THE ARROWHEADWaukee High School, 555 SE University Avenue, Waukee, IA 50263 Volume 21 Edition 3 November 2, 2015

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A Note from the Editors... For this issue of The Arrowhead, we wanted to showcase thankfulness and a feeling of home. With the beginning of fall, our staff, like most of the student popula-tion, dealt with their fair share of stress and chaos. Finals, sports, jobs, homework, families and friends are all hard to balance and give their deserved attention. We all work hard to juggle our responsibilities and to be frankly honest, sometimes you just can’t. You can’t always do everything and that’s okay. The Arrowhead wants to remind you, our readers, that being overwhelmed isn’t failure; it’s life. Take a deep breath and relax with the paper in your hands. This issue focuses on what home really is and what it means for something or somewhere to be “home.” We hope that for you, The Arrowhead, while it might not be “home,” could at least be a place where you can take a moment and enjoy yourself. So from our family to yours, enjoy.

Lauren BiggerstaffKaitlyn Brewton

Noah Castillo-EricksonSam Cox

Grace CulbertsonLeah Doyle Ellie Drees Ellie Everitt

Analese Hauber

Our StaffAna Hernandez Maddie Huntley Kurt Lavastida

Vivian Le Kyndal Lindsay

Allison LongAshley Longfield

Emma Lyon Andrea Munford

Anna Nelson Kellan Prendergast Genesis Ramos Kaitlyn Redman Maddie Ryan

Claire SimmonsCole Wilson Griffin Wright

Kent Peterson-Advisor

For more content, go towww.waukeearrowhead.com

“No matter where you go, home tracks along with you like a paddling of ducklings following their mother.”

Exploration of what home is when there isn’t a consistent structure to associate it with by reporter Allison Long

There is no need for a turkey, or grandma’s apple pie, only a need for the comfort and love family and friends provide you.

Read reporter Kaitlyn Redman’s piece show-casing “Turkey Traditions”

Reporters Lauren Biggerstaff and Claire Simmons give you a selection of fun fall and winter activities for this

chilly season.

Special thanks to... Kurt Lavastida for our cover image and

@WaukeeFB for allowing us to use some of their images

Dumpster Donations

Kyndal Lindsay & Genesis Ramos

According to Business Insider, the United States throws away one third, 133 billion pounds, of the food it produces each year. Grocery stores are responsible for 10% of that food. However, just in the state of Iowa, every 1 in 8 people struggle with hunger reveals feedingamerica.org. And the Des Moines Regis-ter reports 530,000 residents are utilizing food pantries in Iowa. What’s the connection? Couldn’t the food wasted by corporate and local busi-nesses go towards food pantries to be eaten by those in need? Well known large corporations, such as Hy-Vee, play a huge role in the amount of food wasted. Hy-Vee is an employee-owned chain with 237 supermarkets throughout the Midwest. Hy-Vee includes an Italian deli, Asian express, salad bar, bak-ery, and now introducing a Market Grill, all areas where consumers can buy food. A former Hy-Vee employ-ee, described how much food was thrown away at closing time. “The bakery items such as donuts would go into a black trash bag, no one could take them home or else they would get in trouble. Leftovers from the salad bar were also thrown away to the trash bags and the same goes for any other resource of food.” Think about all the food that goes into those black trash bags instead of going to a family in need of a meal. This food can be donated to a local food bank or homeless shelter, and could be recycled into other materials. We contacted the Waukee

Hy-Vee produce manager Chris Meal. Meal stated that Hy-Vee does not throw away any food and uses a compost system for leftovers but many employees tell otherwise. Not every business contributes to food waste. Many agree that instead of the trash bin other more effective ways to utilize leftover food exist. Costco, a membership warehouse club in West Des Moines, is one of the many corporations that handles their food in an efficient way. Only 2% of the leftover food is thrown away at Costco, mentioned custom-er service employee Zack Brown. What happens with all the food that is close to expiration or goes bad? Costco has two very effective meth-ods for conserving food. The first one is the Recycle Program. Each day Costco compiles food, past the expiration date or no longer able to be sold, into orange compost bins. These bins are then transported and made into biowaste, fertilizer, or are sent to farms and made into food for the animals. This method helps prevent food from going to landfills and instead be made into something usable. Costco also donates food items. Brown stated, “Usually if a product is two days from the expiration date, such as bakery items, they are given to the Salvation Army.” Almost every day someone from the Salvation Army comes to retrieve the food that is close to expiring. The 2% of food that does make it to the trash can comes in the form of spoiled yogurt

or milk that have gone bad and are not safe for consumption. Overall Costco proclaims they care about conserving food and giving to those in need and that their methods are very effective. But they are not the only ones. Jimmy Johns sells day old bread for 50 cents and Panera donates leftover bread to local shel-ters and food banks around the area every night. When reaching a certain depth regarding this topic, laws start to come into play. The Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, passed in 1996, is a nationwide law that does not hold one accountable nor liable for donating food or gro-cery store products to an organiza-tion who give to the homeless, such as food banks or pantries. Mark Speltz, with the Iowa Department of Inspection and Appeals, explained that it depends what type of food product is being donated by the company; temperature requirements are a big thing that would prevent grocery stores or other food places from donating. However, refrigerated items, such as eggs and fruit, are items accepted by local food pan-tries. “Nothing prevents a store from donating eggs to an organization as long as they are labeled correctly,” confirmed Speltz in relation to gro-cery stores tossing a whole carton of eggs away when only one or two are cracked. In addition, grocery items are also already labeled correctly before being sold at the store.

With plenty of food banks across the nation, finding a place to donate leftover food is not a problem. The Waukee Area Christian Food Pantry is a non-profit outreach ministry sponsored by Waukee area churches. Their mission is to provide non-perishable food and items to give to those in need. They are always looking for donations and volunteers to help them in the pantry. The most needed items are shelf stable foods such as pasta, rice, canned meats, peanut butter, jelly, and canned fruits and vegetables. They also are in need of refrigerated foods such as cheeses, fresh fruits, and eggs. The Waukee Area Christian Food Pantry believes that the more people helping the cause, the more it will make a change. If the amount of food wasted around the world was reduced by just 25%, enough food would exist to feed all the people who are malnourished, according to the United Nations. This fall season, you can give back to those in need and reduce the burden on families in our community by donating food or even your time to local food shelters.

Ideally, home is that place which makes us feel loved, comfortable, and at peace. It is a constant solace where we can see the same familiar faces day after day. Home is not defined by a house. It is not the resi-dence of a biological family. It can be found in unexpected places, and here at Waukee many loving communities exist that are never enclosed by a white picket fence. Being involved in extracurricular activities during high school means more to some people than what it seems on the surface. Many students discover something that feels like family in these environ-ments. The four years spent here are for most a confusing and difficult period of development, as the teenage era is expected to be. Establishing a home within our own community during the formative years spent here is invaluable.

Findin gA Home InExtracurriculars

Ana Hernandez

The Waukee band department also shares close bonds between the students involved in their many opportunities. They practice diligently on their instruments inside and outside of class, some students getting to the field at 6:50 AM to rehearse the marching band show. They have section dinners, bonfires, and create friendships through the immense amount of effort put into their pieces. “I had heard it was hard, but everyone has been so helpful. Hopefully in the future I could take a leadership role and help others,” sophomore Ga-Young Kim stated. Kim is in concert band and marching band as a trumpet player. “Honestly I never thought I would make friends with upperclassman, but I’ve made many friends,” she admitted. Coming into a school so large as a sophomore can be intimidating, but these activities give students the comfort of upperclassmen that are happy to welcome someone who has the same interest as them with open arms. Band teaches patience and hard work, which are things that the instrumentalists have a communal understanding towards.

A smaller but equally as talented group of people in our school are the drama students. They pour their hearts into their roles, from small to big. They also dedicate a large amount of their time to practices which go on for hours and repeat the same scenes until they get it right. Students will bring their homework with them to set, and certainly find a home in the Theatre Arts Center or wherever practice is held that day. Junior Naomi Gordon professed, “You’re constantly seeing each other so you are always going to make super close bonds with people you are in shows with.” Gordon is involved in everything there is to participate in regarding drama at the high school, along with productions with other organizations. She is a thespian, which at Waukee means she has invested her efforts into a certain amount of lettering points. Regardless of how much time a performer puts into drama or how big of a role they get, everyone is included. “In drama it doesn’t matter where you come from or what your talents are, you can always bring some-thing to the production,” Gordon related. The Waukee junior described drama as a welcoming environment where everyone is expected to play a role, but to also be themselves. They have to let go of the fear of being judged and submit to vulnerability to create the best product. The drama season carries pretty much throughout the whole year, and even when there’s nothing to work on they still treat each other like a family. Gordon commented, “It’s just nice to be able to know that you have a home, and that you have people you can talk to around the school.”

A plethora of communities that can be found in the sports offered at Wau-kee. There are an abundance of teams working ardently to make themselves the best they can be. A sport that is approaching its season in the fall is ten-nis. The players on the tennis team are able to form close bonds while they practice their swings, compete against other teams, and cheer on their team-mates. Since tennis is played with two people from one team on the court at a time, it calls for a strong partnership to succeed. Junior Hannah Burmeister was number 6 on the team last year, and hopes to make varsity again this spring. “All the upperclassman . . . and all the people that are seniors now,

I

Spending hours learning music, singing, practicing choreography, and bus rides brings the students in the Waukee choirs together. The students involved are not just learning to perform, but are growing as people. “I’ve learned how to be a leader. I’ve learned how to make an identity for myself. I’ve learned how to work with others really well,” claimed senior Josh Fett. Fett is the president of A Capella Choir and a performer for Millennium Show Choir. The choir department differs from other activities in the enormity of stu-dents involved. Many different choirs attract dozens of students, many groups by a highly competitive audition process. There is overflowing talent and drive to succeed which inevitably leads to many exceptional singers disappointed when they don’t see their name make the list. Fett explained, “There’s no defi-nite winner or loser in choir. Everybody is on their own path of success and failure - and that happens a lot.” Choir is about making mistakes as a team and learning from them, and this collaborative process brings them together in a unique way. Diverse personalities come together with the purpose of a common goal, and emerge with friendships that last far beyond the practice rooms.

Senior Josh Fett emerging from the stage during last season’s parent preview show.

Choir

Junior Naomi Gordon as Ms. Darbus from High School Musical for last year’s musical.

DRAMA

I never would have talked to if I hadn’t done tennis,” Burmeister remarked. “You are bonding without even knowing it.” They have a few team dinners, several long bus rides, and have a small but supportive network of people. This and many other sports provide something for students to look forward to everyday. We at Waukee are fortunate to have a place for everyone, as long as they seek out the groups who are waiting to welcome them.

TENNIS

BAND

Waukee’s Marching Band performing at the Waukee v. Indianola game this season.

home /hom/(noun) the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family.

For most, Waukee High School is just a school. Somewhere they spend six hours of their day and four years of their life. For Ellen Tuah, more commonly known as Fabulous, Waukee High School is so much more. “I went through a lot with the family that brought me here. I didn’t come with my mom or dad, I came with my dad’s family,” Tuah re-vealed. “I was very happy coming here because I escaped a lot of hurt.” Moving from around the country from various areas in Arizona to Philly and now to Iowa, Tuah has found her transition into life as a Warrior to be a smooth one. “I’ve been to schools with counselors, but I connect with Mrs. Streit, my counselor,” Tuah stated. “She been the best. Ever since I came here, she’s helped me a lot through a lot of stuff.” The faculty at WHS takes strides to help new students settle in and make Waukee a place for them to feel welcome and at home. “Everyone has made me feel so welcome. On my first day, there was a student assigned to me to take me around and she did such a good job and she got me connected with a lot of my friends that I have now,” Tuah reminisced. Coming from a rough background and lots of hardships, Tuah finds refuge in Waukee as it has slowly become home. “I love Wau-kee,” Tuah gushed. “They give me a lot of love and everybody respects me for me and my opinions are always heard.” With Waukee Community School District becoming the fastest growing high school in the state for the past several years, Tuah’s story of transition speaks volumes for the type of environment that WHS maintains throughout the years. “I’m very happy to be closing this chapter of my life and moving on to the next one,” Tuah stated with optimism. Though a student at WHS for less than two years, she has already obtained the personality of a Warrior.

Brandy Stephenson can’t remember life without being a part of the Waukee family. “Being a part of the Waukee family honestly makes me so proud,” she said. “I know that means I am associated with good sportsmanship, high education, and good educators.” In 2003, as Stephenson started her journey at Waukee as a kindergartner in Mrs. O’Neill’s class at Waukee Elementary, she sought nothing but a hospitable environment. “People aren’t very judging and we accept people for who they are,” she explained. “It’s crazy to think since I was five I have seen some of these people every single day.” Fast forward to 2015 and Stephenson is tackling her twelfth and final year as a part of the Waukee Community: fully submerged in her senior year and absorbing every last ounce of what Waukee has to offer. “I think Waukee has an amazing reputation and I think it’s something every student should be proud of,” Stephenson revealed. Coming to a school full of 1,000+ students, it can be easy to get lost in the shadows; Stephenson believes that nobody should have to feel like that, especially at Waukee. “I believe the faculty makes each day a little easier,” Stephenson said. “I love how they make classes fun and enjoyable for everybody.” As Stephenson’s time in the halls of Waukee High School comes to an end, her piece of the Waukee puzzle be with her for years to come. “I would like to go into education at the University of Nebraska Omaha and I think it would be great to try and come back to get a job,” Stephenson added. For Stephenson, and many students alike, Waukee has become more than just a school; it’s home.

ellen

Homebrandy

Picture Credit: http://www.askthejudge.info/you-are-not-alone/

Claire Simmons

Mental Illnesses

In Waukee, a rapidly growing community, the problem of mental illness is hidden from conver-sations between students and teachers since it is commonly known to be a touchy issue. Mental illnesses develop internally and create a battle in one’s self. However, the reality is that a person’s external environment also contributes to their self esteem and the development of their journey through their recovery and triumph. Ignoring these problems only makes matters worse. By avoiding discussions about these tough subjects, students cannot examine options and create solutions to help those who are struggling internally. Many of Waukee’s students suffer from a wide variety of mental illnesses, and yet it seems to be a topic rarely touched. By sharing students’ struggles, it might just bring everyone a little closer together and make Waukee feel more like home.

Junior Gabby Gauthier was diagnosed with severe anxiety in the middle of her freshman year. “Everything you want to do is really hard. Everything you want to do is a daily struggle,” said Gauthier as she spoke about her battle against anxiety. The fight, however, is not one that comes easy when done alone. Gauthier shared, “I have friends who tell me ‘Calm down, everything’s fine, it’s not the end of the world.’”

With help from these friends, Gauthier has been able to avoid depression, a common result of anxiety (SAYS WHO???? You need to quote an expert here). “I’ve been there a hundred percent. I’ve always been there for her,” expressed junior Zoey Sneed when speaking about Gauthier. Sneed and Gauthier have been close friends

since before Gauthier’s diagnosis. “We balance each other out,” added Sneed after sharing that she too deals with anxiety and leans on Gauthier.

Sophomore Grace Johnson’s doctor di-agnosed her with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder when she was in fourth grade. Johnson’s illness not only distracts her constantly from her daily life, but also causes her to have overwhelm-ing emotions. “If I am happy, I get really happy and then if I get really upset or frustrated, that happens to be extreme as well,” Johnson commented.

Just like most kids, she experiences feelings of judgment, except with her illness, she expe-riences overwhelming waves of self-conscious-ness. “I’m happiest when I can be myself, which is usually really hyper. It is kind of tricky, I am worried sometimes that people won’t accept that in me,” Johnson said when asked about challeng-es she faces.

Gauthier also harbors some similar feelings about constant criticism. “You feel like everyone is staring at you,” expressed Gauthier, as she discussed how anxiety affects her self-esteem. “I honestly wouldn’t have ever known she had anxiety,” sophomore friend Jones Pfeifer shared. Both Pfeifer and Sneed agree that Gauthier has gotten a lot better with social situations. “You have to learn how to hide it. ‘Cause otherwise you just can’t get through the day,” Gauthier explained. Her friends have helped her overcome her challenges in order to achieve her goals. While a person’s mental illness can take away from their time and efforts to succeed, Gauthier’s support

Grace Culbertson

system make her feel welcomed and loved every day. “They help to keep me calm and keep me collected,” Gauthier said. Though mental illnesses can have a lot of differences, they can have a lot of the similarities and Johnson also tries hard to take control of her illness.“It takes a lot of work to keep it together,” she expressed.

While friends can help one another out, in order for students to overcome their mental bar-riers, they need to know that a system is in place to help them through every step of their journey. Waukee is always striving to be a closer com-munity, but to be a more cohesive unit, mental illnesses have to be addressed as it is an element that many students have to deal with in their daily lives. Waukee, both students and staff, focuses consistently on bullying, another important issue, but sometimes the biggest bullies are not the one in the hallways, but the ones that live in the crevic-es of students’ minds.

Speaking about these issues can make Waukee a more proactive and educated school in regards to helping those with these problems. Ignoring the issue may make students feel as though the conversation is a taboo and that they should hide their internal battle. Mental disorders takes focus away from students who sometimes can forget that people care, so let’s reach out and make sure that they do not forget that they are not alone. This is Waukee. This is our home. This is a family.

Junior Gabby Gauthier pictured in the right corner performing at last year’s musical.

Zoey Sneed, a friend of Gauthier, shared that she constantly supports her friend despite of her own struggles.

“Push yourself, but don’t be too hard on yourself. Don’t tear yourself down because you can’t do something.”

Read the second part of the article by reporter Andrea Mumford spotlighting Grace McKeon at www.waukeearrowhead.com

Pressure exerts itself on all high schoolers at some point in their four years in high school. It stands as one of the unwritten guarantees in high school. At this point in their life, students attempt to live balanced lives. Most students have to try and maintain a balance between their schoolwork with some activity outside of the school day such as band, sports, jobs, social lives, or all of the above. Trying to maintain a balanced life may seem impos-sible for some students, and for the sophomores just starting out and the juniors just now getting used to things, it may seem chaotic. One of the many perks of being a senior is the experience they have gained over the years. Seniors have known the drill for quite some time now and many of them have found ways to balance the hectic period of their life known as high school.

Being a student athlete comes with many responsibilities. Not only do they have to stay com-mitted to their team but they also have to maintain good grades in order to remain eligible to play. Senior Ross Shutt played football his entire high school career. This year he became the starting tight end for the Warrior football team. On average, Shutt spends around two and a half hours at foot-ball practice each day after school with an additional hour of film study and weight training throughout the week. He endures all that practice for nine games and the potential to play in the playoffs. Yet he man-ages to find balance between football and school. “My schedule is perfect for what I do,” stated Shutt. “This year I have no problem getting my homework done. I know many people on the team struggle because of homework. Last year was a struggle because I had more homework.” Shutt still manages to maintain a social life, as if school and football weren’t enough for the senior to handle.

Senior Noah Baumeister also believes in maintaining a social life in the midst of juggling a busy schedule. “I try to maintain a social life even if it doesn’t always work out,” stated Baumeister, a percussionist in band. “If I hang out with some-one it’s usually right after school or late at night on

weekends.” Baumeister is at the stadium every morning at 7 until 8:30 to practice marching band with the addition of three hours of practice every Monday after school. On top of that, he spends two to three hours on school work each night. In order to find balance between band and school, Baumeister takes advantage of his weekends by utilizing that time to do homework. “I believe students put a lot of pressure on them-selves,” expressed Baumeister.

Students normally get up at around six in the morning, depending on their schedule, and the normal time they go to bed varies from eleven to midnight or even later. The days are only so long and most students try to cram everything in this short period of time and in some instances it could get to the point where they start to miss out on all the fun opportunities out there. School, sports, band, and jobs are all important and can cause a lot of stress. Some seem to occurring at practically the same time. Kids need to have free time to decompress from the insanity of high school and to do what they love. No matter how busy a student is there is always time for free time to keep the brain sane.

Balance may seem unobtainable in high school, but some have found a way to keep everything in check. Things will get psychotic over the four years that a student will spend in high school; there is no denying that. Grades, sports, competitions, and money are all very important, but having the freedom of down time should be something every student has. Trying to find that balance between work and play is one of the keys to success in high school. To quote Jack Torrence in The Shining, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Don’t be a dull boy.

Above, senior Ross Shutt, in his three-point-stance, prepares to get in the

zone during a football game.

Below, senior Noah Baumeister poses in his band uniform. Band is one of the many activities he involves himself in.

ControllingSam Cox

C H A O S

Family In Its True Colors

Sophomore Jones Pfeifer doesn’t come from what is considered to be the traditional, apple pie family. When asked what separates his family from others, he stated, “It’s my family having two moms and my being an only child, instead of having siblings and having a mom and dad.” He explained further, adding, “It’s sorta the same thing, it’s just portrayed in a different way.” Jones’ two moms, Denise Pfeifer being Biological and Janet Jones being adoptive were bless-ed with Jones and raised him from birth. When asked about this process Jones elaborated, “We had a sperm donor,” he said. “My other mom [Janet], she was the one who got to choose the sperm donor; that’s how she got to feel connected.” Despite the differences between The Pfeifers and the stereotypical American family, Jones and his moms fit the New Oxford American Dictionary definition, which is: A group consisting of parents and children living together in a single household. Nonetheless, the Pfeifer family has its own interpretation. “My family– we’re parents and children living in a household, but i feel like it’s so much more than that. We’ll always be there for each other,” Jones said.

Read the second part of the story spotlighting the

Wilson family by reporter Madeline Ryan at

www.waukeearrowhead.com

Anna Nelson

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On acceptance in Waukee, Jones states “Waukee is so, so good about the LGBT community. When I was little I remember being treated differently a lot, just because of the day and age, but now that we’re older, that sort of treatment has end-ed, and everybody just treats my family the same way as they’d treat any other family.” Jones and his moms are incredibly social, and often host Jones’ friends for parties and gatherings. To sum up his thoughts on family in general as compared to his own family, Jones states, “We have our times when we’re super weird and like to joke around and be kind of silly, but then we have our times where we like, just do what other families do, just eat dinner, and watch movies together, and go to parties together, and just, you know, hang out like a normal family.” The Pfeifer family’s take on what it means to love one another and to exist as a family can be described as many different things, but it is above all things, refreshing.