SAMMAMISH REVIEW
community
February 13, 2013 l 7
Creekside hosts international celebration of diversity By Lillian O’Rorke
share everything,” she said. “I think it’s important too, to be Hola, Hallo, Salam, Dia dhuit, proud of your culture. They are An-nyung and Alo are all ways to really proud of America, because say ‘hello,’ and as children made they are American, but for us, for their way around the 34 differthe moms and the fathers and the ent booths Feb. 8 at Creekside parents, we are really proud of Elementary School’s cultural everything.” fair, they learned greetings from When Villamil first took part around the globe. in the fair three years ago, hers “I think it’s very well done and was one of seven countries that very well thought out. And, it’s were represented. The next year, very fun to be in,” said Anthony 20 families set up booths, and Berlongieri, who attends fourth this year the number of cultures grade at Creekside. represented expanded to 34, with His own family can trace new additions like Israel, Iran, its roots back to many places, Scotland, Croatia, South Africa including Italy, Poland, Ireland, and even Minnesota. Scotland and Germany, but that “People were really great to night the 9-year-old was busy step up and want to come,” said learning about his classmates’ Ghada Madkour, who moved to heritage. He perused booth after the United States from Egypt 12 booth, practicing saying ‘hello’ in years ago. Taking the helm this the native tongue, sampling difyear, Madkour lead the PTSA– ferent delicacies and collecting sponsored event and expanded stickers for his the event to “I think it’s important passport. include states. This year’s too, to be proud of your “I just wanted theme for everyone to be culture.” Creekside’s here. It’s a culthird annual tural fair.” – Irma Villamil, cultural fair The numParent – was “Explore ber of booths the World.” wasn’t the Only, students only thing that and their families didn’t need to increased. Last year, the event pack or stand in long customs handed out 150 passports. This lines. Instead, the children were year organizers ran out of the 200 given blank passports as they passports that had been printed entered their school’s multipurand said they could have easily pose room, which was filled with used 100 more. a myriad of different food, music “The kids really like it. They and textiles from around the like seeing their heritage celworld. As the students made their ebrated,” said Madkour. “There way from table to table, they are so many people in this area earned stamps for their passports that we live in, from everywhere. by saying ‘hello’ in various diaAnd, the kids get the chance to lects. just be themselves for the day, “It’s really nice to see the kids and wear their costumes or their speaking another language,” outfits and showcase their food. said Irma Villamil, who’s son ...It’s just a chance for them to is in fourth grade at Creekside. really be proud of whatever they Villamil is originally from Mexico are and where they’re from and and has created a booth every let us know where it is.” year to represent her family’s Leading up the event, differcustoms ent students with different cul“For me, it’s really nice to tural backgrounds would make
Photo by Lillian O’Rorke
During the cultural fair at Creekside Elementary School, children put on different performances to showcase their heritage. the morning’s announcements. Over the school’s intercom they’d say hello in their family’s native language, tell the students a fact – like that toilet paper was invented in China – and invite everyone to the cultural fair. “Since students were making the announcements, I think their energy also gets other kids excited about it,” Robin Earl, Creekside’s principal said. “They learn from each other...that’s what I think our whole global community needs to do, learn from each other and support each other.” Earl explained that at Creekside the students are studying the seven habits of highly effective people and the cultural fair compliments it well. “To me, learning about each other’s cultures and having more understanding – that’s kind of the same philosophy,” she said. “My favorite is just kneeling down next to a child and saying ‘teach me about your culture’ and having them share about their family life and their personal life.”
EFR volunteer of the year
Jeffery Marshall on dean’s list
Contributed
Jeffrey Marshall, of Sammamish, was named to the dean’s list at Loyola Marymount University for the fall 2012 semester. To qualify, students need a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Deputy Chief Greg Tyrion presents Michele Julum with a plaque recognizing her as volunteer of the year for Eastside Fire & Rescue. She volunteers out of Pine Lake station No. 81, and has been a volunteer since 2009. Last year, she responded to 246 emergency calls, three times the number of the average volunteer.
Photo by Lillian O’Rorke
Xiaomei Jin and her daughter Kelly Cai, left, and Kelly’s classmates Jocelyn and Jocasta Xie were happy to spend the evening Feb. 8 showing off their own culture while exploring that of the rest of the Creekside Elementary School community.
Samuel Olmstead on dean’s list Samuel Olmstead, of Sammamish, was named to the dean’s list at Eastern
Oregon University. Students need a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Kin Kang, Erin Pazaski and Laura Woodward.
Gonzaga names president’s list
Gonzaga names dean’s list
The following Sammamish residents were named to the president’s list at Gonzaga University. To qualify, students needed a GPA of 3.7 or higher. Elizabeth Arnold, Michaela Bernardo, Jordan Brunner, Stephanie Clay, Jessica Daniels, Aspen Edwards, Chadwick Gray,
The following Sammamish residents were named to the dean’s list at Gonzaga University. To qualify, students need a GPA between 3.5 and 3.69. Mercedes Bass, Brian Burgess, Devyn Butenko, Luke Koch, Katherine Olsen, Katherine Pullen, Ryan Wong and Annie Worman.
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February 13, 2013
sports
SAMMAMISH REVIEW
Eastlake tramples Bothell 64-43 in KingCo playoff By Lillian O’Rorke
The Eastlake girls basketball team knocked Bothell out of the post season and edged one game closer to the state tournament Feb. 9 by sweeping the Bothell Cougars 64-43. Both teams lost the first round of the KingCo 4A tournament Feb. 5, when Eastlake fell 46-37 to Newport and Skyline beat Bothell 76-44. When they met on the court Feb. 9, one of them would be playing its last game of the season. “You have to flip your mentality. You are no longer playing with a cushion,” said the Eastlake’s Wolves’ assistant coach Megan Reinhart. “They came ready to play. In a loserout game both teams are going to come hard and play with a lot of heart, and our girls showed up tonight. And they did the best of their abilities, so it was good to see.” Eastlake won the tip off, which junior post Marijke Vanderschaaf quickly converted to a 2-point bucket. The Wolves kept the momentum going, scoring two times for every Cougar basket. Bothell battled back and managed several steals but was unable to cash most of them in for points. By the end of the first quarter, Eastlake was off to a 20-13 lead, in part thanks Photo by Lillian O’Rorke to a 3-pointer each from junior Eastlake junior Marijke Vanderschaaf springs above Bothell’s Elizabeth Tracy and senior defense to shoot the ball during the Feb. 9 KingCo 4A playoff Rachel Ainslie. game. “It felt good. Threes are kind back and forth, taking battles for ever score in a varsity game, of my specialty a little bit, so let alone a playoff game,” said control of the ball all the way to when I start to hit them, then the floor. But Eastlake prevailed Reinhart. “It was just great to I get more comfortable, and I settle down a little,” said Ainslie. and ended the third quarter with see her be fearless and excel… it was as if she has been playing a 20-point lead at 50-30. “It just brought me to where I with us all year.” “You have to start the half need to be.” Eastlake finished the reguThe Wolves carried their lead like it’s zero-zero and like it’s a new game, because you can lose lar season second in the Crest through the second quarter, league with a 10-4 record. After the lead just capitalizing on offensive “We keep progressively like that,” said the win over Bothell, the Wolves were set to faceoff Feb. 12 sophomore and defensive getting better.” against the Crown league’s No. guard Ellie rebounds to 2 seed, Issaquah. The winner Woerner, outscore the – Marijke Vanderschaaf, of that game will play for third whose unwillCougars 14-8. Post – place in the KingCo conference ingness to let But, Bothell Feb. 14. But even claiming third go of the ball didn’t go won possession for Eastlake sev- doesn’t buy the team an autodown without a fight. Emerging from halftime, the Cougars were eral times. “We just came in like matic ticket to state. The KingCo third place finisher and the the first to put two on the board. it was a new half and got a win Wesco third place finisher will that half too.” They were about to do it again The Wolves carried their lead battle it Feb. 19 for a place at the after quickly stealing the ball all the way to the end, never let- state tournament. from the Eastlake offense when “We keep progressively getVanderschaaf stole the ball back. ting Bothell come closer than 20 points. Helping secure the victo- ting better, and we all have enerDown on the other end of the gy more and more each game,” ry was freshman Sarah Priestly, court, she rebounded a missed said Vanderschaaf. “So, I think who played her first varsity attempt by teammate Maggie that if we carry that over to game that night and scored four Douglas and finished the play Tuesday, then we can beat them points for Eastlake. with two points for the Wolves. (Issaquah) and keep going.” “She’s the first freshman to The two teams continued to go
Photo by Lillian O’Rorke
Skyline junior Shelby Kassuba shoots to make a third-quarter basket against Bothell Feb. 6.
Skyline trumps Ballard 76-44 in first postseason playoff By Lillian O’Rorke
The postseason started with a bang for the Skyline girls basketball team Feb. 6 when it blasted Bothell 76-44 in the first round of the KingCo 4A Championships. Seeded No. 1 in the Crown division, the Skyline Spartans came out with a strong defense. Senior guards Rachel Shim and Lacey Nicholson were glued to two of the Bothell Cougars top scorers, Randi Dixon and Erin Burns, and together with their teammates, held the Cougars’ offense to only two points during the first quarter. “My mentality going into every game is pretty much putting it all into defense, and then once I put it all into defense, my offense eventually comes,” said Shim. “We’re a very defensiveminded team. We try to come out with that much aggressiveness every game.” But the Spartans eagerness to force a turnover or get a steal
also put them into foul trouble, which allowed Bothell to score six free throw points in the first quarter. “We’ve done that in the past where we get too amped up for games, and we’re trying to get a steal out of every play,” said Skyline’s coach Greg Bruns. “You don’t have to pressure so much that you’re reaching and fouling and getting us in trouble. The main thing is to make it difficult for them.” Skyline’s eager defense continued to force several turnovers in the second quarter, including a steal by sophomore Stella Mazzaferro. With four minutes left in the first half, Mezzaferro seized the ball and ran half the court before netting two to give Skyline a solid 10-point lead at 25-15. The Spartans were ahead 34-21 when they returned after See BASKETBALL, Page 9