November 2015 full issue

Auburn Riverside Student Voice Nov 12, 2015 • VOLUME 21 • ISSUE #2

I N SI D E :

Veterans Day Parade See page 3.

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News

InFlight November 12, 2015

Crucible proves successful first play Sasha Terry Staff Reporter

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA RUMRILL

A husband defends his wife from charges of witchery against her accuser.

The fall play this year was The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, and was performed by the Raven Players on Oct. 29- 31 and Nov. 5-7 in the ART. The play is about the Salem witch trials. It’s a drama and an allegory of the Red Scare.

The story takes place in 1692 in Massachusetts, where a man accuses people of being witches. Miller wrote parts in the play to prove that the people during the Salem witch trials were so quick to judge other people and tease them for who they are.

Director Kathryn Nuttman enjoyed working with the students, during play reheasals. She believed the play would run smoothly and she hopes everyone liked the performance.

“I was thrilled with all the hard work they put in remembering their lines,” Nuttman said.

Junior actor Jerena Layacan believed this play would be exciting to watch. She portrayed a man, John Hale, a minister who helps people deal with witchcraft.

“If people know the general story of the Salem witch trials then they will be able to understand the storyline,” Layacan said.

Another Raven player, sophomore Rhyonna Rosales depicted Tituba, a slave from Barbados in her mid-50s, who is accused of witchcraft.

“The play is different from anything I've seen or done,” Rosales said. “It has an interesting storyline and it will be exciting to see how it all comes together.”

Sophomore Kevin Warnick portrayed John Proctor, a farmer. He was looking forward to dress rehearsal and bonding with the cast.

“The lines were complicated to learn at first,” Warnick said. “The play has raw emotions; sadness and fear.”

Sophomore Carlos Navarrete watched

the play the first week it opened.

“The play was interesting and I got a general idea of what happened,” Navarrete said. “The intesity of the actors matched their commitment to the characters.”

Another student who attended the play was sophomore Abbie Zackula. She liked how much the Raven players acted within their character.

“The yelling was intense and the girls were really manipulative during the trial scene,” Zackula said.

During the school hours of Nov. 3 and 4, classes were given the opppurtunity to watch the play. Fifty classes were able to see the play. The following day, the players had their “Pay What You Will” performance after school.

The Raven players capativated the audience with their breath-taking performance.

Even though The Crucible was difficult to understand, it was good to see the play to get a general gist of the storyline.

ASB wants friendly environment promoting “So Raven” Dylan Grenz Staff Reporter ASB has been continuing to work and produce new ideas. With many school events coming up, they have been working to make each affair an enjoyable one.

One event ASB is involved in is the “We Scare Hunger” campaign. The event, created by the same organization in charge of “We Day,” is a Halloween food drive where people trick-or-treat door to door, asking for any non-perishable foods, not just candy, that they donate to the organization.

There, the food is spread to children across the country, to ensure their goal that no child goes hungry. ASB was very involved, they went as group to support the cause.

“It’s a great program,” Ms. Benedict said. “I’m always moved when our kids take time out of their weekends or nights to do things such as this.”

Greetings from Newspaper

Thanksgiving is on the way and we sure are ready to stuff our faces with this turkey!

There are also other programs, such as “We Bake For Change” or “We Create Change” later on in the year as a part of the Free The Children organization.

ASB is also in the process of planning Veterans Day events. While there may not be an assembly every year, they always try to at least have an observance, in order to encompass the importance of the holiday.

They are not sure whether or not they will have the assembly this year.

“Veterans Day is important because it gives us time to honor those who have fought for our country,” freshman Jorge Malacon said.

One of their main goals is to incorporate this year’s theme, “That’s So Raven,” into all school events. “We feel it is very important to do this,” junior Garrett Miller said. “It makes it more of an inclusive and family feel to the school.”

editor-in-chief Jessica Perez ad manager Aaron Baker business manager Sara Koenig photographer Kayna Kliewer social media editor Jessica Perez cover photo Kayna Kliewer adviser Patrick Swenson

staff reporters Aaron Baker ZaReah Barren Dylan Grenz Hannah Kazlauskas Kayna Kliewer Kira Kopcho Sara Koenig Trevor Little Jessica Perez Sasha Terry Tashana Williams

PHOTO BY SASHA TERRY

ASB has been meeting to come up with new ideas to benefit our school. Their goal is to make each idea “So Raven.”

InFlight

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

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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.

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News

Auburn Riverside High School

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Annual parade honors our veterans Trevor Little Staff Reporter With Veterans Day comes the Veterans Day parade. Many people go to the parade while others may not go whatsoever, because they may not know anyone that is or was a veteran. They also may not really celebrate Veterans Day. The point of the parade is to positively support and honor our veterans. This year there was 5,500 parade participants and over 200 units in the parade. There were also some military vehicles, veteran units, honor guards and more.

The recognition throughout the parade was mainly focused on the military, reserve military, the National Guard, and ROTC. Auburn has one of the biggest Veterans Day parades in the United States. The one mile parade route travels along Main Street to A Street NW. The Veterans Day parade was held on east Main Street on Nov. 7 at 11:00 a.m.

The parade this year was the 50th parade held in Auburn. The city of Auburn began to host the parades in 1965.

Students have gone to the Veterans Day parade this year or have gone in years past.

“I think when I was little I went to one with my grandparents but I haven’t been to one in a while,” senior Julius Boyd said.

During the Veterans Day parade, a marching band competition had 28 schools throughout the Northwest competing. This event was held at the Auburn memorial stadium. Before the parade, there was a breakfast from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Auburn Senior Activity Center on 808 Ninth Street SE. A Veterans Day Luncheon was held in the Rainier Room inside the Truitt Building.

Veterans Day is important to many students. “It’s a time to appreciate the military and all that they do,” freshman Dylan Smith said.

From 9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. a remembrance ceremony was conducted, with a wreath placement, a rifle salute and spoken prayers.

Veterans can have an impact on lots of people. “They’ve influenced my decision in wanting to serve,” Boyd said.

PHOTO COURTESY CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE, WIKIMEDIACOMMONS.ORG

Every year the city of Auburn hosts their own Veterans Day parade, drawing very large crowds. Families of these Veterans gather and participate in the numerous festivities.

Unicef fundraiser surpasses expectations Sara Koenig Staff Reporter Trick or Treat for Unicef is an annual fundraiser run by Riverside’s Key Club as well as their partners, Valley Kiwanis and Mt. Baker’s Builders Club.

In the past, it has raised as much as $1,700.

Unicef is an international charity that prioritizes helping children in third world countries.

They assist in “child survival and development, education, social inclusion, and emergency aid and humanitarian action,” acThe upper photo is a logo for the organization Unicef and their fundraiser Trick or Treat for Unicef.

The photos on the bottom depict the scariness of Halloween in relation to the fear factor of malnourished children not receiving the recommended nutrients for survival.

PHOTOs COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE, WIKIMEDIACOMMONS.ORG

cording to the organization’s website.

In Sudan, mothers learn how to keep their children healthy. During Europe’s refugee crisis, children learned to care for themselves and each other. In Liberia, Unicef brought children back to a school’s atmosphere after they had survived Ebola. In Yemen, they helped teachers learn to teach children.

All around the world Unicef is an active contributor to helping several communities.

Every year our school helps participate in raising money for the worlds underpriveledged youth.

Trick or Treat for Unicef has its own website off of the official webpage of the organization. It demonstrates how the money is used: five dollars provided five days of food for a malnourished child. Fifteen dollars was a year’s worth of clean safe water for a child. Thirty dollars was measles protection for 100 kids. One hundred dollars was malaria protection for 100 kids. Four hundred dollars was a pump to give an entire village clean water.

Our school managed to fundraise a grand total of $1,200 during this year’s Trick or Treat for Unicef, an astounding amount which Unicef will utilize appropriately. This equates to three villages receiving water pumps!

We had a high participation rate this year, with over 50 people split into groups of seven and eight.

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Opinion

InFlight November 12, 2015

Mixed priorites create terrible time management Kira Kopcho Staff Reporter You know the feeling; the inevitable anticipation of waiting on someone because you’ve made prior plans with them. As the clock ticks on past the time that you were supposed to meet them, you only get more annoyed. Lo and behold, an hour later, that person finally shows up.

Life is busy for most people and that is perfectly understandable, especially when they have to juggle school and outside activities. When making plans however, understand that you have the responsibility to show up on time. If you’re going to show up late, at least notify them first. I understand not saying anything if you’re going to be five minutes late, but if you’re strolling in over 30 minutes late, please say something.

Life happens sometimes and people are going to be late. However, it gets obnoxious really quick when people make excuses for why they are late, every single time. When someone strolls in late for the third time that week, it’s already bad enough. No one needs to hear a half-hearted, lame excuse for why you couldn’t pull yourself together on time. If you’re late, just tell the truth or say nothing at all because making excuses will only make people trust you even less.

It’s not you being five or ten minutes late that annoys me, because I understand that nobody is going to be picture perfect.

However, when you make stupid excuses or don’t even have a good reason for why you’re late in the first place, expect me to a bit disappointed in you. If you just put the extra effort in to say “Hey, I might be late,” or tell the truth, that would be way better than not saying anything at all.

Important events come up like celebrations and family functions. These events also sometimes happen as a result of school, such as sporting events. If you’re participating in these events, it’s not only your problem if you’re late, but it also impacts your team or group. It’s the worst when you show up late to a team event, because your coach and fellow teammates are counting on you to be there. Sure, you might not make or break the team, but you have a responsibility to uphold.

When you’re late, it gives the impression that you don’t care about what you’re doing. It also gives the impression that you have zero time management skills. Honestly, learning how to manage your time isn’t that hard, and will help you in the long run. It’s important that you learn to plan wisely now, because in the real world, people won’t always be so forgiving. So, if you can help it, please don’t be late!

The internet famous feline Grumpy Cat is notorious for complaining about topics in our society.

Although there are not many words in this picture, the facial expression conveys what matters. If you’re showing up late and coming up with a lame excuse, I’ll gladly refer you to this picture.

PHOTO BY SARA KOENIG

Standardized Testing

86% Students share their opinion on current topics and pop culture

The Weeknd

52%

The Weeknd may have his music in the top 20 hit songs of the week, but our Ravens don’t believe he earned it.

Thanksgiving

80%

Thanksgiving, one of the most delightful and delicious times of the year. There are so many traditions and things to look forward to.

Yikes! SAT, ACT, ASVAB, EOC, etc.

The necessity is understandable, but do they have to be so long?

Jem and the Holograms

59% The Crucible

75% Fox News

61%

It’s truly, truly, truly outrageous that a movie has been made dedicated to this old cartoon.

Directed by drama teacher Katie Nuttman, the Raven Players presented The Crucible. It’s a wicked play that fits the fall season perfectly, but most students said they wouldn’t be watching it.

(Since the poll, 50 classes watched a special performance Nov. 3.

That’d be a “thumbs up!” now.)

Fox News, where the latest and accurate news is reported. Or is it?

Our fellow Ravens disagree.

Opinion 5 Traditions crumble during holiday season Auburn Riverside High School

Dylan Grenz Staff Reporter As Thanksgiving approaches, the annual holiday buzz has arrived. Students have a wide variety of family traditions, most of which tend to revolve around food. Personally, I enjoy the traditional Thanksgiving meal. On the other hand, many people I know eat a wide variety of foods on the fourth Thursday of November. It always leaves me wondering…Why? Even though people have their own Thanksgiving traditions, I believe Thanksgiving meals should consist of the classics to completely embrace the holiday.

Many people celebrate Thanksgiving by meeting up with family and friends and eating good food. Personally, my family eats the typical meal, which consists of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie for dessert. I believed many people did the same. So it really surprised me when I went around asking people what they ate for Thanksgiving and got a wide variety of answers.

Some people eat things such as tofurky, a vegetarian alternative to regular turkey, which is understandable. However, others have really weird meals they eat, from nachos, to turkey

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE, COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

This is a depiction of a traditional Thanksgiving feast. While alternative foods are all great in their own right, traditional Thanksgiving feasts best capture the spirit of the holiday. Twists on Thanksgiving might fit in your own tradition, but the tried and true seems to be the best for most people.

chips, to pizza, to gravy soda.

What is the point of eating these foods? I’ve always heard that the Pilgrims, which we celebrate, ate the same classic foods we do. I’m 99.9 percent sure that they didn’t have pizza and soda back on the Mayflower. If you want to stay in the holiday spirit, why eat these random foods?

Don’t even get me started on the whole, “Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” thing. While I enjoy watching it around this time of year, I don’t understand why anyone would want to eat toast, popcorn, and jelly beans on a day known for good food. Sure you would get plenty of grains and carbs, but other than that it’s pretty much pointless.

I understand people have family traditions; however, I still believe that people should stick to eating the classics for their Thanksgiving meal.

So the next time your family wants to have tofurky or pizza for Thanksgiving dinner, remember that you could be eating much more delicious food.

Standardized tests waste valuable learning time Trevor Little Staff Reporter Have you ever just dreaded a day because you know you have to take some extremely long test like the PSAT, the SAT, MAPS, or the SBA? The standardized tests we take are such a large waste of time for teachers and students alike; teachers do not get to teach as much in class because their students are taking the very long tests; students do not get to learn everything that was planned by that teacher that day.

When it comes to the new MAPS and the PSAT, some of the students, such as freshmen, may not know some of the material because tests such as the PSAT are meant for juniors to get ready for the SATs. Another thing that is pointless are the short classes that occur after the SATs/PSATs: they were 19 minute classes.

The fact that you get nothing done in those classes just seemed somewhat worthless. We could’ve just gone straight home right after those tests.

In my experience, all we did in the 19 minute classes was talk for a little bit, then we got some homework and we were off to the next class with most of us probably thinking, “What was the point of having classes today?” Sure we got the homework that the teachers were going to give us, but we could’ve had three periods after the tests and learned a lot more than we did in the 19 minutes that we spent doing practically nothing.

My point is: what do we, the students, get out of it?

Sure it may be a requirement for getting into good colleges, but standardized testing typically is a measurement of our progress, to see how we are excelling so they know what to teach us and what we can learn more about. Meaning, we

don’t really learn much from it. It’s just like homework to us. Standardized tests are just to practice what we’ve already learned, and to get a glimpse of problems that are sometimes way above our level of learning.

In cases like that, we do not know the concept and end up not doing well on that subject, which could very well cause us to fail the test.

This to me this seems extremely useless, especially if we do not know the material, because that puts us at a disadvantage. Now, these tests may seem somewhat worthless during the school day and we get nothing out of them because we don’t learn or retain anything from them, but they can have an impact on students PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE, FLICKR.COM as they head into college. For now, all students see is how It feels as if we bubble in answers until we die, taking all of these standardized tests. They take up so bad or good they did, and it much of our learning time, and it sometimes feels like all we’re doing now is learning how to take tests. definitely disrupts student learning during the school day.

Don’t we spend enough time missing days for testing? for free, but they should be done sometime out of the school The amount of time we spent taking these tests could day—on a weekend, for example—so we don’t have to miss have easily been spent learning material that could actually out learning material that could be important in helping us be very important in the future as adults. meet our goal of graduating high school.

The tests are important, and I know we get to take them

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Opinion

InFlight November 12, 2015

Fox News spews misinformation people won’t be updated.

People look to reporters to get accurate and unbiased information; if all the stories are one-sided, the viewers won’t Fox News is a disgrace to the know all the other sides of the story. So news reporting world and an emI have some advice for Fox News: inbarrassment to all who represent stead of trying to mold viewers’ minds to the news industry. Fox News is think the way the entire Fox news staextremely biased in all their reporttion thinks, why don’t you tell them both ing, which means most of the time sides of the story and let them make their they only include their position on own damn decision about controversial a certain story. To do something topics instead of trying to brainwash like that is extremely unethical in them with your one-sided comments. the field of reporting, unless the In reporting many controversial story is an editorial. The reason Fox topics, Fox News is known to take a News reports the stories they do is conservative tilt. When reporting a because they want to create a concontroversial topic, one is not supposed servative lean on them, not because to add to the controversy, which is litthey think they are important. erally all Fox News is good for. They The thing that really angers sprinkle even more controversy on a big me about Fox News, is that even fat controversy cake. Just like when they though they are not a reliable reported about Obama and his plan to source, people still watch them not stop Syria. All they did was criticize PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA.ORG knowing half of the time that the Obama’s way of running the country information they are being fed is inaccurate and is eventually cor- Richard J. Wallace, left, speaks with the host of Fox News 13, Bill Murphy, right. Even in their interviews, Fox News has almost the entire segment. They only a conservative way of wording their questions to get the answers they want. talked about his plan for two seconds, rected without them knowing or and they didn’t point out specific reaopinionated and molded to fit the they do that is they don’t always get accurate information. sons they thought it would fail. station’s beliefs.

Fox News is a complete abomination. If you want acIf you have ever taken an introductory class about re- Then they give this information to the public and hours later, porting you know one of the most important rules is to be once they realize the information they had was wrong, they curate news, I recommend you watch a news station whose accurate, not first. What Fox News does, and some other do another story on the incident with the right information. reporters are actually worthy of being called reporters. Not news stations do as well, is they try to be the first ones to Normal people don’t watch the news 24 hours a day, so if one like Fox News whose anchors and reporters sicken me put something out about an incident. What happens when the news station changes the information they put out most to my stomach and twist stories to their personal liking.

Jessica Perez Editor-in-Chief

Increasing college tuition causes premature panic Tashana Williams Staff Reporter During freshman year, either in Orientation or AP Human Geography, we were introduced to our senior portfolios, where we did some of the mandatory activities.

Those activities included several college search projects where we had to learn everything about the colleges we wanted to go to. In the process of doing all that, I realized that college is probably going to cost more than my life on a stick.

Books. Tuitions. Fees. Mama mia that’s a lot of money!

All the time spent to make sure my grades are top notch so I could at least be considered by your college. Then I’m told that I have to give an arm and a leg so I can learn some more. There’s also books you have to pay for, and I can’t help to think about how in debt I am going to be when I graduate.

They say that “knowledge is priceless;” however, the average debt a college student is in after graduating is about $28,400.

The average amount spent on college books is about $1,168. As well as a $9,139 tuition cost. Out-of-state tuitions can cost as much as $22,958. Then of course the cost of food for the whole time you’re living on campus. That’d be around $200 a month, so going off a standard nine month period of school, that would cost about $1,800 a year.

I can’t really complain about going to college. I sure would be able to pay that debt back faster as a mechanical engineer than a McDonald’s worker, but it’s not necessary to charge

students to the point where they are 30 and still paying off college debt.

Other countries have free tuitions. In fact, the community just has to pay a higher tax so students can get to these colleges. I think that’s a great idea because the community is enabling the students to reach their goal without the obstacle of money being a problem. Some students are not able to go to college because their parents don’t make enough money and they are not able to get a scholarship. Students don’t go to college because they don’t want to pay off all the money when they are older. This would be a great solution to this problem.

I believe that college is imporPHOTO BY KAYNA KLIEWER tant, but these prices are outrageous. If the prices could be ar- Sophmore Tashana Williams makes a payment to the college admissions office. The payment being $10,000 and half her leg. ranged so it could be affordable by anyone with any type of income, then I wouldn’t have anymy future kids grow up and have kids of their own. Maybe thing to write about.

I want education to be priceless. Only then, will I truly be then prices won’t require everyone to sell half of their soul to happy with the school system. I will wait, and watch, while receive higher education.

Feature

Auburn Riverside High School

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School programs promote safe environment Jessica Perez Editor-in-Chief

PHOTO BY SARA KOENIG

Our staff’s goal, as it is with security officer Todd Arrigoni, is to protect the school from all situations, especially in the event of a shooting.

The question of whether our schools are really as safe as we believe has been brought up on many occasions. In 2014, a total of 40 school shootings had taken place, and so far this year there have been 20. The most recent shooting, which took the lives of 10 students, happened down in Oregon at Umpqua Community College.

With these events happening more and more frequently, many teachers and students have become concerned about their safety.

Our school is generally seen as a safe place, but who’s to say something like that couldn’t happen here? “If we had an intruder,” senior Adrian Tong said. “I think our school would do a pretty good job of protecting us since we have gotten more aware because of all the shootings, and we do drills, and the teachers are prepared.”

Since last year’s shooting threat, the school has increased security. We received a new police officer, teachers patrol halls almost always, and the

doors are, for the most part, always locked.

“We are by far one of the safest schools in the area,” security guard Todd Arrigoni said.

“We have a staff that is dedicated to not only teaching but to keeping students safe.”

Arrigoni adds that the culture that has been promulgated with programs like “Breaking Down The Walls” and “That’s So Raven” has not only uplifted your spirits, but has also contributed to a safer environment where people are able to talk through their issues instead of acting violently.

A school district in Pennsylvania started teaching their students how to fight back against an active shooter. Since they released a YouTube video showing their plan, many other schools have adopted a similar method to protect their students. This included barricading doors, throwing things at the shooter, and physically attacking the shooter. Many people, especially parents, are opposing this plan because they don’t want kids to be put in danger.

“We should not put the students at risk,” Tong said. “It’s not the student’s job to protect the school, that’s the police’s job.”

Many schools have taken preventative measures to a whole new meaning, and whether this is a good thing or a bad thing

is debated. One thing is clear though: these shootings happening every few months have called into question our laws on guns. When President Obama gave a speech regarding the shooting at Umpqua Community College, he brought them up. “We are the only advanced country on Earth,” Obama said,“that sees these kinds of mass shootings every few months. The United States is the one advanced nation on Earth in which we do not have sufficient common-sense gunsafety laws—even in the face of repeated mass killings.”

Many school officials believe there are ways to prevent these events from happening. “We need to make sure our kids are more involved,” Arrigoni said. “If you see or hear something that makes you wonder as to someone’s intent or makes you afraid you need to tell me or an administrator. You’re not snitching when you’re trying to keep people safe. See something, say something.”

If able to prevent something like this from happening, be sure to tell either an administrator or our security guard, Todd Arrigoni. It is very evident that our school is big on safety, so if faced with a situation like this our school would handle it the same way they handle our drills.

Various Thanksgiving traditions create unusual gatherings Kayna Kliewer Staff Reporter For many students, Thanksgiving is a time to eat lots of food. For others, it's fun to just have the whole family together.

“It's entertaining when our family gets together because you never know what's going to happen,” sophomore Tara McArthur said.

With every family comes different traditions, and that creates a very diverse group of students at this school.

From karate chops to dinner, it is apparent that traditions are very different from house to house and family to family.

"On Thanksgiving, my cousins and I drive up to the mountains and play in the snow,” sophomore Leah Kerbs said. “It might not be Christmas, but it's fun for us."

This holiday not only bonds immediate families, but often brings together even extended families of cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles.

"We usually go up to my grandma’s house and eat dinner,” junior Boone Tate said. “It's nice to get a chance to be with them."

For some people it's all about sitting down together and having light conversation. For others, it's about laying on the couch and watching football.

“I don’t really know who’s playing who

this year on November 26, but usually I watch the game,” freshman Kylie Runsvold said.

With Black Friday the day after, many students only recall events from this wild day of shopping.

“I remember my dad coming home with my sister very early in the morning with a huge flat screen TV,” McArthur said. “It was crazy.”

As some students sit down and say grace, a few people express their thanks in different ways.

“For as long as I can remember, we always have a pickleball tournament,” Runsvold said. “We make a turkey with our hands and my younger cousin, Luke, always karate chops it and yells ‘Thanksgiving!’ Once this happens, we can all eat.”

For one day a year, the majority of students enjoys sitting down, eating turkey and being thankful for what they have.

"We don’t usually do anything huge or go on a big vacation together,” Tate said. “Just spending time together is nice."

Ultimately, traditions vary between families. Different traditions are displayed by students by doing things such as pickleball tournaments, playing in the snow and watching football.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA.ORG

These high school students are demonstrating a Thanksgiving ritual that the people in Vientiane, Laos perform in order to honor the traditions of other cultures.

InFlight November 12, 2015 Feature Personal lives affect academic progress

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Hannah Kazlauskas Staff Reporter The school year lasts 180 days out of 365, days that starts at 8:05 a.m. and don’t end until 2:35 p.m. for students. That leaves approximately seven to eight hours free afterwards in order to get the recommended eight hours of sleep. This has an influence on how a student will perform and develop within the school’s environment.

The result could be either positive or negative. For students, the problems they may be facing at home can have an impact on their behavior at school. “My personal life has been affected critically,” sophomore Katelyn Bell said.

“My grandfather died recently, resulting in depression, and I haven’t been attending school as often.”

Pressing matters that need a student’s immediate attention might interfere with school priorities, such as attendance or participating in school activities. This could include the needs of another family member. “My little brother goes to middle school, and sometimes makes me late, or miss school for having to drive him there,” junior Tara Benabid said.

Family duties that collide with academic duties can cause a conflict that might lead the student astray from their school obligations in favor of resolving a personal problem.

“There were some deaths in the family, and I had to go out of state for a while,” senior Andrew Jerzak said. “My mom got laid off, so I had to help out.”

Studies have shown that students who are encouraged to succeed are more motivated to do their schoolwork compared to those who lack the moral support. Having family who have experienced success can help. “Few people in my family have gone on to college,” Jerzak said. “My older

ILLUSTRATION BY JESSICA PEREZ AND HANNAH KAZLAUSKAS

Students are torn between their lives at home and their lives at school, homework dragging the hours home.

brother went. He encourages me.”

Students are often influenced by their environments, by those around them and by acting as role models to their peers. “My mom is supportive, and wants to get involved with school,” Benabid said. “My little brother looks up to me.”

According to sophomore Alexandra Jacobsen, disciplining the mind by planning out the steps to complete an assignment can reduce procrastination. Allowing other distractions to interfere with school could falter a student’s progression, or result in a loss of focus. Diverting their at-

tention from school is also delaying their education.

The intensity of a class has an effect on the students, how they perform and the amount of effort they put in on completing an assignment. For Benabid, it depends on the class. “For Advanced Placement United States, I spend about three hours on an assignment.”

Over the course of a school year, students’ academic responsibilities can conflict with those of their personal lives, affecting how they achieve and grow throughout their academic career.

Arts & Entertainment 9 Jem lacks sufficient audience, lacks profits Auburn Riverside High School

ZaReah Barren Staff Reporter Jem and the Holograms was an amazing movie. It’s unfortunate that so many people are disregarding it because of what they think it's about. I think the songs are what make the movie as a whole.

In Jem and the Holograms, they don’t just sing all the time. There’s dancing, beats, and interpretive dance. In one scene a group of kids uses their hands and feet to make different beats.

It’s not just another musical, it’s like everyday high school life because the songs are about what teenagers have to deal with sometimes, such as being shy.

Jem is disguised, she is really Jerrica Benton, who is camera shy and quiet in general. Jerrica doesn’t have a voice, so with the help of her sisters, Kimber, Aja, and Shana—Aja and Shana being foster sisters—Jerrica makes a video without being exposed and calls herself Jem. Erica Raymond, their manager and owner of Starlight Enterprise, only wants Jem signed. Jem signs a solo deal to help her Aunt Bailey pay the rent for the house so her sisters and herself don’t get split up.

When Jerrica signs the deal and helps her Aunt Bailey, her sisters get upset and go back to their hometown of Pineview, CA, and leave Jerrica in Los Angeles. Jem cries for about two seconds, gets her makeup fixed and then goes on stage. I don’t know if she was supposed to be sad or not. The person who plays Jem, Aubrey Peeples, could have put more

emotion into the scene as a whole.

I feel like Kimber, Jerrica’s blood sister, is mentioned very little by their dead father, who sends Jerrica on a wild goose chase during the movie to tell only her a final goodbye. He mentions her once in his messsage to Jerrica, and there’s little lines throughout the movie where he says, “and Kimber.”

Overall, I enjoyed the movie, but the actor who plays Jerrica, Aubrey Peeples, seems like she doesn’t know how to dance. In one scene she’s just standing there and singing awkwardly to a crowd of people with these awkward dancers behind her. It’s like they didn’t even try to teach her how to move with the beat or dance in general. Her sisters, who are also her band, don’t do anything but play some instruments and also awkwardly stand there. I wish the choreographers would’ve taught them a few dance moves so they wouldn’t look like amateurs.

At the end of the movie, the Misfits make an appearance and they’re the ones who try to discover who Jem really is and take her down. The ending is set up for a part two, but with how little money it made, I don’t think there will be another one.

I think people should at least give this movie a chance, or check out the cartoon that it is based on called Jem. I really enjoyed watching it and I know that if more people would've stopped stereotyping it, Jem and the Holograms would have made a lot more money.

Guillermo del Toro’s newest movie fails to impress Aaron Baker Staff Reporter Guillermo del Toro’s latest work, Crimson Peak, fell short of critical standards. Its overdeveloped plot and melodrama ruined its cinematic experience.

The plot followed the life of Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) who, after being uprooted from her old life by a terrible tragedy, marries off and goes to live in a house that she suspects holds insidious secrets.

Overall, the movie wasn’t awful. The plot was promising, the acting was slightly sub par at worst, and the characters were intriguing.

The real failing point of the film was its utter reliance on pathos. Naturally, a horror movie needs sympathetic characters to create an effective story.

The sheer amount of melodrama in this film, however, was unprecedented.

Everything from the set, to the characters, to the very lines of dialogue were extraordinarily heavy handed.

This is a common theme in del Toro’s films, of course.

It’s almost as if he wanted the audience to weep with every scene.

While the melodrama certainly detracted from the film, I was otherwise very impressed with it.

Wasikowska’s performance was certainly above average.

Though at times heavy handed, she certainly delivered her character in an effective and appropriately emotional manner.

Tom Hiddleston also performed up to par. His character was genuinely creepy, and throughout the film he gave the impression that there was something more to the story

than what he was telling us.

The set of the film was impressive, to say the least.

It certainly seemed to sprawl and looked as creepy as del Toro imagined, complete with sprawling hallways and blood stained ground.

The set did seem to cross the line into overdone, however. While a Victorian setting was certainly the goal, the extravagence of the set was almost too deep.

Between the set and the melodrama of the film, del Toro’s only issue was his lack of subtlety.

The level of detail in the film was reminiscent of Kubrick’s work.

Unlike del Toro, however, Kubrick knew when enough was enough. While Kubrick filled a hallway with blood, del Toro decided that unless the ground was quite literally soaked with blood, his audience would overlook his point.

The film would have been much more successful if del Toro had taken a break from his aggressive symbolism.

To reiterate, the film was, at the very least, average. The point of the cinema is to be taken and envoloped by its glory, however, and this film couldn’t capture that feeling.

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Arts & Entertainment

InFlight November 12, 2015

Vin Diesel ruins another franchise Aaron Baker Staff Reporter Breck Eisner’s The Last Witch Hunter followed the story of an immortal witch hunter hell bent on, unsurprisingly, killing witches.

With such a predictable plot, its utter failure should have been evident far in advance.

The plot followed Vin Diesel as the eponymous Witch Hunter. After his 13th century witch hunting party was all but wiped out by a witch queen, Diesel was cursed with immortality, forced to spend the rest of his everlasting life hunting the queen.

The rest of the story was no less convoluted. It seemed as though every scene was a separate vignette, having seemingly no relation to the initial plot at all.

Diesel’s incredibly inept performance did little to help the plot. While the performance of the cast as a whole generally improved as the movie progressed, I still left the theater with a bad taste in my mouth.

I was expecting at least a mediocre performance. Instead, every character on screen was completely static and uninteresting.

Rose Leslie and Elijah Wood did nothing more than prove that they can’t act outside of the fantasy genre with their performances. Needless to say, they shouldn’t be trusted

with starring roles.

Wood couldn’t deliver his lines with any emotion whatsoever, while Leslie looked like she didn’t know her lines to begin with.

Wood’s perfomance was especially noteworthy. I can only assume that his character was meant to be as annoying as he made it seem.

Wood was not entirely to blame for the film’s failure. The rest of the starring cast was equally disappointing.

As with any movie in which the main character is cursed with immortality, the actor needs to convince the audience that immortality is, in fact, a curse.

Indeed, Diesel could say that he felt alone and lost, but with no emotion to back up his lines, I could only care as much about this movie as he seemed to.

Coming off of Furious 7, Diesel had a lot to prove for himself and his audiences. He certainly fell short, however.

While the scriptwriting in the film was poor to begin with, Diesel had some sort of inner drive to deliver each line as though he had to charm the audience.

Overall, Eisner’s production was a sham.

He still has many improvements to make to become institution of the film industry.

Artist of the Issue: the Script Sara Koenig Staff Reporter

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE, WIKIPEDIA.ORG

5 songs you should know: 1. Hall of Fame 2. The Man Who Can’t Be Moved 3. For the First Time 4. Six Degrees of Seperation 5. We Cry

Let’s talk a little bit of history about the best band that has ever been: the Script. Established in 2001 in Dublin, Ireland as a rock band, they eventually became a rock-pop band, famous for its relatable lyrics and catchy beats.

The main vocalist and drummer had been best friends since being 12-year-olds and initially part of a pop band called Mytown in 1996.

In 2008 they had their first big debut with their album titled the Script, and its first hit “We Cry,” the first single they ever performed on television. It peaked at the top 20 singles in the United Kingdom and won them Best Band Danish TV Music Video Awards of 2009.

Their second single, “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved,” was released September 2008. It reached number two in Ireland, Denmark, and the United Kingdom, and was also number one in sales within the United Kingdom.

Following this they released several more hit singles like, “Breakeven” in September 2008, “Talk You Down” in March 2009, and “Before the Worst” in June 2009.

From their second album Science and Faith came “For The First Time” in August 2010, and “Science and Faith” in January 2011. Their final and best album led into their glory years with “Hall of Fame” and “Six Degrees of Separation.”

Sports

Auburn Riverside High School

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Volleyball to State: two years running Sasha Terry Staff Reporter

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNA MARACICH

Varsity volleyball has once again secured a spot at State, and hopes to bring back yet another trophy.

The volleyball team is ready to compete and make it to State. The team has been working together to compete against tough teams.

The varsity team has won every game during the season, and are 14-0.

Varsity coach Chris Leverenz has been coaching the volleyball team for 21 years, since the school opened. She definitely hopes that they will improve on team cohesion, and hopes the team will unite as a whole. She also hopes everyone puts in a lot of effort.

“I like how hard they work, their commitment, and their loyalty to the program,” Leverenz said. “The team wouldn’t be as good without their fans.”

The team has been preparing for State by coming together and putting in lots of effort to win.

Senior Emily Hill has been playing volleyball for about nine years because she

wanted to be involved in a sport.

“I contribute to the team by cheering everyone on,” Hill said. “The goal as a team is to make it to State. We could be two year state champs, which would be legendary.”

Junior Clarice Buchanan was convinced to play volleyball by her family encouraging her to play. Her goal this year was to support her team throughout the season.

“I have a lot of energy and I help the team as much as I can,” Buchanan said.

Last year the volleyball team won the state championship, and so long as they stay on their current path of success, they’re looking to win the tournament again this year.

Senior Kiana Drumheller experienced the volleyball state tournament last year.

“It was the best experience I’ve ever had,” Drumheller said. “I try to be a positive leader by helping and supporting the team.”

Volleyball competed in districts at Auburn Mountainview High School last weekend on October 30 and 31. The girls hope to compete soon in State and try to win two years in a row.

Senior tennis player Tong raises racket Kayna Kliewer Staff Reporter The tennis team ended their season with a striking record. One standout player on the team is senior Adrian Tong.

“I started playing tennis with my family when I was six or seven,” Tong said. “When I got to high school I started playing much more competitively.”

Tong began practicing tennis at a young age, playing recreationally and just enjoying the sport. Now as a senior, he works to earn a winning title.

“I was undefeated the last two seasons and I placed fifth in SPSL last year,” Tong said.

Tong also encourages his entire team to win their matches.

“I have been the team captain for the last two seasons,” Tong said.

Tong’s younger brother, sophomore Colby Tong, aspires to win as well. The teamwork displayed between these two brothers is appropriate considering all of their accomplishments.

“My brother and I placed first in SPSL this year,” he said.

With several accomplishments under his belt already, Tong was prepared to train with the incoming players this season.

“The team this year was a bit inexperienced, although we had a very strong JV team,” he said.

Tong’s tennis skills continue to progress

PHOTO BY KAYNA KLIEWER

as he practices more and aspires to become an even better player.

“I think tennis is a sport that requires both skill and athleticism,” he said. “It really teaches you how to recover from your losses.”

Tong believes tennis is a sport Tong believes can be played competitively or for fun, depending on how far one wants to go towards perfecting their skill.

“It is something anyone can pick up and play, but at the same time, it takes a lot of time to get really good at it,” Tong said.

After finishing his last season at Riverside, Tong hopes to continue practicing and improving his skills throughout the rest of his last school year.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADRIAN TONG

Senior Adrian Tong began playing tennis the age of six and has continued to play throughout high school. He hopes to keep playing and improve his skills.

Sports Update

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Sports Football Varsity football went 0-9 overall this season, and 0-6 in conference. The football team will not be able to play in the playoffs this post-season. The football team also will not be participating in state competition this year.

Girls Soccer Girls soccer ended the season 10-6, with a 9-5 record in conference. They will be going into the post-season this year. The first postseason game was on Nov. 3. The last game of the post season will be on Nov. 21.

InFlight November 12, 2015

Boys and Girls Golf Boys golf finished the season at 1-11 and did not have anyone going to District or anyone going to West Conference districts.

Girls golf finished 10-2 in the regular season. Sophomore Jennifer Kim was this year’s district champion. Junior Nicole Matiatos also qualified for West conference districts.

Cross Country Boys cross country went 3-4 this year this season. Junior Boone Tate will be running for the boys this postseason.

The girls team went 1-6 this season. They’ll have senior Amanda Bunger running in districts.

Girls Swimming The girls swimming team went 4-4 this season.

They fished 3-4 in conference. Some did qualify for the post season this year. Those who competed in districts this year were freshman Shae Fairchild, sophomores Jaylyn Wong, Audrey Wood, and Emily Crosslin. The juniors who competed in districts are Grace Dorn, Sasha Terry, Gabriella Gonzalez-Yoxthiemer, Hailey Wagner, and Mya Wagner. The two who competed are Sabrina Aguilar and Ciara Stonerock.

Boys Water Polo Boys water polo completed a 5-4 season and will be participating in regionals this post-season.

The team scored 92 points throughout all games.

State eligibility will be determined based on their performance in regionals, which took place from Nov. 6-8.