Issue 3

A forum for student expression

“Some girls thought I got beat up,” Sophomore Yusan Yin said.

Injury day had a small amount of bruised and battered students all around the campus, but the few who did join in had good, clean fun. Yin, Joseph Varnadore and PJ Mattingly had no problem showing off their spirit, while also having loads of fun.

“The reaction you get from people is priceless,” Yin said.

Such a precious reaction is what should be given to those students who participate in the spirit days using whatever they got to look great.

“Jelena just gave me bandages and I put the makeup on.” Yin said of his friend. “I didn’t have fake blood at the time so I used marker, later on Christine told me to use fake blood.”

Just helps show that no matter what the spirit day there is always something that can help show you have spirit in what you got using the simple things laying around.

3 2 , Issue Volume

Shaheed Rashid photo

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Metcalf Resigns | Alyssa Atonio | Faces Editor Speculation and rumors around the sudden resignation of football coach, assistant track coach, and security guard Terry Metcalf – according to Principal Damien Pattenaude, Metcalf left “for personal reasons” – has, as of late, transformed into nostalgia for his presence.

“He was a cool guy,” sophomore varsity football player Tyler Yorita said. “He always talked to me and a lot of the guys during school. He was able to connect with us outside of football.

“He was a good coach, good motivator, and he would tell you what you needed to know by the time you got out of high school,” Yorita said.

“He was pretty cool, he worked pretty hard as a coach,” sophomore track athlete Tyler Pascual said.

Since the resignation, one of Metcalf ’s positions has been filled: assistant track coach. The security vacancy is being filled by varsity basketball coach Rashaad Powell.

The football coach position remains unfilled. Pattenaude said the position would probably be filled this month.

“He was cool as a person and as a coach,” junior Woody Donald said. “I knew him since elementary school and he was hella cool. Like, he would play around with you and crack jokes and be, like, one of us.”

Devante Swann Photos “My mind went blank, trying to move my tongue faster felt like my tongue was going slower and slower,” juniorJennifer Vu said.”I felt like I could never eat peanut butter ever again.” This part of the obstacle was in the middle of the gym. The couples had to lick most of the peanut butter off both sides of the fiber glass. “It was the most awkward thing,” Vu said, ”I got it all over my face.”

WINTER SPIRIT WEEK WARMS STUDENT HEARTS

“I never participated in a obstacle course before,” Sophomore Adriana Calcote said ”It was a fun experience.” The sophomore class practiced the day before in the main gym making sure they could pass the oranges along without dropping it. “I was excited because I really wanted to win for my class” Calcote said.

Chugging Kool Aid, PJ Benedictus was the second to give his pass away. “I had to chug two cups and it was watered down,” Benedictus said.

Being escorted out to the center of the gym with the other girl basket ball players Tyler Williams, felt like a celebrity. ”I felt like a queen,” Willaims said. Before the assembly Williams made the shirt for her escort. (above left). Racing down the gym floor Addison Stowers participated in the three leg race. ”I felt invincible,” Stowers said. She felt like she won the game. (left)

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Bites

MLK Assembly

The annual assembly dedicated to the life, works and causes of Martin Luther King Jr., including a miming act, a two-person performance poem and a rendition of the song, “Oh Happy Day,” inspired students seeking to celebrate diversity and Civil Rights.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: “I enjoyed delivering a performance that could be educational and entertaining,” senior Shanay Echols said. On January, 18, 2010 BSU, Echols and Ranesha Baker acted out a scene of a grandmother (Echols) teaching her granddaughter (Baker) about Martin Luther King. “I was really nervous because I didn’t want to mess up in front of the whole school” Baker said. Echols made up the skit. ”It took a lot of time, I had to make sure the events were in order and add a little flavor” Echols said.

Kenneth Orejudos Photo

ACT OUT: Deep in her moves, Jessica Isabell performs to a variety of songs.

She made the interpretive dance up herself, and practiced for 40 minutes in the IPAC. “I was confident; I’m familiar to dancing like that,” Isabell said.

Devante Swann Photo

For freshmen, Homework Club ignites interest | Adriana Gadson | Staff Reporter “Out of the entire school population there is only one freshman with a 4.0,” Ignite mentor Louis Brown said. “As an Ignite leader I wanted to do something I felt that would help freshmen.”

So, with that thought in mind and with the help of Language Arts teacher Dee Draven, Brown started Homework Club for freshmen, which meets after school Mondays and Tuesdays.

“I feel like homework club is a great opportunity [for freshmen] to stay on track and to get the help they need,” Draven said. “Students should really take advantage of this.”

Homework Club provides one-on-one tutoring for students with mentors who excel in specific areas they need help in, nurturing their academic studies and, hopefully, guiding them to a brighter future. But it is up to the freshmen themselves to shake off their bad habits and show

up for assistance.

“I believe success is measured in different ways,” Registrar Rosetta Knight said. “You can achieve success through the realization of knowing that you need to mature or step up to the plate and straighten up your act, but your next step is to actually do something about it.”

Brown saw this as a reality and wanted to provide freshmen an opportunity to achieve what they are truly capable of.

“I felt that if any freshman failed I would have failed as a member [of Ignite] and would have let them down,” Brown said. “I think it will work if we offer the help that students need. They just have to come and get it.”

Draven echoed this sentiment. “This is not an immediate fix, or fairy dust to sprinkle on top, or a magic potion someone can take to fix everything,” Draven said. “You have to commit.”

Devante Swann Photo

RAISE EVERY VOICE: “Someday We Will All Be Free” by Donny Hathaway (Alicia Keys version) was performed by senior Triana Moore. This was Moore’s first time performing acapella.

“I had fun, being in BSU. I was doing something positive.” Moore said.

Superwoman Lyke saves the day again | Rochelle Mascey | Portraits Editor Three students are lined up to see the nurse: Tired, Sick, and Restless. Nurse Lyke helped each one with skill and ease, though this wasn’t always her first choice.

“I wanted to go to nursing school because there was a whole lot of creativity and there are a lot of jobs in nursing,” Lyke said.

It’s not as easy as it looks.

“Oh yeah, there’s a lot to learn and a lot to memorize. You need to know about the body and the way it works,” Lyke said.

By then, the room was empty. Because of the relaxed and orderly environment, Tired, Sick, and Restless had returned to class rejuvenated, healthy, and calm.

Low state budget. Governor Christine Gregoire proposes budget cuts for an estimated 8,000 teaching positions and funding for all day kindergarten for low income families, preschool for 3 year olds, gifted education, and money that allows districts to lower class sizes kindergarten through fourth grade.

Renton School District could lose 4.5 million under the governor’s proposal.

School play cast. The play of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” has finally been assigned roles.

Chrysanthemum Binayug gets the role of Hermia, a girl in love with Lysander but forced by her father to marry someone else.

Lysander, the bad boy older boyfriend, will be played by Christopher Tramble. Helena, Demetrius’ admirer and Hermia’s envious friend, will be played

by Irene Muller. The role of Demetrius is still being cast as the original actor has prior engagements. The play will be sometime in May. DECA wants a comeback. Today, February 3, there will be a meeting in Teresa Santoy’s room, 116. It’s a chance to meet this year’s Area Four VicePresident of Business Partnerships and some of Lindbergh’s Chapter Officers. They will talk about this year’s competitions, events and opportunities.

Thirteen students were personally interviewed by the director of admissions from WSU On Jan. 25.

Principal Damien Pattenaude is one of the people who created the personal interview program. Unlike the usual collegeacceptance process, most of the students were given signed letters of acceptance after the interview, rather than waiting for weeks.

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Procrastination Portfolio

The collection of learning required for graduation makes students think about the past and future now. Some students lacking forethought now wish they could go back in time.

Devante Swann Photo

PROCRASTINATING SENIORS “I haven’t really started,” senior Sean Fry said.“I mean, there’s a few things in there like an empty resume, but not much else.”

“Well I have a minimum amount done,” senior Steven Le said. “Like, an efficient freshman probably has more done than me.”

It would be safe to assume Fry hasn’t thought much about the major culminating project and that Le is playing the senioritous card.

“It’s been very un-stressful, ironically enough,” Fry said. “I personally believe it’s a waste of time and the only people that benefit from it is the high school.

“I’m not really worried about graduating,” he continued, “because I’m in school more for getting the skills and less for getting a paper from the high school saying “I’m not ready for society.”

Le felt differently about his procrastination.

“I feel a lot of pressure because I’m always hearing things about classmates not being able to graduate on time,” he said.

“I don’t want to be one of those people. I want to walk with everybody on graduation day. And most people or a lot of people are just slacking off but I’m sure at some point they’ll all just pick it up and get it done.”

| Anthony Saelee | Features Editor

THE NATURE OF THE ASSIGNMENT “I think it’s a good representation on how seniors can show how well they’ve grown but a lot of people say it’s un-needed.

I think it’s a pretty good idea. An essay is just too boring, so a PowerPoint is a good idea,” Le said.

Fry agreed – presentations are a good idea – but thought it should be stressed to a greater degree than the portfolio.

“I think the presentation is what it should be about and not the portfolio,” Fry said. “I think the portfolio should be for a college application, and the presentation should be what they focus on because that’s how you’re going to get the most accurate portrayal of how that person has developed as a person at the school.”

Senior advisor Teri Barlow endorsed the project as is. “[The presentations and portfolios] are a genuine and authentic way to show off you,” she said. “Your hopes, your dreams, your goals. Everything you’ve learned in Renton High. I understand the frustration but at the same time, as long as it’s a graduating requirement for your class, you’ve got to do it.

“The portfolios are a state requirement,” she continued, “and the presentations are a district requirement.

That’s where some confusion comes in. The idea behind it is that portfolios are becoming a common way to grade work and common in job interviews. You can have a great resume and references but when you can back your skills with a portfolio, it beats all.

SUCCESS STORIES There is one efficient sophomore that realizes the storm of paperwork will have a positive impact beyond the boundaries of high school.

“I’ve kept up a bit with my best works, but I’ve done most of it at once,” sophomore Calvin Chan said.“I’m positive that culminating will have a positive impact on me after high school. Even though I think it’s useless, it feels good to look back on what you’ve done in the past and appreciate your best works from high school.”

Chan believes the work will positively impact his life, and some seniors agree.

“I feel that culminating is good,” senior Nam Hoang said. “Culminating helps us plan out our lives and how we approach it. I believe that the portfolio and the presentations are necessary. It helps us understand and plan for the real world.”

Hoang stays upbeat about the culminating portfolio and presentation and doesn’t seem to look down on the idea of the project. While Le and Fry have an overall negative vibe about the project, Hoang has a different view.

“I’m not really worried about it. I feel confident in my work and I don’t see why people stress over it,” Hoang said.

“Everything is simple and pretty self explanatory.”

With culminating coming up around the corner, some seniors may scramble around preparing for their presentations while others prepare to meet the demands head on. The deadline is closing in shortly.

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THE VOCAL VENDETTA

One Girl’s Account of Her Many Unorthodox Shenanigans Involving Yelling, Not Quite Kicking, But Definitely Screaming During the Movies, Mainly Because The Guy Behind Her Keeps Telling Her to Be Quiet While He Himself is Talking, And That Is Just Hypocritical And Downright Wrong, Isn’t It? | Ajane Burnley | Editor in Chief I’ve been talking to the screen since 1994. One of the first movies I saw in theaters was “The Lion King,” and I was deeply impacted by Mufasa’s death. When he was killed I shouted “Oh no! Not Mufasa!” and the people nearby looked at me.

Last year I had a huge crush on Shia LaBeouf. I had seen practically every film he starred in, so when “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” came out, of course I was there. I went to the theater on opening night and saw the midnight show because I had to see my boo, Shia.

I went with Keyona, Vincent, and Nichelle. Of course we had to get our large Icees, so we waited in a huge line and ended up in the second row, where you have to crank your neck to see the top of the screen.

As we were sitting in our crappy seats, these two guys covered in cardboard came to the front of the theater. They stood on opposite ends and one of them was supposed to be Megatron and the other Optimus Prime. They had an epic battle (which mostly consisted of ripping up each other’s cardboard parts), although most of it was behind the wall by the emergency exit.

They soon settled down. It got dark and the movie started.

So there was this group sitting behind me, and there was this white dude who looked about 18 sitting in the group. Every time, and I mean every time, Megan Fox got on screen he had to say how hot Megan Fox was and otherwise snicker with his friends.

Now, I was obsessed with Shia, I had posters and magazine articles saved, and you didn’t see me getting all hot-and-bothered every time he got on screen.

I did talk to the screen – calling the guy who wanted the Autobots to leave a hater – but this guy in love with Megan Fox was worse.

And then he had the audacity to tell me, “You know, your comments aren’t necessary.”

Really? REALLY? After he’d been talking the whole movie, he should’ve had nothing to say. So what? I was shouting at the screen at this character I found particularly annoying. I was really into the movie.

So I said something back. Most of it was pretty rude. Keyona and Nichelle laughed as I called him a string of obscenities and said some sexually suggestive things. I got pretty loud and he stopped talking to me when he realized no one was on his side, or just got smart enough to realize I was too immature to stop yelling at him.

People shouldn’t get mad at people who

talk to the screen. It’s completely different from people constantly whispering as if no one can hear them. That’s not okay. When you talk at the screen you’re just really, really engaged in the film. That can be a good thing. And at least you’re being direct.

Yes, I understand the annoyance. People pay $10 and want to enjoy their movie-going experience without cell phones going off, or seeing someone’s bright light on their phone from them texting, or hearing someone talk to the screen.

But you pay $10 to enjoy yourself too, and I enjoy myself by talking to the screen.

Even though the people on screen can’t hear me, and I look extremely uncouth, I need to say something. I need to be heard.

Honestly, people should just let it go.

It’s a two-second comment, ridiculous and probably unnecessary and short. If you want absolute silence, wait until the movie is old and no one is there or wait for it to be released on DVD. Not everybody is like the hater from Transformers. Most people just have the sense to ignore crazy people (like me), or they laugh because I am saying genuinely funny stuff. Someone obnoxiously talking to the screen is nothing to get seriously upset over. It just enhances your moviegoing experience. Maybe you’ll hear me at a theater near you.

Chow Time

Finding New Friends at Unlikely Lunch Tables | Karyn Johnson | Business Manager My stomach was growling intensely. I was sitting among strangers and the sounds of munching, got louder and more overwhelming; to the point where the sound echoed in my mind and made my mouth water. The sound of the crunching soon overpowered my thoughts, to steal a fry or not to steal a fry. As my mind built on the hunger, all I could do was snatch a fry from the nearest target.

Sophomore Jacob Hires had an emotionless expression and an intense stare as he raised his eyebrows at me.

“Sorry,” I said.

“Don’t worry, I stole the food from someone else.”

Hires said.

It was a Monday when I first decided to sit at a new table and as I began to make my way over to the table, I realized I was nervous. I wondered what they would think of me. I wondered how they would act when I randomly sat down at their table. Would we even get along?

Immature and annoying; this is what I thought most sophomores were. It’s a tradition for upperclassman to treat underclassmen like pariah; I was one of those upperclassman.

To my surprise, it felt as if we were all long-time friends.

I felt comfortable around them almost immediately.

I actually got to know them, and realized they’re human beings too, worthy of conversation as well as my short lunch period.

We all laugh at nothing, say the corniest things and love food. They have talents, hobbies and say and do random things.

Now, whenever I see them roaming down the halls or anywhere at all, I’ll take a minute to say “Hey.”

AE &

Renton consists of many break dancers, they are honored to receive the title of being a B-Boy. The majority of them practice at a local community hang-out called Harambee. A BBoy’s name is important to most of them; your name, background, style and even race have an impact on your B-Boy name. Style and Powerheads are the two major categories B-Boys are put into. You’re lucky if you are both.

arrow 567 A VISUAL EXPLORATION OF HARAMBEE HIP-HOP [PHOTOS AND TEXT BY DEVANTE SWANN]

B-BOYS BREAKIN’ NECKS

STRIKE A POSE: “‘Jump! Stop! Freeze!’ was the only thing that was going through my mind,” alumni Jake Nuguid said. “I’ve been breaking for years. I’ve memorized song after song. I can kind of predict new songs, sometimes.”

YOUNGSTA DANCER: As one of the few B-Boys in his class, sophomore Hamilton Carter has to work hard to represent his class whether it is during a pep assembly or outside of school.

Dancing is one of his many passions.

IN THE SKY: After countless attempts to “stick” a “hollow” - a flexible version of a handstand freshman Phillip Jones hits one.

HELLBOY: “I’m hella sweaty!” junior Roberto ‘Oh Boy! Roberto’ Gomez said. Gomez’s thousands of hours of practice at the local teen hangout, Harambee, show in his technique and the sweat dripping from his face.

COMPETITIVE (up): “I’ll keep track of the rounds.

I don’t trust you guys!” alumni Jake “Soul Roc” Nuguid said while waiting for his 21 “rounds” for his birthday at Harambee.

COMFY GEAR (left): “Gotta pull them pants up!” junior Gabriel Dominguez said. “How am I supposed to dance when my pants are on my ankles?”

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Back, Back, Back It Up Go shawty, it’s your birthday.

We gonna party like it’s your bir-...wait, where’s the party at? | Rochelle Mascey | Protraits Editor Name

| Kaniesha Bray | Staff Reporter Teens seem to be taking over the back of the bus.

It’s easier to get away with things when there is no adult supervision and that’s exactly why teens feel the need to rush the back of the bus.

“No offense, but there be some loud people talking all types of mess on the back of the bus, I see people bumping their headphones, girls getting hit on, random people’s phone conversations, people getting a deal on bud, crazy people talking to themselves, shoot I see A LOT,” senior Briona Harrington said.

You can say what you want and basically do what you want the further away from the bus driver you are.

So much goes on in the back of the bus, but why pass up every seat and go directly to the back? It’s almost as if people scurry to the back of the bus because they’re hiding something or feel like that’s where they belong. No one wants to be put in a place where they don’t feel like they belong.

I sit in the back of the bus most of my bus rides because you never really have to worry about being cramped next to someone who smells bad or someone who is overly sized squeezed into a two seater. In the back of the bus it seems to be more spacious.

Why do you sit in the back of the bus?

“It’s comfortable, no weirdos talk to me, the CUTIES be back there; I feel like the front section of the bus should be reserved for the elderly so they can see,” senior Kayla Miller said.

“Usually the smelly people sit in the front,” junior Hollis Thornton said. “And just like why people like the back of a party bus IT CRACKS.” In many ways the back of the bus is so much different than the front of the bus. Most of the time depending on the bus you get on is what type of people you run into in the back. If you were to hop on the 106 bus to the city in the back of the bus you will see a copious amount of African American kids, and if you were to catch the 240 bus to Bellevue in the back of the bus you will see a lot of Asians and Caucasians. In fact, race is no longer the issue anymore.

“I sit in the back because it’s the human need for something dangerous, exciting, and different,” junior Erin Welker said. “The back of the bus is like the heart of Compton, you know it’s bad but you just keep going back.”

Age Range

Opening and Closing

Location

Price

Club one 3 16 and older one (with ID)

Friday-Sat 10pm2am

South Lake Union

$10

Club Fusion

18 and older

Wed-Sun 10pm2am

University District

$10

Club Diamond

18 and older (sometimes 16 +)

Thurs-Sat 9pm-3am

Downtown Seattle

$10

Club Republiq

18 and over Friday-Sat Industrial starting 10am-2am District January 23rd

$10

FACES

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We All Have.....

Pick up Lines

“Will you take me to the nearest bakery, because I want a cutie pie just like you.” senior Loan Huynh

“Girl, you’re like a projector, I see clips of you everyday.” junior Jonathan Davis

“Did you feel that earthquake, because you rocked my world.” sophomore Chessy Jordan

“Are you Pikachu? Cause I want to peek at chu” freshman Stephanie Nguyen

“Are you a parking ticket? Because you got FINE written all over you.” senior Jacky Tran

“I would marry your brother, just to get into your family.” junior Michael Woods

“Are you from Tennesse, because you’re the only ten I see.” sophomore Malerie Mar

“Baby are you a light switch, because you turn me on.” freshman Nursalam Ibrahim

“Pinch me, by the look of your face, I must be dreaming.” senior Andrew Vu

“Girl, you look tired, because you been running through my mind all day.” junior D’andre Glaspy

“Are you a magnet because I’m attracted to you.” sophomore Tanner Anderson

“You didn’t just save my life, you made my life worth saving.” freshman Medearis Ibrahim

“You’re like my very own enlightenment you make me see the world in a new light, baby.”

World History teacher Mr. Ruehle

“If I could rearrange the alphebet, I would put U and I together.”

Language Arts teacher Mrs. O’Roarty

Ajane Burnley, Mindy Saeteurn, Kaniesha Bray Graphic

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portraits

A simple, necessary action to get to your destination. You came from somewhere, and now you’re headed somewhere else, and this is the point when you are nowhere. The transition can be confusing; you get lost, you’re frustrated, and your patience dwindles.

People wait, seemingly in their own worlds; sometimes they strike up conversation with each other. As you check your phone for the sixth time – how much longer? – an infant in a blue blanket wails in its mother’s arms. A man in desperate need to shave and shower, clad in an oversized brown coat and torn up gloves and shoes, shouts unintelligible words at the sidewalk. A young lady in a pink Juicy Couture sweater picks up a phone call and bursts exclamations of the latest rumor. You put your phone away as this frenzied disorder and diversity surrounds you. You can’t wait to get your own car like the grown-ups passing by safe inside their boxes with wheels. You can’t wait to get your own life and be done with the complications that come along with adolescence. A big green monster on wheels slows down and lets out a wheeze. The bus is here. Fare in く

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INTERLUDE AND INTRODUCTION: THE PERILS AND JOYS OF ANTICIPATING THE METRO [BY RYSAN BINAYUG]

Waiting for the bus.

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Who know this happened on a bus? Get a room!! | Thao Nguyen | A&E Editor Not being able to get a ride from his beloved parents and not eligible to drive, freshman Ramiro Rico is forced to use metro as his only transportation. He is another one of the daily bus riders who has to bus every morning to get to school and then after school to get home. Waiting for the bus may be boring because of the long waits so he keeps himself company by reading a book.

Most of the time, bus rides are just bus rides where you would get on, pay the fare, sit, and get off at your destination. However, extraordinary things occasionally happen during those bus rides.

“I saw two people fighting over a seat,” Rico said. “But it turns out they were making love instead.” Shocked at what he witnessed on the bus, he became more aware of what goes on now. Now those eccentric moments are nothing more than simple entertainment for Rico.

“Two hobos were fighting for a sandwich,” Rico said. Usually, just sitting there during bus rides aren’t exciting, but seeing mini incidents seem to amuse Rico. Not much happens on the 105 bus so when things like that happen, he feels blessed to be present to watch it.

Rain, rain go away. Please come back another day.

Wait, so you’re telling me that Ratatouille rides the Metro?

| Kaniesha Bray | A&E Staff Many people in our community have a purpose for going to the transit center, usually to just hop on a bus. Through rain, sleet or snow the King County metro is always up and running. Unlike your friends and parents vehicles, it never runs out of gas.

“I catch the bus everyday. Literally every day except for weekends,” senior Thomas Merritt said. “If you’re at the transit center long enough then you get to watch people run after their buses.”

“I’m focused while breaking wind trying to catch the bus without falling,” Merritt said. “Though I did slip a little bit before, but didn’t fall I just stumbled a little bit, it was all bad cause it was on a wet day when I got on the bus and stumbled frontwards and though I caught myself I tried to play it off and it didn’t work.”

And just like all other regulars of the transit center, waiting for the bus can be an ardous process; so Merritt has to find a creative way to kill time while waiting.

“My bus comes every 20 minutes approximately; to pass time I usually talk on the phone text or listen to music,” Thomas said.

| Julian Staples | Art Editor “I am usually at the transit center every Saturday, at around noon,” junior Chelsea Smith said. “I take the 240 down to Bellevue where I visit my grandma.”

At her grandma’s, Smith spends time baking cookies and playing with her mice that she keeps in her pocket.

“I live in the highlands but I’m in Renton practically every day hanging out with my friends at Liberty Park,” Smith said. “If I’m not at the park I’ll most likely be at a friend’s house just a few blocks away.”

“I like waiting for the bus because it gives me time to think and meet new people. I talk to random people a lot and most of them get creeped out, it’s funny,” Smith said.

In fact, Smith has made quite a habit of “sneaking” her pet mice onto the bus while she rides.

“I would always sneak the mice onto the bus in my pocket,” Smith said. “So far I haven’t been caught.”

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Four ARROW reporters interviewed people doing just that - waiting for the bus - and found an ambitious employee, a bored regular, a secretive mice-keeper, and a heavy sleeper.

Across the street at the Renton Transit Center, the most interesting people wait and worry, rest and read, fume and frolic, lurk and laze about.

Who knew?

On a voyage, aboard the S.S. Metro all the way to work. | Thao Nguyen | A&E Editor There are people out there that choose to take metro as an alternative way to reduce pollution and then there are people who have no choice and are forced to bus because they don’t own a vehicle.

“I take the bus every time I go to work, everyday,” daily metro rider Irma Alvarado said. She doesn’t live around this area, but still has to travel all the way to Renton get to her job.

The 565, only comes approximately every half an hour. Even though it is an express bus, it still takes longer to get to a destination compared to how much quicker an average car ride would take. Alvarado doesn’t like to wait for the bus, but every now and then she would talk to strangers just for company since her bus takes awhile to arrive.

“The bus came fivecoll minutes before the time written so I missed it,” Alvarado said. Sometimes she even misses the bus by not paying attention, but she can’t complain because she knows that sometimes the metro is not reliable.

Missing the bus and falling in slush, just to be on time

Bryan Diaz photo and Julian Staples graphic

La, La, La, La; man where is the bus already?

| Kaniesha Bray | A&E Staff Catching the bus can be a last resort kind of thing, but if you’re looking to meet new people it can be a great thing.

“If I’m conversating with them then maybe we’ll talk about anything depending on how I feel,” 101 bus rider Darius Green said.

There are many community bus riders that have no other source of transportation, so without the king county metro system they have no way to get from point A to point B. Not to mention, missing your bus can be quite frustrating.

“Yes, I’ve ran for a bus, it’s like dang, especially if you got a big book bag,” Green said. “I remember in the winter I busted my butt in the freezing cold… especially since I fell in the slush. It was super cold, I’ve missed the bus too many damn times.”

Waiting for the bus in the cold sucks, but missing the bus sucks harder. To cool your nerves after missing your bus you could look to meeting a new stranger or do something to pass time.

“Listen to music. I don’t have too many options, and converse with the ladies, since I’m a ladies’ man, I usually just sit back and wait for my next bus to arrive,” Green said.

| Mindy Saeteurn | NUM83R5 Editor Many people ride the metro bus on occasion, but they’re also people who ride it on a daily basis.

“I come to the transit center every weekday in the morning and the afternoon,” college freshman Huy Ricky Cong Pham said.

Pham just moved here about three months ago to live with his family and to attend Bellevue College.

“I take the 169 to get to the transit center, then the 565 from the Renton transit, and finally the 271 to get to Bellevue College,” Pham said.

He is very dedicated when it comes to school and is usually on time for buses. The only time he misses the bus is when he over sleeps.

“Two days ago, I was late for the bus because I overslept,” Pham said.

While being dedicated to studies coems first, he also has a hobby of singing which he likes to do to pass the long waits. He likes to sing lots of pop songs like David Archuleta and such.

“I like to sing the most to pass the time,” Pham said. く

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opinions

arrow 111213

ARROW’S POINT OF VIEW

Thumbs Down To:

...the Masquerade Dance being canceled last minute. ASB officers hoped to sell 150 tickets by Friday the 15th, but, unfortunately, only 50-60 were purchased. With goals not met, ticket refunds were sent to those who would have attended the dance.

Thumbs Up To: ...the new weight room and all the equipment included. After gradually improving throughout the year we have moved up from bench presses to brand spanking new elliptical machines that will hopefully be used within the first couple weeks of second semester.

Thumbs Up To:

Thinking Out Loud

Like most people, organizations and bureaucratic institutions, we are always trying to improve. At ARROW, we strive to inform, entertain and involve the community. We gauge our success and reassess this goal after each issue.

One goal after our first issue - in which we printed several mug shots of people who liked sushi and they ended up all being Asian - was to strive for greater diversity in the faces we photograph. We happily achieved this goal in our second issue and now in our third.

As a group, our staff is friendly. We have fun, sometimes too much fun. So much fun, in fact, that we forget to write and/ or turn in our articles on time. Then, in rushing to complete them later, we produce inferior work. (Some of us work for 15 minutes and then take an hour break; it should be the inverse of that.)

Major problems in both issues include errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. on every page. In issue two, we counted at least 115. In addition, we have been researching the many AP (Associated Press, not Advanced Placement) style guidelines for journalistic writing.

Sometimes, we complete entire interviews without eliciting any meaningful thoughts or information from the interviewees, and then we print their quotes into the newsmagazine anyway.

Though we strive to represent a diversity of voices, we sometimes fail in drawing relevant insight from our subjects – silent kids in the back of the room and cocky all-star athletes alike.

Though Renton is urban, diverse and strong, and we aim to embrace that, our lack of diligence can sometimes contribute to the portrayal of these characteristics as “urban hood-ness,” and that doesn’t show Renton in the right light.

We are a strong community of learners and the best high school in the district. Our publication should unquestionably reflect such standards.

We would love to hear from you. Submit letters of praise, condemnation and/or general input to adviser Derek Smith in Room 305.

...the late starts for finals week. With students head over heels stressed about passing their final tests for the semester, school starting at 9:30 a.m. gives them enough time to get rested and eat a healthy breakfast to keep the body and mind energized for a long five hours of testing.

Thumbs Down To: ...a not so super spirit week. Students claim they did not favor the themes chosen this time, don’t usually participate in such school activities in the first place, or simply forgot about it due to lack of advertisement. Whatever the reasons, we hope to make changes that will encourage everyone’s involvement next spirit week!

* This survey was based on the votes of our editorial board. Answers do not represent the opinion of RHS at large.

ARROWHEADS

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Ajane Burnley says she isn’t thinking about a sexy mexican, but we don’t believe her.............Editor in Chief, Perspectives Editor Brenden Dowd ready to be great this semester =]..............................................................................................................................Editor in Chief Irene Muller legible from space...............................................................................................................................SD&P, F&T Editor, Lessons Editor Shaheed Rashid is blah blah blah plus the extra blah.......................................Story Development & Packaging Editor, Portraits Staff Hayley Brunk XD I love it when people mistake a crush for love. It’s just like “what the french, toast?”............................Copy Editor Vincent Warren The Galactic Nerd, keeper of the Power Brick....................................................Copy Editor Staff, Public Relations Staff Moureen Wambui wants to pass all of my classes and get out of high school...............................Numbers Staff, Copy Editing Staff Rysan Binayug is sick of stupid teenagers who think they’re grown up when the truth is they are babies..................Ads Manager Karyn Johnson loves her baby brother Gavin :).............................................................................................Business Manager, Opinions Staff Onna Giddens I’m black and I’m proud.........................................................................................................................................................News Editor Louis Brown can’t wait to chill with his boo on Valentine’s Day............................................................................News Staff, Play Hard Staff Angel Gabuat will be posted on the moon......................................................................................Opinions Editor, Story Development Staff Ciahra Franck is missing in action................................................................................................................................................................Opinons Staff Anthony Saelee searching for a solution to an impossible problem.........................................................................................Features Editor Adriana Gadson my dream home is in London.....................................................................................................................................Features Staff Thao Nguyen is loving the new year so far..................................................................................................................Arts & Entertainment Editor Kaniesha Bray boys are like buses, miss one next 15 one’s coming.......................................................................................................A&E Staff Rochelle Mascey is so surprised by how fast this year is moving................................................................................................Portraits Editor Mindy Saeturn can’t wait for tennis season.......................................................................................................................................NUMB3R5 Editor Alyssa Antonio is wondering if “he” likes me<3........................................................................................................................................Faces Editor Ronald Roman is excited to do the talent show..........................................................................................................................................Faces Staff Bryan Diaz wants to stay up for a whole week...................................................................................................................................Play Hard Editor John L. Williams I’m in love with her... her name is football..........................................................................................................Play Hard Staff Christina Fisher is stuntin hard in her pink. Call her toochie the ninja......................................................................................Lessons Editor Olivia Fry is available anytime for free hugs or an energy brightening...........................................................................Photography Editor Kenneth Orejudos will ALWAYS be KING...ALWAYS................................................................................................................................Photo Staff Devante Swann won’t lie, people who talk about how real they are usually turn out to be the fakest ones...................Photo Staff Julian Staples feels like a preppy school boy/skater/band geek/golfer...............................................................................................Art Editor Farid Ahmach is very happy about getting a new macbook....................................................................................................................Art Editor Larry Dean is swagga jackin’...................................................................................................................................................Public Relations Manager Derek Smith has a hardcore craving for a bacon-wrapped hot-dog..........................................................................................................Adviser

X

FINE PRINT ARROW is an open forum produced by a diverse bundle of ladies and gents, who enjoy putting on their own impromptu, toilet-paper-inspired runway shows, grubbing on cheddar popcorn and drawing unsuspecting bystanders into our cultish ways.

Amazingly enough, they all go to Renton High School at 400 S. 2nd St., Renton, WA, 98057. The phone number is 206.579.6398.

X

ARROW is printed six times a year by Pacific Publishing Company in Seattle, Washington.

Word processing, graphics and layouts are created on Microsoft Office 2007 and Adobe Creative Suite 3 programs. ARROW has a publication of 2000 papers/copies, etc.

The staff welcomes letters to the editor and will publish letters which meet our standards of good taste (as space permits). Letters must be signed. ARROW reserves the right to edit letters, though every attempt will be made to preserve original content.

Unsigned editorials and editorial cartoons represent the majority view of ARROW editorial board and do not represent the views of the Renton School District. Opinions, commentaries, satires, and perspectives are the views of the writers and artists, not the Renton School District or ARROW editorial board.

ARROW is financed by advertising revenues based on size-determined rates. These

X range from $20-$80.

arrow 121314 ONE OPINION CONVEYED TWO DIFFERENT WAYS | FICTION NARRATIVE AND FORMAL ARGUMENTATION

Women Aren’t Suckers All the Time, But They Sure Are on Valentine’s Day |Rysan Binayug |Ads & Business Manager

|Erin Welker |Guest Writer

A man with a bouquet of red roses stands in front of an Italian restaurant. He swings his arm up and looks at his shiny watch. He’s early.

He steps inside the restaurant and gets a booth. He sits patiently as he waits for his date.

A woman in a red dress steps in, her wavy hair falls against her back. She turns her head back and forth as her eyes scan the room curiously.

The man flicks his arm in the air and sticks his finger up to get her attention. She spots him, excitedly, she walks towards the booth.

A smile spreads across her face like glorious paint being smeared against a white canvas. Her teeth gleam through the red lipstick. It took her ten minutes to get it on just right.

He stares at her. He manages to smile back but with little ease. He’s a little nervous. He gulps as he recalls the time he asked her to go on a date with him.

She seemed to be pleased by the offer. She stops walking and her hair bounces as she giggled hello. He hands her the bouquet as he gets up to hug her, “Happy Valentine’s Day” The man with the bouquet scene is one of many ways a typical valentine’s date might go. The date can go in many other directions afterwards.

Two possibilities would be a) the date goes completely wrong, or b) the date goes fantastically right.

Now if the date had gone completely wrong, the woman would have gone home, threw the bouquet in the garbage and thought about how much time she wasted on that date.

If it had gone right however, she may have not gone home alone. She may not even have gone home at all.

That’s just sad.

Because what probably happened was throughout the date, as the man speaks inquisitively about his love for cars, the woman gets excited.

Not because she’s into ford mustangs and Ferraris but simply because the hopeless romantic sucker is getting reeled in.

Valentine’s Day. It is said that this day is about a man named Valentine who died for his wanton love.

Today, it’s the time of year when couples romantically rendezvous. It is also a time when non-couples are given a chance to become one of those couples who romantically rendezvous.

The gifts one is most likely to receive are consumable, furry and stuffed, or will wither away within a matter of days; much like the brief romance shared between the couples that came together just for the sake of not being alone on such an occasion.

Some might say this holiday was meant to be a celebration of love. In today’s society love is another drive for consumerism. Hallmark and Carlton card companies use the word ‘love’ as a rose-colored disguise to hide what they’re trying to promote: sex.

Sex sells and the media knows it. The genius of this marketing is that everyone has had just about enough of cold winter nights and wall flower Christmas parties as they can take and are ready to reiterate their primitive sex drive.

Most drug stores stock their shelves with tokens of love and affection and sell them at obnoxiously high prices and are usually paired with lacy lingerie that is also over priced and are supposed to constitute for genuine emotion.

It is the thought of the people who buy these tokens that they might inspire their significant other to emphasize their physical relationship.

One would think that it was utterly romantic to receive a dozen long stem roses and a new Victoria’s Secret ensemble on Valentine’s Day, but does it adequately represent the deeper connections long term couples share, and is it reason enough to leap to the next level in a fairly new relationship?

Valentine’s Day is the late winter equivalent to Black Friday and women ending up in a court house 10 years later due to the radical romances of February 14th.

Bus Riders Need Breakfast Too |Rochelle Mascey |Portraits Editor

I sat in first period, advisory, and third period, on a Wednesday block day feeling less energetic than usual and extremely hungry. My stomach roared like an untamed lion eagerly awaiting a juicy steak. I watched the hands on the clock move in what felt like slow motion, truly wishing I had the ability to speed up time.

All I could think about was glistening eggs with salt sprinkled on top, juicy pieces of bacon and the sweet sugary tastes of cereal and pop tarts dancing in my mouth; I thought of basically any and every type of breakfast food you could consume.

I had thought I’d just buckle down and ignore my hunger pains like I usually do, but today I couldn’t take it, I needed to feel satisfied.

My bus was consistantly late in the morning and although I spoke to the bus driver about it one time, my words clearly went in one ear and out the other, since she still came late the very next day and I still had no time for breakfast.

It’s bad enough having to wait in line half the morning due to line jumpers, but then having to wait outside in the cold Washington weather for a school bus that doesn’t even get me to my destination on time is just irritating.

This should not be an issue in the first place. It should be a no-brainer.

I don’t think we, the bus riding students, should miss out on the most important meal of the day because bus drivers seem to be incapable of accomadating the new bell schedules.

“In general, kids who eat breakfast have more energy, do better in school and eat healthier throughout the day,” KidsHealth.org says. See? I told you.

lessons

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Mix-N-Match, Fool-Proof, Multi-Purpose Guaranteed-to-Save-Your-Butt Excuses In a tight spot? In so deep you’re sure you’ll never get out? Think again!

Cut out and re-arrange these clever (though admittedly insubstantial) tidbits to butter up your over-controlling girlfriend, paranoid parent or ticked-off teacher and slither out of your prickly situation unscathed.

These methods are not scientifically tested in real life. No official statistics or surveys have been taken.

Results may vary. If you get grounded/dumped/flunked after all, it’s probably your own fault anyway.

Greeting:

Acknowledgment:

Admission of Guilt:

Explanation:

Remedy/Situation:

Heyyy

Cuddle Bear.

I know I done you dirty,

Because I was unexpectedly delayed by a flock of wild lawn flamingos,

But it will never happen again.

Hola,

You gorgeous thing, you.

I may be a failure,

But I was at a really wild party and we got into a game of Ultimate Ninja.

I’ll make you lasagna and cupcakes to make up for it.

Well hi there,

Baby Panda,

I really dropped the ball on this one,

Since I was on a 6 hour caffeine high, during which I did nothing good.

Can I stay after class to make it up?

Please forgive my erring ways,

O Mighty One.

I may or may not have kind of sort of possibly slightly done something potentially terrible,

Because I got hungry.

But I will buy you a new one. A sparkly one!

WHAZZUP?!

Razzle Dazzle

I just didn’t do it,

But you have to believe that my dog actually DID eat it before I could show it to you,

I’ll do anything you want to make up for it.

What’s shakin’?

Shnookums,

Things have been really tough lately.

I had to help an old chicken lady across the street,

So I’ll give it to you tomorrow.

Baby,

Snuggle Muffin,

I, uh, sort of forgot to feed your _____ while you were in _____ for two weeks.

My Xbox has been feeling neglected lately, and....well, yeah,

But I meant to do it, I swear.

(Insert Name of Conversation Partner Here)

Sugar Dumplin’,

I ate the last ______,

But I’d just like to remind you that you love me and have way too much money invested in me to kill me now.

Soooo I’ll just go curl up in a corner and feel bad about myself now.

Excuse me,

Person who holds my fate in their hands,

I know I let you down,

But it was raining so I couldn’t go outside.

I’ll just go move my stuff into the doghouse now. Holler if you need me.

Yo, what’s up?

Fuzzy Wuzzy,

My bad.

I was abducted by a rare breed of alien that can only be killed with country music.

You get to pick where we go next.

Sooooo... uhh...

My favorite person in the whole entire world,

It wasn’t me, I swear!

You see, you’re getting me mixed up with the OTHER twin.

The one that doesn’t worship the ground you walk on.

I will give you my 1st edition foil Charizard if it will make you feel better, though.

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|Max Dang |Guest Writer

Facebook, the social networking site that takes a simpler and less flashy approach to online socialization than the fully customizable profile system, MySpace.

Because of its simplicity, Facebook is frequented by middle-aged adults as well as teens and college students, and is preferred over MySpace as a result.

Despite the more professional look of Facebook pages attracting a large range of users from different age groups, taken away is what people liked about socializing through MySpace: personalization and diversity of character.

This defect leaves users to utilize a standardized profile and limited abilities to tone their personalities, rather than a bellowing set of colors, graphics, and media, which means that everyone has the same volume to share their voice. But the largest segregating factor is the views many American teens between “shining Facebook” and “ghetto MySpace” Facebook’s Harvard background appeals to the high-brow egos of most teenagers, and thus cut a swath of animosity between high-to-middleincome and low-income adolescents, a crevice which American teens have only begun to cross.

It’s clearly evident that Facebook does not foster a diverse society due to its inability to allow users full customization of their profile pages, and especially to the deep cut income segregation has slashed between its potential members, reducing the

demographic range of its users.

Facebook is often used by adults as well as teenagers, mainly due to the clean-cut GUI (Graphical User Interface) and lack of distracting flash applications in contrast to the more dress-to-impress oriented styling of MySpace profile pages. Without the ability to make one’s profile personal other than listing personal information wherever desired, Facebook pages have no voices further than what’s stated on them, which is to say they have the same effect as talking into a cup: muffling all voices to the point where they sound the same.

While reading all of my contacts’ Facebook pages, I sometimes find it hard to make mental distinctions from one demographic to another, due to the bland profile template applied to every Facebook member’s pale page.

Kathryn Vercillo from hubpages.com held a comparison between Facebook and MySpace. In her article, she says, “Most Facebook pages look basically the same at a first glance.”

Let’s look at a few friends of mine: a crip gang member, a breakdancer, Civil, and Buishi, a 3.89 GPA student obsessed with anime and Korean dramas. On MySpace, all three have profiles that befit their interests and hobbies: my crip friend has navy blue bandanas lining the sides of his page and Snoop Dogg songs playing; Civil has pictures of famous breakdancing cities such as Tokyo, Seoul, New York and, of course, Seattle; Buishi has sakura blossoms dotted across the page and an animestyle puppy on the bottom right corner

and an excerpt of her favorite Korean drama episode embedded below her profile page picture.

Looking at all three MySpace profiles, I can clearly see a good part of their personalities in their respective profiles; I know my crip friend is down for life for his set from his “C4L” banner that is fixed to the background; Civil’s dream of competing in the national B-Boy (breakdancer) meet is gratuitously flaunted in every aspect of his profile; Buishi’s anticipation for the next installment of her anime and drama shows can be strongly felt as the anime-puppy stares at you with eyes larger than its paws.

Contrasted to their Facebook profiles, however, only outlines are present on their personal canvases rather than entire sketches. My crip friend’s devotion to his set is only displayed by words, making the impression that he only claims crip and does not fully immerse himself in the meaning of “crippin”. As for Civil and Buishi, the groups they join and videos they post detail their respective fanaticisms only at a fraction of their true amounts; without the aid of HTML wallpapers and images, their passions have been served a cold, deep bowl of injustice by Chef Zuckerberg.

What is more unsettling is that their Facebook posts look intensely fabricated without the usual HTML codes being applied to each message, making every post seem like it came from a virtual personality’s preloaded database. Looking at all three Facebook profiles, I actually cannot feel any difference between

talking to one friend or chatting with another, the default blue-and-white page template applied for each profile makes robots out of my friends, with only a status quote to hint at their organic authenticity.

The most critical reason behind Facebook’s failure to promote a diverse society lies between its Harvard origins and the large number of low-income American teens using MySpace. Laura Sydell of the National Public Radio discussed this issue on Morning Edition by interviewing two students who attend The Urban School, an elite high school in San Francisco, “No one uses MySpace.

It’s safer and more high class [to use Facebook],” 17 year old Halie Pacheco said. ‘High class’ seems like a very egotistical choice of words, but maybe Pacheco meant that Facebook is more efficient than MySpace; then again, perhaps not.

How a diverse society can exist without its members being able to fully illustrate their emotions, or with a firewall as profound and ignorant as bigotry is beyond me; in fact it is impossible.

The view presented by Sydell suggests the obstacle in Facebook’s way to nurturing a diverse society to be the repulsive bigotry held by the majority of high-income teens that use it.

The question now is how the large amount of people that make up the majority of Facebook can actively contribute to its diversity without changing how they think.

* Edited, Condensed and Prepared for Publication by Erin Welker

Features

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P.S. I Love You...

Valentine’s Day: A day dedicated to love. To capture and show how much you’re willing to give your heart to that significant other. To acknowledge the pure existence of the feeling a person has for another by treating him or her to a wondrous evening. But is Valentine’s Day truly necessary to express this particular emotion? Perhaps not. Perhaps it’s just the expectations we have about what makes Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day. When a person thinks of Valentine’s Day, he may think of beautiful flowers, lovely cards and a night to remember. The idea has an expectation of a romantic time, but that’s not how things always turn out. It’s the fact that sometimes things don’t always go the way people expect, especially on a day that’s meant to be spent with a special person, that makes it so exciting. It’s the element of surprise that makes this day so special, and it’s not always a surprise you desire. See the next page for stories from the student body, detailing favorite and worst Valentine’s surprises, pleasant and horrible childhood memories.

Remember those cardboard boxes with the slit in the top? There’s one in there.

Kenneth Orejudos Photo

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| Anthony Saelee, Brenden Dowd, Karyn Johnson, Hayley Brunk, and Rochelle Mascey

In high school my sister and I threw an Anti-Valentine’s Day Party. It was only girls and we decorated the house with hearts torn in half and decapitated cupids. We watched ‘Hello Betty Lou: Prom Night 2’ and other cheesy, old school horror films and ate lots of junk food. None of us had a boyfriend, so I guess that’s what prompted the whole party. I remember we ate a lot of nachos and chocolate and stayed up past midnight.

After the horror movies we did the Ouija board, and found out someone, one of us, was actually pushing it around. [Jessica Buchan] My freshman year I had a girlfriend and I was kinda mean to her because I gave a gold necklace to the girl I liked and a silver bracelet to my actual girl. But I love Valentine’s Day because it’s the perfect time to be romantic. [Laudon Thomas] I think Valentine’s Day is corny because I don’t think there needs to be a separate day for couples to celebrate their love. [Elizabeth Lee] I’d change how long it was! Make it like a three day thing, that way you can get to those you missed, and be romantic a little longer. [Sonam Lal] I never really celebrated Valentine’s Day, but I actually have a funny story.

In the 6th grade I was dating a girl and I came to school one random day to find a bunch of candy and a really nice card from her then I felt like a moron cause I had no clue it was Valentine’s day and I had nothing for her so being the quick thinker I am, I took a Valentine card from another person that was written in pencil, erased their name and put my own in its spot. I think after that I grabbed a handful of candy and gave it to her as a makeshift Valentine’s Day gift, which looked really sloppy and we broke up shortly after. [Jimmy Andrews] Seventh grade on Valentine’s Day, I was wearing this really pretty pink and red dress. I fell in a puddle and the bottom of the dress was see-through. [Amber Renek] This Valentine’s Day I’m not single. It’s the first year that I am with someone to spend this cute holiday with. I’m very excited because Valentine’s day falls within a few days of our anniversary, making the celebration more special. It’s going to be so romantic and I can’t wait. Valentine’s Day was always fun when I was single but this time around it’s even better. [Amy Chao] Eighth grade year I had a crush on this girl. My friends dared me to, so I got her one of those teddy-gram things. Then I found out she had a boyfriend. All of my friends made fun of me and I think they knew she had a boyfriend and they set me up. I was pretty embarrassed. My friends bugged me for a week about it; the whole week of the teddy-gram thing they bugged me. They all said ‘don’t worry, you’ll find a girlfriend someday.’ I haven’t yet. She just laughed at me and said I could be friends with her; I don’t think her boyfriend ever found out so it’s cool. [Billy Nong] Last year, this one guy gave me a pink bear and he told me his real feelings for me. So it was a really special day. That gave me butterflies in my stomach. [Denice Calsado] It happened in 6th grade and before school ended I went to my locker and got this teddy bear I bought for her. She was at her locker getting her stuff while I went up behind her and tapped her on her shoulder.

She looked at me and I was at a loss for words. So I just put the teddy bear in front of me. She looked at it and shook her head. Then I shrugged. I feel it’s a great opportunity for a guy to showcase his love or attraction to a girl. [Brian Saechao] It’s just a regular day except people give flowers to the people they like. [Jacky Tran] It’s a day to spend with your loved one [Alex Engar] It’s for couples and its romantic [Linh Nguyen] I was a little kid I didn’t know a lot about girls. I was barely out of that age where I thought girls were nasty and had cooties. There was one girl I really liked and I didn’t know why. We had this thing where we gave everyone in the class Valentine’s cards and candy. So I made her a special card, I put the card underneath her Valentine’s Day pouch. She found it and I kinda had my first relationship. [Tyler Yorita] In Nelsen Middle School in 7th grade, I had a best friend. She would always lighten up my day. We had these things in middle school called crushes. Every Valentine’s you would have to buy some for your friends and you would always receive them. Each Valentine’s day everyone in the class would receive them. The person t h a t had the most was ideally the most popular person in the class. In 7th grade I received 23 orange sodas and five boxes of sweet hearts. I got one from a person that was mysterious it said I have nothing to say to you. Another one said I love you and when you walk through the hallways ‘I desire your love’ and it was a guys handwriting and I wondered “who the heck is that?” When I was in 6th period, I was sitting next to my friend and she was looking over my shoulder to see what messages I got from the orange crush sodas. She put her hand on top of mine and she said that was me. It was a joke all along. [Merhweit Ghedrekiros] I remember last year for Valentine’s Day I got my mom 12 heart balloons and a dozen roses. I gave them to her during a church event and on stage I announced that I love her. I said that Valentine’s Day is not just for couples and then I gave her the roses and balloons and she was very happy. [Shiny Yang] My ex-boyfriend and I were suppose to go on a date, I waited an hour and a half to find out later he got arrested for robbery [Michelle Pinkham] I haven’t been on a date in 6 years. My husband likes to stay home instead. [Joy Miller] I think it’s a stupid holiday. I just go around my day like normal. [Austin King] My opinion and thoughts on Valentine’s Day are probably like everyone else’s. I think it’s a sweet day for couples and such and for single people to find somebody they could really get to like and get to know. I think it’s like a special day for couples I guess.

[Chandler Aing] Don’t let Valentine’s Day get you down. If you’re single, be happy and if you’re in a relationship spend time with your boyfriend or girlfriend. [Vinnie Nguyen] I remember the week before Valentine’s Day, the teacher told us to make cards for everybody.

Brenden Dowd Art We made decorated bags and she told us to go around and put a card in their bag. [Brian Vo]

play hard

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Boys on the Mat, and on the Court GETTING UP: On a fastbreak, Kareem Martin bolts through Lindbergh Junior Varisty basketball players on Jan. 26.

“When I ran the ball in I felt like they couldn`t stop me becuase I was running at a good speed,” Martin said.

“I felt like I was gonna miss the basket but it turned out that it went inside the hoop.”

OH, SO SORRY BOSS: Sophomore Darren Briggs swiftly swipes the ball away from the hands of a Lindbergh Varsity basketball player on Jan. 26. “What’s next?” Briggs said

EARTH TO ANDREWS: Junior Khen Untalan gives old timer Coach Jimmy Andrews a dose of his own medicine with a terrfying drop from the heavens. “Giving him that drop made me feel invincible.”

Untalan said.

HOOP, THERE IT IS: Senior LauDon Thomas dunks the ball during the pep assembly on Jan.15. “I was pumped that I made it,“ LauDon said. “All I wanted to hear was the roar of the crowd.”

PUSH IT TO THE LIMIT: junior Mahad Farah desperately fights to rise above a Mount Ranier varsity wrestler on Jan.14. “When he had me on the lock move all I was thinkin ‘bout was getting him off me.” Farah said.

Kenneth Orejudos and Devante Swamnn photos

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WHO CHEERS FOR THEM?

| Irene Muller | Lesson Editor From an early age, when I heard ‘cheerleader,’ I thought of my older sister’s mini-skirt wearing, protein shake drinking, party-going, blonde friends and “Bring It On.” It sounds like a completely inaccurate basis for judgment, right? At first thought, yes, but then again, an 8 year-old growing up with a feminist, activist, whole-grainbaking, no-processed-foods eating mother in an ex-mining town in the middle of nowhere who’s never been to a football game really has nothing more than that to go on.

Some young people may have a wider perspective from having been to high school, college, or even professional sports games and seeing the cheer squads there. Awesome, they have a greater mass of visual evidence to reinforce the idea that cheerleaders are just like everyone else, but with smaller clothes and longer hair and higher-pitched voices. Where are the in-depth interviews with professional cheerleaders in high class magazines? Then again, where are the famous cheerleaders at all?

The girls and women who dedicate their lives to perfecting this challenging and unbelievably dangerous sport are given virtually zero credit by society for all of their effort. I mean, according to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, High school cheerleading accounted for 65.1 percent of all catastrophic (fatal, disabling and serious) sports injuries among high school females over the past 25 years. Those statistics wouldn’t be surprising if we were talking about ninjas or Navy S.E.A.L.s – but cheerleaders? I don’t know about you, but I always thought of cheering as a sort-of-sport,

something for girls who didn’t want to be considered athletic or buff. Whoops.

It strikes me as odd that every Seattleite, football fan or not, knows Tatupu’s name from jerseys and bumper stickers and billboards, yet even as a long-time resident of the Seahawks’ home city, I had to Google their cheer squad to make sure they even had one. The squad is at every game, at every event, wears the same colors and upholds the same ideals of the same sports culture, and gets one tiny fraction of the credit and encouragement the men on the football team receive. They are still regarded by the majority of the public as sex symbols without personalities and therefore without personal achievement.

The sport provides something different for those involved. It isn’t about entertainment or sexualizing American sports culture. Finding a lack of interviews with cheerleaders on the internet, go figure, I decided to do some myself. Is it really all about living the stereotype? After asking around, I decided that was definitely not the case.

“I like…how everyone works together to build school spirit,” cheerleader Jennifer Vu said. “And when we cheer for our team it makes me happy, because cheerleading is always about being positive.”

In watching, interviewing, and really getting to know a few cheerleaders over the past month, I’ve discovered something unexpected; cheerleading is really just like any other sport. They train, they practice, they dedicate, they bond as a team, and they support their schools, hometowns, and, most of all, each other.

“We do just as much as any other team does. I don’t

know why they say it’s just a club,” cheer captain Raven Winfrey said, “because it’s more than that. It’s just that nobody seems to see that.”

They do wear ribbons in their hair and make a lot of friends, but that’s because it’s part of their sport, it’s a skill.

A football team’s objective is to win games; a cheer squad’s is to make their school and/or community a better, more spirited place and spread positive messages throughout the community. They do a lot more than just decorate the sidelines with their shiny pompoms and beribboned ponytails, and I don’t blame them for wanting to be recognized for that.

“I’d like to change people’s perspective of what cheerleaders represent and see us for what we are.” Vu said.

“People stereotype cheerleaders as dumb, conceited attention whores, but it’s really not like that at all.”

I think I’d like to change people’s minds, too. As a female athlete, I know how hard it is for women to be taken seriously in really any sport in this male-dominated athletic culture we were born into. Imagine not only having to fight the stereotypes of women as weak and useless, but also the added skepticism compliments of teen cinema and “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Collectible Barbie” dolls.

Personally, I think we all have a lot to learn from cheerleaders, as athletes and as people. Our schools and cities would be better places if we did.

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