News Briefs

HI LINETigerThe

http://www.cedar-falls.k12.ia.us1015 Division St. Cedar Falls, IA 50613 Volume 47 Edition 2

Prepare for ActionSeptember is National Preparedness Month. Learn how to take respon-sibilty for personal safety in the event of an emer-gency.

See OPINION page

-CFHS Homecoming 2006

Continuing the celebration of Tiger spirit

Bomb threat, other pranks disrupt homecoming week

Jessica Taylor PhotoCaitlin Glade Photo

Jennifer Hurban Cartoon

•Students wanting to send former CFHS choir teacher Susan Beasley a letter are encouraged to do so by Oct. 2. Please send it to

Cedar Falls High School

1015 Division StreetCedar Falls, Iowa

50613•Those who are

interested in signing up for pickleball/badmitton intramural contests in October should contact PE teacher Jamie Smith by Oct. 4. The games will be played on Monday nights in the rubber gym. Students should sign up in teams of two, and the cost for the games is $1. The teams will compete until a champion is deter-mined. The top team will earn T-shirts. Six teams have already signed up.

Audrey KittrellNews Editors

As Homecoming Week neared it’s end, a number of pre-meditated pranks hit Cedar Falls High School, including a bomb threat which left a com-plex investigation for CFHS staff and the Cedar Falls Police Department.

Last Thursday, students were shuffled out of their third period classes as fire alarms sounded in the school.

Shortly after, students and staff watched as a banner dropped from the roof of the building displaying an explicit message. It was later announced that two smoke bombs had been simultaneously released in the school’s stairwells.

Later that night, vandals spray-painted graffiti on the building with similar messages.

At approximately 11:30 a.m. on Friday morning, the school

had to be evacuated once again because of a phoned-in bomb threat.

Students and staff were entertained by the marching band, a yo-yo performer and cheerleaders for over an hour as the school was searched by the Cedar Falls Police and Fire Departments.

Other minor pranks involv-ing animals took place, but the vandal was caught shortly after.

The pranks will result in suspension or potentially expul-sion from the school, but larger charges will be brought from the Cedar Falls Police Depart-ment for the bomb threat, since it is considered a felony.

“We don’t want to rush on finding the people responsible. It needs to be done properly to locate the person or persons involved. There is also still a chance that both or one of the pranks may not have been a Cedar Falls student,” Principal

Rich Powers said.Costs for dam-

ages to the high school involve fees to the fire depart-ment and hiring a company to remove unwanted graffiti left on the school.

“About 10 mem-bers from Senior Leadership brought power washers to remove graffiti on the walls of the school. We’re very thankful for that. They stepped up to take care of what was important to them,” Powers said.

Despite the inci-dents, all homecoming activities remained scheduled.

“We had great turnouts for the dance and game. The bot-tom line is students deserve the

opportunity. The kids responded well, and I have a hard time al-lowing some people ruin it for the rest of the student body,” Powers said.

Students are still encour-aged to report any information dealing with the pranks if they feel it will help in resolving the investigations.

David Bergstrom Photo

After two smoke bombs were used in the halls on Thursday, Sept. 21, the Cedar Falls Fire Department oversaw the return of students to class.

Top Left: Blocking his oppo-nent is senior wide receiver DJ Deery. The Tigers went on to defeat East High 19-0 at the Friday night homecoming game.Bottom Left: Singing and dancing to “Mambo #5” at coronation Thursday night are karaokee winners Bryce Duchman, Mike DiMarco, DJ Deery and Jon Relph (se-niors).Middle: Dancing in their paradise-themed outfits at the homecoming dance are seniors Sarah Pattee, Alyssa Weak and Brittany Naylor. Far Right: Enjoying their royalty are Homecoming Queen Kate Henny and King Andrew Doyle.

Caitlin Glade Photo

Caitlin Glade Photo

Our View

The Tiger Hi-Line is a weekly publication of the journalism classes of Cedar Falls High School, 1015 Division St., Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613. Each edition is published on Wednesdays during the school year in The Insider and Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier, 501 Commercial St., Waterloo, Iowa 50701.

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. Let-ters must be submitted by 3 p.m. on Thursday for publication the following Wednesday. 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-Sheila Moussavi & Kirstin Riggs

News Editor-Kelsey Ihde & Audrey KittrellOpinion Editors-Andrea Huber & Robb Klassen

Sports Editor-Josh BettsFeature Editors-Briana McGeough & Willa SimmetOn-Line Editors-David Jacobson & Olivia Schares

Photo Editors-Katy Schult

OPINIONHI LINETiger

-The

Torie JochimsStaff Writer

September is National Preparedness Month, and many people say that the question of disaster striking is not an “if” but a “when.”

When the time comes, are you and your family going to be prepared?

Tragedy happens, disaster occurs and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop it. It is always sudden and never expected. Though all the blame seems to be placed on the government these days; are you doing your part to be prepared just in case?

The most common thing you can do to feel prepared is have an emergency kit. Some things to have in your emer-gency-preparedness kit include:

•Water. One gallon of water per per-son per day for at least three days is the wisest choice when it comes to being prepared. This water can be used for both drinking and sanitation purposes, should the need arise.

•Food, at least three days’ worth of non-perishable food items.

•Battery or hand crank radio, and a NOAA weather radio. Include extra bat-teries for both.

•Flashlight and extra batteries.•First aid kit. A standard one can be

found for as little as $10 at your local drug store.

•Whistle to signal for help.•Dust mask.•Moist towelettes, plastic garbage

bags and plastic ties for personal sanita-tion purposes.

•A wrench to turn off utilities.•Can opener if your kit contains

canned food.•Local maps.(sources were taken from http:

//www.ready,gov/america/beinformed/index.html)

If you already have a kit, kudos to you! There is one more thing you should know about, however. The next step you should take to make sure you’re prepared is to make a plan.

Make sure a family communication plan has been set up, because you may not be together when disaster strikes.

Emergency information and num-bers are a must-know. That way, if family communication is not an option, help is only a few dial tones away.

So you’re set at home, there’s more

you can do. Don’t be afraid to inquire about the emergency plans at your school or work. It could just be the plan that saves your life. The plan kits are useless, however, without knowledge.

Even if it is impossible to tell when disaster could strike, there is still a need to know what kind of disaster could strike. Learn more about po-tential emergencies in your area, and learn the right way to react. As scary as it may be, being prepared for both man-made as well as natural disasters is imperative.

When it comes down to it, knowing what you’re up against, how to survive and how to react could mean the dif-ference between life and death, and, though the government has obligations for safety, we can’t ignore our parts.

Every year, the week preceding the big homecoming game is packed with spirit-boosting activities. These include daily dress-up themes, a coronation assembly and, to the misfortune of administra-tors and the school’s more legalistic students, several senior pranks that have inspired the name, “Hell Week.” To make matters worse (or better, depending on your perspective), the recent pranks of this year’s senior class are generally regarded as the most numerous and outrageous the school has seen in many years. Ranging from mice and graffiti, to bomb threats and “smoke bombs” (accompanied by gi-ant, provocative signs), the prolific class of 2007 brought new mean-ing to “Hell Week.” And though some were more tactful than others (the unprovoked vandalism of our new principal’s house being among the more tasteless of the pranks), the generally constructive attitude throughout the chaos provided even those who deeply opposed the pranks, something to be (at least a little) grateful for.

The positive participation of Senior Leadership, for example, was highly constructive. Not only did the group clean the graffiti from the school walls, but they also wrote a letter of apology (printed on this page) on behalf of those CFHS students who sincerely wish the recent pranks had not occurred. Since those behind the pranks have already (in a sense) expressed their opinions, it is only fair that the other side should be heard as well. As class representatives, Senior Leadership is a fitting group to express the, admittedly less common, anti-“Hell Week” perspective.

We would also like to thank the cheerleaders and marching band members who entertained the students throughout the bomb threat, turning a potentially boring and unproductive 45 minutes, into a full on pep assembly. By doing so, they made great use of otherwise dead time.

Though some may be offended by the number and variety of pranks this year, we hope they can be, at the very least, pacified by the helpful attempts of many students to make the best of the situation.

Constructive attitudes help pacify “Hell Week” aftermath

Write the Tiger Hi-Line Seniors settle in for last year

Individuals must prepare for worst

An Open Letter to Cedar Falls,We have written this letter as a

formal apology for the inappropriate events of this past week at Cedar Falls High School. Although none of us were involved in the “pranks” and vandal-ism at our school, we would still like to take the opportunity to apologize for the careless actions of those students involved.

We would like to try to repair the tradition and reputation of excellence that Cedar Falls High School was worked so hard to attain over the years. The events of the past week were not an accurate reflection of the attitude of the senior class or the student body as a whole. We would like to make it known that vandalism, harassment and disre-spect are not and will not be tolerated.

Cedar Falls High School should be a safe place for all students where they can learn the valuable balance of edu-cation, fun and respect. This should be a place where positive memories will be built and reflected upon proudly; several action of this past week did not accomplish that.

To all those who were affected in a negative way, we are sincerely sorry and would like to do whatever we can to help make it right. We would like to specifically apologize to the adminis-tration, Cedar Falls Police and Fire De-partments, the homecoming planning committee and the students of Cedar Falls High School.

We hope that we all learn from this past week, so that the rest of the year will be positive. It is our sincere hope that his letter will show you our passion in trying to make Cedar Falls High School a great place to learn, and we are grateful for that opportunity. Thanks for your continued support of Cedar Falls High School.

Sincerely,CFHS Senior Leadership TeamJordan Galles, Katie Roberts, Magan

Schilling, Sarah Pattee, Brittany Naylor, Aaron Redinbaugh, Alex Ulfers, Katy Schult, Justine Celoni, Rhiannon Talbot, Thea Moe, Bryce Duchman, Andrew Clopton, Kallie Thompson, Andy Friedrich, Mark Jackson, Chelsea Jehle, Ashley Hermansen, Emily Lentz, Nicky Newhoff, Habie Timbo, Thomas Panicucci, April Czarnetzki, Abby Long, Jenni Hashman, Allison Bernard, Michael DiMarco

Senior Leaders apologize for homecoming distractions

Jennifer Hurban Cartoon

In the event of disaster,

Letter to the Editor

Athleteof

theWeekKelsey Davis

Junior Cross Country Runner

Tigersin Action

SPORTS

Football (3-1) beat Waterloo East 19-0Next Up: Linn-Mar(Away at 7:30 p.m.)

Men’s Cross Country placed 2nd out of 15 at Mason City InviteNext Up: Metro Meet at Warren Park 9/28(Away at 4:30 p.m.)

Women’s Cross Countryplaced 1st out of 13 at Mason City InviteNext Up: Metro Meet at Warren Park 9/28(Away at 4:30 p.m.)

Women’s Swimmingcompeted vs. Waterloo West last nightNext Up: Marcussen Invite 9/30(Home: Diving at 9:00 a.m. Swimming at 1:00 p.m.)

Volleyball played at Dubuque Wahlert last nightNext Up: CR Prairie Tournament 9/30(Away at 9:00 a.m.)

Men’s Golfcompetes in Metro Meet at Irv Warren tommorowNext Up: MVC Divisional at IC West 9/25(Away at TBA)

HI-LINETigerThe

Caitlin Glade Photo

What motivates you to partici-pate in such a difficult sport?

“I love the sport and enjoy the chal-lenge of trying to improve my times.”

What event are you most excited for this year?

“Rich Engel is always my favorite race of the year, I love the crowd and being able to run on our home course.”

How does your team bond outside of practice?

“We have team spaghetti dinners every Tuesday. We also make T-shirts to wear at Rich Engel.”

Are there any rituals you do to prepare yourself for a meet?

“Get excited.”

CF volleyball team captures Tiger Invitational Josh Betts

Sports Editor

There’s an old addage that says “the cream always rises to the top.” If that is true, the No. 11-ranked Tiger volley-ball team’s play Saturday in the Tiger Invitational may very likely lead them back where they were last year for the first, the state volleyball tournament.

In a tournament that featured five ranked teams (Cedar Falls, #11 in Class 4A; Aplington-Parkersburg, #10 in Class 2A, Dike New Hartford, #11 in Class 2A, Waterloo East #15 in Class 4A and Waterloo Columbus, #5 in Class 2A), the Tigers went undefeated on the day and had only one match (the championship) go to the third and final game en route to the Tiger Invitational championship, their second in as many years.

In addition, the Tigers would only lose one game during the day (the first game of the championship match against Marshalltown 19-21).

“There is always good competition at this tournament, so to win, especially for the second year in a row, is pretty special,” CFHS head volleyball coach Matt Flaherty said. “The team played fantastic volleyball all day long. It was a true team win.”

The Tigers pool included the teams of Marshalltown, Cedar Rapids Wash-ington and Waukon.

In their first pool play match of the day, the Tigers took on the Marshall-town Bobcats, who they would eventu-ally face in the championship match. The Tigers defeated the Bobcats two games to none by scores of 21-16 and 21-10.

“We came out ready to play well,”

Flaherty said. “We felt like we were aggressive;

we played well.”Flaherty also commented on the

confidence winning your first match of the day gives a team.

“It’s big,” he said. “Getting that confidence that you’re on top, and you can go into the next matches with that confidence and know that you are kind of in the drivers seat, and we can take care of business.”

In their second pool match of the day, the Tigers took on Waukon and once again made it look easy defeating Waukon two games to none by scores of 21-16 and 21-9. In game one, the Tigers found themselves down eight to five early on. After that point, the Ti-gers would score six of the next seven points in the game to take the lead at 11-9. Waukon, however, would creep back to tie it at 13 apiece in game one, but the Tigers would once again go on a scoring streak, scoring eight of the 11 points in game one to win it by a score of 21-16.

In game two, the Tigers took the early lead at three to two, only to see Waukon come back to take the lead at five to three. A kill by senior outside hitter Hilary Schmidt tied game two at five apiece.

Game two would also be tied at seven. Waukon would creep back into the lead at nine to seven. Only to see the Tigers come back to tie it at nine on another kill by Schmidt. The Tigers would then rattle off nine straight points to take the lead 18-nine, (12 straight points to win the match 21-9) which they would never relinquish. With the score tied 18-nine, Waukon took a timeout.

“I told them (in the timeout) to keep doing what they were doing,” Flaherty said. “They were having fun, and we just needed to finish it off.”

In the Tigers final pool match of the day, the Tigers faced fellow Mis-sissippi Valley Conference foe Cedar Rapids Washington.

The Tigers defeated the Warriors by scores of 21-11, and 21-11.

“We played a solid game (vs. Cedar Rapids Washington),” Flaherty said.

Regarding how winning all the pool matches prepares for the championship bracket, Flaherty said, “Sometimes it takes a game loss to get you motivated because no one likes to lose, but being our own tournament, I think there was motivation enough.”

The Tigers finished first in their pool going 3-0 and outscoring their pool op-ponents 126-73.

The Tigers would face Waukee in the quarterfinals of the championship bracket, and defeated Waukee two games to none by scores of 21-17 and 21-11.

“We played well. We played ag-gressive,” Flaherty said. “I think the key was when Hillary Schmidt stepped up to the service line, and we went on a run. She served aggressive, and the team started responding, playing our game.”

The Tigers faced Grundy Center in the semifinals of the championship bracket and defeated the Spartans two games to none by scores of 21-15 and 21-16.

“We played well,” Flaherty said. “We were able to hit around the block and disrupt their defense a little, which is what I wanted the girls to do, so they responded to that, which is good.”

So the Tigers moved on to the championship match to face the Mar-shalltown Bobcats, who they defeated in pool play. Marshalltown defeated Dike New-Hartford and Waterloo Columbus to get to the championship match, but the Tigers protected their home court, defeating the Bobcats by scores of 19-21, 21-17 and 15-11.

“I would like to think that this gives us a boost of confidence as we finish the MVC season.”

“Every night in the MVC is going to be a tough, competitive match, so a win like this can do wonders for teamwork and performance in the MVC.”

Regarding a possible return trip to State, Flaherty said he is hopeful.

“I feel that if we play well and come together as a team, performing to our capabilities, that this team is pretty special.”

“There is no limit to what they can accomplish, so yes, a return trip to State and possibly making that cham-pionship match is possible.”

“The girls have a lot of season left, and some tough MVC competitions in the future, so how we come together as a team will dictate if we are a contender for State or not.”

Mohlis had 40 kills and five blocks in the tournament for the Tigers. Bri-anna Weber had 117 assists, and a 100 percent serve percentage. Jenni Hash-man had 32 digs, and Caitlin Hagarty had six blocks and 27 digs. Schmidt had 32 kills and seven ace serves. Abby Conrad also had five ace serves.

The Tigers played at Dubuque Wahlert last night, and then travel to Cedar Rapids Prairie on Saturday to take part in a tournament at Prairie High School.

Men’s cross country prepares for upcoming meetsKristen Hammer

Staff Writer

The CFHS men’s cross country team finished second in both varsity and JV divisions last Thursday at the Mason City Invite. Alex Mark came in first for Cedar Falls with a time of 17:11.

“I felt like we performed well at Mason City. Marshalltown is probably the best team in the state right now, and we went out and competed well against them at State,” varsity runner Michael Streicher said.

Next week is the Tigers’ Metro meet followed by the Super Meet,

which Cedar Falls is hosting this year. The course is scenic but also known for being a hilly one.

Of course, Cedar Falls has the up-per hand being able to practice on it daily.

“I really like running at home mostly because of the crowd. It really pumps you up when you see all those people cheering for you. Also, when you run at home, you know the course inside out which definitely puts you at a huge advantage,” Streicher said.

Two weeks from now, the competi-tion will be top-notch. The guys will be competing against rivals Cedar Rapids Washington and Iowa City

West.The Tigers have really had to step

it up this year due to their loss of se-niors. Streicher, a junior at CFHS, has become a leader for the team.

“I try to lead by example more than anything else. I hope that by working hard I can be successful and others will see that and work hard to try to make themselves better too,” Streicher said.

Not only are they working hard, but they have the mentality of true champions.

“Our guys are learning that they can only be as good as their team-mates let them be. They have to do

this together if they want to have suc-cess at all three levels of competition. Our seniors have done an excellent job of showing the new runners what it means to train and act like cham-pions. We’ve been totally impressed with our teams’ attitude,” Coach Becker said.

The Super Meet will be held Oct. 5, and come Thursday afternoon, hard core cross-country fans will no doubt be seen lining the course cheering on their family and friends.

“The guys love to be able to run in front of their friends, and they love having the drum line come out and fire us up on the course,” Becker said.

FEATURE HI LINETiger

-The

Culture Shock

Willa SimmetFeature Editor

The fi rst thing Ariane Ouedrogo, originally from West Africa, thought as she stepped off the plane and into the bitter November air was, “Wow, I want to go back home.”

Ouedraogo came to Cedar Falls from her home in Ouaojadougou, Burkina Faso, in West Africa by her-self last November in hopes of a better education.

Most families is West Africa don’t have much money, which makes it nearly impossible to pay for college.

“It’s diffi cult to make sure (in-

ternational) students are in the right classes,” said Susan Langan, a CFHS guidance counselor. “Ariane has a very positive attitude and a willingness to try new things.“

Ouedrogo, a senior at Cedar Falls High School, has picked up on the all-too-common American concept of multi-tasking, attempting to complete her math homework and partake in this interview at the same time. She stops and glances up from her math book. After a moment Ouedrogo said, “I have to think and fi nd the words before saying them, and I hate it.”

Ouedrogo has a full schedule. She is enrolled in seven classes and took sum-

mer classes at Hawkeye Community College to learn English. Her native language is Moore.

She appreciates the faculty’s desire to help students succeed at Cedar Falls High School.

“In West Africa when you don’t complete a test, you fail, but here if you miss the test, you can take it after school,” she said. “I can try to fi nd what I want to study (here), but in my coun-try you don’t have a choice.”

Once she fi nishes high school, Oue-drogo’s goal is to attend a U.S. college.

Although, the education may be better here, there are many things Oue-drogo misses about West Africa.

Briana McGeoughFeature Editor

With global cooperation as impor-tant as it is today, schools worldwide are emphasizing the importance of diversity and acceptance.

Many educational programs stress that the best way to understand another culture is to learn about it and experi-ence it.

This year Cedar Falls High School has three foreign exchange students, giving both native Cedar Falls students and exchange students a unique cul-tural perspective.

“I came to the United States to gain new experiences, learn the language better and make new friends,” said

Lars Kehler, an exchange student from Germany.

Although he has been anticipating his time in the United States for quite some time, this experience has been very benefi cial for Kehler.

“I have gotten even more than I had expected. I didn’t expect to get so much from friends and cross country,” Kehler said. “Americans are so friendly.”

Coming to the United States isn’t only an interesting trip for Kehler, but it will help him with future endeavors.

“Spending a year in the United States will help me get a job in Ger-many,” Kehler said.

Kehler has discovered that there is a lot of overlap between European and American culture.

“I like American culture. In Europe it is kind of a style. It’s funny because here, there are a lot of European styles. A lot of people have complimented my European clothes because European styles are fashionable here,” Kehler said .

The experience of studying abroad has not come without some culture shock, however.

“There is such a high level of tech-nology. There is a computer in every room here,” Kehler said. “The most diffi cult part has not been the language or the subjects, it has been opening my locker. It took my fi ve minutes to open it the fi rst time.”

Kehler said he feels that interacting fi rsthand with Americans has given him

a more accurate understanding.“I’d been told that Americans are

superfi cial, but all the people I’ve talked to aren’t superfi cial. This expe-rience has really given me a feeling for other cultures. Now that I’ve made friends here, it will be almost like I am in a global town when I’m back in Ger-many,” Kehler said.

Kehler will take his new cultural perspective back with him to Ger-many.

“This has given me another point of view. It’s like if in Germany, I saw the world through purple glasses, so I saw everything in purple, and when I came to the United States, my glasses got yellow spots,” Kehler said. “So now I can see more of the whole picture.”

In West Africa Ouedrogo had a three-hour break for lunch during the school day. Here, she has 30 minutes.

“I miss the food and my family,” Ouedrogo said. “I miss dancing and listening to French music with my friends.”

She came to Cedar Falls to join her mother but left the rest of her family and friends behind.

Many people don’t realize the ex-treme emotional strain leaving their home country can have on students.

“I’m alone on the inside because no one understands things the way I do,” Ouedrogo said, “but yet I’m just like everybody else.”

Exchange programs spread awareness of foreign cultures

West African student submerges into western lifestyle

“This has given me a new point of view ... So now I can see more of the whole picture.” —Lars Kehler, CFHS exchange student

Juliet Reid, a 2005 CFHS gradu-ate, has experienced culture shock on a whole new level. Reid spent 11 months traveling abroad in Arequipa, Peru, through the Rotary Exchange Program. Reid offers her insight for students who may be in-terested in traveling abroad.

What was the best part about your experience in Peru?

“I developed an entirely new outlook on the world. I lived there. I wasn’t a tourist. It wasn’t until I went to a friend’s birthday party that I realized where I was and what I was doing. If you visit some place for a couple of weeks, you can’t develop a strong enough relation-ship to be invited to their birthday party. I also had the opportunity to just talk to people. I was traveling on a convoy, and I just started talk-ing to a local guy about life. It was amazing.”

What was the hardest part?“I didn’t understand my reality

because my reality was in Spanish and my dreams were in English. Also, I was a minority. The fact that I was white was an aspect I could never escape or hide. People would try to take advantage of me. For example, taxi drivers would try to overcharge me. It was hard because I wasn’t familiar with anything. “

What did you learn while travel-ing abroad?

“One of the most important things I learned last year was the idea of true importance. When you see others living a life of extreme poverty, you get a better idea of what’s important and what’s not. Also when you throw yourself into a bizarre new world and then realize you have to adapt, you learn real importance. I learned so much about myself and the world. It was truly invaluable.”

CFHS alum tellsof travels abroad

Juliet Reid/CFHS 2005 grad Submitted photo