the torchOctober 7, 2011Design by Rachel Gilman

CONTENTS

ON THE COVER

Editorial04 Meet the torch staff07 Halloween tips with Spidy

08 Ten years later10 Remembering Ms. Lewis11 Especially for you celebrates 21 years

12 Meet the new foreign exchange students15 Concert world tour

16 Coming home again

23 Trending24 New faces take stage

25 Hunger games26 Head-on collision

28 Overcoming adversity29 Team bonding30 Quidditch takeover19 Caught red-handed

News

Profile

Photo

Arts & Entertainment

Health

Sports

Letters from the editors

I walked into The Torch room my freshmen year mostly due to a big shove from my older brother. He always told me how much I would love working for the paper, and although I didn’t fully believe him, he had never steered me wrong before. Because of him, I walked into the class of almost all upper classmen. I was intimidated and afraid of looking stupid. I knew math was my favorite subject. I never really liked to write.

Looking back, it’s funny to see just how things haved changed. The Torch this upcoming year will have an equal number of changes as well. First of all, the one and only Gary Lindsay has sadly stepped down as advisor and started his new chapter in retirement. Lindsay built this newspaper from the ground up, and as sad as I am to see him leave I am equally excited to work with our new advisor, Stacy Haynes-Moore. She, a former editor-in-chief of The Torch, too learned from the best and is as excited as Rachel and I to keep up the high reputation of this newspaper.

If you haven’t noticed yet, our paper looks completely different from past years. We have chosen to upgrade our paper type in order to give you a more aesthetically pleasing visual, giving you even more reason to just look at the pictures. We all truly hope you like the change and I’m not just saying that because it’s costing us all the money in our bank account.

I joined because of my brother, stayed because of Mr. Lindsay, and now continue because of my crazy obsession and love for The Torch and the wacky family that comes with it. I’m confident this will be a great year. Enjoy.

RILEY GALBRAITH

I have always been one to take comfort in tradition. I find a familiar routine to be strangely welcoming. Although I love the familiarity of a good tradition, I am also willing to take on change. How contradictory, no? But the thing is, change means progress. The world is continuously moving around us, and we have to be flexible enough to adapt and embrace the change.

I for one am receiving my fair share of change this year. For starters, it’s senior year (142 days left, seniors). This means the class of 2012 is entering adulthood and making adult decisions. Like for instance, what we plan on doing for the rest of our lives. Terrifying, right? Change can also be found in simplest of aspects such as the new regional manager of Dunder Mifflin in the television show, “The Office”. (I love you, Andy, but I do miss my “that’s what she said” jokes).

Perhaps one of the more glaringly obvious changes to occur can be seen in the colored glossy pages you are currently flipping through. The Torch is stepping up this year and venturing into the vast unknown of the newsmagazine. Along with our new print version of the Torch, you can now also keep up to date through our multiple web sources. (Follow us on Twitter @kennedytorch, I dare you). Last, but not least, I am welcoming the new face of Stacy Haynes-Moore. She has a legacy to follow, but she has already impressed me beyond means. And not to mention she already understands my perfectionist tendencies.

With all of this change surrounding us, I leave you with a bit of advice. Embrace change. Take it head on and see where it carries you. Change is inevitable and can lead to great things. It signifies progress. Look for ways to change up your life (Clearly my sense of rambling has yet to change). So in closing, bring it on 2011-2012 school year. I am ready for the change.

RACHEL GILMAN

Editorial

4

Jessica Rowan sr.Managing Editor

Staff Crush: Frankie (Annie) Feltes

Addictions:Hot teachers

Ben Feltes, sr.Writer/Photographer

Staff Crush: Rae Rae Gilman

How to commit murder?Avada Kadavra

Steph Mercer so.A and E Editor

Staff Crush: Norm’s beard... It has a mind of its own.

Guilty Pleasure......Brad Pitt

Ethan Divis so.Writer

Staff Crush: Jess Rowan

Addictions:Fantasy Football

Hanna Krivit s0.Health Editor

Staff Crush: Jess Rowan:)

Embarrasing Moment:My Life?

Zach Goodall jr.Writer

Staff Crush: Darcey

Favorite Dance Song:I don’t dance

Sarah Sickles sr. Photo Editor

Staff Crush: Riley!

Embarrasing Moment:I peed my pants in 2nd grade.

Isabel Neff so.writer

Staff Crush: Bailey<3

Body Deformity: Does super curly hair count?

Bailey Zaputil so.News Editor

Staff Crush: Katie<33333

Guilty Pleasure:Keeping Up with the Kardashi-ans

Amy Brause so.Profile editor

Staff Crush: Annie, Hanna, and Riley

Guilty Pleasure:Edamame

Norm Althoff so.Sports Editor

Staff Crush: Jess Rowan

Guilty Pleasure:Listening to Taylor Swift

MEET THETORCHSTAFF

PAGES BY Riley Galbraith & Rachel Gilman 5

Editorial

Spencer Grekoff jr.Ad Manager

Staff Crush: Allie Sindlinger

Weakness:Allie Sindlinger

Nick Appleget sr.Cartoonist

Staff Crush: Norm

Body Deformity:I’m part wolf.

Allie Sindlinger sr.Feature Editor

Staff Crush: Ethan Divis... LOLZ

Weakness:Sour Patch Kids

Stacy Haynes-MooreAdvisor

Pet Peve: Missed Deadlines

How to commit a murder:Carefully.

Katie Hefflefinger so.News Editor

Staff Crush: Bailey <3333

Weakness:Coffee!!

Annie Feltes so.Health Editor

Staff Crush: shhh...Riley <3

Pet Peve:Ben Feltes (brown hair)

Tara Mittleburg jr.Online Editor

Staff Crush: Darcey;)

Guilty Pleasure:fmylife.com

Mohammad Cheetany jr.Sports Editor

Staff Crush: Ben Feltes

Addictions:Madden

Darcey Altschwager jr.Online Editor

Staff Crush: Zach<3

Favorite Dance Song:Anything gospel. I love me some Jesus

Sam Nordstrom jr.Ad Manager

Staff Crush: Annite Feltes

Pet Peve:Stupid People

Jordan Micah Lunsford so.Writer

Staff Crush: Dj Rachy Rach (lovers)

How to commit murder?The question is how, do I com-mit murders?

MEET THETORCHSTAFF

Photos by Sarah Sickles

Editorial

PAGE BY Rachel Gilman 6

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PAGE BY Spencer Grekoff 7

8

After only two years of teaching Chemistry and Foundations of Science at Kennedy, Jennifer Lewis made a lasting impression on her students and co-workers.

Lewis was camping with family members last May 29 when a storm blew through her campsite, knocking a tree on top of her tent. As the tragedy of her death is still on the minds of many, students and teachers recall memories they have of the teacher who inspired them.

Lewis is remembered by student, Sarah Freeze, jr., as a caring and energetic person. In the classroom Freeze appreciated her teaching style and attitude toward the class. “She was very enthusiastic about chemistry. You could really tell that she enjoyed it,” Freeze said. Often Freeze would arrive before school to get some extra guidance with chemistry. “She was always willing to help. Always,” Freeze said.

On a typical class day, Lewis would greet her students with a warm and inviting smile. She always asked students how their

day was going.“The stories. That’s my best memory of her class. It was always

fun and never boring,” Freeze said. One story that Freeze remembers Lewis telling her class as they were discussing carbon was that Lewis had found a company that turned people’s ashes into diamonds after they died. Lewis thought it would be cool to carry around a loved one after they pass away.

Jennifer Brown, chemistry and Foundations of Science teacher, shared a close friendship with Lewis inside and outside of the classroom. Lewis shared a classroom with Brown her first year teaching at Kennedy. Brown loved Lewis’ sense of humor and the bubbly personality that she brought into the classroom.

“One day they listened to ‘The Elements Song’ by Tom Lehrer and all had glow sticks. So they all danced around the room with their glow sticks. All the students thought it was geeky but she was so excited about it,” Brown said. Inside the classroom, Brown and Lewis would share stories and advice on how they could

Teacher. Ms. Lewis, photo provided by Jennifer Brown.

“The stories. That’s my

best memory of her class. It was always

fun and never

boring.”

Remembering Ms. LewisTeacher. Photo of Ms. Lewis provided by Jennifer Brown.

News

PAGES BY Katie Hefflefinger and Bailey zaputil 9

Especially For You celebrated their 21st annual race against breast cancer.

The event took place on Oct. 2, at 7:45A.M. It started at the Mercy Medical Center, and wrapped around the streets of Cedar Rapids. In this large event, participants could choose one of three paths. There were the options of a 5k run, 5k walk, and a one-mile walk. The charge to participate was $25 to $35, and all the proceeds went to the community to help those in need.

“Insurance just doesn’t cut it anymore,” Leslie Vecicka, cancer survivor, said. The walk is targeted towards those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and also to raise awareness of the disease. They aim to cut back patient’s hospital bills and make things that may not have been an option before a nice opportunity. They feel that important appointments, screenings, exams, and so on should not be postponed because of ones ability to pay.

“It’s amazing when people come to us saying now they know they are protected and how thankful they are,” Rebecca Jacobs, Especially For You chairman, said.

Especially For You is a local event that enhances awareness on breast cancer. Survivors of the disease were given pink scarfs to show that they won the battle and were recognized for their hard times.

“Cancer makes you appreciate things more. You realize things could always be worse,” Vecicka said.

The organization started with a victim of breast cancer named Sandy Knight. Knight wanted to be able to help everyone with the same condition as her, because she knew what they were going through. With that, Jacobs, added that noticing these tragedies in your life sooner, rather than later is very important along with knowing your family history.

STEPH MERCER

Especially for you celebrates 21 years

improve their teaching. “She knew how to have fun but she was also very business-like in class,” Brown said.

Outside of the classroom, Lewis shared a close relationship with her family. She was very proud of her younger sister, Gretchen, and shared stories about her with Brown. Lewis respected her parents, Jim and Cathy, and looked to them for any advice. In her free time Lewis liked to be outdoors, hang out with her family, or go see live bands with Brown.

Kris Hellweg, biology teacher, worked with Lewis for the two years that she was at Kennedy. Hellweg describes Lewis as energetic, fun, and passionate about chemistry and about working with her students.

“She would do whatever she had to do to get a concept across,”

Hellweg said. Lewis also shared with Hellweg how much she enjoyed being at Kennedy. She was also a sponsor of the Class of 2014.

In honor of Lewis’s memory, Hellweg is currently coordinating a memorial to be built near the north parking lot. Her plan is to build a bench where students and family can sit and remember Lewis.

Lewis contributed a great amount of her time and energy to Kennedy for the two years that she was here. Her impact on students and teachers will last forever in the minds of those whom she was close to. “I miss her. Every day,” Brown said.

Darcey Altschwager

Photo provided by Michelle Cole.

News

09.11 graphic by rachel gilman

news

PAGES BY Katie Hefflefinger and Bailey zaputil 1109.11

A decade has passed since the violent terrorist attacks orchestrated by the Islamic extremist group, Al-Queda. Today, now grown up from kindergarden and elementary years, Kennedy students reflect on how 9/11 changed America and their lives.

Jason Blum, soph., lived on Long Island when the attacks happened, talks about his feelings on the 10-year decade.“I think that it’s good that we have been basically been able to move on and continue with our lives since the incident

was so tragic,” Blum said. He was five years old on 9/11, and said that all he remembers was his dad and mom taking him into a room and watching the TV as the buildings fell down. They explained what happened. Blum said he can’t remem-ber his parents’ reactions, but that he thinks they were calm.

Audrey Brock, fr., talks about how 9/11 affected the perspective of Islamic people and how that affected her friend-ships.

“There was a time at which a friend of mine who liked a guy who was Muslim,” Brock said, “and we had a friend who was very adamant that they shouldn’t be dating, and no one was talking to her because she’s so mean about that stuff, and I think the biggest impact on me was the racial ties.”

Brock was three when the towers fell, She remembers her dad rushed into the living room and turned to FOX News and she saw the first footage of the towers going down.

On what the date means to her, Brock said, “To me, it [the date] means the end of the American ideal: rich, fearless, and untouchable. This is when we realized that we couldn’t always be better than everyone at everything. We can be hurt.”

On how 9/11 affected America, Blum said,“It made a pretty big anti-terrorist movement, and it made us back up our security to prevent that from happening again and it pretty much started a war.”

Blum and Brock differed on their views on the recent death of the Osama Bin Laden, the man who was in charge of the violent attacks. U.S. forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan killed Osama Bin Laden on May 1, 2011. After a 10 year battle the man responsible for beginning and funding the terrorist group Al-Qaeda had been put to justice.  

“I think that it has solved a problem that’s been going on a long time, and it’s a good thing now that our troops can come home,” Blum said.

Brock said, however, “I don’t really feel that much changed, I mean, there’s still terrorism and I don’t think that his fol-lowers will be deterred by his death, and I feel that 9/11 was a tragedy that can’t be made up by Bin Laden’s death.”

Almost 3,000 people died on 9/11, when Al-Qaeda boarded four United States planes, two of which were crashed into the World Trade Center Twin Towers; one was crashed into the Pentagon in Virginia, and the fourth, United Airlines Flight 93 was crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after the passengers heroically overtook the plane from terrorists as they tried to fly it into the White House.

ten years later.

BY KATIE HEFFLEFINGER AND BAILEY ZAPUTIL

Austin Isaacs, fr. Nate Ford, so. Megan Christensen, jr. Brittany Harris, sr.

more students on 9/11

a look back

“I think of it as an impor-tant reminder that we have our enimies and need to be always on our toes.”

“It is a day to stop and realize all the people that died and how lucky we are to be here”

“If I had been on time to fly [On 9/11], I might not be here today...I am every day thankful.”

“It’s affected how I look at terrorism and how one attack can change the way airports run security.”

graphic by rachel gilman

profile

12

MEET THE NEW FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENTS

Keitaro Mori (Japan)A passion for sports shaped Keitaro Mori’s, jr., plans for the upcoming school year. He plans on playing basket-ball this winter and tennis or soccer in the spring. Mori’s favorite class is PE because he enjoys physical activity. Since arriving in America, Mori has tried several new foods such as Skittles, but he misses Japanese sushi. However, he is excited about American pop culture. Mori enjoys listening to the Black Eyed Peas and watching the film 17 Again. Mori hopes to have a unique academic experience. “I want to make progress and I want to teach Japanese culture,” he says.

Setsuna Yokota (Japan)Setsuna Yokota, jr., is most surprised by American food. “Everything is bigger than Japan,” she said, “when I ordered size small, it was very big!” Since her arrival, Yokota has tried many new candies and watched Twilight. She also plans on playing basketball this winter. She said she does not miss her life in Japan. Yokota’s favorite part about studying abroad has been meeting new people. She hopes to become more independent and gain a broader view on people. “America has lots of different types of people…I want to understand the way they are thinking,” she says.

Stories by Tara MittelbergPhotos by Katie Hefflefinger

profile

PAGES BY Amy Brause 13

Anika Filipiak, jr., says American students and teachers are amazing. “The people are amazing,” she said. “I like the teachers. They are so nice and they help you and they’re respectful. They watch out for you.” Filipiak’s favorite class is photography. She also likes to play volleyball and try American restau-rants. Although she misses her friends in Germany, Filipiak hopes her experience in America will give her the opportunity to gain more confidence and meet people with unique mentalities.

Anika Filipiak (Germany)

Margrethe Heggeheim (Norway)Margrethe Heggheim’s, jr., likes Kennedy’s sense of spirit and pride. “The schools are awesome here because the schools in Nor-way are very lame. We don’t have pep assemblies or school sports,” Heggheim said. She is a member of Key Club and is planning on playing tennis this spring. Heg-gheim said the biggest differences between the United States and Finland are America’s unhealthy food options and extreme weather. She misses her family and Norwegian chocolate.

Mandy Choi’s, jr., favorite aspect of her experience has been being dismissed from school at 2:45. “We finish earlier here,” Choi said. “We fin-ish at 10:00 p.m. in Korea.” She partici-pates in Japanese club and hopes to take an art class this winter. Choi’s favorite artist is Lady Antebellum and, since coming to Ameri-ca, she has enjoyed the film 17 Again.

Yujin “Mandy” Choi (Korea)

Emmi Hamalainen, jr., likes Kenne-dy’s school spirit and activities. She enjoys playing volleyball and taking pictures for Kennedy’s yearbook, the Profile. The most difficult aspect has been starting over and creating a new life in a foreign culture. Howev-er, she looks forward to a memorable year. “This is a once in a lifetime experience,” Hamamlainen says. “We have such a different school system so I would like to experience Ameri-can high school.”

Emmi Hamalainen (Finland)

profile

14

Elena Ji, sr., has many interests she hopes to pursue while studying in the United States. She is in Guitar Club and hopes to join speech team and become involved in Kennedy’s drama department. She also enjoys playing badminton and Frisbee. Her favorite movies are Eat, Pray, Love and Incep-tion. She also likes pop music, espe-cially Eminem. So far, Ji has enjoyed her classes and spending time with her host family. “I like my host family,” she said. “They are friendly and very nice.”

Elena Ji (China)

Paula Delgado (Equador)Paula Delgado, jr., has enjoyed getting to know American stu-dents but explains it can be hard adapting to a new lifestyle and school environment. “In my high school the classes are with the same people all the time,” she said. In Ecuador, teachers, not students, move between classrooms. Delgado’s favorite Kennedy class is drawing because she enjoys art.

Elise Makela, jr., misses her family, friends, and the familiarity of Finland, but she is enjoying meeting American high school students. “Everyone is so nice and will come talk to you,” Makela said. “It’s like one big family.” However, she was surprised by the style of American conversations. “[In Finland] we don’t do small talk. You are a lot more polite than we are in Finland,” she said. Makela’s fa-vorite band is The Killers and she likes the show Desperate Housewives. She plans on joining Cultural Diversity Club.

Elise Makela (Finland)

Chaya Sritongkim, so., describes Americans as “friendly people.” Sritongkim liked American pop culture before coming to the United States. Her favorite song is Because You Love Me by Celine Dion and she likes the Harry Potter films. Since her arrival she has enjoyed biology class and meeting new people. She is interested in joining choir.

Chaya Sritongkim (Thailand)

Profile

PAGES BY Amy Brause 15

Concert world tour

While most students were swimming in the pool and

relaxing at home, Kennedy’s Rob-ert Burton, jr., spent the summer touring Europe with the Blue Lake International Youth Symphony Or-chestra. “I’ve never been to Europe outside of this group, so it definite-ly changed my life,” Burton said.

The Blue Lake International Youth Symphony Orchestra, BLI-YSO, selected 245 high school stu-dents to perform with their choir and orchestra. Burton was one of their cello players. He has been playing cello since he was in fifth grade. “I was just put in the class,” Burton said. “I was very happy I was put as a cello.”

Burton found out about the trip through his private music teacher, Amy Phelps. John Hall, Kennedy Orchestra director, also recom-mended him for the trip. They helped Burton record and send the audition video. The audition had

certain requirements. “You played songs they chose for you and one of your own choice,” Burton said.

Although he was the only student from Kennedy, a student from Iowa City, Gabriela Nilsy, went with him.

BLYISO met in Michigan before they started touring. They traveled through a large variety of towns throughout Germany, Belgium, and France. “We played in a multitude of cathedrals, which all had their unique beauty,” Burton said.

The symphony consisted of play-ers ranging from 13 to 18 years old. However, Burton says there is no age limit to when you can start playing. “If you can pick up an instrument and play it, you should be good to go.”

His favorite parts of the experience were the free time. He also enjoyed meeting everyone in the group. “All of the people were amazing and ev-eryone was incredibly friendly,” he said. “You made friends very easily on the trip, since you were together basically for two months.”

His favorite performance was play-ing in Grenoble, France. They played in a church and learned about French culture. “Everyone was playing mu-sic and was just in the moment,” Burton said.This trip changed his feelings to-wards orchestra. He now sees play-ing music as something he could pursue as a career. “I want to do it for the rest of my life.”

For those looking to be a part of one of these experiences, Burton has some advice. “Take the initiative, take the opportunities that you’re given! That’s what gets you good op-portunities like touring Europe do-ing something you love.”

Isabel Neff

Photos provided by Robert Burton

Robert Burton, jr., playing his celloPhoto by Cathy Thompson

Photos and page by Sarah Sickles

Left Page: Ali Ajango, sr. , and Arjun Venkatesh, sr.Top Left: Shane Neilson, sr.Top Right: CougarBottom: Kelsey Murphy, so.

Far Right: Tyler Kalina, sr., and Brigham Stewart, sr. Photo by Rachel GilmanRight: Haley Corkery, sr. Photo by Sarah SicklesBottom Right: Mariah Simmons, sr. Photo by Rachel Gliman

Josh Jahlas, sr., and Logan Letellier, sr. Photo by Sarah Sickles

CAUGHTRED-HANDED

graphic by Rachel Gilman

20

Gage Cooper found out the hard way how the Kennedy High School disciplinary procedure works. Last year Cooper, then

a junior with every expectation of graduating from Kennedy, was caught with marijuana in his car and arrested twice for underage drinking. “It was mostly just being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Cooper said.

Cooper’s possession of marijuana occurred when the Cedar Rapids Police K-9 Unit found it in his car. He was also arrested twice for underage drinking, once in Iowa City where he was charged with a PAULA (Possessing Alcohol Under Legal Age), and the second time when he was drinking at Palo with friends. He was caught and arrested by the police.

He feels these problems affected his schooling. He thinks his teachers prejudged him and considered him a troubled student. He felt discouraged from taking part in extra curricular activi-ties such as football and swimming that he had enjoyed as an

underclassman. He would have to sit out a full season due to his multiple infractions. “The student body definitely viewed me differently, even though they all were doing the same things, and just hadn’t been caught yet. They all labeled me after that,” Cooper said. He got so discouraged that he finally dropped out of school.

The school’s punishment resulted in Cooper missing his finals. “Once the ball started rolling, it completely discouraged me in every way possible to get back to where I was before,” Cooper said. While he agrees that he was treated fairly by Kennedy, he believes that punishment should be other than being suspended and missing activities. These would have bettered him as a student he says. He feels everyone expected him to continue to misbehave, and that he was already labeled after being caught the first time. “With all the consequences piled on top of each other, the whole school buzz was killed all together,” Cooper

Paying the PriceTorch investigates boundaries of policy

Photo by Rachel Gilman

feature

PAGE BY Allie Sindlinger 21

said. Ironically, the police were more tolerant of his mistakes than the Kennedy school rules.

Kennedy’s disciplinary process is a district policy. It clearly explains the consequences of inappropriate or illegal behavior. Consequences of first offenses, second offenses, and third of-fenses are clear. District policies are formed by the Activities Council composed of principals and athletic directors.

While there are some wiggle words in the policies, such as ‘up to’ or ‘this may oc-cur’, all three city high schools follow the policy. There typically aren’t exceptions to these policies, but Dr. Mary Wilcynski and Activities Director Aaron Stecker discuss individual cases to make certain they are in agreement as to how the policies are to be applied to each student. “We try to look at every situation, case by case, and look over all circumstances. There isn’t much wiggle room but we make sure to listen to their side of the story,” Stecker said. There is an appeal process if students or their parents do not agree with the final decisions that are reached, but rarely are formal appeals taken from a school’s disciplinary decision.

Students speculate about the “mere presence rule”. Many students are unclear of its particulars. “We don’t have a ‘mere presence rule’ at Kennedy. If police show up at a party where you are, and underage drinking is going on, I strongly urge you to ask the police to do a breathalyzer test on you, so that you’re totally clear. Then there is clear evidence that you were not participating. So if you’re merely present, and not involved

with alcohol consumption, you will not get into trouble with the school,” Wilcynski said.

Pictures, whether from Facebook or sent anonymously to administration, can be of concern for students. The current administration at Kennedy chooses not to get their informa-tion from these sources. “We’re not out there trying to get kids

in trouble; we’re trying to help kids stay safe. We’re trying to help kids make good decisions,” Wilcynski said.

Cedar Rapids police have a different standard. The police’s criminal standard is higher so there are instances in which the police may not press charges, but the school still takes disciplinary action. The police’s standard is “beyond a reasonable doubt” while the school’s is by a “preponderance of the evidence”.

The Iowa State Legislature recently added into the state code a provision requiring law enforcement agencies to report the arrests of any students to

their high school, with a letter sent to the superintendent, and is then forwarded to the student’s school.

Gage paid a very heavy price for his actions. He wasn’t able to finish his finals. As a result, he ended up dropping out of school. He is the exception, rather than the rule, however, as many students who leave school under similar circumstances never get a high school degree or its equivalent, or have lifelong problems getting employment. He now has a good job and is working towards his GED. “I’m now doing better than ever,” Cooper said.

ALLIE SINDLINGER

“Once the ball started rolling, it completely

discouraged me in every way possible to

get back to where I was before.”

To Party or Not to Party

01

02

03

Kennedy’s position is if you are at a party and clearly not involved in drinking, you will not get into trouble with the school

Facebook pictures and anonymously sent pictures to the school are not used by the administration

Administration’s objective is to keep students safe and help them make good decisions

PAGE BY Steph Mercer 22

TRENDING

The albums keeps to a pretty simple balance between the up-tempo rock and the slower and rather calm musical styles of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The album overall captures the Red Hot Chili Peppers as they are and have continued to be since 1984. The balance in the album allows for a good listen for any alternative fan and fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Genre: Alternative Rock Rating:

Mohammad Cheetany

In comparison to Lil Wayne’s album Tha Carter III, Tha Carter IV lacked a lot of what made the third installment of his album series such highly renowned album. Lil Wayne brought something much greater than his past two previous albums. Lyrically, It is still the same as any of his other work but with this new album but he presents a new style that shows a more experimental side, which allows for the album to be inconsistent at times.

Genre: Rap/Hip-Hop Rating:

Photos provided by Wiki Commons

Lil Wayne: Tha Carter IV

Kanye West & Jay-Z:Watch The Throne

Red Hot Chilli Peppers: I’m With You

The album featured two of the biggest names in hip-hop Kanye West and Jay-Z. The limitation lyrically for both West and Jay-Z seemed to be the weakest point on the album. The album featured large artists, which helped the album break-up the domination. On August 9th the album was released and sold over 450,000 copies in its first week.

Overall, the album was a rather fun album that used the instrumentals and sampling to their advantage, lacked lyrically and showed a rather questionable chemistry between Kanye West and Jay-Z when it comes to creating an album together. The album is a definite listen for any hip-hop fan and a good listen for fans of pop.

Genre: Hip-Hop Rating:

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE BY STEPH MERCER 23

The gap Mr. Yuska left for the drama department was filled by two new rising stars. Nick Hayes and Melissa Osborn have agreed to step up to the job

as head Director and head Speech Coach. “Drama is the opportunity to take on a new persona and

to showcase your talents while in that persona,” Hayes, the new director, said.

Hayes moved here from Springville, IA, where he taught for three years. He currently teaches Chemistry and Foun-dations of Science- Matter.

He has been doing theatre since he was a kid, acting and doing tech theatre for the community. “Directing is new, but I’m excited,” Hayes said. “The talent [here] is amazing.”

This year Kennedy will have four main productions: a fall musical, playtime poppy, a winter play, and a spring musical.

The fall musical is Suessical the Musical. It’s a fun and family friendly show. This year’s Playtime Poppy is the Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Auditions will take place later this month.

The winter play is going to be Harvey. “Harvey is a funny show with a serious message,” Hayes said. “It provides a lot of different acting opportunities.”

Fame was chosen as this year’s spring musical. “I chose Fame for the spectacle of it all,” Hayes said. “I was inspired by the fall pep assembly and how everyone came down to the gym floor to sing.”

Bailey Steinke, jr., is excited for the new directors. “I love their personalities and the way they direct,” Steinke said. Steinke is the President of the Drama Club this year. “Mr. Yuska’s plays were more dramatic and adult but the plays Mr. Hayes chose are fun and funny.”

“[Coaching Speech at Kennedy] is a great opportunity as Kennedy has gained a strong reputation under the direc-tion of Mr. Yuska,” Osborn said. “I want to keep up that tradition.”

Osborn has spent the last eight years teaching social studies and coaching speech at Villisca High School. She has also been an active speech judge for the past 13 years.

This year Osborn is also introducing an all-freshman speech team for both large group and individual speech. “It helps with getting more young people started in speech,” Osborn said.

The freshman team will compete against all other speech teams in the state including the varsity Kennedy team. “When you make it to All-State with the 9th listed behind it is quite an accomplishment,” Osborn said.

She describes speech as a wide array of public speaking activities and has something for those who like comedy or drama, to be in front of a live audience or behind a micro-phone.

Isabell Neff

Photo by Annie Feltes

Photo by Annie Feltes

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Health

PAGE BY Annie Feltes and hanna krivit 25

protein

vegetables

fruitsgrains

dairy

Hunger GamesThe Torch brakes down the new and improved food pyramid.

Switch to low-fat or fat free dairy. Make sure your

plate is half full of fruits and/or vegetables.

You should have between 2 and 3.5 cups of fruit and/or vegetables.

Make at least half your grains whole grains. Boys should have 7 servings and Girls should have 6 servings per day.

Between 10 percent and 15 percent of your total calories per day should be from protein.

Graphic by Rachel Gilman

Graphic by Rachel Gilman

health

PAGES BY Annie Feltes and hanna krivit 27

 A.J. Losch so. was playing football when he got kneed in the head, he suffered a concussion. It was one of three concus-sions Losch received, all from football and had to sit out an entire year from all contact sports because of it. “(I thought) I received physic powers,” Losch said. “It’s kind of weird cause my dad also had three concussions.”Losch’s concussion is on of an estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million sports and recreation-related concussions that oc-cur in the United States each year. High schools across America are cracking down and making tougher polices to help ath-letes.

If trainers think that athletes have a concussion in football, then the player has to take a concussion test. This involves a lot of memory tests before athletes can get back on the field. Trainers do this as a precautionary test so athletes don’t in-jure themselves further. Activities Direc-tor, Aaron Stecker, “If an athlete suffers a concussion, they can not return to action until they are cleared by either their family doctor or our school trainer.”

  Athletes can be diagnosed with Post-Concussion Syndrome. This can mean decreased processing speed, short-term

Taking a Stand on ConcussionsNew concussion test creates safer playing guidelines

Concussion check:

• Headache• feelingpressureof

thehead• Temporarylossof

Consciousness• Confusion• Feelingasifinafog• Amnesia• Dizziness• Ringinginears• Nausea• Vomiting• SlurredSpeech

memory impairment, concentration defi-cit, depression or irritability, sleep loss and academic difficulties. That’s why train-ers are making sure athletes are nursed back to 100 percent health before they can officially play.

Not all concussions occur in football. In

July 2010, Ben Sass soph. was pitching in the 14 and under USSSA Iowa State Tour-nament. A line drive came right back at him and he didn’t have time to react. The ball struck him in the face breaking his nose in two places and giving him a con-cussion. “The last thing I remember is the ball bouncing in front of me and waking up with a bloody nose,” Sass said. “I had headaches for the next couple days. I had to wear a mask to protect my face the next year.”

How do athletes know if they have a concussion? The common symptoms of a concussion are headache or feeling of pressure of the head, temporary loss of consciousness  (athletes don’t have to lose consciousness to get a concussion), confu-sion or feeling as if in a fog, amnesia, diz-ziness or “seeing stars,” ringing in ears, nausea or vomiting, and slurred speech.

Concussions are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury in people aged 15 to 24 years old. According Pediatrics for Parents, Concussions may cause brain-swelling and even sudden death.

 Ethan Divis

Ben Sass so.A.J. Losch so.

Sports

28

Facing Adversity

Team chemistry is vital for sports. Being close with your teammates

and having their back is key to a winning team. Last summer the Kennedy baseball team had their teammate’s back when he needed them most. Toward the end of the season, player Devon Jacobus’ grandma, Kathy Rios, passed away suddenly. She had been to every game. His teammates picked him up.

Jacobus’ grandma had a big impact on him, giving lessons about life and how to be a good person. Losing her was hard. With the state tournament a few days away, the timing of her passing wasn’t easy. “It was very hard to just know she wasn’t going to be there no matter what I did, but one way or another I knew she would ‘be there’ to watch the team. It definitely affected the way I prepared for the [state tournament) game...But it didn’t affect the way I played the game on the field. Because I know that’s what she wanted me to do,” Jacobus said. His grandma also had an impact on

the team. “When getting ready to bat I would notice several fans attending our games. I know she was a dedicated fan who loved the game of baseball,” Logan Ambrosy, sr., said.

Quickly finding out of Jacobus’ grandma’s passing via Twitter and Facebook, his teammates and others came to his side. Ambrosy, in particular, showed his support by helping the entire Jacobus family. “I sent a text message to Devon’s mom,

Shelley, telling her how sorry I was and what a great family they were. My family took a meal over the Jacobus’ house.” The support Logan and the team showed for Devon did not go unnoticed. “Everybody including my teammates were very supportive with everything...I will never forget the number-192 people sent me a text sending their prayers. And it all really meant the world to me.”

The number of people that reached out to Devon brought the team closer

together. “We were extremely close before, and even though I didn’t think it could happen, we got even closer. They are and always will be family, that’s just how we do things. I would take a bullet for every single one of them without hesitating,” Jacobus said. It made the healing process better. Coach Bret Hoyer added that Devon handled the whole situation well.

The team advanced to state and eventually lost a heart breaker, 2-1, against Fort Dodge, but the loss couldn’t come close to breaking the team’s bond. “On that bus ride home, I don’t know if I have ever laughed so much in my life. They are just great teammates and even better people,” Jacobus said. This season starts a new chapter for baseball in Devon’s life, this time with his grandma looking down on him instead of being in the stands. Like Devon says, “Life has its ups and downs. Do everything like it is the last time you will do it, and just treat everything like it’s your last time. Tears will always be shed, but smiles will never go away.”

Nathan Althoff

Reflecting. Devon Jacobus, sr., looks into the distance on the baseball field. Photo by Ben Feltes

“They [the team] are and always will be

family, that’s just how we do things.”

-Sr., Devon Jacobus

sports

PAGES BY Nathan Althoff 29

“We have team din-ners and Jensen always jokes around with us. Be-fore meets we have a spike circle talk where we put our feet in a circle and get ready to run.” Megan Terukina, sr.

BONDINGFall sports teams share how they come together as one

Swimming Football

Women’s Cross Country Men’s Golf

Dance

Information gathered by Ben Feltes and Nick Appleget

Men’s Cross Country

Cheerleading

Volleyball

Chowing down. Members of the football team eat during team meal.Photo by Mo Cheetany

Cougar Relay. Members of the swim team cheer during a meet.

Photo by Sarah

“We usually run and talk and give each other a hard time. Sometimes when were running we will saran wrap cars and run away. We have team dinners and breakfasts.” Trevor Oats, sr.

“Before football games we all get together and get ready and then after the game we all go to one of our houses and have a sleepover. Every Thursday night we get together and make the big football poster.” Cassidy McDowell, sr.

“We have a team trip to Minnesota and we have a time when we kidnap the freshman and we go to their house and wake them up at 12 and make them do whatever we want. But for the most part we get along well.” Jordan Muir, sr.

“We don’t do anything too bad, sometimes in the showers we throw ice buckets at people and then we get soap and make a slip’n slide. After Thursday practices we have a team dinner and then usually after that we all hangout with each other.” Logan LeTellier, sr.

“We get along real well, sometimes we give each other a hard time. We have team meals before meets and we go swim-ming.” Cody Bell, sr.

“When the sophomores are practicing, we deflate the balls and we go into they gym and hit them with the balls. We have quiet time before our games then we dance in the locker room and go out.” Allie Hutcheson, sr.

“Well sometimes at practice be-fore our coach gets there, we hide from her. We have team car washes.” Krista Anderson, sr.

sports

30

Quidditch takeoverThe snitch is released. On the count

of three, fourteen Quidditch players mount their brooms and get ready to snatch the Quaffle and Bludgers. Kennedy’s newest club takes the fantasy world of J.K Row-ling’s Harry Potter series, and makes the game of Quidditch fly to life.

Quidditch is a game like no oth-er. Teams consist of three chasers, two bludgers, one keeper, and one seeker. The game is unique compared to most sports because players must mount a broom and keep it between their legs at all times, or else it results in a penalty. The main objec-tive is for the chasers to throw the Quaffle through the hoops to gain 10 points, striv-ing for a total of 150 points for the win. The game can also be won by the seeker, who catches the golden snitch for the win.

President of Quidditch Club Ben Feltes, sr., started this new trend at Ken-

nedy last summer after his sister, Mckenna, graduate of 2010, came home from college and had Iowa’s Quidditch Cup. “It started in the summer as me and my friends play-ing, and then when school started we want-ed to continue playing, so we decided we should make it into a club.” Feltes said.

The club meets on every Thursday of the week and games are decided by the amount of people who are able to attend.

After some heavy recruiting, there are now four teams, all named after the differ-ent Houses in Harry Potter; teams Gryf-findor, Ravenclaw, Huffelpuff, Slytherin. Gryffindor is lead by Hunter Corkery, sr., and Michael Ongie, sr. Ravenclaw is led by Sarah Sickles, sr. Hufflepuff is lead by Feltes, and Slytherin is lead by Mohammad Cheetany, jr.

“This game needs to be played by all, because we have to honor the great wizard

himself who destroyed Lord Voldemort and his evil compulsions.” Corkery said.

Besides playing each other, matches have been set up with Xavier’s Quidditch team, sparking the newest rivalry over which school owns 42nd Street.

Outside of high school, many colleg-es, including Iowa, have quidditch teams. The fifth annual Quidditch World Cup will be played in New York this year, featur-ing 100 teams all battling for the coveted Quidditch world cup.

Though it isn’t always about who wins, it’s more about showing support for a great sport. “The overall point of the game is to show people that they should never give up childhood dreams, such as being a wizard. I mean, look at us, we are wiz-ards and we’re kind of a big deal,” Corkery said.

Spencer Grekoff

Wizardry flies into Kennedy lives

Photos by Sarah Sickles

Scoop. Tommy Kaiser, Jr. scoops up the Quaffle as Alex Fischer, Jr. prepares to hit him with the bludger to take control of the Quaffle.

Blocked. Tommy Kaiser, Jr. gets the Quaffle blocked by the oppos-

sports

PAGES BY Mohammad Cheetany 31

The main ball used to score by the chasers. The chasers main objective is to throw the Quaffle through the hoop of the other team. Each time you throw the Quaffle through the hoop of the opposing team you’re granted with 10 points. The Quaffle can only be handled by the chasers and the goalkeeper who tries to keep the Quaffle out of the hoop. There are 3 chasers per team and one keeper per team.

The snitch is a person, who has a ball in a sock tied behind them who is free to roam cam-pus. The seekers main objec-tive is to catch the snitch. Once the snitch is caught, the game is over and the win goes to the seekers team who caught the snitch. The snitch is not re-leased until halfway through the game, and is allowed to run throughout the campus and defend itself. There is one seeker per team.

The broom is used at all times by all players on the field. One hand must be on the broom at all times and between the persons legs, or else a pen-alty issued. If the broom is dropped or broken, a penalty will be will be issued against whoever broom was the cause of the penalty. Brooms can be all lengths and colors and are usually decorated by the person using them.

The main ball used by the beat-ers. The beaters main objective is to hit the person with the Quaffle with the Bludger. If the beater hits one of the chasers who have the Quaffle, the chas-er must drop the ball and run back to their side of the field. The bludger may also be used to hit the person with the other Bludger, to get both Bludgers one team. There are 2 beaters per team.

Quaffle

Photos by Sarah SicklesCharge. Hunter Corkery, Sr. Chaser charges the field on his broom with the Quaffle in hand. while Jordan Holzer, Sr. defends Corkery as he looks to score. Quidditch is played on the Kennedy soccer field.

Bludger BroomSnitch

Photos by Jessica Rowan

John F. Kennedy High School4545 Wenig Rd. NE

Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

“The torch has been passed to a new generation.” - John F. Kennedy Volume 45, Issue 1www.twitter.com/KennedyTorch www.facebook.com/KennedyTorch kennedytorchmedia@gmail.com