Musical auditionsTension builds as students work for parts

January 8-14, 1997

If it happens, it’s news to usWho says nothing ever happens at school?

ArowofgirlsstandontheOpstadAuditoriumstage.Theirfacialexpressionsrangefromlooksofrelaxationtolooksofterror.OnebyonetheysingoutafewlinesfromthesongI Feel Prettytothealmostvacantrowsbelow. Onceoffstagethegirlslooklessner-vous,andmanycommentonhowrelievedtheyaretobedone.Thegirlsbecomemoretalkative,discussingwhodidwellandwhoshouldgetwhatpart. ThiswasthesceneattheJan.9tryoutsforWest Side Story.Itwasthesecondandfinaldayofauditionsforthemusical.Onthefirstdayeveryonehadshowedtheirdancingskills,buttheseconddayhadbeenreservedforsinging.Thiswasmuchmorenervewrackingformanyaudition-ing.SamStapleton’99,said,“Thedancingwasnoproblem.ButIhaveneversungbeforeinmyentirelife.”KatyDane’99,wasalsonervousaboutsinging.“Ididareallygoodjobatthedancing,butforthesingingIdidn’treallyknowthewords,and

IwasafraidIwoulddosomethingdumblikestarttooearlyorbeinthewrongkey.” Nowcomesthehardestpartforthoseauditioning:thewaiting.SomepeoplewillhavecallbacksonJan.10,butthecastlistwillnotbeposteduntilSaturday,Jan.11.“IwishIknewrightnowwhetherImadeitornot,”saidDane. JenicaSteele’99,whoauditionedforMariaagreed,saying,“Iamgoingtobealittlebitnervousthenextfewdays.”DaneandSteelewerebothpleasedwiththeirperformancesattheauditions,butwerestillalittleunsureaboutwhetherornottheywouldbecast. “Thereareover50girlscompetingforabout15parts,”saidSteele.“I’mnotsureifIwasoneofthe15best.” Danehadsimilarfeelings,saying“Ev-eryonewhoauditioneddidareallygoodjob.IreallywanttogetinbutifIdon’titwon’tbetheendoftheworld.”

Anne Huyck

ThecastandcrewoftheSpring’smusi-cal,West Side Story,wereannouncedthisSaturday.Asstudentsstreamedinandoutalldaycheckingtoseeiftheirnameswerelisted,manyweredisappointedwhileoth-erswereoverjoyed. Outofover100peopleauditioning,only41madethefinalcuts.RiaFreydberg’99,said,“Iwasn’treallydisappointedthatIdidn’tgetapartbecausethereweresomanytalentedgirlstryingout,andsofewactuallymadeit.”Outofallthepeopletryingout,about70ofthemwerefemales,andtherewerelessthan20femaleroles. Therearealternativesforthosewhodidn’tlandroles.LuisSierra,directorofthemusical,said,“Weneedalotofpeopletohelpworkonthecrew,andifnothing

. . . and then the cast is announcedelse,they[thepeoplewhoauditionedbutdidn’tgetparts]canalwayssupportusbybeingamemberoftheaudience.”Amongothers,Freydbergisfollowinghisadvice.Sheistheco-publicationsmanager.“EventhoughIdidn’tgetapart,Istillwantedtobeinvolvedwiththeplay,”shesaid. TheperformanceswillbeMarch13-15withthepossibilityofanadditionalSun-day,March16,performance.Thosewhodidgetpartsarealreadythinkingaboutthebigperformances.NellieViner’97,whowillbeplayingAnita,said,“Idon’treallywanttodiemyhairblack,maybeawigwouldwork.Hmmm…”

Britta Schnoor

Onceagainthe‘80sdanceatCityHighhasbeendelayed.TheseconddelayofthedancescheduledforJan.11,wascausedbyalackofpublicity.WhenthishappenedMattBrowning’99,decidedtotakesomeaction. “Itwasahugeletdown,”Browningsaidoftheseconddelay.Buthewasn’tgoingtoletthisruinhisoranyoneelse’sSaturdayeveningeither. Browningdecidedtohavehisowndanceparty.“Igottheideaforarapparty‘causeI’dneverbeentoone.Ijustthoughtit’dbeagreatexperience,”Browningsaid. TheblacklightsglowedandthebassshookthewallsofBrowning’shouse.Moreandmorepeoplearrived,mostcladinbag-gypantsandbackwardhats.“Ithinktherewherearoundsixtytoseventypeople,”Browningestimated. PartygoerjuniorLydiaViner’seveningwashighlightedwhen“Bootiecall”wasyelled.“Alltheguysjumpedinacircleandstartedwigglingtheirbuttsaround,”Vinersaid,“ItwasthefunniestthingI’veeverseen.” Astheeveningwindeddownaroundtwelveo’clockVinercommented,“Itwasawesome.Ijusthopenexttimeitcanbeinabiggerroom,likemaybetheCityHighgym.”

Gretchen Visser

WhenAssistantPrincipalBryceHan-senwalkedintoMr.Muilenberg’sphysicalscienceclass,hedidn’tknowwhathithim. MuilenbergwasrunningaVandeGraaffgenerator,adevicethatgeneratesalargeelectriccharge.Ithasalowvoltage,butanyonewhogetsclosewillreceivealittleshock.Thegeneratorusesaground-ingwiretopreventtomuchchargefrombuildingup. Onthatdaythegroundingwirewasn’tworking,andtherewasagoodchargebuilt

Dancing anywayImpromptu party soothes disappointed dancers

up.WhenHansenentered,alargeboltofelectricityshotfromthegeneratorandhithiminthesideofthehead.BecauseofthelowvoltageHansenwasnothurt,justalittlestunned. “I’veneverseenitjumpsofarinmylife,”saidMuilenberg,whoalsosawthepositiveside.“AfterthatMr.Hansendidn’tbothermyclassagain.” Thisoccurredseveralyearsago,andMuilenbergwastellingthestorywhileset-tingupthegeneratorforthisyear’sclass.

WhileexperimentingwiththegeneratorKirkMcNabb’00,gotasurprise.Alittleboltcameoutandzappedthezipperofhisjeans. “Therestoftheclassthoughtitwasfunny,”saidMcNabb.“Butitwouldn’tbesofunnyifithappenedtothem.”

Zak Hingst

StunningScience lesson brings

back memory

Here are highlights from a week-long exercise for introductory journalism students in which they turned in a news story for five straight days. No specific assignments were made.

It’s tough to top opening night of the musical for drama, but it’s possible to come close by covering events that most audience mem-bers wouldn’t even think of—getting chosen as part of the cast.

Sometimes the best news occurs when there is no

event, or when something is

cancelled. Lack of activity can often

be news, if we dig a little. The news

peg here is the ’80s Dance, but

it quickly evolves into something more generally

classified as “student life.”

AccordingtotheSophomoreClassCouncil,compatibilitybetweentwopeopleisnowastatistic. OnMondayJan.13,a“computerfun”worksheetwaspassedoutinhomeroom.Studentsanswerthethirty-fourquestionsonthesheetandcanbuytheresults.ThesewillbethetenCityHighstudentsandfivestudentsinthenationmostcompatibletothatparticularstudent. “Ithinkitwaskindofneat,”saidTravisLovetinsky’99.“Itgivesyousomethingtodo.”Hedidthinktheremightbeadownsidethough.“Somepeoplemightgetseriouslydepressed,”Hecommented.“Itmightcausearapiddecreaseinpopulationiftoomanypeoplewentsuicidal.” TimEvans’99,viewsthisasagoodideabutwithroomforimprovement.“Thequestionsweretoobroadandtherewasn’tenough[ofthem],”saidEvans.Healso

TheSeniorClassCouncilmetlastWednesdaytocontinueitssearchforagifttogivetheschoolupongraduating.Thegiftthecouncilislookingforisabelltogointhenowvacantbelltower.ProgresshasbeenslowaccordingtoAlisonPutney’97,duetothelackofbellmanufacturerslo-cally.“It’sbeenreallyhardbecausenooneIaskhasanyideawhomakesbells.” Putney,thechairoftheSeniorClassGiftCommitteehadcalledmanylocalchurchesandinhopesoflearningwheretheygottheirbells.This,howeverhadnotproducedanyleadsastowherethecouncilmightpurchasetheirgift.“ThebellsatallofthechurchesIcalledhavebeenthereforyearsandnoonerememberswheretheycamefrom.” Luckilyanothercouncilmemberhadanidea.JoeYounker’97,rememberedthenewCoralvillefireman’smemorialthathehaddrivenbyandthoughttocalltheCor-alvilleFireDepartment.“Thememorialhasabellandso,sinceitwasbuiltrecentlyIthoughtsomeonemightknowwhereitcamefrom.”Thecallgavethecouncilitsfirstclueofwheretolookforthebell. AsitturnsoutDesMoineshasacoupleoffoundries,placeswherebellsarecommonlymade.Althoughnoneofthecompanieshavebeencontactedyet,Younkerishopefulthattheirbellwillbefound.“Allofthebellsaroundhavetocomefromsomewhere,wejusthavetofindoutwhere.” Fundingforthebellwillbecoveredbythe$500remaininginthecouncil’streasury.Ifitisimpossibletofindadecentbellatthatprice,thecouncilhopestoraisemoney. “We’vebeenthinkingalotaboutaSeniorAuctionifweneedmoremoneyforourgift,”SeniorClassPresidentLindsayMacIndoesaid.“Wethinkanauctionwouldbeanewandfunwaytoraisemoney.We’vetalkedtosomeotherpeoplewho’vedoneattheirschoolsandit’sbeenverysuccessful.”Whateverwaythecouncildecidestoraisemoney,however,isnotveryimportantpresently.“ Rightnowwe’rejustworkinghardtofindabell,”saysYounker.“Oncewedothat,thenmaybewe’llstarttothinkabouthowtopayforit.”

Lindsay MacIndoe

Whileinthepastmanyclasscoun-cil’shavetriedtoplanaskitripfortheirgrades,nonesofarasanyonecanremem-berhavebecomeorganizedenoughtogothroughwiththeirplans.“IguessIalwayswonderedwhytherewereneveranyskitripsatCityHighwheneveryonealwayshadsomuchfunatSouthEast[skitrips],”SamStapleton’99,said.“Whenwewerelookingforideastoraisemoney,thiscameupasapossibility,andeveryoneseemedtolikeit.” Theroadtoaskitripwasalongonethough,whichmademanyontheskitripcommitteerealizewhytherehadneverbeenatripcarriedthroughwith.First,PrincipalTrudyDayhadtobecontactedtogetpermissionanddecideonanon-schooldaytoplanthetripfor. Whenthathadbeendetermined,SouthEastPEteacherMrs.Lundwascalledtofindouthowtogoaboutorganiz-ingthetrip.Afterthat,Sundownwas

Sophomore Class CouncilClass promotes love . . .

thinksthatsomeofthequestionswereworthlessandcould’vebeenleftout.“Whocaresifyousneakpopintoamovie?,”hesaid.“Idoitallthetime.”Inhisopinion,someofthequestionswerelegitimatebutmisguided.“Youcan’tdescribeattitudes,”saidEvans. Healsothinksthatthereasonsforthewholecomputerfunthingarewrong.“It’salameexcusetotryandraisemoney,”saidEvans.Lovetinskyagreeswiththisandthinksthatanactualdatingservicewouldbeabetteridea. Theoptiontopurchaseresultswillbetwodaysbeforevalentinesday.Lovetinskyhasn’teventurnedhisworksheetinbutEvansalreadyplanstogethisresults.“OfcoarseI’llbuythem,”Evanssaid.“Iwanttosee[whoismostcompatibletome.]”

Philip Wood

. . . and skiing, and has fun doing bothcalledtogatherinformationaboutprices,howrentalswouldbearranged,andthebestdaysforalargegrouptocomeup.Fi-nally,buseswerescheduledforFeb.14,thedaythatthetripwilltakeplace.“Itreallywasn’tallthathardtoorganizeoncewegotdowntobusinessandstartedmakingthenecessarycalls,”Stapleton,ahomeroomrepresentativeaswellastheskitripcom-mitteechairperson,said. SophomoreclasscouncilpresidentBrittaSchnoor’99,creditsthe10thgradeclass’feattothehardworkofthestudentcouncil.“Nothingcouldhavebeenaccom-plishedwithoutthesupportofthecouncil,andthehardworkofthecommittee.” InformationonthetripwillbegiveninhomeroomonTuesday,January21st,andregistrationwillbeginsoonafterwithbussignupsintheguidanceoffice.Onlyfullbuseswillbetaken,andplacementisonafirstcomefirstservebasis.

Kerry Nolan

Senior Class CouncilClass discusses ‘ringing’ gift to school

Student govern-ment tends to get a yawn from reporters and editors, pos-sibly because we are not paying enough attention to the actual nuts and bolts of how students govern-ment actually gets things done. In the coverage of the sophomore class council, two reporters find two completely differ-ent news pegs in the same meeting.

Many news stories are installments

on a longer running story

that may last all year. By report-

ing on decisions as they are being

made, we can bring a sense of immediacy to a

yearbook as well as a newspaper.

Beyond traditional text There are times, of course, when only prose will do—especially when you have a good anecdote to tell, or when you have all the elements of a good story: setting, characters, conflict and resolution. But there are many times when the news is essentially information—im-portant, but not really worthy of prose. Luckily there are a variety of means of delivering that information, with each method useful for particular pieces of news. The complete list is on the next page. For the sophomore class council stories, how about a quote collection from students who participated in computer dating? Or how about a fact box with sample questions from the form? Could we put together a diagram of Sundown ski resort? Or a checklist of what to take when you go skiing?

How about a historical sidebar on past senior class gifts?

Or a step-by-step on how the class officers tracked down a bell company?

Asthearomaofpizzadriftedthroughthehallwaydowntothemusicrooms,musicstudentswereintheorchestraroomenjoyingafreepizzaparty. Thepizzapartywasgiventomusicstudentswhosoldmorethantwenty-fouritemsduringthefruitandcheesesales.Freepizza,popandpiewasprovidedforstudentsinbothfirstandsecondlunch.Accordingtomusicsecretary,AnneRob-inson,thisyearwasoneofthefirstyearswheretherewaspizzaleftover. Theannualdrawformoneywasahit,again.Apaperbagwasfilledwithonefifty,onetwenty,oneten,onefiveandmanyonedollarbills.Foreverytwelveitemssoldyouhadthechancetodrawfromthebagonce.RachaelDolezal‘98,hadtheluckydrawonTuesday,Jan.14,asshepulledoutthefiftydollarbill.AlissaWilson‘98pulledoutthetwenty,thetenwaspickedoutbyAndrewPaige’00,andGeoffMcAl-

Whilethevoiceinthefrontoftheroomrosehigherandhigher,themembersoftheConcertChoirdroppedtheirjawsandwidenedtheireyes.Thenotesoftheprofessionalsingerweren’twhatamazedthestudentsbutinsteadthefactthatitwasamanwhowassingingthem.DavidSchuler,whoclassifieshisvoicerangeasacountertenor,hadnoproblemsingingnotesthatonlysomesopranoscanhit. Schuler’srarerangelandedhimapartintheSanFranciscobasedgroupChanticleerfiveyearsago.ChanticleerisknownasthebeingtheonlyprofessionalmalechoirintheU.S.Theirmusicstyleisacappellaandtheirrecordingsincludesamplesofgospel,jazzandchant.WhenSchulerbelongedtothegroupherehearsedfourtosixhoursadayandmade150to200appearancesworld-wideeachyear. ItwasthroughDr.GrovethatSchulercametoknowofIowaCityandCityHighmusic.Dr.GroveresearchedanddiscussedthegroupChanticleerasthetopicofhisdoctoraldissertation.WhenDr.GrovemetthegroupofmeninSanFranciscothispastsummerhespokeinparticularwithSchulerabouttheUniversityofIowa.SchulerwasimpressedenoughwiththeuniversitythathequitthesinginggroupandcametoIowatoearnhisdoctorateindirectingasDr.Grovehad.Schulerplanstocompletehisdegreein2002. “It’skindoffunnyhowMr.SchulerisenviousofDr.Grove(hisdoctoraldegree)andGroveisenviousofMr.Schuler(talent),”PaulTucker’98,commented.“It’sprettyironic.” SchulerspenttheafternoonFridaytalkingtothetwochorusesandobservingDr.Grove.JohnTroughton’00,said,“Hehasanawesomevoiceandheplaysthetrumpetreallywell,too.” Schuler’svisitwasrealtreatforthestudentsandaninspirationtothoseconsideringprofessionalmusicasacareer.

Megan Zieglowsky

Quote CollectionA series of comments on a topic by newsmakers or students.

Opinion PollA sampling of opinion gathered scien-tifically.

Fast-Fact BoxBits of information that give readers a quick look at the 5 Ws.

Bio BoxBrief profiles of people or organizations in the news, often in list form and item-ized by key characteristics.

ListA series of names, facts, etc., that add context to the story.

QuizA list of questions that provide a chance for readers to interact with the story.

GlossaryA list of specialized words and defini-

tions that helps readers understand topic better.

ChecklistA list of guidelines or questions that allows readers to assess needs or itemize key points.

Q&ARecreates a verbatim dialogue between the reporter and the newsmaker.

MapA visual way to give geographical infor-mation to readers.

DiagramA plan or drawing that shows how something works or explains key parts.

Step-By-Step GuideBreaks down a complex process by tak-ing readers through it one step at a time.

TimelineA chronology of events highlighting key moments in the history of a person,

place or issue.

RatingsA list of items that lets critics make pre-dictions or evaluations.

Fever or Line ChartMeasures change over time by plotting points on a graph.

Bar ChartCompares two or more items visually through side by side columns.

Pie ChartCompares parts that make up a whole, usually in percentages.

Quick Read Menu

We would like to acknowledge Buck Ryan for pioneering the maestro strategy, and Tim Har-rower, for developing package planning forms, from which this one is derived.

ister’97,pulledoutthefive.Thepeopleinsecondlunchdidn’tgetmuchvarietyinpullingoutmoney,becauseeverythingexceptthefiftywasdrawninfirstlunch.“Yeah,itkindasuckedthisyear,becausewhenIwenttodraw,therewereonlyonesleft,”KatyDane’99,said. Anewhighlightthisyearwasthechancetojump,yesjump,formoney.Tobeeligibletojumpyouhadtobeoneofthetoptwosellersinyourmusicgroup.Dollarbillswerelinedupalongthefloorandapieceofmaskingtapewasplacedinfrontofthem.Whereeveryoulandedyougotthemoneynexttoyourfeetandbehindyou. JumpingforbandwereJamieTrams’00,andTinaFisher’98,fororchestraTy-lerHix’99andJenniferBaek’98jumped,andforchorusJ.P.Marshall’97andMicaAnders’00.

Katie Bossen

OrchestraFruit + cheese = pizza party for some,

Concert ChoirGuest wows group with highs

Beyond traditional text Instead of always thinking of items in the paper or year-book as “stories,” it might be more useful to just call them “coverage.” Instead of assigning the pizza party “story,” you might assign the pizza party coverage, and then discuss the best way to deliver information to the readers. Would a series of photos and captions be best here? How about a list of winners and amounts? What could we do beyond prose on the amazing singer?

Photos could never do justice to singer David Schuler, so we have to make do with reactions from those in attendance. Look for apt com-parisons and metaphors as ways to make such information accessible to readers.

ThesmellofsmokewasthickintheairandthehallsweredarkyesterdayasallthestudentsandfacultyatCHSevacuatedthebuilding. ThestudentinBonnieHall’sAdvancedSpanishHonorsclasssixthhourwereinthemiddleoftakingatestwhenhalfofthelightswentout.“Quehorrible,”Hallsaid.“Thishappenedoncebeforethisyearwhenonlyhalfofthelightswentoff.” Hallmonitorsandadministratorsinformedtheclassesthattherewouldbeaseventhhourandthattheyshouldgothereattheappropriatetime.Fifteenminutesorlessintoseventhhourthehallmonitorsinformedclassesthatschoolwasdismissedearlyandthateveryonewastoevacuate

CityHighwasincompletechaosMonday.Theproblemsrangedfrompowerfailuretoarson,andresultedinanevacua-tionoftheschoolandearlydismissal. AboutfifteenminutesintosixthperiodonMonday,aMid-AmericanEnergytransformerfortheCityHighneighbor-hoodshutdown.MostofCity’selectricitywasoff,butteachersheldclassasusual.Studentsweredismissedwithoutabell,andwalkedtoseventhhourinthedark.Aboutfifteenminutestothree,JournalismteacherJackKennedydiscoveredthattheLittleTheaterwasfilledwithsmoke. Abroombehindthestagehadbeenlitonfire.Fortunately,thefiredidnotspreadtothemanyflammableobjectsaroundit,butwentoutonitsown. Studentswerequicklyletoutofclassbywordofmouth.“Myteacherhadtogooutintothehallwayandaskwhattheheckwasgoingon,”saidColleenCintron’99.“Finallyweweredismissed.”Students

Therewasalullofsilencefromthestu-dentsofCityHighyesterdayduringsixthhour.Thelightsinthebuildingwentoutduetoanelectricalmalfunction.Totopitalloff,therewasabroomsetonfireintheLittleTheater.Therewasalsoarolloftoiletpaperlitonfireinthegirls’bathroomonthethirdfloor. “Itmakesitmoreromantic,”saidCoachSmith.StudentsinCoachBrownandHurley’sclassesweredancingthewaltzwhenthelightswentout.“Alittlecandlelightandchampagne,andthiscouldbeinteresting,”commentedanup-perclassman. Whenallthestudentswerereleased,allthatwasheardwereshoutsofjoyfromthestudentsastheteacherskickedthemoutofthebuildingduringseventhhour.“Comeon!Getout!Weletyououtearlyandyou’restillhere!”shoutedGarlMcLaugh-lin,mathteacher.Theteachersweretoldto

Classes dismissed earlyBrownouts and arson cause confusion

neededtoevacuatethebuildingbecauseofthefire,butwerealsodismissedtogohomebecauseofreasonsresultingfromthepowerfailure,suchasnoheat. ThepersonwholitthefireintheLittleTheateriswantedforarson.PrincipalTrudyDayintendstoprosecute,andinves-tigatorsareworkingonthecase.“Whoeverwouldstartafireinabuildingwithalmost2000peopleinitwhenitisdangerouslycoldoutsideissick,”saidJapaneseteacherBeckyHanten. Asaresultofthearson’sactions,tightersecuritywillbeadministeredatCity.Studentspassinginthehallsduringclasstimewillbegivenaimmediatedetention.“It’sfrustratingthat[students]can’tbeinthehallsevenwhentheyhaveaperfectlygoodreasontobe,”saidKerryNolan’99.“Oneperson’sactionshavelefteveryoneatadisadvantage.”

Julia Jackson

thebuilding. “Thisiscool,butwhatamIgoingtodonow?”askedHeatherStoner’98.Masshysteriatookholdinthehallsastheconfusedstudentspackedupandleftwithnoelectricityandaverystrongsmellofsmokeonthesecondandthirdfloors. Awellinformedfacultymembersaid,“TherewasasmallfireintheLittleThe-ater,butitwascontained.” Theadministrationsaidthattheblazewasstartedbyabroomthatwasproppeduponatableafewfeetawayfromthebackstagecurtain.Theyarenowtryingtofindthepersonorpersonsthatstartedthisfire.

Marta Muilenburg

A second versionBrownouts and arson cause confusion

evacuatethebuildingforthesafetyofthestudents.Thereekofsmokeonthesecondfloorwasevidencethatsomethingwasgoingwrong. Manyrumorswerebeingspreadaround.ShannonClark’98,said,“Somegirlstartedarolloftoiletpaperonfireonthethirdfloor.”“Someonelitabroomonfire,”saidagroupofjuniorsbythemainstaircase.“Therewasafireinthenewwing,”asophomoresaidashewalkedby,explainingittohisfriend.“Therewasanelectricalfireinthelibrary,”saidKevinCole’98. Thougheverystudenthadtheirownideaastowhathappened,allanystudentreallycaredaboutatthemoment,wasthattheyweregettingtoleaveclassearly.Likealways,therewasthehopefulthought,maybetherewon’tbeschooltomorrow.

Keith Cole

How ’bout one more?Brownouts and arson cause confusion

Just when you least expect it, up jumps actual news! Actually, the angle most people who reported on the arson/early dismissal incident focused on was the aftermath. Note how these stories bring in the rumors (and try to dispel them) and the repercus-sions (hallway pass crackdown). Certainly they all make sure to get the 5Ws and H covered, but they all then expand from that base.

Life is good for a reporter when you can grab a great quote. The third story comes alive with the quote from Coach Smith about the effect of the brownout on students waltzing.

Beyond traditional textHere’s the challenge. Take the basic facts, plus the expanded coverage you find in these three stories, and list as many quick read possibilities as you can. Remember: sidebars are designed to enhance and add to prose, not necessarily to replace it.

NateKron’98,formercaptainoftheNo.17rankedIowaCitySwimTeam(4-1),lookedonhelplesslyasMichaelCheng’97,crashedintothewater.Chengwasdisqualifiedbyafalsestartinthesecondtolasteventinlastnight’sswimmeetagainstMuscatine—the100breaststroke. “Michael[Cheng]wasafavoriteintherace,heprobablywouldhavefinishedfirstorsecond,”saidPhilLuebke,coachoftheIowaCityOctopi.ThedisqualificationleadtoIowaCity’seventualdownfall.“Itwasn’tMike’s[Cheng]fault,Imean,Tony[Pirnat,WestHighfreshman]DQedtoo,”saidKron,whoalongwithAndrewTalman’99,satoutthemeetondisciplinarysuspen-sion.Pirnatdisqualifiedinthefinalevent,the400yardfreestylerelay. ThemeetstartedunexpectedlywellfortheOctopi,whocameintothemeetcaptain-lessandwithouttwoofthefastestswimmersintheconference.ThemeetgavemanyJVswimmersachancetoswimvarsityeventsforthefirsttimeandgavevarsityswimmerswhoweren’tbigpointearnersachancetoshowtheirstuff.ChrisAndino’98,andJohnPirnat,WestHighjunior,wereactingcaptainsforthemeet,andtheirleadershiphelpedtoinspiretheteamandgivethemthechancetohaveapieceofthelimelight. “Itwasprettycoolswimmingundertheseguys[theactingcaptains],itfeltlikethey’remorelikemeandtheirexcitementhelpedpumpmeup,”commentedAdamYack’00.“IwasreallyimpressedwithTyler[Luebke,WestHighfreshman]andYack,theybothreallysteppeditup,”saidCoachLuebke. Althoughtheteamleaduntilthe100breaststroke,andtheremainingpartici-pantsinthefinaltwoeventsfinishedwell,thedisqualificationswereenoughtosealthe87-83loss. “Itfeltterrible[tositout].IfeltthatImadeuslose,”saidKron.ThesuspendedswimmerswillreturntoactionthisSatur-dayforIowaCity’smeetattheBurlingtonInvitational.“Burlingtonwillbeourfirstchancetoshowourstuffwitheveryonehealthyandswimming.I’mreallylook-ingforwardtobeatingthe[Jefferson]J-Hawks,”saidCoachLuebke.

Chris Andino

sports specialSwimmingTeam drops first dual after captain is suspended

Itseemstobeanunwrittenlawthatavarsitybasketballgameismoreexcitingthanthesophomoregamethatprecedesit.However,theLittleHawkfanswhoshowedupearlyfortheboy’svarsitygameagainstLinn-Marwereinforarivetingfinalquarterinthesophomoregame. Athalftime,thesophomoreLittleHawkswerereceivingawhippingbytheLinn-MarLionsastheytrailed30-17.“Iwasthinking‘God,Idon’twanttogooneandfive’,”saidplayerRyanChiles’99,aboutthedismaloutlookthesophomoreshad.Itwasalsoapparenttomostfansthatthegamewasalreadywrappedup.“Ithoughtitwasgoingtobeanotherblow-out,”saidspectatorRichardLandon’99. “Thecoacheswereyellingatus,”recalledplayerJamieRowat’99.“Chairswerebeingthrown,headswerebeingrippedoff.”Despitethelowmorale,theLittleHawksplayedon,andinthethirdquarter,thingsbegantochangedramati-cally.“Theturningpointwaswhenwescoredeighttotenpointsinarowandtheyhadtocallatimeout,”saidChiles. Bythefourthquarter,thegamewastied.Therewerenolargescoringrunsbyeitherteaminthefourthquarter,butitappearedthattheLionswouldbarelyedgeoutthe

Sophomore BasketballBoys ignite fans, burn Lions in 4th

LittleHawksonthescoreboard.Withaboutaminuteleftinthelastperiod,though,JoshHobart’99,wouldhitathreepointertogivetheLittleHawksaonepointlead,47-46. FanswerejumpingexcitedlyoutoftheirseatsandfeetwerepoundingonthebleachersastheLittleHawksandtheLi-onsbattledtomakeawinningbasket.Theclockwasstoppedat4.3secondsasbothteamsusedtheirtime-outs.Linn-Marhadpossessionoftheballattheirbasket. Themere4.3secondsseemedlikeaneternityastheLionsthrewtheballin,franticallytryingtosetupthewinningshot.TwoLittleHawksdouble-teamedtheLinn-Marplayerwiththeball. Suddenly,likeaboltoutoftheblue,theballwasstolenbyNickLinder’99,andhedashedpasttheawestruckLinn-MarLionswiththeballinhishands.Thecrowderuptedinathunderingcheerasthefinalsecondtickedaway,Citytakingthevic-tory,47-46.Thesophomoreboysbarelyscrapedpast,butemotionsinthelockerroomwerehighastheplayerscelebrated. “Well,youknow,wegottaplaythesecondhalfnomatterwhat,”saidLinderabouttheunexpectedcomeback.“Youcan’tjustshowupforonehalf.”

Dan Nguyen

ThesophomoregirlsbasketballteamknockedofftheleadingteamintheMis-sissippiValleyConference,CedarRapidsRegis,atCitylastFriday Cityhadtheleaddespiteacloseruninthe4thquarterandpulledthegameoffwitha39-35winovertheRoyals. “Beatingthenumberoneteamintheconferencewasbigandmeantalottoourteam,”saidpostplayerStacyMoss’99.“We’vehadsomanyclosegamesthatwejustcouldn’thangonto,butthisgametaughtusthatwearecapableofwinningtoughgamesintheupcomingseason.” AlthoughbeatingRegiswasthebiggest

Sophomore BasketballGirls overcome conference leaders

winfortheLittleHawks,they’replanningaheadandlookingintotheseason. “Wehavesometoughcompetitionaheadofusthatweneedtobefocusingon,”saidCoachJamieSkay.“Ourteamisbeginningtoplaytogethernowthatthegirlsarerecoveredandhealthy.Ifwecontinuetoworktogetherandplayhard,we’recapableofbeatingsomehighrankedteams.” TheLittleHawksarenow7-3.Nowthattheteamsconfidencehasboostedandbuiltthroughtheseason,they’relookingforwardtowinningseveralmorevictories.

Sherry Youssef

Consequence is a superior element of news, and here the combination of a suspension and a disqualification are highlighted as explaining a team loss. Note also that once the most consequen-tial facts were presented in the story, it settled into basically a chronological narrative.

Underclass athletes deserve

coverage as much as their var-

sity counterparts, though we often

find ourselves leaving them out in the interest of

conserving space. But some of the best stories can

come from those frosh and soph

ranks. All it takes is a reporter to be

there to capture the key moments.

Beyond traditional textSports readers are often quite interested in stats, but they still want them separated from prose. Sports is a great place for stat boxes, standings lists, and schedules. These include information readers want quickly, but that would otherwise get lost in paragraph form.

Thefreezingcoldweatherdoesn’tkeepCityHighstudentsfromsweating.Ifnotonthecourtorfield,LittleHawkathletesarecertainlynothibernatingthiswinter. WithflashbacksofHealthPEwithMr.Sabersfreshmanyear,studentswillfileintothegymthisTuesdayforthekickoffofCityHighsponsoredwintertraining.WorkoutsarescheduledforeveryTuesdayandThursdaythroughtheendofFebruaryuntilindoortrackmeetsstartorthebegin-ningofSpringsportpractices. “Therearealotofusthataren’toutforbasketballorswimming,”saysZachButler,’98,“workingoutkeepsyouinshapeandyoucangetalotstrongerfornextyear.” Off-seasonactivitiesincludeweight-lifting,running,orplyometricworkouts.Someathleteschoosetojoinaclubteamoranindoorleagueforthewinter.Thisoptionisespeciallypopularforvolleyballandsoccerplayers.“Therearesomanyvolleyballclubteams,”saysAmberDyk-stra,’98.“Iliketoplaywithaclubbecause

AfterlosingthreegamesinarowthegirlsvarsitybasketballteamwonFridaynightagainstCRRegis.“Wewereallreallypumpeduptowinsincewehadn’twonforsolong,”saidTanyaHammes’99,thestart-ingpostplayerfortheLittleHawks. KamiBerry’99,ledtheteamwithagamehigh21points.TheLittleHawkshadagoodleadmostofthegame.InthefourthquarterRegiscamewithinfivepointsoftheHawksbutcouldn’tgetanycloserthanthat. Thefinalscoreofthegamewas54-45.“Regisisaverystrong,powerfulteamandthiswasaverygoodwinforus,”saidCoachBrentBrown. TheLittleHawksarenow7-3overall.TheytakeonLinn-MarTuesdayatLinn-Mar.“Linn-Marisoneofthetopteamsandwillbeverytough.ButweareverycapableofbeatingthemandifwestayfocusedIthinkwewill,”saidHammes.Tipoffisat7:45p.m.

Kate Cilek

Varsity BasketballGirls break 3-game skid with home win

ThewrestlingtournamentinAnkenyscheduledforSaturdaywascancelledduetoweather.Butthewrestlersdidn’tgetthedayoff. TherewasaMatpactournamenthereatCityHigh.Ithostedkidsfromkinder-gartentogradeeight.Thekindergartnersthroughfourthgraderswrestledfrom9a.m.untilnoonontwelvematsinfourpersonround-robincompetitions,ac-cordingtotheirweights.Thefifththrougheighthgraderswrestledfromnoonuntilabout4:30p.m. CityHighwrestlerskeptscores,time,andrecordedthematches.Theyalsohandedoutmedalsandwallcharts.

AfightnearlybrokeoutaftertheboysbasketballgameTuesdaynight.Afterthebuzzersoundedtoendthegame,KevinSuchomel’97,chargedLinnMar’sseniorpointguardNateHansen.SuchomelwasrestrainedbytheCityHighcoachingstaffbeforehecouldgettoHansen. LinnMar’sgameplanwasclear:useHansentogetintoSuchomel’sheadandtakehimoutofthegamementally.TheplanworkedasHansenwasabletodrawfoulafterfoulwithaslysmileonhisfacethatseemedtoirritateSuchomelevenmore.TwoearlyfoulslimitedSuchomel’splayingtimeforthenightandhefouledoutinthefourthquarterwithonly4points.Linn-Marwonthegame60-48. Asthegameworeon,theCHSfanstooknoticeofLinn-Mar’sgameplanandwerenotveryappreciative.“Ithinkhe’s(Hansen)adirtyplayer,”TimHerzog’97,said.Othersweremoreoutspoken.“Han-sen’sacock,”ShawnKindhart’97,said.“I’mgonnakickhisass.” Thatwasthegeneralfeelingofthecrowdafterthegame.Manyfanswaitedfortheteamstocomeoutofthelockerroom,anticipatinganotheraltercation.Nothingmaterialized,bringingmorehypetothesecondmatchupbetweenthetwoteams,Feb.7atLinn-Mar. “Ican’twaittoplayattheirplace,”Suchomelsaid. Mike Gavin

Varsity BasketballBoys lose cool and game to Linn-Mar

WrestlingWeather problems bring high school and elementary wrestlers together

About350kidsparticipatedinthetournament,andabout200hadtobeturnedaway.“Itwaskindofsadbecausetheycouldn’twrestle,butwejustdidn’thavetheroom,”Goodnersaid. “Wealsohadtokeepthepeace,”AdamBorgstahl’99,said.Theyhadtokeepkidsoffthematwhoweren’twrestlingandhadtokeepthosewhowerewaitingsettleddown. ThewrestlingtournamentinAnkenyhasnotbeenrescheduled,andCityHighwrestlescrosstownrivalWestHighonThursday.

Kris Drager

PlyometricsOff-season conditioning at full speed

yougettotraveltotournamentswithafunteamandmeanwhileit’sagreatopportu-nitytogetyourhandsontheball.” MarthaKelch,’98,agreeswithDykstra,althoughshepracticessoccerinstead.“Indoor[soccer]isgoodformaintainingsoccerfundamentals,butitdoesn’treallygetmeintoshape,”saysKelch. Forthisreason,DianeHurley,formerVarsitygirlssoccercoachencouragesad-ditionalworkoutsthatgetyouintoshape.“Youcanreallylosealotslackingoffinthewinter,”saysHurley.“Ireallyrecom-mendweight-liftingtobuildstrength,butifsomeoneisjustgoingtoliftwhenever,they’renotgoingtoseethebenefits—youneedtogetaprogramandbeprettycon-sistent.” TheresultsareobviousatCityHigh.Butlersays,“We’llkeepworkinghard,andpickupanotherstatechampionshipnextyear.”

Bridget Donahue

ThesoundofbatscrackingandglovespoppingcouldbeheardThursdaynightatCHS.Thiswasthebaseballteamgettingreadyfortheupcomingseason. JeffLynch’97,wasoneoftheplayerswhogotsomehittinginlastnight.Lynchsaidthatthiswasthefirstchanceforplay-erstotakeadvantageofoptionalworkoutsatCHS.TheschoolwillbeopenedupforplayerstohitonThursdaysfrom5-7p.m.andonSundaymorningsfrom10-12.TherewillbeadditionalthrowingforpitchersandcatchersonSundays,accord-ingtoLynch. Thebaseballteamusesastorageshedattachedtotheoldgymforamakeshift

BaseballRule change brings earlier workouts

battingcage.Theshedcontainssomenet-tingthatisnormallyhungup,butduringhittingpracticethenettingisdroppedtoformthebattingcage,Lynchsaid. DuetoarulechangebytheIowaHighSchoolSportsAssociation,baseballplayerscannowworkoutwithcoachesduringtheoff-season.“Normallytheseasondoesn’tstartuntilApril,sothisisthefirstyearthatwe[baseballteam]havestartedinJanu-ary,”Lynchsaid. MikeGavin’97,whoalsoattendedtheworkout,said,“ThisisagreatopportunityforCityHighbaseballplayers.”

Jamie Rowat

Contrast the two coverage stories about basketball (both solid, with a focus on what was significant in each game result).

The wrestling story that will

never appear in the professional

press, but that tells readers much

more about the wrestling team

and the program than any match

story would.

If your coverage is going to be ongo-

ing, don’t forget that many sports today are played

or practiced year-round. Covering activities before

the major events is part of being a

proactive – rather than exclusively reactive – jour-

nalist. Coverage of spring and

summer sports preparation is

particularly effec-tive for a spring

delivery yearbook, which will not be

able to give the ac-tual game results any coverage due

to deadlines.