March 2014 by Borah Senator

“After Newtown (and after all of these tragedies), people went to the obvious place: guns. I thought it was time for a national conversation on mental illness.” See more of Liza Long’s Q&A on page 8

Submit a letter to the editor Is your voice heard?

Ways to submit 1. Online at borahsenator.com 2. Email your letter to amckernan@borahsenator.com 3. Bring a copy to Room 503

See more art by Karston MacAulay on page 2

Student Bio

March 11, 2014

Student actor strives to gain role in comedy film By Amanda Wester

awester@borahsenator.com It was in “Princess,” a play in elementary school, that junior Aidan Transtrum got his first taste of acting. “I played Prince Charming and got to save the six princesses,” he said, mentioning that he didn’t get seriously into acting until 8th grade. “It was a very cheesy play because we were only in the 5th grade.” Transtrum also said his inspiration for acting is his mother’s cousin, Barry O’Neil. “He lives in Los Angeles and has been in a few plays and a movie. It’s nice seeing him at family reunions because I get to ask him about his acting career and he asks me about mine.” Transtrum also said he definitely wants to pursue a career in acting. He said he would love to play in movies as the good guy who defeats the bad guy and gets the girl in the end. He would also like to be in comedies because he has been told that he is a funny guy.

Photo from Kaira Paris-McDade | kaira.parismcdade@gmail.com

Junior Aidan Transtrum kisses senior Lauren Hubbard in the play “Pieces,” which was a tragedy written by senior Kenzie Knutson about a couple in love. Moreover, one of the most memorable plays he was in was “Harry’s Hotter at Twilight” which was a satirical mix of “Harry Potter” and “Twilight.” “It was just a lot of fun,” said Trans-

trum. “I got to play a vampire, wear a lot of makeup, and I got to work with my friends and have an all around good time.” The comedy was also when Trans-

trum got to experience his first onstage kiss with senior Laruen Hubbard. Hubbard said what makes Transtrum such a great actor is his gracious personality. “Whenever there is any type of drama going on, Aidan is always there with his positive attitude.” A couple of onstage kisses did not disturb Transtrum and Hubbard’s friendship. “But that’s how acting works sometimes,” said Transtrum. “We are pushed outside of our comfort zones, but that’s what makes us better.” A role that really stretched Transtrum’s abilities was when he had to play a pothead in one of the plays. “I like to think I’m a pretty nice guy,” said Transtrum. “I had to be an all around jerk, and that just wasn’t me, but it pushed me to better my acting skills.” “People need to consider theatre--not just joining, but also going to the plays,” said Hubbard, noting the next play “Promedy” shows April 17-19. “We put a lot of work into making a great performance and it’s nice knowing our peers are there cheering us on.”

Cover Artist Karsten MacAulay invests time into ‘subversive’ art By Erica Rowe

erowe@borahsenator.com Ever since she was a little girl, senior Karsten MacAulay has been experimenting with her love of art through watercolor, ink pen, and anything else she can get her hands on. Both of her parents were artists and she lived in California until she was 16, so she has always been surrounded by art. “Art is sort of like my saving grace in a toxic household,” MacAulay stated. Since at Borah, she has been in Jennifer Compton’s art classes. “The first thing I remember about Karsten is that she always had a funky hair color,” the drawing and painting teacher said. Compton described MacAulay’s style as subversive; she said that MacAulay deals with a lot of serious content that sends a message. Compton said MacAulay has an alternative flare to her art.

Advice

The Borah Senator

Cherish remaining time in senior year

Staff Editor-in-Chief: August McKernan Senior Associate Editor: Jaynee Nielsen Junior Associate Editor: Joy Wilson Photo Manager: Jaynee Nielsen Advertising Manager: Jason Caughell Associate Ad Manager: Amanda Wester Text Editors: August McKernan, Joy Wilson Web Editors: Jon Ramsey, Joy Wilson Graphic Designer: Edward Dunn Social Media Editor: Erica Rowe

I realized how uninvolved I was; I was going to miss being a high school student

Page Editors: Cover: August McKernan Student Bio: Erica Rowe Advice: Brittany Perry News: Jaynee Nielsen, Jason Caughell Opinion: Harmony Soto Spread: August McKernan A&E: Sage Rogers, Jon Ramsey Life: Joy Wilson Sports: Ashlee Gillespie, Taylor McNitt Trends: Téa Nelson, Mackenzie Chiles Photo Essay: Jaynee Nielsen F&G: Jake Fletcher, Riley Simpson Staff Photographers: Jaynee Nielsen, Brittany Perry, Beatriz Lanfranchi, August McKernan Writers: The Borah Senator Staff Adviser: Michelle Harmon

Photo by Jaynee Nielsen | jnielsen@borahsenator.com

Rowdies celebrate the win against Centennial Feb. 25 by singing the alma mater.

By Brittany Perry

bperry@borahsenator.com Senior year comes and goes. Many of us don’t realize how quickly it passes, until walking across the stage at graduation. You don’t think about the last Homecoming game you attend as a student, your senior year prom, or even the

@theborahsenator www.facebook.com/BorahSenator

last school lunch you eat. Out of nowhere, it will hit you, and you will want to make the most out of it and create memories to remember for the rest of your life. High school is an opportunity that only occurs once and there is no going back. For seniors, getting the most out of the year is one of the more important

commitments you should aquire. To me, it is the most important year out of my high school career. Half of the activities and sporting events that take place, you will never again go to after you graduate. My sophomore and junior year, I was a really un-involved, lame student and I regret it. I didn’t go to very many sporting events and I wasn’t involved in any extracurricular activities. When senior year approached, I realized how much I was going to miss being a high school student and how much I wanted to take advantage of every opportunity possible. I joined Link and helped sophomores familiarize themselves with the campus and get used to the high school life. I also participated in PowderPuff, which is the girl’s version of flag football. Apart from those, I am in Newspaper (third year), which is a huge part of my life. Finally, I have attended and still am attending every single sporting event that I can make it to. Senior year differs from every other year and it is important to make the most out of it. Inspire yourself, along with others.

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News Q&A Tim Standlee named new principal By Riley Simpson

rsimpson@borahsenator.com Q: How do you feel about moving to Borah High school? A: It’s a double-edged sword. I want to go to Borah but I will miss the staff and students at West. Q: How hard do you think the transfer will be? Standlee A: It’s never easy. It will be much easier because I know many people. I’m really excited.

March 11, 2014

Student council plans elections By Mackenzie Chiles

mchiles@borahsenator.com Borah student government leaders plan events, from Spirit Week to Welcome to the Jungle Assembly, and will be holding elections to see what they will be assigned next year. Student council elections for the 20142015 school year are March 18. Many new students are in the running for a position to make a difference in their school. Student council is involved in some of the biggest events at Borah. Voting takes place at break and lunch in the hallway between A and B Hall, and requires a form of identification. Junior Class President Connor Gray has high hopes for next year’s student council. He has enjoyed his time this year, spending lots of time with everyone planning events like spirit weeks, Homecoming Carnival, and Red Ribbon Week. “You definitely have to work for the grade you get,” said Gray. “It takes hard

“You definitely have to work for the grade you get.” Junior Connor Gray work for successful outcomes.” One thing Gray hopes to continue next year is Dead Week, where a couple of students in each class period are announced dead because of substance abuse. He felt it created a lot of awareness in students and brought it back from the elementary school days. Student council adviser Korrin Rue is looking forward to the next year, with already a great turnout from students at South and West Jr. Highs, all full of new ideas to help and improve student council. One of student council’s big goals

is to involve students in activities, such as attracting people to choir concerts, plays, and athletic games. “There are so many ways to be involved, and we want to communicate opportunity to get students involved,” said Rue. “We’re trying to highlight activities students might not know about, maybe generate interest in those activities.” Junior Amelia Baer said she takes pleasure in having a leadership role at the school. Each position in student council has its own role or major event to which it is assigned. For example, junior class president takes on the responsibility of prom and sophomores plan Red Ribbon Week. One student that couldn’t imagine going through her high school career without the leadership class is senior Danielle Fox. She has been involved with student council for all three years. “If you get the opportunity to join a club, take it,” said Fox. “It will be worth your time.”

Choral department performed in annual Variety Show

Q: What plans do you have for Borah? A: I just want to sit back for the first year and just get to know everyone before I make any big changes. Q: Was your father the principal at Borah? A: Yes, I went to Capital High School when my father was here. Q: Is there any pressure on you? A: Sure, but good pressure. If I didn’t want the pressure, I wouldn’t be working this job. Q: Do you want to have uniforms at Borah? A: At the junior high level, uniforms are great. It’s easy for parents and kids. But with the high school level, it won’t work with the students. So, no, I will not try to bring uniforms to Borah.

Photo by Jaynee Nielsen | jnielsen@borahsenator.com

Ars Nova and Tactus performed (Feb. 18-19) their annual Variety Show at which students show off their talents in front of friends and family. Ars Nova performed “Holding Out for a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler in a sleepover skit.

News

The Borah Senator

Social worker awarded Hometown Hero Award from Farmers Insurance at BSU game By Jon Ramsey

jramsey@borahsenator.com As we all know, sometimes kids can be the most thankful for what people do for them while other times they don’t fully appreciate those who help them. One of the jobs where this is the case is in the social worker’s office. “Social workers are those who assist kids in dire straits either financially, emotionally or physically,” said head academic counselor Cary Cada.

The social worker here at Borah, Becky Woodland, was honored with an award at the end of January. “Altogether it is very humbling and it makes me feel very appreciated,” said Woodland. The award she received was the Farmers Insurance Hometown Hero Award. She was presented this at a timeout during a Boise State mens basketball game. “When they called me down, they talked about how I went above and beyond for students and families,” said

Student store’s nutrition protocol to change next year By Harmony Soto

hsoto@borahsenator.com Student store nutrition requirements are expected to change next year, and have the potential to impact several foods sold at break and lunch. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established new nutrition standards called Smart Snacks in School to determine what can be sold to students during the school day. Smart Snacks in School is designed to help schools encourage students to make healthier decisions, by offering healthier choices sold at student stores. While it has yet to be finalized, this may present an issue for several clubs and extracurricular groups, who rely on selling certain foods at break and lunch to fundraise money. “The USDA understands that fundraisers are time-honored traditions that support local school activities including

class trips, athletic programs and the purchases of school supplies,” stated the Smart Snacks in School website, www. fins.usda.gov. According to the website, all food sold 30 minutes after the school day ends do not need to meet the guidelines. “We’re allowed one specified day to sell foods that don’t meet the standards during the school day,” said Principal Bonita Hammer. “However, we don’t know whether that’s going to be one day a week, or one day a month, nor do we know what club or organization is going to get it.” The Smart Snacks guidelines call for limits on sugar, fats, salt (sodium) and calories. Beverage sizes will also be limited, with 12 fluid ounces being the serving size for high schools and middle schools. Hammer said the finer details of what will be served next year have yet to be worked out.

Woodland, who splits time between Borah and Whitney Elementary working as a social worker. “She has such a passion for working with kids of all ages,” said Cada. It was a teacher at Whitney who nominated Woodland for this award. “I nominated Becky Woodland for this award because she has worked diligently to serve the families of Whitney Elementary and Borah High School for years, and more recently Hillcrest Elementary,” said Whitney Elementary

Intramural sports teams introduced for ‘community’ By Sage Rogers

srogers@borahsenator.com There’s a lot of competition, but when there’s a prize involved, victory is a little sweeter. For English and AVID teacher Amanda Shindle, her reward for intramural sports is to bring people together. Intramural sports at Borah include ping pong and basketball, though kickball may be added later said Shindle. Eight teams have signed up for basketball and 26 individual players for ping pong. Competitions start around April, said Shindle, but at the moment they’re just playing practice games. Once competitions start, eventually there will be tournament rounds set up for each sport and the winners will receive some sort of cash prize.

special education teacher Stacey Hammar. The Hometown Hero Award is given out at every home BSU football game and some of the basketball games. “The best part of the award is that they donated $1,000 to the charity of my choice,” said Woodland. The charity she chose was the Boise public schools education safe fund. The fund is available to any counselor in the Boise School District who needs to help kids.

Shindle said her AVID students created a schedule for everyone involved with intramural sports and are keeping score results as part of their service project. BSU students from the kinesiology department are also volunteering to referee games, set up equipment, and keep score. Junior Nathan Vermeer is participating in ping pong and said, “I wanted to become involved because I enjoy playing ping pong and I thought it would be a good way to play different people.” Intramural sports began Feb. 28, and will be held during lunch in the Old Gym every Tuesday and Friday. The preseason games are scheduled up until April, and tournament games will begin after the top teams are decided. Shindle encouraged students to get involved with intramural sports even if they aren’t playing, she said. “The idea behind the intramural program at Borah is to help build the community.” Since Borah has so many diverse people from all over the world, the intramural sports program provides healthy competition that will bring people together “that maybe would never have met,” she said.

Opinion

March 11, 2014

Book banning removes vital ideas, views from public eye Staff Editorial In 2012, the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey faced the possibility of being banned from library shelves, according to American Library Association, or the ALA. The reason: offensive language. As most people would expect, any piece of literature faces the prospect of being criticized after it’s been published and given to the public. However, some people take their criticisms to the next level--they try to completely remove such materials from public access, a process known as book banning or challenging. The website, www.ala.com, defines book challenging as “an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group.” Banning is the actual removal of such materials. “If the public disagrees with the material in a book, they may ask that it be removed,” said librarian Jennifer Boyd. “It happens due to political grounds,

Political cartoons from Andy Woodbridge’s American Government class, drawn by seniors Ashley Buzzini (top) and Brittney Anderson (right) illustrating the struggle between political parties.

religious grounds, sexual grounds--just about anything.” The ALA lists sexually explicit content as one of the top three reasons books are challenged, followed by offensive language. The third reason stated: “material was unsuited to any age group.” The ALA also states that books are typically challenged as an act protecting difficult ideas and information from others; specifically, children. While it’s generally agreed that children should be kept in the dark about some subjects, it’s wrong to eliminate such truths from their lives completely. As children get older, they should be trusted to handle more mature topics. But in order to handle more mature topics, children need to realize the seriousness of such topics. And what better way to do that than to open up a book? “If a parent doesn’t let their kid read a specific book, that’s fine, because it’s one kid. But when a parent tries to remove a book from a library completely, that’s a problem,” said Boyd. “It’s a serious freedom of speech issue.”

Removing a book from library shelves is the removal of new ideas, opinions, and viewpoints. Even if it happens to be a disagreeable idea, opinion, or viewpoint, eliminating it completely robs the public of a clearer and more defined version of the truth.

Top 3 Banned Books (ALA Classics) 1. The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald

2. Catcher in the Rye J. D. Salinger

3. The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck

Society’s lesson on rape is misguided By Amanda Wester

awester@borahsenator.com Your body is like a blank page in your life story. How someone chooses to express his or her story is no one else’s business, and yet females are always being told what to wear and how to act. Rape culture exists throughout the United States and instead of teaching people not to rape, females are taught how not to be raped. Junior Madalyn Parrish said the only reason for rape is rapists. “It is never the victim’s fault,” said Parrish. Parrish also mentioned that others may think a provocatively dressed person may be choosing the possibility of getting raped. “You may choose to get drunk, but you don’t choose to be raped,” she said. Women are not prime targets for rape because of how they dress. They are never asking to be raped. The dress code policy published in Borah’s student handbook requires females to wear skirts and shorts that reach mid-thigh, shirts that go over the shoulders, and tops that cover cleavage. If females show even a little bit of cleavage, they risk the potential of being slut-shamed. Another problem with the existence of rape culture is an excessive amount of adolescents uneducated about what rape is. In a survey done by Socialism Art Nature, 87 percent of boys ages 11-14 believe it isn’t rape if the man and woman are married. Seventynine percent of girls also ages 11-14 reported believing the same thing. The University of Southern Californial, Los Angeles, put together some tips for protecting oneself from sexual assault: Never walk home alone when it’s dark; go somewhere populated, and well lit; and don’t accept drinks from strangers.

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the bullet

Exploring the link b school violence and

Q&A Mother advocates discussion of mental illness, violence By August McKernan

amckernan@borahsenator.com Liza Long, Boise resident and self described “writer, educator, mental health advocate, and mother of four” published an article on her blog entitled “Thinking the Unthinkable.” It spread like wildfire through the Internet. Later republished by both thebluereview.org and huffingtonpost.com, this gripping article recounts the efforts of a mother struggling to cope with her son’s mental illness, and has already garnered more than a million likes on Facebook. Published just after the massacre in Newtown, Conn., Long’s focal point in her article is that “in the wake of another horrific national tragedy, it’s easy to talk about guns. But it’s time to talk

about mental illness.” She compares herself to the mothers of people like Adam Lanza, a mentally ill 20 year old who, on Dec. 14, 2012, first murdered his mother and then 20 students and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary. Visit her blog anarchistsoccermom. blogspot.com to read the full article.

Long

Q: How old is your son? A: At the time I wrote my blog, my son was 13. He is now 14. Q: What is his current diagnosis? A: Bipolar Type I, dysgraphia, and sensory processing problems. Q: How has mental illness affected your family and your own personal life? A: When someone in your family has a mental illness, it affects everyone. You never know from one day to the next whether you’ll have a normal day, or whether you’ll end up with the police at your house, or at the hospital. My younger children used to live in fear. It can be very hard to hold down a full time job, because as a caregiver, your schedule can be so unpredictable. I have been very fortunate to have a flexible employer. And at home, we have a safety plan, and we drill on it, just like we

drill on our fire safety plan. The bulk of my resources--physical, temporal, and financial--go toward my son who has a mental illness. My other three children understand, and they love their brother, but it can still be hard. We have all had to make sacrifices.

Q: How has the publication of your article “I am Adam Lanza’s Mother” affected your life? A: Day to day, it hasn’t affected our lives at all. It’s not like people see me or my son in the grocery store and say, “Oh, you’re THAT mom, the one who talked about mental illness!” My son attends a special school for children with behavioral and emotional IEPs (Individualized Education Plans). All of the students there have been to jail, or Intermountain Hospital, or both. On a larger scale, though, the blog was huge. We live in a world where a single blogger can alter the course of a national conversation. After Newtown (and after all of these tragedies), people went to the obvious place: guns. I thought it was time for a national conversation on mental illness. My blog started that. And I continue to be a part of that conversation, through speaking and with my forthcoming book, The Price of Silence: A Mom’s Perspective on Mental Illness (from Hudson Street Press).

Q: Do you believe there is a connection between mental illness and school violence? Why? A: Yes, if you are talking about mass shootings. If you are talking about school violence in general (like bullying), that question is more complicated, because kids with developmental disabilities and mental illness are often the victims of bullying. The greatest threat of violence for people with mental illness is self harm. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 10 to 24 in Idaho (and the third leading cause nationally). If you have schizophrenia, you have a one in three chance of attempting suicide and a one in ten chance of completing suicide. Many of the mass shootings were also suicides. Q: What steps would you like to see happen in the future to ensure that events like Newtown do not happen again? A: First, we cannot “ensure” that events like Newtown do not happen again. The world isn’t safe. But one thing we definitely can do is provide better and earlier diagnosis of mental illness for children. We can provide treatment options and support for families and parents like Nancy Lanza. No mother wants her child to grow up and kill people. See full Q&A on borahsenator.com

ing

The Borah Senator | 9

Recent lockdown helps Boise police adjust to Borah’s unique campus

By August McKernan

amckernan@borahsenator.com

between d mental health

Only certain mental illnesses play a part in violent behaivor, school violence By Amanda Wester

awester@borahsenator.com There has been one school shooting every two weeks since the Newtown shooting in December 2012. But the cause is not mental illness like a lot of people think. Seventy-three percent of all teens admitted into the juvenile justice system are diagnosed with a mental illness. Susan Delyea, the Youth Specialist and Coordinator for the Idaho Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, however, said she believes mental illness does not prompt violence. “We have to look at how these kids are raised,” said Delyea, who said “kids who tend to act out are the kids whose parents don’t set a lot of boundaries.” Delyea said such labels about the mentally ill and violence come from people who are looking for an explanation for why kids may be violent, and diagnosing them with a mental illness is the easiest way. “A lot of kids are also wrongly diagnosed,” said Delyea. “These kids are given medication to treat the illness that they don’t actually have and that can trigger the illness they might actually have, and cause even more problems for them.”

Some university research shows similar connections. According to a study from The University of Washington (UW), the media is the reason people believe mental illnesses cause violence in schools. The UW website cites a continuous study of American’s attitudes on mental health between 1950 and 1996 which found, “the proportion of Americans who describe mental illness in terms consistent with violent or dangerous behavior nearly doubled.” Delyea also confirmed that people with mental illnesses are more likely to be the victim. “People with an anxiety disorder are too anxious to consider causing school violence. Even thinking about it can lead them to a panic attack. Same with people who have depression. They are too lost in their own suffering to even consider making other people’s lives depressing.” The National Criminal Justice Reference Service website, however, linked major school violence to mental illness. According to the service, most who cause school violence are either sociopathic, or have a form of schizophrenia. What isn’t clear is why school violence happens. What is clear is that only certain types of mental illness have a part in violent behavior.

According to gallup. com, U.S. parents were more concerned about their children’s safety at school in December than in August of 2013. The percentage of parents who said they fear for their oldest child’s safety rose eight percentage points. Both Assistant Principal Rich Clements and English teacher Kate Thompson agreed that Borah faculty is more concerned about school safety since the mass school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn in December 2012. All schools in the Boise School District are required to perform one fire drill per month intended to help faculty and students prepare for emergency situations. Individual schools decide how many and what types of other drills they will perform in a school year. Clements said schools usually have one lockdown drill per year. According to Borah’s Lockdown Standard Operating Procedure, “A lockdown is a security measure to compartmentalize the site in an effort to keep threats away from students and staff.” The most recent and only lockdown drill of this year occurred Jan. 31. Security Officer Archie Wright said that during lockdowns teachers are told to lock the doors, keep students away from windows, and not open their doors even if the person knocking claims to be police. If the person actually knocking is a police officer, the officer will open the door themselves with a master key. Wright said police officers announce themselves before opening the door so the teacher doesn’t assume the person entering is a threat and “throw a chair at them.”

School Resource Officer Steve Kincheloe arranged for police officers from the Boise Police Department to come to the school, knock on doors, and familiarize themselves with Borah’s layout. Wright said he thinks the drill “gave them an understanding that this school is different from others.” He described Borah as a “difficult place to keep safe” because the school consists of separate buildings unlike more modern buildings such as West with one cohesive structure. If there was an outside threat, it would be harder for police officers to come in and control the situations since there are so many different buildings. Safety was discussed at length during the opening meeting for faculty before school started. The meeting featured discussions about how to identify strangers in the building and a training video on how to react during a school shooting. Sociology teacher Kate Thompson said all teachers were required to attend the meeting and watch the video. She described it as “a realistic reenactment of a school shooting. It was what you would picture it would look, sound, and feel like--scary.” According to Clements, a “move, hide, fight” strategy was suggested as an “open possibility” during the meeting. He said, “There are things teachers can do in an emergency situation besides sit there--like barricade the door.” Thompson described a possible option to achieve a safer school environment and touched on the root of the problem. “I think a more secure building would be helpful. We have so many ways to get into the school. However, as this is a societal problem, I don’t know if we’ll ever be 100 percent safe. We live in a violent, gun loving country--it’s kind of a recipe for disaster.”

Arts & Entertainment

March 11, 2014

Borah band given out of state contact Seattle band,The Adarna, contacted Leverson and asked members to play a show at The Crux coffee shop By Riley Simpson

rsimpson@borahsenator.com

Photo by Harmony Soto | hsoto@borahsenator.com

From left to right: Tyson Hoyt (bassist and vocals), Jerek Blanchfield (lead singer and rhythm guitar), Josiah Luke Duff (drummer), and Garret Pollock (lead guitarist).

If you were a high school band, how would you try to make your band more well known in your community? What if that chance came with playing with a band that lives very far away? For the band Leverson, this opportunity arrived after they received an offer to play with Seattle band, The Adarna. Junior Tyson Hoyt said, “When I found out, I was super excited and could not wait for the chance to put our music out there.” Junior Jarek Blanchfield said, “ It feels like we are popular being invited to play with a band bigger than ours.” Members of Leverson have been playing together for about 1 to 2 years. They have made two songs, “Crawl Away” and “In my Grave.” Both of these songs can be found on the group’s page on Re-

“When I found out I was super excited and could not wait.” Junior Tyson Hoyt verbnation.com/leverson. Leverson will be performing with the bands The Forgotten, The Adarna, and ION72 at the Crux March 28. The tickets are $5 at the door. The Adarna is a band from Seattle and they are doing a tour across America. One of the band’s stops is Boise. Members of The Adarna wanted to play with bands that were more local.

Satire Death match between pop singers causes mania By Jon Ramsey

jramsey@borahsenator.com This only comes once every four years. No it’s not the Olympics and it’s not when my third cat gives birth. It’s when pop stars from past and present come together for the Grudge Match Games. I got to the stadium 46-1/2 hours early just so that I could get a good seat. Right now was about 5 minutes before the introductions and you know how right before a game the stadium is super loud, right? This was ... different, it was silent. Everyone just sat in quiet anticipation waiting for the games to begin. Finally a tiny man walked out the door to the locker rooms and up the stairs to reach the platform. When I say he was tiny, I don’t mean he looked tiny from where I was sitting. Rather, he was just a TINY man, like 5’3” and 90 pounds but with the fullest red beard. He walked up to the mic stand, set perfectly for his height, and began speaking. “Welcome one and all to the 53rd

Grudge Match Games. My name is Ivan Hintz and I will be your announcer. Today, we welcome some of the biggest names in music from this year and yesteryear. The contestants will be put into teams of present vs. past. As always the loser will lose the one thing they care about the most--their fame. That’s right, the losing team’s songs, pictures, videos, and so on, of anytime during their fame will be expunged from existence. Now then, why don’t we introduce the teams?!” The crowd jumped to its feet and screamed like madmen. We were ready. Ivan spoke again. “We will announce the past pop stars first. The youngest of the past pop team is known for being the youngest of the Jackson family and then moving on to have a very successful solo career. Janet Jackson!” “Nasty” started playing and Janet strutted out of the locker room and up to the platform to join Ivan. “Next for the ol’--uh, I mean--past team, international superstar and from the tough state of Michigan. Madonna!” The entire stadium was filled with “Like

a Virgin” and Madonna was Lowered from the roof on a pedestal. She was lowered all the way down to the platform, hugged Ivan, and then turned and started talking to Janet. “What an entrance! Finally, the oldest member of the past pop stars team and the captain of the team, age has some benefits doesn’t it?” The crowd all laughed. Ivan gave a small smirk. “Tina Turner, everyone!” “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” began and then I heard a ruckus behind and a few gasps so I turned around and there was Tina standing at the top of my section singing her heart out. She then ran down, jumped over the railing on to the field, and ran up on to the platform to join Ivan and the rest of her team. Half the crowd exploded, mostly people over the age of 20, and started chanting “past, past past!” The past team all smiled and waved. Once the crowd quieted, Ivan began to speak again. “Alright let’s get going on the present team! First up, the pretty little blonde from Reading, Pennsylvania, Taylor Swift!” Taylor Swift awkwardly

walked out of the locker room without any background music and joined the rest on stage but at least the silence was covered up by the hoots and hollers of the crowd. “Next up, the rebel from Nashville. Miley Cyrus!” “We Can’t Stop” blared and Miley walked out with her signature tongue out the side of her mouth and walked up and joined the others on the platform. Ivan looked a little disgusted and began to speak again, “Lastly, the captain of the present pop team. Known for her crazy costumes. Lady Gaga!” Lady Gaga sauntered out in her attire for applause. The music video and “Applause” played and she started clapping with the beat. Soon everyone was clapping with her. She quickly made it to the platform and gathered her team. Ivan began to speak. “ Now with our teams all together we will start to explain the games. The first game of the day will be the record toss. The rules for this is that you may only use copies of your own records and ... See part 2 on borahsenator.com

Life

The Borah Senator

Seniors produce independent films By Sage Rogers

srogers@borahsenator.com Lights. Camera. Coincidence? Between three seniors, each have a similar goal in mind for this year: filming movies. Seniors Garry Reynolds, James Robinette, and Ivy Brubaker are each writing and directing their own movies. Both Robinette and Brubaker have been collaborating on a film called “W.I.N” (When In Nampa). The movie is about underachieving teenagers who live in Canyon County, Idaho, and it is mainly inspired plainly on having a sense of humor and a compulsive need to film silly yet enjoyable occurrences, said Robinette. Brubaker wanted to direct a movie for awhile, she said, and once Robinette came to her with a script, she was in. Robinette wrote the script, but he said many people have had input on what happens. “I’m always open to ideas.” Robinette said that since it’s his senior year, this movie means one well deserved laugh. The movie has a cast of 14, plus extras and tech crew. “It’s going to total over 50 people,” said Brubaker. For Brubaker this will be her fifth time directing a movie and said that she prefers directing movies to plays. The movie is also her final directing project before she graduates.

“I’ve lived, ate, and breathed motocross since I was born, and will until I die.”

jnielsen@borahsenator.com

Logo from Jacob Boone allwedoisride@boondockmp.com

Borah seniors create movies in their free time.

$2,000, but there are 30 plus sponsors still possible for it, said Reynolds. The film means a lot to Reynolds, because he has been riding since he was 3, he said. “I’ve lived, ate, and breathed motocross since I was born, and will until I die.” Reynolds said he’s not the only one who feels that way, so being able to relate to other weekend warriors, and tell a story through his lens means more to him than anything.

Valley Visions editor, published author shares love for writing By Beatriz Lanfranchi

blanfranchi@borahsenator.com Senior Mitzi Luna has been writing since kindergarden; in a journal in which her teacher asked her the classic question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Her answer: a writer. The habit of writing became a hobby for her, as she affirms it is her “favorite thing to do.” Her favorite books are “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald and “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë. Her inspiration comes from every-

Poetry entrants progress past preliminaries By Jaynee Nielsen

Senior Garry Reynolds Reynolds has also had experience with films and has spent about four years making short film edits. Reynolds has also been working for several magazine companies and production companies for a year. Reynolds said that the company he works for has inspired him to film a movie of his own that supports his community. His movie, “All We Do Is Ride,” is a documentary inside the motocross community but rather than the professional side, Reynolds said that it’s more of the weekend warrior, family aspect of motocross. Senior Jacob Boone has contributed to the movie by helping with web design, scouting film locations, and printing and dvd packaging. The budget is now

where: people, music, places, it’s good over all,” she said, anything. about the entries received Luna’s favorite genre to write for this year’s edition. is realistic fiction. She took all the semesters The most important characfor Creative Writing, which teristic of her writing features is a class that helped her on colorful descriptions. She can her writing, especially the write in most environments, critiques by her peers. Luna but is not productive for her is “People tell the bad things moving vehicles. in your writing, that’s a Luna got a short prose piece pub- good thing,” she said. lished at the beginning of the year, by She plans to attend Boise State as an Blinds, an online literary journal. English major, become a writer and She was the editor of Valley Vi- travel to Mexico to teach. sions this year, the district’s high Her favorite quote by Jane Austen is, school publication. “The person, be it gentleman or lady, “There are a lot of pieces, from who has not pleasure in a good novel, people who don’t really feel it, but must be intolerably stupid.”

Poetry Out Loud is a school-wide competition where students recite poems to a panel of judges. Six students recited two poems each Feb. 13. Seniors Samantha Ward and Tyler Lopez were selected to continue on to regionals, which took place at Kuna High School Feb. 21. Lopez was unable to recite his poems at Kuna, due to his participation in wrestling district on Feb. 21. Lopez gave his position to senior Eric Garcia. One poem Garcia recited was “The Powwow at the End of the World” by Sherman Alexie. “It was interesting and a little nerve wracking at first until you get to reciting (the poem),” said Garcia. He said not to be afraid of public speaking. He gave advise for anyone who plans to participate in Poetry Out Loud in the future. “Practice--you know, when you get up there take a deep breath,” he said. “It is not the end of the world if you mess up.” Ward recited “Strange Meeting” by Wilfred Owen and “The Author to Her Book” by Anne Bradstreet. “One made me laugh and for the other I loved the poet,” said Ward referring to how she picked the poems. Her favorite poem is “The Unquiet Grave,” because it is a story about a young man who’s fiancée died and he wants to talk to her, but she says he is an idiot and can not talk to her because she is dead. “I learned how important it is to believe (the poem) and not just recite it,” said Ward. “Know what your poem is about and say it as if it was your own words.” Ward won the regionals competition and went on to the State Finals, which were held on March 9 at the Boise Contemporary Theater. “I felt pretty good, my legs were shaking,” said Ward. However, as she continued she gained confidence, because of the audience’s reaction, which she said helps to encourage a person to keep going.

Sports

March 11, 2014

Athletes signed letters of intent

Cole Skinner

Ten athletes. Ten schools. Ten different futures. This year Borah has produced college careers in a range of sports including volleyball, track and field, baseball, softball, soccer, and basketball. For many high school athletes, furthering their athletic careers in college in any sport they’re playing can come to mind. Some know when they first start playing that that’s the sport in which they want to continue throughout their lives, while some may only realize later on. For senior Shane Layman, who’s been playing nearly 13 years, it was easy to know he wanted to pursue his baseball dreams. “I’ve always known I wanted to further my career in college. I’ve dreamt of playing in the Major League since I was a kid,” Layman said. On the opposite end, senior Bethany Forst, who’s been playing soccer since she was six, knew for sure her junior year she wanted to further her soccer career. “Freshman year I changed my mind about playing in college, but then changed my mind again last year,” said Forst.

Parent’s experiences have also played a role in inspiring many of the athletes. Senior Isaiah Wright, has been playing basketball since the second grade. “My dad inspired me to start playing. He played in college and I wanted to be like him,” Wright said. Senior Stacia Pyrah, who’s been playing volleyball for 10 years, was also inspired by her parents. “Both my parents met playing volleyball and I grew up being surrounded by the sport and going to games,” said Pyrah. Pyrah also knew she wanted to continue her volleyball passion in college.“I got pulled up to varsity my sophomore year and that’s when I knew I wanted to go further.” Senior Mackenzie Bilger, who’s been playing softball since she was six, was inspired to play by her parents and the experiences throughout her life. “I was first inspired by my parents; they loved the sport so much I started to love it.” “Then I started watching college softball and talked to my club coach and that’s what really pushed me to play and further my career,” Bilger said. Senior Hayley Morse plans to continue track and field, seniors Cole Skinner, Trey Dennis, and Layman with baseball, seniors Ashlyn Englehorn and Bilger with softball, seniors Emily Bergland and Forst with soccer, Pyrah with volleyball, and Wright with basketball. Bilger said, “It’s really cool to see Borah breed so many athletes. You play on the same teams with them but you don’t always know what their aspirations are, so it’s fun to watch them grow and encourage them while they reach for their goals.”

Mackenzie Bilger

Trey Dennis

Hayley Morse

Stacia Pyrah

Emily Bergland

“It’s really cool to see Borah breed so many athletes.” Senior Mackenzie Bilger By Ashlee Gillespie Ashlyn Englehorn

Bethany Forst

agillespie@borahsenator.com

Shane Layman

Isaiah Wright

Sports

The Borah Senator

Borah varsity track prepares for upcoming season Coach Jeremy Dovel has high expectations for this years team By Erica Rowe

erowe@borahsenator.com Track starts out the season with its first meet March 14. According to Coach Jeremy Dovel, the season looks very promising on the girls’ side. There are several senior girls that are expected to make it to state. Some of the girls he thinks will make it are seniors Hayley Morse and Brittney Anderson, and junior Courtney Diehl. Senior Karsten Niederer said he’s excited about the season, but feels “like there’s not enough people serious about it, and that needs to change.” Niederer is one of the boys that Dovel thinks will make it to state. Last year, he won 3rd place in the 100 meter. Dovel said, “I expect the few senior boys to lead for the younger group of boys.” Although Niederer thinks not enough people are serious, senior Shanae Boully thinks differently. She said they are really prepared this year and ready to see improvements. “Overall, the season should be a continued progression,” Dovel stated. Unlike other years, they don’t have to rebuild the teams; they didn’t lose as many seniors last year. It’s more of a veteran team.

Wrestling wins 2nd at state comps By Jaynee Nielsen

jnielsen@borahsenator.com Borah landed second place in districts and state, both times behind Centennial. Borah had 17 wrestlers qualify to compete in state. State was a two-day event at the Ford Idaho Center Feb. 28 - March 1, where teams from all across Idaho competed for a state title. Junior twins Dorian and DeVaughn Sapien both qualified for state. Dorian placed 1st in his weight division in district as well as state. Dorian was 1st seed heading into the state tournament. “Traveling around and meeting different people,” is one of his favorite things about wrestling, said Dorian. DeVaughn also placed 1st in districts,

which secured him as 2nd seed in state. He took 2nd place at the state tournament March 1. DeVaughn said he enjoys the rivalry between him and his twin brother. During their freshman year, they had to wrestle each other at district and state. Borah had six wrestlers compete in the championship rounds. Freshman Peter Huntsman took 1st in the 98 weight division. Sophomore Shea Randall took 1st in the 106 weight division. Dorian placed 1st in the 113 weight division, while his brother DeVaughn placed 2nd in the 120 weight division. Senior Josh Slater took 5th in the 138 weight division. Senior Tyler Lopez took 6th place in the 145 weight division. Junior Taylor Owens took 2nd in the 152

weight division. Senior Jonny Blanton took 3rd in the 160 weight division and junior Eric Thrift took 2nd in the 220 weight division. Other than district and state, wrestlers also compete in Grapple for the Granite, where schools around the Boise School District compete for a 300-pound granite boulder. The boulder has each school’s emblem engraved on it. Borah won Grapple for the Granite for the second consecutive year. Slater described the event as “Intense. We destroyed.” At the end of state, the Borah team took 2nd with 200 points from the entire tournament behind Centennial who had 316.5 points. See wrestling photos on page 15

Ultimate frisbee takes flight, gains popularity “It’s a non-contact sport. You have to work with your whole team. Teamwork is very important.” Junior Dillon Dalgarn

By Jake Fletcher

jfletcher@borahsenator.com Ultimate frisbee is becoming a bigger deal now at Borah. Students that have not been in sports before, have decided to join. Also people that play other Borah sports have joined Ultimate. There are many returners from previous years. The players that have played before usually just call it ultimate. For senior Tanner Cleveland, one previous ultimate player, this is his third year of playing in general, and second

year playing for Borah. Cleveland described ultimate frisbee as an “ultimate sport.” He said he joined ultimate because “it looked fun, and enjoyable. The relaxed sense it had to it was appealing. It is a team sport, and the endurance was awesome.” Junior Dillon Dalgarn is one of the new players on the team. It is his first year playing ultimate, and he wants to keep playing. Dalgarn said that ultimate is unique because “it’s a non-contact sport. You have to work with your whole team. Teamwork is very important.” Ultimate frisbee is a combination of football, soccer, and frisbee. It has football aspects with endzones to score in and also breaks at the end of points, soc-

cer aspects with the constant running and 45-minute halfs, and all this with a frisbee. How ultimate frisbee works is there‘s two teams of seven, looking to score the frisbee on each of the end zones. One team throws off to the other team to start the game. When a player has a frisbee, they can only take two steps, and if more are taken, a traveling foul is called. The team has to pass the frisbee down the field to score a point. Each team has a different strategy of passing and scoring. The Borah ultimate team is coached by previous players and coaches. The coaches have past experience playing ultimate, and look forward to teaching new kids and helping the veterans get better.

Trends

March 11, 2014

Are you falling under spell Trends of the season of addicting game apps? “They’re not huge because they’re good games; they’re huge because people are pissed off and ranting about them.” Senior James Packwood By Joy Wilson

jwilson@borahsenator.com As the most downloaded app of 2013 according to Google Play Store, Candy Crush has players hooked. Addicting games like Flappy Bird and Candy Crush have made their way into the daily life of some students, and are likely to stay that way, according to junior Hailey Jorgensen. Jorgensen downloaded Candy Crush five months after first hearing about the game on Facebook. “It’s pretty addictive, and it gives me something to do when I’m bored,” she said. The competition with herself to unlock new levels is what keeps Jorgensen hooked.

“I feel relieved when I accomplish a level I’ve been stuck on for a while,” said Jorgensen. Jorgensen plays the game for 10 minutes at a time five or six times a day. “I play it when I’m waiting for my mom to come get me after school, before I go to bed, and sometimes instead of doing homework,” Jorgensen said. “If the TV is off, I can’t watch it, but while I’m doing homework I use my phone as a calculator. I get distracted by Candy Crush.” She added she’d rather play Candy Crush than do homework, and it sometimes affects her grades. She said she has never played Flappy Bird, unlike senior James Packwood. “These games are simple, which makes them the most addicting,” said

Packwood. Packwood is hooked because he always wants to beat his record. “But I’m not really big on phone games,” he said. “I heard about it one or two weeks ago. It just blew up one day,” said Packwood. He said he normally hears about the most addicting games on Facebook. However, the first time he heard of Flappy Bird was on a Vine. Packwood said, “I’ve played Flappy Bird quite a bit, but who’s counting?” People normally download games like Candy Crush or Flappy Bird because they are curious why everyone is talking about them. “They’re not huge because they’re good games; they’re huge because people are pissed off and ranting about them,” Packwood said. “You just want to check them out.” Candy Crush has more than 1 million downloads, 400 levels, and some extra features that require payment, according to Google Play Store. Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen has taken his game off of the Google Play store as well as the App Store for Apple products; however, games that were installed prior to the removal are still playable.

What’s in?

Flappy Bird Currently unavailable to download

Dutch Bros. More than 200 locations

Spotify 20 million active users

What’s out? Candy Crush

Make your own Shamrock Shake

Originally gained fame on Facebook in 2012

McDonald’s famously produced a St. Patty’s Day inspired treat which now can be recreated and enjoyed all year long. Ingredients Instructions

Starbucks

- 2 cups vanilla ice cream  -1 cup low-fat milk (or half-and-half for a more creamy milkshake)  -1/4 teaspoon mint extract or mint oil (avoid peppermint oil)  -4 drops green food coloring  -desired amount of whip cream  -green sprinkles (optional)

Blend all ingredients in a blender except for the whipped cream and sprinkles until desired consistency is reached. Pour into a tall glass and top with whip cream. Add sprinkles as a finishing touch.

Has more than 87,000 drink combinations

Pandora 3.9 billion hours streamed last year

Photos from Flickr Creative Commons

Photo Essay

The Borah Senator

Photos by Jaynee Nielsen | jnielsen@borahsenator.com

Senior Josh Slater competed in the 138 weight division at state. Slater took 5th place overall March 1. He enjoys the hard work that goes into wrestling and, of course, winning.

Junior DeVaughn Sapien competed in the championship round for the 120 weight division. Sapien took 2nd place. “I learned I need to get bigger, in muscle and weight. I got out muscled,” he said.

Wrestling takes second in state

State was held at the Ford Idaho Center Feb. 28-March 1. “They did extremely well as a team and as individuals,” said coach Bill West.

Teammates, family, and friends cheer on junior Dorian Sapien. “It was a big experience with a lot of people and a lot of energy,” said junior Donovan Jankowski (pictured on the left).

Sophomore Shea Randall competed in the 106 weight division and took 1st place in state. “Hard work pays off,” said Randall. He went to morning practices which required him to wake up at 5 a.m. to work out.

Fun & Games

March 11, 2014

Lunch is a perfect time to join forces, backstab By Mackenzie Chiles

mchiles@borahsenator.com

Directions: Each row, column, and block must have numbers from 1 to 9 in them. No number can appear more than once in any row, column, or block. Difficulty: Medium

Orc and wizard plus five and two in hand, plus 12 on the ground, “ah ha!” Such are the perfect cards to win the game and take down the hireling and plutonium dragon. A group of sophomores including Kyle Janusik, Gage Weaver, Gage Bourkland, Robert Swofford, and Aidan Gamel spend their lunches playing with monsters and wizards, but more specifically card games. Starting at the beginning of sophomore year, the group of guys came into English teacher Michelle Harmon’s room with plans to create a card playing club. As the year progressed, meeting in Harmon’s room in the Old Gym became a casual routine. Their game of choice? Munchkins. The game consists of joining forces with players and backstabbing others. Munchkin has about 100 cards with different creatures and spells. A few examples are a thief, wizard, nomb, and orc. At the beginning of the game, every player starts with one penny and eight cards. As they circle around laying down and picking up cards, their levels increase. The ultimate goal of the game is to be

the first to win 10 pennies, or in their case, the winner is whoever gets the most pennies before the bell rings. “If you have a grudge about your friends, it’s the perfect game to play,” according to Weaver. Making alliances and taunting other players is highly recommended. The game is different everyday. Harmon enjoys having the group of, as they call themselves, “freakin’ awesome guys,” in her room. It delights her, she said, because she has such a competitive spirit. “What fun energy to have in my classroom at lunch,” said Harmon. Another student who finds enjoyment spending lunches playing card games is senior Casey Lindenberg, who prefers Magic: The Gathering. He started playing in 7th grade when his neighbor’s brother showed him the game and taught him how to play. “It’s good exercise for brain strategizing,” said Lindenberg. It’s a game of role playing, with 20 lives and five different powers. Assuming the role as a sorcerer, Lindenberg tries to cast the best spell to defeat his opponent. Lindenberg plays in the band room and his common opponents are seniors Tony De Stasio and Dillon Tidwell. Although Lindenberg has enjoyed his time playing, he hopes someday he will be able to quit.