Issue 4: November 28, 2 - Lake Stevens School District #4

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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