• 12/16: Pajama + stuffed animal day
  • 12/17: Jersey day
  • 12/17: Girls basketball vs. Wahlert Catholic
  • 12/17: Boys basketball @ Wahlert Catholic
  • 12/17: Boys swimming @ Linn-Mar
  • 12/17: Band concert in Arganbright Auditorium
  • 12/18: Pink out day
  • 12/19: Throwback Thursday
  • 12/19: Boys wrestling @ Linn-Mar
  • 12/19: Girls wrestling @ Solon
  • 12/20: 2 HOUR EARLY RELEASE
  • 12/20: Ugly sweater day
  • 12/20: Boys and girls double-header vs City
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
Nicole Lee '24

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor

(she/her) Nicole is a senior and in her third year on staff and second year as opinion editor. You can usually spot her walking down the hall wearing her yellow Doc Martens, listening to Belle and Sebastian. Her interests includes watching niche movies and ignoring her to-be-read list.

All content by Nicole Lee
Class of 2024 senior columns

Class of 2024 senior columns

WSS Staff
May 30, 2024
Child stars are often caught in the limbo between maturity and immaturity that is Hollywood.

Don’t treat me like a kid!

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
May 27, 2024
Does the truth have any place in Hollywood?

Art imitates life

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
May 17, 2024
Seniors will be carrying around spoons in order to eliminate their target on school grounds.

West High senior class holds annual senior assassin game

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
April 24, 2024
The only question is: whodunnit?

Choose your own adventure: the disappearance of Ronald McDonald

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
April 11, 2024
More information about Theatre West can be found on their website at theatrewesthigh.com.

Theatre West performs spring musical “The Secret Garden”

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
April 9, 2024
These days, it’s impossible to know who’s the person behind the curtain, or more accurately, the screen. We can’t even tell if they’re even a person.

Bot or not?

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
April 4, 2024
Despite entering an age of an oversaturated market for superhero movies, why is it that the film industry still fails female superheroes?

She-ro!

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
April 2, 2024
"Percy Jackson and the Olympians" can be watched on Disney+

“Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief” live-action review

Vera Tanas, Josephine Schwartz, and Nicole Lee
March 18, 2024
In an age of cancel culture and wokeness, who gets to decide what's funny and what's not? Is offensive comedy actually offensive, or just unfunny?

Tough crowd

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
March 4, 2024

Dying to know

Nicole Lee, Ashlyn Brady, and Haneen Eltyeb
March 1, 2024
Revenge is a dish best served cold — as in cold hard cash.

Eat your greens

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
February 12, 2024
Find out which of these past six Theatre West productions you are!

Which Theatre West production are you?

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
February 7, 2024
Interpretation is everything. What can be considered a flirty, playful tune to one person can be deemed offensive and problematic to another.

Baby, it’s problematic

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
December 20, 2023
It's always good to question what's being put on your plate, but does that give you the right to question what others put on theirs?

Criticisms to the chef

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
December 18, 2023
Rose-colored screens may be the reason why some people insist on seeing something that truly isn't there in the first place.

Oh ship

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
December 11, 2023
Each of Wes Anderson's film has their own atmosphere and style, but all with their signature Anderson touch.

Which Wes Anderson film are you?

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
November 3, 2023
The true forbidden romance has been hidden for decades because people were too afraid.

L(ove)G(ays)B(eing)T(errible)

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
October 31, 2023
For ages, the mindset of sex = bad has been drilled into our heads. But to the media, it's art. Who's to say is right?

Rated X

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
October 29, 2023
Theatre West presents the 2023-2024 productions for the Student Producing Innovative Theatre.

SPIT announces the 2023-2024 directors and productions

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
October 23, 2023
The Intellectual Freedom Festival at the Iowa City Public Library was first established in 1995 to honor Carol Spaziani's life-long commitment to the freedom of ideas.

Defining intellectual freedom at the ICPL

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
September 21, 2023
Find out more at the Theatre West website.

Introducing the cast for “A Christmas Carol”

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
September 16, 2023
Which of these films will you be putting on your watchlist?

West High’s favorite movies of the summer

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
September 14, 2023
What does a modern Snow White in the 21st century look like exactly?

The snow-white apple of our eyes

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
September 7, 2023
West High's library is a place where friends can hang out before school, students can study and classes can meet.

What to expect from the 2023-2024 semester following recent education bills

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
September 5, 2023
Behind the glorified facade of the picture-perfect life, South Korean celebrity culture pumps out idols like dolls in a factory.

Culture clash

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
June 2, 2023
Using the same algorithm will always get you the same result that people are tired of seeing.

Trigonometry of love

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
May 24, 2023
Discover great ways to celebrate the Iowa AAPI community today.

Asian American and Pacific Islanders heritage month at West High

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
May 2, 2023
Constant access to student's online grades may lead to helicopter parenting as well as put more stress and pressure on the student.

The control over our use of language on the internet may have started as a joke but is leading to the desensitization of our generation to severe topics.

Unalive censorship

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
April 10, 2023
No matter how many decades pass, it's important not to forget the history which costs so many people their lives

Tragedy or massacre, two sides to history

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
March 27, 2023
Visit the sustainable fashion club to try out an easy and inexpensive hobby.

Sustainable fashion club holds crochet workshop

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
February 28, 2023
It's no mystery as to why 'Velma' crashed and burned; but that doesn't mean a crime against humanity wasn't committed.

Jinkies!

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
February 24, 2023
A podcast full of reviews, rants, and spoilers.

Top ten anime discussions: The recline of the shoujo genre

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
February 14, 2023
Not every introduction is like the other. Let these students speak about the names that is the source of so much repetition.

Let us introduce ourselves

Nicole Lee and Howaida Musa
January 18, 2023
The golden child may appear as an untouchable and glorious title, but all trophies just gather dust while stuck in a glass case.

Umachina: Golden child, the origin story

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
January 11, 2023
The donation bins for the winter clothing drive are located in the commons.

Sustainable fashion holds winter clothing drive

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
December 22, 2022
Great works of art are meant to be appreciated, not vandalized,

Tomato soup or respect— choose your weapon

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
December 17, 2022
Anybody is capable of murder, find out if you are.

Which character from “Clue” are you?

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
November 29, 2022
Eight suspects, one student body. Who's who? Image by Nicole Lee

[Photo] Which character from “Clue” are you?

November 28, 2022
Kit Connor is only the most recent example of celebrities having labels thrusted onto them.

Heartbreaker: Kit Connor and his forced coming out

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
November 7, 2022
The famous balcony scene between the star-crossed lovers may not be all that meets the eye. Art by Rosellyn Rubio.

Rosaline, Rosaline, Who Art Thou, Rosaline?

Nicole Lee and Rosellyn Rubio
November 2, 2022
Sustainable Fashion club works to encourage slow fashion and finding out where clothes come from.

Dress to impress: Sustainable Fashion Club

Nicole Lee and Isabella Tisdale
November 1, 2022

Let’s ace sexuality: Asexual Awareness Week

Nicole Lee and Isabella Tisdale
October 25, 2022
Gun shooting out the alphabet to show firearms creating chaos within education.

Fighting fire with fire

Nicole Lee and Zoe Smith
September 28, 2022
A podcast full of reviews, rants, and spoilers.

Nicole’s Headspace: Speaking of Partner Track— are we on the right one?

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
September 20, 2022
The Pump It Up menu sits beside the cart outside rooms 120 and 121.

Pump It Up officially reopens

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
September 12, 2022
A court artist sketch shows Amber Heard giving evidence, as ex-husband Johnny Depp looks on. By Julia Quenzler

Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard: What the trial really stands for

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
May 20, 2022
A podcast full of reviews, rants, and spoilers.

Top Ten Anime Discussions: “Spy x Family” review

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
May 9, 2022
Art by Cassandra Michaels

The history of April Fools

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
April 18, 2022
A podcast full of reviews, rants, and spoilers.

Nicole’s Headspace: ‘Pachinko’ review

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
April 12, 2022
A podcast full of reviews, rants, and spoilers.

Nicole’s Headspace: ‘Umma’ review

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
March 30, 2022
A podcast full of reviews, rants, and spoilers.

Nicole’s Headspace: ‘Belle’ review

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
March 4, 2022
A podcast full of reviews, rants, and spoilers.

Nicole’s Headspace: ‘Snowdrop’ controversy

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
February 23, 2022
A podcast full of reviews, rants, and spoilers.

Nicole’s Headspace: ‘The House’ analysis

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
February 11, 2022
A podcast full of reviews, rants, and spoilers.

Nicole’s Headspace: ‘Cowboy Bebop’ live action

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
February 7, 2022
Explore what the West High club community has to offer.

West High club breakdown

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
February 4, 2022
A podcast full of reviews, rants, and spoilers.

Nicole’s Headspace: ‘Tick Tick…Boom!’ review

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
December 17, 2021
The heights that “Squid Game” has reached only in these past few weeks are truly historical.

Lost in translation: ‘Squid Game’ review

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
November 9, 2021
"Wonka" is set to debut in theaters on March 17, 2023.

Which Wonka

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
November 1, 2021
A podcast full of reviews, rants, and spoilers.

Nicole’s Headspace: The cultural impact of Satoshi Kon

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
September 30, 2021
The isolation room in South Korea we were forced to stay in due to COVID-19.

Nicole’s Headspace: 10 days in isolation

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
September 15, 2021

To Be Continued: The Many Layers of Netflix

Nicole Lee and Lucybelle Gerlieb
June 7, 2021
A podcast full of reviews, rants, and spoilers.

Top Ten Anime Discussions: The Lolita Problem

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
May 5, 2021

Nicole Photo Essay: The Strength of a Presence

Nicole Lee, Opinion Editor
April 9, 2021
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The student news source of Iowa City West High
Nicole Lee