NEW PHONE POLICY HITS MAC
Hello Grizzlies!
My name is Sean Gerbrandt, and this is the first issue we’ve made with all of our new Bruin staff! I am absolutely thrilled to be able to work with such amazing writers and editors. I truly couldn’t have hoped for a better team. But running our magazine is a lot of work so I couldn’t be more happy to have Brooke Anderson working by my side as co-editor.
In this issue we explore the complexities that come with fostering a learning environment in a world with phones. We also cover everything from Grizz Theater’s new musical “Bye Bye Birdie” to lab grown meat. Being someone that has now read each one of the articles, twice, I really can’t express how many exciting and fun stories we have this time around; so when you have the time, definitely have a read through one of our amazing articles.
Thank you so much to our wonderful staff of writers, photographers, and editors for another amazing issue, and to our advisor, Doc Savage. We truly do have an amazing team of passionate, young journalists whom I see massive potential for. Thank you so much for all of your support.
-Sean
AT A GLANCE...
“Anyone who thinks fAllen leAves Are deAd hAs never wAtched them dAncing on A windy dAy. ” -evelyn wAugh
THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
WRITTEN BY RIO GYENES WITH PHOTOS FROM WIKIMEDIA, PICRYL
THE BRUIN IS A FORUM FOR PUBLIC DEBATE
EDITORIAL BOARD
Editor SEAN GERBRANDT
Co-Editor
BROOKE ANDERSON
News SEAN GERBRANDT
Features BROOKE ANDERSON
Opinions FLETCHER JOHNSON
Sports RIO GYENES
Entertainment CARTER ABERNATHY
What’s Bruin MOLLY GRIBSKOV
REPORTERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS
CARTER ABERNATHY
CHARLES BALUN
DAUNTE MANDUJANO NARVESON
EVANGELINE CHAVEZ FLETCHER JOHNSON
HENRY SEEHAWER
KADEN FAST
KAIDEN LEE
MARIAH BARKLEY
MOLLY GRIBSKOV
RIO GYENES
RUBY RIDDLE
SCOUT JONES
JULIN STEPHENS
Advisor KERRIE SAVAGE
September 10, 2024, Kamala Harris, met Donald Trump for the first time at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. This was the first debate where Harris went against Donald Trump and from what we know so far, the last official presidential debate planned in this 2024 election season. After President Joe Biden announced he was running for a second term he received backlash from many citizens, saying that he appeared sickly, confused, and “unfit” to run for president while he was debating against Donald Trump, a former Republican president. After the incident Joe Biden formally announced his decision to drop out of the race on July 21, 2024. He then endorsed Kamala Harris to take his place in the election which ushered her late entry into the presidential race. During the Harris-Trump debate, former President Donald Trump stood corrected live by ABC moderators after he claimed that immigrants in Springfield, Ohio have been abducting and eating cats and dogs. Many fact checks were made after and during the debate while many news outlets analyzed the statements by the presidential candidates, Harris and Trump. AP News states, “There’s no evidence to support the claim, which Trump and his campaign have used to argue immigrants are committing crimes at a higher rate than others. Authorities in Ohio have said there are no credible or detailed reports to support Trump’s claim.” This statement went on to weaken Trump’s credibility. Moderators fact-checked Harris as well. Many were of the opinion that Harris had won the debate; meanwhile many voters still remain hesitant on whom they would choose to vote for during this election. Harris remained at a 6.0% voting lead in polls against her opponent Donald Trump, and her ratings did not change significantly from the pre-debate stats produced for ABC by the Langer Research Associates. Harris described her approaches for economic issues in the United States as “An Opportunity Economy.” She included that she plans to get rid of junk fees, give out tax credits to middle to lower income families;
supporting former candidate Joe Biden’s old visions, and help out small businesses by giving tax reductions up to $5,000-$50,000. Harris comments, “I believe in the ambition, the aspirations, the dreams of the American people, and that is why I imagine and actually have a plan to build what I call an opportunity economy.” In the meantime her opponent, Donald Trump sets a goal in his campaign to get back to when life was “better” again, referring to when America was under his administration. He said, “...Everybody knows what I’m going to do, cut taxes very substantially and create a great economy like I did before.” Trump’s other plans involving the economy include increasing tariffs on Chinese imports therefore getting more revenue, stopping taxes from social security benefits, and he has put a huge emphasis on increasing American energy production and getting rid of inflation. Trump voices, “Look, we’ve had a terrible economy, because of inflation, which is really known as a country buster.” Donald Trump then spoke on the American frustration of current inflation in the US economy, like the 2.5% inflation rate recorded in August 2024. One of the more controversial topics that was discussed during the debate, Roe vs Wade being overturned, sparked discussion about whether or not women should have the right to an abortion. When it comes to Harris’s campaign, she advocates for protecting the right to abortion at a national level. From this passion she began a “reproductive rights” tour showcasing how she plans to bring support to women regarding this issue. Harris said, “I pledge to you, when Congress passes a bill to put back in place the protections of Roe v Wade as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law.” In the debate opposite Trump, Harris argues that abortions are significant not only to adults, but also girls who are forced to be young abuse survivors as well. “Now, I believe in the exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. It’s the vote of the people. Now it’s not tied up in the federal government,” Trump said, revealing that he has no current plan to change the Roe v. Wade restrictions that are already in place; however, his plans are still somewhat unclear. As the days go by post-debate, it remains up to the voters to decide who will really take home this election— Donald Trump or Kamala Harris.
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SEAN GERBRANDT
HOPE FOR OREGON?
FLETCHER JOHNSON WITH PHOTOS FROM WIKIMEDIA AND FLICKR
When was the last time you drove through Portland? Terrible sights of rampant drug use have been the infamy of Oregon since the close to full decriminalization of hard drugs took hold in 2021. This has brought many cases of crime, overdoses, disturbing imagery, and has been a tragedy for our state. Fortunately, on Sunday September 1, 2024, after close to four years of drug problems spreading around the state, Measure 110 was officially rolled back by Oregon Republican officials, who had always been against the decriminalization, thus making possession of hard drugs a crime once more. Could this have the potential to help save lives and clean up our cities and state? Measure 110 was an experimental bill introduced in November of 2020 and introduced reduced penalties for those caught in possession of hard drugs such as fentanyl and heroin. The bill aimed to use marijuana tax revenue and law enforcement savings to help achieve and expand better addiction treatment. Sadly, due to the sudden rise in Covid-19 cases and fentanyl overdoses at the time, this money was slowed and couldn’t be entirely applied to the programs, which led to a slow process for getting treatment. With decriminalization, the new punishment for drug possession included a maximum $100 fine and a number to call for treatment options. According to Portland police however, a repeated situation occurs. “We’ve talked to exactly two people that have actually called that number,” states Sgt. Jerry Cioeta of the Portland Police Bureau. In the year after measure 110 took effect, only one percent of people who received a citation called the number given to them. There is an argument between Oregon officials if this kind of citation works or not, with supporters
of decriminalization saying treatment is better than jail time in helping people overcome addiction, while others say the large spike of overdoses is clear evidence of the ineffectiveness of the bill and its penalties. The law being reintroduced promises new reform for treatment and higher penalties for drug use such as up to six months in jail. It also allows for police to easily crack down on their use on sidewalks and parks while also enabling them to confiscate what is found. This includes possession of dangerous drugs such as fentanyl, heroin and other hard substances. With new penalties, also comes new programs to avoid jail time. Over $20 million dollars are set to be granted to 28 of the 36 counties in Oregon that have applied for deflection programs. Multnomah County, home to Portland, plans to open a treatment center in which police can drop off offenders in their possession and let them be assessed for health concerns and possible deflection. “The criteria is very narrow to meet deflection: no other charges, no warrants, no violent behavior and being medically stable,” said Portland Police Chief, Bob Day. Many of these counties plan to hold off on filing drug possession charges while people are completing programs, which could lead to better addiction support. Portland and its surrounding area have been under the scrutiny of the entire state for many years, but what do you think? Is there a possibility of seeing Oregon’s streets cleaner and safer? Perhaps only time will tell.
LAB GROWN MEAT
WRITTEN BY MARIAH BARKLEY AND PHOTOS FROM PIXAHIVE AND RAWPIXEL
Will consuming lab grown meat be healthier than traditionally acquired meats? The first cultivated burger took off in 2013, unveiled and eaten on live television. This burger was composed of over 20,000 thin strands of cow muscle tissue and took 2 years to produce, with a cost of $325,000 in equipment. In 2015, four cultivated meat companies were founded, and as of 2022, 150 companies were founded across six different continents. With that being said, the cost could now be down to only $10 a burger. The process for growing cultivated meat begins with obtaining stem cells from an animal. Bio Creators (a big machine or fermentation vessel used to produce the cell reactions needed for this product) are then used to help those stem cells grow in a dense environment while being fed oxygen-rich nutrients like amino acids and glucose to help their growth. Once ready, the cells are harvested, prepared, and packaged. Since the meat is meant to be animal-cruelty free, it might introduce a new product for vegan and vegetarian individuals as well. Some might say that because the product still relies on living animal cells to form, it crosses an ethical line of their beliefs of it being wrong, while others say that since taking the DNA cells, scientists are preventing the suffering of billions of animals, so it could still be considered within their ethical beliefs. Now, the real question is, is this cell-based meat a healthier option? Dana Hunnes, a clinical registered dietician, says that “cultivated meat is almost nutritionally identical to farm - or ranch - raised meat,” but since the medium can be adjusted and the fat content can be modified, the nutritional quality may be improved. Making cultured meat that has more vitamins and nutrients while being free of growth hormones would be amazing for the consumer’s health. This product also consumes less energy, land, and water during its process, so not only is it healthy for us, but it is helping our environment as well. One of the concerns for meat eaters is contamination to their intestines with pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella disease, but with this cultivated meat, the environment in which the meat is produced protects them from these types of contamination. To every story with its advantages, there is usually one or more disadvantages. Contradicting the label of “slaughterfree meat,” this product uses a medium known as fetal bovine serum, which is blood obtained from a deceased calf. Fetal bovine serum is fairly expensive, costing hundreds of dollars. Arguing against the statement of this being an animal-cruelty free process, extracting the cells with a fairly large needle from the animal via biopsy is usually a rather painful process for the animal. A producer may have to biopsy the animal numerous times before the cells it acquires are up to the standards. The lab grown meats are currently not being sold in any grocery stores or restaurants, but they very well could be in the future. Knowing the health factors and the process of how this meat is grown, would you try it if it makes its way to your local grocery store?
A POSSIBLE NEW RECREATIONAL CENTER
The city of McMinnville, is seeking to have voters approve a capital bond that would provide new and improved facilities for activities and increase accommodations for our community. If the bond is approved a new recreation center will be built. This could be an incredible addition and resource to our community. It would include child care, fitness classes, a gym, two new pools, meeting spaces, a track and much more. Over the last five years our town’s community advisory committee, MacPac, has evaluated how the facilities and meeting spaces in McMinnville have been impacting our community. They see a future for our town that is bright and promising. So they’ve concocted a plan; they hope to replace the aquatic and community center with a new recreation center. So where would this recreation center be located? If the city receives the bond, the new rec center would be located on Miller property which is right next to Joe Dancer Park, so not much farther from where the existing aquatic and community centers are located. But what are some of the amenities that the new recreation center would entail? On the city of McMinnville, Oregon’s official website, iheartmac.org, they say there would be a pool for competition swim meets and for the McMinnville Swim Club to practice in, as well as a pool for recreational purposes. The recreational pool would even have warm water for physical therapy
and a sloped entry to make the pool more accessible. There would be open multi-purpose spaces for all sorts of activities like hosting meetings and could potentially be used for teaching. There would also be an indoor track for all of Oregon’s rainy months. Along with the track there would be fitness studios, weight lifting equipment and two courts made for all types of indoor sports. Another feature would be the child care facility that would be provided for citizens using the rec center. Not only would a new recreation center be installed, but so would many other renovations and benefits to our community, such as improving outdoor spaces in Mac to make gatherings more enjoyable by keeping parks cleaner and making them more handicap accessible. And last but not least this bond could allow for a renewal of our local library with things such as advanced technology and larger meeting areas and study places. The main objective of this bond is to increase the level of accessibility and safety to places where our community learns, gathers and works. McMinnville’s Parks and Recreation Director, Susan Muir says, “The city has continued to make progress on moving this project forward and is considering placing a bond measure in front of voters no sooner than May 2025. Though this project is merely a possibility and would be long in the making, the benefits it would equip the community of McMinnville with are so exciting.”
GERMAN AND FRENCH STUDENTS AT MHS BRIDGE CULTURES
STORY BY: SCOUT JONES
SENIOR PARKING SPOTS
BY:
Recently our seniors got the chance to paint their parking spots and make them their own. The Bruin went to the event of the painting and interviewed a couple students about why this is such a fun and special thing for our seniors. The first person we interviewed was Brooklyn Rapp. She said, “It's so exciting because we are the first group of seniors that were able to paint our parking spots this year, and I've seen other schools doing it for years.” She also talked a little about what makes her spot so special to her. “My parking spot reflects a lot of my family life and trips we go on with my cousins. I chose to paint my favorite animal which is native to Hawaii.” She thinks that no one else should be able to park in their spots because “we all spent a lot of time and effort making these special to ourselves and we want to be able to park in it when we are at school.” Senior Kane Sullivan said, “I resonate with Spiderman a lot; sometimes I think I am Spiderman and that's why I decided
to do Spiderman.” You can tell he worked very hard on his parking spot. “I spent a lot of time the night before making a stencil for my spot just so everything would be perfect.” Kane said it was very important to him that the seniors got to paint their parking spots so that the seniors would have something they did together to remember their senior year by. Senior Lydie Angevine agrees with the significance of her parking spot. She said, “The quote I have on my parking spot is something that my dad says all the time, and my dad is a big inspiration in my life.” Lydie’s dad has always been there for her and is her number one supporter. This is the first year that seniors are able to do this and it is something fun that she and her friends got to do together. Lydie thinks people should be allowed to park in her parking spot only after hours because she worked really hard and spent a lot of time making her spot; she wants to be the only one to park in it during school.
Over the summer select groups from our language classes had the opportunity to practice their language skills abroad. You may have noticed during the month of April there were a few more exchange students here. That’s because the German class has a GAPP program (German American Partnership Program), where MHS students exchange places with German students for about one month in each country. After the German students came in April, our students went to Germany during the month of June. The French students didn’t exchange places with MHS students, but our students were able to spend 12 days exploring France with their MHS peers instead. Both groups of students note many interesting cultural shocks and places they got to see during their visit. The German students had a very positive experience during their monthlong visit. In the first two and a half weeks of their stay, our MHS students stayed with host families where they got to attend German schools, learn how families live in Germany and experience their culture. One of the students that went on the trip, Jakob Clayton, was surprised by how many families in Germany don’t really use machine dryers, which was a cultural shock between America and Germany that he got to experience while with his host family. Many of the GAPP students also talked about how inexpensive the food was in grocery stores, along with how affordable other public places were as well, which is different from how expensive American food can get. During their trip, the MHS GAPP students not only got to visit Germany, but many got to also visit bordering countries. While in Germany, their class took a field trip to France, along with taking a day trip to Switzerland. Mallory Symons, stated that the PSG stadium was one of her favorites while on their field trip. In regards to preparation for the trip, Kaylee Dinger said that before attending the trip she was worried about speaking German and meeting new people, but by the end of the trip she felt much more comfortable with her German and became very close with others on the trip, especially her exchange partner. The trip to France lasted nearly two weeks which offered the students ample time to explore specific aspects of the country. When asked about cultural shocks they experienced, many mentioned that in Europe their drink caps stay connected to their water bottles, so you can’t drop or lose them, which took some of them time to adjust to. Another student, Hannah Weisz, said that something she missed was having ice in her drinks. She was surprised that in France they don’t really serve water or any drinks with ice cubes, compared to America where almost all cold drinks are served with complimentary ice. Students on the France trip didn’t visit other countries, but similar to the GAPP trip, they got to see many different landmarks within France.
A junior, McKinley Rex, said that her favorite landmark was actually where her past exchange student was from, Annecy, which is known as the “‘Venice of France’” due to it originally being Italian territory, but also because of its colorful buildings, similar to those in Italy.
Prior to the trip, Peyton Ruden, said that at first she didn’t feel prepared because she didn’t know what to expect, but as the trip went on she got more comfortable and had a lot more fun. While many students expressed prior to their trip that they were nervous, all of those that were interviewed said that they would recommend traveling to any future students who might be interested. So if you are, look for future trips your language classes might offer, because who knows what fun opportunities you’ll find.
DREAM, EXPLORE, TRAVEL
STORY AND PHOTO BY: RUBY RIDDLE
Susan Muir pictured in front of the undevolped Quarry Park.
STORY AND PHOTOS
HENRY SEEHAWER
NEW PHONE POLICY HITS MAC HIGH
From wired to wireless, from long phone calls to instant messaging, there is no doubt—cell phones have become something we have integrated into our daily lives. They make it easier to talk to friends and loved ones. They make it easier to access information and are considered to be somewhat of a necessity in today’s world. They make it easier to do everything. Phones have especially affected the daily lives of students and the younger generations. Phones have many upsides, but experts in psychology have questioned their ability to help the average person live a better life. For instance, for students, phones have always posed the issue of cheating, either by making it easier for students to do things such as cheat on tests or share answers. In addition, phones are notoriously used to spread gossip and in cyberbullying. To make things worse, COVID-19 made strides for students to further rely on technology for educational purposes, which often got misused. Many schools have taken notice of this and have decided to take action to better the education of students. Now McMinnville has taken part in this as well. In response to teachers’ frustration, complaints from parents, and general misuse of this technology, the school has made a commitment to abide by the policy starting this semester. Our school has reinforced our phone policy, with cell phones only being allowed during passing periods, lunch, and before/after school. Otherwise, it’s no cellphones, bell to bell. Recently, co-editors of the Bruin sat down and interviewed our principal, Mr. Furman, to really get the facts straight. Links
between social media and anxiety have been well documented, which distracts students from instruction in school. This issue was brought up by Mr. Furman as a strong factor in why this new policy is being enforced.
“The book, The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt came out at the end of March. It’s broadly about the mental health of young people. There are four possible moves communities can make to address mental health concerns among young folks, and one of the moves Haidt recommends is phone free schools.” Teachers have also often stated their frustration with having these addictive devices constantly buzzing in students’ pockets and students using their phones in the classroom for unrelated activities. “Last year we surveyed our staff and asked, ‘are cellphones a distraction in class?’ 120 out of 120 of them responded and said yes. Broadly speaking everyone who took that survey acknowledged it was a problem.” A concern from this policy that arose was that some classes, such as Health, Criminology, and Model UN, use cell phone technology for research on more sensitive topics that cannot be accessed on the school-provided Chromebooks. While this may not apply to every classroom, it makes it much more difficult for the classes that it does affect. “District IT said that they are going to work with us on creating a separate set of filters for the highschool. I’m hopeful we are able to get the high school specific filters set up sooner than later, but their focus is mainly on Synergy and the new phone
SPOTLIGHT ON MS. JONES
system as well.” With all things considered, what do you think about the policy? Regardless of where you fall on the scale of being pro or against the newly enforced rules, we’d love to hear your thoughts in a letter to the editor. Thank you so much, Mr. Furman, for the insightful interview and working to make our school a better place for everyone. Stay curious, grizzlies.
After three years as the choir teacher for MHS, Ms. Jones has already made quite an impression as an inspiring, supportive and kind teacher. She has grown a lot and has given students a chance to truly step out of their comfort zone. Last year she introduced a number of new music groups, a variety of songs and offered a unique sound for the choirs. With these experiments, Ms. Jones and the choir have learned new techniques in teaching as she breaks down the specifics. She states, “The students are ready and willing; they have extremely high expectations and goals. They met the goals that I set for them that I was concerned would be too high in these past years, but they exceeded them and everyone’s spirits remain high, and I think we’re back to the standard we reached before 2020.” Ms. Jones gives some insight on what the different choirs have been working on so far while practicing and working on a schedule throughout the class. She explains, “This year has been a lot of trying to get into a routine and some classes are even solidifying their songs and getting them memorized already.” With the particular difference in sound, she also went into detail about the change. “Last year we had two huge programs, we are now infusing the jazz band and Twilighters to interplay, while we also changed the choir over to a show choir. This is going to keep happening and the more we do it the more professional we get and the better the quality is.”
Moving on to more personal questions, Ms. Jones gives us her insight into choosing a piece of music to play. She states, “For me I listen to a lot of other choirs. I listen a lot online and I think about songs I’ve performed before I became a teacher. I also think about songs that I would want my choir to know about and to cover.” Ms. Jones has built strong relationships with her students and explains her teaching style when encouraging students. She passionately said, “I try to establish right away that they are wanted here whether they trust their voice or not. Because they are valued here. I try to make my room as safe for them to explore singing and playing as possible.” She continues, “My biggest thing is passion. I feel like a lot of mistakes can be forgiven if that person is super passionate because then they can learn from them.” With a teaching career of 12 years, Ms. Jones has given students something they didn’t know was possible and has changed a lot of young people’s lives. With her thorough teaching style and adamant way of inspiring, Ms. Jones leaves a message of how she thinks music helps students. She expresses, “Music helps students in my class by letting them know their part of a family; they come to the choir room and feel safe, but also music just speaks to your soul, it’s another way of feeling your emotions.” With choir concerts upcoming, a lot of promise and excitement can be felt throughout the school.
STORY AND PHOTO BY: FLETCHER JOHNSON
STORY AND PHOTO BY:
BROOKE ANDERSON AND SEAN GERBRANDT
GALLERY GETS GREASY
Gallery Theatre, our local theater located on Third Street, has been putting on outstanding performances for decades. A vast majority of Gallery Theatre’s productions contain a large portion of cast and crew that are high school students. I had the privilege of interviewing two cast members of Gallery’s newest production of Grease, Bella Eberle and Campbell Willis. Bella is a sophomore and Campbell is a junior at McMinnville High School. Being a part of a production outside of school is a tremendous commitment, including hours and hours of rehearsals and memorizing lines. This work takes up quite a large chunk of an actor’s day. This leaves little time to complete homework, projects, or even attend social events. Campbell Willis stated, “We have rehearsals and performances for about four hours every day. Then I come home, and I’m physically and mentally exhausted. I usually come home at about 11:00 every night, and I immediately get on my Chromebook and jam as much Pre-Calculus as I can.” Most audiences cannot comprehend the blood, sweat and tears that goes into a theatrical performance, but putting your heart and soul into something you are passionate about creates a sense of accomplishment. “I’m so grateful to be a part of Grease. The friends I have made and the experiences that I got from this makes everything worth it. It gets challenging, but I’d definitely do it again in a heartbeat,” Campbell said. “Seeing hard work pay off when the audience springs up from their seats with a standing ovation made it all worth it,” Bella remarked. “I then realized that we had truly created something special. Even more than internal pride when I see a standing ovation, it is a joint pride with my castmates that we share. We smile, we dance with each other, and it is truly a bonding moment for the cast.” Being a part of a local show provides students with
aspiring careers of musical theater the skills and foundations they need to be successful. Not only does it prepare these young thespians for their future but it prepares them for roles they play in their high school productions. Bella and Campbell are now starring in MHS’s production of Bye Bye Birdie. Bella said, “Other skills that I have learned through my productions at Gallery that I can then take into Bye Bye Birdie range from working with people, to learning lines and choreography efficiently.” Not only can participating in a local production build your skills but it can also foster friendships and bonds with people you would have never known otherwise. Bella explained that being a part of Grease has significantly grown her friendships with her castmates and that the cast of Grease has become a community she spends most of her time with. Gallery theater is not only providing the youth with beneficial skills to apply to their future theatrical performances but is also providing skills like self advocacy and determination that they can carry into the rest of their lives.
Bella and Campbell both say being a part of a production like Grease has been an outstanding experience that they will cherish for years to come. If this sounds like something you might be interested in, they definitely recommend giving it a shot. So when the next show comes around, will you be on the cast list?
A LONG WAY HOMECOMING
This year Homecoming Week kicked off with the theme: “It’s A Long Way Homecoming,” which was all about space, aliens, and superheroes. There were a lot of fun activities planned during Homecoming Week. On Monday, we started off strong with “Anything But a Backpack Day.” Students carried their supplies in baskets, suitcases, helmets, wagons, you name it. In addition there was Galaxy Slime making, which was held at lunch in the activities lobby, and Bingo Night in the food court. On Tuesday, we had a tinfoil hat making activity, which was also held at lunch in the activities lobby. ASB hosted a movie night in the auditorium featuring Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1. Wednesday ushered in galaxy glitter & temporary tattoos during lunch in the activities lobby and Glow Dodgeball during lunch in the upper gym. Thursday was Twin Day. HOCO Week also featured a tailgate party for volleyball in the food court. Finally, on Friday everyone wore their student colors. As per tradition there was a Homecoming assembly and schoolwide parade. ASB advisor Lucy Bertolo said, “This was an early Homecoming, for the past two years we have had an extra two weeks to prepare. In addition, we have a pretty new group of ASB students this semester, graduating thirteen seniors last year. When the odds could have been stacked against us, this crew instead rose to the occasion and created a unique and refreshing week of activities. This was the most participation I have seen from the student body in the three years I have done it. I am incredibly proud of my ASB students for another phenomenal Homecoming week.”
SOMETHING TO MARVEL AT
There is no question that Marvel has hit a bit of a downturn lately with flops like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, along with the lowest-grossing movie in their franchise, The Marvels (resulting in a 237 million dollar loss). Needless to say, Marvel is struggling to match their past fame. According to VisualCapitalist.com, reviews for the movies haven’t been looking good, staying in the middle with a 60-75% range of audience enjoyment, with some movies staying at 47% and 46%. Audience enjoyment was substantially lower than previous years with movies that mostly stayed above the 75% range, with the highest being Black Panther, at around a 96%. This is why Marvel was hoping for their newest movie, Deadpool & Wolverine, to be a box office hit. Needless to say, it absolutely shattered their expectations. As of writing this, the movie has hit around 1.3 billion dollars and had an enjoyment of 79% on Rotten Tomatoes. This movie was a massive hit and has been a refreshing change of pace for Marvel’s revenue. This kind of funding is extremely important when it comes to Marvel Studios, as not only does it earn them a jaw-dropping amount of money, but it also paves the way for better movies to entertain audiences and improvements to their company. Movie fans can anticipate this hope when Marvel’s
president, Kevin Feige, says, “It’s been nice to be able to rally behind one feature project this year; I’m much more comfortable being the underdog. I prefer being able to surprise and exceed expectations.” This comment underscores that Marvel Studios believes in this and next year they will be able to do so much better than previous years. The director of Deadpool & Wolverine, Shawn Levy, contributes, “You’d have to live under a rock not to know that the last few Marvel movies have failed to ignite the world in the way that so many did.” Judging by the quote, the director seems regretful of past mistakes by the company but still remains hopeful for the future of Marvel Studios. So, what does this mean for this coming year? The employees at Marvel Studios seem pretty adamant that they don’t want a repeat of another year full of flops. With the success of the new Deadpool & Wolverine movie, they plan to carry this momentum into the coming year and hopefully match the fame that their old movies have acquired. With the turn in direction Marvel Studios is taking, the future of the company once again seems quite bright.
BIRDIE RETURNS TO MHS
STORY BY BROOKE ANDERSON
The week wrapped up with the Black Out football game against Liberty. The Grizzlies won in double overtime 4236. Finally, we had our Space Jam Homecoming dance. Bertolo added, “Thank you Grizzlies for showing up and we hope you will continue to do fun things with us this year!”
After two excellent shows last year, “James and The Giant Peach” and “Our Town”, Grizz Theater is back and ready to perform the first show of the school year. McMinnville High School will be putting on “Bye Bye Birdie.” “Bye Bye Birdie” is a cult classic musical with music written by Charles Strouse (who has also done shows such as “Annie” and “All American”). This witty and comedic show is based on the renowned singer, Conrad Birdy based off of Elvis Pressley, preparing for one last stunt for his fans before being drafted off to war. His agent, Albert Peterson, and his secretary, Rose, help him perform this final farewell which comes in the form of a kiss to one of his fans in the small fictional town, Sweet Apple, Ohio. Grizz Theatre has put a lot of love into this show. They’ve worked extremely hard and are ready to put on another wonderful production for all who come to see it. The star students in McMinnville High School’s production of Bye Bye Birdie are: Joel Ruden, Kaira Lierenas, Bella Ereble and Campbell Willis. This show brings back some familiar faces to Grizz Theatre, but
also has many new actors who are ready to establish a name for themselves in Grizz Theatre’s history. Along with the cast, the crew for “Bye Bye Birdie”, has been a crucial part of making this show come to life with many hands-on responsibilities like a three-tier set, props, costumes, stage management, and much more. Spearheading the technical side of the show is assistant director, Haliey Shurts, and Head Stage Manager, Cris Walker. Show dates will be November 15, 16, and 20, 21, and 22. Tickets will be sold at the door or on HomeTown Ticketing which is an app you can get on your phone. Our theater teacher, Ms. Potter, and our choir teacher, Mrs. Jones, have been nothing short of amazing when it comes to producing and directing “Bye Bye Birdie” (plus many other shows performed here at McMinnville High School). From us at the Bruin and the rest of our Grizzlies here at MHS we would like to recognize and celebrate your hard work. Your continuous support for our students has made an extremely positive impact on our community. Thank you.
STORY BY CARTER ABERNATHY AND PHOTO BY FREE MALAYSIA TODAY
STORY AND PHOTO BY KAIDEN LEE
STORY BY RUBY RIDDLE
BEHIND THE SCENES: FALL SPORTS
STORY WRITTEN BY MOLLY GRIBSKOV & RIO GYENES
PHOTOS BY SCOUT JONES, JULIN STEPHENS, & KADEN FAST
2024 Paris Olympics
Cross country is composed of a multitude of coaches, one of them is MHS science teacher, Bailey Hardinge. Hardinge ran cross country at Tigard High School, which is where she grew up. Three years ago, Hardinge began coaching cross country in order to share her enjoyment of the sport and to encourage runners to work towards their goals. As of right now, Hardinge stated that her favorite part of coaching is “the ability to help athletes improve and then watch as they progress in the sport.”
Taylor Petersen, MHS’s head volleyball coach, spent her whole life surrounded by sports, particularly volleyball, as she played from the age of 12 all the way through college. Petersen’s aunt, Anna, also played volleyball when Petersen was growing up. Peterson states that her aunt served as a huge inspiration for Petersen to start her own career in volleyball. Anna also seemed to greatly influence Petersen’s decision to begin coaching at McMinnville, along with several of Petersen’s close friends, particularly Carly Humphreys. Petersen states that Humphreys was one of the biggest reasons that she accepted her current position; if it were not for Humphreys support and guidance, Petersen would not have continued her coaching career at MHS.
The MHS Color guard coach, Alex Pattison, has an impressive history involving color guard, going back to 2014, to her freshman year at MHS. Her 10 years of experience with the color guard so far, included joining the highly competitive Oregon Crusaders drum cord color guard in 2018. Alex discusses, “COVID happened, things died down. And we didn’t have a coach anymore, and Barton reached out to me and said, ‘Hey we need a coach, you want to be the coach?’” She agreed to help out the MHS color guard and has been continuing to contribute her time ever since.
Karly Mingus, the head women’s soccer coach, has been coaching our soccer team on and off for ten years. In an interview, Mingus stated that the best part of coaching soccer is “the opportunity to engage with the athletes and foster relationships while collectively nurturing our passion for the sport.” Mingus participated in soccer from her childhood and into college, even representing MHS during her time here. After Mingus’s career in soccer came to an end, she decided to begin coaching in order to remain close to the sport that she participated in throughout her life. Mingus began coaching with younger athletes and eventually progressed to coaching high school level soccer here at MHS.
From the age of five to his collegiate years, Adam Howard played soccer. Now, he is the head coach for McMinnville’s boys soccer team. Howard has several years of experience in the realm of coaching, with this currently being his 18th year. Initially, Howard began coaching due to empowering coaches he had during his career as a player; he wanted to have the same beneficial impact on future generations that they gave to him.
When the head football coach, Ty Tomlin, was in his high school days, he was like many other students and struggled to enjoy academics. Tomlin played football in his freshman year in high school, while his father was head football coach in Lebanon, Oregon. In order for him to continue to play football, his parents wanted him to work to obtain good grades. Tomlin says in an interview, “When I went to college I wanted to play division 1 ball, that’s all I wanted to do. I didn't really care about the academic piece, and again because of football it got me my college degree.” Tomlin graduated in 2001, and received his bachelors in European history at the University of Oregon. Three years postgraduation, Tomlin discovered he liked teaching, and then acquired his masters in education. At the moment, this is Tomlin’s 24th year of coaching, and now 4th year being the head football coach at MHS.
The 2024 Paris Olympics was an event many people were looking forward to. Holding the Olympics in the “City of Love” sounded exactly like what the world needs right now in a world rich with controversy. It was also announced one of its main goals was to be one of the cheapest Olympics ever. All of this sounds amazing until the event actually came about and very quickly serious issues started to arise. Before the games were to take place, the government began to clear migrants and homeless people out of Paris in an attempt to show the city in a more positive light. They were to be let back into Paris after the games, but many were still understandably upset about the order. Armed police officers set up barricades and caution tape as many protested against these measures. Despite the French government trying to show themselves as friendly and welcoming, they instead were starting to be seen by some as an uncaring government to those in need. The next controversy began when the government began spending money to try and clean the Seine, a famous river in Paris that was polluted with disease, so that athletes could swim in it. Against their best efforts, the river was still infested with E. coli, but that didn’t stop the government from declaring it perfectly safe and moving on. Several of the athletes that went on to swim in the river as part of the triathlon fell ill shortly after. Reports say that they can’t be certain it was the quality of the water, but the athletes did express concern after seeing “brown things” in the water. The opening ceremony for this year’s Olympics was especially controversial to some, as they made a depiction of The Last Supper with a man painted blue while resting on the table. This was not only extremely confusing to some, others were offended by the strange representation. On an even more confusing note, many people were skeptical about the addition of break dancing to the 2024 Olympics but still excited for the show nonetheless. Those who went on to watch the performances may have been met with the controversial dance moves from an Olympian named Rachiel Gunn. Her completely original dance moves were shocking to audiences, with many voicing complaints about her taking such creative liberties in the sport. Words truly cannot describe her routines. Some people loved it, others hated it. In response, she stated, “I really appreciate the positivity, and I’m glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives.” After such a controversial run of the sport, it has been announced it will sadly not be seeing a return any time soon. The cost of the Olympics was later brought into the spotlight once more when the Olympic quarters for the athletes had them sleeping on cardboard beds. Some of the contestants also voiced complaints about personal belongings, including money, mysteriously disappearing after they came back to their rooms. This led many to take up residency in nearby hotels rather than continue to stay in the provided dorms. Despite all of this, many observers and athletes still gave positive reviews after it concluded. While the Olympics are continuously riddled with controversy; they always do seem to have quite the level of success. Whether viewers were keeping up with all of the news about the event or not, almost all can agree that the Olympics continue to be one of the world’s most spectacular events.
COACH GRAHAM
RETIRES
Willie Graham, who was our head coach for the MHS boys basketball team, has been coaching for 28 years and has spent 20 years as a head coach. Unfortunately, Graham is retiring from coaching this year. Graham states, “I retired as the basketball coach because it takes a lot of time and energy to run a basketball program from the youth level through high school. I just didn’t feel that I had the energy and commitment level that is needed to make sure that everything is running the way it should. It was definitely a great experience, and I was really lucky to get to work with such great coaches, players and a very supportive administration team at McMinnville High School. I will definitely miss coaching, but I will enjoy getting to watch the future Grizzly teams play without the stress and responsibilities that come with coaching.” He also said, “My favorite memory is being able to see what all of the former players are doing after high school. It’s always fun to get to reconnect with them and hear about the positive impact that being part of the basketball program at McMinnville High School has had on their lives.” Tucker Coil, who is the JV Boys Basketball coach, will be filling in the role as the new head coach for the team. When asked for one last message Graham would give to the new head coach, he said, “I will be there to support you and the team in any way that I can just like our former coaches, Coach Burke and Coach Havercroft, did for me.”
STORY BY SEAN GERBRANDT
PHOTOS BY WIKIMDEDIA
STORY AND PHOTO BY KAIDEN LEE
Is More Than Just a Number
BY CARTER ABERNATHY
In war torn Earth, nearly quiet from devastation, the only sounds left are the click and whirrs of mechanical beasts and the footprints from cloth feet. 9, like the first sentence describes, takes place in a postapocalyptic world. As I voice my opinion on it, know there are spoilers ahead. Overall, the movie did very well in terms of leaning into the more horror related aspects of the world, while still keeping that mystery element all good films have. A quick plot summary is that 9, a doll that has woken up in a room he’s never seen before, explores the apocalyptic world that surrounds him, with no traces of life left. He meets new dolls, and ends up facing off against multiple machines, including the main antagonist, The Fabrication Machine. This antagonist has the ability to take the souls from the different dolls, which is shown throughout the movie. In the end, the dolls manage to defeat the machine, powering it down for good. Overall, I think the movie delivered on the tone it was trying to portray, creating a dark and ominous feeling throughout the movie. You can see bits and pieces of what has happened to the world, and even some corpses of the people who used to live there. It does well in its worldbuilding, making the viewer feel trapped in this destroyed world. It shows very little plant life, with the remnants of different items and machinery littering the world. This also ties in with its color scheme, mostly dark colors and greens, tying into the sorrow that
pairs with the rubble and destruction the film hopes to portray. Along with the worldbuilding and setting, the film does a good job of portraying a pretty terrifying villain. Speaking of which, the villain was a really cool addition. It was pretty terrifying, as it had the ability to not only build more machines to fight the protagonists, but also had the ability to take their souls and trap them. My only issues I had with the movie were that the characters didn’t seem very fleshed out. They were pretty simple, and only really had one thing each going for them. They mostly stayed the same throughout the movie, with very little character development. I also found that some portions of the movie did not make sense at times. Like another character, 1, who was a grumpy and very stubborn doll who doesn’t want to follow 9’s plans, suddenly goes along with it and sacrifices himself for their cause. The movie can be a little confusing at times, especially near the end, but I would say the that the film is still great overall. Even with these flaws, the movie excels in what it hopes to accomplish by constructing a spooky world with its dark tones. If you’re interested in an apocalyptic movie with mechanical monsters, I would definitely recommend checking it out.
And The Grammy Goes To..?
BY MOLLY GRIBSKOV
Carter is a senior who enjoys writing about personal and entertainment stories.
Molly is a sophmore who enjoys writing about her opinions and covering topics related to music.
The most heralded event within the realm of music is undeniably the Grammys. Nominations will be announced in November, with several of the nominees being fairly predictable. In general, the albums that have the highest chance of winning AOTY are Cowboy Carter, Short N’ Sweet, Brat, The Tortured Poets Department, Eternal Sunshine, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, Hit Me Hard, and Soft. Personally, I think that Short N’ Sweet should win; it is a cohesive and hilarious masterpiece. Despite my opinions, Cowboy Carter by Beyonce will realistically capture the heralded award. Not only has Cowboy Carter received critical acclaim, JayZ’s prior comments regarding Beyonce being snubbed may have an impact on her winning. ROTY or Record Of The Year, is another one of the 4 big Grammy categories. The songs Espresso, Texas Hold Em’, Lunch, Too Sweet, and Not Like Us will most likely be the frontrunners for the award. Espresso should, and will most likely win the ROTY award, it is undeniably the best sound recording this year. Espresso possesses an infectious beat with an unforgettable performance by Sabrina Carpenter. The nominations for SOTY will be similar, undoubtedly consisting of Espresso, Fortnight, Lunch, We Can’t Be Friends, Good Luck, Babe, and Texas Hold Em’. Taylor Swift typically receives a win in one of the big 4 categories, so Fortnight will most likely win. Fortnight should win as well; it possesses more lyrical depth than any of the other songs mentioned prior. The only other song that slightly holds a candle to Fortnight is Good Luck, Babe, but knowing the Grammy’s adoration for Taylor, she will go home with the award over Chappell. Chappell Roan will presumably be nominated for Best New Artist alongside Sabrina Carpenter, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey, and others. While both Teddy Swims and Shaboozey have both had prominent songs this year. Sabrina and Chappell will be the ones fighting it out at the end of the night. I adore Sabrina, but due to her not technically being a new artist, Chappell is the most deserving of the award. With all the success that Chappell has had recently, it’s possible we could see her winning the Best New Artist award. In the end, any artist has the potential to pull off a win in the big 4 Grammy categories, but there will always be certain artists or projects that present themselves as frontrunners in their respective categories.
Top 3 Dumbest Trends of 2024
BY HENRY SEEHAWER
Henry is a senior who enjoys writing about opinions and school related topics.
The “Squeeze Benz” Trend 3.
The “squeeze benz” trend or the “cutting up” trend. This trend is basically just driving super fast and recklessly through heavy traffic and cities whilst listening to super loud music. Popularized by a TikToker named “squeeze benz” a lot of people on TikTok have started to copy what he does, ending up causing a lot of accidents, police chases and sometimes even casualties. Although this trend is cool to see, the general stupidity of this trend and putting others’ lives at risk is what has landed this trend a spot on the top 3 dumbest social media trends of 2024.
“Chug Splashing” 2.
I’m unsure how this trend was started, but basically a person goes to a drive thru at a fast food restaurant and orders 8-12 large cups of water. They then take these waters and throw them out of a moving car at people on the street. Oftentimes these people are homeless or just people they don’t know. To me this trend is not a fun thing to do with your friends; it’s a way to harass people in the communities that they live in. This trend is overall just lame, and if you participate in this trend you are lame.
Being “Demure” 1.
This trend is hard for me to even write about without cringing. The general trend is basically people doing normal things and then saying the way they are doing said thing is “mindful” or “respectful” or “demure”. Ever since I saw this trend for the first time it has been corny, uncool, and cringe. This trend necessarily doesn’t hurt or harm anyone, but the absolute corniness and cringe I feel watching this trend is what has landed this trend the top spot on my list of dumbest trends of 2024.
The Downfall of Kanye West
BY HENRY SEEHAWER
Kanye West, born and raised in Atlanta Georgia, initially started his career producing music in the early 90’s for a lot of popular rappers. He was then signed by Rockefeller Records as a producer/artist and dropped his first hip hop album “The College Dropout”. This album was where Kanye found his rise to fame in the music world. Kanye went on to drop several more albums, winning tons of awards and becoming extremely popular. Kanye has since managed to stay one of the most relevant celebrities of the 21st century. Although Kanye’s music career is considered to be one of the greatest of all time, some things about Kanye have always been put into question. Since Kanye has been popular in the media for so long, he’s done countless interviews and posted a lot of comments online which makes him seen as mentally “unwell” by many, and he has received massive backlash from his behavior. Kanye later came out and announced that he was diagnosed with bi polar disorder. Kanye has always been one to speak his mind not only in interviews and public settings, but online as well. Kanye recently had a falling out with the clothing brand GAP which led him to criticizing them online which shortly after lead to people calling him “crazy.” Kanye essentially said that GAP has been stealing his clothing ideas and ripping him off. Kanye has always been super into fashion, so I can see why he would be upset about the topic. Unfortunately, people saw this as another chance to spread hate to Kanye and make fun of him. Shortly after all this drama ensued Kanye doubled down releasing a couple of tweets that were very anti semitic, this basically sealed his fate for many as a crazy deranged man to the public eye. After these comments were released, most of all of his brand deals had vanished completely. This resulted in a reported 1.6 billion dollar loss for Kanye, and ever since this incident it doesn’t seem like anyone wants to work with him in the near or distant future. Overall Kanye seems to have shot himself in the foot when it comes to looking good in the public eye. Personally, this seems like a great artist who has simply lost his mind a little bit which is not necessarily unheard of in the celebrity and music world. In recent stories his ex chief of staff has come out and said that Kanye is addicted to inhaling nitrous oxide (laughing gas used by dentists) which has not been confirmed by anyone yet, but this could certainly explain the nature of how he has been acting. Fans of Kanye are seeing all this as kind of a cry for help while the rest of the world is using these events to condemn him and remove him from the public eye, but what do you think?
PHOTOS FROM WIKIMEDIA
WHAT’S BRUIN
FRESH FACES AT MHS
STORY BY MOLLY GRIBSKOV & PHOTOS BY KAIDEN LEE
Mr. Fox may be MHS’s newest science teacher; but in no way is he new to teaching. For 12 years he taught at Patton as a science teacher, spent 3 years as a TOSA, where he helped guide new teachers, and on top of all that, he spent half a year as a dean. Fox was inspired to become a teacher himself due to one of his past teachers that forced him to put in effort, which led him to become an all A student. Fox stated that he likes MHS so far; he enjoys seeing old students and staff that he worked with prior as a TOSA and from when he was a teacher at Patton.
MHS’s brand new Pro-Start teacher is Mr. Garrison, who possesses many years of experience as a chef. This is his first year teaching, but he has spent his life surrounded by teachers; not only is his wife, Mrs. Garrison, the art teacher at MHS, but his parents were teachers as well. Garrison grew up in Austin, Minnesota, and eventually moved to Oregon. After his move, Garrison worked in several different restaurants in the McMinnville area. Garrison had his eye on his current position since he moved to McMinnville; he mentioned that the Pro-Start pathway is very unique and important.
Mr. Sparks is one of the two new ELD teachers here at MHS. This is his 5th year teaching; Sparks taught at elementary schools in Spain for 3 years, and then he spent a year teaching in Kentucky. Kentucky is also where Sparks grew up, in a town called Fort Thomas. Prior to teaching ELD, Sparks worked at an airport, and eventually progressed to coaching tennis in Cincinnati. Ultimately, Sparks began teaching due to his mother, who was an educator herself. Sparks stated that he chose to teach within the area of ELD due to the fact that “…there was a program to teach English in Spain that I signed up for, and that got my foot in the door.”
After working as a teacher-librarian for 20 years, Mrs. Gapp filled the open librarian position at MHS. Gapp utilizes the term teacher-librarian to describe her line of work, as she possesses a teaching license, she just works in an unconventional space. In the library, Gapp plans to teach students about a variety of subjects, particularly fake news, media bias, and databases, among other topics. After attending the University of Oregon, Gapp did not know what career path to explore. Eventually, Gapp ended up working as a seasonal ranger, which she decided not to further pursue. Gapp’s love for literature attracted her to library jobs, which ended up being her lifelong passion.
Ms. Hernandez, a former Grizzly, assumed one of the open ELD positions at MHS. As mentioned, Hernandez attended MHS, along with several other schools in the area, namely Linfield University and Duniway Middle School. When Hernandez was a student at Duniway, she was asked to assist in translation for students who had just arrived from Mexico. Hernandez, who was an ELD student at the time, was quite nervous, as she was not fully fluent in the English language. Yet, Hernandez successfully aided other students in learning English, which served as her inspiration for becoming a teacher. Currently, Hernandez is happy to be back at MHS; she loves the school.
Ever since she was a kid, Mrs. Tzintzun, MHS’s newest Lang & Lit teacher, knew she wanted to pursue a career in the education field. Tzintzun is a McMinnville native; she grew up attending what is now Willamette Elementary, Duniway Middle School, along with McMinnville High School. During her journey through middle school, Tzintzun fell in love with reading and in-class discussions. Upon entering high school, Tzintsun’s love for Language Arts continued to grow, leading her to pursue a degree in the English field. Now Tzintzun has returned to MHS as a teacher, which she has been greatly enjoying so far.
Shane Fox
Andrew Garrison
Reed Sparks
Jenny Gapp
Gisselle Hernandez
Yuliana Tzintzun