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tiger hi-lineVOLUME 51 ISSUE 13

1015 Division St. Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613

Speech team speaks outMaya Amjadi

Staff WriterA packed school bus held cheering

Cedar Falls High School Speech Team members Saturday night after the majority of their performances earned Division I ratings at the district level competition, granting them access to the state competition. Eight of the 10 groups that competed will compete again in Deco-rah on Feb. 5. These groups include readers’ theater, one act, radio news broad-casting, two acting ensembles and three improvisation groups.

The seasonal process for the speech team is to first audition, then rehearse and finally compete at Districts, State and even the All-State level. There is one judge at Districts, and after seeing the act, he or she assigns either a I, II, III, or IV divisional rating. Groups receiving a Division I rating move on to State while a Division IV rating is a disqualification for rule violation. Any rating in between is subject to the judge’s responses.

The coaches for the CFHS speech team are Rebecca Kauten, Karen Franke and Nicholas Chizek.

“The purpose of large group and individual speech is to encourage students’ abilities and comfort levels with public speaking and communica-tion skills. As students graduate, it is important they have adequate commu-nication skills for any job type. Speech is an outlet to practice in a creative atmosphere,” Chizek said.

He enjoys coaching, he explained, because he thrives on the “ah ha moment” where kids step out of the unknown into a state of good com-munication and understanding. “I like

knowing that these students have the opportunity to improve their com-munication and social skills through speech, and coaching allows me to watch the process,” Chizek said.

Franke echoed Chizek and said she feels the speech team has many practi-cal benefits. “Speaking in front of a group and working as a team member are challenging tasks but essential skills for many jobs in our society.

Speech is a wonder-ful venue for stu-dents to practice this objective,” Franke said. “The creative process engages students in critical think-ing and commu-nication skills while strength-ening group

participation and self-reli-ance. It is an honor to be a part of that.”

The team this year is much different from last year’s team due to the graduation of several strong members. “For me, this year’s team is a younger team than last year’s team. However, the enthusiasm for the events has tripled. I have a great mix of new stu-dents who see things with fresh eyes and talented, experienced juniors and seniors. It has been a great season so far,” Franke said.

Junior Austyn Claire has been involved in speech team for the past three years. She was very excited to perform in the one act production, Odds Are, this year. “I think everyone gets a little nervous before performing, and sometimes that’s a good thing, but other than that, having been on speech team for a few years, I’ve gotten pretty comfortable getting up in front of an audience,” Claire said.

Another returning speech team member, senior Samantha Heinen, said she felt very confident that the one act would receive a top rating. “We could

still use bits of improvement, but over all, it is a very funny show, and the majority of the acting is phenomenal,” Heinen said. Regarding whether per-forming takes her out of her comfort zone, Heinen said, “Performing is my comfort zone.”

Sophomore Evan Fairbanks com-peted in improvisation and received a Division I rating. For the improv category, contestants draw situations typed on pieces of paper. They have a small amount of time to assess the sit-uation and determine various aspects such as characters, setting, beginning, middle and end. The contestant also have to perform within a time frame of five minutes. “The most difficult thing about improv is following all the rules and ending [the performance] on time. It’s like inertia — when you’re on a

roll, it’s hard to stop,” Fairbanks said. Along with the performances at the

different levels, there will be a recital in the auditorium at Cedar Falls High School to showcase all the students’ work. This will be held Thursday, Feb. 3. “I would definitely encourage people to check out our shows. We work hard and have fun doing it, and I think people would enjoy watching any speech event performance. I’d also encourage students to try out. It’s really fun,” Claire said.

Individual speech team tryouts will be held Jan. 24 and 25. Anyone is encouraged to show up. Individual categories up for auditioning include: acting, mime, interpretive reading — prose and poetry, musical theater, spontaneous speaking, storytelling, original oratory, after dinner speaking and literary program.

“For me, this year’s team is a younger team than last year’s team. However, the enthusi-asm for the events has

tripled.”

All Photo by Darby Sheehan

—Karen Franke Speech Coach

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1) Senior Samantha Heinen prepares for her role in the choral reading of Euridice. 2) Freshman Noah Miller fixes his hair in preparation for the one-act play. 3) Freshman Carrson Morris-sey gets into character as an fanatic magician in the one-act.

Contact the Tiger Hi-LineThe Tiger Hi-Line is a weekly publication of the journalism classes of

Cedar Falls High School, 1015 Division St., Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613. Our website is www.hiline.co.nr. The Hi-Line is distributed to CFHS students on Tuesdays to read in their DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) classes.

Columns and letters do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Hi-Line or Cedar Falls Schools. The Hi-Line editorial staff view is presented weekly in the editorial labeled as Our View.

Reader opinions on any topic are welcome and should be sent to the Tiger Hi-Line staff or delivered to room 208. All letters must be signed. Letters must be submitted by 3 p.m. on Thursday for publication the follow-ing Tuesday. Letters may not exceed 300 words and may be edited to meet space limitations. Include address and phone number for verification.

Editorial StaffEditors-in-Chief: Sara Gabriele and Ellen Gustavson

News Editor: Ben Olson and Sara GabrieleOpinion Editor: Meg Lane and Kaylee MicuSports Editor: Ben Olson and Allyson Vuong

Feature Editors: Ellen GustavsonEntertainment Editors: Meg Lane and Kaylee Micu

Photo Editor: Tracy Lukasiewicz

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tiger hi-lineJan. 25, 2011

2 opinion

our view

The word “finals” always marks an ominous point in history for many high school students. It brings forth memories of stress and panic of the twice annual semester tests, and for sophomores at Cedar Falls High School, their first experience with these fateful tests is a particularly painful one. The negative aspect of the situation is that during first semester finals, sophomores are required to stay in the building during their lunch break which lasts just a little over an hour while eligible juniors and seniors are granted their full release privi-lege to leave.

The main rationale behind the first semester release policy is weather and the maturity of sophomores. Many sophomores still have their school permits which restrict such driving privileges as going out to lunch, and with the potential serious winter weather during the semester test times, it could be potentially risky for the students to venture out. Overall, these risks all create a liability issue for the school. Moreover, sophomores don’t have the luxury of release during the regular school year, so allowing the release over a period of merely two days creates an additional hassle for the school to defend their release policy and creates more controversy.

We at the Hi-Line believe that sophomores, who are ineligible for a semester-long release, should not be allowed a release during the fall finals. The Cedar Falls High School is correct in keeping the fall policy for the protection of all its students.

Juniors and seniors who have those lunch releases during finals have earned that privilege and endured a waiting period their sophomore year, and current sopho-mores should also earn this right. During the spring, many sophomores have turned 16 and have received their drivers’ liscence, and in addition the spring weath-er makes for better driving conditions. This takes a load off for school officials and parents, and for sophomores, it makes finals a little more endurable.

Sophmores’ fight for fallrelease is unwarranted

Sandra Omari-BoatengStaff Writer

Lately, after the whole make your profile picture an old cartoon phenomenon on Facebook, it got me thinking about all the old cartoons that I used to watch when I was younger.

I remember shows like Cat Dog, Rocket Power, As Told By Ginger, Hey Arnold, Kipper, The PowerPuff Girls, Doug, Rocko’s Modern Life, Rugrats, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Madeline, Johnny Brovo, The Jetsons, The Flintstones, Angry Beavers and other memorable shows from the ’90s.

The shows that I watched

while growing up were enter-taining and very memorable to me even more than five years later. The shows these days to me seem really pathetic com-

pared to the ones in the ’90s. It seems that nowadays

most of that the T.V. shows are about fighting, finding romance and kids doing things that are above their age. Back in the day, it was just about being silly, and being a kid meant we could do anything that we wanted to, within reason of course.

I don’t know if I’m the only one that was impacted by seeing all of these cartoons every time I looked on my news feed, but it seems that it kind of hit me hard.

Maybe it’s because they were such a big part of my childhood that it’s hard to know that they’re gone.

’90s cartoons bring back precious memories

Some old time cartoons are still airing today like Courage the Cowardly Dog and Tom and Jerry.

www.creativmarket.info

Changes to Twain’s booksmiss author’s message

Meg LaneOpinion Editor

We all have heard or read a classic novel with the theme of racism. From Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird to Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, these novels have engraved themselves into our curriculum. Now those novels don’t embrace racism, and neither do those who wrote them, but many lit-erature critics are now censor-ing those types of novels. One book that has been recently under fire is Mark Twain’s Ad-ventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Alan Gribben, an Eng-lish professor from Auburn University, replaced the “N” word, which appears 200 times in the novel. His efforts to clean up Twain’s novel are so that more readers will embrace the work rather than be offended by it. I believe this editing ruins the novels originality and the historical aspect of it. They were writ-ten during times where such language was popular, but they were not morally sound word choices. If a reader cannot understand this, then I believe they should try talking

to an English teacher to better understand the language and meaning of these novels.

He isn’t the only one trying to make changes; a Seattle English teacher named John Foley wrote a guest column right before President Barack Obama inaugura-tion in which he proclaimed that novels such as To Kill A Mockingbird, Of Mice And Men and Huckleberry Finn were culturally insensitive and outdated, and that they need to be removed, especially after electing the nation’s first black president. I believe Foley’s opinion is unjust and the true meaning of these novels has

evaded him. In To Kill A Mocking-

bird, for example, a white lawyer defends a black man, while everyone in the town is against his actions. Also in Huck Finn, Huck befriends a black man even though it was unheard of during the 19th century. So to say that these authors and their works are racist is slander. They tell of the harsh realities better than any history book could. To censor them is censor history.And Huckleberry Finn

isn’t the only one being bleeped; Twain’s other novel, The Adventures of Tom Saw-yer also is being censored.

All of this censoring, however, has left many in a uproar. For many, these iconic novels being censored is a step in the wrong direction.

“To censor or redact books on school reading lists is a form of denial: shutting the door on the harsh histori-cal realities — whitewashing them or pretending they do not exist,” columnist Michiko Kakutani said.

So to those literary critics, think before you censor.

Women’s Basketball1/25, vs. Iowa City West @ home, 6 p.m.1/28, @ Waterloo East, 6 p.m.1/29, vs. Charles City @ home, 5 p.m.Men’s Swimming1/29, MVC Soph Super Meet @ Cedar Rapids Washington, 12:30 p.m.Men’s Basketball1/28 @Waterloo East, 7:30 p.m.Bowling1/28, vs. Linn Mar @ Cedar Rapids Bowling Center, 3:45 p.m.Wrestling1/27, @ Dubuque Walhert, 6 p.m.1/29, MVC Super Meet @ Linn Mar, 10 a.m.

1. Who/what is your biggest motivation? “My biggest motivation is making it to State this year.”2. What goals have you set for yourself?“My goals are just to try my hardest and make it to the state tournament.”3. Is there anybody you are looking forward to playing this season? Why?“Im looking forward to playing Cedar Rapids Jefferson because they’re a good team, and we will most likely play them again in Substate.”4. Are you planning to play basketball in college? “No, I don’t plan on playing college basketball.”

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tiger hi-lineJan.. 25, 2011

3sports

Bobby BrummelMen’s Basketball

Senior

Couch for the Cure: Sandra Omari-

BoatengStaff Writer

This basketball season, Student Senate is sponsoring a community service couch raffle during several men’s and women’s basketball games. At each game, specta-tors will have an opportunity to attempt to win a chance to enjoy the game on a plush court-side couch and relax with free drinks and snacks.

“We came up with this idea because it’s different and fun,” Student Senate President Austin Javellana said.

Participants can purchase a single raffle ticket for $1 or six tickets for $5 at the admis-sions desk at the start of every

home game. The winner will be announced at half-time, and at the following game, the winner and their chosen guests will redeem their prize.

The money raised from the raffle sales will be used for a winter clothing drive in order to provide warm hats, socks and other types of clothing for people in our area who need them.

“This is a great way for students to contribute to oth-ers in the community while also having a good time,” guidance counselor Erin Gardner said.

This whole charity event was made possible by Student Senate who wanted to explore more service project oppor-tunities. The Mother Moon scholarship also contributed

to the plan. To receive the scholarship, which is awarded to juniors, applicants must perform 100 hours of com-munity service and write an essay. Each year, one junior is awarded $500 to help gener-ate more community service projects like the couch raffle. More than a scholarship, Mother Moon also performs service projects, and the profits from the raffle at Cedar Falls go to the Mother Moon winter clothing and blanket drive.

Winners from previous games have already enjoyed their court-side accommoda-tions, but there are not many more opportunities left to win. Raffle tickets will be on sale every week before the last home basketball game on

Feb. 17. As of now, this raffle has raised $100 for the winter clothing drive.

“This raffle might not be so popular now because it’s new, but if we keep doing it in future years, it will become more popular and successful,” Student Senate Secretary Alex Stewart said.

“This is the first year that Student Senate has used this type of fundraiser. We got this idea when we met with students from other schools who have done this,” Javel-lana said.

The next opportunities to try to win this prize at the home games will be Jan. 21, 25 and 28; the last games for the couch raffle will be on Feb. 15, and the last game is on Feb. 17.

Olivia BorsayStaff Writer

Looking out during a wrestling meet, one might be surprised to see a female pac-ing the mat amongst a group of male wrestlers. However, Cedar Falls freshman Cassy Herkelman has proven that gender does not have to be the sole determinant of suc-cess or a dividing factor on a traditionally male-dominated team.

Wrestling at the 105 weight class, Herkelman has paved her way in women’s wrestling and now wants to make her mark in men’s wrestling. Having already had much success — she has won three state titles and four national championships in her weight division — Herkel-man is already a leader on the Cedar Falls team this season.

Initially, Herkelman’s love for wrestling was passed on through her family as her grandfather, father and uncles were all successful wrestlers.

Female freshman breaks barriers

So, it is no surprise that Herkelman began wrestling young - in second grade to be exact. Right off the bat, Herkelman endured a yearly schedule of wrestling 30 to 40 matches against other girls. However, once she arrived at Peet Junior High School and joined their wrestling team, she began wrestling against other boys in meets.

Being a minority in the

sport of wrestling has had its advantages, though. Herkel-man said her favorite element of wrestling is “the guys seeing they have to wrestle against me and seeing their reaction.”

Moreover, Herkelman has learned many lessons from her male teammates. “They help me because they are more technical and aggressive,” Herkelman said.

This season, Herkelman has already tasted success, and she hopes to take her success to the top level in the state. Overall, Herkelman is one of only four girls wres-tling this season in the state of Iowa, and individually, she has been 8-3 against other male wrestlers in her same weight class this season.

Herkelman’s main goal is to make it to the state championships, and if she achieves this feat, she will be the first girl to ever qualify for the tournament in Iowa history.”I’m excited that there’s a chance I could pos-sibly qualify for State this year,” Herkelman said.

Needless to say, Herkel-man is breaking barriers in the sport of wrestling. More important to her success has been the unrelenting support of her family throughout the years. “I love watching her, and I’m proud to call her my sister,” said Herkelman’s sister Carissa.

Kim Pfalzgraf photo

Basketball raffle benefits community

Freshman Cassy Herkelman focuses on the takedown before the start of the match vs. CR Washington.

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tiger hi-lineJan. 25, 2011

4feature

SupportStudent Press

The list of businesses and individuals included here are backers of the real world educational opportunities made possible by all the publication and broadcasting programs at Cedar Falls High School. Check out their links at our website: http://www.hiline.co.nr

Gold Star Sponsors ($250)•Sandee’s Silver Star Sponsors ($180)•Cedar Falls Community Credit Union

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Chandal GeerdesStaff Writer

Recycling is now as easy as one, two, three. Because of a privately owned business, those who want to recycle simply have to do is sign up and receive free bins. Curbcy-clers will do the rest.

Owned by Molly Taiber and Grant Schultz, Curbcylers is all about being energy ef-ficient and spreading the word of recycling. This locally-owned business has efficient vehicles and paperless billing to add to the convenience.

“I’ve lived in Cedar Falls for eight years, and it’s never happened, so we made it happen,” owner Grant Schultz said.

Customers, including some at the high school, are eager to check out the new option.

“When things are made convenient, it’s easier to participate,” English teacher Courtney Lubs said.

With three easy steps,

patrons can feel good about recycling hassle free.

The first step is to sign up online at curbcylcers.com; this takes about 60 seconds.

Once customers have signed up, Curbcylers will deliver free bins and bags to patron’s houses or businesses to put the recycling items into.

Patrons can then choose a plan for how often they want their recyclable materials to be picked up. This way, they don’t have to mess with the hassle of going to the recy-cling center themselves.

Customers can pick from a variety of plans. With the regular plan ($15 a month), patrons can have their recycling picked up twice a month. For $20 a month, they can have their recycling picked up once a week.

Both of these plans come with four free bins and curb-side pick-up.

For businesses, there is an industrial plan where recy-cling will get picked up every

Couple begins recycling pick-up service

week for $49. Curbcylers is a great op-

portunity for any resident, school or business owner in the Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Hudson, Dike, New Hartford and the Beaver Hill area.

Though they do travel far distances from city to city around Cedar Falls with a truck, the Taibers and Schultz have been able to get their eco-friendly job done and still

be green. Their microtruck “Curbie” gets 45 MPG, allowing Cedar Falls and sur-rounding cities to definitely benefit from this business.

“We realized using a full size truck is not green,” Schultz said.

Curbcylers started in early October and has over 100 people signed up for their regular pick up plan.

If this number increases

it could mean big things for Curbcylers, Cedar Falls, sur-rounding areas and possibly even Iowa.

Many community mem-bers feel there are many benefits from recycling. Re-cycling means less land fills, cleaner air, and eco-friendly economy.

“I think [recycling] is necessary. It saves money and resources,” Lubs said.

Student Poll: If your recycling was picked up at the curb, would you be more likely to recycle?

SENIORSYes: 69%No: 31%

JUNIORSYes: 78%No: 22%

SOPHOMORESYes: 89%No: 11%

OVERALLYes: 79%No: 21%

Hi-Line Polls represent survey from 10 percent of students.