"Bon Iver"

Bon Iver’s new self titled album “Bon Iver” recently won two Grammies including Best New Artist and Best Alternative Album which were very well deserved. What started as one man making beautiful and original music has now turned into a symphony of guitars, synths and drums all under the howl of Justin Vernon’s entrancing vocals. Before all this Bon Iver consisted of Justin Vernon some instruments in a cabin in Wisconsin. Vernon started to create the album “For Emma, Forever Ago” completely on his own. Every instrument, every harmony and every word written and recorded on his own. After all the attention he got from this album he decided to make  a second one but in a different direction. ”I brought in a lot of people to change my voice — not my singing voice, but my role as the author of this band, this project,” says Vernon. Even though he had more people featured on this album it was still completely built by Vernon himself. In my opinion this should of been the album of the year. The originality and diversity of the music Vernon makes is mind boggling. If there was one album I’d be buying and not illegally downloading it would be this one.

Little is known about what caused Houston’s death. Houston was found in a hotel bathtub and prescription drugs were found in the room. Other information will not be released until the case is completed.

Houston affected many current famous singers. On Sunday at the 2012 Grammys there was a tribute for Houston by singing Houston’s famous song “ I will always love you”. Jennifer Hudson tweeted “ It was the greatest honor of my life to pay tribute to Whitney’s memory. It was from my heart. Her family is in my prayers.”

Houston has been known for hit songs  “I Will Always Love You” and “ Greatest Love of All.” She has been nominated for 26 Grammys.

Here is the rest of her story, as earlier reported by the Torch:

From Vol. 42, Issue 08 – Friday, April 17, 2009

By Ashley O’Connor

A crib stands in the right corner of the room; it’s filled with stuffed animals, a mobile hanging over it. Two car seats and a stroller are in the left corner, with a changing table at the end of the crib. Little brown baby shoes wait on a shelf, waiting to be used.

Meg Hamilton, sr., stands in the nursery. She’s waiting and ready for her baby boy, just like the little brown shoes.

She is one of nearly 6,020 teenage girls who get pregnant each year in Iowa.

Hamilton, who is due on May 18, found out that she was pregnant in February. “My parents found out I had sex. They asked if I thought I was pregnant, and when I said I didn’t know, they said I had to take the test,” she said. “We went to do a blood test at Mercy Care North, but they sent us to take an ultrasound at St. Luke’s instead. My parents found out that I was pregnant at the same time that I did.”

Destynne Postel, fr., is another teen in the same situation. Postel, who is also expecting a little boy, is due on May 25.

Unlike Hamilton, though, Postel found out about her pregnancy on her own. “I took the test because my boyfriend said I was acting moodier than usual.” When Postel told her boyfriend, Derrick Meyer, fr., that the test came back positive, he wasn’t surprised. But for Hamilton it was a different story when she had to relay her news to the father, Randy Thompson, 21.

“He was scared at first when I told him, but him and his family have been pretty helpful about it. His parents bought the crib, the dresser, and changing table and he’s bought the mattress,” Hamilton said.

Even though Hamilton and the father are no longer together, Postel and Meyer’s relationship is still going strong. “I think [the pregnancy] has brought us closer,” Meyer said. “We’ve been together for almost two years. After she has the baby, we’re probably going to move in with each other during the summer and we’ve even been talking about marriage.”

Though their relationship is still strong, for most teens that get pregnant, it isn’t the case. “Teenage pregnancy causes a lot of problems in a ‘romantic’ relationship. Pregnancy often causes additional stress which causes the relationship to change or end, financial difficulties develop in the relationship and family issues relating to responsibilities between the couple arise,” Jenifer Vick, Director of Development and Communications of Planned Parenthood, said.

Postel, who didn’t have to tell her boyfriend about the pregnancy, did have to tell her parents. “When I told my mom, she said that I was going to have an abortion, and my dad really didn’t have a reaction to it.” She went her mom’s wishes, however, and decided to keep the baby. “It’s my first baby, so I really didn’t want to get rid of it. I also don’t believe in abortion. [My boyfriend and I] were going to give it up for adoption, but we’ve just decided to keep it instead.”

Taking care of the children after birth is going to be hard for the girls, but they have a solid group of people and plans behind them to help them out. Hamilton, who will be attending Kirkwood next year for the pharmacy tech. program, has a nursery set up at her parents’ house and will be living there, getting help from her parents raising the boy. She has also got help from the Young Parent’s Network, taking pregnancy classes in which she learns how to take care of the child, which she’s going to name Cedric Owen Hamilton, once it’s born.

Once Postel has the child, whose name is going to be Kyle, she will be done with school for the year, but will return next year to finish out high school. “I think I’ll do ok [coming back next year]. It’ll be a lot better because he’ll be sleeping at night more regularly when I come back at the start of next year, so I’ll be able to get my homework done.” She has also taken pregnancy classes and has learned what to expect in the future and also healthy things to eat for the baby.

As soon as Hamilton found out that she was pregnant, she went and filed for Title 19 and also went to St. Luke’s to get prenatal vitamins which would be the advice she gives to other girls who are also in this situation.

Vick’s also has advice for teens that are in this situation as well. “Apply for medical insurance if you don’t have any available, find a family doctor/OBGYN that takes the insurance you have, contact resources in the community that provide services for new parents, take care of you physical and mental health and communicate with trusted individuals in your life that are a support system for you and your child.”

As for the actual act of giving birth, Postel isn’t worried. “I’m nervous about the pain while giving birth, but other than that, I’m not scared.”

For another four weeks, the crib will remain empty, the car seats in the corner, the stroller unused. Ant those little brown shoes, they’ll remain on the shelf, waiting to be worn.

From Vol. 43, Issue 06 - Friday, Feb. 26, 2010

By Emma Lehmann

As Destynee Postel sat in her living room, reading to her son, it was the quintessential picture of motherhood…except one thing. Postel is 15.

The Torch first interviewed Postel, so., last year for the story Premature parents: teen pregnancy changes the lives of everyone involved – when she was 15 and pregnant. It has been ten months since that initial interview, and a lot has changed.

“When I told my mom, she said that I was going to have an abortion… [then] we [my boyfriend and I] were going to give it up for adoption… I didn’t know what to do,” Postel recalled in her last Torch interview. But Postel is almost 16 now, and no longer pregnant; she has a son, Kyle, who is almost nine months old.

“In the first few months I seriously considered [giving the baby up for adoption," Postel confessed, "but then I got closer to him and I couldn't do it."

So life changed, drastically.

"Life's different because I gotta think of someone else before me now," Postel said. It's a new concept, she admits, one that she still will have to continually work at.

But not everything is different. Postel is still with the baby's father, Derrick Meyer, so. He takes care of Kyle every other day, with the help of his parents. "[Kyle] has kinda made us closer, but pushed us apart at the same time,” Postel said. “…It’s made us closer because we have to do something as a team now, but it’s pushed us apart because we fight a lot, because of our different living styles.”

And it’s been like this since Kyle was born last May. In fact, Postel and Meyer have been together for nearly three years.

When he was interviewed last April, Meyer’s outlook was good. “I think it [the pregnancy] has brought us closer,” Meyer said. “We’ve been together for almost two years. After she has the baby, we’re probably going to move in with each other during the summer and we’ve even talked about marriage.”

Things didn’t move that fast for the couple; they still live at their respective parents’ houses, and they are both still unmarried. But the couple is doing well, considering the circumstances.

Unlike the majority of teen couples – let alone those with infants – Postel and Meyer have been together through out the pregnancy and the birth of their son. By doing this, they have beaten the statistics showing that a majority of teenage fathers bolt from the relationship, soon after hearing the news of the baby’s appearance.

But this is not the only area in which the couple has challenged the odds.

Statistics show that one-third of all American girls will get pregnant in their teenage years  – that’s a sobering 750,000 annually. Of these, more than two-thirds of all teenagers who have a baby will not graduate from high school. However, Postel seems certain of her academic future.

“[Both my boyfriend and I] are still in school,” Postel said. “I don’t know what he [Meyer] wants to be, but I’m trying to become a doctor. I’m not letting my dream go down because I had a baby.”

Though her expected 2012 graduation date is still quite far away, Postel already has eventual plans of attending Kirkwood Community College, to become a doctor. This is how she hopes to one day care for her son.

But for now, she has to settle for a part-time job, to provide for Kyle. “This year I’m going to be 16, and so I’m gonna get a job at my mom’s work. And so, that’s how I’m gonna support him [Kyle],” Postel said.

Today, watching Postel help her son crawl, or cuddle Winnie the Pooh, it’s hard to tell what’s running through her mind. She could be contemplating her undoubtedly difficult future, thinking of times before his birth, or simply remembering his birth – a possible blessing in disguise.

“Maybe Kyle being born is kind of a blessing, you know?” she told the Torch. “I mean, you have to grow up and think about someone else before yourself when you have a baby, and not to be immature. And if I didn’t have a baby right now, I’d probably be failing school and doing other stuff, and by boyfriend, probably, would try drugs and all that. We could be normal teenagers, and we can’t do that now because we have a baby.”

There’s no doubting that Postel’s past, and future, have been, and will be, hard. But as she gazes into Kyle’s eyes – a motherly look towards her son – there is the faintest glimmer that, as she said, “Maybe, I don’t know – maybe it’ll be alright.”

From Vol. 45, Issue 04 – Friday, Feb. 17, 2012

By Tara Mittelberg

In April 2009, the Torch talked to Destynee Postel, then fr., as she was struggling with the emotional and physical challenges of teen pregnancy. Ten months later, we peered into her life as the new mother of a nine month old child, Kyle Meyer. Today, we examine how Postel, a senior with plans to graduate in May, is coping after 2 1/2 years of parenthood.

In September of her freshman year, Postel discovered she was pregnant. Despite the fact that her boyfriend Derrick Meyer, sr., claimed to have noticed the symptoms of pregnancy, Postel was in shock. “I took eight tests. I didn’t want to believe I was pregnant,” Postel said. “But I was.”

During the first months of pregnancy, Postel considered putting her child up for adoption; her mother wanted her to get an abortion. However, approximately six months into her pregnancy, after her second ultrasound, Postel began to reconsider. “By the time he started kicking and I saw the heartbeat, I was growing more attached to him,” Postel said. Despite criticism, Postel decided to keep the child.

Throughout her pregnancy, Postel received optimistic support from friends, family, and teachers. However, those closest to her and her and her boyfriend didn’t lose sight of reality. “Derrick’s dad said, ‘this isn’t house. You can’t take care of it one day and forget about it the next. This is a big responsibility,’” Postel said.

Although Postel’s experience has been far from house, she and her boyfriend Meyer have devised a system to work through a tough situation as smoothly as possible. While they are at school, their son Kyle stays with Meyer’s parents. The couple takes turns caring for Kyle in the evenings, each using their individual finances to pay for his expenses when he is in their hands; Postel works at McDonalds, Meyer at detailing shop.

For Postel, a typical evening with Kyle involves an intricate balance of work, homework, and playing with her son. After working for a few hours after school, Postel picks up Kyle from Meyer’s parents’ house, and they watch TV or read until 8:30. After putting Kyle to bed, Postel begins her homework. “When he was a year old he used to think that my homework was his chewing cloth, so I couldn’t do homework until he went to bed around 9 or 10 o’clock,” Postel said. Although Kyle goes to bed earlier now, Postel must wait until he is sleeping to complete her assignments. “He tries to color on my homework,” said Postel.

Although Postel only missed a few days of school during her pregnancy, for the first year after Kyle’s birth Postel’s academic performance began to decline. Kyle was frequently ill, often forcing Postel to choose between motherhood and school. “In my mind I was the mom,” Postel said. “I had to stay home and take care of him.”

Through these trials, Postel and Meyer have maintained a relatively steady relationship for nearly five years. “If you’re having a baby you can’t back out and leave the girl with the kid,” Meyer said. Although they sometimes argue about parenting styles, Postel is appreciative of Meyer’s commitment to fatherhood. “Derrick is the most amazing teenage dad I’ve ever met,” Postel said. “With me and him, our son comes first.”

After realizing how quickly Kyle catches on to their behaviors, the couple has learned to closely monitor their language and actions. “Kyle is a little Derrick and does everything his dad does,” Postel said. “Derrick smokes cigarettes and Kyle tried to smoke a french fry.” Meyer has noticed a change in his maturity. “I’ve grown up a lot,” Meyer said. “I’m more responsible. I don’t do teenager dumb things.”

Although Postel has had to give up typical teenage pastimes such as hanging out with friends and playing volleyball, she has not entirely regretted becoming a mother. She enjoys always having someone there to comfort her. “Even though Kyle doesn’t understand me, I can tell him anything,” Postel said. “He always brightens my day.”

Photos by Annie Feltes and Hannah Bruns

Some days, there’s total inspiration. Some days he just wants to hear his song, some days it’ll just be flowing out of his brain and spewing out all these new rhythms and tunes, and it will sound good and he will spend hours on the guitar. And then some days, he doesn’t want to hear music at all because he has total writer’s block.

But make no doubt that Panashe Tavaziva, so., loves music. Moving from Zimbabwe to America when he was in elementary school, Tavaziva’s family as he describes is crazy because their culture is nothing like the culture in America. Despite calling his family “un-American”, he wears a white unbuttoned dress shirt (it contrasts greatly with his dark skin), jeans, and white tennis shoes. On his neck is his good luck charm, his house key.

He discusses the difference between Zimbabwe music and American. “The main music they play in Zimbabwe [is with a] classical guitar, and they pluck the strings so that it sounds like really bright and really high and it’s a really weird noise and they play it really fast,” Tavaziva said, striking the air as if strumming a guitar. “My parents tell me to stop scratching the guitar, like strumming the guitar, and start plucking the guitar like they do in Africa. And that is the hardest thing ever.”

He likes the American way of strumming the guitar. Of the ten instruments Tavaziva can play, Tavaziva favors the acoustic guitar. Sometimes, when he walks past his room where his music area is, he sees his guitar and has to push himself away, otherwise he’ll just keep playing it and playing all day long, until he forgets what he’s supposed to do.

His music interests are diverse. Tavaziva states that he’ll literally listen to anything, whether it’s opera, jazz, rap, rock, or Screamo. He’s been playing instruments since he was five, starting with piano, and has gone from saxophones to drums to harmonicas to drums. But, before there were instruments, his first music was vocal. “At first I started singing when I was born,” Tavaziva said.

Because this love of music and an offer from Rockwell Collins to use their recording studio, the 15-year-old is working on recording his CD, which he hopes will be done by the end of the summer.

He recalls his first time at Rife’s Recording Studio. “The first time I actually sung I was nervous like crazy. My voice was just all wobbly and I could not think,” Tavaziva said.

The theme of his album is the ocean, and it is inspired by the sound of Ivory Coast, a country of western Africa. He just loves the sound of it. The songs, both lyrically and musically go off the theme of water and ocean, though Tavaziva says he might change it. The sound, in general, he says, is up-beat; it is a flowing, reggae sound. He is planning on sending the demo tape to a labeling studio to check it out (even though he admits the music industry is nuts). “I might get famous,” Tavaziva said. “That would be cool.”

Normally, he sings about life. He writes down the words. And then Tavaziva transposes it into rhythm and rhyme and sometimes, he smiles widely, it works out just perfectly.

Erbes started off the wrestling season this year knowing very little what to expect of wrestling regardless she has always wanted to wrestle. “It was really hard at first but now that I’ve gotten use to it, it really isn’t,” Erbes said.

Being one of the first females wrestlers at Kennedy Erbes has really wanted to show everyone that she is just must like any of the guys. “At first nobody of my friends and family really believed I could do it, but now they realized I can, they really just support me all the way.”

Taryn has received a lot of support from her friends and especially her family.

“At first it was exciting because wrestling takes a lot of hard work and dedication and I knew she’d would be up for the challenge,” said Melissa Erbes, Taryn’s mom.

After being halfway through the season, Taryn has grown more accustomed to the team. Regardless the gender differences, Taryn still practices with the guys.

Even though Taryn has practiced, for part of the season she was unable to wrestle. “The only time that it really bothered me was when we went to a wrestling meet and there were two girls wrestling and at that I time I still couldn’t and it really just made me mad.” She participated in her first wrestling meet on Jan. 5 but lost her first match.

As the only female wrestler at Kennedy, Taryn has faced some hardships this season. “All the guys are much more experienced so learning a lot of the techniques took me more time,” Taryn said, explaining how at the beginning of the year a lot of her teammates were skeptical and thought she wouldn’t last long. Opinions of the team has really changed. “They’re all super helpful, which has helped me fit in better.”

Taryn hopes to continue wrestling throughout her high school career. She hasn’t treated the sport any differently and has received a lot of support from her friends and family.

“It was just like any sports she’s done before, it was one that she was really interested in and just wanted to treat it like it was,” said Melissa.

Taryn believes that wrestling is a sport much like any other. “I always thought it wasn’t fair that girls couldn’t do a guys sport and I just wanted to prove myself and that isn’t really much of a difference at all.”