Issue 29.1

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September | Vol 29 | Issue 1

thehawkeye.org

Hawkeye

Survival

A guide to a successful year » P5

The new Hawkeye

This is the flagship issue of the new Hawkeye.

Check out the Hawkeye’s new vision and focus » Page 3

2 | September 2013

Hawkeye

“A Little Slice of Heaven” SPECIAL DEAL: 20% off for MTHS students and staff w/ student or staff ID

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PLUS: POST-SEASON ACTION FOR ALL ESD TEAMS!

Your home for LIVE online video coverage of high school sports in the Edmonds School District!

The Sound Live Sports Network is brought to you in part by the Edmonds School District Career and Technical Education Department at Mountlake Terrace High School. Students from the Broadcast Production Class and the Hawkeye apply their study of broadcast sports production, sports reporting and sports announcing by producing these broadcasts. Other high school students in the district may participate in the broadcasts through an intradistrict CTE Broadcast Field Production course.

Contact Angelo Comeaux at MTHS for more information.

PRODUCED BY

HAWK TV/HBN & THE HAWKEYE WWW.THEHAWKEYE.ORG

Hawkeye

September 2013 | 3

hawkeye 2013-2014 Editor-in-Chief Nick Fiorillo

Editorial Board

Nick Fiorillo, Joy Gardner, Erick Yanzon, Conner Worman, Paxtyn Merten, Shannon Beaumont, Olivia Driscoll

Editorial News Editor Will Khadivi Sports Editors Austin McDermott & Anthony Markert Feature Editor Daniil Oliferovskiy Op/Ed Editor Conner Worman the425 Editor Paxtyn Merten A&E Editor Shannon Beaumont Health Editor Olivia Driscoll Copy Editor Nathan Koplitz Business General Manager Joy Gardner Advertising Manager Robin Choi Distribution Manager Maria Balcita Art Department Graphics Editor Erika Fisher Photo Editor Serafina Urrutia Online Online Manager Erick Yanzon Webmaster Arsha Kiani Multimedia Manager Jaira Arcilla ........................................................

Adviser Vince DeMiero FANs Coordinators Sandra Merten & Cathy Fiorillo Printing Pacific Publishing Member MTHS ASB, JEA/WJEA, NSPA, Student Press Law Center, Tao of Journalism

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Mission

Mission Statement The Hawkeye’s mission is to provide the MTHS community with quality, thought-provoking student produced publications. In policy and in practice since 1960, the Hawkeye is a designated open forum publication.

Policies

The Hawkeye has established several open public forums for the exchange of information, opinions and artistic expression dedicated to those in the MTHS community. Since 1960, we have faithfully served our audience and community as an open, public forum where student editors make all decisions.

Editorials The editorial section of the Hawkeye serves as a forum for well-written, thoughtful, longer forms of expression. Signed editorials represent the opinions of the author. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Hawkeye Editorial Board. Views printed herein are meant to be opinionated and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Hawkeye staff, student body, faculty, administration or school board. The Hawkeye will print submitted guest editorials as space allows and requests that all contributors include their name, signature and position relative to the editorial. The Hawkeye will edit all submissions for accuracy, spelling and grammar. We reserve the right to refuse to print any submission.

Letters to the Editor Readers are encouraged to voice their opinions in the Opinion section, a public forum for the expression of varying viewpoints on relevant topics. The Hawkeye will print as many letters as space allows. Letters must include the author’s name, signature and class or position relative to the letter. Typed or legible, hand written letters are acceptable, but should not exceed 200 words. The Hawkeye will edit all letters for accuracy, spelling and grammar. We reserve the right to refuse to print any letter.

Editorial Cartoons Submissions represent the view of the artist.

Editorial cartoons accompanying editorials and editorial columns represent the view of the author. Cartoons are selected based on appropriateness and clarity of message.

Advertising The Hawkeye will not accept any advertising that the Editorial Board deems to be: factually inaccurate; designed to mislead, deceive or defraud; containing malicious, vindictive or unsubstantiated attacks; offering goods and/or services illegal for teens to possess, buy or use; libelous; obscene; creating imminent danger or disruption to school. The Hawkeye reserves the right to refuse any advertising, solicited or unsolicited. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views or endorsements of the Hawkeye staff, student body, faculty, administration or school board.

Revised 9/2013

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Cover Photo by Serafina Urrutia

Contact Us Email editor@thehawkeye.org Phone 425.431.7770 Mail Hawkeye | Room 130 c/o Mountlake Terrace High School 21801 44th Avenue West Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043 © 2013 Hawkeye | All rights reserved.

reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

new year, new look Audience demands, new technology behind the most dramatic changes to student media since 1960 T

he changes at the Hawkeye this year are dramatic. The Hawkeye no longer looks nor operates like it did just a few months ago.

All of this change began in a revolutionary meeting late last June.

In that meeting, we posed a funNick Fiorillo damental question Editor-in-chief to ourselves: “How can we best serve our audience?”

Hearing that we were ready to impose monumental change onto the organization, our adviser, Vince DeMiero, asked us what we would do if we were the student news source at a brand new high school and were starting from scratch. In 2013, would we start by creating a tabloid newspaper?

Would this be the best way to serve our audience and fulfill our mission?

We realized we were, essentially, starting from scratch.

So, it was out with the old newspaper and in with something completely different.

What we came up with was this: We would create a feature-based newsmagazine that would come out less frequently, but would be longer, more in-depth and more durable.

One of the problems with the newspaper model was that we realized we were trying to break news on a monthly basis. But in this new age of journalism, one that is fast paced and requires breaking news at a moment’s notice, a monthly newspaper just does not work.

It’s a problem that every single media outlet in the world is working to solve. From the leadership staff at the Hawkeye to the biggest names in the business, news organizations are trying to find the best way to provide constant information to readers, while still making enough revenue to support themselves.

What we realized at the Hawkeye was that after the paper had been out for a few days, the news was old and quickly became irrelevant. For the newspaper to work, all of its content had to be relevant every single day that it sat in the bins. News flash: It wasn’t.

However, this is where the magazine comes in. In the magazine, stories are not so timely. They don’t necessarily make ref-

erence to a specific event that will pass by and be forgotten.

So what are we going to fill this new magazine with (other than mystique)? The answer: Content that is meaningful and will stay relevant throughout the entire time the issue is out – maybe even beyond.

These kinds of stories include profiles about important people, events or topics.

They include discussions about important issues relevant to our readers and our community.

In the Op/Ed section, you can expect the tradition of a strong editorial voice to continue. We will discuss important issues. They will be written by Hawkeye staff, school leaders and, of course, you our readers. We strongly encourage you to let your opinion be heard. Write a letter to the editor about how you feel about an issue or something you’ve read in the Hawkeye.

Do you have a photo, a poem, a painting or a short story that you want shown in the Hawkeye? We want to display all forms of student expression. Submit your work via email or in person. Coming soon, we will have an easy way to submit user-generated content via our revamped website.

In the new magazine we will also have main feature stories. Expect an in-depth “We strongly encourage you to let your opinion be heard. Write a letter to the editor about how you feel about an issue or something you’ve read in the Hawkeye.” cover story and other features. These stories may come from any number of areas of our coverage. These features are meant to shed light on to important topics, people or issues.

In this issue, for example, we have just one main feature – the cover story about how you can be best prepared for this school year.

Also premiering next issue is our Lifestyle section. This section is meant to be interactive and discuss student lifestyle topics.

This includes arts, entertainment, health, trends, community beat and other aspects of the life of Terrace students and our other audience members.

In the Sports section, we will focus on the individuals who make the magic of sports happen for the Hawks. For this first issue,

we are featuring senior Devante Downs, one of the most heavily recruited Terrace athletes ever. We sit down with Downs and talk about his past and his future.

If you know of an incredible athlete deserving recognition, tell us. Send an email to the Sports Co-Editors, Austin McDermott and Anthony Markert at sports@thehawkeye.org and they’ll look into it.

At the same time all of this is happening on the magazine, our website – www. thehawkeye.org – is undergoing dramatic changes as well. Yes, it looks different, but what you can expect from it has also changed. See page 4 for an explanation of our exciting new online presence by our Online Manager Since its Erick Yanzon. inception Needless to say, in 1960, we’re very excited the Hawkeye has been a about building tabloid style on the recent sucnewspaper cesses of the webprinted site and we need on 11x17 to hear from you newsprint – about how we can that tradition continue to serve changes with you via this importhis issue tant technology.

Most of our readers are not sitting down in the morning with a cup of Joe and reading a daily newspaper for an hour. Many of our readers are online. They’re on Twitter and Facebook and websites that engage them.

We have been working hard to make our online presence available and accessible for our readers. The new website will provide you with timely, engaging news. Always expect something new on thehawkeye.org.

This new way of doing business is as new to us as it is to you. This first issue is a preview of what’s to come. In order to best serve you, we need to know what you need.

Do you love the new Hawkeye? Hate it?

Think it should be banned in all 50 states and Puerto Rico? Let us know.

Write a letter to the editor and email it to editor@thehawkeye.org or bring it to Room 130 after school. We’ll be here.

It’s been a very busy summer for us. We have changed an incredible amount since you last saw us in June.

Change is scary, exciting and it definitely takes a lot of work. But change can bring us some wonderful things. H

4 | September 2013

Hawkeye

Going digital to bring you the latest information

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very year there’s a change, every year there’s something new; and in every end, there’s a new beginning.

It’s the year 2013! We already survived the 2012 apocalypse, so now there’s nothing really impossible.

Every year there’s going to be people leaving and coming in.

Some follow the old path and tradition; some are leaders who make a change.

You’re probably still in shock of the new size and layout of the paper you’re reading right now.

Erick Yanzon Online manager This year we have 20 highly dedicated students in leadership positions, and each and every one has found their own passion into something that contributes to the whole organization.

Of course we would be nothing without the best adviser ever, Vince DeMiero, who not just helps us troubleshoot InDesign and WordPress problems, but teaches us about real life skills.

And we’re not just a team, a club, or an organization – we’re a family, which is what set us apart from other groups.

Last year, we earned our very first National Online

Pacemaker Award in San Francisco. And this year we are gearing up to be even better.

This year, we have two new positions. Both new to Hawkeye last year, sophomore Arsha Kiani and junior Jaira Arcilla have found their place and became the Webmaster and Multimedia Manager respectively. Add myself as a second year Online Manager, and that makes our new team of online media managers.

We all spent the last days of our summer in launching our newly theme-updated website before school started, while also working on the first issue of our revolutionary newsmagazine.

It has better-looking design that you’ve never seen before, which fits and defines on what Hawkeye really is all about.

We will give you more reasons to go on thehawkeye.org. You can easily navigate through each section, and it’s very customizable which also makes it easier for us!

We are going to have a more systematic way of publishing posts. Stories and coverage are now going to be posted daily and we will give you the hottest and breaking news.

Plus, now you can read it straight from your smart phone device.

Each section editor is going to have a lead story up every week – at least. There are going to be more info-graphics,

interactive media and photo galleries. We will make sure you’re constantly updated with school and community events.

We also have a new YouTube channel that you can subscribe to at MTHSHawkeyeTube for new videos and updates. Don’t forget to share, leave comments and give us a thumbs up.

Other social media outlets are also coming soon including an Instagram account.

Working together with MLTNews.com and the Hawks Broadcasting Network, we are still going to have our live coverage of sports that feature Hawks games and other Edmonds School District varsity sports, and this year it’s called the Sound Live Sports Network or SLSN. You can also follow live score updates via @MTHSports and breaking news and information @MTHSHawkeye on Twitter.

And of course there’s no us without YOU, our readers, who make all of our hard work possible!

Thank you for all of your continued support.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, you can send us an email at web@thehawkeye.org, or you can simply tweet us @MTHSHawkeye or message us on facebook.com/MTHSHawkeye. H

Features of the new website

» HAWKEYE ARCHIVE

Miss any of our past issues and need to look back at something? You can browse them on our archive page and go through many Hawkeye volumes all the way from 2006.

» MULTIMEDIA

Straight from the home page, you can now watch our latest YouTube videos. From different student profiles, school events and many more.

» ADVERTISE WITH US

Businesses! You can now send us your ad straight from our site. Need more information? You can look at our media kit, ad sizes, rates, and contracts all right here.

» SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, subscribe to our YouTube page! You can see all of our social media outlets all in one convenient section.

» NAVIGATION BAR

An improved navigation menu makes it easier to go through each section or go back to the home page wherever you are on the site.

Scan this QR code with your smart device to go to thehawkeye.org

Hawkeye

September 2013 | 5

High School Survival Guide High school is hard. We’ll make it a little easier.

The secret map of MTHS (P6-7), expert advice for each grade (P8), and 10 useful apps (P9), are all suited to minimize high school hardships.

6 | September 2013

Hawkeye

The SECRE T Map of MTHS

Lost within an endless web of classrooms and hallways? Find your whereabouts in the complex labyrinth of MTHS. Graphics by Erika Fisher Graphics Editor

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Coldest drinking fountain!

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Complete with two computer labs, great reading material (for research and for pleasure), and a copier, the library provides students with many great resources

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Secret staircase to third floor.

Strictly for drama purposes

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Libarary Theatre

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209

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214 214P

201

201P

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206

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Main Entrance

205 204

Administration Offices Gym

MTHS elevator!

PS: You need a key

Upper Level

The art murals in Heidi Mondrad’s class create a genuine French environment and sub culture

Room 206 is the home of Senora Collins. Stop in to see a large mural depicting culture in Central America

Hawkeye

September 2013 | 7

Fitness.............

English...............

Science...............

Restrooms....................

CTE...................

History..............

Art.......................

Water fountains..........

Engineering........

Math..................

Language..............

Vending machines..........

Food...............................

The Jewelry and Metal room is said to be the coldest room in all of Terrace.

Don’t forget a jacket during the colder months!

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Staircases.....................

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128 136

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With lots of computers and no windows, room 114 is a sauna. Dress accordingly!

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129 133L

135L

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130

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133

The Executive ASB office is the only room Activities/ students have Athletics Office keys to.

Executive ASB Office

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132

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The art hall is covered in studentpainted murals!

This bathroom is equipped with paper towels.

The staff lounge, equipped with special teacher lockers, private phone booths, and a pool table.

ASB Office

Kitchen

HBN Studio

HUB

113

112

110

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108 114

115

107 Staff Lounge

Counseling Offices

Have any problems?

Solve them at the counseling office!

Lower Level

Hawk Shop

111

Career Center

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101P

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105 Women’s Locker Room

Weight Room

Men’s Locker Room

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The storage closet next to room 115. It now sits empty, but was the former home of Seattle’s Best Coffee when it was sold in MTHS years ago

8 | September 2013

Hawkeye

Looking back in order to look ahead S

SENIOR JUNIOR

hortly before graduating, I vowed to have written my final article for The Hawkeye.

Only two short summer months removed from high school life, to my surprise, I am churning out one more article, an opportunity I enthusiastically appreciate. Throughout high school, I loved writing articles and seeing them published in the newspaper.

Somehow, in my senior year, my name infrequently appeared in the bylines and this startled me. You will undoubtedly encounter some surprises in your senior year, too.

I started my first college application essay last August, initially planning to wax poetic and interject multisyllabic adjectives at unprecedented rates. But I didn’t know what to write about, mostly because I hadn’t spent time considering the kind AnhViet Nguyen Alumnus of person I was. Seniors, save yourself undue stress induced by the loathed combination of college admissions, senior projects, and testing. Instead of worrying about the expectations of a college admissions committee or the people around you, determine what kind of person you are and what kind of person you want to become. It’s easier said than done, but it turned my first draft littered with emotionless multisyllabic adjectives into a solid narrative of my

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unior year marks the beginning of the best part of high school – being an upperclassman. There is no stress of senior project, deciding what to do with your future or college application – yet. This year comes with a lot of freedom and new responsibilities.

Many people are starting to work and drive, but it’s important to balance everything and stay on track. You are half way to graduation so don’t loose focus now.

Olivia Drisoll health editor This is also a good time to turn

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things around, if you had a rough start the past two years don’t worry there’s still so many opportunities to succeed. If you need to make up any credits try and do it now to avoid being a senior stuck in a freshman class. Many of your required classes are out of the way, so try and focus electives on a possible career that interest you.

It’s never too let to get involved with our school. One thing that has made the past three years such a great experience for me is how welcoming everyone

at our school is. If there’s a club, sport or any other activity you’ve wanted to get involved in take a chance and do it this year.

This year you know what high school is like, so focus on yourself. This is a time to figure who you are and what you want to do.

An important thing to do is sign up for the PSAT in fall and the SAT or ACT in the spring. Talk to Ms. Brister in the career center for more information about testing.

This is the year colleges look at the closest so make the best of it. H

SOPHOMORE

hough the transition is not as bizarre as going from middle school to high school, becoming a sophomore is still an odd experience and requires you to develop new skills in order to be successful. Do you need to be a prodigy in order to graduate and go to college, or be a scholar and an athlete, or simply pass sophomore year?

No. Many will discover that their goals are attainable by a simple formula that consists of making schoolwork a daily routine and eliminating poor habits.

Incidentally, second year students will find that the workload grows tremendously Daniil Oliferovskiy with the option of taking AP classes. Don’t feature editor be intimidated and get the notion that AP Chemistry or AP European History will require six hours of homework each night. Just understand that unless you plan time everyday to look over your notes, study, and do homework, you will fall behind quickly and your homework will accumulate to the

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passions and interests.

Somehow, I found time to play on the basketball team. And by that, I mean play for half of the season and sit on the sidelines with my trusty pair of crutches for the second half.

After a season ending injury, I was disappointed but – oddly enough – I’m glad it happened. It was a humbling experience, albeit unexpected, that tested my resolve.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” holds true – although my knee isn’t really any stronger.

Before I conclude my final article for this beloved newspaper, I want to admit that I, like many of my predecessors, am a victim and survivor of senioritis. For some, it existed well before senior year. For others, it gradually becomes an unbearable situation that cannot be cured until graduation. But as excited as you are to depart the friendly confines of MTHS, focus on how you can make each day matter. There is no “right” way to have a successful year but you should be fine as long as you live each day with purpose and passion. It’s a whirlwind full of blended colors, emotions, experiences, and sounds – some of which will be unexpected. H

size of Mount Everest. When an athlete has done an exercise routine everyday for a year but begins to neglect that daily routine by skipping several days a week, he or she will recognize a decline in their athletic abilities. Athletes find that it’s much easier to endure a day of training if it has been a daily habit, rather than a spotty routine.

Because of this, sophomores may feel that school is exhausting and dominates too much of their time while interfering with other responsibilities. It’s difficult to fit every task into 24 hours, but by simply prioritizing your time you can eliminate poor habits that waste your time. Mentally categorize your daily tasks with what is unnecessary, urgent, and very urgent. Will you go to basketball practice but then forget about that English paper because there’s a new episode of “Breaking Bad”?

No! Make the conscious decision to avoid unnecessary and time draining habits to concentrate on your urgent needs.

Keeping these points in mind, you may encounter a bumpy or smooth road ahead, but if you are able to stay focused and stay organized, you will dodge the potholes and ditches to reach their destination, regardless of the conditions. H

FRESHMAN

reshman year. New school, new people, new teachers, new atmosphere. It’s very exciting but also extremely terrifying. So how do you find your place in this new world? Start by being yourself.

If you put up a fake front in attempt to make friends, you’ll find that the people who surround you are not as great as you thought. They Paxtyn Merten will be attracted to the fake you, the425 editor not the real you. Having a solid base of friends will make high

school that much more bearable during the difficult times and that much more exciting during the good times!

High school opens you up to so many opportunities to become a part of something, it’d be a shame not to take advantage of them. Between Drama, Band, HBN, Key Club, ASB, sports, and many more, there is something for everyone. You can build onto old skills and discover new passions, all while meeting people and possibly finding a group where you really fit in. I know that on top of all the stress of making friends and joining clubs, schoolwork sounds like another added obstacle, and it’s true; book work is often burdening

but it’s incredibly important. Don’t neglect schoolwork and make sure you find time for your homework in between band concerts, school plays, sports game, or whatever occupies your time. Most importantly, don’t procrastinate.

As Benjamin Franklin said, “You may delay, but time will not.” Keeping up with your work and doing it on time makes a difference and it shows.

Most importantly, don’t allow high school to exhaust you because its arguably the best time of your life. It’s going to have its ups and downs and it will definitely get harder as time progresses, but make the most of it and have a good time. Good luck! H Illustrations by Erika Fisher | Graphics Editor

10 Hawkeye

September 2013 | 9

Free apps to get you through school

Reviews by Paxtyn Merten Illustrations by Erika Fisher Hawkeye staff

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Quizlet Quizlet lets you make flashcards to quiz yourself on subjects in preparation for tests.

You can also use other peoples’ pre-made flashcards, saving you the time and money of making physical ones yourself! Also, it is much more convenient than carrying around a stack of flashcards.

Dictionary

Dictionary is the go-to app for looking up what words mean and how they are spelled. If you switch over to the Thesaurus, you can also find synonyms and antonyms for words. This app can get you through wordy textbooks and long, professional-sounding essays, all while expanding your vocabulary!

App 1. SparkNotes 2. Quizlet 3. Dictionary 4. Periodic Table Explorer 5. Google Drive 6. Skyward 7. Google Translate 8. Any.Do 9. SAT Question of the Day (QOTD) 10. Evernote

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Any.Do

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SAT QOTD

Function Help get through tough reads Learn terms and vocab with flashcards Also a thesaurus!

A must have if you’re taking a chemistry based science course Stores your Google Documents Check grades on the go Great for words and phrases Keep track of all your tasks for the day Get ready for the big test with a question every day A great way to share files and track notes

All of these apps can be found on the Apple App Store. Many are also found on the Android Marketplace.

Any.DO is a resource that allows you keep track of your homework through folders, reminders and calendars. It warns you when deadlines are coming up based on timeliness and locations you visit. You can also prioritize things and customize folders to work best for you.

Get ready for the dreaded test with this fantastic free app. Featuring a new SAT practice question every day, the app tests your knowledge in the different SAT categories, such as reading, math and writing.

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Evernote

Evernote is an easy system to sync multiple devices with the same files.

It captures video, audio and image in high quality on the go and allows you to attach notes to them. On the app, you can categorize notes by places, tags and notebooks for easy access.

10 | September 2013

Devante Downs powers through the Marysville-Getchell defense on Oct. 26, 2012 in the Hawks’ 39-8 rout of the Chargers.

Hawkeye

Hawkeye

September 2013 | 11

No Down Time for devante Torn anterior cruciate ligament. Four words that ended star football player Devante Downs’ high school career. But, he isn’t finished yet…

STORY BY AUSTIN MCDERMOTT PHOTOS BY SERAFINA URRUTIA HAWKEYE STAFF

“I was playing in a scrimmage on the second day [of camp], about three-fourths of the way through the scrimmage, it was a run play. About 20 yards down the field I tried to stiff arm a guy, and he was already falling backwards and my leg hyperextended,” Downs recalls.

“I thought I was fine. It just hurt a little bit. About a month later I found out the news.” The news was that he had a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and would miss his entire senior Now a Cal Bear, football season due to surgery and Downs also a long recovery process. received offers A torn ACL can take a minifrom Arizona, mum of six months to an entire Arizona Sate, year for recovery and rehabilitaBoise State, tion. The ligament is found behind Colorado State, the patella and helps hold the tibia Nebraska, Orgeon State, Stanford, and femur together. The injury has Utah, Vanderbilt, grown to be extremely common, Washington and not just in high impact sports such Washington State as football, but in sports like gymnastics and soccer as well.

Downs says his inspiration for recovery comes from professional running backs. “Reggie Bush was the first running back I liked, but now it’s Adrian Peterson. Bush, with how good he was in college, I just want to emulate that. Peterson, with how good he is, and also he had the same injury I have and I just want to come back just like him.”

Downs says his recovery is going well. “I already started physical therapy,” he said. He has been told that he will hopefully make a full recovery in about five months.

He expects to return in January, just in time for him to begin practicing with his new team, the California Golden Bears. “I plan to enroll into Cal (U.C. Berkeley) for spring quarter and continue my rehab process and hopefully get back onto the football field, but I’m not going to rush it. Because I did Running Start, I can graduate early, which lets me be part of their football team and go to school there in January. I’m a little nervous but I have to be ready for it. It’s been my mind set from the beginning [of Running Start].”

Downs committed to the University of California and a fullride scholarship on August 15 – the most heavily-recruited Terrace football player in school history.

He also had received offers from the University of Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, Colorado State, Nebraska, Oregon State, Stanford, Utah, Vanderbilt, Washington and Washington State.

Despite the severity of his injury he never really had a fear of losing his scholarships. “I already had built a relationship with the places I was most interested in and I didn’t think it would be a problem if I was just honest with them.”

California became Downs’ school of choice due to what it

could offer him in terms of education in his pursuit of becoming a pharmacist, combined with football so that he would have something to “fall back on.”

“I’ve seen ‘Friday Night Lights.’ [A serious injury] happened to the running back. He didn’t take school seriously and had nothing to fall back on. I know football can be taken from [me] in an instant. I want to be a pharmacist because I found what [science teacher John] Traxler said interesting. He’s a great teacher. I loved seeing how bonds work and how they can create medicine.”

Season outlook

Downs’ presence on the football field will be sorely missed.

After exploding onto the scene his freshman year, he has grown into a nearly unstoppable force and nightmare for defenses in WesCo. Despite not being the fastest player on the field, at 6’2”, 230 pounds, he makes up for what he lacks in speed in brute strength. His highlight reels feature an endless supply of broken

tackles and thrown defenders.

On the defensive side, playing at outside linebacker (where he is ranked sixth in the nation), Downs consistently puts the opposing quarterback on the turf. Between him and fellow First Team All-WesCo defensive end Jevin Pahinui, also a senior, the Hawks defense has become a force to be reckoned with.

Last year alone, Downs was Devante Downs Senior named to the First Team All-WesCo squad, as well as being nominated for the 2014 U.S. All-American Army Bowl. He currently plans on still attending the Bowl but is unlikely to actually participate in the game itself.

Without Downs this year, the Hawks look to junior Austin Bates to help pick up some of the slack. After a great showing in his sophomore year on the JV level, Bates’ impact will be made known on varsity this year.

At running back the Hawks already have All-WesCo Honorable Mention Chance Ragsdale who is more than capable of holding his own, but also back from injury this year is Ryan LaCasse, junior. Between LaCasse and Ragsdale, the backfield is still in good hands.

Downs says he will still be supporting this year’s squad, despite his injury.

“I was going to ‘go off’ this year and help the team a lot. That’s why this news was pretty devastating. But being sad about it isn’t going to change anything. I’m still going to practices and going to weight room, helping the people that may be a little confused.”

The future is near

Downs tackles a Lynnwood player last fall, breaking up a pass in a 42-0 rout of the Royals. Serafina Urrutia | Hawkeye

Downs is excited to move on to the next stage of his life. “I feel as a student at Mountlake Terrace I’ve accomplished all that needs to be done. I’ll be getting my diploma, maintained a good grade point average, and good relations with my friends, and that’s all I feel needs to be accomplished and that’s what I’ve done,” he said.

“I’m going [to Cal] by myself. It’ll be my first time all alone, fending for myself. I’ll probably be roommates with some guys from the football team.” Downs is drawing support from his team in his recovery. “They know it’s a difficult situation and they’ll help me get through it.”

While he was clearly upset when he was first diagnosed, Downs has moved on. “I was pretty angry and sad, but the fact that I can still pursue my football career after high school is the thing that’s keeping me going and making me work hard. And the fact that I’m going to get a high school diploma and college degree are the things that are making me work harder than before,” he said.

“I know I need to work harder and come back better than I was.” H

12 | September 2013

Hawkeye

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