Bear Creek - The Bear Creek School

Bear Creek 

Current 

June 5, 2008 Volume 3, Issue 8 

2008 

uPCoMinG DaTeS 

Yearbook Distribution friday, June 6 2:50pm 

Senior breakfast and rehearsal Thursday, June 12 9am-12:30pm 

upper School Day at idlywood Park Thursday, June 12 11:30am-4:00pm 

upper School honors assembly friday, June 13 10:30am-11:30am 

Seniors vs. faculty ball Games friday, June 13 11:30am-1:30pm 

an evening of honors friday, June 13 7:30pm 

Graduation Saturday, June 14 3:00pm 

PAGE 18 Upper School 

Head Mrs. Hernandez retires. 

Senior TribuTe iSSue 

The ClaSS of 2008 

This final issue for the year 

is dedicated to the incredible 

class of 2008. For tributes on 

each of the 51 seniors, see 

pages 10-16. 

Congratulations on all of your 

accomplishments!

Current 2 June 5, 2008 

Bear Creek 

Current 

MiSSion 

Current is the student voice 

of Bear Creek, providing a 

quality, thought-provoking, 

entertaining and responsible 

student newsmagazine. With the 

exception of the opinion section, 

editorial content is limited to 

work produced by Bear Creek 

students. 

aDVerTiSinG 

Current will only run advertising 

that supports the mission of The 

Bear Creek School. All advertisements 

are subject to final approval 

by the journalism adviser. 

Current reserves the right to edit 

or reject any advertisement for 

any reason at any time prior to 

publication. Current reserves the 

right to alter and amend those 

advertisements not accurately 

meeting the technical specifications. 

All advertisers assume the 

responsibility of abiding by the 

terms and conditions of our Advertising 

Policies. 

leTTerS To The eDiTor 

Current welcomes letters to 

the editor. Letters must be less 

than 500 words and include the 

author's name and phone number. 

Anonymous letters will not be 

printed. The editor reserves the 

right to edit for length and clarity. 

Submission does not guarantee 

publication. 

ConTribuTinG WriTerS 

Current welcomes submission of 

articles by TBCS students. Please 

contact the journalism adviser for 

specific requirements. 

STaff 

Kara Heiser, Editor 

Alex Amela 

Kelly Chase 

Conner Morgan 

Adelaide Tillinghast 

Georgina Wadhwani-Napp 

Mrs. Sanger, Adviser 

The Bear Creek SChool 

8905 208th Ave. NE 

Redmond, WA 98053 

www.tbcs.org 

425.898.1720 

All rights reserved. No part of this publication 

may be reproduced or transmitted in any form 

by electrical or mechanical means, without 

permission in writing by the journalism adviser. 

next issue: September 2008 

OpiniOn 

adeeperlook 

The alpha and the omega: 

the God who finishes what he starts 

This 

Q&A 

Sam Pomeroy 

Contributing Writer 

Our culture is focused on the product. The end 

result is the primary thing examined, and often times 

it is irrelevant how the product reached its' finished 

state. Anywhere from building ipods, building 

skyscrapers, or even building a better you by surgeries 

and procedures—each thing is constructed with one 

purpose: to reach the product. 

Is not the purpose of starting a task, a project 

or an idea to finish it? We as humans seek product. 

And so if things have an end, they indeed must have 

a beginning as well. 

Products that are left unfinished are discarded, 

deleted or destroyed. It is natural and it makes sense. 

No one wants an ipod that has no display screen. No 

one wants a skyscraper without stairs. Imagine if you 

went to the car dealership and the salesman tried to 

sell you a car that was missing the tires! 

The unfinished product is a reflection upon 

the producer: if a product is unfinished, the producer 

itself is of no value. 

In the strictest sense of the term, God is a 

producer, a creator. The first chapter of the Bible is 

year has flown by and 

the journalism staff wants 

to take a retrospective 

point of view in this final 

issue of Current for this 

year. Whether your best 

memory is a school 

dance, a mission trip or achieving that 110 

percent in a class, it’s always worth while to 

take your past memories out of the attic and 

dust them off. For the sake of nostalgia in this 

issue, the Current staff asks, 

What is your favorite memory of this year? 

one big exaltation of God’s creative powers. If one 

studies the Bible, it is evident that the God in control 

is a God that has a plan from beginning to end. The 

Bible is not a confusion of choices; it is a story of 

grace. Knowing a God that planned each life and 

each event down to the pinprick is something that 

we cannot fathom. 

Know one thing: that when you become a 

Christ follower, He starts something. He starts a 

transformation, a process you will undergo for the 

rest of your life. The start marks the beginning of 

your own adventure with Christ. And as the God who 

finishes what He starts, He wants to finish what He 

started in you. 

God loves you; He loves His creation. He made 

you with a specific purpose and He is preparing and 

transforming you into who He has called you to be. 

Yet, here is the truth: God cannot finish what He 

started if you do not give Him control and give Him 

first place in your life. 

If God has started something in you, it is the 

cry of His heart that you may follow Him with your 

life so that He may take joy in finishing in you what 

He started so long ago. 

. . . Musicale, 

because we got to 

be judged for real, 

and the food was 

amazingly good. 

hayley Jensen 

Grade 9 

. . . the missions 

trip, because 

it was a great 

experience and I 

got to serve other 

people. 

Cameron Kesinger 

Grade 9

National Honor Society welcomes 

new members by candlelight 

liGhTinG The WaY NHS Vice-President Stephanie Pedersen lights a candle 

as the ceremony begins. One of the main focuses for the group is service 

projects. 

inDuCTion CereMonY New NHS members pass a flame from candle to candle 

as they take part in the symbolic formal ceremony. New members were accepted 

based on leadership, community service, academics and recommendations. 

. . . the boys 

basketball team's 

trip to state; there 

was a lot of bonding 

with the cheer 

squad and the team. 

laurie robinson 

Grade 10 

. . . all the cross 

country bus 

rides with Jake 

Mathews. 

Josh erickson 

Grade 10 

ArOund SchOOl 

. . . State track 

meet. 

beth Graham 

Grade 11 

Jin ihn 

Grade 11 

. . . the boys 

basketball team's 

trip to state, taking 

pictures and 

missing three days 

of school. 

Karlee aronson 

Grade 12 

. . . the spring 

play, An Ideal 

Husband. 

alex Patterson 

Grade 12 

Current 

June 5, 2008 

Biology students study 

ocean life at Camp Magruder 

fooD Web On the junior biology trip to Camp Magruder, Justin Maurer, Molly 

Kernan and Beth Graham draw a food web for the ocean habitat. 

CaSTleS in The SanD Following Mrs. Dunn's directions to build something 

with sand, Brittanie Vander Weide, Erik Richardson, Brianna Firminger and Eli 

Sanger built a classic castle, while other groups built a turtle and a tomb. 

. . . Biology trip, 

preparing our 

own food, 

especially the 

spaghetti.

Current 

June 5, 2008 

Here's to the Night 

by Kelly Chase 

Staff Writer 

Prom is always a bittersweet time of year—the junior’s looking forward 

to their senior year and the senior’s to their impending departure. It is a time 

for these two classes to come together before Senior Projects. This year’s 

prom was no exception. 

After a week of solid rain, the weather cleared up to produce a 

beautiful, warm day perfect for going out on the lake. Minus the wind, the 

weather held up well. 

This year’s theme, ”Here’s to the Night” was taken from a 90’s song 

by Eve6 and basically discusses the last night before the end of something. 

This song depicts the end of the school year and how prom itself depicts the 

beginning of the end. 

The DJ played a good mixture of both new and old and songs with 

dances attached including ‘Cupid Shuffle’, ‘Soulja Boi’, and ‘The Macarena.’ 

When the Macarena came on most everyone, including a good portion of the 

chaperones joined in. When ‘Summer’ by Earth, Wind and Fire came on, the 

seniors all joined in singing along with the chorus. 

As the night came to a close and the boat docked, students went 

their separate ways with only the memories of a last bonding experience with 

their peers. 

R e d e e m e R R e d m o n d 

T r a n s f o r m e d L i v e s , T r a n s f o r m i n g R e d m o n d 

Services held Sundays at 10 a.m. 

Redmond High School 

17272 NE 104th Street 

Redmond, WA 98052 

More information? 

www.RedeemerRedmond.com 

*Redeemer Redmond Church is part of the Presbyterian Church in America 

ArOund SchOOl 

ouT on The ToWn While waiting for the boat to launch, Sam Pomeroy, Michael 

Hester and Marc Mueller prepare for a night of dancing. Students alternated 

between dancing and just hanging out together. 

a rainboW of DreSSeS Morgan Wierleski, Katie Ball, Kimi Pohlman, Molly 

Miller and Mrs. Blankenship stop before the floor to ceiling windows soon after 

the boat launched. The windows on the main floor provided the seniors and 

juniors with views of Lake Washington and Lake Union. 

on The uPPPer DeCK Sydney Conway, Courtney Kesinger, Justin Maurer 

and Chris Pattillo take a break from dancing to spend some time hanging out 

on the upper deck. The boat included two decks, one for dancing and eating 

and one for enjoying being out on the lake at night.

Current 

June 5, 2008 

an ideal husband 

by Abby Gomulkiewicz 


The curtain goes down. The applause begins. As the actors reappear and 

take their bows the applause grows louder. Finally, the cheering ceases, people 

are thanked and the actors once again become students of The Bear Creek 

School. These enjoyable performances provide entertainment but entertainment, 

takes work. Many hours of line memorization, block acting, costume fittings, 

and set building goes into each of these performances. 

The spring play put on by the upper school drama department was An 

Ideal Husband, directed by Dr. Ron Lynch. Set within Victorian England, this 

lively play involved blackmail, romance and comedy. The play is centered on 

Sir Robert Chiltern and his morally firm wife Gertrude. Together they embark 

on a journey of betrayal, and eventually, forgiveness. 

This witty play was written by Oscar Wilde. During the 19th century, 

the “upper crust” of society’s lives revolved around endless parties, luncheons 

and strolls through the park. Women and men constantly flirted and gossiped. 

Bear Creek students helped the audience journey back to the days of flowery 

hats, lacy silken dresses, button-holes, tuxedoes and high heeled shoes. The 

journey was helped by the beautiful set constructed by Jess Wetter and Dr. and 

Mrs. Lynch. The oak wood paneling, live piano and fireplaces all added to the 

proper houses of the well to do. 

The costumes were one of the most fun aspects of the play. Besides 

their beauty, a costume helps provide the audience with a visual look into 

understanding a certain character and his or her position in society. This was 

the case for the extravagant bachelor Lord Goring who wore a shiny, silver 

suit and a floral button-hole. The costume of the villain, Mrs. Cheveley, was 

beautiful with purple silk and blackened fringe. This costume helped narrate 

the beauty, yet mysteriousness behind the character of Mrs. Cheveley. 

The women wore gowns of silk, satin and lace in colors of lavender, 

blue and pink. They also wore Victorian style white and black shoes as well 

as bonnets with ornate flowers perched on top of them. The men wore suits, 

bow ties, flowers and high topped Victorian boots. Every single costume and 

prop was created or given with care to help the drama department in their 

production by mothers, friends and even grandmothers. 

The students worked hard to make the play successful. Everyone had to 

perfect a British accent as well as the quick and often dry British humor. All 

of the girls were double cast so each only acted in two of the four productions. 

This meant that throughout rehearsals they had to work extra hard when it was 

their time on the stage. Each cast brought their own unique and fun feel to the 

parts, which resulted in each of the plays being a little different and exciting. 

After the spring performance, many of the actors and actresses experienced 

both joy and tears because this was the final show for the seniors. The guidance 

and care that the seniors showed to the lower classmen helped strengthen the 

drama department and create many fun memories. The members of next year’s 

drama department are excited to continue to walk in their footsteps, eventually 

leaving their own footprints along the corridor of Bear Creek production. 

As the curtain falls on yet another school year finished, think about 

attending the drama department’s plays next year. The actors are excited to 

make their own paths and will appreciate your enthusiasm. The plays put on 

by the drama department, including An Ideal Husband, are hard work, yet fun 

and exciting. 

ArOund SchOOl 

is found at Bear Creek in four drama performances 

a final boW Before their final performance, the senior drama members gather 

with Dr.Lynch to reflect on years of amazing memories and productions. 

SharinG a TenDer MoMenT Seniors Morgan Bader (Lord Goring) and 

Carolyn Heine (Miss Mabel Chiltern) express love during a performance of An 

Ideal Husband. Both have been in the drama program since Middle School. 

24 

2 

3 

9 

300 

several actors memorized over lines 

over Victorian pairs of shoes were bought 

flowery and feathered hats were worn 

whole packages of bobby pins and hat pins used 

boxes of Band-Aids secured microphones

Current 

June 5, 2008 

by Conner Morgan 

Staff Writer 

You have gone on the eighth grade trip and gotten through Middle 

School. You are coming back to Bear Creek next year, and you have no idea 

what you are in for. Are the rumors really true? Is High school at Bear Creek 

really harder than the two years you have just struggled to get through? 

I have been at Bear Creek all my life. I have never been to any other 

school, except this one. 

When I came to into High School I already had had a brother and two 

cousins that had gone through the high school program here at Bear Creek. 

The rumors I had heard before were false: the teachers were actually more lax 

than in Middle School. They were more lenient on the uniforms for the most 

part, and late policies were easier on the students. They gave out extensions to 

those who need them and also gave help to those who were struggling. 

Missed a test? Every day except Monday, there is a 30 minute period 

called office hours in which you can make can make a test or quiz, get a jump 

on homework, talk to friends or teachers, or if it’s a nice day outside and you 

have nothing to do, take a break in the rare sunshine. 

Now that I have no doubt bored you with the overall description of the 

teachers I will now jump into the classes that I have taken this last year. 

First off is English. Freshman will take honors World Literature, 

reading ancient mythology the first semester, and medieval/modern literature 

in the second semester. The material consists of the stories of Gilgamesh, 

Antigone, Hector, Achilles and Odysseus. You will be enlightened by the 

writing of William Shakespeare and Alan Paton. One thing to watch out for 

are the lit terms quizzes as they come almost every week. There a list of eight 

words, which must be spelled and defined, except for two were you will need 

to cite an example of. History goes hand in hand with the Bear Creek English 

curriculum. 

Mr. Sorensen’s history class will be one of the best and funniest history 

classes you have ever taken. You will be required almost every night to read at 

least one chapter in the text book History of the Ancient World by Susan Wise 

Bauer. Mr. Sorensen asks questions about the daily reading and discusses the 

main topics. Every semester, there are three thesis paper questions to answer 

in a term paper. The cool thing here is that you can turn the in paper as many 

times as you wish in order to get a better grade than last time. A good grade on 

his tests is achievable if you pay attention during class and study. By the way 

paying attention means taking notes. Mr. Sorensen will occasionally go off 

topic and may tell a story or two. He makes corny jokes but funny comments 

and he might even dress-up in cool costumes or jump onto desks. 

Although the ‘Picture This!’ was a fun note taking device, in Upper 

School the teachers are take it up a notch. In Spiritual Formations, the first 

semester ninth grade Christian studies class involves taking notes from a 

Power Point onto a blank piece of notebook paper. There are three tests, each 

one cumulative of the previous ones. On test three, any questions may have 

also been on tests one or two. Assignments in Spiritual Formations are turned 

in as assignment packet with the list of assignments stapled on top. There are 

almost no papers or projects in this class, and in dead week you will play a 

review game, Spiritual Formations baseball. 

Second semester, Logic is the Christian studies class. More notes and 

assignments, and Faris gives five quizzes to go along with three tests. You 

will watch the movie “Contact” and logically analyze it in class. Finally 

Logic concludes with writing a four to five page response essay to “Bertrand 

Russell’s why I am not a Christian” lecture. 

FeAture 

freshman year at bear Creek 

a survivor's tale 

Mrs. Graham brings energy and wit to the subject of Conceptual 

Physics. She also makes the subject as hands-on as possible so that it is easier 

to grasp the more abstract concepts. Students are encouraged to make study 

guides for test, and if you turn them into her on the test day, you will get 

five percent extra credit on your tests. Labs will be done formally in a lab 

notebook, like in seventh grade science. The labs are interesting and fun, and 

really help learn the new material. 

Not covered were math or languages because many students are in 

different places as far as math goes and you can choose Spanish, French or 

Latin as your language. Beware however that there is a five day language 

assessment at the end of every quarter. Testing covers the basic skills of 

reading, writing, speaking, listening, grammar and the vocabulary that was 

covered that quarter. Also, for the second and fourth quarters the exam is 

during dead week. Reviewing for language will start the week before. 

Well that is the ninth grade in a nutshell. You can now go to the dances, 

the prep-assemblies, and Homecoming as well. There is a new hallway, a new 

lunch hour and new uniforms. Grades also begin to count for college starting 

Freshmen year, so do your best to keep them up. 

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For more information, please call our office. 

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We look forward to meeting you and serving you! 

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8299 161st Ave. N.E. #201 • Redmond, WA 98052 • (425) 885-7100 

www.YoungSmiles.com info@YoungSmiles.com

a year 

As the school year ends, with dead week wrapping up, I am forced to 

ask the question, “what have I learned this year?” This question sounds cheesy 

because of course I have learned something or I would not be passing my 

classes. This question does not just apply to book learning, although that is 

relevant; it also applies to everything that has made me who I am during this 

school year. I am amazed how much I have grown, mentally, physically and 

spiritually, in just the nine months I have attended Bear Creek. 

It was sometime in the afternoon, I was laying in my hospital bed, hating 

the fact that I was going to be missing all of La Semana Santa (the week of the 

Saints, or spring break in Latin America). My friends were all talking about 

leaving on vacation to different places around the Dominican Republic and 

some were getting on planes to go visit their family in Europe. I was deathly 

ill with Dengue Fever and not going anywhere fun. I was restless, tired and 

worried about my health which was in serious condition. The nurse walked 

in and injected something into my IV and took my third blood testing of the 

day. I clenched as she pinched my skin. I had gotten pretty good at this whole 

blood test thing. About an hour later I sat in bed crying because the liquid 

from the IV created a horrible itching on the palms of my hands. The nurses 

told me there was nothing they could do; it just happens sometimes. I wanted 

to just pull the IV out of my arm and swim back to America; that was how 

desperate I wanted to heal. 

The phone rang. It was my dad. I had gotten into The Bear Creek School. 

It was all I could do to keep from screaming; I had worked so hard to get in, 

from trips to post office to mail documents and interviews with Mrs. Hernandez 

over my cell phone. This was this boost of confidence that got me through the 

rest of my school year in the Dominican. 

Do not get me wrong: living the Dominican was a trip of a lifetime, an 

eye opener to the real world. But I felt that my educational background was 

far from solid; I needed a school that offered a good education. My schooling 

background is pretty crazy. I moved to Washington when I was seven and 

attended Wilder Elementary from first to fifth grade. I then went to a choice 

school in the Lake Washington School District called the Environmental and 

Adventure School. I attended EAS from sixth to seventh grade but, I really 

disliked it. The school was very small, and the teachers taught in a style that 

was difficult for me. After EAS, I went to the International School of Sosua in 

the Dominican Republic for my eighth grade year. ISS was filled with people 

from around the world, and I really got to experience different cultures. But 

educationally it was very easy. 

The day before my freshman year started, I was most worried about how 

I was going to survive. Most of these people had been going to Bear Creek their 

FeAture 

Current 

June 5, 2008 

to remember 

by Adelaide Tillinghast 

Dengue Fever is a flu-like illness spread by the bite of an infected 

Staff Writer 

PIANO LESSONS 

Diane Axworthy 

425-883-4436 

dianeax@gmail.com 

dianeaxworthy.com 

mosquito. There are four strains of the virus; a person can only 

get a strain once or four times with different strains. Dengue is 

spread by the bite of an Aedes aegypti and the Aedes albopictus 

mosquito. The mosquito transmits the disease by biting an infected 

person and then biting someone else. The virus then travels to 

the bloodstream, affecting the blood vessels. During this process, 

chemicals used to clot blood are used up, and thus severe 

bleeding (haemorrhage) occurs internally as well as on the skin. 

Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a severe, often fatal, complication of 

dengue fever. Dengue viruses occur in most tropical areas of the 

world. Dengue is common in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Australia, and 

the Americas. It is widespread in the Caribbean basin. 

whole lives and had a solid foundation to handle the rigorous curriculum of 

the Upper School. I worried that my writing was not good enough. I wondered 

how I was going to pass English Class, and on top of that, write for the school 

newspaper. I had to trust God that because he had gotten me into this school, 

he was not going to let me fail. 

It is true: God was with me every second of the way. I did not fail English 

(although I should probably wait until after I have taken the final to say this), 

and mentally I have grown in ways I never imagined. In this one year at Bear 

Creek, I have learned more than I would have if I had been at the International 

School for another three years. These classes have given me an educational 

challenge, and many late nights, but the feeling that you get knowing you have 

learned so much is better than the feeling of, “you could have tried harder!” 

Not only is this school providing me with a good education, but I have 

also been given the physical challenge of running! Many people think I am 

crazy for running cross-country (sometimes even my family thinks I am crazy), 

but without this sport, my year at Bear Creek would have been much less than 

amazing. Through cross-country I have met people who are truly inspiring, 

people who I have shared the struggles of racing with, and hard workouts with. 

Although I have not wanted to go to some of the practices or run in a race, 

these times, when I finished, were some of the best moments of my life, and 

that is the reason I run! 

I have not mentioned very much the true reason behind my joy. God is 

the reason. I have grown a good deal spiritually. What has been very different 

from all of my past schools is the Christian element at Bear Creek. I believe 

this is the main reason for my success in finding the right school and liking 

it from the very first time I walked through Bear Creek’s doors. I have found 

that the people here are much more understanding of each other. Christianity 

overrides everybody’s differences and brings people closer together. It’s like a 

big family; if you are having a problem there is always someone to help you. 

This creates warmth in an atmosphere that could otherwise be so cold. 

I remember the day that I was accepted to Bear Creek, and I am so grateful 

that God chose me to go to this school out of all the other people that were in 

my hospital, suffering from the same virus, that may never have the chance to 

get a good education. I want to thank all the teachers at Bear Creek for giving 

me a year to remember, and I look forward to the next three years!


by Adelaide Tillinghast 

Staff Writer 

The dreaded summer reading and math packets are creeping up on students 

as summer draws near. Many students ask “why us?” when other schools are 

not required to do these things? The fact of the matter is other schools do have 

requirements similar to as Bear Creek. 

At The Bear Creek School, summer reading is required for students 

entering grades 7-12. Lower School students are required to complete Accelerated 

Reading tests throughout the year and over the summer. The difference between 

the Middle and Upper School reading and Lower School is grades K-6 make 

summer goals and yearly goals. In the fall, 

if they have reached their goal of AR points 

for their grade level, the library dedicates a 

book in honor of the student. Motivation 

does make a difference. “I feel a lot more 

motivated to read books if I know that once I 

reach my goal that I get my own book in the 

library dedicated to me,” said Lower School 

student Meghan McCahill. 

Students in Upper School agree that 

they would enjoy reading more if they were 

offered more motivation. “I know reading 

classical books is beneficial, and I also know 

that I go to a college prep school, so it is 

not a big surprise that I am having to read 

over the summer,” said freshman Deborah 

Pereira, “but I feel that I would be much 

more motivated if there was some incentive, 

such as a prize.” 

For all students at college prep or 

public schools, summer reading is practice 

for becoming a developed and skilled 

reader. According to Upper School English 

Department Head Ms. Acheson, “summer 

reading creates skills that stay with you as 

you continue your education. This acts as 

its own motivation.” 

Within the Bellevue School District 

are numerous schools highly ranked in 

Newsweek’s Top 200 Public High Schools in 

the United States in 2008. The International 

school, one of the various “choice” schools in 

Washington and part of the Bellevue school 

system, was ranked 10th in the country 

and first in the state in 2007. Bellevue and 

Sammamish High Schools were also in the 

top 200. 

The Lake Washington School District, on the other hand, had no schools 

ranked and they do not require summer reading. 

Many students complain about how other schools are not required 

to read and how Bear Creek should not make it mandatory. In the Bellevue 

School District, all Jr. High and Sr. High schools (grades 6-12) have mandatory 

summer reading. Unlike Bear Creek, in the Bellevue School District all books 

are pre-selected and students are not given a list to choose from. The Bellevue 

FeAture 

HOW 'BOUT THAT 

SUMMER READING 

Summer Reading is not just required 

at Bear Creek. Students claim they 

would enjoy summer reading if they 

had motivation. 

School District also requires an assignment based on the selected book, such 

as an essay or character matrix. 

Schools with a high national ranking and college prep schools like Bear 

Creek require the students to push themselves towards a good education, a good 

education requires reading and, in this case, reading over the summer. 

“TBCS wants to make it enjoyable and asks for no annotations unless in 

special cases,” said Ms. Acheson. “One of the other main reasons for summer 

reading is the time factor, as a college prep school students are required to 

read classic books and there is not enough time during the year to read what 

is required.” 

TBCS also requires all students to complete a summer math packet. For 

most schools in the public school system 

only Advance Placements classes require 

math review or work to be done over the 

summer in order to prep for the up coming 

year. Bear Creek’s motive for the summer 

math packets is to keep students up to 

speed on what was learned in the previous 

year in order to be ready for upcoming 

math classes in the fall. 

Students ask the question, “what 

is the purpose of math packets?” “The 

purpose of math packets is to provide 

continual practice over the whole 

summer,” said Mrs. Tasche, an Upper 

School math teacher. “Math is something 

that you need to regularly practice in 

order to stay good at it and by doing the 

packet you won’t have to spend the first 

month of school catching up on what was 

forgotten.” 

For some students, math comes as 

an easy and fun subject; for others, it is the 

hardest and least favorite class. Sometimes 

motivation helps students that struggle 

with math stay focused and complete their 

assignments. In the Upper School Algebra 

1 and Statistics classes, Mrs. Tasche has 

provided a classic Lower School style of 

motivation to encourage students to turn 

in homework: sticker charts. Using sticker 

charts helps students stay on track of their 

homework because when the chart is filled, 

they receive a prize. This proves that even 

Upper School students can benefit by a 

little push of encouragement. 

Summer reading and math packets 

photo by Madison Stump and Katie Wolfram 

are required at Bear Creek and at schools 

rigorous enough to be listed on Newsweek’s Top 200 Public Schools list. 

Summer work may be dull, but TCBS can make the process more interesting 

by adding motivation to complete the summer requirements. A book donated 

in a student’s name motivates the Lower School students; maybe a free dress 

day for summer reading can motivate the Upper School students. 

Whatever the motivation, the outcome from reading and math packets 

is prepared Upper School students returning in the fall.

Current 

June 5, 2008 

SUMMER TIME 

“I’ll be doing it also for the experience just because that’s something I 

know I will need senior year and through college,” she said. 

Like her classmates, Alexis will be using her free time in the summer 

to tour lots of colleges and will also attend a volleyball camp at the UW to get 

ready for the fall sports season. 

The seniors are away and are, as the rest of the TBCS upper school 

students well know from witnessing senior skip days and prank, celebrating 

their graduation and exciting in finding more free time for themselves all 

ready. However, soon they will have to get ready to leave and prepare for the 

start college. 

“Right now I’m just having fun with my class and working on my senior 

project,” said Morgan W., “But sooner or later we all will have to realize that 

we have left Bear Creek and will have to begin seriously getting ready for 

college.” 

Freshmen like Sam Rongve are looking forward to enjoying summer 

for “what it is”. 

“Summer is like a three month long break from school when you,” he 

said, “of course it is a good opportunity to get ahead in class or something 

but summer will always be the time when there is nothing you really have to 

do… just relax.” 

by Georgina Wadhwani-Napp 

Staff Writer 

When most high school students think of summer, they imagine 

themselves strolling along the sandy beaches of Bora Bora. Similarly, for 

most, their well-thought out plans for the summer could all be put into the 

same category of events: social events. This excludes, of course, the family 

vacation to Timbuktu and the annual supply run at Staples which traditionally 

takes place sometime the day before school begins again. To those students who 

can identify with the long process of finding and purchasing necessary school 

“supply” items such as Ticongeroga 2HB pencils and Elmers glue, it is the first 

thought of school that has come to them for almost three months. However, 

for many, this is only wishful thinking. For those Bear Creek students, (most 

of) this is not the case exactly. As summer vacation draws nearer and summer 

homework packets are being handed out, reality starts to become more real. 

This summer, in their free time, the sophomores will be preparing 

themselves for the greater work load junior year will bring. When discussing 

how it will be used to get them ready for more AP classes to start this fall, 

Andrew Tilton put it in simple terms. 

“Homework, homework, homework,” he said, “this summer will be 

fun but it will also be a lot of studying. It isn’t something you expect, but it is 

something you have to do.” 

Excited to be a senior next year and park in the main parking lot, current 

junior Alexis Miller is hoping to get a job this summer to pay for gas. 

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Alex Amela 

Came to TBCS: 2002 

College Plans Western Washington 

University 

Senior Project organic farming 

Hero my dad 

Fear powerful corporations 

Favorite Movie Matrix 

Pet Peeve unnecessary materialistic stuff 

A Favorite Bear Creek Memory 

trip to Italy 

James Bartlett 


College Plans University of Washington 

Senior Project researching family 

heritage in Japan 

Heroes none 

Fear waking up in five years and hating 

my life 

Favorite Movie Lord of the Rings 

Pet Peeve people who talk way too much 


Dr. Nelson's Latin class 

clASS OF 2008 

Karlee Aronson 


College Plans Whitworth University 

Senior Project creating a farm sign 

Hero my sister Kristina 

Fear getting stuck in an elevator 

Favorite Movie Remember the Titans 

Pet Peeve when people talk to you while 

wearing dark glasses 


sitting around the campfire on the Biology 

trip 

Melissa Bassi 


College Plans Seattle Pacific University 

Senior Project dog agility training 

Hero my mom 

Fear drowning 

Favorite Movie Zoolander 

Pet Peeve messy cars or rooms 


Junior Biology trip 

Morgan Bader 


College Plans Pepperdine University 

Senior Project animated film of Twelfth 

Night 

Hero Winston Churchill 

Fear heights 

Favorite Movie Mystery Men 

Pet Peeve people who pretend to be 

someone they aren't 


drama class-all the plays 

Katie Beman 



University 

Senior Project archery: compound bow 

and recurve bow 

Hero my best friend Abbey 

Fear closed sleeping bags, mice, drowning 

Favorite Movie Good Will Hunting 

Pet Peeve people trying to finish my 

sentences 


senior IceBreaker 

Katie Ball 


College Plans University of San Diego 

Senior Project Japanese Tea Ceremony 

Heroes my brother Erik 

Fear already-been-chewed gum 

Favorite Movie Elf 

Pet Peeve people playing with alreadybeen-chewed 

gum 


French Trip in junior year 

Garrett Benson 



University 

Senior Project scuba diving 

Hero the Black Power Ranger 

Fear heights 

Favorite Movie Real Genius 

Pet Peeve when its raining just a little bit 

but not enough to turn on your windshield 

wipers 


Senior river rafting trip

Jackson Brammer 



Senior Project swimming in preparation 

for life guarding 

Hero Batman 

Fear batman 

Favorite Movie Batman Begins 

Pet Peeve When people won't admit that 

Batman is the best superhero 


man parties 



Senior Project boxing 

Hero my grandfather 

clASS OF 2008 

Julian Calcagno 



Senior Project volunteering for the Union 

Gospel Mission 

Hero Jesus 

Fear the unknown 

Favorite Movie Star Wars; Lord of the 

Rings 

Pet Peeve inaccuracy, wastefulness 


learning, students, teachers 

Ben Crowe Kyle Dunn 

Fear never doing anything significant with 

my life 

Favorite Movie Spinal Tap 

Pet Peeve when people pronounce bagel 

as "BAG-el" 


Isaac and Marc speed-walking at the fall 

sports assembly 



Senior Project rock climbing 

Hero William Wallace 

Fear being paralyzed 

Favorite Movie Oceans Eleven 

Pet Peeve excessive complaining 


"Everybody's Working for the Weekend" 

dance 

Nate Castle 


College Plans Gonzaga University 

Senior Project rebuilding a broken dirt 

bike 

Hero my dad 

Fear not being able to do something no 

matter how hard I try 

Favorite Movie Patriot 

Pet Peeve people who drive fast 


IceBreaker 

Chelsea Frantz 



Senior Project Muay Thai kickboxing 

Hero Maryam Nozari 

Fear being tortured 

Favorite Movie Beauty and the Beast 

Pet Peeve when people don't know the 

difference between "your" and "you're" or 

between "their," "they're" and "there" 


Biology trip 

Current 

June 5, 2008 11 

Kelly Chase 


College Plans Stephens College, 

Columbia, Missouri 

Senior Project event planning 

Hero my mom 

Fear planes, spiders, public restrooms, 

snakes, clowns 

Favorite Movie An Affair to Remember, 

Across the Universe, What's up, Doc (1972) 

Pet Peeve slow drivers! ignorance 


White water rafting-our boat with Coach 

Moe was amazing! 

Bus trips with our class and the singing 

Katrin Frenger 


College Plans college in Germany 

Senior Project horseback riding with 

disabled kids 

Hero my mom 

Fear spiders 

Favorite Movie Oceans 13 

Pet Peeve when people constantly clear 

their throats 


junior year IceBreaker


James Harrang 


College Plans Washington University in 

St. Louis 

Senior Project photography in Spain 

Hero my grandfather 

Fear germs 

Favorite Movie Little Man Tate 

Pet Peeve people who own expensive 

cameras but never take them off "auto" 


2007 IceBreaker 

Allie Hooker 



Senior Project expressionist painting 

Hero my TI-83 graphing calculator 

Fear physical pain 

Favorite Movie Donnie Darko 

Pet Peeve people who chew with their 

mouth open 


senior river rafting trip 

clASS OF 2008 

Carolyn Heine 


College Plans Westmont College 

Senior Project designing and making 

clothing 

Hero Jane Austen 

Fear being buried alive 

Favorite Movie Ten Things I Hate About 

You 

Pet Peeve being late 


Romeo and Juliet play 

Jake Jeoung 


College Plans Purdue University 

Senior Project internship in Korea 

Heroes my father 

Fear none 

Favorite Movie none 

Pet Peeve none 


winning State Championship in soccer 

Kara Heiser 



University 

Senior Project writing and illustrating a 

children's book 

Hero my mom 

Fear public restrooms 

Favorite Movie Fletch; A Few Good Men 

Pet Peeve people who lick their fingers 


the "parade" for the basketball team in 

10th grade 

Jessica Joyner 


College Plans undecided 

Senior Project sewing 

Hero Lauren Webber 

Fear pockets and singing 

Favorite Movie Malibu's Most Wanted 

Pet Peeve surveys about myself 


junior prom 

Michael Hester* 



Senior Project experimentally 

determining the mass of an electron 

Hero Theodore Roosevelt 

Fear growing old in Oregon 

Favorite Movie Indiana Jones and the 

Last Crusade 



seeing Mr. Miller laugh so hard that he 

doubled over on the pavement and cried 

Christy Jung 


College Plans University of Illinois- 

Urbana Champaign 

Senior Project making a suspension 

bridge model 

Heroes God and my dad 

Fear getting sleepy 

Favorite Movie Alice in Wonderland 

Pet Peeve hair on clothes 


IceBreaker 

* aka Caesar Maximus Lord Captain Commander Emperor Michael Hester Pendragon, Annointed of the light

Greg Kautz 


College Plans Arizona State University 

Senior Project wood carving 

Hero my dad 

Fear failure 

Favorite Movie 300 

Pet Peeve people canceling plans at the 

last minute 


eighth grade trip and Biology trip 



Senior Project learning to play drums 

Hero my parents 

Fear spiders 

Favorite Movie Spiderman 

Pet Peeve waking up early 

clASS OF 2008 

Kristin Kelley 



Senior Project photoshop real estate 

marketing project 

Hero Jesus 

Fear being attacked and incapable of 

doing anything 

Favorite Movie Pride and Prejudice; 

Juno; Pretty Woman; The Departed 


French trip 

Mark Kim Trevor Kowal 


Biology trip 



Senior Project fly fishing 

Hero Robbie Ptaszynski 

Fear night lights 


Pet Peeve people asking this question 


winning State Championship in soccer 

Gunny Kim 



Senior Project learning to play a full 

drum set 

Hero Winston Churchill 

Fear Robbie Ptaszynski 

Favorite Movie Collateral 

Pet Peeve loud talkers who talk on the 

phone forever 


2007 Prom 

Todd Lien 



Senior Project medical mission to 

Honduras 

Hero Jesus Christ 

Fear fear of failure 

Favorite Movie Elf 

Pet Peeve people that aren't serious 

about learning 


Senior Night during IceBreaker 2007-we 

worshipped together, shared gratitude and 

love with one another, and we had fun!! 

Current 

June 5, 2008 1 

Cindy Kim 


College Plans New York University 

Senior Project Paris, France to explore 

Monet's paintings 

Heroes Jesus, my mom 

Fear falling out of car accidently by 

opening the door when it is not locked 

Favorite Movie Billy Elliot 

Pet Peeve when someone with a very 

condescending look blatantly answers 

your questions in a rude manner 


visiting France with the French class 

Cara Linnenkohl 


College Plans University of Virginia 

Senior Project climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro 

Hero Kara Eiber, Conal, and my mom 

Fear losing 

Favorite Movie Remember the Titans; 

Chariots of Fire; Braveheart; Spaceballs; 

Money Pit 

Pet Peeve being asked the same 

question more than once 


senior boys' dance at the Homecoming 

pep assembly


Nathan Matson 



Senior Project scuba diving and underwater 

photography 

Hero none 

Fear something disastrous happening 

(involving severe pain) 

Favorite Movie Space Balls 

Pet Peeve people who can't spell; people 

who leave perishable food out of the fridge 


eighth grade trip 

Alex Patterson 


College Plans Seattle University 

Senior Project analysis and dramatic 

presentation of a selection of poems 

Hero Dr. Nelson; Dr. Lynch 

Fear the unknown 

Favorite Movie The Blues Brothers 

Pet Peeve surveys 


The Hound of the Baskervilles 

Isaac Miller 


College Plans Wheaton College (Illinois) 

Senior Project a correlational analysis 

survey study on Bear Creek fifth graders 

Hero Mr. Miller/Coach Miller/my brother 

Fear failing a test; being accused of 

something I didn't do 

Favorite Movie Serenity 

Pet Peeve no healthy food options in 

cafeterias 


track meets under the lights with the sun 

setting, and my teammates kicking tail 

Stephanie Pedersen 


College Plans University of Montana 

Senior Project interior design 

Hero the corns 

Fear possession 

clASS OF 2008 

Favorite Movie Dumb and Dumber; 

Gone in 60 Seconds 

Pet Peeve people who chew with their 

mouth open 


bus falling in the ditch on the way home 

from basketball games at Lummi 

Marc Mueller 



Senior Project climbing Mt. Rainier 

Hero Josh Smith 

Fear getting in a car accident 

Favorite Movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off 

Pet Peeve slow drivers 


senior guys' dance during Homecoming 

pep assembly 

Megan Perara 



Senior Project art benefit show for 

Lymphoma 

Hero Celine Dion 

Fear Katie Ball trying to crack my toes 

Favorite Movie Sleeper 

Pet Peeve Rachel Ray's face 


watching the polar bear adventures 

Maryam Nozari 


College Plans undecided 

Senior Project cake decorating 

Hero The Green Lantern 

Fear physical pain 

Favorite Movie Grease 

Pet Peeve people talking on the phone in 

the bathroom 


when we were in France on the train 

and Kristin would not shut up about how 

everything was like Harry Potter 

Kimi Pohlman 



Senior Project Latin dancing 

Hero Cristiano Renaldo 

Fear snakes 

Favorite Movie Superbad 

Pet Peeve annoying people 


Biology trip; senior IceBreaker; senior 

homecoming

Sam Pomeroy 


College Plans Baylor University 

Senior Project Belize mission trip 

Hero King David 

Fear boredom 


Pet Peeve high gas prices 


Homecoming assembly dance with Brett, 

Marc and Jackson 



Senior Project yoga and fencing 

Hero none 

Taite Pryor 


College Plans Suffolk University, Boston 

Senior Project learning to surf 

Hero Karl Marx 

Fear rape 

Favorite Movie The Full Monty 

Pet Peeve when people act like their 

religion is superior and try to convert you 


watching polar bear adventures 

Asya Simova Josh Smith 

Fear not being able to find something I 

would want for a career 

Favorite Movie Casanova 

Pet Peeve people who take themselves 

too seriously 


lots. . .but I guess since I have to be more 

specific, drama class 

clASS OF 2008 



Senior Project car renovation 

Hero Marc Mueller 

Fear getting in a car crash and not being 

able to drive 

Favorite Movie Behind Enemy Lines 

Pet Peeve jerkish people 


mission trip to the Bahamas during 

freshman year 

Robbie Ptaszynski 



Senior Project photography internship 

Hero Trevor Kowal 

Fear clowns 

Favorite Movie Spinal tap 

Pet Peeve slow moving people 


ski bus; eighth grade trip 

Chris Strandin 



Senior Project building an electric guitar 

Hero my dad 

Fear eyes: death glares 

Favorite Movie American Pie 

Pet Peeve complaints about being tired 


soccer State Championship!!! 

Current 

June 5, 2008 1 

Brett Webber 



Senior Project live and recording sound 

technician 

Hero Lauren Webber 

Fear Monkees (not the animal) 

Favorite Movie Ocean's Eleven 

Pet Peeve lying 

Jimmy Rehfeld 


College Plans Westmont College 

Senior Project Belize mission trip 

Heroes Bob Ross 

Fear none 

Favorite Movie Godfather 



Junior Biology trip 


Junior Prom


Jesse Wetter 



Senior Project writing a play 

Hero Dr. Lynch and myself 

Fear waking up one day as a Middle 

Schooler again 

Favorite Movie James Bond movies 

Pet Peeve surveys 


acting in The Hound of the Baskervilles 

by Kyle Dunn 


clASS OF 2008 

Morgan Wierleski 



Senior Project teaching Spanish 

Hero salamander 

Fear a world without cookies 

Favorite Movie Anchorman 

Pet Peeve know-it-alls who don't actually 

know it all 


senior river rafting and riding the bull. . . 

enough said 

George’s first day with the senior class 

So it was my first day at The Bear Creek School. I thought it would be 

kind of weird coming in as a new senior. I was really nervous about meeting 

my new classmates: who would be my new friends? In the end it turned out 

to be quite an interesting day. 

It all started when I drove into the parking lot. The car next to me pulled 

in with the bass pumping rap way too loud. I wondered if the school was pretty 

diverse, but the driver turned out to be white. I figured out later his name was 

Robbie, and he was what they called “wangsta.” Stephanie Pedersen was rapping 

and bobbing her head with a huge pair of shades on. Walking in I had to jump 

out of the way of two cars pulling donuts in the school parking lot. That was 

Nate and Trevor, the speed demons of the grade. 

Inside the school there was this weird guy posing like he was in a GQ 

magazine It did not work with the uniform. His name was Kyle. I asked him 

where my first class was and it turned out we had the same classes, so he 

showed me around for the day. We were about to be late, when I saw a blur 

fly past me. “That’s Marc, he is crazy fast,” Kyle told me. The fact that it was 

eight in the morning or that school started in two minutes didn’t stop the three 

Kaile Worman 


College Plans Azusa Pacific University 

Senior Project short film animation 

Hero my father 

Fear clowns 

Favorite Movie Oceans Eleven 

Pet Peeve smacking food 


graduation 

Mrs. Hernandez 


Future Plans spoil grandchildren, travel 

with husband 

Hero my dad 

Fear heights 

Favorite Movie Sense and Sensibility 

Pet Peeve people being mean to one 

another 

Highlight of the Year 

watching the boys basketball team play at 

State in Spokane 

a class act at TBCS 

a satire from one of our own 

amigas, otherwise known as Kimi, Megan, and Katie Ball, from singing their 

hearts out as they waltzed down the hall. The whole day it was Avril Lavigne, 

Earth Wind and Fire, and more Avril Lavigne. 

We got into our first class, called graphic design. “Hey you! You must 

be the new kid!” I thought my ears were about to bleed as Kelly introduced 

herself. There was one other senior in that class, a short scruffy looking guy. 

“What’s your name?” I said. “Its uhh…” I leaned forward so I could hear him, 

“It’s Julian.” Then he stared at me for a few seconds, a slight awkwardness 

in the air. “He’s a bit on the quiet side,” explained Kyle, “but we love him for 

it.” Another girl walked in and headed straight at me. She had a big smile and 

punched me on my arm, saying “Hey, how ya doing, I’m Cara.” I tried to stop 

myself from wincing at the punch as I replied. She was very strong. 

The next class was Anatomy. The first thing I heard was Sam Pomeroy 

singing, and then he told me all about this amazing band called Hillsong 

United for twenty minutes straight. He had assured me that he would burn 

me a copy of their best stuff, and that I would finally find happiness in life. 

Mrs. Dunn listed off all the ways to be injured in the whole realm of scientific 

knowledge, and Kaile Worman had all of them. Most intriguing of all, I saw 

continued on page 17

continued from page 16 

Nathan Matson there, “I know you” I said, “World of Warcraft.” “Yes, I saved 

you from the dragon of Korath,” replied Nathan. “I hope you have grown 

stronger since then.” 

During the break, the man with the most infectious smile in the world 

introduced himself to me. “Hi I’m Todd. It’s so nice to meet you. I bet you’re 

nervous, I was nervous on my first day of school here….” He spoke so fast it was 

all a blur. Yet his sheer bubbliness made smiling back worth it. He practically 

glowed as he pointed out all the people at Bear Creek. Isaac was with him, 

and with a very earnest face he told me he had been studying psychology and 

learned all about the mental barriers of making new friends. He told me he 

would be my friend though. That was comforting. Then Josh came running 

right at me. He stood way too close to my face and told me I should run cross 

country. That sounded like the least fun thing I could ever do, so I politely told 

him I would think about it. 

Most kids hung out in the lounge upstairs. Chris was doing bicep curls, 

and said he had done about a thousand so far. I sat down next to these cool girls 

Allie and Asya, but they spoke excitedly in French and I did not understand 

a thing. Meanwhile I started talking to Katrin. I didn’t really listen to what 

she was saying, but her German accent was so engaging you just wanted to 

talk to her. 

Soon it was time to go to Apologetics. Morgan Wierleski was the most 

exuberant person in that class, and she was so excited to hear about everyone’s 

summer, and to tell every small detail of her own. Ten minutes into the class 

I realized this guy had been staring at me the whole period. When I looked at 

him he got this devious look on his face and said, “One by one the penguins 

come and steal my sanity!” A little worried, I shrank back into my chair. “Don’t 

worry about him,” said Kyle “That’s Michael. He likes to be unique, and he’s 

a good guy beneath all that.” 

Next was Statistics. James Harrang and Shannon spent the class arguing 

about the best way to build a stratified random sample, but then Shannon got 

distracted about the new Gucci line of purses, so James decided he won the 

argument. The teacher was pretty cool too; she fed us goldfish. 

Finally, lunch arrived. I sat between the drama kids and the guitar kids. 

The drama kids, Alex Patterson, Carolyn, and Morgan Bader, were discussing 

how extraordinary the play Romeo and Juliet was. Alex Patterson was probably 

clASS OF 2008 

Current 

June 5, 2008 1 

the classiest guy in the grade, he sported a very well done beard and some 

black shades that said, “I know how to be artsy.” They were eager to know if I 

would come see their performance. As I opened a package of Pop Tarts Kara 

Heiser asked me if I knew how many calories that was. “That's 6,000 headed 

straight to my belly,” I replied. She just laughed and left the subject alone. On 

my other side were the guitar guys, Jackson, Brett and Ben. They were planning 

to challenge the Biology teacher Mrs. Dunn to a game of guitar hero. Jessica 

was there too. She was pretty much one of the guys, and they all loved her. 

Since I didn’t know anything about guitar or Shakespeare, I just smiled and 

nodded for the whole lunch. I was throwing away the remains of my lunch 

when I heard a shout. “Recycle that bottle George!” yelled Alex Amela as he 

raced over to the garbage, but it was too late. 

After lunch I took a walk around the campus, since I had a free period. 

I went into the gym where Garrett was. He wanted to show me how he could 

dunk a basketball. He broke his arm trying, and I failed to hide a smile as the 

basketball coach was furious that he had injured himself goofing off. After 

Garrett dropped the basketball Karlee came sprinting in and dove headfirst for 

the loose ball on the gym floor. It was nice day outside, so I went to some nice 

benches in the sun. A flock of birds flying above, it was a peaceful day. Then 

BAM! I sprung out of my seat at the sound of a gunshot. One of the birds fell 

to the ground. “I got it!” exclaimed Greg as he crawled out of the bushes with 

his shotgun. Apparently he liked to hunt. After that escapade I went to shoot 

hoops with James Bartlett outside. He made a dozen three pointers in a row, 

but said he didn’t really feel like playing basketball for the school. I headed 

down to check out the library afterwards. It was not half a second after entering 

when the library security guard had me pinned up against a wall and forced a 

water bottle out of my hands. “No food or drink in the library. Hi my name is 

Jesse. It’s nice to meet you.” 

I went back to the lounge for office hours, where an incredibly perky girl 

named Cindy showed me a drawing she had done of me. It was an anime sketch 

of me, skillfully drawn, that made my hair look like it had been electrocuted. 

In fact most of the other Asian students–Jake, Gunny, Mark and Christy–were 

there drawing. The Louvre had just contacted them about a new anime exhibit 

they were opening. They were occasionally interrupted by an outlandish sneeze 

from a girl named Taite. There was no way that sneeze was real. Then Kristin 

Kelly came over and took about fifty pictures of everyone sitting in the lounge. 

“These are soo all going in the yearbook!” she screamed. Katie Beman introduced 

herself to me by telling me that I could not physically 

lick my elbow. Then Jimmy Rehfeld smirked, slowly 

lifted his arm, and licked his elbow. 

Finally it was time for the last class of the day, 

English. English had the craziest group of kids. The 

teacher was strikingly patient with a class that would 

never stop talking; apparently we were worse than her 

kids. Maryam was so excited to tell me about hockey, 

but I was too busy eating the cookies she brought in to 

care how well the Buffalo Sabers were doing. Jimmy 

showed me a couple of pictures that made him look 

like he was in a teenage counterterrorist unit. I decided 

avoiding conflicts with Jimmy was a wise idea. Chelsea 

was an easygoing girl who laughed at everybody’s jokes. 

Sometimes she wouldn’t be able to control herself from 

laughing for ten minutes at a time. Then there was Mel, 

who had the awesome, enough said. Marc was there, 

he looked like he was being tortured, forced to sit in a 

desk for such a long time. All the while Megan got a 

little too excited over sniffing expo markers, then you 

throw in Kimi and Trevor who have an infinite fight 

going on, and English was a party. 

I left Bear Creek the first day wondering how I 

would get along with such a funny group of seniors. I 

think maybe I should just laugh.


the end of an era 

by Kara Heiser 

Editor 

As the most recent addition to the 

class of 2008, Mrs. Hernandez will be the 

52nd senior to say goodbye after many 

years here at The Bear Creek School. 

This bittersweet occasion is 

cause for sadness to all at the school who 

know and love Mrs. Hernandez, but it 

allows her to spend some much deserved 

time with her family. Mrs. Hernandez has 

tackled many jobs and held many titles, 

including study skills teacher, mom, 

volunteer, English teacher and Upper 

School Head. 

She first became involved with 

the school after it was recommended by 

a good friend who was looking for a 

private school for her own daughters. At 

that time, Bear Creek was even smaller 

and holding classes at Grace Church. 

Utilizing her training in study skills and 

English, Mrs. Hernandez assisted Mrs. 

Kaplowitz with classroom work, grading, 

and other miscellaneous tasks to fulfill 

her community service hours. When Mrs. 

Price heard what was happening, she 

decided to hire Mrs. Hernandez to teach 

a study skills elective. Thus began Mrs. 

Hernandez’s TBCS career. 

Since then, Mrs. Hernandez has 

become an integral part of the school. At 

times it seems like there are clones of her 

roaming around, for she is ever present 

at sporting events, drama performances, 

concerts, school dances, and during the 

school day. She never tires of meeting 

kids in the hallway and treats each Bear 

Creeker as if they were one of her own 

children. “I love every class, and every 

year when the seniors graduate, I think 

it’s never going to be the same,” said Mrs. 

Hernandez. 

After her lengthy career ends 

this year, Mrs. Hernandez plans to 

relax and travel a bit with her husband 

this summer. Though retirement is the 

technical term, she won’t stop working 

completely because she says, “I love kids 

too much.” 

ArOund SchOOl 

leaving her boxing gloves behind 

our hero For Superhero Day during Homecoming Week, faculty and staff dressed up as Mrs. Hernandez 

in suits and complete with superhero name badges, starbucks cups and boxing gloves. 

Top Ten Things Upper Schoolers will miss about Mrs. H 

1) Her involvement with the students 

2) The humor she puts into serious situations 

3) Her tiny (yet big) little hugs 

4) Her cheerful attitude 

5) Stopping girls (or guys) in the hallway to compliment their shoes 

6) Her representation of the students & standing up for all of us 

7) Her welcoming presence 

8) Her understanding when you tell her your problems 

9) Her smile and happiness 

10) Her habit of always trying to find the best possible solution to 

suit the person who came to her for advice, no matter how long 

it takes 

It won't be the same without you!

SpOrtS 

Current 

June 5, 2008 1 

Spring Sports achievements 

Track (boys) 

State Garrett Benson (7th in 100 high hurdles, high jump) 

SeaTac 2B Male Track Athlete of the Year 

Erik Richardson (discus) 

Josh Firminger (200m) 

Marc Mueller (400m) 

Kyle Dunn (800m) 

Jake Matthews (pole vault) 

Garrett Benson, Marc Mueller, Todd Lien, Josh Firminger 

(4x100 relay) 

Marc Mueller, Kyle Dunn, Todd Lien, Josh Smith (4x400) 

Alternates: Isaac Miller (4x100), Jimmy Rehfeld (4x100, 

4x400) 

Districts Erik Richardson (shot put)) 

Josh Firminger (100m) 

Garrett Benson (200m) 

Todd Lien (400m) 

Josh Smith (800m) 

Robert Kelley (3200 m) 

Isaac Miller (300 int. hurdles) 

Ben Brudnicki (pole vault) 

Will McCahill (pole vault) 

Track (girls) 

State Jeanine Gorzalski (3200m) 

Beth Graham, Brittanie Vander Weide, Joy Jacobson, 

Christianna Mueller (4x100) 

Alternates: Chelsea Frantz, Kira Geiger (4x100) 

Districts Jeanine Gorzalski (1600m) 

Adelaide Tillinghast (3200m) 

Megan Cheever (discus, shot put) 

Catherine Pomeroy (pole vault) 

Emily Kadeg (javelin) 

Brittanie Vander Weide (100m, 200m) 

Christianna Mueller (100m, 200m) 

Brittanie Vander Weide, Kira Geiger, Joy Jacobson, 

Christianna Mueller (4x200m relay) 

Chelsea Frantz, Kira Geiger, Jeanine Gorzalski, Adelaide 

Tillinghast (4x400 relay) 

Golf (boys) 

Seatac 2B League Champs 

State Johnie Freatman (19th) 

Gannon McCahill 

Eli Sanger 

Districts Nate Castle 

Tennis (boys) 

2B Academic State Champions (GPA 3.560) 

Districts Tim Hughes (first singles) 

Softball 

Kimi Pohlman-played for Eastlake High School 

State (1st, KingCo Co-Champions) 

Eastlake High School Softball Offensive Player of Year 

Seattle Times All Area team (softball) 

Seattle Times Female Athlete of the Year (Eastside) 

Swimming 

James Harrang-swam for Eastlake High School 

State 200 IM, 100 breaststroke, 400 freestyle relay 

Districts medley relay, 200IM, 100 breaststroke, 400 freestyle relay 

Team Captain 

baseball 

League Third Place (10-6 record overall, 6-3 in league) 

rowing 

Regionals Cara Linnenkohl (1st in Varsity Single, 2nd in Varsity Quad) 

qualified for Jr. National Invitational (Cincinnati, OH) 

and will row in the single trials for Worlds 

bear Creek athletes head for State 

Golf (girls) 

Seatac 2B League Champs 

State Sydney Conway (2nd) 

Kaile Worman 

Districts Carolyn Heine on To STaTe The Bear Creek athletes that qualified for the State Track and 

Field Championships board the school van for their trip to Cheney.


What's 

the 

buzz? 

ArOund SchOOl 

The Best of Bear Creek Top Ten+Six List* 

(compiled by the Class of 2008) 

1. The year after the seniors commented on the fishbowl effect of the front office 

the administration covered the windows 

2. Only Bear Creekers can pull off chemistry jokes 

3. Ms. Dennison’s ‘quizzes’ that take the whole period and then some 

4. 50% of the senior class uses Kelly’s computer account…Happy7 

5. Everything about the ‘secret’ senior prank is pre-planned, pre-approved and 

chaperoned 

6. Having to explain to people that our homecoming is in January because we’re 

too small for a football team 

7. Drama is the only clique 

8. Random lunch announcements where everyone is actually quiet and listens 

9. How people wear wild shoes/socks to distinguish themselves 

10. Announcing the letter days for the week on morning announcements even 

though every one knows the alphabet 

11. How we have slowly but surely broken the “t-shirts on Fridays only” rule 

12. How everyone knows lunch is at exactly 12:21pm 

13. Trying to be more healthy, the kitchen took away our soda and replaced it with 

muffins that are 500 calories each 

14. If you start singing ‘A Whole New World’ from Aladdin, anyone and everyone 

from the senior class will join in 

15. Juniors and seniors are skilled at identifying anything that could be perceived a 

fire hazard 

16. Our trophy case consists of mostly spelling bee and chess awards…rather than 

sports 

*Everyone knows that the Class of 2008 is competitive, 

so a top TEN list just wasn't good enough! 

behinD The SCeneS In its third year, the 

Current has become a respected and well-read 

monthly newsmagazine published by Upper 

School students. Continuing the tradition of "not 

telling students what to think, but what to think 

about" for 2007-08, the staff included: Georgina 

Wadhwani-Napp '10, Editor Kara Heiser '08, 

Kelly Chase '08, Adelaide Tillinghast '11, Conner 

Morgan '11, Alex Amela '08. The class published 

eight issues during the school year (and a back- 

to-school issue in September). Many thanks to 

our great advertisers and also the consistent 

"contributing writers" this year: Nathan Matson 

'08, Sam Pomeroy '08, and Abby Gomulkiewicz 

'11. With the West Lab and six classes devoted 

to journalism, Bear Creek continues to support 

a balanced journalism program. To learn 

more about contributing to the Current, the 

literary magazine to be published next year, 

photojournalism or the yearbook, please see 

Mrs. Sanger. Thanks for your readership and 

support!

Bear Creek - The Bear Creek School

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