German Club offers immersive opportunities for students
Tyler Newman, Reporter
December 9, 2018
German Club at West High offers opportunities to explore the world of German culture and heritage while allowing students to partake in a variety of activities such as studying language, throwing cultural parties and playing board games. The club meets every Monday in Room 209 and is run entirely by...
Band department hosts trivia fundraiser
Aiden Rushing, Reporter
December 4, 2018
On Friday, Nov. 30 band trivia night was held at the American Legion to raise money for the music department. Teams participated against one another in trivia. Each team consisted of eight members per table, each participant had to pay $10. “We [marching band] are raising money to help buy new...
District under fire for overspending and discrimination
Dani Reitz, Co-Managing Editor
November 30, 2018
State-issued audits, 83 positions to be cut, and over $13,000,000 in budget cuts. Due to violations made by the Davenport Community School District, all those listed are now inevitable. The district is under fire for mismanaging money and education violations, which include poor education management for o...
Formulating fall festivities
Joseph Potts, Reporter
November 19, 2018
As the fall season arrives, West students and teachers prepare for a Thanksgiving dinner that will be held at the cafeteria on Monday, Nov. 19 at 4:30 p.m. The idea came originally as a way to help students and families that may not have the means to celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas. The idea of...
Davenport schools host German exchange students
Tyler Newman, Reporter
November 19, 2018
The German exchange program is an opportunity for students to learn about Germany by going on an interesting experience. On the trip, students get see a new part of the world, experience german language up close, and stay with a german family. Students also get to try new foods, put their german ski...
Painting fundraiser saves outdoor classroom
Kate Kealey, Editor in Chief
November 18, 2018
On Nov. 16 West’s Ecology Club hosted a fundraiser in the cafeteria at 5:30. The money went towards fixing the outdoor classroom. After a rainy summer, the stumps for people to sit on in the classroom became worn and the group knew it was time to start fundraising. Ecology Club advisor Jodi Zimme...
Duet ’til the end
Zack Misner, Managing Editor
November 16, 2018
On Nov. 9, 24 students from West’s drama department departed from the campus in the early hours of the morning for the three-hour drive to reach the UNI campus. This campus is home to the Iowa Thespian Festival. This festival is an annual event where drama troupes from all around the state of Io...
Midterm election causes mixed emotions
Kate Kealey, Editor in Chief
November 8, 2018
Filed under Award Winners, News, Showcase
As the 2018 midterm elections wrapped up on Nov. 6, the Iowa elections went into a late night with Republican Governor Kim Reynolds coming out on top over Democrat opponent Fred Hubbell. With polls closing at nine, part of the night views were told to keep the lights on and drink some coffee because t...
A step forward
Tim O'Leary, Reporter
November 8, 2018
An emergency board meeting was called at J.B. Young on Wednesday, Oct. 31 after the swearing in of interim Superintendent TJ Schneckloth the night before. The meeting discussed various topics, notably the new superintendent's contract and how pension programs would be handled. Later on Monday, Nov. ...
Students compete in cyberpatriot competition
Tyler Newman, Reporter
October 31, 2018
Cyberpatriot is a competition sponsored by the Armed Forces (mainly the Air Force) for kids who want to enjoy the field of cyber security and computer science. On Nov. 2, Dec.7, Jan.11, and Feb.8 the team will compete in computer science teacher Doyle Massey’s room in room 102. The club consists ...
West drives home the Student Hunger Drive
Naomi Walker, Co-Media Editor & Business Manager
October 31, 2018
Throughout the month of October, Student Senate held multiple events and rallies in order to promote the Student Hunger Drive and collect non-perishable food and money for those in need. The series of events began with a hunger drive kick-off and skit competition on Sept. 24 to get students excite...
GEAR UP Iowa prepares Falcons for the future
Joseph Potts, Reporter
October 24, 2018
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness Undergraduate Programs, also known as GEAR UP, is a grant awarded to the Iowa College Student Aid Commission that began in the fall of 2014. The grant was about $22 million. West is a part of GEAR UP, a program to help low-income students to prepare for pos...
Photographer
While senior and photographer Melissa Rump may be new to the journalism world, her passion for photography has been evident for a while. Starting with the purchase of her iPod when she was in seventh gr...