Upcoming events
  • Seniors vote on faculty speaker later this week
  • Boys soccer tournament- March 29th-30th @West
  • Women of Troy relays- March 26th home@4:30
  • Chamber ensemble concert- March 28th- Band room@7:00
  • Senior poets: send poems to Mr. Robins
  • College fair Wednesday in Cafeteria
  • Girls soccer vs. North Scott- Tuesday JV@5:30 V@7:00
The student news source of Iowa City West High

West Side Story

The student news source of Iowa City West High

West Side Story

The student news source of Iowa City West High

West Side Story

Looking back is a series in which WSS interns pull articles from decades of archives and reflect on the content as a current West High Student.

Looking back: Hand-holding brings administrative action

Caroline Mascardo, Editorials Editor and Copy Editor December 28, 2019

        Hand-holding brings administrative action Published in the March 13, 1970 edition of West Side Story   Recently students have been “grounded”in the study...

With around 35% of the students at West receiving Free and Reduced Lunch, the effects of living in low socioeconomic households can influence the learning environment.

The financial factor

Natalie Katz and Natalie Dunlap December 28, 2019

How much does it really cost to have a quality education at a public high school? Looking at the sticker price, nothing. Yet this year, according to USA Today, the average family spent $1223 on just basic...

Jordan Christensen 22 is congratulated by his teammates after breaking the 100-yard breaststroke school record in a time of 58.97 seconds during a dual swim meet against Linn-Mar on Dec. 17.

Beneath the surface

Joe Goodman, Sports Editor December 27, 2019

Imagine if all five players on the basketball team were shooting at a different basket, or a soccer match with 11 different goals. Unlike cooperative team sports like volleyball or football, swimming...

Amar Idris 20 is an ardent DJ, who enjoys mixing together music and making others dance. He has traveled across the states to DJ at multiple different parties and events, and he continues to do so even after moving to Iowa.

Mixing it up

Fareeha Ahmad, Profiles Editor and Yearbook Copy Editor December 27, 2019

Turntables, headphones and deafening music all accompany the talented individuals and job descriptions of disk jockeys, commonly referred to as DJs. While most DJs may learn and perfect their style and...

In this series, WSS interns explore WSS archives to see how West has changed through the years.

Looking back: Females fight sports bias

Amelia Stevens, Reporter December 26, 2019

Females fight sports bias by WSS Editorial Board 1971 Published in the September 17, 1971 edition of West Side Story   During the course of high school, certain extra-curricular activities are...

Math teacher Karen Meyer looks toward a student coming up the stairs, greeting him as he passes.

Inspiring the next generation

Luke Krchak, Reporter December 26, 2019

Inspiration is all it takes to turn a nobody into a somebody. For math teacher Karen Meyer, that inspiration came from her first-year math professor in college. "In high school, none of my teachers...

Clearing things up

Clearing things up

Caroline Chandler, Assistant Sports Editor December 26, 2019

Sunscreen The heat of the sun glares down, signaling that it's just about time to reapply that sunscreen. A couple months later and the warmth of the sun will be swapped out for the frosty, chilly winter....

Karen Meyer poses by the stairwell near her classroom Monday, Dec. 16, before returning to teach her Algebra II Honors class.

The winter blues

Bess Frerichs, Online Managing and Feature Editor December 22, 2019

The changing of the seasons from fall to winter brings about time with family, hot chocolate and snow. However, it also brings shorter days, piled up homework and stressful holidays. For many individuals,...

How accommodating is the ICCSD when it comes to religion?

Fighting for faith

Misha Canin and Annabel Hendrickson December 20, 2019

It’s that time of year again. The bitter December wind whips through the air, bringing with it an equally chilling obstacle for students: the influx of exams crammed in before break. When the seemingly...

Students at West have many different traditions that they celebrate each winter.

West’s winter traditions

Bess Frerichs, Online Managing and Feature Editor December 18, 2019

Whether it is religious or just for fun, students have a wide range of customs they participate in during the winter season. Watching Christmas classics or baking sweets are common holiday traditions for...

Gun violence in America

Gun violence in America

Maddy Smith, Visual Editor and Feature Editor December 11, 2019

There have been 392 shootings this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, (GVA), a nonprofit that records gun violence in America. Here, gun violence is frequently talked about due to mass shootings...

John Boylan, father of Emilia Emmie Boylan, is an English teacher at West High.

Emmie Boylan: living with spina bifida

Bess Frerichs, Online Managing and Feature Editor December 9, 2019

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