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The Student News Site of Ankeny High School

The Talon

The Student News Site of Ankeny High School

The Talon

The Student News Site of Ankeny High School

The Talon

Senior Grady Andersen keeps stats at an Ankeny Hawks baseball game. He’s been helping with the team since his freshman year, and added roles in basketball and football by sophomore year. “Grady has found a place,” said his dad, Kiron Andersen. “And I hope he's created an opportunity for someone else.” That sense of opportunity and support runs through everything Grady does—from filming plays to mentoring underclassmen. Photo published with permission from Dylan Shoemaker (@thefittestphotographer)

Grady Andersen: The man on the sideline

Lydia Gerety, Editor in Chief May 29, 2025

Whether it is in the dugout at a baseball game or running a camera for football film, Grady Andersen has become a fixture of Ankeny High athletics. What started as a nudge from his parents to get out of...

Our planet needs help, and only you can make a difference to change it. Graphic by Danny Nguyen made using Canva.

The cry of our planet

Danny Nguyen, Staff Reporter May 16, 2025

Over the last 30 years, the temperature of the Earth has been rising over time, more rapidly than before, which has caused a chain of effects on the planet. This is called climate change. What is it? To...

Codee Myers talks to senior Grace Buch during a break in play. Myers has coached for the girls’ basketball program since the 2021-22 season.

Codee Myers: helping students get their head in the game

Ashley Howard and Lydia Gerety May 12, 2025

You can feel the tension on the court as the clock counts down, and it seems as if every move you make could be the wrong one. You’ve done the play a hundred times, yet you can’t seem to focus, an...

“I would definitely be a completely different person, because I found my voice. You'll see me in the hallways, and I talk to people, and I like to ask people questions. I'm not scared to volunteer for things. And before I was involved in anything music-related, I was dead silent. I just didn't talk to people. I just kind of kept my head down and kept walking.” Lyles said. “And now I'm the person who always is saying, “hey, have a great day,’ things like that. So it's given me the gift to find myself, and help other people find themselves.” Created by Sylvia Bartlett using Canva.

Major impact in a minor key

Sylvia Bartlett, Staff Reporter May 12, 2025

Music is one of humanity's oldest tools, going back thousands of years. According to the Smithsonian, the first instruments date back over 35,000 years, and the first recorded piece of music was from 800...

“It's just the lack of desire to do the work that's been given to you when you have so many things ahead of you. It's just like it doesn't matter.” Senior Mia Koka said. Created by Sylvia Bartlett using Canva.

So close, but so far

Sylvia Bartlett, Staff Reporter May 5, 2025

In 1907, the term “senioritis” was first coined by the Chicago Alumni Magazine to describe the lack of motivation found in many seniors graduating from high school at the end of the school year. Since...

Foreign exchange student Natali Bairamidi (far right) stands with her host family on a trip to Dyersville, Iowa. Photo published with permission from Natali Bairamidi.

‘Being here makes me feel like I am heard, seen, and understood.’

Levi Foster, Sports Editor April 14, 2025

Living in a country with unique cultures, languages, and traditions can be scary for most people. Despite this, FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange Program) students from all around the globe stay in various...

Leister smiling for the camera. Photo published with permission from Mary Kate Leister.

Merry Mary: New to the nest

Brogan Smith, Staff Reporter April 9, 2025

Every day, during every passing period, students migrate towards their next classes. The weights of exams and assignments sit heavy on their shoulders, with stress plastered on their faces as they push...

Graphic created by Olivia Luna using Canva.

Chamberland mines for curiosity

Olivia Luna, Staff Reporter April 8, 2025

If you walk into Ankeny High School, you may see kids rolling on scooters down the halls or dropping parachutes from the catwalk. These are most likely a byproduct of the school’s physics course. One...

Bing talking about the plan for the day with her students in one of her AP Biology courses. “If I wasn't passionate about working with students, I don't think [I’d stay in teaching], but no, it's absolutely the students that I have that [make it worth it,” Bing stated. Photo taken by Sylvia Bartlett.

A career in science: and supporting the next generation

Sylvia Bartlett, Staff Reporter April 1, 2025

Sunlight streams through the window, filtered through the mass of green leaves stretching toward it. Plants cover nearly every inch of available countertop, courtesy of the AP Biology classes that leave...

Ankeny High School is full of student leaders who hold many different traits. Image created by Chloe Macke using wordart.

Leadership sculpting the future: The expanding impact of leaders at Ankeny High School

Lynae Midkiff and Chloe Macke March 25, 2025

Ankeny High School has nearly 1,400 students enrolled this school year. Even just walking through the halls, you’ll notice the immense diversity of students. Some students keep to themselves and follow...

Design made by Tobias Landmesser using Canva. Stock imagery by Jesse Orrico on Unsplash.

New class looks to make an impact in youth sports

Tobias Landmesser, Web Editor March 19, 2025

Coaching and Officiating is intentionally designed to teach the basics of coaching and officiating, all while students work towards earning a certificate qualifying them as reliable coaches or referees...

“It depends on what the purpose of the homework is. And it shouldn't just be to make somebody do something, but to show [something]. Have they shown mastery of that point?” Bing said. “Is it something that, in terms of the learning process, connects to whatever learning outcomes. [It’s] kind of shifting the point of the homework from what students sometimes think of it as, instead of what it actually is.” Created by Sylvia Bartlett using Canva.

Homework: Teaching tool or too much?

Sylvia Bartlett, Staff Reporter March 17, 2025

According to the University of San Diego, high school students take home an average of 6.8 hours of homework per year. But there have been recent debates over the usefulness of homework, and at what point...

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