Vol.4.Issue.2.November.2008 - Edgren High School EagleNet

the aquilavolume 4 issue 2 November 20, 2008Far East Issuepage one(Above): 3-Peat Far East Class A Football Champions posing for a victory photo after the gamethey won against Osan High School .3-Peat Victory for EdgrenEagles dominate Osan in the Far East Football championship gameBy Erin Nicolai and Luke NelsonOn November 1, 2008, EdgrenEagles completed their best seasonin years with a 35-7 rout overthe challenging Osan Cougars tocomplete the “three-peat” followinga history changing win vs. Yokota.After a sluggish start allowinga long drive that resulted in an Osantouchdown, the Eagles struck backwith 35 unanswered points. JohnellAlexander ran 18 times for 122 yardsand 3 touchdowns to help blow theCougars out of our nest.Matt Salazar had a careergame with two long touchdownspasses defeating Osan defenderson touchdown catches of 33 and80 yards. Senior captain Luke Nelsonsaid, “It was a great day for Matt.I told him before the game that histouchdown was coming. I think heoverdid himself with that secondone.”This effort earned Salazar thetitle of Athlete of the Week in theStars and Stripes; it was secondconsecutive week an Edgren playerwas named.Late in the 4th quarter with thewin apparent, the Eagles started“It was a great dayfor Matt. I told himbefore the gamethat his touchdownwas coming. I thinkhe overdid himselfwith that secondone.” - Luke Nelsonto give their players whose positionswould normally never include contactwith the ball, a chance to runwith it.Offensive linemen Trevor Johnson,Zack Keister, and Antonio Tatumwere each given a chance at thefullback position. Senior Antonio Tatumfared best as he rumbled, bumbled,and stumbled for a 10-yardgain. Also kicker Brandon Massieand Safety Ty Wooten were givena play at quarterback.Thus, the football season endedat Edgren High School withan amazing victory; this was, ofcourse, the best way for the departingseniors to end their highschool football careers.(Left): Matt Salazar breaks throughOsan for one of his touchdowns.

volume 4 issue 2 Far East Issuepage 2Robert D. Edgren HighSchoolMisawa AB, JapanUnit 5040APO, AP 96319Newspaper Advisor:Ms. Lorayne JohansenNewspaperEditor-In-Chief:Erin NicolaiNewspaper LayoutEditor:Heather EilerStaff Cartoonist:Esther KhabinskyStaff:Parker HowardGowri KabburEsther KhabinskyTim MurrayTara NewtonAngelique TetraultSarah ZedikerPolicy StatementThis newspaper is brought to youby The Aquila staff. We are committedto supporting public expressionand producing quality news storiesand editorials for Edgren faculty andstudents to enjoy. We celebrate ourdiverse skills and encourage creativityamong one another in order to satisfyyou, the reader.We reach out to the community withour interviews, and by including directquotes and specific incidences as supportin our writing. The Aquila staffexperiences school and communityevents first-hand to ensure a legitimatesource. We also take pride in our originalphotos that capture the memoriesof these years so perfectly. The Aquilastaff hopes that you remain enthusedabout each issue we print. Remember,it is our hard work and dedication thatmakes this publication possible.Forty-love!Edgren High School’s Tennis team returns from Far EastBy Tara NewtonThis year’s Far East Tennis tookEdgren’s top players to Okinawawhere, at the Risner Tennis Complex,players from twelve differentschools competed furiously for atop placement. Although all competitorsgave their best, Edgrenwas disappointed to fi nd that theyhad fallen short of victory.This year’s Far East Tennis Teamleft Misawa on November 2, 2008,and returned on Friday, November7, 2008. Team members included:Charles Artilles, Jen Brent, KarenIshikawa, Chandra Mellilo, JennyMullinax, Mister Murphy, IsaacRodd, and Zach Spaduzzi.“It defi nitely sets thestage for our youngerplayers to come backnext year and representthe Eagles.”-Scott MilanovichCompetitions began onMonday, but were cut short dueto rain delays. The following day,the matches heated up as Edgrenplayers battled it out with some ofthe top players in the Pacifi c. ZachSpaduzzi won his fi rst singles matchagainst Osan’s second best playereasily, but lost his next matchagainst Daegu’s top player. Theladies’ doubles team as well as themixed teams faced tough teamsand lost. The men’s doubles team,Charles Artilles and Zach Spaduzzi,won their fi rst match against Sasebo’stop team but lost to Kadena,one of the Far East’s top teams.The fi nal team scores included atie for fi rst place for Seoul Americanand Kadena with scores of 56with Kinnick taking third place witha score of 28.On Thursday evening, the Edgrenteam consoled themselves on theirlosses with a day at the GyokusendoCave, followed by dinner atJack’s Place, a restaurant thatcombines Asian and Americancuisine.The spirit of this team, althoughdampened by the near victoriesand the unfortunate losses of theweek, remained positive. Coachof the tennis team, Scott Milanovich,stated, “It defi nitely sets thestage for our younger players tocome back next year and representthe Eagles.”(Left): Photo 1 – The tennis team posing outside the Gyokusendo Cave.Photo 2 – Mister Murphy displays perfect form as he serves the ball.

volume 4 issue 2 Far East Issuepage 4Far East Cheerleading Champs!It’s one thing to get to the top; it’s another to stay there.By Heather EilerThis years Far East Cheerleading Competition washeld at Seoul American High School (Seoul, Korea)from November 3rd-November 7th, 2008. This yearwas the ninth year that the cheer camp/competitionhas been run by offi cials and coaches fromthe National Cheerleading Association (NCA).During the athletically intense fi ve-day Far EastCompetition, NCA offi cials taught a variety ofcheers, chants, dances, sidelines, and stunts. Eachteam was evaluated on taught material. However,the fi rst day of evaluation was based on skill abilitiesdemonstrated through home routines. Edgrenpreformed their home-cheer with bold confi dence,sternly stating, “…that trophy we won, we plan todefend. Edgren Eagles, the Far East champs, youthink you can beat us, you can’t!”The home-cheer affords other participatingteams to view the competition. It’s their fi rst glanceat the skill set of other teams. For their home effortsEdgren receives cheer superior ratings, which setthe bar.“Edgren Eagles, theFar East champs, youthink you can beatus....you can’t!”The next day two days of camp consisted of incorporatingtaught cheers and chants with skillsthat appeal to sporting fans. The NCA Staff evaluatedand rewarded accordingly. Edgren continuedto perform at its best.Thursday brought with it “Top-Gun” Competition.This is when teams show-off their stunting, dancing,jumping and tumbling sequences.Edgren competed in each sequence with ErikaWilliamson emerging as the Pacifi c’s Top GunDancer.During the week NCA takes note of various skillsets camp-wide and nominates those exhibitingskill strengths for its All-American Cheer-team. Sixof eight Edgren team members were nominated.Ashley Hawkins, Erika Williamson and Bethany Robinsonwere nominated for jumps, Brianne Soederand Janine Russ for stunting and Heather Eiler forstrong leadership abilities.After four days of camp and late night practicesFriday’s competition had arrived. Coach PamelaTucker and Coach Amber Altizer worked hard toinsure the team was prepared and ready to perform,bringing to life Coach Tucker’s motto: “Cheerhard, or not at all!” Edgren competed in the SmallSchool Division which included Deagu, M.C. Perry,E.J King, and Osan.After all were mounted and stunted, Edgren aroseas the clearly defi ned Class A Small Schools Far EastChampions; a repeat effort! Kinnick High School wascrowned the Large Schools, Class AA Champions.Every girl on the team agrees that winning not onlyonce, but twice could not have been possible withoutCoach Tucker’s knack for team discipline, andCoach Amber’s creative geniusness. Together CoachTucker and Coach Amber have over 30 years cheerknowledge. When asked about her team CoachTucker commented: “This team is clothed with dedication,discipline, and determination. While we arenot as large as our counterparts, nor do we enjoythe edge that comes with having male team members,we understand the importance of a precisionand the signifi cance of skill and we combined theseelements to get the job done! Coach Amber Altizerand I are extremely proud of the way this team executes.Our Edgren Cheer-team has emerged as aformidable force.(Left): Photo 1: The Varsity cheerleading squad with their bannerafter winning their Far East. Photo 2: The cheerleadingsquad at Far East, practicing for one of their evaluations.

volume 4 issue 2 Far East Issuepage 5Far East VolleyballBump, Set, Spike!By Gowri KabburThe lady eagles fl ew to Korea on November 2,2008, to participate in the 2008 Far East VolleyballConference. The varsity team made great improvements,advancing their fi nishing position fromthe previous year and garnering a well-earned 6thplace. The ladies won four games against MCPerry, EJ King, KIS, and ICSU, but they also lost fi vegames against Daegu, ISSH, and YISS. The girlsworked hard and their determination was refl ectedin Coach Richardson’s glowing praise for hertalented team.“These girls were so fullof confi dence...”-Coach Richardson“The team did very well. For the past three years,all my teams have had zero confi dence. At everybreak, I had to pep them up and motivate them tobecome competitive. But this year’s team didn’thave that problem. These girls were so full of confi -dence; they were born to play with heart. I didn’thave to waste precious time needed for strategyto motivate them; they did it themselves,”commented Coach Richardson on thisyear’s Far East Varsity volleyball team. Thegirls worked hard and long, with many backto back games. “Watching everyone playwas the highlight of the trip,” said playerDominique Davis.This year’s Far East had Edgren HS in thespotlight. Our very own Jessica Bergman, anew talented student at Edgren, made theAll-Far East Team. This means she was namedthe best of the best in the Pacifi c. The LadyEagles also had three honorable mentions,with Shamaya Stewart, Amani Wimbush,and Venita Jones receiving nominations forAll-Far East.Although the ladies were satisfi ed with theirFar East performance and they learned manytechniques, the ladies also learned where toimprove their game. “The team needs towork on coverage; that was our biggest setbackwhen we played,” said Da’Pree Davis.Coach Richardson anticipates a newbatch of girls next year, since most of hervarsity team save two girls is leaving. However,the JV team has much potential andnext year’s Far East may be just as successfulor even more so than this year. One thingfor sure is that this 2008 volleyball season wasone to remember.(Above): Junior Jessica Bergman goes in for the killduring a Far East game in Seoul, Korea. She madethe All-Far East Team and is Edgren’s star player.

volume 4 issue 2 Far East Issuepage 6Educator’ s DayLearning Beyond the BuildingBy Angelique TetraultEvery school year, Educators’ Day is held at oneof the 3 schools on-base. Last year, Edgren HighSchool hosted the event, but this year, Sollars ElementarySchool took its turn.On October 27, while students were allowed aday off from the frustrations of school, teachers arrivedat the Sollars Multipurpose room at 8:00 sharpfor a small breakfast and Principal Journey’s openingwelcome speech. He spoke of the great opportunitiesto always learn new things. Behind himstood four tall billboards that displayed scenes ofa child’s learning experience. Mr. Journey praisedthe many children who put forth such great efforts.They spent much of their recess time painting. Thestudents timidly received gifts for their contributionsto the school. Following his opening remarks,Mr. Journey introduced the Japan Superintendentof Schools, Mr. Bruce Derr who welcomed teachersand praised the efforts of all teacher coordinatorswho helped create an exciting Educators’Day program.Afterwards, the teachers dispersed to their chosenclasses for Session #1 of 7. The classes rangedfrom auto skills to photography skills. Mr. DavidThomascall, Edgren’s ET and TLC teacher, enjoyedteaching others to easily edit photos. Other classesincluded fi eld trips to a sake factory, the iceskating rink, a Japanese school, and the LunneyYouth Center for dance lessons. One of the classestaught “Music in the Classroom.” Here, teacherstook part in fun ways to intertwine dancing andsinging with their teaching strategies. Ms. VetaJones, elementary teacher, seemed to be havingfun swinging her arms in circles to “loosen up.”Although Edgren’s students were not required togo to Educator’s Day, the Middle School StudentCouncil, Junior Class Council, and the NHS studentsarrived at 8:00 along with the teachers. Themiddle school students were selling refreshmentson the 2nd fl oor, while the Junior Class studentswere selling coffee and other beverages on thebottom fl oor. There was some animosity becausethe middle school students were advertising rootbeer fl oats. The deal was for the middle schoolstudent council to only sell food, while the upperclassmen were supposed to sell drinks. Despitethis small issue, both school governments profi ted.According to Edgren’s School Nurse and MiddleSchool Student Council Sponsor, Ancella Thompson,middle school students despite their advertisingwere in fact, not selling root beer fl oats.There were even Japanese visitors at Sollars. Theytaught teachers how to partake in the ancient Japanesetea ceremony and play amusing children’sgames. Former Japanese teacher for Edgren, Mr.Mikami visited Educators’ Day. Many of the facultymembers enjoyed either seeing him again or meetinghim for the fi rst time.After all seven sessions ended and the 2:45 bellhad rung, Educators’ Day was over. The teacherswere given a complimentary gift bag of school supplies.Many new lessons were learned, and hopefullythe new tactics will be incorporated into our Edgrenclassrooms.Photo 1: Coach Waite learns how to perform CPR on his choking dummy. Photo 2:The students proudly displayed their enthusiasm for “Learning Beyond the Building.”

volume 4 issue 2 Far East Issuepage 7Obama vs. McCainSchool in uproar over possiblefuture presidentBy Sarah ZedikerAll of Edgren gathered around their class roomtelevision sets on Nov. 4, 2008 to watch twoteams debate which presidential candidateEdgren would choose to run our great mothercountry. Courtney Kilday, Heather Eiler, andSamantha Statia argued on behalf of senatorMcCain while Jenny Mullinax, Antonio Gonzales,and Sarah Zediker argued on senatorObama’s behalf.“Obama wonin a landslidevictory!”The candidates brought to the stand issueslike the War on Iraq, the national economy,and each candidate’s individual back ground.“McCain has more experience with war, he’sbetter equipped to handle our country in itscurrent condition.” said senior Samantha Statia.“McCain is simply more of Bush. When theold plan fails we need a new one. Obamaoffers that necessary change.” argues seniorSarah Zediker. McCain supporters highlightedimpressive background and long line of experienceto make their case while Obama supportersargued that the USA cannot endureanother 4 years of the same governing policies.The event caused quite a stir as employeesof the NHK Japanese public television stationvisited the school to fi lm the event and air a 6minute segment on American public schools.Originally the segment was set to air on a locallevel, but Tokyo stations saw the fi nishedproduct and liked it, meaning that Edgren’s 6minutes in fame was aired all over Japan.In a surprising landslide victory, Obamagained 61.9% of the popular vote and 422electoral votes. McCain earned 38.1% of thepopular vote and only 116 electoral votes.Despite the predictions of political scientiststhat said the results would be very close, theactual election was a lot like Edgren’s mockelection. Obama won in a landslide victory.Top to bottom: 1) Mr. Burgeson addressing the roomabout the debate that was about to take place. 2) TheEdgren High School Presidential Debate Participants.Sarah Zediker, Antonio Gonzales, Jenny Mullinax, Mr.Burgeson, Courtney Kilday, Heather Eiler and SamanthaStatia. 3) Sarah Zediker hard at work during the debate.

volume 4 issue 2 Far East Issuepage 8Safe Space ProgramGSA plans to start practicing national programBy Erin NicolaiSince a GSA, a student led club, was establishedat Edgren last year, they have focusedon creating more school-wide tolerance. Theirnewest goal is to promote the Safe SpaceProgram, a national program practiced bynation-wide GSA groups. This program wouldcreate a type of “safe-zone” within the schoolfor students.Interested teachers have placed a stickeron the exterior of their rooms, allowing studentsto recognize that the particular teacherparticipates in the program. Students in needare able to go to these teachers for supportduring the day. However, this program is notintended to be an excuse for students to skipclass. Teachers supporting the program wouldbe available before or after school, duringlunch, or during passing periods, to studentswho feel bullied or harassed, or just wish tospend a few minutes in a supportive, stressfreeenvironment. Furthermore, this programis not planned to give students confi dentialcounseling; however participating teacherswould be available to help a concerned studentfi nd appropriate help if such confi dentialitywere needed.Students active in the GSA program wouldalso be available to help distressed students,whether by exchanging just a few words in thehallway, or information about the Safe SpaceProgram. The overall goal is to establish asafe environment, with supportive peers andteachers.When asked about the general goals ofGSA, Ms. Kuntz, stated, “This club is neededfor students who are not mainstream, be itphysically, mentally, culturally, or socially. Itis a safe haven for students who feel different,yet need to feel somewhat accepted.”The GSA also hopes to create a new bulletinboard for all clubs to post news on, and will bestarting a fi lm festival on Friday evenings thatwill show appropriate documentaries andfi lms on tolerance and related issues. The GSAmeets Wednesdays after school in Ms. Kuntz’sroom, room 28, and welcomes all interestedstudents.(Above): Ms. Kuntz talking to the GSA memebersabout the upcoming events that we will be doing thisyear.How is your son/daughter getting to collegeclasses?Let us take the worry out of purchasing adependable car.2008 Ford Focus starting @ $13,507Exchange New Car SalesFor more information callthe Car Guys at 222-5111Harley-Davidson 222-5413