Homecoming 2006 brings successful game, dance

Transcription

The Lewis and Clark High School
J ournal
October is
National Popcorn Poppin’
Month!
Issue 1
October 2006
National Merit
Semi- Finalists
PHOTO BY ASHLEIGH WHITE
Pre-Homecoming festivities in the gymnasium featuring the world famous LC Tiiiiiiiger DrillTeam!
Homecoming 2006 brings
successful game, dance
By Danielle Kugler
Sage Poland, for the sophomore,
Staff Writer Colleen Gravelle and Pat Quigley,
This year’s Homecoming
dance, themed, “Rhumba in
the Rainforest” took place
on Sept 23 from 8 to 11 pm.
At the dance, individuals and
couples names were written on
leaves and displayed on the walls
all over the outside of the gym.
With the homecoming dance,
also came the Homecoming
football game, where LC defeated
Mt Spokane 34-24. Also was the
hybrid super-con which celebrated
both homecoming spirit, as well
as the yearly “move-in” con.
“The two cons were combined
into one because if we would’ve
had the two separately, they would
have only been a week apart,”
This year’s Homecoming
royalty winners were: for the
freshman class, Janelle Vogt and
and for the junior class, Karlee
Cassel and Marcus Vogt. The
homecoming king and queen
were seniors Melanie Hall and,
for the first time in LC history, a
write-in candidate, Dusty Stanek.
Furthermore, despite the stigma
commonly associated with the
dance, it went off without a hitch.
“I volunteered as a chaperone
this year and the turnout was
really great,” said Administrative
assistant Ryland Huff. “The
highlights
of
Homecoming
were the fashionable clothing,
the music and the
blue
PowerAde,”
said
Huff.
Minor malfunctions with the
music equipment caused a couple
of minutes of silence due to
over-heating. Since the DJ did
not have a table or speakers; the
music had to be played over the
gym speakers. At one point the
speakers overheated and needed to
be turned off briefly so they could
still be used. “I thought it turned
out ok though,” said junior Rachel
Castellaw. “People just started to
sing songs until the music could
start playing again.” Yet another
example of the resourcefulness
of the LC student body.
The dance was chaperoned
by some of the school office
staff, including, Jeff Norton, Jon
Swett, Ryalnd Huff, Officer Dan
Johnson and Phil Koestner. Also
some staff chaperoned including:
Senior Advisor Kelly Guilfoil,
Paul Tapp, Andrea Andrews,
and Kristine Mosey. Parents
volunteered to help out with the
dance. In years past, the dance
may have been overshadowed by
scandal and embarassing morningafters but this year, was nothing
short of a night to be remembered.
Halloween costumes banned
By Joe Sullivan
learning environment, and while
try to have fun, the ultimate
Staff Writer they
goal is to educate students.
The LC administration declared
this year that Halloween costumes
are no longer allowed at school.
For years, LC has received
complaints about the number
of students who choose to
dress up in costumes that can
be viewed as offensive. “LC
has students who view the
celebration of Halloween in
a way that makes them feel
unsafe and that the learning
environment is not friendly,”
said LC Principal Jon Swett,
who announced the change to
staff in an email on Sept. 14.
The main reason for this
change is that school is
compulsory, meaning that
all students must attend
school. To knowingly make
the school an uncomfortable
place to be for any student
goes against the educational
goal of the administration.
According to Swett, LC acts
as a “parent” to its students in
order to provide a safe, friendly
The specifics of the rule are this:
anyone who comes to school in
costume any day will be sent to
the office. There will be no list
of limits on the rule, so there
will be no exceptions. Swett said
he is relying on the judgment
of LC staff to enforce the rule.
“I’m appealing to a sense
of what’s right,” said Swett.
“Students and staff should be
thoughtful and responsible
enough to realize what
kinds of actions can be
harmful to other students.”
So far, many students are
resistant to the new policy. “I
think its ridiculous,” said senior
Kyle Musselwhite. “I mean, it’s
my right as a student, right?”
While some at LC may not
agree with this change, it is
a welcome relief for many
others at the school. Many
students with a variety of
religious beliefs are often
uncomfortable with the event.
Nick Johnson, a senior, is very
pleased with the change. “I know
a lot of kids at LC that don’t
celebrate Halloween. I don’t
think it’s appropriate for school.”
Senior Jessica Fowler said
that Swett has “the school’s
best
interest
in
mind.”
Swett said that he sees nothing
wrong with a celebration of the
fall season, and students and
teachers alike can decorate the
school with anything pertaining
to fall and the harvest, but once
the celebrations approaches
the controversial holiday of
Halloween, he must draw the line.
Senior Marisa Hagney said,
“That’s crap. I’m probably going
to wear a costume anyway.
I’ll just dress up as a tree.”
Some students are more
apathetic. “I don’t really care
either way,” said senior Graham
Miller. “But I can see where
costumes could offend some
people. It’s probably a good idea.”
Bulletin entries will remind
students of the policy change
as the holiday draws near.
“I just think it’s the right
thing to do,” said Swett.
from left: finalists Dan Marciniak, Theodore Newell, Elliot Eaton
and Jeffery Burkert. Nate Robnett-Conover (not pictured).
By Alex Bozman
students with scholarships for
Staff Writer their academic achievements
The National Merit Scholarship
Program named five LC seniors as
National Merit semi-finalists for
2006. These seniors are Jefferey
Burkert, Elliot Eaton, Daniel
Marciniak, Theodore Newell
and Nathan Robnett-Conover.
There were also 16 other LC
students that were honored by
the National Merit Program that
were not named semi-finalists.
A national merit scholar is
chosen for recognition due
to their exceptionally high
Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude
Test (PSAT) scores along with
successful
performance
in
school. “You qualify by scoring
in the 95 percentile and up. It’s
also determined by grades and
classes. All that adds up to a
score of 219,” said Marciniak.
The National Merit Scholarship
Program
is
an
academic
competition that began in
1955. The program is designed
to
recognize
and
reward
and
high
PSAT
scores.
There are approximately 1.4
million entrants per year and
about 55,000 of those students are
honored. About 10,500 of those
students receive scholarships
for college. Being a National
Merit scholar is designed to help
those honored gain enterance
into the school of their choice.
“It’s a great feeling being
one of the five people in the
school,” said Marciniak. “It’s
an affirmation of what I’ve
done for the past four years.”
“I think it’s pretty
cool,”
said
Newell.
“It’s
interesting to be compared
[to the rest of the country].”
National Merit Scholar
finalists will not be named
until the end of Feb. after they
submit an SAT score to prove
their academic credibility. “I
expect all of our semi-finalists
will become finalists,” said
guidance secretary Melanie
Nord. “We usually make it.”
The News
in
page 2: Sacajawea MS
towards state play offs
fire: the recovery
page 8: College basketball
page 3: School dances
preview
make a comeback
page 9: Football struts its
page 4: Rock coffee may
stuff
be closing
page 10: Deemberists new
Brief
page 5: LC graduate pro- album impresses
page 11: “Little Miss Sunmotes new book
page 6: English honors
shine” holds title as best
classes multiply
summer movie
page 7: Volleyball works
page 12: Public response
to Otto Zehm case
The Lewis and Clark High School Journal
ISSUE 1
News
PAGE 2
October 2006
Jackson and Woodard are
new department heads
PHOTO BY JACK SIDDOWAY
Officials boarded off the doors of the Sac library after the fire.
Tigers lend a paw
for Sac fire recovery
Dave Jackson head of the business department hangs out with his best friend the stuffed tiger,
while new english department head Eric Woodard jokes with students while teaching his film class.
selected by the teachers in
by Sarah Leonhardy
department and given the
Staff Writer my
stamp of approval by them, so
LC welcomed teachers Dave
Jackson and Eric Woodard as
the new heads for the Business
and English departments. The
two started the year off as
regular teachers, but have
since been appointed to the
job of department heads.
The department head’s job is
to “act as an advocate for the
English department; and we deal
with the schedule issues, we
deal with the supply issues, we
order supplies,” said Woodard.
“We represent our department. Any issues that my teachers
have, they usually go to the
department head,” said Jackson.
Being a department head evoked
feelings from both teachers: “I am busier than I thought I
would be, but its kind of fun,
just being involved in different
decisions,”
said
Woodard.
“I am honored that I was
Staff
Box
Opinions Editor
Robert Weigle
Features Editors
David Sheppard
Jack Siddoway
Photography Editor
Jack Siddoway
Editor-In-Chief
Mac Smith
Ad Manager
Conor Wigert
Sports Editor
Culley Grow
into the school than the library.
The LC staff sent Assistant School was cancelled the day of
Principal Teresa Meyer and
Administrative Assistant Marty
Robinette to Sacajawea Middle
I have to,” said Woodard. School on Monday Sept. 11 after
“I am more aware, and now I get the library was destroyed in a fire
to know a little more about why on Friday Sept. 8 around 3:30 a.m.
stuff happens at LC, so I have more Meyer said the whole wing
obligations now,” said Jackson. where the library was located
Becoming a department head was blocked off and only a few
seems to enhance Jackson and classes at the end of that hall
Woodard’s Tiger pride. According were used when class resumed on
to Woodard, he is “helping make Monday. Meyer made a batch of
decisions that effect the school. cookies with tiger paws on it to
It enhances my Tiger pride.” give to the Sac staff that morning.
In both cases, new responsibilities “Teachers have asked what
bring a new sense of pride. could they do to help out and they
How do these two new department were very supportive,” said Meyer.
heads relate to each other? Meyer will announce in the
“Mr. Jackson and I have LC bulletin if Sac is setting up
shared musical taste. We trade any kind of fundraising so that
CDs a lot, we enjoy each others if anyone wants to help out, they
company, and we used to trade will receive the information soon.
a lot of CD,” said Woodard. “We don’t want to donate
“I have got a TON of respect something that’s wasted,” said
for Eric Woodard, he is a great Meyer. “We want to give them
friend, he is extremely talented something that they need.”
as a teacher, a musician, a friend. “We will do all we can to help,”
He is a good role model for kids, said Meyer. “They are future
he has a great sense of humor, he tigers and we will help them.”
cracks me up. He is a very talented Those interested in helping
guy-charismatic,” said Jackson. the recovery should wait for an
Advisor
Jennifer Showalter
News Editor
Emmily Eisenrich
I want to honor that, fulfill that,
do a good job,” said Jackson.
Both Jackson and Woodard
now have new duties to fulfill,
including ordering supplies and
dealing with other teachers’ issues
about the administration. But
according to Woodard, colleagues
do not treat him differently
now, with the exception of
fellow teacher Mark Robbins.
“Becoming the department head
has caused an un-healable rift in
our relationship,” said Woodard.
In the business department,
according to Jackson, “We have
always been a close department,
and I do not sense any change.”
Woodard’s outlook on life
has not changed now that he
is a department head. “Lets
just say that since I’ve been a
department head, I have become
a lot more efficient, I get a lot
more things done, just because
official announcement from Sac.
by Vally Moua
Luckily, firefighters were able to
Staff Writer stop the fire from spreading further
Staff Writers
Garth Ahern
Alexandria
Bozman
Vally Moua
Tucker Clarry
Alicia Ruggles
Liliana Elikh
Patrick Stagaman
Kira Estes
Joseph Sullivan
Kate Hellenthal
Erik Walters
Erin Hostetler
Nathan Weinbender
Christina Huggins
Ashleigh White
Danielle Kugler
Zack Alexander
Sarah Leonhardy
Samantha Blehm
Brooke Lively
the fire and only about 15 to 20
students showed up who did not
know what had happened. Bus
drivers were asked to go to their
normal route and inform students
that school was cancelled.
No one except the investigators
was allowed inside the school
because of the danger of carbon
monoxide poisoning from the
fire. Investigators had ruled that
the fire was set intentionally
after finding traces of flammable
liquids in some parts of the library.
Three days later, a 15 year-old
student from LC called authorities
and confessed to setting the fire
on Friday and he was taken in to
custody late Tuesday afternoon.
He informed authorities that
there were two other boys
who helped him set the fire.
The two other suspects
were also sophomores at LC
and were taken into custody
on Wednesday the Sept. 13.
According to a Spokesman
Review article, the arsonists
were angry at Sacajawea Middle
School, where they had attended,
and decided to set it on fire. They
were charged with second-degree
arson, second-degree burglary and
first-degree malicious mischief.
The estimated cost of the damage
is $300,000 and everything
in the library was destroyed.
Parent of LC student David
Hellenthal said he was there the
morning of the fire around 2:30
a.m. and heard the kids playing
around the middle school. “I
couldn’t sleep and I walked down
33 and Bernard,” said Hellenthal.
“As I walked, I heard voices which
were strange at night. I guess I
thought they were just playing
around at three in the morning so
I didn’t want to ruin their fun.”
Sac students went back to
school and are trying to go back
to how things were before the fire.
Meyer appreciates the fact
that LC students did not make
a big deal about the students
who set the fire. “We didn’t
notice anything abnormal,” said
Meyer. “Our kids are great and
we didn’t expect anything else.”
News
ISSUE 1
PAGE 3
October 2006
A second chancefor dances/mixers
by Culley Grow
Sports Editor
The LC student body has
English teacher Bryan Jackson enthusiastically teaches his classes at LC, but coaches at Ferris.
Jackson new drama coach
at Ferris, yet teaches at LC
as “The Desperados,” and
by Alicia Ruggles
chaperoning
trips outside of
Staff Writer Ferris. According
to Jackson,
LC English teacher Bryan
Jackson assumed the position
of supervisor of the Ferris
drama club at the beginning
of the 2006 school year.
Jackson applied for the job
after hearing that his friend Mary
Cooper had resigned from the
job in order to raise her family.
Jackson, who has been seriously
interested in drama for more than
20 years, considers drama a major
part of his life. “I have done
between 75 and 80 shows,” he
said. “I am excited about this job.”
The new occupation includes
directing plays after school,
advising the drama club and
improvisation
club,
known
advising the club is fairly
time consuming. “It definitely
takes a good amount of time.”
The productions in store for
this year include “The Crucible,”
which opens this fall, and “A
Mid-Summer Night’s Dream,”
which will play next spring.
LC drama will be performing
Shakespeare’s play as well this fall.
The Ferris drama students are
reportedly no different than LC
drama students. “They have that
same gleam in their eyes,” Jackson
said. “Drama students are drama
students, they love what they
do and they give 110 percent.”
Jackson has enjoyed his
experience at Ferris so far. “I
admit that it does take more
time than anticipated,” he said.
“I think it will get better.”
Cooper is estimated to return in two
to three years, when her children
are a bit older. Until then, Jackson
plans on keeping his position.
For the time being, he is
neither a Saxon nor a Tiger.
“I consider myself a teacher
and a theater-lover,” he said.
Students and staff have no
need to worry about Jackson
leaving LC. He overlooked an
open English position at Ferris
at the beginning of the summer.
Jackson accepted the job as
Ferris drama club instructor “to
help out a friend,” he said. “This is
where I am and I’m happy here.”
Jackson is excited about Ferris
drama and invites everyone
to see their first show, “The
Crucible,” which opens Oct. 26.
New Mental Health Group at LC
is a forum for student expression confidentiality about things
by Brooke Lively
bother them,” said Paras.
Staff Writer that
The group allows students
LC welcomed a new student
group this fall to the many
already in existence. The new
group, tentatively called the
“mental health group”, meets
on
Wednesday
mornings
during student access time
in the professional library; a
room within the school library.
“Wednesday mornings are
forums to speak and get feed
back,” said one of the group’s
supervisors, Camille Paras, a
mental health therapist. The other
adult supervisor is Greg Smith, a
drug and alcohol counselor at LC.
“This is an opportunity
for students to speak in
to process a wide variety of
problems ranging from drug and
alcohol abuse, family stresses,
to small annoyances at school.
The group is open to any student;
whether they choose to only
attend one week, or every week.
“It is meant to be very open, and
relaxed,” said Smith. “It’s a place
to go to get feedback from peers.”
The group was a student’s idea
last year. “It’s very student driven,”
said Smith. “It is dependent on
the students needs per week.”
The group stems from a nine
million dollar federal grant to
make schools safer. “There are
about five to six components
of the grant, all aimed at
improving
the
emotional
climate of schools,” said Paras.
Also, if a student feels they need
extra help, Paras is available on
Fridays for drop-ins and Smith is
at LC all week long in his office
next to the auditorium doors. There
are also the student counselors are
also available throughout the day.
“It is very relaxed and new
faces are always welcome,” said
Paras. Smith and Paras both
hope the group will spread by
word of mouth and become more
popular as the year progresses.
Also, on the last Wednesday
of every month, donuts are
provided for those attending.
“It’s meant to be a sort of
‘safe-room,’ just a place to
vent and release aggression
or
stress,”
said
Smith.
given hope to those who love
to dance with the proposition
of two mixers in addition to
Homecoming and Senior Prom.
In order for a dance to come
alive, it has to go through the
proper steps. “There has to be a
sponsoring group who wants to run
it,” said Administrative Assistant
for Activities Jeff Norton.
The group, or groups, that show
an interest then must sit down
with the administration and look
at the calendar for possible dates.
Certain conditions are required
for the use of the Field House,
though. One factor to consider
is whether or not there has just
recently been a dance, because
the over-exhaustion of dances
could
discourage
students
from attending. Also, since the
FH is property of District 81,
there are often other events
that are scheduled for its use
and must be planned around.
For the upcoming school
year, a mixer has been
scheduled for Friday, Oct. 27,
that is being sponsored by the
cheerleaders. The junior class
will also be sponsoring a dance
that is tentatively scheduled
for sometime in the spring.
Students may wonder why
mixers were not held last year or
why there are not more planned
this year. The simple answer is
that they became an investment
which was losing money.
Many factors contributed to
this loss of money. One is that
the students must abide by the
standards that the administration
sets. Student Assistance Specialist
Greg Smith said that the “present
dictates the future success,”
and that it is also up to the
students to dictate that success.
One of the easiest ways to solidify
a dance’s chance of occurring is
the presale of tickets. According
to Norton, mixers are tougher
since it is not a “date dance”
and students are less inclined
to purchase tickets in advance.
Buying tickets in advance
allows the group sponsoring the
dance to determine whether or
not they will raise enough money,
and it provides an early indication
of approximately how many
students will attend. They can
then determine details such as the
chaperoning that will be required.
While it may seem that nobody
wants dances to succeed, that is
not the case. “The administration
and staff are all for dances,”
said Norton. He did say that it is
their responsibility to uphold the
high expectations that students’
parents and the community
have for the school district.
Students are under their care,
and that makes them responsible
to abide by the rules and
regulations. This brings back the
point that the “present dictates the
future success.” If the behavior at
the dances remains appropriate,
then there will not be any problem
with planning future dances.
But dances provide more than
just a night out with friends
and free breathalyzer tests. It
is a unifying experience. “It’s a
proud experience,” said Smith,
comparing it to the feeling of
coming together for events outside
New staff interns
PHOTO BY
ASHLEIGH WHITE
Teachers Huff and Koestner
underwent the long process
of becoming administrative interns for future opportunities.
by Patrick Stagaman
Staff Writer
LC Teachers, Ryland Huff
and Phil Koestner, are working
as administrative interns this
year. Both of them work half of
the day in the office, learning
how to do the many tasks
school administrators have to
do, and teaching the other half.
It was a long process in order
for them to obtain the positions,
however “it was not rocket
science,” said Huff. Both of
them had to apply through the
district and get permission from
Principle John Swett. They also
had to spend the summer, or all
of last year, in Koestner’s case,
taking the required night-school
courses at Eastern Washington
University
to
prepare.
Koestner works the first
part of the school day, dealing
with attendance issues and the
disciplinary actions that apply.
He also talks to students if they
have been skipping class, or if
they are having trouble with a
teacher. He was also in charge of
the diabetes training for the LC
staff; certifying them all in 101
diabetes training. He will also be
helping to administer the PSAT.
The second part of the day,
Koestner still teaches Spanish
1 and debate, although he is no
longer the head debate coach.
Huff teaches freshman English
and College-Prep English the
first part of the day, and does his
administrative duties the second
half. Huff used to teach senior
AP English, however he says that
“there is not enough time to do a
good job” with that class this year.
Therefore, Cory Davis has taken on
all the senior AP english courses..
Huff helps supervise many
school activities, and has been
learning what goes on in the
administration, and how things
operate, which he would not be
able to do as a full-time teacher.
“It’s definitely a learning
process,” said Huff, “At
the end of the year there
will still be more to learn.”
Both will gain an administrative
credential, which can help them
get a job as a school administrator
if they choose to do so in the future.
Even though both are extremely
busy every day, they both say
that so far it is so good, and that
it will be a great experience.
After this year Koestner “will go
back to his real job,” said Spanish
teacher Peggy Herbert, as will
Huff. “I will go back to teaching
full-time, and coaching debate,”
said Koestner, “Viva LC.”
ISSUE 1
Features
October 2006
PAGE 4
Mac’s costume ideas
Senior Mac Smith loves to dress up as a butterfly for Halloween.
PHOTOS BY JOE SULLIVAN
This year’s Scandinavian Festival offered many activities, like a boat, funny hats and accordians.
Scandinavian Heritage Festival
Norwegian sandwiches and fish.
By Joe Sullivan
Staff Writer Tables and stands filled the rest of
Spokane area residents
congregated recently at the
Sons of Norway lodge in North
Spokane to celebrate the biennial
Scandinavian Heritage Festival.
The festival, which took
place
Sept.
23-24,
drew
many visitors with its unique
food, fun and festivities.
According to the official Sons
of Norway website, the goal of
the organization is to “promote,
preserve, and cherish a lasting
appreciation of the heritage and
culture of Norway and other
Nordic countries.” This goal is
accomplished by the festival,
which can draw in visitors that
would not normally attend.
“This festival is designed to
educate the community about
the Sons of Norway and on
Norwegian
heritage,”
said
Scott Schiermeister, an active
member in the organization.
The festival featured many unique
attractions, including traditional
food, clothing, crafts and music.
Directly inside the door was Lina’s
Café, which serves traditional
the pavilion, with vendors selling
everything from Scandinavian
clothing to wooden bread boxes.
Visitors to the Sons of Norway
will most likely remember the
“To promote,
perserve, and cherish”
lodge’s most famous attraction –
the giant Viking ship in front of the
lodge. The 33 foot long boat was
made in 1931 and has a massive
dragon’s head attached at the
bow. Harold Flesland, a member
who was active in the acquisition
and preservation of the ship, said,
“The dragon isn’t designed to
be mean. It’s a smiling dragon
that welcomes people here.”
Another event at the festival
was the accordion playing of
17-year-old Sammy Thomas.
His performance at the national
championships in Buffalo, New
York earned him the chance
to represent the United States
at the world championship
in
Norway
next
month.
“He’s a really amazing
player,” said Gladys Tellessen,
the chairman of the festival.
“The US hasn’t won the world
championships in a long time,
but this year Sammy has a shot.”
Another member of the Sons of
Norway who is active on the world
stage was present at this festival.
Dressed in full Viking garb, Roger
Young was a complete Norwegian.
Young, the sports director, is
active in an organization called
Ski for Light, which is a benefit
organization that helps blind
people to cross-country ski.
“Ski for Light provides a
pleasurable winter experience
for blind and disabled people,”
said Young. He trains with his
skiers every winter and even
competes in Norway during
international competitions. More
information on Ski for Light can
be found at www.skiforlight.org.
Opportunities and information
are available for students wishing
to travel to Scandinavia through
the Sons of Norway, and those
wishing to be involved can visit
the website at www.sonspokane.
com, or can contact the lodge at
326-9211 between 9 am and 1 pm.
will definitely be moved into the
By Mac Smith
Editor in Chief garage stairwell, and your mom
The time has come again, my
friends, to shun everything we are
brought up to believe as children
and redefine the contemporary
paradigm of what is commonly
referred to as “acceptable” conduct.
Once again, it’s Halloween.
For those of you still
struggling to put together a
costume, I have assembled a
small list of ideas that are sure
to put the candy in your bucket.
First, you can dress up as a
cloistered monk. Shave your
head and walk around like you
hate electricity, and when anyone
answers the door you are free
to criticize their new-age pagan
belief system. Make sure not to
leave without your candy, though!
Second, using only an ordinary
bed sheet, you can turn yourself
into a ghost! Cut two holes in
the sheet for eyeholes and then
drape the whole thing over your
body and you are good to go!
If you would like to be something
a little less scary, you can always
try dressing up as a member of
the opposite sex. This is almost
guaranteed a good belly laugh.
Make not that this costume is
only appropriate on Halloween. If
your father finds out you’ve been
doing otherwise, your bedroom
will quit buying Cap’n Crunch
just for you. This costume runs
the risk of tearing apart your
family, so wear at your own risk!
Last year, I implemented one
of my favorite costumes, a spider.
The easiest way to throw this one
together is to grow six new arms.
The hard way (which ultimately
makes for the best costume) is to
saw the arms off of two or three
reasonably willing elderly and
affix them to your torso with Crazy
Glue. Your friends will love it!
Another personal favorite of
mine is the beard. Spend a couple
weeks before Halloween not
shaving. Of course, I don’t mean
all the time, but whenever you
have a few spare minutes, make
sure to not shave. It’s simple,
easy, and fun. Hardly anyone
will recognize the new you!
Finally, you can spend this All
Hallows Eve dressed as Karma.
To pull this one off, dress up like
someone who punches people
in the face for no reason. When
anyone answers the door, punch
them in the face for no reason
(make sure to get the candy first,
though). Before you leave, make
sure you say, “That’s karma for
ya!” At first they will probably
be really mad, but once they
get it they’ll laugh like a hyena.
Pluto
not
a
planet
Rock Coffee closes, relocates!
By Erik Walters
Staff Writer
The bad news: Rock Coffee will
no longer be serving their brand
of coffee or tea, nor will they
be hosting any local or touring
musical acts at their current
location. The good news: Rock
Coffee is not shutting down;
they are simply relocating.
Rock Coffee had its live music
privileges revoked last July by
its landlords after apparently
breaking its lease agreement
with the building, which also
provides space for the Big Easy
Concert House and Bourbon
Street Uptown Food & Spirits.
Since Rock Coffee shared
space in the same building, it was
forced to abide by its regulations
after receiving complaints of
noise violations and the styles of
music Rock Coffee was hosting
from its neighboring tenants.
Fat Tuesdays, another popular
local venue, closed shortly before
Rock Coffee. Since both venues
were responsible for a distinct
amount of local concerts, their
absence left a large void in the local
PHOTO COURTESY OF INTERNET
music scene. Until Rock Coffee
reopens, there are only a handful
of local venues (Empyrean, Big
Dipper, Service Station) hosting
all ages concerts around town.
Rock Coffee was also the host
of local music podcasts, recorded
weekly in the venue and posted
online at www.spokane7.com.
Since its live music privileges
were terminated, Rock Coffee
passed podcasts to Center Stage,
1017 W. First Ave, and its
open mic nights to the Caterina
Winery, 905 N Washington Street.
Rumor has it that the new
location of Rock Coffee will
be in the Garland district, and it
will reopen in early December.
Along with the aspect of coffee
and dining, the coffeehouse
will serve as an all ages, 300+
capacity music venue, with main
and small stages, a movie pub,
and the return of podcasts and
high speed wireless internet.
The venue also plans to record,
mix, and master live shows
the day of the show, which is a
feature that The Shop, another
local coffee house and music
venue, practiced before it recently
abandoned hosting concerts.
According to the Spokesman
Review in an interview with Rock
Coffee’s owner, Todd Rothrock,
there was talk of opening a
second Rock Coffee at a new
location before the controversy
with the Big Easy surfaced, so the
timing was essentially perfect.
“It looks like it will work out
for everyone,” said Rothrock.
By Alex Bozman
we are creating an umbrella
Staff Writer under which the dwarf
The International Astronomical
Union (IAU) determined that
Pluto is no longer a planet as of
Thursday, Aug. 25. Pluto was
deemed no longer worthy of
planet hood after new regulations
were set to determine what
is and what is not a planet.
Astronomers decided that Pluto
no longer meets the requirements
for planetary status due to its size.
Pluto has since been demoted
to the status of dwarf planet,
joining Ceres and 2003 UB313,
as small solar system bodies.
According to an article from
CNN, the new rules for planetary
status are, “a celestial body that
is in orbit around the sun, has
sufficient mass for its self-gravity
to overcome rigid body forces
so that it assumes a…nearly
round shape, and has cleared the
neighborhood around its orbit.”
Astronomer Jocelyn Bell Burnell
said those who are disappointed
with Pluto’s demotion should
“look on the bright side.”
“It could be argued that
planets exist,” said Burnell.
Some are resistant to the change in
Pluto’s planetary status. “Who has
the authority to choose planets,”
said sophomore Micaiah Gray.
“It’s been in the solar system, it’s
pulled by the sun, isn’t it a planet?”
“I think it’s stupid how we
now have to rememorize them
now,” said freshman Emily Clary.
Others are pleased with Pluto’s
demotion. Science teacher Steve
Bennet said he has “been teaching
that Pluto is a not a planet”
throughout his entire career.
“The AIU’s reasons for
demotion are sound,” said
junior Rebecca Millsap. “We’d
have to expand the universe [if
Pluto hadn’t been demoted].”
Senior William Jones feels
let down about the removal of
Pluto’s planetary status. “It’s
sad…I don’t think they gave
Pluto much of a chance,” said
Jones. “America always picked
on the little guy and Pluto is the
little guy of the solar system. We
have shoved him into the locker in
the in the sky and left him for the
bullies to steal his lunch money.”
ISSUE 1
Features
PAGE 5
October 2006
Mauersberger’s US realization
by Vally Moua
Staff Writer
Junior Marc Mauersberger is
a foreign exchange student from
Rostock, Germany, studying at LC
this year. Mauersberger is one of
the nine foreign exchange students
at LC who came from such places
as India, France and Brazil.
Mauersberger has two brothers,
Tom and Brent who are still in
Germany. He came to the U.S.
through a foreign exchange
students program and is very
glad he did it. “I like the English
language a little bit more than
German,” said Mauersberger.
In Germany, Mauersberger
attended a gymnasium which is
like high school. A gymnasium is
grades 5-13, the highest level of
education before you go to college.
The only difference between a
high school and a gymnasium
is that grades 12 and 13 are
lower courses for freshman and
sophomore level classes in the U.S.
Mauersberger arrived in Spokane
on Sept. 1 after a 22 hour flight.
“I slept because it was 10 p.m. when
I got here,” said Mauersberger.
According to Mauersberger,
Spokane is very different from
Germany. “Germany is more
difficult than here,” he said.
Everything is less expensive
in the U.S than Germany. He
said gas in Germany is about
six dollars a gallon compared to
Spokane’s three dollars a gallon.
Mauersberger also said the
numbers of fast food restaurants
here is surprising. “I was driving
down Division and there’s
so much fast food so… yeah.
I am in America,” he said.
Mauersberger said that the first
thought that comes to mind when
America is mentioned is Bush,
since he is the president of the
U.S, then the people, the cars
and the patriotism of America.
He is now staying with LC
student Senior Brent Marshall and
his family. “I like living with the
Marshalls,” said Mauersberger.
Mauersberger went up to Mt.
Spokane one day to look around the
city. “I love the countryside,” said
Maersberger. “It was amazing.”
Another thing Mauersberger
really likes about Spokane is
LC. “Everything is huge and
there are so many people to see
everyday,” said Mauersberger.
“The school is really pretty.”
His favorite subject is calculus
and his favorite teacher is fitness
teacher Tara Groves, “since she is
always so energetic.” He also loves
to play competitive soccer, which
he misses a lot since soccer is a
huge sport in Germany. He is very
excited about trying out for the LC
soccer team this year in the spring.
He is so excited that he
PHOTO BY VALLY MOUA
Junior
Marc
Mauersberger,
a
German
exchange
student,
is
impressed
with
Spokane in general.
volunteered to help coach Logan
Elementary’s
soccer
team.
Also, there is no football in
Germany so this is the first
time Maersberger has ever tried
to play. When he kicked the
football for the first time, LC
Football coach Tom Yearout
was amazed at how far the ball
flew. “Of course,” Mauersberger
said. “I do play soccer.”
Mauersberger will be staying
in the U.S. for the whole school
year and will then returning
to Germany soon afterwards.
Kira’s crafts with Martha’s style
PHOTO COURTESY OF INTERNET AND TUCKER CLARRY
By Kira Estes
Staff Writer
Halloween is well on its
way. It is a time for spooky
costumes, a night for sweet
treats and a chance to decorate,
party and make fun crafts!
If you are having any trouble
finding that perfect project to
take on in commemoration of the
holiday, stop worrying now. I
have taken the liberty of finding
the top five crafts for 2006 that will
surely earn a five-star approval
from the one and the only Martha
Stewart, queen of homemaking,
guru of holiday decorating, and
highly qualified stock investor.
So grab your scissors, paper,
spatula, and Elmer’s gluestick and prepare to amaze
your friends. Here are the top
five Halloween ideas that will
make Martha Stewart Proud:
5. Orange and Black Fortune
Cookies- Use a traditional recipe
for the Chinese dessert, but
separate them into two batches
before baking and dye one orange
and one black for an autumn theme.
For the fortunes, quote stock
market figures and the fate of the
investments. For example, “your
stocks will reach an all-time low,
sell illegally.” Stewart will most
likely suggest taking the advice.
4. Scary Halloween Music Party
Mix- For those technologically
advanced students out there who
would rather use a computer than
a spatula, burn a Halloween CD
featuring party-theme songs like
“Banshee,” “Addams Family
Theme,” “Monster Mash,” etc..
Or, if you are in for a real fright,
Martha Stewart would throw
in a bit of “Jailhouse Rock.”
3. “Beat the Stockbroker”
Piñata- A little paper-mache and
confetti paper and you can make
Martha Stewart has gathered all of her supplies for this Halloween.
things really interesting. As a
tribute, you can even make it
in the form of Martha Stewart
herself. Fill it with other people’s
money, preferably stolen, and
you will have the most popular
party game on the block!
2. Haunted Spider HouseTo really scare the kids this
year, decorate your home with
creepy, crawly arachnids.
If
you are looking for a quickfix, buy the cotton webs and
plastic spiders. If you really
want to amaze people with
creativity and save your money,
you can make realistic looking
webs from shredded financial
documents and not spend a dime!
1.
Prisoner CostumeEveryone wants to look good on
Halloween. The hottest choice
for holiday-wear this year is a
prison suit in slightly brightened
autumn orange. Sew it yourself
and embroider your initials on
the pocket and add some cute
buttons. Martha Stewart will
like this idea because dressing up
as a prisoner is a simple way to
disguise ankle ID bracelets and
could make her feel more at home.
LC Graduate Kelly Sweeney visited the LC library on
September 22 and shared his newly published book.
LC graduate promotes
new book of sea stories
by Vally Moua
Staff Writer
LC graduate Captain Kelly
Sweeney, 47, donated his book
“From the Bridge: Authentic
Modern Sea Stories” to the
LC library on Friday Sept. 22.
Sweeney’s book contains
the first 40 articles he has
written
for
the
“Pacific
Maritime” magazines about
merchant trades and shipments.
Sweeney’s goal is to teach the
people the importance of the
merchant marine and tell them
why they need it, since there
is a lack of awareness about
merchant marines. “Merchant
marine is not part of the military,”
said Sweeney. “We are civilian
mariners who take cargos from
one part of the world to another.”
America receives many items
from different countries through
ships and they do not even
know it. “The cars they drive,
clothes they wear, computers,
cell phones, all came from
other places,” said Sweeney.
Another issue Sweeney
would like to raise is how little
protection the merchant marines
receive while at sea. “Last year
there was about 5,000 armed
attacks against merchant world
wide,” said Sweeney. “All
we had to protect ourselves
were fire hoses and fire axes.”
The first chapter of Sweeney’s
book is called “Pirates” because
he was once attacked by pirates
while in the Dominican Republic.
It was Christmas night 2003
when the attack occurred.
“I was on an oil ship and we
had two armed guards,” said
Sweeney. “These pirates came
aboard to steal equipment from
the ship. One of the armed
guards shot one of the pirates.”
Nothing was taken but they
had no idea how many pirates
there were. “16 billion dollars
lost in merchandise and shipment
last year,” said Sweeney. “The
people who have to pay for
the loss are the customers.”
Sweeney feels that the
government is not ignoring
the attacks on merchant ships,
but the governments resources
are stretched too thin when it
comes to shipping in the seas.
According to the Spokesman
Review, a reviewer for the
Seafarers International Union
said, “Sweeney is equally
candid and not afraid to
criticize in ‘From the Bridge.’”
“I strive to tell the truth
as I see it,” said Sweeney.
On Thursday Sept. 21, Sweeney
read from his book at Auntie’s
Bookstore on 402 W. Main
Ave. Sweeney said, “It was
great. I sold a lot of books.”
He also did an interview
with KXLY News radio and
about 35 media interviews
about his book nationwide.
Now back at LC, Sweeney said,
“It looks a lot better than when I
was here.” His fondest memory
at LC was graduating in 1977.
He now lives on Whidbey Island
north of Seattle with his wife
Frances. They have been married
for 21 years and have no kids.
ISSUE 1
Features
PAGE 6
October 2006
LC WASL scores rise
By Alex Bozman
Staff Writer
The Washington Assessment
of Student Learning scores came
in last June and showed that LC
continued to excel in the reading,
writing and math sections.
However, we still need some
improvement in the science portion
of the test which does not yet
count for graduation according to
assistant principal Theresa Meyer.
“We did better than last
year,” said Meyer. “We made
big improvements in reading,
writing, and math but we
need to work on science.”
The percentage of students passing
the reading and writing sections
both increased: reading improved
from 75.6% passing to 85.8% and
writing from 70.3% to 80.2%.
More students also passed
the math section than in
previous years, increasing from
56.9% to 62.2% passing. The
percentage of students passing
the science segment however,
decreased from 44.9% to 40.5%.
Some of the students that failed to
pass the WASL the first time chose
to attend classes in the summer.
These classes were intended
to prepare the students for the
retakes in August. Approximately
250 sophomores from six
Spokane schools attended the
classes according to an article
in the Spokesman Review.
In some preemptive actions,
the curriculum in classes
is being tailored to ensure
greater student WASL success.
“We are going to become
more deliberate about extra
help before [the WASL] and
in remediation,” said english
department head Eric Woodard.
“We have a literacy lab and
we’ve pinpointed those who
failed English or a previous
WASL. They get extra assistance
that is in part geared toward
improvement in the WASL.”
According to Woodard, the
school is developing a tutoring
program for those juniors who did
not pass the WASL the first time.
In math classes the curriculum is
already shifting to accommodate
the WASL even more. “The ninth
PHOTO BY TUCKER CLARRY
With the increase in honors classes this year, Andy Lang
has three sophomore honors classes instead of two.
Numbers up for
honors classes
LC
year
WASL
in
the
scores
areas
have
increased
of
math,
reading
graders are already rolled into a
new curriculum called CMIC that
has more grade level expectations
and more state standards to
meet,” said math department
head RaeLynn Westby. This new
curriculum takes the place of the
integrated system previously used.
According to science
department head Don Worthy,
the science curriculum will not
change. “It is already aligned
for the WASL,” said Worthy.
At the moment, the science WASL
is not required for graduation.
from
last
and
writing.
But in the year 2010 the science
WASL will become part of
the graduation requirements.
“I like the graduation
requirement including science,”
said senior Romany Redman.
“But I’m not sure if a standardized
test is the way to do it.
Junior Elizabeth Fitzgerald
said, “I don’t much like
standardized tests in general. It
tests test taking ability rather
than subjects. And with the
science WASL it’s just another
subject that’s being corrupted.”
FREE Online WASL Prep Classes Provided by District 81
SESSIONS STARTING:
November 20th, 2006
January 22nd, 2007
February 12th, 2007
June 25th, 2007
Visit this website for more information:
http://www.spokaneschools.org/onlinelearning/WASL/index.stm
New drafting and Tiger Growl
teacher: Yvonne Fischer
by Kate Hellenthal
Staff Writer
Yvonne Fischer, a new teacher
at LC, is also the new Tiger Growl
supervisor and drafting teacher.
Fischer said that she applied
to work at LC through an ad that
she saw on our school website.
She has taken the place of two
teachers here at LC, Chris
Morlan, the previous drafting
teacher, and Mark Jenke, the
former Tiger Growl supervisor.
Morlan left LC to pursue a career
in architecture. Mark Jenke, the
former Tiger Growl supervisor,
requested a partial leave of absence.
“Tiger Growl is really
intense and I feel like I owe
my
family,”
Jenke
said.
So far, Fischer has had
a
positive
experience
working at LC in this fall.
“It’s been great,” she
said.
“The
students
are
awesome, the kids are great.”
These feelings seem to be shared
by her students. Sophomore
Sayra Engh, who has Fischer
for a basic drafting class, said,
“She’s nice, very patient. She’s
good about helping you if you
don’t understand what you’re
doing. I really like the class.”
Engh said that she wants to become
an architect and that Fischer
makes the class easier because
“she knows what she’s doing.”
Sophomore Alan Blanton enjoys
his basic drafting class with
Fischer as well. “It’s fun learning
new programs like Autocad,
which opens up new jobs,” he said.
According to Engh, Fischer’s
experience
in
architecture
makes
her
class
more
informational. Blanton agrees.
He
said,
“She
obviously
knows what she’s doing.”
Both students feel that if
Fischer were not their teacher for
basic drafting, then they would
not learn as much. According
to Engh, they would not receive
the same instructions because of
the experience that Fischer has.
In addition to her positive
experience with the students,
Fischer said that she is
“really impressed with the
administrators here. They’re
very kind and gracious.”
Fischer, a Holy Names Academy
High School graduate, attended
the University of Oregon.
After graduation, she worked
in the architecture industry.
Fischer said she always knew
that she wanted to teach and after
years of working in an office
she decided to go into teaching.
She began teaching architectural
technology
at
Spokane
Community College in 1990.
Fischer taught there for six years.
After SCC, Fischer taught at
Sunnyside High School, located
in the Yakima and Tri-Cities area.
At Sunnyside, she taught drafting,
commercial art, and, her favorite
class,
computer
animation.
“It really was a fun class,” she said.
by Liliana Elikh
and Conor Wigert
Staff Writers
The Tiger Leadership council
decided to add more honors courses
as soon as the registration forms
came in earlier this school year.
“We have students that need it,”
said Assistant Principal Theresa
Meyer. It is estimated that there
are about two new periods added
per topic that have new sections.
Some of the classes with
added sections are honors
English,
honors
Science
and Environmental Science.
AP Environmental Science
class, taught by sophomore
science teacher Lorie Rambo,
gives students the option of taking
the AP test, but it is not required.
The class, unlike most science
classes, is worth a potential
semester of college credit.
The curriculum includes
learning about the earth, how
humans interact with it, and what
can be done to help preserve it.
Like its similar counterpart,
outdoor living, AP Environmental
Science takes about four field
trips a semester, including field
labs. “We don’t, however, get
to go fishing,” said Rambo.
Another brand-new course
this year is an AP Art History
class, taught by John Hagney
and
Kelsey
Anderson.
“AP Art History is about art
and its historic relevance,” said
sophomore Artemis Nicolaysen,
a student enrolled in the AP
Art History class. “I’ve learned
all about the origins of art.”
“The main goal is so that students
learn to understand and appreciate
art,” said Hagney. “We try to
balance the quantity of the content
with the quality of the learning.”
“I really like that we take
most of our time on discussion.
We talk more about the works
rather than do worksheets,” said
senior Micah Coleman Campbell,
an AP Art History student.
“It’s more rigorous, there’s
more homework, and it’s kind
of demanding. It requires more
knowledge and independent
learning,”
said
sophomore
Ajullu Cham, one of Anderson’s
students. “But it’s a really good
course. It provides insight, a
glimpse of college-level learning.”
Lorie Rambo teaches the new
AP
Environmental
Science
class. This class is valuable
on high school transcripts.
The course requires students
to look at art, prehistoric to
present, western and nonwestern
and find something related
to history in it. This is just a
different way of studying history.
“It’s very interesting and I enjoy
listening to Mr. Hagney lecture, and
it’s pretty cool having the hugest
textbook ever,” said Nicolaysen.
Theses new classes are something
that the Tiger Leadership
council has been talking about
for years. Now they are finally
included in class registration
forms. “Great Students need
great classes,” said Meyer.
ISSUE 1
Sports
PAGE 7
October 2006
Slow-pitch softball
joins tougher GSL
by Christina Huggins
Staff Writer
The LC volleyball team sets up for a point in their three games to one victory against Mt. Spokane .
Volleyball paves pathway that
could lead to state playoffs
by Alicia Ruggles
Staff Writer
The 2006 volleyball season
started off successfully and has
continued to do so. Currently
the team boasts a 10-0 record
as of October 11, including the
two pre-season victories against
Mead and U-Hi. Many of these
wins were three set matches.
Varsity coach Julie Yearout attributed the successful start to the
team’s strong returning players.
Returning members include seniors Janae Forney, Hannah Zimmerman, Erica Ehlo, Caitlin Deitz,
junior Laurie Yearout and sophomore Oceana Bush. “[They] really set the tone,” said J. Yearout.
According to L. Yearout, the
team entered the season with focus and excitement. Goals included beating Mead, becoming GSL
champions and getting to the state
tournament. “Mead will be our biggest challenge,” said L. Yearout.
In the pre-season, LC defeated Mead in a close game,
playing all five sets. “It had
been four years since LC beat
Mead,” said sophomore Chloe
Rowand. “We were all excited.”
According to J. Yearout,
LC has a much better shot
to beat Mead this year.
“Last year’s team was hard to beat,
but this year’s team has been the
best total team so far,” J. Yearout
said. “These girls do a great job of
playing for each other.” J. Yearout
has been head coach of LC varsity volleyball for four years.
“[The team] has already improved, but there’s always room
for more,” said J. Yearout. “I
think our defense could be a
little stronger,” said L. Yearout.
J. Yearout hopes to finish the
season strong and improved. “I
expect to win more than we lose!”
she said. “I’m hoping to play on the
last day of the state tournament.”
“We want a banner!”
added
L.
Yearout.
The LC varsity girl’s slowpitch softball team’s record
was 5-7 as of Oct. 9, when
Shadle defeated LC 11-1.
In its first year in the GSL, after
being in the District 81 league for
several years, the varsity team has
to play against a few highly competitive teams and strong softball teams such as U-Hi, CV and
EV, whom they would not have
played in the District 81 league.
With nine seniors, this group
of girls is highly experienced,
but there are still girls who are
learning. “It’s a good team,”
said varsity coach Tara Groves.
Groves has coached the LC Varsity Slow-pitch softball team for all
of the five years that the girl’s team
has been in existence. The team,
however, has strengths in some
areas and weaknesses in others.
“Although we have some problems in our defense we are hitting
well,” said Groves. The team’s batting average was .410 as of Oct. 4.
The players have made huge
adjustments in their play this
season, however, due to a shortage of players with experience in the outfield. Out of 17
varsity players only three had
real experience in the outfield.
“I had to convert five to six players to outfielders,” said Groves.
Senior Maria Mackin on second.
“They are making many adjustments and they are great kids.”
“There are a lot of situations of
people stepping up and taking on
roles they weren’t necessarily expected to,” said sophomore Tashi
Eldore, who plays right field.
“They are a fun group of individuals,” said junior Tiffany
Jenkins, who plays first base.
With two games left in the
season the team has pretty
much wrapped up a playoff
spot. Out of eight teams in the
league the top six teams will
make it into the district playoffs.
“We are hoping to slip into the
number five slot,” said Groves.
The team has good expectations for the rest of the season.
Wait! What? Since when do we have those sports?
The LC, EV and U-Hi girl’s cross country teams compete for the attention and affection of their fans; running to their hopes and dreams of finally being recognized.
by Kira Estes
Staff Writer
LC students have the opportunity
to involve themselves in numerous extracurricular activities that
the school offers, such as sports.
Sports, one of those activities, are
enjoyed by athletes as well as supporters. Supporters are important
because their efforts are vital in
maintaining a positive and unified
attitude amongst the student body.
Generally, students in the LC
community do an excellent job
of showing up to the “main-line”
sports competitions and supporting their classmates. Attend a
Tiger football game and you will
be astounded by the flood of or-
ange and black clad students
shouting words of encouragement and following cheerleaders
to chants of “Go Banana Go!”
However, it has been brought
to my attention that some sports,
particularly cross country and
gymnastics, are under-recognized and under-represented
compared to the others. Attend
a Tiger cross country or gymnastics meet and you will be
astonished if LC students even
know these sports exist at school.
This ignorance of two highly
important sports has put the
entire LC community in serious danger of an imbalance of
school spirit and student unity.
Rarely do any students from LC
go to cross country and gymnastics meets. This is highly dis-
couraging and disrespectful to
the athletes. They train just as
hard and put just as much effort
into competitions to represent our
school. Athletes are concerned
that fellow students fail to give
them the much needed support
and gratitude that they deserve.
“Nobody comes to our cross
country meets,” said junior Katy
Covert. “When we have to run
up a big hill and nobody from
our school is at the top cheering
for us, it’s really discouraging.”
It only seems to be a problem
at LC. Cross country and gymnastics meets are often filled
with supporters…from rival
schools. So what causes students here to be so unsupportive?
Beta Hsu, senior runner and gymnast, believes it is mainly “a lack
of spirit and cheerleading pep.”
“Other schools always have
people going to meets and people
holding up signs and stuff,” said
Hsu. “At LC, if we have a home
meet, it seems like the parents and
friends of the teams we are playing
against come more than ours do.”
So what causes this differentiation amongst sport supporter
turn-outs? I have come to the
conclusion that LC students are
failing to familiarize with the
sports enough because of the lack
of “advertisement” at the school.
Because of this under-recognition, students have no incentive to
gain any real interest in the sports.
Perhaps if the cheerleaders
and athletes of these near-forgotten sports took time to advertise
their games more, students will
be willing to give more support.
Or maybe, students need to give
a little more effort in realizing
that cross country and gymnastics are really interesting, and
show up to support their teams.
It’s pertinent that these hard
working athletes receive the recognition and support just as much
as the more recognized athletes receive on a regular basis. Day after
day these boys and girls work hard
doing what they do best, whether
it is running for miles, or just
perfecting their tucks and flips.
So let us show some real tiger spirit and community unity!
I’m giving you the chance to
have dignity, honor, and warmfuzzy feelings for going out and
supporting ALL of LC’s amazing athletic teams this year.
ISSUE 1
Sports
PAGE 8
October 2006
College basketball preview of upcoming season
two contributors from a year ago:
by David Sheppard
senior Sean Mallon and sophoFeatures Editor more Josh Heytvelt. To accomThe 2006-07 college basketball season is fast approaching
and NCAA basketball fans have
much to look forward to. Gonzaga University, Eastern Washington University, University of
Washington and Washington State
University fans are all eagerly
awaiting a season that will be
filled with ups and downs for all.
The expectations for each team
vary greatly. The Gonzaga fans
have more questions to answer
than past years, but still expect to
field one of the top teams on the
west coast. EWU has some of their
highest expectations ever, after
narrowly losing to Montana in the
Big Sky Conference semifinals.
Washington is expected to finish near the top of the Pac-10
Conference. On the contrary, a
long season is expected down in
Pullman for Washington State.
Here is an in-depth look
at the four large local
schools in Washington State:
Gonzaga Bulldogs: After losing
the face of the university, Adam
Morrison, to an early entrance
into the NBA Draft, the Bulldogs
are still expected to be competitive during a brutal non conference schedule. The schedule includes playing the likes of Texas,
Georgia, Duke, Nevada, Virginia
and Memphis, not to mention
playing in the preseason National
Invitational Tournament (NIT).
The Zags return a strong group of
point and combo guards. Senior
Derek Raivio is expected to be
the one of team’s starting guards,
but the other guard spot is still
up in the air. Junior Pierre Marie Altidor-Cespedes, sophomore
Jeremy Pargo and freshman Matt
Bouldin along with Raivio are expected to fill the two guard sports.
Kansas transfer Micah Downs
will have to sit out the fall semester due to NCAA regulations after transferring. The sophomore
guard will likely split time with
sophomore Larry Gurganious
on the wing. Downs is a dead
on shooter while Gurganious is
more of a penetrate and throw
down type of energy player.
On the front line, GU returns
pany the two returnees from last
year, the Zags have brought in
a series of new big guys. BYU
transfer Dave Burgess and Tallahassee Community College transfer Abdullahi Kuso are expected
to provide some much needed
relief for Mallon and Heytvelt.
The brutal schedule will ultimately pay off for the Zags, who
are going to be around when
March rolls around yet again.
The experience that these young
players gain during the early
season will prove valuable when
they are fighting for an NCAA
Tournament at-large bid, or whatever they may be in the hunt for
when March is approaching.
Eastern Washington Eagles:
The Eagles have very high hopes
for the 2006-07 campaign. The
only starter that does not return is Deuce Smith whose eligibility was up after last year.
The team is led by its first bona
fide and nationally recognized
superstar: sophomore guard Rodney Stuckey. Stuckey was the
first freshman to be named Big
Sky Most Valuable Player last
year. Many scouts and college
basketball analysts believe that
Stuckey could be the most NBA
ready guard on the west coast.
According to Foxsports.com,
University of Southern California
coach Tim Floyd had some impressive thoughts about Stuckey.
“Stuckey is the best NBA prospect
we played against last year,” Floyd
said. These are some pretty strong
words from someone who played
against the likes of Brandon Roy,
Jordan Farmar, and Leon Powe
in conference play last season.
To support Stuckey, the Eagles
return four of their five starters. Senior Paul Butorac is expected to carry much of the load
for the EWU frontcourt. Along
with Butorac, the Eagles return
sophomore guard Matt Penoncello, junior guard/forward Kellen Williams, junior forward Jake
Beitinger and senior guard Rhett
Humphrey. The Eagles are also
bringing in standout junior college
transfer Marcus Hinton who is
expected to contribute right away.
Eastern will be put to test right
away when they visit McCarthy
Athletic Center to play Gonzaga in their first game. Many
believe that this just may be the
year that the Eags beat the Zags.
Washington State Cougars:
For new head coach Tony Bennett,
the possibilities of having more
success than his father are bleak
in his first couple years. Bennett,
who took over from his father
Dick who retired after last season
is currently in rebuilding mode.
The Cougars lose their leading scorer from a year, Josh
Akognon who was upset
with playing time and transferred to Cal State Fullerton.
However, the Cougars do return several starters.
Junior
guards Kyle Weaver and Derrick Low are expected to be
the starting backcourt. On the
frontline, WSU returns junior
forward Robbie Cowgill, senior forward Ivory Clark and
sophomore center Aron Baynes.
The Cougars are at least a couple years away from challenging any Pac-10 schools for the
right to call the conference theirs.
Washington Huskies: Even
after losing the number six
pick in last years draft, Brandon Roy, the Huskies are expected to be a prowling around
the top of the Pac-10 yet again.
One of the biggest reasons Washington has their hopes high is that
they landed one of the top recruits
in the country, and he was in their
own backyard. 6’11” freshman
center Spencer Hawes is expected to be not only one of the best
freshmen in the country, but one
of the best players in the country.
Many scouts believe that Hawes
is a one-and-done in his college
career, meaning that he will jump
to the NBA after this season.
The Huskies have so little experience that they are going to have no
essential seniors on the roster. The
young nucleus of stars is expected
to carry Washington a long way.
Sophomore guard Justin Dentmon is expected to start at the
point and sophomore forward Jon
Brockman is expected to bring
some toughness and aggressiveness to the frontcourt. Junior
guard Ryan Appleby is expected
to be the most dangerous sharpshooter from behind the arc.
PHOTO COURTESY OF INTERNET AND TUCKER CLARRY
Rodney Stuckey appears to be one of the best NBA prospects.
Four other freshmen could
step in and be key contributors to UW’s hope of advancing
deep into the NCAA Tournament.
Center Joe Wolfinger,
guard/forward Quincy Pondexter, and guards Harvey Perry and
Adrian Oliver all will be instrumental in Washington’s hopes
in having success in 2006-07.
Girl’s and boy’s cross country return with strong runners
the girls, came back strong this for regionals, and hopefully we’ll
by Jack Siddoway
welcoming senior runners go to state. Our greatest competiPhoto Editor year,
Darrick Thompson and Graham tion is from East Valley or Mead.”
Returning varsity
runners along with
outstanding freshmen create success
Junior Ramsey Larson and sophomore Nicole Ledwith race uphill.
Both boy’s and girl’s cross
country boast fantastic teams
this year with many prominent
individuals leading the way.
Senior Hillary Landers, captain
of the girl’s cross country team
said, “The girl’s cross country
team is looking good this year—
the JV team has a lot of depth.”
The girl’s varsity team welcomes
back a variety of runners from
last year’s team, including senior runners Chelsea Momany,
Simone Phillips, Romany Redman and Kira Estes, and juniors
Ellie Siler and Taylor Yost.
The boy’s varsity team, like
Miller and junior Riley Myklebust. “The team looks strong this
year. We are healthy, as opposed
to the injuries we had last year,”
said Thompson, who is captain of
the boy’s team, along with Miller.
Not all the talent is attributed
to returning runners this year. In
fact, on both teams freshman have
played prominent roles in the varsity teams. The girl’s varsity team
welcomes freshman Richelle
Signer, who, according to Landers, is one of the top seven runners on the girl’s team. Freshmen
Chris Ennis and Darrick Alcorn
all made it to the boy’s varsity
team this year. Sophomore Beddome Allen, also a new runner,
is now on the boy’s varsity team.
Although both teams look
strong, the push for state might
take a little more work. Girl’s
cross country shows somewhat of
a chance of getting to state. Phillips said, “We are looking good
Unfortunately for the boy’s
cross country team, the GSL is
one of the toughest cross country
leagues in the country. According
to The Harrier Super 25 preseason
poll, Mead high school is currently has the number one cross country team in the nation, followed in
third by Ferris High school. LC
has been ranked by the Spokesman Review as fourth in Spokane,
preceded by Mead, Ferris and CV.
“We’ll be going to regionals. However, state is a tall-order,” said boy’s cross country
coach Andre Wicks. The boy’s
team will have to beat CV in order to make it to state as a team.
On the individual level,
Thompson has hopes to get to
state. “I have to get into the top
20 to make it,” Thompson said.
While future success in state
might be difficult to attain for both
teams, they look strong as they
push through the next few meets.
ISSUE 1
Sports
PAGE 9
October 2006
Football proves successful despite some injuries
There is no real demand or reby Tucker Clarry
liance on either the pass or the
Staff Writer run for LC, with them both in
With a 5-1 record as of Oct.
10, the LC varsity football team
looks to win their next game
and beat G-Prep for the chance
to have a tie for first in the GSL.
A team that lost one of their running backs, senior Dusty Stanek,
has shined with younger players.
Sophomores like running back
Garrett Saiki, defensive back
Zach Robinson and quarterback
Taylor Eglet have all contributed to some big time scores.
Eglet is first in the league for
passing yards with 717, and first
in percentage with 87 percent.
“They have really stepped up
this year,” said junior Alex Shaw.
“We told them at the beginning
of the year that they need to
play like juniors this year, and
they have really contributed.”
Although filled with young rising
stars, LC has been anchored by the
experienced veterans like seniors
Tyler Nanny and Colin Sears. Due
to playing most of the high ranking teams early in the season,
LC gets the opportunity to play
EV on their road to play against
G-Prep. It is a true Hollywoodesque finish with their last game
being what could be their biggest.
“You always look forward to have
your biggest game at the end, not
to mention having your biggest
game against Prep,” said Shaw.
LC’s way to being a playoff
caliber team has been filled with
diverse games; some not decided
until the end, and some being
blowouts. The offense led by offensive coordinator Steve Bennett, has been consistently filled
with their share of high rushing
yards, passing yards and scoring.
the 600s and both accomplishing
high numbers in yards-per-carry
and completion percentage. Shaw
has multiple goal line touchdowns and gives all the credit to
his offensive line. “If they don’t
show up and decide to block
like they are, I couldn’t have
scored without them,” he said.
LC v. CV 13-11-Lewis and Clark
had a rough defensive game against
CV. The Tigers won by a short
touchdown pass by Eglet, and a
one yard run by Shaw. The Tigers
escaped CV with a close victory.
LC v. Mead 21-6-LC played
Mead, a team that has been
known for a strong defensively
program, who was faced with the
loss of major defensive players.
LC took advantage of that with
three rushing touchdowns by
Shaw and Nanny Shaw had two
of them: both being one yard runs.
LC v. Ferris 14-17-The dreaded Saxons and LC came in with
two perfect records, and two
gun slinging quarterbacks. The
game started with a touchdown
pass by junior Shawn Stockton
and a response by a touchdown
throw by Eglet. Then back to
back scores by quarterback junior Jeff Minnerly, and a field
goal by junior Dexter Belling.
LC’s rushing game was unable
to break large runs with an average of 1.9 yards per carry and five
fewer first downs against Ferris.
LC v. Mt. Spokane 34-24- LC’s
Eglet threw three touchdowns,
including a 70 yard touchdown
pass to senior Matt Proost.
Sophomore, Garrett Saiki had
two rushing touchdowns, one
for 48 yards. LC won even with
a game with 11 penalties for a
PHOTO BY TUCKER CLARRY
Sophomore Garrett Saiki rushes in LC’s 39-0 victory against Shadle. Saiki had one of five touchdowns.
combined 67 negative yards.
LC v. SP 39-0- LC entered the
game with another must win to
continue for a chance for first
in the GSL. LC was heard to be
unfocused by the announcers
of the game and by radio station 790 KJRB. LC became focused with an early interception
for a touchdown by Robinson.
LC’s rushing game seemed
to break most tackles against
Shadle with 181 rushing yards
with an average of 4.89 yards
per carry. Eglet had another
high passing yard game with
110 yards and a 47 yard touchdown pass to junior D.J. McNeil.
LC v. Rogers 40-0- LC faced
the winless Pirates, who have
struggled recently on both
sides of the field. LC’s running
backs finished with five rushing touchdowns, three of them
inside the five yard line. Eglet
did not have a touchdown, but
finished with 116 passing yards.
Girl’s soccer fights for chance to reach playoffs
“We control our own destiny,”
by David Sheppard
varsity
coach Casey Curtis
Features Editor said. “Ifhead
we play well and get reThe LC girl’s soccer team still
has an outside chance of reaching
the league playoffs as of Oct.10.
sults, we can get into the playoffs.
The sky is the limit from there.”
Senior Maya Kohls-Chase, ju-
nior Shelby Hughes and sophomore Colleen Gravelle are the
three captains. Along with the
three captains, there are many
key contributors to the success
of the Tiger soccer program.
PHOTO BY CONOR WIGERT
Junior team captain Shelby Hughes sends the ball down field in LC’s 1-0 shootout victory over CV.
“Julia Kunkel, Kenzi Grow, and
Alix Silha have had pretty good
years, but realistically everyone
contributes to the team at some
point in some way,” Curtis said.
“Soccer is a game where the
stats don’t tell the whole story.”
Entering their game against GPrep on Wednesday, Oct. 11, the
team ranked eighth in the GSL
but still had an outside chance
to reach the playoffs if they win
out in their final three games.
League play has had some ups
and downs. “It’s been a growing season,” Kohls-Chase said.
“We got off to a tough start.”
The non league games began successfully, starting 3-1 with wins
over Coeur d’Alene, Deer Park
and Riverside and a loss to Ferris.
But then league play success was
slowed with losses to EV and SP.
Sandwiched in between those two
games, was a loss to Sandpoint.
After a gut-wrenching 1-0
win over CV, LC proceeded to
lose consecutive games to U-Hi
and Mt. Spokane. Then the Tigers beat NC and lost to Mead.
With the team including only
one senior the future looks very
bright for the next several years.
Coach Curtis has high hopes
for the team in the near future.
“For me personally, expectations
are always high,” Curtis said. “I
believe we can compete each year
regardless of our age. I think expectations for the parents and players will be high for the next few
years. We won’t be able to show
up and win because most of the
team is back. We will need to get
better in all aspects of the game.”
The team will return most everyone next fall other than the
lone senior Kohls-Chase, and
next fall will be strong once again
in competing for a GSL title.
Sophomore captain Colleen
Gravelle is going to be one of
the key returning players for
next year. “We need to continue play hard and as a team and
we will be fine,” Gravelle said.
[The G-Prep and Ferris games
had not been played by the
time this article was written.]
ISSUE 1
Opinions
PAGE 10
October 2006
Volta underwhelms
By Robert Weigle
Opinions Editor
This summer featured an interesting variety of films, such as “Superman Returns,” “Talledaga
Nights,” “Snakes On A Plane” and “Miami Vice”. The best movie of the summer was undoubtedly
“Lady In The Water,” while the best was easily “Little Miss Sunshine.”
Best and worst summer movies
rial they are performing. ShyaBy Nathan Weinbender
the one-trick pony who
Staff Writer malan,
brought us such horror fare as
The summer of 2006 generated
more gems than last year, but
a few failures still managed to
slip through the Quality Filter.
The summer opened strongly
with “Superman Returns,” the
first installment in the legendary
series since 1987’s “Superman IV:
The Quest for Peace.” Helmed by
“X-Men” director Bryan Singer,
the movie is a thoroughly enjoyable superhero extravaganza.
Although Brandon Routh, the
late Christopher Reeves’ replacement for the Man of Steel,
is a bit too lethargic to carry the
film squarely on his shoulders,
the movie is entertaining enough
to land in the same ranks as the
first “Superman” installment.
Kevin Spacey turns in a scenestealing performance as nemesis
Lex Luthor, and hopefully he receives more screen time in the
proposed sequel, due out in 2009.
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead
Man’s Chest” quickly snuffed out
the triumph “Superman Returns,”
becoming the highest-grossing
film of the summer and surpassing
the $1 billion mark by September.
Despite its box office glory,
this sequel to the 2001 hit is a
jumbled and murky mess, consisting of disconnected special
effects sequences and a frustrating storyline. Johnny Depp,
who was perfectly over-the-top
in the first film (and received
an Oscar nomination), is a onenote retread of the tired quirks
witnessed in the predecessor.
Another sequel, “Clerks 2,”
a follow-up to Kevin Smith’s
1994 cult comedy, sneaked
in and out of theaters without
much fanfare. Although it turns
schmaltzy in the last act, it recaptures the raucous, foul-mouthed
charm of Smith’s earliest work.
The absolute worst movie of
the summer reared its ugly head
shortly thereafter. M. Night Shyamalan’s bedtime story “Lady in
the Water” is a cinematic train
wreck that not only makes no
sense but makes a dreadful mockery out of its uninspired material.
The cast, primarily Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard and
Jeffrey Wright, give hopeless
performances, almost as if they
know they are above the mate-
“The Sixth Sense” and “Signs,”
has scraped the bottom of the
barrel with what is hopefully his
last foray into the supernatural.
If “Lady in the Water” kept me
from the theater like a repellent
for several weeks, it was “Little
Miss Sunshine,” the very best film
of the summer, that got me back
to the theater. The film follows
the formula of the dysfunctional
family comedy, but its characters
are so well-crafted and the human
comedy so believable that it is easy
to overlook the story familiarities.
Husband-and-wife director
team Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and first-time screenwriter Michael Arndt never allow
the story to succumb to sentiment. It operates on a fine line
between black comedy and human tragedy, and although the
glaringly comedic moments are
a bit obtrusive, they offer welcome bouts of humor in a film
that is otherwise heartbreaking.
As my faith in the summer
movie soared with “Little Miss
Sunshine,” it hit rock-bottom
again after a screening of “Miami Vice.” This sorry excuse for
an action flick is directed by Michael Mann, executive producer
of the original television show.
Any late-night screening of
“SoaP” populated by outspoken
audience members is sure to be
one of the best experiences of
any dedicated movie-goers life.
Instead of taking a great opportunity to lampoon the dated panache
of the show, Mann lets the big
screen adaptation take itself far
too seriously. Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx are painfully lethargic,
and they are more like models for
their fancy dress jackets, slacks
and loafers than they are actors.
Despite the exotic locations (the
movie jumps from foreign locales nearly every five minutes)
and several lengthy speedboat
excursions, nothing interesting happens during the tedious
134 minute-long running time.
On the flip side, the British monster movie “The Descent” is the
most entertaining horror films in
years. The film, in which a group of
female cave explorers are trapped
inside a cavern filled with vicious
underground creatures, garnered
comparisons to such genre classics “Alien” and “The Thing.”
Although “The Descent” boasts
claustrophobic cinematography
and excellent special effects, it
feels like two movies cobbled together – we have the Cave Explorers Movie and the Cave Monsters
Movie. Regardless, both halves
are worth the price of admission
on their own terms, and hopefully the DVD will feature an alternate ending (blame it on Lions
Gate to tack a dumbed-down finale onto the American version).
Although “The Descent” whetted my appetite for exemplary
summer entertainment, nothing
could prepare me – or anybody in
the known universe – for the camp
masterpiece “Snakes on a Plane.”
The film, affectionately abbreviated “SoaP” by devotees, stars the
ever noxious Samuel L. Jackson
as a fast-talking cop on a passenger plane filled with venomous
snakes. The outrageous dialogue,
over-the-top special effects and
deliberately stupid storyline
makes “SoaP” one of the greatest
bad movies of the last thirty years.
“Snakes on a Plane” became
an Internet sensation well before
it went into production. Fans of
the gloriously bad rejoiced at
the blatancy of the title and the
ludicrous plotline, but the buzz
had died down considerably
when the movie was released.
The film enthused fanboys like
myself, but it mostly remained a
curio to the general public, who
showed up in limited numbers.
Perhaps it is too obvious to be
overzealous about “Snakes on a
Plane,” but not since “The Rocky
Horror Picture Show” has a film
actually required audience participation for ultimate satisfaction. Any late-night screening of
“SoaP” populated by outspoken
audience members is sure to be
one of the best experiences of
any dedicated movie-goers life.
Now that the summer movie
season has drawn to a close, studios will begin offering up their
award-potential material. In the
coming weeks theaters will be
screening prospective Oscar
nominees, and big-budget rejects
such as “The Santa Clause 3.”
But this year’s batch of summer
movies will go down on record
as the best of the past five years.
Just as the music world was
recovering from the latest installment of The Mars Volta’s odd
musical stylings, they unleashed
their new tongue-twister of an album, “Amputechture.” Although
it is nowhere near the quality of
their masterpiece “De-Loused In
The Comatorium,” “Amputechture” is a solid step in the right
direction after the embarrassing noise-fest of a studio effort
“Frances The Mute” and the
meandering, sloppy, and often
painful live album “ScabDates.”
The Mars Volta are first and foremost an experimental band, and
they are not afraid to make that
painfully clear. Despite the unique
Latin elements now more often
incorporated into their sound,
the signature Mars Volta style
is still a heavily present. However, this makes the album weak
in spots: “Amputechture” tends
to sound the same after a while.
Fortunately, The Mars Volta
have abandoned the nonsensical meanderings of “Frances The
Mute.” “Amputechture still makes
use of ambient noise and strange
effects, but this time around it is
tastefully applied, and only used
for the purpose of adding to the
overall musical effect. Even their
longer songs never degenerate
into atonal, dissonant passages
that were featured so prominently
on “Frances” and “ScabDates.”
“Amputechture” is a monster of an album, clocking in
at a hefty 1.3 hours, with three
songs over ten minutes and the
rest averaging at about eight.
This can be overwhelming at
first, and certainly makes the
album difficult to get into immediately. But as with any good
album, repeat listens make the
PHOTO COURTESY
OF INTERNET
Featuring album art by Jeff
Jordan, The Mars Volta’s new
album “Amputechture” was
realeased on September 20.
album more rewarding over time.
Despite the occasional tedious
spot, most of “Amputechture”
shines. The Mars Volta are still
masters of creating complex yet
memorable music, and they do so
with a style all their own. Unfortunately, they have yet to recapture the genius and raw energy
put forth on their debut album,
“De-Loused In The Comatorium.”
If you were not a fan of The
Mars Volta in the first place, “Amputechture” will not be the album
that will win you over. If you are
familiar with the band and enjoy
their music, their newest record
is definitely worth picking up.
“Amputechture” flows well as
an album, and shows real growth
within the band. Although it is
a huge improvement over their
most recent efforts, it would be
nice to see The Mars Volta getting
back down to business, without
all the frivolities that bog down
their most recent material. The
balance between experimentation
and good song craft is what made
“De-Loused In The Comatorium”
a success, and they should strive
to achieve that balance next time.
Just Thinkin’
By Nathan Weinbender,
Robert Weigle, Mac
Smith and Erik Walters
“Where are you going?”
called from the wharf.
Lane couldn’t hear me over
the crashing of the waves.
His small boat bobbed up and
down on the surface of the ocean.
Waves
lapped
at
the
sides
of
his
craft.
He yelled back, but his voice
was lost on the salty wind.
I could just make out his silhouette through the haze.
His glasses were sitting crooked on his head.
His face was contorted in
frustration and determination.
He moved his oars furiously
up and down, up and down.
He blended into the horizon,
becoming
a
tiny
speck in the setting sun.
I pulled my coat tighter
and breathed a sigh of defeat.
“Will Daddy be coming back?” Eunice asked.
I wanted to lie to her,
but I didn’t have the heart.
“Only time will tell, darling,”
I said. “Only time will tell.”
“But at least it’s my birthday today,”
she said, flashing a toothless grin.
“That’s right,” I said.
“It’s your birthday today.”
She held up the two bloody
stumps where her hands used to be.
I
“And I’m eight years
old,”
she
exclaimed.
The man in the raincoat laughed.
He knew what no one else knew.
Sheila licked the blood from her
hands, and everyone was in agreement that it had been the wackiest
round of charades they’d ever seen.
“You should leave,” she
said. “Alcoholics Anonymous
is obviously not for you.”
He walked off into the sunset,
but the sunset turned out to be a
wall with a sunset painted on it.
“No, not ‘robot’” Anita responded. “I said ‘Germany.’”
My mother told me I was eating too many carrots. I told her
she was eating too many carrots and then I disemboweled
the dog. Which statement do
you think has the best effect?
Garbriel Falloppio was an Italian physician. He invented the
fallopian tubes, and it’s no surprise that he loved spaghetti.
Sting, Oprah Winfrey, and the
Pope walked into an opium den.
“They have great opium here,”
Oprah Winfrey said. “Yeah, I
go here all the time,” said the
Pope. Sting started singing “Every Breath You Take” and this
one guy threw a chair at him.
ISSUE 1
Opinions
October 2006
PAGE 11
“Crane Wife” soars
a crane disguised as a woman.
By Erik Walters
the extravagant conStaff Writer cept,Despite
the album is focused more
“Little Miss Sunshine” opened earlier in July, starring, from left to right, Alan Arkin, Paul Dano,
Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, Abigail Breslin and Toni Collette.
Hats off to “Little Miss Sunshine”
moves along smoothly and seamBy Robert Weigle
cleverly weaving the inOpinions Editor lessly,
tricate personalities of its mul“Little Miss Sunshine” defied
the norm of the usual summer
movie fare of pointless, violent
thrillers and mindless, idiotic
comedies and provided a heartfelt, thought-provoking film
about troubled family relationships and personal redemption.
Essentially, “Little Miss Sunshine’s” plot boils down to the
story of a dysfunctional family,
whose members are all in the midst
of an emotionally harrowing period in their lives. They band together to take the youngest daughter, Olive, to a beauty pageant
halfway across the country, and
along the way come to terms with
their inner struggles, and learn a
great deal about themselves, and
their relationship as a family.
Stereotypical plotline aside,
relatively new directors Jonathon Dayton and Valerie Faris
go about creating this movie in
a witty, unique way. The film
tiple characters into a complex,
yet perfectly coherent story.
Besides being melancholy,
touching, inspiring and occasionally joyful, “Little Miss
Sunshine” is a masterful black
comedy. For example: after stealing a recently deceased family
member’s body (yes, one of them
dies) from the care of a hospital and stuffing him in the back
of their VW bus, the family is
pulled over by a police officer
who fails to notice the scantilyshrouded body only because of
the pornographic magazine cascade when he opened the truck.
Strangely enough, the “Little
Miss Sunshine” advertisements
tried to pass it off as a zany
comedy. Those who walked into
the theater expecting such were
most likely supremely disappointed. This movie deals with
some deep-seated emotional
strife and personal problems-
-but that, for the most part, is
what makes this movie a success.
The complex, deep characters are brought to life by a talented cast. Among the more
notable: Frank Hoover, played
by Steve Carell, who enters the
movie fresh off a suicide attempt
brought on by a homosexual love
gone awry; Grandpa Hoover,
portrayed by Alan Arkin as a
lecherous, heroin-snorting old
crank; and Dwayne Hoover (Paul
Dano), a thoughtful young man
who has taken a vow of silence
until he realizes his dream of becoming an Air Force test pilot.
This film is solid in all aspects
except for one: originality. “Little
Miss Sunshine’s” premise has
been used with great effect before, most notably in Wes Anderson’s “The Royal Tenenbaums.”
If you can get that little nagging
thought out the back of your head,
“Little Miss Sunshine” is a fulfilling viewing experience, easily the
best movie of the summer, and
worth taking in multiple times.
The Decemberists have reemerged with a new home
and a new sound. Now signed
with Capitol Records, the newest release from the theatrical
art rock group proves that they
possess the creative ability to
make an innovative record lyrically and musically one album
after another. It is nice when a
band tries to challenge themselves into releasing something
new and interesting rather than
the same record over and over,
and “The Crane Wife” proves
they have the potential to do so.
“The Crane Wife” will mark
The Decemberists first release
on a major label. The band, formerly members of indie label,
Kill Rock Stars, signed to Capitol in December of last year. The
new album, produced by The
Decemberists with Tucker Martine and Death Cab for Cutie’s
Chris Walla, was released October 3 after being leaked via
the internet in early August.
Surprisingly, the album is
driven less by full fledged pop
songs than any of their other releases, which seems backwards
when moving to a major label.
The band definitely goes
out on an ambitious limb with
the songwriting. Though at first
glance the songs lack the immediate catch that is expected from
listening to earlier records, they
are still catchy and memorable.
Lead singer/songwriter Colin
Melroy, who is most recognized
for his artful and verbose lyrical talents, keeps his reputation
alive on “The Crane Wife.” The
record is intended to be a concept
album based on a tragic Japanese
folktale about a man who marries
toward themes involving war
than the folk tale. The only
songs that pertain to the album’s
title are the songs that share the
same name, “The Crane Wife
1 and 2” and the album’s opening track, “The Crane Wife 3.”
The album opens with a long,
drawn out introduction and a ten
minute plus second track, “The
Island.” The song is compiled
of three movements strewn together, “Come & See,” “The
Landlord’s
Daughter”
and
“You’ll Not Feel the Drowning.”
Despite the fresh sound, “The
Island” often feels like an epic
showcase of the band’s technical abilities rather than a genuine
concept song, and the fact that the
three movements have little to do
with one another musically does
not help in making it cohesive.
Though it is commendable that
the band attempted something
they have never done, whether or
not they effectively pulled off a
concept album is still up in the air.
The album starts to get interesting with the third track, “Yankee
Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then),
which features the guest vocal
appearance of Laura Veirs. The
song is more pop and less concept, and retains that familiar
feeling of folk-pop that earlier
Decembrists records provided.
The songs that follow are well
written and enjoyable with true
standouts including “O Valencia!”
and “The Crane Wife 1 and 2.”
Albums that take a few more
listens to appreciate can often be
the most memorable, and “The
Crane Wife” seems like a record
that will most likely fit that criteria. Though it is not flawless,
“The Crane Wife” is one of the
best albums released this year.
The Lowdown on “The Information”
By Mac Smith
Editor In Chief
Of all the albums I have reviewed
over the years (and yes, there
have been several) any album by
Beck has consistently proven to
be the most challenging. Beck’s
latest release, “The Information” is no exception to this rule.
Beck is nearly impossible to review because most conventional
reviews consist almost entirely
of comparisons to other albums.
Beck is known for his ability
to seamlessly blend equal parts
folk, hip-hop, blues, punk, electronica and dancehall without
breaking a sweat. On “The Information” he cuts no corners.
Returning to the studio after the monumental success of
his previous release, “Guero”
would seem to be a mammoth
task. After all, how many times
can an artist redefine themselves
and push the sonic envelope before it becomes scatterbrained
and tedious? “The Information”
dictates that there is no limit.
Produced by Nigel Godrich
(of Radiohead fame) who also
produced Beck’s “Sea Change”
and “Mutations,” “The Information” finds a way to belend
the pure fun and hip-hop energy
of his earlier releases (namely
“Odelay”) with the moody sonic
landscapes of “Sea Change,”
(an album often hailed as the
quintessential break up album).
Where many contended that
“Guero” lacked imagination and
depth, “The Information” more
than compensates. With tracks
like “New Round” displaying
a fantastic marriage of hip-hop
energy and atmospheric folk,
Beck shows that he is nothing
short of the Gen-X absurdist visionary he has been pegged as.
This isn’t to say, however, that
the album is flawless. As with
all Beck albums, it contains it’s
less-than-impressive
“pseudoremixes” of songs from albums
past. “Nausea” (also the first
single from the album) is little
more than a cheap re-hashed
version of “Black Tambourine”
from “Guero.” And at times,
the songs on “The Information”
can seem formulaic and too often hearken back to the more
successful side of “Mutations.”
What sets “The Information”
apart from other albums is its production. It’s no secret that Godrich
has left his handprint on some of
the most successful and important
albums of the 1990s and on “The
Information” it is clear why. The
songs attain a level of depth and
mood not seen on any of Beck’s
previous albums (with the possible exception of “Sea Change”).
“The Information” sounds like
Beck in purest form. While previous albums have come close
to truly nailing the perfect mix
of genre, humor and eclecticism,
each album has had its faults. Some
are too funny, some too serious,
and some too middle of the road.
“The Information,” however, encapsulates Beck at his “Beck-est.”
This, though, is what may
also put people off about the
album. Fans of his more recent works may call this album
too moody, while fans of “Sea
Change” may call it too fun.
The only question left now
is what territory is there left
to explore for the next album?
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ISSUE 1
Opinions
PAGE 12
October 2006
Zehm (pictured here) as a young boy at Stevens Elementary
Outcry for justice
car while Zehm suffocated in
By Tucker Clarry
the mask. According to the
Staff Writer Spokesman Review, Mayor
A mentally disabled man was
bludgeoned to death in early May
by police officers for holding a soda
bottle in a “threatening manner.”
Otto Zehm was innocently
going to a convenient store
like any normal day, until the
police began to beat him. There
was no real negotiation, just
the police trying to “protect
the peace.” Yes, they protected
the city from a man who was a
gentle giant, and meant no harm.
“He had the biggest heart I
have ever seen on anybody,” said
friend Bob Dexter in a Spokesman
Review article. Zehm is believed
to be dead because of irrational
or missteps by police officers. “I
feel sad, and I feel mad,” Carrie
Webb, Zehm’s sister said in
the same article. “There should
be justice. If this was a cop,
wouldn’t the cops want justice?”
Problems came with the face mask
used on Otto Zehm. The mask is
intended to help restrain criminals
but when used incorrectly can
easily suffocate them. The
police attack on Zehm caused
him to lose his ability to breathe
or even really communicate
that
he
was
suffocating.
Furthermore, the “threatening
soda bottle” had none of Zehm’s
prints, thus throwing the police’s
statement of self defense out.
The officers also spent time
wondering whether to take
him in an ambulance or police
Dennis Hession believes this is
not a black spot on the police
department. Hession said, “This
is an unfortunate incident that
resulted in the death of someone.”
“It’s tragic for the family and for
the officers involved. But in terms
of black eyes - I don’t see that.”
No, but there are worse injuries
than a “black eye” on Zehm, who
had bruised ribs (contributing to
his suffocation), abrasions on his
ear, and a cut up chin. Zehm’s
painful hospital stay lasted hours.
The hours till his death were
filled with groaning and poor
ventilation. The question becomes
why couldn’t the police mindfully
ask Zehm to not disrupt the peace?
Was he really disrupting the
peace? And why were the police
more worried of being spit on
then worried for the suspect’s life?
Mayor Hession is overly acceptant
of this wrongdoing. But I believe
he should seek out these police
officers and put them on leave
without pay for as long as he can
without being fired. But he won’t.
Sadly, most f the Spokanites
will go on with their lives as
they did before this case. Sadly
we won’t seek justice for this
wrongdoing. This is because the
city has done a most amazing job
of sweeping this under the rug.
While in the hospital he
talked to his sister and his
believed final words were,
“I just wanted a Snickers.”
The LC journal:
letters to the editor
So, submit your letters, and
By Patrick Stagaman
we
will devote a space for them
Staff Writer in our
paper, as long as they
Dear
Readers,
Over the past few years, The
LC Journal has received only
a handful of letters to the editor
concerning
certain
articles
that may have been taken as
rude or offensive by some, or
letters commenting on aspects
of the Journal. We would like
to receive more of your letters.
We at the Journal are in need
of feedback, and encourage all of
you to speak up when something
in our paper catches your eye;
whether it is offensive, funny,
interesting or not published
when it should be. We will be
happy to answer your questions,
take
constructive
criticism
and even write articles about
events you feel are important.
are appropriate and contain no
more than 200 words. We will
edit all letters for spelling and
grammar, and we reserve the
right not to print any letter that
might be slanderous, libelous,
obscene or factually incorrect.
If you wish to submit a
letter, please include your full
name and grade or position;
anonymous letters will not be
published or considered by the
Journal staff. Send your letter
to us either by e-mailing it to
[email protected]
or putting your letter in Jennifer
Showalter’s mailbox in the Public
Office, which is located by the
front entrance of our school.
Remember, we cannot get
better at we do unless you,
the readers, give us feedback.
This month’s horoscopes
Cancer- Methinks you may Spaghetti Monsters noodley
By Garth Ahern
find it a smidge difficult to appendage. In this month your
Staff Writer adorn yourself in customary fate will be intertwined with it and
Aries- You are doomed no
matter what you do. Your peers
will shun you, your teachers
will kick you, and you’ll
probably step in gum, but not
bubble gum, more like generic
spearmint and that’s just gross.
Taurus- The horned god
will guide you to your goal.
Obey this demonic creature
and happiness will be yours
but seriously, goats are gross.
Gemini- This will be a good
month to ask out that special
someone you have had your eye
on. Try to use some of those
great pick-up lines because
no proposal is too crazy while
Mars is in the seventh house.
garb owing to the alignment
of stupidity and religion.
Leo- You’re a lion, and
that’s sweet. Keep it up, okay?
Aquarius- For you this month
will bring joy and good fortune.
You will get good grades in all
classes and possibly win a few
awards. Just kidding. You are
actually going to throw up all
over any standardized test you
take, but you’ll still have to
take it and it’ll be really hard
because the ink will be all runny.
Virgo-Rates of homelessness
are
skyrocketing
within
our
community.
It’s
not
funny,
I’m
serious.
Scorpio- Beware of the Flying
it will try to touch you. But you’re
no stranger to that are you? Tramp.
Sagittarius- In this month you
will be blessed by the ancient
Greek God Hestia. Your grades
will soar, your popularity will
skyrocket, and you will gain
a smidgeon of self-worth. But
then you’ll accidentally invent
a new form of bird flu, jerk
Capricorn- During this
month you will lose your
hand-eye
coordination.
Pisces- You will write an
extremely good essay on post
cold war relations and their effect
on current middle-eastern affairs.
Libra-Beware of authoritative
figures.
Dispelling common myths
about the morning after pill
By Samantha Blehm
Staff Writer
The morning after pill has
created quite an uproar around the
nation. Many have given the pill a
misleading name of the “abortion
pill,” which is not accurate.
The morning after pill, also known
as emergency contraception, has
been available for more than
30 years. It contains hormones
found in traditional birth control
pills and must be started within
120 hours after unprotected
intercourse, but it is most
affective within the first 72 hours.
The pill does not terminate
a pregnancy, but simply does
not allow the embryo to be
created. The drug Mifeprex, on
the other hand will terminate a
pregnancy, and many often mix
the morning after pill with the
actual abortion pill Mifeprex.
Pro-life protesters have claimed
that the pill is violating human
rights. They believe that life
begins a conception, which
makes the morning after pill
wrong. But the question is, if
the morning after pill does not
allow a life to be created then
whose rights are we protecting?
Many teenagers and adults make
the mistake of being caught up
in the moment and disregarding
the fact that they are having
unprotected intercourse. Then the
morning rolls around and they
realize that this simple decision
of
unprotected
intercourse
could change their lives.
This is where the pill
comes in; when we make an
error in judgment that could
potentially change our lives
forever, yet this error is fixable
under the right circumstances.
Yes, we should take responsibility
for our own mistakes and live
with the consequences, but
should a young woman be forced
into motherhood before she is
ready? No, that young woman
should be able to live her life
and then when ready for a child
can plan that for the right time.
Yes, the pill can be considered
a get out of jail free card, but
sometimes the pill is taken because
of
different
circumstances.
What about the girl who was
raped and there is a possibility
of being pregnant? Does that
girl have to carry around the
product of this traumatic event
for nine months, just so when
she looks down at her stomach
she is reminded of the monster
that brought upon all this pain?
The rape victim should be able
to do what is possible to prevent
this pregnancy, and she can.
Is there even a comparison
to preventing an unwanted
pregnancy with an egg that has
not even attached to an abortion,
which terminates an embryo with a
beating heart? There is absolutely
no comparison to be made
between the pill and abortion,
because there is no human life
being affected by the pill whereas
abortion terminates a human
life. The pill no means replaces
birth control, but is an option
in case of emergencies where
there are no other alternatives.

Homecoming 2006 brings successful game, dance

Transcription

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