February 2006 - Lincoln East High School - Lincoln Public Schools

oracle 

february 24, 2006, v 38 i 6

Juan Rico, co-owner of Los Dos Hermanos and an East alum, is feat (Photo by Susanna Webb, Front 

cover photos by Shuqiao Song, design by Jake Meador) 

About the covers: East swimmer Jerr Merrit and the rest of the East High swimmers are featured in 

sports, pages 20-21. (Photo by Jonathan Miller) Back cover, A number of Spartans recently celebrated 

Chinese New Year, read more about it in A/E, pages 16-19. (Photos by Shuqiao Song, design by Jake 

Meador) 

Right: For four years, East senior Lulu Al Marshoud has balanced life as a student, wife, and young 

mother to her three-year-old daugther, Goot, read more in Focus, Pages 12-15. (Photo by Shuqiao Song

4-5 News: Examine Omaha’s battle for 

“One City, One School District,” and learn 

how the controversy might affect Lincoln life. 

6-7 Voices: From tech talk to East 

excellence to Palestinian politics, it’s all inside 

Voices. 

8-11 Faces: Cyberlife - the Oracle’s 

look at life online. 

12-15 Focus: East High 

senior Lulwa Al Marshoud blends 

lives from two lands. Read her story 

inside. 

16-19 A/E: The 

Oracle staff travels the 

globe without ever leaving 

Lincoln. 

20-21 Sports: 

Some Spartans swim in 

water. Others skate on 

top. Track both their 

stories in this month’s 

Sports section. 

LINCOLN EAST 05-06 ORACLE STAFF 

A two-time Cornhusker award winning publication 

editor sally hudson_design editor jake meador_news and business editor william chen_voices editor sol eppel_faces edtior jetz jacobson_focus and copy 

editor sammy wang_a/e editor kari tietjen_sports editor buddy maixner_photo editor erin brown_kelli blacketer_carrie chen_darja doberman_sean dwyer_melanie 

fichthorn_artist lindsay graef_danny jablonski_jessica lane_sarah melecki_chris oltman_roshni oommen_peter panther_tasha roth_shuqiao 

song_aaron stephenson_bj valente_salome viljoen_susanna webb_katherine wild_tina zheng_advisor jane holt 

The Oracle is the official newspaper of Lincoln East High School. It is published 9 times a year and serves as an open forum for students, teachers and administrators. 

Letters to the editor, articles, original artwork and photographs are welcome. Letters must be signed, but you may request anonymity. The Oracle reserves the right 

to edit the letters and articles for length, clarity, and factual accuracy without attempting to alter meaning. 

Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Oracle staff. Signed editorials and columns represent the opinion of the Oracle staff. Signed editorials and columns 

represent the opinions of the individual writers. 

The Oracle meets daily during 3 rd period in B-159.

Omaha’s “One City, One School District” Issue Heated 

One District 

Tina Zheng 

_ Staff Writer 

Seven years ago, Omaha Public Schools 

ended its mandatory busing program. This system 

was supposed to “promote integration” in 

schools. Not only could students attend their 

neighborhood schools, but also transfer out of 

districts easily. Now, the statistics show a divide 

between students, racially, monetarily, and 

culturally. The OPS population has 56 percent 

minority students, compared to 39 percent a 

decade ago. This defined schism has been 

controversial, even being compared to racial 

segregation. 

In Summer 2005, Omaha Public Schools announced 

the passage of a resolution often dubbed 

“one city, one school district.” If it were implemented, 

this resolution would allow OPS to take over the public 

schools in Omaha, including twenty-two Millard schools 

and six Ralston schools. OPS cites a Nebraska statute, 79- 

535, that legally authorizes them to reorganize Omaha 

school districts. The Omaha school board estimates 

property-tax revenue per student would increase 

from $4,330 to $4,428. 

The issue is still being hotly debated. Alternative 

proposals have been introduced to maintain 

the equity of Omaha schools. Three such bills are 

LB1024, LB1017, and LB1167. 

LB1024 was proposed by Senator Ron 

Raikes of Lincoln to create “a learning community” 

by providing a single tax base for a 

common general fund levy in Douglas and 

Sarpy counties. 

Raikes argues that a common tax base 

would promote diversity and equitable funding 

in area schools. 

“You need [the common tax base] if everybody 

in the metro area is going to pay for the 

education of every child in the metro,” said Raikes. 

OPS advocates Raikes’ position. 

LB1017 offers another proposal. Douglas Gibbs, Legislative 

Aide for Senator Gail Kopplin, who introduced the bill, 

said, “LB1017 differs from LB1024 substantially. While Senator 

Raikes’ bill would essentially create a “super school district,” 

LB 1017 would maintain current district boundaries. 

The bill would encourage Omaha metro school 

districts to work together to implement programs 

that alleviate racial and economic disadvantage 

and promote integration. 

Kopplin preserves the Ralston and Millard 

school districts without what Gibbs calls a “complete 

overhaul”. 

Senator Pam Redfield introduced LB1167. 

Redfield supports of a Boundary Committee, 

but prefers only one high school per district. 

The bill states that the criteria for boundaries 

will be the size of buildings, number of students, 

and distance traveled by students to school. This 

would prevent many students from simply picking 

the school they attend. 

The common theme of equity shines in these 

three Legislative bills. Though their goal may never be 

met, the school districts must not knowingly prevent equal 

opportunities in Omaha schools. 

LB1024 

Sponsored by Senator Ron 

Raikes (Lincoln) 

• Establish “learning communities” 

• Learning communities would be divided 

into districts 

• Schools would be funded from a single 

tax base 

• Each district must have a minimum of 

2,000 students and a maximum of 25,000 

• Districts must equalize economic diversity 

• Boundaries that need to be 

changed must submit a proposal to 

the State Committee of Reorganizing 

School Districts 

LB1017 

Sponsored by Senator Gail 

Kopplin (Gretna) 

• Allows minorities and free/reduced 

lunch kids to transfer to surrounding 

districts 

• Students can transfer to a district where 

there is a smaller percentage of their 

minority than their current district 

•The state will reimburse transportation 

fees 

• Participating districts can establish 

magnet bills 

• Current boundaries are 

protected 

LB1167 

Sponsored by Senator 

Pam Redfield (Omaha) 

•Districts would be reconfigured to 

include only one high school with elementary 

and middle feeder schools 

• Districts would have a minimum of 4,000 

students 

• Students would be free to transfer from 

district to district 

• Transportation would be provided for 

those who qualify for reduced lunch 

• Each district may also start 

magnet programs at the 

high school and middle 

school level 

4/News February 24, 2006 

Status quo 

“One city, one school district” proponents 

have good intentions. Senators Raikes, Gopplin, 

Redfield, and countless others have a 

bold vision of Omaha schools on equal ground. 

But the critics argue the harms outweigh the 

benefits. 

Funding, public support, and the instability 

of “one city, one school district” need to be 

addressed prior to long-term planning. 

Proponents of district integration argue 

that demographic gaps between Omaha Public 

Schools and surrounding districts warrant reform, 

such as the Millard schools. However, according to 

the Nebraska Department of Education 2005-2006 

statistics, the average Omaha Public School student 

receives $4,772 in local tax resources, The average Millard 

student receives $4,792, only a twenty dollar difference. 

Furthermore, because State and Federal Aid is based on 

a variety of factors, including income, Omaha Public 

School students actually receive more relative to their 

resources. OPS students received $8,664 while Millard 

students averaged $7,471. OPS also exceeded 

Elkhorn’s totals. Elkhorn averaged only $7,345 per 

student. 

OPS estimates that “one city, one school 

district” would produce another $65 million in 

property tax revenue for the district. However, 

OPS would also have to provide for 14,000 additional 

students. 

Dr. Keith Lutz, superintendent of Millard 

Public Schools, opposes the concept of “one 

city, one school district.” 

“Omaha Public School’s plan would wreck 

and devastate [Millard] schools. There would be 

a serious space issue because 11,000 kids would 

be in our schools alone,” said Lutz. 

Instead of these boundary bills, Lutz stresses the 

importance of working in cooperation with Omaha 

Public Schools to reach an agreement without completely 

reshaping the districts. 

In addition, “one city, one school district” has heavy 

opposition, not only from Millard and Ralston schools, 

but also from within OPS itself. The MSR group of 

Omaha, a Market Research Firm, reports that 59% 

of people surveyed from the Omaha Metro area 

disagree with the Omaha takeover. OPS is the 

only district with a majority of students from minority 

racial groups. It is also true that Millard 

Schools have a 92% Caucasian population. 

Yet, more money would not be provided 

through “one city, one school district” to alleviate 

any racial issues. 

Furthermore, under the Nebraska statute 

79-535, as long as the school is in the city of 

Omaha, it should be in the single district. With 

Omaha being an expanding city, further complications 

would result. 

Dr. Keith Lutz commented that all of Nebraska 

could later be affected. 

“There are and there will be boundary wars from 

Grand Island to Lincoln,” said Lutz.

Fjust 

the 

acts 

Lincoln untouched by Omaha’s woes 

B.J. Valente 

_ Staff Writer 

Lincoln Public Schools are in a relative state of 

tranquility. This is stark contrast to Omaha’s boundary 

battle. Omaha’s Public School system is on a mission. 

OPS officials want to combine Omaha’s core with suburban 

school districts such as Millard, Elkhorn, Ralston, 

and Westside to create one massive school district. The 

suburbs are in uproar. Omaha’s call for “one city, one 

school district” is being called a “hostile takeover” by 

the other schools. 

OPS wants to annex the other school districts due 

to monetary, equity, and racial-segregation concerns. 

State Senator Ron Raikes introduced LB 1024, which he 

said is designed to maximize students’ learning abilities 

by providing good learning opportunities and promoting 

economic and racial diversity. 

“There would remain in the metro area separate 

school districts, but there would be inter-district governance,” 

said Raikes. “So there would be separate 

districts with autonomy, but there would be an interdistrict 

governance to have control overall.” 

To increase student learning potential there are 

certain things a school district can do. In the past 

decade, Lincoln has built several focus-schools. ITFP, 

Zoo School, and Arts & Humanities are the current offerings, 

with a new entrepreneur focus school scheduled 

to open next year. Raikes’ bill would initiate similar 

focus programs for metro-districts to use and share in 

Omaha. 

“Part of the method for addressing education 

opportunities would be providing for magnet focus 

programs. All the metro schools would participate in 

this,” said Raikes. Sharing borders and schools would 

require create transportation issues. To cope with funding 

issues, the bill provides for a common financial base 

for operations and buildings. Raikes said this should 

increase the mobility of students between schools. One 

of the more interesting facets of this bill is its maximum 

on the number of students allowed in any one school 

district: 25,000. This is a shock considering even Lincoln 

has over 30,000 students. Smaller school districts would 

have to pick up students from the districts that have 

passed the maximum threshold. There also would be 

some school district lines redrawn to accommodate 

for the changes. 

Courtesy of Lincoln Journal Star 

“The other bills are similar approaches to metro 

issue,” said Raikes. “LB1017 would attract students 

from OPS into the other districts. In LB1167, each high 

school and its feeder elementary and middle schools 

become their own school district. LB1262’s main focus 

is the creation of a campus of high schools where different 

high schools from different districts would all be 

in one place to create Oxford-like campuses.” 

With all these proposed changes to a large school 

district such as Omaha, it begs questions on the fate 

of Lincoln. Could any of these bills have an impact on 

the capital city’s educational systems? Will Lincoln be 

required to comply with these proposed bills, which 

are meant to change districts in “metropolitan class” 

cities? So, is it time for Lincolnites to join the opposition, 

or the allies of annexation? Don’t worry about it, said 

Raikes. 

“It’s way too early to speculate on this coming 

to Lincoln. What has to happen first is that one of the 

bills goes to the floor. This won’t happen until the bills 

surrounding this issue have been changed and one bill 

will be submitted,” said Raikes. Before anything makes 

it to the legislative body for a vote, there will be an editing 

process to trim down, cut, and combine proposals 

into a single bill that addresses the controversy, If that 

bill became law, Lincoln likely would have to face a 

significant growth spurt to feel its effects. Nonetheless, 

the bill could affect Lincoln; but only by choice. 

“Unless Lincoln sees an advantage in adopting 

the final version of the bill, nothing needs to happen,” 

said Raikes. “However, it could potentially be 

an advantage. It could provide broader financial 

base and opportunities for some programs that are 

now not available.” Adoption of the final version of 

the bill would require approval from all the districts in 

Lancaster County. 

Immediate effects upon Lincoln: none. But 

don’t be too quick to breathe a sigh of relief since, as 

Raikes said, it might be a good idea for Lincoln to consider 

new school district organization tactics, funding 

schemes, and development ideas. Until a final version 

hits the floor, stay informed and watch to see how the 

bills develop. 

About Omaha School 

Districts 

Westside 

White, non-Hispanic- 5,706 

Black, non-Hispanic- 364 

Hispanic- 176 

Asian/Pacific Islander- 230 

American Indian/Alaskan Native- 41 

Graduation Rate- 93.64% 

Average ACT- 24.2 

Omaha Public Schools 


Black, non-Hispanic- 14,554 

Hispanic- 9,130 





Millard 



Hispanic- 523 





Ralston 



Hispanic- 392 





_Compiled by Melanie Fichthorn 

February 24, 2006 News/5

Let’s face it, we are obsessed with 

technology. The use of the World Wide 

Web became commonplace in the 

1990s, but the Internet was actually created 

in the 1960s as a network of communication 

among various computers. 

Because of its instant gratification, we 

have become dependent upon computers 

and the Internet. 

One problem with this dependency 

is that online communication 

has replaced social interaction. Instead 

of having actual conversations with 

people, we use tech lingo and abbreviations 

to convey our thoughts. As a result, 

we lose our personalities when communicating 

via the Internet because 

we can’t elaborate on our ideas. We 

can’t convey concise emotions through 

instant messages. Heck, even writing 

a complete sentence has become a 

challenge. 

In addition, our social skills plummet 

while our words-per-minute soar. Acceptable 

online behavior doesn’t fly in 

real life situations. We’re losing our sense 

of social decency because online conversations 

are dismissible, and we often 

carry that same demeanor into the rest 

of our lives. Internet conversations barely 

qualify as real conversations. 

Computers are not the only technology 

that we have become dependent 

upon. The number of cell phone 

subscribers in the U.S. reached almost 

160 million in 2003, up from 34 million in 

1995, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 

When you have a cell phone, there 

is no longer an escape from society. 

We can now reach people anywhere, 

Staff Editorial: Digital Dependency 

anytime, yet cell phones also create 

separation. When we call friends’ cell 

phones, we don’t have to go through 

a family member. We hardly know our 

friends’ families anymore because we 

have direct contact with the person we 

want to speak with. 

Another sacrifice of digital dependency 

is privacy. The Internet is still 

a public domain, as much as we like 

to believe otherwise. Things we say are 

not private (certainly we’ve all been 

betrayed by the copy-paste instant 

message). Online security is also a major 

issue. Identity theft has become one of 

the most widely reported scams, with 

teenagers now a main target. 

Technology also promotes laziness. 

You could live very comfortably without 

ever leaving your computer. Restaurants 

now offer online delivery orders and 

stores and individuals sell anything you 

could ever want online. Money is no 

longer transferred physically; everything 

is electronic. 

Technology malfunctions are also 

becoming acceptable excuses for not 

completing tasks, yet we are still required 

to be computer-savvy. Computer skills 

are necessary for survival in this day and 

age. Teachers won’t accept handwritten 

assignments. Handwriting can tell a 

lot about a person’s character, but we 

lose that when we type everything. 

Even education is digitalized. PowerPoint 

presentations have replaced lectures. 

Explanations are too brief because 

they have to fit on a slide. Now olleges 

offer extensive courses online even for 

high school students. We wonder if 

computers can pass for professors. 

Along with online learning 

comes online living. We have had to 

redefine our communities and traditions 

because of the Internet. Digital 

culture is now its own underground 

society, separate from the world we 

once knew. 

Along with these problems, 

our digital dependency is driving 

a rift within our society. One obvious 

split is between generations. 

Parents and grandparents are out 

of the loop if they aren’t computer 

savvy. 

We also suffer from a socioeconomic 

split. A gap is growing 

across our country. After Hurricane 

Katrina, FEMA required victims to 

register for relief funds online when, 

most lacked Internet access. It is a 

ridiculous situation that should have 

been foreseen. We have to realize 

who and what we leave out by requiring 

people to be plugged in. 

Although the problems we’ve 

addressed are prevalent, this generation’s 

technology dependency 

is a state of being; it’s temporary. 

It goes along with the changing 

times and is a part of our modern 

evolution. We are dependent upon 

technology like people in the 1800s 

were dependent upon railroads. 

The Internet is our way of life now, 

but who knows what the future 

holds. 

Graphic by: Lindsay Graef 

Comic by: Buddy Maixner 

6/Voices February 24, 2006

Turning Hamas’s victory into a win for Israel 

A new chapter is about to be written 

in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On 

January 25, Palestinians held Parliamentary 

elections. Fatah, the party 

of the late Yasser Arafat that 

has ruled that Palestinians 

for over 40 years, was expected 

to keep a majority 

in the Parliament, albeit a 

slim one. 

But the election didn’t 

go as planned. The militant 

group Hamas won 76 of the 

132 seats in the Palestinian Parliament 

in a shocking landslide. The United 

States, the European Union, and Israel 

identify Hamas as a terrorist organization 

responsible for scores of suicide bombings 

and attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers. 

Hamas’s charter calls for the complete 

destruction of Israel. It would seem that 

Hamas’s victory would completely close 

the door to the peace process. 

There are many reasons, though, 

why the Israelis and the world should attempt 

to negotiate with Hamas. 

For starters, Hamas is the democratically 

elected representative of the 

Palestinians. If the Israelis reject Hamas, 

they reject Palestinians’ democratic rights 

and thus disenfranchise them. Violence 

lists every class officer since the school’s 

creation. Another honors each valedictorian. 

Another celebrates the school’s 

drum majors. Yet another records every 

individual state champion, no matter if 

the students compete in sports or science 

or speech. 

Eagan High School is essentially a 

giant memorial to student achievement. 

When I landed back in Lincoln, I 

scoured East High’s halls for evidence 

of excellence. All is well for athletics. 

Trophies and plaques from every athletic 

tournament plaster the concourse walls. 

Aside from sports, though, I found few 

examples. The marching band, Apollonaires, 

and forensics team each have 

a concourse case crowded with accolades. 

The rest of East’s accomplishments 

are largely left unnoticed. 

East High is, first and foremost, an 

academic institution – you know, a school. 

But signs of academic achievement are 

absent from our halls. If you know where 

the honor roll case is, you’re much more 

observant than I. Odds are you’ve passed 

it hundreds of times. The plaques are posted 

on the east wall of the corridor which 

connects junior and senior halls. If you’ve 

never noticed it, you’re not alone. I found 

it for the first time last week while searching 

for signs of scholarship. It’s a miracle 

I managed that much. The hallway is so 

dark that I had to shine my cell phone 

screen across the glass to read the rolls. 

So much for the light of knowledge. 

If academic achievement isn’t 

kept in the dark, it’s kept secret from 

students. 

The Presidential Scholarship is arguably 

the most prestigious national 

academic award. In the last three years, 

will result, as history shows that Palestinians 

have repeatedly used violent tactics, such 

as suicide bombings, to combat Israeli 

oppression. If, however, Israel accepts 

Hamas, it will show the Palestinians 

that they have power beyond 

rocks and explosives, and that 

power lies in the voting booth. 

With new autonomy, Palestinians 

can choose their own destiny. 

Further, Hamas was elected 

not because it advocates the 

destruction of Israel but because 

Palestinians were frustrated with their 

domestic situation. Corruption and inept 

leadership plagued Yasser Arafat and 

Fatah. Arafat himself stole millions of dollars 

of international aid and deposited 

it into Swiss bank accounts for his family 

and friends. Fatah did little to improve 

the Palestinian economy, so poverty and 

unemployment run rampant. In Hamas, 

Palestinians saw a group that has funded 

schools and hospitals. Hamas promised to 

end corruption and provide the Palestinians 

with a better life and thus garnered 

the Palestinian vote. 

In order to govern Palestinians, 

Hamas needs money. Traditionally, the 

U.S., the European Union, and Israel have 

given Palestinians money. However, following 

the elections, leaders from all sides 

have threatened to cut off aid to the 

Palestinians unless Hamas ends violence 

and accepts Israel’s basic right to exist. 

This is likely to happen, especially since 

U.S. and Israeli laws make it illegal to give 

money to a terrorist organization. While it is 

conceivable that Hamas could continue 

to use violence and get money from Arab 

countries like Iran, but those countries 

have far less money to give to the Palestinians. 

Further, if Hamas continues to use 

violence, then Israeli military action would 

decimate the Palestinian infrastructure to 

the point where Hamas couldn’t improve 

the Palestinian situation regardless of the 

amount of money that it had. 

So, Hamas must make a choice: 

it can continue to use violence against 

Israelis while the Palestinians suffer, or it 

can renounce violence in order to fulfill 

its campaign promises to provide Palestinians 

with jobs, hospitals, and schools. 

If Israel and the rest of the world refuses 

to accept Hamas, the choice becomes 

unimportant because they likely wouldn’t 

get any money regardless of their actions. 

But, if the world brings Hamas to the negotiating 

table, its leaders will be forced to 

make the choice. According to several 

interviews that Time magazine conducted 

Excellence: East High’s best-kept secret 

At Lake Wobegone, all the women 

are strong. All the men are good-looking. 

And all the children are above average. 

You might remember the story about Garrison 

Keillor’s mythical Minnesota town 

from last month’s Oracle. In our education-themed 

edition, I reported that East 

High falls just short of Wobegone’s record. 

Nearly 90 percent of Spartan seniors boast 

better than “C” GPAs. Grade inflation or 

not, that mark is tough to beat. It can’t 

be possible, I thought, to have all stellar 

students. 

So I decided to test Keillor’s story. 

Last week, I traveled to Minnesota for a 

speech tournament. Though there is no 

real Wobegone High, I found the next best 

thing: Eagan High School, an elite, public 

school in suburban Minneapolis. I didn’t 

even have to step foot inside to be wowed 

by Eagan’s excellence. Massive banners 

touting Eagan accomplishments framed 

its entrance: “Blue Ribbon School. “ “National 

School of Excellence.” Inside the 

front doors I found halls flooded with honors. 

State championship flags flowed from 

the ceilings. Cases crammed with trophies 

lined the floors. Posters celebrated play 

productions. Portraits honored Eagan’s 

hall of fame. Yikes, I thought. These kids 

must actually be good at everything. In 

short, Keillor had me convinced. 

But once my star shock wore off, I realized 

that Eagan was no Wobegone. As 

I examined their awards, I noticed many 

familiar honors: National Merit Scholars, 

Valedictorians, Golf State Champions, 

Class Presidents, Quiz Bowl teams, and Debate 

titles. Eagan students aren’t earning 

higher honors than East students. Eagan 

is just a lot better at recognizing their 

students’ achievements. One plaque 

East claimed three Presidential Scholars. 

If I were principal, I would shout that from 

the roof tops. Instead, the plaque is 

stowed behind the desk in the counseling 

center. 

Academics aren’t East’s only unappreciated 

achievements. Our science 

department is storing back-to-back 

Science Olympiad state championship 

trophies. Our DECA program 

boasts national caliber competitors. 

There’s no public evidence 

of our swing choir’s success or our 

countless theatre productions. Our 

math team is a perennial powerhouse, 

but you wouldn’t know it. The 

trophies are stashed on a department 

office shelf. East was one of only nine 

schools nationwide to earn “National 

School of Excellence in Speech” status 

last year. Eagan’s trophy adorns its front 

hall. Ours graces a gray basement file 

cabinet. Student Council members and 

class officers garner momentary glory on 

a paper poster, post-election. After that, 

their names are nowhere to be found. The 

Oracle you’re reading right now won the 

highest award attainable by a Nebraska 

school newspaper. I’ll confess that I don’t 

even know where that trophy is. 

I’m sure I’m forgetting other amazing 

accomplishments. If I am, tell me. Tell 

our teachers. Tell our administrators. Tell 

everyone. Your achievement deserves 

recognition. 

This isn’t, however, about empty 

applause. The purpose of recognition is 

not to inflate student’s self-esteem. I’m 

not trying to turn East High into Nebraska’s 

Wobegone. Rather, recognition creates a 

culture of respect for excellence. When 

freshman enter Eagan, they can’t help 

February 24, 2006 

with Hamas officials, Hamas’s main goal is 

to improve the lives of Palestinians. Thus, 

many Hamas members would be willing to 

abandon violence in order to accomplish 

that goal. One Hamas military commander 

has suggested as much, saying, “There 

are facts on the ground that we cannot 

close our eyes to. We are not going to 

tear up all the [negotiated] agreements 

[with Israel].” 

Finally, if Hamas is brought to the 

table and still perpetuates violence, the 

world will see that Hamas is not a partner 

for peace. If Hamas is exposed as a terrorist 

organization that refuses to renounce its 

ways, it will no longer have any pretense 

of legitimacy. Then, Israel can resume its 

fight against Hamas with the rest of the 

world’s support, support that it often lacks 

currently. 

The Palestinian elections have been 

called an “earthquake” for the Middle 

East. Many leaders in both the United 

States and Israel are at a crossroads. If the 

world ignores Hamas, nothing will change; 

for the Middle East it will be business-asusual. 

If the world gives Hamas a chance, 

however, Hamas will be at the crossroads, 

forced to make the tough choices. It can 

choose peace, or not; if it doesn’t, the 

world will know where the fault lies. 

but take pride in their high school. Everywhere 

they turn, they see opportunities 

for challenge and achievement. Eagan 

students know there are outlets in which 

to channel their talents and effort. 

At East, students receive the 

impression that their efforts 

will only be noticed 

once they leave our 

halls. One hundred 

and twelve portrait 

plaques deck the two 

distinguished alumni 

displays. I’ve yet to 

find one that honors a 

student, past or present, 

for accomplishments completed 

at East High. If you can, 

your sleuthing skills surpass mine. 

Odds are our current achievers will 

go on with their work, appreciated or not. 

I fear, though, that we’re losing the next 

generation of Spartan successes. When 

the Class of 2010 enters East High next 

fall, I don’t know how they’ll learn of the 

opportunities that abound. 

Some freshmen will be recruited by 

friends and family to join the ranks. Others 

will be left out because they won’t be 

exposed to our excellent programs. It’s 

a wonder East enjoys enduring achievement 

without advertising those outlets. 

We can’t be Wobegone High, nor 

do we want to. High school isn’t all about 

winning. Neither is recognition. When we 

give credit where credit is due, we not 

only commend those who achieve, but 

encourage others to challenge themselves. 

I’m proud of East High. I know 

others are, too. We shouldn’t have to 

hide it. 

Voices/7

MySpace controversy 

leads to suspended 

players 

Roshni Oommen 

_ Staff Reporter 

As a member of a school team, an athlete is held to higher standards than 

other students. At the beginning of each season, athletes are required to sign 

a code of conduct. Athletes not only have to uphold the standards set forth 

by LPS and East High School, but they also have to meet standards specific 

to their team. 

Seven members of the East High Varsity and Junior Varsity Boys basketball 

teams were suspended for 14 days beginning Jan 23 after a coach 

learned about possible code-of-conduct violations, including the consumption 

of alcohol. This evidence was found on MySpace Weblogs. According 

to Principal Mary Beth Lehmanowsky, these blogs were discovered after several 

students advised 

teachers to look 

u p M y S p a c e 

following the 

death of senior 

Shawn Noel. 

Because Noel 

had a MySpace 

website, some 

of the East High 

s t a f f l o o k e d 

it up. At that 

time, a coach 

discovered 

East MySpace a c - 

counts that in- 

cluded 

information that 

revealed 

the violation of 

the basketball 

code of 

conduct. 

Even if they said 

they weren’t 

drinking, players 

who were at 

the party were 

violating the 

code. Athletic 

Director Wendy 

Henrichs likens 

that situation to 

a Minor In Pos- 

session (MIP) 

charge. 

“If the police had arrived at the party, everyone would have been MIP’d, 

not just the students who were drinking,” said Henrichs. “The decision wasn’t that 

difficult to make- the code of conduct was broken.” 

The seven basketball players were the only athletes to be suspended, while 

four cheerleaders were suspended. At least one of the suspended players thought 

the situation was handled unfairly. 

“It’s almost as if they used the seven of us as an example,” he said. 

The rest of the basketball team is also dealing with the suspension of their 

teammates. JV players have moved up, and the team is working harder. Junior 

Jim Ebke, one of the remaining varsity players, is one player who has had to pick 

up the load. 

“The morale is always where it has been, but it’s tougher to find people to 

compete with,” Ebke said. 

None of the suspended players were starters on the basketball team. 

Since the suspensions, some East students have refused to get on MySpace. 

Others have even canceled their accounts, fearing that teachers will continue to 

read them. 

“I don’t check websites,” said Henrichs. “It’s not a part of my job, but my job 

is to enforce the rules that our programs have in place.” 

Both Henrichs and the East High Administration want students to understand 

the risks of posting personal information on the Internet. That information, 

while posted in the privacy of a home, is accessible to almost anyone and it 

becomes part of the public domain. As some East students have learned, an 

online journal is a very public place. 

The basketball team went back to practice on February 6. Henrichs 

likes to view this as a fresh start. 

“We’re not passing judgment on those kids,” said Henrichs. “They made 

a mistake, but they handled the consequences in the best possible manner. It’s 

time to move on.” 

“If the police had arrived 

at the party, everyone would 

have been MIP’d, not just the 

students who were drinking. 

The decision wasn’t that difficult 

to make- the code of 

conduct was broken.” 

-Athletic Director Wendy 

Henrichs 

8/Faces February 24, 2006 

Design By: Jetz Jacobson 

Photos By: Erin Brown

Online Dating: The Dirt on Flirt 

Aaron Stephenson 


Aaron aka “Raul” 

Height: 5’2” 

Weight: 250 lbs. 

Nation of Origin: Puerto Rico 

Occupation: Senior fry technician 

Place of employment: McDonald’s 

Income: Less than $20,000/year 

Looking for: A woman to satisfy his needs 

A woman who is very complacent and 

low maintenance. Very physically 

affectionate. 

Residency: Parent’s basement 

Person of inspiration: Captain Kirk, but 

doesn’t like being called a “trekkie”, 

prefers the term “trekster” 

Education: High School dropout after 

freshman year 

Activities/Hobbies: none. Watches sci-fi 

network 

As dating on the Internet continues to expand, 

many computer users have become wary of the 

dangers that such an enterprise presents. In fact, 

in conjunction with a few other staff members, 

we took it upon ourselves to create the most 

attractive, and unattractive person possible on 

the dating site, eHarmony.com. 

Meet the beautiful Francesca. She’s 

fun, she’s fit, and she loves playing watersports 

and baking for her significant other. 

eHarmony loves you, Francesca. 

Meet Raul. He’s sleazy, overly 

aggressive, and intensely competitive…with 

everyone…and he lives 

with his mom. In fact, eharmony 

was upfront with Raul saying, 

“Unfortunately, we are not able 

to make our profiles work for 

you. Our matching model 

could not accurately predict 

with whom you would be 

best matched. We hope 

that you understand, and 

we regret our inability to 

provide service for you 

at this time.” 

Raul’s Results 

Because of your enthusiasm, you may forget that 

others have different wants and needs. 

You don’t actively seek out conflict; however, you 

will confront those who stand between you and what 

you want to happen. 

You can be quite cautious and not trust people 

you don’t know. 

You can get so involved with an activity that you 

take charge, and this can frustrate others. You don’t 

mean to take charge, it’s just your drive. 

You will take issue and not shy away from confrontation 

when others disagree with how you feel or 

think. 

Some see you as cautious, but once you decide 

upon an action you can be direct and demanding. 

You may lack empathy and hurt the feelings of 

others without realizing it--this is not intentional. 

Your rapid mental activity becomes apparent 

when, rather than listening to others, you will be thinking 

of what you might say next. 

Your high ego traits coupled with impatience may 

have others read you as arrogant at times. 

You have a natural competitive style. It is important 

for you to feed that competitive spirit. 

You tend to be tenacious about solving problems, 

not liking to give up until something is resolved. 

You generally don’t like to back away from a 

challenge. 

You place a high value on being direct and honest 

when expressing thoughts and feelings. 

Salome aka 

“Francesca” 

Height: 5’7” 

Weight:125 

Nation of Origin:United States 

Occupation: Massage Therapist 

Place of Employment: Oakbrook Medical 

Health Center 

Income: $70,000-$100,000/year 

Looking for: Any man who can provide me with 

company, someone for whom I can provide 

completeness to his life. 

Residency: Downtown flat 

Person of inspiration: Ghandi. He made a 

difference in the world peacefully. I think that’s 

something we can all admire. 

Education: Masters in Massage Therapy 

Activities/Hobbies: running, water sport 

enthusiast, tennis 

Francesca’s Results 

You have a strong feeling of optimism, considered 

favorably by most people around you. Your perception 

is that the bottle is half-full rather than half-empty. 

You have a high trust level for others. Occasionally 

you may have trusted too much and was “stung” 

in the process. Your natural optimism, however, tends 

to pull you out of such slumps. 

You have a strong sense of humor. You usually 

know when to lighten a difficult situation, amuse and 

entertain people. 

You can generate enthusiasm in yourself and 

in other people. Your enthusiasm, often contagious, 

involves many people in a social activity who might 

not ordinarily become involved. 

You show sympathy to the feelings and needs 

of others. Your natural empathy style may draw others 

to you. 

Poised, confident, persuasive and impressive are 

descriptors for you. You are usually capable of speaking 

in a comfortable manner. 

You are a natural communicator. You love to talk, 

offer jokes and make sure that everyone is having a 

good time. This trait is especially evident at functions 

and outings. 

You take pride in being very loyal to friends and 

family. 

You are optimistic and tend to make others feel 

good about themselves. 

You are socially poised and people-oriented. 

You are very good at communicating with others 

and seeing their point of view. 

You are excellent at listening to the concerns and 

ideas of others. 

You are generally very patient with people. 

You are usually enthusiastic about activities and 

planning. 

You have an excellent sense of humor and tend 

to see humor in events spontaneously. 

February 24, 2006 Faces/9

Online Learning 

At East, the most prominent 

feature of online classes is the Novanet 

class, where students can take 

regular classes through an online 

computer program. To get involved, 

contact your counselor. 

Many East teachers put notes or 

assignments on the Internet to help 

students who’ve missed class or just 

want to have a copy of the lecture 

topics. Just go to the East website at 

www.ehs.lps.org and click on “Online 

Teachers and Departments” to see if 

your teachers provide this service. 

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln 

offers online classes that can 

aid in credit toward a graduate 

degree and allow students to take 

classes with people from around the 

world! To get more information on 

UNL’s online learning, contact Carrie 

Myers, UNL’s admission counselor, at 

carriemyers.admissions@unl.org or go 

to the UNL website at www.unl.edu 

and search for “online classes.” 

Online Help 

Katherine Wild 


Let’s face it. Teachers aren’t 

believing the whole “dog eating 

the homework” thing any more. So, 

if you’re stuck on an assignment or 

project, don’t worry! The web provides 

many resources to help fill your 

needs. 

For those hard-to-understand 

textbooks, www.sparknotes.com provides 

brief synopses of all kinds of 

literary works, as well giving help in 

math, history, science, and other 

subjects. Be careful though, and don’t 

use Spark Notes by itself. It’s meant to 

be a resource to study along with the 

real book, and doesn’t go into great 

depth. Try reading the Spark Notes 

and then reading the book assigned. 

You’ll be able to understand it a lot 

better if you already know what’s supposed 

to be going on. 

If there’s a difficult word that 

needs defining, www.dictionary.com 

will fit your needs. The website uses 

definitions from several different dictionaries, 

so you can find the one that 

fits best. 

Of course, you can always go 

to your favorite search engine and 

type in “homework help.” There are 

many online organizations that exist 

to answer your questions, including 

www.reference.com. These services 

often have chat rooms so you can 

talk out your problem with teacher or 

other students. 

If all else fails, you can always 

ask your teacher. The Lincoln East 

Website provides all our teachers’ 

email addresses, so its easy to get your 

questions answered. 

Novanet a different route to learning 

Darja Doberman 


Walking into the room you are immediately 

greeted by the silent humming 

and purring of 18 computers. The warmth 

they create envelopes you the moment 

you step through the door, as though you 

have stepped into another world. Upon 

close inspection you hear the rhythmic 

ticking of students working away, oblivious 

to everything else going on around 

them. They are in their own world, one 

unlike the everyday classrooms of East. 

And this is where you will find Sara 

Taylor, at the third computer on the left 

typing away, stopping every so often 

to jot down some notes and a click of 

a mouse here and there to move to a 

new screen. 

This is the Novanet room, a classroom 

that isn’t quite a classroom. Novanet 

is an online learning program 

designed to give students their chance 

at success when a “regular” learning 

environment isn’t working. And it gave 

Sara Taylor, a senior, exactly what she 

needed. 

The regular “class setting wasn’t 

working, I just learn better on my own,” 

said Taylor. “I would sit there doing my 

own work while everyone else did their 

thing.” Taylor realized, with the help of 

her counselor and advice from friends, 

that Novenet 

might be just 

the place for 

her. Indeed, Novanet 

gave her 

the opportunity 

to work more 

freely at her 

own pace. 

“Sara was 

able to work at 

her own pace 

and didn’t have 

to deal with the 

teacher generated timeline. She can 

generate her own timeline here,” said 

Novanet Director Tim Bayne 

Currently Taylor is taking three 

Novanet classes—Health, Grammar, 

and World Geography. She will also be 

starting a keyboarding class soon. 

“It has been really good. I would 

do badly on the semester tests but here 

Sarah Taylor works at her own pace during a Novanet class. (Photo By: Susanna Webb) 

I do really well,” said Taylor. Right now 

her geography class “involves a lot of 

reading but there are really good pictures. 

And it 

is updated 

quite a bit 

compared to 

some of the 

other courses.” 

O f 

course with 

e v e r y p r o 

there must 

be a con. 

“They 

should offer 

more classes. Personally I think all except 

hands-on classes should be offered 

online. And some of the programs 

could be added and improved on, just 

updated in general,” said Taylor. Bayne 

acknowledged another shortcoming of 

Novanet. 

“Students miss out on the interaction 

and group discussions in class,” he 

“This is not a dumping 

ground.Look around. We have 

everything from at-risk kids all 

the way to highly gifted ones.” 

-Tim Bayne, Novanet Director. 

“ I think it has changed 

a lot.” 

--David McHale, 

Senior 

“ I think teachers will 

soon be replaced by 

electronic brains.” 

– Zach Davidson, 

Senior 

“ I think it has changed 

dramatically from 20 years 

ago, when everything was 

on the chalkboard.” 

--Roxi Sattler, 

Media Specialist 

said. However the pros seem to outweigh 

the cons, 

“Students earn credits, they 

learn as if they are in a classroom without 

the teacher dictated schedule, they 

pass the CRTs easily which shows that 

they are learning just as if they were in 

a classroom and often students tend 

to get through the courses faster,” said 

Bayne. With all that Novanet has to offer, 

though, misconceptions still exist. 

Some people smirk when they 

hear someone mention the Novanet program, 

wrongly assuming that it is limited 

to at-risk kids. 

“This is not a dumping ground,” 

said Bayne. “Look around. We have 

everything from at-risk kids all the way 

to highly gifted ones.” Bayne said that 

there is more than one way to run a Novanet 

lab, though. 

“Some schools run it as an at-risk 

program, but we don’t because that’s 

not what it is,” said Bayne. “It is a system 

that has allowed Sara to be successful 

at her own pace.” 

Spartans Speak Out 

Compiled by Kelli Blacketer 

How do you think our culture is dependent on digital interaction? 

“I am sad because we 

have lost personal communication. 

Everything is 

in email, nowadays. It’s 

better because it is fast, 

but I would like to go back 

to the old days with the 

letter writing.” 

—Marilyn Meyer, 

Special Education Para 

10/Faces February 24, 2006

Online Service 

LiveJournal 

Private Posting Photo Hosting User Comment 

YES: Called 

“Friends Only” 

6 Photos with 

free account, more 

added with paid 

account 

“It’s a fun way to 

keep track of life, 

and to go back and 

see were you’ve 

been.” 

--Alem Barth, alumni 

Xanga 

YES 

3 photos with 

free account, 99 with 

“premium account” 

“I used to have one. I 

hate it because its all 

middle schoolers now.” 

--Ali Peterson, junior 

YES: Profile can 

be made private by 

identifying yourself 

as 14 or under 

12 photos in an 

unpaid account 

“It was pretty great 

until I had a fake page 

made about me. For 

the record I do NOT 

like Donny Osmond!” 

--Derek Outson, 

sophomore 

FaceBook 

YES: Profiles are 

blocked to kids from 

other schools 

Infinite Photos 

“Technically I’m not 

supposed to have 

this…So, no 

comment.” 

--Aaron Fluitt, senior 

Picture Recognition Site 

This site allows users to 

upload a photograph that it 

then matches to the faces 

of celebrities. The site, myheritage.com, 

yields interesting 

results, from matching George 

Bush to himself to matching 

Jesus Christ with Che Guevara. 

The site is free and it can 

upload most picture formats. 

Tricky’s Riddle 

This text-based puzzle site poses quite a challenge. 

The point of the game is to properly alter the 

website’s address 

in order to 

advance to the 

next levels. The 

game involves 

a n u m b e r o f 

text-based and 

picture-based 

hints and clues, 

as well as hints 

embedded in 

the source code of the page. Tricky’s Riddle can be 

found at people.ex.ac.uk/rbd201/riddle/ame.htm 

Quizzes 

Compiled By: Aaron Stephenson 

Designed By: Jetz Jacobson 

If you have an Internet connection and feel 

like you have nothing else to do, you can always try 

quizzes. These can range from testing your IQ to telling 

you what flavor of pie you are. There are plenty 

of sites devoted to quizzes including blogthings.com, 

but a quick Google search can yield plenty of other 

options. 

You are: A Boston Creme Donut 

Compiled by Sean Dwyer 

Terms 101 

AFK Away From Keyboard 

ASL Age / Sex / Location 

ATM At The Moment 

BRB Be Right back 

CUI Cracking Up Inside 

CUL8R / CULR See You Later 

G2G Got to Go 

IMO In My Opinion 

JK Just Kidding 

KOTC Kiss On The Cheek 

LOL Laughing Out Loud 

LYLAB Love You Like A Brother 

LYLAS Love You Like A Sister 

NM / NVM Never mind 

NP No Problem 

OMG Oh My Gosh 

POS / “9” Parent Over Shoulder 


PPL People 

ROTFLMAO Rolling On The Floor Laughing My … 

SRY Sorry 

TMI To Much Information 

TTFN Ta-Ta For Now 

TY Thank You 

YTB You’re The Best 

WRUD What Are You Doing 

Faces/11

12/Focus February 24, 2006 

Mak 

h

ing 

er way 

Story by Kari Tietjen 

Photos by Shuqiao Song 

Design by Jake Meador and Sammy Wang 

Twenty-year-old Lulwa (Lulu) 

Al Marshoud is not your typical 

Lincoln East student. Lulu, 20, 

and her husband, Fahad, 

came to the U.S. in 2002 

from Riyadh, Saudi 

Arabia. 

February 24, 2006 Focus/13

“We 

moved here so Fahad could receive his degree 

in dentistry,” said Lulu. “A PhD from the United States 

is worth more than one from Saudi Arabia.” As a fulltime 

student and mother, Lulu is constantly busy with 

her three-year-old daughter Goot, her husband, and 

her homework. Upon arriving in the United States for 

Fahad’s schooling, Lulu sought to continue her own 

education at East. 

“When we came, I was so scared 

because we didn’t know anyone,” said 

Lulu, “and to go to school was such a 

challenge.” Being taught in a tongue 

foreign to her own, she struggled at first 

with the language. 

“At first, the accents seemed so 

heavy, and it was hard to understand 

the language,” said Lulu. In Saudi schools, 

students are taught British English, which 

uses slang that is not recognized by most 

Americans. “I would ask for the lift and 

people didn’t understand I was asking for 

the elevator,” said Lulu. As a result, she 

found it hard to talk to other students. 

“I didn’t like to answer people when 

they talked to me. I didn’t want anyone to 

not understand me,” said Lulu. She gained 

confidence in her English through East’s 

English Language Learner (ELL) classes. 

The language barrier between Lulu and 

her classmates still made it difficult to find 

friends at East, though. 

“I’m shy and I’m still always scared to 

say something wrong. It was hard to make 

friends,” said Lulu. Lulu’s frustrations went 

beyond the language barrier. At first she 

was taking classes she felt were too basic 

for what she wanted to learn. 

“I only took easy classes and I hated 

it. They were fun, but I already knew how 

to do what they were teaching,” said Lulu. 

She had already learned some of the basics 

like cooking and sewing before taking 

those courses at East. Now, however, Lulu 

is taking a rigorous load of courses, fulfilling 

the last of her graduation requirements in 

her final year at East. 

“I wish they would have told me about the 

graduation requirements earlier,” said Lulu. “I 

don’t know what we need to take.” The Saudi 

school system is much different from the United 

States’ method of education. Males and females 

in Saudi Arabia are separated by schools and 

students are given different schedules each day 

of the week, repeating the schedule every week. 

“I could take more classes. We were able to take 

60 to 70 classes in Saudi Arabian schools,” said 

Lulu. These days, she is enjoying every moment 

of her senior year. 

“ 

“I didn’t like to answer people 

when they talked to me. I didn’t 

want anyone to not understand 

me,” 

“I like all my classes and teachers,” said Lulu. “In 

Saudi Arabia, the teachers were so strict. Here, the 

teachers are so personable; they come and ask how 

your weekend was. At home, they were cocky, they 

didn’t want to talk to us students.” 

Former ELL teacher Stephen Swinehart currently 

teaches Lulu in American Literature. 

“Lulu has done an amazing job here at East. 

Socially, she has done exceptionally and has made 

a great deal of progress,” said Swinehart. “She is 

well-liked, personable, and does a wonderful job at 

balancing academics and being a mother.” 

Amazingly, Lulu manages to find time to spend 

with her daughter and husband and still be a full-time 

high school student. “I usually get to spend about four 

hours a day with Goot, but I’m extremely busy,” said 

Lulu. “It gets very hectic. It is crazy having a child and 

going to school.” 

Perhaps one of the biggest difficulties of moving 

to the United States was becoming familiar with the 

American culture. 

“Lulu has to get used to the American academic 

pace, which is quite a big different than in her country,” 

said Swinehart. “Once she gets a better understanding 

of American culture, she will have much more success. 

She is extremely determined, which will help her succeed.” 

She does think about her home, however. 

“Sometimes I like things here, but sometimes I just 

want to go back,” said Lulu. She has five brothers and 

three sisters back in Saudi Arabia. “We are the only 

ones from my family in the United States,” she said. 

“I call my family and hear them having fun. It makes 

me miss them,” said Lulu. “Every week, my family gets 

together and stays up until midnight, drinking tea 

and talking.” She visits her family in Saudi as often as 

possible. 

“We go back about once a year,” she said. “We 

often stay one to two months at a time.” Lulu cherishes 

every visit to her home city of Riyadh, the capital of 

Saudi Arabia. “I miss a lot of things from my country,” 

including the latest fashions. 

“When I visited, I wore new clothing and my sister 

told me I could not wear it out because it was from 

two years ago,” said Lulu. “Americans are so behind 

in fashion compared to Saudi Arabians.” One of the 

14/Focus February 24, 2006

Lincoln, 

Nebraska 

Riyadh, 

Saudi Arabia 

things Lulu misses 

most from 

her home is the 

cuisine. 

“The food 

is much better at home,” she said. “We cook only food 

from home here.” The last time Lulu visited her family 

was last August when she attended her younger sister’s 

wedding. Most women in Saudi Arabia are married at 

high-school age, usually around 18. The actual wedding 

ceremony is more like a party and much more formal 

than American weddings. 

“I went to a wedding here in a new outfit and I 

was much more dressed up than anyone else,” said 

Lulu. Even the Saudi dating system is different compared 

to American standards. 

“Marriage is not forced,” said Lulu. “It’s like matchmaking. 

Some men would come to ask for our hand in 

marriage and we didn’t like the man, so we said ‘no’ to 

him and sent him away.” Lulu and her husband Fahad 

married four years ago, after meeting through Fahad’s 

uncle. Because Lulu is Muslim, she wears a religious 

head scarf, or hijab, which must be worn in public by 

Muslim women. 

“The scarf is to cover women from men outside 

of their family,” said Lulu. “I don’t wear the scarf in front 

of my husband or any other men in my family.” As a 

Muslim Preserving the Saudi traditions, especially for 

her daughter, is one of her most important jobs in Lulu’s 

eyes. However, their daughter Goot is not old enough 

to learn about the Islamic religion. 

“Back in Saudi Arabia,” said Al Marshoud, “they 

already teach religion in the schools because it’s an 

almost one hundred percent Muslim population there.” 

Once Goot reaches about the age of 14, she too will 

wear the head scarf. Lulu, who is pregnant with another 

child, also wants to maintain her culture for her new 

daughter who she is expecting on March 13. The family 

only speaks Arabic at home, giving Goot a sense of 

the Saudi Arabian traditions. 

“I want Goot to learn Arabic and keep the culture,” 

said Al Marshoud. “Goot is learning English at 

preschool, so we speak Arabic at home.” Upon her 

husband’s completion of his PhD, the family is planning 

to move back home to Riyadh. Until then, Lulu is going 

to enjoy the benefits of Nebraska. 

“We like Lincoln, the people are friendly and they 

smile,” she said. “When we visited Chicago, I sat next 

to a person and smiled at them. They gave me a look 

saying, ‘Why?’ ” Lincoln, according to Lulu, is also an 

easy city to become accustomed to. 

Lulu is going to graduate in May from East and 

then will begin school at Southeast Community College 

next winter, spending the fall semester with her 

children. 

“ 

She is well-liked, personable, and 

“Every day I have a new idea for what I want 

to do,” said Lulu. But above all, Lulu and her family 

believe maintaining their Saudi Arabian culture is the 

most significant aspect of their lives. 

“ 

does a wonderful job at balancing 

academics and being a mother. 

- English teacher 

Steve Swinehart 

By the numbers: 

Lincoln Riyadh 

Population: 225,000 

Area: 75 square miles 

Area (Lincoln and Omaha): 182 

square miles 

Racial make-up: 

89 percent white 

3 percent African American 

.7 percent American Indian 

3 percent Asian 

2 percent other races 

Religious make-up: 

77 percent Christian 

13 percent nonreligious 

1 percent Jewish 

.5 percent Muslim 

.5 percent Buddhist 

.5 percent Agnostic 

.4 percent Atheist 

.4 percent Hindu 

.3 percent Unitarian/ 

Universalist 

Literacy rate: 97 percent 

Per capita GDP: $41,000 


Compiled by Jake Meador 

Population: 4.7 million 

Area: 600 square miles 

Racial make-up: 

90 percent Arab 

10 percent Afro-Asian 

Religious make-up: 100% Muslim 

Literacy rate: 78.8 percent 

Per capita GDP: $12,000 

Focus/15

Happy new year: The Chinese way 

Carrie Chen 


In 1996, a group of Chinese graduate 

students, the Chinese Students & Scholars Association 

(CSSA), hosted the first public Chinese 

New Year party in Lincoln. With 300 people in 

attendance and an economical stage, the party 

was a modest success, but the event quickly 

found an audience among the Chinese and 

Americans alike, where East bridges to West and 

there is a mutual respect and understanding of 

cultural differences and similarities. 

The evening is divided into two parts, dinner 

and show. Volunteers are the backbone of 

the event; aiding in food and stage set-up, and 

as perform in the show, respectively. 

“All of the performers here, they are not 

professionals, they are students at this University,” 

said Dr. Wen Zhi Jiang, a director of the event 

and an actor of the “Pantomime”, one of the 

highlights of the program. 

Playing a conductor of a chaotic ensemble 

of musicians, the sound effects were right 

on cue to match the actors’ movements. The 

students’ time and dedication into their performances 

is evident in their execution. Variety was 

definitely the spice of the program. In addition 

to Chinese performers, Taiwanese, Malaysian, 

The conclusion of the Chinese New Year celebration 2006. (Photo by Shuqiao Song) 

and Americans took part in songs and 

dances. “I thought the performances 

were very well done, especially considering 

that they were just volunteers 

and amateurs. They did a great job,” 

said Alice Ouyang, an East freshman in 

attendance. 

David Conover, an Audio/Video 

Producer, finds all aspects of Chinese 

culture fascinating – culture, practices 

and traditions, and especially food. The 

rhythmic pattern of language captures 

Conover’s attention 

“How the Chinese talk, it’s sounds 

as though it’s a song,” said Conover. 

Both Jiang and Conover, among 

others, are aware of the need for economic, 

political, and social communication 

between China and the U.S., 

and the implications and possibilities 

are endless. 

“We have a lot of commonalities 

and we also need to explore each 

other’s cultures,” said Conover. 

Anime invasion: Attack of the mangas 

Chris Oltman 


These days, whenever you walk 

through a video or electronics store, entire 

displays are focused on one genre. Anime. 

This unique style of animation made itself 

know in America during the 1970’s under 

the name “Japanimation.” However, 

despite all the work publicists have gone 

through to promote it, many people still 

have no idea what it’s about. 

Anime often features characters with 

large eyes and a unique animation style. 

Storylines may feature a variety of characters 

and can be set in different locations 

and in different eras. 

Anime may be broadcast on television, 

distributed on media (such as DVDs) 

or published as console and computer 

games. Japanese comics, (or manga,) 

often influence anime although there are 

usually some discrepancies between the 

two. 

“Anime is not necessarily cartoons,” 

said Matt Schorfheide, president of East’s 

Anime Club. “Anime is any style of animation 

that originated in Japan.” Under this 

definition, animators do not have to limit 

their creations merely to the 2D style of 

art. 

While true anime has its roots in Japan, 

American imitators are popping up as 

well. Lately, more of these “pseudo-anime” 

American companies have tried to cash 

in on the popularity of the real thing by 

including anime expressions such as the 

sweat drop or by drawing their characters 

with the large, saucer-like eyes that identify 

many animes. 

But a greater concern among otaku 

(anime fans) is the issue of censorship that 

many popular anime shows have had to 

endure after being imported to the States. 

Many animes have been severely edited 

upon their arrival in the states. Schorfheide 

attributes this to our country’s narrow-minded 

views on what could be considered 

“obscene” issues. 

“In Japan, they aren’t as uptight as 

we are about the human body. So lots of 

times the original stuff will either have been 

changed to something less offensive or edited 

out completely,” said Schorfheide. 

Censorship, however, has lessened 

considerably in the past ten years in part 

because anime creators are bypassing 

the FCC and releasing straight to DVD so 

that the fans can enjoy them with all the 

voice dubbing and none of the censorship. 

Those fans are an interesting and vital part 

of the anime community. Many times, they 

are almost as talked about as the shows 

they watch. 

Fans of a specific show or genre 

will have their own title or slang word that 

they’re referred to. Fans of the “Naruto” 

anime or comic (manga) are sometimes 

designated as “narutards.” The suffix “- 

ophile” placed at the end of an anime or 

character name is used to express someone’s 

fandom of a character or show. 

Music is another important element in 

anime. Each show has its own musical take. 

For instance, in the anime “Evangelion” 

when the characters are making battle 

preparations or engaging an enemy, background 

music featuring heavy drum beats 

and militaristic styles begins to play, which 

highlights the tension of the scene. 

Apart from each individual fan’s likes, 

dislikes, and how involvement, most are no 

different from ordinary people. 

“Most [otaku] are generally open- 

Anime dictionary 

Otaku- Someone who has a high interest in anime, manga, and Japanese culture. This has 

derogatory connotations in Japan, but not so much in the West. 

Baka- An idiot or fool, a common word in anime. 

Cosplay- When a fan dresses up as their favorite anime character. 

Chibi- A character style that incorporates large heads and deformed bodies. Generally 

used to exaggerate surprise, cuteness, and a variety of other emotions. 

Shonen- Anime or manga aimed at male audiences. 

Shojo- Anime or manga aimed at female audiences. 

Manga- Japanese comic books that may later be adapted into anime. 

Mechas- Any giant robot used in manga or anime. 

minded” said Schorfheide, “and since 

there are lots of opinions on lots of different 

animes, you really have to learn to 

get along with people who you don’t see 

eye-to-eye.” 

Anime- Any animation from Japan. Usually categorized as a specific art style in 2-D 

animation. 

Bento- A boxed lunch that is commonly eaten in Japan and appears frequently in anime. 

Seiyuu- A voice actor for any anime show. Generally refers to the original Japanese voice, 

but can be used for the dub as well. 

Pocky- A pretzel like snack dipped in chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla icing that is a 

favorite at anime conventions. 

Fan sub- Anime that has not been licensed in the West which Japanese speaking fans 

translate for non-Japanese speakers. 

16/A&E February 24, 2006 

Kawaii- The Japanese word for anything cute. Compiled by Buddy Maixner and Kelli Blacketer

East high grads prove they can really dish it out 

As Lincoln becomes cluttered with a plethora of fast food options for Mexican 

cuisine, a few fine establishments have stood strong against the barrage of 

commercialism. In fact, two East high graduates have taken it upon themselves 

to preserve their tradition and culture through a family restaurant. 

Ricky and Juan Rico, both East High alums, opened Dos Hermanos Tamaleria 

because food has always been an important part of their family. Walk into the 

restaurant and you will see evidence of this. Behind the cash register are Mexican 

and American flags proudly hanging side by side. Look around and the cultural 

influence becomes obvious. The restaurant is strewn with sombreros, artwork and 

other references to the Mexican culture. 

Really, the restaurant has been a family affair. The Ricos’ father sits at a table 

patiently awaiting the next customer. It was actually their mother’s idea to start the 

restaurant. 

“She didn’t want us to have to deal with an employer, and so our parents 

helped us start a business of our own,” said Juan. “My family has been working in 

restaurants for a long time, and so it was a very easy decision for us.” 

The restaurant business seems to come easily to the Rico brothers because 

Dos Hermanos is doing well. The restaurant has stayed in business for over two 

years, specializing in burritos, tamales, and chimichangas and the Ricos may even 

be looking to expand. 

“We would love to get a bigger place, and have a nice sit down restaurant. 

Right now its just about finding a location that is affordable for us. Once we find 

a good lease, I think we are ready to support a bigger restaurant, since we have 

been doing such good business here,” said Juan. 

And rightfully so, because I cannot help but rave about the place. As I 

walked into the restaurant, I was greeted with a smile and some pleasant 

c o n v e r - 

sation with Juan. The pleasant fellow took my order, and 

quickly 

Aaron Stephenson 


went to work preparing it. In fact, the food was ready 

Latino fashions popular in 

Lincoln’s culture 

almost immediately. After tasting their green chile burrito and tamale, two of their 

best dishes according to Rico, and I was blown away. Not only was the food affordable, 

fast and served in huge portions, but delicious. 

“It’s always the green chile burritos and the chimichangas. My friends come in 

here all the time, and 

that’s all they ever 

get. They are really 

good,” said Rico. 

Though all of 

this success has been 

great for the Ricos’ 

they haven’t let it go 

to their heads. Juan 

is grateful that they 

have stayed in business 

as long as they 

had. He was eager 

to talk about the lessons 

learned, and 

these 

Dos Hermanos proudly displaying their Mexican and American flags. Located 

at 6117 Havelock Ave. (Photo by Susanna Webb) 

the experience that 

East alums can take 

into life. 

“There are definitely 

some great perks to being self employed. You set your own hours, you make 

more money and you get to make all the important decisions,” said Rico. However, 

Juan only mentioned one downside. 

“You can never call in sick.” 

Salome Viljoen 


With Hispanics as the largest minority in the U.S., bits of 

culture from south of the border can be seen all over Lincoln. 

Though most people associate Hispanic culture with Latin pop songs 

and delicious, spicy food, the Hispanic culture can be seen in fashion 

as well. Local places that specialize in Hispanic fashions include Nina’s, La 

Popular, and La Moda. These stores feature clothing in styles that are common 

in Latin America, and, while similar to styles seen in the U.S., they have some striking 

differences, including brighter colors and a greater variety in style. 

Though Hispanic food and music has had a great influence on the non- 

Hispanic culture, Latino 

fashion has been 

slower to spread to 

other cultures in the 

U.S. Janelli Sanchez, 

a student who works 

part-time at La Popular, 

says their clothing is 

designed and made in 

California, and are from 

a line made expressly 

for Latino customers. 

La Popular has mostly 

women’s clothing, specializing 

in everything 

from First Communion 

dresses and quinceñera 

formals, to dresses for 

proms and weddings. 

Hispanic fashion hot spot La Popular at 2021 ‘O’ St. (Photo by Susanna 

Webb) 

at the mall, but with a distinctive Latino flair. 

They also carry everyday 

clothing, a lot like 

something you can find 

February 24, 2006 A&E/17

Middle Eastern movies making motion picture magic 

Recently, movie goers 

have been greeted with 

an influx of movies about 

the Middle East. “Munich” 

and “Syriana” have become 

box office hits in the 

U.S. Other movies, such 

as “Paradise Now”, have 

made waves of their own 

among critics and audiences. 

These movies and 

a string of others focus on 

political unrest within the 

Middle East. 

Despite the images movies create in 

our heads, much of Middle Eastern culture 

is left out. Nizar Zhaiya is a case manager at 

Faces of the Middle East, an organization that 

supports Middle Eastern refugees in Lincoln. 

“Unless you go see the people of Middle 

Eastern countries and talk to them, you don’t 

know them,” said Zhaiya. 

A native Iraqi, Zhaiya has had many 

encounters with people who don’t know the 

Middle Eastern culture and people. 

“Many people think of three things when 

they think of the Middle East,” said Zhaiya. 

“Desert, camels, and tents. In reality, eighty 

percent of Iraqi’s don’t live in tents but have 

homes of their own.” 

No one can dispute the fact that Hollywood 

has helped perpetuate stereotypes of 

the Middle East with classics such as “Arabian 

Nights”. But perhaps the new round of movies 

about the Middle East will do a bit more 

justice to the region. Zhaiya says he has seen 

improvements. 

“With my humble observation, I have 

seen development in the subjects of programs,” 

said Zhaiya. 

Keep watching as these eye-opening 

films continue to create a more accurate 

portrayal of life in the Middle East. 

“Munich”: 

Rated ‘R’ 

This action-packed thriller examines the Israeli response to the killings 

of eleven Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in the 1970s. The movie follows 

the story of the lead Israeli assassin, Avner, a man sent to answer death with 

death. Director Steven Spielberg keeps viewers on the edge of their seats with 

tense moments and plenty of explosions. 

Playing: Coming soon to the Starship 

9 

“Paradise Now”: 

Rated ‘PG-13’ 

“Paradise Now” is a personal story of 

two Palestinian suicide bombers’ last days of 

life. This movie reveals the humanity behind 

the Israel amd Palestine conflict, highlighting 

the people and families of those involved 

in the violence. The two main characters, 

played by Kais Nashef and Ali Suliman, struggle with whether or not more 

violence will solve their people’s struggle. 

“Paradise Now” brings a new perspective to 

the Middle Eastern conflict we so often hear 

about. 

Playing: Coming soon to a video rental 

store near you 

“Syriana”: 

Rated ‘R’ 

This Academy-Award nominee features Matt Damon and George 

Clooney and spotlights the global oil industry. Damon and Clooney play an oil 

broker and a CIA operative who face the harsh realities of global politics. Other 

characters are intertwined with Damon’s and Clooney’s, including those of a 

corporate lawyer and a Pakistani teenager. “Syriana” proves to be a thrilling 

critique of the global oil industry. 

Playing: Coming soon to the Starship 9 

Other movies focused on the 

Middle East: 

“Jarhead”: 

Rated ‘R’. 

Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this action movie about 

a U.S. Marine’s struggle as he is stationed in modernday 

Iraq. Available to rent now. 

“Looking for Comedy in the 

Muslim World”: 

Rated ‘PG-13’. 

This movie interestingly 

enough takes 

place in India, a country 

with more Hindus than 

Muslims. Albert Brooks 

is sent to India to find out what makes Muslim people 

laugh. Soon showing at the Starship 9. 

“The Syrian Bride”: 

Not rated. 

A tale of an Israeli woman engaged to a Syrian 

man who faces many obstacles in her attempt to 

marry. Look for this movie to rent soon. 

18/A&E February 24, 2006 

Compiled by Sarah Melecki

African band beats out other genres 

Roshni Oommen 


Walk into Michael Opoku’s house, and you’ll 

see rooms filled with all sorts of amazing African artifacts. 

From statues to drums, the Opoku residence 

has it all. Opoku, who has lived in Nebraska since the 

mid-nineties, is the lead vocalist and percussionist in the 

band Ashanti. 

Named after his tribe from Ghana, Ashanti has 

brought the African sound and rhythm to the residents 

of Nebraska for over ten years. 

The band beats out their pulse on actual 

African drums and adds flavor with keyboards, saxophones, 

and trumpets. Jacob Varvel, who was a 

student teacher last year in East’s music department, 

plays the saxophone in Ashanti, and is also a music 

teacher. 

When Ashanti started, they had a large following 

because there were no other reggae-style bands 

around. Ashanti started in Europe as UN4, but when 

Opoku moved to the United States, the band had to 

start over. 

“Everywhere we played, there was a packed 

house,” said Opoku. “But we didn’t just want to play 

in nightclubs.” 

The band had an agent in California, but in order 

to make more money, Opoku started booking the band 

himself. Now, they play for organizations, colleges, and 

schools all over the country. 

Along with performing, Opoku also 

teaches students the history and musical 

skills which stem from the African 

culture. Elementary, middle, and 

high schools can book Opoku 

for a week-long residency, 

during which he 

teaches students 

to play African drums and perform African dances. At 

the end of the week, the students perform a concert 

for their school and Opoku sets up a market where he 

sells items from Africa. At the high school level, Opoku 

also works with bands and choirs, helping them to play 

and sing traditional African songs. East High is currently 

the only LPS high school where Opoku hasn’t visited. 

In order to book Opoku for a week, the music department 

must contact Opoku, who says that he would 

love to visit East. 

For more information on Opoku and Ashanti, visit 

their website at: 

http://ashantiafrica.tripod.com. 

The band Ashanti with its 

members. (Photo provided by 

Ashanti) 

Music through the ages 

The Work Song – Africans blended 

drum beats with chants as they worked 

through the clay. Often the songs employed 

“call and response” patterns. The 

songs, like their singers, fell victim to slavery. 

Many African slave owners prohibited 

their African captives from singing in their 

native tongues. Their captors feared such 

freedoms might spur revolts. 

1 

8 

0 

Gospel – During the final century of 

American slavery many slave owners converted 

their slaves to Christianity. Religion 

unified African Americans who embraced 

gospel music. Gospel offered relief from 

their troubles and hardships. 

The Blues – Though African immigrants 

were freed after the Civil War, they 

were still oppressed by the white public. 

Many African American musicians bought 

guitars and harmonicas because they 

were cheap and easy to travel with. With 

these instruments they created the blues. 

This genre allowed Black musicians to continue 

expressing themselves while staying 

true to their roots. The blues mimicked 

“the work song” in many respects which 

may have been why the genre became 

so popular. 

1 

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Jazz – During WWI, African Americans 

began to feel less like ex-slaves and more like 

Americans. They fought in the war, though in 

segregated troops, and they brought their 

music with them to Europe. Black musicians 

began mixing their blues with the brass instruments 

of France and jazz was born. Brass 

instruments were imported to all the French 

settlements in the United States and soon jazz 

had made its way through the country. For the 

first time, white musicians began to imitate the 

sounds of the Black music culture. 

Local African American hair salons 

Avid Salon 

Hair Weaving 

Meadowlane 70 th & Vine Lincoln 

466-5050 

Oasis Barber Shop & Salon 

2208 O Lincoln 

477-4282 

XY Hair Studio LLC 

1247 S 11 Lincoln 

476-4727 

Compiled by Jetz Jacobson Photo by Susanna Webb 

Janay’s Electric Hair Salon 

525 N. 48 

464-8886 

Hair weaving cost is based upon how much hair 

there is per square inch. You can get a weave to 

make your hair thicker, or to make it longer. The 

cost is usually $7-$8 per strand. Hair weaves usually 

last 4-6 months and take about 3-5 hours to put in. 

The majority of weaving clients are between 25 

and 60 years old. 

R&B – By the mid 1900’s jazz had 

lost some of its appeal. To put the soul 

back into Black music, musicians began 

adding funky beats to their songs. They 

experimented with “shouting blues” and 

hard rhythm, which were huge hits on the 

radio. The R&B age was a revival period 

of Black music that would set the stage 

for later hits. 

1 

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February 24, 2006 A&E/19 

1 

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Funk – By the 1970’s loud music became 

almost standard. Funk emerged 

from electric R&B. Singers such as George 

Clinton and Miles Davis popularized soulfueled 

music. Funk became popular in 

dance clubs throughout the nation. It was 

the ultimate party genre. 

Hip Hop/Rap – By the 80’s, rock’s 

stronghold on the nation’s musical 

tastes began to waiver as 

a new sound emerged from 

the African-American artists. 

Putting voice to the 

violence and frustration 

many blacks face, rap 

and hip hop have impacted 

far more than 

the musical fashion to 

world. From politics to 

education, language, 

the influence of these 

genres are impossible to 

ignore. 

1 

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Compiled by Danny Jablonski

Down the ice, up the bracket 

Danny Jablonski 

Hockey is known for its booming 

atmosphere of the stadium sounds. From 

the thunder sticks to the notorious “face 

painters”, hockey has been entertaining 

Lincoln fans at the Ice Box for almost 10 

years. For many years Lincoln students 

had few hockey opportunities, but this 

year, things have changed. 

O m a - 

h a ’ s h i g h 

school hocke 

y l e a g u e 

o p e n e d u p 

competition to 

Lincoln schools 

for the first time 

ever. Two new 

Lincoln teams, 

including Lincoln 

East, have 

joined the division. 

_Staff Writer 

“You still need to 

have a lot of experience. 

It gets kind of 

brutal.” 

-- Frank Gorecke 

Juniors Frank and George Goracke 

were ecstatic when they found out 

about the new high school league. 

“We’ve been playing hockey for 

almost ten years now. It’s a really fun 

and intense sport and we like being able 

to play it as a high school sport now,” 

said Frank. 

The Goracke brothers enjoy hockey 

despite its risks. “It’s open to pretty 

much anyone who wants to play but you 

still need to have a lot of experience. It 

gets kind of brutal,” said Frank. 

An estimated three or four team 

member injuries incur each season. 

George was lost for the season when 

one of his “checks” went wrong, ending 

in a dislocated shoulder, but he says he’ll 

be back next season. 

“It’s all part of the thrill of the 

game,” said George. 

The Spartans have been playing 

since October, holding a few team practices 

per week preceding each game. 

The Lincoln East team 

has struggled a bit this 

season, which is typical 

for a first-year team. At 

the beginning of February 

the team was 7-10-2, 

standing at the number 

10 position in the rankings. 

The players hope 

to improve their stats as 

well as its fan base. 

“Not many people 

show up. It’d be nice if 

there was a better turnout,” 

said Frank. The playoffs begin in 

early March and a good turnout might 

just be the thing to rally the Spartans 

toward a win. 

Spartan hockey players aren’t 

dead set on winning, though. Most of 

the players compete just to have a 

good time. 

“I just play for the fun of it. I never 

take it too seriously. But if I have an opportunity 

to play outside of high school 

then I’ll definitely take up the offer,” said 

Frank. “It’s not my main focus or goal, but 

if it happens then that’d be sweet.” 

Players clearing the ice. (Photo by Shuqiao Song) 

Through broken teeth 

Jake Meador 

_ Design Editor 

Down at the Ice-Box hockey slan 

is passed back and forth like a second 

language. So, for anyone venturing to 

the hockey rinkwe have a list of words 

you might encounter. 

5-hole: Space between a goalie’s 

pads. 1 and 2 holes are above either 

shoulder, 3 and 4 are near the lower 

corners. The five-hole is the gap between 

his leg pads. 

Several players fighting for the puck against the boards. (Photo by Shuqiao Song) 

20/Sports February 24, 2006 

Hat-trick: When a player scores 

three goals in one game. A natural hattrick 

is when the player scores the three 

goals consecutively 

Sin-bin: Penalty box 

Deke: Different kinds of fakes used 

to evade the defender. Basketball has 

pump fakes, head fakes, etc. Hockey 

has dekes. 

Changing on the fly- When players 

enter and exit the game during play. 

Blue lines: Two lines that divide the 

rink into thirds, defensive zone, neutral 

zone, and attacking zone.. 

One-timer: Shooting the puck 

immediately upon receiving it without 

stopping it first.

Pool chatter 

Around the pool you can expect to 

hear some serious slang. Here’s a quick 

list of some terms you may hear. 

Block- The starting platform. 

Bulkhead- A wall in a pool to separate 

it into different courses. 

Cut- Qualifying time. 

Failed Swim- When a swimmer 

doesn’t meat the standard to compete 

in a race. 

I.M.- Individual Medley, a competition 

where a swimmer uses the following 

strokes in order: butterfly, backstroke, 

breaststroke, and freestyle. 

Negative Split- Swimming the second 

half of a race as fast or faster than 

the first half. 

Split- A swimmers intermediate 

time in a race. 

Shave and Taper- Near the end of 

the season swimmers shave their entire 

bodies and practice shorter distances in 

preparation for finals. 

Scratch- To withdraw from an 

event. 

Streamline- Position to give the 

most distance from a start where a swimmers 

body is as tight as it can be. 

Middle Distance- Events 200 yards 

to 400 yards in length 

False Start- When a swimmer starts 

moving before the start. 

Circle Swimming- Position in a lane 

to allow the maximum number of swimmers 

in the pool at once. 

Anchor- Final swimmer in a relay. 

Bull Pen- Area where swimmers 

wait for lane assignments. 

Jump- False start by a 2 nd , 3 rd , or 4 th 

swimmer in a relay. 

Psyche Sheet- List of all the swimmers 

competing in an event. 

Touch Out- Reaching the touchpad 

first in a close race. 

Eu de bromine. No, not chlorine, 

bromine. That is the scent you notice as 

you pass the soon-to-be shaved swimmers 

who grace East’s hallways. The 

East boys’ swim and diving teams spend 

much of their lives in the pool, so they are 

bound to acquire the scent. However, 

all of their time in the water will soon pay 

off at State. And, with all of the successes 

this team has made this season, it seems 

evident that their pool time is already 

making a splash. 

Even at the beginning of the season, 

it seemed that these boys were 

going to waste no time in starting off the 

season the right way. 

“Some kids were swimming some 

of their personal best times, even some 

of their lifetime best times compared 

to a year ago,” said head coach Greg 

Fleming. 

Indeed, the boys’ thirst for victory 

is obvious. This year’s team has been 

extremely competitive, and has worked 

hard from the first practice. The numbers 

don’t hurt either. East has a total of 34 

boys on the team this year, 6 of whom 

are seniors. 

“We have a lot of good swimmers 

this year, with a lot more depth than last 

year,” said senior Brendan Ottemann. 

Some of the team’s success can 

be accredited to the unity and spirit of 

the team. Fans easily see the boys cheering 

one another on, a sign of their desire 

for everyone to do their best. These guys 

are their own cheerleaders. 

“There’s really good team unity. 

We do a lot of things together. We get 

up for each other during races and just 

cheer,” said sophomore Dain Finke. 

It’s all about what’s best for the 

team, really. A person may not consider 

the strategies involved in a swim team, 

but with all of the possibilities to put together 

different swimmers into different 

relays, many of the boys find themselves 

competing with their own team for a 

spot to swim at State. 

“There are so many different options. 

You just have to go as fast as you 

can to help [Fleming] make the best 

decision,” said junior Nic Genrich. 

So what’s the secret to prepare for 

State? After pushing themselves all year, 

there must be something special about 

the practices leading up to the defining 

moment of the season. In the swimming 

world, it’s referred to as shave and taper. 

The work load drops off and the swimmers’ 

muscles get a chance to prepare 

for the big meet. Rest is essential. After 

conferences, the work load beings to 

taper off, and the two-a-day practices 

end. There are also strategies to help 

performance. 

“Both the boys’ and girls’ swim 

teams will shave their legs and arms so 

Jerr Merritt pushing himself to the limit. (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Miller.) 

they can go to State having a slick and 

fast feeling in the water,” said Fleming. 

Every millisecond is crucial. If shaving 

arms and legs will help, then you can 

be sure the swimmers will shave and taper. 

Many of the boys shave their heads 

as well, whether it is for the benefit of the 

race, or purely for tradition. 

Along with the swimmers, the divers 

will also be focused on driving East 

towards victory. Senior Derek Forgey has 

had a successful season for his first year 

on the team. 

“I had worked with coach Eppert 

before, and had been into diving off 

and on. Overall it’s been a good time, 

and we’ve had a lot of success,” said 

Forgey. 

The coaches for both the swimming 

and diving teams want their teams to be 

pushed to their very best, hoping all that 

hard work will pay off in the end. 

“We have a lot of the top teams 

in state competing, and the boys have 

responded very well as far as on a competitive 

level. It’ll be exciting to see what 

this team can do in a championship 

format,” said Fleming. 

Living in the fast lane 


Story by Jetz Jacobson 

Sidebar compiled by 

Tasha Roth 

Sports/21

22 / Ads February 24, 2006

February 24, 2006 Ads / 23

oracle february 24 2006 v 38 i 6

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