THE LITTLE HAWK
Iowa City, IA
Vol. 75
Friday, December 22, 2017
Issue 3
thelittlehawk.com
Teacher Profile: Frederick Newell By Cecile Bendera
F ABOVE: Iowa is one of the leaders in the country in wind and solar power projects ART BY OLIVIA LUSALA
Red, White, and Going Green The future of solar energy in the ICCSD By Eric Thomas Reporter
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ith climate scientists predicting the complete loss of ice in the north pole by this summer or the next, ICCSD is looking forward to taking steps toward renewable energy. Both for ICCSD and the world at large, creating energy is a big challenge. Coal and oil industries have dominated for the majority of history. More recently, humans are moving towards renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal energy. A popular way many cities, huge companies, and even residential houses are helping the environment is by incorporating solar energy into day-to-day life by installing solar panels on rooftops. “[Renewable energy] is going to accelerate and keep getting bigger and bigger,” said Peter Byler, a PLTW teacher at City High. “Iowa is on the forefront of this. MidAmerican has committed to building a lot of solar.” In fact, MidAmerican Energy, a company that
provides electricity to over 760,000 homes in the Midwest, has pledged that 40% of its energy will be renewable by 2020. A big part of its initiative is building solar arrays. This can greatly reduce a company’s electricity bill. The company invests an initial sum to install them, but it is paid off soon after, due to reduced electricity bills. “Our district financed our current solar power system from a 20-year loan we took out from the bank,” said Robin Popejoy, the financial coordinator of Sheridan School District in Indiana. “We will pay it off using the money we normally spend on our energy bill.” The Sheridan district gives excess electricity in normally stored in batteries to their electric company. By doing this, it reduces waste while earning credits from the local electric companies for cloudy days when sun quotas for the solar panels aren’t met. This will still happen after the loan is paid off, creating a possibility of gaining money for certain months.
Throughout the country, various school districts have switched to renewable energy. While this works for other districts with a larger energy budget, there are numerous concerns about ICCSD’s financial ability to invest in solar power. “I think it’s going to cost you more to get your electricity from those solar panels than from the grid,” said Byler. “Even with tax benefits, you’re going to pay a bit more for solar power.” Although the initial cost is high, it should eventually decrease to zero as it did in the Sheridan district. City’s current annual electricity bill reaches $200,000, growing every year due to the one-to-one program and increasing demand for energy. This bill is paid by the number of kilowatts per hour (kWh) used. The average cost for one kWh in Iowa City is 7.8 cents. Factoring this into the previous year’s electricity bills, City uses 557.14 kWh during the school year. Continued on 9A
Reporter
rederick Newell is the Student Advisory Director here at City High School. In this role, he plays the roles of student advocate and support system for many students in the building. He is also the creator of the Dream Center. “[The Dream Center] focuses on character building, leadership, and service,” Newell said. “That’s important because every youth needs a mentor, every youth at some point needs to build their character to become our leaders because I believe [they] are our leaders...my life goal is to inspire and empower.” Newell’s passion for students and his drive to help them succeed is what led him to create the Dream Center and work with young people at City High. The program also has a four different academies which include the Fatherhood Academy, the Young Leadership Academy which focuses on mentoring, the Performing Arts Academy, which is primarily on theater and spoken word, and the Family Academy. Working with young men in the grades of fifth through eighth grade, many of whom lived in the Southeast side of Iowa City and ended up as City High School, was the main inspiration for Newell to begin working with students at City. He began to build a relationship with Mr. Bacon, which eventually led to many conversations about him working with students at City High. “My first boys at the Dream Center that were part of City High School [graduated],” said Newell. “I became a part of City High family as I followed and mentored them.” Continued on 9A
Can Drive Returns By Nina Lavezzo-Stecopoulos Reporter
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very year, Student Senate hosts a can drive, but this year it has changed it up. Student Senate is finding ways to get more cans this year and has revived an old tradition of “Powderbuff volleyball,” where male students at City form teams and compete. The Senate is hoping to receive more money this year, and all cans will be donated to the Crisis Center. “We’re getting cans from Hy-Vee and a lot from the excellent Volley-buff tournament we had a couple weeks ago so I feel like [the Can Drive]is going extremely well,” said Senate president Teagan Roeder ‘18. This year, Student Senate added a requirement to enter the competition. Each member of each team was required to donate five cans to the Can Drive. The Powderbuff tournament isn’t the only thing City is doing differently this year. Student Senators are focusing on collecting cash more
than cans. Despite these differences, the Can Drive remains an important Senate event. “It’s one of our big trademark projects we do every year,” said Lottie Gidal ‘19, head of the Can Drive committee. The Can Drive is a City High tradition and has been going on for over eight years. Last year the senate raised around 6,000 pounds of food. This year, Student Senate is on track to donate just as much. “The emphasis has always been on the cans. We’re changing the emphasis a little bit to try and get more cash,” said Chip Hardesty, a campus monitor at City and an advisor for Student Senate. “[The Crisis Center] likes cash better than cans. They have much more buying power.” After the Powderbuff games and one shift at Hy-Vee, the donations students have received are the equivalent of over 1,000 pounds of food.
ABOVE: Emmeline Krause hands out flyers. PHOTO BY NINA-LAVEZZO STECOPOULOS One dollar is equivalent to four pounds of food. way to give food back to the community, and it’s “I’ve set up times at Hy-Vee,” Gidal said. definitely needed,” said Lottie Gidal ‘19. “We’ll go in for six hours for four different The donated food will become part of the Saturdays and collect cans as people come in and Crisis Center’s food bank, which is a place out and collect money there.” where people in need can come to take food for Traditionally, the Senate has a booth at themselves and their families for free. The food Hy-Vee and donates to the Crisis Center, a nonis distributed by volunteers. profit organization that helps those who have “I think the Can Drive is a great idea for a gone through traumatic experiences or need help great cause and everyone should donate,” said in any way. Esti Brady ‘20. “I’m so excited about the can “The Crisis Center feels like the most direct drive, I can’t stand it.”