Nov. 30 2012

RAMPAGE
North Thurston High School
November 30, 2012
No Shave November
Volume 5, Issue 503
by Tasneem Osman & Megan Harn
L
ong scraggily beards and carefully styled mustaches are what the month of November is all about. No Shave November encourages men to be lazy and let their
facial hair grow. However, there is a reason for not shaving this month other than just being
lazy. November, also known as Movember, is an opportunity for men to grow a stylish mustache and raise money for cancer at the same time.
Many people that have cancer have lost their hair because of the treatments. To
support men’s prostate and testicle cancer, men all around the world grow a mustache. “It’s a
month about guys supporting cancer” Ben Watson explains. The participants help by informing more and more people about cancer wherever they go every day to increase people’s awareness of it. The men growing their beards or mustaches are able to save money on the hair removal products that they are not using for this month. That money is then donated to support
cancer patients. Movember originally started in Melbourne Australia, but it has now become
global. With over 900,000 participants, more than 120 million dollars were raised just in 2011.
Many people are participating in this event right here at North Thurston by growing
their beards or perfecting their mustaches. From teachers to students, anyone can participate.
“It’s a chance just to be lazy and yourself ” says Adam Byrnes “and I have a bad habit of shaving
anyway.” Laziness is a big reason why many guys participate in this event and it gives them an
excuse to have a hairy face. “Walking around school with an unshaven face is a way to show
your manliness” Ben Watson explains. No Shave November is a time to be lazy and grow some
facial hair but also a time to support cancer and become more aware of it.
A Pumpkin Surprise
by Adam Brynes
The unbearable heat rose up and around the
glass, twisting and turning as the fire started to form the
glass into a circular shape. The formation of a pumpkin
appeared before their eyes. The audience applauded,
lost in a daze of amazement.
The Tacoma Glass Blowers were in Olympia on Saturday, November 10th to present their glass
pumpkin creations. From the gigantic blue glass
pumpkins to the minimized green pumpkins, multiple
pumpkins were on sell and on exhibit. Now being its
fourth year, the Glass Pumpkin Patch has been a roaring success in Olympia and will continue to thrive. So,
what exactly happens at an event like this? And who
are the Tacoma Glass Blowers?
Starting in 2006, the Tacoma Glassblowing
Studio has been around creating and forming objects
with glass. They are offering classes and services to
new people interested in expanding on their arts and
creativity. They exhibit their art each year with certain
glass creations. This year, they focused on Pumpkins.
The Tacoma Glassblowing Studio offers classes up to
six weeks for new students with professionals in the
Designers Creating and Inventing a New Era
by Masai Hunter
As the loud bell rings for activity period, students
quickly pack up their bags to run off to clubs located all
over North Thurston. The hallways are filled with students
socializing and rushing around to meet with friends or get
straight to the club. There is nothing but the sound of footsteps, teenagers socializing, and lockers opening and closing as the clubs wait for their group members to arrive.
Teachers tell students to go to their clubs even
when the bell has rung and told them to do so themselves.
Some teachers even read down a list of clubs that are meeting during the period even though the announcements
have already told the students at the beginning of second
period. People think about clubs and activities more than
they know. Everyone was born simply young and brilliant
inventors, thinkers, dreamers, planners, and hard workers
to succeed in what they are best at and want to pursue in.
Picking a club to be dedicated to is, at times, one
of the hardest things for students to do, especially new students. There are the clubs that everyone seems to go to, and
the clubs most people are not even sure what they have to
offer. Students want to pursue an interest and be involved
in something other than the homework assignments due
tomorrow. Some students find most importantly that colleges want to see extracurricular activities that could help
students start a college career.
North Thurston has a club that is recently new
and that has succeeded and progressed to its full potential, yet has not been talked about as much as some of the
other clubs. Drafting Club just started last year as a new
club. Members of Drafting Club have to be good drafters
and creative designers who have taken one or more classes
and have an actual interest in drafting. This year Drafting
Club plans on designing a set of plans for building a shed.
Last year the members worked on a 3D model for a new
invention that is at the moment being manufactured substantially and will come out January 1st.
Graduate of North Thurston (08), Jesse Larson,
first patented the idea of the restraint system. The Restraint
System is used by roofers and painters and is used for being hauled and safely strapped and secured on top of buildings and on roofs. For more information on the Restraint
System you can go to: www.G-corp.Co and learn about its
process online.
business. This is truly an outstanding opportunity, allowing not only adults but students to expand on their
skills to see what they want to do in life. While at the
event, a widescreen TV displayed a small video about
how a glass pumpkin was made. Many of the students
at the Tacoma Glassblowing Studio highly recommend
taking a class there to get a firsthand experience at the
art of glassblowing.
So, what exactly is the best part about making glass pumpkins? Mark, host of the Glass Pumpkin Patch had replied: “Being able to carefully make
something on your own!” The Tacoma Glassblowers do
six week courses on how to properly use the materials
given to you to make glass pumpkins. “Its teamwork,
really,” Mark answered. There is always some teacher
or someone who will be watching you and helping you
every step along the way. Being able to get a firsthand
experience, the Tacoma Glass Blowers allow everyone
to learn at their own pace and experiment how they
want to build.
When you want to expand on your arts and
crafts, consider the art of glassblowing. While not being as popular, the experience is just as fun. The class
offers a course for any age and everybody is allowed
to participate in the events. So consider glassblowing,
because playing with the fire and flames could never be
At meetings for Drafting Club, members use
old machines to make stickers and sell them to earn and
save money to go to state and local competitions. The current president of Drafting Club, Zach Hoppe (12), admits
“Competitions are definitely the best part about Drafting
Club. We have competed in competitions in Renton and
Port Angeles, taken the school van, and spent the night
in a hotel for three days to compete with about 100 kids
and have award ceremonies”, Zach Hoppe (12) said. This
year will be Drafting Club’s second year at North Thurston. The club members are trying to recruit new people
who are interested in drafting and have background in designing to create a new generation of technical thinkers at
North Thurston.
News
2
Farmers for the Ages
by Adam Byrnes
O
ne of the great things North Thurston has
is the limitless access to multiple clubs. I
mean, there’s DECA, FBLA, Key Club and a lot more
that compose our school. But one of the big clubs a lot
of students don’t really consider is FFA and its impact.
FFA, or Future Farmers of America, is a club that brings
people together in agriculture and farming. But what is so
important about farming? Well, for starters, it’s not just
about farming; it’s about becoming a better person.
The FFA club is focusing on more local events
and activities in Thurston County. In reality, the club
itself is like one big family with open arms. From barbeques to field trips, the club is always busy. So, what
exactly can a student expect from joining the FFA? When
we asked Mikayla Bell, Sophomore and club member of
the FFA, she replied: “A lot of loud people who like to
have fun and host events,” The FFA is a very social club,
not only being restricted to just school. Members host lots
of outside events and meetings to gather everybody.
And not only do you have fun, but you raise
your skills and become a better person. But how? We
asked that same question, “FFA helps you build your
social skills; I used to be really shy until I started to hang
out with everyone” Mikayla said. But while teaching you
about farming, you can also compete into state competitions for raising animals and selling them.
One thing about FFA is that it’s not like any
other club. This isn’t a club you can just walk in to skip
2nd period. You have to work and show dedication, help
host events or compete at the competitions. “It’s not just
a school club really. It’s a year-round job but worth it all
“FFA helps you build your
social skills; I used to be really
shy until I started to hang out
with everyone.”
in the end because you make many different friends,”
Mikayla told us. The Future Farmers of America have
a meeting every Monday nights and during Wednesday
club period. But there are many different occupations to
the FFA. It isn’t just members and presidents; everybody
has a part in the club.
“Each member has different jobs. Some are
speakers while others, like me, raise animals for competitions,” Mikayla explained. Everybody has a say in what
goes through the club. Together, they are able to compete
in competitions, give out speeches at local fairs or just
Serving Their Community, Serving Their God
I
n North Thurston High School, many students are looking for a place of
acceptance and support; a place to be their own person and to escape the
judgments of high school students in our generation. The leaders of our school’s Bible
Club were glad to explain that this particular group of kids could be the place of relief
some students are looking for. Bible Club provides a place for Christians in our school
to bond through activities such as daily prayer at lunch and hang out outside of school.
While this club primarily consists of Christians at North Thurston, its members
proudly welcome people of any religion and strive to spread the words of the Bible and
the love they find in their God to the members of our school and our community. Dur-
LINK (Liberty in
North Korea)
by Deborah Garrison
A
lmost everybody has heard of the predicaments in North Korea. Such as the
nuclear threats, propaganda, and deceased dictators
with ridiculously unfashionable sunglasses? Yeah,
that one. There is a huge problem going on today
concerning this country, and it has nothing to do with
explosives , or threats, but with a side of this country
that mainstream media has failed to bring attention to,
and it’s the people. Yes, the huge issue regarding one
of the most volatile countries on the map has been
blatantly ignored in news broadcasts, newspapers...
you name it. North Korean citizens of the lower class
are experiencing shortage of food, due to the shockingly high poverty rates. People are resorting to crossing borders to get out of North Korea just to provide
for themselves and their families, many leaving their
parents or even their children behind forever, in an
attempt to provide for them. Unfortunately, without
the right of freedom of religion, speech, movement,
coupled with the fact that North Korea is a country
isolated from the world, the peoples’ dilemma is cut
off from the world. Refugees from Korea escape to
China, as the 38th parallel separating North and South
Korea is one of the most heavily fortified borders in
the world, making escape near impossible. Now, this
issue may seem reminiscent of the forgotten Kony
2012 campaign, which, as we all know, didn’t turn
out too well. This, however, has primary sources:
people who have escaped far enough out and managed to attain a fortunate life have been able to speak
out. Thousands of citizens attempt to escape the
country, and if they are caught and brought back,
the refugees can be punished with cruelties up to the
point of death. The reality of this issue is uncanny as
well as astonishing, If you would like to follow up on
the latest news in North Korea, please visit Libertyinnorthkorea.com (LINK), the organization that works
on raising awareness and saving multiple refugees
and getting their story told.
participate in any event. The FFA works together as a
team, and each role contributes to a greater goal. “There
is Public Speaking, State Fairs and Conventions we all
can attend. The club never stays in one place,”
FFA brings a lot of joyful qualities a person
who like about a club. While having fun and having a
good time, the club is dedicated and hardworking to their
goals. Members like Mikayla and others push themselves
to sell their animals or even learn about farming. Many
competitions around Washington attract FFA, all participating together as a team. The club focuses on teamwork
and dedication, but also strives for everyone to have a
good time together. SO when the next state fair comes,
perhaps FFA will also be there.
So what’s next on the list for the FFA? Throughout this busy time, the FFA has many different plans for
the future ahead. “We plan to host many different barbeques...and plan to organize more bonfires,” The FFA is
happily anxious for the future with brand new ideas and
events to host.
Truly, the FFA is an outstanding club. They are
always hard working and dedicated, but can have a good
time. This is one of those clubs where you can make
many new friends and open yourself to people you share
interest with. FFA deserves more attention and time in the
spotlight.
By Anita Richards
ing meetings, the students spend their time asking for prayer requests and praying for
students and teachers at our school.
The leaders, Cleo Pineda, Robert Skipper, Jordan DeMiero, Christine Sears,
and Bihn Pham are continuing to expand the club through the Bible Club Facebook
group and are planning service opportunities in the near future to show their appreciation for the school’s staff and their support for the Thurston community. If you have a
request for a way the Bible Club could be serving our school or our county, the leaders
invite you to discuss this with any of them, or talk to the club’s advisor, Mr. Broeker,
for more information on joining the club.
Student Spotlight: Robert Skippper
R
by Katie Skipper
obert Skipper, and some helpers, built a picnic
table at Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center on
October 27 as a community service project through their
Boy Scout troop. He said he did the project because “It was
a good thing to do for Lions Club. They are a big supporter
of us and I wanted to do something to help them.” It took
them 20 hours to plan and 6 hours to build. Robert had 4
adults and 8 boy scouts help him; 2 adults were from the Lions Club who were experienced carpenters while the other
two were parents, including his Dad. Robert said having
experienced carpenters made the job easier. The only hard
part was coordinating with these people to get things done.
Now that the picnic table is done he feels “accomplished; it
was a big old project with a lot to do.”
Remember to
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North Thurston High School
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3
No Rest for the Wicked... Again
by Kalei Sabas
Five years have passed since the
vault that was supposed to contain many
riches, left the original vault hunters with
nothing but disappointment, or at least
that’s what they thought. Gearbox brought
back the first-person role playing game
shooter, lootfest, and greatly expanded the
story along with many of the other features
that made it a hit bringing it to Xbox and
PlayStation 3 consoles everywhere. Pandora has been taken over by a man named
Handsome Jack, president of a corporation
called Hyperion, who took the credit and
riches that came with opening the vault.
There is now a rumor that a new even
greater vault is somewhere on Pandora
and Jack wants to ensure that he gets there
first. Thousands of vault hunters come to
Pandora searching for it and all meet the
same fate at the hands of Handsome Jack.
That is until four specific vault hunters
survive Jack’s attempt to kill them and join
the resistance to overthrow Jack and free
the people of Pandora.
Borderlands Two has a new set
of characters that loosely resemble the
original, but their skills and abilities greatly
surpass the original four vault hunters.
Axton is the commando, and similar Roland, commanding a turret that can draw
fire from him as well as fire back. A good
portion of his skills go into his turret, giving it additional gun barrels, an explosion
on deployment, placement anywhere, and
even a second turret. Maya is the siren of
the group and can use phase lock which
H.P. Lovecraft, A Master
of Weird Fiction
suspends and immobilizes enemies. Her
abilities revolve around the elemental
aspect of the game and can greatly change
the outcome of battle. Salvador is the
gunzerker and acts like the game’s tank
wielding any two weapons in the game.
Upgrading abilities allows players to throw
multiple grenades at once, heal massive
amounts of damage, and draw enemy fire
away from allies. The final character of the
four is Zer0 who is the assassin and has the
ability to cloak himself and sends a decoy
out so he can get a critical hit on foes. Zer0
has Mordecai’s skills with snipers and
pistols but Zer0’s skills could be used for
close or long range battle. There is also a
fifth playable character named Gaige who
is the mechromancer and controls a robot
called death trap. She is available for free
to those who pre-ordered Borderlands 2 or
can be purchased through Xbox live and
Playstaion network.
Besides the four original vault
hunters some old characters such as Scooter
and Dr. Tannis come back while some new
characters including Sir Hammerlock and
Scooter’s sister Ellie are introduced. The
characters in this game, whether they are
old or new, have outrageous personalities
that are not easily forgotten. Players are
also given a look at how the main characters were before and after the first game
through conversations and voice logs.
Although there is this gore and violence
the characters bring comedy to lighten the
mode of the game. It is obvious that Gear
box put much time in not only the story but
the characters within the game.
The controls handle the same as
any other first person shooter but, quite
errors along the way.
In Lovecraft’s “Mythos”, man is but a
small lonely bastion in a universe full of amoral
and powerful beings. Mankind’s interactions with
by Carlin Devorss these beings or powers lead to madness (A prevalent theme in his works), these events have accuhe late H.P. (Howard Phillips) Lovecraft
was a weird fiction writer in the 1920’s. rately been called “Mental Plutonium”, the more the
His outlook on life led him to write some of the most brain perceives the Mythos, the more it sickens and
dies. The monsters in his stories are often vaguely
influential stories of the genre, being honored by hit
described but not out of laziness, but because Loveauthors such as Stephen King and Ernest Hemingcraft understood the most fearful thing is the fear of
way. Lovecraft was born in Providence, Rhode
the unknown, so he let our minds fill in the blanks
Island and was raised by his mother and aunts.
and bring the horrid creatures to life ourselves.
Sometime after his birth his father a salesman, beThe true powers behind most events are not
came mentally ill and suffered a mental breakdown
simply some kind of alien life-form or extra-dimensoon after he went mad, and was committed to the
sional creature, but from god-like entities known as
local asylum where he died a few years later. Sadly
his mother also became ill a few short years later and “The Old Ones”. The Old ones existed long before
humanity and their primeval, as well as abhorrent
died.
teachings have seeped into modern day’s times. Cults
Lovecraft wasn’t informed until sometime
dedicated to them are scattered across the world,
into his adulthood about his father’s condition and it
reveling in dark places waiting for the return of their
may have played a part in his preference of insandeities.
ity in his works. Lovecraft, from the time he could
Ultimately, while Lovecraft’s writing was
read and write, was fascinated with mythology and
an attempt at escaping what he thought was the
antiquity. He read Roman epics, tales of the Persian
bent, and anything in-between. As he grew older and absolute and dreary rules that governed existence, it
learned more his attitude on the world began to form. has become much more than that in the eyes of his
readers and admirers and continues to govern and
Lovecraft realized he was a materialist at heart, and
influence modern weird fiction writers.
his views of humanity and its relation to the grand
universe would influence his writing, both mundane
and philosophical for his entire career.
Lovecraft viewed mankind and all its morality pointless in the eyes of the uncaring void that
was the universe. His writings were intended to make
those who read it feel small and insecure about their
place in the world, this is how Lovecraft is known
for “horror”. His very bleak writings were something
that was rarely seen before, and echoed that of one of
his role-models Edgar Allen Poe.
Let us now discuss Lovecraft’s legacy.
Lovecraft was free with his material, he let others
use bits and pieces of what he wrote in their stories.
Now long after his work has been established, many
others are now connected with Lovecraft varying
from the pure “Cthulhu Mythos” (His pantheon of
Deities, Monsters, and Cults from his works) to the
different variations such as the “Derelict Mythos”
(One man’s completely different interpretation of
those deities and creatures). He worked with other
budding authors at time most notable of which was
a dear friend, Robert E. Howard, the man behind
the Conan series. He often aided fellow authors by
reviewing their stories, and fixing any mistakes or
T
Reviews
a few of the old features were improved
like the item management and navigation. The improvements may seem small
but they change the way you experience
borderlands. For example, instead of just
a compass, you actually have a mini map
allowing for faster navigation and quicker
location of special objects needed for the
player’s current mission. Managing inventory is also a breeze because of a feature
used to distinguish what a player wants to
keep or toss. Another new feature is the use
of a bad ass rank and tokens that give players permanent stat increases to gun damage,
health, reload speed, and much more.
Just like the original there are two
playthoughs; the normal game mode with
foes that are based on the player’s level
and the other is a more difficult mode with
tougher enemies but much better loot then
the first playthrough. Two playthroughs
plus five characters gives the game ten different play throughs adding a lot of replay
value to this game. Not to mention that all
this game play can be done over Xbox live
or Playstation network with three other
friends that give tougher enemies and better
loot on top of the difficult mode’s features.
Gear box made a great game three
years ago and they will continue making
games that captivate the people that play
them. They continue to put this franchise
in a league all its own with its great co-op
gameplay, intense shootouts, loot that rivals
a king’s, extensive customization, hilarious
dialogue and much more. If you can wait
for the release of Halo 4 or Assassins Creed
3 then Borderlands 2 is the next best thing.
Prison Again Bethesda? By Strongpaw
T
hrowing the “No, I’m innocent!” quote into extremes, “Dishonored” is Bethesda’s new attempt to
produce a game with an interactive ending. It masterfully thrusts
you into a steam punk world, consumed mostly by water, with
small islands dotting the globe with little more than flint lock
guns to satisfy the needs of the current world.
A primary resource used in the world is processed
whale oil, because whales are a very common animal to run into
when the world is flooded. As well as a new resource, it introduces a brand new religion. “The Outsider” is a spectral being
neither good nor bad, that doesn’t really try to impact the world.
He sees what could be, what will be, and what was, pretty powerful if you ask me.
In “Dishonored”, you play as Corvo, the Bodyguard
of the esteemed Empress. He was sent away for months to plead
the other islands for help in combat against the plague, but you
join Corvo when he’s just arriving at the palace. The plague is
running rampant and the empress is stressed. Once you give her
your report (which isn’t good news).Things happen. Long story
short, the Empress has died, her daughter was kidnapped, and
you were blamed. It’s not that you weren’t doing your job; you
just weren’t doing it well enough. Nice
“Dishonored” offers many flexible choices that can
really make the game surprisingly long. You can get out your assassins blade and rush through, gallantly Killing everyone in your
way, vengefully marking your path with blood, or if you think
that may be a bit too much, you can try to just sneak around as
quiet as a mouse.
What make this game different from a hack and slash,
or a Hitman remake? The powers. “Dishonored” gives the player
the ability to find “Runes” made from old whale bones hidden
throughout the game that can essentially be used as upgrade
points to be invested in powers. One of the most useful powers would be the blink ability, allowing you to teleport short
distances without being seen or, could help you sneak through a
level via short-cuts. But it could also be adapted for combat use if
you know how to use it right. But have care, the more chaos you
cause, the darker your ending will become.
Metacritic provides a score of 92 out of 100 from 27
critics for the Microsoft Windows version, and I believe that the
lack of verity in the weapon section and powers and the blandness that comes from replaying the game, made dishonored a
little wanting. But this game remains great, and you couldn’t do
wrong buying it.
Features
From Drab to Fab: Dressing Up Your Legs
4
by Whitney Vu
Classy, fierce, rocker, skater, hipster, or even
scrubbing; a closet can have different styles, colors and
designs but it all reflects on how a person’s style is.
Want new looks? New trends? Helpful fashion hints?
There are many ways to change clothes and make it
look good; outfits relate to your personality, so be yourself; be unique. Show your style.
One of the most important pieces of
clothing that has been around for centuries is jeans; but
a lot of people don’t understand how to wear them ap-
propriately for their body shape and figure, so here are
a few helpful fashion tips to help your body look it’s
best.
Make your legs a special feature. Wanting longer legs?
Skinny jeans will make your legs look longer, a helpful fashion hint to give a greater effect to lengthening
your legs is Bold Jeans. Bold and bright color’s demands
attention and matching shoes extend the long line for
your legs.
The best type of jeans for this section of the body is
skinny flare jeans. The flare on the ankles will shrink
your thighs by contrast and help keep your figure more
equalized.
If you want to balance your height try skinnies that hit
high on your ankles and low on your waist. This fashion
trick helps your legs look balanced with your whole
body, yet complements your figure at the same time!
Try Neon jeans! Look for a pair with plenty of stretch.
These jeans are like a sign that says ‘Notice Me.’ Another
helpful fashion hint is to get pocket details; it will give
your booty a boost.
The best choice for petite girls is super skinny stovepipe
fit jeans. To fill you out, fading, distressing, holes on
your jeans will add volume to your tiny build.
The Ultimate Compeition
by Bar bara & Anna Provoe
With so much homework, it is hard to get time to watch TV, but when there
is time, there is always X-Factor! The show consists of 12 people battling head to head,
singing their hearts out. X-Factor is a singing competition that is filmed in Hollywood,
California. These lucky people are contending for a prize of 5 million dollar recording
contract. One group that is competing on the X-Factor is Emblem 3. Emblem 3 also happens to be originally for Sequim, WA, and then they moved to California to try to make
it big in the music industry. The band is made up of two brothers and their friend. From
the beginning of the competition, they wanted to make it clear that they weren’t a boy
band. They are able to play instruments and write their own songs. The group also was
go to be on America’s Got Talent but bowed out before they made it on television. After
I asked some people around our school who their favorite contestant was, a lot of people
said Carly Rose Sonenclar. Carly is a 13-year old from Westchester, NY. Not only has
Carly been on X-Factor, but she has also been in a lot of Broadway musicals. Carly has
gotten the second most votes two weeks in a row now, and if she keeps this up she may be
in the finals. Another one of Simon Cowell’s groups is rap group, Lyric145. Lyric from the
group Lyric145 always wears an eye patch, but it isn’t just a stylish accessory. In 2008 she
was diagnosed with the eye disease keratoconus. She went completely blind, but then in
2010 she received cornea transplants. After the surgery, her vision got a lot better, but that
changed a few months ago. She was walking to a cab after a show, and someone bumped
into her and her Ipad fell out of her hand. As soon as she bent over to grab it, an elbow hit
her left eye. Ever since her accident, her iris is gone and she cannot see out of her left eye.
The eye patch is a trademark look for Lyric. Just like Lyric’s eye patch, there is also a story
behind the leopard print painted on Cece Frey’s face. A few years ago, she was in an unhealthy relationship and she found that painting her face empowered her. Ever since Cece
auditioned, she has had leopard print on her face. Cece has changed a lot since the beginning of the competition. When she first came on the show, she had a really bad attitude
but, after Demi Lovato (one of the judges) told her that she may come off as unlikable, she
really changed. There are so many talented contestants this year that definitely make The
X-Factor worth watching.
Want to look slimmer? The answer is straight fit jeans
that midrise on your waist. To bring more effect try using dark colors like deep indigo, the darkness will help
make your curves look sleeker.
Back To Bass-ics
by Callie Wood
“My hands were shaking and my breathing was ragged and uneven. I could
only hear my heart beating loudly in my ears, and that was over the sound of the
crowd. The crowd that I, of course, couldn’t see; the lights were shining right in my
face. When sound check started, our lead guitarist began playing random riffs and soon
it was my turn. I hoped to God that I wouldn’t make a fool of myself. And, for whatever reason, I decided it would be a good idea to play one of our most difficult bass
lines, and I managed it. I was so relieved and at that point, I knew our show would be
phenomenal.”
That was my first experience playing a show: I felt sick to my stomach and
thought that I wouldn’t make it, but I did. At the time, I was playing Bass Guitar in a
band called This Is Justis. Lead singer, Zach Lopossa, who graduated a few years ago,
classified their band as “Rock” due to the fact that “you can be pop-punk or you can be
hard core, but we’re not.” He had difficulty saying this because they’re not really your
standard “rock band.” Zach continued to describe their music style by concluding that
“if you take everything about slow acoustic music, and put drums to it and keep the
poetic lyrics, that’s us.”
I also spoke with Jackson Hagin, their drummer that graduated a few years
ago, and asked about the song writing processes they go through together. He told me
that their lyrics are derived from everyday life and personal experience. The band, all
five of them; Zach, Jackson, Lakota, Daniel Roe, and Chad Lake, get together once a
week, or whenever possible, to collaborate and perfect their songs.
Their recorded Extended Play, or EP, can be found at www.bandcamp.com/
thisisjustis or from one of the band members themselves. In fact, Lakota Dorris, lead
guitarist, is a freshman here at North Thurston! They also have a Facebook page where
you can “Like,” “Follow,” or keep track of the band’s movement, follow the next show,
know when they’re writing new songs, and see if they’re planning on going on tour
soon. Checking the webpage is a great way to keep in contact with the band and hook
up with other great local bands, too!
Features
5
by Jada Cerniwey
I
n a performance worthy of King Triton,
the North Thurston High School drama
program brought The Little Mermaid to the Koval
Center for the Performing Arts on the 9th, 10th,
15th, 16th, and 17th of this month. With an all-star
cast including Sophomore Nana Clarke as Ariel,
Sophomore Eli Guzman as Prince Eric, Senior
Tristan Olson as Sebastian, Freshman Trevor Ellis
as Flounder, Senior Josh Watson as Scuttle, Senior
Mallory Halbert as Ursula, and Senior Grey Davenport as King Triton, it was a sure win for any
observer and a fun performance for the actors.
The story follows young Princess Ariel, daughter
of King Triton, who longs to be a part of the human world someday. With her fishy friend Flounder by her side, Ariel ventures toward the surface
of the ocean and ends up rescuing the human
Prince Eric, whom she falls in love with. Knowing full well her father’s hatred for humans, Ariel
trades her voice to the evil sea witch, Ursula, for
three days of human life in which she has to make
the prince fall in love with her- or face losing her
soul and her father’s kingdom to Ursula!
From Day One, the backstage crew had
been working hard to build a complicated set.
Double-sided set pieces, green paint, sparkly
streamers, and complex light schemes all worked
together to create the vastly differing moods used
in each scene. But those only formed the backdrops to the dazzling performances.
One of many freshmen cast in or working backstage on the play, Trevor faced his first
high school play with an attitude of excitement.
“So first of all my friends and I were trying not to
get our hopes up about getting a role in general, so
when I read on that cast list that I got a part I was
so happy!”
Of course, the story wouldn’t be complete
without the main character. “Playing Ariel is such
an honor. She’s my favorite princess, after all! I
need to live up to the title, and not disappoint those
Disney-lovers in the crowd! I, as well as everyone
else, have worked so hard to get into character.
It’s going to be great!” exclaimed Nana, before
the first show night. A performer who enjoyed her
experiences in last year’s Rumors and Starmites,
she remembers quite well how it feels to go up in
front of a North Thurston audience. “As you wait
in the wings, your stomach does flips. Your heart is
beating fast, and you take that one last deep breath.
You go on stage, into those burning lights, and the
feeling is indescribable. Then feeling of accomplishment runs through you, and you know it is
your turn to shine. In the moment, it’s so... real.
This is it. So you have to give it all you got! It’s all
worth it, I love it.”
The seniors of Drama Club are looking
forward to their final year of accolades from the
North Thurston audience. “I was the pretty much
the last one to find out my part - everyone else
knew I was Ursula before I did! But I was very
excited” expressed Mallory. Her rendition of “Poor
Unfortunate Souls” brought down the house night
after night with an ending note that brought tears
to the eyes of some audience viewers, and her immaculate costume (combined with crazy hair and
makeup) made her into a better Ursula than the
movie version. Tristan mused, “I think it feels a
little weird to be a senior just because when I was
a freshman I looked up to the seniors as so old and
grown up and now that I’m one, I dunno. I still
feel like that nerdy little kid I was 3 years ago, I’m
just a bit taller. As for drama, I know I’m going to
miss it like crazy, but I just don’t think it’s hit me
that I’ll be leaving soon, I’ve still got a lot of acting to do this year!” He also added, “My favorite
part about the play is without a doubt the cast and
crew. The songs are great, the set is fantastic, and
the storyline is interesting. But none of that would
mean a thing if you didn’t have great people to experience it with. In drama we always say we have
two families: our actual family and our drama family. The drama family is always a bit weirder.” His
version of Sebastian added humor to each scene,
and made the play’s experience twice as enjoyable
for audiences.
Pulling Back the Flesh of the
Walking Dead
by Megan Melcher
One cannot mention the word zombies
in today’s society and not conjure up images
of the rotting flesh of disease-driven monsters
whose only purpose in life is to find and eat human meat. This is an acceptable fact, especially
in the television series “The Walking Dead.” Is
gory zombie slaying all the show is about? Many
people might say yes, but some dwell deeper and
take a look beyond all the chaos of the roaming
undead.
“The Walking Dead,” based on the
graphic novel series of the same name, is a show
about Rick Grimes, a man who wakes up from
a coma, in a world now overrun by reanimated
corpses, or as they’re known, “walkers.” Struggling to cope with this new landscape, he goes
on the road in hopes of finding his family alive
and trying to adapt to the environment that he is
now a part of.
The show, in itself, is not the horrors of
a zombie apocalypse but, rather, the horror of losing one’s humanity. Living in a world taken over
by “walkers”, the last remaining humans must
fight for survival against the hordes of undead
creatures, and from the living as well. People
don’t understand that the undead monsters “are
just the frosting on the cake.” says Frank Darabont, executive producer of the show. Actress
Laurie Holden who plays the character Andrea
in the drama, described the title of the show as
referring to the survivors rather than the zombies
as the real walking dead, struggling to stay alive.
The series is truly a story about morality and
trying to cling to humanity in a world where all
of the rules have been thrown out: governments
collapsed, cities overrun, and the inner struggles
between right and wrong.
Which is more terrifying? Walkers
whose only purpose is to devour human flesh, or
fellow survivors who have lost the ability to see
right from wrong, and will do anything, no matter how heinous, to survive? The tagline of the
series says it all: Fight the dead, fear the living.
Rock and
Roll
by Alissa Sorger
AC/DC: Formed in Australia in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus
Young. As of 2012, more than 200 million albums have been sold worldwide. Malcolm and Angus were actually born in Glasgow, Scotland then
moved to Sydney in 1963. This band experienced many lineup changes,
and when the band became stable, lead singer Bon Scott died in 1980,
after a night of heavy drinking. Scott’s parents urged the band to hire a
new vocalist, and continue on. This band is still active today.
Pink Floyd: Founded in England,
1965, this band originally consisted
of Richard Wright, Syd Barrett,
Roger Waters, and Nick Mason.
Pink Floyds’ music gained international success due to their psychedelic and progressive style. Pink
Floyd is considered to be one of the
most commercial and influential
bands in history. In 2005, this band
held a reunion, and performed live
for the first time in 24 years.
Ace of Base: Originated in Gothenburg, Sweden, 1987. Ace of Base is
still active today. The band lineup
consists of the brothers Jonas,
Malin, and Jenny Berggren along
with Ulf Ekberg. Ace of Base is the
third most famous band in Sweden, next to Roxette and ABBA.
Instead of classical rock, like some
might think, Ace of Base performs
Eurodance and Reggae Pop. Newest members are Clara Hagman and
Julia Williamson.
Sports
6
Setting up for Victory
One point. That made all
the difference for the North Thurston Volleyball team to make it to
state. And oh, how that point paid
off. The girls were cheered on by
home fans from the stands. It was
a weekend of amazing volleyball
playing and team spirit.
Seventy-eight days. Seventy-eight days before the state finals game, the Lady Rams formed
their team of twelve. Through
injuries, blood, sweat, tears, and
many unforgettable memories, the
team strengthened and improved
their skills to become the best
volleyball team North Thurston
has ever seen. Due to their impressive improvement, the girls
have earned their place in the
finals. Out of the sixteen teams
who entered in the tournament,
North Thurston wasn’t expected
to get as far as they did. But the
girls showed that they were here
to play ball. The team worked
hard to inspire each other to become the best that they could be.
Whether it’s personal or universal
inspiration, the ladies are there
to support each other in any way
possible. This team had grown so
much and achieved many of their
dreams for their season.
North Thurston Rams
won second in the 3A state tournament on the ninth and tenth
of November. The tournament
started off with a rally against
Shorewood High. In the first
match the Rams took the lead
with a 25 to 21 victory. It was
By: Cheyenne Watler
clear that the game was going to
be a challenge. In the second set
Shorewood showed the Rams
what they had in a win of 25
Shorewood and 20 Thurston. The
Lady Rams showed their best and
in the third and set the lead for the
rest of the night, with the third
match at 26-24 and a nice clean
end of the fourth game at 25-18.
After the match the ladies ate and
rested up for their next challenge
later that night. This game against
Columbia River was extremely
important for the girls because it
determined if they were going to
the semi-finals of the tournament.
With a packed stand, the girls
were ready to put up a fight.
The match started off
rough and the ladies knew they
had a fight in their hands. Almost
every match had a win of just
two points, and the anticipation
was high during the tie breaker
game. Morale and momentum at
a high, the Lady Rams killed their
semi-final qualifier game 15 to 8.
The crowd bursts with screams
of joy, ”Point Rams!” and the
traditional “I Believe” cheer as
the girls ran up the stands to give
their loved ones hugs because of
the major accomplishment they
just earned. “I seriously believe
we can win this whole thing” said
team captain Haley Harn. And
with only two more games, this
was realistic. Now it was time for
a good night’s rest for the finals
of the tournament the next day.
All rested and ready for
their last day of this volleyball
season, the girls were pumped
and ready for their next match
against Southridge. With the first
set of the match it was clear that
the Rams were going to dominate. But in the second match
Southridge put up a fight that lead
to an intense point to point game
until Rams took the two point
lead in this set to 30. Then the
Rams came through in the second
match with a win of 25 to 20.
This clean sweep gave the girls
complete confidence in their next
match against Prairie.
The last match of the
tournament, season, and all high
school volleyball in Washington
State (until next season) was
played by the North Thurston
Rams and the Prairie Falcons.
Even though morale and teamwork was at an all-time high, the
Rams lost the three sets against
the Falcons. The ending was bittersweet. The girls, disappointed
for a moment, soon reflected on
their season and knew how much
they had accomplished. The Lady
Rams came home with second
place in state, and it’s hard to
express the amount of pride the
coach, parents, staff, and the
students have for the team. Be
on the lookout for the new banner
being placed in the gym honoring
the ladies and their accomplishments.
District
Fall ‘12
Photo by Cheyenne Watler
Jessica Malchow (Sr) tips the ball during their semi-final game
against Shorewood.
Photo by Cheyenne Watler
The Varsity Volleyball team celebrates after their 2nd place finish in the State competition.
Congratulations
to all
the 2012
Fall Sports Teams
Make sure you follow us on Twitter:
@NTHS_Sports
Sports
7
& State
Recap
Photo by Chelsea Bopp
Sarah Topping (Jr) swims hard during a team practice in the
NTHS pool.
By: Ben Watson
As North Thurston
jumps into a 3A sports League,
the Lady Rams are jumping into
the pool, ready to defend their
four-year undefeated streak.
With this step up in
performance, the new additions
to the girls’ swim team had to
work extra hard to match the
competition they were faced with
at every meet. The big difference
about this year was that many
of the younger girls stepped
right up to the blocks this season
instead of just leaving the hard
races to the Varsity and members
of the Tumwater/Olympia Swim
Club.
Their difficult start to the
season paid off in the first league
meet against Shelton with an
astounding 126-47 win.
One of the keys to the
success of the girls’ swim team is
their ability to place at least three
Splashing to the Top
people in each event to race for
first place. This ability paid off
when they dominated the pool
in their meet against Foss on
September 20th with a score of
115-68.
After Foss the Lady
Rams did nothing but improve;
from Lakes to Timberline the
girls kept swimming hard and
strong, completing every race
with a “Ram Finish.”
When asking Jennifer
Hochstrasser (Sr) about how
swimmers finish their races she
said “We give it our all in every
single race we are in, but the
last 50 yards is the most important. When you’re sprinting to
the wall on the last leg of your
race, that is when you truly have
to give it your all, and if you
can easily get out of the pool at
the finish, then you didn’t give
enough.”
By: Chelsie Bopp
Photo by Mikayla Bell
Freshman Ashlyn Carlson played a key role in the success of
the Girls in her first year on the team.
What do we base success
off of? The hours of practice we
have? The amount of wins in a
season? The league championship? Our girls’ soccer team had
expectations of success this year
with solid captains, Alexandra
Amico (Sr) and Grace Gibbs (Sr).
Despite an early exit after the district game, the girls put as much
effort as they could but sadly got
eliminated.
Our soccer team had
an eventful season, with many
intense games that had coaches
biting their nails. Seven fierce
By: John Corey
Photo by Callie Wood
The Rams defense lines up against their old league rival
Tumwater back on October 5th
Photo by Megan Melcher
North Thurston prepares to kick off against Black Hills in their
1st home game of the year.
After competing in the
2A Evergreen conference for
2 years, the North Thurston
football team returned to the
3A Narrows in 2012. Their
first year back in the conference exceeded all expectations
and resulted in a 3rd visit to
the district playoffs in the last
four years. The Rams played in
front of a packed home crowd
back on November 3rd against
the Mt. Rainer Vikings. Ryan
Mets (Jr) and the offense were
sluggish early, but kicked it
into gear mid-way through the
second quarter. The scoring,
sparked by the defense, gave
the Rams all the momentum
they needed to take a 40-0 victory and a berth into the state
playoffs.
After dominating at
home in districts our team had
to make the long trip over the
mountains to take on Kennewick High School. In the first
five minutes the Rams lacked
The “Ram Finish,”
combined with the determination
to win that each and every one
of the girls possesses is what led
them to a victory of 347 points,
with Shelton being the closest
runner up with 190 points followed by Foss with 182.
Although the girls didn’t
place in the top three at state this
year, they still gave it their all
and finished another spectacular
year of swim.
State Competitors-
200 yd. Medley- Relay Team
200 yd. Free- Ashley Bierman
(Sr) & Sarah Topping (Jr)
100 yd. Butterfly- Arriya
Hagen (Sr)
500 yd. Free- Sarah Topping
(Jr)
100 yd. Back- Arriya Hagen
(Sr)
Kicking it High
freshman faces took the field on
varsity team this year; Grae Hill,
Ashlyn Carlson, Savanna Hakes,
Rebecca Hummer, Ariel Edwards
and Allison Wood represented
the new members this year and
played their hearts out. Many
returning players kept the school
spirit up, showing motivation and
encouraging the rest of the team.
Grae Hill explained that “It’s
really easy to make friends when
you’re just having a good time;
when I was playing with seniors,
I completely forgot they were
seniors.”
Emily Krall (So) is perhaps one of the most improved
players this year, undergoing a
change from center defense to
forward, which is an incredible
accomplishment.
Moving on to the next
season, upcoming senior Chandini Powell, who is highly regarded
amongst her teammates, will take
the reins of our Lady Rams.
Beyond All Expectations
focus and experienced real
adversity down 16-0 after a
bad snap on a punt resulted in
a quick TD. After the Kennewick touchdown, North
Thurston returned to the basics
of their offense and provided
a heavy dose of Mo Manning
(Sr) into the teeth of the Dline. The Rams pounded the
ball down the field and cut the
early deficit down to nine. The
running game led the team to
four unanswered scores and
sent them into the locker room
up 28-16, a lead that the Rams
would never give back to the
Lions. North Thurston escaped from Lampson Stadium
with a 35-23 victory.
Advancing through
the 1st round and into the
quarterfinals, North Thurston
again travelled over the Cascades, this time into Spokane
at University High School. In
a game that was filled with
lights going out and a lengthy
injury delay, North Thurston
got everything thrown at them
against the Spartans. Trailing
7-0 late in the half the Rams D
intercepted University’s QB inside Spartan territory. On the
controversial final play of the
first half, Tru Hicks (Sr) dove
for the end zone and appeared
to have crossed the goal line
but was called an inch short.
The Rams never could recover
from the call and fell to University 23-12 ending the Rams
season at 9-3.
Our North Thurston
football team experienced one
of the best seasons in recent
memory, making an appearance in the State quarterfinals
for the first time since 2000.
Coach Rocky Patchin and all
the players have a lot to be
proud of this season and congratulations to all the Seniors
for a great finish to their high
school careers.
Entertainment
8
Sporting Events
Dec 1: Wrestling Invitational
Dec 3: Bowling v. Foss (Aztec Lanes)
Dec 4: Boys Swimming @ Lakes, Girls Basketball @
Tumwater
Dec 5: Bowling @ Yelm (Prairie Lanes)
Dec 6: Boys Swimming v. Olympia, Wrestling @ Mt.
Tahoma
Dec 7: Boys Basketball @ Yelm, Girls Basketball v. Yelm
Dec 10: Bowling v. Lincoln (Aztec Lanes)
Dec 11: Bowling v. Central Kitsap. Wrestling @ Lincoln
Dec 12: Boys Basketball v. Olympia, Girls Basketball @
Olympia
Dec 13: Bowling v. Timberline (Aztec Lanes), Boys
Swimming @ Wilson, Wrestling v. Foss, Gynastics @
Auburn H.S.
Dec 14: Boys Basketball v. Lincoln, Girls Basketball @
Lincoln
Dec 15: Gymnastics @ Port Angeles
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Dec 18: Bowling v. Wilson (Aztec Lanes), Boys Swimming v. Foss, Wrestling TBD (To be determined), Boys
Basketball v. WF West, Girls Basketball @ WF West
Dec 19: Gymnastics @ Auburn H.S. Boys Basketball @
Foss, Girls Basketball v. Foss
Dec 20: Bowling @ Shelton, Boys Wrestling TBD
Dec 27: Girls Basketball @ NW Christian, Boys Basketball v. Tumwater
Dec 28: Boys Basketball v. Yelm
Sudoku
7 3
2
6
8
8
6
2 5
7 6 3 8
2
6
1
6
4
1
4 9 8
Difficulty: Challenging
Sudoku Rules
The objective of Sudoku is to
fill 9x9 grid with integers so
that each column, each row,
and each of the nine 3x3 grids
contain all numbers (1-9). The
numbers provided are given
and you have to figure out
which numbers go where. No
numbers are repeated in a row
or column.
Submit your finished Sudoku
with your name and grade to
room 104 to qualify for a drawing. Where the winner receives
ten Rambucks!
Student Submitted Art
Submitted by Samantha Legget
Mission Statement
The ambition of the RamPage is to provide the staff and students of North Thurston High School with an unbiased publication with an open outlook and to promote the free-flow of information. We strive to ensure that all students are well
represented in our newspaper regardless of race, gender, religion, or class. In our efforts to do so, we agree to accept articles
submitted by students and teachers. However, we reserve the right to edit and revise articles as we see fit. We will make a
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creates disruption to the school. Advertisements in the RamPage do not necessarily represent the views or endorsements of
the RamPage staff or the North Thurston faculty, administration, or the North Thurston School Board.
Eccentric Holidays
By Jada Cerniwey
November 30th: Parody Movie Day
December 1st: Be Pompous Day
December 2nd: Pick A Leave Day
December 3rd: Demote Your Superior Day
December 4th: Get Fired Day
December 5th: Blank Stare Day
December 6th: Ride The Bus Day
December 7th: Backhand Day
December 8th: Sepll Eevrtihyng Wnrog Day
December 9th: Dance In The Rain Day
December 10th: Prove Your Masculinity Day
December 11th: Robot Unicorn Day
December 12th: Secret Handshake Day
December 13th: Never Alone Day
December 14th: Hold A Teddy Bear Day
December 15th: Wear A Silly Hat Day
December 16th: Wear A Necklace Day
December 17th: Opposite Night
December 18th: Harry Potter Day
December 19th: Buy Your Friend A Water Day
RamPage Staff 2012-13
Advisor: Ms. Bork
Editor-In-Chief: Cindi Pan
Managing Editors:
Zachary Slagle & Kayla Raybould
Business Manager: Tasneem Osman
Assistant Business Manager:
Cheyenne Watler
Content Editor:
Callie Wood & Jada Cerniwey
Sports Editor: John Corey
News Editor: Chelsie Bopps
Features Editor: Alissa Sorger
Entertainment Editor: Patrick Burke
Photography Editor: Megan Harn
Assistant Photography Editor:
Megan Melcher
Chief Photographer: Mikayla Bell
Staff:
Robert Burns, Adam Byrnes,
Carlin Devorss, Deborah Garrison, Kelsey
Gonzales, Masai Hunter, Anna Provoe,
Barbara Provoe, Anita Richards,
Kalei Sabas, James Sinnett,
Katherine Skipper, Whitney Vu, and
Benjamin Watson.
Dots and Boxes
Players: 2
Rules: Take turns making horizontal or vertical lines from one
dot to another. The player who completed the 1X1 box receives a
point. Once you complete a square, you go again. After all lines are
completed, the series of square completing begins. Use strategy to
find the least amount of squares to give up. The one with the most
completed squares in the end wins.