2018-2019 The Whirlwind: Issue 5

APRIL 2019 / ISSUE 5

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Are the theories true? What really goes on in the DOE

SPECIAL REPORT We miss you, 2000s... the movies, the music, the fashion

FOSTER CARE

The hardships children face in the foster care system

TALE

What is a ‘furry’? Why do students pick on them? Under constant torment, many furries at WAHS no longer feel safe displaying who they are on campus

News SOFTBALL

Story on page 24

CONTENTS

FURRIES

Understanding a marginalized group at our school

FOSTER CARE

Impact of the foster care system on children

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Why rumors fly about the former Bureau of Mines

Sports

ASPEN PRUCHA

DIABETES

PRESSURE IS ON

HI-STEPPERS

A profile on gymnast and her injuries

How diabetes affects athletes

Why some parents put pressure on their children to play sports

What it takes to win state

ON THE COVER: Furries may cast away their identities, willingly or otherwise, so as to avoid being persecuted. As journalists, we’ve chosen to draw attention to this oft-misunderstood group of our community this issue.

“He used to do that to me too but I’ve learned, and he also is not in a good place right now. He’s in jail.”

FOSTER CARE page 6

SPECIAL 16

Opinion

EARLY 2000S

What we miss about the 2000s

MUSIC AND MOVIES Music of the 2000s

Students share their favorite things about the 2000s

How upgrades have affected kids and their parents

BRINGING BACK THE NOSTALGIA

TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS

2 THE WHIRLWIND / APRIL 2019

STAFF ED: LATE NIGHT

Kids have to stay up late at night to do tedious homework

FOSTER BLUES

Foster children are facing abuse and neglect

MAHAYLA GAMBLE

A profile on senior Mahayla Gamble and her time as a softball pitcher

Entertainment 27

ANDROID V. APPLE

Q&A with students on their company of choice

12 S T A F F E D : BULLYING

Furries are not treated justly by WAHS students

SCHOOL WATER

GAMING

3D PRINTER

Questions answered on the gaming platform Stadia

The water flavor at WAHS isn’t up to par.

Art teacher introduces new tool to create sculptures, jewelry

PARENTING

Different types of parenting affect children

SPOONS

English teacher Chris Martin’s hobby of woodworking and making spoons

B D D J A D C A

WHIRLWIND STAFF

WORTH HEARING

Since games such as Fortnite are very popIN THIS MONTHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ISSUE OF THE Whirlwind, there are multiple stories filled with ular at the moment, the entertainment section controversy. Furries, as we are mostly all aware explores some games which have been in the of, are discussed in a staff editorial. In this staff limelight recently, such as Apex and Fortnite. The softball team has had a great season thus ed, what it means to be a furry and the hate these students go through is presented in the opinion far, and because of this, In sports, you can find a of The Whirlwind staff. In a second staff ed, the profile on softball pitcher Mahayla Gamble. This amount of homework teachers give is looked at: story includes some of her stats, and what keeps her going. is it too much? What are ideas we Pop culture has recently moved tocan implement in WAHS to ensure L E T T E R F R O M students have more time to take care T H E E D I T O R S ward throwback themes. A lot of kids are reminiscing over other decades. of themselves, work, and so on? Besides staff editorials, which can be found in This issueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special report section has to do with the opinion section, this issue covers some very the 2000s. What music was popular? What were interesting news, such as the conspiracy theories kids wearing? How has life changed since? As we which go along with the Department of Ener- look over the present in the other sections, the gy, previously called the Bureau of Minds. This special report section will be reminiscent of our story can be found in news, along with stories childhoods. We hope you enjoy this issue of The Whirlon the Foster Care system and a news article on wind. From all of us, good reading. furries which coincides with the staff editorial. F I N D U S O N L I N E Stories from other issues and exclusive online content available at W A H S W H I R L W I N D . C O M

C orrect i ons and L etter s to the Editor s

Pl ease send co r r e ct i o n s o r co m m e n t s o n t h i s i ssu e to: wa hs whi r l wi nd @ g m a i l . com THE WHIRLWIND is a dedicated

The Whirlwind would like to thank to following 2018-2019 sponsors BULLDOG LEVEL

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student forum. Content and editorial decisions are made by student staff members exercising their rights as protected by the First Amendment and the Oregon Student Free Expression Law (Ore. Rev. Stat. sec. 336.477 (2007)). Opinions are those of The Whirlwind staff and not West Albany High School or the Greater Albany Public School District.

APRIL 2019 / THE WHIRLWIND 3

MORE THAN A TAIL Furries at West Albany tell stories from their perspectives and explain misconceptions within their community By

FURRIES. You may have overheard someone talk about them—those kids who wear tails. The kids who think they are animals. Or the people who draw pictures of half people, half animals. But what really is a furry? Junior and self-identified furry Sylvia Allen found her identity in being a furry. “People have a stereotype that all furries are the same,” Allen said. Just like other fandoms, each person has different interests and strengths. Many members of the furry community are artists or play video games that involve furries. Allen decided to stop wearing a tail at school because people would yank on it or make animal noises at her. “A lot of people think it’s a sexual type thing, basically people who do beastiality and that’s not really what it’s all about,” Allen said. “I’m sure there’s people out there that do that, but that isn’t what it is. Anyone who is a furry gets that as a prejudice.” To her, being a furry is for fun. She likes to wear tails and ears because it brings her joy. She found a group of people that accept her for who she is. “I’ve always felt isolated, but now I have friends that are furries that I can relate to,” Allen said. Simply put, furries are fans. They are fans

4 THE WHIRLWIND / APRIL 2019

Geneva Mellison and Cheyenne Such

of animals that walk and talk with human characteristics. Furries choose a persona, or ‘fursona’, which is an animal they like and identify with in their community.

“I’ve always felt isolated, but now I have friends that are furries that I can relate to.” SILVIA ALLEN JUNIOR

The fandom consists of boys, girls, and non-binary individuals who are seven times more likely to identify as transgender or non heterosexual according to a ten year study done by Dr. Hal Herzog. His findings showed the community is highly inclusive and generally non-judgmental. A large misconception is that identifying with the furry community is related to sexuality. In actuality, Herzog explains their costuming is rarely done for sexual

gratification, although just like in other fandoms,a minority of the community may participate for that reason. The research concluded all furries are people who enjoy media with animals that are personified. The most common feature of a furry are fursonas, which are a type of identification in relation to real life or fantasy animals. The most popular choices are canine but according to Fur Science they can also be dragons, felines, or rodents. The effect of taking on this persona commonly results in them not becoming entirely different, but instead feeling as though they were more themselves than before. A member of the Pacific Northwest Furs, 21-year old Harrison Huntington stated, “Each one is an extension of my personality… I chose mine because I found similar traits in them that I had as well, but others may because they have a love for the species.” Furries often find their clothing from independent creators. As Pacific Northwest Furs member 25-year old Tess told us, Etsy is where they personally purchased their accessories. This online store is mostly run by individual members to create and sell their own products. The fursona tag by itself on the site includes roughly 1,701 individually created products.

A few teachers at West have strong relationships with students in the furry community and culinary teacher Dolly Victorine explained how she was introduced to the idea of furries at a staff meeting in the fall of 2018. “I was told they usually identify with an animal, and they can sometimes be wearing fluffy tails or animal ears of some sort. I think they are very unique,” Victorine said. She explained how she has noticed the students being welcoming and friendly to furries in their peer groups. Although it may go unnoticed by adults in West Albany, a lot of others have been harassed and bullied throughout their years at West, and one student who has experienced this behavior directly and asked that her name not be used to prevent further harassment, went into detail about specific encounters. “I ride this one bus and there were fresh-

The Misconceptions

The Truth

men on the bus who said, ‘Oh my god the furry is talking to the arachnids!’” she described. “Just because I value animal

“It’s who I am, and it’s rude to tell me to be quiet about something that I’m really passionate about.” WAHS JUNIOR

life doesn’t mean that I’m gonna hurt all of you with this spider.” The student ex-

plained how people have told them they don’t want them to come to their house to have sex with their cat or dog. These hateful comments are said to furries on a regular basis, causing many furries in the school to stop wearing tails to school and walk with their heads down in the hallways. “They’ve thrown water bottles at me, a couple books, and you know, I’m okay with being who I am,” the student said. “People have told me ‘don’t associate with them’, but it’s who I am, and it’s rude to tell me to be quiet about something that I’m really passionate about.”The vicious attacks on students who are simply expressing themselves happens often, and furries do not want to abandon who they are to fit into a box created by other students. Each member wants to be accepted and loved and the student body is unaware that furries have feelings too.

Furries are people who think they are animals

Furries are people with sexual animal kinks

Furries communicate with animals

All furries do is draw animals and or cosplay

Most furries are fans of anthropomorphic media, and do not believe themselves to be an animal

Less than 20 percent of the furry community is said to engage in sexual activity related to the identity

No recorded furry has said to engage in conversation with animals

Furries have regular lives and being in the furry community can be a small or large part of who they are

NEWS / THE WHIRLWIND 5

Falling through the cracks

THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM impacts the lives of children, parents, and friends. “[The foster care system] terrifies me only because I hate the feeling that I could be taken from my mom.” Jane, a WAHS sophomore who asked that we not use her name to protect her family’s privacy, knows what it’s like to live with a feeling of worry and terror of being taken from her home. Being put in and out of the foster care system has impacted her, and her brothers’, lives for the worse. The foster care system is a nationwide program that provides homes for children who can’t stay in their given living situations. Foster parents register and have home inspections of their household before they can become foster parents, and if they are cleared, then children of all ages can be placed in their homes temporarily. Children are removed from their houses for various reasons such as drugs, alcohol, abuse, and neglectful parents. In Jane’s case, both of her parents were sentenced to time in jail and no one else STATISTICS According to Vittana Organization

1. In 2014, there were

over 415,000 children who were in foster care.

2. The median age for a child entering foster care is 7.8 years.

3. Boys are more likely to enter foster care than girls, at 52% vs. 48% respectively.

4. The most common foster

care placement option is a non-relative foster family home, accounting for 45% of all placements.

5. 6 percent of the children

who are in foster care have a case plan goal that has not yet been established.

6. 29 percent of the children

who are in the foster care system are currently living in a relative home.

6 THE WHIRLWIND / APRIL 2019

could look after her and her brothers. “Pretty much, we can’t find other people to take care of us while my parents can’t,” she said. While talking about her current living situation, Jane commented about her past foster care experiences, “I guess that as long as they kept me with my brothers, which they always have [and if] they kept me close to my friends and the schooling that I’m already in, which they haven’t in the past.¨ Jane and her brothers were lucky enough to be put into their foster homes together but haven’t been given the promise of staying in the same school district in the past. According to the state“There is a high demand for foster parents who can care for sibling groups, ensuring brothers and sisters can stay together.” recent headlines in Oregon have been highlighting these problems wirhin the foster care system For some kids, like junior Isaac Linford, luck has played a big part in their rehousing experience.

The foster care system and the impact on kids in it BY Aisling Malone

“It’s been good only because I was lucky enough to have my social studies teacher take me in,” Linford said, “and then I completely switched schools.” Some kids are able to go to good homes that keep them safe. Others like Jane aren’t as lucky: “I went with my dad, which I didn’t like. I would rather be where I am now, than with my dad. He tends to make promises he can’t keep and he gets my brothers’ hopes up. He used to do that to me, too, but I’ve learned, and he also is not in a good place right now. He’s in jail.” Foster children are placed into homes away from the situation they are in for their safety. However, according to Jane, she never got to choose those places. “They don’t usually give me choices, which is why it’s scary.” Jane stressed the importance of children having these choices within the foster care system. “I wanted a choice, I wanted to have a say in what I wanted to do.”

One WAHS sophomore’s foster care story Her story within the foster care and the impact it has on her life What are some reasons that you were put into foster care?

My mom couldn’t take care of [me and my brothers] because she had to go to jail. Do you have a say in whether or not you had to leave your mom?

have a roommate, and so it’s our roommate and my mom’s best friend. The first time we went into foster was when I was three and my grandmas couldn’t take care of us, so we had to go to foster. How would you describe where you are living right now?

In fourth grade, I was just sitting at school and at one point they called me and told me to bring all my stuff and I was really confused. Some random lady picked me up and took me to this office and gave me a pee test and stuff like that.

A clean and sober environment, and safe, but annoying because I’m never alone.

Who is your guardian?

I miss her, and when she gets out, this better never happen again.

When you live in an Oxford House [community-based approach to addiction treatment], you have to

What would you want to tell your mom right now about everything that’s happened so far?

What do you want to change about the system?

The kids [should] have choices, for them to be able to talk and have more contact with their parents because no parent is going to want to go through recovery or go through whatever they’re wanting to go through to get to their kids without being with their kids. I mean my mom obviously fought for us and she got us back easy peasy but it was obviously hard and I hated only getting to see my mom for like an hour. I did not want to be with that foster family. I think that when kids get to a certain age, they should have a choice in what they want to do.

BY THE NUMBERS

Environmental spending BY Malachi Murphy

Spending toward environmental agencies per state WA $828.1 mil OR $875.5 mil

MT $57.6 mil ID $265 mil

NV $126.5 mil CA $9.1 bil

WY $531.2 mil

UT $257.7 mil AZ

IN $322.1 mil ND $49.5 mil SD $23.7 mil

MN $241.2 mil WI $574.9 mil

MI $502.6 mil

$1.3 bil

MA $143.2 mil

RI CT $89 mil IL $27 mil NJ $265 mil $136.9 mil VA KS MO KY $396.7 mil DE $68.1 mil $454.5 mil $226.5 mil $134.2 mil NC $81.3 mil MD AR TN $330.1 mil SC OK $344.8 mil $51.9 mil $692.1 mil $13.7 mil GA *DC AL $248.6 mil $51,359 TX $595.9 mil NE $22.4 mil

CO $776.7 mil

NM $79.1 mil

$208.2 mil

NH $188.3 mil VT $102 mil WV $195.1 mil NY

ME $75 mil

IA $79.8 mil

OH $525 mil

PA $710.6 mil

$356.6 mil

HI $130.9 mil AK

LA $113.3 mil

MS $52.2 mil

FL $1.3 bil

$87.3 mil

WHAT’S NEXT

LOOKING BACK

According to Ballotpedia

Ocean research When our old school was new Oregon legislators propose funding climate change research along the coast

L A S T F E B R U A R Y , 13 Oregon state legislators proposed a bill to devote $1.9 million to Oregon Fish and Wildlife and Oregon Ocean Science Trust biennially (when renewed, every two years) starting July 1. These funds, equaling approximately $2 million per year, are being allocated in hopes to combat rising ocean levels and research “ocean chemistry”, ultimately adding to the combined effort to stop global warming. The bill declares an emergency effective July 1 and the bill will take effect in full on the same date. The bill splits up the funds among many different organizations, like Oregon Marine Reserves Monitoring, Yaquina Bay Monitoring, and “to develop a communications plan and strategy for outreach and education.” All these areas are devoted to education and research, each in specific avenues to protect our oceans.

A 1953 Whirlwind mirrors building construction

I N T H E M A Y 25, 1953 publication of the Whirlwind newspaper, the current WAHS building was brand new. Students only had six periods per day, receiving a mandatory study hall as well. School started at 8:30 a.m. and got out at 3:45 p.m, and school functions would be presented at the new cafetorium. The new gym seated 1,500 people, versus the half that it used to.

NEWS / THE WHIRLWIND 7

MYTH CONDUCT RS

PHOTOS USED WITH PERMISSION OF THE ALBANY REGIONAL MUSEUM

What’s really going on behind the closed doors of our neighbor, the National Department of Energy? Do the conspiracies and rumors live up to their hype? BY Hayley Harlan and Mattea Hellman

R U M O R S C A N S P R E A D fast. “I’ve heard that it’s some sort of nuclear plant… or that its poisoning our water,” junior John Colgate said. “It puts us way up on the list of places that would get nuked,” junior Bethany Barnett said. “Have you ever seen Stranger Things? It’s the same department.” However, one thing is clear: no one knows what’s going on. Mainly, the Albany site of the Department of Energy is home to research activities, specializing in materials development. They research and do work with fuel cells, bio processing, and turbines, with the ultimate goal of freeing the US of its dependency on foreign oil reserves. Different laboratories at the facility include a severe environment corrosion erosion facility, a high pressure immersion and reactive transport lab, and an analytical lab. From 1925 to 1938, the Albany College campus resided where the research center is now, and the Bureau of Mines bought the land in July of 1943. It is now Oregon’s only national laboratory. In the 1950s, there were several deaths and injuries of researchers due to zirconium explosions and fires, according to issue 45 of the United States Atomic Energy Commission’s reports. In one incident, one employee died, one had his arm blown off, and one had his leg blown off when a 8 THE WHIRLWIND / APRIL 2019

55-gallon drum of scrap zirconium detonated. The rumor that there are tunnels under West Albany is true, as confirmed by Russ Allen, business manager at the district office. These tunnels run under the research center, but don’t ever connect to any of the buildings. They’re only there to make space for plumbing pipes and electrical chases, as

“After seven years of research, I am still digging for answers that I can’t get.”

TAI STITH ALBANY REGIONAL MUSEUM

well as to provide fresh air for classrooms through heating and ventilation. Allen believes the research center does not pose any threat to the surrounding schools, although there have been previous concerns. There was a spill of waste organic solvents at the laboratory in the 1990s when a metal drum failed. These solvents included trichloroethylene, chloroform, and carbon tetrachloride. Then, in 2005, there was concern that contaminated groundwater from the spill had made its way to the air in Liberty Elementary

School through soil vapor. Although it’s said that the trace amounts of solvents are not a health concern, there was never any cleanup of them, and they may still linger in small amounts today. According to the 2017 Annual Site Environmental Report, there has been no recent release of radioactive substance in any form, through groundwater, atmosphere, or otherwise. Tai Stith, a contributor to the Albany Regional Museum, has been researching the department for over seven years and is planning to publish a historical non-fiction book on her findings within the next year. “I probably have a one percent chance of getting a tour,” Stith said. “After seven years of research, I am still digging for answers that I can’t get.” It seems that the hype and talk of the conspiracies/rumors surrounding the department do not live up to the reality of the events that go on there. The reason for the rumors, it seems, is because the laboratory does so much and talks so little. They have extensive security and are hard to get in contact with. Overall, their communication with the public lacks, but they make up for it in their scientific abilities. Stith has one parting message for conspirists: “Before people take stock in urban myths, make sure you do your research.”

s e y r

y ,

y g s n

e n -

e -

r y t e

RUMOR

REALITY

“If somewhere in Albany was to be bombed, it would be the first place.”

This is true! In the Cold War this was particularly imminent due to the pervasive threats of nuclear bombings. However, at this point a foreign attack on the department is not expected any time soon.

“I’ve heard that it’s some sort of nuclear plant. […] Or that it’s poisoning our water.”

No nuclear activity is currently taking place at the department, and our water remains unaffected for the time-being.

“Have you ever seen ‘Stranger Things’? Because it’s the same department.”

While the department in the Netflix series”Stranger Things” is their version of our department, they are separate places, separate entities, and they practice different research projects.

“It puts us way up on the list of places that would get nuked.”

BETHANY BARNETT JUNIOR

MADDI FRAIZER JUNIOR

JOHN COLGATE JUNIOR

BETHANY BARNETT JUNIOR

THE ALIASES Bureau of Mines Albany Research Center Department of Energy U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory Albany Metallurgical Research Center

OF 92 WAHS STUDENTS SURVEYED,

but only

63.7% 56.5% 22.8% claimed to be curious about what happens at the department

have heard conspiracy theories about the department

have concerns about the department

Oregon Metallurgical Corporation Plant NEWS / THE WHIRLWIND 9

OPINION

Late Night A F T E R S E V E N hours of working hard at school, a certain student goes home, only to turn around and leave for work. Then, after a seven and a half hour shift, they get home once again to face the pile of homework on their desk. After about an hour or two, half of it is done, they look back at the rest of it and realize the rest of the homework is just tedious work, work that will take a lot of time but won’t take any brain power or, worse, won’t help them learn anything more. For many students with jobs or even just rigorous courses, the problem of time is huge. So much homework is tedious and strenuous, but in terms of it being useful, it really isn’t. Having homework that consumes so much time but isn’t really useful delays students from either sleeping or studying for a important class. However, if the student decides to not do the homework to focus on other academics, or even sleep, the student is still marked down and it will affect their grade, reflecting poorly on the student. As stated by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development ,“Homework will not be used to teach complex skills. It will generally focus on simple skills and material or on the integration of skills already possessed by the student.” Essentially homework doesn’t necessarilty teach anything new to students. Grades are very important to students and parents alike, so if a student has a bad grade because they decide to not do homework that isn’t needed, it will likely stress them and their parents out. In an issue of Time, a parents explains how kids are basically working a “second shift” at home, affecting their down time and their health. Time consuming homework that is shown to be not useful (by high scores on tests), should be given as extra credit for students. Furthermore, if a student can prove they had more important homework, by classes that highly affect their GPA, or work, and couldn’t do the homework they had been previously assigned, they should get an extension or a different as10 THE WHIRLWIND / APRIL 2019

Students stay up late to finish tedious, time-consuming assignments

signment. This will keep kids motivated in school, as their grades won’t tank every time they can’t complete an assignment. The amount of homework passed out is excessive and should be given in a manner in which students are still practicing and learning, but it is broken up or allowed to be completed at the student’s pace. There are already two strong examples in the school that others should emulate. The first system comes from social studies teacher Marty Johnston’s AP U.S. History class. In this class, there is a lot of content that comes from the textbook. To help his students get through all of this content, Johnston tells all of his students about a system where they only read a couple pages a night, and get through about a chapter a week. To help the students stay on this pace, he gives reading quizzes to help students gauge if they are getting the information needed, and even allows for reading quiz corrections that allow students to show they have learned information they intially missed. The second homework system that deserves praise is one that Chemistry teachers Shana Hains and Sylvia Sorensen have worked hard to create over the years. This system has kids practice a few problems every other night to keep their practice updated and to help them learn more without it being overwhelming, and then they have a list of about 25-30 problems that the students can work on at their own pace. The teachers encourage students to do the problems every night, but they are not penalized for missing a night. Homework has been an issue in students’ lives for the longest time. It’s time there is a change. Teachers need to understand not every student has time to complete an hour of homework, even if the teacher thinks it is ¨just for their class.¨ However, the change that should be made is EDITORIAL helping students, giving them extensions, or giving them a The opinion of The Whirlwind longer timespan. Editorial board

Abuse in Foster Care

Foster children face abuse at high rates, even with many precautions in place

BY Karissa Lamonte

THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 8,700 kids in foster care in Oregon and 443,000 in the U.S. According to Children’s Research Agency , 73% of foster children face neglect, 13% face physical abuse, and 4% face sexual abuse. What is causing so many kids to experience abuse and neglect? Adults who lack an understanding of children’s needs, experienced abuse themselves, have mental health issues, abuse substances, etc., can show risky behavior which could lead to abusive behavior. Potential foster parents aren’t capable of taking care of a child properly if they don’t know how; DHS offices offer classes that prepare adults for fostering a child, but they aren’t required in Oregon. These classes should be required rather than just offered. This could help prevent both intentional and unintentional abuse/ neglect. Once placed, a foster child must be visited by a social worker periodically, and visits range from every six weeks to every three months. During each visit social workers are required to speak to the child in private unless they are able to do so at the moment. It’s hard to understand how foster children are being seen by social workers and most are being talked to in private during each visit, yet the percentage of foster kids who are being abused and neglected is as high as it is. Either social workers aren’t asking the right questions, or the kids don’t feel they can give truthful answers. If they don’t trust the social worker or they are too

scared, those children won’t explain what is really going on in their homes. Children need to be provided with more people to talk to, people they feel they could trust, like school counselors or even their math teacher. Having more options would make kids feel like they don’t only have to talk to a social worker they barely know. When applying to become a foster parent, you must go through a criminal record check, meaning if you have offenses against children, violent crimes, or sexual

73% of foster children face neglect, 13% face physical abuse, and 4% face sexual abuse.

-Research Agency

offenses, then you cannot become a foster parent. Is that really enough? Foster kids are still being abused even with these precautions. Potential foster parents must also be evaluated with a home study determining if they are financially stable, mentally sound, prepared to house a child, and many other things that could affect a child. If home studies were more thoroughly done then these high abuse and neglect rates would surely go down at least

a little. Making sure any hidden red flags are found needs to be a priority when it comes to home studies, even if it means having to take more time and dig a bit further. When fostering or adopting a child, adults are able to choose what age and gender they want to foster/ adopt, meaning anyone could adopt any child of their choosing. It’s understandable as to why they allow people to choose, but it’s a possibility that people being allowed to choose gender and age so freely without question could be why abuse rates are so high. Potential parents need to at least give reason as to why they are choosing a certain gender and age. With not many options and not being able to choose who adopts them, foster children are sometimes stuck in abusive situations, mostly due to not enough foster homes out there. Kids are sometimes stuck in these bad homes and do not feel like they can leave or open up about it in fear of not having anywhere else to go. With more precautions being set, kids won’t need to fear getting an abusive home and won’t feel the need to stay in those homes due to few options. Less abusive homes means more safe and loving homes. OPINION / THE WHIRLWIND 11

What Lies Beneath

The problem with how furries at WAHS are being treated, and what needs to be done about it

T H E F U R R I E S H E R E at WAHS are no strangers to hate. They have endured water bottles and books being thrown at them. Some have stopped wearing their tails and ears entirely because other students harass them by tugging the tails and ripping the ears off of their head. Think of the textbook, high school movie image of bullying, and that’s what they live through. As a student body, WAHS does pretty well accepting and tolerating kids of all different social groups, genders, and sexual orientations, but there are a few exceptions to this, and the Furries are one possibly even the biggest one. Through interviews the Whirlwind has discovered thatthese kids no longer feel safe at school to be who they want to be. They have been pressured and tormented to the point of hiding who they are, and it isn’t right. This should never be the case. Nobody should ever have to hide who they are in fear that someone will make them feel bad about it. These students are passionate about something and that’s great; almost everyone has something they love to do or talk about. You see them everyday in the halls, they go to class with you, and they eat lunch next to you. Except, you just don’t know who they really are. They call themselves Furries, a community of people who are enthusiastic about animals and see them as friends. This counterculture seems abnormal to many, but do they deserve to be tormented day, after day for pursuing an interest? Furries at WAHS are experiencing a classic case of bullying. Just as kids of the past and present were and still are being bullied for various reasons, Furries are being bullied for having an interest. Students today would run to aid someone who was bullied for liking something like a certain music artist, but the same could not be said for a student who enjoyed being a furry. 12 THE WHIRLWIND / APRIL

2019

JENNA THOMAS

The common assumption is that you need to dress up as an animal or put on a fursuit (a full body costume of an animal) to be a furry. However, many members of the community do not dress up or don’t even feel the need to, in order to be a part EDITORIAL The opinion of The Whirlwind Editorial board

of the community. Some of the people who dress up, or are just a part of the community may have what is called a fursona. A fursona is the word one would use to describe what animal they most feel most like. There are many misconceptions, or false things about the community being spread today. Junior Sylvia Allen, a self identified member of the furry community says, “A lot of people think that it’s a sexual thing, that it’s basically a thing that people do beastiality in, and that’s not really what it’s about at all.” The Furry community acknowledges that a small fraction of their fandom may participate in these gross actions. These people give Furries a bad reputation, and they believe it’s why people give them so much hate. These people have a common interest in animals that can potentially turn into a lifestyle, and nothing more. The people who do dress up in their fursuits compare it to dressing up for Halloween, or just for

fun. They find joy in what they do and consider it close to a hobby. At its core, that’s what being a Furry is. An interest that can, in some cases, influence someone’s lifestyle. To discriminate against them is to patronize them for being who they are. Furries want people to know that they are no different than anyone else. They are not trying to change anyone’s opinion, and they certainly aren’t trying to hurt anyone. In fact, it is quite the opposite. They want to bring smiles to peoples’ faces and encourage others to let their imaginations flow. They’ve endured countless bullies, and negative comments, but what is arguably worse than the bullies, is the people who stand and watch. They exist everywhere, bystanders, who see things happening that they do not agree with, but are too afraid to stand up for others. They know the bullies are wrong in their ways, yet they say nothing. They are the people who could step up and make a difference for these struggling people, yet they do nothing about it. They sit by and watch as personalities are destroyed, and lives are diminished. We can tell bullies to stop bullying all we want, but the problem will never be solved until the bystander changes their ways along with them. Only when people start standing up for furries and other targeted communities will true change happen.

H2(NO) BY EMILY HAARSTAD

EMMALYNN WEIBLE

Students avoid the school water due to taste I T S T A N D S T H E R E alone, looking unsightly, surrounded by a mess. Electronic humming and the footsteps of students walking by echoing around it. Though it’s something humans can’t live without, it hardly serves a purpose in these halls. Sitting there, unused, is the water fountain, where only the bravest dare to drink. Whether it’s viewed as a waste of space or just a regular drinking fountain, one

thing is common among several students. The water from our drinking fountains is gross. Overhearing conversations and passing comments about how “disgusting” it is isn’t an uncommon experience at this point. The looks of disgust on students faces when asked how they feel about our water gave away their true feelings. There’s no way around it, some students are genuinely avoiding drinking this water at all costs, due to fear of lead poisoning or to avoid the overall bad taste. Perhaps Hydro flasks aren’t just a status symbol, but because of refusal to drink the school’s water. However, this problem is anything but unique. Many schools across the nation have poor tasting water, and they have found lead in many drinking fountains at Oregon schools. In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are “no federal regulations for how these repairs [for lead filled water] are made, and no law saying schools have to test their water in the first place.” Water is only regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), and “there are approximately 98,000 public schools and 500,000 child care facilities not regulated under the SDWA.” This means these schools may or may not have safe drinking water. This unregulated way of keeping many school’s water safe just isn’t healthy. In fact, the water in our drinking fountains hasn’t been tested since fall of 2016, which was when lead was found in close to 100 percent of Portland public schools. Which means unknown things could be lurking in our drinking water, waiting to infect any student who consumes it. Regular tests need to be done in order to ensure our water is safe, it’s unacceptable nothing has been done in three years. Making sure our drinking water is up to students’ standards is a basic necessity, not something that’s a privilege or an afterthought.

“It’s disgusting. So gross.” BRIANNA HICKMAN Sophomore

“It’s pretty low quality. It has lead in it.” ANDREW SHREVE Student Teacher

“It’s not that bad. It’s water, that’s all I’m saying.” LANDON ENGOM Junior

ERIN SCOTT Sophomore

“There are two good ones [drinking fountains], and I like those. The rest of them suck.”

OPINION / THE WHIRLWIND 13

Odd Parents BY Preet Dhaliwal

TAKE THE CURRENT SCANDAL of parents buying their kids into colleges and universities. Most of those kids have had everything handed to them and haven’t worked at all. These kids were taught that when they have a problem they should just run to mommy and daddy and everything’s going to be A-ok, and thats wrong does not help raise good children and weakens the foundation for the next generation. Some kids at West think that their parents are either the best or the worst, there is almost no middle ground when talking about their parents, and that’s due to how kids have been raised. “My mom is such a [explicit] sometimes!” says an anonymous student. There shouldn’t be a need for kids to be talking about their parents with such malcontent. Kids shouldn’t be raised with one parenting style because it doesn’t help them grow as people. Using multiple parenting styles ensures kids can stand on their own. There are a lot of different parenting styles and they contribute to how a parent might raise their child. Some may nurture and raise their child how they were raised, using their parents’ style, or the more old school way of raising your kid that is the ‘instinctive’ parenting style. The method of just going with your gut is usually influenced by their own upbringing, and it carries on between generations. Some parents are considered ‘helicopter parents’; they constantly interact with and interfere with their child’s lives. They smother their child in every way, and that can ultimately backfire in the future when the kids become too dependent on their parent’s time and advice, even into their college years. Psychology teacher Kyle Hall says that “these

Certain parenting styles are causing current generations to be misguided

EMMALYN WEIBLE

parents feel like if their kids have no obstacles, they’re going to be successful, and that is so counterproductive because kids have to struggle, like not all the time, you don’t want it to be a detriment. But struggling is a part of life because you develop resiliency.” Helicopter parents deprive their child of certain experiences that can help shape them for the future. Good parenting is a mix of multiple kinds of parenting styles. One of the best styles of parenting is the authoritative parent, which is the opposite of the permissive parent who just lets their kid do their own thing. Strong parents need to have a good mix of discipline and openness with their kids. “Authoritative is the best of both worlds: you have rules, you have structure but you’re also allowing the kid to have some freedoms, where they can reason with you,” Hall said. Kids today may be screwed up because of the way they were raised and how they decided to live their lives. Sometimes you can see it in your friends, maybe even in yourself, this won’t just end by itself. We have to decide how to change that with yourself and our kids. Don’t mess up the next generation. Don’t raise our kids how we see some of these kids raised. We are shaping the future, and it all matters how we raise our children. We’re the forerunners for the future, so don’t mess up.

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The Construction Issues

Do you think the construction is benificial?

Due to a recent contract signing, West is under construction. And most students are not happy about it BY Ember Walter

W E S T I S C U R R E N T L Y under construction to build a supposedly new and better school, but is it really beneficial? So far, the new construction at WAHS has been hectic. More should be done to make the transition easier on students. The parking and traffic is at its worst, the tennis players cannot play on the school courts, and P.E. students can’t do anything outside. So all in all, the construction has made many students have to change their day-to-day school life for the worst. Junior Hailey James has had to wake up much earlier to be able to get a good parking spot. “I had to leave my house at 6:30 this morning just to get a good parking spot.” The thing is, James, like all juniors and seniors, won’t even see the end of the construction. As an added bonus, juniors and seniors have been forced to park on the street and in adjacent neighborhoods. A major issue is that it has cost many students tickets. James responded to the ticket situation with, “I have nowhere to park, and it’s really frustrating because now they’re handing out tickets if you park in the yellow; but that’s the only place I can park.” Even though the authorities will always give out tickets if you are

parked in the yellow, students should be able to park semi-close to school. Even though the freshmen aren’t personally affected, they all know at least one person who is. Emma Yonemura says, “[The construction] hasn’t affected me personally, but I know that when I ride with one of my friends to school, they have a hard time finding a parking space.” This tends to be the most common situation. So, many students would love to have more room to park. The city should be more lenient on the parking rules. Put themselves in the students shoes. What are the students going to do if there are no other places to park? To help, students could also carpool with their peers: this could open up many more spaces. Additionally, the underclassmen could stop parking in the designated junior and senior parking spots. If this happens, it would be much more convenient for the upperclassmen. Even though the construction will go on for awhile, students can still help each other out. The construction is supposed to be completed in fall of 2020.

It’s beneficial because in around a year and a half, I’ll be able to find a spot to sit during lunch, instead of the choir room, and I’ll also have a good parking spot. Freshman EMMA YONEMURA

The construction is beneficial for my senior year because I’m interested in the drama program and choir a capella. The new auditorium will be nice for those. Plus it’s nice to look at something new and glamorous in a way. Sophomore BOBAE KIM

COMPLAINT FILE: Where are all the working sinks? A F T E R C H E C K I N G all student bathrooms within the building, 10 of 25 faucets — two-fifths of the faucets — are not functional. If students can’t wash their hands, there is a higher chance of getting sick, which means if they do catch a bug, it can take them out of school for awhile. Absences force students to have to catch up on work, and no one likes catch up work. Yes, this an astonishing number, students running from bathroom to bathroom with soapy

hands. If many students take this issue, through the use of the suggestion box, to the district offices, there could be change. Plenty of issues students have brought to the district have been approved and fixed. The district actually cares about the well being of students. So, if this issue is brought to them, there is a high chance they would try as hard as they could to fix this. Just band together and let’s sink this win

I think the construction will be beneficial in appearance but I honestly think it’s not necessary. Junior HAILEY JAMES

OPINION / THE WHIRLWIND 15

Dear early 2000S

FR EM

TV SHOWS LIKE HANN SUITE LIFE OF ZACK AN

The style OT

We miss...

SENIOR JAYDEN COOK

The connection Good Nick between people good show because of the lack of technology

BY Jaden Rodriguez

As 2000s babies near the end of their childhood, they reflect on the highlights and downfalls that defined their growing up

JUNIOR GRANT GILMAN

The lac of soci media

16 THE WHIRLWIND / APRIL 2019

Photographs and videos emerge of Britney Spears’s mental break down. This set the trend of emotional issues leading to drastic hair change

The conspiracies of President Barack Obama’s citizenship and legal residency

2008

The controversy that surrounded Pluto’s expulsion from the planetary club

2006

Hurricane Katrina kills close to 2,000 people after sweeping across parts of America

2005

2004

The Olsen twins starring in Charlie’s Angels with a shared role

2007

But we don't miss...

Bringing Back The Nostalgia BY Corbin Ulibarri

SILLY BANDZ

ANGIE GENO JUNIOR

FRESHMAN EMMA HAWKINS

JUNIOR ALEJANDRO MUNOZ

ANNAH MONTANA, CK AND CODY

OTTER POPS

Nickelodeon, actually shows

e lack social dia

FLIP PHONES LUKE HAYES FRESHMAN

FRESHMAN LILY RUIZ

“I had a flip phone for like six months when I was younger. It was very [durable] and you couldn’t do any damage to it. It’s way too tiny. You need like baby fingers to text on it. I never used it to talk to anyone because there were much easier ways to. It was basically useless.”

JUNIOR PAULINO ALVALOS

NINTENDO DS Prince William gets engaged to Kate Middleton and family members couldn’t get over it

2010

Omegle came out on March 25. Middle schoolers interacted with complete strangers, their parents completely unaware

2009

es nt

Taylor Swift

SOPHOMORE ALEX BOND

“I started getting into Silly Bandz when I was in third grade. It was a really big thing at my elementary school. My best friends and I would trade them to make sure we got one of each, and the glitter ones were our favorite. I probably had at least 200 of them, and my friends and I had 800 between all of us. There were different editions of [Silly Bandz] like food, vehicles, and animals. There’s just all kinds of different stuff.”

BROGAN O’HARE FRESHMAN

“I was six when I first got a DS. It was like the coolest thing back then, there wasn’t phones or things like that. I mean, you could play some Cooking Mama, Mario, and Pokémon. It was pretty cool.”

SPECIAL / THE WHIRLWIND 17

2000s Hits Scan for spotify playlist of the 2000s

Movie: Shrek Release date: April 22, 2001 Voted By: Madison Fraizer

Movie: Mean Girls Release Date: April 30, 2004

Voted By: Olivia Mathios

Movie: Sharkboy and

Lavagirl

Release Date: June 10, 2005

Voted By: Whirlwind’s

pick

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Screen time Family time

How technology advancement has affected family dynamics and relationships between siblings

BY Megan Carroll

I T I S W E L L K N O W N O U R generation, Generation Z or iGen, has had a very different upbringing than our predecessors. Technology has made its presence in family dynamics very prevalent. Technology has greatly improved over recent years, and its effect on families and teens in the West Albany community has changed with it: has it been for the better? Senior Colton Martin, who has an older sibling who graduated within the last few years from WAHS, has an interesting story about how technology has infringed on family time. Martin, whose older brother is Westin Martin, said he and his brother really grew up with the same rules. Colton also said technology advancement really didn’t change their upbringings. Colton, however, said they didn’t have a TV in their house until he was about eight years old: “We didn’t really have a lot of technology in our lives until I was about seven or eight. As we both got older, we separated more. I started playing video games, and he was into more outdoor kinds of things.” When the TV was introduced, their family dynamic overall shifted. The boys, Westin, now 20, and Colton, started spending more time watching TV and playing video games. When they got their own individual technology, such as phones and televisions in their rooms, family time began to dwindle, and the Martins spent less time together. “I am usually kind of the loner in my family,” Colton said. “I tend to be in my room a lot. I isolate myself off. It would probably be good if I didn’t have [technol-

ogy — TV, gaming consoles] in my room. Senior Betsie Gregory grew up with little technology besides a Nintendo DS, which she got when she was eight. Her little brother Laik Gregory, who is now 13, got a DS when he was three. Although it is common to see young children with hand held devices now, it was pretty upsetting to Betsie that her younger brother got the privilege of having his own technology at such a young age, and she wasn’t able to get any technology until she was eight. Part of the reason Laik got technology when he was so young was because their family was more financially stable as Laik was growing up. Laik having these things affected the way COLTON MARTIN she perceived their SENIOR family. “I didn’t come from a solid income family; I didn’t have cable growing up, but [Laik] did. I grew up with stickers, and he grew up with DS’s. [...] We fought a lot.” When technology was introduced into the Gregory family, like Colton stated, family time began to dwindle: “[Once] we had it, we drifted apart as a family [...] Now in my house, we’re all in separate rooms on our devices.” Junior McKenzie Morris said family time in her house is “watching a movie or TV together.” There seems to be a pattern among these students: their families don’t really do much together as a family anymore if it doesn’t involve technology. “We don’t really go bowling or do puzzles or anything of substance anymore,” Morris said. Morris has three younger siblings: Zane, age 9; Nate, age 6; and Evie, age 5. When asked how technology has affected her siblings’ relationships with friends, McKenzie said, “[My friends and I] wouldn’t sit around and watch TV; we’d go swimming

USED WITH PERMISSION OF COLTON MARTIN

Senior Colton Martin with his brother Westin Martin on Jan. 16, 2004.

“[Once] we had [technology] we drifted apart as a family [...] Now in my house, we’re all in separate rooms on our devices.”

USED WITH PERMISSION OF BETSIE GREGORY

Senior Betsie Gregory with younger brother Laik Gregory at Agate Beach on Aug. 24, 2018 for their dad’s birthday.

USED WITH PERMISSION OF McKENZIE MORRIS

Junior McKenzie Morris with [left to right] brother Nate, sister Zara, and youngest sister Evie over Spring Break 2019 in Disneyland.

or try to cook something or play with toys. My siblings always have the TV on when their friends are over.” Although technology can add a lot to our lives, such as more interaction with those we probably wouldn’t usually talk to, it also prevents a lot of face-to-face contact with those who have been around us all our lives — family. SPECIAL / THE WHIRLWIND 19

Tear Up

Sophomore Aspen Prucha experiences knee injuries and copes with being off of the mat BY Alizah Bueno

SOPHOMORE ASPEN P R U C H A stood next to the mat, waiting for her turn to perform. In any second, Prucha would be standing on the mat that was placed before her and would start her gymnastics routine. The audience was silent in anticipation and the next second, Prucha approached her position on the mat. The routine started before she even knew it, and her body seemed to move on impulse, as if it was instinct. It was the last event of the Pacific Edge Invitational on Feb 3, 2019. It started smoothly, but good things can change in a second. Without thinking about this possibility, she collapsed after a pass (tumbling run) onto the mat after only a few seconds of performing. It all happened so suddenly and there was no way of avoiding what was about to happen. In no time at all, she was lifted off of the mat and rushed to the emergency room. Aspen tore her ACL and both her lateral and medial meniscus on that same day. In Prucha’s case, she actually injured her knee on two different occasions. The first time was also during gymnastics and happened after a dismount off the bar. With her first injury, there was some physical therapy happening, but she never got it looked at properly. “I was honestly so disappointed, like you work for so long… and in a split second it’s gone,” Prucha said. For people who play

“I was honestly so disappointed, like you work for so long… and in a split second it’s gone.”

ASPEN PRUCHA SOPHOMORE

sports, this could be a familiar feeling once a person suffers an injury, especially with one of this kind. A knee injury like hers requires surgery and she is going to be out of sports for six to nine months. These six to nine months mean doing nothing physical, and she has to stay away from gymnastics for that 20 THE WHIRLWIND / APRIL 2019

USED WITH THE PERMISSION OF ASPEN PRUCHA

time. With injuries come challenges, and overcoming those challenges are part of getting better. “School is pretty rough, you know, like people in the halls don’t really want to give you room, and it’s always hard to find a spot to sit and put your crutches behind you,” Prucha said. The school halls are always busy, and it doesn’t get any easier when you aren’t able to keep up with the fast pace of everyone else. “My hope is that everything is just going to come back and I’m going to be totally immune to it, but the risk rate for re-injuring my ACL at nine months is when it is most likely to re-tear, and that’s also when I’m going to start going back into [gymnastics],” Prucha said. “I know I’m going to have to take it easy on myself, which I don’t think I can do.” Junior Simone Welsh, a former teammate, shares her experiences with Prucha. For Welsh, she described Prucha as a quiet and reserved person when she

S O P H O M O R E A S P E N P R U C H A (top) has been a gymnast since third grade. (bottom left) Prucha and sophomore Simone Welsh pictured at a competition before Prucha’s injury. (bottom right) Prucha after being treated for her injuries.

first met her at a young age. “When she did [talk], it was something profound,” Welsh explains about her first encounters with Prucha. When Welsh first heard about Prucha’s injury she was surprised. “I felt terrible because she has so much potential… Being her teammate was really inspiring.” Welsh’s advice for Prucha was to not give up and keep trying to get back into the sport. Welsh has confidence that Prucha will jump right back into gymnastics like she was never injured.

Diabetes at West

Athletes in the West community share their experience and hardships with diabetes BY Gage Crabtree

D I A B E T E S I S M O R E than just an inconvenience; it becomes a lifestyle for those who live with it. It takes a lot to keep up with diabetes, and even more so depending on which type the person is living with. There are many risk factors that people with diabetes have to look out for everyday, from blood sugar levels to how much activity they’re getting in. This is why athletes with diabetes here at WAHS have to watch themselves a bit closer because they’re constantly pushing their own limits. These athletes also face the threat of diabetic ketoacidosis, which is a life threatening sickness. This causes the body to break down fat at an alarming rate, and after this occurs, fat breaks down the liver process and turns into a fuel called ketones. These ketones then cause the blood to become acidic. This leads to a list of health problems, which can lead to death. These athletes still claim their biggest

issue is having to do so much to keep up on their numbers. One freshman, Boden Lindberg, said one of the worst parts is “being at a buddies house spending the night and having my dad call me in the middle of the night telling me to get up and drink a juice or take insulin” Regardless of athletes having serious things to look out for, one of the biggest struggles is not being able to simply enjoy a night without being constantly reminded of their health. While there are a lot of things those affected have to look out for, the last thing they want is to be defined by their condition. Senior Greg Sather explained that when he was asked what he would want BODEN LINDBERG FRESHMAN people to know about diabetes, he said, “We’re all the same.” If anything, these athletes are more tuned into the life of a professional because at such a young age they are exposed to the acts of watching their nutrition and keep-

“Being at a buddys house spending the night and having my dad call me in the middle of the night telling me to get up and drink a juice or take insulin…”

ing a strict diet. As said by coach Derek Duman himself, a type one diabetic, he explained that he feels that people hold “this idea that you can’t do something.” The final point coach Derek Duman emphasised is people need to be educated on the differences between the different types. These athletes that struggle with diabetes overcome the challenges and continue to play sports because they love it. They just have obstacles to overcome.

TYPE ONE DIABETES The body can’t produce insulin at all The body can’t produce any glucose (sugar) Type One is genetically based

TYPE TWO DIABETES Lifestyle based Instead of a lack in insulin production, the body does not accept insulin that is produced Can be treated with insulin supplements

Hours

Tuesday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sunday - Monday Closed

Contact Information (541) 704-1128

Website

thefirstburger.com 210 1st Ave W, Albany, Oregon 97321 SPORTS / THE WHIRLWIND 25

THE PRESSURE IS ON

Why do some parents pressure their children into sports? BY Gabrielle Budlong

SOPHOMORE SAMANTHA Cuzick has been taking swim lessons ever since she could remember, but in the third grade her mom told her she had to try out for the swim team that afternoon. Cuzick was terrified. She tried out, made it, and has been swimming ever since. So how do people choose what sport to play? They’ll usually get curious about a sport, then maybe they try it, fall in love, and decide to stick with it. Maybe they’ll have to try a couple different ones, maybe they’ll never find the perfect one. Whatever the situation, it’ll probably be their choice, but what if it wasn´t? There are a plethora of parents who force their kids to do sports, often times even a specific one. Why is this and what are their motives? Is this harmful or helpful? At first Cuzick was reluctant to attend the lessons, but her mom told her if she didn’t swim, she’d have to find another sport. As she moved up through the levels, however, she begged her mom to let her leave the sport. Her mom’s only response was to stick with it and it’d pay off. Cuzick’s older sister received the same treatment and continued swimming until receiving a shoulder injury this last year. Cuzick learned to love swimming, though. She fell in love with being in the pool and has always been reluctant to leave once she gets in. Cuzick is thankful for all the benefits she’s experienced throughout the years, like being able to open her eyes underwater and learning to control her breathing for different strokes.

Cuzick practices five days a week, for an hour and 15 minutes. On top of this, she plays water polo and helps with the 14 and under team. “At this point, it feels like my life has just been given away to the pool,” Cuzick said. The swimmer also has been struggling with asthma since the fifth grade. She’s learned to manage it now, but when it first began, it was persistent and heavy-hitting. “I’d start coughing and wheezing, and I couldn’t breathe,” Cuzick said. “My coach is like ‘What’s going on? Are you smoking?’” So why did Cuzick’s parents force her to try out for the team and put her in swim LIBERTY lessons all those years ago? Cuzick claims that her mom’s motive for signing them up for lessons was a creek that Cuzick’s grandparents have in their backyard. She had this irrational fear that her two daughters would drown in this creek if they didn’t know how to swim. Along with that creek, Cuzick’s own father was a scuba diver and had never learned how to swim. “He had to be able to swim a mile in order to [dive],” Cuzick says, “so he taught himself how to doggy paddle for a mile.” Since he had never learned how to swim, he heavily encouraged his daughters to. Cuzick says that she does understand her mom’s decisions though. “She wants us to be active,” Cuzick said.

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124 Ellsworth SW

22 THE WHIRLWIND / APRIL 2019

“She wants us doing things, not just sitting around the house all day.” Now what about the complete opposite? What if you really wanted to play a sport but your parents just really wouldn’t let you? This is the case with sophomore Isaac Pierce, who was raised a Jehovah’s witness by his father. According to Pierce, the teaching within his faith is that there are more important things than sports and extracurriculars. For this reason, Pierce didn’t try a sport until his parents divorced and he moved to Albany. He started with cross country and played basketball for a couple years as well. His mom doesn’t allow him to play contact sports, like football, but she’s very supportive of him playing sports now. She watches sports games at the house now too, something that wouldn’t have been allowed when his parents were together. MUTUAL “He grew up doing a lot of farm work in a small town in Arizona,” Pierce says about his dad, “and so [sports] just never made sense to him.” Pierce never really fought his dad on the subject growing up. “I was kind of scared of him, and he always hated sports, so it didn’t seem right to ask.” When asked if there was anything he wanted people to know, Pierce replied “I think extracurriculars are important. Doesn’t have to be a sport, but get involved.” So when there are types of parents that want to control how their children spend their time, what do we do? We listen, we ask questions and find their motives behind the decisions. Most of the time, our parents want what they believe best for us.

“Three out of four parents say they put their kids in sports to have fun.”

STEPS TO SUCCESS How did the Hi-Steppers win state through teamwork? BY Maggie Bedrin

MADIE HOLLIS FEEDS OFF the audience’s cheering as she steps onto the stage, feeling both the energy from her team members and the crowd she feels connected to the team that got them there. “Performing as a team is really special,” Hollis said, “you’ve been working so hard and putting in so many hours in and then you come to this couple minutes when you get to showcase that, and everybody just feels really connected and...just hearing the audience cheer feels really good.” On March 16, the Hi-Steppers per-

“It’s not about winning, it’s about dancing and being a family.” KATIE STOPHER SOPHOMORE

formed and won fourth in state. They took to the stage at Memorial Coliseum with the song “Never Be Enough” by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul in the blockbuster movie “The Greatest Showman.” Each team member has a position and purpose, whether it be a supporter from the bench or a dancer. This team practiced for state in many ways, one of which was splitting into groups and memorizing each part so they were all in sync with time and melody. They followed up by checked their timing with the music by watching videos of their performances. “If we could tell if we were off, even a little bit, we would go back and make sure we fixed it,” sophomore Jenna Nyquist said. Team members watched those videos

and practiced at home, and some girls even went out to dance studios to further perfect their performance. Sophomore Katie Stopher sat out on the state dance but continued to support the team.“I was the biggest cheerleader,” she said. Every team member had a place, even if it wasn’t on the stage. Teamwork is the collective group working together to achieve their goal, but with different personalities conflict may arise.According to Stopher, in team conflicts can rob the whole team from victory. “It takes everybody putting their egos aside and knowing what they’re doing it for,” Stopher said. In order to perform in sync and work together, problems must be met with solutions. Relationships are key to making a team function because you must work together to create a performance. Each team member must work hand in hand to play their part, without one piece of the puzzle, the puzzle is not complete. Nyquist explains how supportive relationships are important to maintain. “Make sure you’re supportive,” Nyquist said. ”If someone asks you to help, make sure you help them.” Conflicts within a group can make or break a team, without communication a team can’t function. Hollis says, “the biggest conflict/issue that we had was just not getting the respect we wanted from our peers. So this year we worked really hard to perform more and try to help people understand what dance culture is.” To address the issue the team sat down to talk about the matter so they could grow and bring a more positive attention to their work. Stopher emphasizes that cliques and groups within a team can break it.

Karissa Lamonte

Hi-Steppers perform for WAHS pep-assebly in 2018

“It’s not going to be about the team anymore, and it’s not going to be about dancing. It’s going to be about who you like and don’t like,” she said. According to Stopher, when small groups become closely connected within a team and push others out, people lose interest in the sport because of loss of connection within a whole team. Working together requires everyone’s participation, and shutting people out leaves them feeling unimportant and not useful to the team. “During practice it’s important to be in practice mode,” Nyquist continues, explaining that if you lose your focus you must find a solution to your problem instead of letting it break up the team. “Everyone has to be on the same page with the counts and choreo,” Hollis explains that you must be focused in order to perform well. “We always say to put it all out on the floor and show everything you’ve worked so hard to accomplish,” explains Hollis.

SPORTS / THE WHIRLWIND 23

Ma-Hell-Yeah!

Four years of varsity pitching gives senior Mahayla Gamble the skills, mental toughness to lead her team to an undefeated league season.

STORY & PHOTOILLUSTRATION BY Jakob Jones

WHEN HER PITCH STREAKS across the mound and hits the catcher’s mitt, it sounds like lightning and thunder shattering the sky. Senior Mahayla Gamble is a softball player at WAHS, well known for her role as starting pitcher. Gamble started T-ball when she was five like many others getting into the sport. She did so because her dad and brother were avid about baseball, so naturally she was pushed into trying the sport. At ten, Gamble began pitching softball. She fell in love and has been playing ever since. “When Mahayla works to get ahead of batters and work ahead in the count and works all of her pitches in, she is really effective,” Said Varsity assistant coach Danielle Duman. Duman has been coaching 24 THE WHIRLWIND / APRIL 2019

softball at West for two years. In her eyes, Gamble definitely ranks on the top when she is on the field. “When she works ahead and hits her shots, she can be one of the best.” The team’s current record is 12 - 2 this season. Gamble has an Earned Run Average of 2.43 and has earned over 116 strikeouts. “If I had to pick one [player who inspired me] it would be Mahayla Gamble,” says junior Evelyn Kruesi. “She’s been a starting pitcher for varsity [since] her freshman year.” However, any athlete can stumble in their performance. “You’ll get the hiccups,” says Gamble. “Sometimes I’ll slip when I’m pitching on the mound or the ball will be wet and it slips out of my hands.” When this happens

during a game, it can plant a seed of doubt in a player’s mind. “[Confidence can] affect how you continue playing throughout the game,” says Haily Greening, Gamble’s catcher. “If you let it get to you and bug you, you’re going to mess up the rest of the game.” Fortunately, beating a negative frame of mind is what Gamble excels at. “Over the years I’ve gotten a lot more mentally tough. If I’m pitching and it’s not going too well, I don’t care as much anymore.” Gamble attributes her success to certain techniques she uses on the field as well as mentorship from past softball pitchers. “In the past, we had two really good softball pitchers,” Gamble notes. “One of them, [alumni] Julia [Harrington], really helped me mentally. I looked up to her a lot

on how she handled things and she helped me out a lot if I got frustrated.” On top of that, she has mastered the art of de-escalating stress and critically examining how she can improve her play. “I just take deep breaths.” Gamble said. “I just kind of think and go over what I need to do. I have a list on my phone of pointers of what to do if I’m struggling and fix it in the game.” Gamble’s positivity has also been noted by other teammates. “[Mahayla] works really hard and never gives up.” says Kruesi. “She always has a smile on her face even if we’re losing. She cares about everybody.” “[Confidence] gives you that ‘edge’ to show you are there with a purpose.” said Duman. “[You’re] going to get your job done—because your team is counting on you and has confidence in you.”

Besides Gamble’s unwavering will, she got to where she is through practice. The varsity softball team practices for two to three hours a day, five days a week. A lot of it is working through basic fundamentals and fine tuning skills. A lot of players also compete in club softball, where they continue to practice and play year round. The best thing about being on the softball team isn’t just winning games, it’s the friendships you make and the experiences along the way. Gamble’s greatest accomplishments are the friendships she’s made with her teammates. “I still want to win, but at this point, I don’t want to play in college. The friendships I’ve made are the one thing I can cherish forever.” A lot of teamwork is required to make

a softball team successful. Gamble attributes half her success to her catcher. “I’m a good pitcher, my catcher helps [me] get the calls. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t get as many strikes.” While Gamble gets a lot of credit for carrying her team with pitching through the season, she and her coach Duman both acknowledge its a family that makes it successful. “[The team is] definitely a family,” Says Duman. “We preach being a family that supports one another and has one another’s back.” “We all work together to make each other good and we all work hard and have really good team chemistry, which helps us in winning games,” continues Gamble. “This year we are doing really good as a whole, we are like family.” SPORTS / THE WHIRLWIND 25

WHAT’S IN MY

A look inside the bag of junior rugby player Lisa Gutierrez

BAG

“I bring an extra pair just in case they rip when we ruck.”

BY Abigail Winter

“We play in the rain most often, so when we play the mud sticks onto the shoes.”

“I wrap [my ankles] up before every game so I don’t roll them or “I have asthma, so when I run I [have to] use it every time before a game.” “I have all of these sizes of tampons just in case any of my teammates need them.”

IF I’M NOT THEN I’M

Sophomore McKenzie Kosmicki has played three different sports this year, including volleyball, basketball, and softball. But when she is not playing sports, she has a deep love for fishing. Her dad taught her how to fish at her family’s lake house near Coos Bay at a young age. Shortly after, she caught her first fish, a bass, at age 5. “It’s something I can do by myself,” Kosmicki said. “You’re out there, and there’s nobody else with you half the time. You’re just kind of with your own thoughts. It’s just you and the fish!” Though she loves the sport, Kosmicki hasn’t been fishing since last summer. “It’s hard to find time now,” she said. “This summer I plan on doing it a lot.” 26 THE WHIRLWIND / APRIL 2019

CHAIN

I N S P I R AT I O N SOFTBALL EDITION FRESHMAN SIDNEY HOLLOWAY IS INSPIRED BY... “Riley Ramirez pushes me mentally. She teaches me different aspects of the game and how to improve [the] game inside my head.”

sprain them.”

“I like to keep my teeth intact.”

“I have a lot of baby hair[s], so I put them up so I can see.”

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

Freshman Luis Maciel is a member of the “Chain Family” on the JV baseball team. The newfound tradition was created by freshman Carson Benedict during the team’s first game of the season against Jefferson High School in March. Wearing the slim, silver chains is now a good luck charm for the team. They sport their chains around their necks during practices and most games, but sometimes they are not allowed to wear them due to regulations or rules set by the school they are playing at. If that’s the case, Maciel says they wear them in the cages until it’s their turn to step up to the plate.

SOPHOMORE RILEY RAMIREZ IS INSPIRED BY...

“Dani Sally because she always stays positive and is a good leader on the team. She always goes out of her way to do kind things but isn’t afraid to say what’s on her mind.”

SENIOR DANIELLE SALLY IS INSPIRED BY... “[Mahayla Gamble] ] has pushed through many injuries. She’s our pitcher. She’s done everything, basically. It’s amazing just to see how she will go to help our team out.”

ENTERTAINMENT

Opinions and input from both sides of the battle of a generation: which giant tech brand is the better choice according to students? JUNIOR COLETON RICHEY

Whirlwind: What kind of iPhone do you have? Coleton Richey: iPhone XR. WW: When did you switch to an iPhone from Android? CR: I got it at the beginning of April. WW: Why did you switch to Apple? CR: I wanted to try something new, but I liked the software

design [of Apple products], and a lot of the Apple products [work] really well together... It’s a lot easier for developers to make apps that run well on iPhones. For example, Snapchat on Android works terrible compared to Apple... I was kind of sick of the bugginess, and I wanted something that would just work. WW: Why do you think this is such a big debate topic? And since you switched, what are the pros and cons of each side of the debate? CR: People are really proud of what they have, and a lot of people haven’t tried the other side; and I guess from an iPhone perspective, maybe they haven’t used a good Android phone. From the Android side, Apple is very overpriced for what you get. WW: Does the atmosphere in the debate seem more joking, serious, teasing, et cetera? CR: My experience hasn’t really been joking. It’s like, “Oh, you’re stupid if you have that.” WW: Do you have any funny stories or interesting interactions you’ve had surrounding your phone choice? CR: I have gotten a little bit of crap from my friends with Android phones because they know I’ve always been an Android guy, but my friends with iPhones thought it was cool I [switched].”

JUNIOR APRIL HALL

BY Jenna Thomas

Whirlwind: Why did you choose an Android phone? April Hall: My aunt and uncle chose Androids to be

our phones…My uncle didn’t like how the new iPhones are working because he uses one for work… If I wanted an iPhone, I could go get one. But I don’t see the need to have an iPhone just because they’re ‘high tech.’” WW: Why do you think this is such a big debate topic? AH: I think [iPhone users] think it’s the cool thing. In middle school, I know it was a big thing when everyone was starting to get their first phones, like, “Well I have the newest iPhone, so I’m ‘up there.’” WW: What’s your opinion on this debate? AH: At the end of the day, you’re still using it to text or call. You still have social media. You still have everything. It really shouldn’t matter. It’s just a phone, it can do the same things... Especially if your parents are paying for it, be very grateful that you even have a phone. JUNIOR ELENA STEIN

Whirlwind: Why did you choose an Android phone? Elena Stein: My parents have it and I like how they are. I

don’t really like how the [Apple] apps are. I like how [iPhones] look, but I don’t like how they feel. I’m always scared I’m gonna drop and break it. WW: Why do you think this is such a big debate topic? ES: I think a lot of people choose Apple just because everyone has it. People just like coming up with things to compete about. Like, “I have an [iPhone] because this is so much better. But I don’t know, it’s kind of weird. WW: Why do you think people care about brands? ES: They start using something and start putting their name to something and they think, i have to stick with this. Its weird that people hold so much value on what brand they have. ENTERTAINMENT / THE WHIRLWIND 27

IN R D BE IE G G A M

GOOGLE’S GAMING CONSOLE STADIA Questions arise as Google enters the gaming community with a new gaming platform called Stadia BY Kaden Strametz

28 THE WHIRLWIND / APRIL 2019

F I R S T T H E R E W A S A T A R I , then Nintendo, then SEGA, then PlayStation, then Xbox, and now there will be Stadia. Google, the multinational technology company, will soon be a new playing card in the battle of the most superior gaming system. Stadia, Google’s gateway into the gaming world, is a soon to be released cloud gaming service capable of streaming video games in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second with support for high-dynamic-range to any computer with a quality internet connection. With this new development, there are a lot of questions about the reliability of Stadia and its effectiveness. Junior Brandon Stafford, who plays video games on Nintendo Switch and PC, believes Stadia will mirror the digital distribution platform Steam, which is very popular among PC players. “I’m imagining Stadia to be like Steam more of a launcher than them developing their own games,” Stafford said. The Verge, a media news and technology website, reported that in San Francisco on March 19, “Google announced Stadia Games and Entertainment, a new first-party games studio that will be creating exclusive games for the new platform.” This means Stadia is not only becoming a game developer but also a cloud streaming service, relying heavily on Youtube, another of Google’s branch, and its content creators who stream on a regular basis. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

STUDENT SURVEY WHICH GAMING CONSOLE DO YOU USE? 31.5% SAID PLAYSTATION 4 42.4% SAID XBOX ONE 17.4% SAID PC 8.7% NONE *in a survey of 92 students

APEX RISING

Fortnite is the giant of battle royales. With new game Apex Legends rising quickly, many wonder the future of the two games BY Emmalynn Weible

GAMERS ALL HAVE ONE THING IN common. They’ve experienced their first win, their best loot drop, their funniest glitch, the first moment of a new game, a random online friend, or the ending of a story. Gamers all have one thing in common: experiences. WAHS gamers are no different, and sophomore Eli Podrabsky is a gamer—no question. Fortnite, launched in 2017 by Epic Games, was initially a game about building and surviving against zombies for as long as you can, but three months after the original game’s launch, Epic Games launched an addition to Fortnite called Fortnite Battle Royale. In this free player versus player version of the game where 100 players are dropped from a floating bus onto a map, a storm drives the decreasing amount of players closer together throughout the course of the game and the last team to survive wins. Recently, game studio Respawn Entertainment released a game called Apex Legends. This game has risen in popularity far faster than Fortnite did According to popular gaming news source Screenrant, citing industry analysts tweets, Apex hit 25 million players one week after launch. Fortnite somewhere between 6 and 11 weeks to reach that scale. This has left many people wondering if Fortnite is going to die and For Podrabsky, Apex Legends is simply the better game. “The numbers are self-explanatory; it says that Apex is becoming more popular more quickly. I like the first person aspect a lot more,” he said in relation to Apex Legends, which he says provided him something that Fortnite didn’t.if Apex Legends is going burn out quicker due to the sudden popularity. “I’m not a fan of the whole building thing [in Fortnite], and I don’t really like the cartoon aspect of it,” he said. In his opinion, Fortnite doesn’t keep his interest during the game. Unlike Apex, he finds himself bored with the mechanics. For Podrabsky, its audience is also too young. Freshman Laden Ballard has also had experience with both games. Ballard has positive memories of his time playing Fortnite, but recently he has been playing Apex Legends more. He tells us his first (and possibly relatable) experience CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

The theory for Stadia is if you watch a clip or a youtuber stream a game you could potentially play it instantly. This works well for streamers who want to be more involved with their audience however, “How much would games cost compared to other platforms?” Stafford asks.

with Fortnite. “I was the casual no-skin who everybody thought was a complete noob,” Ballard said, meaning he was a brand new player with no new features. RESPAWN He played ENTERTAINMENT with a friend STUDENT SURVEY more experienced with FortA survey of 92 WAHS students measured nite, and in one how many play Fortnite, Apex Legends, specific game or neither. they had not realized they were 78.3% SAID NEITHER at the end of the match. 10.9% SAID APEXLEGENDS “We got out of our one by 10.9% SAID FORTNITE one towers...We ran out there with our shotguns and surprisingly, we won.” He remembers the thrill of excitement in the last few moments of the game. “For myself, my friends, and a lot of other people, Fortnite was a lot more fun and a lot more unique when it first came out,” Ballard said. “There was no giant crater in the center, there was no volcano, no desert, no snow, and no tilted towers.” Looking back on his experience with the game, he said that it was more interesting without random gadgets, and when the textures were slightly downgraded. Every year there is a game that takes the center spotlight, and this year both Apex Legends and Fortnite are competing for that spotlight.

As of right now, there are no official details in regards to pricing or if Stadia is going to require a subscription pass like Playstation Plus or Xbox Live, or if users have to pay for individual games, or if it will be a mix of both. It’s purely speculation until Google releases more information regarding price. As for cross compat-

ibility amongst other systems it has been confirmed that cross combatiatily will be available however the systems have not been announced. Stadia will be released sometime in 2019 according to google. Once its released all answers will be available, hopefully. ENTERTAINMENT / THE WHIRLWIND 29

Art from the ground up

Art students create sculpture, jewelry with new 3-D printer

T H E M A C H I N E W H I R L S from place to place, building an object soon to have dimensions, to have depth. The machine’s nozzle secretes a plastic alloy, building, from the ground up, a wholly new object, imbued with more meaning than just the sculpture it is creating. Art teacher Casi Brown bought a 3D printer for the art program in September 2018 because of its increase in popularity. “I’ve been noticing a lot of artists starting to utilize those mediums,” Brown said. “I thought [the 3D printer] would be a great way to incorporate those new technologies.” The new printer is used as “a time-saving device,” Brown said. Usually, the students in her jewelry class only make three pieces of jewelry in a semester using traditional methods. However, people were wanting to buy the jewelry, but Brown said, “It’s kind of hard to let go of those three pieces, and so I thought, another way to have a little jewelry sale would be to 3D print jewelry multiples,” thereby allowing more pieces to be made. The effects of the printer, however, will not only be felt on the output levels of the art classes. In possible future jobs, such as “in movies and character design,” according to Brown, they “use similar design processes.” Even if the student goes into a different position, such as a jeweler or a sculptor, or a more technical, less creative job like in

automotive design, the designing processes are similar. In a world where processes like 3D printing are becoming the norm, having previous experience could open new job opportunities for students. According to a 2018 study done by Sculpteo, a 3D printing company, 64% of aeronautics companies use 3D printing in production. One of Brown’s sculpture students, senior Mary Catala, is a frequent user of the printer and is familiar with the process of using the printer. “I’ve scanned pieces, cleaned them, and printed them using the machine,” Catala said. “I’ve had to cut pieces of plastic and file the sculpture down. It can take a really long time.” Typically, this process lasts around three weeks. Catala’s pieces are not simple and take quite a lot of work both in the physical realm and the electronic. To start, Catala decides on what she wants to do, then she designs it, ending the process by scanning and finally printing the piece. Catala sees the 3D printer as a way to increase productivity and make the whole process more efficient. “When people want to make more of one thing, it can take a really long time,” Catala said. “With the printer, it is a lot faster to reprint the same thing multiple times over in a reduced amount of time and make lots of one thing.”

BY Dezmond Remington

MAGGIE BEDRIN

(top) Recently finished, 3D printed pieces by Senior Marcy Catala (middle) One of Catala’s pieces as it appeared in the design software pre-print (bottom) The 3D printer itself

WHEN IT’S TIME FOR A TRIM... Contact Us 838 Pacific Blvd SE, Albany (541) 928-0811 thecuttingroom@gmail.com 30 THE WHIRLWIND / APRIL 2019

Hours: Closed Mon + Sun Tue-Fri 9am-6pm Sat 9am-4pm

The scoop on Martin

English teacher Chris Martin has interesting hobby of carves spoons as a hobby, taking hours of time BY Lajla Raske

WHILE ENGLISH TEACHER “Outside of my Facebook group Chris Martin spends many hours a week that I follow [of wood] carvers, digging and scooping through the material I don’t know any others that in English classes, many of his students are actively wood carving, so don’t know he does a lot of digging and it is an interesting conversaKnown as a Kuksa, this scooping while working with wood, creat- tion starter,” said Chris. “It is wooden creation is ing hand-carved spoons.. met with: Oh, made from a Douglas “It started out as just that’s weird.’’ Fir tree something to kind of pass Since Chris the time,” said Martin. started making “Then, it started to turn his wooden creinto a hobby, so I started ations, he has getting more of the tools learned about the and dedicating a spot in process of making my garage to sit and do it.” the spoons, which he Martin said he has now knows how to crebeen carving spoons for ate through a lot of pracENGLISH TEACHER about four years. In the tice. CHRIS MARTIN time since he started, he Chris said to begin the has made around 20 of CARVING FOR four years process, you take a piece the wooden utensils. He HAS MADE about 20 spoons of wood and split it in half, LIKES TO CARVE WITH sometimes gives spoons making a flat surface. apple wood as gifts for people like his Apart from carving mother, who has received spoons, other hobbies hr and displayed them. enjoys include hiking, back“I don’t use [the spoons] packing, and playing Dunthat often. I’m almost geons and Dragons. Chris afraid to [because] some has expressed interest in of them are too pretty,” other types of carving, such he said. “Some of them as carving small wooden never make it outside befigures. cause they are not pretty. I “I bought a book on how am afraid to mess them up to carve little figures. I made because I spend so much one while we were camping time getting them to look one time, and I gave to my the way [they are].” daughter,” he explained. “It’s really weird Martin stays busy in his hobby due to looking, but she liked it. Maybe I could get hand carving, which takes around seven into that more and carving little figures.” hours per piece. He typically splits this into about three or four sessions. Chris’s wife, This spoon is made Chelsie Martin, said that any friends who from the trunk of see his work are really impressed and enjoy one of Martin’s seeing his creations. Christmas trees “He’s improved a lot,” Chelsie said. “He started with some basic tools, and his Of these six [product] was good; but now he has really spoons, this is good tools, and the end product is much Martin’s favorite cleaner and more polished.” Chris explained he doesn’t tell many people about his wood carving hobby.

“It’s just kind of guessing and checking and playing around. And, figuring out what’s going to come out of it.”

ENTERTAINMENT / THE WHIRLWIND

MY BEST WORK

TTED

In the library, around to the right of the checkout counter, is a replica of a sarcophagus, presumably of Mayan origin, donated to West Albany in 1938 by two alumni, who bought it on a trip to Latin America. Inside are dozens of historical books.

BY Patrick Spence

Art teacher Casi Brown’s acrylic painting class has a new project of Andy Warhol inspired pop art paintings, of which five—painted by senior Bailey Dickerson, junior Kaya Chipman, junior Jasmine Perkins, sophomore Julia Donner, and sophomore Brooke Donner—can be seen in the library. The process started with taking real photos, editing them in photoshop, projecting them onto canvas, and then painting them. Some students chose to focus on the bright and vibrant colors typical of pop art, whereas others chose to incorporate elements of realism in their work.

On the wall behind her desk, social studies teacher June Morris has an array of photos--of people, things she cares about, and places she’s visited with her family. Of note is her annually-updated photo running the Thanksgiving-day Oregon Mid-Valley Road Race, complete with a new cross-country t-shirt each In the alcove between classrooms E-1 and E-2 is an assortment of old science instruments, including a Taylor Weatherscope, a classic machine from the mid-twentieth century used to project weather conditions.

ENGLISH TEACHER

JORDAN RUPPERT SAYS...

HEAD 2 HEAD WHAT TWO BOOKS SHOULD EVERY HIGH SCHOOLER READ BEFORE THEY GRADUATE?

“Wallace “James Joyce’s Stegner’s ‘Wolf ‘A Portrait of Willow’...is all an Artist as a about the place Young Man’ [is he most called a] book about home. His family a young person moved around finding their a lot in his youth, own way. The so he [thought] book is mostly about what it [is] autobiographto be from somewhere. It’s part ical about his alter ego... As good a novel about this subject history, part reflection, and part fiction, and... a way of thinking as I’ve read. It can be a bit of work at times, but worth every about one’s position on the planet.” second.”

32 THE WHIRLWIND / APRIL 2019

“I think ‘Dreamland’ by Sarah Dessen is a great book for high schoolers. It deals with the power balances in relationships, so as a young adult, it’s a very powerful book. Its told from a female perspective, but it’s very good at representing a partner perspective.”

ENGLISH TEACHER

KRISSY RASMUSSEN SAYS... “‘Harry Potter’, actually, is a great series. It has everything in it: loss, hardship, growing up, I think a lot of students can find inspiration in Harry. He’s the chosen one, but isn’t treated better because of it. I think there’s a lot to learn there.”