September 2008 pdf

Students adapt to changes at shs

Fall sports start out season strong

page 5

page 6 VOLUME 86, ISSUE 1

SANDPOINT HIGH SCHOOL

SEPTEMBER 23, 2008

High School Musical sends wave of excitment through SHS PAULINA GRALOW Sports Editor

As if there hasn’t been enough excitement spreading around the halls of SHS with a new school year, new rules, new classes, and new people, there has also been a new rumor quickly growing a school-wide craze.

High School Musical, the popular Disney Channel movie, is coming out with their third movie on October 24, and will be awarding one school in the nation a trip to Disneyland for 300 members of their senior class’ grad night and a Disney sponsored pep rally

featuring singer Natasha Bedingfield.

In order to win the trip, a school must register in the contest on myspace.com and win the most points by November by participating in different activities.

“You send a text message every day, you add high school musical to your myspaces, and do all this fun stuff online like taking quizzes and school spirit stuff,” senior Alyssa Ward said.

SHS was first registered when the contest started at the end of August and was in over 1500th place. As of September 15, SHS is in 17th place out of the entire nation, excluding Hawaii and

Alaska who are not eligible.

But in order for SHS to have a chance at this opportunity, everyone that has a phone or myspace needs to participate in adding “HSM3” to their myspace.com profiles and texting ‘sandpoint838’ to the number 36789 every day.

“I think we have a pretty good chance of winning if everyone really tried,” Ward said.

Even though only thee] senior class would go, some underclassmen are still excited about the opportunity.

“It would be pretty cool to see Natasha PHOTO COURTESY OF JULES LUTZ Bedingfield,” Junior Natalie Craig said. ■ SENIOR PRIDE: Students learn about nation wide High School Musical competition

Where have all the seniors gone?

High School obtains new internet filters Students and faculty question “improved” filter CASEY DUNN

Assistant News Editor

■ GHOSTS: The once crowed senior hall now seems eerily empty after administrators have changed SHS policies.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CARLY RICKARD

Senior hall privileges withheld to meet saftey, supervision requirments PAULINA GRALOW Sports Editor

One of the biggest, and possibly most disputed, changes in SHS this year is the fact that seniors are now not allowed to sit in the coveted senior hallway for lunch. This has caused much debate between the seniors and the SHS administration.

“All the seniors before us got it in the past,” senior Liara Nosiglia said. “We deserve to get it.”

The main reason for the halls being banned for lunches is that it was a safety issue.

“Part of it was a cleanliness issue, part of it was a safety issue, and part of it was that it’s so hard to supervise all the areas,” math teacher Tom Albertson said.

Last year an accreditation team came to SHS to

check out the school.

“They’re able to see what the school is doing right, doing wrong; they look at safety violations, and anything that is of concern,” Albertson said.

“The number of kids sitting on the floor, the crowded hallway and food in the hallway was a safety concern. That’s really where it started.”

The accreditation team was made up of principals, superintendents, and teachers from other schools throughout Idaho. If a school is not “accredited,” seniors from that school have a harder time getting into college.

The seniors in student council attended a department chair meeting for the school to try to argue against the closure of the hall, but it ended with more questions than answers.

“I think because [the senior class] brought it up there are things that will be in the works that will be positive for the school,” Albertson said. “I’m highly impressed with the senior class; they have great leadership, the responsibility of the seniors is there, but they’re also going to have to be part of the solution…part of something outside the box and not just the senior hall.”

But to many, like Nosiglia, eating lunch in the senior hall is a tradition that has been looked forward to for at least three years.

“Since we were freshmen we saw all the seniors in here,” senior Sarah Shearer said.

Yet the safety issue is taking the upper hand, along with other issues that are keeping the hall SENIOR HALL Continued pg.2

A new internet filter was introduced to Sandpoint High School at the beginning of the school year.

This filter replaced an older version that last year proved to be a hassle for students and faculty alike. However, there has been mixed response as to whether the new filter is an improvement.

“To be honest, I’m a little frustrated [with the filter] right now,” science teacher Amy Yost said. “I don’t know what the good things are with it.”

The new email filter has become an especially unwanted obstacle for students, parents, and faculty alike.

“I actually just sent out emails to a bunch of my student’s parents,” Yost said. “So many of them are being blocked. It’s blocking student emails, it’s blocking parent emails, and it’s blocking replies to things that I’ve already sent to people. I liked what we had before better.”

It has also disrupted teacher communication with parents.

“This year, I decided to try Dr. Kiebert’s suggestion that we all create a parent distribution email list,” history teacher Debbie Smith said.

“So I gave my students extra credit for having their parents email me.

This is my first year of ever doing this, and so, the first time around, I wasn’t checking that spam, and I wasn’t getting those emails.”

However, teachers are also finding ways to make the filter work for them despite its shortcomings. ““Now I’m checking my spam,” Smith said. ÒYou can just whitelist...the people you need to contact.

It hasn’t massively disrupted me.”

INTERNET FILTER Continued pg.2

Model United Nations in need of funds to attend convention STEFFEN SPRAGGINS Staff reporter

The newly created Model UN class needs twenty grand to go to New York in the spring.

“The trip is going to be the highlight of my MUN experience.” said Ben Murray.

MUN will have to raise a total of $36,000 to pay for all of the expenses. Although the class received $16,000 as part of their Panhandle Alliance for Education grant, they still must raise $20,000 more, which works out to about 700 dollars per student. The class as a whole decided that the best way to raise money for this trip would be, to go around to all the local businesses and simply ask for

■ What

Fast Facts

they’re rasing money for: A national Model United Nations conference where they simulate a real United Nations meeting ■ When they’re going: March 18th ■ How much they need to raise: $36,000 money.

“The students have been slow to start,” Mrs. Smith She hoped that after brainstorming ideas, the students would just go out on their own and start raising money; unfortunately none of them have done any fund raising yet. Mrs. Smith told her students that all fundraising must

be finished by November 1st. After that, the students must either pay their way or fundraise on their own.

“From a teacher’s standpoint, fund raising is the hardest part.” commented Mrs. Smith. Smith believes that it will be hard for the MUN to raise this amount of money in such a small amount of time, but she knows it is possible.

Every school at the Model United Nations conference will represent two countries in a mock UN session with other schools from across the country. Two students from every country will then be required to sit on one of seven committees. Each committee will vote on current world issues such as the genocide in Darfur or Russia’s invasion of Georgia.

MODEL UN Continued pg.2

Page 2

September 23,2008

Briefly: News around SHS Club Fair a Success In hopes of notifying the student body of the many diverse clubs that exist at Sandpoint High School, the first ever club fair was held Wednesday September 17.

It included most SHS clubs currently registered. Information was handed out concerning information on each club, and students were encouraged to examine each booth devoted to a different club.

The SHS student council managed the club fair, which occurred during both lunches that day and that evening during curriculum night.

Internet Filter: continued from page 1 Also, the new email filter has been praised for its ability to keep out actual spam.

“I’m not a big criticizer of blocking; it’s a

problem,” Smith said. “I think we need a good filter. I’d rather not have an excessive amount of spam.”

Despite its shortcomings, teachers remain optimistic that the problems with the email

filter will be fixed in the near future.

“I think there’s been a few things the tech people need to tweak with not just the filter, but some other things too, so hopefully it’ll all work out eventually,” Yost said.

New businesses in Sandpoint area

More economics classes first semester Most senior economics classes are scheduled for first semester this year in hopes of improving graduation rates.

“There’s a trend towards senioritis; people having a hard time continuing to come second semester,” Principal Becky Kiebert said.

“Getting the hard class over with first semester is probably better for the seniors’ morale and mentality overall.”

Economics is a required class for graduation; the new schedule will give students who fail Economics first semester a second chance at passing second semester.

“From a purely common sense point of view, it makes sense,” economics teacher Tom Bass said. “Graduation becomes more important to that lower quartile group of kids as they get closer to it and see it in sight.”

Many of the economics classes are so large that there aren’t enough textbooks to issue to all the students.

“Nobody asked the question, ‘If we do this do we have enough books?” Bass said.

More books are on order and should be in classrooms sometime this week.

n BreakIng ground: The new Mountain West Financial center, one of many businesses establishing a foothold in Sandpoint

Kat Vardell Copy Editor

Several new businesses are planning to come to Sandpoint despite the depressed economy, “Big 5 [Sports] is one of the three new buildings being built on the corner of 5th and Cedar,” Executive Director of the Bonner County Economic Development Corporation Karl Dye said. “It would be on the same block as American West Bank.”

Big 5 Sports promises to excite students because there are no other similar stores in

Sandpoint already.

“I’m excited about Big 5 because there’s nowhere in Sandpoint to buy good sports shoes,” senior and athlete Zach Kuhl, who shops at Big 5 Sports stores in other towns, said.

Another popular business will join Big 5 Sports in Sandpoint.

“Subway is going to be there, caddy corner to the high school,” Dye said.

Subway, on the corner of Highway 2 and Division Street, will draw students because of its location, as there is already a Subway, among other sub restaurants, in Sandpoint.

Carly riCKard

“It’s going to be nice, [but] there’s a lot of sub competition in Sandpoint,” Kuhl said.

Several companies are also making their way to Sandpoint.

“One [is] Vapor Locomotive Company. They deal with renewable energy,” Dye said. “We’re also working on some businesses in the Priest River area to make up for the shut down of the logging industry.”

Another business that has been rumored to arrive is Coldstone Creamery, but this franchise has not yet said anything about a store coming to Sandpoint.

Sandpoint City Council turns down $77,000 grant

Kat Vardell Copy Editor

On August 27th, the Sandpoint City Council turned down a $77,825 grant that was to be used to build a pedestrian-activated light crosswalk on Highway 2.

The grant was offered by an organization called Safe Routes to School, a federal program established in May 2006 that gives money to communities in order to better the safety of pedestrians.

The owners of Dairy Depot and Steve’s Import Auto Service put a stop to the plan that had been under works for years when they

claimed that the installation of a light fixture would financially damage their businesses.

Only two members of the City Council felt strongly enough about the grant to vote in favor of it, although many support the idea of pedestrian safety. A lack of communication was also cited as a reason for the project’s denial.

The Council has applied for another grant from Safe Routes to School for $100,000 to build sidewalks on Michigan Street. They did not want the original grant refusal to be kept secret from the public or grantees.

Both sides of the issue tried to compromise

between the location of the crossing and the required curb, but the Idaho Transportation Department informed the Council that the crossing would have to go up as planned or not at all.

The issue is now closed, but still leaves many fearing for the safety of the children who cross the highway every day to get to school. Sandpoint citizens have clearly voiced their concerns about child safety routes and hope that they will be heard.

A Sandpoint mother who wished to go unnamed wanted to address the lack of communication seemingly going on in the

council.

“The Council has to stop making excuses for the lack of communication. It’s our children that are going to suffer,” she said.

On the other hand, business owner Jay Van Den Berg recently wrote in an online post that he was in favor of the project, but only if it was made right the first time.

“I believe through communication with the public, we could have been able to come up with a plan that was not only safer than the proposed location, but also had less impact to businesses,” he said. “Let’s get it right the first time.”

New post-secondary transition center at Sandpoint High School Casey dunn

Assistant News Editor

Carly riCKard

n InteractIng: geralyn Mire helps a student fill out college applications in the new counseling center

Senior Hall: continued from page 1 from being open.

“As students you’re here every day and as teachers we’re here every day so either we have more of a tolerance for it or maybe we see things a little differently,” Albertson said.

“An outsider can come into the school and their first perception is how our kids act in the hallway, and the cleanliness of the school.

Even in the east hallway, you try to watch and there was a Zip’s milkshake that was spilled.”

Although the hallways are closed for eating, students are still allowed to go through them

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Thanks to a grant from the Panhandle Alliance for Education, a new counseling career center has been added to the SHS counseling office. The area will provide a place for students and parents to learn about what options are available for students after graduation.

“What we hope to do is create a space where students can come that’s user-friendly,” post-secondary counselor Geralyn Mire said.

“What’s nice is that I’m right there; I’m really easy to get to real quick.”

Along with new carpeting, paint, countertops, and shelving, several computers are available for student use any time of day.

“The computers are there so students can look up any scholarship, college, and career information,” Mire said. “Most of the universities and colleges now have their own email addresses, so if students need to get things, they can access their college websites”. for basic needs.

“I never deny a student to go to their locker, go to the bank, or go to the counseling office,” Albertson said.

But the seniors are persistent.

“We should be able to sit here,” Shearer said.

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Several small conference tables have also been added.

“We hope by putting the conference table in we’ll be able to work with small groups of students,” Mire said. “It gives them a place where they can go and listen to...different things as far as scholarships, a school, etc.”

A new evaluative test, taken on the computer, is also scheduled to be added in the near future.

“It’s called ‘Dependable Strengths’,” Mire said.

“It kind of helps you see what you are strong in, and what those strengths would tie into for careers.”

New written materials are also scheduled to be ordered in the near future.

“We’re waiting to find out what we actually have, because we packed up so much stuff last year,” Mire said. “We kind of are just waiting to see if there’s more interest in tests or financial aid and to see where we feel we are really lacking.”

Model UN: continued from page 1 The students, along with Mrs. Smith, are all very excited for the chance to pioneer this new class at SHS. Raising the money will be a challenge, “but it’s a challenge we are ready to overcome.” said Ben Murray.

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Cedar Post

Page 3

September 23, 2008

Our View

Seniors are more dangerous when angry during lunch was a fire hazard. However, this brings us to another change that was put into effect two years ago: the change from three lunches into two. By making this change, the lunches were considerably more crowded, but by being allowed access into the hallways to eat our lunch, we didn’t feel uncomfortable with the amount of people squeezed into one room. Sandpoint High School is home to approximately 1,200 students, which means that if the lunches this year are divided equally, each one contains 600 students. By not being allowed to sit in the hallways, 600 students are supposed to eat lunch all together in the not-solarge commons. Isn’t this more of a fire hazard then allowing people to sit throughout the

senior hall, a hall that has an exit on each side?

Granted, both juniors and seniors are allowed off-campus for lunch this year, causing our principal, Dr. Kiebert, to state that “the juniors love me and the seniors hate me.” Although juniors feel this is a much appreciated gesture from the staff, many upperclassmen do not want to take the risk of becoming tardy by leaving campus. The school’s attendance officer, Gina Prandato, mentioned that tardies were being given out more right after lunch, due to the fact that students were leaving campus to eat, which is upping the number of student’s spending time in lunch detention. If seniors were allowed access to sit in the senior hallway during lunch, there would be more happy faces and fewer tardies.

These are phrases Cedar Post staff members have heard from students of SHS. The views expressed in Word for Word are not necessarily shared by the Cedar Post.

”

There are many perks that come with the finally being a senior: parking spaces in the front lot, the privilege of being able to leave campus legally, and the ability to exercise your authority over the underclassman by yelling “Bow down freshman!” at assemblies.

One of the “rights” that has always been accompanied with achieving seniority has recently been taken away: the right to eat lunch in that beloved senior hallway. At lunchtime, instead of being filled with the joyous faces of seniors enjoying their lunch, the senior hallways, and all the hallways at that, are virtually empty.

Towards the end of last school year, Sandpoint High School was audited and it was found that having people sitting in the halls

• I did my part to help the environ-

mentalist cause by rear-ending a Hummer the other day.

• Is that a mannequin? That’s a very oddly shaped mannequin...oh, it’s not a mannequin!

•Well, I was trying to get into my pants...

• Euthanasia? Isn’t that like, when they kill dead people?

• Is this dog food or can I eat it?

• Is your dead pirate doing yoga?

• I need to paint my emotions.

• My grandparents aren’t that old, so I like them.

•There’s something poking me in my pants...

• I don’t like acting dumb, I’m dumb naturally.

• So...is she telling us to be stage-whores?

Lessons from youth need to be remembered

By Casey Dunn So, my first column. Wow. I guess that makes me kind of a big deal. I mean, seriously, I get a space in the paper all to myself for the entire rest of the year. We’re talking real power here.

For my column this year, I plan mostly on sarcastically griping about something that really grinds my gears. Unfortunately, no such thing has appeared to me at this point.

However, I know all of you eager and loyal fans of mine are just dying to know how my senior year has been thus far. I’ll admit, it’s been a bit of a let down. You go through high school thinking that senior year is where it’s all at. It’s where the fun happens. It’s the time in your life where you get to “own” the school, where you get to make the rules and where nothing can stop you, man. And yet, I don’t feel any different. I’m still just one of 1,200 students who hate getting up at 6:00 instead of at 10:00. I’m still attending classes that I don’t like simply because I have to. I am still constantly aware of approaching homework deadlines and test dates and scary substitute teachers and football games and which stall in the bathroom doesn’t have any toilet paper. In fact, the only real difference in my high school experience this year has been the location of my locker, which is now even less special due to the fact that the senior hallway is off limits during lunch. Seriously, the one thing that differentiated me from the ranks of mere underclassmen, the fact that I could sit underneath my own locker in the senior hall during lunch, has been cruelly taken away from me. Is nothing sacred anymore?

Lately, I have found myself thinking about things besides the here and now. I’m thinking about what I’m going to do after school or a week from today. I think about how many times I’m going to go skiing this winter. I think about where I want to go to college. And I think many of my classmates feel the same way. At the assembly where that one guy managed to flawlessly integrate volleyball and suicide into one brilliant and inspiring piece of stunning oratory, the senior section was pretty much silent and unmoving. Seriously guys, we sucked. A lot. Senioritis has spread through our class seemingly overnight. We’re all disenchanted and sick of high school. We want out of here.

Listen guys, suicide is bad (spikes volleyball across the gym). And this is going to be a long last two semesters if we keep this up. We need to snap out of it. We’ve got one more year. Let’s make it a “Senior” one.

We are taught from an early age to share, we are told over and over again by large purple dinosaurs that “sharing is caring- it can be fun”, and through various mediums this concept of sharing is zealously ingrained into our morals.

It works too. At a young age we buy into this concept and enjoy sharing. Why then, when it comes time to enter the adult world, does this idea that was once pushed so fanatically in our youth not seem like such hot stuff anymore?

Sure, some might say the stakes are so much higher and it’s one thing to share your toys, but your income is another. Nevertheless, whether it’s money or building blocks, capital is capital any way you turn it. If a child has no toys we are taught to share with them and not to blame them for what they lack.

When an adult has no money we are taught to think it is their own fault for their poverty.

We can’t see that some of these adults were once the very same children without toys,

the very same ones we were taught to share with, and that poverty is a very hard trench to climb out of. It seems that many of us with the means to lift others out of this trench are very reluctant to lend a helping hand.

Why as children do we acknowledge that sharing is essential but give it a “grown up” name, and some grown ups to ponder it, and we tend to shy away? Why can’t we realize that Medicare, Welfare, taxes, and a few other “grown up” terms are all just a more mature way of sharing? Why can’t the wealthy follow the example of the kid on the playground who finds his wealth in lollipops and share also?

I’m not yelling communism, not really even socialism, just a little humanitarianism.

Rugged individualism was an excuse for the Great Depression leaders to stand back and let people suffer, but it can’t be accepted anymore.

We have the resources to make life a lot better for a lot more people, but first we have to share.

•Why do you have cat food in your purse?

• I look way more Chinese than usual.

• Pluto is the coldest planet on Earth.

”

Chelsea KardoKus Editor in Chief

Jennifer Prandato Assistant Editor

isaaC dunne

Arts & Culture Editor

KeeGan dunn News Editor

Paulina GraloW Sports Editors

Letters to the Editor

Carly riCKard Photo Editor

Jesse Cobb

This is where your thoughts go. Feel passionately about something? We are your public forum. Drop a letter with your thoughts and name in room E8 or e-mail shscedarpost@ hotmail.com

Graphics Editor

Cristina Wilson

Advertising Manager Office Manager

Abscence of flag offending to students

MiKe Gearlds

I am involved in NHS and Key Club and or violence. Forget about a crime against the have a great pride in being an American. There United States, what about a crime against has been an event that really made me think of humanity? We are all equal in the eyes of our us as civilized people. The American Flag was Creator and for a group of people to plan to stolen off the flag pole. It was not just done here, purposely kill thousands of citizens should but in Bonners and Spokane and CDA as well. deeply affect everyone in every part of the I have witnessed people world. Now seven years later, not pledging allegiance to Stealing anything is we could not honor those who the United States of America a heinous crime that died that day because some during the mornings for should not be tolerated. terrorist stole our flag. How is three years now. Now, if you flying a jet any different from stealing? Flying the flag is our don’t feel like you have to say way of thanking those who died it, then don’t. You have every RIGHT not to say it; freedom of speech. I’m for us. We did not have that option that day. okay with that, because that tells me that you Is stealing the flag freedom of speech? just don’t appreciate the thousands of people No, it is flippant behavior and is a disgrace who died so that you can live here without to everyone. I’m sure if that person’s mother fear for your life. Do what you have to do, but was in one of the Trade Towers that day then freedom of speech is NOT stealing school he would think a little differently about the property to voice an opinion. Stealing anything whole thing. If you don’t believe in what is a heinous crime that should not be tolerated. others do then just mind your own business, On September 11, 2001 we were attacked because it deeply affects others more than by terrorists in New York City, killing over you would know. If I can tolerate people not four thousand innocent people. Terrorism is Pledging Allegiance, then I’m sure others could the unlawful use or threatened use of force tolerate a flag thirty feet in the air. Thank you.

Cody Finney

Junior

Adviser

Editorial Policy

The Cedar Post is governed by the same legal rights as the professional press. Under the First Amendment, we reserve the right to free expression and freedom of the press. The student newspaper of Sandpoint High School is an open public forum for the students of Sandpoint High School and the community of Sandpoint, Idaho, with its editorial board making all decisions concerning its contents; it is not subject to prior review by administration, faculty, or community members.

Unsigned editorials express the views of the majority of the editorial board.

Letters to the editor must be signed, although the staff may withhold the name upon request. The paper reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and clarity, and all letters are subject to law governing obscenity, libel, privacy and disruption of the school process, as are all contents for the paper.

Opinions in letters are not necessarily those of the staff, nor should an opinion expressed in a public forum be construed as opinion or policy of the administration, unless so attributed.

The CP strongly encourages you to voice your opinion through the student paper.

E-mail your letter or bring it by E8.

Sandpoint High School 410 South Division Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208) 263-3034 ext 244 shscedarpost@hotmail.com

Printed by the Daily Bee

September 23, 2008

Cedar Post

Page 4

Old School NewNewSchool policy phoTo illusTraTion by Carly riCKarD

Keegan Dunn News Editor

Sandpoint High School has implemented a new attendance policy this year, hoping to hold students accountable for their absences and ease teachers’ workloads.

“You cannot go back to a class you miss without either having a verified excused or unexcused absence,” Principal Becky Kiebert said.

Parents may still send a note with a student or call ahead of time to excuse an absence, but if a student shows up at school after an unexcused absence, the student is sent directly to in-

cracks down on truancies

school suspension and can’t leave without either a pink or green admit slip.

“You need to have either a green slip which is verified excused by your parents, or a verified truancy, a pink slip,” Kiebert said.

Many students approve of the new procedure.

“It keeps everyone on top of things and accountable,” junior Bradley Robertson said.

“It helps the teachers know who was skipping or was allowed by their parents not to be in class,” sophomore Jane McGuckin said.

Parents also applaud the new policy.

“I think it’s great. It makes parents, like myself, be proactive

and not reactive,” parent Doug Olin said.

Teachers should find the new procedure much simpler.

“Either the kid comes back excused and they can make up the work they missed last class, or it’s a pink slip and they have a zero. Right then everybody knows,” Kiebert said.

The easiest way to avoid being reported truant is still to call the school office and get absences excused ahead of time.

“High school students should be responsible for their own attendance. If you’re going to be gone or you’re sick, you need to make sure your parents call ahead of time. If you forget to do that, you should come back with a note,” Kiebert said.

phoTo illusTraTion by Carly riCKarD

New Hall Monitor keeps SHS students in line emily Thompson Staff Reporter

After serving 25 years in a Nebraska State Penitentiary, Dennis Sanford is more than qualified to keep Sandpoint High School safe as our new campussecurity officer.

Some SHS students have expressed that they think the new officer will be an asset to the school.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” freshman Mariyah Roth said, “this school is pretty cool, and I think it’s OK to have one [hall monitor] if it’s needed.”

Some students have no opinion regarding the new hall monitor.

“I don’t care,” freshman Nichole Shaw said. “I haven’t seen him once.”

Sanford has several plans of how to keep our school safe this year.

“I’ll help move students to classes in a timely fashion, and monitor parking,” he said, “basically keep peace and make sure there are no illegal happenings.”

Faculty members and students alike look forward to a safe school year under the watchful eye of our new campus security officer.

Carly riCKarD

n Bring the noise: Juniors Daniel Anderson and Tanner Williams and Sophomore Levi Vogel play their composition.

Students lose honors classes, gain number of eclectic electvies

sophie miller Staff Reporter

Sandpoint High School has cut some honors classes for the benefit of the budget, but added classes such as Stomp and Guitar 101 for those intrested in pursuing such skills.

Although the loss was met with grief from both teachers and students, others are grateful for the new addition. ”It [the Stomp class] is really fun; we use random objects like buckets and bottles to make music.

The experience is really worth it,” sophomore Levi Vogel said.

The rest of the student body will receive the opportunity to enjoy the Stomp class during an assembly at the end of the year. The class gets to not only perform for the school, but to attend a professional Stomp group performance. ”I’m really looking forward to the show we get to see,” Vogel said.

Others are not so thrilled about the new addition.

“Dropping honors classes for Juniors and Seniors and adding classes like guitar and stomp is ridiculas.

If you have the money to add these classes, then why not maintain classes that are better at stimulating the mind, furthing the development of our education,” Senior Ben Murray said.

Juniors no longer have the option to enroll in honors classes, but must choose to take regular or Advanced Placement (AP) style classes.

“We are working towards having AP and Pre-AP classes so that tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders are on an AP track. We are trying to better prepare students for post-secondary planning,” Principal Dr. Kiebert said.

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Cedar Post

September 23, 2008 Page 5

Leah Christy Freshman Leah Christy finds peace through meditation Each Spotlight is focused on a randomly chosen student.

KAT VARDELL Copy Editor

F

reshman Leah Christy has a unique belief system that she often incorporates with her other interests.

“I kind of believe in everything- all religions,” Christy said. “I do a lot of typing on the internet to find out what they are.”

Christy follows the belief that many or all world religions coincide, and she takes aspects into her life from all of them.

“In Buddhism you’re reincarnated- I believe in reincarnation, and in Christianity there’s just one God,” she said. “I think...

He uses other religions to get his word out.”

Another one of these world religions that she follows is Hinduism.

“I don’t say the Lord’s name in vain,” Christy said. “Jaw is the Hindu God- one of the Hindu Gods. I say ‘Oh my Jaw’.”

In tune with some of her Asian based religions is meditating, which Christy does now a lot after being inspired to start from reading a book about it.

“It was just all about peace and love and how to be chill with the universe- have peace at the core of your soul”.

Since starting a few years ago, Christy has found places to meditate and fulfillment from doing it.

“I have a spot at my house... a random stump. I just sit there and listen to the universe around me. When I meditate all the sounds get amplified,” Christy said. “I do it in the winter too. I just sit on top of [my stump.] And it’s not cold, strangely”.

Another interest Christy has is animals and nature.

“I like animals and nature a lot,” Christy, who has a lot of animals, said. “I come home from school and that’s what I do for about fifteen minutes- I have to catch grasshoppers for my lizard.”

A hobby of Christy’s that is also a skill is drawing.

“I have a lot of people ask me to draw stuff,” Christy said.

A particular drawing she has done incorporates her beliefs.

“It’s got a male dragon and a female dragon. They’re shaped like a heart and their tails are wrapped together,” she said.

“Dragons throughout a bunch of religions are protection...

The eternal flame protects its love.”

Altogether, Christy unifies all her beliefs and interests.

“I kind of tie everything together in everything I do,” she said.

Exchange students immerse themselves in SHS

■ INNER PEACE: Leah Christy meditates

Mohawks and fauxhawks stick out at SHS

MOLLY HORN Staff Reporter

Every year, Sandpoint High School receives a new batch of foreign exchange students. They become apart of our school, competing in athletics, singing in choirs, and mingling in our everyday lives. Belgium exchange student, Valy Seppela* said, “ I hope to try for cheerleading, or volleyball, but sports are set up differently here.”

Although adjusting to live in America is exciting and new, school for Seppela* is simple and redundant. “The classes are a lot easier and the days shorter,” Seppela said.

School in the United States comes with many benefits. Anna Bachtel, a senior from Germany said, “ [In Germany] we have after school programs like boys and girls soccer, but it isn’t as serious as here.”

In addition to more after school programs and sport opportunities SHS seems to have a less complex aducation system. “I expected school to be a little harder,” Bachtel said.

Even though in a competely different country, this year’s exchange students students are getting off to a great start. Seppela* said, “ The people [at SHS] are very friendly. It’s everything I was hoping.”

MEAGAN BARTLETT

LIZ STONE

Staff Reporter

SOPHIE MILLER

■ DEFYING GRAVITY: Teachers Sarah and David Miles’s son Gavan and Freshman Tevin Hamilton model hair that reaches for the stars

SHS seems to be going heavy on the hair gel as the amount of Mohawks and faux hawks has shot up significantly in number.

Sophomore Matt Miller acknowledges that there is an increase in the number of Mohawks and faux hawks in the school.

Mohawks, faux hawks, and “a lot of hairspray,” according to Miller, are taking SHS in full force.

For a while he added to the numbers of the “hawk” population, although he isn’t sure what made him choose to adopt this hairstyle.

“I really don’t know, I just had a lot of hair and then I didn’t want to just cut it all off so I left a streak in the middle,” Miller said.

Miller did like the individuality

that having a Mohawk brought him.

“You’re unique,” Miller explained.

Despite the positive of having a more original hairstyle, Miller says there are some negative aspects to having a Mohawk.

“A lot of people look at you funny,” he said.

Unlike Miller, sophomore Tevin Hamilton has yet to get a negative reaction for his faux hawk hair style, which seems to be more common in the school. One experience that the two have shared, though, is in the time commitment.

“It takes a lot of time to keep it up,” Miller said.

Hamilton’s experience with his hairstyle is similar.

“In the morning I take fifteen minutes but it’s not that bad, and I put way too much hair gel in it,” Hamilton said.

High School Musical makes me cry tears of flaming poisonous blood. Also: it isn’t very good

H

Trouble begins when Gabriela transfers to Troy’s school. You see, Troy is all that is man and is the captain of East High Wildcats Basketball team. Gabriella, on the other hand is smart and could be the star of the school’s scholastic decathlon team. Troy and Gabriella inspire in each other a mutual desire to be in the School’s musical. This hidden desire alienates Troy’s decidedly heteronormative jock friends and father and Gabriella’s newfound scholastic decathlon chums.

In the end all the squeaky clean, peachy keen, blue jean teens learn a By the ending, my ears had been thing or two about life and love and acceptance and teamwork. Along the way they dance and sing, often and badly, unbearably so. Each piece of autoraped so hard I wished music tuned, plasticine pop puff is more digestible, and instantly forgettable, than had never been invented the last. By the time HSM reached its predictable, peppy ending, my ears had been raped so hard, I wished music had never been invented. I hated it.

And I hate myself for whoring myself out to HSM3 for the cheap price of a ticket to Disneyland. P.S. Don’t forget to text today!

igh School Musical is ample fuel for the estrogen fires raging in teenage girls across the country. It has spawned two sequels, a reality show and two bestselling CDs. But, despite HSM’s prominence in the collective conscience of young America, and my own newfound fervor for High School Musical 3 because of the HSM3 Spirit contest, I’ve never actually seen High School Musical. So I plunged deep into the strange world of perfectly groomed teens with pure voices, and was horrified at what I found.

HSM, as far as I can tell, is a movie about a pretty boy named Troy who is good at basketball and bad at acting. Really, really, really bad at acting. Really.

Plastic faced Troy (Zac Effron) is hiding a dark secret. He has the voice of an angel! Troy keeps his golden pipes under wraps until he meets equally attractive Gabriella at a ski resort where the hands of fate throw them together in a surprise karaoke event. Much whiney, autotuned crooning and sexual tension ensues.

“

”

Page 8

Cedar Post

September 23, 2008

Sung Woo Chung As a middle school student, one isn't expected to be on the boys' varsity high school soccer team. Sung Woo Chung, an exchange student from Daegu, Korea, has beat those odds by proving that he can play with not only the best in Sandpoint, but arguably the best 4A team in Idaho. Sung is a 15 year old freshman this year, although in Daegu he would be a middle school student. Chung is a player to keep your eye on during this soccer season.

How long have you played soccer?

"Four years."

Do you have any good luck rituals?

"My Korea socks."

What do you like about soccer?

"I like to dribble and score."

Do you want to play after high school?

"College, maybe not, my parents hate it."

Is there a difference between American soccer and the way you play at Korea?

"No, it’s not different."

Do you play any other sports?

"Basketball, but in America it's too high for me."

What are you going to do for education after high school?

"I don't have a dream."

Do you like it in Sandpoint?

"Cool city, not like California."

What motivates you during a game?

"Power bar." (Said with a thumbs up.)

Do you have any other hobbies?

"Listen to techno music."

With Cross-Country Coach

Matt Brass

We are off to a great season so far this year, having competed in two meets already.

The first one was in Bonners Ferry and this last weekend we raced in Middleton.

Senior Megan Bartlett (defending 4A state champion) has won both of these races, and the girls team won the Bonners Ferry invite while the boys won the Middleton race. Both teams have their eyes set on regional titles and a chance for a state trophy.

For those of you that don’t know much about Cross Country, here is how it works.

We run races that are five kilometers (3.1 miles) long. Each varsity team is allowed seven runners in a race while the junior varsity is unlimited. Team scores are decided by the top five finishers’ places. If a runner on your team gets first, that’s one point. Second gets you two and so on. The team with the lowest score wins. If there is a tie the top sixth

runner between the two schools breaks that tie. The current individual school records are 16:12 for the boys and 18:25 for the girls.

In a typical week of practice our varsity team will run 35 to 40 miles. Our workouts are different each day, but follow a pattern of hill work, long runs, intervals, speed work and races. We finish each day with 20 minutes of core exercises. This is a very difficult sport that requires hard work and dedication to improve. Many of the runners on the team can be seen training year round in order to prepare for the fall season. Our team’s dedication also extends to the classroom, where we have some of the highest team GPA’s in the school as well.

As coaches, our goals are to create a program that is both competitive and enjoyable. We promote hard work and self discipline, and strive to create a lifelong

passion for physical activity. The team is a very close knit group, which surprises people because of the individual nature of the sport.

The assistant coach is my wife Angie Brass, and this year we have a volunteer coach, Sam Sisson.

For those who would like to see a Cross Country meet, we are hosting two this year. On October 4 we have our Sandpoint Invitational located at the barn in Dover Bay. We will start things off with a small 400 meter race for kids sixth grade or under at 9 a.m. At 9:15 the meet starts and there are junior high, junior varsity and varsity races for both the girls and boys divisions. Then on October 25 we get to host the regional cross country meet, which will also be at Dover Bay. The meet will start at 10 a.m..

Anyone who would like more information can visit our website at http://shsxc.com.

Student coaches AAU basketball team Paulina Gralow Sports Editor

While most SHS athletes are practicing outdoors this time of year for their fall sports, one senior is starting early for his winter basketball season; by not only practicing, but teaching others to play as well.

“I started coaching rec basketball when I was a freshman,” senior Tony Locascio said.

Locascio now instead coaches two AAU basketball teams- a group of sixth graders, including his younger brother Daniel, and a group of fifth graders.

“He’s a lot of fun,” Daniel said, “but he makes us run a lot.”

Locascio and Kurt Kennedy, another coach, hold practices for two hours a day, three days a week at either Farmin-Stidwell or Washington Elementary Schools.

After taking some time off of coaching rec, Locascio discovered some AAU tournaments in Spokane and Post Falls.

AAU, the Amateur Athletic Union, is a nation-wide organization, not only for basketball but for almost every other sport as well.

“You sign the kids up for memberships in AAU basketball and they can go and compete in any tournament anywhere throughout

n Sharing hiS expertiSe: Senior Tony Locasio encourages his team at practice. Locasio coached two AAU teams this year.

the entire country,” Locascio said. “All of the top-notch NBA players were in it.”

Although Locascio’s main focus during

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the practices are to help the kids with their skills, it still can help prepare him for this year’s SHS lbasketball season.

Paulina Gralow

“It gives me a better understanding of some things because I actually have to teach it to them,” Locascio said.

September 23, 2008

Page 9

Cedar Post

Fall Sports Over view

W

ith many games already having been played and a strong record beginning to show for all of the teams, this year’s fall sports are looking to be extremely successful. There has been a lot of

support from our school in not only showing up to, but also cheering at games. Each team has a strong showing of upperclassmen and new underclassmen. In order to get a full understanding of how each team is preparing

for their upcoming season, each captain has provided a basic overview of their team.

-Paulina Gralow Sports editor

Boys’ Girls’ Boys’ Varsity Varsity FootBall Varsity Varsity soCCer XC XC

Jeremiah Prummer and Kevin Pfeifer Varsity Boys’ Cross Country Captains

n Prummer and Pfeifer

carLy ricKard

As a team, boys’ cross country, both J.V. and varsity, have set goals to become regional champions. Also, the varsity team is looking to bring home its first state trophy in 14 years. To do this we will need to continue our hard work,

“

...The varsity team is looking to bring home its first state trophy in 14 years.

”

Kat vardeLL and hoPe woodruff Varsity Girls’ Cross Country Captains

n Woodruff and Vardell

carLy ricKard

There are about 18 amazing members of the girls’ cross country team this year.

So far we have attended two meets- the Bonners Ferry Invitational, which the girls’ won without even a full team, and the Middleton meet. Some of the girls’ goals this year are to win districts and place at state, to stay healthy, and

“...We’re

”

Varsity Football Captains

megan BartLett

The team is looking to be pretty good this year. There are a lot of new faces and the team is very young. We have a lot of gifted players and if everyone does their job, the team should be very successful.

Our goals as a team are to win every game we go into and to compete and play hard for all four quarters.

We want to beat Lakeland and Moscow to win the 4A

Ben murray, SPencer Swerin, tanner french Varsity Boys’ Soccer Captains

n Murray, Swerin, and French

megan BartLett

Sandpoint soccer has an extensive history of state champions, and the team this year wants to carry on that tradition. The varsity squad is comprised of a mix of all grade levels, from freshmen to seniors, but all the players work well together, and are united in the main goal of reclaiming a state championship.

What we are really hoping to improve on is playing consistent, intense soccer for a full 80 minutes. There

Boys’ Girls’ Girls’ Varsity V arsity arsity V VolleyBall swimminG swimminG Varsity

soCCer

Brittany cLawSon and Brittney oaKLey

Since we only lost one senior from last year’s team and we gained some strong underclassmen, our goals are to go to state, be number one in districts and league and get the first 5A girls’ soccer banner up in the gym. The best thing about our team is that we all get along. We all trust each other in every position on the field, and it’s because we give 110% all the time. Not only that but we always have each other’s backs. If one person gets hurt, the whole team is going to

Varsity Girls’ Soccer Captains

n Oakley and Clawson

PauLina graLow

coLton Story

Varsity Boys’ Swim Team Captain

n Story

PauLina graLow

As a team one of our main goals is to win districts. Another one of our goals is to show sportsmanship and camaraderie no matter if we win or lose. Our team has a lot of talent and potential even though the majority of swimmers are new to the team. At state we will have a very strong showing

miKe BroSnahan

Inland Empire league, and go to the state tournament.

The ultimate goal is the state title. We are hoping to just get better every game and improve and make fewer and fewer mistakes.

We are brothers on the field. We’ve been through all the hot sweaty days and the freezing cold days together.

We have suffered together and we have become closer.

We know we’re never out of a game as the Colville game shows. We know it’s not over till the whistle blows, and the referees leave the field.

are many qualities that unify the team, but the main thing is the common goal we share, and also the fact that we all endured the same tribulations to get where we are; each player knows how hard we have worked.

Because of this connection, people feed off of each other’s energy. If one person gets pumped up, the whole team will follow suit, even if we are behind or not playing well. If we continue to play as a team at our full potential, another state championship should be just over the horizon. step it up and play that much harder for the player that was hurt. Let me tell you, if you’re the one that hurt our player you better watch out!

Sandpoint soccer has very high expectations not only from fans, player and coaches but also from other schools.

Most schools know that when they play Sandpoint they are going to have to bring their A game, and we have to live up to those standards even when playing an “easy” team. Our strengths are all over the field; there is no position that isn’t strong and without one person we couldn’t perform as well as we do.

“Our team has a lot of

tina wiLSon and PauLina graLow

n Wilson and Gralow

to bond even more as a team. Last week in Middleton, our girls’ team competed at the meet that finished during half time of the football game. We found out afterwards that the meet was not a full 5K, so we had to convert everyone’s times, but still almost everyone got a personal record. At the beginning of this season it was unclear who would make up most of our varsity, so we’re pleased to see returners and new runners doing so well.

pleased to see returners and new runners.

ricKy Lang, JaKe SemoneS, and auStin PoSey

n Lang, Semones, and Posey

as well as work on running as a group and pushing each other to run faster times. Our boys’ team did well in a tri meet with five runners placing in the top ten. We wish to have a great season, and make it an enjoyable year.

talent and potential even though the majority of swimmers are new to the team.

”

Varsity Girls’ Swim Team Captains Our season this year is going to be full of surprises.

We started off with a win in the Icebreaker meet, which is the first meet of the season with all of the North Idaho teams. After losing a lot of seniors last year, we weren’t sure what to expect, but we gained some fast freshmen that will help boost our team to another successful season. Our goals this year are to win all of our dual meets, defend our district title, and place in the top

three at state, even swimming against 5A teams, with all of the girls achieving best times along the way. Our relays are a little rusty this year with some new faces but as the season progresses we will improve enough in them to capture state titles. Team spirit is a huge part of swimming, and we were proud to see someone cheering for a teammate at almost every event at the meet. This will bring us even closer as a team, ensuring our success throughout the season.

aBBy heLander and Linnia hawKinS

n Helander and Hawkins

carLy ricKard

Varsity Volleyball Captains Our volleyball team is made up of talent and passion. We all play because we love the sport. We only lost two seniors last year, making this our third season together, so we have good chemistry. Each one of us has our own role, and without all six of us on the court nothing would be possible. Our goal this

because talent will overcome inexperience. We are hoping to improve on team camaraderie this year because it has lacked in the past few years. In swimming, a team cannot be successful without comradeship. With this, we expect to have a successful season with a lot of best times and strong relays.

“Our goal this year is to take one game at a time, preparing for the worst and not the best.

”

year is to take one game at a time, preparing for the worst and not the best. We hope to walk into the state tournament with the determination to challenge every team that shows up and walk out with a state championship.

Page 8

September 23, 2008

CHELSEA KARDOKUS

Editor-In-Chief Every year around this time the football stadium lights up, the crowd goes wild and the Sandpoint Bulldogs proudly run onto the field ready to play one of the biggest games of the season; Homecoming. The King and Queen are crowned as the crowd is filled with excitement and our school spirit is shown like never before.

“I think this is our biggest spirited day and everyone is unified together by the excitment of the homecoming week,” Brittany Clawson said.

Like past years, the week leading up to homecoming is filled with the hustle and bustle of pumping up the excitement and pride throughout the student body.

“The whole week just adds up from the dress-up days and powderpuff and the pep assembly that we have on friday just gets people wriled up for the game,” Clawson said.

Cedar Post

To kick off the week on Monday, Septemeber 22nd Student Council will be hosting a free tailgate party with dinner provided. Tuesday starts the dress-up days with Disney/Superhero day. On Wednesday along with being nerd day, is the anuual Powderpuff football game where the females of each classes will battle it out on the field and claim victory for their class. Thursday is thug day and to end the week with a bang Friday is red and white day and the Homecoming game.

Homecoming dance tickets are available from the bookeeper. $8 for singles and $15 for couples.

From dress up days to tailgate parties, Student Council has a plan to make this homecoming year the best we’ve seen in a long time.

“We’re really excited for this years homecoming because its so packed with events and fun things to do for the student body,” Clawson said. “We’re trying to make it the best homecoming of our high school experience.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF CODY FINNEY

■ ABOVE: Eric Murray glances down the sideline of players during the Sandpoint vs. Colville home game.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CODY FINNEY

■ ABOVE: Senior Tanya Fesseden puts on a Sandpont Bull-

PHOTO COURTESY OF CODY FINNEY

■ ABOVE: Senior girls practice for their victory at the powderpuff game on September 25th.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CODY FINNEY

■ ABOVE: A Colville Indian grabs at a Sandpoint player at a last attempt to defeat the bulldogs

dog helemt to intimidate the underclassmen players

Are you equipped with the essentials for the ultimate Homecoming week?

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Superhero Cape Spidey string Mask Magic Carpet Glass Slipers

Pixie Dust

Thug Thursday

Nerd Day

Disney/Superhero Day ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Broken Glasses Pocket Protector Retainer/Headgear Highwaters Sweatervest Wrist watch

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Bling-bling Grills Baggy sweatpants Big headphones Reeboks with straps Black shades

Red and White Day ■

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Quarter-sized,facepaint pawprint Red and white pom poms Red shirt White pants Your mother’s white pearls Red and white hair dye