22-23 The Whirlwind - Issue 1

Our Human Expressions

Over the summer, one of us (Gigi) decided to put her opinion out onto the internet (we know, terrifying). She had been watching a TikTok about a person who hated abstract art, but then challenged themselves to try it out, and decided that they actually enjoyed it. Gigi commented, explaining how she loved abstract art when it is more than a few blocks of color, or a few circles.

Gigi woke up that next morning to around 1k likes, and multiple comments arguing that she was stupid for not understanding the meaning of abstract art, despite her comment not being about the meaning. That comment now sits at nearly 9k likes, and has 50 comments arguing over how stupid someone is if they do not understand the meaning of a painted circle.

While we were brainstorming ideas for this issue’s central theme, Gigi brought up that story. This made us think about all the different things people do and don’t see as art, and how goshdarn opinionated people can be about it. And, of course, that made us start thinking about all the different forms of art that we see here at WAHS. While we do have the “traditional” art programs—sketching, painting, and pottery—we also have more unconventional art programs such as jewelry making, em-

broidery, sewing, and the Performing Arts program, which includes several subcategories.

It made us recognize how undervalued so many art forms are. Entire programs, despite getting various awards for their artwork, like band, choir, and theater, often do not get much recognition outside of a short “congratulations” in the announcements, while sport teams often get loud cheer

ing during pep assemblies.

A LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

And this is when we realized what we wanted this issue of

The Whirlwind to be about. We wanted to be able to showcase and celebrate all the artists within WAHS, and explore their individual well-honed abilities and aspirations. We hoped that we would be able to give the people reading a sense of all the different perspectives that art can take, and all the different forms it has shown itself in within WAHS.

INTERESTED IN SPONSORING?

The Whirlwind, West Albany High School’s student news publication, is seeking sponsors for this school year. Whirlwind provides a unique service to the school community, covering news and issues related to the WAHS student body. sponsoring The Whirlwind is a way to show your support for the civic engagement, open dialogue, critical thinking and free exercise of expression that good student journalism encourages. Any individual or business can sponsor The Whirlwind. Sponsorship does not indicate endorsement of the views or opinions expressed in The Whirlwind. Contact us at wahswhirlwind@gmail.com

In our hope to expand on this story, junior reporter Gigi Roldan interviewed senior Mack Howard and junior Zoey Sabbatino about their respective passions, which can be found within “Masters in the Making,” while sophomore reporter Helen Whiteside interviewed students from Creative Writing about their written art, which can be found on pages 22 - 23.

This also made us think about what we do. Journalism is art. When we are making a newspaper, we have to write all the stories you read, come up with the design for each page, shoot the photos for each story, and then put together everything we have created into a single magazine. We hope, with this issue, that all art, no matter the medium, will be appreciated as much as it should be.

Editors-In-Chief

Gigi Roldan

Joe Wagner

Ming Wong

Mollie Brown

News

Legend Engberg

Opinion

Violet Zinck

Special

Helen Whiteside

Sports

Hailey Miles

Arts & Entertainment

Marshall Hamel Staff

A’Shyia Swenson

Avneet Dhaliwal

Jose Lopez Ortega

Adviser

Michelle Balmeo

Gigi Roldan, Joe Wagner, Ming Wong, & Mollie Brown

Editors-in-Chief

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING SPONSOR

Gold Level:

Sarah Whiteside

THE WHIRLWIND is a dedicated student forum. Content and editorial decisions are made by student staff members excercising 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.

The Ballot-Cycle

HOW LINN COUNTY PROCESSES ELECTION BALLOTS

By Ming Wong

As a child, Linn County clerk Steve Druckenmiller recalls going with his dad to canvas for president Dwight D. Eisenhower. With his father’s knock on the door and the brochures in his hand, his dad would take them from him and give them to the voter. Looking back on it now, he sees it as a smart way to inform people about a candidate.

“It was pretty clever because people see a little kid, they didn’t want to not take it,” Druckenmiller said.

Through canvassing and going with his parents to the polling place, Druckenmiller says he got a deep sense of the obligation of a citizen to a democratic republic. That love continued into college where he says he got a degree in government, and is still present today as he currently holds the elected position of county clerk for Linn County: a position that he has held for the last 36 years.

“I had worked three years as the election supervisor for [then Linn county clerk] Del Riley who’s the one that brought vote-by-mail here to Oregon,” said Druckenmiller. “For the first time I was really happy with the job I was doing. I thought I was doing something important. It was the right thing for me.”

Druckenmiller says that the experience of going to the polling place as a child made it difficult to accept voting-by-mail He expressed his dislike for this voting process in his interview for election supervisor with Riley. However, as time went on he says his opinions changed and he began to accept the validity of the process.

According to Druckenmiller, Riley believed that everyone who is eligible to vote should have the ability to without any roadblocks and plenty of time to consider who they should vote for.

So on November 8, 2022, Oregonians will participate in the midterm elections with a system that originated right here in Linn county. This is how the ballot process works.

Step

A

of

a batch and

into a processing tray,

the number of ballots also being logged on a paper

log. Afterwards, signatures are verified to the voters registration, and if they’re a match, they move along in the process. However, if two staff members and the county clerk declare the signature unmatched, the voter will be notified that their vote won’t be counted and will have the ability to fix the error.

1: Once ballots are received at the courthouse, they’re run through a verification scanner that logs the voters’ ballot envelope.

number

envelopes are grouped together into

are set

with

audit

Steve Druckenmiller, Linn County Clerk

Step 6: The ballot container boxes are stored in the securest room in the courthouse that’s equipped with multiple safeguards including a motion detector and door alarm. All records related to the election are required to be kept for at least 90 days, and at most two years, depending on the election.

Step 4: Each ballot is scanned, counted, and imaged to compare to the original ballot. These machines are tested with pre-election and post-election ballot test stacks through the use of sample ballots to ensure accuracy.

Step 5: Ballots where the voter’s choice is unclear are reviewed and adjusted based on their correct choice. This process is known as ballot adjudication and the changes to the ballot are noted. After this, the results of that batch are posted to the county and state website.

Step 3: Three election board workers that aren’t of the same party remove the ballots’ secrecy sleeve and check the ballots for damage. Afterwards, each member counts the number of ballots and checks it to the number of envelopes delivered. This number is reported on a paper audit log and is placed into a ballot container box.

Step 2: The ballot extractor opens the envelopes so that the ballots contained in the security sleeve can be pulled out. From this, the number of ballot envelopes reported by the extractor are reported on the audit log.

Beginning to Listen

NATIVE AMERICANS ARE STARTING TO EARN OVERDUE RECOGNITION FROM OREGON GOVERNMENT

Native Americans have always been an important part of Oregon’s history. The 9 federally recognised tribes that can be found in our state all have cultures as rich and beautiful as the land they chose to settle on at least 12,000 years ago according to archeological speculation(although each tribe has their own different and interesting creation stories inherited through generations.) Yet historically, Natives have not been treated with the respect they deserve.

When white settlers came to the Americas they saw the Natives as a means to an end. They exploited Native Americans for their land, their resources, and for labor. They forcefully relocated them to reservations and sent Native American children to schools where they made them cut their hair and removed them from their culture. In Oregon, one example of Native relocation is that of the Kalapuya. The University of Oregon sits on Kalapuya land. After treaties between 1851 and 1855 the Kalapuya were forcefully relocated to the Coast Reservation of Western Oregon (later called the Siletz Reservation).

Another agitator was gold seeking. During the gold rush period miners had no regard for the Natives of Eastern Oregon whose rivers they were trying to harvest gold from. The miners would become violent and often kill Native Americans. These injustices culminated in the Rogue River Wars of 1855-1856. In these wars gold miners fought Eastern Native American groups for their land and the Natives in turn defended themselves. The Natives lost these wars, and were relocated to the Grand Ronde reservation and the Siletz reservation. Beginning

in February 1857, many tribes were forced by federal troops to march from a temporary reservation in Table Rock to the Grand Ronde reservation 263 miles away. It took 33 days and is referred to as ‘Oregon’s Trail of Tears’. Many people died along the way. This is only a broad view of some injustices faced by Native Americans in Oregon.

Native Americans have been persecuted since Europeans started arriving in North America, but they have always resisted, and fought to maintain their culture.

“We for a long time thought we were doing a good job by talking about the impact these interactions have had, while at the same time we largely ignored the achievements,”AP US History Marty Johnston states. “One of the achievements is how despite everything the Native Americans have been through, they’re still successful at maintaining their culture.”

These achievements continue to grow in the present day. Oregon has been taking some action in response to Native petitioning. In 2022, a derogatory term for native women was removed from over 50 Oregon landmarks. These landmarks include summits, swamps, reservoirs, and streams.

There will also hopefully be progress in education. In 2017, the Oregon senate passed House Bill 2845 into law, which aims to introduce new ethnic studies standards into all Oregon public schools. The current deadline for implementation is 2026. When this comes into effect, all age groups will be exposed to more discussion of underrepresented races and cultures in the classroom.

“HAIR IS VERY IMPORTANT IN NATIVE CULTURE. IT IS BELIEVED THAT HAIR IS AN EXTENSION OF OUR SELF AND OUR SOUL. YOU BRAID YOUR HAIR WITH GOOD INTENTIONS AND CARRY THEM WITH YOU THROUGHOUT THE DAY.”

— SOPHOMORE RAE SCHREITER

There will be specific instruction for educating students on Native American culture before colonization and giving examples of Native contributions.

West Albany highschool as well as other schools can benefit from being mindful of the many cultures that make up the student body that each have something to share.

“It’s just a lot of togetherness,”sophomore Rae Shreiter, a member of the Wailacki tribe of Round Valley, California, said in reference to their Native American culture. “[it’s] very community oriented- it doesn’t really matter who you are as long as you’re respectful to others and to the land and the energy it gave you.”

Hopefully America can begin to pay more attention to Native American voices and continue to respond to their petitions. Rae expressed that good ways to keep Native culture alive would be to return Native land, teach about Native American culture before Columbus’s arrival, and to return Native artifacts to their original tribes.

Story and Illustration by A’Shyia Swensen

Big Portions, Small Stomachs

WHY TEEN HEALTH IS DECLINING DESPITE MORE EDUCATION ON NUTRITION

Health teacher Jennifer Bornheimer set out a massive bowl of cereal at the beginning of this week and asked the class about their opinions. She noted that many of her students mentioned that they ate a similar amount of cereal at home and sometimes more on the weekends.

“Not one kid was like, ‘Wow,’ that bowl is way too big. That is not the bowl we use [at home], said Bornheimer

After listening to their feedback, Bornheimer asked her classes what could be contributing to the influences of an individual’s fitness. The classes reached the consensus of a handful of factors leading to the increase of weight gain, including many factors such as genetics, an increase of sugary diets, the fact that the US is a richer country, and societal expectations.

Recently, Jennifer Bornheimer’s class has been discussing the detrimental effects of the decline in teen health. Despite the surge of resources on health education, the wellness of most people has been declining in many ways. So, what’s the issue?

People forget to make a conscious effort for their health, often believing there are no consequences to the choices they make now. Similar to the exasperation we feel when we are unable to breathe properly when we have a stuffy nose, we don’t consider our health until it is compromised, Bornheimer says.

Over the past 33 years, obesity rates throughout the US have skyrocketed, as reported by the CDC. Some common illnesses caused by unhealthy weight gain are hypertension (abnormally high blood pressure), heart disease, and strokes, the Australian Government Health Department found.

However, many people focus on one extreme end of the spectrum and neglect the other. Many poor eating habits are caused by eating disor-

By Avneet Dhaliwal

ders. Both ends of the scale lead to severely damaging diseases over the length of time.

Some prevalent illnesses associated with extreme weight loss are malnutrition, decreased muscle strength, lack of energy/stamina, hypothermia, and lowered immunity as reported by the Health Department of the Australian Government.

Bornheimer notes that societal expectations

THE EXASPERATION WE FEEL WHEN WHEN WE ARE UNABLE TO BREATH PROPERLY... WE DON’T CONSIDER OUR HEALTH TILL IT IS COMPROMISED “

and media portrayal plays a large subconscious role on our dietary habits are shaped. Many students rush out of the door in the mornings without grabbing something to eat or packing a meal for lunch. Hopefully, by teaching students about healthy eating in school,

they will be more mindful of their eating habits. Bornheimer worries that after the “Healthy Eating” unit ends, students will disregard the information they were taught.

“One of the biggest concerns is that you have no control,” Bornheimer said. “You are subject to whatever your parents or other responsible adults are providing for you.”

If you’re committed to a healthier lifestyle, set realistic goals and expectations for yourself.

“Baby steps…use a smaller plate for your next meal or give yourself a time. After nine o’ clock, I’m going to go brush my teeth…I’m done eating for the day.” Bornheimer advises as she pulls up a powerpoint with statistics of increased rates of obesity and eating disorders.

Junior Macy Bornheimer jokingly adds, “Eat more greens. No more fried food. Eat three [balanced] meals a day.”

Jennifer Bornheimer acknowledges that losing or gaining weight can be very difficult for people who are in high school. “Your average 15 to 18 year olds,” Borheimer said, “that’s really hard to do on your own.”

The Hidden Diversity within our Hispanic Community

GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES MAKE RETAINING NATIVE LANGUAGE CHALLENGING FOR SPANISH SPEAKING STUDENTS

Story and Photos by Joe Wagner, Illustration by Legend Engberg

Junior Omar Moreno, representative of the Latinx Del Oeste Club, was born in the United States. His parents immigrated to the States in their twenties and didn’t know English, so Moreno’s first language growing up was Spanish.

He started going to school and couldn’t speak the language. “No one understood me, and they made fun of me,” Moreno said. He was quickly placed in the English Learning Development (ELD) program and made strong progress, graduating from the program in third grade. But Moreno had a secret technique up his sleeve: like many other kids his age, he was watching cartoons every Saturday morning. “I watched cartoons every day in English, and I learned [that way].”

I WATCHED CARTOONS EVERY DAY AND I LEARNED ENGLISH THAT WAY “

Moreno would repeat phrases that he heard on shows to his teachers, occasionally getting in trouble, but his teacher would explain what they meant and he picked up a new phrase just like that. His favorite shows were “Courage; the Cowardly Dog”, “Codename: Kids Next Door”, and the original “Teen Titans Go."

When Moreno joined the Latinx Del Oeste Club, he said it felt like home. He found people who went through the same struggles as him as Latinos, people he could relate to. “I’d try to pronounce the “D” sound and [students] would make fun of me. I remember my cousins, they only spoke English and they’d make fun of me too,” said Moreno.

They had similar struggles, similar triumphs and similar conditions. It

A common misconception is that Hispanic means Mexican. Hispanic refers anyone who speaks Spanish. The term is much more broad than people believe. “You can be Hispanic from Spain, and you can be Hispanic from Mexico, or you can be Hispanic from any country in South America except for Brazil,” said Spanish teacher Ken Beiser. Hispanic countries include the shaded countries on the map above.

was a place he could breathe. Moreno joined the club when it was fairly small, so he progressed to be a representative fairly quickly, but he loved its mission to be a safe space for everyone.

Club Social Media Representative, senior Janet Hernandez was born in the United States. Her parents immigrated to the states roughly 20 years ago.

“It was a big struggle. When my parents immigrated here, they didn’t know anybody. And a big challenge is language,” Hernandez said. “Since they didn’t speak English, it was really hard for us growing up because we didn’t learn English until we started going to school.”

Hernandez learned English through the ELD programs at her school. In her junior year, she watched the Latinx club begin to fade when last year’s seniors graduated. She wanted to preserve a space where Hispanics and people in general could feel safe.

Learning English has been a hurdle for many Hispanic students over the years in more ways than just having to learn a new language. English Learning Development Coordinator Ken Beiser, “They have to kind of segment their day or when I’m at school, I’m speaking English and then I go home, and then I have to speak Spanish.” Language barriers can create rifts between family members, making it difficult for them to talk.

“I know a couple friends that speak really good English, but not as well Spanish,” Hernandez said. “They have a hard time communicating with their parents, grandparents and cousins. And it’s a really hard thing for both, because parents, they teach you Spanish, Spanish, Spanish, but then at schools, it’s not your whole day.”

Beiser explains that for Spanish-speaking students being educated in English, as their English skills grow, they speak less and less Spanish. So for example, if family members who have no reason to know English visit, the student can no longer communicate with them.” Nationwide it’s common for ELD students to be unable to communicate with family. Pew Research data suggests that,

Junior Omar Moreno, LatinX Del Oeste Representative

“While 61% of Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. are Spanish dominant (and another 32% are bilingual), the share who are Spanish dominant drops to 6% among secondgeneration Hispanics.”

THEY BASICALLY EDUCATED THE SPANISH OUT OF ME WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL. “

According to Hernandez, she’s seen her own proficiency in Spanish begin to decline and says that communicating with her own parents and family has become difficult.

“I do struggle with that a lot,’’ Hernandez said, “and it sometimes makes me feel like a bad daughter or just, like, family member in general because they did so much to be able to come here and give me an opportunity, then I can’t even communicate with them. But I think I’ve gotten a little bit better at my Spanish.”

GAPS Executive Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Javier Cervantes talks to the LatinX del Oeste Club on Oct. 13 He encouraged the students listening to pursue greater education and higher positions in the workforce.

This Hispanic experience has been relevant for generations; Hispanic students have been struggling since before the 70s.

GAPS Executive Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Javier Cervantes talked to the LatinX Del Oeste Club on October 13 and recalls

Sunday – Monday: Closed Tuesday – Saturday: 5pm – 8pm

Last table seated at 7:45pm

experiencing many of the same struggles that Moreno and Hernandez face during his school experience.

Cervantes grew up speaking Spanish in his household and he went into school not knowing English.

“They basically educated the Spanish out of me when I was in school,” Cervantes said. “They wanted us to speak nothing but English, so I started gradually forgetting my Spanish.”

However, losing touch with Spanish didn’t hinder Cervantes when it came to being with his family.

“Actually, it made me improve my communication with my family because they needed to learn English,” Cervantes said. “So my speaking English to them helped them learn English.”

Around his white friends, Cervantes would get weird looks for speaking Spanish, almost like it wasn’t socially acceptable.

While times have changed significantly from then, Hispanic people are still experiencing many of the same forms of discrimination due to their language. But that’s a large part of why people like Cervantes, Hernandez, and Moreno are in the positions they’re in. They’re in a place where they can encourage, and support other Hispanics. Their support makes it possible for Hispanic people in GAPS to feel like they have a place to belong.

No Boys Allowed

WHY DON’T MALES JOIN THE ACTUAL CHEERLEADING SQUAD?

Cheerleading hasn’t often been recognized as a sport, and this is especially true at our school. Given most students only see cheerleaders performing on the sidelines at sports games and in pep assemblies, and not at their competitions, the impression many have is that these are performers, not athletes. In reality, though, the cheer team engages in state-wide and national competitions.

During Homecoming week, several boys participate in the Powderpuff cheer competition, however the competition cheer team is made up of all female participants. Watching the Powderpuff boys execute their stunts and cheers leads to the question: why are there no male cheerleaders on the competition cheer team?

“I wish we had males on the team because then we could partner stunt,” senior varsity cheerleader Ella Meyer said.

According to junior Noah Wines, who participated in this year’s Powderpuff competition, one reason males may choose not to participate in cheerleading is because of a stigma about male cheerleaders being gay or not as “manly” as they should be. Although we have come a long way to get rid of this stigma, there are still people who believe it and would ridicule men for joining the cheer team.

“I think that it’s a lot less stigmatized than it would have been 10 years ago,” Wines said, “but I still think that there is a certain error about it that it’s something feminine. And if men do something feminine, you’re stereotyped as gay and that you have to be feminine to do cheerleading, which is not true.”

While Powderpuff cheerleaders are trained by actual cheerleaders, practice a routine and perform stunts, some who participate in it see it less as a sport and more as a fun activity.

I THINK THAT THEY ARE SCARED OF PEOPLE BULLYING THEM AND CALLING THEM ‘GAY’

“I feel like Powderpuff is presented as a thing you do with your friends,” Powderpuff cheerleader senior Eric Franzen said.

“I think most people do it because it’s tradition and it’s a funny thing to do with your friends. There’s no real competition aside from being friendly with the juniors.”

Interestingly, West Albany has had male cheerleaders in the past. In 1983, three male cheerleaders were introduced as part of Winter Varsity Rally, the name of the

Photos and story by Hailey Miles, Illustration by A’Shyia Swensen

cheer squad at the time, according to that year’s Pedigree yearbook. Frank Reasoner, King-Joe Shrout, and Jim Jones landed on the 70th page of the yearbook. They cheered for basketball and cross country

More than 30 years later, in the March 2019 issue of The Whirlwind, junior Hunter Burris was featured as a cheerleader at the time. In the article, he talks about how he got into the sport, the sport itself, and the hardships he had to endure along the way. He mentions how he got judged and people in the community would talk, but no matter what, he did what he loved and didn’t listen to them. “A lot of people told me that I couldn’t do it because it was either only for girls or that I started too late and didn’t have any skills,” Burris said.

DID YOU KNOW?

50

PERCENT OF COLLEGIATE CHEERLEADERS ARE MALE, ACCORDING TO KATE TORGOVNICK, AUTHOR OF “CHEER.”

West Albany alumni Frank Reasoner, King-Joe Shrout, and Jim Jones take a photo in their uniforms as part of the Winter Varsity Rally team, cheerleaders at the time, in this image from the 1983 yearbook. This year and later in 2019 the cheer team had male members. Photo used with permission of The Pedigree.

Seniors Jeremiah Perkins, Adin Jenson, Cale Buck, Conner Dutcher and Justin Pohlschneider perform a stunt in the Powderpuff cheerleading routine on Oct. 6. More than 20 seniors participated in the performance, doing synchronized moves and coordinated stunts they were taught by the actual cheer team.

Juniors Sebastian Davis, Henry Catlin and Carter Johnson hype up the juniors in the crowd as part of the junior Powderpuff cheer performance.

America’s Actions in a Post-9/11 World

HOW 9/11’S REPERCUSSIONS AND AMERICAN BLAME ARE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS TODAY

TOPINION

he September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and other major political centers are a topic most of us were taught about from a young age, and a required subject in 14 states. Yet, the way the topic has been taught in schools sets students up for skewed perceptions of history in the best cases and Islamophobia in the worst.

Directly after the events of September 11, 2001, the United States CIA created prisons for suspected terrorists for the purpose of “rendition, detention, and interrogation.” Nothing of this camp was public until a 6,000 page report written by the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence was declassified in 2014. This document, written primarily by former U.S. Senate investigator Daniel Jones, detailed the horrific nature of these camps.

According to the committee’s report, government agents used “enhanced interrogation techniques” or legal torture to extract information from prisoners. One former prisoner, Majid Khan, gave a testimony in his court hearing which concluded on Oct. 29 of last year, detailing the conditions of his imprisonment. Khan claimed he was repeatedly waterboarded, a torture practice where the inflicted are repeatedly drowned. Khan was also put through extreme humiliation by forced nudity for long stretches of time.

Also according to the report, prisoners were raped by those in the CIA who worked on and ran these camps, and in the end, no valuable information was gained. Prisoners often admitted to things while “being subjected to the CIA’s enhanced interrogation techniques.”.

And yet, most have never heard of these events. In most schools across the country, students learn

9/11 is that of the 2,996 Americans who died that day.

Of course, this was a historic event and a tragedy that should be recognized and remembered, but many of the repercussions of subsequent policies for Islamic people are not discussed as thoroughly as they should be. There is also very little discussion of the 176,000 people who died in the Afghan war, a war started by the U.S. as a defense against Al-Qaeda after the attacks.

ALSO, I THINK IT CERTAINLY CAN BE EASIER TO FOCUS ON THE AMERICAN SIDE, BECAUSE THAT MIGHT BE LESS CHALLENGING TO TEACH OR CONVEY IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME WE HAVE IN OUR HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY CLASSES.

After 9/11, as the general public was still reeling in shock, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney called for a “war on terror.” It’s important to note that some of those detained in camps, including Guantanamo (which is still operational) were detained with no evidence, simply because the CIA was suspicious of them and they were Muslim.

“9/11 is a challenging topic, just because it can be very personal, but obviously it’s very important to our country and our foreign policy for decades after,” history teacher Jeneveve Winchell said.

“I certainly think I have room to improve there and talking about those wider impacts.”

“Also, I think it certainly can be easier to focus on the American side,” Winchell added, “because that might be less challenging to teach or convey in the amount of time we have in our high school history classes.”

Teaching history from an American-centric point of view

Anti-Muslim assaults in the US

about 9/11, but the effects on foreign policy around Islamic countries and peoples, and the post-9/11 United States crimes are poorly taught. The blatant and harmful Islamophobia that motivated these camps is largely unrecognized by the general public. Schools neglect to teach students about important historical events like this, which enables everyday microaggressions and hate crimes to go unnoticed.

The current narrative pushed in schools around

increases the danger of that history repeating itself. And as Islamophobic based hate crimes continue to occur in America, which according to the FBI have risen by 1617% post 9/11, it is likely suppressed horrors such as these camps will continue to go unnoticed. Educate yourself, advocate for your class to learn a deeper history, and help those around you to choose a path that doesn’t allow the past to be repeated.

Story by Violet Zinck, Illustration by A’shyia Swensen

The Lunch Debacle

WHY HAVE STUDENTS BEEN TRAPPED, STARVING?

By Jose Lopez

OPINION

Lunch at West is a constant issue: what time, what food, even the quality of the food and its nutritional information is a common subject among students. Everyone’s eating schedule and food choices are different, as well as their financial situation, but the biggest school lunch topic of discussion this year is its absence. After two pandemic-filled years, free lunch for all is over. Covid-related funds used to provide free meals to all students ended, and a handful of GAPS schools, including WAHS, no longer qualified for universal free lunch. According to the U.S. Census data on families in the school’s boundary area, 46% of families should be eligible for free lunch, but at least 50% is required for the school to qualify for free meals for all. That small difference of 4% cost all students a free meal.

This school should offer such a basic human need. Especially with the new delayed lunch time this year. Cafeteria worker Kimberly Hills expressed her own concern for children who do not get lunch. She claims over 700 children made use of the schools free lunches last year. A very solid chunk of the school body.

Hills confirms the number of students who get lunch has gone considerably low. It pains her to think of students

who don’t go through the thick process of signing up for the lunch program. What reasons do students and their families have to avoid registering?

For one, the process was described by Junior Aiden Howard to take a few weeks to become completely finalized after registering to the school. It’s cumbersome and requires an unnecessary amount of effort and time for families. As well as violates some personal financial details that families may just simply not want to share. For whatever reason, kids are still treading on an empty stomach in an environment where it just shouldn’t be the case.

However, the issue stretches further than just kids going hungry. As Hills further elaborates, there is now a system keeping track of school lunches being made and sold. With this new computerized system comes a whole

“IT’S VERY HARD TO TELL A KID NO. IT’S ACTUALLY THE WORST PART OF MY JOB. BUT ITS NOT UP TO ME, ITS WAY ABOVE MY PAYGRADE “

array of problems, such as the processing fee that is necessary every time money is transferred into a students’ account. The obvious solution would be to let students pay up front with cash during lunch time. However, cash is out of the question this year, so money must be processed through digital means – which requires funds added inside the student’s account to be above $25.00.

This absurd, arbitrary rule is anything but inclusive of families just trying to ensure their kids don’t starve.

The situation has become even more serious, as Hills has witnessed students attempting to steal lunches. She estimates about three lunches are stolen per day. As small a number as it may seem, it highlights the hazardous environment this new lunch system has fostered at this school. Kids are so hungry, they’re literally stealing cafeteria food.

One sad fact in this matter is National School Lunch week, stretching from October 10-14. The time when WAHS made the gracious gift of feeding any hungry students, without monetary gain of course. The generous present of offering emaciated kids milk and a burger after 5 and a half hours of lecturing is a festivity worth celebrating

However, cafeteria workers should not be blamed for this decision. It is easy to find a scapegoat to blame for this problem, but it is unfair to put the blame on those who just want to feed students. This is a systemic level issue that must be changed. Oregon should implement a universal lunch program that enforces the giving of a free lunch for all schools in all districts. It shouldn’t be a matter of what families qualify for what and whether ___% of ___ are eligible for ___. Other schools such as South Albany, don’t starve their students, why does West?

Oregon’s Race For Governor

THREE CANDIDATES. THREE DIFFERENT TAKES.

Story By Marshall Hamel, Joe Wagner, and Ming Wong, Photos By Ming Wong

TINA KOTEK: PROACTIVE PROBELM SOLVER

Tina Kotek stands out among her opponents, not only for what she’s said, but because of what she’s done. Kotek wants to solve the homelessness problem, and more importantly, she has a plan to do so. In the past 5 years, Kotek championed over $1.5 billion in funding to increase housing access, shelter capacity, and rent assistance. On the other hand, Christine Drazan has a history of voting against bills which seek to provide foreclosure and mortgage assistance, as well as bills that prohibit no-cause evictions. Kotek was a major advocate and driving force for Oregon’s Reproductive Health Equity Act, one of the most progressive women’s rights bills ever passed, as well as expanding access to a 12-month supply of birth control.

In general, Tina Kotek has her priorities straight. When taking into consideration the wellbeing of all Oregonians, many are quick to exclude houseless individuals, seeing them as more of an ‘issue that needs solving’ rather than people in need. Kotek pushes back against this school of thought, and has proven through action that she is willing and able to make changes in order to get people the help they need without making them feel unheard.

BETSY JOHNSON: STANDING UP FOR COMMON GROUND

Betsy Jonhson campaigns with the message that she’s the, “independent of the two parties—loyal only to the people.” She’s running unaffiliated and her proposed legislation reflects that. But ultimately, an independent candidate is not expected to win in the upcoming election.

Independents have always struggled to run in

Campaign signs for Democrat Tina Kotek, Unaffiliated Betsy Johnson, and Republican Christine Drazan in Albany, Oregon. There are three well funded candidates in Oregon’s 2022 race for governor.

elections, especially during times of strong bipartisan lines. And the three other candidates strongly align themselves with their party values.

Johnson loudly voices support for women’s reproductive rights, raising the age to purchase assault rifles (while protecting the 2nd Amendment), and tacklinghomelessness— a problem that has afflicted Oregon for decades.

For many, this is a very satisfying Governor to vote for, Johnson appears to truly be an independent candidate that may appropriately represent the opinions and views of Oregonians.

As of October 20 of this year, Johnson is polling at 14.4%

Betsy Johnson’s candidacy serves not only as a way for her to run, but to make the race between Kotek and Drazan even tighter by reducing the blue vote. Johnson is a candidate who will do what she thinks is best for Oregon, but by running as an independent she loses a lot of votes.

CHRISTINE DRAZAN: COMMON SENSE CONSERVATIVE

Ronald Regan was President of the United States. The original “Top Gun” movie had come out. And Micheal Jackson was an icon in the music industry. Even Oregon had a Republican governor in the 80s, and it’s been 35 years since the party has had a representative in the governor’s office.

As Oregonians today, we hold it self-evident that a woman has a right to her own body, that climate change is an existential threat to our way of life, and that equality is fought for and diversity is treasured.

As Oregon grows in diversity and furthermore becomes divided between rural and urban it becomes increasingly difficult to find a candidate that can represent everybody. In Oregon’s 2022 Gubernatorial Election, that candidate is Republican Christine Drazan.

Despite being a Republican running in a state that voted for Joseph R Biden by roughly 16 points, Drazan passes the decisive test for a governor candidate in Oregon: accepting that Biden is the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election.

On the campaign trail Drazan talks about the unnecessary economic challenges that previous politicians created for those living in small communities like Klamath Falls, the town she grew up in. The representative for Linn and Benton counties, Shelly Boshart Davis, is currently drowned out by the Democratic legislative majority. With Drazan as governor, small communities like Albany could be better represented.

However, Drazan’s campaign is often misunderstood and taken out of context, so it’s important to understand that every action she has taken has been motivated by a genuine desire to implement productive change.

Furthermore, there’s a successful history of Republican governors with a Democratic legislature. According to a Goucher College Poll in January 2022, Maryland’s Republican governor Larry Hogan had a 77.9% approval rating from Democrats. This goes to show that balance is important in government systems. More importantly it should be taken into account considering how Oregon’s democratic governor, Kate Brown, is the least popular governor in the country, according to a Morning Consult Poll done at the beginning of this year.

If elected, it’s in Drazan’s best interest to keep her word and follow through with the promises she has made because she could easily be recalled from office if she takes Oregon down a far right path. What Drazan would provide is the right to a minority voice when the majority continues to rule, allowing for forced compromise on bills that support both Oregonians and address the issues at hand.

Scan the QR Code to read the full opinion on Christine Drazan

Let’s Get Real

HOW THE INSTANT POPULARITY OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM BEREAL HAS MADE ITS MARK

By Mollie Brown

Students doze under the fluorescent lights, struggling to stay awake as their first period teacher drones on about current events and the answer key for last night’s homework. Suddenly, phones begin to vibrate, and the drowsy atmosphere is interrupted by a tangible excitement buzzing through the room. Hands reach towards pockets and backpacks, a new desperation and urgency fueling their movement. Somebody cuts through the silence to share the five words that hold so much weight for Gen Z’s teens.

“Guys. It’s time to BeReal.”

In December of 2019, French Entrepreneurs Alexis Barreyat, a former employee at GoPro, and

Kevin Perreau were inspired to create a new social media platform called BeReal.

Although it took a while for the app to take off, in early 2022 its popularity exploded. As Business of Apps says, the platform now boasts more than 21.6 monthly users. Although this is just a fraction of Instagram’s monthly users, the number is quite impressive considering the app was only established two years ago.

The app’s main motivation is to create a more healthy social media space that is unfiltered and genuine. Although this idea is not entirely unique, the unconventional structure and features of the app are what make it so appealing.

The “BeReal” could come at any time of the day, and is formatted as a notification that is pushed out to all of the users at the same time, with the instructions that it is “Time to BeReal: 2 min left to capture a BeReal and see what your friends are up to!”

By posting on time, users send all of their followers a photo captured from both their front and back camera. There is a two minute time limit before the post is considered late.

I’M NOT REALLY ASHAMED TO POST ABOUT ME LAYING IN BED. EVERYONE’S DOING IT.

Although it is possible to post late, all of your followers can see that you’re not “being real,” a shameful experience that is best to avoid if possible.

It is hard to determine what has brought on this crazy popularity, considering the idea may sound a bit superficial. However, for many users the app holds sentimental value beyond a silly post about something that may be as mundane as lying in bed, or doing homework.

To sophomore Charlotte Nicholas, it means making connections and commemorating important moments.

“I have a lot of friends who freshly moved to college,” Nicholas said. “It’s kind of nice to connect with them through BeReal to see what they’re doing at that exact second--even if they’re hun-

Charlotte Nicholas spending time with one of

dreds of miles away.”

BeReal provides people with a down-to-earth method of communication with people who are far away--even if the post is simple and unedited. Many have found it refreshing to connect with others through common, ordinary moments.

“I’m not really ashamed to post about me laying in bed,” Nicholas said, “everyone’s doing it.”

Without the superficiality of filters, BeReal may be an important step in creating an uplifting space on social media. Sites like Instagram and TikTok have caused unrealistic expectations for many teenagers, and it can be unhealthy to spend a lot of time scrolling on those platforms.

“People are craving something real,” Nicholas said. “Getting on an app like Instagram or Snapchat all day is just really damaging.”

However, with every trend that has such a sudden increase in popularity, it can be easy to question its longevity. Much of the appeal is with the novelty of the app, and BeReal’s popularity could very likely plummet just as quickly as it developed once that novelty has faded.

Junior Julia Hansen said that for her, BeReal started as an exciting thing that she looked forward to each day.

“It’s just this weird phenomenon,” Hansen said. “Everyone is like, ‘BEREAL!’ At the same time, and we all stop to take a pic.”

She doesn’t expect it to maintain that excitement forever--especially as BeReal just becomes a normal part of the daily routine.

“I think it’s definitely just a fad,” Hansen noted.

Whether BeReal lasts or not, it has definitely made an impression on many people, and its impact could shape the future of social media.

“We’re at the point where self love and mental health is super important,” Nicholas said. “Going on [BeReal] once a day to post is just more healthy.”

Junior Andrew Madsen was mowing the lawn when his BeReal Alert went off, leading to this capture.

her closest friends, Amy Sisson, who recently left for College in Washington, over this past summer.

Senior Kaylie-Jo Robinson was celebrating Senior Grace Peña’s homecoming nomination when the BeReal Altert. She was able to capture science teacher Shana Hains reaction as well.

HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HAS TAKING THE ART WORLD BY STORM

For the entirety of human history up until the 21st century, when you looked at a painting you were face to face with something of undoubtedly human origin. Now, In 2022 we have virtual robots that are able to create believable images essentially out of thin air. To say that things are a little different nowadays would be an enormous understatement, but is the future truly at our fingertips, or do we have a ways to go before we get there?

With the introduction of AI models such as Artbreeder in recent years, people were given the ability to utilize this new technology in easier ways than ever before. Actually using these models is fairly straightforward; simply combine images together and mess around with various image settings, laid out in a similar fashion to photo editing apps. The end results vary in accuracy, which is the main drawback of using the majority of free-to-use image generators that are available.

Unlike its other budget-friendly counterparts, the recently released DALLE-2 really has the best of both worlds in terms of both usability and quality. With a simple text entry, DALLE-2 is not only capable of creating believable artwork, but is also able to mimic nearly any art style, from Pixar to Picasso. Nothing is off limits in terms of creative and stylistic potential, and the future looks promising for AI image generators.

“Charcoal drawing of a kitten sleeping in a field of flowers” generated by AI program DALLE-2

“I THINK THE ONLY PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS FOR THESE TOOLS WOULD BE IN BUSINESS, OR MAYBE FOR CONCEPT ART”

-SENIOR KATARINA SCHOENING

Unititled AI image generated by Dickerson

Unititled AI image generated by Schoening

“IN FILM IT COULD BE REALLY USEFUL FOR GETTING NEW IDEAS AND VISUALIZING CONCEPTS”

-JUNIOR CONNER DICKERSON

The State of the Arts

WEST ALBANY CREATIVES. PERFORMERS. PAINTERS. KNITTERS. WRITERS.

HERE’S WHY THEY THINK THEIR CRAFT IS ART.

MASTERS IN THE MAKING

TWO DIFFERENT ARTISTS. TWO DIFFERENT STYLES.

Art comes in all forms, and artists explore art in many different ways and mediums. But no matter the way it is created, each piece of art is filled with its own meaning and thought behind it.

“Art, to me, is the expression of oneself,” senior Mack Howard said, “it [art] has varying meanings depending on who is making it.”

Howard is in their second year of AP Art, working in Pottery 4, and also works on personal art in their free time.

“I do 2D and 3D art, which consists of pottery, ceramics, painting, digital, stuff like that,” they said.

Being an artist can seem intimidating because of the skill and talent that may look unattainable, but it is important to recognize that it is a process. Most everybody starts as a beginner, and Howard is no different.

“I started out like everyone else, doodling when I was a kid,” said Howard. Now they’ve grown leaps and bounds, boasting many different digital pieces, ceramics, paintings, and more.

Howard makes their art based on generally “creepy” ideas, often playing around with the human figure. “I’m very inspired by creepy, borderline surrealist ideas. Anything that’s creepy and weird,” they said.

Last year, Howard’s AP Art investigation was based around the idea of intrusive thoughts and the effect they have on someone. This year, however, they are reflecting on “The Human Expe- rience,” capturing what happens inter- nally based around thought.

Howard current-

ART, TO ME, IS THE EXPRESSION OF ONESELF

ly takes commissions, and is plan- ning to go into the art industry in the future. “I don’t really know what I specifically want to do. I know I want to do something art related in my career, but I’m willing to have it as a side job. I am pretty flexible with it.” Howard said.

More of Howard’s art is available on their website, https://mackhowardstudio. weebly.com/about-me.html, which features their highest quality pieces, displays their different art, and contains a link to their commission sheet.

Story by Gigi Roldan, photos by Helen Whiteside and Gigi Roldan, illustration by senior Mack Howard

“Art is colors and beauty, and I know it’s cheesy, but art is in the eye of the beholder,” junior Zoey Sabbatino said.

Sabbatino is an artist who practices many kinds of art, and often likes to try out new things she hasn’t before.

“I like to draw, and I’m not a great painter but it’s still super fun. I also enjoy embroidering, but by far knitting and crocheting is something I really connect with,” said Sabbatino. Sabbatino began advancing within her art when her grandma introduced her to knitting, someone who she said had a strong relationship with for her entire life.

“I think older prints and patterns are super cool because you don’t see that kind of artwork and quality these days,” Sabbatino said.

In the future, Sabbatino is looking forward to getting better with her art, along with furthering her creative abilities.

“I think making a dress would be really cool … or a very intricate sweater. Maybe also finding an old sweater or shirt and adding my own touches to it.”

ART IS COLORS AND BEAUTY, AND I KNOW IT’S CHEESY, BUT ART IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER “

“We love each other. She takes me to Disneyland because we both love going, and even though we have lost contact due to her living in California, we still have a tight bond.”

Sabbatino gets some of her inspiration from antiques, something else that she feels she gained from her grandmother. Another one of Sabbatino’s main inspirations is nature, and vintage patterns.

While she isn’t looking to have her art become a large part of her career, Sabbatino is thinking about selling her art to people who would be interested.

“I don’t want to start a shop because I feel like it’d be super stressful … but I was thinking about starting an Instagram and taking commissions, like doing specific projects for people. I think that would be super fun,” said Sabbatino.

Meanwhile, Sabbatino has started a club called “Cozy Crafts,” which meets every Thursday after school, in the library. It is dedicated to not only providing a cozy, welcoming environment to everyone interested in joining, but to also work on all kinds of art projects. It

Junior Zoey Sabbatino shows off items she has crocheted and knitted. She created many of the items as gifts for friends or for fun.

is specifically dedicated to knitting, crocheting, embroidery, and sewing, but all types of crafts are welcome.

“You can even come in to learn,” Sabbatino said, “I may not know everyone, but I would love to help people learn, even if it’s just to try something new. We have yarn, crochet hooks, helpful books, and lots of encouragement to get people going.”

When asked the question of why she started this club, Sabbatino had a sure answer.

“I started the Cozy Crafts club to share my love of this kind of art. I don’t see a lot of people crocheting and knitting, but it is so amazing to be able to make something for someone…they can’t find something like that out in the world, because you made that,” Sabbatino said.

Recently, Zoey recounted how she had stumbled across old blankets her grandparents had made, and hoped she would be able to make blankets for her friends and their families, so that one day they could experience what she had felt when she found her grandparents old blankets.

To Sabbatino, art is not only an important part of the past, but the present and the future as well. She wants to make sure that future generations can recognize this and give it the same weight.

“People call me grandma as an insult, but I just see it as a compliment. I hope I can find my fellow grandmas,” Sabba-

A collection of different items made by junior Zoey Sabbatino.

GREATER THEATER

HOW THE PERFORMING ARTS HAVE BECOME A PASSION FOR ONE STUDENT

Hailey Dinger, a member of drama and theater, has seen how her art form puts together West’s annual play and musical. She sees it as a home for students interested in the arts. According to Dinger, theater can attract a variety of individuals--she mentioned it has fostered a positive environment.

“It’s a very welcoming community. You can really be yourself,” Dinger said. “I think [in] theater everyone’s so different, that all together we can be friends.”

WORDS TO LIVE BY

LANGUAGE TEACHERS SHARE BEAUTIFUL PHRASES FROM THE LANGUAGES THEY TEACH

La vie est belle-Life is beautiful Je pense donc je suis-I think therefore I am Je ne regrette rien-I regret nothing

Carpe diem-Seize the day

Fortes fortuna adiuvat-Fortune favors the brave

Alis volat propriis-She flies with her own wings

Having performed for seven years, Dinger has experienced a lot in her career while developing a connection with her art. “I played Eleanor in ‘Sense and Sensibility’ last year, and I’d say that was my peak. It was my first experience where I wasn’t just playing a character. I was developing myself as an actor,” Dinger said, referencing the play as her favorite performance.

This experience of growth led Dinger to reflect on drama and theater, and how it is unique to the landscape of entertainment.

“Live per- formances really have a special aspect to them, a lot of other things like recorded music for TV shows or movies [may not],” Dinger said. “In theater, you really have to memorize your role and you have one chance to show the crowd rather than taking things over and over again, as in lots of many art forms.”

ABOUT THE NOTES

TWO SAXOPHONISTS SHARE THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON MUSIC AS AN ART FORM

WW:

Do you consider playing music an art, and is it similar to other arts?

Freshman Riley Sandbo:

Emotionally, yes, because you get to express yourself … The certain feel of a song can bring [out your] emotions.

Freshman Jerry Wang:

It’s not a visual experience, it’s an auditory one. Music, performing arts, and band in general is like painting and poetry, musically.

WW:

Why should people choose a band and play an instrument?

Freshman Jerry Wang:

Because making music is satisfying, it’s very relaxing. Basically all the stress that you’ve accumulated for years immediately goes away when you hear a perfect song.

WW:

What’s the feeling when playing with others?

Freshman Riley Sandbo:

It’s really nice, but in other situations it can feel like you’re hearing … the same sound, especially on a saxophone.

Sí se puede-Yes we can

Asi es la vida-That’s life

I mal tiempol, buena cara-Stay positive in bad times

El mundo es un pañuelo-It’s a small world Pan comido-It’s a piece of cake

Tomar el pelo-To pull someone’s leg/joke around

TIME ON HER TOES

ONE SENIOR HIGH STEPPER’S JOURNEY WITH DANCE

Senior Zoey Zarkou started dancing originally because her parents put her in dance through parental influence when she was four, but concluded that she liked it. “ [I] thought it was really fun,” Zarkou said.

She continued with dance through elementary school, and during junior high had one of her most exhausting dances ever, dancing to the song “Believer” by Imagine Dragons she stated. “That dance was insane! Through the roof! I felt so tired after it.”

She then joined the dance scene as a High Stepper her sophomore year, but due to COVID-19 lacked the full experience until her junior year. “That was a lot more normal,” Zarkou said.

Finally, with many years of dance behind her, Zarkou experienced what she believes to have been her defining moment.“Winning state last year; that was just such an incredible moment in my dance career, and so powerful. I felt like it was such a good step. It felt really awesome,” she said.

Photo used with permission of Zoey Zarkou

Photo used with permission of Zoey Zarkou

WRITTEN WORDS, WRITTEN ART?

THREE STUDENT CREATIVE WRITERS SHARE EXAMPLES OF THEIR WORK

My veins are fraying hung up on this line like a well loved sweater, the one you let me borrow

When I brought it from the bin

I thought I felt your palm smooth my hair with the sun warmed linen

I touched that sweater to my face

And realized your scent was gone

Once again I was left alone barking at the wind

I’m starting to think

I fall in love with everyone I meet

That I am simply patchwork

Built from love and torn at the seams

The most powerful thing in the world is a story

Keeps us alive but is the only thing that exists of us after bodily decay

Any story is real because it lives in our observatory

There is a wasps nest on the top of my dormitory

One day we will respond only by notes like a blue jay

We may cease to exist when all your memory becomes depreciatory

One way to live forever is to achieve great glory

The winds keep shaking, please don’t meet me at the bay

Any story is real because it lives in our observatory

The act of living was acted by murder, everything is auditory

See the ballet, story, shapes, and hidden language yet all you hear is the song today

We may cease to exist when all your memory becomes depreciatory

Sacrifice time for peace or peace for time, no or only lines of territory

You lie sitting at a table, but at the center is a bouquet

Any story is real because it lives in our observatory

My life will one day become an allegory

Stories exist out of violence of the teller watch the play

We may cease to exist when all your memory becomes depreciatory

Any story is real because it lives in our observatory

The once crisp ice is now soft morning dew

I look up and the dark sky is cloaked

The clouds swell, rain drops fall; the ground is soaked

I welcome the earthy smell that ensues

The droplets bring frogs, I can hear their croaks rain pours, wind roars, shaking the oregon oaks

Such a storm has been long overdue

Thunderous clouds soften to a quiet drip

Rattling, broken branches begin to still

Gray skies fill with life as sunlight depends

Wind chimes fall solent as roaring wind dips

Mist lays low on the moss and daffodils

And I wish for the rain to never end.

Senior Mar Lawley

Sophomore AJ Howard

Senior Roman Eckhart