November - Southeast Polk Community School District

southeast polk high school 

rampage 

vol.40.issue4 

briefs 

Marathon delayed 

The annual Key Club Dance 

Marathon has been postponed to 

spring. 

“With Mike Johnson stepping 

down as the adviser of 

Key Club this year, the Dance 

Marathon will be changed to 

the spring,” new adviser Mark 

Aalderks said. 

“I would have liked to have 

kept it in the fall, but too many 

things were going on. We have 

no specific date set yet,” 

Aalderks said. “First we must 

meet with the event coordinator 

about possible dates for 

the event. We are still preparing 

for the marathon by contacting 

organizations to help 

focus resources and lining up 

entertainment.” 

Aalderks added that the 

move will allow new things to 

be added to the activities such 

as inflatables to keep participants 

awake through the marathon. 

Band takes fourth 

The Marching Rams competed 

in their first competition 

ever in October and placed 

fourth. 

“I think for it being the first 

time the band has gone out and 

competed, they did a wonderful 

job,” director Dan Stecker 

said. 

“To have all those professionals 

watch us and tell us we 

did a great job is very uplifting,” 

director Jacqui Meunier 

said. 

Members of the band also 

played at the grand opening 

of the Target store in Altoona 

on Oct. 5. The band program 

received $1,500 from Target for 

their performance. 

“I think for a volunteer band, 

we had a great turn out. The 

kids just had a great time, and 

it’s good to get out there and 

show what we can do,” 

Stecker said. 

Fall blood drive 

set for next Wed. 

Volunteer donors are still 

needed for the fall blood drive 

which is scheduled for next 

Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 2 

p.m. in the west gym lobby. 

To donate, you must be 18 

(16 or 17 with parental permission) 

and in good health. Contact 

counselor Connie Dawson 

to set an appointment. 

inside 

this 

8325n.e.university.ave.runnells.ia.50237 

Rare season 

comes 

to a close 

Ram football scored a win over 

Ottumwa in the first playoff 

game, but fell to Valley in the second. 

The team provided a unifying 

focus for the community and a 

chance to commemorate the undefeated 

team from 1973. Pep assemblies 

celebrated the winning 

season and the coveted trip to 

the playoffs. 

Sophomore quarterback 

Nate Snead (right) takes the 

snap from senior center Jerry 

Kyle as senior Jesse Bryan 

protects the line during the Nov. 

8 game against Valley. Seniors 

Leslie Pohren, Kendra Prohaska, 

Victoria Hollister and 

junior Alisha Knowler (bottom 

left) cheer in the closing minutes 

of the Valley game first 

half. Cleats (bottom right) hang 

from the SEP goal after the final 

game. Some seniors left 

their shoes on the Valley 50yard 

line after the game, symbolizing 

the senior’s last game. 

Sara Stewart, Jennifer Brault, 

K.C. Claussen photos. 

It’s the cat’s MEOW 

Freshman Kindra Hook and her feline friend take the stage in “ I 

Remember Mama,” the fall play presented last Friday and Saturday 

by the Drama Department. Kyle Sanford photo. 

Musicians 

head to All- 

State this 

weekend 

MTV’s ‘Stew’ 

presents tasty 

offerings on 

Sundays 

Drivers pulled over 

in traffic project 

SARA STEWART 

Student’s wallets are smarting 

and after many were ticketed for 

driving violations in a recent traffic 

law enforcement project near 

the school. 

“We were receiving calls from 

people in the community about 

students’ driving along I-80 and 

highways 65 and 163, so extra 

patrols including Polk County 

Sheriff’s Office, the Pleasant Hill 

Police Department and the 

Altoona Police Department were 

placed around the area,” Julie 

Prater, school resource officer, 

said. 

With the number of traffic accidents 

involving teenagers increasing 

within the past couple 

of months, more watchful eyes 

have been directed upon teen 

driving in the area. Higher 

speeds permitted near the 

school cause more concern than 

around city schools. 

The patrols were announced 

to students over the intercom in 

advance by principal Chuck 

issue 2 5 7 

november172004 

Testing upgrades 

kids’ 

academic 

focus 

Bredlow. He explained that law 

enforcement officials would be 

monitoring speed and other 

safety issues like seat belt and 

stop sign/signal violations. Patrols 

were to be conducted both 

before and after school on roadways 

throughout the district. 

Local media outlets even announced 

the plans to parents 

and the community. 

“Southeast Polk is not the only 

place that these things happen; 

we do this type of monitoring 

traffic everywhere,” Prater said. 

“The extra patrols are not out 

here to see how many tickets 

they could write, but to make 

drivers more aware of their own 

driving. 

“We accomplished a lot, not 

only with students but also 

adults driving in the area,” Prater 

added. 

Although the first two patrols 

were announced, Prater said officials 

will be monitoring the area 

continually and without warning 

in upcoming weeks. 

>

2 rampage 

3311 Adventureland Drive 

Altoona 

n e w s november172004 

Mock election big success for students 

KRYSTAL NELSON 

President George Bush won 

the mock election conducted 

both here and nationally Oct. 26, 

mirroring the national results to 

come later. 

“Studies show that students 

who participate in politics at a 

younger age are more likely to 

participate in elections when 

they can vote,” social studies 

teacher Grant Schmidt said. 

Students voted in a mock election 

in Room 120 at computer 

polls which were open all day. 

Students who had registered 

during lunch the previous week 

were welcomed into a red-whiteand-blue-decorated 

room, where 

students helped run the mock 

balloting. 

“We tried to make it as real as 

possible,” economics teacher 

Mike Johnson said. “A lot of students 

will be voting for the first 

time and they don’t know what 

to expect when they go to vote.” 

A national program called 

Youth Leadership Initiative 

Mock Election at youthleadership.net 

was used to set up the 

ballot system, according to 

Schmidt. 

Nationally, 100 schools participated 

in mock elections through 

this program and the national results 

showed that Bush receiv- 

French win 

‘war’ after 

two tries 

NIKKI PETERS 

The French and the Spanish 

clubs mix it up every year, but 

who won the war? 

Teachers leading the French 

Club were Diane Larson and 

Janelle Lamb and heading up the 

Spanish students were 

Meghann Puffer, Karla Jensen 

and Mary Johnson. 

The French served cookies, 

French bread with Alouette (a 

garlic and herb cheese spread) 

and the Spanish served crispitos 

with cheese and salsa. 

Students played games such 

as relays, a balloon game, an egg 

and spoon race, hula-hoops, tug 

of war, dance and clothing, Eiffel 

Tower and French kiss. 

French kiss is where six guys 

from each team put on lipstick 

ed 51 percent of the vote with 

Senator John Kerry receiving 45 

percent. 

The final total votes for the 

school were announced on Oct. 

29 with Bush receiving 51 percent 

of the vote and Kerry receiving 

43 percent, according to social 

studies teacher Bob Knipp. 

A total of 651 students voted; 

344 went for Bush, 293 for Kerry, 

two for Micheal Badnarik, one 

for James Harris and David Cobb 

and there were 10 votes for candidates 

that were written in, 

Schmidt said. 

Students also voted in the U.S. 

Representative race in which 

Democrat Leonard Boswell led 

with 53 percent of the vote and 

Republican Stan Thompson had 

45 percent. 

In the U.S. Senate contest, Republican 

Chuck Grassley received 

73 percent while Democrat 

Arthur Small received 20 percent 

of the vote. 

“We thought it would be cool 

to see how our school voted,” 

Schmidt said. “About one half of 

the students here voted; that is 

a little better than what it is nationally.” 

“I think it gave us the experience 

of a real election, so the 

mock election was a good thing,” 

junior Kirby Norris said. 

Senior Sam Grett, president of the French Club, leads the way in 

the Tug of War competition. Senior Jessica Wahlert and sophomore 

Meaghan Wahlert take up the slack. K.C. Claussen photo. 

and spin around in a circle, then 

try to kiss a poster blindfolded. 

“I came for crispitos and fun; 

that’s it,” junior Steven Henn 

said. 

“Crispitos, fun and to meet 

new people; that’s why I came,” 

junior Michael Karrett said. 

Poll workers man the check-in desk at the mock voting Oct. 26. Results were announced Oct. 29 

and closely followed the actual election results. Kyle Sanford photo. 

“(I went for) Kerry,” freshman 

Daniel Steenhoek said, “because 

my family is voting for him.” 

“I voted for Kerry because I 

agree more with his views, but in 

a way because I am more against 

Bush,” senior Brian O’Connor 

said. 

“I came because I want to beat 

some French butt,” freshman 

Jasen Oelmann said. 

“I came for the fun and free 

food,” sophomore Renee Koestler 

said. 

The French Club prevailed, 

ending a two-year Spanish run. 

Welcome, 

Disciple, 

Serve 

“I voted for Bush because my 

grandpa lost his farm because of 

the death tax and Bush wants to 

get rid of it,” freshman Kevin 

Anderson said. 

“Bush,” freshman Kelly Stockton 

said, “mainly because he is 

against abortion.” 

compiled by LAUREN DAWSON 

*Police in Honduras arrested three teenagers who were playing 

football with a human skull. They stole the skull from a grave 

after attending a funeral at a local cemetery. The youths, two 15year-olds 

and an 18-year-old, face charges for desecrating a tomb. 

(crazynews.net) 

*A Brazilian MP wrote a law banning people from giving their 

pets “human” names. Pastor Reinaldo says it’s embarrassing for 

people to find they have the same name as a pet. Under this law, 

people who give their animals human names could be fined and 

ordered to carry out community service. (davesdaily.com) 

*A woman in London was fined for registering her cows as 

voters. This is the second time the incident has happened. Last 

year, she registered her two cows as Henry and Sophie Bull and 

also her dog as Jake Woofles. She indicated that her address was 

split into two properties and that she resided in one part and the 

other two lived in the second. The other two were, in fact, her 

cows. She was ordered to pay $276 in fines. (davesdaily.com) 

All-State musicians travel 

to Ames festival this weekend 

AMI SOLINGER 

Six students have achieved the 

highest honor high school music 

has to offer by earning spots 

in All-State groups. 

Seniors, C.J. Vlieger, Chris 

Oakwood 

United Methodist 

Church 

400 N.E. 56th Street 

Pleasant Hill 

262-6007 

“It was a neat thing because 

several departments participated; 

the statistic classes randomly 

questioned students leaving 

the polls, the art classes decorated 

the polling room and social 

studies kids helped work the 

polls,” Schmidt said. 

WEIRD NEWS 

McLellan, Steve Fox and Laura 

Cooper and junior Nate Cook will 

be singing in the All-State Chorus 

Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. in Hilton 

Coliseum in Ames. 

Sophomore Amanda Smith 

qualified to play in the All-State 

Band clarinet section on the same 

program. 

Directors say these students 

have faced months of hard, 

stressful work, but that it paid off 

in the end. 

Before their performances on 

Saturday evening, they will be 

practicing all day at CY Stephens 

on Friday and most of the day 

on Saturday. 

“I’m excited to sing with all the 

different people. I’m glad our 

work paid off. I think it will be a 

good experience,” Cooper said.

feature 

november172004 rampage 3 

Thanksgiving’s calories: Do you really want to know? 

TIFFANY RAYGOR 

By this time in November, planning 

for holidays and meals for 

special occasions are on the 

minds of many. With all of the 

celebrations, it is easy to 

pack on the “seasonal 

seven” or even more 

around the waistline. 

The “seasonal seven” 

is the average weight 

Americans gain between 

Thanksgiving and New 

Year’s Day, according to 

healthology.com. 

When thinking of a 

traditional Thanksgiving 

meal, students here agree 

that there are certain 

must-haves for the event. 

“My favorite food at Thanksgiving 

is my grandma’s green 

beans and Butterball turkey. It’s 

got to be Butterball,” senior Jordan 

Palmer said. 

“We always make Jell-O. I 

could eat that for the whole 

meal,” senior Kari Smith said. 

“I think a traditional Thanksgiving 

meal has turkey, mashed 

potatoes, rolls, green beans, 

stuffing and pie,” sophomore 

Brett Wilken said. 

The traditional Thanksgiving 

meal from appetizer to dessert 

CASEY WEAVER 

Target and Wal-Mart are very 

close to each other geographically, 

but they are quite different 

when shoppers look at their 

prices and the quality of their facilities. 

There are many factors to consider 

when deciding where to 

shop. A person needs to consider 

prices, how friendly the 

people are that work there and 

the condition that the place is in. 

If you are looking for music 

such as a CD like “Nevermind” 

from Nirvana, then it doesn’t 

make a huge different in where 

you shop. At Wal-Mart, the CD 

is $12.89; if you shop at Target 

then you will pay $12.99. 

“I wish I would have known 

about that (the price of the CD) 

when I bought that CD; I could 

have saved myself 10 cents,” 

sophomore Quintin Harrison 

said. 

A few cents isn’t that big of 

deal but if you are looking for 

more expensive items, then you 

might want to shop around. 

You will find more differences 

if you would like to buy a pair of 

pleated pants to wear to work or 

some event. 

If you are a Wal-Mart shopper, 

then you will pay approximately 

$15. At Target they don’t 

have the same brands of pants 

but if you want to buy a pair of 

pants from there then you will 

pay around $20. 

The “Van Helsing” movie is 

approximately the same with 

there being just a three-cent difference 

between Target and Wal- 

contains an average of 2,147 calories 

and 135.7 grams total fat, according 

to clevlandclinic.org. 

Dietingtips.com does offer 

some pointers to avoid major 

Cutting calories can be easier than you think 

weight gain during the holiday 

season: 

1. Try to eat something before 

you eat the main meal. Waiting 

for the big bird to get done can 

make you overeat while you wait. 

2. Think of other ways to celebrate 

throughout the day than 

just relying on the food. 

3. Bring at least one healthy 

thing to dinner, something like a 

fruit salad or vegetables. 

There are also ways to modify 

the traditional recipes. Stuffing 

has lots of calories if it’s made in 

the traditional fashion in which 

butter is added, according to 

globalrph.com. Replacing butter 

with chicken broth can cut back 

both fat and calories. 

The average number of calories 

for a one-cup serving 

of stuffing is about 

400 calories. You can 

make stuffing by replacing 

sausage and nuts 

with vegetables. 

Most of the calories 

consumed at Thanksgiving 

are through deserts 

like pie, globalrph.com 

said. The crust contains 

most of the calories so 

having only a one-layer 

crust will cut the calories 

in half. Clevelandclinc.com compares 

the traditional foods to a 

suggested version to cut the 

calories in half: 

—Appetizer: A traditional appetizer 

for Thanksgiving is two 

ounces of cheese and eight 

crackers. It contains 294 calories 

and 21.4 grams of fat. Replace 

with fruit kabobs which have only 

35 calories. 

—Turkey: Three ounces of white 

and dark meat with the skin contains 

254 calories and 20 grams 

of fat. An alternative is to eat the 

turkey without the skin and stay 

Quick-check: Walmart prices lower, 

Target boasts cleaner facilities 

Mart ($19.96 v. $9.99). Aussie 

shampoo is $2.89 at either store. 

“I normally go to Wal-Mart, 

mainly because I haven’t gone 

to Target yet,” senior Ryan 

Meeks said. 

For some folks, their love for 

Target stems from their caffeine 

addiction. 

“I love Starbucks,” sophomore 

Chelsey Kisner said. She used to 

go to Wal-Mart but ever since 

Target opened she finds herself 

there more and more. 

For some people, the fact that 

Target is newer and in general 

cleaner than Wal-Mart has them 

hooked. 

Sophomore Jon Sweeney said 

that he goes to Wal-Mart because 

it is cleaner there and because 

he likes it better. 

On Oct. 25, a check of the 

restroom facilities showed that 

Wal-Mart was not up to par. 

There was paper strung all over 

the floor in the handicap stall. On 

the urinal handle there were 

stains from an unknown source. 

The mirrors were somewhat 

streaked, but the floor was 

mopped and appeared quite 

clean. 

That same day, the bathrooms 

at Target were quite the opposite. 

The mirrors were washed 

and had no streaks. The floor of 

the stalls were spotless. 

There didn’t appear to be any 

graffiti on the bathroom stalls and 

the sinks were in pristine condition. 

The urinals appeared to 

have just been washed and were 

exceptionally clean. 

One disclaimer here: it did 

work in Target’s favor that th 

store had open approximatel 

two weeks before this visit 

whereas Wal-Mart has been 

open for years. 

On Oct. 25, the checkout lines 

in both stores were superb. The 

checkout ladies both were courteous 

saying, “Did you find everything 

okay?” 

The process was quick and 

painless and the “checkout competition” 

was basically a draw. 

Altoona Family Care Center 

1504 8th St., SW • 967-0133 

Stanton Danielson, M.D. • Stephen DeVore, D.O. 

Scott Meyer, P.A.-C. • Debra Sixta, M.D. 

with white meat only to only consume 

128 calories. 

—Mashed Potatoes: A version 

of mashed potatoes made with 

butter and milk has 204 calories 

and the gravy has 129 calories. 

An alternative recipe is cream 

cheese whipped potatoes with 

only 136 calories from potatoes 

and 15 from lighter gravy. 

—Stuffing: Cornbread stuffing 

has 358 calories. Trying an herb 

and apple stuffing would have 

251 less calories than the traditional 

cornbread stuffing. 

—Glazed Sweet Potatoes: Sweet 

potatoes made with butter and 

brown sugar have 369 calories 

ANDREW FISCHER 

Changing schools is often a 

difficult and challenging time of 

a person’s life. Just the thought 

of being a stranger in a building 

alone can bring chills. 

Not for one man though. This 

man’s name is Howie Michaels. 

Howie Michaels was born in 

Marion to Dorothy Ann 

Michaels, but things turned for 

the worse right after his birth. 

His father abandoned him and 

his mother in a van down by the 

North Iowa River outside Marion 

one week after his birth. 

Because of the absence of a 

father figure in his life, Michaels 

quickly turned to the grandfather 

on his mother’s side, Michael 

Michaels. 

While Michaels was in elementary 

school at Linn-Mar, he 

quickly became friends with 

movie star Ashton Kutcher. 

Michaels and Kutcher became 

close friends and when Kutcher 

moved in junior high, Michaels 

felt like a part of him was gone as 

well. 

Michaels arrived here during 

September and quickly adjusted 

to his new surroundings. 

He became involved in many 

hobbies around the area including 

spelunking, urban kayaking, 

interpretive dance and Parcheesi. 

He even participated in the National 

Scrabble Tournament, but 

was disqualified for hiding Xs up 

his sleeve. 

“One time I heard that Howie 

Michaels was seen deadlifting 

500 pounds during P.E. in the 

weight room,” junior T.J. Kerger 

said. 

When Michaels isn’t driving 

and contains 23 grams from fat. 

A different recipe is with a butter- 

and orange-brown sugar 

glaze. It contains 172 calories and 

only 4.5 grams of fat. 

—Green Beans: Made with 

cream of mushroom soup and 

French fried onions, green beans 

can have 240 calories. Green 

beans with a lemon Dijon sauce 

have a minimal 43 calories. 

—Pumpkin Pie: A recipe from the 

back of a can with whipped cream 

contains 300 calories. Pumpkin 

pie made with a whipped topping 

and less crust can have 50 percent 

fewer calories less than the 

traditional version. 

Howie Michaels takes place 

of honor in student body 

around in his red Geo Metro he 

enjoys playing various instruments 

including the triangle, the 

oboe and the bassoon in the Des 

Moines Symphony. 

Some of Howie Michaels’ favorites 

include the following: 

> Movie—“Gigli” because Ben 

Affleck is his favorite actor. 

> T.V. show—“Punk’d” because 

of Ashton Kutcher. 

> T.V. characters—Bob Barker 

and Ken Jennings because they 

are both robots. 

> Color—off-white 

> Vacation—tour of Nebraska 

state monuments and 

Disneyland. 

> Music/Group—”Eye of the Tiger,” 

Milli Vanilli and Lil’ Jon and 

the Eastside Boys. 

> Sport—Soccer 

> Saying—“Never try and you’ll 

never be disappointed.” 

> Pair of shoes—black galoshes 

with racing stripes. 

> Hero—Ted Kennedy and Jim 

“Hacksaw” Duggan 

> Restaurant—Long John Silvers 

> Season—fall, it’s when school 

starts. 

> Sports team—Yankees and 

wherever there is space on the 

bandwagon. 

> Food—apples. 

One final comment about 

Howie Michaels from juniors 

Robby Romero, Andrew Mc- 

Grean and Ryan Ingram: 

“To whom it may concern: 

Howie Michaels is not a real person. 

It was all propaganda created 

by three very bored students 

in chemistry class. We hope no 

feelings or lives were lost in this 

confusion. We approved this 

message.” 

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4 rampage 

JENNIFER BRAULT 

For centuries, the differences between 

men and women were socially defined and 

distorted through a lens of sexism in which 

men assumed superiority over women and 

maintained that status 

through domination. 

Then came the 

suffrage movement 

and the equal rights 

movement in 

America and things 

began to change, 

both in the culture 

and in peoples’ 

minds. 

As the goal of 

equality between 

the two sexes grew 

closer together, we 

began to lose our 

awareness of the important differences 

men and women have. 

Discovering what truly exists within a 

man and a woman in all aspects is extremely 

important. 

Men and women are equal but very different. 

Equal, meaning that both have the 

right to equal opportunities and protection 

under the law, according to 

oregoncounciling.com. 

Observation proves men and women 

ASHLEY CARICO 

In just a few days, school will 

be out for a very important holiday, 

Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving 

only comes once a year and 

it seems we all 

eat as if there 

will never be another 

one. 

People like to 

gather around 

the table with 

their friends and 

family to eat all 

the food that’s 

been prepared 

after hours and 

hours of work. It 

doesn’t, however, 

take long to 

get full. 

“The best thing about Thanksgiving 

food is the hot rolls that 

come right out of the oven,” 

sophomore Carly Evans said. 

Some people love Thanksgiving 

because they get to eat a lot 

of that great Thanksgiving dinner. 

It is a great holiday to stuff 

yourself. 

“When the stuffing comes out 

of the oven, that is the first thing 

I eat,” freshman Katie Bredlow 

said. 

“The best thing about Thanks- 

BEING THERE 

feature november172004 

Not so obvious? The differences between men, women 

giving is the big hot juicy turkey,” 

junior Jim Aldrich said. 

No question: When you think 

of Thanksgiving, turkey comes 

to mind. Thanks to the Pilgrims’ 

cooperation with the Native 

Americans, we just can’t get 

enough of the old bird. But 

people claim you also can never 

have enough of one other thing: 

mashed potatoes. 

“I love mashed potatoes; they 

are the best Thanksgiving food 

are different, both psychologically and 

physically. 

The physical differences between the 

two sexes are rather obvious and most 

can either be seen or measured. These differences 

provide 

functional advantages 

and have survival 

value. Men 

usually have greater 

upper body strength, 

build muscle easier, 

have thicker skin, 

bruise less easily 

and have a lower 

threshold awareness 

level, according to 

google.com. 

“Men have a lot 

more testosterone 

than women,” senior 

Jeff Mundell said. 

Men are built for physical confrontation 

and the use of force. A man’s skull is 

almost always thicker and stronger that a 

woman’s. 

Men have an anatomical difference in 

strength that involves high speed activities 

and reckless behavior. Men invented 

the game “chicken,” not women, according 

to google.com. 

Women, however, have four times as 

ever and that is all I eat,” junior 

Charlie Allen said. 

People even have their special 

ways of downing those goodies. 

“I like to cut up my turkey and 

mixed it up 

with mashed 

potatoes; that 

is really 

good,” sophomore 

Kaylie 

Baetsle said. 

And most 

people save 

the best thing 

for last and 

that would be 

the dessert. 

“The best 

dessert is 

French Silk pie 

after my Thanksgiving dinner,” 

sophomore Heather Warren said. 

many brain cells connecting the right side 

of their brain to the left side of their brain. 

This physical evidence proves and supports 

that men rely more heavily of their 

left brain and women use both sides of 

their brain when encountering new and 

puzzling situations. 

Men and women can reach similar decisions 

and conclusions; the process, however, 

is quite different in many cases. There 

are no absolutes, just tendencies. 

“Guys are known to have huge egos 

that they don’t know 

what to do with,” senior 

Ryan Bannor 

said. 

Women tend to be 

intuitive global 

thinkers. They take a 

broad perspective 

and consider problems 

all at once, according 

to oregoncounciling.com. 

Women are prone to 

become overwhelmed 

with complexities 

and most women usually have 

difficultly separating their personal experience 

with problems. 

Men understand and consider the problems 

one piece at a time. Men are prone to 

Holiday memories of food, family last a lifetime 

It really bites to be the big bird 

on this particular holiday! 

HOLIDAY MEMORIES 

by HEATHER WARREN 

Everyone has a favorite 

Thanksgiving memory. Playing 

football and jokes on grandpa are 

just some. 

“I remember going to the movies 

after eating dinner. We usually 

see Christmas movies, but we 

went to a scary movie and my 

little brother got scared and had 

my mom take him home,” junior 

Megan Oppenheim said. 

“Best memory...plugging my 

Grandpa’s nose after he fell 

asleep during the football game 

to wake him up,” sophomore 

Alyssa Wimber said. 

“Watching the Dallas Cowboys 

play in their big game and 

hoping that they win is always 

great,” junior Chole Casber said. 

Food is one of the things 

around the memories are centered. 

“We always eat a wonderful 

Thanksgiving dinner followed by 

a nice game of two-hand touch 

football with the family followed 

by watching the football game 

and eating dessert.” 

“My family always plays football 

while the food is cooking and 

then we all go to the kitchen to 

dive in,” junior Lacey Shulte 

said. It seems from football to 

food, no one can get enough. 

“I can remember going down 

to my grandparents’ house for 

the food, but we ended up in the 

E.R. because my brother got bit 

by their dog. Also I went hunting 

with my dad, uncle and 

cousin. We had a great time even 

though I didn’t get a dang thing,” 

junior Austin Henry said. 

minimize and fail to appreciate different 

objectives that can be crucial to successful 

solutions. 

Women have strong emotional components. 

They can recall events and experiences 

very easy. 

“Women spend their time doing their 

hair for an hour; men spend about two 

minutes. It’s ridiculous” sophomore Kevin 

Leffler said. 

Men are associated with competition. 

Things with some type of physical activity 

are recalled much 

easier. Women have 

an enhanced physical 

alarm response to 

danger or threat. 

Both men and 

women, have predictable 

levels of testosterone 

that directly 

affect the aggressive 

response 

and behavior that 

centers the brain. 

If men and women 

accept their differences, 

compromise whenever possible and 

consider each others’ feelings, then both 

genders will be able to appreciate each 

other in a new way that doesn’t seem possible. 

“Spending time with my family 

at my house, after eating the 

big dinner,” sophomore Casi 

Guldner said. 

“My best Thanksgiving 

memories are spending quality 

time with my mom and making the 

family dinner,” senior Danielle 

Baker said. 

“I remember when my little 

brother and sister got into a huge 

fight over who was going to get 

the last piece of pumpkin pie that 

they still weren’t talking for three 

days after that. It was a real quiet 

weekend. I miss those times.” 

junior Bergan Ross said. 

Thanksgiving brings back old 

memories creates new and shows 

you everything you should be 

thankful for. Have a good thanksgiving 

and create new and lasting 

memories.

feature 


MTV’s ‘Sunday Night Stew’ returns with many goodies 

JOSH WILHITE 

Finally, the Sunday Night Stew. Back for our viewing 

enjoyment are brand new episodes of “Viva La Bam,” 

“Pimp My Ride” and a brand new show, “You’ve Got a 

Friend.” 

You’ve seen Bam “blow up” his family’s house, bring 

an elephant to the front lawn and push his parents’ fastforward 

into old age and grey hair. Somehow, Bam’s parents 

have survived his stunts (and the assists from his 

motley crew consisting of fools like Raab Himself and 

Compton-Ass Terry). 

EPISODE 209 

On Saturday morning at Castle Bam, Ryan and Bam 

pick up the mail at the mailbox. As Bam gathers his mail, 

the box collapses to the ground. Suddenly, Bam gets an 

idea to turn his driveway into a driveway skate park. 

Resident carpenter and ramp building expert, Tim Glomb, 

is put on the job to build Bam’s skateboarding vision. 

While Glomb is busy building the skate park’s walls, Bam 

takes the family out to Los Angeles to find Hollywood 

flair. Bam’s plan is to decorate the skate park with objects 

collected from celebrities. Bam travels around Hollywood 

•9-2 football team 

•Football playoffs 

•New toilet paper 

•Thanksgiving break 

•Early dismissal 

•23 school days ‘til winter break 

•Mock election 

paying visits to Jack Osbourne, Tommy Lee, Dave Grohl 

and N.E.R.D. Bam collects a smashed watch from Jack, a 

pair of drumsticks and a snare drum from Tommy Lee, a 

belt from Dave Grohl and an autographed trucker cap 

from N.E.R.D. 

YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND 

A wise man once said: where there are friends, there 

is wealth. But what if the only thing standing between 

you and a chunk of “cheese” is an annoying jerk that 

you have to pass off as your new best buddy to family 

and friends? 

That’s the hilarious premise behind MTV’s “You’ve 

Got a Friend,” the new hidden camera prank show from 

Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg. If contestants are 

able to last a full 48 hours with their new obnoxious friend 

without admitting the truth to anyone, they’ll win $15,000 

EPISODE ONE 

Jayson is a 21-year-old aspiring actor. His life was going 

smoothly until he decided to try his luck for $15,000 

dollars. Jayson’s new “best friend,” Jack, is going to 

make his life a living hell. 

Jack first enters Jayson’s life when he is having lunch 

• Parking lot cameras not 

working 

• No more football games 

• Freezing/boiling classrooms 

• Winter coming up 

• 40-year-old lockers 

• More car accidents 

• Cafeteria too crowded 

• Getting the flu 

NIKKI PETERS 

The dating life or the single 

existence. Why do students 

choose one over the other? 

Students and adults alike have 

opinions as to what works and 

what doesn’t when it comes to 

relationships. Are couples too 

with his girlfriend, Michelle, and another female friend. 

Jack regales the two real friends with extremely embarrassing 

and (completely made-up) stories about Jayson’s 

youth. Jayson plays along (remember he’s got to in order 

to win the cash) as Jack turns up the gross-out factor. 

Eventually, Jack gets Jayson to eat a booger off his 

finger. When Jayson leaves for the bathroom, Jack tells 

Michelle that Jayson had multiple threesomes and he is 

unfaithful. Michelle is understandably shocked to hear 

such information about her beau. When Jayson returns, 

Jack quickly grabs him and drives him off in a beat-up 

Volvo. Michelle tries to call Jayson while the two men are 

driving away, but Jack doesn’t allow him to answer. 

Michelle and her friend are stuck with the bill at the restaurant. 

PIMP MY RIDE 

Last season, Xzibit and the West Coast Customs crew 

turned hoopties into tricked-out pimp-mobiles. This season, 

the guys are transforming more rides and more 

lives. As usual, Xzibit will be pulling drivers off the road 

who are guilty of committing heinous vehicular style 

crimes and giving their wheels a pimp-over. 

Knowing tendencies helps both leaders, followers 

AMI SOLINGER 

There are two types of people 

in today’s world, leaders and followers. 

Leadership and followership 

not only affect children and 

teenagers, but also adults. Basically, 

it affects all humans. 

General Dwight Eisenhower 

recognized leadership as “the art 

of getting someone else to do 

something that you want done 

because he wants to do it.” It is 

having faith in others believing 

that they can create change for 

the better, not just walking beside 

the crowd and doing everything 

they do. 

It’s being different, standing up 

for what you believe in and 

standing out in the crowd. It is 

looking into the talents of each 

individual to bring out their best, 

not just going with the cool 

group because they say it’s the 

“cool thing to do.” 

“I think there may be many 

leaders in our school, but they 

are quiet about their stances,” 

junior Josh Solinger said. “We 

Flashy 

need more people to come out 

and be examples for other people 

to follow.” 

Another requirement of an effective 

leader is the ability to earn 

trust. Otherwise, there will be no 

followers – a leader is someone 

who has followers. To be trusted 

does not always mean you will 

be liked or be popular; it does 

not mean that all will agree with 

you. But people who trust you 

know that you mean what you 

say and that your professed beliefs 

are congruent with your actions. 

They believe that you, as a 

leader, possess something very 

“old-fashioned” called integrity, 

says karinya.com. Trust is not 

based on being clever, but on 

being consistent. Trust is not 

based on character or competence 

alone, but on both combined. 

“I think (senior) Pat Schrodt is 

a leader of our school. He stands 

up for what he believes in and he 

is so involved with volunteering 

and helping people,” junior Holly 

Mohr says. “He is a true leader 

of our school and we should all 

try to be more involved like him.” 

According to the Webster’s 

Dictionary, a follower is a person 

that follows the opinions or 

teachings of another, who tries 

to imitate that certain person. 

There are two types of followers, 

good and bad, says 

tcbsd.org. A bad follower is 

someone who can never have his 

own opinion; in other words, the 

person is wishy-washy. They decide 

they will believe in something 

when the person that they 

Trashy 

look up to at the time believes in 

that certain opinion. 

When the follower gets sick of 

trying to stand out, they will 

move on and find another person 

to put their beliefs in. The 

follower will keep on repeating 

those steps. This type of follower 

is very unstable and is not 

healthy. 

A good follower, on the other 

hand, is someone who does have 

independent opinions, but recognizes 

a need in herself to follow. 

These people are satisfied 

associating with people of like 

minds and don’t feel the need to 

Students choose between single/dating life 

young to get serious? Why do 

people date? Why do some not? 

“I want someone but I don’t 

have a someone,” one girl questioned 

said, “and I don’t want to 

see other people all over theirs; 

that just ticks me off.” 

“You have a boyfriend because 

you like someone and 

that’s just what you do,” junior 

Tanya Piper said. “Having a boy 

friend is better than being single 

because you have someone that 

cares about you.” 

Some students have other priorities 

right now that limits the 

time they could spend together. 

“I am just not interested in having 

a boyfriend right now. My 

relationship with God is important 

in my life, not whether 

‘Bobby’ likes me or not,” senior 

Emily Peters said. “I think being 

single is way better and right now 

Sheridan Park 

Capitol Heights 

United Methodist 

Churches 

4100 E. Sheridan Ave. 

Des Moines 

266-6406 • 278-0856 

sheridnpkumc@earthlink.net 

get out in front of others and 

lead, says elbertwade.com. 

A good follower is always 

there for a person and doesn’t 

care about having the limelight 

on them; they’re okay with taking 

the backseat. Prominent examples 

of these types of people 

are the spouses of celebrities. 

There are clear-cut characteristics 

of positive leaders and followers. 

Young people who have 

concerns about their primary role 

should visit with a counselor to 

examine their personal traits and 

to become more comfortable with 

their natural tendencies. 

is the time for me to figure out 

who I am and what I am supposed 

to be. I’m not going to be 

single forever so why not cherish 

it now?” 

“I’m not really interested in 

anyone, but I like being single 

because there is no one to hassle 

with,” senior Sydney Ault said. 

“I like being single; there’s more 

freedom. It saves me money because 

I don’t have to buy stuff 

for them.” 

Those in relationships often 

say their significant other makes 

them a better person. 

“Having a boyfriend keeps me 

sane and completes my day. I 

think dating is better because it 

makes life better but sometimes 

it makes life hell,” senior Star 

Farner* said. “I think having a 

boyfriend makes me focus more.” 

“I have a boyfriend to have fun 

and, yeah, I think dating is better 

than being single because I have 

that special someone to hang out 

with,” junior Tamara Piper said. 

“Sometimes having a boy riend 

distracts me, though.” 

“I think it depends on the individual 

if they have someone taking 

up their time, but for some 

couples it sure seems like they 

are spending a lot of time together,” 

P.E. teacher Tia Stiles 

said. “I had a boyfriend in high 

school but I don’t think it impacted 

my success.” 

*not a real name

6 rampage 


Standardized testing should be a familiar 

concept to students planning 

to attend college and there are four 

main tests students should consider 

taking including the ACT, SAT, PSAT 

and PLAN tests. 

There are two major college entrance 

exams given in the US today, 

the ACT and SAT, and these tests 

each have their own preliminary exams, 

the PLAN and PSAT. 

ACT 

The ACT is a four-hour test used 

for admissions by colleges and is designed 

to assess high school 

students’ general educational development 

and their ability to complete 

college-level work, according to mapping-your-future.org. 

This test covers 

four areas including math, science, 

English and reading; scores from each 

section of the test are averaged to cre- 

ate a composite score. Beginning in 

February. the ACT will have an optional 

writing section. 

“It’s not something you really want 

to do,” senior Brian O’Connor said, 

“but it is important for college.” 

The highest possible score on the 

ACT is a 36; the national average score 

in 2004 was a 20.9, according to act.org . 

There are a total of 215 questions on 

the ACT exam, with 75 from English, 60 

from math, 40 from reading and 40 from 

science. 

“The ACT is one of the determining 

factors for colleges; it is one of the most 

important tests for college entrance,” 

guidance counselor Judy Goshorn said. 

Goshorn said the ACT is the test that 

most colleges around here accept for 

admission; only around five or six colleges 

in the nation don’t accept it. 

“All students should take the ACT 

twice because they can probably raise 

their score,” guidance counselor Rosemary 

Freel said. 

“The typical times for students to 

take it are in June or April of their junior 

year; the longer students wait to 

take the ACT, the more math and science 

they will have taken,” Freel said. 

“It’s common for students to neglect 

to take it because they are lazy and it 

takes a Saturday.” 

O’Connor has taken the ACT twice 

and says he improved two or three 

points the second time. 

“It’s probably going to be hard,” senior 

Tony Brichetto said. “I don’t really 

plan on studying.” 

SAT 

The SAT I is a three-hour exam used 

for college admission that measures 

verbal and math reasoning skills. 

Scores on each section range from 200- 

800 points. 

The SAT II consists of more than 20 

: Standardized 

subject areas or achievement tests designed 

to measure subject-area knowledge, 

according to mapping-yourfuture.org 

. 

The highest possible score on the 

SAT I is 1600; the national average 

score is 1026, according to 

education.ky.gov. There are a total of 

138 questions on the SAT including 

three English sections with 78 questions 

and two math sections with 60 

questions. 

“The SAT is taken because some 

schools on the east and west coasts 

require the score,” Goshorn said. 

“Also, some companies that give out 

scholarships require an SAT score.” 

Junior Kirby Norris is planning on 

taking the SAT and ACT because she 

is considering going to an East Coast 

or Ivy League college. 

PLAN 

Which test? “I took the PLAN to become a 

JOSH WILHITE 

< 

Differences between ACT, SAT revealed 

LAUREN DAWSON 

Stressful and intimidating are two words 

that come to many students’ minds when 

they begin the process of applying to colleges. 

There are so many deadlines to 

meet, papers to fill out and decisions to 

make. Which standardized test to take is 

one of those decisions that can be a major 

headache. 

The ACT and SAT fulfill the same role 

in the admissions process, although they 

are very different tests. The ACT is usually 

favored by public institutions and 

schools in the Midwest. The SAT is more 

universally popular and favored by 

schools on the East Coast, the West Coast 

and at elite colleges. Recently though, 

many colleges have been accepting either. 

“I took the PSAT and it 

was hard, but I was well 

prepared.” 

—Maribel Lopez, junior 

“I took the SAT II so that I could apply to 

out-of-state colleges. I took three subject area 

tests: writing, math and chemistry.” 

—Joe Carter, senior 

feature november172004 

“I took the ITEDs and I didn’t like the test 

format because it was too long and I get confused 

too easily.” 

—Mitch Hoyt, freshman 

If the college you apply to accepts either 

test, the web site schoolsintheusa.com 

suggests thinking about which 

test overall is a better advantage for you, 

which test you are best prepared for and 

which test you will score the best on. 

Admissions officers and educators say 

the main difference between the two is 

that the ACT is content-based and the 

SAT tests critical thinking and problem 

solving. Many administrators prefer the 

ACT because it tests what most schools 

teach in the classroom. 

“The SAT is much more difficult than 

the ACT,” counselor Connie Dawson said. 

According to act.org, this test measures 

academic achievement in English, 

mathematics (including trigonometry), 

better test taker. It was unlike the 

ITEDs where you get as much 

time as you need; it went really 

fast.” 

—Allison Freel, sophomore 

> 

reading and science reasoning. Questions 

on this test are more straightforward than 

the SAT, but do not appear in order of 

difficulty. 

ACT testing is three hours long and 

has 215 questions, posing a time challenge 

for many students. There is no penalty 

for guessing, so students are advised to 

answer every question. 

According to collegeboard.com, the 

SAT is designed to measure academic aptitude 

in verbal and numeric reasoning. 

The questions are in order of difficulty 

and this test is three hours long with 140 

questions. 

On the SAT, there is a stronger emphasis 

on vocabulary but less on grammar 

and punctuation. This test does not in- 

The PLAN is the pre-A 

taken by sophomores to h 

dents estimate how well they 

on the ACT, according to 

your-future.org. It is used 

source that helps students m 

their current academic devel 

explore career and training 

and make plans for the rem 

years of high school and pos 

ation years. 

“I highly recommend s 

take the PLAN test,” Freel 

is a shortened version of the 

helps students to learn to pac 

selves for the ACT and it al 

a career interest inventory.” 

PSAT 

The PSAT is the prelimin 

that is a two-part exam tha 

similar to the SAT. The PS 

two 25-minute verbal sectio 

ACT test prep fou 

The ACT is America’s most widely-accepted 

college entrance exam. It assesses high school 

students’ general educational development and 

their ability to complete college-level work. 

Before students take the ACT, many of them 

may wish to study for the test, because scores 

may predict whether or not they get into college 

or what scholarships they get. 

“The ACT Companion,” from number2.com, 

is absolutely free and is a complete tutorial to 

help students raise their ACT score. The tutorial 

teaches students how to approach each kind 

of question, lets them practice questions at 

home and monitors their progress. 

When students sign up for the ACT, each 

ACT packet includes a test prep booklet with 

practice questions for each section of the test. 

Practice sessions are offered by the school 

and other organizations. The practice sessions 

are not just a way to test students on each type 

of question, they are an interactive session that 

helps students learn from their mistakes. 

STUDY MATERIALS 

1. Preparing for the ACT (free) 

A booklet available through most high 

clude a science-reasoning part or questions 

about trigonometry. Questions appear 

in order of difficulty but the questions 

are not entirely multiple choice like 

the ACT. There is also a penalty for guessing. 

Senior Kelli Huser is one senior who is 

studying for the SAT because she is applying 

to a school on the East Coast. “I 

want to go to Harvard so I have to take 

the test,” she said. 

When deciding which test to take, the 

main thing suggested by collegeboard.com, 

is to find out which one is 

preferred by the college you are applying 

to. Then talk to counselors and parents to 

help determine which one will best showcase 

your abilities. 

schools and colle 

tion, a complete p 

and a writing pro 

2. ACTive Prep 

The only official 

for the ACT Asse 

of the software co 

3. Getting Into 

An authoritative b

he pre-ACT test 

ores to help stuwell 

they will do 

ding to mapping- 

It is used as a retudents 

measure 

mic development, 

training options 

or the remaining 

l and post-gradu- 

mend students 

t,” Freel said. “It 

ion of the ACT. It 

arn to pace themand 

it also gives 

ventory.” 

preliminary SAT 

exam that is very 

. The PSAT has 

bal sections, two 

feature 


ed tests explained by ‘the experts’ 

25-minute math sections and one 30minute 

writing skills section. Most 

people take the PSAT in the fall of either 

their sophomore or junior year of 

high school, according to mappingyour-future.org. 

Scores on the PSAT 

are used to determine National Merit 

Scholars, students who qualify for 

merit-based scholarships distributed 

throughout the United States. 

“It is good practice for both the ACT 

and SAT,” Goshorn said. “Students 

also have the opportunity their junior 

year to be considered for the National 

Merit Scholars.” 

“It was really early in the morning, 

but it wasn’t too bad. It was just really 

long,” Norris said. 

WHERE, WHEN? 

The SAT test dates are Dec. 4, Jan. 

22, March 12 (new SAT test will be administered 

for the first time), May 7 and 

June 4. The ACT test dates are Dec.12, 

Feb.12 (optional writing test available 

to take for the first time), April 9 and 

June 11. 

The SAT costs $29.50, but in Jan. the 

price will rise to $41.50, according to 

collegeboard.com. The ACT costs $28 

and the ACT plus writing test costs $42. 

Depending on the test date, the SAT 

is administered at few, if any, high 

schools around the Des Moines area. 

In January, the SAT is only offered at 

one Des Moines high school. The ACT 

is offered at many high schools and colleges 

in the Des Moines area, also depending 

on the testing date. In June, 

the ACT is offered here at the high 

school. 

The PSAT is given each year in the 

fall here; this year it was on Oct. 16. The 

PLAN is offered here in the fall also; 

this year the test was Oct. 9. 

Did you know... 

ound through practice sessions, guides, tips 

and colleges—includes test informamplete 

practice test with scoring key 

iting prompt with sample essays. 

Tive Prep 

official electronic test prep program 

CT Assessment. A personal version 

ftware costs $24.95. 

tting Into the ACT 

oritative book featuring two complete 

multiple-choice exams with detailed explanations. 

4. Sample Test Booklets 

Additional complete tests they can use for 

practice. Each sample multiple-choice test 

costs $5.00; sample Writing Test booklet costs 

$2.50 each. 

TIPS FOR TAKING THE ACT 

• Carefully read the instructions 

• Pace yourself—don’t spend too much time on 

a single passage or question. 

• Use a soft lead (No. 2) pencil with a good 

eraser; do not use a mechanical pencil. 

• Answer the easy questions first, then go back 

and answer the more difficult ones. 

• On difficult questions, carefully eliminate as 

many incorrect answers as you can, then make 

an educated guess among those remaining. 

ITEDs provide positive incentives 

SIERRA DOUCH 

During October, students take 

the Iowa Test of Education Development 

(ITED) to measure 

how well the school is doing in 

core areas of the curriculm. 

Though many students dread 

the tests, ITEDs are 

actually very important 

for preparing for 

college entrance 

tests and provide 

positive incentives 

for students who do 

well on them. 

“I don’t know why 

students go on and 

on about taking the 

test, you’re going to 

have to take them so 

just stop whining 

about it. ITEDs are 

important because 

they are a good way 

to help you get ready 

for the ACT and the 

SAT for college. 

Plus you get out of 

class. Who isn’t 

happy about that?” 

sophomore Jaymes 

Savage said. 

Many students 

who take the ITEDs 

notice that the tests 

�The average ACT score at SEP last year 

was 21.3? 

�Males 21.1 

�Females 21.4 

�Last year 195 students took the ACT? 

�This year 51 students took the PLAN 

and 59 took the PSAT? 

�So far this year 4 students have taken 

the SAT? 

are not extremely difficult or 

lengthy. 

The ITEDs’ purpose is to measure 

students’ ability in vocabulary, 

reading comprehension, 

spelling, mathematics, analysis 

of social studies and science ma- 

• Answer every question. Your scores on the 

multiple-choice tests are based on the number 

of questions you answer correctly. There is no 

penalty for guessing. 

• Eat a good breakfast before you take the test. 

• Bring snacks for between tests. 

• Get at least eight hours of sleep the night before 

the test. One of the common complaints of 

test-takers is fatigue during the long session. 

terials. 

“The test takes a while to do 

but it’s good for education, they 

help us in the future when getting 

into colleges,” freshmen 

Nicole Mason said. 

“The test is good because they 

prepare you for the 

ACT,” freshman Dustin 

Hickman said. 

When the students’ 

ITED scores are better 

than the year, before 

they receive a t-shirt. 

If a class receives more 

than 84 percent proficiency, 

they get a day off 

of school. The days are 

one of the three day of 

the wrestling competitions 

or the day before 

spring break. 

“The tests are a drag 

when it actually comes 

to do them but it’s not 

that bad because we get 

out of classes,” junior 

Clarice Schroeder said. 

“You get free food and 

you get to miss about a 

day and a half of school 

while you’re testing,” 

said junior Seth Bass, 

“so ITEDs aren’t really 

all that bad.”

8 rampage 

Senior runner finishes year at state 

sports november172004 

Cason helps pace defense 

TIFFANY RAYGOR Aaron Swigart posted a time of 

Senior Jon Aldrich closed out 17:24 and sophomore Ben Potts 

the boys’ cross country season ran the course in 18 minutes. 

on his own with an 

The four remain- 

appearance in the 

ing Ram runners fin- 

state meet at Ft. 

ished in the same 

Dodge Oct. 30. He 

minute. Only sec- 

placed 64th in the 

onds apart were 

field on a cold, blus- 

freshman Shawn 

tery day. 

Benningsdorf 

Coach Pat Owens 

(18:16), freshman 

says Aldrich earned 

Wes Large (18:32), 

his spot at state with 

junior Dennis Krieger 

a seventh place fin- 

(18:53) and freshman 

ish in the district 

Matt McKibben with 

Jon Aldrich 

meet in Marshall- 

a time of 18:56 sectown 

Oct. 21. 

onds. 

Individual runners placing in “We have a lot of other very 

spots 1-10 qualify for state and good runners that will step up 

the top three teams qualify. The next fall without Jon,” Owens 

squad ended fourth with 105 said. 

points which wasn’t high Still battling injuries on their 

enough to earn a state spot this squad, the girls’ cross country 

year. 

team only had three runners at 

Along with Aldrich, junior the district meet the same place 

and day. Freshman Jenny 

McElree placed 14th. The two 

other runners were both seniors, 

running the last meet of their 

high school career. They both 

had respectable finishes, Coach 

Tom Rosengren said. 

“I wish I could have run at districts. 

This just was not a good 

season for me because I had too 

miss many meets for injuries,” 

junior Paige Harding said. 

Owens announced his team 

awards at the end of the season. 

They included: 

* Top Freshman—Shawn Bennigsdorf 

* Team Morale Award—Dusty 

Nesheim 

* Most Improved Runner—Dennis 

Krieger and Aaron Swigart 

* Hardest Worker—Ben Potts 

* Senior Award—Jon Aldrich 

* Most Valuable Runner—Jon 

Aldrich 

CORY SWEARNGIN an animal ready to attack and 

Joe Cason, the starting weak the other team better look out.” 

side linebacker for the Rams, “I conditioned a lot in the off 

has proven to be outstanding, season and went to a lot of 

being noted by the Iowa High camps and workout clubs; men- 

School Association for his tally, I just kept myself disci- 

sportsmanship and by 

plined,” Cason said. 

Mediacom for his hard 

“My biggest role 

hitting action. 

models and influences 

Now in his junior year, 

are Jordan Palmer, Evan 

it is his turn to shine as 

Fick and Ray Lewis (line 

he helped the team go 

backer for the Baltimore 

8-1 in regular season 

Ravens),” Cason said. 

play and recently was 

“He works hard, goes 

awarded second team 

to the weight room and 

all-conference. Joe Cason gets his mind set on 

“He is more confident 

what he wants,” 

and positive in what he does,” Cason’s mother said. 

head coach Denny Muller said. All that hard work has also 

“He has a lot of enthusiasm and made him acrowd favorite. 

a good work ethic. (Senior) Jor- There aren’t very many kids 

dan Palmer has helped him out who watched this season who 

a lot by getting him in the don’t know Joe Cason. 

weight room.” 

Once football season is over, 

“I picked him up every morn- Cason says he will be active in 

ing to go lift with me; I tried to wrestling and lifting and will be 

Boys’ swimming returns strong leadership 

be an example by working hard,” 

Palmer, also a linebacker, said. 

looking forward to his senior 

year, when he’ll get to buckle 


“We are going to be better this 

Sam Grett and Brad Buck. 

“Our goals for the season are 

“I’m looking forward to having 

two brothers on the team 

“He is outgoing and hyper off 

the field, but on the field he is 

up the pads and get back on 

the field. 

year than we were last year,” 

head boys’ swimming coach 

Gary Lathrum says. “We lost four 

great seniors last year, but the 

returners know what is expected 

first to keep everyone on the 

team, to qualify three to four individuals 

and relays for state, to 

be in the top two or three at conference 

and to make sure all team 

this year,” junior Cory Baker 

said, “and having fun. That’s 

what it’s all about.” 

Elkin said, “I can’t wait for all 

the food we get to eat and the 

Girls’ swim ends season 

saying goodbye to seniors 

of them for this year.” 

Boys’ swim team practice 

started on Monday and with only 

12 days until their first meet, the 

team is off to a quick start, according 

to Lathrum. The team 

has 25 signed up, 17 of them returning 

swimmers. 

Team captains for this season 

are seniors Burt Sly, Jake Shaver, 

members are successful academically,” 

Lathrum said. 

Some of the standout swimmers 

that Lathrum identified for 

this season include Shaver, Grett, 

Buck, juniors Kyle Sanford, 

Aaron Swigart, Ethan Elkin, Anthony 

Speer and sophomores 

Dusty Nesheim, Weston Nixon 

and David Bortell. 

all-night swim.” 

Lathrum says this season is 

definately a revamping season, 

as this is his second year as head 

coach here. 

The team’s first swim meet is 

here against Ames on Dec. 2 at 6 

p.m. 

The Toreador Relays will be 

held at Boone Dec. 4 at 10 a.m. 


The girls’ swim season closed 

on Oct. 31 with the district meet 

in Marshalltown where departing 

senior captains Megan 

Rinard, Krystal Nelson, Anna 

Peterson (PCM), seniors Kari 

Smith and Carissa Rykhoek 

swam their last meet. 

The girls took a team of 14 to 

BB season begins with Jamboree this weekend 

CASEY WEAVER 

player for the sophomore team he says it isn’t just playing ev- 

As fall sports wind down, there last year. He is very confident ery day that will make you a great 

is one sport many students are about the possibility of playing basketball player; you also have 

the event and finished sixth out 

of the ten teams there. The team 

smashed their old power point 

record of 783, scoring 852 points. 

Swimmers that qualified in the 

Freshman Kaitlin Ogden 

swims the 100 breaststroke. 

Ogden was one of two freshmen 

who were close to qualifying 

for the State meet. 

looking forward to. That sport is varsity at least some this year. to be in great shape. “I try to run top six at dstricts were freshman Haylee Grove photo. 

basketball and that is what a lot “I always expect to be on V a mile every day,” Hart said. Kaitlin Ogden in the 100 breast- 

of the school’s athletes have 

been preparing for a while now. 

The boys’ basketball team has 

lost several leaders from last year. 

(varsity); I will play as hard as I 

can. If I don’t, I don’t but... (I 

know I can),” Hart said. 

He says he thinks the team will 

Hart says “play like a team”is 

an overused cliché, but it is so 

true. “All of us need to work as a 

team and play as one,” he said. 

stroke taking fourth place, the 

200 medley relay team of Smith, 

Rinard, freshmen Stephanie 

Atkins and Ogden taking fourth 

the meet at districts were sophomore 

Mikala Herbold and 

Nelson; both girls swam two lifetime 

bests in their events. 

They have only two returning 

starters from last year, seniors 

Kory Hahn and Kody Pedersen. 

do well this season. With all of 

the players that the team lost 

from last year he doesn’t think 

Jamboree is Saturday night at 

the Knapp Center at Drake. Jamboree 

is where a lot of different 

place and the 200 free relay team 

of Ogden, Atkins, Smith and 

Rinard. 

The girls took fourth place at 

the conference meet Oct. 21 in 

Ankeny. 

Hahn led the attack last year 

at the point guard position. 

Coaches say he was one of the 

best passers on the team as well 

that the team will be as successful 

in the regular season. He does 

think that they will have success 

in sub-state saying, “We will win 

teams from all around Iowa come 

and play. This gives coaches 

around the league a chance to 

see what players that maybe 

“13 out of the 14 swimmers we 

took dropped time in at least one 

of their events,” head coach 

Ryan Person said. 

Top six finishers in the meet 

included Atkins in the 100 

freestyle taking sixth, Ogden in 

the 50 freestyle taking sixth, 200 

as one of the best free-throw 

shooters. Pedersen wasn’t a 

starter from the beginning of the 

season, but he saw plenty of ac- 

our sub-state and go to state.” 

Hart says that he plays basketball 

every day. Whether it be 

at the Altoona Campus after 

they have never had before will 

do when they are put in a gametype 

situation. 

Ames will be the first regular 

“We didn’t qualify for state, 

which is disappointing, but we 

were definitely closer to making 

it to the state meet than last 

medley relay of Smith, Ogden, 

Atkins and Rinard taking fifth and 

200 free relay of Ogden, Rinard, 

Atkins and sophomore Sam 

tion later in the season. 

Junior Jeff Hart was a solid 

school or at an odd park around 

town, Hart just loves to play. And 

season opponent Nov. 30 at 

home. 

year.” 

Person said the swimmers of 

Wing (Grandview Park Baptist) 

taking sixth. 

“Our JV squad had a pretty 

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& Beauty 

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study • do 

good meet,” Person said. “This 

is the meet we rest them for and 

20 out of 29 swimmers experienced 

at least one time drop.” 

Swimmers of the meet at conference 

were freshman Aimee 

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Van Fosson, junior Kristle Heald 

and Abby Lazella (Bondurant). 

Some season highpoints were 

when Ogden broke the freshman 

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at Rams Relays and Atkins was 

one of only three freshmen ever 

to break one minute in her 100 

freestyle.

sports 


Football team ends best season in school history 

JENNIFER BRAULT 

The 9-2 2004 edition of Ram 

football made school history in 

its season-ending playoff game 

just three points behind the class 

4-A No.1 ranked team, West Des 

Moines Valley. 

Senior Josh Davis scored the 

team’s only touchdown in the 

first quarter and senior Jesse 

Smith picked up the extra point 

to put the Rams up 7-0 in the first 

half. 

In the second quarter, Valley 

came back with a 67-yard punt 

return then the Tigers kicked a 

field goal and brought the game 

Volleyball ends with better record; Eekhoff resigns 

EDDIE DEAN 

After a rocky road through the 

CIML, the girls’ volleyball 

team finished with a 

much improved 9-24 

record. 

The Rams lose four 

seniors: Brooke Tripp, 

Kelsey Von Hemel, 

Ashley Miller and 

Amanda Jellema. 

“We had some really 

bright moments, I don’t think 

people should let the dark over- 

Eric Eekhoff 

Thanksgiving is a time for 

food, family, sports 


A recent article by Brian 

Murphy in ESPN magazine 

ranked Thanksgiving as the best 

holiday for sports. 

Murphy asked readers how 

much more fun can a day be with 

endless turkey, mash potatoes, 

gravy, rolls and continuous NFL 

games with the historic matchup 

of Ole Miss and Mississippi 

State concluding your turkeyfilled 

day. 

The best way to start your day 

off is to wake up, get a nice cup 

of hot chocolate and watch 

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade 

beginning at 8 a.m. on NBC. 

Following the parade ending at 

10 a.m. take a quick nap and wake 

up at 11 a.m. for the NFL pregame 

show. 

Starting at 11:30 a.m. on 

KDSM, watch the Indianapolis 

Colts travel to Detroit to take on 

the Lions at Ford Field. 

Halftime will arrive around 1 

p.m. just in time for your luscious 

Thanksgiving feast, with the 

start of the third quarter coming 

to a 7-3 score. 

Soon after, Valley ran the ball 

74 yards for their only touchdown 

of the game. That brought 

the score to 7-10 at halftime. 

It was a defensive battle the 

entire game and the second half 

of the game was scoreless. 

The Rams beat Ottumwa, 18-7, 

in their first playoff game. 

The only Ram first-quarter 

score was a field goal but, soon 

afterward, senior Kory Hahn 

caught sophomore quarterback 

Nate Snead’s pass for an 18-yard 

touchdown. 

In the second quarter, 

shadow our season,” senior 

Kelsey Von Hemel said. 

The Rams lost their final 

match at Marshalltown 

3-0. 

“I thought we played 

well, just not good 

enough to win,” junior 

Heather Quick said. 

In stunning fashion, the 

Rams defeated Des 

Moines East on their 

home court 3-1. Sophomore Kayla 

Pinegar was the standout hitter 

30 minutes later. 

The winner of the Indianapolis 

and Detroit game will receive 

the famous John Madden sixlegged 

turkey. 

The turkey is made by purchasing 

three turkeys, cutting 

the legs off two of them and sewing 

them onto the third turkey, 

according to spricedright.com. 

At 3:35 p.m. watch the Chicago 

Bears travel to Dallas to take on 

Bill Parcells and the Dallas Cowboys 

live at Texas Stadium. And 

the next day will bring more 

sports to sports fans. 

At 1 p.m. on ESPN, watch one 

of the oldest rivalries in the nation 

when Ole Miss battles Mississippi 

State, in one of the final 

regular season college football 

games of the year. 

Other sporting events that 

weekend include various NBA 

regular season games, Sunday 

NFL games on (KDSM, CBS and 

ESPN) and the PGA tour at Trilogy 

Golf Club in La Quinta, Calif. 

for the annual Skins Game on 

ABC. 

The source for all your bicycling needs 

307 8th Street SW, Altoona 

967-4414 

Ottumwa scored their only 

touchdown which ended the first 

half in a 9-7 score. 

After a scoreless third period, 

the Rams saw a touchdown by 

senior Jake Havenridge and 

Smith got the extra point. 

Junior Eddie Wilson later 

landed on a loose football and 

gave the Rams a safety to give 

the team the win over the Bulldogs. 

In their first loss of the season, 

the Rams were edged 13-6 

by Ankeny before a raindrenched 

standing-room only 

crowd at home. 

for the Rams and almost 

singlehandedly beat the Scarlets. 

“Kayla is the type of player a 

team needs in the front row to 

pick up the momentum of the 

game. 

“Her enthusiasm keeps spectators 

coming back for more,” assistant 

coach Amy Wilterdink 

said. 

As far as next year goes, coach 

Matt Parker believes the Rams 

will return strong leadership and 

should be competitive in the conference. 

“We will definitely be much improved 

and more competitive; I 

look forward to next season and 

continuing the improvement.” 

Head coach announced his 

resignation to parents and players 

at the team’s end-of-season 

banquet Nov. 9. 

The resignation ended a fiveyear 

tenure for Eekoff, with three 

years as head coach. Eekoff’s 

overall record while involved 

with the volleyball program was 

23-78. 

As for his time away from volleyball, 

Eekoff says he plans to 

spend more time with his family 

and newborn son Eli while working 

on his master’s degree. A 

successor for the head coach 

position has not yet been named. 

The Rams struck first in the 

first half with a touchdown but 

missed the extra point. 

The second half was mainly a 

defensive struggle, with Ankeny 

only getting on the board in the 

final 24 minutes of the game. 

The Ram offense started the 

game against Indianola the week 

before with junior Nick Howald, 

Davis and Havenridge all getting 

Pressures mount 

on student-athletes 

EDDIE DEAN 

Today’s athletes are clearly 

under the “microscope” more 

than athletes in previous 

generations. Athletes like 

Kobe Bryant and Jamal Lewis 

haven’t given people the best 

view of professional athletics 

in recent years. 

Some of the best athletes of 

our school have gotten 

involved in illegal activity and 

this is inexcusable. What 

people don’t know is the 

physical and mental struggles 

they confront daily. 

Practices are designed to 

break the athletes down and 

then gradually build them 

back up, with the use of 

conditioning and lifting 

sessions. 

If it’s not the two hours of 

rigorous practice, it is the 

early morning workouts 

That consumes most of an 

athlete’s life throughout their 

designated season and leaves 

little or no time for anything 

but their sport. 

Girls and guys alike are 

under this pressure. Especially 

emotionally, girls’ 

athletics are the breeding 

ground for Kleenex boxes and 

gallons of double fudge 

chocolate ice cream. 

No one goes through more 

touchdowns in the first quarter. 

The squad got another TD in 

the second quarter to give the 

Rams a 28-0 lead at the half. 

Snead put up 18 points for the 

Rams with three touchdowns. 

Junior Jordan Wilkins scored 

a touchdown in the third quarter. 

The Rams ran for 298 yards as a 

team, the most balanced ground 

game of the year. 

of an emotional roller coaster 

ride than girls do throughout 

their games. One minute 

everybody on the bench is 

screaming and yelling and 

feeling that they have a 

chance. The next minute, they 

are all on the floor face down 

in a pool of tears because the 

opponent just hit the gamewinning 

shot. 

Athletes go through more 

than just changing mentally; 

physically athletes experience 

tremendous changes in body 

size and shape. 

According to kidshealth.com, 

some school - 

aged athletes face unique 

pressures involving nutrition 

and body weight. In sports 

such as football, kids feel the 

need to increase their body 

weight and mass to become 

better or advance in their 

position on the team. 

All in all, there is so much 

pressure on athletes these 

days that sometimes it can be 

unbearable and some end up 

acting out. 

Does that make it right? Of 

course not, but people need to 

learn that just because they 

play a sport doesn’t make 

them above another student; 

it just gives them a leg up on 

the rest of the student body.

10 rampage 

Staff editorials 

PDAs offend sensibilities 

Relationships are a big part of our lives. School allows a 

lot of socializing during passing time. 

Passing time is also for kids to grab books and skedaddle 

to class during the five allotted minutes. 

It is tolerable that you kiss your significant other and then 

part ways to class. It is not acceptable to make out in the 

middle of the hall while innocent bystanders are subjected to 

the display. 

Walking at a snail’s pace while holding hands as the helpless 

behind you try to struggle to class should not be allowed, 

either. 

The biggest offenders this year seem to be the freshmen. 

Yes, upperclassmen do kiss and hold hands and, yes, some 

may offend by making out, but the freshmen have taken 

over as make-out masters for this year. The east hallways 

look a lot like Cinemax without the scramble. 

If this is setting the tone for what the hallways will become 

in the next few years, we’re in trouble. 

We won’t need sex education in the future because most 

of it will be demonstrated in the halls. Punishment for such 

demonstrations should be more strongly enforced. These 

displays don’t make us look much like an academically-orientated 

school. 

Trashy students: Grow up 

Ladies and gentlemen, you are trashy pigs. 

It is completely tacky and disrespectful to write on the 

walls of the bathrooms. Toddlers with no supervision write 

on walls. Aren’t we all a little old for that? 

Who even takes a writing utensil into the stall with them? 

Do those students honestly go in to the bathroom with the 

intention of writing something there? 

Everyone loves to read a novel about “for a good time call 

Betty Sue” or “I love Rufus” or “So-and-so is a slut” on the 

wall while taking a dump. Grow up, honestly. 

And, as for those of you who are scratching words in the 

mirrors: Do you think it would be fun to re-order a mirror 

and install it? Don’t think so. Janitors don’t want to do it, 

either. 

How would these “Wordsworths” like it if someone wrote 

on the walls about them? Any sort of gossip, written or otherwise 

is something we don’t want spread about ourselves. 

Why do it to others? If there’s something important to say, 

why not say it to the person’s face? 

Have a little class and stop writing on the walls. Get a life 

and save those literary gems for someone who cares. 

rampage STAFF 

Co-editors 

Krystal Nelson and Sara Stewart 

Photo Editor 

Josh Wilhite 

Reporters: Eddie Dean, Sierra Douch, Andrew Fischer, Jessica 

Heller, Ami Solinger, Casey Weaver, Austin Gruber, Nikki Peters, 

Jen Brault, Lauren Dawson, Tiffany Raygor 

Rampage is published by Southeast Polk High School, 8325 N.E. University 

Ave., Runnells, IA 50327. Offices are located in room 115, phone 

number is (515) 967-6631, ext. 262. This publication is also available on 

our district’s web site, www.se-polk.k12.ia.us, click on “publications.” 

Advertising rates are $4 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 Quill and Scroll. 

sAy WhAt?! 

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 brief and to-the-point as possible; try to stay 

under 250 words. All letters must be signed. Deliver letters to adviser 

Carole Henning in room 115 or put them in her mailbox in the office. 

We reserve the right to edit letters to the editor for clarity and length 

and to meet the standards of good journalism. (No obscenity, libel, 

invasion or privacy, etc.) 

opinion november172004 

Letters TO THE EDITOR 

Recognition is due to every sport and activity 

To the editor: 

More than half the students 

here play sports or are in some 

sort of school activity. 

We have a wide range of 

sports and activities, so why 

doesn’t our school have respect 

for each one? 

All the students who partici- 


I think we need changes in our 

school system. I think our system 

is way behind in every way. 

I’ve spoken to friends that live 

in Colorado that attend Heritage 

High School, a nationally-ranked 

school. 

They get two periods off a day, 

where they can go home or do 

some cramming for a test. 

pate in a school activity or sport 

work hard and practice, so why 

can’t each one get recognized? 

When activities like track, 

show choir, band, tennis, swimming 

and softball are doing well, 

no one really thinks twice about 

it. When football, basketball and 

wrestling are doing OK, every- 

Changes for SEP would be helpful to students 


Our school needs new working 

buses badly. The school got 

a couple of new buses last year 

but we still have a lot of old ones. 

When we travel to athletic 

events, it seems like we always 

have one of the oldest-looking 

buses. 

I’ve had two bad bus experiences. 

The first time was last win- 

They also have open campus 

lunch, which we could really use. 

If we made some changes, students 

would be much happier 

and more willing to come to 

school and be on time. 

Just think how much better you 

would feel about coming to 

school if you knew that everyday 

you would be able to leave 

school for lunch. 

ter with the girls’ basketball team 

coming home from Mason City. 

We got stuck in a snowstorm and 

didn’t get home until 2 a.m. The 

main problem was that some of 

the back windows didn’t shut 

and so we were freezing all the 

way home. 

The second time was last 

spring when the girls’ soccer 

team went to Fort Dodge. On our 

one is there to support them and 

pep assemblies even get scheduled. 

All of the sports and activities 

should get the same support. 

You never know how well they 

would be able to perform if they 

would have that extra support 

from the student body. 

Kelsie Host, junior 

When you go to eat school 

lunch, most of the time it is food 

that you don’t necessarily like. 

If we had open campus lunch 

that would leave more options 

open for those who dislike school 

food. 

I think this district needs to 

make some changes and make a 

fresh start for Southeast Polk. 

C.J. Bell, junior 

Working buses are a good idea for long trips 

Rethink the RAM plan, please 


I think that the RAM plan is a 

good idea. It keeps kids at school 

and keeps attendance up. 

I do have one complaint about 

it, though. In February of last 

year, my mom had surgery twice 

on the right part of her upper leg. 

It’s only my mom and me at home 

and we are very close. I went to 

the hospital to be with her those 

two times. 

This was not RAM plan excused. 

Why is that? 

If a close family member is having 

surgery, you should be there 

for them. I think the administration 

should rethink this and make 

a change for next year. 

Heather Babcock, senior 

Throw your trash where it goes 


Walking through that hall and 

looking at all that trash on the 

floor! Wow, this is a nice place to 

walk around. Everywhere you 

turn you are kicking a bottle or 

stepping on some paper. 

Take your lazy butt and bend 

over and pick it up. It will take 

you five seconds to pick up that 

bottle you just kicked. It will make 

our school look so much nicer. 

People keep talking about how 

“trashy” this school is. Well, do 

something about it and pick it up! 

Even if it’s not yours, it’s OK to 

pitch in. 

Then, to the people doing the 

littering: How inconsiderate can 

you possibly be? To just throw 

your trash on the ground when 

we all know good and well there 

is a trash can within five feet of 

you. It is inconsiderate not only 

to the students that have to walk 

around and step all over your 

crap, but it is really rude to the 

custodians that have to take time 

to clean up after what they think 

are high schoolers. Yeah, right; 

when my two-year-old niece can 

throw away her garbage better 

than half of the high schoolers 

here, then there is something 

wrong with that picture. 

Grow up and stop being so 

dang lazy! 

Ryan Bannor, senior 

Students don’t 

want to see you 

making out 


For the sake of our stomachs, 

please stop making out in the 

hallways. 

Yeah, you have a girlfriend or 

boyfriend, but save the PDA 

until you’re away from school. 

Please, don’t make out, because 

it’s rude as well as disturbing. 

Jonathon Woodward, junior 

way home, the bus was smoking 

in the back and we discovered it 

was having mechanical problems. 

The bus driver got off at 

the next exit but we didn’t quite 

make it to the gas station. 

The bus broke down and we 

coasted for a while but, after it 

stopped coasting, the team had 

to get out and push the bus the 

rest of the way to the gas pump 

at 11 p.m. The bus started working 

after 30 minutes. 

Our school needs decent 

buses. 

Nicole Herman, junior 

Don’t corner 

crowd in hallway 


There are some things every 

day that bother me about this 

school. Some may be little things 

like lunch on a given day or some 

may seem more important like 

parking lot traffic. 

But there is one thing everyday 

that just sets me off. It’s stupid 

groups of people who choose 

to stand in big huddles on main 

corners of the hallways and make 

traffic even more slow. 

I understand that passing period 

is everyone’s chance to see 

their friends and talk and regain 

some sanity before they have to 

go back to class and listen to another 

teacher. But, come on, 8 to 

10 people just standing there or 

sitting their butts on the trashcans 

so I can’t throw something 

away? You know what trash cans 

are actually for! 

If you insist on just standing 

and talking in large groups, at 

least be thoughtful of others and 

choose another place other than 

a main corner in the hallway! 

Jen Humphries, junior 

The final Rampage of 

2004 will be Wednesday, 

December 15th!

november172004 

Letters TO THE EDITOR 

opinion rampage 11 

Appreciate your school lunch 


Why do people think our school lunch 

is so bad? Everybody is always talking 

about how school lunch is so gross. 

Our school lunch is cheaper than most 

restaurants and we have a variety of 

foods. Some people say that we should 

have open campus lunch. Well, the only 

place people would go to is McDonalds 

and think of how fat everyone would get. 

Also, think of how much gas you would 

waste everyday. People complain about 

how the parking lot is so bad after school, 

but think about how bad it would be if 

every student left for lunch each day. 

If we had open campus lunch, everyone 

would want to go out to eat and so 

the money would go to restaurants instead 

of our own school. In addition, we 

would have to change our whole schedule 

to fit around the lunch period, which 

means the junior high and elementary 

schools’ schedules would change. 

People should appreciate our school 

lunch more and look at all the positives. 

Jessica Barkley, junior 

Competencies an easy process 


Ever since they were started, competencies 

have been hated by many. Students 

say how pointless they are and how 

hard they are to get, but in reality they are 

very simple. 

I don’t understand why people hate a 

teacher when they assign a competency. 

The project that the teachers make you 

do is for the class anyway because it is 

required. 

I have all my competencies done and it 

PE class just a waste of time 


What happened to Physical Education? 

It used to be the basic sports: baseball, 

basketball, football. Now there are pointless 

things being done. Orienteering, tumbling, 

fishing and similar activities serve 

no purpose or interest for most students. 

I don’t see “physical” education being 

done when we are walking around trying 

to find our way with a compass. Then, 

when we find the spot we are looking for, 

we get candy. That just sickens me that 

Try being a leader 


High school is about growing up and 

becoming your own person. So, why do 

some people act like someone they aren’t? 

Start hanging out with people you like 

whether they are “cool” or not because in 

10 years it won’t matter how popular you 

are. In fact, it won’t even matter after you 

graduate. 

Don’t label people either, because most 

people aren’t even who you think they 

are. Learn to have fun just being yourself! 

Erin Kirbach & Lauren Dawson, seniors 

Wasting money on 

unnecessary items 


I don’t understand how the library is 

getting all new equipment when the old 

equipment served the same purpose. 

It’s not fair that those who work in the 

library can spend so much time relaxing in 

their luxuries when some teachers don’t 

even have their own room to teach in. 

Many students only go to the library to 

skip out on a class they don’t want to go 

to or to type something due that day. Yes, 

there are exceptions like always, but 90 

percent of us don’t even use the library! 

Am I missing something here? I think 

we should get our priorities straight and 

spend the money on other things before 

buying new equipment for the dear old 

library. 

Lauren Dawson, senior 

didn’t take long because they are just 

classroom work with an extra step of attaching 

a rubric and gold sheet. After you 

finish, you give it to your review committee 

and most likely you will get the competency. 

Just remember, you can’t graduate 

unless you have them done. 

I hope they keep the competencies just 

to prove to people that they are for real 

and if you don’t get them done you won’t 

really graduate. 

Eddie Lust, senior 

for a reward in gym class, a class meant to 

teach us physical health, we get candy as 

a prize. Now that PE is on our GPA, if we 

don’t know how to use a compass or cast 

a fishing line, we’re screwed. PE sucks; I 

want to opt out. 

Dan Welter, senior 

Take it easier 

going to lunch 


5th hour, lunch time. Everyday people 

are running to get in line and eat. So 

they’re hungry, right? Cool, so am I. 

But some of us figured out the secret of 

school lunch. Ready to hear it? The lunch 

ladies everyday actually make a lot of food. 

Therefore, they will probably not run out 

of much before you get to the line, especially 

A lunch. 

It doesn’t make sense why everyone 

runs to the line like they are running a 

marathon, when there will still be food 

when they get there. 

People shouldn’t try to break the barrier 

of sound when going to lunch, either. 

Karin Bakke, senior 

CASEY WEAVER 

A strange old man, dipping and dodging 

crazed NASCAR fans with their carts and a 

bathroom from the black lagoon: It sounds 

like a horror film but in all actuality it is 

just a normal day at Wal-Mart. 

This is one reason why Target is better 

than Wal-Mart. I have a limited amount of 

space on my computer so I will have to 

shorten my list of ways that Wal-Mart 

pales in comparison to Target. 

The moment that I walk into Wal-Mart, I 

am accosted by this strange old man that is 

“trying to be nice.” 

I don’t go to Wal-Mart to make friends 

with strange old men. I go there to purchase 

the deodorant that I need so that I don’t 

offend people in my general vicinity. As I 

walk into the store, after my encounter with 

Athletes exist in fishbowl 

LAUREN DAWSON 

Students have the privilege to participate 

in extracurricular activities here and 

many don’t realize that on top of the responsibilities 

of being part of a team, they 

are also responsible for giving our school 

a good name. They are in the public eye 

and the way they act is how our school 

is represented. 

The Student Conduct Code outlines 

the expectations for students and the 

ways in which they should behave. 

No matter how a student athlete feels, 

they are in a fishbowl and if these rules 

aren’t followed they should receive the 

correct punishment. 

These rules are for every member of a 

team; it doesn’t matter if it’s the star quarterback 

or a kid who sits on the bench. If 

you do the crime, you pay the time. 

The Student Handbook states that stu- 

Is the code unworthy or a 

showcase of school pride? 


Imagine getting put to death for a horrible 

crime you had no involvement in. 

Obviously, the consequences you are 

given make a big impact on the rest of 

your life. This feeling can be connected 

to the code offense system in many ways. 

Let’s say you are at a big party Friday 

night after a big win for the school and 

there is alcohol present. The mighty 

Altoona Police Department shows up and 

kids are seen fleeing the scene, while 

some are placed under arrest. 

You go home thinking you are safe from 

any punishment that night and wake the 

next morning feeling like a burden is lifted 

off of your chest. 

At school on Monday, the usual rumors 

are being spread about who was at 

the party and what happened, but your 

name is not even mentioned. Sitting in 

fourth hour, you get a call slip to go see 

our beloved athletic director. Thinking 

nothing of it, you skip on down to the 

office. 

You’re waiting around and notice that 

some of your friends are coming out of 

the athletic director’s office and you begin 

to wonder. You enter his office and 

right off the bat he tells you that you are 

head2head 

Code offenses: Pointless 

my new “friend,” I look around to find 

nothing but a mess. It just looks like there 

are things strung all over the place and with 

no defining rhyme or reason. 

As I am trying to weave my way through 

the masses of people that are always there, 

I find myself flashing back to my younger 

days of NASCAR racing on the Nintendo 

64. 

I have a cart and will someone that is 

walking straight at me (in the middle of the 

aisle) move to the side and let me pass? No, 

they continue to barrel at me so that I have 

to stop and get out of their way. 

That makes sense because not only are 

they coming right at me, but they’re 

swerving side to side. So based on that 

evidence, I conclude they are quite possibly 

drunk and I forge on. 

dents need to be passing five subjects 

and be in good standing with the school. 

It also prohibits certain things such as 

possession of alcohol, attending a function 

where alcohol is present and inappropriate 

conduct such as hazing, disrespect 

or harassment. 

If any of the rules stated in the code 

are violated by either evidence or admission 

the students will be penalized. Students 

should know these rules and be 

smart enough to realize there are consequences 

for their actions. 

Seeing these rules and regulations in 

writing is a good thing and seeing them 

being put to use is even better. 

Students should be proud of this 

school and, when we follow the rules that 

are set for our safety, we are respecting 

what our school stands for and that is 

pride. 

getting a code offense and will miss 10 

games of the upcoming baseball season. 

He tells you that because your name 

was brought up for being at the party, 

you are as guilty as the people who were 

arrested. 

This is just one example of why code 

offenses are pointless and should be 

abolished from the school. When you 

are given a code for hanging out with 

your friends, you know that something 

has gone wrong with the system. 

Another example is if you are accused 

of being at a party where illegal actions 

were taking place, you could also receive 

a code offense. This means if you’re in 

Nebraska for a funeral one weekend and 

your name is brought up for being at a 

party with drugs, you may receive a code 

violation. 

These are just a few of the many examples 

of why code offenses are wrong 

and their point of helping control athletes 

are not doing the job and need to 

be revised or abolished. 

So, next time you are on a family vacation 

visiting the great Smoky Mountains, 

just make sure that you aren’t having an 

out-of-body experience and end up with 

a code violation for it. 

A piece of my mind 

Target v. Walmart: Which is the better store? 

After I am done racing, I realize that I 

have to use the little boys’ room. So I go 

for a pit stop and park my cart in the 

customer service department and head into 

the bathroom. 

I am supposed to be reassured of overall 

cleanliness by the sign that has the 

signatures of how many times the bathrooms 

have been checked. But, no; all that 

reassures me of is that the person with the 

initials JW is blind and was tragically born 

without a sense of smell. 

I do have to say this on the side of Wal- 

Mart; the checkers were pleasant and the 

check-out process was quick and painless. 

When I left Wal-Mart that old man said 

good-bye and nodded his head and I 

thought to myself, “That wasn’t so bad, I 

guess.”

12 rampage 

Average Joe 

Senior’s daily routine 

mirrors everyday life 

of many students 

JOSH WILHITE 

Computer geek to sports guru: senior Travis 

Harold Moburg covers them both and everything 

in between. This guy truly is an “average 

Joe.” 

His daily grind goes like this: 

1. 7:32 a.m. - Moburg gets out of his 12minute 

shower. 2. 7:37 a.m. - He finishes getting 

dressed for school; he says he has been 

late for the majority of the year. 3. 7:38 a.m. - 

Combs his hair or the lack thereof. 4. 7:40 

a.m. - Leaves for school where he will park 

in the very end parking spot, no matter what. 

5. Concentrates as he plays his newest obsession, 

Halo 2. 6. When not playing Halo 2, 

you can find him on his computer playing 

games and downloading music. 7. His sleeping 

quarters, it’s a bed, it’s a couch; it’s a futon! 

8. Again, on the computer; he says he pretty 

much gets a new one every couple of months. 

9. He’s playing story mode in Halo 2. The 

majority of his day is spent either on the computer 

or playing Halo 2. 10. “Hard at work” 

in Spanish class. 11. Seniors Alex Meyer and 

Jesse Smith join Moburg in a competitive game 

of Halo 2. They enjoy the feature in which the 

host can have as many as 16 players in system 

link mode, which isn’t very unusual at the 

Moburg house. 

7. 

10. 

photo november172004 

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5. 

8. 

2. 3. 

4. 

6. 

9. 

11.

November - Southeast Polk Community School District

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