Dr. Arganbright went on the PA system and told the students of West High that a derogatory anonymous twitter account had been created, and he cautioned student’s that consequences would follow. West Side Story investigates what happened, and asks questions regarding anonymous twitter accounts to some West High students.
Album review: Justin Timberlake’s “The 20/20 Experience”
by Kaitlyn McCurdy Guess who’s back, back, back, back again. Yes, I did just reference Eminem when I’m about to review Justin Timberlake. Deal with it. Let me tell you, I’m both excited and nervous to review Timberlake’s album “The 20/20 Experience,” and I’m still trying to figure out how that could be (now if [...]
Album review: Darwin Deez’s “Songs for Imaginative People”
By Fiona Armstrong-Pavlik Two and a half years after his debut album dropped, Darwin Deez has finally come out with new material. His first album, full of retro-quirky guitar riffs and witty lyrics, set the bar pretty high. Songs for Imaginative People, however, disappoints. Overall, this album would probably work better if it were only instrumentals. (800) [...]
New tower will cast a shadow over Iowa City
By: Katie Mons When you walk down the streets of New York or Chicago, you have to crane your neck to attempt to see the top of buildings. Skyscrapers tower throughout the city, and it’s no surprise. They are meant to be in those cities. They fit in and belong there. But in Iowa City? [...]
What does religion mean to you?
By Velarchana Santhana and Brittani Langland The West Side Story interviewed some students about what religion means to them.
Free Spirit ’12
Newspapers have tradition, from newsboys to war reels, but it’s not all about being the next Bob Woodward or Walter Cronkite. I don’t want to be molded into another person, and, to me, journalism is about accepting the legacy of the long line of those who came before you and then breaking that tradition–breaking the [...]
You only live once
If you spend enough time with me, you probably looked at the title of this column, facepalmed and moaned in annoyance. For those who don’t know me well enough, I tend to be a teensy weensy tiny bit obsessed with the phrase “YOLO,” which, for those who don’t know, stands for “You only live once.” [...]
A Letter to the Class of 2012
Dear Class of 2012, This is a letter from your first little siblings. From kids your parents said you had to be nice to or else. We watched you, only a year older but infinitely wiser. You pioneered kindergarten, blazed down the sidewalk without training wheels, learned the intricacies of stencils and drawing five-point stars. [...]
2+2+2 = to, too, two
Find x in the middle of a haystack the size of Manhattan. Find angle B using only a rubber band, a paperclip and duct tape. You’ve taken MacGyver mathematics, right? Now what’s a comma splice? The difference between their, there and there? At West High an inordinate amount of stress is placed on mathematics and [...]
Planted (Short Documentary)
A short environmental documentary of how one’s thoughts lead to the process of doing. And before there is growth, the idea of change has to be planted within.
1 in 2000 – Mark Mellecker ’12
There are nearly 2000 students, staff and faculty members throughout Iowa City West High School. Each with their own personalities and stories. See how students make themselves individuals and what it feels like to be 1 in 2000 Mark Mellecker ’12 has a passion. A passion for comics and design. His esteemed “Nerd Pride” [...]
The Simplicity Project
A rap song I wrote in one hour and 30 minutes exactly to show how easy rap songs are to put together. If I can write this in an hour and a half, think about what could have been written in weeks. I hope I don’t sound awful. This song is completely satire and is [...]
Show Me The Love
As Valentine’s Day nears the West Side Story Staff go to the student body of Iowa City West High School with a question Various answers and opinions were given when asked the question of, “What does love mean to you?”
Worry wart
by WSS intern, Fiona Armstrong-Pavlik Sometimes, I worry about myself. And then I worry about everything else that I could possibly have to deal with. Is that kid next to me tapping his pen? Or am I hallucinating that sound? Is there a disease where hallucinating the sound of someone tapping a pen is a [...]
A day in the life
by WSS intern, Alyssa Hancock It has been staring me in the face for about 20 minutes now. It shines in the light and mocks me. I feel as though I may throw up. All because of a stupid hair. This hair is just sitting there. Right on the back of the guy in front [...]
Where are the real athletes?
by WSS intern, Hannah Merrill It is a common headline–another athlete suspended for a drug violation, or a coach fired for his involvement in a sexual scandal. But you probably missed the news that Michelle Kwan, one of the most accomplished athletes in American history and a sports ambassador for the U.S. State Department, had [...]
Capturing what it means to be a free spirit
by Eleanor Marshall Calling yourself a free spirit is pretty bold – but then again boldness is kind of a prerequisite anyway. And if there’s one thing I learned from the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference that was held in Washington, D.C. July 9-14 this past summer, it’s that one person’s boldness and [...]
Candy Land
With one hour left of Halloween night, a student works furiously on the spookiest thing out there- the essay due tomorrow. Gone are the days of begging candy off strangers, and having no greater work load than sorting your loot and hiding the good stuff from pesky older siblings. Gone are the days of incredible [...]





