Fort Outpost - April 2024

www.sites.google.com/fort-outpost

from the

advisor.

Jennifer Fay

“I raise up my voice—not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard…We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.”

Women’s History Month commemorates women’s invaluable contributions throughout history, promoting inclusivity and gender equality.

Established in the United States in 1987, it highlights women’s achievements in various fields and acknowledges their role in shaping societies globally. By elevating marginalized voices and recognizing women’s struggles and successes, it inspires advocacy for gender equity.

Women’s History Month also celebrates collective action, honoring women’s movements and solidarity in advancing social progress. It

~Sydney

J. Harris

serves as an educational tool, enriching curricula with diverse perspectives and empowering individuals to challenge stereotypes.

Ultimately, Women’s History Month is a call to action, reminding us of the ongoing journey toward gender equality and the importance of collective efforts to create a more inclusive and equitable world.

The assemblies we have throughout the year are meant to help you think about the different groups that coexist at Fort. I hope you all take the time to reflect on that.

JenniferFay Advisor - Journalism Club

contributors.

Isaac Dennett - Editor in Chief

Hey everyone! Thanks for reading this article. I’m Isaac, I’m a junior. I like to draw, write, read, and play videogames. I also code, golf, and swim!

Christian Golden - Associate Editor

I’m half black and half Japanese. I enjoy doing sports, especially track and I like being able to do new things.

Amy Nguyen - Assignment Editor

Hi! I’m Amy. My favorite color is purple and my favorite artist is Beabadobee.

Tjay Barhitte - Writer

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m Tjay. I like to play video games, drawing, sleeping, taking walks, watching shows/movies, talking to friends, bowling, listening to music and much more.

Isabel Laib - Writer

I’m a sophomore, I enjoy writing for fun, watching tv, and playing video games. I only speak English, but I’m planning to learn spanish.

Cristina Martin - Writer

I am a junior. I like garlic bread and my cat. I am very passionate about women’s rights.

Jacob Owen - Writer

Hello! I’m a junior at Fort and Clark!

I have rats and I enjoy doing art in different mediums.

Students walk out for teachers

The student walkout on 3/19/24 was to protest the budget cuts and teachers being laid off next school year. The first wave of cuts resulted in a total of 11 teachers at Fort being notified of their job termination at the end of this school year; consisting solely of new teachers who had the same capabilities as current teachers.

The budget cuts at Fort were more than twice Hudson’s Bay’s layoffs, with only 5 of their teachers being cut compared to Fort’s 11. On Tuesday at 11:45 am, a walkout took place to peacefully protest these cuts. With a theme of wearing red and Fort gear, students protested and walked down the JPC center, with news crews from FOX 12, KOIN 6, and photographers for magazines like the Columbian arriving before them/walking with them.

I-5 BRIDGE

THE INS AND OUTS OF THE NEW I-5 BRIDGE, COMING TO A RIVER NEAR YOU IN 2026.

By Isaac Dennett

In March, our newspaper team was invited to a tour talking about the I-5 bridge. And we want to share it with you guys! We have tons of information, like how they are helping the community, safety, the structure of the bridge, and more.

COmmunity

For the I-5 bridge team, the community is important. Greg Johnson, Program Administrator, said this, “It’s important that when you are building infrastructure, especially for something as important as the bridge, when you are affecting the public in a way that is so profound, they have a voice in how

the bridge is built.” The I-5 bridge team prioritizes this, as they have their system for making decisions that affect the community. It’s a 3 step process, Avoid, Minimize, and Mitigate.

First, avoid. They want to avoid all the damage they can. They avoid as many communities as possible, trying to keep people in the place where they live and keeping their property safe. This is extremely important to Johnson and his team. As a child, his family’s property including their house, was seized with the power of eminent domain. Eminent domain lets the government forcibly purchase or obtain the property your house is on to build things, and his family’s house was seized by the DOT for a project. He does not want this to happen here as well, so they are planning the best ways to build to avoid whole areas.

BRIDGE

Minimize is next. In the case that a situation is unavoidable, and they are required to take an area for construction, they minimize. How much area do we need? How little area can we take up? How do we shrink the amount of people that are affected by this action? By minimizing the amount of people that are affected by an action, the next step of mitigation becomes more effective.

Mitigating is the final step and the most difficult part of this whole process for Johnson. Unfortunately, they’ve avoided and minimized the best they can. When this happens, they try and support and give the people affected as much compensation to make sure that the people are affected as little as possible. Examples of this are helping the families relocate to a good place, compensating them for the memories that they will lose from their old property, and doing all they can to make it comfortable.

When you are affecting the public in a way that is so profound, they have a voice in how the bridge is built.

These things are what Jonsohn strives to do to help the people impacted by the decisions they make.

STructure

The Interstate Brige team (the IBR) have big ideas for what the bridge could look like. The IBR have 4 main designs. They have different variations of single and double-level bridges, but the specific details don’t matter. Then what does? Well, there are a couple plans for things the bridge needs. While speaking on what makes this replacement program important, Johnson said this, “This is a 5 mile corridor we are trying to modernize, to make safer, to travel this corridor. We want to put in light rail, pedestrian paths, and more.”

Let’s break down the rough structure

first. They want to avoid a movable bridge, such as our current I-5 bridge, as much as possible. Lifting it backs up any roads close to I-5. When the bridge is raised, I-5 slows down to less than 20 miles per hour. For these reasons, a movable bridge is almost entirely out of the question. It’s a last resort. So what is the plan? Well, they have a max height set. The current peak of the lifting towers of our bridge is the maximum height they can build to. And they want to hit it.

The most ideal bridge is one that is high all the time so boats can pass under at all times. Land and marine-related business activities will not slow each other down, and this will greatly assist with traffic and economic activities everywhere. Next, there is a possibility to make it so that the bridge has two roads stacked on top of each other. This would be great as it would give the chance

for more space and wider lanes, and give more space for some of the future transportation options being offered.

Lanes and paths

While talking about future plans for the I-5 bridge, Johnson said something very important. The current lanes are too small! And I agree. The smaller, more compact lanes squeeze everyone into a small space, force the speed limit down, and generally seem very unsafe. So, in addition to having 4 lanes in each direction, he wants to make sure they are wide and give enough space for all vehicles to feel secure on the road.

Next, he wants to make sure that there are appropriate spaces for pedestrians and bikes to cross the bridge. Everyone needs their space to feel safe! So, this

is an important part for the I-5 bridge team. All communities matter when considering this project: “Equity is important, and we want to include several groups in this project.” One of these groups is people who want or need to get to Portland, but find it hard because the current ways don’t seem very safe. Take a look at our current I-5 bridge. The pedestrian sidewalk has a bad railing, has holes, has one side closed, is not bike safe, narrow, etc. So, the next bridge will have a pedestrian walkway, a good bike area with better railings, and will be much more equitable.

Also, Johnson and the team want to make this bridge a fun place to be as well. They want to add lookouts on the bridge to see the views of the Columbia River and views for Portland and Vancouver. They will be high up and you would be able to see for a long way. These views will be just next to the pedestrian always, making them easy to access on foot.

pUblic Transport

Our public transportation here from Vancouver to Portland has very big problems. The current transport system we have can take a long time, feel unsafe, and not be supported well by the city. The Vine solved some of the problems by being easier to use however public transportation still isn’t supported well. As a whole, our city and surroundings aren’t fit to have only public transport as there aren’t enough routes and buses to go across all of the areas. Not only do we need to make it welcoming but also more walkable. The Interstate Bridge Replacement program will work to fix this problem by giving people better and more accessible methods of transportation.

The IBR plans to extend the currently small light rail system to span across the Portland Expo Center all the way to Evergreen Blvrd near Harney Elementary. The new bridge itself will have a special design to hold the light rail. The bridge

will utilize a 2 layer design with the light rail going under the bridge. This sounds weird but it is the best way to have the increased amount of lanes along with a separate and safe rail for the train to go through.

This will be a clear benefit to transportation as it will be the only system that won’t have to deal with traffic of any sort. This along with the potential lowered amounts of cars on the road will better the experience for both drivers and riders of the I-5 bridge. To go along with improvements to the light rail, upgrades to the infrastructure will happen to make the experience in between transport better. More transit stations will made along where the light rail path to allow more points of entry to use the train. The current stations and the surrounding areas will be made to look better and safer for people to use. The light rail for the new I-5 bridge replacement will be a key part of bettering the experience of daily commuters of both personal and public transportation.

Got Cash?

The pedestrian crossing and public transport update will make it much easier to get from portland to vancouver.

Tolls are fines given to drivers to pay back the costs of maintenance and infrastructure. I feel like most if not everyone hates having to pay tolls even if they make sense in a way for us to have to pay. We are lucky that our current I-5 and I-205 bridges don’t have any tolls to have to be paid for crossing. This has been thanks to the many protests by groups to prevent the tolling of these bridges that connect Washington to Oregon. This can change however with the construction of the new I-5 Bridge.

The IBR plans to use tolling as one of their methods to gain the funding needed to pay off the large costs of construction. At this current moment the project estimates and is working towards having the budget for all of the upgrades from the bridge, surrounding infrastructure, and public transportation to cost 6 billion dollars. This is however only an in-between estimate and could range from $5 billion to $7.5 billion if the project stays within the current estimates. These costs are no easy price to pay even with the 2 states of Oregon and Washington along with federal money.

A plan has been made showing where all of this money will come from and how much from each place. This is because the IBR doesn’t have much of the anticipated funding, with only having around 3% of the $6 billion. This 3% came from the former upgrade

plan to the I-5 bridge that got scrapped around a decade ago. The other sources of money will be $1 billion from both the Oregon and Washington governments along with $2.5 billion from federal money. But if you count the total this is only $4.75 billion of the 6. This is where the toll money will go to fill the gaps.

This tolling could begin around early spring of 2026, just before the new bridge is constructed. The IBR is working towards having a $3-3.55 toll from 5 am to 11 pm and free at night. The free tolls would only go until the new I-5 was built, where it would go up to $1.55-2.15. These tolls would at first work to pay the cost of building the bridge and continue after the new I-5 bridge has been built to go into maintenance. Currently, these tolls will only be put in place for the I-5 and not the I-205 however they are still looking to see if that could change.

If the I-5 bridge gets tolled but not the I-205, this could create large problems for traffic. As most people don’t want to pay fines for going across a bridge for their daily commute, most people will use the I-205 instead of the I-5. This could create even larger buildups for traffic that go beyond what we have now and be a disaster for commuters. While I’m unsure if tolling I-205 would be any better as no one wants to pay tolls, however, these costs are a must to keep this project alive.

Much of these upgrades are dependent on the people wanting these new changes for both sides of the Columbia River. It’s also up to know what we might have to sacrifice for the benefits of what these plans will give us. This project sets out to create great opportunities for people in Washington and Oregon alike, but it also creates a lot of uncertainty and worry.

What Are we fixing?

To improve traffic speeds and congestion levels, the IBR works towards fixing the underlying problems of traffic congestion in addition to adding more lanes. The I-5 plan will change the safety of the bridge to minimize the chances of crashes that cause the tiresome traffic some face each day on the I-5 bridge.

Another main priority of the team is safety.

By adding more room on the shoulders and making auxiliary lanes, the bridge is made safer for drivers and even pedestrians. Auxiliary lanes are specially designed lanes meant to give drivers a safe spot to speed up and merge. It was found that having these lanes can lower the chances of creating devastating crashes that not only affect the victims but can put the whole bridge to a halt. The auxiliary lane is meant to fix what normal lanes can’t, making it a vital part

of our new bridge design. The increased shoulder sizes give more room to the drivers and give more area of separation if crashes do occur. This could prevent chain reactions of crashes and increase safety.

Not only will changes be made to the bridge design itself to lower traffic but to the surrounding roads as well. On both sides of the bridge: from downtown Vancouver, Upper Vancouver, and Portland, changes will happen. The improvement plans work towards making the interchanges more efficient and less prone to buildup. The IBR wishes to get rid of the congestion at its source being those interchanges that have high tendencies to get backed up. Along with fixing congestion, improvements to other types of transportation such as biking, and walking will be made as well.

These new changes to the bridge and streets are meant to be a permanent fix to our traffic problem. Adding more and more lanes doesn’t fix the underlying problems like the buildup of cars at interchanges or unsafe conditions leading to crashes. While it’s also true that no matter the improvements, nothing will be perfectly safe, I feel better as a future driver that the bridge I will have to use will be much safer for me and others.

When do we get it?

This bridge sounds great! I believe everyone should be excited about this bridge. So when is construction starting? Well, 2026 is the starting year. But when? Well, the river has a very sensitive ecosystem during salmon runs. So, you can only build in the water from September to February. So, construction is starting September 2026, and then they have until February to build a safe working habitat that doesn’t affect the river, and then construction can proceed as normal. So I don’t know what you guys are thinking, but I am very excited.

Career Resources

Did you know that there are ways to look for that perfect career?

Written by Amy Ngyuen

Is this the right career for me? What am I gonna do after high school? What if I can’t find a job that I enjoy? These are all questions that go through our minds, the fear of not knowing what to do after high school is extremely terrifying. Luckily, here at our career center located near the commons, they have many resources to help. You can schedule an appointment with Ms. Pongracz or pop in anytime with questions.

Xello:

I know many of you dread this, but it’s a graduation requirement for all students in Washington. Taken throughout middle and high school, it is requested to do the required lessons for each grade rather than doing all the lessons before they’re due. In 8th grade, students take a matchmaker quiz which helps them figure out which classes they should take in high school to get to the career they want or the one that they got matched with. After getting matched, you can save the career and see which degrees are needed and what to major in. A list of colleges that provide the major and its demographics is also available.

Each grade’s assignments help prepare the students for what is needed; students in the 11th grade are assigned to make resumes as an assignment. Then in 12th grade, you will need to make your high school and beyond plan so you have a plan for after graduation.

Cascadia Tech

Cascadia is a half-day program supported by all districts in the area and hosted in the Evergreen School District that helps prepare students for future careers that they may be interested in. Transportation is available and provided by the school, from Fort to Cascadia and back. Cascadia Tech is only available for juniors and seniors, but sophomores can apply for their upcoming year. There are no requirements, but before admission, Cascadia looks at students’ attendance and what career they plan on pursuing. Any required uniforms or kits are not provided by the school, but students who have a waiver can get the cost reduced.

These are the many programs of study that are available at Cascadia Tech: applied medical sciences, automotive technology, aviation science & technology, business principles, construction technology, cosmetology, criminal justice, culinary arts, dental, diesel technology, fashion design, fire science, hospitality & tourism, and information technology systems. As well as medical assisting, preengineering design technology, and teaching.

Most programs of study allow dual credit, for the applied medical sciences program eligible students can take the Nursing Assistant Certification.

Apprenticeships

For those of you who don’t know, apprenticeships are when you get trained in a specific work field and get paid at the same time. The district works with local businesses to be able to make these happen and have many great health benefits such as dental and other healthcare. This opportunity is great for those who like getting hands-on training. If you have any questions about apprenticeships you can ask Ms.Pongracz in the career center or email her.

Internships

The internships work with local businesses and companies. Students intern for up to 60 hours and earn 0.5 credits, and 3 Clark credits. The only requirements for internships are you have to be 16 and attend a school in Vancouver Public Schools. These internships give you hands-on experiences for careers you are interested in. They also help you network by building connections with professionals and you can put it on your resume. Run by Natalie Powell, she isn’t in

the building often but if you are interested or have any questions, ask Ms.Pongracz in the career center to set up an appointment with her.

GearUp:

Located in room 238, GearUp (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a federal grant program that prepares seniors for their future by helping with resumes, mock interviews, FASFA, and more. The goal is to increase graduation rates and to expand the number of students who attend undergraduate programs. There is no signing up needed for seniors to receive support no matter what their future plans are. You can schedule a meeting with GearUp by scanning the QR code in their email or on their door. They have snacks and other goods for students who complete their goals.

Trio:

This WSU-Vancouver program offers resume help, afterschool tutoring, and offers help when applying for colleges, and more. The program offers many field trip opportunities for students such as visiting trade schools, colleges, and more. Their office is right across from the library; you can pop in for any questions, or schedule an appointment, and they will gladly help with whatever you need. They offer snacks and water for those in the program. There are no requirements to join this program all you need to do is to fill out the sign up form.

The Disappointment of VIDEO GAMES

Written by Isabel Laib

Modern gaming has created some of the best video games imaginable. However, there are some that fail, and they fail hard. From awful graphics to overpricing, from microtransactions to awful battle passes, it seems that a good portion of games end up failures in the end, especially after a bright future or beta testing period.

Some games just don’t port well. This means they can’t switch between platforms well, and with little to no calibrations, good games can turn to hot messes almost instantly. They lose frames, story beats, and even graphics. With no consideration of which games should be run on what devices, game developers face a problem: pricing for what is essentially an unplayable game. Take Mortal Kombat 1, for example. On console and PC, it’s nearly indistinguishable from real life, with excellent graphics and flowing gameplay. On the Nintendo Switch, however, it looks awful, with even the cinematics stuttering and struggling to process what is happening in-game. The actual game is no different, with unrendered fighting scenes and characters, and long, choppy hair where it is supposed to be sleek and straight. The difference is night and day when character models of different platforms are compared. Not to mention, it’s still being overcharged on the Switch for seventy dollars, with downloadable content (DLC) coming out frequently. The game has yet to be fixed or removed from the underperforming Switch console.

Another problem with modern games is the need to push out games for holidays. This year’s example would be Coral Island, a farming sim that was rumored to top Stardew Valley in the farming sim community. It was said to have mermaids, dozens of plotlines, and romanceable characters that add up to more characters than the entire Stardew Valley cast combined. The player was supposed to be able to help the ocean, get a pet, and save the island and the mermaids. This is nigh impossible for many reasons. At this point in time, major plot points are missing from the game. Questlines come to an abrupt end with “T.B.A.” cutting the player off abruptly with little to do. Festivals are bugged and unplayable for some, and others can’t begin to complete the museum, halting all game progress. This game was in beta for ages, and it performed well there. Updates would come along, announcements of new goals following as more and more people bought into beta and donated money to fund this seeming passion project. Now none of these fans can play and

the game is incomplete, shattering the hearts of farming sim fans everywhere.

The slaughtering of beloved game franchises seems to be abundant as time passes, such as in the case of Rocksteady’s newest fantastic failure: Suicide Squad, kill the Justice League. With an abundant amount of UI (user interfaces), micropurchases of cosmetics, and both the literal and figurative slaughter of Batman himself. In a decision that baffles most players, Suicide Squad: kill the Justice League chooses to place itself in the “Arkhamverse,” also known as the universe of the hit Batman videogame series made by Rocksteady. In those games, players play as Batman, and those players know what Batman could do. They knew his tech. So this bizarre decision undoes the Batman Arkham games since now players know that the hero they struggled with, fought with, and whose skills they know inside and out, dies by a simple bullet due to Harley Quinn. The creators are also planning a battle pass and the addition of new characters, some of which have already appeared in the Arkham series. The Suicide Squad tries to lighten up the Arkham series but destroys the original magic by slaughtering the only characters players knew, and horribly changing characters that are still alive from the Arkham games. All of that mixed with the subpar mobile game missions makes this game a less than enjoyable experience that cost loyal DC fans seventy US dollars.

Game developers have begun to get more and more greedy over the years. They think anything will sell as long as it has a special brand on it or a cute setup. The amount of games that were rumored to take down huge gaming giants grew in increasing numbers this year, but none of it actually occurred and players can only look back at these failures of cash grabs as money pits. The goal now seems to surpass big games of certain genres, such as every farming sim trying to beat out Stardew Valley for its cozy game crown, or every new role-playing game (RPG) with a gacha (a system where you gamble for new content and characters) trying to beat out Genshin Impact. By setting the goals of fame and money for every video that comes out rather than worrying about player enjoyment or storylines. By forgetting the roots of video games, the industry is earning an image of being moneyhungry. Developers are having their good names tarnished by their poor decisions.

The amount of money a game costs and the gameplay aren’t the only problems with modern-day video games. Genres are being filled rapidly. Every month there seems to be a new farming sim or horror game. The game Fae Farm desperately tried to dip its hands into the farming simulator community but instead created a boring, lifeless, and difficult game that cost sixty dollars, much higher than most farming games. Many have complained about its art style, but the real problem is the lack of character in the non-player characters (NPCs). In farming sims, the characters the player interacts with are the heart of the game. They teach the player new things, they make the world feel less empty. And yet all characters share nearly the same lines, and the romance candidates have small differences.

The horror game market has also been pumped full of games, specifically the part of the genre called “Mascot Horror.” This genre was first seen in “Spooky’s Jumpscare Mansion,” but it is widely compared to Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF) as the basis for a mascot horror game. Ever since FNAF became as big as it is, other developers have tried jumping onto the ship with varying amounts of success. Some games are truly good, but then you get games like Garten of Ban Ban (which is said to have the look and feel of crumpled plastic rather than actual graphics or characters), with a story more complicated than all of FNAF’s, and horrible voice acting to boot. The mascot horror genre has reached

a point where if there is one that breaks all the stereotypes and is bearable to play, it is held up, but even these great games fade as the next chapter of Garten of Ban Ban is released.

The video game industry is suffering greatly. There are too many games of certain types, some games are unplayable, some games are boring, and some are broken. There have been more and more complaints about video games as time goes on. A few years ago you’d only hear about it if it was abhorrent, and that felt rare. Now every game gets criticized, no matter how big it is. The struggle to find a good game seems to be growing with each year that passes, each game having some shady parts hidden behind the shiny trailers that are released. Whether it be microtransactions, extreme cosmetics that cost a lot of money, clunky gameplay, and boring stories, games are struggling, and the players are struggling along with them. This era of gaming is a dark one for everyone, players and developers alike. Gamers have to hope the game they spend their hard earned money on doesn’t make them want to pull out their hair due to broken mechanics. No matter how good a game seems to be, players must be careful what they purchase.It can only be hoped that the happy, less expensive time of video games returns, and that it returns soon.

Fort Traffic moving in the WRONG DIRECTION

The current state of student pickup and drop-off is catastrophic. It causes so much confusion and simultaneouslyshowcasesvarious instances of bad congestion.

Writtern by Cristina Martin & Leila Folsom

The student parking lot has been utilized as a student pick-up and drop-off section by multiple parents, and it has caused numerous issues for students and staff who use the same parking lot.

A major concern regarding the student parking lot is the line to get out of the parking lot. Lots of confusion, profanities, and miscommunications are shared. Connected to 18th Street, there are two lanes, both with dull arrows that are directional to get out and get in. Multiple staff members and students have complained about both lanes being blocked by either impatient parents, students, or staff. Not only does this form a safety concern but it also creates continuous congestion contributing to the concerns of the student parking lot. While the parking lot is designated for students, large numbers of parents come in to pick up their students at the end of the day as well. This causes more buildup of cars idling in improper places in the student parking lot, which adds to the traffic on the way out. This causes various problems for all parties, including issues with the flow of traffic, speeding, blocking of fire lanes, and cutting people off.

The process by which people come in and out of the parking lot is an issue on its own; the choices that some parents/designated drivers make are often a cause of issues as well. Multiple students including myself and other drivers notice that the far right lane on 18th street, closest to the school. has been blocked due to parents picking up their students. This not only causes unnecessary traffic but is a danger to those trying to exit the student parking as they are unable to see oncoming traffic. While designated drivers may be impatient or not be able to find a way into the student pick-up section. This could be due to the backup of cars, and the lack of signs and directional notations that confuse parents and students alike.

We sent out a survey to FVHS inboxes with general questions, such as the location these students get picked up, their transportation ways, as well as the issues they have with getting to and from school. One of the big questions was ‘Where do they park’ (if you are a student who drives their vehicle). 41% of participants don’t park in the student parking lot, including students and staff in this survey. The remaining 59% do, which is a surprisingly large majority of the survey participants.

These numbers are concerning due to the amount of students that are likely parking in staff-designated parking spaces. This is estimated to be around 40-50 participants, and assuming each one has a personal car, this is 40-50 more parking spaces being taken up. This behavior has been observed by various teachers/ staff, with complaints about trash, improper use of parking spots, and reckless driving. Littering has been observed including packaging of products that are intended for adult use only, such as vape packaging, disposable vapes, and carts, as well as packaging for cannabis products. The excess litter has been seen and found by teachers and staff both.

With inexperienced drivers, and oftentimes teenage drivers without an intermediate license or insurance parked in all lots around the school, a lack of signage can be endangering to everyone, students and their passengers, parents, designated drivers coming for pick up, and staff or teachers. In the parking lot near the west entrance, students have been seen parking in staff-designated spots, and designated drivers have also been spotted coming to pick up students there. This causes more congestion and backup for school buses, including large buses coming from the back area, and short buses boarding and leaving by the west entrance.

The general guidelines for the various parking lots need to be reinforced. The initial blueprint for each designated parking section allowed abundant space for each grouping of people driving to school. The west lot was designed for staff only, while the east lot was for students, with the exception being the staff parking spots. The continuous idling at red curbs is not only illegal but also dangerous. One step in the direction of enforcing these rules, and is easily accessible, is repainting arrows. However, an effort is needed from both the school administration and those using the parking lots. All who use the parking lots are aware of the congestion that is caused by everyone rushing to get out of school. It is important to mitigate the congestion by planning to leave after the initial rush of pick-up/drop-offs or planning a separate time or place to meet those you’re driving with or getting picked up by.

Recipes For spring deserts

by AMY NGUYEN

The beginning of spring is a symphony of renewal, stirring life back into the dormant earth. It heralds a profound shift, a transition from the barren cold to the vibrant warmth. Spring’s arrival ignites a sense of hope and anticipation, symbolizing new beginnings and growth. Its gentle touch awakens flora and fauna, painting landscapes with hues of green and blossoms. Beyond its aesthetic charm, spring holds significance in agriculture, marking the start of planting seasons and the promise of harvests to come. Emotionally, it rejuvenates spirits, offering a chance to shed the weight of winter and embrace the energy of transformation.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients

• Pie crust

• 1 cup and tbsp granulated sugar

• 6 tsp. Cornstarch

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• 1 lb fresh Rhubarb

• 1 lb strawberries, stemmed and quartered

• 1 tbsp orange juice

• 2 tsp orange zest

• 2 tsp of vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

• 1 large egg

• 2 tbsp turbinado sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Place a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on the center rack of the oven to preheat.

2. Roll out 1 piece of dough on a floured surface into a 12-inch round, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle flour over the top of the dough if it’s a bit too moist.) Carefully lift the dough and place in a 9-inch pie pan (not deep dish); gently press against the sides of the pan. Trim excess overhanging dough at the edge of the pie plate.

3. Stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl until evenly combined. Add the rhubarb, strawberries, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla. Toss until evenly coated. Pour the fruit mixture into the pie crust.

4. Roll out the other piece of dough into a 12-inch

round on a floured surface. Cut into eight 1 1/2-inch-wide strips. Arrange 4 strips of dough in parallel rows on top of the filling. Working with one strip at a time, arrange the remaining 4 strips perpendicular to the first ones, weaving the strips over and under to form a lattice. Trim the ends of the strips and press them against the bottom crust. Press with a fork all around the edge of the pie crust to crimp.

5. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and 1 tablespoon of water with a fork. Brush the dough lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

6. Bake the pie until the filling is bubbly and thickened in the middle of the pie, 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. (Cover the pie with foil if the crust is getting too dark after 45 minutes.) Allow the pie to cool to room temperature before slicing, about 4 hours.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 ⅓ cup all purpose flour

• ¾ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ¼ tsp ground turmeric

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2 tbsp lemon zest

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1 large egg, room temperature

• ¼ cup lemon juice

• 1 ½ tbsp vanilla extract

• 1 ½ cup powdered sugar

Lemon Crinkle Cookies (continued)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground turmeric, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 3/4 cup of sugar and the lemon zest. Rub the mixture between your fingers to release the lemon oils into the sugar. Add the butter and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, lemon juice, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds. With the mixer on medium-low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Cover dough and chill for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Place the remaining 1/4 cup of granulated sugar in another medium bowl.

4. Using a 1½-inch scoop, drop 1 dough ball (about 1½ tablespoons) into the bowl of granulated sugar and roll to coat. Place in the bowl of powdered sugar and roll to heavily coat; transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until the baking sheet has 6 to 7 dough balls, spaced at least 2 inches apart.

5. Bake until the tops of the cookies are crackly and bottoms are lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

Ingredients (for crust)

• 1 cup all- purpose flour

• 3 tbsp granulated sugar

• ¼ tsp salt

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½ pieces

• 1 large egg yolk

• 4 tsp ice water

Ingredients (for filling)

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• ⅓ cup sour cream

• ½ cup powdered sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

• ⅓ cup heavy cream

Ingredients (for fruit topping)

• ½ cup blueberries

• ½ cup strawberries chopped into halves

• ½ cup raspberries

• ½ cup diced kiwi

• ½ cup diced mango

• 2 tbsp apple jelly

Directions

1. For the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. With a pastry cutter or your fingers, gradually work the butter into the flour until pea-sized pieces form. In a small bowl, stir together the egg yolk and water, then, using a fork, stir into the flour mixture. Stir, then knead the dough together until it is no longer crumbly and holds together when pinched with your fingers. Form it into a disc and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into an 11-inch circle. Transfer the crust to a 9-inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the crust into the pan and trim the edges right at the top of the tart pan sides. (Do not worry if the crust cracks! Patch it up with the dough pieces that were trimmed from the edges). Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Place the crust on a dinner plate, then transfer it to the freezer for 30 minutes.

3. During the last 20 minutes of chilling, preheat the oven to 400˚F. Prick the crust all over with a fork. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

4. For the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and salt on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With the mixer on medium-low speed, gradually pour in the heavy cream and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the crust and spread into an even layer.

5. For the topping: Arrange the blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, and mango on top of the filling. Microwave the apple jelly in a small microwavable bowl until melted and smooth, about 30 seconds. Brush the apple jelly over the fruit. Chill the tart until it is cold and the filling is set, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Fruit Tart