Jason Waterman 1969-2011 - Pleasant Hill School District

The Billie Bulletin
Pleasant Hill High School, Pleasant Hill, Oregon
Monday, February 14, 2011
Third Issue
$360,000to $800,000 to be cut from Budget
Budget cuts have been a major factor for Pleasant Hill
School District since Ballot Measure 5 in 1991. Enrollment is declining and state revenue is shrinking so our
funding is decreasing. These setbacks have forced us to
make dramatic changes in our spending, but this year,
Pleasant Hill High School is going to be facing even
deeper budget cuts.
These latest reductions are stemming from the weak
economy. Oregon’s high unemployment rate also means
fewer tax dollars – the tax dollars that support our
schools. Oregon’s unemployment rate has risen to over
ten percent and with such high numbers our government
has been forced to reduce spending.
This slash in the education budget is going to take its toll
on Pleasant Hill next year. In a best case scenario Pleasant Hill’s cuts will total about 360,000 dollars whereas
less optimistic predictions say around 800,000. Realistically the cuts will fall somewhere in between these two
numbers. These numbers are especially daunting considering that Pleasant Hill’s total budget now is only 8 million dollars.
While those may sound like huge numbers the administration is very confident that with more strategic spending
and some reorganizing we can offset many of the worst
effects. In the past, Pleasant Hill has made organizational
changes to counter budget cuts. The closure of Trent was
a major example of this. More recently, Pleasant Hill
has adopted a new lunch program. The new program is
funded by the national government instead of locally by
Pleasant Hill. Changes next year might not be quite as
noticeable, but they are sure to reduce spending.
In order to decide what changes to make, the administration is reaching out for community input. They are interested in hearing ideas from students and parents alike.
Public opinion is always welcome at board meetings.
Another option to share ideas are at Site Council meetings. Superintendent Tony Scurto describes Site Council
as a “school planning” committee. Site Council meets to
discuss new ideas for our school. It is open to all commu-
Texting & Driving
QUINN STEARNS
Reporter
“The cuts [can be] a way our community
can work together to create something
new.” --Superintendent Tony Scurto
nity members and its meetings are held on Wednesday’s
at 3:30 in the library.
At this point there are no concrete plans on what changes we will see at Pleasant Hill next year. Layoffs and program cuts are a last resort, but it is going to be a challenge
to find a way to save all that money simply in smarter
spending.
The administration is looking into strategically dipping
into its reserves in order to ease the transition. Although
this is not an immediate solution because we have to find
a way to make the reserves last through the next several
years.
Changes such as program cuts and layoffs are more
likely to be seen at the High School than the Elementary School. Classes at the Elementary are already often
around thirty students and there is no desire to increase
that number. The truth is that we don’t know what programs will be cut, but it is likely we’ll see them cut at the
high school. Changes will definitely happen, but Scurto
says, “I would encourage students not to sit back and wait
for changes, but to give input on what those changes will
be.”
A major question that looms is: when will the budget
get better? It’s difficult to say exactly when that will be,
but the budget will get better with the economy. In the
mean time, projected declines in enrollment threaten to
decrease the budget even further. In the 2011-2012 school
year the district is expected to lose about 20 more kids.
Job rates aren’t expected to return to their previous levels
until 2014. For now we just have to keep finding new
ways to save money.
Despite the daunting nature of these cuts, Scurto is optimistic about where they will take us. He looks at the
cuts as a way our community can work together to create
something new. “I think together we will be able to get
creative and do a lot of neat things. It will be different, but
that doesn’t mean it can’t still be better.”
(graphics courtesy of PHSD office)
You may want to pay closer attention
next time you get behind the wheel
KELLEEN RICHINS
Editor
We all know it’s bad—but really? Who doesn’t? So
maybe you’re a nerd like me and you can text onehanded without even looking at your phone. I thought
I had it made. I could text and be watching the road
at the same time! Writing text messages takes up
a significant amount of your concentration level.
That’s why it’s so awkward to talk to people
while they are texting others. You can tell them
your whole life story but all you’re gonna get in response is “uhu… yeah”, that is until their message
is sent and they are once again concentrating on
you… until of course their phone vibrates only seconds later and you are once again talking to a zombie.
TRUE STORY:
It was just after the U of O Duck game and Sarah
LeJeune and I were pumped! We hopped in the car
and turned up the music. Despite the rain and the
bumper to bumper traffic, we were in a good mood.
It was about then that a cute boy texted me and BAM!
My attention was not on my surroundings. I thought
we were fine—we were at a stoplight.
But as my attention was sucked away into the message, my foot lifted off the break and the car idled forward and *BONK* right into the car in front of us!
“We’re in a crash!” Sarah screamed. “We’ve crashed!
Are they gonna bring us to jail? What do we do?!”
By the time the car in front of us pulled over slowly
to the side of the road I had calmed Sarah down. After a quick look-over of both our cars and not finding
even a scratch we settled down. You might think of it
as no big deal since it was just a slight bump—but it
was enough to shock me into realizing how dangerous
texting and driving could be.
Using a cell phone while
driving, whether it’s hand-held
or hands-free, delays a driver’s
reactions as much as having a
blood alcohol concentration at
the legal limit of .08 percent
PHHS is
known for
offering a
variety of
educational
activities
for students.
Here Fiona
Brooks and
a friend use
the router
while the
Band plays
the UofO
Fight Song.
Jason
Waterman
1969-2011
Beloved former teacher found dead near home in New Zealand
TIMOTHY MEINZEN
Advisor
From the fall of 2004 to the spring of 2007 Pleasant
Hill hosted a most unusual English teacher. Burly and
brash, Jason Waterman, waltzed into his students hearts
with a Kiwi accented mixture of love, zaniness and absolute passion for English. Jason was a force of nature to
be sure, sometimes over the top, but always a joyous entertainer who taught deeply
and inspired grandly.
He broke into the consciousness of the staff and
students who had not had
him when he led his drama
class in a rendition of the
Maori “Haka” war dance, a
dance put on by his beloved
New Zealand rugby team,
the “All Blacks”. With his
face swirled in black ink,
reminiscent of Maori tattoos, and students in various
threatening poses around
him, he bared his long
tongue at the rest of us in the
baffled and bemused audience. Oh yes, Jason was a
force of nature.
Jason had an infectious joy that taught kids not only
a love for language literature and performance but the
right to be crazy and themselves. In the words of former
student Tahni Nikitins “time spent in his classroom was
simply brilliant.”
Jason Waterman was brilliant and beloved. A comic
and a “beast”, a man who
transfigured his love for
English into a love for his
students. He was, for those
who knew him, the best of
teachers. And he is gone.
Jason’s body was found
300 hundred yards from his
car in New Zealand, 25 km
from his home in Raglan.
The cause of death is unknown at this writing, but
his passing leaves a raging
hole for those who knew
him and for his wife Katie
(who taught at Pleasant Hill
Middle School) and a son
8
Billie Behind
Facial piercing appeals to some
If you were to walk down the halls of Pleasant Hill High
School an observer would soon notice facial piercings.
This is a popular trend in fashion that is mostly seen on
teenagers and young adults. Piercings can be done for
many reasons. Some get it done as part of their religon,
others to make a fashion statement, and some people
just like the way certain piercings look. In some cultures
piercings are considered a rite of passage into adulthood.
Inspired by these facial adornments I decided to ask some
of the students why they got pierced.
Jaimie Murdock, a junior at Pleasant Hill who has her
tongue pierced said “My mom and dad got their [tongues]
pierced when I was nine, I thought it was awesome.” She
jokingly adds, “I thought it might tickle!”
Another junior, Breanna Townley who currently has
“snakebites” says; “I just thought they were cool, so I
decided I wanted them.”
Snakebites are two piercings on your bottom lip (on
either side) that are said to resemble snake fangs or the
scars that are left behind when one actually gets bitten
by a snake.
Skyler Bulman is a sophomore with snakebites, he says
“I have wanted them for a long time and I finally got
them.”
BRITTANY ODEGAARD
Reporter
Brandon Granning, a junior who has had multiple facial
piercings, said “When I originally got it done, I thought it
was cool, but I regret it now.”
Noah Broome, A senior has his lip pierced. He said
“A friend of mine offered to pierce my lip for me, so I
thought ‘Why not?’ “
Kim Lowe another senior talks about her nose stud,
“It’s something I have wanted to do for a while because
I thought it would look cool,” She added, “It’s another
thing to show independence and to rebel.”
The piercing fad has even touched the younger grades,
“I got a “Monroe” piercing because everybody in my
family had it pierced but me. Another reason is I thought
‘Oh, that would be cool!’. I also wanted to be different
than everybody else in my grade, (even though lots of
kids are getting pierced)” said Keihona Rinker who is one
of Pleasant Hill’s eighth graders.
A “Monroe” is a piercing that is on the upper lip, usually on the left side. It is named after the signature mole that
Marilyn Monroe had in a similar spot. It is also known as
a ‘Madonna’. Monroe is just a more common term.
CheesyLinesPick Up
“Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?”
Cheesy pick-up lines. They either make girls laugh, or
RUN… I guess you could say it depends on the type of
girl. To those who are lost in this world, these are for you.
I asked Cade Tendick about cheesy pick-up lines… He
seemed to be a professional: “Your legs must be tired, because you have been running through my mind all day!”
I then asked him if he thinks that a cheesy pick up line
will really work on a girl. His response: “Of course it
will! The girl will find it humorous and then it sparks a
conversation!” Here are other samples of conversation
starters.
“Are you from Tennessee? Because you are the only TEN
I SEE!” said Tristan Yaroscak.
Julie Martin and Clover Barnhart came up with a few.
“If I could re-arrange the alphabet, I’d put U and I together!” And, “Do you have a map? Because I keep getting
lost in your eyes!”
“Are you a parking ticket? Because you have FINEwritten all over you!” said Kaitlyn Michlanski.
I asked Alley Gillmore, and she said “Do you have a
band-aid? Because I hurt my knee when I fell for you.”
ALIX LEAVITT
Reporter
DESIGNED BY HEATHER JENNESS
So, if you are trying to get that one girl to actually notice
you, tell them a cheesy pick up line… But be prepared to
chase after them!
Car of the Month
KRISTINA ROBERTS
Reporter
*Owner?-Zach Hamilton
*Gas mileage? – 21mpg
*Make and model?
– Jeep Wrangler TJ
*Is there anything unusual about it?
It has no smell
*How much did you pay for it?
-None, it was a present
*Do you baby it?
-No I don’t ever wash it, I treat it like a Jeep
*Any modifications in the future?
-Engine swap to an inline V6
*Favorite thing about it? – It’s a convertible and it can go anywhere
*Favorite memory in it? – Driving to Port Orford, and being able to drive on the beaches and dunes
A
Rachell Schultz, an eighth grader adds,
“Because I like them [piercings]. Also because nobody in
my family has them, I try to be different.” She currently
has a tongue ring and snakebites.
An obviously popular piercing is the tongue ring, but
being in such an odd place is it safe? I did some research
online to see what doctors and dentists said about tongue
rings. Rings can cause damage including chipped teeth,
recessed gums, and nerve damage in the oral region. Also
because the tongue has a major blood vessel in it, infection can build up and spread through that main blood
vessel which can be fatal. Some of these thing can be prevented. Infection can be stopped by choosing a shorter
bar for the piercing so infection doesn’t have room to
enter. Also using mouthwash regularily while healing is
a process that will lessen the chance of infection. If you
change the metal barbell heads to plastic heads, you reduce the chance of tooth damage.
Whether you like them or not, piercings are something
that will be an attractive accessory to some teenagers for
years to come, whatever reason they may hold.
sk
dams
CAROLINE STREK
Editor
Q. How did candy and flowers become associated with Valentine’s Day?
A. Back to Roman mythology. The story I read said that the rose was sacred to Venus,
the goddess of love. But roses were unknown in Europe until after the Crusaders brought
some back from the Middle East around A.D. 1070 and they were first used as “medicinal smells” to be held in front of the nose to keep The Plague from getting you. Still, it’s
a nice story. The whole symbolism of a red rose vs. yellow or white was later too, after
the rose-breeders had been able to work on the wild rose for a number of years. Still, it
sells. Valentines cards are NOT the invention of Hallmark. About 1 billion Valentines
are now sent each year, making it the second most profitable line of cards behind Christmas cards.
Giving candy, especially chocolate, has the idea of making your love feel happy and
remember you for it. The fact that chocolate stimulates the production of oxytocin, the
hormone of “loving and nurturing” is also not a bad association to have with you every
time she opens the candy box (which might be more than once a day). Guys, remember
CHOCOLATE! It’s hard to go wrong. But first find out her tastes: milk chocolate or
dark, with nuts or not, particular brands? Usually the brand called “Expensive” is a
sure bet, but some people have particular ones which make them feel even more loving
and nurturing. Still, chocolate is chocolate and whatever you give will probably not be
spurned.
Q. How does Cupid fit in with Valentine’s Day?
A. Cupid was the son of Venus, in Roman Mythology (his association can be seen by
his name for the Greeks was “Eros” and yes, “eros” means what you think it does. In
English, “eros” is a nice pun with “arrows” but the little tyke had the bow and arrows
long before English came about. Cupid used his arrows to pierce the heart of his love,
Psyche, who had been put to sleep by a spell cast by Mom Venus who didn’t approve of
his choice (Psyche was a mortal). The magic arrow awakened Pysche to Cupid’s love
and all was well.
Q. What does the phrase “Will you be my Valentine?” mean?
A. It’s a nice way to let the object of your affection know he/she is wanted. Many guys
have trouble expressing themselves gently and are not ready to say “I love you!” at any
time (fear of commitment). But “be my Valentine” is kind of like “I’m in LIKE with
you!” -- expressing interest but not being too be-all end-all about it, keeping a guy’s
“options” open.
Still, this is better than the 1700’s English custom of women writing the names of men
they “fancied” on small slips of paper and putting them into small balls of clay. They’d
then toss the clay balls into water and the slip of paper that floated to the surface first was
supposedly the name of the woman’s True Love. Another idea at the time was that on
Valentine’s Day a woman was supposed to sit by her window. Then the first available
man that walked by was the one who was destined to marry her.
If this floaty Magic 8-ball stuff and “first guy who walks by” practice strike you as a
little mechanistic and not having much actual affection in it, you’re right. I remember
in elementary school when we stopped being allowed to give little paper valentines unless we gave one to EVERYONE. What’s the fun it that? Everyone knew you didn’t
necessarily have any affection for them; you were just following the rules and that put
you in the same realm as a study which showed 3% of all pet owners buy a Valentine’s
gift for their pet.
So, Valentine’s Day is what you make of it. But it can be a vast minefield for guys
who do NOT participate when their “intended” DOES. Always lead with chocolates,
but flowers are a good addition, and a card at a minimum is required. And Hallmark
thanks you.