Issue No. 3
Staff
Editors: Jalissa Morgan, Stephen Dykstra
Junior editors: Allie Groenenboom,
Vanessa Blankespoor, DelaneyDugger
Journalists:
Seniors: Kylie Lamb, Miranda
Spurgeon, Tyler Sajdak, Cali Vink,
Krista Fopma, Shelby Nikkel, Zach Van
Wyk, Amber Attema, Kate Van Gilst
Juniors: Trisha Fopma
Sophomores: Mariah Eekhoff, Maggie
Milby, Karyn Vander Wal
Freshmen: Jessi Vos
Advisor: Noreen Vander Wal
The Eagle’s Cry is a publication of the
PCHS Advanced Journalism class and
is intended to provide an educational
experience for those in the class as
well as information and entertainment
for the community. The news and
opinions stated in this publication do
not necessarily reflect the views and
opinions of the Pella Christian High
School Society or its administration.
Letters to the editor may be
addressed to Eagle’s Cry, 300 Eagle
Lane, Pella, IA, 50219. The editors
reserve the right to edit letters for
content and length.
Anyone wishing to subscribe to the
Eagle’s Cry should send a name and
address along with $5.00 to the school.
Texting hinders
social skills
by Allie Groenenboom
allgro13@pceagles.org
As texting is becoming a bigger and
bigger part of everyday life, many
question its reliability and wonder about
its inability to enhance relationships. The
PC student body’s view on texting varies
greatly, with some viewing it as a simple
icebreaker for talking to new friends, and
others seeing a downside to it.
Sophomore Derek Van Soelen sees
both pros and cons to texting. “It is quiet
and doesn’t disturb others around you,”
he said. “However, it is harder to explain
situations you are in while texting. And
talking is faster anyway.”
Sophomore Justin Boot agreed with Van
Soelen. “It’s good if you’re being quiet, but
it can get out of hand,” he said. Although
texting has some advantages, many see the
downsides of it superseding its positives.
“It’s not a good way to form, develop,
or maintain a relationship,” said biology
teacher Audra Faber. She admits, however,
that she sometimes communicates with
her own daughter this way because it is a
good tool one can use without interrupting
activity. Texting can be an easy means for
quick messages for parents or friends, but
maintaining a strong relationship based
only on texting rather than face-to-face
conversations rarely works.
Employers, parents, and many others
in today’s society say texting has caused
numerous issues in teenagers’ ability to
hold an intelligent conversation in job
interviews as well as in discussion with
strangers or those we may not be closely
acquainted with. Teachers often complain
of “texting lingo” being incorporated into
formal writing assignments because of
students’ obsession with texting.
While texting is quick, easy and efficient,
it cannot sustain a relationship the way a
face-to-face conversation would.
a student publication of Pella Christian High School
300 Eagle Lane, Pella, IA 50219
February 14, 2012
Enrollment decline brings changes, hope
by Zachary Van Wyk
zacvan12@pceagles.org
Pella Christian will be undergoing many
changes in the next couple years such as
Winterim, One to One, and an expanded
student exchange program. Enrollment
numbers will also see a change. The
projected enrollment for next few years
at PCHS will see a decline. Next year will
be the biggest drop because a large senior
class (90 students) will graduate this year
and a small freshmen class (50 students)
will enter next fall. Historically, small
classes have gone through before, such
as the class of 2010 (46 grads), although
typically they don’t follow one right after
another, which is what the projections
seem to show for the next several years.
PC’s administration remains optimistic
as they look to the future. “We will ensure
that the quality of education does not go
down. We aren’t worried about this,” said
principal Darryl De Ruiter. “We totally
trust that God will continue to be faithful
to our school and provide for our school
the necessary staff, students, and funding
for us to continue to provide a quality
Christ-centered education.”
Lower enrollment will bring some
changes. Teachers understand that there
will be changes in their classes as courses
are shuffled around in order to be the best
stewards of our resources. Many will see
their class sizes shrink, but view this as
an opportunity to work more closely with
their students. “Hopefully there will be
more time to work with students with
no effect on content,” said math teacher
Kevin Herdegen. “One to one technology
will affect the content in my classroom
much more than the number of students I
have to teach.”
Some teachers as of right now aren’t
exactly sure what will be happening with
their job. “I know I will be going to part
time,” said family and consumer sciences
teacher Jan Blunck. “Exactly what that
means in terms of cutting classes or
teaching fewer sections of certain classes,
I am not sure of yet.”
Some teachers are concerned about
what a declining enrollment may bring,
especially to the quality of education. “It
may lower the quality of education being
offered, because teachers may be asked to
take on additional classes, and classes are
potentially being cut,” said one teacher.
“It seems that certain areas are being cut
or cut more while others aren’t being
touched or will be minimally changed.”
Declining numbers will affect not only
the academic departments but also extracurriculars like the athletic, drama, and music
departments. “Historically we have always
had a high percentage of participation,”
said athletic director Brad Engbers. “There
might be a dip in some programs, going
from three levels (freshmen, jv, and varsity)
to only two levels.”
The athletic department is looking
into every possibility as it prepares for
the lower enrollment. “We may have to
eliminate coaches or maybe have some
coaches share stipends,” said Engbers.
“Programs with little participation will
be the first looked at. We would like to
not see a drop in interest and therefore a
sport, but we will do our best to be good
stewards of what we are given. We are
looking at all possibilities to keep a strong
athletic department going.”
In the drama department, participation,
no matter the enrollment, varies from
year to year. “With fewer people there
are fewer students to go around, although
the large fall musical and spring play
numbers shouldn’t drop,” said theatre
director Marlo Van Peursem.
The forensics group has a higher potential
of being affected by the enrollment
numbers. “It may affect forensics because
it takes a certain kind of person to enjoy
them and be involved in them,” said Van
Peursem. “So it is possible there will
be fewer forensics events, which means
entering fewer in our various competitions.
Although I think there will always be
enough to do a quality fall musical and
spring play every year.”
How the decline will affect the music
department is not clear, as changes are still
being discussed. “It appears the enrollment
drop for next school year will impact the
music department,” said choir director Tim
Van Voorst, “but plans are in flux, and we
do not know the extent of the impact.”
Looking forward, the administration
truly believes Pella Christian will
continue to grow and become the school
they hope it can be. “I believe our best
days are ahead,” said De Ruiter. “The long
range plan gives us some very exciting
initiatives to focus on. I’m glad we have
these things we are working on, such as
the one to one program, and the expansion
of our international student program, in
order to move our school forward, as we
work to meet our mission in preparing
students for their future, not our past.”
PC gymnasium holds caucus crowd
by Vanessa Blankespoor
vanbla13@pceagles.org
When looking at the United States as
a whole, Iowa seems quite insignificant
for the most part. But that is not the
case when it comes to the presidential
caucuses. Iowa is vital because it is the
first state to have a say. Candidates in the
running recognize if their campaign has
been successful, and receive a clear idea
of what the other states’ opinions would
likely be.
Pella is one community of many
caucuses that are held across the state.
PC’s gym was completely filled on
Tuesday, January 3, as citizens from
surrounding communities gathered to
submit their votes.
Upon arrival, caucus-goers registered in
the school’s commons area to confirm their
Pella address. Then once everyone was
seated in the gym, the caucus was opened
by Marion County Republican Party
Chairman Irene Blom. Next was the Pledge
of Allegiance, followed by Marcie Stravers
singing the “Star Spangled Banner.”
Then the Caucus Chairman Randy
Nutgeren
welcomed
the
1,200
participants and announced the purpose
and instructions for the evening.
Each candidate was permitted to have a
PC senior Danielle Jansen and juniors Spencer Fynaardt, Maria Van Wolde,
and Josh Van Gorp volunteer at the caucus held in PC’s gym on January 3. Rick
Santorum carried 3 of the 4 Pella Wards, tying the 4th with Romney.
representative address the crowd for a few
minutes. These representatives highlighted
why their candidate would be a good
choice for the Republican candidate for
President. Among the representatives were
Michele Bachman’s husband, Ron Paul’s
daughter, a Texan rancher for Rick Perry,
Pella resident Scott Bailey on behalf of
Rick Santorum, and John Van Donselaar
promoting Mitt Romney.
The results were tabulated, with
Santorum obtaining the majority, beating
second place Ron Paul by approximately
200 votes.
Page 2 Eagle’s Cry
Febuary 4, 2012
Speech season New Faces in PC student body
brings success
by Amber Attema
ambatt12@pceagles.org
This speech season, five of the six large group speech entries qualified for state competition in Cedar Rapids on Feb. 4,
and three of the events received straight ones and are waiting
to find out if any of them have been chosen for All-State.
One Act, Choral Reading, Reader’s Theatre, and Ensemble
Acting have been practicing non-stop ever since December
with the help of their speech directors, Marlo Van Peursem
and Helen Luhrs.
No matter how much a group practices, they still acknowledge the challenges that they have to face in competing. “It’s
hard to convey the message that we want the audience to
feel,” said sophomore Leah Blankespoor.
Speech helps PC students learn and grow in many aspects
of their life. “It teaches responsibility, self confidence, and a
chance to perfect their craft,” said Van Peursem.
Through speech, not only have the PC students learned
more about the art of theatre and speech, but also how to
come together as a team. “I like getting to know different people,” said Blankespoor. “We mesh all of our talents together
to complete the puzzle.”
Not only did PC speech students learn about teamwork, but
also the impact their performances can have on an audience.
“We have some really powerful performances,” said sophomore speech student Jordan Breon. “They have a good potential to really connect with the audiences well.”
Teamwork and powerful performances aren’t all that the
speech students learn. “I enjoy watching students grow from
beginning to end. It’s amazing to see the confidence they
gain,” said Van Peursem.
Pictured is a scene of the one act: Charlie Foster. On
left is Kylie Lamb (Rachel) and right is India Sarver
(Trisha), In back is Jalissa Morgan (Juliet) and Joey
Harger (Jack).
Five new faces smile in the halls of PC: Alex Campbell, Allison Johnson, Rebecca Dy La Fuente, Daphni Yarkosky,
and Brooke Baxter. These students joined PC after Christmas break.
by Karyn Vander Wal
karvan14@pceagles.org
With Christmas break over and school starting up
again, many students have been dreading returning to the
usual everyday school activities. A majority of the students at PC know the routine and know where most of
their classes are. But five new students are meeting new
people and finding new classrooms at PCHS.
Senior Brooke Baxter is the newest addition to the
class of 2012. Baxter moved from Highland Academy
and is now living in Oskaloosa. “The thing I like best
about PC so far is being around friends,” Baxter said.
“My favorite class is Computer Programming.” In her
free time Baxter likes to read, doodle, and be with her
friends. Baxter plans on graduating with the senior class
this spring.
New junior Alex Campbell has had a big change.
Last year he moved to Ankeny from Colorado Springs,
Colorado. This past December he moved from Ankeny
to Pella. Campbell enjoys Industrial Arts II and playing
basketball. “In the future I would love to play sports and
get to know new people here at PC,” Campbell said.
Rebecca Dy La Fuente and Allison Johnson are both
sophomores here at PC. Rebecca Dy La Fuente came to
Newton from Leonardo da Vinci, Brazil, on a six-month
exchange program. Dy La Fuente sees many differences
between PC and her former school. “I had to use uniforms in my old school,” said Dy La Fuente. “I studied
from 7:10 A.M. to 12:30 P.M., and we don’t walk to
classes, the teachers walk to us.”
Johnson moved from Louisiana High School due to her father’s job. Johnson enjoys PC’s break food, Intramurals, and
using a cell phone between classes and at breaks. She is involved in cheerleading and dance. “My favorite class is art,”
Johnson said, “in my free time I like to do crafts and read.”
Freshman Daphni Yarkosky transfered to PC from Oskaloosa. “I have wanted to go to PC for a long time, and
finally decided to come,” Yarkosky said. Although this
move wasn’t as far, there have been many changes for
Yarkosky such as classes, break food, and lunch. She is
involved in many extra curricular activities as well, including volleyball, softball, and dance team. Yarkosky
said, “In the future here at PC I would like to get involved
and make a lot of friends.”
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Page 3 Eagle’s Cry
Febuary 4, 2012
From The
Pods
Senior
by Kate Van Gilst
katvan12@pceagles.org
Hey seniors! Homecoming has come and gone! I have
to say, my favorite homecoming activity is the lip syncs
because they are so fun to watch. Kudos to the seniors
because we dominate at everything, end of story.
Who enjoyed all the political commercials or five billion phone calls you would get in a day? I don’t know
about you, but I stopped answering the phone. I’m glad
caucuses are finally over! Who is planning on voting in
the next election? I know I may be preaching to the choir,
but voting is a very important right we possess as 18 year
olds. Your vote does count.
Is getting all of your scholarship essays written and
submitted stressing you out? I am not a big fan of scholarship essays, but who likes essays anyways? Scholarship essays are more stressful because they involve money for college, which leads to your college decision. My
advice: don’t stress out. Do your best and be honest on
your essays.
Guess what fellow students!! We have finally gotten
snow! Now all we need is a few snow days and one or
two two-hour-delays.
Junior
by Delaney Dugger
deldug13@pceagles.org
Peering through your windshield all you can see is
darkness. This is what the PCHS parking lot is like before the sun shows up. Not having lights when you show
up to school can be a hassle and an embarrassment. If
you try to find a place to park and misjudge the line, then
when the sun comes up and everyone else shows up to
school, they see that you are taking up three parking spots
in some sort of sideways twist. The same thing happens
when you leave your car at school to carpool to a basketball game with friends. At around 11 PM the lights in the
parking lot go out, so trying to find your car again can
take a few minutes. Even if the lights ARE on they are
very dim. Seeing the lines isn’t a problem, but not hitting
any other cars that are hidden behind corners and light
posts is. Another addition to the midnight maze of the
parking lot is the snow, especially if you get here before
it is pushed off. Pulling into the parking lot at 6:30 or
earlier, you have to guess on where the lines are, and by
the time you get out of school, the snow is blown/pushed
out of the way, and you find you weren’t even in a parking space, or even close for that matter. Lights like the
ones at Ulrich Motors would be great! At night they go
on and BAM, instantly blinded! The school should invest
in some of those for the 2012-2013 school year.
So how does it feel to be a junior with only three semesters of school left, and what’s the best part about be-
ing a junior? Let’s find out!
Austin Vermeer: “Three semesters of high school is
still a long time; it’s insane I already went through 5, but
I don’t really remember freshman year.”
Jisoo Kim: “I like standing on the high balcony.”
Caleb Morgan: “I’m not excited to only have 3 semesters left. It’s going way too fast.”
Spencer Fynaardt: “Competing in IMs is the best part!”
Val Jochems: “I’m excited to only have 3 semesters
left and to go to college, but I will be sad to see my
friends go too.”
Matt Spoelstra: “Finding out that we get Ipads next
year was great!”
Buffy Bouwkamp: “I’m very sad to have only 3 semesters left. I love high school and hanging with my friends!”
Alex Van Maanan: “I like how there is not as much
homework this year, and the classes are easier.”
Blake Riggen: “I’ll tell you when it’s over.”
Sophomore
by Karyn Vander Wal
karvan14@pceagles.org
Okay, sophomores, so is it just me, or has there
been an immense amount of stress these past couple
of weeks? With National History Day wrapped up and
about five hundred other assignments, concept maps,
and tests, I think everyone is ready for...I don’t know,
spring break maybe? Or how about a snow day? I mean
what’s up with that? It’s February, and Pella, Iowa, still
hasn’t had a legit snow day, or even a good snowstorm,
and when we do get a storm, it always seems to be on
the weekends. It has been a pretty boring winter. No
sledding, snowmen building, snowball fighting, or even
hot chocolate drinking.
But never fear, we sophomores DO find plenty of
ways to entertain ourselves. For example: shaving Justin Bieber’s head, aka: John Admiraal. Since Admiraal’s
arrival at Pella Christian (last year, second semester) his
perfect long blonde hair has been a very hot topic for
many girls and the envy of many guys. Recently Admiraal’s Justin Bieber hair was completely shaved off.
It was a tragic and heartbreaking day for many who
heard the news. The one question that remains to all
is: “Why, John, why?” Not even Admiraal knows the
answer to this question. His beloved locks of gold are
currently in bags belonging to several students in the
sophomore class, and I bet if you looked closely, you
could even find some strands on the floor of the Pleima’s garage.
Rest in peace Bieber hair. You will forever be missed.
Freshman
by Jessi Vos
jesvos15@pceagles.org
Less than six months ago, I was one of many freshmen-to-be who had no clue what to expect in this wild
jungle called high school. But now that we are welllearned in all things freshman, most of us could write
a handbook on the to-do’s and not-to-do’s of being an
Dahm Dental
AXIS group returns
for Spiritual Renewal Days
by Vanessa Blankespoor
vanbla13@pceagles.org
The annual Spiritual Renewal Days at PC will be held
February 15, 16, and 17. AXIS, who led the event last
year, is returning for the program’s second installment.
AXIS is an interactive group that encourages student involvement. They teach students the importance
of defending their beliefs by showing various media
sources. The program emphasizes the need for a strong
Christian worldview that helps one to take a stand in
the modern world. AXIS will challenge students to explore their faith and beliefs, as well as focus on how to
retain a Christian worldview in our society.
The main focus of the second session is for AXIS to
teach students about “Tools they need to not only stand
firm in their faith, but also that they might go out and
make a real difference in the world.”
This year’s program is called “The Threads.” It will
include discussion on three stories of the world. First
is called “The Authors,” which covers modernism and
post-modernism. Next is “The Judge,” which tells
how acceptance can only come from God. Last is “The
Giver,” where AXIS explains how God gave up everything to be reconciled to his creation. In addition to
these three stories of the world, AXIS teaches on evil
and doubt. They discuss with students how there can
be evil in the world, even though God is completely
perfect, as well as how it is normal for all people to
experience doubt in their faith.
AXIS invites the community to attend an assembly
on February 15, at 7:00 p.m. in PC’s auditorium.
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One thing I have learned is to park in the farthest corner of the parking lot. This will give you a good workout for the day as you make the seemingly never-ending
trek to the school building, and also the assurance that
you are not in the way of any upperclassmen. This stayout-of-the-way technique is also appropriate in food
lines and at lunch tables. Even if the freshmen tables are
full, it is probably best to kneel on the ground or share
a seat with a friend instead of wandering into unknown
territory.
There are good things about being a freshman, no
matter how scary it may first appear. Forensics, pep
band, and electives are just a few of the new and exciting things that being a high-schooler can offer. I think
a lot of people will agree when I say that being a freshman provides more opportunities than ever before. So
don’t be discouraged when you are shoved to the back
of the line. Being a freshman takes patience, but it can
be very rewarding. It may help to keep this familiar
phrase in mind – the last shall be first and the first shall
be… well, you know the rest. But it’s not my place to
say it. I’m only a freshman.
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Page 4 Eagle’s Cry
February 14, 2012
Eagle basketball continues to fight
by Mariah Eekhoff
mareek14@pceagles.org
The PC varsity boys basketball team is finishing the season strong. Wins against Pella (65-51) and PCM (53-49)
and a homecoming victory over Knoxville (73-67) have
been highlights so far. Losses for the team include defeat
against West Marshall (36-54) and Grinnell (36-53).
With such a great start, the boys are really looking
forward to post-season play. Senior Jordan Van Maanen
appreciates the strong unity of the team this season.
“We’re a team this year,” said Van Maanen. “Everyone
is uplifting and there aren’t any put-downs.”
Big games against Norwalk and Pella High in February
motivated the guys. “I’m looking forward to growing as a
team and getting better,” said Van Maanen.
The Eagles still face some tough competition in
tournament action, however. Junior Austin Ver Meer
said, “The challenging thing about this season is going
to be keeping up focus, and the intense practices.”
Coach Larry Hessing, who is on his 19th year of
coaching boys basketball at PC, has good expectations
for this year’s team. “Ultimately I want us to play as
well as we can,” he said.
District tournaments started Monday, Feb. 13, with
PC facing off at home against Albia. The winner of
that game will go on to face PCM on Feb. 16 at PCM.
Senior Zach Veenstra reaches to block a shot by Pella
High’s Grant Barrick. The Eagles lost the first round
against Pella this year, but rallied in their second faceoff to even this year’s series at 1-1.
NFL provides ‘wild’ playoff season
by Tyler Sadjak
tylsad12@pceagles.org
This year’s Super Bowl was... WOW! What a game.
Giant quarterback Eli Manning won the MVP after completing 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards and a touchdown
and defeated the New England Patriots 21-17. New England quarterback Tom Brady played a great game but
came up short when it mattered most. His “Hail Mary”
pass was knocked down in the end zone with time running out.
The NFL playoff run was wild this year, beginning
with wild card weekend. In the first game of the postseason the Houston Texans defeated the Cincinnati Bengals
31-10 behind great defense and a solid rushing attack.
Later that same day, the New Orleans Saints took out the
Detroit Lions 45-28 behind Drew Breese, who threw for
466 yards and 3 touchdowns. On the Sunday of wild card
week the New York Giants sent the Atlanta Falcons packing with a 24-2 victory, the only Falcons points coming
on a safety early in the first quarter.
But, Sunday night is where it really got crazy. The
Pittsburgh Steelers traveled to Denver to take on Tim
Tebow and the Denver Broncos. The Broncos had a 20-6
halftime lead, but the Steelers came storming back to
tie it up and bring it to overtime. But Tebow time took
over and 11 seconds into the overtime period, the shortest overtime ever, Tim Tebow threw an 80 yard touchdown dance. He instantly became the most popular man
on twitter, setting the sports record for most tweets per
second with 9,240.
In the divisional round of the playoffs, Tebow’s magic
ran out. The Broncos lost to the Patriots 45-10. In the
other AFC divisional game, the Baltimore Ravens beat
the Houston Texans 20-13. In the NFC the San Francisco
49ers defeated the New Orleans Saints 36-32 behind the
“Tim Tebow like” heroics of quarterback Alex Smith,
who led 2 game winning drives in the final 2:11 of the
game. In Green Bay, the New York Football Giants defeated the 15-1 number 1 seed Green Bay Packers, 37-20
behind a very good defensive performance.
Championship Weekend brought two very good games.
In the NFC Championship game the Giants defeated the
49ers in an overtime thriller. The Giants and 49ers were
tied at 17. After three overtime possessions ended on
punts, the Giants punted for a final time when Kyle Williams, the 49ers punt returner fumbled the ball and gave it
right back to the Giants. Five plays later Lawrence Tynes
kicked the game winning field goal. In the AFC Championship, the game went back and forth until the Baltimore
Ravens had the ball with 11 seconds when they brought
out Billy Cundiff and the field goal unit. Billy Cundiff
missed the 32-yard field goal and sent the New England
Patriots to Super Bowl XLVI.
This season was a giant roller coaster. From the Packers going 15-1 to Tebowmania. A wild season was finished off with a wild game. What. A. Season.
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Trainer tips promote recovery
by Cali Vink
calvin12@pceagles.org
Over the past few years, injuries in high school athletes
have seemed to increase. Some of these injuries may affect ACL, MSL, ankle or hip flexor.
Katherine, PC’S athletic trainer, suggests a few ways to
avoid injury. One way is by eating healthy, such as picking healthy snacks and drinking a lot of water. Though
eating healthy is only one part of preventing injuries, another part is weight lifting year around even when not in
a sport. Not only does this keep an athlete in shape but it
also makes one feel good.
Recovery from injury can also be a challenge. The
main way to help ankle injuries is to do ankle band exercises, which also helps strengthen the hips. Before these
steps, athletes need to figure out what the grade for their
sprain is and decide on a recovery program.
Grade 1 requires approximately 1 to 2 week of recovery. Grade 2 requires approximately 2 to 4 weeks of recovery. Grade 3 is a torn ligament and requires about 6 to
8 weeks of recovery.
In grade 1 and 2 injuries, Katherine suggests pain free
movement clockwise and counter clockwise. One other stretch is doing the ABC’s by rolling the foot in the
shapes of the letters. Once range of motion is 5 degrees
or is back to normal, then strength can be increase with
balance and stretching bands. Another way to help an injury get better fast is icing it for 20 minutes three to five
times a day. Anyone with a possible injury should go to
an athletic trainer to get back to normal in no time at all.
Coed drill team performs
at homecoming game
by Kylie Lamb
kyllam12@pceagles.org
The 2011-12 SHINE Drill Team performs their coed
routine during the afternoon activities on the Friday of
Homecoming on Jan. 20. The dance was choreographed by
captain Alexa Zylstra and consisted of the songs “Without
Me,” “1,2 Step,” “2 Step,” and “Evacuate the Dance Floor.”
The co-ed drill team will perform again during the SHINE
Spring Show on March 3.
700 Washington
Pella, Iowa 50219
641-628-1270
Industrial - Commercial - Residential Agricultural Wiring - Electric Motor Sales &
Service
Service Is Our Specialty
call: 641-628-3816
Page 5 Eagle’s Cry
February 14, 2012
Lady Eagles soar
Bowling team sets new meet record
into post-season
Senior guard Cali Vink puts up a free throw against
Norwalk. The Lady Eagles defeated Norwalk in this
game 35-25; Vink finished with four points.
by Miranda Spurgeon
mirspu12@pceagles.org
PC girls basketball ended their season strong, clinching
first place in the Little Hawkeye Conference and racking up
wins against Oskaloosa (61-43), DM Christian (67-64), and
Norwalk (35-25). A disappointing loss to Pella (51-40) and a
final game against Norwalk finished up the regular season.
The first round of tournaments for the Eagles took place
at PCHS on Feb. 11 against Albia. The winner of the Albia
game moves on to the second round of tournaments on
Feb.14, also at PCHS. The PC girls have continued to progress, improve and
grow as a team. Junior Paige Engbers said, “With rest of the
post season to go, we are still improving and working hard to
do our best to go far as we can.”
Coach Kevin Van Maanen sees many strengths in his
team.“We are making good progress. We have quickness, great
shooting, and a balance with the team,” he said.
Third round of the girls tournaments will be held in Sigourney on Feb. 17 at 7 PM.
by Maggie Milby
magmil14@pceagles.org
Not very often does a sports team have an increase
in participants by more than 20 students, but the PCHS
2011-12 bowling team was a display of this new found
support. Only four years ago Coach Rod Blunck had 10
boys that went out for bowling, making one-on-one time
between Coach Blunck and his bowlers easier to manage. With 52 kids signed up for this year’s bowling team,
Coach Blunck is having to juggle his time between the
many enthusiastic students. “It’s been real exciting seeing the numbers grow the way they have,” Blunck said.
Bowling, being a popular social sport with high school
students, is a great way for bowlers to improve their
skills through games of friendly competition. “What I really appreciate seeing is how well the kids interact with
each other, support each other and the kids we compete
with,” said Blunck. “I’ve heard many times before from
parents of kids we bowl against that are very impressed
by the level of sportsmanship that we display.”
The varsity boy’s bowling team has already set a new
meet record with the overall score of the six boys reaching 2,999 points. At the January 7 meet in Newton, they
finished the day with a 2,555. Coach Blunck is impressed
with the boys’ consistency and is hopeful for a strong
and persistent finish. With the girls steadily improving
too, Coach Blunck is expecting their skills to continue to
develop over the rest of the season. “I think we’re going
to have some real good scores from both teams before
the season ends,” Blunck said.
Each meet is allowed to have six varsity bowlers compete. Coach Blunck has been selecting these bowlers by
by Tyler Sajdak
tylsad12@pceagles.org
The bowling team is made of 52 student athletes this year.
Several meet records have been broken this season as
bowlers hope for a showing at the State Meet on Feb. 23.
averaging each of the bowlers scores from Wednesday
practices and inviting the six students with the highest
averages to bowl at Saturday meets. Since the averages
do tend to fluctuate, the team members can be swapped
in and out a bit from meet to meet. Ten to twelve bowlers are used quite consistently, depending on the week’s
score.
With so many bowlers, and so few allowed to compete
in meets, getting all of his bowlers involved has been a
challenge for Coach Blunck. “I’m hopeful that everyone
will get to bowl at least one meet before the season is
finished.” Blunck said. After nine years of coaching the PCHS bowling team,
Coach Blunck has had “a great time...has been really
pleased so far seeing a steady improvement in all the
bowlers’ abilities.”
Power Poll
Van Wyk -330- Looks like Van Wyk is the team to beat…
Faber -230- 75 points from the fundraiser catapults Faber into 2nd place.
Noble -175- 0 points in the fundraiser drops Noble a spot in the power poll.
Renaud -150- Staying comfortable in 4th place.
Evenhouse -130- Winning the fundraiser helps but more work needs to be done to make a top 3 finish…
Van Voorst -125- 25 points from the fundraiser isn’t enough to keep 5th place.
Vermeer -25- Best Freshman team so far… Better than all three sophomore homerooms… Step it up sophomores!
Hessing -0- Losing to a Freshman team is not acceptable Sophomores… That also means you, Anderson…
Blunck -0- Can’t seem to cook up anything…
Herdegen -0- Too much time spent calculating the trajectory…
Anderson -0- Stock is dropping quickly… SELL NOW!
Monsma -0- Still working on drafting, freshman?
PELLA FAMILY DENTISTRY
JEFFREY F. ALLEN, D.D.S.
839 Broadway. Pella, Iowa 50219
Phone 641.628.1121 l Email jfadds@iowatelecom.net
Website pellasmiles.com l Follow Us
David Barnes, D.D.S.
Micah Vermeer, D.D.S.
Meagan Scott D.D.S.
OFFICE HOURS BY APPOINTMENT
2300 Washington St • Pella, Iowa 50219
Telephone: (641) 628-2671
www.Pellafamilydentistry.com
“Viewed
to be the best”
Pella Window Store in the Molengracht
Pella Corp
617 Franklin Place
102 Main
Pella, Iowa 50219
Pella, Iowa 50219
(641) 628-6280
(641) 621-1000
Tim Yoder D.V.M.
Glenda Van Wyk D.V.M.
650 Hwy T14
641-628-4040
Page 6 Eagle’s Cry
y
a
id
February 14, 2012 Page 7 Eagle’s Cry
PCHS
Fr Spirit Day
2012 Homecoming
Monday
Come as You Are Day
Sophomores Jordan Breon, Leslie Pence, Cory Van Gilst, and Cali Beyer are warm and
comfy on the first day of homecoming week. The winners for Come as You Are Day were
sophomore Breanna Terpstra and senior Brett Hofman.
Wednesday
Dressed up as twins girls are seniors Holly Hessing and Caitlin Roozenboom. Winners for
Little Kid Day were sophomore Jordan Breon, who brought in his own bike, and senior
Lynelle De Bruin, who looked as if she had just fallen off a bike.
Tuesday
Little Kid Day
Wacky/Would-You-StillBe-My-Friend-If-I-WoreThis Day
Seniors Seo Hee Song and Alex Harter and freshman Jacob Brouwer look terrible, but not
fatal, on Fake Injury Day. They were the winners for that day.
Thursday
Fake Injury Day
Senior Alexa Zylstra and junior Blake Riggen dance
for the co-ed drill team performance. The dance was
choreographed by senior captains Zylstra, Taeler
Lanser, and Ashton Verschuure.
2012 Homecoming Court. Clockwise from bottom right: Seniors Jasmin Schelhaas, Lynelle De Bruin,
Stephen Dykstra, Taylor Van Woerkom, Will Vande Voort, Jordan Rossler, Miranda Spurgeon, and Marshall
Fynaardt. Center: Homecoming King and Queen Drew Stravers and Leah Vander Hart.
Alumni Quotes:
What’s your favorite part of homecoming?
What’s changed most since you left PCHS?
by Delaney Dugger
deldug13@pceagles.org
Decorations
Adam Frankenfeld (2011): “My favorite part of
homecoming is probably getting to see what everyone is up to and catch up with everyone.”
Justin Pastoor (2011): “I like seeing the underclassmen in their attempts at some of the activities on
Friday. I also enjoy the lip syncs. Those are always
real good, and then the basketball game that night
you’ve gotta go to.”
Bailey Hackathorn (2010): “I think the best part
is probably the skits for each grade, or the different
displays with their own theme.”
Senior Zach Veenstra goes for a shot against the
Knoxville Panthers. The Eagles won 68-30 for the
girls’ game and 73-66 for the boys’.
1st place. Seniors: Kung Fu Panda
Junior Spencer Fynaardt unravels toilet paper in a
Minute-to-Win-It game as one of Friday’s afternoon
activities. Stuco was applauded for their job well
Bailey Van Wyk (2007): “When I was in high
done on Friday afternoon; it was a success.
school, we used to get to decorate a hallway so that
you could barely get to your lockers.”
Mandy and Chad Klyn (2004): “The alumni used
to get free cookies after the homecoming game.”
Amanda Herder (2003): “The school has updated
things to make the activities so that there is more involvement and its more fun for the students.”
2nd place. Juniors: Tangled
Kim Gritters (1990): “Some of the biggest changes are that they did class skits instead of lip syncs,
the girls basketball was 6 on 6, not 5 on 5, and one
of the biggest games was how many people can pile
in a car.”
3rd place. Freshmen: Finding Nemo
Seniors Caleb Fredrickson, Jordan Rossler, Nate Tvedt, Cole Rooda, Will Vande Voort, Justin Rozendaal,
and Josh Wetter perform a lip sync for Homecoming. Seniors were the only class to prepare a lip sync this
year, and they showed their routine during halftime of the girls’ varsity game.
Freshmen Michaela Chapman, Haylie Van Maanen, Rachel Vermeer, Julia Dykstra, and
Abby Pleima sport their wacky outfits. Seniors Caleb Fredrickson, Jon Lensing, and
Karianne Bolt won the award for the craziest outfits.
4th place. Sophomores: Aladdin
Mark Blankespoor (1988): “My favorite part of
homecoming was that the games were during the
school day between classes, but we didn’t have a
homecoming king.”
Sue Brouwer (1986): “A big change is that everybody has a phone! And no one uses their lockers
anymore; they put all their stuff in their backpacks.”
Anna Dykstra (1981): “I like getting to see old
friends, people I went to high school with.”
Page 8 Eagle’s Cry
February 14, 2011
Editorial: An Inside Look the School Three to the Blocks North
Stephen Dykstra stedyk12@pceagles.org and
Jalissa Morgan jalmor12@pceagles.org
An anonymous individual once said, “Expanding your horizons requires breaking through your limitations.” In order
to “expand our horizons,” we drove three blocks north of
300 Eagle Lane to spend an afternoon inside the walls of
Pella High School.
The Pelladium editors met us at the office and led us
to their busy, sophisticated journalism room. As we entered, an overwhelming sense of liveliness met us.
Excerpts from magazines and newspapers lined the
walls, while posters called out from across the room,
one of which proudly displayed the first amendment.
We then had the privilege of meeting part of the Pelladium
staff, including Ann Visser who was a recipient of the Carl
Towley Award, a prestigious award that is given to one journalism advisor nationally each year.
We admired their individualism, as it was especially
shown on their ceiling. They have a tradition that everyone
in the journalism staff gets to decorate his/her own ceiling
tile. This was certainly different than our own journalism
room with white-washed walls, organized cupboards, and
p
a
n
S p
u
C
by Delaney Dugger
deldug13@pceagles.org
Way to go! You are the best! I like what I see! All
of these describe what a snap cup is about. The PC
snap cup is found in the library. Anyone who would
like to say “Good job!” or give a word of encouragement is invited to submit their comment for publication. So . . . SNAPS to . . .
chairs (we were jealous of their couches).
We could have explored further except our stomachs told
us they would rather not. So, with the entire afternoon before
us, we headed downstairs to experience lunch at a big high
school for the first time. The menu consisted of crispitos,
which was what PC was serving that day as well. The difference is that in order to accommodate a larger student body,
the Pella kitchen staff has a second serving line that offers a
wide variety of food. If students were not overly excited for
crispitos, they could go get soup, sandwiches, salad, or other
goodies from the ala carte line.
This idea of having more than one food choice appealed to us,
and before we knew it we were enjoying sandwiches and salad.
One would think with a larger school that the cafeteria would
be uncomfortably crowded, but we were surprised that this
was not the case. Pella had three different lunch periods, as
compared to the single period at PC we were accustomed to.
Eventually the bell rang, and we found our way to
the auditorium for government class. Instructed by
the boys’ basketball coach Mark Core, we recognized
many similarities between their curriculum and ours,
however, they did much more discussion and current
*1st period automated accounting and breakfast
pizza
*Justin B for lookin spiffy
* Krista for telling off Brennan (in a kind way)
for harassing his girlfriend.
events.
Another class was called Adaptive PE, which is where students assist the special education class in exercises, drills,
and activities. PE is required for all four years at Pella High,
whether or not a student is in a sport (PE is only required if
a student is not in a sport at PC).
Our hosts also told us about the various advanced placement (AP) classes at Pella High, such as Art Appreciation.
This idea really appealed to us; being able to earn college
credit while in high school, therefore saving us money in
the long run sounds like a good idea. We got to visit their
English AP class, where we both failed miserably at their
vocabulary quiz.
Throughout the day, we were able to find many similarities between PC and Pella High. However, we were able to
find many differences, too. Differences are expected to happen between a public school and a private Christian school.
Though our differences may be defining, it was refreshing to
find that we as people were similar, as shown through conversations with each other. As we walked out the front door
at 3:15 that day, we not only had deeper sense of respect for
Pella High, but we knew that we had expanded our horizons. Random
Reviews
The Art of Getting By
Rated PG-13
* Co-ed drill team boys for being good sports by Mariah E., mareek14@pceagles.org
and shaking it for the pep rally!
Karyn V.W., karvan14@pceagles.org
* SNOW!
* Nate T for wearing a lavender shirt like Mrs.
Vander Wal
* Brett H for owning in calc and physics
* Mrs. Haveman for having 5 classes in the library at once
* Taylor Van Woerkom for having the chicken
pox at age 17, and getting an announcement about
you in the Daily Eagle
Sexist Scuffle
Zacahry Van Wyk
Miranda Spurgeon
zacvan12@pceagles.org
mirspu12@pceagles.org
Tyler Sajdak
Kylie Lamb
tylsaj12@pceagles.org
kyllam12@pceagles.org
Boys: So with Valentine’s Day coming up, we were won- posed to do? We don’t have anyone special special to show
dering what is the point of the holiday anyway?
our love and affection to.
and Maggie M. magmil14@pceagles.org
“We live alone, we die alone, everything else is just an
illusion.” This was the running theme in the movie The Art
of Getting By, starring Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory, August Rush) Emma Roberts (Aquamarine) and Michael Angarano (Sky High).
Overall the movie was depressing due to the mature
theme. The plot consisted of George (Highmore), a slacker
and loner student, trying to figure out what he wanted to do
with his life. After covering for Sally (Roberts) to keep her
out of trouble, she befriends him, and the two become very
close. Dustin (Angarano), George’s friend and mentor, befriends Sally too. With Dustin and George both wanting to
be more than friends with Sally, the three become distant.
George tries to pull his act together, while Dustin and Sally
have an odd and somewhat dysfunctional relationship. The
movie contains little humor and does not leave viewers feeling positive about life. The movie could have been improved
with the same theme but delivered in a teen friendly way.
Watch this movie only if you are wanting to view a deep,
thoughtful and mature movie.
to have some random person walk up to me and give me a
Valentine, let alone finding a note from a secret admirer in
my locker. It seems super creepy and random.
Girls: Finding a note in your locker or discovering you
have a secret admirer is exciting and fun, not creepy. It
makes you feel special and loved when you don’t have that
“special someone” like other people do.
Girls: Valentine’s Day is a day to show your love and afGirls: It can be to anyone. It doesn’t just have to be to that
Boys: But you will get your hopes up that it is from that
fection toward that special someone.
“special someone.” Anyone can show love, single or not.
someone you like when in reality it is probably that really
super creepy guy in the school, that talks about W.O.W. evBoys: When you are in a relationship, shouldn’t you be
Boys: But it is still awkward…honestly, if some random eryday.
showing your love and affection everyday, not just one day? person just walks up to you in school and gives you a valentine, wouldn’t that just be weird?
Girls: The fun part is the mystery of who it is. It makes the
Girls: Correct…. BUT this holiday is a day set-aside just
day special for you.
for everyone one to express his or her love and make the day
Girls: No.
special.
Boys: But it can, and probably will, be very disappointing
Boys: But it was for couples. What are those singles supBoys: Ok, let’s be honest here. I think it would be creepy for you once you find out.
Top 10...
Page 9 Eagle’s Cry February 14, 2011
Revitalize
Your Day
DEVOS BY JALISSA
The underlying theme of pretty much every Disney
movie is something along the lines of “be yourself” and
the journey the characters take to get that realization. Mulan sings, “Why is my reflection someone I don’t know?”
Ariel wants to be part of someone else’s world. Buzz
doesn’t even know what planet he’s on. Quasimodo and
Rapunzel have been lied to their whole lives. Hercules is
so desperate he sings, “I will go most anywhere to feel
like I belong.”
Half of my Pandora stations are filled with Disney song
stations, I watched at least eight Disney movies over
Christmas break, and I sleep with a stuffed animal version
of Simba every night. I love Disney! But why? And why
do hundreds of millions of people all over the world love
it?
Because they target mankind’s number one fear: the fear
of being alone. No one ever ends up alone in Disney.
They are surrounded by friends and more often than not
their true love at the end of the movie. A happily ever
after. You know that warm, fuzzy feeling you get after
watching a quality Disney movie? Yeah, that’s how the
Disney company makes over seven trillion dollars a year.
e
h
t
g
in
w
o
l
l
fo
. .
.
h
trut
But when the lights go up, and you step out of the theater
and into the chilly world, that fuzzy feeling is gone.
And for most people, this can be very disorienting and
frightening. They realize that the sense of belonging and
self-achievement belongs to the characters in the movie
and isn’t reality.
So now what?
“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved
children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved
us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and
sacrifice to God,” Ephesians 5:1-3
For us as Christians, we have an ever-present sense of belonging and identity: saved and beloved children of God.
We have so much more than good friends and an adoring
significant other. We are redeemed people who serve a
God that sent His Perfect Son to perish for us. We are offered a beautiful intimate relationship with a Lord who’s
Holy Spirit lives in us. We are given a free gift of eternal
life praising the Almighty Creator.
Thanks for the fleeting moments of happiness, Disney, but
I’m gonna go with the small crowd that runs with Jesus.
Teacher /Student
Valentine’s Gifts for your Girlfriend
Shelby Nikkel
Shenik12@pceagles.org
Steven Dykstra
Stedyk12@pceagles.org
1. Flowers. Roses. Red roses. You can’t go wrong
with red roses.
2. Chocolate. A girl’s best friend.
3. Jewelry. Every kiss begins with Kay!
4. Marriage Proposals. Be creative guys! And make
sure you arrange for someone to take pictures
of the event!
5. Dinner. This does not include a BigMac and
fries. Think romantic.
6. Balloons. Sounds simple, but everyone loves to
get balloons!
7. Cards. Even a cheesy Spongebob one. If nothing
else, it’ll make them laugh!
8. Conversation hearts. UR GR8. I luv U. XOXO.
9. Heart Shaped Cookies. Sugary goodness in the
shape of a heart! Don’t forget to add loads of
frosting!
10. Sentimental Items. Make something meaningful to your relationship. Pictures of the two of
you or maybe a nice note!
Stupid
News
by Keegan Van Maanen
keevan12@pceagles.org
“Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 is the latest iteration of
by Krista Fopma
the ultra-popular first-person shooter challenge in which a
Krifop@pceagles.org
player must gun down opponents. Fortunately, most fans are
able to separate fantasy from reality. But the jury’s still out
Teacher/Student Dialogue is a column in which teachers and students ask each other questions. The students are polled
on Loromin Sar, who allegedly went ballistic when his copy
to answer the teacher’s question, and a rondom teacher is selected to answer the student question.
wasn’t available on its release day.
As recounted by Channel 9 News, Sar pre-ordered MW3
at an Aurora Best Buy on Monday in advance of its official
Student: As Valentine’s Day approaches, what is your
for the first few years. I made the mistake of painting a set
advice for students when it comes to gifts and date ideas? of custom necklace charms early on. Other advice, if you
midnight release.
get into arguments with your significant other over driving
He returned to the store shortly after the witching hour,
Industrial Arts teacher Paul Monsma: “I once put on a
directions, get her a Garmin. It’s expensive, but consider it anticipating that he’d be leaving with the game. Nope. Em“pamper-me” party for my wife and a few other friends.
relationship insurance. This device has saved my wife and I ployees informed him that they were already out of stock.
Bonnie Van Wyngarden did it for us. Diamonds are
from more disputes than I can possibly count.”
Disappointed? That’s putting it mildly. According to the
always good for the ladies. They don’t do much for the
Aurora Police Department, Sar responded by asking staffmen. Physics teacher Lee Zondervan and I once cleaned up
Teacher: What is your worst winter driving
ers when they would be leaving for the night, because he
this old cabin in the woods and then took our wives for a
experience?
planned on shooting them in the parking lot.
walk. When we got to the cabin, we had all the stuff going
Oh yeah. He also threatened to blow up the store.
for a nice dinner and fire to sit around into the evening. It
Senior Taylor Van Woerkom: “My first experience
This exchange freaked out the Best Buy crew members,
wasn’t on Valentine’s but that could work any time.”
happened when I hit the gas too fast and ended up sideways
who called the cops the first chance they got. Police reon the highway. I saw a semi coming and floored it into
sponded quickly, pulling Sar over near the intersection of
Spanish teacher Jason Noble: “Speak Spanish to your
the median, where I proceeded to sit and cry. My second
35th and Tower.
sweetie. Everything sounds beautiful in Spanish! They
incident happened with Nate Tvedt at the intersection
This wasn’t Sar’s first run-in with the boys and girls in
don’t call it a Romance language for nothing!”
of Main and Washington here in Pella where I did a 360
blue.
He’s reportedly been contacted by the APD no fewer
degree turn. While Nate burst out laughing, I burst into
than
six
times over traffic-related matters.
English teacher Marlo Van Peursem: “Don’t Date!
tears...again.”
In the end, Sar wound up not with a highly anticipated new
Don’t give in to media pressure and think you have to buy
something or do something on Valentine’s Day. Wait two
Senior Taeler Lanser: “I was driving on highway 163 last game, but a summons for disorderly conduct. Which probably wasn’t nearly as much fun.” (Denver Westword Blogs)
weeks and then everything will be half the price.”
year with my three younger siblings. I was getting on the
first Osky exit and swerved to miss a semi sitting on the
I love MW3 as much as the next guy, but this is pure inChoir director Tim Van Voorst: “I would suggest singing exit. As a result I did two 360’s. When my car came to a
sanity. Here are a few reasons why this guy might not be
to your valentine. It’s a fun and effective way to express
stop I looked up to see a semi heading for us, I quick sped
your feelings!”
off to the side of the road. My siblings reaction- ‘DO IT
your average gamer…
AGAIN!”
1. I’d probably go crazy too if my name was Loromin Sar.
Art teacher Joe Hoksbergen: “This may be terrible to
2. He threatened to blow up the building, but he still needs a
admit, but in college there were a few girls that I would
Senior Josh Wetter: “Once while backing out of my
5-kill streak to earn his Predator Missile.
greet by saying, ‘Hi, beautiful.’ It was just a way of keeping driveway, I accidentally did a mafia turn and it worked
3. What kind of person informs the staff that he will be killmy options open through shameless flattery. Also, girls
perfectly! I was so excited I tried it again with success.
ing them later? I’m not a murder expert, but I think you need
read into everything. I had a buddy who placed his foot
The third time I tried it, I ended up in the ditch, in my own to find a new career. Maybe try flipping burgers at your local
on the top of a girls foot while playing rook. She really
driveway.”
McDonalds.
read into it. Today, they’re married and have twins. As far
4. I don’t think he realizes he will still receive the game
as gifts go, my advice to students is this: it is profoundly
Junior Caleb Morgan: “I was driving home and hit ice
when they get more in. It’s not the end of the world (That
unwise to give an amazing gift early on in a relationship.
going around a corner. I slid into someone’s side yard and
comes with a tactical nuke).
She’ll come to expect this, and it’ll exhaust you living up to hit a pole. Blake Riggen happened to be driving behind me
5. He had 6 traffic violations? I think the game he was meanthose expectations. It’s best to give her mediocre presents
and helped push me out.”
ing to buy was Grand Theft Auto, not MW3.
6. And I thought Jordan Van Maanen was pumped for MW3!
Page 10 Eagle’s Cry
February 14, 2012
Pinterest: the home of imaginary weddings and do it yourself crafts
by Krista Fopma
krifop12@pceagles.org
Facebook, Twitter, Pandora, Stumbleupon, and Youtube are forms of social networking that teenagers can
spend hours wasting time on. All are great aids in the
procrastination that teachers and parents strive to eliminate from our lives. To add to this growing list, Pinterest
is the newest addiction for students.
To become a member on Pinterest, visit the site and request an invititation. Within a week the website will send
an email with the official invitation to sign up. Members
on Pinterest are free to create as many “boards” as they
wish. On these boards, members“pin” pictures and links
of anything interesting. Pins and boards are viewable by
Senior ACT
scores high
by Trisha Fopma
trifop13@pceagles.org
Senior year is halfway done, and 77 seniors have
now completed the ACT test. The test is very stressful,
but, according to guidance counselor Dan Van Kooten,
this year’s senior class has done a great job.
The average score for PC’s class of 2012 is 25.5.
The class of 2011 averaged 24.4, with the class of
2010 scoring 24.6, and 2009 scoring 25.1. The national average score last year was 21.1 and the state average was 22.3, so PCHS seniors are definitely on top.
“Eighteen seniors scored thirty or above. Out of the
77 that took it, that is pretty phenomenal,” said Van
Kooten. A perfect ACT score is 36.
Having a high ACT score is very beneficial. Van
Kooten said, “The ACT does a good job of measuring
how much a student knows about traditional school
subjects like math, science, English vocabulary, and
reading comprehension. For that reason, they are a
fair indicator of a student’s capacity to learn at a fouryear college. The ACT measures ‘school’ learning but
doesn’t measure hands-on or experimental learning as
well.”
Two seniors took the test more than five times, 16
took it three times, 41 took it two times, 18 took it
once, and 12 have not taken it.
friends and followers. Categories on Pinterest include
Hair & Beauty, Women’s and Men’s Apparel, Photography, Do It Yourself (DYI) Crafts, Recipes, Inspiring
Quotes, Sports, Outdoors, and many others.
Pinterest has practical uses such as crafts for nannying, delicious recipes for family meals, work outs to stay
fit, and for many senior girls, fun decorations for dorm
rooms next year.
Not always practical though, it is a place for many to
daydream. One member of Pinterest explained, “Pinterest:
Where women go to plan imaginary weddings, dress children that don’t exist, and decorate homes we can’t afford.”
Pinterest for girls can be compared to fantasy football for boys, where girls hopelessly dream of wedding
pictures and decorations, extraordinary vacations, clothing and accessories past budgets, and perfect hair. It’s a
fairytale life where nothing can go wrong.
Although many are guilty of letting the hours slip
away while “pinning,” Pinterest can create motivation,
like encouragement to start and continue fitness plans.
The belief that even those who don’t have any artistic
blood in them can accomplish the simple DYI ideas.
Finding inspiring quotes about life, as well as stories and
pictures that are sure to give everyone a laugh can lift
anyone’s mood.
In the craziness of all the buzz on the web, Pinterest
provides a website where one can sit, relax, and enjoy
for awhile.
Santorum on top of PC poll
by Shelby Nikkel
shenik12@pceagles.org
A recent poll of PC students revealed that the majority of high school voters would vote for Rick Santorum
in the 2012 election. Ron Paul came in 2nd, Barack Obama in 3rd, Newt Gingrich in 4th, and Mitt Romney,
surprisingly, received no votes among the high school voters.
Newt Gingrich
Ron Paul
Barack Obama
Rick Santorum
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Pella, IA 50219
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Page 11 Eagle’s Cry
February 14, 2012
Student calls for political reform
by Kate Van Gilst
katvan12@pceagles.org
Politics is a big issue to the citizens of the United States. Those involved in politics tend to get annoying with all their calls and commercials on TV when election
years come, but they hold a very important job in society today. God set the government in place to establish order; it holds the country together. A politician needs
the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month,
and next year, and then have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen.
A problem with politics today is the “talk” and no “action.” Every presidential
candidate says that they will lower taxes. Does it ever happen? They tell us they
will provide more jobs in our country, but they don’t know if they will or not until
they are in office.
People tend to accuse the President of not keeping his promises, and it seems as
if all candidates make promises they can’t keep in their campaigning process. Rick
Perry claimed that he would cut the Senate’s pay if they didn’t do what he wanted.
The President of the United States does not have the power to cut Senate’s pay.
Politicians need to worry less about beating the other person and focus more on
what is best for the US. If all politicians focused on that, the country would be in
better shape than it is right now.
Now, it sounds far-fetched because people are so used to hearing candidates
bash their opponent, but it would be a wonderful change to hear candidates tell
the people exactly what they plan to do without putting down the other candidates.
Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain got hit hard when the other candidates started to
bring up their past mistakes. There is only one answer to those people who blame
them for their personal history: God used a lot of different people with a lot more
baggage to lead His people.
God placed the government over us and Himself over the government. God’s
people are to respect and follow the leaders set in place by God. God set them in
place for a reason. Respect God by respecting the government.
Van Wyks welcome baby boy
by Mariah Eekhoff
mareek14@pceagles.org
Declan Dean, born January 9, is the infant son of Bible teacher Nate and Specialeducation teacher Nicole Van Wyk. He was 21.5 inches long and was born about a
week late, which explains his 8.58 pounds weigh-in.
“One of the craziest things about being a parent is just thinking, ‘that’s my kid! I created that!’ It’s so weird, but it’s awesome,” said Nate Van Wyk.
Musicians honored
by Allie Groenenboom
allgro13@pceagles.org
Nineteen band members and eight senior vocalists were honored recently.
The singers performed Thursday, Feb. 2, at the South Central Iowa Choral Directors Association at Newton High School. Instrumentalists performed in the Little
Hawkeye Conference Honor Band on Monday, Feb. 6, at Norwalk.
Although band director Ron Zwiers was unable to attend because of illness, the instrumentalists who performed enjoyed their time at the festival.
“It was a really fun bonding experience among instrumentalists from our
school,” said senior alto saxophone player Julia Jansen. “I enjoyed spending time
with people who care about music as much as we do, and the director was a lot
of fun.”
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Page 12 Eagle’s Cry
Februrary 14, 2012
New trend keeps PC students hydrated
by Trisha Fopma
trifop13@pceagle.org
Camelbak, Gatorade, and Powerade. These popular
water bottles can be seen being carried often at PCHS.
But what makes these water bottle choices so popular,
and what is the purpose of carrying a water bottle at
school?
Most students carry a water bottle to stay hydrated.
Junior Marissa Ferguson said, “I use one to hydrate.
If I don’t bring a bottle, I don’t drink water all day.”
Statistics show that 70% of school children drink no
water throughout the day (kidsource.com).
Senior Kayla De Bruin also commented, “Drinking
water is healthy, and when you bring a water bottle to
school, it is much easier to get the amount of water
you need each day.”
Sophomore Breanna Terpstra said she brings water
bottles so that she doesn’t have to ask to always go
to the drinking fountain. Junior Maddie Fopma uses
water bottles to ward off boredom in class.
The Camelbak brand bottle is the student choice
among various water bottles. Many students choose
this particular type of water bottle because it has a bite
valve, which makes drinking water fun, easier, and
spill-free. Comparing the Camelbak to other various
brands used at PCHS, such as Gatorade, Powerade,
Britia, and Cantigo, the Camelbak bottle is much more
popular among PCHS students.
Cool Photos
This space is for students to share their creativity through the pictures they take. Have a picture you would like to
submit to the Eagle’s Cry? Email it to Kylie Lamb at kyllam12@pceagles.org
photo by Hannah Van Gorp
Upcoming Events
by Allie Groenenboom
allgro13@pceagles.org
February
15-17
18
20
23
25
27-29
Spiritual Renewal Days
All-state Large Group Speech Festival
No school-Presidents’ Day
Individual speech peer review, 5:30 pm
Winter music concert, 7:00 pm
State Bowling Meet
District Individual Speech @ Oskaloosa
Girls State Basketball
March
1-3
Girls State Basketball
2
No school-teacher in-service
5-10
Boys State Basketball
9
End of third quarter
10
State Individual Speech @ Clinton
12-16 No school-Spring Break
19
Board meeting, 7:00 pm
21
Spring blood drive
23, 24 Spring play production
I Remember Mama, 7:00 pm
26
All-state Individual Speech @ UNI
27
Josten’s cap, gown, and announcement
delivery, 7:45-8:25 am
photo by Hannah Van Gorp
Specia l th a nks
to these supporters
of PCHS publications!
 Allen Family Dentistry
 Van Maanen, Sietstra & Meyer
 US Bank
 Van Gorp Corporation
 Oskaloosa Chropractic Clinic
 Jaarsma Bakery
 Eyecare Partners
 Pella Rental and Sales
 Titan Machinery
 Precision Pulley & Idler
 Central Cellular
 Town Crier
 Pella Glass and Home Improvement
De Vries Electric inc.
one progressive drive
Pella
628-1416
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