Bettendorf High School Vol. 48 Issue 1

Therowl

Friday, September 9, 2011G

Cristina Zimmerman Cristina Zimmerman is a new Spanish teacher, replacing Ann Fagle. She worked at Pleasant Valley last

year, and switched to Bettendorf because she like the block scheduling better. Her husband is a Marine and they have three kids: Grant (10), Macie (7), and Charlie (5) and a dog named Joey. She went to North Scott High School

and University of Iowa for college. Zimmerman says she loves teaching because she gets to make and create different things all the time. Lindsy Blair Lindsy Blair is a new math teacher, replacing Dave Curlott. She grew up in Pella, Iowa, and went to college at Truman State University. Blair is going to be the assistant

tennis coach for both the boys and girls in the spring. In her free time, she likes to read, run, and play tennis. She first worked as a Subway sandwich artist in high school, and also

taught tennis lessons in the summer.

She loves teaching because there are always fun things to do and the days go by quickly.

Mark Pisel Mark Pisel is a long-term substitute for Brian Barquist. He used to live in Chicago, and taught at Chicago Tech Academy High School, and also worked for a website called careerbuilder.com. He went to Roosevelt U n i v e r s t i y for teaching and Bellevue University for business. Pisel is married and has one son named Brady, who is 17 months. He likes watching sports, playing with his son, and Harris Pizza is his favorite pizza place to eat at. Pisel likes teaching because he is interacting with the kids, helping them learn new things, and guiding them in their lives.

Matt Degner Matt Degner is the new associate principal, replacing Dave Thompson. He last lived in Williamsburg, Iowa, and was the assistant principal at a 3A school. He went to the University of

New members join staffBy Dana WatermanStaff Reporter

Northern Illinois for college. He is married and has two kids: Jack (5), Liz (3), and is expecting again in November. In his free time Degner enjoys reading and keeping

up with the news, playing golf, playing with his kids, and is also a Chicago sports fan. Degner’s favorite thing about teaching is being around and working with all of the students.

Melissa Nies Melissa Nies is a new social studies teacher, r e p l a c i n g LeAnne Wagner (who is now working in the library). She currently lives in Iowa City and is married; she commutes every

day to Bettendorf. Nies went to the University of Illinois for college. She loves reading historic fiction, watching comedy TV shows (like “The Office”), and traveling. She first worked as a lifeguard in the summer in high school. Nies loves teaching because every day is new and exciting.

Angela Creighton-Greaves Angela Creighton-Greaves is a new Family and Consumer Science teacher, replacing Tina Johnson. She taught at Central High School for a semester, until a job opened up at Bettendorf, where she went to high school. Greaves also went to college at Grand View University in Des Moines. She is married and has one child, Gabriella, who is nine weeks old. In high school she had a paper route, the money from which she used to go to Mexico on spring break. Greaves loves to teach because she gets to know all the students and watch them change.

Students have been Googled!By Maddie GG and Dana WatermanStaff Reporters As most already know, every student and staff member has been issued a Gmail account. These accounts can be used for e-mail, documents, presentations, calendars, and more. When working on the Growl, we found Google docs to be especially useful and convenient. One of the best things about Google docs is it can be accessed almost anywhere, because information is stored by cloud technology. So if a paper is written on Google docs on a school computer, it can also be accessed and edited at home without having to e-mail or store assignments on flash drives.

Group projects can also be done because papers can be shared with other students and teachers to view and edit them. We were able to share this article with each other, our editor, and adviser Connie King with just the click of a button. With this method, each person working on the project can do so from her home and communicate with everyone, finishing everything on time. It also eliminates most excuses for late work because everything can be sent to or shared with the teacher without having to print or bring a hard copy to school.

When working on papers or projects, there is a sidebar to chat on. The chatting feature is really great because students can type their input, suggestions, questions, and anything else concerning the project. Even while working on this article, we were able to finish it at home by chatting our ideas and writing together. Something else that is particularly helpful is Google automatically saves the paper or presentation. There is no way anything can be accidentally lost or misplaced; the “save” button does not even need to be pressed. Google docs is not just for students, it is also for teachers. Teachers no

longer have to correspond by e-mail all the time because they can share documents as well as presentations. King said, “On the first day of school I shared a PowerPoint with other freshman teachers; they could change it and modify it to fit their class all in the same program.” Ultimately this will save the staff a lot of time. Associate Principal Matt Degner, who has experience with Google docs, said, “My advice would be to try and play with it. It’s pretty self-explanatory.” Everyone should take advantage of the opportunity students have been given to use this technology.

How to use Google docs:

Username:(student ID)@g.bettendorf.k12.ia.usPassword: bcs(student password)

1.

Click on Documents.

2. Create new document.3.

Share with teachers and peers.

4.

September 9, 20112 News

Growl StaffEditor: Jillian Keck

Assistant Editor: Jordan Raso

Reporters and Photographers: Abbi Clevenger, Sarah Dixon, Maddie Glanz-Guessford, Mitch Parker, Dana Waterman, Allie Weis.

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.

Speech/Debate TeamJoe Rankin, sponsor of the speech and debate team for seven years. The purpose of the team is to compete against multiple teams at tournaments, much like a sports team. It is an intellectual competition that involves hard workers and quick thinkers. Rankin’s favorite memory is when he had a chance to compete against his former coach.

Student CouncilDanielle Breier has been sponsor of student council for four years. “We organize events, raise school spirit, promote leadership, and influence the community through service.” Breier said. Breier’s favorite memories are during the student council block first term when they prepare homecoming and help with the student hunger drive.

FBLAKristy Cleppe has been the sponsor of Future Business Leaders of America for six years. The club competes at conferences, but also works towards student leadership. Students perform community service while Cleppe teaches needed employee skills. Cleppe’s favorite memory was when the group won first place at a state competition.

Art ClubHilary Puglisi has been sponsoring on the Art Club for four years. The art club has a diverse group of kids of all talents. They paint murals for school and also decorate the dances. The club does other large projects to allow students to express their artistic skills. Puglisi’s favorite memories are just getting to know the different students’ personalities.

Spanish ClubAnne Opgenorth has sponsored Spanish Club for three years. This club conducts activities in the Hispanic community. They host Spanish movie nights and conversation tables along with frequent fiestas. This year the Spanish Club is also planning on taking a Chicago trip; these past trips were Opgenorth’s favorite memories.

Scholastic TeamSheila Conrad has been the sponsor of Scholastic Team for three years. The Scholastic Team is an academic bowl where student teams answer questions against other schools. The team has tournaments over the weekends, which is one of Conrad’s favorite memories. French ClubConrad has also been sponsor of the French Club for three years. The French Club consists of eating at local French

restaurants. They spend time holding conversation tables and playing French games. The French Club also takes a biennial trip to France with students. Conrad’s favorite memories in this club are getting to know all the different students.

Key ClubJennifer Johnston has been sponsor of Key Club for nine years. This club works with other clubs doing service and volunteer projects. “It helps you get service hours,” Johnston said. Johnston’s favorite memory is helping with the homecoming parade.

German ClubThis is Adam Orange’s second year with the German club. The club involves German-themed activities based on student interest. The club also tries to be involved in a few off-campus charitable events. “I really like that everybody has different interest in culture and speaks different levels of the language, but when coming together at the club everybody speaks the same language,” Orange said. The purpose of German club is to enhance student learning of German culture..

SAVE/ Peer EducatorsBarb Jacobsen has been sponsoring of Peer Educators for 10 plus years and SAVE for two years. Peer Educators promotes fun and student education. They usually host a trivia night and send out birthday grams to the teachers. The birthday grams are Jacobsen’s favorite part. She also is sponsors SAVE which is an Earth-friendly club that promotes recycling. They host coat drives and raise student awareness. Jacobsen’s favorite

memory of SAVE was the Nike tennis shoe drive last year which she hopes to do again this year.

RSVPCathy Ahrens has sponsored RSVP since she found out about it eight years ago. RSVP or Raising Student Voice and Participation is a student leadership program. The students have summits to change rules in the school that students vote on. One of the issues resolved by RSVP a few years ago was getting two lanyards at the beginning of the year.

Science ClubChris Like and Pete Bruecken have sponsored the science club for 11 plus years. This club does regular competitions and science bowls. They range from building mousetrap cars to answering random science questions. They participate in star gazes and do a HALO tournament for fundraising. “My favorite part is showing that Bettendorf can hang with the big schools,” Like said.

Drama ClubKatie Howard has sponsored the Drama Club for four years. This club puts on a musical and two plays every year. The musical this year is Anything Goes. They also participate in the annual Thespian Festival in November. “Dylan Lockwood is one of six students in Iowa to serve on the board to plan the festival,” said Howard. The club is growing with 12 percent of the student body signed up this year.

Best BuddiesBrian Hughes and Judy Redmond have been sponsoring Amicus for two plus years. The club meets to help students enrolled in special education. The students are paired with a buddy who they regularly take to school events. It is a volunteer program hosted nationally that promotes leadership and a great opportunity to start life-long friendships.

Guitar ClubRodger Wilming started the guitar club last year. “Mr. Casas came up with the idea after I decided to put on a guitar show for the food drive for a whole block depending on who had the most food.” Wilming said. They meet every second Wednesday of the month for the love of guitar. It is a great way for students to gather and show their skills and maybe learn something, too.

Interests cause clubs to increase

Jessica Erbst prepares for speech and debate tournaments. (Photo by Abbi Clevenger)

by Abbi Clevenger Yearbook Editor

Remember Sept.11

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and the attempted attack on the White House. The most damage was at the World Trade Center in Manhattan, which was completely destroyed and 2,606 people were killed.

by Abbi Clevenger and Jordan RasoYearbook Editor, Assistant Editor

8:46 a.m.: First plane hit the north tower.9:03 a.m.: Second plane hit south tower.9:37 a.m.: Third plane hit Pentagon.9:59 a.m.: South tower collapsed.10:03 a.m.: Flight crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers take over. This was the attempted attack on the White House.10:28 a.m.: North tower collapsed.March 13, 2006: Memorial museum building began.

Colin Wikan shared his experiences of Sept.11, 2001: Q: What reactions did you have?A: Stunned and in horror.

Q: What were you doing?A: Student teaching at Peet Jr. High in Cedar Falls. My students were confused and scared.

Q: What do you think of the memorial?A: It really represents the people well but I wish they were remembered in a better way.

For more Sept. 11 memories go to www.bettgrowl.com.

September 9, 20113 News

The first day of high school is nerve racking for many freshmen. Addy Bailey, Gracie TouVelle, Noah Krist, Henry Crowley, Vanessa Buchanan , Brandy Jurvetiz and Max Curtis were willing to share their experiences.

What do you like best about high school? Krist—I like that there are a lot of people to socialize with. Curtis— There are a lot of friendly people who are nice and welcoming. The kids at my old school were not as welcoming as they are here.Jurvetiz— I liked the ten minuted passing time.

What do you like the least? Krist— I don’t like the lunch line. Crowley— I don’t like that I still get

lost every once in a while, but it is getting easier. Bailey— T h e c r o w d e d l o c k e r bay after school gets annoying. TouVelle— There is

a lot more homework, and a lot of bad drivers in the parking lots.Buchanan- I don’t like crowded locker bay after school.

What were you most n e r v o u s about on your first day? Krist, C r o w l e y , Bailey and TouVelle— Getting lost. Curtis— I was worried about finding friends because I am new to Iowa.Buchanan— I was nervous about being late to my classes.Jurvetiz— I was nervous about finding my

classes.

What do you know now that you wish you knew on your first day? Krist and Crowley— I wish I knew how to get around.

Bailey and TouVelle— That the upperclassmen are not mean, and the school is not as big as it seems.Buchanan— I wish I knew that the classes were not going to be as hard as I thought.

Freshmen share first week experiencesBy Allie WeisStaff Reporter

Gracie Touvelle

Henry Crowley

Max Curtis

What are you excited for/ looking forward to?Bailey and TouVelle— We are looking forward to Chick- Fil- A Tuesday.Krist and Crowley— We are looking forward to f i g u r i n g out where everything is. Buchanan— I was excited to meet new people, and to see who was in my classes.

Who is your favorite teacher so far? why?Curtis— Miss Kinsinger because she makes biology fun.Krist— Ms. King because she is goofy and says funny things.Buchanan— Ms. Puglisi because her class is really fun.

How is high school d i f f e r e n t from middle school?B a i l e y — There is better food at lunch, I like to get the French v a n i l l a cappuccino. C u r t i s — The people are nicer than the people from my middle school in Japan.

Noah Krist

Addy Bailey

Krist— The schedule for the day is different; at my old school there wasn’t a block schedule.Buchanan— There are more people at the high school than at the middle school.

How does Bettendorf compare to your other schools?Curtis— The teachers are less strict than in Japan, and I feel more comfortable here.Krist— It’s a lot bigger than my old school; I only had 23 students in my grade.What else do you enjoy about high school?Bailey— I like the block schedule.TouVelle— There are a lot of exciting and fun things to participate in.

What activities are you involved in or plan on being involved in?Crowley— German club, art club, and newspaperBailey— Orchestra, volleyball, and French clubTouvelle— Band, choir, Spanish club, and Key ClubCurtis— BandBuchanan— German club

Vanessa Buchanan

Brandy Jurvetiz

September 9, 20114 Photos

Kick-off spirit starts yearFor the first time in three years, the Kick-off March of Athletes and scrimmage was not rained out. Instead, a beautiful evening was celebrated by saluting fall sport athletes, followed by the dance.

The Goldusters perform their first dance of the season.

Sophomores Elizabeth Finn, Haley Bankson, Sari Finn, and Stephanie Moore.

Sophomores Isabella Collins, Caitlin Wernetin, Hannah Naylor, and freshman Olivia Miles.

Juniors Blake Ells, Katie Buhman, Mallory Weaver, and Courtney Belk.

Seniors Erin Bloomberg, Kaylyn DeCock, Raya Knight, Elizabeth Penrose, Nick VanHorn, Lucas Rollinger, Heather Schmidt, and Tom Fisher.

Sophomores Sydney Cox and Cidney Ogden.

Seniors Megan Wellman, Sara Antle, Julia Davidson, Logan Tudeen, Tom Fisher, Bobby Slavens, Jade Feller, Erin Bloomberg, Kaylyn DeCock, Raya Knight, Madison Schmid, Kaylee Huber, Camille Perkins, and Heather Schmid are ready for the Kick-off game.

Senior Tom Fisher runs the Bettendorf flag around the track to get the crowd going.

Senior girls walking into the Kick-off game.Seniors Ryan Schmidt, Brandy Pizano, Brittany Foley, Megan Wellman, Jade Feller, Sara Antle, Kaytlyn Sheffler, Sara Eckhardt, and Alicia Medd.

Senior Cody Bender revs up the crowd.

Freshman Kylee Cangas and Mackenzie Helgerson.

September 9, 20115 Photos

First day fun fills halls Thefirstdayofschoolisthedaywhen the excitement and anticipation ofanewstartfillsthehallways.Theschoolyear started differently this year, with

Photos by Abbi Clevenger Photo layout by Jordan Raso

Seniors show their spirit doing the Bulldog cheer.

Abby Drexler, Madison Schimid, Kaylee Huber, and Tom Fisher get their groove on for freshman arriving for their first day of school.

Tyler Ritter plays a video game in the fine arts hallway.

Freshmen are hard at work on a scavenger hunt outside the main office.

Karson Westerkamp and Ethan Edens show Alex Flax, a freshman, where all of his classes are.

Colton Cutforth and Evan Woodard catch up in the hallway.

Madeline VanderVinne, Gracie TouVelle, Amanda Romano and Julia Reyes look for their classrooms during the scavenger hunt.

Student Council performs a flash mob at the pep assembly.

Amanda Malin, Molly Mayne, Chris Matheson and Ashton Temple relax in E Bay.

advisoryrunningalloftheafternoonwitheach class visiting four areas during arotation.Apepassemblywasattheendoftheday,filledwithdancingandfun,agreatwaytostarttheyear.

September 9, 20116 Features

Italy is a place for vacation, history, and beautiful art. On June 14, I had the privilege along with 14 other students from Bettendorf, PV, and Assumption, and four adults to travel to Italy to study art. Pat Bereskin, who teaches private art classes after school, takes high school students to Italy over the summer every other year to study watercolor and fresco painting, and to sketch sites in the cities visited. The students from Bettendorf were freshman Lauren Young, sophomores Max McInnis, Rachel Kettelkamp, and me, juniors Cassidy Glynn, Amy Whiteman, and Jessica Blindt, senior Madison Schmid, and graduate Katie Whiteman.

“I just love sharing art and the experience with you guys for the first time,” Bereskin said. “I love my students; I want them to grow as adults and individuals.” The trip really did help us find our own way and be independent while in Italy. We were in Italy for 10 days, visiting the wonders of Rome, Cortona, Florence, and Venice. Along with painting and drawing, we looked at some of the most famous monuments and museums in the world. “We experienced the history and culture, the Italian lifestyle, and the food!” Bereskin said.

Students walk around the beautiful city of Cortona.(Photo by Sarah Dixon)

Kerry Glynn (PV), Rachel Kettelkamp, Sarah Dixon, and Lauren Young make a wish and toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain in Rome. (Photo by Cassidy Glynn)

We saw the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum in the busy lifestyle of Rome, and then painted and relaxed in the small city of Cortona. In Florence, we saw breath-taking art by Michelangelo, including the famous sculpture of David. At our last city, Venice, we experienced

many glass museums and the practice of glass blowing. Even though the trip was for studying art, we did some interesting things that weren’t art related while were there. Half of the nights we had dinner on our own in each city, and we had time to go shopping at the street markets. We also went to a pizzeria in Florence where the cast of “Jersey Shore” worked during the summer. Most importantly to me, we had gelato, which is the Italian version of ice cream, at least once a day.

Cassidy Glynn, Max McInnis, Sierra Conway (PV), Madison Schmid, Sarah Dixon, and Rachel Kettelkamp sit at a gelateria in Florence. (Photo by Lisa Glynn)

Lauren Young said it wasn’t hard to adjust to the Italian lifestyle because almost everyone spoke English, and they were all very friendly. “It was so much fun to do the trip with friends and without parents there,” Young said. Young also said she absolutely loved the food. The pasta and pizza are much more fresh than it is here. Instead of having pizza with greasy cheese covering the top, Italian pizza is served with barely any crust, delicious tomato sauce, and fresh cheese sprinkled on top. They don’t cut the pizzas for for patrons either, because they are meant to be eaten by one person. Just like pizza, the pasta is tastier also. The tomato sauce is so fresh and usually has some kind of topping like meat or pepper. The food I had in Italy is some of the best food I’ve ever had in my life. “By finding your own way, it prepares you for life, and makes college seem easier,” Bereskin said. The trip really opened my mind to new experiences, learning how to be independent in a whole new way, and living the way the Italians do. They live every moment to the fullest, and are so kind and loving to everyone they meet. “The Italians do everything passionately,” Bereskin said. “Just being in Italy was so nice,” Amy Whiteman said. “If anyone gets the opportunity to go, it’s the chance of a lifetime.” Because of breath-taking art, the beauty of the cities, and the wonderful people we met, the trip changed my life.

Italy trip successful for student artistsby Sarah DixonStaff Reporter

For the first time in nearly 20 years, Bettendorf boys lost the MAC All Sports trophy. All Sports trophy is based upon the number of points accumulated through MAC placement. When a sport finishes first in the MAC, it gets 10 points and last place gets 1. Once points are tallied the school with the most points wins the trophy. During the 2010-11 school year, Pleasant Valley beat Bettendorf by 12 points. “We need to improve focus on all sports,” said Mark Brooks, activity director. “ W e had a number of sports that we had uncharacteristically poor showings in the conference.” Brooks said that in some sports BHS finished tenth which is

unusual for Bettendorf. Kevin Skillet, boys basketball coach, said that it was a combination of things. PV had a strong group of senior athletes. “It wasn’t because we lacked effort, PV was just better,” Skillet

said. Skillet plans to rev up motivation this year and c o m m u n i c a t e with each athlete that just because the team has “Bettendorf” on its jerseys does not mean the team always gets its way. Junior Mitch Parker attributes PV’s win to their excelling in smaller sports like c ross -count ry, swimming, and soccer. Brooks said

that each coach meets separately to discuss ways to improve standings.

Trophy lost, but hope for return is strongby Jillian KeckEditor

If you have not yet received your yearbook, stop in

the Journalism Lab, D100, to pick it up.

September 9, 20117 Opinion

We are all just one mistake away from being hungry and homeless. Over the past few weeks, my eyes have been opened to the reality of where one wrong step can land you and the need to help those who are there. E v e r y week I volunteer at the Community of Joy Food Pantry in Bettendorf. I hate to admit it, but it was something I began doing because of how it would look on college applications. I knew it would be helping people who could not afford food for their families. But I did not truly understand what was happening until I met real victims. Each family gets one box of pantry items, a bag of cold items and any other items they might need. Just one dollar donated to Churches United (www.cuqca.org/cms) can buy six pounds of food for the food pantry. On average, the food pantry serves 35 families every week. Towards the end of the month, especially the last week, food stamps run out. Once we served a total of 101 people.

A few weeks ago no families had been around for almost an hour and a half, when a tall, balding man poked his head through the door and asked in a cheery voice if he could get some food.

I learned that he was homeless and had just published a book to help people turn their lives around. He was from New England, trying to survive another week until his social security check came so he could drive home. He lived in an old station wagon with rusting paint in a parking lot but he was not how I envisioned a homeless man. He was joyful and funny, an odd attitude for someone in his situation.

Volunteerism changes livesby Jordan RasoAssistant Editor

Just one dollar can buy six pounds of food for the Community of Joy food pantry. (Photo by Jordan Raso)

If one were to ask any normal teenager what they would do on a 90+ degree day, most would say something along the lines of sitting inside on the couch watching TV or playing video games. However, for football players and cross country runners, there is no staying inside to escape the heat. These athletes practice for two or more hours, five days a week, during some of the hottest months of the year. Unfortunately, recent dress code alterations mean that athletes are no longer allowed to remove their shirts or wear cut-offs during practice, and for many this rule is hard to swallow. So why make such a rule? A few years back, the administration and the school board made a revised dress code for the high school limiting what girls and guys could or couldn’t wear in school. Therefore, in order to keep athletic wear consistent with the school dress code, the dress code was expanded. Under the “Appropriate Student Attire for School and School Sponsored Activities” section of the handbook, it states that “this policy applies to the school day or any school sponsored activity.” Mark Brooks, athletic director, said, “It just didn’t make sense to limit what students could wear in school, yet allow athletes to remove their shirts. The goal of the rule was not to restrict student rights; it was simply to be consistent.” The rule, Brooks said, applies to any athlete that is “perceived as a team connected to the high school.” This covers a wide range of athletic activities, including travelling events and practices not on the high school campus.

by Mitch ParkerStaff Reporter

Athletes angry about T-shirts

He had no refrigerator, so he could not have the cold items. He had a stove in his car, so extra macaroni and noodles were added. In addition, he received things like shampoo and sanitizing wipes. He said people lurked around the parking lot at night, looking for things to steal. He didn’t turn his car on unless he was driving it. If someone tried to break in, a fast getaway was not an option. As one can imagine, his car was packed with all of his belongings. It was hard for me to imagine what it would be like to be in his situation. He stayed for almost a half an hour before leaving to get his gas voucher. When more people came through to receive food after him, I saw them in a different light. I noticed how some hesitantly came in, unsure about how they would be treated. They seemed to mask their feelings. Some looked ashamed, others were very talkative. One couple was very talkative, hiding any indication that they were nervous. Most are alone and are very quiet, glancing up every so often. A woman with three young children was very quiet and shy when she first arrived, but after we talked to her, she opened up. I could tell she knew we wouldn’t treat her differently, just because her family was hungry. People who have been to the shelter before know that the people who volunteer at the shelter are there to help

them. The food pantry is one of the only places where they are not judged and criticized because of their situation. It seems like sometimes we push the people who truly need help out of our lives, because they seem to carry problems with them. They are an easy scapegoat because they are different. I suppose I had been doing this. I subconsciously believed that if I got involved with the hungry or the homeless, it would just create more problems and work for myself. I am ashamed that I thought this at one time, but my thinking is different today. I realized that the people that walk into the food pantry are just like me. They think and have feelings, they are just in a different situation. When I glanced through the doorway and saw a girl my age receiving a box of food, it really hit home. I realized that the girl could be me, and at any time something could happen that would put me in the same situation. The only thing that separated her from me was a wall that could easily be broken. I would say that the food pantry has changed my life. Not only do I look forward to going to help, but I truly understand what is happening. We have to remember there is no guarantee that we are immune to their situation . Everyone is entitled to help without judgment and no one deserves to be alone, no matter who they are.

With frequent rest and plenty of water it would seem that practice, even in brutally hot conditions, would not be overwhelmingly strenuous. Unfortunately,

on hot days or in the heat in the gym, keeping T-shirts on can become a burden. Furthermore, in temperatures that rise above 90 degrees, not taking off a T-shirt can lead to discomfort and overheating for the athlete. “When you practice on a hot day, your T-shirt can get really sweaty and it gets heavy and makes it hard to run,” junior Baylor Hill said. Many cross country runners in particular feel that the rule unfairly affects them. It is a common sight in all types of

running races to see runners removing their shirts or women wearing sports bras. “Running shirtless isn’t just a Bettendorf thing, it’s part of running

culture,” Ian Francis, a boys varsity cross country runner, said. Ryan Hamby, another varsity runner, added, “I mean, how would a lawyer or business executive feel if he couldn’t wear a tie to work? It’s the same way for runners. Running shirtless is just how it is.” High school cross country runners have also seen Pleasant Valley boys cross country runners running shirtless, so the attitude of a number of high school runners is “well, if they’re allowed, then why can’t we?” Girls cross country has also felt affected. Common running wear for girls is a sports bra, but now they, like the boys, must cover up. And, like the boys, the girls

feel they are unfairly targeted by the rule. “The banned stuff is common athletic wear. Plenty of girls wear sports bras in road races,” runner Sarah Dixon said. I’ve even tried Dri-Fit shirts which are supposed to keep you cool while you run, but even they get sweaty and stick,” Dixon’s teammate Dana Waterman said. Cross country runners aren’t the only ones who have been affected. Soccer players and basketball players are no longer

allowed to work out shirtless. Basketball players can’t even go shirtless in the gym during summer workouts even though the gym gets brutally hot. And soccer players must now wear shirts or practice jerseys, or risk being sent home. “The practice jerseys are too big and slip off anyways. I don’t understand why we can’t just go shirtless. We look good anyway,” Austin Lower, a member of the boys soccer team, said. All in all, the new dress code policy that has affected athletics at the high school has been met with mixed feelings. The goal of the rule was to be consistent with the high school’s dress code policy. While the logic behind the rule makes sense, not everyone is happy about it. For many athletes, practicing in hot conditions while wearing a hot and sweaty T-shirt is not fun. These athletes feel that some kind of change or compromise needs to be reached regarding the rule. This compromise would not be because athletes get preferential treatment. No. It would be because athletes have more fun in comfortable and relaxing clothes. Also, being able to remove shirts would keep athletes cool on hot days, and minimize the risk of heat related injuries. Getting rid of the rule is not the goal here. The goal is to reach some form of compromise. While it is understandable for many types of inappropriate clothing to be banned from school and sports, being able to remove one’s T-shirt for a few hours on a hot day is not an unreasonable request. To be honest, there are much worse ways one could dress than removing a T-shirt. Hopefully, a compromise can be reached that would benefit all parties involved.

Soaking wet and exhausted in their T-shirts after a cross country workout, senior Ryan Hamby, junior Baylor Hill, and freshman Tom Parker help each other into the school for a drink. (Photo by Mitch Parker)

September 9, 20118 The Great Scavenger HuntThe Growl is launching a new feature: Scavenger Hunt. Every month

readers will be challenged to find the objects in the photos. Once you’ve identified the objects, go to www.bettgrowl.com to the “Scavenger Hunt” page, click on the link, and fill out the form, then submit it. The first

completed form submitted with correct answers will receive Whitey’s gift certificates. Look for the Scavenger Hunt and new przes in the October issue!

Object No. 1

Object No. 2

Object No. 8

Object No. 7

Object No. 6

Object No. 5

Object No. 4

Object No. 3

Object No. 9

Object No. 10