WHIRL WIND
WEST ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL
ISSUE 4 FEBRUARY 2020
8-9
As gender-neutral Spanish becomes increasingly popular, should WA H S m a ke t h e switch?
22-23
Effects of good player-coach relationships on a team’s culture
27
Social studies classes disregard L G BT h i s t o r i c a l figures
TORN IN
TWO 40 Democrat
20 Independent
40 Republican
A S B I PA RT I S A N T E N S I O N S R I S E , A M E R I CA N C U LT U R E A DA P TS . H OW A R E YO U A F F E CT E D ?
THE WHIRLWIND Februar y 2020
NEWS 4
W h y a n d h o w a r e s t u d e n t s graduating early? E d u c a t i o n o n f i n a n c e i s a n a s s e t f o r students’ futures What goes into the choice of taking an AP class? A s g e n d e r - n e u t r a l S p a n i s h b e c o m e s i n c r e a s i n g l y p o p u l a r , s h o u l d W A H S make the switch?
6
7
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OPINION 10 11
Civic education not yet a priority Spreading coronavirus demands careful precautions 12 Fandoms united by similarities 13 Brand name clothing not a necessity 14 W a s T r u m p ’ s i m p e a c h m e n t t r i a l justified? 15 W h y d r a w i n g i n c l a s s s h o u u l d b e encouraged, not villified
SPECIAL 16
18
19
H o w p o l i t i c a l d i v i s i o n a f f e c t s families and friendships H o w t h e i d e a o f “ f a k e n e w s ” i s supported by the party divide C o u l d f u r t h e r c i v i c e d u c a t i o n i n schools help bridge the divide?
SPORTS 20
22
24
25 26
R e l a t i o n s h i p s b e t w e e n c o a c h e s a n d players affect teams Basketball players share how game day fashion influences them Wrestling team expansion leads to need for more space Profile on the equestrian team W h a t ’ s I n M y B a g , M y F a v o u r i t e Move, My Worst Stor y
A R T S A N D E N T E R TA I N M E N T 27
L G BT f i g u re s i n h i s t o r y o f t e n g o unnoticed in school curriculum 28 Who are the students that draw in class, and why do they do so? 30 P r o f i l e o n b a n d t e a c h e r S t u a r t Welsh 31 B e h i n d t h e s c e n e s o f t h e W A H S spring musical, ‘Mary Poppins’ 32 W h a t I ’ m F e e l i n g , G u e s s W h o , M y Best Work
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A A A M J B A E M D
WHIRLWIND S TA F F
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS ALIZAH BUENO and MALACHI MURPHY Most things in the news as of late are about politics, and the never ending divide between the two parties of our nation. So we decided to take it PC, or did we? Today, politics couldn’t be further split. Despite the divide, this issue of the Whirlwind strives to show the similarities of all students on campus. We have always appreciated hearing the commonness of people, and I was happy to support this issue’s special report. Something we were less happy to think about was how the struggle of the American peoples’ trust of the press has been an issue within the Whirlwind, as we have had our own conflicts with “Fake news” claims. However, our publication strives for accuracy and transparency as a news organization. Within our team of head editors, we had a long discussion about what our cover was going to display and eventually we came up with an idea that we felt represented the split around politics. We were worried about how the readers would interpret the cover, but in the end we decided on this concept because our freedom of press allows us to exercise our rights as a news publication. One thing worth noting about our cover is that the
classrooms depicted in the image and their denotations are not actually reflective of any political affiliation within WAHS. This particular special report takes us into families divided by politics, lets students express their belief on how important politics are, and breaks down perceptions within our school of students political beliefs. In news, we take a look into a movement to transition Spanish to a gender neutral language, and how it’s relating to our own school’s education. On our staff a debate about the origins of spanish and other languages fueled investigation and promoted extra research. The sports section is revealing the complexities of coach and athlete relationships at our school and revealing a lack of space within our facilities. Funny enough, the idea for a story about a lack of space has been in the works for months now, and I’m excited to see it come to fruition. After completing the magazine and going through all stories and pages, we are reminded of the passion that drives our own investigation. We look to our readers to take away something new from our school. What have you discovered in this issue?
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T H E W H I R L W I N D I S A D E D I C AT E D STUDENT FORUM. CONTENT AND EDITORIAL DECISIONS ARE MADE B Y S T U D E N T S TA F F M E M B E R S EXCERCISING THEIR RIGHTS AS PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND THE OREGON ST U D E N T F R E E E X P R E S S I O N L AW ( O R E . R E V. S TAT. S E C . 3 3 6 . 4 7 7 (2007). OPINIONS ARE THOSE OF T H E W H I R W L I N D S TA F F A N D N O T WEST ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL OR Cover by Mattea Hellman
THE WHIRLWIND 3
E GETS
T
The pros and cons of graduating early By Nicole Williams and Preet Dhaliwal
The phrase, “I can’t wait to get out of high school,” echoes through the halls and classrooms of WAHS and other high schools around the nation. As the academic years progress and students get older, they have the urge to finish and move on. And for a number of students, this urge becomes a reality when they complete graduation requirements and petition to graduate early. “In the past five years, the rate of people graduating has gone up,” guidance counselor Ryan Graham said. “Our goal is to have students prepared for their academic and professional futures.” These juniors graduating a year early and seniors graduating a semester early are finding their path. According to Graham, five percent of seniors graduated at the end of the first semester this year. But last year, 3.8 percent of seniors graduated at the semester and continued their education at Linn-Benton Community College. Some of those early graduates are tired of
4 The Whirlwind / Febuar y 2020
high school life. Others are looking to save money and get a head start on college. Many students, like junior Evan Morgenstern, want to get an edge on life. “I’ll be turning 18 in August, which means that I can vote and go out on my own, do my own things,” Morgenstern said. “I don’t want to be tied down to a community I
“Missing out on senior year... can be a dealbreaker” Counselor Karen Beattie
don’t really want to be in.” He has already been accepted to Washington State University Pullman and will be attending next fall. Other students, such as junior Lauryn Aronson, would only have needed 1.5 credits senior year to graduate. When her counselor showed Aronson the option to finish these credits junior year, she was quick to take it. She hopes it will save her money and time. “I’ll be able to finish high school early and get a head start in life,” Aronson said. She will be attending LBCC next fall.
But although there are multiple reasons to graduate early, there can be some drawbacks. Guidance counselor Karen Beattie explains the other side of graduating early. “On one hand, it’s great for those students who are ready to get started,” she said. “[But] I think that a potential downfall is that high school is only four years out of your life.” Missing out on senior year and the experiences involved can be a dealbreaker for some students. Senior James Burwell is graduating on time. “I wanted to stay in school,” Burwell said. “I’d have better memories, and I have so little work.” The senior year of high school is often said to be the most memorable year, so losing that experience could be seen as a mistake. Another issue that comes with graduating early is meeting the graduation requirements. One required senior class is American Government, taught by social studies teachers Todd Zimmerman and Erik Idhe. Because four years of English are required, early graduates typically double up on English classes, often taking Senior English alongside another English class. “The curriculum isn’t as rigorous, but there’s a lot of work,” En-
NEWS
How to Graduate Early Speak with your guidance counselor Meet all the credit requirements, including: Four credits English - must take Senior English Three Credits Science, Math Three credits Social Studies - must take American Government Pass all of the Smarter Balance testing or complete Essential Skills work samples in math, reading and writing
glish teacher Amber Ferguson said. “I would say to not let yourself get behind, because it’s really hard to catch up at the last minute.” The workload is definitely not as much as an AP class, according to Ferguson, but it is difficult with two English classes. School takes up around 15 years of a student’s
life before they are deemed ready to progress onto the world. Some students want to get out of school more quickly, so when an opportunity like this arises, many take their chance with it. The choice to graduate early has both advantages and drawbacks, but the choice ultimately belongs to the students.
Why did you decide to graduate early? E A R LY G R A D Alejandro Muñez “I just wanted to get out of school and stay at home chilling. “
E A R LY G R A D Erin Bliege “I wanted to graduate early because I was prepared to start my life outside of school and begin working and saving money.”
What advice would you give an early grad? SOCIAL ST U D I E S TEACHER Erik Idhe “You’re giving up some things by not being at school at the end of your senior year. So whether you’re doing it for work or school, make it worth it.”
Why didn’t you graduate early? SENIOR Naia Rasmussen “I won’t be able to start college until the fall so I dont see much of a point. And I wont be able to do spring sports.”
Tr a v i s S h o l l e n b e r g e r
News / The Whirlwind 5
FINANCIALLY FIT
Illustration by Melia Rasmussen
How teaching students to be financially literate has helped them prepare for their future BY Melia Rasmussen
Students are not required to take a personal the Five Foundations of Personal Finance are: Es- finance class, but those that are currently enrolled tablish an emergency plan, pay off your debt, pay in business classes highly recommend it. Statistics cash for your car, pay cash for college, and build from Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF) show wealth and give. But why is that important for stu- that 69.3 percent of all U.S. high school students have access to at least one personal finance class as dents to know? “Financial capability is being able to assess an elective. 51.6 percent in the state of Oregon, and the money that you are bringing in, provide a the access to the class is growing as of July 2019, spending or savings plan for that money, and be no longer leaving students to figure out finances able to have a retirement plan in place when you for themselves. Running even hopes to begin an get to that point,” said business teacher Joey Run- economics class next year, which will include the ning. She currently teaches all four levels of Ac- marriage of all classes that fall under the business counting, Personal Finance, Intro to Business, and and finance umbrella. But as an elective and not a Wealth Building and Management. Running said required course, the results can often lead to a limthat being financially literate is extremely import- ited set of students allowed to take the course, or as ant nowadays because employers no longer pro- the first few courses chopped during budget cuts. “Accounting is vide a retirement layout, so more for business now people need to know the stuff, but you see background information on all the accounts and how to set that up. ‘Oh, this is where that Running teaches her stugoes’ [...] so you’re dents that a minimum of 20 not just like throwing percent of each paycheck money everywhere,” should go directly into savSOPHOMORE CHLOE WALL ACE Junior Sarah Aufranc ings. She also verses students said. Aufranc considin the Ramsey plan, strongly recommending them to first set up an emergency ers pursuing a career in accounting, but even if she doesn’t, she said it’s still important to know plan if unexpected problems occur in life. “It wasn’t a terribly hard class, but you had to about money because it’s what the world revolves really work and learn everything in that class be- around. “I think the use of credit cards has become cause everything in there is things you use in your an easier way to spend money and people forget life,” said sophomore Chloe Wallace. Wallace is currently enrolled in Accounting I, and plans on that credit cards are a loan, not their own personal taking most of the business classes in order to money,” Running said. With credit cards, the monbecome an accountant. Wallace said finances are ey that one spends at the clothing or grocery store good to understand right now before college and is not their personal money. It’s money from the before getting a job. One of the biggest reasons bank, which must be paid back in a limited amount students take finance classes is because business, of time before interest has to be paid to said bank. Running said, is one of the leading majors for Credit cards loan money from the bank, much like students get loans if they enroll in college. graduating students. “Pay your way through college, and don’t go through student loans because it’s just going to [hold you back],” Aufranc said. The potential debt A menagerie of old familiars and unique that one can get into if they are not well pieces from around the world versed in the system can lead to negative Mary Artz 223 Second Avenue SW 211 Second Avenue SW consequences on their (541-760-1941 Albany, Oregon 97321 Albany, Oregon 97321 personal finances. “You will find yourself in situations WITH PURCHASE where they just want
T H E D AV E R A M S E Y Plan states that
“You had to really work and learn everything in that class.”
FREE BUFFALO NICKEL
you to sign on the dotted line and not having a good understanding of what that means... [It] could really get you in trouble,” Running said. By making good choices now and understanding how the student loan system works, a student can try to make their financial life as clear as it can be.
WHO KNEW? Test your financial knowledge 1. What’s the leading cause of divorce in America? a. b. c. d.
Incompatibility Infidelity Money Issues All of the above
2. What percent of income should go into savings? a. b. c. d.
10% 20% 45% Nothing
3. What is a stakeholder? a. b. c. d.
A person or social group that has a stake in a business A person that owns a part of a company An organization that runs a charity Someone who kills vampires
4. What is the 50-20-30 rule? a. b. c. d.
Balancing how much money you spend How you split up your emergency fund The way you divide your income The format of a savings account number
5. What does FAFSA stand for? a. b. c. d.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid Financial Aids For Savings Accounts Free Apples For Sad Americans FAFSA doesn’t exist
6. How many states require a standalone semester of personal finance to graduate? a. b. c. d.
21 2 10 6
7. When was E. Pluribus Unum first used on coins?
a. b. c. d.
1760 1820 1795 1788
1. d 2. b 3. a 4. c 5. a 6. d 7. c 6 THE WHIRLWIND / FEBRUARY 2020
S T U D E N T S in math teacher Ian Condron’s sixth period AP Calculus BC class review material on Feb. 14. The class, which, in the second semester of the 2015-2016 school year, had 24 people, has dwindled to six total this year.
A POOR SHOWING
KARISSA LAMONTE
Enrollment in AP Classes is falling, raising questions BY Dezmond Remington
A P C L A S S E S A R E considered by many to be one of the most integral parts of a student’s schedule, providing rigor, challenging content, and college credits. However, in the past four years, the population of those classes have declined significantly. Math teacher Ian Condron is one of the teachers affected by small AP class sizes. His AP Calculus BC and AP Physics classes have six people, with the largest one, Calculus AB, containing 12 peo-
stable from the 2016-2017 year to the present, with a drop from 141 in the second semester of the 2016-17 school year to 119 people taking the class now. English teacher Jodi Howell, who teaches AP Composition, believes the consistency of enrollment is because of the relevancy the class to a post-high school life. “It has very specific college-readiness skills,” Howell said, “and I think that word of mouth has spread.”
“I’ve always wanted to be an author, and I never felt like that was a job I needed to take AP Bio or something for,” Martinez said. “So it feels kind of useless and a waste of time...I feel like [AP classes] would be good for other students, but they wouldn’t affect me,” Martinez said. Although the lack of students in AP classes does not affect her, they do affect the teachers and the people taking the classes. “It’s nicer for the students to have a smaller number because they can get more individual attention,” Condron said. “I still do as much work prepping for a class of six as a class of 16. It does reduce the test grading time, which is a plus.” However, there are some drawbacks for both students and teachers with small class sizes, as Condron had to compress all of his material into half of the time in a semester as he lost a class due to lack of students. A loss of students in those classes also affects the culture that springs up around AP classes. “I think there’s a peer culture that happens at the
ple. This was not always the case, though; three years ago, Condron had 43 people in Calculus AB, and when he took over the Calculus classes, he had two classes with 28 people in each one. Why such a drop in population? “I kind of suspect that there are maybe more options for students to take other classes, so they don’t have to push themselves,” Condron said. For instance, he believes that many students go on from Precalculus to Financial Algebra instead of continuing to an AP Calculus class or AP Probability and Statistics. Other classes, however, have had a far less noticeable drop in population. AP Language and Composition, for instance, has remained fairly
Condron agrees, as he believes that most of the people taking his Calculus classes desire to be engineers later in life and need skills specific to that position, which is partially why his classes are so small. Also, Howell believes the population of her class has remained stable because of the usefulness of getting both the Writing 111 and 121 college credits in high school. “Those are two huge credits if you can get [those done] in high school to have those done,” Howell said. Senior Reina Martinez, who has never taken an AP class, chooses not to take AP classes because she doesn’t feel they are pertinent to her life.
AP U.S. HISTORY AP STATS.
AP PSYCH.
AP PHYSICS
AP LIT.
AP HUMAN GEOG.
AP EURO. HISTORY
AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCI.
AP CHEM.
AP CALC B
AP CALC BC
AP BIO.
AP COMP.
NUMBER OF STUDENTS
SCHOOL YEAR
high school level,” Howell said, “and big groups have consistently taken certain classes, and so those stay pretty consistent.” “You might not always get the quality you might like,” said Condron. “I have some very good kids. It would be nice to have a lot of good kids, which I’ve had in the past.” For example, in 2013, 15 out of 17 people in his Calculus BC class received a five — the highest score possible — on the AP exam. The biggest effect of all might be on the students, according to both Howell and Condron. “Challenging yourself is beneficial all by itself,” said Howell. “I don’t know if high school students can always see that.” NEWS / THE WHIRLWIND 7
EVOLVING LANGUAGE As generations change so does the language they speak By C h eye n n e S u c h a n d Ty l e r S t a c y
L A M A E S T R A E N S E Ñ A Español a los estudiantes. Le maestre enseña Español a les estudiantes. To a fluent Spanish speaker, the second sentence may not make much sense. This is because it adopts the idea of gender neutral Spanish — a new movement — and is not in traditionKen Beiser, al Spanish. Spanish 1 teacher Kristen Grosserhode defines gender neutral Spanish as “eliminating gender assignments to Spanish nouns.” In Spanish, nouns are gender assigned with o’s as male and a’s as female. With gender neutral Spanish, e’s takes the place of gender assignments. In 2010, the Royal Spanish Academy officially removed two letters (ch and ll) from the alphabet, making it 27 letters instead of 29. The main question now is, how will this new type of Spanish affect the learning aspect? Would the curriculum ever be changed to accommodate new world views on Spanish? “As far as part of the curriculum, I think it may be something that we talk about just because it’s a thing that’s going on in the world,” Spanish 2 teacher Ken Beiser said. “I think
ing they and them as a singular pronoun; in that as far as becoming part of the standards, Spanish this would be no different. probably not right away.” There is a more important question to Teachers views as well as student views address: would gender neutral Spanish have must be considered when taking on a new adverse changes upon the native speakers? piece of curric“To try and raise a different generation ulum. with a different language is going to be “Gender completely difficult to get to,” senior Manequality has beuel Maciel said. “Language genderization come a very big adds importance into everyday speech. I feel thing,” Jenna like when you give feminine and masculine Sally said,“but endings, it’s the gender aspect that gives it as to whether meaning.” schools would Future generations may end up being the actually teach it ones that make changes to the Spanish lanis difficult.” guage. However, “The language that you use defines who some people S PA N I S H T E AC H E R you are and shapes the way that you view are concerned the world,” Bieser said. “It will definitely with the fact change as the younger generation gets into of whether it is positions of power.” actually worth For native speakers, the greatest challenge changing an entire language. will be adjusting to the change. “I worked very hard to learn Spanish as it “It’s going to be weird. I’d be fine with is known today, and I would selfishly lament it, but it’d some of that work bebe hard geting set aside,” Grossting used to hode said. “I think it it,” Manuel would be worth it in Maciel said. that this [gender-free “I’ve been Spanish] language is raised my an inclusive one.” entire life Although the Spanish one way.” language has changed K r i s t e n G r o s s e r h o d e S PA N S I H T E AC H E R So, where in many ways, it’s not would this the only language that change haphas changed. English pen, and would a place like Albany ever has changed many times from its creation bring gender neutral Spanish into the mix? to the modern age. One way we’ve evolved “A movement could grow,” Grosserhode in our own language is we have begun us-
“I also think that language is something that is very fluid and there’s not necessarily a right or wrong way to use language.”
“It’s going to be very challenging to change very large and old language.”
Jenna Sally, Sophomore
D O Y O U T H I N K T H AT GENDER NEUTRAL S PA N I S H S H O U L D B E TA U G H T I N C L A S S E S ?
“I don’t think they should make gender neutral Spanish a thing because native speakers would have to language all over again.”
Spanish one student 8 THE WHIRLWIND / FEBRUARY 2020
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO
GENDER NEUTRAL L ANGUAGE
“It’s going to be weird. I’d be fine with it, but it’d be hard getting used to it.” Manuel Maciel SENIOR
said, “but it might not be able to grow in places such as Oregon with a smaller population.” Though sentiment for this may be popular elsewhere, in Albany it seems to be little to no support. “I got used to Spanish my whole life,” Luis Maciel said. “I’m not gonna switch now.” “I’ve been raised my entire life one way,” Manuel Maciel said, “to try and change it last minute would be difficult.” Although there are some people in Albany that believe in the ideas of gender neutral Spanish. “It’s an interesting idea, I’m not against it at all, ‘’ Beiser said. “I agree with it and so I think it’s great.” Another big question that may come up is why people want gender neutral Spanish and what the benefits are to changing the language? Inclusiveness is a main factor, and also equality among genders is a large piece of the puzzle. “It’ll definitely be more inclusive,” Beiser said. “I think that there’s going to be some pushback and some negativity that comes from at first.”
WHAT?
WHY?
Spanish uses O’s and A’s in nouns to assign gender to words, while gender neutral Spanish uses E’s and gets rid of gender assignments.
Gender neutral Spanish is more inclusive and provides equality among people.
WHERE? Gender neutral Spanish began as a movement in Argentina, and has been all over the news.
FOR EXAMPLE Singular Definite articles
plural definite articles
Le
Les
Li
Lis
ol
oles
Racial demographics of West Albany students in percents
publicschoolreview
Luis Maciel, Sophomore
“I think it’s the original language, if they change it now they’re going to change it to something else in like 15-20 years from now, they’re gonna keep changing and changing and changing it.”
Spanish four student NEWS / THE WHIRLWIND 9
GETTING SCHOOLED IN CIVIC EDUCATION Why having a K-12 civics curriculum is important BY Brogan O’Hare
I T I S A K E Y element of any democratic
society that functions through the self-governance of the people. Most importantly, civics education teaches young people that they have a voice. Self-governance means that the people have power. Democracy has been struggling to survive or even take hold in many nations. From what the media depicts, democracy in other countries sounds difficult and not worth the effort it takes to maintain it. And according to the International Weekly Journal of Science, there has been dangerous growth in political apathy, not only in Oregon or the United States, but across the world. It is for this reason that civics education is more important than ever before. In the U.S, As of 2016, there are 98,277 K-12 schools in the U.S., according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, and out of these 98,277 public schools, only about 17,820 actually require a full year of some sort of civics class. There are few public schools that offer any civic activities and even fewer that offer any sort of civics classes. While most teachers and education officials agree on the importance of civics, there are few opportunities for students to even learn what it is. By not emphasizing civics education in school, Millennials to Generation Z kids are being politically deprived. We will grow up believing that we have no power in the democratic process. These beliefs harm our democracy far more than any foreign power ever could. Just in the past decade, democracies have fallen to the promises of greater things from corrupt politicians and radical populists. In countries like Venezuela, Russia, and North Korea, authoritarian leaders have crushed democratic institutions, repressed liberty and freedom, and installed themselves as an absolute dictator. With the threat to democracy taking a far more serious turn than many
10 THE WHIRLWIND / FEBRUARY 2020
could imagine at the beginning of the millennium, civics education has become critical. The youth of America must be taught that we have great power in our country. So how can we help? For starters, we should start teaching civics courses at a young age and teach it all the way throughout high school, to ensure that it sticks. This should be nationwide and mandatory to ensure that everyone is getting the same amount of education. Little kids know about rules. If you explain the reasons behind the rules, they’ll understand that, too. Studies from the National Education Association show that children grasp these concepts as early as kindergarten. That’s also a good time to introduce the idea of authority, and that people in authority should follow their own rules. We can also be inclusive. No one is born with an immediate knowledge of how the U.S. government works. Some students learn more about their government than others. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, students of color and low-income students have consistently scored lower than their white, wealthier counterparts. It’s important to be inclusive as a community and as a school because it’ll give everyone a chance to grow and learn together. The final way is to “question everything.” Today, it’s harder to instill empathy for people with different opinions because technology makes it easier to ignore those perspectives. You can unfriend someone on Facebook or mute specific phrases on Twitter. But living in a bubble means you have less opportunity or need to empathize with others. Plus, students are flooded with fake or mostly fake information from social media, and they need to learn how to wade through it all to find the facts. Instead of dismissing information students see online, just verify it. A good way to remember this is to just... “Question everything.”
B E N E F I T S O F H AV I N G A QUALITY CIVICS E D U C AT I O N According to a 2011 study done by the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, kids who have an education in civics are...
More likely to vote and discuss politics at home Four times more likely to volunteer and work on community issues More confident in their ability to speak publicly and communicate with their elected representatives
H OW M U C H D O YO U KNOW ABOUT THE G OV E R N M E N T ? Only one-third of Americans could name all three branches of government; onethird couldn’t name any.
Just over a third thought that it was the intention of the Founding Fathers to have each branch hold a lot of power, but the president has the final say.
Just under half of Americans (47%) knew that a 5-4 decision by the Supreme Court carries the same legal weight as a 9-0 ruling.
Almost a third mistakenly believed that a U.S. Supreme Court ruling could be appealed. When the Supreme Court divides 5-4, roughly one in four (23%) believed the decision was referred to Congress for resolution; 16% thought it needed to be sent back to the lower courts.
W p
B
A H
Should we be worried about a massive virus outbreak? LILLITH BAILEY SENIOR
With the recent news about the new Coronavirus, people should be aware about the spread of the disease
SAGE NAZARIAN SOPHOMOR
BY Corbin Cellerini
A RECENT VIRUS OUTBREAK H A S P L A G U E D C H I N A , and as it
spreads, the rest of the world. It is what is referred to as a ‘novel coronavirus’, and it’s spreading fast. But should we as a country be worried about getting infected with the virus? According to the Center for Disease Control, on Feb. 10, there were only 12 positive cases in the U.S., 318 negative cases, and 68 cases still pending a result, which brings us to a total of 398 overall reports in the U.S. at that time. There are no reported cases in Oregon, but there are a few from surrounding states such as Washington and California. That being said, Oregonians should not be surprised if the virus spreads to Oregon, because Oregon is in between Washington and California. There are only a small number of positive cases in America, but the number of reports has grown rapidly. By Feb. 25, there were 53 positive cases in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control. Recently, a cruise ship was quarantined because passengers on board began to show symptoms of the virus. Fourteen of them were American and were brought back to U.S. military bases in California. Forty-four others were taken to Japan to be taken care of. This new Coronavirus is really making its way around the world, especially in the Pacific Ocean region. In all, there have been more than 2,000 deaths caused by this virus. In only a couple months, that is a significant amount of deaths from just one disease. With that information, everyone should be aware about the spread of the Coronavirus. A good way to prevent the spread of a sickness, in this case the Coronavirus, is washing your hands with hot soapy water. The World Health Organization says to prevent yourself and others from getting sick, wash your hands after cough-
“The Coronavirus is a lot more intense than people make it out to be. We all think it could never happen in America, but it happens everywhere.”
ing or sneezing, when caring for the sick, before, during and after preparing food, before you eat, after using the restroom, when hands are visibly dirty, and after handling animals/ animal waste. Also just be aware of the last time you washed your hands, and everything you have touched that could possibly have harmful bacteria on it, such as a door handle or even just a table. At school, it is really difficult to not touch something that everyone else has touched, so that is why sanitation is important. Most likely, every student at West Albany remembers when the schools in Albany had to be closed for sanitation due to the outbreak of the Norovirus. That virus spread throughout Albany as quick as a stick of butter on a Slip ‘n Slide covered in vegetable oil. Taking what happened in the past and applying it to the present; sickness can spread very quickly. That’s why sanitation in schools is important. Although the news about the new Coronavirus is scary to some people, nobody should panic because “so far, the new coronavirus, dubbed COVID-19, has led to more than 75,000 illnesses and 2,000 deaths, primarily in mainland China. But that’s nothing compared with the flu, also called influenza,” according to Rachael Rettner of livescience.com. “In the U.S. alone, the flu has already caused an estimated 26 million illnesses, 250,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).” According to statistics, everyone should be worrying more about the common flu rather than the new Coronavirus. Everyone should be practicing proper sanitation to reduce the risk of an outbreak, especially students in schools. It won’t eradicate the chances of getting infected, but it would greatly reduce the chance.
“Yeah there is some danger with it, but here in America only a few people have died from it.”
J U ST I N W H I T T I E R JUNIOR
“I don’t think we need to be concerned necessarily about the Coronavirus spreading to the U.S.”
SHERLINE LOPEZ FRESHMAN
“Yes because a lot of things that we use [in America] is from China.”
OPINION / THE WHIRLWIND 11
WHO DO YOU FAN? How media fandoms, boy bands/girl groups, books, and movie fandoms are similar in all the right ways BY Alizah Bueno
P E O P L E J U D G E different fandoms, but
in reality they’re all rooted in the same morals. When people sit down and someone mentions, “I like KPOP” people look at them with a grimace. Very rarely is there a point where someone says “Oh, I like KPOP, too?” Or if someone says “I love anime.” Typically, people will internally dismiss them as a “weeb.” Really, all of us are just wanting to be accepted for the things we love. There shouldn’t be discrimination between fandoms because of language or genre because all fandoms are the same in principle. Despite these different circumstances, every fandom only wants to support the people or characters we spend most of our time thinking about. For music, today’s genres spread far and wide. Since the 2017 Billboards, a single group from South Korea called BTS made history by becoming the first foreign group to be awarded “Top Social Artist.” This was a big shift in American pop culture, and that went on to prove that non-English music has a place in the United States music industry. They went on to win more awards
in America and have risen to become the biggest boy band today. Their music has gone on to show that language barriers don’t matter; instead it’s the meaning of the songs and the importance that an individual holds dear to them. Just like what Min Yoongi from BTS says, “Good music will always be recognized in the end.” That’s what really matters. It’s easy to see, when comparing different fandoms, what they all share in common: BTS has albums that they put out for fans to buy, and so does 5SOS. BTS has concerts for fans to see them in person, so does Billie Eilish along with every other musical artist. That’s a normal fangirl and fanboy activity. No one should ever be judged for wearing merch from a band or showing off their favorite celebrity on their phone case or wallpaper. We are simply expressing who we are and what we love. Even Star Wars and Harry Potter have fandoms that are not so different from those of bands like BTS. The difference is that those fandoms are not as frequently criticized. Even though both are more respected fandoms, music fandoms should
be thought of the same way. Even if the majority doesn’t share interest in a specific fandom, it should still be accepted because even just one person’s thoughts and opinions are valid. Book fandoms are even more overlooked as a fandom than those of movies. There are many book fandoms like the Gladers, fans of the famous series The Maze Runner, or Half-bloods, the fandom for those following the Percy Jackson series. Whether it’s movies, TV shows, music, or anything else, fandoms are all made up of the same underlying factors: devoted fans, talented creators, and a passion like no other. With all of the discrimination against modern fandom, there is no room for animosity within our community. All these fandoms want one thing — a chance to be connected with the people or characters that are changing their lives in different ways. We aren’t as different as we think; we all want the same things. We just need to realize that there is room for all us to exist together without discrimination or judgment. In the end, we are all fans.
C O M PA R I N G FA N D O M S
Harry Potter
BTS Fans have something called a lightstick specifically called an Army Bomb that can be used at concerts.
BTS M a n i a S h o p
These tour shirts can only be bought at concerts or online at limited times.
Big Hit Shop
Global Rakuten
BT21 is a collaboration between BTS and LINE FRIENDS, a toy company in South Korea, which created the famous BT21 characters.
12 THE WHIRLWIND / FEBRUARY 2020
Potterheads can purchase different characters wands in stores to collect.
Harry Potter Shop
Official Hogwarts robes can only be bought at Universal Studios and online.
Harry Potter Shop
Funko is an American toy company which has partnered with numerous TV shows, movies, etc to create fun figurines, including Harry Potter. Amazon
Star Wars Lightsabers are exclusive to few stores and fans can purchase them as a collectible item.
Wikipedia
Sith lord cloaks are common for dedicated fans so that they can cosplay as their favorite evil characters. minicosplay
Lego Star Wars has become a way for fans of the movies to experience merch in an interactive way.
The Brick People
MAGGIE BEDRIN
WHY I WEAR BRANDS “I just feel most confident wearing them. I think this is because it’s what a lot of people are expecting these days. I feel like people aren’t judging me when I wear them. I feel like I fit in more with them. I feel I can play sports or just go to school and be S O P H O M O R E great.” Sidnee Holloway
People spend money on nothing but a name BY Eleanor Peterson
SOPHOMORE Riley Paxton
“[I] like Nike and Vans. I like their colors and their shoes are comfy; they’re sick as heck.”
Nike 41.1%
JUNIOR Jake Patton
We asked 112 students what their favorite brand is, here’s what they said.
0
197
1
197
0
198
4
0
0
198
199
200
Internet Influences begin to take over the marketing world
196
Under Armour 1.8%
6) Adidas $7.1 billion 7) Lululemon $4 billion 8) Under Armour $3.7 billion 9) Champion $2 billion 10) Supreme $1 billion
Rise of technology helps shape advertising
0
195
Celebrities starting making appearances in comercials
4
195
Champion 8%
1) Louis Vuitton $28.6 billion 2) Chanel $20 billion 3) Nike $17.3 billion 4) Gucci $12.9 billion 5) Prada $11.1 billion
First Air Jordans were released
Adidas 11.6%
How Much do Brands Make?
Micheal Jorden was introduced to sponserships
Other 37.5%
Adidas gained after Germany team won the world cup
3
“I like how they look a lot more, They’re better quality. I feel like they’re built better than other clothes. I like the colors and how they look and stuff like that.”
We asked 110 students if they wear brand name clothes, here’s what they said
Gucci’s first New York store opens
First product that used celebrity endorsement
6 1950
189
Louis Vuitton introduces his logo to the bags Companies start commonly using celebruty endorsements
0
176
and they’re very successful. So, how does this benefit the consumer? Sure, you get a nice sweatshirt or something, but all you’re really buying is a name or a social status, while the company makes millions. The appeal of name brands is their exclusivity, but they’re not nearly as uncommon as they seem. Nowadays, everyone is wearing brand name clothing regardless of the cost. Next time you go shopping for the newest pair of Nike shoes, think about what you’re buying. Think about what it’s really worth and compare that to the price tag.
Nike founded in Eugene, Oregon
you’re surrounded by kids in Nike sweatshirts and checkered Vans. What can’t be seen is that these kids have spent a lot of money in order to sport the newest trends. What is all this money getting you anyways? A sweatshirt or just a name? Originally, people bought name brand clothes because of their quality. Companies like Columbia and North Face are known as being the best for outdoor wear, and Nike became famous for its impressive sportswear. Though a lot of brands, while masquerading under sportswear, make products more directed at the fashion world. Many people wear their products for the name only because they’re considered “cool.” They help people “to be viewed a certain way,” Marketing teacher Morgan Wadlow said, “to achieve a certain status, to fit in with a certain social group.” It seems odd to believe that people buy these things when they cost so much, but it’s in fact the price that makes these items desirable. Brand name clothes are something not everyone can afford, making them exclusive. “It’s human nature to want something that is hard to achieve,” Wadlow said, “and to desire something that not everybody can have.” Something that only the top people can wear. People not only want to have something no one else has, but to have something that someone who they up to are wearing. “[Who] they’re going to work with for endorsements and social media presence,” said Wadlow. “A lot of that is really powerful.” People want to be like celebrities and so if they see them wearing a certain pair of Nike shoes, people are going to want those shoes. Companies do this to get their product out and make it desirable
Athelete endorsements started to find success
WA L K I N G D OW N T H E H A L L ,
OPINION / THE WHIRLWIND 13
THE SPECTRUM
HISTORY’S STRANGEST IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
Should President Trump have been impeached? BY Ethan Biersdor ff
T H I S Y E A R we had a rather odd impeach-
ment trial. There were no witnesses and no real evidence besides word of mouth. The problem was that it was heavily partisan; less a trial of whether or not the president did anything wrong and more so a trial of parties. The Democrats pushed Trump through the House of Representatives with their majority, then the Republicans acquitted him in the Senate. No witnesses were brought in, instead it was just a lot of people saying what did or
did not happen and whether or not it was grounds for removal. Piles of paper and hours of speech. Our impeachment processes shouldn’t be decided by party, but by actual trial processes. The trial itself was handled wrong, in the House and the Senate. There is little doubt about that. The question that a lot of people will disagree on is whether or not the president should have been removed from office. If you ask CNN they say things like “Trump has been serially dishonest about impeachment
and about Ukraine,” talking about how the president is bad and should be removed from office. At the same time Fox News will tell you things like “If Democrats continue to push for impeachment they will be ‘staying in the politics of personal destruction,’” pointing similar fingers at the Democrats. It’s just a lot of bias and confusion everywhere. The question is what you think, so in this issue of The Spectrum the student body gives their opinions on the impeachment trials.
FOR
COMPROMISE
AGAINST
Owen Sullivan SOPHOMORE
Brayden Campbell JUNIOR
“I do believe he should have been impeached. I do not believe he is the right president for our country, especially at this time with everything that our country is going through, all this change. I just don’t think a president like that, a person like that, is fit and suitable for the amount of sympathy we need to have for the rest of the world and different cultures and communities.”
“I think with the information that we have he should not be impeached, but I think that during the Senate trial that the witnesses should have been allowed to speak because what’s a trial without witnesses? It’s not a fair trial.”
Should the President have been removed from office?
Alex Catala SOPHOMORE
“I do not [think he should have been impeached]. I think he is innocent. First off there is really no evidence, they had no witnesses, they had nothing, just accusations.”
Should witnesses have been called during the president’s Impeachment trial?
YES 26.6% NO OPINION 38.5%
YES 42.6%
NO OPINION 49.1%
NO 34.9%
NO 8.3%
Of the 109 people we surveyed, most that had an opinion on the matter said they thought the President should not have been impeached but in surprising agreement many wish they would have seen witnesses brought into the trial. This goes to show that while we may disagree on the president’s ability to lead and worthiness of office, we all recognize that more due process should have been taken on both the Democratic and Republican sides. 14 WHIRLWIND / Februar y 2020
LET US DRAW Teachers should let students draw in class to encourage focus BY Maggie Bedrin
IT HAPPENS EVERYD AY, every class, and every hour:
I pull out my sketchbook in class and begin to draw. As I sketch in my journal, I am listening to the teacher intently, sometimes even drawing what they are talking about. Drawing helps me focus and stay on track during notes and explanations. I’ll be sitting in Abnormal Psychology when we start notes, and I’ll pull out my sketchbook and gel pens. As the notes roll on, I am actively switching back and forth from drawing and note taking. And if I’m not drawing in my sketchbook, I’m doodling swirls in the margins of my notes. The combination of drawing and listening keeps me on track and following what the teacher is saying. Due to the fact that I have ADD it is nearly impossible to focus for long periods of time. Every so often, I’ll be curbed by a teacher telling me to stay on task. I don’t tell them it helps me; I just move on to whatever we are working on and struggle to remain focused without my prefered focusing strategy, drawing Honestly, though, I usually secretly go back to drawing so I can continue to work. Drawing or doodling in class is largely misunderstood as being off task and unfocused. The thought process behind that being, “You can’t multitask! It’s scientifically proven!’”or “You can’t listen and draw!” On the contrary, drawing during class has been shown to help the memory and attention of some students. Psychology professor Jackie Andrade tested whether people who were asked to ‘make marks’ while listening for information in a recorded phone message would retain more information than a control group that was told not to doodle while listening. Andrade found that the people who doodled retained 29 percent more information than those who didn’t. Doodling about topics the class is talking about is actually a study tactic. Because the person’s memory is improved while drawing, the information is more likely to be retained
in long-term memory, once again helping a student. It may be true that some students use it as a distraction rather than a productive action, but that should not penalize those who do. Students who draw, complete work, and are doing well in the class should be allowed to continue. However those who are choosing to only draw instead of work should be asked to put their sketchbooks away. Teachers should look at this on a case by case basis. The benefits from drawing and doodling in class should be acknowledged by those in charge. I would encourage teachers to see this from a statistical standpoint, and while this isn’t every teacher, this can still be improved upon. Let the students work in the way that best serves them, and do not tell them to put it away unless it truly is a problem, as would be evident in the student’s academic performance. Let the artist draw and learn in the way that works best for them because in the end, they might do better than if they put their sketchbook away.
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REPUTATIONS Students express frustration with political climate that divides, leads to assumptions BY Hannah Field
O U R S T U D E N T B O D Y spends hours under the same roof, yet they aren’t always united. Some students spend part of their time as political activists or club members, while some just keep their views to themselves. Others aren’t political at all. No matter their party, outspoken teenagers can find themselves at odds with one another. A student as confident as sophomore Luis Maciel believes that teenage disagreements over politics aren’t always a bad thing. “I’m not afraid of losing friends or confrontation,” Maciel said. “I think it’s good having people on different terms.” He’s not the only one facing difficulties based on the choice to speak up. Sophomore Sachi Wrigley’s alignment has been challenged by students she didn’t even know. “I remember last year, we were putting up posters around the school for Feminist Club, but people kept tearing them down,” she said. “A couple of times I had to be like, 'Hey, that’s my club, what
are you doing?' And people were like, 'Uh, why would you start a feminist club? That’s completely unnecessary.'” The action of starting a political club led Wrigley to be tied to something negative, based on the club’s identification as a feminist organization. “I think people assume just from the things I say and even the way I look,” said junior Katie Stopher. “In the past, I've been laughed at, and SENIOR MADELEINE GETZ people don’t take me seriously sometimes. A lot of people may not like you if they don’t agree with you.” “I do get [insults] a lot. People will say that I’m a hick. They’ll call me a hick, and I’ll be like, okay,” Luis said. “Everybody has a reputation. I don’t think people should be [judged] for what reputation they have.” Non-political students may not be sure of the connotations tied to their name. Freshman Eden Maloney chooses to avoid politics as best she can, but even she can’t escape the judgment. “Yeah, I hear, that peson’s a Trump supporter, that person’s a Republican,” Maloney said. “It’s not
“You don’t want to offend someone, you want to speak your mind.”
that I don’t want to engage. I just don’t want to get into an argument with someone or cause fights.” “I think sometimes people are tentative to talk about politics, especially at school,” said senior Madeleine Getz. “You don’t want to offend someone, you want to speak your mind, but people don’t have that experience. It just becomes an awkward topic to avoid since it’s so polarized.” Avoidance of political alignment can lead to negative results in some cases. “Even if you think, as a teenager, you don’t have a voice, you do, even if you don’t choose to use it,” Getz said. Many students look past political differences. A poll gathered of 106 WAHS students of all grades found that 87 of them have close friends with different political beliefs. Of respondents, 101 say they wouldn’t let go of those friends who disagree. There is a level of responsibility and respect demonstrated from even the most political students. “It’s not just their opinions of the world, it’s literally how they see the world. If you aren’t able to respect them, then you’re telling them the way they see the world is wrong,” said Wrigley, who deems herself extremely political and for social justice. “Some people want others to believe the same things or respect the same things they respect,” Maloney said, “[but] respect should be an allaround thing.” Despite the poliical polarization, the students still gather at pep assemblies and events, demonstrating pride and working their way toward overcoming differences. “I feel like it’s divided, but we get around it,” senior Manuel Maciel said. “West has some strong family bonds. We put everything aside; we’re a Bulldog family.”
HOUSE D 16 THE WHIRLWIND / FEBRUARY 2020
FAKE FAKE NEWS
How the bipartisan divide is affecting perceptions of news media and trust in the press
" I T H I N K P A S T G E N E R AT I O N S
have totally trusted the news because that's all they had," said social studies teacher Kyle Hall. "You trusted [journalists] because there wasn't that many. So they had to be trustworthy, because if they threw out something that was false, they're done. Nowadays, anybody can be a reporter, anybody can start a blog. We don't know fact from fiction." Throughout American history, political division has gone back and forth between completely polarized and entirely unified. The bipartisan system, as AP US History teacher Marty Johnston describes, is intended to leave a middle ground, to keep any government decisions from being too far in either direction. The parties have become more divided in instances like the Civil War, and more unified in national tragedies, like 9/11 or Pearl Harbor. "The United States is extremely unified in [those] moments," Johnston says. "But as the years progress, we see the people divided again.� With these changes have also come the effects it has on American culture; particularly the news. "The political divide [is] becoming so much more divisive, news corporations almost have to become polarized as a direct result." said Hall. News outlets like Fox News, Hall said, have consistently been more right-leaning, while CNN started out middle of the ground,
SPECIAL
BY Mattea Hellman
Under the constant scrutiny of bias by the puband has shifted to the left, "because it has to. If some people are only hearing the news from the lic, it often leads news organizations to generalize. "You see papers like the New York Times overFox News point of view, it's almost like CNN feels like it has to match it with a completely opposite thinking what it means to be fair and balanced," Willard said. "And so rather than reporting on the one. It's less news and more commentary." The Whirlwind administered a survey and found truth or the facts of a story, they began to present that 86.5 percent of 112 students surveyed believe both sides of the opposing conflict." Even when it's popular to degrade credible news that the media is biased. When you include the parmedia, an expected response ty identity and the American from some organizations is to public, however, the statislean into it. To be successful tics change. According to the in news, you need viewers. In study by the Pew Research order to do this, Hall said they Center, "Trusting the News tend to report the news but Media in the Trump Era", of those surveyed only 5 percent of students surveyed believe the put a spin on it. "I don't think they're doing anything to proof Democrats say journalists media is biased mote it or to try and fix it. If have very low ethical standards, while Republicans reported over six times they try to fix it and move towards the middle, it doesn't mean the other side is going to do it," Hall that, with 31 percent. Additionally, 98.2 percent of 112 WAHS stu- said. "It's almost like a social trap." The question then arises if the press will ever be dents surveyed have heard the term ‘fake news,’ and AP Government teacher Blain Willard thinks able to come back from this animosity, to rebuild credibility as as a whole. that's part of the problem. "I think they can [rebuild trust] but I don't think "I think there is a deliberate campaign to undercut the legitimacy of the press," Willard said. it's on their shoulders alone. We're not always go"When people hear 'fake news' over and over ing to be in this political moment. So when we get again, they begin to think it's true simply because through this moment I think that that collectively, will restore faith in journalism," Willard said. "We it's so common to hear." Continuing this idea, Johnston said, "O-nce live in a democracy where our vote counts, but if it just becomes part of society, people just attach we're not informed, if we don't have true inforthemselves to that way of mation based on investigative reporting, then our votes become meaningless." thinking."
86.5%
E DIVIDED A presidential election is on the horizon, and things are heating up. What does the increasing tension mean for our friendships, families, and community?
SPECIAL / THE WHIRLWIND 17
CIVIC DISENGAGEMENT Is our curent civic education system doing enough to prepare students for political participation? BY Emily Haarstad
THE ROOM QUIETS
as social studies teacher Erik Ihde stands at the front of his class, prepared to tell the joke of the day. “Get it?” He says energetically once he’s reached his punchline, eager to make the students laugh. A few chuckle, but the majority stare blankly ahead, ready to check out for the next hour and a half. This is a scene from a typical high school American Government class, a graduation requirement that’s offered senior year. As November approaches, more eyes are on the presidential candidates, and the young adults coming into the voting scene are attempting to navigate to where they belong. Before being sent off into the world, expected to vote and choose the best candidate, students are only given a semester to learn all the necessary knowledge to participate. Senior Channon Schuerger, who took the class last semester, describes his experience. “It comes across as a class you take just because you have to, and that translated into the environment,” Schuerger said. “People were in there like, ‘This is boring,’ and ‘I just have to do this to graduate, that’s the only reason I’m doing it,’ ‘I just have to learn this stuff to pass the test and it doesn’t really matter to me.” Schuerger hoped his peers would take the class more seriously, as political education is “valuable and important to know because it affects all of us.” With no knowledge of specific government terms and concepts given to students prior to taking the class their senior year, there’s only an 18 week period where students can learn information. A solution to this problem, Schuerger says, is to introduce civic education earlier. “When you’re trying to learn it in just a semester, I almost feel like it’s similar to trying to learn a new language. I think if you make it more of a routine, then kids would have a better understanding of it.” But the blame cannot be put on the teachers, Schuerger says. With large class sizes and a room full of students who would mostly rather spend their time doing anything else, teaching American Government can be difficult. However, Ihde’s goal for his government students is sim-
18 THE WHIRLWIND / FEBRUARY 2020
E M I LY H A A R S TA D
S O C I A L studies teacher Erik Ihde teaches his third period American Government class on Feb. 13. Ihde says his hope for American Government seniors is that they will be confident participants in our political environment, yet acknowledges that the required semester class may not be enough. ple: “I want them to feel confident about participating in a highly participatory government.” With the current government system that we have, citizens are expected to vote and share their voice. Many Americans, however, do not use the voice given to them. According to Fairvote.org, during the 2016 presidential elections, only 60.1 percent of people eligible to vote voted. “We have an unusually participatory government,”
“I almost feel like it’s similar to trying to learn a new language.” SENIOR Channon Scheurger
Ihde said, “and the majority of Americans typically don’t participate. They typically don’t vote, they don’t get involved. 100% of people complain, and at a typical election about 30-40% of people vote.” By making his students confident about participating, Ihde hopes to change that statistic.
Yet the students themselves struggle with feeling confident about their political stances. Does Schuerger feel confident about voting? “No. I feel like most people would give that same answer,” Schuerger said. “I definitely have done some of my own research, and I feel like most people have to do that to figure stuff out for that.” If the goal is to make the students assured, that goal is falling short. A question then is brought up: What should we do to change our civic education system? If students feel they aren’t learning enough, and the teacher’s goals aren’t being met, what needs to be done in order to change that? There may be a solution. “We’ve talked about wanting to do more with state and local government. We feel like we don’t do that enough. [...] And again, in half a year, we just don’t have time to fit that in,” Ihde said. Expanding the amount of time alloted for learning government concepts gives teachers and students more opportunities to learn and get involved. The future of the current American Government class rests in uncertainty. However, positive change could affect the class in creating confident civically educated students.
PEER POLITICS We asked a few WAHS students to rate their feelings about politics on a scale of 1-10 and placed them on the chart below according to their ratings.
Where students’ political feelings lie BY Brooklyn D’Alessio
“People are very judgemental. They think their opinions are always right.”
Sophomore Tamiya Mitchell
2
Junior Brennon Leach
3 Freshman Emily Bernt
4
Junior Samuel White
5
“People talk about it and argue because it’s a big current event.”
6 7 Sophomore Hailey Waddlington
8 9 10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
How do you feel politics affect your daily life?
1
“I don’t see many people discussing politics.”
10
How much does it affect others?
LIVING WITH IT Students talk about household divide BY Hannah Field and Cole Bakley
F O R M A N Y I N D I V I D U A L S , their parents pave the way. A kid grows up repeating what they hear, and even as adults they may not form their own views on different topics, especially concepts like politics, when a person’s own views are largely what makes a difference. As for freshman Emily Bernt, her political beliefs are nothing like her brother Tommy’s. “We argue on everything,” she said. “A lot of it is us watching the news and Tommy goes, ‘I think that’s wrong,’ and then it’s like, ‘Let’s talk about it.’” Emily’s sophomore brother, Tommy Bernt, feels just as significantly different. “I like being able to speak my mind. She just has different opinions,” said Tommy. “Sometimes, it does get difficult.” Freshman Morgan Fandrem’s family is also split. “One half of my family is Democratic and the other half is strictly Republican. They’re all very set in their system.”
Although Fandrem considers herself mostly Democratic, not everything is perfect from either side. “Sometimes we bicker. I would change things around a little bit.” Even though her parents are divorced, problems still arise. Fandrem recognizes a lack of understanding between both sides, leading to more fights than intelligent conversations. “My dad and I get into arguments. There is a big space between our beliefs, so we get into arguments where neither of us want to back down.” Emily knows bickering with family like the back of her hand, but some things she wouldn’t change. “I’d expect us to be less close. If anything, we’re closer,” said Emily. One thing that has changed is Tommy’s open-mindedness. “We were talking about climate change, I wasn’t that big on climate change, and she showed me a bunch of stuff and that changed my whole opinion,” said Tommy. “I’m now on her side. I learned how to redirect my opinion and learn the facts, not just think, ‘Oh, this is right, this is wrong.’ Climate change affects us everyday and she showed me that.” “He’s a compassionate person. I just wish people would respect him as much as they feel the need to respect everyone else,” said Emily. “I still love my sister,” said Tommy. “I may not be right all the time, but my opinion is still my opinion and I have a right to it.” SPECIAL / THE WHIRLWIND 19
BALLERS COLLARS BY Ember Walter
How basketball players at WAHS use game day fashion to show team spirit
W H O S TA R T E D T H E T R A D I T I O N O F W E A R I N G D R E S S C L O T H E S O N G A M E D AY S ?
That actually started back before I was even thought of. When I was in high school, we didn’t even do that. We just wore our travel gear. H OW D O YO U T H I N K I T H A S C H A N G E D T H E S P I R I T AROUND THE SPORT?
It’s a job. The rules have changed since the start of it, not J a c k i e S t e w a r t as professional.
GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH
W H AT D O Y O U T H I N K I T T E A C H E S T H E P L AY E R S A B O U T LIFE?
I would just say it teaches players to understand that basketball is a privilege. It’s just like a job. When you go to an interview, you dress up. It just teaches them that it’s a business at times, and it’s good for you to dress up.
W H O S TA R T E D T H E T R A D I T I O N O F W E A R I N G D R E S S C L O T H E S O N G A M E D AY S ?
I don’t know. I think it was here before I got here, and then I reinstated it when I got here. H OW D O YO U T H I N K I T H A S C H A N G E D T H E S P I R I T AROUND THE SPORT?
I mean, well, hopefully it helps attract students to games and to bring attention to basketball players and adverDerek Duman tise.
B OYS BA S K E T BA L L H E A D C OAC H
W H AT D O Y O U T H I N K I T T E A C H E S T H E P L AY E R S A B O U T LIFE?
It helps being part of something bigger than yourself. ‘I have to dress up’ is less than ‘we have to dress up.’ It also teaches them formal etiquette, like what’s appropriate to wear outside. 20 THE WHIRLWIND / FEBRUARY 2020
GIRLS GOT GAME
As you walk down the halls on basketball game day, there are students in formal attire. I t i s a WA H S t r a d i t i o n f o r basketball players to dress up on days they have home games. This doesn’t just mean wearing a nice shirt. It means putting time and effort into y o u r a p p e a r a n c e f o r t h e d a y.
Girls basketball players dressed for a home game against North Salem on Feb. 21.
Nicole Beers SOPHOMORE
Brooklyn Strandy SOPHOMORE Maija Ylen SOPHOMORE
THE STUDENT’S SIDE
How do you think it has changed What do you think it teaches players the spirit around the sport? about life?
Brooklyn Strandy SOPHOMORE
The point of it is to get people to know that there is a home game that day.
Nothing besides dress for the occasion.
Alex Alley JUNIOR
I don’t know, I think it’s cool though. It also helps people recognize when basketball games are.
That they need to look presentable on and off the court.
Daniel Luttrel SOPHOMORE
I don’t know. I think it brings the team together.
It teaches them to dress up. Also manners and respect.
Joe Burton JUNIOR
I don’t really feel like it has changed anything.
Discipline.
SPORTS / THE WHIRLWIND 21
OUT OF BOUNDS Coaches, athletes discuss boundaries between them VOLLEY BALL Day in, day out, coaches spend so much time with their team. Many of these coaches are also teachers at WAHS balancing homework, practice, classwork, games, tests, and team bonding. Some of these coaches are staying late nights just to keep the goals of their team on track. Volleyball coach Kelli Backer and her team are quite accustomed to these time constraints. Backer has been coaching volleyball since 1996, as
BY Malachi Murphy and Gage Crabtree well as coaching girls basketball and track and field. She says that coaching different sports elicits a different experience, and that being in volleyball brings her a different joy. “I tell my girls this all the time: my brain never shuts off. During volleyball season I’m always analyzing, and sometimes when I’m supposed to be teaching science, my mind will wander to ‘What am I’m doing at volleyball practice tonight or how am I’m going to get the team to do this piece?” Backer said. All this is combined with a rigorous practice schedule,
and the whole experience brings coach and player closer together. “We pretty much practice every day other than match days, and volleyball also cuts into your summer,” Backer said, “so we start in August and start going with camp, and then we have doubles and tryouts, so yeah, it’s a definite commitment.” The time commitment of volleyball makes the group more of a team, according to Backer. She calls it “going into battle” and thinks that it creates a different relationship than if they were to just be students of hers. “I like to have fun with my athletes, but there’s also that boundary line where I am the manager and I have to help you guys get to your end goal.”
WRESTLING
of balance Team goals fortakebotha lotathletes and
coaches. Athletes have the juggle of life and sports, and coaches are concerned with keeping the line between being the athlete’s friend and still being effective as their coach. Some problems that may derive from being too much of a ‘coach’ is the team not having a very strong connection
20 22 THE WHIRLWIND / FEBRUARY 2020
with each other, or the coach may have the goals of the team placed above the wellbeing of the team itself. Some problems that may derive from being too much of a ‘friend’ are the goals of the team being pushed aside to simply have a good time or overstepping boundaries. So how do coaches find the balance between coach and friend, and do they ever cross a line?
30
It’s 5 a.m. on a Saturday morning, and a line of student athletes in sweatpants and holding bags lined up outside the school with buses approaching. Today is a wrestling meet day, and these athletes are about to spend all day together. Coming home around 9 or 10 p.m., they have 16 hours of team bonding. Whether it be football barbecues or day long wrestling meets, student athletes spend hours upon hours working with their teams and coaches. However, within specific teams the culture can be different. Head wrestling coach Casey Horn classifies his team as more of a family than anything else. “There’s a lot of time in there that we’re bonding and we’re getting a chance to be a family, one unit,” Horn said. “We joke and we cry sometimes, and we get together to make sure we’re lifting each other up.” Horn and assistant coach Bryan Barker believe that the role of coach can change from simply coach and athlete to something different. “It gets to a different point sometimes of just making sure that we are there for everyone and that they’re there for me,” Horn said. “There have been things in my life this year that have been really rocky and hard for me and my family, and so kids have all been right there supportive of me, just like I’ve been supportive of them.” Horn says that wrestling is a family for those without a family and even those with one. Some of the members of this family, Jonathan Aurand and Cayden Cumpiano, explain the dynamic they have going on. It focuses on the coach and different assistant coaches helping the athletes develop at a faster
40
SPORTS
rate by specializing in specific key roles to a wrestler. Some of these specializations include a coach for conditioning, weights, and knee slides to name a few.
FOOTBALL The beginning of football is not when many expect. Only three months after the end of the season, the coaches are finalizing the new schedule for the coming year. Meeting occasionally, the coaches work together on plans for the upcoming season until May, when they all get together and plan out spring practices. Afterward, there are only about five or It is tough, though, because you want to support them six spring practices and then the Linfield football camp and be there for them, but you also want to have a in McMinnville. Finally, Monday through Friday after good boundary that you know you’re not their buddy, camp is morning weight training for the rest of the sum- per se.” mer leading into regular season practices. Outside of the time commitment of football, the Defensive team makes sure to do team coordinator bonding through fun events “It’s not just about having Cole Pouliot like touchdown celebration tries to get acat the ends of practices, or talent. If you have that quainted with team goals like “shake five brotherhood and that his group of guys’ hands before the end of community, then the boys, since practice.” winning becomes easier.” football is This team comradery pays more “segoff as well, as Pouliot said, Cole Pouliot DEFENSIVE regated into “I’ve noticed our teams that C O O R D I N AT O R offense and won state championships, defense.” they all were very connected. “I try to deIt’s not just about having talvelop a relaent. If you have that brothtionship with erhood and that com[defensive groups]. If a kid has been working for four munity, then the winning becomes easier, years, then you get to know them pretty well,” Pouliot because everyone’s working together said. He says he watches film with them two days a week instead of working apart.” during lunch, and works with them every day during After the football season, practice, so he is more likely to get to know them. Varsity football player Con“Just being with someone all day everyday for sever- nor Wolfe goes to the running al days in a row, eating lunch with them,” Pouliot said, back barbecue hosted by coach “that’s the stuff that really helps build relationships, too.” Warren. However, he believes that the line between coach and athlete needs to be maintained. “I think it needs to be a professional relationship…
40
30
P H OTO S U S E D W I T H P E R M I S S I O N O F J E A N S M I T H
T O P R I G H T : Senior Derric Cox talks to head coach Casey Horn after losing a tough match at West View High School on Dec. 13. B O T T O M L E F T : Senior Leonid Prokopovych gets encouraged by head wrestling coach Casey Horn after a match on Dec. 13.
20 SPORTS / THE WHIRLWIND 23
WA R M U P Senior Bradley Layton and Junior Chase Sparks pictured drilling takedowns at practice. Photo by Ember Walters drills.” The current size of the team has proven to be dangerous to not only their physical health, but it’s also impacted wrestlers by making it more difficult to improve their skills. Wrestlers need to be able to focus on their skill development rather than their safety during practice. “This one time I got kicked right in the nose,” senior Jonathan Aurand said “It hurted really bad.” The safety of wrestlers is a major priority for the wrestling staff. For now, the coaches’ temporary solution involves spliting the team into three different groups and having one group practice in the weight room, with two in the mat room. Even with the groups split up, injuries can happen. This isn’t ideal for the team; they want everyone to be able to practice at the same time without injury. “I love wrestling,” sophomore Bayne Barker said. “I just don’t want a new wrestler’s first experience to be getting run into by another group drilling at practice.” The coaches obviously don’t want to see their wrestlers hurt. They have tried all the ways possible to make practice as safe as it can be. When you are in a full contact sport like wrestling, injury is going to happen; yet, the staff knows that having a larger room would help lower the With the increase of new wrestlers and the hope to expand amount of injuries. A larger room will also allow for the team to expand as well. the girls wrestling team, can the mat room handle all the “I would like to find a bigger space in the new members? school,” Horn said. “I want to be able to have BY Cloey Marsh more kids in the program and run bigger practices.” W I T H T H E G R O W T H of the girls The hope of team expansion cannot wrestling team and the increase in wrestlers on be made possible if there is not enough the novice/JV teams, the team now has a total room to practice. The first phase of conof 71 wrestlers. This season started with 16 struction is expected to be finished by girls on the team, with head coach Casey Horn fall of 2020 but a new mat room is not in looking to expand the team significantly next the plans. A second phase of construction season. could include a larger mat room, accordDue to the size of the room, many of the ing to Horn, but that is not currently being wrestlers have experienced collisions during discussed. practices; these incidents are more likely during While there is no set time for a larger warm ups when everyone is in the room at the mat room, the team will still be expanding same time. ZOE LAPLANT JUNIOR and Horn is still on the lookout for other “It makes it difficult to warm up,” senior Deravailable places in the building to support ric Cox said. “You get bumped and pushed and the growing wrestling team. sometimes you have to jump over kids during
MAT CAPACITY
“I’ve gotten kicked in the face before. It’s completely by accident, but I wish that this didn’t have to be an issue to worry about at all.”
Where’s the mat room? Albany Union High school opened
1953
1972 West Albany established and mat room was located on the west balcony
24 THE WHIRLWIND / FEBRUARY 2020
Mat room had been moved over to the east balcony
2003
2009
One year after current Head Coach Casey Horn began here the automotive shop became the current mat room
RIDE ON! Sophomore Madasyn Frasieur and Freshman Shyann Lunski wait patiently on their horses at a meet earlier this month on the ninth. Frasieur and Lunski are the only girls from WAHS representing Albany without a total of three girls. USED WITH PERMISSION OF JAIME FRASIEUR
SADDLED UP The equestrian team doesn’t have very many members, but they’re extremely accepting and ready for more BY Gabrielle Budlong and Caleb Har t
N O T M A N Y P E O P L E know about, and
even fewer are involved in, the equestrian team, what former advisor and health teacher Jennifer Bornheimer calls one of WAHS’ “tiny teams.” Even though the team is small, with only two girls, they’re accepting of anyone. You don’t need a horse to be a part of the equestrian team; there are other activities you can do without a horse. There are also other options. Sophomore Madasyn Frasieur is renting a horse for competitions because her own horse is unfit. Frasieur wasn’t very involved with horses before she joined the equestrian team at the beginning of this year, but when she got her horse she decided to get involved and she says the team has been incredibly accepting and taught her everything she needed to know. Bornheimer was an advisor for the equestrian team for seven years and stopped about four years ago. The equestrian team brought cherished memories and strong relationships. She’d often bring her daughter to practices, who would always ride horses and receive some smaller free lessons after the team was done. “This was a way that I could kind of give my child the horse experience without having to make
them every Friday, and everything she did was unpaid volunteer work. “It was just my job to get to know them, let them know if they needed to they could come to me for anything,” Bornheimer said. “I would go to all their practices.” Wendy Bernards is the current coach for the equestrian team, and they have practices once a week at the fairgrounds. Competitions are three times a year, and they are spread out over three days: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. If someone wants to get involved, they should talk to P.E. teacher Brittany Eudy, who is the current faculty advisor of the team. Both Frasieur and Bornheimer wish more people were aware of the equestrian team. SOPHOMORE MADASYN FR ASIEUR “I just wish more people knew about it,” Frasieur said. “It’s very competitive.” There are only two girls on the throughout those seven years, she’d take her West Albany team; Frasieur and freshman Shyann daughter to practices and their RV to competitions Lunski, who qualified for state earlier this year. that spanned over three days. “I was a beginner, and I still am,” Frasieur Bornheimer called herself the team mom be- said. “They accept beginners, they accept people cause it was her job to check on the girls and make who don’t know anything about horses, and we are sure they keep their grades up. She held lunch with just very accepting in general.” the financial investment,” Bornheimer said, “but I went to the wedding of one of my kiddos that was on the equestrian team… and I just have similar lifelong relationships with some of those kids that were on the team.” Bornheimer spent a lot of time with the team
“I was a beginner, and I still am. They accept beginners, they accept people that don’t know anything about horses, and we are just very accepting in general.”
SPORTS / THE WHIRLWIND 25
WHAT’S IN MY By Coral CwmCwlamare
BAG
What sophomore Maija Ylen keeps in her softball bag Sunglasses she wears when the sun is out while playing.
Her softball bat that she uses in games.
The gloves Maya wears when she plays.
One of two shoes she wears when playing softball.
A catcher’s glove that she uses. The other pair of shoes she keeps in her bag. The softball used for practice she keeps.
MY FAVORITE MOVE Cheer has many different moves that are performed in a routine. For freshman Yaritza Rodriguez she could not pinpoint a single one. She chose tumbling as her favorite part of cheerleading. This includes various moves like handstands. “It is like an adrenaline rush,” said Rodriguez, “and muscle memory kicks in.” 26 THE WHIRLWIND / FEBRUARY 2020
MY WORST STORY Sophomore Lily Heidrick enjoys running. Participating in track since middle school, it has become a big part of her life. This pattern, however, was interrupted last year. “Last year I was out of track for pneumonia,” said Heidrick, “I had to go to the hospital.” She felt disappointed because she trained hard for it, but in the end couldn’t run. This would lead to her participating in cross country this year due to her desire to run. However, she discovered that she has breathing issues that could impact her running. Planning to run in track this year, she has been training to battle this medical condition. While her current health issues has impacted her running, it is currently looking up.
HIDDEN HISTORY
LGBT representation in history is hardly ever talked about despite clearly existing
BY Sam Mattingly
G AY F I G U R E S I N HISTORY
L G B T P E O P L E have always existed.
History is littered with both famous and infamous individuals who identified themselves as not straight. Yet, more often than not, these individuals are dismissed as simply being “good friends” with their actual same sex partners, or that they were only “flamboyant men” or “manly women” in nature. On one hand, this doesn’t necessarily harm their identity. Their achievements were unrelated to their sexuality or gender identity. Why put focus on something completely detached from the famous figure’s achievements? On the other hand, however, seeing representation throughout history could change our whole society’s perspective on gender and sexual identity today. Representation in history, though seemingly unimportant to many straight people, could be life changing for LGBT youth. “If you ever want to learn about that, you gotta do it yourself,” said freshman Miranda Lawley. “A lot of LGBT representation in history, you have to [find] yourself. Nobody really tells you that it’s cool.” Lawley is only one of many LGBT students who have noticed a lack of representation in our curriculum. While teachers and students may be accepting of others, it’s simply not talked about in an educational setting. According to U.S. News, six states “still have laws prohibiting the ‘promotion of homosexuality,’” and as of 2019 only one state (California) required LGBT history to be taught in public schools. “A lot of students are a part of that community,” junior Bella Forney said, “and I think the environment at school is welcoming, but teaching history as well as the contribution LGBT members have made in the U.S. or world would be really cool and start a new conversation.”
Alan Tuirng WW2 codebreaker, chemically castrated for being gay in 1952 and committed suicide shortly after.
Oscar Wilde Irish author, arrested for being gay in 1895 and had a love affair with the Marquess son
Walt Whitman English poet, often wrote about same sex affairs
Emily Dickinson American poet, exchanged romantic letters with a woman
Eleanor Roosevelt American and first dated the journalist who the 1928
activist lady, female covered election
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American astronaut, came out in her obituary in 2012 as having a female partner for 27 years
LGBT youth are often left on their own to figure out what they’re feeling, and to see men or women in history with same sex love interests has the potential to help them understand themselves better, as well as helping other children and teenagers understand and accept LGBT peers. “I think normalizing talking about that stuff and just having it be a part of our culture rather than keeping it at arm’s length all the time would allow for it to not only be accepted but become a part of the norm, too,” Forney said. However, it is also widely believed that if it is not relevant to the topic, a figures sexuality shouldn’t be mentioned. This is quite a common opinion, as the reasoning behind why you would bring in something so unrelated to a lesson isn’t exactly obvious. “[I only mention sexuality] if it would be relevant given the topic of why we’re discussing them,” history teacher Marty Johnston said. “For me, personally, someone’s sexual orientation isn’t necessarily part of the historical conversation.” When discussing history in school, members of the gay community aren’t really talked about. It could be argued that this is because it is irrelevant, or that it is simply difficult to prove. “It was almost kind of off limits,” Johnston said about gay individuals in history. In the past, it has been taboo to talk about not only sexual orientation but sexuality in general. According to Johnston, people in power simply weren’t supposed to be sexual in any way. Because of this, it’s difficult to decipher who may have been gay in history. Although it’s not only political or powerful figures who could have been members of the community. A great variety of artists, poets, authors, actors, and even scientists are thought to have been LGBT. Throughout all of history, from Ancient Greece and earlier, to 1980s America, a signicant number of famous people have been gay, and continue to be so. Though it has been discovered over time that so many gay people have existed within history, many of these individuals did not want to be known as gay. In many cases it was an issue of their own safety; however, it wasn’t uncommon for the reason to be that they were unhappy with their own identity. “If I did something famous,” Manske said, “I wouldn’t want someone to analyze every aspect of my personal life.” This isn’t a difficult concept, and was likely quite common. If it doesn’t relate to what someone is famous for, why try to bring their identity in at all? If someone had a major accomplishment, perhaps they wouldn’t want it to be known if they were out of the “norm.” For instance, in the 1940s it was a common practice for gay and lesbian actors in Hollywood to have ‘lavender marriages,’ which were fake marriages in order to hide the actors’ true identities. Liberace, a famous American pianist who lived from 1919 to 1987, sued a newspaper that alluded to him being gay in order to cover up his homosexual lifestyle, which was later written about by his boyfried Scott Thorson. Sally Ride, an astronaut who died in 2012, only came out in her obituary, which referenced her partner of 27 years. LGBT individuals have become much more widely accepted in today’s world, however there are still some shortcomings in education. While it does make sense to not mention the topic of sexuality when it is irrelevant to the lesson, to learn about LGBT throughout all of students’ educational careers would create a much more tolerating setting for students struggling to define themselves.
E N T E R TA I N M E N T / T H E W H I R L W I N D 2 7
A R T A N D S T O R Y B Y To r i T h o r p , w i t h a d d i t i o n a l r e p o r t i n g b y A b i g a i l W i n t e r
T H E R E A R E M A N Y things teenagers engage in when they are bored or can’t focus in class, but one that is the most common is doodling. While some may just do scribbles and random shapes along the sides of their paper, others utilize an entire sketchbook to do more complex drawings of various genres, sizes, and colors. Whether it helps them focus, keeps them distracted, or it’s become a habit, many students carry around a sketchbook with them througho ut their school day. Here is a look inside their sketchbooks, why they have them, and how art helps them academically. Why do you carry your sketchbook around with you?
SENI
OR B
ON RAND
S TA F
I take a lot of art classes, and I just love drawing anytime I have any inspiration. It’s super easy to take it out and sketch it and turn it into a full piece later.
FORD
What do you sketch?
Everything. In AP Studio Art class we have this thing called “sustaining investigation” and a lot of my sketches are for that .
How would you describe your art style?
Kind of cartoonish. I don’t do a lot of realism.
Why do you carry your sketchbook around with you?
I will get inspiration during classes that are kind of boring, so I like to have my sketchbook so I can draw when I feel like it.
How would you describe your art style?
Semi-realistic sometimes. I also do more stylized pieces in the style of video games and shows that I like.
Does sketching help you focus?
Yes, definitely. I like to doodle when I’m taking notes.
SOPHOMO
RE SELENA DIVINEY
Why do you carry your sketchbook
around with you?
sometimes just getting someI have a lot of focusing problems and assignments just helps me focus. thing to draw instead of homework or
r your shoulder?
Is it annoying when people look ove
like “draw this” or “draw that” Very, very annoying when people are much rather do what I want, I’d . and that’s just not my type of thing my hands or just snatch it. of out it grab but sometimes they’ll, like,
S
H OP
OM
O
CA RE
ME
A LL
MC
C
M OR
28 THE WHIRLWIND / FEBRUARY 2020
AC
K
Who is the kid you always see sketching in class, and what’s behind their sketchbook cover?
D O O D L E D I D YO U KNOW? A few facts about Doodling
Stafford created this piece after being inspired by his friend. “I have a friend who did somewhat abstract illustrations using different textures,” Stafford said. “I was inspired by him, so I decided I would try doing a piece in my sketchbook inspired by his pieces. It was mostly experimental and I learned quite a bit from it.”
According to a study by Harvard, doodling is proven to relieve psychological distress
According to author of “Tinker, Dabble, Doodle, Try” Srini Pillay, 26 of 44 different American presidents doodled during boring meetings
Diviney uses her sketchbook to practice poses. “One of my favorite things to draw is poses,” Diviney said, “so I like to find reference photos, or take some myself, to practice drawing. I want to improve on anatomy and dynamic poses, and finding images of real people helps me to do so.”
People who doodle recall 29% more information than people who don’t, according to Pillay
Doodles often relate to parts of the memory that have been lost, so they’re really not as random as they seem
So next time you’re feeling stressed, or like you need a break, try doodling in the margins of your paper a bit!
McCormack created this collage out of old pictures she cut out. “I’m inspired a lot by traditional tattoo artists,” McCormack said, “and I also like doing a lot of scrapbooking, like cutting out old pictures and layering them. I like trying new things and whatever seems interesting.”
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TELL ME MORE TELL ME MORE From small-town Alaska to band fame, how Band Director Stuart Welsh creates a legacy BY Jonathan Perkins
M A N Y P E O P L E M AY have heard that Welsh recently won an award, but he likes to be specific about things. “I didn’t actually win an award.” It is hard to not pet a dog because they are adorable. It is hard to catch a fleeing rat because they’re nimble. And it is hard to catch Stuart Welsh slacking because it never happens. “Pretty intense, kind of scary,” senior Carter Roeser said, describing his first impression of Welsh. “He’s just very focused and always working at least in that sense you know that’s out of performance so he’s like in the zone.” Welsh is a man who is inevitable. Even though he works behind the scenes to make things happen, he has this constant spotlight on him, drawing attention. Always moving, always working, making him the illustrious Welsh. Born in Sitka, Alaska, a tiny little town, Welsh was the youngest of his siblings. His mother played the piano and while his father wasn’t able to read music, he did play the harmonica. Young Welsh began taking piano lessons along with his two older siblings, but then a year and a half later, he decided to ask his mother if he could stop taking piano lessons. This turned out to be one of the biggest regrets for years to come. “Man, if I’d taken piano lessons from then to all the way through high school or something, it would make so much of my job so much easier,” Welsh said. Beyond growing up in a musical household, one
of the biggest inspirations for Welsh was the art of storytelling. His parents would read him stories in voices and his father would add in descriptors. Welsh relates storytelling to music. ”So much of music is storytelling,” he said. “I mean, we are communicating emotional content or a specific scene or a storyline.” These events caused a spark, the ignition of Welsh to continue to pursue music. He received a scholarship to attend college in voice, not band, though he continued to pursue music. “I didn’t decide to be a band director,” he said, “until I got a job as a band director.” Welsh’s first job was in another small town: Leavenworth, Washington where both of his children were born. Welsh would’ve stayed there, but there was one major concerning problem — the town was shrinking and so was his salary. Welsh then had to begin looking elsewhere, ending his first eight year job and beginning his start at WAHS. Many people may have heard that Welsh recently won an award, but he likes to be specific about things. “I didn’t actually win an award.” He didn’t — not exactly. A magazine called School Band and Orchestra asked its subscribers to nominate people they think have been influential or motivational in their field from each state. Welsh was honored this fall. “They ask you three questions. You actually get your picture in the magazine, and they publish your answers for the same three questions.” Welsh
was chosen out of a group of potential nominees and was recognized for his quality of work. Long after that first impression, Roeser got to know Welsh as more than just a loud man. “[He is] probably one of the most intelligent people I know, like it’s crazy how much he knows,” Roeser said. “He’s crazy hard working, always full of energy, always drinking Mountain Dew. I don’t know how he’s alive.” That energy is fully apparent to any observer of Welsh at work. The scene is interesting to a foreigner who doesn’t know what’s happening. Band is more than a class; it is more of a group. At first, everyone is tuning instruments, testing noise, talking, chatting, whatever band kids do. Welsh walks into the room from his office and raises his hand, closes it into a fist, and the room goes silent. I’m sure many other teachers wish they could do that. If the foreigner closes his eyes, they can hear the layers of sound being projected at once, the constant beat of feet tapping. The abrupt start and stop of music with everyone taking a deep breath before blowing into their instrument. Behind it all, one can hear the apparent “beep, boom, bop” of Welsh. When he’s conducting the bands,constant arm motion is used, as if he was petting an imaginary horse in front of him. Welsh’s dedication to his craft is seen by his students, even when it looks like “[Working] super late at night like at 1am, 2am, or something when he’s like had 10 Mountain Dews and he’s just kind of going loco,” as Roeser describes it.
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P H O T O B Y E M B E R W A LT E R
BEYOND THE CURTAINS Spring musical ‘Mary Poppins’ offers audience a magical experience BY Colvin Par vin
I N 1 7 Y E A R S , science teach- cording to Manske, the musical “just er Shana Hains, has never missed got 3,000 pounds of wood shipped a WAHS musical. “When you first in.” These materials go into the set come to the cafeteria and you see the and other props. Lead actress senior Lexie Lundset and the kiddos,” Hains said, ”then the music starts, and whoever I bring green’s six years of experience with thinks it’s recorded when it’s not” musicals have made the process fa— that’s the best part. That magical miliar. Yet, she says “Mary Poppins” experience created by the cast and is different. ”The magic in the show is so cencrew, though, starts well before that point and is attributable to a lot that tral to what it’s all about,” Lundgreen is going on behind the scenes, most said. “Mary Poppins comes, and of which the audience will never see. she’s this magical being. What Welsh From Dec. 3 to Feb. 28, the musi- and the other tech crew have done is cal “Mary Poppins” was planned and they made it so that doors can open prepared by the tech, production, and by themselves, and things can pop up set crews. One class in particular, the by themselves.” “Magical” doors, hatches, and wintech crew cut bracing for the front of the stage. Originally event tech was dows are just a few of the innovagoing to design the set, but Welsh took the S E E T H E S H O W liberty and designed the set all throughout Feb. 28-29, March 6-7, March 13-14 @7pm winter break and took overall charge of the March 5: Student and Staff Night set building. March 7: Matinee @ 1 p.m. The students take Cost: $10, Student night $5 pride in executing the ideas of their direc- Purchase tickets in the office or online. tors, drama and choir teacher Cate Caffarella, who is di- tions that make this particular show recting the 16th musical she has been unique. Audiences can also expect a part of; band teacher Stuart Welsh, some flying scenes. “I think what is really different is who handles the orchestra, live music, and set; and costume designer it is really well known,” Caffarella Gwen Christianson, who handles said, “that the big productions in it, like… ‘Jolly Holiday,’ and ‘Step costumes and makeup. When it comes to getting the re- in Time,’ are all their own worlds sources for the play, such as money within the play.” All of those different worlds and materials, things become fairly scarce. For example, the wood is require their own designs, which not paid for by the school; all of it tech crew member senior Eric Alis donated by Arauco. However, the lam says make this build distinct. school does pay for almost all of the “The last two musicals have had lighting and sound equipment and a lot of revolves,” Allam said. most of the technology. Makeup, “This one has a lot more set pieces, costume material, and other resourc- which are taller than what we nores are paid for from the year before, mally use.” For all involved in making the except when people bring in their own makeup and other supplies. Ac- production of a musical possible,
B R O O K LY N D ’ A L E S S I O
F R E S H M E N Spencer Madsen and Avery Dodd, and seniors Sylvia Harrington and Kyle Jensen rehearse for “Mary Poppins” on Feb. 21 in the cafeteria. They have been rehearsing the show, which will premiere on Feb. 28, for four months. it’s a long process, and while they I feel like I’ve really found myself hope the production will be exciting through acting.” for the audience, it’s about more than ”My favorite thing about ‘Mary just the end product. Poppins’ and the musical in gener“Acting is like Halloween,” Lund- al is the people I get to work with,” green said. “You get to be someone Caffarella said. “I really, really enjoy else, and so I’ve had the opportunity the collaboration, [and]... I love the to create characters and create their creativity and that we get to pool tomotifs, and how they talk and act, gether and create this.” and it’s a really beautiful process.
E N T E R TA I N M E N T / T H E W H I R L W I N D 3 1
WHATStudent I’MFavorites FEELING
GUESS WHO? What is your favorite book?
BY Tr a v i s S h o l l e n b e r g e r
1.
Favorite Show: “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” Freshman Sarah Varner’s go-to show right now is “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” a comedy about a police force in Brooklyn, New York. “I love all the characters,” Varner said. “The characters are funny, and I like that about them.” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” can currently be found on NBC, Hulu, Youtube TV, and Amazon Prime Video.
A.
“‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days’ by Jeff Kinney because of the addition of pictures.”
Bayne Barker SOPHOMORE
Favorite Music Artist: Travis Scott
B.
2.
Freshman Jacob Shelton’s favorite music artist right now is Travis Scott, an American rapper. “I like rap,” Shelton said, “and his music is different [compared to] average rap.” Scott’s most recent album “Astroworld,” which was released in 2018, is available on streaming platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify.
“‘Paper Towns’ by John Green. I like mystery books, and it caught my attention.”
Derric Cox SENIOR
Favorite Clothing Item: Ring
3.
Sophomore Nyree Virreta has a love for jewelry, which are typically small and detailed accessories. “I usually like [to wear] necklaces, rings, and earrings,” she said. “I started wearing this one [ring] recently.” Virreta got the ring from her best friend.
C.
“I don’t really read a lot now, but when I was younger I liked to read books like ‘I Spy’ (by Jean Marzollo).”
Maya D’Alessio FRESHMAN
My Best Work
1. C \ 2. A \3. B TO R I T H O R P
Multimedia: Tori Gibbs SOPHOMORE
Babette Grunwald produced a collective body of work titled “Lament” that brought awareness to climate change. This collection includes five pieces of art. “I was very worried about climate change and how humans are affecting our planet,” Grunwald said. “I wanted [to convey that] through my artwork to make people more aware of the problem.” “Lament” was showcased at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art in 2007. More works of art by Grunwald can be found at babettestudio.com.
Tori Gibbs has been creating art since she was about three years old and has used her skills to create various works throughout her high school career. One piece titled “Maybe” was made in January 2020 for the Scholastic Art competition and received an honorable mention. “It was for the Scholastic [Art competition] and I wanted to make a comic about space,” Gibbs said. “Maybe” was created using charcoal, colored pencils and splatter paint. 32 THE WHIRLWIND / ENTERTAINMENT
Multimedia: Babette Grunwald ART TEACHER