Vol. 97; Feb. 27, 2009; Issue 5

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State begins planning to replace WASL B Y

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randy Dorn, the new superintendent of public instruction, has big plans for doing away with the Wasl test that thousands of Washington state students take each year and replacing it. according to the seattle times, the question on people’s minds is will the test be an effective, new way of testing the minds of Washington students, or is the new test a Wasl in disguise?

“Information about the new replacement test is limited as to some of the details like difficulty, but we know that it will be at least somewhat computer based, and shorter,” instructional coach leighan mahaffie said. this is the first time that changing the Wasl has come up and action is being taken. mahaffie believes that while it was here, the Wasl was beneficial to the students of Washington state. the state’s scores on national assessments increased, according to mahaffie. “everyone knew what the goals were and how the test worked. everyone was able to work towards those common goals and students successfully raised the numbers in Washington state,” mahaffie said. mahaffie has been involved with the Wasl because it came out around the time that her teaching career began. one year she got to assist with the Wasl because teachers signed up and she was on a board that scored the Wasl tests that year.

In spring 2010, the new replacement tests Dorn wants will be in effect if it is approved, and will test students on the same subjects, mahaffie said.

“It sounds to me like the test will be more multiple choice, at least that’s my understanding and it could be easier because there will be less explaining to do, with the exception of the writing portion,” lori Hadley said. the length of the new tests and the fact that it will take less time to complete seems to appeal to students, teachers and administrators alike, although the manner in which to transition to it is up in the air. bob silverman, the executive Director of assessment and accountability in the Puyallup school District, agrees that the new replacement test for the Wasl sounds like a good alternative.

“I think that the new test will work out well because the students are very computer proficient and the tests are shorter which the students should like. one part I’m unsure about is how the state will provide all of the computers, and how the teachers will help students with disabilities to take the tests,” silverman said.

Presently the state is looking into analysis to find a way to acquire all of the computers needed for the new test feasibly. Despite the

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spanish flooded from his mouth. fluency dripped from every vowel, hanging effortlessly in the air.

His arms worked rapidly, shaping a scene he witnessed, painting a picture that will never cease to haunt or harbor him. as he cut the atmosphere with his swift miming and the silence with his sharp spanish, as his fluency dripped, as his words flooded, his eyes also began to flood, drip and cut into the hearts of his students. before his departure for Honduras, señor edward constantine could visualize the pictures he would later be painting for his students. He envisioned an orphanage full of boys, working in a field, growing their own food.

When he arrived, he met those boys.

He envisioned an old bus traveling along a dirt road to a small village on the side of a hill.

In Honduras, he rode that bus, he traveled that road, he saw that village.

He envisioned hundreds of poor Hondurans at the door of an old elementary school; waiting for the a N D

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art sCholarships open

the robert b. mcmillen foundation is currently accepting applications for full-tuition scholarships. scholarships will be given to students with an expressed interest in the visual arts. for more information, visit www. mcmillenfoundation.org.

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central america where he met his wife“gringo doctors” they were promised. to-be, señora betsy constantine.

He met those Hondurans. “these were [señora constantine’s] He helped those Hondurans.

“I’m doing this for professional people, her neighbors, relatives of those development. all I do all day long is whom she knew as a girl on the slope tell people that ‘el gato es rojo’ or ‘I of a volcano in chiriqu Province in went to the store to buy apples,’” señor Panamá,” señor constantine said. “and constantine said before his departure. she cried every day that she interpreted “there is more to language than that. I for the poor, sick, injured Hondurans want to be a role model who came to us.” to the students. this is a the group was “I WaNt to be a job skill, this isn’t just a comprised of role moDel to way to get into college engineers, electricians, stuDeNts. tHIs with a credit.” pharmacists, doctors, Is a Job sKIll, señor constantine t H I s I s N ’ t J u s t a dentists, nurses and over 50 other W a y t o g e t I N t o and translators who people from the tacoma donated their time and col l ege .” area, cleveland, ohio efforts to a common eD coNstaNtINe and New york, N.y. cause. after collecting sPa NIsH te acHer went to Honduras Jan. donations of medical 31—feb. 7 as part of a supplies, clothing, toys, medical mission. the group traveled school and hygiene supplies, señor and to one of the poorest countries in señora constantine left seattle. they the Western Hemisphere in hopes of left their home, their job, their english making a difference. In the group, su and their comfort zone to submerse servidor and his wife went along as themselves in a week-long excursion in translators for physicians. this was not an unfamiliar place, unaware of what the constantine s first time in central might greet them there. america. señor constantine has visited “Just getting off the plane and seeing numerous countries in the area and also spent five years in the canal Zone of See “HONDURAS” page five

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book drive helps poor

portfolio deadline nears

running start meets

the Diversity committee is sponsoring a book donation drive for the better World books organization that will benefit impoverished children in uganda. Drop off new or gently-used books in the bin in the office. books must have an IsbN number.

sophomores and Juniors interested in participating in running start next year can attend an informational meeting april 16 in the PHs auditorium. counselors from PHs and Pierce college will be available to answer questions

the senior portfolio element of the culminating Project is due to senior mentors march 20. In order to attend senior ball, seniors must have a passing portfolio. If you have questions about the culminating Project, contact shelly Jellison. t o

o N

traCk seeks members

as the track season approaches, interested students can still join. If you are interested in becoming a part of the team, contact Ken fleisch, Dennis erlenmeyer or Jamie smith.

Practices begin march 2.

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Spanish teacher Edward Constantine journeys to Honduras to put his skills to use as a translator, returning with a sharpened command of the language and stories galore.

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continued from page one facts that the new test will be on computers and it will be shorter, Silverman said the test will be more similar to the waSl than different. “one thing that’s concerning is that it’s computer-based, and i’m just wondering about how well that will work,” Hadley said. “and how to get students through in a timely manner, the reliability and the validity of the test, and how the students will react to the new environment.” the computer-based factor of the test seems to have raised some questions with school administrators. everyone is used to the written out, fill-in-the-bubble format of the waSl. Hadley has background in working with the construction and other aspects of the waSl test, and knows it inside and out. “in 1998, the first waSl came out and i was part of the Standard Setting committee, i helped establish the scoring criteria by looking at student work and making a test based on what the board concluded an average student should know,” Hadley said.

Hadley has been involved in the writing portion of the test for seventh grade.

She also worked on a state committee a few years ago where she wrote writing modules for the waSl. Since the changes were announced so recently, school administrators and teachers aren’t sure what to think of it yet. without having seen what the new tests would look like and how they will function, schools are standing by for updates and they’ll move forward as usual. “if this saves the state money, people will definitely react well to it, especially with the present economic state we’re in,” Hadley said. “but no matter what, we just want to give our kids the best quality education we can provide.”

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2009 bond measures

Schools pursue funding B y s h aw n s e r v e n p r o d u c t i o n d e pa r t m e n t

the puyallup community will vote March 10 on the school bond and capital levy election which includes many changes around puyallup High School. the bond will cover the possible second and third floors of the building that is currently under construction on the east part of campus, this is known as phase two. if the bond passes this spring, construction would start on the second and third floor this June. “we hope that the first floor will be complete by this fall. if the bond passes for the next two floors, construction would begin this June and end in time for the fall of 2011,” principal Jason Smith said. the first floor of the building is currently in production which includes a new

automotive area, video production space, Hunt, karshner, Shaw road, wildwood, woodland and puyallup. culinary arts area and parking. all the classes in portables will move to “the building was put in place to better the learning environment for students the second and third floors on top of the new building currently with new classrooms being built according to and equipment,” “ n e w a d d i t i o n S the complete list of 2009 puyallup School district around tHe bond changes. representative karen S cHool will “new additions Hansen said. the school the new building will b e t t e r t H e l i v e S around oF StudentS will better the lives of give pHS more space in any and students in any and for specialty classes so e v e ry way.” everyway,” Smith said. they can expand and be ten percent of all updated.

JaSon SMitH principa l classrooms in evergreen, “it will provide much kent, lake washington needed state-of-the-art classroom and laboratory facilities for and puyallup are portable, according to many programs, thus enabling students the puyallup School district Building to gain realistic experience in those Traditions publication. phase two would also provide pHS with fields,” Hansen said. the bond would also cover earthquake more parking, up-to-date technology, a improvements at schools like brouillet, new roof and lighting for the pool.

Music students advance to state competition At the annual Solo and Ensemble competition, Puyallup choir and band students sweep many major categories. The Norselanders select choir prepares for its fifth consecutive state appearance.

B y s a r a h K e l ly p r o d u c t i o n e d i t o r

the music department shined at this year’s Solo and ensemble, collectively sending close to 20 groups to state competition april 24, 25 at central washington university. band is sending fourteen groups and soloists and the choir department is sending five groups to state.

“we pretty much swept the contest in the categories we entered,” choir director, george guenther said. the choir department had two soloists place first: junior Melissa kirkland and senior christina Johnson. band had four soloists place first: sophomore Jacob rhoades, junior Michael pinkard, senior nathan bosen and senior Justin Fox.

norselanders has won first place at state four out of the last five years and are going for their fifth win this year. two sophomores, tucker baespflug and amanda little, both placed at vocal Solo ensemble and are competing at the state competition. band is sending three sophomores to the state competition: Jacob rhoades, adam benton and timothy karch.

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features Little ways to enjoy college life Pag e

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As graduation approaches for seniors, so too does the start of college and a life of independence and freedom. So what makes college a unique experience? It’s the little things, college grads say.

E r i n s w E n s o n r E p o r t E r

the players would have to run around town from one point to the other as fast and as sly as they could. they would attempt to make it from fred Meyers to the water tower without getting caught. the leaders would dress up in black from head to toe, driving around town until they could grab them and keep them hostage. the game was called fugitive.

Molly nickel, a graduate from central Washington university, says she would play games like this all the time in college.

“When you get out there and leave your comfort zone, then the fun starts,” nickel said. nickel was the leader of young life and said she enjoyed it very much. While in college she says she would much rather invest time into people and make memories last than regret it later. these little things soon become a big part of everyday life.

When looking into college, the prospective student typically looks at cost, major interest and location. What seems important, the close to $7,000 it costs just to live at college for a year, is just a small part of the experiences that are made. nickel says that the important things like friendships, community involvement and recreational activities around college start to become a part of everyday life. “only when it would rain we would go out and play mud frisbee,” Holly Westerfield a graduate of the university of Portland and Michigan State.

Westerfield and her friends would play frisbee in the middle of a huge mud pit just for fun and to have bonding time with each other. they would fall and get extremely dirty just to pass time away. a graduate of Western Washington university and currently in his graduate program at Pacific lutheran university,

Jonathan fox says students should look for parks or recreational activities outside of college to participate in. “always take up an opportunity that comes your way,” fox said. fox and his friends would play mattress jousting which consisted of running straight at each other while sliding mattresses into one another down hallways. “take pictures no matter where you go because they last forever,” fox said.

Westerfield, while at university of Portland, got invited to play office chair bowling. Her floor had a lot of random boxes lying around and needed to be put to use. they took the boxes, lined them up and began to bowl pushing an office chair up and down a long hallway replacing the bowling ball with humans. “it’s the little things that matter, like watching moon rise; it’s just free fun,” Westerfield said.

Westerfield says that a piece of advice she would have for anyone heading to college would be to buy an entertainment book full of coupons and events listings. according to nickel, the little spur of the moment things are the most fun. She says get really involved with one or two things rather than hardly involved in a lot of little things. “you should bring your own hobbies and interests to college and share them with the people you become friends with,” fox said. fox and his dorm floor would contribute items like boxing gloves, glow in the dark sport equipment and board games. “never regret not going out because you were too scared,” fox said.

We Sell the Most Wanted Junior Clothing for the Least Amount of Money.

——-WE MOVED——12704 Meridian Ave E 2nd floor 253-864-4808 This coupon is good for $5 off a purchase of $30 or more Expires 06-30-2008 Not valid with any other offer. Price before tax.

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continued from page one all the deforested terrain affected me,” Señora constantine said. “once we were in the capital i was hoping to see some relief of poverty but it just kept going and going.”

The constantines and the rest of the group arrived at Tegucigalpa, the capital and largest city in honduras.

They boarded their buses to head to their base camp at Nuevo Paraiso, about two hours east of the capital. Nuevo Paraiso was the compound that the missionaries and professionals called home for their week in honduras.

“The compound is operated by the Sociedad Amigos de los Niños which is headed by a honduran ‘Mother Teresa,’ an elderly nun who was raised as an orphan by some german sisters,” Señor constantine wrote in his journal of events in honduras.

The Sociedad

The Sociedad runs many facilities for orphans, children with hiV/aidS and unwed mothers in honduras. These facilities would be the first stop for Señor constantine and some of the others in the group. first on the list was Pedro Atala, a home for children under the age of 12 who were either orphaned or had parents in prison.

“When we got there, 50 youngsters were sitting under a canopy with their teachers waiting for Mass and for us,” Señor constantine wrote in his journal. “after Mass, the kids ‘adopted’ us and took us around their compound and to see their rooms. edgar and carlos grabbed on to su servidor and betsy played tic-tac-toe with a crowd and hopscotched with a couple of the girls. carlos later got me to push him on the swing set.”

The boys at Pedro Atala were dressed in their best clothing to greet the group, the little girls clad in white gowns for their Sunday Mass, Señora constantine says. all of the children were excited to see newcomers—to hold their hands and show them their belongings. When the boys of Pedro Atala are too old to stay there, they relocate to a new home, Flor Azul, a boys’ farm.

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The boys of Flor Azul grow their own food, they raise their own livestock. When their clothes are dirty, they wash Clockwise from top left: Betsy Constantine challenges some boys from Pedro Atala to a game of tic-tac-toe. Teenagers from Flor Azul sift them by hand. There is no electricity at the orphanage, through multiple duffle bags of donated clothing to select their favorite attire. A line finally begins to dwindle in a country village during one only some donated solar panels mounted on the roofs of of many medical brigades. the dorms. They work in the field half the day and receive education the other half. “by the time the first medical mission came, he was fright that the creeks would raise, that the tour buses at Flor Azul, education is a priority. although education pretty much asking 80 percent of his own questions and wouldn’t be able to cross. is only paid through sixth grade in honduras, most of by the last day he was hearing about 30 percent of the “[The honduran police and infantry] moved us down the boys continue through high school and then look patients’ answers,” Señor constantine said. through the valley because they couldn’t afford a dead for sponsors for university. Many of the residents are The first medical brigade was set up in a one-room american,” Señor constantine said. “There were people bilingual, Señora constantine says, and some were able to school house, six levels high. almost every child would still there who weren’t treated yet. Who hadn’t even seen accompany the group on medical brigades walk in the door with parasites, a doctor yet. and there were doctors in the bus crying “once We Were to translate. according to Señor constantine. Many because they couldn’t care for all the people who were in The caPiTal Though the educational circumstances were prescribed plastic reading glasses still there.” i W a S h o P i n g T o after a makeshift eyesight test. are far more humble than what local even though the visit was cut short, they still succeeded in students are accustomed to, according S e e S o M e r e l i e f “While we were there, 260 clients helping over 1,200 people with their injuries and ailments of PoVerTy buT to Señor constantine, the boys maintain were attended to,” Señor constantine during their time in honduras, Señor constantine says. iT JuST kePT their seriousness about edification and wrote. “one 16-year-old mother walked Unforgettable going and their gratefulness for that education. an hour to bring her baby to the clinic.” for both Señor and Señora constantine, the experience “it is self-sustained,” Señora constantine however, though every medical was unforgettable. g oi ng.” said. “They educate the kids and the kids brigade brought emotions to the “it gave me a whole new perspective on life and what is beTSy conSTanTine come back to give their knowledge back to surface and humbled the missionaries, important and what’s not and a deep reflection on what we Teacher the orphanage.” physicians and interpreters, some days take for granted,” Señora constantine said. “it’s a wasteful one such story was of a 21-year-old man were more emotive than others, some society—we have so much and waste so much—it made who recited a speech to the group following Mass with the stories more touching than the rest, according to Señor me reflect much more on how we are as united States boys at Flor Azul. at two months old, he was brought into constantine. citizens, how much we take for granted of what comes to the system. after years in the orphanages, the Sociedad “To me, the most vivid memory was when i was sitting us like education through high school.” is now paying for his education at university. he plans to in the room with my doctor interpreting for him and all of More than a Class become the Sociedad’s resident physician to pay back for a sudden a young woman who and come down and left Taking a language course is required to attend most the generosity he received there. school to be an interpreter came out crying and upset, universities in the united States. however, most students however, though they are given the gift of knowledge asking us to come to her patient because she didn’t have take the opportunity for granted, according to junior and of comfort, luxury is not a gift that the boys receive on the language to interpret,” Señor constantine said.

Jordyn harmes. harmes, a student in Señor constantine’s a regular basis. awaiting Señor constantine in the next room was a third-year Spanish class, admits that she is taking language “The boys of Flor Azul stood in line, selecting which baby, crying atop the examination table, covered in what for college requirements and hopefully to help her later in baseball caps they wanted and comparing them, picking he described as a blue shell on its face and arm. life. out jeans and shirts,” Señor constantine said. “Some of “What happened, through interviewing, was that the “Most of the kids i have seen are just taking it because them picked up a soccer ball and they immediately—in baby had been scalded with boiling water and someone they think it’s an easier language than most and most of bare feet, on a cement basketball quart—began to play had covered the baby’s arm and face with a blue cream them aren’t very interested in expanding on it or going soccer.” that hardened, thinking it would be an antibiotic but into a job field that requires it,” harmes said. “i believe The children at Sheridan elementary School of it became infected because it wasn’t cleansed,” Señor it’s probably because most people don’t have the time or international language, where Señora constantine is constantine said. the commitment to pursue going into employed as a teacher show the same sort of appreciation a 16-year-old mother reached for her “ThiS iS real Spanish.” for donations. child in despair, longing to quiet its cries life and The To Señor constantine, however, at Sheridan elementary, 70 percent of the students and take it from the doctors who were language i aM Spanish goes beyond the walls of his receive free or reduced lunches, according to Señor attempting to help it by removing the T r y i n g T o T e a c h classroom. it expands beyond Puyallup constantine. every december, the children receive winter shell-like substance. Señor constantine y o u a l l i S r e a l high School. jackets, gloves, scarves and school supplies. was obligated to step in at that moment, l i f e .” “i’m doing this for the students. There “When was the last time any parent or teacher saw a to quiet the cries of the mother with the is more to this language than a Realidades teenager smile on receiving some new or used clothing or comfort of her own language. textbook, more to this language than ed conSTanTine a new soccer ball? [The students at Sheridan elementary] “i regained my confidence in Spanish buying a virgin margarita in cabo San SPa niSh Te acher smiled too, just like their older counterparts did under a trying to tell a 16-year-old girl not to try lucas,” Señor constantine said. “This is canopy in honduras,” Señor constantine wrote. “There to pull her baby off of the doctors,” Señor real life and the language i am trying to were no iPods or PS3s or keys to a Subaru or a ford in the constantine said. “That’s when you use Spanish.” teach you all is real life.” bags that we brought.” after treating the badly-burnt baby, a volunteer entered Señora constantine plans to return to honduras with following their visit to the orphanages, the constantines, the room with toys that senior alyssa Wienecke donated her daughter next year. for Señora constantine having other translators and the medical personnel continued before the departure. one was given to the baby, one to its the opportunity to walk among those who have so little in on to begin their medical brigades. a half dozen of the sibling and the other was given to a 10-year-old girl who comparison to most americans was a privilege that one missionaries stayed at Flor Azul to relay a water line for sat in the corner with a machete wound to her right toe. could never forget. The differences in the cultures of the agricultural use. “it was just a girl who had followed the burned baby united States and honduras were vast and went beyond into the operating room,” Señor constantine said. “She simple social and physical differences, Señor constantine A Medical Mission Señor constantine spent most of his time translating was stone cold—like a Spartan—you could see the tissue said. for a gastro-interologist from Tacoma, dr. Mike Priebe. and the muscle was split up, but she had no emotion, she “it was so different—all that we had in common was Priebe left his private practice to see “sick hondurans seemed as if she had no pain.” that would could get by on a little Spanish together, that’s The success of the day declined as the day went on. the only thing we could get by on,” Señor constantine with lice and intestinal parasites,” Señor constantine said. before their departure for honduras, Priebe began The volunteers were ushered out of the makeshift clinic said. “i think that is reason enough to take a few language because the roadways were washing away and there was courses.” taking Spanish classes at Tacoma community college.

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This past summer nintendo introduced wii fit, the wii console compatible game that is aimed at getting you in shape using various yoga moves, aerobics, strength exercises, balance games and fitness tracking. using not only the revolutionary wii controllers, wii fit also includes a peripheral balancing board that one stands on for most of the activities. overall the game is a lot of fun and can help with basic stretches and strength training, however in order to lose some serious pounds nintendo should have thought about throwing in a treadmill. but don’t write off wii fit just yet. for the most part it does deserve its fair share of kudos. for example, i have to commend nintendo’s ability to make working out actually, dare i say it, fun. not only can you challenge yourself, but there’s the possibility of a little friendly competition with anyone else who plays in your home. for each game or move, wii fit has a scoreboard of those who do best on each game, whether it is by time or ability. so instead of just going about your regular routine, you can see how you yourself are improving over time, or motivate yourself by seeing who can reach yoga master first in your family. only getting one star on push-ups may not make your ego feel so great, but it does a pretty good job of showing you what you need to work on. also, balance games such as Table Tilt and ski shalom almost entertaining enough to make you forget you’re burning off that pizza from lunch. another motivational tool incorporated into wii fit is your personal fitness tracker. each mii (a little cartoon character that represents you) is provided with a calendar that graphs your weight and bmi, or body mass index, over time. The fitness tracker also keeps records of how long you workout on the wii and also allows you to keep track of the time you spend exercising away from the wii. wii fit isn’t too hard of a game to play. everyone from your fiveyear-old sister to grandpa should be able to figure it out, so long as they know how to use the wii remote controls. for most moves you will be using the balance board which was very impressive in its sensitivity. all of the regular workout moves are guided by a male or female trainer (your choice) who guides you through the exercises fairly easily. The visuals are also especially attractive, providing a very clean and polished interface. unfortunately wii fit isn’t perfect. one of the biggest issues is the absence of being able to make your own personal routine by stringing together a set of moves. instead you’re stuck with picking a move, completing it, then having to wait a few moments as the game tells you how you did, and then repeating the process. by having such long pauses between each activity wii fit is actually decreasing your chances of getting in better shape because it allows more time for your heart rate to drop. so while the game is good for yoga and strength training which don’t revolve so much around keeping the body moving, when it comes to aerobic activities you’ll probably be better of running in your neighborhood or doing some cardio. a few other problems included the repetitiveness of the games, no multiplayer possibility, and the sometimes-superficial advice given by the trainers. so while wii fit is perfect for newcomers to daily exercise, it may feel a bit slow to those whose daily schedule includes a trip to the gym. never fear though, for whether you’re amateur status or a weight lifting champion, the wii fit is sure to provide good fun and a great alternative to the exercise norm.

breakfast on the fly For many teens, busy days lead to skipped meals, the most common victim being breakfast. Here’s four quick, low-calorie morning options.

Erin Baker’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookie calories: 280 Protein: 6 grams Total fat: 4.5 grams sugar 19: grams The original breakfast cookie, available in 12 traditional flavors, these cookies are the answer for the on-the-go consumer. a three-ounce, individually-packaged oatmeal cookie packing some real sustained energy. great for in the car, or in the lunchbox.

Activa Yogurt by Dannon calories: 110 Protein: 5 grams Total fat: 2 grams sugar 17: grams activia is a lowfat yogurt from dannon a natural probiotic culture that helps r helping reduce long intestinal transit t only in activia, is a live bacteria that’s

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n that contains bifidus regularis, regulate your digestive system by time. bifidus regularis, available beneficial when eaten daily.

Bodies need nine hours

Vital sleep eludes teens B y l au r e n a n d e r s o n p r o d u c t i o n t e a m

hitting the snooze button several times in the morning when the alarm rings is not unusual for junior mandy kelley whose usual bedtime is usually midnight or even later, kelley says. like many other high school students, kelley is involved with several after school activities. she dances with the dance team every day after school, is involved with plays and musicals and has homework on top of her already overloaded schedule, kelley says. “i get five to seven hours of sleep at the most every night because after rehearsal and dance i have tons of homework to complete,” kelley said. five to seven hours of sleep a night for a teenager is four hours less than what is considered the healthy amount of sleep. Teens should be getting nine hours of sleep every evening, according to Jean kinnaman, the school nurse. sleep not only helps the body to obtain energy and stamina throughout the day but also sleep has a huge impact on the mind, according to the national sleep foundation. it is not quite clear what physically happens in the body during sleep. although scientists can read brainwaves on an electroencephalogram (eeg) they are not sure what exactly the brain is doing, although they acknowledge that dreaming is a large part of it. when the body is sleeping, the brain goes through four different stages called the rem (rapid eye movement) sleep cycles. at different stages, the brain is active in different ways, as seen on eeg brainwave readers. in the first stages of sleeping, the body begins to relax, the heart rate slows and people often feel as though they are falling or otherwise weightless. as the body slips into the second and third stages of the cycle, it is very apparent that the brain is not acting in the same way as when the body is awake, but nevertheless the activity is still there.

This is where your body performs daily maintenance and healing, and where deep restful sleep occurs. if the body does not go through enough rem cycles, it cannot fully heal itself, making the body act sluggish the next day. some signs of sleep deprivation include reduced energy, greater difficulty concentrating, diminished mood, and greater risk for accidents, including crashes (falling sleep during the day.) work performance and relationships can suffer too. and pain may be intensified by the physical and mental consequences of lack of sleep, according to the nsf. “a simple cold or flu virus could worsen when you lack sleep,” kinnaman said. school’s 7:45 am start furthers this sleep deprivation among teens, according to kelley. “school should start later because young adults function better later in the day compared to younger kids in elementary who are more alert in the morning,” kelley said.

Teachers need to be discerning to students who are extremely active in after school activities as well. for example when students need to leave early for sports teachers should understand, according to kelley.

“Teachers should be more lenient to the students who are involved in their community and in after school events and not look down upon planned absences when they have to do with school-related activities,” kelley said. setting specific rituals when going to bed such as reading or drinking a warm glass of milk are helpful ways to get effective sleep, kinnaman says. “one of the biggest reasons people have a hard time sleeping is because they don’t train themselves to sleep when they go to bed,” kinnaman said. “instead they text or talk on their cell phones or watch television, we need to go to bed to sleep.” kinnaman notes telling young children bedtime stories as one common ritual. starting these rituals young should keep you in the habit throughout your life.

Fiber One Chocolate Peanut Butter Fulfill Bars calories: 170 Protein: 7 grams Total fat: 7 grams sugar: 12 grams delightful chocolate flavor paired with creamy peanut butter is a match made in heaven. This single bar is portable as well as fulfilling 35 percent of daily fiber needs. fiber leads to healthy rewards such as digestive health, heart health and weight management.

Sara Lee Whole Wheat Bagel with two tablespoons of Jiffy Peanut Butter calories: 120 + 109 grams Protein: 11 + 8 grams Total fat: 1 + 16 grams sugar: 2 + 3 grams while not the most healthy choice of breakfast on the planet, bagels still remain to be a favorite breakfast option. substitute a white bagel with whole grain and peanut butter rather than cream cheese for a twice as healthy meal on the go.

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WASL idea futile attempt w

e really admire what new Superintendent of therefore, that the State shoulder the costs for this new testing, but to add another burden to this already dire public Schools randy dorn is trying to do. though several members of this editorial financial situation would be fiscally irresponsible. we board are active supporters of standardized testing aren’t advocating merely maintaining the status quo, but designed to hold students and teachers accountable for the about face that dorn is attempting seems a little too actual learning, we agree that it’s time for a change and extreme for our state’s present financial situation. also troubling to us is the apparent lack of concern for that a little revitalization of the program—provided it is the true problem in this situation: the not too wholesale a change—could help “thiS new lack of accountability in our education improve washington’s public schools. verSion haS system. dorn’s replacement for the waSl, baSically though inherently imperfect, the waSl however, simply won’t work. in hopes of duMbed down a teSt that waS represented a step in the right direction, moving away from a format perceived as already at a a first move toward actual standards in outdated, dorn has proposed making the junior-high education. this new version has basically test entirely computerized, eliminating l e v e l” dumbed down a test that was already the massive paper trail that has come to our view at a junior-high level, eliminating the characterize the waSl. explanation aspects of the reading and though this idea is fantastic in theory, in Math portions in favor of an entirely practice it is nearly impossible to achieve in a fluid, efficient manner. it is currently unknown from multiple-choice test. here’s the problem with that: if where the thousands upon thousands of new computers you can’t explain something to a reader, you don’t really for the test, which will first be administered in spring 2010, understand it. rote memorization is great, but education will be obtained, and further, how the State will scrape up is about comprehension, and if our students don’t the money necessary for such a complete overhaul of its comprehend what they’re doing and know only formulas, they don’t truly understand the greater significance and entrenched testing system. as it presently stands, the state of washington faces haven’t actually learned anything meaningful or real. and education, in the end, is about teaching students an enormous budget deficit in the billions. of course, the State cannot possibly justify placing the onus to pay how to function in society, not to be formula-spewing for this new testing on the districts, which are required robots. dorn’s effort is valiant but completely unfeasible. by state law to balance their budgets. it is necessary,

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e di tor-i n-ch i e f........................da n n y Se r na Managing editor.......................becca harriS graphicS editor.....................Sydney jenkinS SportS editor......................fylicia krehbiel production editor....................Sarah kelley production depa rtMen t......l aur en a nderSon .................................................SaM babbitt ...............................................chelSea gray ..............................................Sh aw n Serv en ..............................................erin SwenSon .............................................br andi walker ...........................................garrett weSton ad Manager..................................alex croSS webMaSter.......................................hien vu circulation Manager..................erin foSter gr a phicS & photoS..............k elSie c aga Mpa ng ..............................................Maddie haMel a rtiSt..................................k y l e pat terSon reporterS..........................l auren anderSon ......................................courtney angeline ............................................jeSSica arMour .........................................MariSSa edwardS ......................................elliott fitzgerald ..........................................jordan redinger .........................................jennifer Shaffer ...................................................SaM woodS adviSer.............................Sandra coyer, Mje

publicationS policieS: editorial policy:

The Viking Vanguard’s duty is to expand student perspectives, maintain community relations and act as a student publication advocating voice. besides providing an opportunity for the exchange of viewpoints, The Viking Vanguard serves as an academic tool by which students can voice opinions as well as hightlight issues facing today’s students. letter policy:

The Viking Vanguard accepts unsolicited copy from businesses. only signed and dated letters with addresses and phone numbers from community members, or grade level from students will be accepted. letters must be limited to 350 words and will be published as space is available. the staff reserves the right to edit any letter without changing it’s content. all letters are the sole opinion of the writer and do not necessarily represent the opinion of The Viking Vanguard staff. letters to the editor may be submitted by e-Mailing them to thevikingvanguard@gmail.com, or mailing them to The Viking Vanguard c/o puyallup high School advertiSing policy:

The Viking Vanguard publication staff accepts advertisements for most products available to the public. however, the staff reserves the right to reject, edit or cancel any advertisement at anytime. advertisements shall be free of implications that the staff deems offensive in light of normal public standards (wiaa 18.20.0 and 18.20.1) and will not be accepted. the staff will not accept advertising for products or groups which are racist, sexist or illegal for high school students. advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views, endorsements and/or positions of The Viking Vanguard, student body, faculty, administration or school board. correctionS:

The Viking Vanguard staff values accuracy, and wishes to correct mistakes made in previous issues. if you believe we have made an error, please contact us at: thevikingvanguard@gmail.com. the following mistakes were made in the jan. 30 issue of Vanguard: conor framke’s name was spelled “coner framke” on page four.

Sam woods’s story on page 10 stated “have you ever changed your mind about a photo you posted to your Myspace profile and decide to delete it?. it should have said, “have you ever changed your mind about a photo you posted to your Myspace profile and decided to delete it?”.

HEY YOU! GOT AN OPINION? Think something needs to be changed? Have a bone to pick with a school policy? Like what’s going on at school? Write a letter to the editor!

Drop off your signed, 200-300 word letter in room 110 or Sandra Coyer’s box in the main office to see your views in the next issue of Vanguard! NOTE: Unsigned letters will not be accepted.

Do your part, recycle this issue of The Viking Vanguard

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Unexpected inspiration

Music unites young, old T

he bench was cold and hard as I sat down trying my hardest not to knock down one of the expensive looking guitars that hung elegantly along side of me. I looked around, half of me nervous by all the expensive music equipment, and the other half of me anxious to see which guitar my friend Jon would pick to buy.

Becca, Jon and I entered the Guitar Center in hopes of finding a new guitar for Jon. Becca picked up a Fender and looked at me grinning. I knew what her beckoning grin meant; let’s make some music. I smiled back at her and she sat down next to me on the bench of the sound room, which was ironic for there was no sound at all. The only sound was of our voices which reverberated off of the hanging guitar strings as we spoke.

By the time Becca and I worked up the courage to break the silence and strum the first chord, a man and his daughter walked into the sound room making it all the more intimidating for our duet. We kept on, though, and we sang through an entire song as the little girl sat and listened. Her eyes sparkled with

ine smile at me and we continued singing together until Jon returned with the new guitar he bought.

We never exchanged names; we just sat there singing together for nearly an hour or more exchanging harmonies.

As we sang I was awe-struck and I thought about my future. My passion is and has always been music and I want to be just like this man; singing at 80 years old simply because I love to.

He was inspirational to me; this elderly man with the toothless grin and talented vocals. A stranger who probably doesn’t realize the impact he had on me that day.

After what seemed like hours of singing with him, I had to say goodbye to my new friend. I left the Guitar Center feeling refreshed and changed.

It’s kind of funny how a little random event can make me so sentimental. I know it must have happened for some special reason. It made me want to pursue my passion of singing forever. Not for fame, wealth or any sort of selfish recognition but for myself, to share with people and hopefully to inspire others as easily as he did me.

genuine excitement and she continued to watch as we sang our harmonies.

As we held our last note I felt a tap on my left shoulder. I turned around and, to my surprise, found an elderly man smiling back at me.

“You ladies sound magnificent,” he beamed. He then picked up a guitar and said something I’ll never forget; “May I sing with you?”

This man had to be in his late 70’s or 80’s I decided later while pondering this occurrence but at that moment I wasn’t thinking about anything but the sound of his voice B. WA lk eR RepORTeR as he sang to me.

His voice was aged and raspy but still rang beautifully as he sang what sounded like old country tunes. Although I didn’t have the slightest idea what lyrics he was belting, I joined him with harmonic oo’s and ahh’s.

He smiled a toothless, genu-

Unpopular policy deserves consideration Though it receives a great deal of negative media attention, affirmative action doesn’t deserve the mistreatment it receives so frequently, one columnist writes.

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quality can be a tough sell.

Throughout history, when formerly disadvantaged groups attempt to gain equality in society, it seems as though the groups in power (see: White Anglo-Saxon protestants) have difficulty seeing their superior position slip away. every fight for equality is contentious by nature.

These fights become even more complex, however, when true equality is derided as inequality. On the surface, America’s affirmative action programs do seem to be promoting a “reverse discrimination” of sorts, allowing unassuming white folks to be discriminated against in their efforts to obtain admission to college, steady employment in favor of the evil, faceless masses of African-Americans and HispanicAmericans seeking to destroy them.

Nowhere is it clearer than in the distribution of scholarship money to students. I mean, there are scholarships for Hispanics, African-Americans, AsianAmericans, but where are all the white scholarships? Shouldn’t there be a scholarship dedicated entirely to advancing the academic interests of white students in the same spirit as those dedicated to the academic pursuits of minorities?

These types would argue that today’s

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sexuals. despite the best efforts of all these alleged discriminatory practices preventing whites from getting ahead and instead allowing under-qualified minorities to slip to the highest level of American society, WASps still hold a vice grip on our nation’s corridors of power, controlling the vast majority of all decisions in relation to governing.

Though countless governmental measures and proclamations of great societal change have sought to make ours a nation of equality, the fact remains that whites continue to ascend the ladders of our society while others are left behind, not because of some deficiency of ability (please don’t try to argue that other races are less competent than whites— we left that theory behind during the Civil War) but because of other factors.

It’s difficult to obtain a college education, for instance, when you’re raised in a neighborhood where even graduation from high school can be prevented by a sudden bullet to the head. A student from puyallup simply does not have the same opportunity as a student from Watts, Calif.

As it stands, affirmative action programs are the best way to correct the inequity that currently plagues our society.

They may not be popular, but they’re a step in the right direction.

America bears no resemblance to the America that 50 years ago prevented African-Americans from sharing a table with whites, that opportunity is equal now for all people, regardless of race or gender.

That could form a really compelling argument, except for the fact that it doesn’t. even these affirmative action programs promoting racial and gender equality, that supposedly discriminate against whites and prevent them from achieving their full potential, have not given sufficient opportud. SeRNA nity to minorities.

CHIeF For a potent example, take a look at the United States Senate. One hundred men and women, saving our nation, one stimulus bill at a time. If this representative body were to be truly representative, it would look like this: 53 female senators, 47 male. Thirteen would be AfricanAmerican, 15 latinos, four Asians, and anywhere from two to eight homosexuals.

Today, the Senate contains 16 women, one African-American, two Asians, two Hispanics and no open homo-

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FOX News fails to provide balance From Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes to Bill O’Reilly to any various news anchors on the air at the Fox News Channel, they’ve proven to be my most reliable source for informative news since probably 2003, when I was nine.

We’ll start with the wonderful powers of Mr. Bill O’Reilly, the fightin’ Irishman!

Standing up for the rights of those righteous Americans since he’s been on TV! His ever omniscient strategy of “You can’t beat me because I’m louder than you” has proven many times over to be the most powerful weapon of argument in his arsenal. He also uses the strategy of rhetoric very well; many of his G. WeSTON talking points segments RepORTeR are only viable because the party in question has absolutely zero chance of responding.

I must say though, his TV show isn’t the only thing striking to me. I’ve read a book or two by him, mainly O’Reilly Factor for Kids and I must say I am absolutely flabbergasted by his witty use of contradictory statements. Not a bad example is when he speaks of his humble status in society but later makes remarks of his over-the-top luxurious house he lives in around the New York area (it is overly obvious on Google Maps, the largest house in the surrounding twenty miles or so.) After all, if it makes sense to a nine year old it must be correct.

Another aspect I absolutely love is the impeccable use of fair and balanced systems. A show that airs directly after The O’Reilly Factor is Hannity and Colmes, a brilliant mix of conservative and liberal politics that offers the viewer a seemingly fair and balanced review of current sociopolitical situations.

Sean Hannity is a conservative political “analyst” whose views rule over the show like an iron fist. His liberal counterpart Alan Colmes is the less featured more soft-spoken member of the show.

The two bring guests on the show and analyze every aspect of their belief, considering every viewpoint and looking under ever stone otherwise unturned by the devilish liberal media.

They play no games in driving their opinion in your brain like a rusty nail in a petrified piece of driftwood. It really works.

I’ll never get tired of Fox News, or their cheeky shenanigans of poking the liberal snake and supporting the deconstruction of our constitutional amendments and most of all, the fragile United States economy.

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Q: How do you stay healthy?

“I GO FOR RUNS ANd TO T H e GY M.”

“I exeRCISe ANd I e AT R IGH T.”

“I NeVeR dRINk p O p.”

“I Need MY Sleep ANd 25 MINUTeS OF e x eRCISe e ACH dAY.”

“I H AV e A ‘Y ’ MeMBeRSHIp ANd I lIke TO GO e V eRY dAY.”

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a guide to the cartoon classics

Alice In Wonderland B y s h Aw n s e r v e n p r o d u c t i o n d e pA r t m e n t

Though originally tailored for small children, Disney’s films maintain a strange appeal to the high school crowd. Vanguard has plucked these films from the vault for one final review.

everything revolves around “the circle of life.” or so says the movie The Lion King.

The Lion King, originally released in the summer of 1994, was one of disney’s biggest movies earning almost $800 million to date.

The Lion King is a story about a royal family of lions. the son, Simba (Johnathan taylor thomas voices the young cub, then Matthew broderick as the older cub) begins the movie with a life of royalty and family, son of the king Mufasa (James earl Jones). it later turns into a twist of events when the king dies and Simba’s uncle Scar (Jeremy irons) takes over and drives Simba away from the kingdom. While on his own Simba meets Pumba (ernie Sabella) and timon (nathan lane) who show Simba a life of care-free living. as Simba approaches adulthood he decides to take matters into his own hands after talking to the spirit of his father. Simba meets up with nala (Moira kelly) and wins the castle back. one thing that i didn’t like was the fact that throughout the movie you could always tell when the characters were about to say something cheesy like “look inside yourself and follow your destiny” which is what Mufasa said as his spirit is giving advice to Simba.

However, i enjoyed many of the catchy tunes that play during the movie. My favorites were “Hakuna Matata”(no worries) and “circle of life,” both containing likable choruses that can easily get stuck in your head. i also enjoyed how it was a clear straight-forward story where the hero (Simba) had his happily ever after. i recommend this movie for anyone who wants to learn about life in a animalloving, musical sort of way. The Lion King is a great movie that all must watch at least once.

One Star: Poor, Two Stars: Fair, Three Stars: Good, Four Stars: Excellent

Movie Review

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Alice in Wonderland is one of those imaginary masterpieces that only comes along so often. created in the early 1950s, the movie was Walt disney’s first commercially-promoted film. it all begins with a girl, alice (kathryn beumont), who is bored at a party and decides to day dream off into a world of her own. through her dreams she discovers characters and places only few can imagine.

Alice in Wonderland is a movie involving a girl that in a day dream decides to follow a clock-watching rabbit down its burrow, only to find that world is something she has never even come close to seeing before. that world is filled with wacky characters like tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee, the cheshire cat and a decapitating-prone Queen. in the end it of coarse all turns out to be a dream and shows how strange the dreams inside alice’s head are. though the movie is a classic, i found that kids today might not connect with the movie and get bored. animated movies today are so high tech compared to what was coming out at the time of Alice in Wonderland, now movies are in iMaX and 3d. but that’s no criticism of the movie, just the shortening of attention spans.

Alice in Wonderland is a fun movie that contains ideas and stories no other movie had come up with at its time. i like that it was filled with creative characters and interesting story plot lines. overall, it was a fun movie with interesting, strange characters following each other as alice chases after a rabbit in “Wonderland.” i would recommend this movie to anyone who is interested in escaping from the norm and reminiscing to their childhood.

One Star: Poor, Two Stars: Fair, Three Stars: Good, Four Stars: Excellent

Movie Review

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gymnasts battle for bronze

Last Friday and Saturday, the gymnastics team competed at the Tacoma Dome and earned third place in state under the coaching of Dorinda Carpenter. Last season the team was a runner-up at state.

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Above: Sophomore Chelsey Haskey competes on beam with a back handspring and earns a score of 9.575. Haskey also competed on vault and received an 8.875. Haskey placed fifth on beam, tenth on vault and seventh all around Feb. 21. Senior captains Madison Hayashi and Britni Machen, who earlier sustained an injury, both made their second appearance at the WIAA state competition this year, though neither placed in their respective categories.

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Above: Senior captain Katie Bubnich and sophomore Shannon Griffin hug in celebration of a routine Fri. Feb. 20 at the state competition in the Tacoma Dome.

Bubnich placed eighth in state on beam with an 8.95.

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New hobbies arise

Airsoft follows footsteps of paintball B y

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less than one person out of every 4,000 who play paintball will end up having to go to the doctor for a paintball-related injury.

This includes things like ankle sprains or scratches from falling in the woods, not just injuries directly related to paintball pellets, estela kennen obtainer of a master’s degree in industrial/ organizational Psychology from the university of Virginia said.

Precautions and equipment are needed in order to safely participate in paintball.

Players must always wear their masks and keep their guns at a calibration lower than 300 mph. “a lot of parents think that paintball is really dangerous, but it is proven statistically to be one of the safest

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extreme sports,” assistant manager at soccer cleats, gun and paint ammunition are necessary in order to be safe. operation Paintball ryan lilla said.

“Paintball is more intense than airsoft operation Paintball in graham has four acres and 10 playing fields and also and is easily customized with gear, but paintball is more expensive and hurts rents out gear. more.

Paintball it was created by owner requires a designated debbie daniel when her son “Pa inTba ll field to play in, but got involved in paintball requireS a airsoft can be played and they decided to buy deSignaTed anywhere,” lilla said. property and eventually Playing area, “The other downside turned it from a hobby to a buT airSofT to airsoft is that it is business. can be Played not well recognized minimal injuries occur in a n y w h e r e .” or established yet paintball, most commonly joe’S emPloyee so there is less are knee and wrist breaking competition.” due to diving on the ground Taylor spends a lot, but all paintball injuries are preventable, according to about $140 a week on paintball gear and ammunition, but says the intensity of 8-year player Tim Taylor. “referees and experienced players the game is well worth it. “airsoft is a way for teens to have help to maintain a safe and fun playing environment and to enforce the rules,” paint-ball like fun without the high cost of ammunition and a playing field,” lilla said. also, a pod pack, pants, jersey, gloves, joe’s airsoft department employee mike

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said (under gi joe’s corporate policy employees are not allowed to release their last names).

Taylor earned 12th in the world cup this past season in division four. he gains experience by playing three times a week. in paintball there are divisions set up for level of experience and skill. The paintball season is approximately year round.

“Paintball is a great way to meet people and network. it also is a great way to stay in shape and have fun,” lilla said.

Teams are made up of either three, five or seven people. lilla is a part of the oP Soldiers team. last season the oP Soldiers were ranked number one in the northwest Paintball Series.

“The adrenalin rush keeps me a docile person and gives me an output for my emotions so that i can stay relaxed,” Taylor said.

V a n g u a r d

Feb. 22 Garrett Jones and Derek Alfred play at Operation Paintball. The field out in Graham has four acres and 10 playing fields. The business offers rentable gear and sells ammunition at site. Jones, at right lays and awaits his opponent.

Players usually have a base that they stay at and middle ground where anyone can go. Games can either be won by amounts of times players are hit or by acquiring a flag or object that is found in the middle ground. Players use trees, rocks, stumps, pallets and tires to hide behind.

m a d d i e

Paintball •Established/ recognized •More regulated with referees •Rentable gear •Expensive/ High cost equipment •Sponsorships/ Endorsements Log on to discover more at: www.paintball.com

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V a n g u a r d

Airsoft •Cheaper equipment •Playable anywhere •Higher risk of injury •Few clubs, teams, companies •Light-weight easy-to-use gear For more info call GI Joe’s: (253) 445-8090

To play at Operation Paintball call: (360) 893- 3440