City High reporter for week results 1997
6
Musical auditions Tension builds as students work for parts January 8-14, 1997 If it happens, it’s news to us Who says nothing ever happens at school? A row of girls stand on the Opstad Auditorium stage. eir facial expressions range from looks of relaxation to looks of terror. One by one they sing out a few lines from the song I Feel Pretty to the almost vacant rows below. Once off stage the girls look less ner- vous, and many comment on how relieved they are to be done. e girls become more talkative, discussing who did well and who should get what part. is was the scene at the Jan. 9 tryouts for West Side Story. It was the second and final day of auditions for the musical. On the first day everyone had showed their dancing skills, but the second day had been reserved for singing. is was much more nerve wracking for many audition- ing. Sam Stapleton ’99, said, “e dancing was no problem. But I have never sung before in my entire life.” Katy Dane ’99, was also nervous about singing. “I did a really good job at the dancing, but for the singing I didn’t really know the words, and I was afraid I would do something dumb like start too early or be in the wrong key.” Now comes the hardest part for those auditioning: the waiting. Some people will have call backs on Jan. 10, but the cast list will not be posted until Saturday, Jan. 11. “I wish I knew right now whether I made it or not,” said Dane. Jenica Steele ’99, who auditioned for Maria agreed, saying, “I am going to be a little bit nervous the next few days.” Dane and Steele were both pleased with their performances at the auditions, but were still a little unsure about whether or not they would be cast. “ere are over 50 girls competing for about 15 parts,” said Steele. “I’m not sure if I was one of the 15 best.” Dane had similar feelings, saying “Ev- eryone who auditioned did a really good job. I really want to get in but if I don’t it won’t be the end of theworld.” Anne Huyck e cast and crew of the Spring’s musi- cal, West Side Story, were announced this Saturday. As students streamed in and out all day checking to see if their names were listed, many were disappointed while oth- ers were overjoyed. Out of over 100 people auditioning, only 41 made the final cuts. Ria Freydberg ’99, said, “I wasn’t really disappointed that I didn’t get a part because there were so many talented girls trying out, and so few actually made it.” Out of all the people trying out, about 70 of them were females, and there were less than 20 female roles. ere are alternatives for those who didn’t land roles. Luis Sierra, director of the musical, said, “We need a lot of people to help work on the crew, and if nothing . . . and then the cast is announced else, they [the people who auditioned but didn’t get parts] can always support us by being a member of the audience.” Among others, Freydberg is following his advice. She is the co-publications manager. “Even though I didn’t get a part, I still wanted to be involved with the play,” she said. e performances will be March 13-15 with the possibility of an additional Sun- day, March 16, performance. ose who did get parts are already thinking about the big performances. Nellie Viner ’97, who will be playing Anita, said, “I don’t really want to die my hair black, maybe a wig would work. Hmmm…” Britta Schnoor Once again the ‘80s dance at City High has been delayed. e second delay of the dance scheduled for Jan. 11, was caused by a lack of publicity. When this happened Matt Browning ’99, decided to take some action. “It was a huge let down,” Browning said of the second delay. But he wasn’t going to let this ruin his or anyone else’s Saturday evening either. Browning decided to have his own dance party. “I got the idea for a rap party ‘cause I’d never been to one. I just thought it’d be a great experience,” Browning said. e black lights glowed and the bass shook the walls of Browning’s house. More and more people arrived, most clad in bag- gy pants and backward hats. “I think there where around sixty to seventy people,” Browning estimated. Partygoer junior Lydia Viner’s evening was highlighted when “Bootie call” was yelled. “All the guys jumped in a circle and started wiggling their butts around,” Viner said, “It was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.” As the evening winded down around twelve o’ clock Viner commented, “It was awesome. I just hope next time it can be in a bigger room, like maybe the City High gym.” Gretchen Visser When Assistant Principal Bryce Han- sen walked into Mr. Muilenberg’s physical science class, he didn’t know what hit him. Muilenberg was running a Van de Graaff generator, a device that generates a large electric charge. It has a low voltage, but anyone who gets close will receive a little shock. e generator uses a ground- ing wire to prevent to much charge from building up. On that day the grounding wire wasn’t working, and there was a good charge built Dancing anyway Impromptu party soothes disappointed dancers up. When Hansen entered, a large bolt of electricity shot from the generator and hit him in the side of the head. Because of the low voltage Hansen was not hurt, just a little stunned. “I’ve never seen it jump so far in my life,” said Muilenberg, who also saw the positive side. “Aſter that Mr. Hansen didn’t bother my class again.” is occurred several years ago, and Muilenberg was telling the story while set- ting up the generator for this year’s class. While experimenting with the generator Kirk McNabb ’00, got a surprise. A little bolt came out and zapped the zipper of his jeans. “e rest of the class thought it was funny,” said McNabb. “But it wouldn’t be so funny if it happened to them.” Zak Hingst Stunning Science lesson brings back memory Here are highlights from a week-long exercise for introductory journalism students in which they turned in a news story for five straight days. No specific assignments were made. It’s tough to top opening night of the musical for drama, but it’s possible to come close by covering events that most audience mem- bers wouldn’t even think of—getting chosen as part of the cast. Sometimes the best news occurs when there is no event, or when something is cancelled. Lack of activity can often be news, if we dig a little. The news peg here is the ’80s Dance, but it quickly evolves into something more generally classified as “student life.”
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Dancing anyway Stunning Musical auditions Here are highlights from a week-long exercise for introductory journalism students in which they turned in a news story for five straight days. No specific assignments were made. It’s tough to top opening night of the musical for drama, but it’s possible to come close by covering events that most audience mem- bers wouldn’t even think of—getting chosen as part of the cast.
Transcript of City High reporter for week results 1997
Musical auditionsTension builds as students work for parts
January 8-14, 1997
If it happens, it’s news to usWho says nothing ever happens at school?
ArowofgirlsstandontheOpstadAuditoriumstage.Theirfacialexpressionsrangefromlooksofrelaxationtolooksofterror.OnebyonetheysingoutafewlinesfromthesongI Feel Prettytothealmostvacantrowsbelow. Onceoffstagethegirlslooklessner-vous,andmanycommentonhowrelievedtheyaretobedone.Thegirlsbecomemoretalkative,discussingwhodidwellandwhoshouldgetwhatpart. ThiswasthesceneattheJan.9tryoutsforWest Side Story.Itwasthesecondandfinaldayofauditionsforthemusical.Onthefirstdayeveryonehadshowedtheirdancingskills,buttheseconddayhadbeenreservedforsinging.Thiswasmuchmorenervewrackingformanyaudition-ing.SamStapleton’99,said,“Thedancingwasnoproblem.ButIhaveneversungbeforeinmyentirelife.”KatyDane’99,wasalsonervousaboutsinging.“Ididareallygoodjobatthedancing,butforthesingingIdidn’treallyknowthewords,and
IwasafraidIwoulddosomethingdumblikestarttooearlyorbeinthewrongkey.” Nowcomesthehardestpartforthoseauditioning:thewaiting.SomepeoplewillhavecallbacksonJan.10,butthecastlistwillnotbeposteduntilSaturday,Jan.11.“IwishIknewrightnowwhetherImadeitornot,”saidDane. JenicaSteele’99,whoauditionedforMariaagreed,saying,“Iamgoingtobealittlebitnervousthenextfewdays.”DaneandSteelewerebothpleasedwiththeirperformancesattheauditions,butwerestillalittleunsureaboutwhetherornottheywouldbecast. “Thereareover50girlscompetingforabout15parts,”saidSteele.“I’mnotsureifIwasoneofthe15best.” Danehadsimilarfeelings,saying“Ev-eryonewhoauditioneddidareallygoodjob.IreallywanttogetinbutifIdon’titwon’tbetheendoftheworld.”
Anne Huyck
ThecastandcrewoftheSpring’smusi-cal,West Side Story,wereannouncedthisSaturday.Asstudentsstreamedinandoutalldaycheckingtoseeiftheirnameswerelisted,manyweredisappointedwhileoth-erswereoverjoyed. Outofover100peopleauditioning,only41madethefinalcuts.RiaFreydberg’99,said,“Iwasn’treallydisappointedthatIdidn’tgetapartbecausethereweresomanytalentedgirlstryingout,andsofewactuallymadeit.”Outofallthepeopletryingout,about70ofthemwerefemales,andtherewerelessthan20femaleroles. Therearealternativesforthosewhodidn’tlandroles.LuisSierra,directorofthemusical,said,“Weneedalotofpeopletohelpworkonthecrew,andifnothing
. . . and then the cast is announcedelse,they[thepeoplewhoauditionedbutdidn’tgetparts]canalwayssupportusbybeingamemberoftheaudience.”Amongothers,Freydbergisfollowinghisadvice.Sheistheco-publicationsmanager.“EventhoughIdidn’tgetapart,Istillwantedtobeinvolvedwiththeplay,”shesaid. TheperformanceswillbeMarch13-15withthepossibilityofanadditionalSun-day,March16,performance.Thosewhodidgetpartsarealreadythinkingaboutthebigperformances.NellieViner’97,whowillbeplayingAnita,said,“Idon’treallywanttodiemyhairblack,maybeawigwouldwork.Hmmm…”
Britta Schnoor
Onceagainthe‘80sdanceatCityHighhasbeendelayed.TheseconddelayofthedancescheduledforJan.11,wascausedbyalackofpublicity.WhenthishappenedMattBrowning’99,decidedtotakesomeaction. “Itwasahugeletdown,”Browningsaidoftheseconddelay.Buthewasn’tgoingtoletthisruinhisoranyoneelse’sSaturdayeveningeither. Browningdecidedtohavehisowndanceparty.“Igottheideaforarapparty‘causeI’dneverbeentoone.Ijustthoughtit’dbeagreatexperience,”Browningsaid. TheblacklightsglowedandthebassshookthewallsofBrowning’shouse.Moreandmorepeoplearrived,mostcladinbag-gypantsandbackwardhats.“Ithinktherewherearoundsixtytoseventypeople,”Browningestimated. PartygoerjuniorLydiaViner’seveningwashighlightedwhen“Bootiecall”wasyelled.“Alltheguysjumpedinacircleandstartedwigglingtheirbuttsaround,”Vinersaid,“ItwasthefunniestthingI’veeverseen.” Astheeveningwindeddownaroundtwelveo’clockVinercommented,“Itwasawesome.Ijusthopenexttimeitcanbeinabiggerroom,likemaybetheCityHighgym.”
Gretchen Visser
WhenAssistantPrincipalBryceHan-senwalkedintoMr.Muilenberg’sphysicalscienceclass,hedidn’tknowwhathithim. MuilenbergwasrunningaVandeGraaffgenerator,adevicethatgeneratesalargeelectriccharge.Ithasalowvoltage,butanyonewhogetsclosewillreceivealittleshock.Thegeneratorusesaground-ingwiretopreventtomuchchargefrombuildingup. Onthatdaythegroundingwirewasn’tworking,andtherewasagoodchargebuilt
Dancing anywayImpromptu party soothes disappointed dancers
up.WhenHansenentered,alargeboltofelectricityshotfromthegeneratorandhithiminthesideofthehead.BecauseofthelowvoltageHansenwasnothurt,justalittlestunned. “I’veneverseenitjumpsofarinmylife,”saidMuilenberg,whoalsosawthepositiveside.“AfterthatMr.Hansendidn’tbothermyclassagain.” Thisoccurredseveralyearsago,andMuilenbergwastellingthestorywhileset-tingupthegeneratorforthisyear’sclass.
WhileexperimentingwiththegeneratorKirkMcNabb’00,gotasurprise.Alittleboltcameoutandzappedthezipperofhisjeans. “Therestoftheclassthoughtitwasfunny,”saidMcNabb.“Butitwouldn’tbesofunnyifithappenedtothem.”
Zak Hingst
StunningScience lesson brings
back memory
Here are highlights from a week-long exercise for introductory journalism students in which they turned in a news story for five straight days. No specific assignments were made.
It’s tough to top opening night of the musical for drama, but it’s possible to come close by covering events that most audience mem-bers wouldn’t even think of—getting chosen as part of the cast.
Sometimes the best news occurs when there is no
event, or when something is
cancelled. Lack of activity can often
be news, if we dig a little. The news
peg here is the ’80s Dance, but
it quickly evolves into something more generally
classified as “student life.”
AccordingtotheSophomoreClassCouncil,compatibilitybetweentwopeopleisnowastatistic. OnMondayJan.13,a“computerfun”worksheetwaspassedoutinhomeroom.Studentsanswerthethirty-fourquestionsonthesheetandcanbuytheresults.ThesewillbethetenCityHighstudentsandfivestudentsinthenationmostcompatibletothatparticularstudent. “Ithinkitwaskindofneat,”saidTravisLovetinsky’99.“Itgivesyousomethingtodo.”Hedidthinktheremightbeadownsidethough.“Somepeoplemightgetseriouslydepressed,”Hecommented.“Itmightcausearapiddecreaseinpopulationiftoomanypeoplewentsuicidal.” TimEvans’99,viewsthisasagoodideabutwithroomforimprovement.“Thequestionsweretoobroadandtherewasn’tenough[ofthem],”saidEvans.Healso
TheSeniorClassCouncilmetlastWednesdaytocontinueitssearchforagifttogivetheschoolupongraduating.Thegiftthecouncilislookingforisabelltogointhenowvacantbelltower.ProgresshasbeenslowaccordingtoAlisonPutney’97,duetothelackofbellmanufacturerslo-cally.“It’sbeenreallyhardbecausenooneIaskhasanyideawhomakesbells.” Putney,thechairoftheSeniorClassGiftCommitteehadcalledmanylocalchurchesandinhopesoflearningwheretheygottheirbells.This,howeverhadnotproducedanyleadsastowherethecouncilmightpurchasetheirgift.“ThebellsatallofthechurchesIcalledhavebeenthereforyearsandnoonerememberswheretheycamefrom.” Luckilyanothercouncilmemberhadanidea.JoeYounker’97,rememberedthenewCoralvillefireman’smemorialthathehaddrivenbyandthoughttocalltheCor-alvilleFireDepartment.“Thememorialhasabellandso,sinceitwasbuiltrecentlyIthoughtsomeonemightknowwhereitcamefrom.”Thecallgavethecouncilitsfirstclueofwheretolookforthebell. AsitturnsoutDesMoineshasacoupleoffoundries,placeswherebellsarecommonlymade.Althoughnoneofthecompanieshavebeencontactedyet,Younkerishopefulthattheirbellwillbefound.“Allofthebellsaroundhavetocomefromsomewhere,wejusthavetofindoutwhere.” Fundingforthebellwillbecoveredbythe$500remaininginthecouncil’streasury.Ifitisimpossibletofindadecentbellatthatprice,thecouncilhopestoraisemoney. “We’vebeenthinkingalotaboutaSeniorAuctionifweneedmoremoneyforourgift,”SeniorClassPresidentLindsayMacIndoesaid.“Wethinkanauctionwouldbeanewandfunwaytoraisemoney.We’vetalkedtosomeotherpeoplewho’vedoneattheirschoolsandit’sbeenverysuccessful.”Whateverwaythecouncildecidestoraisemoney,however,isnotveryimportantpresently.“ Rightnowwe’rejustworkinghardtofindabell,”saysYounker.“Oncewedothat,thenmaybewe’llstarttothinkabouthowtopayforit.”
Lindsay MacIndoe
Whileinthepastmanyclasscoun-cil’shavetriedtoplanaskitripfortheirgrades,nonesofarasanyonecanremem-berhavebecomeorganizedenoughtogothroughwiththeirplans.“IguessIalwayswonderedwhytherewereneveranyskitripsatCityHighwheneveryonealwayshadsomuchfunatSouthEast[skitrips],”SamStapleton’99,said.“Whenwewerelookingforideastoraisemoney,thiscameupasapossibility,andeveryoneseemedtolikeit.” Theroadtoaskitripwasalongonethough,whichmademanyontheskitripcommitteerealizewhytherehadneverbeenatripcarriedthroughwith.First,PrincipalTrudyDayhadtobecontactedtogetpermissionanddecideonanon-schooldaytoplanthetripfor. Whenthathadbeendetermined,SouthEastPEteacherMrs.Lundwascalledtofindouthowtogoaboutorganiz-ingthetrip.Afterthat,Sundownwas
Sophomore Class CouncilClass promotes love . . .
thinksthatsomeofthequestionswereworthlessandcould’vebeenleftout.“Whocaresifyousneakpopintoamovie?,”hesaid.“Idoitallthetime.”Inhisopinion,someofthequestionswerelegitimatebutmisguided.“Youcan’tdescribeattitudes,”saidEvans. Healsothinksthatthereasonsforthewholecomputerfunthingarewrong.“It’salameexcusetotryandraisemoney,”saidEvans.Lovetinskyagreeswiththisandthinksthatanactualdatingservicewouldbeabetteridea. Theoptiontopurchaseresultswillbetwodaysbeforevalentinesday.Lovetinskyhasn’teventurnedhisworksheetinbutEvansalreadyplanstogethisresults.“OfcoarseI’llbuythem,”Evanssaid.“Iwanttosee[whoismostcompatibletome.]”
Philip Wood
. . . and skiing, and has fun doing bothcalledtogatherinformationaboutprices,howrentalswouldbearranged,andthebestdaysforalargegrouptocomeup.Fi-nally,buseswerescheduledforFeb.14,thedaythatthetripwilltakeplace.“Itreallywasn’tallthathardtoorganizeoncewegotdowntobusinessandstartedmakingthenecessarycalls,”Stapleton,ahomeroomrepresentativeaswellastheskitripcom-mitteechairperson,said. SophomoreclasscouncilpresidentBrittaSchnoor’99,creditsthe10thgradeclass’feattothehardworkofthestudentcouncil.“Nothingcouldhavebeenaccom-plishedwithoutthesupportofthecouncil,andthehardworkofthecommittee.” InformationonthetripwillbegiveninhomeroomonTuesday,January21st,andregistrationwillbeginsoonafterwithbussignupsintheguidanceoffice.Onlyfullbuseswillbetaken,andplacementisonafirstcomefirstservebasis.
Kerry Nolan
Senior Class CouncilClass discusses ‘ringing’ gift to school
Student govern-ment tends to get a yawn from reporters and editors, pos-sibly because we are not paying enough attention to the actual nuts and bolts of how students govern-ment actually gets things done. In the coverage of the sophomore class council, two reporters find two completely differ-ent news pegs in the same meeting.
Many news stories are installments
on a longer running story
that may last all year. By report-
ing on decisions as they are being
made, we can bring a sense of immediacy to a
yearbook as well as a newspaper.
Beyond traditional text There are times, of course, when only prose will do—especially when you have a good anecdote to tell, or when you have all the elements of a good story: setting, characters, conflict and resolution. But there are many times when the news is essentially information—im-portant, but not really worthy of prose. Luckily there are a variety of means of delivering that information, with each method useful for particular pieces of news. The complete list is on the next page. For the sophomore class council stories, how about a quote collection from students who participated in computer dating? Or how about a fact box with sample questions from the form? Could we put together a diagram of Sundown ski resort? Or a checklist of what to take when you go skiing?
How about a historical sidebar on past senior class gifts?
Or a step-by-step on how the class officers tracked down a bell company?
Asthearomaofpizzadriftedthroughthehallwaydowntothemusicrooms,musicstudentswereintheorchestraroomenjoyingafreepizzaparty. Thepizzapartywasgiventomusicstudentswhosoldmorethantwenty-fouritemsduringthefruitandcheesesales.Freepizza,popandpiewasprovidedforstudentsinbothfirstandsecondlunch.Accordingtomusicsecretary,AnneRob-inson,thisyearwasoneofthefirstyearswheretherewaspizzaleftover. Theannualdrawformoneywasahit,again.Apaperbagwasfilledwithonefifty,onetwenty,oneten,onefiveandmanyonedollarbills.Foreverytwelveitemssoldyouhadthechancetodrawfromthebagonce.RachaelDolezal‘98,hadtheluckydrawonTuesday,Jan.14,asshepulledoutthefiftydollarbill.AlissaWilson‘98pulledoutthetwenty,thetenwaspickedoutbyAndrewPaige’00,andGeoffMcAl-
Whilethevoiceinthefrontoftheroomrosehigherandhigher,themembersoftheConcertChoirdroppedtheirjawsandwidenedtheireyes.Thenotesoftheprofessionalsingerweren’twhatamazedthestudentsbutinsteadthefactthatitwasamanwhowassingingthem.DavidSchuler,whoclassifieshisvoicerangeasacountertenor,hadnoproblemsingingnotesthatonlysomesopranoscanhit. Schuler’srarerangelandedhimapartintheSanFranciscobasedgroupChanticleerfiveyearsago.ChanticleerisknownasthebeingtheonlyprofessionalmalechoirintheU.S.Theirmusicstyleisacappellaandtheirrecordingsincludesamplesofgospel,jazzandchant.WhenSchulerbelongedtothegroupherehearsedfourtosixhoursadayandmade150to200appearancesworld-wideeachyear. ItwasthroughDr.GrovethatSchulercametoknowofIowaCityandCityHighmusic.Dr.GroveresearchedanddiscussedthegroupChanticleerasthetopicofhisdoctoraldissertation.WhenDr.GrovemetthegroupofmeninSanFranciscothispastsummerhespokeinparticularwithSchulerabouttheUniversityofIowa.SchulerwasimpressedenoughwiththeuniversitythathequitthesinginggroupandcametoIowatoearnhisdoctorateindirectingasDr.Grovehad.Schulerplanstocompletehisdegreein2002. “It’skindoffunnyhowMr.SchulerisenviousofDr.Grove(hisdoctoraldegree)andGroveisenviousofMr.Schuler(talent),”PaulTucker’98,commented.“It’sprettyironic.” SchulerspenttheafternoonFridaytalkingtothetwochorusesandobservingDr.Grove.JohnTroughton’00,said,“Hehasanawesomevoiceandheplaysthetrumpetreallywell,too.” Schuler’svisitwasrealtreatforthestudentsandaninspirationtothoseconsideringprofessionalmusicasacareer.
Megan Zieglowsky
Quote CollectionA series of comments on a topic by newsmakers or students.
Opinion PollA sampling of opinion gathered scien-tifically.
Fast-Fact BoxBits of information that give readers a quick look at the 5 Ws.
Bio BoxBrief profiles of people or organizations in the news, often in list form and item-ized by key characteristics.
ListA series of names, facts, etc., that add context to the story.
QuizA list of questions that provide a chance for readers to interact with the story.
GlossaryA list of specialized words and defini-
tions that helps readers understand topic better.
ChecklistA list of guidelines or questions that allows readers to assess needs or itemize key points.
Q&ARecreates a verbatim dialogue between the reporter and the newsmaker.
MapA visual way to give geographical infor-mation to readers.
DiagramA plan or drawing that shows how something works or explains key parts.
Step-By-Step GuideBreaks down a complex process by tak-ing readers through it one step at a time.
TimelineA chronology of events highlighting key moments in the history of a person,
place or issue.
RatingsA list of items that lets critics make pre-dictions or evaluations.
Fever or Line ChartMeasures change over time by plotting points on a graph.
Bar ChartCompares two or more items visually through side by side columns.
Pie ChartCompares parts that make up a whole, usually in percentages.
Quick Read Menu
We would like to acknowledge Buck Ryan for pioneering the maestro strategy, and Tim Har-rower, for developing package planning forms, from which this one is derived.
ister’97,pulledoutthefive.Thepeopleinsecondlunchdidn’tgetmuchvarietyinpullingoutmoney,becauseeverythingexceptthefiftywasdrawninfirstlunch.“Yeah,itkindasuckedthisyear,becausewhenIwenttodraw,therewereonlyonesleft,”KatyDane’99,said. Anewhighlightthisyearwasthechancetojump,yesjump,formoney.Tobeeligibletojumpyouhadtobeoneofthetoptwosellersinyourmusicgroup.Dollarbillswerelinedupalongthefloorandapieceofmaskingtapewasplacedinfrontofthem.Whereeveryoulandedyougotthemoneynexttoyourfeetandbehindyou. JumpingforbandwereJamieTrams’00,andTinaFisher’98,fororchestraTy-lerHix’99andJenniferBaek’98jumped,andforchorusJ.P.Marshall’97andMicaAnders’00.
Katie Bossen
OrchestraFruit + cheese = pizza party for some,
Concert ChoirGuest wows group with highs
Beyond traditional text Instead of always thinking of items in the paper or year-book as “stories,” it might be more useful to just call them “coverage.” Instead of assigning the pizza party “story,” you might assign the pizza party coverage, and then discuss the best way to deliver information to the readers. Would a series of photos and captions be best here? How about a list of winners and amounts? What could we do beyond prose on the amazing singer?
Photos could never do justice to singer David Schuler, so we have to make do with reactions from those in attendance. Look for apt com-parisons and metaphors as ways to make such information accessible to readers.
ThesmellofsmokewasthickintheairandthehallsweredarkyesterdayasallthestudentsandfacultyatCHSevacuatedthebuilding. ThestudentinBonnieHall’sAdvancedSpanishHonorsclasssixthhourwereinthemiddleoftakingatestwhenhalfofthelightswentout.“Quehorrible,”Hallsaid.“Thishappenedoncebeforethisyearwhenonlyhalfofthelightswentoff.” Hallmonitorsandadministratorsinformedtheclassesthattherewouldbeaseventhhourandthattheyshouldgothereattheappropriatetime.Fifteenminutesorlessintoseventhhourthehallmonitorsinformedclassesthatschoolwasdismissedearlyandthateveryonewastoevacuate
CityHighwasincompletechaosMonday.Theproblemsrangedfrompowerfailuretoarson,andresultedinanevacua-tionoftheschoolandearlydismissal. AboutfifteenminutesintosixthperiodonMonday,aMid-AmericanEnergytransformerfortheCityHighneighbor-hoodshutdown.MostofCity’selectricitywasoff,butteachersheldclassasusual.Studentsweredismissedwithoutabell,andwalkedtoseventhhourinthedark.Aboutfifteenminutestothree,JournalismteacherJackKennedydiscoveredthattheLittleTheaterwasfilledwithsmoke. Abroombehindthestagehadbeenlitonfire.Fortunately,thefiredidnotspreadtothemanyflammableobjectsaroundit,butwentoutonitsown. Studentswerequicklyletoutofclassbywordofmouth.“Myteacherhadtogooutintothehallwayandaskwhattheheckwasgoingon,”saidColleenCintron’99.“Finallyweweredismissed.”Students
Therewasalullofsilencefromthestu-dentsofCityHighyesterdayduringsixthhour.Thelightsinthebuildingwentoutduetoanelectricalmalfunction.Totopitalloff,therewasabroomsetonfireintheLittleTheater.Therewasalsoarolloftoiletpaperlitonfireinthegirls’bathroomonthethirdfloor. “Itmakesitmoreromantic,”saidCoachSmith.StudentsinCoachBrownandHurley’sclassesweredancingthewaltzwhenthelightswentout.“Alittlecandlelightandchampagne,andthiscouldbeinteresting,”commentedanup-perclassman. Whenallthestudentswerereleased,allthatwasheardwereshoutsofjoyfromthestudentsastheteacherskickedthemoutofthebuildingduringseventhhour.“Comeon!Getout!Weletyououtearlyandyou’restillhere!”shoutedGarlMcLaugh-lin,mathteacher.Theteachersweretoldto
Classes dismissed earlyBrownouts and arson cause confusion
neededtoevacuatethebuildingbecauseofthefire,butwerealsodismissedtogohomebecauseofreasonsresultingfromthepowerfailure,suchasnoheat. ThepersonwholitthefireintheLittleTheateriswantedforarson.PrincipalTrudyDayintendstoprosecute,andinves-tigatorsareworkingonthecase.“Whoeverwouldstartafireinabuildingwithalmost2000peopleinitwhenitisdangerouslycoldoutsideissick,”saidJapaneseteacherBeckyHanten. Asaresultofthearson’sactions,tightersecuritywillbeadministeredatCity.Studentspassinginthehallsduringclasstimewillbegivenaimmediatedetention.“It’sfrustratingthat[students]can’tbeinthehallsevenwhentheyhaveaperfectlygoodreasontobe,”saidKerryNolan’99.“Oneperson’sactionshavelefteveryoneatadisadvantage.”
Julia Jackson
thebuilding. “Thisiscool,butwhatamIgoingtodonow?”askedHeatherStoner’98.Masshysteriatookholdinthehallsastheconfusedstudentspackedupandleftwithnoelectricityandaverystrongsmellofsmokeonthesecondandthirdfloors. Awellinformedfacultymembersaid,“TherewasasmallfireintheLittleThe-ater,butitwascontained.” Theadministrationsaidthattheblazewasstartedbyabroomthatwasproppeduponatableafewfeetawayfromthebackstagecurtain.Theyarenowtryingtofindthepersonorpersonsthatstartedthisfire.
Marta Muilenburg
A second versionBrownouts and arson cause confusion
evacuatethebuildingforthesafetyofthestudents.Thereekofsmokeonthesecondfloorwasevidencethatsomethingwasgoingwrong. Manyrumorswerebeingspreadaround.ShannonClark’98,said,“Somegirlstartedarolloftoiletpaperonfireonthethirdfloor.”“Someonelitabroomonfire,”saidagroupofjuniorsbythemainstaircase.“Therewasafireinthenewwing,”asophomoresaidashewalkedby,explainingittohisfriend.“Therewasanelectricalfireinthelibrary,”saidKevinCole’98. Thougheverystudenthadtheirownideaastowhathappened,allanystudentreallycaredaboutatthemoment,wasthattheyweregettingtoleaveclassearly.Likealways,therewasthehopefulthought,maybetherewon’tbeschooltomorrow.
Keith Cole
How ’bout one more?Brownouts and arson cause confusion
Just when you least expect it, up jumps actual news! Actually, the angle most people who reported on the arson/early dismissal incident focused on was the aftermath. Note how these stories bring in the rumors (and try to dispel them) and the repercus-sions (hallway pass crackdown). Certainly they all make sure to get the 5Ws and H covered, but they all then expand from that base.
Life is good for a reporter when you can grab a great quote. The third story comes alive with the quote from Coach Smith about the effect of the brownout on students waltzing.
Beyond traditional textHere’s the challenge. Take the basic facts, plus the expanded coverage you find in these three stories, and list as many quick read possibilities as you can. Remember: sidebars are designed to enhance and add to prose, not necessarily to replace it.
NateKron’98,formercaptainoftheNo.17rankedIowaCitySwimTeam(4-1),lookedonhelplesslyasMichaelCheng’97,crashedintothewater.Chengwasdisqualifiedbyafalsestartinthesecondtolasteventinlastnight’sswimmeetagainstMuscatine—the100breaststroke. “Michael[Cheng]wasafavoriteintherace,heprobablywouldhavefinishedfirstorsecond,”saidPhilLuebke,coachoftheIowaCityOctopi.ThedisqualificationleadtoIowaCity’seventualdownfall.“Itwasn’tMike’s[Cheng]fault,Imean,Tony[Pirnat,WestHighfreshman]DQedtoo,”saidKron,whoalongwithAndrewTalman’99,satoutthemeetondisciplinarysuspen-sion.Pirnatdisqualifiedinthefinalevent,the400yardfreestylerelay. ThemeetstartedunexpectedlywellfortheOctopi,whocameintothemeetcaptain-lessandwithouttwoofthefastestswimmersintheconference.ThemeetgavemanyJVswimmersachancetoswimvarsityeventsforthefirsttimeandgavevarsityswimmerswhoweren’tbigpointearnersachancetoshowtheirstuff.ChrisAndino’98,andJohnPirnat,WestHighjunior,wereactingcaptainsforthemeet,andtheirleadershiphelpedtoinspiretheteamandgivethemthechancetohaveapieceofthelimelight. “Itwasprettycoolswimmingundertheseguys[theactingcaptains],itfeltlikethey’remorelikemeandtheirexcitementhelpedpumpmeup,”commentedAdamYack’00.“IwasreallyimpressedwithTyler[Luebke,WestHighfreshman]andYack,theybothreallysteppeditup,”saidCoachLuebke. Althoughtheteamleaduntilthe100breaststroke,andtheremainingpartici-pantsinthefinaltwoeventsfinishedwell,thedisqualificationswereenoughtosealthe87-83loss. “Itfeltterrible[tositout].IfeltthatImadeuslose,”saidKron.ThesuspendedswimmerswillreturntoactionthisSatur-dayforIowaCity’smeetattheBurlingtonInvitational.“Burlingtonwillbeourfirstchancetoshowourstuffwitheveryonehealthyandswimming.I’mreallylook-ingforwardtobeatingthe[Jefferson]J-Hawks,”saidCoachLuebke.
Chris Andino
sports specialSwimmingTeam drops first dual after captain is suspended
Itseemstobeanunwrittenlawthatavarsitybasketballgameismoreexcitingthanthesophomoregamethatprecedesit.However,theLittleHawkfanswhoshowedupearlyfortheboy’svarsitygameagainstLinn-Marwereinforarivetingfinalquarterinthesophomoregame. Athalftime,thesophomoreLittleHawkswerereceivingawhippingbytheLinn-MarLionsastheytrailed30-17.“Iwasthinking‘God,Idon’twanttogooneandfive’,”saidplayerRyanChiles’99,aboutthedismaloutlookthesophomoreshad.Itwasalsoapparenttomostfansthatthegamewasalreadywrappedup.“Ithoughtitwasgoingtobeanotherblow-out,”saidspectatorRichardLandon’99. “Thecoacheswereyellingatus,”recalledplayerJamieRowat’99.“Chairswerebeingthrown,headswerebeingrippedoff.”Despitethelowmorale,theLittleHawksplayedon,andinthethirdquarter,thingsbegantochangedramati-cally.“Theturningpointwaswhenwescoredeighttotenpointsinarowandtheyhadtocallatimeout,”saidChiles. Bythefourthquarter,thegamewastied.Therewerenolargescoringrunsbyeitherteaminthefourthquarter,butitappearedthattheLionswouldbarelyedgeoutthe
Sophomore BasketballBoys ignite fans, burn Lions in 4th
LittleHawksonthescoreboard.Withaboutaminuteleftinthelastperiod,though,JoshHobart’99,wouldhitathreepointertogivetheLittleHawksaonepointlead,47-46. FanswerejumpingexcitedlyoutoftheirseatsandfeetwerepoundingonthebleachersastheLittleHawksandtheLi-onsbattledtomakeawinningbasket.Theclockwasstoppedat4.3secondsasbothteamsusedtheirtime-outs.Linn-Marhadpossessionoftheballattheirbasket. Themere4.3secondsseemedlikeaneternityastheLionsthrewtheballin,franticallytryingtosetupthewinningshot.TwoLittleHawksdouble-teamedtheLinn-Marplayerwiththeball. Suddenly,likeaboltoutoftheblue,theballwasstolenbyNickLinder’99,andhedashedpasttheawestruckLinn-MarLionswiththeballinhishands.Thecrowderuptedinathunderingcheerasthefinalsecondtickedaway,Citytakingthevic-tory,47-46.Thesophomoreboysbarelyscrapedpast,butemotionsinthelockerroomwerehighastheplayerscelebrated. “Well,youknow,wegottaplaythesecondhalfnomatterwhat,”saidLinderabouttheunexpectedcomeback.“Youcan’tjustshowupforonehalf.”
Dan Nguyen
ThesophomoregirlsbasketballteamknockedofftheleadingteamintheMis-sissippiValleyConference,CedarRapidsRegis,atCitylastFriday Cityhadtheleaddespiteacloseruninthe4thquarterandpulledthegameoffwitha39-35winovertheRoyals. “Beatingthenumberoneteamintheconferencewasbigandmeantalottoourteam,”saidpostplayerStacyMoss’99.“We’vehadsomanyclosegamesthatwejustcouldn’thangonto,butthisgametaughtusthatwearecapableofwinningtoughgamesintheupcomingseason.” AlthoughbeatingRegiswasthebiggest
Sophomore BasketballGirls overcome conference leaders
winfortheLittleHawks,they’replanningaheadandlookingintotheseason. “Wehavesometoughcompetitionaheadofusthatweneedtobefocusingon,”saidCoachJamieSkay.“Ourteamisbeginningtoplaytogethernowthatthegirlsarerecoveredandhealthy.Ifwecontinuetoworktogetherandplayhard,we’recapableofbeatingsomehighrankedteams.” TheLittleHawksarenow7-3.Nowthattheteamsconfidencehasboostedandbuiltthroughtheseason,they’relookingforwardtowinningseveralmorevictories.
Sherry Youssef
Consequence is a superior element of news, and here the combination of a suspension and a disqualification are highlighted as explaining a team loss. Note also that once the most consequen-tial facts were presented in the story, it settled into basically a chronological narrative.
Underclass athletes deserve
coverage as much as their var-
sity counterparts, though we often
find ourselves leaving them out in the interest of
conserving space. But some of the best stories can
come from those frosh and soph
ranks. All it takes is a reporter to be
there to capture the key moments.
Beyond traditional textSports readers are often quite interested in stats, but they still want them separated from prose. Sports is a great place for stat boxes, standings lists, and schedules. These include information readers want quickly, but that would otherwise get lost in paragraph form.
Thefreezingcoldweatherdoesn’tkeepCityHighstudentsfromsweating.Ifnotonthecourtorfield,LittleHawkathletesarecertainlynothibernatingthiswinter. WithflashbacksofHealthPEwithMr.Sabersfreshmanyear,studentswillfileintothegymthisTuesdayforthekickoffofCityHighsponsoredwintertraining.WorkoutsarescheduledforeveryTuesdayandThursdaythroughtheendofFebruaryuntilindoortrackmeetsstartorthebegin-ningofSpringsportpractices. “Therearealotofusthataren’toutforbasketballorswimming,”saysZachButler,’98,“workingoutkeepsyouinshapeandyoucangetalotstrongerfornextyear.” Off-seasonactivitiesincludeweight-lifting,running,orplyometricworkouts.Someathleteschoosetojoinaclubteamoranindoorleagueforthewinter.Thisoptionisespeciallypopularforvolleyballandsoccerplayers.“Therearesomanyvolleyballclubteams,”saysAmberDyk-stra,’98.“Iliketoplaywithaclubbecause
AfterlosingthreegamesinarowthegirlsvarsitybasketballteamwonFridaynightagainstCRRegis.“Wewereallreallypumpeduptowinsincewehadn’twonforsolong,”saidTanyaHammes’99,thestart-ingpostplayerfortheLittleHawks. KamiBerry’99,ledtheteamwithagamehigh21points.TheLittleHawkshadagoodleadmostofthegame.InthefourthquarterRegiscamewithinfivepointsoftheHawksbutcouldn’tgetanycloserthanthat. Thefinalscoreofthegamewas54-45.“Regisisaverystrong,powerfulteamandthiswasaverygoodwinforus,”saidCoachBrentBrown. TheLittleHawksarenow7-3overall.TheytakeonLinn-MarTuesdayatLinn-Mar.“Linn-Marisoneofthetopteamsandwillbeverytough.ButweareverycapableofbeatingthemandifwestayfocusedIthinkwewill,”saidHammes.Tipoffisat7:45p.m.
Kate Cilek
Varsity BasketballGirls break 3-game skid with home win
ThewrestlingtournamentinAnkenyscheduledforSaturdaywascancelledduetoweather.Butthewrestlersdidn’tgetthedayoff. TherewasaMatpactournamenthereatCityHigh.Ithostedkidsfromkinder-gartentogradeeight.Thekindergartnersthroughfourthgraderswrestledfrom9a.m.untilnoonontwelvematsinfourpersonround-robincompetitions,ac-cordingtotheirweights.Thefifththrougheighthgraderswrestledfromnoonuntilabout4:30p.m. CityHighwrestlerskeptscores,time,andrecordedthematches.Theyalsohandedoutmedalsandwallcharts.
AfightnearlybrokeoutaftertheboysbasketballgameTuesdaynight.Afterthebuzzersoundedtoendthegame,KevinSuchomel’97,chargedLinnMar’sseniorpointguardNateHansen.SuchomelwasrestrainedbytheCityHighcoachingstaffbeforehecouldgettoHansen. LinnMar’sgameplanwasclear:useHansentogetintoSuchomel’sheadandtakehimoutofthegamementally.TheplanworkedasHansenwasabletodrawfoulafterfoulwithaslysmileonhisfacethatseemedtoirritateSuchomelevenmore.TwoearlyfoulslimitedSuchomel’splayingtimeforthenightandhefouledoutinthefourthquarterwithonly4points.Linn-Marwonthegame60-48. Asthegameworeon,theCHSfanstooknoticeofLinn-Mar’sgameplanandwerenotveryappreciative.“Ithinkhe’s(Hansen)adirtyplayer,”TimHerzog’97,said.Othersweremoreoutspoken.“Han-sen’sacock,”ShawnKindhart’97,said.“I’mgonnakickhisass.” Thatwasthegeneralfeelingofthecrowdafterthegame.Manyfanswaitedfortheteamstocomeoutofthelockerroom,anticipatinganotheraltercation.Nothingmaterialized,bringingmorehypetothesecondmatchupbetweenthetwoteams,Feb.7atLinn-Mar. “Ican’twaittoplayattheirplace,”Suchomelsaid. Mike Gavin
Varsity BasketballBoys lose cool and game to Linn-Mar
WrestlingWeather problems bring high school and elementary wrestlers together
About350kidsparticipatedinthetournament,andabout200hadtobeturnedaway.“Itwaskindofsadbecausetheycouldn’twrestle,butwejustdidn’thavetheroom,”Goodnersaid. “Wealsohadtokeepthepeace,”AdamBorgstahl’99,said.Theyhadtokeepkidsoffthematwhoweren’twrestlingandhadtokeepthosewhowerewaitingsettleddown. ThewrestlingtournamentinAnkenyhasnotbeenrescheduled,andCityHighwrestlescrosstownrivalWestHighonThursday.
Kris Drager
PlyometricsOff-season conditioning at full speed
yougettotraveltotournamentswithafunteamandmeanwhileit’sagreatopportu-nitytogetyourhandsontheball.” MarthaKelch,’98,agreeswithDykstra,althoughshepracticessoccerinstead.“Indoor[soccer]isgoodformaintainingsoccerfundamentals,butitdoesn’treallygetmeintoshape,”saysKelch. Forthisreason,DianeHurley,formerVarsitygirlssoccercoachencouragesad-ditionalworkoutsthatgetyouintoshape.“Youcanreallylosealotslackingoffinthewinter,”saysHurley.“Ireallyrecom-mendweight-liftingtobuildstrength,butifsomeoneisjustgoingtoliftwhenever,they’renotgoingtoseethebenefits—youneedtogetaprogramandbeprettycon-sistent.” TheresultsareobviousatCityHigh.Butlersays,“We’llkeepworkinghard,andpickupanotherstatechampionshipnextyear.”
Bridget Donahue
ThesoundofbatscrackingandglovespoppingcouldbeheardThursdaynightatCHS.Thiswasthebaseballteamgettingreadyfortheupcomingseason. JeffLynch’97,wasoneoftheplayerswhogotsomehittinginlastnight.Lynchsaidthatthiswasthefirstchanceforplay-erstotakeadvantageofoptionalworkoutsatCHS.TheschoolwillbeopenedupforplayerstohitonThursdaysfrom5-7p.m.andonSundaymorningsfrom10-12.TherewillbeadditionalthrowingforpitchersandcatchersonSundays,accord-ingtoLynch. Thebaseballteamusesastorageshedattachedtotheoldgymforamakeshift
BaseballRule change brings earlier workouts
battingcage.Theshedcontainssomenet-tingthatisnormallyhungup,butduringhittingpracticethenettingisdroppedtoformthebattingcage,Lynchsaid. DuetoarulechangebytheIowaHighSchoolSportsAssociation,baseballplayerscannowworkoutwithcoachesduringtheoff-season.“Normallytheseasondoesn’tstartuntilApril,sothisisthefirstyearthatwe[baseballteam]havestartedinJanu-ary,”Lynchsaid. MikeGavin’97,whoalsoattendedtheworkout,said,“ThisisagreatopportunityforCityHighbaseballplayers.”
Jamie Rowat
Contrast the two coverage stories about basketball (both solid, with a focus on what was significant in each game result).
The wrestling story that will
never appear in the professional
press, but that tells readers much
more about the wrestling team
and the program than any match
story would.
If your coverage is going to be ongo-
ing, don’t forget that many sports today are played
or practiced year-round. Covering activities before
the major events is part of being a
proactive – rather than exclusively reactive – jour-
nalist. Coverage of spring and
summer sports preparation is
particularly effec-tive for a spring
delivery yearbook, which will not be
able to give the ac-tual game results any coverage due
to deadlines.
