Sophomore Christian Garrett got his two ears pierced and tongue pierced because it went with the style he was going for. “I thought it would be interesting,” he said.

Senior Brooke Mericle got her three ear piercings, two naval piercings, a nostril piercing and back piercing because she liked the look. “I thought they looked cool,” she said.

Something to think about when getting a piercing is pain. Depending on the type of piercing and person, they can be painful.

Garrett had no problem with pain when getting his tongue pierced. “I didn’t feel it at all. I actually scared the guy because I started laughing when the needle was through my tongue,” he said.

Mericle wasn’t as lucky as Garrett’s pain-free experience for her back piercing. “It hurt a lot; it was very painful,” she said.

An issue with getting piercings is acceptance from both the public and the parents. For both Mericle and Garrett, parental acceptance wasn’t much of an issue.

“My dad has a tongue piercing and my mom has several piercings,” Garret said, “So both were okay with it.”

Mericle didn’t tell her parents about getting her back piercing until she got it and showed them. “They couldn’t do anything about it afterwards, but they were okay with it,” she said.

As for the public, reactions weren’t always as good. Garrett has been called gay because of having both of his ears pierced and his tongue pierced along with several jokes about them. Mericle hasn’t received any harsh comments like Garrett, but she knows some people don’t understand.

Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Tracy Levang believes one of the problems with facial piercings is job interviews. “People discriminate and there is nothing you can do about other people’s feelings or point of view. I would hate for a person to not get a job because of how they present and express themselves,” she said.

The health risks of getting a piercing aren’t always present, but there is always a chance. “If instruments are not properly sterilized then you are subjected to HIV, Hepatitits B, C and other blood borne pathogens,” Levang said.

Despite the small risk, Garrett and Mericle went through with their decision, aware of the health factors or not. Garrett recently removed his tongue piercing because it interfered with his Junior Reserve Office Training Corps (JROTC) class. Mericle still has all seven of her piercings in.

Being cool is one of the many reasons people get piercings, like Garrett and Mericle. Levang sees it as a means of expression.

Whether it’s to be cool or to fit with a look, getting a piercing is a personal decision and one that many find satisfying.

“I don’t like being pasty in winter,” Delafield said.

Delafield doesn’t just go to tan, it is a form of relaxation for her as well. To her, looks are not that important.

Delafield is also aware of the risks and dangers of tanning. When presented with some other facts Delafield explained it makes her second guess, but she’s still going to tan.

“It’s like smoking cigarettes,” Delafield said, “Everyone knows the effects but they still do it anyways.”

Senior Taylor Grimm had a very similar outlook. Grimm feels better being tan and just started to tan for prom.

“I’m not saying you don’t look pretty if you’re not tan,” Grimm said, “I just feel better when I’m tan.”

Both Delafield and Grimm stated looks are not that important but they still go tanning. Junior Keeley Garrett, however, would never go tanning even though it’s glorified to make people beautiful.

“For one I don’t like how the media thinks everyone should be tan,” Garrett said, “If someone doesn’t love you because you’re pale that’s ridiculous.”

Garrett understands the dangers of tanning and it has affected her family as well. Garrett has three cousins that are 15 and one cousin who is 16 and they all got skin cancer from tanning.

According to www.medi-smart.com on an average day in the United States, more than one million people tan in tanning salons and nearly 70 percent are teenage girls and young women. Why has tanning’s popularity increased? Two words. Good looks.

“On your marks guys; get ready, get set, go!“ The guy was screaming at the top of his lungs.

This was the very first contest Hobie Mulstay had ever entered.

It was an amateurs in-line skating contest. Girls and guys could participate. The intensity level for it was determined by skill and the age group. Competition was competition.

Soon enough his skates hit the pavement and he was off.

“Let’s go!” He screamed.

“I can do this.”

Mulstay had a few tricks up his sleeve. All it took was to impress the judges and make them believe it as well.

Soon enough the first round was over. Of course, the judges had noticed his skills.

He was then chosen to be in the next round. Only five had moved on.

The next round was the last round to show them all what he could put on the tables.

Who knew though, that he would be here today, competing?

“I didn’t use to even know about in-line skating, until one of my friends told me about it,” he said.

He got pretty into it.

In-line skating is basically skates that are used to grind rales and on ramps. It’s something anyone can do and enjoy.

“I started four years ago; I’m 16 now and still skating. It’s one of my favorite hobbies,“ he said.

It took a lot of practice to get it “just right”. It paid off though, it got him to where he is today and those practices made him much better.

He skates with his friends including, David Flores, at Skate North, just to pass the time.

“The reason I do it is because of the adrenaline rush and also it is very fun.” Mulstay said.

But when all is said and done, there are no promises to be made. Getting injured or hurt is just the realities of skating. Skaters get run into, pushed, and dragged all around.

“I don’t like to wear pads, at all. “ he said laughing.

But people are always there to pick you right back up and on  your own two feet again, or on your wheels again.

So back to the competition, he is on his A game. His finish was just what got the judges and the crowd went wild.

“And second place goes to….

Silence fills the air, “Hobie Mulstay.”

“It felt so good to get second place.” He sighed with relief.

Making time for everyone and skating can be difficult but they aren’t impossible, anything is possible.

Some people might say, oh its just grinding! What’s the big deal? It’s not like we’re having sex on the dance floor.  But when students do that it can make others feel uncomfortable when it gets too inappropriate.

A group of students from Valley made a fake Twitter account for their principal because they didn’t like his new rules.  They put racial slurs on there and compared him to Hitler.  Since they had put on there that it wasn’t actually them Twitter could not do anything since they claimed to be exercising their first amendment rights. The account was later taken down but there is now another one up.

It is true that freedom of speech is in the first amendment rights.  The problem that many people have with the Valley students are that they are taking that freedom too far.  The limit to what someone should do is shorter then the limit of things they can do.

The students who wrote the Twitter are stretching the rights that were given to the people.  It may be their right, but it is also a privilege.  If the government was so inclined to try to pass a new law the freedom of speech could be gone from the Bill of Rights.

That group of students have the power to lose the right for everyone else.  But they probably haven’t thought much on that.  It is very likely that they haven’t thought too much on the consequences because they have the first amendment rights to protect them.

It’s irresponsible of them.  They could ruin the rights for all the students in the district, possibly the state.  School newspapers could be shut down, anything could happen.  Many people would be upset if things were ruined for other students just because a group of students decided to use the rights that were given to them.

Thinking before acting is a good thing to keep in mind.  If someone thinks about the consequences and what will happen when they do something, some things may turn out more smoothly.  Or things won’t get so out of control that it ends up in the newspaper for everyone to see and comment on.

Sometimes people make mistakes, understandable cause everyone is human.  And if these students would just stop, take a step back and think about everything and apologize to their principal, things may not get so bad.

There is such a thing as going to far.  This may be it for the students if that group doesn’t get their act together.

Freshman Shawna Jackson* knows exactly what suicide is and was greatly affected by the two suicides in the Johnston School District this past January.

“They needed professional help,” Jackson said.

Jackson has been suicidal since October of 2011.

“I realized I was suicidal while I was listening to Rascal Flatts, and I was crying about this guy that started rumors. I have a pond by my house and I thought about jumping in.” Jackson said.

Professional help was what she needed but Jackson did not want the help.

“My friends are the best,” Jackson said. “They are always there for me and it feels amazing.”

Freshman Matthew Hull knows what it is like to be there for someone who is suicidal.

“Four of my friends have been suicidal and it hurts when I remember a few of them [and how they tried].” Hull said.

High school counselor Dawn Sherman has helped with many of the suicides that have showed up because of the Johnston suicide.

“You really just need to be their friend,” Sherman said.

Hull knows that suicide hits many more teenagers than everyone thinks.

“People think that suicide is a bad word and it’s really not. More people need to talk about it.” Hull said.

Parents are the last people who find out that their child is suicidal.

“Yeah, my parents have no clue and if they found out, I’d be better off dead. My friends keep pretty good secrets though.” Jackson said.

Sherman has many cases that walk through her door each year and she tells each parent what their child’s situation is.

“There’s a stigma about suicide. When you’re feeling that way you don’t know how to ask for help and so many students don’t know how to ask for help or even tell their parents for that matter.” Sherman said.

Hull knows that rumors quickly follow suicide. Many people think that suicide is a selfish act.

“I really don’t understand how people can call suicide a selfish act. I mean, if they feel broken and that’s their way of being fixed, at least they’re crying for help.” Hull said.

We all have triggers that make suicide become an actual possibility. There is a point where enough is enough.

“Many students are suicidal and show warning signs. Depression, anxiety, traumatic events, deep sadness, and trouble sleeping and/or eating are just a few warning signs.” Sherman said.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescent teenagers.

“Everyone’s situation is different so it’s not selfish because you don’t know their back story unless you ask, which they probably won’t tell.” Jackson said.

Emotions drive suicide as being a last resort.

“Be caring and understanding if someone tells you they are suicidal. Offer some emotional support and tell someone about it even if you’re afraid that they’ll hate you forever afterwords. Just be proud that you saved a life.” Sherman said.

There is a national suicidal prevention hotline. If needed, call 1-800-273-8255.

“I’ve called the prevention hotline. They’re helpful and it’s free counseling.” Jackson said.

Suicide is not something to joke about. If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, tell someone.

“It’s better to get help later than never.” Hull said.

Tell a teacher or another adult you trust if you know about anyone having suicidal thoughts.

Track season officially started February 13th and there have already been major changes to the practices.There is no more time for joking around and the workouts are harder than they have ever been.

A majority of the girls really like the new coach change and think that it will help in the future for districts and state.

Sulentic is not the only new face on the track team, Coach Brown and Hairs Kovacevic have also been helping out this year.  Brown and Kovacevic help the distance girls more where Sulentic takes the sprinters and hurdlers.

Emma Miller says “It’s nice to have the sprinters and distance runners split up, because they can do workouts that fit their running abilities.” This is Miller’s first year of running track but so far she loves it. She has ran cross country for 2 years now and is now anxious for track.

Aliesa Mason has been running track for 3 years now and this is the first year that she has ran where Mrs. Smith is not the coach. “I think it’s exciting to get someone new just for a change in how we do things like conducting practice and etc.” Mason said.

“I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily better because some things about Mrs. Smith I miss, but Dane (coach Sulentic) has a lot of good coaching qualities.” Mason said.

Mikayla Larson, sophomore, has been running track since middle school. Last year she ran Varsity with Mrs. Smith and now she is running for Sulentic. Larson doesn’t think it’s a big change because he was here when she started and is going to be here when she stops.

The girls track team has had a lot of changes in just the past month. Between new uniforms, warm ups and new coaches the season seems to be off to a great start.

Thomas Montgomery* was fifteen when he started cutting at the end of his sophomore year. Cutting can be a result of endless issues but for Montgomery, it was family. He was constantly fighting with his mom and often felt that his dad cared for his sister more than him.

“I thought it would be a stress reliever. I thought it would help,” Montgomery said. Uhl explains that telling someone is the best thing to do, preferably an adult but just telling anyone helps. So that is what Montgomery did. He chose to tell his friend Faith Meyer*. He liked her at the time and claims she helped more than anyone.

“She helped the most. I would talk to her and most of the time she would talk me out of it. (Cutting.)  I would have a bad day, talk to her, feel better then my family would just f**k it up and I would go over the edge.” Montgomery said.

Cutting affects the friends of those cutting also. Tim Danes* was and still is Montgomery’s best friend and was there for Montgomery through everything, though he has never engaged in self-injury himself.

“I wasn’t all that shocked when I found out because of his lifestyle. The hardest part about knowing was knowing my best friend was hurting himself and there was nothing I could do about it. He wouldn’t listen to me,” Danes said.

A lot of people don’t understand why someone would do such thing but Montgomery explains that it’s something you have to go through to understand. And he has gone through it all. Montgomery has tried to commit suicide five times.

“It was just getting unbearable. The sadness. The depression,” Montgomery said. But each failed attempt to kill himself lead him to where he is now. He has not cut in four months, which might not seem like a big deal to some, but cutting is proven to be addicting.

Uhl recommends talking to an adult or professional but Montgomery and Danes both claim it’s not necessary when you have good friends.

Cutting is a serious issue and should not be taken lightly. It is not a cry for attention, it’s needing attention and not knowing how to get it. Uhl says that warning signs to look for in someone you suspect has been cutting are a change in behavior or mood, being reserved and less social and a change in clothes. Many people think the only place people cut is their arms, but legs and stomachs are common also.

*Names have been changed

The National Association for Shoplifting Prevention estimates that there are over 27 million shoplifters (or 1 in 11 people) in our nation today.  More than 10 million people have been caught shoplifting in the last five years.
“I’ve stolen anything from chapstick, jewelry, and clothes and I don’t think it’s a big deal. I don’t want to pay for some of the things I want and it doesn’t really bother me much. Sometimes I do feel guilt but I do easily get over it.,”Cooper said.
Many people believe that shoplifters have kleptomania.
Kleptomania means a persistent neurotic impulse to steal especially without economic motive.

“I don’t think I have kleptomania because even though I have stolen from stores and various small businesses, I don’t ever have the urge to steal from my friends,” Cooper said, “I think that to be diagnosed with kleptomania you’d have to have the urge to steal all the time and can’t go anywhere without stealing.”

Students use music to help them study, pump them up for a game, and even to express themselves.

Urian Marsell, junior age 17 musician for 6 years. “Music has helped me through a lot of problems in my life and made me happy. I really want mine to do the same for others.” Marsell said.

Being a part of local groups or lessons can expand your music. Marsell was a part of Meredith Melodies throughout his years of middle school.  Sean Bremhorst, 18, senior, has always been into music, and takes part in 2 musical groups. Susie Midget; jazz classes and Hoover jazz classes.

Bremhorst is currently in a band with Nick Ghormley, and Harlan Grant. They currently have no drummer. Marsell is working on a solo demo.

To start a band you’ll need instruments, people, and the drive to keep going. There needs to be inspiration and will, if giving up comes easily then you’ll never get very far. “A good band needs reliable people, good ears, and to be able to play off what you hear.” Bremhorst said.

“It’s always a problem to get other people together and get them to work together.” Bremhorst said.

“I find it tough to stand and perform in front of people, you’re playing a part of you and hoping others will like it.” Marsell said.

Inspiration can come from anywhere. Marsell finds his based on his mood and past events. Bremhorst will just pick up a guitar to mess around and it’ll turn in to a song.

Marsell practices up to 2 hours a day. To stay successful you need to practice. “I practice at least an hour every day.” Bremhorst said, “You need to practice, practice, practice, and never give up.”

Not all musicians want to be famous. “It’s more about the sound and music than being known, it would suck to be famous.” Bremhorst said.

Marsell, on the other hand, would like to be famous. “The more famous I am, the more my music can affect people. Make them happy like it made me.” Marsell said.

“You have to book shows and be nice to the owner of the place, call in advance and book ahead.” Marsell says. It can be hard to get your band out there and broadcasted. “I try to spread the word to everyone and use flyers.” Bremhorst said.

Bremhorst plans to go to UNI to major in composing. “This isn’t just a high school thing for me, music is a part of me and always will be.” Bremhorst said.

“Music is my outlet, it keeps me sane. My lyrics can bring up past memories that make me sad, but they also help me release stress.” Marsell said. “I don’t have any plans after high school, but I do plan to play until I die.”

“If anyone wants to jam, find me.” Bremhorst said.

Eating healthy is a part of athletics so athletes have to try to stay away from some of their favorite foods that contain large amounts of sugar and fat. Senior Zach Doyle plays varsity basketball and knows what he should and should not eat so he can perform well in a game and stay in shape.

“I try to limit fast food and eat more pasta, carbohydrates, and protein,” Doyle said.

Doyle also knows what fluids his body needs to perform its best. He doesn’t drink pop, but instead drinks water and Gatorade to keep himself hydrated.

“If you just eat fast food and candy you’re not going to have energy, but if you eat healthy you’ll have more energy to play longer,” Doyle said.

Senior Megan Bartholomew has the same ideas as Doyle. Bartholomew plays varsity volleyball, but has to follow similar guidelines to be at her best.

Bartholomew  believes dieting helps keep the body in shape.

“It’s good for you and makes you more healthy,” Bartholomew said, “You can’t just say it, you have to make a lifestyle change. Dieting alone won’t do it.”

There are consequences to dieting though.

“You can’t eat as much and the food isn’t as tasty,” Bartholomew said.

But even with the sacrifices these athletes make, it’s all worth it in the end. Both continue  playing sports because they enjoy it and it helps keep them healthy.

A high school relationship doesn’t start until it’s “Facebook official.”
Students who are committed to a relationship take an even higher step to relationships by giving promise rings.
Sara Hallman, a junior, was given a promise ring over the summer.
“I did believe that we were going to be together for a while” Hallman said. That wasn’t the case three months later.
“We just broke up. Nothing big it just didn’t work out,” Hallman said.

It’s common to see high school relationships only pass a few months.

Most high school relationships fail because of the people in them: teenagers. Most of us aren’t that mature and the rest aren’t even close.

Mica Nguyen, also a junior, believes that high school relationships have no point.

“I just don’t believe things will work in high school because you still have so much to learn, like how to be independent,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen believes that high school relationships truly don’t work because teenagers don’t know how to be independent and that they are truly selfish at times.

“If you don’t even have an idea of what college you want to go to or what you want to do in life, then why get into a relationship that would get in your way,” Nguyen said.

There are many people that feel like Nguyen does. Adults give the “yeah right” look when they hear teenagers professing their love for each other.

“High school is the only time you get to be selfish because you’re not obligated to anyone. You can do anything you want and act any way you want without thinking about someone else’s feelings,” Nguyen said.

Even though her relationship didn’t last, Hallman said she still believes that people can find love in high school.

There are a fair amount of people involved in the academy.

“The instructors of five different areas, current eleventh graders who were accepted last year and current tenth graders accepted.  They must be enrolled in an arts class,” academy adviser for vocal music Anna Lee said.

Students get involved for different reasons , it may be friends, teachers or just on a whim.

“(I got involved by) Ms. Cunningham when I was a sophomore, she would push all of the sophomores in drama to get involved,” junior Kristina Ryan said.

“The students involved have to attend a certain number of events a year in their discipline and out.  You must maintain a 2.5 GPA with no office referrals,” Lee said, “(there are) Four meetings a year called a lunch ‘n’ learn on an early out in the west art room by the pool.  We’ll do one campus visit together.  Other events are scattered throughout the year.”

The plan to form the arts academy came after the business academy.  They are going to start developing new career academies.  After the arts it’s math and science.

“It was an idea of Mr. Wheeler’s to start a career academy and the instructors set it up.  (There was) a little confusion as for what our vision was when we started and excitement for those involved in the arts,” Lee said, “Officially we started developing it in spring 2010 and started with students in the fall of 2010.”

“It’s a way to build a stronger fine arts program, to give students a sense of belonging,” visual arts instructor Patricia Jensen-Bock said.

There can be some rewards for people who stay until the end and many thing students look forward to.

“There’s really no ending.  Students are enrolled until they graduate.We haven’t decided for sure what’s gonna happen but we might have a cord for you to wear or a seal to put on your diploma.  Of course it’ll be good on a college resume,” Lee said.

“The different experiences and different advantages I will get by being in this program.  Oh yeah, and of course the chord at graduation,” Ryan said.

Although much of the new academy there are some things that some people just don’t like.

“There never seems to be enough time to plan for it properly,” Jensen-Bock said.

“It’s hard to stay organized because students are all in different classes.  It uses more out of class time,” Lee said.

Students and teachers alike enjoy AMAD for many different ways.

“It feels good to be part of something as a whole.  I don’t generally get to see the other arts instructors.  It feels like one big happy family,” Lee said.

“I’ve enjoyed getting to know more students outside the visual arts area, and working more closely with the other fine arts teachers-we are such a fun group,” Jensen-Bock said.

“My favorite part is getting all the awesome experiences and people I get to meet,” Ryan said, “It’s important to me because drama and choir are important to me and both of those are in AMAD.”

AMAD is a group of fine arts students and teachers who are passionate about what they do and have fun with the experiences that come their way when being involved.  Next year, this years’ freshman are welcome to apply.

Hockey is a team sport where 6 players from each team are on the ice. The positions are center, left and right wing, left and right defense and one of the most important players, the goalie. The games usually last 2 hours, three 15 minute periods and an intermission.

Sophomore Nate Scott has been playing hockey for 11 years now. He says he enjoys the sport a lot but it takes up most, if not all, of his free time.

Scott is the goalie for the Capitals, a Des Moines teen hockey team. Being the goalie, Scott has to take a lot of hits and has to stop this tiny little puck from getting in the goal when it is coming at him fast. The Capitals team has players mostly from Johnston, Urbandale, Southeast Polk and Ankeny schools.

Playing hockey is not only hard but very tiring and expensive. Scott’s family pays $3500 a year, not including the hotel cost and fast food when they are on the road. The whole team has to pay $8000 a month to get ice time for practices.

Scott is gone every weekend playing games against teams from Ames, Mason City, Quad City, Lincoln, Nebraska and Kansas City, Kansas.

Not only is he gone every weekend playing hockey, but they have practices every day from 4 to 5. Scott plays hockey year round, so he never gets a break.

Scott says the key to success is starting at a young age so you get the hang of how to skate fast and handle the puck at the same time. Since he started at such a young age, Scott is pretty good and fast at skating across the ice when he’s not guarding the goal.

In the United States the highest level a male hockey player can go is the NHL or the National Hockey League. Not only do guys play hockey but there are some girls who play too. The highest league a woman hockey player can get to are the Canadian Woman’s Hockey League, CWHL, or the Western Woman’s Hockey League, WWHL.

Hockey is a very difficult sport. Not only do you have to have speed on the ice but you have to control the puck and make shots if you can. The people that play this sport are not only tough but very talented. It is definitely the fastest sport on earth.

Middle school is an awkward and confusing time on its own. Your time and energy is spent growing physically and emotionally, and just trying to figure things out. Not for Dixon.

Though her mother and her were close in some ways, her mom was always more of a friend than a mother. She would talk to her like a friend and ask her favors like a friend. 

“She would tell me when she was drinking and not supposed to be, or like when she would hide booze in the house. Then she would tell me not to tell my dad. I always did because I wanted her to get better but I was always afraid she would hate me,” Dixon said.

She loved her six children a lot, she just didn’t know how to care for them like a mom.She didn’t do “mom things.” Often most it was her father who took them out to eat, sledding, to the movies and cleaned the house and paid the bills.

Seeings that her mom didn’t have a job most of the time, Dixon’s dad worked a lot to have enough money to care for six children and an alcoholic wife. This often left Dixon to take care of the kids, since she’s the oldest. “It made me mad. That wasn’t my job. I should have been able to be a kid,” Dixon said.

Dixon’s dad had tried to divorce her mom three times but he was afraid he wouldn’t get custody and he knew that her mom wouldn’t be able to care for them all on her own.

Before Dixon’s mom passed away, she told her to promise her that she would never call her step mom her mom or her step sister, her sister. She told her that they are not her family, and to never think of them as more than close friends.

“She was dying, so of course I promised. I just wanted to make her happy. It makes me upset now that she would make me promise her something like that. It should be my decision. I still don’t call her mom, but she’s more of a mom than my mom ever was. I call Kyra (her step sister) my sister though,” Dixon said.

Then the day they all had been dreading happened. Dixon was at a friend’s house when her dad came and picked her up, informing her that her mom had died. She was mad at her mom, but sad that she was gone. No one expected it to happen so quickly.

“It was really hard losing her, but she was always the weight on everyone’s shoulders. We worried about her. She caused a lot of pain. So in a way I guess I was relieved.

It effected the other five less than Dixon because she was the closest to her. They pushed it aside. They didn’t think about it.

Her social life became non-existence, she became quiet. She was embarrassed at school because it seemed as if everyone else had a mom or dad to take care of them. Her relationship with her dad had never been the best, but after the death, it got really bad. They were fighting everyday.

“He didn’t know how to listen. He always had to fix everything. He wouldn’t just listen,” Dixon said.

One day Dixon got tired of just sitting in her room, because that was all she did. So she decided to do something about it.

“I had been cutting. But it didn’t help like I hoped it would or needed it to”

Dixon took several tylonal, purposely overdosing.

“I thought it would be easy-suicide. And I thought overdose would be the easiest but after a couple of days, my stomach was killing me, I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat, I was throwing up every hour… It distracted me at the time. I could focus on the physical pain,” Dixon said.

When asked what was wrong by her dad she told him it was probably just the flu and that she would be fine in a couple of days. He didn’t believe her and took her to the hospital, therefore finding out she took the pills. He was more mad than anything because he didn’t know how to react or what to say. It took the family longer to get over Dixon’s episode than it did for them to get over the death. Dixon was put in a hospital for troubled kids until it was safe for her to return home.

“If I could go back, I wouldn’t do it because even though I learned from it, it hurt the people around me a lot too. I wasn’t thinking about them. I was thinking about me, I wasn’t worried about them. If none of that happened, I wouldn’t be as mature as I am not. It made me grow up too fast,” Dixon said.

The classrooms that are by the Meredith-Hoover connection do not have any noise coming through the PA system except for the choir room.  No bell or announcements heard except for one in the hallway.  That can be a dangerous thing.

Administrators may need to get an important message to teachers and the messed up PA system would hinder the message getting delivered.  Fires, tornadoes, and problems with students would go unnoticed by educators because of lack of communication.

There are also problems with phones and computers.  They are connected and when the internet goes down, so does the phone system.

These problems can put students at risk.  Security can be a worry to some teachers.

“If there was something going on in the building and we’re not aware of not being able to hear of they need to get a hold of us,”  computers teacher Judith Renoux said.

“I think my biggest worry is since I still don’t have a PA system, if there’s another lock down I won’t know anything,” drama teacher Emily Griffin said.

Some teachers feel like this is a problem.

“I think it’s really inconvenient.  I thought they were working on it.  It’s halfway through the school year.  I hope they have something in place if something happens.  Do they know they need to call rooms who don’t have access (during) emergency situations,” Griffin said.

“I just say its frustrating.  We learn how to deal with it hopefully they’ll have it fixed soon, (it’s) an inconvenience,” Renoux said, “The worst thing would be a type of notification of something we needed to be aware of, didn’t know and let students out in the hall because we didn’t know.”

These problems should hopefully be fixed quickly because of the troubles it has the possibility of causing teachers and students.  The district is the one that is supposed to fix it, but since there are so many schools in the district that all need something fixed, patience is needed until they are fixed.

When Griffin first came to the school, her room was void of a phone, clock and PA system  Those three things are essential in every classroom to keep up with information or emergencies.

“I think when you don’t have everything you need right away you feel left behind and frazzled.  I’m lucky I had people help me get the things I needed,” Griffin said, “I think that (with) the PA system there was a specific incident where school was on lock down and I didn’t know until I sent someone out into the hall only to have them shoved back in. And not having a phone, when there was a problem with a student I had to go out and find someone, leaving the class alone. Thankfully it doesn’t happen a lot.”

There has luckily been nothing worse than a lock down without these teachers knowing.  If they aren’t able to reach people who know what is going on and what to do during emergencies, not only could they be in danger, but the students whose safety they are entrusted with are in danger also.  These problems must be fixed.

Kennedy, who received his coaching license in 1978, has been the Waukee boys coach for four years and before that, he was at Roosevelt for five years. Now he is coming to Hoover.

“It was a new challenge, something different,” Kennedy said, “When I saw the position was open I wanted to give it a try.”

Kennedy actually coached Griffith when he was younger. “He’s a good guy, a good coach,” he said.

Kennedy has high expectations for the team, and expects to have the players raise their own expectations. The players already have expectations for both the new coach and themselves.

Junior Tyler Gilbreath has been on the team for three years. “I hope he can help improve my keeper skills as well as the others,” he said.

Gilbreath has been playing soccer for 11 years. “I started playing soccer because I liked playing sports and when I started playing it  I immediately fell in love with the game,” he said, “I like soccer because there’s never a dull moment. The ball is always moving and doesn’t stop until the final whistle.”

Junior John Jordan has also been playing for 11 years, but has been on the team for only two. “The team will have a good reaction to the coach because both the players and the coach have the same goal,” he said, “I hope he can lead the team to state.”

No coach is perfect, that’s a fact. Kennedy believes himself to be very strict.

“I’m a high energy, high intensity guy,” he said, “Sometimes I may push too hard; I’m old school. We have to find a balance between coach and players and find a common ground.”

Kennedy knows the game well; he started playing soccer at the age of 14 with his brother as his coach. According to waukeeathletics.org, Kennedy is a former professional goalkeeper for the Major Indoor Soccer League and the North American Soccer League.

Although his coaching affects his family life a bit, he is okay with the choice because he still balances work and family. He would never want to do anything else.

Kennedy is a strong believer in the saying a player off the field is a reflection of a player on the field. “You can’t separate the player from the person,” he said.

Gilbreath believes the team could use some help. “Wee need to work on becoming a closer team; we have talent but our players don’t always mesh together like a team needs to do to be successful,” he said.

With years of experience as both a player and coach, Kennedy has the potential to lead the team to victory. It may take time to coordinate, but a new coach means new possibilities.

Here in Iowa the legislature has made the Iowa Core curriculum. Which is the learning plan that schools have to base their own curriculum’s on.

It’s all a very political process and students don’t have much off a say in deciding what their base classes will be each year. School administrators  and teachers aren’t part of the process either. Their job is to teach whatever the school board gives them.

The requirements we have are meant to prepare us for higher level classes we might take in the future. Making inferences is huge skill that our school board thinks is mandatory for all students and which is the base for our required classes.

another factor of what classes high school students take is college requirements. Iowa’s three state schools; University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University and Iowa all share similar requirements for seniors planning on attending. So the board also takes that into consideration.

But some students feel that some of the required classes that we have to take are unfair. Sophomore Matt Foley is one of these students. “I’m not going to be an accountant so why do I have to take a math class that I’m just going to fail and never use. History doesn’t help and biology either. No scientist for me.” said Foley.

There is a point to what students are saying. it’s not all complaining. students who are going into a specific type of work without going to college but want to graduate high school have to pass classes that they will never use.

but then there’s the other side of the coin. sophomore Jackie Henry is a very successful student. she currently is in two AP classes and other accelerated classes. “I feel like we need more requirements.” said Henry, “but not all of what we have now, it should depend on career choice.” She plans on being a children’s teacher but thinks that in order to do that she doesn’t need the quadratic formula.

Something that also should be considered when making a curriculum should be technology. advancement is technology have drastically changed the way that humans interact. And the members of the school board could be considered “old-fashioned” by students.

“We should require more computery type stuff.” said Henry. More jobs after high school and or college are having more to do with technology than anything else. But the question is how can we pay for new classes that need new technology to teach those skills.

When asked if he thought that school requirements were up to date Matt Foley had a mixed opinion. “I think we do need classes to teach some stuff because computers can mess up so someone should know.” said Foley.

Not having as much staff in the building that will be able to help you with college plans will be a major set-back. Kirby says he thinks the meets of students will be met, but it will be a little more challenging because teachers, administrators, and counselors already have so much going on.

Snyder also believes that the needs will be met, there just won’t be as many adult options for students to go to right away.

Another big factor with losing Gear Up is not only are the students losing college access professionals, but also someone that is there for them emotionally, like a friend. “They give extra help when the school can’t, and when we’re going through rough times. They helped me pass math and they were there for me after my mom passed away,” Kahdejia Love said.

“I’ve laughed with students and I’ve cried with students, help them when they are having a hard time passing a class for whatever reason, so after going through that we end up forming a bond,” Kirby said.

The Gear Up advisers help students out in many ways, but they say the students help them out too. “I feel a sense of accomplishment within the students’ success. When they accomplish something, I feel like I have too. I’m so proud of the class of 2012 and I can’t wait to see you guys walk across the stage because that makes it all worth it,” Snyder said. For Kirby on the other hand, it’s all about the energy the students give off.

“This is an exciting time in life. I get a kick out of working with the students because teens are so full of drama. There will also be friendships I’ll have with some of the students forever, and I’m looking forward to what’s in store for them in the future. They definitely keep me on my toes,” Kirby said.

Graduation rates have also went up since Gear up has been working with students. When statistics were taken at the beginning of the school year 82 percent of students at Hoover in the class of 2012 were on track to graduate. District wide 72 percent are on track to graduate, which is a 3 percent increase from last year. “I believe that we’ve had a positive affect on the graduation, I won’t take full responsibility, but we’re definitely a contributing factor for the seniors this year,” said Snyder.

Gear up is going to try applying for another grant in spring for 2013. “It probably won’t happen. The government is picky on who they can choose because 20 million dollars was cut from their budget,” said Kirby. Neither of the Gear Up advisers know of any new plans or people that might be hired to replace them.

We are at a place in our political and social atmosphere in which Newt Gingrich can get away with saying, “Really poor children in really poor neighborhoods have no habits of working and have nobody around them who works. So they literally have no habit of showing up on Monday. They have no habit of staying all day. They have no habit of ‘I do this and you give me cash’ unless it’s “illegal” and still write books about “Rediscovering God in America”. It’s a time when Ron Paul can say, ”This whole idea that there’s something wrong with people who don’t lavish out free stuff from the federal government somehow aren’t compassionate enough.” And still says he is a ‘man of intense faith’. We are at a time when the 2012 Republican candidates can not only call for, but can actually make it their sole reason for running, to push for less spending social programs that favor the poor and, yet, still all identify as strong Christians.

It starts with Reagan, a man who introduced right-wing Christianity and trickle-down economics to the White House. Trickle-down economics, the belief that if we concentrate all of our money at the top it will somehow indirectly benefit those at the bottom is hardly a Christian idea. Reagan defined himself as a ‘devout Presbyterian’, saying that “[Americans] must seek Divine guidance in the policies of their government and the promulgation of their laws.” That means that Reagan looked to the Bible for advice on lawmaking. He must have decided it wasn’t worth it because the Bible is chuck full of quotes like “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same,” and “‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God”, and “Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” Those quotes are the antithesis to capitalism, to wealthiness, and to Republicanism.

The merging of capitalism and Christianity obviously didn’t end with Reagan, it snowballed through the Bush administration, with George W. Bush saying things like “I think faith is the most important part to being President,” while catering to the rich, by supplying them with massive tax breaks. George Bush didn’t force the rich to give up their metaphorical ‘tunic’ and give it to the poor. And so we end up here, the 2012 elections with Rick Santorum saying “I don’t want to make black  people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money,” Santorum is arguably the most openly religious candidate, so much so he wants to outlaw birth control. We end up here with a clash of ideologies, bloated capitalism with its one-sided benefits of faux-Christianity, and the idea that the poor deserve the attention, the money, the help. The latter is the true Christian values. Jesus’ biggest deal wasn’t homosexuality, it wasn’t de-regulation, it wasn’t abortion. It was the poor. So those who say they have ‘Christian Values’ but refuse to help the poor are liars and hypocrites. Liars and hypocrites who don’t deserve your vote, especially if you identify as a Christian.