The Wildcat

ChroniclesDurant High School February 6, 2020 Majority of students for new smoking age By Nicole Brown and state authorities will not be able to en- board. testing about it.” A majority of Durant students sup- force the new age restriction until the Iowa “I believe that for some of my One Wildcat sophomore simply port a new federal law that raises the legal Legislature amends its own laws to match classmates that are already smoking, it will feels that the government should not have smoking age to 21. the new federal law. be a bit of a challenge, but I think that this the power to dictate legal substances once a A recent Wildcat Chronicles poll To legally sell tobacco in the state age change is a good thing,” said Durant se- person becomes an adult. asked students if they supported the legal of Iowa, a business must have a tobacco li- nior Kody Koberg. tobacco buying age being raised to 21. The cense registered with the state. “Nicotine is a dangerous and “If you can go serve your country law was signed by President Donald Trump “The state gets their regulations life-threatening drug that kids should not get when you are 18 and die for your country in December. from the feds, so the feds have to get it to hooked on at a young age.” when you’re 18, you should be able to buy Out of 101 students, almost 60 per- the state, and the state has to get it down to President Donald Trump has al- cigarettes or vape. I understand why they cent supported the new law. the retailers, and sometimes it takes a little ready taken action against vaping by ban- raised it, but I think it’ll cause more illegal According to current Iowa law, while,” said Sgt. Meier. ning all flavored nicotine products; however, activity,” said Cooper Bein. anyone 18 years of age or older is not con- Durant businesses started enforc- this new federal law banning the sale of to- Sophomore Ethan Woodhouse also sidered a minor. This means that they are al- ing this new federal law quite quickly, but bacco products to anyone under 21 years of brought up an interesting perspective. lowed to use tobacco products, and they can Sgt. Meier said the illegal selling of tobacco age seems like an ever more drastic step, and “If you think about it, Prohibition legally smoke them just as before, but they products might not disappear overnight in one that doesn’t sit well with one 18-year- happened and illegal activity rose, and it will not be allowed to purchase them until the state. old Durant senior. caused more drinking accidents,” he said. they reach 21 years of age under the new “At first probably, but then every- “I think it’s going to affect people He believes that the new federal federal law, according to Sgt. Mike Meier, body will get used to it again just like they because for the people that are like 20 and law will cause a rise in illegal activity among the school’s resource officer. did with alcohol,” said Sgt. Meier. they’ve been smoking for years, it’s going those under 21 years old, similar to Prohibi- Citing a directive from the Iowa At- He also feels this law could have to not be good,” said senior Darrell Melton- tion because people under age will go to ex- torney General’s office, Sgt. Meier said local some very major health benefits across the Grage. “I think people are going to start pro- treme measures to obtain nicotine products. Cards pitcher invites sophomore to meet team By Koby Paulsen seventh, tying the game at 4-4. The game With Major League start- went into extras, where Cardinal left field- ing in a week, Durant sophomore Jaeln er Marcell Ozuna walked it off with a solo Heald has a special reason to celebrate the home run to center field in the bottom of the start of a new season. Two years ago, he met 10th inning. his favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals. As if a thrilling Cardinal win wasn’t On July 30, 2018, Heald and his enough for one day, Jaeln’s story gets better. grandfather, Bruce Heald of Davenport, After the game, Ponce de Leon’s were attending a Cardinals game at Busch father went up to the Healds and noticed Stadium and sitting near the father of Car- Bruce’s shirt, offering to get it signed by the dinal pitcher Daniel Ponce de Leon. The fa- pitcher. Bruce and Jaeln then went to the ther noticed that Heald’s clubhouse entrance where Ponce de Leon grandfather was wear- met the two and signed the jersey. ing a special homemade Jaeln explained that Ponce de Leon Ponce de Leon shirt. This was very professional about himself and shirt was made to honor very thankful for the support. Ponce de Leon after he “Even after giving up a grand slam, was struck in the head by he made it seem like another day in the of- a line drive in 2017, caus- fice,” Jaeln said. “He was very professional. ing a fractured skull and a He even told us that he had never felt any- brain bleed. thing like that support.” Bruce and Jaeln Heald The three continued talking for a were sitting in a section behind home plate. little bit until Ponce de Leon offered to take When Ponce de Leon came into the game the Healds inside the Cardinal clubhouse. Ja- Photo by Taka Yanagimoto / St. Louis Cardinals in the fifth, he gave up a grand slam to his len said he met some of his favorite players Durant sophomore Jaeln Heald met St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Daniel Ponce de second batter, Rockies third baseman Nolan including , , Leon and other Cardinal players after a baseball game at Busch Stadium in July of Arenado. Jalen said that Bruce acted like any Marcell Ozuna, Matt Carpenter, and Kolten 2018. other fan would. Wong. start on February 11th when pitchers and sion between Cubs and Cardinals fans. “My Grandpa went from waving Jaeln said he and his grandfather go catchers report to Jupiter, Florida. Their first “Being a diehard Cardinals fan, you Ponce’s jersey around to, wow, that really to at least one Cardinals game per year with workout will be the following day. All oth- have to respect the Cubs. And being a Cubs just happened,” said Jalen. the rest of their family. Jaeln wasn’t even a er position players must report on the 16th, fan, you have to respect the Cardinals,” Jaeln Ponce de Leon went two more in- year old when he said he attended his first with the first full workout being the 17th. said. nings, finishing with two earned runs and game: Game Six of the 2004 NLCS when The will report to “Watching the Cubs win the World two , keeping the game in reach for Cardinal center fielder Jim Edmonds hit a Mesa, Arizona, with the same schedule. Series in 2016, there was one thing I never the Cardinals. walk-off two-run home run. Jaeln acknowledges that at Durant thought I’d hear my grandpa say: ‘They de- The Cardinals fought back in the The Cardinals’ spring training will High School, there seems to be an even divi- served it.’” Drama club doubles cast for spring production By Danielle Paulsen terest in the drama department, Ms. Kleeman how different it will be with so many more “I am very glad to see crew mem- Cast numbers have doubled for had to find a play that had enough parts for people. bers now being involved in the cast and hav- the spring play No Body to Murder, causing everyone who tried out, since she originally “I thought there would be more ing a student director is really helpful,” she some pleasant headaches for first-year the- picked a play to fit a very small cast. competition,” said Krause, “but it’s really said. ater director Ms. Cinnamon Kleeman. “It is a murder mystery mellow dra- nice having people I don’t usually talk to. We The cast looks forward to putting Ms. Kleeman explained how the ma,” said Ms. Kleeman. have a lot of fun.” this show on and encourages students and play she originally planned for this spring Doubling the cast causes many the community to come enjoy it on March 6, was suited for similar numbers as the fall changes within the process and production Ms. Kleeman is getting used to all 7, and 8. play, but with cast numbers going from 12 to itself. For many cast members, it makes the changes happening this spring. Atten- 25, she had to make changes. things easier for the fact that they don’t have dance with the large cast is more difficult to “We have a great director,” said The play No Body to Murder is to memorize multiple parts. figure out, and there is a much bigger set in- Krause. “It should be fun for students to see something different than what Durant audi- Sophomore Jenna Krause, who was cluded, but these are all things Ms. Kleeman their classmates up on stage in a different ences are used to. With a sudden boom in in- a part of the play last fall, is excited to see is excited to figure out. way.”