WELLSSophomore Beth

“The Japanese culture is more polite than we are. It makes you think about how you treat people and how people with different back-grounds react to what you say to them.”

DAVIS By Entertainment Editor Lindsey

District explores connections with CF’s Chinese sister city

The

HI-LINETiger

Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012 Volume 53 Edition 3

Puzzle WhizJunior uses down time for tackling puzzles/page 4

Follow us on Twitter at tigerhiline,Facebook at TigerHilineOnline and on our websiteat www.hiline.cfschools.org

Spanish teacher Monica Jarchow and students from the 2009 Spain trip.

Students interested in travelling across seas have the opportunity to do so the summer of 2013. Span-ish teachers Monica Jarchow and Vic Ochoa will be the chaperones on a 15-day trip to Spain. The self-guided itinerary is available from ei-ther teacher explaining day by day details of the trip. So far, 15 students have ex-pressed interest.

Plans are to fly out of Minneapolis and land in Ma-drid. From there, students will travel to Sevilla, Toledo and Granada. During the middle of the trip, students

will take a six-night family stay where they will get to know the everyday life of a Spanish fam-ily.

“Taking this trip is the best way to learn how to use lan-guage,” Jarchow said. “Im-mersion is something you can’t strongly get over here, so travelling to Spain is very effec-tive.”

Thus far, Jarchow has trav-elled abroad with students eight times.

The cost to attend the Spain trip will tentatively be $4,115. This price includes round-trip airfare, in-country transporta-tion, overnight accommoda-

tions, family stay and insur-ance. There may be extra costs involved for spending money, passports, activities, etc.

This travel program boasts that students will gain confidence in their language skills and that they will be challenged by new, unfamil-iar experiences.

As for Jarchow, “I just love watching kids converse and interact with shop ven-dors and native people. It makes me proud.”

Spanish teachers planning trip

MAYHEW By News Editor Katherine

The school board discussed Superintendent Mike Wells’ plan to create a sister city exchange program at Cedar Falls High School last night. In 2013, stu-dents from Laibin, China, will come here for two weeks. A group of 13 to 17-year-olds from the Cedar Falls school district would travel to Laibin, China, for two weeks in July 2014.

“First the city signed a sister city agreement. The first ele-ment of the sister city is a student exchange p rog ram. The Chi-nese would like to have a full year exchange, but I didn’t think that Cedar Fall s t u d e n t s would want to give up a full year,” Wells said. Wells and Principal Dr. Rich Powers may travel to the city to assess the safeness of the envi-ronment. “Once the program is organized it becomes a com-munity organization, but we will help get each trip organized, and we may go on the first trip to make sure things go well,” Wells said.

All eligible students will re-ceive a flyer about the program. Those interested and their par-ents will attend a meeting dis-cussing the requirements. These include each family hosting a Chinese student. Students trav-eling will raise money to cover the cost of about $2,000 to fly to China.

“During the day, we will do large group activities like visit-ing the state capitol, Mall of America and at night the host family will provide dinner and a place to sleep. They will be here for 10 days. The middle week-end the host family will take the exchange student and do a fun ‘family’ activity,” Wells said.

July 2014 our students will go to China with the same type of host family.

Before coming to Cedar Falls, Wells served as the super-intendent of Winterset schools, a district with a sister city ex-change program with Mini Alps, Japan.

Wells’ daughter Beth, a sophomore at CFHS, went on the Winterset exchange last summer.“The Japanese culture

is more p o l i t e than we are. It m a k e s you think a b o u t how you treat peo-ple and how peo-ple with different b a c k -grounds react to what you say to

them,” Beth said.“As long as you’re indepen-

dent, social and creative you’ll be really good there and have a good experience,” Beth said.

“I just think it was a great experience because it opened my eyes to a new culture, and I hope other students are able to experience the same thing I ex-perienced,” Beth said.

Wells and his daughter agree there are many advantages to a world class school. “I think it would provide a wonderful op-portunity for students to gain understanding for another cul-ture, a culture very different from ours. I think it would also reinforce how blessed we are in America. We have so much. An immersion program allows you to experience how other people live and hopefully a greater re-spect for other people. One component of a world class school is global citizenship. We have very limited global experi-ences in Cedar Falls, so this will

provide such opportunity,” Wells said.

“The greatest benefit is gain-ing an understanding of other people, to gain an appreciation of other people. Understanding others will help us develop re-spect for the Chinese and them for us. It is very possible that many of our graduates will have professions that will be global, and this will help them to be suc-

cessful,” Wells said.There are many differences

between the American and Chinese cultures. “The Chinese want to come to America to study, why? Because we have the greatest educational system in the world. Our students will gain an understanding of the Chinese educational system, the communist government and the Chinese culture. When

I send an email to China it often takes weeks to get a response, why? Because it is a communist government and it runs through a government filter system and then to individuals. We take pri-vacy for granted in our country; the Chinese do not experience the same rights as we have,” Wells said.

Submitted Photo

Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012 HI-LINETiger

The

NEWS2With rising college tuition

and increased competition in college admissions and schol-arships, it’s not unusual for the average high school student to be incredibly stressed about grades, GPA and college fu-tures. But is this pressure to succeed a healthy push, or is it just leading to unhealthy habits and bad decisions?

Between 75 percent and 98 percent of college students surveyed each year report hav-ing cheated in high school as opposed to only 20 percent during the 1940s, but why are students cheating more fre-quently? Most people agree it’s due to the ever growing need to achieve.

“I think a lot of it comes from the way our society is structured now. One hundred fifty years ago, [our econo-my] became a manufacturing economy. Suddenly, you had to have a high school degree... [and] you had a good job. Now we’ve kind of blown the roof off of that,” social studies teacher Charlie Blair-Broeker said.

Truly, the rhythm and dy-namics of society have changed severely, putting more pressure on students to achieve higher

educational degrees. “I mean, do you have any clue what you want to do? The pace of change is so quick, you guys are going to be working in ca-reers that don’t even exist yet. How can you plan for that?” Blair-Broeker asked.

As society loses the need for certain careers, other open-ing appear al-most monthly. As technology and socializa-tion changes, so too do the attitudes of the people trying to integrate into it. “[The stress] is society wide,” B l a i r - B r o e k e r said.

A l a r m i n g new statistics also show that between 10 to 15 percent of teenagers have some symptoms of teen de-pression at any one time. Anxi-ety and associated disorders are also most commonly found in teenagers. Though some of these symptoms can be contributed to other factors, school is a huge part of one’s teen years, and it will therefore

be relevant to one’s emotional well being.

And with unhealthy emo-tions comes unhealthy habits. According to The National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse VIII: Teens and Parents, an annual back-to-school survey conducted by The National Center on Ad-

diction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, teens experiencing high stress are twice as likely as teens with lower stress levels to drink, smoke and use illegal sub-stances. This is to be expected, as mood altering substances like marijuana and addictive substances like nicotine can seem to lower one’s stress

level. This is despite the fact that nicotine has actually been proven to raise stress levels. It only seems to relieve stress because feeding the addiction relieves the need.

SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that from 2008 to 2009, illegal drug use rates among teens increased from 9.3 percent to 10 percent. A survey done by the National Institute on Drug Abuse around the same time found that nearly 72 percent of youths have consumed alcohol by the end of high school.

The same survey found that 44 percent of teenagers have tried cigarettes by their senior year, and around 20 percent of high school seniors are regular smokers. Though not all stu-dents using drugs are stressed about high school, and not all students stressed about high school students are using drugs, it is fair to assume that a significant number of students with high levels of stress utilize illegal substances.

So with the dangers and consequences of stress in teen-agers, why is it only getting worse? Is there anything we can do to prevent it? Princi-

Junior Hannah Ackerman is known for her amazing performances she gives about numerous military heroes and veterans, including the five Sul-livan brothers that died in the same ship in World War II, and now she shows how passionate she is about these tragic but heroic events through the 67 pages of her book, I Kept My Chin Up.

In her book, Hannah describes her experiences with her 10- to 15-min-ute presentations she has performed perfectly time after time and how she kept going no matter the challenges she faced.

“I really wanted my readers to know that these veterans are true he-roes and they need to take the time to recognize and appreciate them,” Ackerman said.

“It has always been my dream to write a book and to write about the

Sullivan brothers, so I took on this op-portunity.”

Starting just as a seventh grader, Ackerman has been performing to get this amazing history known to as many people as possible.

Beginning small with local veter-ans, performing in front of the entire Cedar Falls High School student body and working her way up to perform-ing for veterans in Florida, Ackerman has been through many stresses and pressures but has come out even bet-ter and more confident than before.

“There was a lot of pressure for me to make this book the best it can be. I had to worry about not leaving out any important details, and I didn’t want the book to be boring, so I had to make it as interesting as possible for my readers,” Ackerman said.

Patriot Media Inc., a publishing company, contacted Ackerman, and

Students’ pressures on the rise As competition increases, so do teens’ stress and anxiety levels

HOOFNAGLE By Staff Writer Linne

CFHS junior publishes book on her experiences performing for veterans

IZER By Staff Writer Karly

Enjoy your high school

years ... is it truly the destination, or is it the journey?

“

“

pal Dr. Powers has some com-forting words for students.

“I think there is a high level of anxiety on the part of par-ents and students,” Powers said. “Most people are anxious about the unknown, and they don’t gather enough informa-tion on the matter.”

He said Iowa state col-lege admissions have a simple foundation: the RAI score. Cal-culated with one’s class rank, number of core courses, ACT score and GPA, the RAI score is any conflicted student’s saving grace. If students fall short in one place, they can reach the required 245 points and fill the gaps in other places.

But Dr. Powers said even if one does not have the required RAI, it will not bar a student from being admitted to a state college. Individual meetings with admissions staff are a sec-ond chance.

Overall, Dr. Powers said not to be worried. “Enjoy your high school years ... is it truly the destination, or is it the jour-ney?” Powers asked.

Dr. Rich Powers

she took up the opportunity to write a book on her experiences. The writing process took Ackerman a few months for her to complete, and she revised it, the company edited the book and it was published. Ackerman was prac-tically handed this amazing chance to share with people how hard she has been working and what she does while she performs.

“A lot of the veterans come to thank me for my performances, but really it is them that should be thanked,” Ackerman said.

“I remember one time after one of my performances, a veteran who had troubles walking came over just to shake my hand, and I was very touched by him and everybody that has stood and saluted to remember such an important part of history.”

Author Hannah Ackerman

Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012HI-LINETiger

The

NEWS3

Practice doesn’t always make perfect. Students au-ditioning for the All State Music festival know that their hard work may not be rewarded.

Thousands of students all across Iowa audition for the All State band, orchestra and chorus. After going through the intense and highly selective audition pro-cess, approximately 284 students are selected for the All State band, approximately 154 for the All State or-chestra and 600 students for the All State choir.

Two-year All State bassoonist senior Josh Carlo has experience participating in both the band and orches-tra. “You get about five minutes to warm up. Bassoons get seven minutes just because of how long it takes us to get set up. You go into the room and you play a selection of a prepared piece for about a minute. Sometimes the judge will stop you. It’s a good sign if he doesn’t stop you,” Carlo said. “Then you play selections out of two prepared etudes that you don’t find out until right before you play. There are six cards that have two of the 12 major scales on them. One is considered a difficult scale, and one is considered an easier scale. You play a scale of choice, the two scales and then your chromatic scale. You get ranked by how many points you score. It’s 10 per items.”

Auditioning for the Orchestra is similar to the band, however there are some differences. “They put up which exerpts you’ll be performing and they post the two scales you’ll be playing,”two-year All State bassist Kristen DeSerano said. “Ours are posted before so we know which ones to practice.”

Senior McKenzie Sesterhenn is a two-year All State vocalist. Selection for the All State chorus is unlike se-lection for the other groups. “You learn music to songs, like seven or so, and you have to know them well enough with your quartet group to be able to perform them, but they don’t have to be memorized, and then you go to Hampton with your quartet and you figure out the passages that you’re supposed to audition on.

Then you sing those passages with your quartet in front of one judge,” Sesterhenn said. “Then you go sit in the gym and either wait for a recall or to see if you made it. If you get recalled, you go sing a certain section of a song by yourself to a judge. Then you wait and see if you made it.”

While the audition process may be long and diffi-cult, Sesterhenn enjoys the benefits of being selected. “I like singing with big groups of people, and it’s fun to learn new, challenging music, and I like to be rec-ognized by my achievements, and it’s always fun to go down to Ames with a bunch of people from school for three days.”

All-State judges select the top musicians from all over the state each year. However, even top musicians at the high school don’t always make All State their first few tries. Senior drum major Hannah Niemann said she is hoping to make All State this year for the first time. “It’s like the culmination. It’s pretty much being told that you’re good enough. Just to be able to say that I’m good enough that I made it, and to test myself,” Niemann said.

While Niemann may be practicing an hour a day and is one of the top clarinet players in the CFHSl wind symphony, she still has some concerns about the audi-tion. “I’m most worried about nerves and consistency and having enough practice to play with consistency without the nerves messing me up.”

No matter how much someone practices and pre-pares for All State, sometimes uncontrollable factors such as illness can have a huge impact on the audi-tion. Niemann had experience with this a year ago. “I got really sick, and I couldn’t breathe, and I couldn’t hear anything, so I just went in and did it. It sucked,” Niemann said.

However, with a regimented practice routine and her health, Niemann said she hopes she will succeed this year. “It’s the same thing every year: practice, repe-

tition and lessons with my private instructor,” Niemann said.

Many sophomores have never auditioned for All State before, but they have made other honor bands or choirs in junior high. Lauren Harter is looking to chal-lenge herself after making Opus Honor Choir in junior high. “My older brother did All State when he was in high school, and it just seems like the next step up from Opus,” Harter said.

Auditioning in a quartet requires working around not only one’s individual schedule for practices, but the schedule of three other quartet members. “We just had our first practice last night, and we’re getting to-gether this weekend. I practice on my own about an hour listening to practice tracks on my iPod or going to practice rooms in classes I have nothing to do in,” Harter said.

Even though the audition process is quite intense and involves a lot of practice, junior Spencer Betts said the hard work is well worth it for the experience of being a part of participating in the select choir. “It’s crazy. We arrive on Thursday to have a chance to relax, but when you arrive for the first big rehearsal, it’s crazy. There’s 600 choir kids wandering the auditorium, and it’s really loud. As for the concert, everyone works really hard to get there and everyone gives their all to produce the most incredible sound you’ll hear,” Betts said.

While the experience is exciting, he said it takes a lot of effort in order to make it. “In my opinion it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Everything goes back to that. Time with yourself and with your group espe-cially. You need to listen to what your group says, what [choir director Eliot] Kranz says and what the director says in the notes you’re given. Also having faith in your quartet, yourself and your abilities is key. If you can’t believe in what you have, you have no shot,” Betts said.

All State Auditions Musicians bring years of practice to day of reckoning at Hampton

Senior Hannah Nieman Senior Josh Carlo Senior Kristen DeSerano

HARWOOD By Staff Writer Amanda

Amanda Harwood Photos

OMARI-BOATENG

Sandra Omari-Boateng Photojhj

MUSIC

NEWRELEASES

MOVIES

GAMES

•GRIZZLY BEARShields on Sept. 18•PINKThe Truth About Love on Sept. 18•THE KILLERSBattle Born on Sept. 18•VARIOUS ARTISTSCruel Summer on Sept. 18•CARLY RAE JEPSENKiss on Sept. 18•GREEN DAYUno! on Sept. 25•NO DOUBTPush and Shove on Sept. 25•RICKY SKAGGSMusic to My Ears on Sept. 25

ONLINEEXTRAS

•WON’T BACK DOWNon Sept. 28•HOUSE AT THE ENDOF THE STREETon Sept. 21•THE PERKS OF BEINGA WALLFLOWERon Sept. 21•DREDD 3Don Sept. 21•LOOPERon Sept. 28

•BORDERLANDS 2on PS3/Xbox on Sept. 18•MADDEN NFL 13on Wii on Sept. 28•FIFI SOCCER 13on PSP on Sept. 25•HOTEL TRANSYLVANIAon DS/3DS on Sept. 25•THE TESTAMENT OF SHERLOCK HOLMESon PC/PS3/Xbox 360on Sept. 25

ARTS CRAFTS N’ FUNwith hostsMike Bowden and Nick Hall Take a trip with us on a different humorous skit every episode.

This week’s feature:PROFESSOR 2 CRANZ

Find all the weekly pod-casts as well as the weekly broadcast news show by vis-iting us on the web at http://www.hiline.cfschools.org.

There are many talents that are hidden all over in our school. One that has come to light lately is the special talent that junior Eric Cheng has: the ability to solve pretty much any rubik’s cube faster than most people. Cheng has the ability to solve a 3x3 rubik’s cube in a record time of 13 seconds flat.

“I started doing rubik’s cubes about nine months ago when I was 15. My mom was in the hospital for a while and told me to find something to keep me occupied, so I grabbed a cube and learned how. Ever since then it’s been a hobby for me,” Cheng said.

Another person who en-joys solving rubik’s cubes at the school is math teacher Rich Strike.

“I started two winter breaks ago because one of my life goals was to learn how to solve a rubik’s cube before I turned 50”, Strike said.

There are multiple types and combinations of rubik’s cubes, including 2x2’s, 3x3s, 4x4s and so on until 10x10s. There are also different types of cubes where instead of put-ting colors in the same order, one has to put the shapes in the right combinations to make a cube. There are also pyramid shaped puzzles (pyraminx) and many other variations of these types of puzzles.

“I have finished the 2x2, 3x3 and 4x4 cubes. I have also finished the pyramid shaped puzzle, but total I’ve tried six different types,” Strike said.

“It’s actually hard to count how many types of cubes or puzzles I’ve finished. I’ve fin-ished the 2x2, 3x3, 4x4 and 5x5. I also have completed the pyraminx, the megaminx and many other variations of these types of puzzles,” Cheng said.

There are many techniques that different people use. Some are similar in methods of solving a particular puzzle, but every person has a particular style of doing things.

“I don't really have a pat-tern for them, but these puzzles [cubes] are all algorisms. I don't have a record time. I just end up finishing them eventually. Some helpful hints for others are don't cheat and try to find patterns,” Strike said.

Cheng also uses a system-atic approach to solving these little mind benders. He likes to consult the strategies of previ-ous puzzle solvers.

“I have different methods for different puzzles. I use the Ortega method to solve the 2x2. Yau for 4x4 and Findrich for 3x3 and many other meth-ods for other puzzles. Some tips for others who want to learn are you have to spend a lot of time with these puzzles, and you have to be really pa-tient,” Cheng said.

His persistence has paid off, for he recently qualified for the World Cube Association’s U.S. Nationals. The U.S. Nationals took place at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas on Aug. 3 to 5. There were over 200 contes-tants there that participated in a variety of different types of puzzle solving.

“I didnt place anything at Nationals, but it was a great ex-perience. There were three or four conference rooms that the WCA [World Cube Association] rented out for this. There were merchandise rooms, rooms where blindfolded competi-tions were held, and then there

was the main room with two tables where hundreds of us competed. I participated in the 3x3, 4x4 and 5x5 compe-titions,” Cheng said.

Not only does Eric know how to solve cubes and oth-er puzzles well, but he’s also passed this onto his little brother Jason.

“I taught my little brother how to solve cubes. I taught him 3x3, but he taught me about the pyraminx, and we both compete. My brother is better than me in competitions in 2x2, 3x3 and pyraminx. I’m better than Jason in 5x5, 4x4 and 3x3 one handed,” Cheng said.

Regardless of competition skills, Cheng still has his puz-zles of preference.

“My favorite cube to solve is the 3x3 because it’s complex but still easy to solve. The new-est ones I’ve been working on are 5x5, megaminx and the floppy cube, which is 3x3x1. I have about seven in my back-pack. I just always keep them around because they’re some-thing to do when I’m bored. It’s the same as having a phone for me except that teachers can't just take away my cubes,” Cheng said.

So you think you can RUBIX?

Junior Eric Cheng and math teacher Rich Strike are fans of cubes.

Feature Editor Sandra

Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012 HI-LINETiger

The

ENTERTAINMENT4

Sandra Omari-Boateng Photo

Sandra Omari-Boateng Photo

Alex Demartino Photo

Hollywood is such a strong industry that it is hard to pay attention to films that have a different origin. Commercial movie block-

busters make millions of dollars every week here in the United States and around the world, and some of them make billions, like Avatar and The Avengers, for example. Foreign movies on the other hand face box-office challenges.

Last year all of them combined couldn’t reach the $40 million mark here, even being good productions. Most of these movies aren’t even close to what we call cliche. They generally present a different perspective and offer interesting and relevant plots, so why don’t

they attract the audience? Most Americans are not

comfortable with subtitles because at the beginning it’s hard to read fast enough while trying to watch the movie at the same time. An-other reason for low audience support comes from so many American remakes of foreign pictures like Let Me In and The Girl With The Dragon Tat-too.

But for those willing to explore beyond the shores of the United States, they will find the reward well worth the investment of effort.

One easy place to begin the search is easy and free. The Cedar Falls Public Library offers some really good movies that definitely deserve some attention, and it doesn’t take much to borrow one. All you need is your student ID, and you are free to pick any movie or book/audio book you want.

It is interesting how the reality around the world is faced in different ways. Pan’s Labyrinth, a 2007 Span-ish production, is a dark fantasy thriller that happens during the civil war in Spain. A girl moves with her mother to live with her stepfather, a fascist official that fights against the rebels. There she finds a labyrinth that transports her to a magic world where she has to face several tasks against evil, including her mom’s husband.

In the United States, the movie is restricted and considered a horror movie, but it doesn’t present any-

thing profane or terrifying. In Spain it is a film for children. Indeed, it is a little shocking and creepy, maybe because it was made by a completely dif-ferent point of view than what we are used to and without a blockbusting commercial purpose.

This next one is my favorite movie so far. It is called Amelie, a 2001 French movie about a girl who was raised by her parents in a small town and studies at home. When she moves to a big city to work as a waitress, she finds a box with old stuff in her bathroom and decides to give it back to its owner. As she does this, she finds her life will be dedicated to helping people see the magic all around them. In this jour-ney to change people’s lives, she also sees herself going through big changes. Everything in this movie surprises: the way the things happen, the protagonist’s perspective, the performances, the soundtrack, the screenplay, the photography. And, of course, the audience’s reactions after watching it.

The third possibility to check out is a beautiful story about how love and hope can keep people alive. Life Is Beautiful is a Italian movie about a Jewish funny man who falls in love with a woman and fights for her. When they build a family during the World War II, he and their son are taken to a Nazi death camp. There he makes his son believe that everything is a game where he should never be seen by any guard. It is a very emotional and touching movie that reminds us about the impor-tance of love, hope and family.

Familiarized or not with subtitles, you should give these movies a chance. Seeing things with a new perspective is always something good. Enjoy it. You won’t regret it.

World’s WindowLibrary offers free ‘passport’ to global perspectives

... for those willing to explore beyond the shores of the United

States, they will find the reward well worth the

investment of effort.

CUNHAStaff Writer Ana

OTHERLOCALOPTIONS

•A SEPARATIONThis Iranian film won bestforeign picture at the Oscarsthis year. It’s available at Family Video.

•THE LIVES OF OTHERSThis German picture trumped Pan’s Labyrinth for best foreign picture in 2006, and it opens a window to life on the other side of the Iron Curtain in East Germany during the Cold War. Pick it up at the Cedar Falls Library.

•THE ARTISTThe winner of best pictureat the Oscars this year wasthis French production, andit’s available everywhere.

•THE 400 BLOWS•BREATHLESS•PIERROT LE FOUThe French film making innovations of Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard in these three early films are waiting to be discovered at the Waterloo Public Library.

Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2012HI-LINETiger

The

ENTERTAINMENT 5

Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012 HI-LINETiger

The

OPINION6Our View

AMJADI By Editor-in-Chief Maya

The Tiger Hi-Line is a weekly publication of the journalism classes at Cedar Falls High School, 1015 Division Street, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613. Our website is www.hiline.cfschools.org. The Hi-Line is distributed to CFHS students on Tuesdays to read during their RCTs fourth period.

Columns and letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hi-Line staff or Cedar Falls Schools. The Hi-Line editorial is presented weekly in the editorial labeled Our View, and it is the view of the major-ity of the editors listed below.

Reader opinions on any topic are welcome and should be sent to The Tiger Hi-Line staff or delivered to room 208. All letters must be signed. Letters must be submitted by 3 p.m. on Thursday for publi-cation in the following Tuesday edition. Letters may not exceed 300 words and may be edited to meet space limitations. Writers should include their contact information for verification.

Editor-in-Chief: Maya AmjadiNews Editor: Katherine MayhewOpinion Editor: Maya AmjadiSports Editor: Jared HyltonFeature Editor: Sandra Omari-BoatengEntertainment Editor: Lindsey DavisHi-Line Online Editor: Martha HallStaff Writers: Ana Cunha, Kayla Gulbranson, Amanda Harwood, Linne Hoofnagle, Karley Izer, Alyssa Jensen, Maddie Kemp, Lauren Nickerson, Quinn Stabenow, Liam Tate

Contact Us

Check out new politics club, learn the issues

How much sleep are you getting?

Sleeping on the JobTeenagers need be-

tween 8.5 to 9.25 hours of sleep each night to function optimally. Ac-cording to the National Sleep Foundation, only 15 percent of teenagers get 8.5 hours of sleep on school nights. With lack of sleep comes many un-desirable consequences (mistakes on homework, tests and the sports field). But then again, it can be difficult to choose sleep over meeting deadlines for assignments, ex-tra curricular participation and work. The only way to sleep for the recommended amount of time is to make it a top prior-ity.

Sleep can help you eat bet-ter. Lack of sleep causes teens to consume too much in gen-eral, but specifically, junk food. Reduced sleep feeds cravings for sweets and fried foods. Thus, a lack of shuteye corre-lates with weight gain in teen-agers.

The first thing I look for when I am low on steam is a large cup of black coffee. Like many teenagers, I increase my caffeine intake to fight off that tired feeling. However, I’m only fooling myself. Although the droopy eyelids may rise for a few hours, the damage from not getting enough sleep is already done. No pills, no vi-tamins, no beverages can re-place sleep.

I was told as a kid to get my “beauty sleep,” especial-ly before a performance on

stage. Although it has become a cliche to some extent, the popular phrase is 100 percent accurate. Sleeping less than the recommended 8.5 hours makes teenagers more prone to pimples. Sleep deprivation contributes to acne and other skin problems in teens as well.

If you aren’t vain enough for weight gain and pimples to persuade you to set sleep at the top of your list, get this. Fall-ing asleep at the wheel causes more than 100,000 car crashes every year. At this point I would like to inform you of M.A.D.D. (Maya Against Drowsy Driving). When someone is sleep de-prived, he or she is as impaired as driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent (the legal blood alcohol content in Iowa). A teen who sleeps less is also more likely to have any accident, injury or illness. Whether driving home from work or a party late at night, being tired or being under the influence can yield the same consequences.

There are ways to combat the seemingly daunting task of

fitting in school, activities and enough zzzzz. Naps (not too long or too close to bedtime) can make teens work more efficiently. Also, developing a consistent sleep schedule will help the body feel less tired and allow it to get in sync with its natural patterns. Using a routine also makes it easier to fall asleep. Developing a con-sistent routine night after night will teach the body signals that it is time to sleep (these can include showering, bathing or reading). In the hour before sleeping, doing quiet, calm activities excluding watch-ing television or being on the computer or telephone, helps teens fall asleep more easily. By jotting down to-do lists before falling asleep, you will be less likely to stay awake worrying or stressing. I have found my-self doing this throughout high school, and after I have written my thoughts down, sleep finds me immediately.

During adolescence, bio-logical sleep patterns shift to-ward later times for sleeping and waking, making it normal for teenagers not to be able to fall asleep before 11 p.m. Be-cause school start time is 8:05 a.m., we teens must train our bodies with healthy routines to get the recommended 8.5 hours. By not complying, we limit our ability to concentrate, listen, learn and retain impor-tant information. Speaking of which, if you’ve forgotten how this article started, go take a nap and then read it again.

Political Issues Club (PIC) is a student-started, student-run club at the high school that met Friday morning for the first time. Although scheduled to meet Thursday, Sept. 20 at 7:15 a.m., the club ran into conflicts with student leadership groups.

PIC encourages students to debate hot topics much like the presidential debates will be, beginning in Octo-ber. Its main focus is for stu-dents to create solutions for the problems we face locally, nationally and internation-ally.

A huge variety of people can benefit from this group because the focus encom-passes a range of interests. Students interested in the economy, environmental policies, taxes, gun control, abortion, gay rights, educa-tion or women’s rights can all share their view points in a judgment-free atmosphere. By listening to other stu-dents expressing their own opinions, we can all expand our knowledge and better understand opposing view-points.

Advisers and teachers

Students overlook their brains’ nightly needs

DavisSenior Gwen

I get about six or seven hours

of sleep a night on average. I get the same amount

of sleep on the weekends too. I

get more sleep on Tuesdays because

I can wake up later.

FenechSenior Hanno

Normally I go to bed at 10:30

p.m. and wake up at 6:45 a.m. I get less sleep

on weekends because I don’t

like sleeping in past 8 p.m.

Tuesdays I get the same amount of

sleep. I just go to bed later.

BoyerSophomore Michaela

I get generally seven and a half hours of sleep a

night. I stay up texting friends

most nights, and I get more sleep on

the weekends.

WilliamsJunior Connor

Usually I try to get no less than

eight hours of sleep a night. I

don’t usually get more sleep on the weekend. I get way more

sleep on Tuesdays though.

Chris Dyvig and Robert Schmidt worked with juniors Jacob Pence, Taylor and Justin King to fine tune the details for the group meetings which will regularly be Friday mornings at 7:15 a.m. in rooms alternating between rooms 259 and 256. Dyvig estimated that Friday about 12 or 13 students showed up to participate, and he looks forward to an even bigger group in the future. The first meeting focused on organizing meeting ideas, establising the direction the group will take and procedures. They also went over the guest list. Walt Rogers is scheduled to give a talk Friday, Oct. 28 at the PIC meeting. Jeff Danielson is scheduled for two weeks from then. The group is also hoping to schedule dates for Matt Reisetter and Chuck Grassley to make guest appearances. The club is open to a lot of different varieties. They plan to advertise topics weekly. Walk-in traffic is welcomed. The fun for this election year is only getting started.

Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012HI-LINETiger

The

Sports7

Kemp By Staff Writer Maddie

AthleteWeekof

the

Senior runningback Jake Buck has carried 82 times for 355 yards and four touch-downs in five games. Buck is the Tiger’s leading rusher.

How did you prepare for the season?

We had early morning lifts with [Coach Dirk] Homewood and passing with the team on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

What’s it been like sharing carries with Nick Clark?

It’s been great. It gives me a chance to catch my breath, and it throws off defenses when we’re switching styles.

Halfway through the sea-son, what’s the highlight been? Being 5-0 is the high-light. It’s what we set out to do. It’s fun watching the team come together.

What do you do right be-fore a game to get ready?

I have seventh hour release, so I go home, take a quick nap, wake up, eat a PB&J sandwich and listen to loud music. Then I’m out the door.

Jake BuckFootball

TigersActionin

Football (5-0)Beat Linn-Mar 27-10

Next up: Cedar Rapids Prairieon Sept. 28 at 7:15 p.m.

awayVolleyball (15-7)

Went 4-0 at Tiger InviteNext up: Cedar Rapids Prairie

on Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. away Women’s CCNext up: East meet

on Sept. 27 at 4:30 p.m. at Bontrager Park

Men’s CCFinished 3rd at Marshalltown

Next up: East meeton Sept. 27 at 4:30 p.m.

at Bontrager ParkWomen’s Swimming Won the Cedar Rapids

Kennedy Cougar InvitationalNext up: Iowa City West

on Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. diving at homeMen’s Golf

Next up: Meeton Sept. 27 at 3:15 p.m. at Airport National Golf

Course

Sometimes a new coach means new things, but new

head men’s golf coach Dan Hensing is keeping things the

same. Former head coach Rich Strike stepped down this

year and handed over his position to Hensing, a re-source teacher at Cedar Falls High School.

From years of golf-ing experience, Hensing will always have advice to give the boys going into a tournament. Always hop-ing for that hole in one or birdie putt, coach Hensing always wants his golfers to just try their best.

“If we’re playing a di-visional or something, then I just tell them [men’s golf team] that if they get in trouble, [because ev-erybody can play good] make the smart shot and

just try to make par, make bo-gey and keep the large score

Hensing finds success with men’s golf; “struck it Rich”

off the card.”Coach Hensing’s love for

golf started at a young age and is still present while he’s coach-ing. He’s always curious to see how each golfer will perform. Hensing also enjoys playing in multiple golf tournaments whenever he gets the chance.

“I love golf. I’ve played since I was a kid. Basically since I’ve been an adult I’ve played in different tournaments. I play all summer in various tourna-ments and I really enjoy it].”

With many new golfer’s on the team — incoming freshman and newbies — coach Hensing always lends a helping hand.

“Actually, it’s going real well. We have a lot of kids on the team, so sometimes, someone might shoot 37 on the front nine and 48 on the

back nine, but that’s just a sign of inexperience, and they’ll get better as they get older.”

Coach Hensing said he “struck it Rich” being able to be mentored by Rich Strike, math-ematics teacher at Cedar Falls High School. Although Strike is no longer there every practice, Hensing still goes to Strike ev-ery so often to talk about ways to improve the golfers.

“He mentored me; he did a great job with running practice and what to do, especially with 59 kids out on the golf course. When it gets closer to the end of the season, [Strike and I] will try to find out what they really need help with and try to work on that more.”Head golf coach Dan Hensing

TigersActionin

Kayla Gardner photos

Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012 HI-LINETiger

The

CAPTURED8MACRO SAFARIAs a quick introduction to the new cameras, yearbook students went on 30-minute assignment to capture seventh period up close.

Photo by Anna LovePhoto by Christina Brammer

Photo by Allie Harris Photo by Anna Love

Photo by Anna Love Photo by Bailey Bartels

Photo by Evan Bowers