then they can go ahead and do what they want as long as it is approved by the person that they’re wrestling.”
“Personally, I don’t, I just think it would be awkward for the boys and if they have a certain reason against it then I think it should be their choice to wrestle or not”
“I don’t think there is enough female wrestlers, so I don’t believe it’s their fault that they can’t wrestle against other females, if it is their choice then they should be allowed to wrestle against them”
Students voice opinion: Do you think it’s appropriate for girls to participate in Boys Wrestling?
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JFK Torch
Sports
February 25, 2011
Page by Riley Galbraith
graphic by Rachel Gilman photos by Jessica Rowan and Asmaa Elkeurti
GLORY Quest for the
Boys keep on rolling Wrestlers push on In one of the most publicized state wrestling tournaments in Iowa history, two Kennedy Cougars were able to make their mark on the biggest stage of them all. Kennedy arrived in Des Moines for state with one goal on their mind, a championship. “The key to our success is to make sure that our guys are focused and confident in their ability,” assistant coach Craig Mallicoat said. With four wrestlers from Kennedy having qualified for the state tournament, the team was looking for four wrestlers to place, with hopefully a couple of state titles. Although Shane Williams, jr., and Ryan Rodriguez, jr., fell out of contention early, Ryan Sheldon sr., and Luke Kremer, jr., were able to push forward and place in the top 5. After a sixth place finish the year before, Kremer placed an extraordinary third place, while Sheldon improved on his eighth place finish the year before and received a solid fifth place. Riley Galbraith
After a stellar 17-4 regular season record, the slate is wiped clean and the pressure is on as it’s one and done for the Kennedy Boys Basketball team. “I just want the best for us. I want us to take care of our first rounds in sub-state, play team ball and then we can make it to the top,” Josiah Coleman, jr., said. It won’t be a simple task for the seventh ranked Cougars. The Cougars received a first round bye and are set to face Dubuque Hempstead, whom they have already beaten this year. If the Cougars can pull off a win against Hempstead, they will most likely be awaited by cross-town rival Washington. Although the Cougars have won the only two meetings this year, both games were tight finishes. “We’re realistic. We know that you can have a great season and not get there [the state tournament],” Coach Bob Fontana
said. He knows it well as just two years ago the Kennedy team, which set the school record for wins in a season, was stunned in the sub-state final by Cedar Falls on a last second shot. Although always weary, the Cougars still like their chances going into their sub-state play. “We just have to focus on one possession at a time and do all of the little things. If we don’t do those things than we will be setting us up for situations that we won’t be happy with, but if we take care of those things then we should be fine,” Fontana said. “It would be a big disappointment, I mean it would be terrible to have the feeling that I didn’t do enough for the team so I think we all just really want to make sure we’re focused,” Coleman said. Riley Galbraith
Swimming falls short
After five events placed in the top six at the district meet, Kennedy’s Mens Swimming team missed going to state by only a few seconds. Chandler Heisler, so., placed 25th at the district meet, missing qualifying for state by only .08 seconds. Other events that barely missed the cut off to go to state were: the medley relay, the 200 free relay, the 400 free relay, and the 100 free also swam by Heisler. Although the outcome was not what Heisler and the team wanted, Heisler is content with the overall outcome of the season as he was able to drop two seconds from his 50
and four to five seconds on all other events. Shawn Thomsen, Mens Swimming coach, was also disappointed by the outcome of districts but is overall happy with his team’s performance this year. “I would say probably our most notable accomplishment was we achieved more than what most thought we could,” Thomsen said. Thomsen believes that with extra training in the off season and gaining another year of experience, the team will be ready to take state next year. Darcey Altschwager
Girls take early bow
After two straight third place finishes, the Kennedy Girls Basketball team bows out of the competition after a loss to 12th ranked Iowa City High. “[Taking an early loss in sub-state] is disappointing, but we made a lot of strides this year and with us losing all five starters, we still played hard and I was proud of the way everyone stepped up and played, so the season wasn’t a disappointment,” Shauna Happel, sr., said. Going into the season was a question mark for the team. The team lost numerous impact players from the year before, and there was little experience from the majority of the team coming in. But that didn’t stop them; their 9-14 was not been what they hoped for, but they always stayed together and worked hard. “We would obviously all be a lot happier if we had a winning record, but we’ve improved, and we’ve worked really hard and our record doesn’t show that,” Kassi Nunnikhoven, sr., said. Riley Galbraith