Tig rHiLi eMarch 10, 2009 Volume 49 Issue 17 1015 Division St. Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613

Ben OlsonStaff Writer

Coming up on March 14, the band will be gearing up to go on their week-long trip, which happens every four years. This year’s desti-nation: Washington, D.C. Tradition-ally, the trip has taken place during winter break, but this year was switched to spring break primarily for comfortable touring weather in the 60s.

There will be four busses trans-porting music and students, and af-ter a two-day bus ride from Saturday until Sunday, the fun will begin.

The band will be lodging at the impressive Sheraton National Hotel located downtown. A rooftop pool provides panoramic views of all the monuments and buildings.

After arriving, there will be a late night dinner at the Hard Rock Café.

“I am most excited for Hard Rock. It sounds really cool,” sopho-more Phillip Weinert said.

The following day, Monday, both the wind symphony and symphonic band will have an hour clinic with Mark Camphouse, a well-known conductor/composer at George Mason University. Later in the day, various groups will tour the Holo-

caust Museum Permanent Exhibit and the State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda exhibit. In the evening, everyone will head over to the Kennedy Center for the rare opportunity to watch legendary jazz musician Wynton Marsalis play with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

On Tuesday, the band will visit the Arlington National Cemetery and witness the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Ev-eryone will then visit the Pentagon and 9/11 Memorial, which was ar-ranged by Sen. Tom Harkin. Finally, the students will cap off the day

touring the National Zoo.On Wednesday, the band will

take a picture on the Capitol steps with Congressman Bruce Braley, fol-lowed by a Capitol tour arranged by Sen. Chuck Grassley. Later on, the Jazz One and Jazz, Too! bands will hold a concert at the Old Post Office Pavilion. In the afternoon, everyone will tour the Washington Monument and take a monument walk, followed by a dinner at the classic Medieval Times.

Thursday will be purely devoted to the Smithsonian Institute, which consists of 19 different museums. Later in the night, the band will take

Jillian DallyBusiness Manager

the Monuments by Night trolley tour.On Friday, the band will leave

D.C. and spend the afternoon at the Kalahari Water Park in Ohio, the world’s largest indoor waterpark, which also offers indoor surfing. “I’m looking forward to the Holocaust Museum and the indoor waterpark. The pictures I’ve seen of it look awesome,” senior Kristin Aldrich said.

At 10 p.m., the band will depart for Cedar Falls and arrive back on Saturday morning at 8 a.m. That sums up the reward for four years of anticipation and playing from the CFHS band.

CFHS band traveling to Washington, D.C.

Kristen Aldrich Photo

The men’s basketball fans celebrate Kyle Bernard’s game winning 3-point shot at sub state last week. The state tournament will be held at Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines at 6:30 p.m.

Hoop! There it is

Holmes Junior High Principal David Welter is planning on taking a medical leave after 10 years of being the head principal at Holmes Junior High School.

Welter was diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma, a form of cell cancer, in his throat. Welter left for treatment on March 3 to begin a seven-eight week program involving radiation and chemotherapy.

“I will promise to you that I will fight to achieve a victory over this disease so that I can continue to fulfill my life’s goal of seeing each and everyone become successful in life,” Welter said.

Welter’s recovery could take an additional eight weeks, and in his absence Dr. Dean Dreyer, former Holmes and CFHS principal, will take over along with current Assis-tant Principal Lynn Argotsinger.

“I am a survivor, and I have a loving family, friends, student body and staff for support,” Welter said.

Before Welter can leave for his treatments, he had to go through oral surgery. This included having

his wisdom teeth pulled, which took seven-10 days to recover from. This is a standard procedure with head, neck and throat cancer.

“Guess I learn something new every day. I have worked hard to keep my teeth in good shape, but you have to do what you have to do,” Welter said.

Welter leaves Holmes with prayers and hope from all his stu-dents, past and present.

“I hope that Mr. Welter recovers very soon. He is a great person, a great educator and I enjoyed hav-ing him at Holmes. I wish him and his family the best,” junior Steven Danielsen said.

“My love for all of you runs deep, and I know that all of you are willing to help as needed. That is appreciated,” Welter said.

Welter does hope to be back at Holmes for next year.

“My wish is that we all take one day at a time, making the most of our individual talents and gifts knowing that when we lay our heads on our pillows at night we will rest well because we have used up all our potential for that day making a posi-tive difference,” Welter said.

Holmes Junior High Principaltaking medical leave for semester

N ws2 March 10, 2009

T ig rHiLi e

Arlene FreudenbergNews Editor

Even the students at the alternative school enter with negative stereotypes of what’s to come, but once they begin, the images of ad-versity quickly evolve into real opportunity.

Nick Lamb, who has been attending the alternative school since last fall, escapes the stereotype.

“I got in trouble for skipping. My grades were falling behind, and I only needed four more credits to graduate,” Lamb said.

Virginia Boody has been attending the alternative school for approximately two and a half years now, and she definitely doesn’t fall into the stereotype, either.

“I missed a lot of school for a chronic ill-ness, and I fell really behind and couldn’t catch up. It was either come to the alternative school or get held back a year. I didn’t want to get held back a year,” Boody said.

Boody was apprehensive about attending the alternative school because she was familiar with the negative stereotype against the alter-native school.

“At first I didn’t want to come here because I thought it was where all the bad kids come, but now that I’m here, I don’t want to leave,” Boody said.

Transferring from the typical high school to an alternative high school is a substantial change.

“It’s weird because you don’t graduate at a certain time. When you finish all your classes, you’re done. So, the class size always changes. Some people come because they got in trouble for skipping; some failed a class and need to finish it to graduate,” Boody said.

“Most classes are done on computers, which means no homework. We use the Plato pro-gram. Classes are set up into three parts. First, it’s the tutorial part, which would be like the lecture. [Second], the application part which is the homework; [third], the test. It’s a three-hour day with a 15-minute break,” Boody said.

Core classes are not the only things differ-ent about alternative school.

“PE is different here. You have sheets to fill out. You exercise for 30 minutes outside of school, and you have to read a health-related article. You can also get points if you smoked and you’re trying to stop,” Boody said.

The three-person teaching staff also puts its own twist on helping these kids succeed in the real world.

“We do mock job interviews for one of our courses. We tell them if they don’t come dressed appropriately they don’t get their inter-view,” teacher Tom Bardal said.

The smaller atmosphere provides a different learning environment for them.

“You’re not under so much pressure, because you don’t have to stay up late to do homework. Because there are only 15 students, you can talk to [the teachers] more. If you need help, they’re always there. We know each other pretty well. They make suggestions for classes I should take. It’s a nice and laid back environ-ment,” Boody said.

The students are not the only ones who sense these closer relationships between stu-dents and teachers.

“When they usually start they don’t know if they can trust us, but by the time they graduate they tend to come back and visit, send Christ-mas cards. They appreciate what we’re doing

here, and that’s great,” Bardal said.Boody learned the advantages of attending

an alternative school very quickly.“Most classes are done independently, so

if it’s easy you can do it fast, and if it’s hard you can do it slowly. That’s really nice. It lets you understand at your own pace. No one falls behind,” Boody said.

Boody’s opinions on the school has changed greatly since she’s been attending it.

“The alternative school sort of has a bad connotation for being the school where all the bad people come. Those are only some stu-dents. There’s a lot of people here just because they failed or skipped a lot of classes. They are normal people here, too. It’s kind of a great mix,” Boody said.

The alternative school, like any other high school, has different colleges come to the school to encourage them to attend college.

“I plan on going to a four-year college. I

want to be an art major, maybe doing some-thing with biology and psychology too,” Boody said.

Alternative school teachers agree that their jobs are something they love to do, not just something they need to do.

“I like working here because every day is different. We never know what to expect,” school coordinator and teacher Charmaine Carney said with a smile.

Just walking into the door, it’s easy to see that the atmosphere is different. While being interviewed, Carney and Bardal couldn’t help but laugh every time they reminisced about past events.

“This used to be a City Hall, so every now and again, we’ll have people come in and try to pay off parking tickets. We lock the doors because we don’t want people to walk into the school and disrupt the kids while they’re work-ing,” Carney said.

Arlene Freudenberg Photo

Student Brandon Richardson works on an assignment. He has been attending Cedar Falls Alternative School for two years.

Second Chances: Cedar Falls Alternative High Schoolfurthers student potential, success

3March 10, 2009

Opi ioNT ig rHiLi e

g

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. The Hi-Line is distributed to CFHS students on Wednesdays 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 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: Honor Heindl, Kellie Petersen and Ellen Wrede

Business Managers: Jill Dally and Alex EntzNews Editors: Arlene Freudenberg and Sara Strever

Opinion Editors: Maggie Devine and Vincent StiglianiSports Editors: Jackie Jordan, Nick Penticoff and Paul Strike

Feature Editor: Honor HeindlOn-Line Editors: Torie Jochims and Ellen Wrede

Entertainment Editors: Maggie Devine and Torie JochimsPhoto Editor: Honor Heindl

Cartoonist: Katie DexterGraphic Artist: Tasha Woods

o vu eir w

This year, the precarious financial situation of The Tiger Hi-line has been no secret. We were informed shortly after the school year began that our previous publisher would no longer publish The Tiger Hi-line free of cost. We took this disheartening news as best we could and tried to remain positive, even almost relishing the feeling of independence selling ads to pay for the printing costs ourselves brought.

However, in spite of our best efforts to sell ads, the economic times did not favor a new business asking others to invest in it. Sadly, the cost of printing a few issues left our finances depleted, and without any money coming in there was no chance for them to recuperate. Obviously, this was not a good situation to be in. However, we were graciously helped by the CFHS administration and now are able to remain a working paper because of it.

We would now like to extend our thanks. When our previous publisher did not inform us of their decision until after the school year started, the school district was unable budget any money for us. How-ever, it has been gracious enough to now be paying for the costs of printing for the rest of this year. We are extremely grateful for this opportunity the school district has given us. Thank you.

District deserves big thankyou for funding remaining Hi-Lines

Some changes in tatoo certification needed, but not new age limitations

My ears perk up as I listen to the latest unemployment concerns on National Public Radio (NPR).

“Unemployment, spiking, Citigroup an-nouncing this week it will cut 50,000 jobs. The Fed says jobless-ness will go higher next year.” Tom Ash-brook the radio host states the seriousness of the issue.

Listener Brian Cummings of Milton Massa-chusetts relates: “I was laid off yesterday after about 10 years work-ing on health care software. The rea-son: Across the board budget cuts.”

As for other hard working Ameri-cans, some are expecting the “pink slip” soon. According to BNET.com, “More than 900 state government jobs in Iowa are being eliminated through layoffs, retirements and

unfilled vacancies. The layoffs are the result of a $300 million shortfall

in state revenues. About 160 state workers will be laid off, 350 vacant posi-tions will go unfilled and 400 jobs will be eliminated through retirements.”

It’s affecting those already in a career, retiring members and new ambitious students.

Women are often an easy target, especially if they are pregnant;

listener Anne on Ashbrook’s NPR show states the attitude of “she’s having a baby and will want to stay home anyway.”

This is already a big problem, and personally I am not a fan of some of America’s values. So what is something one could do to prevent this from happening?

Just like recently laid off work-ers, many seniors are concerned about their futures. Will they will be accepted into their schools of choice, be able to afford them, move away from friends and family, be able to afford necessities, and continue on their pampered lives? Whether you’re in it for the money or some-thing you love, current seniors and younger students should consider the major national problem due to the economic crisis.

If your plans include college, taking a broad band of courses could help you if you’re ever in this situa-tion. Instead of going back to school because your job is eliminated, you could try to go into another field that you have had some experience in.

Among other things, you can never be to sure about your job. Career options and accountability are two things that a graduate should take into consideration when moving and taking college courses. Being aware of the seriousness of this issue is just the first step.

Tasha WoodsSenior Writer

Students must consider personaleffects of national economic crisis

In the past decade, the number of tattoo artists in Iowa has more than quadrupled. Although this drastic rise is an indication of the popularity of body art, it also brings with it the issues of regulation and safety.

The Department of Health in Iowa feels that it is time for a change after having no updates in rules and fees since 1989.

The new rules are met with mixed feel-ings. Most artists are in favor of the increased safety regulations, which include training on how to prevent infections, but, on the other hand, they oppose the rise in fees.

The main issue, it seems, is to crack down on minors who are tat-

tooing without a permit or training. It is extremely easy to begin tattooing due to the ease of acquiring equipment through the Internet.

The current risk of being caught tattoo-ing illegally is also relatively small unless some disgruntled indi-vidual actually makes the effort to report the

tattoo artist.The regulation

of image quality is relatively weak, utilized in just a few

states not including Iowa. Image quality is relatively difficult to regu-late because a lot of it comes down to opinion and would raise a great amount of debate if it were to come into effect.

Should the rules not come into

effect, a plethora of health effects could remain, including infections caused from needles, the most deadly of which being AIDS.

AIDS is, of course, a deadly epi-demic, and the regulation of tattoos, which use needles that could spread infection, would help deflate the rates at which AIDS is being spread.

In my own personal opinion I believe that the increase in health standards is a good idea because it helps protect the recipients of tattoos. Also, the existence of unlicensed tattoo artists will always exist, so instead of trying to arrest every underage artist, there should be no cutoff age to become a tattoo artist.

If young people are willing to go through all the certification and purchase all the equipment, then they should be considered passionate enough about the art to be consid-ered safe artists.

Ben SadkowskiStaff Writer

Tig rHiLi eF at rE4 March 10, 2009

Melina Gotera (’11):

“With this journal, you can write the book you most want to find.”

-Sabrina Ward Harrison

Story Of My Life

Elise Berry(’09) I got interested in glassblowing when

I visited a Daly Chihuly glassblowing exhibit at a museum in Michigan when I was a kid. It’s such a unique art form. The possibilities when manipulating the glass seem endless, and this branch of art remains fairly unexplored.

I absolutely fell in love with glassblowing when I visited the glass museum in Corning, N.Y. I was able to make a couple flowers and blow a Christmas ornament. From that moment I just knew that’s what I wanted to do.

I got accepted into the University of Wisconsin. They offer a glass class, and I’m over-the-moon excited to start. My dream job would be be-coming a master glassblower, which is the highest level in glassblowing.

When I was in LAE my sophomore year I wanted to do my semester project on glassblowing. Unfortunately, this form of art is rare, especially in northeast Iowa. Ms. Wait, be-came my mentor, and I learned flameworking, also called lampwork, which is small scale glassblowing. I use a torch, rods, and glass, and I slowly melt the glass to form beads. My parents bought everything I need to work with glass on my own. My basement is now my own personal studio, and I’m able to spend time working toward my dream.

Stay GlassyYou get to be someone you wouldn’t

otherwise act as. You can be com-pletely crazy and get to show your

ideas to the world. The only limits are your imagination. Everything about it is fun, from coming up with ideas, to filming, to editing. Usually I make

movies with groups of my friends who share my sense of humor and enjoy

acting. My family also helps a lot with the filming.

Pretty much anything can inspire you to make a movie. I enjoy watch-

ing other movies to see how things are done. I attempt at making my

videos humorous, but I don’t know how funny they really are to other people. I watch lots of funny mov-

ies, skits and comedians. Sometimes ideas just come to me randomly, so I jot them down on a sheet of paper so I don’t forget them. There are young

filmmakers everywhere, and with the Internet now it is very easy to connect with kids everywhere and watch their

movies and share ideas and tips.

with Brian Harris (’10)Behind The Scenes

What sparked your interest in making movies?

Where does your inspiration come from?

How did you get into glass blow-ing?

I started journaling because my sister’s friend Willa was really interested in Sabrina Ward Harrison, who’s this really great writer/artist. Willa sort of passed on the journaling thing to Amelia, who got me interested. And I guess I’ve been writing in one since the summer after eighth grade.

I carry my journal with me everywhere, and I write in it almost every day. A lot of it isn’t even writing though. Most of the pages are just pictures from magazines, watercolor painting, sketches and lists. The whole thing is basically a collage.

Writing is important to me because I can put the way I think onto paper. I guess when it comes down to it, it’s not to impress anybody or fill pages or anything like that. It’s just me. Ha, I don’t know really. It’s a good way to remember everything.

What sparked your interest in journaling?

What’s your journaling consist of?

What role does it play in your life?

When did you first realize it was something you wanted to pursue?

Where do you think this art is going to take you in the future?

Currently, how does glassblowing fit into your life?

Get a Hobby.Bored?

Tig rHiLi e 5Fat rEMarch 10, 2009

Torie Jochims (’09)

So, basically roleplaying is a com-munity of writers, writing a giant communal story. We all make characters and follow the plot that the creator of the particular role-playing site made, you know, like Gossip Girl, or Harry Potter, or any real life scenario you can think of, and you start writing the char-acter with the other characters on the site. It’s sort of complicated to explain, but it’s really fun once you get into it.

Currently, I’m part of four role-playing sites. One of them is a Harry Potter-based one where I play a character named Lucas. Then there’s one that’s sort of a 1984-type thing, set in the future, and I play a cop named Benjamin. He’s fun to write, because he’s very different from any other character I’ve

ever written before. The other two I actually help run. One is a very original site based in California about having your characters go for whatever dream they might want. And the last one I’m a part of isn’t up and running just yet. The other administrator and I are working on the canon list (a list of characters we created that will be key play-ers in the plot we came up with), and this one is a Victorian-age, socialite kind of site. Roleplaying is ridiculously diverse.

The greatest thing about it is that you re-ally get to connect with people. You meet all these people who have the same interests as you; it’s just a bunch of writing nerds who love to write. I’ve met so many great friends from it, and my writing has improved in-

finitely. The characters I create are really amazing too. I get attached to them easily. Haha, it’s kind of bad ... but in a good way.

(English teacher Doug) Wilkinson told me last year that it was important to write every day—keeping in practice really keeps your skill from dis-appearing, and with roleplaying I get to do that. Seeing other people out there who love it as much as I do really keeps my morale up. It’s insane, but I adore it. It’s all about writing and improving your writing and being a part of these awesome, basically alternate universes where your characters really come alive. For the devoted writer, it’s a really cool thing.

Taking RoleYou get to be someone you wouldn’t

otherwise act as. You can be com-pletely crazy and get to show your

ideas to the world. The only limits are your imagination. Everything about it is fun, from coming up with ideas, to filming, to editing. Usually I make

movies with groups of my friends who share my sense of humor and enjoy

acting. My family also helps a lot with the filming.

Pretty much anything can inspire you to make a movie. I enjoy watch-

ing other movies to see how things are done. I attempt at making my

videos humorous, but I don’t know how funny they really are to other people. I watch lots of funny mov-

ies, skits and comedians. Sometimes ideas just come to me randomly, so I jot them down on a sheet of paper so I don’t forget them. There are young

filmmakers everywhere, and with the Internet now it is very easy to connect with kids everywhere and watch their

movies and share ideas and tips.

with Brian Harris (’10)Behind The Scenes

What sparked your interest in making movies?

Where does your inspiration come from?

What are your current roles?

What is roleplaying?

What do you enjoy about this hobby?

How does it affect you as a writer?

Q&A with studentsabout their favorite pastimes

N eW saR eel se

Music:•The Strange BoysThe Strange Boys...And Girls Club•CobaltGin•Les ClaypoolOf Fungi and Foe•Blue OctoberApproaching Normal•Papa RoachMetamorphosis

Movies:•The Last House on the Left•Miss March•Race to Witch Mountain

The Book Jacketwith host

Ellen WredeWhat’s hot in the literary world

among staff and students at CF. This show will tackle different themes and favorites with each episode.

Feb. 27/ Episode TenThis week junior Rachel Connelly shares her insights into helping to create each episode of Hotline for

the CFU cable access channel.

aP cod stThis week’s feature podcast as well as eight others that are updated ev-ery other week can be found on The Tiger Hi-Line Online (http://www.cedar-falls.k12.ia.us/buildings/cfhs/journalism/index.html) by following the podcast links. Internet Explorer does not work for viewing this site.

Use Safari, Firefox or Opera for best results. The website is also linked

off the high school’s website.

6Ent r inm nTtMarch 10, 2009

T ig rHiLi e

Monica ReidaStaff Writer

Spring break is quickly approach-ing, and many students will probably be wanting to hurry off to the sun-drenched beaches of the Mexico and Texas.

But some, like myself, might want to get away to a bustling urban area with vibrancy and temperatures only a bit warmer than the ones here. I am speaking of none other than New York City. But when I speak of this city, I am not speaking of stay-ing in Times Square, seeing some splashy, bad musical and eating at Hard Rock Café before going on a double decker bus tour.

The New York I speak of is the one that is romanticized and is real. I’m talking about the non-touristy version. But how does one that is a tourist have a non-tourist experience in New York City?

I highly recommend staying in a hotel outside of Times Square, for starters. Hotels in that area tend to be more expensive. While there are some budget hotels in that area, you can find several hotels for less in other sections of Manhattan.

One hotel I’ve stayed at, The New Yorker in Chelsea, is mod-erately priced and now part of the Ramada chain. The hotel recently finished renovations and has a very friendly staff. But you might be wondering about hotel locations in reference to your activities.

The fare for a taxi is not that expensive, nor is taking the subway or bus. There are some times when it will be nearly impossible to find a taxi (around 7 until 8 p.m. and 10 until 11:30 p.m. due to Broadway) and neighborhoods where it’s hard to find a taxi, like Alphabet City in Manhattan. Subways extend pretty

much all over the city, and the con-cierge at a hotel will probably have a map of the subway system.

One guide that you might want to have with you is a book called the Not for Tourists Guide to New York City. The book features full-color maps of each of the neighborhoods in Manhattan with bagel shops, restaurant listings and maps of museums. The book, intended for those residing in New York City, can also be used as a guide for those who want a real experience in the city and don’t want a guidebook that screams “I’m a tourist!”

Something you’ll also want to do is not make it obvious that you’re a tourist. Don’t make eye contact with panhandlers, be wary of street vendors, but be adventurous.

While it would be very easy to just walk in to places we have here in the area—McDonalds, Olive Gar-den, Red Lobster, IHOP—it would be a waste of the opportunities

the city gives you. Go to different restaurants and try different cuisines. Never had a roast beef sandwich at a Kosher deli? Try it and you’ll see if you like it.

I would also like to define this even further. When I say that you should eat at places we don’t have here in Eastern Iowa, I don’t mean that you should go and eat at Bubba Gump or Hard Rock Café. There are restaurants like that all over the na-tion, just not here. Believe me, you won’t be missing out on much by not eating there.

And then there is the matter of culture. New York City has several museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Modern Art. But New York City is also seen as the theater capital of the United States, which gives you a wide vari-ety of plays to see.

Before you pay $125 to see some show on Broadway, there is a way

to keep yourself from paying an outrageous price to see a show that’s not that great. Try going to a show off-Broadway or off-off-Broadway. The venues are smaller, tickets are less expensive and the shows tend to be edgier. A top price for an off-Broadway nowadays is $75, as opposed to the $200 one might pay for a Broadway show.

The theater for an off-Broadway and an off-off-Broadway show tend to be more intimate than that of a mammoth Broadway house. If you’re curious about the off-Broad-way and off-off-Broadway shows, a visit to the blog Critic-O-Meter, which aggregates the theater reviews may aid in your decision.

Your best bet for inexpensive Broadway tickets is the TKTS booth in Times Square, which has half price tickets for shows the day of their performance and is run by the Theatre Development Fund. Many of the better productions of shows on Broadway have tickets available there and a listing of shows with available tickets can be found on the Theatre Development Fund’s website, www.tdf.org.

Maybe even try to get outside of Manhattan. Visit Brooklyn or Queens—by visiting Queens, I don’t mean fly in to LaGuardia or JFK and count that as a visit. Those boroughs have things that are just as good and perhaps even rival the things you can find in Manhattan. Again, you can take a taxi or the subway to that area, and it’s not even going to be that expensive.

I urge you to be adventurous with a trip to New York City. Do not stay in the brightly lit confines of Times Square but go out and see the actual city. It might just change your life, and you might find that you’ll love New York, not just heart it.

Trip of a lifetimeSpring-breakers should look to NYC underground

For a great spring break, cross over the Brooklyn Bridge.Photo from Visit-New-York-City.com

for a surprisingly electrifying, charming vacation

7Ent r inm nTtMarch 10, 2009

T ig rHiLi e

Jordyn CariasStaff Writer

Thousands of screaming girls received their daily dose of Jonas as The Jonas Brothers 3D Concert Experience opened Friday, Feb. 27. Directed by Bruce Hendricks (who also tackled Hannah Montana: The Movie last year) the Jonas Brothers consists of concert footage from a 2008 Madison Square Garden spectacular.

The movie documents the con-cert as if you were on stage with the band. Kevin, the eldest Jonas, sports the guitar; Joe, the middle Jonas, sings lead vocals and occasionally will be spotted with a tambourine; and Nick, the baby Jonas, plays both guitar and drums and sings vocals. Aiming to fully

wrap you in the experience of a day in the life of the band, every aspect of the Jonas Brothers is made to bring you into the movie. The 3D glasses even reflect the style of the Jonases, which are designed like Ban-Rays.

Beginning the movie is a burst of personality that sucks you right in with a faux Beatles Hard Day’s Night intro that establishes Joe as The Girl-Crazy One, Kevin as The Organized One and Nick as The Normal One. The movie gives everything from the backstage pass, to some subtle acting, to the musical experience that some deem as a Disney ordinary. But giving a closer listen to the music shows the goal of the movie is to wrap you in the experience with lyrics you can relate to and beats that make it hard to stay in your seat.

The 3D glasses really bring you

closer to the action. Things continu-ously fly at you from every direction. From sunglasses to guitar picks to being offered a hotdog by Kevin, every 3D opportunity is taken advan-tage of in the film. Joe and Nick do-ing backflips up and down the stage looks just that much more inviting in 3D. Always unexpected, you’ll find yourself foolishly dodging things that appear to jump off-screen, as the effect brings you closer to the film and give you the feeling of being right next to the stars.

Running from screaming fans, the Jonas Brothers board a helicopter called in by their ever-present body-guard Big Rob. They are flown to the concert where we get to see it all. By it all, yes girls, I mean a shirtless scene is included. The boys’ time on stage brings fast, upbeat songs such as “BB Good” and “S.O.S.” but also

soft lullabies such as “Hello Beauti-ful,” supplying enough variety to keep most anyone satisfied.

Guest appearances by Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift also round out the film nicely. Lovato gives the standard performance with perky smiles and expected enthusiasm that any one could catch off of Camp Rock. However, Taylor Swift brought some authenticity with her song “Should Have Said No.” Swift’s self-written lyrics bring some variety to the movie that satisfy a whole different audience of listeners and make the movie viewer-friendly for more than the typical Jonas fan.

The movie also gives viewers a first look at a new song “Love is on Its Way.” The song isn’t typical Jonas. The beats are slower and the lyrics are deeper. The song could be taken as an attempt to widen

the audience and, in my opinion, is a good attempt taken. The video, featuring the self-proclaimed Bonus Jonas (little brother Frankie Jonas) includes Joe as a policeman, Kevin as a hotdog vendor and Nick as a horse-drawn carriage driver.

The behind the scenes look into their lives shows that at the end of the day after all the glitz and glam of the Hollywood life is brought down, the Jonases are just three American boys set out to make their mother proud and live the best life they can.

Sporting purity rings and all, when the boys are brought to the Virgin Mobile Megastore for the midnight release of their new album, the brothers are obviously grateful for their success. It shows that they don’t take it all for granted, which is a nice release from the ordinary teen-ager wrapped up in fame.

Gage WenteStaff Writer

The Cedar Valley is home to many coffee spots – Starbucks, the Lampost, McDonald’s, Panera’s Bread and more, but who can claim the title of “Best Coffee Shop in Town?”

On a cross-town venture to find the tastiest drinks in Cedar Falls, I began my journey. Based on criteria such as atmosphere, friendliness to teens, taste, cost and selection, I rated many of the coffee places around town.

I started off my week with a “tall” (Starbucks jargon for small) mocha from Starbucks. It ran me up quite a bit more than the other coffee spots, costing me almost $3 for the smallest coffee I tried.

Inside, it is small and cozy with big comfy chairs to sit in and relax-ing music playing in the background. It was a little too small, though, and there wasn’t anywhere to sit. Its menu is hard to understand, but they have a large selection of coffee and food. All in all, though, the amount and quality of the coffee isn’t worth the price I paid for it, even if the atmosphere and selection make up

for it somewhat.Next, I went to the Cup of Joe.

They have a very large selection of coffees and other drinks to try and a very “indie” atmosphere. They have games and decks of cards in the back to play, as well. With the option to sit inside or outside and a large venue for mellow bands to play at, they definitely have the right feel going.

Not as many teens go to the Cup of Joe as Starbucks, Panera’s Bread or the Lampost, but that might be due to its location in downtown Ce-dar Falls. Their coffee isn’t expen-sive, and it doesn’t have the same bitter taste to it that most Starbucks drinks have, but it’s nothing special in the taste department.

McDonald’s is a handy place to go, especially if you have early bird, to get some coffee in the morning. It’s very cheap and not as bad as you might think. Inside, though, it has the same-old fast food restaurant atmosphere you’ll find anywhere else. It’s definitely a drivethrough option for those trying to save a little money.

Panera Bread is another great stop before school. For average cost, you can get a quick coffee and a

snack before school to start up your day. If you decide to eat in, the atmosphere is generally very relaxed, with jazz playing quietly in the background. This is definitely a place to avoid around lunch time, though, when the atmosphere and quickness of service is ruined by the lunch rush.

The Lampost ended up taking the cake in this competition. Often frequented by teens due to its proximity to Peet Junior High, its delicious menu features the option to add “flavor blasts” to your drinks – free additions of different syrup mixtures to add new tastes to your coffee. Their price might be about average, but they definitely give you a lot of cof-fee for your money.

There’s a band playing there

about two times a week at minimum, too, so that’s always a plus. They, as well as Cup of Joe, have games to play. They also have live theatre.

So if you’re looking for cheap, delicious, friendly coffee with a great atmosphere, hit up the Lam-post.

Lampost coffee shop proves worth money, while

Jonas’ 3D experience brings girlish fun for fans

Submitted PhotoThe Lampost coffee shop offers coffee, music and atomosphere.

8Sp rts

Athleteof

the Week

Deb MahlerWomen’s Basketball

Junior

Tigersin

ActionMen’s Basketball (15-8)Beat CR Kennedy 37-35Next: Linn-Mar in State Tourney 3/11(6:35 @ Wells Fargo Arena)Men’s Track & FieldRan at Wartburg Invite 3/9Next: MVC Indoor 3/17(4:30 at UNI-Dome)Women’s Track & FieldNext: Wartburg Invite 3/10

1. What do you like most about basketball?Shooting the basketball in the hoop.2. How do you prepare for games?I practice for them and get my uniform.3. Who do you look up to?My coach Jim (Seeley).4. What goals do you have for State? Doing my best in it.5. Do you plan to compete in Special Olympics track too?Yes, I will do the 200-meter and the 100-meter dashes.

March 10, 2009

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Ben OlsonStaff Writer

For the special education students at Cedar Falls High School, the Special Olympics program pro-vides them a chance to get out of a classroom setting and participate in organized sports.

Former CF special education teacher, Jim Seeley, still takes part in coaching. “I have been coaching the team for the past 18 years. The team has included students from elementa-ry through senior high,” Seeley said.

On Saturday, Feb. 7, the stu-dents hit the court for the District basketball skills competition. They

prepared and practiced like any other sport before the games.

“For the basketball skills, prac-tices were held once a week for an hour. We had six scheduled practices prior to the district competition,” Seeley said.

Saturday turned out to be very successful for the Cedar Falls and surrounding area participants.

“This year four students qualified for State. They include Deb Mahler from Cedar Falls, Travis Zika from Holmes, Steven Wormser from Peet and Korin Dusold from Gladbrook-Reinbeck. Several students and their teacher from G-R have been involved with our program for the

past several years. Overall, the number of participants varies from year to year, but on average we usu-ally qualify three to five athletes to state,” Seeley said.

Mahler is excited about her first place finish.

“I’ve been playing since I was eight. I like shooting the baskets, and it felt good to win,” Mahler said.

Junior Morgan Henriksen is also enjoying herself on the court.

“I’ve been doing it since junior high, and I like meeting the new peo-ple. It felt really good to get second,” Henriksen said.

For the basketball players, the final game is coming around the

corner.The state basketball skills com-

petition is a part of the Mid-Winter Tournament held at the University of Iowa on March 13-14.

Overall, the Special Olympics is something that all students can take pride in with sports changing with season: bowling in fall, basketball now in winter and track and field in the spring.

“Most enjoy this for the fun of being involved. Our activities are very low key with a strong emphasis on having fun. This follows through to the district and state competitions where every participant is reward-ed,” Seeley said.

Special Olympians advance to state basketball

State Basketball Double Header

Men earn state berth in Bardal’s first yearNick Penticoff

Sports Editor

The CFHS men’s varsity bas-ketball team has made this a year of believing. Beating second-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy 37-35 in a thriller at the UNI-Dome put them into the State Basketball Tourna-ment.

The Tiger men were down by one with time dwindling, when all-around athlete and guard Kyle Bernard hit the game-sealing three for the Tigers. He left three seconds on the clock for Cedar Rapids to at-tempt to answer, but they failed.

“It was the best play that I have made in my high school basketball career. I just had to force one for the win, and it happened to be a good

call and a good shot.“ Bernard said.The Tigers will face Linn-Mar, a

team they beat in the regular season finale by 10 points. Even though they won by double digits, the Tigers will by no means count the upcom-ing game as a certified win.

The next game will be a win or go-home game. The winner of the game may not even be the better team, but it will be the one that plays the hardest.

“We’ve played Linn-Mar before, so we can play with them,” senior Darion Howard said.

“It’s a whole different game against Linn-Mar. We can only play one game at a time. If we win then we will have to face two other teams,” Bernard said.

Bernard is a huge part of the team

and how it has been successful so far this season.

“It has always been my dream to make it to the State Championship in basketball; we aren’t expected to make it to State. We just want to do the best that we can,” Bernard said.

The Tigers will give it their all against Linn-Mar Wednesday.

“If we lose against Linn-Mar, I won’t be satisfied with how far that we made it so far this season, but then again think about it. People didn’t think that we would make it to the state tournament with a new coach,” Bernard said.

“Hopefully we can make a run for it and win it all,” Howard said.

There will be a new concern for the Tigers going against Linn-Mar. The last time the two teams collided

Linn-Mar’s starting five wasn’t com-plete, but this time around they are all back in their starting positions. The Tigers also have a new line-up.

“Linn-Mar is going to be mo-tivated to beat us. We need to beat them,” Bernard said

Linn-Mar will want to avenge their loss to the Tigers from the regular season and there would be no better feeling than for them to knock the Tiger men out of the run for the state title.

“Hopefully we play Bettendorf to get into the state game. Knock-ing them out of the state basketball tournament would be a good feeling, and it would be revenge from two football seasons ago when we were jipped out of going to the state foot-ball game,” Bernard said.