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This is the March 2011 issue of The Echoes newspaper at ALHS in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
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The EchoesThe Independent Voice of Abraham Lincoln High School
Abraham Lincoln High SchoolCouncil Bluffs, IA 51503
March 2011Issue 4
SpringMadness
Flowers
Easter
Flip Flops
Spring Break
Thunder Storms
Spring Cleaning
Farmers Market
Garage Sales
Going to a Park
Driving with your Windows Down
Green Grass
Memorial Day
Outdoor Exercise
Riding a Bike
Earth Day
March Madness
Champion
Pick your favorite spring activity to battle its way through the bracket and become the champion of
SPRING MADNESS.
For more on spring activities, turn to pages 4&5
2 News The Echoes
Devon Jefferson
Students Moods and Attitudes Change with the Different Times of the Year
During the long, winter season people tend to get a little down. Sometimes its because the snow is constantly ruining their plans, sometimes its because it’s always freezing out. Occasionally it’s because of seasonal affective disorder.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) occurs during the fall and winter seasons when the days get shorter and colder, when students are cooped up and the sun is rarely seen. While many feel a little depressed in the winter months, the symptoms of true seasonal mood disorder are
These days, there is something new going on at AL almost everyday. Whether it be the newly finished wings opening to students and staff, or the drastic jumps from traditional scheduling, to block, and now to trimesters. Al is clearly going through a time of change, yet on of the most significant of changes would have to be the announcement of Principal Pat Mullen’s retirement. As well as the departure of assistant Principal Kyle Forney in addition to the arrival of a new head principal, Todd Barnett, and assistant principal Jason Plourde.
Before the construction, before the new A, B and C wings, before Mullen was principal at this school, it seemed that good ol’ AL hadn’t changed a bit since it’s first renovation in the eighties. Yet fast forward two years in time and one can see a myriad of changes to the school physically and the structure of the way the school runs. Yet now along with its new face lift, Al will also be sporting a new principal and a few new positions for the staff as well.
“I still enjoy working but my wife and I made a family decision to retire,” said Mullen.
Though the time that Mullen was here was brief, his time here is very evident in a few places. Since Mullen has been at the school, graduation, and dropout rates have improved, as well as the many extra curricular programs at the school that have improved as well.
Page Design by Brittany Rupp
“I think there are a lot of good things in place, we tried to work with the continual improvement process,” said Mullen.
Upon the completion of this school year Mullen will be retiring, as well as assistant principal Forney will be leaving to accept the position as Tucker C-enter principal. Yet even though he is retiring, it seems that his schedule will be more full and crazier then when he is working.
“My wife and I plan to do some traveling, first around the states, then Europe. My son and
I and all the rest of the boys in the family make trips to different baseball ballparks around the country, and spend time with my seven grand
children,” said Mullen.The staff at Al have become well attached to
Mullen as well, and even though most are sad to see him go, they are also excited to see him retire and move on with his life and to start a new year with a new principal.
“ I still enjoy working, but my wife and I made a family decision to retire. I enjoyed the time here and I will miss working with the kids.
-Patrick Mullen
“I’m happy for him, but I also hate to see him go, we are excited to start with Mr. Barnett,” said Jeff Novotny
Now that he is sure fire with his retirement and ready to start a new chapter in his life, Mullen plans to enjoy this last half of his year at Al and his last year of teaching.
“ I enjoyed the time here and I will miss working with the kids,” said Mullen.
Congratulations to Forney, and Barnett for their new positions in the district, and we wish them well in their journey in the education system. And to Mullen, we all wish him well in his travels and new lifestyle.
While students reflect on the past two years that Mullen has been here, we all wish Mullen the best in whatever life may bring him in the future years.
more severe. “Sometimes when it’s really
cold out and I’m stuck at home I get upset more easily and I get a little teary,” said Maria Brown ‘12.
Some of the symptoms include a noticeable decrease in activity and energy levels, excessive daytime sleeping, social withdraw and irritability. Symptoms usually build over the fall and winter months, as the days get shorter. Treatment for SAD is similar to that of other forms of depression, some antidepressants may be used if symptoms are affecting
Photo By: Christian SchlaterPatrick Mullen consults with a student in the hallway.
Symptoms of SAD
Decrease in activity Energy levels Excessive daytime sleeping
Social withdraw and Irritability.
Todd Barnett, •current Tucker Center Principal will replace MullenCurrent Washington •Principal Jason Plourde will replace Cyle Forney Cyle Forney will •become the Tucker Center Principal
daily life. Other treatments that appear to be effective include getting outside during daylight hours and getting exercise.
We have all heard the dangers of tanning in a tanning bed but some may have noticed tanning places advertising the fact that it appears to be an effective way to treat this disorder. Vitamin D is absorbed through the skin and helps to increase happy feelings. Occasional tanning sessions may be acceptable to help treat someone with seasonal affective disorder.
“After I’m done tanning I always feel a little more happy,” said Brown ‘12.
Other than tanning, some other treatments include therapy and antidepressants. Sometimes one may not need to seek professional help. If the symptoms aren’t severe, one may just need to make a few lifestyle changes. One change a person could make that
might help is placing oneself in brighter environments. Opening shades and letting sunlight in will help with that. Another lifestyle change that could be made is going outside more often. Even if it is chilly or cloudy out, its proven that being outside can brighten one’s mood. Finally, increasing the amount of daily exercise in one’s life can help relieve stress and anxiety.
If untreated, like any other form of depression, SAD can lead to other depressive disorders. So if one starts to feel down or hopeless don’t ignore the symptoms, treatment is often very successful.
Though winter can be a depressing time, because of weather and other factors, students can find ways to stay upbeat. By simply being with friends and bringing the fun indoors SAD can become one less thing that students worry about during the winter.
Taylor Bright
Barnett Replacing Retiring Mullen
Editors-in-ChiefDanielle Hogsed
Shanon Smith
Business ManagerAmber Michael
Page EditorsDanielle Peabody
Brittany Rupp Brian Williams
AdvertisingTaylor Bright
Graphics and CartoonsKevin Dickey
PhotographersEmily Koontz
Christian Schlater
ReportersEmmalee Adams
Sarah BachArianne Boehme
Ericka DavisDevon Jefferson
Kristin MolgaardLauren Myers
Mitchell MyersSuzanne Peterson
WebmasterElizabeth Beck
AdviserGerry Appel
The Echoes is published by the newspaper staff of Abraham Lincoln High School, and exists to serve as an open forum for the students, faculty, administration and community.
All state and federal laws regarding the publications of student materials shall apply, and the Echoes will not publish materials which also fall under the guidelines established by the Council Bluffs Public Schools system, and are deemed libelous, obscene, or a material and substantial disruption to normal classroom activities.
The views expressed are not those of the Council Bluffs Public Schools, faculty, or administration.
Any student, faculty, or staff member wishing to contribute materials will need to submit a letter to the editor within deadline restriction; however, final publications is at the discretion of the staff. Letters to the editor are encouraged, and must be 400 words or less in length and signed; letters will be printed as received. Every attempt will be made to verify the authenticity of the author, and no anonymous letters will be published.
Advertising will not be accepted for all products or services that are illegal for minors to possess or utilize. Advertisers wishing to reserve publication space should call 328-6481 ext. 425.
5OpinionThe Echoes
The Echoes
Page Design by Danielle Hogsed
F
E D I TO R S ’ R E P O R T
CARDEveryone who plans on attending the Jennie Edmundson dress drive on March 12. All the proceeds go to Spirit of Courage, to help those who are battling cancer.
A
C
Ridiculously high gas prices of $3.39 a gallon. How many high schoolers can seriously afford to pay that much for gas?
D
BThe school bell that dismisses class everyday. What note is that? I mean, why can’t we just have a nice little bell noise, instead of a loud who-knows-what?
Todd Barnett for replacing Patrick Mullen as the new principal. Although we are happy for him, the replacement will be bittersweet.
People who have yet to learn how to park in the parking lot. Now that the snow is gone, there is no excuse for poor parking.
Parking Lot Woes
By Christian [email protected]
As a senior, I have been thinking of so many things. Things that have gotten me to where I am today, and things that have made me who I am, but as I reflect back onto years past, there is one thing that has impacted me greatly: volunteering. It wasn’t until last year
when volunteering really began to weigh heavily on my life. It’s when I began to supervise on my night, when I started picking up extra shifts, joining numerous committees, and really began to enjoying the people I share one night each week with.
I volunteer at Jennie Edmundson as a teen volunteer restocking linen, refreshing water, delivering newspapers, and assembling kits. But one of the most important things that I have done is patient visitation. Ask any volunteer,
Reflections of a Teen VolunteerBy Danielle Hogsed
[email protected] I can guarantee you that each and every one of them have a patient visitation they could tell you. I once talked with a man for an hour about everything ranging from California (which I know nothing about) and Germany (which is a topic very dear to my heart), to the army, to his childhood, and finally to my nursing plans. Other volunteers have discussed everything from waffles to farm chickens. One thing that I love the most about volunteering is that you never know what to expect when you walk through the hospital doors.
I can honestly tell you that the best volunteer memories have come from the people on Tuesday who I volunteer with. We’ve done everything from having an art project in the lounge, playing with the fake babies used for babysitting classes, to playing space ship in large boxes that somehow ended up in the lounge. But my best memory occurred on the first day of school. As many of you know, it had been raining all day, but we wanted to bond, so didn’t let it ruin our day. We had ice cream at Ted and
Wally’s then went and played on the large slides in Omaha. We raced down them and took on the challenge of climbing up the slickery devils. After trying to get up alone, and taking each other our numerous times, we realized that we would have to work together to get up. So we bond together, and after a long time of trying and failing we finally made it home. We all went home that night with a few bruises and some bird poop on my forehead.
I could go on and on about how much I love volunteering, but what it really comes down to is that it feels good. You always leave the hospital with a good feeling knowing that you helped someone. Whether you are helping someone out by volunteering at the homeless shelter, animal shelter, or at the hospital, you always leave with a sense of accomplishment. But if you are looking for something that doesn’t involve a large time commitment, I recommend the hospital dress drive, this Saturday from 10-2 at LC. Prom dresses only cost $25 and all the money goes to help people with cancer.
While many students complain that the parking lot at Abraham Lincoln High School is an abomination – I think that they are just being difficult.
In fact, I consider it a privilege to park my Ranger at AL. After all, the joys of parking at
AL are the door dings, the double parking, and the general lack of maintenance when it snows three inches and no one has given a thought to plow the parking lot! From my experiences, parking at AL is the greatest way to learn about how to deal with accidents.
I don’t see why people get so irritated by getting door dings to their cars -- it helps out the repair shops a ton in this horrible economy, and the lack of security cameras in the lot gives the students the chance to be more truthful and come clean about what they did -- without any way of them getting caught.
Double parking is a great thing to do in the parking lot, too, because it allows students to take up more than one spot and it makes others not able to park. I think it is a great deal to make others park farther back. What really gives
Cartoon by Kevin Dickey
them the right to park there anyway? It’s not like those people are better then me. I personally like double parking as it gives my car a certain look of importance as showing others that I really do think I am better than them.
Plus, they should be grateful to me because I have allowed them the opportunity for additional exercise from the walk that they will have from the back of the lot, since I’m up front – double-parked.
And when the snow comes down… woo! The AL parking lot is the perfect place to perfect cookies – and I’m not talking chocolate chips! That’ll make you have some fun doing cookies in the parking lot thanks to school not plowing the lot -- it makes it ten times better to fish tail, do cookies, peel out and drive recklessly; I personally love taking advantage of it. Should school be fun? Also by not plowing, no one can see the lines and they park in new inventing ways to fit their cars in the lot; I don’t think it matters cutting the parking down by half because of the lack of maintenance.
In conclusion, it is in fact a great deal to park in the parking lot to go to school, with learning how to deal with accidents, perfecting your cookies or any other car tricks you may do, and finally learning to deal and practice driving in the winter conditions that Iowa has yet to bring to us.
Feature4 The Echoes 5
Spring break is the time of a student’s life. For a week or so, students are let free to do whatever they please. Hang out with friends, get a few hours in at the job, have a night out on the town, and of course do some much needed shopping. Yet with the crazy high gas prices, it’s hard to get around these days without the gas light popping on in the car making one thing twice about their travels.
“It’s really hard to find something to do when everything requires me to drive and gas is almost four dollars a gallon, it really makes me not want to do anything,” said Jordan Robinson ‘11
Pulling up to the pump these days usually goes something like this, the initial sound of the car door slamming, then a second loud thunk from ones heart, and jaw dropping simultaneously because of the ridiculously high gas prices. More often then not nickel and dimming ones way to a gallon of gas is becoming more common amongst many. Yet with spring break around the corner, more and more people will be on the road, and the majority of those people will be young teens trying to find something to do during their break.
“I’m constantly driving because of cheer and stuff with friends, and shopping, but its
Devon Jefferson
going to be hard to do what I want over break because almost all my money will go to gas,” said Kaylie Farber-Brown ‘12
Classic activities like Friday night movies or Wednesday wings at the local Buffalo Wild wings are often taking a backseat to other alternatives. Even though one might have the money to go to, its often hard to find a ride there.
“I cant drive so I’m always trying to carpool with friends to places when I hang out with my friends, but it seems like its harder to find rides because people don’t ever have gas, and I don’t want to give them gas money,” said Charlie Knotek ‘13.
Yet not only will it be hard to get around this spring break, it seems that it will also be as difficult to find entertaining things to do over break as well.
“Usually we all go over to someone’s house and hang out, or go out to eat together or to a movie, but other than that there isn’t a lot to do here in town,” said Farber-Brown.
It seems to be very evident that this break will be one of the most organized for students because there are factors stopping ones plans. Yet through it all, one way or another kids will enjoy their break, regardless of the madness. Who knows, maybe spring break madness will be good.
Page Design by Danielle Peabody
2011BreakSpring Breaking
Spring
Boredom
Photo
Illustr
ation
by C
hrist
ian Sch
later
With gas prices rising, students may begin to choose alternative methods of transportation.
6 Entertainment The EchoesPage Design by Brian Williams
Look-A-Likes!
Students GoKevin Dickey
The metro has been in a Gaga frenzy leading up to the pop artist’s arrival. As the date draws closer it seems like tickets are harder and harder to come by. A few members of Abraham Lincoln have gotten the opportunity to attend The Monster Ball and they are quite ecstatic, and for good reason too. Jordan Smith ‘12 said he is excited for her performance. “I am looking forward to this concert,” he said. “She has a unique style and she has great songs. No matter what (the songs) are about, they’re great. I love it! Her songs make me feel free.”
Lady Gaga has record sales in the tens of millions worldwide. Her debut album, “The Fame,” sold well over ten million copies, and is largely hailed as the most ground breaking pop album of the past decade. “I like listening to her songs when I’m on my way home and I feel really excited and happy and feel like dancing, but sometimes her music can get a little repetitive,” said Shannon Holmes ‘12.
Still, not every one is gaga for Gaga.
Some view the diva as attention-deprived, using her superstar status to garner attention with her eccentric clothes and antics. “I don’t like the way she dresses,” said Brett Frink. “It seems like she really wants to get attention and can’t
survive without the spotlight. Her fashion seems to come before her music, and it is
more memorable than her music.” In the past, Lady Gaga has had massive success using her quirky style to capture the public eye. In June of 2010, Gaga gained infamy in England after a concert where she performed a song covered in fake blood. While she had used this stunt multiple times on the Monster Ball tour and at the MTV music awards, this performance had followed just hours after a deadly shooting in Cumbria, England. Fans where shocked as the
pop star was “murdered” on stage, and protests of her tour quickly followed.
No matter whom you ask, every one is sure to know who Lady Gaga
is, and every one is sure to have an opinion about her. Wither she is
an attention deprived diva, or a sensational superstar, it seems like Lady Gaga is here to stay.
Pop Sensation Deemed a HitThe Echoes
MOVIE REVIEWS
This movie, based on a romance novel, is about a teenage alien, number four out of nine who has to protect their home planet which has been destroyed. Number Four, known as John Smith is forced to move to Paradise, Ohio and remain as unknown as possible. Failing to do so, John falls in love with a human girl, Sarah, on the first day of school.
John was played by Alex Pettyfer and Sarah by Diana Argon. The overall acting was done well but Diana’s character was quite dull. The action in the movie was incredible. The fight scenes, weapons, and alien superpowers were amazingly brought to life. Although the acting and action was good, the movie could have elaborated a bit more as there were many background questions that remained unanswered.
Overall, the movie was enjoyable to watch. It was aimed more towards young adults, but could easily be enjoyed by all ages.
I Am Number 4Arianne Boehme
This movie is the modern day version of Beauty and the Beast and comes from a novel written in 2007. Being raised on Disney princess movies such as Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, this movie caught my attention with the basis of a modern cutting-edge version of the fairy tale. The moral of the movie would be for self-absorbed Kyle Kingson; he needs to change his ways of life or he will end up not as well as he thinks he will. He humiliates unattractive classmates and zeros in on a Gothic classmate Kendra asking her to a dance and then blowing her off in an extremely savage way. In return, a spell is cast on him to make him as ugly on the inside making him an actual beast. He ends up finding love where he would have never expected and learns to see people for what’s on the inside more then the outside. Though don’t just read this column go see the movie and enjoy the magic yourselves.
BeastlyKristin Molgaard
Photo courtesy of mctcampus.com
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Local Musicians Describe Their InspirationsEmmalee AdamsArianne Boehme
[email protected]@gmail.com
Listening to major bands that everyone has heard of may get boring after a while. It’s Friday night and one’s favorite band is playing a concert in a hometown, but tickets are sold out. So then it’s a night of sitting at home being music-deprived, next step YouTube. One may want to listen to something new and may not want to go far to find it. Many local bands are trying to do what they love, play music. Playing at local venues and coffee shops for fans to hear.
Alli and I, an Indie/pop musician from Lincoln, Neb. consists of singer Andrew Standley and his guitarist Alli. Standley has been around music all his life but has been Alli and I for about 4 years.
“My mom was in choir and we had a piano at home,” said Andrew Standley, singer of Alli and I, “I was also in kids choir at church.”
Many big bands in the music industry may let the fame and money go to their heads. Some may say that music is where the heart
Echoes Gets Special Insight Into Lives of Metro Artistsis, and the heart may be in one’s hometown.
“I suppose I want to be part of something bigger than myself and that’s what I hope my music becomes,” said Standley, musician. “I don’t want to do it for me, I want to do it for the music. I think that’s a better reason than money and fame.”
Although Alli and I may not be big and famous, he is happy sharing his music with local fans and playing his heart out for self accomplishment.
Most seniors would probably be worrying about colleges, test scores, and parties but, there are three local seniors that have music on their minds instead of the books. Eric Smith, Huy Nguyen, and Ed Getzlaff formed the acoustic band, Paint the Coastline and have since then played with big bands such as All star Weekend. These seniors have been playing instruments almost their whole lives and have made music impact their own lives and thank their inspiring musicians for that.
“We all have different inspirations when it comes to music,” said Huy Nguyen, guitar player. “I like Amber P a c i f i c , Eric likes Saosin, and
Ed likes any jazz music.”Balancing school work and a band may
be hard for some high school kids but not for Paint the Coastline, whose only challenge is the recording process. When sitting down with the band one can tell that the three boys are almost a family and is brought together by their music. They have come a long way since first starting a year ago and have some advice to give to others trying to form a band at such a young age.
“Write your heart out, sing your heart out, play your heart out,” said Eric Smith, vocalist.
Paint the Coastline writes about what may be important to other teens. They write about life experiences and the music comes from the heart, which most teen musicians can relate to. They’d love to make music apart of their future careers which is why many are encouraged to look Paint the Coastline up on Facebook and YouTube.
If one doesn’t even want to leave school for good, quality music then maybe the electro house
styling from sophomore A u s t i n Elkins is
enough to meet the ear. Electro House Music is electronic music normally found at raves but no need to go far, it’s also here at Abraham Lincoln High School. Most students may go for guitar or drums, so why electro house?
“I started about a year ago because I was in a band in South Dakota and didn’t like the drama,” said Austin Elkins, musician. “I wanted to start my own solo project.”
This sophomore is now making music in the comfort of his home for friends to hear but is planning on making music at parties for other people. If one wants to hear a preview of music like Elkin’s, then one should listen to any Dubstep or electro-house music.
Whether one is a fan of acoustic or techno, it may be a different approach to listen to something local, compared to big bands. Most local bands make music for their satisfaction and for the satisfaction of local fans. Some may disagree to the saying “bigger is better” once listening to these local bands. Places one can go and enjoy such local pleasures would be Paint the Coastline on March 16 at The Benson Grind at 6pm. Alli and I plays many times in the Omaha/Council Bluffs so be sure to look him on Facebook under Alli and I.
7SportsThe Echoes Page Design by Shanon Smith
Spring Sports Starting SoonNew Seasons Opens New Opportunities For Athletes
Spring is just around the corner. When one hears the word “spring,” what is the first thought that comes to mind? It may be good weather, walks in the park, shorts and sandals, picnics, flowers, seasonal allergies, ice cream, but for most, it means spring sports. Yes, it’s that time of the year again. Spring is also a time for the athletes to show their skills in soccer, track tennis, and golf.
“I’m really excited for track season,” said Alexis Mitchell ’12. “I expect the season to go amazing, and I’m pretty sure we are going to state this year. I have been preparing myself for this season. I’ve put myself on a diet, where I can only eat my
own food. I have good grades, I don’t have any injuries, I’m healthy and I’m ready to go to state, and break the record for discus.”
Unfortunately, most spring sports are difficult to practice during the winter, so when the season rolls around, getting back to your original shape may not always be the easiest thing to do.
“I’m excited that soccer is starting up,” said Anna Konecny ’11. “Right now we are conditioning. To prepare ourselves for the season, we go on runs three times a week after school. We also do stairs and ab workouts. I’m kind of sore, but in the end, it will be worth it.”
Conditioning as a team is a great way to make friends, increase confidence in playing abilities, and to stay in good shape.
“I’ve been waiting all year for tennis,”
Suzanne Peterson
said Cassi Butterfield ’11. “I’ve been conditioning with the girls and been doing other workouts at home. This is my last year, I want to have more wins, and I’m waiting for this to be the best season yet.”
Aside conditioning, there are also many goals that players set aside for oneself, whether one is going on a diet, working out, keeping up with school work, or just practicing.
“My goals are to better myself, and make sure there isn’t any drama,” said Konecny.
A new season also may come along with new hopes, or new expectations.
“I expect golf to be fun and productive,” said Kelsey Tekippe ’11. “My goal is to get under 100, or a hole-in-one.”
It’s not always about time and effort. Believing in ones self and having self esteem
It’s not too late to buy a yearbook!Come to room B200 for more information!
Photos by Emily Koontz
Athletes participate in the different spring sports including track, tennis, soccer and golf.
does the trick too.“I’ve mentally prepared myself,” said
Mitchell. “This is my year to prove myself. I’m ready.”
Even though when one hears the word “spring” and playing sports isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, those dedicated athletes will always know that spring sports may mean getting ready to come out and give 110% effort, getting ready to start, prepare, and most of all getting ready to have a good season. One may improve themselves for spring sports by doing many activities. With winter passing by and spring starting up, one may already know what actions are expected to prepare for upcoming seasons. There isn’t a certain time, or price to not help one be the best athlete they can be.
