Upcoming events
  • Walk it out- Saturday in Auditorium
  • Girls soccer vs. Wash- Tuesday @home
  • Drake Relays this weekend- Drake Stadium
  • Class president elections later this week
  • Choir trip to Chicago- Thursday-Saturday
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

Community members hold signs in support of transgender rights at a “Support Trans Lives” rally at the Pentacrest Oct. 25, 2018.

Iowans weigh in on bill limiting gender identity in curriculum

Caroline Mascardo and Kailey Gee February 18, 2021

A bill outlining how gender identity is covered in elementary schools was introduced in the Iowa Legislature Jan. 26. Titled Senate File 167, the bill would ban elementary students statewide from learning...

Follow WSS on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the most up to date coverage concerning West High.

29 West High seniors named National Merit Finalists

Hanah Kitamoto, Print Co-Editor-In-Chief February 14, 2021

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation selected the finalists of the National Merit Scholarship Program. Out of approximately 16,000 semifinalists announced in September, 15,000 were named as finalists....

WSS recaps the latest ICCSD school board meeting.

School board recap: 2/9/21

Vivian Polgreen, Managing Co-Editor, News Editor February 12, 2021

Many things were discussed at the Feb. 9 ICCSD Board of Directors meeting. There were updates from Tate and West High, information about construction at school buildings and votes held on new legislation...

The COVID-19 vaccine is slowly making its way through the state of Iowa.

Iowa’s COVID-19 vaccine roll-out explained

Vivian Polgreen, Managing Co-Editor, News Editor February 10, 2021

The creation of a vaccine was a turning point in the pandemic, but it raises many questions. Who should get the vaccine first? How and when will they get it? Who gets to make these decisions? There is...

Q&A with Science Talent Search finalist Dasia Taylor ’21

Q&A with Science Talent Search finalist Dasia Taylor ’21

Ruba Ahmed, Reporter February 10, 2021

West Side Story: How did you feel when they announced that you were in the top 40 finalists? Dasia Taylor '21: "I was not expecting to get the news when I did … I thought this random number from Washington...

AP social studies classes at West usually require students to complete lengthy readings every night.

ICCSD cancels Feb. 12 classes

Maddy Smith, Visual Editor and Feature Editor February 3, 2021

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed into law a bill requiring schools to offer 100% in-person instruction on Friday, Jan. 29. This bill takes effect on Feb. 15. In light of this recent and fast-approaching...

#SavetheArctic may have originated as a social media hashtag, but the movement its sprung has made a larger impact than anyone couldve anticipated.

#SaveTheArctic: The social media storm

Alaina Greenlee and Emma Hall February 1, 2021

Pleas to save the Arctic have been around for well over a decade. From playing piano while floating in the Arctic Ocean to hanging off of a bridge to delay an oil icebreaker, ardent Save the Arctic supporters...

Eman Elsheikh 18 and Xena Makky 18 teach Arabic to the group on the planned MLK day on Jan. 12, 2018.

ICCSD MLK Day recap

Maggie Huang, Online News Editor February 1, 2021

ICCSD held its annual MLK day celebration for the fourth year on Jan. 13. This year’s sessions covered a diverse range of topics including student activism, civil rights, blues music and many more. Students...

WSS breaks down the news from the month of January.

January news briefs

Maggie Huang, Online News Editor January 29, 2021

  COVID-19 The U.S. surpassed 25 million COVID-19 cases on Jan. 24 and 400,000 deaths on Jan. 19. Republicans in the Iowa legislature voted on Jan. 28 to force the school district to offer parents...

Starting a new job during a pandemic is a challenge in itself, but for new teachers the experience is an uphill battle.

Iowa schools required to offer 100% in-person learning

Kailey Gee, Print Co-Editor-In-Chief January 29, 2021

Iowa legislature passed a bill that would require all schools in the state to offer 100% in-person learning, and Governor Kim Reynolds has signed it into law as of 11 a.m on Jan. 29. This means that the...

Liam Edberg 22, Bivan Shrestha 22 and Jonathan Chen 22 perform in a virtual trio.

Cadenza to hold second virtual concert

Hanah Kitamoto, Print Co-Editor-In-Chief January 27, 2021

Cadenza, the classical music charity club at West, will hold its second virtual concert via YouTube from Feb. 1. to Feb. 5. The club has been planning for the virtual concert since the beginning of November...

Follow WSS on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the most up to date coverage concerning West High.

ICCSD votes to drop ‘interim’ tag from Superintendent Degner’s title

Maggie Huang, Online News Editor January 27, 2021

The ICCSD Board of Directors has voted to remove the “interim” tag from Interim Superintendent Matt Degner’s title. Degner has served as the interim superintendent for the district since July 1,...

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