2020 summer recap
Despite being in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer remained eventful in Iowa City. In case you need a refresher on what went on, look no further than this summer news recap.
May 31: Celebrating Graduates
Although the 2020 school year came to an unprecedented end, graduating students found alternative ways to celebrate together. Two student car parades were held in Iowa City and Coralville, respectively. Seniors drove decorated cars on designated routes, cheered on by families and community members.
June: Protests
Beginning in June and continuing through to the school year, the Iowa Freedom Riders have organized several Black Lives Matter protests in downtown Iowa City. Several West High students participated in these protests. To read more about how activism in the BLM movement played a role during the summer, flip to page 18.
June-July: Baseball & Softball
During a press conference on May 20, Gov. Kim Reynolds permitted a summer sports season with additional guidelines to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The Trojans (7-8) fell to Linn-Mar in substate quarterfinals 2-5, and the Women of Troy (8-15) lost to City High in regional semifinals 2-9.
Aug. 4: School delayed
In an Aug. 4 meeting, the ICCSD School Board unanimously voted to delay the start of the 2020-21 school year until Sept. 8. The decision gave teachers more time to prepare curriculum and provided the district with the opportunity to observe coronavirus rates at the University of Iowa.
Aug. 10: Derecho
An unexpected storm devastated Iowa Aug. 10. With hurricane-like winds upwards of 140 mph, the storm inflicted over $82.7 million in property damage, destroying 10 million acres of the state’s corn and soybean crops. Thousands of Iowans did not have electricity or WiFi for weeks in the aftermath.
Aug. 18: Lawsuit
During their Aug. 18 meeting, the ICCSD School Board joined the Iowa State Education Association’s lawsuit against Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proclamation, which stated at least 50 percent of school instruction should be in-person. Although they were denied local control over school reopenings in the case ruling, the ICCSD was granted two weeks of fully online schooling with a rolling 14-day positivity rate of over 20 percent.
Sept. 4: Football
Following their 27-0 win against Liberty in the season opener Aug. 28, the Trojans faced the Little Hawks in the 52nd annual Battle for the Boot Sept. 4. West defeated City 56-20 with standout performances from Grahm Goering ’21 and Marcus Morgan ’21. For the fourth consecutive year, the Boot will remain on the west side of town.
Sept. 8: Fully online
After a two-week delay to the start of the school year, students began classes Sept. 8 via Zoom. West students who opted for the online model found themselves among City, Liberty and Tate classmates and teachers. To learn how students and teachers are dealing with this adjustment, turn to page 8.
Sept. 28: Hybrid begins
With COVID-19 positivity rates dropping, the ICCSD transitioned to hybrid learning beginning Sept. 28. Those registered for the hybrid model began in-person classes with alternating A and B days. Extracurricular activities and sports practices resumed Sept. 26, following an 18-day suspension during online instruction.
Your donation will support the student journalists of West High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase Scholarship Yearbooks, newsroom equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.
(they/them) Caroline Mascardo is a senior at West High, and they are the editorials editor and a copy editor for the print publication. In their free time,...
(she/her) Camille Gretter is a senior at West High and this is her third year on staff. She is the Online Editor-in-Chief, and outside of West Side Story...
Owen Aanestad is a senior at West. This is his third year on staff working for the online publication as the online editor-in-chief In addition to playing...
Tess DeGrazia is a sophomore at West High School, as she recently joined the WSS and is a photographer on staff. Tess enjoys participating in Theatre West,...
(she/her) Caroline Barker is a senior at West. This is her third year on staff, and this year is the photo editor for the print publication. Outside of...
