The girls are back

MORE INSIDE SURVEYOR

Carter Oswood/ Surveyor

Above: Seniors Kaitlin Armstrong, Micha Mims, and Katelin Oney jump for an airborne basketball as they practice for their highly anticipated season. Story on page 11.

Been sick this school year? You’re not alone, pages 6-7

Student Debuts on You Tube

Molly James gets the details on creative Internet videos from Wash students.page 10

Nervous about Finals?

News offer tips with the visual help of Sarah Van Deest and Sam Summer on how to suffer through finals successfully before fall break.page 3

2205 Forest Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403

Volume 51, Number 3

November 14, 2007

NEWSPage 2 November 14, 2007

Kestrel HenryStaff Writer

His face was turning purple.“I couldn’t get a breath,” said

Sean Sanford, ‘10. “I was really scared.”

Sanford had been reading in Tim Çallahan’s ninth-grade LA class on Oct. 25 when he broke the sucker he’d been eating and started choking on the stick. He was coughing badly and his eyes were watering.

“I could tell that he was in trouble,” said Callahan.

Seeing something was wrong, he took Sanford out into the completely deserted hallway. The coughing turned to wheezing and Sanford stopped breathing altogether, the stick lodged in his throat. Callahan grasped him around the waist and gave him the Heimlich maneuver.

“I’ve never done it on anybody,” Callahan said. “I didn’t have time to think - it was total instinct.”

It wasn’t until afterwards that he realized the enormity of what he’d done. “It happened so fast that I wasn’t afraid,” he said. “After is when it kind of hit me.”

The sixth hour LA students were just as impressed. “They said, ‘Mr. C, you saved his life!’” said Callahan.

Trent Buchanan, ‘10, was in the

room at the time of the incident. He noticed Sanford coughing, but didn’t think much of it at the time. He couldn’t tell what was happening in the hallway, but he learned what had occurred from Callahan. “He said his heart was beating as fast as it could.”

Sanford said of his friends, “They were just like, ‘are you okay, I’m glad you’re not dead.’” After the incident he thanked Callahan and shook his

hand.Callahan said he’d seen a story about

an elementary school teacher doing the same thing that week, but that he never thought he’d have to use the Heimlich on anyone. “You never know when you’re going to need to do something like that,” he said. “You just react more than anything and hope you do the right thing.”

BrieflyAida takes the stage

Staph infection finds a home in CR

Megan Barnes/ Surveyor

Language arts teacher Tim Callahan stands next to Sean Sanford, ‘10, after per-forming the Heimlich maneuver to save his life on Oct. 25.

Callahan uses the Heimlich to save student

Iowa Caucus attracts nation’s master debaters

Global warming: How green are you?Lauren SinesGuest Writer

After losing a close presidential race in 2000, Al Gore began campaigning for something new, our Earth.

His years of work have finally won him some recognition. Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in rais-ing awareness about global warming, a phenomenon many people still don’t believe is happening. Gore received the medal on Oct. 3. Gore travels all over the world giving presentations about climate change and the effect it is hav-ing on the Earth.

Dennis Schlict, Environmental Sciences teacher at Washington High School, explained that people who don’t believe that global warming is happen-ing either don’t want to believe it or are uninformed. “It isn’t an evil thought

they just want to live their own little lives,” said Schlict. The problem of people being uninformed can be easily fixed by ob-serving your su r rou nd-i n g s , a nd w a t c h i n g do c u me n-taries, such a s G o r e ’s movie , An I n c o n v e -nient Truth, Schlict said.

S c h l i c t said that the movie does a pretty good job of getting people to “think big.” He explained that a couple of warm days in your life aren’t necessarily a result

of global warming, but trees budding in the wrong season and bugs coming out at the wrong time are. “It’s hard to

grasp it all from our own little lives,” said Schlict.

Schlict advises thinking about your own carbon footprint. Your carbon footprint is the amount of carbon you release into the envi-ronment each year. The less you release the more green your life is. “Do I really need a 5,000-pound car for a 2,000-pound man and a brief case?” asked Schlict.

Gore’s campaigning may have shot his political career in the foot, according to Schlict, but his efforts could potentially help save our planet. More and more

people are being informed about their harmful lifestyles.

Photo compliments of Sharon Kann

Washington student Tracey Cook, ‘10, works at the Iowa Caucus.

Max ErnstGuest Writer

Washington’s early dismissal on Friday, Oct. 25 meant one more hour of fun and relaxation for most students. For members of the WHS Debate Team, though, the early dismissal meant something entirely different.

This day, the team hosted the Iowa Caucus Debate Tournament, an event held annually at Washington. High school policy debate teams came from across the country to participate in a competitive series of debate rounds. Almost 270 kids from 42 schools entered the tournament, filling most of the classrooms at both Washington High School and Franklin Middle School. Nearly one dozen states were repre-sented, constituting the largest event Washington hosts.

“Our tournament helps to encapsulate what is really good about debate — the national focus of the activity, the hard work put in by the debaters, and the collaborative effort of students and parents to make it a successful event,” said Warren Sprouse, head debate coach.

For Washington debaters, the fact that their program was hosting a large tournament meant a long weekend ahead of them. Chase Lehrman, ‘10, a WHS varsity debater, said Iowa Caucus is a big tournament and is important in the context of team advancement.

“A lot of people come. If you do well here, you might get a chance to go to the TOC — that’s a really competitive tournament for successful debaters,” Lehrman said.

As hosts, WHS debaters were not permitted to partici-pate in the tournament, but had to dedicate a great deal of their Friday afternoon and Saturday to assisting with the tournament. Their tasks included setting up during meal-times, collecting judge’s ballots, and ensuring tournament guidelines were followed.

The students who entered the tournament were excited and nervous to compete. Anna Koelsch, ‘10, a Henry Sibley High School debater from Minnesota, was anxiously en-gaged in last-minute preparations just before the tournament in the Washington cafeteria.

“I’m really nervous about the tournament. We’re running [a new affirmative position] in all of our rounds, and I hope I can get my message across successfully,” said Koelsch.

For many Washington students, the early dismissal was simply a chance to get out of school early and enjoy the fall weather. To the WHS debate community, it signaled a long weekend of work ahead. For the national debate community, the Iowa Caucus Debate Tournament was a chance to be a part of a highly competitive event hosted by the prominent WHS debate program.

For the first time in over 20 years, the Staph infec-tion has made a stake in Cedar Rapids.

Four students at Jefferson High School have been diagnosed with the disease that is currently sweeping the nation. Although the source of each student’s infec-tion is yet to be confirmed, it is speculated that all four students were exposed to the disease while at school.

So far the students have not shown any symptoms of carrying the life threatening strand.

Freshman Bachelor of the Month: Ian Fischer

Megan Barnes/ Surveyor

Senior Surveyor staff women pose with November’s most eligible freshman, Ian Fischer, ‘10.

Fourteen-year-old Ian Fischer has received the first Freshman Bachelor of the Month honor from the Surveyor. He is a three sport athlete who loves going to parties and the color blue. Fischer’s ideal date includes sailing at sunset on the Mediterranean Sea next to Diddy’s yacht while be-ing seranated by Frank Sinatra. This handsome blondie is surprisingly single and just waiting for that special some-

Megan Barnes/ Surveyor

The fall musical, Aida, closed its doors last Saturday night after a successful three-night run.

“Do I really need a 5,000-pound car for a 200-pound man and a briefcase?”

Dennis Schlict

NEWS Page 3November 14, 2007

Abby VarnStaff writer

On Oct. 29, the majority of the fresh-man and sophomore classes gathered with upperclassmen leaders at Camp Wapsie for the annual leadership retreat.

Every year, un-dercla ssmen travel to Camp Wapsie for the overnight retreat, where they are split into g roups , pl ay games and learn about leadership and how to make a difference within the school.

“At the retreat, we played several lead-ership games, name ga mes , and other games to make the campers feel com-fortable and welcome, “ explained Sally Timmons, ‘08. Timmons was a leader this year.

“We talked about the pros and cons of Washington, and ways to (eliminate) gossip, cheating, and discrimination. At the end, the different teams had to share their thoughts,” said Timmons.

While the groups discussed the serious issues at Washington, they also made plenty

of time for fun.“This year we did activities like tug-o-war,

and balloon tag. Both of these activities were pretty fun,” said Mariah Althoff, ‘10.

With the balance of fun and learning, the retreat seemed to satisfy the campers.

“I enjoyed it a lot because I had a lot of my friends with me and we had counselors, not teachers, watching us,” said Abby Shey, ‘11.

“I think the underclassmen enjoyed themselves. They were all very good at sharing ideas and being a part of the group. All had a good time that I know of,” said Timmons.

Some were even influenced to become future retreat lead-ers.

“I would like to be a leader next year because I enjoy tak-ing part in these types of lead-

ership retreats,” said Althoff.While success seemed to be a common

opinion for this retreat, there were some sug-gestions for improvement.

“I think they should change that you have to sit with your group for meals, because that should be a time where you can talk to anyone you want to. Plus no one really does it anyway,” said Althoff.

Tyler HublerStaff Writer

Crunching numbers and solving chal-lenging story problems are all part of the fun for the Washington High School Math Team. The math team is coached by Matthew Miller, Math teacher, and led by veterans Jason McDowell, ‘08, and Wes Keene, ‘09.

“Over the course of the year we will have 15 kids participate (on the Math Team),” said Miller. The varying number of participants on the math team is due to members having other school activities conflict with competi-

tions and Friday practices.After only two competitions this fall, the

math team has already achieved great success. At the Waverly Shell Rock High School’s Invitational on Nov. 6 (the team’s second competition), McDowell, ‘08, and Keene, ‘09, each individually qualified for the state tournament, along with Luke Reynolds, ‘09, who qualified due to the overall team score. These Warrior mathletes face tough com-petition all year, especially from perennial power-Iowa City West High School.

“My goal is to win, and have two kids fin-ish in the top 10 at state,” said Miller.

Trick or treat cans ?Madeline SteinerStaff Writer

On Oct. 31, Adastra had its annual can food drive. About 30 seniors involved in the National Honor Society met in the North parking lot dressed in their Halloween cos-tumes ready to ask for canned goods.

“A s o u r first Adastra service proj-e c t , i t wa s ha rd to or-chestrate, but it turned out pretty well,” s a id Abbey Gesing ‘08, a n Ada s t r a officer.

Members of t he Na-tional Honor Society met and divided into groups of four or five and headed out to about seven different neighborhoods on the southeast and northeast side of town. Each group went door to door, and instead of trick-or-treating for candy, asked for canned goods.

“People were really weirded out when they saw 18-year-olds trick-or-treating, but after we explained it, they were willing to help,” said Gesing.

Adastra donated about 10 boxes of canned goods to the Madge Phillips Center, a char-ity dedicated to helping homeless and near-homeless women and children. The center offers basic needs, information, support, and skill development so women can gain family stability.

While the drive raised a signif icant amount of food for the center before Thanks-giving, the group felt they could have gotten more donations if they had had more time.

To help accommodate the band members and the fans who wanted to go to the playoff game at Kingston Stadium that night, Adastra

had to start t he ser v ic e project at an earlier time. This year they started at five o’clock and only asked for donations for an hour.

“Although we’re happy the boys made it to the play-offs, we were sad that our service proj-ect was com-prom i s e d ,” said Gesing.

While the project had a few setbacks, the group was still able to dress up and make a contribution to the center.

Everybody who participated came dressed up and there were a variety of different cos-tumes. The most memorable costumes were Katie Jones, as a red crayon; Laura Hart, as a ninja turtle; and Stella Hart as Bill Cosby.

Adastra has more service projects coming up, including a blood drive in January. As of now, Gesing and fellow officers Laura Hart, Sarah Van Deest and Trevor Johnson, all ‘08, are working on some holiday related projects for the near future.

Short of giving you the answers to all of your exams, here are some helpful hints to get you through the next two days of tests.

Sleep Sleep, sleep, sleep. It can not be empha-

sized enough according to Larry Simons, one of the counselors at Washington High School. It is important to have “the ability to think clearly,” says Simons. He suggests that it is better for students to sleep more rather than cramming until the last minute.

Food “Brain food” is a must. Eating a

healthy breakfast just might make all the difference. A study by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Applied Research and Educational Achievement showed that students who ate a healthy breakfast in the morning improved their test scores significantly.

StretchStretching and exercising is a good way

to relieve stress. A quick bike ride around the block, a treadmill run, or just a few minutes of stretching will make you feel much better and ready to begin studying again.

HydrateDrinking lots of water is key to boost-

ing your capacity to learn by warding off the effects of dehydration such as thirst, tiredness, and irritability. When were are thirty mental performance decreases by 10 percent.

Smart Studying Another key to finals week is studying

what is needed. “Study appropriately,” says Simons. Make sure you ask each of your teachers to clarify exactly what materials to study for their exam.

Rachel Owens

Finals for Dummies: a guide to acing your final exams

It’s Miller time: Math team starts strong

Eleanor Vernon/ Surveyor

Surveyor models, Sarah Van Deest and Sam Summer, both ‘08, act out four of our study tips: studying, sleeping, stretching, and drinking lots of water.

Laura Hart/ Surveyor

Adastra members gather for a photo on before going door to door asking for cans for the Madge Phillips Center.

WHS Leaders face tough issues

“We talked about the pros and cons of Washington, and ways to (eliminate) gossip, cheating, and discrimination...”

Sally Timmons, ‘08

OPINIONS Page 4November 14, 2007

Surveyor is established as a school-sponsored open forum dedicated to inform-ing and entertaining readers. It is published nine times each school year by students in the Journalism News class at Washington High School. The staff will report as fairly and well-balanced as possible. All activities and news will be covered to the best of the staff’s ability. Surveyor accepts the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics as the basis for good journalistic ethics.

Editorials and reviews that appear under a byline are the opinion of the writer, not necessarily the staff. Unsigned editori-als represent the majority of the Editorial Board. The Opinions section is designed to provide a forum for the opinions of the Surveyor staff and the Washington High School Community.

Letters and guest editorialsReaders are encouraged to express

their viewpoints through guest editorials. Surveyor also welcomes letters to the edi-tor, with these guidelines:

■ It is not libelous or obscene.■ It explains the material clearly.■ It is not longer than 300 words.■ It is signed.

Surveyor Editorial Policy

John RundeEditor-in-chief

Eleanor Vernon

News editor

Fatima WagdyOpinions

editor

Laura Hart

Profiles editor

Maddy HalyardCo-focus

editor

Lauren GlantzCo-focus

editor

Alex Taylor

A&E editor

Megan Barnes

Photo editor

Greg HansenGraphics

editor

WRITERSCaitie AllenMaddy BeckerAnne BrennemanMatt CeryanecAlexis Guess

Megan HartmanKestrel HenryTyler HublerMolly JamesAllie JohnsonLauren Kelley

Emily KopecAunna McDowellRachel OwensMolly ParkerSam SeyferAbby Varn

Keile WahleDan WilliamsMallory WilliamsTiffany WestromADVISERSteve Riley

SPORTS EDITORJohn RundeCOPY EDITORAunnaMcDowellPHOTO STAFFCarter OswoodSky SmithLauren HothJessica Wohlers

& ThornsRoses

Roses to...-Thanksgiving break and end of first trimester-Successful Leadership Retreat-Excellent performance by diverse cast of Aida -Fall and leaves changing colors-Football team for beating Kennedy again and making it to the playoffs!-All those who made it to All-State-Cross country boys and girls and their 6th and 8th in state-Coach Coates getting Coach of the year in cross country -Girls swimming 7th in state -A successful Iowa Caucus Debate Tournament-Faith Club for breaking down the stereotypes-Mr. Rieck is back, “Science baby, science!”-Math team qualifying for state-Mr. Harte’s marathon run in Minneapolis!-Fight song playing during passing time-One more hour of sleep, yay daylight savings!

Stay cool, chil-laxStaff Editorial

Sleep. Have we all forgotten how important it is? A typical student at Wash has two to three hours of homework each night, along with a billion extracurricular activities going on, not to mention jobs and errands to run. Okay, so maybe not a billion extra activities, but enough to deprive us of our sleep and minds.

Teenagers need approximately 8-10 hours of sleep each night. If we finish school at 3 p.m. and have a sports or performing arts practice for another two hours, we don’t get home until 5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. Then, add in the nights where all of our teachers assign homework. Does this sound familiar?

Unfortunately, we can’t ask our teachers to stop assigning home-work or to stop getting involved in our school. This is apart of being a high school student. However, one thing we could all work on is remembering to relax.

How many people actually take time to stop, and evaluate what they are about to do next? We have so many thoughts running through

our heads constantly, it is hard to fo-cus on what we need to accomplish next. Here is a tirck. Stop. Breathe.

Recognize your homework situa-tion, but take it piece by piece.

We are all overwhelmed with finals tomorrow. We have been studying non-stop. But remember that you need to take some time off for yourself. Relax tonight, don’t cram in the math equations or chemistry formulas. To be honest, cramming doesn’t help. What will help you achieve that A is relaxing tonight. Put in your favorite movie, or read a good book. Go to the gym and work out or grab a bite to eat with your friends. You have worked so hard, give yourself a break.

Ethanol, not way to go

Dan Williams

Ethanol. We all know it. We’ve all seen it at local gas stations. We’ve all heard politicians raving about the wonders of ethanol made from corn, and how corn is the “fuel of the future”. Is this really true? Well, in a word, no. Ethanol made from corn could not even come close to replacing gasoline. If we turned our entire corn crop into ethanol, it would replace just 12 percent of our gasoline, all the while squeezing supplies of corn and corn products.

Ethanol isn’t even that envi-ronmentally sound, as it takes almost as much fossil fuel to make ethanol than it replaces, not to mention the large amounts of herbicides and nitrogen fertilizer that corn needs to grow. So really, is ethanol the way to go? No, there are many alternatives that are more beneficial, though they all have their drawbacks…..

Biofuels Compared

Corn: CO2 Emissions: 22% less than gaso-line, Energy balance (Fossil-fuel energy used to make the fuel “input” compared with the energy in the fuel “output”): 1:1.3

U.S. Retail Price: Gasoline- $3.03Ethanol (E85)- $2.62 Pros: Limited dependence on foreign oil. Cons: Limited energy balance.

Sugarcane: CO2 Emissions: 56% less than gasoline Energy balance: 1:8

Brazil Retail Price: Gasoline- $4.9 Ethanol- $2.92

Pros: Good energy balance; research is being conducted to increase the efficiency to 1:12.

Cons: Monocultures of only sugarcane spread-ing throughout the landscapes displacing more

biologically diverse areas; also could lead to defor-estation of rainforests.

Biodiesel: CO2 Emissions: 68% less than gasoline, Energy balance: 1:2.5

Germany Retail Price: Diesel- $6.15 Biodiesel- $6.80

Pros: Easier and more energy efficient to make. Cons: Very low yield (8-9 gallons per acre).

Cellulose: CO2 Emissions: 91% less than gasoline, Energy balance: 1:2-36 (depending on production method)

Retail Price: Still in development; no current production.

Pros: The goal to what everybody is driving towards. Takes “food” out of the equation; you can make ethanol from anything from garbage to saw-dust to fast growing trees to crop wastes to prairie grasses.

Cons: Expensive, burn more ethanol than you would if you were burning simply gasoline.

Goals: Lower the cost. If it works, we would be able to produce most of our own transportation fuel, while having less CO2 going into the atmo-sphere.

Algae: Not enough research, but enormous potential.

Pros: Can grow it in almost any kind of water; can produce a lot of biodiesel (5000 gallons an acre each year)

Cons: Finding the right species of algae, and finding methods to harvest the algae in ways that are economic.

Source: www.nationalgeographic.com

Greg Hansen/Surveyor

Recently wildfires in California wildfires forced the evacuation of over 500,000 people.

Thorns to...-FINALS!!-Anyone who’s not a Warrior -People setting fires in bathrooms-Torture at Guantanamo Bay-Unrest in Pakistan-Faked FEMA press conference-California wildfires-Cross country and swimming team not getting a special assembly after they made it to State-Not having money to fill up your tank-Speeding tickets, racism-When bathrooms run out of paper towels-Cold weather and getting sick-Poor school spirit-Drugs, dropouts, skippers-Christmas commercials in October-Ladybug infection in cabin at Wapsie for leadership retreat-Too many late night events leaving no time for homework or sleep-One less hour of daylight, makes life kind of gloomy

“Remember, take some time off for yourself. Relax tonight.”

-Surveyor Staff

OPINIONSPage 5 November 14, 2007

When I picture my life now, I would have to say that things are going pretty OK. Although my AP Chem grade could stand to go up a grade level or two and the gas tank in my car is about as empty as my pockets, things are going alright.

But I can’t help but pic-ture what my life would be like if circumstances were different. For instance, I can’t even ponder how dif-ferent my life would be if I was one of the 34 percent of girls, in 2005, who became pregnant before age 20.

Instead of staying up late to finish my AP US homework, I would be up to feed a screaming baby. And instead of driving back and forth to swim practice every day, the miles in my car would be spent driving to and from the daycare. I can’t help but pray that I never have to face that situation in high school. But, I know that there are people who have to make that decision, to keep a baby or not, way before they’re ready to. That’s why I’m sure many of them, along with myself, agree that this decision should be pro-choice.

However, many pro-life individuals sup-port their cases by saying abortion means

the death of an innocent child who never had the chance to defend itself. Aaron Aulwes and Joel Lydon, are two such sup-porters. They say, “We are helping to bring awareness to the thousands of unborn ba-bies who aren’t ever given the opportunity to speak their mind or live their life.”

As wrong as killing is, maybe this is a better solution than subjecting the child to a life of welfare and poverty; because most teens lack the experience and/or money to parent correctly. A child takes a lot of time and energy to parent; they require constant care and attention that is almost impos-sible to provide at such a young age. Barely scraping by, or not at all, (although it may be the result of some very hard work) is not something that anyone should choose, if they had the choice, to put themselves, or their child through. Children deserve fam-ilies who want them and have the means

and knowledge to care for them. Also, right now, all across the world, or-

phanages are filling up at an alarming rate. Many lack compassionate caretakers and thousands of children end up abused or with emotional scars every year. By choos-ing life, the child is alive; but what kind of

life are they leading? Is this doing them any favors?

Before hating me for my supposed lack of compassion toward the unborn wavy black lines, just take a second to really think: What would you do if you had to make that choice?

White Privilege. Half of Americans will say there is no such thing, and the other half will say it is extremely prevalent. Per-sonally, I don’t think either one is totally right. But the fact that there is such a dis-parity in opinion here goes to show that indeed neither is fully correct and there is something going on.

About two weeks ago, Nancy Wright, a professor of education at the Uni-versity of Iowa, came to speak to Wash about the issue of White Privilege, a term first coined by Peggy McIntosh, a pioneer in ra-cial equality. One of her main concerns was that “there are systems in place to make dis-crimination possible.” McIntosh once said, “WP is an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in every-day.” Sometimes, being of the same race of most the people around you makes every-thing a little bit easier. That opportunity, no matter how small, harbors resentment and inequality.

Wright did not focus on the “disadvan-tages of people of color.” She focused on the advantages of white people not held by others. Her goal was not to take them away,

but to give those advantages to all. I also agree with her on this point — that every-one deserves the same advantages. These may be

The fact is, if one is not in another person’s shoes, they cannot possibly make a judgment on their behalf, or the situation as a whole. We have to come together and accept that everyone has a bias, and face the problems head on.

That being said, let’s address some of the issues to do with the many inequalities out there today. More specifically, I’ll focus on racial inequality, mostly because racial inequality is something we can change individually. If everyone attempted to re-form the way they think, we could erase at least racial inequality-erasing stereotypes, assumptions, and trying to change those in-nate attitudes within us.

The change can begin here at school. I commend those teachers and students who attended the presentation and are at-tempting to fight racial inequality. Let’s look at who was at the lecture given by Wright. The majority of the students who attended were of a minority, and half the school didn’t even know such an event oc-curred. I looked around and saw a few pale faces, clearly not representing the school as a whole. There is no question the event was

Pro-choice=pro-family

Allie Johnson

Jessica Wohlers/Surveyor

Warriors speak out on abortionI’m a very religious person, so I’m going to say abortion is wrong. That being said, there are times when it’s the best choice-if a 10 year old gets raped and pregnant, I’m not going to deny here an abortion.

I think that abortion is no better than having your baby and throwing them in a dumpster. The baby has every right to live. Mothers do have choices, they can choose whether or not they would like to get pregnant. Or of course, there are cases of rape, incest, etc. But these things make up less than 1% of abortions in America.

This is not a majority decision, it is the right of the mother. Legislation making that decision would be unjust. If millions of people are starving, the resources we would potentially have if all the accidental or unwanted fetuses were aborted could save many lives. Our world is reaching its capacity.I’m not pro-life because

I believe the woman has a right to choose, but being pro-choice is not the same as pro-abortion. I hate ignorant people.

‘Jingle bells ...,’ in October?

Inequality still at the forefront

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. With the kids jingle belling, and everyone telling you, “Be of good cheer it’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

We are all famil-iar with the sight of “city sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday cheer” and the sounds of “sleigh bells ring, are you listening.” These cheery songs bring back all of the good feelings associated with Christmas, the family, the good food, the tree, the wrapped presents, etc. The entire environment is usually happy, almost to the point of giddy, especially when there are little kids around.

Whether Christmas in your view is focused on the religious aspects, or if its just your opportunity to get gifts, most people who celebrate it thoroughly enjoy it. This is why Christmas is the longest lasting holiday out of the entire year. People enjoy it so much that prepara-tion begins the second the clock strikes midnight on Halloween. Red and green billboards, Christmas lights, and espe-cially holiday catalogs are already being sighted. It is exciting when the Christ-mas environment arrives, but anytime before Thanksgiving is just plain irritat-ing. Who could possibly want to skip aviation history and peanut butter lovers’ month which includes Veterans day and the holiday where you get to enjoy eating ten times as much as you are supposed to and then fall asleep on the couch after the football game?

The extended preparation tends to take a little bit away from the impor-

tance and uniqueness of that one day. The tradition of giving gifts to your loved ones turns into a sometimes stress-ful situation that the media continues to play up and not a meaningful gesture. And with all the stress we deal with dai-ly, who would want to add to the com-motion two months before we need to?

With Iowa’s unpredictable weather, we never know when the first snow of the season is going to come. So why would we want to hear “Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh, over the fields we go, laughing all the way,” when we have no snow to go dashing through? Mainly because it doesn’t usually snow in the middle of November. Radio stations actually compete to see who can put out the best Christmas music first, and everyone tends to be hit upside the face with all the holiday cheer the morning after Thanksgiving.

It is unnecessary to start thinking about how “Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose,” or how we need to “Deck the halls with boughs of holly,” before we even give thanks for the things we do have before we start asking for more. However cheesy it may be, it is true. For all of you warm weath-er people, we still have one more month of fall to enjoy before we shove on our boots and shake out the winter coat, so lets savor it.

Yes, it is true that “It’s the most won-derful time of the year,” and that “Our troubles will be out of sight” and even that “all is merry and bright,” but lets not get too wrapped (no pun intended) up in the Christmas spirit just yet.

Fatima Wagdy

TiffanyWestrom

Aaron Aulwes and Joel Lydon, ‘09, protest abortion on the national Day of Silence.

important. The Gazette was even there to take pictures and write a story about this presentation. But it seems the very people that needed to hear the message were not there at all. It is understandable that many were not there because it was during school, but then again, we get out of school for so many other random things that such an important issue seems like it should take more precedence.

However, I will not go to the extreme end of complete rage against the world in saying life is not fair. In America, I think everyone really does have access to mostly the same opportunities as everyone else, however, they are easier to come by for some than others. For example, coming from another country to America, im-

migrants are often expected to know and learn everything about America. Minori-ties and immigrants in school need to be treated with equity, and not necessarily equality in this case. This would ensure they have comparable access to opportuni-ties.

Obviously the issue of racial inequal-ity is way beyond Wash, and affects the rest of America, and probably the rest of the world. But just because the rest of the world is this way does not mean we have to settle. Change always starts small. We’ve improved a lot as a country, but we’re not done yet. And by not acknowledging that there is still a problem at all, we cannot begin to change.

Mackenzie Hartman ‘10

Joey Mescher ‘10

“Children deserve families who want them and have the means and knowledge to care for them.”

Evan Anderson ‘10

Seth Kuba ‘09

Adam Rosenberg

‘09

It should be allowed to those who want it. If you don’t like, don’t do it. Don’t force it on everyone else.

FOCUSPage 6 FOCUS Page 7

Helping hand in health

Q & A with school nurse

Q: Have you ever caught any illnesses from the students you treat? A: Only once- at the very beginning of my career, I caught the flu. I generally wash my hands often. It usually prevents me from catching anything.

Q: What is the hardest part of your job? A: Getting to know the students. I also work at two elementary schools and one middle school, so I am not here every day. It makes it hard to get to know students here at Wash.

Q: What is (in your opinion) the best way to prevent illness? A: The best ways would be good hand washing and getting flu shots.

Q: Have you ever had any students fake illnesses? A: I wouldn’t say they fake it. Many times it has to do with stress. Sometimes stress creates other symptoms, and students just need some time to rest.

As flu season grows near, Surveyor’s Lauren Kelley interviewed school nurse, Monica Piersall, to get her comments and advice concerning health around Washington.

Common illnesses around Washington

Greg Hansen/Surveyor

The Surveyor surveyed the Washington student body in order to get an idea of how many students have been sick this year. A total of 180 students returned the sur-

veys. Above and below are the results.

26% of students say

they have had the flu.

47% of students have had a mild to severe cold.

10% of students have had an unknown

illness.

2% of students have had bronchitis.

4% of students have had migraines.

2% of students have

had mono

3% of students have had walking pneumonia

6% of students have

had strep throat

Coughing

Sneezing

Wheezing

Headache

Nausea

Fever

Sniffles

Fatigue

Sore throat

Missed school

Earache

Doctor

Q: What would you say is the most common illness at Wash? A: It comes and goes. We usually see lots of colds and flu-like symptoms during certain parts of the year.

Q: Is the flu bad this year? A: No, not yet, but I would encourage getting the flu vaccine.

Q: What is your busiest time of year? A: The winter months during flu season is busy. December andJanuary are the worst. It’s especially busy after students are back from winter break.

Q: Have you been involved with any mono cases?A: Most students with mono are diagnosed by their doctors. Some of them come in just to rest or lie down during the day.

Q: How often do students stop in the health clinic per day? A: We get twenty to thirty students per day. During the flu seasonwe have seen up to ten at the same time!

Quiz: Does an apple a day keep the doctor

away?1. In a study conducted by the American Society for Microbiology in 2000, it was found that approximately _____% of nurses and physicians did NOT wash their hands after using public restrooms:A. 30%B. 80%C. 60%D. 50%(Statistics from www.archives.cnn.com)

2. In the 19th century (1800s), which was NOT a common remedy?A. Sleeping on stones to cure baldnessB. Touching the hand of a hanged man to cure tumorsC. Driving a nail into a tooth and then transferring the nail into a tree to cure toothacheD. Sleeping on the liver of a pig to prevent hearing loss(Statistics from www.historic-uk.com)

3. Going outside with wet hair will give you a cold:A. TrueB. False

1. C 2. D 3. B- this can cause you to become sick more easily, but will not actually be the primary reason for sickness 4. A

4. You can die from drinking too much water:A. TrueB. False

Junior Mike Pace has quite a history of bad health. “In sixth grade, I had Guillain-

Barre,” said Mike. My body attacked my nervous system and I couldn’t walk for four

weeks.” Unfortunately, Mike’s health has continued to cause him discomfort this year. Recently,

he was sick for about six days and missed four days of school.

“I don’t know exactly what it was, but I had lots of pains.” He referred to his unknown

disease as “a plague of some sort.”

PROFILES Page 8November 14, 2007

Anne BrennemanStaff Writer

Although he’s only been in Iowa for a few months, Tillman Kraft ‘10 has really enjoyed his stay so far.

Kraft arrived in Iowa on Aug. 14, com-ing from his home in Northern Germany. The government chose Iowa for Tillman, but he has no complaints. “So far, it’s good,” said Kraft. “I like how it is a rural area; littler than Germany.”

While in Iowa he is staying with the Hayes’ family who have no children of their own. “They’re very nice,” said Kraft.

So far, Kraft’s favorite thing in Iowa has

been the high school experience. “It’s good. Everyone here is nice. It’s different from high school in Germany, but I like it,” said Kraft.

Washington students and staff have taken note of Kraft as well. “Tillman is a quiet kid and a great, hard working student. The other students in class are enjoying getting to know him,” said Tracy Stranathan, Kraft’s Algebra II teacher.

While at Washington, Kraft is taking Algebra II, French III, U.S. History, L.A., Biology, and American Government. “My favorite is French,” said Kraft.

Even though he is from a different coun-try, he has many of the same hobbies as kids in Iowa. Kraft said, “I love listening to music, hanging out with friends, and meeting new friends.”

Kraft plans to go back to Germany some-time next July.

Kraft has brought Germany to Wash

By Madeline SteinerStaff writer

On Sept. 21, Hannah Brown and Tanaya Ghosh, both ‘08, were on their way to the football game against Jefferson at Kingston Stadium. There was a storm that night caus-ing the game to be postponed until later that evening. The two were driving on Edgewood Road when the traffic lights went out, caus-ing Brown’s car and another to collide.

Both girls were knocked unconscious and Brown has no memory of the accident. Brown was braking so hard that it took all of the impact of the crash and both bones in her right leg were broken.

The girls were taken to Mercy Hospital. X-rays were taken of her leg and doctors

saw two pretty serious breaks. Brown was put into a splint and was scheduled for surgery.

Two 2-inch screws were put on the inside of her leg and a 4-inch plate held by six 1-inch screws were put on the outside of her leg to hold the bone together.

“Eight screws total, I feel like I could open a hardware store,” said Brown.

T he s c r e w s a r e i n he r l e g for-ever, which i s ju st a s wel l because Brown doesn’t want another surgery. ”My ankle is really sore and swollen; I’ll be dealing with a cankle for a while,” said Brown.

After the surgery, her leg was put into a splint and she missed about a week of school. When Brown returned, she came back in a wheelchair and had to wait to get a cast until the swelling went down. Soon after, a hard cast was put on. ”I went with a hot pink cast and started using crutches. I’ve gotten pretty good at it and

can get around pretty fast,” said Brown and added, “I like to race people.”

Brown had her cast on for four weeks and got it off on Nov. 1.

Brown hopes to stop using crutches in about two weeks and started physical therapy.

As for her car, “It’s gone, totaled. It was al-ready a piece of crap though,” said Brown.

Brown advises others to “drink your milk and wear your seat belt,” and adds “a shout out to all my homies who have been carrying around my stuff!”

Brown’s bad break

Sky Smith/Surveyor

Hannah Brown, ‘08, with crutches.

Love of horses drives Reisner Aunna McDowell Staff Writer

Every little girl dreams of being a beautiful princess, marrying a handsome prince, and riding away with him forever on a magical horse. Horses are part of al-most every fairytale. Cinderella’s carriage is pulled by horses, Snow White and her prince ride off into the sunset together on a horse, and Belle escapes from the Beast’s castle upon the shoulder’s of her trusty steed.

Allison Reisner, ’08, lives her own fairytale through her love for horses.

Reisner’s father bought her first horse when she was five. Her father supported her interests and encouraged her to be passionate about horses. Oftentimes, as a young girl, Reisner would ride horses with her father and listen to his stories about the horses he had owned as a child. This started Reisner’s interest in horses.

“I took to horses before I took to anything else,” said Reisner.

Reisner currently owns three horses: Missy, Leo, and Scribbles. Because she lives in Cedar Rapids, Reisner boards her horses on someone else’s property.

A lot of work is involved for horse owners. Reisner has to clean stalls, pro-vide vet care, train and ride her horses, and spend time with them. Horses are social creatures and need to be around humans or other horses.

Reisner especially enjoys participat-ing in horse competitions. The two kinds of horse competitions are pleasure and halter and games. Competing in pleasure and halter competitions consists of show-ing the horses for judges. Competing in games involves the horse and rider racing and partaking in numerous activities where they compete against the clock. Reisner competes in games because she likes working against the clock as op-posed to performing for judges.

Reisner is a member of the Center Point Saddle Club. In competitions, Re-isner and club members earn points.

These points are added together so the owners know by the end of the season how many total points they have earned. Reisner has held the most total points out of anyone in her club for two consecutive years. In addition, she has also achieved this accomplishment through the Cedar Rapids Horseman’s Club.

Reisner’s father continues to support her love for horses.

“My dad’s always at the shows. He doesn’t miss one,” Reisner said.

Reisner is hoping to be involved with horses for the rest of her life and said, “I just don’t think I’d ever be without horses...I think I’ll always compete in some kind of show.”

Reisner is living her childhood dream and pursuing her happily ever after through horses.

Tillman Kraft, ‘10

BEOWULF.3D - CAMP A2COL X 4".5" THEATRE SPACE

November 15-December 16 at the IMAX, Science Station, 427 First St. SE, Cedar Rapids

compliments of Allison Reisner

Allison Reisner, ‘08, riding her horse, Missy, in a show.

PROFILES

A&E Page 9November 14, 2007

Karly Abel**#Lucas Adolphson*#Reginald Anderson**#Ashley Aull*Emily Barker#Megan Barnes*#Sheldon Bazzell*#Daniel Belay#Timothy Berry*#Mariah BeshearsMichael BestJessica Bixby*Hall Block#Allyson Brawner*#Joseph Bredl*#Ryan BrownCaitlin Bruggeman*Aaron CastroMatthew Ceryanec*#Chad Christensen#Andrew Chupp**Nicholas ClarkHannah Colton**#Bryce Cooks*Brian Covington*Emily Covington**Matthew Daughtery**#Stephanie Davenport**#Kyle Dvorak*Aaron EklandKellar Elliott*#Audrey Erger*Courtney EvertsDouglas Fowler**#Gabriel Frana*#Ashley Freeman*Kyle Freeman*Alexander Fuller#Derek GieskingLauren Glantz**Nathan GlassmeyerAlexandra Gorkow*Samantha HaighMadeleine Halyard**#Zachary HarfordJoshua Harris*Tosha Harrison*Roland Hart*Megan Hartman**Ellen HatalaMegan HeckCharles Heins*

Chelsea HinesThomas Holmes**#Meghan HunterEric IntlekoferParker Jamieson*Andrew Jarvey*#Michael Jarvey*#Allison Johnson#Jacob Johnson*#Alexander Karr*Wesley Keene**#Nathan Kintner*Sarrah KnauseEmily Kopec#Rebecca Krewer**#Jason Krusie*Taylor KuhnLong LaiSean Leeper*#Reece Leuenberger*Ryan Lipp*#Joel LydonLewi Manirumva*Camille Marie-Lidd**#Eileen Marshall*#Sean Matthews#Aunna McDowell*#Nathaniel McFarlandColin McLaughlin**#Shaun MellorMolly MeyerLauren Mitchell*#Ethan MoyerStephanie MuehlemannGloria Munyakazi*Tiffany Murphy*Ryan MurrayHong NguyenCassandra Novick#Stephanie O’NeillIan Olson*Shondra Olson*#Carter Oswood*Michael Pace*#Courtney PattersonZachary Patzwald**#Gabriella Perez**Daniel Peterson**#Danielle Peterson**#Landon PickensA b i g a i l P r e s s l e y -

Brown*#

Erik Randall*#Devon Reese*Luke ReynoldsAbigail Rings**Alec SabinMariana ScanlonEric Schlehuber*#Karen Schmidt*Laura Seyfer*#Nikhil Shah**#Fallon Shakespeare*Sara Shelton*Kathryn Siebels**#Regan Sieck**Austen Smith**#Elizabeth Smith**Caitlin Sole**Anne StarkRyan StolbaMartin Strobel#Wyatt SuessRoss Sullivan*#Kathleen SwainAlexander Taylor**#Jennifer Titus**#Bud TrosclairJaron UlrichMeredith Van Woert*Danielle Wakeham**Yueling Wang*#Yuerong Wang**#Brett Warner**#Mackenzie WilliamsLindsey Wolfe*

Additional Junior Recipients of 2nd

Year Algebra Award

Alexis BartlingJohn BeardsworthKatharine BottAbbey KramerMason McCortJefferson MegownClaire NillesMitchell OdellBrittany QuaidRenesa Smith-TaylorAndrew StuelkeKollin TrevallionMicheal Wenndt

Washington PTA Congratulates Academic Letter Winners

Molly JamesStaff Writer

Ma ny s t udent s , such as Jessica Giese, ‘10, have not put vid-eos on YouTube, but rather posted on Facebook. Giese recreated a Sonic commercial about cranberry iced tea with her friend, Ha ley Broad ie , ‘10.

The two made the video for fun out of boredom, and posted it on the internet, “because we thought people would get a good laugh out of it,” said Giese.

They were not too wor-ried about other people viewing it.

“That’s what we’d expect posting it on Facebook,” said Giese. “We just want some

input on how we did.”Their video making

process was fairly easy, because they had no editing to do. It took

them about 30 minutes to make it, and then they simply uploaded it onto Facebook. How-ever, since they filmed in the Sonic parking lot, Giese mentioned

that people from other cars were laughing at them.

“We were a big disturbance, but it was fun making it,” said Giese. “No one e l s e f rom ou r school has made a Sonic commer-cial. I thought it

was pretty unique.”To see this video,

check Giese’s Facebook profile. Search Blooper #1.

Molly JamesStaff Writer

Making a video is also a popu-lar choice for students when it comes to school projects, especially if someone in the group is creative and talented at shooting and edit-ing. This was the case for a couple videos made by Patrick Berry, who graduated last year, and many of his friends.

The most popular creation by Berry seems to be a rap video he made to the instrumentals of “Make It Rain” with Keegan O’Neil and Kevin Kennedy, both ‘08, for his AP Statistics class.

“We did movies, because they aren’t hard to make,” said O’Neil. “They’re fun because you can have a relaxed kind of humor.”

The fact that they are so fun makes the long hours spent film-ing and editing a little easier to manage. The trio filmed every-thing they needed over about two days, and edited the whole thing

in one night; Well, actually, one night and one very early morning as they worked on it from 9:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m.

Although Berry posted this video, along with many others

he has made on YouTube, neither O’Neil nor Kennedy seem too concerned.

“Strangers will just think we’re fly as can be,” said Kennedy. “I’m okay with that.”

In the long run, the time spent on making a video is probably a great deal less than the time a group would spend perfecting their PowerPoint and oral presen-tation. Plus, according to these students, it is a lot more fun and really rewarding.

“I really like the finished proj-ect,” said O’Neil. “Movies are awesome when you’ve gone from a bunch of scattered and dysfunc-tional scenes to an ordered story-line. It’s just satisfying.”

To check out this video, search Sue His Ass on You Tube.

“No one else from our school has made a Sonic commercial...”

Jessica Giese, ‘10

“Strangers will just think we’re as fly as can be,”

Kevin Kennedy, ‘08

Alex Talyor/ Surveyor

PH O TO

CHALLENGE

Find 13 Differences Between the 2 Photos. Answers on the following page.

Keegan O’Neil/ Patrick Berry

Keegan O’Neil (left) and Patrick Berry (right) get their jacuzzi on in their AP Stat parody of “Make it Rain”.

1: You Tube currently hosts over 6 million videos, grow- ing at about 20% each month!*2: The videos take up 45 terabytes of space (that’s like 5,000 home computers!)*3: 70% of You Tube’s registered users are American!4: Video views have reached 1.73 billion!* 5: The total time the people of the world spent watching You Tube in the past year is 9,305 years!*6: The most viewed video on You Tube is The Evolution of Dance with over 63 million views! In second is Avril Lavigne’s Girlfriend with about 60 million! *as of August 2006

Aspiring Spielbergs find online audience

Crazy YouTube * Facts *

A&EPage 10 November 14, 2007

1 ½ Soup can filled with milk1 Block of Cream Cheese2 Cans of Cream of Celery Soup1 Cup of butter

Instructions:1. Turn stove on medium. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.2. Pour cream cheese, butter, cream of celery, and milk into pot on stove. Melt in ingredients together by stirring until blended. Sprinkle seasoned salt in 2 times while stirring.3. Pour bag of hash brown cubes into pot and mix together. Then pour potatoes in cake pan.4. Cook potatoes in oven for 30 minutes.5. Sprinkle cheese on top, let cool.

Instructions:1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees2. To prepare cake coat 2, 8 inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over pans.3. Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil in a large bowl, beat with a mixer for 2 minutes or until blended. Add egg substitute and eggs and beat until blended. Add pumpkin, and continue to beat.4. Spoon 2 cups flour into measuring cups. Combine 2 cups flour and next pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beat until blended. Put batter into pans. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool.5. To prepare frosting, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar beating until blended. Add juice, and continue stirring. 6. Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake and top with re maining cake layer. Spread frosting over top of cake.

Ingredients:2 tablespoons all-purpose flour1 cup granulated sugar½ cup packed brown sugar½ cup canola oil½ cup egg substitute2 large eggs1 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin2 cups all purpose flour1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice1 teaspoon baking powder

Ingredients for frosting:2 tablespoons butter, softened1 8 ounce block cream cheese3 cups powdered sugar2 teaspoons fresh orange juice

Alex Taylor/ Megan Barnes

Spice up your Thanksgiving with two recipes that are really cookin’

Pumpkin Pie

1 Bag of shredded cheese1 Bag of frozen hash brown cubesSeasoned Salt

Cheesy PotatoesIngredients:

*Tip: It’s easy to forget to add your baking powder and baking soda: DON”T. You’ll end up with pumpkin pancakes!

Keile WahleStaff Writer

Steve Carell continues to increase his popularity as he adds to his chain of suc-cessful movies after playing prominent character roles in 40-year-old Virgin, the television series The Office, and Little Miss Sunshine.Known for his comedy acting, Carell yet again stars in another popular movie, Dan in Real Life.

In Dan in Real Life, Dan (Carell) is an as-piring writer and full time father of three very opinionated girls. His goals in life are to get his dream job of writing for a New Jersey newspaper, keep his middle child away from boys, oldest child away from cars, and youngest girl away from maturity. A

family getaway to an isolated cabin in the woods with extended family members, soon changes Dan’s average life forever.

He meets an admirable woman (Juliette Binoche) in a bookstore only to find

out she is already dating someone, his brother (Dane Cook). Something about this girl won’t let Dan stop liking her. Dan wasn’t treated as an adult because all the adults were married

or had girlfriends and boy-friends. Being single gave Dan the loud laundry room to sleep in while everyone else enjoyed private and peaceful bedrooms. He was widowed after the death of his beloved wife.

Carel l played the role of Dan perfectly. I thought every character was given the best role that fit them. The plot line was very entertain-ing and f it together. The setting where the movie took place was well chosen, a tradi-tional family gathering in a log cabin in the woods.

I thought the movie could appeal to all types of audiences. The movie was comical in parts, serious, sad, romantic, and happy in other scenes. I enjoyed the movie and would recom-mend it.

Dan in Real Life Starring: Steve Carell Directed by: Peter Hedges

Steve Carell keeps it real... entertaining

www.moovyboovy.com

See Steve Carell work his role as a family man in the new comedy Dan in Real Life. From left to right: Steve Carell, Marlene Lawston, and Alison Pill.

Mallory WilliamsStaff Writer

Music teacher Dr. Gerald Kreitzer obviously has a tre-mendous love for music. He shares his love of music with all grades at Washington high school but many students may not realize that Dr. K also enjoys other music besides the classical pieces sung in chorus.

Dr. K recalls the Doobie Brothers as one of his first con-certs he was able to attend. Other favorites of his include Paul Mc-Cartney, Chicago, James Taylor and Sons of Champlin. When not seeing his favorite artists in concert, he enjoys listening a va-riety of genres, although he does admit to not listening to much country. Some of his favorite

genres include classic rock and roll, folk, and solo artists. His favorite band is The Beatles and his favorite album of The Beatles is Abbey Road.

Not only does Dr. K love music but he also enjoys movies as well. If you are a student of Dr. K, you might know that he loves the game of golf and spends every moment he can over his summer vacation, out on the greens. His love of golf reflects on the movies he enjoys as well.

Some of his favorite golf movies include: Tin Cup, The Greatest Game Ever Played, Happy Gilm-ore, and Caddyshack. When not enjoying golf movies, Dr. K also enjoys The Lord of the Rings trilogy and says his “favorite movie of all time,” is The Prin-cess Bride. And although Dr. K doesn’t watch a lot of TV he says when he does, he mostly enjoys MASH reruns, any type of sport and Grey’s Anatomy.

Besides directing two show choirs, Magdrigal Singers, and Concert Choir at Wash, Dr. K also conducts Wash’s musicals. Dr. K has conducted over 30 musicals. His favorite musicals include Les Miserables and Tommy, which he has seen in both Chicago and New York.

A & E: Teacher s̓ Choice: Dr. Kreitzer Kreitzerʼs Picks

MoviesThe Greatest Game Ever

PlayedThe Princess

Bride

MusicThe Beatles

Les Miserables

T.V. ShowMASH

(1) Lid of pumpkin can on(2) Bread in the toaster(3) Stacked cup in the bottom right corner(4) Different spoon in bowl on the right(5) Spice bottle in the right changes to sweet basil(6) Measuring spoons in bottom center change order(7) Wisk and beater next to the toaster change position (8) Brown sugar patted down(9) Measuring cups on bottom left switch places(10) Cinnamon in front of measur ing cups changes to cumin(11) Bottle of vanilla next to the flower bucket is empty(12) Butter stick in center turns to show a different side(13) Spice in the left center turns upside down

Photo Challenge Answers

Dr. K recalls The Doobie Brothers as one of his first concerts...

Surveyor wishes all Washington students and staff a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

SPORTS Page 11November 14, 2007

A returning senior on the men’s swim-ming team, Ryan Phelan discusses his previous seasons and determination to win state this year with Emily Kopec of Surveyor.

Emily Kopec: At what age did you start swimming?

Ryan Phelan: I started swimming at a very young age. I remember swimming 8 and under for summer swimming, then I really got competitive when I started the YMCA swim team when I was 12.

EK: What are your goals for yourself this season?

RP: I would really like to break the 100 and 50 free school records and to place first in at least two events at state. Last year, I placed second in my events, but this year I’m determined to get first.

EK: What are your goals and expecta-tions for the team?

RP: We have a strong team with a lot of new and returning members, so I know we will do well. A main goal of the team, including me, is to win state. Last year we were second, but I know this year we’re stronger and better.

EK: How have you accomplished your past goals?

RP: Well obviously by going to CRAA or swim practice every day. I like to print off in big bold letters goal times for the end of the season, and post them up on a wall either in my room or in my car. I also print off results from national/world meets and post them in my room.

EK: You almost made the Olympic Trials cut. Are you going to try for it again this winter?

RP: I missed the Olympic Trial cuts by .11 of a second, but I will have one more chance this spring right after sthe eason is over to do a long course meet to try and qualify.

Q & A

with Ryan Phelan

Maddy BeckerStaff Writer

The last time the Warrior women’s basket-ball team won the state tournament, Toy Story was No. 1 at the box office, Bill Clinton was president, and the current Warrior players were in the fifth grade.

Following the 1995 season, the Warrior basketball program somewhat fell off the map. In 1996, they qualified for state. But, for the next seven years, the team lost in the regional games and failed to play in the state tournament once. It wasn’t until Coach Frank Howell began his Washington career in 2003 that the Warriors regained their status as a basketball powerhouse.

Since Howell began coaching, he has taken the Warriors to the state tournament three times, placing second twice. Howell’s winning record is the best the Warriors have seen in over 30 years, at 78 percent. He has been named MVC Coach of the Year twice and district coach of the year once.

“It’s an honor to be coached by Coach Howell,” said KK Armstrong, a returning senior to the team. “He always makes sure we’re in the game mentally and he prepares us well.”

During the season, Howell spends a lot of time watching game film and scouting other teams in order to know what to expect from the competition.

The work of Coach Howell and his players has paid off in a dramatic way. In the past three years, the Warriors have won the Valley Division Conference and regional champion-ships three times each and have won over 85 percent of their games.

This year could be their best yet. The team is returning seven varsity players, including Katelin Oney, KK Armstrong and Micha Mims.

Oney, Armstrong, and Mims all earned First-Team All-Conference honors last year. Oney and Armstrong also made First-

Team All-Metro. Mims made Second-Team All-Metro and led the team in steals and rebounds. Armstrong was named Most Valu-able Player overall and Oney led the team in scoring with a total of 398 points in the team’s 25 games. Together, they averaged 40 points and over ten rebounds per game.

The three seniors are very excited to play such a large role on the team. “It means a lot to me to be a part of the Warrior basketball team,” said Oney. “It’s a great feeling every time I put on that jersey to represent the Warriors.”

The success of the women’s basketball team spreads a feeling of excitement to stu-dents at Washington as well.

“I’m most excited to watch them beat Linn-Mar, Jefferson and Kennedy,” said Marion Epperson, an avid fan and a player for the sophomore team.

Kennon Meyer, also a fan, plays for the pep band at basketball games. She said she likes how the band pumps up the fans and players as well.

“I hope they make it to state so we can go

cheer them on,” said Meyer.The players love a noisy student section

and the entertaining spirit the band brings to games.

“The fans have been great. Hopefully they will come back, get loud, and show their Warrior spirit,” Oney said.

Coming within grasp of a state cham-pionship three years in a row has made the Warrior women more determined, not disappointed.

“Our motivation level is at the max,” said Coach Howell. “Winning state doesn’t make you as hungry as just placing.”

Howell says the team will focus day by day in order to gain a spot in the tournament. He is very confident in returning players as well as new players who he believes have a lot of potential.

The players all agree that this year is their year to win. “This time we need to take the whole thing!” said Armstrong.

“This is a new year. Hopefully we will get the big one this time around,” said Oney. “I am very confident in the team.”

I arrived at Kingston Stadium at around 6:30 p.m. with several of my friends. We figured that we had arrived early enough to get good spots in the student section. However, while walking up the ramp leading into the bleachers, we were astonished by the number of Washington students. Standing up, screaming the Washington Fight Song, they filled up the bleachers two rows from the top.

After sitting down and anxiously await-ing the start of the game, I watched as everyone stood up and began to jingle their car keys. The crowd was extremely elated, in spite of the chilly October weather. As the voices progressively grew in a crescendo, the ball was finally struck and one of the most suspenseful games I have ever witnessed began. Wash-Kennedy in the playoffs. You can’t beat it.

Everyone was standing and jumping and yelling cheers that were started from either the cheerleaders, the seniors up front, or even Filipe Camarotti up near the back. White “MVC Champs” shirts dotted the student section, but ev-eryone was decked out in Washington gear.

Everybody was incredibly hyper until there was a collision when the Warriors were on the offensive attack. One of the Kennedy players dove into Wyatt Suess’ knee. Everything on our side went completely silent. The disrespectful Kennedy side cheered even though Wyatt lay on the ground injured. At this point, even though it was only the first quarter, many people could be heard yelling, “Oh well, here goes our season.”

Washington put in our backup quarterback, Derek Giesk-ing. He would prove to have a spectacular performance in this playoff game. Giesking’s first drive was a very successful one, capped off by an incredible catch in the end zone by Keenan Davis. Everyone in the stands went wild. People were seen being thrown into the air by their peers.

Heading into halftime, the score was 21-14 Kennedy, but Washington’s spirit was not hampered. Everyone got up and started dancing as the drumline came playing unto the field. I don’t think anyone expected the turn of events Kingston Stadium witnessed during the second half. Kennedy opened up and scored a touchdown to take the lead 28-14. But then Washington scored two passing touchdowns after two great drives. They seemed to be completely unstoppable. There

they were though, on the 2-yard line, down 27-28, going for the two point conversion. Everyone was freaking out in the stands. Shouts of, “What the heck are you doing?” or “There is no way we’ll get it!”

Giesking snapped the ball, dropped back and threw the ball. Pass intercepted. We all thought the season was over at this point. Kennedy got the ball near the 50 yard line, and we didn’t think we were going to be able to stop their run offense. For some reason, though, they threw the ball two times and Wash forced a three and out. As Giesking then got the ball, he pulled off a Tom Brady-like drive and Wash was on the 5 yard line in no time.

Everyone in the stands was hushed by the seniors up front, and grew anxious to see what would happen. Geisking snapped the ball and threw a screen pass to Davis. He sprinted and ran in for 6. Washington fans went crazy and filled the alley by the fence. Although we didn’t rush the field, there was no reason to because the Kennedy side was dead silent. We all left the stadium after cheering with the team, and prepared for the Cedar Falls game the following week. Giesking played one of the best games in conference history, setting a conference record with 480 yards and also threw for 5 touchdowns.

Hungry for the championshipArmstrong, Mims, and Oney fearlessly approach their final shot at state glory

Carter Oswood/ Surveyor

Above: Coach Howell watches his team practice for their anticipated season.

Sam Seyfer

Watching the most unexpected Warrior comeback at Kingston

CROSS COUNTRYThe men’s cross country team placed

sixth at the State Championships held in Fort Dodge on Oct. 27. The top finishers and their times included Lewi Mani-rumva (16:01), Liberio Niyiragira (16:02), Jonathan Weatherwax (16:34), Saromo Mugisha (16:58), Zach Harford (17:03), and Phil Kincheloe (17:14).

The women’s team also qualified for state in Fort Dodge, where they placed eighth. Their top finishers and times in-cluded Maddy Becker (15:10), Madeline Steiner (15:23), Ramsey Steiner (15:36), Tiffany Westrom (16:06), Eveline Niyok-wizigigwa (16:18), Kathryn Bell (16:27) and Allison Knockle (16:29).

VARSITY FOOTBALLAfter crushing Linn Mar 47-9. the

Warrior football team’s 7-2 season record qualified them for the playoffs. In an exciting victory against Cedar Rapids Kennedy on the Oct. 31, the Warriors defeated the Cougars for a second time 34-28. They proceeded to the UNI Dome for quarterfinals, where they lost to Cedar Falls 35-13 on Nov. 5.

WOMEN’S SWIMMINGWomen’s swimming placed seventh at

the state meet held in Marshalltown on Nov. 3, with a combined team score of 115 — trailing West Des Moines Valley, Marshalltown, Mason City, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Johnston, and Ames. Notable events included the 200-yard freestyle, in which junior Emily Kopec placed second, the 100-yard butterfly, in which freshmen Jill Broghammer took fifth, the 200-yard freestyle relay, in which Wash came in third, and the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays, in which the team placed fourth and sixth.

POSTSEASON ROUNDUP

SPORTSPage 12 November 14, 2007

Warriors at State

Varsityfootball

Lauren Hoth/ Surveyor

Above: Derek Giesking runs the ball in the fourth quarter against Cedar Falls on Nov. 5. The Warriors lost 35-13.

Right: The team gathers on the field at the UNI-Dome to collect the quarterfinal trophy.

Cross country

men’s

wom

en’sAbove: Lewi Manirumva running at the State Meet

in Fort Dodge on Oct. 27.

Far right: Coach Will Harte stands with Liberio Niy-iragira, Lewi Manirumva, Jonathan Weatherwax, Phil Kincheloe, and Zach Harford.

Bottom: Madeline Steiner running at the State Meet in Fort Dodge on Oct. 27.

Qua

rter

final

s

UNI- Dome