Volume 20 Edition 8 Waukee High School 555 SE University Avenue, Waukee, IA 50263 February 13, 2014

ArrowheaDThe Journey Continues for D1 Athletes at WHSBella von Harz

show that you should never lose sight of your goals or dreams, and that your hard work will always pay off.” Senior Anthony Nelson will continue on with his football career at the University of Iowa beginning next fall. He participated in football and basketball during his years spent at Waukee High School. Nelson claims that he will look back and

Reminder: Go online to see photos of Win-ter Formal taken by Leah Doyle and Leah Wilson. Go to... www.waukeearrowhead.comRemember, all pro-ceeds from the dance went to the McDon-ald family to aid in Mrs. McDonald’s recovery.

With extremely fortunate resources, influential coaches, and determined athletes, Waukee High School undoubtedly has one of the best athletic programs in the state. The gyms are consumed with per-severing students before and after school hours, striving to reach goals and break records. Some of these athletes are living out the last season of their favorite sport in this very moment, however; some are only at the beginning. A select group of se-nior athletes at our high school have decided to progress into athletics at D1 colleges. Senior Hannah McDevitt will be continuing her soccer career next year at the University of North-ern Iowa, playing center-midfield. McDevitt claims that her road to becoming a D1 athlete took hard work, countless hours of practices, way too many games, and lots of traveling, but most importantly, a raw passion for the sport. She said, “My favorite part about soccer is that anyone can play! There isn’t a ‘preferred’ body type; you don’t have to be tall, short, have long legs, or anything. It’s all about how well you can play the game.”

Junior Kaitlyn Menz has decided to leave the cornfields behind and attend the University of Arkansas, continuing her softball career as a pitcher. Menz is excited to attend

her dream school, claiming, “I fell in love with the coaches, and of course the warm weather!” Menz says the best part about being on a team is working together to reach one common goal. Senior Michael Jacobson plans to transition into the Big Ten and con-tinue on with his basketball career at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Jacobson originally never thought about going to Nebraska; in fact, he said, “It was not my dream school.” Nevertheless, Jacobson couldn’t be happier with the way things have turned out for him. He spent count-less hours in the gym outside of normal practice hours and had to sacrifice many aspects of a normal teenage life, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Junior Victoria Martin will be leaping into warm weather and palm trees at Arizona State to continue on with her gymnastics career in the fall of 2016. Martin is where she is today because of spending four hours in the gym everyday for ten years straight. She was once just a young girl with dreams of making it to the olympics one day. Martin faced one of her biggest challenges when she severely injured her elbow and went through three strenuous years of recovery. Nevertheless, Martin was able to pick up a full ride scholarship at the school of her dreams. “I think I was very blessed to still manage to get a scholarship; as corny as it sounds, it really does

miss playing these sports will all of the kids from his hometown; the kids he grew up with. “My favor-ite memory is going to the dome,” Nelson reminisced. Senior Erika Lewis plans to hit the ground running at Loui-siana State University next year, participating in their cross country and track programs. After writing a letter to the university earlier in her high school career, LSU showed an obvious interest in her talents and even visited her home in Iowa. After Lewis visited the University, she fell in love with the facilities and the state of Louisiana. Lewis claims that being a D1 athlete means one thing: you’re not afraid of challenges. “I love exhausting myself and continu-ously seeing how fast or far I can go,” she said. Lewis claims that Coach Pries and Coach Every have been the most influential figures in her track career. Last but surely not least, junior Tripp Kinney will be attending Iowa State University to play golf. On his visit, Kinney immediately fell in love with the facilities at Iowa State and felt extremely welcomed by his future teammates. Kinney reported,

Media; Viewing with Caution

As of lately, it’s come to atten-tion that media sources and major news networks may not always have the most reliable information. From FOX to NBC to CNN, all the stories seem to have a slightly different standpoint. If you look closely, FOX seems to lean more conservatively, NBC show-ing slightly liberalistic views, and

Editorial by Dillon WaskowCNN -- who claims to be unbiased -- has even shown hints of each. With news networks having differ-ent standpoints on certain issues, topics, and stories, it’s often hard to find the truth. Despite the differ-ence in biases throughout the media, unfortunately it is not the only way stories become skewed. Competition to be the “#1

news network” results in media sources squeezing for information that sometimes is not there. When it comes to breaking news, every source wants to be the first to report the information to the public, and unfortunately, rumors often get in the way of the truth. Read more on the media online at WaukeeArrowhead.com

We still want your input! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas, give us your opinions on our website, or tweet at us. @WaukeeArrowhead

To anyone interested in the cause against eating disorders, be sure to check online for information re-garding EDCI (Eating Disorder Coalition of Iowa) and their event on February 21st, Eat-ing Disorder Aware-ness Day.

“I actually grew up as a Hawkeye fan, but once I went up and visited the facility for the first time, I knew there was no place that I’d rather be than Iowa State.” Kinney will never forget winning the state champion-ship in high school and leaping into the pond with his teammates, or as he sees them, his life-long friends.

Lauren VespaPublisher

laurenvespa424@gmail.com

The LeahsBusiness Editors

waukeepublications@gmail.com

Adam HensleyWeb Editor

greenbayforce@gmail.com

Mariah PrendergastPrint Editor

prendergastmn@gmail.com

Mady AdamsCaleb Andrews

Lauren BiggerstaffEllie Drees

Analese HauberVivian Le

Makenzie LisleEmma Lyon

Nathan PetersonAndrea Poppinga

Anna RhodesJack Scafuri

Claire SimmonsHannah Stessman

Bailie UppenaBella von HarzDillon Waskow

Rep

orte

rsWe are proud to announce that the Arrowhead app is almost ready for Android! Please go to the Play Store and download the application as soon as it is ready then send us feedback. We want to hear your thoughts! The Android app will provide a great way to access online articles and polls from the Arrowhead staff. If you want to access the website on your other devices, you can go to www.waukeearrowhead.com. Also, be on the lookout for the Apple version of the ap-plication.

Editor’s Note

The Second Decade

Jordan Creek mall is the go-to shopping plaza for nearly all of Waukee. It’s the closest mall, beat-ing neighboring Merle Hay and Valley West. Withing the next few months, Jordan Creek will see some of the largest changes so far, mainly because it is entering its second decade after being founded in 1995. This is why, so many stores are leaving, as mall goers are witness-ing. The ten year leases signed by stores expire mainly throughout January and February. Retailers like Wet Seal, Delia’s, and the popular Abercrombie and Fitch are closing up shop at Jordan Creek. Along with them, smaller stores like Godiva, Capz, and the food court’s Wendy’s are also mov-ing out of the local mall. Wet Seal has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, which is a part of the

bankruptcy code that allows debtors to collect their funds and organzie their assets. Due to this, the compa-ny is unable to keep the store open while the mall goes through these big changes. Wet Seal’s space is be-ing taken up by TrueStyle, another women’s retailer. Abercrombie decided years ago to close 60 underperforming stores for the 2015 year, and that number will continue to rise. Victoria’s Secret, who is current on the bot-tom level, will be packing up and moving into where Abercrombie & Fitch and Abercrombie Kids used to be. According to the Des Moines Register, the new space is up to 3,000 square feet larger, resulting in an expansion of their Pink section. There are a lot of rumors about what companies will be filling the empty slots.

What will fill Victoria’s Secret’s space is still undisclosed. The Des Moines Register claims that mall officials are working on bringing a brand new retailer into the mall. The mystery retailer currently has no locations in Iowa.

Losing a favorite place to shop? Fear not, for the replace-ments for all of the newly vacated stores claim to have high poten-tial, even if some remain a much anticipated secret.

Lauren Biggerstaff

Jordan Creek Town Center, where the mall is located. ( Picture is from www.openbuildings.com ).

around the town

Tweets Of the Month

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We as the Arrowhead staff are always open to suggestions, if you have any contact us directly via DM or stop by room 602!

February(n.) The month following January in the calendar; also known as the month of love. Couples look forward to this month every year. February 14th is specifically important. It’s Valentine’s Day. The stores fill up with heart-shaped chocolate and pink everything. It’s like Cupid threw up all over Walgreens, but that doesn’t stop Catherine from selling that cashier candy. Although Catherine and Walgreens have some great Valentine’s merchandise, many still struggle with what to get their significant other for this monumental holiday. After all, this gift contains the power to either make or break your relation-ship. When February 14th comes to a close, you will be in one of two places: wrapped in your significant other’s arms watch- ing Netflix with chocolate wrappers strewn across the floor, or walking through the door of your house with wilted flowers and only your pet to cuddle. Have fun binge watching Friends, living vicariously through Ross and Rachel’s relationship. Now that we’ve established the importance of this gift, let’s decide what to get for your Val-entine. It all depends on how long you and your better half have been together; the longer the relationship, the more extravagant the gift. Length of Relationship (in months) 2 to 4 months

5 to 8 months

9+ months

Love Level (1 being “like-like,” 10 being Notebook)

4

7

10

Appropriate Gift (unisex)

Lauren: A variety of their favorite things. Their favorite candies, drinks, or even a gift-card. Dress it up in a nice little gift basket for them to open and enjoy. Flowers are also a nice touch, boys.Adam: Candy is nice, but remember not to go all out. You aren’t married, you’ve only been dating for 2-4 months. Bottled water is a nice touch too.Lauren: PLAN SOMETHING. Your love level is nearing the Notebook level. So, for goodness’ sake, try to be a little romantic. Yes, I’m talking to you “awkward people.” Make a reservation at a nice restaurant, create a cute scav-enger hunt leading to the restaurant, maybe even leave a trail of romantic notes. SHOW THAT YOU CARE. Adam: If you’re going to plan something, make it sub-par. You need to be able to top it next year (if you’re even with the same person a year from now) so a lackluster plan is a great foundation for many memories to come.Lauren: Wow, you’ve made it. You are in a very “serious” relationship. Start calling yourselves Ally and Noah because, like it or not, you’re crazy about each other. Boys, this is where you break out the jewelry. If you have a well-paying job, or you’ve saved up, get her a little blue box (for those of you who are oblivious: TIFFANY). As for those whose money situation is a little more mod-est, a nice sterling silver infinity ring is always appreciated. Gals, a nice watch is consistently a crowd pleaser. Find out what style your man prefers, after all, he needs to manage his time around you, and what’s a better way of reminding him?Adam: Wedding ring. It’s time to seal the deal while you have the chance.

Lauren Vespa

The epidemic people have feared for the past year is finally upon us. Yes, the love plague known to most as Valentine’s Day crept up behind us and reared its ugly head. Another year, another sickening February 14th. What is the point of Valentines Day? After countless hours of research, I discovered the answer: pleasing your woman. Let’s be honest, how many men will wake up to flowers or chocolates? On Valentine’s Day, the woman is in charge; she dictates the entire day. Refrain from expressing your opinion because, if it is “wrong,” you’re screwed. It ruins the romantic chemistry and up-sets your lady. Just give her those chocolates and flowers, and keep quiet. If she makes eye contact with you? Look away quickly. Now, I know what you are wondering: “What is the perfect Valentine’s Day date?” (If you’re not, well, that’s your problem). Start early on this sacred holiday; text her right when you get up with something along the lines of “Dinner at 6 ;)” Once the time arrives to pick her up, remem-ber to be late. Girls love it when you’re not on time. I’d say between thirty minutes to an hour is a safe time frame. Next, arrive at your restaurant

Adam Hensley

What do you think UR best quality is, according to Bae?

To see the rest of the questions and answers, watch the video of all the couples on www.waukeearrowhead.com

Hannah Ingle & Chris Kovalsky

Jordan Steinkritz & Anthony Nelson

Bri Martin & Justin Sell

Anna Kollmorgan & Connor Littlefield

-Chris’s Answer: That I am funny and easy going.-Hannah’s “real” Answer: He makes me Ramen noodles and watches Grey’s with me. -Hannah’s Answer: Probably when I bring him free Chinese food.-Chris’s “real” Answer: She’s smart sometimes.

-Anthony’s Answer: I think my smile. -Jordan’s “real” Answer: His smile. -Jordan’s Answer: I buy him Panch whenever he wants. -Anthony’s “real” Answer: She is a positive/optimistic person.

-Justin’s Answer: I’m nice to people, and my sense of humor. -Bri’s “real” Answer: His cheesy smile and his humor; he never fails to make me laugh. -Bri’s Answer: I’m kind-hearted. -Justin’s “real” Answer: Her heart; she’s so kind to everyone.

-Connor’s Answer: I give good back rubs. -Anna’s “real” Answer: He’s smart and does my homework for me.-Anna’s Answer: I am freaking hilarious and I make him “Giggle until his belly fat jiggles.”-Connor’s “real” Answer: She’s really funny.

Jack Scafuri

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of choice. As you walk to the door, strategically announce to her that you forgot to make a reser-vation because that was obviously her job (cue the “You-Had-One-Job” meme). As she begins to yell at you, tune her out or just start laughing at her anger. While her rage of fury increases, tell her you have an excellent plan B. This can be one of many things: 1) I am a big fan of the dumpy McDonald’s play place area. For one, they have salads, so if your girlfriend is a vegetarian or constantly complains about gluten, she can actually eat. Also, the play place structure itself provides a romantic ge away from the table. Make some magic happen. 2) Take her to your local grocery store cafe and dine-in with style. Chinese food is a must, but, if your girlfriend is picky, a slice of pizza should satisfy her (All you’re missing is some Netflix). If she is a carnivore, take her to the seafood department or get her some cold cuts. 3) Drive back to her house and make her cook for you. You’ve done a lot for her and had to put up with her nonsense, so it’s time to kick back and relax. Remember to harshly critique her every move in preparation of the meal of your choice; it should be flawless.

...like you should love yourself. Roses bound by silk string and heart-shaped boxes filled with delectable chocolates gifted by your love is every high school student’s dream. Unfor-tunatley no amount of plush teddy bears and Instagram pho-to-ops will suffice when you cannot love the only permanent person in your life: yourself. Sure, getting gifts and free food is great. Senior Colin Har-din, however, pointed out, “You can fart whenever you want.” He added, “that’s a serious perk.” Bodily functions are fair game when you have no one to impress. If you do not take time to figure out your own self--who you are and want to be, things that make you happy and mad--you will not be your true self to someone who likes you. In all seriousness, they will not see the real you. An honest relation-ship needs two people who are honest about who they are. With the risk of sounding cliché, love yourself. Love yourself and the bones that give you shape. Love yourself and the skin that keeps you together. Love yourself and the promises that lie in the future.

NO ONE LOVES YOU...Ways to Love Yourself This

Valentine’s Day and every day!:

Anna Rhodes

- Surround yourself with people who make you feel good.- Marvel at your beauty.

- Find a hobby that makes you lose track of time.- Count your blessings.

- Indulge in your favorite food every once in a while.- Dress for YOURSELF.

- Buy something you have wanted for a while.- Splurge on Netflix.

TIE BLANKET PARTY

WAUKEE HIGH SCHOOL COMMONSSATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2015

10 AM - 1 PM

Love Throughout The AgesVivian Le

“Love is a feeling you have in your heart. We looked it up.”- Sammy, 1st grade

“I think it means to be together and cherish people.”- Sophia, 3rd grade “I like it because of the candy! It’s also... no just candy.”

- Noah, 5th grade

I love my dad because he helps me in bad situations like homework.-Sarah, 2nd grader

Do you like Valentines day?

What does love mean to you?

“I only really like the candy.”-TreyShon, 3rd grade

66% of Waukee students are

single

33.4% of Waukee

students are taken

Who do you love and why?

“[My Parents] always want the best for me and they always support me. Sometimes you’re going to feel scared, but they’re going to be

there to protect you.”- Ellie, 4th grader

“I love my grandma and grandpa because they’re really really old and you should really love your old parents because they can get old

and die. So I really love my old parents.”- Sierra, Kindergartener

“Love means that you share a part of your heart with another person and they share a part back. They also share their food.”

- Jayci Morrison, 11th grade

“I love my mom because she’s good at taking care of me. She helps me through hard times. Even when she’s mad I know she loves me.”

- Ralayna, 5th grader

“When you marry someone and they help you.”- Cameron, Kindergarten

“Love is the way you want to be treated.”- Tayvion, 2nd grade

“Love means that your heart is with someone else. It’s because your heart beats really fast.”

- Armin, 1st grade“Love isn’t real.”

- Sheldon Fox, 10th grader

“My parents...They cheer for me.”- Carter, “5 and 3/4”

“No. Because it’s so gross.” - John, 4th grader

“I love my mom and dad and my grandma and grandpa and every-one in my family.”

- Mya, Kindergartener“They make my favorite food with me and play fifa 14 with me.... I

love my dad because he has a six pack!”- John, 4th grader

Woodland Hills Elementry, South Middle School, and Waukee High School students answer the age-old question: what is love?

Do you think you’re at a good age to start dating? Is it possible to fall in love now?

“No... a lot of people just date to act cool.”- Ingrid Martinez, 7th grade

“At this age you don’t really know yourself.”- Olivia Schmidt, 7th grade

No. I think that that between the age of 11 and 15 that’s when you figure out what you want for your future.

-Michael Mitchell, 6th graderPg. 5

*Based on 132 student surveys distributed by the Arrowhead staff

Raise the Wage Editorial by Ellie Drees

Minimum wage has been a topic of debate for years. Now, however, something is being done to change it. Congress has begun the discus-sion to raise the minimum wage and what effects would occur from that change. Congress is in the process of trying to change the minimum wage to $10.10. As of right now, it stands at $7.25 in Iowa. Some states have a higher minimum wage than others, though. Iowa’s minimum wage is automatically the federal minimum wage, so the federal change would affect the states, too. The minimum wage amount remains very important to a lot of people. Most people assume that high school or college students oc-cupy all the jobs that are included in the minimum wage area; that is not the case. Adults occupy 50% of the minimum wage jobs. Minimum wage does not meet the standard of living, unless workers work several hours of over time, this being almost impossible with most jobs trying to limit labor costs and no extra shifts. Teens make up about 50% of minimum wage workers, which affects the students of Waukee di-rectly. The average price of in-state

tuition is $22,826. The amount of money, approximately, without any weekends or breaks for an eight hour work day would add up to $21,170 a year. So, even if high schoolers were working full-time, minimum wage jobs, they would not be able to pay for college. If it changes to $10.10, however, the burden will lessen. The annual income for the new minimum would be $29,492. That’s just enough to pay for college with a little extra to live off. No minimum wage in proposi-tion is enough for the general cost

of living. According to Iowapol-icyproject.org, the average cost of living is $54,120 a year. That is for a single person with no spouse or kids, which is what most teenagers will be when they get out into the real world. Unfortunatley, the price of living keeps rising, yet the wages remain the same, making people live in poverty and desperation. The only reason people are against the raise, because of the loss of jobs that might happen. Corpora-tions are afraid they might have to fire their employees to make up for the increased price. This could be

easily solved if the higher-income employees took a small pay cut to make up for the small raise. The minimum wage hasn’t raised in years, yet the price of living keeps climbing. In my opinion, the senate just needs to make a decision, and that decision should be to raise it. The price of living will continue climb-ing as it has been doing for years, but most states won’t change the minimum wage. The minimum wage should also be affected by the state. Some states have a huge price of living compared to others, so why should they have the same price all around? The job loss is, in my opinion, the big businesses not wanting to lose profit. The people who own the companies don’t want to lose a few dollars to make the lives of their employees better. If they raised the minimum wage, lost a little money, did not fire anyone, it would be perfect. Congress has to look at it from all angles. If they do, they will real-ize that raising the minimum wage is for the greater good.

Supreme Court Decisions on Gay Marriage Analese Hauber

Recently, it has been decided that the U.S. Supreme Court will tackle the issue of whether or not same-sex couples have the consti-tutional right to marry regardless of the state they live in. The Supreme Court will also weigh the option of having states individually decide on the matter. The nine Supreme Court justices are expected to hear arguments in April and deliver a final ruling by June of 2015. In October, the court refused to hear several gay marriage cases -- but this time is different. The lower federal courts across the country are now divided on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage bans. In early January of this year, Florida became the 36th state in the country, in addition to the District of Columbia, to allow gay marriage. Same-sex marriage is currently banned in 10 states -- Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mis-sissippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Tennessee. It is under review in Arkansas, Loui-siana, Missouri and Texas. On June 26, 2013 -- in its first rulings on gay marriage -- the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a victory

to gay rights advocates by reject-ing parts of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act in a 5-4 decision. The court ruled legally married gay couples are entitled to the same federal benefits as male-female mar-ried couples. However, it stopped just short of a nationwide ruling that would have made gay marriage legal in every state.

The darkest colored states on the map show the states where same-sex marriage is legal. The lightest shade displays which states have a statutory ban on gay marriage. The middle shade shows those states who have a constitutional ban on sam-sex marriage. New Mexico and New Jersey are the only two states where gay marriage is not banned, but also not permitted.

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Political cartoon by Nick Anderson, on dailykos.com

For many, this decision is something that will change their lives forever. People themselves, their siblings, friends, co-workers, kids, neighbors; everyone might have the chance to get married to whom they please, wherever they please.

SPORTS NFL Discipline Editorial by Caleb Andrews

Is it too late for the NFL to start making New Years resolutions for 2016? From rape to deflate gate, Marijuana use to child abuse, and avoiding the media, the NFL has been the definition of inconsistency this season in regards to punishment for players. The league needs to come to terms with reality. Cur-rent NFL discipline policies aren’t working and need to be fixed so the league can regain control over the players, and not be the laughing stock of professional sports. Players make bad decisions, which is fine because everyone is human and makes mistakes, but the repeat offenders need harsher pun-ishments. Someone like Ndamukong Suh, who continually goes out of his way to injure other players, gets light fines and rarely a one game suspension. The suspension he was supposed to serve in the Lions only playoff game was repealed for his response of, “I couldn’t feel my feet; it was cold”. Marshawn Lynch is one of the public’s favorite players, but he is the media’s worst nightmare. He

Sign on the Dotted Line, PleaseAnalese Hauber

On Wednesday, February 4, several athletes waited to finalize a crucial part of their futures: com-mitting to a university. As 7:40 am rolled around, the 20 students took their assigned seats at the long sign-ing table and prepared to sign their letters of intent to their correspond-ing universities. Activities Director Jim Duea started the event by addressing the large group of friends, families, and coaches who came to support the DI, DII, NAIA, and JUCO signees--at this point in time DIII commit-ments are not recognized. He shared how the group of athletes had col-lectively earned 99 varsity letters, 29 all-state recognitions, and a 3.55 cumulative GPA. After all the athletes had signed their letters of intent, Caroline Slaughter commented on her feel-ings, stating, “I think this is a good commitment for me.” She explained how it was a little bit scary mak-ing such a large commitment, but it also brought a lot of excitement. Chatting together after signing their letters, both Noah Egger and Isaiah Thomas were asked to share their feelings on making such big steps toward their futures. Egger mentioned, “I am excited and anx-ious for what the future holds.” Thomas nodded his head in agreement and added his feelings,

“I’m also just relieved because I don’t have to worry about picking [a college] anymore.” Similarly to what Thomas and Egger said, Michael Jacobson stated, “It feels really good to have made it official with the University of Nebraska. They’re a great school and have great programs. I’m really excited to get started in the fall.” Hannah McDevitt, when asked why she chose to attend the Univer-sity of Northern Iowa, explained, “I chose [UNI] because the coaches, the team, and the academics all cre-ate a very positive atmosphere.” Many athletes had specific preferences in mind when search-ing for an institution to further their education and continue on with their sports. Taylor Luther, who will

Pg. 7

constantly dodges the media, giving catchy and short responses to each question he’s asked. On January 29th, Lynch proved to everyone he could make an intel-ligent response to a question and has no reason to be skipping any sort of media related events. Lynch contin-ually out smarts the league with his entertaining press conferences, but if the NFL is tired of looking like a group of idiots, then it should do something simple: rewrite the media guidelines so things like this won’t happen and “embarrass” the league. In the midst of crisis, no one panics better than the NFL. Look-ing back from bounty gate, (which as a loyal Vikings fan I’m still not

over that), to Ray Rice and trying to resolve that situation quickly with a worthless four game suspension, the NFL simply tries to finish investiga-tions before they are completed. Josh Gordon is one recent player to become a multiple time offender. Gordon was recently suspended for the whole 2015-2016 for failing a league mandated test. Gordon claimed he thought his suspension was lifted because the games were over. The NFL tested him once he landed in Vegas, and he admitted to having a few drinks on the plane. Since this confusion oc-cured, it is my opinion that the NFL policies should become more clear on when seasons end. This lack of clarification stripped Gordon of his whole 2015-2016 season. Thus, the NFL has hurt their own image, taking hit after hit on each big issue that comes up, and never being able to make a full recovery from each situation. The only way to fix this public relations problem the NFL consis-tently has is to rewrite or loosen policies. Doing so will allow players

attend Northwest Florida State Uni-versity, explained, “I’m excited to continue with softball in the warmer climate and play all year long.” Another signee, Parker Howe, explained his choice, “I looked around the Midwest and it had the size I wanted and a good program.” The senior will play golf for the

University of South Dakota. Erik Nelson also provided his reasoning for committing to Min-nesota State University, Mankato, “They are a winning program with great coaches and campus.” Many would agree with what Tara Slaughter had to say about the athletes present at the event. This includes her daughter, Caro-line Slaughter. She said, “They’ve worked hard for [their accomplish-ments].” Anyone can clearly see the ex-treme amounts of dedication, persis-tence, and love for their sports that has flown out of these young adults and their mentors. Waukee’s athletic department has received numerous awards and recognitions.

Pictured listening to reporters ask him questions, Lynch is known for his short and clever responses to the media. (Photo by KING 5 News)

Ray Rice and his now wife, Janay Rice, walk towards an Atlantic City courthouse to await Rice’s verdict. Rice is currently not associated with any NFL team. Teams that show any interest in him, however, will face the backlash of the public based on his recent domestic abuse charges.

to have more freedom and clar-ity what they can and cannot do. Stricter punishments that come along with the loose guidelines would also be effective. The NFL can then show repeat offenders they mean business.

Pictured above, 20 signees wait to sign their letters of intent to thier respective colleges. Sports such as soccer, football, track, and basketball were repre-sented.

Shown in the picture above, a group of Waukee athletes pose together, beaming, after sigining their letters of commitment.

Only 2% of the victims of human trafficking are ever saved. Additionally, many people are unaware that human trafficking is a major issue in Iowa. It is hard to believe. Seniors Hannah McDevitt, Savannah Oswald, and Kendall Hays decided that human traf-ficking is not something that they can allow to continue. They decided it was of high importance to take action. All three girls attended a commu-nity forum put on by the Ankeny TAHT (Teens Against Human Trafficking) team. They kept in touch with the leader of the program and worked on various things regarding the program over summer break. They wanted to share what they learned and get Waukee high school students involved. In the fall, they in-volved Mr. Dreier with what they had learned and started up their

very own club on January 9th, 2015. Senior Hannah McDevitt explained, “Once we heard the victims tell their stories and all the facts and statistics about hu-man trafficking happening right here in Des Moines, we had to do something about it.” The teens realized that by making Waukee students a part of this movement,

there was a greater chance of awareness and a greater chance of spreading the word to end human trafficking in the Des Moines area. Senior Savannah Oswald ex-pressed, “The motivation behind starting this club was knowing that these kids are just like us, being treated as objects and not people. What other motivation

do you need?” Oswald then went on to explain the structure of the club’s meetings, “Han-nah, Kendall, and I lead it and go through a PowerPoint we created. We talk about a variety of topics within the human-trafficking umbrella. We then open it up for discussion and questions.” Meetings are held every other Friday at 7:30 in Mr. Dreier’s room. By showing up to a meeting, participants take the first step in making a differ-ence. Come to a meeting, see what it’s all about, and find out how you can help the cause. Join these girls, along with many other interested students, and find out what can be done to help save these victims and stop human trafficking once and for all.

Andrea PoppingaBringing a Change to Waukee

I Pledge Allegiance...Mady Adams

“I pledge allegiance, to the flag of the United States of America” Most of you are able to recite the rest of this without thinking about it, and you have been able to do so since the age of five. Saying the Pledge of Al-legiance was a part of students’ daily schedule at Waukee and many other elementary schools since the first day of kindergar-ten. Current Waukee student Rachael Adkins, also a former Valley student, assured, “ I said [the Pledge] in elementary school and middle school when I lived in Ohio.” However, it was not said during her time at Valley High School. When students were asked if we should say the Pledge of Alle-giance at school, many could not understand why it was not said in the first place. “There really isn’t a reason we don’t. Rather, it is more about how we haven’t and it really hasn’t come up until now,” stated Waukee High School principal Kirk Johnson. Over time, students seem to have lost the value in saying the Pledge of Allegiance. It was once considered part of an elementary students’ daily routine. “Say-ing the pledge is one thing, but saying it and adhering to its principles is meaningful,” shared Johnson. Remembering how

fortunate american citizens are is something students and even adults do not think about. The Pledge of Allegiance is our nation’s expression of loyalty to our country. In past years, and even today, saying the Pledge has become an offensive task for some non-religous citizens. In the Pledge of Allegiance, the line “under God” causes conflict for those who do not necessarily believe in God, other dieties, or anything at all. Waukee junior Morgan Park-er understood,“I think they need to edit the pledge again.” Parker also offered, “[The Pledge] has been edited four times since it was written in the 1890’s.” She

also noted, “ The whole ‘under God’ thing makes me a little uncomfortable.” Parker also explained, “The original purpose of The Pledge of Allegiance was to instill a sense of patriotism in America’s Youth, which I’m all for.” She contin-ued, “At this age I think we need to stop blindly pledging our-selves and start becoming edu-cated on our country, the good, the bad and the ugly.” Parker then emphasized the importance of the mandatory

American History and Govern-ment class at the high school. “This country isn’t perfect and we deserve to know what we’re blindly pledging ourselves too.”

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“All people (includ-ing students) should value the opportuni-

ties and freedoms afforded to us in

the United States of America.”

~ Principal Kirk Johnson Junior Elli Lenz encour-aged, “Students should value the Pledge because it’s an important part of history, and it serves as a reminder of where we live and how lucky we are to have the things and opportunities that we do.” Junior Blake Aldridge agreed, “I believe that students should value the Pledge because it really represents our country and re-minds us we are able to be free.” Although the United States of America has made its fair share of mistakes, we the people are lucky to live the way we do. Do you think The Pledge of Allegiance should be worked into the daily schedule at the high school? Take the poll at www.waukeearrowhead.com

Waukee students stand with their hands on their hearts as they recite the Pledge of Allegiance. (staged photo by Vivian Le)