Two Latin dancers came to West High to show the Spanish 4 students many popular Latin dances such as rumba, cha cha, salsa, tango and mambo.  Derek and Susie have each been dancing for 12 years and competing in competitions all over the country for about 6 years now.  They have their own dance studio in Cedar Rapids and Coralville, called Dance New York.  They also hold their own dance competitions every spring.

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.

Want to learn more? WSS Intern Akash Borde gives a primer on the basics of speech and debate.

Payton Myers ’13 and Chandler Myers ’15 are siblings born on the same day two years apart. The WSS interviews them to see how similar they really are.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv3gUW59rMQ

Walling’s project was to test whether there was a naturally occurring bacterium in grass
that fermented ethanol. She was guided by a few professors at Iowa State

and teachers at West High who helped her conduct her experiments and
critiqued her presentations. “I could never have done all this without the
help from so many generous people,” said Walling.

At the Iowa Science and Techonology Fair, Walling competed against 200
people but will be taking a big step up this spring, competing with around
1,600 participants from over 40 different countries. “It will be such a great
experience to meet other scientists around the world and learn about their
projects. The opportunity to enjoy the fair will be rewarding enough, no
matter how I compare,” she said.

By Frannie Rizzo

Rob Nelsen ’14 and Ruolu Liu ’13 discuss their experiences on West’s annual French trip.

Photos used with permission of Elizabeth Yang.

A photo story by Megumi Kitamoto and Juliann Skarda

A photo story about all the problems Savannah Wilson ’13 has with her car.

Farming.

“In general, farming in the past tended to focus more on production and less on environmental services. … Today there is more balance between [the two],” said Robert Horton, Distinguished Professor of Soil Science at Iowa State University. “Farmers are growing in awareness of soil and water conservation practices.”

Despite that, problems still exist – including with pesticides.

“Pesticides require licensing for use with various crops. Guidelines for use are provided for [them]. Users should receive education on pesticide use. All of that being said, there is still potential of pesticides moving off-site and polluting land or water,” he said.

And agriculture-related pollutants aren’t limited to pesticides.

“Certain pharmaceuticals are emerging pollutants [as well],” Horton said. “Two that come into play … are antibiotics and hormones. The main source within agriculture is animal manure. For example, animals are routinely given antibiotics to fend off sickness. Some of the antibiotics exit the animals in manure, the manure is spread on agricultural fields, and the antibiotics impact the soil and water microbial communities.”

Dispersing antibiotics through the soil impacts other populations.

“A concern is that more antibiotic-resistant microbes develop which can lead to health problems in animals and humans,” he said.

In addition to antibiotics, hormones can be found in manure.

“Some animals receive hormonal treatments to manage lactation or to develop muscle mass, and all animals naturally produce hormones. … When manure is applied to soil there is the possibility for some of the hormonal compounds to pass from the soil into water,” Horton said.

He added that hormones present in water have caused noticeable changes.

“So far, the biggest concern has been with the effects of estrogen compounds on fish and amphibians. There have been a few reports indicating that small concentrations of estrogen cause fish populations to develop with more females than males and that male reproduction capacity is diminished,” he said.

Aside from pollution, agriculture both depends on and can hinder the quality of soil.

“The greatest problem in Iowa is soil erosion. … Soils are the growth medium for plants, which form the base of the terrestrial food chain now supporting over six billion people. Often only a meter or less in thickness, [soils] cover most of the terrestrial surfaces of the earth. Because they are exposed at the land surface, [they] are … threatened by accelerated erosion, degradation of soil structure and fertility, and surface pollution,” he said. “Soil erosion not only damages soil, but eroded soil pollutes water as well. Thus, there is a two-fold impact from soil erosion – decreased soil quality and decreased water quality.”

Horton mentioned multiple remedies.

“Farmers are growing in awareness of soil and water conservation practices such as conservation tillage, perennial buffer strips, and cover crops to reduce soil erosion. Farmers also have growing awareness of nutrient management such as choosing wisely the amounts, types, and timing of fertilizers,” he said.

While there are ways to mitigate negative impacts of farming, having to work to maintain balance between farming and the need to protect the environment isn’t going away anytime soon.

“Agricultural food production is absolutely necessary for human life. However, the manner we grow the food absolutely impacts the ecosystem,” he said.