Above: View of the Rainforest Canopy, taken from La Selva’s Observation tower, just one of the many attrac-tions the lodge had to offer. From it, students saw several species of birds, and if they were lucky some monkeys.

A Tour Through Ecuador

As a new addition to the West High School Galapagos Trip, students now spend several days in the Rainforest areas of Ecuador. On March 13, the students left Quito after arriving the night before to travel through the Ecuadorian highlands to get the Amazonian region of the country. On the way, they were able to learn about the history, food, culture and day to day lifestyle of the people in Ecuador. They took several hikes, learned about some native plant life (such as the arbol de papel or paper tree), and visited some natural hot springs.

Left: The students started out the long bus ride through Ecuador in Quito, the capital city of Ec-uador. The city is built on a mountainside in the Andes, and is surrounded by volcanoes such as Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. Before taking off on their journey, the group breakfasted on the 7th floor of Ho-tel Quito and stocked up on snacks and water.

Below: After exiting the city limits of Quito, the group was soon immersed into the Ecuadorian Highlands. There, they viewed mountains touching the clouds and mist hanging in the valleys between the green mountains of the Andes. These lands are privately owned and farmed by the indigenous people who sometimes build their farms straight up a mountain side, instead of leveling off the land.

Above: Later in the first day of traveling, the group stopped to try some traditional Ecuadorian food. At this roadside stand, some in-digenous farmers were selling metzitos (corn), potatoes and pork. While ordering, students practiced their Spanish and learned about some of the common food in Ecuador (which includes guinea pig).

Right: During the second day of traveling, the students rode through a mountainside pass for four hours. With the pass behind them, the group stopped to use the bathroom of the roadside stop where these three girls were playing with their three yellow dogs (not pictured). The group also encountered a toucan at the stop before continuing on the Coca.

Photo Essay by Alissa Rothman

Above: The students took a two and a half hour boat ride from Coca to their destination of La Selva Lodge.Students enjoyed swimming with piranhas, viewing the jungle canopy from the lodge’s observation tower, and visiting the lodge’s butterfly farm.

After their long tenure in the southern re-gions, blackbirds and robins are returning to Iowa (above). They have been coming in large flocks for a week A rabbit prepares to flee (right) from 1029 Goldenrod Dr., Iowa City, on Monday morning as the pho-tographer stalks closer. These rabbits hide in burrows and bushes by night and feed by day.

A family of geese bask in a well-hidden pond on Tucson, Iowa city. The thick surrounding vegetation provides them good cover from passing pedestrians.

Having stayed inside the whole winter, domestic dogs take their first breath of spring. Almost all the families on Goldenrod Dr. have dogs, forcing the rabbits into a few safe backyards.

BRINKOF CIVILIZATION?

With the advent of spring, Iowa’s wildlife is returning. Rab-bits emerge from their burrows, toads appear, and birds return from their distant migration sites. This report puts a light on Iowa’s resident animals, something we have all been missing for a season. The neighborhoods on Iowa City’s eastern side are filled with rabbits, birds, dogs, toads, and more. These animals, wild or domestic, are a vital part of nature and the outdoors in Iowa City.

(All photos by Allan Liu)

EXPLORING IOWA CITY’S WILDLIFEBy Allan Liu

Adventures at the Field HouseBy Andy Stratton

The field house located on 599 S Grand Avenue in Iowa City not only offers a pool and a track but also ten basketball courts, about 25 raquetball courts, aerobics classrooms, and also an area called the fitness loft were there are about six multi purpose rooms which can be used for gymnastics, tae kwon do, or just a straight up workout room with weights. The field house also, with an exchange of an id or keys, you can get equipment for most of these activities.

Adventures at the Field House

Top: The outside entrance leads to six of the basketball courts at the U of I but the field house offers four more courts at a different location in the fieldhouse.

Below: Up to 25 racquetball courts are available for use at the field house.

Bottom: Multi purpose workout room located on the fifth floor of the U of I field house offers tae kwon do, gymnastics, and even some dance classes

Top: There are about ten hard floor rooms available for boxing, aerobics, and some were converted into putting rooms for the U of I golf teams.

At The Car WashThe ice cream melting through already sticky fingers, the water balloon stain already beginning to dry on the back of your

pants, and the neglected river of soapy water draining down the burning cement of your driveway; the only visible aftermath of the car wash. It’s clearly summertime when neighbors whip out their hoses on a Saturday afternoon and make their cars sparkle in the sun; when the streams form at the edge of their sidewalks. But where does all that sudsy fun go? It evaporates or runs into the drain. What a waste!

Robert Egeland demonstrates the proper way to clean a car by controlling the amount of water used with squirt guns, and “catching the drips” in different containers so the water can be re-used.

UPPER LEFT: A squirt gun blasts the soap off of the car. This is part of the new method for conserving water while washing a car.

LEFT: Washing Cars is serious business! Robert Egeland concentrates on finding the right container to catch the extra water in.

ABOVE: Egeland peers under the car to observe how well the water is being caught. He used a variety of con-tainers including a teapot, a watering can, and an empty Clorox container.

RIGHT: Egeland supervises the flow of water into the empty planter.

LEFT: The immense pine trees reflect off of the newly glistening hood of the car. The neighbors would never suspect this was the work of a 6-year-old.

BELOW: Robert Egeland searches for different containers to “catch the drips” in.

Photo Essay by Anna Egeland

Later, gatorAll photos by Betsy Paige

What do you get when you mix vehicles turning at 60 mph, giant hungry lizards, and 500 year old trees? No, VH1 is not giv-ing Flava Flav another dating show. It’s an airboat ride. With ease, these boats with giant fans strapped to the back of them can speed through the six inch water of the swamps. On a dime, they spin around and the passengers on this unusual contraption are face to face with twelve foot alliga-tor. Spin around again to the beach, and they see birds, bulls, bugs, and 20 miles of marshland.

Below: A full grown female lurks within the swamps, staring down all tourists. Far below: Bruce Kelly, an airboat ride tour guide, holds a very resistant baby crocodile,

Right: Spencer and Lisa Paige stand next to 500 year old trees near the swamps. “The trees look like they belong in Jurassic Park.” Spencer said.

Bottow right: A lonely bird rests on a sign within the swamps in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Right: A baby alligator “croaks” as Bruce Kelly shows him off to a boat of tourists.

Left: The corkscrew waits for happy kids to spiral down its curvy sur-face. The popularity of this piece of playground equipment is evident by the worn spots in the shiny orange paint. Below: After reaching the top of the space net, Jesse Robinson ‘12 and Sara Petersen ‘12 give a triumphant wave. Weber families held fundrais-ers to finance the newfangled net, a favorite of many of the school’s

Anticipation fills the air, and all eyes are on the clock. As soon as the big hand hits the one, children burst out of their seats and dash for the lockers. After snatching coats and jackets, the kids shove their way out the double doors, until they are finally outside under the shining sun. Recess is a break from learning, listening, writing and focusing. It provides endless op-portunities for children to exercise their imaginations. Many childhood memories are made on the playground, specifically on the play-structure. The connected swings, steps, slides and bars provide the perfect place for tag, hide and

Right: Ground was broken for Ir-ving B. Weber Elementary School in 1993, the year of tremendous flooding in the Iowa City area. The school now has two playgrounds, both located on the building’s west side.

C h iLdS PlaY

All photos by Caroline Van Voorhis

Above: This worn out basketball hoop is the site of many pick-up games during Weber recesses. The basketball hoop is a common fixture on many playgrounds. Left: Weber’s swings sit empty, waiting for the rush of children that will come at the sound of the recess bell. Although many new pieces of equipment have been added to playgrounds, swings have stood the test of time.

A group of Galapagos Land Iguannas relax on bartholomew island in the Galapagos. They are endemic to the islands, which means that this is the only place in the world where these creatures can be found. “It was incredible,” said Bennett Thompson ‘12, “I still can’t believe how cool the animals there were.”

Sunset at La Selva Lodge in the Amazon Rainforest is an amazing sight.These afternoon canoe rides are just one of the many activities sutdents got to ex-perience at the lodge. There were many hikes, along with some more unusual excursions, such as piranha fishing.

Sea lions play on the beach on the Gala-pagos Islands. These fun-lov-ing creatures are often con-fused for seals. The difference? Sea lions have ears, while seals don’t.

The sun glares down on a Prickly Pear Cactus, one of three types found in the Galapagos. These cacti are endemic to the islands, and the Prickly Pear Cactus is the most common species. They store water in their leaves, and are one of the only sources of fresh water on the islands

The Trip of a Lifetime

When 34 West High Students boarded a plane for Quito, they were excited for the adventure that awaited them. They had all heard the stories, and what amazing stories they were . Yet, nothing could really prepare them for what they were about to see. You see, these students were going on the West High Galapagos trip. They were going to visit these tiny, isolated islands and see them in all their glory. Between hanging out on the cruise ship and snorkel-ing, they had time to go on some amazing hikes, and ,thankfully, take some pictures.

By Daniel Rothman

LEFT Flamenco Beach is the pride and joy of Culebra. Consistently voted as one of the top ten beaches in the world, it is one and a half miles of pure paradise. The white sand is perpetually warm and the gentle waves are perfect for play.BELOW If Culebra is secluded, Culebrita, a tiny island closeby, is even more so. While the tourists flock to Flamenco, the locals prefer the peace and serenity of Culebrita’s Tortuga Beach. After a short hike through the ample wildlife to the other side of the island, incredible coral reefs are right off shore.

TOP RIGHT Puerto Rico, surrounded by the Carribean and the Atlan-tic Ocean, is home to some of the clear-est water on earth, even up close. TOP LEFT Culebra is to nap as San Juan is to party. San Juan is the big-gest city on the main island and, especially around Spring Break, you can feel the festive atmosphere in the crowded streets and brightly paint-ed buildings.

RESERVA

NATURALClose your eyes. You’re standing on a beach. The sun warms your back and silky

soft sand wedges between your toes. The tide rolls in, washing the impurities from your feet and ankles, licking at your knees. It recedes, pulling you out into the tran-quil turquoise waves. Beckoning you into its cool arms. For a moment you want to say okay. To let yourself go. To wash into serene nothingness. Welcome to Culebra.

Culebra is a small island of about four miles just east of Puerto Rico. It’s popu-laton is a mix of incredibly friendly and bilingual locals and a constant supply of tourists. Despite the many vacationers, Culebra remains calm, idyllic, and just plain natural.

ABOVE Until Culebra natives rose up during the 1970’s, Culebra was used for U.S. military target practice. The tank above is one of two bombing targets still remaining on Flamenco Beach. However, the tank serves not only as a reminder of the natural devastation is caused, but as a symbol of the beach’s preservation. Beacause unexploded bombs still reamain, megahotels are denied building on top of the gorgeous beach.

ABOVE In the center square of downtown San Juan, pigeons almost outnumber people. A huge flock gathers there, pecking at passersby. A similarly huge flock of enterprising locals also line the square, selling bags of pigeon food to sightseeing tourists wandering the city.

Photo Essay by Eleanor Marshall

On the way to Forbidden HillThe myth of a haunted hill

All Photos by Ellie Short

Every neighborhood has its scary stories. Some about the elderly lady who hates children, others about a specific house, and not its residents. On Freund Road the story there is about its haunted hill and the crazy man who lives on top. Everyone has misconceptions about where they live. Walking up forbidden hill can be scary to almost anyone, but what happens when you reach the top? No one ever knows until someone tries.

By Elena Anne Short

SHOWN ABOVE:Mail boxes seem harmless as they stand alone, by the street, but not all the time. Standing off of Freund Road a lonely mail box stands in wait, near

an even lonelier house resides alone, untouched. SHOWN RIGHT: A curvy path not many have treaded on for many different reasons. It’s said that if you walk this path “the old, crazy man will hot on site”. But in the past a brave grandmother, her granddaughter and dogs, Tiki, Tashi, and Jazz have walked this path.

SHOWN ABOVE: Little Rabby Fo Fo has been caught red handed. Mr. Fo Fo and his little conspirator have been spotted chasing little field mice through a near by forest. Rabby and friend are still run-ning rapid through the lush forest on Freund Road.

SHOWN RIGHT:Magical trees thought to grab you are common on Freund Road. Trees mobile only at midnight stand still, waiting to capture small children.

SHOWN ABOVE: A person’s path is endless but this is a path no one is willing to tread. Right off of Freund Road an untraveled path stands in wait. Only one person has traveled this path and he is the keeper of Forbidden Hill a name given by the children who live near by.

On The Road Again

Traveling has always been a fun way to pass time, see the world, and spend time with loved ones. Thanks to airlines, traveling to far away places is possible, but also extremely pricey, and with the down economy traveling by plane is hard to afford. But why should that stop you? Who said you need an airplane to travel? After all traveling by car is much easier and cheeper. All you need is a car, some friends and a destination. Plus what is a better way to see the world around you? If you don’t want to go to far, make it a day trip, you will be surpised at the things that are right in your backyard! So why are you still reading this? Instead you should be packing your bags, calling up your friends and planning your route, because its time for a road trip!

Photos and Captions by: Ellie Taylor

Above:This shows the natural beauty of Iowa, cornfields as far as the eye can see. Luckily there is a windmill every one and a while to mix things up! There is only once thing to do when driving in a scenery like this, nap!

Near Right: There is always lots to do in cities, seeing the people and all of the interesting shops, and the restaurants. Minneapolis, Minnesota is not exception. It is the biggest city in Min-nesota and you can always expect there to be lots of traffic!

Far Right: When on a road trip you can pretty much expect you will need to get some gas; but why should you sit there and inhale gasoline? Get out, and stretch those legs, and go inside where there is endless supply of treats and drinks. Who knows, you might get a little hungry in the car.

Top: Don’t forget the little ones either, Isaac Taylor, age 6, is the life of the party on the road. “I like to watch movies!” He says, so that means you better not forget the laptop!

Above: Driving. It is kind of hard to get some place without someone taking you there. The driver definitely has the title for most important person in the car. So driver, pop it the tunes and don’t forget hands on 10 and 2 o’clock.

Right: this proves that no matter how much things you bring there is always a way to fit it all in there. Sometimes, when desperate measures are needed don’t forget about those little hide always under the floor of the car.

Road To LifeBrayden Wilkes Goss

With pushing time approaching, Sarah Taylor (aunt), India Goss, and Melanie Foraker (mom) pose for the camera. The doctor had just come in and said that it was time to push. Having an epidural, it was all smiles for Goss. “I was watching the monitor go up and down showing my contractions,” Goss said, “I didn’t feel a thing.”

Left: Immediately after Brayden is weighed, measured and checked out by the nurse, Goss finally gets to hold her baby boy for the first time. Goss only had to push for 30 minutes. “I was so happy to see him,” Goss said, “It’s an amazing feeling being able to see someone that you’ve known for nine months, but never actually met.”

Above: Between shots, blood sugar tests and visits from family and friends, we finally got a picture of Brayden’s adorable feet. Goss was resting after birth and thought it would be a fabulous idea to take some pictures. “I love those feet,” said Goss.

Nine months had gone by; waiting in anticipation for March 18, 2009. The day has come and gone. India Goss ’11 finally had her baby on March 13, 2009. She had to be induced but ev-erything was worthwhile when she got to see her baby boy. His name is Brayden Wilkes Goss. He was eight pounds two ounces and 21 inches long. (A very healthy baby for being five days early.) From 8:00 A.M when India went to the hospital to begin induction until 1:05 P.M when she had Brayden, this is their story.

Left: And here he finally is! You see Brayden sleep-ing the world away. Ahh, the life of a baby. And look at that hair! “His hair was the first thing I saw,” said Taylor, “It’s deffinitely his main feature.”

Above: You see Brayden at his 20-week scan. He was perfectly healthy. This is when Goss found out she was having a boy. “I was going to be

angry if that ultrasound was wrong,” Foraker said.

Small Town ParkThe small town of Rockwell city doesn’t have a lot of entertainment besides the pool, race tracks, and the parks. Rockwell City, Iowa is a town around two thousand and five hundred people. Rockwell City was founded in 1873. It is slowly dying out. There are two main parks in Rockwell City Humpy Dumpty park built in 1973, but has been remodeled once in 2001. The newer park in Rockwell City is kids kingdom built in 2006. It is across from the town’s public pool. Not many people go to the park, in less it’s the summer, and the swimming pool is open. The Humpty Dumpty Park is never used.

Bottom Right: The Humpty dumpty merry go-round from its original structure is still in the park today. Though it isn’t as brightly colored it still spins, and is in pretty good shape. The Rockwell City Rotary club maintains the park.

Bottom Left: Humpty Dumpty Park was the first park in Rockwell City Iowa this is a sand box toy were you could dig a hole in the sand there are very few around today. They are quite old. This is from the parks original structure.

Left: Kid’s kingdom tire swing many of the kids enjoy the tire swing it’s highly liked. The Kids kingdom park was one of the newest structures built in Rock-well City. Most of the money used to build it was donated.

Bottom Left: Kids Kingdom also built a center for little kids with houses, sandbox, and tic-tac-toe games the kids can play if they don’t want to run around the park. Rockwell City population in 1990 was 2652 ever since then the population has been drop-ping.

Photos by Jami McClain

Left: A lone lifeguard tower stands about the beach. Although no lifeguard is ever on duty, you could see guests of the resort climbing it to look at the view from the top. Not to mention to stay away from the sun.

Below: A local artist’s imagination comes to life when you look at this life size creature summoning two smaller creatures who are climbing up a giant ladder the size of a two story house. The sculpture looks like it could come to life at any moment. Manytourists stop to make sure it won’t!

Right: Amongst the tourists and natives, a lone bench sits waiting for the next person to sit on it and enjoy the view of the ocean its next to.Below: In the midst of palm trees, pools, and servers at the Velas Vallarta Resorts and Suites, are pea-cocks. The peacocks usually can be roaming around the yards and occasionally stopping in to check on guests at the open restau-ran along the shore.

After a long flight and a terrible time fighting off people who are claiming to be helping you at the airport, (They are actually trying to sell you time shares) the Velas Vallarta Resorts and Suites is a good place to relax and take your troubles away. While there you will find that it is not uncommon to see a giant iguana just roaming around the pool area, or to see peacocks on the grasses and even inside the beach front restaurant. The service is great. You don’t even have to lift a finger. You can be laying out on the beach or even by the pool and all you have to do is tell one of there numerous servers what you’d like to drink or what you’d like to eat and they will bring it to you with out even making you get up. If you venture out of the resort to downtown Puerto Vallarta, you’ll see a lot of artwork and sculptures done by local artists lining the boardwalk. If you are trying to get away from the crazy life and are looking for somewhere that is laid back and perfect to go. . . This is a place that is worth checking out.

La Vida Loca

Above: After a long day in the sun, telling the natives who are selling things on the beach, “no, I don’t want to buy anything… maybe later,” and avoiding a massive sunburn, a couple decides to take a walk along the shores of the Puerto Vallarta beach.

Photos and Article by Kristin Fomon

Left:These swimmers are taking off for the 400 meter relay on March 15th, the last day of the swim meet. The start is one of the most important parts of a swimmers event; if they start too early it could cost them the race.

Below: To get re-hydrated after a race Gatorade is a favorite among the swim-mers. It’s very important to make sure your body has enough energy throughout the day, so that if you do make it to finals, later in the evening, you have enough energy to compete.

Above: This swimmer is competing in the finals for the 200 meter backstroke. Along with the start, flip turns are very important, especially in long distance events where numer-ous flip turns being done.

Swim meets are full of intensity and action, but can some times be stressful and with all the humidity around the pool it can be uncomfortable to sit AN WATCH. But today you can sit back, relax and rest your senses. There’s no need for your nose to smell the horrid chlorine, or your mouth to feel parched. You don’t have to hunch on top of the bleachers or hear the deafening cheers of the parents surrounding you. All you have to do it open your eyes and see the swim meet.

All photos by Leah Murray

SWIMMING

EXTRAVAGANZA Right: Each state competing in the Sectionals swim meet is represented with their states flag on the way into the pool. Iowans participate in the cen-tral Sectionals meet which includes four other states, Il-linois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan.

Below: The swim suits lined up here are ready to be bought and worn. Bright swimsuits, such as the ones seen here are often worn for practice, while tighter swimsuits are used when competing. The tight swim suits make it so the swimmer can be more dynamic in the water

Social Mood SwingsBy Mohamed Khalifa

When people are alone they seem to be in a different mood then when they are with other people. Sometimes the mood of people change when there in a social environment, or in a place where there is one or more person with them. Some people get happy when others are happy, some people get sad when others are sad and some people even get happy when others are sad. This brings out the individuality of some people and it also shows the lack

of originality others have. Another thing this essay shows is the way certain people feel about others. These ties in with people’s social skills and the

tolerance people have for the people that they are not to fond of.

the people in the photo are: Kaitlyne V., Ahmed Amin, Mohamed Nasra-din, Nasr Nasr, and Evan Goulding.The photo was taken at Pheasant Ridge a place right by West High. This picture depicts that everyone is in a good mood and none is in a dif-ferent then the majority.

In this picture is: Ciara Boyer, Allie Warren, Wissal Grass,Mckenzie Lytle, Mohamed Nouraldaim, Gabbi Uteg, and Mohamed Khalifa. This picture was taken in Mr.Langos World Religons class, this picture captures mostly everyone making the same face and all in the same mood.

The people in this photo are: Astacia Stewart, and Mohamed Nouraldaim. This picture was taken at the Nouraldaim residents, the importance of this photo is that both people are smiling which both of them are in a good and they want each other to be in a good mood if these two people are together.

In this picture are Mohamed nouraldaim and his little brother Ahmed Nouraldaim, it was also taken at Nouraldaim residence. This picture shows how sybling rvarly is like and how it changes peoples mood.

NO FLAME TOO HOT...Photos and Article by Rashid Moss

Above: Lots of bells and whistles are involved with using the fire hose on the new trucks.

Above: The men of the Coralville Fire Department just exstinguished a fire after a call, and still had time to pose for pictures for WSS. Coralville, Thank You. You are the best of the best.

Above: This is the NO2 air tank of the tool the “Jaws of Life”. if not used corectlly it can become dangerous. Something rarely forgotten, “safety first”.

Above: Hope and faith is felt as the lights of safety flash beside the American flag. Right: Before going out on a run. Matt Weldin is preparing his fire suit. This is a neccessity for every successful fireman.

The men of the Coralville Fire Rescue Department are always ready to accept a call. Whether you know them for running through burning 10 story buildings trying to find some old lady, or climbing a tree to get little Susie’s cat. These are the men we all look to when help is needed. With the Flag of the United States of America on the back of their fire-truck they draw special attention to the fact that they are proud to be Americans. Surrounded in glory with the faith of the citizens in their hands, they live up to their names…Heroes.

Above: With eyes focused on the newest model of trucks the fire depart-ment has, Matt Weldon remembers why he enjoys being a fireman. “My dad was actually a fire chief.” Matt says with pride.

RoadTrip By: Chelsee Birt Long car rides, frequent stops at Kum and Go, top 20, butt warmers, portable DVD players, a vast array of snacks, ten rounds of “eye spy”, a white suburban, and a Tom Tom. All of these make up the perfect road trip. Throw a teething almost one year old in there and it’s a perfect combination. It may not be as ideal as a week long getaway to a tropical island in the Caribbean, but it can be just as entertaining. Instead of relaxing swims in the ocean, you can take a bath in Grandma’s sink. Take out the hot beach and throw in a nap with the but warmer and your set for a good time.

Nine month old Jack prefers to scrub off all of the travel grime with a bath in Grandma’s sink instead of the bathtub. He enjoyed an a lukewarm soak with organic johnson & Johnson body wash and a little good ol’ Dawn. “Baa Baa,” he said,which means something along the lines of “This is the life.”

Above Right:Almost home! A stop sign on Pembrokeshire Dr in Coralville glows in the dusk welcoming us to our destination. It is the last stop before reaching home.

Right: Jack, nine months, and puppy are tired from a long day of driving around the midwest. The rest their eyes while lis-tening soothing classical music in a comfortable car seat.

Left: Why do you always crave milk when your’re gone on vacation? The Birt Caravan stops at the neatest Target to pick up some much needed calcium. And of course the Oreos were not forgotten.

All pictures by: Chelsee Birt

Above: A silver Camry speeds down interstate 494 while sneakily trying to avoid the abundent amount of police speed traps. Unfor-tunately it didn’t work. Two miles down the road they wre pulled over.

ABOVE : One bride’s dress mannequin is left naked in the store’s window, after one brides finally found her perfect dress hanging off it’s black velvet.

RIGHT: Luu brought her own handy sox of safety pins with her to the dress fitting. “ I perfer using mine,” She said, “I know they’ll always be right.” The pins are needed for the fitting process be-cause they help guide her where to cut, after the person the fit-ting is for has taken off the dress.

BELOW: Katherine Meredith , an honray brides-maid in her sister’s wedding, holds up her dress so that Luu can pin it . “I don’t think I’ll ever be 100% sure what I like it as. Just cut it now and we’ll hope for the best.” said Meredith reffering to the length and width she wants for her dress.

Schaffers bridal store at Des Monies’ Jordan creek was full of Bridezillas and helpless as-sistances on Thursday, March 19. All was just as it should be for the small apartment sized store, the bride-to-be’s found their perfect dresses and the bridesmaids were met with hor-ror at the sight of the obsence dresses they will be forced to wear. But the sizes never fit quite right and thus the Schaf-fers seemstress, Luu, is called upon. The Hunt for the perfect fit, acessories, and shoes is on.

LEFT: Schaffers is known for not only their wide selection of dresses and wonderful service, but also their acessories and shoes. Sometimes all it takes to make an outfit is the right pair of shoes. All of the shoes on the floor are size 6 . However they also have other sizes in the back.

RIGHT: “How about this one?” asks Katherine Meredith to her mother, wondering how the white flower hair pin would look with her dress. “ Is it too showy for the wedding?”

Dress Me

Photos By Sofia Meredith

Up

Lil ‘uns like this kid here go to “ski school” where they learn skiing basics by expert0level instructors. It’s easy to see that this tyke is being cautious; hsi arms are oustretched and he’s skiing sideways across the hill. Later, he’ll be encouraged to ski like a demon, but for now he just snowplows down the slope. Perhaps in a few years we’ll

see him going down the Holy Cow run, depending on how much he practices….

Oftentimes trail names can depict what the trail is like. “Holy Cow,” accurately named, is an extremely steep, narrow, and bumpy run. However, even it doesn’t match “extreme terrain” such as “dynamo” in terms of difficulty. Double black runs are considered to be “expert only,” but the extreme terrain only occurs at

the top of the mountain itself.

Skiing is not easy. When you go too fast or lose control, you’ll genrally find yourself face-down on the ground, especially on the tougher slopes. All you can do is get back up, but this is tough with skis, and even tougher

on steep slopes. If you’re really desperate, you can take your skis off and slide down the hill on your tush.

Terain parks provide tricks and jumps for skiers and snowborders, including boxes, rails, and plain ol mounds of snow. Jumping high can be fun, but going too fast and losing control can easily lead one to catch too much air and land….hard. Be a tad careful on these slopes, even though they’re not too steep, because if you don’t see where you’re jumping, you may very well land on somebody, and that’s no good.

Gondola are used to ferry people across and over the mountain.. Back in the cay, they carried miners off to the slopes to search for precious ores, but now they transport people off into skiers paradise

while providing a truly spectacular view. Dogs are occasionally allowed in them, but not all the time.

Photos compiled by Garrett Anstreicher

ON THE SLOPESSKIING IN TELLURIDE, COLORADO Want to go to a nice, warm place for spring break? Too bad. Telluride, Colorado is a ski resort in the wintry mountain air with two small towns on opposite sides of a mountain connected by a gondola. It’s a vey high-end place, with $7 hamburgers and Sotheby signs next to rotting mine shacks, but despite the costs its considered to be on of the best ski resorts in America. With dramatic anc challenging ski slopes that provide endless entertainment, horror (though hopefully not very often), and incredible mountain views, Telluride is truly picture perfect.

THE IRISHSYNDROME

Left: Shannon’s Fancy played at Uptown Bills which marked the third time the band has played together, for practice or for gigs. The space was small, the stage barely even raised, but the sound was good, and it had a nice homey feel to it.Below: Guy plays the violin to a traditional Irish jig, seem-ing to put all his passion into the bow. Guy explained how he wishes he will go back to Ireland and find a nice little bar where he can live as long as he plays the fiddle in the bar every night.

The Irish Syndrome is a relatively unknown sickness that has been sweeping the nation ever since those gingers made it into our country. No one is immune to this extremely contagious disease and the Irish Syndrome is usually contracted from listening to various Irish folk bands. Some symptoms may include, but aren’t limited to; tapping your fingers or feet, ungues to stand up and dance, and make wild vocal calls at key moments in Irish jigs.

In all seriousness, Shannon’s Fancy, a four man traditional Irish band, made their small crowd at Uptown Bills all experience a serious case of Irish Syndrome.

Although it was Shannon’s Fancy’s first gig, they tore away at complex songs, using three part harmony and instrumental jigs that made River Dance seem as mellow as a beatnik on decaf. It’s safe to say that everyone there fell victim to a horrible case of The Irish Syndrome.

Created and designed by Jake Ross-Sheehy

Dave is Shannon’s Fancy’s backup vocalists, lead violinist, backup gui-tar, and also plays the tin whistle, a very Irish instrument, in a few songs. Dave and Guy have worked lots of songs together, Dave actu-ally taught Guy the art of Irish music. Durring the performence Dave sang lead vocals and played guitar on a song he wrote himself.

Above: Andrew Sheehy, Lead vocals, sings to one of his wife’s favorite song’s, The Raggle Taggle Gypsyo, a song, according to Shee-hy, that’s about a man coming home to find that his wife has run away with a gypsy man.Left: Larry is playing a interment called a man-dolin, used in pretty much every song that was played, either by Mike or by Guy. It sounds similar to a guitar, but more plucky and sharp.

(Right) As well as being turned into a shopping center, a part of the station has also been turned into a Marriot Ho-tel. This Marriot is listed as a Historical Hotel of America.

(Bottom) St. Louis Union Sta-tion is one of the landmarks of St. Louis. It used to be a work-ing train station, but today it is just a shopping center. It was built in the 1980’s by German-born architect Theodore C. Link. In 1980 the station was restored for 150 million dollars.

People walk past St. Louis’ most famous attraction; The St. Louis Arch. The Arch was completed on October 28, 1965 and designed by architect Eero Saarinen. The Arch is 630 feet tall and 630 feet wide.

Gateway CityAll photos by Tim YuSt. Louis is nicknamed the Gateway City because it is seen as the dividing mark of the west and east of the United States. St. Louis was founded by two French Explorers, Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette. It was named after the French King, Louis XIV. St. Louis is filled with his-tory but also has a modern feel. There are many attractions that are old and new, from the St. Louis arch and the St. Louis Union Station to the newly built baseball stadium, Busch Stadium.

Cars wait to go at a stoplight on Market Street. Market Street is one of the main streets in downtown St. Louis and many of St. Louis’ attractions and buildings are located on it.