www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTTvaBrxZdE

At West High an inordinate amount of stress is placed on mathematics and science fields. Advanced courses in those subjects can begin as early as Junior High, with some high school students accelerating to college classes before their upperclassmen years.

At our school, there was no such thing as an advanced Freshman English class. Next year, however, that will be different. Freshmen will have the option to do material that qualifies them as taking honors English.

Not all agree with this move, but, in all fairness, if one student accelerates to an advanced class because they excel at a subject, the same should be done for a student in another subject, no matter what it is. Everyone is different. Those differences should be embraced and nurtured, even if they aren’t characteristics that will make outstanding alumni, but rather perhaps an enriched and happy alumni.

Transient properties go to the dogs when teaching kids how to read numbers, but not how to express themselves properly. There’s no logic in knowing long division but not being able to speak clearly and get ideas across. Progress will never be made without expression of success, even if a student can solve baffling Physics equations in seconds, their progress will be measured in steps instead of leaps without language.

English what we speak with, write with, text with, and think with. At West, a person taking a higher level math class uses English to learn it, English to ask questions, and English in their notes.

History and social sciences help determine our world and the way we interpret ourselves and our mistakes. Learning from history is the best way to not make the errors our forefathers did, and to regain a peace in being human, in the achievements we’ve attained since BCE.

Before challenging upgraded English courses, I challenge you. Explain a math concept without communication. Explain evolution without historical references.

When Elliot Stalter ’13, Harin Lee ’13, and Phoebe Low ’13 woke up at 3:00 am on March 21st, a Wednesday morning, they were headed for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The American String Teachers Association (ASTA) hosts a national conference every two years that features a full orchestra of 120 members.  After an intense month of practice, all three sent in recorded tapes of their best performances which were reviewed at both the state and national levels.

“You never really know what a committee will be looking for,” said Stalter, regarding the audition process. However, the uncertainty was for naught; The thirteenth biennial National High School Honors Orchestra found what they were looking for and sent the trio of West High students, all violinists, invitations to the NHSHO which was held in Atlanta, Georgia this year.

After their long journey to the Marriot Marquis in Atlanta, the group settled in for two not-quite hectic days of practice. “At most, we practiced for five hours at a time, ” said Stalter, surprised that the orchestra’s practice times weren’t as intensive at as All-State this past fall. Something else that set this orchestra apart from others he’s played in was the group dynamic.

“[There were] lots of people there that had solidifed into small groups by the next day. You had eight or so people that you stuck with,” Stalter said. Having played in numerous groups with different chemistries, he prefers getting to know an intimate group of people well as opposed to having a large number of acquaintances.

An exceptional group is deserving of an exceptional conductor, and Ryan McAdams definitely filled the quota. “He’s an emerging talent,” said Lee. “He seemed really young… just out of graduate school.”

“He really knew his stuff, historically and harmonically,” said Stalter.

Another thing that set this group apart was the lack of actual ranking. For examples, the violin sections weren’t ranked and divided into first and second parts accordingly. Instead, becuase of the exemplary skill showed by the players, the sections were drawn up randomly. “I sat right in front of the timpani,” said Lee, who was excited to play in the full orchestra.

The orchestra worked on two pieces: Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 in F minor, and Olivier Messaien’s Les Offrandes Oubliées. Stalter said, regarding the Tchaikovsky piece, “It was written when he was super depressed so it’s all dark and stormy.” Lee was pleasantly surprised to be playing the symphony in its entirety, but nervous as the orchestra had never completely rehearsed the entire piece, instead playing it straight-through for the first time during the concert. “I was kind of scared, but everything just came together.”

The Messaien piece had a completely different feel to it, written by a composer who had synesthesia (a neurological condition that caused him to physically “see” sounds), the like the yellow and flecks of orange explained by Stalter. Lee said of the piece, “At first I didn’t like it, it was too contemporary. There are different colors in the music, but then I started noticing things, how he blends the colors together in layers–it’s thick.”

Both Lee and Stalter plan to continue playing in college. Lee said of the experience, “It was by far the best orchestra I’ve ever played in… everyone cared about music so much.”

Bobalicious Vietnamese Bistro

(319) 333-1231

Tuesday: Closed

M-Sat: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Sun: Noon-8 p.m.

Winter hours may vary

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bobalicious/183994548327569

With the recent opening of Bobalicious, (July 2011), one doesn’t have to cross the Pacific when craving truly authentic Vietnamese cuisine including Banh Mi sandwiches, pho (soup), coffee and Sinh Tho (commonly referred to as Boba Tea). Rather, a short trip to Bobalicious on the southside of Iowa City should satisfy such hankerings. Bright chocolate and watermelon colored walls warm up the rather intimate space that features a small bar area and three clear-glass tables that each seat four. Despite the small, 16-seat space, the natural sunlight that flows through the store adds to the upbeat, cheery atmosphere. Almost the entire left wall of the store is covered with multi-colored sticky notes, complete with customer experiences and small drawings.

Reasonably priced, items run between 80 cents for a can of soda to $10 for a combo meal (any Banh-Mi sub + a single Boba Tea + a side of edamame), with the average price hovering around $6. Arguably the most popular Bobalicious menu item is the more than two dozen varieties of Boba Teas including Blueberry Strawberry, Taro, Passion Fruit, Milk Tea and Leychee. Each drink can be paired with Mochi (Japanese rice gummy), tapioca pearls or coconut jam to be mixed in with the tea drinks. Select energy drinks and soda including Red Bull and Mountain Dew can be blended in as well.

We opted to order the Banh Mi sandwich (B2) ($4.75) that consisted of baked strips of tofu that resembles white meat chicken, cilantro leaves, cucumber and carrots- piled into a slightly toasted flaky and crispy buttered French baguette. Although the sandwich was composed more-so of vegetables, portions were adequate and satisfying. A subtle hint of garlic came through with each light bite. The sandwich was far from salty and as a whole, was a colorful delight. A variety of dressings including hoisin, fish and soy sauce are available to increase palette pleasure.

The Blueberry-Strawberry Boba Tea was the perfect drink to wash down the sandwich. Made with real blueberries and strawberries, the drink was a sweet and creamy iced combination. Described as a subtle mix between a glass of milk and a slushie, we enjoyed the Boba with a hearty portion of tapioca pearls at the bottom. With each sip of the tea, we were able to suck up three to four of the sweet and chewy tapioca pearls – thanks to the oversized straw. The teas were rich and indulgent, but not quite the typical thick smoothie consistency.

The service at Bobalicious is friendly, knowledgeable and deliver true authenticity with homemade flavor and variety, for seemingly any taste bud. Orders are ready in a matter of minutes, making for an easy stop on your way to and from work and extracurricular activities. The addition of free Wi-Fi may is also an great plus to any visit.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD-h-Rhv_hM

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

The daylong event, Focus the Classroom, encouraged teachers to relate the subjects they teach to current environmental issues. In addition, the environmental groups invited teachers at both high schools to bring their classes to see presentations from environmental leaders in the Iowa City community, including Tim Dwight – a City High graduate and former professional football player.

Since retiring from the San Diego Chargers, Dwight has co-founded a renewable energy company called Integrated Power Corporation. At the Focus the Classroom event, he gave a presentation extolling the virtues – and sensibility – of solar energy.

“This shift [to renewable energy] that I’m going to talk about is your generational shift, and it’s going to be massive. Producing energy with wind and solar will change the world because those resources are available anywhere, and you’re going to see it,” he told students at West High school.

Dwight was joined by others including New Pioneer Outreach and Education coordinator Scott Koepke, Iowa City recycling coordinator Jen Jordan and University of Iowa Director of Sustainability Liz Christiansen. The speakers brought everything from live red wriggler worms to a battery-powered experiment that converted salt water into bleach.

“A lot of times, as much as teachers try to bring in outside applications of what we’re studying, it’s really nice that we can see how to take what we’re learning and apply it to the world around us. You can actually go out and change things … and Focus the Classroom really reminds us of that,” said West High senior Javier Miranda-Bartlett, a member of EcoCentric and participant in the day’s activities.

According to Zach Gruenhagen, Summer of Solutions program leader and one of Focus the Classroom’s main organizers, this heightened awareness about the practical applications of environmentalism was one of the main objectives of the event.

“I think it’s a chance to both build community among [the University of Iowa, the Iowa City community and the local high schools], and also among generations. It also highlights how environmental studies are so interdisciplinary and reach people across many professions and interests,” Gruenhagen said.

According to Miranda-Bartlett, the message definitely reached the students in attendance.

“[My favorite part was seeing] the enthusiasm my classmates had for the whole concept and just how they actually got pumped, which surprised me. Also, [I loved] discovering that we have this wealth of resources of really knowledgeable people that are willing to help and work with us, and it was really empowering,” Miranda-Bartlett said.

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.