ECHOES Issue 3 | Volume 114October 2014

2014-15

ALECHOES.com

UpcomingEvents

The Independent Voice of Abraham Lincoln High School | Council Bluffs, Iowa | ALechoes.com

Nov. 20:

End of 1st trimester

Nov. 24

Start of 2nd trimester

Nov. 26-28:Thanksgiving Break

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month has come once again and the pink is out for October. The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) started in 1983 with 800 people participating in Dallas, Texas and then grew rapidly in 2002 with 1.3 million participating in over 100 US cities. NBCAM has come a long way and continues to raise money and bring more people involved each year. Breast cancer has affected many people’s lives worldwide as one in eight people could possibly be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. It’s also the second leading cause of deaths among women.

While rare, men can be diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Less than 1% in all breast cancer develops in males yet the tumor spreads just like female breast cancer, according to www.nationalbreastcancer.org. Newly hired Spanish Teacher Heather Hall has been diagnosed with this disease.

“The biggest effect is that I’m really tired and fatigued. Mostly during school hours after my chemo treatment, I’ve missed anywhere from five to seven days. So not only does it affect my school life but also my life at home,” Hall said. “The most important thing is to be positive. If you can be positive about it, than your body can fight the cancer better.”

Some risk factors that cause breast cancer are genetics, early menstruation at age 12, or late menopause at age 55. Student Alicia Steppuhn is a witness to an on-going fight of breast cancer in her family.

“She had was septic which is a deadly infection so we were really lucky to able to get past that point,” Steppuhn said.

Even though breast cancer is serious, it is hardly fatal. The probability of

dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 36 cases.

Susan G. Komen For the Cure has been a huge impact not only in the US, but in several countries worldwide. The inspiration behind the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, also known as Komen, was Susan G. Komen herself. She was born in 1943 and was diagnosed at age 33. She eventually died three years

later in 1980. Her sister, Nancy Goodman Brinker, promised Susanr that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer. Since then, Komen has spent $1.5 billion for breast cancer researching, education, health services, and support programs among the US.

From the help of Komen, NBCAM, and thousands of doctors, there have been many people that

have survived breast cancer. Breast cancer death rates have been dropping from the results of finding the cancer earlier along with better treatment. Two and a half million people in the US have survived from breast cancer. According to cancer.org, in 2014, 232,670 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed among U.S. women, while last year, there were 232,340 new cases.

Ethan ThomasReporter

Photo by Brittany Hutchens

Going pink for the cure

News2 EchoesNathan Vorce | News Editor

CB construction to help improve city

October 2014

America forming coalition against ISIS

iJAG class shows students life choices

Cities grow and improve by expanding roads, busi-nesses, and residential areas. Council Bluffs is currently working on all three. While it may be beneficial in the long run, construction causes problems for people that may be driving in the area.

Mayor Matt Walsh ex-plains that the initial esti-mated cost of Interstate 80 was at $375 million but has increased to a $1.4 billion project. It is being expanded from two lanes in each direc-tion to six. Half of the inner lanes will be for express trav-eling but the outer three will be for easier local routing.

“What that will allow you to do is get on at Madison Avenue and drive through Council Bluffs to Omaha without much traffic prob-lems on the interior lanes,” Walsh told the Echoes.

In conjunction with the reconstruction of the inter-state, some rail lines are being relocated away from the city. The track that runs parallel to South Expressway Street by Menards and Applebees will be rerouted to the back of the

Lake Manawa “power mall.” The track that is by Lewis Central will be consolidated to make the school area safer. The Highway 92 overpass is being expanded to accom-modate the train tracks being moved east underneath it.

The Metro Crossing

The terror group ISIS, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, has garnered attention in the past few months, conquering swaths of land in the Middle East.

Although steeped in re-cent military victory, ISIS is rooted in the al-Qaeda ter-rorist group. Its first leader, a Jordanian named Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, set up the Party of Monotheism and Jihad in 2003, in the wake of a U.S. led invasion of Iraq. Zar-qawi, part of the Sunni sect of the Islamic faith, used

the resentments of fellow Sunnis towards the Shiite population of Iraq. Zarqawi began a bombing campaign that reached the pinnacle of its destructiveness in Au-gust of 2003, when the Inam Ali Mosque was targeted in Najaf, the holiest shrine of Shiite worship in Iraq.

In 2004, Zarqawi at-tached his group to bin-Lad-en’s al-Qaeda, but two years later Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. airstrike. Devastated by the loss of their military and spiritual leader, members of Zarqawi’s group disintegrat-ed. The new prime minister of Iraq at the time, Nouri al-Maliki, enforced a new set of rules that barred Sunnis from important political offices

in Baghdad and even the Vice-President of Iraq was forced to flee the country.

This new set of rules and regulations gave Zar-qawi’s faded group new impetus. In 2011, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi became the new head of the organiza-tion, naming the group ISI, or the Islamic State of Iraq.

Also finding success in Syria, Baghdadi focused his attention on taking ter-ritory in his native Iraq. The result of the capture of the decisive city of Mo-sul in northern Iraq on June 9th, Baghdadi declared himself caliph, or spiritual leader of the Islamic State.

As the war machine of ISIS marches onward, ques-

tions have been raised re-garding the safety of the rest of the Levant and the possi-bility of a U.S. ground war.

“Yes, the bombing cam-paign has had a slow impact, but I think that it needs to continue. If it would come to a ‘boots on the ground’ situation, then I think the U.S. should be supported by other countries,” TAG Coor-dinator Sarah Steinmetz said.

Additionally, the execu-tion of Western journalists at the hands of ISIS militants has prompted much discussion.

“The execution of west-ern journalists is a hor-rible crime, of course, and it’s a tough decision to try to figure how to respond. The very reason why ISIS

conducts these beheadings is to see how much global outrage they can cause. So, in an ironic way, if we didn’t respond on the news and in the media, it might be a tactic that they would stop using,” Social Studies teacher Bryan Pregon said.

Beheadings perpetrat-ed by ISIS have elevated its status to a worldwide threat, argues English teach-er Carrie Booms-Ryan.

“The public behead-ings of journalists was hor-rifying and legitimizes Isis as not just a danger to Iraq and Syria, but to the world. Journalists are seekers and reporters of truth; ex-ecuting them shows not just their brutality, but that they

have no regard for truth.” Even as the coalition-

led air war of more than 60 countries continues to target ISIS targets, Pregon argues that more action is needed if ISIS is to be truly stopped.

“At this point, I feel like the coalition response has been effective in slow-ing down progress. But it’s inevitable that we will have troops involved in an operation to stop ISIS for good at some point.”

So, as strategic strikes against ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq continue, ISIS has managed to enter the Anbar province, near the Iraqi capi-tal of Baghdad, while con-tinuing an offensive against the besieged city of Kobane.

For students who have had trouble with the process of

getting and holding a job, there’s one education spe-cialist who can help ease

the hassle. Since 2005, Beth Keenan has been the teacher for the elective iJAG, and now welcomes her tenth year of teaching this class at Abra-ham Lincoln. iJAG stands for Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates, and exists state-wide with the main focus of being able to eliminate the thought of dropping out in students. In the class, stu-dents can utilize a series of curriculum resources useful

in helping to secure a job. Some of the skills include: building a résumé, complet-ing applications, interviews and appearance, time man-agement, communication, re-

signing, and so much more. Education is also provided by speakers from different colleges or organizations that present to the class and focus on obstacles and how one

shopping area with be get-ting a few new stores in the next couple months, the biggest being a Dick’s Sporting Goods that will be built adjacent to Target. Its expected opening is sum-mer 2015. Additionally,

Calab HolderBusiness Manager

Hailey CarsonReporter

Audrey HaysReporter

could make it past as well. Throughout the year

there is a requirement that each class participates in 15 hours of community service. For the year previous iJAG’s worked the coffee/cocoa shop set-up in the concession stand area every Wednesday. Growing ideas for this year involve other things such as: stocking stuffers for veter-ans, treating children of less-er fortune on a trip to the zoo, and joining with other class-es to put on one big sale. This trimester, juniors and seniors are starting to think about the responsibility that comes with growing up. Junior Leann Capel has connected with the opportunity iJAG has offered this trimester.

“It’s actually helped me consider what I want to do in the future,” Capel said. “iJAG really got me think-ing about what I could do,

not what I’d want to pursue.” With iJAG help-

ing a few students to get their life on track, senior Brittney Sales relished in what the class provides.

“I like the teamwork required for this elec-tive. A lot of the choices made in iJAG are all from students,” Sales said. “I like that independence.”

On top of the freedom and decisions by the stu-dents, senior Luz Villarreal enjoys the class as a whole.

“Its a diversity of people and on days there are strug-gles but we all get along and its great to just be surrounded by a positive group of peo-ple,” Villarreal said. “Espe-cially a supportive teacher.”

If one is looking for teamwork, job experi-ence, college opportuni-ties, etc; iJAG might be the class to not overlook.

plans for a small, four bay strip have been approved and are now in the works.

Google has about 2,400 workers helping expand their server farm. Designing as they go, they have buildings whose plans change almost daily. The business scheme is

kept secret to avoid compet-itors finding out their plans.

Coming soon are two residential subdivisions, a smaller one that has 48 apartments and larger with 307. A new cold storage warehouse is on the draw-ing board and the city will see expansions in the food service businesses.

“Right now is a relatively expensive time to build in Coun-cil Bluffs,” Walsh said.

In the long run, Walsh predicts the projects should bring in potential property value and either hold or lower property taxes. For the moment though, chang-ing roads due to construc-tion should be travelled carefully to avoid acci-dents and minimize time.

“There’s always a little confusion on the road,” Walsh said. “As these construction proj-ects go on it’s important that people slow down and be aware of what‘s going on around them.”

“As these construction projects go on, it’s important that people slow down and be aware of what’s going on around them.” -Matt Walsh, Mayor

Photo by Nathan Vorce

Arts &Entertainment 3Echoes Kendal Bainbridge | A&E page editorOctober 2014

Photo by Don Vinkenburg

Tanner HochstetlerReporter

Taylor Daughtery Reporter

What’s better than watching ones friends for entertainment? Practically nothing. Friends and peers are what entertain us the most. People constantly hang out with their friends and make each other laugh. This year for the annual school play the students are per-forming “Antigone” and they are excited for you to see it.

“I’m excited,” sopho-more Eboni Fisher said. “It’s a fun play to be in.”

The play features five main characters, all of which are very important to the events that take place.

“Antigone, her sis-ter Ismene, Creon the new King and his son Haemon. The mother of Haemon, Eu-rydice, is important too,”

explains Director/Drama Teacher Steve Mandelko.

Makenna Murray, sophomore, is the lead in the school play. She has the role of Antigone and it seems that she enjoys it.

“I didn’t expect to be the lead, but I can really connect with her and it’s fun being up on stage,” Murray said.

As a director and teach-er, Mandelko might be under some stress. It turns out that it isn’t the case.

“It is fun to work with the students in a setting that isn’t as ‘strict’ as the class-room can be,” Mandelko said. “It is fun to watch the performers grow and im-prove as the show starts to come together. Getting the props, costumes, set, public-ity and other stuff in order

to make the show whole is stressful, but I have great help from my technical the-atre students.”

Stress might be a com-mon theme throughout the students as they prepare for the play too. Although it seems that it is nonexistent in the auditorium for some students.

“We’re like family. We have to stick together in or-der for the play to work,” Eboni Fisher said.

The school play can be a fun activity for every one of all different ages. The play runs Thursday, Nov. 6 through Nov. 8. Tickets cost $5 for students and $7 for adults. Come and watch some of our beloved student body perform and see it be-fore it is antiGONE.

Dracula: Un-told is a new film that in-volves the no-torious vam-

pire Dracula. The Sultan of Turkey trains merciless boys into soldiers for their army. One boy is Vlad the Impaler, who ends up escaping Tur-key and eventually becomes the Prince of Transylvania. To protect his country and army, he seeks out a master vampire who bestows his power unto him. This power only lasts three days until it wears off or he can decide to drink the blood of a human to keep his power.

The overall story seemed bland and it seemed that it was way too simple, even though it is based on Dracula by Bram Stoker. They only used two names that match from the original book: Dracula and Mina. The producers and actors also did not follow the storyline; a bold mistake that cost them good reviews. When it comes to aligning the events in the movie and the book Dracula, there is a huge plot gap where the movie basically gives

no notice to Bram Stoker’s book whilst still claiming it’s “based” on the novel.

In the movie, Dracula is “gone” after a certain scene (for reasons unspoken) and then returns in the mod-ern age. How did all of the events in the book unfold? Unless Dracula can make copies of himself, the movie utterly rambles on with a horribly mediocre storyline, terrible acting, and sub-par CGI. Jonathan Harker, from Dracula the book, did not even discover the mysterious Count nor question his daily activities including meal plan, his other “family mem-bers” and acquaintances, and to top it off Dracula did not even die by Helsing’s hands while sparing Harker’s fian-cee Wilhelmina “Mina” Mur-ray. The story of Van Helsing (acting for Helsing by Hugh Jackman) tracks the story of Dracula better than this 2014 piece of modern crap. Talk-ing about the “three vampire sisters”, and hunting down Dracula actually match with the story. Granted Van Hels-ing did have its own twist, it didn’t mock or ruin the time-less legend of vampires.

There are tons of other inaccuracies in the movie as well. For example: Vlad The Impaler was prince of Wal-

lachia rather than Transylva-nia. Also, the Sultan of Tur-key was a child at the time and punished him in 1462 rather than 20 years earlier. This movie is more of a mod-ern myth than the so called untold story of the legendary Dracula. Including costumes, props, script, and historical mentions: this movie sucks... (blood).

There seems to be a huge trend in movies where they show the most action-packed and engrossing scenes in the trailers of the movie. Then the movie is crammed with filler, lack-luster story, and 2 scenes that are barely captivating. Transformers 4, Sin City: A Dame To Kill For, 300: Rise Of An Empire and the bomb of the year: Live. Die. Re-peat (which was previously known as Edge Of Tomorrow but had to be renamed due to poor sales). Usually the Mar-vel franchises are great over-all so those are safe. You can always check movie reviews at IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes. They give accurate reviews and full feedback about the movies. Before you, the moviegoer, go to see a movie that looks amazing: do some background research and see if your money is worth the experience.

Students retell story of Antigone

‘Dracula Untold’ disappointsLogan Erwin

Circulation Manager

Smash Bros offers gamers new challenge

A new installment in a popular game series has rolled into battle.

That game is “Super Smash Bros” for the Nintendo 3DS. This edition is the first to be on a handheld system while its console counterpart comes out later this holiday season. The release of this game has been anticipated by

fans since its announcement during the summer of 2011, but many gamers might be wondering if the purchase is worth it or if it’s the same version that’s already out there.

For those unfamiliar with the franchise, Super Smash Bros is a game where the characters from various Nintendo video games battle each other. All the recogniz-able characters from series such as Mario, Pokemon,

Kirby, and Zelda fight in stages or arenas based off of the game’s worlds. The ob-ject of the game is to knock other players offscreen by building up damage either with button combinations or using weapons and powerups based off of their various game items.

Players who do know the series will see both new and returning features. Along with the characters that have appeared in the previous in-

stallments, some new ones were added for the first time such as Little Mac from the Punch Out series and the Wii Fit Trainer. Over the years, a few non-Nintendo characters have appeared as well. Sonic The Hedgehog joins again after being a participant in the previous installment, as Pac-Man and Mega Man join for the first time. There is now an option to customize character’s abilities.

Due to it being on a

handheld, some aspects of the game are different. For multiplayer rounds, for in-stance, only one player can play the 3DS at a time. One player hosts a server for other systems to join. There is an option to play locally with others around you or you can play online with other play-ers around the world. The controls are very smooth and previous players will feel at home. For being moved to a handheld, the controls are

very similar to its console brethren. If they don’t suit your fancy, there is always the option to change the lay-out.

Super Smash Bros For 3DS is a great addition to the series. It’s similar enough to previous installments to be recognizable but it’s different enough to be fresh and stand out. With all the unlockable and customizable content, it will take a while for fans to become tired with this game.

Fresh take on the fall season dessert

Kelly Hickey

Anthony RuizReporters

Total Prep Time: Approx. 1 hour 25 min

Crust

How to make homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe courtesy of Chris Hochstetler

Crust-2 ½ cups All pur-

pose flour-1 stick shortening-1 tsp salt-3 Tbsp ice water-Wax paperFilling-1 can 100% raw

pumpkin -2 Eggs-1 can sweetened

condensed milk-2 tsp cinnamon-½ Cups regular

sugar-1 tsp ground nut-

meg-1 tsp pumpkin pie

spiceCinnamon sticks

(optional)

Finished Product

Preparing Crust: Preheat oven to exactly 350 degrees. In a me-dium sized bowl mix together 2 ½ cups flour and 1 tsp salt for the crust. Gently fork 1 stick shortening into salt and flour mixture. The clumps of shortening should be the size of a pencil eraser. Add ice water into mixture 1 tablespoon at a time.Toss together with fork until dough comes together. Using 2 pieces wax paper approximately 2 feet long each, press pie crust between wax paper until evenly thin. With a 9 inch pie pan measure the dough sheet, it should be slightly bigger than the pan. Slowly and gently peel off top layer of wax paper and set pie pan on top of dough sheet. Grabbing the pan and crust, carefully flip dough over. Using your thumbs gently press dough into

Photos by Tanner Hochstetler

pan.Slowly and gently peel off final layer of wax paper. Press dough into sides and bottom of the pie pan. Remove any extra dough on crust. Using a fork lightly poke small holes in bottom to prevent bubbling and press fork on crust to create a decorated design. Preparing Filling: In a large bowl combine raw pumpkin, egg and sweetened condensed milk. In a small bowl combine 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ½ cups sugar, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Using an electric mixer on the lowest setting, beat together raw pumpkin, egg, and condensed milk. Slowly add in cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice mixture. Slowly pour filling into pie shell until pie is almost full. Bake pie at 350 de-grees for 60 minutes. Decorate. (optional). Allow pie to cool. Enjoy!

Feature4 5Spread Designed By Jessi Borwick and Don VinkenbergOctober 2014

As the temperature drops and the leaves change colors, fall fun begins to take over. From fashion to flavors to favorite fall activities, students are embracing all that autumn has offer.

Like the leaves changing, so does the wardrobe of many students. Colors inspired by the autumn pallet appear in outfits throughout the community.

According to Junior Katelyn Schwindt, she likes wearing sweaters and scarves because she likes to be warm amid this chilly autumn.

“[Sweaters are] really comfortable, warm, and make my outfit cuter. I like to accessorize with scarves,” sophomore Elizabeth Ponce said.

Besides changes in fashion, new flavors of foods and beverages begin to take the stage in the fall. All things pumpkin seem to be the most popular flavor this fall.

Pumpkin spice can be found in everything from Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks to Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Doughnuts at Krispy Kreme. This year, there are even Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows and Pumpkin Spice Oreos.

“I like how it [Pumpkin Spice Lattes] reminds me of fall. You can taste the spices in the drink. It smells good and reminds me that the fall is coming,” sophomore Andrea Milstead said.

Pumpkin Spiced flavored foods pave the way for fall’s favorite holiday--Halloween. Trick-or-treating remains popular for teens, although there’s some discussion on when one is too old to continue the tradition.

“Never [stop trick-or-treating]. Free candy, holla,” Schwindt said.

Whether students are passing out candy to trick-or-treaters or trick-or-treating for it themselves, everyone seems to have a favorite. Schwindt prefers Kitkats. “They’re

good,” she said. “They make my tongue feel great and my taste buds enjoy them.”

Some students celebrate Halloween in other ways. Costume parties, attending haunted houses, and watching Halloween movies are popular activities.

“My favorite Halloween movie is the one that plays on Disney, ‘Halloweentown’,” freshman Katelyn Spurgeon said. “It’s a really good one.”

Many people favor horror movies because they like a good scare. Senior Maddie Kinney enjoys horror movies because she likes to get scared and they make her adrenaline pump. She also like how different they are from other movies.

A few take horror to a new level by visiting haunted houses. Some of the haunted houses available in our area include Scary Acres, Mystery Manor, The Shadows Edge, and Ranch of Terror. Prices range from $12 to $20 for most of these haunts.

Haunted Hollow, a slightly

Emma SeilstadReporter

Students expressing themselves in fall fashionsdifferent venue, is a haunted theme park at 120th and Old Giles Road. According to their website, the park was built with one thing in mind, to give patrons a scary night of mystery and entertainment in the fall.

“After talking to many people, we learned that it was the same comment,” their website states. “Haunted houses were a long wait in line, a tour of an attraction, and then you were done. So we decided to give more.”

They now have over 20 attractions including the Island of the Dolls, Redneck Roller Coaster and Heartbeat Suspended Bridge. People can even choose to be buried alive.

Fall and fun seem to go hand in hand. Students can throw on a costume, trick-or-treat, take in a scary movie, or if they’re feeling truly adventurous, be buried alive, all the while nibbling on Pumpkin Spice Oreos. How can all the other seasons possibly compete?

All pictures by Jessi Borwick

Opinion6 EchoesDani Rambo | Opinion Editor

Never ending rush of horror moviesAll for the thrill of horrorScary movies? No thanks

Teen mom balancing parenting, schooling

One word to describe parenting at any age is expensive. The cost of formula for the month is roughly around $200. For 180 diapers, it costs $45. Wipes are $25. Babies also grow very rapidly, so I am

always having to get her new outfits because she outgrows her clothes so quickly. Toys and bath supplies are expensive too. Anything that I want or would like to have has to wait until all of her necessities are bought.

Time, time, and more time. I can’t just get up and go whenever I want to. I have to make sure she’s appropriately dressed for the weather, make sure she has her diapers, wipes, three extra outfits, food, bottles, spoons, and many other things packed in her diaper bag. I have to take time to make sure she is secure in her carseat. I have to plan ahead when making

doctors appointments for my daughter. Especially because she has to go more often because she got very sick when she was younger and now has breathing issues. I have to get up earlier even when I don’t want to. No matter what time I go to bed I am always tired in the morning. I also have to take time out of everyday to give her one on one attention that she needs. It could be to read her a book, play toys with her, or even making silly faces for an hour. Babies deserve and need a lot of attention from their parents.

School is probably the most difficult for me. Not only I, but my daughter

dislikes it when I leave in the mornings for school. I worry about her constantly and always think the worst. That’s just what a parent does. This school year is probably the best year I have had so far because my grades are the best they have been in a long time. I have to make time to do homework even if I have to multi-task. It’s difficult to concentrate in school when you have a child and you worry about them.

As I have said before, every decision I make affects my daughter and myself. This goes for any parent at any age. I got into some trouble last year in April and looking back on that, I feel so stupid

because when I made that bad decision, I didn’t think through about how it would affect my daughter. I have learned from my mistakes and moved on. That’s what parenting is. It’s making mistakes and learning from them as you raise a child.

I personally love being a mother. I never knew I could love a human being so much until my daughter was first placed in my arms. My daughter has made me a better and wiser person than what I was two years ago. You not only teach your child to do new things, but you teach yourself in the process as well. You and your child discover things you never

thought you could. You make faces to your child that you wouldn’t do for anyone else in the world. I am dedicated to raising my child and being the best teen parent that I can be.

I am not here to glorify teen pregnancy or being a teen parent. I don’t agree nor disagree with it. When you bring a child into this world, you are bringing yourself into the real world. This is my everyday life as a teen mother. It’s difficult, tiring and stressful. But from my point of view my daughter is worth the extra hours. I am dedicated to raising my child and being the best teen parent I can be.

Title IX helping prevent sexual assault

You may be familiar with the “No More” or “It’s on Us” campaigns through their recent PSA’s. Each of

these organizations brings awareness to and are trying to prevent sexual violence, particularly on college campuses.

Prior to entering college, I rarely heard about Title IX. I feel that it is important that during your time in high school you understand what it is about other than the vague mentions of it in textbooks and in regards to only athletics.

Title IX is apart of the Education Amendments of 1972. It is a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in all educational programs and

activities. When this law was enacted it helped women get through the doors of higher education. Today, it requires colleges to handle reports of sexual assault, harassment

and violence fairly and promptly. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, “1 in 4 women and 1 in 33 men have been sexually assaulted.”

Earlier this year, you may have heard in the news about the list of colleges that are under Title IX investigations by the US Department of Education. This is

because those colleges had complaints in regard to violating victim’s rights to creating a hostile learning environment. According to otherfreshman15.org,

Lauren MyersEchoes Forever 2013

Hayley LeeGuest Columnist

Nathan VorceCo-Editor-in-chief

Don VinkenbergGraphic Design Editor

I always have been a fan of scary movies and I always will be. When it comes time for Halloween

what is the first thing that comes to mind? Horror movies and scary things. At least that is what comes to my mind. I mean, who doesn’t love Halloween? One month out of the year to watch the intense, bloody, scariest movies of the year. I am a very huge fan of horror

movies. Halloween is my favorite time of the year, not for the candy or the parties, but for the movies that come out. The horror and scare that you get out a movie is so good.

The thing I love most about the movies is the music. I am a big music person so I pay attention to the music in the movies more than your everyday person. The suspenseful, scary, creepy background music is so cool to listen to and it makes the movie for scary than it already was supposed to be. You know that a jump scare or a scary scene is about to happen when all noise disappears and the music gets louder and more creepy than it already was. I love those moments. I know it’s coming but I still don’t expect it to happen then after I get scared and the rush goes through my body is the feeling I live for in horror movies. One of my favorite times to see a horror movie is to go watch it in a movie theatre. The lights are off and you get to see people hide

their faces and jump during scary scenes and at the end they still loved it and want to see it again.

One of my favorite horror movies is the classic “Nightmare On Elm Street.” When the kids fall asleep Freddy comes into their dreams and kills them. Whatever happens to the kids in the dream happens to their real body. So what would you do? You can’t stay awake forever and no one is safe no matter where you sleep. Freddy is a great example of a horror character. He has a really bad past and was burned to death in the factory he made because people didn’t want it there. Now Freddy came back to get revenge for what they done. With torn clothes, burned skin and scars everywhere, a hand that has been replaced with knifes. If you don’t think that this sounds like an amazing horror character than you are missing out. If you haven’t seen “Nightmare On Elm Street” I highly recommend you do if you want a good scare.

There are many things in this world I don’t think I will ever understand: middle school, the hype of starbucks’ coffee, and why people pay to watch horror movies, to name a few. I’m no fan of horror movies, (or coffee) and I fail to see what motivates people to go sit in a theatre, or on their couches, and watch a movie that makes them desecrate their pants, and then lay in bed for hours later that night, pondering the horrific images they have witnessed on the big screen.My first problem with horror movies is the infamous jump scares. I don’t know what about them really frightens me, but I’ll admit, they catch me by surprise, despite my ability to see them coming a mile away. Here’s a simple guide for anyone who hasn’t seen a horror movie; In the daytime, nothing happens. But in the nighttime, all hell breaks loose and who knows

what is popping out at you from the abyss. Honestly, if you took the nighttime scenes away from a horror movie, most of them would be charming tales about families, or happy stories between friends. The movie “Sinister” is an excellent example of this, and is one of the few horror movies I’ve actually watched, and the only one I’ve seen in a theatre.While I was watching Sinister, I initially found the movie tolerable, as the “scary” content of the movie doesn’t appear until later. When that time came, however, I excused myself to the food area, where I purchased a pretzel. I then spent half an hour eating it until the movie was about over, and then reluctantly made my way back to the movie just in time to see one final jump scare, which effectively delayed my sleep an hour later that night. Now it should be noted that I don’t mind intense, mildly gross action movies. I actually find most of them

entertaining, depending on how they’re made. I don’t have the opportunity to see many movies, but when I do get the chance, I go watch either an action movie to get the adrenaline rushing, or something comical that

I can make bad jokes and references about for the next year.So when I get invited to go out to see the midnight release of a new horror movie, I think I’ll pass up that opportunity to do something more productive and useful with my money and time.

“sexual assault can be more frequent during the first fifteen weeks of school and a majority of cases, the victim knows the attacker.”

This statistic isn’t to instill fear in you if college is a part of your future plans. It is to bring awareness to an underreported issue on college campuses. Many colleges, have taken steps in regards to Title IX to help make their campuses a more healthier and safer environment. A few of those steps happen to be implementing or revising policies, adding a Title IX coordinator to the campus,

or establishing and offering on-campus groups of confidential, trained sexual assault advocates.

Although, we are making progress, we are still a long way from solving this problem. Even though this column mainly focused on college campuses, sexual violence doesn’t discriminate and can take many forms. That’s why it is important to break stereotypes surrounding it, educate ourselves about it, learn ways to prevent it as well as ways take action for change and let survivors be aware that they deserve to be heard.

“1 in 4 women and 1 in 33 men have been sexually assaulted.”- Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network

ECHOESEditors-in-Chief

Jessi BorwickNathan Vorce

Section EditorsDani Rambo

Kendal BainbridgeWill Schademann

Graphic Design EditorDon Vinkenberg

Visual Reporting SpecialistTanner Hochstetler

Business ManagerCalab Holder

Circulation Manager Logan Erwin

ReportersKelly HickeySean Veazie

Hailey CarsonAlyssa ClaytonAudrey HaysJake PetersonEthan ThomasAnthony Ruiz

E-Tube ProducersTaylor Daugherty

Ali McDougleBreana RochaEmma Seilstad

Los EcosFrancisca Aguilar-Padilla

Edwin LopezRicardo LopezRaquel LopezJuan Nunez

AdviserGerry Appel

The Echoes is published by the newspaper staff at Abraham Lincoln High School, and exists to serve as an open forum for the students, faculty, administration and community.

All state and federal laws regarding the publications of student materials shall apply, and the Echoes will not publish materials which also fall under the guidelines established by the Council Bluffs Public Schools system, and are deemed libelous, obscene, or a material and substantial disruption to normal classroom activities.

The views expressed are not those of the Council Bluffs Public Schools, faculty, or administration.

Any student, faculty, or staff member wishing to contribute materials will need to submit a letter to the editor within deadline restriction; however, final publications is at the discretion of the staff. Letters to the editor are encouraged, and must be 400 words or less in length and signed; letters will be printed as received. Every attempt will be made to verify the authenticity of the author and no anonymous letters will be published.

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Opinion 7Echoes Dani Rambo | Opinion Editor

Staff Editorial

Lynx unite for loss of classmate

Trick or treating has no age limit

October, the month everyone rushes to get a perfect stash of assorted candies and the spookiest or kookiest costumes to either scare or follow in Halloween’s biggest tradition; trick or treating.

Once introduced to this worldwide event, the fascination of going door to door for just some candy, became a part of me. As high school neared; the holiday I first adored passed into the hands of the next generation. Being somewhat normal I fought for the right to stretch this piece of childhood memory that needed reevaluated so everyone during Halloween could enjoy in the fun and mystery. I questioned countlessly why different age groups were able to experience such a well-known tradition while when you would reach above a tween and beyond; the line was marked. Even though the older one becomes gains responsibility and usually that responsibility leads to having a job, meaning

money, would that even be considered the same thrill when ringing up candy that will later be consumed by you?

There’s a significance of the candy that is provided by others and it’s one of the gifts of my childhood I’m glad I didn’t forget. The connection that forms between the trick or treater and the hand that delivers the sweets that filled half a pillow case, acts stronger than a friendship that’s lasted for years. If only the people of my age and up were allowed to participate, things would continue on the same. Sadly, as a substitute there came the option for teens, adults, and Grandparents too could enjoy a copied version of the tradition with costume parties. They may cover

most of the sugar cravings but bobbing for apples just doesn’t cut it for me.

Trick or treating has changed over many generations and has slowly became the face of Oct. 31. When searching for costumes, your creativity can bring out who you really would like to be, including things you dream. Imagine just escaping all the problems you’ve dealt with months prior or even current hard times. To become a not of this world alien, creature, or princess, your regular reality based life can take a day off for a night. Of bizarre, original or bum costumes that were me, not only was there joy of the candy, but joy for who would see me. During the fun of trick or treating you may have

forgotten the people who turn on their porch lights and offer pre purchased candy to please you. Have you ever wondered if there was a reason why they stood out every year during those few hours? I have, and to me, that represents a higher form of love. This kind of love gets more under your skin when for many years it is welcomed what is shared and that’s what I hope you can miss when it comes time to fully grow up.

Even though you slowly age, everyone is still a child and Halloween will never go. When there’s a time once a year to be someone else, it should be embraced until you can no longer embrace it yourself.

Where words fail; music speaks

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” This quote said by Berthold Auerbach

is the very well expressed truth in which I believe so subjectively that it creates new meaning to my life on a rare occurrence. Music, is a form of self expression in which the artist(s) hope is to stir emotions within the listening audience that they themselves felt while they were performing or recording it. They want a person to feel it within themselves, to experience it in full; to travel alongside within those soulful and creativity impassioned tunes.

Music has always had the ability to transfer a person from one disposition unto the next; to many different worlds and opulent

but strange dimensions, in a matter of notes, rhythms and symphonic chords that strike the soul. At least that is how it has always been for me. Music has always been a way for me to escape the harsh reality that comes with a “cliche teenage life” that we all seem to think we live within (although it is normally not even close to the truth whatsoever.) Music gives my life a bit of value and brightens any tarnishes that I have gained along my merry way.

“A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.” Said by Leopold Stokowski, this is a reminder

to me of times when I just needed the simplicity of escape from the astuteness of life; which was thus granted by the insatiable need to fill the silence by rhythmic harmony. Music counteracts and cleanses the cacophony of noises from everyday life and thoroughly lets me be alone in my own little circle of creativity and sound that keeps me sane, breaking a mind of self induced solitary confinement; it makes me feel less alone. When times are rough for the people of the earth it allows earthen bodies escape to a place that they have never experienced before.

“Earworms” as some

people or groups could call them, posses many valuable contributions to everyday life which as it happens, include the power of healing, bringing upon the listener a renewed reasoning towards their own life. It can make miserable people brighter and perhaps ecstatic, having the uncanny ability to lighten any mood, and has even been said to help unstable patients (or patients in general) to improve themselves and their ability to react to things by listening to their most preferred music. This makes me an adherent believer in the remarkable capabilities of music.

Audrey HaysReporter

Kendal BainbridgeA&E editor

On behalf of the Echoes staff, we want to extend

a very heartfelt thank you to the administration and staff with their appropriate and helpful response to the incident that has occurred earlier this month. We believe that the correct measures were taken to ensure proper safety, and to make students feel as comfortable as possible. There were people available for students and staff to talk through this difficult time.

To help students that were close to both families; an emergency advisement was provided so students could come together in their groups to discuss how they felt during the occurring events, and to be there for one another and to come together to help each other get through this hard time. Many people have a multitude of different stages for grieving and show their emotions in an array of different ways. Counselors

were also made available over the weekends following the event for students that needed to talk more about the situation. As a reminder, if there happens to be a specific teacher students would feel comfortable with, students can schedule a meeting and through via e-mail help is available for all students. Help will always be provided by the school staff for any student in need to talk.

For those that need some guidance about what happened all teachers and counselors would be more than happy to talk and to provide support and insight. There were many news stories about what happened with our classmates and the facts have been laid out before us, alongside with all the rumors that have been booming around lately. To show our support as a school Lynx United t-shirts were made, and many staff members have purchased

them. Now we know some of

you are probably wondering why the Echoes isn’t covering the incident specifically. We are not covering this incident directly because we do not want this to become an

occurrence that divides the school; because as a school we should come together as one for the grief of both people and the families involved. In addition, these events have already been thoroughly covered by other

news outlets and therefore we do not feel the need to add to the grief that has already been taking place.

Thank you to all those that worked to bring us together as one school, and one community.

Sports 8Echoes Will Schademann | Sports Editor October 2014

What’s your superstition?

NFL dealing with domestic violence incidents

Jake PetersonReporter

Domestic violence has become prominent in our nation’s sports.

Not only is there violence happening within the sport itself, but it’s also occurring outside sport life. Some blame football itself for the violence, but others claim that it’s not the sport, it’s something deeper.

Domestic violence is a crime that occurs when an individual behaves in a way in which they act out in a physical manner and it usually results in the injury of another individual. According to the University of Michigan’s website, if violence happens more than once or twice it will happen again. The National Football League (NFL) is a prime example of domestic violence. According to a database created by USA Today, 85 of the 713 arrests of NFL players involved domestic violence since 2000. Ray Rice (Ravens), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), and Ray McDonald (49ers) are all NFL football players

that have been arrested for violence, and all occurred outside of the sport. Ray Rice allegedly assaulted his wife Janay, Ray McDonald allegedly engaged in an altercation with his fiancee, and Adrian allegedly abused his son, but pleaded not guilty. Peterson is also facing further allegations against him for marijuana. “There’s domestic violence everywhere, but just because they’re star athletes doesn’t change the fact that they’re still people,” junior Hunter Hale said. Violence within the NFL is not only a current issue, it has occurred in past years. Award winning, record setting, and Hall of Fame inductee athlete

“We all eat together.”-Freshman,

Austin Webster

“We do putting, chipping, and practice swings before meets.”

-Senior,Jacob Titus

“We have stretching routines and everyone high fives the runners.”

-Junior,Breanna Waugh

Fantasy football offering excitement

Tanner HochstetlerReporter

Fa n t a s y foo tba l l --it’s a way of s h o w i n g that you

know something about football, but not just ordinary things, you know a ton about football, whether if it’s learning about the players you are playing against or with, injury status, team matchups, etc.

It was a rough start to the NFL fantasy football season; the top 5 draft picks which were LeSean McCoy, Eddie Lacy, Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles, and Matt

Forte, and all of them were busts. LeSean McCoy was subpar, Eddie Lacy has had a tough time finding the cutback lanes, Adrian Peterson is suspended, Jamaal Charles has been haunted by the injury bug, and Matt Forte hasn’t been getting the touches like everyone thought he would. Senior Deryck Richardson believes the same thing. “They were overrated, but they will probably improve as the season goes along,” Richardson said.

However, there have been some sleepers this season thus far: Andrew Luck, Julio Jones, Julian Edelman, Jerick McKinnon, Philip Rivers, Matt Asiata, etc.

Russell Wilson is perhaps the most reliable quarterback in the league because of very

few turnovers he makes.Even Teddy Bridgewater has gained some relevance at

times. Senior Daniel Bonner likes another outstanding quarterback.

“Aaron Rodgers has

OJ Simpson was in court in 1995 for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, but was found not guilty. Simpson was later found guilty and convicted in 2008 for a 2007 crime. He kidnapped and robbed two sports memorabilia dealers at a Las Vegas Hotel. He’s currently behind bars at the Lovelock Correctional Center located in Reno, Nevada.The NFL is taking steps to prevent further occurrences from happening. According to CNN, the NFL is advocating a new policy. The new policy suspends a player for their first offense and bans a player for life for their second offense.

“There are parts of the NFL that should be involved in the incidents, but if it’s not a job related issue they shouldn’t be concerned about it,” science teacher Jeremy Dawson said. Some think that the violence occurs because of what happens on the field. Often times referees must break up fights or dog piles on the field. The high octane testosterone pumping impact of banging each other on the field may be a factor that plays a role in the violence. Football players grow up around the full contact sport, and sometimes their first mental instinct is to act out in a physical manner rather than passively. Recent studies

also suggest that football athletes generally grow up in low income populations. “It goes back to the way they were raised, it’s bad that these athletes are under spotlights they should take care of themselves better because they know that they should be role models,” assistant football coach Chris Moore said. The month of October is devoted to Breast Cancer Awareness, but also Domestic Violence Awareness. National sports organizations are taking a stand against violence in sports. Policies are in effect that weren’t even proposed 20 years ago, and situations are being handled professionally.

Photos by Don Vinkenberg

been passing the ball really, really well,” Bonner said.

Head girls track coach

and Green Bay Packers fan Traci Stoop agrees.

“Aaron Rodgers is probably the best quarterback

in the league, him and Jordy Nelson work so well together, and if he keeps throwing to Nelson he won’t have any problems,” Stoop said.

Running backs have been fairly disappointing this season thus far, it was expected to be one of the strongest running back seasons in a long time and it turns out so far it has been one of the weakest. NFL run defenses are getting better and it has clearly shown statistically.

The wide receiver position has been pretty good with impressive performances from players such as Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Cordarrelle Patterson, for example.

TE have been somewhat strong this season so far. Vernon Davis however has been haunted with lower

body injuries, Coby Fleener though has done adequate, Julius Thomas has done well, and Niles Paul even has seen quite a bit of action.

Even the kickers have been doing well! Although, Matt Prater the kicker for the Denver Broncos, was suspended for the first four games and now playing for the Detroit Lions after he was dropped by the Broncos, other kickers have been stepping up. Blair Walsh of the Minnesota Vikings has been fantastic this season, putting up 17 fantasy pts. alone in the game against the Atlanta Falcons. Justin Tucker has been outstanding, and Stephen Gostkowski has proven himself once again.

No matter the position or player, fantasy football continues to sharpen fans’ knowledge of the game.

“Aaron Rodgers is probably the best quarterback in the league, him and Rodgers work so well together, and if he keeps throwing to Nelson he won’t have any problems.”-Traci Stoop, Girls track coach