The Cardinal Chronicle: Volume 1, Issue 5
Cardinal Students · posted May 14, 2024
Summer Excitement
Written By: Kendall Birk and Christian Vass
My name is Christian Vass, a student here at Cardinal High School, and I think everyone is very excited for summer break. Summer break is a 3 month break for students while they transition to their next grade. Summer break is a time of joy and fun for every kid. No school, the weather is nice, water parks, vacations, hanging out with friends, and spending time with family are just a couple of examples of what kids do during this break. These past few weeks I took it upon myself to interview a lot of students here at Cardinal, to see what their plans for summer break are.
I started by interviewing a few kids from my grade. The first one I interviewed was Koby Britt. I asked him first what his plans are for this summer break, he said this: “I'm going to make a lot of money and have some fun.” Next I asked him what his favorite part of summer was, he said that he really enjoyed going to the beach with friends and his girlfriend. Lastly I asked Koby what his least favorite part of summer break was, he said he isn't a fan of the heat and isn't excited for it . Next I got a hold of Ethan Shultz and Blake Barker and asked them what their favorite summer treat is. They said, “I really enjoy popsicles, specifically the grape flavored ones." Blake said this, “Grilling steaks around a campfire is definitely a must.” Thanks to the sophomores.
I then asked some juniors some questions. I got a hold of Xavier Exline and Kazin Miller to ask them what their favorite place to go in the summer was. Xavier enjoys going downtown and break dancing on the square in Ottumwa. Kazin enjoys golfing, he says he likes the game even when it gets tough. After that I asked Sophomores Sean Trenary and Carter Luke what their plans were for summer. Sean says he's going to restock the ice cream stash, and then go out of town somewhere. Carter plans on messing around Batavia and having a good time.
Lastly I interviewed two freshmen Madison Countryman and Taylor Jordan to get another perspective on things. I started by talking to Taylor, and she said this, "This summer I will be riding horses and I’ll be spending a lot of time with friends. I’m going tubing with Lexi and a couple other friends for her summer birthday party. I’m basically just gonna be hanging out with friends all the time and riding horses. Oh and I’m going to be babysitting as a summer job." That’s all for Taylor. It sounds like she’s going to be pretty busy this summer and have some good fun. After Taylor I interviewed Maddie, and she said this, "This summer I’m going to go work with my mom at Bowling Motors." Sounds like Maddie’s going to be busy too, making some good money. And that about wraps it up for this story, thank you for listening and I hope everyone reading has a great summer break, thank you!
My name is Kendall Birk. Summer break is coming up fast and there are tons of things you could be doing to keep entertained. There's a lot of people who sit at home all summer, because they don't feel like there's anything to do, but in reality there are lots of things in our general area you could be doing.
While there are things that cost money there are also things that you could do that are free. I sent out a Google Form to see what people preferred to do over the summer, and these were the results.
The top three things people liked to do from the free ideas were:
- Camping
- Hiking
- Stargazing
The next section I had was cheap ideas, the top three things picked were:
- Go to the movies
- Go to the beach
- Tied between Fishing and getting ice cream
The third section was more expensive ideas and the top three were:
- Water park
- Adventureland
- Ziplining
The final section was out of state ideas the top three were:
- Amusement parks
- Seeing sights (Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, Niagara Falls, ect.)
- Tie between sports games and concerts
These are some of the many ideas of things you could do this upcoming summer! Hope everyone has a great summer break and a great rest of the school year!
Memorial Day
Written By: Levi Cox
I am so glad that I was able to get the opportunity to talk about Memorial Day and get to express my thoughts and feelings about this day. For some people it's just another day, but to the people who have lost loved ones and friends, this day means a lot to them. For the people who don’t understand what Memorial Day is all about, the day is to commemorate the fallen soldiers and warriors who have fought for this country and our lives.
To continue, Gen. John A. Logan is the person who invented Memorial Day. Here are some quotes about the day.
"Think about the past and consider the sacrifices men and women in the military have made for us."
"America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.”
“Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid.” “Service members who have died in military service to the nation.”
“The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men.”
“Let us remember all our heroes who have left us while fighting for our country.”
“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”
“Whether we observe the public ceremony or through private prayer on this day, the patriots who we all remember on this special day were first a beloved son, daughter, brother, sister, spouse, friend, and neighbor. A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection such as observation to appreciate this nation. Every time beliefs or ideals get threatened America has always stepped forward and defended us. We can never fully repay the debt we owe to those who lost their lives defending our nation. We must do everything we can to uphold the commitment we owe to those who've worn the uniform of this great nation and to their families who have made significant sacrifices on our behalf.” - Cathryn Bearden.
There are a couple of quotes and thoughts on what people think about Memorial Day. I truly do love this day because it’s a day of respect and remembrance. It’s also a day for people, to show their thankfulness and gratitude to the ones who have lost someone dear to them.
For some people, this day is a sad day and other people make it a fun and happy day being able to think about all the wonderful things those people have done for us. Yes, this day is a day of despair for the people who have lost loved ones. But why not try and think about all the happy memories and cry for happiness and not dwell on the pain that death has brought upon those whose loved ones have passed. Why not make this day similar to the day of the dead, cheer and be happy for the ones that have fallen. Show them beyond the grave that their death means something, show them that you're grateful for what they have done for our country.
Thank you to all of those brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives for others and saved all of us and I want to show my respect to the people who have lost family and friends in war and battle.
Graduation Information
Written By: Montana Rupe
Mr. Wixom has been in charge of graduation since the 1993 1993 1994 school year. That makes it 30 years being in charge. There are a few people that help him during graduation. They have the official senior sponsor for the year. The person that deserves a lot of credit is Sam Smart, because she orders diplomas, deals with the cap and gown companies, and she does many more things to make sure the day runs smoothly. Mrs. Webster helps with the guest speakers. Wixom says that he doesn't really have a favorite class that came through but he said that it is a happy and sad thing to see people graduate high school. He says that he can't thank everyone enough for the help they put in.
I interviewed Emma Becker and Landon Gordy. I asked them what they want to do after high school. Emma said that she wants to go to Indian Hills and possibly transfer to UNI and major in psychology with a minor in education. Landon said that he wants to go to Indian Hills, and he might transfer to D-MACC. He wants to major in directing and acting. I also asked them where they want to live when they get older. Emma said that she wants to stay in Iowa, either Iowa City or Des Moines. Landon said that he wants to stay in Iowa for a little bit and then later in his life he wants to move to Los Angeles. One last question that I asked is what is the realistic amount of money they want to make when they are older. Emma said around 100,000 for her yearly salary. Landon said that he wants to make around 50,000 for his yearly salary. Congrats to all of the seniors graduating and I know you will all do amazing things!
Life After High School
Written By: Sara Breeding
For this month's news article I had asked 2 girls what their plans are after high school. One is a Junior; soon to be Senior and the other is a Sophomore; soon to be Junior. I think these girls have an amazing future ahead of them and amazing plans for themselves.
Sarah Bearden is planning on joining the Air Force and becoming a radiologist. The opportunities that the military can offer are amazing. The opportunities are what is pulling Sarah more and more to go into the Air Force. Most of her family has been in the Army and Navy. Sarah has been influenced her whole life to be into the military, and she has found a way to become a radiologist while also being in the Air Force. Basic military training would be 7.5 weeks. Sarah plans to be stationed overseas while in the Air Force. She wants to move away from this area and hopes to be out of the country like Spain or Germany.
Sidney Countryman is planning on attending Indian Hills Community College for Dental Hygiene. Sidney is hoping to make a lot of money. She learned about this career from her Aunt Katie. To become a Dental Hygienist it is a 3 year course. Sidney can see herself working and living in Iowa but she isn't sure where exactly. It all depends on where she applies herself at. Sidney would like to move but not too far so she can still be close to her family.
iJAG Field Trips
14 Students were able to attend a field trip to the John Deere Ottumwa Plant on April 29th. The students were able to see the inner workings of all that John Deere has to off to high school graduates and college career jobs. Thank you to John Deere Ottumwa for allowing us to visit.
iJAG Congrats
Congratulations to the following students for completing HS and iJAG program for the 2023-2024 School year.
- Cassidy Brown
- Paityn Carnes
- Kaylyn Chapin
- Lily Ehret
- Landon Gordy
- Mason Grove
- Alex Heckethorn
- Mazy Leon
- Gannon MacQueen
- Nicoa McClure
- Maggie Miller
- Hunter Sertterh
- Quinn Snyder
- Shakayla Uehling-Techel
- Gavin Ware
iJAG Dates to Remember
May 14th: iJAG Class BBQ
May 15th: College Decision Day at 12:45 in HS Gym
May 15th: Senior Award Banquet at 6pm in HS Gym
May 19th: HS Graduation at 2pm in HS Gym
iJAG Thank You's
Thank you to ALL the parents and guardians who donated ice cream in April. We sadly are unable to make it to Fun City BUT we have been able to purchase a lot of food for the classroom. Thank you so much for your support for our classroom!
Recipe of the Month
Written By: Tristan Shepherd
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Ingredients:
- Jerk sauce
- Chicken thighs
- Lime slice for garnish
Jerk Sauce
- 1 medium to large yellow or red onion, Roughly chopped
- 4 green onions (scallions) roughly chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic peeled and sliced
- 1 inch piece of ginger root , peeled and sliced
- 1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper (use more if you like it really hot,or only use a portion if you don't like a lot of heat)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of neutral tasting oil ( e.g. avocado, canola, peanut)
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoons of honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon of ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon of ground cloves
- 2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
Instructions
Place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender, then pulse until reached desired consistency (generally a smooth slightly chunky sauce).
Jerk Chicken Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces in a ziplock bag or casserole dish with a lid. Pour the jerk sauce over the chicken and massage to fully coat them. refrigerate overnight 8-12 hours.
- preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Lay chicken on a lined baking sheet with a good amount of sauce on them.
- Pour remaining sauce into a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes you can use the sauce for basting while the chicken cooks.
- Bake the chicken for 35-45 minutes or until the internal temp of the chicken reads 165-170 F. Turn the chicken over at the halfway point and turn it over again before the end before broiling.
If using a grill: preheat the grill to about 400 F. rub the grates with oil and grill the chicken until cooked through ( internal temperature should be 165-170 F. turning the chicken occasionally, about 30-40 minutes.
May the 4th: Star Wars Day
Written By: Zane Coyne
If you don’t know why Star Wars fans celebrate Star Wars on May 4th, it's because it sounds like the phrase, “May the force be with you." If you aren’t a fan of Star Wars. Give me a chance to explain it to you first.
Star Wars is about a kid named Anakin Skywalker who was said to be the chosen one, so he was trained as a Jedi. He fell in love with a princess and ended up dreaming that something would kill her. He tried to stop it, but in the process he became a sith (a bad guy) and accidentally killed her himself when she was pregnant. Anakin ended up getting severely burned and stayed on the dark side and his 2 twin kids were separated.
This is when a new story really starts. Anakin's son Luke Skywalker started his journey to save his sister from the empire. After he succeeded, Luke then joined the rebel alliance to fight against the empire. Later on at a place called Cloud City Luke Skywalker finds out Darth Vader is his father, Anakin Skywalker, and tries to get him to join the light side while Vader tries to convince Luke to join him on the dark side and take his master down, so they can rule together.
Later on Luke gets captured by the empire on purpose to try to help his dad one last time and to try to take down the empire. His father ends up betraying his emperor and kills him by throwing him in the reaction core blowing the death star up. His dad tells Luke to take his mask off so he can see him with own eyes. Luke later tells Leia the princess they are siblings and that Vader is her dad. That's the Skywalker saga, and it is amazing.
I interviewed Mr Walker and my brother and another but they would like to stay anonymous. The anonymous one told me, “I’ll draw a Star Wars character sometimes.” So maybe to celebrate May 4th you could draw something or watch the movies. Mr. Walker told me, “My favorite actor in the movies is probably Harrison Ford.” So maybe you could watch some Harrison Ford movies in memory of his work in Star Wars. I asked Mr. Walker what his favorite lightsaber color was, and he responded with “Purple. I do what I want, and I want purple” Another person I interviewed also said purple. So I'd say purple is a pretty popular color. That's all for this article. May the force be with you.
Mental Health Awareness Month
Written By: Kenna Kirkpatrick
Mental Health Awareness Month is a month to help shed light on the importance of mental well-being. It occurs every year in May, to help reduce stimga, raise awareness about mental health issues, and promote support and understanding. During this time, people, communities, and organizations come together to educate and and advocate for mental health. Mental health can be very difficult to talk about, the goal of this month is to encourage open conversations about it. It’s important to make sure you’re creating a safe and comfortable space for friends and family to share their struggles and experiences without fear of judgement. By bringing more awareness to mental health, it helps make more people comfortable with getting the treatment and support they might need.
One thing that can be overlooked is that mental health issues can affect everyone regardless of age, gender, or background. It’s easy to forget about your physical health when struggling with mental health, so don’t forget to take care of yourself, mentally and physically. This month serves as a reminder to prioritize your selfcare, get help when needed, and be there for others who might be going through the same thing. It’s also important to remember that mental health awareness shouldn’t be just limited to one month. We should be creating a society where mental health is prioritized, and support is always there when needed.
With all that being said, let’s use mental health month as a start to a more open and understanding society. Reducing the stigma around mental health will help ourselves and others feel better about speaking up about something that they’re struggling with and making it a more comfortable conversation. Remember to take care of yourself and don’t be afraid to reach out for help if you need it. No one is fighting alone, we’re all in this together.
Cinco De Mayo
Written By: Quinten Moore
Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on May 5th. It celebrates the Mexican army's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It's not Mexico's Independence Day which is celebrated on September 16th. Cinco de Mayo holds significant cultural and historical importance. The day is primarily observed in the Mexican state of Puebla and in the United States where it has evolved into a celebration of Mexican heritage and culture.
Parades, music, traditional dances and eating Mexican cuisine are common ways to mark the day. Cinco de Mayo has become a festive event that shows Mexican pride not only in Mexico but also in parts of the world where Mexican communities reside. It is an opportunity to appreciate Mexican history, cuisine, music, and traditions with cultural exchange and understanding. Through celebrating this historic battle, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration that promotes unity and Mexican culture worldwide.
Senior Spotlights
Written By: Lauryn Hartley
Hello, my name is Lauryn Hartley. I will be writing about who the “Senior Spotlights” are. Ladies first, the senior spotlight is Annika Hicks! For our gentleman, Landon Gordy!
First up I will be talking about how their school career was. I asked our spotlights questions about their time throughout school and here are the responses! So, my first question was, “How does it feel to be graduating?” Landon Gordy’s response was, “It’s exciting, but terrifying at the same time.” Annika Hicks’s response was, “It feels really good, it’s what I’ve worked for and looked forward to the last 4 years, so I’m very excited.” Another question I asked was, “What is your favorite subject?” Landon Gordy responded with, “Public Speaking.” Annika Hicks responded by saying, “I really liked government. I would say music as a subject probably and band as my favorite extracurricular class.”
“What are your plans after you graduate?” Landon’s response was, “I plan on going to Indian Hills to get my degree in directing and acting.” Annika’s response was, “I plan to travel this summer and then go to Indian Hills for Political Science and will hopefully go on to get my law degree.” Another thing that I asked our spotlights was, “If you could give any advice to incoming freshmen, what would it be?” Annkia and Landon gave me some remarkable responses! Annika responded with “Don't be afraid to try new things or meet new people. I think I cheated myself out of a lot of good friendships in high school just because I thought someone would like me or wasn't interested in talking and being friends.” Landon responded to the question with “Join IJAG your junior year. And don’t stress, school is fun.” I thank them for everything they did and all of their acts of kindness! They are truly appreciated by their classmates and teachers.
I hope they have a wonderful time going through college and their professions. Meet new people and find more things to enjoy. I thank you for taking time out of your day to read this article. Happy Graduation!
The Cardinal Chronicle Positivity Chain
(Teacher Appreciation Week Version)
"I aprecciate valarie because she never gave up on me for all the attitude i give her. Valarie has fought for me. i'm graduating because of her. I see her as a mother an indpendent woman and a warrior. it's cheesy but i honestly think she works so hard not many people see that and its not really okay but i know she has a world awaiting her."
-Cassidy Brown
"Mrs Walker has helped me be able to learn in a fun way and express myself through English arts. She knows how to make the class have fun and knows they right things to say to people who need help with anything. Mr. Wixom makes me feel happy about learning and keeps things interesting, I want to keep learning about history and how it affects us today as well."
-Donald Hawkins
"I appreciate Mrs. Fairchild a lot. She always teaches math with a smile and makes it easy to understand. There’s not a boring day inside of her classroom when she’s teaching."
-Blake Barker
"Mr. Miller has been a wonderful band instructor and his departure is bittersweet. I’m glad he’s getting a well deserved break from our antics, but we will definitely miss him. He’s pushed us to be a better band and made a community we love."
-Cohen Vanantwerp
"I appreciate Mrs. Lehn because she always has faith in her students & doesn't give up on them. She is very helpful & patient. Mrs Lehn has helped me become a better cook & a better baker & has helped me do better at my job because of the experience I have from her classes."
-Marley Gordy
"Ms. Marshal is amazing in lots of ways shes always willing to listen, teach you how to do Spanish even when you do´ understand it or she explains it 5 times. She is always funny and a real kind person to be around even when you feel down. She always is their to help you learn and I think she will always continue to want to teach people forever. She loves her job and I think she always will. She loves teaching in many different ways she tries teaching different for everyone to help them understand better and I like that she does this. She is a amazing teacher and will always be!"
-Carter Halverson
"I appreciate Mr. C, this guy is built different, he helps me in a lot of ways including my sports and school. If i needed to tell somebody something he would always be there to talk to and listen. He is the GOAT."
-Alijah Frase
"I appreciate mcintire. he is the best. he cares about the well being of students while pushing them to reach their potential at the same time. he has helped me become near the best me i can be physically i would love to be in his class again next year."
-Aaron Wakelin
