JagWire | Volume 11 | Issue 3 | Jan. 21, 2011 by JagWire

J ag W i re { { A Limited forum for student expression

Special Edition - Religion High school students and youth leaders raise their hands and sing along at the United Generation service held at Foursquare Church. Emerald Ridge High School

12405 184th St E Puyallup, WA 98374 January 21, 2011 Volume XI Issue III

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Grad Numbers 480

Seniors that are on track to graduate

150

Seniors that haven’t passed the math HSPE

Seniors that are failing multiple classes

Community service plans turned in

450

Completed job shadows

Kids starting out in the CCC during advisory

Kids that stayed throughout the six weeks

$2.50

Cost for one ticket to attend graduation

$39

Cost for cap and gown

$219

Cost for Jostens Jag Packet

Number of hours for the graduation ceremony

Number of hours for the graduation practice

Days left for seniors

{ Illustration by Kaitlyn Schlegel } { Jamie Bush - Photo Manager }

ER field enhancement Emerald Ridge recently recieved funding to upgrade the football and soccer field to be similar to Sparks Staudium

A field upgrade is in the works for school year, and the bond oversight ready for the 2011 Emerald Ridge Emerald Ridge. The grass field committee has given a recommen- Fall sport season. behind the school is soon to be As- dation to Tony Apostle to present “With the field turf and lights, troTurf and athletics at ERHS are the project to the school board for practice sessions for soccer and about to be changed forever. approval.” football would have the capability “Due to very conservative impleAccording to Dittus, the facility of being conducted at night durmentation costs for the ing preseason, reducing time 2004 Bond projects and costs of commuting to thletics at are about and the resulting cost Sparks Stadium for these savings on the proj- to be changed forever sessions.” Dittus said. ects now completed, The new bleachers will fit ubrey endall these funds are now approximately 900 students. available for additional and much will be similar to Bonney Lake and As for the field’s new name, no titles needed facility improvements.” Su- Riverside high school. have been decided on. “It will include a turf field, reperintendent Dr. Apostle said. “Dell Dittus Stadium!” Dittus Athletic Director Del Dittus looks surfaced track, aluminum bleachers said. “Just kidding; this has not with a small press box, lights, sound been discussed to my knowledge, forward to the upgrade. “I have been told it was being con- system, and a new scoreboard. but I would think it will simply be sidered as much as two years ago.” There may be new fencing installed known as Emerald Ridge High Dittus said. “Conversations be- to facilitate selling of tickets for School field.” tween our superintendent, school events in the facility.” Dittus said. According to Dittus, construcboard, district athletic director and director of facilities have been go- tion will begin after the high school { Aubrey Kendall - EdBoard/ ing on since the start of this present Spring sport season and will be Copy Editor }

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Annual MLK performance wows

wo and a half months of three JAG times a week, three days after school and one advisory time are spent in preparation for the Jan. 14th school-wide premiere of the studentled Martin Luther King Jr. assembly. The show panned out precisely to the hopes of the four studentdirectors, seniors Shannon Dexter, Ashley-SueMarzolf, Kache Waters and Emily Chavez. They were all proud of their production and other cast members. “[I loved] getting to see everything come { Jamie Bush - JagWire } together,” Waters said. This long lived tradition is one students The cast of the MLK performance all started out onstage toand teachers anticipate for all year long to be gether while the concert choir sang. both witness to and be a “[I loved] meeting people that I wouldn’t show] run smoothly, and you had so many part of. talk to on a regular basis” Dexter said. kids involved.” “I really enjoyed being a part of a tradition After three hour-long performances, cast Preparations for next year’s production and putting our names out there,” Marzolf members were filled with mixed feelings of are already on the rise as students think said. relief and accomplishment as compliments of new, creative ways to honor the life of This tradition brought the choir, step flooded in from students and teachers. Martin Luther King Jr. while entertaining team, American Sign Language students, “Great job to all those involved,” said and inspiring their audience. dancers, drama department and many other English teacher Lorraine Hirakawa said. “I students together to perform in honor of know how much work goes into making [a { Quinn Sanderson -Op/Ed Editor } Martin Luther King Jr. day.

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National Board issue In Brief The National Board bonus that some teachers recieve annually has been delayed and could possibly be eliminated

disagreement has arisen over payment of the over the $5,000 bonuses paid to National Board Certified teachers for the 2010-2011 school year. The National Board teachers of the Puyallup School District were paid the bonuses on December 30th. There is also an uncertainly over the bonuses for the upcoming years on whether it will be cut from the budget. The National Board Certification is a rigorous, second-tier certification process in which teachers complete four classroom-based portfolios and six tests. Lorraine Hirakawa is a mentor for teachers going through the application process. “From September to December the district has to fill out the “iGrant” and list how many National Board Certified teachers they have. However, due to budget cuts, the district has not been timely and has been delayed,” Hirakawa said. Hirakawa added that this has been happening for the last couple of years when the district paperwork has not gone in on time. “We are not the only district with that problem,” Hirakawa said. Karen Hansen, Executive Director of Communications for the

2011 info • On January, 15 staff members on the district committee will make decisions on potential changes to JAG time and Advisory during the week. • On January 28, extra math and English classes will be added for students who received a D or lower, first semester, in those subjects. • Beginning in January, there will be mandatory, school-directed study hall during JAG for all students who are failing classes. • Junior class officers are still in the process of finding a venue for their senior prom. • Senior class officers are putting together additional fundraisers. They are trying to make tickets for Senior Ball $20 or less. Last year, tickets for prom were $35. • Sophomores can join National Honor Society during second semester. { Kate Meyer - Reporter }

PSD, oversees communication in the District. When asked why the payment was delayed, Hansen stated that the bonuses have already been issued this year. She added that payment of the bonuses this year is on the same timeline as last year. “Payment is not issued until funds from the state have been received. This practice is consistent with prior years,” Hansen said. In Governor Christine Gregoire’s proposed 2011-2013 state budget, National Board bonuses are suspended for the next two years. This proposed budget is the first step in a long process ahead of this legislative session. “They are looking at enormous cuts to education. They are such in a budget crisis that they look toward education and cut the education first,” Waller said. “I would rather lose the National Board stipend and let other teachers keep their jobs, but it looks like both are going to get cut.” Hirakawa feels some teachers might be upset because they anticipated this bonus when they paid $2,500 into the application. Even though there may have been delays in the last couple of years, Hirakawa feels that the National

Board Certification is still valuable to teachers. “However it does not mean that National Board Certification is not a process to invest in and it does great things for you and makes you a better teacher,” Hirakawa said. Hirawaka stated that the state governor and legislature have been supportive of the program and have observed the National Board Certified teachers become better teachers, especially in lowincome schools. Christopher Tavern became a National Board Certified teacher last year in Early Adolescent English Arts. “My first teaching certificate was only good for five years so I had to do something to keep teaching so I chose the National Board out of all the programs,” Drama and English teacher Christopher Tavern said. “If you can get national board certified, you have demonstrated that you are a really sound educator. It is not an easy thing to do, so anybody who has passed has demonstrated that they are a really good teacher.” { Virignia Van Keuren - Reporter }

Senior budget update

eniors need to raise money for hope that they will decrease in price their events, such as prom, be- before prom. fore graduation. Senior class “I think they should lower the prom officers have already started organiz- tickets to $20,” senior Dillon Von ing fundraisers to cover costs. Seniors Hirschmann said. hope to raise their negative budget of The current fundraiser ideas that are -$2,788.43, as being considered of Jan. 12th, to include events n the beginning of the be out of debt. like: King of the The price of year we had a negative Jungle in spring, prom tickets restaurant perwill increase budget and have raised it centage night, if fundraising to almost doiuble that and an ice cream events do no night. raise enough amount since then The senior class money to balofficers have comyley reynolds ance the budpleted some fundget. raisers such as Winter Tolo and Senior “In the beginning of the year we had Menchie’s. Winter Tolo raised $250 a negative budget and have raised it to and was not as successful as Reynolds almost double that amount since then,” would have hoped. Menchie’s Frozen Senior Class President Ryley Reynolds Yogurt night raised $374. These two said. fundraisers brought the senior class Senior class officers have purchased budget to -$2,788.43 from -$3412 in their prom venue, which accounts for just over a month. their negative senior class budget. Tickets are $25 and some seniors have {Josie Ruiz-Reporter }

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culminating project As the end of the year approaches, components of the culminating project are due in the next couple months. On January 28th, community experience paperwork is due with a typed plan, signed hour log, mentor evaluation log and a one page typed reflection. Senior portfolios are due on April 5th while senior boards will take place on May 16th and 17th. On June 1st the scholarship tea will occur and on June 11th commencement will take place at the Puyallup Fair grounds.

March gladness March Gladness is organized by Communities in Schools that helps serve the community. The program organizes numerous community service opportunities from January through the end of March. Projects range from serving hot lunches for those in need to school campus beautification days. Information about all projects can be found at www.marchgladness.org.

gift makers Puyallup Giftmakers is an event that collects donated toys and then gives them to families in need during the winter holiday season. This past year they helped more than 475 families with donations of more than 500 toys. The goal for this year was to receive a many donation and they received much more than expected as they got new toys, baby toys, books, games and homemade stockings.

america’s got talent Junior Nathan Richmond will be auditioning on Feb.19th for the television show “America’s Got Talent.” He plans to audition with two friends in a choreographed dance “The specific type of dancing will be choreography and the auditions will be taking place in Seattle,” said Richmond. { Keegan Ouzman - Reporter }

Cyber bullying meeting On Thursday, Jan. 13, an informational meeting on cyberbullying prevention in the auditorium drew approximately 100 parents. On the day of the meeting, principal Brian Lowney dealt with three incidents of cyberbullying. Administrative intern Brian Fosnick of Glacier View Junior High School said that their administration has changed tactics of bullying prevention due to new challenges presented by cyberbullying. Lowney expressed interest in bringing back reserve officer Lynn Mock to speak to students about the risks of cyberbullying. {Allie Rickard - EdBoard/Focus Editor}

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volume xi issue iii january 21, 2011

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volume xi issue iII JAnuary 21, 2011

Staff Editor-in-Chief/Focus Editor.............................................Allie Rickard News Editor/EdBoard...................................................Kaitlyn Schlegel Athletics Editor.................................................................Maddie Stutz Opinion Editor...........................................................Quinn Sanderson Features Editor/EdBoard.............................................Billiemarie Klein Arts & Entertainment Editor/EdBoard...........................Milena McLaren Sound Off & The Beat Editor..............................................Aubrey Moss Copy Editor/EdBoard....................................................Aubrey Kendall Photography & Graphics Editor.............................................Jamie Bush Business Manager................................................................Josh Bozich Reporters........................................................................Amaya Adams .....................................................................................Kristen Casten ........................................................................................Ryan Chavez .......................................................................................Sydney Dawn .........................................................................................Casey Duke ........................................................................................Moe Herbert ............................................................................................Ben Leair ..........................................................................................Kate Meyer ...................................................................................Christa Noonan ..................................................................................Keegan Ouzman ............................................................................................Josie Ruiz .................................................................................Tommy Salentine ................................................................................Candace Swenson ......................................................................................Brittany Tracy .............................................................................Virginia Van Keuren Adviser.............................................................................Kevin Smyth The Very Fine Print Editorial Mission As a limited forum, JagWire exercises student expression rights under the jurisdiction of the Puyallup School District. We pursue an unbiased truth while maintaining the highest journalistic integrity. Our top priority is to raise awareness while covering a wide variety of issues effecting our readership. We will publish an engaging newsmagazine which will entice, excite, and engage. Letters Policy JagWire will accept unsolicited copy from students, staff and community members. Only signed and dated letters with address and phone number from community members, or grade level from students, will be accepted. Letters should be limited to 300 words and will be published as space is available. All letters are the sole opinion of the writers, and the staff reserves the right to edit any letter for space and/or clarity. We will not publish material that may substaintially disrupt the school process. Letter to the editor may be submitted by mailing them to JagWire c/o Emerald Ridge High School or emailing them to jagwire. Advertising Mission JagWire publication staff accepts advertisements for most products and services available to the public. However, the staff reserves the right to reject, edit, or cancel any advertisement that the staff deems offensive in light of normal public standards. Ads identifying students as atheletes by photo or text will not be accepted (WIAA 18.20.0 and 18.20.1). The staff will not accept advertising that is racist, sexist or illegal for high school students. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views, endorsements, and/or positions of the staff of JagWire, student body, faculty, administration, or school board. Corrections JagWire staff values accuracy in every aspect of our publication. We wish to correct the errors that we do make and extend an apology for any inconvenience to our readership. If you believe that we have made an error, please contact us at: erhs.jagwire@gmail.com.

Cover Photo Illustration Photo taken by Allie Rickard

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Passion for Potter

Harry Potter: my love. fourteen in the fourth book and this installment 217 pictures and marked the beginning of the end. Voldemort returned counting tacked on my and brought the first casualty of the war, Cedric wall, ripped from a day- Diggory (before he sparkled.) by-day calendar, seven As Harry grew, I grew and so did my love of each Harry Potter-related character, even the bad ones. My whole childhood books, two Harry dolls revolved around Harry. I read through his inner and a light up wand. I’ve struggles and those with Voldemort throughout the read each book about a fifth book. This wasn’t just a story of a boy wizard billion times and seen the anymore. It became a story of bravery, courage, Jamie Bush movies almost as much. friendship and, most importantly, love. I watched { Photography & Graphics Editor } To me, this fantastic Daniel Radcliffe grow into a gorgeous man and the phenomenon is not just perfect image of Harry. books and movies, but so much more. It all started in And finally, after patiently waiting for the day to the fourth grade. I picked up “Harry Potter and the come while dreading it all the same, the final Harry Sorcerer’s Stone,” and entered a world of awesome Potter book was published. I split it into seven parts, heroes, where morals come first, safety second, like Voldemort’s soul, 100 pages each day. I spent the with magical creatures last five chapters bawling (because who couldn’t t wasn t just a story of a boy my eyes out. A happy love a giant three headed ending? Not exactly. dog named Fluffy?) and wizard anymore t became a sto As the end of all Harry a twist no one foresaw ry of bravery courage friendship Potter media ends with (Quirrell was after the the movie “Harry Potter stone, but I thought it and most importantly love and the Deathly Hallows: was Snape...!). Part Two,” my heart will break a little. Soon, the movies came. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma After ten whole years of filming, the first part of Watson and Rupert Grint were perfect for the trio the last movie was released. I sat in the perfect spot, and the director, Chris Columbus, did not once in the middle with Harry Potter fans surrounding disappoint. me. It was like home. Excitement was generating My eleventh birthday came around with a burning off every fan as we waited for the finale to start. We feeling, thinking that a letter of acceptance to watched two dressed fans (Harry and a Death Eater) Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was battle it out three times, tried to figure out various soaring toward me, clenched in an owl’s beak, but trivia questions, and booed at the haters with the pro reality came smashing down. No letter came. I guess Voldemort shirts. After the movie, I was transfixed. I’m just a muggle. That night was definitely a night to remember. However, this didn’t stop me from continuing on So long Harry, you have been in my life. You will the adventure with Harry and his friends. They were be missed.

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Have an Opinion? Write us a letter and drop it off in room E157.

Focus Photo Credits Jamie Bush Sydney Dawn Moe Herbert Allie Rickard Virginia Van Keuren Mugs courtesy of Yearbook

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{ Minor { Annoyances* I hate being hassled. It doesn’t matter if it’s David Hasselhoff doing the hassling, I don’t like it. Sometimes a little Aubrey Kendall overattentive { Copy Editor/ EdBoard } hassling is due, and I’ll concede to it on those occasions. If I pee my pants, feel free to give me a rough time. If The Blob seems to be coming out of my nostril, well, I probably deserve a good hassle and a big tissue. But the other day I got the shake down for walking toward the classroom where I eat my lunch, with apple in hand. Doesn’t sound too criminal does it? The newly enforced “no food in the halls” rule doesn’t seem fully thought through or truly enforceable. First off, there aren’t enough seats at certain lunches (by “certain” I mean “all”), so no matter what, kids will be sitting on the floor somewhere. “Hall no way, commons okay,” how silly. Then when lunch is over, the stampede flees after the bell and the post-lunch cleanup begins and Hodge realizes just how uncivilized and messy hungry teenagers really are. I’ve heard haunting tales of flying banana boogers, pasta worms and gumfilled brownies. I’ve heard of magic muffins and vomit sprays that fly across three tables. So, with the post-lunch chaos to be wiped off the floor and walls and ceilings and chairs and tables and pants, does it really

Cartoon

matter if one Styrofoam lunch tray is left on the back stairs? Leaving one’s trash laying on the ground is lazy, irresponsible and rude, but I don’t think that this small-scale misdemeanor should mean that I (a perfectly responsible and endlessly charming student) should not be allowed to walk down the hall and into a classroom to eat my lunch with other students and a teacher. It’s silly to tell a bunch of teenagers, some of whom smoke, drink and fornicate in the parking lot and bathrooms, that they can’t eat lunch on the stairs. They will do it every day no matter how may times you tell them not to and they will laugh all the while. They will find ways to circumnavigate Captain Food Police (which is not hard, simply wait for him to leave) and they will enjoy their teriyaki burgers with ranch and their bacon ice cream (which is real) while the rest of the school destroys the commons. How many unenforceable school rules will be “enforced” before administration realizes the futility of it? The efforts that the Food Police use to corral students in the commons would be better used to plug up the many, many pipes being lit up in the parking lot and keeping our happy-to-be-hormonal students out of the bathrooms. Send Captain Food Police out to the parking lot during lunch if you want him to do something. Let the hungry eat their lunches and send those with the munchies back to class. Or, better yet, send the Food Police to Fred Meyer and have him pick up a few hundred folding chairs. At least then everyone would have somewhere to sit during lunch and we wouldn’t have to resort to classrooms or the halls.

{ Moe Herbert - Reporter }

To the lovely technology savvy people of the Emerald Ridge School: After a year of writing about all of the little things that Billiemarie Klein drive me up a { Features Editor/ wall, like scene EdBoard } kids, parking lots, locked bathrooms and Edward Cullen, I think I may have discovered the most annoying thing about Emerald Ridge: the computers. Go ahead, I know what you are saying, because I’m saying it too, “Bleh” (however, in this case, some groaning and mumbling of inappropriate words are involved too). But, before I go further in depth about the horrors of the laptop carts, the Career and Counseling Center and the Rain Forest Project Area, let’s take the time to say “thanks,” because we are very fortunate to even have computers at our school (even if sometimes we feel like throwing them out the window). We have been fortunate to grow up in a generation where technology is at our finger tips and advancements are made in technology everyday (well, advancements made by Apple and those who follow them), which makes it a shame to see that we don’t have the adequate supplies that we, as students, need to excel and succeed in college and the work force. Yes, I know it costs billions and trillions of dollars to load up our schools with computers, but why not

*all the little things we hate

spend those billions and trillions of dollars on computers that actually work (preferably Macs, please and thank you). Right now, there are thousands of dollars in the project area going to waste, which is convenient considering the fact that our school is located right next to the dump. There are a good 40 computers without mice in the project area. As result of students stealing school mice, the mice have to be locked up in a secret place and let me tell you, they are so lonely! The poor little lonely mice, locked away with no computer friends to be attached to and no students to slam them against the table tops. Our computers are about as fast as my 87 year old grandma trying to find the power button on the remote control. Now, for those of you who don’t know my 87 year old grandma, that is slow. By the time our computers are fully booted, the bell rings. There went 90 long minutes of our lives down the drain spent on waiting, waiting and more waiting, 90 slow minutes of watching the “Loading your personal settings” bar mock us from the computer screen. Well, if it is going to take 90 minutes to load my personal settings, then please, for the sake of my sanity and our sanity, just do not load my personal settings. We are so fortunate to have the technology that we have in our classrooms. I truly cherish the fact that we have as many computers as we do‑but faster and more accessible computers would be greatly appreciated. That way students can learn with the aid of technology and be successful in creating our portfolios (and everyone knows that the keys to success in life is our portfolio).

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01Temple Beth El 02 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 03 Foursquare Church 04 Christ Community 05 White River Temple 06 All Saints Parish 07 Our Savior

What religion/faith do you believe in/ subscribe to?

Christians 65.4%

Atheists 7.3%

Agnostics 6.5%

Other 20.8%

- Religions with 10 or less responses were grouped into the Other category: Buddhism, Hindu, Humanitarianism, Islam, Jehovahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Witnesses, Judaism, Mormonism, Paganism, Sikhism, Wiccan. - Christianity includes all responses for Christianity and all written in Christian denominations.

410 survey repsonses

Welcome to Church

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note: We aim for this focus to serve as an in-depth introduction to religion, not a comprehensive immersion or all-encompassing coverage spanning all beliefs. We encourage you to seek out more information and be receptive of interfaith dialogue among friends, family and peers.

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Is it possible to agree to disagree? Religious discussions between those of differing beliefs can have a tendency to become heated. Two reporters, one atheist and one Mormon, have their say about why they hold their beliefs.

hen it comes to religion, my family is about as unique as it gets. My entire father’s side of the family (minus my household and a few others) belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My grandmother attends a Presbyterian service every Sunday. Neither of my parents are active church-goers, but they still believe in a higher power. And then there’s me. The black sheep of my family, religion-wise: I am an atheist. The process of changing from a normal Christian family to agnostic to atheist was a rather rapid one for me. In a span of mere months, I went through a whirlwind of questions about what I believed in, if anything, and found logical reasoning as to why I ultimately decided to be an atheist. I am a very factual person. I need to know things are what they are supposed to be. That is part of the reason why I do not believe in any God. There is no physical scientific proof that God exists. I understand that there is spiritual proof of his existence, but that’s just not good enough for me. I am not the type of person who can put all of my beliefs in something that I am not entirely sure even exists. Religion in general makes me uncomfortable. I don’t think I should have to put a smile on while my stomach is doing back flips because I am sitting in a church service. I detest being silently judged because I don’t feel the same way as those in the church service with me do. I just want to run out and be in an environment where I don’t have to choose my beliefs according to what other people want to hear. If people don’t approve of my religious choice, then so be it. But in this day and age, people should be allowed to believe whatever makes them comfortable. People shouldn’t do whatever it takes just to please their family or best friend or teacher. It is my personal choice after all, therefore it shouldn’t be upsetting to people of what makes me happy. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate religion. I think that people who practice a religion are very noble for sticking to their beliefs. I am not going to go burn Bibles anytime soon, but I am also not going to read the Bible. At night, I don’t pray at my bedside. If I want a sick relative to get better, I will support them personally rather than telling them that they need to put all of their faith in a higher power. I have made the decision that I am okay with living my life without attending church, without reading the Bible and without believing in any higher power. I am okay with not knowing what’s out there. As much as that might upset people, it is ultimately my decision, and for now it feels like I have made the right one. { Kaitlyn Schlegel - News Editor & EdBoard }

“I have made the decision that I am okay with living my life without attending church, without reading the Bible and without believing in any higher power.”

s teenagers we often try to “find ourselves.” We change our hair color, style and friends in order to try to discover who we really are. We ask ourselves, “Who am I?,” “Why am I here?”or “Where am I going?” When questions leave us confused, we may turn to drugs or alcohol or whatever the world tells us will make us temporarily happy. Some teenagers turn to God for answers. I believe that only God can give us the full truth that can lead us to eternal happiness. I understand why so many people choose not to believe in a higher being. Every day we are bombarded with news of war, reports of missing children and countless crimes. When you look at all of these events you say to yourself, “God can’t love us. Look at everything that is happening. He obviously doesn’t exist.” But, I know that God lives and that he loves us. When I see all these terrible things in the world, instead of seeing proof for his nonexistence, I see that he is letting his children make choices. If I am feeling alone or afraid I know I can turn to him for comfort and guidance. We all have choices and some people choose poorly and commit horrible crimes, but it does not mean that God does not exist. I believe God wants us to choose him. Just because he does not force himself on us it does not mean that he does not exist. Think of when parents tell their children not to touch something that is hot, but their kid does it anyway. We all have to learn for ourselves. Believing in God gives me hope for something better. While living in this chaotic world I can look to him for counsel and direction. I believe we are on this earth to become the best person we can possibly be. After all of the heartbreaks, betrayals and disappointments that life throws at us, we can live with God and have all the happiness and joy he has to offer. I believe that I am a child of God. This belief gives me a deeper respect for my own well-being. When I look at myself this way I want to treat myself the best that I can and treat others the same way. I do not want to use harmful substances or engage in risky behavior because I know that God wants what is best for me. Belonging to a religion, whether it is Methodist, Catholic, Mormon, Buddhist or any other religion, brings joy to a person’s life. Knowing where you came from and where you are going gives you purpose beyond just what the world tells you. When you have that knowledge I believe that you do not have to change your hair color or your style, because you already know who you are. { Maddie Stutz - Athletics Editor }

“After all of the heartbreaks, betrayals and disappointments that life throws at us, we can live with

God and have all the happiness and joy he has to offer.”

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Church and State

The separation of church and state affairs has been an issue of contention in America since its birth. The debate continues in school with issues as the Pledge of Allegiance.

01 All Saints Parish, Catholic 02 Foursquare Church, Pentecostal 03 Christ Community Church, Baptist 04 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mormon 05 Our Savior Church, Lutheran 06 Temple Beth El, Judaism 07 White River Temple, Buddhism 08 Emerald Ridge High School

Pledge of allegiance The Pledge of Allegiance is a cultural symbol of dedication to the United States of America and is commonly recognized from a religious standpoint since the phrase “under God” is within the pledge. “It’s important; we’re all American so it’s something we should do,” sophomore Casey Miller said To many, the Pledge is a promise to be true and faithful to the country but, some view it as forced deism. Reciting the pledge in school is optional in all states except Kansas, Massachusetts, Nevada and New Mexico. It has also been suggested that the words “under God” be removed permanently from the pledge, with consideration of religious freedom. This upsets some students. The inclusion of God has the potential to cause problems due to differing beliefs. However, art teacher Dorrie Coleman, who practices the Bahá’í faith, is not bothered. “It doesn’t bother me that it’s there, but when I say [the Pledge], I just glance over it,” Coleman said.

youth alive club Youth Alive is the Christian club at Emerald Ridge and is led by senior Angela Fonseca. The club is currently organizing a fundraiser to benefit homeless shelters, orphanages and those in need. “We are looking for ways to reach out to people who are in need. We want to help out in the community and anyone is welcome to join,” junior Caitlin Moats said. Meetings have had guest speakers, Bible lessons, team building activities and prayer time. Creating a strong bond between all

members is important to the club. “We spend time together, in and out of Youth Alive, praying for one another and spiritually getting to know everyone,” Fonseca said. The club has experienced some negative reactions when their signs, with religious symbols and phrases, are turned upside-down or over. “I think it is really immature when people turn the Youth Alive signs upside-down. I don’t like it and I don’t see the point of it,” sophomore Annie Armstrong said.

RELIGION AND STAFF Staff are required to maintain religious neutrality when teaching and are not allowed to participate in religious activities while acting as a representative of their school. “If we could discuss religion safely more often, without worry about consequences, I think there would be fewer misconceptions about world religions,” AP and junior English teacher Rebecca Waller said. The rules regarding religious freedom at school sometimes conflict with religious rituals and practices. Multiple times each day, Coleman says prayers which conflict with the school day schedule. “Two of the five daily prayers happen in school,” Coleman said. “I adjust my religious schedule with my work schedule.” The PSD allows the expression of religion through symbols such as necklaces and clothing. { Kristen Casten - Reporter & Christa Noonan - Reporter }

“We are looking for ways to reach out to people who are in need. We want to help the community and anyone is welcome to join.”

- Caitlin Moats, junior

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CatholicismAll Saints Parish

Catholicism is the largest body of Christians in America with over 65 million members and over 1 billion worldwide.

personal Commentary: attending church Smiling nervously, I cautiously walked up the steps of the All Saints Parish Catholic church and greeted an older couple, who held the door for me, with a timid nod. A load fell off my shoulders when I saw senior Arden Leete, the only face I recognized and my guide for the evening. The illuminated sanctuary of the church held an altar, which stood in the middle of the room behind rows of pews. Leete dipped the tips of her fingers in holy water and made the sign of the cross. It was incredibly formal and I respected the values held by each congregant. The service started with a hymn, the Penitential Rite (a time of reflection on one’s sin and a prayer for God’s mercy) and then the liturgy of the word, where the Scripture was read. The audience was one voice during the service. For Communion, congregants went up to the altar, took a piece of bread, representing the body of Chirst, and wine, representing the blood of Jesus, and walked back to the pews eating it. My feelings during the service were completely unfamiliar. I was an observer of their tradition and I felt the respect that the audience held for the service and religious rituals. I could sense a holiness that presided and felt there was no need for words to communicate. It was nice to be silent and watch.

catholicism & deacon mike mcguilLicuddy As the largest single body of Christians in the United States, 65 million members of the Catholic religion believe they are part of a universal church that Jesus Christ left on Earth. The Trinity is an important belief of the Catholic Church—that God exists as three divine persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Additionally, there are seven sacraments—Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Matrimony, Holy Orders and the Sacrament of the Sick. Catholics believe they are in the presence of one God who loves them indefinitely, who is revealed through the Bible and in the living tradition of the Church. Mike McGuillicuddy, a deacon for 36 years, is the deacon at the All Saints Parish. “I never looked at [being a deacon] as a job. I looked

at it as a vocation. It’s a way of life. It’s very humbling that they would talk to a 75-year-old man and it can be overwhelming that they’d want to change their life,” McGuillicuddy said. He offers help by giving comfort and blessing in the name of Jesus. The most important thing McGuillicuddy feels that he gives to others is hope for the future. “I don’t run out and evangelize, but through my preaching and my availability I constantly get people to say, ‘Hey, you helped my brother out’ or ‘Hey, you led my sister’s wedding’ and I stick with them through their troubles,” said McGuillicuddy. “Through this I build a reputation.”

Catholic teachers & a student Many students and teachers are members of the Catholic faith at Emerald Ridge. AVID and science teacher Mary Lampert attends Holy Disciples Church. “The Catholic faith values human life, it stresses forgiveness and reconciliation, and as I work with others, those are values that help me relate to students and colleagues in a humane way,” Lampert said. Business teacher Randy Walden, who also attends Holy Disciples Church, views his Catholic faith as an outreach opportunity. “It means that I have an opportunity to get closer to God and closer to his creation, which is you and all people in the world. It means I have an opportunity to reach out to my neighbors through various programs that my parish offers,” Walden said. He regards his faith as intersecting very well with his occupation. “They fit real well actually because I’m a firm believer that we need to help people, and that’s what I do as a teacher,” Walden said. Sophomore Peyton Winterowd-Laughman tries to find her own understanding of the Catholic faith. “We are a worldly religion,” Winterowd-Laughman said. “When it’s such a big organization, such as the Catholic church, it’s easier to have an understanding of what’s right and wrong when we have so many opinions from so many places.” { Virginia Van Keuren - Reporter }

01 Jesus figure 02 Vigil candles 03 Sanctuary 04 AVID and science teacher Mary Lampert and sophomore Peyton Winterowd-Laughman 05 Pews 06 Deacon Mike McGuillicuddy

volume xi issue iii january 21, 2011

PentecostalismFoursquare Church

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Foursquare Church has ties to Evangelism and preach that Jesus Christ is the Savior, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, Healer and Coming King. personal commentary: attending church It is Sunday night at Puyallup Foursquare and the United Generation service has drawn about 300 students from local high schools. Worship is powerful experience to watch. As the band sings, congregants follow along with the lyrics and passionately sing with their hands stretched to the heavens. After the opening songs, a series of announcements were presented by the UG leaders. Videos highlighting a winter wishes service and charity water fundraiser were funny and targeted specifically toward high school students. Youth Pastor Chad Veach brought us down to the altar for his sermon. Until this point in life, I had never questioned the presence and power of God; there was no God. But, this moment was not fictitious, it was real and unexplainable. As warm tears began streaming down my face a sensation that I had never felt before made the hair on my arms stand up. With heads bowed, Veach’s powerful voice echoed through the auditorium as he led us in prayer. That moment made me question my atheism. Veach continued his sermon and led the group in laughter and the word of God. I looked down the pews and saw students with Bibles and notebooks which were highlighted and filled with sticky notes. They scribbled down Veach’s words in their notebooks as he spoke.

pentecostalism & pastor chad veach Veach grew up attending church every Sunday because his father was the pastor. Though he grew up following God, he did not always want to serve the Lord and become a youth pastor.

“When I was a sophomore in high school, I was hard-hearted and rebellious,” Veach said. “I didn’t want to serve God. I didn’t want to give my life over.” When Veach was 16 he went to Promise Keepers, a conference for men. “There was 60,000 other males there, it just caught you. That’s when I wanted to follow God,” he said. The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel is a denomination under Pentecostalism. Veach is the youth pastor and oversees the junior high, high school and college programs, known as the United Generation. “We believe in the supernatural,” Veach said. “We believe in miracles such as healing an injury through prayer.” There are four cornerstones of Foursquare: Jesus Christ as the Savior, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, Healer and Coming King. “In the religious world, Pentecostals have a bad reputation of having no moderation and being abusive with power,” Veach said. “On a scale from A-Z, ‘A’ being evangelical and ‘Z’ being wild Pentecostal, as a church we are ‘M’, we are balanced.” The UG is dedicated to spreading the Lord’s words to the 25,000 young people in the area. “We will not wait for kids to come to this place, we will go to them,” Veach said.

a foursquare student & teacher Foursquare is dedicated to encouraging all members to partake in daily devotions. Many students meet before school to do devotions in groups called 242. “It’s so much fun. One time we filled up all the chairs and tables at the Starbucks by Fred Meyers. Starbucks and reading my Bible, can’t think of a better way to start my day off!” Sophomore Ashley Graham said. Veach and UG leaders are heavily involved in the community. They spend hours at sporting events and visiting local lunch rooms. “The leaders like to text the teens about church events such as gingerbread house making, watching football games, baking and more. They invite anyone and everyone,” Graham said. Foursquare also offers services directed toward families and adults. School nurse Joan Rowe attends East Point Foursquare every Sunday. “I can’t wait to go to church,” Rowe said. “[The Bible] says ‘Don’t forsake the gathering of the brethren,’ which means don’t go to church just on Easter and Christmas.” Rowe’s relationship with God is centered on a few key values. “Lots of time, people think it’s [a religion] about rules and regulations. But it’s a relationship with God; it’s about grace, it’s about mercy and forgiveness,” Rowe said. { Billiemarie Klein - Features Editor/EdBoard}

01 Youth Pastor Chad Veach 02 Sophomore Ashley Graham and nurse Joan Rowe 03 Congregants stand and raise hands while the UG band plays during service 04 The UG band performs at the beginning of the service 05 Congregants raise their hands during the service 06 High school students and youth leaders congregate in the foyer after the service

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BaptistChrist Community

volume xi issue iii january 21, 2011

The Baptist faith is a Christian denomination under the umbrella of Protestantism.

01 Band practice in the Baptist sanctuary before service starts 02 Pastor 03 Baptists senior Tim Kim and sophomore Alex Berger 04 Mormons senior Spencer Norawong and physical education teacher Lynn Wardle 05 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ridgecrest

Personal commentary: christ community church

baptist faith & pastor bauslaugh

I was greeted by a teen, just inside Christ Community Baptist Church, with a smile and a nod. He handed me a few sheets of paper and a bulletin describing the evening’s proceedings. As a result of my familiarity with Christian ideals and mannerisms, the chapel felt incredibly inviting and comforting. I walked into the comfortable contemporary sanctuary and noted the spaciousness of high ceilings and the wide arc of chairs around the room, filled with groups of cheery attendants. The service started with a line-up of up-beat songs, with an aura of 90s Christian Rock and Christmas themes. The songs revolved around similar themes: the divinity of Jesus, his ability to free man from sin, and calls for the Holy Spirit’s peace. After worship, the service transitioned to a sermon by senior Pastor Gordon Bauslaugh, whom everyone calls “Pastor Gordie.” He described the Biblical troubles of Mary being the mother of Jesus and respecting the purpose and wisdom from the Lord. Once the sermon concluded, a few more songs were performed by the band and then the congregation was released. I spoke with the lead pastor before departing into the evening, with a feeling of warmth and contentment.

For one denomination, the American Baptist church has so many sub-groups that it can be difficult to determine its core values. According to Bauslaugh, the major American Baptist church divided with the regional divisions of the Civil War, creating the American Baptist Church and Southern Baptist groups which remain separate. The Christ Community Baptist Church directed by Bauslaugh, is part of the German-American Baptist church. Bauslaugh said, “Originally, the Germans created a covenant of German speaking Baptist churches for immigrants. “But then, as other Americans filtered in, these churches and their members were forced to change to English-speaking, and those that did not failed to grow and died out. The churches today that descended from the German Baptist Churches are very much like their ancestors in their values and beliefs,” he said. The Baptist Church is a subdivision of the Protestant faith and thus falls under the vast Christian umbrella. Despite the diversity of the faith, all sects can agree on one very Christian matter. “Our church believes that Jesus was the Son of God and he died to save us from our sins.” said Gordy.

A Wider Range of Religion Numerous religions are represented at school. Here, staff and students talk about their differing beliefs in their own words. { Aubrey Moss - Sound Off & Beat Editor}

baptist students Protestant Christianity and it’s denominations, especially the Baptist church, have historically fallen under a series of stereotypes. “Some consider Baptists hypocrites which can be true for some people. A lot of people go and shove the Bible in people’s faces and then go do bad stuff,” sophomore Alex Berger said. Senior Tim Kim offers another his perspective on stereotypes of his faith. “We’re not the stereotypical gospel-singing, southern church,” Kim said. Kim has also faced criticisms that there is no proof or logical reason that God could exist. “When people talk about Christianity, they say ‘How can you believe in God in the face of science and history? How can you be an intellectual and still believe?” Kim said. Despite these questions, Kim’s beliefs are firm. “We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins and that is the only way for salvation,” Kim said. Berger explains his reasons for belief. “I believe in God because he changes people’s lives everyday, and he created everyone,” Berger said.

MormonismThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Headquartered out of Salt Lake City, Utah, Mormonism is based on revelations John Smith said he was brought by heavenly messengers.

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{ Josh Bozich - Business Manager }

“Through my upbringing, I’ve realized that it’s the true religion. Every one of my beliefs are

Senior Jehovah Witness

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straight from the Bible.”

Teacher Atheist

mormonism & bishop jim landoe

a mormon teacher & student

Junior Maddie Stutz met me in the unimposing chapel which was simple and sparsely decorated. The men wore conservative-looking jackets and the women dressed modestly. For the first hour, a man read announcements and talked about missionaries. Then we all enjoyed a jolly round of “Angels We Have Heard On High” and a few other holiday favorites. A prayer and Sacrament (or communion) finished the service. After service, I went to Bible study classes, separated by age. The small room had a chalkboard and frosted window—I felt comfortable and relaxed. To my surprise, we talked about the historical scattering of the Jews as result of the Assyrian Empire. Students took turns reading from the Old Testament and the class finished with a prayer led by a girl in the class. Girls and boys then separated. The girls were given Christmas gifts of candy and informational material about Mormonism. They recited a memorized a set of values, called a Theme, and then dispersed into smaller classes. We discussed Jesus’ birth and I read the about the wise men who found Jesus in the manger. I spent a large portion of time at the church, but I was surprised when the time was up.

Bishop Jim Landoe is the spiritual leader for his Ward and in charge of the administration of all programs in the congregation. Mormons believe that Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was given golden plates from an angel of God inscribed with the history of Native Americans. Smith translated these plates into the Book of Mormon. Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet for the Mormons and speaks the word of God regarding modern challenges in society. “Our values could be summarized in our 13th Article of Faith: ‘We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous and in doing good to all men,’” Landoe said. More concrete displays of practice include dietary restrictions. “We subscribe to what is commonly known as ‘The Word of Wisdom’ and are encouraged to avoid addictive substances such as coffee, tea, alcohol tobacco and nonprescription drugs.” Landoe said. These restrictions can be challenging for many Mormons. “The hardest thing I have found [about the Mormon faith] is being asked to do things that we don’t initially feel very qualified to do, which can cause feelings of inadequacy, but our ability and capacity increase over time.” Landoe said. While some may struggle with these restrictions, there is a great sense of community to act as a support system. “The Church encourages having good clean fun as a family, and provides fun youth activities such as basketball, dance, camping, etc. It provides a wonderful support to the family,” Landoe said.

Senior Class Vice President Spencer Norawong has been Mormon all his life. “Being Mormon has made me a stronger person,” Norawong said. “It has provided me with reassurance of life questions that I have, such as life after death, and the standards have taught me how to respect myself and others.” Physical education teacher Lynn Wardle is a sixth generation Mormon. “[Mormonism] has very high standards and values of morality and clean, wholesome living with great respect for women and people in general,” Wardle said. In addition to the standards, Wardle especially likes that the Mormons put a special focus on humanitarianism. “Whenever there is a natural disaster anywhere in the world, the Mormon church is one of the first to arrive with humanitarian aid. They have large shipping containers to go at a moment’s notice.” Wardle said. Norawong goes to church every Sunday and participates in Mutual, a youth group, on Tuesdays. Although Norawong loves his faith, there is one downside. “What I dislike is that because of my faith, I’m judged a lot,” Norawong said. “People don’t truly understand all the aspects of what being Mormon is all about.” Despite some negative reactions, Norawong is grateful for his faith. “Even though I am not perfect and I have a ton more things to learn, having this religion has kept me out of sticky situations and it has given me strength to carry on when at times I am weak,” Norawong said. { Aubrey Kendall - Copy Editor/ EdBoard }

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personalcommentary: attending church

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BaptistChrist Community

volume xi issue iii january 21, 2011

The Baptist faith is a Christian denomination under the umbrella of Protestantism.

Personal commentary: christ community church

baptist faith & pastor bauslaugh

A Wider Range of Religion Numerous religions are represented at school. Here, staff and students talk about their differing beliefs in their own words. { Aubrey Moss - Sound Off & Beat Editor}

MormonismThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Headquartered out of Salt Lake City, Utah, Mormonism is based on revelations John Smith said he was brought by heavenly messengers.

search “jagwire newspaper”

{ Josh Bozich - Business Manager }

“Through my upbringing, I’ve realized that it’s the true religion. Every one of my beliefs are

Senior Jehovah Witness

{

straight from the Bible.”

Teacher Atheist

mormonism & bishop jim landoe

a mormon teacher & student

“There are so

throught the

“My parents are Muslim, so I was born into the religion. As I got older, I studied Islam

generations.”

and it made

I’m not able to

“My parents

“Hinduism

always gave

is our family

us the choice

religion.

of trying any

It’s been

religion and

passed down

so I grew up without one.”

Sophomore Hindu

personalcommentary: attending church

Senior sense to me.” Muslim

many people with equal amounts of proof in their argument that

Senior decide who is Undecided correct.”

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volume xi issue iii january 21, 2011

LutheranismOur Savior Church Lutheranism, a Christian denomination, hails from the teachings of Martin Luther, who began the Protestant Reformation. personal commentary: attending church

01 Bibles stacked on a counter 02 Sophomore Dani Watsek and math teacher Martina Leonard 03 Pastor Brian Banke 04 One of the many crosses on the outside of Our Savior 05 A glass mural cross and a wooden cross decorate the outside of Our Savior 06 John 10:14, 27 is painted on a wall inside

Sophomore Breanna Young, who was my religious guide for the service, and I made our way to a section in the back row of Our Savior Lutheran Church and observed the room. An uplifting bible verse hung on the wall behind a Christmas display with a section to the side for the church choir. The service started with a few Christmas songs and then we all joined in prayer before sitting down to watch a small skit. A teenage reenactment of the birth of Jesus Christ led into a speech by Pastor Brian Banke. He spoke of the holiday season and let those who have struggled recently know that they are not alone and to not give up hope. The rest of the service seemed to go by swiftly. We listened to Banke and prayed once more, followed by a beautiful song with almost everyone in the room singing. Looking around, I noticed that many people had their eyes closed and their hands raised up towards the ceiling. Before I knew it, the service was over and everyone seemed cheerful and talkative, hugging each other goodbye, then saying, “See you next Sunday!”

lutheranism & pastor brian banke The Lutheran denomination is the result of the Reformation which was a break from the Roman Catholic Church that took place in the 16th century. Pastor Brian Banke offers a warm welcome to anyone considering a change to Lutheran, or simply exploring their religious options. “We want people to take away from the Lutheran faith that God loves you. And the great part is, you don’t have to earn it; he just does,” Banke said. As a child, religion was a big part of Banke’s life, but during his teenage years, religion started to take the back burner. Toward the end of high school, however, religion started to come back into his life. “My pastor brought it up to me,” Banke said. “I wasn’t really into the idea, but I read and researched

and decided it was what I wanted to do.” He has now been a pastor for eight years and has spent the last six months as the pastor at Our Savior Lutheran Church. He often works on sermons months ahead of time and his sermon series usually last about a month. “I usually try to make the sermons speak to the needs of people as much as possible. Some of the ideas come from books I read or talking to people, even hearing other sermons,” said Banke. Banke reaches out to youth as much as he can and developing relationships with youth is very important to him.

lutheran teachers & a student “[Being Lutheran has] given me a sense of purpose for life, and that is to serve others and the Lord. It’s given me confidence, peace and joy and it’s made me realize happiness doesn’t come from things,” math teacher Martina Leonard said. Though Leonard did not grow up as a Christian, she has a very strong belief in the Lutheran religion. She has been a Lutheran for 14 years now and attends Our Savior Lutheran Church every Sunday. Sophomore Dani Watsek depends on her faith when she faces struggles and believes the Lutheran faith is right for her. “From the day I was born I was influenced by the Christian religion,” Watsek said. “When I got old enough to understand it, I decided I want to be a Christian for the rest of my life.” Art teacher Jami Malyon attends Mt. Cross Lutheran Church. She credits having a strong faith as helping her cope with times of trouble and she turns to her faith when she is feeling hopeless. “I believe in trinity,” said Malyon. “[I also believe] in reaching out to the community and being a part of an open, welcoming church.” { Sydney Dawn - Reporter }

volume xi issue iii january 21, 2011

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JudaismTemple Beth El Judaism is recognized as a cultural, ethnic and religious group. Hebrew is the language of the Jewish religion.

Personal Commentary: attending temple Temple Beth El appeared immense and silent, beckoning congregants with light shining from a tall tower. Upon entering, however, it was intimate and small. Smiles, hugs and “Shabbot Shalom!” greeted each congregant. Inside the sacntuary, pews angled toward a small stage with candles, glass artwork and an Ark. The Ark faces toward Jerusalem—the holy city of Jews—and contains the Jewish holy book, the Torah. The Erev Shabbat service held on Friday evening began with a welcoming prayer and the lighting of three candles. I hurried to keep up with the rest of the congregation who all seemed to be in rhythm with Rabbi Bruce Kadden and Cantor Leah Holland’s recitations of prayers and songs. A sense of shared knowledge and tradition was palpable as congregants sang the memorized Hebrew words and bowed in concert toward the Ark, toward Jerusalem. With more than 25 prayers and songs recited in Hebrew, little English was spoken. References to God were said in the name of Adonai which means “Lord,” “my Lord,” or “my Lords.” Kadden bid farewell to everyone individually and conversations sprang up after the service ended. As the music continued to murmur in my ears, I left the warmth of the temple into the cold of the night.

judaism & rabbi bruce kadden Modern Judaism is comprised of four sects: Reformed, Conservative, Orthodox and Reconstructionist. The Reform and Conservative branches have the largest number of followers. Generally, Jewish belief holds that a divine kingdom will be established on earth that will start a messianic era of peace and bliss. Kadden has been the leader of the Reformed congregation of Temple Beth El since 2004. He values involvement outside of temple as an important way to practice the teachings of Judaism. “I try to live it by being on the boards of nonprofits and volunteering in different efforts in the community because I think that’s an important thing that Judaism teaches,” Kadden said. As the religion has evolved over time, knowledge

about the religion has not necessarily followed suit. Kadden helps families through struggles that sometimes accompany the experience of being part of a minority religion. “When people say or do things that might be hurtful, usually it’s because they have no clue about what they’re saying. It’s been a motivation for trying to educate, to support families when they encounter situations,” Kadden said. Kadden views his community as one of the most meaningful aspects of Judaism in his life. “I think what’s most significant is being part of a community that has a deep commitment to Judaism where families are striving to pass on the traditions to their children,” Kadden said.

a jewish teacher & student Math teacher Rod Hart and senior Rachel Allen have had similar experiences growing up in the Jewish faith. Upon turning 13, both completed a Bar or Bat Mitzvah ceremony. “You have to read from the Torah, in front of everybody, which is nerve-wracking at 13 years old. It’s really important in the progression of becoming a man,” Hart said. In contrast to the positive experiences of Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, they have found intrinsic conflicts between practicing Judaism and daily life. “As a kid, I was always really upset because I couldn’t get perfect attendance because on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur you have to go to Temple all day,” Allen said. Hart has experienced similar difficulties. “On High Holy Days Jewish people are not supposed to do any work,” Hart said. “So I’m not really supposed to come to school a few times a year, but it’s hard to do that because these kids rely on me to teach them.” While Allen finds importance in giving back to the Jewish community by teaching classes and previously being Youth Group president, Hart finds importance in the religion as an identity. “I value being part of the culture, the religion. I’d feel weird if all of a sudden it was taken away from me. It’s an important piece of me,” Hart said. { Allie Rickard - Editor-in-Chief }

01 Glass artwork and the Ark containing the Torah in the sanctuary 02 Tallit prayer shawls 03 A basket of yarmulkes 04 Rabbi Bruce Kadden 05 Religious books 06 Math teacher Rod Hart and senior Rachel Allen search “jagwire newspaper” for more.

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volume xi issue iii january 21, 2011

BuddhismWhite River Temple

Founded in India, Buddhism has remained a predominantly Asian religion and is centered around the idea of reaching enlightenment. personal commentary: attending temple White River Buddhist Temple is a modest-sized, white building aged from years of Washington weather abuse and is in Auburn. Reverend Kakei Nakagawa explained in great detail the history of Buddhism, the temple and his own personal beliefs as he gave me a tour of the temple. He then took me to a quiet white room plastered with childrens’ drawings of what they are thankful for: family, love, friendship, patience, gratitude, peace. Nakagawa explained how to do the simplest forms of meditation by breathing calmly, posture alignment, centering of thoughts, inhale, exhale, repeat. We began a five minute breathing and stretching exercise, followed by a 15 minute sitting meditation. I was quite centered and calmed. It was surprising that we performed a walking meditation as I had pictured meditation as typically taking place while seated. Needless to say, my sheltered, suburban, Puyallup existence became quite sad and shallow. During a break between different forms of meditation, we listened to a sutra. After meditating, Buddhists believe that the mind is vulnerable to outside forces so they will recite sutras to cement good, positive thoughts that will linger after the end of the meditation. Trying to maintain my focus and composure was harder than I imagined. We then recited (or rather I attempted to recite) a Buddhist mantra repeatedly to bring about a positive atmosphere post-meditation.

buddhism & reverend kakei nakagawa Buddhism dates back to 500 B.C. in India when Siddhartha Gautama, who was given the name Buddha (meaning enlightened one) by his followers, founded the religion. The areas with the largest number of followers are India, Tibet, China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia. Buddhists believe in a positive, calm and progressive mental attitude and way of living to enable the soul to reach nirvana—the highest state of enlightenment and peace. There are four predominant groups within the faith: Hinayana, Mahayana, Mantrayana and Zen. White River Buddhist Temple practices Mahayana Buddhism. Nakagawa is the 21st generation Buddhist in his family. “The Buddha’s intention was to create a peaceful world, and I believe that will carry on. Buddhism has the power to create a peaceful society.” Nakagawa said. He believes that what a person’s actions will affect everyone and everything, positively and negatively, which can be described as karma. “Karma is when you spit in the air, and it comes back hits you on the head,” he said. “Even at this moment, I am receiving karma from the past.”

a buddhist student Senior Geoff Sasaki is one of the few Buddhist students at Emerald Ridge. Though he grew up a Buddhist, Sasaki did attend a Catholic school. “I did go to a Catholic school for four years. Even though it wasn’t my main belief, it gave a better insight that Buddhism wasn’t just the only religion out there. Having the knowledge of Christianity has only helped me,” Sasaki said. Sasaki values the basis of Buddhist teachings. “My favorite part is the freedom it gives you. Like most religions, there are strict do’s and don’t’s, but with Buddhism things are very simple in that a lot of it is based on values of life. Such as respect for others, patience and the idea of interdependence,” he said. Sasaki’s devotion to the Buddhist teachings will carry into college and some day to his own household. “I will most definitely keep Buddhism up when I leave for college. Even though it doesn’t mean going to services every week, I will still try and practice the Buddhist teachings,” Sasaki said. Due to the relatively few practicing Buddhists in Puyallup, many misconceptions exist. “The main misconception is that most people believe Buddha is a chubby bald man, who sits crossedlegged and we pray and rub his belly for good luck,” Sasaki said. “Buddhism is a religion in which you try and live your life by the teachings of the Buddha to reach enlightenment like he did.” { Moe Herbert - Reporter }

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01 Incense pot 02 Shrine in sanctuary 03 Reverend Kakei Nakagawa 04 Senior Geoff Sasaki

volume xi issue iII January 21, 2011

Boys and Girls Wrestling Team The wrestling teams deal with adjusting to the loss of a coach and the trials of a new season

ith the loss of math teacher Craig Fredrikson as a coach, the wrestling team has had to adjust for this year’s season. Many wrestlers agree he is missed, but he volunteers occasionally and the team’s excitement for the tournaments and matches help for a winning spirit. The boys wrestling team lost their first two matches, but are hoping to win the next one. The girls team placed first at their last tournament and second at Hammerhead, a tournament involving multiple schools in Washington. The team is working hard and are excited and ready for state this year. “[Wrestling has] changed my life, my mentality and drive. I’ve never been better,” senior Dani Andrews said. According to coach Jim Meyerhoff, the goal for this year is to do the best they can. Although the team gets along well, wrestling is mostly considered a n individual s p o r t and most

wrestlers have their own distinct goal. “[My goal is to] be a contender in district [competition],” junior Andy Billings said. Many wrestlers agree that losing or gaining weight is one of the most demanding parts about wrestling. Billings said that he is trying to lose weight and that is very difficult. Senior John Blasko has gone from 160 pounds to 145 pounds in order to meet his weight range. He lost 15 pounds by eating smaller quantities of food with fewer carbohydrates and more fruits and vegetables. He also works out at morning and evening wrestling practice and takes weight training in school. In addition to having to lose and gain weight, many wrestlers must maintain weight, such as senior Colton Williams. He works out at practice, eats healthy and lifts weights. Wrestling has practice everyday after school for two and a half hours along with tournaments and dual meets. Students have proven to be very dedicated to wrestling by the time and effort that each puts into it. At practice, the wrestlers mostly run, practice shots and pins and workout to improve their performance. To get ready for matches Meyerhoff says that the team learn moves to get better. Many wrestlers have favorite moves. Billings’ likes the Midnight Special, Abbot’s prefers the Double Leg, Andrews’ choice is the Barbwire and Cook’s favorite is the Double. The boys are excited for the next upcoming meet against Rogers and Federal Way on January 26th, and the girls are ready for one of their first matches against our rivals, Rogers, on the 28th of January. { Brittany Tracy-Reporter }

Stats bowling

Wins/Losses- 5/0 Highest Score- ER 5, Graham-Kapowsin 0 Next Game- n/a

Boys Basketball

Wins/Losses - 1/4 Highest Score- ER 57, Auburn Mountainview 53 Next Game- ER @ Federal Way 7:00pm 1/21

boys swimming

Wins/Losses - 0/1 Highest Score- ER 64, Rogers 106 Next game- n/a

boys wrestling

Wins/Losses - 0/1 Highest Score- Graham- Kapowsin 63, ER 12 Next Game- Spanaway Lake, Puyallup @ER 7:30 pm 1/26

girls basketball

Wins/Losses - 3/4 Highest Score- ER 76, Todd Beamer 60 Next Game- ER @ Puyallup 7:00 pm 1/25

Gymnastics

Wins/Losses - 0/1 Highest Score- n/a Next Game- Rogers, ER, Kent Meridian @ Federal Way 7:00 1/26

Girls Wrestling

Wins/ Losses- 1/1 Highest Score- 36 Next Game- Jaguar Invitational Tournament and Girls Tournament at 10:00 am Jan.22 { Tommy Salentine - Reporter }

{ Maddie Stutz - JagWire }

{ Jamie Bush - JagWire }

Seniors James Sousa and Colton Williams wrestle at practice.

{

{ Jamie Bush - JagWire }

Juniors Jennifer Anderson and Jasmine Pitzler in a starting position.

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volume xi issue iIIJanuary 21, 2011

Winter Sports Photo Essay

{ Virginia Van Keuren - JagWire }

{ Kristen Casten - JagWire }

{ Alex Shuster- Yearbook}

{ Jamie Bush - JagWire }

04 01 Ching Yap and fellow team mates watch a race 02 Elizabeth Clemens on the uneven bars 03 Junior Gabrielle Bostwick throws the bowling ball in hope for a strike. 04 The basketball team listens as Coach Ben Muehlenbruch gives instruction durig a practice 05 Juniors Jasmine Parker and Ashly Johnson block as Charlene Pleasance reaches for a basket

{ Virginia Van Keuren - JagWire }

{ Maddie Stutz - JagWire }

{

Frau Hagerman volume xi issue i october 22, 2010

Ger man teacher, Frau Hager man, shares her exper iences of love, life, and family

ebecca Baseler, German enthusiast, devoted wife and mother, 20-year teacher and world traveler was born in Wallace, Idaho, a small mining community just south of I-90. Growing up, occupations for women were limited. So, since her teachers and peers told her she was a great student and she loved working with children, she decided to become an educator. Teaching German came naturally as it is her heritage and passion. Baseler married Jess Hagerman on Jan.11th, 1969, a postponed date due to the groom’s previous arrangements with the U.S. Marine Corp during the Vietnam War. The couple lived in Florida for a year and a half where Rebecca Hagerman held her first teaching job at Booker T. Washington High School, a newly integrated black and white school with upbeat music and dance filled assemblies. She was sent to work there in order for the school to offer more language learning opportunities that were never available before. “There were less problems there than at all-white schools because the parents of white kids that didn’t want their kids to be with black kids didn’t take them there,” Hagerman said. Then, due to Jess Hagerman’s role in the CIA, the duo moved across the world to Thailand, where their first son, Tim, was born and they spent three years together as a family. Hot, smelly and fruit-filled, Thailand is much different from the U.S. Rats, snakes and lizards surrounded their home while a guard sat out in front and a house girl helped with chores indoors. “The hardest part was my husband being gone all the time,” Hagerman said. “He would be gone ten days, then home one.” Thailand, however, was not the first place Hagerman resided outside of the country. At age 15, Hagerman spent a summer working on the farm her grandmother had grown up on. She then returned as a junior in college to study at the oldest university in Germany, Heidelberg. Between semesters a group of students traveled to various parts of Europe to experience history hands on. “Traveling is one of the best ways to get an education,” Hagerman said. While the Hagerman family was at its smallest, with only the eldest son around, the trio purchased a VW camper and embarked on the road trip of a lifetime. Camping throughout the vast European continent, the Hagermans visited various countries including the Netherlands, Amsterdam, Germany (of course), Italy, Norway and many more. European campgrounds, as Hagerman explains, are very nice and they met many nice people—many of whom lived in their campers due to the high taxes in Europe. Germany will always have a special place close to Hagerman’s heart. There she visits with family and enjoys Constance, a gorgeous historical town located on Lake Constance in the south west region of Germany. Konstanz, as it is spelled in German, has little Americanization, unlike other tourist-based cities of the country, which Hagerman enjoys. She is also a part of an exchange program with German schools.

After their adventurous time overseas, the Hagerman family returned to the United States and settled down, adding another daughter, Heidi, and son, Jed, to the family. Once the children were old enough, Hagerman returned to her teaching career at Puyallup High School with a full German schedule and remained there for five years. Hagerman then moved to Walker High School to substitute for a year as a health, family and home teacher for first semester and an environmental science teacher for the second. When Emerald Ridge High School was built, the district transferred Hagerman to teach German and Social Studies. With her dislike of block scheduling and loss of a German-filled work day, she was unhappy with the move, but her love for kids and the staff has slowly grown her optimism. Nowadays Hagerman can be found in her classroom, basking in the joy of her favorite subject and enjoying the company of her students. “Frau Hagerman is the coolest teacher in the school,” senior Eric Beier said. “She’s sassy and will call you out in German.” Hagerman has developed multiple strategies to make learning a the German language and culture fun and easy. “She knows a lot about what she talks about and informs us about [German] culture,” junior Tara Knutsen said. “We celebrate all the holidays and do crafts, which I love.” Jess and Rebecca Hagerman still travel on occasion, visiting family in Germany or just sightseeing around the world. They would love to return to Thailand and are talking about taking a cruise to the Greek Isles. Other places they would love to visit include Mexico (which would be a first time visit for Rebecca Hagerman), parts of Africa and South America. { Quinn Sanderson - Opinion Editor }

02 03

05 01 The Hagerman family Christmas card photo 02 The Hagerman family with son Tim in Thailand 03 Jess and Rebecca’s engagement picture 04 Pacific Lutheran University photo 05 Hagerman in Idaho during a visit with Jess’s family

{ Photos Courtesy of Rebecca Hagerman }

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volume xi issue iII January 21, 2011

Debate Arguing Their Way to the Top

Emerald Ridge’s size, and the debaters have made critiques, researching, reciting and timing their the best of it. They are seeing their size as an pieces. When the time comes for the tournament, opportunity, not a handicap, by creating a family, competitors are ready to compete and win. Each bonding and beating teams that dwarf them. competition is a potential pre-qualification for “They have to be self-motivated and driven on state, and each is taken seriously. their own, I like The ultimate triumph: {Photo Courtesy of Julie Jones } that our kids do competing in the 2011 ontrary to what most believe it only because Dallas National Forensic Speech and Debate team at Gig Harbor High School peech and ebate is more than League Tournament. they want to,” team coach and There are many mindless arguing math teacher Julie incentives to compete in he Speech and Debate team isn’t the most Hillend-Jones said. Dallas, one being over fifty available scholarships well-known club at Emerald Ridge, but The debaters haven’t always been this successful. ranging from $100 to $10,000. with a concentrated driving force, the team In 2002, Hillend-Jones became the coach for a Junior Colby Hillend, the team’s vice president, earns an astounding amount of victories. Speech and Debate team that was smaller, less has already this year pre-qualified for state in Since Sept., the debaters have competed in motivated and less successful. interpretive reading. Hillend is excited for what is seven tournaments yielding 25 recognitions. Each “We could have called it a bowling team, that is to come next year. year the team competes in 15 to 20 tournaments. all they wanted to do. And I don’t like bowling,” “Next year, hopefully, we may have a debate This year they will be in a total of 19 competitions, Hillend-Jones said. tournament here. I’ve been pushing for that for including state and nationals. Out of the array of events that Speech and Debate years,” Hillend said. Senior Tiffany Judkins is the team president. Almost every school activity requires money “It takes a lot of dedication to the team, you have teams can compete in, the team has chosen 16. Contrary to what most and Speech and Debate is not a cheap sport. The to be willing to believe, Speech and Debate team receives $2,450 from the school district and step up and take t takes a lot of dedication to is more than mindless ASB and the members have to pay a fee. Still, it care of things,” arguing. The events is not enough to cover all costs associated with the team you have to be will Judkins said. range from dramatic to competing in a tournament. An important ing to step up and take care of debate to speech. In dual member of the To compensate for costs, the team holds a improvisation, two team fundraiser called Forensic Follies. This entertaining team, Judkins things udkins said members have to keep the show is held each spring. For clarification, oversees the flow in a performance that forensics is the study of argumentation and formal club activities, resembles “Who’s Line Is It Anyways?” completes mounds of paperwork and helps other debate; follies is a theatrical revue. Sophomore Kaili Zelepuza has a background in teammates prepare for their next tournament. The team will use the revenue from the event to The team’s size, just 18 students, should come as drama and improvisation, and competes in speech finance the prospective trip to Dallas, in the time no surprise because, unlike Puyallup High School events, specifically impromptu speaking. that they need it most, audience members that “You have a lot of pressure on you so it’s kind of and the majority of other schools, Speech and show up are greatly appreciated. exciting,” Zelepuza said. Debate is not offered as a class, but rather a club. The team practices often by reviewing judge Their size is both a benefit and an oddity, given { Amaya Adams - Reporter }

Speech

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“I

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Students O Doing the Right Thing

ften, negative actions are placed in the spotlight more frequently than positive actions. Within the last few months, there have been a few students who have gone under the radar and helped other students in a big way. On the the Nov.19th, junior Katey Della Guistina was in the girls’ locker room after practice with two other girl wrestlers. “I was taking my stuff out of my locker when I looked up and saw one of the girls on the wrestling team slip and fall while getting into the private showers,” Della Guistina said. Della Guistina is currently taking courses to become a nurse. She is one step below a paramedic. While one of the other witnesses went to get the gymnastics coach for further assistance, Della Guistina stayed with the injured student, covered her with towels and made sure she kept her eyes open. “It was a smart decision for Katey to seek assistance from an adult who is trained in First Aid/CPR/AED given the potential seriousness of the situation,” gymnastics coach Bobbie Jones said. The injured wrestler is now fully healed. She did not have any long term injuries after the incident, is still playing sports and practicing normally. { Kate Meyer - Reporter }

BlackSwan volume xi issue i october 22, 2010

Reduce the world to black and white, this is Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan.” Perfectly cast for the white swan, Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) struggles to find the essence of the malevolent black swan causing her to slowly lose her mind. New ballerina Lily (Mila Kunis) causes Nina to panic because Lily effortlessly epitomizes the seductiveness of the black swan. The movie ends with the performance which both defines and ends Sayers’ career.

Kaitlyn Schlegel

I had no idea what to expect coming into the “Black Swan” theatre. As Portman came on screen, twirling around in a white tutu, I became instantly hooked. The intensity of the movie became too much for me to handle. All of the self-inflicted violence made me want to vomit, yet I couldn’t stop watching. I spent most of the movie hiding behind my trembling hands. For the parts I did see, I saw a cinematic masterpiece. The choreography was perfect and overall I enjoyed the film. I left the cinema and my mind was an endless possibility of wonder. I thought about the unpredictable and abrupt ending and I was exasperated with the performance in its entirety. I can’t wait for more people to see this movie so I can discuss the thoughts and feelings we have about it.

Milena McLaren

As a dancer myself, I was easily able to relate to the underlying need for perfection Sayers feels. Both Portman and Kunis intensely trained for a year prior to this film. Although they were comparable to professionally trained dancers, I was able to notice slight antics that gave away their lack of dance training. I found humor in witnessing the reactions of the audience in situations that seem common practice for a dancer. The burning of shoe ribbons, ripping out the lining, cutting off the toe’s satin and even toenails breaking appeared all too familiar to me, but it never occurred to me how these routines would shock others. I was entirely amazed by the beauty of this film and pleased with its portrayl of the the raw reality of a dancer’s life. Going back to see it again, it was just as captivating the second time around.

Billiemarie Klein

Well, let’s just say this, if it wasn’t for the big bucket of popcorn smothered in liquid butter mixed with M&M’s I am not sure how I would have made it through “Black Swan”. The movie was like a never-ending, dark, looming pit of death. Besides the fact that I wanted to rip my hair out from the stress of the “thrill” factor, it was very complex in a hard to follow way. Though I hated Black Swan, and never want to see it again, I applaud Natalie Portman’s performance. Without her dedication, “Black Swan” would have not achieved its level of epic stressfulness and confusion. Thank God I had popcorn.

{ Photo by Jamie Bush - Photo Editor }

Allie Rickard

Portman plays the grittiest, most daring and spellbinding role of her career. Her role as Sayers is at times painful and discomforting to watch due to the dedication with which she acts the most gruesome and repulsive scenes. Her physical transformation is horrific as she takes out her frustration and insecurities upon her body. As tension mounts through the progression of the film, so does the captivating nature of Portman’s performance. Definitively the best role yet for Portman and possibly the role that will eclipse all those yet to come.

Aubrey Kendall

Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” made me afraid to look in my bathroom mirror when I got home, but experiencing Black Swan was worth the fright. The consistency of the black and white imagery, the use of the mirrors and the disgusting eeriness of Sayers’ hazy reality were so transfixing. I appreciated the social message that Aronofsky portrayed through Sayers’ anorexic, bulimic and anal-retentive character. I’m so glad Aronofsky didn’t make this film a PSA, but rather a look into the life of a ballerina whose caustic struggle for perfection becomes her downfall. Aronofsky didn’t glamorize the strict dedication of a ballerina’s life or the subsequent disorders; he made her pain raw and palpable and something to be feared, not respected. Overall, the ease with which the films message was transmitted made it for me. I loved this film.

Editorial Board Movie Review

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EP ATHENA

volume xi issue i october 22, 2010

My New Year’s Resolution is... “To be accepted to Central Washington University”

Carissa Morris - senior “To get my drivers license and a job.”

Dillon Von Hirschman - senior “To become a better person inside and out.”

Katie Bond - junior “To get my GPA up and get better at break dancing.” George Tashiro - junior “To be a lot nicer to my twin sister.”

“

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The blast beats and heavy chugs of the bass will make banging your head and throwing up those devil horns uncontrollable.

{ Kate Meyer - JagWire }

Jessica Thompson - sophomore “To get my 1975 Ford truck up and on the road.”

{ Kate Meyer - JagWire }

Practicing close to every day, playing small shows and perfecting their sound, Puyallup-based band, Athena released their first five song self-titled EP. The room was filled with moshing fans at the release show at D4, a local venue in Sumner, on Dec. 18. “Our EP show didn't turn out as we had hoped,” Rogers High School senior bassist Adam Couture said. “We had hoped more people would have bought our album, but it was still fun to see people dancing to our music when we played.” Being able to understand everything lead vocalist David Reiman is screaming in his lyrics might be difficult but the honest meaning of the song is still there. The blast beats and heavy chugs of the bass will make banging your head and throwing up those devil horns uncontrollable. “It’s awesome what they have accomplished. Their EP is really good!” senior Brady Wickett said. Athena’s music will be enjoyed by fans of King Conquer, Plea For Purging, Whitechapel or Impending Doom. Recently, Athena has under gone a few minor lineup changes. Reiman has taken a step down from the limelight as the lead vocalist due to preparation for college. The band’s release show was his last performance with the band. Previous drummer Shanon Hawk is currently doing vocals and a newly added member, Andrew Waalkes, has taken Shanon’s place in the drummer's seat. “Luckily Andrew was in our own backyard,” Hawk said. “He was good, we were friends with him and he had a gnarly beard. All pluses for us.” With the new lineup and EP out, Athena is likely to become a commonly talked about band. Since the EP, they have written a new song called “Affliction.” “It is definitely a lot different from our older songs because it is much more versatile.” guitarist Mckay Rockwell said. Already their music is featured on many music blogs and websites. Fans from across the country and even across the Pacific ocean have been giving positive feedback on their music. This August they plan on dominating the west coast and aim to become a household name. { Kate Meyer - Reporter }

Anthony Califano - sophomore “To be a better human, more self disciplined and more creative every day.” Mrs. Maylon - Art Teacher { Candance Swenson - reporter }

{ Mugs courtesy of Yearbook }

Picasso comes to Seattle Art Museum In no way do I consider myself a savvy art aficionado, however I found myself caught up in the works of the Pablo Picasso exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum. With each piece being so abnormally abstract, it made the paintings up for interpretation. Trying to maneuver from painting to painting, between the plethora of classes of small kids and intrigued art goers, who made me feel as though there was an unspoken rule to keep all comments to yourself, was difficult. I also felt like the security guards were ready to pounce at any second

if anything were to go awry. Don’t worry sir, I’m not about to smuggle a painting in my smaller than 11-by-13 purse. So as the entire atmosphere goes, not so fabulous in my opinion. The paintings, however, made up for all this. It was interesting to go through and notice how his artwork evolved over his years as an artist. I enjoyed the pieces that were not so intensely odd, including one of Picasso’s painting of his first wife. I was also completely intrigued by his more abstract and colorful blocking piec-

es. It was easy to tell that he went through many different phases throughout his career and each had its own fascinating niche. I enjoyed walking through each of those periods of time in his career in a matter of minutes. The quantity in which the SAM had of his paintings was impressive as well. Knowing how coveted all his pieces are, I feel extremely grateful to have gotten to see them for the short time they were at the Seattle Art Museum. { Milena McLaren - Editorial Board }

volume xi issue iii january 21, 2011

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Hip-Hop Edition * All names have been changed for hip-hop effect.

ATMOSPHERE

EMINEM

WAKA FLOCKA

DRAKE

Casey da Duke

Britt Nay

Jo-Z

Candy Ace

Drake is a calm hip-hop artist who appeals to many teenagers. I like him because his voice is superb and gives a good beat to dance to. If I had to pit Eminem and Drake together, there is no doubt that Eminem would win that fight.

Drake is a good rapper and all of his songs are original. I like listening to him because his songs are catchy and interesting. He also has many popular people featured in his songs, which makes him more enjoyable to listen to.

Drake is not like all the other artists that rap about the ‘thug’ life; he raps about emotions and romances that really catch the attention of teens all around the world. He has a lot to offer with his up-beat music which can actually be danced to .

Drake is by far the best rapper out of these four artists. I love the beat and the rhymes he can spit out. Drake’s words seem very blunt and upfront. He may not appeal to everyone, and his style isn’t usually the one I enjoy listening to, but he’s got skills.

Waka Flocka Flame scares the hip-hop right out of me! I’ve never heard such attitude and hatred before. He’s too much for me to handle. If you think you’ve heard offensive lyrics before, you’ll be surprised by Waka Flocka Flame.

I don’t like him very much. I heard only one good song and the rest were extremely repetitive and annoying. He is like any other rap artist who is only concerned with sex, money and drugs. He is an unknown underground rap artist for a reason: nobody wants to listen to him.

YO! This so-called rapper, Waka Flocka Flame, scares me. I really don’t like his music at all. I am afraid to listen because my brain might explode. His constant swearing throws me off. If you like meaningless repetition of words and ‘Yos’ thrown in every few words, then Waka Flocka is for you.

This rap “artist” thinks he’s pretty cool saying “yo” every other word. His song “No Hands” is pretty good, but his other songs are not enjoyable. Their songs are too repetitive and get annoying. If they want to spit a real rap then maybe I’d give them a second chance.

Eminem is tight yo! If you like upbeat mind-blowing music with some swearing in between, he’s your guy. Eminem is inspired by his difficult life. If it wasn’t for his hard life, he would just be another white guy that tries to get away with rapping.

I liked Eminem when he came out; he was catchy with a new face and sound for rap fans. Now, he is outdated, his songs sound the same, and he is singing about shooting stars. He’s good at rapping, but I get bored listening to him.

A white rapper with the name of a candy would make me think he is a wanna -be-gangster, but he is one of the few who made it big. I grew up with Eminem and every year he surprises me in a good way. His music speaks to me and that is what I love most.

I didn’t know little pieces of candy could rap. Eminem has some pretty good songs that I find relatable. I noticed that a lot of his songs have to do with either his kids or his past. He’s the first rapper I’ve heard who is honestly emotional in his lyrics. Eminem is great.

Atmosphere is too calm for my taste, not upbeat and not like hip-hop I’ve heard. They have an eccentric opening in their song “Sunshine”, which was awkward. They sing about serious matters with happy beats and I don’t know if they even classify as a hip-hop artist.

I like Atmosphere because they are different. The rapping flows well with the background music. Also, they rap about other topics besides money, drugs and sex. This is impressive compared to almost every other artist out there who only seem to stick to these three topics.

I love Atmosphere! Their clever, sing-a-long lyrics make me want to blast their music in my car on trips to nowhere and anywhere. The combo of a perfect headbobbing beat and balanced background are a guaranteed to make anyone happy and smile.

They sound like Sublime with a twist of stupid. The only difference is that Sublime is awesome and original whereas Atmosphere stinks badly. I’m not feeling them. They sound like drunk dudes trying to rap out a verse. Drunk guys should not rap. I think they are better off with karaoke.

The Beat - Jan./Feb.

Giving you the lowdown on the South Sound

21 No Strings Attatched playing in all theatres

Spring Awakening opens @ Pantages Theater

The Rite playing in all theatres

31 February

14 Valentine’s Day

4 Sarah McLachlan @ Paramount Theatre

First day of 2nd semester

Basketball Games vs Rogers Boys Home Girls Away

5 Ozzy Osbourne 7:30 pm @ Tacoma Dome

12 Cake 8:00 pm @ Moore Theatre

Ke$ha: all day Showbox @ The Market

Autobiographical Artist Feature: Xavier Ness I am solely interested in accomplishing my aspirations. I’m not exploring my artistic aura to benefit a high school diploma, or a scholarship to a university. My work is something paramount to my individual existence, and a deeper spiritual connection with myself. When I am not concentrated on my art, my life and motivation become shallow, vague, and submissive. I hope that others come to understand that this the artistic desire should be encouraged within adolescent development, I must make art. It is a personal survival skill. I’ve realized that I have inspired others; some young, some older, people strewn across the globe. I think it is a beautiful gift, I will continue to nurture it.

18 Mid-Winter Break: No School

19 Ballard Art Walk @ Ballard District 6:00 -9:00 pm