Issue 4: November 28, 2 - Lake Stevens School District #4
2news
November 28, 2012 Check out more photos on Facebook at “Lshs Valhalla”
Drama Club presents Cab Night
An unexpected spin on the usual fall play
by Kaelyn King
Staff Reporter
T h e
L S H S
Drama
Club hosted its first Cabaret
Night on November 17 instead
of the usual fall play.
Cab Night showcased a variety
of acts and included
performers from the high
school and the community.
Freshman Brittney Wood
A Viking welcome for Lake Stevens veterans
More than 50 veterans gathered in the gym to be celebrated
Photo by Marissa Fredrickson
Loren Sperry gave an influential speech. He
recognized students who had family in the
military by asking them to stand.
from Cavelero performed
a scene from “Willy Wonka
and the Chocolate Factory.”
Professional actor, Kori Just,
performed as the MC, alumni
Riley Fraser and Ivanca
Olanu came back to sing
songs from “Grease” and
“Beauty and the Beast” and
a special guest from Nathan
Hale High School performed
Photo by Marissa Fredrickson
All of the performers ended the night by performing “We Go Together” from the
Broadway musical and movie “Grease.” The night was full of fun and laughter.
by Marissa Fredrickson
Editor-in-Chief
A S B
a n d
a song from “Hairspray”.
“Some of the best moments
of my high school
career happened in Drama
Club, and to be able to relive
the excitement and passion
of the club once again was a
real treat,” Riley Fraser said.
Many crew members
saw Cab Night as a great opportunity
to shine on stage
since they’re used to working
behind the scenes.
“It was a really great opportunity
for me to be a cast
member, so I loved it,” junior
Brittney Swank said. “It felt
more open to me because I
felt like I had a better chance
of making it in Cab Night
rather than the musical.”
Alumnus, Katie Anderson,
brought her goats to
do tricks that captivated the
audience.
At the end of the night,
the spring musical was announced
to be “Calamity
Jane” and auditions will be
held on the 28 and 29 of
November.
Leadership worked many weeks
to prepare for the annual Veterans’
Day Assembly. As the veterans
walked in, they noticed the giant
American flag backdrop and felt
the welcoming feeling that LSHS
produced. As the students walked
in for the assembly, the feeling of
thanks and appreciation for the
veterans filled the gym.
The assembly started with Boy
Scout Troop #187 presenting the
colors, which included seniors Cole
Nickerson and Stephen Higbee,
junior Kaleb Reeves and sophomore
Chase Reid. The choir then
performed the national anthem,
and seniors Mawuli Attipoe and
Samantha Smith introduced the
speaker, Loren Sperry, Washington
State Commander of the American
Legion. Sperry talked about the importance
of military families and
the hard times they face when the
service men and women are away.
This year the Leadership class
added something new. They made
a Chain of Service. Each red, white
and blue link represented individuals
in Lake Stevens who are either
serving in the armed forces or who
have previously served, the black
links represented the soldiers
Lake Stevens Strategic Planning
After six years, the district makes a new plan
by Alexandra Mulvaney
Staff Reporter
The
school district
has
begun a strategic planning process,
which hasn’t happened in six years.
Strategic planning is when the district
and community decide where money
will be allocated to what programs.
They are also rewriting the district
mission statement, which is a goal for
the schools and their students.
“The strategic plan that we want
to create is a vision for what students
will hopefully be able to experience
and achieve. The goal is to make Lake
Stevens the best place to live, learn
and teach, and that doesn’t happen by
accident,” David Iseminger, Lake Stevens
School District Board President
said.
The district wants to help students
be their best and achieve the most
from their school experience. Offering
students a better variety of classes
and programs should help students be
more motivated to go to school and
boost graduation rates.
“I hope we find ways to be more
flexible in our course offering and
scheduling, and we need more vocational-
technical courses so kids who
aren’t great at reading and writing,
sitting classes can be successful too,”
missing in action and the yellow
links represented veterans who
had died serving. The length of the
chain required all of the leadership
students to carry it into the gym.
The gym décor set the tone for
the more than 50 veterans who
were honored. Among the veterans
honored was LSHS alumnus Robert
Longstreth who graduated in 2007.
Sperry made it clear when he
asked students to stand whose
families are serving that Lake Stevens
is a military-linked community.
The assembly is one way that
this town shows its appreciation
for the soldiers that are fighting for
our country.
teacher Jeff Page said.
They are holding district- wide
meetings where community members,
students, and teachers can volunteer
and voice their opinions. At
the meetings that have already been
held, they have talked about the high
school’s strengths and weaknesses as
a whole.
One meeting, held at LSHS in the
library on November 6 focused on
student input; it was the first meeting
with students. Students shared that
some of LSHS’s strengths are its welcoming
and spirited environment and
that students are very involved with
school activities.
Some of the things that the students
want to improve are energy conservation,
providing smaller and more
balanced classes, syncing curriculum,
and helping students make the transition
from Cavelero to the high school.
Some say the lunches are too large,
and that there needs to be more discipline
for kids who distract others from
learning.
“Students are the ones who know
what’s going on. It’s important to see
from students’ perspective. Student
voice is really important,” Mari Taylor,
Lake Stevens Legislative representative
said.
Photo by Marissa Fredrickson
2007 graduate Robert Longstreth came back
to be one of the many veterans in the assembly.
He is currently serving in the Army.
Obama wins another term
by Caitlyn Chandler
Opinion Editor
At 8:18 p.m. on
November 6, CNN
made it official.
President Barack Obama was re-elected to a
second term as President of the United States.
At that time, with the projection of Ohio’s 18
electoral votes going to Obama, the President
held 274 electoral votes. He only needed 270
votes to win re-election. Poll results started
coming in at 5 p.m. Pacific-Time and the first
counted results had Mitt Romney ahead, he
held 33 electoral votes and the President held
only 3. Romney stayed ahead for most of the
time as the votes from the historically Republican
Mid-West and South came in. The race
stayed extremely close
until the historically
democratic
west coast’s
votes came in
at 8p.m.
“I’m
excited
Obama won.
I be-
very
that
lieve that he will do well these next four years
because this next term isn’t a second chance
for Obama. It’s just more time for him to accomplish
what he promised to accomplish,”
junior William Stratmeyer said.
During the election, one of the main points
of discussion was what each of the candidates
planned to do about jobs and unemployment
in America.
“I believe that Obama shouldn’t have won
the election. Romney had better intentions; a
better 5-point plan to solve the job crisis in
America. But, oh well. Obama will do an all
right job the next four years; laws can always
change in the future,” junior Lyndsie Slavin
said.
After the results were counted,
President Obama took the
stage in Chicago to address
America about his victory.
Regardless of whom voters
wanted to become the
44 th president, the United
States has peacefully
elected
another
president.
FFA harvests a win at club fair
by Kaylee Nunley
Staff Reporter
Club
fair
hit
the school again. Fourteen
clubs prepared their own
station to attract people
and advertised themselves
in the cafeteria during
lunches on Halloween.
ASB sponsored a competition
for best decorated
booth. FFA club (Future
Farmers of America) won
$300 towards their ASB
account for first prize.
Clubs were judged based
on criteria of the interaction
with students, information
provided and overall
best decorations.
“Based on the criteria,
it was determined that FFA
did a very nice job representing
their group. The
decorations at their booth,
along with the activities,
presented very well,” Associate
Principal Leslie
Ivelia said. “There were
interactive games, but one
of the most impressive
things was the representatives
of the booth were
out circulating amongst
the crowd inviting people
back to learn more or participate.”
One Voice’s décor
placed second, earning
$200 and Drama Club took
third place and $100 with
their photo booth. Every
club that participated received
$100, as well. Hip
Hop also earned honorable
mention. ASB adviser
Suzanne Kerker believes
this was by far the most
successful club fair.
“The amount of interaction
the kids had with each
club was unpredicted,”
Kerker said. “It was much
more like a fair and less
like an information booth
like it’s been in the past.”
Photo by Marissa Fredrickson
Junior Tyler Granston and senior Jennifer Conley walked around the
cafeteria advertising FFA. They won “best booth” due to their festive fall
décor.
Photo Courtesy of creativecommons.org
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November 28, 2012
ads3
4sports
November 28, 2012 Check out more photos on Facebook at “Lshs Valhalla”
LSHS fall sports conquered the season
Girls volleyball, football and boys cross country made it to State this year
by Marissa Fredrickson and Kacie Masten
Editor-in-Chief and Sports Editor
Volleyball
The dry spell ended when LSHS girls volleyball team
earned a place in the State tournament. On Friday November
9, the team played in Lacey, Washington at Saint Martin’s University.
They played the first round against Bellarmine Prep,
and although they lost, the team felt very proud to have made
it to the State tournament. Additionally, they appreciated the
support of many superfans and the cheerleaders who rode
rooter buses to the event.
“It means so much. This is the first time in 23 years since
Lake Stevens has been [to State], and I think that everyone is
just proud of that and proud to be here and everyone came to
support us,” said junior Alexis Alverson.
The team then went on to play in the second round later
that night and won only one game out of the three, knocking
them out of the tournament. While many would be sad with
this outcome, the team played a good game because no other
teams expected Lake Stevens to be a competitor.
Football
The Vikings football season ended in the second round
of playoffs when they lost the fight against Skyline High
School. As the game started, it looked like the Vikings
would conquer the Spartans when the first quarter ended
0-0. However, Lake Stevens wasn’t able to pull through and
lost 42-0.
Nevertheless, this loss does not deny the fact that the
team worked hard throughout their season. In the first
playoff game against Kentlake, the Vikings won 67-33.
“I think we did good. Yeah, we lost to a pretty bad team
[Monroe], but we also beat a couple great teams. I truly
think our football season was good and the only thing I
would want to change is that I really wanted to beat Monroe,
which would have made us Wesco champs, but other
than that I feel the season was good,” senior Jacob Fabian
said.
Cross Country
The cross country team ran all the way to State in Pasco
Get well, Ike!
Photo by Chloe Rowland
Junior Austin Otis signs Ike Ditzenberger’s get well poster. Last month,
Ditzenberger suffered from pneumonia, and was in the hospital for more
than two weeks.
by Kacie Masten
Sports Editor
Last month, Snohomish
football player, Ike
Ditzenberger, who rose
to stardom after a video
of his touchdown play
went viral, was hospitalized
with a severe case
of pneumonia. Ditzenberger
was placed in the
Intensive Care Unit at
UW Medical Center, and
his life was in jeopardy.
Vikings decided to reach
out to him. On November
1, students signed a get
well poster for Ike during
all three lunches.
Thankfully, Ditzenberger
was released from
the hospital after 19 days
and is now at home, happy
and healthy. His family
members are grateful
that Ike is back with
them.
“We got him back and
that’s the main thing. Because
I could not imagine
facing the future without
him,” Kay Ditzenberger,
Ike’s mother, said during
her interview with the
Everett Herald.
At press time, Ditzenberger
had not received
the posters LSHS made
him, but Tricia Sevey, who
knows a family friend of
the Ditzenbergers, hopes
to deliver the well wishes
to Ike Ditzenberger soon.
Photo by Marissa Fredrickson
Junior Molly Drivdahl and senior Christiana James jump to block the ball at the net in the first round at State against Bellarmine Prep. The volleyball team
fought hard at State this year but lost all of the games in the match against Bellarmine Prep. Amy Wiklund coached this team to the State tournament. Ironically,
Wiklund played on the team as a freshman when the Vikings last went to State.
on November 3. Before the meet, the Viking boys bleached
their hair, a tradition that has been going on for quite some
time. Overall, the boys placed 13th.
“Overall, I feel that the boys cross country team did
amazing this year. Just making it to State is such a big obstacle,
and I’m glad we all made it as a team,” senior Austin
Hughes said.
Swimming
Many swimmers qualified for Districts, including seniors
Chloe Reid, Javon Brown and Athens Slater, juniors
Amanda Pan and Felicity Spears.
Tennis
Members of boys tennis also qualified for Districts, including
seniors Ryan Lian, Andrew Moe and Grant Shultz.
Soccer
Girls soccer went to Districts as well. The Vikings played
against Edmonds-Woodway and lost 0-4 in the first round.
PacWest takes over No Limit
A change of pace for dancers in Lake Stevens
by Kaelyn King
Staff Reporter
Last March, Lake
Stevens’ one and only
dance studio, No Limit,
closed down, and Pacific
West Performing Arts took its place. PacWest
received much success in the past with its studio
in Snohomish and now one more in Lake
Stevens. The instructors have acquired experience
from attending The Julliard School in New
York to being a Sea Gal cheerleader for the Seahawks.
Kelly Charlton, the owner of PacWest allowed
the No Limit dancers to finish out the season
at no cost, but they were still heartbroken.
Senior Kirsten Mendes has been dancing for five
years, and although she takes a single class at Pac-
West, she has decided that attending Pointe Dance
Center in North Bend is where she needs to be.
“I was shocked when I found out No Limit was going
out of business. I tried to keep everyone’s spirits
up and reassured everyone that things would work
out if we just stuck together as a team and unfortunately,
that didn’t happen,” Mendes said.
Junior Hannah Skinner danced for twenty hours
a week but cut back to fourteen hours with about
three hours total of commute due to the studio
change. She takes one ballet class at PacWest, but
spends most of her dance time with Mendes at
Pointe Dance Center.
“The girls at PacWest are all amazing dancers,
and I love the
teachers, but not
many of us stayed
there because all the
girls that go there are
a lot younger than
us,” said Skinner.
Sophomore Taylor
Schlabs was already
looking elsewhere
to further her dance
career before she
learned of the studio
shutting down.
“I felt crushed that what I had been working on
for those previous years was going to be taken away,
but at the time we didn’t know PacWest was going to
take over the space,” said Schlabs.
Some joined PacWest when it opened
its second studio in Lake Stevens due to
its proximity. Senior Kristen Hoffman
discovered the
studio as she
found out No
Limit was closing.
“I really like the teachers and the
motivation they give their students,”
said Hoffman, “I’m very driven, and I
am pursuing dance as a career. I really
want to go to Cornish Performing Arts
College in Seattle.”
Though some dancers have moved
on to other studios, the No Limit dancers
still miss the studio they used to call
home. No matter what dance studio they
attend, each dancer remains focused on
their next performances.
Photo by Marissa Fredrickson
Senior Taylor Schlabs poses elegantly for the camera. Schlabs
is involved in many styles of dancing, but her favorite styles are
hip hop, contemporary and lyrical.
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Football, tennis,
swimming
and golf are just
a few of the sports celebrated by
the Vikings at LSHS. Some sports
though, don’t get as much recognition.
There are students at this
school who put their passion and
effort into sports off of LSHS charts,
and one of those sports is hockey.
Duncan Long, a sophomore and
player for Team Seattle, has played
hockey for about ten years. They
practice on average, two times a
week and play two to three games
a week as well, which usually take
place in Canada.
“It’s really athletic and keeps me
in shape,” Long said. “And I get to
see more and travel because we fly
[to] a lot of places.”
Hockey brings a team really
close, and that’s a major part of the
fun, according to sophomore John
Greer, another teammate of Team
Seattle.
“I just like going to tournaments
and being with the team,” Greer
said.
Senior Mason Nicol plays for the
Everett Grizzlies. They practice and
play games at Comcast Arena in Everett.
Nicol loves the intensity of the
games and believes spectators enjoy
the fights.
“I think they could be more fun
[than football games] because people
like how aggressive it is.”
November 28, 2012
Vikings leave the ship and head for ice
Hockey players understand the world of pucks
by Kaylee Nunley
Staff Reporter
Hockey, although appreciated by
these boys, could use some more
love here at LSHS.
“It’s a really good sport, but not
a lot of people have really played it
or tried it out, I think they should,”
Long said.
Students interested in skiing or snowboarding
band together to create Ski Club
by Hannah Bartow
Design Editor
Adrenaline races on dirt track
by Brittan Lamberty Dirt biking
Staff Reporter is becoming
a well-known
hobby and sport. The rush of adrenaline
while hitting huge jumps in the
air can be an exhilarating experience.
“I started because my neighbor
got a Honda CR250r, and I had ridden
dirt bikes before, but never one
that was that big and powerful,
and once I had ridden it, I
was instantly hooked,” sophomore
Cody Morton said.
Likewise, dirt biking can
be an incredible thrill for
some who thrives for the
empowerment while racing
through tracks and having
full control of the bike.
“Unique experiences
would have to be traveling to
races and racing on different tracks.
Every track is different and has different
challenges,” sophomore Tyler
Denton said.
“My favorite thing has to be the
power you feel when you are going
over jumps and hitting the throttle
down; it’s just an amazing experience,”
Morton said.
Senior Mason Nicol aims for the puck to bring his
team, the Everett Grizzlies, to victory. Students
have sought opportunities to play hockey outside
of school, since schools LSHS does not provide a
school team.
Scan the QR Code
and visit the Comcast
Arena hockey page
for more information
about youth hockey and
lessons.
The high school welcomes its
newest club, Ski Club. This new
addition provides a social connection
with other students who enjoy skiing or
snowboarding.
“Ski Club is just for students to meet other students
who enjoy skiing or snowboarding. We will not
provide rides or transportation up to the pass. However,
if you become friends with someone and would
like to go with them, that’s what we’re aiming for,”
Club Adviser, Lorri Davidson said.
Ski Club will meet every first and third Friday of
the month. Like other clubs, a leadership board is
required, including a president, vice president and
secretary treasurer. Juniors Hannah Olliges, Sean Davidson
and Katie Tronsdal are ready to take on the
task, with the help of Davidson’s mother as adviser.
“I think it is fine that my mom is the adviser. I think
it’s better than if someone else did. She knows a lot
more about ASB law than a lot of other people,” S. Davidson
said.
After participating in Club Fair, Ski Club increased
in size, going from the three board members to almost
two dozen students. At the moment there are
20 members on the Ski Club roster; however, not all
members were able to attend the most recent meeting.
“We only had six people show up to the meeting
on November 16, and it was only five minutes long.
Twenty is a good number for club members, but
I would love to get more. Finding fun things to do
when not everyone is there is a little hard to do,” Olliges
said.
Like many clubs, Ski Club opted to sell T-shirts.
However, unlike other clubs, Ski Club plans to sell
their T-shirts to all students. The cost of these snowy
T’s will be nine dollars. The club plans on doing a presale,
meaning the club will not depend on ASB funding.
“At [the] meeting, the only item on the agenda was
T-shirts. We aren’t limiting the shirts to just the members
of the club,” L. Davidson said.
Students looking to join the club are encouraged to
talk to the three board members or Mrs. Davidson in
the Business Office.
“I’m looking forward to meeting new people. If I
see them up on the slopes, that’ll be cool,” Olliges said.
Photo by Marissa Fredrickson
Secretary Treasurer Katie Tronsdal (left), junior Elias Horn, President Hannah
Olliges and junior Zachery Kinder pose for a picture. The Ski Club meets the
first and third Friday of every month.
Some may keep these extreme
sports as a hobby and may not wish
to pursue it as a career; others have
their own opinion on it and possibly
hope to take their sport further.
“It would be great if I could make
it my career, but if not, it could still be
a fun hobby,” sophomore Tyler Denton
said.
sports5
Calling all
Superfans!
Wrestling
12/1 vs. Tahoma 12 p.m.
12/1 vs. Rodgers 1:30 p.m.
12/4 vs. Edmonds-Woodway
6 p.m.
12/4 vs. Kamiak 7:30 p.m.
12/7 @ Sedro Woolley 7 p.m.
12/14-12/45 @ Coeur d’ Alene
(Tri State Tournament)
12/18 @ Vashon Island (Double Duel)
5 p.m.
12/21 @ Roseburg
12/28-12/29 The Clash Tournament
1/3 vs. Arlington
1/5 Hall of Fame Duels
@ Moses Lake 10 a.m.
Girls Basketball
11/28 @ Shorewood 7:15 p.m.
12/5 vs. Marsyville-Pilchuck 7:15 p.m.
12/8 Les Schwab Preview @ Kentwood
High School 10:30 a.m.
12/12 @ Arlington 7:15 p.m.
12/14 @ Snohomish 7:15 p.m.
12/18 vs. Mount Vernon 7:15 p.m.
12/20 vs. Monroe 7:15 p.m.
12/27 @ Shadle Park 6 p.m.
12/28 @ Coeur d’ Alene 6 p.m.
12/29 @ Lewis and Clark 7 p.m.
1/2 vs. Jackson 7:15 p.m.
1/4 @ Cascade 7:15 p.m.
1/7 vs. Kamiak 7:15 p.m.
1/9 @ Lynnwood 7:15 p.m.
Boys Basketball
11/30-12/1 Fitz Tournament @ Lewis
and Clark
12/4 @ Marysville Pilchuck 7:15 p.m.
12/11 vs. Arlington 7:15 p.m.
12/14 vs. Snohomish 7:15 p.m.
12/18 @ Mount Vernon 7:15 p.m.
12/20 @ Monroe 7:15 p.m.
12/27-12/29 Surf and Slam @ San Diego
1/2 @ Jackson 7:15 p.m.
1/4 vs. Cascade 7:15 p.m.
1/8 @ Kamiak 7:15 p.m.
Boys Swimming
12/4 vs. Kamiak 3:15 p.m.
12/6 vs. Jackson 3:15 p.m.
12/13 vs. Stanwood 3:15 p.m.
12/19 @ Oak Harbor 6 p.m.
1/5 District Dive Meet @
Kamiak 10 a.m.
1/8 vs. Everett 3:15 p.m.
Photo Courtesy of Mason Nicol
. HCommunity Service. Help end Hunger. Volunteer. Donate. Generosity. Community Service
. HCommunity Service. Help end Hunger. Volunteer. Donate. Generosity. Community Service
6homeless teens November 28, 2012 Check out more photos on Facebook at “Lshs Valhalla”
Homeless students face the struggles of li
Homeless teens look like any
other teenager.
Photo by Hannah Bartow
There are approximately 300 homeless students in Snohomish County. Mr. Dufay’s class represents the notion that all teens look alike, whether or not they’re homeless.
by Meredith Brown
Staff Reporter
There are students in classes that
look like everyone else, but they
don’t have a home to go to at night.
Currently there are 78 students district wide enrolled
in the McKinney-Vento for the school year of 2012
and 2013. The McKinney-Vento Act supplies students
without a stable household or shelter with transportation,
breakfast, lunch, immediate enrollment, tutoring,
health, waived fees, clothing and supplies.
“The purpose of the law is to provide support for
children, so that children have something stable in their
life when other things are in a bit of chaos,” Director of
Communications and Community Services and Student
Safety, Arlene Hulten said.
Students who qualify for these services face the challenges
of life, more extreme than others. Students may
be homeless for a number of reasons, and it’s important
to understand one’s rights.
“They lost their house, they’ve been evicted, and
their family is broken up, domestic violence, students
that leave their home because they don’t want to live
in their parents’ house anymore. The wide gamut of
reasons that people are in transition don’t necessarily
know that this law is in place and there is support for
them,” Hulten said.
Not many people are aware of this, but counselors,
secretaries and the principal are people to
the act. It has changed many students’ live
“Kids can stay in schools where they
tions and relationships,” Lake Stevens
counselor Angela Riebli said.
The act ensures that students can exper
lar day. It spends an average of one thou
per student a year, which includes tr
meals, and other necessities. In 2010 an
were 114 homeless students enrolled in
School District, and everyone one of them
by the act.
Hulten’s focus is to ensure students
with transportation to and from school. C
district is providing transportation to st
muting from as far as Sultan and Edmon
makes sure the students are provided w
and lunch every day, along with other ne
plies.
“If the child needs additional academi
provided. If they need health services, we g
nected. Fees for anything part of the nor
ic day, field trips or supplies those are w
charge so that’s not a barrier for the stu
said.
This act is the reason that that these stu
successful in school. These types of progr
change the lives of everyday teenagers. Ho
is a current problem, students can turn a
tend it doesn’t exist, but think about, how
like to not know where they are sleeping t
In addition, to the McKinney-Vento Act t
er local programs that help students. The C
is an emergency shelter and a place that ho
agers can go to remind themselves that so
about them. Located in Everett, people go
get a meal and hang out. It’s a place wh
teens can feel safe.
Lil’ Hungry Hearts
helps one backpack at a time
by Aleesa Browning
Features Editor
In the
L a k e
Stevens
community, there are many
ways to help out families in
need. Several organizations
have been created, and
they all volunteer their
time to help others.
Organizations like
the Lake Stevens
Food Bank, Big
Viking/Little
Viking, and
Hillcrest
E l -
“It feels
like the right
thing to do.
We are doing
something that
matters and
makes a difference
by helping children
in need in our community.
It is wonderful to see how
a chain reaction starts when
we come together to help our
neighbors and their children,”
said Caffee.
elp end Hunger. Volunteer. Donate. Generosity.
ementary Homework Club are
programs designed to provide
children and families with
what they’re missing. Lil’ Hungry
Hearts is one of these important
programs that helps
Lake Stevens families.
This year-round service is
a non-profit organization that
collects food for students to
take home with them over the
weekends and during the holidays.
Food is sent home with
children on Fridays, and all of
the students that use the program
stay anonymous.
“We started the program
when Tammie Enders discovered
there was a student in her
class going hungry,” said LHH
volunteer, Anita Caffee.
“She called the single
mother of her student
three weeks before
Christmas and discovered
they had
five dollars to
make it to the
first of the
year.
The
Community Service. Help end Hunger. Volunteer. Donate. Generosity. Community Service. Help end Hunger. Volunteer. Donate. Generosity. Community Service. Help end Hunger. Volunteer. Donate. Generosity.
i s -
sue of childhood
hunger is so
large and overwhelming
that when she discovered
programs that provided backpacks
full of kid-friendly food
on the weekends to children in
need it seemed manageable.”
Participating in of Lil’ Hungry
Hearts is an act of generosity.
“I am happy to know I am
helping others. It brightens my
day after I have volunteered
knowing someone will be better
because of my small service,”
said LHH volunteer, Kimberly
Dailey.
This year, Lil’ Hungry Hearts
is looking for volunteers to
help with their service. If anyone
is interested in signing
up, they can contact
Anita Caffee or go to
the Career Center
for more information
a n d
com-
During
the
2011-
2012 school
year, 33.4%
of students
in Lake Stevens
School District
received free or
reduced priced meals
(reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us).
elp end Hunger. Volunteer. Donate. Generosity.
mu-
nity service
sheets.
Students can
make an immediate difference
in the communty
and earn community service
hours at the same time.
“Lake Stevens may be a
small community, but when
we work together for a
cause, we’re mighty and
anything is possible,”
said LHH volunteer,
Tammie Enders.
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Check out more photos on Facebook at “Lshs Valhalla”
Amazing friends in Lake Stevens, it has
been brought to my attention that we have
[78] homeless students in our school district
that are in need of winter clothes. While
the girls supply is steady, middle school
and teen boy size clothes are desperately
needed, including pants, shirts, sweatshirts,
coats, hats and gently used shoes. A local
group of ladies have organized a boy’s
clothing drive with drop-off locations at the
Lake Stevens Journal, the Lake Stevens
Sewer District, and Bell Properties by the
Safeway gas station. Please donate what
you can. Keep these boys warm this winter!
Thank you!
November 28, 2012
Many are unaware of the Rotary Club and the
charitable acts this national club participates in
to help the community. The mission of The Rotary
Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding,
goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support
of education and the alleviation of poverty.
The Lake Stevens Rotary Club was started in 1991. The club’s most
recent service project focused on homeless children and teenagers
and efforts to help them.
“This is the first time we have done a project like this, as I recall.
We certainly did not know the extent of homeless students until earlier
this year,” club Secretary Gary O’Reilly said.
According to the Lake Stevens Journal, the Rotary Club worked
continuously over the last six months to raise $10,000 to help homeless
students within the Lake Stevens School District. On Friday, October
19, at the weekly Rotary Club meeting, District 5050’s Committee
Chair Larry Jubie presented the Lake Stevens Rotary Club with a
check for $10,000. Due to matched funding, Rotary Club President
Scott Smith presented Lake Stevens School District Superintendent
7
Local group puts “Service above Self”
Rotary Club lives up to its motto through humanitarian efforts
by Hannah Bartow
Design Editor
by Hannah Bartow
Design Editor
After the presentation by
Arlene Hulten to the Rotary
Club on October 19, Joyce Bell,
Rotarian and owner of Bell Properties, informed her
employees of the extent of student homelessness.
Long time employee, Reshal Ploeger, then logged
on to Facebook where the group “Besties Buy, Sale,
Trade” had made numerous posts advertising a local
clothing and supply drive. Started by Besties member
Kim Demary, the clothing drive has collected
enough clothing to dress about two dozen students.
Demary picks up the donated clothing at each location
about once every two weeks; so far 10 to 15
bags of clothing have been collected, including about
15 winter coats.
“I’ll take clothes as long as people will donate
them so hopefully the drive will be all winter long,”
said Demary.
Donations for hotel-size toiletries are also needed.
Any type of donation is appreciated and will benefit
students.
“Many of these students don’t have a stable living
environment and don’t have access to running water.
Lots of them come to school to shower, but don’t
have proper cleaning supplies. Donations will make
a big impact for these students,” Ploeger said.
homeless teens
Group of community members create a
clothing drive to benefit homeless students
Photo by hannah bartow
Joyce Bell, Rotary Club member and owner of Bell
Properties, sits with one of the many loads of donations
brought into her office. Bell opened up Bell
Properties as a donation site as a result of a request
made by employee, Reshal Ploeger.
Dr. Amy Beth Cook a check for $20,000.
At the moment, the Rotary Club is working on two annual fundraisers,
the Outdoor Wreath and Poinsettia sale and Bikes for Tykes.
The Bikes for Tykes fundraiser will end on December 22 so children
who are hoping for a special gift will receive something on Christmas
day.
“There are a couple of things that high school students can do to
get involved. Rotary International has developed a New Generations
program involving youth as early as 12 years old and others up to 30
in programs such as Interact, Rotaract, RYLA and Youth Exchange. If
there was enough interest, our club would be keenly interested in
working with the Lake Stevens High School to develop one of these
programs sponsored by our club,” O’Rielly said.
Club members are always looking for volunteers to help with service
projects. Students looking to help are encouraged to visit club
meetings held in the District Office; for dates and times, refer to the
club’s website. For more information visit the Lake Steven’s Rotary
Club site at www.clubrunner.ca/Portal/Home.aspxcid=274 or visit
Rotary.org for information on the original Rotary Club.
Opportunities for studentsto help the
community
loe Rowland
hotographer
There are quite a few community service opportunities advertised at Lake Stevens High School. Information
can be found in the Career Center with Mrs. LaFortune. However, there are a few community
service opportunities that are not advertised quite as much as the Food Drive or Locks of Love.
oness Children’s Services: Protecting and supporting children at risk and strengthening families, multiple opportunities
ailable. -Contact (425)-259-0146.
Stevens Boys and Girls Club: Help coach a team, mentor a child, and many other
rtunities here in our community.
est Elementary Homework Club: Hang out with elementary kids during free
nd help them with homework. (Must commit to at least 10 sessions)
ing Hope: Childcare help, landscaping or if over 18, people can help with construc-
-Contact (425)-347-6556
ungry Hearts: Help collect and distribute food to local hungry
Many different opportunities are available. Contact Anita Caffee at
346-5464 or email at lilhungryhearts@msn.com
g Tree: Donate for up to eight hours of community service. Stucan
donate gifts to Mrs. Arcos in room 110.
Food Drive: For every ten cans donated, students will receive
our of community. Donations will be collected during first period.
Photo Courtesy of creativecommons.org
Photo by Hannah Bartow
Header Art on cover done by senior aaron piega
8opinion
November 28, 2012 Check out more photos on Facebook at “Lshs Valhalla”
Lunchtime Freedom
An open campus would provide
students with many benefits
“The ability to ensure an open
campus for our school would let students
show their responsibility.”
An open campus at school would be great to
some. Being able to leave school during lunch and
taking the choice to not have to eat school lunches,
or even going home to take a quick power nap,
what’s bad about that
“I think an open campus would be kind of awesome
because we could have lunches better than
the ones served at school,” sophomore Camryn
Dietrich said.
However, as there are many reasons why an
open campus would benefit the students at our
school, there are many reasons why the school
chose to close campus.
“It probably isn’t allowed now because the
school could lose track of the kids, if there is an
emergency at school, teachers wouldn’t know
where people are and wouldn’t know whether or
not they need to search for kids within the buildings
or if they’re safe and just aren’t on campus,”
Dietrich said.
Also, some students don’t always love the
lunches here at school and would prefer to go
home to make their own lunch for themselves.
“I think it would be good because the school
lunches are not very good, and it gives students
more freedom,” junior Alexander Verhoeven said.
In my opinion, Lake Stevens High School
should include an open campus. Open campuses
are a fantastic way to let students know they
aren’t being fully controlled during lunch. It gives
them freedom to do what they please during their
lunch break.
“Don’t fence me in”: no more shortcuts
New barriers bother students and block off easy pathways
Walking from the 400
building to the cafeteria not
all students have noticed
little changes that happened
over summer break.
Certainly a few of the veteran
juniors and seniors have
noticed that the shortcut to
the grass in front of the cafeteria
has been blocked off
by awkward rails.
“When I saw that there
were rails there [by the cafeteria]
it honestly pissed
me off, not just because it
was unexpected, but also
because it feels a little bit
restricting,” said junior Tyler
Baggs.
Likewise, I personally
enjoyed having the quick
get away when things became
really jammed up
between periods. The traffic
in between classes is
still just as bad. Now, students
decide to jump over
the bars, which could end
badly if they ever happen
to misstep. If they wanted
people to get off the grass,
it didn’t work out too well.
“Some rails were left
out of a previous construction
project, so we finished
the job at a nominal cost.
Our Facilities Department
works very closely with the
school to address maintenance
and safety needs...
Students can assist in the
effort as well by notifying
a building administrator
or teacher about repairs
Photo by Chloe Rowland
Over the summer, the maintenance team put metal bars connecting the railings around campus to
stop students from cutting across the grass by the commons.
needed,” said Robb Stanton,
Director of Operations
Services.
The high school seemed
like it treated its students
like adults, but now it
seems like the school officials
want to keep students
controlled like pigs in a
pig pen. The railings may
reduce students from going
directly from the dirty
grass to the cafeteria, but
it doesn’t stop them from
walking all over the lawn or
putting themselves in risky
situations by jumping over
the slippery metal.
This is another pointless
addition to the school,
when there are much more
important things to take
care of, like the broken cement
benches and the beat
up lockers. More could be
done to the school to make
it more appealing to the
eye and give the students a
somewhat more beneficial
environment for learning.
Girls are fed up with domestic stereotypes
Students give their opinion on the saying “Cool story, babe, now go make me a sandwich”
There are always stereotypes about the
roles of men and women, such as women belong
in the kitchen and men belong at work
to support a family. Recently, some students
have been wearing T-shirts that say “Cool
story, babe. Now, go make me a sandwich”.
This t-shirt design comes across more like
a joke than anything else, although the message
it portrays is not exactly right for the
sake of women’s roles.
A lot of people view these shirts as just a
joke not thinking of the deeper message.
“It’s not degrading if she makes a great
sandwich,” senior Brenon Thompson said.
Teenage boys are just acting like teenage
boys. They don’t care or know any better,
and they view those things as jokes more
than as serious disrespect towards women.
Jokes at girls’ expense are funny to boys;
sure, part of it is human nature, but most of
it is just immaturity.
“I think the ‘make me sandwich’ joke is
degrading because many men think making
a sandwich or cooking is all we can do or are
good for,” junior Brittany Willis said.
In this day and age basically nobody is
raised with a stereotypical stay-at-home
Photo by Marissa Fredrickson
Juniors Izel Thomson and Andrew Ralph act out the “Make me a sandwich”
stereotype that annoys most girls.
mom like it was many years ago. Most women
want a career of their own and plan to
build their own life without relying on men
to do it for them. It’s wrong for men to think
otherwise of women, they are good for many
more things than cooking and cleaning.
Women do everything men can do and
sometimes, do it better.
With regard to college graduate rates,
“Women aged 25-34, 42% had earned an
associate or bachelor’s degree, while just
34% of men of that age group had done so,”
according to mainstreet.com.
Women and men are becoming more and
more equal every year, and more women
are getting an education to have a career of
their own.
These shirts shouldn’t be allowed at
school, just like any other inappropriate
shirt. The shirts are degrading to women
in a society that still needs some work on
equal rights, and the message on them is
negative towards women.
Check out more photos on Facebook at “Lshs Valhalla”
November 28, 2012
opinion9
Twitter is the new Facebook
This social media giant is surpasing the previous leader in popularity
Facebook has been at the
center of social networking ever
since the infamous Myspace days
ended. However, tough competition
has risen in its place. Twitter
is a fun, less annoying and
more efficient go to site that
many, including myself, have
come to prefer. Facebook has
been our shoulder to lean on for
a long time, but will that change
“Twitter is easy to post on.
Something happens and you pull
out your phone and tweet about
it. Facebook posts are typically
longer,” sophomore Julia Chalk
said.
Although Facebook offers
much more room for words,
I know from experience that
many people use it for all of the
wrong reasons. From whining
about 45-minute relationships
to quoting conversations nobody
else cares about, kids take
almost too much advantage of it.
It’s connecting with friends, not
making friends want to hit their
head against a brick wall.
“People think it’s necessary to post all of their issues
and cry about stuff that is irrelevant to any person with a
brain,” junior Karissa Seiersen said.
Twitter users do their share of whining, but somehow,
it’s a completely different atmosphere where the 140 character
blurbs about life are somehow much less bothersome.
Users on Twitter actually relate to each other. There’s less
obligation to follow people you don’t really like.
“Twitter is a place to vent, to say what you’re doing,
where you’re going and anything else you want and everyone
loves each other for it,” Seiersen said.
While Facebook seems to have everything networking
wise, Twitter has a secret weapon: the retweet button,
the place to capture words you like. The only downside is
when people go crazy with it.
Photo art by Chloe Rowland
“You can “retweet”, which is
kind of cool, unless you retweet
everything you read, which is
what half of the people I follow
do,” junior Nathan Moore said.
The hashtag is slowly taking
over the world, one word starting
a trend that will take over your
feed for about a night.
“The power of the hashtag
is underestimated,” sophomore
Jack Petterborg said.
One major downside to Twitter
however, is that inner curiosity
isn’t totally satisfied. Facebook
allows users to log endless
albums of pictures for sharing,
commenting, liking and just safekeeping.
Twitter only offers single
posts with pictures in them.
This not only makes it harder
to capture more, but also makes
it so that Twitter provides less
snooping opportunities.
“On Facebook, you get to stalk
people. Their pictures, videos....
relationships,” Seiersen said.
Facebook does defeat Twitter
when it comes to keeping in touch with family. Something
to think about is that the older generations are probably
going to stick with Facebook. Quickly typed messages take
up less time than hour long phone calls to distant relatives.
“I am connected to a lot of family that I don’t see regularly
on Facebook,” Chalk said.
While Facebook is something that we are all used to, it’s
like a frenemy, which we’ll all get tired of eventually. Twitter
is working itself in more and more every day, making
its way to the top.
Hola Vikings,
I have noticed in the past few
weeks that guys have been becoming
less and less chivalrous.
And I don’t mean that every guy
has to be a knight-in-shining-armor,
but every girl would like to
have a guy open and hold a door
for her every once in a while.
Just last week, I was walking
to class, going through the
400 building, with my hands full
and this guy was in front of me,
I knew he saw me, and he went
through the hallway door and
then slammed it in my face. I felt
annoyed it was a rude gesture. I
clearly couldn’t open the door because
my hands were full yet he
didn’t care. Its common courtesy
to hold a door open for someone.
I feel like manners have been
going down the drain as the years
go on. I’m not sure if it is because
we are teenagers or if the younger
generations are just being
raised with fewer manners.
Well, whatever it is, common
courtesy needs to be on everyone’s
mind, and a note to boys;
girls like when boys hold the
door open for them, just FYI.
RANTS AND RAVES
“I hate that I don’t get to
leave campus at lunch. That is
something that I want to do,
that my brothers got to do.”
– sophomore Jarod Hampton
“I love when teachers plan
your homework around your
sports schedules to give you
more time.”
– sophomore Tehya Harney
“I love to go mountain biking.
Especially up at Stevens’
Pass Ski Resort.”
– junior McCager Bryant
“I hate when I’m waiting for
my coffee in the morning in the
Cove and I get stuck behind a big
group of people who think it’s
okay to let their friends cut.”
– sophomore Austin Sutherland
Unnerving Misconceptions
Scientists debunk controversy surrounding the 2012 apocalypse
The ancient Mayan Civilization’s Empire—what
is now Central America—reigned from 300 A.D.
through 900 A.D. They constructed an elaborate
calendar system with an end date of December
21, 2012. Nowadays, some people view this end
date as the Mayan Prophecy of an apocalypse. As
the clock winds down to this possible doomsday,
I can’t help but feel just the least bit uncomfortable.
However, while I don’t
view it as a silly belief, I still don’t
think the world will be ending
anytime soon.
Many think the world
will come to an end
through a zombie apocalypse,
but according to
the Mayan Prophecy, the
Earth’s solstice will align
with the sun and the “center
line” of the Milky Way
Galaxy on December 21,
2012. Known as the Galactic
Alignment, it is supposed to
cause mass destructions to our
Earth due to as solar flares, meteor
impacts, polar shift, the collapse
of our magnetic field and the absorption into
a supermassive black hole located at the galactic
center.
“If there is one, it’s [going to] be awesome,” junior
Cassandra Bennett said. “I think it will happen
[through] natural causes like tornadoes or earthquakes.”
However, scientists think otherwise and are
far more reliable than a modern man romanticizing
the story behind a 1,300-year-old calendar.
According to NASA, these alignments occur every
year. They hold no significance and pose no threats
to Earth.
Even the Mayans of today are protesting against
the deceits, lies and the twisting of the truth. They
claim that people are turning them into folklores
only to gain profit. The end date of the Mayan Calendar
truly signifies the end of a cycle, not the end
of the world. Recall the Y2K bug scare back in 2000
marking January 1, 2000 as an apocalypse. People
believe that a computer bug would crash many
computers and cause catastrophe leading to the
destruction of our society.
The myths surrounding the 2012
apocalypse became so popular that
movies have been produced based
on it, further proving that people
are trying to feed into it to gain
money. But the 2012 myth may
be just one of the other 200
debunked end-of-world predictions
as the world remains
intact to this very second.
“I don’t buy into all that
stuff,” junior Austin Elmore
said. “If some people think Michael
Bay movies are that convincing
to believe in 2012, then
let them believe. I’ll just sit here and
watch all of [them] look stupid.”
No matter whether the theory is true
or not, it is still very unnerving to know and hear
that some people believe the end is near. I cannot
be 101-percent comfortable until we make it past
the winter solstice alive, but I won’t be scrambling
and stocking up on supplies or sending out goodbye
messages. But if for some divine intervention
the world does cease to exist on December 22,
2012, let’s all hope that it won’t be because of a
zombie apocalypse.
photo courtesy of creative commons.org
10a&e
November 28, 2012 Check out more photos on Facebook at “Lshs Valhalla”
What’s on your playlist
The witch steals the spotlight
“Wickedly” hilarious musical drops into Seattle
by Kaelyn King The newest
Staff Reporter hit Broadway
musical that
put a hilarious spin on The Wizard
of Oz was shown at Seattle’s
Paramount theatre from October
17 through November 17.
Long before Dorothy dropped
into the wonderful Land of
Oz, her soon-to-be friend and
foe got along quite pleasantly.
That’s right; Elphaba, the “wicked”
witch of the West, and Glinda,
the good witch of the North,
were childhood friends. At Shiz
University, the two are polar opposites.
Elphaba is an awkward
and peculiarly green outcast
and Glinda is the popular, perky
blonde. They hate each other
immediately but are forced to
tolerate each other as they are
assigned to be roommates. They
Top 5 reasons why
the world won’t
end in 2012
5. Harold Camping
hasn’t confi rmed it
yet
4. Pigs haven’t fl own
3. It’s a stupid,
made-up story
2. Baseball season
hasn’t started
1. Seniors
still have 117
days to go
“Dave Brubeck Quartet was a good
band; ‘Take Five,’ that was a good
song. It was the best jazz song of the
20th century.”
— junior Evan Hubbard
“My favorite artist is Lana Del Ray,
and my favorite song by her is
‘Radio.’”
— senior Samantha Cook
“I like Tyler the Creator, and my
favorite song is probably
‘Burger.’”
— sophomore Ryan Watson
“My favorite band right now is probably
Grouplove, and I think my favorite
song by them is ‘Lovely Cup.’”
— junior Mckenzie Grant
“My favorite artist right now is the
Local Natives, and my favorite song
by them is ‘Stranger Things.’”
VS.
— senior Tessa Tasakos
Top 5 reasons why
the world will
end in 2012
5. Mayan Calendar
4. Zombies
3. Snooki’s baby
2. Justin Bieber
continues to sing
us to death
1. Honey
Boo-Boo
photos taken by Chloe Rowland and Marissa Fredrickson
From desk doodles to assembly art
Senior Jordan Maher’s artistic talent gains recognition
by Sarah Gluck
Staff Reporter
Senior
Jordan Maher
is recognized
for more than just daily
work in class. For the past
three years, Maher has been
catching herself doodling
all over desks during class.
Ever since she could
remember, Maher has
been designing and
messing around with
different fonts.
At a young age,
Maher would always
set aside free time to
sketch. It started out as
just drawing bubble
letters, but soon
photo courtesy of Jo r dan Maher
progressed into
the stylized art of
graffiti.
Leadership and
Spanish teacher Alisa
Arcos certainly recognized
Maher’s artistic
ability. She asked if Maher
would be interested in designing
the class posters that hung
on assembly days. Maher was
excited about the offer and has
created a few posters for the
school already.
eventually become the best of
friends and go through the typical
friend-drama that every girl
has experienced with boys, family,
flying monkeys and unreasonable
wizards. The “wicked”
witch doesn’t seem so wicked
after all.
The musical’s cast’s unbelievable
vocals made it very
difficult to not jump up and
start singing. The beautiful set
boasted a giant golden dragon
that sat at the top of the stage
and was complete with steam
coming out of its snout. Glinda
was hilariously ditsy and selfabsorbed
and hit notes that
nobody knew existed. The costumes
were gorgeous, and the
actors are straight-off-of-Broadway
talented.
The whimsy was breathtaking.
It felt like the audience was
involved in the magic. It was
truly entertainment for all ages.
All from the witch’s side of the
story, it’s the Wizard of Oz like
never before.
Word Bank:
BROADWAY
DOROTHY
ELPHABA
GLINDA
GREEN
LION
MONKEYS
MUNCHKINLAND
MUNCHKINS
MUSICAL
NORTH
POPULAR
SCARECROW
SINGING
TINMAN
WEST
WICKED
WITCHES
WIZARD
photo courtesy of creativecommons.org
According to Maher, the
work for Arcos was similar
to being asked by her fellow
classmates to draw their name
out for them.
“I’ve probably drawn hundreds
of names for
my friends. I’m asked all the
time,” Maher said.
Maher might not know the
full extent of how much her
work is appreciated, but students
do pay attention.
“The art is an exquisite example
of the fine quality our
students show. The Senior
sign in the assemblies are like
a diamond in the rough when
it comes to artistic swag,” senior
Ryan Lian said.
There is no doubt that the
senior signs are noticeable
during assemblies.
“I noticed the signs
above the senior section
last assembly. It really
caught my attention.
Maybe if there were more
signs around school in
that cooler format, people
would actually read
them,” senior Tanner
Plaisance said.
Maher has really been
inspired and is highly valued
for her work. But not everyone
loves the graffiti style
as much as Maher.
“It’s a shame that the stereotype
of graffiti has a bad
reputation. Graffiti can come
off as vandalizing or be seen
as an association with gangs.
To me, graffiti is how artists
express their joy for drawing,”
Maher said.
Sounds Around the Sound
JINGLE BALL, Decemeber 16 at the WaMu Theater
Kiss FM will host seven different artists—Calvin
Harris, Cher Lloyd, Owl City, 3OH!3, Alex Clare, Afrojack
and Ed Sheeran. Calvin Harris is famous for his hit song,
“Feel So Close,” while Cher Lloyd is climbing the music
charts with “Want U Back.” Owl City originated in Seattle
and gained acclamation through “Fireflies,” while
“Don’t Trust Me” and “Starstruck” are just one of the
many chart-topper songs by 3OH!3. Alex Clare’s recent
hit is “Too Close” and Afrojack is unstoppable with
popular single, “Can’t Stop Me.” After gaining notoriety
through “The A-Team” and finishing his North American
tour, Ed Sheer an joins the panel of artists at the Jingle
Ball. Tickets cost $53.55.
LADY GAGA, January 14, 2013 at the Tacoma Dome
Lady GaGa rose to fame in 2008 through her debut
album, The Fame. She was recently nominated for Best
Live, Best Video, and Biggest Fans at the 2012 MTV’s
EMAs. Just some of her countless hits are “Born This
Way,” “The Fame,” and “Bad Romance.” She broke a record
for reaching five million sales with her first album
and is known for her amazing concerts. This one is going
to be one to see. Ticket prices range from $62.48
- $435.00
WICKED WORD SEARCH
I U O J P I A B D I P M B M M
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features11
Check out more photos on Facebook at “Lshs Valhalla” November 28, 2012
Visit locksoflove.org for more information about donating hair
by Caitlyn Chandler
Opinion Editor
Face in the crowd: Delvene Ali
Junior Delvene Ali adapts to moving around the West Coast
by Kacie Masten
Sports Editor
Alexis Buehler
Locks of Love is an organization
that began in 1997 and
gives wigs and hairpieces to
children in the United States and Canada who suffer
from long-term medical hair loss. They collect donated
hair and create unique hairpieces for financially
disadvantaged children who can’t afford to buy wigs
for themselves.
Most of the wigs created by Locks of Love are given
to children with Alopecia, a disease that causes complete
hair loss. LSHS senior Alexis Buehler recently
donated 10 inches of her hair to Locks of Love because
of her personal connection to someone with Alopecia.
Outstanding students
by Brittan Lamberty
Staff Reporter
Students of the month
must go above and beyond
and show their hard work
and dedication to their teachers. To some, being student
of the month was a goal to be accomplished. For
others the award was a complete surprise to them.
“My German teacher nominated me; I work hard
in that class so I think that’s why she did so. Hard
work definitely pays off!” junior Emily Schollenberger
said.
Moreover, having a positive attitude and being
nice to others is one of the many attributes that students
perform to receive student of the month.
“Try your best in school and be nice to other people.
You don’t have to have all A’s just to be student
of the month. If your teachers recognize that you are
really trying your best then you could be nominated
as well,” sophomore Kaitlyn Kurisu said.
Being student of the month does take a lot of effort
and devotion. However, anyone can do it if they
try hard to succeed and work to their fullest potential.
.
..
October students of the month
Sophomores Kaitlyn Kurisu and Jaylen Pegues
Juniors Emily Schollenberger and Rylan Huot
Seniors Tanya Richmond and Kyle Zellers
Many students at LSHS experience
moving to a new house
or neighborhood. However, most
students will never experience moving like junior
Delvene Ali. Within the past 16 years, Ali has moved
six times. These haven’t been to different neighborhoods
either. Overall, Ali has moved to four different
cities, three separate counties, and two states.
Ali’s family is accustomed to moving; her parents
immigrated to the United States in 1993. Both of her
parents were born and raised in Iraq. They were
married in the early 1990’s, and soon after, Saddam
Hussein began to bomb the country. Hoping to seek
safety, Ali’s parents fled to Turkey. Luckily, after living
in Turkey for almost a year, their names came up
for a lottery, allowing them to move to the United
States. In 1993, Ali’s parents moved to the United
States, and settled in Bremerton. A few years later,
Ali was born.
Ali lived there until she was two. Soon after,
Ali’s parents felt uncomfortable in the community
because, being from the Middle East, they felt detached
from their culture. Soon, they moved to Everett.
However, this wasn’t a perfect match, so Ali’s
family moved to Lake Stevens until Ali was in third
“One of my cousin’s friends has Alopecia, so her
hair falls out constantly. She gets her wigs from a wig
shop,” Buehler said.
Donating to Locks of Love is no easy task as it takes
a lot of time and hard work to maintain hair that long.
Additionally, hair must be free of bleach.
“It took me about three years to grow my hair out
that long. It was just past the middle of my back when
I cut it,” Buehler said.
The hairpieces provided by Locks of Love help to
restore self-esteem and confidence to the children
who need them. The hair that Buehler donated will do
just that for a child in need somewhere.
Paving a path to the big city stadium
by Sarah Gluck
Staff Reporter
Senior Andrew Elgaen has
been playing football ever since
he can remember, and he doesn’t
want it to end. With the close of the football season,
Elgaen has been preparing his best for the future.
Both Elgaen and fellow senior football
player Conner Coleman were contacted by
University of Portland coaches to take a
day trip down to watch a game. The boys
not only watched the game, but enjoyed
excellent passes to view the game from the
sidelines. Coleman and Elgaen toured the
campus and were able to go in and walk
around the locker room.
While Elgaen loved the Portland
coaches, the campus, the college
atmosphere, in all honesty one
of his favorite parts of the University
is the mascot.
“They’re the Vikings, always
have to stay true to the
Vikings,” Elgaen said with a
beaming smile on his face.
It doesn’t all come so
easy though. Elgaen explained
that being studious
is essential for athletes.
“School comes first. You
have to have an education
if you want to go anywhere
Photo by Chloe Rowland
Senior Alexis Beuhler holds the braid that was cut off and donated to Locks
of Love. The minimum length of hair that is required to donate is ten inches.
in today’s world.” Elgaen said.
As much as Elgaen receives pressure at home,
he says the pressure to obtain good grades and play
his hardest on the field has only helped him in a
positive way. But trying his best exceeds most
people’s efforts. Not only has Elgaen played
his hardest, but he sure has shown it. This
season he stood on the field every game
with two broken fingers and a partially
torn ACL.
“I plan on getting surgery after the
season unless I wrestle. It’s my senior
year, and I’m going to play my heart
out,” Elgaen said.
Elgaen says the key to success is
to just focus.
“Mentally preparing and
zoning everything out is
what I do to get it done. I
deal with school, and then
I deal with sports.” Elgaen
said.
Other athletes just like
Elgaen are hopeful to further
their athletic careers.
Students will be hearing
about their scholarships
over the next few months.
Elgaen hopes to hear from
UP and suit up next fall.
Photo by Chloe Rowland
Photo courtesy of Alexis Beuhler
grade. Then her family decided to try living in Everett
again.
However, the story isn’t over. After living in Everett,
Ali’s brothers wanted to move to California,
where more people from the Middle East live. Ali’s
parents agreed, and the family moved to San Diego.
After a year, though, the Ali family grew to dislike
the community in San Diego.
“[San Diego] was really bad and the schools were
terrible, and we didn’t like it over there so we came
back [to Lake Stevens],” Ali said.
As of late September, Ali lives in Lake Stevens, but
the move comes with its own challenges.
“It’s different because a new place has different
people and some places are hard to make friends
and some places are good, but it’s just really hard
around different people every few years,” Ali said.
Even though moving has been difficult for Ali, and
at times she would rather be in Everett where she
stayed the longest, she knows that her parents had
the best of intentions in mind and that they wanted
their children to be first priority.
“They always wanted me to get the best education
I can and try my hardest even though they knew
it was difficult,” Ali said.
12features
November 28, 2012
Check out more photos on Facebook at “Lshs Valhalla”
Coping with the painful loss of a loved one
Junior Madison Whornham speaks out about the passing of her mother
by Alexandra Mulvaney
Staff Reporter
There are a large
number of kids at the
high school who have
lost a loved one or a
family member. Losing
a loved one can affect
many aspects of a person’s
life, and coping is
different for everyone.
Junior Madison Whornham
lost her mother a
little over two years ago
and has coped in her
own way, living with her
older brother, and moving
back and forth to
Texas with her dad.
“The relationship
with my brother has
changed the most because
he was always just
my brother now he is my
From students to teachers
by Sarah Gluck
Staff Reporter
Sydney Clark spits rhymes
by Meredith Brown
Staff Reporter
The friendly staff and
enormous student body that
occupy the halls at Lake Stevens
High School have welcomed two newcomers.
Matt Palmer and Jennifer DiAsio are both
student teachers learning the ropes to someday
fulfill their dreams of becoming teachers themselves.
Mr. Palmer is a student teacher for Mr.
Hein in the Math Department. Palmer graduated
from Federal Way High School and the University
of Washington.
“I highly enjoy teaching. It’s one thing I love
to do. I teach anything and everything I can possibly
think of. I like science, math, English, history
and philosophy. But math is the one I prefer
and probably the one I’m best at,” Palmer said.
Although Mr. Palmer didn’t think it was going
to be as hectic as it is, he is taking it all in.
“There’s a lot more busy work than they
make [teaching] out to be. It’s probably half and
half, lots of busy work-filling out papers, lots
of putting stuff in
the computer, lots
of grading and
helping out Mr.
Hein with what I
can,” Palmer said.
Overall, Palmer
has thoroughly
taken pleasure in
teaching.
“I love it when
students finally
understand
In the
eyes of
senior
Sydney Clark, music is essential.
Ever since her childhood, she has
been interested in the music industry.
She started out beat boxing
and soon progressed to rapping.
She has written two songs
and performed one of them at
both One Voice, a club at Lake
Stevens High School, and at a
camp she attended.
Thinking about a performance
beforehand makes Clark
nervous, but on her way up to
the stage, she knows it’s all or
nothing. After the performance,
she feels great, and people love
it. Clark plans on beat boxing at
Open Mic soon.
Like most artists, Clark writes
her own lyrics. Something random
usually sparks an idea in
Clark’s mind which is when
she sits down and unfolds her
parent too,” Whornham
said.
Confiding in family
is often a way to help
people mourn a loss.
Many kids tend to isolate
themselves because
they don’t know how to
react to their feelings in
a healthy way, and there
is no right or wrong way
for a person to feel.
“The best advice I
have to others is to not
shut people out, and
keep your family close,”
Whornham added.
At the time of a loved
one’s passing, it may feel
like life will never be the
same, which was a big
part of Whornham’s experience.
“I thought it was the
end of the world and
Photos by Chloe Rowland
that it would hurt forever,
but you have to really
take into consideration
that time heals everything,
because it’s really
gotten easier over time,”
Whornham said.
Whornham has proven
to everyone around
her that she is a very
strong person after going
through an unbearable
loss. She has persevered
through the pain.
“With all she has gone
through over the past
few years, she still has
one of the most positive
outlooks on life,” Whornham’s
best friend, junior
Hailey Sylvester said.
Being positive and
surrounded by people
who can help in a constructive
way seems to
something. Like really understand something
about the world they didn’t know before,” Palmer
said.
As for the other student teacher around
school, Jennifer DiAsio teaches Novels and Exposition
in Mr. Palmer’s class. DiAsio graduated
from Lake Stevens High School and later
attended Everett Community College, SPU, and
Grand Canyon University, where she recieved
her Master’s in Education, and realized she
wanted to teach in her future.
“I wanted to become a teacher where I can
have a positive impact on kids’ lives. I chose
kids in high school because they are at such a
fork in their lives because it’s right on the cusp
of them having so much freedom, graduating
high school, and finding out who they are. I feel
like I can really be a positive role model,” DiAsio
said.
DiAsio’s student teaching experience has
differed from her original expectations.
“It has turned
out better than
I thought it was
going to be. I’m
not sure how the
classes as a whole
would accept me,
and I found it a lot
easier to connect
with the students
than I thought I
would,” said DiAsio.
rhymes.
“I usually get my inspiration
at eleven at night or four in the
morning, and I just write it all in
a day,” Clark said.
Clark has kept up with beatboxing,
and it helps with her
rapping. Typically, she makes
her beats by beat boxing, then
she adds the rhymes to fit the
rhythm. Clark looks up music on
YouTube for her audio. Friends
of Clark record her for fun every
once and a while, but she hasn’t
professionally made a recording
yet. However, Clark plans to in
the near future.
A popular Christian rapper,
LaCrae, is her main inspiration.
LaCrae provides her inspiration
for her lyrics and the style of the
songs she writes. He inspires
Clark because he doesn’t perform
for his own notoriety, but
to serve God. At age nineteen,
he was inspired when he attended
a conference. From then
on, LaCrae has been traveling nationwide;
his passion has made
an impact on Clark.
In addition to LaCrae, Pink is
her motivation in terms of making
a name for herself in the music
industry.
“It’s really inspiring how Pink
wants to help the world. A lot of
people like her for that,” Clark
said.
be the best medicine
when struggling with a
hard loss. Losing someone
is one of the hardest
things anyone can
go through, but there is
always help from other
family and friends to
confide in. Nobody is
alone.
“Some days are better
than others. I’ll always
say if my mom was here,
I wouldn’t be dealing
with this, but I am where
I am today because of
what happened, so I try
to look at the brighter
side,” Whornham added.
Whornham holds a photo of her and
her mother from several years ago.
The passing of her mother was hard,
but she has found ways to cope and
still wears a sincere smile on her
face. Photo by Chloe Rowland
Photo by Chloe Rowland
What’s cookin’
by Iris Favoreal
A&E Editor
Sophomore
Jirat
Rymparsurat’s
passion for culinary arts
hit him like love at first sight.
To him, cooking is an accomplishment
and a form of art.
Being around his mom aided
him to develop his love for
cookery at just the early age
of seven. She opened his eyes
to something he would later
decide on doing for the rest of
his life.
“My mom made such great
food,” Rymparsurat said. “She
would let me help sometimes;
she would let me fry the eggs
we were having.”
As Rymparsurat grew up,
the presence of cuisine became
more dominant in his
life. Home-cooking gave him
the chance to explore the joys
of cookery. His family makes
fancy dinners such as steaks
and ribs, and Rymparsurat
helps by doing the prep work.
This year, Rymparsurat
followed his passion and was
more than thrilled to find the
culinary arts electives. He
took full advantage and
signed up for Mrs. Boyden’s
Culinary Basics
and Prep class.
“Jirat is very serious
about his cooking,”
Mrs. Boyden
said. “He loves to
cook and it’s exciting
to watch all the great
creations he makes.”
Rymparsurat enjoys
the diversity of
foods they cook in
class, such as pancakes,
stir-fry,
cakes and biscuits.
“Whenever
Jirat makes
food [from
his Culinary
class], I’m
a l w a y s
chocolate
begging to try it. It’s so good;
I love his food,” sophomore
Mackenzie McLeod said.
One aspect Rymparsurat
especially loves about cooking
is the spices. His love for them
has prompted him to grow
his own stock. He grows bay
leaves and currently owns a
thriving rosemary bush in his
backyard.
“I’m addicted to spices. I
like tasting just the spice, such
as curry powder or ginger.
The smells are sometimes just
so nice to smell,” Rymparsurat
said.
Rymparsurat enjoys cooking
Asian food the most;
however, Rymparsurat looks
forward to expanding his culinary
knowledge and enhancing
his versatility by learning
other international cuisines,
such as Italian cuisine and
learning more cooking techniques.
He plans on enrolling
in Sno-Isle’s culinary program
for two years as well as eventually
attending Seattle Art Institute
for their
culinary program.
He
dreams
o f
someday
becoming
a sushi
chef or
a pâtissier.
Photo by Chloe Rowland
Rymparsurat discovered his passion for cooking at the young age of seven. Here, he
shows his love for cooking in his culinary class.
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