Clypian South Salem High School - 1910 Church St. SE Salem, OR 97302 Friday, March 15 2019 - Volume LXV, Issue VI Clypian.com
Photo by Jasmine Chitwood
Table of Contents Page 3: News
3 Saxon Speech and Debate Members Qualify for State
IB Art Show on March 19-22
4 Oregon Congressional Session Introduces Youth
Page 5: Opinion
Focused Bills
5 Why Financial Applications Classes Should be Taught in Schools
6 The Risk of the Anti-Vaccination Movement Should Schools Have Fees?
Page 7: Feature
7 Saxon Theater Performs Dark Comedy: Reckless 8 Anti-Animal Cruelty Club Makes its Debut 9 Former Principal Dan Johnson Looks Back on Time at South
Page 10: Sports
10 Boys Basketball Takes Home 5th Place Trophy at State
Girls Basketball Wins Mountain Valley Conference
11 Unified P.E. A Personal Perspective 2017-2018 Clypian Staff: Editor-in-Chiefs: Samantha Riesterer and Mackenzie Rolf/News Editor: Eddy Binford-Ross/Feature Editor: Kaia Alexander/Opinion Editor: Amelia Smith/Sports Editors: Chandler Walker and Hilary James/Copy Editor: Katy Morris/Web Masters: Emma Langford, Samantha Lolley/Fusfoo: Toni Connor/Social Media Editors: Lauren Smith, Katy Collatt, Marissa Terwilliger, Chloe Powell, and Halley Barram/Saxon Radio One Podcasters: Frog Ortiz, Alena Thomas, Scarlett Loney, Rachel Burbank, Keano Nevarez, Sean Alvarado, and Danny Alvarado/Graphic Designer: Sophie Crismon/Photo Editor: Jasmine Chitwood and India Hartle/Reporters: Laisha Archila-Lopez, Sonia Boeger, Henry Hamilton, Jack Malloy, Diane Sandoval Flores, Santiago Blanco-Mills, Claire Graham, Kelsie Parker, Ashley Perkins, Isaiah Rodriguez, Jasmine Zavala/Adviser: Brian Eriksen
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March 15
News 3
Saxon Speech and IB Art Show on Debate Members Qualify March 19-22 for State
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Samantha Riesterer/Editor-in-Chief Eddy Binford-Ross/News Editor
outh’s Speech and Debate team competed at districts on March 8 and had three members qualify for State. Enrique Flores ‘19 and Luke Suh ‘20 qualified in the category of parliamentary debate and Angelique Prater ‘20 in extemporaneous speaking, and will compete at State in April. Districts is a speech and debate competition between all of the Salem-Keizer schools. Depending on the category, members competed as teams or individuals against as many as nine other students or five other teams. From each category, only two teams or individuals could qualify for State. “I think our team went to the District competition and did the best we possibly could, and I’m extremely proud of everyone who showed up to compete,” Flores, president of the speech and debate team, said. There are 18 categories of either Speech or Debate that members can compete in. South competed in four categories at districts including oratory speech, impromptu speaking, extemporaneous speaking, and parliamentary debate. Speech events consist of one person presenting on a topic, while debate events
Photo courtesy of Rob Wood
include two or more people arguing with facts and research. As a team, Flores and Suh placed first in their category and Prater placed second as an individual. Sreyes Susarla ‘21, Grace Borden ‘21 and Emily Hargis ‘21 received certificates in their categories, but did not qualify for state. South’s team, now at 15 members, has grown greatly in size since last year, when it had roughly six members. The team is advised by Rob Wood and they meet twice a week. “We’re very diverse. We all have different things to offer and it really differentiates us from the competition,” Emilie Chau ‘21 said, about the strengths of the team. Last year, South did not send any members of the debate team to State. The highest placing team South had at districts last year was Everett Gutterman-Johns ‘21 and Emily Hargis ‘21, who placed third in parliamentary debate. Speech and debate helps students improve their critical thinking, communication, persuasion and organization. It also gives students the opportunity to receive constructive criticism on their performance from judges.
Amelia Smith/Opinion Editor
Every spring the IB Visual Arts class holds an art show to showcase the artwork that they have been working on all year. This year the art show will occur from March 19 to March 22. The reception will happen from 4 to 6 p.m., on March 19. “I have to create at least eight pieces, eight to twelve. The SL students are creating at least, I think, four,” said Joleigh Miller ‘19, a HL IB Visual Art student. The students’ art will be displayed around the little theater, the little theater lobby and the art hallway. All 56 of the IB visual art students will have art featured in the show. “I think I really just like hanging it. I love the creative process and making my art, but when it comes to finally putting it all together and just being done and seeing the finished product, it’s very relaxing,” Miller said, when asked what her favorite part of the IB art show is.
March 15
4News
Oregon Congressional Session Introduces Youth Focused Bills Santiago Blanco-Mills/ Reporter
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he beginning of the 2019 Oregon congressional session brings a few thousand potential bills. Some of the bills getting the most attention include Senate Joint Resolution 22, which suggests changing the voting age to 16, Senate Bill 160, which would make public institutions give credits to International Baccalaureate students, and Senate Bill 3, which would allow Oregon community colleges to offer 4 year degrees. Senate joint resolution 22 has been headlining the news as of late. Proposed by district 24 Representative Shemia Fagan, the bill would lower the Oregon voting age from 18 down to 16. This would allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in local, state and federal elections. “After the Parkland Florida shooting happened, so many people were blown away by the informed and articulate advocacy of the Parkland students [. . . ]on gun safety, in a way that many voting age adults had not been. So it started to come up when I was out canvassing from other adults, voting age adults, saying ‘Gosh why aren’t these students able to vote, they’re clearly passionate and showing their lives are affected’ [. . .] So I started to ask people ‘Hey what would you think about if we lowered the voting age in Oregon?’” Fagan said. Not everyone agrees that 16-year-olds should be voting. In a recent poll from the Atlantic, only 16% of polled adults were in favor of lowering the voting age. Many people are concerned that 16-year-olds are not responsible enough to vote. “18 to 24 year olds are statistically the worst voting group in america, they voted at a rate of under 30 percent. My guess is that 16 year olds probably would not vote very well,” Joshua Kerr, a teacher at South, said. Fagan understands that there are many criticisms against teens voting. In order to combat these she will be reaching out to all the high schools in Oregon. Fagan is asking high school students to submit Instagram stories to discard these criticisms. “Starting on March 20, we are gonna put out the most common criticisms of the idea of lowering the voting age. Things like, people can’t smoke or drink until they’re 21, their brains aren’t developed, kids only eat Tide Pods,” Fagan said. “The point I’ve made to so many people is, I can tell how impressive these 16 and 17 year olds are, but it’s actually the most persuasive when you hear from them because they’re so articulate and informed and thoughtful in their opinions.”
There will be a hearing regarding the bill March 27 at the Oregon State Capitol. Earlier that day, Fagan is holding a rally in support of the bill. Senate Bill 160 would greatly benefit students within the IB program at South. The bill would make public Oregon colleges give college credit to students who receive a grade of 4 or higher on their IB exam. ”It’d be good, it would lower tuition for them and help them with their financial costs,” Kerr said. Currently, a handful of Oregon colleges do give credit for an exam score of 5 or higher. Oregon State University is one of the only Oregon public colleges that gives credit for IB exams. However, this bill would standardize credits given and the requirements for those credits across all public higher education institutions in Oregon. Senate Bill 3 is another bill involving Oregon colleges, specifically Oregon community colleges. The bill would allow Oregon community colleges to offer 4 year, baccalaureate degree programs. These 4 year degrees are not currently offered, with few exceptions. The bill was introduced specifically for applied degrees, such as nursing or dental hygiene. The idea behind this bill is to make getting a bachelor’s degree easier and more affordable for Oregon students. “I think it’s a great idea to not make people uproot themselves and change their living situation, their daycare situation, their school location just to finish an applied degree. So I think it’s a great way to make a career path more affordable for everybody,” Representative Fagan, who is also supporting Bill 3, said. Bill 3 has already passed the Senate and has been recommended to the House. If it is passed there it will need Governor Kate Brown’s signature and will appear on Oregon ballots in the next general election.
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Opinion 5
Why Financial Applications Classes Should be Taught in Schools Claire Graham/Reporter
Photo By the IRS, Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
In the 1,000 hours of school students attend per year, it seems natural that American students would graduate more than prepared for the rest of their life. That just is not the case, however, according to a Champlain College study. The study revealed that the majority of high school students lack financial proficiency in 27 states. According to the Washington Post, 16 percent of young people voted in 2014. It is no surprise millenials are enrolling in so-called “adulting classes” in troves. While schools in the US are successful in creating a skilled workforce, they fail to teach students basic life skills, assuming parents will take over that position. Not every student has this luxury, however, yet we are sending them into life without the tools they need to survive. It is hard to deny there is a problem when a massive portion of seniors have no idea how to file taxes or what a credit score is. 70 percent of Americans failed a basic financial literacy test from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Many students, especially those in low-income households, are forced to get a job at 16-years-old or right after graduation. Finance education is not always offered in Oregon schools, and rarely mandatory. This often leads to accumulation of debt, incomplete taxes, and trouble paying for basic necessities like housing and transportation. Thankfully, select schools, South included, are beginning to offer certain financial classes, such as Advanced Algebra with Financial Applications. Matt Smith, South’s financial algebra instructor, said he was motivated to teach the class because of the lack of access to finance education for young people. Smith said former students visit him daily, thanking him for the valuable instruction. He asserts a need for required finance classes in all high schools as well. “It covers taxes, budgeting, auto loans, mortgages… I would advise everyone to take it, it’s a very beneficial class,”
said financial algebra student Ariana Riley ‘19. “If I didn’t take [financial algebra], I would be lost. I hope it encourages more real-life classes, like current events.” Not every school is fortunate enough to offer financial courses, but those that do make a world of difference in students lives. Educated investors and tax payers means a thriving economy, lower unemployment and poverty, and future generations proficient in finance ready to continue the cycle. Not every student has access to financial classes, and its toll is clear from graduation. Contact your representatives today and tell them to invest in our futures.
6 Opinion
The Risk of the Anti-Vaccination Movement
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Alisa Doughtery/Reporter
he Measles outbreak in Washington has raised a lot of controversy about the need for vaccinations. Like any medicine, all vaccinations come with their own risks. However, the risks from not getting vaccinated are greater than the threat of getting minor side effects from a vaccination. Parents refusing vaccinations for their children is becoming more common and has raised more and more concern following the measles outbreak in Washington. More recently, there have been a few cases discovered in Oregon. Parents that refuse to vaccinate their kids are mainly concerned about the safety of their child. They are worried about what they are putting in their kid’s bodies at such young age. A lot of the parents believe that letting their kids gain a natural immunity is better than them getting vaccines. They think the possibility of their child getting the disease is very small and it will be better for them in the long run. “I feel immunizations are very important in the sense that it helps prevent the spread of diseases that are preventable,”Dr. Jennifer Brown said. By not vaccinating their kids, these parents are putting their kids’ lives at risk as well as all the people around them who are unable to recieve vaccines for medical reasons.
March 15
Right now in Oregon, students are required to have their vaccinations to attend school, unless they have a medical or non-medical exemption. Exemptions are available for people who cannot get vaccinations because they have a medical condition that prevents them from being able to get them. Non-medical exemptions are there mostly for religious reasons. You can also claim non-medical exemptions for personal reasons. “Yes, I think they should ban non medical exemptions because there is no other reason to not get vaccinated unless it is medical,” Sreyas Susarla ‘21 said. Some Oregon lawmakers are pushing to ban non-medical exemptions in an attempt to prevent measles from spreading.
Graphic by Mackenzie Rolf
Should Schools Have Fees?
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Isaiah Rodriguez/Reporter
ith the growing amount of private schools, the class divide is bigger than ever with private schools serving ten percent of all students, and making up twenty-five percent of all schools in the US according to the Council for American Private Education. The divide is not only between public and private, but from district to district, and school to school. On a more local level, the divide between schools is omnipresent, with schools like West receiving more funding than schools like North. This is due to the way schools are funded in Oregon by not only receiving federal funding but local funding through property taxes, which creates inequality in funding when property taxes in West Salem are significantly higher than those in North and the Mckay area. “Everyone should have an equal right [to education} and furthermore, an equal opportunity. That can be done through equity, so when there are students who don’t have the means to achieve an opportunity, whether that
be through financial needs or whatever, the administration at the school should be advocating for these students and giving them the resources necessary to have that opportunity.” Angelique Prater ‘20, Co-President of the Progressive Activism Club, said. Although the way these schools are funded is equal, equality is not always the best solution when there are options like equity. Students have all been taught that equality is about fairness and on some level that is true, but it can only work if everyone starts from the same place, and this just is not the case. Equity, on the other hand, seeks to level the playing field by actively moving everyone to success. “I do believe that at South, we strive to be accessible to students/families who struggle financially. With our free/ reduced lunch program, our food pantry and our clothes closet, we aim to serve students and families who struggle financially,” Prater said.
March 15
Feature 7
Saxon Theater Performs Dark Comedy: Reckless Sonia Boeger/Reporter
Photo by Sonia Boeger
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eckless by Craig Lucas is a unique and hilarious dark comedy that is put on by a seven person cast with performances on March 7, 8, 15 and 16 at 7 p.m. and March 16 at 2 p.m. in the Rose Auditorium. It is student directed by Hunter Miller ’21 and Yanna Bute ’19. There is a PG-13 rating for mild language, violence, and mature themes. Tickets are $8 for students and seniors and $10 for adults. The play takes place on Christmas Eve when the main character Rachel is panicking because her husband Tom has hired a professional assassin to murder her. She runs away and gets help from a stranger and his wife. All the characters seem to be living a double life and have dark secrets. The cast has been hard at work at rehearsals since early January. At the start of rehearsals, they often warm-up with various theater games. Brian Tackman ’22, who plays the roles of Tom and Timko, came up with an interesting game to play during rehearsal. “I introduced the cast to a new game we played called Whisky Mixers, and almost everyone was messing up and hardly anybody could get it right,” Tackman said. “Eventually, we’ve all got it down, but it’s so funny when someone walks in and sees us speaking kind of a foreign language made out of tongue-twisters.” Hallah Herb ’20 enjoys playing the extroverted protagonist Rachel, who is very different from her usual quiet self. She decided to audition, after reading the play over her summer break. “My favorite scene is probably the game-show scene,” Herb said. “There is a scene where all of the characters go on this game show called Your Mother or Your Wife, and compete while pretending to be each other’s mother, wife, etc. It
is a really weird and bizarre, high-energy scene.” Erin Lucio ’19 is the stage manager, who oversees all of the technical aspects of the show. The technical elements had to be finished quickly due to numerous snow days. Despite this struggle, the show has blue and cool lighting and various arty set designs. “I personally really like the set design because there’s a lot of painting done, that a lot of people have put work into,” Lucio said. “I am excited to see how the lighting design ends up being, because lighting is one of my favorite elements of theater.” Reckless is an equally funny and heartbreaking play that features various murders and counseling sessions. The technical crew and cast create a groundbreaking performance.
8 Feature
March 15
Anti-Animal Cruelty Club Makes Its Debut Laisha Archilla-Lopez/Reporter
Photo by Laisha Archilla-Lopez
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ccording to the Animal Welfare Institute in Washington, D.C., about two million dogs are killed for food in South Korea. Although the dog meat industry accounts for about 40 percent of the meat industry, official statistics show that the number of restaurants actually serving dog meat has fallen by 40 percent between 2005 and 2014. Due to younger generations steering away from consuming dog meat, as they view dogs as companions instead of food, the industry is slowly decreasing and beginning to collapse. It was not until April 2018 that dog meat killing was ruled illegal by the Korean government. One of the biggest dog meat slaughterhouse in Korea, The Taepyeong-dong complex, closed its doors and is to be cleared and converted into a public park. Although this practice is now illegal, dogs are still be killed and sold. The DoVe Project, a non-profit organisation working towards ending dog meat trading in Asia, interviewed people on the street. Much of the public were not even aware that the dog meat trade is going on or underestimate the number of dogs being killed yearly. Recently, Jenni Baez ‘20, was scrolling through her Facebook homepage. She came across a video uploaded by the DoVe Project where they explained the dog meat trade in South Korea. “I saw how dogs were treated and what they go through in South Korea and decided I needed to do something to stop that,” Baez said. Baez ended up getting in contact with the DoVe Project and worked with the organization to create the Anti-Animal Cruelty club.
The main purpose of the club is to “raise money by selling cupcakes, making shirts, etc. so we can donate [to the DoVe Project],” Allison Hmura ‘19 said. The club is also working towards ending the consumption in Oregon as it is still legal to consume cat and dog meat. Currently, it is legal to consume dog meat in 44 states. However, dogs are not only abused for the purpose of food. Dog fights are still occurring around the country. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has prosecuted multiple cases where drug cartels were running narcotics through cockfighting and dogfighting operations. According to the Humane Society, intentional animal cruelty is strongly related to other crimes, usually violence against other people, and 71 percent of domestic violence victims reported that their abuser also targeted pets. Although the club’s main focus is the dog meat industry, they do enforce the importance of the cruelty among the farming industry. Chelsea Chihuahua ‘20 is vegetarian and has been for about a year. “I try to not contribute to the animal cruelty in the meat industry because I do think one more person going vegetarian can definitely make a difference,” Chihuahua said. The club meets Tuesdays at 2:30 PM in room 212. Members of the club hope Saxons will raise awareness and bring attention to the cruelty of not only dogs but all animals. “You know what type of person it is by the way they treat animals,” Baez said.
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Feature 9
Former Principal Dan Johnson Looks Back on Time at South Claire Graham/Reporter
Photo by Claire Graham
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n the years between 1981 and 1990, South was honored by the National Blue Ribbon Schools program, the highest honor a school can receive in the US. At the time, the school was led by Dan Johnson, a dedicated leader with a goal to unite South students and close the achievement gap for good. This February, I sat down with Johnson to reflect on his time as a Saxon. Johnson started out as a teacher of math and woodshop. As an English major and a history minor, he found it a challenging task, but a love of teaching got him through it. “I always loved kids. I loved to teach. I always saw the life of an educator as an honor. [Teaching math and shop] was a learning experience for me because I had to get beyond the content, open the kids minds. I learned to connect with the kids, to develop a positive relationship and trust. That translated well to South,” Johnson said. In 1982, when Johnson took over the role of principal of South, it was thriving already, recognized statewide for its academic, artistic, and athletic success. “The problem,” Johnson said, “Was translating that success to all kids. While South had a great record, there were kids that still found it hard to find their place.” To accomplish this, Johnson encouraged students to enroll in more challenging classes and ensured teachers were teaching to their expertise. He also purchased computers to close technological gaps between students and improved career and technical education programs. Life as a principal was demanding, especially when, like Johnson, one is working towards a doctorate degree simultaneously. “I’d be there from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m, seventy hours a week. Every night there’s music, there’s sports, there’s stuff going on. Sometimes I’d have to leave at 5 p.m. for a 7 p.m. class at
Portland State, get back at 10pm, and work until midnight. You may not do everything on your to-do list. There’s district meetings, teacher evaluations, meeting with staff and students, dealing with a crisis. The days were very fluid,” Johnson said. Looking at the education system since he has left the field, Johnson hopes schools throughout the U.S will become safer places in future. “The staff in South and other schools are working their tail off [to make schools safer.] But there’s always that lingering concern, that ‘will my child come home today’. There’s always been violence, but I never had to deal with shooter drills when I taught,” Johnson said. He also notices how cell phones have changed students through the years. “It’s both a blessing and a curse [...] you’re on duty 24/7. People have your phone number, email. If they have a complaint, they can reach you anywhere. Cyberbullying was not an issue. When I was at South, there was an underground newspaper. A group of students defamed a teacher. But that was really easy to [stop]. Now it’s easy to do that about teachers and kids on a daily basis,” Johnson said. He also hopes that future South students try out new experiences. “Try something. Be curious, explore ideas. Be involved in something like sports, music, community service, The Clypian. The more kids do things and can have those kind of experiences, I think the more vibrant their high school experience is. They also grow emotionally from it. As we put more and more pressure on kids academically, let’s not lose those other things.” The backbone of any great school is a great faculty led by a great principal, and Johnson’s legacy has certainly lived on at South. In fact, current South principal Lara Tiffin attended high school under his watch. Who knows? Perhaps the next great South principal is amongst us today.
10 Sports
March 15
Boys Basketball Takes Home 5th Place Trophy at State
Hilary James/ Sports Editor
Photo by India Hartle
The Saxon boys basketball team after their fifth place finish at the OSAA State Tournament on March 9 at the Chiles Center
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he boys basketball team took home a fifth place finish at the OSAA State Tournament after falling to Lake Oswego 63-80 in the third place game on March 9. The Saxons traveled to the 6A State Tournament at the University of Portland Chiles Center on March 6 after winning their first two home playoff games by more than 15 points and taking home the conference title. In the quarterfinals on March 6 the Saxons beat the seventh ranked Tigard 56-46 after a shaky first half. The Saxons were led by Jaden Nielsen-Skinner ‘19 and his 20 points while Trey Galbraith ‘20 added 17.
In the semifinals the Saxons lost to the number three ranked Jefferson by a score of 63-77. Top scorers of the game were Jaden Nielsen-Skinner with 19 points and Trey Galbraith with 12. The Saxons finished the season with a 23-6 overall record and a fifth place finish at State. In addition, the Saxons had five players selected to the all-league teams including Jaden Nielsen-Skinner winning player of the year, and Eric Lungu with defensive player of the year. The Saxons will send off four of the five starters, who are seniors, and will look to rebuild next year.
Girls Basketball Wins Mountain Valley Conference
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Chandler Walker/ Sports Editor
he girls basketball team was successful in both league play and non-league play. The Saxons had a 20-6 overall record and a 13-1 league record, becoming the first ever Mountain Valley Conference champions. The Saxons were led by co-player of the year and starting point guard Hilary James ‘21 as well as many other players who were a part of the all-league team as well, while all being at the helm of coach of the year Adrian Lewis. The Saxons had seven total players selected to the all-league team this season. The Saxons lost in the second round of the OSAA State playoffs to a tough Beaverton team 30-60, but Head
Coach Adrian Lewis is in good spirits about the way the season ended, “I think it was an awesome season, as a program we matured a lot and on the varsity level we were able to gain important playoff experience and of course winning league was a great feeling,” Lewis said. In addition The Lady Saxons are only losing one senior in Maddie Hoffman ‘19 as they will have almost the entire team returning for the 2019-2020 season giving many underclass players time to develop over the offseason.
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Unified P.E. A Personal Perspective Kaia Alexander/ Feature Editor
ince 2017 when the program first began at South by life skills teachers Brennan Young and Sam Domina, and teacher and coach Alisha Murdoch, Unified P.E. has been a place for kids of all ages and abilities to come together and compete. The class has educated, inspired and changed the way intellectual disabilities are viewed at South. During class, the opportunity to play for high school students with and without intellectual disabilities are presented everyday. Throughout the year we work on football, kickball, softball, and basketball. After given the opportunity to practice our skills in a team we then move on to competing in the game. The games are fun because everyone gets a chance to play, it is about getting everyone involved and supporting your teammates to do the best you can, but it is not just about the game. The chance to play with equal opportunity is life changing for both the athletes and their partners. As a partner I can say first hand that the interactions I have with the kids in this class will be with me forever. Watching everyone in the class have a safe place to play the sports they love in a competitive environment is amazing, it changes your perspective. Josie Ferry, a South graduate who participated in the first Unified sports class is thankful for the opportunity to be a part of something so life changing. “The class not only helped me decide what I wanted to do with my career but also showed me that students in classes such as unified sports can have fun just like regular P.E. classes. I was able to help coach and play alongside so many new friends and it helped show that I really enjoyed helping and teaching other people. Unified sports opened my eyes on how to treat everyone with respect, everyone deserves respect whether it’s through a sport or in the classroom.” Ferry said. Everyday I get the chance to interact and build amazing relationships with the athletes, my fellow partners and the coaches. For some athletes the class means getting the opportunity to play sports on a competitive team. For others it means having fun and building new relationships. A chance to represent South as a competitive athlete is a rewarding experience, one that kids with disabilities don’t get the opportunity to do very often. “Unified sports isn’t about just having equality, but giving true equality to the community at South,” Domina said. Unified P.E. has been a great resource for raising awareness and encouraging respect to everyone at South Salem. The class has had the opportunities to play in football and basketball tournaments which results in a championship game at the end of the unit. The championship game is played in front of the school where all the other classes have the option to come and support. The game is run like other varsity basketball and football games. During the game, some students make posters and chant traditional Saxon cheers from the sidelines.
Sports 11
In order to help support the Unified program, South decided to participate in the Special Olympics Polar Plunge on Feb. 16. During the plunge teams dressed up in fun costumes and plunged into freezing cold water at the Crystal Lake Sports Park & Boat Ramp in Corvallis. South received 50 percent of all the money raised by participants to be used for the Unified Sports program. Prizes are also rewarded to the team and individual who raises the most money and to the best costume of the day. South raised $6,057, placing us at the second highest fundraising team with nearly 50 plungers. Unified sports has changed my perspective and awakened new priorities in my life. As a competitive athlete I have grown up my whole life playing and competing on sports teams. I have won more times than I can count and lost more times than I care to admit. Often I take my ability and talents for granted. I go about my day identifying myself as an athlete and taking pride in my accomplishments, but sometimes the excitement of competing gets lost between winning and losing. Many times I take these achievements for granted and overlook my passion for the sport. I often overlook the simplicity of just loving what you are doing. Playing in unified has challenged me to reevaluate why I play the sports I do and why I love to play them. This year, the class was able to get enough players to start an official Unified Basketball team. The team roster is made up of 20 players, including 10 unified partners who play alongside athletes with intellectual disabilities and head coached by Sam Domina. On Feb. 23, a few members from the Unified P.E. class traveled to the University of Oregon campus to compete in a Special Olympics Regional basketball tournament. On the team we carried four partners and seven athletes to compete in the tournament. I have woken up at seven in the morning with a dozen teams for countless tournaments, but it has been a long time since I felt the energy and excitement that these kids had on the bus. Each game we played was played as a team, everyone had a lot of fun. We ended up placing fourth in the tournament and received green ribbons, which the kids loved. Gabby Baker ‘20, a partner in the class and aide for Mr. Young is devoted to making South a unified school. This year is the first year South has become a nationally recognized school for unified sports and the Respect Campaign. Baker ‘20 has helped organize a Respect campaign to help raise awareness and educate other students on the effects of using the term “retard.” The assembly will take place on March 20 to kick off the beginning of spring break. The Respect Campaign includes a pledge to devoting yourself to making the world a better place by changing the ways we respect ourselves and others.
Photo courtesy of Unified P.E.
Principal Laura Tiffin and life skills teacher Brennan Young participating in the Polar Plunge on Feb. 16