John F. Kennedy High School Volume 50, Issue 1 Oct. 4, 2016
#RISEABOVE
the torch
#CRSTRONG
#WEWILLWIN
#FLOOD2016
Contents John F. Kennedy High School 4545 Wenig Rd. NE Cedar Rapids, IA, 52402 Volume 50, Issue 1
Opinion 04 Marijuana, Illegal or Legal? Katie Beer 05 Auf Wiedersehen, German Class? Jenna Anderson 05 Putting the saucy in Foccacia Jenna Anderson News 06 Homelessness Hits Home Brooke McNeal 08 Debunked: Tunnels under Kennedy Elizabeth Barrett
Mission Statement
09 Study Hall Overhaul Elizabeth Barrett
The student staff and adviser are committed to producing top quality student publications, applying high standards of writing, editing, and production. These media seek to fairly serve the Kennedy High School faculty, students, and staff showing no favoritism to any particular interest, individual, or group. Final decisions about content are the responsibility of the individual editors, and the Editorial Board.
10 Fighting the Flood Nathan Sheeley
Non-Discrimination Policy It is the Torch’s policy not to illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, disability, religion, creed, age (employment only), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and socioeconomic status (students/program only) in its educational programs and its employment practices.
Ownership The Torch publication, website, official social media, and broadcasts serve as a public forum produced by the students in Journalism-Newspaper. Student editors make content decisions consistent with the Torch Editorial Policy, Iowa Law, and ethics of journalism.
Feature 12 Emptying the Bottle Nathan Sheeley Culture 15 For Better or For Worse? Taylor Weiss Sports 16 Fall Sports Kickoff Anafer Milsap 18 Setting for State Jake Corkery 19 Running for a Cause Tyler Blattner Profile 20 School with a Service Dog Darby Herridge 21 Kinder Kennedy Takes Off Jenna Anderson Photo 22 Cougars Come Home Caitlyn Fisher
KennedyTorch.org Twitter.com/KennedyTorch JFKCougarMedia@Gmail.com
2|
Letter from the Editor This school year marks the 50th anniversary of the Torch as a news publication. It also marks the 50th graduating class to walk the halls of Kennedy for the last time. For seniors, the year will be filled with age-old clichés, seemingly neverending assemblies regarding college, and preparation for the day we will don the long robes and walk across the stage with our diploma in hand. For freshmen, this school year marks a new beginning highlighted with the hope and optimism of the “high school experience.” It is our responsibility, as mature students, to ensure that we build a Kinder Kennedy and a respectable community. In the presence of stress, schoolwork, friends, and family, we often lose sight of what is important. We are the future of this country, and we need to work together to build a stronger future, one that we can be proud of. We must build a world our children will strive to emulate, and that begins within the walls of our homes, businesses, and schools. No matter where you are on the path to graduation, nearing the finishing line or just starting the marathon, I wish you nothing but good times and great memories. Good luck to everyone, from the class of ’17 to the class of ’20. Let’s make Kennedy and the world a greater place.
Staff Editorial It started on August 26th. It has since spread nationwide, to sports fields and schools throughout the land of the free. From Virginia to Minnesota, Kentucky to California, high school football players across the country are kneeling to protest the “racial injustice” that their leader believes he personifies. Kaepernick has displayed complete disregard and ultimate disrespect
for the men and women who have fought and died so that he may even be allowed to play football. He embodies the complete hypocrisy that he claims his movement is attempting to end. The people that are paying his $114 million salary are the very people that he claims are ‘oppressing’ him. Kaepernick lacks appreciation for the very country that has given him
the tools to succeed. We recognize and understand his right to do this, but that does not mean that we condone it. Standing up for the national anthem salutes and honors those who have risked their lives so that we may live ours. We, as a Torch staff, take a stand on sitting.
Nathan Sheeley Editor-in Chief
Brooke McNeal News Editor
Jake Corkery Sports Editor
Taylor Weiss Culture Editor
Olivia Haefner Feature Editor
Jenna Anderson Opinion Editor
Anna Reinhart Profile Editor
Caitlyn Fisher Photo Editor
Elizabeth Barrett Media Manager
Madeline Jamrok Web Manager
Donovan Screws Writer Afnan Elsheikh Writer
Darby Herridge Writer Anafer Milsap Writer Adviser Dr. Stacy Haynes-Moore
Tyler Blattner Writer
|3
Opinion
Marijuana, Illegal or Legal?
M
arijuana isn’t just something for high schoolers to smoke in their parents’ basements anymore. It’s potentially a painkiller and treatment of mental illness. Marijuana is composed of two types of cannabis, which have been shown to increase appetite, reduce nausea, reduce pain and inflammation, control epileptic seizures, and possibly even treat mental illness. Many people with extremely painful diseases or seizures would benefit from having access to medical cannabis. In 2011, my grandma started having constant headaches and was always dizzy and confused. She went from doctor to doctor, hoping one of them would find something wrong with her and cure her constant pain. They would scan her chest for cardiovascular issues and after seeing nothing of concern, send her on her way. Eventually, after hopping from doctor to doctor, she was diagnosed with what doctors thought was a brain tumor. Soon after they discovered this, they operated. They cut into her head and began the surgery. However, when they came to the tumor, it was actually a brain abscess - a pocket of pus rather than an actual tumor. They removed the abscess and closed it, but because the abscess had adjusted her brain’s layout, she had many permanent effects: she is forgetful, child-like, and has many seizures and nausea attacks each day. A woman who once dragged my 7-year-old self on four mile walks now has trouble making it from the car to the grocery store because of seizures. This story is just one of many in which real people’s medical situations put a halt to their daily lives, and they do not have much relief from their symptoms. Legalizing the use of
4|
medically approved cannabis oils and tablets could change the daily lives of many people like her, whether they’re children with cancer who live through exhausting chemo, the elderly with seizures who just want to be outdoors, or college students with chronic depression. Currently, there are 24 states with legalized medical use of marijuana. These states are technically defying the federal government because they are creating and enforcing their own drug laws. However, with national legalization of medical marijuana, debate about morality of state-by-state legalization would die down and many sick people would no longer risk moving between states to receive relief. Marijuana would be controlled in the same way certain opioids and stimulants are, to ensure that the drugs are being handled and consumed by the correct people. Some people think legalizing medical marijuana use would cause abuse of marijuana. However, we cannot punish the sick because of others’ potential future actions. Walk into a high school party and admire the abuse of marijuana already: whether or not medical marijuana is legalized nationally, people will abuse it. People abuse every kind of prescription drug, but they continue to be legal as long as they’re controlled because they benefit so many helplessly sick people. While marijuana might seem like an easy-access drug for high school students, it really is a medical breakthrough. We have a completely natural substance that can reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and temporarily cure seizures and nausea attacks. So why not give the victims of those chronic health issues a bit of relief? Katie Beer
Auf wiedersehen, German class? (Goodbye, German class?)
In the past few years, Kennedy has lost both of its long time German teachers to retirement. Now, the future of German class is up in the air as the merit of the class is being weighed against the cost of running a class that takes resources away from other foreign languages. Tyler Schoulte, sr, spent four years dedicated to learning German, up to and including taking the AP German test last May. Tyler has been around long enough to have taken first-year German class with the now retired Mr. Beatty as well as Mrs. Ross, who finished her teaching career after last school year. Tyler is interested in engineering and said Germany’s booming engineering field is a strong incentive towards learning the language. “At least becoming familiar with [German] can help students learn abroad or maybe even take on a foreign application.” Despite Kennedy completing the difficult task of finding someone to teach German, it’s pretty important to have
a German class, right? This Kennedy alum sure thinks so; Jason Shaffer graduated from Kennedy last year, and is planning on minoring in German at Iowa State. In addition to his dedication of four years of German studies, he also went on the German trip in the summer of 2015. “German class was definitely unlike any other class I took at Kennedy.” Shaffer continued, going on to talk about how taking German provided a very unique opportunity in high school most won’t find in other language classes. “German class attracts all sorts of kinds of people, and for the most part German students are there because they want to be, not to meet a class requirement,” Shaffer said. No one knows if German class will last for the future classes of Kennedy High School, but those who have taken it in the past fondly remember German class and certainly see the benefit of learning a foreign language other than Spanish in high school. Donovan Screws
Putting the saucy in focaccia
One of Iowa’s Top 10 Burgers from 2015 Looking for a place to get a good burger and fries? Then Saucy Focaccia in Cedar Rapids is the place for you. Saucy Foccacia is a contemporary restaurant with two locations servicing the greater Cedar Rapids metropolitan area. The original location calls the Newbo City Market home. The second restaurant, which opened in early 2016, is located at The Fountains, a dining and small business district. The bacon cheeseburger may not seem good for your health, but it is sure good for your taste buds. This greasy burger has perfectly cooked bacon and the perfect amount of sauce. Not to mention that the focaccia bread is truly the best. After trying their Texas fries, you could say I was “swoon.” Loaded with cheese sauce, onions, tomatoes, sour cream, and jalapenos, the fries are a yummy treat.
enjoying the view of the fountains. Although, I suggest you get a nice cold drink to compliment all the salty food. The workers at Saucy Focaccia are kind and are always giving warm welcomes to customers. This is a plus because who wants to eat where the servers are nonenthusiastic? As for the style of the restaurant, they might need to amp up the decor. Although it is simple and clean, it would be more appealing to the eye with more lively decorations. Compared to other burger places such as Burgerfeen, Freddy’s, and Culver’s, Saucy Focaccia is definitely my go-to burger joint. Check out their website for more details on the menu at http://saucyfocaccia.com/. Jenna Anderson
On a hot summer day you can even eat your food while
Pages by Jenna Anderson | 5
News
Homelessness hits home
“Homelessness is not just a loss of housing. It is a loss of stability, safety, and identity,” Liz Birdsley, Homeless Specialist for the Cedar Rapids School District, said. Her job is to make sure those students who are homeless still have the chance to attend school despite their current living situations. This includes enrolling students even if they don’t have records yet, waiving fees for lunch, arranging transportation, and helping surpass any other barrier that would stand in the way of getting a proper education. 603 students in our district were identified as homeless during the 2015-2016 school year. That is almost 4% of the total number of students enrolled in the district for the current school year which would be one person in a classroom of thirty people. “The number only accounts for school aged children attending the Cedar Rapids School District so you can imagine how much greater that number is once we factor in children too young for school, their parents or other adult family members living with them, and single men and women,” Birdsley said. Although,there are things that can be done to help the homeless population. The 11th Annual Sleep Out for the Homeless will take place at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium on October 29th-30th. Participants raise money individually or with a team before the event to donate to local homeless organizations. Since 2006, this event has raised over $100,000 with $20,000 being this year’s goal. The donations go to the following organizations: -Area Substance Abuse Council-helps recovering men, women with or without children, and pregnant women -Catherine McAuley Center-helps women -Family Promise of Linn County-helps families -Foundation 2- helps families, youth -HACAP- helps families and children -Mission of Hope- helps former offenders, adult males, and intoxicated adult males -Salvation Army-helps families -Waypoint- helps women, children, domestic violence victims -Willis Dady- helps men, families -Cedar Valley Friends of the Family- helps women and children experiencing sexual or domestic abuse Catholic Worker House- helps women, married couples with or without children
Photo courtesy of sleepoutcr.org “Sleep Out isn’t about providing a taste of what it’s like to be homeless. You may leave the event with a small glimpse of how challenging and emotional the situation can be. But one night without shelter, no matter how cold or wet, can’t replace the distressing experience of having no place to live,” from Sleepoutcr.org. Outside of this local event, there are still other ways Kennedy students can help. “Kennedy students can organize drives to collect goods for our area homeless shelters such as hygiene items, baby items, clothing, winter wear, or food,” Birdsley said. Students can also volunteer their time to serve meals or encourage others to donate time or money to help this cause and raise awareness that this issue is real in our community and district.
Brooke mcneal
For more information on this event, visit www.sleepoutcr.org
6|
• DOUBLED UP: A STUDENT REPORTED THAT THEY WERE LIVING WITH ANOTHER , FRIEND, FAMILY, RELATIVE, ETC. • UNSHELTERED: INCLUDES ANY INDIVIUAL WHO REPORTED THAT THEY WERE LIVING ON THE STREET, IN A CAR, A TENT, ABANDONED BUILDINGS, ETC. • HOTEL/MOTEL: A STUDENT RESIDING IN A HOTEL/MOTEL FOR LIVING ARRANGEMENTS. • SHELTERED/TRANSITIONAL HOUSING: ANY STUDENT THAT REPORTED THAT THEY WERE LIVING IN AN EMERGENCY SHELTER OR TRANSITIONAL LIVING PROGRAM.
Pages by Brooke McNeal | 7
News
Debunked: Tunnels Under Kennedy The rumours are true. Sort of. Upon first arriving at Kennedy, most students will hear stories about the tunnels that run underneath the school. The stories about them grow wilder each year. “I heard that kids use them to sneak out of Smart Lunch.” says Sam Bennett, jr. This is sort of true. A few years ago, a group of students were able to find a way into the tunnels through a ventilation shaft outdoors. The students (once discovered) received punishment, and the vent has since been sealed off and secured. “I heard that they were built as a bomb shelter in World War Two.” Aspen Geraghty, sr. says. Entirely wrong. The tunnels are what Associate Principal Jim Muench calls a “pipe chase”. They were built as maintenance tunnels when the school was first being constructed. Here, the tunnel walls are lined with large pipes (which take up a good majority of the crawl space), and wiring runs along the ceiling.
8 |
“I heard Obama was in them.” says Michael Shea, senior. Muench says “I have no information/knowledge of President Obama using the pipe chase.” While Obama did visit Kennedy right after he was announced as the Democratic candidate, he never used the tunnels as transport. “They go all the way out to Seminole Valley trail.” Maryn DeVore, sr. says. False. According to Muench, “The pipe chase runs under the central part of the building only” and follows a straight path. The tunnels are short, heightwise. If you consider yourself a tall person, you will most likely hit your head on the exposed lights. It is dark, and a bit dirty. No one goes down in them unless maintenance is required on the pipes. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to sneak out during Smart Lunch with them, or travel around the city. And they definitely don’t hold any World War Two historical artifacts. The only thing these “tunnels” are good for is GeoThermal temperature control and electrical maintenance.
Elizabeth Barrett
Study hall overhaul The 2016-2017 school year brings many changes to Kennedy High School, among them the addition of a seventh period in the regular school day. While students may choose to take a full seven-class day, countless others have opted for the simpler option: a study hall.
study halls extremely beneficial. “I think it will positively impact students because they will have more study opportunities, more time to de-stress, or even go out and get lunch if they have to, if they didn’t have time,” Bennett said. Chosing your location plays a key role in how much a student gets done in a study hall due to the noise.
The overwhelming increase of students in study halls this school year resulted in a policy change for student release forms. In the past, seniors alone could be released from any “I usually plan ahead and tell myself period study hall, whereas juniors and soph- that I am going to get all of my homework omore release was limited to done during it [study hall], the first and last periods of but I never do. It is usually the day. “[Students] will have too loud for me to focus,” more study opportuni- Ferin Bergen, jr., said. The students on release must ties, more time to de- While the only place on find somewhere to go and not every student feels the stress, or even go out campus available for release need to leave campus. students to study is the and get lunch.” IMC (or in their assigned “I am a T.A. [teacher assistant] study hall), there are othfor Senora Neilly, but I go to the library a er options to help reduce overcrowding. lot,” Tayler Rathjens, sr., said. Students may consider teacher assisting for a favorite teacher, or running passes for atYet, despite the influx of students in study tendance. halls (and what this means for staff and space), many students appreciate the added With shorter class periods, students may find hour in the day, even if they fill it with a it hard to make it too far from the school study hall. on release time, but heading home for a half hour is just once of the many perks of a re“One study hall is a good idea for students lease period. who are in sports or show choir… Most stuElizabeth Barrett dents are using it to get their work done so they don’t have to do it after school,” Lesa Neff said. She has started to require a teacher pass to be in the library during study hall due to huge numebrs. Sam Bennett, a heavily-involved junior, finds
Pages by Brooke McNeal | 9
News
Starting on Friday, students and staff participated in sandbagging efforts. More than 30,000 sandbags were used in downtown CEdar Rapids and Palo Right: Volunteer works to fill sandbags near NewBo City Market PHotos by Nathan Sheeley
10 |
News
Fighting the Flood
As Cedar Rapids prepared for the second-highest predicted water crest in history, several members of the Kennedy family worked to sandbag areas of downtown and Palo while dealing with evacuations, road closings, and the fear of an apparition of 2008. “It’s been pretty sad having to pack up our things, we had so much to get done in such little time,” Kiley Chambers, so., said, “It’s been pretty emotional and stressful with our family.” Chambers’ family was one of many badly impacted by the flood of 2008. “Our basement flooded six feet last time and most of our furniture and belongings were damaged,” Chambers said. The flood crest was originally predicted to exceed 24 feet, forcing the Cedar Rapids Community School District to suspend classes from Monday the 26th to Wednesday the 28th. The high predictions also prompted authorities to begin evacuations downtown, institute a curfew, and mandate the use of a 24-hour sandbagging service in areas threatened by flooding.
“We spent around 16 to 18 hours working on moving things, tearing out our carpet, and sandbagging our house,” Chambers said. Hundreds of Kennedy students aided in the sandbagging efforts throughout downtown and Palo, including the baseball, softball, cheer, football, and volleyball teams. Kennedy’s One Campaign enlisted volunteers to raise money for the American Red Cross in order to fund flood prevention and recovery efforts. “It’s so heartwarming to see so many people in our community helping us, even if we weren’t acquainted with them,” said Chambers. To learn about more opportunities for volunteering, visit cedar-rapids.org, and to learn more about relief efforts provided by the American Red Cross, visit redcross.org or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
Nathan Sheeley
Over 4,000 sandbags arrived from Waterloo in order to help sandbagging efforts, and in Palo alone over 17,000 sandbags were filled and placed. “We will likely go to some family member’s house and stay there until Monday or Tuesday,” Olivia Herring, fr., said. The Herring’s are one of several Kennedy families displaced due to evacuations or fears of potential flooding. Throughout Palo and Cedar Rapids, over 100 families had to leave their homes due to the flooding fears.
Pages by Nathan Sheeley | 11
Feature
Emptying the Bottle A look into the consequences of student drinking Each year, nearly 5,000 students die as a result of underage alcohol consumption. In 2016 alone, there will be over 189,000 E.R. visits due to student drinking. It’s not a secret that the party-intensive teen culture embraces underage drinking, although thousands of students seemingly disregard the lifealtering consequences that result.
This year alone, more than 50,000 nationwide will be introduced to underage drinking, and nearly one in three students between sixth and twelfth grade will have their first.
I want youth to truly understand the impact on their future substances can have,” said Erin Jordan, the Linn County Director of Prevention for the Area Substance Abuse Council.
However, there are alternatives to experiencing the negative effects of illegal alcohol consumption.“You have to have the confidence to stand up against something you don’t want to do,” Jordan said. “You need to have strong resiliency skills to know the difference between right and wrong, where you want your future to go and who you want to take with you.”
District policy requires a student to be suspended from all classes and activities, with potential extenuating consequences depending on the nature of the instance, “My goal is not to ‘bust’ kids,” said Associate Principal Jim Muench, “but to help them good decisions.” However, according to Cedar Rapids Police Department protocol, if a student is caught under the influence, there is an obligation and grounds for charges to be brought against the particular student, “These days, with all the parties and everything that kids do, it’s becoming less and less likely that officers are going to give warnings,” said School Resource Officer Charity Hansel. The Area Substance Abuse Council (ASAC) works with teenagers in order to prevent substance abuse in students and provides treatment and counseling options. Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), reports that the risk of underage drinking increases by 53 percent by the age of 19. Alcohol consumption can be very dangerous and has greater effects on the body than anyone realizes when they’re in the ‘moment,’” Muench said. “Things happen that you don’t even realize.” Consequences exist beyond class absences and non-participation in extracurricular activities. If a student is charged with a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) or an MIP (Minor in Possession of illegal substance), colleges can officially revoke scholarships and even letters of admittance.
12 |
“I am concerned about what seems to be the social acceptance of teenage drinking,” Muench said.
Although society grapples with the issue of teen drinking being seemingly so overstated that it hardly seems like an problem, the consequences will follow students forever. “We’re trying to care for these kids, but it’s just not a good idea to get involved in all that,” Charity said. “My advice would be to avoid it due to the consequences it brings,” Muench said. “It’s just not worth it.” For more information, volunteer opportunities, or to seek help for substance abuse, visit the following organizations for assistance. •Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD.org) •Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (responsibility.org) •Center for Disease Control (cdc.gov) •Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD.org) •National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (niaa. org) •Area Substance Abuse Council (asac.us) Nathan Sheeley
Feature
Pages by Nathan Sheeley | 13
What’s in your Garden of Eatin’?
Culture
14 |
• • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • •
Regular Lays chips Chocolate cake Pudding Any type of drink Poptarts Pretzels Crackers Fruit Roll-ups Juice Water Milk/Chocolate milk/Strawberry milk
Baked Lays Kick start Water Reduced fat Doritos Nature Valley bars Whole wheat Rice Krispy Treats • Nutri-Grain bars • Reduced sugar juices • Fat free milk/Chocolate milk/Strawberry milk
Culture
Skyler Sparks enjoying a snack after dance team practice. Photo by Jake Corkery.
For Better or For Worse? “Schools around the nation have to follow criteria in the cafeteria for the Healthy Kids Act,” Cori Nebiker, cafeteria manager, said.
“Being a senior, I get to leave for Smart Lunch and I just go home and eat what I want instead of at school,” Zach Johnson, sr, said.
The Healthy Kids Act is a law by President Barack Obama which was introduced in December of 2010 for child nutrition.
Many students bring their own food from home to snack on throughout the day or leave to go grab something when they are feeling hungry.
At Kennedy High School there are requirements for what students can purchase every day for lunch. Their choices of food and drinks “It sucks that I can’t leave for lunch because I’m a freshman but I really don’t mind the school food, the problem is I feel like I are also limited in the vending machines. don’t get enough to eat so when I get home I’m always still hunIt was not always like this, about three or four years ago schools gry. Other than that I would say school lunch is alright,” Skyler were able to put pretty much anything in the vending machines Sparks, fr, said. and handout whatever they felt like for that day. Over the past couple of years, the way kids eat has changed dra“I remember the good ol’ days when we served desserts to the matically, some for the better and some for the worse. students, like chocolate cake and pudding,” Nebiker said. Now that the school lunches have changed along with the things that go in the vending machines, kids shy away from eating at school.
Taylor Weiss
Pages by Taylor Weiss | 15
Sports
Fall Sports Below: Ashylnn Averhoff f, sr., finished the 5000 meter with a time of 24:12.0 at the Linn Mar invite.Photo provided by Craig Peterson. Right: Cougar swimmer takes off in meet against Pleasant Valley. Photo by Nathan Sheeley.\ Bottom: Cheer Team leads ‘Rock the Boat’ cheer in football game against Muscatine. Photo provided by Jennifer Jacobsen.
Brant Barnhart warming up at Ellis Golf Course before the Cougars first win of the season. Photo by Jake Corkery.
16 |
Kickoff
Sports
August 8th marked the official beginning of the high school fall sports season. Kennedy athletes have been practicing hard to get ready for the challenges ahead. “I think we have a lot of good kids this year and I look forward to the season,” Brian White, Head Football Coach, said. Thursday, Aug. 25 was the season opener against #8 ranked Muscatine. The game was close and exciting to watch but Kennedy lost 29-25. They were 2-2 through the first two weeks and will be taking on Linn-Mar tonight at Linn-Mar. Into their 6th week of the season, Women’s Swimming and Diving has already had 6 meets. Their first meet was against Cedar Falls, coming out with a win. The second meet, against Dubuque Wahlert wasn’t as successful and the team got beat. “As for the rest of the season, the team’s goal is to improve on last year’s state ranking, above 9th place,” John Ross, Head Coach, said. The girls volleyball team started their season off strong with a record of 10-3. “The community can expect to see
Nick Duehr lines up the Cougars as they take on the rival Washington Warriors on Sept. 2. Photo by Caitlyn Fisher. great volleyball played by the team this year,” Paige Franck, sr., said. The team has many returing varsity players so you can expect them to make a run at the Cell Center. The men’s cross country team has their eyes set on getting to state this year. We have a lot of returning runners and I think the experience will help us come time for state,” Jacob Ciabatti, jr., said. The mens golf team has one more conference meet left and currently sits in fourth place. They are lead by freshman
Brock Barhart who has the 15th best stroke average in the state. “I think we are going to be very competitive this fall. I see potential in quite a few of our sports and believe with all of the athletes’ hard work we will also see a lot of improvement. I look forward to watching all of the sports at Kennedy this fall,” Aaron Stecker, Athletic Director, said. Cougar Athletics look to continue a longstanding tradition of excellence in fall sports. Visit the Kennedy Athletics calendar to learn more about game days.
Anafer Milsap
Pages by Jake Corkery| 17
Sports
Setting for State
The volleyball team has been committed to making a deep run in this year’s state tournament at the US Cellular Center. “Last season was fun but we didn’t finish how we wanted. This year we are working hard so we can redeem ourselves,” Gabbie Meyer, sr., said. The Cougars have started off strong this season with a 10-3 record. Gabbie Meyer, Emma Boote, Paige Franck, Kayla Joyner, Kendal Meier, and Madi Palmer, all seniors start this year and the experience they bring will play a big role heading into the playoffs.
Iowa Hawkeyes and Kendal Meier has committed to play for the Illinois State Redbirds. Others are planning on playing in college but haven’t decided where yet. State isn’t the only focus for the cougars as they take on the 15-0 Xavier Saints on October 11th at Xavier. This game will help prepare them for the MVC tournament on October 15th and ultimately regional play which will being on the 19th. “Being able to come together in our last season is fun. We are like sisters and we get along and have a good time. We have made memories that I will always remember,” Meyer said.
Many of the seniors have played together since middle school and this will be their final seasons together. “The team means so much to me because my teammates are my best friends and we all have each others backs no matter what,” Haleigh Middendorf, sr., said. The cougars are currently ranked sixth in 5a volleyball by IGHSAU.
Jake Corkery
Follow on Twitter @Vballmonkey
“Extra work in the gym and always being ready for practice prepares us for state,” Middendorf said. The girls practice every day after school from 3:15-6:00. It is a year round commitment from many of the players and the hard work is paying off. Paige Franck has committed to play for the Vaughn pictured below is the team stuffed animal and has been at every game for the past two years. Photos by Jake Corkery.
16 |
Sports
Photo by Tyler Blattner.
Running for a Cause On a cool morning on October 9th 45,000 runners assemble in Chicago to run in one of six major marathons in the world. Japanese teacher, Daniel Carolin, will be one of those runners. He will not just be running for himself but for children around the country living in poverty. “This is going to be my sixth marathon and I’m really hoping to go sub 4 hour marathon.” Carolin said. He runs all summer and for a cause. He raises money so children around the world can have healthy futures. Carolin has taught at Kennedy for 13 years, and teaches Japanese and Creative Writing. “Running this race means a lot to me because I want to raise money so children have a future.” Carolin said. Team Save the Children is a charity group that raises money to help give children a healthier and safer future. The charity works around the world in difficult circumstances to ensure children’s safety. “Nearly 1 in 4 American children lives in poverty. And around the world, millions of children face chronic malnutrition, die from preventable illnesses, or are vulnerable to exploitation, violence or neglect and that’s why I’m running for them.” Carolin said. Carolin has raised around $900 so far and is still needing donations to reach his goal of $1500. Back in April, Carolin learned about the charity and wanted to run for a great cause. Carolin has been running all summer and just completed his first training run of 22 miles and and his goal is to finish the marathon in under 4 hours. “My Goal: Run 26.2 miles and raise at least $1,000. Training and fundraising for this event is a challenge, but the inspiring work of Save the Children, both here in the U.S. and around the world, keeps me motivated,” Carolin said.
Team Save the Children makes it very easy to donate or raise money for the charity. When you go to their website you have multiple options. You can donate money or you can run a race like Carolin is doing. You can also start fundraisers and become a strategic partner in planning events. “I’m really looking forward to running this marathon because it is actually for a cause that I fully support.” Carolin said. Carolin has ran five previous marathons and his best time was four hours and 30 seconds. He really wants to try and beat four hours this race with the motivation of his charity on his back. Carolin is also the “ONE Campaign” manager and he is in charge of raising money here at our school to send money to the ONE campaign.ONE is a campaigning and advocacy organization of more than seven million people around the world taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Carolin is still accepting donations for his raise and will take any donations possible. He is about $400 from his goal. Carolin will be receiving donations for nine more day. If you would like to donate make sure you visit www.kintera.org. Tyler Blattner
Pages by Jake Corkery| 19
Profile
School With A Service Dog: Joey Damisch Photo by Darby Herridge
You may have seen Joey walking through the halls of Kennedy with his service dog. “My dog helps me with my anxiety,” said Joey Damisch, so. “I get nervous so I have Sparky with me so I don’t get really nervous.” Sparky is a 9-month-old Golden Retriever. He was trained to be a service dog when he was four months old by Tory Topping at Stone Hollow Training in Cascade, Iowa. Sparky was brought into the Damisch family as a puppy with the intention of being Joey’s service dog. “We drove there and sometimes they would have Sparky for one to two weeks at a time for training,” said Sara Beth Damisch. Sara Beth is Joey’s sister and a senior at Kennedy. “Tory trained him and then whenever we went to go pick Sparky up, Tory would go over what he trained Sparky with and told Joey how to do things.” Service dogs help with performing a function for a person that is limited with a disability. United States Dog Registry describes a service dog as helpful to people with visual, hearing, and mobility impairments. Also, service dogs can help people that have mental or physical disabilities, such as diabetes, posttraumatic stress disorder, autism, and epilepsy. “We got Sparky for Joey’s anxiety but also he tends to 20 |
lose things and is disorganized sometimes so Sparky’s backpack keeps Joey’s important stuff like his planner, phone, pencils, and anything else important,” Sara Beth said. “Sparky holds a lot of things for Joey throughout the school day.” Students and teachers are not allowed to pet Sparky. “If Sparky was pet it will mess up his training and he won’t listen to me,” Joey said. Sparky will get sidetracked and it can distract him from his main job which is being next to Joey. “If students were to come up and start petting him, Sparky would lose track of where Joey is supposed to be going,” Sara Beth said. Sparky lives a double life. In public, he is Joey’s service dog, but when Sparky is at home he is just another family pet. Joey said it’s not hard having Spark+y in school and during passing time because the dog is trained to be right next to him. “Sometimes Sparky doesn’t want to stay still in class, sometimes he gets a little scared. And when there’s a lot of loud things I try to calm him down,” Joey said. “He is always there for me. I just love him.” Darby Herridge
Kinder Kennedy Takes Off Last year Principal Jason Kline came up with the Kinder Kennedy movement to promote the end of bullying. It started off with the idea of letting students write kind words on clothespins and attaching them to backpacks of their friends or random students in the halls. The beginning of the 2016-2017 school year started the Kinder Kennedy Bullying and Mental Health advisory group. The group consists of various teachers, Kline and students. “The main goal of this group is to raise awareness for bullying and mental health problems and to develop a friendly environment in our school where people feel safe,” Natalie Averkamp, sr., said. Students can join by showing up to the various meetings that will be tweeted out by Kline and from their Twitter account @Kinder Kennedy. “I heard about the group from Mr. Kline’s twitter and wanted to join pretty much because it sounded like a useful group for a high school,” Averkamp said. The group makes posters for around the school and has a blog.
Photo by Caitlyn Fisher
Although some students may not be willing to participate in Kinder Kennedy or take it seriously, others will still strive to show kindness throughout the school. “I think it is important because people are very unaware of mental health and bullying and the connection between the two. They’re both very important and need to shared so people know about them,” Lindsay Guffey, so., said. Bullying for our generation is sometimes what is shown on T.V. and in movies. It is mostly cyber-bullying, which means using electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of a threatening nature intentionally to harass someone. “Bullying is at Kennedy, no doubt about it. It’s usually not shoving kids into lockers or stealing lunch money, it’s online more. So it is hard to say how big of a problem it is when a lot of it is private,” Averkamp said. Kinder Kennedy is working to lower the number of an estimated 3.2 million students who are bullied each year.
“The clothespins haven’t necessarily been the biggest story for us, but if anything they show that the school wants to make a more positive environment, and how “Students can be open minded of others and give we should say kind things to each other. It’s a step in them a chance,” Guffey said. “Be nice to everyone,” the right direction,” Averkamp said.
Jenna ANDERSON
Pages by Anna Reinhart | 21
Photo
Cougars Come Home
Marching band director Leslie Fleer leads drum line during the homecoming football game against Jefferson on Sept. 16th . The Cougars won 52-7. Photo courtesy of Anafer Millsap
Kennedy Dance team handing out candy during the homecoming parade.
Cougar cheer squad leads the student section in a cheer. Photo courtesy of Caitlyn Fisher.
Class of 2017 top 16 homecoming court. Photo courtesy of Caitlyn Fisher
22 |
Student section during the homecoming game. Photo courtesy of Anafer Milsap.
“Let it be known... the torch has been passed to a new generation” John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy High School 4545 Wenig Rd. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Stay Connected with the Torch KennedyTorch.org Twitter.com/KennedyTorch JFKCougarMedia@gmail.com Office: 319-558-4581 Pages by Caitlyn Fisher | 23