Places you haven`t been in Redmond

CURRENT
May 13, 2010
Places you
haven’t
been in
Redmond
Volume 5, Issue 6
Editorial
Headed
to
Olympic Natl.Park
This May 30th the class of 2011 embarks on infamous Biology trip, only
this time not to Oregon, instead the Olympic Peninsula.
“It is a beautiful oligotrophic lake setting,” said the science department
head and biology teacher, Donna Dunn. “The Olympic Peninsula has the
only rainforest in the 48 contiguous states and a unique ecosystem.”
In the past the juniors have traveled to Blakely Island in the San Juan
Islands, an Island in Canada, and for the past seven years to Rockaway
Beach in Oregon.
Do not fret juniors, there is still a beach. This year the trip will be run by
the Olympic Park Institute, a campus of NatureBridge which is an award
winning field science education institute.
“The main reasons [for changing the location of the trip] are the benefits
of the peninsula’s ecosystem and logistically it is closer,” said Dunn.
“I am excited,” said Dunn. “This years’ class has a really good attitude and
curious minds.”
Get ready juniors, and almost seniors! And let’s not have any surprises in
the shower this year!
Guys pushing the bus out of gas station
Stuck in Vader
Kayaking on the lake
Hank Frantz
“My favorite moment of the Biology trip
was when my dolphin sand castle won
the sand castle competition.”
Current
2
Robert Kelley
“My favorite moment was getting stuck
in Vader and also waking up early to go
and do devotionals on the beach.”
Zach Witt
“My favorite moment was when we
yelled at buffalos in Vader.”
SENIOR
Ryan Baldwin, Staff Writer
At the end of each year, Bear Creek Seniors do something rather
unique. They get a chance to do what they actually want to do and
enjoy learning. “Capstone projects” are aimed at giving students
that are transitioning to college an opportunity to work on a more
individual and unique assignment. Nearly every Senior looks
forward to this time because they get to explore things that they
enjoy and may puruse as a major.
As opposed to Junior projects, Seniors projects are not tied to
current classes, but rather are used as a way to conclude highschool and can be built around a variety of subjects. The subjects
can be as diverse as designing a house or living in a commune.
The advantage of this is that it allows students to be extremely
creative and design a project around their interests.
However, there are several requirements, goals and deadlines
to be met – it’s not just a free-for-all. The purpose, as stated in
the official project packet, is to “express virtue in students by
challenging their knowledge base and stretching their abilities as
they pursue a meaningful goal that reflects their unique passions,
personality, and abilities.”
Choosing a project can be quite challenging because of the
freedom of choice involved. Picking a project that is interesting
and fun and yet adheres to the rules has the potential to be
overwhelming. The projects stretches Seniors to adapt and
overcome challenges as well as learn to work on tasks in a less
focused and directed environment.
In addition to all of this, each student is assigned a faculty
advisor. The advisor is responsible for making sure each student
stays on track during the time they are working especially during
the project weeks. It is expected that the amount of time spent
working each day will be the equivalent of a normal school day.
The first step in making a conceptual Senior project a reality is
submitting a proposal. After it has been reviewed by the panel,
the proposal is returned along with questions and concerns
about the potential project. If the questions can be answered
then the project becomes approved and an advisor is assigned.
Fast forward a few months and the project weeks begin post
Senior finals with a kick-off party. The project weeks are the most
important time, because normal school classes are suspended
and each Senior gets a full three weeks to work on their project
of choice. Finally, after the weeks are up and the project is
completed, a presentation is given to the review panel and other
students as well as family members.
With the project kick-off mere days away, Seniors face an
incredibly challenging and exciting time before they graduate.
Upcoming Important Dates:
May 14th
Project kickoff day after
last Senior
final
May 17th to
June 4th
Project weeks
June 3rd to
4th
Mock Project
presentations
June 7th to
9th
Project
presentations
PROJECTS
Current
3
Feature
Dumpster Diving for Humanity
Michael Chang, Staff Writer
Downtown at night, people scavenge for food in the dumpster.
They’re not dressed in rags but in normal everyday clothes. They
systematically organize their findings and put them in the right
box. Dumpster divers? No, they are freegans.
According to a video interview with Dr. Milton Saier, the
professor of Biology at the University of California, San Diego,
freeganism is about three concepts: reduce consumption, reuse,
and recycle. Many freegans tend to be environmentalists as a
result of this philosophy. The more radical freegans not only take
food, but clothes, furniture, and whatever else they may need
from the urban environment. They live completely off what they
scavange.
“It’s a little over the top. They could find other ways to achieve
their goals,” junior Deborah Pereira said about freegans.
Freegans love to share food and often find shelter in public
places. They value creating the least amount of waste, which
also means taking up a lot less space. Therefore some sleep in
abandoned buildings.
Using websites like freegan.info, well trained and experienced
freegans set up public feasts made purely from food out of the
trash. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that
over 94 billion pounds of edible food are thrown out each year.
However, due to liability issues, grocery stores are not willing
to give away food going to the trash. Freegans often refer to the
fact that on average about 600 dollars of food is thrown away
from grocery stores each day. In fact, in rich cities like New York,
freegans easily survive without spending a penny a month.
Though digging through trash is technically illegal, freegans
don’t find too much trouble, as most people find it very odd than
wrong.
“If I’m not gonna eat it, it might as well not go to waste,” junior
Q & A:
Sam Stansell
Costco because its awesome.
4
Current
Will Stansell said about people eating from the trash.
Many social gatherings are also organized (most often through
blogs on freegan.org) where people are taught how to be a
freegan. So being a freegan can be safe. At the gatherings, freegans
learn food safety, how to pick food from the forests, and what to
do with all their finds. In other words, they are trained dumpster
divers.
Many freegans work together to help the needy. This their
most distinguishing characteristic. First, that there is a philosophy
behind dumpster diving, but also that it is out of a desire to help
the needy, the environment, and society.
Devout freegans could find enough food in one day to feed
an entire homeless shelter for a month. Furthermore, this can be
seen as an advantage because this kind of life style saves money.
Not ever having to pay for food, families can save a couple
hundred dollars per month. Not only do freegans help people and
reduce waste, they are saving money at the same time.
Trash or Treasure?
Wh
What grocery store do you shop at most?
Katie Gomulkiewicz
We shop at seven grocery
stores, whichever one is close
at the time
Cameron Tillinghast
We go to QFC because it is close,
but it is not always cheeper. If we
want cheap, we go to safeway.
y?
Katie Petrin
Costco, it’s where I get dragged.
My parents like buying foods
in bulk.
News
When Conservation Costs
Adelaide Tillinghast, Staff Writer
Despite low consumption of water, Seattleites are paying the
highest national price for water.
“A City Council report, which compared Seattle water rates to
those of eight similar-size U.S. cities, showed the typical Seattle bill
in 2003 was 40 percent higher than the average of the other eight
— even with Seattle’s lower water consumption figured into the
comparison,” according to Seattle Times reporter, Sharon Chan.
In 2010, Seattle’s water prices were 90% more expensive than
Portland, 96% more than sun parched Tucson, and 270% more than
Boston for a family consuming a typical 6.00 CCF (hundred cubic
feet) per month, based on data from each city’s rate schedule.
Seattle receives about 37 inches of rain a year compared to Boise,
Idaho’s mere 12 inches of rain, yet an average Boise water customer
would pay $30 per month compared to $84 in Seattle, a difference
of 175%.
“One main cause of high water rates is taxes, over 15 percent
of the rates [in Seattle] are taxes; where as some places only have a
2 percent tax,” said David Reich. “The tax was put in place by the
city council during the drought of 2001 to limit water use.” In the
drought of 2001 there was a real concern that there would be a
shortage of water, but since 2001 there has been only one drought,
yet the tax remains.
“Lots of fixed costs drive water rates up because we still have to
pay for all the piping and the maintenance,”
said Reich. “These costs have to be split
over how much water people use; even if
people are using less water the pipes are
still the same size,” so the fixed rates don’t
change.
“Inflation, tax increases and declining
water use are also driving the rate increases,”
according to an interview between Seattle
Times and Seattle Public Utilities in 2006.
There are other reasons that drive water
rates such as “the installment of two more
water treatment plants which the city is
still paying for,” said Reich.
The cost of the infrastructure does not
change with the amount of water that
flows through it. If consumers were to
use more water, then water districts could
Joey Domingo
QFC, Safeway, Albertsons,
Which ever one happens to be
closer.
Erica Leuenberger
QFC, because it’s closest and
it’s yummy.
lower their prices but maintain revenue. Right now consumers
are paying more money to conserve water because the cost of the
infrastructure does not change.
“Other cities that have lower rates are using more water, allowing
those cities to collect enough money to pay for water supply costs,”
according to Reich.
In normal water years, if people were to use more water would
there be a concern for water shortages both for humans and
wildlife?
Seattle Public Utilities supplies 1.45 million in the Seattle
area. During the peak summer water period the average daily
consumption is 220 million gallons per day. The total available
supply from both the Tolt watershed and the Cedar River Watershed
combined can supply 300 millions gallons per day, according to
Seattle Public Utilities website.
Therefore, if people were to use more water there would be little
danger of a water shortage or wildlife impacts. A rate decrease
would allow people to use more water without putting the water
supply in danger or causing cities revenue to decrease.
For now, however, people in deserts will continue to enjoy low
water rates and green lawns while Seattleites, during the only sunny
months of the year, must settle for dry, brown lawns or exorbitant
water bills.
Kyle Blankenbeckler
I go to safeway in Duvalle,
because it’s right next to my
house.
Sherry Lin
I go to Fred Meier, because it
has a lot of options.
Current 5
Feature
Prom 2010
praMA
the boat
(n.) a word used to describe
unnecessary drama in a high
school that occurs around prom season.
donnypauling.net
Georgina Wadhwani-Napp, Editor
Y
ou’ve surely seen the posters and heard the gossip. You might have even caught a
boy and a girl out early in the morning before school mysteriously digging up Mrs.
Wang’s potato garden.
Prom season seems to be inevitably full of drama. Preparation for prom for some
means a whole lot more than hair and nails. There are much bigger decisions that need
to be made other than choosing a dress. Unless of course, you are a senior named Emily
Kadeg, and you ordered four different styles.
The Student Council starts planning for Prom a year in advance, right after the previous year’s
dance, to ensure that we have the boat, etc. This year however, there was a slight predicament that
was soon spread throughout the Upper School.
“The boat that we’ve used in past years retired,” said Kailee Blankenship, who advises Student
Council with the help of Mike Faris. “So then we discussed a couple of other options which got
talked about but thankfully the boat we want got reinstated.”
“So, no, there are no changes this year,” she said.
No changes as of yet. On April 21, the same day that invitations were handed out in advisory,
announcing the theme to be “Take My Breath Away”, a crumpled piece of A4 printer paper was
passed round the upperclassmen, collecting signatures for a petition to change the theme to Eagle
Eye Cherry’s “Save Tonight”.
Blankenship said she didn’t care whether or not the last song was the same as the theme on the
posters and “it can be whatever the seniors want it to be”.
“Well, I want ‘Space Jam’ anyway,” said senior Megan Cheever.
Take My Breath Away
THIS SATURDAY, May 15
7:30 p.m. to Midnight
MV Kirkland
WHAT
not
TO DO
Don’t eat at a
restaurant you
can’t afford.
DO stop by McDonald’s
on the way.
Don’t get
caught.
Robert Kelley had to
speed past Jeanine
Gorzalski like a crazy
driver before he set up
to ask her so that she
wouldn’t see him and
raise supicions. But
now that you’ve asked,
DO be safe.
Don’t wear
waterwings.
You really won’t need
them. DO wear a smile.
Don’t jump
overboard.
DO the Jack & Rose
Titanic pose by the
railing.
Pictures
Seniors 7:30
6
Current
Juniors 8:00
Don’t continue
the prama.
DO try to have fun.
Feature
Family Days
Origin of National Mother’s day, Father’s day, and more
Hannah Kwon, Staff Writer
W
hile rain is pouring in Seattle, the calendar
still marks the month of May. This means
the series of “family’ member’s day’s are
here, starting with mother’s day.
According to Unversity of Kansas-Diversity Calendar, Mother’s Day was created by Philadelphia
citizen, Anna Jarvis, on May 8, 1914. She was honoring her
mother’s death. Mother’s Day is still held on May’s second Sunday
to honor all our mothers’ sweetness of care and love.
After Mother’s Day, Father’s day is just a few weeks away.
According to the diversity calendar, back in 1926, Sonora Smart,
who was raised and loved by her father after her mom’s death, was
listening to Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Feeling a need to not
only honor her mother, but also her father who raised her alone,
she decided to hold the first Father’s Day celebration in Spokane,
Washington on June 19, 1910. Father’s Day is held every third
Sunday in June to show gratitude to our fathers. It is appropriate
that Father’s Day was made because mothers are not the only ones
who deserve their children’s thanks and love.
Kids, don’t feel bad! There actually is an official national
Children’s day in America, though it is not well known (and no
one really celebrates it), which is on the second Sunday of June. It
was made to celebrate the joys children bring to the world.
Last but not least, Grandparents’ day is held on the first Sunday
after Labor Day. According to the diversity calendar, it was created
by a “housewife” in West Virginia, named Marian McQuade.
The purpose of Grandparents’ day is to recognize and honor the
elderly who usually are lonely in nursing homes. It also motivates
grandchildren to to their grandparents’ knowledge and wisdom,
continuing the heritage of their family.
Sometimes we all have this feeling of “lonely and not
recognized”. Well, there’s no need, because you are probably a
father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, or a kid. People all
over in America honor you at least for twenty four hours! We
are lucky that on those days we would not feel lonely as some do
onValentine’s day.
Why do you love
Your Mom?
“...Because she helps schedule my life, which is crazy
with sports and drivers ed. Also, she always cares for
me no matter what.”
-Katie Gomulkiewicz, freshman
“...She gives up all her time to drive me to my
sports.”
- Caroline Ptasznski, freshman
“...Her love is great. And she shows it.”
- Jake Imam, sophomore
“...Because she made me Asian.”
- Joanna Benson, junior
“...Because she is always there for me.”
-Jonathan White, junior
“...For gifting me with musical genes.”
-Brady Maurer, junior
“...She is the most wonderful woman I have ever
known.”
-Sherry Lin, senior
“...She makes me jelly sandwiches everyday.”
-Kyle Blankenbeckler, senior
“...Because I appreciate all the things she has done for
me.”
-Andrew Tilton, senior
Current 7
Feature
Nosotros Somos
Adelaide Tillinghast, Staff Writer
Inside a private community in redmond, WA.
Honduras
She came to America at just 14 years old, got pregnant at 18,
and now at 21, after learning from her mistakes, Vanessa Orellana is ready to make something of herself.
“I remember when I went to my first class here in the United
States, I was so nervous,” said Orellana. “I remember I was talking to this girl who was sitting next to me but she was from here
and was like; ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ but I didn’t
know how to communicate.”
Besides overcoming the language barrier, she successfully
completed her classes while also holding a part time job.
“It [school] was completely different here because when I was
in Honduras I used to have seven classes a day and everything
was in Spanish, of course,” said Orellana. “Actually, when I came
here everything was a little easier, as in the classes.”
Her life changed two months into her senior year when she
found out that she was pregnant.
“I got pregnant the second month of my senior year, and
when I graduated I was seven months pregnant,” said Orellana.
“I really have to thank my teachers, my principle, and everybody
at the school because they helped me through more than I could
have ever dealt with on my own.”
Today, her three year old daughter Denise is the center of her
life. She wants her to have the best and she knows it is going to
take years of hard work.
“I do want to go to college and have a career. I want to make
something of myself and have my daughter be proud of me,” said
Orellana.
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In the future, Orellana plans on going to college and becoming an immigration attorney, but not until she saves enough
money.
“I want to be a lawyer, but I need to keep working because
that is going to be really hard,” said Orellana. “I am not going to
be in a dead-end job my whole life.”
Currently, Orellana works in the cafeteria at The Overlake
School and at the restaurant Casa Garcia, in Woodinville. She
is thankful everyday oforthe opportunities that she has been
given, especially being able to speak English, unlike many other
Hispanics living around her.
“Right now I feel great. I’m not afraid to talk, I’m not afraid
to do something I want to do, it is very relaxing,” said Orellana.
“When I didn’t speak the language it was really hard for me to
even go to the store because I knew that the person was going
to ask me something in English and I wouldn’t know how to
respond.”
Veracruz,
Mexico
Abril Merari Martinez, 8 years old, a second
grader at the local elementary school Albert
Einstein, is quiet but strong. Her accepting
attitude speaks louder than words. After five
minutes she is ready to be your best friend.
Oxcaca,
Mexico
A wife, mother of two girls, and
employed, life is good. At age 18 Dulce,
who asked to keep her last name anonymous, came to live in Washington;
over 10 years ago. The problem, she
cannot speak more than a few words in
English.
“I have lived here many years and it
is difficult for me the learn English, but
I am constantly listening to it at my job.
I still cannot speak English but I attend
classes, two, three days a week at Lake
Washington,” said Dulce in spanish.
An employee at the McDonalds on
Redmond Way, she has held the same
position since she moved here in 2000.
“It is difficult because I have kids
and a job and very little time to learn
English,” said Dulce.
Her days start early, waking up at
2:15am in order to be at McDonalds
“I have friends from Mexico and the United
States in my class, it’s fun, I like it,” said Martinez.
Attending an American school has allowed
her the opportunity to learn English because
neither of her parents speaks any English.
“We only speak Spanish in the house because
we want Abril to speak fluently,” said her
mother Araceli Martinez, in spanish. “But she
is a fantastic English teacher and a huge help.”
Abril, like many other girls her age, spends her
afternoons playing with her friends and doing her
homework. According to Abril, she only spends
only a little bit of time playing with her friends
because she has to get all of her homework done.
“My favorite class is science, I have lots of
fun and my teacher is really nice,” said Abril.
for her eight hour shift that begins at
3:00am.
“My husband, Marido, works at
Las Margaritas in Redmond and his
shift doesn’t start until later so he stays
with the girls while I am at work,” said
Dulce.
Life is hard for Dulce and others like
her because although many people accept their culture, many do not.
“I have lived here for a while, it’s
good, many people are very nice but
many do not like us. It’s difficult for us
when we want a job and others do not
want us to have them,” said Dulce.
The Avondale trailer park community provides many Hispanics with the
familiar, within a world of the unfamiliar.
“A dentro es mi casa y mi país, es
donde estoy libre,” said Dulce.
Current 9
Ryam Baldwin, Staff Writer
2
0
tolo
0
caption
caption
10 Current
It’s a tradition, but not a
school one. Every spring a
Bear Creek family hosts Tolo,
often considered the most
enjoyable dance of the school
year. This year it was hosted
by the Tillinghast family at the
Kirkland Teen Union Building,
or “KTUB”.
Tolo isn’t technically a
school event and therefore it
isn’t held on campus, as with
Homecoming. The fact that
it isn’t hosted by the school
allows for more freedom and
a livelier party. This year DJ
Wang performed, which is a
change from past years.
Compared to Homecoming
or Prom, Tolo is much more
relaxed and casual. There’s no
Tux required and don’t expect
ballroom dancing (or lessons
for that matter). The theme
at KTUB was “circus” for the
event.
The evening went smoothly
and it seemed all involved had
a pleasant time. When asked
how much fun they had on a
scale of one to ten, one student
replied “Eleven!”
Sarah Witt, Staff Writer
Tradition
Review
This year, it seemed as if
senior pranks were focused
more on the jokes between the
seniors and teachers. While, it
was very entertaining for the
other highschoolers to observe,
many were left wondering
what the purpose or meaning
was behind the pranks in each
classroom. The pranks, while
very funny, seemed detached
from the rest of the students
As students arrived at
school on Tuesday, April
13, the decorations around
school looked a little different
than normal. The seniors
redecorated classrooms in ways
that corresponded with each
teacher’s personality or a joke
between them and the seniors.
First off, Rob Sorenson’s
Upper School history classroom
was moved into a homemade
gazebo by the front entrance.
With no roof, only three sides,
and not quite enough seats for
everyone, class was open to the
elements.
Sorenson’s room wasn’t the
only one lacking seats. All of
the desks had been moved
into the Commons, leaving the
classrooms full of other pranks.
Bill MacKenney’s Upper
“Joe” the Snake slitthers around Kristin Dennison’s English room weaving
through stacks of books.
School math room was
filled with bicycles. Kristin
Dennison’s, Upper School
English had a snake, “Joe,” join
her room for class. The biology
room was transformed into a
forest of fake plants. The French
room was a maze of partially
filled, plastic water bottles, a pet
peeve of Kirsten Berg, Upper
School French teacher.
Mike Faris’ Upper School
Christian Studies, room was
covered in New York Yankee
symbols from floor to ceiling
which is a rival of Faris’ favorite
baseball team, the Mariners.
Shelly Kaplowitz’s Upper School
English class was similarly
decorated but with pictures
of Will Smith everywhere and
plastic spoons scattered about,
another joke between her and
the seniors.
Ashleigh Tasche’s Upper
School math room had giant,
fake gingerbread men and
other Christmas-like, cut out
candy to show her passion for
baking. Jen Nelson’s english
room was decorated with toys
which looked like a playground.
Rick Joyner’s history room had
a new chair made of textbooks
from other rooms.
Lauren Hunter, Middle/
Upper school Journalism and
Yearbook teacher, was forced
to deal with Azusa Pacific
University decorations and
‘APU Day’ all over her calendar.
APU is Biola’s rival, where
Hunter graduated from college.
The Pohlman lab was
covered in pictures of Ben Darr
the Technology Assistant.
Karen Beman, Upper School
Division Head, had plastic
spiders decorating her office.
Senior Chelsea Baker said that
during the senior trip, Beman
saved her and some other
seniors by killing a large spider
in their bathroom and called
her their, “hero” which was the
insiration for the prank.
All of the lockers were
‘locked’ with zip-ties, making
it difficult for students to access
their belongings. In the Upper
School lounge, the blocks
were the new home for all the
trashcans in the Upper School.
With no desks in any class
room, it was hard for classes
to proceed as normal. Teachers
had to use folding chairs to
acommodate everyone.
Bicylces fill Bill MacKenny’s classroom the morning of Senior Prank Day.
Current
11
Feature
SHOULD GIRLS
Georgina Wadhwani-Napp, Editor
Woman Up!
S
ome schools call it “Ladies’ Choice”. We call it “Tolo”.
Turnabout, flip-flop, whatever you might want to call it,
for us, our “Tolo dance” is the rare exception to the silent
rule that boys have to ask girls to the dances.
Tolo is translated from the Chinook Jargon, meaning to earn or
win. It’s an event that has become a tradition since Sadie Hawkins,
whose name gives it another well-known title.
The Sadie Hawkins dance is named after the Li’l Abner comic
strip character. In the comic, November 13 was Sadie Hawkins
Day, where the unmarried of Dogpatch got to chase the bachelors
and marry the ones they caught. In this comic, the women were
especially unattractive and the men were especially distressed.
All other dances of the year girls have to endure the wait of
being asked, or the torments of not being asked. Some might spend
hundreds of dollars on a dress and new shoes and later find out that
they also have to pay for their own ticket and dinner. The risk of
waiting and not being asked is not only very disappointing, but can
also be highly inconvenient.
Girls shouldn’t have to wait at all and rely hopefully on the good
will of the guys. Girls should be able to ask someone themselves,
with confidence. Making an event out of asking in the first place
only makes it even more nerve-racking than it already is. The guys
shouldn’t be complaining in the first place.
Times are changing. No more waiting around.
Michael Chang, Staff Writer
Come on! Be a man!
T
olo, Sadie Hawkins, and spring social: it goes by many
names, but it’s basically the dance where the girls ask the
guys. It’s been a tradition of high schools to have one
dance each year where the guys get a break from having to ask and
the girls take on the pressure.
Deborah Pereira said, “It’s only fair because guys pay for
homecoming and prom. It brings girls out of their shells.”
This sort of switch in gender roles can be beneficial in that sense.
Due to advancements in technology, culture, and societies, it has
been made very much possible more than ever now for women
to be able to take on the roles of the opposite sex. It’s not at all
a strange thing to see women in the work place or running for a
public office. It no longer seems odd to our generation. Women can
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Ask GUYS?
do everything that used to traditionally be a man’s place in society.
But this process doesn’t work the other way around.
Though society has accepted women in the place of men,
it still appears odd for men to work in the place of women. For
example guys can’t become nurses, nannies, or housekeepers. The
generally accepted attire for men and women were strictly separate
in the past, but women are now allowed to wear pants, t-shirts, or
basketball shorts. It is accepted. But men don’t wear skirts or put on
makeup. Basically, women can act as either women or men, while
men are still expected to act like men only. So when guys have their
roles take away, they have no place to go, and this is Tolo.
Society was so focused on letting women cross the gender
boundary, and righteously so, because of the sexism that was going
on. But that doesn’t mean that men should be neglected in this
process.
A social gathering like Tolo is basically a clash against the old
traditional roles of men and women, where there can only be one
person who takes on the guy’s role, the one who asks. If that task
is given to girls, it automatically means that guys don’t get to be
the guys. In issues like employment, it’s fair to let women rise to
the task, but when it comes to dances, girls taking on the new role
means that guys automatically can’t.
“When I go to Tolo, I feel like a total mooch. It feels almost like
a role reversal,” said junior Will Stansell. Most guys are not really
comfortable switching roles with women.
“I just find it more of a gentlemanly thing to do. It just
doesn’t sit well with me. A guy should have enough courage
and honor to ask the girl,” said junior Joey Domingo.
While I would agree to women getting equal rights and
opportunities, when it makes men have to act like women,
it doesn’t seem like the right thing to do. Saying that girls
shouldn’t ask guys to Tolo is not an anti-feminist statement.
Rather, the switch in gender is the inappropriate part.
Then there are those who would still disagree. “I
think guys should take being asked and being paid for
as a compliment, not as belittling their masculinity,” said
senior Megan Cheever. It’s important not to get lost in
the entanglements of tradition, doing things just because
that’s the way it has been. But however much one tries to
make men and women equal, it just can’t be done. There
will always be that difference between the sexes and we
shouldn’t try to override it.
What’s missing on your iPod:
Sadie Hawkins Dance - Relient K
Current
13
Opinion
THE EVIL BABY BORN,
Hannah Kwon, Staff Writer
Cartoon by Hannah Kwon
Questions Answered:
You probably have seen status updates that said catchy things like, “Ask
me anything”, or “COME AND GET ME! YOU WON’T REGRET IT” with
links to their Formspring attached. Of course, people can’t help but click
links like that.
So why are ‘Formspring’ links all over Facebook? First of all, Formspring
allows you to sign up with your Facebook ID. Then Formspring
automatically posts status updates like “ASK ME ANYTHING” on Facebook
anytime you answer an anonymous question asked on Formspring. Plus,
more people will go on your Formspring and ask you questions, giving
you the good feeling of people being interested in you. The Formspring
page is filled with all the questions anonymous people ask about YOU,
only you. This fact gives you a huge rush, and may make you obsessed with
Formspring.
But you have to be aware of that rush, which MAY make your heart beat
faster. It can be addicting, but it can possibly rip your heart out or even lead
to suicide.
Why is formspring different from other social websites?
- Its main purpose is not to interact and communicate back and forth with other users, but rather to allow
people to ask anyone questions (whether the question is factual, funny, or abusive). But the real fun is that,
you get to check the little yet evil box that reads: QUESTION ANONYMOUSLY. People have this ‘once-in-alife-time-opportunity’ to ask their secret crush if they have someone they like, or they can seek revenge on
their worst enemy with abusive questions, that use words like ‘ugly’, ‘gross’, ‘stupid’, ‘mean’, and other words
that I cannot even put in this article.
2 hours ago
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Why do people get obsessed and like formspring so much?
- Well, of course, it is quite fun to either question or answer in Formspring. People start out, wondering if
the questions are really anonymous and if the person will actually answer it. But if they realize that the
questions are really anonymous and see the person’s response, they feel like they have this psychotic power
to read people’s minds. Plus, if the answer is funny, you just stepped in to a deep Formspring pit.
Now if you are the one who gets to answer all those questions, you will have an experience similar to being
a pop star who has paparazzi and interviewers everywhere you go. Also, the random questions are not even
facts people will care about, but people ask it anyways, just because they WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT
YOU!
4 hours ago
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Is it dangerous?
- Formspring itself may look like a cute little bunny, but guess what, cute little bunnies usually bite hard. The
worst thing about that is, it does not stop biting unless you pour water on it or something. The horrifying
thing about that bunny is that it bites with poison. Many people have not just cried after looking at bullying
questions, but some developed mental illnesses and a few even committed suicide by the anonymous cyber
bullying on Formspring. For example, Alexis Pilkington, a 17 year old highschooler in New York committed
suicide after getting cyberbullied through Formspring, according to New York Daily News article “Long Island
teen’s suicide linked to cruel cyberbullies, formspring.me site: police”.
yesterday
So here is my advice; if you want to try, have fun, but not too much fun. We all know it gives the feeling of catharsis and curiosity, but
remember that Formspring is a superbaby that can just literally knock you out.
14 Current
Feature
The Countdown Begins
O
For the first time, Bear Creek performs one of Jane Austen’s creations
ne
stage,
two
sets,
one week.
The
days
are counting
down until Bear Creek’s drama
class presents Jane Austen’s
“Sense and Sensibility.”
Director Ron Lynch, said,
“This [Sense and Sensibility]
is a classic piece of literature
and to change it into a stage
production seemed like a fun
thing to do.”
The reason Lynch said he
chose this story because, “it had
a rather large cast and lots of
female roles,” which suits the
predominately female drama
class.
While the book may be
suited to Bear Creek’s drama class, it does not come without its
obstacles. Lynch had to create his own script to use, “I borrowed
from the screenplay and adapted it to the stage; in the process
created eight characters and some subplots.”
One of the more difficult parts of developing a
stage play, was that the class could only use two sets.
“In the movie, it’s all over. I had to make the play
only take place indoors in two places,” said Lynch
referring to this dilemma, “and still maintain the
flavor of the book.”
Lynch also has to work with 32 actors when he
only has access to 20 microphones. Trying to coordinate the microphones and actors is, “tricky,”
in Lynch’s words.
Casting the actors to the characters is another part of preparing
the performance. Lynch has to know what each of the actors are
capable of, who their potential characters “have to play against,
and go from there.” Lynch also said, “It is the most critical part. It
is something you agonize over, it’s not a frivolous thing.”
All of the costumes are being made by six volunteers. They are
modeled after the Regency Era in Britain (early 19th Century). The
women’s dresses are “very plain” and “not elaborate.” The men
wear trousers with jackets that have tails.
The last part of directing a play is the sets. Lynch said he used
the “Sense and Sensibility” movie to help him know how plain and
rich the cottage and mansion are supposed to be. Set construction
was started back in February. After they were built, the sets were
“ ‘dressed’ to make it homey,” such as adding pictures and other
decorations.
Photo by Sarah Witt
Sarah Witt, Staff Writer
Mr. Willoughbey, Mr. Ferrars, Marianne, Elinor, and Margaret Dashwood
are played by Gannon McCahill, Jake Casale, Erica Leuenberger, Hanna
Anderson, and Katie Matthews.
Lynch said that people planning on
coming to watch the play should be
excited, “to see the book come to life
on stage.” He also mentioned that the
costumes and seeing the students “project
the characters,” are also must sees.
The performance is in a little over a
week. Lynch said the performance just
needs some, “polishing, and tweaking,
and making sure all of the little things are
taken care of.”
The first two performances are on Friday, May 21 at 4 p.m. and
7 p.m. and the last on Saturday, May 22 at 7 p.m.
Junior Gannon McCahill is playing John Willoughby. McCahill
said Mr. Willoughby is, “a womanizer.” One thing McCahill said
he enjoys about playing Mr. Willoughby is that, “he is funny and
arrogantly smooth” but that he doesn’t end up winning, he loses
in the end.
One of the other main characters is Edward Ferrars who is
being played by freshman Jake Casale. Casale describe Mr. Ferrars
as a wealthy person who is cautious, puposeful, and born into a
snobby family. Casale said Mr. Ferrars is an “odd duck” because
he is the good natured one of the family. For Casale, playing Mr.
Ferrars is a challenge because it is a different kind of role than what
he is used to.
Current 15
“It is the most critical
part. It is something
you agonize over, it’s
not a frivolous thing.”
- Director Ron Lynch