Therowl

Friday, October 5, 2012G 3333 18th St. Bettendorf, IA 52722Bettendorf High School Vol. 49 Issue 1

Old newspapers rediscovered by students show 60 years of BHS

by Callie HeiderscheitStaff Reporter

Dana Waterman views a particularly decorated paper from the year 1983-84.

Growl editor Megan Sanchez shows how different a newspaper from 1966 and one from 2011 look.

Brianna Klablunde, Alex Connor, Sarah Dixon, Callie Heiderscheit, and Michael Conner sort through a decade of papers.

They saw the faces of the nominees for

the year’s sweetheart and wondered

who was crowned victorious in the end.

The idea of carelessly throwing out a paper, which

held such importance to those who made it,

was unsettling.

It was only the first week of school when we in publications discovered the true meaning of old news.

But unfortunately, before any of the

actual publications could progress we had some work to do around the room. .

One of the jobs seemed simple: Organize the old newspapers.

It most certainly was not simple. Locked within the rectangular arms of a filing cabinet slept 60 years of BHS’s documentation in black and white.

“All right, well, these are the old papers. They need to be organized. Keep only one from each year. One. You can do that,” Ms. King, our advisor, said. She left them with only a parting “Good luck,” and whole bunch of neglected newspapers.

First things first; address the question of what to do.

No particular starting point seemed fitting when dealing with the organization of hundreds of papers. Eventually it was settled that the papers would first be organized by the decade. The crew spent the next three days of class camped out in the hallway.

“Eighties!” one would say. The designated paper-sorter would place the document accordingly.

“This one’s a nineties! Oh, and here’s another eighties!” “Fifties,” said one sorter suddenly. The well-oiled machine that had been arranging newspapers so seamlessly just moments before completely halted.

The group congregated around this rare artifact and took turns revelling at the ancient pages. That was the only fifties paper found. .

Three days later came the conclusion of mindless systemizing.

Six uneven piles of the voices from the past lay before them. The tower of seventies teetered roughly two and a half feet off the ground while the fifties had just one lone paper.

Clearly the time had come to transition to stage two. One paper was to be kept to represent an entire year of events, games, and student life. Choosing just one newspaper that was to embody an entire

365 days of time was hard to swallow.But still, it had to be done. The kids

draped their arms around the most massive pile they could handle, and began to waddle their way back into the hallway.

Sixties was first. The process was underway, beginning with the separation of years within the decade.

“We can all just take a pile. A year, I mean. Then, we can all decide on our own which paper to keep and which ones to throw out,” one student suggested tentatively.

And so it began. Each student sifting and sorting through an array of topics and events to choose only one final paper. Some years contained nearly 20 papers, others held far less. Their

eyes began filling with former times.

“Did you guys know we used to have a synchronized swimming team?” said one.

“Yeah, and gymnastics too. They went to nationals in ‘73,” replied another.

As the process became smoother, a mutually understood language was developed. Each paper’s temporary title was its front-page headline. In order to separate one from another, papers would be referred to as “Spring Sports State Prospects Grow” or “Synchronized Swim Show Held; a First at BHS.” Those which were rejected were placed into a forever-growing pile which was referred to as “the uglies.”

The measly pile of winners was d i shear ten ing when placed next to the m a m m o t h pile of uglies.

During the period spent filtering through the papers, the team felt they had achieved a sense of the times they were reading about. They saw the faces of the nominees for the year’s sweetheart and wondered who was crowned victorious in the end.

They read the headline “New Additions to Be Added to BHS” and pondered which hallway, that they might be passing thoughtlessly every day, was a thrilling addition to those living through its creation.

They read the words: “Don’t forget to see Miss Gorgeous Gams!” Thinking

about those involved with the play and what it would be like for the class of ‘66 to have been able to see it.

The choosing of a designated newspaper of the year was not a decision easily made. It, often times, became simpler to place the burden of the choice on the opinion of others. The idea of carelessly throwing out a paper, which held such importance to those who made it, was unsettling.

Especially when it seemed that every paper had something spectacular to offer. Whether it was the Pepe’s Taco ads (three for $1.30), learning that Bettendorf used to have a pre-homecoming school bonfire tradition (only to be forgone because of an ecological campaign), or finding a photo of Mr. Earp laughing while leaning against a pillar outside of the pool, it seemed every single newspaper had something worthwhile.

And when phase two had finally been completed, the group stood back to view their reward once again. Like the time before, the newspapers had been placed

into their fitting piles. But seven piles had now turned to two, and the unevenness had become much more significant.

Sixty years have been documented impressively through the eyes and pens of kids like us.

These papers remind us how some changes can happen so impossibly fast, and in such an obvious fashion, while other forms of change are

so gradual that one would never notice as it occurs throughout the accumulation of years. These papers hold such significance in teaching us how not to make the mistakes of our past (we’re talking to you, legwarmers and afros) and also give us an illustration as to how to move forward.

Or maybe they’re just the best place to find your dad wearing a polyester leisure suit.

Finding the papers

Organizing, organizing . . .

Which ones to keep

Memories from the past

Hard to choose just one

The significance

October 5, 20122 Opinion

Growl StaffEditor: Megan SanchezReporters and Photographers:Emma Brindle, Michael Conner, Anna Willey, Callie Heiderscheit, Brenna Bates, Brianna Klabunde, Allie Weis, Alex Connor, Sarah Dixon.Columnist: Haley Zapolskibettgrowl.com Editor: Jordan Raso.Adviser: Connie KingMascot: Newsie

The Growl accepts all signed Letters to the Editor by the student body. Letters may be edited for length, grammar, and clarity.

Letters may be dropped off in D100, journalism lab or emailed to bhsgrowl@gmail.com.

The Growl is a member of the Iowa High School Press Association (IHSPA) and the

Journalism Education Association.

Visit us at bettgrowl.com.“Like” us on Facebook (bettmedia).

Use your smart phone or iPad

to visit our website!

Every year in October we hold a student hunger drive through the first week in November. However, the majority of our school takes little notice to this event. Instead, our student council goes above and beyond to provide most of the food that comes in.

Throughout the six weeks of the hunger drive, students are given many opportunities to participate. There are benefits at local restaurants, Powder Buff, class competitions, and more. Yet, only a small number of students actually participate.

Joy Kelly, associate principal, feels that something needs to change as far as participation goes.

“Historically, much of the food gathered for the hunger drive is primarily secured by the 40 members of student council. I

donations outside of grocery stores, or even doing something as simple as setting your Facebook status to an encouraging message about the hunger drive.

Student council is an example for the rest of the school to follow. But 40 kids cannot do it alone. You CAN make a difference.

Courtney Carr, senior, has worked on student council with the hunger drive for two years.

“I am very passionate about the hunger drive, and I know what a difference it can make. I want to see the rest of the school on board, so we can reach our goal,” Carr said.

Student council is held to a higher standard when it comes to the hunger drive because it is in charge of the event, but Growl wants to know why these 40 kids have more drive and dedication than the entire school?

We may not realize it, but there are students in every one of our classes that go home hungry. We often take for granted something as simple as food, but there is a student, possibly the one sitting next to you, whose family cannot afford food.

As Bettendorf students, we should feel

a duty to help these people out. We are known for coming together during hard times.

“People are actually hungry and we don’t realize what they’re going through. We need to help,” Sears said.

The Growl’s vision: We want to see students and staff working toward a goal of 70,000 pounds of food. The Growl is counting on you.

Our staff has 12 people, who all say it is time for a change. It is time that our school starts caring a little more and becomes more aware of the problem in front of us.

We have done great things as far as the hunger drive goes. We have been the most improved school out of 17 schools in the Quad Cities for the past two years. Last year we raised almost 62,000 pounds of food... but we can do better, and we will.

“BHS has great pride in everything we do. I trust our school community will step up and support the hunger drive as an avenue to provide support for those who are not as fortunate as most of us are in our own lives,” Kelly said.

The goal is 70,000 pounds. What will you do to help?

It’s 11 at night, maybe 1 in the morning, maybe passing time before your next class. Either way, you know you’ve procrastinated. That paper assigned two weeks ago is due tomorrow, or today, or in ten minutes, but you didn’t do it.

You’re a procrastinator. I am writing this article late Thursday night and it’s due Friday. Oh, and it was assigned almost a month ago. I suppose I’m a procrastinator too.

I finally sit down to write that paper and I have absolutely no clue where to begin. First I put my name, my teacher’s name, block, date, assignment number, chapter, change date to put when assigned and when due, my middle name, and then I run out of things to put and tell myself to get to work.

Next, I sit there and fondle with the font and text size for ten minutes and finally decide that, yes, Arial is the way to go.

I’ve worked really hard and I deserve a break! I proceed to check my Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Infinite Campus, and Gmail.

In a moment of weakness, I start to create a Google+ account just to have one more thing to waste time on, but stop myself because I know that that is going too far.

I start to wonder, is my teacher actually going to read all of this? They will probably only read the first paragraph and the last.

Shout-out to my mom who has always supported me and although she thinks I

Dear Growl, I have a lot of problems and I really need advice! I feel like I have no one to turn to. Is there any way you could help me?

Of course the Growl can help! Our new advice column, Sincerely Sarah, featuring Sarah Dixon, will be a new addition to our newspaper. A mailbox outside of the J-Lab will be put up for students’ anonymous letters. Whether your problems are humorous or serious, I will be glad to help with anything you desire.

Dear Sarah, I am having problems

at home. My mother and I have been fighting about what I wear. For the past few years we have had a battle with the type of underwear I buy. While I would like to get bikini style and thongs to avoid panty lines, she insists on buying me granny panties. It is so embarrassing, especially when I have to change in the locker rooms. What should I do?

Sincerely, Granny Panty

Dear Granny Panty, my first solution would be to not wear underwear, but that’s just me. You know what they say, girls who don’t wear underwear don’t get their panties in a bunch! Especially if you wear athletic shorts a lot, they already have built-in underwear! But if you’re thinking “omg that’s super weird,” then don’t worry because there are other solutions. Plan B: sit down and talk with your mom about how you’d like to buy the underwear you want. If you explain to her that it’s embarrassing to wear “granny panties,” and tell her why you would rather wear underwear that you like, she should be like “yo I gotchu that’s coo.” Maybe she thinks the underwear you want to buy is considered racy and inappropriate, but you can definitely find seamless underwear that is appropriate! Compromise with your mom and hope she chills out a little. And if she still won’t budge, Plan C is move out, join the circus, and then you can wear anything you want, including big shoes and a clown nose. You can also hang out with elephants and feed them peanuts, that would seriously be so much fun. I love elephants. Lolz. Besides the point, good luck with convincing your mom!

Sincerely, Sarah :)

The Growl Editorial

The

SNARL

would really like to see more widespread involvement by a wider segment of the student body and staff,” Kelly said.

Tanner Sears, senior, has seen both sides of the spectrum. He spent two years being an active student in the hunger drive, and one year working on student council.

“Student council definitely works harder than the rest of the school,” Sears said.

Student council spends hours outside grocery stores asking for donations, and they are at every hunger drive event.

They put in announcements, hang flyers, and do everything possible to inform everyone.

Perhaps students do not realize that you don’t have to be on student council to make a huge difference in the hunger drive.

You can do more than just bring cans to classes. Student council would be more than happy to have your help asking for

Challenge: What will YOU do for the hunger drive?

Advice column: Sincerely, Sarah

by Sarah DixonStaff Reporter

The Halestorm:

am weird she is glad I’m at least happy. So what if I just added that sentence to reach my 500 word limit? It added twenty three words! Is anyone really going to notice? Does anyone actually read this?

I still haven’t written enough words to reach the minimum so I start adding adjectives in every single possible space that I can add the great, little, noun-modifying words.

Here’s a trick I think you should use if you are extremely desperate: Just add

add a word in twice and I’m almost positive no one will notice. Do it on every line if you

you have to. Did you see what I did there? Read the last two sentences again slowly.

Ok, another break is probably needed again. So I go through the same routine and check all of my accounts.

In another moment of weakness I go to my myspace page and finally have my own mini intervention with myself that all of these social media websites are getting out of hand.

I don’t feel like going back to writing my paper so I go ask my mom how her day was. Finally, two hours later, I go ask my brother how his day was, and three seconds later I return to writing my paper. Another ten minutes go by after counting cars drive past my house. (In case you were curious, there were 17).

Then I bang my head on the keyboard hjvgnyuhgujhyhghswedx edfrgt bnju and give up. The end.

by Haley ZapolskiColumnist

Procrastination is an art

Many diverse people find comfort in the groups and clubs that are offered to the student body. An infant to the club scene, Asian Culture Club, has recently started and is run by Paisley Gale, president, and Sara Longenecker, the vice president.

“We started this group to educate people on the culture,” Longenecker said. “We also wanted people to be able to join the group and make new friends.”

Before a group can be started, the idea must be passed on to Kevin Skillett, activities director, for approval.

“Any time we can learn about other cultures, there’s great value in that, not only in school, but in our nation. There’s something exciting and interesting about different cultures,” Skillett said.

From a student standpoint, Gale believes it is important to broaden the ideas of other cultures outside of American culture, and the few common cultures studied such as Spanish, German, and French. Longenecker believes it is important to learn others’ culture and customs, so we do not offend the people.

“We’ve learned about Mexico, and a few countries in Europe, I thought we should expand further into Asia,” Gale said.

There are a lot of student requests for different groups and clubs to be started. In order for a club to be a permanent addition, there must be a decent attendance and the club must have a meaningful mission.

“If the club continues to garner interest and sponsors, and the attendance is good

and continues to grow, then it is something I would like to continue with,” Skillett said.

The mission of this group is similar to those of other foreign languages offered: to teach the students about the Asian culture and some of the languages that are spoken in Asian countries.

“We’re planning to send the underclassmen to Japan,” Longenecker said. “We’re seniors this year, so obviously we won’t be able to go, but we hope that we can work something out for them to go and learn about the culture in person.”

Gale and Longenecker hope

the students participating in the club take a liking to the Asian culture and continue to learn about it.

“It was Paisley’s idea, I just helped out little,” Longenecker said. “We hope that they enjoy learning about it as much as we do.”

Learning new cultures is important because the nation is full of diversity.

“We should all take great value in the opportunity to learn about different cultures,” Skillett said.

In this group, different things are taught to broaden the participants’ education on the Asian culture.

“We have a word or phrase of the week,” Longenecker said. “We try to teach them things they might not know about the language.”

In Asia, different holidays are celebrated, and different events are emphasized. IIn this group, those customs are respected, and even celebrated amongst the participants.

“If there’s a holiday they celebrate, we try to celebrate it here, just to show them what it would be like,” Gale said.

Asian culture club connects by Brenna BatesStaff Reporter

On Aug. 15, all students were, once again, prepared to sharpen all of their new pencils, greet all of their acquaintances, and possibly manage to keep track of their lanyards for the year as they entered school for the first time in two and a half months. With all of the new classes and new students, there is one thing that perhaps was not as clearly noticed: a group of new teachers. The school has gained 14 fresh faculty members this year. The educators joining this year are Angela Mojeiko, Allyson Sedlak, Lauren Booten, Kayla Papish, Jennifer Wikan, Laura Mohs, Janice Brattvet, Jason Hamann, Joe Phillips, Joe Newcomb, Dan Eizyk, Justin Lauer and Diana Steiner However that is the information that may already be common knowledge for a student. It is what one may not know that makes these newest additions so intriguing. For instance: “I got married on a glacier in Alaska,” said Level 3 Special Ed teacher Jason Hamann. “I was an interrogator in the Army for five years, and I worked at the US Embassy in Beijing, China as a translator and interpreter,” said Diana Steiner, German teacher. “I went to Greece with the Augustana Women’s Basketball Team,” said math/geometry teacher, Kayla Papish. Each teacher has one thing in common: each has their own unique story leading up to his or her arrival. “I had my son one year from my high school graduation. Even though I had the challenge of raising a child, I still was able to graduate from college in three

years with a four year degree. I believe life is only what you make it, and I knew that my hard work and perseverance would be better for my child and myself,” said the new Business and Computer teacher, Angela Mojeiko. “I’m going to marry my high school sweetheart in November who I met in my Power Mechanics class,” said Joseph

Phillips, who is the school’s new Woods I and II, Electronics, and Power M e c h a n i c s teacher. While these educators have been here only a little over a month, many have already rooted t h e m s e l v e s within the school

through the managing of clubs. Among some of the organizations that the newest teachers have already involved themselves with are girls basketball, boys basketball, middle school volleyball, German club, Asian Culture Club, GAPP, FBLA and much more. Some are even aiming to create their own clubs within the school. “I will be helping start up SOUP (Students Organized To Unite People),” said Allyson Sedlak, who is the school’s newest guidance counselor. “We’re trying to start an Automotive Technology Club,” said Phillips. There is even talk of bringing Chinese to the school because of Steiner‘s employment. According to Mojeiko, what is different about Bettendorf is, “The attentiveness of the students. Almost all students in my classes seem anxious to learn. The passion of the staff and administration, they are all not afraid to try new things and they all try their hardest to give a great education to all students.”

Eleven of the new teachers show their smiles.

New teachers take school in full stride

by Emma BrindleStaff Reporter

Features 3October 5, 2012

In today’s economy, it is hardly sensible to spend hundreds of dollars on clothes. Aside from the money aspect of shopping at retail stores, nobody wants to show up at school wearing the same outfit as someone else. Three students have a great alternative by shopping at local thrift stores.

Junior Logan Ryan is a frequent customer at the local thrift stores. Ryan described his style as old school retro. Although he has made lots of special purchases, his favorite is by far a Michigan Wolverines crewneck. Crewnecks are a signature part of his

style; he can be found wearing one almost every day.

“I like shopping at thrift stores because they have way cooler items. The stuff is just retro, and more beautiful,” Ryan said.

Ryan has the occasional strange find, such as some fluffy slippers; however, he usually tries to look for unique crewnecks and anything tie dyed.

Although he can be found shopping at many local thrift stores, Ryan credits most of his impressive

style to the Salvation Army, where he finds some of the greatest parts of his stylish wardrobe.

Another frequent thrift store customer is Kylie Gutierrez.

“I would describe my style as bag lady, grandma chic,” Gutierrez said.

She prefers shopping at thrift stores rather than retail shops because she likes helping others and

the planet by reusing things.

“I can always find cheap, unique things that nobody else has. I get to save money and help others at the same time, so it makes me feel good,” Gutierrez said.

When shopping, her favorite things to find are cool t-shirts and shoes. Her favorite purchase is a silky scarf which she is wearing in her picture. A

lot of Gutierrez’s unique, stylish clothing come from her thrift store of choice, Goodwill

Sophomore Alex Flax is another individual who prefers shopping at thrift stores. He can be found wearing outfits varying from a button up shirt not all the way buttoned, to a nice suit and tie.

“Thrift stores give me an opportunity to

find cheap things that are high quality. I once found a sweater for $3 that was worth $150, so there are lots of great values most

people just don’t know about,” Flax said

Flax typically looks for ugly floral shirts and ridiculous sweaters when he goes shopping. His all-time favorite purchase was a pair of cap-toed loafers, which he ripped the soles off because he does not like wearing shoes.

As far as his style, Flax gets ideas from different movies. His outfits are inspired by his favorite actors at the time. He enjoys wearing outfits that

most people would not expect and being himself

Whether the goal is to be unique and stylish, or just to save money, thrift stores offer a wide variety of merchandise for anyone’s taste. One never knows what kinds of treasures they will find until stopping by to see for themselves. Many thrift stores have great deals and give people a chance to have great style without spending much money.

Kylie Gutierrez

Alex Flax

Students strut thrift store style

by Callie HeiderscheitStaff Reporter

http://schools.iclipart.com

Logan Ryan

her class would tie in the homecoming theme in this year’s float. They did this with their artistic New York skyline.The freshmen’s theme was “Uncage the Rage” featuring two bulldogs surrounded by a wooden fence. Sophomores had “Towering over the MAC” represented in their cardboard skyline. Juniors “Roping up the Competition” was obvious in their western style float.

The plans started with each of the classes meeting to discuss their theme and the best way to portray it in a float.

“My class just tries to sit down and draw out diagrams of our plans,” Summers said. Then they chose which ones they liked best and worked from there.

“Some people have better ideas than others,” Wells said about her class’s b r a i n s t o r m i n g experience.

“ S o m e t i m e s our ideas get a

little unrealistic, but I just hope to have a clean and complete float. We have a lot of good creativity in our class though, and we’re ambitious,” Summers said. Even though it was the freshman’s first time in the competition it did nothing to faze their confidence despite the senior’s four year winning streak.

“If our class does the best we can, we’ll kill it!” Wells said, “I just hope the school knows that we’re going to win.”

“Students are usually very excited about building their class floats, but more would be excited about it if they knew about it. Anyone is welcome to work on their their floats, not just student council,” Kinsinger said.

4

Building up a competition

Float building was back again this year with a fantastic turn out. Students rushed to complete their floats in time for the parade on Sept. 20. Although a tough competition this year, seniors won first place followed by the juniors with third, sophomores second, and then the freshmen in fourth.

“It’s a lot of fun, and there is a lot of teamwork because our whole class is working together. Plus it’s a competition which is cool,” said Scott Summers, a freshman on student council.

The hot Sunday afternoon on Sept. 16 at the bus barn did nothing to dull the fun of float building. Each class had an array of materials to make every float. This included materials such as posters, wood, paints, tarps, and other tools. Not to mention the trailers that were the base of the whole project. There was painting, drawing, building, and laughing. Students had a blast working together.

“As long as people are organized and have good ideas it usually goes well,” said Katherine Kinsinger, co-adviser of homecoming with Danielle Breier.

“Floats are probably the least stressful part of homecoming,“ Kinsinger said.

“Float building is not only fun for the kids involved but “for the whole community,” said Carrie Wells, a senior on student council who has been involved in float building since she was a freshmen.

Wells also said that she was hoping

by Brianna KlabundeStaff Reporter

The ACT, or the American College Test, is a test that some students stress over, while others go in and just wing it. Preparation can be an important part of the test taking process, but some students choose to rely on their knowledge.

Scottie Trahan, senior, took the test four times to get the score he wanted. He was most concerned about the reading section.

“I took thousands of practice tests to prepare for the ACT,” Trahan said.

Trahan feels the most pressure to do well on the ACT from colleges.

“I think the ACT is not a good representation of a student’s knowledge. You don’t need to be able to read a passage and answer questions about it in a real life situation,” Trahan said.

Trahan’s advice to students preparing for the ACT is to take lots of practice tests. He ended up with a 31, ten points above the national average.

“Although Cornell is my top choice, I’m applying to Illinois, Purdue, and Michigan,” Trahan said.

Iowa State University is his back up option.

Ali Grampp, senior, took the ACT three times. She was most concerned for the science portion of the test.

“I feel pressure from mostly colleges, but I feel pressure from my parents and myself too,” Grampp said.

Grampp studied on her own for the first time around. Before her second try at the ACT, she attended a ZAPS Seminar.

Every year, a ZAPS seminar is held at the high school to teach students test taking techniques that will hopefully improve their ACT score.

When Grampp was still unhappy with her ACT score, she went to

Sylvan Learning Center. There she went through a six week program that consisted of 20 hours of instruction from teachers who specialized in each subject.

Unfortunately, Grampp was not successful in her third attempt. In fact, she ended up going down two points from her previous score.

“I’m really disappointed with the results I got after taking the course at Sylvan,” Grampp said.

For Grampp, her nerves are what affects her most during the test.

“I don’t think the ACT is a fair way to test students because some students get anxious for testing, and no matter how much you study, you can’t do your best when you’re nervous,” Grampp said.

Grampp’s advice to students taking the ACT is to study. “It’s no different than any other test. If

you are a person who needs to study for class tests, then you should study for this one also,” Grampp said. Grampp’s number one choice is Pepperdine University. She also plans to apply to University of California-Santa Barbara,

Liberty College, C a r t h a g e U n i v e r s i t y , the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. She is unsure whether to major in psychology, English, or business.

Unlike Trahan and Grampp, one student found no need to study for the ACT.

Josh Edmond, senior, took the exam for the first time this

September. Even with scarce preparation, he managed to score a 26, which is five points higher than the national average.

“Even though I didn’t study, I would still suggest studying to other students. However, I do think the ACT is not as bad

as people say it is,” Edmond said. Edmond plans to attend a four year

college, possibly the University of Iowa. Dr. Robert Byram, guidance counselor,

has students walk into his office every day with concerns, or lack thereof, about the ACT.

“The ACT is very important. It is a way for colleges and universities to compare students,” Byram said.

Grampp and Trahan both feel the ACT is not a fair test. Byram, on the other hand, feels it can go either way.“It is an a s s e s s m e n t of how the

student does on that day at that time, but there are a lot of variables that can affect a student’s score, like not sleeping enough the night before,” Byram said.

Byram suggests preparing for the ACT as much as possible by taking practice tests, or more classes at the high school that could improve one’s score.

According to actstudent.org, 57 percent of students increase their score the second time around. One may consider this when taking the test, and feel less stressed. “Students need to remember that they can always retake the ACT,” Byram said.

Students’ feelings differ on ACT

Trahan delves into an ACT prep book.

Juniors work together to build a barn for their float.

Grampp takes her anger toward the ACT out on a prep book.

Edmond relaxes before the ACT.

by Megan SanchezEditor

Powder Puff successful

As the football players prepared for the the homecoming game on Friday, upperclassmen girls got a chance to join in on the fun on Wednesday, Sept. 19, by participating in Powder Puff.

The event was run by Jacob Hovey, Maggy Williams, Tyler Dunlavy, and Cole Jackson. To watch the game, it cost $5 to get in or three cans. The cans that are donated from admissions are given to the Bettendorf Food Pantry.

The turnout of girls that signed up for the game was 80, which was 20 more than last year. Through admissions alone, $930 was raised.

“A lot of preparation goes into organizing Powder Puff,” said Jacob Hovey, the chair of the event. The student council committee has to design and order the t shirts. They also look for volunteer coaches, announcers, and referees. Hovey said the committee started organizing Powder Puff the first week of school.

The girls had one mandatory practice before the game, where the coaches taught the girls some plays. The players caught on surprisingly quick, according to Drexler.

“I like seeing the enthusiasm of the girls and seeing the smiles on their faces,” said Dan Drexler, teacher and volunteer Powder Puff coach of seven years.“The girls play hard, but the true meaning is to have fun,” Drexler said.

The event can always improve on getting more girls to play, and also getting more students and parents to come watch.

“I’d like to see more support at the game,” Drexler said. “I know everyone is busy but it’s fun to watch and it’s for a good cause.”

“Powder Puff is something that we should keep around because it gives us girls a chance to participate in something we wouldn’t normally be able to do,” said junior Maddy Meeker.

“This event is all about giving girls a chance to experience playing football and joining a large group of girls together,” said Katie Kinsinger, the Student Council advisor, teacher, and coach. “This event is successful every year. The girls really enjoy the experience.”

Junior McKay Matheson runs with the ball away from senior Melissa Welsh to score a touchdown. “Mckay scored most of our points,” said Maddy Meeker.

With a big smile on her face, senior Katie Moore is about to throw the ball with seniors Jessica Cobb and Nikki Schneider next to her.

by Sarah DixonStaff Reporter

October 5, 2012Features

5

hallways and in the courtyard.“It’ll be really fun, we just need people,”

Wells said. Student council must have at least 120 participants or “tributes” or else the “Hunger Games” can not take place.

“We hope to have at least eight or nine districts,” Constantinou said. There will be 30 students per district.

“Anyone in school can sign up,” Wells said, “and it’s going to be really fun. If you win you get a lot of bragging rights.”

The prizes are not yet determined for winning the “Hunger Games,” but student council is thinking about awarding gift cards, and of course, bragging rights.

“We hope to get a lot of our pounds from the ‘Hunger Games’,” Constantiou said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how it all plays out, and seeing the teams interact while raising pounds of food for a good cause.”

“I think it’s different, but I like the idea, it will definitely spark an interest with students,” Constantinou said. The “Hunger Games” will be one of the major fundraising events for

the hunger drive but the student council also has some more ideas for raising pounds.

“If you bring in five cans from Oct. 1-12 in the mornings, you’ll be put into a raffle for prizes such as VIP parking, t-shirts, and gift cards,” Constantinou said. Student council will also be hosting a silent auction and pack the bus night.

“The hunger drive is nice. It brings people together to raise food for a good cause,”Jack Wells, a freshman, said.

Wells is on student council and helps advertise the hunger drive. The hunger drive is occurring from Oct.1 - Nov. 7. All the food will be donated to 120 local food pantries, shelters, and day care centers. Student council’s goal is 70,000 pounds of food.

The hunger drive has a new tactic to raise pounds this year through the “Hunger Games.” The event is a new activity to help raise more student participation in the hunger drive.

“Student council collected more cans last year than the whole student body,” Penny

Constantiou said. She is a senior on student council. “We hope to get the whole school involved this year.”

Constantiou came up with the idea for “Hunger Games,” so that student council could collect more cans and gain more pounds.

“I was driving home from work, and I just thought of it,” Constantiou said.

The “Hunger Games” is an activity based on the book series by Suzanne Collins. Students bring $5 and sign up under a district on Oct. 8-11. Students then show up at the high school on Oct. 15 with five cans of food, and play a giant game of capture the flag/flag football in the school

Hunger drive hungry for more pounds

by Alex ConnorStaff Reporter

While most of last year’s seniors are simply adjusting to dorm life and cafeteria food in their first year of college, 2012 graduate Brandon Labath has much more on his plate to adjust to.

Labath spent his summer attending boot camp as a part of his training for the Navy. He missed getting to watch ESPN and listen to music while at boot camp the most. On a normal day, he woke up at five in the morning for a 6:00 sharp start. The hardest part was staying awake during boring times.

“If you fell asleep, you got your butt chewed out,” Labath said.

Labath found boot camp to be similar to high school as far as the people he met. However, he got a chance to meet people from all over the country which was a nice change, aside from the occasional few who got on his nerves.

Labath showed his strength and perseverance by never letting hardships get the best of him. Although several gave up throughout boot camp, that was never an option for him.

His family and friends have been extremely supportive throughout everything. That, along with his attention to detail and hard work ethic, has kept him going strong.

“Boot camp is a small milestone in my Navy career, and you have to take what you learned from there to apply it once I get to the fleet. It felt awesome by the time I was done,” Labath said.

Right now, Labath is going to school in

Chicago to continue work on his operation specialist rating. Life is much more relaxed at school compared to the boot camp itself; however, there are definitely stressful aspects.

The work involves doing modules on the computer, which he is only given a day or two to finish, followed by testing two to three times per week.

“The work itself is pretty stressful just because we aren’t given much time to learn everything, then we get tested right away,” he said.

Actually graduating from boot camp involved a final event called battle stations. This consisted of staying up for 12 hours straight while going through real life

experiences that could happen at sea. This gives the enlistees a chance to see what life would be like once on the boat.

After battle stations there was a ceremony for the graduates where family members finally got a chance to visit. Junior Brooke Labath was one of the proud family members to visit her brother after boot camp.

“It was really sad not having my brother around. It was hard not seeing him, and I missed not having him at home to pick on me,” Brooke recalled.

Labath has not yet had a chance to come home, but hopes to be back in Bettendorf soon to visit his family. He graduates from A-school on Oct. 30 after which he will be stationed either in Japan, California, Florida, Virginia, Washington, or possibly Hawaii.

“Whatever you decide to do in life, work hard, it pays off!” Labath said.

by Emma BrindleStaff Reporter

Living through boot campOctober 5, 2012 Student Outreach

Blood drives are a common event put on by the Student Council representatives. However, for the first blood drive of the 2012-2013 school year, the FBLA students pulled together to plan their first ever blood drive.

“Miss Kinsinger was too busy with student council,” Sarah Roeder said, “so she asked FBLA to host it.”

Although the host for the blood drive was different, the goal for the outcome was not.

“Our blood drive will be very similar, we have the same goals. The goal is 100 pints,” Roeder said.

There are a few crucial steps in planning a successful blood drive, including contacting the blood center, advertising for the event, and providing necessary snacks and comfort for the donators.

“We met with the donor coordinator, and put a couple of kids in charge of getting the

word out to pull it off,” Roeder said. “It takes a lot of people.”

“We advertised the event differently,” Peyton Tumey said. “We talked to our friends to spread the word. And rather than having the donor come find their time cards, we passed them out ourselves to save trouble for them.”

On Sept. 11, students filed into the fine arts room, ready to donate blood for people in the community.

After donating, junior Amanda Wittrock explained her experience of giving blood for the first time.

“I felt a little nauseous, but it wasn’t too bad,” Wittrock said. “It sounded like a nice thing to do, and I plan on donating again.”

Aaron Newman, senior, celebrated

his third time donating blood.

“It’s not a bad feeling, but it’s weird because something is being taken from you,” Newman said.

Snacks and beverages were provided in the fine arts room for the students who donated, along with a resting area for those who did not feel so well

after.Katelyn Warhurst, senior, thought that FBLA did very well organizing the event. “FBLA did really well, I’m proud of them,” Warhurst said.

“ T h e o r g a n i z a t i o n was similar to the normal blood drives,” Newman said. “I wish the resting area was a little bigger though.”

After all of their hard work and preparation, FBLA put on a successful blood drive.

“It wasn’t necessarily challenging,”

FBLA encourages students to donate bloodby Brenna BatesStaff Reporter

Aaron Newman

FBLA members Kelcie Eisbrener, Michael Vigen, and Peyton Tumey volunteered at the blood drive.

Amanda Wittrock

Roeder said, “But there is a lot more involved than most people realize.”This may be FBLA’s first time hosting a blood drive, but don’t expect it to be their last.

“This one is just practice for the future,” Tumey said. “We’re hoping to host more blood drives in the future.”

6

What other week can you see flappers and cowboys in the school? Or an abundance of matching pink students and people covered in black and gold paint? Only the annual spirit week in celebration

of homecoming could bring this kind of crazy out of Bettendorf. Some people go all out!

“I just want to get everyone pumped for spirit week,” Alexa Major, senior, said.

She expressed her school pride during spirit week by dressing up in the most

“We went to her house when it was pouring rain, and I stood on her car and started to sing,” said Matthew McFate about how he asked his date to homecoming.

Every year around homecoming, students are riddled with the same old questions. Who to ask, how, when, where!? Others in the school are wondering if they’ll even be asked. It is stressful and sometimes hopeless. But in the end, asking could really be the most fun out of it all.

“I was just sitting around my house with my friends trying to think of an idea. We knew we wanted to sing,” said McFate. That’s when McFate and his friends came up with the idea to write out completely different lyrics to the popular song, “Call Me Maybe”, based around asking his friend, Bethany Piotter

outstanding outfits she could think of. She won “Matching Monday” along with Ali

Grampp and Dylana Lockwood. The three of them dressed up as the “Three Blind Mice.”

The themes on spirit week were Matching Monday, Trending Color Tuesday, Western Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, and Black and Gold on Friday. Students tried their hardest to be as creative as they could be with the themes.

“I try to think outside the box and not do what others would think of,” Major said.“My favorite days had to be my cactus

By Brianna KlabundeStaff Reporter

from Pleasant Valley, to the dance.

“I guess I was nervous. I didn’t know how it was going to go,” McFate said. But his worries were short-lived. Piotter accepted his invitation to the dance.

“When I had gotten out of practice, I spent my time putting white tape on all sides of my car spelling out ‘J+A=HC?’ on both sides and putting ‘HC’ on the hood and back. When I got to her

Unique ways to get date for homecoming

Students celebrate spirit week

by Brianna KlabundeStaff Reporter

Kyle Perkins and Morgan Harksen dress up as fairies for Matching Monday.

Madison Lower and Ashton Glause show their school spirit by dressing up for Throwback Thursday. Juniors Katie Walker and

Austin Broyles wore pink for Trending Color Tuesday.

For Western Wednesday, Eric Hale and Keaton Amiot show off their western style.

Aaron Newman asks Jackie Blaum right before taking her out to eat.

[Jackie Blaum] house I called her to come outside. When she came out, I had her favorite song playing so she could hear it,” Aaron Newman said.

“I thought it was sweet, especially since he stole the tape from his teacher and it was hot outside when he did the taping and it left tape goo on his car when we pulled it off. Plus people gave him weird looks when he was driving over to my house,” Jackie Blaum said.

James Gomez asked Alaina Wallace at their friend’s backyard pool.

“My friend told me to come up with a

Anna Peer gets suprised in her Spanish class when Matthew Hollander asks her to homecoming.

James Gomez thinks of a pun to ask his homecoming date, Alaina Wallace.

Matt Albert spells out “HC” in candles to ask Julianne Trizzino to homecoming.

Homecoming October 5, 2012

outfit for western day and my caveman outfit for throwback.”

“My dad gave me some pretty awesome ideas,” Chance Douglas, senior, said about how he thought of what to wear throughout the week, “I wore my awesome Dallas Cowboy pajama pants and shirt, tied a blanket around my neck like a cape, and carried a small pillow and a stuffed pikachu doll for Tuesday.”

“I’m at Walmart a lot on that week,” Major said.

Most students just wear what they own already for each of the themed days. Some of them, though, are known to stop at Goodwill or Walmart when they need to complete an outfit.

Spirit week is a chance for the students in the school to express their pride, and to make school more enjoyable for everyone.

“I want to participate with my peers and have a good time,” Kaitlyn Dvorak, senior, said.

water pun to fit the pool setting, so I just thought about sea-life wordplay,” Gomez said.

“When I walked outside he was standing by my friend’s pool with a floaty on and was holding a sign that said, ‘We should dolphinitely go to homecoming together’,” Wallace said. “I thought it was clever.”

One afternoon in Keith Bonnstetter’s Spanish classroom, Matthew Hollander planned on asking Anna Peer to homecoming. He wrote “Anna! I’d be really hoppy if some-bunny like you went to homecoming with me!” He held a stuffed bunny to complete the pun.

When Peer finally came to the class, she said yes to his invitation.

Whether it is funny, cute, or super creative, asking and being asked is always a key part in the homecoming fun.

Bridges was in charge of lights this year and was elated to see them on the night of the dance.

“I was just excited to bust a move and admire my lights,” he said.

Although decorating is a lot of work and may seem stressful at times, for the individuals planning homecoming, it is a huge part of their vision. Seeing the gym transform from its everyday plain look to a sparkly, glamorous, night makes everything worthwhile.

7

On the night of homecoming, everyone walks in the school to see a beautiful array of decorations and the school transformed

for a glamorous evening. What most people do not think of, is how it gets that way.

Each year, student council works diligently for the whole quarter planning the dance to make it a night to remember.

This year’s homecoming committee was

chaired by Cassidy Glynn, assisted by Alec Bridges, Emma Brindle, and Abbie Logan.

From start to finish the dance is all about little details. Much of the work involves calling people to get things approved and waiting for responses. Glynn designed the tickets this year and incorporated her artistic talent into all of the designs.

“It’s really stressful worrying about everything g o i n g smoothly, but it is def ini te ly worth it in the end. I love seeing everything put together and all of

the reactions,” Glynn said.Inspiration for homecoming

typically comes from past dances. At the beginning of the quarter, everyone gets together to discuss pros and cons from last dances, in order to make the dance the best it can be. Glynn had a chance to visit New York City itself, and used the trip for many of the ideas that appeared in this year’s decor.

The majority of decorating gets done on the morning of the dance. The whole student council meets at the school from 8 to 12 to put together all of the decorations and set

up lights for the evening. F o l l o w i n g the dance, the same group meets the next day from 1 to 3 to finish clean up.

All eyes were on the the 16 homecoming hopefuls sitting together on the football field as Kevin Skillett held the envelope with the news everyone was waiting to hear.

“This year’s homecoming queen and king are Cassidy Glynn and Kyle Perkins,” Skillet announced.

As soon as the king and queen were announced, Glynn and Perkins instantly gave each other a huge hug. The two, who

were also homecoming dates, were ecstatic and all smiles for the big news.

Regarding the crowning, Perkins was most excited for his date, and to be escorting the homecoming queen herself on the special night. He was hoping she would win and the excitement was overflowing.

“It’s just a really cool feeling. I’m involved in drama and show choir, so I’m not exactly the stereotypical king, which is

Dance decorating puts dazzle on eveningBy Emma BrindleStaff Reporter

Jack Wells and Karly Lent hang up lights.

New York backdrop ties the decor together.

One of the centerpieces for the evening.Kylee Cangas sets up the

red carpet.

Glynn and Perkins smile for the crowd after hearing their names announced for homecoming king and queen.

By Emma BrindleStaff Reporter

Homecoming court hopefuls join hands before the crowning.

Homecoming king, queen all smiles for crowning

Cassidy Glynn is crowned homecoming queen.

The homecoming court watch the competition during the pep assembly.

Glynn and Perkins address the school dressed in their spirit clothes at the Friday pep assembly.

Glynn and Perkins went to the dance together. (photo from Kyle Perkins)

nice,” Perkins said.Right before the titles were announced,

Glynn was nervous, but it was not the nerves that were most on her mind.

“I was definitely nervous, but I was mainly thinking about how fun planning homecoming has been. I was replaying things in my mind, and reflecting on everything that had happened,” Glynn said.

Overall, Glynn wants to make sure to

be herself and continue to uphold her title by smiling and staying glamorous. The emotions were high at the crowning. Although at most times Glynn was speechless, and could hardly move, she was extremely gracious for everyone that voted for her and made the event so special.

“I feel like I’m in a different world. I’m so happy. Yay!” Glynn said as she smiled for pictures with her king.

HomecomingOctober 5, 2012

abilities were what we wanted. Another huge factor was that the team welcomed him immediately,” said Phil Schaffer, an offensive coach for the football team.

Because of this immediate welcome, Cox doesn’t feel pressure from the team. Although he has had the privilege of being pulled up Cox still works hard.

“Going the hardest all the time is one of the keys to my success. I just don’t think about messing up or the atmosphere, but do my best,” Cox said.

Practices for the football team can often go long. Even in really intense practices there are plenty of times to laugh. Cox has even been the core of some laughs too.

“I was saying my cadence in practice, ‘ready, set, go’ and on go my voice cracked. Everyone heard it and started laughing and chanting, ‘He’s a sophomore.’ It was so embarrassing,” Cox said.

Along with having fun and being intense, mistakes are going to happen in the game. When they do, teammates are often the ones whose response is most influential. Cox’s teammates are really supportive in these situations.

“We just tell him that it’s fine and it’s over and done. We have told him that the most important play is the next one, so get over the last one and move on. He takes most of the negatives pretty well. He is pretty mature for being a sophomore,” said Taylor Robbins, center for the team.

Not knowing where he specifically wants to go for college, Cox’s goal is to start as a D1 quarterback eventually. But for now, he has plenty of things to focus on.

Regardless of the team, Cox always thinks of the same advice that was once given to him by the Saint Ambrose’s offensive coordinator Matt Drinkall.

“The most important part of the play is possessing the ball at the end of the play,” Drinkall said.

With a few more games left in season, regionals approaching, and hopefully state,

Cox continues to take Drinkall’s advice to heart and to work hard to be the best quarterback that he can be for the varsity football team.

Danielle Pennington and Megan Sharkey

Unlike many volleyball players, Danielle Pennington and Megan Sharkey have never not played together. Besides YMCA volleyball, Pennington and S h a r k e y have played on the same team, the B e t t e n d o r f Aces, since fourth grade.

Al though s p a n d e x , socks, and j e r s e y s c h a n g e , Sharkey and Pennington can still be found on the court t o g e t h e r , only this time in black and gold.

S t e p p i n g on the varsity court for the first time, emotions were flying through both of their heads.

“I was scared, but really excited--not many freshmen get to play varsity. I told myself I would do well and not be scared of the student section,” Pennington said.

“I didn’t want to mess up,” Sharkey said.

Even with these emotions, their hard work during practices took over for them, and their bodies knew what to do.

Not only do Shaky and Pennington practice with varsity daily, but they both also take p r i v a t e lessons.

“I work hard to get better and to improve bad habits,” Sharkey said.

C o n t r a r y to what some people may think, funny m o m e n t s happen all the time. Whether the team is at team bonding, dancing embarrassingly, or in a drill, laughs happen constantly.

“Our team was in an intense drill where you don’t want to let the ball drop and all of a sudden Coach Lichtenberg started diving and rolling after balls, and the team lost it!” Sharkey said.

Being two of five freshman to ever play varsity, Sharkey and Pennington both consider this their biggest accomplishment so far this season.

Not only does being on varsity drive them to work harder, but their varsity status also drives other teammates.

“They make everyone work a little harder,”Shelby Brandt, one of the two captains of the team said.

Moving an athlete up is a hard decision, but is often a good one. If a player is ready

October 5, 20128 Student Spotlight

Cox runs the ball againist the Blue Devils.

Pennington and Sharkey anticipate a long rally against the Lancers. (Photo by Vern Pennington)

Young athletes shape Bulldog futureBy Anna WilleyStaff Reporter not only physically, but emotionally too,

then the move would be beneficial. “My job as the varsity coach is to

identify the most talented players in the gym. If there is a younger player that has the physical skills, emotional maturity, and would play an important role at a higher level, then I will talk to the player and her parents about pulling them up to the next level. A lot of thought and evaluation goes into the decision to advance a player above their grade level,” said Diane Lichtenberg,

head coach for the volleyball team.In the future, both Sharkey and

Pennington would love a full-ride scholarship to Division I schools, but have no idea which one because like they said, “We are only freshman!”

Right now both freshmen are focused on this season with goals to go above and beyond other teams, whether it be in the MAC or teams in different conferences faced in regionals. Their ultimate goal, would be to face some of the best at state.

When Isabella Blackman first discovered a love for

cross country, that feeling had to be put on hold. During the first practice for cross country in the seventh grade everyone had to run one mile, but exceeding expectations, Blackman loved running and ran two instead.

Even though Blackman wanted to run cross country after that one practice, she was not

a b l e to with the club soccer team she had already committed to for that year.

When eighth grade rolled around Blackman managed her time and commitments to make sure she would be able to both run cross country and play soccer.

Just as her freshman

year started, cross country came into full swing too. Unlike most freshmen, Blackman was given a varsity jersey. She is one of only seven girls who get that opportunity. Lined up for the first race thoughts and stories kept popping up in her head.

“I was so nervous. Mahnee Watts told me how she literally crawled through her first varsity race as a freshman and puked. I

told myself that if I had to crawl through the finish I would, but I wasn’t going to puke,” Blackman Said.

Although cross country is ultimately an individual sport, Blackman does not see it as competing for spots.

“It’s just fun. I can’t see myself getting mad at someone for out running me,” Blackman said.

Being in B l a c k m a n ’ s position once, Anna Peer knows how she feels, and is trying to make her experience be better than how Peer’s was as a freshman.

“It is really awesome having a freshman on varsity, because I know we have a future for our team. Also Blackman is a good push to other seniors or juniors who want to do well,” Peer said

Running can be hard, but Blackman trains hard in order to have success. Instead of taking shortcuts, the easy way out, Blackman completes the full workouts.

As far as college goes, Blackman is unsure where or what she wants to do. Balancing student council, olympic development program for soccer, honors classes, and cross country, Blackman has a lot of self-discipline. Throughout high school she is hoping that one sport, either cross country or soccer, will stand out more than the other.

Regardless of the sport, Blackman never forgets her dad’s advice to her about doing her best.

“You have to do your best. As long as you exceed your expectations it doesn’t matter about anyone else’s,” Blackman’s dad said.

Cyle CoxEven though age is not a similarity

between Pennington, Sharkey, and Blackman, playing a varsity sport is. Inspired by his dad to be a quarterback, Cyle Cox, a sophomore, is exactly that for the varsity football team and he loves it.

“I get to touch the ball every play and feel like I’m a leader of the team and people respect me for that,” Cox said.

Throughout the summer the big decision for coaches was whether or not to pull Cox up. After watching him, they realized he had the qualities they needed.

“His leadership, control of the game, and physical Blackman runs toward the

straight away. (Photo by Carol Davis)

Pennington and Sharkey are gettting ready to play in seventh grade. (Photo by Vern Pennington)

Blackman is preparing for a race at Crow Creek.

Cox celebrates a touchdown with his teammate Malique Hudson.

Isabella Blackman

9October 5, 2012 Features

Fall 2012 marks the first year with new nurse, Roxanne Schmertmann, although this is not her first year nursing. In fact, it’s her 12th.

“It’s my first year working with the high school level, but I was at Hoover for the past five years,” Schmertmann said.

Many people have interesting stories behind the decision in choosing their career, and Schmertmann is no exception.

“It sounds like a cliché but I enjoy working with people. And I actually had a bad experience as a patient, so I thought I could make it better. I wasn’t treated very well one time, and that pushed me towards nursing,” Schmertmann said.

As the years pass by, many things change technologically, which affect how everything is documented. In school nursing, the documentation used to be done by hand, and many things including the needs of the school families have changed as well.

“School nursing used to just be paper documenting; writing everything down with paper and pencil, but now everything is done on the computer. On another note, families seem to have more needs than when I first started nursing,” Schmertmann said.

Spending her past five years at Hoover Elementary school, the high school level has proved to be a bit of a change for Schmertmann.

“It’s fun working with older kids,”

Schmertmann said. “They don’t fall down on the playground at recess, but they have different needs.”

“I’ve really enjoyed working here so far, it’s been a lot of fun. I like getting to know the staff and students,” Schmertmann said.

Contrary to the popular belief of the student body, teachers and other staff members participate in other activities besides grading papers, and checking

homework.“I love to read,”

Schmertmann said. “My Kindle app gets used a lot. I also support a lot of the local athletics.”

Schmertmann also has a family with whom she enjoys spending time whenever the chance presents itself.

“Brennen is twenty years old, and he’s in college, and Sarah is seventeen, and she’s currently going to Pleasant Valley,” Schmertmann said.

With a job like nursing, and children invested in school, sports, and work of their own, family time can be hard to manage.

“We try to have dinner a few days a week together,” Schmertmann said. “My daughter is a competitive dancer, so we also try to attend and support as many of her events as we can.”

“I’m actually a Bettendorf graduate,” Schmertmann said, “and my husband is coincidentally a Pleasant Valley graduate.”

“I’m looking forward to getting to know the students,” Schmertmann said. “And I’m looking forward to a long time here at Bettendorf.”

New nurse welcomed

by Brenna BatesStaff Reporter

At first sight a dog in the school seems to be an illogical thing. He is not the local dog prodigy here to learn school lessons, but he is a local here for student Alex Locey.Locey and his service dog, Kade, are seen walking around school this year. The standard poodle will be three in November and serves as a seizure alert dog for Locey.

Kade is a playful dog, but when his vest is on he is working and should not be played with. One should always ask before petting a service dog.

To become a service dog, Kade went through an 18 month training program called CARES. In this program inmates in two different Kansas prisons went through training to be able to train service dogs. Training standards include responding to basic hand signals for sitting, staying, and coming to the owner when asked.

After Kade was finished with training, Locey and his family also had to take a week long training course to learn the different commands the dog knows. The training was not only in the gym, but involved in the community as

well. The family had to show knowledge of a minimum of three tasks, ability to maintain training, and basic dog hygiene and care.

Recently Vicky Swank who works with Alex and Kade three blocks a day was trained as a secondary handler through the CARES program. The hardest part of training is not petting or talking to the dog while he is working. “Numerous students and their

dogs went to lunch recently and it was interesting to watch the dogs ignore the people and the food that was dropped on the floor. Kade is definitely one of the most protective dogs in our district, because he was skittish about letting others around Alex,” Swank said. According to Jennifer Locey, service dogs may guide people, assist with mobility difficulties, retrieve items, alert medical problems, and provide more independence. These dogs are allowed anywhere in public including stores and schools.

If a service dog begins barking it usually means there is a crisis. One should first ask if the handler needs

help. The dog can only be asked to leave a facility if there is no crisis.

Service dog helps new student adjust

by Abbi ClevengerStaff Reporter

Alex Locey wants people to know that his dog Kade is really playful when the dog is not working.

Roxanne Schmertmann become a nurse after her bad experience as a patient.

Memories of 9/11 slowly begin to fade from the minds of students all around the country. The fateful day is captured in images, videos, and stories. Claudia Haas a play writer from Minnesota, was able to bring to life a drama about young people learning to cope with their experiences of 9/11.

Haas based her play on real life experiences and was able to turn her story into an eye opening production. Bettendorf High School will be opening the curtains to this production on Nov. 1-3 at Davenport North High School. Below is a question and answer session with the author of the play By Candlelight.

Q: Are you excited to come to the show?A: Of course - I love to see my work

interpreted by others. I can figure out how effective my work is by seeing what others bring to it. I don’t often get to see my plays produced so it is a real treat for me.

Q: What inspired you to write a play about your real life experiences?

A: In truth, I lost track of my friend after I moved to MN and she went to law school.

We were so very busy and when I tried to reconnect (via the Internet), I was directed to websites about 9/11. I was in shock - and had been coincidentally writing a play about high school kids in NYC dealing with 9/11. When the shock wore off, I knew I would insert her into my play. It’s amazing how a childhood friendship can impact your life is such a meaningful way.

Q: Where were you when 9/11 occurred?A: I was working in an elementary

school. We were not allowed to speak of it for fear of upsetting the kids. My parents were visiting relatives in NYC (in Queens, so I knew they were safe). I had friends working in the World Trade Center (just as I had done) and I had to continue my day as if nothing was amiss even though I was aching to go home and make phone calls to everyone I knew in NYC (and that’s a lot).

Q: What was your inspiration for the other characters (Aaron, Ericka and Paul) (Leita and Gina)?

A: My inspiration came from my friend’s children and my cousin’s children. I was on e-mail and the phone regularly in the days following 9/11 and was moved by the experiences related to me of their kids. An article appeared in the NY Times about the kids at Stuyvesant High School (right next

to the World Trade Center) and their horror and sadness at seeing both the attacks and then their school turned into a rescue center. I also used that for inspiration.

Q: How does it feel to have B e t t e n d o r f High School tell your story and “Lanies”?

A: It’s been the loveliest moment of my summer - and now my autumn.

Q: What do you hope the audience takes away from the show?

A: I hope it puts a face on a 9/11 victim

- they are not part of a number - but all individual, vibrant lives. “Lanie’s”

influence helped mold me into the person I am still striving to be - truly tolerant, empathetic, and compassionate. And I hope people think about - people. Unique, wonderful people - and don’t lump people in a group. When you see an individual - and have a conversation with that person, get to know that person - it’s easier to be compassionate. Even if the person is of a different religion, race - or these days - political affiliation!

Q: What do you hope the students in the play take away from the experience?

A: That they are creating something of value. Theatre exists in the present - it reaches and touches and the cast and crew have the power to do that.

There’s nothing like it in the world!

Through the eyes of authorby Alex ConnorStaff Reporter

Claudia Haas, author of production By CandlightPhoto credit by playscripts.com

American customs. The first days at school were a little

rough. After a tour with Dr. Byram, the girls were worried about how large the school was. “It was about the size of a college in Columbia,” Arroyo said.

After the new students’ meeting, two girls showed the exchange students around for a week. Louche was overwhelmed by the idea that she never seemed to see the same student twice. Arroyo explained that in Colombia a student sticks with the same students for each class instead of moving from class to class and having different people in each class.

Thinking back on home life, the two girls come from very different backgrounds. Louche’s home in Belgium is in the French speaking section. Her school had 700 students and two sections including elementary for six years and secondaire for six years. When going to lunch everyone must bring their own lunch, because the school does not provide a lunch.

On the other hand, Arroyo’s school has kindergarten through eleventh grade. The students start learning English in kindergarten. In Colombia the culture tries

October 5, 201210 Features

Moving into a new country, living with a brand new family, and adjusting to a new life can be hard enough. For foreign exchange students Anne Louche and Ana Arroyo, moving to this school was made

easier by having each other.A local family, the Hubbards, took in the

two senior students. Louche, from Belgium

and Arroyo of Colombia arrived within three hours of each other due to Louche’s ten hour flight problems in New York.“Anne was tired and immediately went to

bed,” Arroyo said.

The next day the girls were able to shop for necessities at Wal-Mart. The next two weeks were filled with bonding for the two girls and becoming more familiar with

Anne (left) and Ana (right) at the airport with their new sister after Ana’s ten hour layover in New York.

Ana (left) and Anne (right) are foregin exchange students from Colombia and Belgium respectively.

Foreign exchange students adjustto follow America in aspects such as hamburgers and hotdogs, but rice is a special carb to them and vegetables are also very important. After a big breakfast and a big lunch, Colombians have a small dinner.

To keep in contact with their families the students use Skype. A cultural difference shows when Louche communicates more with her sister who relays the information to her mom; while

Arroyo plans to talk to her mom every Sunday.

Some interesting stereotypes the students had on America had a lot to do with the sports. Louche talked about the football games and how everyone dresses in their sports uniforms. In Belgium, one must go to a local sports complex much like the YMCA to play sports. Louche also expressed how hugging in Belgium is intimate, so seeing everyone hug here took a while to get used to. Arroyo said a kiss here is intimate while in Colombia it is normal to kiss someone after meeting them for the first time. Arroyo also explained that in Belgium the stereotype of huge parties and crazy high schools were definitely true when she came here.

Both students miss their friends and family, but are really enjoying this experience. This is Arroyo’s third time in the United States and she plans to stay all year. Louche only plans on staying this semester for her first time here. Louche also plans to visit her best friend’s homecoming who is currently staying in Chicago.

by Abbi ClevengerStaff Reporter

It was only the first week of school when Sarah Michelson’s third block environmental biology class began growing their knowledge of plant life and the environment. Since then, their knowledge has only grown more.

The class is partaking in what may be the best way to “grow” one’s knowledge of the environment: creating and caring for one’s own garden.

The garden, which is currently maturing behind the new library, is not all that noticeable yet. But with each plant developing as rapidly as it is, chances are it soon will be.

“I don’t think people have really seen the garden yet. I think they’ll notice it once they’re full grown,” said Tommy Tygret, senior and member of the class .

There are numerous aspects of a garden that must be tended to to ensure that the garden continues to grow as it should. To guarantee that each plant

has everything that it needs, the class uses an organized system of care.

“We’ve split into groups and each of us has a different plant in its own row. We all take care of different things for our row. I usually weed,” said Kiera Watts, junior.

The garden is filled with an assortment of different vegetation, such as sunflowers, carrots, cabbage, spinach, radishes and lettuce. While each plant is growing at a different rate, (Tygret claims that his plants,

the sunflowers, are growing far quicker than the others) the students hope that the plants will have fully ripened by this winter. With winter and the close of the project, it is likely that the students will not only have expanded

their understanding of the growth of the environment, but in addition, a new image for the whole school.

“The fact that we have a garden growing at our school shows that we care about the environment,” Tygret said.

Class grows gardenBy Callie HeiderscheitStaff Reporter

Seniors Kyle Delveau, Tyler Smock, and Tommy Tygret work in the garden.

Buy your yearbook NOW!!!!

The cost goes up in January! Buy it now--no guarantee there will

be extra books in the fall.$60 will guarantee you

“Together We . . .”

11October 5, 2012 Sports

Friday fall nights are good for a few things: hanging out with friends, staying up late, and football. This year, the Bulldogs aim to impress once again, but there will be many changes to this Bulldog team.

Probably the number one pro to the Bulldogs football team this year would have to be their offense. It’s no question that the Bulldogs have one of the best offenses in the state. With 2,581 rushing yards last season, the Bulldogs hope to continue a dominant offense this year.

Another pro to the Bulldogs is the coaching staff. These coaches know what they’re doing! Head coach Aaron Wiley was named IFCA “Class 4A Coach of the Year” and assistant coach Kevin Freking was named IFCA “Class 4A Assistant Coach of the Year”.

Always a pro to any Bulldog sport is their work ethic. The Bulldogs spend more time in the weight room then North Scott spends in the cornfield. The football team lifts multiple times a week, every week, the entire year. Not the entire school year. The entire calendar year. Before the season even starts the Bulldogs have the upper-hand in strength.

What could be an unexpected advantage to the Bulldogs could be last year’s playoffs. The ‘dogs have had an entire year to remember the loss they had in the state championship game last season. The Bulldogs want nothing more than to get that awful taste out of their mouth and prove to the state that they are still the most elite team in the state.

Finally, another unexpected pro could be the loss to PV. It’s weird to say, but even though the Bulldogs got destroyed by the Spartans, the ‘dogs can use this as a

learning experience. It’s kind of like last year when the Bulldogs lost to Assumption, and how that shaped the rest of the season by putting a chip on their shoulder through the rest of the season. Learning from the mistakes in the PV game, and using it as motivation to go through the playoffs will make the Bulldogs a tough team to beat in the playoffs.

It’s hard to say the weaknesses of the Bulldogs, because there are very few. I think one of the most challenging obstacles for the Bulldogs would be their expectations. Every year, the Bulldogs are expected to win the MAC. Every year, the Bulldogs are expected to make it to state. When the ‘dogs lose even one game during the season they are bashed because of such high expectations.

Another disadvantage for the Bulldogs would be the MAC. The only good teams the MAC has to offer are PV, North Scott, and maybe Assumption. This makes it tough for the Bulldogs to experience what gameplay will be like against high-calibre teams, whereas other good teams play against playoff contending teams every week.

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges for the Bulldogs this year will be bouncing back on defense. Last year, the Bulldogs had arguably the best defense in school history. With 10 defensive starters, maintaining such a defense has, and will be a challenge this year. With such a good coaching staff, the dogs should be able to get through the MAC, but it will be no cake walk when it comes time for playoffs.

It’s no question that the Bulldogs are one of the best teams in the entire state. It will be interesting to see how they fare come playoff season.

The key to a great game is great preparation. In any sport, learning one's opponent is essential to performing at the highest level.

Every week, the Bulldogs practice the defense and offense of the team they are playing that week. Unique to the Bulldogs, though, are the “rituals” that players do on their own.

B r y s o n Owens-Johnson, senior, has his own ways of getting ready on game day.

Getting ready for the game starts at team dinner. Team dinner takes place right after the pre-game practice, the day before the football game.

“I get a lot of nutrients at team dinner. I also eat a lot so I get tired and

have a good night’s sleep for game day,” Owens-Johnson said.

During the school day, Owens-Johnson stays focused for the Friday night event.

“Throughout the day, I stretch to get loose for the game. I also listen to good music to pump myself up for the upcoming game,” he said.

Right before the big game, O w e n s -J o h n s o n prepares in a different m a n n e r than other f o o t b a l l p l a y e r s would.

“ I n the locker room before the game I talk to myself to get pumped up. I normally

punch lockers,” said Owens-Johnson. Whether the player sits quiet to

themselves on the way to the upcoming game or are loud and obnoxious during the ride, all players prepare for the upcoming

Football preparations key to winningby Michael ConnerSports Editor

game in their own way. Ian Burklund, junior, prepares for

a game in a rowdy, loud way, compared to the quieter football players on the team.

“In the locker room before the game, I punch lockers to get pumped and ready to roll for the upcoming game,” Burklund said.

Joe McGovern, senior, prepares for game day in a more quiet, at ease way.

“Team dinner gets us ready for the game because it gives us a sense of unity before the game. Plus we have an all you can eat buffet to get filled up before the big game,” McGovern said.

During game day, McGovern has a different view on getting ready for the Friday night event compared to the other players on the team..

“Through the day, I drink my one gallon water jug ,and try not to think about the game. Once the school day is over, though, I get emotional and excited for the upcoming game. One thing I strive to do is to make sure that I play not for myself, but play for God,” McGovern said.

If the Bulldogs are going to an away game, McGovern quietly gets ready

for the upcoming game. “For away games, I normally just

put my headphones in, put my head down, and get excited about the upcoming game. I get pumped up to play thinking about how the other team thinks they have the audacity to step on the same field as we do,” McGovern said.

For Cam Khoury, junior, getting ready for game day has become a weekly ritual.

“At team dinner, the football players get to eat and get energy for the upcoming game. We also get to have quality time together and talk about the upcoming game game,” Khoury said.

Khoury makes sure he is both physically and mentally prepared to the big game.

“Throughout game day, I make sure I drink plenty of water to be hydrated for the upcoming game. I also listen to music and clear my mind for what I need to do to help my team perform the best for game day,” Khoury said.

Whether it be pregame dinner, the bus ride to the game, or minutes before kickoff, a well prepared team is always tough to beat.

Conner Columnby Michael ConnerSports Editor It is no doubt that the Tuesday night

commodity during the fall is volleyball. This year, the Bulldog volleyball team aims for another astonishing season.

Last year, the team stunned Clinton and North Scott in the playoffs, and were just shy of making it to the state tournament with a tough loss to Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

With the state tournament in sight for the 2012 season, the Bulldogs look to get to the tournament one game at a time.

Hannah Matt, junior, explains how the girls prepare for each opponent each week.

“ O u r coaches study tape of the team we are playing so our team knows the weaknesses of the other team. Then, t h r o u g h o u t the week, we practice on the weaknesses of the other team and learn who the good and bad players of the opposing team are,” Matt said.

After a solid week of practice, the volleyball team goes over last minute preparations in the locker room.

“Before the game, Coach gives us the starting lineup and our warm up partner. Then we talk about the goals we have and the things we need to do to get the win,” Matt said.

On the court, it’s all business, but off the court, the girls enjoy spending a lot of time together.

Elizabeth Culliton, junior, thinks that the family-like bond the team has is

one of the reasons that they are such a tough team to beat.

“I love how close our team is. We are all very different but we act like such a family. The team means the world to me and I love the connection we have off the court because it helps us to be successful on the court,” Culliton said.

In order to perform well against opponents, players have to practice well for the upcoming game.

“We always realize at the beginning of preparation week what we need to accomplish in practice. We need to be focused and work hard in order to win. We also visualize successful plays and winning tactics,” Culliton said.

After a successful week of practice, the girls prepare for the upcoming game in a much different way compared to the hardcore, q u i e t d e m e a n o r most teams do.

“Before the game, first, we do our

agilities and stretch. Then, we play music really loud, dance around, and then do a few chants to get us all fired up for the game. After the fun, we buckle down and talk about what we need to do to get the win. We get an adrenaline rush during warm-ups and we feed off each other’s energy. So we really take that prep time to make sure everyone is focused, positive, and energized because it helps us carry out though the match,” Culliton said.

After getting so close to the state tournament last year, the team looks to show the state that they are legit contenders for the state championship.

VB looks to futureby Michael ConnerSports Editor

Malique Hudson runs over the North Scott defenders.

Anna Willey sets the ball to her teammate for the spike.

October 5, 201212 Events

Hop on over to hunger drive events

October 5 Pack the BusBring five cans to the football game against Burlington to get half off of admission.

Silent AuctionBid on your favorite basket at the football game.

October 9Happy Joes Lunch Benefit10% of benefits go the the hunger drive at the Spruce hills location.

Salsa Touch Benefit (Zumba)Five dollar admission, 100% of proceeds to the hunger drive.

October 10

Bag Hunger BagsLook for your paper bag in the QC Times, fill it with food items and drop it off in the main office.

October 15

Buffalo Wild Wings BenefitUtica Ridge location, 10% of proceeds to the hunger drive.

The Hunger GamesSign up in the main entry Oct. 8-11 for $5. Bring five cans and play a giant game of capture the flag in the school. “May the odds be ever in your favor.”

October 18

Maggie Moo’s Celebrity ScoopCome have your favorite teachers scoop your ice cream for you from 5-8 pm.

October 24Panchero’s BenefitAll day at the Utica Ridge location, 10% of proceed go to the hunger drive.

October 31Harris Pizza BenefitFrom 11-4pm on 18th Street, 10% of proceeds go to the hunger drive.“Put Hunger in the Doghouse”

Throughout the month of October, look for bulldogs in the community and follow the instructions to return them “home.”

Question or ideas for the hunger drive? Contact student council at: studentcouncil@bettendorf.k12.ia.us

By Allie Weis Staff Reporter