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March 2014
Notebook a compilation of neat things
May your choices refflect your hopes, not your fears.
Google Maps brought cameras to Churchill, a tundra in the Canadian Artic, in the hopes that their panoramas would enable people to see polar bear migrations from the comfort of their home. Tanya Lewis, Live Science: www.livescience.com
- Nelson Mandela
When psychologist James H. Fowler studied the data of 5,000 people over 20 years, he discovered
Did you know? The sound of E.T. walking was made by someone squishing their hands in jelly. Jennifer Li, www.cs.cmu.edu
Know someone with an interesting story to tell? Let us know! Tweet @WHSTrojanHorse or email us at whstrojanhorse@gmail.com.
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that happiness affects other people through three degrees of social connection. He said:
“We found a statistical relationship not just between your happiness and your friends’ happiness, but between
your happiness and your friends’ friends’ friends’ happiness.”
Connection and happiness, www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife
No. 4
01. Nutrition
The Final Approach
05. 09. A World Away
13.
“That’s ‘Mr. Dad’ to You”
Sleight of Hand
17.
Olivia Patton Editor in Chief Senior
Ellen Berkley Editor in Chief Senior
Keith Higbee Staff Advisor
Monika Kovacs Head of Design Junior
Tana Kelley Photo Editor Junior
Brian Chatard Principal
According to Oregon law, student journalists are responsible for determining the content of this publication, except under limited circumstances. The subject matter, content and views of the news, features and opinion sections in this paper do not reflect the views of Portland Public Schools or Woodrow Wilson High School.
March 2014
THE FINAL APPROACH
JAMES RUTLEDGE-GORMAN’S FLYING CAREER TAKES OFF On approach, a small, white Cessna lines up over the runway at the Hillsboro airport. Inside, a young student and his flight instructor discuss several factors in their upcoming landing: airspeed, other air traffic in the area, and the angle of approach. They both agree that their aircraft is too high, and the instructor suggests they go-around and try again. But the student refuses. He tells his instructor to get the plane down on the ground as soon as possible. “Tommy, I’m about to barf,” the student says. Tommy, the flight instructor, suddenly gets an urgent look on his face as he shifts his focus to landing as soon as possible. He adjusts for final approach, and sets the small aircraft down, taxiing quickly to get off the runway. Propeller still on, the student releases the door handle as it rockets straight up like a gullwing Mercedes SLS. He violently upheaves his lunch; the fan blades from the propeller send a thick cloud of vomit hurtling to
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the rear of the plane. A bright orange streak is left spanning the entire length of the airplane. Although a minor setback at the time, James Rutledge-Gorman didn’t let a little bit of barf make him doubt for a minute that he was meant to fly. Rutledge-Gorman was like most boys his age. He loved everything mechanical; fire trucks, police cars, construction machines, and airplanes. But as he got older and his obsession with mechanical beasts slowly faded away, one thing stuck with him: his love of airplanes, and aviation in general. While most kids dreamt of being a superhero or a pro-athlete, James had a different plan. He knew from a young age that he wanted to be a pilot when he grew up because there was something that set airplanes apart from everything else in his life. “Well I mean… airplanes can fly!” Rutledge-Gorman said with a laugh, his face turning red and eyes crinkling. “But I do think it’s just amazing how
No. 4 something that weighs 800,000 pounds can go up in the air and fly.” The sheer speed, grace, and capabilities that a modern aircraft have are all major draws to flying for Rutledge-Gorman. The freedom and peaceful feeling of being alone high above the clouds, as well as the adrenaline and intensity that come with making a tough maneuver or a bad-weather landing are aspects not many other careers can provide. They keep him hooked on flying, and he has loved it for that reason for as long as he can remember. “When I was five, I always stopped and looked at the sky when a plane was heard overhead; this has continued for twelve years,” he said. While Rutledge-Gorman’s love of flight was very apparent to him since the beginning, it took more time for his parents to see his ambitions. For Catharine and Mark Rutledge-Gorman, the reality of his ambitions didn’t set in until a bit later in life. “The time for me when his passion for aviation was clear, was after he did his first discovery flight in seventh grade,” Catherine recalled. “We all trekked out to the Hillsboro airport, after James saved up his own money and did his own research. After he went up in the air and had landed, he was just so elated. He was beaming and it was just the craziest thing he’d ever done. Even though I was terrified of the possibilities of what could happen, you can’t deny your child that kind of pleasure. You can’t stop that. That’s when it occurred to me that this was a serious hobby.” Mark and Catherine try to be as supportive to
Rutledge-Gorman as possible. Mark bought him his first flight simulator software and joystick, years before he would sit in the real captain’s seat. “He was asking to fly something on the computer, so I finally decided to buy a flight simulator. He’s been using it for almost ten years now, and he’s added on more complex components ever since then,” Mark said. Rutledge-Gorman took his entry-level set-up and transformed it into the most realistic virtual cockpit possible. A main “yoke” which resembles a steering wheel with added ranges of motion to cover the needed movements of flying, has taken center stage. Next to the yoke are throttles, additional gauges, and more software-connected flight controls that only a pilot could interpret. They all connect to the computer monitor, which is his virtual window into the world of aviation. Each day, it becomes less of a computer game and more of a way to practice and learn new piloting skills that can be applied to real life. It’s a controlled environment for Rutledge-Gorman to practice his craft, and as he discovers the principles of flight on his computer, it only makes him crave a hands-on experience more. After doing several more “Discovery Flights”, Rutledge-Gorman knew it was time to take it to the next level. In high school, he began flight training to eventually get his pilot’s license. Rutledge-Gorman has always been self-motivated, and he takes each step with the confidence that he can handle whatever comes his way. “He’s very self-driven. That’s been clear since the
“When I was five, I always stopped and looked at the sky when a plane was heard overhead; this has continued for twelve years.”
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March 2014
View out of the window of the Cessna
start,” Catherine said. Besides supporting his ambitions to fly planes for a living, Catherine and Mark also took Rutledge-Gorman to see the Naval and Air Force academies in the summer between his sophomore and junior year. Although not a “typical” military family, Rutledge-Gorman looked into the military due to how accessible it made flying. These visits made him seriously consider a career in military aviation. He decided to apply to become an Air Force fighter pilot. “I thought that if I didn’t at least try, I’d wonder the rest of my life if I could’ve made it,” Rutledge-Gorman said. Even in one of the most competitive fields of aviation, Rutledge-Gorman’s confidence shines through. He researched the Air Force requirements and knows exactly what it takes to
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be a fighter pilot. “You have to be a hard worker and really driven,” he said. “They look for this ‘whole person’ concept, so if you’re a hard worker and interested in aviation, they like that. It’s just the place to be if you want to fly.” His parents continued to encourage and support him, even with his decision to go
into military aviation. After visiting the campus in Colorado Springs, there was no question that Rutledge-Gorman would be getting some of the best piloting and aeronautical training in the world. Flying aside, Catherine and Mark both were skeptical of the education he would be getting in more traditional subjects. “I was pleasantly surprised; I didn’t know anything about the Air Force Academy, but it’s good to know that you could go there and still major in English or history, all while learning about the military stuff too,” Catherine said. While Rutledge-Gorman knows how important a regular college degree is to obtain, he is also optimistic about the quality of the military side of the Air Force Academy too. “The Air Force still keeps you in a regular four year school, then most of the people go on
James (right) with his fflight instructor, Tommy (left).
No. 4 to do flight training after that in order to be a pilot. That’s a two year program,” Rutledge-Gorman said. But a career with so many hazards takes its toll on any family. Naturally, Mark and Catherine have some fears about Rutledge-Gorman’s decision to go into the Air Force. “We’ve had discussions and we think he understands the challenges and responsibilities if you are part of a military community,” Catherine said. “There are definitely risks to take, and we aren’t a typical military family. But if that’s really his passion, we don’t want to get in the way of that.”
Mark is also accepting of his son’s decisions and is convinced that James will be safe in the air. “Sometimes I’ll tell people I’m more comfortable when he’s flying than when he’s driving,” Mark said jokingly. “But there’s some truth to that.” While his parents are wary of the dangers, Rutledge-Gorman’s focus cannot be stronger as he continues to balance a life filled with school, soccer, track, a social life and flying. Most of his fears are not on flight itself, but getting into the academy. He is motivated and maintains his grades and reputation so he can get accepted into the Air Force. Although nothing is
guaranteed, Rutledge-Gorman is setting himself up for the best possible shot at flying. No obstacle has gotten in his way yet, and his confidence has shown he can take on anything. After all, not even a vomit-filled landing from hell could stop Rutledge-Gorman from achieving his dream of flying.
Perry Taylor Junior Photos contributed by James Rutledge-Gorman Thoughts? Tweet @WHSTrojanHorse
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March 2014
NUTRITION
Written by Ellen Berkley
lthy a e H t a E o T s n o s a Re Healthy Foods: Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats such as those found in nuts, avocados, olive oil and fish help regulate appetite.
RECOVER F ASTER FROM WORK OUTS
One of the first signs of Vitamin/Mineral deficiency, dehydration or a lack of healthy fats is skin problems. Good nutrition will help you eliminate acne, eczema, hives and other skin problems.
FOCUS
Good nutrition is essential for providing you with the energy you need for school, sports, other extracurricular activities and whatever else you need to do in the day.
Good nutrition improves your ability to focus and concentrate.
MANAGE YOUR WEIGHT
LEEP S E R O M T GE Many people who have trouble with insomnia aren't getting enough of the right minerals such as magnesium or the right amino acids such as tryptophan, (found in meats, fish, nuts, eggs, dairy and soy protein).
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This is one of the best reasons to eat healthy. It makes you feel great mentally and physically. Health is about being able to do the things you want to do as well as you want to do them.
LOOK BETTE R
Getting the right amino acids (meats, fish, nuts, eggs, dairy and soy protein) and vitamins (vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans) can shorten the recovery time between workouts letting you get more done.
GY HAVE ENER
FEEL BETTER
BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM If you aren't getting the vitamins, nutrients and minerals you need, then your immune system will not have the tools necessary to defend you from infections from fungus, bacteria or virus.
When you eat healthy foods, it is easier to feel full faster. In addition, you don't feel as hungry between meals.
“Eliminate things with white flour or refined wheat, they have high amounts of starch that the body just stores away and doesn't use.” “Instead eat more whole grains such as whole wheat (bread, etc.), brown rice, and oats, which provide energy over a longer period of time after you eat them.”
! T S A F K A E R B EAT
No. 4
You’ve heard it since grade school:
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!” However, with a busy school morning, it’s easy to skip breakfast. BUT eating a healthy breakfast can help you tremendously.
ES BETTER GRAD Research shows students who eat breakfast perform better academically. Scientists believe it may be because breakfast supplies essential nutrients to the nervous system to increase brainpower.
IMPROVED CONCENTRATION Studies suggest that eating a healthy breakfast improves brain function - particularly memory and recall. This is essential for absorbing new knowledge during the day to apply later for a big test.
HEALTHY WEIG HT You may think skipping breakfast is a good way to save on calories and lose weight, but actually the opposite is true. Also, those who eat breakfast tend to make healthier food choices throughout the day, which can positively impact weight and long-term health.
ENERGY Along with sleep and exercise, breakfast is one of the best ways to recharge. Create a breakfast using protein and carbohydrate combinations such as fruit and yogurt or whole-grain toast with nut butter. Breakfast is an ideal way to energize so you won’t fall asleep during class.
Student Facts On average how many days a week do you eat breakfast? Never/less than once a week 1-2 days a week 3-4 days a week 5-7 days a week
15% 13% 16% 56%
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*Percents are based on a random survey of 88 people
March 2014
and s t n e d u t s n o s il W ghts u o h t ir e h t e r a h s staff ! on a healthy diet Health teacher and coach Aaron Olsen’s Story My personal eating
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Student Facts On average how many days a week do you exercise? Never/less than once a week
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11% 17% 25% 47%
*Percents are based on a random survey of 88 people
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Student Facts To what degree do you think your eating habits impact your daily academic performance?
Not at all Just a little Significantly
23% 46% 31%
*Percents are based on a random survey of 88 people
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- Wells Bryant
y work at it with a good diet. s or genes, and others have to reall lism abo met d goo of n use beca do matic experience in wrestling whe in how some people look the way they but my sophomore year, I had a trau ht, weig er. e butt mak ut ys pean alwa and with lting anas a protein bar or ban I have to weigh in for pole-vau kout, I usually keep it light and have wor Pree. ther from ance orm ged perf chan my all it that I was over weight, and with two rest days, and notice ein shake. I workout 5 times a week After every third period I have a prot is better with a healthy diet. Photos by Ellen Berkley
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No. 4
Hannah Anderson’s Story
Hannah’s Green Smoothie Ingredients : Kale Spinach Ginger Jalapeño Parsley Cilantro Lime Pineapple Orange juic e
When I got a concussion, (sophomore year) I wasn’t eating healthy and was having problems with my mental health. My doctor said that if I changed my diet, I would feel better. Before, I wasn’t eating as many greens and ate more processed foods. When I made the switch to a healthy diet, it not only made me feel better and more energized, but it helped my family too, because it made them eat healthier. To start my day off, I drink a Green Smoothie and eat some nuts or trail mix. It helps me wake up and feel good throughout the day. For lunch, I usually have a salad, fruit and nuts, or depending on what we had for dinner the night before - leftovers. It helps a lot to have a nice container to bring to school. For dinner, a good vegetable stir fry, tofu noodles, grilled chicken or fish with quinoa and a salad.
’s Story Jessica O’Loughlin
March 3rd, 2014 marked the day of Jessica O’ Loughlin’s last Dr. Pepper of the school year, because track season had officially started. During track season, my eating habits completely change. I will eat a lot more salad, fruit and fish for natural energy. Also, I cut out Dr. Pepper and candy completely. It helps with losing weight and feeling more energized. For pole vaulting, I have to weigh in. I make weight and get in shape much easier than I would’ve been able to with my old diet. When I become dependent on caffeine, I get headaches when I’m not drinking it and get grumpy. When I get off of it completely, I can tell I have more natural energy and am more focused. Junk food is just instant gratification, but healthy food makes me feel better about myself overall. My problem has been laziness; eating unhealthy becomes a habit and a convenience thing. It is easier to open a wrapper or go to fast food than to cook a healthy meal, but I’m aware of how it affects me and how it is a bad decision to eat unhealthy.
STAY AWAY FROM SODA Excess sugar in your diet can contribute to tooth decay, weight gain and certain illnesses and diseases such as diabetes, acid-reflux and heart disease.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the maximum amount of added sugars you should eat in a day are: Men: 150 calories per day (37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons). Women: 100 calories per day (25 grams or 6 teaspoons).
Added sugar is the single worst ingredient in the modern diet. It provides calories with no added nutrients and can damage your metabolism in the long run.
Student Facts On average how many days a week do you drink soda? Never/less than once a week
Average 12-ounce soda contains: •150 calories •39 grams of added sugar per serving = 10 teaspoons of sugar.
1-2 days a week 3-4 days a week 5-7 days a week
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60% 20% 5% 15%
*Percents are based on a random survey of 88 people
March 2014
TWO HEADSTRONG SIBLINGS FROM KHAZAKHSTAN TAKE AMERICA BY STORM
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A WORLD AWAY
No. 4 “As orphans in Almaty, Kazakhstan, we had no idea what to expect when we came to America, but we had to hope that our lives would get much better,” Chris Nussbaum said about his sister Alina and himself. Finding their place in this land of opportunity would not be easy, but if you were as headstrong as these two siblings, anything would be possible. Chris and Alina aren’t biological siblings, but they were raised in the same orphanage and eventually adopted into the same family. Although they stepped off the plane onto American soil at different times, Chris one year earlier than Alina, both were awestruck by what they saw. The U.S. was a world unlike the one they had known. Back in Almati, Kazakhstan, Chris and Alina lived an extremely different life. “We wore clothes that did not fit and had virtually no protein woven into our diet: a piece of bread with butter for breakfast, no lunch, and a vegetable broth soup for dinner with milk,” Chris said. “The 120 degree heat in the summer was unbearable, while in the winter it was snowing and freezing temperatures.” Ever since the moment they
first exchanged glances with each other in Orphanage Three, Chris and Alina knew that despite their loneliness and desperation, they could seek help and guidance through each other. Challenge was an everyday part of their lives in Kazakhstan. “Since we were so young, we didn’t know what to be-
the best of friends, sharing any common resources they had with each other that the others did not, such as books, clothing, toys, or any extra food. All they had was each another. “When I first came to Kazakhstan, I had adopted Chris and briefly met with Alina,” Kailyn Nussbaum, adoptive mother of Chris and Alina said. “A year later, I came back for Alina, reuniting them once more. During the time I was there, I could easily make out that they were extremely malnourished by the color of their skin and the little amount of fat on their bones. When they were together, it was immediately apparent that Chris was the brother Alina never had, and Alina was the sister that was never there in Chris’s life. There was no way I could separate this relationship.” Holidays such as Christmas and Halloween were not celebrated in the orphanage. “We didn’t taste our first piece of candy until we were 8 years old. Unbelievable, right?” Alina said. “When I first fed them salad, they didn’t know what to expect,” Kailyn said. “They pointed to the trees outside, and after a few moments I realized that they thought they were eating
“We wore clothes that did not fit and had virtually no protein woven into our diet.” lieve; many times we heard of serious crimes and assaults in Orphanages 14, 15, and16. This made us want to stay as far away as possible from these boys. We just wanted to feel safe,” Chris said. If the teenagers in Orphanage 16 (generally the 17 year olds going on 18) were not adopted by their 18th birthday, there was no other option but for the orphanage to kick them out onto the street. By this age, they were considered adults and expected to support themselves. With this in mind, Chris and Alina became
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March 2014 Organization track team, Chris leaves from the trees and I just began to achieve greatness. In laughed.” his 2010 CYO track season, he When Chris and Alina left set record times in the 3000 the somewhat cramped ormeter race across the Portland phanage, they would never area. By the end of the season, look back. Being exposed to he qualified for the Meet of the complexity of life outside of Champions, where he raced a medium sized stone building against elite runners today such and a deteriorating playground as Logan Phillips. Out of the was a crucial change for them. hundreds of outstanding 7th Beginning their educational career at Elizabeth Hayhurst Elementary School as 2nd graders, Chris and Alina were ambitious, but struggled with the language barrier. “We could not speak English at all which made it very difficult for us to fit in and make friends, but eventually we were exposed to English for Chris with his cross country teammates at a meet. long enough that and 8th graders, Chris placed we could communicate and 7th with a time of 10:30, surplay games with the other kids,” prising not only his mother, but Chris said. his coaches as well. As an 8th “There were tears a lot of the grader in the same race the time,” Kailyn said. next year, Chris placed 4th (3k: “We knew no one, just each 10:15) and immediately knew other, but we eventually made he had found his passion. friends and found our place,” Not only did he express Alina said. his leadership on the track by “Chris wanted to do everyrunning outstanding races and thing,” Kailyn said, “...and by supporting each and every one everything, I mean everything!” of his teammates, but he also Being part of the Boy Scout served as a leader in his Boy organization, and in 7th grade Scout troop. Moving up through running on the Christian Youth
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the ranks of Boy Scouts, Chris is currently a Star. He is just three ranks before achieving his ultimate goal of becoming an Eagle Scout. Eventually, he hopes to attend a four year college with a strong running program, and strives to become a meteorologist. “I take nothing for granted because I know not everyone gets these opportunities,” Chris said. “I feel like I have something to prove.” Meanwhile, Alina has also been eager to get involed in the new things that the United States has exposed her to. “At a young age, I played volleyball,” Alina said. “I wasn’t the best on my team, it was more of a way for me to meet new people and establish friendships. That’s what mattered the most; and having fun!” Sports helped Alina find her place among her peers despite having come from another country. “Soon, I was a student with other students, and an athlete with athletes. I finally found my place.” Unlike Chris, Alina did not recognize running as her passion at first. Basketball initially took that place in her heart. She played on the freshmen team
No. 4 and occasionally swung up to JV. As she would dribble up the court, juking every player that stood in her way, she would lay the ball up off the backboard swiftly and the crowd would go wild. Her talent in basketball carried over to soccer as well, and she was scoring goals left and right throughout the season. As Chris and Alina opened the doors of Wilson High School and freshman year began, they soon became familiar with cross country. As a freshman, graduated senior James Markin and junior Jack Howard noticed Chris’ potential and urged him to run for Wilson. That year, Chris made the third spot of seven on varsity. “After my first run with varsity and the rest of the team, I could tell that cross country was the sport for me. Everyone was so nice and accepting,” Chris said. Role models in his life, such as his mother, Coach Thor Esbensen and Coach Aaron Olson, have also given him the support and advice he needs to succeed not only in cross country, but academically as well. As sophomore year started, Chris set a goal to break 16:00 minutes running a 5k. Chris is slowly, but surely, closing in on
his goal, hoping to obtain this achievement by next year. It was Chris who inspired his sister to leave soccer behind sophomore year and run cross country. Little did she know, she would make varsity as well. “At first, I was nervous about joining cross country,” Alina said. “But then, Chris told me about the spaghetti feeds and how much of a team atmosphere cross country was and I was
her improve during the season including Sydney Brieher, Olivia Stein and her fellow varsity runners. “These women are not only my teammates and friends, but my competitors. I can use them to better myself and spread knowledge that I have learned from them to others,” Alina said. “It is unbelievable that in my first year of cross country I was able to go to state with them.” Coming to the United States from Kazakhstan was a drastic change for Chris and Alina. They were given the opportunity of a lifetime and did not look back. Coming together to take advantage of all the amazing opportunities that living in a house and being part of a family in America have to offer, these sophomores still have much more to experience. “After all that we’ve gone through, we have kept our relationship strong,” Chris said. “I truly believe that that is what has gotten us this far.”
“Soon, I was a student with other students, and an athlete with athletes. I finally found my place.” thoroughly convinced. This just made me enjoy running even more.” Making the seven girl varsity squad was obviously a surprise. Chris was her biggest supporter. “It was an amazing thing to see my sister have that look of confidence in her eyes as she passed every girl in sight, finishing in the top ten of almost every race in her first season of cross country and first time running ever,” Chris said. Like many other athletes, Alina has several people that help
Ian Morgan Sophomore Photos by Ian Morgan and Nick Slenning Thoughts? Tweet @WHSTrojanHorse
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SLEIGHT OF HAND THE MAN BEHIND THE MAGIC
If you ever find yourself casually doing your homework in the hallways at Wilson High School on a sunny Thursday during tutor time and and a tall brown-haired senior comes up to you sporting a Cardinals baseball cap with Oakley’s carefully balanced on top, offering to show you a card trick, do not, no matter what your initial reaction, tell him to go away. This guy could be Jonah Harris. Harris is not a regular high school senior. At an early age, he mastered the art of tricking people. When he was younger, he would frame his siblings for things. He would place his parents’ keys in their pockets to get them in trouble. “They catch on pretty quickly now,” Harris said. “They’re pretty mischievous too.” Harris said he enjoys seeing the dumbfounded awe that overcame people’s faces after being fooled. “I like making other people look stupid,” Harris said. Harris recalls seeing his first card trick performed by his dad on an airplane at the age of 6. Harris described his dad as being good at this one trick and using it to impress his mom. Harris calls this his “go-to card trick”. The trick involved him placing a card in your hand, and somehow changing the card you are holding without touching your hand. In his childhood, Harris dabbled in the idea of deception; he lost interest in it between the ages of 7 to 16, and then turned it into an obsession during his junior
year. Despite Harris’s fathers’ use of card tricks to impress his mom, Harris says on the topic of impressing girls, “For me that’s not the point of magic. If I were in college, that would be a different story,” Harris said joking. “My inspiration comes from where all magician’s inspiration comes from. They watch a trick, they’re amazed by it, and they think ‘I want to know how to do that.’” He went on to say that some people might not even want to perform magic tricks; they just want to understand how they are done. He said that magicians often want to recreate the same feeling of awe in other people that they experienced while watching a trick being performed. Harris is primarily inspired by David Blaine, whom he first saw on a TV special, as opposed to other highly popularized magicians like Criss Angel, who Harris deems as “overly theatrical”. He is moved by the power of making magic look natural. For him, it would be a lot more fascinating if someone sat down at a dinner table and made a fork levitate, as opposed to a magician sitting down with a felt pad to do a bunch of intricate magic moves. “When you are not expecting to be fooled and then you are, that’s where you get your best reactions,” Harris said. Although Harris is able to get good reactions from many people,
“When you are not expecting to be fooled and then you are, that’s where you get your best reactions.”
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March 2014 one victim of Harris’s card tricks no longer gives the standard reaction. Nicola Bachman, Harris’s girlfriend of two years has seen so many card tricks that at this point she is learning magic herself. “I’ve seen so many magic tricks at this point, that I have begun to rate them,” Bachman said. She said that she sees an average of two to three magic tricks per day. Nicola says that she can get tired of so many card tricks, but admits she has started to get more involved and even learn a couple of tricks of her own. She said that Harris used to show her card trick after card trick, but that now he has gotten better and keeps it to 1 or 2 each time they see each other. “I appreciate [card tricks], but he never gets them wrong; he always gets them spot on so it’s like ‘yeah you got my card, but I was expecting
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you to get it’, whereas other people who have never seen them might be more impressed,” Bachman said. Bachman did admit though, that Harris is unlucky in front of her parents and frequently messes up his card tricks. Harris’s aptitude for magic is not limited to just card tricks. He is also a self-professed mind reader. He uses the opportunistic magic theory to try and guess what people are thinking. “There are people who are very malleable and whose minds are easy to read,” Harris said. However, in most cases, other techniques need to be used in order to read people’s minds. The opportunistic magic theory involves the magician guessing until he gets a positive reaction. Once he gets that reaction, he follows that idea and if he guesses right, then the individual is usually blown away even though he probes into ideas that could most likely be a generalization of what many people are often feeling. For example, Harris could ask, “you are at a crossroads in your life right now,” or “think of a number between ten and twenty” and if Harris guesses correctly, he said that people are generally blown away, even though it was simply a matter of guessing. Although everyone is usually impressed, Harris says, “I get more awe from female spectators and more anger from male spectators”. Although Harris does have many friends at Wilson High School, he admits that he normally does not associate himself with other magicians. “It’s hard to be buddy-buddy with magicians because they are very bad at the whole trust thing.” Harris does not consider being around other magicians as his “comfortable environment.” “Imagine a room full of twenty socially awkward people who obsessively manipulate cards in
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their free time. Can you imagine how magicians wouldn’t get along too well?” he said. One exception is Henry Maher, who Harris met in Spanish class during his junior year. Henry Maher is a junior at Wilson High School. “I gotta hand it to him, he is very good with a deck of cards. There are plenty of things that he can do that I can’t,” Harris said. “He’s my little prodigy, I taught him everything he knows.” Harris explains that despite both of their obsessions with cards, they have distinct ways of using them. While Harris focuses on the performing aspect of cards, Maher uses his talent to cheat in poker. “He’s also a lot less socially awkward than I am,” Harris said. Harris says that an individual does not necessarily have to be extremely intelligent to catch a magic trick. “Magic is the great equalizer, in that
everybody is looking at the same thing. However, some people might be looking in the right place at the right time, but those people might not necessarily be the smart people. It’s usually the people that were looking at the right place by accident.” Harris said that magic is, in most cases, averting the eyes of the viewers from what you don’t want them to see, and in that time that you are distracting them, doing the trick. “There is a lot of psychology in magic,” Harris said. Some of the more complex card tricks can be difficult to perform. “There are a lot of routines that involve meticulous planning.” Harris said. Often times, Harris will plan his tricks during his class periods, and then perform them for the students in his class. Some of the card tricks need to be planned, but Harris can also perform card tricks on the fly. Harris told Bethan Harper who had been sitting on her living room couch to yell out a random card, “the three of hearts” she said. The next minute, Harris told her that the card would magically appear under her rear end. Harper, as well as Harris had been seated the whole time, everyone was shocked after Bethan stood up and saw the three of hearts on the chair. “How did you do that,” she said. “The card jumped,” he said. While this situation led us to question many things, one thing was running through everyone’s minds, Jonah Harris is the opposite of ordinary.
Ellie Harper Senior Photos by Ellie Harper Thoughts? Tweet @WHSTrojanHorse
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“THAT’S ‘MR. DAD’ TO YOU!” THE TRICK TO TEACHING YOUR OWN CHILDREN
Rod Maack’s first period of the day is spent planning. He keeps his door open so students can come in and ask him questions while he prepares for the next three classes he’ll have that day. As he riffles through papers and lesson plans, he hears a pair of footsteps and looks up to see a freshman walk through his door and sit in a chair near the teacher’s desk. “Good morning, Jesse,” he says to his son. This is Jesse’s first year at Wilson, but both father and son have already formed a comfortable routine. Though Jesse and his father carpool, their interactions beyond the car ride are minimal. “Sometimes I have to drop him off at a different entrance before I go through the front entrance,” Maack admits. He can sympathize. His own mother taught at the school he attended. “He’s got the family curse!” In the classroom, familial relationships fall away to make room for a professional relationship.
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Teachers must adhere to certain rules with their students regardless of who they are, and it applies to their children as well. All relationships with students must be professional and appropriate, and these rules roll over into any classroom setting they share with their children. “If I had a class with him, I’d keep things within the teacher boundaries,” Maack said. Although his son uses Maack’s room to catch up on homework in the morning, it’s really no different treatment than he’d give to his other students. The moments of interaction between Maack and his son are kept to the minimal exchanges any teacher would have with their students: a smile, a nod, and eventually a goodbye as they go on their way. Maack learned this level of detachment from his mother. “She called my brother ‘honey’ one day and she never heard the end of it.” Across the school, in the main office, is another
No. 4 parent of a Wilson student: vice principal Maude Lamont. Lamont and her daughter, junior Lauren Lamont, have had no trouble going to the same school. The Lamonts have a good system where Lauren can go see her mother after school if she needs to tell her about plans or arrange carpooling. For Lauren, it was always a dream of hers to go to school with her mother. “I’ve sort of been counting down the years,” Lauren said. Lauren’s mother started working for Wilson when Lauren was six and she had always been excited about going to work with her mom. Lauren admits there are some perks. “Sometimes when I’m missing some things [homework or other school obligations], it’s easy for her to look it up.” And because Lamont has been working at Wilson for so long, Lauren has already had the chance to build memories and relationships with some of her teachers. “The teachers knew me growing up. Mateo and Penk have known me since I was little. They grew up with me and know how I learn.” Since Lauren has dyslexia and ADD, having teachers who understand how best to help her learn truly makes a difference. Where some might see drawbacks to having this relationship, Lamont sees no problem with her daughter going to the same school that she does. “The decision was very simple, this is Lauren’s neighborhood school,” she said. For both Maack and Lamont, the choice to have their children go to Wilson was an obvious one. The process of paperwork to transfer their students outside of their neighborhood school seemed like a waste of time when they could
easily manage working in the same building. Lauren never bothered to consider going to another school. “I think I would’ve felt a lot more lost if I had started at Lincoln or Grant.,” she said. “I would’ve started out a lot quieter.” George Penk is yet another teacher who has had the unique experience of teaching his own child. Remembering back to when his son Gabe, class of 2012, was in his class, Penk said, “It was very playful; he knew my humor and I knew his.” Gabe took his father’s Advanced Chemistry class during his senior year, arriving tardy on the first day as a joke that paved the way for the rest of the year. Father and son would poke fun and tease back and forth for the whole year. Penk also relied on his son for feedback on his teaching. Penk’s other son, Morgan, is currently a freshman at Wilson. At the moment the idea of taking his father’s class seems very far away, but Morgan thinks it would be a nice experience. He worries what would happen if he got bad grades, though, saying that if he was “doing really bad, and not enjoying it, it wouldn’t be as fun.” Fortunately, Gabe excelled in his father’s class, relieving his father of the responsibility of giving his son a poor grade. However, Penk is not sure what he would do if either of his sons did receive a poor grade. “If it was on the edge, I’d have to make that hard decision,” Penk said, saying his professional side would take priority in the classroom. “At the high school level the ramifications of a low grade aren’t what people think they might be.” Though for the most part things go pretty smoothly for the teachers and their children,
“If [my son’s grade] was on the edge, I’d have to make that hard decision.”
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March 2014 problems do sometimes arise for both sides of the family. For Lamont, it was making the decision to not let it create a bias in her work. “I made sure not to evaluate any teachers that teach her,” she said. She made this choice when Lauren was a freshman, but since then has not felt the need to exclude Lauren’s teachers from her evaluations, trusting her coworkers and her own judgment. Other students have made their concerns known with Lauren, asking, “Why do you even go here?” or trying to express their displeasure that she’s the vice principal’s daughter; they believe that a student with a parent as faculty has an unfair advantage. Lauren, however, doesn’t see it this way. “My mom helped out with my schedule last year, making sure I had good teachers and the classes I wanted, but other than that, I don’t really get any special treatment.” In fact, being the daughter of the vice principal comes with it’s own set of worries, but not entirely from where you’d expect them. “In my own mind, yes, there is [academic] pressure, but from teachers and students there isn’t any. There’s a saying that comes to mind, ‘The cobbler’s son has no shoes’ and we joke because I’m so bad at English and my mom was an English teacher before becoming a vice principal. So some pressure is there, but only with academics.” In addition to academic pressure, Lauren also has to deal with the social pressure of having a mother in a position of authority. While many kids will talk to their parents about crazy things their peers do, Lauren walks a constant line between casual conversation and possible incrimination when talking to her mom. “When I tell my mom
things that happen at school, I tell her as a daughter, not as a student,” she said. This distinction is important to her because she rarely tells her mother things in the hopes of her taking action. “I tell her the big stuff, like if I smell pot in a locker or see a kid who’s obviously high at school, but I don’t tell her the little things, like if I think someone might have cheated on a test or something.” Because of the power her mom has, it might seem like Lauren’s friends would be scared to confide in her, but while they’ll occasionally preface things with, “Okay, don’t tell your mom, but—“, Lauren prides herself in being a trustworthy friend. Some things, however, have been hard to keep quiet. “I had a friend who was being abused, and that was really difficult,” she said. Anyone in that situation would have a difficult choice to make, regardless of their parent’s occupation. Despite the possible tension of spending most of the day in the same building, these families have normal home lives. In Lauren’s case, she usually arrives home at around 1 while her mother will get home as late as 9 or 10. “When we get to talk, it’s great. I tell her about my day when I get the chance late at night,” Lauren says. She mentions that occasionally they talk about obnoxious students or teachers, adding that sometimes teachers act more like the students they teach. “There’s not a lot of mingling, but when we do have the chance, it’s fun and good times are shared.” They’ll even joke about the things Lauren hears students say about her mom. “I remember when I was an eighth grader and I’d hang out at Wilson with my mom,” Lauren said, smiling at the memory.
“I don’t want my son to keep secrets from me, but he needs to be aware that I’m his father, yes, but I’m also a teacher.”
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Vice principal Maude Lamont with her daughter, Lauren.
“It was freshmen registration and I heard these guys talking, saying, ‘I’ve heard Lamont is the worst. She’s a bitch.’ I just turned around and was like, ‘She’s my mom.’” Lamont takes the nasty things Lauren hears in stride, though, and her daughter says that she even takes pride in them, seeing them as a sign that she’s doing her job right. Penk, on the other hand, recalls the friendly relationships he had with Gabe’s friends. He remembers them coming over to the house and then later seeing them in the hall, greeting them with a casual wave and smile. These friends were considered more like family than students, and some even helped propel the playful atmosphere of the classroom. While most parents can be resentful towards their child’s teachers, Maack has no reservations about teasing his coworkers about his son’s grades in their classes. “I went in to give Ms. Walker some grief because Jesse had an 89.8%,
just jokingly though.” Maack also recognizes the obvious discretion issues between students and teachers. “When he talks about students doing things, he understands that I don’t want to hear about it,” Maack said. “I don’t want my son to keep secrets from me, but he needs to be aware that I’m his father, yes, but I’m also a teacher.” While most students would cringe at the thought of going to school with their parent, relishing in the seven hours of freedom the education system grants them each day, for students like Lauren, Morgan, and Jesse, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
Vincent Hand Senior Photos by Erica Keaveney Thoughts? Tweet @WHSTrojanHorse
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@WHSTrojanHorse Front cover: Jonah Harris, master magician. Back cover: James Rutledge-Gorman’s fflight instructor, Tommy, taking a picture of Mt. Hood. Photos contributed by James Rutledge-Gorman and Ellie Harper
back cover
LEGAL Local Civil Rights inquiries Brian Chatard, Title VI, IX Coordinator (503) 916-5280 Maude Lamont, 504 Coordinator (503) 916-5280 District Title vi, ix, & 504 inquiries Carolyn Leonard, Compliance (503) 916-5280 Room 227 - BESC American Disabilities Act Contact
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Maureen Sloan, HR Legal Counsel (503) 916-3025 Human Resources - BESC