Oct. 2014 Edition - Linn-Mar Community School District

LIFE
Renovation project to modernize school environment, classrooms
By Neel Yadav
Linn-Mar High School began a
renovation project beginning in August
of 2014 that will be completed in two
years minimum, if all goes according
to schedule. The renovations will
update older classrooms to provide a
better and more modernized learning
environment for students. The project
is broken up into two different phases.
Phase I is already underway in the
upper level of the south-east corner of
the building. A few science classrooms
in this area have construction underway
and are planned to be completed by late
October, 2014. Phase II is a longer and
bigger update to the building starting
in January of 2015. The north wing of
the school where many English classes
are located, will be leveled and rebuilt.
This is scheduled to take place during
fourth quarter and is planned to be
completed by August of 2016.
Currently, Phase I of renovation
is going on in a few rooms, which
has forced teachers to re-locate their
classes to other classrooms. Some
teachers have to share classrooms with
others until construction is complete.
“My homeroom is filled with three
classes of almost 60 kids and there
aren’t enough seats and it’s annoying,”
said Junior Kiara Miller.
The good news is that the current
construction will last just over two
months and classes will return to their
newly refurbished rooms by November
1t, according to Principal Dr. Jeff
Gustason. This section of the school
has gone through a similar renovation
within the last decade on other science
classrooms and the current renovation
will update the remaining rooms to a
similar level of functionality.
“We’re not making more space,
we’re just re-orienting the room,” said
a construction worker who was fixing
up one of the science classrooms.
Although more space won’t be
created in the classrooms in Phase I
of reconstruction, in phase II there
are plans to accommodate for more
space in corridors and other areas to
compensate for the increase in the
student population.
Phase II is a much bigger project
focusing on the north wing of the high
school where many English classrooms
reside. The budget for Phase II has
been decided at $30 million and the
design should be approved by the
board by January of 2015, according to
Dr. Gustason. Around fourth quarter,
twelve classrooms in the north wing of
the building will be vacated and will
then be leveled starting in the summer
of 2015. This construction project will
be at least a year long and is hopefully
expected to be completed by August
2016. In the meantime, classrooms
will be re-located to other sections of
the school and some may be moved to
other facilities within the school district
such as the Compass Alternative
Center down the street. After Phase II
construction is completed, there will be
only two entrances to the school, one
in the south and one in the north. The
construction will bring with it a new
office facing the north parking lot to
increase security.
“In order to come in through the north
you’re going to have to go through an
office so nobody can just walk into the
building. It’s for security reasons that
we’re doing that,” said Dr. Gustason.
By Audrey Mickelson
High school students from all
over Linn County are registered at
the Kirkwood Regional Center for
various types of college classes.
Partnerships have been made with
several local high schools, including
Linn-Mar, to provide programs for
high school students. These programs
give hands-on career experience in
their program of choice at no cost
to the student or their family. After
high school, credits received from
academies and programs taken at the
Linn County Regional Center can be
transferred to the students’ college of
choice.
According to the Kirkwood
2014 report, approximately 5,000 of
Kirkwood’s students are high school
students earning college credit. The
Linn County Regional Center offers
approximately 20 different academies
ranging from Physical Therapist
Assistant to Criminal Justice. The
academies allow the high school
students to experience a job shadow
or internship to further the experience
with their program of choice.
The building is separated into the
welding and construction wing, a
medical wing and other classrooms
used for different courses. A safe and
clean environment is provided for
the student’s learning benefits. Other
benefits of the center include a lounge
area, a quiet study room, several
vending machines, and computer
labs.
According to Kirkwood pharmacy
technician student and Senior of
Xavier High School, Ellen Jasper, this
program gives students an advantage
over other students going into college.
Jasper heard about this program from
her high school counselor when
planning her schedule.
“Personally, I enjoy my Kirkwood
classes more than my high school
classes because it’s more of what I
want to study for a career,” Jasper
said.
These Kirkwood programs offer
the opportunity to work in a hands-on
environment. For example, students
taking the nursing academy will get
the experience of participating in a
clinical setting providing care for
patients. The pharmacy technician
program offers unique learning
in clinical, retail and hospital
pharmacies.
The
architecture,
construction and engineering (ACE)
academy offers the opportunity to
experience a hands-on laboratory,
learning architecture and construction
skills, including job-site tours.
When asked about benefits of
All these changes to the building
will help to create an updated and
student-friendly learning environment
and hopefully will all be completed by
the beginning of the 2016-2017 school
year as planned.
Ophoff, Ahomana crowned
Homecoming royalty
Brooklyn Ophoff and Lotukalafi Ahomana were crowned Homecoming Queen and King during the coronation at the stadium on
Thursday, October 9, 2014.
Program lets students earn both high school, college credit
the Kirkwood programs, Linn-Mar
Senior Audrey Mzuza said, “Yes,
I believe that these programs and
classes will benefit my college
experience and my future career
but, make sure that whatever class
you sign up for is going to help you
because it’s very beneficial to take
college classes in high school.”
Next time you plan your high school
schedule, consider a free Kirkwood
program to earn college credit in high
school. Receive more information
from your school counselor.
The Linn-Mar Life
The Fresh Market offers variety, but that comes with a price
By Rachel Thompson
Unless you’ve been living under
a rock for the past few months, you
know that recently K-Mart was torn
out of the former K-Mart Plaza East.
In its place went Hobby Lobbyevery craft and home decorator’s
dream, Versona- a moderately priced
boutique that targets the fashionable
working woman, a Firehouse Subssimilar to Quiznos or Milios, a Home
Goods- your typical home decor
store, a Shoe Carnival- as if Famous
Footwear wasn’t good enough, and
finally, a Fresh Market- the perfect
grocery store for health nuts. All
of these together make up the new
Collins Crossing strip mall.
According to The Fresh Market’s
website, they started in 1982 in
North Carolina. They sold only fresh
flowers, meat, and produce with “...
rustic decorations, and an openair feel that just made The Fresh
Market feel like the general store of
yesteryear, right down to the friendly
face running the store.” But in the
30 years since the very first Fresh
Market, they have become a corporate
business, bumped up the prices, and
picked up some new foods, all to
cater to a different demographic than
the original store. RCG Ventures
real estate estimates that within a
10-mile radius of the new Collins
Crossing, 90.2% of 194,848 are
white households with an average
income of $71,029. According to
Census.gov quickfacts, the average
household income for Cedar Rapids
is about $52,242.
When you first arrive at The Fresh
Market, you notice fresh organic
pumpkins outside along with a seating
area where you may eat whatever
you order from the deli or where
you may drink coffee or just hang
out. When I walked into The Fresh
Market on a Sunday afternoon, the
place was full of upper-middle-class
white women or families sampling
sushi (not cheese or some sort of
spread or anything stereotypical) and
buying water that was ridiculously
packaged in what looks like beer and
hard liquor bottles. The first thing
that greets you when you walk in
the door is the fresh flowers. There’s
not a huge selection, probably due to
the time of the year, but they’re all
brightly colored and smell heavenly.
As soon as you get past those,
you’re in the largest section of the
store, the produce department. Just
looking at the food there can make
your stomach- and wallet- ache.
For a regular one pound package of
strawberries it costs $6.99; at Hy-Vee
the same size package costs much
less. As you continue walking, you
come to the salad bar, kitchen and deli
area (similar to Hy Vee’s dine in area),
and olive bar. Who knew an olive bar
existed? For the questionable price
of $9.99 a pound you can get various
olives mixed with various vegetables
in various sauces. Beside that is about
25 feet of different trail, power, nut,
dried fruit, and candy mixes. If you
continue walking, you’ll go through
the butcher aisle, featuring meats
and cheeses, many of them foreign.
Continue walking and you’ll come
to packaged foods. However, instead
of Selling Uncle Ben’s New Orleans
Rice Sides, you can buy packaged
quinoa and wild rice sides. There’s
every kind of granola, health-nut
grains, seed and nut mixes available
plus a tea selection rivaled only by
Teavana. These products, for the
most part, seemed fairly reasonably
priced.
Senior Lauren Bisgard comments,
“It’s a bit pricey, but I think it’s a
great place to get a variety of different
foods.” As you leave, you walk past
the coffee area where you can sample
any roast of coffee they sell, and
that coffee could make a non-coffee
drinker a coffee drinker.
As an adult that would do grocery
shopping, Linn-Mar teacher Dee
Wesbrook says, “I thought the
presentation of food and products
were excellent but the prices would
prohibit me from shopping there
regularly.”
If you’re looking for fresh produce,
The Fresh Market is an excellent
place, but if you’re looking to not
spend an arm and a leg, you might be
better off across the street at Hy-Vee.
However, if you’re looking for that
special tea or type of seeds or nuts
or unique food, The Fresh Market is
probably better than any other option
around.
Lack of sleep, parents, too much homework
all lead to high levels of teenage stress
By Jessica Helberg
Studies show that the average
teenager today has the same level of
anxiety as a psychiatric patient in the
early 1950s. But where is all of this
stress coming from? The pressure
put on today’s youth to succeed in
everything they do is incredibly
intense. We have to get good grades,
thrive in extra-curricular activities,
take advanced classes so we can get
into a good college, and finally, we
need a job so that we can save enough
money to go to the college that we
will never be able to afford. It’s an
endless cycle of stress and for many,
the light at the end of the tunnel only
seems to grow dimmer and dimmer.
Where do we draw the line? When
does the pressure to be perfect begin
to make you crack?
A recent study conducted by the
American Psychological Association
found that over 60 percent of teens
felt at least moderately stressed on a
daily basis, while nearly 30 percent
reported feeling an extreme amount
of stress. About 59 percent said
that having to manage their time
to balance all of their day-to-day
activities is a significant contributor
to their daily feelings of anxiety.
“Our study this year gives us a
window into looking at how early
these patterns might begin,” said
clinical
psychologist
Norman
Anderson, the association’s CEO.
“The patterns of stress we see in
adults seem to be occurring as early
as the adolescent years — stressrelated behaviors such as lack
of
sleep, lack of exercise, poor eating
habits in response to stress.”
The levels of stress seen in today’s
youth is so high that it has begun to
affect our health, sleeping habits,
and even grades. The National
Sleep Foundation has found that
the average teenager requires at
least eight and a half hours of sleep
every night. However, in a survey
they conducted in 2013, they found
that only 15 percent of teens were
actually getting the full amount of
sleep they needed. Even here at LinnMar, lack of sleep is a huge issue
amongst the student body. According
to a poll taken at Linn-Mar High
School, the average amount of sleep
gotten per night ranged from about
5-7 hours. We’ve all had days where
we come close to falling asleep in
class, and some of us actually do.
Lack of sleep in a growing teen can
cause the inability to concentrate,
mood swings, contribute to illness,
and promote unhealthy eating habits.
Senior Camille Bonar said, “I
feel like lack of sleep definitely has a
negative impact on my overall health
and that it’s a huge contributor to my
level of stress and why I get sick so
often.”
Many students, like Camille, feel
pressured to join a plethora of extracurricular activities, take Advanced
Placement courses, volunteer in the
community, and maintain a steady
job in order to look impressive on
college applications. Where is all of
this pressure coming from?
“A lot of times teachers end up
getting frustrated with us because
another teacher’s rehearsal went too
long,” said Senior Riley Anderson.
“It always ends up creating more
stress for me.”
Senior Sierra Jones said, “My
rehearsals clash all the time. It’s
important to be able to prioritize, but
it’s pretty stressful to have to choose
which one is more important than the
other.”
While a good amount of stress
comes from school and teachers, a
lot can also come from parents. A
lot of students fear disappointing
their parents, but the added amount
of stress brought on by them usually
does more harm than good.
One student said, “For the most
part, my stress comes from my mom.
She expects too much from me and I
can’t keep up with who she wants me
to be. She thinks I’ll grow up to be
some fancy doctor or lawyer, but I’ve
never wanted that.”
Another student said, “Most of the
stress for me comes from my parents.
They’re always pushing me to be
better in everything I do, which can
be good at times, but usually it makes
it so much worse. The other day they
told me I wasn’t going to get into a
good college because I only had a
96% in Spanish. My GPA is a 4.2.”
Students today are under too
much pressure to fit society’s idea of
“perfect.” Whether it’s brought on by
directors, teachers, or even parents,
the stress they face has begun to
deteriorate their health, and they’ve
forgotten what it’s like to be normal
teenagers. No one has the time to get
into trouble or go to a party because
they’re too busy studying, rehearsing,
or practicing. While staying out of
trouble is good, it’s important for kids
to know their limits and to realize that
getting a bad grade or losing a game
isn’t the worst thing in the world.
Life goes on; this isn’t the end.
The Linn-Mar Life
Ashley Henn keeps an open mind, enjoys the good days
By Bekah Bent
“I don’t think you are who you are
truly meant to be until you are dead,”
said Ashley Henn, Linn-Mar High
School Senior.
The brunette sat comfortably on
her bed, holding one of her favorite
scented candles, a thoughtful
expression on her face as she
answered my questions.
“Seventh grade through all of
freshman year I had pretty severe
depression and what was basically
an eating disorder. I just felt so alone
and misunderstood, and I took that
out on people around me.”
How did she overcome these
challenges?
“Joining show choir crew really
helped me. I met so many wonderful
people who just kind of got me,
who connected with me. Just feeling
connected to people and having a
purpose, even as simple as crew,
helped me to crawl out of all that
darkness I was in.” She looked up
with misty eyes as she recounted her
struggles. She began talking about
some of her greatest disappointments.
“This is something I really
struggle with. If I go back in time
to certain moments, I know I would
change them. I really despised who
I was my first two years of high
school. I feel really bad about it. I
just want to change specific moments
in my life when I was being really
ugly to the people around me and I
wish I could take them back. I try
not to dwell, instead just accept that
it happened and move on.” Henn
nodded to herself, as if accepting
and reinforcing her answer before
looking back up and smiling softly.
Sticking with the self-reflection,
she smiled wider as she discussed
lighter topics, like some of her
happiest moments.
“Anytime I am doing something
with people I love, whether it be
friends or family, I think I am at my
happiest. I mean of course there are
times when I just want to rip my head
off when I talk to my mom, or slap
my friend for being stupid. But I just
love when you are with people who
you can be totally yourself with, who
I don’t have to hide parts of myself
from. I think I am most happy then,
because I am being one hundred
percent myself and that is a wonderful
feeling.”
With all of this self-reflection, the
questions about strengths, morals,
and things she liked about herself
came provided interesting responses.
“I think the three things I like about
myself most is that I am accepting,
I really try to keep an open mind
about everyone and try not to judge.
People are wonderful and different
and should be accepted for those
differences. I love that I have good
taste in music.”
Throughout the interview, a
very awesome Disney music station
played softly on Pandora eliciting
many breaks in the interview as we
both fought to say which movie each
song came from first, several times
even getting the exact scene down.
“I also like that I don’t fall under
a certain category. I am friends with
people from all different types of
‘cliques’ and I do a lot of activities
that would fall under those different
cliques.” This fact held true as you
looked around her room. Artistic
paintings, musical instruments and
music sheets, sports stuff--it seemed
like her room had a little bit of
everything.
“For strengths, I think mostly I
am just good at reading people’s
emotions and figuring out how to
approach them. Another strength I
think I have is that I know not to let
the bad days drag me down. I have
had enough of them to know that you
can’t dwell on them, or you won’t
be happy. I think one of my biggest
strengths and weaknesses is that I
can get too emotionally involved and
over think things. I think it is a girl
trait to be completely honest, but I
think sometimes that can be a good
thing as well. I’m also pretty freaking
good at eating if I may say so myself.
I’m not the quickest, but I obtain the
most!” She couldn’t help laughing to
herself as the words past her lips, as
if realizing how funny they sounded
only after she had said them.
Calming down she oriented herself
before continuing.
“The morals issues I value most
are honesty and respect. I don’t really
ever feel like there is a need for lying.
Honesty solves so many potential
problems, and [I know this] because
of all the dishonesty that has been in
my life. Respect is another one, you
should always respect your peers,
there is no reason not to. I also just
have a moral issue with people who
are spiteful; that much negativity
in their life just causes unhappiness
for them and for those who they are
trying to get revenge on.” She took
a breath before letting it out as she
looked up, a dorky grin lighting up
her face as the next, lighter topics
were discussed, such as her favorite
Superhero.
“Dude... I would totally be
Spiderman, because ya know, chh
chhh (makes the shooting noise as
she sticks out her hand like she is
shooting a web). I do that all the time,
I will just be doing whatever and then
I start shooting my pretend webbing.
But if I just had to choose a power
to have, I would definitely choose the
power to talk to animals, I think it
would be cool to hear what they have
to say.”
If she could go anywhere in the
world, where would she go?
“Hogwarts. I wish that could be a
thing. But in reality, I think it would
be really awesome to go to Narnia,
because everyone there seems really
chill, (no pun intended) and they just
kind of do their own thing. I like their
lifestyle, plus the scenery in
that movie was incredible.”
This answer led to the next
set of questions which
continued the somewhat
dorky theme.
“I love to read, as well as
watch movies. Tim Burton
is my love, I will watch
anything of his; he is a true
filmmaker. For books I will
really read anything. I like
paranormal books, I like
books that are set during
historical events, I love
those sappy romance books.
The only book I won’t read
is an autobiography, because
no offense to the people in
those stories, but I really
don’t want to spend half
my day reading about every
little thing that happened
in their life. Alice in Wonderland is
definitely my favorite book. I just
love how everything is so backwards,
nothing makes sense and there is
almost an aspect of ordered chaos. I
just love the feel of the book.”
Then it was back to more serious
answers.
“I definitely have insecurities. I
grew up, in my opinion, in the shadow
of my two older sisters. They are both
so beautiful, and together they just
make the perfect person. And to me, I
always felt like I was never going to
do anything that they hadn’t already
succeeded at. These feelings led to
many bad days, especially during
middle school and my first two years
of high school. My escape from it all
was music, just letting myself get lost
in it, or reading. Just kind of falling
into a different world, a different
reality so I could escape mine for a bit
really helped. Walking in the woods
helped too, although Iowa doesn’t
have many forests. Sometimes I find
myself just driving up to Palisades
to hike, just to clear my mind in the
forest.”
“I would say I have more good
days now than bad days; it used to be
the other way around. And I find that
my bad days like to clump together
so it seems like I have a lot. But I just
try and not let them get to me, I am
done with negativity in my life.”
What are some things she does to
keep this negativity out of her life?
“It might sound weird, but I
really like quotes. Especially Alice
in Wonderland quotes, they are really
profound in my opinion and are very
personal to my life. They just remind
me that life happens, and that I am
human. Life is an uncertainty and
things will get you down, but you
just have to keep pushing forward.
One of my favorite quotes is ‘Above
all else, love immensely because love
covers a multitude of sins.’ I love this
quote because it’s true, if people just
love one another and keep happiness
in their life, then so many things can
and would be solved.” She smiled
and let out a deep breath.
Ashley’s uniqueness is appreciated
by her friends.
“Ashley is one of those really
original people; she is unique. She
is so wonderful and caring and so
smart. She is a wonderful friend to
have, especially when she fully lets
you in because then you get to see all
of her. She is a big dork but she is also
one of those deep thinkers, an ‘old
soul’ I think. She has so much love
in her heart but she can also be, in her
words “a basic b****”. She is just so
genuine. I am truly blessed that I am
able to say that she has been one of
my best friends for the past eleven
years, because she has brought so
much to my life,” said close friend
Shannon McGraw.
A good summary of a truly unique
and fun girl.
This or That?
Coke or Pepsi:
Pepsi
Abortion:
It’s the woman’s choice
iPhone or Android:
iPhone
Gay Marriage:
Go for it!
Cake or Cupcakes:
Both
Religion in Politics:
NO Don’t do it!
Books or Movies:
Books
Religion in School:
Not in public schools
Converse or Vans: Converse
Marijuana:
Don’t really need another drug
legalized
Mike or Ike:
Mike
Sex before Marriage: committed
relationship = go for it!
Left Twix or Right Twix: Left
Twix
Xbox or Playstation:
Xbox
The Linn-Mar Life
H a l l o w e e n P r a n k s T h a t We n t Ve r y Wr o n g
By Megan Rood
Halloween is a time that is full of decorating, doing
things to scare people, and having a spooky good
time. But, what happens when someone’s idea of
a ‘good time’ turns out to be their worst time yet?
Here are some pranks, done by people who started
them as a joke, only to find themselves in trouble
with the law.
Whether the chainsaw was real or fake is unknown,
but one student was so surprised by this sight that
he tripped over a chair in an attempt to get away.
In the process of trying to get away, the student
ended up fracturing a bone and injuring his knee.
In the end, the boy’s knee required surgery, and
his family filed a legal suit seeking $100,000 in
damages.
Employer Arrested for Creating a Bloody Scene
According to WQAD news in Kentucky, Joe
Watkins tried to do a great Halloween prank at his
restaurant called the Chicken Ranch. He had no
idea that his fun prank would end him in handcuffs.
Watkins set up a phony crime scene in the restaurant
with the intent of making an employee believe
his boss had been murdered. When the employee
came to work and found Watkins covered in blood,
she ran out and immediately called the police.
Watkins tried reaching her on her cell phone, but
the employee had already alerted the police of her
employer’s supposed murder. Watkins was later
arrested for causing a false alarm and planning a
fake murder.
Teenager Accidentally Hangs
Attempt to Prank His Sister
Taunton High School Teacher Tricks Students
with Chainsaw Prank
According to ABC News, a few years ago a teacher
at Taunton High School was looking to spread
some Halloween humor. The teacher entered a
classroom masked and armed with a chainsaw.
Himself
In
According to buzzfeed.com, a Halloween-loving
Kentucky teenager tragically died after a spooky
prank went horribly wrong and he accidentally
hanged himself with a noose in his front yard.
Jordan Morlan’s sister found him hanging in the
front yard of his family’s Louisville home on a
Sunday afternoon. His horrified mother, Ginger
Rodriguez, tried in vain to get him down, but could
not lift him to remove him from the noose. When
Ms. Rodriguez’ daughter told her that her brother
was hanging from a tree, she didn’t believe her.
Ms. Rodriguez told The Daily Mail, “I told her,
‘Well, he’s probably playing a prank on you.’ He
was always pranking us on other things that day
while we were putting up Halloween decorations.
My daughter then told me, ‘No, he’s not moving.
He has drool hanging from his mouth.’” After
paramedics arrived, they removed Jordan from the
noose and took him to the hospital. While at the
hospital, Jordan spent 12 hours on life support, but
his organs failed quickly and he died.
15-Year-Old Shot After Prank Goes Wrong
According to CNN News, 15-year-old girl in Little
Rock, Arkansas, died in 2010 because of a prank
that went tragically wrong. Adrian Broadway
was shot in the head and died early on a Saturday
morning. She was with a group of teenagers
who had gone to a house to do a pay-back prank
on another teen who’d done a prank on them on
Halloween. The teenagers had thrown toilet paper,
eggs and mayonnaise on a parked car. As they were
leaving, a man came out of the house and opened
fire. Broadway was struck in the head and died.
Girl Hit By Car After Halloween Stunt
According to jrn.com, in Omaha, Nebraska in
2011, a 12-year-old girl was the victim of a
Halloween prank that scared her so much that she
was frightened and ran into the street and was hit
by a car. People who saw the accident were so
shook-up they turned off their lights, took down
their Halloween decorations and told the kids
to go home. A night meant for fun turned into a
nightmare for trick-or-treaters. “Nobody needs to
see a child thrown in the air like that,” neighbor
Carol Rischling told JRN. “When the guy went
‘Vroom Vroom!’ with his chain saw, it scared her
so she ran away. The guy in the car was going way
too fast. He hit her and threw her up in the air and
down the street.” The homeowner involved with
the accident did not want to talk about the accident.
Jack O’ Lantern’s just one aspect of Halloween fun!
By Rachel Thompson
As Fall approaches, the most identifiable symbol
of the season is a big pumpkin, typically carved as
a Jack O’Lantern. What many people don’t know,
however, is Jack O’ Lantern’s started out in turnips,
beets, and potatoes. The legend (started in Ireland
and England) says, according to History.com, that
“Stingy Jack” out-witted, trapped, and hid from the
Devil so many times throughout his life that when
the time came for “Stingy Jack” to kick the bucket, God wouldn’t take him, and the Devil couldn’t
take him. So Jack was sent on his way with only
a lantern made out of a burning coal put in a hollowed out turnip to light his way as he wandered
the earth. People in the area began to refer to Jack
as “Jack of the Lantern” which was later shortened
to Jack O’Lantern. As a way to ward him off, people
hollowed out turnips, beets, and potatoes and filled
them with burning coals or candles. Soon after the
legend began, Pilgrims came overseas to America, where they found naturally growing pumpkins
which were larger and easier to hollow out.
Today, making Jack O’Lanterns is a fun and festive way to start the fall and winter season. Heading
out to the pumpkin patch and selecting the perfect
carving pumpkin can be a great date idea or something fun to do with friends (Bart’s Pumpkin Patch
on Alburnett Road has a great selection). But while
you’re there, how do you know which pumpkin
will be perfect to carve and which will spoil before
Halloween? According to Farmer’s Almanac you
want your pumpkin to be completely orange with a
flat bottom and tough skin. It should be resistant to
marks if you try to stick your thumb nail in it. Your
pumpkin should also feel heavy for its size. Choose
the size of your pumpkin based on the design you
want to put on it, so have some idea of how you
want to decorate it. Avoid pumpkins with scratches,
mold, bruises, and cuts because they will make your
pumpkin spoil faster.
Once you find the perfect pumpkin out in the patch,
cut it from the vine. Once you take it home you can
take more care in cutting down to the stem as you
like it. Don’t carry your pumpkin by the stem, because it may damage the pumpkin or even pull the
stem completely out. If you don’t cut your pumpkin
out of the field, look for a pumpkin with a green stem,
as that indicates how recently the pumpkin was cut,
according to All About Pumpkins. With any pumpkin
you pick, check the bottom for soft spots which indicate the pumpkin is spoiled before the color changes.
The most important part of carving a pumpkin
is the tools you use and using them safely. Martha
Stewart suggests using a keyhole saw over a knife
because they’re sturdier but precise, giving you less
opportunity to cut yourself. However, if like most of
us, you don’t have access to a keyhole saw, a large
serrated knife will work. If you’re going to have a
candle in your pumpkin, its best to cut the top around
the stem to hollow out your pumpkin. But if you’re
using a light with a cord (pumpkin lighters are very
common) it’s best to cut the bottom and hollow out
your pumpkin that way. No matter which way you cut
it, Martha Stewart suggests making your cut around
the stem not a perfect circle, but cutting a notch into
it so you always know which way the lid will fit the
best. Once it’s time to scoop all the guts out of your
pumpkin, the best tool to use is a rubber scraper to
get the majority out, and then to get the stubborn bits
out, use an ice cream scoop. You can also use this to
thin the walls of your pumpkin, making it easier to
carve and put your design on.
After your pumpkin is all hollowed out, it’s time
for the fun part, actually carving your design on
the pumpkin. Martha Stewart suggests, again, using a keyhole saw to be precise. Start by fastening
a paper copy of your design (if you have one) to
your pumpkin and using a pin to puncture holes on
your pumpkin where you want to cut. Then, once
you have your design completely traced, cut it out,
carefully. From there you can put a candle in your
pumpkin, put the lid back on, and stick it outside.
If you’re one of those people who don’t like
pumpkin guts, knives or carving pumpkins, there
are plenty of options for you to have a good looking pumpkin. Those old Mr. Potato-head parts that
you have from when you were little will work
great. You can also paint anything from patterns to
faces to penguins on your pumpkins, according to
Buzzfeed. Puffy paint is a good way to put designs
like spider webs, etc. on your pumpkin. In addition
to those ideas, sequins, rhinestones, leaves, fabric,
and wires can be glued onto your pumpkin for a
unique look. Silver thumbtacks can also give your
pumpkin an edgy look. Another cool idea is to use
some gauze and wrap up your pumpkin, stick some
googly eyes and darken an area for his mouth, and
you’ve got a mummy pumpkin.
The Linn-Mar Life
Volunteering in the Community makes you feel good
By A.J. Geers
Making a difference in your community can
make a big impact on the quality of life for others.
There are many different types of volunteer
opportunities in Cedar Rapids, Marion and the
surrounding areas. You could help the elderly at
retirement homes, ring bells to help raise money
for the hungry or play with children in need. There
is an opportunity for everyone to volunteer in the
community and it not only helps others; it makes
you feel good about yourself at the same time.
If you are good with kids or enjoy hanging out
with people about your own age, then you could
volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar
Rapids and East Central Iowa.
According to Big Brothers Big Sisters, their
programs helps the little kids stay out of trouble. In
a study they conducted, the little brothers and little
sisters were 46 percent less likely to do drugs and
52 percent less likely to skip school than those who
were not involved in the program. There are many
other benefits for the children in this program. If
you volunteer, activities you can expect to do with
your little brother or sister includes playing catch,
reading books, going to a museum and providing
advice and inspiration. The average participant in
this organization spends a few hours with their
Little Brother or Sister a couple times a month. All
you need to apply is a few references, an interview
and a background check. Being a member with this
program is not a huge time commitment and can
make a huge difference in the mind of a little child.
You can be a positive role model for them and help
them strive to succeed. For more information, the
United Way of East Central Iowa has a website that
can connect you with over 90 different agencies
that need volunteers for activities.
Junior Abby Gries said, “I like to volunteer at
St. Luke’s Hospital because I realize how thankful
I am for all the good in my life.”
According to Gries, you can volunteer at St.
Luke’s Hospital by contacting the volunteer
coordinator on the St. Luke’s website. Gries
restocks rooms with supplies, changes patient I.D.
cards, refills water pitchers, and works in the NICU
holding babies. Gries volunteers two hours a week.
According to the Unity Point Health website, there
are two main types of volunteer opportunities,
hospice and palliative. Volunteering at the hospital
will help make a difference in someone’s life.
Linn-Mar High School recognizes students that
volunteer in their school and community to make
a difference. If a student accumulates 160 hours of
volunteering during the course of high school, he
or she will be able to wear a silver cord on his or
her graduation cap.
According to Senior Dan Murphy, you can
volunteer in school activities such as National
Honor Society, Student Council and tutoring.
National Honor Society is an organization
available for junior and seniors and the members
are selected by a teacher committee. You must have
30 volunteer hours in the last year to be accepted
into NHS.
Student Council is a group that helps to make
decisions in the school and also helps to make
the school better by completing service projects.
Anyone can apply to be in Student Council, but
you are voted in by your peers.
Tutoring helps younger students who need help
with their homework. You can apply to be a tutor in
the Counseling Office. Hours for tutoring can help
go toward earning cords hours.
Murphy said, “Volunteering gives me a good
sense of joy.”
Senior Jack Miller volunteers for the Salvation
Army with the ringing of bells around the holidays.
According to The Salvation Army of Cedar
Rapids, the ringing of bells helps create a lasting
impression in the Linn County area. The money
raised goes to supporting youth activities, a local
food pantry, emergency disaster services, families
in need, and sending kids to camp. Ringing of
the bells is available in many different locations
outside of businesses starting in November and
ending mid-December. Many other volunteering
opportunities are available through The Salvation
Army throughout the year.
If you are interested in volunteering, find
something that you enjoy. No matter how much
or how little time you volunteer, every hour helps
someone in the community and can brighten your
own day as well.
Everybody lies but the extent and the intent of those lies is constantly changing
By Bekah Bent
“There are white lies, and black lies, and many
shades of gray lies,” said actor Julian Sands on the
show The L Word. Well apparently this is true, with
the average American telling at least four lies a
day, according to wnd.com. Now this doesn’t seem
like a lot, but what about when you add all that up
over the course of a year? You are looking at an
average of almost fifteen hundred lies a year, and
that gets to be a big number when you can live to
be up to one hundred years old. So why do humans
feel the need to lie so much? And who is actually
lying the most?
The most common lie people tell, (everyone
says it almost once a day), is the lie, “I’m fine.”
What is it that drives a person to tell that little
white lie when talking to someone? According
to psychologytoday.com, generally a person will
lie to protect themselves or something that has to
do with them. What does this mean? Well, there
are generally five reasons why someone would
tell a lie. Have you ever told a lie to your parents
to avoid punishment, or told a little white lie to
avoid penalties at work? If you have, you’re not
alone. This type of lie is the most common; many
people will lie to avoid some type of punishment.
The second most common reason to lie is to
protect one’s interests, as in, you want something
so you will lie to get it. Other reasons humans lie
is to get out of doing something, to protect their
image, or to keep someone else safe according to
psychologytoday.com.
“I usually will lie when I don’t want someone to
know something. I bend the truth to make it sound
cooler,” said Emilie Halvorson, Linn-Mar senior.
So when do humans pick up this innate sense of
lying? According to health.usnews.com, humans
learn to lie as early as two or three and begin
lying multiple times a day by the age of six. Why
do humans automatically learn this trait so early?
Humans as a species lie to either get something,
or to keep something a secret. When a child wants
something, he or she will do whatever they have
to in an attempt to get it. This
behavior then holds over
into adulthood. According
to dailymail.co.uk, men lie
almost twice as much as
women do daily, most often to
their significant others.
“I find that I tell a lie a
couple times a day. It’s kind
of second nature, everyone
does it and they are always
harmless lies,” said Junior
Ashley Baumeister.
If it is true that humans
lie so much, wouldn’t they
be able to tell when someone
is lying to them? According
to liespotting.com no, not
always. On average, humans
are lied to between fifty and
one hundred times a day,
with people catching these
instances of lying only half
the time. People have become so good at lying that
trying to read someone’s body language to gauge if
they are lying has become almost impossible.
“I tell little lies to my parents all the time; I have
been for a while. They never know because I act so
casual when I do it,” said Senior Jess Smart.
There are three kinds of lies that a person will
tell: white lies, gray lies, and black lies according
to truthliesdeceptioncoverups.info. So what is the
difference between these three? White lies are the
most common lie that people tell, these are the
lies people say that somehow will benefit them or
are said to please another person, malice is never
involved. Gray lies are slightly less common, these
are the lies you tell when you want to protect your
interests or want to get out of something.
“Sometimes when I don’t want to hang out with
someone I tell them I don’t feel good or got roped
into something so I don’t hurt their feelings,” said
Smart. These lies often times are said without
malice, but often lead to more lies and deception
which can lead to unintentional problems if the
person being lied to figures out they were deceived.
The last kind of lie is a black lie, lying to protect
one’s interest with the intent to harm. These kinds
of lies often are said to cover up acts of violence
or activities that would otherwise hurt the person
being lied too. These lies are the least common and
most of the time have severe repercussions.
Did you know that the average
person lies 1,500 times a year?
Lying in general, is not something most people
are proud of. No one wants to admit that they
do it. But it seems like, at least in America, has
become as much a part of daily life as going to
work or going to school.
The Linn-Mar Life
Isenberg learns a lot about herself by helping others in need
By Rachel Thompson
Abby Isenberg is a 17-year-old
senior who is involved in track, cross
country, SODA, TRY, Lean On Me,
student ambassador, student advisory,
and FCA. She lives with her mom,
her dad, her younger sister, Isabelle,
and her dog Sami. After this year she
plans to go to Simpson College or the
University of Northern Iowa to study
elementary education. One of Abby’s
best friends, Senior Lauren Bisgard
said about Abby, “When I first moved
into the neighborhood, Abby had just
moved into the neighborhood too and
we decided to be friends and then we
were in the same class after that.”
So you’re pretty involved with your
church?
Yes
And what kind of things do you
guys do?
Through my youth group we have
worship every Wednesday night
and it’s worship scripture and then
discussion. I just started getting
involved through my church with
greeting program to help people feel
more welcomed when they walk
through the door. So I start that next
Monday and I also teach Sunday
school to four-year-olds.
So you went to Haiti this summer?
Yes, I went July 28th through August
6th
Where were you in Haiti? What
was your route down there?
We drove from Cedar Rapids to
Davenport, which was where the
group we were going through was.
Then from Davenport to Chicago,
had a 6 am flight out of Chicago to
Miami, with an hour layover and then
a two hour flight from Miami to Portau-Prince. After that, a 2 hour drive
from Port-au-Prince to Mirebalais,
which is a small town.
What did you guys all do down
there? Every morning we did
Vacation Bible School, singing
songs, playing games and we had a
story. And then in the afternoon we
had clinic because we had a doctor
and an acting pharmacist. And then
we went back to the orphanage that
we stayed at after that and just played
with the kids there.
And how old were the kids you
worked with? I’m not positive
because the parents aren’t positive. I
would say some of the kids I played
with at the orphanage were really
young, some were about 2. I would
say at Vacation Bible School the kids
were probably 6-15 years old.
What was your favorite part? The
kids, because they would always run
up to you and talk to you and be so
invested in what you had to say.
What was your least favorite part
(besides leaving)?
The drive. I got sick one day because
the roads there aren’t fully paved so
they’re really, really bad.
What shocked you the most?
Well it’s really pretty and I didn’t
know that people could have that
much love and trust for people they
didn’t know.
Are you still in contact with anyone
from Haiti?
I follow the missionary that was in
Haiti but she just moved because they
kicked her off the premises, but she
still has contact with the orphanage,
so I still see pictures of the kids
Are you planning to back anytime
soon or would you go back?
I’m going back either in March, if
my oral surgeon will let me, or if
my parents will let me. Or I’m going
back in the summer.
Did you do any sightseeing?
Our guest house was built on a hill
and you could see some of it. When
we drove through, we got a little bit
of a tour, but that wasn’t our main
focus being down there.
What was the atmosphere and
everything like down there?
It didn’t ever feel unsafe down there
until someone stole something,
but that was because everyone was
crowding, but everyone was very
interested and loving. They were so
fascinated by us.
Did you learn anything there?
I learned I can’t take life or anything
for granted and that everything is
precious. I’ve done other mission trips
so I kind of had a grasp on that but I
didn’t fully get that until I went there.
I learned that God does mysterious
things and changes people.
How many people went with you?
There were 13 in my group but there
was another group there for different
days doing separate things; they were
from Minnesota.
What kind of modern luxuries did
they not have that you missed?
They didn’t have any electronics.
The missionaries had Ipads and
computers. I had my phone but that
was just for pictures since I don’t
have an international plan. I kind
of missed my phone and contacting
the rest of the world. No one in
the orphanage had any electronics
besides the adults. They had running
water but it was advised you didn’t
drink it so they provided us with
water. We also had a fridge which
was really nice. Sometimes I had hot
water for showers.
What is your most interesting story
from while you were down there?
I met this little girl who was five
months old and only five pounds when
the orphanage got her. Her mom had
just dropped her off. I had also heard
that some moms plan on picking their
kids up from the orphanage when
they turn 3 because girls down there
can get water and get paid for that.
Also, we were at this church about
an hour and a half away from where
we were staying and I was sitting on
this bench. These little girls stared
straight into my eyes and they were
so fascinated by me and wanted me
to help them. The language barrier
was difficult but by the end, they
were starting to understand me and
they were so happy and excited and
grateful I was there.
Tell me the story of how your trip
got funded.
So I really wanted to go on an
international mission trip. I actually
really wanted to go to Africa and had
never thought about Haiti. But my
church had gone to Haiti before. So
it was late May and I found out that
we were going to go and when, but I
did not know pricing or anything. My
mom said “It’s going to be expensive.
I don’t know how we’re going to get
you down there or if we can, I don’t
think we can do it. I want to get your
mouth surgery done this summer,”
so my mom said no. I hadn’t told my
pastor yet, so I put in a prayer request
at my church saying “help me fund
my trip to Haiti because I really want
to go.” So someone from my church
saw it and said “I want to help Abby
go” and they told my pastor “I will
pay $1,000 for her to go”. My trip
was $1,700. I ended up getting $200
from friends and family and the rest
was paid by someone else. I have no
idea who those people were. I am
forever grateful for those people,
but I will never know who they are
because of the church, but I thought
it was amazing they wanted to help.
What were you expecting in Haiti?
I had been on four other mission trips
so I was prepared for poverty, but not
full on poverty. We had gone through
meetings before so I was prepared
for hard stuff. I was not prepared for
people to love me and to love the kids
right back. I was prepared for people
to kind of attack me but that never
happened, so I was expecting more of
Abby Quick facts:
Chocolate or Vanilla?
Vanilla
Pepsi or Coke?
Coke
Iphone or Android?
Iphone
Gay Marriage?
I’m not against it, but I’m not
going to have a gay marriage
myself
Favorite color?
Pink
Weed?
I don’t care, I just wouldn’t
smoke
Favorite season?
Spring
Favorite band?
I like Mandisa, it’s a Christian
rock band
Favorite food?
Chicken Alfredo
Free time?
Hang out with friends
Favorite beverage?
Tea
that and I didn’t have that as much.
I think that was because a lot of the
kids were working instead of going
to school.
Why did you want to go to Haiti?
I don’t know. I just know something
was calling me there and God made
sure I went.
So tell me about your experience as
an international drug smuggler.
One of the doctors, a nurse practitioner
actually, has done several mission
trips and brought drugs through
doctors so they had permits and
permission. This time she was going
through my church so she didn’t have
that luxury but they still wanted her
to bring down all the meds. It was
all over the counter stuff except for
a few things that were hidden really
well. So we had backpacks with
medications in the bottom third
wrapped in baby blankets from the
hospital and school supplies on top,
so it looked like we were bringing
school supplies to the kids. I was
prepared for them to search our stuff
at the airport and they did nothing.
The guy that was supposed to do that
asked “oh are there drugs in there?”
We said nope and went through.
Is there anything you didn’t do in
Haiti this time that you want to do
next time?
I would like to find an older kid
and create a better relationship with
older kids. Kids like 8 or 9 years old
because I feel I am called for mission
and I would like to sponsor a kid that
I can create a relationship with.
How has Haiti affected your life?
Well, I talk about it. And I want to get
more involved in stuff here and it has
changed my relationship with people
and God so I’m more open and calm
and trustworthy.
The Linn-Mar Life
Erotic literature draws interest and controversy
By A.J. Geers
Textual porn. Fifty Shades of Grey
is drawing lots of interest and
controversy from the public. Fifty
Shades of Grey is an erotic literature
book. Definitions state that erotic
literature comprises fictional and
factual stories and accounts of human
sexual relationships which have the
power to or are intended to arouse
the reader sexually. Available in the
Cedar Rapids and Marion Public
Libraries and at local bookstores like
Barnes and Noble, the book has been
readily available in numerous places
for anyone to purchase. Some people
feel the content of the books, which
has detailed sequences of various
rough sexual acts, is inappropriate for
younger readers.
According to Annalisa Quinn at
NPR, over 100 million copies of
Fifty Shades of Grey have been sold
worldwide, with about 45 million of
those sold in the United States.
Fifty Shades of Grey is not available
in the Linn-Mar library. According to
the Huffington Post, some libraries in
three different states refuse to carry
Fifty Shades of Grey. As libraries are
not required to carry certain books,
the decision is often left up to the
librarian, who usually considers the
patronage of the library.
At the Cedar Rapids Public
Library, Fifty Shades of Grey is
available for check out and there
are over 25 copies of the first book
in the catalog. The series is also
available for purchase at Barnes and
Noble for $9.96 a copy. There is no
law regarding who can check out or
buy this book, or any book that does
not include nude pictures or content.
In Iowa, the sale of pornographic
images or sound recordings is illegal
to persons under the age of 18. The
law gives an exception to displaying
pornographic images to minors in the
case of schools and public libraries.
Even though the book is considered
erotic literature, it does not classify
as pornography.
Even though Fifty Shades of Grey is
not legally considered pornographic
material, many people believe that
Fifty Shades of Grey skirts on the
boundaries of indecency.
Senior David Kepler said “No,
[Fifty Shades of Grey shouldn’t be
available for everyone] because it
is erotic fiction, and is pornography
and should be regulated like
pornography.”
Junior Kayla Nibaur said “It’s a free
country, however middle schoolers
shouldn’t be able to read Fifty Shades
of Grey.”
However, not everyone has a
problem with the book.
Freshman Carly Glowacki believes
that Fifty Shades of Grey should be
available for anyone and believes that
“not allowing everyone to read a book
is a violation of personal freedoms.”
Kepler and Nibaur believe that young
people do not need to be exposed to
such content.
Some people feel all the controversy
is ridiculous. Senior Evan Linhoss
says he feels pornographic material
is good for teenagers to possibly
prevent sexual violence and to help
prevent the sexual frustration that
often comes with being a teenager.
“I mean it is great, there is nothing
wrong with it,” said Linhoss.
Research by the Taylor and Francis
Group titled The Impact of Internet
Pornography on Adolescence: A
Review of the Research has concluded
that pornographic consumption by
teens leads to unrealistic thoughts
on the aspects of relationships and
about sex. The results also show
that sex is treated more lightly and
casually by these teens. According
to the study, the more pornographic
images viewed, the stronger the
preoccupation of the brain to sexual
thinking.
A study conducted in a Swedish
high school by Haggstrom-Nordin
concluded that “Ninety-eight percent
of male and 76 percent of female
respondents reported having viewed
pornography, and 75 percent of the
overall sample had engaged in sexual
intercourse.”
People will read or will not read
whatever they please. The future
does not seem to hold any changes
in the definition of pornography or
to a rating system established for
literature. Rating systems do exist in
the motion picture industry, however,
and when Fifty Shades of Grey
premieres on screen on Valentine’s
Day 2015, it will be with a lot of hype
and an R rating.
Stupid criminals keep us laughing as plans backfire
By Ian Taylor
If you’ve ever watched “World’s
Dumbest” you know that there are
some serious morons out there. A
seemingly favorite type of stupid is
criminals. It’s always fun to take a
good laugh at the people who stupidly
walk into stores and do the dumbest
things in robbery attempts, so why
not read about more of them!
In August of 1995, a man by the
name of Klaus Schmidt walked into
a bank in Germany with a pistol and
demanded all their money. The teller,
while being robbed, asked Schmidt
if he needed a bag for his heist to
which Schmidt replied “Damn right
it’s a real gun!” This was when the
employees realized Schmidt was
deaf, and proceeded to set off the
alarm. Schmidt continued to rob the
bank, oblivious to the alarms and
eventually the police coming in and
arresting him. Arguably the best part
about this story is the fact that after
his arrest, Schmidt attempted to sue
the bank for exploiting his disability.
Another mind bogglingly failed
bank robbery attempts comes from
Dennis Hawkins, who had a pretty
bad disguise. Hawkins walked into
a bank wearing a short blond wig,
a fake pair of breasts, and clown
pants. You’d think if he was trying
to disguise his identity and play it off
as if he was a woman he would have
shaved his full goatee. Needless to
say, Hawkins was taped by security
cameras and later arrested.
You’d think all robbers would be
smart enough not to leave behind any
personal information at a crime, right?
Wrong. In 2008, 18-year-old Ruben
Zarate decided to rob a Chicago
muffler shop. When he walked in
with a gun and demanded money, he
was informed that the money was in
the safe and could only be opened by
the manager, who was not in at the
time. Zarate thought he would just
leave and come back later, which
would have been better than what
he did. The 18-year-old thief left his
phone number with the clerk he was
trying to rob, with instructions to call
him when the manager was in, and
he would just steal all their money
then. Obviously when Zarate left,
the police were contacted and came
to the muffler shop to await Zarate’s
return, upon which he was arrested.
A similar case occurred in March
of 2010 where Albert Bailey and
an accomplice attempted to rob a
bank in Connecticut by informing
said bank by phone that they were
coming to rob them of $100,000. The
robbers expected to just have the cash
waiting for them when they arrived
at the bank so they could mosey in,
grab it, mosey out and leave. Nope.
The police were contacted and given
constant updates on the situation by
the bank and were waiting for Bailey
and his friend when they arrived.
They faced up to nine years in prison.
One of the most unique failed
robberies comes from Halifax Bank
in London. A man one day walked
into this bank with both hands filled,
one with a gun, and one with a bag.
Signs
of the
Times
He approached the counter and
pointed both at the cashier, wanting
a lot of money. In what must have
been an absolute brain fart, the man
accidentally gave the cashier the gun
instead of the bag. After realizing
his mistake, he tried to recapture the
gun, which the teller promptly aimed
at the robber. The man ran out of the
bank, and didn’t leave empty handed,
because he used an employee’s bike
as getaway transportation.
Hopefully, every once in a while
people will continue to attempt to
commit grand larceny in absurd
ways so that the rest of the world has
something to laugh at.
The Linn-Mar Life
Students go all out to show spirit on Homecoming dress up days
The Linn-Mar Life
Parade and Coronation highlight Homecoming week
The Linn-Mar Life
October has to be about more than saving boobs
By Julia Fiance October is the month people associate with fall,
pumpkins, apples, football, cold and Halloween.
October is also significant for another reason. It is
Breast Cancer Awareness month. So what first comes
to mind when you hear Breast Cancer Awareness?
Pink. Pink ribbons, pink shirts, pink hair, you name
it! Breast Cancer Awareness month almost feels like
a national holiday, that is how supported it is. If you
don’t know when Breast Cancer Awareness month
is, you probably live under a rock. October also supports another cancer: liver cancer. But you didn’t
know that because there isn’t green everywhere you
look. September supports the most cancers including
childhood cancer, gynecological cancer, leukemia/
lymphoma, ovarian, prostate, and thyroid. Those
cancers get nowhere near as much support as breast
cancer. Most people don’t even know what month supports what cancer because it is not as advertised as
Breast Cancer Awareness. Breast Cancer Awareness
is heavily advertised by the NFL, the American Cancer Society and many other organizations. It is part of
a societal norm to support the boobs. So why does the NFL support Breast Cancer
Awareness month? The league is made up of men.
They should be supporting cancers that are killing
men. Why can’t they wear blue all September for
prostate cancer, a cancer that affects only men? It’s
not a bad thing that they are supporting Breast Cancer but it seems like the reason they are supporting
Breast Cancer is to make the league look good and
to target the women fan base. In addition to just supporting Breast Cancer, they need to heavily support
and raise awareness for all the other terrible diseases/
cancers. “With breast cancer so visible, it is interesting to
note that last month was prostate cancer awareness
month. In September, however, the color blue did
not engulf the country in any similar manner, despite
claiming a comparable number of said dailycaller.
com. “Pinktober” is supposed to raise awareness for
breast cancer and as it does that, it also gives false
insight to the disease. When we spread awareness
about breast cancer we use pink ribbons, pink t-shirts
and jewelry that says “Save the Ta-Tas” or “I Love
Boobies.” “In fiscal year 2009, breast cancer research received $872 million worth of federal funding, while
prostate cancer received $390 million. It is estimated
that fiscal year 2010 ended similarly, with breast cancer research getting $891 million and prostate cancer research receiving $399 million” said dailycaller.
com. That is a $500 million difference. That is a lot
of money. “The awareness message turns into one about saving
boobs, not lives” said a Huffington Post writer. With
that being said, Breast Cancer Awareness month
needs to dial it down with the slogans about a body
part that women can live without and start slogans
about saving lives. Lives are much more important
than body parts. be eliminated completely, we can still do what we
are doing to support Breast Cancer but, in addition
to that, we should also do as much to support other
cancers. September is leukemia awareness month.
Why aren’t the stores stocked with orange ribbons,
water bottles with awareness slogans or t-shirts that
support the disease? Because leukemia doesn’t focus on the body part that everyone has an infatuation for. Of course there are a lot of fundraisers, marathons and merchandise out there for every cancer/
disease but not nearly as much as Breast Cancer.
Think about all the kids that die from cancer or all the
people that die from thyroid cancer or prostate cancer. They need just as much support as people with
Breast Cancer. We need to promote other awareness
months just as much as breast cancer. We need to do
more to show that every cancer victim is just as important as the next. Breast Cancer Awareness month doesn’t have to
Ban on gay men giving blood should be lifted
By Bekah Bent
Over one million lives could potentially be saved
just by getting over the fear of gay men. That’s right,
you heard me correctly. A study done by Williams
Institute in California shows that if the American
government were to lift the blood-donating ban put
on gay men, around 317,000 more pints of blood
would be available to the public each year. That
blood could potentially save hundreds of thousands
of lives; the life of your loved one, a good family
friend, or someone in your life that means something
to you.
So why is this ban still in place? There is no good
reason. The ban was put in place by the FDA in 1983
when doctors feared that the large number of people
getting HIV and subsequently AIDS, was because of
blood donated from infected donors. Those donors
happened to be gay men. According to aids.gov, over
half of the afflicted HIV/AIDS patients and carriers
are gay males, or males who frequent in sexual
activity with other men. So does this mean that it is
okay to ban over four percent of the total population
because of this? No, that is like saying that because
a few women in the country have genital herpes,
the population as a whole cannot give blood. If that
sounds ridiculous to you, it’s because it is ridiculous.
The FDA enforces many regulations when it comes
to donors giving blood. Donors must go through an
evaluation before they give blood where they must
pass a clean bill of health. According to princeton.
edu, some of the things that permit a person from
donation include: having ever used a needle to take
a harmful substance, partaking in prostitution since
the year of 1977, living in a country that has been
deeply affected by AIDS, mostly African countries,
and males who have had sex with another male in the
last 37 years, even if that male doesn’t have AIDS.
Do you want to know the people who can donate?
Someone who had Hepatitis, but has been free of
the disease for a year. People who have had cancer
can donate after three years, people with Epilepsy
can donate as well as people who have had malaria.
People who have had syphilis and gonorrhea can
all donate a year after the sickness as long as they
don’t show symptoms, according to the eligibility
guidelines on princeton.edu. People who have had
diseases that can be transferred in a dormant state
are allowed to donate but a man who has been with
his long-time partner, both free of HIV or any other
disease, or even a man who has only had sex with
another man once in his life and is still HIV free, is
not allowed to donate.
This fact is astounding. So many gay men in
America are completely healthy, and yet they are
denied the right to potentially save someone’s life
simply because they are gay. America has come a
long way in the last ten years. In the 1990’s, gay men
and lesbians were not allowed to get married. Now,
nineteen states perform same sex marriages and many
states are either retracting their bans or recognizing
same sex marriages in their state as well. This is a
huge victory for the LGBT community. If people can
get over the fact that two people of the same gender
can find love with one another and get married, don’t
you think people can get over their fear of gay men
giving blood? Because that is what this is. The ban is
still in place because people are terrified that gay men
with AIDS will surge on the blood donation facilities
and infect the whole country with HIV. According to
the FDA, even if a person with AIDS or HIV were
to donate blood (that is, of course, if they could
somehow miraculously pass through the medical
examinations), there would only be a 1 in 1 million
chance of that blood actually contaminating another
person, just because of the rigorous testing that blood
goes through after it has been donated.
The ban on gay men donating blood should be
lifted, especially because of the rigorous testing that
the donor and the blood must go through to pass the
FDA’s standards. Just like everyone else, they should
have to pass a medical exam before donating, so
that if they do have HIV/AIDS, they would not be
eligible. Instead, the FDA keeps the ban, potentially
killing hundreds of thousands of people each year
because gay men cannot donate due to an antiquated
notion of fear.
EditorialsEditorialsEditorials
The Linn-Mar Life
Do your part and be a responsible pet owner
By Rachel Thompson
In 2012, 2.7 million dogs and cats up for
adoption in shelters were “put to sleep” in shelters
because they weren’t adopted by a family. These
were animals who were just looking for a family to
love. Approximately 62 percent of households in
the United States own at least one pet of some kind,
however only 30 percent of these pets are rescues
that come from shelters, according to The Humane
Society of the United States of America. So what
happens to all the animals that don’t get adopted
from “No-Kill” shelters? They get shipped off to
kill shelters, where because they couldn’t find a
home or someone to love, they will be put to death.
In America today there is a big overpopulation
problem with animals. Every year six to eight
million animals are taken into shelters. And dog
and cat breeders are breeding more animals than
ever to keep up with the supply and demand that
society wants of puppies and kittens, rather than
a dog or cat that’s a couple years old. Many of
the people who get kittens or puppies never take
the time to train them or teach them what is and
is not acceptable behavior and end up giving their
pets to shelters when they’re no longer young and
cute, fueling the overpopulation problem. Another
source of this problem is your giant brand name
stores like Petland and Petco that have animals
caged up all day in tiny containers on display. The
majority of the animals that come to these stores
to be sold, come from puppy mills or giant puppy
producing factories that are far from humane and
safe for the animals being bred there. So when
you think you’re “rescuing” an
animal from a pet store, you’re
really opening up another spot for
another “stock animal” to be sold
and make more money for puppy
mills, according to PETA.
One of the main reasons puppy
mills are still around is because
people want purebred dogs. Some
believe the temperament of a
purebred dog is more likely to be
more predictable, and some say
purebreds live longer and healthier
lives. According to PETA, this is
all false. A dog’s temperament is
based on its genetics and is a reflection of how it
was raised. A Labrador, known for its patience and
gentleness, could grow up to be mean, nervous,
and short tempered. Also, due to the smaller gene
pool and no chance to breed out disorders, many
purebreds are more susceptible to breed specific
diseases (Labradors and hip dysplasia) and a
shorter, sicker life. However, if you really have
your heart set on a purebred dog, according to
The Humane Society of the United States, about
25 percent of dogs in shelters are purebreds. But,
if you’re looking for a dog who will be healthy,
“mutts” or non-purebreds have had the opportunity
to have some temperament and disease issues bred
out of the dog, leaving the dog less susceptible to
diseases (because of a wider gene pool).
Another reason to rescue a dog or any animal from
a Humane Society is the cost. At the Cedar Valley
Humane Society, a dog over seven years old costs
$100, any dog younger than seven years is $125.
Puppies from private sellers in the Cedar Rapids
area start at a minimum of about $300 and go
upwards of $2000. With these bred puppies, you
have no guarantee of the history of the dog or its
parents, and no guarantee that it doesn’t have any
pre-existing health conditions. While rescuing a
dog doesn’t allow you to know about the dog’s
parents, all dogs put up for adoption go through
many types of health tests and various temperament
tests, guaranteeing you a healthy and mentally
stable dog, according to The Humane Society of
the United States.
Ebola fears over the top; calm down America
By Ian Taylor
We Americans have our priorities messed up. While
everyone in this country is having a coronary over
Ebola, there are hundreds, even thousands of other
diseases and causes that are killing millions more
people than Ebola ever will!
Sure, Ebola is deadly. Yes, even the thought of
contracting the disease would be frightful. But
think about this, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, by January 20th of
2015, there are projected to be around 550,000
cases of Ebola in West Africa. Cases, not deaths.
Considering the mortality rate is around 50%, that
means close to 275,000 people will die from the
disease. Keep in mind that Ebola is primarily affecting third world countries in Africa that cannot
even hold a candle to the medical standards and
technology of America. Meanwhile, AIDS is still
killing over 1.7 million people worldwide per year!
And how about the disease that has its own month,
breast cancer? This disease racks up approximate-
ly 521,000 deaths per year worldwide. How about
just all forms of cancer? Over 8.2 million deaths
per year worldwide. Heart disease? 7.4 million
deaths per year worldwide. Stroke? 6.7 million.
Car accidents? 1.3 million. Malaria? 671,000 thousand deaths, 91% percent of which were in Africa.
Taylor argues
Affirmative Action
no longer needed
By Ian Taylor
Affirmative action was originally made to
eliminate racial discrimination in the hiring/
application process. This concept may have
worked back in the 60’s when it was needed, but is
it still needed?
No is the correct answer here. Affirmative
action, or “positive discrimination” is still just
that, discrimination. In fact, I like to think of it
as “Everyone is equal, except when applying for
a position or college.” It is completely unfair and
ridiculous that I and millions of others like me will
be at a disadvantage when applying for positions
because we have to check those little boxes that
say “male” and “Caucasian.”
In today’s society, we are at a spot where we
need to focus more on the merits of individuals
when compared to other individuals. What truly
should matter is qualifications. When considering
applicants for a job, what should matter is the
experience that one person would bring to the table
and if the individual is right for the job, regardless
of race. Simple. Affirmative action has become
a vehicle to foster the problems it was created to
solve.
Affirmative action is reverse racism. Not only
does it keep society aware of racial barriers, but
it actively perpetuates alienation of ethnic groups
and causes resentment between such groups.
Discriminating against white people is not the way
to solve discrimination against other minorities.
Why is it that something like affirmative action
is not racist because its help is directed toward
minorities? If there was a program to get suburban
white kids more opportunities it would be
considered racist. In fact, many of the programs
made for minorities would be considered racist
if they were targeted toward whites. Miss White
America Pageant? Racist. White History Month?
Racist. The Caucasian College Fund? Racist. The
National Association for the Advancement of
White People? Racist, racist, racist!
Martin Luther King Jr. said “I have a dream that
my four little children will one day live in a nation
where they will not be judged by the color of their
skin, but by the content of their character.” This
is exactly the opposite of what affirmative action
aims to do, judge by skin color.
Affirmative action is an outdated program and
as long as it exists, it will continue to hinder the
efforts of society to end racism.
Everyone is going absolutely berserk over Ebola
because it’s the hot topic, but there are so many
more important issues society can focus on! It
doesn’t even have to be death and diseases, it could
be childhood poverty, domestic abuse, human trafficking, rape, suicide, genocide, and the list goes
on and on.
So why are people making such a big deal over Ebola in this country? Maybe it’s because the disease
has been popularized by social media, maybe it’s
because the major news networks have blown it up
on their programs, or maybe it’s just because some
people are just that ignorant. Whichever way, calm
down, America.
EditorialsEditorialsEditorials
The Linn-Mar Life
Senior Emily DeJong well-known for her musical talents
By Jessica Helberg
Emily DeJong, currently a senior at LinnMar High School, is very involved in school
activities. She is on the 2014 Homecoming court,
is a two-year drum major for the LM Marching
Lions, a two-year member of the Iowa All State
Choir, and is a dance captain for Linn-Mar’s
varsity show choir, 10th Street Edition. She is
an excellent leader, a hard-working student, and
a kindhearted friend to all. She is well-known
throughout Linn-Mar, especially in the music
department, for being an outstanding musician
with fiery red hair.
When did you first become interested in
music?
In fourth grade when I joined choir and started
playing the clarinet.
Would you say that your parents played a big
role in getting you started/getting you where
you are today?
Definitely. My mom put me in church choir
when I was three and I’ve been in it ever since.
What instruments do you all play?
I play the bassoon, alto sax, and tenor sax.
When did you start theatre?
I joined middle school drama club in the sixth
grade.
What was your first musical or play?
I did my first play in sixth grade and my first
musical was Guys and Dolls at the high school
my sophomore year.
What was the first live performance you saw?
It was an acapella group that performed at my
church when I was in seventh grade.
What is your favorite band/singer?
That’s a really hard one. My taste in music is
extremely diverse. But the top ones that come to
mind would be Imagine Dragons and Coldplay
Favorite actor/actress?
Meryl Streep. For sure. She blows me away.
Best concert you’ve been to?
This might sound kind of hipster, but definitely
when I went to see Portugal the Man.
Favorite concert you’ve ever played in?
My sophomore year of high school we performed
Rhapsody in Blue. It was so awesome.
All-time favorite musical?
Probably the Sound of Music. Not just because
I performed in it last year, though. I’ve loved it
since I was a kid.
Who is your biggest role model?
I don’t really have one in particular, but I admire
a lot of people for a lot of different reasons.
What is your favorite thing about the LM
music department?
The demand for excellence. Sorry if that’s a little
cheesy.
Do you participate in any honor choirs, bands,
theatre programs, etc.
Yeah, I’m in thespian troupe, I did Opus in ninth
grade, I’m a two year All-Stater, a two-year drum
major, and I also did IBA twice in middle school.
Do your parents still play a prominent
role in your life/successes in the LM music
department?
Absolutely. My mom is actually the whole
reason I’m in marching band. My freshman
year I really didn’t want to do it, but she was all,
“You’re doing it!” and I was all “UGH!” But I’m
obviously really glad I listened to her.
Who would you consider to be your “support
system” in your life?
My parents for sure. They’ve been there for me
through everything.
Describe what a typical day is like for you.
Well, it changes basically every quarter, and
it also depends on what day of the week it is.
But, I usually have something going on before
school that will start around 7 or 7:15, and then
I go to school, obviously, and then I’ll typically
have some sort of rehearsal after school or later
at night.
Do you enjoy being a leader?
Yes. It’s a lot of responsibility, but it’s also a ton
of fun.
Do you ever feel like there’s more pressure
on you to be the “best” captain, “best” drum
major or “best” sort of leader?
Definitely. Maybe not the best leader, but I
definitely feel like I need to be the best at doing
it.
Do you ever feel overwhelmed with everything
that you do?
Yeah, sometimes.
How do you usually cope with stress?
I mean, generally I just go up until I get sick, and
can’t do it anymore, and then I just need sleep.
A lot of sleep. And then I get better and I keep
going.
Do you ever find it hard to keep a good balance
between school, home, and extra-curricular
activities?
Yes, actually. I find it pretty hard giving a full
100 percent into everything I do.
Do you feel like you sometimes hold yourself
to a higher standard because of all of your
leadership positions? In other words, would
you say that you’re pretty hard on yourself
sometimes?
Yes, a lot of times. It kind of goes back to feeling
like I need to be the best, and not wanting to let
people down.
Do you ever feel frustrated with the people
who are so keen on the “political side” of the
music department?
It’s hard to answer that. Like, I know what goes
on with everything, I’m still a student so I do
witness a lot of it. So for me to say that I’ve
never seen it isn’t true at all. I try to just keep a
different composure.
Would you agree with them in some ways?
It depends on the situation.
Describe the relationships you’ve formed
because of the music department?
I’ve formed great relationships with my
choir directors. They’ve given me amazing
opportunities, including being able to teach
others, which is incredible because it gives me
a taste of what I want to do when I’m older.
And also, I’ve formed friendships with so many
people thanks to the music department, and
they’re the kind of friendships that are life-long.
Best experience you’ve had with LM music
department/specific turning points for you?
There have been so many great experiences, and
they’re all so different so I don’t think I could
single anyone out. However, making All-State
for the first time was a definite turning point for
me. It’s something I’ll never forget.
What advice do you have for someone who’s
just starting out in the LM music department?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and talk to
upperclassmen. Enjoy every moment you have
here.
What would you consider to be your greatest
accomplishment so far?
Finding my passion for music, and figuring out
that pursuing that passion was what I wanted to
do with my life.
What do you hope to accomplish in the future?
Earn my degree in music education, and
hopefully someday teach at the collegiate level.
Where do you plan to go to college?
It’s between Luther and UNI.
What do you plan to major in?
Music education.
Dream job?
Getting paid a ton of money to perform.
Dream vacation?
Probably Tuscany.
If you could live anywhere, where would you
live?
Either New York of Chicago.
Things you can’t leave the house without?
My phone and my keys. I’m a rather practical
person...most of the time.
Favorite clothing item you own?
I have this tee shirt that says, “red hair, don’t
care,” and I would wear it every day if I could, but
I don’t think that would be socially acceptable.
Clothing item you wish you owned?
More shoes. Any kind, really. My boyfriend would
tell you that I’m crazy, and that I have plenty of
shoes already, but he doesn’t understand. I don’t
think any guy does, really.
Favorite childhood memory?
Anytime I was at my grandparent’s condo in
Florida.
What advice would you want to give your
younger self?
Don’t cut your hair, and don’t let anyone else tell
you what to do. Except for you parents. They’re
pretty important.
The Linn-Mar Life
Netflix branching out to match viewer tastes and habits
By Jessica Helberg
Netflix is one of the most amazing digital
success stories in the world. Starting out almost 15
years ago as a predominantly DVD subscription
service, Netflix was able to quickly pivot and
take advantage of the rapidly evolving mobile
technology and ever-increasing internet speeds
to become one of the largest video distribution
networks in the world.
According to a recent study conducted by CNN,
there are now over 50 million Netflix subscribers
in over 40 countries, including 36 million in the
United States. That compares to 56 million U.S.
households that had premium cable subscriptions
as of July, 2014. The big question now is, will
Netflix replace cable?
A new report from Experian Marketing Services
states that the number of cord-cutters, which
Experian considers people with high-speed Internet
who have either never subscribed to or stopped
subscribing to cable or satellite, has risen from 5.1
million homes to 7.6 million homes in just three
years. Much of their reasoning suggests that the
cost of a Netflix subscription compared to that of
a basic cable company was immensely lower. And
many viewers say that the content provided on
cable these days isn’t keeping up with the amount
of money it takes to have the service.
“I definitely prefer watching Netflix to regular
cable,” said Senior Allison Mehrl. “I feel like I can
find way better stuff to watch, and whenever I do
try to watch regular TV, there’s never anything
good on. Plus, you get to choose what you want to
watch, and you don’t have to wait for something
good to be on.”
In addition to the significantly lower cost, Netflix
is also a lot smarter than you would think. Netflix
not only keeps track of what you’re watching,
but also when, where, and which device you use
each time. It logs every single pause, rewind, and
fast-forward, and also records how often a show
is abandoned. Netflix knows the viewing habits
of every single one of its subscribers, and acts
accordingly. If enough people pause, rewind, or
fast-forward at the same place during the same
show, the data crunchers can begin to make some
inferences. Perhaps the action slowed down too
much to hold viewer interest, or maybe the plot
became too convoluted. And if enough of us never
end up restarting the show after taking a break, the
inference could be even stronger: maybe the show
was just really bad.
“We know what people watch on Netflix and
we’re able with a high degree of confidence to
understand how big a likely audience is for a given
show based on people’s viewing habits,” Netflix
communications director Jonathan Friedland told
Wired Magazine. “We want to continue to have
something for everybody. But as time goes on,
we get better at selecting what that something for
everybody is that gets high engagement.”
Another huge benefit of Netflix is their plethora
of titles. You can pick any movie or TV show
you want to watch, and you have the capability
of watching as many seasons of it as you’d like.
In fact, according to a recent poll done by the
company, 61% of Netflix users regularly bingewatch, or watch several episodes of a show backto-back in one sitting. And 73% of those say that
they actually prefer the binge-watching method in
comparison to typical live television.
“I’m definitely guilty of binge-watching,” said
Senior Camille Bonar, “I never have time to keep
up with current television, and watch it when it
normally airs, so I always end up watching older
shows for hours at a time on the weekends.”
While there are many things Netflix users seem
to love, one of the biggest downfalls is their content
and when it is made available. For instance, while
they do have a very large pool of titles to choose
from, with the exception of their original shows,
all of them are old seasons of shows previously
aired on television. Live TV has not yet been made
available on Netflix. So viewers who still want
to watch the nightly news or Sunday afternoon
football will have to keep their cable subscription
for now. However, the company claims that they
plan to find a way to make this option available
to their subscribers in the near future when their
budget allows.
Senior Riley Anderson said, “I definitely watch
Netflix, but I don’t think I would ever switch
to just that. I would also want to keep my cable
subscription because then I still have access to live
T.V., like the news, or things that aren’t on Netflix.”
Until Netflix is able to give their viewers access
to live television, like news and sports, many
people agree that cable television will still have
a rather large market. There are still many people
in the world without Netflix subscriptions who
prefer to watch live TV, don’t mind sitting through
commercials, and like to keep up with their shows
on a week-by-week basis, as opposed to mashing
three seasons of it into one weekend. And until
Netflix finds a way to make everyone happy, cable
TV will most definitely still be around.
Facebook remains most popular
social website among users
By Bekah Bent
How many times a day do you find yourself
scrolling away on some social media site: Twitter,
Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, etc? To today’s generations, that answer is most likely “all the time,”
or very close to it. And with all the new technology, including smartphones that are just smaller
versions of computers, it is even easier to quickly
get all the latest updates, whether it be yet another twitter fight between frenemies, or the latest of
your annoying cousin’s bad selfies. But with so
many social media sites out there today, which one
reigns supreme? The answer might surprise you.
According to studies by ink.niche.com, Facebook is still king for both teens and adults when it
comes to most visits. Over 71 percent of people 18
and older using the sight avidly while over 87 percent of teens log on daily. Does that surprise you?
“It does surprise me, I always thought that Twitter would be most popular,” says Linn-Mar student
Madi K. In recent years, there has been some speculation from countless Facebook members that the
social media site will “die”, but fear not, for the
legendary website is still running strong.
A recent study done by statista.com shows that
the most visited site by far is Facebook, with 58.88
percent of site visits, while the next leading social
media outlet, Youtube, only gets about 19 percent
of visits. That is a pretty substantial difference
when you take into account all the different social
media sites out there today. Facebook still accounts
for more than half of all the sites. That is pretty impressive when you think about the fact that Facebook has been around the block, compared to some
of its competition.
The actual concept of Facebook itself is rather
old for a social media site, being founded by Mark
Zuckerberg and his Harvard pals in early 2004.
The site originally was created as a sharing site for
ideas and help but the idea was so popular that it
quickly spread to other schools and finally to the
public. Facebook has the largest member base as
well, with over 500,000,000 registered members
in its database while Twitter, which was founded
two years later, only has 75,000,000 members according to calcouk.com. With this great of a gap
between members, it is no surprise that Facebook
gets more visits than any other social media site.
Why is it that this older site still gains so much
attention, when there are so many newer and coolers sites out there today? According to pewinternet.
org, it is because Facebook offers the most diverse
array of tools for staying in contact with family
and friends. From being able to keep up to date on
a family member thousands of miles away, to messaging your sister who lives on the other side of
the country, Facebook offers the best way to keep
in touch with the people in your life. On Facebook
you can even find old friends or make new ones.
Ashley Grant, high school senior, likes Facebook
the most for that reason.
“I like the fact that I can stay in touch with all
of my friends. No other site really does that like
Facebook,” says Morgan Grabau, high school student. Not only does Facebook allow you to keep
in touch with all the people in your life, according
to polls taken by pewinternet.org, Facebook users
are more trusting than people who only use other
social media like twitter or instagram. They also
maintain many more close relationships and are
much more open and engaging than people who
don’t use the site. Facebook users also offer the
most support to one another. On any given day
if you scroll through your Twitter and Facebook,
there’s almost without a doubt more hate on Twitter than on its older competitor.
“It does irritate me sometimes when I get on
my Twitter and see two people in some pointless
fight,” says Grabau.
Does this mean that Facebook reigns supreme
in every field? Actually no. While Facebook is still
the most widely visited social media site on the internet today, it is beat in one area. Instagram, the
picture sharing social media site that was opened
to the public in 2010, has been rated the most user
engaging out of all the social media sites, with
an average of 77 percent whereas Facebook only
peaks at 70 percent. This means that more people
get something out of their visits to Instagram than
Facebook, but is this really surprising when the
site is all pictures?
“I probably go on Instagram most often out of
all the social media sites. I love looking at all the
pictures my friends take,” says Grant.
Despite the fact that Facebook is one of the older social media sites, it’s outstandingly large number of members and visits make it no surprise that
the older site is still king, standing strong above all
of its competition.
The Linn-Mar Life
Professional athletes garnering negative attention
By Ian Taylor
These past couple weeks have
been pretty tough for the NFL. With
the domestic violence cases of Ray
Rice, Greg Hardy, Ray McDonald,
Jonathan Dwyer, and Adrian Peterson,
professional athletes are getting a lot
of negative attention. But of course,
this isn’t the first time athletes have
been in hot water. In light of recent
events, it’s time the world takes a
stroll down memory lane of athletes
in big trouble.
Possibly the biggest example of an
athlete getting in trouble with the law
is none other than O.J. Simpson. In
the infamous and hugely publicized
1994 murder case, Simpson was
acquitted of the murder of exwife Nicole Brown Simpson and
Ronald Goldman. This polarizing
verdict sparked race arguments
and controversy across the country.
However, The Juice isn’t the only
star to be accused of murder. Back
in 2000, Ray Lewis, star Raven’s
linebacker, was involved in the brutal
stabbing and murder of two men after
a Superbowl party on January 31st.
After weeks of misleading statements
to police and ongoing investigations,
Lewis’s lawyers worked out a deal
with the District Attorney for his
murder charges to be dropped and
replaced with 12-months probation
in addition to a $250,000 fine in
exchange for his testimony against
his two co-defendants, Reginald
Oakley and Joseph Sweeting.
Sweeting and Oakley were acquitted
later in June of 2000. Even more
recently, Aaron Hernandez, tight end
for the Patriots was involved in not
one, not two, but THREE murder
issues from 2012 to 2013. Hernandez
got himself into a shooting in Miami,
a murder of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd
in Massachusetts, and a double
homicide in Boston. Hernandez
quickly went off the grid in virtually
everything, being dropped from
Madden NFL 25 and NCAA
Football 2014 video games, losing
endorsement deals with CytoSport
and Puma, having his name removed
from University of Florida facilities,
having pictures of him being removed
from the Pro Football Hall of Fame,
and ultimately, he was dropped from
the Patriots. The Patriots even went
so far as to ban him from the stadium
and to offer exchanges for his jersey
at their stadium.
Murder isn’t the only way athletes
have gotten themselves in trouble
over the years. Another huge example
of this is Michael Vick. In 2007, Vick
was sentenced to 18 months in prison
for dog fighting charges. Not only did
he lose his lucrative contract with the
Atlanta Falcons, but he sunk much
of his money into legal fees. Luckily
for Vick, after his release he was
signed by the Philadelphia Eagles
in 2009 where he led them to the
playoffs in two straight years before
being signing with the New York Jets
in 2014. Other athletes arrested for
similar charges include the NBA’s
Qyntel Woods and the NFL’s LeShon
Johnson.
Who can forget Kobe Bryant’s
2003 rape accusations? After a sexual
encounter with a 19-year-old hotel
worker in Colorado, the NBA star was
the subject of rape accusations. After
claiming the sex was consensual,
Bryant was set free because the
woman accusing him was unwilling
to testify. Of course, Bryant isn’t the
only pro athlete to allegedly commit
rape. In 2006, infamous boxer Mike
Tyson served three years of a six
year sentence for the rape of Desiree
Washington, a 19-year-old beauty
pageant contestant.
It doesn’t take something as
serious as rape or murder to send
an athlete to the doghouse. Plenty
of stars have gotten in huge trouble
for doing drugs. NFL Star Ricky
Williams failed drug tests and was
suspended for a year in 2006. Chris
“Birdman” Andersen was kicked out
of the NBA for two years for various
drug use charges. Michael Phelps
was caught smoking marijuana and
lost endorsement deals including
Kellogg’s and financial support from
USA Swimming. Josh Hamilton
burned through four million dollars
of a signing bonus on cocaine, crack,
and other drugs. Hamilton, however,
had one of the most heartwarming
comebacks the sporting world has
ever seen following his drug troubles,
setting Home Run Derby records in
2008 and becoming a multiple time
all-star.
Even having unlicensed guns has
gotten a plethora of athletes into
trouble over the years. Plaxico
Burress of the New York Giants
accidentally shot himself in the leg
in a nightclub with an illegal firearm,
resulting in serving two years in
prison and missing out on a $35
million contract.
Not only are these incidents
affecting these athletes directly, but
it is changing the opinions of regular
people towards these players. Do
celebrities get treated differently
because of their social status?
“Yes, I think the judges are less
strict because they know that these
athletes have to entertain America,”
Senior Dakota Busenbark said.
However, Geoffrey Rapp, a law
professor at the University of Toledo
says that in the case of Michael Vick,
“He… would have likely received a
lighter penalty had their not been so
much public outrage about the case.”
Should the league handle these
issues on their own or let the court
system deal with it?
“A little bit of both,” said
Busenbark, “I think depending on the
severity of the issue, they should be
suspended accordingly and of course
have whatever repercussions come
from the court system.”
Senior Justin Helgens disagrees.
“No, I think they should keep
playing while these issues are going
on. It’s their job.”
It’s safe to say that the sporting
world has had more than their fair
share of legal issues with their athletes
getting into trouble, be it big or small.
Seeing the spike in incidents recently,
it seems as if trouble will always find
its way into the sports world and into
the headlines.
By Ian Taylor
For the first time since Jackie
Robinson broke the color barrier in
baseball, someone has the chance
to completely revolutionize the
sports world. Michael Sam, a
dominating defensive end out of
Missouri, is fighting to be the first
openly gay player in the National
Football League. Sam, the 2013 SEC
Defensive Player of the Year, publicly
came out after a very decorated and
successful college career. Sam was
drafted in the 7th round of the 2014
NFL Draft to the St. Louis Rams,
but was ultimately cut from the 75
man roster during the pre-season.
Following his time with the Rams,
Sam was signed to the practice squad
of the Dallas Cowboys, where he
currently practices and works to
make it to the starting lineup.
Certainly there have been other
gay athletes to play professionally.
Jason Collins played in the NBA,
Greg Louganis was an Olympic diver
and gold medalist winner, Billie Jean
King won 12 grand slam titles in
tennis, and Brittney Griner is a rising
star in the WNBA. Many athletes
have even came out after their careers
have ended, fearing that revealing
their sexuality during their career
would have hurt them. But Sam’s
story is different. He is entering a
huge industry with so much attention
and controversy all on him, and yet,
he is upfront about it. His attitude is
one of: I’m gay, I’m proud, and I’m
here to play football.
He has said in interviews, “I don’t
want to be defined as ‘Michael Sam:
The gay football player,’ I want to be
defined… for being a great person
and having great character.”
The biggest question following
Sam in his journey to play in the
NFL is will he be accepted by his
teammates? Sam said that he was
accepted by all of his teammates at
Missouri after he came out to them,
and this seems to be the case so far
in the NFL. In a poll done by ESPN
to 51 anonymous NFL players, only
seven said that a player’s sexual
orientation mattered to them, and 39
said that they would shower around
a gay player. However, some players
have been very outspoken about their
opinions on Sam.
Jonathan Vilma, a New Orleans
Saints linebacker has said, “Imagine
if he’s [Sam] the guy next to me and,
you know, I get dressed, naked, taking
a shower, the whole nine, and it just
so happens he looks at me. How am I
supposed to respond?”
At Linn-Mar, athletes have their own
opinion on this issue as well. Junior
A.J Geers, a Linn-Mar wrestler, has
said that he would be fine with having
an openly gay teammate. But he also
stated that “I think there would be
an awkwardness to the locker room
atmosphere. I think that the locker
room would become segregated in a
way.” He went on to say, “Wrestling
a gay athlete definitely is similar to
wrestling a girl, which would make
me uncomfortable. I would still treat
it like a normal match but I definitely
would view it differently.”
Junior Noah Miller, another LinnMar athlete has similar opinions,
saying that he would certainly be
ok with having a gay teammate. He
also has said, however, that “Being
in the locker room would definitely
be awkward- almost as if you were in
there with a female.”
Homosexuality has, and will
continue to be a hot topic in America.
Many states are moving toward
legalizing same sex marriage, and gay
people are integrating into society in
more ways than ever, including in
NFL. On gay athletes in professional
sports, Michael Sam says “I may be
the first, but I won’t be the last. And
I think only good things are going to
come from this.” With Michael Sam
paving the way for gay athletes to
be open with their sexuality in the
sporting world, the world seems to
move closer to a more all accepting
era.
Is the NFL ready for a gay player?
The Linn-Mar Life
Female fan base growing for professional football
By Julia Fiance When you hear the term “football” what do you think of? Kenny
Chesney singing “The Boys of Fall?”
Do you think about all the male fans
in the stands? The women on the sidelines in tight little outfits cheering,
“Go Team!” What do you think about
when you hear “NFL?” The same
thing, right? Men sitting on couches
screaming at the TV on Sunday afternoon while women are cooking or
out shopping? Imagine this: a woman
dressed head to toe in Saints gear or
in Giants gear. A women cheering for
the NFL isn’t necessarily what first
comes to mind for most people. The female fan base of football, especially in the NFL, is rapidly growing. According to Forbes.com, women make up nearly half of all football
fans (45%). There is a whole section
for women’s NFL fan gear on their
website including nail polish, women’s jerseys, scarves, necklaces and
much more. The NFL is pushing and
even actively targeting female fans
by advertising with women, putting out a clothing line, and making
the “fit for you” jerseys which fit to
women’s bodies. The NFL even has
maternity clothes for women! In the
Cowboy’s stadium there is a Victoria’s Secret Pink Store which sells
women’s Cowboys gear including
sweatpants, shirts, and underwear.
Women’s football apparel sales tripled between 2010 and 2013. There
are now commercials and even fashion shows debuting NFL apparel in
such a way that encourages women
to don football gear. Now women can
wear a t-shirt of their favorite team
and still make their outfit look fashionable. “The NFL is thrilled to give our
female fans more ways to marry their
fandom with their style,” said Rhiannon Madden, the NFL’s Director of
Apparel
The breast cancer awareness campaign that the NFL does every October is a way to get more female fans.
Players wear pink gloves, towels,
socks, shoes, etc. Some even shave a
pink ribbon into their hair. Since the
teams started doing this, the female
fan base has expanded. “In a recent Bud Light survey to
celebrate the 2013 season, women
have proven to be almost as engaged
in the sport as men.” According to adweek.com, in
2014, the most watched television
event by 44.9 million women was
Super Bowl XLVIII. “More women watch the (Super bowl) game than the Oscars,
the Grammys and the Emmys combined,” according to CNN. The Super Bowl is known for the
ads and commercials. The day after
the Bowl there is, of course, talk
about the game but more so about
which was the best commercial. According to espn.com women are
more connected with social media than men and therefore, Super
Bowl commercials are mostly targeted towards women because they
are more likely to share their favorite ads on Facebook and Twitter
thus, increasing the product’s advertisement and potentially their sales. work with the NFL and the jobs continue to be filled by them. “It’s clear that the NFL is taking
its female fans seriously. And, with
the increased presence of women in
sports-management roles, the place
for ladies in football is no longer relegated to the sideline cheerleading
squad,” says refinery29.com. The NFL female fan base is increasing each season and many women are starting to have careers working in the NFL as a referee, or manager, or CEO. Who knows? Maybe we
will have our first NFL female player
in a few years. In addition to the female fan base
growing, female job positions are
increasing as well. The NFL inclusion of women in the roles of referees, journalists, announcers, etc.
is consistently growing. To name a
few: Amy Trask is the CEO of the
Oakland Raiders and Dawn Aponte
is the senior VP of Football Operations with the Miami Dolphins. Sarah Thomas has been a referee for 17
years and decided that she wanted to
try out for a ref position in the NFL.
She is now training with the NFL to
become the first woman to ever be
a referee for professional football.
There are many more women that
Excessive celebration rule is stupid, needs to be dropped
By Ian Taylor
Some rules in football exist to
protect players, some rules exist to
make the referees’ job easier, and
then, there is excessive celebration.
Excessive celebration penalties seem
to exist for one reason, to make the
game boring and to censor players’
personalities.
Who cares if when a player makes
a great play and scores he gets excited
and celebrates? It’s entertaining!
People who think that excessive
celebration penalties are necessary
because they distract from the game
and hurt other players’ feelings
(wow) need to call the whambulance
and stop being six years old.
Scoring a touchdown in
professional football, believe it or
not, is a really hard task. Only an
astronomically miniscule percent of
anybody who ever lives will achieve
this tremendous accomplishment!
NFL athletes spend so many hours
and days and years working to earn
those priceless moments when they
run into the endzone and score six
points for their team. Why should
they not be allowed to go crazy and
celebrate how they want?
The current rules for touchdown
celebrations in the NFL state that
a player cannot use a prop such
as towel or a football, celebrate
while on the ground, or perform a
prolonged, excessive, premeditated,
or choreographed celebration with
two or more players. Also noted in the
NFL Rulebook is that a celebration
is considered excessive if “a player
continues to celebrate after a warning
from an official.”
To all of the above rules I say,
who cares? I certainly don’t care if a
player does a choreographed dance
with teammates, or uses props, or
does anything that the NFL and their
officials get so hurt over. In fact,
I think it’s hilarious and I would
encourage it, for my own and for all
of the spectator’s amusement.
When Joe Horn scored a touchdown
in 2004 and grabbed a pre-placed cell
phone from behind the goalpost and
called someone to brag about the
touchdown, that was funny. When
Terrell Owens scored a touchdown
and ran to do his celebration on the
50 yard line star at the Cowboy’s
stadium, or when, after another
touchdown he pulled a Sharpie out
of his sock, signed the ball, and
gave it to his financial advisor in the
stands, that was funny. When Chad
Ochocinco, notorious for being fined
for touchdown celebrations, scored a
touchdown for the Cincinnati Bengals
and whipped out an orange sign that
read “Dear NFL, please don’t fine me
again!!!!!” that was hilarious!
Why do any of these celebrations
warrant the same penalty as chop
blocking, roughing the passer/
kicker, or even punching or kicking
another player? The correct answer
is that they don’t. Football is all
about entertainment, let the players
entertain!
In eighth grade football I remember
playing in a close game against our
rival, Xavier. After catching the
ball and running 30 yards down the
field for a touchdown, my friend
Ryan Downing proceeded to do the
Heisman pose in the end zone with the
ball, which resulted in the touchdown
being taken away from us. Standing
on the field after that play, all I could
think was “wow, this is stupid.”
Downing hadn’t hurt anyone
with that celebration. It’s ridiculous
that making the Heisman pose got a
touchdown taken away from us. Fun
fact, we lost that game.
Linn-Mar students have their own
opinions, that not-so shockingly, are
very similar to mine.
Do you think excessive celebration
penalties are necessary and what
do you think of them?
“They’re horses#%@,” says Junior
Chandler Medberry. “Who cares, I
love watching Jimmy Graham dunk
the crossbar and wish more players
would do cool stuff like it.”
“As long as you’re not significantly
delaying the game you should be
able to do whatever you want,” says
Junior Andrew Schuring.
“I don’t care what you do, but fake
mooning the crowd is messed up and
should never be done,” says Junior
Thomas Doyle.
“I think the celebrations are hilarious
and should not be discouraged. I
know whenever I score a touchdown
in ultimate Frisbee I like to celebrate
quite extremely,” said Junior Nick
Culver.
I understand and agree with
penalties for taunting. Insulting and
mocking other players is wrong and
should be punished. The only purpose
of taunting, whether intentional or
unintentional, is to instigate conflict.
Celebrations on the other hand, are
just that, celebrations.
The Linn-Mar Life
2014 Marching Lions undefeated in competition
By Julia Fiance “Stars Collide” was this year’s
Marching Band show performed
by 204 of Linn Mar’s own Marching Lions. The show was directed by
Steve Stickney, Aaron Nuss and Dan
Terrell. The show’s songs consisted of: “Mars,” “Enterprising Young
Men,” “Mercury,” “Apollo 13,” “Jupiter,” “War” from Avatar and “Reprises.” The music was arranged for pit
percussion and winds by Steve Shanley and for drum line by Mike Davies.
The drum majors were Emily DeJong,
Allyson Canaday and Megan England. This year’s show is a mesh of songs
with a galaxy feel including songs from
Star Trek and Avatar. It is definitely a
show that most of the band members
and fans enjoy. Band Director, Steve Stickney said,
“I like it (“Stars Collide”). It is entertaining and fun music to play.” Senior color guard member, Jenny Long said, “I love the show, I like
the choreography and drill for color
guard.” Drum line snare, Brett Willhite, junior, said, “I think it is very complex
with a killer drum break.” For the band’s first competition, the
Marion Marching Band Invitational on
September 27th, 2014, they won first
place in class 4A, best overall band,
best Color Guard, best Drum Majors,
best Horn Line, best overall Color
Guard, best overall Drum Majors and
best overall Horn Line. The following
week on October 4th, the band went
to Prairie High School for the Bands
Across the Prairie Competition. They
won 1st place, best Color Guard and
best Horn Line. In the evening, for the
final competition of the season, the
band traveled to Kingston Stadium for
the Five Seasons Marching Invitational
where they won 1st place, making them
undefeated in competition. They also
won best Drum Line, best Horn Line
and Best Color Guard. On October
11th, the band competed against themselves and their past scores at Kingston Stadium for a division rating. The
band got a score of 88, and although
this score is less than previous years,
the band still received their 34th consecutive Division One rating. cessful in competitions. 2012’s show
27: Shattered Dreams won 1st place
in every competition making Linn
Mar “undefeated” and continually received best horn line, drum line and
color guard. In 2013 the Marching Lions performed “Oz: Behind the Curtain” and received mostly 1st place
with a couple of 2nd places along with
best horn line, drum line, color guard
and drum majors. Four of the senior band members said that their favorite
show, since they joined Marching
Band, has been their sophomore year
show, 2012’s “27: Shattered Dreams.” “It was enjoyable and you never got
sick of it” said Senior Brandon Homewood, tenor on drum line. ​
All this success didn’t just happen;
it took a lot of hard work and dedication from the band members. Practices
for the band took place every weekday
morning before school from 7:15 am to
8:00 am and Tuesday nights from 7-9
pm. throughout the season, sectionals
took place and a mini camp was held
for two days for drum line, pit percussion and color guard at the beginning
of June preceding the fall band season.
The first week of August, the drum line,
pit and Color Guard practiced every
day from 9 am to 3 pm. The following
week (the week before school started)
the full band joined percussion and color guard. Band director Steve Stickney
says “it was important to frontload
the drum line and color guard.” They
had a lot to work on with technique
and rhythms as well as memorization. Drum line had nowhere to put
music while out on the field so it was
better for them to memorize the music
early in order to keep tempo and help
the rest of the band. Linn Mar’s class 4A marching
band has a history of being very suc-
Sexting becomes common, but do you know the legal implications?
By Evan Linhoss
Sexting: the act of sending sexually explicit text messages, pictures,
and/or videos. It is something that
many teens do, but do these teens
truly comprehend the potential repercussions of their acts. Chances are,
they do not, and chances are, many
teens have either sexted themselves
or know someone who has sexted.
As sexting becomes more common,
with 20 percent of all teens doing it, it
seems as though teens these days are
forgetting the most important thing,
which is that for teenagers, sexting is
illegal. That is right, if a minor sends
out a sexually explicit photograph
(either nude or semi-nude), video, or
even a text, he or she can get in serious trouble. If ever you are to get
caught sexting you will receive a distribution of child-pornography, production of child-pornography, or possession of child pornography charge,
which are all punishable by a minimum of five years in prison as well
as being a registered sex offender for
the rest of your life.
To many, these charges seem too
harsh for an 18-year-old kid who
might be sexting his 16-year-old girlfriend.
“I think it is a bit outrageous to
ruin a young adult’s life because they
decided to send a naked picture to
another young adult, as many young
adults do,” said Senior David Kepler.
Kepler raises a good point. At what
point does a person become mature
enough to send naked pictures? If society truly thinks that on a person’s
18th birthday they magically become
significantly more mature and capable of better handling adult topics
then they are sadly mistaken.
“I don’t see the point of sexting.
It is inappropriate and just all around
a bad reflection of a person’s character,” said Junior A.J. Geers.
I understand wanting to protect
kids from putting themselves into
such vulnerable positions when they
likely don’t even realize what they
are doing so. At some point, however,
society needs to accept the fact that
sexting is a generational thing and no
matter how stiff the laws are, sexting
is going to happen because it is difficult to enforce. This raises another
good point. The only reason teens
seem to get caught sexting is because
the intended recipient decides to send
the photo to a lot of other people for
one reason or another.
To avoid such consequences, many
have turned to a new and seemingly
flawless median for sexting, otherwise known as Snapchat. Snapchat
allows a person to send a picture to
whoever (so long as they are friends
on the application) they want for a
maximum of 10 seconds until all of
the sudden, it disappears. In theory,
this is a flawless system but unfortunately, it isn’t as safe as people think.
Realistically, there are two problems
with it; the first being that there is an
option to screenshot the picture and
there are also applications on the
market now that allow you to save the
picture without the sender knowing
that you did. This is a huge problem
because that attractive picture you
think you are sending out can potentially go out to a lot of other people
without you even knowing it.
Another problem is that most people think that a Snapchat photo is
only there for 10 seconds before it
disappears. However, that is not the
truth because every “snap” you get
is saved to your cache. If you don’t
know what a cache is, it is a part of
memory that the computer or phone
can access quickly butt that most
people cannot. That said, if you are
sexting a computer-savvy person
who suddenly becomes mad at you,
they would be able to go into their
cache and resurface the picture for
more than 10 seconds. On the flip
side, if the person you are sexting is
not good with computers but has an
extra $300-$500 laying around, they
can use a service that will go through
your cache and find the picture for
you. They primarily use this service
for parents and law enforcement
agencies, however.
And so, next time you decide to take
that innocent picture of your naughty parts to send to whomever, think
about what could potentially happen
to you. Play it safe, and remember:
unless both parties are 18 and acting
consensually, sexting is illegal.