PELLADIUMDELAYS ONCE A WEEK?

KENTUCKY FRIEDCHRISTMAS

P. 2 P. 11

THE PELLA COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL NEWS PUBLICATION

12. 20. 2011Volume 24, Issue 4

WHAT’S CHANGED?Since April 20, 1999 when two students walked into their high school and killed 13 or April 16, 2007 when a college student went through campus and killed 32. Both the Columbine and the Virginia Tech massacres have grabbed more than their fair share of headlines, but

has our school made the proper adjustments in the wake of these tradgedies?

PellaCorporationhasrecentlybeenforcedduetotheeconomytomake198cutswithinthe Pella manufacturing plant. Senior Morgan Sprunk has had to deal with this issuefirsthand,ashermother,LorettaSprunk,was recently laid-offfromherpositionas themanagerofcustomerservice. “Idon’trememberthespecificdatebutitwasaWednesdaymorningthattheywerelayingoffpeople.She[Loretta]steppedintothedoorofwork, anda ladywas standing therewaiting forher.The ladytookhertoameetingroomwheretheytoldher.Mymomhadn’tevenseenherdeskthatday,”saidMorgan. The United States housing market hassuffered through the nation’s economicdownturn. Because of this, Pella Corp.,which specializes in manufacturingwindows and doors, has also taken a financial hit.Despite attempts to keep employed as many currentworkersaspossible, thecompanywas forcedtomakecuts. “It hasn’t affected us financially too much rightnow.Butsincemomdoesstayhome,shehasgottentocompletealotofhousework.Sometimes,Iwillcomehomeandmybedismade,myroomispickedup,andshewillbedoingmylaundry,”saidMorgan. Deciding who to layoff from a suffering company is always a difficult and tediousprocess.PellaCorp.was forcedtomakethesetoughchoices.Morganshareedwhatherfamilyassumedtobecontributingreasonsforhermotherspecificallytobelaid-off,buttheseassumptionshavenotbeenexpressedto,orconfirmed,byPellaCorp.

“Abouttwoyearsagoshestartedhavingseizuresandwasdiagnosedwithepilepsy.Thishascausedhermemorytobeataloss,butnottotally.Shecanrememberthings,butittakesherawhiletoprocessit,andsometimesshedoesn’trememberatall,”saidMorgan.“Well,whenPellawaslookingatwhotheyshouldlayoff,theylookedatpeople’sassessmentsandhowtheyhavedone.Mymomhasn’tdoneabadjobatwork,itjusthas

beenastruggleforhertodoherbestlikesheusedto.So,thiscouldhavebeenafactorinbeinglaidoff,becausetheywanttohavepeoplewhocandotheirbestandgive100%.

PellaCorp.hasbeenmakingeffortstoplacetheformeremployeesinnewareasofwork.ForLoretta,shehasplannedadifferentroute.

“Well,sincemymomdoeshaveepilepsy,shehasappliedfordisability.Afterthatshewillbeonunemployment,”saidMorgan.

Morganshareswhatherfamilyconsiderstobeanotherpotentialreason.

“Also,anotherreasonmaybethatmydadalsoworksatPellaCorp.

inthefinancedepartment.Sincebothofthemworkthere,itmayhavebeeneasierforPellatolaymymomoff,

becausetheyknewthatwewouldstillhaveanincomeforourfamily,”saidMorgan.EvenwiththisunfortunatechangefortheSprunks,Morganhasexperiencedpositive

outcomesaswell.“Itwashelpfulthatshewasn’tworkingduringtheweekofstateforForté,becauseshe

wasalwaysthereifanybodyneededher.Icouldcallherduringtheday,andshecouldhelpmeordowhatIneededhertodo,becauseshedidn’thaveanythingelsetodo.”

•TiffanyCarter(tc.pelladium@gmail.com)

2 12. 20. 2011NEWSPAGE EDITOR: JILLIAN SAGERS

WhenonethinksofPella, thetraditionofsuccessoftencomes to mind. Be it in sports, academics, band, oranyotherextracurricular,Pellahasbeennear thetop.Despiteallitexcelsin,thereisonecategorywherePella

ranksnearthebottominthewholestate:staffdevelopmenthours. Studies have shown that in order to implement something into aschoolsystem,itwouldtakeabout50to80hourstogetitdone.Asofthisyear,Pellahasonly20hoursofstaffdevelopment,lessthanhalfofwhatmostschoolsintheareahave. “Ourschoolhasdefinitelyexperiencedtremendoussuccessinrecentyears, but in today’s society, youhave to continue to improve if youwanttostayaheadofthegame,”saidassistantprincipalJonMuller. Inpastyears,thestaffdevelopmenthourshavecomeintheformofearlyouts,butstartingthisyear,theschoolhasswitchedtolatestarts,whichtakeplaceonceamonth.However, thisswitchdidnothingtoincreasetheamountofhours,sosomethingelsestillhadtobedone. Throughtheprocessofmanymeetings,theBoardAdvisoryCouncil,the district leadership team, and the building leadership team cameupwithfourdifferentplans,andthenfinallydecidedononethatwillbeput intoeffect starting the2012-2013 schoolyear. Insteadof justthemonthlytwo-hourlatestarts,theschoolwillbehavingweekly90minutelatestartsonallweeksthatareatleastfourdayslong.Notonlywill thisboost the total staffdevelopmenthours to68,but itwillbedonewithoutaddinganydaysontotheschoolyear. “Whatwearedoingiscountingtheparent-teacherconferencehours

as days, which we have never done before, though almost all otherschoolsdo.Thisway,insteadofhavingtoaddanyminutestotheday,wewill justhave178studentcontactdays insteadoftheusual180,”saidPrincipalEricNelson. Though these meetings may be valued by students only for thepreciousextraminutesofsleep,littledotheyknowthatstepsarebeingtakentobetterpreparethemforcollegeandfuturecareers. “Intoday’sworld,themainpurposeofeducationistoteachkidshowtoapplywhattheylearn.Theydon’tneedtomemorizethingsthattheycouldlookupontheInternetinfiveseconds,butwhattheydoneedtoknowishowtoapplythatinformationtotheirlives,”saidMuller. “DoingaposterontheCivilWarwhereyoujusthavetolistfivefactsrequiresalmostnothought.Whatkidsneedtolearntodoisanalyzethesituationandwhythingshappenedtheywaytheydid,”saidNelson. Tohelp institute this idea, thehighschool isgoing tousea systemcalledAuthenticIntellectualWork(AIW).Thisisascoringsystemforteachers to see if tasks, instructionandstudentworkhave"rigorandrelevance."Eachdepartmentofteacherswillmeetanddiscusswaysthatcertainteachingstylescanbemoreeffective. Itwouldbeveryeasyforthehighschooltobecomecomplacentwiththe accolades it has garnered in recent years. However, instead, thedistrict looks to not only maintain what the student body and staffhavedone,buttocontinuetobuildforyearstocome.

•NathanClayberg(nc.pelladium@gmail.com)

Staff development escalates to 68 hours

•GraphicbyBlakeLanser

•Graphic b

y Blake L

anser

Pella Corp. cuts affect community

Newhomesforsalereachedarecordlowof162,000 inOctober.

17outofthe20majorcitiestrackedbytheStandard&Poor'sCase-ShillerindexshowedhousingpricesdroppingfromAugust.

>>>

>>>>>> AccordingtotheFederal

Reserve,theslowdownhasaffectedwoodproductsandrelatedproductswithemploymentfallingfrom7.3%to5.9%inthelastyear.

The Housing Market

312. 20. 2011 LIFE PAGE EDITOR: MADDY SCHOLTEN

Agroupofstudentsdedicatedtheirtimeand talent tobringingChristmas cheer toPellaandbeyond.Madrigalsareagroupof20singersthatfocusonChristmascarolingandperformingaroundPella. They will also bemaking a trip to theMallofAmerica.Topulloff their performances,alotoftimeneedstobeputintorehearsing. “At the beginning ofthe season, we practicethree times a weekfor two hours,” saidchoir director MichelleChaplin. Getting intoMadrigals is no easytask; to make it in,students need tocompete with around100studentsandmakethetop20. “[The students] can be in either choir,selectchoirorconcertchoir.Theyauditionintwo-to-threerounds;theylearnacoupleofsongs,andtheyneedtosinginharmonywithotherstudents,”saidChaplin.

The Madrigals is a great experience formany of the students, and gives them achancetoadvancetheirmusicalskills. “It gives them a unique opportunity to

singwithatalentedgroup of students,”saidChaplin.Madrigals performthroughout theChristmas seasonat venues aroundPella, and thepinnacle of theirseasoncomesattheMallofAmerica.“I think they alllookforwardtotheMall of Americaperformance,” saidChaplin. “I lookforwardtotheMallofAmerica.Youget

tomessaroundforawhileandyousinglikeonetime,”saidfreshmanColtonBradley. Look forMadrigalsperforming throughouttheholidayseason.•GregoryFrommelt(gregf.pelladium@gmail.com)

Madrigals spread holiday cheer

Social networking has its benefits, and for seniors PatDielemanandBenjiMcElroy,ithasenabledthemtohaveawholenewwayofexpressingthemselves.

McElroy and Dieleman have been writing lyrics sincethesummeroftheirjunioryear,andhavebeencreativelyexpressing them in rap music. Their rap songs have hadover1,500hitsinthepastcouplemonths,andstudents have begun to recognize their music.Theirbandnameis“FastBreak,”anamecoinedbyMcElroy.

“We’vebeentakingitmoreseriously;initiallythewholethingwasajoke.Thefirstsong‘IntheBack Door’ was just a joke about a topic thatwethoughtwouldbefunnytorapabout,”saidDieleman.

The twohave tag-teamedfive songson theirwebsite since midsummer and have used theirsongs to creatively express themselves. Theyuse equipment that McElroy purchased hissophomoreyearanddoalloftherecordingfortherapsontheirowntime.Thetwoposttheirlinks to Facebook, and in turn their interestedfriendsvisitthelink.

Therappingstartedjustforfun,buttheirrecentsuccesswithclassmateshaveinspiredthemtocreatemoresongs.Theymightevencreatet-shirtsoncetheyget2,000viewsontheirwebsite.

“[Rapping]isharderthanyouthink.Ifyouhearourvery

firstsong, it’ssobad.Iknowwehavegottenbettersincethen.Itseemslikegoinginthatrappingcan’tbethathardtosaywordstoabeat,butonehastoknowhowmanybarsareineachbeat.Youhavetoknowhowyouaregoingtosaythelyrics,andyoucaneitherwritelyricsoryoucan’t,”saidDieleman.

Althoughthetwodon’tmaketheirownbeats,theirlyricsarecompletelyoriginal.TheyuseGoogleDocsinordertosharelyrics,andusetheircellphonestostoredraftsofideasthattheyhavethroughouttheday.Thetwowritetheirownlyrics,sothelyricsthatDielemansings,Dielemanwrites,

andthelyricsthatMcElroysings,McElroywrites.Withallrapsongs,concernsariseaboutthecontentof

thelyrics.Thelyricsdocontain‘questionable’language,butMcElroystillletshismomlistentothelyrics.Dieleman,ontheotherhand,doesn’tsharehiscreativitywithhisparents.

“My mom and dad are both pretty impressed by thequalityofthemusic,Idon’tknowiftheylikethelyricsthough,”saidMcElroy

“...I don’t let my mom listen to it,” addedDieleman.

Regardlessofthecontentornot,FastBreakhasdefinitely gained a fan base, one that doesn’t gounnoticed. Many have even approached the twoatschoolandcomplimentedthemontheirlyrics.

“I thought it was really good for them justmaking itupon theirown. It sounded like real,actually produced music,” said junior BrookeKirby.

Evenwith the success thatFastBreakhashadwiththeirmusiclocally,therewillalwaysbethosewhocriticize.SomeofthosemakeemptythreatsofcompetingwithFastBreak.However,McElroyandDielemanbelievethosepeoplecan’ttalkuntil

theyactuallyshowtheirtalent.“Iappreciatethecriticismactually,becausethenitmakes

usgetbetter,”saidMcElroy.•MadelineMeyer(mm.pelladium@gmail.com)

Dieleman, McElroy express creativity through making music

VanWeelden enables students to trade Unwanted tickets are normallyanuisance,untilalumniShaunVanWeeldendecidedtochangethat and created a group forIowaStateUniversitystudentsthat allowed students to tradeand sell tickets to games theyareunabletoattend. “I started ‘ISUTicketTrader’on Facebook back in August,when I noticed that other IowaState Pages didn’t focus on justticket sales. I wanted to primarilyfocusonticketsforsale,andawayforstudentstoconnect,”saidVanWeelden. VanWeelden’s purpose for the page wastomakeconnectingstudentswithticketstotradeaseasyaspossible. “Alotofpeopleknowaboutthesitebutnoonereallyknowsitwasme.WhenIfirststartedthesite,IdidalotofadvertisingonotherIowaStatepagesandpapersigns,butnowthesite is sowellknownthatIdon’treally need to advertise anymore,” saidVanWeelden. The site has moved from being barelybeingknowntoover640students.Sofar,roughly1,200ticketshavebeentraded.

“Allstudentshavetodoischeckoutwhoposted about a ticket, work out a price,and go meet them later to pick up theticket.Thepagereallyrunsitself,whichisawesome,”saidVanWeelden. ISUTicketTrader is the easiest, fastestand most convenient way for students tosellunwantedtickets.VanWeeldenisproudoftheworkhehascreatedandisexcitedtoseethesiteprosper. “I am really excited to see it growthrough the basketball season, and I can’twait fornext year to seehowbig it gets,”saidVanWeeldon.•WhittneyReinier(wr.pelladium@gmail.com)

SeniorJoellaGerberpreparesforupcomingMadrigalperformances.•PhotobyBlakeLanser.

•Photosubmitted.

•Graphic by Micah Zeimetz

4 12. 20 2011LIFEPAGE EDITOR: WHITTNEY REINIER

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SeniorTaylorTerpstraisn’tsupportingacause; he’s created one via silicone brace-letscallingattentionto“I<3Orphans.”Students attending CORE, a high schoolyouthgroup,andTheMix,amiddleschoolyouth group, at Third Reformed Churchare on a mission to build an orphanagein Uganda. Craig Zuithoff, director ofstudent ministries, is leading this missionthrough Father’s Divine Love Ministriesand connecting though an organizationcalledHeartworkinColoradoSprings.Onamission to raiseapproximately$20,680,TerpstrasprunganideaonZuithofftosellsiliconebraceletsthatsaid“I<3Orphans”. “[Terpstra]wasreallyexcitedandhadal-readytalkedtosomeotherstudentstoseewhattheywouldthink.Plus,whenhecametotalktomehehadalreadydonesomere-searchonwhereandhowtoorder them,”saidZuithoff. After Terstpra spoke to Zuithoff aboutthe bracelets, Zuithoff helped set up ameeting and waited for the shipment tocomeinbeforesellingthemwiththehelpofTerpstra’sbrother,sisterandothersfromtheprayergroupatThirdcalledKingdom. “I have to givemy youth leader,Craig,credit.Heputmyideaintoactionbypro-viding finances and ordering [the brace-lets],”saidTerpstra.

The popularity of the orphan braceletshasexploded.AccordingtoTerpstra,peoplewillbuyupto fourata time.Theprojecthas grown to have more shipments andexclusivecolors ,suchaspurpleandblack,insteadofthetraditionalteal. At this point, the youth ministries andothers from the church have raised over$25,000fortheorphanage. “Ithoughtthathisprojectmaytakethewhole school year to accomplish, but themoney was raised in just about a month!To raise themoney, other studentswouldworkextrajobs,giveawaytheirtipmoney,donatetheirbirthdaymoneyandhavesoldsomeoftheirpossessions,”saidZuithoff. Zuithoff believes God is calling themto possibly start a second orphanage withthe extra money and motivation. On theotherhand,Terpstrabelievestheorphanagein Uganda symbolizes what the ministrywantstoaccomplishinAfrica. “I can’t take full credit for thebraceletsbecauseofsomanypeoplethatprayedandhelpedtheidea,too.Itwasn’tjustanidea,butafullblownproject,andthat’swhyI’mso thankful that, as a community,we canmake a difference in many other peoples’lives,”saidTerpstra.•SarahMuller(sm.pelladium@gmail.com)

Theseasonofgivingisinfullswing,andstudentsaregettingintotheholidayspirit.TheChristmasfundraiser,organizedbythestudentcouncil,offeredincentivesforstudentstoparticipateinthefooddriveforthePellaFoodShelf. ThestudentcouncilhasbeensponsoringafooddrivefortheFoodShelf,locatedatPeaceLutheranChurch,forthepast10years.Studentswereaskedtobringinasmanycannedfooditemsaspossibletohelpwiththedrive.However,thisyearstudentcouncilmembersdecidedtoaddanextraincentivetothefooddrive. “Forthefirsttimethisyear,asstudentsbroughtincannedgoods,weofferedincentives.Forbringinginfivecans,thestudentreceived10extracreditpointsforaclass.20canswasatwodayextensiononahomeworkassignment,and30cansallowedastudenttoretakeatest,”saidteacherandstudentcounciladvisorDakRasmussen. The student councilproposed thisnewplan inhopesof achievinggreater success in the fooddrive.As a fundraiser aimed tohelpsupportthecommunity,maximizingresultswasthemainpriorityforthestudentcouncil. “Thefirstfewyearswedidthis,wehadhugesuccess,butovertheyearsithasdeclined.Aleadershipconferenceat-tendedbythestudentcouncilinNovemberhelpedpiecetogethertheideaofofferingincentives.Weseeitasawaytohelpenergizeandmotivatethestudentbodyintohelp-ingoutthoseinneed,”saidRasmussen.

Aswellashelpingthoseinneed,thefooddrivehelpedtobetterstudents’grades.Whileitwasoptionalforteacherstoparticipate,thestudentcouncilfoundthatmoreteachers

agreedtoallowtheincentivesintheirclassthannot.Whenstudentsbroughtthecansin,theyreceivedacouponbasedonthenumberofcansbrought.Studentscouldthentakethesecouponstotheparticipatingteachersandreceivetheben-

efits. “IbroughtcansforthefooddrivebecauseInoticedsomeofmygradeswerenotasgoodasIwantedthemtobe.Iusedmycouponformyphysicsclasstoreceiveextracredit.IwasgladthatIcouldhelpmyselfoutaswellas

helpothers,”saidfreshmanJeannieEtnyre.Theofficialkick-offoftheeventwasDec.7;thelastofthecanswerecollectedonDec.19.Intotal,studentscontributedover2,000cansof

food.Theuseofincentivesandthespiritofgivingledtheschooltogreatsuccessinthedrive. “Thecandrivewentverywellthisyear,andtheincentivepro-gramseemedtoworkwellwithmanyofthestudents.Beinghigh

schoolstudents,wedonotalwaysthinkaboutothers,andIthinkthatthisfooddriveincentiveprogramwasagoodwaytogetwhatwewantedaccomplished-tohelpoutthePellaFoodShelf and the families inneed,” saidStudentBodyPresidentTaylorRennich,senior.

•MaddyScholten(maddys.pelladium@gmail.com)

Terpstra helps raise aware-ness through bracelets

Student Council devises new plan for winter food drive

Native draws spotlighton national level

•GraphicbyJillianSagers

Pella natives are familiar with thespotlight. Dave Keuning performs underspotlights at Killers’ concerts, and KyleKorverdrainsthreesattheUnitedCenter.Melanie Mapes, daughter of food serviceemployee Deb DeNooy, had her momentunderthespotlightearlierthismonth. Mapes, a member of the 2000 TulipTime Court, was featured on an episodeof HGTV’s “House Hunters” on Dec. 6with her husband Joe. “House Hunters”is a television program that takes viewersbehind the scenes as a person, couple orfamily is given several options for a newhome. The couple applied in April, thenreceivedacallaweeklaterinformingthemthattheyhadmadethecut. To apply for “House Hunters,” acontestantmustfilloutanapplicationandsendinavideotoHGTV,makingapitchforwhytheyshouldbefeatured.ThepeopleatHGTVthendecidewhotochoose,andinform potential contestants. They thennarrowitdowntothecontestantsthatwillbefeatured.Theshowandcontestantsthenneedtogothroughaseriesofpaperwork,signing location and appearance releases.The show then picks a date to beginshooting. Shooting often takes four-to-five days,and the actual shooting for the show can

be a gruelingp r o c e s s .Due topreparationof lightingand filmingfor eachroom,itcouldtakeuptosevenhourstoproperlyvideotapethetourofahouse. “Iwasworriedourfirstdayoffilmingwewouldappearabitawkwardoncamera,butIthinkwedidOK,”saidMapes. DeNooy noted that even though theshowisshotinreality-style,everythingisn’talways“reality.” “They sometimes would prompt[Melanie]tosaysomething,andwhensheheardsomeofthestuffshethoughtitdidn’tsoundlikesomethingshewouldsay.She’salittlebitafraidthatsomeofthatwillbeontheshow,”saidDeNooy. DeNooy still finds the entire situationexcitingandalittletoughtograsp. “It’s really exciting [that shewason theshow],butit’skindofabitsurreal.Imeanshe’s just a little old kid from Pella,” saidDeNooy.TheshowairsagainonDec.29at7:30p.m.(CST).

•MitchShepperd(mps.pelladium@gmail.com)

512.20.2011 SPORTS PAGE EDITOR: MADELINE MEYER

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Aswinter sports startup,boysbasketballhasgarnered50athletesforits2011-2012season. “Wehave50boys fromgrades9-12whoarecurrentlyout, and we have 17 varsity, 15 junior varsity and 18freshman.Wegenerallyrunfromthelow40’stothelow50’s,”saidboys’basketballcoach,MarkCore. Inadditiontotheplayers,therearefourcoaches:Core,MikeBallenger,PhilHemmingandJimDingeman;threestudentassistantsandonemanager. Thevarsityteamconsistsof10seniors,threejuniorsandfoursophomores, fora totalof17members.Choosingavarsityteamisneveraneasytask,anditposedchallengestothecoachesandplayersalike. Senior Brennan Mejia and DanielTiskevics were bothofferedtheoptionofpracticingwithvarsitybutnotplayingany games, or playing on junior varsity. Both ultimatelychosetonotparticipateinbasketballthisyear. “Istartedbasketballmysophomoreyear.Ididn’tworkatitoverthesummer.Iwouldhavebeenapracticeplayer[forvarsity].Iwouldn’thavegottentoplayinanygames,soIchosenottoplay,”saidTiskevics. Regardless of how large teams get, it is the policy oftheschooldistrictnottomakecuts,ornotletindividualsparticipateinanactivity.

“It’s philisophical. We want to give everyone theopportunitytoparticipate.Ifakidlikesasport,thencomeoutforit.IfthatmeansofferingmoreJVgames,thenthat’swhatwillhappen,”saidathleticdirectorDaleOtte. Despitetheassumptionofmanyspectatorsthatjuniorsandseniorswillmakeupthemajorityofthevarsitysquad,Coremaintainsthatthereisnoprecedentthecoacheslooktomaintainwhenselectingateam. “I don’t know if there is a norm. I look at how theindividualswillcontributetotheteam,regardlessofwhatgradethey’rein.Overtheyears,thetrendistohavejuniorsandseniorsdominateavarsityteam,butthere isa lotofvariation that can occur on a year to year basis, and wecannotpredicthow,whenandwhythatoccurs,”saidCore. Contrarytosportslikecrosscountryandtrack,therearefewbasic“measurements,”suchasatimeinafivekilometerrace,tobaseavarsityteamon. “Coacheshavetoconsideralotofintangibleslikesize,speed,skill levelandtheabilitytoworkwithotherpeople.IfallIneededtolookatwaseveryone’stimeinthe40orbenchpressitwouldbedifferent,”saidCore. Thebasketballplayers,regardlessoftheteamtheyareon,generallyagreewiththecoaches’decision.

JuniorWadePingel,whochosetobeonjuniorvarsityof

varsitybecauseoftheopportunityformoreplayingtime,agreedwiththecoaches’decisionregardingthemake-upofthevarsitysquad. “Thereare a lotofplayers anda lotof talent,but fewjerseys.He[Core]didwhathehadtodo,andIagreewiththatdecision.Heputplayerswherehehadtoputthem,”saidPingel. JuniorMattKlein,whoisplayingonjuniorvarsity,alsoagreeswiththefinalteams. “We get more repetition in practice, and we will getmoreplayingtime.Youjustneedtotakeadvantageofit.He[Core]lookstoputforththebestsquadpossible,andtosucceedintheseason.Itwasunexpectedatfirst,butIthinkitwasagooddecisionanditwillhelpthesophomoresevenmorefornextyear,”saidKlein. Regardlessofthemake-upofthesquads,theplayersareall excited for the upcoming season and the team matestheywillplaywith. “Wehaveagreatgroupofguyswholiketoworkhardand get better every day, so I’m excited to see what thisseasonhastohold,”saidseniorTaylorCox.

•AlexanderRopes(ar.peladium@gmail.com)

Boys’ basketball copes with growing numbers

For years, Pella has enjoyed tremendous success in awidevarietyofextracurriculars.Thismaybeattributedtosuperiorcoachingorgreatfacilities,butitmayalsobeduetoastrengthandconditioningprogramthatathleteshaveboughtinto. In fact, athletes aren’t the only ones who have joinedthisidea.Ayearandahalfago,TravisSterling,theownerand practitioner of Sterling Physical Therapy, donated afull-time strength and conditioning coach to the school.Themostrecentcoach,JonHaugen,workedwithall theathletesinthemorningsduringthesummerandhasalsobeenavailableinthemorningssincethestartoftheschoolyear. Athletic teams have made several state appearancesin different sports over the past few years. Many playersandcoachesattributethesesuccesses,inlargepart,tothestrengthandconditioningeffortputinbythestudents. “Weareable toask themquestionsand theygiveusagood lifting program. I think it has helped us becomestrongerandallaroundbetterathletes,”saidseniorReganCooper. To the dismay of many athletes, the strength andconditioning program has recently been cut, and formerCoachHaugenleftonDec.11topursuejobopportunitiesinMichigan.Thoughhesaidheenjoyedhistimehere,heisexcitedtomoveontonewthings. “IreallyenjoyedtherelationshipsIbuiltwiththeathletes.Workingwithhighschoolkidswasdifferent.Ihadworkedmostlywithcollegeandprofessionalathletes.Itwasgoodbecauseyoudidn'tdealwithalotoftheegostuffthatyouget in college andprofessional.There are variousoptionsforwhatIwillbedoinginMichigan,butIwilllikelyeither

openmyowngymorworkwiththeDetroitTigers,”saidHaugen. In the meantime, Pella will have to try to figure outhowtoreorganizethestrengthandconditioningprogram.Nothing is for sure at this point, but the issue will beaddressed. “WehavebeenspoiledhereatPellaasfarasourstrengthand conditioning program. Short term, we are going tohavesomecoachesassignedtotheweightroomsowecanhave it open. We will just use what Coach Haugen hasleft,sowejustneedpeopletobeintheretoopenituptomakesureeverythingisfunctioningproperly,”saidathleticdirectorDaleOtte. The administration recognizes the need for a morepermanentsolution.Asofrightnowseveraloptionsexist,buttheyareallbeingtakenintoconsideration. “Long term is something we will probably start toinvestigate after Christmas break. As a district, we don’tknowwhatitisgoingtolooklike.Itcouldgofromtotallyrevampinghowitlookstotryingtomaintainwhatwehavedoneinthepast.Itwillbeanopportunityforustorevisitwhatwehavedoneinthepast,”saidOtte. Inthesamewaytheissueisbeingdiscussedthroughoutthe administration, it has become a topic of discussionthroughout the athletes, especially those who commonlyusetheweightroom. “I think replacingCoachHaugenwith anew strengthcoachwouldbeideal.Thetwocoacheswehavehadhavereally helped our athletics. It allows coaches to focus ontheir sports rather than having to spend a lot of timetryingtotraintheirkidsintheoff-season,”saidjuniorJoshDeWaard.

Athletic department losesstrength and conditioning coach

•NathanClayberg(nc.pelladium@gmail.com)

>>Senior Krista DeBruin holds sophomore Larissa Michalek’s feet ina headstand during varsity Forté’s military routine at the Iowa DanceChampionships in Des Moines Dec. 2.Varsity Forté performed threeroutines at state: military, prop and pom. The team placed first inmilitary,secondinprop,andfourthinpom.“Stateisalwaysamemorableexperience.Itwasscaryjustlikelastyear,butIwasconfidentinourgirls.We had some tough competition, but we had awesome support fromfamilyandfriends,andIknoweveryonedidtheirbest.I’msoproudoftheteam,”saidMichalek.Fortéwasalsogiventhejudge’schoiceawardfortheirmilitaryroutine.Onlythreeweregivenoutofover500routines.•PhotobyJaceVerSteeg

IN FOCUS6 12. 20. 2011PAGE EDITOR: TIFFANY CARTER, 7

History actively plays a part of school safety procedures

•Grap

hics by Blak

e Lanser

PCM performs lockdown in response to threat of possible school threat

What’s changed?

Crisis policies and procedures kept

confidential; raises concerns

Lockdown, intruder incident and bomb threat policies and procedures are all said to exist within the school, but students are neither informed of, nor instructed, to practice these policies and procedures. While some schools perform drills in preparation of these events, Pella holds different views as to what is proper practice.

“It’s kind of a philosophical thing. Nothing against the other schools who choose to practice drills, but we’ve held the idea that if the person that was threatening the school was a student, they could use that knowledge from the drills to their advantage,” said Assistant Principal Jon Mueller.

Policies and procedures for lockdowns, intruder incidents and bomb threats were made ap-proximately nine years ago by Principal Eric Nelson, who was then the assistant principal, and Police Chief Lt. Dave Beukelman, after attending a school safety conference hosting school ad-ministrators from across the nation.

“Have there been many major changes made to the plans since then? No, but have we tweaked certain things? Yes,” said Nelson. “No one has to approve the plans, but professionals in the field evaluate the information annually and offer any recommendations to adjust what we have.”

Teachers are made aware of the crisis plans in place, but plans are kept confidential to students. The details of the plans are spread among a group of teachers throughout the building, and in a threatening situation, teachers would then instruct the students according to the procedure.

“It’s a good idea not to have the students know ahead of time, because if we all did, whoever was planning on coming with a weapon or a bomb or something would know how to avoid getting caught. I feel comfortable with just the teachers knowing, and I think they would be pre-pared enough to make sure everyone followed the plan. If anyone else should, maybe just student council, just to have some student leaders know,” said junior Erica Schulte.

In recent years, rumors have circulated claiming threats to the school’s safety, but students have not had to act according to the plans within the school safety threat procedures. Though there has been a lack of action among students, administrators still examine the validity behind these threats.

“There’s a checklist to determine whether or not it [a school safety threat] is credible, and there’s also a procedure that includes questions to ask and areas to look into first. Obviously, in a situation with an intruder or something similar to that where an immediate reaction would be necessary, I’m not going to go searching for my checklist. We’re going to make decisions based on what will be best in the situation, but the checklists are there if we need them,” said Nelson.

One issue that has required alterations from typical school safety policies and procedures has been that not every classroom is equipped with locks that can be locked from the inside of the classroom. A usual aspect of lockdowns is having teachers lock the classroom with the students inside to prevent the assailant from entering the room. While it is kept confidential as to what the adjustments are, the school procedures are said to be adjusted to accommodate to the locks in place and the students’ safety needs.

“What we really want is a keyless system. There would be access cards that you would slide through to lock or unlock. Each teacher would have his/her own, and we would be able to pro-gram the entire lock system. We have deemed it a lower priority because of the high cost, and we see the likelihood of a crisis as very low,” said Nelson.

Mueller agrees, stating potential costs.“What we really would like to see improve is the locks. Ideally, we would have a keyless system,

which would allow us to program the entire building. Director of Maintenance Chris Wimmer did a cost analysis and told us that it would be thousands of dollars just to replace the locks.”

With potential costs in mind, students voiced their opinion on the matter.“It [getting new locks] should be a lot higher priority, especially after the Virginia Tech mas-

sacre, because students were killed from being shot through the doors, because they had to hold them closed and pretty much be human barricades. They didn’t have inside locking doors either, and even if we do have a plan for that, since we don’t know it, people might panic and automati-cally do what happens in most lockdowns and stay in classrooms,” said senior Jared Alcorn

This proposal will again be introduced into the annual discussion, evaluating the crisis plans, likely to take place this summer, in affiliation with local law enforcement.

“Also, the safety plan is a component within our 10 years facilities plan, which is basically a prioritized list in a facilities standpoint, and so, we’ll be able to decide if that is a high enough priority on the list to have next year,” said Mueller. “Over the next year we will be revisiting all of our safety procedures in conjunction with the security officer we have in the school and the police department.”

Students suggest other security measures that could be put into place to better protect students and staff.

“Our school is too easy to access from too many different areas. I think the safest way would be to leave just the two main entrance areas unlocked throughout the day, but keep all other access doors locked. We could also be more conscious of visitors,” said senior Jesse Merk.

•Tiffany Carter (tc.pelladium@gmail.com)

Going to school is not meant to be a life or death experience, but over history, that is exactly what it has become for many students. Students have been thrown into deadly situations because of school shootings.

Perhaps the most infamous school shooting took place at Columbine High School in Jefferson County, Colorado. Eric Harris and Dylan Kle-bold entered the school highly armed killing 12 students, one teacher, and injuring 21 others. The shooting brought national attention to the security of high schools around the country. Some security measures schools took across the country can be seen in our school, such as num-bering room doors. This simple step can drastically aid security officials when responding to emergencies within school buildings.

Years after the Columbine incidents, school shootings had faded into the back of America’s mind until another shooting again brought na-tional attention to this problem, this took place at the University of Virginia Tech. This shooting killed 32 people and wounded 25 more. The shooter in this case was Seung-Hui Cho, a Senior English Major at Virginia Tech. Cho had previously been diagnosed with a severe anxiety disorder, but was still able to purchase handguns. In the aftermath laws

were passed so that people who were deemed mentally unstable are not able to buy handguns.

Although not the most renowned shooting, one that may stick in the mind of Iowans is the University of Iowa shooting on Nov. 1, 1991. Infuriated about missing out on a prestigious prize and an inability to find a job, a graduate of the school, Gang Lu, went to an Astronomy Department meeting with a .38 caliber revolver, and shot and killed four teachers and one student before committing suicide.

Since Columbine, the amount of school shootings and serious school violence has been on the decline, although there have been incidents since. Still, every year students are killed by shootings in school. In the past 10 years, 2003-2004 has been the deadliest, with 29 student deaths caused from shootings.

Experts agree that the best way to stop school shootings is not by se-curity measures, but by looking for the warning signs almost all school shooters show, and stopping the problem before it turns deadly.

•Gregory Frommelt (gregf.pelladium@gmail.com)

Students share their thoughts on the potential of a crisis situation and the schools safety system, policies and procedures.

•Ben Konfrst (benk.pelladium@gmail.com)

“Yes, I do think a real lockdown could happen, so we should have drills. I’ve been in a lockdown, and it’s scary. ”

Sophomore Ami Armstrong

Students at the University of Iowa can’t complain about being un-informed when it comes to any kind of threat. Whether it’s a tornado warning or a bomb threat, every student signed up for the Hawk Alert system receives a call, text or email regarding the threat.

On Nov. 14, 2010, the system was put to use for something other than a snow warning when a man threatened both a female and himself with a weapon near campus. Hawk Alert subscribers then received this text:

“Police are looking for a man reported to have a weapon near campus. Everyone should remain in their room until further notice.”

2010 graduate Morgan Anderson found the Hawk Alert did its job and instantly reacted to the warning.

“I quickly messaged a few of my friends to make sure they got the alert as well; however I live off campus, so I didn’t feel directly threat-ened. I thought the university reacted quickly, making sure the students were safe. And soon after the man had been arrested, we promptly re-ceived an additional message letting us know we were safe to resume

regular activities on campus,” said Anderson.Other students, like 2011 graduate Nick Dorman, found the alert

might have just worsened the situation.“The only thing the Hawk Alert said was that someone was carrying a

weapon in the area. It was so vague that most kids didn’t really take it all that seriously. The problem is that they are so caught up in trying to get the message out quickly, they don’t stop to think how the message could get interpreted. The whole campus seemed to know within 10 minutes, but no one seemed to know anything past that,” said Dorman.

The Hawk Alert’s purpose goes beyond just threats of violence, though, and despite some kinks, both graduates suggested a similar sys-tem for other schools.

“[The Hawk Alert system] is a quick and effective way to reach all the students in case of an emergency,” said Anderson.

Attempts to reach the University of Iowa for comment were not suc-cessful.

•Benji McElroy (bmc.pelladium@gmail.com)

Many students believe the possibility of a school threat is far away or something that only happens in movies, but within the past month, students and staff at nearby PCM High School faced a very real pos-sibility of a threat.

“I don’t think it ever really happens, I think most of the time [threats] only happen in larger cities. I really don’t think we have a whole lot to worried about here,” said sophomore Cass Blom.

On Nov. 17, PCM school officials received reliable information that there would be some kind of attack. By 9 a.m., students were already behind locked doors without lights in full-blown lockdown. After near-ly four-and-a-half hours, students and staff were allowed to leave their rooms and pursue business as usual and the lockdown was lifted.

“The lock down is lifted when authorities (Sheriff, Local Police) give the “OK”. An “OK” from the authority denotes that there is no longer a threat of danger,” said PCM superintendent Jane Babcock.

“The sherrif ’s department and the local police were called immedi-ately. The authorities and district worked in tandem to keep students and staff safe and secure,” added Babcock. When it came to the actual execution of the plan, she could not give details as their full-lock down plan is only known by few. However, Babcock did feel that the plan was executed.

“The plan was executed as outlined in the crisis plan, there were no errors in the execution of the crisis plan,” said Babcock.

Not long after the lock-down had been lifted, the Jasper County Sherrif ’s Office and the PCM high school released a joint statement saying that the gun threat was unfounded.

“We had a possible threat to the PCM school. The school and law en-forcement have completed their investigation. The threat is unfounded. All procedures were followed as outlined by the district crisis plan,” read the statement.

“No one is ever really prepared for a threat to students. I feel we have a well-orchestrated plan that will keep our buildings as safe as possible in any type of threat,” said Babcock.

“ If it happened at Pella, I think everyone would freak. It doesn’t really happen here; we’ve never dealt with it. People wouldn’t know what to do. It’s not like everyone is packing heat on a daily basis,” said freshman Cathryn Yoder.

Sophomore Brianna Buzick agreed.“We’ve never practiced any kind of lock-down; people would be go-

ing crazy. I don’t feel really safe if something like that were to happen,” said Buzick.

However, according to Babcock, student reaction at PCM was very good.

“Students reacted well to the plan. Behavior was appropriate, and students were aware there was a ‘threat’,” said Babcock.

But in the end, a school staff can only be so prepared. At PCM, stu-dents and faculty were in good hands, and the threat was more of a wake up call than an actual danger.

“No one is ever really prepared for a threat to students. I feel we have a well-orchestrated plan that will keep our buildings as safe as possible in any type of threat,” said Babcock.

•Jack Parisee (jp.pelladium@gmail.com)

Hawk Alert system provides warning

“I think that the system is just fine the way it is. It would be help-ful to maybe do some drills and things so that we would be in better shape if something does happen.”

Junior Keegan Fitzsimmons

I think it is O.K. [to not prac-tice lockdown drills], because we have never had a threat like that in the past, and until we do, having drills isn’t really needed.”

Senior Caitie Hones

8 12. 20. 11OPINIONPAGE EDITOR: ALEX ROPES

What are you looking forward to most this

year?

A

>>Junior Kelli Rozendaal>>Sophomore Jacob Von Bank>>Freshman Cathryn Yoder >>Senior Zach Belloma

“I’m looking forward to running track again.”

“Freshman year being done with, but I don’t want the eighth

graders up here.”

Alex Moore (am.pelladium@gmail.com)

“I can’t wait until the choir trip to New York City during spring

break.”

EVERYTHING’S NOT LOST•ALEX ROPES (AR.PELLADIUM@GMAIL.COM)

Faith: Belief that is not based on proof.Pella has long been thought to be immune from the negative effects of modern

culture, but our town of 10,000 is no longer unaffected. Our community has been simultaneously lauded and criticized for its high moral standards and strong religious backbone, but as the outside world creeps in, the standards of the community are being forced to face the same challenges as thousands of others towns and cities in the country. Christian ideals are being tested as liberal and progressive themes seep into the consciousness of the town.

It seems to be the general assumption of society that the strength of religion is declining. To measure one’s dedication to a religion is difficult, but two different studies have been conducted by Gallup.com, a site that focuses on studying human behavior. One of which supports the claim; one refutes it. The first showed that church attendance is not decreasing but remaining stagnant, at 43.1%. The second showed that 67% of citizens feel religion is losing influence on American life.

I believe that it would not be too wildly presumptuous to draw a connection between the dawn of the “technological age,” and the high percentage of citizens who believe religion is losing its influence on society. We, as a society, have come to expect answers. A statement is expected to have proof, evidence and a sound reasoning to back it up. We need something tangible. Faith is not tangible.

A common assumption is that there is a correlation between atheism and those who have a higher education. Many atheists choose such a path because they claim they “believe in science,” or find the line of reasoning to be more convincing. Despite whether one agrees with many atheists’ claim of a belief in science or not, it does not change the fact that many individuals have become atheists because they find comfort in logic, science and proof, something that Christian churches have not given in

abundance.When one believes in nearly any religion, be it Christianity, Islam or Hinduism, a level

of faith is required. In the case of Christianity, the focus of this column, denominations generally have faith that God created our world, our universe and is the ultimate overseer. Individuals belonging to these denominations have this faith -this conviction- they rely on it to convince others of their views. The argument of faith alone no longer suffices.

I cannot speak for all atheists, but I know that many choose such a path because the reasons to not believe in God are more convincing than those arguing the opposite.

Trying to convince someone to become religious solely with the argument “you just need to have faith” is about as effective as telling someone to like brussel sprouts because you say they’re good, even if the five senses say otherwise.

In the meantime, it’s time for Christians to adapt their methods of convincing individuals to join their faith. I attend church nearly every week, and if I have heard and interpreted correctly, the duty of a Christian is to spread God’s word to others. As I’ve already stated,

church-goers are not doing too well on that front. I’ve concluded that if the current trends continue, Christians can 1) strictly maintain their

traditional methods, faith-reliant methods of spreading God’s word, and continue to see church attendance decline; or, 2) Maintain a faith-based core but adapt it to fit modern society.

I should clarify that, while I keep preaching the necessity of reason to back up Christianity, I am not looking for definitive proof. Not only is there no way to prove God exists, but there is no way to prove he does not. What I want is for

atheists and Christians alike to lay down the facts and reasoning behind their argument on the table, so those who are trying to decide can be fully informed to do so.

The argument of faith is no longer enough; the public demands reasons. They need something tangible to lead them to a point where faith can step in.

IRREGARDLESS•BENJI MCELROY (BME.PELLADIUM@GMAIL.COM)

Once you hit the age of 30, do you begin idolizing the Grinch on the drop of a hat? Does your heart shrink three sizes? Both? It seems like every year there is a new generation of people spouting off their hate of what “Christmas has become” left and right. The thing is, it’s not about what Christmas has become, it’s about what they’ve become: grown-ups.

Grown-ups don’t get anything cool. All they get is responsibility, and that’s a complete 180º from cool. After adults get married and inevitably sell their soul to either a cubicle or the kitchen, Christmas becomes all about being jealous of people they should never be jealous of: people who pick their noses in public; people who can’t color inside the lines; people who can’t spell people. In other words, gradeschoolers.

Think about it, Christmas peaks before you ever hit double digits. You still believe in Santa, you don’t know the value of anything, so you can’t compare your haul to your siblings haul, and you don’t know all of your presents a month ahead of time because you haven’t mastered your lock picking skills quite yet. After that, Christmas’ joy and wonder steadily erode until you’re an emotionless holiday robot who only seeks free stuff.

Then, Christmas gets to the point when you’re getting landscaping tools and toaster ovens. Don’t get me wrong, landscaping tools and toaster ovens from your increasingly senile Uncle Dave are great, but they’re a far cry from Furbies gifted by Santa himself. I would be bitter, too, if I had to open up a Black and Decker weed eater while the pipsqueak across from me was opening a fully functioning R2-D2.

I would be so bitter that I would mount a full-on offensive against Christmas. I would say that it had become too corporate (Santa drives a Lexus. Pick yours up at your nearest Lexus dealer!). I would say that it lost its true meaning (Who's Jesus?). I would say that it wasn’t even Christmas anymore (“Have a happy holiday!”).

In reality, though, Christmas just sucks when you’re too old to believe in an overweight, glorified UPS man breaking and entering into every house where semi-wealthy people live.

If someone’s old enough to be on their soapbox, preaching that Christmas is about giving, not receiving, then they’re old enough to actually buy into what they’re saying. They shouldn’t be jealous that they can’t rip open oodles of presents in their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle tighty-whities; they should just be happy to be making some pipsqueak’s day that much better. Oh, and that Black and Decker weed eater doesn’t hurt either.

The issue with Christmas is that it has become a soapbox holiday as opposed to the ever-popular-accusation of a "commerical holiday." You know, kind-of like the Kanye West of holidays in the sense that it's something to beat up on to make yourself look educated and noble because absolutely no one will disagree with you. Grown-ups don't need anymore soapboxes. Just ask anybody who has dealt with parents.

The thing is, it’s not about what Christmas has become, because Christmas is the same as it’s always been.

“Graduation and getting out of high school already.”

•Graphic by Mitch Shepperd

•Graphic by Mitch Shepperd

“THE ARGUMENT OF FAITH IS NO LONGER ENOUGH”

“THE ISSUE WITH CHRISTMAS IS THAT IT HAS BECOME A SOAPBOX HOLIDAY”

912. 20. 2011 OPINIONPAGE EDITOR: JACK PARISEE

Executive Editors: Tiffany Carter, Benji McElroy, Madeline Meyer, Maddy ScholtenPage Editors/Reporters: Benji McElroy, Jillian Sagers, Maddy Scholten, Whittney Reinier, Madeline Meyer, Tiffany Carter, Alex Ropes, Jack Parisee, Evan Jones, Mitch Shepperd, Marielle GaiserVisuals: Marielle Gaiser, Blake Lanser, Jillian Sagers, Mitch Shepperd, Micah ZeimetzReporters: Claire Anderson, Derrick Akers, Nathan Clayberg, Jake Dorman, Gregory Frommelt, Ben Konfrst, Alex Moore, Sarah Mueller, Haley Sytsma, Hallie VonBankAdviser: Ann Visser

The Pelladium is a monthly tabloid produced by the high school journalism department to serve as an informative, educational and entertaining communications media and to provide an open forum to students and readers. •Letters to the Editors are welcome and encouraged. These letters must be signed and should, in no way, be libelous, irresponsible or obscene. Letters must have verified facts and should deal with issues. The Pelladium reserves the right to edit grammatical errors, libelous content or length due to the space limitations. Letters may be brought to Room 201 or sent to Pella Commu-nity High School, Box 486, Pella, IA 50219. •The Pelladium will strive to deliver information in a fair and truthful manner. The Pelladium will function in accord with all applicable laws, both in regard to the rights and restrictions of journalism. •The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual writer and not necessarily those of the Pella Community High School Administration or the Pella Community Schools Board of Education. The Pelladium will make retractions in the event of errors made in the content of printed stories. Retractions will be printed in the issue immediately following the issue containing the errors. •The Pelladium is a member of the Iowa High School Press Association.

Editorial Cartoons

David Stern:Lockout Mastermind

Staff Editorial Tragedy happens, and it happens everywhere. Just because little old Pella is a small Mid-west town with “great morals” doesn’t mean that it can’t happen here. Whenever a what-if situation of violence is brought up, it shouldn’t be brushed off as if it’s a far-fetched Big Foot sighting. It’s nice to have faith in the finely-woven-moral-fabric of our community, but to have that faith lead to carelessness would be unfortunate, to say the least. It’s unreasonable to treat every day at Pella High like it’s your last, but that doesn’t mean a policy of tip-toeing through the tulips is the best course of action either. The logic behind not practicing lockdowns and other violent situations for fear of pro-viding potential assailants with the means to do real damage is more than understandable. Putting students completely in the dark when it comes to those situations is completely incomprehensible, though. Educating students on the generalities of what to do in worst-case-scenarios doesn’t assist potential assailants at all; it just provides students with knowl-edge that could save theirs or another’s life. The panic level of a school faced with a tornado warning, when the student body hasn’t been informed of what to do, would be through the roof. In fact, it seems ridiculous to imagine hearing a tornado or fire alarm and being clueless, so why is it O.K. to not have any idea of what to do when faced with a threat of violence? All we ask is that students are taught the best way to react in the all-too-possible situation of a bomb threat or a lockdown. Unfortunately, threats of violence at school are very real and shouldn’t be ignored.

(The Pelladium staff voted 19-0 in favor of this editorial.)

As Iowans brace, once again, for the montage of caucus coverage, candidates for the Republican nomination continue to battle on.

Each candidate has his or her own battle to fight. Whether it’s Herman Cain’s inexplicable disrespect for women, or Michelle Bachman’s often startling resemblance to former vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, each had issues to overcome. The one that sticks out most to me is Mitt Romney’s religion.

The easy decision is obvious. Forty-one percent of Evangelicals won’t vote for a Mormon, and there are plenty of them in Iowa and New Hampshire. Why not just convert? But, the decision is more than that to Romney. As Newt Gingrich now begins to take the lead in recent polls, Romney continues to stand by his faith and is opening up even more.

Romney’s political strategy is intriguing. As a citizen, I find it incredibly brave. To stand by your faith, no-holds-barred, no matter what almost 25% of voters think, is truly inspiring. This is the kind of thing that founded America. The freedom to practice as you like, and to be who you want to be, brought all of us here. It shouldn’t matter what religion Romney is. What should matter is how he would be as a president. It should matter that Romney completely turned around Massachusetts’ failing economy, and that his economic know-how is something to rival. But, unfortunately, to nearly 40-50 million voters, it only matters where he spends his Sunday mornings.

America is not a Christian nation. America is a majority Christian nation. We, the people, have a responsibility to ensure that all religions and peoples are welcomed here. We have a responsibility to not discriminate against people because they are different than us. But, time after time, we do.

There’s a reason you don’t see any openly homosexual candidates in the race. There’s a reason there is only one non-Christian. The answer is simple: it’s the conservative Christians. It was the conservative Christian who wouldn’t let his or her kid play with the black child down the street in the 50’s. And, now, it’s the conservative who won’t vote for someone who is different from them. The people who talk of love and equality, but if you’re different from them, you’d better go somewhere else.

So to these people, with their minds closed, I’d like to say one thing. Mitt Romney will leave his magic underwear at home, as long as you return that talking snake to the zoo. Let’s leave religion out of it.

•Jack Parisee (jp.pelladium@gmail.com)

Leave religion out of the race

•Comic by Mitch Shepperd

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, or at least that’s what all the decorations in lo-cal stores are telling us. The spirit of the holidays have been commercialized and exploited, yet this snowy season still brings us warmth and comfort as we spend this blessed time with the ones we love. Several symbols come to mind when these December days are mentioned, but the most prominent seems to be the Christmas tree. Recently, it has been a trend to be po-litically correct, especially when it comes to religion. In the event of Christmas, having neutral names for each symbol has been deemed n e c e s s a r y. The two or so weeks we have for break are no longer called “Christmas vacation” but instead is referred to as “ w i n t e r break.” Several politically correct names have been as-signed to sound more accepting so all groups and reli- gions do not feel targeted, but calling a Christmas tree, a holiday tree is a separate event entirely. To the best of my knowledge, the holidays are celebrated by all religions and walks of life. However, Christmas is a holiday that is separate from those traditions. Renaming a tree designated to a specific day, religion, and group of separate people undermines the spirit of Christmas. Although Christmas is not for only puritan Christians and is practiced by the majority of the public, it can not be disputed that this is still a religious holiday. Taking the name of Christ out of the tree commercializes the celebration even further and diminishes the purpose of this day. Instead of worrying whether or not we offend the public, the holidays should make everyone focus on the spirit of giving and being generous. Changing the name of a tree we gather around will not change how hostile groups are towards each other, nor will it bring a sudden peace amongst those apposed to religion and those not. We should all remember that the Holidays are a time to be thankful. Keeping traditions is not to be self righteous, but to retain that historic time we call Christmas authentic.

•Marielle Gaiser (marielle.gaiser@gmail.com)

Alternative NewsChristmas continues commercialization

•Blake Lanser (bl.pelladium@gmail.com)

Student Viewpoint

10 12. 20. 2011ENTERTAINMENTPAGE EDITOR: EVAN JONES

Ulrich Motor1130 West 16th StreetPella, IA 50219641-628-2184

Van Hemert Chiropractic Center 1310 East Washington Street Pella, IA 50219 641-628-2099

Van Sant Collision Repair 80 Truman Road Pella, IA 50219 641-628-3206

Wiskus Group 821 Franklin Street Pella, IA 50219 641-628-1505

Van Gorp Corporation 1410 W. Washington Street Pella, IA 50219 641-628-9212

Central Cellular, 1530 Washington Street, 641-628-9520Dutch Meadows Landscaping, 100 1/2 Vermeer Road, 641-628-4450Embellish, 605 Franklin Street, 641-628-1738Git `n Go, 209 East Oskaloosa Street, 641-628-1420Monarch’s, 705 East 1st Street, 641-628-1633Odyssey Spas, 514 East Oskaloosa, P.O. Box 524, 641-628-8292Pella Concrete Contractor’s Inc., 669 Highway T-14, 641-628-3753Pella Implement Company, 655 Hwy. T-14, 641-628-2131Plumb Supply Company, 208 South East 9th Street, 641-620-1406

Sadler Sign & Design, 414 Liberty Street, 641-628-9889Simple Treasures, 710 West First Street, 641-628-2662STC Tire & Exhaust, 815 West 10th Street, 641-628-3153TK Concrete, 1608 Fifield Road, 641-628-4590Town Crier, LTD, 810 East 1st Street, 641-628-1130Tulip City Agency, Ltd, 700 Washington Street, 641-628-1270Van Maanen, Sietstra and Meyer, P.C., 705 Main Street, 641-628-3737Van Maanen Seed & Chemical, 2073 Eaton Avenue, Leighton IA, 641-626-3471Van Haaften Plumbing and Heating Inc., 914 West 8th Street, 641-628-3621

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(Editor’s Note: The following is a spoof on the ever-famous Christmas letters that grace mailboxes this time of year.) Well, hello again, andHAPPYHOLIDAYS! I’m so excited to tell you all aboutmyperfect children. Once upon a time in a Dutch town lived a family of four beautifulchildren-Corey,Shannon,SamandKimberly.Theyarethemostbeautifulchildreninalloftheland,andtheyareTHEBESTchildrentoeverwalkthefaceoftheearth.I’mnotkidding.Theyarewonderfulandbeautifulandstunning,andtheyaremychildren. Coreyisagorgeousyoungboy,thekidsatschoolevencallhimJustinFever(whoeverthatis).I’vetakentothenamethoughandcan’thelpbutsayhegiveseverygirla fever,withhiscute faceandall.Heisabusyboy,hardlyeverhome,andwhenheisallhedoesiscombhishairinthemirror.Heloveshishairsomuchthathedoesn’t letanyonetouchit,exceptcougars.Well, that iswhathis friends say atleast.Idon’tunderstandthislogic,becausethere aren’t any cougars in Iowa, just theoccasionalmountainlion.Iguessit’ssomeweird freshmen figure of speech. For all Iknew “Cougar” could be the name of hishairstylist.Andletmetellyou,wehavetomakethosehairappointmentsMONTHSinadvance to satisfy my Corey. He’s just a sweetbabyboy,asafreshmanallthegirlsjustLOVEhim.Icanseewhy,whowouldn’tlovehisbabysoftcheeks?He’sstillaweelittletot.Coreyjustloveshighschool,hehasreallygotteninvolved.Eventhoughhedoesn’tliketomessuphishairorgettoosweaty,hestilltriessports.Blesshisheart.He’sjustthecutestlittleguy,andacreativeoneatthat.Hisfriendscouldmakeupawholedictionaryofthewordstheyinvent!CougarandJustinFevertoboot. Now,mysophomoreShanniePoo.Well,shehasjustbeenalittlechampinsportsthisyear.Asasophomore,shegottoplayontheVARSITYvolleyballteamatPellaHigh,andtheytrulyhadthebestteamspiritI’veeverseen.Theyjustwentoutthereandbangedthatballaroundtomusicatthebeginning;itissocute.DidImentionsheisavarsityathlete?Yeah, sophomore year.VARSITY. At a 3A school. She just owns that volleyball court.LittleShannonhasgrownupimmenselythispastyear,andshejustalittlebombshell.She’snearlyperfect,exceptforoneissue.Shedatesan“Offie,”youknow,oneofthekindwhogoestoschoolacrosstown.It’sjustatadtouchy,thatsubjectis.Hewearsthewrongcolors,maroonandgold,andmakesnoiseslikeaneaglewheneverhecomestothehouse.Westill

toleratehimthoughbecausehemakesanefforttotreatourlittleShanniepooright,andIrespectthat. Ontothebigboyinthefamily,Samuel.Heisabigboy,exceptrecentlyhe’stakentocrossdressing.TheotherdayIpickedhimupfromschool,andhehadawigonandadressandkeptrepeating,“IamHELGA.”I’mnottooworried,butsometimeshemakesmewonder.Despitehiscrossdressingtendencies,Samuelhasprovenhismanlinessinhisfavoritesportoffootball.AtPellaHigh,footballislife,andSamlivesforfootball.Iwillnever forget theprideI felt inmyheartduring their lastgameof the seasonwhenmy

Samcaughtthatkickoffreturn,carriedtheballatleast50yardsdownthefield(well,I really don’t know how far, I don’t getfootballyards)butitlookedlike50yardsto me, and everyone in the whole standsstartedbellowing“Palmer!Palmer!Palmer!Palmer!” I still get teary eyed whenever Ithinkaboutthismoment.Itwasbeautiful.MyoldestdaughterKimberlyEllenismyprideandjoy.ShehasbeensuchadelighttowatchgrowupandgoaboutthehallsofPellaHigh.It’shardtobelievethatshewillbeleavingthenestsoon.Itmakesmyheart

dropjusttothinkaboutit...almosttothepointofbreaking.Sheiscurrentlyasenior,andeveryoneinthewholeschoolknowsthatseniorsruletheschool.Shewascaptainofthevolleyballteam,aseniorleaderonthebasketballteamandevenwonall-conferencehonorsinsoccerlastyear.Shecandoitall!Well,exceptdrive.Youknow,myhusbandalwayssays,“Womendrivers,nosurvivors,”andIalwayscriticizedhimforsayingsucharidiculousstatement,butforKimberly,thatsayingmightjustbetrue.Imean,nohardfeelingsoranything,but...youshouldseehercar!Althoughshesaysshejustforgottohonk,theotherdayintheschoolparkinglot,shegotcompletelyt-boned!Youshouldseehercar;shecan’tevengetintothefrontseatthroughthefrontdoorbuthastoclimboveranotherseatjusttogettothedriver’sspot!Andthat’snotall,she’stakenalikingtohittingstationaryobjects,likebackingoutintoafriend’spoleinadriveway!Ionlycanhopeandpraythatsheslowsdownbeforeherlicenseisrevoked. WearethebestfamilyEVER.Iknowhoweveryonewantedtoreadthislongramblingletter about my beloved babies! It’s such a wonderful time of year to spread cheer, soHAPPYHOLIDAYSandhaveaHappyNewYear!

•MadelineMeyer(mm.pelladium@gmail.com)

Saygoodbyetothosewinterdaysandnightswithnothingtodo!Whetheryou’realoneorwithagroupoffriends,usethesefantasticideastogetoutandbeactiveathomeorinthefreezingcold.Justbesuretopackyourmittens. Lookingforsomeadventureoutthere?Goskiing,tubingorsledding!SleepyHollowSportsParkinDesMoinesandSevenOaksRecreationinBoonearegreatplacestoburnoff some energy in the chilly weather. Check out www.sleepyhollowsportspark.com orwww.sevenoaksrec.comformoreinformationonhoursandrates. Needacutedateideathiswinter?Goiceskatingtogether!It’sjust…cute.Whatmorecanyou say? It’s really fun to learn to skate, andwhenyou’redone,youcouldgograbsomehotchocolate.Evengoingwithfriendswouldbeablast.Plus,youcouldstillgethotchocolateafterwards.Or,justgethotchocolateanyways,withoutskating.Yum. Consideryourselftobesomeonewholikestokeepittoastywarminside?TheninsteadoftheusualalwayssittingandwatchingT.V.,getyo-selfoffthatcouchandmoveit! “JustDance”isasuperfunwaytoexercisewhilehavingagreattime.Makeitagroupactivitybyinvitingallyourclosestbrosandhomegirlstogetherfora“JustDance”party.You’llbesuretohaveablastwhilekeepingwarmandoutofthecold. CozyinguptowatchsomeclassicChristmasmoviesisprettymuchamust-doduringwinter.MakeitafamilytraditiontowatchacertainChristmasmovieeveryyear. Now,youhavenoexcusetosaythere’snothingtodoinsideorout.Makethemostofthiswinterseasonbygettingouttheretospendsomefunqualitytimewithfriendsorfamily.  •HallieVonBank(hvb.pelladium@gmail.com)

Happy Holidays!

Fend off the “winter blues”Top 5 Christmas Movies “Elf.”WillFerrell isonhisgameinthis storyaboutahumanwhothinkshe isanelf.BetweenhimandZooeyDeschanel,thereisalmostnothingwrongwiththismovie.Plus,noothermovieonthislistisasquotable.

“TheMuppetChristmasCarrol.”OneofthebestChristmasstories+theMuppets=betterthananypresentyouwillgetthisyear.#fact

“Scrooged.” Bill Murray’s sense of humor mixes very well with a modern-ized version of the “Christmas Carrol”. Digging past layers of sarcasm and cyni-cismisratherenjoyableinthisfilmaswewatchMurrayfindthegoodinhisheart.

“NationalLampoon’sChristmasVacation.”WatchingthedysfunctionalGriswoldfamilystrugglethroughtheholidaysisalotmorehilariousthanwatchingyourown.Thisishands-downthefunniestChristmasmovie.Also,dependingonyourfamily,itcanbebothafamilymovieoroneyouwatchwithyourpals.

“It’sAWonderfulLife.”Once you get past themovie almost being an ancientartifact,you’llfindthat“It’saWonderfulLife”isawonderfulmovie.ItisoneoftheoldestChristmasflicksinexistence,butitisprobablythebestembodimentoftheChristmasspiritavailabletoday.Ontopofall,thatitisactuallyanamazingmovie,IMDBranks itasnumber30onthetop250movies.Maybe it isn’tamovieyouwouldwatchwithyourfriends,butasfarasfamilymoviesgo,thisistheultimate.

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•EvanJones(ej.pelladium@gmail.com)

•GraphicbyMadelineMeyer

Almost everyone has been to a football game. At these sporting events there are, inevitably, people who decide to make life as unpleasant as possible for those sitting around them. The offenders to look out for include:

1. The Whistler: We all know this guy. He stands up before every single play and unleashes a noise that is so high-pitched it can kill any dog in a three mile radius. This person will make sure to be as close to your ear as possible to show you how much more he loves the sport than you do because he’s the only one making a difference.

2. The (Somewhat) Functioning Alcoholic: Apart from showing up with a blood alcohol level of about .42, these people also make sure they won’t lose their buzz throughout the game with a handy little flask or bottle they managed to sneak past security. Come on! Do you really expect them to sit through this boring game sober? They paid good money for those season tickets.

3. The Free Agent: For some reason, there is always a guy sitting next to you who really should be out playing on the field. The quarterback throws a bad pass? “I could throw better than that.” The receiver misses a one-handed catch in the back of the end zone? Oh that’s easy. The free safety couldn’t tackle the 250 lb. running back? “He should be off the team! Even I could do that!” Hopefully, these people will be drafted soon because they are obviously the best athletes who ever lived.

4. The Head Coach: This guy doesn’t care about the coach’s experience or training. They could run this team 20 times better if they got the opportunity. Every defensive play? Pick six. Every offensive play? Just get the ball to (insert star players name here). It’s unstoppable.

5. The Snack Machine: I will agree that the snacks at stadiums can be a tad pricey, but is it really worth it to bring your own food? Maybe a chocolate bar or an apple, but when you start bringing half gallon bags of peanuts, you have a problem. It’s three hours out of your day, have a snack beforehand if you must.

•Jake Dorman (jrd.pelladium@gmail.com)

1112. 20. 2011 MENTAL HUGPAGE EDITOR: MITCH SHEPPERD

1. @JordanBaker33 - senior Jordan Baker. My girl’s home and we hangin’ out allll day #winkwink

2. @dutchsoftball04 - junior Morgan Ernst. The awkward moment when people’s awkward moment tweets aren’t awkward. #getalife

3. @Jackie_Sunder - sophomore Jackie Sunderman. 3 hour car ride we have already made 3 stops in the first hour #holdinyourpee

4. @Alex_Ropes - senior Alex Ropes. Get ready pella high, i’m bringing back turtle necks in a big way this winter

5. @hannamrtn - senior Hanna Martin. SO GROSSED OUT. NEVER HAVING CHILDREN. #BreakingDawn

Students’ Top 10 tweets from the past month

6. @Kollin_schaudt - junior Kollin Schaudt. Why are capri suns so small?! Im a big boy, i can drink more!! #comeon

7. @MarielleGaiser - senior Marielle Gaiser. A winking sad face is the most awkward emotion. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? Are you sad or did you just fart... ;(

8. _Aim10 - sophomore Aimiee Uitermarkt. I remember when I wore my pajamas to school.. I was 6 and we were having a pajama party for “Read A Million Minutes”. #youreinhighschoolnow

9. @RileyHoltrop - freshman Riley Holtrop. Never gotta see the movie. Did those elephants get some water or not? #justwondering

10. @6etnyre9 - junior Michael Etnyre. Wearing a polo to bed because I want to wake up looking nice.

•Evan Jones (ej.pelladium@gmail.com)

WhateverMan •MicahZeimetz

HighSchoolHazard•JillianSagers

December

Whether you live in the United States or Asia, Christmas is one of the the world’s most beloved holidays. With so many different cultures celebrating Christmas, some pretty unique traditions go along with it:

Krampus: Almost everyone has heard of Santa Claus, but very few know of his evil twin. In Austria and parts of Europe, Krampus is known for beating and punishing misbehaving children. On Dec. 6, people dress up in frightening devil-like costumes to portray Krampus and scare kids into making the nice list. Better be on your best behavior if you ever decide to spend the holidays in Austria!

Mumming: In Latvia, the best-known Christmas tradition is called “mumming.” “Mummers” wear an array of masks featuring traditional faces of horses, bears and even corpses. They parade the streets, going door-to-door to drive out evil spirits. What does all of this has to do with the word mumming? The world may never know.

Caga Tió: Meaning “poop log,” Caga Tió is a hollowed log that is propped on four stick-legs and painted to have a face. In Catalonia, from the night of Dec. 6 and on, he is fed candies and other treats up until either Christmas Eve or day when he is forcefully beaten with a stick until he “poops.” To prevent a struggle, Catalonians will sing encouraging songs to make his process more bearable.

Witches: Since they had no proof of the existence of Santa, the Vatican outlawed him and decided that a witch would be a better replacement for the Christmas gift-giver in Italy. Their legends claim that a wise man asked La Belfana to tag along with him as he went to visit Baby Jesus but, unfortunately, she was too busy to make the trip. So, instead, she made her way around town, dropping presents off at every door.

KFC: In Asia, instead of cooking up a nice Christmas dinner, the tradition is good ol’ Kentucky Fried Chicken. Colonel Sanders would be so proud. Along with all that KFC goodness, the Japanese only send out white Christmas cards. Why? White represents snow and charity, while red is the color of funeral notices. Makes sense.

Though these customs may seem a little out of the ordinary to us, they’re yearly tradition for those who practice them. Putting up a Christmas tree and setting out milk and cookies for Santa in one country can be equally as strange as feeding a pooping log in another.

•Haley Sytsma (hs.pelladium@gmail.com)

Unusual Christmas traditions abound

Top 5 worst sports spectators EVER

12 12.20.2011PHOTOPAGE EDITOR: MARIELLE GAISER

•Four week membership•Effective: December 15, 2011 - January 15, 2012•Purchase Now! $25.00 •Must present Student ID & Pass with each visit

•Effective: January 15, 2012 - May 31, 2012•Sale ends February 15, 2012•Purchase Now! $125.00•Must present Student ID at time of purchase

Student Holiday Membership Student Semester Membership

308 SE 9th StreetPella, IA 50219

641-628-4622*Must be 14 years of age to use facility

>>SOUL. Sophomore Tom Palmer, saxophon-ist performs at SCIBA in Norwalk and will also perform at the State IHSMA Jazz Contest Jan. 14 at Winterset. •Photo by Tiffany Carter

>>HUDDLE. Forté team gather before their military routine at state. They placed first for this routine, along with being chosen as a Judge’s Choice routine. “I was so nervous, but having my friends there supporting me helped a lot. I think we did great. I wouldn’t change anything about what we did this year,” said junior Leilone Rethmeier. •Photo by Blake Lanser

>>LEAD. Seniors Rachel Fyfe and Joella Gerber converse during the stu-dent council’s leadership seminar at Adventureland Inn, Altoona. During the day, students learned how to be more effective leaders and devised a new plan for food collecting. •Photo by Mark Dykstra

>>CHEER. Sophomores Grace Byram, Klaire Wisniewski, Kayla Carroll and freshman Megan Atkins perform a pom routine at halftime for the girls’ basketball game. They are learning routines to perform at Forté’s spring show Feb. 25. •Photo by Marielle Gaiser

>>REACH. Senior Brannon Johnson makes a lay-up at the varsity basketball game against Knoxville. “Personally, I’m looking forward to the rest of the season. We’ve got a diverse group of guys with great personalitites who are willing to work hard and have the ability to go far,” said Johnson. The Little Dutch won, 77-37. •Photo by Marielle Gaiser

>>INSPIRE. Senior Alex Ropes plays a selection of Christ-mas music and other piano compositions at Jefferson Place at their annual Christmas party. “It was a great experience to visit the residents at the home and to be able to discuss what their life was like in another generation,” said Ropes. •Photo by Tiffany Carter

>>PUMP UP. Above Coach Joe Burch prepares junior Houston Naaktge-boren before his match. Right, freshman Chase Petty feels the pain and anguish of his opponent’s hold in the match against Norwalk. •Photo by Ben Konfrst

>>BOARD. Senior Jake Wassenaar snatches a rebound in the game against Knoxville. •Photo by Marielle Gaiser

>>PREPARE. Junior Connor Naaden steps in front of the jazz band for his solo. Naaden and Jazz I received a “1” rating at SCIBA Dec. 12. •Photo byTiffany Carter

>>RECOVER. Senior Regan Cooper makes a move toward the basket against top-ranked Wil-liamsburg. Although the Lady Dutch were only down by one at half, Williamsburg pulled away in the third quarter and took the win. •Photo by Marielle Gaiser

The Holiday Seasonbrings feelings of joy and inspiration to all walks of life. Students gathered together to bring the “presence” of the giving season despite having several activities including wrestling meets, jazz

band, Forté, student council, basketball and speech.