November - Central Place - Southeast Polk Community School District

page 10: Future teachers test 

their wings in classrooms. 

Winter Dance 

delayed two 

weeks 

A scheduling conflict between 

a show choir competition 

and the winter dance has 

caused officials to reschedule 

the date for the winter dance 

to Feb. 6. 

Activities are usually scheduled 

a year in advance and 

when activity director Kent 

Horstmann decided on the 

date, the show choir competition 

was not yet on the calendar. 

“I tried to find a date where 

all students would have an opportunity 

to attend,” Horstmann 

said. 

Choir members were upset 

when they first saw that the 

date overlapped with the Muscatine 

show choir contest. 

When the Jan. 22 date was 

found to be in conflict, Horstmann 

was informed and the 

date was changed. 

Twins Mallory and Megan 

Brunk publicize today’s 

blood drive by wearing the 

infamous blood droplet 

costumes. 

Blood drive on in 

gym’s upper level 

The annual NHS blood 

drive is taking place today in 

on the gym’s upper level. 

There are about five appointments 

scheduled for every 

15 minutes and almost 150 

appointments are scheduled 

for the entire day. 

Both students and teachers 

will be donating throughout 

the day. Those who feel ill 

should not give blood. 

Eat plenty and drink lots 

of water before donating. A 

photo ID will also be required 

upon entrance to donate. 

inside 

THE 

CaST aWaY YOUR DReSSeS 

a new Student Council promotion gives girls a 

place to dispose of—and receive—formals. 

– page 4 

Southeast Polk High School 

7945 N.E. University Ave., Pleasant Hill, IA 50327 

RAMPAGE 

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 Volume 45, Issue 3 

Annual dodgeball tourney 

set for Sunday afternoon 

Packets due by end of the day 

MAX STEININGER 

Editor-in-Chief 

“It’s a classic sport of strength, 

endurance, agility and mind power,” 

junior Matt Knipp explains, 

“and I’m ready to make it to the 

finals again.” 

Dodgeball is on again for 2009 

and tournament rules will be fairly 

consistent with last year, barring 

one major adjustment. 

The tournament will be 

switched from the traditional 

double elimination to shorten 

the day, which has had matchups 

between about 30 teams in past 

years. 

Next week’s advisor period 

will feature the final games of 

the tourney and a teacher-student 

match. 

“I’m excited to defend our title 

as the champs from last year but 

there will be a lot of good teams 

this year,” senior Zach Leighter 

said. 

The tournament will feature 

both students and some staff 

members with players from every 

grade. 

Teams can still enter completed 

packets and $30 through the end 

of the day to be eligible for the 

tournament. 

THe BIg “C” 

The scariest disease of all, cancer, doesn’t spare 

even the youngest of victims. 

– page 7 

page 20: Local talent rocks 

for annual Speech Club event. 

Junior Kasey Williams 

musters her concentration 

and her confidence, 

staring downward 

in preparation 

before a dive during 

the season. Williams 

won the 4A state diving 

championship on nov. 

6 in her first year participating 

in the sport and 

the first year in over a 

decade that the school 

fielded a diving team. 

Brett Timmins photo. 

See STORY, PAGe 19. 

Tax breaks mean less funding 



Prom will be at the high school this year. 

Students now have to pay for driver ed and 

even books. What happened to the money 

schools in Iowa have traditionally had? 

The economy is obviously hurting, which 

means less money to go around for everybody 

but according to many, including district business 

manager Mike Hamilton, there is a bigger 

reason—an excessive number of tax breaks. 

CORPORATe ‘WeLFARe’ 

Large industries move around the country 

all the time, trying to find areas suitable for 

their business. Because of this, legislatures 

throughout the U.S. offer benefits to such industries 

to get them to move into their states. 

Tax breaks are offered to many industries 

as a result of this, because paying less money 

to the government makes an area much more 

attractive to a company. 

One of the most well-known of these tax 

breaks is the now-infamous “Iowa Film Tax 

Credit,” which brought many more moviemakers 

to Iowa because of low taxes. However, 

it is now under suspension after it was 

discovered that the credit was being used a 

little too much as money was spent on products 

obviously not used for moviemaking. 

More obscure industries have also received 

such benefits through such breaks as 

the “Massage Therapists’ Sales Tax Exemption” 

and the “Leased Cars Use Tax Exemption” 

which were instituted in 1999 and 1998, 

respectively, according to a Department of 

Management document. 

There is a reason for breaks for such large 

corporations and industries, though. This 

practice attracts jobs, money and other people 

to the state. 

In a packet presented at a district budget 

planning workshop, Hamilton discussed the 

statistics that the average increase in tax cuts 

annually from 1996 to 2002 was 42.7 percent 

for such businesses, while school fund growth 

in the same period was only 3.5 percent. 

However, some dispute whether new jobs 

are ever reallyattract- 

ed and say 

that the tax 

breaks leave 

the state budget 

strained. 

This includes 

ever y t h i n g 

from school 

districts to 

police departments. 

“ T hey ’ve 

taken everything 

but the 

damn kitch- 

“They’ve taken 

everything 

but the damn 

kitchen sink... 

which doesn’t 

leave us much 

to work with.” 

–district business manager 

Mike Hamilton 

en sink...which doesn’t leave us with much,” 

Hamilton said. 

“Some argue that there is inadequate oversight 

when incentives are awarded by state 

agencies, as was the case with the Film Production 

Tax Credit,” state representative Geri 

Huser said, “and some argue that Iowa must 

stay in the game and be competitive… Lack of 

oversight and demanding criteria make it hard 

to tell just how much bang the state is getting 

for its bucks.” 

TAx ABATeMenTS 

“Abatement” basically means the reduction 

or suspension of someone’s taxes, whether it’s 

permanent or temporary. 

Just as attracting large industries to the state 

is important, attracting homeowners to cities 

is key for municipal budgets. For this reason, 

many cities also offer tax breaks to new residents. 

In many of the district’s cities, like Altoona 

and Runnells, new homeowners can get up 

State 

Champ 

to five years free from paying their city taxes 

through these abatements. 

This is one tool used by the cities to rapidly 

grow population, which has taken place in Altoona 

in the past decade. 

While these are offered to homeowners in 

the area, companies like Bass Pro Shops have 

also been offered such discounts, because they 

bring both economic and social benefits to the 

community. 

Such lower taxes for Bass Pro Shops drew 

them company to come to the area. 

This practice also leaves less money for 

schools because the taxes homeowners pay 

also go to the district. Schools receive less 

money from community sources and state aid 

because of these tax breaks. 

TiF diSTRiCTS 

Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, is also a 

tool used by cities or municipal areas to use 

tax money for local improvements. 

Started in California in the 1950s, this strategy 

designates areas for improvement. While 

these areas are being improved, their tax rates 

stay at the same rate they originally were. This 

means there is a gap in the money paid and the 

money that would normally be paid. 

“When a city offers housing abatements to 

increase residents and TIF to attract businesses, 

at some point they’ve got to see how it’s 

impacting the school district,” board member 

Tom Hadden said. 

Along with cuts given to large businesses, 

these lower tax rates mean even lower funding 

for school districts. According to Hamilton, 

the period of 2002 to 2007 saw the lowest increases 

to school funding in state history. 

All of these diminished funds have left 

schools and other public entities without 

much of the money they usually count on. 

The economic downturn, along with these 

major cuts from the tax pool, have both important 

public entities. 

index 

Opinions …………………………………...….2-3 

News …………………………………………..4-5 

Features ……………………………….........6-17 

Sports ………………………………………18-19

Rampage 

2 OPINIONS November 25, 2009 

ediTORiAL 

School Fights: 

Bad choice to defend ‘love’ 

High school boyfriend-girlfriend relationships don’t exactly 

have the greatest track record for their quality and 

for their endurance. So, why do teens get into fights over 

such things when the relationships probably won’t last 

past a year, if that? 

It’s the way of a toddler to let tempers flare over immediate 

feelings; high school relationships end very quickly 

because of the most common reasons and, coincidentally, 

the most immature. Many in conflict tussle over 

things like infidelity and temper tantrums. 

Relationships are based on trust and the best teacher is 

experience. If kids don’t know how to trust each other 

and respect that trust then there is no way that a relationship 

will survive in the “real world.” There is a reason 

why most young loves don’t last past graduation.Although 

some do, they often aren’t the highest of quality. 

Teenagers are brainwashed by each other and what they 

all think is appropriate. The maturity level is plummeting 

in high schools, no matter what form it takes. 

And, as the maturity level sinks, hormones rage and 

fights begin. So begins the high school “lifecycle”; flirting, 

true love, distraction, break-up, fight, repeat. 

This childishness is resulting in people getting hauled off 

to jail. Because of all the intensity, words are exchanged, 

punches get thrown and, suddenly, a criminal record is 

created (or added onto, in some cases), all because of 

a simple argument that never would have started if a 

simple high school relationship wasn’t taken so seriously. 

All arguments are started because of petty little tiffs that 

should have no place within a healthy high school culture. 

There is one lesson that every parent tries to teach 

a child; have fun while you can and don’t put too much 

stock in youthful relationships. 

When these temporary issues are taken too seriously and 

blown out of proportion, fights get started and teenagers 

are left with reputations that really don’t fit them. 

Let this be a lesson learned: there is no “winning” in 

fighting; there is only humiliation and embarrassment 

for those involved. 

Such behavior also speaks little of the intelligence of 

those involved. If kids really worry about their reputations, 

they won’t fight. Status is not enhanced in a fistfight, 

no matter the outcome. The “winner” of such 

conflicts is the person who can walk away and just be 

the better, more well-adjusted person. 

A permanent record, maybe even a police record, that is 

filled with evidence of fights, intimidation, immaturity 

and a general lack of people skills is not what anyone 

should want to carry into the “real world” after graduation. 

THE 

Rampage is published by Southeast Polk High School, 7945 N.E. University Ave., Pleasant 

Hill, IA 50327. Offices are located in room N229, phone number is (515) 967-6631, 

ext. 2229. Page views are available on our district’s Web site, www.se-polk.k12.ia.us, click 

on “district” then “publications.” Additional information not contained in this publication 

is available at www.my.highschooljournalism.org/ia/sephs. Advertising rates are $4.50 per 

column inch with discounts available for multiple insertions and/or prepaid accounts. 

Contact our business staff at the number listed above if you wish to place an ad. Rampage 

is a member of the Iowa High School Press Association, the National Scholastic Press 

Association and a 2006, 2007 and 2008 Gallup Award Winner recognized by Quill and 

Scroll. 

Letters policy 

Rampage encourages letters to the editor; we want to hear your questions, comments or 

concerns. We are an open forum for student expression at this school. 

Letters should be as to-the-point as is possible; try to stay under 250 words. All letters 

must be signed. Deliver letters to adviser Carole Henning in room N229 or mail or 

deliver them to the Main Office. 

We reserve the right to edit all submissions for clarity and length and to meet the standards 

of good journalism. (No obscenity, libel, hate speech, invasion of privacy, etc.) 

Take it to the Max-- 

Holiday ignorance is bliss...for little kids 



For many of us, high school has 

been our first step into the real 

world. 

As children, we all went 

through life being helped along 

with encouragement and rewards. 

One other major 

piece of our 

childhood was 

one that many 

people don’t realize, 

though— 

lies. 

Whether it’s 

for better or worse, it’s undeniable 

that children grow up with 

lies to make them more comfortable 

and easier to deal with. 

When I first realized this, it upset 

me. My parents and teachers, 

the most important adults in my 

life, had been telling me made-up 

stories and lies since I was born. 

It wasn’t long, however, that 

J to the 5 

J5 McKINNEY 

Business Manager 

Why do humans feel they need to fight to prove 

themselves? 

This is one of the dumbest and most ignorant 

ways to show the world you’re 

tough. What happens after the 

fight? Both of you are all banged 

up, probably the cops have shown 

up, both are going to the hospital 

then jail (if they’re 18) and, most 

likely, someone will press charges. 

If you find yourself in a fight 

where someone wants to win or a 

real fight where the other person wants to kill you, 

THERE ARE NO RULES, anything goes. 

I don’t even want to address young women here, 

but I will, briefly. Ladies, fighting makes you look 

trashy; if we wanted trashy women, we would head 

west for our dates. 

Now, guys, let’s get our protocol straight. If Bubba 

and Jimbob are feuding and they want to settle their 

disagreement with honor, then there are rules: no 

biting, no scratching, no hair-pulling, no one jumping 

in and once the other guy gets knocked down, 

the fight’s over. And all this is best accomplished in 

a gym, with boxing gloves on. It’s really back-water 

to do what my friends Bubba and Jimbob often try. 

For example, let’s say Jimbob is going after Mary 

Lou and Bubba is also after her but Jimbob doesn’t 

know how Bubba feels about Mary Lou. Bubba and 

Jimbob have been friends ever since they were two 

Southeast Polk High School 

7945 N.E. University Ave., Pleasant Hill, IA 50327 

RAMPAGE 

I realized that ignorance truly is 

bliss. 

When I was in first grade, Santa 

Claus was as real as my left foot. 

Just as my teachers taught me and 

my parents took care of me, Santa 

Claus brought presents once every 

year. 

I thought of it as an investment. 

I gave him some milk and cookies 

and got boxes full of everything 

from a Nintendo 64 to a new 

baseball bat. Santa was good to 

me. Life was good to me. 

Years of people trying to convince 

me that he wasn’t really 

there made me skeptical, but I 

still had some hope all the way 

into fifth grade when my teacher 

had a discussion with our class 

about how Santa Claus was obviously 

not real. 

It may seem a little cold-hearted 

for a teacher to tell her entire 

class that Santa does not exist but 

it was yet another step into the 

editor-in-chief 

Max Steininger 

Managing editor 

Margarita Diaz 

Copyeditor 

Jennifer Voyce 

department editors 

Ashley Armantrout, lifestyle editor; Blair 

Brown, events editor; Caitlynn Cashatt, letters 

editor; Faith Gachii, news editor; Emily Hart, 

A&E editor; Alex Jones, opinions editor; 

Ashley Morgan, features editor; Megan Quick, 

sports editor; Austin Viggers, assistant sports 

editor; Jessica Wilson, assistant news editor 

Business manager 

J5 McKinney 

Advertising manager 

Emily Bombela 

real world of grown-ups. 

Kris Kringle was just one of 

the first of these situations that 

helped me realize that I was being 

continually lied to. 

But, as strange as it seems, 

those lies made my childhood 

better. They make everyone’s 

childhood better. What would 

Halloween be without the excitement 

of ghosts possibly existing 

and how fun would it be to find 

eggs that were hidden by parents, 

not a giant rabbit? 

Kids are happier in a world that 

is far from real. Most of us would 

be. Truth is important, but a 

slightly bent truth might be even 

better in some situations. 

So, let’s keep our imaginary 

figures alive a little longer. The 

world has always been rough but 

today it seems even a little worse. 

Why not give kids a break and let 

them believe Santa might exist 

past fifth grade? 

Bubba, Mary Lou just ain’t worth it... 

and they swear nothing can come between them. 

Mary Lou really likes Bubba, though, and Jimbob 

doesn’t know that. Mary Lou, vixen temptress that 

she is, says to heck with it and starts dating Jimbob. 

When Bubba finds out, he gets all sorts of ticked 

off, calls Jimbob and says meet me in front of Mary 

Lou’s trailer in five minutes. 

So, Jimbob steps out of his trailer and walks the 20 

yards to Mary Lou’s double-wide. Bubba steps out of 

his trailer and says, “You dirty son-of-a-sheep, what 

do you think yer doing taking my gal?” 

Jimbob says, “You mean Mary Lou, your cousin?” 

Bubba retorts, “She ain’t my first cousin, she’s my 

second cousin, twice removed.” 

Jimbob says, “That’s what she told me last night.” 

Bubba says, “Put ‘em up.” And they’re off. 

Jimbob puts them up shouting, “Winner gets 

Mary Lou.” Bubba delivers a fine right hook and 

busts open Jimbob’s lip. Jimbob swings and liberates 

one of Bubba’s few remaining teeth. Bubba 

rears back and punches Jimbob square in the nose. 

Bubba gets ahold of Jimbob and sends him crashing 

through Mary Lou’s front door. 

All of a sudden, they both look up and see Mary 

Lou kissing Bobby. Jimbob and Bubba looked at 

each other in shock. 

The men exchange glances, realizing that women 

are not worth fighting over. They get up, Jimbob 

says “You go that way, I’ll I go this way” and they 

knock Bobby into next Sunday. As they amble away, 

Jimbob says, “Let’s go shoot exploding arrows.” 

Bubba agrees and peace is restored. 

Circulation manager 

Caitlin Dozark 

Librarian/Web site manager 

Allison Cronk 

Reporters (Journalism i) 

Cindy Abbott, Andrea Bainter, Riley Bartels, Kayleigh 

Beatty, Joe Bell, Whitney Blakemore, Alison Borg, 

Ryan Brown, Ryan Chandler, Taylor Cooney, Sabrina 

Davis, Michael Dozark, Tabitha Fast, Ben Fogle, 

Adam Galasso, Drew George, Nathan Hedberg, 

Julio Hernandez, Tabby Johannsen, Chelsey Julander, 

Katelyn Kiester, Trent Little, Marcelino Lopez, 

Dylan Main, Larissa Maze, Kodi McDonagh, Emily 

Nalevanko, Tyler Nielsen, Whitney Overlin, Alicen 

Pafford, Alex Payne, Kelly Peterson, Addie Quinn, 

Sierra Robey, Nathan Sander, Allison Schrauth, David 

Segura, Shane Smidt, Shawn Starrett, Mariana Vega- 

Hernandez, Jessica Webb, Christina Williams 

Adviser 

Carole Henning

Congress shall make no law 

respecting an establishment of religion 

or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; 

or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, 

or the right of the people peaceably to assemble 

and to petition the government 

for a redress of grievances. 

—The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution 

Rampage 

November 25, 2009 

if you need proof, it isn’t ‘faith’ 

EMILY HART 

A&E Editor 

“In the beginning, God created the universe and the world, including 

the land, seas and all of the creatures living on it.” Simple, 

true and, yet, questioned endlessly by people whose group mascot is 

a fish with legs. 

Welcome to the life of a creationist; that is, someone who believes 

that the world and all its inhabitants were created by God a really 

long time ago. Creationism is questioned but can easily be explained 

versus the Darwinists’ theory of evolution which has even more 

problems as a theory than almost any other theory of the derivation 

of life. 

One of the first questions is how can any supreme being or God 

create an entire galaxy and range of life forms in seven days? This 

is simple. If God can make the universe, He (or She, to some) is not 

restricted by the bounds of human “time.” 

Or, if one prefers, if God is all powerful and wants to create all of 

life in seven human days, I’m pretty positive God could do that if 

He wanted to. 

When did dinosaurs enter the picture? Again, if God held the 

ability to create the universe and wanted to make 40-foot lizards 

walk around Eden with humans, that works for creationists. There 

is no infallible proof that dinosaurs couldn’t have existed side by 

side with humans, as DNA testing and carbon dating have been 

proven by almost all of science to be somewhat inaccurate. 

The last huge question is usually why support a theory with no 

evidence? In reality, there is so much more evidence than any evolutionist 

could possibly dismiss. History supports this theory through 

carbon dating and DNA derivations. Science supports this also 

through more research into DNA studies and mathematicians have 

looked through Biblical dating to prove this theory very thoroughly. 

Finally, dozens of scientists and even Darwin, “creator” of evolution, 

are known for shunning evolution and returning to creation 

theory due to lack of evidence for a Big Bang or ape-fish-human 

things. And, supporting Tom Cruise seems a little iffy this way. 

In the end, faith and beliefs are personal; no one should judge 

another just because of different views. Creationist, evolutionist or 

neither-ist, it’s at least good to know that there are still people brave 

enough to express their beliefs. 

How did it 

all begin? 

head2head 

evolution is obvious in science 

ASHLEY MORGAN 

Advertising Manager 

Many theories circulate through the scientific community about 

how humans came to be. The more commonly accepted theory is 

Darwin’s theory of evolution. 

There are, however, many people who don’t believe humans could 

have descended from a common ancestor, one in the form of a primate. 

It’s a naive thought that God somehow waved his magic wand 

and the entire world appeared in seven days. Creationism doesn’t 

have any scientific roots but much evidence is coming to light to 

support the theory of evolution. 

Evolution stems from Darwin sailing to the Galapagos Islands 

and observing the differences between the beaks of finches and 

how they interacted with their environment. Darwin noticed that 

all the finches seemed to have descended from the same ancestor, 

but many had adapted their beaks to be able to eat the different 

foods available in their environment. 

Scientists can attribute changes in DNA and adaptation to environments 

as indications of evolution. It can be argued that evolution 

provides a straight-forward, logical explanation of the origins 

of man and how he became what he is today. Evolution does not 

exclude the possibility of creationism; however, scientists cannot 

prove the existence of God. Evolution is simply a theory to show 

how humans have ascended from apes, as they have the same bone 

structure and a similar DNA structure. 

Evolution has been proven in multiple ways, not just simply 

“decided.” When embryos are studied, it is obvious that 

they, in various stages, show characteristics of many proposed 

stages of evolution. Mutation of animals with the most desirable 

traits most likely led to humans being what we are today. 

Evolution has a long history, no pun intended. Though incontrovertible 

proof may not yet exist, it’s proof enough that an “all knowing” 

being most likely didn’t pop into our solar system and decide to 

place some trees and grass around and leave us to fend for ourselves. 

OPINIONS 

Fall play brings great pride for actors, school 

To the editor: 

I attended “A Christmas Carol” 

on Nov. 6. I thought that the play 

was great! 

The main character Ebenezer 

Scrooge was played by Josh 

Hughes. He did a great job getting 

into character and really being 

Ebenezer. 

Evan Hay also really turned 

into her characters. She played 

the Voice, Boy, Orson and Undertaker’s 

woman. She made the 

play fun to watch and I loved the 

different voices she used. 

The funniest and most entertaining 

part was when Tirra 

Birchmier (The Ghost of Christmas 

Present) began to dance. 

Overall the play was awesome. 

RePeAT iT deLeTe iT 

• “Rent” ticket prices discounted. 

It was a great price for a 

great…musical. 

• Lactaid milk. Now those who 

are lactose intolerant can enjoy all 

the milky goodness of dairy. 

• Thanksgiving break. A long 

weekend so we can stuff our faces 

• new toilet paper dispensers. 

Most of us do need more than 

two sheets 

• Longer nights. Makes you wanna 

get to bed early. 

• Talent show. Good thing there 

are no “winners”; it would be hard 

to choose. 

• diving team. You’ve made us all 

proud. 

All the actors/actresses did a 

great job. I enjoyed the play very 

much. Everyone was extremely 


Men abusing women isn’t taken 

as seriously as it should be. 

When a woman calls 911 for a 

man physically abusing someone, 

they should not be able to drop all 

charges. That man should not be 

able to walk free. 

Men who get out of jail fast 

from beating women never learn 

a lesson. It’s a known fact that if 

a man hits a woman once, there is 

a good chance he will hit again. 

When that man killed his inno- 

• Per Mar Guy. Dear Paul Blart, 

we know where you live. 

• The new fence. We are not 

a herd of cows; take away the 

fence and rethink the design. 

• Automatic toilets. I think that 

we can decide when we’re done. 

• Parking for upperclassmen. 

We paid 50 bucks to walk a mile 

every day? Should’ve had the 

staff park over there and call it a 

“wellness program” 

• Lunch. Enough with the chicken; 

it’s not the only white meat. 

• Football season. Aren’t we all 

glad that’s over? 

• A beautiful, yet unfinished 

building. Still. 

3 

talented and really got into character. 

I give this play five stars! 

shelby Bunch, sophomore 

abuse isn’t taken seriously enough 

cent wife recently, he was jailed. 

But what about all the other 

charges pressed against him from 

past behaviors like that? They 

could have saved that woman 

from getting shot that night. 

A lot of men walk free just a 

few hours after abusing a woman. 

There is a certain point when 

someone needs to look at the 

individual situations and really 

think of how we can solve this 

problem of men hurting women. 

Allison schrauth, junior 

Still an issue: Upperclassmen need preferred spaces 


There is no reason that seniors should have to 

walk from the old school to the new school because 

of parking. Let the underclassmen do that and then 

when they are seniors they can have the privilege of 

parking over here. 

Another thing I don’t like about the parking situ- 

ation is the new security. The officer is always walking 

around window-to-window with his flashlight, 

just creeping on all of us. 

What we need is a better plan for organized parking 

by grade and a security guy who knows that he 

earns respect by being nice and earning it. 

Michael dozark, senior

Rampage 

4 NEWS November 25, 2009 

Knowledge Bowl team sets new school record 

MEGAN QUICK 

Sports Editor 

Knowledge is power 

and some competitors here 

have a powerful amount of 

knowledge as evidenced by 

their performance in a recent 

contest. 

After five close rounds 

the Knowledge Bowl 

team missed winning it all 

by only one point in the 

Knowledge Bowl at Merle 

Hay Mall on Oct.29. 

“I thought it went well. 

We qualified first on the 

computer round and got the 

highest score going into the 

final,” senior team captain 

Max Steininger said, “but 

I was upset that we lost to 

our long-time rivals.” 

After 44 questions, the 

squad from Boone was in 

the lead with 13 points. The 

five selected individuals on 

the team were tied with 

Valley at 12 points. 

According to TAG teacher 

Dave Hartman, the last 

question was the easiest of 

the day. It was all a matter 

of who could buzz in faster. 

By a close shot, the team 

of seniors Steininger, Joey 

Spivey, Patsy Snead and 

Tyler O’Connor, as well as 

junior Grant Warner ended 

up finishing third. 

This occurrence was first 

time in school history that a 

Knowledge Bowl team has 

made it into the finals. 

“It’s a fun way to spend a 

Saturday if you have nothing 

else to do,” O’Connor 

said. 

Knowledge Bowl is different 

from Quiz Bowl not 

only in question format, 

but because team members 

have to qualify in order to 

compete. 

After taking an individ- 

ual test online, the top five 

students formed the team. 

“I’m looking forward to 

seeing how I do in relation 

to my other teammates. It 

gets pretty competitive as 

far as individual scores go,” 

Warner said. 

The Quiz Bowl team 

traveled to Aplington-Parkersburg 

Nov. 7 and dominated. 

They finished with 

a total team score of 1295, 

compared to 445, which 

was all the other teams’ 

scores combined. 

Steininger led the team 

answering 37 questions, 

Formal dress drive to help cut costs 

JESSICA WILSON 

Assistant News Editor 

Student Council is set 

to sponsor a dress drive 

through which students 

may turn in their used formal 

dresses in exchange 

for one ticket to the winter 

dance Feb. 6. 

Council secretary Kelsey 

Duff says that the group is 

trying to help cut cost for 

students planning on attending 

the winter dance, 

since money is starting to 

be a concern when preparing 

for the event. 

“The dress drive is a good 

way to cut costs for the 

dance,” said Duff. “Girls 

can spend more money on 

getting their hair and nails 

done and not worry about 

buying a dress.” 

A dress donator will receive 

a free ticket to the 

dance, saving $10. After being 

donated, the dresses are 

given away to anyone who 

wishes to have one. 

RYAN BROWN 

Staff Reporter 

Both show choirs are beginning 

heavily into their 

preparations for this winter’s 

competition and performance 

series. 

Fans can look forward to 

the annual dinner theatre 

scheduled for Jan. 15 and 

16, along with four other 

competitions besides their 

home contest. 

“Rhythm and Music 

Showcase,” the annual 

competition hosted here, is 

scheduled for Feb. 27. 

Other competitions include 

one in Muscatine Jan. 

23, state contest on Jan. 30, 

one in Keokuk Feb. 13 and 

one in Indianola Feb. 20. 

Southeast Polk offers 

two show choirs: the varsity 

group, RAMificiation, 

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followed by O’Connor who 

contributed 10 answers. 

Some of their success can 

be devoted to the well-balanced 

minds of the group. 

“They all have their 

strengths and weaknesses, 

but for the most part 

they’re well rounded TAG 

This saves money that 

would be used for buying 

a brand new dress since the 

dresses at the drive are free. 

According to Duff, the 

dance, previously known 

as Winter Formal, is now 

just referred to as a winter 

dance. 

Duff said that principal 

Chuck Bredlow decided to 

tone down the dress code 

expectations but says that 

formal attire is still permitted. 

DJ, please don’t play that song 

WHITNEY OVERLIN 


Elvis. Avril Lavigne. Natasha 

Bedingfield. Bullet 

for My Valentine. 

The music playing in the 

Commons during lunch has 

taken some criticism from 

the students. The wide variety 

that there is isn’t as appealing 

to students as many 

had hoped for. 

“They play the same music 

like every day! It’s so 

annoying!” freshman Zach 

Johnson said. 

Little does everyone 

know that the selection 

of music they hear in the 

Commons in the morning 

and during lunch comes 

from their peers. 

Anyone in the school can 

bring in a CD, get it approved 

and have it played 

during the lunches. 

students,” Hartman said. 

Quiz Bowls are also open 

to anyone, not just talented 

and gifted students. 

Individuals who are interested 

in signing up for 

an upcoming quiz bowl 

should see Hartman in the 

TAG room. 

“The dress drive is 

scheduled for the beginning 

of December,” said 

Duff. “Students can just 

bring their dresses to room 

222.” 

Duff also said that those 

who wish to pick up a dress 

can go to room 222 as well. 

Student Council is planning 

to make signs advertising 

about the drive when 

the date approaches so that 

students can get more information. 

Show choirs begin contest prep 

and the junior varsity allgirl 

choir called “Vocal 

Gold.” 

Laura Engels directs 

“Vocal Gold” which is basing 

its set this year on the 

fun and love of music. 

The girls plan to wear 

flowery pink shirts and 

skirts for competition. 

They’ll also don elbowlength 

white gloves while 

they perform “Show People,” 

one of the numbers in 

their set. 

The JV has seven soloists: 

freshmen Amanda Bartlett, 

Sydney Houde, Tirra Birchmier, 

Grace Slings, Corinna 

Slings, Hope Metts and 

Allie McCaull. 

Brandy Nelson directs 

the varsity choir. Both 

groups have been working 

on choreography to the 

music, vocals and putting 

the show all together. 

JV practices after school 

every Tuesday 6-8 p.m. and 

every Friday from 3:15-5 

p.m. 

The groups both have 

clinics on several Saturdays. 

These clinics are long 

and intense practices to 

work on specific things. 

Despite all the hard 

work, these kids say they 

have fun. 

“I enjoy the stage experience 

and I get to make a 

lot of friends,” sophomore 

Kelsea Goebel says. 

Any high-quality instrumentalists 

can be part of 

the Show Band that plays 

the music that the show 

choir members dance and 

sing to. 

Show choir crew is also 

open to any students. These 

members go to all of the 

competitions and help with 

setting up everything before 

and after the competition. 

“I brought in some of 

my stuff just to get the year 

started, but none of the crap 

playing now is mine,” principal 

Chuck Bredlow says. 

“All my CDs are locked in 

my office!” 

He says he has taken 

many complaints about the 

music, yet the same songs 

continue to be played. 

“I kind of like it,” freshman 

Grace Hart said. “I 

mean it’s not My Chemical 

Romance, but it’s music 

that I don’t mind.” 

Many students bring 

their i-Pods and mp3 players 

to lunch to listen to 

their music. 

“It’s just easier to bring 

something that I like than 

to have to listen to what 

is playing on the stereo,” 

sophomore Bailey Phares 

said.

How can these guys keep you safe? 

See an upcoming Rampage... 

Rampage 


Store opens with food program violations 

80 percent of foods 

sold at school must 

meet nutritional 

requirements 

ASHLEY ARMANTROUT 

Lifestyle Editor 

The long-awaited school 

store rolled up its window 

for business Nov. 9 and received 

a not-so-warm welcome 

from the district’s 

director of food services. 

The store, located just 

outside the main office, is 

run by Business and Personal 

Marketing students 

along with DECA members. 

Business teacher Carol 

Von Tersch is supervising 

the organization. 

According to senior and 

Business and Personal Marketing 

student Jonathan 

Cheerleaders earn highest rank in 10 years 

J5 McKINNEY 

Business Manager 

The competition cheer 

squad brought home 

fourth-place honors from 

state Nov. 7, their best rating 

in a decade. 

At the event, the team 

was pitted against a divi- 

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 

29 30 01 02 03 04 05 

06 07 08 09 10 11 12 

RAMPAGE 

Flapjacks for Jesus 


13 14 15 16 17 18 19 

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 

Winter Band 

Concert - 7 p.m. 

Financial aid 

Night 

7 p.m. 

Freel, business for the store 

is good, but the word is just 

starting to get out about it. 

“Business is going,” senior 

Lindsey Anderson 

said. “We’re all still working 

on some things here 

and there.” 

The store had stocked 

foods like granola bars, 

candy and chips along with 

different drinks along with 

school supplies and Southeast 

Polk spirit attire like 

shirts, bags and accessories. 

“Many other schools 

have school stores,” Von 

Tersch said. “I saw having 

one as a great opportunity 

for my students, to teach 

them the business skills 

they need to learn.” 

Senior DECA members 

Megan and Mallory Brunk 

Friends and family watch as the cheerleaders present 

their routine to the judges at the State Cheer 

Competition in Veterans Auditorium in des Moines 

nov. 7. Brenda Wilson photo. 

FCA caroling 

& cookies 

FCA meeting 

Jazz Concert 

7:30 p.m. 

Book Club 6-8 p.m. 

Sugar Shack 

sion of seven other class 4A 

large groups. 

A squad competes in that 

division when it consists of 

between 17 to 25 girls, according 

to iowacheercoaches. 

org. 

The squad placed fourth 

behind schools such as Val- 

ASVAB TeST 

8:30 a.m. 

Spanish Club 

5-7 p.m. 

nHS Blood drive 


FinAL exAMS FinAL exAMS 

odd periods even periods 

said that on the first day 

open, the school store saw 

a lot of business. 

“I think people were excited 

to see what we had,” 

Megan Brunk said. 

The store’s operation 

time is now limited, however, 

because of the lack of 

nutritious food being sold 

there. 

All food sold in school 

are now subject to standards 

which are part of the 

new “Healthy Schools Program.” 

The program’s goal is 

to “recognize schools that 

create healthier school environments 

and that promote 

physical activity and 

healthy eating among students 

and staff.” 

This program requires 

ley, Burlington and Mason 

City, gaining the third 

highest score because Burlington 

and Mason City 

were equal in points. 

The girls defeated Ankeny’s 

squad, which came 

in fifth, by 20 points. 

Senior Whitney Stewart, 

a veteran of the squad, said 

that this is the first time 

they have placed in the top 

four since 1997. 

At this particular competition, 

cheerleading squads 

are judged on their cheering 

fundamentals, dancing, 

appeal and projection, the 

variety of their moves and 

the perfection of their routine. 

Stewart said that she 

thought that the team preformed 

well, but there were 

some things that needed to 

be cleaned up. 

According to junior Emily 

Nalevanko, the squad 

did well individually and as 

eCompass testing 

Vocal Music 

Concert 

6:30 p.m. 

that any “competitive” 

food sales, such as school 

stores, must have at least 80 

percent of their foods and 

beverages meet the program’s 

nutritional requirements, 

according to Mallory 

Brunk. 

After examining the 

store’s offerings, Stephanie 

Dross, district director of 

food services, reported that 

most of its foods and drinks 

did not meet the standards. 

The store must now 

stock healthy food to make 

the 80 percent mark or not 

sell food. 

“We just need to adapt 

to the policy,” Von Tersch 

said. “We understand that 

there are standards and 

procedures and we’re better 

because of it.” 

a collective team. 

Squad members have 

been working on their routine 

four days a week after 

school since they first 

learned it in August. 

Head varsity cheer coach 

Jenny Rinehart said the 

judges did not feel that the 

level of difficulty was very 

high, but it is a young squad 

and it was their first competition. 

Rinehart also said that 

the squad needed to work 

on being louder during 

their cheer. 

This year there are no 

captains, according to senior 

Lena Giron. She says 

that having no captains really 

cuts down on the drama 

and no one is superior 

to anyone. 

The cheer squad’s next 

competition will be in the 

All Iowa Open Competition 

on Jan. 10 in Cedar 

Rapids. 

NO SCHOOL ~ THANKSGIVING BREAK 

DeCa Central Region Conference 

Choirs caroling 

@ Hy-Vee 

4-6 p.m. 

NO SCHOOL ~ WINTER BREAK 

RAMPAGE 

december 

NEWS 

Organizations Update 

To report your group’s activities, e-mail to 

henningc@se-polk.k12.ia.us 

or drop a note in Mrs. Henning’s mailbox 

5 

JAZZ BAnds 

On Dec. 7, Jazz I and Jazz II will be working with 

UNI’s Equilateral Quartet who will be artists-in-residence. 

The groups will present a concert that evening 

at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Admission will be $5 for 

adults, $3 for students/seniors. 

sHOW CHOiRs 

The show choirs will present their annual dinner theatre 

concerts at 7 p.m. on Jan. 15 and 16. The groups 

will host their annual Rhythm and Music Showcase 

show choir competition Saturday, Feb. 27. They will 

also compete in Muscatine, Waukee, Keokuk and Indianola 

throughout January and February. 

FCA 

The group’s next meeting is Monday (Nov. 30) at sponsor 

Barb Tuttle’s house. The group has recently ordered 

t-shirts and sweatpants that will arrive soon. Baking 

cookies, delivering them and caroling at the Mitchellville 

nursing home is on the schedule for Dec. 13. 

There will be no second meeting in December. 

Un TRiP 

Individuals interested in going on the United Nations 

trip over spring break in March should see Marla Kelly 

in the front office to sign up. Estimated cost of this 

year’s trip is $1500 plus personal expenses. Seniors, juniors 

and sophomores are eligible to apply. If enough 

students express interest, a formal application process 

will be started by Kevin Stalter, sponsor of the trip. 

ALL-sTATe MUsiC FesTiVAL 

Replays of last weekend’s All-State Music Festival recorded 

in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium at Iowa State will 

be presented Thursday (Nov. 26) at 7 p.m. and Sunday 

(Nov. 29) at 5 p.m. on Iowa Public Television. Several 

SEP students, including seniors Chris Purscell, 

Joey Spivey and Joel Pratt, junior Jayna Anderson and 

sophomore Tori Piper, performed in the concert. Grace 

Slings was selected to perform with the 9th grade Opus 

Honor Choir, also at Iowa State, last week. 

BOOK CLUB 

Dress for the ‘50s, ‘60s or ‘70s for the next Book Club 

meeting which will be Monday, Dec. 14 at Sugar Shack 

6-8 p.m. There will be karaoke and $1 off your purchases 

of food and drink. 

CenTRAL CAMPUs 

Students who wish to take classes at Central Campus 

next school year should contact guidance counselor 

Amy Daughterty as soon as is possible to sign up. 

CHOiRs 

Treble Clef and Chorale members will perform for 

The Rising Sunsetters at Rising Sun Church of Christ 

Thursday, Dec. 3. The winter concert of the Chorale, 

Chamber Singers, Concert Choir and Treble Clef Choir 

will be Thursday, Dec. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium. 

Members of all the choirs will be caroling at the 

Altoona Hy-Vee from 4-6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11. 

MiLiTARY TesTinG 

Today is the final day to sign up for the ASVAB, a test 

required of all individuals interested in joining any 

branch of the military. The test will be given in the 

multi-purpose room on Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 8:30 a.m. 

See your guidance counselor for details. 

sPeed And AGiLiTY 

Session II of training session begins Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 

6 a.m. in the high school gym, open to all individuals 

in grades 7-12. 

sPAnisH CLUB 

Members will enjoy a cooking fiesta in room N146 

from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 8. The group will finish 

their service project.

Rampage 

6 FEATURES November 25, 2009 

Nuclear dominates energy debate 

21st energy source provides 

hope, fear for next generation 

ASHLEY MORGAN 

Features Editor 

Concrete coolant towers 

emitting torrents of steam, 

a mushroom cloud rising 

high into the sky or even 

Homer Simpson asleep at 

the control panel are some 

common images that come 

to mind when nuclear power 

is the topic of discussion. 

Some peopl e praise the 

technology as a low-cost, 

low-emission alternative to 

fossil fuels, while others 

stress the negative impact 

of nuclear waste and accidents 

such as Three Mile 

Island and Chernobyl. 

There’s a lot of discussion 

out there about nuclear 

power’s role in our lives, but 

what’s going on at the heart 

of these power plants? 

Nuclear energy has been 

a practically dead subject to 

the current generation. Recently, 

however, the topic 

has exploded with the war 

in the Middle East and 

the production of nuclear 

power plants in countries 

such as North Korea and 

Afghanistan. 

JUST THe FACTS 

As of last summer, there 

were more than 430 operating 

nuclear power plants 

and, together, they provided 

about 15 percent of the 

world’s electricity in 2007. 

Of these 31 countries, some 

depend more on nuclear 

power than others, according 

to howstuffworks.com. 

“I don’t want nuclear 

power to lead to like the 

apocalypse,” sophomore 

Dylan Duvall said. 

According to the Web 

site, 77 percent of France’s 

electricity comes from 

nuclear power. Lithuania 

comes in second with 65 

SE Polk grads 

{ 

E 37 baccalaureate majors 

E Dynamic internships 

E Transfer scholarships available 

E Average class size of 14 

E Nearly 100% job placement for 

a decade and a half 

“I chose Grand View because of 

the small class sizes and great 

Des Moines location…and 

it’s the perfect fit!” 

515-263-2810 E 800-444-6083 

www.admissions.grandview.edu 

Des Moines, Iowa 

percent. In the United 

States, 104 nuclear power 

plants supply 20 percent 

of the electricity overall, 

with some states benefiting 

more than others. 

“We were the first country 

to harness nuclear power 

and use it as a weapon. 

We have continued to use 

nuclear power as a source 

of energy in our military to 

power nuclear submarines 

and aircraft carriers,” physics 

teacher Steve Cullinan 

said. 

“We also have a very large 

arsenal of nuclear weapons. 

Outside the military, we 

have several nuclear power 

plants around the U.S. The 

only real scare that we have 

had in the U.S. is Three 

Mile Island,” he added. 

Despite all the cosmic energy 

that the word “nuclear” 

invokes, power plants 

that depend on atomic 

energy don’t operate that 

differently from a typical 

coal-burning power plant, 

according to howstuffworks. 

com. 

“Nuclear power is beneficial 

because it can deliver 

a lot more megawatts of energy 

and it’s a lot cleaner,” 

MidAmerican power plant 

control room operator Terry 

Burger said. “It also has 

the ability to last much longer 

than fossil fuels.” 

CLeAn OR diRTY? 

“I think harnessing nuclear 

power would just start 

problems with other countries, 

leading to a nuclear 

war,” junior Kris Shiner 

said. 

The site says that nuclear 

is a clean form of energy, 

which could cut down on 

the amount of natural resources 

being burned. This 

Heather Banker ’11 

Biology major 

SE Polk alum 

E Choice of on-campus living 

styles 

E Personal attention, with all 

classes taught by 

professional faculty 

could then help to lower the 

levels of emissions into the 

atmosphere, which would 

cut down the amount of 

pollution in the world. 

A large plant generates 

about a million kilowatts 

of electricity - some more, 

some less. 

CAUSinG iSSUeS 

“Nuclear power has the 

possibility to start controversy 

because of the dangers 

of producing nuclear 

energy,” Burger said. “The 

dangers also come from 

turning the power into fuel. 

Many countries may view it 

as a security risk and a terrorist 

threat.” 

Cullinan asserted, however 

that since we are already 

a known atomic 

power country, exploring 

using nuclear technology 

for more power doesn’t 

have the ability to start controversy. 

The U.S. plan is to store 

the waste in Nevada in the 

same area as has been used 

for underground nuclear 

tests. This plan is still tied 

up in long-term indecision. 

The Web site also said 

that the Carter administration 

made the decision 

to not reprocess the fuel 

rods on the grounds that 

if other countries could be 

persuaded not to reprocess, 

the likelihood of nuclear 

proliferation, or the spread 

of nuclear weapons, would 

be reduced. Terrorism is a 

big topic related to nuclear 

power. 

“Terrorism has been the 

main threat to the U.S. as 

far as damage. Terrorism 

would likely use what are 

called ‘dirty bombs’ to contaminate 

an area for a very 

long time,” Cullinan said. 

“We also have concerns 

when countries like North 

Korea continue to experiment 

with rocketry and 

nuclear power plants contribute to creating low-cost, low-emission alterntives 

to fossil fuels, with over 430 operating nuclear power plants providing about 

fifteen percent of the worlds energy. emily Hart illustration. 

nuclear. They are not considered 

a friendly country 

and there are always concerns 

that they will misuse 

the power.” 

Power source has dangerous past 

ASHLEY MORGAN 

Features Editor 

Times have remained unchanged in the 

abandoned Ukrainian city of Chernobyl. 

The city was on one of the important communicative 

throughways of the Middle 

Ages, on a crossroads of different cultures 

and religions. In the territory of the Chernobyl 

area, a type of culture formed in ancient 

times which still attracts the views of 

ethnographers. 

A nuclear disaster occurred on April 26, 

1986, in the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl. 

Chernobyl is located northwest of 

the city of Kiev in the Ukraine, which at 

that time was part of the Soviet Union, according 

chernobyl486.tripod.com. 

POSSiBLe CAUSeS 

The Web site also said that the cause of 

the disaster was a malfunction within the 

plant that caused the radioactive core to 

become exposed. This caused a particle 

meltdown that let off large amounts of radioactive 

material. 

Many of the details of the accident are 

still unknown. One theory for the cause of 

the accident was that the operators were 

overconfident in their decision-making. A 

second was that there was a flaw in the design 

of the reactor and a third put blame on 

the safety systems. Further investigation 

showed that all three factors were involved. 

Many people were affected by the disaster 

at Chernobyl. The accident caused 31 

deaths. All but two of the deaths were the 

result of exposure to radiation. The other 

two occurred from the result of thermal 

burns and falling debris. 

Up to 200 people were hospitalized due 

to the radiation exposure. Because of the 

nature of radiation exposure, many of the 

medical effects may not form until many 

years after the accident. 

These medical problems may include 

cancers, birth defects and skin diseases. 

“On the civilian level, as 

I said before, the only real 

problem we have had with 

nuclear power plants was 

Three Mile Island and that 

was an incident that really 

didn’t cause any damage.,” 

he said. “Nuclear power 

plants have proven to be a 

safe source of energy.” 

There is an estimate of 6,500 people that 

may die from cancers caused by the radiation. 

AMeRiCAn niGHTMARe 

Three Mile Island was yet another nuclear 

disaster that affected many people. 

The accident at the Three Mile Island 

Unit 2 (TMI-2) nuclear power plant near 

Middletown, Pa., was the most serious in 

U.S. commercial nuclear power plant operating 

history, even though it led to no 

deaths or injuries to plant workers or members 

of the nearby community. 

It did, however, bring about sweeping 

changes involving emergency response 

planning, reactor operator training, human 

factors engineering, radiation protection 

and many other areas of nuclear power 

plant operations. It also caused the U.S. 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission to tighten 

and heighten its regulatory oversight. 

Resultant changes in the nuclear power 

industry and at the NRC had the effect of 

enhancing nuclear power the world over. 

According to nrc.gov, the American disaster 

began at 4 p.m. on March 28, 1979, 

when the plant experienced a failure in 

the secondary, non-nuclear section of the 

plant. The main feed water pumps stopped 

running, which quite possibly could have 

been caused by either a mechanical or electrical 

failure, preventing the steam generators 

from removing heat. First the turbine, 

then the reactor automatically shut down. 

The Web site goes on to say that immediately 

the pressure in the primary system, 

which was the nuclear portion of the plant, 

began to increase. In order to prevent that 

pressure from becoming excessive, the 

pilot-operated relief valve opened, causing 

the core of the reactor to overheat. 

The accident was found to have been 

caused by a combination of personnel error, 

design deficiencies and component 

failures.

FEATURES 


What’s it like to lead the SEP district? 

Rampage 


Childhood cancers become cause 

EMILY BOMBELA 

advertising manager 

Cancer. 

You hear that word and never think you 

will be that one person who is diagnosed. 

You always hear about the kids in school 

that do and you always feel sorry for the 

parents who have to deal with the loss of a 

child to cancer. 

Freshman Mackenzie West first got interested 

in helping raise money for research 

and informing people when she started following 

the progress of her dad’s co-worker’s 

son who was diagnosed with cancer in 

February 2008. 

She currently follows about 80 kids ranging 

from two months to 18 years old. 

When she follows the kids, she talks to 

them and sometimes helps them out with 

their expenses with the money that she gets 

from fundraisers. 

MedULLOBLASTOMA 

The cancer that she is most interested 

in is medulloblastoma. According to acor. 

org, medulloblastoma is the most common 

deadly central nervous system tumor in 

childhood. This cancer targets the cerebellum, 

which controls balance and other motor 

functions. 

When most children are diagnosed they 

are between the ages of 3 and 8. It is found 

in a part of the brain called the fourth ventricle. 

This is located in the bottom part of 

the brain by the cerebellum. 

Patients are usually diagnosed with medulloblastoma 

about two months after they 

start experiencing symptoms like unsteadiness, 

headaches and vomiting. The diagnosis 

is so quick because this is a fast-growing 

tumor, according to emedicine.medscape.com. 

Treatment for this difficult cancer consists 

of radiations and surgeries. Most of 

the time a surgeon will first try to remove 

the entire tumor, depending on its location. 

If that doesn’t work then the patient will 

start on radiation therapy. Children under 

3 often start with chemotherapy because of 

side effects of other approaches such as retardation 

and learning disabilities. 

Thanks to the technology today, survival 

rates have improved significantly since the 

1930s when fewer than two percent of patients 

made it through, according to umgcc. 

org; it is now close to 60 percent for children 

who are average risk and 30-35 percent 

chance for kids in the high-risk category. 

Though it can be cured, researchers have 

not found a way to prevent the cancer. But 

children who have genetic disorders like 

Gorlin’s and Turcot’s Syndrome are especially 

at risk for developing a brain tumor, 

the Web site said. 

LeUKeMiA 

The most common types of childhood 

cancers are the leukemias, more specifically 

acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) 

and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). 

ALL targets the lymphoid cells within 

the bone marrow and the lymphoid organs 

in the body. Lymphoid cells produce white 

blood cells, which produce antibodies and 

aid the body in immunity. The lymphoid 

organs are the thymus, tonsils and spleen. 

This accounts for about 75 percent of 

childhood leukemias, according to cancer. 

gov. 

Unlike medulloblastoma, ALL is what 

some people refer to as the “liquid” tumor 

because it starts in the marrow of the bone 

and ends up in the bloodstream 

AML, the second most common form 

of pediatric cancer, is very similar to ALL. 

Both cancers start in the bone marrow and 

end in the bloodstream. In this cancer, too 

many white blood cells are produced and 

they don’t mature the way that they should. 

According to leukemia.org, the difference 

between these two cancers is the stage 

at which the pluripotent stem cells have 

developed. Pluripotent cells are known as 

the “true” stem cells because they have the 

potential to become any cell. 

The Web site also said there are many 

different treatment options, depending on 

the child’s age, the disease, the child’s tolerance 

to medications and personal preference. 

TReATMenT 

There are three main stages for treatment, 

mayoclinic.com says: 

stage 1: Chemotherapy and radiation are 

given to help stop the production of white 

blood cells in the bone marrow. In this 

stage, the doctors are hoping that the leukemia 

cells will go into remission (the cells 

are no longer being made). This phase lasts 

about a month. 

stage 2: Treatment continues; even if the 

leukemia cells can’t be seen, they still could 

be present within the body. 

stage 3: The chemotherapy is less intense 

but is for a longer period of time. This 

phase can take anywhere from a couple 

months to several years. 

At any time a patient can relapse, no 

matter how strong the therapy is and start 

making the abnormal white blood cells 

again, the site said. 

West admits that sometimes it gets stressful 

trying to balance school, family, friends 

and keeping up with cancer patients. She 

Lack of sleep inhibits students’ focus 

ASHLEY ARMANTROUT 

Lifestyles Editor 

Waking up in the morning to a pitch-black sky and a blaring 

alarm clock at 6 a.m. takes a lot of willpower. Even after getting 

past the drowsiness of the morning, 

many kids never get the energy need- 

ed to put in their all during the day. 

“Sleep is amazing. If it were a 

class, I would ace it,” senior Hillary 

Howdel said. 

School nurse Jennifer Wing says 

that with the combination of school, 

jobs and activities, most teens do not 

get enough sleep to perform at their 

best during the day. 

Just the habit of getting to sleep 

really late can eventually build into 

a “sleep deficit,” which can affect a 

person’s ability to concentrate and work or study efficiently, according 

to kidshealth.org. If people with sleep deficit don’t find a 

way to fix it, they may end up with depression or other emotional 

issues. 

Senior Brittany Michael says she feels tired most of the time 

during the school day, though she gets around the recommended 

eight to nine hours of sleep a night. Some kids, such as sophomore 

Jake Steenhoek, get as little as five hours of sleep per night. Senior 

Kirsten Koestler says during most of her classes, all she wants to 

do is sleep. 

The reason most bad sleep habits are so hard to break is because 

after a while bodies get into their own sleep cycle. According to 

kidshealth.org, the brain goes through five stages of sleep. The first 

two levels are light sleep, when it’s easiest to be awakened. 

Levels three and four bring deeper sleep, hard to be woken out 

of and the time when the body gets the most rest. Those levels of 

sleep are the ones we crave when we are really tired. 

Lastly, the body goes through the REM (rapid eye movement) 

stage. Sleeping through REM makes muscles tense, breathing rapid 

and the heart beats faster. This last stage is when we dream the 

most vividly. 

7 

A young patient steps in to an exam room for a doctor’s visit at George Washington 

University Hospital in the d.C. area. Olivier douliery/Abaca Press/MCT photo. 

has meetings once a month and then gives 

presentations on the weekends. 

West has two upcoming speeches; one 

in Boone and the other at the Ronald Mc- 

Donald House. And even with all of West’s 

involvement with the cancer patients, she 

still finds free time to go golfing. West likes 

what she does because some of the kids are 

so young they can’t talk and she says, “I am 

their voice.” 

The first speech West did was in July 

2008 in front of her church congregation. 

West even has her parents Mark and Anne 

involved in her efforts. They helped her 

make 2,000 cards and gold ribbons for a 

“Sleep is 

amazing. 

If it were 

a class,I 

would ace 

it.” 

–Hillary Howdle, senior 

fundraiser, since gold is the color of childhood 

cancer. They also help her coordinate 

the fundraisers and speeches she does. 

She has been working with a father from 

North Carolina since January 2008 to try 

to get one million signatures in order to 

get more funding for research. So far they 

have 40,200 signatures and West alone has 

received over 1,000. 

If students want to help kids fighting 

cancer, they can donate to Cure Search. 

Cure Search is a children’s oncology group. 

West recommends Cure Search because 95 

percent of the donations they receive go 

straight to research to try to find a cure. 

“ REM is the period when the body is in the deepest sleep,” Wing 

said. “That’s the time when the true development happens and the 

body heals.” 

The food we eat plays a big part in how well we sleep. Eating 

anything sugary right before bed can make you jittery and unable 

to relax. One of the worst things to eat or drink before bed is 

anything that has caffeine. Sleepeducation.com says that caffeine is 

a type of drug called a stimulant. It basically blocks the hormone 

called adenosine which is what helps the body get to sleep. 

Caffeine works its way into the bloodstream pretty quickly; in 

about 30 minutes to an hour. After it gets into the system, caffeine 

sticks around for a long time though you might not be able to consciously 

feel it. 

For some people, the problem isn’t getting to sleep; it’s what 

happens while sleeping. Nightmares can really take a toll on sleep 

if they keep individuals from sleeping through the night. 

Nightmares are normally caused by stress and major life changes, 

though the nightmares don’t resemble reality. Researchers 

think some medicines, drugs and alcohol cause nightmares. If 

nightmares make you anxious or afraid during the day, talk to a 

doctor or someone you trust. 

A soft, comfy bed is sometimes all sleepy students can daydream 

about, even when in classes requiring a lot of concentration 

and attention. MCT Campus photo.

Rampage 


if you could have any superpower, 

what would it be? 

“i’d want to be invisible, because you can 

spy on people and they wouldn’t know.” 

—erika Presnell, sophomore 

“i’d have fire powers, because Super Mario 

can throw fire balls.” 

—Zach Little, sophomore 

“To fly because it’s fun and you wouldn’t 

have to waste money on gas.” 

—Marci Smith, junior 

“i would like to fly because you could go 

wherever you want, whenever you want.” 

—Ryan Curtis, freshman 

Borseth Law 

Office 

111 2nd street se 

Altoona 

967-9403 

eric@borsethlawoffice.com 

‘Christmas Carol’ brings holiday cheer 

MARGARITA DIAZ 

Managing Editor 

The beloved story 

of Charles Dickens’ “A 

Christmas Carol” came to 

life for those sitting in the 

new seats Nov. 6 and 7, 

as the cast christened the 

auditorium’s stage. 

The play began with 

senior Evan Hay’s speech 

introducing the death 

of Marley, Ebenezer 

Scrooge’s business partner. 

Throughout the play Hay’s 

top-notch performance 

was entertaining, heartwarming 

and brilliant. 

However, Hay was not 

the only one to give a stellar 

performance. The cast 

performed Dickens’ classic 

very well, making it an 

extremely enjoyable experience. 

Emotions ran wild 

from the joyful singing of 

“Noel” to the hilarious 

dance of The Ghost of 

Christmas Present played 

by freshman Tirra Birchmier 

and the sweet voice of 

Tiny Tim played by sophomore 

Mike Buchanan. 

The new auditorium offered 

many special features 

from which the cast, crew 

and director Malaura Martens 

Werling could benefit. 

They used music at the 

420 8th street se 

Altoona 

967-7283 

beginning of the play to 

set the mood of the piece. 

They also used music from 

time to time throughout 

the play to heighten the effect 

of what was going on 

onstage. 

The tech crew also was 

able to use a fog machine 

to provide mist for the 

eerie scene between The 

Ghost of Christmas Yet 

to Come played by junior 

Emily Hart and the protagonist 

of the entire play, Ebenezer 

Scrooge played by 

sophomore Josh Hughes. 

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Senior Will doughty, junior Calista Hagan and junior Jessica Woodward begin “A 

Christmas Carol” with music to the song “Little Boy Lost in the Snow,” as their 

fellow cast members enter across the auditorium stage. Claudia diaz photo. 

The theatrical sets were 

very nice and the crew was 

able to use the new wiring 

system in the auditorium 

to hang a window for 

Scrooge’s bedroom. The 

sets were also utilized 

in creating the feel of 

the play. At the beginning 

when Marley’s ghost 

(played by junior Drew 

Schultz) peeked out of a 

hole in the door, it made 

the audience gasp. 

The costumes were 

period pieces that helped 

in recreating the setting. 

The only dull part of the 

play was when the Ghost 

of Christmas Past played 

by junior Rose Kirby had 

to wait for the sets to 

change before showing 

Scrooge himself as a little 

boy. 

All in all, the play was a 

hit. The entire cast, crew 

and directors did an extraordinary 

job in bringing 

this classic to the people of 

the community. I laughed; 

I cried; it truly moved me. 

Thank you to everyone in 

this production. 

Black Friday shoppers go green 

EMILY HART 

A&E Editor 

Black Friday is usually a 

joyous or a downcast day 

for shoppers; 

people bustling 

about, 

men fighting 

over Barbies, 

degrading 

one’s fellow 

man in the pursuit of 

sweaters, literally dying 

under the automatic doors 

at Walmart. Aah, the true 

American experience at its 

finest. Funny for all but the 

one in the scenario. But 

can it be avoided? 

Maybe with a greener 

Black Friday shopping trip 

these horrific moments 

that may later haunt from 

YouTube can be avoided 

simply. 

My top five tips for the 

best possible Black Friday 

include these: 

Take a lunch out shopping 

or leave it in a cooler 

in the car. It doesn’t really 

take a brain surgeon to 

know that the Food Court 

is going to be packed 

solid and it’s extremely 

unhealthy and full of fatty 

foods. 

Take some bottled water 

along with whole wheat 

bread, fresh-cut vegetables, 

and leftover turkey to 

make a healthy sandwich 

that will give out more 

energy than that greasy 

cheese enchilada and its 

12-minute line will. 

Bring warm clothing and 

if possible, a helmet, kneepads 

and elbow-pads. I’m 

not kidding. When I say 

those lines are long, I mean 

those lines will be long and 

they will be outside in the 

cold weather. At midnight. 

And you will be standing 

there for a very long time. 

And then, when the 

doors open, um, there 

will be people, especially 

slow people, who will be 

trampled into the ground 

mercilessly. And this goes 

for all the employees, too. 

Shop online. I cannot 

stress how much simpler it 

is to shop online, because 

the online sites have so 

many more coupons and 

discounts for online shoppers. 

This is able to save 

gas and reduce electricity 

and stress, especially if 

the shopper decides to use 

blackle.com, which uses less 

energy than most other 

search engines. 

If shopping out is necessary, 

then make sure that 

some time is set aside at 

some point to get a little 

walking in. Exercise not 

only burns off that mocha 

latte, but it releases endor- 

phins which will make the 

shopper feel less tired and 

happier. Not to mention, 

window shopping can give 

anyone extra fuel for gift 

ideas. 

The best tip that I can 

give is just smiling, being 

kind and courteous to 

everyone around you. The 

employees that are working 

there probably have longer 

hours than usual and kindness 

shown toward them as 

well as other shoppers can 

start a nicer chain reaction 

of respect and kindness, 

which makes for less stress 

for everyone. 

A greener Black Friday 

won’t stop the shoving 

in Jordan Creek or 

the headaches from the 

monotonous Christmas 

soundtracks, but it may just 

give out a little peace of 

mind in the midst of the 

hustle and bustle. 

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& Entertainment 

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Rampage 


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FEATURES 

Junior shelves speedskating achievements 

BLAIR BROWN 

Events Editor 

Some things in life 

cause people to put certain 

dreams on the shelf, never 

to be touched again. 

For junior Britney Steele, 

that dream set aside was 

speed rollerskating. 

The 

petite, blonde 

16 -year-old 

put her heart 

and soul into 

the sport 

from the age 

of eight to 13. 

She earned 

titles like nationalchampion 

and 

r u n n e r - u p 

for indoor nationals. But it 

all came to a halt when it 

came time to grow up. 

“If I wanted to live a normal 

life, I had to give it up,” 

Steele said. “I would have 

been home-schooled with a 

tutor. It wasn’t something I 

could do.” 

She speaks the truth. 

Few people know about 

the complex details of this 

sport. One boot alone costs 

$1000. But there’s also the 

super-tight spandex suit required 

and a racing helmet, 

too. 

Then there are the skates, 

ALEX PAYNE 


With a new school history 

at its beginning, it is a 

good time to uncover some 

recollections as to how the 

“old school” was formed. 

Talk of a merger of the 

small school districts in 

the southeast part of Polk 

County started in the early 

1950s. 

The actual move to a 

multi-town district took 

law suits, two Iowa Supreme 

Court decisions and 

years of debate. 

Eleven school districts 

were involved in the merger 

that formed the Southeast 

Polk Community School 

District on July 20, 1961. 

The district covered 110 

square miles. 

Many argued that the 

junior-senior high school 

facility should be built in 

Altoona because it offered 

“We would 

end drills 

in tears. It 

was that 

intense.” 

–Britney Steele, junior 

which include the boot, 

plate, frame and bearings. 

If that’s not enough, skaters 

have to change the wheels 

every race, which really 

adds up. 

Travelling is also a big 

part of speed skating. 

Steele traveled 

from 

Las Vegas 

to New York 

and from 

Florida to 

Texas. Then 

it was on to 

M i c h i g a n , 

which led to 

Colorado. 

A n d , 

while that 

r o u t i n e 

would leave some weary, 

Steele claimed to have enjoyed 

every mile of travelling. 

She even got to train 

and compete at the Olympic 

Training Center in Colorado 

Springs. 

As her skating continued 

to improve, Steele eventually 

found herself being the 

only girl from Iowa on an 

elite team. 

“Kansas and Arkansas 

came together to form 

Team United,” Steele said. 

“That’s the team I was on.” 

Steele may have made it 

to the top, but when she 

earned a spot on the Junior 

World Team—the best 

team she could make at her 

age—she had to make the 

decision to end her career. 

“I miss the people I used 

to skate with,” Steele said. 

“I miss the intense practices. 

We would end drills in 

tears. It was that intense. 

“I miss the feeling of 

crossing the finish line, 

it was so rewarding,” she 

said. “Basically, I miss everything 

about speed skating.” 

Steele has proof of how 

much the sport meant to 

her and how accomplished 

her efforts were. She has a 

special room in her home 

dedicated to her speed skating 

achievements. 

“She was a stud according 

to her wall of trophies,” 

junior Jessica McNeece 

said. 

With the years Steele put 

into the sport, she’s gotten 

a lot more out of it. It has 

improved her all-around 

ability as an athlete, both 

physically and mentally. 

And, her involvement 

has also taught her that she 

should always try her best 

at everything she does, because 

at any moment it can 

be taken away for good by 

choice or by chance. 

Old school shapes history 

the district municipal water 

and sewage. In the end, 

Altoona was not chosen because 

of the controversy it 

caused. 

It was understood during 

the struggle to form 

the school district that the 

school would be built at the 

most geographical center of 

the district. 

A vote on August 2, 

1962, indicated that 83 percent 

of voters were willing 

to pass the first bond to 

build the school. Later, six 

more bonds were issued 

over the next 10 years. 

A 72-acre site on Highway 

163 was chosen for the 

junior-senior high school. 

The building was constructed 

to accommodate 

1,200 students at a cost of 

$1.9 million. 

The district office was 

in Altoona before a large 

building went up for rent in 

Ivy, just east of the current 

high school. 

That building was formerly 

a car sales lot that 

also had a service bay 

which made it ideal for 

both the office and for bus 

maintenance. 

Schools started classes in 

September of 1962. It was 

officially Southeast Polk. 

The junior-senior high 

building was not finished 

until the second semester 

of the 1964-1965 school 

year. 

Chris Turner, 60, graduated 

from Southeast Polk in 

1967. 

“It was very large and air 

conditioned,” said Turner. 

“It was like night and day 

compared to the old school 

that I had been attending.” 

Turner said he vaguely 

remembers teachers like 

Rich Bengfort and Miss 

Zimmerman. 

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Junior Britney Steele proudly stands next to her speed skating uniform and display 

of awards in her trophy room. Blair Brown photo. 

November brings scruffy faces 

KELLY PETERSON 


“No-shave November” 

is a fad practiced all over 

North America and in 

some other countries and 

it’s a sign of masculinity not 

to shave the entire month. 

Men mostly participate 

in this event, but on occasion 

women do, too. 

Being clean-shaven before 

November is necessary. 

Throughout the 

month, participants don’t 

shave any hair off their 

bodies or faces but, instead, 

grow more bestial, brutish 

and manly. This is what the 

tradition is all about. 

The origin of this tradition 

is unknown. Shaving is 

prohibited throughout the 

month, giving the hirsute 

more time in their morning 

routines. 

The average man spends 

140 days of his life shaving, 

according to no-shavenovember.com. 

There are variations to 

this tradition; some allow 

some trimming of upper lip 

and neck hair to reduce irritation. 

The traditions hold for 

women in some cultures, 

but this is far less common. 

It is more rare to find 

women participating in this 

activity. 

There are also other 

months where lack of 

shaving may occur. According 

to urbandictionary. 

com, there is “Don’t Shave 

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9 

December,” “Just Don’t 

Shave January” and “Forget 

to Shave February.” 

There is also “Masculine 

March,” “Atrocious April” 

and “Manly May.” All these 

hairy months are rare and a 

lot less well-known. 

Sophomore Scottie Mauk 

decided to try it out and 

not shave during November 

this year. He has had a 

beard for a long time. 

“I decided to try it out, 

but it looked dumb,” Mauk 

said. Now he is regrowing 

his beard. 

No Shave November 

isn’t for everyone. It can be 

hard to accomplish because 

sometimes a clean look is 

necessary for jobs and other 

events. 

Juniors Tanner norman, Jake Flynn and Sam Carmoney show off their manly 

facial hair as a part of no shave november. Megan Quick photo.

Rampage 


Teacher Academy: ‘newbies’ explore field 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

Seniors ready themselves 

for life on ‘the 

other side of the desk’ 

MARGARITA DIAZ 

Managing Editor 

Chelsea has wanted to be 

a teacher since she was five 

years old when she used to 

play “school” with her dolls. 

Josh decided he wanted 

to be an educator when his 

fifth grade teacher made science 

fun. 

And, now that college is 

fast approaching, Sarah has 

no idea what she wants to 

be, but she has always liked 

being in classrooms and experiencing 

what different 

teacher have to offer. 

The Teacher Academy is 

a career exploration course 

taught here by Carole Henning. 

Students earn both 

high school and college 

credits through Des Moines 

Area Community College 

DMACC). 

The two-period, twosemester 

academy experience 

is a way seniors can dip 

their feet into the waters of 

teaching and see, according 

to Henning, if they “wake 

up and decide to be a teacher 

or, conversely, find out 

that the field just isn’t for 

them.” 

Henning, who holds an 

M.Ed. in educational psychology, 

teaches journalism 

most of the day, but 

“switches hats” periods 7 

and 8 each day to lead the 

college course and supervise 

her students’ field experiences. 

“It is a sweet class,” Bryan 

Hummel says. “I like that 

we meet only three days a 

week.” 

This year, the Teacher 

Academy has nineteen students 

enrolled but enrollment 

in previous years has 

fluctuated to as high as 44. 

THe LeCTUReS 

The first semester of the 

Academy, EDU213, functions 

as a foundation for the 

students. 

According to the 

EDU213: Introduction to 

Education course syllabus 

from DMACC, the course 

“offers a broad overview 

of the field of education including 

foundations of the 

American education system, 

roles of teachers and stu- 

dents, history and philosophy 

and curriculum.” 

Students first learn about 

teaching as a profession, 

covering things such as accreditation 

and licensure, 

searching for a teaching 

position and salaries, according 

to “Foundations 

of American Education: 

Perspectives on Education 

in a Changing World,” the 

textbook Teacher Academy 

uses. 

diVeRSiTY 

They also learn about 

diversity in society and how 

culture, socioeconomic status, 

race, language, gender, 

sexual orientation, religion 

and disabilities affect teaching 

and learning. 

Henning says that giving 

her students simple examples 

will help them function 

better in their future classrooms. 

For instance, she 

shares with the class that in 

traditional Asian homes it is 

common for children to be 

taught that looking up into 

the eyes of an adult can be a 

sign of disrespect. 

In America, however, 

most adults expect that a 

child will look at him or her 

while being spoken to. Such 

cultural differences can become 

conflicts in the classroom, 

if the teacher is not 

made aware of these 

Students also learn about 

the history of teaching 

which can be “truly boring 

but truly interesting when 

you learn about where we 

come from,” Henning says. 

Students search all the way 

back to ancient Hindu, Hebrew 

and Greek education. 


laws and governance. 

Teachers need to know 

about these concepts or 

they can be vulnerable to 

lawsuits, according to Henning. 

Very importantly, Henning 

says, students also 

learn about the philosophy 

of education. They have to 

write about their personal 

teaching philosophy during 

the semester. 

According to the syllabus 

students will “explore 

(their) own ideas about edu- 

Seniors in the Teacher Academy (dMACC edU213) 

recently had their first real opportunity to “teach” 

material to their peers. 1. Angelica ippolito asks 

questions of the class. 2. Brian Hummel reads an excerpt 

from the appointed text, “My First Year As a 

Teacher.” 3. Staisha Wilson gets the full attention of 

her students. 4. Sydney Mark clarifies a point. Their 

“professor,” Carole Henning, says the simple task of 

assigning a chapter to be taught is “a way for me 

to account for deeper reading and understanding of 

the text. it also makes them less nervous to get up, 

teach and discuss in front of a class,” a task that will 

be repeated many times in the Academy experience. 

Carole Henning photos. 

cation in light of the dominant 

educational philosophies 

and theories.” 


curricula and lesson planning, 

which is very important 

for second semester. 

At the end of first semester, 

students should 

have reached a “clearer career 

decision about teaching 

and personal aspirations in 

the (education) field,” according 

to the DMACC syllabus. 

THe CLASS 

Henning says that out of 

all her other classes, Composition 

for Publications, 

Yearbook and Rampage, 

Teacher Academy is “truly a 

challenge.” 

“I need to fight my urge 

to treat them as high school 

kids but rather look at them 

as college students,” says 

Henning. 

Her goal is to get them 

to work with the thoughtfulness 

of a college student. 

She adds, however, that 

some days “they are like 

puppies in a box.” 

In both semesters, students 

are expected to read 

and understand chapters 

assigned in the book. 

Hummel advises students 

thinking about enrolling in 

Teacher Academy to “be 

prepared to read—it’s a lot 

of college reading.” 

After students are given 

a reading assignment, Henning 

says she lectures on key 

points or things she believes 

are interesting. “They have 

to take notes. Everything I 

say could be on a test.” 

The course also features 

many activities and exercises 

which serve as modeling 

for the way the future teachers 

might want to run their 

classrooms. 

Henning has also recruited 

several speakers 

who help students better 

understand how to get into 

college and how to become 

a professional educator 

since “if you don’t ever get 

into a college, you definitely 

can’t become a teacher.” 

RULeS 

Because Teacher Academy 

is not just an ordinary 

high school or even dualenrollment 

class, there are 

different rules and expectations 

students are asked to 

follow. Rules even extend 

to appearance. “No jeans. 

Ever,” the syllabus says. 

Students are asked to dress 

professionally. 

They must maintain professional 

conduct such as 

calling teachers, staff and 

principals by their “titles 

and last name unless otherwise 

invited to do so.” Always 

being on time, writing 

thank you notes and turning 

off all electronics such as 

cell phones and iPods are 

other rules. 

Above all, the syllabus 

states, students are to “use 

(their) best judgment. All 

behavior should represent 

the Southeast Polk Teacher 

Academy and DMACC in a 

positive manner.” 

inTeRnSHiP 

During second semester, 

students delve even further 

into career exploration. 

“(It) highlights the realities 

of the teaching profession 

through hands-on work in 

the schools,” according to 

the syllabus. 

Throughout the winter 

and spring, students will 

teach one completely solo 

lesson in two different locations, 

one in pre-kindergarten 

to third grade setting 

and another in an upper elementary 

or middle school 

setting. However, according 

to Henning, “they find 

themselves teaching along 

with the teacher throughout 

the semester.” 

But students don’t have 

to wait for second semester. 

Hummel got the opportunity 

to create and teach an African 

drumming unit at his 

observation site this fall. He 

is with Beth Uhlenhopp in 

general music at Four Mile. 

“Observing is my favorite. 

I get to have my say,” 

Hummel says. 

Each student must log 

40 hours in classrooms first 

semester and 90 hours second 

semester. To observe, 

students must have a host 

who has at least three years 

of successful teaching experience. 

“We do a bit of matching 

among students and teachers 

like preferred grades and 

subjects, but assignments 

are mostly random,” Henning 

says. 

inTeReSTed? 

Juniors who would like 

to become part of the 

Academy for next year must 

file an application and get 

recommendations from two 

different teachers. 

Henning strongly suggests 

that students have successfully 

completed Composition 

I and even Comp 

II because there is a lot of 

writing that goes on in the 

two courses. She also highly 

recommends having taken 

General or AP Psychology. 

“You must be a strong 

student,” Henning says, 

“excited about school and 

good with kids of all ages.” 

Over the years, Henning 

says some students really 

get more excited about becoming 

teachers through 

the coursework and some 

definitely decide against the 

profession. 

“One of the most important 

parts of the class is 

that kids are able to get a bit 

more clarity about whether 

this would be good as their 

life’s work,” she says.

Rampage 


^ name: Kristi Petersen 

Age: 24 

Hometown: Independence, IA 

College: UNI 

Favorite class: Art Education, emphasis in painting. 

Why: It’s relaxing 

Activities and hobbies: Camping. I’m very outdoorsy. 

Favorit Artist: Chagall 

Model work after: My dad’s a teacher, so I used to help 

teach an after school program while I was in high school 

with him. 

Hardest thing: I came in halfway through the year’s start 

so it was hard to learn how things work. 

easiest thing: Just enjoying teaching 

Greatest accomplishment in life: In December I will 

graduate from college 

Greatness as a teacher: Someone who strikes a good 

balance between letting students know you care and be in 

control of the classroom. 

FEATURES 

Student teachers learn the trade 

Working the ‘daily grind’ helps pre-professionals put icing on their career cake 

allison Cronk photo 

^ name: Brook Baxter 

Maiden name: Dinsmore 

Age: 43 

Family: Husband Ted, son Brandon (9 th grade), daughter 

Ashley (6 th grade) 

Hometown: Ottumwa, IA 

College: UNI and Simpson College 

Favorite class: Accounting 

Why: I’ve done a lot of it and enjoy numbers 

Activities and hobbies: Scrapbooking and spending time 

with family 

Models work after: My accounting teacher. She just gave 

me a lot of encouragement and had a lot of faith in me. 

Became a teacher because: I enjoy students and helping 

people. I want to help students to become the best people 

possible. 

Advice to kids: do what you have a passion for 

^ name: Angela Shoup 

Maiden name: Coloni 

Age: 33 

Family: Husband Aaron and three kids—Kyle (14), 

Trevor (5), Chelsea (3) 

Hometown: Johnston City, IL 

College: SIU and Drake University 

Favorite classes: Creative Writing 

Why: We get to have fun and use our imaginations 

Favorite book: “East of Eden” 

Model work after: My 5 th grade teacher, the nicest teacher 

I have ever had 

Hardest thing: Trying to get kids to write who don’t 

enjoy writing 

easiest thing: Being around teens; they are fun 

Greatest accomplish in life: Knowing that I can stand 

up and teach and help a student 

Greatness as a teacher: Someone who goes the extra 

mile and cares 

name: Jesse Dinsdale > 

Age: 28 

Family: Wife Monica 

Hometown: Blairsburg, IA 

College: UNI 

Favorite class: Construction 

Why: I like to work with my hands; that’s what I do well 

and know 

Activities and hobbies: Hunting, fishing, state representative 

of Ducks Unlimited 

Models work after: Grandpa, because he’s the one that 

taught me the most of what I know about construction 

and my father because he’s a teacher 

Greatest accomplishment in life: surviving five years in 

the Army, almost got a college degree and being married 

for three years 

Greatness as a teacher: being able to get through to all 

the students, building relationships, while teaching 


< name: Kristina Samuelson 

Maiden name: Hall 

Family: Husband of seven years David, no kids 

Hometown: Indianola, IA 

College: Simpson College 

Favorite class: World Cultures. 

Why: I really enjoy different cultures and to travel 

Activities and hobbies: Reading, hanging out 

Favorite book: “Pride and Prejudice,” “Grave Sight” 

Model work after: Mr. Bartels and Mr. Knipp. Inspired 

by high school history teacher Mr. Harms 

Hardest thing: Waking up at 5 a.m. to get here. 

easiest thing: The staff and students 

Greatest accomplishment in life: Getting a BA 

and having traveled to four continents in life—North 

America, South America, Africa and Europe 

Greatness as a teacher: someone who can reach all 

their students and for the students to take what they 

teach them and use it for the rest of their lives. 

11 

V name: Nicolle Smith 

Maiden name: Weber 

Age: 34 

Family: Husband Tom and 16-month-old son, Cutter 

Hometown: Center Point, IA 

College: Coe College and Drake University 

Favorite classes: social studies and psychology 

Why: The mind and how people think are intriguing to me 

Activities and Hobbies: Travel 

Favorite food: Italian, prime rib, shrimp 

Model work after: Vysotsky, a theorist who believes in 

discovery learning 

Hardest thing: Teaching math 

easiest thing: Government is the most enjoyable 

Greatest accomplishment in life: Developing positive 

working relationship with kids and making lesson plans 

fun for students. 

Greatness as a teacher: when a teacher can see success 

allison Cronk photo allison Cronk photo 


Margarita Diaz photo 

Look for more student teacher profiles next month!

Rampage 


Old-school hobbies spark seasonal fun 

ALEX JONES 

Opinion Editor 

As the colder months 

near and outside pastimes 

start to disappear until 

spring, the big question is, 

what happens until then? 

For most kids, this is the 

time to sit in front of the 

TV and veg out until the 

snow goes away and parents 

aren’t so irritable about 

their kids driving in a raging 

blizzard. 

Thinking of things to do 

while cooped up inside is 

exhausting in itself; that’s 

the reason why a lot of 

teens end up in front of the 

TV. 

Here are some ideas to 

get started with in your 

effort to end those boring 

days over break when 

friends are out of town and 

hanging out with family is 

the last thing on the mind. 

CARPeT BALL 

Most people have no idea 

or have even heard about 

carpet ball. 

It’s a game with two 

people, both of them at the 

end of a 12 foot table that’s 

2 feet wide. The instructions 

to build the table can 

be found on the Internet at 

carpetball.net. 

The game is played with 

cue balls from a pool table 

and the goal is to knock the 

opponent’s balls into the 

pit on the other side of the 

table. 

PAinT BALL 

Sounds like a weird thing 

to do in the winter, but in 

some cases the snow makes 

paintball more fun. 

Instead of having preplaced 

barricades, sometimes 

different fields allow 

you to make snow forts instead 

of ducking behind old 

playhouses. 

Action Jacks Paintball 

Field in Des Moines is one 

of many places in the area 

that is open during the 

winter; however, they only 

allow outdoor paintball in 

certain situations. 

967-7600 

SLinG SHOT 

An old family tradition 

for some families, the goal 

is to try to make a design in 

the snow. By standing on 

the back deck of a decentsized 

yard, use paint balls 

or water balloons filled 

with Windex and fire them 

off until the intended image 

is recognizable in the snow. 

This game is also more 

enjoyable when played in 

groups and in competition. 

WALKinG TRiPPY 

This game takes some 

explaining; it can be played 

in any room that is carpeted 

with two players at a time. 

Each stands at either 

end of the room and then 

they start walking toward 

one another. They must 

walk so that they won’t 

bump into each other but 

they should pass as close 

as possible. At this passing 

point both players must try 

to trip their opponent up. 

For more information visit 

strange-games.blogspot.com. 

It’s also interesting to see 

what games just pop into 

mind when sitting bored 

staring out the window on 

an eventless day. 

Though sitting with family 

is not the prime idea 

thing to do for a teenager 

to do while in confined 

quarters, sometimes spending 

time with family is the 

best thing for healthy relationships 

in over-extended 

families. 

“I like to watch Santa 

movies and drink hot cocoa 

and I love decorating 

the Christmas tree,” junior 

Hope Banker said. Such 

simple events can almost 

be better than the greetingcard 

images of family time. 

Quality time with friends 

is far better than wasted 

time rotting in front of 

the TV watching strangers 

marry each other for 

money and eating steamed 

animal testicles to win a 

competition. 

“When I am sitting at 

eautifying 

Altoona 

since 1999 

100-8th Street SE 

Altoona, Ia 50009 

home with my family, we 

like to rent movies,” junior 

Hillary Ayers says. “We 

also like to hang out and 

party.” Sometimes that’s 

all it takes to get rid of the 

“housecat blues.” 

When it seems like there 

is nothing to do, the most 

common activity among 

kids today is to watch a 

movie. 

Junior Allie Metheny 

said, “I like to watch movie 

with some popcorn.” 

Though still sitting in 

front of a TV or movie 

screen, doing this with 

friends of family still 

makes for some human interaction, 

better than just 

texting and talking to the 

people inside one’s head. 

Sometimes the more 

classic hobbies make a cold 

winter night better than 

usual; junior Hanna Bedford 

says she likes to play 

board games when she’s at 

home with nothing to do 

with the family. 

A deck of simple playing 

cards can give rise to hours 

of fun and competition 

among friends and family 

members. 

In addition to the popular 

Texas Hold’em, people 

of all ages can enjoy games 

like Old Maid, Go Fish, 

Gin Rummy and others. 

Instructions for such 

classic card games can be 

found at liveandlearn.com. 

Another lost art, time 

spent alone, can be cultivated 

during the dark days 

in the snowy months. The 

winter time opens the door 

for stuff that normally isn’t 

as fun in the summer time, 

like napping or reading 

books and magazines. 

Junior Max Smith said 

she likes to stay inside under 

a heavy blanket by herself 

or watch movies when 

the cold months set in. 

ALICEN PAFFORD 


The new library boasts features unheard 

of in the old building. 

Librarian Carol VanHook says 12 different 

aspects make the library highly inviting. 

These include the instructional zone, 

reference area, computer labs, fiction and 

non-fiction areas, a recording studio, quiet 

zone, café, positive game area, professional 

library, the friendly staff and, of course, the 

students. 

The reference area mixes old and new 

materials including books and computers. 

There are two computer labs plus the 

Freshmen nate Cameron and Jake Mcneece get in 

some time playing the game “Walking Trippy.” Allison 

Cronk photo. 

Construction holds promise for Adventureland 

ALEX PAYNE 


Since August of 1974 when Adventureland opened its 

gates, the amusement park has offered hours of family fun. 

In 2007, Adventureland announced the addition of Adventure 

Island. Adventure Island was to start out with a 

small water play area called Kokomo Kove. 

“We tested the water with Kokomo Kove,” said John 

Krantz, Adventureland’s president. “It is time for us to expand.” 

In late September, contractors started tearing down 

trees and completing ground work for further expansion. 

The project will include Iowa’s longest Lazy River, 

a 6,000 square foot pool, a six-lane race slide, plummet 

slides and funnel-like slides, just to name a few of the 

many things to come. 

There will be a total of 13 water slides added for 2010. 

The expansion is expected to open in early July. 

Kokomo Kove was built by Whitewater West. It was not 

the first time Adventureland worked with Whitewater. In 

2002, Adventureland opened with a new water ride, Saw 

Mill Splash, built by Whitewater. 

When Adventureland looked into the 2010 expansion, 

TABBY JOHANNSEN 


Book Club members 

have been taking their act 

on the road as well as completing 

activities within the 

school in the early months 

of the year. 

On their agenda are hosting 

a book fair at Barnes 

and Noble to read to families 

and make book marks 

with younger kids. They 

raise money to purchase 

books for the Season of 

Sharing and Central Place. 

They also raise about 

$500 for scholarships. 

They go out to elementary 

schools in the district to 

read to younger kids for 

Read Across America. 

Some members were 

guides for the new school 

dedication and they also 

run the concession stand 

during some athletic events. 

Some of the members were 

even here to meet and greet 

people during orientation. 

they turned to Whitewater again, but also looked into 

ProSlide Technology, Inc. 

Adventure Island will remain included in Adventureland 

admission fee. 

“Two parks for the price of one,” Krantz says. Adventureland 

admission is expected to remain the same as last 

year: children and seniors $27 and ages 10 and older $31. A 

season pass can be purchased for $85 until Dec. 31, offering 

a chance for a great holiday gift, Krantz said. 

The circus will be coming back in 2010, the attraction’s 

14th year at Adventureland. 

“We expect a much bigger show,” Krantz said.. 

Changes are expected in the game department as well. 

Visitors will have the chance to try their hand at a new 

balloon game. The attraction will be added to the Dragon 

Island games. 

The old carnival game will make its debut at Adventureland 

in 2010. Skater ball game will be moving to the location 

of Clown Roll Down. Officials say Clown Roll Down 

will not be coming back for 2010. 

“I’m excited; hopefully, it’ll be cool,” games supervisor 

Jade Masolini said. 

Book Club members active in serving community 

Librarian Carol Van- 

Hook is sponsor of the 

group. She says she is very 

happy with the turnout of 

around 80 members. The 

club primarily focuses on 

literacy, reading and connecting, 

but it’s not all 

about reading. 

“I’ve always said it’s 

about food, fun and fellowship,” 

VanHook says. 

To kick off the year they 

had a pizza karaoke party. 

To celebrate the holidays 

they’re throwing a ‘50s 

party at Sugar Shack. They 

also participated in the 

International Education 

Week event for the foreign 

exchange students. 

They regularly take field 

trips to area bookstores, 

but not just anyone can go. 

Participants must earn the 

right to go by doing community 

service projects. 

The club meets in the library, 

in local coffee shops 

or at Sugar Shack, rarely in 

the same place. 

They meet to discuss literacy, 

books they want to 

read, books they are reading 

and they help pick out 

books for the library. 

Library is showpiece of new facility 

computers in the reference area. The fiction 

area has many new books as does the 

non-fiction area. New books include “City 

of Bones” by Cassandra Clare, “Deadline” 

by Chris Crutcher and “Fade to Black” by 

Alex Flinn VanHook says. 

The quiet zone is where students can do 

puzzles, read magazines or the paper, look 

out the windows all in comfy chairs. 

The positive game area has chess and 

also has a tiled floor so food and drink are 

allowed. The professional library area has 

the history and archives and professional 

books. Areas that are new to the library are 

the café and the recording studio.

Rampage 


Making lives easier, 

healthier and happier 

WIN FREE GAS! 

Stop by the Pleasant Hill Hy-Vee Gas Station 

and register to win a $25 gift card 

4815 Maple Drive 

pleasant Hill 

262-7944 

FEATURES 

effective holiday shopping requires skill, saving 

FAITH GACHII 

News Editor 

With Black Friday coming up and the 

holiday months on their way, people are 

starting to think about gifts and what to get 

their friends and family. With the economy 

in such an unstable state, it’s even harder to 

shop for gifts 

when you have 

a low budget. 

To help save 

money this 

holiday season, 

start saving 

money early, 

make homemade 

gifts 

and attend 

many sales. 

Take a chance 

and brave the 

crowds this 

Black Friday, 

because you 

can actually 

save lots of 

money on post-Thanksgiving sales. 

It is wise to prepare in advance for Black 

Friday. Starting to save in advance helps 

to have more money when gift shopping; 

even if it’s only a little amount from each 

paycheck, it will begin to add up. 

Know ahead of time what stores to go to 

and the items to buy. Make a list of all the 

gifts to buy for everyone on your list. Also, 

make a realistic budget that you can afford. 

At ftc.com, setting a budget for the day is 

suggested, so you don’t go over it under any 

circumstances. 

Leave credit cards at home and carry 

cash. Fight temptation and don’t buy things 

Chris Brennick 

521 e. 14th St. 

Des Moines 

559-8188 

chris@rockstarsatellite.com 

on impulse. Use good judgment and common 

sense. 

If not certain about a purchase, don’t 

buy it. That eliminates regret and provides 

the opportunity to find something better. 

Check around at different stores and be 

aware of sales and clearance items. 

While shopping 

in busy 

malls and 

stores, be 

aware of the 

setting. Don’t 

let strangers 

watch your 

things, even 

if it’s just for 

a minute. Big 

sales attract 

crazy people. 

Some people 

get so competi- 

tive with shopping 

that they 

are willing to 

do anything, 

including steal, just to get a certain item. 

When checking out at stores, watch the 

scanner on the register. During shopping 

season, stores have new sales and deals every 

day. Sometimes the computer won’t adjust 

correctly to the sale changes the store 

has made and they can charge the item 

for the full price. If this is the case, speak 

up. 

Moolanomy.com says to not open store 

credit cards during the holiday season. 

They might to help save money at first, but 

over time the costs begin to add up, especially 

if the interest is high. 

Experts at ftc.com recommend shopping 

Fancy gifts are a staple of the holiday season. 

Ashley Armantrout photo. 

CAITLIN DOZARK 

Circulation Editor 

After eating turkey and pumpkin pie all day Thursday, 

most people wash it all down Friday with a whole day of 

pushing and shoving while trying to get the best deals on 

electronics, clothes and accessories, mostly for Christmas 

gifts. 

Black Friday, according to blackfridayandcybermonday. 

com, is historically one of the busiest retail shopping days 

of the year, because it is considered to be the official start 

of the holiday season. 

With the flagging economy, most stores have been planning 

sales strategies all year and will have major deals. 

Most of those deals will be on a first-come, first-served 

basis because supplies will be limited quantities, according 

to walletpop.com. The best sales will be on TVs and electronics. 

Although Jordan Creek mall will be open at 12:01 a.m. 

Friday, stores such as J.C. Penney open as early as 4 a.m. 

“We have doorbusters from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then 

starting from 3 p.m. to close, customers can come in with 

coupons,” Sonya Schultz, assistant store manager for the 

J.C. Penney at Valley West Mall, said. J.C. Penney is one of 

the stores that will still have inventory being sold online 

for the same price as it’s being sold in the store. 

“The best way to get items you need is to be in line and 

ready to shop at 4 a.m. because if you wait until noon then 

around first. The low prices you find may 

be lower somewhere else. 

Another suggestion is to look for pricematching 

policies. Some stores have policies 

that state they will match a competitor’s 

low prices. A lot of people don’t know 

about these policies, so they don’t even ask. 

Shopping online can sometimes help 

save money. Many times stores have better 

deals available online. If you are gift 

shopping online, make sure you stay aware 

of shipping and handling prices. Shipping 

and handling can make it more expensive 

online, but for some stores if you spend 

over a certain amount, shipping and handling 

is free. 

Take advantage of stores that have a layaway 

option. If you don’t have the money 

right away, start to save and when you have 

the money go back to the store and make 

the purchase. Since the item is probably not 

needed right away anyway, this is a great 

use of your money...and storage space. 

Keep your receipts and always ask for 

gift receipts, as ftc.com suggests. Whether 

or not a gift can be returned is an important 

quality. Make sure to return gifts 

quickly if they don’t work as advertised. 

Minimizing holiday gift lists can help 

make shopping more managable. Only get 

gifts for close family and friends. For all 

the rest, get them a card or make a gift. 

A Secret Santa or drawing names can be 

a way to save money on gifts. Instead of 

buying everyone a gift, it limits the list to 

one person. Usually there is a price limit 

set on gift exchanges that is very affordable 

and reasonable. 

Also remember: gifts aren’t everything. 

A good deed or an action could be worth 

even more then a present. Do favors and 

more than likely we’ll be out of what you need by noon,” 

Schultz said. 

To ensure safety and great customer service, the store is 

doing an event they refer to as “all hands on deck” where 

all employees have to work that day, dressed in a fun holiday 

dress code; their security team will be on duty around 

the clock. 

Last year, an estimated 40,000 people arrived within a 

half hour at the 12:01 a.m. opening of Jordan Creek mall, 

according to marketwatch.com. The facility provided early 

shoppers with games, food, prizes and early-bird specials. 

With all the craziness and the madness for incredible 

deals that only happen once a year, there is always some 

negativity and tragedies that are associated with Black 

Friday. There is usually a tremendous number of people 

lined up outside stores for hours, waiting on great deals 

when stores open their doors earlier than usual. The case 

of a Wal-Mart employee, who according to CNN.com, was 

crushed to death as early morning shoppers rushed to get 

into the store in New York and the two people who were 

shot at a Toys “R” Us in California when a fight broke out 

inside the store are two examples of holdiay shopping at its 

ugliest. 

To be safe at these events, associatedcontent.com suggests 

that shoppers leave their purses at home and just put some 

cash and a couple credit cards in their pockets. With the 

number of people present at these events, there are a few 

13 

little things that may not be a big deal, but 

might just make the day of another person. 

There is no need to compete with other 

people to get the biggest, most expensive 

item. The best presents are the ones that 

come from the heart. 

It may seem like high school students are 

a little too old to making homemade gifts 

but it’s a good idea, because that makes the 

gifts more personal. Some easy to make 

gifts are recipe books, scarves, gift baskets, 

drawings, calendars, candles, mix CDs, 

blankets, photo collages and ornaments. 

Though most of the cooking is left up 

to parents and older relatives, kids can reassure 

the adults that holiday meals don’t 

have to go “whole hog.” Cooks should try 

not to make more food than needed, and 

refrigerate anything that is not eaten. Leftovers 

can be very satisfying, too. 

These holiday-season saving tips can 

help keep this the most wonderful time of 

the year. During all the chaos of the bad 

economy and dealing with the holidays 

during it, making sure to slow down and 

enjoy it can help cure the panic of getting 

caught up in the stress. 

Malls in the des Moines area 

according to googlemaps.com 

• Valley West Mall - 1551 Valley West 

Dr., West Des Moines 

• Jordan Creek Mall - 101 Jordan Creek 

Pkwy., West Des Moines 

• Merle Hay Mall - 3850 Merle Hay Rd., 

Des Moines 

• Southridge Mall - 1111 E Army Post 

Rd., Des Moines 

• Kaleidoscope at the Hub Mall - 555 

Walnut St., Des Moines 

Black Friday sales bring out holiday shopping ‘warriors’ 

crooks looking for purses set in carts while shoppers look 

for clothes or try on shoes. 

Shoppers are also advised to shop with a friend. Black 

Friday is no fun by yourself anyway and, with stores being 

open at wee hours of the night, there might be some odd 

people lurking around dark parking lots. 

“I usually go to Jordan Creek mall with my friend, Tyler; 

I’m not usually too worried about being safe,” freshman 

Anna Klett said. 

Many ATMs are located in dark, deserted hallways and 

there is sometimes a shady-looking person lurking around 

trying to go unnoticed. Avoid going to the ATM or find 

one in a well-lit area with people around. 

Keeping bags close at all times prevents them from being 

stolen. Thieves are very desperate and won’t hesitate to 

harm you to get the goods. Learn to make trips to the car 

to stow items in the trunk. Keep items out of sight, even 

in your car, to prevent thieves from smashing windows to 

steal items. 

According to hufmanlaw.net, crowd violence is often 

spurred by loud and angry individuals who get angry about 

deals gone bad in stores; be on the lookout and avoid those 

types of situations. 

Black Friday should be a chance to score great deals and 

have a good time, not a time for danger. To avoid having 

the late night and early morning end in a tragic way, be safe 

and be smart when shopping for deals. 

Lakeside 

Family 

Chiropractic 

dr. Kristina naeve 

4430 east University Avenue 

Pleasant Hill • 266-1717 

drnaeve@hotmail.com

Rampage 


eating disorders have life-threatening effects 

JESSICA WILSON 

Assistant News Editor 

“I used to be anorexic,” freshman Emily Johnson* said. 

“I know it’s not something to be proud of and I’m not, but 

there’s so much more to it than people think. 

“Sure, everyone knows about the excessive exercising and 

the starving yourself, that’s nothing new, but there is a 

mental and an emotional side to it, too,” she said. 

“There are feelings of loneliness, fear, depression and 

not being good enough and those feelings are scary to deal 

with.” 

Both boys and girls deal with body image issues, but 

some take their negative views of their body to the extreme 

and develop dangerous “dieting” habits or eating 

disorders. 

Children’s toys, like Barbie dolls, often are blamed for 

helping body image issues form. Barbie dolls appear to 

young girls as beautiful and perfect, when they’re actually 

unrealistic and un-proportional. 

Even boys have problems with action figures such as 

G.I. Joes. These “men” are super-strong and perfect looking, 

so at an early age it’s easy for young boys to believe the 

misconception that they are supposed to be extremely fit 

and have super strength. 

An eating disorder is to eat or avoid eating, which affects 

one’s physical and mental health in a negative way. 

“Most eating disorders are a physiological imbalance,” 

health teacher John Jones said, “usually due to a chemical 

imbalance in your brain that sends mixed signals.” 

Jones explains that this means that people who are very 

skinny may look in the mirror and believe that they are 

fat, so they resort to starving themselves or making themselves 

throw up in order to feel better. 

According to the National Eating Disorders Association 

(NEDA) Web site, nationaleatingdisorders.org, eating disorders 

are caused when people aren’t happy with their body 

image. Body image is how we see ourselves when looking 

in a mirror. 

Men and women both deal with eating disorders. Eating 

disorders don’t occur at any specific weight range, according 

to something-fishy.org, but instead can affect anyone 

who isn’t happy with his or her body image. 

Everybody is different due to genetics which influence 

bone structure, body size, shape and weight and also by 

one’s lifestyle choices, such as eating and exercising. 

People suffering from anorexia can be slightly overweight, 

while those with compulsive eating can be slightly 

underweight. There are variations for anyone that suffers 

from any type of eating disorder. One can be extremely 

underweight, extremely overweight or anywhere in between. 

The appearance of someone with an eating disorder 

doesn’t show the amount of emotional conflict that that 

person can feel inside. Eating disorders are usually caused 

by what people think they see, rather than what’s actually 

there. 

The same Web site also says that even if a person is suffering 

from a specific eating disorder, such as anorexia, 

bulimia or compulsive overeating, it’s not uncommon for 

them to show behaviors from each of the three. 

It’s also not uncommon for a person with an eating disorder 

to switch from one to another. For example, a person 

who suffers from anorexia may become bulimic. 

There are two major types of eating disorders: anorexia 

nervosa and bulimia nervosa. They have simularities, but 

have distinct factors that distinguish them. 

According to avalonhills.org, anorexia is the refusal to 

maintain a weight that’s over the lowest weight considered 

normal for one’s age and height and this tends to be more 

common for teenagers. 

Anorexia deals with an intense fear of gaining weight 

and a distorted body image. Anorexic people avoid eating 

MCMAnUS AUTOMOTiVe, inC. 

and exercise obsessively, letting diet and exercise take over. 

Recurrent episodes of binge eating and a regular use of 

self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives or diuretics, strict 

dieting or fasting or vigorous exercise are common characteristics 

of those who are bulimic. Bulimia is more commonly 

seen in women in their 20s. 

According to something-fishy.org, it’s important to know 

that only hurting one’s body once in a while through an 

eating disorder still puts an individual in danger. 

“Eating disorders can bring on an array of medical problems 

such as an irritated esophagus, sore throat, diarrhea, 

weight problems…the list goes on and on,” said Jones. 

The negative impact of being thin and having poor nutrition 

is shown in stories of fatalities caused by eating disorders. 

Pop musician Karen Carpenter died of a cardiac 

arrest from the strain of anorexia on her heart. She was 

32 years old when she died, 5’4” and weighed only 108 

pounds, according to atdpweb.soe.berkeley.edu. 

The disorder wasn’t rare in the ‘70s; however, it was 

rarely talked about. Many people had never heard the term 

anorexia nervosa. Carpenter’s death opened the eyes of 

this life-threatening disease for many people. 

Before Carpenter died in 1983, girls starved themselves, 

but they didn’t know that there were thousands of other 

girls that did the same things and they didn’t know that 

their eating habits could be fatal. 

Before that, eating disorders weren’t taken seriously. 

They were treated like any other bad habit according to 

tdpweb.soe.berkeley.edu. 

According to something-fishy.org, the media most cer- 

EMILY HART 

A&E Editor 

The wind skimming the 

face, gloved hands tight, 

the noises of the engine as 

the vehicle’s body shines in 

the light. No, it’s not a Mustang 

that’s being driven, it’s 

a motorcycle, baby! 

“Bikes like that are 

amazing. The freedom of 

riding that fast through 

the wind on the road with 

your friends close to you 

on a sleek motorcycle just 

seems cool to me. Some 

kinds of bikes just seem 

fun and dangerous, which 

just increases how much we 

love riding them, I guess,” 

junior Chelsie Skarda says. 

“I ride motorcycles because 

they get much better 

gas mileage than cars,” senior 

Mark Blanchard says. 

Motorcycles are often 

chosen as a mode of transportation, 

according to nhtsa.gov, 

because of their low 

price, good fuel efficiency 

and the sleek, sporty and 

good looks of the vehicles 

themselves. Four million 

motorcycles are registered 

nationwide. 

“I love riding motorcycles 

and I don’t care 

what other people think. 

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Motorcyclists use riding as self-expression 

It expresses me kind of 

like car owners. I think it’s 

the same reason why some 

people spend like $40,000 

dollars on a car,” Blanchard 

says. 

According to nhtsa.gov, 

however, the motorcycle 

accounts for five percent 

of the national highway 

deaths yearly. This is often 

attributed to motorcycles’ 

lack of protection to the 

rider and carelessness of 

other drivers. The crashes 

that result from this have 

an 80 percent chance of injury 

or death. 

“The biggest problem 

with riding any kind of 

bike, I think, is the fact that 

cars can’t see you easily, so 

the motorcycle rider has to 

react quicker or things can 

get ugly fast,” Skarda says. 

According to the Iowa 

Motorcycle Operator Manual, 

these statistics can be 

easily reduced with the 

right protective clothing 

and habits. 

Wearing an approved 

helmet, face or eye protection 

and protective clothing 

can give help riders survive 

a crash. 

Helmets should fit snugly 

all the way around, have no 

tainly contributes to dieting and size discrimination. 

Since Carpenter’s death, doctors, scientists and therapists, 

among many others, have been investigating the 

cause of this fatal eating disorder. Many agree that one 

common cause is American culture and the media. 

Supermodels seen on runways and magazines continue 

to get thinner and thinner, said the Web site. The average 

model weighs up to 25 percent less than the average 

woman and weighs about 15 to 20 percent below what is 

considered healthy for their height and age. 

According to bodipedia.com, fashion model Luisel Ramos, 

22, collapsed on the runway while modeling at a 

fashion show and died of a heart attack. Before Ramos’s 

death, she had been eating only lettuce and drank only diet 

carbonated water. 

Eating disorders can lead to heart attacks, heart failure, 

lung collapse, internal bleeding, strokes, kidney failure, 

liver failure, pancreatitis, gastric rupture, perforated ulcers 

and depression, all of which can result in death. 

“I used to lie to my parents and say I wasn’t hungry 

when I was and, besides doing a ton of sports, I ran a lot. I 

never felt good enough and I always thought by doing that 

I’d become just that much better,” said Johnson. “Now I 

realize that there’s more to life than that. There are things 

that are more important.” 

If you or someone you know wishes to get help with an 

eating disorder, call the National Eating Disorder Association’s 

confidential helpline at 1-800-931-2237 or visit their 

Web site at nationaleatingdisorders.org. 

*name has been changed 

Senior Mark Blanchard sits atop one of his favorite 

possessions, his motorcycle. 

obvious cracks, loose padding 

or frayed straps and 

should meet government 

standards. 

It goes on to state that 

a face shield, goggles or 

eye protection, full coverage 

jackets and pants, with 

sturdy boots or shoes and 

gloves should be worn for 

full protection. 

Training to operate any 

bike is key; 90 percent of 

accidents are caused by 

drivers with no training. 

In Iowa, according to 

dmv.org, residents at the 

age of 14 can complete a 

motorcycle rider education 

program to obtain a license. 

The course includes 10 

Open early on Black Friday! 

hours of on-cycle training, 

five hours of classroom instruction, 

a textbook and 

a provided motorcycle and 

helmet to practice on. It 

involves riding, turning, 

stopping and shifting. 

“I meant to get my license 

last year but I couldn’t. I 

can’t wait ‘til I get it because 

I really want this one type 

because there is only one 

other kid in school with a 

bike like that and they’re 

so easy to maintain,” West 

says. 

“In the end, riding just 

gives me freedom and 

expresses me, who I am 

and what I stand for,” 

Blanchard says. 

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Rampage 


The ‘Street celebrates a birthday 

edward Cullen’s not the only vampire 

getting play this month; look 

out for The Count, eh, eh, eh 

phone: 266-5733 

Fax: 299-3945 

CAITLYNN CASHATT 

Letters Editor 

Everyone knows about the big yellow bird singing “Sunny 

Day, sweeping the clouds away; on my way to where 

the air is sweet. Can you tell me how to get, how to get to 

Sesame Street?” 

November 10 was the 40 th anniversary of “Sesame 

Street,” a television favorite of millions of children around 

the world. 

Sesame Street and its parent group, The Children’s Television 

Workshop, was an organization that was started to 

help disadvantaged kids have access to learning and also to 

help middle class children be able to be at the same level as 

ones that were going to be in the same class that year said 

sesameworkshop.org. 

Sesame Street, a resident of the Public Broadcasting System 

(PBS), helps children learn their ABCs and numbers. 

It also helps children with character development like how 

to interact with other children that they don’t know and 

how to interact with other cultures. Therefore, it helps kids 

know how to solve day-to-day problems and what to expect 

from different choices they make, good or bad. 

Producers have a lot to show for their 40 years of effort. 

Sesame Street has educated children around the world 

with programs in the United States, India, Northern Ireland, 

Brazil, Indonesia and more. Programs are produced 

in multiple languages. 

Guidance secretary, Pam Naeve says her four sons all 

watched Sesame Street all the time. She said they learned 

their ABC’s, colors and numbers every day and ended up 

learning more and more every day at home and school. She 

said that the experience of her children watching Sesame 

Street was “great, a great learning tool.” A family secret 

that she was willing to share was that one of her son’s nurs- 

WHITNEY BLAKEMORE 


While students enjoy a schoolfree 

summer, most staff members 

find extra jobs to keep busy and 

help support their families. 

They find jobs from cleaning 

sewage beds to being a camp 

counselor. Whatever they can do 

to keep food on the table is what 

they’re going to, no matter what 

kind of job it might be. 

Art teacher Jim Peterson, ironically, 

picks up a different kind of 

brush for extra cash; he has painted 

houses during the summer for 

about 25 years. 

Peterson decided to try painting 

over the summer when his 

friend needed a painting partner 

one year. 

“It was a blast,” said Peterson. 

“I have many happy and colorful 

memories with the two other 

guys that paint with me.” 

Peterson does about six or 

seven houses each year and earns 

about $500 to $1000 on every 

Bonita & Jack Mosher 

Hours: 

M-TH 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

Friday 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. 

house that he works on. 

“I make good money and I can 

have a great time while doing it,” 

Peterson said. 

He says he has had times where 

he almost fell off a three-story 

house because it was slippery. 

Two other times, he managed to 

pull off his partner’s pants while 

he was on the ladder. 

Peterson says he enjoys his 

summer job and it allows him 

to keep his “fine artistic eye” for 

painting sharp. 

Special Ed associate Anna Sutton 

manages an overnight summer 

leadership camp for adults 

and children with disabilities. She 

manages the staff and programming 

of the camp. 

A friend worked there and requested 

her because Sutton already 

had previous experience 

with people with disabilities at 

the school. 

Sutton has worked there for 

four years and says she might go 

back this year. She has met many 

5606 Ne 12th St. 

pleasant Hill 

ery was covered in Sesame Street characters. 

Sesame Street’s popularity as a television show has profited 

PBS and the Children’s Television Workshop, now 

known as the Sesame Workshop; literally hundreds of promotional 

items are now sold for fans of the ‘Street. 

Many students admit that they watched Sesame Street 

every day of their lives when they were toddlers. 

“Yes, I watched it,” freshman, Mystery Frammelt said. 

“That’s what little kids do.” 

“Sometimes I watched it,” senior Chris Chapman said, 

“but my parents didn’t really want to sit me in front of the 

television to learn.” 

Sophomore Chris Duncan said that he only watched 

it“because there was nothing else ever on” for kids. 

The fun thing is that a lot of students here have learned 

a lot more then they think or even remember from Sesame 

Street. “I learned that the vampire guy said ‘one, two, three 

out came the bats,” Frammelt said. 

“All I learned was that Big Bird was yellow,” Chapman 

said. 

In the new millenium, Sesame Street now spans different 

countries and many languages and provides amusement 

and learning for kids across the world. 

elmo and other Sesame Street characters line the shelves 

of local discount stores in preparation for Black Friday 

sales. Caitlynn Cashatt photo. 

people around the world and can’t 

wait to make new friends this 

year. 

Greg Mellerup, an assistant in 

the student activities area, has 

been a “luthier” for many years. 

He can build guitars with raw 

wood and repair them. 

His unusual job has led him to 

working with many famous people. 

Some of the celebrities that 

he has come into contact with include 

Bret Michaels, Cowboy Jack 

Clemons, Jerry Reed, Tom Bresh, 

Willie Nelson and Slipknot. 

He has made and repaired guitars 

for these people. 

Mellerup has always had a passion 

for guitars and thought being 

a luthier would be the perfect job 

for him. 

Even though he works at the 

school now, he still repairs guitars 

and gives guitar lessons. He 

has had the chance to travel all 

around the world with famous 

artists to maintain their guitars 

but his family and friends meant 

Altoona 

Public Library 

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Just ask one of our online tutors! 

Live one-on-one homework help is available daily 

from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the library Web site. 

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FEATURES 

15 

November’s bovine beauty is “Minx.” Minx is a fullfigured 

Angus. 

“We are looking forward to seeing the quality of calf 

she produces,” agriculture teacher Matt Eddy said. 

Here are the vital statistics for Minx: 

Color: black Eye color: black 

Favorite food: grass and hay and she is being given corn 

and oat supplements. 

Favorite activities: primarily lawn management. She 

also has a keen interest in the Super Bull Show held at 

the Iowa State Fairgrounds. 

Personality: Minx hasn’t been working with Eddy and 

his group of students enough for them to be sure of her 

personality yet. 

Caretaker: Senior Amadeo Chua-Carrion is the student 

handler for Minx. He is currently involved in Animal 

Science Lab. He will be taking Advanced Animal Science 

next semester. Chua-Carrion is also involved in 

FFA. He even worked at the Animal Learning Center 

last summer during the Iowa State Fair. 

To learn more about Minx and her merry band of 

sisters, check out their pictures and bios on the Iowa 

State Fair profile. 

too much to him and he decided 

to stay around home. 

Math teacher Greg Kapusinski 

says he cleaned sewage plant beds 

at a local water treatment plant 

for three summers. He worked 

for the city and part of his job was 

cleaning the sewage dry beds for 

one week every summer. 

In the sewage beds, volunteer 

plants would sometimes spring 

up and there were many tomatoes 

that would grow there. 

One of Kapusinski’s favorite 

memories was when his co-worker 

would take the tomatoes and 

eat them right off the plant without 

washing them. 

“All I can say is that it smells 

bad,” said Kapusinski. “But it was 

a lot of fun.” 

Journalism teacher Carole Henning 

says she also deals with stuff 

that stinks in the summer, just in 

a different way. 

She reads and evaluates student 

newspapers for a state journalism 

organization on the East Coast. 

Cow of the M onth 

Staff member skills stretched with outside jobs 

“It really makes me appreciate 

how hard student journalists in 

Iowa work,” she said. “Some of 

the papers are really bad sometimes.” 

Another teacher who stays busy 

with a demanding outdoor summer 

job is special ed collaborative 

teacher Justin Colbert. 

Colbert paints the equipment 

and buildings at the Iowa State 

Fairgrounds. He has been doing 

this since he graduated from high 

school. 

It was his buddy Kyle Mc- 

Clain’s dad, a supervisor at the 

fairgrounds, who helped Colbert 

land this job. He hired Colbert 

and many other local kids. 

Many staffers find interesting 

and sometimes weird jobs to 

do over the summer. They do 

many different jobs, but when the 

school year rolls around they all 

come together as educators. 

They don’t just come here to 

work; they come here year after 

year as role models for students. 

The 

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Place 

305 1st Avenue South • Altoona 

967-3434 

stuartceramics @ earthlink.net

Rampage 


Tomorrow’s meal needn’t include dietary shame 

CAITLYNN CASHATT 

Letters Editor 

Greasy turkey, hot sweet potatoes, dressing 

and don’t forget the whipped cream 

smeared all over the sugary pumpkin pie. 

The holidays seem to be all about eating, 

eating and more eating, but did you know 

Thanksgiving is really supposed to be 

about only eating one meal the whole day, a 

feast, according to health-alliance.com. 

“Thanksgiving is supposed to be about 

spending time with your family and eating,” 

sophomore Lexi Brichetto says. 

“Health really isn’t that big of a deal just 

for one day.” 

Even though many people are all about 

going green and eating healthy, they still 

believe that a few holiday meals won’t do 

any harm to their health or the environment, 

but experts at health-alliance.com 

would argue that this one meal could put 

students at higher risk of a heart attack or 

stroke. 

Thanksgiving, however, can be a great 

time to discover healthier foods and better 

health practices. 

PORTiOnS 

To make mouths and stomachs happy, 

health.kaboose.com says to follow these 

serving sizes for a Thanksgiving meal: 

• pasta or medium fruit—a tennis ball 

Young workers like independence of jobs 

ALLISON CRONK 

Librarian 

Having a first part-time job can be an exciting time, even 

if it means working at a local fast food chain or clothing 

store. Work can also include better jobs that provide good 

experiences and career skills that can benefit a student for 

a life time. Having their own money and being able to do 

what they want is what most teenagers think of when it 

comes to having their first jobs. 

“Some of the good things about having a job are being 

able to make money so I don’t have to make my parents 

buy me everything and that I can just buy things myself,” 

junior Dan Marshall said. “It is just nice to have money 

saved up for something to do on a rainy day.” 

Teens that have part-time jobs are more likely to show 

more maturity and responsibility, make better relationship 

building skills and become better at decision-making. 

Even though the pay for a part-time job isn’t always 

the best, many teens think that it is great to always have 

some extra cash for when they hang out with their friends. 

Another advantage is not having to ask their parents for 

money all the time. It makes students look and feel more 

independent. 

Individuals who do have part-time jobs often try to save 

some of the money for college and not go and spend it all 

with friends on the weekend when they hang out. 

Having a part-time job is also a way for young people to 

• potatoes—a computer mouse 

• meat or poultry (skinned meat is healthiest, 

health-alliance.com says)—deck of cards 

• two slices of bread—cassette tape size 

for each 

• Cheeses—half the size of a candy bar 

(not a king-size candy bar) 

• macaronis or spreads—half of a tennis 

ball 

• butter or any spreads—one dice 

Portioning your food out on a kid-sized 

plate can help if it’s a little challenging for 

you to be able to look at your food and 

measure it by the sizes mentioned. 

You can also apply a two-thirds/onethird 

approach with fruits, vegetables, 

whole grains (not white, not enough fiber), 

and beans taking up the majority of the 

plate then adding the one-third part proteins. 

Don’t stack foods on top of one another! 

Learn to take one plate of food and if 

you’re still hungry just get fruit or vegetables, 

says charitywire.com. 

nO MeAT? 

You could rebel and go vegetarian, just 

for one day. Doing this doesn’t just benefit 

your health, it helps animals, too. You still 

can have your “meat” for Thanksgiving; 

just choose Tofurky, a tofu-wheat protein 

blend you can get complete with stuffing 

and gravy. Doing this won’t affect your 

family traditions that much, because Tofurky 

even has a “wishbone” inside of it. 

Junior Taylor Turner says he appreciates 

the concept of vegetarianism. “I like it because 

it gives me more meat to eat.” 

“It (vegetarianism) doesn’t bother me, but 

family traditions are something you look 

forward to and they did it in the old days,” 

Brichetto said. “But like for me, I have 

Crohn’s disease and couldn’t live without 

a lot of protein from the meat.” 

People with Crohn’s disease, an autoimmune 

disorder, need larger amounts of 

protein in their diets in order to have normal 

bowel movements, webmd.com says. 

VeGGie BeneFiTS 

Vegetarians fend off many medical conditions 

that meat-eaters sometimes suffer. 

They: 

• Have a 5 percent reduced risk of dying 

of diabetes 

• Have a 40 percent reduced level of 

cancer than the general population 

(thought to be because they have a 

higher intake of vitamins A,C & E) 

• Have a reduced risk of developing gall & 

kidney stones 

• Have a 20 percent lower rate of mortality 

from all causes (ie. they live longer & 

don’t get sick as often) 

learn how to deal with pressure and help them understand 

how the real world works. 

Making a good impression at a job interview is one of 

the most important parts of landing a job. According to 

QuintCareers.com, there are some simple and easy tips that 

to help teens ace a job interview: 

First, dress the part of the job. By doing this, candidates 

will be showing a future employer that they care and 

take it seriously. Wear something nice. For the girls, try to 

avoid the “floozy look” like short skirts, low-cut tops, and 

five-inch heels. Guys shouldn’t wear anything that they 

would wear when hanging out with friends. This would be 

clothes like sweatshirts and jeans with holes in them. 

Second, come prepared. Try to learn about the position 

and the company. Be knowledgeable about what you are 

talking about. Before going to an interview, talk to some 

of the other employees that work at the company; ask them 

if there are any important skills that may be needed for the 

position. 

Third, ask and answer questions effectively. There is 

no such thing as a dumb question, so asking the interviewer 

questions will show him that a student is not afraid 

to speak up. Also, be prepared ahead of time to answer the 

typical interview questions. 

Fourth, have a simple resume. When going to an interview 

for a first job, many think that they don’t need one 

but having a resume shows the future employer that there 

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• Have a 24 percent reduced risk of getting 

heart disease & vegans have a 57 

percent reduction 

• Have lower blood pressure & cholesterol 

levels—high levels are associated with 

heart disease, strokes & kidney failure 

FAMiLY TRAdiTiOnS 

Going vegetarian wouldn’t really be that 

big of a shake-up to the American traditions 

since we’ve already been doing that; 

we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving exactly 

how the Pilgrims did. 

For them, one big meal was all that 

was prepared for Thanksgiving. It seems 

that now we gorge ourselves for about 48 

hours straight with just a little time-out for 

watching football or frenzied shopping. 

What people seem to forget about the 

tradition is that it centered on people being 

together and being thankful for all that 

they have been given. Diners can still have 

families with them with many of the same 

foods but with different qualities and certainly 

lesser quantity, novareinna.com says. 

Though few may choose to go the radical 

route of the vegetarian, all want to be 

healthy. 

All can observe the portion sizes that 

flex.com says people should try to be able to 

still eat some of those delicious foods that 

we all wait a year for. 

has been time put into finding the job. 

It is also a great way to show all of the things that a 

student has accomplished. Even though most have had no 

work experience, it gives an employer an idea as to the kind 

of person that the candidate is, what strengths he or she 

has and a good idea of the student’s writing skills. 

“Some advice that I would give students who want to 

get a job is to make sure to get a job that you want to do,” 

junior Sam German said. “When you get a job, stay there 

and don’t leave and get another job. Just make sure you like 

it.” Having a good work experience is one thing that will 

help a student out in the future by helping them to find the 

career path they’d like to follow. 

According to teenjobselection.com, almost every teen picks 

a job based on money and friends. Even though it would 

be fun to have that extra money and be able to work with 

friends, it is a much better idea to have a job that fits the 

student’s own personality . 

Many students are involved in many school clubs, activities 

and sports and care about their education. If a student 

wants to get a part-time job and knows that activities will 

be interfering, tell the boss ahead of time and let them 

know education will come before the job. Be sure to have 

all homework well in hand before taking on even more 

responsibilities. 

If a student’s parents don’t agree with them getting a 

job, they should let them know education will come before 

the job and by doing this it will show their parents that the 

student is becoming more responsible. Also, tell them it’s 

the best ways to learn real-life skills. 

Teens that have the needed support from their parents 

and their friends when trying to find a job are more likely 

to succeed in the job position that they want. Having the 

support when needed will help most students through any 

problems that they might come across while looking for a 

part-time job. 

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FEATURES 

Nutrition program continues expansion, changes 

AUSTIN VIGGERS 

Assistant Sports Editor 

Imagine this: 40 years from now, you’re 

walking down the street with your spouse 

and you drop dead of a heart attack. 

Many medical authorities would say this 

is probably because you didn’t listen to 

your high school health teacher, you spent 

years eating “garbage” and it finally caught 

up with you. 

A number of state and federal regulations 

in recent years have been established 

to control what schools can feed students 

in order to stem the tide of childhood obesity. 

When serving sizes and ingredient requirements 

were tightened a number of 

years ago, students quickly figured out 

how to get what and how much they want: 

they double up on items and pick what they 

want from ala carte selections. 

Check out what several students ate recently 

for lunch in the school cafeteria: 

Junior Austin Pinegar got popcorn 

chicken with lots of BBQ sauce, a pizza, 

salad, green beans, a Rice Krispie bar and 

flavored water. 

“Today’s lunch is mighty tasty,” he said. 

Pinegar works off a lot of those calories 

playing football, basketball and soccer. 

Senior Zach Leighter got a grilled cheese 

sandwich, tomato soup, trail mix and water 

for lunch. Seems pretty light and healthy, 

but he says that after school he usually goes 

to El Azteca or Monterrey because he isn’t 

filled up by the school lunch. 

Freshman Dylan Blackford picked up 

two pizzas, two milks, trail mix and a Rice 

Krispie bar; he says he likes lunch. 

Some students do choose a healthy 

lunch. Senior Brooke Williamson usually 

gets a salad, popcorn, yogurt and water for 

lunch. 

BLAIR BROWN 

Events Editor 

The definition of “festive” 

is seeing rows of 

hand-shaped construction 

paper turkeys plastered on 

elementary walls in late 

November. 

What a difference the 

gap between sixth grade 

and ninth grade truly made. 

It went from turkey overload 

to just a small morsel 

of Thanksgiving cheer. 

The walls here remain 

the same as they always 

are–boring and lifeless. It 

makes people wonder if 

Thanksgiving break really 

is even approaching. 

“Thanksgiving used to 

be a lot more exciting,” junior 

Ricky Denning said. “I 

used to see my family a lot 

more, too.” 

It seems the holiday that 

was once a grand experience 

for the younger kids 

is now nothing more than 

a small get-together. 

In elementary, a large 

amount of time is dedicated 

to holidays. Thanksgiving 

offered many hours a 

week dedicated to coloring, 

cutting and pasting fallcolored 

decorations for the 

walls of the classroom, on 

display for everyone to see. 

“We do crafts sometimes,” 

Four Mile second 

grader Lindi Kuiper said. 

Youngsters would learn 

songs in their music classes 

to sing during Thanksgiving 

concerts and plays. 

“Everything was just 

more fun in elementary. We 

had turkey hats and we got 

to be Indians,” junior Jake 

Sophomore Madison Simon says she 

gets a yogurt, string cheese and water almost 

every day for lunch. 

Sophomore Tanner O’Connor got a 

pizza, some trail mix, an apple, chips and 

milk. 

To see what students should get as their 

weekly intake of nutrients, you can go to 

mypyramid.gov and it will tell you exactly 

what foods you should eat to live a long, 

healthy life. 

Stephanie Dross, district director of 

food services, has been working to make 

student lunches healthier and to meet U.S. 

Department of Agriculture’s guidelines. 

All food served in the school hot lunch 

program must meet these guidelines, along 

with percentages of items sold in vending 

machines, concession stands, fundraisers 

and the school store. 

Dross says that as much as many students 

love their chili crispitos, they are 

probably the most unhealthy thing in the 

school lunch line-up. 

She adds, however, that people shouldn’t 

obsess on a certain food item as being 

“bad” or good but, rather, create a balance 

of foods throughout the week. 

She said there are many challenges to administering 

any hot lunch program including 

meeting individual student needs and 

preferences and financial limitations. 

Dross said it is particularly important 

that the school provide nutritious meals 

both at breakfast and lunch because about 

27 percent of the school qualifies for free 

or reduced meal prices. For many kids, she 

said, school food can be the only decent 

meals of the day. 

Families in need are able to apply for free 

and reduced meal prices by checking out a 

link on the district Web site. She said this 

has been a lifesaver for many families in 

Flynn said. “I remember 

we got to bring our grandparents 

to school that day, 

too. They got to watch our 

plays.” 

In high school, however, 

the only thing students get 

to enjoy for Thanksgiving 

is the break. With two extra 

days off school, they don’t 

complain. 

Every year there is also 

the benefit of having a 

“Thanksgiving feast” at 

lunch the week before the 

holiday. This meal includes 

turkey and mashed potatoes 

with gravy along with 

cranberries and stuffing. 

“I don’t like the Thanksgiving 

feast,” senior Jake 

Stapp said. “It’s gross. I 

don’t like the mashed potatoes.” 

In elementary, lessons 

recent hard economic times. 

She said the main reason why students 

don’t get restaurant-sized portions and 

consistently Top Chef quality tastes is because 

that would cost a lot of money. 

Dross says half of the money students 

pay for a lunch goes to get it cooked and 

served and the other half pays for the 

food. That is the main reason we don’t get 

to eat any steak for lunch. 

Although the meal standards were 

changed a couple years ago, they have yet 

to change the obesity rate, said Dross. 

“What we are trying to do is help students 

form good eating habits,” Dross 

said. “We want them to substitute in fruits 

and vegetables as sides with their basic 

were taught about Pilgrims 

and Indians. Students 

would discover what exactly 

the holiday is about. 

Teachers explained what it 

means to be thankful and 

had kids make paper creations 

with the things they 

are thankful for written on 

them. 

According to heradextra. 

com, most elementary age 

children are thankful for 

their friends, family, food 

and personal items. 

“I’m most thankful for 

my family,” Four Mile second-grader 

Emily Kohler 

says. 

Fall parties were often 

times tied in with the holiday. 

“When we were younger 

and had fall parties, sometimes 

we would involve the 

beginning of Thanksgiving,” 

junior Drew Workman 

said. 

“We make things in art,” 

Four Mile second grader 

Brant Watson says. “It’s 

usually pictures of turkeys.” 

There were poems, videos 

and songs dedicated to 

the ship named Mayflower. 

“We already learned all 

about how Thanksgiving 

originated back then and 

now we already know everything 

about it. There 

isn’t much more to do,” 

Workman said. 

It is understandable, 

though. High school is 

harder than elementary 

was and there are very 

few classes that could take 

time to discuss Thanksgiving 

turkeys and Plymouth 

Rock. 

All the information kids 

learned about Turkey Day 

may seem repetitive and 

pointless (aside from the 

parties and two-day snack 

fest), but there is some good 

in it. 

According to more4kids. 

info, academic studies show 

that thankful people have 

higher vitality, more optimism 

and less stress and 

depression than the population 

as whole. 

So, the seven years kids 

spend writing the things 

17 

Freshman Sydney Houde and Mackenzie West watch freshman Olivia 

Bombela enjoy her Thanksgiving lunch. emily Bombela photo. 

protein instead of creating bad eating habits 

early on in life.” 

That’s why diners have been seeing 

fewer starchy side dishes like tater tots and 

French fries and are finding more fruits 

and veggies on the buffet line. 

And, it seems, more changes are in the 

works, Dross says. 

The state just passed a “healthy kids act” 

that will further restrict the standards for 

what can be in the lunch line. She said, for 

instance, that under the new guidelines 

that the flavored Rice Krispies bars will be 

taken out but the original recipe will just 

make the requirements. 

Other items will be replaced by more 

health-conscious chocies as well. 

What happened to the ‘elementary’ Thanksgiving? 

they are thankful for may 

help them in every day life. 

Hand turkeys, the Mayflower, 

eating filling meals 

and dressing up as either 

Indians or Pilgrims is what 

the majority of students 

have an easy time recalling. 

“We had corn bread and 

the Indians would wear 

paper bags,” senior Katie 

Scott said. 

The word “cornucopia” 

was a term often used in 

elementary school. Back 

then it was simply known 

as a basket filled with fruit. 

It is defined as the “horn of 

plenty,” according to flowershopnetwork.com. 

The Web 

site explains that a cornucopia 

is a curved goat horn, 

filled to overflowing with 

fruit and grain. 

“It was just so much 

more fun and festive back 

then. There are no decorations 

now,” junior Claire 

North said. “I want to go 

back—we got like a whole 

week dedicated to it!” 

“Room mothers” would 

bring in decorations and set 

up games while kids sat at 

their desks munching delectable 

snacks. 

The end of the day before 

Thanksgiving break was a 

tribute to the conclusion 

of fall and Thanksgiving, 

nothing else.

Rampage 

18 SPORTS November 25, 2009 

‘Blair’s dad’ forsakes ‘normal’ life for sports job 

MEGAN QUICK 

Sports Editor 

“Time is precious.” 

This adage is particularly true of the 

time Des Moines Register sports reporter 

Rick’s Brown gets to spend at home with 

his wife and kids. Tight deadlines, pressure 

and demanding hours is what he deals with 

every day and they can strain relationships. 

Still, he says, with the right balance, he 

has been able to pursue a lifelong dream 

job and be an involved dad with his two 

kids, Ben (who graduated in 2008) and 

Blair, who’s a junior here. 

Growing up in Fort Dodge, Brown fell 

in love with journalism early, mainly because 

of his dad. Bob Brown, was a sports 

writer for the Fort Dodge Messenger and 

had his own column, “Crowd Noise.” 

“My dad would go to games and keep 

stats in a scorebook,” Brown said. “When 

I was little, I would go to the games with 

him and keep my own scorebook.” 

This love of writing seems to have been 

passed down from Bob to Rick and the tradition 

didn’t stop there. Both of Brown’s 

kids seem to have expressed a bit of the 

writing gene. 

Ben wrote for the Rampage for two 

years. Blair is currently on the Rampage 

staff and has an interest in pursuing writing 

as a career. 



Great team chemistry is 

something almost all teams 

strive for, but for the boys’ 

basketball team, it comes 

naturally. 

The foundation of this 

winning formula is based 

on two senior players— 

Tony Sandquist and Kody 

Ingle. 

The two played on the 

same AAU baseball teams 

from second grade until 

high school and the same 

AAU basketball team, the 

Iowa Defenders, from third 

grade until high school. 

The Defenders won the 

state championship for six 

consecutive years. 

The duo’s relationship 

goes beyond the court or 

field, though. Being great 

friends outside the sports 

“It makes me feel good that Blair has an 

interest in writing. I think it’s neat,” Brown 

said. 

Writing for his high school paper in Fort 

Dodge is where Brown started down the 

path that led him to where he is today. He 

was on the staff there for three years with 

his own column, much like his dad’s, titled 

“Crowd Quiet.” 

After high school, Brown attended 

Iowa Central Community College and was 

sports editor for the two years that he was 

there. He then moved to the University of 

Iowa, where he wrote for the Daily Iowan. 

While enrolled at Iowa, Brown worked 

to complete his master’s degree. In the process 

of this, he applied for an opening as a 

sports copyeditor for the Des Moines Register. 

He earned the position and had the 

job before leaving Iowa. 

Now, in his work as a sports reporter for 

the Register, Brown is mainly in charge of 

covering college basketball in the winter, 

Iowa related golf, the Iowa Cubs or anything 

else that is needed. 

Brown has been with the publication for 

31 years, plenty of time for him to come to 

a full realization of the benefits and disadvantages 

to such an illustrious job. 

One big down side is the amount of family 

time Brown has. Most adults strive to 

balance work and family, but Brown says 

he can’t always control how that works out. 

The amount of time spent away from 

home all depends on what he’s covering 

and where he’s going. During basketball 

season, he’s gone two to five nights a week. 

“If it’s a home game, I’ll be gone that 

whole day,” Brown said. “During away 

games, I’m gone the day before, the day of 

and the day after.” In some circumstances 

he could be gone the whole week; Brown 

says he usually works most Sundays as well. 

During vacation time, most people like 

to travel and visit places, but Brown prefers 

to stay home. With all his travel for work, 

he likes to be home and with his family 

when he can be. 

“When I’m home, family comes first,” 

Brown said. “If Blair has an activity or a 

game, it’s a priority. I enjoy going to games 

that I don’t have to write about.” 

“It’s a lot of stress, covering games at 

night, with not much time to finish the 

story before the deadline,” Brown said. 

If a game starts at 7 p.m., it will usually 

finish somewhere around 9 p.m. After that, 

he needs to conduct post-game interviews, 

which take about 40 minutes. 

Then it’s “go time.” Brown has 30 minutes 

to get his story in or he won’t meet his 

deadline. 

“I’m used to the deadline pressure but 

it’s still stressful. Sometimes 30 minutes 

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can feels like two minutes when I’m writing 

my stories,” Brown said. 

“It’s hard because everyone sees the 

game on TV, so they know what happened. 

My job is to tell them something beyond 

that, to let people know why it happened,” 

Brown said. 

There are, however, some great perks. 

“The best part is the sense of accomplishment 

when I finish a story I like and receive 

compliments on it,” Brown said. 

“There’s more to it than just going to a 

game to cover it,” Brown says, “It’s getting 

to know the coaches and athletes and 

establishing relationships and friendships 

with them.” 

Brown’s list of people he’s interacted 

with over the years is never-ending. Some 

of the most impressive people he’s interviewed 

include Michael Jordan, Arnold 

Palmer, Jack Nicholas, Haden Fry, Bob 

Costas, Tiger Woods and Zach Johnson, 

who Brown has been following for the majority 

of his golf career. 

When Johnson played with the U.S. team 

in Ireland, Brown also got to travel to the 

British Isles to cover the Ryder Cup, as well 

as traveling to Georgia for the Masters. 

During his time at the Register, Brown’s 

pieces have won him Iowa Sports Writer of 

the Year seven times and he’s received Best 

Sports Story of the Year in Iowa twice. 

Sandquist and ingle: Brothers on and off the playing field 

arena makes the relationship 

even tighter. 

“Ninety-five percent of 

the time, girlfriends come 

second,” Sandquist said. 

“They’re like two peas in 

a pod,” senior Zach Leighter, 

a friend and teammate, 

says. 

After playing on various 

traveling teams throughout 

their childhoods, the couple 

still has similar interests 

outside sports, including 

being a dominant ping 

pong doubles team. 

“He’s boring to play 

against because he just hits 

it back to me over and over 

but we work well together,” 

Ingle said. 

And both agreed that, on 

the court, they look to each 

other first in the most pivotal 

moments. 

“We have a lot of good 

players and we can all make 

plays but I definitely see 

Tony before some of the 

other guys,” Ingle said. “I 

have more trust in him on 

the court than anybody 

else.” 

This was seen numerous 

times last year with 

the alley-oop play from 

Sandquist to Ingle. 

“We don’t need to draw 

that up. He just gives me 

some eye contact and I 

know what the plan is,” 

Sandquist said. 

“They’ve got this connection 

that they always 

know where each other is 

and we always know we can 

get a basket from them,” 

Leighter said. 

“I pass it to him in football 

and he passes it to me 

in basketball,” Ingle said. 

Both have been impor- 

tant members of the varsity 

team since their freshman 

year, receiving significant 

playing time, if not starting 

most games. 

As juniors last year, both 

were still team leaders because 

of their experience 

and coming one game short 

of the state tournament has 

left most of the team members 

eager for a new season. 

’09 grad Tyler Stumme 

was the only player with 

significant playing time to 

graduate last year so the 

team looks to make an even 

deeper run this year. 

“The (sub-state) game 

was getting crazy. I’m really 

excited for the season and 

to play in the new gym,” 

Ingle said. 

The team will host its 

first regular season game 

on Dec. 1 against East. 

Kody ingle (2nd from right in the back row) and Tony 

Sandquist (third from right in last row) are all grins 

as they pose with their teammates for their 2000 AAU 

state champion baseball photo. This winning team 

was the first team the pair of seniors were on together. 

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Wanna know who got post-season honors? 


Rampage 

MEGAN QUICK 

Sports Editor 

Junior Kasey Williams 

snagged the first-place 

trophy at the state diving 

championship Nov. 6, 

proving that, even in its 

first year, the Ram diving 

team would be something 

to be reckoned with. 

“I knew she had the potential 

to do it. Throughout 

the meet she was calm 

and focused,” diving coach 

Mandy Parton said. “I 

knew if she stayed that way 

she could do it.” 

Williams started in third 

place after the first cut 


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Call, text or e-mail 

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“It was really 

exciting; 

I couldn’t 

believe 

it. I was 

overjoyed.” 

–Kasey Williams, junior 

SPORTS 

Wrestlers break out the mats with eyes on State 

BLAIR BROWN 

Events Editor 

It’s time to get out the 

singlets and headgear because 

wrestling season is 

officially back in action. 

All the wrestlers are 

ready to get going again, 

including sophomore Cory 

Clark who was a state 

champion last year wanting 

to continue his streak. 

“It feels like I have to do 

it again,” Clark said. 

Clark, along with junior 

Anthony McBroom are the 

only two returning state 

qualifiers this year. 

“It feels great,” McBroom 

said. “It’s a good accomplishment.” 

There are other returning 

varsity wrestlers with 

high hopes of succeeding 

this year. They include 

sophomores Drew Stewart, 

Alex Myer and Bud Smith 

and seniors Mark Dillavou 

and Tyler German. 

“I’m looking forward to 

getting back with all the 

kids,” coach Jason Christenson 

said. “We have this 

nice new facility, it’s twice 

as big. I’m excited.” 

Along with the return- 

Williams named number one in state diving 

where half the divers were 

eliminated. 

Once the last cut was 

made, Wil- 

liams was 

still in third 

going into 

the final 

dive. 

Her final 

dive was a reverse 

double 

back, which 

earned her 

31.05 points 

and granted 

her first place 

in the state championship. 

“It was really exciting, 

ing wrestlers, freshmen 

Dylan Blackford and Collin 

Strickland are the new upcoming 

talent. 

Not only is Christenson 

excited for this season, he 

also has many goals set 

in mind for the team to 

achieve. 

“We try to focus on the 

things we can control and 

get better daily,” Christenson 

said. “We want to increase 

physical fitness and 

have good sportsmanship. 

We also want to win another 

conference title.” 

Along with his coach, 

I couldn’t believe it,” Williams 

said. “I was overjoyed.” 

S o p h o - 

more Rylee 

Ames and 

Kasey’s twin 

sister Kelsey 

W i l l i a m s 

were the other 

two divers 

to qualify. 

Ames ended 

up 21 st and 

Kelsey finished 

23 rd , 

out of 36 

competing girls. 

“I think it’s really cool 

Hawks’ streak comes to an end 

AUSTIN VIGGERS 

Assistant Sports Editor 

9-0 for the first time in 

school history. Not bad for 

a team that almost lost to 

UNI. 

I know 

that none 

of us have 

really been 

big fans of 

Stanzi. 

But when 

he went 

out and we put Vandenberg 

in during that Northwestern 

game all of us knew 

we were screwed after that 

first pass. 

Any freshman that 

hadn’t had any playing 

time would have been 

freaking out at that moment. 

He just wasn’t ready for 

that kind of pressure. 

He sure proved us 

wrong in that Ohio State 

game. He played like a true 

starter for a ranked team. 

I think we have a lot to 

look forward to in the next 

couple years, if he can take 

Stanzi’s spot as starter next 

year. 

We have two amazing 

freshman running backs, 

too. We are going to have a 

deadly offensive unit playing 

for us, especially with 

the way Wegher stepped up 

his game when Robinson 

got injured. 

I also have to give a 

shout-out to our wide 

receivers, Darrell Johnson- 

Koulianos and Marvin 

McNutt. They’re the only 

19 

Senior Tyler German and sophomore drew Stewart 

tussle during wrestling practice. Megan Quick photo. 

girls’ basketball starts season with Johnson 

JENNIFER VOYCE 

Copy Editor 

After 13 years of playing 

the sport, senior Brooke 

Michael got on the basketball 

court with a new head 

coach this season. 

Former girls’ basketball 

head coach Adam DeJoode 

gave up his position during 

the summer to take a 

coaching job at University 

of Northern Iowa after 

coaching here since 2006, 

according to unipanthers. 

com. 

The girls’ basketball 

team will have to adapt 

to not having DeJoode’s 

style and how he made the 

Clark also has some goals 

set out as well. 

“I want to do just as good 

or better at state duals,” 

Clark said. “I want to win 

state again and work hard 

all year.” 

McBroom wants to 

achieve greatness this season 

as well. 

“I want a state championship 

both for myself and 

the team,” McBroom said. 

“I just have to work harder 

than everyone else to get 

better.” 

He says the school’s 

reputation shows what the 

that I made it. Kasey winning 

was just icing on the 

cake,” Ames said. 

The girls do 11 dives at 

state, compared to six dives 

in a regular meet. 

Parton’s strategy for the 

girls was deciding each 

girl’s 11 dives list early. 

They didn’t change these 

lists and kept continuing to 

work on those dives in order 

to be ready. 

William’s gymnastics 

experience contributes to 

her ability to be a talented 

diver. 

She started gymnastics at 

age five and, although she 

Rams are capable of doing; 

it has been proven before, 

they just have to continue 

to work hard. 

“The performance as- 

doesn’t compete any more, 

she still coaches gymnastics 

to all age groups. 

“During the season she 

became more confident in 

her ability,” Parton said. 

“She has no fear; she’s 

extremely focused, mentally 

tough and a such hard 

worker.” 

This year was about 

building a base for the diving 

program. The school 

hasn’t had a team for 10 

years because the pool was 

too shallow. 

It was a landmark day 

for the team, especially the 

three qualifying girls who 

pects are out there, but we 

just want to get better as a 

team,” Christenson said. 

Their first meet is here 

Dec. 3 against East. 

went to state for the first 

time in the school’s history. 

With five of the six team 

members returning next 

year including all three 

state qualifiers, Parton says 

she’s looking to do even 

better things next year. 

“This year was about 

learning how to dive. Next 

year will be about getting 

better,” Williams said. 

“It’s really exciting and 

something to look forward 

to,” teammate junior Kylie 

Rabe said. “Almost all the 

same girls will return and 

we’ll just build our friendship 

even more.” 

reason Stanzi looked so 

good. 

For a while, all of us 

Iowa fans were hoping for 

a Rose Bowl or national 

championship game in 

January. 

After the two losses, 

those dreams were 

crushed. 

Maybe if we wouldn’t 

have had those key injuries 

we could have gone undefeated 

and won a national 

championship. 

There’s always next year. Junior Kasey Williams makes her approach before a dive. Whitney Stewart photo. 

team work hard, but they 

are looking forward to the 

season with their new head 

coach, Brad Johnson. 

Johnson is currently a 

math teacher at the junior 

high. 

He’s previously coached 

at Rockwell-Swaledale 

High School for 11 years 

as the head coach for boys’ 

basketball. 

This year will be Johnson’s 

first year coaching 

girls’ basketball. 

Johnson had worked as 

an assistant coach with the 

girls throughout the summer 

while DeJoode was 

still working here. 

After DeJoode decided 

to resign from his job here, 

Johnson was offered the 

opportunity to become the 

interim coach for the girls 

for at least one year. 

Both Michael and Johnson 

are looking forward 

to how much progress the 

team will make this year. 

The team is very young 

with only four seniors and 

three juniors playing, according 

to Johnson. 

“Practice isn’t going to be 

as dreaded this year,” Michael 

says. From Michael’s 

perspective, Johnson is not 

as strict as DeJoode. 

“We are trying to do 

things that they can control,” 

Johnson said about 

his coaching methods. 

They are working on being 

competitive and communication. 

The girls will be focusing 

on the fast break system so 

they can get to the basket 

quickly. 

Johnson’s first impressions 

of the girls were that 

they are hard workers and 

they all get along with each 

other very well. 

This makes the practicing 

atmosphere more enjoyable. 

Their next game is this 

Friday in Mason City.

Rampage 


Performers flaunt local talents in club show 

Freshman Corrina Slings 

(above) and sophomore 

Stephanie Scott (below) 

croon to the tunes of “if i 

Were to Write the Song” 

and “Almost Lover,” respectively. 

Freshman Jessica Strable 

(below left) sings to 

the audience about “The 

Trouble of Love” during 

the Speech Team’s 

“Southeast Polk’s Got 

Talent” show Thursday, 

nov. 12, in the auditorium. 

Juniors Jessica 

Woodward and Brett 

Gregory (below right) 

make an “Offering” their 

selection for a duet. All 

photos by Claudia diaz. 

Freshmen Allie Kerper, Sydney Houde, Jordan 

Beem and Matt Curry (above) tear it up on a 

song called “Lucky.” Channeling Beyonce’s 

best moves, junior Logan Olson (left) does a 

crowd-pleasing rendition of “Single Ladies.” 

Junior Rose Kirby (above) presents the song 

“Made to Worship” in sign language. Holding 

up signs to promote their favorite acts, freshmen 

Bethany Fischer and Kalen Stapp (below) 

boost the night’s excitement levels. 

Strumming her guitar 

named “Fred,” sophomore 

Maddie Arington 

sings “Fault Line.” 

With a quick warm-up 

of the crowd, senior 

evan Hay introduces 

the acts as emcee. 

A freestyle break-beat scratching act fires 

up the crowd, courtesy of junior Michael Porter 

(above). Freshman Sydney Holland (below) 

pulls off a perfect extension as she performs a 

dance to “Fame.” 

Sophomore Max Bricker (left) busts out some 

unicycle stunts to the tune “i Gotta Feeling.” 

english teachers emma Hantelmann, Julene 

Felice and Mark Sulzer (above) sing “Secure 

Yourself.”

November - Central Place - Southeast Polk Community School District

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