May 15, 2009

May 15, 2009

www.roguenews.net

Ashland, Oregon

Vol. III Issue XI

More cuts on the way?

by Phoebe Parker-Shames

Darker financial times lie ahead for education. On May 15, the state budget forecast will project which funds are available for allocation by the Oregon Legislature. Many are predicting that the results will cut even further into the already reduced Ashland School District budget.

This means larger class sizes across local schools, and less flexibility with next year’s class offerings at the high school.

“With the high student-to-teacher ratio that we’re going to have, the flexibility of the master schedule does not exist...

Once you get your schedule in the mail, that’s it,” AHS Principal Jeff Schlect said.

However, Superintendent Juli DiChiro explained that because the Legislature typically creates the K-12 budget last, the situation won’t be fully known until June.

Faced with this uncertainty, the school district and DiChiro are preparing for many different scenarios that range from no additional losses (which still include the loss of 56 full time equivalent district jobs, which actually impacts around 100 employees) to $4 million more in cuts.

Because of this, Schlect is looking to parents for help. “To be successful, I’m going to need strong volunteer support, and together we can continue to accomplish great things.”

DiChiro says she is attempting to ensure that the upcoming “Phase Three” reductions will not result in a loss of any more teachers. However, the previously proposed Phase Two cuts, unaffected by the upcoming projection, assume a pay freeze for all employees, which has not yet been approved by the district staff.

Teachers are apprehensive about freezing pay because of possible longterm consequences. “We want to cut salary without affecting the actual salary schedule [step-up pay for highly educated teachers],” Matthew McKinnon, AHS teacher and Ashland Education Association Representative, said.

There are three main options in light of the likely budget reductions. Cutting teachers saves the district approximately $70,000 for each position cut. Cutting pay would save the district $147,000 for a 1% reduction across the board, but means that teachers would not receive a cost of living increase. Cutting days saves the district $68,000 for each day cut, which many consider the same as a pay cut since teachers are not paid during that time.

“We’ve made so many reductions already that I want to see if there are other strategies we can use, but if we can’t get agreement on that, the most likely scenario would be cutting more teachers at the high school,” DiChiro said. “There’s a certain amount of work that needs to get done—the food has to be made, the buses have to be driven. You can’t reduce past a certain level. Unfortunately, [with a reduction of teachers] the work will get done, but in larger class sizes.”

To learn more about the Ashland school’s budget, attend the Budget Committee Meetings at 7 p.m. in the District Office, May 20 and 27.

Who w Photo by Max Parker-Shames

ill be

Mr. Gr

izz?

Photo by Phoebe Parker-Shames

China Remington choreographs the Mr. Grizz contestants’ dance.

Photo by Phoebe Parker-Shames

by Elisabeth Swarttouw It’s that time of year! The annual Mr. Grizz competition is coming. Two strapping young men from each class will showcase a wild talent from dancing to singing; all in hopes of being crowned Mr. Grizz, by far the highest honor a male Ashland High student can aspire to win. This year’s theme is “beauty pageant” and all of the Mr. Grizz benefits will go to The Children’s Miracle Network. The event will be held at the Mountain Avenue Theatre, May 15 at 7:30 p.m, but get there early for a good seat. Tickets are $5 at the door. Seats can be reserved in the main office, as well as early ticket purchases.

The freshmen talents competing this year include Franklin Lima and Ian Wurfl. Lima, a tall, dapper boy said, “My talent is dancing… but I’m pretty nervous.” Lima has a point, being on stage with a crowd of peers can be a nerve wracking ordeal.

“I’m keeping my talent a surprise… an exciting surprise,” sophomore Lee Owens-Oas said. Owens-Oas is also a little worried about stage freight, “I am going to be on a stage, in front of a bunch of my classmates, so yeah, I’m nervous.”

Owens- Oas is also quite tall, and certainly one of the more

notable sophomores. His class competitor will be Vincent Brinegar.

This year’s high status hipsters from the junior class are Cord Walsh and Noah Kass. While some of the younger contestants are a bit jittery, it seems that confidence comes with age, “I’m ready to win!” Walsh said.

However, perhaps no contestant believes in himself quite as much as senior Cy Senestraro. “No, I’m not worried, I’m excited! I have no idea what my talent’s going to be, but it’ll be great. Of course I’ll win. Confidence is key.” Senestraro is the epitome of charisma, which will serve him well on center stage.

Most of all, the Mr. Grizz competitors are in it to have fun, support a good cause and show off what they’ve got.

“I’d be super happy if I won, but no worries if I lose, because it’ll be a great experience,” senior exchange student from Argentina, Nacho Del Toro said. Del Toro has been a great addition to AHS, and he is sure to be a blast to watch on stage.

So come support your favorite boys, have a laugh and bring along some friends for an evening of unforgettable entertainment. Don’t forget, all proceeds go to a good cause.

Quick “Witt” required: Maggie goes to France

by Abbie Deal How far will our seniors go? Some will stay close to home while others will attend colleges across the country. Some will go even farther. In either late August or early September, Ashland High School Senior Maggie Witt will board a plane to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and land in Orléans, France. Having just graduated from AHS in June, Witt will make a big leap, immersing herself in a different country, language and culture.

She will take the position of au pair for a French family in the city of Orléans, about 80 miles southwest of Paris. Witt will be staying with the Seugé family and looking after their two daughters, 11 year old Heloise and five year old Clara, for nine months. Although Witt’s official title will be that of an “au pair”, the equivalent of an American nanny, her duties are more educational. Her main concern will be to help the children to improve their spoken English.

Photo by Phoebe Parker-Shames

Senior Maggie Witt, who will be an au pair in France next year

“A lot of au pair positions are chancy,” Witt said. “You don’t know what the family is really like. But since this family has had many au pairs in the past, they have a set system of how things are done. And it was the perfect opportunity for me because I’ll have the chance to study at the University of Orléans.” Witt will be taking French classes there to expand her knowledge of the language.

See Maggie on Pg. 2

Page 2

May, 15 2009

Rogue News

Ell it like it is

by Ella Riley-Adams Remember when your mom set up playdates for you and your friends? It was always slightly awkward, unless they had been your friend for a while. Maybe you’d play on the swing set or trade Pokemon cards or create imaginary worlds. Now that we’ve grown up, those opportunities for connection are less common, and we relate in entirely different ways. “Networking” has taken on a whole new meaning now that websites such as Myspace and Facebook are major social tools. Everyone’s online, and everyone has a profile. The playground just got much bigger.

So big, in fact, that some think it defines our generation. Candice M. Kelsey, author of “Generation Myspace,” writes that Myspace has “been compared to the speakeasies of the ‘30’s, the soda shops of the ‘50s, and even the scandalous impact of Elvis Presley.” The book goes on to describe the symptoms of too much Myspace and advise parents on how to lovingly limit their teens’ online time.

Myspace and Facebook do play a large role in our everyday lives as high school students. We can be informed of upcoming events, new couples, and friends’ moods, all by looking at our home page for 10 seconds. As humans, we have always held a certain fascination for each other, and sites like Myspace and Facebook make information extremely accessible.

“Facebook is easier to stalk people,” said sophomore Olivia Granach, comparing the merits of Myspace versus Facebook. Online, personal boundaries are close to transparent, which can be liberating for many (one reason for the rise of online predators).

In addition to staying current with friends, Myspace has required us to define ourselves. The pressure to find a set image is immense because it’s an image that everyone will see. These days, it’s easy to find out what people think of them-

selves by viewing their Myspace. The “about me” section says it all. You can also see if your friend is single, if your star signs are compatible and what music they enjoy, all without exchanging a word.

Not only are we concentrated on describing ourselves, but our image-focus has changed as well. Ever since Narcissus caught his reflection in the forest pool, we have cared (sometimes too much) about how we look. In the 21st century, we’ve taken self-absorption to a whole new level.

Myspace has inspired a new style of photo, affectionately referred to as a “Myspace pic.” It is essentially a self-portrait, though the photographer’s arm is often artfully included in the frame, so as to confirm that “yes, I take photos of myself when bored.”

Facebook sees less of this photo style, but more of the “timeline album” in which the user posts 50 to 100 photos of themselves taken over a time period of less than an hour. Basically, the viewer sees 50 to 100 of the exact same photos where the subjects have varied only their facial expressions.

“Facebook is a great way to make new friends and keep in touch,” said senior Melissa Work.

Networking sites have added a whole new dimension to social interaction. And although it may seem that we have broken new ground in terms of communication and quick connection, that’s not exactly the case. Regardless of how many Myspace messages are exchanged between two people, a relationship isn’t cultivated. An online conversation doesn’t equate to a real one.

Our generation is fluent in the language of the internet, but when it comes to sitting down for coffee and conversation, we’re just as bumbling and nervous as our parents. Myspace and Facebook help to facilitate connection, but they will never replace a real-time exchange of ideas.

NOT A JOKE.

by Jordan Resch

When Nino Foley and I made our speech for the student body copresident election, I mentioned the need for a higher awareness of sexual predation on our campus. As presidents we wanted to spread awareness of this problem to the students. Most of our peers and teachers thought of us as fun natured and humorous kids. For this many people thought that the topic of sexual awareness was to be used in our speech as an attempt to provide entertainment and add a laughable aspect to our speech.

On the contrary, Nino and I were quite serious when we spoke of the problem of sexual predators and sexual abuse. It is evident that hearing the words “rape”, “sex”, and “pedophile”, led not only students but teachers to lose track of the content of the speech, and focus solely on the language. It is ironic and depressing that such serious issues evoke comedic response. For this, Nino and I are willing to apologize for the miscommunication, but we are not willing to apologize for promoting the well being of the student body.

We first stumbled upon this problem when watching NBC’s Dateline “To Catch A Predator,” where we found the startling fact that 15% of teenage girls and 5% of teenage boys have suffered some sort of sexual abuse. Assuming Ashland High School is statistically comparable, that would be a frightening estimate of 150 girls and 50 guys who have suffered some sort of sexual abuse.

Sexual predation is increasing and evolving with the expanding popularity and accessibility of the Internet. More often then not, sexual predators reach their victims through some sort of cyber chat, like Myspace for Facebook, which is something that not even the students at Ashland are immune to. ur campus need to be warned of the problems and dangers that exist outside the impenetrable bubble we are naive enough to believe we live in.

Editorial Board Editors-in-Chief.................... Zena Shelton, Phoebe Parker-Shames Page Editors........................Zena Shelton, Phoebe Parker-Shames, Jackson Santee, Ella Riley-Adams, Morgan Hall, Zach Kitamura, and Anna Ortlip-Hume Design Editors.....................Zena Shelton, Phoebe Parker-Shames, Hannah Sayles, Abbie Deal, Trevor Hilligoss, and Artie Lawniczak Managing Editor...........................................................Adam Pavlich Advertising Manager....................................................Heather Case Distrubution Manager..................................................Nicholas Dake

Rogue News The Rogue News strives to practice professional journalism at Ashland High School. It aims to be a voice for the student body, and an important contribution to the school and community. In order to achieve this goal, the Rogue News attempts to do the following to the best of its ability: • Report accurate and objective information • Uphold all journalistic ethics and standards • Attempt to cover school events fairly and evenly.

• Provide an outlet for voices within the school through letters to the editor and editorials. Unsigned editorials represent the views of the staff, all others are signed. Letters to the editor must be signed unless extenuating circumstances warrant a students name being withheld, as decided by the Editors-in-Chief or newspaper advisor.

Once a Grizz, always a Grizz Rogue News

May, 15 2009

Page 3

by Morgan Carne

At 97 years of age, Billings is one of the oldest AHS alumni still alive, graduating in 1929, yet this has no impact whatsoever on his cheery demeanor and delightful sense of humor, a fact I observed during a visit with fellow Rogue News members Sierra Kistler and Grace-Riley Adams to the old Billings homestead.

Having lived in the same house since 1929, it’s been 80 years of farm life for Billings. A self-professed “bad person to interview,” he defies his own self-doubts and recalls much of his young life, with some help from his daughter Mary, retelling it to us in his quaint living room with a soft voice full of insight and merriment.

When high school came around, Billings found himself immersed in reading, writing, literature, and arithmetic classes.

However, his favorite was typing. Billings was something of a typing prodigy at AHS, having even won an award for being the fastest typist in his class and forcing Mary to take typing in college. As far as sports went, the only team he actually played on for the high school was the football team. Baseball was a favorite leisure activity, but, as he says with lighthearted chagrin, “I always had to get home to milk,” among other things. Besides being self-professed “teat-pullers,” as Billings described it, the family took care of their cows and planted beans by hand.

An active Rotarian since 1943, Mr. Billings is also a longtime city council member. He’s held countless jobs at his church, taken part in water and soil conservation efforts, and has 63 years of perfect attendance at Rotary Club meetings. And, because of his large role in the club as well as the district government, Billings has been on many trips to various places around the world to attend rotary conventions, his wife in tow. On vacation with his wife and daughter, an “extra part” of them was always visiting rotary clubs Mary recalls with a small chuckle that Billings doesn’t notice.

As for his role as an AHS alumni, he has never missed an annual alumni association dinner, the longest-running alumni dinner in the nation. Mary believes her father is in fact the oldest surviving alumnus, but he may just be the oldest still attending the dinners.

And, with the next one coming up in July, he asks his daughter, “Do you think I’ll find myself there?” For such a giving, endearing, and heartfelt man, one can only hope so.

For the rest of the story go to:

www.roguenews.net Photo by Grace Riely-Adams

Billings, class of ‘29, at home riding the Deere

Maggie

Continued From Pg. 1

Why France? Witt already has had an extensive study of French, being in Lauren Schaffer’s French classes for all four years of high school. “I probably speak more French than I speak English. My friends can vouch for that.” Witt said with a laugh.

It was through Schaffer’s class that Witt first heard about the opportunity. Laurel Mehaffey, a former student of Schaffer, came into Witt’s French class this fall and talked about her experience of being the au pair for the Seugé family. Interested, Witt asked for the family’s contact information.

“She’s my fourth student who is going to be an au pair. This family loves my students so much they keep contacting me every year to see if any of my students are interested in being an au pair for them.” Schaffer said. Besides Witt and Mehaffey, Miriah Baker and Liz DeGroft were two other students of Schaffer’s who worked as au pairs for the Seugé family.

“One of the reasons they keep asking for our students is because they have such a high level of French proficiency that they will be able to function well in French culture.” Schaffer said.

Witt wrote a letter to the family, half in French and half in English to show her proficiency in both languages, describing herself and why she wanted the job. After receiving her letter, the Seugé family called Witt and interviewed her for the job. Witt was informed in March that she had been chosen for the position.

“I’m ecstatic.” Witt said. “I’ve wanted to live in France for so long, and now I finally have the opportunity to do so. I can’t wait!” After spending nine months in France, Witt will return to Ashland.

Sharing Poetry

by Michael Deckelman

Last fall, Katya Ludwig decided what she was to do for her senior project.

She chose to compile a book of poems for her senior project. She’s been working on this project since June and has put approximately 80 hours into it, 60 more than the required minimum. Ludwig is nervous about her upcoming presentation, but feels as if she’s ready. “[The greatest difficulties were] knowing how to format the speech, what to talk about and meeting all the due dates,” she stated. Ludwig most enjoyed seeing her poems become stronger and receiving her published book in the mail.

“Get started early so you can meet all the deadlines and choose something you’re passionate about,” she advised.

Katya Ludwig poses on the quad

My Nightin

By Katya H

gale

unt Ludwig

Where have you gone oh The one wh nightingale? o perched o n m y w indow and sa me songs of ng unfulfilled d reams, forgotten lo ves, and broken promises?

Oh melodio us tune filled with sorrow My eyes filled , with tears, I wait for yo u to sing yo ur songs to me.

Again, I wai t.

I waited all n ight for you to return, followed by th e su n , but you did not heed my call, have you ab andoned me?

Oh where, o h where hav e you gone my nighting ale?

Photo by Grace Riley-Adams

Reaching out in Guatemala

by Michael Deckelman Forrest Wells’ senior project is exotic, literally. He stayed in the town of Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala for five weeks, where he worked with various volunteer organizations and met contacts to arrange for more trips in the future.

“The obvious difficulty was traveling through a town and meeting with organizational directors for interviews in Spanish, a second language. I also had to overcome the theft of the laptop I had stored all of my information on.” Wells said.

He spent close to another 20 hours making up for this loss, but still managed to pull through and complete his project on time. The information Wells had stored on the laptop included a summary of

Above Right: Forrest Wells Background: Lake Atitlan in Guatemala

each organization he needed and listed some contacts associated with each, which took a page or two per organization.

“The majority of the work was collecting information, but I also spent a lot of time helping preschools and serving meals to the elderly,” Wells said.

His favorite part of the trip was the work he did with the Centro de Ancianos Juanita organization, a group that focuses on assisting the impoverished elderly of Santiago, as well as the friends he met there.

Wells’ advice to juniors who will have to do their senior projects next year is to be ambitious; to try to do even more than the required 20 hours of work.

“It makes it so much more rewarding in the end,” Wells said.

Photos submitted by Forrest Wells

Feeding the Community

by Olivia Bradley I didn’t know much about the Ashland Emergency Food bank until I dropped by a few weeks ago to donate a few cans of food and boxes of cereal.

The volunteer staff thanked me graciously for the donation. They all seemed so happy to be there, and their enthusiasm intrigued me.

I wanted to know more about this organization, so I started talking with a volunteer there named Jack, who seemed especially high-spirited. He told me that the organization was fairly simple; people from the community donate food, and others who cannot afford food can come in once a month and acquire enough food for their family for three days.

The staff is all voluntary, and the food bank is funded by various churches around Ashland. After I learned about how beneficial the Food Bank is for our community, I wanted to be a part of it.

Later, Jack told me a story about two sisters who came in to donate over 150 pounds of food. I was ecstatic to hear the news, and I wanted to speak to these girls to see why they had donated so much food. Jack gave me their phone number and I gave the girls a call.

I spoke to the older sister, and I asked her about their good deed. She told me that they had a birthday party, and they had asked their guests to bring nonperishable food instead of presents for themselves.

I was surprised at how selfless these girls were at such a young age.

If you’ve ever asked a friend at school what they

Photo by Grace Riley-Adams

Olivia Bradley promotes her cause

want for their birthday, I can almost guarantee the response you got: “I don’t know…” Being teenagers, we really don’t have the desire for Beanie Babies and Pokemon Cards anymore. Most of us have everything that we really need, and few small things

that we want. So what can we do about this? I believe that those generous sisters from the Food Bank have the answer.

Being a high-schooler myself, I know it’s not “cool” to ask your friends to bring non-perishable food to a party that you’re hosting. However, I believe that if some of the students at Ashland High put aside their egos, social statuses and reputations just once, to ask their friends to help give back to the community, it could keep numerous families from going hungry. Believe me; that’s cool.

In 2007, about 13 percent of people in Jackson County were living at or below poverty level. Furthermore, with the recession hanging over us, many are losing their jobs. Lines at soup kitchens are getting longer and longer, and the demand for free food at the Food Bank is increasing rapidly.

At this point, Ashland may not be able to “spread the wealth around”, but the least we can do is try to spread the food around. If you would like to feed hungry Ashlanders, you can make a donation at the Ashland Emergency Food Bank on 2200 Ashland Street. It is open from Monday

through Friday, 9:30am-12:30pm

Olivia Bradley worked at the Ashland Emergency Food Bank for her senior project.

Boosting self-esteem BEFORE GRADUATION

Tori Lipski and Natalie DelCarlo (center) relax with their class of fifth grade girls

by Michael Deckelman Natalie DelCarlo has been working with fellow senior Tori Lipski on her senior project this year.

They’ve taught seven self-esteem classes at Walker Elementary School for fifth grade girls and still plan to do a few more sessions.

Last fall DelCarlo spoke with Belinda Brown, the nurse at Ashland Middle School, who set up the self-esteem program. When DelCarlo learned about the program, she decided to be a part of it for her senior project.

Photo submitted by Natalie DelCarlo

DelCarlo’s favorite part about the experience was working with the girls, and her main difficulty was getting them to focus during the sessions.

DelCarlo suggests that students doing their projects next year should get started early and not put anything off to avoid one possible “stressor” senior year.

Lipski agreed that you should try to be finished early on so you can spend more time to prepare for the presentation because failure could cost you your graduation.

“Also, choose something you can have fun with,” Lipski added.

Senior project presentation Pass English Check with counselor to make sure you have enough credits Stay focused Go to class Pay fines Find someone to walk with at graduation Go to graduation rehearsal Make summer plans Get final transcripts to send to colleges Get a summer job Buy a laptop Plan your graduation party Pass classes GRADUATE!

List compiled by Zena Shelton

Page 6

s ’ t a h in it?

May, 15 2009

Rogue News

W

by Sadie Shelton & Hannah Sayles

“Can I offer you some crushed bugs with that yogurt?”

Not such a common question, but it deserves an even more surprising answer “No need, it’s already in it.” That’s right! Turns out we know surprisingly little about the contents of our own food.

From insects, to rat hair and crushed animal bones, see if you can guess: what’s in it?

See if you can match which contaminants are in which food!

A. Chocolate

1. Lac Bug

2. Rat hair

B. Jello

C. strawberry yogurt 3. Animal bones 4. Cochineal Bug D. skittles

Answers:

So are these avoidable? Well, not likely since there is no way everyone would stop eating chocolate just because of a few measly rodent hairs. Perhaps it’s just that we are too squeamish. Dr. Manfred Kroger, a professor of food science at Pennsylvania State University, said, “Let’s face it, much of our food comes from nature, and nature is not perfect.”

A:1; 1 rodent hair is acceptable to the FDA for every 100 grams (about on bar) of chocolate B:3; Jell-O is made from animal collagen and bones D:1; Lac bug used as sugar coating on candy and glaze C:4; The cochineal bug is crushed, and it’s innards used as food dye.

fantastic feathery fun

By Jackson Santee

Binoculars…check. A vest with too many pockets to possibly use…check. You’ve got your hiking boots laced and your cargo pants pulled up high. You’re ready for anything; any person and any animal, but you’re only looking for one: birds; birds with stripes, specks, fluorescent colors, bright stomachs and bald pruney heads. You’re looking for the glory of spotting “the big one.” You’re a full-blown bird watcher.

Some may think this hobby isn’t even a legit-

imate use of time. Well, it’s as legitimate as any of your favorite sports to play, maybe even more so. Bird watching is a wildfire of excitement and newly acquainted knowledge scorching across the nation with the intensity of a California wildfire. But don’t dial the fire department yet; this hobby is acquiring hundreds of new converts every day backed by non-profit organizations like the Audubon Society.

Yes, John James Audubon, after bestowing upon us the attractively speedy Audubon Highway, turned his passion for birds into a society for the furthering of education in our feathered friends. The Audubon society has thousands of local chapters attracting flocks

of “bird nerds” across the U.S. all united in the same voice “encouraging the conservation of precious habitat and wildlife for future generations.” By visiting www.Audubon.org, one can donate, find a local chapter to join or just feed their hunger to learn more about birds.

So, this summer you might try something new.

Enjoy the sunshine with a walk through the park and just imagine when you’re strolling and your friendly companion says, “Hey, I think that’s a Large-Billed Seed Finch,” and you can say, “Well, technically, that’s a Oryzoborus Crassirostris.”

ASHLAND Rogue News

May 10, 2009

Page 7

VS.

by Zach Kitamura

JAPAN

This coming summer, the Ashland High School Football team will return to Japan to face the Japanese All-Star team in the eleventh edition of the Pacific Rim Bowl. But the two-week journey across the ocean is more than just about football, it’s a trip that makes lasting impressions on the athletes and coaches.

Fundraising is one of the biggest challenges of this trip, and the team has put in a lot of work since last summer to raise money.

Each player must pay 1,700 dollars in order to go.

Some players raise the money by selling merchandise from oranges to discount cards for local businesses. OthHall y Charlie B d e itt m ers find jobs, b Photo Su which has been 2007 lebrate in e c s difficult during m a Both te the present economic situation and the discontinuation of the “Rent-AGrizz” program. There have been several team fundraisers as well, including a car wash and an auction held at the Elks Lodge.

Before leaving for Japan, the team will spend time giving back to the community, like helping in senior centers and reading in pre-schools. It’s a chance for the team to return the favor and show thanks for their opportunity. “I’m grateful for our community’s support, especially in hard economic times,” head coach Charlie Hall

said. “It gives players a chance to create lifelong memories.”

Besides playing football in Japan, the team will be doing different things around the region, such as learning about the history and culture of the Land of the Rising Sun. This includes a visit to the ancient capital city of Kyoto, which has temples, castles and shrines that are over 1,000 years old, as well as a visit by bullet train to Hiroshima.

As a part of the experience, players will stay with Japanese families, usually of the Japanese players, which will give them an insight into their culture and life. “The Japanese mothers do a good job taking care of our players,” Hall said. This year will also see something that hasn’t happened in years past: the team will spend the last day with their host families instead of getting on the plane immediately after the game.

“I’m pretty excited to go there and experience the culture,” sophomore Jake Scarminach said. “I’d like to get to know some of “I think it’s going bond with them.” the Japanese players and The trip doesn’t just introduce players to to be a good way to different cultures and people; it also helps build our team...” create bonds amongst themselves. “The experience solidifies friendships,” Hall - Kevin Schilling said. “Those that go form a special group that not many others can share their experience with.”

The Grizzly players have worked hard to raise money and are ready to see their labor come to fruition. “I’m very excited,” freshman Andrew Blocher said. “I think it’s a great program and I hope it continues.”

The Japanese team is made up of players mostly from the Kansai region of Japan, with an approximate population of 24 million, including the major cities of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto. About 90 percent of the players will be in their senior year. Both teams have won five games, though the Japanese have taken four in a row. The game will be played July 26 in Osaka.

Past 8 years of PRB...

2001 Nagai Stadium - Osaka: Japan 48, Ashland 0

2003 Phillips Field: Japan 26, Ashland 0

2005 Oji Stadium - Kobe: Japan 28, Ashland 6

2007 Phillips Field: Japan 28, Ashland 21

There’s nothing Small about their Sohl Although the race was hot this year and the competition fierce, Noah Sohl and Ben Small were elected the Student Body Co-Presidents for the ’09-’10 school year.

Most everyone knows the traditional responsibilities of leadership such as organizing school events and spreading the spirit, but Noah and Ben have original ideas to keep our school positive in a time where cuts and changes seem to be making everything negative. The Rogue News caught up with Sohl to discuss the pair’s passions, plans and ultimate dance songs.

What made you guys want to run?

It’s been a long standing goal of ours. From an early age Ben and I began to acknowledge each other’s unique leadership skills and “leading by example” way of taking on our world’s societal problems. During our last year at Briscoe, we both helped to organize an anti-war protest which ended up getting a nice little clip in the evening news: the six or seven of us boys chanting things like “books not bombs” at the passing cars. That was just the beginning of our budding lives of activism and sometime during our 8th grade or freshmen year we decided that we wanted to run for ASB Presidents together. The knowledge we have gained from Ben’s year in Portugal and mine in the Wilderness Charter School are going to be keystones in how we prioritize projects and dedicate our time.

What are some of your plans and goals for next year?

We are hoping that the biggest changes in our school will arise from the students who feel most voiceless. High school is a perfect environment to practice self-initiative and community collaboration. The vibe of our school will be determined by how willing the student body is to stay positive and give some time and thought to where things could use some improvement. Ben and I do have some of our own ideas though! If all goes well, our first project will be to collect this year’s graduation gowns after the ceremony as a school fundraiser. The students willing to part with their garments will be raising money for the school, creating a more affordable option for a graduate of the next years class and aiding in slowing a disgusting process of over-consumption.

As ASB Presidents, Noah and Ben will be in charge of choosing the music at dances. Here are a few of Ben’s dance songs he would like to groove to:

(Kalemba) Wegue Wegue

by Buraka Som Sistema Just Dance by Lady GaGa The Guru Josh Project by Infinity All I Ever Wanted by Basshunter Artwork by Anna Hume

One More Time by Daft Punk