Hawk Personality Profiles

What is your favorite extracurricular activity to participate in? NHS because it gives me the opportunity to volunteer and help others. What subject are you most interested in? Science because I am interested in the biology part of it and am planning to study it in college. Would you like to be famous? Why or why not? No because I don’t want people/fans on my every move. Do you ...

What do you like about teaching? There are many things I truly enjoy about teaching, but the one that I really appreciate is interacting with the students. Laughing while learning and getting to know the students is awesome. We have so many bright and talented students; it’s a real privilege to work with them. If I can get a student to laugh, I can get them to learn. What do you look forward...

What is one positive outcome of social distancing/COVID-19?      I enjoy my personal space so I suppose that’s my favorite part, but also not having to smell people's breath is a bonus. What was the biggest struggle of quarantine?      Not being able to be around as many people and not being able to go to social events. What are your opinions on masks?      I can cover som...

In your opinion, what is the best part of social distancing?      In my opinion, I believe social distancing is very beneficial. For example, if you’re socially distancing, you don’t have to quarantine, therefore, you are able to still go to school and play sports. What is the worst part about wearing a mask in school?      I believe the worst part is going into the old part of ...

When you first heard about COVID-19, what was your initial reaction?      I had so many other things to worry about at that time and it wasn’t really a huge deal because of WWIII concerns and the wildfires in Australia. How do you feel about the different requirements being made throughout the school and community? (Social distancing, wearing a face mask, etc.)      Honestly, I’m no...

What was your favorite activity to do while we were learning from home?      I thought it was really nice to sleep in, and I spent a lot of my time helping families in need by babysitting. I also spent countless hours in my backyard and on the golf course practicing golf.  What is your favorite part of social distancing?      I think my favorite part of social distancing is not having peo...

Junior David Reddingus collects bouncy balls. He also plays video games at home, specifically Counter-Strike, where he competes in tournaments with a French-speaking team (even though he doesn’t speak the language).   What is your favorite kind of pizza? I like pepperoni with bacon ‘cause I like meat. If you had to pack for a trip to England, what three items would you pack? My phone, m...

Batting with his left hand, sophomore Spencer Mullen is involved in baseball, basketball and football. He also enjoys playing video games and eating chicken-pot-pie with his family.   What is your dream job? Software engineer — I just want to design software. How tall do you want to be? 6’8’’— It sounds like fun. If you could eat lunch with any celebrity, who would you choo...

Sixteen-year-old Emma Merkes will never be seen eating peas. She enjoys drawing, reading, playing video games, talking to friends, and playing with her dog. In school, however, she’s involved with show choir, journalism, musical, spring play and speech. Oh, and she hates feet.   If you could play any instrument, what would you play? Clarinet, so I could be like (the “Spongebob” charact...

Born in 2004, freshman Jenna Philipp currently spends her time working on the family farm, where her favorite animal is the cow. A highlight from her childhood is that her sister once convinced her that her name was actually Jennifer.   How did you spend your snow days? I’m normally at home doing nothing or at the farm moving snow and helping my dad. What was your worst nightmare? O...

Bowling for the high school team, senior Zach Wedewer is always giving a smile. He loves to play video games, mess around on his four-wheeler, spend time with his family and hunt with his brand-new crossbow.   If you found a magic lamp, what would you wish for? A new dog. What is your favorite movie and why? “World War Z” — I really like stories with lots of action. What is your f...

Sophomore Jacob Hosch (or Hosch as his friends call him) is involved in band, bowling, speech, and football. He is 16-years-old (he thinks), and he mostly spends his free time playing video games. What’s your secret hobby? I look at Wikipedia for any random thing I can think of. What’s your hidden talent? I don’t think I have a hidden talent. I mean, I’m big, but that’s not a talent....

Sophomore Christian Nunley loves to work out almost as much as he likes to bike around Manchester. He’s most proud of his work ethic, and if his plans for the NFL don’t work out, he plans to work in industry.   What’s your go-to beverage? Milk — it’s healthy for you and strengthens my bones. How do you choose what you wear each day? I just go into my closet and grab something r...

Senior Thomas Duwe wants to work at a big software company when he’s older and in his spare time plays video games. His favorite class was the recently removed "Computer Science and Engineering" course, and he enjoys cooking food, specifically sautéing.   What’s a quote you live by? “It’s better to try your best when it matters and relax when it doesn’t. Don’t overstress.” What do...

Special Education teacher Callison Lang starting working at West Delaware almost four years ago. Originally from Dixon, Illinois, Lang became a teacher for one reason only: to make education fun for everyone.     What’s a secret not many people know? I failed English twice, and almost didn’t graduate high school Why did you become a teacher? I became a teacher because as a kid, I d...

Freshman Morgan Beuter thinks of himself as a simple man. The 15-year-old plays Magic: The Gathering after school in teacher Christian Carper’s room, but in his spare time, he enjoys animals.   If you could go anywhere, where would you go? Ireland. My favorite time period is the medieval era, and there’s a lot of castles. How would you survive the zombie apocalypse? I’d band together...

Junior Carter Knutson plans to pursue graphic design as a career and even develop his own video games. For now, however, he’ll stick to drawing aliens and robots in the margins of his papers.   What is your favorite thing about West Delaware? From what I hear about other schools, this one seems friendlier. Where do you see yourself in ten years? In a house, ‘cause hopefully by then I�...

Reginetta Tate moved to West Delaware in the summer of 2017 from Illinois. Now a freshman in high school, 14-year-old Tate is a cheerleader for both the basketball and football teams. Outside of school, Tate loves to be on her phone and watch television.   What is your guilty pleasure? My phone. I’m on it every day. Some days, I get distracted by it when I’m trying to do homework. ...

Junior Bella Maule came to West Delaware at the start of her junior year. The 17-year-old is involved in both show choir and in soccer, and when it comes to free time, she splits it between working at Dairy Queen and working out. A fun fact about Maule is that when she’s counting with her fingers, she starts with her pinky.   What’s something no one knows about you? I did gymnastics for ...

Senior Allie Scott moved to Manchester in eighth grade with her four siblings. Scott loves to play the guitar, especially songs that she has composed.   Where do you see yourself in five years? Finishing my four years at Upper Iowa, but I don’t know what’ll happen next. What are the three things you can’t live without? Oxygen, shelter, and food. If you could buy anything in the w...

Basketball is sixteen-year-old Eric Salow's favorite hobby, but he looks to be a mechanic in the future. His favorite number is 44 and is currently on the boy's varsity basketball team.   What do you do for fun? I like to go fishing and play basketball, ‘cause fishing is relaxing and I’ve played basketball for as long as I can remember. If you could get rid of a state, what would it be...

Jolene Pitzember-Timp, or PT as her students call her, has been teaching art for the past 31 years. While she claims she’s too busy for hobbies, she has a passion for art and some day wishes to open her own art studio.   If you could be any animal, what would you be and why? Bird, because I would like to fly and soar and be above the world and see all the world What would you pack with yo...

Born in Seoul, South Korea, 17 year old Jacob Butler (11) moved to Decorah, Iowa, when he was six months old. He then moved to Manchester when he was 4 years old. Butler’s hobbies include soccer and music. He also loves hanging out with friends. For his future plans, Butler is thinking about attending Luther College in Decorah. At 6 years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? Energy E...

Cathleen Heffernan is a freshman in high school who lives in Manchester with her dad and visits her two siblings (who live out of state) when she can. Heffernan wishes to become a professional photographer when she grows up, along with an interior designer, and she hopes to follow her dreams with her family beside her.  If you could travel back in time, where would you go?   I would go back t...

Born in Kingwood, Texas, Christine Boeckenstedt (12), 18, moved to Iowa when she was three. Boeckenstedt hobbies include hanging out with friends, running track, taking photographs, creating art, and working. She also loves her phone and loves being social with the world. What is your earliest memory? My first time ever going to Adventureland, I cheated (stood on my tip toes) to get on the rid...

Jodie Bramel has been teaching business for 13 years. She teaches Accounting, Career Exploration, Global Business, Marketing, Multimedia, Entrepreneurship, and Personal Business. Why did you choose to teach high school? I used to work in human resources, interviewing and placing people in jobs, so I like working with young adults to help them prepare for their future careers. What are few things...

Sixteen-year-old Anna Werner (10) was born in October at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids. Werner has three older siblings, a brother and two sisters. Werner is involved in the musical, show choir, speech, volleyball, track, student council, solo/ensemble and dinner show. What is your favorite word? Infinity because to me infinity means endless opportunities in life. What has been a treasured m...

Seventeen-year-old Hannah Axline (11) was born and raised in Manchester. She has three siblings and is a major people person. Axline is involved in bowling, cross country, choir, show choir, student council, and NHS. She loves trying new things and being a part of as many activities as possible.   What is your favorite restaurant? Why? Zio Johnos. I love pasta, and I think that they have the b...

“I started kickboxing because I wanted to get into a routine of working out. I attend Kickin It in Edgewood, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5:15 to 6. I go with my aunt, and it’s great to have her as my workout buddy! Knowing that I’ve already accomplished so much early on in the morning and have my workout in is a great feeling! The ladies that lead the class are very welcoming! They ...

“Ever since I was little, I traced over my mother’s tattoos. I was like, this is fun. “While I can’t legally have a tattoo gun, I use this thing called InkBox. The ink goes on and feels like a tattoo. It will develop in 24 hours and stay for a month. While the kit comes with stencils, I don’t like to use them. I prefer to design my own tattoos. Soon I’ll actually be designing my mother�...

“My family has been going to Colorado since I was young, and my dad hiked Longs Peak, a 14er (14,000 foot mountain). That made me really want to try it too! The joy of setting a goal and accomplishing it, spending time with my dad, which is priceless, and also striving to do things that are hard but never giving up and seeing the reward in the end are some of my favorite joys from this experience. I lo...

“I started volleyball around the age of eight. I have such a passion for the sport, and that’s why I recently joined a team in Dubuque. I enjoy getting to know guys around my age who have the same passion. I am most passionate about how I do the sport and representing the people who have supported me. It took a lot of work and time to get where I am now, and I couldn’t have done it without my support...

“I have been volunteering at Castle Theater for three years now. I usually volunteer four or five days a week. It’s fun! I like meeting new people. It has helped me break out of my shell. Only four people get paid. If it wasn’t for me and the rest of the volunteers, there would not be a movie theater in Manchester.”

“My dad used to race late model cars. He asked me if I wanted to race go carts, but they didn’t intrigue me because they just drove around in circles. I then showed him people racing motorcycles on TV. My dad knew that I wanted to race those instead. That year for Christmas my dad bought me a dirt bike and since then that’s all I have done. It’s an adrenaline rush. It’s fun. It’s what m...

"I had a disease that was called Severe Aplastic Anemia. It was a disease that shut down my Immune System and basically disintegrated all of my blood cells. I had two to three months to live without a bone marrow transplant because you can’t live without an immune system. They labeled it as a rare type of  leukemia and treated me like it was leukemia, but it actually wasn’t cancer. It was a very ...