The print edition of the Pelladium, originally released on May 27, 2011. In full color!
14
May 27, 2011 | Volume 23, Issue 9 This summer will bring a couple of new changes to the public aquatic center rules, its customers and its employees. After last year’s drownings, the pool is adopting new lifeguard regulations and some new rules are coming with it. After a change in management, the pool is switching to Ellis & Associates (E&A), an international aquatic safety and risk management consulting firm. E&A requires all of the lifeguards, who it employs, to be certified in their training program. It also will bring some changes to common pool rules. One of the biggest rule change is E&A’s 10/20 rule, which will increase pressure on lifeguards but aims to increase overall safety. The rule states, “The 10/20 rule, created by E&A, holds that guard should be able to identify a distressed swimmer within 10 seconds while properly scanning his/her zone and respond to that distressed swimmer within 20 seconds, for a total response time of no more than 30 seconds.” Perhaps the most dramatic and interesting change is that the aquatic center is going to start performing baby drops to keep lifeguards alert. “A baby drop is when they drop a child like doll and the guards have to get to the doll within 10 seconds,” said senior lifeguard Nick Shepperd. Along with the baby drops, the guards will also have to adjust to a new uniform regulation, which will make the guards wear matching uniforms, making them easier to recognize to the swimmers. The uniforms, that will include matching shirts, hats and suits, will be provided by the city. While the aquatic center hopes the new program will be a step in a better direction, some life guards are not too excited to get certified with E&A, especially a few of which who were already certified. “We have to take a class [to re-certify], and one of the days we will be at the indoor pool from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., which I know has no one very pleased,” says junior Katie Sunderman. Perhaps the guard with the worst luck is sophomore Ben Robertson, who got certified two weeks prior to his interview only to find out that he has to get completely re-certified. Many changes deal with the lifeguards and their training, certification and overall work experience. Pool goers are going to have to adjust to some changes as well. See Lifeguard Regulations, p. 2 New pool management brings strict regulations for student lifeguards On April 26, Forbes magazine released their second annual “Best Schools for your Real Estate Buck,” article, naming Pella Community School district the third best public school for the real estate dollar nationally. “Forbes called about two months ago telling me we would be recognized. I answered all the questions they asked, but I didn’t know our ranking,” said Superintendent Mark Wittmer. The school district scored 98.25 of 100 points. The district’s median home price was appraised as $148,200, the lowest amount of any of the Top 10 schools on the list. According to Forbes.com, the look at America’s top districts demolishes the idea that more money equals a better education. “I thought that it was fantastic. Parents are concerned about education in Pella. Students participate in incredible levels in the fine arts and sports. When you compare our property value to the others in the Forbes report, my husband and I wondered why we weren’t number one,” said English teacher Suzi Jones. According to Forbes. com, Forbes, in partnership with the organization GreatSchools, analyzed two sets of tests scores for 17,589 communities throughout 49 states to come up with the final score for each school district. Forbes first assessed the statewide standardized test scores for their results. Nebraska was not included in the analysis because it does not have a statewide standardized test. GreatSchools also derived the rankings using results from the most recent National Assessment for Educational Progress data, a federal program that randomly selects students in fourth, eighth and 12th grades for testing to provide state-level assessments of learning and educational progress. GreatSchools calibrated the results of individual cities in a single state with national standards to come up with an absolute score for each city. It then graded them on a curve with the highest-ranking city, Falmouth, Maine, median home price around $351,550, representing 100. GreatSchools assessed more than 200,000 public schools. “I wasn’t aware they [Forbes] did this, but I wasn’t surprised by the results. We’ve got great kids, great teachers and a great community. This is a special place, and I want people to understand that we didn’t apply for this. We’re not trying to toot our own horn; this was done by a private institute. I’ve met with people around the state of Iowa who have a sense that Pella is only good because of our Dutch community filled with ‘perfect’ Dutch kids. We have a great starting product, but the community, school system and the hard work of the kids makes the success we have. I think people tend to think there are factors other than hard work that make us successful, and that’s not the whole picture. Our staff, community and students who go above and beyond, those are the things that make us as successful as we are,” said Wittmer. •Jessica Salpor ([email protected]) Four teams race for success at Drake Relays, p. 5 PARADE. Dressed as immigrants, seniors Jordan De Jong, Nick Van Gorp and Thomas Yoder ride a raft to their final day of high school as they cross the border from student to adult. Crazy senior rides ranged from four-wheelers to flatbeds, and even a throne. •photo by Blake Lanser America’s Best-Bang-for-Your- Educational-Buck School Districts 1) Falmouth, ME 2) Mercer Island, WA 3) Pella, IA
Transcript
May 27, 2011 | Volume 23, Issue 9
This summer will bring a couple of new changes to the public aquatic center rules, its customers and its employees. After last year’s drownings, the pool is adopting new lifeguard regulations and some new rules are coming with it. After a change in management, the pool is switching to Ellis & Associates (E&A), an international aquatic safety and risk management consulting firm. E&A requires all of the lifeguards, who it employs, to be certified in their training program. It also will bring some changes to common pool rules. One of the biggest rule change is E&A’s 10/20 rule, which will increase pressure on lifeguards but aims to increase overall safety. The rule states, “The 10/20 rule, created by E&A, holds that guard should be able to identify a distressed swimmer within 10 seconds while properly scanning his/her zone and respond to that distressed swimmer within 20 seconds, for a total response time of no more than 30 seconds.” Perhaps the most dramatic and interesting change is that the aquatic center is going to start performing baby drops to keep lifeguards alert. “A baby drop is when they drop a child like doll and the guards have to get to the doll within 10 seconds,” said senior lifeguard Nick Shepperd. Along with the baby drops, the guards will also have to adjust to a new
uniform regulation, which will make the guards wear matching uniforms, making them easier to recognize to the swimmers. The uniforms, that will include matching shirts, hats and suits, will be provided by the city. While the aquatic center hopes the new program will be a step in a better direction, some life guards are not too excited to get certified with E&A, especially a few of which who were already certified. “We have to take a class [to re-certify], and one of the days we will be at the indoor pool from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., which I know has no one very pleased,” says junior Katie Sunderman. Perhaps the guard with the worst luck is sophomore Ben Robertson, who got certified two weeks prior to his interview only to find out that he has to get completely re-certified. Many changes deal with the lifeguards and their training, certification and overall work experience. Pool goers are going to have to adjust to some changes as well.
See Lifeguard Regulations, p. 2
New pool management brings strictregulations for student lifeguards
On April 26, Forbes magazine released their second annual “Best Schools for your Real Estate Buck,” article, naming Pella Community School district the third best public school for the real estate dollar nationally.
“Forbes called about two months ago telling me we would be recognized. I answered all the questions they asked, but I didn’t know our ranking,” said Superintendent Mark Wittmer.
The school district scored 98.25 of 100 points. The district’s median home price was appraised as $148,200, the lowest amount of any of the Top 10 schools on the list. According to Forbes.com, the look at America’s top districts demolishes the idea that more money equals a better education.
“I thought that it was fantastic. Parents are concerned about education in Pella. Students participate in incredible levels in the fine arts and sports. When you compare our property value to the others in the Forbes report, my husband and I wondered why we weren’t number one,” said English teacher Suzi Jones.
According to Forbes.com, Forbes, in partnership with the organization GreatSchools, analyzed two sets of tests scores for 17,589 communities throughout 49 states to come up with the final score for each school district. Forbes first assessed the statewide standardized test scores for their results. Nebraska was not included in the analysis because it does not have a statewide standardized test. GreatSchools also derived the rankings using results from the most recent National Assessment for Educational Progress data, a federal program that randomly selects students in fourth, eighth and 12th grades for testing
to provide state-level assessments of learning and educational progress. GreatSchools calibrated the results of individual cities in a single state with national standards to come up with an absolute score for each city. It then graded them on a curve with the highest-ranking city, Falmouth, Maine, median home price around $351,550, representing 100. GreatSchools assessed more than 200,000 public schools.
“I wasn’t aware they [Forbes] did this, but I wasn’t surprised by the results. We’ve got great kids, great teachers and a great community. This is a special place, and I want people to understand that we didn’t apply for this. We’re not trying to toot our own horn; this was done by a private institute. I’ve met with people around the state of Iowa who have a sense that Pella is only good because of our Dutch community filled with ‘perfect’ Dutch kids. We have a great starting product, but the community, school system and the hard work of the kids makes the success we have. I think people tend to think there are factors other than hard work that make us successful, and that’s not the whole picture.Our staff, community and students who go above and beyond, those are the things that make us as successful as we are,” said Wittmer.
PARADE. Dressed as immigrants, seniors Jordan De Jong, Nick Van Gorp and Thomas Yoder ride a raft to their final day of high school as they cross the border from student to adult. Crazy senior rides ranged from four-wheelers to flatbeds, and even a throne.
•photo by Blake Lanser
America’s Best-Bang-for-Your- Educational-Buck School Districts
1) Falmouth, ME
2) Mercer Island, WA
3) Pella, IA
Page Editor: Kelsey Van Tasell
Briefly Speaking ...
May 27, 2011
Teachers will no longer be required to stay until eight-o-clock on school nights for more than two days next year. In the high school, there will only be two parent teacher conferences instead of four starting at the beginning of next year. In a decision made April 25, the board of administrators and faculty council approved a new policy that would only schedule two mandatory PT conference nights. The PT conference nights will be in the first six weeks of first semester and in the first six weeks into the second semester. They will take place from 5 to 8. The other two PT conference nights will be replaced with teacher collaboration time that will take place in meetings throughout the year from 7 to 8. Teacher collaboration time will focus in on the different aspect technology, “Pella Vision,” and “Pella Goals,” and “Universal Constructs: Essential for 21st Century Success,” according to the 2011-2012 Instructional Plan. “I think that it is good to try a new idea. It seems logical, and it seems like a more effective use of our time... I would think coming to school [in the mornings] you are always pretty fresh and being fresh will help generate new ideas and help make it easier to focus,” said English teacher Regina Linn. The idea for changes was initiated by Principal Eric Nelson and proposed to the faculty council. After being approved, the idea then went on to the board of education. “Basically, my job as administrator is to use teacher time in the most affective manner possible. Parent-teacher conferences as they exist today are different than in the past because so many things right now are real time,” said Nelson. These morning meetings will insure that teachers are still spending the same amount of time working throughout the year; however, their time will be used in a different manner than previous years. “The main reason for the change is so we can focus in on enhancing the classroom to develop 21st century skills for students at our high school,” said Nelson. •Madeline Meyer ([email protected])
Faculty finds new ways to make use of parent teacher conferences
The school year is nearing an end, and while summer is the start of a break for most students, it’s simply a continuation of studies for others. Junior, Chet Aldrich will be spending his summer break in Cambridge, Massachusetts, taking part in Harvard’s Secondary School Program. The program offers over 200 different courses, from African and American studies to engineering, and everything in between. Students are prepared for college life and study through workshops, academic counseling and tutoring services and living on campus. Aldrich will be taking part in the macroeconomics course. “I’ll get eight college credits, and it’s an intensive course. In seven weeks, they’ll cover a year’s worth of material,” said Aldrich. Students involved in the program get to experience some aspects of college life: living in dorms, being involved in clubs and activities, such as band and orchestra and even going on weekend trips to places like New York City. Participants of the program
are also given the opportunity to visit other Ivy League schools, such as MIT, Brown and Yale. What does it take to qualify for such a prestigious program? “You have to send in an application, a personal essay, an essay from class, a transcript. It’s like application policies at most colleges, it’s more holistic.[Having taken the] ACT and SAT tests isn’t required, but if something is required, you do it, and if something’s reccommended, you still do it. They end up choosing about 1,000 kids to participate,” said Aldrich. Aldrich learned about the program through a friend, and without knowing very much about it, applied, “...Hoping to win the lotto.” Now that he’s been accepted, his excitement and understanding of the program have grown. “It’s a boost because of initiative, to do something good with your summer, plus, there’s college credit. And there’s always that thing with the Harvard name,” said Aldrich.
Aldrich prepares for collegethrough Harvard summer program
CONGRATULATONS! Senior graduates par-ticiapted in an awards night May 11. The evening was sponsored by Dol-lars For Scholars, a local organization committed to providing funding for high school graduates who will attend college. Seniors Daniel Borgerding and Jordan De Jong are on stage after accepting their awards from Central College. “Other than the awards night being ex-tremely hot, it was really nice. The ceremony was great to see all of my class-mate’s accomplishments and to see what they have all achieved,” said Borg-erding. •Photo by Jack Parisee
A new rule will make it mandatory for patrons 12 years of age and up to take a test before using the deep end of the pool and the diving boards. This is a common rule in most pools already, but until now has not been a policy at the aquatic center. Also, there will be a few short breaks during the day where all swimmers must exit the water. This is another common rule, but in most pools there is a ten minute break every hour. The lifeguards are more supporting of these changes than getting re-certified. “[The rules] will help the lifeguards and swimmers relax and rest a little,” said senior lifeguard Olivia Warner. Some speculation has been offered that the rules are being made in light of last year’s drownings. Administrative services director Jenny Hasseltine says “... Changes to our certifications and rules beginning this summer are additional steps that we are
taking, in part due to last year’s events, to continue to offer safe fun to our patrons. The other reason for these changes, is the new management of the City’s aquatic facilities. “ Overall, the new regulations aim to make the pool safer by preventing an accident,
instead of being able to deal with an accident faster. But, the program still takes accidents into consideration. “[The program] is supposed to allow us to be more confident lifeguards and not doubt ourselves if something happens while we are working,” says senior Nick Shepperd. For the lifeguards,
getting re-certified may be annoying, and some swimmers may think a swimming test will be a pain. But, Hasseltine is confident in the changes. “Our facilities will still be just as fun and safe as they have always been,” she said.
Retirees give final good-byesas school year draws to an end
The end of the 2010-2011 school year for most students and staff means the beginning of another summer, which will inevitably be followed by another year of school. However, for Superintendent Mark Wittmer, Spanish teacher Gretchen Klein and band director Dick Redman, they will all be retiring after this year. What follow are their responses to 10 questions about school, life and moving forward.
Where are you going next?Klein: I have no idea. The world is open; we’ll just see what happens.Redman: I hope to judge contests, do clinics, and I will be working part time at William Penn. Wittmer: In the meantime, I’ll be playing golf, woodworking and if something comes up from a vocational standpoint that I think in my mind I’d love to do, I would certainly consider it.
What drove you to your position?Klein: Knowing a foreign language opens up a whole new world. It gives you a whole new perspective, and I wanted to share that.Redman: The opportunity to move from a 1A school to a 3A school and the quality of the program. I student taught here when I was in college.Wittmer: My wife and I had been here a couple times. I didn’t know much about the school system but we really loved the community. So eventually, things worked out, and I came.
What will you miss the most?Klein: Laughing with the kids. I laugh every single day. I’m just here for the yucks.Redman: The students.Wittmer: That’s a hard question. I mean legitimately that it has been a labor of love to work here. We’ve got great kids and an incredible staff. I tell people everyday I’ve got the greatest job in the state of Iowa.
What have you gained from working here?Klein: I’ve gained personal relationships.Redman: Every aspect of teaching, from the knowledge to interacting with the students.Wittmer: I think I’ve gained an appreciation that high expectations are necessary for high achievement.
Do you have a memorable moment?Klein: I’ve enjoyed every single day that I’ve worked here. Yes, there are bad days, but I enjoy it all.Redman: Too many to list. Wittmer: I don’t know that I really have a
favorite memorable moment.What do you want to say to students
and staff?Klein: The students are the most important thing. Everything that you do should be focused on the students. To the students: try to find joy in learning.Redman: It’s been a great time. Good luck to everyone.Wittmer: To work together. It used to be that teachers were independent contractors. We cannot exist that way anymore. The shrinking of the world, I think reflects the fact that we have to depend upon other people.
What feelings has your retirement left you with?Klein: I feel like I haven’t been coming into work these past years. It’s just been so much fun. Redman: Mixed.Wittmer: It has left me with really mixed emotions. I’ve done this for 39 years and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. It has really been a joy.
What advice can you give your successor?Klein: Find joy in the students. Embrace where they’re at and how they feel about things.Redman: Be prepared to have a great time.Wittmer: My best advice would be to come in the first year and listen and watch and learn and build relationships, and then get a sense of ways to make the system even better.
What’s the most important lesson the district has taught you?Klein: It’s not about me, it’s about the students. They’re what matter.Redman: That you can never overestimate the potential of your students. Wittmer: We’ve got people who may not have the highest paying job, but do it incredibly well. They do it with enthusiasm. There are just really quality people and quality employees at every level.
What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in education?Klein: Technology. When I started, there were no computers. We had ditto machines. Redman: Technology and how we use it as a resource.Wittmer: That we now have got to do things collectively together. We now have to depend on other people, within our organization.
•RETIREMENT. Superintendent Mark Wittmer, Spanish teacher Gretchen Klein, and band director Dick Red-man will all be retiring at the end of the school year. “It has really been a joy. I can honestly say I can’t remember a day that I got up in the morning thinking ‘I just hate going to work’,”said Wittmer.
Page Editor: Jocelyn Van Dyke May 27, 2011
Boat’s Home Furnishings620 Franklin St. Pella, IA 50219628-2040
Brom Auto Service & Sales, Inc.819 Broadway St.Pella, IA 50219628-1700
Community 1st Credit Union500 Main St.Pella, IA 50219628-2022
As a result of the rise in breast cancer cases, 40,000 women died in 2010 alone. About 70-80 percent of breast cancer occurs in women who have no family history of breast cancer. Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women. These statistics only emphasize the need to get the word out about prevention and treatment for breast cancer. One foundation is not only turning heads in the non-profit organization world, but is also rallying support against this fatal disease in a unique way. The Keep A Breast Foundation (KAB)
and its use of interesting
events and products is making breast cancer a more
talk-able subject among high s c h o o l e r s today. KAB wants to work to break down the barriers
that make the topic “awkward” and shy kids away
from becoming educated about breast cancer and its prevention and
treatments. Awareness is spread through pieces of art, clothing and bracelets. The popular “I <3 Boobies” bracelets are the up front advertisement, along with matching t-shirts. As for events, KAB sponsors concerts and action sports surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding. Those aren’t the only things, however.
Art shows, where pieces are auctioned off for donations to cancer awareness and prevention programs, are held all around the world. These shows feature many unique art pieces. Up for bidding are plaster molds of female torsos that have been painted or designed by many talented artists. Through the molds, artists show the emotion, stories and thoughts on breast cancer and how the disease has affected their lives. Early detection and overall knowledge are key when dealing with cancer. Foundations like KAB are working hard to spread the word to everyone, especially to youth so they can make decisions now that can really make a difference later on. There has been some controversy surrounding the bracelets and attire being worn at school. Assistant Principal Jon Muller comments on the issue. “We [the school] had two students wear shirts with the term ‘I <3 Boobies.’ At that point, we discussed it with Mr. Nelson
and other faculty and determined that the term ‘boobies’ could be offensive and derogatory according to the school’s dress code. This has nothing to do with the cause; we support the cause against breast cancer. Rather, it’s a matter of terminology. The school is not trying to stop people from supporting the cause, but are trying to uphold the integrity of the dress code,” said Muller. Students who choose to wear the bracelets do so for many different reasons. “I wear the bracelet because of my mom. She has been diagnosed with breast cancer and this is how I help support her. I don’t really think the bracelets are offensive. It’s just another way to raise awareness,” said senior Callie Deaton. “I wear my bracelet not for shows and giggles. It is for my aunt who is going through her second round of breast cancer,” said senior Seth Vander Horst. •Shaun Sokol
Breast cancer awareness slogansparks disapproval by adminstration
With gardens full of tulips and three days dedicated to celebrating a tulip festival, it’s no wonder Pella is called “the City of Tulips.” Groups of volunteers and businesses around the community help prepare for planting tulips each year. The Garden Club formally took care of planting, but since the 90’s a crew of Randy Sikkema, Mike Clark and Rick Knoll has lead a group of volunteers. In May, Sikkema fills out an order form for tulips. He sends it into the City of Pella, who collects all of Pella’s orders, including places such as Pella Corp and the Historical Village. From there, the order forms are sent to a company in the Netherlands, and the tulips are shipped to Pella. Each year the crew of volunteers must carefully calculate when to plant and hope that the weather permits. “We don’t have control over the weather, but we try to plant the tulips some Saturday morning in the middle of October. We’ve realized that over the last few springs it’s gotten warmer, so we’ve been able to estimate the timing of when to plant the tulips,” said Sikkema. In total 380,000 tulip bulbs are planted every year. The Historical Society plants on their property in the Historical Village and Scholte Gardens. “A group of six of us go and plant tulips. In the Scholte Garden we planted 35,000 tulips and in the Historical Village we planted 25,000 tulips,” said Historical Village employee Karen Herringer. As the tulips wither and die, the bulbs along the main roads, in the city parks and in the Historical Village are available for digging up. No tulip bulb is ever planted twice. This ensures that fresh, new bulbs come up each year to beautify “the City of Tulips.” “[Digging up bulbs] is one of those things that is just kind of fun. I don’t dig up a lot of them, just a few. It’s interesting, and the people who do it basically are doing a service because all the bulbs have to be dug up and the city doesn’t have to pay someone to do it. What city in the state of Iowa can you go to dig up tulip bulbs? I think it does a lot of nice things for the community,” said Pella resident Mary Ann Emerick. • Sarah Muller ([email protected])
TIPTOE. Seniors Jocelyn Van Dyke, Heidi Gritters, Lisa Houser and Caitlan Murphy tiptoe through the tulips during Tulip Time. “I appreciate all the work people put into planting tulips to make our town beautiful for Tulip Time. I enjoyed spending Tulip Time with my friends; just hanging out, eating good food and watching all the tourists. It’s fun to see how excited they get over the tulips that we get to see and enjoy every day,” said Murphy. “I really enjoy walking around during Tulip Time and looking at all the different kinds of tulips. There always seems to be a variety of shapes and colors. I think the people who plant the tulips do a wonderful job, and I can’t imagine the amount of time it takes to plant so many. The tulips really do a lot for our community. After all, it wouldn’t be Tulip Time without tulips!” said Houser. •Photo Submitted.
Page Editor: Madeline Meyer May 27, 2011
Recker Dental Care2114 Washington St.Pella, IA 50219628-1604
MidWestOne Bank700 Main St. Suite 100Pella, IA 50219628-4356
Red Rock ChiropracticCenter, P.C.1400 Fifield Rd.Pella, IA 50219628-9991
Pella Pets Veterinary Clinic411 Oskaloosa St.Pella, IA 50219620-8880
Midtown Tire Company109 E. Oskaloosa St.Pella, IA 50219641-628-1072
Pella Nail Salon604 Liberty St. Suite 129Pella, IA 50219628-1104
Leighton State Bank900 Washington St., Box 6Pella, IA 50219628-1566
Precision Pulley, Inc.300 S.E. 14th St.Pella, IA 50219628-3115
Royal Amsterdam Hotel705 East First St.Pella, IA 50219620-8400
Fareway Stores Inc.2010 Washington St.Pella, IA 50219628-9995
Holiday Inn Express2508 Bos Landen DrivePella, IA 50219628-4853
De Jong Door Service1307 Columbus St.Pella, IA 50219628-8736
Digital Solutions Inc.809 West 8th St.Pella, IA 50219628-0088
DeVries Electric2121 Old Highway 163Pella, IA 50219628-1416
Garden Chapel Funeral Home1301 Main St.Pella, IA 50219628-2430
Kathy Kooyman, Realtor, Home Realty641-416-0182
Pella OrthodonticsDr. Kim Wass715 Main St.Pella, IA 50219628-9195
Track Junior Katie SundermanWhy has this season been unique?“This season is unique because we are such a well-rounded team. It has been a long time since we have had such diverse team with so many girls who are able to do so many different events successfully. We have great hurdlers, long distance runners and sprinters this year who are all doing such a great job. Many of our field event girls are young, but they are doing well and are continually improving as meets go on.”
Golf Senior Kelsey Van TasellWhat is one obstacle you have had to overcome this season?“An obstacle that I have had to overcome is changing my chipping patterns, I’ve really had to re-learn how to chip this year because I’m trying to learn how to do different chip shots, so I’m trying to learn how to direct the ball by stopping it faster; it’s a difficult thing to grasp.”
Golf Senior Beau Vander SluisWhat is the best memory of the season and what goals do you have for the rest of the season? “My best memory so far has been going to all of the golf meets and meeting new people to golf with... The goals that I have for this year are to shoot a lower round and just have a blast playin’ some golf.”
The hoops have long been raised, the bleachers withdrawn for weeks, and even the intramural bracket has been retired from the gym door. Still, a group of about 20 of the high school’s most fervent basketball enthusiasts refuse to let the buzzer sound. As scholastic sports draw to a close, they have already laid the foundation for a “summer league” in hopes to maintain their game until the winter. A long-held brainchild of seniors Michael Ge, Nick Dorman and junior Benji McElroy, summer league aims to provide both novice and veteran players with an organized opportunity to keep their skills fresh and bodies active throughout the summer months. Ge, a student coach for boys’ varsity basketball, noted that practice during the off-season is vital to the progress of any player. “The purpose of this is to get kids off of their butts at
home and onto the courts. Participation in summer league will allow them the opportunity to mature their abilities along with other players. Guys who play competitively will get a chance to develop their skills, and those who don’t will get a great learning experience,” said Ge. Whereas only 20 upperclassmen have currently signed on to the summer league’s roster, its members hope to net at least 10 more before the opening game. What they call “the regular season” will feature a rotating schedule of 10 three-man teams, the winners of which will advance to a playoff bracket, and a shot at the championship. What’s the incentive behind a summer’s worth of sweaty socks and hours of practice? A cash prize, of course. The summer league’s founders plan on charging an entrance fee of $10 per player. This means with a proposed 30-member league, the winning trio will walk away with a Benjamin a piece.
But, the prospect of wealth is the least of the summer league’s lures for true-blooded ‘ballers’ like senior David Rozendaal, a zealous sports fan and recreational player who doesn’t see much court time outside of the intramural season. “I had no idea about the cash; I just like to play. It’s good exercise, it’s a fun sport, and there just aren’t very many other opportunities for amateurs to play after intramurals. It’s really just all about playing for me,” said Rozendaal. Games are to be held at Work Systems, Caldwell Park and the outdoor courts at Central College. To become a participant in the summer league, talk to one of the aforementioned players, or simply join the group on their official Facebook page dubbed “Pella Summer League.”•Nathan Kooker ([email protected])
A stadium filled with 20,000 spectators, world-wide acclaim, and an infamous blue track. The Drake Relays, also known as America’s Athletic Classic, has taken place since 1910 and continues to attract the most elite college and high school track and field athletes. Located in Des Moines at Drake University’s stadium, this three day meet has grown to become one of the most important and largest of its kind. High school teams qualify for the meet by submitting their best times in events that they have run for the current track season. Drake then selects only a certain number of athletes based off the fastest times, regardless of school size. Selection numbers vary from event to event. Qualifying for the Drake Relays this year from the boys track team was the 4x100 relay of seniors Travis Ewing and Daniel Borgerding, junior Austin Fuller and sophomore Chris Brogden and the 4x800 relay of juniors Grant Gustafson and Colton Haning, and sophomores Wade Pingel and Evan Jones. The boys 4x100 went into the Relays ranked 50th of 80 teams that qualified, and ran in the preliminaries April 29. Due to a dropped hand-off, the team was disqualified. The boys 4x800 team ran April 30, ranked 15th of the 16 teams that qualified for the event. Running their season best, they finished 15th with a time of 8:13.73. “It was awesome to compete in such a great field of runners. We weren’t too nervous before our race, and we were
happy with the way that we competed. There’s still room for improvement, but it gave us a good feel of what state will be like this year,” said Gustafson. The girls track team also sent two events to the Drake Relays. The 4x100 and 4x400 relays both qualified. Senior Makenzie Vander Molen, junior Katie Sunderman, and sophomore Nadine Van Zomeren ran in both events that qualified. Junior Marielle Gaiser ran in the 4x400 and freshman Claire Wisniewski ran in the 4x100. “After the Drake Relays, we have high hopes of going to state in every running event and maybe even a few field events or two. We have high expectations for ourselves and for each other, so I don’t think it will be hard for us to accomplish this goal,” said Sunderman. The girls 4x100 team went into the Relays ranked 33 of 80. The relay ran in the preliminaries April 29, finishing 39th with a time of 52.24. Though it was a season best time for the team, they did not advance to the finals. The 4x400 team also ran April 29, going in ranked 23rd of 24. Running a time of 4:08.01, they finished 20th. This also was a season best time, but it did not secure the team a spot in the finals. “Drake was a very fun experience. Although we didn’t finish as well as we would have liked to, we ran our best times so far in both events. The whole experience made us better runners, and we strengthened friendships in the process,” said Vander Molen.
When students begin hunting for jobs, the most intimidating part for most is the interview process. For students taking communications, that fear was taken to the classroom. Over the course of two days, every student in Mrs. Fank’s third period communications class had to dress up in their finest clothes to prepare for interviews with three “very intimidating” school officials. Principal Eric Nelson, vice principal Jon Muller and government teacher Mark Core asked the students a series of questions in an attempt to replicate a job interview. Senior Nick Gerdes said that this interview was even more intense then a a real job interview. “Not only are those pretty high ranking guys, but every other interview I’ve done has always been a lot more casual then this one. So, I definitely was nervous.” Gerdes was not the only person who found the process daunting. Senior Jessica Van Wyk was also worried about “the interrogation” by Nelson, Muller and Core. However, she did not find that as the worst part. “Their questions were tough, but the fact that you had to answer them in front of a class of students made it much worse.” The questions the teachers asked ranged from basic “Why do you want this job?” to the much tougher “What was your biggest mistake?” “We did have some examples of potential questions, “ said Senior Alex DeJong, “But you don’t really know what to expect when you actually get in front of the whole group. But, as soon as you were able to get into a flow, it wasn’t too bad.” According to Core, the interviews are not necessarily the best form of figuring out potential employees. “I’m not sure how employers can really figure out who they want to employ from a process like that. It’s all kind of staged and set-up. I’m sure there are better ways.” •Nick Dorman ([email protected])
The lazy days of summer are over for a few graduating seniors. While other classmates will be sleeping in, these seniors will be working as interns at Vermeer Corporation. Senior Devon Dawson applied for the Vermeer internship, along with seniors Hope Wadle and Tim Michaels. Some students have already found out if they received the job, but others will know for sure whether they got the summer internship sometime in late May or early June. Dawson applied for a full time, paid internship. “I may be working at the Lampost Lounge that will be opening soon. I would probably be doing cleanup and food preparation. I applied late, and the only job left was janitorial, which I’m totally fine with,” said Dawson. A big part of interviewing and finding out possible job opportunities is all about who one knows, and what those people can do to help one applying for the job. With the Vermeer internships, those who apply who have one or both of their parents working at Vermeer have priority over other applicants. “The application process was pretty easy because [my family] has a friend who works at Vermeer, and he helped me through the application,” said Dawson. While some internships are about finding what one wants to do in the future, Dawson is simply looking for job experience in the real world, along with saving up more money to put toward his college fund. “I want to go into business one day, so [this janitorial
internship] probably does not directly relate [to what I want to study in the future]. [I decided to take the internship] as a summer job saving for college. I am looking forward to the internship, if I get it that is,” said Dawson. Senior Tim Michaels received a full-time paid job at Vermeer working in construction. Michaels filled out the application online. “I wanted a different job and a solid full-time job that I could make some money from. I think it will be an interesting job, and I will learn a lot. I’m working construction, so I will pour cement [as part of the job],” said Michaels. Senior Hope Wadle also applied for a summer job at Vermeer, one of 15 applicants. She officially found out that she got the job late April and will be starting May 23. “The process for applying for the job was easy; I knew I needed to find one for the summer so I could have loads of money for my summer adventures. Since my dad works at Vermeer, he
told me to apply. I got online, and 20 minutes later, I was in the running,” said Wadle.
The area that Wadle applied for is different than that of Dawson’s, yet it is
also a paid full-time job. “I decided to apply for Quality Reception in Plant 2 because I knew I was
good with computers and people skills, and that is something that this job required. I
also applied because they are looking for someone to create designs for
memos and documents, and I feel like that is something I could strive in. I am majoring in interior and graphic design, so this could help me get some extra experience,” said Wadle. While these
internships are only available for the summer, all recipients agree that the
experience they will gain from opportunity will only be beneficial in the long run. Along with the connections they will make as interns, this networking could one day
lead to full-time employment for the Vermeer Corporation.
334 Central College graduates line the H.S. Kuyper Fieldhouse, red and white tassel in tow. Anticipating the hand-off of a diploma, the 2011 graduates are one step closer to joining the career world–or at least they think they are. But what so many current graduates are discovering is that their hardest challenge is ahead of them, with the attainment of a job. The current economic problems are by no means a secret, but the reality of the bleak job market could be an unwarranted surprise for young adults trying to jump-start a career. Not only will these job-seekers be competing against their own former classmates, but they will also have to contend with the large number of unemployed applicants, many of which are a culmination of the still-unemployed college graduates from the past few years. According to a CareerBuilder survey, fewer than half of employers plan to hire recent college grads. The good news is this is actually a decrease from the past, where in 2007, almost 79 percent of employers were against hiring freshly-diplomaed college graduates. With an unemployment rate of 8.7 percent, prospects of receiving a full-time position right out of college seem unrealistic. “With the job market being what it is, employers are going with experience over verility. Many times, when students immediately enter the workforce, they are in a particular situation, where they have a connection with a company or department. That being so, it can be a long-term
challenge for that person to advance without a furthered education,” said counselor Teresa Thompson. Thompson has first-hand experience of understanding what the job market can be like for young adults. She has seen students from the high school making the decision to go directly into a career. Last year alone, 10 percent of the graduating class went into the workforce, military, or their whereabouts are unknown, while 20 percent attended a two-year school and 70 percent attended a four-year school. No
matter what your choice is, Thompson has some tips for
young adults who are seeking full-time employment. “If I had to advise a future college student or even a high school student on what to do to put themselves at the head of the race to get a job, I would recommend that they do internships. Networking is a fundamental way to keep afloat in a struggling workforce. I,
myself, got my first job after I got my Masters due to having a great relationship with advisors and counselors I had worked with,” said Thompson. Businessknowhow.com, a popular site for entrepreneurs, defines successful business networking as one of the best ways to put yourself ahead when applying for a job. A top 10 list on the site by columnist Stephanie Speisman describes effectibe business networking as the “linking together of individuals who, through trust and relationship building, become walking, talking advertisements for one another.”
Vermeer internships allow students a glimpse into the workforce
Young Americans face uphill climb to first full-time employment
Class of 2010 stats
•70% attended a four-year college•20% attended a two-year college•10% are working, in the mili-tary or unknown
Tips tobecoming a professional
success
As graduation looms, the question being asked by many seniors is “What now?” While the coming summer will be consumed by choosing a major, finding a roommate and getting acclimated to the idea of personal independence, the transition from backpack to briefcase is the next step toward adulthood. As students get an early taste of what it means to join the workforce through local internships, colleges are schooling students on how to gain a rapport with possible future employers to set themselves up right out of graduation.
No matter if you are a businessman just trying to climb the corporate ladder or an aspiring
entrepreneur on the verge of being endorsed, success comes from the same basic principles.
Play the game...Play to winIt doesn’t always matter who you
know or what sex you are, just get with the game. Learn the game, and play as a team.
Create a Unique Ability TeamPlay to your strengths. Everyone will
be more prone to success if they are giv-en the ability to play to their strengths.
Take Moments to CareWe move so quickly for success that
many times we forget what we are working for, the people. In the end, re-lationships count.
Network Before You Need ItIt is never too early to network. Ev-
eryone needs help along the way, and any simple connection can land you a job.
Love What You DoIf you want to be a success, you need
to have a passion for your work.
Tips come from President of CEO Inc., Deborah Millhouse, ac-cording to the website, www.imakenews.com
Staff Editorial
Alternative News
Executive Editors: Megan Card, Nathan Kooker, Eric Moore, Kelsey Van TasellPage Editors/Reporters: Tiffany Carter, Michael Ge, Benji McElroy, Madeline Meyer, Taylor Rennich, Jessica Salpor, Maddy Scholten, Jocelyn Van DykeVisuals: Marielle Gaiser, Eric Moore, Jillian Sagers, Mitch Shepperd, Micah ZeimetzReporters: Kayla Da, Nick Dorman, Mark Dykstra, Adam Gromotka, Evan Jones, Sarah Muller, Jack Parisee, Shaun Sokol, Haley Sytsma, Whittney ReinierAdviser: Ann Visser
The Pelladium is a monthly tabloid produced by the high school journalism department to serve as an informative, educational and entertaining communications media and to provide an open forum to students and readers. •Letters to the Editors are welcome and encouraged. These letters must be signed and should, in no way, be libelous, irresponsible or obscene. Letters must have verified facts and should deal with issues. The Pelladium reserves the right to edit grammatical errors, libelous content or length due to the space limitations. Letters may be brought to Room 201 or sent to Pella Community High School, Box 486, Pella, IA 50219. •The Pelladium will strive to deliver information in a fair and truthful manner. The Pelladium will function in accord with all applicable laws, both in regard to the rights and restrictions of journalism. •The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual writer and not necessarily those of the Pella Community High School Administration or the Pella Community Schools Board of Education. The Pelladium will make retractions in the event of errors made in the content of printed stories. Retractions will be printed in the issue immediately following the issue containing the errors. •The Pelladium is a member of the Iowa High School Press Association.
Prince William and Catherine Middleton’s glorious wedding, on April 29th, not only broke online streaming records (2.9 million streamers), but also might have managed to break President Barack Obama’s heart. President Obama was reportedly left off the holiday-worthy event’s guest list. While this can be interpreted as some sort of slap in the face, it’s actually probably just an acknowledgement that the president has far better things to do than watch a prince marry some hot chick. Just like most Americans. Most of the hullabaloo over the ceremony stems from all the Brits getting a day off for this. A legitimate day off for a wedding. Think about how much everybody would love a wedding on this side of the pond if we got an entire day off for it. If Carmelo and LaLa’s wedding had garnered a day off, it would have easily topped Will and Kate’s. Somehow though, despite being deprived of a national holiday, some devoted contingent of starry-eyed moms came out in droves to watch. This not only affected breakfast quality across the U.S. of A., but also might cause a spike in the divorce rate. Think of how many elaborate weddings now look like they might as well have taken place at Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel because they have to stand up to the colossal standard set by Catherine Middleton and Prince William. Disney even went as far as to tack a precious little veil onto some plastic Mickey Mouse ears. Think about not only how confused the five-year-olds, who “just so happened” to be on vacation during this, were when mommy sprinted out of the hotel room in church clothes and Mickey Mouse ears, but about the entirety of this ridiculously over-hyped event. Most people groan when they receive a wedding invitation in the mail, but then freak out when they’re given the opportunity to creep on complete strangers’ wedding via television? Afterall, if you skipped the first few periods of school to watch the royal wedding, then you’ve pretty much already R.S.V.P.’d for your great-uncle’s second wedding during the summer. It doesn’t make sense to get all jazzed up over something that has absolutely no importance. It’s not even remotely interesting. Then again, maybe it’s like some people not appreciating the momentousness of the World Series, and everybody should just be allowed to strap on their Mickey Mouse ears and rejoice.
The last year of high school is spent thinking about two things: graduation and getting into college. Though these tasks can be broken down to more daunting events, like taking exams, filling out applications and choosing the right school, many seniors forget that the journey does not end with buying linens for their dorm room. So many people get caught up with getting into college that most forget the next step: the transition to adulthood. Just because someone reaches the golden age of 18, it does not mean they are an adult. Adulthood, by definition, means complete self-sufficiency. According to a California survey of 300 two-parent households, it is not until the age of 26 that a child is able to get by without leaning on mom and dad. So, while each graduating senior may have some time before they trade in their backpacks for briefcases, the transition to competent adult is in the works. These next few years are designated to preparation, and with the right steps, they can be made with ease. Basically, it is time to GROW UP. Though there may be some who find it more productive to laugh at every single bowel movement joke, getting yourself prepared for an independent (and that means financially) life starts at graduation. So, for those wanting to start out of the gate with a running start for success, follow these basic guidelines. First, create a budget and a savings account (with money in it!). One of the smartest lines ever uttered was, “Don’t spend more money than you have.” Trying to balance an income-to-debt ratio, especially right after graduation, can bury a person before they have even had a chance to make something of themselves. Be smart during college, set a legitimate budget, monitor spending and save, save, save. Network like your life depended on it. While the idea of a hard work ethic has been instilled in most students since kindergarten, many times it is as much
about who you know as it is what you know. Especially in college, gaining a positive rapport with fellow students, professors or advisers could lead to job opportunities. Take business cards whenever available and
keep them in a back-pocket, who knows when they might come in handy. Finally, be flexible. Going into college undecided should be seen as an open-ended opportunity. Not that there is anything wrong with knowing what to major in, but dabbling in other subjects never hurt anyone. If anything, majoring in engineering but minoring in creative writing cannot only give a student two completely different career paths, but it could give them the opportunity to find a common ground between the two. A mystery series about everyone’s favorite aerospace engineer detective? Whatever you choose, just remember that things rarely ever occur exactly as you plan them to. Overall, embrace adulthood. You only get to enter it once, so do it right the first time.
(The Pelladium Staff voted In favor of this editorial, 21-0)
Senior Lauren Newendorp
“During the school year I’ve been working part time to
save up my money for things I need, but during summer I’ll
get a full time job to save as much as possible”
Senior Brenna Wichhart
“I’m getting a full-time job and I’m going to save my
money and manage my time to grow accostomed to being
completely independent.”
Royal wedding’s hype off the charts
Embrace your leap into adulthood
After having fallen in love with Sara Gruen’s New York Times bestselling book “Water for Elephants,” I eagerly awaited the arrival of the movie. A sliver of me didn’t wish to see the film, just in case it didn’t meet the bar that had been set by the book, but another part of me couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see the beloved characters come to life. Of course, the later part won, and I found myself sitting in the movie theatre, bouncing with anticipation.
Having yet to buy into the “Twilight” phenomenon, I can’t say that I was overjoyed to discover that Robert Pattinson would be the star of the show. Alas, this thought quickly dissolved as I became engrossed in the film, and soon I was so swept up by the story that the actors’ real names simply didn’t matter.
Pattinson plays the role of Jacob Jankowski, an aspiring veterinarian whose dreams are trampled when his parents pass away leaving him penniless and alone. Whether it be chance or some other outside force, Jacob finds himself becoming part of a traveling circus named “Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth”. It is here that his life is changed forever. Jacob meets a woman named Marlena Rosenbluth, (played by Reese Witherspoon), and the two begin a romantic journey cemented together by their mutual love for an elephant named Rosie, who joins the circus shortly after Jacob’s arrival. The catch, however, is that Marlena is married to an abusive man with a bipolar personality. As one can only imagine, the tension complicates and drama ensues. While this may sound like any other generic love story, I can assure you that the thrill of the 1900’s circus gives this film its own special flare. With the movie taking
place during the Great Depression, the delicate balance between attempting to make a buck and attempting to enjoy life can be seen. The magnetic pull the circus had back then was almost palpable, and I can see why people squandered their hard-earned pennies for an enchanting show. In a time where people didn’t have much, enjoying the little things in life mattered that much more. Even though circus performers often hoodwinked people in the towns they visited, the circus still provided that much sought after glimmer of hope. In the end, I cannot give the movie five of five stars. This is simply due to my respect and adoration for the book. Although the director works hard to keep the movie’s plot close to the book’s, it’s like everyone always says: the book is better than the movie. Nevertheless, in my opinion, the movie is still worth checking out!
Who? Circus performers, elephants and a former vampire.
What? A story of forbidden love set during
the Great Depression
Watch. “Water for Elephants” •Graphic by Marielle Gaiser
Page Editor: Tiffany Carter May 27, 2011
Vander Ploeg Bakery711 Franklin St.Pella, IA 50219628-2293
Dr. Gregory Vannucci, D.D.S, P.C.2601 Washington St.Pella, IA 50219628-2011
Work Systems Rehab & Fitness308 SE 9th St.Pella, IA 50219621-0230
TK Concrete1608 Fifield Rd. Pella, IA 50219628-4590
Stravers True Value/ Radio Shack/ U.S. Cellular818 Main St.Pella, IA 50219628-3330
TD&T Financial Group, P.C., CPA’s606 Franklin St.Pella, IA 50219628-9411
Sports Page Grill1111 W. 16th St.Pella, IA 50219620-1149
Sports Page Sporting Goods1562 Washington St.Pella, IA 50219628-4999
Subway714 Liberty St.412 E. Oskaloosa St.Pella, IA 50219628-8923 628-3054
Taco John’s 911 West 16th St.Pella, IA 50219628-8818
Tri-County Vet650 Hwy T-14Pella, IA 50219628-4040
TRIUMPH Martial Arts308 SE 9th St.PO Box 41Pella, IA 50219866-648-8480Ulrich Ford-Lincoln-Mercury1130 West 16th St.Pella, IA 50219628-2184Van Dyk-Duven Fu-neral Home615 West 1st. St.Pella, IA 50219628-2540
Vermeer Sales and Service661 Hwy. T-14Pella, IA 50219628-2000
Silver Lining733 Franklin St.Pella, IA 50219628-3650
Catch up on the latest news at
pelladium.com
Always a New Issue
“The Voice” aired for the first time on April 26 on NBC. Based upon the popular Dutch X Factor series, the show features a variety of artists, each with a different sound and something unique to offer, competing for a recording contract and to be crowned the “Voice of America.” One by one the competitors made their way to the stage to perform in front of celebrity judges Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine. While facing the other direction, chairs turned to the audience, the judges listened to the vocals to determine who they wanted to have be apart of their team. When the performance ends, the judges turn around to see their choices face to face. From there, the judges and performers begin their training for the season. Having seen similar shows like “American Idol”
and “America’s Got Talent,” I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the concept of the show. I found the judges to be equally as appealing and it was exciting to see who they were trying to con into joining their team. The friendly “fights” they put on towards each other reminds me of the Simon vs Paula arguments back in the early “Idol” years. For one performer, they decided to leave his appearance unknown to see what viewers at home thought of his singing ability alone. It was something different and I like seeing how surprised everyone was when they finally revealed who he was. Hosted by Carson Daly, the show has already scored 11.8 million views. With each episode stepping up the level of competition, both the judges and performers must push to the best of their ability to bring all they have to the stage. In order to keep the people at home interested, as well as the judges, contestants must give their all to make it to the final showdown and be crowned the winner.
Why? Cee Lo Green? Christina Aguilera? Forget you, genie in
a bottle.
Watch. “The Voice”
Of the thousands of applications available for Apple’s iTouch and iPad, the game Angry Birds appears to be making the biggest waves. People of all ages seem to be on board of the Angry Birds train. The game has several versions, ranging from Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons, Angry Birds Rio. Even more are in development. Each version also has a free tutorial so there is no
pressure to buy the application if you’re unsure about the game. I was initially skeptical about trying the game. The idea of killing little green pigs by sling-shotting even smaller birds seemed like an awkward concept to me, but now that I’ve started, I just can’t stop. The original Angry Birds is pretty basic. A generic nature background, three birds to shoot and pigs blocked in wood and glass blocks, but Rio and Seasons is where the creators seem to be having more fun. Seasons is a much more expanded version of Angry Birds. There are several different seasons to choose from: Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Halloween, because of this there are more levels and more courses to play on, giving you much more gaming for the money. Each season is unique and fitting for their titles. For example, Easter has Easter eggs to knock off the blocks for extra points as well as bunny ears on some of the pigs. There are also Easter colors throughout the game, like the pastel pink and purples that are common throughout the Easter holiday. Though this version is much more difficult than the original, it prompts an intriguing challenge. Rio, the latest version, is jungle themed, so the gamer gets to kill monkeys as well as pigs, and the backgrounds are much more detailed with additions like palm trees, big rocks and the pig and monkey placements are more fun because they’re harder to get to. I thoroughly enjoyed each of the three versions of Angry Birds, so be on the lookout for more versions to come. I would give each of these games four and a half out of five stars.
As we approach the end of the year, the realization that a slew of goodbyes are going to be necessary has dawned upon us. We need to say so long to a lot of people, including you, our dedicated readers. But, as Romeo once said to his beloved Juliet, “Parting is such sweet sorrow,” and this bittersweet moment is about to hit us like a freight train.
Adam: It’s a strange feeling, graduating from the school system most of us have spent our educational career learning in.
Jake: And now we have to say goodbye to all the teachers and students we’ve spent this time with. I hate goodbyes.
A: Someone obviously didn’t read last month’s installment; hating won’t get you anywhere. We should embrace our chance to move on.
J: Even so, there’s got to be a better way to part ways than an awkward, sad or angry interaction. Someone should create a specific system so these times are easier.
A: I’ve got just the idea to put the terrible system of goodbyes aside: everyone should watch Titanic and bawl their eyes out before graduation. That way, there are no tears to spill over your diploma.
J: Only you would cry over something as clichéd as a movie about a boat.
A: That reminds me, we’ll all be sailing away pretty soon... :’(
J: And maybe the best way to get over it is a bro-hug and a heartfelt, “So long.” I guess goodbyes aren’t the same for everyone. We need to find our own way of saying “adios,” regardless of how hard that way might be.
Green Supporters...Applebee’s, 1600 Washington St., 620-8646Bos Landen Golf Club, 2411 Bos Landen Dr., 628-4625Braafhart’s BP Amoco, 834 Washington St., 628-2474Central Cellular, 1530 Washington St., 628-9520Comfort Inn & Suites, 910 West 16th St., 621-1421Dutch Meadows Landscaping, 100 1/2 Vermeer Rd.,628-4450Eyecare Partners, 823 Franklin St., 628-9225Jansen’s Decorating & Kitchens, 614 Franklin St., 628-4247Leighton Processed Meats, Leighton, 626-3211Nick’s Greenhouse & Floral Shop, 219 Oskaloosa, 628-2230Oriental Express, 706 Main Street, 620-1199Pella Implement Company, 655 Hwy. T-14, 628-2131
Pella Implement Company, 655 Hwy. T-14, 628-2131Pella Printing Co., 1190 West 16th St., 628-4941Prudential First of Pella Realty, 601 Franklin St., 628-9840Sadler Sign & Design, 203 SE 16th St., 628-9889Van Maanen, Sietstra and Meyer, P.C., 705 Main St., 628-3737Van Maanen Seed & Chemical, 2073 Eaton Ave., Leighton, IA, 626-3471Windmill Cafe, 709 Franklin St.,621-1800Windmill Mall Antiques & Collectibles, 637 Franklin Street, 628-1095
Last Stop Terminus
Termination Graduation
Dear PHS Students,
I’m the one of the least appreciated plots of land. (Second only to my cousin, the grave plot, because rotting corpses everywhere would be, well, smelly.) You all need to start kissing my asphalt butt and start treating all of us better. Just last week, some daredevil decided to do a donut right over me. So, ever since, I’ve been the laughing stock of the parking lot due to the giant tire marks streaking across me. I put up with your shenanigans day in and day out, yet I get zilch for respect.
In fact, it’s in your best interest to make me feel special, because I know everything. Like that time you backed into a fancy-looking sedan a couple months ago and screeched away without leaving so much as a note. Or, how about that time you made-out with your best friend’s girlfriend in the wee hours of the morning? Seriously, don’t mess with me.
And to you underclassmen who think you can park on me, you might as well be spitting on my great-grandfather’s grave (God rest his soul, after so many years of dealing with horse manure). I am a parking spot that was raised from birth to be exclusively for juniors, yet you pre-pubescent scallywags opt to place the universe in limbo by parking your ’98 Taurus on me. It’s parking lot sacrilege, plain and simple.
Not only do you park your unwanted keesters on top of me, but you also proceed to cross over the line of demarcation that outlines each and every one of us. I know, I know, you’ve invested a lot of money and time into spraypainting your rims chrome and such, so you couldn’t possibly park within 10 feet of a nearby vehicle. What you fail to understand, though, is that when you put just the tip of your car into one of us, it means either nobody can use us or a lowly golf cart can use us. Both are extremely cruel fates for a devoted spot.
Having your car dripping enough oil for a second Middle East is the absolute last straw. It’s a greased-up version of Chinese water torture that goes on for the whole school day. If you can imagine a Scooby Doo villain drooling on your face all day, then you might be able to sympathize with me. Plus, oil has a tendency to stain, which makes it look like I have a Godzilla-sized blackhead on my face.
I guess what I’m trying to say, guys, is throw me a bone once-in-a-while. I’ll keep your secrets on the DL and I’ll deal with you double-parking for the sake of your spray-painted rims, if you just throw me a dap here or there, you know? I won’t deal with those juvenile underclassmen, though. No way. No how.
Sincerely,Junior Parking Spot in the Far Left Row, Three Down From The Top
Page Editor: Taylor Rennich May 27, 2011
SERVE. Senior Kelsey McNabb works on a senior service project. As part of the senior ser-vice project, McNabb worked at Caldwell park. “I had so much fun at senior service day! The city guy that was helping us was named Chandler and we just had so much fun hanging with him and just messing around. It was actually kind of fun mulching the playground because we could still work but talk and have fun at the same time!” said McNabb. •Photo by Molly Neil
TIPTOE THROUGH THE TULIPS. High school students run the Klompen Classic (top). Many sophomore boys are pictured running at the beginning of the race. 2011 Tulip Time Dutchesses (bottom) perform downtown during the festivities. “Dutchesses is a really fun group of girls; I got to perform a lot during Tulip Time, and it was great to experience the culture and to represent the town,” said Dutchess member Hanna Martin. •Photos by Tiffany Carter and Sierra Hrdlicka
BLAST FROM THE PAST. Jazz II director Dick Redman directs past Pella Jazz I students that he taught in previous years. This was a tribute to Redman in honor of his retirement. “It was thrilling. Not only was it really great to see them again, but to see them play again,” said Redman. •Photo Submitted
PREPARE. Senior Nick Van Gorp prepares to serve the ball (left) as sophomore Mor-gan Ernst (right) awaits a serve in a tennis match against Pella Christian. “We had a great tennis season this year. I had a lot of fun playing with the upper class men and jok-ing around with the coaches,” said Ernst. •Photos by Jack Parisee and Marielle Gaiser
SHOOT. Senior Deckar Lynch (left) takes a shot during the boys varsity soccer game against Pella Christian. Varsity boys won 9-0. Sophomore Bri Schroder (right) prepares to cross the ball dur-ing a home varsity soccer game against Norwalk, winning 2-0. “All of our passes really con-nected and that is what won us the game. My best memory of soccer is listening to Kelsey sing in the goal. Her and Lisa are a lot of fun!” said Schroder. •Photos by Tiffany Carter and Jace Versteeg
SWING. Junior Rachel Schwab (left) prepares to drive during the girls golf meet at Norwalk May 17. Junior Lucas Boyd (right) putts during the Chariton Invitational. Boyd shot a 74, finishing 3rd place out of 48 players. “While our team has not quite had the success as the last few years, it has still been fun. I’m most looking forward to playing in the state tournament,” said Boyd. •Photos submitted
COMPETE. Senior Mariah Vande Lune, junior Madeline Meyer and senior Sarah Wittenberg (left) run the 1500 meter race at a co-ed track meet hosted by Pella. Freshman Jordan Pingel (right) clears a hurdle at the same meet during the shuttle hurdle race. “My favorite thing about track this year was definitely the en-vironment and getting to run and compete on such a great program,” said Pingel. •Photos by Jack Parisee
SPRING : A T IME OF SPORTS, OF TU LIPS AND OF EXTRACIRRICU LARS
Executive Editors: Megan Card, Nathan Kooker, Eric Moore, Kelsey Van TasellPage Editors/Reporters: Tiffany Carter, Michael Ge, Benji McElroy, Madeline Meyer, Taylor Rennich, Jessica Salpor, Maddy Scholten, Jocelyn Van DykeVisuals: Marielle Gaiser, Eric Moore, Jillian Sagers, Mitch Shepperd, Micah ZeimetzReporters: Nick Dorman, Mark Dykstra, Adam Gromotka, Evan Jones, Sarah Muller, Shaun Sokol, Haley Sytsma, Whittney ReinierAdviser: Ann Visser
The Pelladium is a monthly tabloid produced by the high school journalism department to serve as an informative, educational and entertaining communications media and to provide an open forum to students and readers. •Letters to the Editors are welcome and encouraged. These letters must be signed and should, in no way, be libelous, irresponsible or obscene. Letters must have verified facts and should deal with issues. The Pelladium reserves the right to edit grammatical errors, libelous content or length due to the space limitations. Letters may be brought to Room 201 or sent to Pella Community High School, Box 486, Pella, IA 50219. •The Pelladium will strive to deliver information in a fair and truthful manner. The Pelladium will function in accord with all applicable laws, both in regard to the rights and restrictions of journalism. •The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual writer and not necessarily those of the Pella Community High School Administration or the Pella Community Schools Board of Education. The Pelladium will make retractions in the event of errors made in the content of printed stories. Retractions will be printed in the issue immediately following the issue containing the errors. •The Pelladium is a member of the Iowa High School Press Association.
Pelladium Staff
Army Reserves: Victoria Vander HartAshford University:Lindsay BentzingerAugustana:Travis Ewing Tim MichaelsBethel University:Leah EngelbrechtChristina HibbardKatie Van HaaftenStela ArmstrongHali SteenhoekCalvin College:Addie SmithCentral College:Sarah ClarkEmily DreyAaron GriegerMolly NeilLauren NewendorpAlan PfadenhauerKarissa RempeBrett SchoutenJakob SteenhoekTim Van WeeldenAlexa AzingerChris BandstraJesse BlauwSpencer BoeyinkDaniel BorgerdingCiera KooymanCaitlan MurphyBen PalmerJohn Sheldon
Kelsey Van TasellClarkson College:Tom JohnsonCreighton:Hayley MorganDMACC:Caleb KlynMatt NunnikhovenJosh Vande NoordJared BriggsCallie DeatonDylan De BoefKelsey FynaardtKatey MitchellTyler Neff Lindsey VerheyEllsworth Community:Jon Van ZeeGrand View University:Alex De JongKelsey VermeerDeckar LynchJessica Van WykGrove City:Bekah HeikesHawkeyeCollege:Telan PaulsonCarson DowningIndian Hills:Colten SandersKodi SmithJenna DickensonBrittanie Kochheiser
David SimonsDillon StralowIowa Central:Nick GerdesTeag KlynBeau Vander SluisLindsay WillemsenRyan Van NordenIowa State University:Thomas YoderKelsey FleenorCody LutgenChris MitchellSidney PezleyDavid RozendaalShaun Van WeeldenZack ZemanekCole BogaardMichael GeEbbi JosephElizabeth “Schatzie” ShroutMitchell Van ZanteTaylor VeenstraTaylor VenteicherElizabeth YangSarah FergusonKirkwood:Joe BootsAmelia GuerenaLindsey NaadenMorgan Van MaanenHope WadleLeadership academy,Colorado Springs:
Brenna Wichhart Luther:Seth Vander HorstMarine Corps:Wes HoksbergenGarret SwankMinneapolis College of Art and Design:Nick Van GorpMinnesota State:Samantha ThomasMoberly Area:Aaron AcostaMorningside College:Blake BogaardLynae ToomMount Mercy:Makenzie Vander MolenNorthwest Missouri State:Ryan LankeNorthwestern, Orange City:Megan CurrentKyle NewendorpHeidi GrittersKelsey McNabbJocelyn Van DykeRockhurst :Kelsi RempeSan Fransisco Com-munity College:Samantha WagnerSimpson College:
Brittany RempeSouth Dakota StateUniversity:Andy DotyMika HrdlickaTruman State:Kirsten MaakestadMariah Vande LuneJordan BossardMandy DeMeulenaereOlivia WarnerTulane University:Kara BurnettUniversity of Iowa:Devon DawsonRachel GrevingNick DormanNick ShepperdPafoua VueNathan KookerEric MooreDiane PhamAdam GromotkaTori Gensch University of Northern Iowa:Shayna GrundeyTricia WisniewskiA.B. ColemanTyler ElliotBrooke FesslerHannah SloanUniversity of Houston:Taylor CarterUniversity of Nebraska:
Sarah MasekJake AndersonUniversity of South Dakota:MacKenzie AnthonyMegan CardUpper Iowa Univer-sity:Whitney WilliamsWartburg:Laura De PenningJacob MartinJacklyn BuddingWheaton College:Will LouxWilliam Penn University:Michael SorensenWyoming Tech:Nate ReamsWork Full-time:Preston DixonMission Trips:Gerrit VisserRachel WileyC.O.C:Allen JohnsonBryon KalkwarfOnline Courses:Kyle EllenwoodUndecided:Drew KleisJessie SwankJacob Vos
May 27, 2011 | Volume 23, Issue 9
Class of 2011Senior Edition
•Graphic by Blake Lanser
SENIOR DIRECTORY Seniors’ plans vary from in-state to hundreds of miles away. (Note: This list is compiled from those who completed their senior survey.)
Graduation: May 27, 2011Time: 7:30 p.m.
Graduation Location: Central College,Kuyper Fieldhouse
Class Colors: Green, Black
Class Flower: Spider Mum
Class Motto: “Together, we have experienced life, separately we will pursue our dreams and forever
our memories will remain.”
Class of 2011 Officers: Student Body President Ben Palmer,
Student Body Vice President Emily Drey
Officers: Jocelyn Van Dyke, Christina Hibbard, Kelsey McNabb, Megan Card, Laura De Penning,
Alan Pfadenhauer, Diane Pham, Addie Smith, Tricia Wisniewski
Page Editors: ---Kayla Da, Mitch Shepperd, Jillian SagersMay 27, 2011
Most Likely to ...Have an E! True Hollywood Story about my life. - Eric Moore Pull an Asian joke on you and call you racist for laughing with me. - Elizabeth Yang Be a probation officer. - Morgan Van Maanen Always live in Iowa. - Ciera Kooy-man Save a life. - Wes Hoksbergen Be well-rounded. - Teag Klyn Win a comedy award. - Dillon Stralow Make a difference in the lives of people that are less fortunate. - Alexa Azinger Be seen work-ing out. - Brooke Fessler Not make morning class. - Taylor Ven-teicher Turn into a mountain man or kill a cougar with my bare hands. - Ryan Lanke Own a restaurant and do some drawing on the side as a hobby or befriend anyone I meet. - Derek De Heer Be singing at any given time to make people smile. - Kelsey Fynaardt Epic fail at something simple. - Dylan De Boef Chill. -Chris Bandstra Make a “Jeff the Turtle” comic and act like he’s a 10 year-old his entire life. - Gerrit Visser Own a lake home. - Hannah Sloan Move away from Pella. - David Simons Work at TV stations in Des Moines or Cedar Rapids, or keep working at C.O.C. - Allen Johnson Work on a major play pro-duction. - Tyler Neff Be a computer geek. - Preston Dixon Live with all sorts of animals her whole life! - Lindsey Verhey Be famous. Obviously. - Elizabeth “Shatzie” Shrout End up drawing anime in front of the teachers while they are teaching. - Pafoua Vue Change something. - Adam Gromotka Answer this ques-tion inappropriately. - Tyler Elliot Still be trying to talk to Taylor Swift. - Alex De Jong Win a Nobel Peace Prize. - Deckar Lynch Have a blonde moment or just “not get it”. - Makenzie Vander Molen Host the next Woodstock. - Nate Reams Be at the next Woodstock. - Aaron Acosta Publish a book or become the next Mrs. Jones. - Tori Gensch Swag on them haters. -Michael Ge Be ready for new people and have it be a lot of fun. - Travis Ewing Make a difference in a child’s life. - Jenna Dickenson Follow Rascal Flats around the world. - Taylor Carter Invent new things and inno-vate existing things. - Ebbi Joseph Be the best kindergarten teacher ever. - Kelsey VerMeer Work with people who have special needs. - Lynae Toom Be found taking a nap. - Jessica Van Wyk Break a bone, be on the injured list or have a hip replacement by the age of 25. - Jared Briggs Fall UP the stairs or work on a cruise ship. - Brittanie Kochheiser Run LA. - Katie Zaffiro Marry a super model. - Garret Swank Randomly dance in public. - Victoria Vander Hart Be a Chippendale dancer. - Daniel Borgerding Be a dog lady. - Kelsey Van TassellTo be a professional mommy. - Jocelyn Van Dyke Steal your girlfriend. -Jor-dan DeJong Draw the pictures in a group project. - Nick Van Gorp Give you a reality check. - Diane Pham Be in a near-death driving experience. - Heidi Gritters Make a girl mad. - A.B. Coleman Win the High Roller Award. - Michael Sorensen Live abroad in the mission field and die a martyr. - Stela Armstrong Be seen smiling no matter what! - Taylor Veenstra Own a shoe store and design shoes. - Rick Williamson Be in a Lil’ Wayne music video. - Amelia Guerena Put my classmates behind bars. - Sarah Ferguson Live in Colorado. - Jordan Bossard Be sitting in Barnes & Noble, reading and drink-ing hot chocolate. - Bekah Heikes Try and be involved in everything at once in college. - Mandy DeMeulenaere Find enjoyment in a room full of rambunc-tious kids! - Laura DePenning Bribe you with a cupcake. - Kara Burnett Eat a whole jar of pickles! - Sarah Clark Be African-American. - Josh Cortis Be mistaken for J Lo from behind. - Megan Current Fight in the UFC. - Devon Dawson Tip a canoe. - Thomas Yoder Be asked for technical support. - John Sheldon Yell “hey bud” to my friends or yell everywhere, especially in places you’re supposed to be quiet! - Kelsey McNabb Never drive a car. - Tom Johnson Be up at the most unreasonable hours. - Olivia Warner Eat the same meal as a five-year-old. - Drew Kleis Change my hair color. - Jessie Swank Be Awesome. - Carson Downing Acquire cur-rency and disregard females. - Derek Lanser Be relaxing on the beach in some tropical place. - Hayley Morgan Have car problems. - Hali Steenhoek
Move somewhere tropical. - Caitlan Murphy Move to the east coast or somewhere tropical. - Andy Doty Be doing weight dips. - Jesse Blauw Be America’s next cake boss. - Lindsey Naaden Make you laugh for doing
something stupid. - Hope Wadle Procrastinate. - Mitchell Van Zante Shave... NOT! - Ben Palmer Have a funny story. - Rachel Wiley Be arguing with Ben Palmer. - Mika Hrdlicka Change my mind! - Sammy
Wagner MAKE YOUR DAY! - Callie Deaton Completely change. - Cole Bogaard Work with people who need help physically, socially and emotionally. - Katey Mitchell Work for National Geographic.
- Brittany Rempe Tell you a random fact at a random time. - Lisa Houser Answer every question with “yes.” - Ryan Van Norden Wear sweats. - Zack Zemanek Trip in the hallway and be the most easily distracted person. - Tricia Wisniewski Wake up five minutes before class! - Lindsay Willemsen Apolo-gize for apologizing. - Brenna Wichhart Be talking or listening about music or be seen with a guitar. - Jacob Vos Be African-American. - Beau Vander Sluis Be adopted by Huddle. - Kyle Ellenwood Never get lost. - Whitney Williams Be seen talking. - Seth VanderHorst Be hunting. - Josh Vande Noord Per-form hazardous stunts in a motor vehicle. - Jon Van Zee Invent
a time machine to transport me to past eras, especially the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s because they have the best clothes! - Mariah Van-deLune “Win the Best Ginger of the Year” award. - Tim Van Weelden Be the biggest Lego geek you’ll ever meet. - Shaun Van Weelden Be found singing a song in Dutch. - Katie Van Haaften Get embarrassed. - Jakob Steenhoek Fail PE because of not making it up. - Kodi Smith Not have a gall bladder. - Addie Smith Leave Iowa and never come back. - Nick Shepperd Not hand in my math homework. - Brett Schouten Consume the largest amount of ice cream in a lifetime, marry Matt Damon, and create a new species called the Freckasian (freckled Asian). - Karissa Schaudt Not fill out this survey! - Colten Sanders Vote Libertarian. - David Rozendaal Stay in Pella the rest of her life. - Karissa Rempe
Have a buzz cut when I’m 50. - Alan Pfadenhauer Be doodling with sharp-ies. - Sidney Pezley To have hoop dreams. - Telan Paulson Create the Terminator. - Matthew Nunnikhoven Wear something sparkly. - Lauren Newendorp Get embarrassed, get red in front of a group of people and be called “Kool-Aid.” - Kyle Newendorp Get made fun of for being a ginger or eating something containing red #40 and having an allergic reaction. - Molly Neil Be talking in class. - Chris Mitchell Run over your trash can. - Sarah Masek Make an awkward situation even worse. - Jacob Martin Spice up your day with an outrageously random fact. - Kirsten Maake-stad Daydream in class. - Cody Lutgen Give useless information. - Will Loux Make a joke or donate a couch to the journalism room. - Teag Klyn Be mistaken as Justin Bieber. - Caleb Klyn Strike up a conversation with a random stranger. - Christina Hibbard Be a starving artist. - Shayna Grundey Turn in the senior survey late. - Aaron Grieger Be the first fe-male football player for U of I or be on time for every college class. - Ra-chel Greving Ruin the conversation. - Nick Gerdes Receive an award for most hours spent watching Netflix. - Kelsey Fleenor Get caught dancing and driving. - Leah Engelbrecht Rock the pantsuit. - Megan Card Be smil-ing! - Emily Drey
***”Most Likely” award information collected from seniors who turned in senior surveys.***
Note: Seniors had the chance to givethemselves a “Most Likely To” award in their
senior survey.
Jake Anderson
Brain-i-acs
Workaholics
American Idols
Dancin’ Fools
Kind SoulsBand Geeks
Gym Junkies
PicassosKara Burnett
Leah Engelbrecht
Thomas Yoder
Preston Dixon
Tricia Wisniewski
Nathan KookerMika Hrdlicka
Daniel Borgerding
Tori GenschChris Mitchell
Brooke Fessler
Nick Van GorpKatie ZaffiroBen Palmer
Lynae Toom
Class of 2011
“Every day was a good experi-ence with the team, which to me is like a family. I enjoyed seeing
every member improve on a daily basis and during the races. I also enjoyed the tight-knit groups of
runners, I was able to go to state with. No matter how well we did
at state in my four years, our team still came together as a unit and
made memories. In parting words to my fellow state members of
cross-country I say KARAMU!” ” - Senior Mariah Vande Lune
BASEBALL/SOFTBALL
WRESTLING
SOCCERTRACK
VOLLEYBALL
TENNIS
FORTE/CHEER
CROSS COUNTRY
BASKETBALL
GOLFFOOTBALL
“I just absolutely love the sport. I just had so muchconfidence in my teammates. My favorite part was being conference champs last year because it’s been something we’ve been striving for.” - Senior Mandy DeMeulenaere
“I think the main reason for staying in track was to stay in shape and keeping that competitve edge. My favorite part
was hanging with the guys while working so hard.” - Senior Alan Pfadenhauer
“I was committed to playing tennis for four years because it’s such a great sport! Being able to be with all my friends for four years and making new friends each year as well.
The best part for me was just being on a team and enjoying my time with my friends.” - Senior Kelsey McNabb
“I would say that my original desire to play tennis began when I saw how successful my older sister was here at Pella High. The best experience from the past four years in tennis would, most definitely, be all the “Fun Fridays” that Coach
Seipel has done.” - Senior Rick Williamson
“We probably have the greatest coach, ever and it was fun. We had a strong team unity that I felt apart of during cross-country. [The Best Part] was probably just being part of the state championship team and P.R’ing in my last ever race in highschool; winning state in ‘09 and just being successful,
overall. ” - Senior Brett Schouten
“I went out for track in middle school and I gained an inter-est in track/hurdles because my whole family did track, and
my older brother did 110 highs. My best personal experience in track was just bonding with all my teammates, we made
up team dances, sang the whole bus ride home, and took vic-tory laps with Rass. My best overall experience was running shuttle hurdle at state track with my hurdle girls.” - Senior
Megan Current
“The best part of the fours years was starting as a freshman and getting a chance to connect with a new group of guys
every year. For our team, would probably be this year. We’ve grown as a team so much, and we’re seeing it on the field. Our ages range quite a bit, but everybody contributes their own on the field and they add their own personalities when we’re all
just hanging out.” - Senior Spencer Boeyink
“I’ve done soccer my entire life, since kindergarten. Probably the most exciting moment was making it to statesophomore year. ” - Senior Kirsten Maakestad
“I went out mostly because I enjoyed the sport but I also was influenced by my brothers, and basketball figures from Pella that I looked up to all the time. Every time I threw it down it really got my team going and usually energized us and the crowd. But, that doesn’t come close to the relation-
ships I made with the team and having fun with them was the best experience I’ll never forget. When we beat Norwalk, oh
man that was sick. That was probably the best experience the team had.” - Senior Kyle Newendorp
“My best experience with my team was going to team meals, bonding, discussing pre-game issues, girl talk and locker
room experiences. I think the team’s best experience during the time would be forming stronger friendships, bonding and
sharing memorable moments from going to state to losing intense games.” - Senior Lindsay Bentzinger
“I’ve been golfing since I was five, so it’s always been some-thing I’ve always really liked, and it’s something I enjoy
doing. My favorite part was freshman year because of the girls on the team. There were only five-and-a-half people.
Addie Smith was in golf as well as varsity soccer, and we all got really close.” - Senior Kelsey Van Tasell
“I stayed with golf all four years because I just love doing it. I have been doing it since I was three years old, it’s almost
like it is in my roots. My favorite memory in sophomore year when we were driving home and a girls team was behind us and we were giving them our cellphone numbers with our
fingers and actually called each other. - Senior Beau Vander Sluis
“Football is a huge passion of mine and it’s a family
feeling! My favorite part was hanging out with the guys
and having fun while working hard.
Senior Teag Klyn
“I honestly found wrestling extrememly enjoyable. I
also loved the competition and the challenge. Wres-
tling is definetly challenge. Without a doubt my favorite
part was the friendships and relationships I built on
the team. Senior Jesse Blauw
“I was so commited be-cause I was so passionate toward dance. I also knew the program had potential. My favorite part was triple
crowning this year. That has been a dream of mine since freshman year. I am really proud of those girls, not much was expected of
“I had a fun time beint with the girsl on and off the court. Being on varsity as a sophomore and getting beter made me believe that it would just keep getting better for my junior and senior years, and tha tI could conrib-ute more to the team. The best part was being on the starting lineup for junior and senior
years. Anotehr great thing was that both our team went to state
both years.”- Senior Kelsey Fynaardt
“He [Chris] gives his all every day and continues to do whatever he can to improve himself and the team.” - Junior teammate Brett Kingery
Action ReactionOn Sept. 11, 2001, the iconic images of the burning Twin Towers acted as an impetus for the nation’s “War on Terror.” Former President George W. Bush, in an address to the nation following the attacks, said, “A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America.” With these words, America began its
fight against terrorism, stationing numbers of troops in the Middle East. One of the most notable moments in America’s efforts to stop terrorism included the capture and death of Saddam Hussein, and on May 2, 2011, America’s most wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden was also killed. How do you think the death of Osama bin Laden will affect America’s fight against terrorism?
“I think the death of Osama bin Laden is a step forward, but I don’t think much will change. We will still have the exact same security, and America’s still going to be in danger of an attack. We’ll always be at risk.”
Freshman Jackie Sunderman
“I think Osama bin Laden’s death will cer-tainly affect America’s fight against terror-ism since he was the head of Al Quaeda. As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has said the war with terrorism is not over yet just because Osama is dead.”
Sophomore Tim Seo
“I think it’s a symbol of hope to Ameri-cans. It shows that we’re actually achiev-ing some victories in this seemingly end-less war against terrorism. However, I think it also shows just how far we have to go.”
Junior Rachel VanRoekel
“I think that Osama’s death will “renew” the fight against terror as people might say, ‘Oh we’re actually getting stuff done.’”
Senior Shaun VanWeelden
Eighteen years of life and it’s come down to this, the moment all parents dread and all kids long for but, upon arriving at it, hesitate. It’s really an accumulation of moments; the realization of independence and uncertainty of Ferris Buller, the wistful and nostalgic feeling present in the chorus of Vitamin C’s “Graduation”, the consid-eration of how much of what is ahead of you is in your hands and how much has been set out for you, like in The Graduate. Crap! I promised I wouldn’t go pop-culture crazy, but the truth is everything I’ve learned about all this “coming of age” junk has come from movies and televi-sion. I’ve been shown what the feeling of great independence and possibility is supposed to feel like all my life, and now that I’m finally there, I’m realizing those movies were frighteningly accurate in cer-tain ways and extremely ” Hollywood” in others. It’s true; the same nostalgic feeling that tugs at your heart every time a classic song plays is bound to occur in your se-nior year. The impossibly fast final year of high school is so reflective and at the same time, so focused on the future that you won’t have time to experience the present, which is why it speeds by. Being on the brink of freedom and autonomy is exciting, but it brings with it multiple in-stances of attempted documentation (ev-erything will be your last____, and people will want to take pictures and video of whatever_____ is). Then there’s the things that aren’t true. You probably won’t get to roam the streets of Chicago for a day without anyone no-ticing, you probably won’t dramatically discover furtive qualities about yourself or others through a day-long detention and you probably won’t have an intimate relationship with the mom-next-door (probably not). But even if the things you experience, the relationships you make and the internal discoveries you realize are less quixotic than in the movies, they will prove to be just as pivotal in shap-ing your life and who you’ll become. Rest assured, you will have your own slow-
motion, washed out mental images and memories, playing in a mental slide-show at times when you most need them. Without being overly sappy, I need to give props to the things this high school has offered me; the speech and drama department, for giving a superfluously creative kid an outlet for catharsis, the English and art departments for doing the same and, most obviously, the journalism program, which has sparked a passion for me and allowed me to utilize and enhance my artistic and written interests, especial-ly through this column. Despite the limited view of the world from the scope of Pella, I have to acknowl-edge that I’ve grown to appreciate our community even more so during my high school years. Almost everyone seems to have an ambivalent relationship with their hometown, and I’m no exception. Perhaps the best way to illustrate this is to cite Tulip Time as an example; you com-plain about how it’s always the same and then you surprise yourself by having a good time. As I type these last few words, there is an urge to slowly saunter towards the sun-set with my fist in the air with “Don’t You Forget About Me” ominously comple-memting my steady gait, as I trudge on in search of things to conquer, mistakes to make, people to piss off and a whole lot of possibility to experience. Okay, that’s a bit ridiculous, but if these past four years hadn’t turned out so ridiculous at times, then I would have nothing to write or to reminisce about. I could have just copped out with the cynical “goodbye columns are stupid and cleche”, but that’s not who I am. And if there’s anything I’ve really learned in re-cent years, it’s that being cynical and an-tagonistic towards everything orthodox is the easiest and laziest way to appear pro-found, but not everyone is stupid enough to fall for it. About a thousand metaphors about roads and paths come to mind as well, all of which are probably true.
For two years now, I’ve followed religiously the masterpiece of educational journalism entitled The Columnist’s Bible: a guide to proper column content and construction. Each of my articles has held true to the guidelines scribed in the battered, leather-bound edition passed down to me through seven generations of Pelladium columnists. Now, I’ve reached its final chapter, and I quote: “Chapter 19: Writing Your Last Column – Discard any traditional themes and compose a reflective essay brimming with cherished high school memories, bids of best luck, and heartfelt goodbyes…” Paging through the archives, it’s evident my predecessors heeded the directions faithfully for the culmination of their series’. They published elegant and inspiring pieces that could draw the tears of a Nazi. But, not me; I’m not one for warming hearts. Only the illiterate could deny that sermons, not sentiments, are my strong suit. So here I diverge from the path of the common columnist, and to all of you, student and citizen alike, I ask one last question: what is driving your life? It’s been nearly three months since I was accepted into two extremely selective, highly-regarded universities, and two months since I realized I couldn’t attend either due to finances. When I started my college search, I had my sights set on prestige alone. I had wanted to attend a top-ranking institution with an acceptance rate under 20%. I had wanted to go to a school with a surefire route to academic elitism, one where I could take the first steps to becoming some sort of renowned name. Understandably, surrendering these aspirations and signing on at a public university was devastating. I couldn’t bear to slip into the cracks of the education machine along with 30,000 other nameless, faceless youth. But in being forced to do so, I underwent something of an enlightenment. It struck me that my ambitions were thoroughly illegitimate.
Why was I so preoccupied by desires for academic achievement, wealth and veneration? In truth, I wasn’t at all. It was society that categorized these things as the greatest virtues. It was society that pointed at what it calls “success,” spanked me on the bottom and set me on my way the second I tumbled out of the womb. I’ve spent my life thus far outdoing and overachieving, but it’s time to drop out of the rat race. I am on my way to an average college where I will begin an average future, though I no longer carry misconception that average is undesirable. I may never attain fame or fortune, but I will be rewarded with uniqueness, having only one lifetime to partake in those low-success things that matter most to me. I will compose music and I will write a book. I will philosophize, argue and a be skeptical of those things everyone accepts. I might live for the rest of my life in a three-room apartment with no cable or air conditioning, so be it. But, I will certainly not wither away, straining for achievements that are by no means achievements to me. The world is full of too many brainwashed people destined for success, people caught up in aspirations that are not a reflections of themselves, but of society. This town is actually a breeding ground for such creatures. We strive for admiration, yet admiration only exists between us. Achievement is only evident when we compare ourselves. Removed from society, we are individual, unique people whose lifestyles ultimately matter to us and us alone. The best commercial to ever grace television commissioned was by Wendy’s in 2007, and featured a great exodus of faceless people running across a fielded vista and jumping into a gaping chasm in the earth. They all follow one another thoughtlessly until one man, clad with Wendy’s trademark pigtails, suddenly stops, looks around and questions, “why?” Look at yourself. Why do you do what you do? Are your motives uninfluenced and entirely yours, or are you living for the rest of us?
