The Little Hawk

09/06/2025

Two games vs. Prairie and Little Hawks Baseball Club taking the field in between. Come out and support‼️ ⚾️🔥

Photo & Graphic 📸: Kelsey Herrig

05/06/2025

🧠💥Big news! “Brain Drain” was officially selected as a Best of SNO Story of the Year for 2024–2025!

Super proud to see this incredible piece get the recognition it deserves.
Check it out on thelittlehawk.com and Best of SNO!

Congratulations Lily on the amazing work!

03/06/2025

An A+ For C Students
Grade Inflation is on the rise
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Years ago, a City High teacher felt pressured by students, parents and administrators to curve subjective tests–these are tests that couldn’t be auto-graded–more harshly. In response, their grading policy changed to reflect the increasing demands of students who wanted higher grades for the same quality of work. This is an example of grade inflation, a phenomenon where average letter grades go up without an increase in student understanding. 
According to the ACT, grade inflation is when the letters grades given do not match with students’ knowledge and mastery of content. Mastery is how well students learned the information they were tested on and how well they can continue to use it. So if students get an A but cannot truly apply the information, that is grade inflation. Evidence of whether or not students have mastered content usually comes from standardized test scores like the ACT or ISASPS. The SAT is not as helpful because it is graded on a curve and so the scores depend on who takes it and what they get. 
From 2010 to 2022, the average high school GPA rose in all subjects, but the growth is most pronounced in math, according to the ACT. In 2010, it was 3.02, and in 2022, it increased to 3.32. As well as average GPA, the average percentage of As has increased as  the number of B’s and C’s has decreased.
Though grades have increased, ACT scores from 2010 to 2022 have remained mostly the same, with a 0.6 decrease from 21.3 to 20.7. The biggest deficit was in math, with 1.2 points lost. The increase in average GPA paired with the steadiness of ACT scores shows that although letter grades have increased, student proficiency of national standards has not.
High school standardized test scores in math have also decreased, according to the Nation’s Report Card. From 2013 to 2019, the percentage of Grade 12 students below the basic level of achievement in math went from 35 to 40. The percentage of students below basic achievement for reading across the same time frame also went up from 25 to 30.

Story by Martha Willard
Graphic by Lily Rantanen
Read more on TheLittleHawk.com

03/06/2025

City High Boys Soccer fell 0–1 to Ames in a hard-fought quarterfinal match at the state tournament last night. The Little Hawks battled until the final whistle but couldn’t break through Ames’ defense.

📸 Stella Demarest & Preston Mensah

Read more on TheLittleHawk.com

03/06/2025

Culture Day Celebrates Diversity at City
The third annual Culture Day event included a fashion show, dances, and various foods
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As the school year starts to wind down, one of the most anticipated events at TSTL brings students together in the most unique way. Sharing diversity through traditional attire, music, dances, and many more things, Culture Day, which is organized by the International Club, Latino Hawk Club, and many other clubs, is a day for the remembrance of students’ backgrounds. 
“Culture plays a big part in how someone acts and what is seen as the norm,” Miamen Elawad ‘25 said. 
Culture Day not only represents students, but it also guides them on what kind of people they should be or become. For students like Elawad, culture guides her on how she should treat others and is a big part of how she lives. Culture is not just her heritage, but it also frames her everyday life. It shapes her values, such as leadership, kindness, and respect, and it takes a role in how she lives her life. This event highlights the importance of diversity, but also the sense of guidance we foster from our cultures. 
“My culture is a guide on how I should treat others and what to do in different situations. As a person, my culture is what shapes kindness and leadership,” Elawad said. 

📝 Liyan Elgiseer
📸 Stella Demarest

Read more on TheLittleHawk.com

29/05/2025

VIDEO UPDATE: Meet this year's City High state champion ESports Team
By Melody Ross

The Esports state championship tournament proved fruitful for City High Esports, whose all-senior League of Legends team went undefeated at the tournament. City’s Valorant team was also quite successful, being defeated just once. “It went really well. We had no problems. [The League of Legends t...

23/05/2025

From Chemistry to Connection: Ms. Scott’s Journey as a Science Teacher
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When Ms. Scott first started college, she had no plans of becoming a teacher. In fact, she specifically told her high school friends she wouldn’t.
“I originally went to school to be a research chemist,” she said. “My high school friends told me I was going to end up being a science teacher—and I swore I wouldn’t.”
But after a year in college, she realized something was missing: people. “I liked talking to people about the chemistry I liked,” she said. “I wouldn’t get that as a bench chemist.”
Today, Ms. Scott teaches chemistry at City High. She’s taught both physics and chemistry in the past, but now focuses entirely on chem. Her favorite topics tend to shift depending on the trimester.
“I really enjoy what we’re doing [in the] third trimester—exploring chemistry through everyday experiences without getting bogged down in math,” she said. “It’s more about reasoning and real-world application.”
That real-world approach is something Ms. Scott tries to emphasize in her classroom. While topics like compound naming and mole conversions can feel abstract, other units, like chemical reactions and energy, are easier to tie to daily life.

📝📸 Ramy Makawi

Read the Full Story on TheLittleHawk.com

22/05/2025

Superintendent Proposes Changes to City High Performing Arts Wing
Superintendent Matt Degner has suggested numerous changes to all ICCSD performing arts wings after completing a study with OPN Architects
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After completing a study with OPN Architects, superintendent Matt Degner and deputy superintendent Chace Ramey suggested new additions and changes to the performing arts centers at all high schools in the district.
According to the documents presented at the April 22nd school board meeting, long-term and short-term improvements are recommended for the performing arts wing at City. These improvements range from minor updates to full-scale construction projects.
“I support all projects that are good for City High,” Principal John Bacon said, approving the proposed addition.
Short-term improvements include lighting and technology upgrades, stage and curtain upgrades, making the facilities fully accessible, refurbishing the little theater, and adding all-around improvements. 
 Long-term improvements include adding another band room and a room for music education, more space for instrument storage, enlarging the stage and wings, adding restrooms for public use, enlarging the balcony space, and making improvements to the practice spaces. 
 “It would just provide more opportunities for new programs and for improvements in our current programs,” Ev Mozena, ‘28, a participant of the choir, show choir, and theater departments at City, said.
The proposal also mentions adding new black box theaters to all high schools in the district. The benefits include a more “flexible layout,” the ability for smaller performances, creating availability for community members, and easy scene switches. The disadvantages mentioned are an overwhelming demand, actor intimidation, and overhead lighting. 

📝📸 Avery O’Brien

Read the Full Story on TheLittleHawk.com

21/05/2025

BREAKING NEWS: Alma Bhandary-Narayanan and Toe Collins Elected Student Senate Co-Presidents
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After a tight race between Student Senate presidential candidates Toe Collins ‘26 and Alma Bhandary-Narayanan ‘26, Claire Locher ‘26 and Amal Eltayib ‘26, and Jesse Varner ‘26 and Mercy Ngugi ‘26, Collins and Bhandary-Narayanan have been elected 2025-2026 Student Senate Co-Presidents.
“I’m just really excited to be able to represent this school, and it’ll be really cool to implement our platform,” Bhandary-Narayanan said. “[It’s really cool] that we had so much support.”
Polls were open from fourth period on Tuesday, May 20 until noon on Wednesday, May 21. Results were originally supposed to be announced during fifth period announcements on Wednesday, May 21, but were postponed until after school due to fraudulent votes from ineligible students.
Collins and Bhandary-Narayanan plan to host activities like a senior scavenger hunt and a School of the Wild during their term. They will also aim to lower the price of prom tickets and Senior Assassin.

Read more on TheLittleHawk.com

21/05/2025

UNBREAKABLE PROFILE: Hattie Conover
Senior tennis player Hattie Conover discusses the attitude behind being an Unbreakable Athlete and hopes for more coverage for female athletes
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Hattie Conover ‘25 has played tennis all four years she has been at City High. This season she played consistently at the #3 and occasionally #2 spot. Last season she went undefeated in the regular season, playing in 12 games across the #3-6 spots.
Conover began playing tennis as a freshman, drawing inspiration and interest from her uncle Drew. Conover watched her uncle play and coach tennis consistently throughout her childhood.
 “He knows so much about it and he’s been playing my whole life. He’s always happy for me, always wants to know how I’m doing, what I’m doing, how I’m playing, all that kind of stuff,” Conover said. 
Her teammate, and doubles partner Sydney Geisen ‘26 praises Hattie on and off the court for her mindset. 
“She is very mature and selfless and a joy to be around on and off the court, she is an older player I look up to.” Geisen said. 
When it comes to being an Unbreakable Female Athlete, Conover believes it comes down to one’s attitude. 
“I think it’s really easy to have a constant bad attitude and to be tough, because tough players win. And I think that’s very true, but also you still have to realize that there is a time and place for being nice to people, and that being kind to people will get you a lot further than being tough and unbreakable on the surface,” Conover said. 
Although kindness is important to Conover, she has seen that a different side of her comes out on the court. 

Read the full profile on TheLittleHawk.com
📝 Amelie Donavan & Tessa Driscoll
📸 Tessa Driscoll

21/05/2025

BREAKING NEWS:
YEARBOOKS AVAILABLE FOR SENIORS on FRIDAY, MAY 23RD DURING LUNCH

On Friday, May 23rd, Seniors can pick up their yearbook during lunch in the cafeteria. “Due to yearbooks arriving a little early and senior requests for yearbooks for their grad parties this weekend, we will distribute yearbooks during lunch in the concession stand in the main cafeteria,” Jonath...

21/05/2025

BANNED AUTHORS:
Q&As with Carmen Maria Machado and Yaa Gyasi
By Tai Caputo

In this series of interviews with authors whose work has been banned. Carmen Maria Machado is the award-winning author of three books, including the bestselling memoir In the Dream House, the graphic novel The Low, Low Woods, and the collection Her Body and Other Parties, which was named by The New....