A year in review

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:05:33 GMT

By Courtney Brown

Rampage File
The start of 2011 brought lots of snow and chilly temps, recording more than 11 inches of snow last January.

The past year has definitely been one to remember. Not only because our school is full of amazing athletes, scholars and many other talented people, but because the whole world has changed, if only a little. In January , superintendent Tom Downs announced that he would be retiring after eight years here. The cheer squad placed sixth at nationals. The girls’ basketball team got a new head coach, Todd Borrison, and their record improved dramatically. In a record-breaking snowy month, DECA moved on to State. Ankeny kids ran into the school and put on quite a show. Charlie Sheen checked into rehab for three months and the show choirs presented their annual dinner theater. February brought Cory Clark another win in state wrestling, the third time in a row. Willie Miklus got fourth and the team overall placed fourth. The bowling team headed to state. The boys’ swim team broke a school record. March brought a lot of great things as well. The speech team sent five people to All-State. Girls’ basketball made it to State for the first time in two decades. Bowlers earned ninth at state. A 9.1-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit the east coast of Japan, killing 15,840 and leaving another 3,926 missing. Rebecca Black’s song "Friday" was released as a single. April brought a local crisis: the tradition of crispitos died. Craig Menozzi was announced as the next superintendent. Jazz I earned fifth place at the Iowa Jazz Championships. There was even talk of a federal government shutdown. April 29 was the date of the royal wedding between Britain’s Prince William and Catherine Middleton. May made sure that students were not only featured in an art fair, but also won awards. Oprah aired her last show (episode number 4,561) on May 25. Osama Bin Laden was killed by Navy Seals and the whole world rejoiced. The weather held so that the seniors could complete their annual community service day projects. Last June , baseball and softball opened record-breaking seasons. People beat the heat by going to the pool and spent too many nights staying up way too late. July 21 marked the last shuttle mission by NASA and the ending of the 30-year manned space program. "Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows Part 2" celebrated the end of the young wizard all together. The world’s first artificial organ transplant was successful, using an artificial windpipe coated with stem cells. Casey Anthony was, surprisingly, found not guilty of killing her two-year old daughter. Quite expectedly, classes resumed on August 22, just two days after Kim Kardashian said "I do." As the fall rolled in with September , RhythAMetteS, cheerleaders and students from both the junior high and the high school all supported freshman Kelsey Michelsen, a dance team member who has cancer, with "Team Kelsey" shirts and bracelets. Zombie Burger opened in Des Moines. The marching band wowed us again in October when they received a superior Division I rating at the State Marching Competition. After only 72 days of marriage, Kardashian filed for divorce. On Oct. 5, two days after Apple was hitting record sales, founded Steve Jobs died. The Cardinals won the World Series. October 31 was marked as the date selected by the United nations as the symbolic date when global population reached seven billion. The cheerleaders placed fourth at state competition in November . The RhythAMetteS had three girls place in solos. Girl swimmers placed 20th at their state meet. Gas prices dropped below $3 for the first time since February 2008. DECA sponsored the annual dodgeball tournament and brightened up a late fall weekend. Marking the end of the year, the war in Iraq was declared officially over after nine years on December 15. While the North Korean leader died, Britney Spears got engaged (again). This past year may have been a roller coaster, but we can only hope 2012 will fill its big, remarkable shoes.