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“I threw my lifeaway... literally!”

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Code of Conduct changes ensure fairness for all playerswho participate in LC sports and activities. Photo by Andrea Larison

UPCOMING

EVENTS:

September

Oc tober

22-26: River City Roundup Rodeoand performances by Brad Paisly,Clay Walker, and Rebal McEntire

24: LC Homecoming Game. LC vs.Glenwood!

25: LC Homecoming Dance.

25-26: Autumn Festival at Baylisspark offers a fine arts fair, liveentertainment, games, and carnivalrides.

26: Walk for the Animals 2004.Grab your four-legged friend andhead to Elmwood Park for a walk tosupport the Nebraska HumaneSociety. Time-noon

28: Rascal Flatts new album, “FeelsLike Today,” debuts.

2: 1st Home Lancers Game of theSeason. Lancers vs. Stars @ theMid-America Center.

8: Alan Jackson and MartinaMcBride concert @ the OmahaQuest Center. Tickets $42.00-$68.00

15-17: Broadway in Omaha presentsan all time favorite musical “Rent”@ the Orpheum Theatre.

17: Lucky Boys Confusion concert@ Ranch Bowl. Show 7:30. Cost$10.00

The Cola Wars

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Now Introducing: Brand New Sports Page!

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-page 2 Opinion New Kid on the Block

“Students who chose toparticipate in Lewis Central’sStudent Activity Program willconduct themselves appropriatelyat all times both on schoolgrounds and away from theschool. The responsibility ofgood conduct is an extension ofthe responsibility to represent theschool and community in anappropriate manner.”

This is a statement fromLewis Central’s Code of Conduct,a document that holds all activemembers of LC to having highstandards and consequenceswhen those standards are broken.For years, the school has lived bya system where, regardless ofstudents’ activities or theirviolation, five weeks of probationfrom all activities waspunishment for Code violations.This year, however, things arerunning a little differently andmore fairly for all of LewisCentral’s active students.

The LC Activities DirectorSteve Padilla, along with theschool board, has set up a newsystem for violation offenders.This no longer includes the fiveweeks suspension from activities;instead, the punishment is only apercentage of each student’s totalactivity.

For example, the firstviolation of the Code of Conductwould result in the offender beingineligible for twenty-five percentof the activity’s competitions/performances, and that’s if thestudent turns himself in; if they’resimply caught, it’s fifty percent.Now that might seem like a lot oftime for some students’ activities,but the point of the program wasto set up a system that coulddistribute punishments moreequally to each individualparticipating in activities, sincenot all activities last for the sameamount of time.

After looking at differentstates and schools for ideas onhow to improve the situation,Padilla felt this system was the

most appropriate to fit theschool’s needs.

“I had thought about(changing) it. It made it hard forstudents to do their stuff andthey had to go through toomuch. I think this is better forthe kids,” says Padilla.

The new Code of Conductis very specific on determiningpunishments. It gives examplesof violations, such as use ofdrugs, alcoholic beverages,violence, assault, and tobacco/imitation substances that can beconsidered violations of theCode, along with profanity,swearing, and repeatedunexcused absences at school.All violations will bedetermined by an investigationinto the accusation madeagainst the student, which willinclude interviews with thestudent, any witnesses, and anyother information that helps tomake a decision on whether ornot a student has violatedschool expectations. Once adecision has been made that astudent has violated the Code of

Conduct, the Activities Director,along with the coaches involved,will arrange an appropriatepunishment.

The severity of apunishment includes input fromstudents, coaches and theactivities director, but “firstoffense” violations automaticallydeclare students ineligible fortwenty-five percent of eachactivity they’re in. The secondoffense is increased to fiftypercent loss of eligibility in eachsport, till finally, after the thirdviolation, the student is donewith all activit ies for theremainder of the year.Depending on the type ofviolation it was, the time periodfor ineligibility can be extendedeven further. These consequenceswill not be compromised,regardless of whether or not thestudent had charges dropped orwas found innocent by a court;the student still broke the school’srules.

According to some coachesand upper classmen, the schoolhad problems with this in

previous years. Students whowere found innocent wouldn’thave criminal charges filed,therefore no information wasrelayed back to the school and thestudents were still in activities,which was seen by many to beunfa i r. Now, regard less ofwhether or not students arebreaking the Code, if they’re inthe presence of people who are,they’re in just as much trouble asthe offender. As long as there is“reasonable evidence” to showthat someone was in violation ofthe Code of Conduct, actionswill be taken. This is seen as agood thing by activity coachessuch as Chris Hanafan, whobelieves that if you’re going to putyourself in a situation where youmight get in trouble, you share inthat responsibility of gettingcaught.

“It’s not fair (to have themoffend and come back),” saysHanafan. “If you get a ticket,you’re in trouble. If you’re there,your name’s associated with thosepeople and you’re in trouble. Thatway it’s fair.”

While students are sure to getthe correct punishment forviolating school expectations, inthis new system, they can helpthemselves get back into theiractivities a little faster. For a first-time offender, he/she can haveone-half of their ineligibility timetaken off by self-reporting(admitting to violating the Code ofConduct), committing to five hoursof a pre-determined “schoolservice,” and adequatelycompleting of an assessment/counseling program. A second-timeoffender can have one-third oftheir ineligibility time takenaway by se l f - repor t ing andcommit t ing to ten hours of“school service.” Once a studenthas committed a third offense,they’re done with their activitiesfor the year. They can, however,appeal to the school in an attemptof explaining their actions andbeing found innocent.

There is a set process whentrying to appeal for your activityrights. First, you must appeal to theActivities Director, then to theprincipal, the superintendent, andif suspended for five weeks ormore, the board of directors. Thestudent will be able to representhimself and his case, presentingevidence and testimony to backup his story. The superintendentor the board of directors will havethe final say on whether theappealing student is guilty ofviolating the Code or not; it is allin determination of the facts.

The Code of Conduct haschanged, but for the most part it’sbeen in a positive way. It ensuresthat every student is able toparticipate in a fair amount ofhis or her activities, and givesstudents the chance to bounceback and show that they are takingresponsibility for their actions.With all of these improvements,the administration has made ournew Code of Conduct a more“rounded” system than before.The Activities Director and theschool board hope that it will solveproblems involving eligibility ofstudents, but as with all newsystems, only time will tell.

LC increases expectations of students Megan LongmeyerCo-Editor-In-Chief

Many Lewis Central studentsand fans have strolled over thebrick walkway that connects theold high school parking lot to theathletic fields. On the way tofootball, soccer, and baseballgames the walk acted as a redcarpet, welcoming visitors as theyentered the complex.

“I loved walking on thebricks because it was nice to readthe names of people from the past.It seemed like we were walking onhistory,” said senior AshleyKnoble

This walk down memory lanewas an idea of the LC Foundationthat was put into action over halfa decade ago. They were trying tocome up with a fundraising idea,and the walkway was the outcomeof their brainstorming.

“The Foundation has been inexistence for ten years, and thebricks have been around for aboutseven of those years,” saidtreasurer, and ten year foundationmember Bernie Heller.

The LC Foundation is a groupof parents and people in thecommunity who want to helpteachers help students. Theybelieve that a quality education isthe backbone of the high schoolexperience, and they want to aidteachers in reaching that goal.

“The purpose of ourfoundation is to enhance educationfor LC students,” said Heller. “Wedeal strictly with education. Thebooster club deals with the needsof athletes, but we just deal withthe education.”

The Foundation is able tofulfill their mission through anumber of fundraisers, one ofwhich is the brick walkway. Thisfundraiser gives people theopportunity to engrave onto thebricks a name or memory that theywant to remember.

“I think it’s a greatopportunity for people to see a

moment in life that was special.A person, a class, a team, oranything can be engraved in abrick, and seen for a long timeby a number of people,” saidHeller.

The bricks have madetheir home at the athletic fieldsfor the past seven years, butthey are now moving to a new,permanent home in front of thehigh school. There were prosand cons in the debate aboutmoving the bricks, but thepositives proved to be morealluring than the negatives.

“We don’t want peoplewalking over the bricksanymore, and we also don’twant them to start deterioratingfrom all of the snow removaland weather, so we decided tomove them,” said Heller.

Not only will the bricks beprotected from all of thestomping and shoveling, butthey will become one of theprominent features seen whenpeople walk into the building.

“We put them in front ofthe school for visibility. Wewant people to be able to seethe bricks,” said Heller.

Many students, whosenames are currently on bricks,take pleasure in the fact thatt h e b r i c k s w i l l b e m o r ereadily seen. They are eager toreturn to Lewis Central afterthey’ve graduated to spot theirname engraved for all to see.

“When I come back I’ll belike, ‘yeah, I went to thisschool , ’” said sophomoreKris t in Coppa, “I t ’ l l beexciting to still see my namethere.”

Not only will it be a placefor people to come back and bereminded of their high schoolyears, it will also stimulatecuriosity about the bricksthemselves. That curiosity will inturn prompt the onlookers tothink about buying their ownbricks. All of the money that isspent for the engravings will beput to use through the Foundationin various ways. The mostpopular way is throughscholarships that every LC senioris given the chance to takeadvantage of.

“At the end of January I sendout a letter to every senior, andit tells them how to apply for

the scholarships available,” saidHeller, “A committee made upof one teacher, Foundationmembers, and someone fromthe community will then selectwho should receive thescholarships.”

Along with the scholarshipsthat go directly to the students, theFoundation also indirectly helpsthe students by supporting theteachers. They offer grants toteachers in grades k-12 forsupplies that the teachers need toenhance their teaching.

“Teachers can obtain a grantform from the principal’ssecretary and fill it out,” explainedinstructor Marilyn Wandersee,“The sheets ask what your projectis, and they ask for a relativebudget. After you’ve filled it outyou wait for the Foundation todecide.”

Many teachers have had apositive response from theFoundation, which lead to themreceiving supplies that theyotherwise would not have hadthe resources to obtain.

“I was able to get a grant fornew dictionaries for my class, andalso for dictionaries for our ESLstudents,” said instructor CarolGottsch.

The amount of moneyavailable for such purchasesrelates closely to the number ofbricks the Foundation is able tosell. If they can sell more bricksthey can offer more money to theteachers. The current slab ofb r i cks in t he f ron t o f t hebuilding needs to keep growingin order to keep theFoundation’s funds flowing.With all of the interest in theproject, it seems as though thebricks will continue to sellconsistently.

“The slab that is there isgoing to fill up, so next springwe’re going to have to expand toeither side to help accommodate forthe number of bricks being sold,”said Heller.

The expanding of the bricksis a testament to the LCFoundation’s commitment tomaking the educational experiencethe best it can be here at LewisCentral. All of their dedication tothe students is truly appreciatedby the students and teachers,alike, both of whom benefitfrom their generosity.

“They’re here to help thekids,” said Gottsch, “I say Godbless them, and let’s have moreof them.”

Dani MescherCo-Editor-In-Chief

Sales for theWalk of Fame bricks are an educational fundraiserfor the LC Foundation.

Photo by Andrea Larison

Follow the red brick road

Photo by Andrea LarisonThe Walk of Fame acts not only as a place to be recognized, but alsoa way to honor loved ones who are no longer with us.

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Editor-In-Chiefs..Dani Mescher and Megan LongmeyerAssistant Editor.....................................Amber JohnsonDesign Editor..................................................Molly LichPhotography Editor.................................Andrea LarisonAds Editor.................................................Ashley RichterCopy Editors......Becca Sheppard and Jennifer EttingerDesign......................................................Maggie Fields,

and Kehly HansenReporters.................................................Heidi Behrens,

Lindsey Behrens, Vicki Burnett,

Kellie Doffin, Dan Hall, Joe Krzemien,

Bridgett Mucha, Alyssa Ranney,

Thomas Webering

Septermber 2004Page 2

The Wire is the official Lewis Central student newspaper, and it is distributedfree of cost to students. The opinions expressed in this publication reflectthose of the student writers and not Lewis Central administration, faculty, orits advisor. The Wire is published seven times throughout the school year by theSuburban Times in Papillion, Nebraska.The purpose of The Wire is to:* inform students of current and relevant events* interpret and analyze complex events and issues that affect students*serve as a forum for discussion of controversial issuesLetters to the Editor:The Wire staff strongly encourages responses to articles appearing in thenewspaper. Letters may be submitted to room 401 or e-mailed toLcwire2004@yahoo.com. The letters must be signed, legible, and concise. Thestaff reserves the right to edit letters for length, grammar, and punctuation.These letters should also be free of profanity, vulgarity, or words withundesirable meanings.Advertising:

Advertising will be sold at $25 for a 2 x 2.5 space or $50 for4.5 x 4 space. Information can be obtained by calling 366-8220. Ask forMary Langille. Or by e-mail: mlangille@lewiscentral.k12.ia.us

Editorial PolicyWhere We Stand

Here we are, just a month into anew school year, and yet it somehowfeels like we never left. Things are infull swing, schedules are busy, andit’s not going to slow down for a longtime, that’s for sure.

Megan and I, along with the restof the staff, want to thank you fortaking a moment out of your busyschedule to read this first issue ofThe Wire. For the past month we’vebeen getting to know one anotherwhile hectically trying to puttogether a quality paper for you toread. In a sense, this publication isour baby, and we are all very proudof it. Of course, it isn’t perfect,but we take pride in giving yousomething to read that is bothinformative, and enjoyable.

First and foremost, The Wireis a student publication. This meansthat the paper is the students’chance to let their voices be heard.This particular staff is a veryeclectic group of students. We comefrom all different backgrounds, andwe all have very different views andopinions towards the stuff of life.It is our goal to present a paper thatgives everyone the chance to express

themselves and let their ownindividual voice shine.

Since this is also your paper,we would love to hear what youhave to say. If you have somethingthat you strongly feel a need toaddress or express, or if you simplyhave a story idea, all you have todo is write a letter that is no longerthan one page and that is double-spaced. You can submit your letterto room 401, or simply give itdirectly to a member of the staff.We will make sure that yourthoughts are heard. We do reservethe right to edit your letter forlength, appropriateness, andgrammar, but we will let you seethe final copy before it is publishedto make sure you don’t disagree withany changes made.

Another way that we are tryingto better serve you is to make a fewchanges to our paper. We are tryingto focus on a greater number ofstudents and to appeal to all thedifferent tastes throughout thestudent body. Instead of havingthree feature pages we are only goingto have two, and we are adding asports page in its place. Having apage specifically devoted to sportswill allow us to focus more on LewisCentral sports while also covering

an array of collegiate and nationalsports. This will also allow us theability to give more attention to thefine arts and clubs on the activitiespage.

In addition to the new page,we will also change the calendar thatis located on the front page. Insteadof having a list of upcoming LewisCentral activities that can alreadybe found in the school calendar, wewill have a list of upcoming majorevents happening in and around ourcommunity.

Hopefully you will appreciateand enjoy the changes we’ve made,while still seeing The Wire as yourfamiliar school paper. I once againjust want to thank you forsupporting us by reading thispaper. This staff is working hardfor you and they really appreciatethat you appreciate their work. Weare so very excited for the rest ofthis year and all of the stories thatare left to write for you and aboutyou. Good luck to all of the footballplayers tonight, and to everyoneelse, I hope you are out therecheering on the boys and your school.Have fun at the game and the dance,be safe, and write to us about yourthoughts towards the wholeexperience.

Dani MescherEditors-In-Chief

A letter from our new editors

Blue and white, blue and white.Sure, blue and white are our schoolcolors. But what if students getbored with the traditional colors andwant to brighten up their LewisCentral clothing?

“These students won’trepresent Lewis Central,” saidActivities Director Steve Padilla.“Lewis Central is a registered logo,and blue and white are our conferencecolors.”

It is for this reason thatanything bearing the logo “LewisCentral” must be the traditional navyblue and white colors. Theadministration tries to keep a closeeye over clothing representing L.C.

“Everything with the LewisCentral logo must go through myoffice before it can be approved forstudents to wear,” explained Padilla.

The rule started about fouryears ago, when students put

inappropriate sayings on their LewisCentral T-shirts. Regulating theappropriateness for school T-shirtsare makes sense. But regulating thecolor?

“I don’t think this rule isnecessary,” said junior MeredithSillau. “Teams should be able tohave some individuality and theyshould be able to have a say in howthey want their shirts to look.”

No matter what studentsthink about the issue, the factremains that if clothing says “LewisCentral” and it hasn’t beenapproved by the administration,there could definitely beconsequences.

“If the clothing isinappropriate, the student wearingit could potentially be pulled out ofthe activity,” said Padilla.

However, some students seemto get by with wearing all kinds ofdifferent colored Lewis Centralclothing. I saw a girl walking throughthe hallway the other day wearing a

pink shirt that said “Lewis Central”in black lettering. The shirt may nothave been from a school activitybecause I don’t know what else theshirt said, but whatever the case maybe, this shirt was obviously notacceptable and I don’t know why theadministration didn’t notice or care.

I can see the point behind therule. Blue and white are our schoolcolors, and students should havepride in Lewis Central. But it’seasy to admit these colors do getboring, and it’s impossible topunish all students who maketheir own Lewis Central clothingon their own time.

I guess what I’m trying to sayis that the blue and white ruleshould go. It’s a tough job tomonitor everyone’s clothing atLewis Central. If some people cansneak by with wearing pink L.C.clothing and some can’t, what’s thepoint of the rule? Theadministration has to stayconsistent to be fair to all students.

Lindsey Behrens

Reporter

Vote2004!

R e g i s t e r!

like this would obviously not goover well with the administration.Also, students shouldn’t listen tomusic while they are being taughtsomething because studies show,such as one conducted by Bush in1986, that people are more likelyto become distracted when theylisten to music. High school levelstudents do and should be ableto g r a sp t he pos s ib l econsequences of their actions. Ifa student gets into trouble, theyprobably had it coming regardlessi f the c i rcumstance is musicre la ted or not . High schoolstudents can handle listening tomusic via headphones (it’s notthat big of a responsibility tohandle anyway, so what’s the holdup?).

Like anything, i f thepr iv i leges are abused, thereshould be consequences .Teachers should have the right totake away whatever you arelistening to the music with ifyou’re disobeying that teacher’srules. Abuse the rules, you lose.If you follow the rules, then keepon jammin’.

There is nothing wrong withlistening to music at school whileyou work, as long as you areworking. Businesses let theiremployees listen to music whilethey work, why not us? It wouldmake students happier and morealert, and everyone knows awakeand happy students are the bestkind to teach.

Music in schoolis it really a nuisance?

The school year has only justbegun, and already I find myselfbored wi th the dai ly schoolroutine. Everyday, coming toschool and going through the samemotions; i t al l seems kind ofbland after a while. A boringroutine isn’t the only problem.Time-consuming homeworkoften leads to having to pushback fun to later hours, which inturn leads to less sleep. Withless sleep and more to do, thesehabits can often lead to a bit ofs t ress and s leep deprivat ion.Since naptime isn’t built into theschool ’s schedu le , I s t a r t edwondering, “What could makethe day a smidgen morepleasant?” I came up with asimple solution: music at school.

I t i s not uncommon forbusinesses and places of work toallow their employees to listen tomusic while they work. Musicprovides an a tmosphere thatrestaurants desire, whether it’s ahappy, fun, or mellow effect therestaurant is going for. Even somehospitals let employees work to atune. A few examples ofrestaurants that play music duringbusiness hours are Old Chicago,Perkins, Subway, and RubyTuesday’s.

Being able to listen to yourfavorite music would make anyonehappy and improve his or her

mood. According to Pierce J.Howard, Ph.D., “Faster, majorkeys cool the brain, which fostersbetter moods.” As a result, beingin a better mood would create abetter atmosphere for learning.The school day wouldn’t drag onso much because you could“break i t up” wi th music .Between classes, while you work(not while you learn), or simplysitting at lunch while listeningwith your headphones on wouldhelp. Even if it’s only for a fewminutes, it could still make adifference.

Listening to music in schoolwith headphones could be donewithout a problem. It’s just amatter of being reasonable and notabusing the pr ivi lege. Moststudents can handle it and will berespect ful . For those fewstudents who can’t follow therules , handl ing the s i tua t ionshould be up to the teacher ’sdiscretion. And students wouldnot have to listen to music; theyshould have the choice of whetherthey want to l isten to music.Some teachers have radios thatthey play whi le s tudents areworking. If we are going to listento music, why not give students achoice of whether or not they wantto listen to music, and what kindof music they want to listen to?

High school students areyoung adults and should know notto have the volume turned up soloud that they can’t think. Things

Alyssa Ranney

Reporter

Getting his groove thing on in the hallways of Lewis Central, sophomore Buck Morris busts a move inbetween class periods

Photos by Andrea Larison

Photo by Andrea Larison

Pick up your yearbooks after the homecoming gamein the High School cafeteria!!

YEARBOOKS ARE IN!!!

In August of 2002, my momcame home from work. “Mr. Freecalled,” she said, “he wants us tomove to California.” I could not havebeen happier. California would bethe perfect opportunity for me topractice my baseball even more thenI already did. I looked forward to aplace where I could play baseballyear round. I spent two years inSan Diego California, supposedly“America’s Finest City.” Don’tget me wrong, San Diego is anamazing city, but it just did notfit my life. I had always dreamtof playing baseball in the Midwestand viewed San Diego as a merestepping stone, on my path toplaying baseball for the Huskers.Little did I know the University ofNebraska has little to no recruiting

on the west coast, because of thecaliber of college baseball teams inCalifornia.

On August 13, 2004, I was inDC on vacation, and I was playingbaseball at the Moose Lodge, a smalldirt field at a nearby lodge, with myfriend Billy Valentine, when myparents called my cell phone. Theysaid they had called my aunt inCouncil Bluffs, and she agreed to letme live there, but the catch was thatI would have to decide in four hourswhether or not I wanted to. I didnot have to think for more thentwenty minutes. I knew what I hadto do; sure I would miss all of myfriends and the California lifestyle,but that is not what was importanttome. Moving to Council Bluffswould give me the opportunity to

play baseball for Lewis Central, aschool that I had heard great thingsabout. I decided to move.

I flew into Omaha on August17 and visited my new school. Thenext day I would be a Lewis Centralstudent. The first thing I noticedabout Iowa was the kindnessdemonstrated by the students. I hadnever made such good friends so

quickly in my life, and I am extremelythankful that I did. I already haveseveral people that can help me withbaseball, and others who are therejust to hang out. In fact, a few peopleare already considering visitingCalifornia with me, when I visit myparents.

On my first day I was able togo out and meet a few new people,and on the first day of school evenhad a table at which to sit. In everyclass people have approached meand asked my name, with trueintent of finding out somethingabout me. I have to say this was asnew to me as the school was. InCalifornia it took about a month tofind out who my real friends were,and even then it never felt much likehome. In Iowa I meet new people

every single day, and not one hasbeen unkind.

People here are not only muchmore accepting, but they seem to bea lot more real. Everyone I have methas an opinion on everything, and itis usually a strong one. People seemdevoted to what they want, whichis exactly what I need to makepossible my dream of playingbaseball for Nebraska. I have metpeople who, every night, playbaseball, just like me, when in allmy life I have known only oneother person who had that kind ofdedication.

I know from having lived inCalifornia that people have manycommon misconceptions of Iowa.Whenever Iowa is mentioned inCalifornia or DC, all people thinkof is corn, pickup trucks, countrymusic, and farms. Which of courseis nowhere near true. Anotherstereotype that I have actuallyfound to be true is thatMidwestern people are naturallynicer then others. I am not surewhether it is their simple lifestylethat just makes people more laid backhere, or if the smog in California andDC just makes them not thinkstraight, but it could not be moreclear that people in the Midwestare much cooler on average.

Some people believe thatmoving to Council Bluffs was thebiggest mistake I could have made.“I would do anything to move toCalifornia,” they say, “And youmoved here?” What people do notsee, however, is that Iowa is not atall a bad place to live. I haveexperienced both coasts, and I love it

here.

I got the blue and white blues

The west coast meets themidwest

Photo by Andrea Larison

Joe KrzemienReporter

Shocked over the new t-shirt policy, sophomore Brianna Delph and senior Adam Tomford can not agree onwhether it was the right decision

California native Joe Krzemienprefers the midwest over anywhereelse.

TID-BITS

September 2004Page 3

Volleying for aWinning Season

Photo by Andrea LarisonBefore each game, the Titan’s varsity volleyball team rally themselvestogether to go for the win.

Kehly HansenReporter

Name: Sara GundlachYear: SeniorSport: VolleyballLevel: VarsityHow Long Have You Been DoingThis? : Since 3rd or 4th gradeWhy Do You Do It? : Its fun, I have agood time on the teamMajor Accomplishment: Becoming thestarting setterGoals For the Upcoming Season: We’dlike to go back to state and win a coupleof games Most Memorable Moment: Last yearwhen we played Sioux City North andwent to state

Name: Heath EppersonYear: SeniorSport: Cross CountryLevel: VarsityHow Long Have You Been DoingThis? : This is my 6th yearWhy Do You Do It? : Its fun, to stay inshape, and it relieves stressMajor Accomplishment: Heath has themost Junior Varsity victories since theAnkenbaur Regime began (1980)Goals For the Upcoming Season: Im-prove my times, be a leader, help theteam get back to stateMost Memorable Moment: When I wasa sophomore at the Sioux City meetwhen the team made it to state and eventhough I didn’t make it, it was reallyexciting

The heat, the sweat, and thehard work all come into play whenthe Titan volleyball team beginsworking to start out a good season.The varsity team is practicing theirway to state for the secondconsecutive year.

“During practice there is a lotof running and jumping but wealways make everything fun,” saidjunior Kim VanNordstrand.

Freshman, junior varsity andvarsity teams are all putting togethergoals to reach at the end of theseason. Each team has a differentset of goals matched specifically tothem.

“I believe our main goal is tohave fun and to ultimately make itto state another year,” saidVanNordstrand.

To start achieving that goal, thefreshmen, sophomore, junior andsenior girls attended an Augustvolleyball camp to begin their raceto victory. They traveled to IowaWestern Community College to playa number of games that warmedthem up for the season.

“Camp made me ready for thevolleyball season. We learned adifferent rotation and reviewed thesame things from last year. Thegames at Iowa Western helped theplayers see how they played togetherand helped the coaches see how wewould play in a game situation,” saidjunior Meredith Sillau.

The varsity has a major goal setto go to state, however, the juniorvarsity and freshmen teams alsohave set goals.

“I am working and trying mybest to make my way up to the

varsity level as is every other girl onthe junior varsity and freshmenteam,” said Sillau.

In order for a team to makegoals together, they must haveteam unity. Every year the teamsshow unity by traditions theyfollow.

“Before games we do teamcheers, encouraging each playerbefore they enter the court to give100% and to warm each player upto get them ready and excited for thegame,” said Sillau.

More traditions include gettingin huddles before entering the courtand starting the game, buying teamvolleyball socks, shoes, shorts, andshirts, and accepting each player asan individual and recognizing themfor their specific talents.

Once a team has establishedunity, it becomes easier to get along,to practice, and to dominate in thegames they play.

This year the Titan volleyballschedule includes five home games

and tournaments and sixteen awaygames and tournaments. As for theaway season, the games can ofteninterfere with school, work, andother activities.

“The away season makes ithard for school and work and itmakes it even harder to get stuffdone because we get home prettylate,” said junior Jaimee Friesen,“On top of that, I hate riding the bus,especially when they’re really faraway games. The bus is awfulbecause we have to share seats andsome of us just want to sleep around9 or 10 p.m. which is impossible.”

The Titan volleyball team iscontinuing to get to know each otherand work hard to accomplish theirgoals. As the season continues, theteams will all carry on with the longpractices, learning new things aboutvolleyball everyday.

“We’ve been practicing for along time so I am looking forwardto playing some games and kickingsome butt,” said VanNordstrand.

Another Olympiad hascome to pass, this year in the originalOlympic City of Athens. This yearwas supposed to be a monumentalhomecoming, an Olympic games toremember, but putting it lightly thesegames sparked little interest. Forsome reason the razzle-dazzle thatyou usually see at the Olympicgames was almost non-existent.

Dare I say Athens was a flop? A flopno, but a little boring, yes.

During the first few daysof the Olympics, preseason footballgot better ratings. Sadly, I foundmyself to be one of those people whowould rather watch NFL backupsplay than watch one of the pinnaclesof the sporting world. But it’s notjust the “ignorant Americans” thatweren’t watching. When I tuned inI often saw that in the first few days,the stands in many of the eventsweren’t even at half capacity. It wasto the point where you could literallycount the rows of people.

There was so much hypeand publicity for Athens that it gotold. Not all the publicity was goodfor the games either. The fact thatthe Olympics were considered amajor terrorist target obviouslydidn’t help the attendance. Youcould constantly hear about theBALCO scandal where numeroustrack athletes including gold medal

Source: news.yahoo.com/Witnessing another heart breaking loss, AllenIverson and Tracy McGrady face defeat.

sprinter Marion Jones wereaccused of taking steroidswith masking agents thatmade the steroidsundetectable.

You couldconsider some of theperformances a let down.For instance, wrestlerRulon Gardner, the manwho knocked off a Russianjuggernaut to win gold in2000 at Sidney had tosettle for the bronze thisyear. Alan Webb,America’s best hope towin the 1500-meter runsince track great Jim Ryunfailed to make it past the

the man that gave theAthens games somesuccess, U.S. swimmerMichael Phelps. Phelps hadone of the most dominantperformances in Olympichistory. He racked up a totalof eight medals; this medalcount ties him for the mostmedals won in any event ata single Olympic gamesever. Jeremy Wariner, whohappens to have MichaelJohnson as a mentor, led theway to an American sweepof the 400-meter dash. TheU.S. men also captured thetop three spots in the 200-meter sprint, and America

Source: www.nzz.chFiercely working his way through the wa-ter, Michael Phelps goes for the gold.

had their first medal in the men’smarathon since Frank Shorter in1976 at the Montreal games.

Credit is also due to theU.S. women. The women’sbasketball team was a bit moresuccessful than the men in winningthe gold medal. The U.S. softballteam also took the gold. The U.S.women’s soccer team also had ahapping ending winning the goldmedal to wrap up the amazing careerof soccer legend Mia Hamm. Thewomen’s gymnastics team came upshort of their goal of winning goldbut managed to bring home the silvermedal.

Despite all of these thingshow can you say that Athens turnedout to be pretty good when barelyanyone watched it? This Athensdefinitely wasn’t the best Olympicsof all time, but I suppose it couldhave been worse. After the AthensOlympics not much can be saidexcept good-luck Beijing.

Summer has come to an end,and with it, the end of anotherbaseball and softball season.Baseball had an amazing year,thanks in part to the magnificentpitching of all-city selection, andbaseball player of the year, JustinToole. Toole pitched 56 innings andfinished the season with aremarkably low ERA of .87 andfanned 84 batters. In addition to hispitching, Toole batted .463 and stole21 bases. Other all-city selectionsinclude; Nick Yocum behind theplate, Mike Stamp in the infield, andZach Paulson in the outfield. TheTitans had the best season among allof the city teams, winning their thirdstraight conference title and chalkingup a 33-6 record. Unfortunately, theteam was upset in the third round ofthe tournament, a mere one gamefrom state. Despite last year’s thirdround letdown, the guys lookforward to a trip to state this year.

The softball team was a littledisappointed with last year’s turnout.

Heath

Epperson

Sara

GundlachPhoto by Andrea Larison

Photo by Andrea Larison

The high quality batting of all-cityshortstop, April Cooper, was notenough for the Titans. Cooper, theTitan shortstop, led the team with a.298 batting average, 14 RBI’s, and21 runs scored. The team is lookingforward to a much better season,with a more experienced, improvedteam, and a come back from lastyear.

(402) 490-8750 Susan

Direct Driving InstructionDirect Driving InstructionDirect Driving InstructionDirect Driving InstructionDirect Driving InstructionClasses arranged in areas where 10 or morestudents are registered for class. Students can register at: www.directdriving.net on-line or call

* Don’t leave voicemail * Evenings are best time to reach us.(712) 527-2850 Geoff

One of the biggest stories to hitthis school last year was theresignation of former head footballcoach Duane Orr. Orr’s departurecame as a shock to many throughoutthe school especially to the guys onthe football team. Though theyrespected Orr’s decision to leave, theycouldn’t help feeling a little desertedand anxious about the unknownsituation that was now in front ofthem.

“I was kind of annoyed. It wasgoing to be my senior year and Iwanted to have a good season withstuff I knew,” said senior co-captainBrad South.

There was a collective sigh ofrelief among the ever-anxiousfootball team when it was announcedthat Larry Sterbick would be theirnew coach. The uncertainty stillpresented itself, but anticipation andexcitement were the predominantemotions felt by the guys as theywaited for the new season to start.

“I was ready to meet the newcoach and see what he was like. Iwanted to hurry up and get thingsstarted,” said senior co-captain BradyErickson.

Coach Sterbick is more thanqualified to be at the helm of the LCfootball program. He has been a headcoach for 18 years, this being his 19th,and has had tremendous success inall of the places he’s coached. He’scoached in big schools, small schools,and everywhere in between withshining results at all of them.

“My most recent coaching jobwas at West Des Moines Valley. I gotto enjoy two years being back-to-backstate champs,” said Sterbick.

The place that LC would mostremember Coach Sterbick from is justa trip down the highway. He spent alittle over half a decade as the headcoach of the Glenwood Rams.

“I was in Glenwood for sixyears, and when I was in Glenwood,I really cared for this area.”

That admiration for southwestIowa was one of the many factors inSterbick’s choosing to coach at LewisCentral. With Sterbick’s youngestson, Luke, graduating from Valleylast year, he saw an opportunity tostart over.

“I thought that I needed to getback as a head coach again, but Iwasn’t going to just go anywhere. Iwanted to be at a place that had somereal potential and had a tradition inthe past, and I’ve always liked LewisCentral,” said Sterbick. “I’ve beenfriends with Coach Padilla, and Ithink it is a good fit.”

This school is a good fit forSterbick, and he brought with himsome ideas that have drasticallyimproved LC football. With the teamcoming off of limited success lastseason, Coach Sterbick feels thatsome major issues that need to beaddressed are the attitude andatmosphere of the football program.

“It’s about getting competitiveand getting our attitudes changedabout how you compete and how youprepare. There are sacrifices thathave to be made, and it’s got to beimportant to you. It’s the only way Iknow how to do it. It’s the only wayI know how to live. It’s the way Iplayed and it’s the kind of coach Iam,” he said.

The guys on his team are startingto pick up what he’s trying to teachthem, and they have respect for hisknowledge of the game he loves. Theyunderstand that years of experienceare speaking to them when hecoaches.

“I think he really knows whathe’s talking about, and he’s good atwhat he does,” said South.

By using his vast footballknowledge, Sterbick has decided thatthe best route for success is toimplement a ‘two-platoon’ system. Inthis system, the guys are no longerplaying on both sides of the ball. Theyare simply focusing on one position.This change gives them a lot of qualityrepetitions at their specific positions.

“We have players that either justplay offense or just play defense,” saidSterbick.

In order to accomplish this newstrategy, Coach Sterbick made hisbiggest change in his utilization of thecoaching staff. He feels it is veryimportant that coaches have a clearunderstanding of the specific positionsthey’re coaching.

“You’ve got to have coaches thatreally do a great job of teaching how

to play the game, and I think ourcoaches are doing that,” saidSterbick.

The coaches do shoulder someresponsibility in making the teamwork, but the majority of theresponsibility falls on the playersthemselves. One area that Sterbick ispassionate about getting his boys tobuy into is their weight liftingroutines.

“Strength plays such a big partin football. It’s a huge part inbecoming bigger and faster andstronger. We want every kid that’sgoing to play football in the weightroom because they will benefit fromit,” said Sterbick.

Sterbick’s dedication to liftingnot only pays off for the footballplayers, but also for every athlete thatenters the weight room.

“The biggest influence he’sgoing to have is in the weight room.He’s really pushing our kids to liftand he’s getting them stronger. It’snot just the football team, but everystudent athlete in all the programs,”said defensive coordinator ChrisHanafan.

Having so many athletes in theweight room will increase the wearon the current equipment.

“We need another squat rack, acouple more benches, a couple moreinclines, a couple more platforms,more bars, and more plates. This willmake it so we can really get a lot ofkids lifting.”

Though Sterbick demands a lotin the weight room and on the field,he’s quick to point out that he’sworking with a great group. Headmits that starting over is not aneasy job, but he’s enjoying his work.

“I do really like our guys; I thinkthey’re great. Every day on thepractice field I’ve enjoyed, and Iknow I’ll feel that way for the wholeyear.”

Photo submitted by Coach TooleBoys baseball had a terrific seasonthis summer. Leading this all-starteam included varsity catcher, se-nior Nick Yocum.

Joe KrzemienReporter

Dani MescherCo-Editor-In-Chief

Photo by Andrea LarisonUnder the leadership of coach Larry Sterbick, theTitan football teamhas raised their intensity to a new level.

A new coach for a new season

Dan HallReporter

Photo by Andrea LarisonReady to set the volleyball, seniorSara Gundlach works hard in allof her practices.

Photo by John PetriRunning at Iowa Western, seniorHeath Epperson strives to meet hisown personal record.

ATHLETES

ofthe

issue

Lewis Central adopts Larry Sterbick as its new head football coach Sports talk with Dan Hall

Olympic flame: aburn-out for 2004

preliminary rounds. The UnitedStates didn’t even have a baseballteam in Athens. Possibly thebiggest turn off of all was themen’s basketball team. With noOlympic experience and hardlyany preparation time, the U.S. lostthree games and won the bronzemedal.

I could keep nagging onabout what brought the games downbut there were some spots whereexcitement appeared. This includes

September 2004Page 4

When the words “back toschool” are heard, many studentsare f i l led with a disgust ingfeeling. It’s the same feeling thatcomes every year when schoolresumes and puts an end tosummertime.

The feeling stays for a while,but finally changes when the bigyear comes, and you’re a seniorin high school.

“Senior year is awesome. Iam going to enjoy relaxing andtaking a year off . I ’ve beenwaiting for this for three years,”said senior Kyle Zaloudek.

The desire to finally shed theyears of high school is shared bynear ly every senior in thebuilding. They are excited toexperience their last year, butalso ready to be finished.

Many seniors look forwardto finally having the luxury oflaziness. After three years ofworking hard, they will have thebenefit of taking it easy.

“I have been wai t ing 12years for this time to come, but itwill be nice to finally have highschool behind me,” said seniorJeff Walters.

“High school has been okay,but college is a whole differentstory. I’m really looking forwardto col lege,” said senior DaleLarsen who has decided to attendDrake Universi ty on a musicscholarship.

While there are those whotake this year as a “chilling year,”others are still studying hard,preparing for the years of schoolto come.

“This year I’m going torelax more, but still work hardbecause col lege i s a s tep upfrom high school,” said seniorEllen Nuss.

Some seniors see this yearas their last year of athletics,and many choose to participateand play in their last year ofhigh school sports.

“I haven’t played footballsince 7th grade, so I figured I’dgo out senior year and have fun,”said senior Josh Grovesnor.

Other athletes see this astheir last year to be in the numberone spot. This is their last timeto make an impact and be in thespotlight.

“This is my last year, and Iwant to go out with the biggestbang I can,” said senior BarakDavis.

Aside from athlet ics andeducation, many students seeth i s a s t he l a s t year to makememories with their friends.

“After high school, who knowswhen we’ll see all our friends again?This is the last year to have funtogether,” said senior Katie Boese.

Every senior’s perspective isdifferent from every other, butregardless senior year is the end ofhigh school and the beginning ofa whole different world that has yetto be discovered.

Thomas Webering

Reporter

Brodkey’s JewelersBrodkey’s JewelersBrodkey’s JewelersBrodkey’s JewelersBrodkey’s Jewelers1802 Madison Ave1802 Madison Ave1802 Madison Ave1802 Madison Ave1802 Madison Ave

“I wish I could tie you up in myshoes; make you feel unpretty, too.I was told I was beautiful, but whatdoes that mean to you? Look intothe mirror; who’s inside there? Theone with the long hair. Same old meagain today…” ♦

The rim of the ebony toiletglistens as I stick my finger down,down, down my throat. I choke…I cough…convulsion 1…2…3…flush…mouthwash…door. Twominutes. A new record and still timefor dessert.

My name is Lindsey*. I amintelligent. I am successful. I amfriendly. I have caring friends. Ihave loving parents. I was neverabused…and yet…I have beenstruggling with eating disordersmost of my life. I’ve suffereds i l en t ly. Looks can bedeceiving.

When I first entered middleschool, things changed. Not justmy age or my grade, but my bodyand my a t t i tude . Ha l fwaythrough the school year, I metNathan*, my first boyfriend. Ithought we were inseparable. Wedid everything together. Fromriding bikes, to homework, toschool dances, I always figuredwe’d be together forever, until theday we finally broke up.

“It’s not that I don’t likeyou…it’s just that…my friendsthink you’re ugly…and…I justthink we should see other peoplebecause I don’t want to be prettierthan my girlfriend.”

While those words might seemchildish and in many wayshumorous, things like that...younever forget. Sticks and stones maybreak your bones…but words canbreak your heart.

I asked my family whysomeone would say something likethat.

“Just because you’re not ‘hot’to guys doesn’t mean that you’reugly,” my dad said. “Imean…you’re an average-lookinggirl. It’s what’s on the inside thatcounts.”

I never understood that. If itonly mattered what was on theinside, then why did people pay somuch attention to their outer body?If it’s what’s on the inside thatcounts…then WHEN does it startcounting? Not today obviously.Not yesterday. Probably nottomorrow.

And “average?” I alwayshated the word average. It felt sounappealing. So typical. Soordinary. I didn’t feel ordinary. Ididn’t want to be ordinary. But thetruth of the matter was, therewasn’t really anything specialabout me. Nothing that set meapart from the rest. Nothinganyone noticed anyway…

But I noticed things. I noticedthe gap between my two frontteeth that didn’t match the perfectwhite smiles of the women on theAquafresh commercials. I noticedthe pudge of fat on my stomach thatI constantly had to suck in to looklike all the girls at school. I noticedthat one of my calves was biggerthen the other and that I had flat feetand that my nostrils were extra big

and that my hair was extra frizzy andthat…

The list went on and on…untilI could find nothing good aboutmyself. For every ‘bad’ feature myfinger slid…down…down..down.No guy would ever want to date me.Down. No girl would ever want tobe my friend. Down.

I wanted to be beautiful…Iwanted to be skinny. I wanted tobe popular with the girls and sexyto the guys. But it was like I hadno control over who I was, or whatI looked like. I hated not being incontrol.

This is when my makeoverbegan. After watching countlessshows about makeovers, I scheduleda hair appointment. My long,flowing hair that had reached downmy back was cut shoulder length andgolden blonde streaks were addedto my now, layered do. I bought new,expensive makeup, spent hundredsof dollars on new, hip clothes, andsubscribed to Cosmopolitanmagazine.

I joined a gym and bought SlimFast shakes and low-carb dinners,but after weeks of sweating at thegym and chugging distastefulshakes, nothing seemed to beworking.

Soon after, I stumbled onto anonline anorexic CLUB! How sick,right? A website devoted to nearlyemaciated girls, with bony modelson their front page, claiming to bePro-Ana (Pro-Anorexia) experts.Somehow it was what I needed. Ijoined and started receivinghundreds of tips daily to feed myhunger for anorexia knowledge. Idid EVERYTHING I could to findout more.

From here on out my dietswitched to saltines and water, andtwice as much time at the gym.Finally…I was seeing results. Apound here, a pound there. Stillnothing spectacular. About a weeklater I bought these really cheap dietpills and lost about four pounds,nothing big. And I was starving. Thehunger swelled inside mybody…raced through my mind.Countless efforts to think ofanything other than food proved tobe disappointing.

On July 21st, 2002*, after daysof walking around in a daze, I cavedin. I ate. But, after a probablynormal-sized breakfast, I decidedthat any food was too much food fora loser like me and I forced myselfto throw it up. I had seen it in themovies and it seemed like a simple

Types of Eating DisordersAnorexia Nervosa: The morbid fear of gaining weight and fat calories and attemptto eat as little as possible.Binge Eating: The excessive consumption of food, often thousands of calories at atime when hurt or upset. Also called “comfort eating.”Bulimia: The purging of the body of food and energy through self-inducedvomiting, laxative abuse, diuretics, diet pills, and extreme exercise.

Did You Know?• 51% of 9 and 10-year-old girls feel better about themselves if they are

on a diet and an estimated 78% of adolescent girls wish to weigh less,and are or think they should be on diets.

• Out of 37,500 young women between 12 and 15, Over half (57.5%)listed appearance as the biggest concern in their lives.

• 8 million people in the U.S. suffer from serious eating disorders.• Without treatment, up to 20% of people with serious eating disorders

die.

Resources• 1-800-931-2237 National Eating Disorders Association-

International treatment referrals and information.• http://www.something-fishy.org/ - Signs, symptoms, and

information on eating disorders.• Boys Town National Hotline-

1-800-448-3000

task, but it was NOT easy. It hurtterribly, from my throbbing head tomy burning throat to the wrenchingache in my stomach. Yet, despite thediscomfort, I walked out of thebathroom smiling and feelingempowered. I was in control. I waswrong.

What started as just oncebecame just twice, which becameevery day, every meal, every hour.The bulimia was bigger than I, and Ihad no control at all. Before long, Ididn’t even need to stick my fingerdown my throat to causeconvulsions. It just…came. And I letit as I found myself racing to thebathroom instantly…just to keepclean.

I had no energy; I began to feelsick all the time, you know, alwayscold, tired. I felt my body dying, butin some way, I was happy about that.It was like I was throwing my lifeaway…literally. I just wanted to betransparent, so no one could see me.And I slowly withered away.. . . 1 5 0 . p o u n d s . . ........145…130…115…95…85…....

The first time I purged was twoyears ago, and I have been strugglingever since. Some days and weeks arebetter than others, but it is always inthe back of my mind.

I seldom go a week withoutfeeling the need to purge. It hauntsme every time I eat. It haunts meevery time I have to wear shorts or(gasp!) a bathing suit.

It has become my copingmechanism any time I feel strongemotions of any kind. It has erodedwhat little self-esteem I have leftbecause now, I’m not only insecureabout my looks, but I am horrifiedto think about the disgusting personthat I am on the inside as well.

I am realizing that bulimia hasless to do with striving for thinness,but more to do with the stifling ofunexpressed emotions.

Emotionally…I feel insecure,angry, afraid, and alone. Insecurebecause I still feel unpretty, fat, andeven uglier than before. Angry atmyself for letting my vehicle ofchoice for the past two years be a self-destructive one. Afraid of what mighthappen if my obsessive actionscontinue. And alone, for no one couldpossibly understand the depths of mydespair. The insecurities of my mind.Or the hopelessness in my heart. Ifonly you could feel what I’ve felt. Ifonly you could see what I see.

I wish I could tie you up in myshoes…it would make you feelunpretty too.

Amber JohnsonAssistant-Editor

True Life: I threw my lifeaway... literally

Photo by Andrea LarisonOh the memories. Seniors Brody Bockenstedt, Katherine Tweedt, andSeth Jackson laugh while looking back on their high school past.

Jacqueline Frevert is from atiny town called Raeville,Nebraska. She teaches English 10and F.A.M.E. Mrs. Frevert has ahusband, Brett, and four children.She likes to read, go out to eat, playvolleyball and softball, and shewould describe herself as beingenergetic. Mrs. Frevert is veryexcited to join the Lewis Centralfamily.

Deb Blodgett would describeherself as fun loving, which is a greattrait to have since she has to put upwith sick kids all day. She’s the newnurse. Mrs. Blodgett is originallyfrom Illinois, and she has a hus-band, Rick, and two sons, Jason andNathan. She likes to read and gar-den flowers. Mrs. Blodgett is happyto be here and she hopes studentswill feel they can talk to her aboutany health concerns.

Kelli Nugent is the newprincipal secretary for Dr. Radtke.She is originally from Omaha, andshe has a husband, Donny, twochildren, James and Kaitlyn, and anew puppy. Some of her favoritethings to do are shopping and readingto her kids. Mrs. Nugent woulddescribe herself as organized, andshe loves it here at Lewis Central.

Carol Larsen , a CouncilBluffs native, is the new ALCSupervisor. She has three kids andfour grandchildren. Some of herfavorite hobbies are horsebackriding, skiing, parasailing, andtaking her dog for walks. Mrs.Larsen would like the students toknow she is here to help them inany way she can.

Ed Combs has his work cutout for him this year. He’s thenew computer technician. Mr.Combs is married and has onechild. He would describe himselfas simple, and he likes to fish andplay games.

Larry Sterbick is our newP.E. teacher and football coach.He is originally from Tacoma,Washington, and he has fourchildren. Coach Sterbick likes toride his Harley, run, workout,and, of course, coach. He seesLewis Central as a great place.

Victoria Freivogel isteaching English 9 and 10 this year.She is originally from Omaha,Nebraska. She has a husband andtwo children, Anna and William.Mrs. Freivogel likes to read,exercise, sing in her church choir,and write. She is happy to be hereat Lewis Central.

It’s the beginning of the school year, and asusual there are a lot of new faces in the

hallways. However, these faces don’t justbelong to the freshmen. New staff members

have also joined the Lewis Centralcommunity. Here are some of this year’s

new staff members:

photos by Bridgette Mucha

True Life Stories are stories meant to tell about realistic events in many teenagers’ lives, and provide help on such issues. Tese articles are a partof a series, but may be another person’s story and not my own, although written as told to me. Note: The following events described in this piece

did not take place at Lewis Central. If you would like to be featured in True Life, submit a short description of your story of your story andcontact to The WireLife@hotmail.com

LC welcomes new staff

September 2004Page 5

“Back to school!” The dreadedphrase of kids everywhere has rungthroughout the halls of LewisCentral High School. It seems tobe a favorite for parents andadvertisers, but the thought ofgiving up those summer days isunbearable for students and teachersalike here at LC. The long, warmafternoons of relaxing, the stress-free thoughts of no homework orafter school activities, the never-ending time spent with friends, andour favorite: sleeping in. All of thiswhisked away with the first bell ofa new school year. So much for “letfreedom ring.”

Most kids everywhere havetrouble adjusting to the new schoolyear after what seemed like aridiculously short summer. It’s hardto get used to the frantic nights ofstudying and long hours in theclassroom.

“It is too early! We didn’t havemuch of a summer because we gotout of school late and went backearly,” complains junior ClaireKnigge.

It may seem hard for upperclassmen to adjust, but it’s evenharder for freshmen. Not only dothey have to give up summer, theyhave to get used to a new school aswell. That has some freshmen atLC in a frenzy.

“The high school is veryconfusing with all of the rooms andstuff,” admits freshman KelseyCox.

Even teachers have a hard timeadjusting to getting up early anddealing with kids all day. Ifanything, it’s hardest for them. Youthought math or English or sciencewas boring? Try teaching it threeor four times a day.

“It’s hard to adjust. I miss mydaughter!” exclaims science teacherMindi Honken.

To make matters worse forthose who can’t believe we’reback, a few teachers and studentsare excited for the new school year.This may sound like good news,but sometimes people alreadyadjusted and ready to start the yearoff with a bang make the rest of ussick.

“I always enjoy high school.Other teachers moan and groan, butI love it!” says choir director GaryFiscus.

High schoolers and teachersnot adjusted to the routine yet canmope and moan all they want, butthere’s a time when everyone has

to follow in the footsteps of Mr.Fiscus and just accept the fact thatschool will rule their lives for thenext nine to ten months. Here aresome tips to help even the unruliestof kids settle down for anotherschool year:

Don’t slack off in classes thatseem extremely boring at thebeginning. Getting a good start isthe key to a good finish, and theclass will pick up the pace soonenough.

Get plenty of sleep. Everyonesays the same thing year after yearabout eight hours of sleep, but it’strue. Sleep helps keep you goingthrough classes, homework, andactivities. Well, at least try to geteight hours every night at thebeginning of the year, because weall know it’s helpless after that.

Respect your teachers. It maynot seem like much, but whenyou’re on good terms with teachersthey make it easier for you, so givethem a break. Once you’re on theirbad side, you’re there to stay, so benice especially this early in the year.

Eat three good meals a day.With all the stuff teens do, there’sno way you’ll make it through awhole year unless you eat nutritiousstuff. Okay, it’s a little unrealisticto expect teens to eat threenutritious meals a day, but it neverhurts to try.

Do your work in class and yourhomework. We all want passinggrades, so why not take the time toget stuff done? You have to be inclass, so just do the work.

If you really can’t standschool, don’t look at the big picture.Take baby steps through the year.Don’t think about getting out forsummer, think about Christmasbreak. Think about days off orweekends or just the end of the day.You’ll get through it soon enough.

Don’t swamp yourself with toomany activities. If you tire yourselfout, you won’t be able to enjoyanything, so pick out your favoritesand don’t stress out.

As long as you’re at school,enjoy your young life. Friends,dances, after school activities, andeven some particularly enjoyableclasses make school bearable. Havefun while you’re here! And read theschool paper! A fine piece ofwriting is sure to cheer up your day!

With these tips in mind, it’stime to hit the books and forgetabout those joyous summer days.Good luck to all of you in the newschool year. The bell has rung, it’sthe end to summer fun, it’s “backto school!”

Gett’in back in theswing of school

By Joe KrzemienDisappointed from his new overload of homework, junior Jake Vincentwallows over his school work.

Upon entering high school, thegeneral feeling is to get out of it assoon as possible. Although highschool sometimes seems pointless,one very important purpose of it isto prepare young minds for a collegeeducation. Otherwise, thoseambitious individuals would be lostat the start of college.

During high school, everyonemust take all of the required coursesto graduate, such as science andsocial studies. Students also need totake classes like speech, health,Workplace Readiness, ConsumerSurvival Skills, and Home and CarCare to help them when they areliving on their own. Taking some ofthe college classes that are offeredis also a good idea because the priceis much less if taken during highschool than it would be in college,and it is a good idea to have a jump-start on getting college credit.

High school can be a greatopportunity to learn about differentpossible career paths. For instance,if teaching or working at a day caresounds like an interesting careerfield, taking child developmentwould be a benefit. Classes like thisoffer students the opportunity to gainmore knowledge about a career paththey may be considering. With thatknowledge, they can decide if theywould enjoy and be capable of a jobin that field. If a student is stillinterested in that career by senioryear, the student can use the jobshadow required for WorkplaceReadiness to learn the ups and downsof that career from a person workingin that field.

In addition to graduating highschool, everyone must take requiredtests to be accepted into differentcolleges. Before high school classescan be taken for college credit, IowaWestern requires that students takethe PLAN and ASSET tests todetermine which individuals areeligible to receive college credit.

The PLAN test is takensophomore year by all students. If astudent scores high enough on thattest, that student can get the

paperwork from an Iowa Westernrepresentative, pay the twenty dollaradmission fee, and can then takeclasses worth college credit.

Another test that can decide ifan individual gets college credit isthe ASSET test. The score on thistest is an indicator for how well astudent will do in a college class. TheASSET covers English, reading, andmath. Those subjects are tested onthe ACT as well. This test is notrequired, yet it is good practice forthe ACT.

One more test that is taken byLC students is the ITED, Iowa Testof Education Development andstudents take it their junior year. Thistest is required because those scoreshave to be reported to the state tobe included in programs like the NoChild Left Behind Act. It also showsa student’s growth when comparedto eighth grade ITBS and tenthgrade PLAN scores.

Taking tests is important, butrecording test scores is good for thestudents to do as well. Keeping achart or just writing down scoresfrom all standardized tests you havetaken lets you know if you areimproving or if your scores aregoing downhill. With thisinformation on-hand, students cantake action to improve scores if theystart to drop. Updating thisinformation with the most currentlytaken tests, ITED for example, isimportant for ongoing improvementthroughout a student’s high schoolcareer.

Along with the ITED, twomajor standardized tests that needto be taken for students to qualifyto attend college are the ACT andthe SAT. It is alright to take eithertest, because most colleges accepteither or both of these test scores.The most taken and accepted testwithin the Midwest is the ACT.

Registration must becompleted a month or so before thetest date. Dates to register arelocated on a yellow page at thebeginning of the student handbook.To register to take these tests, goonline to www.act.org for the ACTor www.collegeboard.com/splashfor the SAT. Make sure to fill out

all of the registration pagescompletely. A form will then be sentin the mail as a reminder of the testdate, the time, and the materials,too. Also, make sure to read all ofthe rules completely to be prepared,and to arrive at the testing placeearly so you can find the classroomthat your test will be held in.

Keep in mind that the ACT andSAT can be taken multiple times.That means since the first test scoreis usually the worst, retake it toimprove the score. A fee is chargedevery time one of these tests istaken. The price varies, but the testsare always under thirty dollars each.Try doing some practice tests to getthe best results. They are availableonline or in ACT or SAT prepbooks. The school is offering anACT prep session on the same daysas ITEDs.

The ACT is the main collegeentrance exam in Iowa. LewisCentral’s 11th and 12th gradeguidance counselor, Curt Mace,lends his knowledge by advisingstudents to take the ACT aminimum of twice because the moreoften a test is taken the moreexperience the individual gains. Thedown side to taking the ACTmultiple times is that students’ testscores increase an average of onepoint each time the test is taken andthe total cost can build up fast.

Not only do ACT and SATscores matter for college, somescholarships require those scores aswell. Scholarships are an importantstep toward college because theyare one way to help pay collegeexpenses. Seniors should get startedon scholarships in the fall. Macesuggests that students get started bygoing to check in at the office everyweek to stay up-to-date on the latestscholarships. One very helpfulwebsite that Mace mentioned waswww.fastweb.com. There is a lot ofscholarship information on thiswebsite to help students find whatthey are looking for.

Mace wants students to beaware that there are a few things towatch out for and remember whilelooking for scholarships. Never payanyone to help you search for

scholarships. Instead, get help byasking guidance counselors andusing the Internet; they don’t costextra when it comes to findingscholarship information. Also, anyscholarship is a good scholarshipbecause even with a hundred dollarscholarship, a few books can bepaid for. Take advantage ofscholarships. Filling out somepaperwork to get free money seemslike a fair trade.

Along with helping studentsfind scholarships, the school helpsstudents further prepare for collegeby hosting a few events that touchon different aspects of going tocollege. College planning night,which was on September 7th, wasthe first of these events. Anotherevent mentioned on the schoolcalendar is a college fair. It takesplace at the Mid America Center.Also a presentation will be at thehigh school to make studentsfamiliar with financial aid. Onefinal event is a class for financialaid assistance.

One final endeavor to makebefore heading off to college is tovisit the college. College visit datescan be scheduled through thecollege’s website. A student shouldtry to visit a few of the top collegesthat he/she is considering to attend.It is not always possible to go on acollege visit, though. Going to a jobfair instead may be easier to attendplus it is an excellent opportunityfor students to learn about severalcolleges by talking torepresentatives in person.

High school may seem endlessat times, but college is closer thanit seems. Taking all required classesand tests, applying for scholarships,going to school events pertaining tocollege, and attempting to visitsome colleges prepares anyambitious individual for anuncomplicated and less stressfulcollege experience.Important DatesSeptember 28- College fairOctober 12 & 13- ITEDs & ACTprep sessionDecember 14- Financial aidpresentationFebruary 1- Financial aid assistance

Vicki BurnettReporter

The cola wars!A battle of refreshments

stores, took over and assured Pepsi’sfuture. Once again Pepsi-Colabecame a thriving business. *

Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Colahave been in competition for morethan a century throughout the world.Now, the battle has been moved to

Staying true to Coca-Cola, juniorMelissa Queen chooses Coke overPepsi in an informal taste test.

It seems like competition iseverywhere in society. TheHawkeyes verses the Cyclones,Lewis Central verses Glenwood,and the Republicans verses theDemocrats. One of American mostbeloved competitions is Coca-Colaverses Pepsi. This year LewisCentral switched from Coca-Colapop machines to Pepsi machines.

“Coke and Pepsi were veryclose but Pepsi’s proposal was alittle bit better, so that’s the one theychose,” said activities bookkeeperCharlotte Butterbaugh.

When Lewis Central’s six-yearcontract with Coca-Cola ran out, thecontract was put up for bid. ARequest for Exclusive BeverageDistribution and Sale Proposal wassent to the three local area beverageproviders, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, andDr. Pepper Seven-UP BottlingGroup. The beverage providers thenreturned their bid proposal back toLewis Central. The bid proposalswere reviewed by thesuperintendent, Dr. Radtke, and aboard that decided on Pepsi.According to Butterbaugh, one ofthe incentives that gave Pepsi theedge was switching to full service.That means that Pepsi fills theirmachines, takes the money, andgives L.C. a commission.

On September 10th a semi-random taste test was conductedduring first lunch. Five studentswere giving a glass of Pepsi and aglass of Coke and asked which onethey preferred. Three of the fivestudents polled chose Pepsi overCoke. Junior Elise Dirks was oneof the students that participated inthe taste test. She said that shethought Coke tasted flat, and thatPepsi was more refreshing. Sheadded that she thought Pepsi had alot of potential. The taste test is anexample of the head to headcompetition that has been going onbetween Pepsi and Coke for morethan a century.

Coca-Cola was invented in1886 (making Coke 12 years olderthan Pepsi) by an Atlanta pharmacistnamed John Remberton. The name“Coca-Cola” was suggested byRemberton’s bookkeeper, and onMay 8, 1886 the first coke was soldat Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta. Inits first year of production, Coke didnot fair very well, earning only $50in total sales while costing $70 tomake. When another pharmacistnamed Asa Griggs Chandler tookcharge of sales, the Coca-ColaCompany increased syrup sales byover 4000% between 1890 and 1900.The company also began sellingsyrup to independent bottlingcompanies licensed to sell the drink.Coca-Cola contained extracts of

cocaine and the caffeine-rich kolanut until 1905. By 1917 Coke wasthe most recognized trademark. * *****

A pharmacist named CalebBradham started Pepsi-Cola in 1898.Bradham kept customers coming tohis pharmacy by inventing his ownbeverages. One of his creations wasa mixture of Kola nut extract, vanillaand rare oils. The drink became sopopular with his customers that theynamed it “Brad’s Drink.” Bradhamrenamed the drink Pepsi-Cola andlaunched the Pepsi-Cola Companyin the back room ofhis pharmacy in1902. In 1903 “Pepsi-Cola”becameofficially registered with theU.S. Patent his pharmacy in 1902.In 1903 “Pepsi-Cola” becameofficially registered with the U.S.Patent Office. That same yearBradham began awarding franchisesto bottle Pepsi to independentinvestors. By 1907, the companywas selling more than 100,000gallons of syrup per year. However,the company fell into hard timesduring World War One, when sugarprices flip-flopped from record highsto devastating lows. This caused thecost of doing business to increase,so Bradham was forced into a seriesof business gambles to stay inbusiness. After three years hedeclared bankruptcy. Finally,Charles G. Guth,the president of LoftIncorporated, a large chain of candy

Lewis Central, and Pepsi seems tobe the winner.

“Pepsi has more spice,” saidjunior Kaela Croushorn.Sources used: www.sirpepsi.com/pepsi11.htm*inven tors . abou t . com/ l ib ra ry /inven to r s /b l cocaco la .h tm,**www.geocities.com/heartland/4269/history.html***

Heidi BehrensReporter

Ready?Baby, I wasborn ready.Getting through high schooland preparing for college.

Jennifer EttingerCopy Editor

Tips to get a smooth start into the school year

September 2004Page 6

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something as simple as callingvoters and putting up posters.

“Everyone should getinvolved in a campaign,” saidgovernment instructor John Drake,“especially students, because theywould receive a hands-onexperience. It would help themunderstand more in class aboutwhat goes in behind the scenes ofcampaigning and politics ingeneral.”

The original plan for thegovernment class was to actuallyrequire the students to volunteerfor the campaigns, but the idea hasnot been approved by Mr.Massman, the associate principal.Instead, students may volunteerand the hours that are workedwould be used as a source of extracredit.

Even though it has not becomea requirement of the class, Mr.Drake is encouraging his studentsto go out and participate in thisactivity if at all possible.

“I think that volunteering fora candidate’s campaign would be

Kellie DoffinReporter

Students have always had totake American Government as arequired class to graduate at LewisCentral. The class teaches studentsabout the different areas ofgovernment and politics.Participating in mock elections,learning the different levels ofgovernment, and understandingpolitical parties are all major partsof the class curriculum anddiscussion, but what about workingfor a Senator ’s or House ofRepresentative’s campaign?

“I would be excited to helptake part in a campaign, and I thinkwe as Americans are lucky to getthe chance to do so,” said juniorRachel Brookover.

Since this year is an electionyear, i t would be a primeopportunity for students tovolunteer for either a Democraticor Republican candidate and hiscampaign. Volunteering for thesecampaigns could include doing

fun and I could get a more in-depthperspective about government andpolitics,” said junior RachelMasker.

By becoming involved in thecampaigns, s tudents couldpotentially find that politics andwhat goes on behind the publiceyes, such as the time, money,organization, and the complexityof the campaigning process is veryinteresting.

Not only would it be a goodopportunity for the students, butit would also help the candidates.“We’re always looking for peopleto help us out, especially studentswho are interested,” said Emmafrom the Republican campaignoffice in Des Moines.

If you are a student who isinterested in volunteering, pleasecontact the following people formore information: DavidOverholtzer (515) 282-8105 forthe Republican Party or RamseyGreen (712) 388-1009 or (619)379-9505 for the DemocraticParty.

Could volunteering forcandidate campaigns be-come a requirement forgovernment students?

Beep…beep…beep. Your handslams down on the alarm clock. Youopen your eyes, and theyimmediately close again. Thethought of school is unbearable. Youknow you’ll be late for class again if youdon’t get out of bed, so you forceyourself to topple out of the warmsheets. The same thought comes toyou that repeats in your mind everymorning: “It’s too early!” Manykids all over the U.S. think the samething, and they just might be right.

Circadian rhythms are thebiological processes occurring at 24-hour intervals.* In simpler terms,these are the things happening insideof us that make us tired or awake atthe same times day after day.Circadian rhythms change as youget older; the circadian rhythms fora child are much different than fora teen or an adult. The circadianrhythms in teens are part of thereason why they are so tired in themornings.

Research supports that thenatural sleep pattern of teens is togo to bed around midnight and getup after 9:00 a.m.** It’s howthey’re biologically programmed.This can create a real problem atschools around the country,considering that most high schoolsstart around 7:30a.m. Accordingto teens’ circadian rhythms, they’renot even awake for the first two orthree periods of the day!

Some schools in NewHampshire have responded to thenewly found information bymaking school start twenty minuteslater. Some say that this effort toimprove education will pay off, butothers say that it’s not worth thework. Changing school starting timewould require bus schedule changesand funds, and most schools don’twant to put in the time or money towork out these problems for onlytwenty more minutes of sleep.**

Since the change made in aparticular New Hampshire highschool, tardiness has decreased by50%, but that’s only the positive

side.** Starting school later alsomeans getting out later, posing apotential threat for younger children.Older siblings wouldn’t be home totake care of their grade-school agesisters and brothers (whobiologically are awake in themornings), which leaves young kidshome alone for long periods oftime.** Getting out late also doesn’tleave much time for after-schoolactivities.**

So is this idea of high schoolsstarting later right for Lewis Central?There are major pros and cons nomatter how you look at it, so shouldthe LC school district even considerthe change to improve focus andalertness in morning classes?

“I have to be awake first hourbecause we are working on people’scars and stuff, so I’m awake in themorning,” explains sophomore ShawnBoos. “I think starting school later is awaste of time because then yourafternoon is shot. There is no time forafter-school activities either.”

Although Shawn makes a goodpoint, many students at LC disagree. The

thought of a few more winks in themorning appeals to many whoaren’t exactly sure what their firsthour teacher is talking about dayafter day.

“I think that starting schoollater is a good idea. I’m not amorning person, so my brain isn’tawake until the afternoon! Moresleep sounds good to me,” sayssenior Lori Haney.

Even i f the idea i sconsidered, it is unlikely that itwill be approved. It will takeyears to get a new school scheduleto take effect even if it is approved,and school administrators aren’twarming up to the idea.

“We did (change our startingtime) about four years ago. It justdidn’t work for us. The majorityof students felt that they wanted tobe here early, and bussing was aproblem too,” says principal Dr.Radtke.

So for right now, LC studentswill have to keep on slamming offtheir alarm clocks when it’s tooearly.

Copy EditorJennifer Ettinger

It’s that time of year again;school has started and students arejust getting into the swing of thingsonce more. Lewis Central hasalways had a wide variety of popularsports and extra-curricular activities,but what about the different classesavailable to students?

“Many of our college credit andhonors early start courses are alwaysvery popular,” said junior and seniorguidance counselor, Curt Mace.

English Composition, physics,pre-calculus, and trigonometry areconsidered college credit coursesoffered at Lewis Central. EnglishCompostion, English Comp forshort, is an English class. It isusually for seniors only, wherestudents learn how to write storiesin MLA format and how to writewith different concepts. Pre-calculusand trigonometry are advanced mathclasses where there is a higherdifficulty. Physics is basically aclass that is also more advanced inmath and in science.

Not only are students given theopportunity to take these moreadvanced classes, but also they canearn college credit through IowaWestern Community College. Thecredit gained can be used astransferable credit to another collegeof the student’s choice.

“I think that it’s great our schooloffers college credit classes,” said

junior Ashley Johnson. “It gives usas students an advantage, so we canprepare ourselves for college and getcredit for school at the same time.”

Besides honors early startprograms and college credit coursesthere are other classes that intereststudents.

“I think what makes a classinteresting is the teacher,” said juniorClaire Knigge, “especially AmericanGovernment with Mr. Drake. He’sjust a very funny guy and makeslearning government all the moreinteresting and worthwhile.”

Students might find someclasses are more fulfilling thanothers, because they are interestedin the topics of the subject.

“Psychology is a class that Ilike, because I am able to learn andfigure out why people react andbehave the way they do and thatinterests me,” said junior AngelHammersmeinster.

In psychology, students look atcase studies and do experimentsabout the human psyche. They learnthe differences between cognitivethinking, and moral and socialconcepts. The curriculum alsoincludes what determines howpeople act and behave in responseto their environment.

Students also want to challengethemselves in reaching their owngoals, whether it is lessening the loadfor college, or preparing for thefuture.

“I personally believe that takingtrigonometry, which is definitely achallenging class for me, will helpme in the end for college and myfuture career,” said junior KatieCook.

Students may take a subject toexperience what it could be like in aspecific situation, such as parenting.In parenting, students learn what itfeels like to be pregnant. Studentsthen wear an empathy suit, whichconsists of weights and water; itgives them the feeling of being ninemonths pregnant, although it is nota requirement to do so. An actualrequirement for taking parenting,however, is that students have to takehome a mechanical baby and care forit for a certain amount of days.

“The mechanical baby isdefinitely an experience in itself, ittakes up a lot of your time,” saidsenior Amy Benson, “but I amdefinitely looking forward to theexperience.”

Simply stated, there are manyreasons that some classes are morepopular or well known than others,let it be the teachers, materiallearned, plans for the future, or justthe class experience in itself. It alljust depends on what students’interests are that determines whatclasses are taken. With all the widevariety of classes to choose from, it’seasy to see that extra-curricularactivities aren’t the only thing

offered at Lewis Central.

Specialized classes gaining popularity

Kellie DoffinReporter

In a place called Anytown...In a place called Anytown,

things aren’t like they are in thereal world. In a place calledAnytown, you are free to do whatyou want to do, be who you wantto be, and dream as big as youwant to. It’s a place where thesky’s no longer the limit… butthe starting point.

It’s a place where it doesn’tmatter whether you are yellow,black, white, red, or brown. Itdoesn’t matter your religion, yourgender, or your financial status.It doesn’t even matter who youlove. What matters is who youare and where you are going. Itmatters what kind of person youare and what kind of person youlong to be. It’s a place that shapesyou into that person. A personwith an open mind AND an openheart. But take one look and youwill see that Anytown is morethan just a place.

This summer, 70 studentsfrom the Council Bluffs/Omahaarea, including myself,participated in Anytown, ahuman relations and leadership

conference sponsored by theNational Conference forCommunity and Justice. Thecamp was located at Camp CarolJoy Holling Retreat Center, nearAshland, Nebraska. Manyattended not knowing muchabout the camp except that itdealt with social justice, equality,and prejudice. Many attendednot knowing the impact that asimple summer camp could haveon their life or on the lives ofothers. I personally attendedAnytown in hopes of writing anarticle for “The Wire” aboutdiscrimination and prejudice inschools. After reading about anOmaha South student who wasmurdered as a result of beingbullied, I felt something neededto be done. However, I could notteach to others what I had not yetlearned.

Before camp I had the ideathat I could change the world,one person at a time. What Ididn’t know was that in order tochange the world, you have gotto be open to that change withinyourself.

“You’ve got to be the changeyou want to see in the world,”

said junior Kevin Jones, anotherLC student who attendedAnytown.

To tell you the truth, I didn’treally think that I needed tochange at all. I had alwaysconsidered myself to be a prettyopen-minded person. But as thedays wore on and reality becamemore visible, it made me almostsick to my stomach knowing thatI had contributed to bias andinustice in things I had said andnot said. In things I had done,not done, and watched be done.

I had laughed when myfriends or teachers cracked“blonde” jokes (appearances). Itdidn’t phase me to hear “that’s sogay” (heterosexism) or “you’re soretarded” (ableism) when walkingthrough the school hallways.When I thought of guys I picturedmuscles, cars,and football, and when I thoughtof girls I imagined pretty pinkdresses, makeup, and high-heeledshoes (sexism). I did not knowthat those were stereotypes, whichultimately lead to prejudice,which leads to discrimination.

“When I tell people that I’mJewish, the usual reaction from

people is: ‘You’re Jewish! Youdon’t look Jewish.’ It drives mecrazy,” said junior LexieNewman, a Westside student. “Ithink it’s really ignorant andstereotypical. I always think tomyself, if only you could hearwhat you sound like…”(faithism).

I guess I didn’t categorize thelittle phrases that seem socommon in our language asprejudice or offensive language/behavior. I didn’t see the phrase“old people drivers” (ageism) asa typecast or the word “prep”(classism) as an absurd attempt byteenagers to classify their peersaccording to popularity. Who’s todecide how old “old” is? Andwho’s to determine how “preppy”you have to be to be a “prep?”And why exactly is it that AfricanAmericans can use the n-word(racism) but Caucasians can’t?

As the days wore on at camp,the things that often wentunnoticed by teenagers today,became more and more clear.

“I started to see otherpeople’s points and not just myown,” said sophomore LauraZietz, an Omaha South student.

“I learned that some things couldhurt people’s feelings without(you) meaning to.”

But the ultimate goal ofAnytown was not just to maketeenagers aware of their ownbiases, but to teach them how toovercome the obstacles that keepus apart.

With the use of skits,workshops, speakers, hands onlearning exercises, and small andlarge group discussions, studentswere able to break downboundaries and build bridgestowards change and a brightertomorrow.

“The activities at Anytownbroadened by views,” said juniorDustun Dean, an Omaha Southstudent. “They made me aware tothe suffering of others and the wayothers perceive things.”

Anytown is a place ofunderstanding, perception, andlifelong awareness. It is a place thataccepts all and embracesindividuality. It’s a place thatreplaces inner hatred with a greatlove. A love so deep that it buildsan unsaid “familiarity” betweenindividuals with dissimilarities andcreates friendships that last a

lifetime. It’s a place of learning, aplace of growing, and a place ofpeace. It’s a place that you canalways call home with peoplethat you can always call family.

And although this place mayseem almost unreal, unrealistic,or dreamlike, in some ways it is.Because…Anytown is more thenjust a place. It’s a way of life.

Appearancism- Discriminationtowards a person based on their

appearance.

Heterosexism- Discriminationtowards a person based on theirsexual orientation.Ableism- Discriminationtowards a person based on theirability.Sexism- Discrimination towardsa person based on their gender.Faithism- Discriminationtowards a person based on theirfaith.Ageism- Discrimination towardsa person based on their age.Classism- Discriminationtowards a person based on classor privilege.Racisim- Discriminationtowards a person based on raceor national origin.

Amber JohnsonAssistant Editor

Government teacher Mr. JohnDrake pushes students to volunteer

Would changing the school start and stop time benefit students?

Page 7 September 2004

Video Music Awardsend with a BANG!

On August 29th at 8 p.m.,the Video Music Awards took placein Miami, Florida. Filling the seatsof this festivity were mostlycelebrities such as D12, Eminem,Good Charlotte, Maroon 5, 50 Cent,Snoop Dog, Jay-Z, Ludacris andAlicia Keys. Many students from theLewis Central student body alsojoined in by watching the excitementon TV.

“I watched the VMA’sthis year because I like to see all thevideos to the songs, my favoritevideo was Hey Yea, because theentire band is played by one person,”said senior Kaleb King.

There were many winnersthroughout the night of the VMA’s.These winners included Outkast,who won Best Hip-Hop Video of theYear Award and Best Special Effectswith “Hey Yea.” Usher, featuring

Ludacris, received Best Dance Videofor “Yeah.” Other big winnersincluded Black-Eyed Peas receivingBest Choreography with “HeyMama” and Best Direction went toJay Z for “99 Problems.” Whilethese are all prestigious awards, itall came down to the Viewer’sChoice Award.

This year, the Viewer’sChoice Award was between fiveartists, including Christina Aguilera,Linkin Park, Good Charlotte,Yellowcard, and Simple Plan.Among those five groups, there wasonly one that received the most votesfrom the viewers, and that was“Breaking the Habit” by LinkinPark.

“Breaking the Habit is areally good song, I’m glad that itreceived Viewers Choice, becausethey deserved it,” said senior RickGraham

Although the name may bedeceiving, the VMA’s also gave outawards for other achievements, suchas an award for Best Video GameSoundtrack. There are many newgames that were released this year,and among the hundreds of games,only five were nominated. TonyHawk’s Underground2 ranked at thetop of this list and was able to takehome the Best Soundtrack Award.

The VMA’s happen everyyear, and every year there are newwinners. The sequence of thenight is usually the same, but thenominees are always different. Ifthere was a reason that someonemay have missed the VMA’s,don’t worry, they’ll know betternext year.

Thomas Webring Reporter

Gun Control

So here it is, folks. NapoleonDynamite may have started arevolution. Of what, I can’t becertain, but I’m fairly sure the entireworld has become dumber from it,but at the same time, so enlightened.Everyone’s awkwardly tall, ‘70’snerd with a ‘fro turns out to beeveryone’s hero in a heart-warmingfilm about who know’s what. I don’tknow what to think, to be honest.

“My clothes aren’t dirty...they’re sweet!”

I’ve never seen a movie orheard a story that had no plot,because I mean... what’s a storywithout a plot? It’s nothing. It’s abunch of words with no goal, whichis exactly my point. Somehow, JaredHess is a freaking genius and canmake a totally plot-less movie stillbe amusing and interesting enoughto watch maybe even twice. Thenagain, how can you go wrong with atagline like, “He’s out to prove he’sgot nothing to prove”? Seriously.You know what? The point is thatthere is no point. It’s unfortunate thatthe “movie” is almost positivelyrunner-up for the worst movie of theyear award, but I can guarantee thatJon Heder (Napoleon himself) isTHE most popular kid in his entirezip code at least because of it. Somepeople just don’t appreciate dryhumor.

“What the flip?!”

Usually movie reviews discussthe story, the plot, the climax, andthe mind-blowing ending. Looks likewe’re dry out of resources for thatone, because, OH, there wasn’t anyof that, really. I mean, he was on abus...then some girl was selling himbeads... then he has a Mexican friendPedro... next he’s feeding a llamanamed Tina (which is totally cool)...he has crazy relatives and hisbrother is a mack daddy, which ofcourse all leads to...well, nothingreally. Don’t get me wrong–I’m stilla big fan. You just have to have acreative or simple mind tounderstand. I mean, the kid’s gotnunchucks in his locker. You can tryand tell me that he isn’t the coolestperson living because of it, but youwould be wrong.

“Tina, come eat some ham...”You know...maybe Napoleon

Dynamite was simply a storyabout a kid whose life was crappy,and in the end it got better. Perhapsthe majority of the world is tooshallow and desensitized bytelevision to recognize a true movieabout human triumph. Pedrobecame president, Kip hooks up witha woman named LaFawnduh (doesit get any cooler than that?), andNapoleon got to play tether ball witha weird girl in pigtails who probablygot cheap lipstick on her teeth a lot,and will most likely always wearpurple jeans with pink socks. Buthey, sometimes love can’t beexplained. Or something like that.

Review:Napolean Dynamite

Plotless or Piccaso?Becca Sheppard Copy Editor

BushVs.

Kerry:John Kerry George W. Bush

If theelection were

held today

WINNER307 Electoral Votes

John Kerry

George W. Bush

LOSER231 Electoral Votes

All statistics, photos, and information obtained from http://www.presidentmatch.com and http://www.slate.msn.com

Outlaw Abortion

Gay Rights

Organized Prayer in PublicSchools

Increase Federal Fundingfor Higher Education

War in Iraq

Raising the MinimumWage

Environmental Clean-up

Opposes Favors

Neutral Opposes

Opposes Favors

Favors Opposes

Favors Opposes

Opposes Favors

Favors Opposes

Favors Opposes

Gun Control

All movie posters obtained from Yahoo Search: Keyword Daredevil, Gigli,On the Line, Swept Away, Spice World, From Justin to Kelly, Crossroads.

Who is worth the vote?

however, Kevin manages to find hisgirl on the monorail line. Kevin get-ting the girl; sure didn’t see that onecoming.There are over 400 movies pro-

duced each year. With that manymovies gracing theatres, I could seehow every barrel would have a fewbad apples, but there are some mov-ies that are so utterly repulsive that Ican’t understand how anyone at any-time would think that they were agood idea. I’ve narrowed my list ofthe worst movies down to seven.

“Daredevil” I’m sure severalpeople went to see this movie due tothe fact that it was an opportunity tostare at Colin Ferrell and Ben Affleckfor a couple of hours. The plot isbased off of a Marvel comic. Affleckstars as Matt Murdoch, a blind law-yer, who by night becomes the“DareDevil.” In between fightingcrime and hiding his secret identity,he falls in love with Elektra Natchios(Jennifer Garner). Unfortunately, sheis killed by his enemy. Sounds like adecent enough plot all right. Whatcould possibly be missing…hmmm… let me think… oh, yes,character development. Who arethese people… where did they comefrom… what’s motivating them? Themovie did have a good theme thatviolence doesn’t solve anything, butthey could have just flashed thatacross the screen and saved me twohours of my life.

“Spice World” It stars the“Spice Girls,” what more do I haveto say?

“Swept Away” Madonna hasproven that she can be a fairly goodactress in the movie “A League ofTheir Own.” However, in “SweptAway” something went terriblywrong, all acting talent she once hadseems to have disappeared; perhapsshe should hire a PI to try and findit. The plot revolves around a spoiledwealthy woman and a kitchenworker getting stranded on an islandtogether. Now that plot is very weakand predictable. At one point themovie jumps from Madonna almostgetting raped by the kitchen workerto her having sex with him consen-sually. Now, maybe I missed some-thing but more likely, the plot wasjust that bad. If you want to experi-ence a couple of hours that feel likethey’re being stretched on for days,I recommend you rent “SweptAway.”

“On the Line” Awww, the dayswhen ‘N Sync was “cool.” Don’t youmiss those days? I sure don’t. “Onthe Line” stars two members of ‘NSync, Lance Bass and Joey Faton,who apparently convinced the cast-ing directors that they could act. Theplot of this movie is quite simple.Kevin (Bass) is lonely and sad untilhe meets a girl on the monorail, buthe doesn’t get her number or name.Despite that fact that he clearlydidn’t know this girl at all, he be-comes convinced she’s the one forhim, so he enlists the help of hisfriends. This movie takes place inChicago, a heavily populated city;

“From Justin to Kelly” It’sbased off a reality show, and starstwo people who have never acted be-fore, who at the same time are des-perately trying to make fifteen min-utes of fame into twenty. There’snothing good about this movie.

“Gigli” First off, I would justlike to say that every bad thingyou’ve ever heard about this movieis true. Words cannot describe howhorrid this “movie” was. I couldn’teven sit through, and I made itthrough “Swept Away.” Besides rip-ping off the movie “Rain man” (Ifyou haven’t seen “Rain Man,” putdown the paper, go to Blockbuster,and rent it…NOW!), Gigli was theworst-acted movie ever. I can’t tellyou very much about the movie it-self, I’ve blocked the experience ofwatching it from my mind.

“Crossroads” Two things youneed to know about “Crossroads,”One, Britney Spears can act aboutas well as she can sing and two, itcures insomnia.

Now, after reading this article,if you still have any desire to see anyof these movies I pity you. There arebetter ways to waste your money. Isuggest flushing it down a toilet; atleast you’ll get to watch it spin. Thatcertainly would be better-qualityentertainment than any of these mov-ies.

Movies that made youchoke on your popcorn! Rap fans ‘Welcome Back’ Mase

The new Mase CD is out; in factit came out August 24th, and I wasthe first person in line to buy it,at Sam Goody in Council Bluffs.It took me ten minutes to gethome, and another 27 seconds toget the CD started. I had highexpectations for Mase, this beinghis f irst CD after a five-yearabsence from “the rap game.”After seeing the video for his hitsingle, “Welcome Back” I wasinstantly hooked on Mase. Thebeginning of the video takes placein the famous, “Mr. RodgersNeighborhood,” as Mase, alsoknown as “Harlem,” respectfullyimpersonates the la te Mr.Rodgers. Mase personalizes it bysuiting up with his green andyellow Air Force Ones, when thesong begins.

When I first tried to buy theCD I was disappointed to findthat Sam Goody did not have theunedited version. Within his fiveyears away from rapping, Masecleaned up his act and became ayouth minister. The former selfacclaimed, “bad boy,” is still arepresentative of P Diddy’s Bad

Boy Record Label; however, henever curses in his songs or even rapsabout inappropr ia te top ics.Despite his newfound fa i th in

God; Mase is still an incrediblerapper, and his CD has got thesickest beats since “Welcome BackKotter!”

Other songs on the CD includeh i s n e w e s t h i t , “ B r e a t h e ,Stretch, Shake,” “My HarlemLullaby,” “I Owe,” and “MoneyComes and Goes.” Every songhas the feel of Mase’s typicalrap, but also incorporates themorals of his religion. The mostevident of

th i s charac te r i s t ic i s h i sremake of the Pres ton Glassand Narada Walden song, “We

Don’t Have to Keep OurClothes On.” Mase renamesthe song, “Keep It On.” Thesong

uses the same chorus, but itencourages having a good timewithout taking off clothes.

“Welcome Back” i s anamazing CD! Any person withan appreciation for rap shouldbuy th i s CD. I t con ta insawesome rhythm and Mase’sability to rap is undeniable. Iwould go so far as to recommendthis CD to someone who did notl ike rap music . Mase’simpeccable rhyme schemes andamazing compilation of songsmake for a perfect CD, his firsta s a you th min i s t e r, andhopefully, the first of many.

After an extended break to find his faith, Mase is back and rapping.Photo obtained from Yahoo Search:

Heidi Behrens Reporter

Joe Krzemien Reporter

September 2004Page 8

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B O V X K R D B S L Q R S K F Y E N V M O G X Q K J B A X DD R S G C I M H Z T J J O Q Y H K S T Z Z V C M J P K F V ON K A V T C H Z Q E T T Z D C D S E R Q T C H P A Y R S G WF Q M D I H O Z K B I G W Y F D Y T Q E M A R V C O G F V NA E H E Y T X A M R H L U J G O A H C J L H W R D R N R X GJ A R S S E V U D O E N U W A H T J M E F L V N E M V J O RL E P G P R R G Y U P S P E T F Q A Y K Y V E E B T S L E OW O F W Z S M I X Q T H X S C L A C X Z P K I F W R Y Y K RR F A I Q A I R C I P Q V E M B O K H P C C R H Y N N W A OA N R Y K Y Y T N K J O S H G R O S V E N O R M D B P D X YL F I D U S H T U O S D A R B J I O B S L P D S Z V B B K SJ K P M Q T O J U S P O S I C Y W N S J B K E M P E V A F UQ Q E L I O N S R M X N N I F N A D E A A Y W U X B N X N HR F I V L B D O O J N I O D S G R R J C H M S K T D H C X KE H B E I Y Y R Q R S R N R A A P I L O I V Q A Y V Z I Y LE A I A O N V I D B P A E E W N F V W C B K B E N V C H H LC V S N V W B V L N M Y R D L Y I E A B N Y D F A E S F L DR H A G E A F O T E B G E Z R Y L S U H R I L D J C N E P QF I A Q I R N A G S L N B L C L O A B W S Z L C O V G U N DF S R S I D Y A A A E U S Q I U X C N O U V S X S E L L W SM X K T E I T M N B R K C S G K R E N K Y Z Z G M S I C O RW E L Z Q S O G J A J D B X D U C L V O E F G Z K C K H H DG P Z G D H O N E K B L U Y D Z E I V A T Y R V S Y M J T DI U U A T O O U Y W O E P S H P W C E R N N P I O K F O D QY H R H G T Y W S N G S K Y L E Z A L O U D E K E S E L V RR B C V X R H T D A A T V A S P Y E Z P R D D R O N W H O SJ H G S H U D E I V K Y A W I D V M Q G U Z F J T D D W W YH L P R L C G X E H F N I V W Y W A F F J S R O N C J D A YW U U V G Z T T G X N Z W B Z D F X A L I V V K N I N Z M LO M O R P I E O Y S I L O F W Z O N H C H L P C W H N A E H

HEY ALL YOU TITAN FANS, LET’S SEE YOU FIND ALL THE SENIOR CHEER-LEADERS AND FOOTBALL PLAYERS! When you get it done take it to

room 401. The first 5 correctly completed entries get a prize!

Senior Footbal l Heros- Senior Footbal l Heros- Senior Footbal l Heros- Senior Footbal l Heros- Senior Footbal l Heros- Justin Toole~ Ben Edwards~ Dan F inn~ Brady Erickson~ Josh Grosvenor~Tobyn Ward~ Brad Stageman~ Seth Jackson~ Thomas Byers~ Trenton Coyle~ Kevin Bogardus~ Kyle

Zaloudek~ Andy Edison~ Chase Sousa~ Brad South Senior Cheer Chicks- Senior Cheer Chicks- Senior Cheer Chicks- Senior Cheer Chicks- Senior Cheer Chicks- Reagan Beckendorf~ Abby Fel ler~ Lyndsey Howell~ Ki ley Prososki~ Haley Corbin

Back Row: Seniors Luke Thomsen, Brady Erickson, Brad Stageman, Josh Grosvenor, Joel Edwards, Seth Jackson, Ben Edwards and Justin Toole.Middle Row: Seniors Jessica Hargis, Dani Mescher, Ellen Nuss, Courtnie Dennis, Sara Riehle, Jessica Hansen, Sarah Gundlach and Melissa McKern.Front Row: Juniors Mike Stamp and Jaimee Friesen. Freshmen Curtis Dreager and Mallory Husz. Sophomores Nick Somers and Grace Thornton.

Photo By Andrea Larison

Ninja Of The Night!!!Cartoon Submitted by Krissy Engle

By Megan Longmeyer

The traditional homecoming: students come back forthe big game, receive their yearbooks, and possibly cometo the big dance the next day. However, every school hasits own traditions and themes that make that schoolunique, even Lewis Central. So, here is the top-ten list ofthings that distinguishes LC’s Homecoming week fromanyone else’s:

1. The big “G” painted on our football field :(2. Students wearing BOXES to school…need I say

more?3. Girls pay to wear a ragged football jersey…talk

about ironic…4. Students are actually willing to plunge their faces

into tubs full of whip cream…yummy!!!5. The Power Rangers stop in and pay the school a

visit.6. Students are wearing disco pants, flood-waters,

poodle skirts, Stiletto’s, and Michael Jackson gloves all atthe same time.

7. At Coronation, the teachers are actuallyentertaining…go figure!!!

8. There’s more blue and white in the halls than on thewalls (for once!)

9. Students come to school wearing pajamas…oh wait,that’s every day, nevermind…

10. We BEAT THE PANTS OFF GLENWOOD!!! Well, atleast this year!!! Goodluck Boys!!!

How To Tell It’ sHomecoming Week At LC!

Why Is Titan Spirit SO Important?“Because you gotta have pride!”

–Jessica Ohl inger,sophomore

“Because people getpumped up.”

–Kaylene Page ,sophomore

“Shows support forLC.”

–Alyssa Brewer,sophomore

“Because it helps the student body com-bine into a family.”

–Brian Henderson, junior

“Have you seen the caf-eteria? It’s adorable!

Need I say more?”–Sarah Kreger, senior

“Who else is gonna cheerfor our footbal l players

tight pants?”–Whitney Geise ,

sophomore

“It shows you care about our school and that you support classmates.”–Diana Mescher, sophomore