InFlight Dec 2014 full issue

Auburn Riverside Student Voice DEC 16, 2014 • VOLUME 20 • ISSUE #3

What’s going to be under the tree?

See page 11.

Opinion Body piercings, modifications appealing 2

InFlight Dec 16, 2014

Alyssa Ferry Guest Reporter From gauges to tattoos, many students and staff are expressing themselves by altering their appearance out of school, and graciously flaunting it in school.

Personally, I don’t believe that any change one makes to themselves impacts others directly. Many people are just far too touchy with their feelings towards how others choose to express themselves.

With a new generation filling the halls, the idea that tattoos and piercings are rebellious is dying out. “I believe people with body modifications are treated differently.” assistant jewelry teacher Kyle Rees said. “It’s a generation gap, this younger generation is not seen as responsible by older generations when they have [modifications].”

Modifications becoming more popular, and accepted; a societal change that I strongly agree with. “I don’t think piercings should be taken out or tattoos should be covered, not unless it becomes an issue,” senior Evan Hochwalt said. Many students agreed that they don’t pose an issue in the classroom.

Though their popularity and acceptance is growing, not everyone is eager to jump on the bandwagon of changing their bodies at this age. “I wouldn’t get tattoos or piercings right now because my parents wouldn’t like them at all, and I don’t know how they would look in the future,” freshman Alyssa Schrader said.

By changing your appearance, others may treat you differently, which is unfair to those who decide their fate with a needle.

“I think the jewelry teacher gets treated differently,” sophomore Ryan Connery said. ”People are more comfortable with him.”

However, many don’t see different treatment. “I don’t think it occurs, not as far as I’ve seen, but it may; there’s always that possibility,” Hochwalt said.

The question many ask is where the desire to alter your appearance derives, and the answer is fairly simple. “It makes a statement; it’s for self-expression,” Rees said.

Schools and businesses both have become more accepting of something some have thought unprofessional in the past.

From allowing tattoos to be shown and piercings to remain in place, the world is

becoming more accepting of modifying oneself in the name of expression.

Thus, let ’em show. The possibility of others saying they don’t like them isn’t like-

ly, and letting students express themselves doesn’t seem to harm or distract others.

PHOTOS BY ALYSSA FERRY

Facial piercings are some of the most noticeable and sought after jewelry. It seems as though a piece of skin that can hold a needle is up for grabs to a sterling silver ball nowadays.

Managing stress proves vexing, complicated

Jude Hanno Staff Reporter After sleeping for only four hours the night before, the snooze alarm is your companion as you press it over and over in an effort to get just a few more minutes of precious sleep. Lacking any and all motivation, you wake up groggy and start another long and stressful day attending your own personal hell hole. If you could just stop time for a few hours and take a nap, you would.

Or even use that time-stopper to find enough time to finish the countless piles of homework you have to do.

You feel as though you’re treading wa-

InFlight

editor-in-chief Mackenzie Brown business manager Karlee Johnson photographer Dylan Johnston social media editor Jude Hanno cover photo Mackenzie Brown adviser Patrick Swenson

staff reporters Cameron Fairchild Jude Hanno Karlee Johnson Dylan Johnston Sara Koenig Jessica Perez Sasha Terry guest reporters Aaron Baker Jesse Eisenbacher Alyssa Ferry Erykah Johnson Kinsey Miller Vera Samolyenko

ter, barely breathing through. 200% done with a day that has only begun, you’re tired, exhausted, and want only the comfort that your bed allows.

It’s high school, and we’re stressed. Senioritis has crept in sophomore year, and although this might seem normal, it’s harmful, unhealthy, and has caused more depressed failures than happy successes.

Neil deGrasse Tyson once said “when students cheat on exams, it’s because our school system values grades more than students value education.” All we do in school nowadays is memorize pointless facts and repeat them on exams. We are taught that intelligence is based on our ability to memorize information and puke it back up on Scantron sheets and short answer questions.

InFlight policies InFlight is compiled by the student newspaper staff at Auburn Riverside High School, 501 Oravetz Road, Auburn, WA 98092.

The InFlight staff strives to maintain accurate and objective reporting for our stories. However, opinion stories are included. Any commentary which is signed by the author accounts for his or her opinion only, and not necessarily that of anyone else on staff. An unsigned editorial reflects the majority opinion of the InFlight staff.

InFlight accepts student, faculty, and community members’ letters to the editor,

You have now reached a point where your eyelids are heavier than your textbooks.

Coffee has become your best friend as you sit in class trying to figure out how you’re going to find time to write that essay, finish your math homework, and study for that science exam when you get home at seven from all the clubs you’ve joined. You can feel the gray hairs appearing on your head. They tell you to be a “well-rounded” individual, as though being a balanced person has to come at the cost of your own sanity.

We stress and cry over our mental stability because “it looks good on college applications.” We work our asses off for four years so that we can just do the same exact thing after graduation, except now you have to pay for it. College is supposed to be our gateway to living in the real world, as

artwork, opinions and comments. However, we will not print any unsigned letters or work. Please contact us in room 402, through e-mail at inflightnews@yahoo.com or by calling 253-804-5154.

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though the first 18 years of our lives are just considered a free trial.

According to world-renowned psychiatrist Robert Leahy in an interview he did with Slate, “the average high school kid has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the 1950s.” So many people find this method of education successful, but you can’t tell me there’s nothing wrong with the fact that this level of stress is normal when it’s evidently turning us insane.

I’m tired even as I write this. All I can think about is the amount of work I still have to do and how nothing I say seems to matter if it is not written in 10 point Adobe Caslon font published in a high school newspaper.

Greetings from Newspaper

Happy Holidays from InFlight!

Opinion 3 Convenience will end the film industry

Auburn Riverside High School

Cameron Fairchild Staff Reporter The film industry is not what it used to be. Lower box office returns of a myriad genres that were once film’s very foundation have led to an increased push for big, heavilymarketed catch-all products, preferably with a built-in fanbase. Transformers and Marvel movies and a dangerous excess of the term “franchise” dominate the box office and plans for the future of moviemaking.

TV, as always, is shouldering the burden of what gets left behind. Romantic comedies, once a cornerstone of filmmaking (as in the case of even the earliest silent classics, such as the work of Charlie Chaplin) are an increasingly popular aspect of the TV landscape (A to Z, Manhattan Love Story, The Mindy Project), but that’s not the only genre that’s being marginalized to the small screen. Live action family-oriented movies have become all but nonexistent as shows like Modern Family take precedence, and musicals, once the pinnacle of craftsmanship and technical marvel on the big screen, have found their way to TV as well (Glee, The Sound of Music).

It’s no secret that most of what’s left for the theaters

is about as generic as movies get.

Saccharine book adaptations, CGI-drenched epics, and cheap horror movies make up the brunt of what receives a wide release (i.e, is played on more than 600 screens nationwide), hoping to draw in the masses. When a good movie slips through the mainstream malaise, it’s an outlier.

On the fringes of that spectrum lies what’s left of quality filmmaking, the hundreds of littleseen, barely profitable passion projects that make up the majority of movies released today. Independent film has been in practice for a long time, but these artistic, personal statements struggle to find more than a niche audience and play in seldom few venues.

It’s naive to wish that the truly great movies still being made today

could be shown for larger audiences. They’ll never draw the audience that Marvel Studios or Michael Bay will. But here’s the thing about those big-budget extravaganzas: they are what’s left. The only thing that still elevates the film industry to the level of an actual industry is the capital that these blockbusters produce, a collection of violent and hectically-edited shouts into a collapsing black hole.

With Netflix and instant streaming and an increasingly rapid world, people want media that is easy to get. To hell with the movie theater, put stuff on TV, in my home, or better yet, on the internet, where it’s just a click away.

What does it mean for movies if they stop being profitable? The film industry will die, and the independent film will continue to rise.

Movies are headed towards marginalization, and are already showing signs of becoming a niche interest in the world of serialized TV and Netflix Original Programming, but maybe when they die, something better will rise from the wreckage.

New drivers cause havoc, ruin expensive cars in first year Kinsey Miller Guest Reporter

be mad but insurance would cover it. I probably wouldn’t have a car for awhile and I would have to ride the bus,” Singh said.

Singh received a 97 out of 100 on his driving test and his family believes he is a safe and responsible driver. He plans on getting good use out of the car as well. “I’ll most

likely be using this car through college,” Singh said.

Recently, Senior Hannah Briley got a 1989 Ford pickup truck. It was not the car she wanted but, she’s thankful to have it. “At least I have a car. Some of my friends don’t have one or have to share with their parents,” Briley said.

According to Briley, the Geico statement is false. “I’ve had my license for a year and a half, and nothing has happened so far.” Briley received a perfect score on her test; she’s obviously a good driver.

Her parents chose to give her an older vehicle to teach her to have higher expectations. “They want me to want more for myself,” Briley said. Briley is hoping to get a newer car before she goes off to college in the fall.

Principal Dave Halford will have a new driver in the family soon. His son, freshman James Halford. He believes in the Geico statistic as well. “I was a driving school instructor. I know something is going to happen to new drivers at least in the first six months.

So because of this statistic, my kids will be getting something used.”

Even Halford, who has been driving for roughly twenty-six years, had to borrow a car from his stepfather.

“It was a three to five year old Mazda Hatchback. I hated it, it was manual,” Halford said.

New drivers should not get new cars because the higher risks of accidents due to inexperience. The facts are facts, one in five 16-year-old drivers will get into an accident in their first year of driving. There is no point in getting teens new cars when the odds PHOTO COURTESY CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE, FLICKR.COM are not in their favor.

Watch out! New drivers are on the road. What’s worse?

They’re driving new cars. Many students drive cars that are older than them. But, it seems as the years pass by, new drivers are getting newer cars and according to Geico.com, one in five 16year-old drivers will get into an accident in their first year of driving. So what’s the point in getting new cars if it isn’t going to last a year?

Driving a ’97 Honda Accord is great.

But it’s not my dream car. If I had gotten what I wanted, I would be driving a new car with great gas mileage and tinted windows.

My parents decided to get me a dinged up car because they didn’t want their insurance to go through the roof, and knew I would probably get into an accident at some point.

Thankfully, I haven’t gotten into an accident yet (knock on wood), if I were to, my family and I wouldn’t have to pay thousands of dollars to fix a car. Teenagers should not get new cars when they first begin to drive because there is a high risk of getting into an accident.

New driver and junior Sergy Singh got to pick the car that his brother would be driving and the car Singh would eventually be receiving. If Singh had gone to another car lot, he would have chosen a better car.

“Out of the lot I picked the best. If we went to another lot there would have probably been better cars,” said Singh.

Singh believes that the Geico statistic is bogus. “It’s not true. It’s not going to happen,” Singh said. He still has plenty of time to fit into the statistic. “My parents would Many students are so awful at driving, their skills could be compared to that of a small child.

Opinion Chromebooks taking away students drive to work 4

Aaron Baker Guest Reporter Since the tech levy passed in early 2014, a horde of new technologies have found their way into our school. While these gadgets may be new and shiny, not all of them enhance the learning experience.

With the adoption of nearly everything Google in our school, students have been subjected to inefficient and tiresome devices plastered with the Google brand name in nearly every subject throughout school.

While the concept of giving every student a laptop is certainly a step in the right direction, using Google devices is a leap backwards.

Freshmen Ben Geisen thinks that Google Chromebooks are a mixed blessing. “If you’re focusing just on schoolwork, they’re okay. But otherwise they’re pretty useless,” Geisen said. “Everything would be easier with a faster laptop.”

Unlike Microsoft or Apple products, Chromebooks don’t have any built-in notepad programs (such as Microsoft Word), making it impossible to do any schoolwork without an internet connection. Because of this, some classes have been forced to spend the entire period waiting for their Chromebooks to connect to the internet.

Some students think that the Chromebooks are nothing more than an outlet for students can use to waste time.

Auburn Riverside High School

“[Chromebooks] are a distraction because of the internet,” said junior Andriezl Juangco. “It’s easier to look things up, but learning [material] physically helps students more.”

Relying on the school’s WiFi isn’t a smart move, especially considering that the secret password to the network has been found by students at least two times, forcing the administrators to reset the password. In other words, the network isn’t even close to being secure, and yet we trust it enough to

rest an entire class period on its shoulders.

Furthermore, the Chromebook’s only web browser is Google Chrome, which has been proven time and time again to be slower than Opera, Internet Explorer, and Firefox.

There is an alternative, however. HP sells laptops for around the same unit price as Google, and these laptops come with Microsoft Word and other Microsoft software. Not to mention, making a Microsoft account gives one the same Cloud benefits

as Google Drive. The only difference is that OneDrive (Microsoft’s cloud) isn’t so insecure that it refuses to work on more than one browser, as is the case with Google Drive.

Sophomore John Williams thinks that the Chromebooks have enhanced his learning. “Chromebooks have had a positive impact on me. Using them is more fun [than traditional pen and paper work].”

While there is no doubt that using new technology as opposed to worksheets may make learning more fun, there should be more pros to using laptops in school than simply “I like them because they’re fun.”

While it is understandable that the school district would want to use the cheapest option for giving every student a laptop, thus eliminating more pricey brands like Amazon and Apple, it doesn’t make any sense why the district would choose to go with a foreign brand rather than use the tried and true Microsoft brand.

That being said, the purchases have been made and the contracts have been signed, so there isn’t anything we can do about it. Since the main problem at hand is that Chromebooks don’t have any offline notepad programs, perhaps resorting to a simple pen and paper would be a superior alternative to the Chromebook crisis

PHOTO BY DYLAN JOHNSTON

Even with a more modern appearance than the laptops students may be used to, the Chromebooks just don’t keep up.

Students prepare for Merry Birthdays Winter breaking hearts of students Jessica Perez Staff Reporter

themselves because they are too busy wishing they had summer birthdays. There’s seriously nothing that special about being born Winter birthdays: they can be the time in the summer. of your life or a depressing day of doing The cool thing that is pretty awesome nothing. If you choose to spend your day about having a winter birthday is there are complaining about how it’s cold, chances so many days off, chances are your birthday are you won’t enjoy yourself very much. If will land on a day with no school. If you’re you actually make the most of what you lucky, your birthday will be during winter have to work with, your winter birthday will break and you’ll be able to sleep in, then be a night to remember. enjoy the rest of the day doing something I honestly think winter is the best time you love to do. Meaning instead of spendto have your birthday because you can do ing several hours in school then going home so many things that people with summer and doing homework, you can make the birthdays can’t. “You could do some cool most of your day. winter themes,” freshman Ally McKay “The weather makes everysaid. Such as, winthing look so beautiful,” sophoter wonderland or more Gianna Guerra said. Everysnowflake lane. You one thinks a white Christmas is may be thinking, beautiful, but white birthdays are a “But I can’t have a beautiful thing too. The best feeling pool party.” Sure, is waking up, remembering it’s your having a pool party birthday, and looking outside to is fun, but building see a snow covered neighborhood. forts and roasting “Also, if you don’t like people you marshmallows in can use the snow as an excuse not your fireplace with to invite anyone,” McKay said. your friends can be Summer may be a nice time to just as enjoyable! have your birthday because of the PHOTO BY JESSICA PEREZ Most people heat, but nothing beats the fun you with winter birth- Even the Christmas trees are can have during a winter birthday. days don’t enjoy excited for the winter birthdays!

Dylan Johnston Staff Reporter Oh! Why hello there, I didn’t see you walk in. Welcome to this week’s episode of How to Survive Winter Break. On today’s episode, we will be covering the following: how to stay away from dull activities, how to get an abundance of sleep and even how to get a plethora of homework done all in one sitting!

However, there is only so much rest and doing nothing that one person can take, and at certain points going back to school sounds like a good idea. Boredom is a state of mind, and there’s always something to be done in the day. If you find yourself with nothing to do, start working on that winter break homework! Or maybe tomorrow. . . Never mind, don’t do that. Going for a run and getting some exercise is also a good way to pass the time. Let’s not forget the main reason they give us two weeks off of school: To spend time with family and friends, and to share the gift of giving and love for all.

Winter break is the best time of the school year for students to sit back, relax, and recharge. This is the longest break of the year (excluding summer vacation) with a total of 12 days. Lack of sleep is a common problem among students here, and what better time to do it than during winter break. It’s also

a fantastic time to get caught up on any of those pesky missing assignments one might have accumulated during the school year.

Some even argue that there are too many days in winter break and that it should be shortened. However if it were shorter, it would be just like any other week off, and it would not allow the students to fully rest. If the break were any longer, then the students might start to become very lazy and forget most of the material they learned in school.

Overall, the amount of days in winter break are perfect and should not be changed.

This is the best time of the year to recharge and spend time with family and friends.

PHOTO BY DYLAN JOHNSTON

Winter break helps tired out students relax, but too much relaxation can get boring fast!

Opinion 5 Same sex couples acknowledged by students Auburn Riverside High School

Erykah Johnson Guest Reporter For many high school students, our adolescence is the prime time for us to be finding our identities, trying new styles and maybe even new relationships. As we are shifting into new times, same sex couples are a more common sight for people our age.

I feel like being in a same sex relationship is no different than a heterosexual relationship; love is love no matter what shape or form. It is all equal.

There is so much negative buzz surrounding the gay community that makes it a bigger deal than it really needs to be. “I feel like same sex couples, whether they’re adults or high school students, should have the same rights and acceptance from others as a straight couple,” sophomore Teahanna Smith said. “They’re human and they aren’t hurting anyone.” Although most students agree, that’s not always the case.

On the other side of things, some people have their own opinions about why they feel like same sex couples are a distraction or have an impact on their lives. “I don’t like it,” sophomore Odarius Shaw said. “I think having a same sex couple in a class or something would be a distraction; if some teachers and administrators feel like girls wearing yoga pants and those sorts of things are a distraction to our learning, then a same sex couple would definitely be, especially if it’s

two girls.” Shaw is not the only student with this.

In a recent poll, students were asked if they think that individuals in high school are old enough to “decide” their sexual orientation. Sixty percent said yes, 22 percent said no, and 18 percent said they were unsure.

Coming from a home with two mothers really has made me no different from any other girl my age. If anything I am more open-minded and more accepting of people different than me.

“I don’t have a specific feeling towards same sex couples,” Principal Dave Halford said. “If that’s what makes them happy, great.”As a whole, ARHS and the community have become more accepting of those kinds of things.

In many religions and cultures, being gay is a sin. Although this is true, we live in a country where there should be a separation of Church and State, so being gay should not affect others by law.

Being in a same sex relationship or in a same sex marriage really doesn’t affect anybody around those two people except for them.

The ultimate life goal is to strive to be happy.

If they’re happy, everyone should let them be, whether they agree with it or not.

PHOTO BY KARLEE JOHNSON

Same sex couples are becoming a more common occurrence at Riverside and while some are uncomfortable with the signs of affection, many encourage it and accept it.

Passing period causes stampede Cinema alters novel plots Jesse Eisenbacher Guest Reporter The school hallways are a serious issue here. You have five minutes to make it to your classes but there are a ton of issues that make that five minutes feel like only one or two.

I actually like how the hallways are run.

I can see why people show up late to class, but I still believe that the five minute passing periods are long enough.

Senior Donavan Cassady doesn’t like how the hallways are run. “I would love for it to be run differently and wish that the halls were less crowded,” he said. His irritability towards the hallways is not one opinion standing alone, other students also dislike the way the hallways are run.

Senior Alvan Collins doesn’t like the state of passing periods either and would like them to be run differently. “The school hallways are way too crowded. I always run into people,” he said.

Principal David Halford thinks that the hallways are fine the way they are. His only issue is that the hallways are way too dirty and he doesn’t understand why people don’t throw their trash away. “Every time I see trash in our halls I pick it up and throw it away,” he said.

I agree with Halford that the trash at our school is a big issue in the hallways. I would love for students to pick up trash that they see scattered through our school.

Although some of dislike how the hallways are, some students like them. “The only issue I have is people walking slow or just standing in the hallways,” freshman Gage Bailey said, “but usually I walk around those kids.” He thinks that the hallways aren’t too crowded during lunch but said “they are crowded during the class passing periods.”

We’re told to stay on the right of the hallways and that system makes sense! But people stop in the hallways and talk to each other, and it’s so inconsiderate that it’s annoying.

Forty-seven percent like how the hallways are run in between classes, including myself. Fifty-three percent don’t like how the halls are run in between classes. Eightyone percent wish that the school passing periods were longer. Nineteen percent like how long the passing periods are as of right now, including myself.

This is how I feel about the school hallways. There’s plenty of time to get from class to class, if students just keep an eye on the clock. Instead, we should concentrate on some of the other issues around here, including the dirty hallways.

Vera Samolyenko Guest Reporter When you read a book, and hear that there is also a movie on the same exact book, you get pretty excited, don’t you? You go to the theater to watch it, and leave the theater disappointed. Why? Because the movie missed so much detail, the characters were far too different, and the whole plot was changed.

I think that if movie directors decide to make a movie based on a book, they should do it the right way.

They should make sure most of the details are there, they should make sure the characters are the right ones and act the way they were written in the book, and they should make sure they don’t miss anything important!

Freshman Caitlyn Pickett agrees with me fully. “People are lazy. They should instead of ruining the whole plot and making the movie shorter, make the movie accurate and longer.” Making movies longer would not ruin the movie, it would only add to the movie as a whole.

An idea of what they can do is instead of making one movie, they should split the movie into part one, part two, and part three, and that will leave people much happier and

more interested in book adaptations.

On the other hand, Sophomore Olivia Reckling has somewhat different thoughts.

“Directors don’t have time to put in all the details.”

I agree with that, but only to a certain point. If they don’t have time, they should make time, or if they don’t have time at all, then they should not even do the movie.

They get paid for that after all.

“Different readers have their own adaptations, not exactly your imagination,” Principal Dave Halford said.

People who make movies have different imaginations than we do. We might think of it one way, while the movie makers think a different way. So when we watch a movie based on a book, usually we start seeing the whole book entirely differently.

I asked around the school for opinions on this topic, and 78 percent of the students really think it’s a good idea that books have movies to go with them. Students prefer movies because reading takes much more work. Also about the same exact amount of students believe that movies skip too much detail.

I personally think that books are great, and movies should not skip parts and ruin the books, so then when you go to the theater, you will not be disappointed.

6

News

InFlight Dec 16, 2014

ASB spreads holiday cheer Jessica Perez Staff Reporter ASB has been hard at work for the month of December. Their biggest task this month is the Winter Wishes/Winter Pep Assembly.

Before that, however, the ASB staff members worked hard on hallway decorations. The freshman decorated the ART, the sophomores decorated hallways, the juniors decorated the gym hallway to promote winter athletes, seniors decorated the area surrounding the top of the stairs and the executive board decorated the main hallway.

The ASB staff has also formally recognized several new clubs. The League of Legends club, held in adviser Scott Husar’s room, was officially recognized at the meeting in November. Dungeons and Dragons Club, a long-standing club that in previous years had no official ASB approval, was also recognized and renamed the Table Top Gaming Club. A dance club was also founded at the November meeting. Each club touts over 30 members.

Individual class ASBs have also put on winter events. The sophomore class is pioneering a toy drive this year to donate to charity. The senior class hosted the annual senior elf auction, where seniors were auctioned off in exchange for goods or services.

This event went towards the school’s Invest-

Ed fund, a fund that provides “short-term, item-specific, need-based funding—items such as shoes, coats, glasses, sports equipment, and academic fees” for students, according to invested.org.

ASB has also made plans to create a tolo dance this year. Previous attempts at creating a tolo (a girls-ask-guys casual) in other years have been shot down in the past due to lack of interest, but the ASB hopes to generate interest in the event and make it stick as a possible annual tradition. To get the idea approved, ASB met with administrators on Monday and have sought chap-

PHOTO BY CAMERON FAIRCHILD

ASB officers Jessica Fulford and Makenzie Deshler prepare for the winter spirit week.

Fundraiser grants wishes Sasha Terry Staff Reporter It’s almost Christmas and Winter Wishes is finally here. Winter Wishes is a program where students fundraise to help grant students’ wishes that they need or want before Christmas. Students can wish for fun things like spirit wear or personal things like a grocery gift card that they need for their family. Fundraising for wishes started on Dec.11.

Last year, about 200 wishes were granted by students who fundraised for the cause.

Winter Wishes goes on for a while before Christmas, and it a gives the aura of a jolly and friendly season.

People’s needs are important and the school wants to support them. Language arts teacher and event organizer Angela Rigley hopes a lot of students will participate in this year’s Winter Wishes. “Some wishes will be granted at the assembly on the last day before winter break on Friday the 19th, and there will be no personal wishes being announced at the assembly for students’ safety,” she said.

It is nice to see someone smile because Winter Wishes has helped their life by giv-

erones for the event, tentatively scheduled for Feb. 13.

In between student council meetings, hallway decor, tolo, and a whole host of class projects, ASB is gearing up for the Winter assembly in tandem with the student volunteers participating in the Winter Wishes program this year. The event will take place during the assembly as a way to spread cheer before the holidays, giving students the things they wished for.

ing them something that could make a huge difference. Activities director Meri Benedict is thankful for students shaping the community by everyone lending a helpful hand towards students. “It creates an amazing generosity in taking care of each other and I’m proud of the students and staff,” she said.

Winter Wishes is special because it brings the community together and it can change many students’ lives. Some students’ needs are important and it’s nice to see them happy by giving them something to help improve their lives before Christmas.

Senior Madison Lancaster hopes to ask for donations and wrap presents this year.

She explains how she thinks Winter Wishes connects the school. “It’s neat. It gives the community what it needs and makes it giving and united.”

Winter Wishes is a time when students come together to give back to the community, and this is very important to the students and staff. Students want to help give back to the community and support all the students’ needs.

Winter Spirit Week

Monday: Pajamas & Winter Socks Tuesday: Whiteout Wednesday: Christmas Sweater & Winter Olympics Thursday: Present & Candy Cane Friday: 9 &12 wear green 10 & 11 wear red

KCLS hosts extracurricular programs Dylan Johnston Staff Reporter

month. The first six teens to sign up will receive a free copy of the book selected.

There are teen advisory meetings at the Auburn library every 2nd Monday at 3:30 p.m. Have a say in what goes on at the library for teens, develop leadership skills, and earn community service hours.

Not only is there are book club, but also

There are plenty of great resources at the Auburn and Algona-Pacific libraries.

Coming up on Dec. 18, there will be Chocolate Holiday Gift making. Those interested will get to join pastry chef Laurie Pfalzer to learn how to make chocolate gifts, to either give or enjoy at home.

There are also study zones on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5-7 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-5 p.m. at the Auburn library for those in need of help with homework or other various school work. This service is also offered at the Algona Pacific library on PHOTO COURTESY CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE, WIKIPEDIA.ORG Mondays, Tuesdays and The KCLS is home to many libraries, all with activities and points of Thursdays from 4-6 p.m., interest. and on Wednesdays from 3-5 p.m.

For those who love to read, the Auburn a Teen Writers Club. Members meet every library holds a Teen Book Club every 3rd 1st and 3rd Friday at 3:30 p.m., meet other Tuesday at 4 p.m. The book club selects teen authors, share what they’ve been writa book to read at the beginning of every ing, improve their craft and have fun.

Feature 7 Security guard Todd Arrigoni leads by example

Auburn Riverside High School

Cameron Fairchild Staff Reporter

my desire to help kids and to keep people safe.” Arrigoni has worked at Riverside for 12 years now, and in that time has found that “feeling like I make a difference in kids’ lives and keeping them safe” is the best part

significantly to his family; he considers his Todd Arrigoni’s many years of service and children to be his greatest accomplishment. love of his job has contributed to Riverside “[The best thing that’s ever happened to me greatly for many years. was] my kids being born,” Arrigoni said.

Arrigoni highly values spending time

I was able to combine my

desire to help kids and keep people safe.

—Todd Arrigoni, security guard

PHOTO BY DYLAN JOHNSTON

A security guard, family man, and esteemed member of the Riverside family, Todd Arrigoni is a notable and multi-faceted faculty member.

Arrigoni’s interest in security work began at a young age. “I started working at a crisis residential center [dedicated to helping those in therapeutic distress] while in college and when I moved back here I got a job doing security in downtown Seattle,” Arrigoni said.

Arrigoni’s love of helping children led him to Riverside. “When this job [at Riverside] came open I was able to combine

of his job.

Before he got into security work, Arrigoni, like any teenager, had a job he disliked greatly. “[The worst job I’ve ever had was] I worked at a pet store when I was in high school,” Arrigoni said. “Cleaning bird and rat cages is no fun.”

Arrigoni’s impact is felt throughout the school by students and faculty. “I like to think I have a pretty good relationship with people here,” Arrigoni said.

Arrigoni’s passion for others extends

PHOTO COURTESY OF TODD ARRIGONI

Todd Arrigoni, Riverside’s resident security guard, describes his kids as his greatest accomplishment.

Black Friday shopping binge Alyssa Ferry Guest Reporter Black Friday is notorious for sleep deprivation and deals, and after years of raining stampedes and mass amounts of pepper spray, it is still an informal holiday that many look forward to.

Cyber Monday became big in 2005, when the convenience of online shopping overtook the deals one finds at stores and

At right: Crowds surrounded stores on Thursday, well into the time when most people were enjoying their holiday dinners, all in the name of deals and discounts.

with his wife and kids. Arrigoni’s biggest goal for the future is “to be alive to see my kids have kids!”

Of course Arrigoni has a life outside of Riverside. He enjoys hiking, camping, and competitive shooting.

Todd’s focus remains on bettering Riverside and forming relationships with the people who attend it. His motivation is “to be a positive example for those that may not have one at home and to be a good example for my kids.”

malls. Sales increased, prices decreased and the comfort of a warm bed is undeniable.

“I go shopping, but I also shop on Cyber Monday,” senior Jocelyn McWayne said.

Many students were looking forward to electronic sales, and clothes. Stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Kohl’s are just a few of the multitude of places students were stopping at. “I’m looking forward to a lot of Early Bird deals definitely, and 7 for $26.50,” freshman Emily Morrow said.

Staying up for homework have students trained in the art of functioning on minimal amounts of sleep. Since Black Friday typically starts at midnight, shoppers are out all hours of the night in a desperate attempt to

save money on early holiday gifts. “I usually stay out until around 2 a.m. and start shopping around midnight,” sophomore Nathan Hall said.

A bit of an expectation on Black Friday are the notorious fights that break out ... in spite of the holiday spirit being forced down everyone’s throat. There’s even websites that tally the loss of lives and account for those injured. “I’ve never been in a fight, but they’re always all over the news and they’re fun to watch,” freshman Kobe Middlebrooks said.

Not everyone is full of holiday spirit in the sense of sacrificing sleep to shop for gifts at this time of year. “I like spending Thanksgiving with my neighbors and family, not getting stuck in crowds of people,” freshman Kyle Bates said.

Pre-Black Friday sales were well noticed. Walmart, Amazon, Sears and Macy’s had deals that started the beginning of the end.

Many camped out weeks before on the sidewalks of retail stores to secure their place at the crack of dawn or even earlier.

Whether or not students were refreshing their sleep for the coming school year or spending money on friends and family, Black Friday was a busy day for all.

PHOTO COURTESY CREATIVE COMMONS, WIKIMEDIA.COM

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Christmas is in the air, and it’s that time of year when holiday movies start to play on TV. One of my all time favorite films would have to be Home Alone. This is just a fun holiday family movie to watch. It is a fantastic comedic film and Macaulay Culkin plays the role of Kevin McCallister very well. Putting all of the crazy burglar traps and kid fun aside, my favorite part of the movie is when he is reunited with his mom on Christmas day. Kevin realizes when he wakes up that something is missing, and that holidays are best spent with family and friends.

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Elf is by far one of the best Christmas films of all time. It has the perfect amount of almost everything you see in movies: spirit, love, heartbreak, comedy and, overall, I would say a happy ending.

The storyline of the movie is about a guy who has believed his whole life that he was actually an elf, his “father” tells him that he was adopted and then comes the long journey to New York City to find his real dad. Along the way, while mending his relationship with his long lost dad, he finds love, family and what I believe is the true meaning of Christmas.

I would say that because it shows what the absolute true meaning of Christmas is, and because it can also make me laugh, it truley is one of the best movies of all time.

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The live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas with Jim Carrey is my favorite holiday movie because it shows how Cindy Lou Who believes that the Grinch, a cold-hearted person, could be changed with a warm heart. Near the end of the movie, the Grinch’s loving personality changes the community’s lives and their thoughts about him.

I love this movie because it is entertaining and lively. The movie is cheerful and meaningful to me because it reflects a majority of my personality.

The movie inspires others to have warm hearts every day and be giving on Christmas. Even though there are ups and downs in life, you can correct your mistakes. People should also respect you for who you are and be friendly to one another every day, including the holiday’s.

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The Nightmare Before Christmas. It’s th sic tale of how Jack Skellington discovered C when he lives in the world of Halloween.

He steps through a door built to look like tree and into the stop-motion realm of Santa C personal favorite Christmas movie for its unique cal portrayal of traditional Christmas.

This film took almost three years to comple slowness of stop-motion film. During this tim 60-70 seconds of film was recorded every week The characters are all hand-made, Jack ha of heads and Sally had a replaceable face.

If its distinctive creation and charact have not made you love it as of now that’s fine but you’re wrong.

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How The Grinch Stole Christmas, the 1966 TV short, is my personal favorite Christmas movie. To me, a cartoon holiday movie is seemingly far more heart-warming and creating of Christmas spirit than young actors and fake snow. How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a quick, to the point story that excludes monkey cymbals and includes curling smiles.

With falling over fake reindeer that initiate constant laughter, even 26 minute short films are capable of gathering a family and making memories. I love the innocence that surrounds Whoville and the air of love that every person encompasses. All in all, if you’re ever looking for a simple classic movie to watch, I highly recommend this enlightening and lovely TV short.

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Love Actually is a movie for softies, but it’s still my favorite Christmas time film. Its storytelling strategy is similar to Valentine’s Day or New Years Eve, where it goes through the lives of many different people who through some weird twists and come together in the end, but it’s the OG movie, so unlike the others it’s actually good. It’s cute and romantic and if you really don’t care for a certain person or couple, you only have to watch them for a few minutes a couple times during the movie. It’s exciting to see everything come together and work out for all the people who deserve it, especially during the holidays.

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Walt Disney’s Mickey’s Christmas Carol directed by Burny Mattinson is a wonderful adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. It is by far my favorite Christmas movie because of Scrooge’s change of heart and his generosity towards Bob Cratchit’s family at the end. This short film is 26 minutes of messing with my emotions and I love that it makes me both happy and sad at the same time. It gets me every time when the ghost of Christmas future takes Scrooge to the graveyard to see Tiny Tim’s grave.

My favorite part of the movie is when the ghost of Christmas past appears and Scrooge makes fun of his size. The ghost replies with, “If we were measured by kindness, you’d be no bigger than a speck of dust.”

Overall, this short film is just heartwarming and definitely deserved the awards it got.

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White Christmas, starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, succeeds where very few Christmas movies do: instead of relying on schmaltz or saccharine moments to tie together its comedic or less Christmas-y moments, it remains charming and simplistic in its storytelling, never relaying any but the best intentions. Washed in beautiful 1950s Technicolor, the musical-comedy relies on the strength of its cast and plot, and not merely the time of the year in which it is set, to entertain its audience. It is one of the very best Christmas movies and a delightful way to celebrate the holiday.

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Feature Jewelry students take on international competition 10

Sasha Terry Staff Reporter Nine advanced jewelry/small metal students have entered into the Saul Bell Emerging Artists International Competition held in Albuquerque, New Mexico this year.

Students all over the country are competing for first with their pieces, and the students here hope they will do well. For the past five years, the closest the school has come was 2nd place, and this year their goal is to go for the gold.

The students have worked on their pieces for about six weeks in class and they have worked extra hours after school in order to achieve the goals they have set for themselves.

Jewelry teacher Wendy Woldenberg is excited for the competition and hopes that the students will win. “I feel proud of the work they have created, beautiful and top notch pieces,” she said.

The advanced jewelry students are talented and they want to show people their art, especially since winning first place will bring up Riverside’s rep.

Senior Reed Griffin believes the competition is a great opportunity to be recog-

InFlight Dec 16, 2014

nized for his jewelry. “I have tried to be creative and have a broad variety of designs. I have made a different piece that you wouldn’t see usually,” he said.

Time is a big factor in making jewelry look professional and appealing to people.

Junior Cameron Gentry, who is one of the twelve students who enrolled into the competition, has put a great deal of time into making his jewelry. “I’m really excited for it. Hopefully we can win first,” he said.

Although Junior Megan Malacon is anxious about the outcome of the competition, she hopes to do well. “I’m kind of nervous and I’m not expecting the worst, feel pretty solid about my piece,” she said.

The students have made their own individual designs for the international competition. Their work will be judged by January and there will be a ceremony in May.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WENDY WOLDENBURG

Artists from left to right: Aaron Roth, Cameron Gentry, Emma Kristensen, Sarah Green, Jordan Harrison, Kellie Jensen, Reed Griffin, Megan Malacon, and Tori Pleake.

Strange habits afflict students Holiday activities abound in Auburn Jessica Perez Staff Reporter Everybody has weird habits. Some can make you and others can break you. Those habits can range anywhere from sucking your thumb to biting off your toenails.

Of course you can always break them, but it takes an average of about 21 days to do so; thus, most people just learn to live with them.

One of the most popular habits our school population has is cracking knuckles.

Eighty-nine percent of students admitted to doing this. One of the more rare habits our students admitted to having is biting toenails, which a couple of students owned up to doing.

Weird habits play a role in the lives of each and every student. For example, some students may have a habit of tapping their pencils and it can annoy other students around them. “I hate it when people eat with their mouth open,” sophomore Ryan Connery said. Habits like this affect the students around us whether you notice or not.

“It really bothers me when people spit on the ground,” senior Kathreen Kumar said.

“That’s gross.”

If you are looking for ways to get rid of your habits, strange or not, there are a few ways. The first step to breaking any habit is confess and recognize the fact that you have

a problem. Then, depending on your problem, you can continue on from there. For example, if you have a habit of swearing, you can have someone who you’re always around pinch you every time you say a bad word.

Then you will naturally hold it back in fear of the pain to come. If your habit is chewing your nails, you can put bad tasting nail polish or band-aids to cover your nails so you won’t get the urge to do it because you’ll dislike the taste.

Although there are some habits that are just absolutely annoying, if your friends have no desire of losing them, you’ll just have to learn to live with them. According to freshman Saul Cruz, he tolerates when people laugh too much.

The weird habits circling around our school for the most part are here to stay, and according to 70 percent of students, the best thing you can do is ignore them.

PHOTO BY DYLAN JOHNSTON

Cracking knuckles is one of many weird habits students exhibit.

McCall hall in Seattle or visiting Santa at the mall. Around the Auburn area there are other activities offered.

For those who enjoy Wild Waves durWith Christmas rolling around, there’s really no way to capture the entire feel of ing the summer, they also have a Christmas the holidays other than to go out and and themed event that they do during the Holido all of the Christmas themed events of- days, called Holiday with Lights. It’s well fered. There are many traditional activities, put together and most of the dry rides are like seeing a showing of the Nutcracker at open. The only downside is you have to be able to deal with riding rides with cold, freezing air blowing onto your already numb face. It opens on Dec. 5 and runs through the end of the year to Jan. 4.

To stay out of the cold, warmer, indoor events still emulate the same holiday spirit that other activities do. Like a Christmas away from home, the Great Wolf Lodge runs an event called “Snowland.” They decorate the entire lodge to look wintery, and turn a restaurant into a full on gingerbread house! The lodge may be far away, but it makes for a great winter stay!

Another time-honored Christmas tradition is the ZooLights event at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. The entire zoo is lit up with festive LED displays and is tons of fun to look upon. The event began Nov. 28 and it ends on January 4th.

There is a wide and varied selection of PHOTO COURTESY CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE, FLICKR.COM things to do this holiday season!

Mackenzie Brown Editor-in-Chief

ZooLights, hosted by the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, is one of many holiday attractions near Auburn.

Feature

Auburn Riverside High School

Four giant cracks, three broken buttons, two soundless speakers and a camera that doesn’t take pictures.

Most students this year are in desperate need of a new phone after a tireless year of floor collisions and flood damage. With the recent release of the iPhone 6, students have their eyes set on the hot Apple device.

11

From the tip of their toes to the crown on their heads, Riverside students are looking forward to new clothes and decking their closets with filled hangers. Clothes are one of the most wanted gifts this holiday season.

This year, students at Riverside had more expensive tastes. The top gift wanted by students this year was a car. Whether it’s one to replace the car they already have or just a car in general, this is what’s topping everybody’s “as if ” wish lists.

Maybe it’s a possibility, but for most, a car for Christmas is just a dream.

The Playstation 4 has been out for over a year, but it’s still popular and a top gift wanted by students. The price hasn’t gone down a dime since its original $400 asking price, but new games have been released and it has held up the good reviews. Xbox has lost most of its popularity after the decline in quality with the Xbox One, and more students find Playstation to simply be the better option.

Costco has recently started selling 93-inch plush bears, and ever since they’ve been noticed, it’s every teenage girl’s (and maybe boy’s) dream come true. Big enough to be the perfect cuddle buddy, dance partner, or even bed. They were so popular, Costco actually sold out.

Coming in Spring of 2015, they’re coming back. Too late for Christmas this year, but next year is always an option.

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Feature

InFlight Dec 16, 2014

New Year’s brings promise, change for 2015 Sara Koenig Staff Reporter New Year’s is a time of celebration, filled with innumerable traditions. A kiss at midnight, the New Year’s Ball Drop in New York, a deafening cacophony of sound in the name of celebration, parades on every street, and most importantly the making of New Year’s resolutions.

The last ten seconds of the year are the most important. It decides whether your next year will start off right, or at least what society has determined as right.

The countdown begins. Ten. You search the room for the perfect person to kiss. Nine. You see somebody, just across the room! Eight. They are actually kind of cute. Seven. You begin walking towards them. Six. They saw you, and smiled! Five. Oh no!

There’s another person walking towards them. Four.

Damn it, that dumb sleaze got to them first. Three.

You frantically search the room for another person.

Two. Everyone already has somebody else! One. I guess I’m kissing myself this year.

If you’ve ever heard the words then you know what they mean: change is in the air, it’s New Year’s Resolution season.

The gyms are about to be crowded with new members and in three months most will be gone. Studying will be the fad.

Self-criticism will become the norm. But don’t worry, it’ll only last until spring.

Unless the New Year’s Resolution is to get a New Year’s kiss, guess you’ll have to wait until next year to succeed at that one.

The largest explosion most people will ever see in person will be the party poppers surrounding them and celebratory being released. I mean, unless we’re talking about the fireworks that

everyone will see until two minutes later.

Out of the student body a majority of them only go out occasionally. 21 percent of students admit that they’ve never watched the ball drop on New Year’s. And apparently most people know how to use a party popper properly but I doubt that with the astounding number of people who can’t actually do it.

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aven uling

Students share their opinion on current topics and pop culture

Gingerbread Cookies

58%

This holiday treat is a favorite of many students attending this school. Decorating them is also a great bonding activity.

Banana Bread

57%

The moist, sweet, cake-like bread is a great snack for students around the holiday. It also goes well with ice cream!

Christmas Sweaters

64%

They’re itchy, stuffy, and make students feel claustrophobic. Christmas sweaters are definitely not a winter favorite.

Snow

64%

From snowball fights to snowmen, when it’s snowing, the cold never bothered Ravens anyway. It’s like fun dandruff that you actually want.

Candy Canes

53%

This hard Christmas candy is sweet and perfect for expressing your holiday spirit!

Holiday Movies

55%

A small majority loves turning on the television and watching favorite holiday movies. They are a cute and perfect way to relax when combined with hot chocolate and a warm blanket.

Feature

Auburn Riverside High School

13

Who’s behind locker #...

Sophomore

Freshman

Lalie Peto 5008 InFlight: What sport or team do you root for?

LP: Swimming (Nathan Adrian) InFlight: What is something you really like about yourself?

LP: Positivity InFlight: What is the first thing you notice about another person?

LP: How they act around other people InFlight: If you could have anything to eat at this moment, what would it be?

LP: Pizza and pretzels InFlight: What are you currently obsessed with?

LP: Music InFlight: If you could listen to only one album on repeat, what would it be?

LP: Symphony InFlight: What are you planning on getting your best friend for Christmas?

LP: A swim present InFlight: What’s the most exciting thing you feel you have done?

LP: Went on band trips

Junior

Evan Polkow 6106

Ethan Skorniakoff 3002

InFlight: What are you passionate about?

EP: Sleeping and eating InFlight: Who is your favorite teacher?

EP: Mr. Rosin.

InFlight: What is the most valuable thing you feel that you have learned in high school?

EP: Time budgeting InFlight: What do you think is the most important class to take?

EP: It just depends on what you enjoy and what you want to do. For me, science classes.

InFlight: What are you planning on doing this winter break?

EP: Wrestling InFlight: What is something you always carry with you?

EP: A notebook InFlight: What is your life motto?

EP: Stick true to yourself.

InFlight: What is your favorite food?

EP: Teriyaki

InFlight: What is on your Christmas list?

ES: A new laptop InFlight: What did you get for Christmas last year? Did you like it?

ES: Money and yes I liked that.

InFlight: What are you afraid of?

ES: The dark InFlight: What is your guilty pleasure?

ES: I’m going to say... pop music InFlight: What is the most valuable item you own?

ES: My cellphone InFlight: What is your favorite TV show?

ES: Castle InFlight: What movie would you not mind watching over and over again?

ES: Get Smart InFlight: What is your favorite school subject?

ES: P.E.

Senior

Kristi Nguyen 7184 InFlight: What are some holiday traditions you follow?

KN: I do Secret Santa with my friends.

InFlight: If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

KN: Australia because it’s pretty and I want to see kangaroos.

InFlight: What is your favorite song?

KN: “Under the Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber.

InFlight: If you could pick a celebrity to hang out with, who would it be?

KN: Zac Efron because he’s fire.

InFlight: Who is someone you can’t live without?

KN: My brother because he is my best friend.

InFlight: What stresses you out the most?

KN: School and applying to colleges.

InFlight: What is your biggest pet peeve?

KN: I don’t like it when people lie.

InFlight: What is your favorite Christmas carol?

KN: “Let it Snow.”

14

Arts and Entertainment

InFlight Dec 16, 2014

Taylor Swift changes music, audience, look Mackenzie Brown Editor-in-Chief Recently, Taylor Swift has changed her music. As many know, she used to specialized in a soft country; now she’s going fullon pop.

Her new album, 1989, has led to one verdict: this change rocks. She’s completely remastered her look, and with this new album, there are few complaints.

Her new album covers everything from breakups to friendships to stabbing? Well, not entirely. It’s true though. Taylor Swift seems to be experienced in every situation, so there’s no chance that you’re going to listen to one of her songs without thinking of someone or something. Even boys can relate, and if they can’t, then they’re in denial.

There are a few downsides to the album.

The biggest is that all the songs sound relatively similar. They’re all still good, but there isn’t a lot of variety. This musical generation has come to terms with the idea that popular pop artists just aren’t that experienced with variety. Also, every song will end up on

the radio, some right as the album comes out, others in a month.

Her songs are still good; they make you want to dance. She doesn’t reach out to any featured artists, but if she did, they would probably be artists no one likes to listen to much anyway, so it’s almost better that she kept to herself and made this really her own album.

Another great song on the album is “All You Had To Do Was Stay” because it is incredibly catchy and the lyrics tell a really relatable story. So many teenagers deal with this relationship issue. We open up to people and then in the end it does not work out, and the lyrics have everything you want to say to the person who wants to leave. You want to tell them that all they had to do was stay. The beat to the song is also really fun to dance along to, and it is one of the most upbeat songs on the album.

My least favorite song on the album is “Bad Blood.” It’s not as great as the other songs, but it is still good. It’s a pretty catchy song, but song of the lyrics are just not in sync with each other. Even the songs on the

album that just aren’t really that good are still so good.

Many artists produce music that’s fun to listen to, but most of the time, their music videos are just close ups of them singing with bright colors and weird effects that make you sort of uncomfortable. It’s not as common to find a music video with a story, or something that makes you really want to watch.

Somehow, even when she’s just dancing around the screen, Taylor Swift gives you something to watch.

In her “Blank Space” music video, she embraces her psychotic side and plays a character that goes crazy over a relationship. In the last few seconds of the video, a new boy enters the screen, and it implies that she repeats the same situation over and over again. It tells its own story, and that is very unique in today’s pop culture.

This album is very pop-oriented and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys listening to the type of music you would generally hear on the radio.

Taylor Swift’s career began in 2006 at the age of 14, and she has gone on to sell over 30 million records in eight years.

PHOTO COURTESY WIKIPEDIA.ORG

Artist of the Issue: Five for Fighting Sara Koenig Staff Reporter

Americans are the kings and queens of Alternative music. 3 Doors Down, Secondhand Serenade, the Calling, Nirvana, and one of my personal favorites, Five for Fighting, have all originated from the United States of America.

Five for Fighting is one of my personal favorites due to their unique style.

Their lyrics and rhythm are always very nice and meaningful, especially in “Superman.” It’s a very catchy song but it does so without being overly annoying.

Lead singer and songwriter Vladimir John Ondrasik II was born in Los Angeles, California.

He learned how to play piano and later the guitar. Briefly he sung opera.

After getting a degree in applied science and mathematics from UCLA he adopted the name Five for Fighting and became a singer/songwriter.

Talk about wasting your money. He chose the name Five for Fighting after the hockey penalty due to his love of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings.

5 songs you should know: 1. Superman 2. 100 Years 3. The Riddle 4. World 5. Chances

Sports 15

Auburn Riverside High School

WINTER SPORTS The 2014-2015 winter sports season kicked off earlier in the month just in time for Christmas! Girls basketball, led by captains Olivia Denton and Payton Dunne, have taken charge on the court. Their next game is the Dec. 16 at home against Enumclaw.

The boys basketball team, led by players like Quintin Bethea and Mitchell Wetmore, have their next game on Dec. 16 as well, at Enumclaw. Boys swim have also begun, with another meet on Thursday, Dec. 18. The wrestling team, made up of both boys and girls and featuring wrestlers like Colin Sutrick and Landon Stockton, has also hit the mat, already having competed in many matches and an Olympic Duals meet. Their next match is on Dec. 17 at home against Sumner. Gymnastics, led by captains Emily Polkow and Hannah Wilson, made up of over 30 gymnasts, began their season Nov. 5 and have an away competition Dec. 17. The cheerleading competition team, led by captains Daisha Campbell and Natalie Guest, already qualified for Nationals in the summer, but continue to practice and compete, winning in their division at their first competition on Dec. 6. Their next competition is Jan. 10.

PHOTOS BY CAMERON FAIRCHILD

BOYS BASKETBALL

16

Sports

InFlight Dec 16, 2014

Bethea on pathway to success Karlee Johnson Staff Reporter Hard working, dedicated, passionate.

These are all of the things that junior Quintin Bethea demonstrates during his basketball season. Ever since his freshman year, he has had a special love for the sport. As a junior, this is his first year as a varsity player, and he’s even a team captain.

Coach Kevin Olson described Bethea as “our starting big man, a good all-around basketball player, and an inspirational leader.” According to Olson, Bethea contributes to his team with his encouragement and his 6 ft 6 frame.

“Before freshman year it was all about football,” Bethea said. “People don’t know that I didn’t start playing basketball until my freshman year.” Now, his attitude has made a complete 180. Basketball to Bethea is a way to release stress and anger. It allows him to escape any problems that he might be facing at the time.

Pushing through each day looking forward to becoming a true leader on the varsity team, Bethea hopes to succeed and

work hard enough to start receiving college letters.

With school sports, education should always come first. It is hard for an athlete to balance school, sports and the quality time with family. Bethea is managing all three. He hopes to have at least a 3.5 GPA by the end of the season/year.

A lot of pressure comes with basketball, but Bethea has the person he admires the most pushing him through some of the hardest times, his father. “My dad is my hero because he’s always encouraged me to do my best,” Bethea said. The drive and the encouragement is what keeps him going.

A true athlete balances a lot and still has the passion to push through. “Basketball isn’t made for everyone,” Bethea admits.

Overall, Bethea knows he was meant to play basketball.

A student, an athlete and a son are all things Bethea is, but in his case, a leader is a more appropriate title. He leads the pathway to his future and his future with basketball looks bright.

PHOTO BY DYLAN JOHNSTON

Quintin Bethea is one of the boys basketball’s leaders, both in title and personality. His coach, Kevin Olson, only speaks highly of him, while Bethea himself strives to improve himself in all aspects of his life: his sport, his family, and his grades.

PHOTO COURTESY OF QUINTIN BETHEA