KR Academic Excellence is

Transcription

F
leet street news
Volume 44, Issue 6
June, 2011
KR Academic
Excellence is:
Junior Brian Gibbon
KR athletic
Excellence is:
freshman amy hiraki
KR musical
Excellence is:
senior brenda miller
June, 2011 • Page 2
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Giovanna Herrera
Danny Lazo
Andrew Meyers
Victoria Puryear
Cecilia Castillo
Colin Coleman
Amandeep Kaur
John Kong
Kimberly Kong
McKenna Longley
Ankit Sabhaya
Kaley Griswold
Aracely Perez
Keith Smith
Spencer Steward
Sean Wornstaff
Kirill Kochkovsky
Russell Alfano
Shawn Lee
Marissa Alves
Henry Ly
Valentina Anton
Armando Balderas Jasmine Ly-Reese
Hannah Moore
Kyle Cote
Michael Padilla
Alexus Daniels
Parisa Davari
James Park
Alexis Den Herder Rachel Quiambao
Roxanne Deperalta KeWayne Robinson
Brian Saylor
Steven Gilman
Kathleen Shuster
Silverio Gonzalez
Humza Sindhu
Jocelyn Hess
Tony Truong
Ali Hopson
Marqués Weekly
Colleen Ildefonso
Brad White
Ravjot Johal
Jared Williams
Stephanie Keowla
Richard Yip
Nick Khaylon
12
Bothell, Seattle,
9
and Tacoma
3 South Seattle Community College
Campuses
Mohumed Adan
Hillary Lewis
Alana Okert
Christian Ie
Daniel Ablog
Victoria Nguyen
Colin Bateman
Tuyen Luong
Elliott Jone
Molly Artz
Allie Oathout
Darius Brooks
Natalie Martinez
1 University of Puget Sound
Zach Kaufman
Leilani Borst
Cassie Petz
Alison Cromer
Josh Cinkovich Kris Myrseth-Barrea
Melissa Kwok
Alyssa Jenkins
Bryce Carter
Justin Proctor
Joshua Corpuz
Chris Sullivan
Brenda Miller
Kristin Lamontagne
Billy Cen
Jeremy Santos
Victoria Davick
Jessica Skidmore
Dicken Leung
Giuliana Chilczuk
Cameron Scotland Jeanesse Gonzales
Emma Wilson
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Tracy
Llantada
Amy
Chung
Taylor Shimizu
Tien Ha
Rianna Mize
Alex Porter
Pinxuan Lu
Max Churaisin
Simranjit Singh
Jordan Krislcovic
Christine Ma
Nhi Dao
Ryan Matthew Smith
Azeb Madebo
Dre
Farinas
Alex Stark
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10
Sophiya Mashnitskaya
Angela
Feng
Sean
Tanino
Will Anderson
7
Karen McConnell
Amalia
Forosan
Bishal
Upadhyaya
Andrew Barta
Katherine Midkiff
Max Baer
Rebecca Lai
Jennifer Hipolito
Ethan Wakeley
Will Bigbee-Hansen
Edelmar Navaluna
Dylan Centanino
Michael LaRosa
Samuel
Hwang
Kevin
Yang
Monika McGillis
Ryan Ng
Wes Concepcion
Andrew Mead
Kevin Hyunh
Angie Yin
Spencer Mullan
Trent Davis
Myles Muehlbauer
Tyler Peterson
Robbie French
SarahAnne Nixon
8
Jacob Smith
3
Seth Gunning
Kaitlin Ohlson
Željko Steipetič
Maggie Jennings
Kelcie
Hollingsworth
Shannon
Paglia
Amber Elleby
Bogdan Tirtu
Courtney Layacan
Adam
John
Christian
C.
Predad
Stephanie Guray
Alex Ybarra
Maria Martinez
Kenzie
Johnson
Brooke
Schmelebeck
Abdul Hassan
Brendan Young
Neil Sherwin
Morgan Johnson
Jaeger
Snyder
3
Vanessa Keopraseurt
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1
Bret McGhie
Gary Bell, Jr.
Brendell Aesquivel
Ian Hammer
Jake Dacus
Emma Lytle
3 Seattle Pacific University
Shelby Silver
3 Seattle Central Community College
Celena Turner
5 Saint Martin’s University
Keltik Rain Schwabel
4 Lower Columbia College
Kyle Leady
3 Gary Manuel Aveda Institute
Dani Anderson
3 Cornish College of the Arts
Janila Cox
2 Clover Park Technical College
John Ildentonso
1 Bates Technical College
Michael Cappetto
Jakob Lee Levy
Colton Werre
- Robert Montgomery
“Home, the spot of earth supremely blest, A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.”
Street News
Boise State University
Lauren Anderson
Alyssa Griffin
Azusa Pacific University
Marisa Carpenter
Arizona State University
Maddi Agnew
Drexel University
Vinitha Vithayathil
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Loyola Marymount
University
Michayla Tompson
Humboldt State University
Peter Guntheroth
Hofstra University
Alexis England
Hawaii Pacific University
Marina Pedersen
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Glendale Community College
Chrazette Wagner-Zumwalt
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Orange Coast College
Jade Kennedy
Ohio State University
Kim Concillado
New York University
Edward Imm
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Sacramento State
University
Rian Edington
Rocky Mountain College
Axl Snure
26 Pensacola
Christian College
Megan Hedge
Oregon State University
Alex Van
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23
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Montana State University
Eric Kress
Tasha Salwitz
21 Montana Tech of the
University of Montana
Dominic Bizak
20
George Washington University
Kaleb Brunson
12 Fashion Institute of
Design and Merchandising
Madison Durrett
My-T Nguyen
13 George Fox University
Ian Buckles
Eastern Oregon University
Andrew Moore
10
Duke University
Nachiketha Shamaprasad
9
Colorado University Boulder
Aaron Payne
Chris Young
Concordia
University
8
Ebony Jackson
Claremont McKenna College
Kelsey Kaeding
Brigham Young University
Dallin Connell
5 Cal Arts
Justin Truong
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36 University of
California Los Angeles
Nick Aliment
33
University of
Alaska Anchorage
Rebecca Fishel
32 University of
Alaska Fairbanks
Kevin Brown
University of Arizona
Tyler Hansen
34 University of
British Columbia
Tibisay Sanchez
35 University of
California Berkeley
Arjun Gupta
31
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University of Wyoming
Rebecca Paustian
University of South
Carolina
Lisa Billock
Virginia Military Institute
Alex Wong
43
University of
Nevada Las Vegas
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40
University of Rochester
Christina Castagna
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University of Hawaii
Jacob Odegard
University of
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Hawaii at Manoa
Josh Brabo
Rachel Minato
Marcus Subia
University of Montana
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Universal Technical Institute
Lovish K. Handa
Andrew Mudge
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St. John’s University
Jessica Jacoway
Stanford University
Robert Poole
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Other
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Berchet Gebretsadik
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Ashley Ng
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Corey Swift
Travel
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Mariya Anton
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Olivia Demarc
Matt Drui
Gelmut Nayberger
Taressa Patterson
Nick Vivolo
Kayla Wood
Zack Zielke
Our Hearts Are Set on one of the Best Journeys Yet
Street News
Street News
How does a teacher keep a job?
june, 2011 • Page 4
By Jacob Smith
Veteran Reporter
The KSD School Board meets to discuss budget cuts April 27.
Photo by Amanda Beltran
School Board makes
cuts for next year
By Amanda Beltran
Veteran Reporter
The Washington state legislature passed a final budget May
23, which included deep cuts to
education.
“The budget made more than
$4 billion in cuts, including a
1.9 percent reduction in teacher
pay ...” The Seattle Times reports. “State support for higher
education also was slashed, and
students will see large tuition increases.”
The KSD has determined that
it will eliminate 22 central office
positions, mid-day kindergarten
transportation, and one assistant
principal per high school. In addition, the superintendent and
central office administrators volunteered to take pay cuts as two
furlough days, elementary school
discretionary funds will be cut
by 45 percent, and middle school
class sizes will increase from 24
to 25 students.
“While we were able to spare
valuable and popular programming like elementary music and
PE, sparing one program or workgroup simply shifts the burden of
reduction to others ...,” Board
President Bill Boyce and Superintendent Edward “Lee” Vargas
wrote in a letter to residents.
“We’ve been forced to make
budget reductions now for several years, and during that time,
the type and number of possible
reduction scenarios has gotten
smaller and smaller,” the Kent
School District reports on an online Q&A session. By state law, the KSD notified
teachers of their employment status by May 15.
“We are going to have less
teachers, probably about five less
teachers than what we have and
one less assistant principal,” said
Principal Mike Albrecht.
KR Assistant Principal Janae
Landis is losing her position.
“I kind of knew it was coming,” she said. “It’s been on the
books for the last year. It’s a little
sad to leave KR.”
“It’s about budgets; it’s a really hard decision to make,” she
said. “It will be hard for years
to come, and we will see it in the
classrooms with bigger class sizes and such.”
“We have less building budget
moneys, so that affects anything
from a principal’s budget to a department budget, so we will probably be a little bit more limited to
our spending,” Albrecht added.
“Can I tell you what we are not
going to be able to buy? No, because all of that is still in the process.”
One complication is that
teachers may plan to retire, but
they don’t have to let the district
know until July 1. This makes
Budget cuts
continues Page 5
With recent teacher and administrator layoffs, some may
wonder who gets laid off and
why.
The language of the Kent Education Association contract explains: “Within the employment
categories, retention shall be on
a seniority basis, the certificated
employees with the greater seniority having preference.”
This means that when there are
layoffs, teachers within each subject (math, English, etc.) are kept
based on years of service.
Teachers do have to pass an
evaluation each year, but this is
completely separate from layoffs.
In the current system, most teachers are observed by an administrator three times per year for at
least 20 minutes, said Principal
Mike Albrecht.
Teachers are evaluated in four
different domains. These domains
are: Planning and Preparation,
The Classroom Environment,
Instruction, and Professionalism.
Teachers are labeled “Unsatisfactory,” ”Basic/Emerging,” ”Proficient,” or “Exemplary” in each
component.
If a teacher gets too many unsatisfactory ratings, he or she is
put on a plan of improvement.
If a teacher with four or more
years of experience is given an
“Unsatisfactory” rating, documentation of that teacher’s performance occurs for one year. The
next year, the teacher could be put
on a plan of improvement. If the
teacher does not pass, Albrecht
said that he can then “non-renew
their contract.”
Teachers with less than four
years of experience go through
the same process, but it only
lasts one year, with a minimum
six-week plan of improvement.
Some think that this evaluation system is not good enough.
“You need to be evaluated by
multiple people over a longer
period of time for an evaluation
tool to be effective” said Band
teacher Brian Akesson.
Akesson also notes that if the
evaluator has a personal problem
with the teacher, the evaluation
may not be accurate. He said that
“bias and knowledge” can have
a negative effect on the evaluation process, adding that he
is thankful that Eric Anderson,
the administrator who evaluates
Akesson, has knowledge in the
field of music and can therefore
more effectively evaluate Akesson as a music teacher.
Akesson thinks that the basic
idea for the evaluation system
“is not flawed; it’s not utilized
properly.” He envisions an improved system in which teachers are “evaluated by multiple
people over a longer period of
time.”
Albrecht also sees room for
improvement.
“I just wish that the plans of
improvements could be simplified,” said Albrecht.
Some argue that test scores
should be used in the evaluative
process. Seattle teachers disputed this addition to their contracts
at the beginning of the year.
“Test scores are unfair if they
are the only basis of measurement for teacher evaluations,”
Akesson said, adding that teachers at inner-city schools are often
the best teachers, but their test
scores do not reflect that.
Class assessments are among
many factors that administrators
look at in teacher evaluations,
said Albrecht.
“I don’t think a specific test
score should be included in
evaluations, but I do believe that
teachers need to … be held accountable to performance,” he
said. He notes that administrators are held accountable to performance. “And I think that we
need to be more transparent in
our performance.”
“If they want to get serious
about a teacher the evaluation
system, than they have to put
serious money behind it, which
hasn’t happened recently in education,” said Akesson.
Street News
Science wing construction
begins this summer
By Julia Rutledge
Reporter
Junior Melissa Toshi, Chemistry teacher Madonna Brinkmann,
and Junior Liz Cho enjoy coffee during the late start day June 1.
Students often use late start days to grab coffee before school,
Photo by Jessica Hendricks
while teachers plan for classes.
More late starts possible
in the near future
Jessica Hendricks
Reporter
KSD’s School Board is considering a change that would affect every teacher and student in
the district: more frequent late
starts.
As of earlier this year, three
proposals have been suggested:
every Wednesday a 90 minute
late start, one half-day every other Wednesday, or every Wednesday a two-hour late start (KEA
Blog).
According to Principal Mike
Albrecht, the extra time in the
mornings would be “used to help
teachers be able to plan, be able to
coordinate with each other, and to
help students learn and improve
what we’re doing.”
While final decisions regarding these changes are still up in
the air, most students and teachers
are hopeful and excited.
“I’d fall in love with this
school,” said Freshman Alexandria Meadows. “That would be
awesome.”
Junior Ryan Mann said that
one benefit is they would “give us
more time to sleep in and recover
from stress.”
“I think it would be a good
opportunity for staff members
to have extra time to make sure
the curriculum is on track,” said
Family and Consumer Science
teacher Colby O’Brien.
Spanish teacher Thad Williams agreed.
“I think the more time teachers
have to collaborate with each other, the better,” he said. He added
that more consistency in the late
start schedule could be nice.
However, some recognize the
possible drawbacks of the schedule changes.
“It would be nice for students,
but wouldn’t really help us out
academically,” said Junior TamAnh Nguyen.
Chemistry teacher Madonna
Brinkmann also voiced concerns.
“I think it could take away
time from the amount of teaching
that will go into the learning process,” she said. “The question is:
How do we use the extra time in
the mornings to still further education?”
Late arrival schedules are currently being discussed between
the district and the Kent Education Association (KEA), said Albrecht.
Construction on the science
wing will begin on the last day of
school and continue throughout
the summer.
According to both Principal
Mike Albrecht and Science teacher Beth Michaels, the rooms are
falling apart.
“For chemistry there’s only
four sinks, and it gets really
crowded around lab tables,” said
Michaels. The rooms will be
enlarged, get new areas, lab stations, equipment, cabinetry and
tables.
“I think it’s definitely nice to
have them redone because we get
some input as to how [the rooms]
will be done,” said Michaels. “We
got to ask for things like a rod in
the ceiling, desks a certain height,
and arrangement of the desks.”
The science rooms haven’t
been updated since the school
was first built in 1968. After 43
years, science has changed a lot.
“The rooms will look like a
modern science room,” said Albrecht. The construction is being paid
for by a Construction and Tech
Levy Bond, passed four years
ago. This bond also paid for other
construction around the district,
Boxes line the hallway near the Special Chargers gym. Because
of science room renovations, science teachers must move out of
Photo by Julia Rutledge
their rooms by school’s end.
and it is finally our turn to have
the science rooms re-done.
“There’s tons of work the
teachers have to do,” said Albrecht, as the teachers will have
to move all of their things out of
the science rooms in order for the
construction to happen. “They’re
obviously boxing it up, and the
Special Charger Gym will be a
major storage area this summer,”
Albrecht added. The custodians
will also be very busy, as they’ll
be moving the majority of the
equipment and books.
“They tell us they’ll be finished on time,” added Albrecht.
Cuts to education impact KR,
replacements difficult to find.
A teacher who is thinking of
leaving “throws in a huge loop
and what makes all of this difficult,” Albrecht continued. “A
teacher can resign their position
up until July 1, and we have to
let go of their contract. After July
1, they can come back to me and
say, ‘I want to resign.’ We say
we will hold your contract until
we find a suitable replacement.”
At a poorly attended Kent
School District meeting, held at
Kent-Meridian in anticipation of
“All of the construction projects
have finished on time before.”
Michaels says she has some
major packing to do.
“I have to move everything
out of the back rooms,” said
Michaels. “I’m going to have to
recruit my students at the end of
the year to pack boxes and more
things.”
Everything has to be out of the
rooms and off the walls by the last
day of school.
“It’s definitely stressful,” said
Michaels. “I’m really excited
about it. I think it’s gonna look
great.”
from page 2
large crowds April 27, the Board
discussed the anticipated $15
million budget cuts.
Board member Tim Clark
discussed how he felt about the
cuts.
“It boggles my mind,” he
said. “… It’s becoming a moral
problem. Education is a key role
in an advancement of the community.”
“We promised to avoid giving
an effect to classrooms physically, and these budgets cuts don’t
meet that goal,” Clark contin-
ued.
“We don’t want cuts in education,” said Boyce. “That’s the
number one thing, so watch what
you vote. We care about education; we care about kids. We are
voted in by the community, and
we want to be successful.”
“These cuts hurt kids,” said
Board member Debbie Straus,
but she added that the cuts were
unavoidable.
“We have to,” she added.
“We don’t have a choice. We
care about our kids.”
Street News
KR Queens promote diversity
Taressa Patterson
Veteran Reporter
The KR Queens pose for a picture. The goal of the Queens is to
allow girls, particularly African Americans, to share experiences
and support each other.
Photo by Taressa Patterson
KR is home to royalty.
The KR Queens focus on
many elements of being a female
African American at KR.
“Basically, it’s a focus group
for girls that want to acknowledge
the diversity here at Kentridge,”
said Junior Cathleen Turner.
“Dave [Fowler] chose us to be
a part of the club,” said Turner.
“The admissions are open to everybody, including freshmen.”
Typical meetings are about
sharing and reflecting.
“Well basically, we all start
with Roses and Thorns, which
means we each have a positive
and negative thing that has happened to us between now and the
last meeting,” said Turner.
“Then we pass around the
agenda for the meeting, which we
all at some point have to come up
with,” Turner said. “Then we get
started with the main discussion
about whatever we feel needs to
be talked about.”
Members do not need to be African American, nor do they need
to be girls.
“We would just thoroughly
explain that the KR Queens is a
focus group for African American
girls,” Junior Raevyn Rainwater
said.
“The standard of the Queens is
first of all, you have to be queenlike, as in making sure your GPA
is on point.”
Queens are supposed to wear
gowns and crowns, right?
“No dress code,” said Senior
Rebecca Durham. “We just need
to present ourselves in a respectful manner.”
Sophomore Simone Williams
enjoys being a member of the
club.
“It’s positive, very open,” she
said. “We can talk about anything. We’re like a family. We
just discuss ways to improve
Kentridge as far as diversity”
The club has frequent meetings about how to contribute
more to their surroundings.
“We’re planning to sign up to
be mentors at Meeker,” said Turner.
“Also, though we haven’t set
any plans in stone yet, this year
we have just worked on becoming closer and trusting one another, getting better for next year,”
added Turner.
“Our goal is to establish an after school program for girls,” she
said. “Tutoring, and just being
there for them.”
Wikipedia for research? It’s complicated
By Ken Williams
Veteran Reporter
Many KR students gripe that
they can’t use Wikipedia as a cited source in research.
Is this ban on the biggest online encyclopedia justifiable?
Wikipedia, which calls itself
“The Free Encyclopedia,” is an
online information resource. Because all encyclopedias are considered unreliable for upper level
research, Wikipedia is discouraged for use as a direct source in
formal papers.
“Students need other sources
than just an encyclopedia,” said
English teacher Lynne Poindexter-Turk.
“Wikis, including Wikipedia
and other wikis sponsored by the
Wikimedia Foundation, are not
regarded as reliable sources,”
reports the “Wikipedia:Reliable
source examples” page. “However, wikis are excellent places
to locate primary and secondary
sources.”
On Wikipedia, hyperlinked
footnotes take users to the bibliography, which provides them
with a source of the information.
Reliability also is a common
complaint against Wikipedia.
According to a 2005 study,
Wikipedia has an average of
3.86 mistakes per article, in comparison to 2.92 for Encyclopedia
Brittanica. But that was six years
ago.
According to Google, Wikipe-
dia is the fifth most visited website on the internet. This means
that when people change the
website to include false information, the many users will quickly
correct errors.
But it is this ability for users to
change pages that makes teachers
wary of Wikipedia.
“Anyone can go in and change
Wikipedia,” said PoindexterTurk.
This does not mean that everyone is willing to edit Wikipedia.
“You have to log in to edit
Wikipedia,” said Sophomore
Catherine Wagner. “And I don’t
have an account.”
On Wikipedia, people can correct mistakes using an ‘edit’ feature.
If people make too many incorrect edits, the IP address they
use is blocked.
This ability to change pages,
however, does not make Wikipedia useless in research.
“I have no problem with using it as one of many sources, but
not the sole source,” said Social
Studies teacher Tim Harry. “It
reminds me of kids when I was
in high school, where they would
pull the encyclopedia off the shelf
and that’s all they would use.”
“In the ‘olden days, we used to
send students to general encyclopedias to start their bank of useful knowledge and terminology
related to their research topics,”
writes Toronto English Teacher
Jodi Rice on High School Bits,
a blog for high school teachers.
“They could get an overview
of the subject, clarify some of
the key concepts and their related terms, and even find lists
of works cited or bibliographies
for further reading, perhaps finding access to those further, richer
resources in the library or in the
community.”
“I have used Wikipedia for a
lot of my research papers,” said
Wagner.
In all subjects, there are other
reliable sources that students can
turn to.
Wikipedia is good for pop culture,” said Junior Kenny Rogers.
“It can show you about the celebrities and stuff and you can confirm facts on other websites.”
“Students can use all the online databases that the school
subscribes to,” said PoindexterTurk. “There are tons of other
websites that are accurate and
kept up to date.”
Street News
What’s last for AP students?
By Liz Cho
Reporter
AP tests are over, and students
all over Kentridge are rejoicing.
“Hopefully the students feel
relieved and confident that they
did well,” said Christina Wheeler, an AP Psychology teacher.
AP classes are designed to
prepare for the exam and give
students an opportunity to obtain college credit. By this time
of the year, the main drive of AP
classes has been fulfilled. Students can expect a classroom that
allows for more fun and inquiry.
“The classroom environment
becomes a lot more relaxed,”
said AP Physics teacher Beth
Michaels. “It’s really stressful
before the exam, and finally students can relax and breathe a bit
more. It’s also a lot more fun.”
Mike Papritz, AP Human Geography teacher, agrees.
“The stress of a nationwide
test isn’t on their shoulders anymore,” he said.
Now that the curriculum for
the AP class has been completed,
what can students expect to do in
their class?
“You have to provide legitimate learning opportunities for
the next six weeks,” AP Language and Composition teacher
Glenn Dacus said. “This way,
students won’t be able to just say,
‘Gee, I’m done!’ ” Dacus’ class
worked on “college writing,
such as personal response essays. There are also scholarships
opportunities. The focus is on
the students and their collegiate
needs,” he added.
Many of the AP classes
around Kentridge complete projects to demonstrate and apply
their knowledge.
AP Calculus BC teacher Mark
Champoux explained his lesson
plans for his students.
“We have two projects,” he
said. “The first one, the students
have to research a famous math-
Senior Cameron Halversen sets up his Rube Goldberg machine
in AP Physics.
Photo by Liz Cho
ematician and give an oral presentation. For the second, they
have to create a project that demonstrates a calculus concept and
then present it to the class.”
Michaels teaches her class
about relativity, which is a concept not required for the AP exams.
“It just blows everyone’s
minds,” she said.
AP Physics also works on a
project to apply their physics
knowledge.
“My students have to build a
Rube Goldberg machine,” Michaels added. “It’s a machine
that fulfills a simple task through
intricate setups and executions.
I love watching all the contraptions.”
Over in the social studies department, Papritz plans a large
unit on the film, Fast Food Nation.
“The Fast Food Nation unit
intersects the idea with American
culture, agriculture, and geography,” he said.
Students in AP U.S. History,
taught by Chris Howard, can expect a completely relaxed class.
“The environment dramatical-
ly changes,” he said. “We finally
get a chance to watch movies to
see how history changes. We
also have the host-of-the-year
project, where students act out a
certain time period.”
As AP classes draw to an end,
AP teachers express their gratitude to their students.
“These kids are high caliber students,” said Champoux.
“They are very focused on academic success. They are the best
group of kids I’ve had. They set
the bar high, and I expect all of
them to pass their AP exam.”
“I love the tight community
that my students have,” Michaels
said. “The class is fun, and when
we struggle, we struggle together. I love teaching my students
because they are willing to take
on the challenge.”
“I love my group of Human
Geography students,” said Papritz. “They are fun, and they
think outside the box. It’s a pleasure teaching them.”
“Congratulations,” said Howard. “You made it through the
long and hard year. Now wait and
see how all the info you learned
applies to your other classes.”
Junior Varun Awasthi is excited for future opportunities as district
governor for Pacific Northwest Key Club.
Photo by Jessica Hendricks
Varun Awasthi:
2011-2012 Key Club Governor
Jessica Hendricks
Reporter
Junior Varun Awasthi clinched
the coveted governor position of
the Pacific Northwest Key Club
district in an accomplishment that
epitomizes his commitment to
Key Club and to his own future.
“I felt it would be a really good
experience and would give me the
opportunity to further my commitment with Key Club,” Awasthi
said.
Being “district governor”
means Varun holds a lot of responsibility. In fact, he is now in
charge of about 10,000 Key Club
members throughout the Pacific
Northwest, which includes Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Alaska, the pan handle of
Idaho, British Columbia, and Yukon Territory.
Varun’s duties as governor in-
clude promoting service projects,
making sure each organization
runs smoothly, and overseeing
district operations.
However, along with his responsibility comes a whole lot of
fun as well. In mid-May, Awasthi
flew to Orlando, FL for the Governor and Administration Training Conference (GATC). At the
conference, all the governors and
administrators from each of Key
Club’s 33 districts met to get to
know each other and had their
first official meeting.
“I look forward to the opportunities [the position] will give me,
like traveling and meeting new
people,” said Awasthi.
Awasthi worked his way up
to where he is now, beginning as
KR’s Key Club editor, moving up
the ranks to PNW district editor,
and ultimately achieving the governor position.
Street News
Next year’s freshmen
to bring laptops
Freshmen Megan Millard and Onnaliese Noeske work on laptops. Next year’s freshmen will be provided their own computPhoto by Mackenzie Tucker
ers for take-home use.
Mackenzie Tucker
Reporter
Next year’s freshmen will be
hitting the halls with KSD-issued
laptops.
The One-to-One Initiative
was launched in the fall and
spring of 2008 and provides
students with laptops for use at
school and home. Seventh-grade
students in the Kent School District received these new laptops
beginning in 2008.
“Yeah I’m excited,” said English teacher Rick Pettibone. “I
wish I had one.”
“I love to use computer simulations,” added Science teacher
Kristin Marais.
This year’s freshmen used the
laptops at middle school, but did
not bring them to high school.
Next year’s freshmen will.
Freshmen remember challenges with their laptops. Mitchell Midkiff got a blue screen often.
English teacher Lynne Poindexter-Turk said that her main
concern is laptops breaking and
students not having them to work
with.
Technical problems would be
solved by a “tech guy.” Students
call, describe the problem, and
fill out a “swap” form.
They then would take a replacement computer while the
issue was resolved.
Another difficulty is having
access to games and other distractions. The “Dyknow” software will help teachers catch
students who are off task.
Dyknow allows the teacher’s
computer to see what is happening on each student’s screen. At
any time, a teacher can access the
screen and write a message like
“Get back to work.”
This year’s class of 2014 is
familiar with the temptations of
having a computer in class.
“People get in more trouble,”
Freshman Christine Tabila said.
“I either didn’t do my work at
all or it was really neat -- one or
the other,” Freshman McKinley
Anderson said.
The laptops were also heavy
and took up space
“The laptops weren’t helpful,”
Anderson said. “They just made
us carry more stuff around.”
Still, for students without laptops at home, these computers
may be worth it.
“It made it easier to do stuff at
home,” Nick Stafford said.
Senior Alex Ybarra works with Senior Tibi Sanchez in the AVID class in May. AVID is the victim of
Photo by Chris Lapins
district-wide budget cuts and is going on a one-year hiatus.
AVID program a victim of budget cuts
Christopher Lapins
Reporter
The Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID)
program, which helps students
in middle school and high school
who have a 2.0 to 3.5 GPA to
better prepare for college, is being cut due to budget reductions.
AVID is going on a one-year
inactive status, meaning that it
may return, according to AVID
teacher Tim Harry. Harry said
that Principal Mike Albrecht is
trying to figure out a way to at
least keep AVID available for seniors and sophomores next year,
calling it something else.
“It’s a big disadvantage because it helps prepare you for
college and you get connections
and network,” Senior Kim Kong
said of the cancellation.
AVID helps students with academic potential who may need
extra support.
“The purpose of AVID is to
identify students who would be
the first in their family to go to a
university,” said Harry. “These
students also have high academic potential, but are not necessarily meeting them for different varieties. My job in that is to
provide extra support, strategies,
and help in rigorous courses and
to prepare a solid college résumé.”
“The curriculum is helpful
because you get a head start in
the college application process,
and being in the class with the
same people all this time, everybody is close, and we call ourselves the AVID family,” said
Senior Tibi Sanchez.
“It’s motivated me to take
AP classes to challenge myself,”
said Kong.
AVID specifically helps students who fit certain criteria,
such as being the first in the
family to have the potential to
attend a university, be at college
level in some classes, have high
scores on tests such as the HSPE,
or have a GPA of 2.0 to 3.5.
“I think it is extremely helpful for all students in terms of
organizational strategies,” said
Harry. “We teach reading and
writing strategies.”
Sanchez, who is originally
from Venezuela, found AVID
helpful in teaching the college
application process.
“I guess since I’m not from
here, I never knew that there was
an application process, and then
when I got into AVID I found
out,” she said. “It also helps
you grow as an individual in that
class.”
Harry wants to “acknowledge
Mr. Albrecht, Ms. Keen, Ms.
Wheeler, and Mr. Shumake and
all other members and tutors in
the building that have helped
AVID,” he said. “I am sorry we
have to lose tutors.”
Street News
Prevention versus reaction:
Keeping kids out of gangs
Peer teacher Omar Leary poses for a picture. Leary works with
students at KR to motivate them in school and keep them out of
gangs.
Photo by Rian Edington
By Rian Edington
Veteran Reporter
It is 9 a.m. on a summer day,
when many are sleeping or on
their way home from a night out
with friends, but not one select
group of young men who gathered together at KR to polish their
writing and math skills.
They were part of a group
called Youth 180, a district-funded program geared toward at-risk
youth in hopes of helping them
focus in productive ways, discouraging gang activity.
Many have seen the mural in
the cafeteria, depicting students
coming together to overcome
their hardships. This mural symbolizes the mission of Youth 180.
The students in the program designed and painted the mural last
summer to represent their progress.
Youth 180 is a nationwide
program that has been so successful in Seattle that it has been
seen as an important new system
for helping youth transition into
adulthood.
Enter Omar Leary, a peer
teacher and mentor. At 24 years,
he is one of the youngest members of the KR staff. Hailing
from Oregon, he came to Seattle
to inspire city youth to get into
school and off the streets.
Leary describes Youth 180 as
“a program trying to steer at risk
youth into a better direction.”
Students also work as mentors
for their peers.
Junior Kaid Tipton works with
students as a member of an African American leadership group,
the Kingsmen. During the summer, he volunteered at a twoweek camp for Youth 180.
“We would work in the classroom or go play basketball or go
weightlifting,” said Tipton.
The importance of this program is huge “because the demographic in terms of gang violence
is making its way out here. Kent
is being subjected to it.”
There is an estimated 30 active
gangs in Washington State, about
five in Kent alone, according to
the Seattle P.I.
During the day, Leary mentors kids. He says he “gets along
well” with the students and acts
as a confidante.
“If I don’t understand something, they help me, not just
in school but in real life,” said
Freshman Jawan Stepney.
Sophomore Jake Alger and
Freshman Jujuan Palmer both
had positive things to say about
the program and their classroom
teacher, Jennifer Grajewski.
“Mrs. G is a good teacher,”
said Alger. “She helps us and gets
us resources.”
“I can get to this class and finish a lot of work,” said Palmer.
“Mrs. G can help me out with
them by checking my grades and
helping me improve my GPA.”
Grajewski said that she helps
students by holding them accountable and “teaching them
how to play the game of school.”
“I’ve been teaching for 29
years, and I love naughty boys
because they’re really just big
softies,” Grajewski added.
As drama teacher, Grajewski also understands that much of
communication is nonverbal; she
can help them without pushing
too hard.
Though the program helps,
there is still a lot to work on.
“Youth 180 is still in the beginning stages at Kentridge,” said
Leary. “KR could be the platform
to help this program grow.”
In a video about Youth 180,
students in the program had good
things to say.
“It helped me get my homework done instead of just going
home,” said one student.
Another student said it prepared him for the change from
middle school to high school.
“I can rely on it,” said one student.
Spanish teacher Juanita Segura plays the part of student while
joking around for this picture. Segura is retiring after 25 years
at KR.
Photo by Andrew Zou
Longtime Spanish
teacher retiring
By Andrew Zou
Reporter
It has been 25 years since
Spanish teacher Juanita Segura
came to KR.
Now, she bids farewell to the
KR family as she enters retirement next year after 35 years as a
teacher.
Segura initially came from
Davis High School in Yakima,
which she described as a “threestory fortress.”
During her tenth year of teaching, her husband started taking
classes at the University of Washington. As a result, she moved to
a school closer to UW.
Segura said she chose KR because it had a great reputation, a
good curriculum, and the Chatelaines were great.
“I asked the Yakima staff if
they had any schools that they
recommended, and they all said
Kentridge was a great school,”
said Segura.
Segura said she will miss her
students and trips she took with
them.
“Teenagers want to try everything out when adults are kind
of like ‘Oh, I don’t want to do
that, maybe next time.’ ‘Oh, I’ve
already seen that. It’s not that
great’ versus kids,” said Segura.
“They haven’t seen these things
before, and they just want to do
everything.”
“I’ve done crazy things with
students,” Segura added. “I have
even zip-lined with students before, and afterward, I was really
dizzy.”
Segura’s favorite memory of
Kentridge is the Senior tunnel, for
which the teachers line up while
the seniors walk through.
“I love seeing my students that
are graduating and saying my last
goodbyes,” she said.
But students aren’t the only
people Segura has befriended
and will dearly miss. Some of her
closest friends are on staff, including Marketing teacher Debbie Roberts.
Some of Segura’s accomplishments include starting the ELL
program with Teresa Espinoza. It
originally had only 75 students.
Segura’s future is uncertain.
“It’s kind of scary, like walking up to the edge of a cliff and
just stepping off,” she said. “I
don’t really have any plans for afterwards.”
So why retire?
“After 25 long years of teaching, I am kind of tired of it,” she
said.
Street News
jUNE, 2011 • Page 11
Graduation fever hits
By Rian Edington
Veteran Reporter
Kentridge seniors are getting ready to
graduate, and excitement is in the air.
Commencement will take place June
11 at the ShoWare Center, and roughly
3,600 people will attend for the approximately 450 graduating seniors.
Students are given eight tickets each.
Many students may be wondering how to
get extra tickets for friends or family. If
eight tickets aren’t enough, you can ask
your friends to give you their extras or request them from the cashier at $5 a ticket.
Seniors are excited.
“So excited I can’t express my feelings
in words,” said Senior Eddie Imm, wanting readers to know that he began crying
uncontrollably.
“After graduation, I will dance naked
in the streets,” Senior Max Baer promised.
Senior Shelby Poole said she is “ready
to grow up and get out on my own and get
away from freshmen.”
“It’ll be a new start, and I’m excited
to go to Hawaii ‘cause it’ll be awesome,”
said Senior Rachel Minato.
At graduation, large signs and noisemakers are not appreciated.
“Treat it as if it is a wedding,” said Vice
Principal Eric Anderson. Being respectful
to all students and families is expected.
When it comes to how nicely to dress,
most keep it classy casual. Girls tend to
rock casual dresses, and guys keep it simple in slacks and a button up.
Grad Night is also coming up — a fun
night planned by senior parents, for which
the activities are kept top secret.
The only hint as to what is going on is
the suggestion given at the senior assembly to bring extra socks.
Tickets are being sold at the cashier at
the price of $125.
Though seniors are ready to go, there
still is some trepidation.
“I’m kind of sad because everyone will
be leaving, and it will be weird not to see
my friends every day,” Senior Hannah
Moore said.
Mother’s and Father’s Day:
Anytime, Anywhere, Anyday
By Chanel Ngo
Reporter
Mother’s and Father’s Days are good
times to honor all parents for the hardships
they take on when bringing up their children.
Even though Mother’s Day was May
8, and Father’s Day is June 15, you can
always spare a moment to be creative for
your parents, regardless of the day.
“I think it’s important to take a day, if
not every day, to thank them for everything
they do for us,” said Freshman Allison
Burgoyne.
Ways to show gratitude to mothers are
by giving cards, flowers, a cake, or more.
It doesn’t have to be something as fancy
as a restaurant because a simple card shows
how much your parents are loved.
“It means appreciating my parents who
support me in everything I do,” said Sophomore Briana Johnson.
Doing little things at home, such as
washing the car and doing chores, are other
ways you can show that you’re grateful for
your parents guiding you every step of the
way.
Mother’s Day began as a symbolic gesture toward goddesses, but over time, the
celebrations of motherhood developed
to be the focus, according to the History
Channel.
Shortly after, Sonora Smart Dodd suggested that the U.S. should also honor fathers who contributed to raising a child, the
History Channel reports.
Dodd, the daughter of William Jackson
Smart and Ellen Victoria Cheek Smart,
had the idea after listening to a sermon on
Mother’s Day. Many local religious leaders supported the idea and on June 19,
1910, the first Father’s Day was celebrated.
By 1924, it became a national holiday for
all to show respect for the dads.
It’s “a day to appreciate my parents,”
said Freshman Komalpreet Sahota.
Give something that’s homemade because “it’s the thought that counts,” said
Burgoyne.
ASB President Sarah Yhann delivers her campaign speech before the election.
Future leaders of
Kentridge elected
By Shania Barron
Veteran Reporter
The KR student body elects three new
faces to run KR each year. Officers for
2011-12 are: President Sarah Yhann, Vice
President Paige Oliver, and Secretary/
Treasurer Seerat Sangha.
Yhann said that she would like to help
KR become more involved in the community, including participation in Heifer,
organization that helps fight poverty and
hunger worldwide.
Yhann is not too concerned about proposed budget cuts next year.
“I don’t really think that it will affect
us,” she said. “We just need to make more
kids to be involved in school activities.”
About 68 percent of students this year
bought ASB cards, according to Assistant
Principal Eric Anderson.
ASB hopes to increase that number next
Photo by Andrew Zou
year.
Oliver is enthusiastic about winning the
vice presidential spot. Oliver’s goal is “to
run Kentridge the right way,” she said.
Oliver plans on dealing with the budget
crisis.
“Hopefully I’ll divide it where it deserves and needs it,” she said. “Chargers
don’t quit!”
Sangha’s plan for next year is to coordinate more fun events and more fundraisers
to help with the budget crisis.
What is something no one knows about
these leaders?
“I’m a really big nerd,” said Yhann. “I
like Star Wars, and I watch a lot of British
television.”
Oliver said many people don’t know
she is a Mormon.
“M- Power!” she said.
“I still love cartoons and watch them every Saturday,” said Sangha.
Street News
Students react to
Osama bin Laden’s death
Christopher Lapins
Reporter
The U.S. cheered when news
of Osama bin Laden’s death was
released May 1. What was unusual was how the news spread.
For almost four hours that day,
there was an average of 3,000
tweets on Twitter talking about
the news of Osama bin Laden’s
death.
Facebook also helped spread
the word.
“First word I heard of it I was
on Facebook, and my friend posted ‘... confirmed death, May 1st
for Osama bin Laden,’ ” Sophomore Brandon Smith said.
Television programs were interrupted, too.
“It was on TV or something,”
said Freshman Nicolas Stafford.
“I was watching Deadliest
Warrior, and it came up on NBC,”
Freshman Eric Weber said.
Americans feel differently
about what America will be like
now that bin Laden was killed.
“I think that it does not make
much of a difference but everybody else feels safer,” Stafford
said.
“It’s probably going to get
worse because the terrorists are
going to get angry, but I don’t
think that will make them that
mad,” said Smith.
“The government will be a lot
more cautious when they see uprising terrorists,” said Weber.
Many people have different
thoughts on the death of bin Laden and on the celebration in New
York City.
“I thought it was wrong,”
Weber said. “I was glad Osama
Bin Laden can’t hurt anybody,
but I’m not glad that somebody’s
dead.”
Stafford responded to bin Laden’s death and the celebrations in
New York differently.
“I did the Cossack dance,” he
said. He also added that he had a
mini-celebration at his house.
“Osama bin Laden was a
chump,” he said.
No Gift of Life for Kentridge
Vincent Lin
Veteran Reporter
KR did not host the Gift of
Life this year, an event targeting
seniors going to prom that exposes the dangers of drunk driving.
The Gift of Life is an annual
event held by the Kent Fire Department. In previous years, actors were hired, and a car crash
was staged. The setting is a group
of students leaving a party in
which alcohol was present. Consequently, a car crash ensues,
fully equipped with scrapped cars
and fake blood.
The event was cancelled due
to a scheduling conflict between
Kentridge and the Kent Fire Department.
“Things didn’t work out,” said
Assistant Principal Eric Anderson. “There was a scheduling
conflict, and we could not find the
“I was kind of disappointed. I think
that would have
been a good thing
for people to see
before prom.”
Senior Kelsey
Kaeding
right date to do it. We couldn’t
find a way to do the Gift of Life
that both Kentridge and the Kent
Fire Department would have
liked.”
This year in place of Kentridge, the Gift of Life event
was held at Kent Meridian high
school. The event was held June
1 on the Kent Meridian campus.
Many are disappointed with
the recent news.
“I had been looking forward
to seeing it for the past two years,
then last week when I found out
that it had been cancelled I was
surprised, since it had been a tradition, and upset that I wouldn’t
be able to see it,” said Senior
Ryan Walsh.
Senior Kelsey Kaeding thinks
similarly.
“I was kind of disappointed,”
she said. “I think that would have
been a good thing for people to
see before prom.”
Others look at the Gift of Life
more as a form of entertainment.
“I was very sad when I heard
that it was cancelled because I’ve
heard how it’s really amazing to
watch, and I would have like to
have seen it myself,” said Senior
Victoria Nguyen. “Plus, I wanted
to see how good the makeup artists were.”
KR: Believe it or not
By Carly Rhome
Reporter
Harold Camping predicted the
Rapture would happen May 21.
“You and I are living at the
time of the end of the world,”
Camping said to CBS.
Camping’s prediction was
wrong, and yet he still has followers. Camping now believes
the Rapture will be on October
21, 2011.
This is just another in a long
line of conspiracy theories.
Osama bin Laden’s death
brought them out of the woodwork, too.
“Two-thirds of people recently polled do not believe that the
man killed by U.S. forces was
Osama bin Laden,” reports The
Guardian UK.
There also are those at KR
who question his death.
“The death of Osama is set up
to see how Al-Qaeda will react,”
said Senior Lance Small.
KR knows of some other interesting conspiracy theories.
Senior Christian Ie has heard
of the conspiracy theory that
Cabbage Patch Kids, the dolls
from the 1980s, were made with
swollen heads so that people
could get used to the deformed
look of babies in the event of a
nuclear war.
In fact, Cabbage Patch Kids
were created by the artist Xavier
Roberts, who had no intention of
getting people used to the look of
any sort of deformity.
“Computer-based manufacturing ensured that each doll continued to be just a little bit different from all the others,” reports
snopes.com.
Often, these conspiracy theories involve the government.
Counseling Office secretary
Berrie Boughter said she heard
this one: “There was some testing on chemical warfare, and
they placed a light amount of it
over cities to see the effects, and
that’s why the number of people
with cancer has significantly increased.”
“Pennies were put into circulation to track DNA,” said English teacher Rick Pettibone of a
theory he knows.
Additional conspiracy theories state the Holocaust never
happened and 9/11 was the fault
of the U.S. government.
“More than a third of the
American public suspects that
federal officials assisted in the
9/11 terrorist attacks or took no
action to stop them so the United States could go to war in the
Middle East,” reports a Scripps
Howard/Ohio University poll.
“The government knows a lot
more about what happens,” said
Social Studies teacher Narine
Balayan. “I think conspiracy theories show how little people trust
the government.”
“Conspiracy theories are for
nut jobs,” said Social Studies
teacher May Wong.
Street News
Marijuana use among
teens on the rise
By Joseph Tulloch
Veteran Reporter
Craving French fries? It may be more than that. Some think
high fat, high starch foods can be addictive.
No stopping that
food addiction
Amanda Beltran
Veteran Reporter
You know the food you are
eating is bad, but you can’t stop
eating. This is called a food addiction, and many people have it.
“Food with high sugar and fat
can be as addictive as cocaine or
other addictive drugs,” according
to The Telegraph.
“Snacks, cereals, and ready
meals can trigger the brain in the
same way as tobacco,” according
to the former head of America’s
food standards, Professor David
Kessler.
The top five most addictive foods are chocolate, sugar,
cheese, caffeinated beverages and
fast food, reports TLC Cooking.
Sophomore Kelsey Nunemaker says she “loves anything sugary, tasty, and sweet.”
“McDonalds French fries are
so bomb, I go all the time,” said
Sophomore Rachel Uomoto.
“I like Wheat Thins,” said
Sophomore Thomas Glass. “All
of the wheaty goodness. … I
wouldn’t eat if Wheat Thins ran
out.”
Manufacturers seek to trigger
a “bliss point” when people eat
certain products, leaving them
hungry for more.
“Some addiction research-
ers might even argue that potato
chips — and other high-fat, highcalorie foods — are more effective than a crack pipe in terms
of keeping ‘users’ hooked longterm,” reports Time magazine.
This research is important in
light of the statistics on obesity.
“The percentage of overweight
American adults rose from 55.9,
in the earlier study, to 64.5,” CNN
Health reports.
“The increase in obesity isn’t
just for grownups. Researchers also surveyed 4,722 children
from birth to 19 years of age and
found they’re also getting fatter,”
CNN Health added.
“Kit Kats, carrots, and Starbucks,” are among Junior Sydney
Dupuis’ favorites. “Carrots are
orange, and you can never have
enough of them, and I love them
because they are orange.”
“Kit Kats are just perfect in
every way, and Starbucks is one
of those mindless things where
you drink it without thinking,”
she added.
Sophomore Kelsey Nunemaker said she can eat “chicken teriyaki everyday and anything sugary and sweet.”
“Chocolate, mango smoothies,
pickles, and chips,” are enjoyed
by Sophomore Kelly Shimizu. “I
eat good, but also bad.”
After a decade-long decline of
both drug and alcohol use since
1998, marijuana and alcohol use
among teens is starting to rise
again, according to MSNBC.
Some 27 percent of teens reportedly smoked pot in 1998,
and now, after a decade-long
decline, marijuana use among
teens has risen from 19 percent
to 25 percent. The study, done by
The Partnership for a Drug-Free
America, while not as high as it
was in 1998, reports some disturbing trends.
The latest Monitoring the Future survey shows that marijuana
use among eighth graders, tenth
graders, and twelfth graders is
increasing. More specifically,
the 2010 survey found that usage
among eighth graders rose from
14.5 percent to 16 percent, with
daily usage around 1.2 percent.
Among sophomores, daily use
hovers around 3.3 percent, while
it is 6.6 percent among seniors.
“It’s pretty sad,” said Senior
Cam Scotland. “Part of it is
the exposure. The more you see
something, the more it becomes
normal.”
Marijuana use has lost its
taboo after shows like the hit
BBC series Skins regularly show
teens gratuitously using drugs
and alcohol. Use and talk about
marijuana on the TV has increased over the past years. On
the HBO show “Real Time with
Bill Maher,” comedian and actor
Zach Galifianakis lit up a joint
on live television and passed
it around to other guests on the
Oct. 29 episode. So much publicity has caused many impressionable teens to no longer view
marijuana as dangerous. Instead,
marijuana is now portrayed as a
miracle drug and a substitute to
cigarettes.
The first ever pro-marijuana
television ad campaign was
launched on April 20, 2009.
The campaign advocated cannabis reform and legalization or
marijuana. Many states, such as
Washington, have implemented
medicinal marijuana laws and
others, like California, are pushing to legalize it entirely.
According to USA Today,
teens are reporting that it is easier to get marijuana than it is to
get a six pack of beer because alcohol is controlled and regulated
by the government.
“Where are they getting it?”
Scotland wondered. “It’s like an
economic move by the drug dealers. They get them while they’re
young.”
Students feel the gas price crunch
By Ryan Ardy
Veteran Reporter
$3.91, $3.98, $4.23, $4.38.
These are some of the average
gas prices per gallon in Alaska,
Hawaii, California, and Washington state, according to Gasbuddy.
com.
Prices have surpassed their
2008 high of $4.11 a gallon, reports CNN.
The spike in the price of crude
oil has been caused by investor
fears about the unrest in Egypt
and Libya, two countries that
are large exporters of oil, says
UsaEconomy.com.
Just because gas prices are
high doesn’t mean you can’t go
anywhere; all you need to do is
find ways to beat the pump.
Plan your pump – look for
places with lower prices and plan
High pump prices are changing behaviors of KR drivers.
Photo by Ryan Ardy
your trips around them. ABCnews.com also suggests lightening up your car because, for every
100 pounds of extra weight, you
car loses 2 percent of its gas mile-
age. Also, driving at an average
of 45 miles per hour is the “sweet
spot” for most cars, meaning you
can get the most miles per gallon
when driving this speed.
Better yet, just don’t drive at
all.
“Ever since the price of gas
spiked, I’ve been forced to stop
driving to school,” said Sophomore Brendan Fitts. “What used
to be a five minute drive is now a
20 minute walk.”
Although the rise of gas prices
has forced some students off the
roads, others have found ways
around it
“To get past the high gas prices, I started carpooling with my
friends a lot more, so we can pool
our money together for gas,” said
Senior Jordan White. “It turns a
$100 dollar fill up into just $20 a
person.”
Street scene
LiveStreaming:
the future of media
By Edelmar Navaluna
Veteran Reporter
Imagine watching the M’s Ichiro swinging for the fences, live from your PC.
Now take that image, and transfer it to
data. The data travels from an electronic
device to a server, then is set loose on the
internet. As the information approaches
its destination, it becomes decoded and is
displayed on the user’s web browser. What
appears to be mere seconds for the user is
milliseconds and is transferred to millions
of people watching. This is LiveStream.
Streaming media are recorded multimedia accessed through a service provider, as
in YouTube. LiveStreaming takes the media and broadcasts content in real time.
LiveStreaming allows the end-user, the
individual who is receiving the content, to
view what the server is providing in real
time. There are many applications for these
multimedia; the most notable being webcam conversations, but that’s another story.
The Royal Wedding of Prince Williams and Catherine Middleton became a
LiveStream event, breaking records, according to the Huffington Post, who confirmed that there were more than 300,000
concurrent viewers on LiveStream.com
April 29, with at least two million viewers worldwide. The Royal Wedding
LiveStream had easily surpassed the 1.6
peak set by the World Cup in June, 2010.
LiveStreaming had also been used to
view the 2011 Coachella Valley Music and
Arts Festival, a three-day annual art and
music festival in Indio, CA. Coachella had
big name acts, such as Cee Lo Green, The
Strokes, and Kanye West. Coachella was
LiveStreamed on YouTube April 15-17.
With the recent success and popularity of
LiveStreaming, there are high aspirations
for what it will bring the future.
New websites devoted to LiveStreaming are on the rise, says techcrunch.com,
and rumors are in the mist that YouTube
will launch a LiveStream section for users.
This opens an endless stream of new content, from live sporting events to breaking
news being available 24/7, 365 days per
Students have the
opportunity to
relive an entire
lecture if they
are not able
to be there.
year.
What does this do for Kentridge? For
one, with some dedication and technology
expertise, KR could LiveStream some of
its sporting events.
Senior Drew Workman is optimistic
about the idea.
“It’s a useful way to access more people
and have them get involved with Kentridge,” he said. “The only problem is the
accessibility on their end.”
Another possibility is LiveStreaming classes. Teachers can set up cameras
in their classrooms and stream lessons
live. Better yet, LiveStream sessions can
be archived at the respective providers,
UStream.com and LiveStream.com, and
viewed later. Students have the opportunity to relive an entire lecture if they are
not able to be there.
“I think it’s a good idea because you
could watch the lecture for review or if you
were not there for the day,” said Senior
Will Bigbee-Hansen.
Moreover, LiveStreaming could be
used for graduation. While the Showare
Center is enormous and can seat 6,500
people, what about those who can’t make
it? Aunts, uncles, even grandparents who
are out of state can view their relatives as if
they were there.
LiveStreaming may be part of the new
way of learning and getting involved in
Kentridge. However, it is still developing
and time will only tell where LiveStreaming will be from here on out.
“I would like to see LiveStreaming in
school,” said Workman. “But I won’t be
here to see it happen. Maybe they could
test it next year.”
Get the Starbucks smaller short size, not generally advertised but provided at
any Starbucks location. Many restaurants have items they don’t advertise on the
menu.
Secret menus:
What would you make?
By Paige Oliver
Reporter
Let’s say you’re at McDonalds, and
you want to be creative. Can you veer off
of the menu?
In-n-Out lists items they call secret,
such as “animal style,” a lettuce, tomato,
mustard-cooked beef patty with pickles,
extra spread, and grilled onions. You can
get anything animal style, even your fries.
McDonalds has root beer floats available 24/7, according to its website. Just
order any sized root beer and have vanilla
ice cream added. Also, you can order a
Neapolitan milkshake – chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice-cream layered in a
cup. Or, try an apple pie McFlurry, which
will hopefully satisfy your tastes.
Starbucks has a short size; smaller than
the tall. They don’t advertise it, but according to their website, it is public knowledge.
Fast food joints are allowing customers
to order anything they choose. Places like
Chipotle, Jack in the Box, Dairy Queen,
TGI Fridays, and Taco Bell allow customers to make anything they want, according
to CNN.
While Jamba Juice doesn’t advertise
it, all Jamba Juice workers learn how to
make candy delicacies, such as White, Red
and Blue Gummy; Pink Star, Skittles; Sour
Patch Kids’ and Fruity Pebble flavored
smoothies, alongside the classic fruit ones.
What would KR order that is not on the
advertised menu?
Senior Chelsey Jones would order “a
pizookie, a hot cookie freshly baked with
a scoop of heavenly ice cream on top, from
McDonalds because it is only 5 minutes
from my house.”
Junior Luke Dyer enjoys the idea of ordering anything he wants because “it’s like
a box of chocolates; your neighbor doesn’t
know what you’re gonna order.”
“I would order a MacChicken – a McChicken with big Mac sauce because I get
the taste of a Big Mac with the mayo filled
goodness of a McChicken,” said Senior
Rene Malacon.
Sophomore Zach Smith says he would
order “a Big Mac wrapped in bacon and
deep fried because bacon’s the best, and
bigger is always better.”
“Spaghetti is my favorite food,” said
Math teacher Alicia George. “From McDonalds, it could be bad, but I like it a lot,
so we would see.”
Many of us enjoy the idea of ordering
something not on the menu. However,
there are some who hate fast food and do
not enjoy this idea.
Commercial Art Teacher, Glenn Walrond wants “food on the menu at McDonalds because they haven’t served that yet.”
Street scene
How to pick the right suit
for your body type
Guys want more
than looks
Ken Williams
Veteran Reporter
Great face, great body.
That is not always what guys look for. When asked what
they want, these were rarely one of the top choices. “They have to have a sense of humor,” said Senior Will
Bigbee-Hansen.
“She’s got to think I’m funny because otherwise, I feel
like a loser,” said Sophomore Jeremy Halversen.
“She has to be nice and
can’t be conceited.”
Senior Jordan Kriskovic
By Katie Fischbeck
Reporter
With summer only a few weeks away, it’s time to start
thinking about the perfect swimsuit. Everyone is different, and every body is beautiful, but not every suit looks
good on everybody.
Here are some friendly tips to help your inside match
the outside.
If you’re bigger on the top, please cover up. It’s not
cute to see sagginess. Some people think that they can
pull off that “bandeau top” or even “push up top,” but
girls with bigger busts should go with a halter or even a
regular triangle top with thick straps – we wouldn’t want
any wardrobe malfunctions, Ladies.
For smaller chests, the “bandeau top” and the “push up
top” look great if you’re not very curvaceous because it
allows a different kind of attention to your figure instead
of your problem areas.
If you’re not completely ready for summer and still
have some of those trouble areas, one-piece bathing suits
are the way to go. Victoria’s Secret has some cute monokinis and one-pieces that flatter every kind of figure –
from hourglass, triangular, to inverted triangle and rectangular.
It’s not cute to see girls picking those wedgies, so find
bathing suit bottoms that fit you, not those that make your
butt look big because they ride up so far. Go with a solid
color, so you can mix and match. Bikinis with one design
aren’t in this summer; customize and make your suit your
own! This way, you can buy tops and bottoms separately
to make sure the fit for each is best. We aren’t all the same
size on top and bottom.
And guys: If you’re not at a swim meet or modeling
for an exotic Brazilian swimsuit company, stay away from
Speedos. They do not do anyone justice. Swim trunks all
the way, typically within 16 to 18 inches in length.
When it comes to a flattering bathing suit, don’t trust
anyone but yourself! You might ask your friends for advice, but let’s be honest here, friends will lie to boost your
ego.
Just remember to have fun and look good this summer.
Humor is important to many guys, and Senior Marina
Pedersen recognized it.
“Guys joke around a lot, so girls have to get their humor,” said Pedersen.
Each of the 13 guys interviewed listed “good personality” as one of the most important characteristic in a girl.
“I know its cliché, but good personality” is important to
English teacher Rick Pettibone.
Freshman Isabella Cabading didn’t expect this.
A girl’s “looks, and their personality, sometimes” was
her response to what guys want.
Junior Branson DeWitt listed “individuality, creativity,
and responsibility” as the personality traits most important
to him.
A girl must “be down to earth,” according to Freshman
Tyler Wald.
Junior Chris Garcia likes girls “that always have a positive attitude.”
Sophomore Zach Smith likes girls “that you can talk to.
The conversation has to go somewhere.”
Sophomore Luke Rolfson said that “she has to be comfortable around me.”
Just as important as what girls are, is what girls aren’t.
Seniors Nick Khaylon and Andrew Mead listed not being controlling at the top of their self-named “List of Demands.”
“She has to be nice and can’t be conceited,” said Senior
Jordan Kriskovic.
Halversen said he doesn’t enjoy girls who “complain
about pointless stuff.”
All that being said, most guys still like good-looking
girls.
“They have to have nice eyes,” said Rolfson. “I have to
be able to look into her eyes.”
“Personality is more important than looks, but looks
still need to be there,” said Wald.
“They must be attractive to the person,” said Pettibone.
“But everybody sees beauty differently.”
“They must be secure about themselves,” said DeWitt.
KR Superiority Reins S
Just ask Junior Brian Gibbon, Freshman Amy Hiraki,
“I think others insult the
academically inclined that do
well because they don’t want
to work themselves,” says
Gibbon.
“They aren’t stupid. They have the ability, but
they instead bring down other
people. People always try
and cheat off of me because
they’re too lazy. I don’t think of
myself as more intelligent, just
more determined. I actually
try to understand the material.”
While Gibbon can be seen
as the quintessential academic, there are others who are en
route to prominence throughout KR.
Athletic Powerhouse
Junior Brian Gibbon flexes his AP Chemistry muscles.
T
here are many paths a
person can take in life. One
can find herself inclined towards physical endeavors.
Another might find her niche
within the beauty of music.
Someone else may be drawn
towards collection of knowledge.
Among these various walks
of life, whether scholarly, athletic, or musical, there are a
few who rise above their peers.
In their respective fields, they
boast superiority over almost
everyone else in their class. Extraordinarily Academic
Junior Brian Gibbon is one
such student. Gibbon has
talent that not everyone can
achieve so easily. He is a
trained athlete, a first alternate
for state cross country. His
athletic standing, however,
pales in comparison to the
strength of his academic ca-
reer.
Gibbon is a triple-accelerated math student with a 4.0
GPA. As a sophomore, he
earned a 2000+ on SAT. He
is enrolled in four AP classes;
yet, his study regime does not
reveal how he does it.
“I sometimes do my homework on the way to school,
when my mom is driving,” Gibbon says. “On a normal day
after school, I’ll usually go running – around 5 to 10 miles.
Afterwards, I’ll go home and
do whatever homework I remember I have. The rest of
the day is usually devoted to
chess. I don’t need to spend
too much time on homework
because I focus, and I’m able
to do it efficiently.”
Chess is Brian’s driving
passion. After playing for only
a year, he managed to take
down the British Columbian
National Champion with ease.
Grades don’t matter so
Photo by Alton Lu
much to Gibbon.
“The closest class I had to
losing an ‘A’ was Computer
Applications,” he says.
“I
sometimes become reckless
and make dumb mistakes.”
Gibbon attributes his success to his love for learning.
Unlike many kids in school, the
reason Brian pays attention in
class is because he wants to
know more.
No one would deny Gibbon’s
academic
achievements. There are, however,
downsides. In any given class,
there are those who don’t trust
in their own ability to do well
and resort to using Gibbon as
an answer sheet.
In addition, people have
viewed Gibbon as stuck up
and aloof. The common connotation of “nerd” or “geek” is
constantly applied.
People
insult Gibbon because they
seem to believe things about
him that are not true.
Freshman Amy Hiraki is
one of two Chargers who attended state for girls’ gymnastics. While she didn’t place,
both she and Ellie Hoekman
performed admirably among
the state’s finest athletes.
What’s even more impressive
is that they are both freshmen.
“I wasn’t too pressured to
do well,” says Hiraki. “I was
a freshman at state, so I just
went out and tried to have fun.
The experience of competing
at state was just amazing.”
Hiraki’s talent is something not easily achieved. As
a freshman who competed at
“It’s more o
challenge. If pe
ly good at som
isn’t really an
people. It sho
Senior Bren
state, not many people would
know what she went through
to get there.
“During competitions in the
past, I had to practice a lot,”
she explains. “It was like, four
Freshman Amy Hiraki flexes her core in this amazing bridge.
Photo by Alton Lu
Supreme A story by Alton Lu
and Senior Brenda Miller
days a week, six hours each
day.”
Each week, Hiraki committed 24 hours to gymnastics,
learning and practicing complex forms and techniques in
order to reach her highest potential. The level of dedication
and
drive
to improve
is
of a personal
eople are realmething, there
ny need to tell
ould show.”
nda Miller
something impossible to imagine.
Much like Gibbon, Hiraki
finds herself in a strange position. She’s one of KR’s top
athletes, and one of the top
two gymnastics competitors,
yet she hasn’t even been a
Charger for a year. While Gibbon has had three years for
people to understand the extent of his skills, Hiraki is still
relatively unknown, mostly
being acknowledged as “that
freshman gymnast.”
On the team, she does
whatever she needs to do.
Despite how strong her gymnastics skills might be, Hiraki
remains humble and modest
to the point where she doesn’t
even talk about it much.
“I’m not the coach or anything. And there are the captains who’ve earned their respect,” she says. “I still help
out, but the captains have
more experience in high
school gymnastics, so there’s
not really anything for me to
do.”
After the success of freshman talent in 2010, one can
only imagine how good the
gymnastics team will be in
coming years.
Musical Afficianado
There are all sorts of musical talents present within the
halls of KR. Our band consistently earns a superior rating
in competitions. The Choir is
just as well versed. There are
individuals who take music
extremely seriously, joining
concert symphonies outside
of school. However, possibly
the most accomplished musician is a senior named Brenda
Miller.
During her sophomore year,
Miller placed 1st at State for
Piano. The following year, she
dropped a bit and placed 2nd.
“I have my fingers crossed
for a first place this year,” Miller said about state. “I should
be able to get it.”
Across KR, you always
hear about athletes attending
state, or domination in academics, yet Miller has actually
won State, and took an equally
respectable 2nd place, and we
hear nothing of it.
“It’s not that I don’t care
about anything,” she said. “I
actually care a lot about my
accomplishments. It’s one of
my bigger passions [Piano],
but bragging isn’t important.”
“I don’t feel the need to talk
about it,” Miller said about
her state run. “It’s more of a
personal challenge. If people
are really good at something,
there isn’t really any need to
tell people. It should show.”
Senior Brenda Miller flexes her peace sign. Miller is an accomplished pianist who will continue her
Courtesy Photo
studies at the University of Puget Sound next year.
Despite Miller’s skill at the
piano now, she wasn’t always
at the top. For the 12 years
she has played, she only began winning awards when
reaching high school.
“I wouldn’t say I’m talented,”
she said. ”Maybe. It just took
a while to get used to it.”
For most of her life, Miller
didn’t amount to a state champion. Only after eight years did
she begin to achieve success.
“I stuck with it for so long
because there’s just so much
variety,” said Miller of the piano. “The song selection is im-
mense.”
After 12 years of piano, she
hasn’t lost any amount of interest.
“There are some songs that
are just cool when you listen,”
she said. “If it’s one that’s rarely used, it becomes unique.”
Next year, Gibbon will enter
KR as a newfledged senior.
How will one of KR’s finest
academics perform under the
eyes of numerous universities? College admissions and
senioritis set in. Along with
that, Gibbon has cross country
and chess thrown into the mix.
As a sophomore, Hiraki can
begin to adopt a leadership
position, both as an athlete
and a student. Next year, with
a high possibility of placing at
state, more attention will be
placed on her.
Just days away, Miller will
leave Showare center, no longer a KR Charger and become
a UPS Logger. The choices
and opportunities are endless.
“I’m hoping to major in piano performance,” Miller said.
“Whatever I do choose, I know
I’ll always keep piano as a big
part of my life.”
Street scene
Relax in the sun
with a good book
By Julia Rutledge
Reporter
Summer is coming up, and we’ve definitely earned a long stretch of sunny days,
just sitting in the sun doing … nothing?
This can get boring, and after just a few
days of lazing around the house, you’re going to be dying for something to do.
Get outside with a good book! You can
read outside, but you can’t watch TV or
go on the computer. Believe it or not, this
is a good thing. In this electronic age, we
don’t spend enough time outside. Take advantage of the nice weather while you can.
You’ve got long, sunny, summer days
ahead of you. What are you going to read?
You don’t have to be stuck with those badly-written, grocery-store paperbacks. Try
re-reading your favorites, like Harry Potter, or start a new series.
Both boys and girls enjoy the Percy
Jackson and the Olympians series. Two
new series by the same author, Rick Riordan, are available. These two series are The
Heroes of Olympus and the Kane Chronicles, which includes The Throne of Fire,
released May 3. These books deal with ancient Greek and Egyptian gods in modern
times.
Another favorite series for boys and
girls alike is the Inheritance Cycle, by
Christopher Paolini. The three books so far
published are Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr. An eagerly-awaited book is the last the
series, Inheritance, due out Nov. 8. Eragon
and his dragon Sapphira must fight their
most dangerous enemy yet to save their
world. Catch up on the series before the
fall release, or reread just for fun.
An exciting series for boys is the Alex
Rider series. The newest and last book just
came out at the end of March, and the series
already has eight other books. The actionadventure novels are about the 14-year-old
spy Alex Rider, who always manages to
escape certain death in the nick of time.
Aside from the old favorites, there are
also plenty of new, interesting books coming out this summer. A few to consider are:
Emerald, by Karen Wallace, will be re-
leased June 7. Emerald St. John is being
forced to marry a man she hates, the man
she loves is away at sea, and to top it all off,
she has discovered a plot against Queen
Elizabeth I.
This is sure
to be an exciting historical
drama.
Forever,
by
Meggie
Steifvater,
this third book
in the series
The Wolves of
Mercy Falls,
will be released July 12.
In the first
book Shiver,
main character Grace falls in love with the
werewolf Sam. In the next book, Linger,
dangers and new characters may force Sam
and Grace apart. In Forever, even more
threats abound as wolves are killed, and
death looms ever nearer.
Ripple, by Mandy Hubbard is due on
bookshelves July 21. Although she may
seem like a normal teenager, attending high
school during the day, Lexi has a secret:
Every night she must swim because she is
a siren. After a tragedy occurs, Lexi shuts
herself off from everyone so that nothing
else will happen. But when she gets caught
between two boys, she must choose between the life or the boy she wants.
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce comes out
Aug. 23. This is a modern re-telling of
the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. Twelve
years ago, Gretchen, her twin sister, and
her brother Ansel went wandering in the
woods looking for a witch. Whatever they
found, Gretchen’s twin sister has been
missing since then. Now Gretchen and
Ansel are moving to a tiny town in South
Carolina, where Gretchen will discover the
secret of the witch.
There are so many amazing books,
all waiting for people to read them. So if
you’re bored, don’t sit in front of the TV!
Pick up a good book and go outside.
June 2011 • Page 18
Graphic Arts teacher Glenn Walrond
“The Breaks,” Kurtis Blow
“Rapper’s Delight,” Sugar Hill Gang
“Mother Ship Connection,” Parliament
“Anniversary,” Toni Tone
“That’s the Way of the World,”
Earth Wind and Fire
“Let’s Get It Started,” Black Eyed Peas
“Always and Forever,” Luther Vandross
“Old Black Water,” Doobie Brothers
“Gangsta’s Paradise,” Coolio
“Flashlight,” Parliament
Charger Top
10 Songs
Senior Jamall Brown
“I Did It,” Big Sean
“Breakup Song,” Wale
“Number Won,” Wale
“Something You Forgot,” Lil’ Wayne
“Look Out for Detox,” Kendrick Lamer
“Gang Bang,” Wiz Khalifa
“Won’t Land,” Wiz Khalifa
“Lapdance,” Tyga
“Wear My Hat,” Mac Miller
“Ransom,” Drake
“Friday,” Rebecca Black
Street scene
Teen pregnancy on TV:
helpful or hurtful?
Maddie Njos
Reporter
Three years ago when 17-year
old Jamie Lynn Spears, younger
sister to entertainer Britney, announced she was pregnant, America looked at teen pregnancy in a
new light.
Since then, Americans have
become aware that not all teens
who get pregnant have fame, fortune, and a sturdy support system.
Shortly after this media frenzy hit, ABC Family premiered
TV drama The Secret Life of the
American Teenager. The series
features a 15-year old high school
freshman who has come back
from summer band camp to find
out she’s pregnant.
Senior Kaitlin Ohlsen says that
Secret Life is missing the message
of teen pregnancy prevention.
“When the show started it focused on the struggles of being a
teen mom, but now nothing about
it is logical,” Ohlsen said.
In its third season, Secret Life
has made another character pregnant and engaged; she plans on
moving in with the father of her
child.
“They should portray [teen
pregnancy] realistically and
shouldn’t fabricate the struggles,”
said Junior Angela Perry.
In 2008, Secret Life averaged
3.6 million viewers per week, according to The New York Times,
beating out Gossip Girl with 2.3
million viewers.
What do these numbers mean?
People love pregnant.
That’s why MTV began airing
the reality hit 16 and Pregnant in
June 2009. The series documents
a fraction of the 750,000 American teenage girls who become
pregnant annually.
Perry says that if she were to
get pregnant she would choose
not to go on a show like 16 and
Pregnant.
“It’s my situation, and I
wouldn’t want people to judge
me,” she said.
For the duration of each hourlong episode, cameras follow the
soon-to-be mothers through pregnancy, birth, rise and falls of relationships, and the hardships faced
by being an adolescent parent.
“The show tries to turn [the
teen moms’] mistakes into a positive thing,” says Freshman Anna
Dugan. In 2010, a spinoff to the hit
was crafted called Teen Mom. The
series surrounds four of the new
mothers from 16 and Pregnant,
following their lives for several
months as they strive to become
acquainted with being mothers.
Viewers watch the teen mothers have passionate fights with
family and friends, do their utmost to graduate high school, and
fall in love with the new addition
to their lives.
Dugan said that watching the
teen mothers on 16 and Pregnant
motivates her to “make better decisions.”
Pregnant has gotten a bad rep
for glamorizing the life of teenage
mothers; broadcasting their lives
on television, in magazines and
reportedly paying them a whopping $60,000 per season, according to The Week.
“I think it’s dumb that [MTV
is] paying them to get pregnant,”
said Junior Cole Campion. “It’s
like prostitution.”
Exposing teen pregnancy on
television for what it really is has
also been a positive way to interpret the tough road that is teenage
motherhood.
Teen Mom Season 2 star Jenelle Evans has been forced to
leave her home by her mother
several times on the show. Jenelle was involved with a bad boyfriend, stole her mother’s credit
cards, and was arrested for possession of marijuana.
The “stars” of 16 and Pregnant smile for the camera. Some say that these girls glamourize teen
pregnancy and do not portray the reality of the struggle young mothers face.
Courtesy Photo
KR Commercial Arts teacher
Glenn Walrond says that shows
such as 16 and Pregnant don’t
educate their audience enough.
“The show is meant to shock
their audience out of teen pregnancy, but it does the opposite,”
he said.
Though not all teenage mothers do drugs or get kicked out of
their houses, reality shows depict
that life can take a turn for the
worst if a child decides to have a
child.
However in “2008 teen birth
rates decreased to 41.5 births per
1,000 15-to-19-year-old women,”
according to Time.
Teens are turned off by young
people being pregnant, Time
wrote about 16 and Pregnant
“82% said the program helped
[teens] better understand the challenges of teen pregnancy and early parenthood and how to avoid
getting into such a situation; 15%
said they thought the show glamorized teen parenthood.
“The producers alienate their
audience because they know that
if they show the teen moms have
it too hard, no one will watch,”
said Walrond.
Statistics About Teen Pregnancy, according to teenhelp.com
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
34 percent of teenagers have at least one pregnancy before they turn 20.
79 percent of teenagers who become pregnant are unmarried.
The United State spends $7 billion each year due to the costs of teen pregnancy.
Only one-third of teenage mothers complete high school and receive their diplomas.
By age 30, only 1.5 percent of women who had pregnancies as a teenager have a
college degree.
80 percent of unmarried teen mothers end up on welfare.
Within the first year of becoming teen mothers, one-half of unmarried teen mothers go on welfare.
Daughters of teen mothers are 22 percent more likely than their peers to become
teen mothers.
Sons of teenaged mothers have a 13 percent greater chance of ending up in
prison as compared to their peers.
Street scene
KR is an art house
Senior goes to
nationals for photography
Erika
Atanassov
Reporter
An art display near the main office in May. KR features art in
many places, if you look for it.
Photo by Patrick Morgan
By Patrick Morgan
Reporter
Paintings, drawings, and ceramic works are displayed in
places all around KR – you only
need to look for them.
The vibrant paintings and
drawings aren’t hard to find.
There are pieces of pottery, paintings, drawings -- all of them have
amazing detail.
“I try my best to build up a
portfolio to get scholarships for
famous art and design schools,”
said Junior Vu Nguyen, an artist
with over 30 pieces at KR.
Some of Nguyen’s art is displayed near the Main Office
and includes drawn dragons and
sculptures of dragons.
“Art has no limits,” Senior
Ethan Wakeley said.
KR offers many types of art
classes, from commercial arts to
jazz choir.
Chargers take part in art for
different reasons. Some are in art
classes just for the credits, while
others are there because they express a love for the things they
create.
“You don’t realize you’re good
at it until you try,” said Senior
Savana Smith. “Art shows diversity.”
Smith was surprised when she
found fun in graphic arts.
“I didn’t know I would like
this,” she said.
“Art allows ordinary people
to make something extraordinary
for the world to see,” said Senior
Morgan Johnson.
Art teacher Alice Thies chose
her profession for a simple reason.
“I love art and wanted to pass
art to others.”
A painting by Junior Vu NguyPhoto by Patrick Morgan
en.
Senior Jeremy Cooper will attend the
Skills USA National
Leadership and Skills
Conference June 19.
Cooper
snagged
first place in the photography category at
the state conference
April 21, which qualified him for nationals. He showcased his
ability to use digital
SLR’s, image editing
software, and professional studio lighting.
Cooper also performed on-site photography, portrait studio
lighting and posing,
process and print digital photos, and submitted two 11x14 or
16x20 mounted and
matted photographs in
advance of the contest
to be judged and displayed at the competition.
From there, judges
decide how to place
the contestants.
Nationals work the
same way, except the
judging gets tougher,
and it’s harder to place
as high as state conferences.
Photography
teacher Jeff Tibeau has
hopes for Cooper.
“There are six skills
he has to show in two
days,” said Tibeau. “I
never had any doubts,
and any one of them
[students who entered
state] have the skills.”
Was Cooper always
Senior Jeremy Cooper won the state conference with images such as
this one.
Courtesy Photo
a “photo stud,” as Tibeau likes to
call his excelling students?
“When I was in Photo I, I just
did what Mr. Tibeau told me,”
said Cooper. “When I showed
it [prints] to my family and they
criticized me, it made me grow
because I realized I wanted to do better.”
Both Cooper and Tibeau are ready
for nationals.
“He has a good shot at nationals,”
said Tibeau. “He has good artistic
ability with technical detail.”
Street scene
Do-it-yourself
cosmetics at home
Dakotah Fitzgerald
Veteran Reporter
Spending money on hair removal is a little ridiculous, especially since after you do it once,
you have to keep doing it.
Today, lots of people have figured out alternative ways to keep
their skin smooth,
their teeth clean,
and their bodies
smelling fresh, all
while saving money. There are thousands of recipes for
wax, facial scrubs,
bath salts, lip gloss,
aloe gel, and even
hair products.
There are many
benefits to using
homemade cosmetics. Not only will
you save money,
you can also control your ingredient
quality, avoid preservatives, and reduce pollution.
Going organic in your beauty
supply is very environmentally
friendly.
How organic these cosmetics
are is really up to you. That’s the
beauty of homemade cosmetics;
you know exactly what’s going
into your products and exactly
what you’re putting on your
skin.
Homemade cosmetics are not a
popular thing in Kentridge, and
many have never tried to make a
homemade product.
“I wouldn’t even bother trying
a product I had made myself,”
said Freshman Molly Hughes.
“There’s so many options in
stores anyway, and I know they
are trustworthy to use.”
Are they really trustworthy
products, though?
Having the label “organic”
on a product doesn’t necessarily mean it’s really organic, according to About.com. Some
products only have an “organic”
label on them because some of
the ingredients are organic, not
the whole product.
Others, such as junior Gena
DelGreco, are more up to trying
experience with homemade
products. She says she has used
aspirin based formulas for her
skin to prevent wrinkles and protect her skin from the sun.
Sophomore Dana Diaz has
used homemade eye makeup before, and said it was pretty cool
to use and was pleased with the
results.
Below are some recipes for
homemade products modified
by Fleet Street Reporter Jacob
Smith.
Deodorant:
Combine one part baking
soda with one part cornstarch
in a heat resistant container; I
use a small glass jar.
Fill the container about 1/3
full with the mixture. Next, microwave a jar of coconut oil
until it is liquid.
Carefully pour the HOT oil
into the baking soda-cornstarch mixture while mixing.
Pour until the jar is 2/3 to
5/6 full. Stir and let set in refrigerator.
To use, rub some on your
fingers and apply. Store at
room temperature.
Toothpaste:
something new.
“I know that a lot of products
have ingredients in them that can
lead to diseases like Alzheimer’s, so it might be healthier for
myself to use products I have
made myself and trust,” she said.
Senior Vina Tran has some
Technically, it’s not toothpaste – its toothpowder – but
it serves the same purpose.
Combine three parts baking soda with one part salt in
a small jar.
Then add a few drops of
essential oil for flavor; I use
spearmint. Shake to mix.
To use, pour a bit of powder on your toothbrush and
brush as normal.
It will taste strongly of salt,
but the spearmint will keep
your breath minty fresh.
Freshmen Brad Foster (left) and Courtnae Williams (right) are
proud “gingers.” Freshman Nicole Johnson just loves them.
Ginger power
is on the rise
Photo by Carly Rhome
By Carly Rhome
Reporter
What’s with all the name-calling at red-heads?
You may have heard red-heads
referred to as “gingers,” “carrot
tops,” “day walkers,” or worse.
The term “ginger kids” was
first brought to the world’s attention in a South Park episode, in
which Cartman gets all the students in his class to discriminate
against kids with red hair, referring to them as “gingers.”
The U.S population consists
of between two to six percent red
heads, according to the Washington Post.
Sophomore Heather Bateman
said that under certain conditions,
the terms used toward her and
other red-heads may be hurtful.
“It’s the way they say it,” she
said.
Although most say it as a joke,
after a quick survey in the halls
of KR, 15 of 20 people used the
terms listed above toward people
with red hair.
Red-heads may be called
names, but this doesn’t stop some
from name calling others, such as
fake red-heads.
“I think they’re posers and
wannabes, and they are trying
to get attention,” said Freshman
Courtnae Williams, who has long
red hair.
Sophomore Cassie Ash also
finds it unattractive, especially
if it’s “the bright red, fire truck
color,” she said
“Natural red hair is better,”
added Sophomore Hannah Gorgensen.
Why do red-heads get so much
attention compared to brunettes
or blondes? Maybe it has to do
with how rare they are, or how
they stand out in a crowd, like
Freshman Brad Foster.
“Everybody on the inside
wants to be a ginger,” he said.
street Films
January
, 2011
• Page
June, 2011
• Page
2217
KR loves Disney
By Liz Cho
Reporter
Whether about friendship, like
The Fox and the Hound, or about
falling in love, as in the princess
films, Disney has always fulfilled
the expectations of viewers of a
wide range of ages.
The general public rates these
movies on the website disneymovieslist.com. These votes are
then tallied and averaged. The
number-one movie, The Lion
King, is rated 9.65 out of 10. The
rating system is based on a scale
from 0-10. Zero indicates awful,
5 as fair, 8 as very good and 10 as
a Disney classic.
The Lion King was released in
1994, and is a childhood favorite
for many.
“It has good music, a beautiful story, and it’s one of my childhood favorites,” Junior Le Nguyen said.
Family and Consumer Science
teacher Colby O’Brien said it’s
her childhood favorite, too.
“I just really liked Simba and
Nala,” she said.
The Toy Story series has also
won over the hearts of many
viewers. The original film is
rated 89.29 out of 100, while Toy
Story 3 is right behind at 88.78.
It was released in 2010, and has
received 4.5 stars of 5, according
to reviews.ticketmaster.com
“My favorite is Toy Story 3
because I played with toys like
Andy when I was young,” said
Senior Gary Bell. “I also was sad
when I had to give mine away.”
Freshman Sydney Fronek said
she loved Alice and Wonderland
because she “likes the adventure.”
Sophomore Conner Adams’
favorite Disney movie is The Fox
and the Hound.
“I really liked the emotion and
the home feeling it had to it,” he
said. “Very cute.”
While many love the films for
the stories and adventure, others
love them for the music.
Spanish teacher Thad Williams said his favorite is The Little Mermaid.
Jumping
The Broom:
Predictable
Taressa Patterson
Veteran Reporter
The main characters of Disney’s The Lion King make it the most
popular film with viewers, including those at KR.
“Ariel is my favorite princess
and the music is the best,” he
said.
“ ‘The Colors of the Wind’ is
the most inspirational song ever,”
Senior Megan Hedge said about
her favorite movie, Pochantas.
Storylines and music may
make Disney movies the best,
but Chemistry teacher Madonna Brinkmann believes it’s the
cheerfulness portrayed in many
Disney movies.
“My favorite as a child was
The Jungle Book,” said Brinkmann. “They’re happy, and it’s
upbeat and heartwarming. I wish
my life was like Baloo.”
“I love all the Disney movies,”
Hedge said. “They can always
cheer me up on bad days and never fail to make me smile.”
goody-goody Nova Prescott (Aimee Teegarden) get stuck together working to make new decorations. Initially, they despise each
other, but we all know what that
leads to – they end up falling for
each other, of course.
There is some humor. Jesse’s
sarcasm is entertaining. When
Nova has trouble lifting a heavy
bucket, he gives some magical
advice: “Lift with the legs.”
There is also Lucas Arnaz
(Nolan Sotillo), a dorky sophomore who only dreams of having
a girlfriend. He plays JV lacrosse
with Tyler and is noticed when
Tyler sees him hanging out with
Simone Daniels (Danielle Campbell), a pretty sophomore.
The acting is fine. Best among
the actors are McDonnell and
Teegarden. They were the most
central characters throughout the
movie. They were the best actors
because they displayed an appropriate amount of emotion, as opposed to those dramas in which
emotion is exaggerated. The actors were immersed in their roles
as real high school kids.
In the end, this movie is worth
the money. Despite its flaws, it is
an adequately entertaining movie, and some of us guys could
get some good tips and ideas on
asking a girl to prom. But I don’t
suggest watching it without a
close friend with whom you can
both laugh and talk during the
movie.
Prom: Great ideas on how to
ask a girl to prom, but that’s it
By Andrew Zou
Reporter
Cast:
Aimee Teegarden: Nova Prescott
Thomas McDonell: Jesse Richter
DeVaughn Nixon: Tyler Barso
Danielle Campbell: Simone
Daniels
Nolan Sotillo: Lucas Arnaz
Cameron Monaghan: Corey
Doyle
Nicholas Braun: Lloyd Taylor
Raini Rodriguez: Tess Torres
Christine Elise: Sandra Richter
Director & Writer:
Joe Nussbaum, Katie Wech
Run Time: 104 minutes
Rating: PG-13
A group of seniors get ready
for their big dance, but the prom
decorations catch fire, so they
have to make new ones. Sound
predictable? It is.
The teen flick Prom follows
the lives of the couples and their
troubles leading up to the dance.
There are some good ideas
about asking a girl to prom in this
film, aside from the serial killerlike letter by quirky character
Lloyd Taylor (Nicholas Braun).
One good idea shown by Tyler
(DeVaughn Nixon) is to leave a
letter that asks the girl to bring
her answer to school. Next to
the letter is a tiny pebble that has
“yes” pained on it and one giant
boulder with “no.”
In predictable movie fashion,
the local bad-boy Jesse Richter (Thomas McDonnell) and
Cast:
Angela Bassett: Mrs. Watson
Paula Patton: Sabrina Watson
Laz Alonso: Jason Taylor
Loretta Devine: Mrs. Taylor
Meagan Good: Blythe
Tasha Smith: Shonda
Run Time: 112 Minutes
Director/Writer: Salim Akil
Rating: PG-13
Two families come from two
different worlds. The Taylors
reside in the heart of Brooklyn,
while the Watsons live in Martha’s Vineyard.
The movie starts out with Sabrina (Paula Patton), practically
in tears about how she needs to
start over again in love, so she
makes a vow to God that if she
waits until her wedding day to
have sex, He must bring her true
love. Directly after, she meets Jason (Laz Alonso). Three months
later, he proposes, which makes
for an interesting, yet redundant
setup.
The Taylors are invited to
Martha’s Vineyard. Mrs. Taylor (Loretta Devine) is already
rubbed the wrong way because
of how “bougie” the Watsons are.
Mrs. Watson is immediately taken
aback by how “ghetto” the Taylors are. The two families clash
when secrets begin to surface.
Even though the characters
mesh well, the plot is mediocre.
The jokes are beyond played out,
such as when Uncle Willie Earl
tells the chef, “You’re knees are
ashy! Look like you been praying in chicken flour!” And some
scenes are extremely overacted.
Though occasional twists and
turns add to the film, my overall
vote is to not see this movie.
Street scene
Thor:
Taking the
world by storm
By Ryan Ardy
Veteran Reporter
Cast:
Chris Hemsworth – Thor
Natalie Portman – Jane Foster
Tom Hiddleston – Loki
Anthony Hopkins – Odin
Stellan Skarsgard – Erik Selvig
Kat Dennings – Darcy Lewis
Idris Elba – Heimdall
Clark Gregg – Agent Coulson
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Run Time: 114 minutes
Rating: PG-13
It’s time to take a break from gritty,
realistic superhero movies and go back to
what comics were originally: good, funny
action. The God of Thunder is sure to deliver.
Gears of War 3
beta has arrived
Gears of War multiplayer series. Senior
Jerry Barnett says that this beta is “better
than the previous Gears of War multiplay
The Gears of War 3 beta has finally er. This Gears is a lot less laggy. The variety in starting weapons is much better.”
come to Xbox Live, and it is glorious.
A beta of any game is basically a demo Epic has added five new weapons, as
that has been released online to either the well as changing a few old favorites. New
public or a select privileged group in order weapons include the “digger,” which fires
to provide game developers feedback and a grenade underground in a straight line
also to work out any bugs in the system. and pops up when it finds an enemy tarThe two most notable betas released so get; the retro lancer, an assault rifle with a
far are the multiplayer versions of Halo bayonet on the end that offers an alternative sprint mode in which you can impale
Reach and now Gears of War 3.
The multiplayer beta began April 25 an enemy; the one-shot, a two handed one
and ended May 15, but was available to shot kill sniper rifle, incendiary grenades;
players who bought Bulletstorm (another and the sawed off shotgun.
excellent shooter game) one week earlier. A few changes to the old weapons are
The beta features both fast-paced com- the gorgon pistol, which has now become
bat and more graphically intense visuals a submachine gun instead of a burst fire
than any other game. Players race around weapon. The lancers alternate fire chainthe four new maps: thrashball, trenches, saw ability and take a bit longer to rev up,
checkout, and old town by rhodie running while the standard frag grenades explode
(a sort of crouched sprint) and rolling in a little slower when thrown or planted.
all directions to chase-down players, and “The shotguns feel like shotguns not
like they did in Gears 2,” said Barnett.
to avoid shotgun blasts and mortar fire.
Epic Games has definitely gone above Game modes bring back a few old faand beyond in this third installment of the vorites, like King of the Hill and Team
Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, is the
king to be and son of the current king Odin
(Anthony Hopkins) in the fictional realm
of Asgard. All is well until Thor makes a
hot-headed decision to attack the longtime
enemies of Asgard, the Frost Giants, with
his team of friends. When the attack goes
wrong and his friend Fandral (Josh Dallas)
is wounded, he and his friends try to escape. They fail and are nearly killed.
As punishment for violating the peace
treaty and restarting the war between the
Asgardians and the Frost Giants, Thor is
exiled to earth without his powers or his
mighty hammer Mjolnir.
Thor is then cast down somewhere in
New Mexico in a massive thunderstorm
and is discovered by a group of three scientists, the leader of which is Jane Foster
(Natalie Portman). Thor must then try either adapt to living life as a mortal, or find
a way to regain his powers and return to
his home world and take his place as the
rightful ruler of Asgard.
Thor breaks the trend of dark, gritty
movies by providing a more familyfriendly experience. This is done partially
by having Thor buck the trend of the average Joe who just happens to be bitten by
a radioactive spider and become a superhero overnight. Thor was born a god; he
has crazy powers, and he knows it. This
is probably the main reason for his boastful self-confidence, but in nearly every
fight scene, Thor goes in with hammer a
‘blazing, cracking jokes and fighting with
a smile.
But don’t mistake this for a kiddy
movie. Thor does go all out in the fantasy
category with crazy stunts, such as riding
white stallions on a rainbow bridge to go
to a tridimensional teleporter – yeah it can
be pretty weird.
Thor does a good job of not making this
seem out of place. All in all, it is a great
movie for anyone looking for a less gritty,
more fun type of superhero movie.
Oh, and stick around after the credits
for a surprise.
By Joseph Tulloch
Veteran Reporter
Clayton Carmine chokes a locust drone in the Gears of War 3 beta.
Deathmatch, along with new ones such
as Capture the Leader and the new team
deathmatch spin off Torque Bow Tag.
Players will love the familiar experiences of blowing enemies to pieces with
either shotgun when close enough, as well
as the good old-fashioned-curb stomp execution, and the ability to pick up a downed
enemy and use him as a meat shield.
A few new ways to finish off a downed
enemy have been added as well. Executions are now new for most weapons,
along with the ability to hold down the
“y” button that gamers will love. These
two executions are the longest by far of
all the others and leave you open to attack
while attempting them. However, they are
well worth it for their gore and satisfaction and are a favorite for executions done
on the last player remaining on the losing
team so that everyone can watch their disgrace.
Epic Games also threw in some cool
add-ins toward the end, like putting Easter
bunny heads on all the players for Easter
weekend and finally putting in the Hammer of Dawn, a weapon that basically
calls down a lazer beam from the sky, into
the game for the final weekend of play.
“I think the beta was fun and really
makes me want the game when it comes
out,” said Barnett.
Street sports
Fastpitch season ends
with mixed results
The Varsity Fastpitch team picture. They are, from top left: Julie Simonson, Hannah Overall, Ivy Wood, Lizzette Dominguez,
Rianna Bidon, Ashley Conradi, Kayla Andrus, Sarah Baldwin.
From bottom left: Amanda Moen, Kaylin Mosely, Ashleigh Mate,
Emily Ross, Haley Crusch, Kristin Lamontagne, Abby Bellin.
Courtesy Photo
Shawnasy Hanifan
Reporter
The Chat Boyz razzle dazzle after an assembly. They are: Seniors Dylan Centanino-Sweers,
Jordan Cole, Joey Buslon, Jeremy Santos, Bogdon Tirtu, Wes Concepcion, Matt Drui, Adam John,
Kramer McEleney, Max Baer, Robert Poole, Andrew Barta, Junior Ben Wills, and Sophomore Ken
Williams. Coaching them are Seniors Allie Oathout and Leilani Borst.
Courtesy Photo
Chat Boyz losing their seniors
Shawnasy Hanifan
Reporter
The famous KR Chat Boyz are
finishing up the year with what
may be the best group they will
have for a long time.
“This is the best year we’ve
ever had ever,” said Senior Bogdon Tirtu.
“It’s gonna be hard to top us,”
says Senior Matt Drui.
Drui loves wearing sparkles
and doing the Double Dream
Hands dance.
Tirtu is the shortest of the guys
and loves being a Chat Boy because he gets to “spend time with
some of the best guys at KR.”
When it comes to what to
wear, “the best outfit is no outfit,”
Tirtu said.
Chat Boyz are made up of al-
most entirely seniors: Jeremy
Santos, Kramer McEleney, Joey
Buslon, Wes Concepcion, Jordan Cole, Adam John, Max Baer,
Robert Poole, Dylan Sweers, Andrew Barta, Drui, and Tirtu will
all be leaving next year.
Sophomore Ken Williams and
Junior Ben Wills are the only underclassmen.
“We’ll be losing a lot of good
seniors,” said Andrew Barta.
Good is relative.
“If you focus on me, you can
see that I can’t dance,” Baer said.
He added that when he dances,
he enjoys wearing a tutu that his
mom made for him.
The popular preference is for
lots of sparkles and glitter.
Santos, who is captain, said
that the best thing about being a
Chat Boy is “dancing in sparkly
clothing.”
Concepcion tries to wear the
“least amount of clothing possible” when he dances, and the best
part of being a Chat Boy is that
they make fools of themselves.
“The best thing is showing
off my awesome dance moves to
Mrs. Wong,” said Barta.
Every year the captains of the
Chatelaines coach the Chat Boyz.
This year’s coaches are Seniors
Leilani Borst and Allie Oathout.
“They surprise us by how hard
they work,” said Oathout. “They
try really hard.”
Borst also talks about how
well the boys work.
“They take it seriously,” she
said. “You think they wouldn’t,
but they do.”
“Jordan Cole is my favorite,”
she added.
KR Fastpitch finished up the
season at 4-14 for Varsity, and 9-3
for JV.
“I think our team works together really well,” said Sophomore Emily Ross. “It seems like
everyone likes each other and
always wants to cheer each other
on.”
Ross is a catcher for the var-
“Even though there have been
some losses, I think all the teams
did really well and put a lot of effort into this year’s program,” she
added.
Varsity coach Julie Simonson
enjoys her team and says that
they are competitive and have a
bright future.
“Our record is not an indicator
of the team’s ability,” Simonson
said.
JV coach Bob Sandall said his
“Even though there have been
some losses, I think all the teams
did really well and put a lot of effort into this year’s program.”
Sophomore Emily Ross
sity team, but she is considered
a “swing player,” meaning she
switches from JV to Varsity depending on where she is needed.
However, she has spent the whole
season working with Varsity.
Ross spoke highly of the Varsity team, saying that they are
“always loud and willing to help
anyone out if needed,” and that
“it is fun playing games with
them.”
girls did really well this year.
“They played with a lot of intelligence,” he said.
Freshman
Kelsey
Bennett, who plays left field for the
school’s C Team, said that her
team works effectively, and she is
planning on trying out again next
year.
She believes that the team’s
performance was “decent, but I
know we could have done better.”
Street sports
Kentridge sports perform at State
By Alton Lu
Veteran Reporter
KR spring sports continued a
tradition of excellence, sending
numerous athletes to state.
Boys’ Tennis produced two
state attendees. Senior Alex Yi,
and Junior Vincent Lin traveled
to Vancouver, WA May 26 to
compete against the best tennis
players in the state.
Competing in the boys’ doubles division, Yi and Lin defeated
the number-one team from Jackson High School. The Kentridge
duo was defeated in the next
round and fell to the consolation bracket. In a heartbreak loss,
Yi and Lin were just one match
away from placing in the top
eight.
“The pressure of the match
got to me,” Yi said about the
last match of his high school career. “There were a lot of missed
chances that could have turned
the match in our favor. Unlike us,
our opponents worked well with
the pressure and capitalized on
opportunities.”
Though Yi will be graduating,
prospects look bright for Lin,
who will assuredly be making a
return to state next year.
On the other side, Kentridge
Girls’ Tennis sent only one
player to state -- a freshman by
the name of Katelyn Overland.
In her first year of high school,
Overland made her way on to
varsity and won the SPSL tournament. Though Overland lost both
her matches at state, she has three
more years to improve.
One cannot forget her brother
who graduated last year, Matt
Overland, who placed second
at state. With a lot to live up to,
Katelyn has a chance to perform
up to par with her brother.
Following tennis, Kentridge
Track team performed admirably
at state, producing multiple placers and record times.
The team consisting of Senior Alex Horton, Juniors Reggie Collins and Kaid Tipton, and
Sophomore Bralen Westendorf
narrowly missed state for the 400
relay by a margin of .13 seconds.
Even though this team didn’t
qualify, Tipton and Westendorf
competed in different events.
Tipton and Westendorf competed in the 300 meter hurdles.
Both placed in the top eight, taking fifth and seventh respectively.
Senior Alex Yi and Junior Vincent Lin confer with Coach Robert Armstrong during the state competition for tennis.
Courtesy Photo
Westendorf also competed in
the 110 meter hurdles, taking an
extremely close 6th place finish.
The two men’s pole-vaulters
who made state had interesting
and disappointing finishes to
their season. Senior Chris Young
did not make the height in the
first round.
Freshman Lexi Klinkenberg
led the Girls’ team off to a strong
start, running in the 300 meter hurdles, and placing sixth in
state.
Junior Katie Lake practically
defied gravity, as she jumped
over 17 ft. to place third in state.
Seniors Kim Concillado and
Amelia Carpenter placed third
and eighth for pole vault. Even
though their vaults were not the
best they’ve done, both seniors
managed a strong showing at
state.
Judo also continued its storied
winning streak, taking the team
state tournament, and producing
four state champions.
Senior Lance Small took first
in his divison, finishing his high
school career with a strong victory.
Junior Gurpreet Dhatt placed
first in her divison, completing an
undefeated season. Sophomore
Kenneth Lam also took first in
the lightest weight class, cementing Kentridge’s victory.
Editor’s Note: Junior Alton Lu,
writer of this story, was the fourth
member of the judo team to place
at state. Congratulations, Alton!
When to push and when to pull back with a sports injury
Hannah Ostrander
Reporter
Students are hurt in sports
every day, whether from a
stubbed toe or a broken arm —
the difficult part is determining
when it’s time to push through,
and when it’s time to just quit.
“It’s usually up to the player,” said Jennifer McIntosh,
girls’ varsity tennis coach.
“[They] are going to have to be
the guide.”
Boys’ varsity baseball coach
John Flanigan agrees that it is
the player’s choice.
“Most of the players know
the difference between an injury
and an owie,” he said.
When a player first seems to
be hurt, the coach’s immediate
response is to “hope that they’re
okay,” said Flanigan. This is
followed by whatever first-aid
is appropriate, be it bandaging,
ice, or elevation.
Sophomore Anna Murphy
severely sprained her ankle during a Judo practice. She says
that her coaches Jeff Tibeau and
Philip Davis “immediately went
out and filled a bucket with ice
water and shoved my foot in it.”
Nearly every decision depends on the injury. When
determining how severe something is, McIntosh asks her
players to “use the pain scale.”
Anything above a six is worthy
of a doctor’s visit.
Flanigan said that making a
doctor’s visit is “not really his
call,” but that if the pain persists
for more than a couple days, a
visit is definitely in order.
Murphy was immediately instructed to visit the doctor within the next couple days.
Often times, a player will get
back in the game before they are
fully healed. Flanigan said that
most of his players are “itchin’
to be on the field,” and that for
the most part, “the guys are really tough.”
However, Flanigan notes that
he doesn’t “want them to rush
back and be out again quickly.”
This is where personal judgment comes into play.
Murphy always asks her
coaches for their opinion.
“They know the most about
what you can and can’t work
through,” she said. “They have
the most experience, so I trust
their opinion.”
On the other side of the spectrum, however, there are the
players that will exaggerate a
pain in order to get out of prac-
tice.
“Some [injuries] come about
as a part of a student’s unconscious decision to get out of
whatever they’re doing,” said
Tibeau.
While a coach cannot and
will not pressure a player to
play with any sort of injury,
there will be instances where
a coach may disapprove of the
player’s choice.
Judo assistant coach Philip
Davis says that every choice absolutely reflects on the student’s
character.
“We are always making value judgments,” he said.
Street sports
Girls’ Tennis
dominates
A group picture of Varsity Girls’ Tennis. From left to right: Karissa Lau, Katie Ly, Aurora Varela, Katelyn Overland, Stephanie
FitzGerald, Tracy Tran, Kyana Esber, and Alissa Lee.
Senior Ian Buckles works that throwing arm.
Courtesy Photo
Courtesy Photo
Take me out to the ball game
By Kelly Herzog
Veteran Reporter
Starting and ending strong,
KR’s varsity baseball team ended
its season 11-6.
Making it to playoffs, the boys
defeated Kentlake but were defeated by Federal Way and Emerald Ridge High Schools. Many
players were selected to be in the
4A SPSL North All League Baseball.
Senior Kyle Leady and Junior
Sheldon Stober were selected to
be on first team, Senior Ian Buckles on second team, and honorable mentions went to Senior Ben
Krueger, Junior Nick Hamre, and
Sophomore Devin Riley.
“Couldn’t be better,” said Junior Varsity coach Mark Champoux. “The varsity team has beat
the best two teams in the league
– Kentwood and Kentlake.”
Varsity played three games per
week and improved each time.
Varsity coach John Flanigan is
pleased with how well his team
performed.
“The fact that the kids are having fun and supporting each other
all the time is great,” he said.
“Everyone’s got each other’s
back.”
The team had multiple outstanding players, each bringing
different skills to both practice
and games.
“Lots of the boys on the varsity team this year were not on
the varsity team last year, and
they’ve already exceeded our expectations,” Champoux said. He
added that Stober and Junior Carl
Derline, along with Krueger, especially added skill to the team.
Freshman Joe Wainhouse
played exceptionally this year on
the varsity team as well.
“Joe is a freshman, so we had
no expectations for him,” said
Flanigan. “He’s such a good athlete, and it’s fun to watch him
play and see him contribute to the
team.”
Wainhouse enjoyed the highest level of baseball.
“I’m playing with people who
actually know how to play,” he
said, in comparison to his middle
school experience.
Buckles had a positive experience this last year on the varsity
team.
“I feel good this season, but
there is always room for improvement,” he said. Buckles will be
attending George Fox University
in Oregon and is planning on becoming a physical therapist.
Senior Kyle Leady, who
played third base, added that he
was “hitting good and feeling
comfortable with the team.”
Buckles, Leady, and Wainhouse predicted early on that their
team would make it far this year.
“We’ll go deep into playoffs if
we keep playing how we’re playing,” added Wainhouse.
By Chanel Ngo
Reporter
Facing off against Kentwood,
Kentlake, Kent Meridian, Tahoma, and Mt. Rainer, Girls’ Varsity
ended its season 11-1.
Kentridge took first place in
the SPSL Sub-district Tournament May 9.
The girls competed against
Tahoma at their last game May
4, finishing strong and earning
the title of co-champion in South
Puget Sound League based on
their season records.
Captain, Senior Alissa Lee
said the girls were a “well-rounded team and work well in different spots.”
Coach Jennifer McIntosh said
Varsity surpassed the obstacles
this season due to many rainouts
and is proud of them for their
work even when the seniors left.
“We didn’t have as much
courage in the beginning of the
season because we lost seven seniors, and we didn’t have enough
people,” said Captain, Junior Karissa Lau. “We did much better
than we thought we would.”
JV had a winning record, too,
with season stats of 8-4.
JV Tennis found Kentwood to
be stiff competition.
In a match against Kentwood
April 28, players of eight from
both schools participated in two
single games and three doubles
games.
KR took one game, and Kentwood claimed four wins.
Redeeming themselves, JV
Tennis won a game against Kentwood April 29, but still lost the
match 4-1.
“Kentwood was a good competition,” said Freshman Mithula
Rarmal. “They were very friendly.”
Victory is short lived, but
teamwork is ongoing.
“Trying to communicate well
with your partner” is important,
said Rarmal. “If you don’t have
good teamwork, things can go
wrong.”
McIntosh had words of encouragement for next year’s
team.
“Believe in ourselves; learn to
play without fear of losing, and
desire to win,” she said.
Street views
Dancing
When
is a sport and
things
deserves respect
get hot, cool
By Patrick Morgan
it down
By Katie Fischbeck
Dancing often is seen as an art
that brings joy from the beauty of
the movement, but that doesn’t
mean that it can’t also be a sport.
The definition of a sport is “an
athletic activity requiring skill or
physical prowess (exceptional or
superior ability, skill, or strength)
and often in a competitive nature,” according to dictionary.
com.
“Sport” examples include fishing, bowling, and even worse -competitive eating.
Come on. Eating is accepted
as a sport, and yet people won’t
accept dancing as one?
I am a competitive Irish dancer. I know dancing takes not only
skill, but physical superiority, and
it definitely is competitive in nature.
Dancing is not that much different from other sports. In basketball, the team has to work together to earn scores. So it is with
dancing in teams – the team has to
work together to get better scores
for their routine.
When in Irish dance competitions, I am judged on my technique, timing, and the difficulty
of the steps. Although I might
not perform in a field surrounded
by bleachers, neither is bowling,
which is considered a sport.
People think that just because
dancing expresses emotion, it is
feminine or passive. Figure skating, too, can express emotion but
is still considered a sport.
Figure skating is scored similarly to Irish dancing. Scores
are based off of technique, skill,
Shoes
are evil:
and how well their routine corresponds to the music they choose.
Saying dancing isn’t a sport
and people like Michael Flatley,
who is the producer of the globally successful dance show, Lord
of the Dance, aren’t athletes is
like saying Tiger Woods is not an
athlete.
If you look at golf, it doesn’t
take a lot of testosterone like
football or boxing does. Dancing
doesn’t take a lot of testosterone
either, but golfing is still a sport,
right?
If you don’t believe that dancing is a sport, I challenge you to
go out, join a dance class, and
try it for a month or so. (Guys,
don’t think it’s feminine because
it isn’t.) You will see how much
strength and skill it takes.
The
tragic
truth of foot mutilation
By Hannah Ostrander
You may think that slipping
on your “comfy” pair of Converse in the morning is a good
thing, that you are actually helping your feet by “protecting”
them from the dangerous world.
HA!
You’re wrong.
Shoes mutilate your feet.
This isn’t just my opinion; New
York Magazine says so, too. The
NYM is very reliable, so trust it
if you do not trust me.
“Shoes hurt your feet,” it says.
They are personal torture
devices, confining poor, innocent toes without giving them
so much as a breath of fresh air.
Wiggling your toes? Perish the
thought.
Aching feet. Athlete’s foot.
Blisters. Bunions. Corns. Calluses. Hammertoe. Heel Pain. All
this and more you subject your
foot to every time you put on
one of those abominations called
shoes.
And just think about what
your poor feet are missing out
on! Shoes deprive you of the
better things in life. Fresh, soft,
green grass just slightly wet from
the morning dew. Sun-baked asphalt warming your feet as you
skip across it. The breeze rustling
your toes as you wiggle them in
pure delight.
This is bliss.
And with shoes, this is what
you’ll never have.
So kick them off and embrace
the freedom! Go for a frolic
through a meadow. Relish the
bare earth that you can actually
feel for the first time ever! Maybe it’s cold, maybe it’s rainy –
what’s that to stop you? Feel the
cool drops of heaven splatter on
your feet. Jump in a puddle! It’s
time to let your feet live life, and
live it to the fullest. Stop hiding
them away in a couple scraps of
cloth, and face the world!
Go barefoot. Be happy.
Summer is the time to let
loose, hang out with friends, and
do your own thing, not the time to
have a serious relationship.
As the weather changes, everyone’s mood improves, and
people are friendlier. Girls start
pulling out those short-shorts,
and guys are on the prowl.
No school, no stress, no worries. Why ruin a good thing?
A quote I live by comes from
the film 500 Days of Summer:
“I think relationships are
messy and people’s feelings get
hurt. Who needs it? We’re young,
we live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world; might as
well have fun while we can, and
save the serious stuff for later.”
Sure, flings are fun, but let’s
be realistic. As soon as school
rolls around, when those sweaters
come out of winter drawers, and
people are under more stress, fun
lessens, and those feelings you
had during summer disappear.
Summer relationships are
never worth the heartbreak. It’s
always fun to have that one guy
or girl with whom you can kick it,
not having to worry about a thing
during the summer, but when
it’s time to hit the books, things
change. School complicates
things, people complicate things,
and stress levels increases. Then,
out of nowhere, that fun summer
fling goes downhill fast without
brakes.
You’re only young once. Summer is not the time to worry about
what he’s thinking, or even she.
Do your own thing.
Sophomores:
Drive,
but not to school
By Kelly Ann Herzog
It’s a known fact: The student
parking lot is for seniors and juniors only. Freshmen and sophomores have no right to drive to
school until they become upperclassmen.
There are only so many spots
to park in, and those precious
spaces should not be taken up by
underclassmen who think they
are an exception to the rule.
Some sophomores drive to
school because they have “no
other way to get here.” However,
this cannot be true. If you are attending Kentridge, there are buses that can get you here. Or perhaps you live close enough where
you can just walk. Better yet, if
you know an upperclassman who
drives to school, ask if you can
carpool with him/her.
“Kentridge has limited parking for both students and staff,
which is why we give the privilege to park to juniors and seniors,” says Security officer Sean
Kelly.
Once you become a junior and
senior, feel free to pay the $50
and park whereever your heart
desires, but until then, don’t drive
to school.
Respect the rules and upperclassmen, and keep your car out
of the parking lot.
street views
Math: What
is it good for?
Absolutely
(say
everything
it again!)
By Fekare Mengisteab
The complexity, the sense of
achievement after solving a difficult problem, the competition
between other students: These
are all reasons why math is the
hippest subject in school. I enjoy math; it is the best
subject. I find it fun to work out
the problems, and I feel good after fiddling with all those numbers and shapes. My feeling after earning a good grade on an
assignment, or after a high score
on a math test, elevates my spir-
its.
However, the most common
thinking with students these
days is that math is a terrible
subject, both distressing and difficult. Many students will recoil
in distaste at the whisper of the
word “math.” Freshman Mithula Rarmal
said that she dislikes math because it is sometimes “challenging and irritating.”
“It is annoying when you get
stuck on a problem and can’t
Can I
go to the
bathroom?
By Michael Skuse
It’s something most of us have
gone through. We ask our teacher
whether we can go to the bathroom, and they use the always
original and creative comeback:
“I don’t know; can you?”
It’s a verbal plague in some
classrooms. The unjustified belief
that one needs to use “may” to
ask permission when one can interchange it with “can” is absurd.
According to the online Oxford Dictionary, “The ‘permission’ use of can is not in fact incorrect in standard English. The
only difference between the two
verbs is that one is more polite
than the other.”
The Webseter’s Dictionary
website states that “can” has been
used to ask permission since the
19th century.
Some teachers might say they
are trying to teach proper grammar, while they stop their lessons
and begin to single out the student
who asked. It’s a little unbeliev-
able to see a teacher make fun of a
student in front of an entire class.
Of course, one could say that it’s
for their own good. But, how
good is it to have one’s grammar
mistakes pointed out?
Ever since I first heard a teacher tell a student to use “may” instead of “can,” I thought it was
strange. When using language to
convey thoughts, it doesn’t really
matter which words we use as
long as the person we are speaking to understands.
English is a living language,
and words change to fit their
contemporary uses. Teachers
wouldn’t want to teach their
students with a century old text
book. Why should they be using
old and outdated grammar?
An archaic grammar lesson in
English is great, but it’s no excuse to give someone back talk,
and it’s definitely no excuse for
teachers to tease students in front
of their peers.
find the answer,” she said.
“When I miss a concept, it
takes a while to catch up,” added
Freshman Jesse Biller.
These feelings can make a
student frustrated. Just missing
one day can put students behind,
hence adding to annoyance. And
then there is the workload. When
kids have a lot of homework that
they don’t understand, it just
makes them more irritated. Finding someone who can help you
one-on-one so you don’t get as
frustrated is essential.
Students often ask: “What is
it good for?” or “How is it useful?”
Math is the most important
subject in our society! Everything we do involves math in
some way. As little kids, the first
thing we learn is how to count to
10. The older we get, we learn
more concepts that help with everyday things, such as being able
to divide a cake into equal pieces, or calculating the angle of
shooting a basketball. As adults,
we use math to do our taxes, or
to calculate our sales.
In our world of technology, everything revolves around
math, such as in engineering,
computer programming, architecture, physics -- the list goes
on. Math is essential for us in
today’s world, and it is definitely
Some
subs need
updating
By Edelmar Navaluna
Students are expected to meet
expectations, to follow the KR
way, be in our classrooms at 7:35
a.m., to be up to date with our culminating projects.
For teachers, it is the very
same. They are supposed to be at
KR by 7 a.m., to have a set lesson
plan, to track progress and help
students.
However, one thing we cannot
always expect – our teachers to be
there every day.
And when they aren’t, we students can expect a substitute.
To become a substitute, candidates must have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited
university. Moreover, they must
complete a state-approved teacher
preparation program, according
to the Office of Superintendent
of Public Instruction, just as all
teachers must. However, instead
of requiring subs to renew their
certificates and take classes like
other teachers, substitutes have
lifetime certification.
This creates gaps in their
knowledge.
One such gap is technological.
There is nothing I hate more than
when a substitute is supposed to
show the class a DVD and does
not know how to work the player or display the image on the
SmartBoard.
What should be a simple
20-second point and click becomes at 10 minute affair of trying to press every button in sight
until finally it works. It takes another five minutes to turn on the
sound. Students try to help, but to
little avail.
Subs should also be required
to follow the lesson plans. There
are those who feel the need to
take the time to teach their own
lessons. Granted, sometimes it’s
better than the work we were supposed to do, but for our teachers,
it becomes a pain.
One way to help substitutes
the most significant subject.
Biller said it is important because it is “basically going to a
store and knowing whether the
guy gave you the right amount
of change. Everything revolves
around math.”
Rarmal also added “Everywhere you go you see math related stuff, such as numbers and
shapes.”
Math is definitely the coolest
subject, and it is a subject that
students shouldn’t dislike, but
embrace.
Once you immerse yourself
into your math class, you will
reach a new level in your thinking.
My advice to students is to
work hard at it. Embrace math
and all of its many amazing
concepts, theorems, postulates,
equations, and formulas.
keep up to date with the latest
technology and learning strategies is to provide an incentive.
Perhaps, after receiving consistently high marks from administration, teachers, and students,
subs could receive coffee or gift
certificates. I am not asking for substitutes
to devote a portion of their time
earning college credits while,
on average they receive only
$133.35 for a full day’s worth of
work. They don’t get health insurance or sick pay, as full-time
teachers do.
The district could offer one or
two classes to keep subs up with
the times and pay them for it.
Subs that have been working for,
let’s say, five years, will find a lot
has changed in that time.
Subs should be given proper
recognition. The classroom is
pretty much a hostile environment. It’s a hard job, and we
should thank and respect substitutes as much as our teachers
when they are working hard for
us.
So thank the subs who make
the effort, and ask the district to
work harder to ensure that the
subs we have are the best they can
be.
street views
Class
Nothing
reps:
but the
truth
By Paige Oliver
I’m here to thank you for electing me as KR ASB Vice President. As I look toward next year,
I hope that I can create a better
atmosphere at KR and help you
reach the ultimate desired reputation.
In order to get better, though,
we have to be honest about who
we are and the reputations we
have created.
Let us begin with the young
pups.
Freshmen, what are you thinking?! Transitioning from junior
high to high school is hard –
my freshman class failed many
courses and was considered the
worst, but you have shattered that
reputation completely.
The word on the street is that
you are currently failing more
classes than we ever did, and you
have had more suspensions, expulsions and fights than all other
grades combined. You are unaware that the freshman year is
important!
You need to focus on time
management, turning in quality homework assignments, and
having an overall greater respect
for you teachers, staff, and each
other. Respect is not in your vocabulary, but it needs to be.
With that aside, your reputation for personality is advanced.
You are funny, nice, and appear to
fit into society. You seem to know
who you are and what you like.
Good
Keep
your
individuality, but strive for better academic
achievement.
Sophomores: As freshmen,
you flew under the radar. Upperclassmen were unaware that you
even existed. This year you have
finally shown us your true colors.
Your class is known for finer academics, unlike the freshmen and
juniors. Many of you are enrolled
in honors classes, and next year
will be taking several AP classes.
I salute you for that. But you
seem to be growing up too fast.
Many of you are hot-headed
and cocky. You are not seniors.
You party too much. There
comes a time when it gets fake
and trashy. It is not uncool to
luck, little
freshmen
By Mackenzie Tucker
Green and Gold are your colors for the next four years; you
better love them.
Everyone at school is representing the “KR Way.” You may
have thought that, at the welcome
assembly, you heard “KR Way”
a ton, but just wait. Every single
assembly will contain those two
very vital words, and they will be
imprinted upon you until the moment you grab your diploma.
The KR Way is about helping
each other out, always respecting
each other, and not using rude
words like “retard” around KR
and our community.
We emphasize displaying “KR
“Grow up a little,
too; teachers are
stricter in high school.”
Way” in school and around our
community, but not everyone
shows it. You are the small fish in
this big pond, and you shouldn’t
swim out of place.
There are the seemingly 10
ft. tall seniors with whom you
shouldn’t mess, juniors who don’t
care about anything but grades
and sports, and sophomores who
don’t want to be seen with under-
classmen.
It’s a lot to take in and be afraid
of, but don’t forget to enjoy it.
The first couple months of school
are the absolute best! Be active in
the community – sign up for clubs
and sports.
Football games are by far the
best sport to watch. The crowd and
atmosphere are exciting and the
sped-up version of “Hey Baby”
have a board game night once in a
while. Too much partying is only
ruining your healthier reputation.
Keep it to a minimum, be individuals, do what makes you comfortable, and don’t feel like you have
to run with the crowd.
My fellow Juniors, I am
pleased to say that our grades
have improved. We have given
the underclassmen those ghastly
binders and KROS sheets, which
seems to have given us a new inspiration. Keep up the hard work
academically, and we can all
graduate together.
However, we are known as
shallow and cliquey. Some of us
have no individualism and cannot function without a friend with
whom to walk to the parking lot.
We have created weird groups,
which we name.
On the bright side, many of the
underclassmen like us. We are
friendly, responsible, and senior
year is looking good. We have the
ability to lead KR the right way,
so let’s do it.
And Seniors: You were not
nice to the underclassmen and
therefore have earned little respect from me or others.
You created unnecessary drama inside your own class, and
therefore separated into several
different cliques. You have not
shown the rest of KR what it
means to be united as one.
This year, many of you have
learned where you truly lie. You
have finally realized that friends
are people you can trust and have
chosen to be yourselves. Bravo!
We respect those decisions and
admire the most of you for getting
into to great colleges.
But your legacy for leadership at KR is not the greatest.
You struggled and were not role
models. We will forever remember your class as cold and dramafilled, but prepared for the future.
I am sure this does not surprise
many of you. Learn from what is
written here, and make changes
for the better. As Vice President,
I hope that we all will unite together to form an unbreakable
bond. A classy reputation will
always triumph over a tasteless
one.
after three quarters is something
to which to look forward.
When walking through the
hallways, don’t just stop to greet
someone. It’s very annoying, and
you are causing hallway jams.
People will walk straight through
you so I would step to the side so
as not to get run over.
The school really isn’t as big
as it seems. Unless you are the
unfortunate student who has to
walk from the portables to the
East wing every, day there is no
reason to be intimidated by KR’s
size.
People are going to change;
it’s just the fact of high school.
Doors open, good and bad, for
everyone, and some people walk
through the wrong one. It is
bound to happen at some point in
time, so don’t be too shocked. As
time goes on, you won’t even remember what happened between
you and your best friend.
Don’t be surprised when you
see girls with low-cut T-shirts and
pounds of make-up. But, have
some self-respect; no guy is going to want a girl who dresses
inappropriately, and no girl will
want a guy with a slob-like appearance.
But academics are important,
so stay caught up with homework. Some POD teachers give
homework passes, but you should
not rely on them. You will just
fall further and further behind.
Grow up a little, too; teachers are stricter in high school.
So don’t try to pull a fast one on
them because more likely than
not, they will catch you.
With more freedom comes
more responsibility, so make
smart decisions with your time.
Don’t procrastinate until the last
minute. I guarantee you will regret it when you stay up till 1:30
a.m. finishing a project.
Good luck little freshmen.
You’re about to embark on your
four-year adventure in high
school.
street views
Make
senior year
pleasant for all
By Rian Edington
Seeing the relationships of this year’s
seniors, the biggest advice I can give to
the junior class is: Don’t get involved in
drama. Next year’s upperclassmen are already on the track to have a better year
because they have avoided it.
There have been too many catfights
over guys, and girls are just starting to get
tired of each other after four years of being “BFFs.”
The word “fake” has been thrown
around this year, and girls and guys have
been jumping on the rumor bandwagon.
My advice regarding this is to expand
your group of friends so you can distance
yourself and keep from feeling isolated.
Say goodbye to sleep
Class of 2013
By Maddie Njos
Junior year is infamously known as the
toughest in high school. AP homework
consumes your nights, you can park in the
upper lot without infuriating upperclassmen, and college prep is more important
than ever. How will you get through the
wringer that is 11th grade?
Most of you sophomores have a lot of
potential to succeed in school. Two-thirds
of my Pre Calc/Trig class are sophomores,
so you have smarts on your side. But, carrying your overachieving ways into junior
year could be the death of you emotionally. Pressures from parents, teachers, and
friends may cause you to strive for perfection. Don’t! It’s impossible. I’m not saying
you should take classes that do not challenge you -- that’s good for you. But do
not overwhelm yourself!
Once you get that license and begin
endangering the people of Kent and Fairwood, you may have to start paying for
gas, the cost per gallon of which will be
too high for the weekly allowance you get
for doing the dishes. How does one pay for
these necessities? Get a job. Load yourself down with too many AP or advanced
classes, and you will not possibly have
time to bring in the wealth.
And don’t forget about all those extracurricular activities that colleges love to
see. Clubs, sports, activities – colleges eat
that stuff for breakfast. So, even though
school spirit may be “lame,” or you’re just
a lazy adolescent with no motivation, get
involved while it counts the most.
Take a gander at the class reputations
piece written by my esteemed colleague
Paige Oliver and notice how a fraction of
your class is known for its partying ways.
I’m telling you now that partying will
not come in handy for you. You’ll be so
stressed about school, bringing in money,
and maintaining a respectable social life,
that going to parties will bring you down.
You’ll want all the downtime you can get.
And with this downtime, you’ll be able
to make new friends. I’d say that the classes of 2012 and 2013 get along pretty well,
unlike that of the classes of 2011 and 2012.
With this information, I tell you Class of
2013: BE NICE TO THE UNDERCLASSMEN. It makes for a rotten year when the
class above you dislikes you for no reason.
Most of this years’ junior class became
friends with sophomores, and those relationships will carry on to next year. If people from separate classes can at least try to
be nice and respect the classes above and
below them, students of KR will be more
connected to each other. With that level of
respect, school can be such a more enjoyable place to spend your time.
And with this advice class of 2013, I
bid you adieu. See you next year as you
join the class of 2012 as upperclassmen.
Instead of following the most outspoken member of your group of friends, it
is important to have your own ideas and
opinions about your peers. The catty nature of 2011 girls is an example of how
not to treat one another. Be careful whom
you trust with your secrets because some
people may use it against you at the first
sign of a problem.
Try not to feel more important than
the underclassmen because you should
be showing them how to act and helping
them mature, not reinforcing their ideas
of being insignificant in the high school
hierarchy.
Also, try to start searching for colleges
as soon as you can. Having an idea of
what you want out of college is helpful.
Focus your interests into possible careers,
and be aware of what colleges offer the
best programs for your respective careers.
If you’re taking an AP or college class,
the end of the year can be tough with tests
and senioritis coming at about the same
time. Dealing with this is hard, and the
only thing I can offer as advice is to take
it day by day and try your hardest to plan
ahead.
Apply to at least three colleges; having
a safety net is very important if you’re applying to a competitive school.
Other than that, the only other advice I
can give is to have as much fun as you can
in your last year at Kentridge, finish your
culminating project on time, and make as
many friends as you can.
Sophomore year has
its ups, its downs
By Dakotah Fitzgerald
Sophomores: I won’t lie; being a sophomore isn’t all that great.
You aren’t a freshman anymore, so by
now you are familiar with the school and
aren’t the babies of Kentridge. You’re also
still an underclassman, so you don’t have
any special authority over anyone; don’t
think that you do. My advice to you would
be to take this year to get to know people;
expand your circle of friends.
Make this year fun while keeping your
grades up.
By the way, it is a whole lot easier to
keep your grades up with those KROS
sheets helping you, but this year you don’t
have them. Some sophomores have chosen
to continue printing out their own KROS
sheets; another option is a planner.
Either way, it’s crucial that you find
your own way to stay organized and make
note of the homework and other things you
need to keep up on.
Most of you will be driving by now, but
those of you who think you deserve special
treatment and are parking in the teachers’
or student lot , think again. Upperclassmen
have waited patiently to park in the lot –
you have to do the same.
And please realize that you are young
men and women now, so act like it. Look
like it; don’t come to school looking like
slobs. And for the benefit of the rest of us,
please, shower regularly. Look presentable; this will help you earn the respect of
your teachers and your fellow students.
The most important thing you have to
remember is, school comes first. Show up,
work hard, do your homework, and don’t
fall behind.
You are the role models for freshmen;
give them something worth looking up to.
It’s really important to have a good relationship with them. When you’re all seniors, school is a lot more fun and a whole
lot easier when there is a minimal amount
of drama among the upperclassmen.
The good thing about being a sophomore is that, since there is nothing extraspecial about it, it’s a great opportunity to
fix friendships, work hard on your grades,
get prepared for AP classes your junior
year, and make a place for yourself in this
school.
How do you want to be remembered?
Although I know this is hard to avoid,
I’d have to say that this year will be a lot
easier if you keep it romance free. Since
you’re no longer ninth-graders, you’re going to realize that your dating options have
expanded enormously.
And let’s face it; Kentridge has lots of
options. Don’t let someone tie you down!
street views
april, 2011 • Page 31
The Last Word
What country do the most beautiful
people come from?
Freshman
Francheska Songheng
Sophomore
Kenneth Lam
“The Philippines because of
their traits.”
“Japan because they got lots
of cute Asian girls.”
Junior Kenny Rogers, III
Senior Jared Williams
“Bulgaria. I’ve never met an
ugly Bulgarian!”
“Brazil because they look
exotic.”
Famous
How
for
about
“Nearly one million teen girls
get pregnant each year. And,
nearly four out of 10 young
women get pregnant at least once
before they turn 20,” according to
crihb.org.
The question is: With shows
like Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant is teen pregnancy glorified?
True, these programs may
show some of the struggling
times teens face, but they are paid
to be on these programs, so how
hard are they really struggling?
These young mothers teleport to
young girls the fame and fortune
of being on TV.
The realities are much different.
A 17-year-old girl named
Gaby Rodriguez from Toppenish
High school in Yakima designed
a social experiment to see how
people were to react to the announcement of her “pregnancy.”
You may wonder why pregnancy
is in quotes. It’s because she faked
the whole thing. For six months,
Rodriguez told people she was
pregnant; she even designed a
fake belly to wear around school.
Only her boyfriend, her mother,
and her school principal knew the
truth.
“A lot of rumors were just that
I was irresponsible,” Rodriguez
said to Good Morning America.
“No college...it was bound to
happen. I knew she would get
pregnant. Doesn’t she know she
just ruined her life?” Rodriguez
finally revealed to her school that
she indeed faked the pregnancy,
and the school was shocked.
Many, though, were proud of her
to risk her social life and friends.
I am just as proud as her class-
“France because that’s where
I’m from!”
Pregnancy -
Corrections:
Infamous?
In last month’s feature story on the
KR musical, Happy
Days, we incorrectly spelled Senior
Marques Weekly’s first name.
By Amanda Beltran
Amanda Beltran
Veteran Reporter
French teacher Noemie
Hamon
mates. Rodriguez showed that
making one mistake can ruin an
entire life. Her friends turned
on her, and people gossiped. I
bet when she told everyone she
wasn’t pregnant, they felt stupid.
I hope they felt ashamed for how
mean they were all year.
Being pregnant at 16 takes
away all the freedom you have
while you’re young. You may
think that you are responsible
enough to take care of a baby,
but you’re still growing yourself.
How will you raise a small vulnerable baby, when you are still
growing and can barely take care
of yourself? You can’t.
“There are health risks for the
baby born to teenage mothers are
more likely to suffer health, social, and emotional problems,”
according to Women’s Health.
“Also, women who become pregnant during their teens are at in-
creased risk for complications,
such as premature labor and socioeconomic consequences.”
A lot of people believe that
they will be a “family” and they
will always be together. To be
honest, it won’t happen at a
young age. Teenagers get bored
with each other; hence they break
up.
“Only 20 percent of the fathers
marry the teen mothers of their
first children,” according to crihb.
org. “On average, the remaining
80 percent pay less than $800 annually for child support.”
Some people don’t want to be
called an “old mom,” but having
a child is a beautiful thing that
you share with your wife or husband. Being impatient about having a child early is not worth risking your future, and you likely are
not going to end up on television
for it.
In last month’s story about KR’s Got
Talent, we incorrectly spelled Elisa
Stuart’s name.
It is the job of a responsible newspaper
to correct its mistakes, apologize for
them, and strive to
make each issue as
accurate as possible.
Thanks to those who
brought these errors
to our attention.
The Back Page
the best of the month
By Jacob Smith
Where’s Albrecht?
KR Artist
Can you spot Gnome Albrecht in the picture below?
Urban Dictionary
Flexting: To text so extensively
and in such a manner that it is
flirting.
Slice O’ Pie
Word Search
Phobias
Powerpuff Presentation: A
PowerPoint presentation containing lots of flashy animations, cool pictures, and all
sorts of other snazzy gimmicks,
but almost entirely lacking in
any real substance.
My phone’s about to die: This is
an expression commonly used
to signal to another party that
either a) you no longer want to
text them, or b) you intend on
hanging up. This is a smooth
way to avoid answering or
hearing things from other people.
TV Show
Nomophobia: The fear
of losing cell phone
contact.
Ancraophobia: The
fear of wind.
Phobophobia: The fear
of having a phobia.
BACTERICIDE * BATHYERGIDAE
COW * DESULFURISING
* HOLBROOKIA * HYPOTHESIZER
OUTWRANGLE * REANALYZING
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