April 2010 - Newton Community School District

Cardinal Chronicle
April 2010
spring brings a time of change - flip flop fun - budget cuts hit school district
800 East Fourth Street South - Newton, Iowa - 50208
Page 2 - News
Cardinal Chronicle
Become a BBBS mentor, help a child
in the community
By Madeline
Joy
W
ho wouldn’t want
to help out a child
in need? The Big
Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS)
school-based program is all
about helping children in the
Newton Community School
District, who are missing
a parent or going through
problems. The mentors
would provide a structured,
one-on-one relationship and
help with social, emotional,
and academic needs of the
children.
A recent survey shows
that 80% of children with
mentors gained self confidence, 77% improved academically, and over 70%
improved in things like class
participation,
expressing
their feelings, and getting
along with teachers. Obviously, mentors have a very
positive impact on students
in the BBBS school-based
program.
Anyone here at the school
can become a mentor, as
long as they have their own
means of transportation to
and from the school. The
programs always occur
during the school day on
school grounds, and consist
of thirty minutes a week
of mentor-mentee contact,
usually during the mentor’s
lunchtime, study hall, or any
other free period during the
school day. The program is
looking for mentors that are
sincere in their want to help
children, and requires that
one commits to it for a full
year.
Currently, there are
around 100 school-based
matches, and five students
waiting for a mentor of
their own. By next fall, it’s
expected that there will
be about 50 more waiting,
which means that the program is in need of more
mentors - especially boys!
Mentors do tons of fun,
educational activities with
their child. The BBBS coordinator, Cathy Wignall, and
classroom teachers are helpful in coming up with good
games and activities to do.
All in all, the Big Brothers Big Sisters school-based
program is here for a wonderful cause, and anyone
who would be interested in
joining can stop by the Career Center at any time to
pick up an application and
more information.
Café takes the stage tonight
and Saturday
By Jessica
Jolley
C
afé is a show full of
singing, dancing, music, and comedy. It’s
a talent show! Every year
Newton High School gets
together and finds the new
talents within the school. In
order to get into Café, the
performers have to try out
infront of the judges and
they choose the best auditions. Also, the musical
and drama department make
their appearances within the
show. Café is a fun way to
showcase the student’s talent at Newton High School
and a blast to watch.
This year there are many
things in store. The Show
Choir will be doing a little
sassy dance for you. Most
of all, our Jazz Band will be
showing the audience how
they really can play. Graffiti will be there to do a skit
to keep the crowd moving.
There will also be a special
performance from Gracious
Defeat, a local band. The
masters of ceremony this
year will be Alex Klyn and
Delaney Abarr, both 2010.
Other people to look forward to will be Anna Wells
and Ian Day, who will be
singing, and Jocelyn Brown
will be putting on a dance
performance.
Café will be a two day
event, tonight and Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. Scott
Hook, music; Norm Grimm,
music; Paula Forck, language arts; and Melissa
Madsen, music, are the staff
in charge. “It will be exciting
to see Newton’s fresh new
talent!” said Alex Klyn.
April 2010
Budget cuts cause
inconvience for Newton school district
By Isaac
MathisonBowie
T
he Newton Community School District
is undergoing severe
budget cuts this year. The
Governor’s budget cuts
amount to about $1,527,733
and around 1.8 million dollars will end up being cut.
The changes, however will
be spread over 2 years. The
cuts are overall about 10 percent of the district’s budget.
The recent decision to
close Emerson Hough Elementary School will save
the district 700,000 dollars in
salary, benefits, maintenance
and utilities. According to
Superintendent Steve McDermott, they will also be
cutting 18 full-time positions
as well as some coaching
and other support positions.
McDermott also said that
the budget means that there
will be a 10 cent increase in
property taxes from $16.56
to $16.66. Belt-tightening is
not fun for anyone, but it is a
necessity that Newton has to
face. Members of the community said, “Newton is the
decisive type, it always gives
a definite maybe.”
NHS orchestra performs
at State
By Hannah
Long
T
he NHS Orchestra
took three performances to the State
Solo and Ensemble. Laura
Miller, 2011, performed a
solo and received a division one rating. Also, Samuel Hall, 2010, performed a
solo and received a division
one rating along with being awarded Best in Center.
The Chamber Orchestra also
wrapped up the day with
yet another division one rat-
ing. The participants of the
Chamber Orchestra include,
first violins, Hall, Miller, Alice Hinshaw, 2011, and Anna
Sciarrotta, 2010. The second
violin section includes, Ray
Barr, 2010, Jacob Hill, 2013,
and Hannah Long , 2012.
Filling the viola section are:
Justin Wilson, 2010, Sean
Healy, 2013, and Daniel
Landgrebe, 2011. The cello
section consists of Kallen
Shipley, 2011, and Katie
Healey, 2012. Finishing up
the group, are bassists, Curtis
Jackson, 2011, and Micaela
Sciarrotta, 2013.
April 2010
French students write letters
from Newton to Paris
By Kayla
Langmaid
O
ver the past four years,
French I students have
been writing letters
to France. The letters go to
students in France that are
learning English. The letters
are exchanged, and everyone
gets their own pen pal. The
school is located in Lyon,
France. This program got
started because Mr. Briggs’s
friend teaches an English
I class so it is a convenient
way to do the exchange.
Students in French I really have enjoyed this activ-
News - Page 3
Cardinal Chronicle
ity. Kaci Hodge, 2013, said,
“I like the French pen pal
exchange because it lets us
talk to people in France that
are our age. When we are
writing our notes we are also
learning French and how to
write sentences, so it’s more
fun than copying words out
of the book.”
Michaela Wood, 2011,
said, “What’s cool about it is
that we can learn new things
from them, and can talk to
other students just like us. I
prefer paper and not e-mail
because it makes the letter
more personal.”
Kalee Colbert, 2012,
said, “I have an 18-year-old
boy for my pen pal who referred to himself as ‘a strong
boy and so beautiful.’ I just
wonder if he really knows
how Americans use the word
beautiful.”
Paige Kruse, 2013, said,
“I draw pictures on our letters so they’re more personalized. I like it because its
good practice for us.”
French pen pals have been
a fun way to connect with
students across the country
that are learning English.
This way, students can learn
from each other and each
other’s cultures.
NHS students compete in Solo
and Ensemble
By Alex
Gearhart
T
his last Saturday,
April 17, Norm
Grimm, Fine Arts,
took 20 entrees to the State
Solo and Ensemble Contest. This year, the contest
was held at Lincoln High
School in Des Moines.
The entrees included 16
solos, three ensembles,
ings, 4-5 division III ratings, and 1-2 division IV
ratings.
The day ended with 12
division I ratings and 8
division II ratings, which
was well above average.
The women’s ensemble
got a perfect score and
were the best performers
overall in their center for
the day.
2010 Prom review
By Brandon
Cook
T
he theme for
2010 NHS Prom
was Alice in
Wonderland. With the
beautifully decorated
walk-in carpet, gym,
rotunda, and hallways
the theme was a hit.
Walk-ins were from 9
to 10:30. Soon after
the dance after Prom
Long distance relationship: French students at NHS have been writing letters to students in France. This map shows the towns they send letters to.
and one duet. Grimm
said “I hope to do better
than the state average and
want the kids to be happy
with their performance.”
Some entrees include Tyler Latcham, Katie Healy,
Ray Barr, all 2010, Anna
Wells, 2011, Dani Peters,
and Josh Gearhart, both
2012.
The state average for
contest is 7-8 division I
ratings, 8-9 division II rat-
activities took place
with the doors closing at
12:30.
Joe Peterson, 2010,
was Mad Hatter and
appeared at the dance
in his costume. “It was
really fun, I wanted
prom to be something
to remember for the
rest of my life. A lot
better experience this
year because I got to
do something I wanted
to do for a change,”
Peterson said.
“It was the biggest
experience for me to
this point since arriving
in the United States.
Byla to skuela zabava
(It was a great time),”
Jacob Cech, 2010, said
enthusiastically.
The decorators and
staff did an excellent
job, and the prom had
a good turn out with all
the NHS studentswho
came and participated.
Page 4 - Features
Flip-flops: the greatest
summer invention ever
By Hannah
Long
Flip Flops are a fantastic
shoe for summer, keeping
ones feet cool, and not giving
torturous tan lines. Flip
Flops can be found at about
any store, Wal-Mart, Target,
K-Mart, Old Navy, Hollister,
American Eagle, and many
more. The colors and patterns
of flip flops vary, but solid
colors are most popular. Ones
color choice of flip flops can
depend on many things,
anywhere from what one is
wearing, to what mood they
are in. Black is a common
color choice, because they
match almost anything, also
white is very common. But,
if you want to stand out
for summer and turn some
heads, try something a bit
more exotic. Anything neon
is always good, or any kind
of awkward color.
Even though wearing flip
flops is an in style and cool
thing to do in the summer,
everyone one should be
aware of the damage that
they do to your feet. Wearing
flip flops is pretty much like
attaching a piece of plastic to
your foot. There is no arch
support in a pain of flip flops,
and they are the leading cause
of long term foot problems.
Although there are many
problems with wearing flip
flops, over half of Newton
High School does. Flip flops
are worn with gym shorts,
jeans, shorts, skirts, and even
dresses. They can be worn to
look nice as long with worn
to be comfortable, which is
why they are the most popular
shoe choice in the warm
weather. They are made to
match just about anything,
coming in many designs.
Animal print is very popular
this year, zebra print, cheetah
print, and leopard print being
the easiest to find. Flip flops
are a fun way to express your
style, but stay comfortable at
the same time.
Cardinal Chronicle
April 2010
YouTube: the story behind the phenomenon
By Taylor Soule
YouTube is a website
that most teenagers mention, if not watch, on a daily
basis. But what’s the inside
scoop behind this internet
video superpower and how
did it reach its current level
of stardom?
YouTube got its start in
February 2005 after Steve
Chen and Chad Hurley,
frustrated with the difficulties of current video sharing
websites, proposed the idea
to create one of their own.
November 2005 marked the
official launch for youtube.
com, and the site has created waves all over the internet in just five short years,
raising controversy and propelling people of all ages to
enter the internet video fad.
YouTube was bought by
Google in November 2006
for a mere $1.65 billion, and
remains under the control of
the internet search engine.
Jump to today, one can
see the dramatic progression of YouTube from a
small, little known website, to a major force of the
World Wide Web. For example, the creative graphic
designers and
computer
scientists
behind YouTube now
work their
magic in a
monstrous
office building in San
Bruno, California. This a sharp
contrast from the cramped
quarters of the floor above
a small pizzeria in San Bruno, California that formerly
housed the company.
The effect of YouTube on
society has escalated to epic
proportions since the website’s creation. YouTube
is currently available in 14
languages across the globe,
and in January 2009 the site
was recorded to house over
six billion videos. YouTube
officials even estimate that
24 hours of new videos are
uploaded to the site
every minute.
And although
the unparalleled
popularity of the
site is obvious,
it has come under fire multiple
times, enduring
accusations
of
copyright
violations and inappropriate content. Many videos on
the site feature controversial
topics such as religion, violence, and profanity. And
although YouTube requires
that viewers be 18 or older
to watch videos with ques-
tionable content, some feel
that the site doesn’t monitor videos as closely as is
needed.
The site has even caused
ordinary citizens to transform into pop culture icons
practically overnight, such
as the little boy and his baby
brother, Charlie, in “Charlie
Bit My Finger.” The video
itself is a mere 56 seconds
long, but it remains atop
the totem pole of YouTube
video viewing, and remains
the site’s most viewed video
ever. Other popular videos include “Evolution of
Dance” and “Salad Fingers.”
YouTube has sparked an internet video craze for many
people around the world,
managing to raise the occasional ruckus and entertain
endless video viewers.
April 2010 Features - Page 5
Cardinal Chronicle
Freak-Rap makes a stellar comeback with Gorillaz
By Isaac
Mathison-Bowie
Catch the addiction with
Alkaline Trio
By Jessica Stout
Alkaline Trio’s latest
record, This Addiction,
came out February 23,
2010. The record starts out
strong with the title track,
making several references
to drugs like methadone
and heroin (also a nod to the
album’s heart-shaped pill
cover). “It’s a metaphor,”
says vocalist/guitarist Matt
Skiba in a recent interview.
“I take heroin addiction and
compare it to love. Falling in
love with somebody is like a
rush of heroin, and trying to
break up with somebody is
like trying to kick heroin.”
Tracks like “Dine, Dine
My Darling” and “Dead On
The Floor” were Factionready-made tracks (a popular
punk station on Sirius
Satellite Radio), while “The
American Scream” proves
to be the strongest on the
record, telling a tale of a war
veteran committing suicide
in a veteran’s cemetery.
“Draculina,” and “Eating
Me Alive” are filled with
scratchy vocals and jarring
guitar riffs.
Though
there
have
been tons and tons and
TONS of comments on the
new record from AK3’s
supposedly “loyal” fan base
(the word ‘sellout’ is thrown
around multiple times on
AbsolutePunk.com),
but
does that stop AK3 from
crawling across America and
rocking the faces off people
night after night? Nope.
There’s a reason Alkaline
Trio has stayed around for
more than 10 years, and
their music should prove it
all.
It could arguably be their
best record ever… or their
worst. Ask any Blood-Pact
(the official AK3 fan club)
member over 22 (if you can
find one. Good luck with
that one).
The highly animated hiphop group, Gorillaz, just released a new album called
Plastic Beach. Damon Albarn, the mastermind behind
the pretend primates, has
moved Gorillaz forward, trying to discard the ‘joke band’
title that haunted their first
albums. While the group’s
first two each scored catchy
hit singles, Plastic Beach is
a much less pop-oriented
album. That isn’t to say the
album isn’t fun, however.
Songs like “Superfast Jellyfish” or “To Binge” featuring
Little Dragon bounce along
while denouncing ignorance
about the destruction of the
environment.
Albarn’s singing, which
is still interesting, takes a
backseat to the plethora of
guests on Plastic Beach.
The all-star line-up includes
alternative godfather Lou
Reed, two tracks featuring
hip-hoppers Mos Def and
Snoop Dogg, powerful soul
belter Bobby Womack, Mick
Jones and Paul Simonen of
The Clash, manic post-punk
yeller Mark E. Smith of The
Fall, and multiple up-andcoming British rappers. The
album also features multiple
orchestral groups, including the London Symphony
Orchestra. These guest appearances alone are reason
enough to purchase Plastic
Beach.
The theme of the album:
that humans are turning the
Earth into a plastic filled
wasteland, is present but often unclear. Most of the time
the ideas are general reflections rather than specific examples addressing the theme.
The lack of a cohesive theme,
however, has never stopped
an album before, and Plastic
Beach is still fantastic.
Eric Church brings country to Val-Air
By Kelsey
Colbert
The Jagermeister Country Tour, on March 24, 2010,
featured country music artists Eric Church and Josh
Thompson. It was at the Val
Air Ballroom, with the line
stretching far back into the
parking lot. The line was littered with crazy, loud people,
country fanatics, and many
others. The Jagermeister tour hit
32 different venues including Irving in New York, New
York, Civic Auditorium in
Knoxville, Tennessee, and
Midnight Rodeo in Ocala,
Florida.
The concert started out
with Sean Patrick McGraw, a
new face to the country fans.
The animated crowd swayed
and sung along to his songs.
Josh Thompson then took
the stage and his set went on
for about an hour. He put on
a high energy performance
ending it with his hit, “Beer
on the Table.”
Then the wait was on for
Eric Church to come out.
After about a 30 minute
wait, he came out. He played
songs from his most recent
album, Carolina, and his older album, Sinners Like Me.
The crowd was highly energized and took over to help
him with his hit “Love Your
Love the Most.” His name
was chanted until he came
out for an encore where he
sang three more songs for
his fans. Overall, it was an
excellent concert.
Page 6 - Cover Story
Cardinal Chronicle
Closing of Emerson Hough sparks major changes in school district
By Kelsey
Johnson
tried to fight against it and a
sliver of hope was given to
the survival of the school,
though most people knew it
Big changes have been
was final. A couple weeks
going around the small
after the possibility was
town of Newton. Money
announced, the decision was
troubles through out the
made final.
school district have led to
Though the facility will
some major budget
no longer be used
cuts. Effects are
as an elementary
...If they have to do it, they school, it will still
finally starting to
present themselves
have to do it…there are a lot of be put into use. The
in this time of the
board is undecided
memories people have there.
downfall.
as to exactly what
---Alexa Brain
The school board
purpose it will serve
has been making
in our district.
some rather large decisions families
A couple possibilities
with
students
as to how to fix this crisis. attending the school. Ex- being thrown around are
One approach that has been Emerson student
Alexa using it as a building to
hitting the headlines since Brain, 2010, shared her house administrative offices
late March is the closing of thoughts on the matter. She in the district, or maybe an
a central elementary school said, “I think it’s a stupid alternative schooling center
within the district.
idea, but if they have to do for the high school age group
At first, Woodrow Wilson it, they have to do it… there of students.
was looking at hitting the are a lot of memories people
As the PTA fund disbands,
chopping block, and then a have there.” She, along $10,000 will be donated to
point was brought up that with many others is not the the Save Emerson Hough
Emerson Hough is the most happiest about the decision.
Fund to aid with legal fees
costly amongst the five total
After announcing the so the fight just may not be
elementary schools in the board’s decision, people over yet.
district. The final vote was
4-3 with Emerson at loss.
With
Emerson
now
looking at taking the down
fall, many people are not
supporting the decision.
After the board decided that
Emerson Hough was indeed
the one to go, shock flooded
“
”
April 2010
Parents and “the change”
By Jessica
Sanders
When kids are starting to go
through “the change,” parents
try to explain to their kids
about what is going on with
their bodies. There are a lot of
different ways that parents teach
kids about puberty.
The Cardinal Chronicle
asked random students and
teachers around the school what
their parents taught them about
this touchy subject.
Freshmen
“My parents taught me that
girls and boys are different in
one major way.”
Sophomores
“My dad sat me down and
had a man to man talk about my
upcoming hormones, and that I
would start to like girls and want
to kiss one. I said immediately
after that– that is gross.”
Juniors
“My parents sat me down and
told me my body was going to
go through changes and I would
suddenly start to experience
crazy hormones.”
“My mom told me that it was
natural and I should love that I’m
becoming a woman. And now I
think I should’ve just stayed a
girl.”
Seniors
“My parents never talked to
me. They just told me I could
ask them any kind of question if
I had one.”
Teachers
“Zilch.”
“My dad was the one who
talked about it with me, when I
was in about middle school in
sixth grade. He said the opposite
sex would start to appeal to me
and if I had any questions to go
and ask him. And I followed his
advice.”
Texting ban to come
into effect in July
By Erin Suttek
wheel, while drivers 18 and
older have the right to talk,
veryone’s got it but not text.
Actual fines won’t be isdown – texting
sued
until July 2011, but if
while
driving. you
are
suspected of using
That’s why there are approxyour
phone
while driving
imately 300 U.S. deaths per
your
car,
you
will be pulled
year caused by cell phone
over
and
given
a warning.
use while driving, right? A
Warnings
lead
to
fines, and
ban on texting while driving
being
distracted
while
drivon Iowa roads will be in efing
leads
to
accidents,
so
do
fect July 1, 2010. what’s
best
for
you
and
evDrivers ages 14-17 will
not be allowed to use a cell eryone else, put the phone
phone at all while behind the down and drive.
E
Soon to be empty: Emerson Hough will be closed following this school year, leaving many parents,
students, and teachers upset at the change. Photo by Taylor Soule.
April 2010
Cover Story - Page 7
Cardinal Chronicle
Annual clean-up day scheduled for May 5
By Madeleine
Joy
T
he world is a beautiful place, and it’s
our job to keep it
that way. That’s why Newton High School is going on
its second year of volunteer-
ing to help clean this wondrous planet on May 5 for
Earth Day. The school volunteers
by sending out students and
teachers to do a wide array
of things that benefit both the
planet and the people living
on it. Such things include
cleaning parks and forests,
Bag o’ leaves: Kevin Harris, Dungan Farver, and Caitie Doeden, all 2010, beautify downtown Newton
during last year’s clean-up day. The entire school spent the day making Newton a better place. Photo
by Ben Miller.
cleaning peoples’ houses,
painting, and more.
Though some people
weren’t very excited about
volunteering last year, a lot
of the people who did enjoyed it. One gets a sense of
joy and accomplishment in
helping out the earth and its
people.
Litter bugs: Brenna Lust, left, and Mariah Doland, both 2012, pick up trash in downtown Newton on the
first annual Earth Day held last school year. This year’s clean-up day is scheduled for May 5. Photo by
Anna Sciarotta.
Heathcare reform sparks debate across the nation
By Matt
Ventling
A
historic healthcare
bill was passed
Sunday, March
21. The bill finally came together after over a year of
hot debate.
Democrats are extremely
pleased with this new legis-
lature, which was ultimately
pushed through with efforts
from their party in the House
and the Senate. Not a single
Republican voted in favor of
healthcare reform.
President Obama also
played a large part in persuading the nation to accept
the bill. The President spent
a number of days on the road
speaking to large audiences
The tasks that have to be
done are split up into groups,
according to which advisory
group each person has. Afterwards, everyone comes
back to the school to celebrate and enjoy block party.
around the country in support of healthcare reform.
There is a large amount of
controversy surrounding this
new bill. Republicans claim
that the bill supports abortion and will raise taxes too
much.
There have also been a
number of volatile protests
in Washington D.C. involving supporters and oppo-
nents. Democrats hope that
the bill will put healthcare in
the hands of the people, rather than in those of insurance
companies.
Disregarding
opinion,
however, the bill is a landmark and will change American healthcare forever.
Page 8 - Opinion
Cardinal Chronicle
He loves me, he loves me not
Is love
real in high
school?
Some people
say no, you
can’t be in
love because
you are only
in high school. Then others
say yes, I’m in love and
I am going to marry this
person. In some cases both
can be true.
The only place you have
looked for love is in high
school. Teenage love can
mess up your head in many
ways. You might think so
much about the person
you’re “in love” with that
you don’t concentrate in
school. This isn’t a bad
thing, but when your grades
start slipping, parents could
start to freak.
Love in high school
could get you into trouble;
for example, you could
be in love with your best
friend’s boyfriend/girlfriend
and the friend could think
you are back stabbing them.
Then it could get worse if
the boy/girl you like breaks
up with your best friend so
they could start dating you.
The real question is, would
you be okay with ruining a
friendship to date a guy/girl
who could end up breaking
your heart?
When you’re in high
school and you get a
boyfriend/girlfriend you are
so happy and feel like you
are invincible but the truth
is you’re just desperate
and want someone to love
you. I am not saying being
“in love” and falling for
someone is bad, because
you have to experience your
first love eventually. Why
not experience first love in
high school?
I have said “I love you”
to a guy before and I did
believe I was “in love” but
after you get your heart
broken you think again about
if you really were in love. I
do believe I am in love now
and I could see myself with
this guy for the rest of my
life, but I still keep in mind
I am in high school, and I
think everyone needs to
take that into consideration.
The great thing about this is
you can and probably will
be in love more than once
in your lifetime.
The dangers of drug use
E v e n
though drug
use has no
rightful place
in
society,
sadly drugs
are used on
an everyday
basis. Communities and police departments try their best to keep
them out of their towns. The
one place most people try
their hardest is education
buildings. Although we do
not want to admit this, many
high school students use
drugs. These students and
other users may make up a
lot of excuses for their horrible habit, but they are just
that, excuses.
Many say drug use helps
them relieve stress, get their
mind off things, or that they
enjoy the high they get from
it. Some state that their addiction is from a family history
of substance abuse, depression, or lack of self esteem.
I believe that if your family
Editors:
Taylor Soule: Editor-in-Chief
Erin Suttek: Managing Editor
Jessica Stout: Features Editor
Jake McCulley: Opinion Editor
Kayla Langmaid: News Editor
Brandon Cook: Sports Editor
Madeleine Joy: Graphics/Photo
Editor
Kendra Kendall and Jessica
Sanders: Business/Advertising
Managers
Reporters:
Kelsey Colbert
Alex Gearhart
Jessica Jolley
Hannah Long
Isaac Mathison-Bowie
Matt Ventling
John Wells
Kelsey Johnson
Lunar Loonies: The editors of the Cardinal Chronicle chose a rather
unusual location for the staff photo this month. The pictures had to be
taken in approximately 30 seconds, due to the lack of oxygen. Photo
by Alex Gearhart.
Adviser:
Lisa Calvin
April 2010
has a history of substance
abuse that does not mean
that you need to continue
the cycle. You are your own
person and can make your
own decisions to make your
life better.
One thing some may not
realize is what it does to
your body now and in the
long run. Alcohol slowly
hardens your liver causing
cirrhosis of the liver. This
may also cause a male to
become sterile after longterm use.
If one is using during
time of conception, this may
cause harm to the infant.
The infant may have mental
or physical problems. Some
of these problems may be
detectable before the child
is born. These health problems may be a result of the
female’s, and some times
even the male’s addiction,
and usage at the time of
conception and throughout
the pregnancy.
Short-term usage may
result in irritability, aggression, paranoia, seizures,
and sometimes a sensation
of insects creeping on or
under your skin. If syringes
are used, they may cause
exposure to HIV or hepatitis. It may also cause one
to be sterile and unable to
reproduce.
No matter how you look
at the usage of illegal substances, unnecessary prescription or over the counter medicines, they are not
worth the consequences that
will occur. These troubles
may be with law enforcement, legal guardians,
friends, family. One may
live with the guilt, health,
or even physical harm that
these addictions cause.
Be a famous writer...sorta
Contact Info:
807 S. 6th Ave. W.
Newton, IA 50208
(641) 792-5809
Have you
ever read an
opinion article, or in
any
other
way come
across
a
newsworthy
item that made you steam?
If you want to make your
opinion known to the entire
Cardinal Chronicle readership, this is the place to do it.
Simply write a letter to the
editor, bring it to Mrs. Calvin’s room (room 236), and
it will be duly considered for
a place in the Chronicle. Of
course, any work deemed
suitable for the paper will be
edited, not for content, but
from grammatics. This is our
formal invitation to you, the
reader, to make your opinion
known throughout the land.
April 2010 Opinion - Page 9
Cardinal Chronicle
Bathroom odors bother
Hot or Not
Topic
Hot
Not
Georgia
Eastern European
country
State
Emos
Emus Fall Out Boy
Wagons
Little Red
Covered
Trawling
For Fish
For Ladies
Beans
Refried
Fried
Black birds
Crows
Ravens
Jumping
Jehoshaphat
Jack
Spring Sports
Soccer
Tennis
Prom Dresses
Sparkly, Bedazzled,
Gaudy (Victorian Ok)
Sophisticaed,
Elegant
Classes
FOODS!
Social
Have
you ever
walked
into
a
school
restroom
a n d
been hit
in the face with an
unknown, nasty odor? I
have, and quite frankly
I am disgusted. There is
something very unsettling
about not knowing what
the causes are of the
strange smells that lurk
out of the restrooms.
I’ve personally never
been in the male restrooms,
but males I’ve spoken to
say their restrooms do in
fact smell. But, they say
they have grown to accept
the fact that urine and
other bodily wastes will
smell up their restrooms
and apparently are okay
with it.
I, on the other hand, am
not okay with going into
the restroom and feeling
like I need a gas mask.
Maybe the feminine
hygiene boxes in the
women’s restrooms cause
an extra nasty odor in
there. Regardless of the
reason, something should
change. Girls claim to be
clean and pristine, but I
know that is not the case.
The sinks are often
covered with unknown,
grayish watery material,
and four out of five times I
have to wipe off the toilet
seat before even sitting
down.
The lack of flushing
also causes a smell.
Nothing is more disgusting
than opening a stall door
to find someone else’s
waste sitting there waiting
for you. Flush the toilet,
people! Please, no one
wants to see that.
Considering humans are
always going to produce
waste and will probably
always be filthy, I propose
that the school invests in
air fresheners. It will be
worth the little amount of
extra cash put out by the
school and will be very
appreciated by the people
here at NHS.
The downfalls of high school
It is commonly said
that we hurt
those
who
love us, but
the answer
to why is
unknown to
me. Perhaps it’s because
someone may know that
that certain person will be
there no matter what. It can
be so much easier to think
of our own selfish desires;
therefore, others can have
an easy way of getting hurt.
Everyone has their own personal scars and stories, but
we need to realize that those
experiences shape and form
that individual into who they
are.
Just because someone is
a certain way doesn’t mean
that they have always been
that way. Actions done to
one another can have a lasting affect. Although it is
high school, the things we
do, and the things we say to
one another can stay with us
as we grow up. So, before
making promises you can’t
keep, saying things you don’t
mean, and hurting someonethink about the future downfalls that can occur.
We each have our own
faults and our own high
points in our personalities,
but the lasting impressions
we have on each other should
hopefully be the high points.
Page 10 - Sports
Boys’ tennis looks to build a
better team, net some wins
Cardinal Chronicle
Girls’ tennis swings away at 2010 season
By Taylor Soule
Deep ball: Sean Hughes, 2010, raises finger to let opponent his shot
was out. Hughes is the number two singles player for the Cards this
season. Photo by Jessica Jolley.
By Jake
McCulley
The tennis season is in
full swing, and the Boys’
Tennis team is hoping to net
some wins. The season got
off to a faulty start, with rain
impeding the team’s ability
to practice. However, with
spring permanently in place,
practice has been resumed
with full vigor for both boys’
and girls’ tennis.
Budget cuts are a nightmare for the whole school
district, but few extracurriculars are feeling the heat quite
like boys’ tennis. Longtime
head coach Bruce Trapp was
laid off at the end of the 0809 school year, and the ancient coach Clyde Wiley took
up the torch in his stead. As
of this date, no suitable assistant coach has been found.
In fact, no replacement has
been found at all. Thus, the
boys’ tennis team has had to
function with a far greater
level of autonomy than it has
in the past.
In the first few meets, the
boys’ Varsity was disappointed with its results. The team
lost 4-7 to Norwalk, and 0-11
against both Marshalltown
and Ames. But after these
three meets, the boys’ Varsity won 8-1 against Tama,
before having to stop due to
rain. With this win under its
belt, the boys’ tennis team is
ready to take central Iowa
high school tennis by storm.
April 2010
Girls’ tennis season is
underway, and with some
tough meets under their
belts, the Cards are looking to move forward and
improve. On April 12, the
Cards hosted Marshalltown
for their home opener. The
lone singles winner of the
night was Kelsie Johnson,
2011, who bested Rachel
Smoldt in a marathon
match, 6-4, 6-7, 13-11. In
doubles, Christina Thompson, 2010, and Erin Lewis,
2011, nabbed a close win
over the Bobcats by a score
of 4-6, 7-6, 10-12. Isabelle
Christopher, 2011, also
played well, falling in a
very close match 6-7, 6-7
to Lizz Heying.
The Cards traveled to
Ames on April 13, losing
1-10 to an ever-tough Little
Cyclone team. Erin Lewis,
2011, played an impressive
singles match, winning
6-2, 4-6, 10-7. Once again,
there were several close
matches for the Cardinals.
At No. 1 singles, Taylor
Soule, 2011, lost a tense
match 3-6, 6-1, 10-12 to
Adriana Pitcher.
Also,
the No. 6 doubles team of
Lewis and Thompson lost
a close 3-set match to the
Little Cyclones.
As the season continues, the team is working
to improve their tiebreak
records, which will come
in handy in several upcoming meets that are sure to
be very competitive. Although the Cards have not
produced the wins just yet,
improvement is evident already, along with the constant team effort.
Erin Stonner, 2011, said
“All of us girls are getting close as teammates
and friends. As the season
goes on, it’s exciting getting closer to reaching our
full potential and to getting
the big wins.”
Wham: Isabelle Christopher, 2011, uses topspin
to put a lot of force on the ball. Christopher is the
number three singles player for the Cards. Photo
by Josh Adams.
Boys’ soccer season begins with a bang
By Alex
Gearhart
The Boys’ Soccer team
started off the season with
the Ankeny Tournament on
April 3. They had one win
and three losses. But that
didn’t stop the team from
taking yet another win from
Boone on the 6th. After
Boone, the boys at played
home against Marshalltown and won 3-1. The Junior Varsity started the year
with a new coach, Parker
Koester. The JV’s first game
was at Boone with a win
and a game on the following
Thursday against Marshalltown. When asked about the
JV games, Koester had this
to say, “We played an alright
game against Pella. They
finished strong and marked
their men better in the second half. The team didn’t
play with enough intensity
against Marshalltown and
the opponents outworked us
the entire game.”
“I’m looking forward to
helping the JV and Varsity
improve their fundamentals
and play a better game,”
said Koester. “Fundamentals are key to making a better team.”
The boys have a week
off to work on their soccer
skills until their home game
on April 22 against Knoxville.
April 2010
Boys’ and girls’ track start off with a boom
About time: Colten
McDermott, 2010, finishes
a race. Photo by Josh Adams.
By Jessica
Sanders
NHS boys’ track sky
rocketed with the boys’
placing in two Varsity
events at Waukee on Friday, April 16. Colten McDermott, 2010, and Ira
Mitchell, 2011, were the
stars at Waukee, scoring
two Varsity places for NHS
boys track.
McDermott was second
with a time of four minutes and 37.35 seconds in
the 1,600 meters, and also
scored a 2:05.80 in the 800
meters. Mitchell placed in
the long jump with an amazing leap of 20’ 8”. Mitchell
walked away taking fourth
place overall.
In addition, Clint Williams, 2011, ran the
100-meter dash and made a
personal best time of 11.48.
Colton Hoffman, 2011, had
a toss of 130’ 9” in the discus, a personal best.
Running in a unit for the
first time this season was
Sports - Page 11
Cardinal Chronicle
Williams, Alec Richtsmeier,
2011, Sam Coen, 2011, and
McDermott, who finished in
3:42.78 in the 1,600-meter
relay.
There were JV places for
the NHS boys track, Freshmen Andrew Clements
placed third in the 400-meter
dash with a time of 56.11.
Freshmen Derek Hurt also
placed in the shot put with a
toss of 39’ 3”, receiving fifth
place. Hurt also placed fifth
place in the discus with a
throw of 111’ 9”.
Although the boys’ track
team will not compete in the
Drake Relays, it will give
them more time to practice
and focus on the Grinnell Invitational on Thursday, April
29.
Newton girls’ track finished at the Des Moines
Lincoln Invite in third place
with four girls placing 1st
and seven placing 3rd. The
Newton JV team scored 101
points and beat Roosevelt
and Des Moines North for
second place.
NHS girls track didn’t win
the invite, but received second following Des Moines
Roosevelt. The girls did have
wins for the night with Abby
Reed, 2011, in the 800 meter run and Alora Simmons,
2010, winning in the high
jump with a leap of 4’ 10”.
Also receiving gold
medals were teams of the
3,200-meter relay and distance medley.
Emily
Hoebelheinrich, 2010, placed third in
2:41.99. Winning the 3,200
meter foursome was Hoebelheinrich, Katie McNeil,
2012, Sarah Penning, 2012,
and Alexis DesPlanque,
2013, with them crossing
at 11:24.22. Kelly Murphy,
2011, Meredith Anderson,
2012, Hoebelheinrich, and
Reed distance medley team
crossed the line in 4:47.33.
Freshmen Josie Thurmond finished second in
the 3,000 meter run and
Mariah Doland, 2012, finished fourth in the same
event. Thurmond also received third place in the
1,500- meter run with a
time of 5:39.83.
Penning also placed
fifth in the 1,500-meter run.
Also receiving third place
was Victoria Walton, 2013,
in the 100 hurdles; Kaci
Hodge, 2013, in the 400
hurdles; and Murphy in the
long jump. The 400-meter
relay and shuttle hurdle relay teams placed third also.
On April 19 the girls had
a meet at Bondurant-Farrar
and had a very interesting
night. The girls ran and
finished with their heads
held high. Courtney Meyer,
2012, placed in two events:
the shot put and discus. She
place second in the discus
with a throw of 78 feet 11
inches, and placed third in
the shot put, with a toss of
31-4.5. Brenna Lust, 2012,
placed fourth in the discus
and Megan Sinwell, 2011,
was fifth in the shot put.
Murphy, with a leap of
13-10.5 in the long jump
place third, and Walton was
the only other big win of the
night. She received third in
the 100-meter dash and had
a time of 13.27 seconds. She
also scored third in the 200
with a time of 28.0 seconds.
Hodge also scored fourth in
the 100 hurdles with a time
of 17.89, and was also sixth
in the 400 hurdles.
Girls’ golf season is underway
By Hannah
Long
The girls’ golf season
has finally started, and the
girls are off to a great start.
Monday, April 12, the girls
competed at the Urbandale
Invite, and placed 4 out of
7 teams. Leading the team
was Nicole George, 2011,
shooting a personal best
score of 43 and placing 7 in
the meet. Following close
behind were Jenna Blunt,
2011, with a score of 49,
Jasmine Yoder, 2011, Hannah Long, 2012, with a
score of 50, and Bailey Kellogg, 2013, with a score of
a 56, finishing with a team
score of 192, beating Johnston by one stroke. “We
played pretty well for a
first time out,” said Coach
Scott Enyart, “They were
happy, but they know they
can get better.”
Tuesday, April 13, the
girls competed in a triangular in Oskaloosa. They
fell three strokes short,
taking second to Grinnell.
Yoder was the top scorer
for the Cardinals, and was
also the gold medalist over
all. Yoder shot a personal
best score, 40, and eagled
two holes. “That is the first
time that has ever happened, and it may be the
only time it ever happens,”
said Enyart, while referring
to Yoder’s eagles. Following Yoder was Blunt with a
45, George with a 49, Long
with a 50, and Kellogg with
personal best 53. The girls
shot a team score of 184,
nine strokes better than
the first meet the previous
day. “We are way ahead of
where we were last year,”
said Enyart.
The Cardinals competed
in their first 18 hole meet
in Marshalltown, April
15, walking away with 6
place medals. The girls
shot a team score of 372,
eight strokes better than
last year at their regional
meet. Leading the way was
George with a 91, tying
for 17 out of 98. Next was
Long with a 92, placing
20. Following close behind
were Yoder and Blunt with
a 94 and 95. Finishing up
the scoring for the day was
Kellogg with a personal
best 106. The team placed
6 out of 17 teams.
Monday, April 19 was a
record breaking day for the
girls. They competed at the
Valley golf course, shooting a team score of 341,
breaking the old school
record set in 2007 of 351.
Leading the team was
Long and Blunt, both carding personal best scores of
84. Long had another personal best on the back nine
with a 39. Next scoring for
the team was Yoder with a
personal best 86, while following close behind was
George carding a personal
best 87. The girls can next
be seen Monday, April 26,
at the South East Polk Invite.
Girls’ soccer coverage
coming in May
Cardinal Chronicle
April 2010
Senior checklist
By Brandon Cook
Mayday baskets
By Jake
McCulley
It’s that time of year
again… ove is in the air,
and the greatest of lovers’
holidays is just around the
corner: May Day. As if
this delightful occasion
needs any introduction,
May Day is May 1st. May
Day is the day when you
deliver colorful baskets
full to the brim of tasteful
treasures to your dearest
friends.
There may be no greater thrill than receiving a
May Day basket when you
aren’t expecting one, especially when a lot of care
and thought was put into
the basket. For this reason,
I call upon the students
and faculty of Newton Senior High School to make
this the greatest May Day
Newton has ever seen!
Making a great May
Day basket doesn’t have to
be hard or expensive. The
trick is to make it personal.
If the intended recipient
of the basket plays guitar,
perhaps you should include
an assortment of picks. If
they love The Vikings
(haha) then maybe you can
find a Vikings keychain.
The point is, make your
basketee(s) feel special. If
anyone is worth the extra
effort, it’s your friends!
After 13 years of schooling, seniors finish up high school.
Graduation is on its way, and here are some important dates
for upcoming graduates.
Saturday, April 17: Prom in the lower gym at 9:00 p.m.
with afterprom immediately following.
Monday, April 28: Senior Exit Interviews from 2:303:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 11: Senior Awards Assembly in the
auditorium at 11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, May 19: Senior Athletic Awards Banquet
at 6:30 a.m.
Wednesday, May 26: Last class day for seniors. That’s
right. We are outta here!
Thursday, May 27: Due date for senior failing grades
at 8:00 a.m.
Friday, May 28: Commencement Rehearsal in the Upper Gym at 9:00 a.m.
Tail Feathers - Page 12
Junk of the
Month
By Jessica Stout
and…it’s a truck.” Lucas is
short on words but not shy
Lucas Tratchel’s Chevro- enough to list the problems
let pick-up truck, spray paint- with his car; it has a lot of
miles,
e
d
cardark
I like my truck. I’m not getting r i e s
green
rid of it anytime soon.
lots of
b
y
rust,
Lucas
---Lucas Tratchel
leaks
and a
o i l
couple of his friends, sits unex- frequently, has replaced gaspectedly for my colleagues kets, and only has one new
and I to walk by and go, tire.
Is Lucas going to replace
“Wow.” If you have seen this
truck you probably know this masterpiece? Nope. “I
like my truck. I’m not getwhat I’m talking about.
But Lucas seems proud ting rid of it anytime soon.”
of his pick-up. He likes it a
lot “because it’s a four-speed
“
”
Sunday, May 30: Commencement Exercises at Maytag
at 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 12: Alumni Breakfast in the Upper
Gym at 9:30 a.m.
Celeb Scoop
By John Wells
With the school year
getting close to being over,
Celeb Scoop is here for
you. The biggest news is
Jesse James has allegedly
cheated on his wife, Sandra
Bullock. James and Bullock are split up right now,
and James went to sex rehab in the same place that
Bullock made her movie
“28 Days.” James has had
at least two mistresses that
have come forward. When
Bullock left the house for
good, she left with James’
kids.
Bullock and James aren’t
the only celebrities who are
involved in a sex scandal.
Steven Seagal is being sued
for sexual harassment and
trafficking women for sex.
Kayden Nguyen, a former
model, is suing Seagal because he hired her for a job
and then continued to harass her sexually. Nguyen
is suing him for over one
million dollars. Nguyen is
the same woman who was
on “The Tyra Banks Show”
saying that she can manipulate men to do whatever she
wants.
UFC fighter Thiago
“Pitbull” Alves has recovered from the minor brain
surgery that he had earlier
this month. The surgery
was to fix an irregularity
in his brain. Doctors say
that the injury was from a
blow that Alves took form
Georges St.-Pierre, but Alves doesn’t think so. Alves
even cracked a joke saying
that the doctors fixed him
up with crazy glue.
The Tiger Woods saga
continues with the Masters.
Woods went to the Masters
as sort as a comeback to his
golfing career. While there;
Woods singed autographs,
and was even seen helping
a fellow golfer videotape
his put to correct his errors.
Although Woods did not
win the Masters he finished
tied for fourth. Woods
wasn’t that happy with his
fourth place but, is on his
way and has committed to
the Quail Hollow Championship on April 29-May 2.
Ridin’ in style: Lucas Tratchel, 2010, poses next to his Chevy pickup truck that was nominated as April’s Junk of the Month. Photo by
Jessica Stout.