“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” HARPER LEE
11
Pages
IN TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
VitaBrevis Thursday, June 01, 2017
VSAA’s Student Newspaper
Issue: 01, 1st Year
CARING REDEFINED: A COMMUNITY OF KINDRED INDIVIDUALS
From the frenzied minds of diligent AP testers and the muddled brains of tired artists, the VSAA student community is one of constant busyness. Many of us arrive well before the morning bell rings, and depart long after the hour hand on the courtyard clock has passed the four. In the rush and rhythm of everyday life, it’s all too easy to forgo the sense of depth, connection, and caring that we strive to maintain. But every once in a while, a common experience revitalizes the definitions and enactments of these words. GRACE KORTHUIS EDITORIAL STAFF VANCOUVER - April 26th was VSAA’s 15th annual Day of Caring. There were a plethora of excellent projects that students had the opportunity to participate in, from the Food Bank to the Fort Vancouver gardens, to scattered elementary schools throughout Vancouver. For student participants, coordinators, and staff at VSAA, Day of Caring is acknowledged as a long-standing school tradition. However, as years go by and we grow accustomed to the perceived norm of such an event, some of the excitement dissipates. And with that, the special day some-
PICTURED (LEFT TO RIGHT): DAY OF CARING COORDINATORS KASTINE COOK, ANNA CORNWELL, EMILY SALTZBERG, AND LAUREN ABBOTT AT THE FORT VANCOUVER ROSE GARDEN. THESE LADIES BROUGHT THE ENTHUSIASM AND PASSION TO DAY OF CARING THIS YEAR, WORKING TIRELESSLY ALL YEAR LONG TO COORDINATE OUR MUCH ANTICIPATED SCHOOL EVENT.
CULLIN BAISLEY EDITORIAL TEAM
The Magic of the Ether & The Magic of the Theater VANCOUVER - What does it take to find a long-lost love? And, do you even want to? And, was she even real? Questions like this can be tricky to answer, and while the latter questions might still pose some difficulty for David Quinn, the answer to the former is only too simple: a microphone. Written by John OIive, “The Voice of the Prairie” is a rare treat: a simple premise exercised with nuance and infused with enough soul to make Aretha Franklin bow her head. Spanning two
eras, “Prairie” tells the story of urchin David “Davie” Quinn (Cole Peterson), and runaway Frances “Frankie” Reed (Betsy Hanrahan). For Davie (Tane Muller), an energetic storyteller who spent his formative years traveling the west with his grandfather Poppy (Tristan Boesch), the chance to recount his childhood adventures for the burgeoning radio audiences of America > READ MORE ON PAGE 6
how loses some of its vi- we should be in class. We tal meaning. For me, this were a group: cohesive, year that meaning and ex- connected, and significitement was rekindled. I cant. found myself understand- Lauren Abbott, one of the ing and acknowledging student Day of Caring cothe true “Day of Caring”. ordinators, stated that It wasn’t just about volun- “The idea that a school of teering, picking up trash, nearly 600 goes out and and performing for the el- does community service derly. Day for one of Caring “For the entirety of April day—that’s was, for 26th, 2017, we were not something unfamiliar individuals that is so mefor wandering the halls in special and perhaps a desperate attempt so rare. I the first to entertain ourselves time in don’t think when we should be in we recogthe five years that class. We were a group: nize that cohesive, connected, that’s someI’ve parand significant.” ticipated thing that in it- rejust doesn’t ally about caring. During happen [in other places].” the projects most students Lauren Abbott, Emily seemed genuinely in- Saltzberg, Anna Cornwell, vested in the tasks ahead and Kastine Cook were of them, using effort and the driving forces behind mindfulness to produce this year’s Day of Caring. great work. After the bus- They organized a day that, ses were emptied and as Lauren articulated, the beloved brick build- truly is special and rare. ing of VSAA began to fill When Heat Wave—a Portonce more, students re- land funk band comprised ported back to their pre- of high school students— determined classrooms. performed in the Durst There they had a chance at the end of the day, we to play games, converse, threw up our arms and let eat lunch, and really get our hair down with wild to know one another. abandon. We belted along For the entirety of April to songs recognizable 26th, 2017, we were not from past VSAA memounfamiliar individuals ries, including September wandering the halls in a by Earth, Wind, & Fire desperate attempt to en- and Billie Jean by Michael tertain ourselves when Jackson. We cheered rau-
Able to Be: A Senior Project Teaser
ISABEL BARRUETA EDITORIAL STAFF In a series of raw yet reflective prose pieces entitled “able to be”, Isabel Barrueta tackles the real experiences of victims of emotional and sexual abuse. The pieces are divided into three sections; recognize, overcome, and becoming.
VANCOUVER - My name is Isabel Barrueta and I am 18 years old. For my senior project this year, I have decided to delve into my experiences to help with my growth and self love journey as I approach the new beginnings
cously with uncontained grins when Sameyah took the mic. (And we cheered almost as loudly when Denali displayed his new haircut onstage.) We fell quiet as Joe spoke of his bittersweet final experience with Day of Caring. And when the music slowed and the lights dimmed, we swayed from side to side, transforming our phone flashlights into a sea of stars. Standing in front of the audience with other YPLs, I found myself glancing behind me nearly as often I looked at the stage in front of me. I didn’t want to miss anything: the band in front or the wildly eclectic and important ensemble of audience members behind me. Because Day of Caring is not only an opportunity to show our care to the wider Vancouver community. It’s also a chance to care for the people we see every day in the halls at school, whether they be our best friends or people we’ve never spoken to before. This day is as much about virtue and caring as it is about the connection we feel with one another.
that college will bring me. I am also writing this collection to not only share my story, but to hopefully empower those men and women who have been through the same things as I have... > READ ON PAGE 11
2
3
Friday June, 12th 2015
Editorial Section
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JAMIE NORRIS CONTENT EDITORS CULLIN BAISLEY & BELLA MARTINEZ RECORDERS CAROLINE ERDMANN & GRACE KORTHUIS PUBLICITY EDITORS MADY MARTIN & ISABEL BARRUETA
Friday June, 12th 2015
MAIN NEWS CONTENT CURRENT EVENTS
ESSENTIAL NONSENSE
“What’s Happ’n?” Cullin Baisley-........................................................... PAGE 4
HIGHLIGHT
DEAR CHARLES
A BRIEF EDITOR’S NOTE: THE WELCOMING
W
elcome to the first issue of Vita Brevis! My name is Jamie Norris and I am the Editor-inChief/ creator of the newspaper! I am so incredibly excited to bring you all this passion project of mine. I believe I speak on behalf of the whole Editorial Staff when I say that we have been working so hard on making this idea a reality and that we really hope you enjoy this issue! That being said, I figure I should give those of you who are not very familiar with Vita Brevis some context into what we are all about. Vita Brevis is VSAA’s studentrun newspaper. We are a club that meets once a week on Thursdays at Enrichment B in Jody Adams’ room, although you can find us editors there procrastinating, consuming mass amounts of tea, and just generally being snarky at Enrichment A as well. Vita Brevis has its own writing staff (aka those who show up to the meetings), but
anyone and everyone can submit articles, comics, photos, etc. through our submission box which circulates through the school email. Vita Brevis was created with student interests in mind. It intends to serve as a forum for students to share their interests and expository work with the rest of our community. It is a core belief of ours that it is vital that students have an outlet to express their voices in order to unify the different facets of our school and initiate important conversations that make us into better citizens and people. Vita Brevis is my junior project, and I plan on continuing it past the time of my graduation. I have always been a writer and editor at heart, as well as an ardent news enthusiast, so I knew when junior projects came around that I wanted to explore that part of myself a little more, as well as introduce journalism- another one of my passionsinto our school. Thus, the idea of creating a newspa-
LOVE MASTER CHARLES IS HERE TO ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ON THE FICKLE THING THAT IS LOVE DEAR CHARLES, WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE MY RELATIONSHIP MORE... SPICY? I REALLY WANT TO MAKE THINGS MORE INTERESTING IN MY RELATIONSHIP AND ADD VARIETY... THANKS! SINCERELY, - THAT SPICY SPICY DEAR THAT SPICY SPICY, TRY ADDING CHILI POWDER/SAUCE TO YOUR RELATIONSHIP. I RECOMMEND THE HOT SAUCE WITH THE ROOSTER ON THE LABEL. -CHARLES
Remus Wilcox............................................................ PAGE 4
The Pledge of Allegiance Kailee Meyers............................................................ PAGE 5
Cure-all Smoothie Alaina Bossert........................................................... PAGE 5
“Tha Rap Book Mixtape Volume 1” Mubarik Salisu Alfablondi.................................... PAGE 5
LOCAL The Magic of the Ether & The Magic of the Theater Cullin Baisley.............................................................. PAGE 6
Students’ Peace of Mind PICTURED (from left to right) The Vita Brevis Editorial Staff on a sunny day in the courtyard. Grace Korthuis. Cullin Baisley, Mady Martin, Jamie Norris, Isabel Barrueta, Caroline Erdmann, & Bella Martinez PHOTOGRAPHER: Ellie Josephson
-per was born. Unbeknownst to me at the time, VSAA actually had a student newspaper in the past, lead by VSAA alumni Miles Hewitt, but it hasn’t been around for a couple years. I actually drew some inspiration from his paper like the name “Vita Brevis” (with permission of course), and the basic structure of how to tackle this difficult project and assemble my team, so I definitely thank Miles for that. I wanted to do as much justice as I could do with my take on the paper to continue that legacy. Making this paper became very significant to me for a lot of reasons. On principle, I feel very strongly about the importance of having a central forum for communication within a society. I believe that newspapers are one of our only resources left that really allow us to not only to discuss and hold accountability, but to become better as a people. I hope that this project will do just that within my small, isolated community. Vita Brevis has also become part of who I am. It has become more than just a project for me. It’s showed
me a lot about myself that maybe I didn’t realize before and has stretched me in so many ways. This project really grabbed ahold of me and didn’t let go until I got it done. So after many sleepless nights and way too many cups of coffee, the team and I were finally able to develop a system that worked relatively well for structure, format, and editing, bringing you this issue. In fact, as I am writing this, I am on my fourth consecutive night of three hours of sleep, but this has been worth it. This process has been very challenging and frankly, stressful on us all. Starting a new idea and taking the artistic plunge is always scary, but this one really paid off. The team has been so patient and dedicated that it’s really made this project fun to work on. Overall, even though it has been particularly arduous, creating Vita Brevis has been one of the most enriching experiences I have had in my time here. I hope you enjoy it just as much as we enjoyed making it for you. JAMIE NORRIS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
VSAA EVENTS COMING SOON Senior Project Presentations Senior project presentations are starting, which means it is the beginning of the end, artschoolers. Our seniors have been working really hard on their LAST projects at VSAA, so it would mean a lot if you would come and support them. There’s a variety of different types of projects ranging in art forms, interests, and research topics, so there is plenty to learn and art to enjoy! The schedule is avaliable around the school so you can attend your friends’
A New Addition to the Skies
projects! Be there! Swing Dance in VSAA Courtyard June 2nd Come and support your fellow students in the jazz program at the swing dance this June! Each level has a set and there are going to be lots of delicious snacks as well as fun dancing! This is a really cool courtyard celebration and the musicians would really appreciate it if you would come and support them. See you there!
Vita Brevis
Join us for next year & keep an eye out for teasers this summer! Prom June 3rd 8pm-11pm @ The Hilton Dancing the night away. Everyone looks stunning, dressed to the nines. Screaming the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody. Need I say more? Tickets avaliable this next in the gallery during Enrichment. Tickets will not be sold at the door, so make sure to buy them
this week! Yearbook Distribution Party June 5 Ah, the end is in sight. Get ready to party it up and get your yearbook signed by all the cool kids in school (all of them). Remember to bring all your best neon colored Sharpies and have fun!! HAGS!
DEAR CHARLES, I THINK I’VE FOUND MY DREAM GUY, HE’S EVERYTHING I COULD EVER WANT IN A BOYFRIEND, BUT THERE’S ONLY ONE PROBLEM.... HE’S ALREADY SOMEONE ELSE’S BOYFRIEND. WHAT DO I DO? SINCERELY, -WORRIED WASHINGTONIAN
Sara Ronen................................................................. PAGE 6
The Senior Review: Colbe Schicatano Zachary Herrmann.................................................. PAGE 7
“DAILY SCHEDULES”, A COMIC BY NATHAN KELDSEN
HUMOR: MONTHLY GAGS ALPHA-BASES Mr. Winkley: “Sara, what’s the chemical formula for water?” Sara Ronen: “H I J K L M N O.” Mr. Winkley: “What are you talking about?” Sara Ronen: “You said, ‘It’s H to O!”
ONE FISH, TWO FISH, BLIND FISH, BLUE FISH Lauderbaugh: “What do you call a fish with no eyes?” Bella Martinez: “Fsh.” NONSENSE PROVIDED BY JON LAUDERBAUGH
The Truth About Being a Student Athlete Cassie Baldino............................................................ PAGE 7
DEAR WORRIED WASHIGTONIAN, MOVE ON. DON’T DO IT. MOVE ALONG. NOTHING TO SEE HERE… DON’T BE THAT PERSON. -CHARLES DEAR CHARLES, I AM NOT IN A POSITION WHERE I AM TRYING TO FIND LOVE. I TRIED IT ONCE AND IT WAS...MEDIOCRE AT BEST. I’M IN THE POSITION WHERE I HAVE THIS IRRITATINGLY PERSISTENT GUY -A TAKEN GUY, MIGHT I ADD- ON MY BACK AND HE WON’T LEAVE ME ALONE. HE’S CONSTANTLY FLIRTING WITH ME AND INITIALLY I THOUGHT IT WAS ENDEARING OR HARMLESS BUT NOW IT’S JUST PLAIN UNCOMFORTABLE. I HAVEN’T GIVEN THIS GUY ANY INDICATION THAT I’M INTERESTED, BUT HE IS- AGAIN- VERY PERSISTENT. I HATE REJECTION AND I DON’T WANT TO HURT HIS FEELINGS, BUT I KNOW I NEED TO CUT HIM OFF. HOW DO I LET HIM DOWN IN A NICE YET FIRM WAY? SINCERELY, -GIRLFRIEND-ZONED GAL DEAR GIRLFRIEND-ZONED GAL, GET A BIGGER BOYFRIEND. -CHARLES DEAR CHARLES, THE GIRL I LIKE IS MY BEST FRIEND AND I LOOOOOOVE HER SOOOOOO MUCH AND I WATCH HER DO TRACK BUT I STILL FEEL LIKE NO MATTER WHAT I DO SHE DOESN’T WANT TO DATE ME SO WHAT SHOULD I DO? SINCERELY, -STUCK IN THE FRIEND-ZONE DEAR STUCK IN THE FRIEND-ZONE, OH MAN, THAT’S A… RUN TRACK? CHASE HER DOWN, ASK HER OUT! -CHARLES
LIFESTYLE VSAA Compliments Jessica Gates & Janelle Dockter ........................... PAGE 8
Music ReVIEWS Spoons Bradshaw.......................................................PAGE 8
Have You Heard...Barns Courtney? Cullin Baisley.............................................................. PAGE 8
Artists of the Month
BELLA MARTINEZ EDITORIAL STAFF
MAY HOROSCOPES
PICTURED: MAGICAL TAROT CARDS PHOTOGRAPHER: ELLIE JOSEPHSON
Mady Martin.............................................................. PAGE 9
CULTURE Google Calendar: A colorful Way to Organize Stress Caroline Erdmann................................................. PAGE 10
Book Club: The Second Coming Andy Winner............................................................ PAGE 10
Obscure Instrument Reviews: The Sho Asher Hicks............................................................. PAGE 11
Reminder of Open-Mindedess Ryan Desemple....................................................... PAGE 11
Didn’t get your article in this time? Submit to Vita Brevis Issue 2! Questions? Contact vsaa.vitabrevis@gmail.com or message us on any of our social media accounts! Vita Brevis meets Thursday, Enrichment B in Jody Adams’ room! See you there!
ARIES - The World Reversed This is going to be an overwhelming month for you, Aries. You have been focused on the big picture for a while, but it’s the small things that are going to kill you. Keep your eye on the prize, but remember that the devil is in the details. AQUARIUS - Knight of Wands Reversed It may be tempting to rush into something you’re sure you’re ready for-don’t. You may be tempted to act irrationally and be spontaneous, but you’ll ultimately regret your decision and be forced to restart, taking twice as long as doing it correctly the first time. Keep your wits about you and do it right the first time. PISCES -3 of Cups May will be an especially prosperous time for Pisces. With the weather getting nicer and summer just around the corner, you’re ready for fun times. This month will be especially good for rekindling friendships and finding new ones
GEMINI - 4 of Pentacles Reversed Being selfish is human nature, and something that everyone inevitably experiences. However, be careful with letting your less charitable side take over and rear its ugly head. Losing friends is not worth getting your way. CAPRICORN -Death Something needs to come to an end-be it a relationship, a job, or something else-and you know it. The end may be difficult, but you know that it’s a part of life and that it’s important to keep moving forward. Don’t be scared; every end just means there’s a new beginning right around the corner. VIRGO -9 of Swords Anxiety from the stresses of life may be affecting your sleep in May, Virgo. Staying awake into the early hours of the morning thinking about testing or other stresses will do more harm than good. If this impedes on your ability to function, talk to an adult you trust about ways to overcome this obstacle.
TAURUS - Death Reversed Your stubborn nature makes it difficult to let go. However, things must come to an end, and you are beating a dead horse by refusing to move on. Conclusions can be painful, but you are making it worse on yourself by dragging it out. Learn to let bygones be bygones this month. LIBRA - The Tower Reversed There may be a crisis on the horizon that you are averting and ignoring to the best of your ability, but with poor results. Your desire to maintain balance is making any tumultuous event in your life more difficult than it has to be, and is extending your suffering. Don’t turn molehills into mountains. SAGITTARIUS - 4 of Swords You have sharp wits that will help you out this May. You can keep your cool and feel confident witty everything you pursue. Testing will be considerably less stressful for you than many of your peers, and you’ll have plenty of time to relax.
CANCER - 2 of Wands Reversed Being isolated has really taken its toll on you creatively. While there are benefits to working alone, your lack of perspective is making your art static and preventing necessary creative growth. Branch out of your comfort zone and look for new artistic opportunities. SCORPIO - Ace of Pentacles May is going to be all about being grounded in reality and possibility for the Scorpio. This would be the time to open a savings account, spend more time with family, pick up meditation, or start searching for a summer job. The possibilities are endless, so use this time wisely! LEO - 8 of Swords Mentally, you’re going to be feeling a little trapped in May. With testing and the end of the year just in sight, you may be craving a little more freedom and feel contracted with school. However, many of these mental blocks are of your own creation. Once you realize that, Leo, you’ll feel less trapped and more optimistic.
4
5
Friday June, 12th 2015
KAILEE MEYERS GUEST WRITER
WHAT’S HAPP’N? VANCOUVER - April was an… interesting month, to put it mildly. It’s a fascinating thought, occurring to me as my own birthday rolled around, that the world we live in is a vastly different one than the world that existed a few years ago. Aside from a couple of short years (of which I, naturally, have no memory), I have never known a world without some perpetual conflict in which my nation is involved. Obviously, conflict is timeless and occurs on a constant basis throughout the world, but the majority of the 1990s were a sort of reprieve from what was otherwise a tempestuous century. This sort of calm and peace is all-but unim-
-aginable to the most recent generation of Americans, and sadly it may seem to continue as such. Bear in mind, this is not a political expose: it is merely a hard look at current events as they occurred. Obviously, in today’s world of mass- and- social-media, unbiased opinions are few and far-between. As such, information for this article is gathered from multiple sources and cross-checked to ensure accuracy. Since we can’t touch on everything that happened in the month (seeing as how my editors know me well enough to constantly remind me that this article shouldn’t be more than a page long), we’ll be doing a bit of a highlight reel. I highly recommend BBC news for more information, as it’s the closest thing to
find on mainstream broadcast. Without any further adieu, here’ what’s happ’n in the month of April. Hurricane Debbie kicked off the month by swamping a significant portion of Queensland, resulting in loss of life, displacement and major damage to infrastructure. Landslides and terror attacks in South America, Russia, and the Middle East continued to draw the thoughts and sympathies of people worldwide. While these incidents were horrible tragedies in their own right, nothing sent shockwaves like the chemical weapons attack on Khan Sheikhoun, Syria, on April 4th. We will start by dispensing with fantasies or misguided defense of any involved party: this was a crime
A NEW ADDITION TO THE SKIES
PHOTOGRAPHER ELLIE JOSEPHSON
VANCOUVER - For the first time in thirty years, there have been eleven new cloud additions to the International Cloud Atlas (a global source for meteorologists). Far from the clouds we are used to watching make their way across the sky, these new formations whirl, roll, and plague the skies wherever they form. According to the founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society, Gavin Pretor-Pinney, these cloud formations have existed for some time but are only now gathering attention due to the in-
The Pledge of Allegiance: A Thing of the Past?
NEWS EDITORS CONTACT INFORMATION: vsaa.vitabrevis@gmail.com 360 721 2546
CURRENT EVENTS CULLIN BAISLEY EDITORIAL STAFF
Friday June, 12th 2015
fluence of social media. It is the hope amongst meteorologists that by raising widespread awareness through social media platforms, we, as citizens of the earth, will grow more concerned for the current state of our atmosphere after viewing these photos of unsettling, unfamiliar cloud formations. With the feelings of apprehension garnered from witnessing these photos, optimistically this will inspire people to take initiative in the fight against climate change: a change in regional or
even global climate patterns, which can cause negative and widespread effects both on people and the environment. The evidence of climate change can be found on blatant display with these additional cloud formations, now it’s up to us to decide how we are going to move forward with this knowledge.
REMUS WILCOX WRITING STAFF
PHOTO CREDIT STOCK PHOTOS
CURE-ALL SMOOTHIE PHOTOGRAPHER ELLIE JOSEPHSON
unbiased reporting you’ll against humanity, plain and simple. The use of chemical weapons, whomever by and whomever on, is condemned in the strongest possible terms by the Geneva Conventions (not to mention basic human dignity). Syrian president Assad’s repetitive denial that his military was involved was shouted down by the sheer number of eyewitness reports claiming Assad-regime responsibility for the attack. Russia, Assad’s long-time ally, was reserved in their defense of the regime but nonetheless blamed anti-Assad rebels for the incident. P r e s i d e n t Trump, who had only days earlier announced that Assad was a capable leader and that president Obama’s anti-Assad policy was a mistake, was uncharacteristically silent… that is until 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched from US destroyers in the Mediterranean, striking a Syrian government airfield where local intelligence sources reported the chemical attack had been launched from. US, Russian and local reports claimed no casualties, though Assad denounced the blatant attack that had caused
“severe casualties” (naturally, no specific casualty figures were released). It’s ok though; there’s plenty of other goings-on to Twitter-bomb. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan saw his country pass a constitutional referendum (which caused a major stir in Europe last month, when the German and Dutch PMs refused to allow Turkish citizens of their countries to attend pro-referendum rallies, which naturally led Erdogan to call them Nazis on live TV), granting him huge new powers and transforming Turkey from a parliamentary democracy to a presidential one. Erdogan’s new capabilities as president include the sole power to appoint cabinet ministers, the ability to declare a national emergency, and the power to overrule the judiciary and suspend parliament. After the failed coup last year, Erdogan praises these new measures as important steps in restoring peace and order in Turkey. Tensions have been steadily rising in the Korean Peninsula, as a US carrier group takes up position off the coast of North Korea amidst a slew of heavily-condemned missile tests, bel-
licose statements, and imprisonments of American citizens by Pyongyang. China, North Korea’s long-time business partner and key strategic ally, has been pressing both sides to tone down the escalations before things get worse (it is, however, worth noting that China has ceased their exporting of coal to North Korea, and has suspended all flights between Beijing and Pyongyang - the only air route into the isolationist country). A terror attack in London, UK on the doorstep of British parliament and in the midst of afternoon open forum - left numerous bystanders and a police officer dead. This, in the middle of continued actions in pursuit of British PM Theresa May’s promised “Hard Brexit”, as well as May’s subsequent call for a snap election, has made an already tumultuous time for the British people even more turbulent. The French primary elections have just passed, rocketing centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right Marine le Pen to the front of what will no-doubt be a polarizing and key election season. How this will play out for the French people and Europe as a whole remains to be seen.
For more information on any of the topics discussed today, I advise that you go out and do some reading for yourself. Be aware of publications which may place a biased slant on their work (though bear in mind that bias is the intentional omission of certain facts of information to support one side of an argument: just because an article points out the flaws with an individual or system does not necessarily mean that the article is biased, so long as they present all the facts available to them), and remember that only a personal commitment to pursuing understanding can hope to challenge ignorance.
ALAINA BOSSERT GUEST WRITER
Serves: 3 Prep Time: 7 min Ingredients : 1/2 cup Ice 1 cup Green leafy vegetables / kale 1 and 1/2 cup Unsweetened almond milk 1 whole Banana 1/3 cup Unsweetened yogurt 1 tbsp. Turmeric powder 1 tsp. Cinnamon Optional : 1 tbsp. Fish oil
VACOUVER We are living in a turning point of history. Young people are becoming more politically aware daily, and students are beginning to challenge American traditions. One of those is standing during the Pledge of Allegiance. Traditionally, schools open their days with a recitation of the pledge, and VSAA is recently included in that group. In the past year, this topic has been controversial throughout the country, and as a school we’ve experienced the discussion more personally in the past few months. As a nation, standing for the pledge jumped to the forefront of many of our minds sometime last autumn. Of course, many students have sat in respectful silence for years, but it wasn’t until August 26, 2016 that people started to debate the topic. During the third preseason game of last years NFL season, San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the National Anthem. Kaepernick continued this throughout the rest of the season. Accusations were thrown at him, and many felt ashamed of the team and their quarterback. Others were thrilled that someone in the public eye was finally drawing attention to an issue that isn’t addressed enough in America - the
rights of people of color. and world events and Kaepernick said his rea- things bubbled up. [. . .] son for kneeling was to Now that [students] are use his influence to bring knowledgeable about light to an issue he cares those injustices, they deeply about. Being bi- want to stand against racial, the quarterback that. I think it’s coming has strong feelings to- from a more informed ward racism and police place.” brutality. In an interview Another underlying with Steve Wyche from cause of concern about NFL.com, Kaepernick the issue is religion. The stated, “To me, this inclusion of “unis bigger than der God” makes football and many people “The Pledge of Alit would be that don’t belegiance is a uniting selfish on lieve in God factor of our country my part to uncomfortthat is cracking at the look the othable, and diseams.” er way. There rectly defies are bodies in the separation the street and of church and people getting paid state. “This country is leave and getting away supposed to be a place with murder.” His feel- where everyone can ings echo those of many come, no matter your heartbroken American religion. Being forced citizens. to say God when you’re Kaepernick and the other saying the pledge [. . .] athletes that kneeled, sat, that’s just not fair to peoor raised a silent fist dur- ple who aren’t Christian ing the National Anthem or Catholic, or whatever only planted a seed in an else,” described an anonalready unsettled coun- ymous red teamer, who is try. America was in a not religious. On the othstate of near constant po- er hand, Steven Johnson, litical debate during the a sophomore who does 2016 election. Tensions not believe in God, refers were high as Donald to the line as about “just Trump and Hillary Clin- your definition of what ton spit fiery arguments God is.” Many people at each other, and when who don’t have religious Trump won the election, beliefs choose to omit the this only increased. Ri- words completely, which ots and protests spread is just one of the many through the nation like variations on the pledge wildfire, and less people that art schoolers say. have stood during the Regardless of political pledge since then. In an differences, most of us interview with Sahara can see that our nation Jones, she explained is divided. The Pledge of that the election caused Allegiance, along with more people to become our flag, was once rich in educated on politics, say- meaning and devotion. ing, “All of these issues Now that most students
who recite the words do so without truly acknowledging their meaning, the Pledge of Allegiance is a uniting factor of our country that is cracking at the seams. “We are terribly fractured right now, under this administration. I think we’ve been fractured for a long time, but it’s come to the forefront,” says Mrs. Jessen. The once patriotic recitation is no longer gluing our breaking country back together, but instead highlights the independent and complex views of each citizen.
1 tsp. B Vitamin Complex 1 tsp. Green Tea extract Instructions: 1: Wash the kale or other green leafy vegetable. 2: Add all ingredients to blender. 3: Blend on high for up to one minute. 4: Enjoy!! 5: Be cured of most illnesses ;) Notes: Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory. Cinnamon may help to stabilize blood sugar. Fish oil may help with supporting joint health. B Vitamin Complex and Green Tea extract can improve skin health.
“Tha Rap Book Mixtape Volume 1” MUBARIK SALISU ALFABLONDI GUEST WRITER VANCOUVER - Hello my name is Mubarik Salisu Alfablondi and I’m doing a personal project called “Tha Rap Book Mixtape Volume 1.” I worked on this project since the beginning of school working a long 7 months recording my own original and personal songs that I wrote when I was in 9th grade. I started rapping In my early years of being 15 and wrote on a college rule notebook later calling It “Tha Rap Book.” I finished filling the book In the end of my 9th grade school year filling It with original rap Ideas and songs but I had an Idea of wanting to
record a mixtape from those Ideas so I worked hard staying after school recording this mixtape day In and day out during my 10th grade year. After I finished the final touches of all the 30 tracks I made I had another idea of putting them Into cds and sharing them around my area to different schools and Portland which I’m working on now. I’ve posted part one of my mixtape on my Soundcloud account Mubarik Alfablondi and part two Is coming out Friday of May.
6
7
Friday June, 12th 2015
LOCAL NEWS
Friday June, 12th 2015
CONTACT US ON FACEBOOK, INSATGRAM, & TWITTER @VSAA.VITABREVIS
The Magic of the Ether & The Magic of the Theater
CULLIN BAISLEY EDITORIAL STAFF
VANCOUVER - What does it take to find a longlost love? And, do you even want to? And, was she even real? Questions like this can be tricky to answer, and while the latter questions might still pose some difficulty for David Quinn, the answer to the former is only too simple: a microphone. Written by John OIive, “The Voice of the Prairie” is a rare treat: a simple premise exercised with nuance and infused with enough soul to make Aretha Franklin bow her head. Spanning two eras, “Prairie” tells the story of urchin David “Davie” Quinn (Cole Peterson), and runaway Frances “Frankie” Reed (Betsy Hanrahan). For Davie (Tane Muller), an energetic storyteller who spent his formative years traveling the west with his grandfather Poppy (Tristan Boesch),
the chance to recount his childhood adventures for the burgeoning radio audiences of America is a dream come true, as he leaves behind his simple Nebraska farm to sell his story, radio sets,
“Theater is magical... I’ve known that for a long time. But this show truly articulates the power of storytelling.” and a con game involving New Yorker Leon Schwab (Isaac Kurth) and the mysterious “Miss Emily.” Yet through his newfound role as the titular “Voice of the Prairie,” Mr. Quinn discovers something far greater than money or fame: a chance to reunite with Frankie (Cassie Paulsen), his childhood friend and companion through thick and thin. “Theater is magical,” writes sen-
ior and female co-lead Cassie Paulsen, “I’ve known that for a long time. But this show truly articulates the power of storytelling.” Though by the time this article is published the show will have run its course, it nonetheless begs recommendation and commendation in the strongest terms. Just as Poppy and Davie baffle audiences with their stories, just as Frankie teaches us to go beyond our limitations and fly through life as though invisible to all that would hamper us, so the cast and company of “The Voice of the Prairie” deliver us that same magic which infuses every production at VSAA: the magic of love, passion, trial and triumph, and most of all, the magic of storytelling.
PICTURED: COLBE SCHICATANO PHOTOGRAPHER: ELLIE JOSEPHSON
PICTURED: CAST AND CREW OF “VOICE OF THE PRAIRIE”
ZACHARY HERMANN GUEST WRITER
PICTURED (LEFT): ISAAC KURTH IN HIS ROLE OF LEON SCHWAB PICTURED (ABOVE): CASSIE PAULSEN AND LAUREN ABBOTT PHOTOGRAPHER: CASSIE’S DAD
Students’ Peace of Mind SARA RONEN GUEST WRITER As a student at VSAA, I notice and hear the struggles of many students with mental disorders like depression and anxiety. This is an epidemic that exists across the nation. According to an article in the New York Times, 1 in 5 children show signs of mental disorders (Anderson and Cardoza). One of the most disturbing examples of this was a survey which reported that 13.8% of a sample of high school students reported having serious suicidal thoughts and 1.9% had received medical attention for an attempted suicide (“Prevalence”). I know that for many students these statistics are not shocking but something a part of normal life. I do not believe that is acceptable. Students deserve to be supported by citizens in our community in funding for mental health support in our schools through resources and education. Youth need access to mental health support in non-judgemental and confidential environment where they can learn about access to therapy, medication, and other way of care. Fortunately, the issue of students mental health is being brought up in the community and to lawmakers in our state. Currently, a bill is currently going through Washington State Legislature to improve student health resources (HB 1377 - 201718). Additionally, the Vancouver School District in Southwest Wash-
ington was able to incorporate an additional 2.2 million dollars for the purpose of student resources, some of which include school counselors and psychologists (“Kathy Gillespie, VPS School Board, on Student’s Mental Health”). It is very important we as students support these initiatives, as they could very well change the lives of teenagers just like us in the future. In addition to professional support, students need mental health education to know how to respond to mental illnesses and prevent stress and anxiety. At VSAA, high schoolers receive one semester of general health, which fortunately does include mental health education from Mr. Duke. I am not convinced this is enough for the entirety of high school. Students should have a proper understanding of mental disorders so that they will know what to do if they begin to feel depressed or have a friend with suicidal thoughts. Educating students on healthy mental health habits helps prevent stress, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and abuse of alcohol and drugs. Some teachers at VSAA are applying healthy mental and emotional health habits to their learning. For example, Jeri Swatosh does a meditation exercise with her classes: Quiet the Mind. Kathy Gillespie, member of the Vancouver Public Schools School Board and mother
THE SENIOR REVIEW: COLBE SCHICATANO VANCOUVER - Hey everyone, Zachary Herrmann here, and it’s time for a review of another member of our student body. Today we will be reviewing the student known as Colbe Schicatano, also known as colbonoscopy, Colbean ChickenTaco, and Tupac. Colbe is an 18 year old senior from Mrs. Sacks’ advo. He is a jack of all trades with his expansive use of many art forms ranging from film, music, acting, drawing, and photography. The only thing this boy can’t do is see without his glasses. For those of you that are wondering what goes into a student review: The Academy looks for creativity, quality output, and overall presentation. The content reviewed will vary from student to student based on where their strengths and weaknesses lie. With all of this being said, let’s dive into the world of Mr. Schicatano. Part of what gives Colbe his unique personality is his VSAA origin story. Colbe was born in the back of a bar in Southern Arizona and grew up with nothing more than a single shirt, gameboy, and a swimming pool in his backyard. Following 8th grade, Colbe’s family moved to Vancouver and Colbe started attending school at none other than the one-and-only Hudson’s Bay High School. After being urinated on in a movie theater, and experiencing a rough start in high school, Colbe decided to apply to attend VSAA instead. In his audition for VSAA, he chose to play the saxophone. Because of his limited classi-
cal background, he played the famous piece known as Cantina Band #1 by John Williams for James O’banion. After joining our school, Colbe would go on to become the President of the High School Dance Committee and an active member of Stamp Collecting Club. When it comes to creativity, Colbe appears to be one of a kind. However, upon further inspection of his interests, it is clear to see that most of his jokes are just repeated from the meme pages he follows on Twitter. The boy dresses like he just got back from Time Square and took a shopping spree at the H&M, Footlocker, and a souvenir street kiosk. Like many parts of Colbe’s aesthetic, they are so close but fall short of impressive. When looking at Colbe’s Blu-ray collection, he obliviously puts visual masterpieces like inception and birdman along side his copy of Hotel4Dogs. His photography is on the verge of genius but often falls flat because of butchered execution. In his latest series entitled “space,” he places alien images among his landscape collection but is often too lazy to fully crop the edges of his images for a complete look. Although he claims it is a creative choice, that does not mean it is not a bad choice. After taking a look at his quality of output, Colbe seems to follow the model of “deadlines are merely suggestions”. He has blessed us with works such as “Skate God”, “Felt”, and “Doing it Live”, all of which
The Truth About Being A Student Athlete
PHOTOGRAPHER: ELLIE JOSEPHSON
of two VSAA alumni, stated that in a dream world every teacher would be trained in mindfulness teaching for it to be more commonly incorporated into classrooms (“Kathy Gillespie, VPS School Board, on Student’s Mental Health”). However, as a student, I know that not all classrooms are as supportive of students’ mental well being and stress levels. Students’ mental well being is an important issue that we deserve to be heard on. VSAA students need to take a stand for mental health in our community. We are lucky that we have such a loving school atmosphere, but we need to be putting in an effort every day to support mental well being in our school. People who struggle with mental disorders should not be stigmatized or looked down upon. It can happen to anyone in any life situation and it is no more shame-
ful than any other health problem. These students deserve to know that they are not alone, that we as a school are there for them. As students of this community, we owe it to each other to be supportive, non-judgmental, and caring. Hotline numbers I think would be great to post with this article: Clark County TeenTalk (Also available on Facebook email and IM) (360) 397-CHAT (2428) www.ccteentalk.clark.wa.gov Clark County Mental Health Crisis Line (360) 696-9560 National Suicide Prevention Hotline (800) 273-8255
VANCOUVER - Most people fantasize the athletic world. Flashing lights, fans cheering your name, ultimate success. Under all of that glory there’s pain. The pain of making a mistake, the pain of letting your team down, the pain of losing, the pain of disappointment from a coach and your fans. It takes a very selective few who can make it through this. You have to work countless hours to understand the weight of the game, the weight of your position. Every year since I was 9 years old I have practiced or played softball at least four days a week and 10 months out of the year. I have played on a turf field when it was snowing, hailing, and raining at the same time. I’ve also played in New Jersey in temperatures reaching 103 degrees with 100 % humidity. When I
am playing high school softball, weather that’s in practice or games, softball is constant 7 days a week for four months in the Spring. Once high school season is over I play with a travel team for 3 months in the summer that is dedicated to getting their players to college. This means that days before tournaments I spend about an hour emailing coaches and giving them insight on me and my team so hopefully they will come watch my games. Through all of this I have to keep a GPA above a 3.6 so I am eligible for scholarships. At the end of my travel season I practice 4-5 days a week to prepare for tryouts for the next season which lasts about 3 months in the fall. I know this sounds like a lot of complaining but it isn’t. Through this pain,
work and pressure, I am in love with this sport. Softball has kept me on top of my grades and kept me on a path of success my entire life. I’ve learned how to recover from mistakes within 5 seconds. I’ve learned how to confront people in my life about difficult situations. And I’ve learned how to celebrate victories and my success. I would not be the same person with my passion for my sport. From hitting my first home run and rounding the bases into my team’s arms to catching and missing a wild pitch that ended in the run scoring and my team losing the game, I have stuck with this sport because I love it so much and I love the person I am because of it. No matter what your passion is, sports, art, your job, it ultimately takes
have received critical acclaim throughout our school. However, besides these films, Colbe has also released over 20 variations of the same 11 second splash screen for his MIA class and can often be found in the MIA lab re-editing videos that we may never see. Colbe’s drive to have a quality product is very admirable and is perhaps one of his most promising traits. Finally, in the overall presentation category, Colbe flies slightly above the average and could fit perfectly as an archetype character in shows such as Ned’s Declassified, Victorious, or Malcolm in the Middle. Everyday Colbe’s mom writes him a sweet letter for his lunch bag but Colbe proceeds to ruin any sentimental moments by eating the gross stringy parts of the banana in his lunch. Also famous in the world of Wendy’s (as a professional for disposing of chile), Colbe has recently returned to the food industry with his production of bundt cakes. But looking past a few unique traits, Colbe appears just as another edgy teen trying to be different from other high schoolers; He’s just slightly better at it. In conclusion, Colbe is great for a one line joke, but doesn’t deserve a second date. When taken in small doses, Colbe appears desirable as friend and collaborator, but without the “senior coolness factor” he is just a RAndOm kid without the dyed hair. I’m feeling a strong 6 out of 10 on this student, but I highly recommend interacting with him on your own to form your own opinion. I hope you enjoyed this review. Have an idea of who I should review next? Feel free to shoot me an email at vsaazach@ gmail.com if you have a suggestion. See you month, and remember: it’s just my opinion.
PICTURED: Cassie Baldino, a VSAA student athlete, playing softball
room for improvement. But the only way to grow from your mistakes is to love your passion and love who you are because of it. If you don’t love what you do, it’s not worth doing. Overall, appreciate the ones that work so hard for passion and continue to fight through the pain. If you can appreciate others hard work, you can appreciate your hard work. CASSIE BALDINO GUEST WRITER
8
9
Friday June, 12th 2015
Friday June, 12th 2015
APRIL ARTISTS OF THE MONTH
EDITORIAL STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION: vsaa.vitabrevis@gmail.com
LIFESTYLE VSAA COMPLIMENTS
Made by you. Made for you. All compliments are made anonymously by VSAA students. To submit a compliment, please email Jessica Gates at 137020@student.vansd.org. “ALYSSA STRUBLE IS A VERY KIND AND UNIQUE PERSON WHO CARES ABOUT LOTS OF PEOPLE.” “ALEX GOFF IS A VERY FUNNY AND SMART PERSON WITH A UNIQUE SENSE OF STYLE AND HUMOR.” PHOTOGRAPHER ELLIE JOSEPHSON
Have You Heard...Barns Courtney?
“SOPHIA LEE, YOU ARE THE ESSENCE OF WHAT BEING A GREAT SAMARITAN IS, PEOPLE COULD LEARN A LOT FROM YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING THE WONDERFUL PERSON YOU ARE!” “EMMA THOMAS IS SUCH A SWEET PERSON TO BE AROUND AND IS ALWAYS SO CREATIVE!” “MILLA SANDERS, YOU ARE ONE OF THE STRONGEST PEOPLE I’VE MET, YOU ALWAYS KEEP PUSHING FORWARD. KEEP ON IT!” “SAYLEM PITKIN YOU ARE A GORGEOUS HUMAN BEING AND AN AMAZINGLY TALENTED DANCER!! THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH AN AMAZING ADDITION TO VSAA AND FRIEND.” “SAVANNAH ROBERTS IS SUPER SWEET, CARING, AND SELFLESS!” JESSICA GATES & JANELLE DOCKTER GUEST WRITERS
CULLIN BAISLEY EDITORIAL STAFF VANCOUVER - Welcome to Have You Heard… where we take a look at the solo artists and groups that you probably haven’t heard of. Sit down, read on, and hey - maybe you’ll find something worth listening to. In light of this year’s Core theme, it felt only fitting that we take our inaugural musical journey across the pond: to a town called Aylesbury, from whence hails a young musician named Barnaby George Courtney (yes, I understand it’s a mouthful; thankfully so does he, hence the much more lyrical “Barns”). Barns Courtney moved to Seattle with his family when he was young but moved back to England as a teenager, where he led a small band called SleeperCell. He later fronted a indie/ punk band Dive Bella
Dive, which signed and recorded but never released an album. Barns was dropped from the label, until he released his first solo track (“Glitter and Gold”) in 2015. The song was a smash hit in the UK and the US, and Courtney later had his second solo piece (“Fire”) picked up for the soundtrack of the movie “Burnt.” Since then, he’s gone on to perform on Conan, as well as at music festivals like South-by-Southwest in Austin, TX, and the closing party for the 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He headlined on tour for The Who, Ed Sheeran, and Fitz and the Tantrums (among others), and released “The Dull Drums EP” in early 2017. Currently, Courtney is working on his first fulllength album, along with touring the US (in fact, he’s in Portland at the Crystal Ballroom next week).
As far as the music itself is concerned, Courtney occupies a keen spot in his genre (which could be loosely described as pop with hefty punk and folk influences): finding a middle ground between the foot-stomping energy of Mumford and Sons, and the mellow emotion of Ed Sheeran, both flavored with a keen signature moodiness. “The Dull Drums EP” shows off a bit of versatility too, ranging from dark and stormy ballads like “Hellfire” to the tender and melancholy “Little Boy.” Courtney fronts his music on strong lead vocals and
rhythmic acoustic guitar, but his history with the punk genre is evident in the sharp riffs and thumping drums in songs like “Fire” and “Hands.” All in all, Barns Courtney is a young and talented musician with a bright future and one foot in the door. If you’re looking for something a bit more energetic than Ed Sheeran and more impassioned than Mumford and Sons, you’d do well to give this young Brit a listen. “The Dull Drums EP” is available on iTunes, Google Music and Spotify.
PHOTOGRAPHER ELLIE JOSEPHSON
The 1997 7” Transmission Flux is a collection of 4 eccentric, atmospheric songs by San Jose native slowcore/ space rock band, Duster.
With faded, grainy vocals, Stars Will Fall concludes the EP by sustaining a fuzzy yet untethered energy. Favorite song: Stars Will Fall. 9/10
It starts off with Orbitron, an angry and vivid introduction, which fades into a melancholy sound which the rest of the 7” possesses.
THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS - BEACH HOUSE (2015)
The third song, Closer to the Speed of Sound, slows down the EP and with its fluid guitar brings a somewhat sleepy and angelic atmosphere to the table.
Thank Your Lucky Stars is the 5th album by dream-pop band Beach House. Consisting of French-born Victoria Legrand and Baltimore native Alex Scally, Beach House has been releasing song after song, album after album of otherworldly, neo-psychedelic music.
Koalii Kaneen
Guadalupe Tirado
Gabriela Miles
James Allen
Sam Baker
Describe your artistic work ethic. “When I do my art I like to do little by little everyday. I don’t do everything in one day because it clusters my mind, so taking my time really helps me improve.”
Describe your artistic work ethic. “For me, I am in dance, and I like to experiment and see what works out and what I think will go well with it..”
Describe your artistic work ethic.
Who has inspired you as an artist?
“I like to get feedback on my work as I do not always trust myself. I feel it is important to get feedback from other artists so that I can do better and look at things from a different angle.”
“Michael Bay has inspired me as a filmmaker because he demonstrates all the things I shouldn’t do as a director.”
Describe your artistic work ethic. “I try to improve myself with everything I do. Every music project I do, every song I learn, I try to improve my skills in some way for the long run. That is my main goal, to never plateau.”
What’s a piece of artwork that you’ve worked on/completed recently that you’re proud of? “Last semester I was in my Lit arts class. Mr. Lauderbaugh asked us to write a narrative. I worked really hard on mine and I was proud of how it turned out. It was about a society where leaders are very strict and had harsh punishments. It followed the story of a girl and her point of view who did something to upset the leaders. The story was about her experience and what they did.”
PICTURED: English singer, songwriter, and musician Barns Courtney
Music ReVIEWS DUSTER - TRANSMISSION FLUX (1997)
Lilia Hamideh Describe your artistic work ethic. “When I have an idea, I first plan out what I want to do and then start workingon it. Once I’m done I go over my work and fix things to get it the best that I can do.”
Thank Your Lucky Stars consists of 9 distorted, ambient indie rock songs produced with the Seattle-based record company Sub Pop. Favorite Song: Elegy to the Void. 8/10
SPOONS BRADSHAW WRITING STAFF
What’s something you hope to accomplish this year, whether in your art form, or another? “I hope to improve in my artform. I would like to learn more about it andhope I can take it next year. I want to work on showing and not telling and being relatable to my readers.”
What’s a piece of artwork that you’ve worked on/completed recently that you’re proud of? “I recently made a collage of all of my favorite video game characters. It was a really huge piece and I’m proud of how it turned out. I used pencil. I have not yet finished coloring but I will probably do that tomorrow. ” What’s something you hope to accomplish this year, whether in your art form, or another? “I’m not too good at realism and I would like to be able to do that. My goal is to get better and better at it.” Who has inspired you as an artist? “My parents are who inspired me to become an artist, my parents are very artistic people and I wanted to be just like them.”
What’s a piece of artwork that you’ve worked on/completed recently that you’re proud of? “For the extended day show I was in two pieces and I was really proud of how they both turned out. One of the dances was more serious and controlled while the other was more energized.” What’s something you hope to accomplish this year, whether in your art form, or another? “For me I would like to grow as a dancer and compare where I see where I was at beginning of the year to where I am now.” Who has inspired you as an artist? “Many people throughout my 3 years here at vsaa have inspired me all in different ways. One of the people that inspired me a lot growing up was my uncle. He was in a professional dance company and always pushed himself, he danced up until his last breath and never gave up. Sadly he passed away but still to this day, he is a big role on who has inspired me the most.”
What’s a piece of artwork that you’ve worked on/completed recently that you’re proud of? “I am in VA level 2-3 and we did a painting project. We worked on it for about two months, and I decided to do an abstract acrylic piece of a hot air balloon and I like it.” What’s something you hope to accomplish this year, whether in your art form, or another? “I would like to get good at doing clay sculptures. I am not the best in working with clay and I would like to get better.”
What is a quote that have moved you as an artist. What’s a piece of art“Don’t make excuses, work that you’ve worked make improvements”-Tyra on/completed recently that Banks you’re proud of? “I learned the song Piano Man which I performed with a friend. Generally with piano, I do more pop tunes but this piece was more MADY MARTIN jazz oriented. Because of its EDITORIAL STAFF complexity, I was forced to learn how to fluently read SPECIAL THANKS TO: music and page turns and GRETA DUBOIS & stuff like that which, was a KASTINE COOK big milestone for me.”
Senior Spotlight: Caroline Erdmann Who has inspired you as an artist? “My seventh grade vocal teacher taught me that art is a sanctuary. In a normal middle school you’re judged all the time, but she taught me that you can be judged on your own terms.” What’s a thing you do/ ritual you have before starting your artistic process? “I shake off things. In vocal I bounce and sway. When writing, I bounce my pen, or move my fingers. Any physical movement keeps me sane.” Describe your artistic work ethic. “My artist work ethic is a lot of planning and then executing that planning in a timely manner with a lot of respect for other artists and myself.” What’s a piece of artwork that you’ve worked on/completed recently that you’re proud of? “Over Spring Break I worked on a poem based on a prompt called the Metal Tree. It was a really fun experience because I don’t normally do picture prompts. I took a picture and made a poem off that. It was a lot of fun to work on because it was so unique compared to my other pieces. ” What’s something you hope to accomplish this year, whether in your art form, or another? “My main artform is vocal and I am in focus, and then for lit I am in level 2-3. My senior project is all about Lit and poetry and what I’m hoping to do is take something that is normally not a common subject which is teaching and student learning, and then creating a poetry series based on that, and using it for my senior project. It will be a very fun experience bringing two very different worlds together. ”
What’s something you hope to accomplish this year, whether in your art form, or another? “Recently I formed a accapella group, and right now my main focus it to get us on a regular performance schedule and have songs ready that we can perform at coffee shops and stuff like that.” Who has inspired you as an artist? “I would say that my biggest inspiration Kevin Olusola—the beatboxer for Pentatonix. Kevin was the one that first inspired me to learn to beatbox and I am constantly inspired by his morals and advice to keep moving forward with my art, and improving my skills with every experience.”
10
11
Friday June, 12th 2015
Friday June, 12th 2015
Obscure Instrument Review: The Sho
NEWS EDITORS CONTACT INFORMATION: vsaa.vitabrevis@gmail.com FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: @vsaa.vitabrevis
CULTURE
ASHER HICKS GUEST WRITER
PICTURED NOT THE SHO. IT’S AN ORGAN. PHOTOGRAPHER: ELLIE JOSEPHSON
PICTURED: The chaos that ensues during Vita Brevis Editorial Meetings PHOTOGRPAHER: MADY MARTIN
Google Calendar: A Colorful Way of Organizing Stress CAROLINE ERDMANN EDITORIAL TEAM
PICTURED The elusive and mysterious group that calls themselves the so-called “book club”. Who are they? Will we ever know?
Book Club: The Second Coming
ANDY WINNER WRITING STAFF
People that like physical planners or people that get easily overwhelmed by a large volume of tasks, might find google calendars a hindrance to their organizational journey. Those who do enjoy having everything laid out in an easy to read and understand format will enjoy this tool. Please remember though, no matter your opinion on Google Calendars or other forms of organization, these are just tools. Tools for you to find your way through the dark clouds of work to your own horizon of graduation, or whatever that goal may be. Good luck.
VANCOUVER - VSAA’s Book Club normally meets Tuesday afternoons once a month to sit down and chat about the current novel that they’ve chosen to read. It is not uncommon to see members of the book club aggressively trying to finish 800 pages within one hour as their past month was probably filled with tests, essays, and procrastination. While VSAA’s Book Club has existed, and will continue to exist, for some time now many students are unaware of its allencompassing presence. Whilst the club fluctuates in size rapidly throughout the school year, there are always at least four members who, led by their founder Dianne Lange, stand their ground. As the club has once again begun to shrink, this message is being sent out to recruit new followers to gather in the foreign place known as “The Media Center”. Before considering joining, though, a list has been provided to see if book club is the right choice for you. To become a member you must:
Junior/Senior Project Teasers
-Be in high school, as some of the content spoken about may be unsuitable for middle school audi-
VANCOUVER - In my final year of VSAA, I have had to become a put-together person. College is just on the horizon, and papers, assignments, and final grades are the dark storm clouds blocking my graduation sunset. Google Calendars is the way for some, like me, to organize a very busy schedule with ease. I have been using Google Calendar for about three months and it has greatly increased my organizational skills and my ability to track and maintain due dates. The system is a rather basic setup: a monthly, weekly, or a daily look with events or reminders. But Google’s online
version of the planner is the pinnacle of customization. You can organize your calendars based on subject, and color coordinate them. Within the events or reminder, you can set notifications, time slots, or even add a document/note to an event. My calendar in April, like many others, was busy getting ready for testing and packed with little assignments that build up, so my Google Calendar looks like a pack of skittles (see below for picture.) A fun/ stressful pack of skittles: colorful with dots of green physics, pink senior projects, and purple literary events. So this is my case for google calendars: it’s not right for everyone.
ences. -Be able to list all of Stephen King’s books in publication date order, first to most recent. -Be capable of reading sixty pages per minute (you will be timed). -Own a red cap like that of Holden Caulfield. -Be ready to recite A Tell-Tale Heart on command at any point in time (even while you’re getting heavy dictionaries thrown at you). -Own a copy of Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road Again” (preferably the 50th anniversary edition). (Note: It is also advised that you have read at least half of the books provided in the library and that you be able to list off all of the titles and authors in alphabetical order.) If all of the above apply to you, then it seems that you may be a likely candidate. If you decide to join the current members of book club at the club’s next meeting, you should be prepared with all of the information that was just supplied to you, then prepare yourself to be evaluated based on the book club’s general rules and your knowledge of obscure literature. Good luck; book club awaits your arrival.
up” their Sho by using their hands or brazier. The sho is played orally by the user, and revolves around ten standard chords, or aitake. As aitake transition from one into the other, the player must know how to properly execute te-utsuri, which are the patterns used to do so. The sho has been most commonly used in Gagaku, which is a very traditional form of Japanese music founded in 703 AD. Gagaku is used in highly formal ceremonial events and places such as the marriage of politi-
cal figures and worship at a shrine. Gagaku players have no conductor, and instead a concertmaster called the Gakucho, who plays a drum in order to lead the ensemble. There has been a recent surge of the use of the sho in contemporary music, as highly prolific composers such as John Cage and Alan Hovhaness have incorporated the sho in their works. Mayumi Miyata was the first Sho soloist in contemporary music, and other performers such as Toshi Ichiyanagi and Toru Takemitsu have followed.
Reminder of Open-mindedness RYAN DESEMPLE WRITING STAFF VANCOUVER - Hello, and as you’ve probably read a few times now, welcome to Vita Brevis’ newest edition! It’s all rather exciting, and I thought there could be no better way to start than to offer a little reminder about being a good Samaritan in any community. To state it briefly: just be aware that other people are people too. Everyone has questions they’ll
never ask, and everyone has questions they wish you’d ask. “Do you need help with something?” “Are you alright?” “Am I doing something offensive?” These can generally fit into either category. Being courageous enough to ask these kinds of questions is a trait few truly possess. People both recognize and respect
If you’re worried about asking those questions you want to know the answers to, the chances are that asking is better than assuming. But love and respect and not arguing to death aren’t just about asking questions. It’s also about knowing how to answer questions about opinions, asking questions about opinions (and accepting the answer whatever it may be) without losing your grip on your sanity. If someone says
something to you that you didn’t agree with, what does it accomplish by arguing that they aren’t smart? (Ad hominem: arguing with the person’s worth rather than their position). Inquire as to why they think what they do, try to see things a little more openly, and maybe they’ll do the same for you in the future. If someone asks you a question and your inclination is that they’re insulting you, take a moment to think and breathe. They prob-
ably aren’t, and they’re probably looking for a genuine answer. Honesty, cool-headedness , and a formulated response tells them they’ve found an intelligent person who can hold intellectual conversation. And, hey, if they ARE insulting you, you’ve just responded calmly and respectfully, making them look like the fool. These are just a couple of tips one might need to try and be a better social citizen and avoid arguments based
on miscommunication. Being there for people and making an effort to understand people is step number one in having people be there for you who are making an effort to understand you.
ABLE TO BE: A SENIOR PROJECT TEASER
My name is Isabel Barrueta and I am 18 years old. For my senior project this year, I have decided to delve into my experiences to help with my growth and self love journey as I approach the new beginnings that college will bring me. I am also writing this collection to not only share my story, but to hopefully empower those men and women who have been through the same things as I have. I am hoping that through able to be I can show those men and women that they are not alone and that someone cares about them. Together, we can be strong, empowering, loved, and most importantly loving to others. able to be is a poetry/prose series about emotional and sexual abuse. It is divided into three sections; recognize, overcome, and becoming. recognize consists of the victim’s realization of the issues, along with the descriptions of the incidents that are/were happening. It also touches on the way the victim’s brain reacts to the pain, hurtful words and actions. They are searching for the answers as to why they aren’t the way they used to be. They are trying to find out why their partner is always upset with them and they are longing for the answers of rehabilitation.
Aliyah Peterson- The VSAA Menstrual Movement VANCOUVER -Hello art schoolers, many of you may have noticed that there are free pads and tampons located in three of the restrooms here at VSAA. Those reading this may feel uncomfortable with the topic of periods but that is exactly why I am doing this as my junior project. Due to periods being a taboo subject, people who have their periods often do not speak up about the need for pads and tampons, especially when they can’t afford them. For students, this can negatively impact their education experience, and even lead to students missing school because of their period. I am a firm believer that education should never be impacted by a period. This is why I am starting at VSAA, and I am hoping to carry this on through schools in the Vancouver School District. Periods are not a choice in any way, and we should be doing anything we can to make them a subject that can be discussed. Pads and tampons are not a privilege, they’re a human right.
VANCOUVER - The sho is a Japanese reed instrument, modeled after a similar Chinese instrument known as the sheng. It is made of 17 bamboo pipes, each with a free metal reed at the base. The construction resembles an organ, and is supposed to imitate the call of a phoenix. The sho is a woodwind instrument, played in the Japanese Imperial Court, and is carefully tuned with a precise drop of wax. However, excessive moisture can cause the instrument not to play and performers often have to “warm
Alaina Bossert- Senior Project VANCOUVER -Please come support my off-campus senior project! I am teaching short classes about health at Chuck’s Produce in Vancouver on May 19th, 21st, and 22nd at 5pm. There will be free samples of delicious foods!!!!!
overcome is all about the victim realizing they are more than the abuses and the things that have happened to them. This is the section where the abused finds and regains their power and individuality. They are more than statistics and family trends. They are real people who have real purposes. They are worthy of all sorts of opportunities.
Alexus Taylor- Senior Project VANCOUVER -Hey everyone! It’s that time of year again where senior project presentations are coming up! If you’re interested in learning about the history of dentistry, the mystical behind-the-scenes work at a dental office, or anything within the field of dentistry, come to my presentation! May 31, at 5:30 at VSAA! I would love to see some familiar faces!! Let me know if you have any questions!
becoming is when the victim says “no” to the abusive and toxic people in their life. They are proactively seeking self love and self worth. They are becoming the people who they really are... They are
PHOTO CREDIT Unsplash.com
able to be anything they desire. ISABEL BARRUETA EDITORIALSTAFF
Not everyone’s experiences and partners use the same tactics. This is just a collection from my point of view. Content warning advised, trigger warning; some of the events described can be gruesome and very realistic. Mature audiences advised. Presentation date: May 31st at 4:30pm in the Band Room.
On behalf of the entire Vita Brevis Team, THANK YOU for all your support. We couldn’t do this without all the help from all of you! Keep an eye out for our next issues COMING NEXT SCHOOL YEAR!