Fort Outpost - June 2023

from the

contributors.

Isaac Dennett - Editor in Chief

Hey everyone! Thanks for reading this article. I’m Isaac, I’m a sophomore. 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

Jennifer Fay

“No school without spectacular eccentrics and crazy hearts is worth attending.”

It’s June and with that comes many exciting opportunities. Seniors are graduating and moving on to the next steps in their lives.

Underclassmen have extra time during the Summer that can equate to jobs, family excursions, hobbies or self reflection. Regardless of where you are at in your life journey there will always be changes to face.

Change can be hard for some as it means letting go of old routines. For others the prospect of

the unknown is exciting and fun. To become the best version of ourselves change is absolutely necessary.

My high school self is just a piece of who I am today.

Whether change is exciting or terrifying to you, going through the process gives you experience and ultimately moves you towards being the best version of yourself.

JenniferFay

Advisor - Journalism Club

Hi I’m Amy, in my free time I like to read books and watch anime. I speak English and Vietnamese, I also know ASL.

Alex Sweeten - Writer

I like to be outside, do artsy sci-fi stuff and sing/songwrite. I am a freshman. I’m a student ambassador and I am learning French as my second language.

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

Christina Martin - Writer

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

Iara Garcia - Writer

I am 17 years old and from Barranquilla, Colombia. I’ve lived most part of my life in Colombia, I enjoy things like reading, singing, writing, and dancing.

advisor.

~ Saul Bellow

Inside this Issue

There are plenty of great articles to read in this issue of the Fort Outpost!

June 2023

08

June is an organized opportunity to celebrate diversity in all the forms it comes in.

10

Magnet programs in Vancouver Public Schools are attracting more students, prompting some changes next year.

Summer School - The main purpose for summer school is to help students make up missing credits so they can graduate on time. This year summer school starts the day after school ends and ends on June 30. There is no cost for summer school and those that are credit deficient meaning they have failed classes are eligible. It will be here at Fort; there are 2 sessions morning or afternoon. The morning session starts at 8:30-11:30 am and the afternoon session starts at 12-3 pm.

MENTAL HEALTH

Tik Tok makes a lot of mental health and illness struggles very... trivial almost. As if it’s better for you for popularity.

INSIDE KGW NEWS

Fort students had the chance to tour the Portland studios of KGW, our local NBC affiliate.

PRIDE MONTH

LAWS OF ATTRACTION

PACIFIC ISLANDER NIGHT

15 STUDENTS TREATED GUESTS TO A SPECIAL TASTE OF THE ISLANDS

16 FISH TACOS AND WATERMELON GAZPACHO? YES, PLEASE!

SUMMER RECIPES

Glorification OF Mental illness

Tik Tok makes a lot of mental health and illness struggles, making them seem trivial and a way to grow your audience.

The glorification of mental illnesses on TikTok has become a troubling trend that has garnered widespread attention. Many users of the social media platform have taken to sharing videos that romanticize and glorify mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. These videos often feature users discussing their experiences with mental illness in a way that makes it seem like a badge of honor, rather than a serious condition that requires treatment and support.

One of the reasons why mental illnesses are glorified on TikTok is because of the way that social media platforms are designed to reward attention-seeking behavior. Users who post videos about their mental health struggles often receive a lot of likes, comments, and followers, which can be addictive and reinforce the behavior. Additionally, many people who struggle with mental illness feel isolated and alone, and TikTok provides a sense of community and validation that they might not be able to find elsewhere.

However, the glorification of mental illnesses on TikTok can be harmful in a number of ways. For one thing, it can trivialize the experiences of people who are genuinely struggling with mental illness by making it seem like a trendy or fashionable thing to have. Additionally, it can discourage people from seeking help for their mental health issues, since they might feel like their struggles are not serious enough to warrant professional intervention. Finally, it can create a culture of competition around mental illness, where people are trying to one-up each other with their stories of suffering, rather than working together to support each other and find solutions. Overall, while TikTok can be a powerful tool for raising awareness about mental health issues, it is important to be mindful of the ways in which it can also contribute to the glorification and trivialization of these issues.

There are many resources available for people who are struggling with mental illness. Some of the best places to start include sup -

Counselors

Dillman, Mike (A - Cha)

Holden, Susan (Chb - Garc)

Howe, Kristina (Gard - K)

Afu, Layla (L - Mora)

Klassen, Jane (Morb - Re)

Snook, Christy (Rf - S)

Nelson, Jacqueline (T - Z)

Mental health crisis and suicide hotline hotline- 988

port groups, therapy, and medication. Support groups can be a great way to connect with other people who are going through similar experiences and to share advice and encouragement. Therapy can help you work through your emotions and develop coping strategies for dealing with your symptoms. Medication can also be helpful for some people, especially those who are dealing with severe symptoms or who have not responded well to other treatments.

If you’re not sure where to start, there are many resources available online and in your community that can help. You can look for local support groups or therapy providers, or you can use online resources to connect with other people who are struggling with mental illness. Many organizations also offer free or low-cost resources for people who need help, so don’t be afraid to reach out if you’re struggling. Remember that it’s important to take care of your mental health, and that there is no shame in seeking help when you need it.

Pride Month

June is Pride Month, giving the Fort Vancouver High School community a chance to celebrate sexuality in all its many forms.

Pride Month traces its origins back to the LGBTQ+ community’s long history of resilience and activism. The catalyst for the modern Pride movement was the Stonewall Uprising in June 1969, when LGBTQ+ individuals in New York City resisted police harassment at the Stonewall Inn. This event sparked a wave of protests, marking a turning point in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. The following year, on June 28, 1970, the first Pride March took place in New York City to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising. Since then, Pride Month has grown into a global celebration of diversity, inclusion, and the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ+ equality.

Pride Month

by Isabel Laib

Pride Month is upon us and that means everyone will be celebrating themselves. People are going to be spreading awareness to who they are and that may include what their sexuality or gender may be. It can be really confusing, but I’m happy to help!

In this list I’ll be going over some sexualities and genders and telling you what they mean. Please remember to be respectful, and to never assume or misgender or deadname people.

Gay: Someone who identifies as a male and is interested in men.

Lesbian: Someone who identifies as a female and is interested in women.

Bisexual: Someone who loves both genders.

Asexual: Someone who does not feel sexual attraction.

Aromantic: Someone who does not feel romantic attraction.

Pansexual: Someone who is attracted to every gender without preference.

Omnisexual: Someone who is attracted to every gender with preference.

Non-Binary: Someone who identifies as no gender.

Genderfluid: The gender identity where you have your biological gender assignment and you either feel like one gender or the other. It is an interchangeable identity.

Transgender: Did not identify with birth gender and switched to another gender.

Demisexual: Must have a close connection with another before feeling sexally attracted to them.

Demiromantic: Must have a close connection before feeling romantically attracted to someone.

Demi-Girl: Someone who identifies as both non-binary and a girl.

Demi-Boy: Someone who identifies as both non-binary and a boy.

Student Voices by Alex Sweeten

We interviewed a few students and here is THEIR opinion on PRIDE MONTH:

Theo W, 9th grade says “Pride month is an amazing thing that should exist. It makes me feel especially supported to have a WHOLE month dedicated to pride month!!!!”

Sadie M, 9th Grade says this “I love it!! It makes me so happy!!!”

Michael H, 9th grade, says this with an optimistic attitude “It’s cool. I don’t really have any-sort of grudge with pride month.”

Victoria G, 9th grade, says this with a proud aura “I AM ONE WITH THE GAYS!!”

Anthoni V, 9th grade gave this open statement “You do you.”

Back on April 19th, the Fort photography/video department got a unique opportunity. We could go and visit the KGW office and center in Portland! I got to go, and it was a very fun experience. There is a lot I want to share with you all.

First we got to see where they record breaking news and the weather. This room was very cool to be in, and as you can see at the top, there are lights everywhere. In this room they have cameras that can be coded to move across the room automatically with certain news events, and they have the big monitor behind them and the weather monitor on

the right to show things.

After that, we went and got to see the set for a show produced by KGW called “Hello Rose City.” You can see the set below. It has a very home type vibe to it, and it was a very interesting scene. There were TV’s

SEEING KGW

they could put stuff on obviously, but they also had the LED monitors behind the windows to put videos of live portland or premade ones. After that, everyone got to talk to someone who meets their interests. We got to meet the head of graphic

design, sound design, journalism staff, and more. It was very interesting to meet all of them, and we all learned a lot.

Finally, we went to the control room while they aired the 12 o’clock news. And it is fast. It is pretty busy there with them all trying to get everything right on time so that the commercials run correctly and at the right time because otherwise they do not get paid.

All in all it was a pretty fun experience. I’ll include more photos around!

HOW MAGNETS ARE CHANGING

Will we get to see the results of these changes before we graduate?

By: Christian Golden

The magnet programs across the Vancouver School district are programs that give students great opportunities to learn new career options or go into challenging courses. Due to the benefits, these programs give to the students that are interested in them, it gives the student the ability to switch schools based on the magnet they want to go into.

Students all have their home school based on where they live and in most cases have to go to that school. In some cases, students can go to schools outside of their home school if they have a reason called a boundary exception. Since magnet programs are important to a student’s learning, schools will allow students to go to different schools other than their home schools. This allows students to avoid their home school by saying they wish to do the magnet of another school as the reason for a

boundary exception.

When the students are in the school that they wish to be at instead of their home school after around a year of being at said school the student can leave the magnet program. This is because the student has a new reason to be at the school which is the ties and connection they have to the school and the people there allowing them to keep going to the school they like.

Many students in the boundaries of Fort should be in Fort Vancouver however go to different schools using this method. The people who do this method can have a multitude of reasons for doing this but one reason that affects forts’ images is athletes wanting to go to better sports programs. This makes the athletic capability of Fort lower due to the highly capable athletes going to different schools with better track records or assets to support athletes.

This will change this following year due to magnets becoming half days instead of full days. Having the magnets as half days will make the ability to change schools due to magnets not possible because of the ability to take a shuttle bus for the school’s magnet. This will make students who truly want to go to other schools for magnets the ability to do so, while the kids who do magnets as a reason in boundary exceptions have to stay in their home school. This can make students who have great potential in academics, and athletics come back to Fort bringing Fort to a better light.

Magnet programs feature a unique theme as a focus for teaching the curriculum across all content areas. These full-day programs offer special opportunities not readily available in all schools and help motivate students to learn within an area of aptitude, talent and interest. Magnet programs draw students from all schools in the district, and from outside the district on a space-available basis.

VPS’ magnet programs include:

Fort Vancouver High School Center for International Studies (CIS)Learn without boundaries at the Center for International Studies, a school-wide magnet for students in ninth through 12th grades located exclusively at Fort Vancouver High School. While gathering the knowledge, skills and habits needed for success in college, careers and life, you’ll actively learn about global issues and how you can positively impact our world.

International Baccalaureate (IB) - This is is a worldwide honors program with an internationally designed curriculum stressing the importance of expertise in all academic areas. The program helps students develop critical thinking and research skills that will facilitate their success at college and in careers within the larger global society. The honors program in grades 9 and 10 prepares students for the rigorous course of study in the 11th and 12th grades.

Science, Math and Technology (SMT) - Maybe you’re a goalie who solves quadratic equations in your sleep. Or you’re as comfortable speaking about student government issues as you are discussing Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. Perhaps when you’re not playing the saxophone, you build and

program robots for fun. You are, quite possibly, a student who belongs in the Science, Math and Technology magnet for freshmen through seniors at Skyview High School.

Vancouver Flex Academy - A school of choice with a small school environment for motivated, hard-working students who will excel in a unique school setting. Flex Academy uses a learning model that combines face-toface instruction with online, digital and experiential learning to prepare students for college, career and life readiness. At Flex Academy, students attend five full days per week. Students who choose to attend Flex Academy learn to take responsibility for themselves and their education as they prepare for college and beyond.

Vancouver iTech Preparatory - At the crux of science, technology, engineering and math, aka STEM, are people like you. People who are interested in using their creativity to generate ideas and solve real-world problems. Solving problems is exactly what you’ll learn to do at Vancouver iTech Preparatory, a unique experience for students in sixth through 12th grades.

Vancouver School of Arts and Academics (VSAA) - Art is ethos at Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, one of the top schools in the state according to U.S. News and World Report. Here you can pirouette, even if you’ve never pliéd. Sketch the contents of your soul. Express yourself on the page. Every student in grades six through 12 has opportunities to tour different areas of the arts: visual, performing, literary, musical, moving image and recording. VSAA teachers are practicing artists who can advise on the creative process.

BY TJAY BARHITTE

Teacher Sam Korpela

Q. Name?

A. Mr. Korpela or Mr. K

Q. Favorite color?

A. Red

Q. What do you teach?

STAFF MEMBERS MEET THE NEW

A. English 9 and Mythology

Q. How long have you been teaching?

A. This is my first year as a teacher

Q. Favorite Food?

A. Burritos

Q. What can you tell us about your history?

A. I was born in Santa Barbara which is where I graduated from High School. I then moved to San Francisco to go to college at SF State University where I earned a degree in English literature. After that, I moved to Portland to work in sales. After a couple of years, I decided to go back to school to become a teacher. Got my masters degree from Portland State University.

Q. Favorite Subject?

A. English literature, math, and history

Q. Favorite Quote?

A. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” ~Wayne Gretzky

EACH YEAR, SCHOOLS GET NEW TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND SUPPORT STAFF. WE WANT TO INTRODUCE ALL THESE NEW FACES AS THE YEAR GOES ON.

The Family Community Resource Centers, or FCRC, provides some integral services to our community, and we just wanted to talk about some of those services that you guys as students can get! You can visit the VANSD website for it here: https://vansd.org/fcrc/

One pretty important thing is a C-Tran bus pass. You can get a free C-Tran bus pass for the school year that is valid through the next September 1st! There are some papers you and your guardian have to sign, but you can ride the CTran routes everywhere inside Vancouver! You cannot cross over to Portland though, unfortunately. English, Spanish, Rus-

Services FCRC

sian. The FCRC can also put families in touch with the many re-

sources available in the greater Vancouver community. Those resources include financial help and helping you know your rights.

The FCRC - FVHS is running some events soon, and you can check our branch’s events on the website for our school. For example, “The FCRC provides extra food support for students & families on a regular basis. If you’re a student needing extra snacks or if your family is in need of extra food, please call 360-313-4179.” -from the website.

There are even more things the FCRC can offer - clothing, toilettries, and more - and ways you can volunteer too. Check in on the links above to help out or get assistance over this summer and beyond.

Isaac Dennett

What new start times means for students

BY CHRISTIAN GOLDEN

As many have first heard earlier in May, the announcement for the possibility of new starting times next year which have been met with split opinions. The reason this was brought up as a possibility was to try to fix 4 problems: student mental health, lower car crashes, less tardies, and make test scores higher. The action of pushing back the starting times of school for middle and high school when learning is most vital have possibilities of fixing these problems through giving students more sleep. This was found by multitudes of studies that the delaying of school time benefited the students mentally by lowering sleep loss. With High School times going from 7:30 to 8:40 in the proposed plans, students will be able to get an extra hour of sleep. However this also means school end times would be pushed back as well going from 2:05 to 3:15.

This is where some students have problems with the proposed plans. Some students have said that doing athletics or having a job after school will be harder to do, now that the end of school will be later. This is due to the time constraint of the limited daylight hours and the many responsibilities students have after school which will make things like sports or jobs harder to do after school with the new time. Though it can be noted that if the times of the school changes the workplace

times will most likely shift accordingly allowing students to be able to work similar amounts of however later than usual.

A big problem that the delayed times fix is the transportation problems that riddle the Vancouver school district. Many extracurricular activities like sports struggle to find constant and reliable transportation which is a flaw of how early high school’s begin. This is due to the need for transportation to take both elementary and middle school students while with the new plan only middle school will end after high school. This frees up more transportation in terms of buses. The delayed times also give the parents of students easier windows of being able to pick up students from extracurriculars due to high school ending an hour later than currently. This would allow more students to enjoy extracurriculars with no transportation like clubs.

The problems this new idea fixes are crucial to students’ learning and enjoyment in school but bring new problems to the students that weren’t faced before. This proposal is something that will affect each student differently based on the circumstances each student has so there is no clear answer as to if this is the right choice for Vancouver School District but hope we don’t regret the choice that is made during the next coming school year.

Is this as great as it seems or will it make more problems than it solves?

High School times will shift and be 8:30am to 3:05pm

Pacific Islander Club hosts night of fun and dance

Part of the uniqueness of Fort Vancouver High School is its designation as an International School. On a Saturday night in mid-May, that uniqueness was put on full display when family, friends, and guests were treated to performances, dancing, and food by the school’s Pacific Islander Club.

The night kicked off with a series of performances by dancers from the nearby Anavai O Te Ora, Vancouver’s only Tahitian dance studio. Dancers of all ages - some students from FVHS - performed a variety of dances designed to highlight the many cultures encompassed by the Pacific Islander Club. The dancers, accompanied by a live band, got the crowd involved by pulling volunteers from the crowd and teaching them some moves.

Following the studio’s performance, club members took the stage for a series of fantastic dances. The evening wrapped up with everyone invited to the floor for dancing and fun.

It would be hard - no, impossible - to talk about Pacific Islander Night without mentioning the amazing food available for all to enjoy. Hawaiian Style Grill, located near the school, provided plenty of mac salad, huli huli chicken, and kahlua pork. Fort’s culinary department chipped in with SPAM musubi and cake to round out the meal.

In addition to family and students, several teachers and administrators were in the audience. Associate Principal Luis Castro Quintanilla said the night was a special one. “It’s always great to see our students and families come together, and always fun to watch the students show their pride in their performance. I hope we see more of these evenings in the future.”

Pacific Islanders have played a big role in the Vancouver area since the late 1700’s. The Hudson’s Bay Company hired islanders from all over the Pacific to work as trappers, laborers, millers, sailors, gardeners and cooks. Over time, the island culture became an integral part of life in the Pacific Northwest.

Recipes For SUMMER

by Christian Golden

With the start of Summer, there are many great ingredients in season to spice up your work in the kitchen. In this issue, we’ve got one sweet and one savory recipe for you. Turns out, they go great together! Let us know what you think.

Fish Tacos

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized corn

• 1 poblano pepper (cut in half with the seed removed)

• 4 Tilapia filets (4 ounces)

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1 yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise

• 1 medium heirloom tomato, chopped

• 1/3 cup chopped red onion

• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest

• 3 tablespoons lime juice

• 8 taco shells, warmed

• 1/2 medium ripe avocado, peeled and sliced

Directions

1. Grill the corn and pepper for 10-12 minutes, until tender, turning occasionally, with light oil

2. Sprinkle fish with salt, then grill fish and squash, covered, over medium heat until fish begins to flake with a fork and squash is tender, 7-9 minutes, turning once.

3. Cut cooked corn kernels from cob and place into a bowl. Then chop pepper and squash and add it into the bowl of corn.

4. Stir in tomato, onion, cilantro, lime zest and lime juice. Serve fish in taco shells; top with corn mixture and avocado slices.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 0 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 4 Cups cubed seedless watermelon

• 1 English cucumber, diced

• 3 medium tomatoes, diced

• 1 small red bell pepper, diced

• ⅓ cup chopped green onions, diced

• 1 garlic clove

• small handful basil

• 3 to 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• 1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ½ jalapeño pepper (optional)

• Diced avocado (optional)

• Microgreens (optional)

Directions

1. Set aside half of the chopped cucumber, tomatoes, red pepper and green onions for reserve and place the remaining half in a blender.

2. Add the watermelon, garlic, basil, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and (jalapeño pepper optional). Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.

3. Pour into a large bowl (or small individual jars) and add the reserved chopped vegetables.

4. Chill for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.

5. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with diced avocado and/or micro greens, if desired, before serving.