Junior Issaiah Duke shows promise with musical skills
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a student-edited newspaper Sheldon High School
Girls basketball having interesting season
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2455 willakenzie Rd., Eugene, Or 97401 vol. 49
Issue 5
February 14, 2014
Freshman Abdu Mdi: community hero! Sheldon student comes to the rescue when an elementary school child in need cannot speak English Dylan Malpass backpage editor Sheldon High School is known for producing exemplary students both scholastically and athletically. However, Sheldon has also been home to numerous students who excel in moral character. One of those students, Abdurhman Algha Mdi (also known as Abdu), has proven himself as a person of high integrity. On January 9, a young boy, no more than seven years old, found himself on the wrong bus going to the wrong school. Most children would just tell an adult they were lost, however, the difference with this situation was that the boy did not speak English, he spoke Arabic. Scared, the boy desperately tried to communicate with adults, but to no avail. The only thing he was able to say was “mama, papa”, with hand signals for sleeping. This led teachers and authorities to believe his parents were home asleep, and unaware of their child’s situation. Abdurhman Algha Mdi is a freshman here at Sheldon. He is one of the only students attending Sheldon who speaks Arabic. Because of this skill, Abdu was called upon
to help translate with the young boy over at Meadowlark/ Buena Vista. Abdu said, “The boy was scared and crying, but he seemed to warm up after he heard me speak Arabic.” Abdu translated questions for the police such as “what is your name?” and “what color is your house?” When asked how the boy reacted to these questions, Abdu stated, “He seemed very nervous and very scared of the police.” Abdu kept the boy calm throughout the process and encouraged him that the police were there to help. To have a better understanding of the situation Officer Savage was questioned about what happened with the little boy and the situation. Officer Savage said, “The principal from Meadowlark/Buena Vista called me saying there was a little boy who did not go to the school and did not speak English who had wandered into a classroom and started coloring.” Savage then said, “I called the main office at Sheldon and asked if there were any Arabic speaking students. They told me about Abdu, so I went over to the school and pulled him out of class.” Savage went on to say, “We drove back over to Meadowlark/Buena Vista and started asking the boy questions. We eventually found out that he was a new student at Holt Elementary.” After more questioning Officer Savage (with the help of Abdu) also found out where the boy lived, and what his name was. The boy was eventually taken home by an Arabic speaking parent volunteer who was also on scene. Abdu was born in Virginia and lived there for six months. He then moved to Saudi Arabia where he lived until 2009. Abdu learned to speak Arabic from his parents, and he
“He seemed very nervous and very scared of the police.” - freshman Abdu Mdi
Abdu pauses for a photo during his interview.
photo by: McKinley Patrick
speaks Arabic at home. He hopes to attend the University of Oregon after high school. Abdu represents the type of moral character and leadership that all Sheldon students strive for. Because of his cooperation and kindness with the young boy, Abdu has proven himself to be a true community hero.
Top scholar athletes at Sheldon sign to top colleges Seniors Liam Talty, Mitchell Herbert, Sahalie Doe, and Haleigh Krause sign to their colleges of choice on National Signing Day Kennedy Potts editor-in-chief
tana State because it has a football program that reminds me a lot of the football program we have here.” Talty had received offers to attend multiple schools including Northern Colorado University, the Air Force Academy, and Columbia University. He chose Columbia because “[He] think[s] it will give [him] really good opportunities after school because of the education, and because it gives [him] the opportunity to play football at a higher level.” The choice for Talty had mostly been between Columbia and the Air Force, but he was happy he was accepted at Columbia because as he said on Signing Day, “I didn’t think a military career was right for me.” Doe is going on to play softball for Idaho State University. She will hold the distinction of being the first second-
generation softball player at the university as her mother played there as well. “I chose Idaho State University because when I visited the campus it seemed like a nice fit for me…They also have really great academic support.” Krause is planning on majoring in Sports and Recreational Business Management while also playing golf for San Diego State University. She explained that partly she chose to go to the school because she got along well with the coaches she met there. She got a laugh from the crowd when she added, “Also, it’s really warm down there.” National Signing Day was a great way to give recognition to the students of Sheldon who have excelled both in school and athletics, and a great way for them to publicize their commitment to where they will spending the next stage of their lives.
Sheldon High School is lucky enough to be home to both wonderful athletes and incredible scholars. Some students set themselves even further apart by balancing the two, earning great grades while also excelling through sports outside of the classroom. A few of these students were recently recognized during Nation Signing Day. Taking place on February 5, 2014 this year, National Signing Day is a nationally recognized day for high school seniors to officially sign a binding letter of intent to attend and play sports at a given college. This year, four students from Sheldon participated, with special recognition given to another student for his accomplishments. On the morning of February 5 at 8:30 a.m., seniors Mitchell Herbert, Liam Talty, Sahalie Doe, and Haleigh Krause gave information on their respective college destinations and education plans before signing their letters of intent in front of an audience of family and friends in the Sheldon auditorium. Senior Jordan Alexander was specially recognized for his nomination to be a member of the McDonald’s All-American Team for basketball. Many players who make it to the team are instantly branded as some of the top high-school players in the U.S. or Canada. Athletes who are selected often go on to be successful on their college basketball teams. The colleges Alexander is considering are George Fox University, Northwest Christian University, and Seattle-Pacific University. photo by: Kennedy Potts When asked, Herbert explained that he plans to study Sheldon’s top senior athletic scholars take a moment to sign to colleges of their choice. cell biology at Montana State University. “I chose Mon- From left to right: Mitchell Herbert, Liam Talty, Jordan Alexander, Sahalie Doe, Haleigh Krause.