Lewiston High School October23, 2015 Vol.89 No.1
iPad invasion, page 3
Homecoming, pages 8 & 9
Homecoming
Australian trip, page 10
Friday, October 23
Editorial
3
iPads invade Lewiston School District Do they really need more? Using iPads to replace classroom materials brews some concerns. “Digital” classrooms mean students get emailed an assignment and they do it on the iPad or at home on a personal computer. Teachers would stop giving out already outdated textbooks and rely on students having the internet accessibility to finish the work. Is there a big difference between virtual text book and a real handson text book? Most likely not, but some students don’t have constant access to the beloved internet, some could be grounded from the internet, or anything else that could get in the way of them finishing the assignment online. The iPads are wonderful
if the teachers using them know how to operate them and how to have the students use the technology to their advantage instead of a disadvantage. Sometimes students waste half of their class time attempting to get their devices to connect to Wi-Fi, use the right app or just plain trying to get them to work, resulting in unfinished work and frustrated students and teachers alike. The new BYOT [Bring your own technology] policies make it so every student will be able to bring their cell phones, tablets, laptops, etc., to do their class work and iPads will be provided for any student lacking a device. The BYOT policy is great, but where is the line
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Lately, it seems as if everything has gone digital, from books to paying bills at restaurants; almost anything can be done from a tablet. Classrooms were the next thing on the list of things to be turned digital, and thanks to Butch Otter, Idaho’s tax money bought Idaho’s schools plenty of the newest iPads, to use for each individual student. According to Dr. Donaldson, superintendent, Lewiston school district received 2800. Cool! A new, fun way to do classroom assignments, watch presentations and read textbooks, or a new, fun way to get DISTRACTED. Students, on a day-to-day bases, are virtually surrounded by technology, cellphones, computers, laptops, tablet, iPods, etc.
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drawn? To police the student’s use of their technology, students will log onto the school’s server and the district will control what apps personal devices can use. Living in the 21st century, one sees technology as a blessing, but what about the young students whose lives are already consumed by all sorts of technology? According to studies conducted by Digiday, the Millennials are the first digital natives; the first people to have the world at their fingertips, literally, the first people to have their lives instantly and constantly chronicled online. Millennials were born in the middle of all these huge technological developments and this generation has witnessed
a large amount of change. Their brains don’t 100 percent understand how to process all those changes and because of this, millennials naturally romanticize simpler times, even one’s they weren’t there for, referred to as “early-onset nostalgia.” Early onset nostalgia causes such an informational overload that it has compressed their sense of time. Technology can help in many numerous ways, but in the long run could also affect student’s sense of nostalgia and wonder. The conversion to digital could be beneficial, but also isn’t necessary in every aspect of life. Leave some things in the Stone Age and be nostalgic over things of the past.
THE BENGAL’S PURR 4 Opinion Bacon Bits: Gun control out of control jaceybacon opinioneditor
ly. According to statistics found by CNN, a high percentage of the gunReligion and race fall men were equipped with among many things tak- three or more weapons. Gun restrictions may not ing the blame for unspeakable acts that we, be the answer, howevas a nation, are becom- er pro-gun laws also will ing numb to. (President not solve the issue. Many Obama described the people believe that mass situation as “hopeless” shootings occur in places in his address after the such as schools because tragedy at Umpqua Com- they are gun-free zones. munity College in Rose- But, the state of Oregon is burg, Oregon, that left one of the few states that nine dead.) America has allows students to carbecome much too com- ry concealed weapons. fortable with shootings, Chances are that there and needs options to was at least one student present with a constop these tragedies cealed weapon. from occurring. Why would stuOne side of dents carry the argument a weapon if states that they didn’t gun sales have the require intention more reof stopstric tion, ping such but the an event? s o m e Of parw h a t ticular surprisinterest is ing truth a petition is that alsigned by most half of 180 professors the weapons at the University used in mass of Texas who do shootings are Jacey Bacon not wish to have obtained legal-
firearms in their classrooms. From a pro-gun standpoint, a classroom full of armed youth might be a good idea, but we do not know what is in everyone’s best interest. This questioning of what people are thinking, and who they are looking out for, is what makes guns so terrifying and mass shootings so real. There is one true fact, a mass shooter will not kill anyone else after being shot. But, if we put guns in the hands of everyone to watch for a potential criminal, aren’t we arming potential criminals? We do not know what people are thinking. Think back to the case of a seemingly promising young man from Hollywood who was angered because he wasn’t as rich or good looking as the people around him. Elliot Rodger always felt like he was on just the edge
of being great. Isn’t this something that would make everyone feel kind
This is the gray area that needs addressed -- the area between the weapon and the killer, the mind of a potential criminal. of down? Well, yes, but not enough to kill six people and injure 14 others. This is the gray area that needs addressed -- the area between the weapon and the killer, the mind of a potential criminal. The world puts so much emphasis on being “normal” that people focus on being prim and proper rather than noticing others who are not developing as they should and who feel confined within themselves. In many of the recent tragedies, the shooters were described as loners, full of emotional pain and who, at times, were blatantly antisocial. Most of society simply
ignores those people, further marginalizing them. Another question that is raised after a mass shooting is “Should the parents receive any blame?” Of course they should. Many of the killers get their weapons straight from their parents and it is the duty of the family to not only teach children proper weapon etiquette, but to make sure that kids are developing correctly and learning social skills that will help them deal with everyday life. Without these skills people turn to violence and nobody wins. We are not helpless, but helping others is often so much of a burden that we just ignore the issues around us until the news reports remind us of what a cruel world we live in. Help someone and you may be helping a lot more than one lost soul.
Publish your opinion! Send your letter to the editor to bengalspurr@ lewistonschools.net.
Can we talk about... kinseyrichardson editorinchief
As each school year gets on its way, students in every high school sign up for classes that their school requires to get the necessary credits to graduate. Everyone wants to take classes that are fun, informative and useful for life after high school. Unfortunately, it seems like every year students overload their already-full plates with tough classes and too many extra-curriculars. Advanced Placement and dualcredit courses are wonderful and so useful, but also A LOT of work. Students who go to
Students under pressure school for seven hours a day, take college courses, play sports, join clubs, work and still manage to have social lives should be commended. It really is amazing. School is a full-time job, despite anything anyone else says. School can drain everyone, physically and mentally. It’s exhausting. Everyone’s school experience is different; some students choose to take their education to the next level and challenge themselves with difficult classes that earn college credits and look good on applications.
Meanwhile, some students take easier classes because they simply want to get out of high school with a good GPA. Students taking harder classes can receive a boosted G.P.A., but too many can overload the students and send their G.P.A. down the drain. According to an article by Jeff Hudson from the Davis Enterprise, the number of AP courses you take won’t determine your worth in getting into colleges. Colleges look for people who are talented, hard working problem-solvers, not just a person who took a lot of AP courses.
Here’s one thing everyone has to remember: Pressure makes diamonds, so don’t expect to shine without a little heat. Applying oneself in every way possible will only better a person, but please don’t stretch yourself beyond your own means. School is supposed to help you, not hinder mental stability. Don’t wear yourself paper thin. It’s okay to get a bad grade. It’s all right to not ace a test. If taking classes that intellectually stimulate you makes you happy, then do exactly that, but don’t do it for anyone else. Hard
Kinsey Richardson
classes will make you a wellrounded person. They’ll be fun and you’ll be super proud of yourself in the end when you see that you passed a class designed for someone in college.
Friday, October 23
Bengals win homecoming game haileysorenson managingeditor
After a long and stressful week at Lewiston High School, the Bengals won 42-15 at the Homecoming Game Oct. 16 against Post Falls. With this win, the Bengals have an overall season score of 7-1. “Record dictates that we had a great season,” said Corey Williams, athletic director. “They competed very well, despite the loss [at Coeur d’ Alene].” The stands were practically overflowing with the fan support the Bengals received for their last home game of the
season. The support did not end with just the fans though -- LHS cheer alumni also returned to the field as a fundraiser for the current cheer squad. The returning alumni ranged from the 1997 class to 2006 along with last year’s cheerleaders. “It went great for the Bengals!” said Logan Ahlers, senior. “They killed it!” The Bengals play at Lake City Oct. 23 for their spot in the state competition. If they win, they will host the first game of the state competition on a date yet to be determined.
Sports 5
Girls take the football field haileysorenson managingeditor
Bengal Girls got their football on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Bengal Field. This year, seniors took the win for the annual Powder Puff football game, 28-25. In the annual game, girls play as the football players while boys cheer on the sidelines, coach them on field or act as the referees. The teams were easily split -- seniors against underclassmen. Each team also had three student coaches. The senior team had Logan Chase, Jake Hollenbeck and Michael Rinard as the coaches while the underclassmen had Nate Hutson, Robby Van Idour and Cody Baumeister. The new cheerleaders tried their best to fill the space left by the usual cheerleaders, even going so far as to wear both long wigs and tutus to fit the part.
H. Sorenson Bengal girls play football while boy football players coach them at the annual Powder Puff football game Wednesday, Oct. 21.
“We have been preparing for years for this,” said Levi Spear, junior. With about a minute of play time left, the seniors put male football players with wigs on the field to pose as Powder Puff players. They scored a touchdown almost immediately afterward. The referees allowed the point, despite loud remarks from the underclassman coaches. “I think [the game] went well. The seniors cheated a
little, but what else would you expect?” said Elissa Harding, a sophomore on the underclassmen team. “But they really did do good.” Through the slipping and sliding that occurred many times in the game, the players had fun. “The [game] is a good idea -- we get to come together,” said Rachelle Shantie, a senior player, “especially because we are seniors and it’s our last year.”
Varsity soccer teams fall short of state leytonwallace sportsassistant
H. Sorenson LHS plays Couer d’ Alene Sept. 16 at Bengal Field.
Bengals Varsity Soccer finishes the season despite not qualifying for State. Lewiston Bengal girls’ soccer players ended their season just short of state in a district game against Coeur d’ Alene Saturday, Oct.10 with a loss of 2-0. According to Kallie Mastroberardino, junior, the biggest game wasn't the district match against Coeur d’ Alene, but the rivalry game against Clarkston Oct. 3. The Oct. 3 game took place at Clarkston, where the Lady Bengals went into overtime for the win with 2-1. According to Mastrobe-
rardino, Katie McVicar, senior, surfaced as the standout player of the season. McVicar played a great season, she said, despite the fact that she tore her lateral collateral ligament in the team's district game with Coeur d’ Alene Oct. 10. Mastroberardino added that sophomores Maddie Haas and Demi Randall also had great seasons and seemed to be up and coming players in the sophomore group.. On the other side of the field, the boy’s team ended its season 3-2-8, losing the district game Saturday, Oct. 10 against Coeur d’ Alene 3-1. According to Carlos Gon-
zalez, senior, the most fun game of the season was against Spokane, which the Bengals won 3-0. Gonzalez placed Gavin Hewitt, junior, in the spotlight as one of the standout players of the season. “He always goes to the ball, no matter what,” Gonzalez said. Gonzalez himself scored 13 goals throughout the season. “It was a good season, but we are going to state next year. “ Gonzalez said. “All we need is the communication we had at the end of the season.” Trevan Pixley and Hailey Sorenson contributed to this report.
6 Sports
THE BENGAL’S PURR
Volleyball season wraps up with highs, lows trevanpixley sportsassistant
The Lewiston High School volleyball team have maintained a fairly shaky season, losing to Lake City both times they met, as well as Post Falls and Coeur D’ Alene. The team competed in the Lindin Sheridian classic in Spokane, Washington. They participated in five total games at the classic, in which the scores were were 2-3. The Bengals defeated Kennewick and Bonners Ferry, but fell
short to Skyview, Richland and Rodgers High School. Upon facing Post Falls and Coeur D’ Alene the first time, the Bengals lost 3-0 to both teams. They faced off against Post Falls again on Oct. 13. and won 3-1. They competed against Couer D’ Alene again as well on Oct. 15. And lost 3-0 according to Idahosports.com. The team has yet to play in state which will be held on Oct. 30 and 31 in Couer D’ Alene. Times are still to be announced.
Bengals volleyball team plays a game in Booth Hall. Photo courtesy of Lewiston High School Yearbook.
XC Bengals pull ahead in impressive season trevanpixley sportsassistant
Lewiston High School boys cross country team continues to impress, not just as a team, but
also individually with great individual performances by junior Austin Byrer, and sophomores Joey Perez and Sakti Woodbury. team took first place in
the Pasco Bulldogs Invitational, second in the Post Falls River Run and third in the Inland Empire League Meet. As far as individual performances, Austin Byrer,
who seems to be the biggest part of this team, PR’d (personal record) at the Mountain West Classic with a time of 15:49. Joey Perez, an impressive sophomore, has also stepped up for the team. He PR’d at the Inland Empire League Cross Country meet Cross country coach John Potter celebrates with a time of with junior Austin Byrer after Byrer takes seventh out of more than 400 runners in 16:34. Sakti Wood- Montana Sept. 19. Photo courtesy of R. Byrer. bury, another key Another sophomore, component to this year's Miriam Ames, has proved boy’s cross country team, to be a key factor for the PR’d at the Pasco Bull- girls team. Ames PR’d at dogs Invite with a time the Pasco Bulldogs Inviof 17:09. tational with a time of The girl’s cross country 20:22. team has been equally Miranda Cranston, seimpressive, with a nota- nior, who also adds exble performance at the perience to this young Post Falls River Run, plac- team, PR’d at the Inland ing fourth Empire League Cross The individuals who Country meet with a time stepped up for the team of 21:42. include sophomore KaitThe next and final event lyn Blume who PR’d with is going to be the 5A a time of 19:45 at the In- State Cross Country Meet land Empire Cross Coun- at Farragut State Park, in try meet. Scott Field, Idaho.
Feature 7
Friday, October 23
Abe Wesselman: Voice acting in animation, games gabbyaustin copyeditor
Q: Describe your senior project and its effects on the community. A: I will do whatever I can to make voice actors respected for their work. They put just as much effort into their work as on screen actors do, but don’t get nearly the amount of respect they deserve. Q: What do you hope to
accomplish with your senior project and paper? A: I want to do what I can to get voice actors more known. They all have names and faces, but not many people know them. Q: What is your personal reason for picking this topic? A: I grew to (appreciate) voice acting. I admittedly didn’t care about it until very recently. After learning an impressive fact, I set out to learn as much as I (could) about voice acting,
and to become a voice actor. Q: Please share some of the most interesting facts that you have found regarding your project. A: The same person, Tara Strong, voices Raven from Teen Titans and Bubbles from Powerpuff Girls, (as well as) many other characters. Mel Blanc, known for voicing Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and around 90% of the original Looney Tunes characters, had at least
400 unique voices. The first two Mass Effect games have a total of around 670,000 words. For comparison, War and Peace (the book) has around 500,000. Trey Parker and Matt Stone voice most of the characters in their show South Park. Each episode is also made within a Abe Wesselman is exploring voice acting in his senior project. week.
Byrer goes the distance
Right: Austin Byrer, junior, gets interviewed by the Spokesman Review Oct. 22. Photo courtesy of R. Byrer.
trevanpixley sportsassistant
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A race against time, a true test of endurance in athletics. Cross country truly motivates its participants to practice and succeed in its race towards the gold. A cross country meet can vary between 25 to even as much as 400 runners, the Lewiston High School cross country team has gone to
meets consisting of both numbers. The Mountain West Classic in Montana consisted of 413 runners and over 50 schools. Lewiston as a team placed 24th out of 56, but the significant thing about this race is junior, Austin Byrer, finished seventh out of those 413 runners with a time of 15:49. “I don’t really know what goes on in my head. When you’re running you’re not
thinking of much,” said Byrer when asked what goes through his mind during these five mile races. Byrer, got his personal best time at the Mountain West Classic with a time of 15:49. He also has first place finishes at the Inland Empire League Classic as well as the Pasco Bulldogs invite. Expect big things at the state meet from junior, Austin Byrer.
Thompson balances rock, school tonymurillo entertainmenteditor
The Pacific Northwest brews plenty of talent in many different fields. Education and music aren’t always a typical pairing, but Jenifer Junior High Freshman English teacher, Will Thompson does both. Both have deep roots in his family just like he has his roots in the Pacific Northwest. Thompson makes one half of local band, Astronaut and the Trees. They have performed the name for three years. The band name means more than it appears to on the surface. “I wanted something that represented us being from the Northwest,” Thompson said. “… Andru [Gomez] loves outer space… [It’s] having an element of something that’s
grounded with an element of something that can be more fantastic,” said Thompson. Andru Gomez is the other half. The two have known each other for several years. They met through a mutual friend and started playing music together. “At the time I rented a house up in the Orchards and we would play in this tiny little bedroom,” Thompson said. Astronaut and the Trees have a sound to call their own. “We’re loud, a little bit bluesy… I think we have a lot of similarities with grunge,” Thompson said. Thompson has seen the Northwest music scene transform. He enjoys his part in the picture. “I would love to help a local music scene grow,”Thompson said. Thompson also has passion
for teaching, and started in “My mom is actually a certified teacher…and my grandpa was a teacher [and] middle school counselor for 30 plus years,” Thompson said. Thompson says Mrs. Atkinson, Lewiston High School teacher, played a significant role in his teaching career. ”I did my student teaching in 2010 here at LHS with Mrs. Atkinson,” Thompson said. Thompson enjoys the subject of English. “I love to read and I love to think about the meaning of things” Thompson said. Thompson loves teaching for many reasons. “I like people, I like room to be creative and I also like structure,” Thompson said. It may seem hard to balance the two, but Thomp-
Will Thompson plays with Astronaut and Trees while teaching at Jenifer Jr. High School. Above on Left: Andru Gomez, Right: Will Thompson. Photo courtesy of Will Thompson.
son has plenty of support. “My lovely wife Julia is very supportive of me playing mu-
sic...my bandmate Andru isn’t too demanding...I’m able to balance it,” Thompson said.
THE BENGAL’S PURR
10 Feature
Whose fault? Skinner travels to Australia Asphalt! Questions with Katie
Moira Skinner poses in ceremonial face paint, which an aboriginal tribe applied while she was hiking around Mossman Gorge in Australia. Courtesy of M. Skinner. katieswift featuresassistant
In first installment of this Purr series, Questions with Katie, Moira Skinner tells of her summer trip to Australia. Q: Where did you travel in Australia? A: We flew from L.A. to Sydney, Australia, then traveled up the east coast to Brisbane. We spent time on an island called Tagalooma, then we traveled farther up the east coast to Queensland. We spent time in Karens, the last leg of our trip, and then we flew back to L.A. The trip was over the course of 20 days. Q: Why did you go? A: I wanted to experience another culture and see as much of the world as I can. I could die tomorrow and I don’t want to say I didn’t go. There are too many beautiful places in the world. I want to see at least a few of them. Q: Who did you go with? A: I went with a group called People to People Student Ambassadors. My best friend was also in the group, Haley Heaton, and it was amazing to experience that with [her]. Q: What were some of the
highlights of your trip? A: We went repelling off a cliff in the Blue Mountains in Sydney, and that was totally out of my comfort zone, but I loved it! In my normal life, that isn’t who I am, but when I was away, I felt I could be someone else who I wished I was. We also scuba dived and snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef, which was completely breathtaking. We stayed with a host family for a few days in Forster. It was amazing for me to stay with people who lead different lives than me. Q: What were some of the strangest things you experienced? A: Everyone drove on the opposite side of the road, which took a while to get used to. It was also our summer time when I left and it was their winter time over there, which wasn’t much different since it was in the 70s most of the time. Also, it was so strange because the kangaroo there equate deer to us. They see kangaroos all the time on the side of the road. Q: What is your favorite story from your visit? A: When we went to go scuba dive and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, to get out to the reef you have to go on a boat ride, one hour out. It was argu-
ably the choppiest water I’ve ever been on. The only people who I think have felt worse are the members of Deadliest Catch. They told us to take Dramamine, the motion sickness medicine, because people were going to get sick. So I did and so did Haley, but a lot of kids were like, “No, I don’t get motion sick. I don’t need to take it.” We get five minutes into the boat ride, and kids are dropping like flies, vomiting like a movie scene. Everyone was slowly going to the back of the boat, and they would vomit over the side. I was hunkered down with Haley and our friend and we were snuggling together like, “We are going to make it through this you guys, we will not vomit.” And one by one everybody would go back and leave us. They were vomiting, so the crew started handing out “just in case” bags and we were like, “No, no it’s okay, we are trying to keep our business together, leave me alone.” This kid in front of us was with our group, and we were alone up there at this point cause everybody else was vomiting, We hadn’t said anything to each other but we were silently in agreement that we were going to make this work, we are not going to vomit, we are going to stick this out. This kid that is with our group, you could see him start to turn white and sweat, and he vomited! I almost started to cry because I felt so emotional that everybody else was sick. But I never threw up. It was hilarious. And then they fed us while we were out there and when we had to go back in, I think people forgot we had to go back in, because they just threw everything up again. It was gold.
about the sides of the trench caving in. Meanwhile, his skin was covered in dirt and drenched katieswift with sweat and asphalt. featuresassistant “It’s awful. And doesn’t pay Mr. Kelly Carper. When very well either,” said Carper. people from Lewiston Carper explained that he High School hear this lived in Hayden, Idaho, at the name, they are more than time of the asphalt job. He relikely to think; “Sophomore ceived $3 per hour at the age history teacher.” What usu- of 14. “Fourteen, so young ally doesn’t come to mind and innocent,” he added. when it comes to Carper is: When asked why he took asphalt. It’s time to learn this job, he revealed that his a little bit more about the brother hired him, adding man in Room 205. that he was a jerk for doing When asked if he had so. He called Carper one ever had a weird job, he day and said, “Hey, guess elaborated quite a bit on what you’re going to do?” “the asphalt job”as he called He also didn’t ask if it for lack of a better title. Carper really wanted “I used a paint roller to roll the job, which he didn’t. scalding hot asphalt from Carper’s brother is 15 years the bowels of hell onto the older than him and Carper foundation side,” he said. himself was only the “tender “Asphalt so hot it burned little 14,” while his brother the hairs off my tender was the “big bad nasty 29, little 14 year old arms!” making me do stuff I didn’t All day in the hot, hot- wanna do. It was cheaper to - emphasis on the hot-- have me do it. My brother is July and August sun he a cheapskate.” Carper said. painted asphalt emulsion “[On the job] I got water, but onto house it was never foundations. enough, no He hairs on my explained arm, dirt that there everywhere, was a trench ickiness all between the over me, foundation couldn’t get of a house a date. Well, and the I couldn’t earth that get a date was about before, but 2-3 feet wide still,” CarpKelly Carper and 15 feet er said down. There laughing. was 9 feet of dirt above Carper whispered his head where he stood that he purposely did and he used a ladder horrendous work at the job, to climb in and out. | by not taking the asphalt “No music, hot sun, emulsion all the way to the asphalt, no money, bottom of the foundation. asphalt again. Who’s fault? “I just kicked up a Asphalt!” Carper said. “It bunch of dirt,” he said. was just horrendous! I When asked what he thought the world was did today [in regards to gonna end! It didn’t.” teaching] he replied with For the claustrophobic “Not much, but I got paid the job felt “like blech,” as for it. So much better than Carper put it, worrying asphalt!”
THE BENGAL’S PURR
12 News
Finding a sub, not made easy Upcoming events kelsymiddleton newsassistant
Last year, Lewiston School District switched to finding substitute teachers for classes in need substitutes on a website called Aesop. Aesop recently made an app called Jobulator. In the end it adds up to about $50 a year. The teachers aren’t required to buy it because they can get all their information for free on the
Aesop website. Teachers across the nation using the app liked it better than the other apps that Aesop has worked with in the past. At first the teachers were receiving more positions. There are some features that could be added, such as filters on who they are subbing for, what age group it is, where it is, and when the class is needing a substitute. After teachers used the app for
a while they ran into some troubles keeping the app open. It would crash and there would be a delay between posting in the app and posting online, which led to less positions for some people. Another way teachers were losing positions is when the accept button wasn’t working correctly. Even with all of these features that need to be fixed teachers are still using the app.
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium scores lack luster jaceybacon opinioneditor
Results for The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) gave to 156,500 Idaho students in the spring of 2014 are in (kind of ). Idaho had a contract with the Standards Achievement Test by Smarter Balance that results of the testing would be turned in within 10 days after the exam. The testing took place from March 30May 22, and students in some districts, including Lewiston, still do not know where
they stand with their results. The Idaho Board of Education released that the scores have beaten projections from the state but the actual numbers are lackluster. Statewide, 61 percent of 10th graders were at proficient or above in English, as were 48 percent of third graders. In the oncoming years a major focus may be to increase math scores. Statewide, 50 percent of third graders were proficient or above in math but only 30 percent of 10th graders were proficient or above. All of these statistics were provided by Idaho Education News.
This may not surprise the students who took the test, or the state that joined 43 others in administering the test. However, the scores may shock parents in Lewiston. Dr. Donaldson, superintendent of the Lewiston School District, stated Sept. 23 that students and parents should expect to see individual scores in the beginning of October. (The district already knows that scores for each individual building are matching the statistics presented by the rest of the state.)
The infographs above show the statewide proficiency scores for the English and math sections of the SBAC test.
Oct. 27
Music Dept Concert, auditorium
Oct. 29 Oct. 30-31 Oct. 31
Soccer Banquet, 5-9 p.m., cafeteria Varsity Volleyball STATE @CDA, TBA Cross Country STATE @Farragut State Park,
Nov. 6 Nov. 9-10 Nov. 11 Nov. 11-13
TBA EARLY RELEASE End Qtr. 1 Drama Christmas Play Auditions, 2:30 p.m. Vetran’s Asssembly Parent Conferences, 3:45 to 7:30 p.m.,
Nov. 18
Booth Hall Mass Band/Choir Concert, 7 p.m. Audito-
Nov. 16-19 Nov. 20-21 Nov. 20 Nov. 24 Nov. 25-27
rium Mr. LHS rehearsals Varsity Football, TBA at Milk Bowl Mr LHS, auditorium, 7-10 p.m. Bengal’s Purr Issue NO SCHOOL Thanksgiving Break
Administrators give words of wisdom paigeschumacher managingeditor
In their first Purr interview of the school year, administrators Kevin Driskill, Chad Arlint and Corey Williams highlighted the school’s future, senior projects and advice for sophomores. Administrators reported that the school district has committed for freshmen to move to the high school sometime in the future. The school board hired an architect, Amber Van Ocker, but is now deciding on whether to “renovate or build a new school and researching expenses,” Driskill stated. When asked about the senior project, Arlint’s advice was to start early. “Take advantage of the practice day — you get feedback,” he added. Driskill recommended that seniors use the school’s websites, lists of project dates and teachers’ help as resources. “The earlier, the better off,” Driskill said.
Williams encourages the sophomores to get involved. “I believe there is a place for everyone,” Driskill added. He also mentioned that students here have more freedom than at most students’ previous schools. Principal Driskill stated that he doesn’t expect any major changes for school activities. “We’re mostly sticking with what we did last year,” Arlint added. “It’s your guys’ school. We like to let the students take it on,” said Driskill, with Arlint adding that they keep a balance with associated student body (ASB) and the administrative leadership. “It’s always fun around here!” Driskill said. “LHS is a great place to go! We’ve got great [students],” Driskill said. “There are lots of opportunities and a wider range, and more open classes of choice with the block schedule.”
13
News
Dr. Donaldson addresses tests, construction
THE BENGAL’S PURR Volunteers rebuild Castle Park
jonikaringling newseditor
The Lewiston School Board is committed to creating 9-12 In a press conference Sept. grade high school, he said. 23 with the Bengal’s Purr, This will be reached either Lewiston Independent School through renovating the current District’s Superintendent Dr. high school or building on Robert Donaldson, discussed the 80 acres the district owns. important information “I will 100 percent support regarding upcoming changes whatever the board decides within the we do” said district. Donaldson. As of Sept. “I did throw 23 Donaldson out the idea said it was of a bond unknown election in whether ISAT May, but it’s at 2.0 scores the discretion would be of the board.” used as a The board is graduation looking into requirement the option of for the class increasing the of 2017. local sales tax However, to lift some the Lewiston of the weight Dr. Robert Donaldson Tr i b u n e off the taxreported payers shoulOct. 22 that the test would ders, he added. not affect graduation for The state looks at all this year’s sophmores. resolutions for the high The school’s overall ISAT 2.0 school and the board’s results came in towards the decision is only a recommendend of August. The individual ation, he explained. ISAT 2.0 scores will be released As of mid-October there are when the window of appeals 2,800 iPads in use district-wide. closes, Donaldson said. ”District wide we aren’t one Lewiston High School still to one,” Donaldson stated. contains asbestos but it is all Tammany has an iPad for sealed, contained, and regularly every student and that is the inspected. According to goal for the entire district. Donaldson, “There is absolutely ”Someday there will be a deno affect to students.” vice for every student,” he said.
Castle Park Volunteers came together and finished the rebuild of the Emerich and finished Sunday Oct. 4. Photo Courtesy of Carol Richel.
kelseymiddleton newsassistant
Over the past couple of years the students at McGhee Elementary School have been organizing fundraisers to raise money to build a new play structure where the Emrich, also known as Castle Park,
stands. Judy Fong had set up the Emrich Student council to put the decisions into place. On Tuesday, Sept. 29 a group of volunteers got together to tear down the Emrich at McGhee Elementary school. The group worked on tearing down the Emrich until six that night. Afterwards the volunteers
were served a dinner. Volunteers spent all day Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday working on rebuilding the new play structure. The new play structure is made of Trex recycled material. Trex is made to be used and to look like wood. The group of volunteers finished Sunday, Oct. 4.
District boosts bandwidth jonikaringling newseditor
This year the bandwidth at Lewiston High School’s WiFi increased to support the growing number of wireless devices on the campus. With increased Wi-Fi bandwidth, the possibility of Lewiston
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High School moving towards students bringing their own technology (BYOT). “Down the road, students will be able to log on to the Wi-Fi and teachers can push out apps for students to use,” said the Vice Principal, Chad Arlint. “There is no set time frame. In a perfect world it would be tomorrow, but there is no set time frame.”To access the apps teachers use, students log into the Wi-Fi using their school login and password; the 10-12 level filter will be in place
during all use according to Arlint. An informational website regarding blocked apps will soon be available to help teachers’ better plan lessons, according to Lisa Kokernak, the school’s computer technician. As mid-October 30 minutes of inactivity logs students off of the open Wi-Fi network according to Kokernak.The WiFi service is provided through the state of Idaho, Kokernak said.
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1628 Main St. | Lewiston, Idaho • 208-743-2922
THE BENGAL’S PURR Purrcussion: Tame Impala explores alternative sound
14 Entertainment tonymurrillo entertainmenteditor
Tame Impala’s Currents, released July 17, paves a bold new direction for this psychedelic pop/rock group. “Different” is Currents’ keyword. Its near absence of guitars is most notable. Currents transitions into a synth-driven sound that’s laced with electronics, but still feels organic and true to the band. Much like the band itself, Tame Impala’s primary member and producer, Kevin Parker, seems to be experiencing
changes. The lyrics reflect this with lines such as, “another version of myself I think I found, at last.” This album’s main theme is accepting change sonically and lyrically. Parker’s production shines at its best. The instrumentation sounds clean, the vocals are light and airy. Everything about it feels fresh and vibrant, boasting a light, dreamy sound. Currents proves to be tight and cohesive, a listening experience that flows well.
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Every song fits in with the laid-back vibes this record gives out. Solid interlude tracks tie this LP together.
There’s not much to complain about on this album, but there is a little. The vocals could use some variety as Parker’s voice hasn’t changed much since the band’s 2010 debut album. With fantastic songs like “The Less I Know the Better,” and “Let it Happen,” Currents proves to be a worthy addition to Tame Impala’s discography. For this, Currents earns four stars.
Tame Impala relased Currents July 2015. Image courtesy of Tame Impala.
15 Entertainment
THE BENGAL’S PURR
Sequels tiring out tonymurillo entertainmenteditor
Movies are likely as popular now as they have ever been. Certain movies are good enough to get a sequel. Sequels have the opportunity to expand upon the universe of a film and to make a better movie than the last. Movies have sequels when the movie is special and people want to see more, right? Sequels used to be something special and were often better than the last one. Some notable examples include Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and The Dark Knight (2008), the second installment in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Lately, it seems as if a movie doesn’t have to be good to get a sequel. Sequels have lost their magic and many exist to make money. Some sequels are so bad that they tarnish the reputation of the original, like Son of the Mask (2005). Some are unnecessary and have no reason to justify their existence such as Cars 2 (2011) and its spinoff Planes (2013). Too many times, it doesn’t end with one sequel. Take for example, the bloated Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first wave of these movies offered a neat example of a film universe. Almost everything after that just feels like a gimmick
divided into two movies. This resulted in the first part of Mockwith many of the entries failing ingjay feeling like a glorified trailto deliver an experience as good er just to set up the second part. as the original. Plenty of the There are far too many examples movies follow a far-too-familiar of oversizing a series with too blueprint. Things have gotten many entries. The Paranormal out of hand. Take the ending to Activity series contains five films Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), with a planned sixth one released which just sets up its two-part Oct 23. None of them have a sequel. This isn’t the end--Marvel score higher than 70 percent on Rotten Tomatoes except for the first movie. Many stories manage to get a trilogy milked from them, Taken being one of these. The final two entries received poor critical reception. There is even a trilogy of American remakes; Case in point, The Grudge (2004) is an Americanization of Japanese horror film JuOn: The Grudge (2002). There were three more Home Alone movies after the first two. None of the three had any original cast members and all three received atrocious reviews. Some series never made it past two but that’s because the sequels were effective series killers. Primary examples include Paul Blart 2 (2015) and Grown Ups 2 (2013). (It’s a good thing cancellation struck them at two, Courtesy of Marvel.com has movies planned up to 2019. as critics everywhere gave these Many filmmakers now split a sour sequels savage reviews) story into multiple entries, which A sequel used to be a cinematic often feels unnecessary. The 390 treat. Viewers explored deeper page novel Mockingjay (2010) is into the stories of their favorite a two-part cinematic entry in The characters. Nowadays, the surprise Hunger Games series. The book is gone much like the thrills within isn’t long or rich enough to be the films.
Shrek comes alive at Civic gabbyaustin copyeditor
On Sept. 7 the Lewiston Civic Theatre debuted a tale of an ogre who found true love. The story, based upon the DreamWorks movie Shrek, followed the life of Shrek, an ogre, on his quest to rescue a princess in order to take back his swamp from Lord Farquad. Along the way he becomes best friends with Donkey and falls in love with the princess, Fiona. True love’s kiss ends the story as Fiona transforms into an ogre and lives happily with Shrek at the swamp. After just a few performances the show became a huge success, causing extra
performances to be added on Saturdays. Still, Shrek the Musical quickly sold out for each of its performances, according to actors in the play. The musical included lovable characters, intricate sets and well delivered music, all of which made the show enjoyable and intriguing to watch. In at least one performance the audience responded audibly in reaction to many humorous scenes. The play featured Austin Mason as Shrek, Amanda Klempal as Fiona and Ethan Smith as Donkey, as well as many Lewiston High School students including sophomores, Austin Rose as a pig and Ruby
Moree with various ensemble parts; juniors, Marshall Fisher as Pinocchio and Maddy Corbitt as the Ugly Duckling; and seniors, Aiden Walsh as the Captain of the Guard, Shay Bonner with various ensemble parts and Emily Browne as a part of the stage crew. Only few complaints surfaced. The microphones went out a few times. Also, by no fault of the cast, children talking in the audience make it hard, at times, to hear. However, Shrek the Musical proved worthy of four and a half stars.
Play ages poorly, actors shine bright willwilson entertainmentassistant
You Can’t Take It with You, a classic comedy being performed at the Lewiston High School, featuring the story of a wacky family in late 1936, has been reenacted by the LHS drama department to create a fusion of interesting cast and a less desirable plot. While the play had its positives, as seen in the acting, its negatives were very apparent in the dragging plot line. Throughout the showing, one could only wonder why the play was referred to as a comedy despite the lack of laughs. Of course, it is only reasonable to look at the glaring aspect of the play’s time period of the late 1930s. Comedic aspects from the previously mentioned era focus on the taboos and humor as present in the ‘30s, jokes spawning from the spoken word “sex” and the Russian Revolution are absurdly out of place today. Simply put, the plot of this play did not age well. The revolutionary status that this play held in the ‘30s was thankfully upkept by the incredibly high
skill level of those acting. Without a doubt, the best part of the play was viewing students take on difficult roles and shatter the boundaries set in front of them. Every cast member, from sophomore Carl Snyder, to senior Emily Brown, played their intricate roles to a tee. Even the improv, especially from junior Andrew Bugbee, displayed the potential for a future performance to be even better. The difficulty in performing the play today is an idea that can be admired and respected. Although the drab plot was apparent, the actors’skills can only be a good omen for the upcoming winter play and spring musical. The hard work put into the performance is easily seen in emotion of the actors. Overall this production earns a 3.5/5. You Can’t Take It with You shows at 7 p.m. Oct. 23 and Oct. 24 in the LHS auditorium. Admission costs $1 for LHS activity card holders, $5 for adults and $4 for students and senior citizens.
New comic a spider smash tonymurillo entertainmenteditor
Change is on its way for Marvel Comics. Marvel is putting an end to main universe Earth 616, and the popular Ultimate Universe and combining them into a new universe. While transitioning into this new universe, Marvel plans to revisit many of its events, including the recent and popular Spider Island story arc. The Spider Queen is running amok and attempting to fill New York with her forces of evil. It’s up to Spider Man and Venom’s gang of mutated heroes to save the day. Right off the bat, writer Christos Gage establishes the tone. This is a fast paced, fun and over the top story filled with campy goodness. Everything is absolutely nuts yet still manages to get even crazier. There’s even an army of Peter Parker’s ex-girlfriends. The writing is strong, full of one liners and snappy dialogue. Gage does a great job creating a fun and adventure plot. This issue is action-packed and filled to the brim with charm. It delivers excitement and top notch thrills. Artist Paco Diaz and colorist Frank D’Armata handle the art well, making it colorful and full of life and detail.
This issue also includes a bonus Spider Girl story well worth the read. Some lingering issues bring the issue down a bit, however. The quality of the art is inconsistent on few occasions. This issue doesn’t takes many risks, either. This issue is a crazy and enjoyable trip. It’s filled to the brim with zany action and upbeat energy. For this, Spider Island No. 4 earns four out of five stars.
Spider Island No 4 is part of the new story arc that brings in the new Marvel Universe. Photo courtesy of comicvine.com
Comic review materials provided by Talk Nerdy To Me at 620 Main St. in Lewiston.
Friday, October 23, 2015
Easy, fun last minute Halloween costumes
Variety 16
jaceybacon opinioneditor
Stumped on how to dress for All Hallows Eve? Try one of these last minute ideas: • Paint yourself orange and hit the road as a traffic cone. This will ensure that no cars will hit you on your candy hunting adventure. • Cover yourself with a bed sheet. This will give you three costumes including a ghost, a mummy, and mayonnaise (according to our student survey, a desirable costume). • Dress up as your enemy and egg a few houses. If your disguise is good enough your enemy will get all the blame. • Go out as a professional golfer. Use a golf cart to travel and a caddy to carry all of your candy. • Borrow a grandparent’s clothing and become a deranged senior citizen, or Macklemore. • Glue yourself to your crush to disguise yourselves as conjoined twins, then never let them go.
Teacher, Brian Larson has collected photos of Bengal athletes over his years of teaching LHS. Above: displayed them in the halls for Homecoming spirit week this year. Photo by L. Wallace.
Below: Super-official notes from a super-scientific survey conducted in the super-official laboratory, i.e., the LHS cafeteria this fall. Photo by J. Bacon.
Meet the staff Editor in Chief……………...................….............................…Kinsey Richardson Managing Editors........................Paige Schumacher, Hailey Sorenson News Editor...................................................................................Jonika Ringling Feature Editor…………….....................……......................…...Kinsey Richardson Opinion Editor............................….....….............................................Jacey Bacon Sports Editor……………………............................................……...Hailey Sorenson Website Editor………..............................Paige Schumacher, Jacey Bacon Entertainment Editor………….........................................................Tony Murillo Chief Copy Editor...............................................................Kinsey Richardson Advertising Manager………………...........................................…….Sierra Elliott Distribution Manager.......................................................................Jordyn Kim Photography Manager...............................................................Ryan Conover News Assistant.....................................................................Kelsey Middleton Feature Assistant...............................................................................Katie Swift Sports Assistants..................................... Trevan Pixley, Leyton Wallace Copy Editors............................................................Gabby Austin, Katie Swift Reporters.........................................................Intro to Journalism Students Adviser……….......................................................…...………………..…Charity Egland