Jan. 23, 2015

John F. Kennedy High School

Volume 48, Issue 3

January 23, 2015

Letter from the editor John F. Kennedy High School 4545 Wenig Rd. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 Volume 48, Issue 3

People have rights. Why are we ever denied of these rights?

Freedom of speech is a right I take very seriously as a person but more importantly as a journalist.

As Editor of the Torch, freedom of speech is very prominent in my life. We wouldn’t be able to write about many things, like sexting or using guns for a sport. If we had restrictions and weren’t able to exercise our right, we would never get people talking or excited about our stories.

You would just be reading boring news story after boring news story, but since we live in the great state of Iowa, as students we are free to write about and publish anything we choose, within reason of course.

Freedom of Speech is something that people have fought for in the past and continue to have a right too, today. Tragedies like the mas-

Torch Staff: Lydia Martin Editor-in-Chief Hannah Bruns Design Editor Maddy Crist Editorial Editor Melanie Northland Photo Editor Morgan Schwab Media Director Gabby Olejniczak Business Manager Maddie Herlocker Ad Manager Jade Milota PR Director Xander Riley News Editor Elianna Novitch Profile Editor Macy Anderson Health Editor

sacre at Charlie Hebdo in France on January 7, have helped people to have more courage to exercise their right.

Be free, speak your mind, say what you need to say, you have a right. Don’t ever let anyone take this right away from you.

Naomi Hofferber A&E Editor Abby Donovan Sports Editor Emily Sass Co-Sports Editor Fatima Elsheikh Writer Ron Lund Writer Hadley Rittgers Writer Brooke Timmerman Writer Brandt Barnhart Writer Madi Beauchamp Writer Rowan Burgen Writer Stacy Haynes-Moore Adviser

Contents

Editorial

Photo

04 Letter to the Editor

16 Humane society

News

Health

06 City expansion

18 The journey of weightloss

Profile

A&E

08 What’s the BIG idea?

20 X the Sext

Feature

Sports

12 Je Suis The TORCH

22 Just another sport

22

08

16

Staff Editorial: Honoring a fellow Cougar Chuck Patton was the ultimate cougar fan. Every game night, no matter the circumstances, no matter the sport, you could find him in his first row spot next to the Kennedy student section. He always had a smile on his face and touched the hearts of many.

Chuck Patton passed away on Jan. 7 at the age of 82 years old.

He showed unselfish dedication of his time to others; whether it was for his family, job, church, or his

cougars. He worked as an accountant for many years at Cedar Rapids Block Co., and for the HACAP organization. At his church, Chuck was very involved with the youth programs at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.

The Torch staff admires Chuck’s unconditional love and commitment to Kennedy activities. As a Kennedy alum, Chuck was inducted into the Cougar Hall of Fame in 2013 for his outstanding school

spirit. The Torch staff is deeply saddened by the passing of our ultimate Cougar fan.

His death is felt by many members of the community, as he touched many lives. There was never an ill word spoke of Chuck Patton. And there will always be a front row spot saved for him, Chuck was and always will be a part of Cougar Nation.

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Editorial

Offended. I was offended by this article. It was written, “It felt like our spirits were bleeding drops of gasoline on the flaming coals inside.” For me, it felt like my spirit was ripped from my body and trampled on by people who don’t even know me. Systematic racism, you say. The article isn’t about systematic racism and I would argue this isn’t even the issue on the bigger scale.

It is about labeling. I have just been labeled, much like you say is happening to you. But here is the truth: not every cop is bad, not every black is a criminal and not every white is a racist. Stop labeling!

I saw an interview by Charles Barkley the other day. He said In response to the opinion in the article “Shoot me, I’m black” when you resist arrest or are violent with the police then bad Submitted by Charity Hansel, school resource officer at Kenthings will happen. It has never been lawful to resist arrest. nedy.

Period.

If an officer is going to arrest you then you must submit.

On Thanksgiving Day in the early dark hours, I was picking up If you believe the arrest is unlawful, then you will have your day traffic cones that had blown over. I then heard someone yelling. in court.

Then you can sue the officer and police department for I determined it was a man standing a distance away yelling false arrest.

But you cannot resist arrest. And when did hitting a “Michael Brown” at me. He kept up yelling his name, calling out cop ever become acceptable? Do you remember Officer Tim DaFerguson, telling me all we do is shoot black men in the streets. vis from the Cedar Rapids Police Department that almost died a He had a small child standing beside him. He continued to yell couple of years back?

He was struck once, ONCE in the face by a at me, not even knowing me at all. And in front of an innocent juvenile and died three times on the operating table as doctors child who is being taught all police are bad. worked on his brain injuries.

The juvenile was black and officer When I read and reread this article in the Torch, I have to was white.

But that was not an issue with our department, our admit I was shocked, angry and really offended. I have spent community or Good Morning America.

Why? Because race had nearly 23 years of my life being a police officer because I truly nothing to do with it.

It was about bad decisions to do a violent wanted to and still want to help people. And when I say people, act.

I mean ALL people. But unfortunately, my skin is white. So I The article states Mr. Brown was shot several times, he didn’t continue to be prejudged and treated in a way that I did nothing deserve it, and he was a good kid just walking home with his to deserve simply because my clothes are blue and my skin is hands up.

The media said the Officer Wilson murdered an unwhite. armed black child who went to church and listened to his music.

Shocked. I was shocked in a community such as ours where How did America know that already? The fact is, there were citizens and the police have had good rapport that anyone very few people who knew that because none of us were given would feel black lives don’t matter. Every child is a gift from any real details initially.

Yet so many people of every race were God, as I was taught and I believe. For years I have stood sucked in by rumors and the media. All that did was stoke a fire between evil and innocent, with my heart being color blind. before any of us really knew what had happened. And of course, If people really believe the police are racist, why isn’t there a it was a race issue…not an issue of facts and whether the force dialogue taking place? I find it is much harder to make assumpwas reasonable or unreasonable. tions when you really get to know someone. I know sometimes Mr. Barkley said if it weren’t for the police, the ghetto would it is hard to understand what the police are thinking and why be the wild, Wild West. The community that we as police would we do what we do, but it can all be explained and understood lay our very own life down to protect hates us because our skin if we talk. And listen. Really listen to each other’s fears and is white and our clothes blue. And for some of our brothers and dreams. sisters in blue, their skin is black. But then they are shunned Angry. I know my heart and because I wear blue, you assume and called names like traitor, Uncle Tom and cracker…like Mr. you know my heart too. But you don’t. Clearly you have no idea Barkley was after his interviews with CNN. who I am or what I stand for. My heart aches every time there The question was asked, “Why is our suffering so invisible, so is a loss of life. But unlike many people, I waited on Ferguson. unvalued that it takes a city in flames to see it?” That is exactly I saw that for the first many days that all the media did was how many law enforcement officers all across America felt report negative things against the officer. Not being there or when we saw the town of Ferguson burning. Why are we called knowing all the circumstances, I waited and reserved opinion. racist when that isn’t in our hearts?

Why do we agree to die for And then I prayed. I prayed for the family that lost a loved one. citizens that hate us?

Why are we so invisible and so unvalued I prayed for the community on edge. I prayed for the officer who by our communities?

Why do you call us names? I am not a murshot Mr. Brown. And I prayed for a nation that would wait with derer or a G.I. Joe wannabe.

I pray every day that I don’t have to an open mind. But the nation wasn’t waiting. It was deciding shoot anyone.

But I will to protect you without hesitation…even without any facts, except for the fact that Mr. Brown was black though you label me.

And I too have a dream.

I dream of peace. and Officer Wilson was white.

Respectfully submitted, Officer Charity The toto thethe editors.

It isItthe TheEditorial EditorialBoard boardwelcomes welcomesallallletters letters editors. is responsibility of the editor to verify all submissions the responsibility of Editorial the Editorial editor to verify all submisand also the right reject arethat innacurate or sions andreserves also reserves theto right to those rejectthat those are innac4 contain quality. lettersAll must be signed. uarte or poor contain poorAll quality. letters must be signed.

Don’t overlook the good Kennedy administration added SMART Lunch to help students do better in their classes. Students can go in and get extra help with the subjects they’re having trouble with. And they can also attend various sessions that aren’t directly related to a class; but that will still help them to think and expand their horizons.

It sounds like a really good idea, right? That’s because it is.

Helping students to do better at school is a great idea.

So why do we have more D’s and F’s now than we did before SMART Lunch started? Because some people don’t care.

As unfortunate as it is, there are some people that just don’t care about school, don’t want to be here, and don’t want to try at all. And some of those people can’t be helped to care, no matter how much the school tries. No matter what the school does, there are always going to be people that spend 80 minutes eating lunch or going home every day, or better yet else sitting in a tutorial and not paying attention; resenting the fact that the school won’t let them leave.

It’s sad that these students aren’t taking advantage of expanded opportunities to improve and help themselves, but it’s not the school’s fault. The school does what it can, and if someone refuses to take advantage of those opportunities, it’s their own fault.

Where the problem lies is when the school starts focusing so much on the students that don’t care that they begin to ignore the students who are willing to work hard and do well. If this happens, then these students will begin to suffer.

I should take a moment to clarify that I’m not talking about people who do well in school vs. those who don’t do as well.

Everybody is better at some things than others, and nearly everyone has one or more subjects that they really struggle with.

Editorial

Some people probably even struggle with most subjects, or all subjects. But those aren’t the people that I’m talking about.

Because I know several people to whom school does not come easily or naturally. But despite this, they work as hard as they can to learn, and most of the time it pays off. That’s what the school should be working towards. When a school is able to help a kid that doesn’t understand something, and allow them to get a good grasp of the subject and do well in it, then that is something the school should be proud of. And that’s what SMART lunch is for.

And while the school is helping these people, they also need to remember that some people may not really need the extra help.

And making someone come in to a tutorial when they already have a grasp on that class is a waste of both the student’s time and the teacher’s time.

In some cases, the school is focusing so much on hard and fast rules that they’re not taking students into account. For example: students aren’t allowed to leave the cafeteria during B lunch.

True, that will keep some students from sneaking out to a restaurant, but it also keeps other students from doing legitimate things like going to the library. The school focuses so much on the letter of the law, that they overlook the potential harm to students.

So basically, what I’m saying is that the school needs to make sure that it isn’t being arbitrary. What works well for one kid may not work for another. Obviously, the school can’t be expected to cater to every student specifically. But it does need to keep in mind that they can’t expect to hold everyone to the same standard. Because making arbitrary rules is almost always going to be a bad thing.

Xander Riley

Cougar spirit makes a difference Student sections at high school football games are loud and always heavy in attendance. While many smaller sports have a hard time getting people to come and cheer them on. No matter if it is swimming, golf or any sport, every team should have a support system. And for the most part, Cougar Nation does more than its fair share of cheering.

I can say from personal experience that the student section makes all the difference. When the Cougar volleyball team was struggling against Linn Mar during the volleyball regional semifinals, the biggest student section that had came all season made a big difference in our comeback win. The large rowdy crowd stayed until the end and didn’t give up on the team.

Kennedy offers many sports, ranging from tennis to football and everything in-between. Certain teams are the main focus, and some women and men’s sports are advertised more than others.

It makes me wonder how successful every team here at Kennedy could be if they had more fellow students cheering them on.

Macy Anderson

Cougar Nation is extremely organized, with a Twitter account and representatives who spread the word about sports and activities going on at Kennedy. Which means everyone should know about the games and activities going on around the school.

Every athlete appreciates the fans that support their team, especially at away games. When the Cougars go to sub-state and state games, they are usually farther away. No matter if it’s in our home gym or the Wells Fargo Center in Des Moines, players appreciate the support. It is awesome to see how many people travel far to cheer on their friends and classmates.

Even if the crowd isn’t as big as a Friday night football game at Kingston, we appreciate any support system. If smaller sports and activities had larger crowds, just imagine how much more successful our teams could be. The student section is often the forgotten aspect of a team, but a very important part. I am speaking on behalf of the athletes here at Kennedy to support not just the most popular but all the activities going on in the school. We thank you for the support.

PAGES BY MADDY Crist 5

News

Tearing down to build up

Construction begins on the Nissan and Subaru delaership at the former site of Scheer’s home. The building is expected to be completed in July. photo by Fatima Elsheikh

H

ome to about 256,324 people, the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Area has experienced much growth in recent years; growing from 191,701 since 2000, it is safe to say that the City of Five Seasons has become attractive, not only for families, but also for businesses, and restaurant chains such as Hurricane Grill & Wings.

Newly opened at Lindale Mall, Hurrican Grill & Wings features seating for over 200 as well as a beautiful outdoor patio.

The Florida-based and islandinspired restaurant is Hurricane’s second location in Iowa. Franchisee Darin Beck, CEO and founder of Barmuda, owns both this location and the one in Waterloo.

Hurricane Grill is one among many new restaurant chains opened in Cedar Rapids. Others include PepperJax, Cheddars and Chipotle.

Cedar Rapids has not only expanded its restaurant business, but also companies such as Dave Wright Auto. The car dealership has been a major growth for the city, a growth that has affected some Kennedy students more than others.

6

During February of last year, Kaylee Scheer, jr., and her family were offered a deal to move out of their home, which they agreed to.

Their home’s land, along with the four out of five neighbors who agreed to the offer, were to be utilized in the city’s expansion.

“At first, [the land] was going to be used for a doctor’s office,” said Scheer. “Now the land is being used

“We’ve significantly outgrown our space, both on the sales and the service side.”

-Dave Wright for a car dealership instead.”

Since 2005, Dave Wright has owned and operated the Nissan and Subaru dealership center located on 1900 51st St. NE. Now desperate for more room to expand, he purchased nine homes, including Scheers’, for a new seven acre lot that will provide the dealership with twice as much room.

“We’ve significantly outgrown our space, both on the sales and the service side,” mentioned Wright.

Scheer also mentioned that a certain amount of money was being of-

fered to them per square foot, and through her father’s calculations, they countered with an amount they would need in order to agree to move out.

“The incentive was money for our land,” said Scheer, “not for the house itself.”

Scheer said that even though they had to move out of a long-time home of theirs, it was worth the offer and the time span allowed for them to move out.

“We stayed at our house until we were given a date to move out, which was about five months later,” said Scheer, “and by that time we found a new house.”

All of the homes in the neighborhood have now been demolished, and the new dealership is set to open this coming July at the corner of Center Point Road and Boyson Road in Hiawatha.

“This will enhance the customer and the employee experience,” said Wright. “I think the growth can continue, the products are performing well on the market.”

Fatima Elsheikh

Che

News

Web connection:

2015-2016 Class registration

A

s the calendar turns to January, it means that it is about time for students at Kennedy to register for classes for the 20152016 school year.

Like many things at Kennedy, registration is going through a lot of changes this year. As in previous years, students of all grade levels will be allowed to sign up for classes on PowerSchool at the same time, but now each class has their own timeframe to sign up.

“It will start probably around the end of January for some, and it might go all the way to the middle of April for others,” Counselor Elizabeth Wessels said.

Another factor that will complicate this process is the fact that the school changing from trimesters to semesters. This means that the district and teachers will have to make the curriculum for classes to fit into two semesters, like electives that were originally built for one trimester.

The change also affects how credit hours are counted.

“The numbers will change for required credits, it’s one credit per class each semester,” Counselor Judith McIntosh said.

Forty credit hours are now required for graduation.

Physical Education, Science, and World Languages are courses that have changed.

The school will add two more languages next year, Russian and Arabic.

This year, students were able to take one academic waiver and one sports waiver, but next year there will be no waivers

handed out.

“There will be no waivers handed out, students will have to take a gym that meets every day for one semester,” Wessels said.

In years past, freshmen at Kennedy have taken FOS as their required science course, but the course will no longer be offered. Starting next year, students would be required to take one year of earth science, life science, and physical science over their four years.

“Science will be changing, and I think in a positive way,” McIntosh said.

As students decide what classes they will be taking, Wessels belives students should keep in mind how the classes they are taking will impact their future.

“They should take classes that benefit them in the future, like their college plans, and that is the biggest thing,” Wessels said.

Brant Barnhart

Find out more information for next year’s registration in the web version of this story.

Check out the Torch on the web:

kennedytorch.org issuu.com/kennedytorch

@JFKtorch @kennedytorch PAGES BY Xander Riley 7

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What’s the BIG idea?

Photo by Elianna Novitch

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S

ometimes it may feel like every school day is a routine.

You get to school, go to your classes, eat school lunch, and then go home only to repeat it all again tomorrow.

The Big Ideas Group (BIG) or Iowa’s Project-Based High School Experience, aims to change the way students experience a school day.

“The thing that got me to be so interested in BIG is that it’s driven by your passions. You are in control of your learning there and you get to do stuff that you really love,” BIG student Aren Buresh, jr., said, “It’s never tedious, busy work. Even though I may do a lot of work there, I never complain because I just love every day there so much.”

Students at BIG have the opportunity to work on multiple projects that deal with topics they are interested in. Projects are collected from around the community and put into a project pool for students to choose from.

Buresh is currently involved in two projects to explore her interest in photography and music. The two projects she is working on are Music Meet Up and the BIG Photography Company.

Project Music Meet Up is a group that works to bring together members of the community, inspire musicians and encourage people to pursue music.

“One of the big things we have done with this project is organize a caroling event. It was sort of flash-mob style caroling,” Buresh said. “There was a lot we had to get in order. We had to secure a performance space, a practice space, an instructor and get our music together. We learned about advertising and marketing through this event.”

Buresh works on both her projects simultaneously during her time down at BIG. In order to be a part of BIG, Buresh must commit two hours of her school day to working on her projects.

As registration for classes for the next school year draw near, BIG is just one of the many scheduling decisions that students will be having to make.

Buresh’s other project, the BIG Photography Company, has partnered with another BIG group, the Cedar Rapids History and Artifacts group. Together they are working on a then and now project that is documenting the Main Street district. The groups are planning to create a website link for the project.

“We are trying to tell the story of that area and help people understand the history of it in a way that is easy and accessible,” Buresh said.

Students who participate in BIG get school credit for the projects they work on. They can register to get course credit or elective credit. Buresh is currently taking BIG in order to gain elective credit.

In order to gain course credit, there are course standards set by the district that every student is required to meet. Buresh has already met some of the required standards for course credit even though she is only getting elective credit. Some of these standards that are required include speaking, listening, and writing standards.

A teacher tracks a student’s progress with the standards and once all of the standards have been met, the student then receives course credit as if they were taking an actual class.

BIG not only provides students with school credit but also allows them the opportunity to meet others from around the community.

“Before I only had friends at Kennedy, but now I have good friends from Washington, Jefferson, and Prairie. These are awesome people that I would never have met before BIG,” Buresh said.

Students at BIG also get the opportunity to learn new skills that they don’t necessarily learn in the usual high school classroom.

“The most valuable lesson I have learned is how to communicate with adults and how to come off as professional. I have learned how to write an email, to write a proposal, and how to pitch a project. Through these things my public speaking has also improved immensely,” Buresh said.

BIG works with other business and organizations around the community to provide and make opportunities for students.

“I’ve had so many unique opportunities through BIG. I learned how to write an opinion article through the Gazette, audio production, and just a lot of other things that aren’t even offered as courses at Kennedy,” Buresh said.

One of the most important things that students do at BIG is connect with people from around the community. Students are able to have conversations with members of the community and get their input and feedback on their projects. “Being able to talk to the community is something really valuable,” Buresh said.

The BIG program is a different type of education that is being offered to students all around the area. However it does take a commitment to be a part of it.

A minimum of two hours of your day is needed to be a part of BIG. Buresh and other BIG students however, commit even more time than that.

“I’m not being forced to go to these meetings, but because this is something I care about and this needs to be done in order to see the project through. I honestly can say that joining BIG is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Buresh said.

Elianna Novitch

“It’s driven by your passions.

You are in control of your learning there and you get to do stuff that you really love.”

-Aren Buresh

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PAGES BY Gabby Olejniczak And MAddie Herlocker 11

Feature

Freedom of speech is

not just an amendment we are granted here in the United States. Freedom is the daily action we as Americans overlook and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t appreciate enough.

Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine located in Paris, was the target for a terrorist attack on Jan. 7. The difference in this specific attack was the reasoning behind it. The magazine was under fire from the extreme Islamic group, the Al-qaeda, after posting a comic involving the Islamic prophet, Mohammad.

What many Americans may not realize is the

12

attack was on freedom of speech. This was not just a physical attack against the magazine but an attack on every news source around the world.

Feature

PAGES BY Hannah Bruns 13 Photos by: Hannah Bruns

Feature

ReligionVS

Freedom

Photos by: Hannah Bruns “Everyone has a right to protest if they don’t like how a certain situation is going,” Afnan Elsheik, so., said.

Freedom of speech is something very important to the Elsheik sisters.

“They shouldn’t say something if they know that there is going to be harmful retaliation afterwards,” Afnan said after hearing about the comics that were put out by the Charlie Hebdol magazine. After the comics were posted, a group of militant Taliban fighters attacked the Charlie Hebdol building in Paris, killing up to 12 people, including the comic and editor.

The comic depicted the Muslim prophet, Muhammad.

“The comics were very graphic 14

and seriously offensive,” Afnan said. The comedic magazine has had a history of putting out similar comics starting all the way back in 2006, where they posted a comic of Muhammad once again stating “Muhammad overwhelmed by fundamentalism” As a Muslim in America, Afnan, along with her sister Fatima are often stuck in between appreciating the rights they have while also, having strong feelings for people in the Middle East.

“I don’t think the terrorists should have fought the way they did. I think instead of physically harming anyone, they should have protested it in a nonviolent way,” Afnan said.

Fatima agreed, “They had every

right to share what they did about the prophet Muhammad, but when it comes down to religion wise, that was completely wrong of them.”

Hannah Bruns

Feature

Defining The First Amendment

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First amendment Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

PAGES BY Hannah Bruns 15

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Cedar Valley Humane Society "Inspiring compassion for all living things"

Photos courtesy of Cedar Valley Humane Society

History

Cedar Valley Humane Society (CVHS) was established in 1901 as the Humane Society of the City of Cedar Rapids. Originally the Humane Society catered to abuse cases involving women, children, animals and the elderly.

However in 1921 the investigations involving women, children and the elderly were dropped, as the organization became the Linn County Humane Society.

The final name change occurred in 1991, when the Cedar Valley Humane Society was established.

Since 1901 the organization has changed location three times, in 1928 a property was purchased for $3,000 on C Ave NE. This location was headquarters for the organization until 1968 when the current location was established on Mt. Vernon Rd SE.

Mission CVHS is dedicated to building relationships between humans and animals. They also work to eradicate abuse and overpopulation through education and adoption.

The shelter is non-profit, relying on donations from the public, private donors and grants. The majority of the money raised is from donations, the average donation being $25. Another source of income for CVHS is the money they receive for adoption and service fees.

They identify as an open-admission shelter, only euthanizing animals when it is critical. Generally in cases of severe aggression or health problems where the animal is unable to be rehabilitated.

Being an open admission shelter, they take any animal regardless of health or temperament and vow to never turn away an animal in need.

The Reflections of Kindness bricks bring attention to donors who have donated more than $500.

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For more adoptable animals and information on how you can get involved visit cvhumane.org

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Fundraising Fundraising events are hosted by and in collaboration with local businesses such as Chili’s, which is currently hosting an event through February 1st. If you dine-in or carry out at the restaurant and bring this voucher, 15% of your purchase is donated back to CVHS. Monthly adoption events are also hosted at PetSmart on 1st Ave. NE on the second to last Saturday of the month. Several volunteers bring dogs into the store and set up a table at the back. While socializing the dogs with different types of people and other animals, they also work to bring awareness to the overpopulation of the shelters and rescues in the United States.

Pet Profile Redeem this voucher at Chili’s and 15% of your purchase will be donated back to CVHS.

Name: Onyx Breed: Domestic Shorthair Age: 10 years 23 days Sex: Male Color: Black/White Description: Onyx came into our care because his owner could no longer care for him. He is a very friendly boy who enjoys curling up on your lap. This mellow fellow loves quiet time and is very much a cuddle bug. As a member of our Silver Paws Club, he can be brought home for only $45. Stop in and let Onyx steal your heart!

Photo courtesy of Visions Photography

Photo courtesy of ElLynne Photography

Name: Lottie Breed: German Pointer/Mix Age: 1 year 8 months Sex: Female Color: Black/White Description: Lottie is a very energetic, active girl who needs to be a part of a family who will take her with them everywhere they go. When she is left alone inside, she becomes bored and anxious, which leads to unwanted behaviors.

She was an outside dog before she came to us, so if you have a safe outdoor area for her to relax and run around in while you are out and about, she would really like that! Lottie enjoys being around people and is very easygoing and friendly with people of all ages. She is friendly with other dogs, but she can’t really be around cats. (The thrill of the chase is just too tempting!) Lottie has already had some basic obedience training, so she does have a start on good manners. If Lottie sounds like your new BFF, come meet her! She can become part of your family for only $75, thanks to our Lonely Hearts Club.

PAGES BY MELANIE NORTHLAND

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Health and Lifestyle

The journey of weight loss

Madi’s progress It’s never too late to have a new resolution; especially one that can positively impact your health. Maybe my story can serve to make a helpful impact on choices regarding your health this new year.

I made the decision to do something about my weight in June 2014, right after school got out last year. The choice I made was an extreme decision that definitely isn’t for most people, especially at our age. I decided to use the program called Ideal Protein. Ideal Protein is quite an intense regimen and required my doctor’s approval.

The reason it is considered so extreme is because it eliminates all but the absolutely necessary carbohydrates in a person’s body. It relies on the chemical process called Ketosis. In Ketosis, your body uses ketones (produced from fatty acids) for energy, rather than glucose from carbohydrates.

Yes, this means no bread, no chocolate, even no healthy sugars such as those from fruits. Even some vegetables are considered too high in carbs or starches, like carrots, corn, and potatoes. This proves to be an incredibly difficult way of life and if you’re familiar with other low-carb diet plans like Atkins, you will understand what it means that this diet is sometimes called “Atkins on steroids.”

Though it was just as much of a challenge as it’s made out to be, I took it head on, determined to make a change in

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Photos provided by Madi Beauchamp my health and life in a massive way. Throughout the summer, I experienced Ketosis and all its symptoms, including tiredness and headaches as well as some more unusual ones, such as constantly feeling thirsty and sickeningly sweet smelling breath and perspiration.

In the end, this got me to be 70 pounds lighter than I was when I started. Many people have said they could never do what I did, and that’s okay. For me, the choice was simple.

I was tired of living with never being able to fit into clothes as well as suffering actual physical ailments like heartburns, fatigue, and severe constant migraines.

Even in the very beginning, I could feel an almost immediate change in my energy levels. My migraines and heartburn went away within days. Lots of people think dieting is done to lose weight so you can feel better. What people don’t know is when you change what you put in your body and make more healthy choices, you can improve your health and happiness without shedding major pounds.

Whether it’s as extreme as eliminating all carbs or simply having celery instead of a cupcake, a resolution that can positively impact your health is great. You only have one body for your whole life, and a healthy life is a happy life.

Madi Beauchamp

Health and Lifestyle

Austin’s transformation High school students have extremely busy schedules and a lot of times it’s easy for them to make excuses and reasons not to work out and stay fit. Austin Isaacs, sr., has a story that might just be the inspiration you need.

Austin was 5’6” and 200 pounds at one point, and knew he didn’t want to stay that way forever. He took the fitness route to shed the pounds, even though weight loss wasn’t his main goal.

“It just kind of happened. I wanted to get in shape more than just lose [weight]. The pounds just kind of fell off, as I was working out every single day,” Isaacs said.

Isaacs would come to school at 6 a.m. every day to lift, then lift again at home after school and baseball.

As a catcher in baseball he knew he had to get more in shape if he wanted to reach the goals he had set in

“I didn’t have anyone who drove me. It was just kind of myself, and that goal I had of being successful.”

-Austin Isaacs sports. Baseball was a great motivator, but it wasn’t the only thing. What others said pushed him toward his goal, even if they weren’t the most positive.

“There’s jokes, and there’s stuff like that directed toward you and it just kind of got to me; after a while it’s like I wasn’t going to get very far, especially in baseball,” Isaacs said.

Along with exercising, Austin changed his diet. He didn’t change what he ate as much as he changed portion sizes. Eating less and constantly exercising helped him drop the weight quickly.

“I started working out hard core probably the middle of January my sophomore year and I probably lost it all

by March. I lost a ton in 3 months,” Isaacs said.

Isaacs was able to lose all the weight by himself.

“I didn’t have anyone who drove me. It was just kind of myself, and that goal that I had of being successful,” Isaacs said.

Isaacs’ advice for students who need to lose weight is to make a plan. Even though it’s hard, Isaacs says, “Stick to your plan.” He adds, “You know, we’re so bogged down with sports or school and it can get difficult but you’ve just got to find a way to do it.”

Hadley Rittgers

Photos provided by Austin Isaacs

PAGES BY Macy Anderson 19

Arts and Entertainment

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&"#$'()*#+,#)'#*$IRU D VHOÀH DUH QRW VH[\ It’s a silent crime that lingers in halls, homes, bathroom stalls, and in phones or computers.

Sexting amongst underage teenagers is a nationwide issue for high schools everywhere.

“Among teenagers, we believe at least 90% of kids have been involved in sexting at some level, whether they have received a picture of someone, or they’ve actually taken a picture of themselves and sent it to someone,” said Charity Hansel, Kennedy’s school resource officer.

Sexting is defined as the sending of sexually explicit messages or images by cell phone, but the loose definition has since expanded to include images sent over e-mail, online chatrooms, and social media platforms.

A 2008 study by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy found that 39 percent of the 653 teens in the study stated they sent or posted sexually explicit images.

About half admitted to having received an image.

“I think it’s a pretty okay thing to do as long as you do it respectfully and you are responsible when you do it,” Scott Smith*, jr., said.

Hansel argues that the sexual nature of much of pop culture media desensitizes the current generation of teenagers to sexual boundaries and the human body. Sexual content is prevalent in much of today’s media, from Kim Kardashian’s “Break the Internet” stunt, wherein she posted nude photos of herself online, to the offhand sexual innuendos of popular nighttime television shows like The Big Bang Theory, to the new 50 Shades of Grey film set to be released February.

Emma Swalla, so., admits to having been involved in sexting.

“The worst part is everybody knows, everybody does it, but only certain people get caught and if you get caught there’s automatically no support,” Swalla said.

Students found to be involved sexting can face consequences from the school district, including suspension or expulsion, along with potential legal consequences.

Sexually explicit images of individuals under 18 are considered by law to be child pornography. Child pornography is illegal to take, possess, or distribute. Individuals convicted of doing so that are tried as adults are registered on the 20

Graph

Arts and Entertainment

#$%&#'&((&)*++*,-&.%$,*+%.

1 in 5 Admitted to having been involved in sexting.

Over half said they know someone who sexts. sex offender registry and can face time in prison.

“What we’re finding is that a lot of the young men collect them (explicit images) like they do baseball cards,” Hansel said.

Images can be exchanged not only through text messaging, but also through social media and popular phone applications. Part of the danger in sexting is the individual who possesses an explicit image has the ability to share it with others, or even post it online. In the 2008 study, 36 percent of teen girls and 39 percent of teen boys said it was common for sexually explicit images to be shared with individuals other than the intended participant.

“I think that’s kind of messed up, like, somebody’s trusting you with their personal things and you’re posting it to the Internet,” Mike Adams*, jr., said.

Once an image is posted on social media, it is open to be viewed by anyone who comes across it and is able to be saved to various electronic devices. Sending an image gives power to the male or female who receives it.

“I definitely think that it should just only be a part of a relationship,” Smith* said, “Once you get to know someone and you truly care about them is when it’s okay to sext them.”

A survey by CareerBuilder found that 37 percent of employers use social media to screen job candidates. A Kaplan survey found that 27 percent of admissions officers had searched online for information about their potential students. Before sending an image, individuals should know that anyone can encounter that picture.

-)'#$.)$/0.1#$/*$(,!2$/!3*$(,!4 Naomi Hofferber And Ron Lund

* For this story, our Editorial Board agreed that the students names would be protected due to the personal nature of the story and to preserve the identity of those willing to come forward to offer their opinons.

Graphics by Melanie Northland

PAGES BY Naomi Hofferber 21

Just another sport

Sports

A sport like any other: practice, perseverance , dedication

I

n recent years, hunting has seen an increase in popularity with both men and women, especially in Iowa. It shouldn’t come as a shock because hunting equipment is sold at nearly every sports apparel store, and there is even a television channel dedicated to the sport of hunting. Over time hunting has evolved from the primary way to get food, to a hobby and pastime that unites friends and family.

“My favorite thing about hunting is the people I go hunting with, because friends make it interesting and fun,” Alana Johnston, jr., said. “I’ve really enjoyed the friendships that have developed with other girls my age who like to go hunting, because it’s cool to have a common interest.”

Johnston has been hunting since she was six years old. It all started when Johnston’s brother went hunting and didn’t take her with him.

“My brother came home after his hunting trip and told me how much fun he had, and I was jealous, so I took the hunters’ safety course and went hunting with him the next year,” Johnston said.

It doesn’t seem like too long ago that stories of women hunting were rare. Whether that was because it didn’t happen or because no one talked about, it certainly isn’t very rare these days.

In many of the sports apparel stores where hunting gear is sold, consumers can see various hunting brands trying to market to women that already hunt and encourage more women to take up hunting, whether it’s done by making pink camouflage designs for guns and clothing or trying to make the clothes more “stylish” and feminine.

While there is no doubt that more women hunt now than ever before, Johnston still thinks there is a reason why some women may be a little hesitant to gear up and get their hands dirty.

“I think a lot of girls have soft sides and don’t like to see animals like deer, turkey and squirrels get killed, whereas that doesn’t really bother me. I do have a soft side, it’s just not as easy for me to get grossed out about that stuff,” Johnston said.

Colin Ralston, jr., was, like Johnston, introduced to hunting by his family at the age of six and was immediately infatuated with it. Ralston was first taught how to hunt by his father and tries to hunt as much as possible.

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Photo provided by Maddie Herlocker

“I go hunting pretty much every weekend during deer season, because my family owns some property and deer season is my favorite,” Ralston said. Ralston’s biggest hunting achievement is a twelve-point buck, but he scored his first deer when he was just eight years old.

“My favorite part about hunting is just being out there, and the excitement that you get after you kill a deer,” Ralston said.

Ralston has many different weapons that he uses for hunting, but his favorite is a bow and arrow, because he finds it more challenging. Typically Ralston gets his weapons online or goes to the hunting store Cabella’s to get the right weapon for the job.

Once a hunter has killed a deer, there are multiple options as to what can be done with the deer. Some hunters, if they get a big kill, have the deer taken to a taxidermist so they can have it mounted; others prefer to gut and clean the deer themselves before taking it to a locker to be processed into meat for hamburgers and deer jerky.

Another Kennedy student who hunts is Hunter Matthews, sr.

Matthews, like Ralston, also favors deer season and prefers to hunt with a bow, and while some hunters hunt just for fun, Matthews prefers to take a more competitive approach to the sport.

“A lot of people think that hunting is just a bunch of people shooting stuff just to shoot stuff, but it’s not like that, it’s more like a sport,” Matthews said. “People consider basketball a sport and football a sport; I don’t play a sport that’s why I consider hunting a sport. It’s not like just anybody can do it, it takes practice, just as much practice as football or basketball.”

Hunting does take skill, but like anything worth doing it also takes dedication, perseverance, and hard work in order to get results worth being proud of.

“I personally think that most people that can play basketball or football wouldn’t be able to shoot a bow as well as most kids that regularly hunt are able to. I do know some kids that play other sports that can hunt pretty well but they know that it takes time and effort, and that’s something I don’t think many people realize,” Matthews said.

Gabby Olejniczak

Sports

“People consider basketball a sport and football a sport; I don’t play a sport that’s why I consider hunting a sport. It’s not like just anybody can do it, it takes practice, just as much practice as football or basketball.”

-Hunter Matthews Photo provided by Maddie Herlocker

“My favorite part about hunting is just being out there, and the excitement that you get after you kill a deer.”

-Collin Ralston

“My favorite thing about hunting is the people I go hunting with, because friends make it interesting and fun.”

-Alana Johnston Photos provided by Alana Johnston and Hunter MaTthews

PAGES BY Abby Donovan 23

John F. Kennedy High School 4545 Wenig Rd. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

www.kennedytorch.org khsads@gmail.com www.twitter.com/KennedyTorch

“The torch has been passed to a new generation.” - John F. Kennedy