Issuu

THURSDAY DECEMBER 16TH

2010

THE M

Leadership collects baskets Food donated by clubs distributed for Thanksgiving

Holiday spirit lights up town

BRUIN

VOL. 95 NO. 3

www.mhsbr u in.com

Vandals Break In Two students charged in break-in, cash was stolen and property was damanged in multiple School District buildings on the rampage

by AARON HADDELAND This November, the Associated Student Body (ASB) asked clubs and activities at McMinnville High School to prepare Thanksgiving baskets to give to families who are in need throughout the community. Various clubs have taken up the challenge to create the baskets, which will contain the majority, if not all, the ingredients to make a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. This is the first year for the project. “[Senior] Sarah Kraft came up with the initial idea for the baskets,” said MHS teacher Kerrie Savage, who is teaching the ASB class for the first time this year. “Originally we were only going to make four baskets, one for each grade made by ASB,” said Savage. “Then the kids in class thought it would be a good idea to get the clubs involve. Now there are going to be sixteen baskets.” “All clubs and activities were invited to make a basket, and most are participating,” said junior Anna Post, ASB Senator. More baskets made means more families are helped, and by getting the clubs involved Please see BASKETS, Page A3

DYLAN LEATHERS / The Bruin

Seniors Ian Robins and Stefanie Hunter organize baskets in the ASB classroom. Many of the MHS clubs put together baskets for families in need.

Students attend college fair MHS members look ahead to post-high school by KAREN ANAYA The Portland Convention Center was packed with over 12,000 students and 285 college stations for the National College Fair. This wasn’t a typical field trip where students had to be with a teacher or chaperone, though. The Nov.12 college fair field trip gave students independent time to think about their future and look at as many college stations as they wanted. McMinnville High School offers many classes, opportunities and activities that can help a student explore different career fields, as well as having kids informed about colleges and encouraging them to continue with their education. MHS has a lot of different pathways to choose from. The PAWS class that students take their freshman year helps students see different pathways and careers, from Criminal Justice to Marketing to Agriculture. The Career Center is also a very helpful source for all MHS students. Please see COLLEGE, Page A3

Thommy Small / The Bruin

Dean of Students, Steve Cooper, reacts to the damage done to his office in the Student Center. Thousands of dollars worth of damage was done to the school along with cash stolen from Bank of the Bear, Action Corner and the Bookkeeping Office.

by OLIVIA NILAND When McMinnville High School’s student run café, the Action Corner, opens before school each morning, its student employees are typically the only ones around. But on the morning of Nov.18, the old Commons of the high school was filled with dozens of police officers and school administrators who took fingerprints and photographs in order to assess what was now the scene of a crime. Barely a week after the Action Corner’s grand re-opening, its employees were confronted with the unfortunate sight of a café covered in yellow crime scene tape and shattered glass.

Sometime after 2 a.m., two individuals broke into MHS via a door in Evans Hall, and proceeded to vandalize, steal, and trash the older part of the building. Early morning custodians first discovered the unexpected scene; broken windows, a busted cash register and even liquid Slushee syrup coating the floor of the Action Corner. The investigation into the break-in remains ongoing, however, as of press date, two minors have been charged in connection with the crime. Each suspect has been charged with two counts of Thommy Small / The Bruin second-degree burglary, in adMcMinnville police officers were called in early Nov. 18 dition to one count each of firstdegree theft, first-degree criminal to investigate the break-in at the high school. Both of the mischief and second-degree crimi- suspects have been identified as MHS students. Please see VANDALS, Page A4

Student becomes OASC NW Regional Rep Junior Bethany Palacios claims leadership title, representing the Associated Student Body by OLIVIA NILAND The dozens of students who make up the Associated Student Body at McMinnville High School pride themselves on pumping up school spirit—but at this year’s Fall Leadership Conference, they also proved once again that ASB is about more than just fun and games. For the third consecutive year, an MHS student was elected as the ASB Northwest Regional Representative. This year, junior Bethany Palacios’ win commenced the Nov. 7-8 conference held by The Oregon Association of Student Councils (OASC),

which this year took place in Seaside, Oregon. The conference is a highly anticipated annual event amongst ASB members, and includes seminars, workshops and a dance. On the last day, the conference closes with the election of a new president and regional representatives. “I always wanted to run in the election,” said Palacios. “I love everything about OASC, and I think I have good leadership skills, too.” The OASC conference is statewide, and each attending high school is allowed to cast one vote for each position. This year, Palacios ran for the position against two

other students, from Newberg and Clatskanie High Schools, respectively. “I had some competition in the election,” said Palacios. “But I was pretty confident.” This confidence was partly due to the fact that Palacios was the only one of the three NW regional candidates to distribute campaign buttons, fliers, and even t-shirts, to which voters responded positively. “I ‘Obamified’ my face and put it on tshirts,” said Palacios. “My campaign was all about keeping it real.” ASB adviser Kerrie Savage was present Please see OASC, Page A3

News: New Cafeteria, New Munchies The new and improved lunch menu offers students healthy options

INDEX News ....................... A 1-4 Opinions................... A 6-7 Features................... A 8 Sports...................... B 1-4 Living...................... A5, B 8 A&E......................... B 6-7 What’s Bruin .......... B 5

What’s Bruin: No Shave November Guess who is who among your fellow classmates behind their face mask of hair?

Arts & Entertainment: MHS Jazz Band MHS Jazz Band performs at Jimmy Mak’s jazz club in downtown Portland

Features: Summer Dino Dig Faculty member Cory Eklund talks about his experiences this summer at a prehisotric dig site

Boys basketball looks to capture a league title

Opinions: Upcoming Snow Season Dom Allen gives his two cents on his lodge of choice: Timberline or Meadows?

Clubs help the community over the Holiday season

Please recycle this paper.

News

MHS teacher welcomes baby boy this year Social studies teacher returns to school with a baby boy, Nathan Charles Johnson by LAYNE PENDLETON Immediate love was what Katie Johnson, a social studies teacher at McMinnville High School, felt as soon as she held her new baby boy in her arms for the first time. Nathan Charles Johnson was born on June 22, 2010, just three days after the final day of school last year. This is Johnson and her husband’s first child. Having a new child around the house causes many new emotions. “There are so many words that come to mind,” said Johnson. “It’s great, challenging, scary, and fun all at the same time.” “It’s amazing how you suddenly become responsible for this little person,” said Johnson. “You just want the absolute best for them.”

Johnson was on maternity leave for the very beginning of the school year and recently returned to MHS. She was finally able to meet her students for the very first time. “It was hard not being able to meet her at the beginning of the school year,” said freshman Connor Bechtol. “But I’m glad she’s here. She’s super nice and she’s a really great teacher.” “I was really happy to finally meet her,” said freshman Jessica Andre. “I really like her style of teaching. I get to learn a lot every day.” Johnson’s students had an opportunity to meet baby Nathan on Halloween. This was the first time any of them had gotten to see him in person. He made an appearance during school and the kids loved meeting him. “Nathan came dressed up in a really cute dinosaur

costume,” said freshman Kayla Bowers. “He was so adorable.” Baby Nathan is now five months old and doing all the things that babies are known for doing. “He’s started to roll over and he’s discovered his feet,” said Johnson, smiling. “He’ll lay on his back holding onto his feet. It’s fun to watch.” Everyday life has changed in the Johnson household. “Life’s really busy and our priorities have changed,” said Johnson. “Things that used to take priority don’t anymore because we now have Nathan in our life. He is our number one priority.” The future is a long ways away, but one can’t help but be curious. Johnson wonders what the future has in store for her Nathan. “At first you just wonder

what he’ll look like when he gets older,” said Johnson. “Right now, he looks a lot like his dad.” She also thinks about what type of person he will become. “I’m curious as to what he’s going to be like and what kind of decisions he will make,” said Johnson. There’s even more to think about for the future. “My husband and I would definitely love to have more kids down the line,” said Johnson. Johnson isn’t the only teacher at MHS to recently have had a child. Erica Zimmerman, the French teacher, and Kelly Carlson, a social studies teacher, each had a baby of their own. MHS students wish them the best of luck with their new lives as parents.

T h e B r u i n : T h u r s d a y, 1 2 . 1 6 . 1 0

Canned food drive kicks off again The winter drive starts off with a goal more ambitious than ever by AARON HADDELAND The annual winter canned food drive started earlier this month on Dec. 6, and will finish up on Dec. 17. All of the food collected will be given to Yamhill Community Action Partnership (YCAP), as usual. “We are trying to collect 15,000 cans,” said McMinnville High School Leadership teacher Kerrie Savage. “That also includes things

competitions. Once the canned food drive is over, the cans are delivered to YCAP. “They pick them up on the 17th,” said ASB vicepresident Ian Robins. “We help them carry them out to the truck; it’s some nice manual labor.” Besides the goal of 15,000 cans, Robins said he had some other goals. “My personal goal is not only to bring in a certain amount of cans, The new campus security guard patiently counts the spread out cans. This year, YCAP has put in the extra effort to encourage students to bring in cans.

New food offerings available for students New additions and good nutrition combine in a mix of flavor in District meals by JACOB WEIGEL New treats are going to be served up in the McMinnville High School kitchen this year. Carrie Cunningham, the new MHS kitchen manager, is making some positive and healthy changes to the menu. “Nutrition is why I came here,” said Cunningham. “I care about the well-being of the students.” Many people know someone who is overweight or obese. It’s a problem. At the rate the nation is moving, 100,000 more cases of coronary heart disease are estimated to arise by 2035, however, some precautions can be taken to combat these risks. Cunningham has started to use fresh vegetables that are cut the JACOB WEIGEL / The Bruin same day they are served, instead of frozen ones, and One of the new sandwiches available in the cafeteria is prepared for students to eat. 100% cheese. The tortillas New selections like this one are now available to MHS students. are 100% whole grain, and the yogurt is locally made in walk to Little Caesars. that they serve as a gift; they students what good nutriPortland. The ladies that work could be greedy and go for tion is and how to get it all “Good nutrition is prime in the cafeteria are not the a higher wage than healthy the time. to me,” said Cunningham. mean lunch ladies that are food, but they don’t. They “I care about the nutriA huge addition to depicted on TV all the time; give students healthy food tion of the students here the kitchen is the Griz- they care about students’ every day. [at MHS], I left my job, that zly Zone, which will be re- nutrition and the food is “The biggest thing for me has got to show something,” opened within the follow- going into their bodies. The is how the food is prepared,” said Cunningham. ing months. Cunningham portion sizes that are served said Cunningham. “My kids eat healthy, but would like to start having are not chosen by them About 495 of the meals that is because I have taught homemade bread every (they are not small and served every day at the high them how to,” said Cunday for the sandwiches, skimpy for a reason), but the school are to kids who qual- ningham. and bread bowls with soup sizes are set by the govern- ify for free or reduced price The staff thinks that the will also be a nice addition. ment; the cooks don’t have lunches, or about 70 per- changes that are being made A warm homemade soup any control over how much cent of the student that buy truly are for the better. special will be a nice treat they can give you. They also meals, which goes to show “I would like a classier on those chilly days. Pa- have to balance the small that some of the students kitchen,” said MHS kitchen nini sandwiches will also be budget they are given; the that are purchasing a lunch staff member Jenny Kern. served on a regular basis at school district does not give think that the food is enjoy“[I think that the new the Grizzly Zone. the lunch crew any money able. menu] it makes it more diffi“Fresh is important to whatsoever to budget for “I came from a different cult,” said MHS kitchen staff me,” said Cunningham. food. The kitchen staff has state and a good job for the member Nancy Schmidt. The pizza that is served a federal entitlement, which career that I have now,” said is made by the same com- they have to use to purchase Cunningham. “That really “But with Carrie [here] it makes it easier. She is givpany that makes Freschetta food and set wages for all shows that I care,” frozen pizzas, and is much of the employees. Students Cunningham sees her- ing kids more fruits and veghealthier than the quick can think of the good food self as a teacher, showing etables.”

Action Corner hosts successful opening Event sparks students’ interests, provide lunchtime activities for students by SANDRA FLORES different varieties of Many students at McMinnville High School got to enjoy the Action Corner’s Grand opening Nov.810. Not only did the students who work in the Action Corner have a fun time, but all those who attended, as well. “We had so much stuff, like cookie and Slushee samples,” said Action Corner Employee senior Evan Lapp. “Mike [Fite]’s band playing, the T.V was installed, and lots of people came.” The Action Corner made a difference by changing their everyday routine to a wild and fun one. They provided

the tie-dye shirts. Evthings. They had lots eryone of course liked of different games for that and each had fun everyone to enjoy and creating their own art. have fun. They gave Many of the students out free were waitEvan Lapp samples ing paSenior Action of cookies tiently to Corner Emand Slushmake their ployee ees to try own shirts. and put Everyone out their who got products. to make a The Action shirt left Corner not with a big only made smile on it fun with their face. the games, Everyone but also who came rocked it had a great with live source of music. energy to They had enjoy all everyone dancing the great work the and enjoying that fun Action Corner had time. done. Another fun thing All the students they had to do was who work in the Ac-

tion Corner and helped at this event ended up very satisfied with all those who came to their grand opening. All the students thought it was a great experience and had lots of fun doing it. “It was really good,” said Action Corner Employee, junior Emma Patishall. “People liked what we had I think we published it really well. With the new opening of the café they are expecting more students to show up. The Slushee machine and café will bring more people, too.” Students from the Action Corner

Corrections: The Bruin would like to apologize for two errors made in the last issue published on Nov. 10. We would like to apologize for leaving out senior Cesar Anguanio’s name under the list of Mr. Mac High boys in the Living section, and the exclusion of junior Lee Thompson from the choir quintet in the Arts & Entertainment section, which was not a quartet as published.

thought it was an overall great experience and a great success. “Yeah, we’ve had a lot more people in the commons since the split lunches,” said Jackson Hughes. “We got a good word out to the people about our products,” said Lapp.

DYLAN LEATHERS / The Bruin

like rice and beans.” There are many things that YCAP has requested specifically. These “most needed” items include: canned fruit, chili, stew, vegetables, pasta, rice, tomato sauce and peanut butter. These items can score big points in the class and club competition. “Mr. McIrvin and Mr. Crafton are the defending champions,” said Savage. “I always put up a good fight, but I haven’t been able to get them yet.” Brett Favre Club won the club title last year. Last year’s canned food drive helped YCAP keep pantry shelves stocked through the holidays, and if MHS matches or breaks last year’s total the same results will be expected. A trophy is given to the winner of the respective

but because I’m in leadership I want to get lots of kids to bring in cans.” “Our canned food drive is one of the biggest sources of food for YCAP,’ said Savage. “Whatever we raise is the major thing that carries them through spring.” Keeping this in mind, YCAP also asked for everyday items like flour, sugar and salt. “It goes to a great cause and there are lots of people who need this food,” said Robins. The canned food drive finishes up on Dec. 17, the last day of school before winter break. ASB stresses the importance of this event, and hopes for everyone to participate and help the community have a joyous holiday season.

News

T h e B r u i n : T h u r s d a y, 1 2 . 1 6 . 1 0

BASKETS: Families in need benefit from MHS donations Continued from Page A1

DYLAN LEATHERS/ The Bruin

Faculty member Tom Newton helps the ASB students collect and organize the Thankgsiving baskets that clubs collected. Newton organized the distribution of the food baskets.

OASC:

Student wins over vote to become representive of the Northwest Continued from Page A1 at the OASC conference for the election, and has overseen Palacios’ campaign from the beginning. “Bethany started the process in late September,” said Savage. “But she had just the two days of the conference to campaign for the other students’ votes.” In addition to distributing buttons and fliers, Palacios also had to submit letters of recommendation from teachers at MHS, and a short biography detailing why she was running for the position. In a short blurb which ran in the conference’s candidate information pamphlet, Palacios stated that, “If elected, I would serve with an open heart, a listening ear and hard work to achieve change.” Palacios’ victory has solidified a three-year winning streak of Northwest Regional Representatives at MHS; Palacios’ brother, senior Austin Palacios, won his campaign in 2008, while junior Anna Post secured the position in 2009. “Mac High has held the position of Northwest Regional Rep for three years in a row,” said senior Ian Robins, ASB Vice President. “I definitely hope we have even more representatives in the years to come.” While Savage is a firstyear ASB advisor, she noted that the current winning streak is relatively rare. “It’s pretty unusual as far as I know,” said Savage. “But we’ve had three strong candidates three years in a row.” As a veteran ASB member, Palacios believes that this success rate is due to the various OASC events that are hosted throughout the year, which are highly popular amongst MHS students.

College fair reveals opportunities for high school students Continued from Page A1

JACOB WEIGEL / The Bruin

The new NW Rep, junior Bethany Palacios, poses with the past two representatives, senior Austin Palacios and junior Anna Post. All are from MHS and each won the prestigious title. “Everyone who attends OASC events benefits,” said Palacios. “There’s a family environment, and it’s a lot of fun.” This supportive community of ASB members is also present, on a smaller scale, within MHS, as evidenced by the support Palacios received from her ASB peers after she won the position of NW Regional Representative. “We’re very proud of Bethany,” said Robins.

“She deserves this honor, and we know she’ll be a great addition to the OASC Board.” With Palacios’ victory, she will this year serve as the Northwest Regional Representative for Associated Student Bodies across the state. “I will contact Northwest schools about OASC events and ideas,” said Palacios. “My job is to get people involved in their schools, and to bring North-

west schools together.” While Palacios expressed pride at having won the election, she also wanted to ensure that the theme of her campaign spilled over into her tenure as the Northwest Regional Representative. “We want to get ASB talking to the student body more,” said Palacios. “We want to show them that school matters, and that the students are the important ones.”

Students embrace diversity and share experiences Every other Monday at both lunches, in Room 128 for first lunch and Room 15 for second lunch, 88 of McMinnville High School’s finest gather for International Club. International Club is the largest it’s ever been and is one of the school’s largest clubs; it even rivals the size of the Model UN Club. The goal of International Club is to make the 13 exchange students that are attending MHS feel comfortable here and to learn from the wealth of knowledge they possess. “My favorite part of our club is the fact that this club draws so many different kids from our school,” said International Club adviser Roseanne Roberts. Every year, each of the exchange students do a presentation about their country and their culture to club members. Along with these

the community,” Tillery said. “I’m sure that the recipients will be really happy to have the baskets,” Chambers said “A simple thing like this can mean the world to someone.” All of the hard work the clubs did to create the Thanksgiving baskets will surely be appreciated. The baskets contain items that can be used for future meals as well, such as potatoes and the turkey, whose leftovers can be used to make soup or sandwiches. This makes the value of the baskets grow, for now they aren’t providing food for only one meal, but possibly two or three. The sixteen baskets handed out by the various clubs and activities could provide up to 192 meals, considering that most likely a family of four will receive the basket. This comes at a time when YCAP cut its Thanksgiving meal boxes. Now baskets given out like the ones by the MHS will be some of the only ways to receive a traditional Thanksgiving meal. With the success of the baskets this November, the likelihood that the event becomes an annual tradition at MHS is high. Club members felt honored to help their fellow McMinnvillites, and maybe a friendly competition between clubs and activities can be produced by the basket making, like the one the canned food drive brings each winter. Whatever the future holds for the Thanksgiving baskets, they are sure to help many very grateful people.

COLLEGE:

International club welcomes exchange students to MHS by MYLES HORTON

more students are able to participate in helping. “Brett Favre is going to have the best basket, and that’s a fact,” said Brett Favre Club President junior Kyle Chambers. Brett Favre Club asked members to make monetary donation, then the executives purchased the items. Other clubs and activities had members purchase the food and other items on their own, and bring them to school. Items include traditional Thanksgiving food, like a turkey and cranberry sauce. Other items asked for were table cloths and vegetables, but clubs were free to add their own flair to the baskets. “We put in a candle,” said Chambers. “Our basket’s not only going to be the best, it’s going to be the classiest, because that’s what our club is about.” The baskets were given to families in the community, “mostly families that have kids at our school,” said junior Class President Blake Tillery. “We don’t know exactly who the baskets are going to,” said Savage. “Mr. Newton works with a community team who works with the people. It’s confidential.” Even without being able to put a face with the recipient, the basket makers are still happy to help, because even though Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the things we have, but we should try to help others as well. “I think they are very great. I’m glad to be helping

presentations, International Club is involved in lots of activities from service proj-

Kyle Grimland / The Bruin

Luigi Mazzon from Brazil and Martin Jacquet from Belgium palm a globe in the old Commons. The international club welcomed exchange students to MHS and helped them feel at home. ects, to field trips and parties to make the exchange students feel at home. “I like how you can

make friends from all over the world without having to leave the school,” said Katie Krieger. Also, exchange student Christine Geneser thought the activities were a great way to get to know her new classmates. “My favorite part of International Club is that I can make new friends,” said Geneser. “And the activities we do are a lot of fun.” Recently, the club went on its eighth annual ice skating trip, which involved 67 kids going to the Sherwood Ice Arena. “Ice skating is always a good trip because some people have never done it and people have to help each other a lot, which brings them closer together and helps them make new friends,” said Roberts. If any MHS student is interested in welcoming the exchange students, making friends and having fun, go to International Club.

MHS was one of the many high schools from all over Oregon that went to this free field trip. Two buses were filled with students, including some from MACA. The bus left in the morning and came back a few minutes before second lunch. Once students got to the fair, they got their own independent time to go around and look at all the different college stations, where a representative of the school would answer any questions. “I would definitely recommend this field trip to all students,” said junior Arianna Gonzalez. “You get a lot of information of so many different things and the basic idea of which career field you want to go into.” Gonzalez’s favorite part was when the students got independent time to go to all the college stations. Colleges, Universities, and trade school representatives were there to answer any questions. There were also scholarship stations

and financial aid for any one who needed the help, as well as counseling areas for parents and the students. Many students got a lot out of this field trip. “I didn’t think I would ever want to go to college because of the price,” said junior Jose Estrada. “But now knowing that some are cheap, close and have what I want, then that’s just great!” “Students seemed engaged in learning about the opportunities,” said Mrs. Davis, who organized the field trip. “The college fair gives students an opportunity of post-high school training.” There are no requirements to have a school attend. All grades were able to attend, and MHS has been able to take students to the National College Fair for nine straight years. “I wish that we at least had another half hour to finish looking at all the colleges, it was lots of fun,” said sophomore Luz Uscanga. “I would definitely go again next year.”

News

T h e B r u i n : T h u r s d a y, 1 2 . 1 6 . 1 0

VANDALS: Robbers break into school, steal money, and vandalize Upper Left: Police tape blocks off the back entrance to the Action Corner. A safe containing Action Corner money was stolen. Upper Right: A group of teachers look on at the Commons of MHS. The Action Corner, Bank of the Bear, and Dean of Students Office are all in sight. Lower Left: Action Corner adviser, Sarah Breyer, cleans up the mess along with Action Corner Employees. Lower Right: Dean of Students, Ron Hernley and Steve Cooper, consult each other in response to the damage of the break-in. Below: MHS Custodian, Jerome VerDuyn, discusses damages to the grizzly case in the Commons of the high school. The bear was donated by the class of 1985.

Continued from Page A1 nal mischief. “Two people have been charged with the break-in,” said McMinnville Police Captain Dennis Marks. “Both were students and juveniles.” Despite surveillance tapes, police are still uncertain as to the exact number of perpetrators. “There is certainly speculation of others involved,” said principal Kris Olsen. “There could be getaway drivers or lookouts, we’re just not sure.” According to police, the vandals used a crow bar to gain access to the school, and with it busted numerous windows in the building, including those in the Bank of the Bear, the Bookkeeping Office and the Counseling Center. One of the four glass panels encasing a stuffed grizzly bear, which has resided in the old Commons of the school since 1985, was also shattered to pieces. Aside from blatant vandalism, the intruders also committed several acts of theft. The Bank of the Bear, a student run checking and savings establishment located in the old commons, had its bank teller station, which also acts as a safe, hacked at and broken into. “They beat at the door with a bolt cutter until they were able to get it,” said Bank of the Bear adviser Michelle Buczynski. “They stole all the currency.” The window on the door of the bank has since been replaced, however, the break-in has continued to affect business. The Bank of the Bear was previously open for business during both lunches

on A-days, but as the bank teller station is still broken, employees are unable to set up business in the new cafeteria, eliminating the first lunch shift. “It’s so disappointing that someone would break in and affect a student operated business,” said Buczynski. Directly across the way, the Action Corner’s entire safe, which had been bolted to a shelf and reportedly contained thousands of dollars in cash, was also stolen. Employees believe that the thieves used a cart, intended for use with the Slushee machine, to wheel the heavy safe out of the building. Just days after the break-in, however, the safe was discovered and returned, unopened—but business at the Action Corner was still disrupted. “We experienced a lot of damage and unnecessary destruction,” said Action Corner adviser Sarah Breyer. “They broke our television and the Slushee machine, too.” In order to claim insurance, Breyer has had to photograph the damage and assess the loss, though some of the items destroyed were purchased before she became the Action Corner adviser. “We’re still trying to find comparable items to assess the loss,” said Breyer. “We’ll just have to wait and see.” The smashed Slushee machine has since been repaired, at a cost of $500. Part of this expense was covered by a collaborative fundraiser arranged by sophomore Michael Coste, who sold Tropical Snow Cones through his own business and do-

nated all of the proceeds towards the necessary repairs at the Action Corner. Also affected was the Bookkeeping Office, which experienced a loss of approximately $300, raised by Mr. Mac High contestants for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. “The total amount of damage is still unclear,” said Olsen. “But it will most likely run in the thousands of dollars.” Just across the street, MHS’ sister school, the Media Arts Communication Academy (MACA), was also a stop on the crime spree. There, the vandals also gained access by smashing a windowed door with a crowbar and did the same to several windows in the main office. “The damage at MACA was very similar to that at [MHS],” said Olsen. “The break-ins seem to have operated by similar methods of operation as others in the area, and could possibly be related.” In the past few months alone, the McMinnville School District has suffered a series of break-ins; two separate incidents at Duniway Middle School, one of which occurred just 24 hours after the dual high school break-ins, and one at Columbus Elementary School. Local businesses such as the Sweet Milks grocery store and the Laughing Bean Bistro, both located off of Hill Road, were also recently broken into in a similar fashion as the schools. “The investigation is still ongoing,” said Marks. “We have no solid evidence, but there is a strong suspicion that the break-ins are related.”

All photos by Thommy Small / The Bruin

Living

T h e B r u i n : T h u r s d a y, 1 2 . 1 6 . 1 0

CLUBS OVER THE

WINTER BREAK by GIOVANNI GALVEZ

Doernbecher

The boys of Mr. Mac High are going to be spreading their holiday joy through song around McMinnville this winter break. The boys will be going around town and caroling to all that will listen to represent Mac High’s enthusiasm about our community. Other than giving to Doernbecher, that’s what Mr. Mac High is really all about: lifting the mood with their collcective presence. The boys will be going to Third Street, trying to lighten up some Mcminnvillian’s days, all the while looking for more students and citizens to attendant to the event. If you happen to be near Third Street at the time, make sure you stop by and listen.

NHS NHS Club has decided to do some good this holiday season as well, by planning to participate in Adopt-A-Family. The National Honor Society, led by president Connor McKeegan and vice president Austin Palacios, have volunteered to take part in this respected and caring charitible organization. They and fellow club members are given a family that is in need and provide many of the necessities to have a memorable Christmas holiday. NHS club members all pitch in, buying what they can off of their assigned family’s wish list and giving all different kinds of gifts to people who could really use a helping hand in these hard times. Members also plan to be part of the canned food drive, and give money to Doernbecher.

Environmental

HAPPY

Environmental Club also seems to have its share of Christmas spirit. Members will be spreading cheer and awareness the week before winter break with their cautious care of our environment. Since it’s Environmental Club, the members have made a Christmas tree out of recycled items and put it in the commons for all to see. The tree, which is made of scrap metal wire and painted newspaper with recyclable ornaments, is around to make a statement about tradition and waste. They will also be displaying signs around the tree that will give tips about how to conserve resources and eliminate waste over Christmas break. One tip they suggest: get a timer for wasteful christmas lights.

HOLIDAYS Twilighters

All photos by Ranger Wallace/ The Bruin

The Twilighters have a thick December schedule this year with a list full of things to do within our community. It’s nice to have talented individuals that are willing to give back, by doing things to brighten other’s lives during the winter season. These singing students begin with a concert on Dec 16 at MHS. Members are also showing off their beautiful voices at a number of different events, including hosts such as Oregon Mutual Insurance, McMinnville Rotary Club, Lion’s Club, Retired Educators, McMinnville Hospital, and Columbus Elementary. It’s safe to say that the Twilighters this year are committed to bringing some cheer to this community.

D IY o

ourself

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

1. Candy Cane Reindeer Add googly eyes and pipe cleaner antlers, and BAM: you got Rudolph!

2. Christmas Ornaments Pick up a couple of Styrofoam balls, wrap them with colored yarn, and stick a hook at the top.

3. Christmas Stockings

Use an old or inexpensive stocking and decorate it with jewels and other crafty items!

Love Coupons

To your significant other, “One free back massage!”

5. Secret Hollow Book

Find an old big book, glue the majority of the pages together, cut a square in the remainder and glue on the rest on the opposite side. Give this to friends to store secret things!

by BRONTE LARUE

6. Gift of Experience

Plan a day of skydiving…or maybe just a hike.

7. Christmas Sweater

Take an old or unused sweater, find some glitter, iron-on graphics, and rhinestones and make yourself a creative seasonal sweater.

8. A Knit Scarf or Mittens

This is for the “skilled” ones, or just the people who know how to sew.

9. Mix CD

You know your girlfriend will want every track of Mariah Carey’s Christmas songs.

10. Teacup Candles This is something for your grandma. Find a vintage teacup, stick a wick in it then pour in hot wax until it’s full.

A6 Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Opinions

T h e B r u i n : T h u r s d a y, 1 2 . 1 6 . 1 0

Mt. Hood Meadows

Snow athletes have a mountain of powder to enjoy eary in the season All Oregon snowsport participants, both skiiers and snowboarders alike, each have their favorite resort on Mt. Hood, whether it be Meadows, Timberline, or Ski- Bowl (which has been purposefully put last.) Maybe this develops because of where our friends like to go, or whether we’re a skiier or a boarder, but nevertheless, it leaves us each with a resort to call our home and fight about in the pointless arguments we share w i t h those t h a t ride different parts of the

Dominic Allen Opinions Editor

mountain. I myself have chosen Meadows as my part of the mountain this year, because.... well, because they were the cheapest season passes, and have you seen the forecasts lately? They’re getting DUMPED on! With a 58 inch base and approximately 60 inches mid- snow depth at the end of November, it is looking to be an above average year of snowfall for the entire mountain. Meadows has very reliable

service, and the employees are happy to answer any of your questions. Now on to the most important part in a day of snowboarding: food. Though the food at Meadows can be pricey- actually let’s be serious, it is- nothing can truly beat a sack lunch from mom, right? For the most part, there is a civility between the skiiers and snowboarders, and the worst that I have recieved is a dissapproving look from an old man as I beat him to a lift. It’s not my fault he didn’t work harder at staying agile and quick, if anything maybe he’ll try harder next time. For those that are new to snowboarding or skiing and are looking for a nice resort with very open runs, look no further than Meadows. With a considerably smaller amount of trees within the resort than Timerberline, Meadows offers a great place to learn and have fun without the fear of hitting trees. For season pass holders, it’s also a great place to make some of that pricey season pass money back by lending your pass out to friends! Seeing as the majority of employees working the lifts are high school or college aged kids, we can all feel for them as they stand in the cold for hours on end ,and understand that it gets very tedious to shoot their barcode gun at hundreds of passes all day

DOMINIC ALLEN/ The Bruin

Knee deep in powder and then have to check passes as well. Though it seems great, it’s not all bells and whistles and I will warn you that if you get caught, the season pass you’re using is revoked immediately. But hey, you’re a young generation and I know that this warning will mean nothing to you until you’re actually faced with situation, so best of luck until then! Jokes aside, Mt. Hood Meadows is an extremely nice resort that attracts professional athletes including the Airblaster team (Portland, OR) from all over the world . The staff works its hardest to provide an enjoyable experience for all, and with the amount of early season snowfall this year, I believe that Meadows is the prime location for all snowsports this winter season.

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia.com

e ditorialboard

BRUIN REPO RT CA RD

The BRuin since 1918

CHRIS HADDELAND

Editor-in-Chief DIANE SELVY Managing Editor STEPHEN GRINICH News Editor DOMINIC ALLEN Opinions Editor RYAN MARTIN Arts & Entertainment Editor JESSICA MCMILLAN Sports Editor LAYNE PENDLETON Features Editor RANGER WALLACE Living Editor WILL WATERBURY What’s Bruin Editor DYLAN LEATHERS Photo Editor ALFREDO MARTINEZ Business Editor OLIVIA NILAND Copy Editor KATHY BEYER Advisor

Contact The Bruin (503) 565-4159

Thanksgiving Baskets were the highlight of this issue because of how many people were helped by all of your kind donations and or contributions. We really enjoy the unity and giving that was shown by the members of MHS. All your efforts really helped give alot of under priviledged families a nice Thankgiving. Great job students!

The early McMinnville snowfall, though not much, was good while it lasted and really helped bring home the feeling of Christmas in our very unspirited town. We in the Bruin are crossing our fingers for more as the winter season continues and hopes everyone has a great Christmas break!

D F

As agreed on by most students, having to come to school for a day of the Thanksgiving week was extremely deserving of a “D.” Everyone felt as though it was a waste of time, and besides a select few classes, how many kids actually worked hard knowing that there were only a few hours separating them from a week of freedom? We understand it was a paid workday for teachers, but nonetheless was frowned upon by the student body.

It is the holiday times, and as a bruin class we wanted a tree in our room. But, right as we were ready to go out and cut down our beautiful noble, we discoverd that we were not allowed to bring a tree into the school, because it would be a fire hazard. Now instead of a real tree, we have a drawing of a tree on our white board. And although it looks great, it is not the same. We can hang all the car fresheners we want around our room, but we do not have that fresh smell of Christmas spirit.

Members of the Editorial Board include:

The 2010 Canned Food Drive assembly was different from any, we on the editorial board have ever been apart of. This is not saying that it was bad in the least, we just don’t know what to think about it. The PowerPoint done by YCAP was insightful and really portrayed how much our food drive helps people, but something about the guitars and drums just made it awkward and left us all wondering, “what just happened?”

Diane Selvy

Stephen Grinich

Managing Editor

News Editor

Chris Haddeland Editor-in-Chief

Dominic Allen Opinions Editor

Jessica McMillan Sports Editor

Thoughts from your editor-in- chief The Bruin is a registered member of the National Scholastic Press Association.

REPORTERS Bronte LaRue Grace McMillan Hayden Allen Alex Andersen Giovanni Galvez Joshua Stromme Jack Anderson McKenzie Barnes Karen Anaya Isaac Gutierrez Wyatt Waterbury Zev Egli Blake Egli Savanah Courchaine Rocio Martinez Jesenia Martinez Ben Lentz Sandra Flores Jacob Weigel Mac Myers Aaron Haddeland Alex Worth Chad Springer Myles Horton Kyle Clinton Megan O’Leary Erica Bowman Jake Cummings Adrian Rubio

National Awards of The Bruin

National Pace Maker award-winner for 2001, 2002, 2004 National Pace Maker Finalist for years 2000-2005 National Design of the Year 2001, 2002 All National awards are distributed by the National Scholastic Press Association The Opinions and Editorial pages are intended to educate and spark debate about issues that affect McMinnville High School and the community. Editorials represent the opinions of The Bruin’s editorial board. Other articles reflect the views of their authors. Letters to the Editor Policy

Letters should be limited to 200 words and may be subject to editing for libelous and/or obscene content as well as length. All letters must be signed and names will be published. Submission of material is not a guarantee of publication. Letters may be be dropped off in Room 227 or mailed to The Bruin, McMinnville High School, 615 E. 15th St., McMinnville, OR 97128.

The Bruin is a member of Quill and Scroll, International Honorary Society for High School Students, The Journalism Education Association, and Northwest Scholastic Press.

Moving on despite challenges With the break- in overwhelming school, students focus on positive holiday projects This season has been a tough one to deal with for McMinnville High School. As shown on our front page, the school was broken into and vandalized. This was very personal for some students and teachers. This school is like their second home, and it was vandalized in a very vicious way. Stealing money is understandable, but the breaking of windows and other school property is difficult to deal with, just because the only purpose this act served was hurting the ones the objects were owned by. I know if someone came into our room, and broke our equipment all of our staff would be upset and a little confused on why this occurred. Despite the damage, the Action Corner, Bank of the Bear, and the Bookkeeping Office were able to move on and function just as they had before the mischief transpired. Along with our school

functioning normally after our break-in, we have started several community service projects. Two large scale projects our school embarked in this year were Thanksgiving baskets, and our annual Canned Food Drive. Thanksgiving baskets were made by different ASB (Associated Student Body) sponsored clubs. These baskets were full of food and different amenities for the holiday. The baskets were given to families in need. These baskets were so beneficial, because the families who received them were able to not focus on where they got their food from, and could put their energy into focusing on family and having a good time together. Another project that our school is involved in is the YCAP (Yamhill Community Action Partnership) Canned Food Drive. Every year, McMinnville High School is the main supplier for the YCAP food bank, and this year, we

are trying to collect 15,000 cans, which is a little less than 10 cans per student. This food drive is vital for our community. The cans collected at this drive are expected to fill the shelves of the food bank up through the spring. I hope we can exceed our goal, and help the less fortunate of Yamhill County feel a little more comfortable about their situation. I’m proud of how our school dealt with adversity. It would have been very easy to just go through the motions until winter break. With the progress we are making, winter break will be a joyous time for all, and help make the second half of this school year one to remember. I hope everyone has a great winter break and enjoys this issue. Sincerely, Chris Haddeland, Editor in Chief

Opinions

A7 Schedule change policy Black friday, madness Game tables another fail in the name of giving scream waste

T h e B r u i n : T h u r s d a y, 1 2 . 1 6 . 1 0

More change, means more frustration

By now, most of you have probably been into the office, and had your one meeting with your counselor about your schedule next semster. Was that a positive experience for you, or did you feel very rushed or frustrated that decisions had to almost be made up on the spot, and you ended up leaving wishing you’d have done something different. If you felt this way, know that the majority of the school is with you. I am happy with my schedule now, but remember a few years ago, that I was always talking to my parents about what classes I should take. With the current changes, it makes it almost impossible for students to consult with their parents prior to seeing their counselor unless they are absent and hear about it from friends. This is not Dominic Allen right, and we as the stuOpinions Editor dent body have a right to be upset with our administration. Has anyone noticed over the last few years,that whenever the administration has tried to make our scheduling better, it ultimately sinks to a new low? I am backed by a vast majority of students when I say that the newest changes are a complete and utter flop. Since I’ve been at McMinnville High School, each year scheduling for classes continues to get worse, and seeing as I’m graduating this year, I’m wondering how long it’s going to take for the administration to figure it out. That said, I would like to make clear that there should be no bad feelings towards the lovely ladies in the Counseling Center, because they have always worked hard and put up with the crazy changes that have been made in recent years. I think that the administration needs to realize the fact that some kids actually do talk to their parents, and that the “one-time” policy is getting between those kids and their parents being able to discuss classes. As is tue in all relationships, administration and students included, communication is key.

Just where is the line on what is acceptable to do for a gift? Hysterical people, camping out for a chance for a cheap price on today’s “must have” items. Completely disregarding common courtesy, mobs of people rush inside stores. With ticket items sold

day of November, stores open their doors very early, and every item in the store is sold at a fraction of its usual price. This idea sounds appealing to most, but with that comes greed; there are stories literally in every state were something has happened to a individual because they are so concerned about finding the best bargain. At what point does finding something for cheap or a gift that you usually couldn’t afford defeat the purpose of giving at all? The holidays are Giovanni Galvez meant to bring peoBruin Reporter ple closer together, create a sense of community, and killing each other over a PS3 for rock bottom prices, iPods, doesn’t sound like that. There clothing, cell phones, cameras, and even trampolines sold needs to be a line that can at clearance prices, it’s easy not be crossed, a line where to say that this sounds like it doesn’t matter what you a great idea. All this comes give, just the fact that your after a day devoted to giving loved ones are on your mind, and thanking for the simple and you feel the need to show things in life. them how much they matter Black Friday is the last Frito you.

Short lunches target upperclassmen

Seem pointless if not put to use

So how about those new game tables? You really have to wonder how much the school spent on them. My only question is: what value do these expensive new toys present for our school? Do they teach students valuable hand-eye coordination? Will the draw of the foosball table help keep kids from skipping school? Does incredible ping-pong ability lead to college scholarships? Come to think of it, I actually don’t believe I’ve seen them out for student use more than a couple times. In my opinion, they’re just a waste of money. Amazon has the foosball table, quick-shot basketball hoop, and multiple ping pong tables running the school approximately $400 (that’s for the low-hanging fruit); what could we have spent that money towards? It could’ve been spent on new books, scholarships for this year’s senior class, grad night, or the Grizzly AfterSchool Program, to name but a few options. Kyle Chambers, who dresses as nice as many teachers, said “it’s a shame they can

Alex Worth Bruin Reporter spend money on such things as Ultimate Frisbee Jerseys and new toilet seat covers, but waste their money on game tables that remain unused in the commons. What are they even for?” That’s a question many a McMinnville high school student has asked themselves when they walk by the gated games. At least after buying them they should let students use them, but instead they are blockaded with white fencing. The one thing that has come as a positive from this purchase is the success of our basketball team; the hot-shots basketball game may have contributed to the playing ability of our basketball players, leading to our hot start to the season. However, generally speaking I think this was a wasteful move by the administration, at a time when funding is at a premium. If our school has barely enough money to pay its staff, why would we spend it on an arcade?

TBS brings back Conan ERICA BOWMAN / The Bruin

District’s 30 minute lunches target students that go off campus for lunch, giving them an unfair disadvantage I get in my car, drive home, prepare myself a hunk of a sandwich. I am about to devour it when I look at the clock. It looks as if I have only five minutes left to get back to

school. But how could this be? I only left ten minutes ago? Oh yeah, because the stupid school lunches are only thirty minutes long! Now I am speaking to the students who are allowed to go off campus when I say, thirty minutes is not enough to enjoy a lunch and digest it properly before heading on back to school. Call me crazy, but the length of lunch in middle school is thirty minutes, so if we are supposed to be young a d u l t s , learning the Ryan Martin k n ow l e d g e A&E Editor that will shape the

future, shouldn’t we be getting a longer lunch break? I’m not talking Chilean minor length of a lunch break, but at least throw us upperclassmen a bone and tack on an extra twenty minutes for our meal! In my opinion, only sophomores, juniors and seniors should be allowed a longer lunch because we are the ones who are allowed to go off campus and run the risk of being swept (you know, that joke of an attendance violation). If you are a freshman you are not allowed to leave school, therefore you don’t need an extended period of time to come back to school.

Little known fact for all MHS students, lunch used to be fifty minutes long! Yah, fifty, a whole twenty minutes longer! Add in the factor that everyone is in a rush to get their lunch and come back, which turns the parking lot into a potential crime scene. Thirty minutes is just plain ridiculous. I may sound like I’m ranting and raving, but I think that I share this same opinion with a large portion of the student body. Everyone would benefit from an extension of lunch time and maybe even students would be more focused during their last class of the day with a good meal in their tummies.

Goodwill, or the trendiest store in town? America’s favorite retail store gains popularity at the high school American Eagle, Hollister, Forever 21, Abercrombie, and Nordstrom. These are a list of stores that have trendy clothing items that many kids in high school wear. Although many of these places have way over priced goods, people still shop there. And to be honest, I shop at some of these places as well. I don’t know if you have ever heard of the store Goodwill, but it’s a magical place. People donate their old clothes to this store and Goodwill sells them for cheap. You can find shirts for $2-$7. It’s a great deal. They have everything there ranging from clothes, furniture, electronics, and even some select food. It is basically heaven placed right next to Rite Aid. One time when I had a Goodwill ad-

venture, I brought 2,000 pennies ($20), and ended up getting an American eagle shirt, a full on eighties snow suit, a very nice wig, and a sweet blue tie-dye snow leopard shirt. I probably saved close to one hundred and fifty dollars, and bought things that I thought didn’t exist anymore. Although I don’t think it’s a big deal, some people don’t like

Will Waterbury What’s Bruin editor

the idea of wearing clothes that others have worn. There’s no logic to this. Every one of us sits in a chair that someone else has sat on, why can’t you wear a pair of jeans that someone else has worn? You still have an underwear barrier in between, unless you buy underwear from Goodwill, and in that case you probably don’t have any issues with wearing other people’s clothing. If it is still bothersome, washing your Goodwill purchases can also get rid of any past residue from the previous owner. The great thing about Goodwill is that it is always a surprise what you’ll find inside, whether it is a Victor’s Secret shirt, or some Peter Pan shoes, the possibilities are endless. It’s always an adventure going into Goodwill, and the memories are priceless.

Open periods make school worth it Kids catch up on sleep with shorter schedule

Open periods are gifts from the gods; an open period can turn a frown to a smile in an instant. It can make a seemly long day turn into a short day, filled with adventures that you could only imagine in the classroom. T h e o n l y thing you can truly compare an open

Kyle Clinton Bruin Reporter

period to is a box of chocolates that only has your favorite flavor. But can this great privilege come crashing down into a disaster? Yes, in a brief moment of poor scheduling, an open period could turn into a ticking time bomb and possibilities of tardies that could later be turned into detentions. In my experience, the hardest thing about an open period is finding a good place to have one. One open period of mine is first period, which may seem nice because you can sleep in, but a draw back is all the weird looks you get form your

peers when you walk into class late. I am typically late, because I tend to over sleep on these days, and I leave my house on the late side. An open period can be placed anywhere on your schedule, but you may want to stay away from middle of the day open periods, or after school open periods if you have no way of making it home. I only say this because now you can be swept up in the hallways, even if you do not have class. You are supposed to be off campus during an open period, which is the reason for the possibility of being slapped with a tardy. Open periods, while be-

ing relaxing and enjoyable, can cause you to get in a little trouble. My suggestion would be to schedule an open period at the end of the day, that way you have no excuse to be tardy, since you will be able to leave school early. I would also suggest an open period for both first and second period, so you can sleep in both days and go to school later. Scheduling needs to be done with a little strategy so you aren’t stranded at school with nothing to do, and so you aren’t tardy to your classes. As relaxing as open periods are, try not to get to school late, and if you are late, don’t make eye contact with your peers.

With less censorship, Coco fans are enjoying hilarious season Team Coco rejoice, for our fearless leader has returned to television. Conan O’Brien’s new show, Conan, airs at 8 p.m. (and 10 p.m. for some reason) on TBS. After seven long months of being legally prohibited from TV, it was a breath of fresh air to finally see that pale face and tall hair in my living room again. Basic cable is the new home of the big orange hair. The show may be on a new channel and at a different time, but it’s the same old Conan. Part of Conan’s deal with NBC was that when he left he could not return to television for seven months, so before his premiere on Nov. 8, Conan toured the country on his Legally Pro-

Mac Myers Bruin Reporter hibited from Being Funny on Television Tour, which began in Eugene. By the time I found out about it, it was too late and he was already in Arkansas or somewhere. Not much has changed in O’Brien’s show transition, however, TBS is much less strict than NBC about what can go on the air, which means every joke can go a little bit farther, and thus- way funnier. The weird content and creepiness can now soar far beyond where it has ever been. Conan O’Brien has become a major part of my life. I very much plan to get tickets (which are free) and go down to California to see his show and hug him. So text “follow ConanOBrien” to 40404 if you want him in your life too.

Be sure to visit the online Bruin to explore more stories and updates at mhsbruin. com If you have any friends or relatives that are interested in ordering a subscription to The Bruin, make sure to stop by room 228 and talk to the editor, or just call us at 503-5654159.

T h e B r u i n : T h u r s d a y, 1 2 . 1 6 . 1 0

Features

Can You Dig It?

Cory Eklund volunteered three weeks of his summer to dig up dinosaur bones and learn even more about paleontology

Photos Courtesy Of CORY EKLUND

Cory Eklund cleans off a bone at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center, a museum in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Eklund applied his prior knowledge and was able to learn many new skills on his trip including Strike and Dip, a method of locating fossils.

by BENJAMIN LENTZ This summer, McMinnville High School teacher Cory Eklund spent three weeks digging up dinosaur bones in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Thermopolis is the largest town in the county seat of Hot Springs County. The town was named after the hot spring that sits in the town. It is the biggest natural hot spring in the world, causing the whole town to smell like sulfur. Eklund dug for a museum called the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. The museum is owned privately by a very rich German named Burkhart Pohl. Pohl made his fortune by inventing a way to make shampoo bottles at hotels allergen free. He also owns one of only four Archaeoptreyx in the world, and the only one that is on display. “I volunteered and at first they said they were full and didn’t need me,” said Eklund. “But then they called me back and said they could use me because I have experience and I’m an educator. The first day they gave me a bone and I learned how to clean it off in the back. And then later that afternoon they took me out to a dig site.” The Wyoming Dinosaur Center has five active dig sites; Eklund dug in four of them. “At some parts the ground would be really soft and you could just use a knife and flake the bones out,” said Eklund. “The bones would be the hardest things to come out. At other parts the ground was really hard and we would have to use a hammer and

chisel and sometimes a crow bar to dig out the bones.” “You pretty much had to break the bones to find them, and once you broke them you had to glue them back in place,” said Eklund. They did this because if the bone is broken and not glued back to its original shape, it is no longer scientifically relevant. “The first thing I found myself was a vertebra,” said Eklund. “I also specifically found two toe bones, one of a Camarasaur and one of an Allosaur.” According to Eklund, toe bones are a rare find. “I also helped lead tours. If families paid enough money, basically, we had “Dig for a Day,” said Eklund. “They would dig with us and we pretty much just monitored and glued the bones back if needed. We then took them to back to the museum and did a tour. After that we would take them to another dig site, and whatever they found they got to take home. The second site was more marine fossils rather than dinosaur fossils like the first one.” Luckily, Eklund went to college where he learned some skills he was able to apply; such as mapping the dig sites and total stationing. Total stationing is a way to identify the location of a fossil. They do this by putting a GPS receiver on the fossil and it takes a reading of the location. Strike and Dip was another way they figured out the location of a fossil. They would measure the angle of the fossil away from the North Pole and the angle from the ground. Eklund didn’t know everything about what he was do-

ing though. “At first I was totally at the mercy of the other diggers,” said Eklund. “But pretty soon they were looking towards me for answers.” Eklund learned how to create a plaster jacket for a fossil. A plaster jacket is burlap dipped in plaster powder and water and you wrap it around a bone and it hardens. They did this to protect the fossil. Eklund also learned how to catalog. All the data was written down before it was taken down to the museum. “I liked to dig,” said Eklund “But I also really liked the organization part of it, and most people didn’t.” Eklund is somewhat of an earth enthusiast. “Just being outside, being outside and touching a dinosaur bone everyday is my favorite part,” said Eklund. “It was a dream come true. I also learned a lot about Paleontology that I can take to my class.” On the weekends, Eklund hiked on Paint Rock

Canyon. “The most memorable part was the glue kit. The glue was pretty much stitches,” said Eklund. “You glued the bones together and just held it. These girls shattered a small bone into like nineteen pieces and I glued it back together and ended up gluing a bunch of my fingers together and to the ground.” They used a debonder to unglue their fingers. “The only dinosaurs whose bones I actually dug up and cleaned were from a Diplocodocuss, Camarasaurs and Allosaurs,” said Eklund. Although only about one fourth of the fossils sent to the museum were real. three fourths of them

were just casts. Eklund was and is still very excited about the dig for which he volunteered. “Yeah, he talks about [the dig] all the time” said junior Alexis Godwin. “The first activity we did was radial mapping,” said senior Myles Ireland. “Also he talked about the fossils he found and the techniques he learned or used while digging.”

Eklund at one of the museum’s active dig sites. The Wyoming Dinosaur Center has five active dig sites and Eklund had the privilege digging at four of them. He loves to be outside and having the opportunity to participate on this dig was a dream come true.

S PORTS

TONIGHT’S EVENT

SECTION

B Competitve through adversity

Girls Basketball vs. Renyolds In the Furnace 7:15 p.m.

12.16.10

Despite losing all-leaguer Drew Wickman, Grizzlies still competing by JESSICA MCMILLAN and WYATT WATERBURY

When losing seven seniors last year, (Michael Burke, Connor White, Alex Geelan, Brandon Jones, Michael Lee, David Noble, and Raymond Town) one would expect the McMinnville High School boy’s basketball program to be in a recovery season. There are roles to fill, plays to learn, and experience to gain. But not this year. “We are going to into the season expecting to win league,” said senior guard Brandon Harris. “We have a close team this year and we want to make a run in the playoffs.” Many of the other starters voiced DYLAN LEATHERS / The Bruin the same opinion. Senior Devon Hayes dribbles against a Milwaukie player. “We are going to win league this The Mustangs beat MHS in the first home game at The year,” said junior forward Turner Furnace. Grimm.

Grimm contributed in a huge way in the first game of the season with 29 points and 10 rebounds, although the game ended in a lost for the Grizzlies. “Our goal is to win league,” said senior post Drew Wickman. “We have a group of guys that will step up and Grimm contribute in every Varsity forward game.” The Grizzlies are NEXT UP: coming off a spec- McMinnville at tacular season, one Century Tourney, that fans hadn’t seen vs. Sheldon in a while. 6:15 p.m. They finished Friday third in league, barely losing to rival Newberg in their

last game by a margin of one point. A win would have moved the Tigers, Tualatin and McMinnville to a tie for first place. MHS finished the season with a record of 15-10 and excited fans with their up tempo play and constant barrage of three pointers. They ended the season with a loss against Sunset. This year, the team looks to deliver the same play, even with three new teams (Hillsboro, Glencoe, and Century) added to the league and the absence of Canby. “It will be nice to play different schools this season,” said Harris. Other members of the team are not worried about the change either. Please see BOYS HOOPS, Page B2

Ducks will go to the BCS Tostitos Bowl A battle of the offenses will be shown by CHAD SPRINGER and ALEX ANDERSEN The BCS forecast for the Oregon Ducks 2010 season: Oregon reign. For seven straight weeks, the Oregon Ducks topped at least NEXT UP: one of all major Oregon vs. polls, including Auburn the decisive BCS at Glendale, AZ formula, in a hisJan. 10 toric memorable run in determining who will play Jan. 10th in Glendale Arizona. A dream finally became reality Dec. 5. Coming fresh off a victory over in state rival Oregon State, the berth was clinched and the Ducks are flying south to Glendale for the BCS National Championship. Minutes after the Reser Stadium scoreboard hit zero, the score was 37-20, Beaver fans stood dismayed and speechless, swarms of yellow and green rushed the field. Amidst the chaos of raised index fingers exclaiming number one and Tostitos chips falling to the turf in excitement, Chip Kelly stood drenched in Gatorade calm, cool, and collective, setting his sights on Auburn. While Beaver fans may be speechless, Duck fans are as well, many having to pinch themselves to assure the dream that seemed unrealistic years ago is in fact not doubt, but reassurance. Through 12 games, the Ducks averaged 49.3 points per game and nearly 550 yards of total offense. Their offense is just as potent as their uniform combinations. Looking at Oregon’s statistics, it seems they’re unstoppable with an average of 303.5 rushing yards per game. However, Oregon has been down by deficits of 10 to 18 point against various teams. Please see DUCKS, Page B3

DYLAN LEATHERS / The Bruin

Pedro Moreno slides on his longboard at Joe Dancer Park. Moreno has been skating for three years, and enjoys it because it is fun and gets him around town.

Enjoying the ride Longboarding is emerging as a new form of transportation in McMinnville by STEPHEN GRINICH Stereotyped as a type of skating that involves doing tricks and causing public upset, longboarding is anything but what people take it to be. Those extra inches of deck that separate it from a skateboard provides a large amount of various possibilities that one can participate in, ranging from urban transport to a way that mimics snowboarding in carving the streets. Although heavily found in large, urban sites, not exactly McMinnville’s most fitting characteristic, longboarding has rode its way closer to McMinnville High School and many students have come to call them themselves longboarders. Many longboarders started at

around the same time. The trend in McMinnville seems to have started this summer, according to many students. “I started [longboarding] midway through the summer because my friend Grant wanted to teach me,” said senior Jackson Hughes. “I like it because it’s both exciting and relaxing at the same time. It’s exceedingly smooth and soothing.” Fellow longboarder, and friend, sophomore Stuart Chauvin also started the sport around the same time period. “Last summer I was hanging out with my friends and we DYLAN LEATHERS / The Bruin

Sophomore Cody Secaira longboards along an open street. Secaira has been longboarding for three years.

Please see RIDE, Page B4

Winter sports season feels burn of practice With practice time cut in half, many teams are forced to be less prepared

Photo courtesy of GODUCKS.COM

Quarterback Darron Thomas throws a pass versus the California Bears. The Ducks will play in the BCS National Championship versus Auburn.

The McMinnville High School football team, volleyball team, and girls’ soccer team had a chance to make it to the 2010 state playoffs this season. All three teams Grace McMillan failed to de- Commentary feat contenders in each of their play-in games, which would have put them in the playoffs. This opportunity

INSIDE SPORTS Dustin Munger earns Player of the Year honors for soccer

wouldn’t have been available if the play-in games hadn’t been created for the 2010- 2011 year. The Metro League is stacked with teams that have strong athletic programs. The Metro League consists of Aloha, Beaverton, Jesuit, Southridge, Sunset, and Westview High School. Recently, the Metro League teams have been complaining that their league has a load of good teams, and so the lower seeded teams in the league don’t have a chance at making the playoffs. OSSA granted their wish and created play-in games.

Originally, the top 32 ranked teams would make the playoffs. Now, to make sure that the best teams are competing in the playoffs, only 21 football, boys’ soccer, boys’ basketball, baseball, and softball teams automatically qualify in the playoffs. The remaining 22 teams play in 11 play-in games to decide the best of the 22. For volleyball, girls’ soccer, and girls’ basketball, 20 teams automatically qualify for the playoffs. The remaining 24 teams play in 12 games, and the winners contend in post-season play. This system ended up ben-

girls SWIMMING b2

girls basketball b4

efiting the Metro League, as all the football teams but Westview made it to the playoffs. This play-in game system benefits fall sports far more than winter sports though, which in a way, makes the system unfair. Because of the play-in game method, the playoffs were two weeks longer this year, and winter sports teams only have three weeks instead of the fall teams’ amount of five weeks to practice before games started. Therefore, when winter sports playoffs Please see DELAY, Page B3

BLAZER BEAT B2

Sports

T h e B r u i n : T hu r s d ay, 1 2 . 1 6 . 1 0

SNAP SHOT OF THE ISSUE Every issue the Bruin Sports staff will vote for a photo(s) to be the snapshot of the issue. This Issue:

Grant Geelan goes up for a layup in a game versus Milwaukie. The home game was the first one of the 2010-2011 season.

NOTE WORTHY

Cowboys not so good

The Heat warming up

Tony Romo broke his collar bone and now the Cowboys are zilch. Nada. Zero. The popular Texas team has done horrible job recovering from the injury with a poor record of 4-9.

With the addition of Lebron James and Chris Bosh to Dwayne Wade’s South Beach, the hype for the Miami Heat was at an all-time high heading into the NBA season. Enter disappointment. And then reenter a glimmer of hope. The Heat started out horribly, losing to mediocre teams and struggled to keep up with Orlando. Now they are on a winning streak of nine and looking for more. Look out Lakers.

DUKE and The rest

The Blue Devils have showed that they belong at the top multiple times this season. Duke beat Kansas State by 14 points, 82-68 and Michigan State as well, 84-79. Downside? Starting point guard Kyrie Irving is out for the rest of the season. The team is favored to win the National Championship for the second consecutive year.

oregon vs. auburn

The Ducks accomplished a task it couldn’t for the last 141 years. And that is going to the BCS Championship game set to be played in Glendale, Arizona. Auburn is favored by a field goal in the game, when both teams’ potent offenses will duke it out in an exciting game. Watch for Cam Newton and LaMichael James as the two will be sure to put on a show.

Barcelona: THE best

Barcelona was named the best team in the world this past month. The team has dominated the world for the past two and a half years. The team has won 55 titles in its history and a lot of respective players have come out of its program.

Blazer Beat

Starters: #24 Andre Miller #7 Brandon Roy #2 Wesley Matthews #12 LaMarcus Aldridge #23 Marcus Camby Head Coach Nate McMillan leading scorer leading rebounder leader in assists leader in blocks leader in steals

G G F F C LaMarcus Aldridge 17.4pg Marcus Camby 11.1pg Andre Miller 7.3pg Marcus Camby 1.8pg Andre Miller 1.9pg

Games of the Week: Wed. 15 Fri. 17 Sat. 18

@ Dallas vs Minnesota vs Golden State

6:30 p.m. (ESPN) 7 p.m. 7 p.m.

Northwest Division Standings: Team Utah OK City Denver Portland Minnesota

W L 18 8 17 8 14 9 12 13 6 18

CONF 9-7 9-5 9-4 7-8 2-11

PCT. 0.692 0.680 0.609 0.480 0.250

GB ½ 2½ 5½ 11

STRK W1 W3 L1 L2 L1

CBS Sports/wikipedia

All-League Athletes at MHS: FALL Sports

Second Team First Team Ryalee Braxling Maeghan Angel Volleyball Claire Lawson Volleyball Carlie Price Cross-Country Tim Anderson Myles Horton Karly Mechals Soccer Ryan Aker Mikalee Gilbreth Dustin Munger Soccer Jacinto Sanchez Miguel Angeles Soccer Jorge Ramierez Soccer Nick Autencio Player of the Year Honors: Dustin Munger, Soccer Coach of the Year Honors: Chuck Bechtol, Soccer

BOYS HOOPS: Still strong after losing 7 seniors Continued from Page B1 “One or two of the teams are pretty decent,” said junior guard Grant Geelan, “But I’m not too excited about it.” “I’m a little excited,” said Grimm, “But it will make it easier for us because the three teams are not very good.” Last year Hillsboro was 13-13, Glencoe finished with a 17-7 record, and Century had an 11-16 record. The three teams moved from 5A to 6A this year. What are the games to watch against the Grizzlies?

Volleyball Cross-Country Cross-Country Soccer Soccer Soccer Soccer

DYLAN LEATHERS / The Bruin

BOYS BBALL

Porter looks to lead With a lot of swimmers out for the team this year, the team has high expectations and a hunger for individual improvement by ALEX ANDERSEN While many students at McMinnville High School base their sports interests off of main high school sports like football, baseball, basketball, and track, one important and very successful sport that often goes unnoticed at MHS is swimming. It requires extreme a e r o d y n a m i c s , Porter developing your Top swimmer own techniques NEXT UP: and lastly, practicForest Grove at ing. Coached by McMinnville, Jason Hafner, 3:45 p.m. the girls’ swimming program has flourished over the years, becoming one of the most consistent sports programs at MHS, with two state championships in this past decade. Popularity has continued to grow with the success, with a growing number of swimmers out for this upcoming season. The Grizzlies swimming team is led by senior captain, Katie Porter, who’s very optimistic towards the upcoming season. “I’m just looking to have fun, and enjoy my final year of swimming at MHS,” said Porter. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.” Nonetheless, Porter is still striving to improve with each meet, and

has worked considerably in the offseason in order to do so. “I also want to place in the top three of the individual events, and I want to win both,” said Porter. Porter gives this young team some vital experience, with the departure of notable seniors Leslie Roberts, and Elyse Brill, most of the squad are made up of sophomores and juniors. Coming fresh off a fourth place finish in Districts last year, and a 12th place finish in state, experience will be crucial this upcoming season. Two new foreign exchange students, Josefin Erikson and Clara Hammel bring a new complexion to this 2010 team. Life in America is different for Hammel, a foreign exchange student from Germany. Sports are somewhat different as well. “In Germany we swim more, and there are less pushups, and running,” said Hammel. She also wants to make the most of her American experience with swimming. “I just want to have fun, go to state, and improve my backstroke and freestyle,” said Hammel. For every swimmer improvement is vital to the success of the team. Improvement is definitely the main motive for junior swimmer Erika Bakner. “I’m excited to see how the year unravels with new faces and coming off a very productive season, we’ll

Dance Team

THOMMY SMALL / The Bruin

Katie Porter rests during practice. Porter won the 50 and 100 freestyle race versus Newberg.

only be better,” Bakner said. Bakner has been swimming since she can remember and this is the case with most of the team. More improvement in this team could pave the way for a top finish in districts and possibly top five in state. All the pieces are aligned for a memorable 2010 season. New faces with fresh talent will bring optimism and hopes of hanging another banner. Their next meet is on Jan. 6 at 3:45 p.m. in the McMinnville Aquatic Center versus Forest Grove.

Working hard to be the best

On Jan. 18 the dance team will do their first performance of the 2011 year. The group of girls are learning six new rountines. Fixing two and learning four new ones. The team is practicing four days a week and is excited for what is in store. “We all have one thing in common. We dance. It’s a place were we can express ourselves,” said junior Arelly Cervera.

Pacific-8 Conference

Newberg will be a decent match up because of the rivalry between the two teams and the return of Newberg’s Brock Lutes who stood out last year’s final game. The bitter memories from last year’s games will make the rivalry that much better this year. “Sweeping Newberg is my top priority for the season,” said Geelan. Tualatin will also be a fun game to watch because the Timberwolves always produce a quality club. In Tualatin’s first game this year they beat Sunset 52-51. Sunset beat McMinnville twice last year, in the preseason and in the first round of the playoffs. “It doesn’t matter who we play,” said Geelan, “we just gotta work hard and win.” The Grizzlies have a tough schedule ahead of them playing Lake Oswego High School in the preseason. Lake Oswego lost to Jesuit High School in the 2010 playoffs last year and finished with a 16-8 record.

DYLAN LEATHERS/ The Bruin

“Sweeping Newberg is my top priority for this year.”

CONFERENCE STANDINGS Pac-8

Grant Geelan

TEAM Hillsboro McMinnville Tualatin Century Tigard Glencoe Forest Grove Newberg

Varsity Starter

McMinnville plays Newberg High School twice this year on January 21 and February 18. Newberg is the defending conference champions and will be tough competition for McMinnville. In the first two games Grimm dominated with a double double in the first game having 29 points and 10 rebounds versus Milwaukie High School and also was a high scorer in the second game versus Liberty High School netting 30 points for the Grizzlies. Senior captain Drew Wickman, who was the 2010 News-Register All-Valley Boys Basketball Player of the Year, injured his knee and has missed the first three games because of surgery.

DYLAN LEATHERS / The Bruin

Senior Brandon Harris drives to the basket against two defenders. Harris is one of the three captains for the varsity team.

For more pictures of the Boys’ Basketball team, their status in league and to get more updates throughout the season, go to, mhsbruin.com

RECORD 2-1 2-1 2-1 2-2 2-2 1-2 1-3 1-3

Sports

T h e B r u i n : T hu r s d ay, 1 2 . 1 6 . 1 0

State championship on the horizon With many returning starters from last year, the boys set high goals for the upcoming season

by JACK ANDERSON

This year’s swim season is looking quite promising for the McMinnville High School boys. Their success from last year is already carrying into this year. L e d by Coach Ja s o n H a f n e r, who has b e e n coaching for over Valentine 30 years, Varsity swimmer the Grizz l i e s NEXT UP: have a Forest Grove at s t r o n - McMinnville, ger team 3:45 p.m. t h a n Jan. 6th they did last year. The team has grown significantly since last year, with 28 boys and about 60 swimmers total. “This year we have the second biggest group I’ve ever had out,” said Hafner. “It’s a good group of kids. I’ve been really happy with their work ethic. They get here on time, get in the water, and train hard.” “We’re going for our fourth consecutive undefeated season,” said senior

PGE gets new MLS look

Matt Chauvin, the number one swimmer on varsity. Last year, Chauvin took first place in the state meet. Chauvin’s events include the 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, and the 500 freestyle. The team competes in about one meet a week. On Jan. 15, the team will travel to Corvallis to race. Most of the meets this year are at home, with five home meets and only two away meets (Glencoe and Hillsboro). A few home meets to name are Dec. 9, Dec. 14, and Jan. 6. One great thing about the swim team is that swimmers of all levels of experience can join. New swimmers quickly learn new techniques and strokes that are unfamiliar to them. They are taught how to correctly perform a flip turn as well as diving early in the season. Starting early in the fall, some of the more experienced swimmers who have been to the district and state meets train hard for a club meet so they can start to crank up their yards in practice. The district and state meets are in January. The Grizzly boys are

swimming anywhere from 5,000 to 8,000 yards a day. Over the winter break, the team kicks it into gear with longer practices. An annual special practice called the “Christmas Workout” includes onehundred 100 yard lengths, making it a 10,000 yard day. A few top Grizzlies swimmers to name (in no particular order) are juniors Blake Tillery and Matt Valentine, seniors Matt Chauvin and Jackson Hughes . All four of these swimmers are energized for the season. Valentine is an excellent butterflier, but he can do any of the races. Tillery is mainly a freestyle sprinter. The types of strokes are freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. The events include a 50, 100, 200, and 500 yard freestyle, 100 yard butterfly, breaststroke, and backstroke, a 200 yard IM (individual medley), and 3 relays, which includes a medley, 200 yard freestyle, and 400 freestyle. The JV events are shorter. This year the team has had more new swimmers join than any other year. “Our team has only im-

proved since last year,” said Hughes. “We didn’t lose very many seniors.” This is boosting the team’s morale. All of the varsity swimmers are eager for the state meet, where they are projected to gain a state title. Last year, the Grizzlies made it to state and placed fifth. The Grizzlies would have placed second, but Valentine had a mishap on his start where his goggles fell off, which caused him to complete his race four seconds slower. “We are definitely better than we were last year,” said Hughes. “The biggest thing I’ve seen this year is the team’s enthusiasm,” said Hafner. This season the Grizzlies will not only be physically stronger, but also psychologically. Most of their meets this year will be home meets, giving them the home advantage. MHS has always been considerably better than Newberg. Chauvin reports that Newberg has lost a lot of seniors this year. “Newberg is sort of a year-in, year-out rival,” said Hafner. This year McMinnville

has a new a league. The new league includes the Hillsboro schools. The Grizzlies don’t exactly what they’re up against when it comes to Hillsboro, but Hillsboro is expected to put up a good fight. With about 65,000 yards under their belt by the end of the season, the Grizzlies boy swimmers’ season should be triumphant. “When it comes to state,

For swimming updates, go to, mhsbruin. com

JACK ANDERSON / The Bruin

Matthew Chauvin looks up during a break in practice. Chauvin is expected to lead the team to state this year.

Working hard for a common goal DUCKS: Coach Keinonen excited for what season has in store

Renovation for the newest MLS team

Pac-10 champs

Continued from Page B1

by ZEV EGLI PGE parks facilities will undergo a $31 million transformation to enhance to major league s o c c e r FIRST GAME: standards. Portland vs. T h e Rochester Timbers April 17 were currently part Saturday of the U.S 2011 soccer federation D-2 pro league (step below MLS). The team will make its move to Major league soccer next season, along with their brand new facility. The new facility will have 20,000 seats making spectator room on all four sides of the stadium. A new 25 by 40 foot video score board will be added, and major changes to the locker rooms will make the 85 year old stadium more accommodating for all in attendance at the games. Along with the Timbers, Portland State University still plans on playing football at PGE. There will be three locker rooms one for the Timbers, Vikings, and opposing teams. New seating, restrooms, concessions, and Adidas team store will be added to the complex. More than 260 events are prospected to be hosted by the new venue in 2011. Although criticized for some of the changes (getting rid of the baseball field), PGE park has managed to sell 20 of the 23 box pavilions for next year. One thousand season ticket deposits have benn sold for the Timbers 2011 MLS Campaign. The New MLS season kicks off in April and the new PGE Park is expected to be completely done.

Roseburg is our biggest rival,” said Tillery. The team is optimistic about their chances at the state title this year.

THOMMY SMALL/ The Bruin

Senior Vernon Planck wrestles against a McKay opponent in Newberg. Planck won the match easily despite the loss.

by GRACE MCMILLAN

The McMinnville High School wrestling team has been working hard since the beginning of the school year with high expectations for the season on their minds. The team has lost only one se- Paasch nior from Varsity wrestler last year, and looks NEXT UP: f o r w a r d McMinnville at to being a Canby Tourney, great deal vs. Canby s t r o n g e r All-Day than last Saturday year for the 2010-2011 season. “The team is going to be a lot stronger and better this year,” said sophomore Tiger Paasch. They have a lofty potential for this season, as

there are mainly the same wrestlers as last year out for the team this season. This will be a great advantage, as most teams lose at least three or four seniors per season,, and some loose a lot more than that. “It’s not going to be much different this year because we only lost one senior,” said sophomore wrestler Bryce Branson. “So we are pretty much going to have the same lineup.” The Grizzly wrestlers are coached by Sean Keinonen, MHS Woods teacher, which is the same as last year, but their new assistant coach will take the team places this year. The new assistant wrestling coach is the English Language Learner (ELL) teacher, and has lots of experience in coaching wrestling teams and will help all of the wrestlers improve this season and the following seasons. “We have a really good

coaching staff this season,” said Branson. Leading the team this year are four seniors who have been dedicated to wrestling for all four years of their high school education, including Dillon Crawford, Chris Pearson, Vernon Plank, and Jake Montgomery. Montgomery is a three sport athlete who had a big impact on the football team and will have an impact on the wrestling team and the baseball team this year, as well. There are also three sophomores and one freshman who will make a significant impact this year. The sophomores are Branson, Jared Sublet, and Paasch. The freshman in JT Barnes. “We are going to have one of the best seasons,” said Branson. There are many events the varsity wrestlers anticipate every year. “Districts and State,” said Paasch.

“[I’m looking forward to] wrestling Newberg,” said Branson. “[I’m excited for] the Oregon Classic,” said Sublet. The only thing that is different this year, according to Sublet, is that wrestlers seem to be more dedicated to the team compared to last year’s group of athletes. “We had more people working out since the beginning of the school year,” said Sublet, “instead of waiting until the season started to get in shape.” In order to get ready for tournaments and matches, the wrestlers must work extremely hard to get in shape, but to also compete well. “We have to work hard,” said Sublet. “We have to work a lot harder.” “We will have to work hard in practice,” said Paasch. “We are going to have a pretty good season. We will win some tournaments.”

athlete of the issue Turner Grimm Each issue The Bruin Sports writers and photographers vote on an athlete for Athlete of the Issue.

Jake cummings / The Bruin

Junior Turner Grimm has been a consistent threat from anywhere on the court for the Grizzlies this season. Averaging 25 points a game, Grimm is one of the top scores in the state of Oregon. He had his best game in a 6254 loss in the Grizzlies’ opener against Milwaukie, putting up 29 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Turner put up 30 points in his next game in an overtime win against Liberty. “[Grimm] is a strong attribute to our team on the offensive end,” said senior guard and team captain Brandon Harris. “He brings energy to every game,” said senior guard Zev Egli. “He [Grimm] plays with swagger unlike any other player I’ve ever seen,” said junior point guard Grant Geelan. “If he hits two threes in a row the defense

is going to have a heck of a time stopping him.” Aside from Turner’s swagger is a competitiveness that no one can deny. “I know he is going to do what ever is necessary to win the game. Whether that’s scoring 30 or just 3; he’s a winner and he’ll do what it takes to get the win,” said Geelan. Although Grimm loves to have the ball in his hands, his teammates enjoy it even more. “[Turner] is able to make plays whenever needed,” said Harris. “I know I can trust him whenever he has the ball.” When points are needed at the end of the game, the Grizzlies have gone to Grimm this season, and it has been extremely successful. “He’s lookin’ good, feelin’ good and smellin’ good,” said Egli. “He’s gettin’ his buckets.”

The Ducks are a program that has been highly overlooked in the past decade. The Dennis Dixon era was a time where the Ducks were considered a potential national championship contender. But an eventual loss after being number two for only one week set their favoritism and chance slim to none. Oregon fans can rejoice now. This season, everybody looked past Oregon, giving the Ducks a dissapointing 11 in the preseason rankings. The loss in the Rose Bowl sure set them back, and there was the tumultuous offseason involving ex-quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and ex-wide receiver Garret Embry. But now that has passed, its history, it’s forgotten. Who was the last quarterback? Now, the only thing the Ducks are running into is the national championship. For all the marbles, on a national stage the Ducks will prove that they’re not pretenders, but that they are contenders.

49.3

Points averaged by the Ducks vs. an opponent

DELAY: Little time to prepare Continued from Page B1 end, because of the play-in games, spring sports will start two weeks late, also. American Football is the ninth most popular sport in the world, and the most popular sport in America, according to www.buzzle. com. Football attracts more television viewers than baseball (the second most popular sport in America), although baseball attracts significantly more ticket sales due to its much longer schedule. In football at MHS, there seem to be more players on the field, more players on the sideline, and more fans in the stands then any other sports. But instead of keeping it fair and allowing all sports to have the same amount of practice time, OSAA gave football and fall sports the most support by creating the play-in game system, cutting down practice time.

Weeks lost by winter teams for practice time due to the new play-in system

Sports

T h e B r u i n : T hu r s d ay, 1 2 . 1 6 . 1 0

Off to a hot start, looking to run

With a 3-2 record, the Grizzlies create fresh start in the girls program The McMinnville High School girls’ basketball team seems to be connecting on the court as they start the season off with a 3-2 record. A l r e a d y Oliver an im- Varsity center proveNEXT UP: m e n t from last Renynolds at year’s var- McMinnville, sity team, 7:15 p.m. w h i c h Thursday finished with a losing record of 1-22. Winning three out of the five pre-season games that they have played, the Grizzlies matched up well against Cleveland, Madison, and North Salem high

Pac-10 to Pac-12 Colorado and Utah join the Pac-10

schools, all resulting in wins. Sunset and Lake Oswego High Schools got the best of the girls, resulting in the two losses on the season. This year’s girls team looks to be different from years past, and is a refreshment to the MHS girls’ basketball program. “We play really well together and have good team chemistry,” said senior Carlie Price. “A lot of the girls have worked hard in the off season.” The Grizzlies have been blessed with a new edition to the team that could potentially be a big help in the search for playoffs. A blessing meaning another person to go down low and someone who crashed the boards hard, exactly what the girls needed. She is a junior Yamhill-Carlton High School transfer named Ariel Oliver, also known as “Aho”

by her teammates. “Ariel is a really good rebounder,” said girls’ basketball coach Sean Coste. “She plays strong and physical under the basket. She could be a big scorer for the team and is really hard to stop inside.” Oliver seems to be adapting well to the ways of MHS basketball and can contribute a lot for the Grizzlies. The lady Grizzlies look to do good things this basketball season. They have a vision and they are going to work and do whatever it takes to get there. The girls are working hard in practice and looking to be successful this season. “We are having a team goal session next week to make our goals for the season,” said Coste. “The girls have been talking a lot about doing better in league play and working towards

Top 5

Photos courtesy of WikipeDIA & Shaunwhite.com

competing in playoffs.” “We will press a lot more and play in zones at different times,” said Coste of the strategies they plan on using to achieve their playoff goal. “Using plays to insinuate people’s strengths.” It is still early in the season and the girls have been doing well, but there is always room for improvement. “Being patient in our offense and defending aggressively without fouling. Getting good shots are all things we can improve on,” said Price. With a great start off to the season, the girls start to prepare for league play where wins and losses actually matter. The girls are scheduled to play Tualatin in The Furnace on Jan. 4 to start off league play where the Grizzlies will be put to the test.

Jake Cummings / The Bruin

Jessica McMillan and Carlie Price defend a Madison player. The Grizzlies won the game for their second win of the season.

Athletes of the Year

by FREDO MARTINEZ

by JAKE CUMMINGS

by AARON HADDELAND In 2011, the Pacific-10 Conference will welcome its two newest members, Utah and Colorado. This comes in response to talks of expansion talks around the nation, most notably in the Big-12, the current conference of Colorado. Utah leaves the Mountain West Conference, which is considered a nonautomatic qualifying conference for the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in division I football, where as the Pac-10 is an automatic qualifying conference. This last summer, the Pac-10 began talks with several different universities about a conference shakeup. All of these schools belong to the Big-12, a high powered conference that receives an automatic bid to a BCS bowl game. Talks between the Pac10 and different schools dropped, however, and Texas elected to stay apart of the Big-12, pending that the conference kept enough teams. Utah’s football team has gotten little respect because their conference is percieved to have little talent within, wheter or not this is true. The addition of the two schools has made the PacTen break into two subconferences; a Nothern and Southern division. At the end of the season there will bve a Pac-12 championship game for the first time.

2011

The year that Colorado and Utah join the current Pac-10

RIDE: Discovery Meadows is popular Continued from Page B1 started longboarding,” said Chauvin. “I do it because it’s relaxing, in a way, and its fun to do with friends. That is, if they don’t break their collar bones.” Junior Pedro Moreno is also another MHS longboarder. “It’s risky. There’s a type of pressure involved,” said Moreno. “There’s always a chance of falling, and you don’t want to fall, which is where I get the fun in it.” Fellow junior Thommy Small also longboards for the thrill. “I like going for the adrenaline rush,” said Small. “It’s fun to do.” Some of the best places to longboard in McMinnville can be right outside the front door. Practically anywhere can provide a suitable environment, as long as there’s pavement or a hard surface. “Longboarding is good in neighborhoods, especially hilly ones like Horizon Heights. Those are my favorites,” said Hughes. “But really anywhere, though with low traffic and a smooth road is good.”

Rafael Nadal Tennis

Kevin Durant Basketball

Diego Florán Soccer

Shaun White Snowboarding

Michael Vick Football

This tennis legend has won three consecutive grand slams and is currently ranked number one in the world.

This past summer at the FIBA World Championship, Durant led the US National team to the winning the finals and won the MVP.

At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Diego, from Uruguay, led his team to fourth place from his all time scoring career.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, White again won the gold medal in the half-pipe. On his first run, White scored a 46.8 which won the competition.

Although Vick had a minor drawback in his career; he came back this football season to be making headlines for his winning season.

Events for the Week: Dec. 13-17 Monday

Tuesday Boys’ Basketball @ Lake Oswego 7:15 p.m.

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

13 14 15 16 17

Girls’ Basketball vs. Lake Oswego Boys & Girls 7:15 p.m. Swimming vs. Tigard 3:45 p.m.

Boys’ Wrestling vs. Century 7 p.m.

Girls’ Basketball Boys’ Basketball @ Century vs. Renynolds Tournament 7:15 p.m. vs. Sheldon/ 6:15 p.m.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Look for Ariel Oliver and Grace McMillan to help lead the youthful squad to a victory.

Like Hughes, Chauvin also has his choice of preferable areas for longboarding enjoyment. “Cottonwood is a good neighborhood, just off of hill road. Discovery Meadows is also a good area,” said Chauvin. “Horizon and Second Street are definitely the places to be,” said Moreno. Senior Grant Krick is also an avid rider. Although only starting only earlier this year, Krick has become a regular longboarder that can find joy while carving the pavement. “It’s really peaceful to me,” said Krick. “It’s just really relaxing.” “I do it all over town. It really just depends on what I want to do and where I want to do it. Like, 2nd street is really good for bombing and going fast, while other places are good for just hanging out with friends and not going hard,” said Krick. “If I wanna go flat I go out in the country.” The person riding the board is only half of the package. A crucial part of the longboarder persona is the board itself. A wide variety of types are available, although many are preferable to others. “I have three boards,” said Krick. “My favorite brand is EarthWing. Everybody says that Sector 9 is really good, but it really isn’t. Longboarding is a growing trend in youths, and the best way to get with the trend is to jump on and ride.

Watch out for boys swimming as they aim for a league title and maybe a state championship.

The wrestling team goes against Century for the first time this season. Watch out for Chris Peterson and the rest of the squad.

Carlie Price and Megan Brosius look to turn up the defensive pressure against the visiting Raiders.

Look for for Drew Wickman and Turner Grimm to help the Grizzlies to a strong start on the first day of the tournament.

Top: Junior Josh Stromme skates on his longboard at Joe Dancer Park. Stromme has been longboarding for three years. Middle Right: Sophmore Cody Secaira skates down a random McMinnville street. Secaira likes longboarding because of how relaxing it is. Middle Left: Junior Josh Stromme does a trick on a hill. Stromme likes it because its better than sitting on the couch. Bottom: Senior Jake Cummings looks at different parts in Valley Skate Shop. Valley Skate Shop provides various parts for longboards. Photos by DYLAN leathers / The Bruin

Wha ’s Bruin Getting Cornered

COUNT DOWN school days until we’re out of here...

Seniors: 104.5 Everyone else: 107.5

With Zev and Erica

What could make sitting on the ‘throne’ more enjoyable? by ZEV EGLI One day I pondered the meaning of life while reading “Good House Keeping,” perched on my throne. I called this place “my office” where I could think, the only distraction was the whispering of the ceiling fan. Although the smell wasn’t always of sugar plums and daisies that could easily be fixed with a quick spritz of nature. Questions flew through my head. . . “Why am I alive? Why do we go to the bathroom? Why did Full House get canceled?” But

the question that intrigued me the most was “why is there only reading material to read in ‘my office?’” Wouldn’t it be cool to have other activities? For example, a NASCAR racing game right in front of your throne. Like the kind of car game that is in pizzerias. The throne would be your driver seat. The steering wheel, gas and break pedal right in front of you. Your mom left the window open before you came in; you were in a rush so you didn’t have time to close it. You sit in

the “driver’s seat” and grip the steering wheel. Shivers are sent up your body as the chilly draft slithers beneath you. Just imagine . . . three to four times a day of just sitting in your “office” could be occupied by playing a round of racing. Personally this would be the greatest thing ever to be invented. This time during the day could possibly make you one of the happiest campers as long as your mom doesn’t ruin by banging on the door, telling you to hurry up.

by MAC MYERS

He flies around in a suit, a sleigh, He brings us toys on our favorite holiday. Weighs a couple hundred pounds , but it doesn’t mean a thing, Cause’s he got more gifts than slinkies got sling. He put new socks under my tree, But my brother got the new PS3. What the heck, Santa? I thought we were pals. Might as well have given me a root canal. What’s this I hear about you kissing my mom? I know Dad died but it hasn’t been that long. If you ever put your crusty lips on her again, I’ll staple your face to the floor like a Siamese twin. Why you gotta watch me when I sleep? People start to thinking that you’re a creep. I’m not saying that you are, or that you’re not, I’m just stating the facts, relax, you hotshot. You live up north where the air gets cold, With a wife and 1000 elves I’m told. They’re two feet tall and they work all day, It might be a sweatshop, who cares, that’s okay. As long as you’re coming to bring me joy, I’ll wait here, I’ll be a good little boy. We heart you Santa, and as we say, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good day.

Thumbs:  &  Getting Presents

Giving Presents

Seeing Family For The Holidays

Sitting In The Car For Six Hours With Family

Snow!!!

Car Crashes

Hot Chocolate

Burnt Tongue

Egg Nog

It’s A Year Old

Winter Break

Sports Teams Still Practice

GUESS WHO??? All photos by Ryan Cornelison/ The Bruin

NO SHAVE

N O V E M B E R

Can You Guess Who These No Shave November Participants Are?

A &E

T h e B r u i n : T h u r s d a y, 1 2 . 1 6 . 1 0

H&M- A Grand Opening

OREGON HIPSTER

Clothing retailer H&M opened its much anticipated store in Portland, fashion lovers showed up in massive crowds by BRONTE LARUE

BRONTE LARUE/ The Bruin

PLAYLIST Passion Pit “The Reeling”

Hockey

“Wanna Be Black”

Vampire Weekend “Giving Up the Gun”

Belle & Sebastian “Funny Little Frog”

Matt & Kim “Daylight”

MGMT

One of Portland’s newest additions in Pioneer Square is the wordwide clothing store, H&M, an upscale and fashion forward store where you can update your wardrobe for cheap! It has brought shoppers from all around Oregon, and until the Washington Square location opens, it will continue to remain a star attraction in Portland. H&M is like a giant Forever 21, but it brings out clothing for men, women and children with some of the top fashion-

able pieces of each season. The quality is a lot better than your normal retail store where you get a faux leather jacket for $39. H&M, a worldwide known company, made their announcement for the Portland opening last year, and fashion lovers began their long period of waiting and dreaming of what treasures would await them inside the clothing palace. The H&M in Pioneer Square housed the biggest opening for the clothing retailer

“The Handshake”

on the West coast, beating out the turnout attracted in cities like Los Angeles, Seattle and San Diego. If one thing is sure about Portland fashion lovers, it’s that they all love a good deal where they can get the most bang their buck. H&M not only satisfies the deal craver in all of us, but also is a sure fire way to get some cash back in the pockets of the clothing mega-store. H&M is located on the corner of Southwest Third Avenue and Morrison Street.

Justice “Genesis”

Modest Mouse “Missed the Boat”

The Republic Tigers “Building and Mountains”

PhotoS Courtesy of Wikipedia

Temper Trap

by RYAN MARTIN

Press Play

NOW PLAYING - DEATHLY HALLOWS PART ONE

Harry Potter And the Deathly Hallows Released: Nov. 19th, 2010 Running Time: 146 Minutes Budget: $250,000,000 Domestic Gross as of 12/15: $256,000,000 Bruin Rating: B+

HARRY POTTER BOX OFFICE

The Sorcerers Stone: $978,540,000 The Chamber Of Secrets: $876,590,000 The Prisoner Of Azkaban: $795,640,000 The Goblet Of Fire: $858,567,000 The Order Of the Phoenix: $938,650,000 The Half Blood Prince: $933,677,000 by BLAKE EGLI PhotoS Courtesy of Wikipedia

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” was without a doubt the most anticipated film of the year, and after the record number of fans that showed up to see the film had left the theatre, many left scratching in disapointment. With “Deathly Hallows” being the biggest selling book of the series and best reviewed, fans expected perfection. The film looked stunning, and the performances of the main trio were the sharpest they have ever been, but the general consensus was that the film dragged on to long. Part two of the series is most definitely the more anticipated of the pair, seeing as all the juiciness happens towards the end of the book, so watch for all the records created by part one are blown out the water next summer. All in all “Deathly Hallows” is the best visual film of the series but I found myself very disapointed with all of the scenes that they cut out to make way for new scenes that didnt add anything special to the film. But I found myself loving it as a whole.

“Do the Panic”

Crystal Castles “Fight Song”

Portugal the Man “People Say”

by DYLAN LEATHERS

“Got that glitter on my A unique Musician has eyes, stockings ripped all up been changing the way young the side, lookin’ sick and sexyadults are listening to hip-hop. fied.” These lyrics basically You may know this fairly new sum up the sophomore album ‘Master of Ceremony’ as Cudi, of Ke$ha, which will have lisMr. Solo Dolo, or perhaps even teners busting out their bottles the Moon Man, but he is more of jack and throwing handfuls commonly known by his stage of glitter everywhere. name Kid Cudi. With tracks like “Sleazy,” Previously Cudi has collab“Blow,” and “Grow a Pear,” orated more commonly with Ke$ha has outdone herself artist such as Consequence, in the world of Auto-Tuned Rihanna Chip tha Ripper and Kanye Kanye West dance music. The first single West on mixtapes like Stoner Loud (Def Jam, 2010) M.B.D.T.F(Def Jam, 2010) released, “We R Who We R,” Charm and A Kid named Cudi. shot straight to number one in Download This: Dowload This: With the release of Man on several countries. S&M, Raining Men the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Monster, Hell Of A Life While many critics say that Rager it is pretty obvious Kid Ke$ha has no talent and can’t For Fans of: For Fans of: Cudi is stepping in the right hold a tune in a glitter filled Electric dance music, faux Angry rhymes, sharp lyrics direction, becoming more bucket, I beg to differ. Ke$ha reggae beats and auto-tune lyrically savvy, and is experiand amazing collaborations may not be the best singer on mental. Grade: Bthe block, but she sure knows Grade: B+ The rapper’s ability to how to make people dance weave in and out of intoxicatby DOM ALLEN by STEPHEN GRINICH and have a good time. Her ed spacey rhyming and deepComing off of the depressMix together some synthe- album Cannibal will no doubt thought provoking vocals is become another success that ing, auto tune filled 808s and sized beats and a little bit of what categorizes this album as Heartbreak album , Kanye West a must hear. slow, underground club music will keep the $ in Ke$ha for a long time to come. is back and bringing it in My together, and you’ll get RihanBeautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. na’s new album Loud. Made Say goodbye to the sad, “say up of her signature voice and you will and my heart is so torn music style, Rihanna’s Loud apart,” for that man is gone. provides a number of tracks This album marks Kanye’s that aren’t actually half bad. revival back into hip hop with I haven’t really ever payed powerful standouts like “Montoo much attention to Rihanster”, “Gorgeous”, and “Runna’s music, but this album away”. Unlike his last album, could change that. My previous My Beautiful Dark Twisted prejudice of her had been anFantasy picks up where 2007’s other pop diva, but after listenGraduation left off with great ing to her album, it seems that lyricism and style. her songs had a lot of more The stand out on the album time put into them than some is “Monster” and it definitely of the other popular artist’s of Kid Cudi Ke$ha lives up to the title. Kanye today’s generation. Man On the Moon II (Def Jam, 2010) ceases to be modest with lines Cannibal (RCA, 2010) Although Loud is a solid like “My presence is a present album, I’m not really drawn Dowload This: Dowload This: so kiss my a**.” to it. It may be my personal Erase Me, The Mood Cannibal, Sleazy Kanye West has finally preference creating bias, but made his return to making For Fans of: I most likely won’t find myself For Fans of: actually good music. People voluntarily jamming out to Glitter, getting hyphy, sweaty may say that Kayne is over, but Chillin’ hard, eating brownies, Rihanna. dat new new, good moral values raves and terrible grammar he is laughing all the way to the Grade: BGrade: Abank. PhotoS Courtesy of Wikipedia

Press Play

Phantom Planet

DEFINITION OF A HIPSTER

Hipsters are a subculture of men and women typically in their 20’s and 30’s that value independant thinking, indie rock, counter-culture, witty rants and thrift store-inspired fashion.

Topics

HOT

PressPlay

“Sweet Disposition”

Pop Culture, in Small Doses.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Put your paws up! Lady Gaga was recently named Billboards “Artist Of the Year.” With three top five singles and over ten million albums sold this year, we still love Gaga.

DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK

Britney Spears, who had an amazing comeback in 2008, has stopped her daily intake of cheetos and beer to get ready for the release of her new album in March.

MILEY GOES “BONGERS”

“Nobody’s perfect,” obviously Miley Cyrus is living up to her lyrics. The 18-year-old was recently caught on tape smoking salvia out of a bong.

!GINGERBREAD MEN!

1 (3.5 ounce) package cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a medium bowl, cream together the dry butterscotch pudding mix, butter, and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the egg. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon; stir into the pudding mixture. Cover, and chill dough until firm, about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheets. On a floured board, roll dough out to about 1/8 inch thickness, and cut into man shapes using a cookie cutter. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until cookies are golden at the edges. Cool on wire racks.

A&E

T h e B r u i n : T h u r s d a y, 1 2 . 1 6 . 1 0

SWAN

Natalie Portman stars in the gritty, psychological thriller “Black Swan” and is already getting Oscar buzz for her heart-pounding performance by RYAN MARTIN (Mila Kunis), who is everything that Nina is not. Nina then begins her dark and paranoid downward spiral into madness of becoming the best dancer and not letting Lily steal her part. As the film takes Nina into darkness, it becomes wonderfully twisted, gruesome and demented. This isn’t a pretty portrait of ballet, but of the ugliness of what comes before a perfect performance: the contorted feet. The muscle strains. The need to go over choreography again and again and again until even the piano player gives up, remarking that he has a life. Thomas is constantly in Nina’s face, literally at the studio and emotionally when she’s at home, beating herself up for not living up to his expectations. Physically and psychologically, her journey is brutal and scary. As the pressure further bears down on Nina, “Black Swan” becomes more surreal and wonderfully twisted, with

Black Swan

Aronofsky and his trio of script writers journeying into the gloomy corners of Nina’s increasingly demented mind. Throughout, the camera twists around the performers along with the music, which does the double duty of adding momentum and obscuring any technical faults of the actresses, though Portman and Kunis do a good job convincing the audience. (Their characters’ love-hate dynamic offstage is more or less the best part of the film.) Ballet haters, don’t stay away from “Black Swan” for fear of boredom. It’s as gripping a story as any you’ll see this year, a fitting addition to Aronofsky’s collection of amazing films. “Black Swan” not only has style, but it has plenty of substance. For the first time in several years, a thriller film actually has a good story and good acting, so take my advice and see Aronofsky’s latest masterpiece “Black Swan” when it is released nationwide later this year.

AWARDS WON

Released: Dec. 3,2010 Running Time: 98 Minutes Budget: $10,000,000 Domestic Gross as of 12/15: $5,546,000

67th Venice Film Festivle - Best Actress: Mila Kunis London Film Festivle - Best Film 25th Spirit Awards - Best Actress: Natalie Portman DC Film Festivle - Best Actress: Natalie Portman

CRITICAL RECEPTION Rotten Tomatoes - 86% Metacritic - 76/100 New York Times - B+ Bruin - A-

2011 GRAMMY NOMINATIONS

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

UPCOMING CONCERTS

Photo Courtesy of BLACK SWAN.COM

BLACK Drugs, death, sex and … ballerinas? The latest psychological thriller to sweep cinemas, “Black Swan,” is getting rave reviews for not only the ravishing performances of Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, but also for the heart-pounding tension that director Darren Aronofsky displays on film. Natalie Portman, who is already getting Oscar-buzz for her performance, plays Nina, a ballerina who prefers to be precise rather then soulful when it comes to her dancing, which makes it look as if she is going to lose the lead role in her theatre’s dark interpretation of “Swan Lake.” But once Nina shows her director Thomas (Vincent Cassel) that she possesses a hint of sensuality, he gives her the lead role of the Black Swan. But soon Nina begins to crack under the pressure of not being sensual enough for Thomas, and he begins to set his sights upon the soulful dancer Lily

SONG OF THE YEAR

Pink Martini

12/31/10 Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall 9:00 PM - $49 Average Ticket Price

Andre Nickatina

12/31/10 Roseland Theatre 8:00 PM - $106 Average Ticket Price

Rebelution

1/20/11 Roseland Theatre 9:00 PM - $64 Average Ticket Price

Chromeo

2/12/11 Roseland Theatre 8:00 PM - $65 Average Ticket Price

Ke$ha

2/15/11 Crystal Ballroom 8:00 PM - $39 Average Ticket Price

The Decemberists

2/19/11 Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall 9:00 PM - $59 Average Ticket Price

Josh Ritter

2/23/11 Crystal Ballroom 9:00 PM - $53 Average Ticket Price

Need You Know - Lady Antebellum

Esperanza Spalding

Teenage Dream - Katy Perry

2/25/11 Newmark Theatre Love the Way You Lie - Eminem feat. Rihanna * 7:30 PM - $60 Average Ticket Price

The Fame Monster - Lady Gaga *

The House That Built Me - Miranda Lambert

Eric Clapton

Need You Now - Lady Antebellum

F**K You - Cee Lo Green

The Suburbs - Arcade Fire

Beg Steal Or Borrow - Ray LaMontange

Recovery - Eminem

RECORD OF THE YEAR

BEST NEW ARTIST

Empire State Of Mind - Jay - Z *

Florence + the Machine *

Need You Know - Lady Antebellum

Justin Bieber

F**K You - Cee Lo Green

Mumford & Sons

Love the Way You Lie - Eminem feat. Rihanna

Drake

Nothin’ On You - B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars

Esperanza Spalding

* WINNER PREDICTION

JAZZ IT UP by JACK ANDERSON

JACK ANDERSON / The Bruin

On Dec. 6, 2010, the McMinnville High School jazz band traveled to Jimmy Mak’s jazz club in downtown Portland, Oregon to perform. The gig started at 6 p.m. and they played until till 7:30 p.m. The preparation for the performance was tedious. Each member of the band had to put in dozens of hours of practice to train for this special live performance. “We basically dug music out of the folders and had to decide which songs would be good,” said Wood. This was Wood’s first time playing in Portland. This performance was unlike other performances that the band has done in the past. As they entered the club, the welcoming employees greeted the band. The club’s setting was charming and holiday themed. After settling into the joint and warming up their musical muscles, the band began the show with a bang with “Licked Clean” by Dave Metzger, followed by “Come Rain or Come Shine” by Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen. A few other songs they played that night included “Tin Lizard” by Dave Robertson, “Brazil!” by Ari Bhrroso, and “Samba de los Iguanas” by Rick Stitzel. The band closed their performance with a booming hit called “Song with Orange” by Charles Mingus. Top: Members of the McMinnville High School Jazz ensemble have an amazing performance in Portland. The students jazzed up the Monday night crowd. Bottom: Senior Bethany Humlie shows off her skills on the cello during the ensemble’s performance in Portland.

Finally On iTunes

After several years of fans waiting, the Beatles have given into the digital age by RYAN MARTIN On Nov. 15, I opened up the Apple home page, which read: “Tomorrow will be a day that you will never forget!” In my mind I thought it would be something like finally selling Mac Books for $500, free iPads, or, dare I say, songs going back to 99 cents? I was filled with excitement for the next day when the big announcement was to be made and when it finally came, my heart sank at the headline: “Beatles now on iTunes.” The Beatles 16 album catalog is now officially available for purchase on iTunes and immediately albums like

“Abbey Road,” “Please Please Me”and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” shot to the top of the top 100 iTunes albums chart. Now each album costs $12.99, and each single costs the standard $1.29, but it seems to me like those prices should be lowered. The Beatle’s albums should be lowered due to them being released for over 50 years. Half the iTunes versions sound like they were recorded while bombs were going off, hyper-compressed and underappreciated. “Sergeant Peppers” is the biggest problem, with bass distor-

tion and muffling so heavy, it’s impossible to focus on anything else. And with all of Pepper’s songs up for sale individually, the concept album idea that the Beatles spent years on is gone in a flash. The record is now officially a track-by-track work, ignoring its brilliant transitions and underlying theme that built the Beatles fame. The Beatles are constantly hailed as the best band of all time, but after listening to two full albums, I don’t see where that title is coming from. In this day and age it takes more then four men singing love songs to sell music.

2/28/11 Rose Garden Arena 7:30 PM - $130 Average Ticket Price

MOST EXSPENSIVE BOOK

!EVER!

A copy of John James Audubon’s Birds of America tonight became the most expensive book ever sold when it sold for $10 million. The auction was a rare chance to own one of the best preserved editions of the 19th century masterpiece, with its 435 hand-colored illustrations.

Dig gin’

CRATE

Bruin Staff members’ favorite old-school albums. Well, old school for us.

Britney Spears Blackout (2007) Albums Sold : 3.1 million Bruin Rating : B+ Britney Spears’ album “Blackout” was released in October 2007 and somehow managed to outshine the public downfall that the former superstar was dealing with. Unlike Spears’ previous albums, which were “light” and “pop heavy”, Blackout marked a turn into more Hip-Hop and R&B tracks. “Blackout” is Spears’ only album to not debut at number one on the Billboard charts, and with sales of 291,000 copies, “Blackout” was also the singer’s lowest selling album. But while the album may have been a commercial failure, critics praised the album for taking a new direction from previous albums. The first single, “Gimme More” peaked at number three on the Hot-100 charts, but other singles like “Piece Of Me” and “Break the Ice” failed to make high debuts. Many music critics cite the reason for the underwhelming reception of the album to be Spears’ ongoing public downfall, and head scratching antics, like the singer shaving her head and beating a paparazzi car with an umbrella. But just like any good artist, you strive to constantly move forward in the art that you make, which is exactly what Britney did with the 2008 release of her album “Circus”. The album sold over 500,000 copies in the first week and shot straight to number one. - Bruin Staff

T h e B r u i n : T h u r s d a y, 1 2 . 1 6 . 1 0

Living

Tis The Season For Amazing Lights

Check out the top 5 Christmas light displays from around town:

All Photos By THOMMY SMALL

A New Eggnog Recipe to Try... Will and Chrisâ€™ Christmas Eggnog 4 eggs, separated 1/3 c. sugar 3 c. milk 1 c. whipping cream 2 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. rum extract Dash of salt Ground nutmeg

1. Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in sugar. Stir in milk, cream, vanilla and rum. 2. Add salt to egg whites and beat until they stand in peaks. Fold into egg yolk mixture. 3. Serve in punch cups. Sprinkle each serving with nutmeg.