The

Saydelphic
VOLUME 53 ISSUE 2

The Newspaper of Saydel High School

Saydel High School 5601 NE 7th Street

Saydel High School @SaydelHS

Des Moines, Iowa 50313 www.saydel.k12.ia.us

by Riley Hayes

How many snow days do you think we will have this year?

Freshman Hennasie Hollingsworth

When you wake up and see a bunch of snow on the ground, most people run to the TV to see if there is a delay or a school cancellation. If it is indeed a snow day, then you can find students sipping hot chocolate , sleeping in, or taking their sled to the nearest hill. Snow days are normally seen as a good thing, but there are consequences to getting school called off. If school is cancelled, a day of school is automatically added to the end of the year. Some years are worse than others when it comes to the amount of snow days. In the winter of 2009 -2010 we had a whopping six snow days and ended up going to school in June. Whereas the year after, we didnt have any snow days! Since winter weather is ever present in December, how many snow days do you think we will have this year? Will we have to go to school past Memorial Day? How many inches will we get? Some students put in their guesses.

Sophomore Mitchell Stout

Junior Sydney Samples

Annual Snowfall Totals

2009-2010: 47.5 Inches (2nd biggest snowfall year in Iowa History) 2010-2011: 34.9 Inches 2011-2012: 23. 5 inches 2012-2013: 29.2 Inches So far this year: 5.2 inches
Senior Mackenzie Miller

Dear Santa
by Sam Bullock

As November turns to December, all the little children start to get antsy for Santas arrival. Some will write a letter to Santa with high hopes that they have been good, and will get presents on Christmas day.

My favorite present...
Brittany Irlbeck: Ste Breck Briley: My new ven ng i br N ight-blue bike. g T M y n ho e h rs e, a wH o :H ot W mpso on y. Du st y. d n hee n: y Co famil : ls. x n n: M e e t e u s o Al with red an H age t ah V k A ne (a n c ou n . a a s J t o H oo t ph . girl b Regan Sydney Peer: firs hone) Cow Cook: iP p od. Ne p ck i lac e with my fl tball Marker. David Parker: Pain birthstone.

What I want for Christmas...

Ale ystatio on: Pla x Cond n 4.

Steven Th
Brittany Irlbeck: Ne
llege.

w headphones.

ompson: P laystation 4.
ot mounted.
gym.

nything for co Regan Cook: A

Hannah Van Houten: To h av

e my buck I sh

Sydney Peer: Money to

give to the homeless. Crossfit equipment for my home Jack Aagesen:

Breck Briley :

Another ho rse

David Parker: Ne w backpack.

If I could help Santa, I would

Brittany Irlbec k: Help keep hi m on track.

Jack Aagesen: Id be the Jack-in-th e-box tester, like dy from ELF the Budmovie. ts. sen pre the r ove Alex Condon: M Regan Cook: I would watch Sydn ake tic-tac-toe bo ey Peer: I would be ards. the number 1 elf. igh. cookies. him a jet to replace his sle make him ld Steven Thompson: Make u o w I : n n Houte David Parker: Help stuff Hannah Va him down the chimney.

by Taylor Swank Walking into the gym during a basketball game is overwhelming and exciting, but have you ever wondered how it makes the team feel? When asked how the crowds cheering made him feel, junior Brandon Hill said, Its nerve -wracking and stressful but we love the support! Coach Brett Hersom, on the other hand, says he doesnt even notice the crowd and all its noise. He did say that the games were exciting and went by quickly for them. Coach Hersom says that starting off the season with a win felt good. Its always exciting to come in with a win. Brandon Hill says the win was exciting and a great start to a great season. The players and coaches get excited and we can see that in their faces with their smiles and body language. After a win, Coach Hersom says he always feels happy for the players and hopes that they can keep up everything they did that game. After losses, Coach Hersom seems to blame himself a little. He said, I always think about the things that we could have done better, that I could have done. I second guess things I decided too often. He also says he hopes to continue to improve and that the boys are playing their best at the end of the season. The boys won their first game against Collins -Maxwell -Baxter. The boys then lost twice in a row to South Hamilton and Roland -Story. Even after two losses, the boys have a lot of confidence in the team and plan on continuing to make our crowd proud.

Girls Basketball: Pushing Their Way to the Top

SA Y - W H A T? SAYD E L!
by Lesa Wicks

The girls basketball team has been working to change the previous years reputation by working hard and playing even harder. Coached by Tig Johnson, Ryan Halterman, and Danielle Dowling, they are all determined to beat the school record with 12+ wins at the end of the season. When asked what the goals are for the year, Coach Halterman answered, Breaking the school win total, and winning at least one district game. The girls had a rough start to the season with two loses against Van Meter and Greene County. They turned it around and pulled off four wins in a row against Collins-Maxwell-Baxter, South Hamilton, Des Moines North, and Roland Story. Little things make the big things happen, said Coach Dowling. When asked what the biggest improvements have been this season, Coach Dowling replied, Effort, everyone buying into the system, and team chemistry, and Coach Halterman said, Defense. We have a new style and the girls have picked up on it. Junior, and captain, Brooklyn Allgood told us, This season we are seeing results for our hard work. We have a team of talented girls putting it all together, because of that, we are winning games. A goal they have for the season is to beat the school record for wins in a season. We all have our eyes set on 13 wins, and I know we can do it if we keep playing how weve been. The girls plan to continue their winning streak with upcoming games after Christmas break against Colfax-Mingo, PCM, and Greene County. Its been a great year so far and they hope to continue winning, and finishing off the year by breaking the record. Come out and show your support!
Above: The girls team wins their second game against South Hamilton.

With winter comes wrestling

by Cassie Lee

The 2013-14 wrestling season is here! Wrestling has officially started and the boys have been hard at work. The wrestlers are very dedicated to the sport and make goals for themselves, like junior Grant Sherman, whose goal for this year is to make the top five at the state tournament. They make these kind goals so they have something to work for and motivate themselves. Wrestlers often cut weight, but for them its worth it when their arm is raised at the end of a match or they stand on the podium at state. Thursday, December 5, was the first dual meet of the season against South Hamilton. The meet went very well and the eagles won with a score of 50 -27. The following Saturday our boys traveled to Bondurant -Farrar for an invitational. At the Bondurant Invitational the boys placed 4th overall as a team. Thursday, December 12, the team traveled to PCM. The team came home with a win, with a score of 44 -27. That Saturday we also hosted a varsity invitational. The boys worked hard and came out with the win! The wrestling team is having a great season this year, so come out and support them! The next meet is on Saturday, December 21 at 9:00 AM in the new gym.

Senior Brody Harrison restrains his opponents arms in order to take lead of the match.

Senior Jake Sherman puts his opponent into a choke-hold to gain advantage during the match.

Pardon me, but WHERES THE MUSICAL?

by Paige Schmidt
November has come, and gone, and you may have noticed something rather important missing. To sum it up in one very loud question: WHERES THE MUSICAL? Several months ago it was decided that this years musical, Once Upon a Mattress, would be postponed until February, mostly due to the re -roofing project over the auditorium. If the musical had proceeded on time, the cast and crew would have only had seven rehearsals to build and paint sets, aim lights, and block staging. The musical was pushed back even further, due to holidays, December concerts, semester tests, and weekend jazz band concerts. However, the cast and crew seem to be taking it very well, and due to the extra time, they have been able to change and improve the musical, both by improving the dances, and by adding additional musical references to make it more contemporary. The work has been progressing slowly but steadily, and Mr. Michael Puffett looks forward to seeing students perform at the best of their ability. The musical itself has been described by Mr. Puffett as a fun retelling of the classic tale The Princess and the Pea . In a land ruled by a mute king and a talkative queen, Prince Dauntless the Drab longs to finally get married. Unfortunately, his mother isnt exactly too tickled with the idea of giving up her throne. Itll take a very special, very lucky princess to pass her test and marry her son; unfortunately, the moat-swimming, marsh-hopping, swamp-resident Princess Winnifred the Woebegone might be just the girl, with a little help from the king, an energetic jester, and three genre - savvy traveling minstrels. Prepare to have all your preconceptions overturned, as you finally learn the REAL story of the Princess and the Pea . You can now witness this amazing story on February 7 and 8, with the last Wednesday in January being the middle school matinee. Described by Mr. Puffett as a lighthearted song and dance show that will bring delight to audience members of any age, Once Upon a Mattress is a show that you really dont want to miss!

by Randa Patrick
The dribbling of basketballs and the sounds of klus and Kaley Kuehl. Basketball cheer captains are running feet echo the hallways after school. You know what this means: winter sports have begun. With basketball and wrestling, the two sports have cheerleaders to motivate them. The cheerleaders support the basketball players and wrestlers at all junior Casey Brown and sophomore Maddie Bianchi. All of the girls really enjoy cheering, but the best part, according to Mackenzie, is building a relationship with all of the girls and coaches. My favorite part about winter cheer is how close all the wres-

their games and matches. This year, the cheerleaders tlers, cheerleaders, managers, and coaches get. It are welcoming Cayla Korte into the head -coach posi- feels like we become one big family, she said. tion, and Kelsey Bianchi as assistant coach. I chose to coach at Saydel because I went to Saydel my entire life. I liked the small school setting and growing up with my classmates and actually knowing my Coach Cayla Korte is excited for this season to get underway. I cheered for basketball when I was in high school, so Ive always enjoyed that. I cant do any of the wrestling cheers, though they are fun to

classmates instead of knowing of them. If I was going watch. Im planning a group routine to intermix the to be a coach, I wanted to be a coach in an environment and around people I know, states Coach Cayla Korte. Although the girls only practice once a week, there is plenty to learn. Cheerleading requires basketball and wrestling cheerleaders, so hopefully it all goes as planned. The cheerleaders have a lot to learn in a short period of time. Come out and support not only the basketball players, but also the cheerleaders on December 20 at 4:30 PM. The next wres-

strength, rhythm, toleration of a busy schedule, time tling meet is on December 21 and will begin at 9 AM. management, and flexibility along with balance. Wrestling cheer captains are juniors Mackenzie MiCome out and support all your hard -working classmates!

Iowas Premier Tech Organization Comes to Saydel

by Nick Dolan

Hyperstream helps build bridges between schools and employers. It is our schools tech club which covers all kinds of technology. This is according to Mrs. Cheryl Smith, who runs Hyperstream meetings along with master teacher Mr. Joshua Heyer. (Hyperstream is unaffiliated with the Eagle Tech Squad. They are two separate things.) The meetings are every Tuesday after school from 3:00 to around 4:00. Hyperstream members choose from four different groups to join: cyber defense, multimedia, robotics, and game design. Mrs. Smith explained, Multimedia is about web design and video production. Cyber defense is where students create a virtual network and other people try to hack into it. Video game design is selfexplanatorythey use the computer program A.L.I.C.E. and in robotics we build a robot using a computer program and they have to fight another robot at the competition. Each group will compete in their respective field at Iowa State in April against about 40 schools from around Iowa. Also, there is more exciting news: two system analysts from a company called GuideOne Insurance have decided to sponsor our Hyperstream team. Their duty includes advising the group when it has questions and when it encounters difficulties. Feel free to ask any questions you have about Hyperstream to Mr. Heyer or Mrs. Smith, or attend one of the meetings to get a better feel for what the group does.

Mock Trial

The Saydel mock trial team will begin holding practices during 4th hour next semester, and possibly on the weekends. It is open to all interested students who can work it into their schedule. Mrs. Cheryl Smith, Spanish teacher and mock trial coach, is looking forward to bringing a really good team to competition that knows the law and is competitive. Mrs. Smith is not currently accepting new members due to space, but you can speak with her if you have any questions.

Rachals trip to the Emerald Isle

by Riley Hayes At the end of October, Rachal Barnes got on a plane to go compete in the All Irelands Irish dancing competition. Rachal and her friend Meghan, pictured with her, were two of the five Americans that qualified to compete. While in Ireland, they took day trips to Dublin, Kilkenny, Belfast, and Larne. They also visited the coast of Ireland, which was very chilly! While she was on her 10 -day trip to Ireland, her mom Angie wrote about their trip and posted pictures to her blog. The link is posted at the bottom of the article if you would like to see more pictures and stories from her trip. Rachal and her friend Meghan will not be advancing to the world competition held in London, but making it all the way to Ireland is something both have dreamed about for a long time and are very proud of. Rachal hopes someday to become a TCRG Certified Irish dance teacher and run the Foy School of Irish dance, where she has danced at all these years. This is a great experience for her and also a wonderful thing to put on her resume. Congratulations, Rachal! http://rachalsshoesangiesviews.blogspot.com/

Romeo! O Romeo!
By Mackenzie Mayer
On Friday, December 13, the freshmen students went to Iowa State University to watch Romeo and Juliet at Fisher Theatre. Overall, there were about one hundred students that attended from our school, and other schools attended the performance as well. Students arrived at ISU around ten in the morning, and the play lasted two and a half hours with intermission. Many students were excited to go because they just finished reading Romeo and Juliet together in class. Going on this trip was fun for everyone whether it was to get out of school for the day or being excited to see the play. By attending the play, many students understood more about Romeo and Juliets story. For freshman Alyssa Harmon, the play helped her out a lot to remember main parts of the story. Some say things should have been changed to helped with the story and others think that nothing should be changed. I think [the actor that In the end, everyone had their own opinion played] Benvolio should have been [the actor about the play and how it went . Freshman Dylan that played] Romeo, says freshman Delaney AlMercer didnt necessarily enjoy the play. When I brecht. asked Dylan what he didnt like about the play, he Students enjoyed the play and thought it was a responded, I didnt like how the actors sort of really good idea. Hopefully more students in the overreacted over little things and how it was future will be able to attend and get the same long. On the other hand, others like freshman experience as the freshmen this year. Kendra Wickre thought that the play was entertaining. She said, The balcony scene was my favorite part because it was really cute.

Friar Laurence and a night watchman find Romeo and Juliet lying dead.

A few freshmen sit waiting for the play to begin.

Romeo and Juliet meet again and he kisses her hand showing his love for her.

by Courtney Hill

Whether we want to believe it or not, finals are coming up. We all know that finals can be stressful, but if you take the right approach, you can make it easier on yourself. Here are a few tips to help you study:

Dont Cram: Never cram the night before or the day of the test. Always start studying a few days
in advance. If you have a week, study a lot during the weekend and little on the weekdays.

Be Colorful: Make everything look colorful. Color code things using colored pens, highlighters,
post it notes, etc. It will help information to stay in your brain better.

Flash Cards: Use them to write down a question on one side and the answer on the other (or a
word on one side and the definition on the other. Not only can you use these to study, but it helps even more when you write them down while making them.

Take Good Notes: When youre in class, always take good notes. You don't need to write everything down because then you will be overwhelmed when you are trying to study. Only write down the key points that the teacher emphasizes. Then you will have something to study from before the test.

Sophomore Makenzie Pyles focuses while working on her homework in the library.

Seniors Isaac Matheny and Alex Vockings study hard during class time.

Twas the day before Christmas break, and all through the school, everyone was talking of Christmas break plans, but here's some ideas so you dont spend like a fool Who really wants to spend tons of money buying presents, going to movies, and celebrating New Years Eve? With some help from peers, as well as Google and Pinterest, a few ideas were thought up for how to have fun while saving money this winter break. How much do you think you should spend on Christmas gifts for friends? When students were asked, they answered with anywhere from $0 to $40. As sophomore Caitlin Fagen states, I wouldnt spend a lot because you cant buy friendship or happiness; just get them something from the heart. Try making a craft, or printing pictures of the two of you! There are craft ideas all over the internet, and Pinterest is a great craft website! Also, try hitting up the craft aisles at Wal-Mart, Target, or Michaels. If you want to spend a little more, you can always go with a gift card, CD, candy, movies, or simple stocking stuffers. Before spending tons of money, be sure to check Dollar Tree, or the dollar section at Target. Instead of heading to the mall to go shopping with your friends, try going ice skating, doing crafts, visiting Santa and getting your picture taken with him, creating a bucket list for 2014, or playing in the snow. Stay healthy this break by exercising, playing outside, or even working out in your house! The most common winter activities for teens are snowboarding, driving ATVs in the snow, sledding, and building snowmen. Its also the time of year to go hunting and hopefully ice fishing soon. Whatever you do, be sure to stay safe and bundle up! Instead of going to a movie and having to pay, its always fun to watch movies at home with friends! Try Redbox, OnDemand, Fareway Movie Rental, the $5 movie bin at Wal-Mart, or something you already own! During the holiday season, its common to see Christmas movies on TV. Get a group of friends together, make some popcorn and cocoa, and check out ABC Familys 25 Days of Christmas. When asked what their favorite Christmas movie was, senior Tyler Stocker, junior Grant Sherman, and sophomore Jared Reese all replied with the Home Alone series. Other popular movies were Elf, Rudolph, The Santa Clause Movies, The Polar Express, and Its a Wonderful Life ! All of these awesome movies can be found on TV or will be on sale this holiday season! You could go out to eat and spend tons of money on snacks and food over break. However, why do that when you can make yummy things at home for only a small amount of money? Check out Christmas cookie and treat recipes which can be found all over the internet. When asked, students favorite Christmas treats were Christmas sugar cookies as stated by sophomore Allison Furman, and Chocolate covered pretzels sophomore Melanie Gustafson answered, both which are simple and cost little or no money. Pinterest, as well as the holiday section on AllRecipies.com, have some amazing cookie recipes. Experiment, create, and deliver cookies to neighbors, friends, or family this holiday season. Dont forget to make a gingerbread house with your besties and post it to Instagram! Why have a New Years Eve party and spend lots of money, when you can do it for almost free and have just as much fun? Try making decorations yourself out of paper, Christmas lights, or purchasing inexpensive colored light bulbs. It doesnt cost much to have an awesome party. Have friends bring a side dish, provide sparkling grape juice, play games on the Wii, and play some awesome music. Dont forget to count down to the New Year! Hang out with friends, play cards, or do something crazy to start off the New Year. Remember to stay safe, and be smart with your choices. This holiday season, remember its not about how much money you spend. What truly matters is the time you spend with people. Spend time with friends and family, even if you just sit around and talk. It makes for a more sentimental holiday season, which is worth more than all of the money in the world!

What If?
by Nicole Axtell What if for a whole day the world froze in time and you had the whole day to do whatever you could possibly want without anyone around? I would probably go to Disney World and go to the beach and enjoy a day off without waiting in any lines and not having to deal with people. -Lexie Valentine

If you had $1,000, what is the first thing you would buy? Well, since it's almost Christmas, I would probably spend it on presents. But if it wasn't, I would probably buy myself a tablet. -Courtney Wood

If you could go back in time, where would you go? I would go back to the time when my parents were kids and see what it was like when they grew up and see what people acted like back then. -Christopher Hackett

Diploma in Hand, Headed Out the Door

Schools Early Graduates Say Goodbye in Only a Few Weeks
by Molly Mingus

What can hard work and motivation get you your senior year? A chance to graduate after only one semester! With dreams and goals in their head, a group of seniors head out the high school doors and into the world months before graduation. Why is it that students decide to graduate early? Senior Skylar Clausi says, [Im ready to] get a better job because I'll have my diploma early and will be able to apply for better paying full time jobs.
Students with good grades who have the 48 credits needed to graduate have the option to graduate early. Most of the students will graduate after their first semester of senior year, and some can even graduate at the end of their junior year like junior Taylor Pickard. Although they may not be attending high school classes anymore, they are still able to attend Prom, and even put on a cap and gown and walk up the stage to receive a diploma along with the rest of the seniors. For senior Skylar Clausi that is a good thing: My favorite part of high school is Homecoming Week. I will miss that the most because you can run around with your friends and have a crazy week. When graduating early, you still have to meet the same requirements. The students from Saydel that have chosen to follow through with graduating early have to get their portfolios ready, along with their trifolds that have many pictures from their high school years, along with their future plans. Junior Taylor Pickards says, I'm planning to move to Texas and establish residency and attend a community college and then transfer to Baylor University and go to their school of medicine also. It can be a lot to get done a couple months early, and it may end up being very hard work. In addition, early graduates have to seek the school boards approval. For junior Taylor Pickard, I've had to plan on full schedules both semesters and get my required classes in. The same goes for senior Skylar Clausi, who says It gets a little stressful because you have to think about everything sooner and get ready for it. In many cases the students will have to double up on classes like English to get the full 4four years needed that are required for college. While doing this, they have to maintain good grades and pass finals. One big thing on many high school students minds is college, and if graduating early will affect their chances of getting accepted. Fortunately it will not affect your college plans, however since you miss almost half of a school year you also may miss some of the college planning benefits. Schools often provide financial aid help and scholarship opportunities, and when graduating early, it becomes the students responsibility to find those scholarships on their own. If you are interested in graduating early, when the time comes try following advice from these students and the many others who are graduating early. For freshmen, take a lot of classes. Most of you don't use study hall except to talk to people, so instead of wasting a credit, take another class. It doesn't even have to be hard, but trust me. Your plans may change in a few years and you'll be mad that you can't graduate a year early because you took that one study hall you never even used, says Junior Taylor Pickard. As the next few weeks go by and the seniors head out the door, we wish them much success!

by Sydney Johnson Veryone has traditions during the holiday season, whether they are unique, normal, new, or old. There are a variety of family traditions that take place during the holiday season. Some have been passed down from generation to generation, and others are just being started. A lot of people have some of the same traditions, but their ways of going about them are usually a little different. For a lot of people, it wouldnt seem like the holidays without their traditions. When asked if family traditions are important to them, sophomores Mason Matthews, Sam Johnson, and Parker White all replied with yes. [The traditions] are important because they are with my family and Im going to have them forever, said Parker. Her immediate family opens presents together, then extended family comes and they go sledding at her house. Parker thinks her traditions are normal because a lot of people get together with their family, but unique because they go sledding and not everyone does that on Christmas. I think the traditions are normal, but the way we go about them is different, replied Sam when she was asked if her traditions are normal or unique. Her traditions include decorating a tree, making a gingerbread house, and going to her grandparents house on Christmas. I think [the traditions] will carry on because the whole family enjoys them, said Mason. His family gets together and plays cards on Christmas. He enjoys his family traditions because he likes spending time with his family, and he said it is fun and entertaining. Sam, Parker, and Mason all hope to carry on their familys traditions. At least one tradition exists during the holiday season in every family. What are yours?

Whats Your New Years Resolution?

Thoughts on Everything to do with New Years Resolutions
by Megan Schmidt

Did you know that only 12% of the people who make New Years resolutions achieve them? That means 88% dont make their goals. Why is that? [I think its] not a priority, says senior Reagan Cook. People set goals and then forget about them a week later. This can be true, but why is it so hard for people to keep their resolution throughout the year? No motivation, was freshman Joe Peers reply when he was asked why he usually doesnt usually meet his resolutions. Reagan Cook agreed, [There are] so many other things to do at the same time. Then why do we even make resolutions in the first place? It is wiping [the] slate clean, answered Reagan Cook. People can start over and try to keep goals through the year. Its not hard to notice that almost everyone does it. When students are asked about their New Years resolutions in the hallway, there tends to be some unusual answers. There were resolutions from get good grades (Kendra Wickre, freshman) to gain weight (Cody Gilleland, senior). When asked what advice she would give to help students meet their resolutions, Reagan replied, enjoy it all. Joe Peer said, Have fun. Have a fun resolution this New Year and do your best to be in that twelve percent!

Staff Questionnaire
by Skylar Clausi

What is your favorite thing about the holidays?

Cassie - Being with family. Courtney - Enjoying time with family. Sam - Spending time with family. Paige - Having a break with everything. Nicole - Seeing all of the Christmas lights and everyone in the spirit. Skylar - I love the color of Thanksgiving, the time with family throughout the holidays, and the joyful feel of togetherness. Randa - Spending time with family. Nick - Massive amounts of food. Not pictured: Randa Patrick, Nick Dolan