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M A RCH 28, 2014 |

PUYALLUP HIGH SCHOOL

Looking for Spring Break ideas? See page 10

105 7 T H ST. S W PU YA L LU P WA SH, 98371

VOTERS APPROVE $49.5 MILLION LEVY

high schools will remain tenth through Puyallup schools. “[Proposition One] means we can twelfth grade, although more academic get the things that people have come to and athletic opportunities will become expect as far as educational programs and available for ninth graders. Similarly, the technology. Those can continue the way district has no plans on building a new high school. we have them,” Yeomans said. “There was some speculation as well “Connections” states that Proposition One will also aid in maintaining class about whether we would build a fourth materials, extracurricular programs (such comprehensive high school. The district as arts, drama, sports and music) and is not going to build another school in the foreseeable future,” Yeomans said. “We are school security. The second proposition will support going to invest in our three comprehensive aging neighborhood school buildings and high schools, Walker High School and our update classroom technology, according high school reengagement program that just opened up called to Connections. South Park where we “The technology “WE ARE VERY are bringing in people in schools is going CAREFUL IN who have dropped out to change with C O N S I D E R I N G H O W of school. Investing in the availability W E I N V E S T M O N E Y the schools we have of computers and interactive S O T H E R E I S L O N G - will save tax payers about $180 million by whiteboards. Not T E R M VA LU E .” not building a fourth every school in the comprehensive high district has had those school.” and our goal is to get For Puyallup High those in every school School, these levies and every classroom,” TIM YEOMANS mean technological Yeomans said. SUPERINTENDENT improvements and Aside from the better access to fields, direct effects of the academic programs second levy, there are indirect effects as well. Now that the levy and co-curricular programs. Principal Jason Smith knows that with is in place, the Puyallup School District has the ability to use money set aside for the two levies in place, the school will receive the necessary care needed to keep emergencies on other projects. “We were holding money in emergency it running smoothly. “We are going to get portables fixed funds in the Capital Projects fund… now that we have the levy, we can use this here at PHS; it allows the district to repair money that we were holding on to [for] what we have. Leaking roofs, walls that other projects [such as] renovating the need to be repaired… it means we can field at Rogers High School to get the keep going,” Smith said. “We do not get [their] teams off of Sparks Stadium,” to build anything new but we get to keep Yeomans said. “We are also working on and take care of what we already have some possibilities of doing some field which is huge. I am very thankful to the improvements at PHS. Even though community, the voters, the students, the [these improvements] were not part of school board and the superintendent, Proposition Two, the [emergency] money everyone that worked hard for it because we had to have it.” will now be free to address the fields.” Many assumptions have been made as to what the levies will mean for the Puyallup School District. Yeomans assures that

Although the voters approved a $49.5 million budget for 2014, the district will not be collecting the full amount approved. s of Feb. 25, voters approved “Even though we are authorized [$49.5 the Educational Programs and million] we are only collecting about Operations Replacement Levy $44.8 million. That is a direct tax savings (Proposition One), and the School Facility to our voters,” Yeoman said. “For 2015, our Improvements and Technology Upgrades authorization is exactly the same and we Levy (Proposition Two). These levies will will collect less than that as well.” provide the Puyallup School District with Puyallup School District’s newspaper the necessary funds to continue and “Connections” states that there will be a 3 enhance the current programs in the percent inflation rate over the next three district. years, by 2018 the levy will provide about But what does this mean? $54 million. Puyallup School District Superintendent “It goes up by 3 Timothy Yeomans percent each year to explains that “ W E D O N O T G E T T O cover increasing costs Proposition One is an BUILD ANYTHING such as utilities and educational programs NEW BUT WE GET pay salary increases replacement levy T O K E E P A N D T A K E that we have granted and Proposition Two locally,” Yeomans said. CARE OF WHAT WE is a facilities and Puyallup School A L R E A D Y H A V E technology upgrade District takes great W H I C H I S H U G E . . . ” levy. care in making sure the “Proposition One… tax dollars are spent in comes up every four a way that benefits the years. Essentially, it community. JASON SMITH funds 24 percent of PR INCIPA L “We use peoples tax the operating costs money very well. We of the school district have had 11 perfect [such as] salaries for teachers, general audits in a row from the state,” Yeomans operations of the school district, all of said. “We are very careful in considering our athletic programs and co-curricular how we invest the money so there is a programs. The funding for those is tied up long-term value. We look at [if] we are in that levy,” Yeomans said. “[Proposition spending this money on one time things Two means] that for the next six years we and do we invest some of that money in a are going to be able to repair roofs, heating way that continues to pay us back.” systems, windows, painting buildings, Because Proposition One funds almost fixing parking lots, maintaining our pools one-fourth of the operating and salary and fields and stadiums.” costs, denying the levy would have The levies only needed a 50 percent resulted in hundreds of job eliminations support from the community but received in the Puyallup School District. much more than the bare minimum. “If they had not passed, it would have “We are very appreciative and thankful meant the loss of easily 150 teaching for the support our community gives us. positions, another 250 classified positions We [received] very strong support on and another 500 educationally directed [Proposition One]. We had 66.8 percent jobs in the school district,” Yeomans said. support [for Proposition One]… and The approval of Proposition One simply Proposition Two got about 63.5 percent… means enhancing what the district already which is really big in an election,” Yeomans owns. Yeomans looks forward to seeing said. these levies improve the learning at B Y K A M E R A N M I L L E R F E A T U R E S E D I T O R

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SENIOR BOARD PRACTICE

Instruction for Senior Boards will take place end of March to early April in Senior English classes.

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CAP AND GOWN DELIVERY

BIG BAND BASH

Senior cap and gown orders will be delivered during lunches April 8 during lunches in the foyer.

The performance will be held at 6:30 p.m. April 12 in the commons.

FUTURE FAIR Takes place in the PHS gym during school starting at 9:25 a.m. College information will be available.

SWING DANCING EXTRAVAGANZA Taking place in PHS commons April 17 from 7-9 p.m. A lesson will be provided. Prices to be announced. All proceeds go to Senior Class.

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NEW AP CLASSES ADDED TO MASTER SCHEDULE

piece so they will be working on something here and study class. If there were students that were interested something at home,” Coleman said. “Like APUSH, there is in taking AP Physics II and there were only five students oming fall 2014, Puyallup High School will be a summer assignment because there is so much you have then the administration is not going to allow a teacher offering two new Advanced Placement courses: AP to get done during the school year that you have to get to teach a class with only five students in it,” Segers said. “What I would have to do is incorporate those Physics II started with one or two pieces during the summer.” Studio Art and AP Physics I. In place of an end of the year test, AP Studio Art students students in a Physics I class and teach it as a split class “I think the last few years we have done a really nice job of adding our AP offerings to Puyallup High School,” will send a compilation of their work to the College Board, where the Physics II students were working somewhat independently on a set curriculum and then I would be Principal Jason Smith said. “We want to add more AP where it will be looked at and graded. “These students will have a digital file that they will teaching Physics I.” classes to give more students a chance to take a variety The Physics class is evolving into two courses because of different courses. AP Art is a class we are really excited digitally send to the College Board. We will also mail five pieces of the drawing and two- the AP Board changed the curriculum for the class. about. [The class] is really a huge “That is the thing about AP classes: it dimensional design,” portfolio and is a really great chance for “WE DO NOT said Coleman. students to demonstrate their art ability “ . . . W E T H I N K T H A T is a national curriculum,” Smith said. KNOW IF “[The AP Board] changed it to a two-year One of the worries with a high level of rigor. It is really EVERY STUDENT Q U I TE ENOUGH program instead of a one-year program for the new courses is designed for kids that want to do art as SHOULD TAKE AT S T U D E N T S H A V E student enrollment. and we actually found out that the a career.” LEAST ONE AP SIGNED UP [FOR “We do not know C L A S S B E C A U S E O F Physics class that we were teaching was AP Studio Art will be taught by art actually harder than the first year of AP if quite enough THE CLASS TO teacher Dorrie Coleman. T H E R IG OR .” Physics. It really just made sense.” students signed up “The class will be run kind of like an RUN]” The change in curriculum will be for [the class to run],” independent study so every student will DORRIE COLEMAN beneficial to the students taking the class. Coleman said. “If it be working on their own thing whether JASON SMITH ART TEACHER PRINCIPA L “There is this huge scope of stuff to does there will be it is two-dimensional drawing or threecover in AP Physics right now and it between 18 and 25 dimensional art. Everybody has their is really tough to get it all covered with any type of lab people.” own plan,” Coleman said. Physics teacher Michael Segers, who will be teaching experience,” Segers said. “The course is changing to make Coleman said that the students in her painting class it more lab based and a little bit more relaxed and not typically complete six or seven paintings a semester in the new AP Physics, agrees. “My main worries are that we will not have enough such a firehose of information every day,.” comparison to the AP class. According to Segers, the Physics course will teach “Being the first year being run I am a little worried students, particularly juniors, in AP Physics I to run an AP about the timeline and making sure that students know Physics II class in the 15-16 school year,” Segers said. “AP material that one has to learn to go into technical fields that they are going to have to push themselves. Getting Physics II is contingent on having kind of a critical mass of such as engineering. “At Puyallup High School we think that every student that many pieces done in that amount of time is kind of a Physics I students that go on to Physics II.” Even if not enough students register for a complete should take at least one AP class because of the rigor, the hard thing,” Coleman said. Coleman plans for the workload of the class to be period of Physics II the class will still be offered in the career and college readiness that it can get you and we think it is important,” Smith said. 2015-2016 school year. heavier than the workloads of the current art classes. “Worst-case scenario I would run it as an independent “[The students] will probably also have an at home B Y

LY D I A J O H N S O N R E P O R T E R

Physics 1

Is the equivalent to a first-semester college course in algebra-based physics. The science practices are emphasized. Has an AP test at the end of the year

Studio Art

Develop a portfolio that is personal while demonstrating mastery of 2-D design principles. No end of year test; there is a portfolio compiled over the year that is sent to the College Board.

Culinary students compete at state level members and industry professionals, around 150 to 200 people there,” Lassen said. The culinary class competed in the Every culinary student was assigned a ProStart competition in Spokane March 1. specific job during competition. All of the The class has been working since October teams that were competing had a list of to prepare for competition. Culinary requirements to meet. teacher, Janese Lassen, explains the culinary “We were team one for Puyallup. I did the students’ preparations for competition. appetizer for our menu. We have to do three “It is a little intense. We have been working courses in under an hour. We only had two on it in class every week,” Lassen said. “Once burners and we could not use electricity or we came back from mid-winter break we anything,” Bundrock said. started to practice every Students left the day. They had to learn “WE PERFORMED ProStart competition how to develop recipes. Of REALLY WELL AS feeling confident that they course they had to learn A TEAM. WE GOT performed the best that they to cook their recipes and E V E R Y T H I N G D O N E could. Senior Wyatt Bowen plate them too.” TO THE BEST OF explains how he felt after the Students that OUR ABILITY” competition. participated in the “I feel like we performed ProStart competition had rather well, I mean the other W Y A T T B O W E N to create their own recipes teams were better, obviously, SENIOR and find different ways to because they beat us. We plate their food. Senior performed really well as a Aimee Bundrock explains how her team team. We got everything done to the best of prepared for competition. our ability,” Bowen said. “We went through a lot of different recipes. These culinary students are passionate We looked at our judges and looked into about their work and want future culinary what palates they like. We looked up a lot of students to continue to be passionate about different plating techniques and different their work. Senior Inna Yurina gives her ways to make it flow on the plates. We started advice to future students that are interested in October,” Bundrock said. in a culinary based profession. Puyallup High School was one of the “You really need to have a passion for 17 schools to participate in the ProStart [cooking] to be a good chef. Make sure that competition. you practice a lot and put a lot of dedication “There were 17 schools that were there. into your work,” Yurina said. There was probably, between the community B Y T I A L U T H Y C I R C U L A T I O N M A N A G E R

OPINION

VANGUARD TRUTH FUELS JOURNEY T H E

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E DI TOR-I N- C H I E F........................... A BBY DOV R E MANAGING EDITOR.......................GABE CARROLL OPINION EDITOR..........................MADDY LUCAS FEATURES EDITOR...................KAMERAN MILLER FOCUS EDITOR.............................EMMA MILLER A&E EDITOR.........................PATR ICK FA IR BA NKS SPORTS EDITOR.............................SERENA FINK NEWS EDITOR...................................SAMI LYNN AD MANAGER...............................JAYCEE HOUSE CIRCULATION MANAGER..................... TIA LUTHY SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR........................SAMI LYNN PHOTO EDITOR............................BAILEY PLUMB GR A PH IC S E DI TOR ................. S AVA N N A H JA R R E T T PHOTOGRAPHERS.........................SEAN FRIEBEL ................................................EMMA MILLER WEB MANAGER................................KYLE SMITH REPORTERS..................................EMILY BAKER ................................................JAYCEE HOUSE ..............................................LYDIA JOHNSON .....................................................TI A LU TH Y ...................................................KYLE SMITH ADVISER.............................SANDRA COYER, MJE EDITORIAL POLICY:

The Viking Vanguard operates as a limited forum. 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 highlight issues facing today’s students.

As teenagers, our minds are continuously racing, trying on tests, assignments and homework because of the grip to focus on all of the tasks we must complete. We are such tasks hold on grades. Students are always hearing “If you do not complete this constantly striving to meet top standards and prepare for project, you will fail my class,” which is a concern for many our future. Our schooling is the basis of all opportunity. Think of education as a journey. We start with little because of the emphasis placed on grade-point averages knowledge and grow every day until we are filled with skills when pursuing post-high school education. The result of projects and homework from the education process. assignments impacting grades so Our school career consists of 12 “W E ARE ALWAYS prominently seems to promote cheating and years, 180 days a year, countless hours TRYING TO plagiarism. of stressful deadlines and last minute REPORT ON In the field of journalism, plagiarism would projects. After these years are completed EVENTS AND be detrimental to both the reporter and the we have the decision of continuing on SITUATIONS common public. The reporter receiving a with our education at a higher level. W I TH CREDIBLE bad reputation for incorrect information and Yet as we embark on this scholarly I N FOR M AT ION.” the public receiving faulty information that journey we realize that rewards are born could be misleading. of hard work. As journalists, we look at We are always trying to report on events this journey with open ears and open OUR VIEW and situations with credible, journalistically eyes. sound information. The goal of any In the simplest terms, a journalist’s job is to report; their reward is the impartation of this newspaper is to give credible and correct information to the information to the reader. On a daily basis we learn from public, therefore making cheating a big no. Although plagiarism has become more prominent with our surroundings, educate ourselves on the subject and the implementation of new technology, striving for credible move on to educate the community. Our education is crucial because we need to have a high quality work of our own is a process that cannot be firm grasp on many subjects in order to properly relay overlooked. We step through the journey of education to learn and to grow— both as journalists and as students. information through articles and news sources. We may not be a student forever but the opportunity to Unfortunately the commonality of cheating has increased tremendously; we see cheating happen on a daily basis. It educate others and inform will always be available. has come to the point where students are prone to cheating

Editorial Cartoon

LETTER POLICY:

V A N G U A R D

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

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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.

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Anxiety hinders performance

or some people, it comes easy. For you are immune to it. Which I am not. I have played piano for nine years others it is a horrible experience. now and that has entailed performing Sweaty palms. Hands shaking faster than a new in multiple recitals every year. Memorized performances. massage chair. I have never walked into There is that urge to run one of these events with a to the bathroom, despite the clear mind and my stomach fact that you were there only at ease. I will obsess over 10 minutes ago. every detail of the piece Those butterflies in your (and will reliably manage a belly caused you to skip blunder or two) as a lapse in breakfast and now some memory can cause the piece monster has taken up to go from one key signature residence and is clenching to another in seconds and into a tight ball of nerves then leave you floundering. and roaring his frustration. JOHNSON But worse than piano Public speeches and L Y DR IEAP O RTER recitals are presentations in performances are daylight, school. wide-awake nightmares. I understand that public speaking is I will never understand those who can walk in front of a crowd of people, important for kids because it helps us be it 20 or 200 and deliver a speech or learn and grow into more comfortably social beings. Nevertheless, I still perform with ease. My fear does not stem from any one feel a little corner of my soul begin specific event. And because I have had to crumble and weep every time a years of experiencing it I can safely say teacher announces that we will be that there is no way to avoid it, unless doing presentations. An essay I can

do. I will write eloquently and use proper grammar. It will be turned in on time and the margins will be just the right size. But presentations… those I cannot do. I am like many others and once I get up in front of the class, I am prone to forgetting such things as the subject of my speech, my own middle name, how to finish a sentence and… Everybody stares when you forget what you are saying. They cannot prompt you because they do not know what you are about to say; besides, they probably were not listening. Eyes blank and bored, the soulless stare you down as you try to recall the importance of one historical detail or another. Despite all the horrible sensations and sentiments that come with public speaking and performances, I do think that they have helped me to a certain degree.

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COLLEGE CAUSES FRUSTRATION Q:

Are you going to be able to fully finance your dream college education without financial aid or scholarships?

YES

s college acceptance and rejection letters begin to arrive to eagerly awaiting high school seniors, students are faced with the task of deciding what they are going to do with the next four or so years of their lives. Sometimes it turns out that the school that you have been dreaming of attending since you were younger is not the best option. Whether it is finances, location or previously overlooked details that throw a wrench in your plans, it is almost inevitable that plans will not turn out entirely perfect. While the basis of the chart included on this page is entirely sarcastic, sadly it is also pretty serious.

Will your parent’s income qualify you for federal student aid?

YES

EMMA MILLER FOCUS EDITOR

Wow! You are so incredibly lucky. Are you feeling lucky? That is helpful! Will you still need more money after financial aid?

YES

Have you overcome some great and unique obstacle, are a minority or are the first to go to college in your family?

NO NO

Make sure you put enough effort into your life so that you can actually get into your dream school.

Are you going to work or have you worked during high school?

YES That is helpful. Do not forget working takes a lot of time, time that could be spent on enhancing your college and scholarship applications. Will you still need more money?

YES

That should give you many scholarship opportunities. Start crafting your essay. Will you still need more money? Well, you should.

YES

Great!

YES

Awesome!

Well you should probably spend your time enhancing your college and scholarship applications so that not only you can get into college but also pay for it.

Cool!

In order to enhance your college and scholarship applications, do as many of the following that you can: - Take a lot of challenging classes all throughout high school (such as pre-AP and AP classes) - Excel in all classes and show this by keeping a VERY high GPA and scoring VERY high on AP tests

- Participate in a copious amount of activities inside and outside of school - Excel in all of those activitiesawards are helpful

- Be VERY passionate about the activities that you participate in - Engage in as many community service hours as humanly possible - Take the SAT or ACT and get as perfect of a score as you can on the very first try

- Emphasize anything that makes you unique in your essays - Start a non-profit organization - Get a summer job that demonstrates your passions

- Make the adults in your life know how awesome you are so they write good letters of recommendations - Get to know some really important person so they can write you a letter of recommendation

While it may seem impossible to do it all, you probably should still do it all, just to ensure that a college cannot reject you. Know that you may sacrifice sleeping, watching your favorite TV show and socializing. You may even spend your winter and spring breaks off of school doing exactly what you are supposed to be taking a break from - schoolwork. And do not be too surprised if you end up accepted to your dream college and still not be able to pay for it all without taking out loans - it is VERY expensive. You may want to reevaluate what your dream college is.

YADDA!

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Q: How do you think technology has influenced your education?

“GOOD AND BAD: [TECHNOLOGY] MAKES IT EASIER TO STUDY BUT MAKES IT EASIER T O C H E AT. ”

“I N A N E G AT I V E WAY B E C AU S E I PAY M O R E AT T E N T I O N TO SOCIAL MEDIA THAN HOMEWORK.”

“IN A POSITIVE WAY [ B E C AU S E ] I T PROVIDES MORE RESOURCES FOR I N F O R M AT I O N .”

“IT HAS NOT [AFFECTED MY E D U C AT I O N ] A L O T. ”

“IT IS EXCITING W H AT T E C H N O LO G Y GIVES TO WORK WITH B U T. . . I T I S K I N D O F A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD.”

JOSHUA CARLISLE SOPHOMORE

LAKYMBRIA JONES JUNIOR

COURTNEY SOLSBERRY JUNIOR

DEVIN MEISNER SENIOR

B E T H WAT TS STAFF

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NORSELANDERS CARRY OUT TRADITION

B Y E M M A M I L L E R F O C U S E D I T O R

Sixteen h i g h s c h o o l students stood on the risers in the front of the auditorium, each with a microphone in hand, waiting for their cue. With a single motion from the choir director, George Guenther, one student raised their microphone and began to sing. Fifteen other voices slowly joined in and the otherwise empty auditorium filled with sound. The noise slipped through the cracks between the auditorium doors and spilled out into the school hallways, serenading any students walking to class. As they practiced, Guenther, who has been teaching choir at PHS for 11 years, offered advice and played a few guiding chords on the piano. The Norselanders spent the next hour singing together, trying to fit as much practice as possible into sixth period. “Norselanders is the most competitive choir to get into at PHS. There are only 16

singers in the group. Chorus is our non- hard pieces that are specifically for our audition choir open to all who want to group. We have about 16 pieces learned sing. Valkyries is our audition women’s by the beginning of the school year.” choir and concert choir is our audition Norselanders practice individually mixed choir,” said Guenther. throughout the entire summer to prepare This year’s Norselanders group includes for their first concert, which is usually seniors Isabelle Papen, Alena Frieske, during the second week of school. Brooke Lindblade, Elissa Brown, Tanner “Mr. Guenther expects us to know all Chambers, Renee Tapia, Dylan Cragle, of those songs when we get back from Cassie DeSantiago, Logan Land, Abbie summer break. If you do not come to Giustino, Alden Camire, juniors Natalie class the first day and know the songs, Breshears, Jose Holmes, Lizzie Perkins, Guenther is not happy,” Aaron Anderson and Tapia said. “NORSELANDERS sophomore Josh In addition to HAS WON 1ST Carlisle. Norselanders music, they PLACE AT THE Auditions are held also are expected to know REGINAL SPSL each year and if current Concert Choir pieces. SOLO AND Norselanders wish to “Students will talk about ENSAMBLE continue, they must how they do not want to CONTEST FOR 11 audition again. waste so much time to “There is an extensive Y E A R S I N A R O W . ” learn so much music just audition in midto be in Norselanders— GEORGE GUENTHER February where each but it is so worth it to be CHOIR DIREECTOR candidate must prepare a part of the final product a given piece of music,” that comes out,” Perkins Guenther said. “Each person signs that said. piece by themselves and in combination Norselanders perform final products with others to determine their ability to frequently. sing in tune, bland, listen and work with “Norselanders have four main school others.” performances and another 20-30 Once selections are made, the performances or more in the community, Norselanders begin to practice their at contests and at other events,” Guenther pieces for the coming school year. said. “We start working in March on Frieske explains some of the other Christmas music and then once we finish events. learning all of our Christmas music, we “We go and perform at nursing learn jazz standard,” Papen said. “Over and retirement homes, school board the summer, we get really meetings and other events

throughout the year, but our major event is the twoweek long winter concert tour,” said Frieske. In order to keep up with all of their performances, Norselanders practice outside of school. “We are all expected to practice an hour a day outside of school. When we get a new song, we can not learn it in class. We learn it at home and make it better in class,” Tapia said. Their performance has gained them a copious amount of awards. “Norselanders has won 1st place at the regional SPSL solo and ensemble contest for 11 years in a row. They then move on to compete at the state level. In the past 10 years, at state, Norselanders has won 1st place five times, 2nd place three times and 3rd place once,” Guenther said.

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esks shoved wall-to-wall, a maze of backpacks and bodies to shuffle through, students constantly bumping elbows due to lack of space — welcome to an overcrowded classroom, a classroom many students across the country are forced to sit in. The issue of classroom sizes has been prevalent for many years and continues to be a major concern for some. According to the ‘Education Statistics’ page on the Washington Education Association website, “Washington’s public school students are packed into the 4th most overcrowded classrooms out of [the] 50 states and Washington, D.C.” Principal Jason Smith has been working at PHS for eight years and has witnessed the fluctuation in class sizes over this period of time. “I think about four years ago when the economy crashed a bit, we saw an increase in the class sizes,” Smith said. teachers “The district for the last few years has do get paid is been able to get [class size] down and what called an get it to a manageable rate, so it has been ‘extra-load better the last few years.” Because of the 1,536 of students that stipend’ if attend PHS, the topic of class size is they exceed certain relevant to students. Class sizes vary and a that is partially due to the types of classes amount of offered, whether it be a required class like students — English or an elective, such as an art class. they get paid “Overall, I would love to have all class extra.” Junior Fremon Seay sizes be smaller. But again, it depends on believes that class sizes the year, on what students want to sign up for but traditionally you can kind of affect his and his peers’ predict what [class sizes] will be,” Smith ability to learn in the said. “P.E. is usually fairly high and the classroom. “[In large classes] music classes are fairly high. We are definitely seeing more students taking teachers have less time each individual AP classes so there is a definite rise [in with AP class sizes], which is a good thing. We student. It is more or less have also seen a rise in art classes the a mathematical algorithm last few years; we have had to add more where the teacher would have so much time and it teachers in art.” The sizes of classes are determined has got to be split between by the administration at the school in so many people,” Seay said. addition to rules placed by the state “It is like fractions. If there and federal governments. The classes are less people, there is more students sign up for also impacts the size time for each individual.” Sophomore Kyle Thomas of the classes. “We get our staffing patterns from the disagrees, believing class state and from the district and from there size is not a factor in his I will sit down and I will determine who learning ability but that the is teaching what and when,” Smith said. performance of the teacher is. “I think it is the teacher that “Basically the numbers, what students determines sign up for, is [a big how well a class part of class sizes.] is taught,” Thomas “ I T I S L I K E For example, every said. “If it is a good FRACTIONS. student takes geometry teacher teaching I F T H E R E A R E so geometry classes the class, it does not LESS PEOPLE, are always going to matter how many THERE IS MORE be fairly full. Every people are in the class TIME FOR EACH student takes biology, — all of them are going I N D I V I D U A L . ” so biology classes will to learn.” always be pretty full. No matter the size But not everyone takes FREMON SEAY of classes, Smith JUNIOR Microsoft Office or believes that the school not everybody takes journalism, so it depends [on what sufficiently provides students with the resources for a quality education. students sign up for].” “I would love to see more staffing So how PHS’s class sizes compare to come in but that does not come those at other high schools in the district? “I think compared to the district, we from me or the school district — — Emerald Ridge, Rogers, Puyallup and that comes from the state and Walker — are probably all about the same the federal government. I think [in terms of class size]. Other districts, if you ask any high school though, have different contracts. Different principal or any teacher, they union contracts can change classroom would love to have smaller sizes. At Sumner [School District], I know class sizes,” Smith said. they can only have a certain amount of “With that said, I still feel we students in their classes,” Smith said. “I do a great job working with am not sure what that count is but here at our students and engaging Puyallup it is different. For us, we can have kids no matter how many as many students as we want in a class but students we have in our class.”

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early March the Viking Vanguard onducted a survey outlining tudents’ opinions about their education and their school behavior. Around 300 completed surveys were counted.

of students surveyed admitted to copying someone else’s homework or cheating on a test

of students surveyed said that school adds stress to their life.

of students surveyed believe that technology has benefited their education

of students surveyed believe that large class sizes have negatively affected their learning

With the schools limited access to technology not every teacher I can also communicate more easily with parents, students, other has access to the newest equipment. Though the availability of teachers and administrators. [There are] a lot of direct impacts. As the world becomes centered on technology does not have a significant impact on the grades of For one, it is hard to get kids to look up from their phones or unplug their heads from those tiny speakers,” Taron said. “It technology, schools have begun to integrate students according to Hogan. “My hunch would be that it has not had an impact one way is also a lot easier for kids to cheat now than it was before. In a new devices into the classroom. New technologies in the classroom or another. Especially smartboards they are not even in every number of ways. But I think overall, having a world of information can create new difficulties for teachers classroom yet. Again we have our most motivated teachers who at one’s fingertips has great potential for expanding knowledge. to overcome but it can also allow for have asked for or volunteered to be some of the first ones to work It just requires some practice is accessing the information, and teachers to teach concepts that are hard with the smartboards. I think that technology like smartboards distinguishing the real information from the nonsense.” The technology being used in classes today, such as laptops, can helps if used by a good teacher to help keep students engaged to convey using traditional methods. often be old or outdated. Hogan describes the Technology gives the schools the and interested. I found that historically that current status of the laptops being used today. ability to teach students more than was most of those teachers are going to work to get “TECHNOLOGY “We are hoping to get more portable computer previously achievable, according to Vice kids engaged anyways,” Hogan said. “So it is just HAS GIVES AND labs, so that every hall way has 35 to 40 computers a better neat tool for those teachers who do that Principal Eric Hogan. TAKES. THE BANK that are right there. We have had portable labs “One of the big concerns we have in anyway. The other technology that has improved OF RESOURCES I for a little while now but to be honest they are education is we do not want our schools teaching for the better, I do not know if it has H AV E AVA I L A BL E crashing so often that student gets frustrated to become museums. Another big area of improved grades, are the document cameras. That NOW THAT WAS because they are in the middle of a research hnology that has allowed us to teach more, is all replacing the old overhead projectors where you NOT AVA I L A BL E paper and all of the sudden they lose internet our graphing calculators that are used now in our had the color pens that has been great. That has WHEN I BEGAN access,” Hogan said. “Every teacher has a laptop, th classes. What it has allowed us is to teach more been more of a time saver, so I think it has freed TEACHING IS the newest one is nine years old. We want to be orous difficult mathematical concepts to younger up teachers time to work on other things. Which I I NCR E DI BL E .” able to get teachers some laptops that are a little dents,” Hogan said. “Stuff that you would not have would hope that it would improve student grades more cutting edge. Some of our CTE classes have ten until college you can now start grappling with but I do not know that I can say that for sure it has.” MATTHEW TARON some of those things, because there is federal The use of technology requires that teachers high school. Does that mean a better grade? No, but STAFF funds that will help you do those classes that does mean increased learning. It allows [students] become experts in both their field of teaching and does not go into your English class, history class how to use the technologies they be exposed to more things. There and math class.” are using. a usually many factors [on grades] “TECHNOLOGY Personal devices like Amazon Kindles or smartphones can help “You are relying on computer working every t a lot of it is attendance and effort USUALLY HELPS day or your calculator working every day and students with their school work as sophomore Damien Larson that does not have anything to do VISUALIZE you are relying on your ability to communicate explains. he technology in the room.” THINGS “Since the rules on personal devices are really tough nowadays. with your technology. A student can know how ers can also use technology to help THAT WOULD It is really hard to actually get permission to use it, even if it is going do pre-calculus on pencil and paper and yet all s visualize concepts that would NORMALLY BE of the technology component of that we use to to do more help than harm. Like my amazon kindle at home I use ficult to draw. Pre-calculus and VERY DIFFICULT verify solutions,” Segers said. “Using technology that flash card [app]. I can actually make my own flashcards and ysics teacher Michael Segers uses TO DR AW BY requires that not only you know all of the content that helps so much, I really wish they allowed it in school. There ology to help his students visualize H A N D.” but you know how to display the content on a is most definitely a benefit [to having technology],” Larson said. ions. Technology has not been a major distraction to students, particular piece of technology. There is a lot more echnology usually helps visualize MICHAEL SEGERS that I have to deliver not only the content but how according to Hogan. gs that would normally be very STAFF “Cellphones can be [distracting] but not anymore than a kid to use technology available to the student. On the cult to draw by hand. For example student end of it, if technology is used correctly passing notes in the old days. If your texting is not that a newer computer can be used to graph ctions, in physics we can look at voltages in terms can improve your understanding but if technology is relied on century way of sending notes. You can watch every old movie about teaching and classrooms there were always kids who 3D surfaces instead of leaving them as some solely then you can short circuit otherwise good learning.” English teacher Matthew Taron describes the difficulties he has found ways to be social rather than pay attention. I do not blame bstract quantity. It is . . . to visualize concepts that technology for that at all. Kids have passed notes and it does not ould otherwise be abstract. To me abstract means seen come from technology along with the benefits. “Technology has gives and takes. The bank of resources I have mean they were bad students or got bad grades and other kids that hat there is no geometric picture or model to it, all you have is an equation. If it is an equation and you available now that was not available when I began teaching is were busy writing the next note [to pay attention]. It is the same don’t see what I means it is not as well understood incredible. If I want the text of a poem, a song lyric, a statistic, an old problem,” Hogan said. illustration of a Shakespeare character, I can get it all in an instant. it is just a formula,” Segers said. B Y

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Copying answers from a friend’s homework. Stealing answers from a test. Taking someone else’s ideas and ying to pass them off as your own. All of these are examples of ways udents potentially try not to do rk but still receive credit. enior Emily Hurst is currently olled in four AP classes and mits to witnessing cheating often P classes. see [cheating] happen daily. I do mind all the time if it is just some assignment but to me it is up to erson. If they want to do well in ass they should know it is best for o not share papers,” Hurst said. on Samuelson is another senior ent who has seen students share or ease their workload in some ay. However, he noted that it

ther students cheat] depends on nment. Big projects, assignments as much but I would say smaller hat are not as important seem to more],” Samuelson said. urst and Samuelson have both

seen cheating in AP classes, it is still debatable with the systems and they are willing to take whether sharing answers is more common in those higher risks than in junior high [when they] are still pretty timid towards teachers and regular or AP classes. “AP classes usually get students who tend to administration.” Heightened pressure has never been more care a little more … so you may actually find less [cheating] but AP classes might also have more prevalent than in AP classes, where Hurst said homework so then you might find more. I would she gets around three to four hours a night of almost say it is about the same because students homework. Maintaining a 4.0 while in AP is also extremely are students and that is just what they do,” Hurst difficult, which is why some said. believe a weighted grade point AP Junior English teacher “...T H E average (GPA) system would Noelle Gage agreed that the ACADEMIC be beneficial. A weighted GPA amount of students cheating is PRESSURE IS basically puts more ‘weight’ on most likely equal between AP CERTAINLY harder classes, so getting an A and regular classes. HEIGHTENED SO in AP Physics gives you more “I think it is just kids are kids THEY WANT TO points and credit than getting and they are too excited about DO W E L L .” an A in regular algebra would. life after school so they do not “When [AP classes] did not want to do homework,” Gage NOELLE GAGE exist it was definitely more said. “I would say it is pretty STAFF about GPA (getting a 4.0). Now consistent throughout all levels.” that we have AP classes kids While cheating may be consistent within high school classes, Gage did still think that GPA is just as important, so you agree that there was a gap between junior high have the really hard AP class but you want the and high school when it comes to cheating and 4.0,” Hurst said. “I think the problem with our system is that we do not have the weighted GPA. listed possible reasons behind this. “I would say number one: their life gets really If we had a weighted GPA you might actually see busy so they do not have time for it. Number two: less of the cheating.” Some high schools already follow the weighted the academic pressure is certainly heightened so they want to do well,” Gage said. “Number GPA system, which can make it difficult for three: they become a little more sophisticated colleges to judge a student’s GPA accurately.

Many people use this as an argument for the SAT being more important than GPA. “More and more, colleges are looking for wellrounded students. They do not want to just see this phenomenal GPA ... the phenomenal GPA is becoming less important because it is not measured equally throughout the nation where your SAT scores are what they are,” Gage said. However, there are still people who think that GPA should hold more importance. “SAT is measuring your potential … and your grades actually measure your work ethic,” Samuelson said. Either way, Gage, Hurst and Samuelson all believe that needing or wanting a good GPA is not an acceptable excuse for plagiarism, sharing answers or cheating of any kind. Being a teacher, Gage especially believes that cheating does nothing to benefit a student’s education and misses the point of homework entirely. “The idea, from the teacher perspective, is not always [for the students] to get the ten points, but the idea is to learn the concept. And learning the concept is by far more important than getting those ten points,” Gage said. “That is what matters most to me as a teacher, because that is what we are in the profession for. We are in it to teach kids and to help you learn and become better, not just attain points.”

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DIVERGENT DOES NOT DIVERGE FROM BOOK

Rope of Silicon. Even so, Rotten Tomatoes gave it a rating of 40 out of 100, describing The movie Divergent may just seem like it as ‘disappointingly predictable.’ another movie about a post-apocalyptic Personally, I believed the movie followed America and a teenage hero or heroine. the book very well. If you read the book In some ways, it is; in others, it is not. you knew what was coming next but this While the concept is similar to other did not cause the movie to be boring— post-apocalyptic young adult novels, seeing the action on the screen instead of the plot of Divergent is something new. reading it was still exciting. Both the book and the movie focus on One of these action scenes included preventing classifying people into groups a group of Dauntless trying to throw instead of allowing them to be expressive. Beatrice over a ledge. Tobias beats up the The movie is based off member before they can the book Divergent by “IF YOU READ throw her and while this Veronica Roth and takes THE BOOK YOU scene was in the book, place in the future United KNEW WHAT WAS being able to see the scene States after a disaster has COMING NEXT on the screen added to the taken place. B U T T H I S D I D N O T drama. The people who live C A U S E T H E M O V I E On screen, Beatrice in the city are divided T O B E B O R I N G . . . ” Prior was played by into five groups, called Shailene Woodley and MADDY LUCAS factions, based upon Tobias Eaton was played O P I N I O N E D I T O R their personality. The by Theo James. These main character, Beatrice actors and others were Prior, chooses Dauntless as her faction able to convey the emotions the characters and also is classified as a “Divergent,” a were feeling — in one scene Beatrice’s title some citizens find dangerous. emotions were intensely real — so real Like any other young adult novel, a you wanted to jump on screen and give little romance is thrown in. Beatrice her a big hug. Woodley’s acting brought develops romantic feelings for a member Beatrice’s character to life. of Dauntless named Tobias Eaton. Tobias Divergent was similar to The Hunger also develops these feeling for Beatrice Games, another post-apocalyptic, and this becomes part of the plot of the young adult movie also based off a book. book and movie. Both followed their novel counterpart The movie reached number one at the well but slight changes were made to box office the weekend it came out, raking accommodate their time on screen. These in $54.6 million, according to the website changes did not take anything away from B Y M A D DY L U C A S O P I N I O N E D I T O R

the movie but were obvious to anyone who read the novel. In the movie, one of these changed parts included a scene in the book where a Dauntless member gets stabbed in the eye while sleeping by another member. This was left out in the movie and although it was a surprising event in the novel, it did not change the outcome of the movie in any way. A romance appearing in the book between two of Beatrice’s friends also receives little focus in the movie. A later event becomes a factor in causing a dilemma between Beatrice and her friend. The dilemma occurs in the next book of the Divergent series and although it does not impact the first movie as much, it is interesting to see what will happen if the sequel is made into a movie. Even though romance was part of the movie and the novel, the movie leaned more towards the action-side rather than a romantic one. Only one main romantic scene occurred in the movie between Beatrice and Tobias with a few other S AV A N N A H

small ones scattered in also. After reading the book this change was obvious but once again, it did not change the outcome of the movie. The director of the movie, Neil Burger, seemed to take a few liberties — in the faction Beatrice belongs to, the building includes an area called “The Pit” and is described as a cave-like, central meeting room. Burger seemed to imagine it as something more modern as the room was designed with a clean, futuristic feel. This was still a minor detail and did not affect the movie in any way except for looks. Overall, I highly recommend Divergent even if you have not read the book. There was not a moment where the movie turned boring and it held my attention the whole time. While there were some minor changes, they never detracted from the overall plot. If you are looking for a romantic movie you may want to try a different movie but if you are looking for an action-packed time, this movie will fulfill your needs.

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hether it is a date with your significant other or a fun place to hang out at after school, frozen yogurt shops have become quite the popular attraction in Puyallup. But just how is one to know what shop sells the best, the worst or the most inexpensive? I have taken the journey far and wide across this little town to answer every question a possible customer might have. The first place I journeyed was Elements in downtown Puyallup, located next to Subway on Meridian. Little did I know, I had entered during the busiest time of the day which just happened to be right after school at 2:30 p.m. Upon arrival I found that they promote a special few hours of the day, from 2:30 p.m.- 5 p.m. which is designated to happy hour. The normal 45 cents per ounce at any other time of day is reduced to 38 cents for those few hours. With 10 available flavors, 76 different toppings and seven syrups (along with whipped cream), I had quite the decision to make. Not only does Elements offer free Wi-Fi but they also sell T-shirts and a variety of drinks. On a sunny day which can prove to be rare in Puyallup, you have the beautiful view of Pioneer Park outside the window because this little shop is conveniently located downtown. Elements provides a laid back environment in a very modern part of town. One downside to this aspect is that elementary and junior high kids thrive in places such as this which can cause a lot of high strung energy and loud voices to penetrate throughout the store. Though their frozen yogurt proved to be fairly inexpensive, it seemed to melt very fast when I was there, despite the chilly store. Menchies was quite the trip from my downtown location on my fro-yo journey. As soon as I walked in the smell of sugar, sugar and more sugar seemed to be swirling in the air; maybe it was because of the waffle cones they make by hand every few minutes, I am not sure. I found there to be 14 flavors available, 45 different toppings, five syrups and two different “magic sugars” which supposedly change the color of your fro-yo. The bright green and pink colors that encompassed the entire restaurant seemed to be appealing to a very young crowd of little kids. Maybe it was the chalkboard that resembled a daycare center or the little toys and trinkets available near the cashier that gave that feel. At 47 cents per ounce I thought it would be spent better at Elements where you have the same crowd gathering and the same melting froyo in your cup. The only thing that would bring me back to this place was the well-advertised

flyer spread throughout the store to promote their five dollar Friday from 9 p.m. - 11 p.m. where you can fill your cup with as much fro-yo you can fit for the low cost of $5 as promoted. Though the employees proved my visit to be entertaining and pleasant, I would much rather take my froyo money elsewhere. The next place set on my journey was the newly built SubZero located on Meridian in the same parking lot as Best Buy and Ross. I am not positive if the chilly environment was due to the lack of heat in the building or the liquid nitrogen they used to make the ice cream. All sizes, from small to large, were more like extra small, extra extra small and spoonful. SubZero provided quick service and good customer

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advice for those who had never been as their menu is quite lengthy and extravagant with their 47 flavors and 33 mix-ins. The prices varied because of the diversity of textures available which proved to be confusing for firsttimers. Out of all the places my fro-yo journey took me, this was by far the most diverse and modern with its furniture and delicious product. Though the ice cream was more expensive, the taste just cannot be replicated at any other fro-yo shop. It is well worth the money, just bring a coat with you so you do not freeze. The last spot I journeyed to was by far my absolute favorite: Black Bear frozen yogurt & espresso. This is a bit of a farther journey if you happen to live downtown but trust me when I say this place is definitely worth the trek up Meridian. I am not sure if it was the warm environment, the fireplace, the coffee shop feel of the place or its kind employees but I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. The saying “you get what you pay for” can be applied in this situation, as Black Bear proved to be one of the more expensive shops around at 48 cents an ounce. The warm shop proved to be worth the few extra cents. Black Bear provides a very homey environment that is cozy and rural. The shop is never too busy and its customers include mostly the middle-aged crowd. I found there to be 12 flavors along with 65 toppings, 10 syrups and whipped cream. If you want a yogurt shop with a plethora of cereal available to top your froyo then Black Bear is definitely the place for you. They also sell T-shirts, sweatshirts, sandwiches, baked goods and a variety of drinks. To find which fro-yo place best suits you depends on how far you are willing to trek, how much you are willing to spend and which environment suits you best. If you are willing to spend a few cents more on your fro-yo for a warmer, cozier environment then Black Bear is the place for you. If you just want the cheapest product and a younger crowd and chilly environment will not bother you then maybe Menchies or Elements will suit you. If you are on a date and want to impress whoever you are with and are willing to spend a little bit more, definitely make a trip up to SubZero. If you do not care about toppings or prices and just want plain frozen yogurt then just go to Costco; they have chocolate-vanilla swirl.

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TERRY TWIRLS TO SUCCESS

Evidently, this hard work has not been a partner and move as one on the dance in vain as Terry and her teammates floor.” As such, the team dynamic of ballroom took first place in a national altz, Tango, Rumba, Swing, Cha Cha, Foxtrot, Mambo, Jive; dance is critical to the success of its competition just last year. Boudreaux remembers these are more than just eclectic execution. “There are a certain amount of couples their victory fondly. vocabulary, these are all forms of ballroom “Wow! What an in each dance so it is not dance. “MOST DANCERS like everyone is on there incredible moment For sophomore Brooke WOULD TELL at once, there are usually that was. The Terry, ballroom dance Y O U T H A T W E D O eight couples in each p e r f o r m a n c e has quickly become a NOT CHOOSE TO dance but that can be that night was surprise priority. “My cousin actually D A N C E O R . . . T E A C H switched around,” Terry electrifying. OR COACH, IT said. “When you are on a We knew guilted me into coming CHOOSES US.” team you have to watch t h e y and seeing one of his done each other to make sure had [ballroom dance] shows amazing everyone is in line and at an and then when I saw it LY NNE BOUDREAUX the same time. It is nerve- performance. Winning the championship I fell in love with it so COMMUNITY wracking because if you was just confirmation of all the work I joined it as soon as I make even a little mistake coming together in that moment. What an could,” Terry said. exciting night,” Boudreaux said. According to the Academy Director of it could ruin it for the rest of the team.” The win was not only felt by the Terry was not always a member of this Pacific Ballroom Dance, Lynne Boudreaux, fateful run-ins with the world of dance dance family however and has had to members of Terry and her teammates but like the one Terry experienced are not work diligently to improve her skills and by everyone at Pacific Ballroom Dance. “It is hard to put into words the feelings get where she is today. uncommon. “I first met Brooke in technique class. I that were felt when we won last year. This “I think most dancers would tell you that we do not choose to dance or eventually remember from that first day she would was the first time since our studio began teach or coach, it chooses us,” Boudreaux always come up after class and ask ‘so going to Nationals that we would bring what can I do to help me improve.’ She home a first place trophy. So the win said. does that still after every class,” Boudreaux was not only for us, but for everyone. We Dance seems to have chosen Terry. were in shock,” France “It is a big part of my life, I go every said. said. “I was already so France has witnessed week and practice [at Pacific Ballroom “I REMEMBER Dance] and I have to practice outside of that same development F R O M T H A T F I R S T very proud of them. The win was just icing on the class as well. I have had to miss school for and determination occur DAY SHE WOULD performances and stuff. Last year I went in Terry over her years as A L W A Y S C O M E U P cake.” According to Terry, this to nationals so that was cool; your team a ballroom dancer. AFTER CLASS AND close-knit community “Brooke has had some sort of becomes your family,” Terry said. ASK ‘SO WHAT at Pacific Ballroom Junior Premier Formation Team Director significant events happen CAN I DO TO Dance is one of at Pacific Ballroom Dance, Christine in her life that have I M PROV E .’” the many t h i n g s France, is a member of that family and pushed her to grow as that makes the art of a person, which in turn serves as one of Terry’s instructors. LY NNE BOUDREAUX dance so special. “I became an instructor simply because have pushed her to grow COMMUNITY “I really just love the I love ballroom dance and I want to share as a dancer. When she was people there. Was much that love with others,” France said. “The on my team in 9th grade, as I love dancing, the biggest difference between ballroom she went from being fairly dance and other forms of dance is you shy and a bit unsure to being one of my people that go there with me just make it so have to have a partner to do it. It requires strongest, most focused dancers,” France much better because they really become your family and you love spending time teamwork and the ability to work with said. B Y G A B E C A R R O L L M A N A G I N G E D I T O R

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with them and working with them,” Terry said. The interaction between team and instructor in ballroom dance is a rewarding experience for all of those involved. “[Terry] has always been a joy to work with. Students like Brooke validate my vocation in dance and add to the daily joy of what I do,” Boudreaux said.

Junior breeds canine pedigree for success

every weekend, taking care of puppies, training puppies, training people to train their puppies, contracts, obtaining health The usual reaction to seeing a puppy is records ... There is a lot of work to do every a mix of cooing, fawning over and petting. day, basically,” Cook said. After all, dogs are the most popular Cook also has to travel for competitions pet in America according to the Humane located all over the United States. Most Society of the United States. recently Cook traveled to Florida to However, not much thought is given to compete one of her Havanese dogs at the how the puppy came to be or its lineage. Eukanaba National Championships. This is not the case for professional dog Havanese are easily Cook’s favorite show handler and Havanese breeder Josie breed. She currently owns three (Molly, Cook. Silver and Bella) along with her two Cook has been breeding Havanese dogs German shepherds (Alli and Gator). and competing ever since she was nine She has had Molly, the only dog she has years old. She has championed two of currently championed, for two and a half her dogs and helped many others reach years. championship level. Her “I love that Havanese business has its own “ I T R Y T O B E T T E R love everyone and they website and customers T H E B R E E D W I T H are very affectionate. from across the globe who E V E R Y L I T T E R A N D They also make great purchase the puppies. I H AV E A L I T T E R therapy dogs and are Managing her business E V E R Y 1 - 2 Y E A R S . ” hypoallergenic which and competition is makes it possible for JOSIE COOK difficult for Cook but it people with allergies to JUNIOR is not the only thing on have dogs too,” Cook said. her plate: Cook is only a Havanese dogs are junior in high school. also extremely valuable, especially “It is very difficult to manage a business for competition. In dog breeding, it is and be in high school. Time is very limited important for show dogs to have a good for anything,” Cook said. pedigree. Although Cook has been competing for “I try to better the breed with every litter eight years, she did not become interested and I have a litter about every 1-2 years. in breeding until later. I found the healthiest Havanese male in “I became interested in breeding America and bred him to my female Molly. Havanese two years after I bought my The male, Circo El Ray Del Mundo’s Budafirst female, Heidi’s Happy Cocoa. I Pest [Buda for short], flew all the way from showed Cocoa to her championship and Rhode Island to Washington to breed to then obtained all of the necessary health my Molly and the litter is due during the screenings for the breed and then we bred first week of April,” Cook said. “Not only is her to a male from Hungary,” Cook said. he very healthy but he has a long line of Breeding dogs takes a lot of time healthy dogs who have lived a ... long time and effort, adding to the difficulty of and have achieved many awards.” Cook’s balancing act between breeding, This litter will be valued at $2,000 for competition and school. each puppy. “Dog breeding is not for lazy people. I do Preparing and taking care of April’s so much research on genetics, grooming litter will limit Cook’s involvement in the dogs for the shows, going to shows competition, but only for a short time. B Y

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Overall, she hopes to continue with her business and competition. “I plan on [dog breeding] being a career but I also plan on going to college and going into the real estate business like my

parents,” Cook said. No matter where she ends up, Cook’s involvement with dogs will forever have an impact on her along with the experience of owning a business so early in her life.

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EMPIRE RISES AGAIN: REVIEW

last movie. “Rise of an Empire” combatants. Overall “300: Rise of an Empire” shows how and why Xerxes rose to the status of a god while introducing does not have a lot of flaws. It is a really his general, Atremesia, who takes complete and excellently executed center stage as the main antagonist movie but it does not do much to go in the new film. The movie goes into beyond what was presented in the first why the war started, the politics of movie. This movie feels like more of the Greece and still has exciting battles as seen same things from the original but with in the first “300.” oceanic battles. The new movie is heavily Themistocles is however a great stylized and Computer Graphics heavy strategist, which becomes clear as soon like the previous movie, this detracts from as he takes charge of the the realism of the movie “YOU NEVER boats defending Athens from while adding a sense of REALLY KNOW Artemisia’s fleet. This battle I F M A G I C A N D being an old Greek myth. is where the movie spends FANTASTICAL The mythical most of its time. It is truly E L E M E N T S A R E atmosphere does REAL IN THE a battle worthy of legend not detract from the WOR L D...” because Themistocles has experience of the movie, an insignificant amount of instead it actually worked KYLE SMITH small ships compared to well in creating a feeling REPORTER Artemisia’s fleet. of uncertainty of what is Themistocles’s ingenuity real or fake in the world. You never really for battle presents itself in the way that he know if magic and fantastical elements uses the environment and the size of his are real in the world because the enemy’s ships against Artemisia. During directors never really make this clear. this battle you get a sense of rivalry between The worst part of “300: Rise of an the two characters which makes the battle Empire” is that it leaves you wanting all the more memorable. The special effects more. of the boats and oceans creates an epic For the complete story go to atmosphere in the scale of the battle and

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This is not Sparta. Not any more at least. “300: Rise of an Empire” a sequel to “300,” shifts focus away from the Spartans to the rest of Greece, specifically Athens. In “300: Rise of an Empire” the main character Themistocles, an Athenian war hero, tries desperately to unite Greece against the Persian invasion force while fending off a fleet of enemy ships. “Rise of an Empire” is not a direct sequel in the traditional sense; instead of occurring after the events of the first “300” movie like most sequels, “Rise of an Empire” takes place before, during and after the events of “300.” One of the greatest things this movie does is provide back story to the events of the first movie while maintaining the entertainment value. In the first movie, there was no development on characters such as Xerxes, the Persian king from the

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CHOOSE YOUR OWN SPRING BREAK ADVENTURE

B Y G A B E C A R R O L L M A N A G I N G E D I T O R

ine days is all you get this spring break. You only have 52 weeks in the year of 2014 but the Puyallup School District was kind enough to give you this one off! No class work, no quizzes, no mock AP tests to attend, not a portfolio in sight; spring break is all yours. So what are you going to do? You can do whatever you want, you could even choose to do nothing but doing something is always better than doing nothing. Thus, everything in this article from now on will be something about some thing that you could do with the big bundle of nothing clogging up your spring break. Assuming the sunny spring weather and flowering fauna make you giddy with excitement and not groggy with debilitating allergies, taking a scenic hike with some friends is a great way to fully enjoy all of the natural beauty spring brings with it. Purchasing the $30

for a year or $10 for a day Discover Pass full of intriguing curiosities and good eats. If you are not up for the three-hour will let you and anyone else you can cram into a single vehicle hike in any caravan down to the Oregonian oasis, Seattle and Tacoma provide excellent Washington state park or recreation area. Feeling jazzy? Century Ballroom in closer-to-home alternatives for an Seattle holds swing dancing events every urban adventure. Maybe grab some Sunday night. Quick lessons on the basics lunch at an unsuspecting local dive, like of swing dancing are held at 9 p.m. before Magical Sandwich Makers in Tacoma or Li’l Woody’s Burgers the open dancing starts “MAKING THE and Shakes in Seattle. at 9:30 p.m. so no prior MOST OF YOUR Taking public experience is needed. All SPRING BREAK, H O W E V E R , D O E S transportation, such as you need is $8 and your NOT REQUIRE the Sounder, to reach your best impersonation of a L E AV I NG T H E destination can provide a person from the 1950s. COZY CONFINES nice interruption from the Normally attending O F G O O D O L’ typical routine of a carsuch an event on a school P U Y A L L U P. . .” bound commute as well. night would be less than Making the most of your ideal but spring break GABE CARROLL spring break, however, offers a grand and groovy MANAGING EDITOR does not require leaving opportunity to get your dance on without suffering from a major the cozy confines of good ol’ Puyallup in the valley. case of the Mondays. Have a dinner party. Buy some dough, If mingling with hipsters in urban metropolises is more up your alley, sauce and toppings and make your own pizza with some friends. Add it to your consider taking a day trip to Portland. Behind the guise of gregarious spring break to-do list. With nothing but a Frisbee and some facial hair and risqué donuts lies a truly rich cultural friends you can throw together a jolly good experience in a city crammed Ultimate Frisbee match at the nearest

park. If it is nice out you can even play with teams of shirts and skins; but then again, if it is raining cats and dogs you can flop around in the mud like a pre-pubescent pig. The mud stains will be like timeless memories you can wear. Got a bike? Channel your inner Mr. Segers and go for a ride on the Orting trail. Bring some biking buds with you and you will have a genuine chain gang. Are you lacking a pair of wheels to ride around on? Going for a run with your own two feet is a fantastic way to feel both terrible and terrific about yourself at the same time. Regardless of what you plan to do with your free week of frolicking, one of the best ways to guarantee memorable spring break is to set goals for your fine self. Challenge yourself to find something new every day or maybe just eat a nice breakfast each morning. Making a spring break bucket list is like investing in fun insurance (fun-surance) for the future of your seven-day vacation.

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HOME IS WHERE THE SKATES ARE

Sophomore McKenna Storts has pursued an art. Figure skating stands on these four principles: dedication, perseverance, patience and attiturde. McKenna has embraced all of these qualities to become the skater she is today. B Y

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that to happen,” said Melanie Storts. You see them broadcast on While traveling is an exciting every television across the world aspect to competitions, more during the Winter Olympics. important is the determination You hear stories of their grace, to do the best one can while flawless figures and moves that competing which brings nerves are seemingly impossible for to most skaters; this is not the human beings to perform. case for McKenna. Figure skaters are not just “Everybody asks me if it is Olympic athletes but can also be super stressful and in all honesty the average teenager. it is not. To me it is just another Sophomore McKenna Storts competition. Yeah, the stakes started her journey as a skater are a little higher and it is more when she was just six years professional but they just feel like old at the Sprinker Recreation another competition to me,” said Center after watching her cousin McKenna Storts. participate six months prior. Her mother Figure skating witnessed is performed on “ F I G U R E S K A T I N G the miracle the ice, not to be IS MORE THE that McKenna confused with ELEMENT OF performed at GRACE ALONG speed skating. her regional WITH THE “Figure skating competition TECHNICAL AND is more artsy and about a year speed skating A R T I S T I C P O I N T S . ” ago. is all about how “ O n e MCKENNA STORTS fast you go and SOPHOMORE of the last you do not do competitions any tricks. Figure she had was a huge challenge skating is more the element of for her. Over time, the skill grace along with the technical level becomes more difficult. and artistic points,” said When she started getting into McKenna Storts. performing all of these very Her mother Melanie Storts difficult and technical jumps who started McKenna Storts in that she was expected to perform this competitive sport feels that flawlessly, she struggled a great she had a raw talent that figure deal. One of them in particular skating unveiled. she could not get the hang of for “She blew through her first six about two years. When it came lessons so quickly. She took a to a double rotation, mid-air natural reaction to the sport. Her and landing on one foot going talent was definitely there so we backwards on a single blade on continued going with it until she ice, it was a very huge challenge.” was going to tell us otherwise,” Melanie Storts witnessed said Melanie Storts. her daughter’s challenge McKenna Storts has had innumerable times from a the opportunity to travel all mother’s perspective. over the Pacific Northwest for “She fell time and time again I skating competitions with what noticed that her confidence was her mother refers to as her starting to drop quite a bit. You “skating family.” Some places get discouraged after two years of she has traveled to include working on the same exact move Oregon, Washington, Idaho and and not being able to land it. But California. then she had a couple family “We do not live near family. members that flew in from out of The skating organization town for a competition. She said became a portion of our family. ‘This is it. This is the time that I It is really nice for her to develop am actually going to land this.’ relationships, not just care about I began to see her confidence her own internal household being built up again after time family and those that are and time again of going to elsewhere in her family but also competitions and falling,” said other people in the community. Melanie Storts. The skating program really allows Among the crowd, McKenna Stort’s mother eagerly awaited her daughter’s performance with fear but mostly excitement. “She flawlessly executed the program, landed her double jump and everyone in the entire rink just went nuts. They had seen this girl struggling so hard for two years trying to land this jump when she could not do it and she finally came up and landed it. For me as the mom watching my kid finally make it happen, I cried. It was such an emotional moment because we all just knew how long she had been working,” Melanie Storts said. “We just kept telling her ‘stick with it, someday you will get this, you just gotta keep practicing.’ This is the girl who was practicing 12-18 hours a week and she was not able to do it. But when she finally did, it Above: Sophomore McKenna was just a moment that you never forget.” Storts takes center ice to Skating for nine years,

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Above: Sophomore McKenna Storts smiles to the audience during her routine. McKenna Stort has seen all the really happy as a parent. Every successes, failures and time it award she received, she would takes for all who participate in get teared up. She would shrug this program. She greatly admires a little bit and be so humble in her coach. receiving it,” Melanie Storts said. “My coach is like my second Being a successful figure skater mom. She is not as worried is no easy task alone, there are about what you look like as she is many things that go along with worried about if you are doing it being an active athlete. right or not,” said McKenna Storts. Heidi Sullivan, Mckenna Stort’s “Doing that for a job would be coach attests to this truth. really awesome. I can definitely “There is a lot that is required. see myself being a coach. When I A couple things are dedication, am helping someone and we are patience and perseverance. Your on the ice and attitude directly they ask for my affects how help and they “ W E D O N O T L I V E you perform NE AR FAMILY. finally grasp the and if you are THE SK ATING concept, just the confident, ORGANIZATION recognition of prepared and BECAME A what they have have the right PORTION OF OUR just done and the frame of mind FA M I LY.” light that they get you will be very in their eyes is so successful,” said MELANIE STORTS MOTHER cool.” Heidi Sullivan. Not only are “But if you are each skater’s achievements negative and doubtful that will evident to their coaches but even directly affect your performance more evidently to their parents. as well. I think McKenna has “The smile on her face and the learned that your attitude really look in her eyes when she is out has a lot to do with the outcome on the ice is unmatched. You have of whatever you are attempting.” the proud momma feeling going Coaching her nearly from the on through you and you know beginning of her skating career, that they are enjoying it; you see Sullivan and McKenna Stort have the happiness that it brings forth. a unique relationship. Of course in turn it makes you “Sometimes it will seem like I

am her second mom. I not only coach her skating but I can also help her through life situations and help guide and navigate her through her years of being a teenager. She is a very thoughtful, kind and sensitive person. She thinks a lot about other people’s feelings,” said Sullivan. “She is very respectful and thoughtful of my feelings which is unique. She always continues to appreciate and send me kind texts and messages telling me how much she appreciates our relationship and I find that a very unique quality for a teenager to be so thoughtful and considerate.” Though McKenna has been skating since she was six, she took about a year break from the sport. “I thought that I wanted to go more into volleyball and I was going to do track in eighth grade. My [skating] coach was putting a lot of stress on me and I was not excelling at all. I was just stuck in the same spot in a really big rut and it irritated me. I started to go more into volleyball but then I dropped out. So I ended up taking a break [from skating] but then I realized that I really do love it,” said McKenna Storts.

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TRIPLE THREAT TAKES ON COLLEGE N

B Y K A M E R A N M I L L E R F E A T U R E S E D I T O R

ot many get to grow up playing the sports that they love with the same teammates all their lives. For seniors Braylie Jeffers, Hailey Smoot and Marissa Miller, this is the reality of their sports careers. Smoot explains that through club sports teams and through the school, the trio has been playing together for almost a decade. “We have played against each other for almost 10 years, but we have been playing together for almost six years,” Smoot said. Through out their entire athletic experiences these athletes have always been a part of each other’s lives, whether it was as teammates or as competitors. Parent Julie Smoot remembers when the girls first started playing. “Ever since they started playing sports, they were either playing with each other or against each other. They have always played together,” Julie Smoot said. “Marissa and Hailey played basketball, fast pitch and soccer and then the three of them started playing basketball.” Basketball coach and teacher Cherokee Ainslie has enjoyed watching the trio grow and improve over the years and is impressed with their leadership abilities. “They are good leaders. This year Smoot stepped up big as a silent leader for us because [Jeffers] and [Miller] were voted captains this year. I was expecting that leadership role from Miller and Jeffers but I really, really enjoyed seeing Smoot step up into that as well, “Ainslie said.”She was averaging about three to five assists a game so she was definitely getting her teammates involved; where Marissa was making sure to do her job with rebounding and Jeffers did a great job defensively. That is another great thing about those three, they rely on each other.” Just watching the girls play, it is obvious the three team members effectively work together. Softball/ volleyball coach and teacher Tony Batinovich comments on the girl’s sportsmanship toward one another. “They push each other to be the best that they can be and they seem to have a connection. They feed off each other and know each other pretty well. They are able to challenge each other to step it up and nobody takes it personally and that is a pretty cool thing,” Batinovich said. After playing with each other for so many years, the girls closely bounded when playing together as a team. Julie Smoot has noticed the connection the girls have with one another. “They just know each other so well, they can just look at each other and know, ‘okay, I am going to cut across and you are going to pass me the ball’ without even calling the play,” Julie Smoot said. “They really enjoyed playing with each other and became really close, especially in this last B A I L E Y P L U M B | V A N G U A R D year. I hope that the three of them keep in touch in case that they do not end up going to the same school because there is a great friendship there.” Above: Seniors Marissa Miller and Hailey Smoot have both committed to Pacific Lutheran Although all three girls play basketball together, the University to play softball and soccer respectively. Not pictured: Braylie Jeffers is considering three of them each play their own sport as well. Hailey Smoot has been playing soccer for as long as she playing collegiate volleyball at PLU. All three girls might also play womens basketball for the can remember. Teacher and soccer coach Matt White has Lutes. coached Hailey Smoot for three years through the school different they know each other pretty well and have just another option for me. I have not officially decided and claims she has talent not only on the basketball court similar values so I think that rooming together will be if I am going or not yet but it is in my options. I am still but on the field as well. great for their relationship,” Julie Smoot said. undecided,” Jeffers said. “Who knows, maybe [Miller and “Hailey takes what she knows from basketball into PLU was not Miller’s first choice either and admits the Hailey Smoot] will influence me to go.” soccer. She easily sees where passed should go; she plays After experiencing what the girls are like as players, soccer like a point guard, which is fantastic,” White said. Hailey Smoot had a little weight in her decision. “I was living the California dream too, but that did not Ainslie knows they are going to succeed in the future. “She has had skill from the beginning. One of the first “They know what it is like to work hard and obviously things I noticed was after game two, we were playing her happen. My parents went [to PLU] and my brother plays there so it is a family tradition,” Miller said. “I was not that level of competition is going to be different than what as an outside back and Hailey was our planning on going there just because I they are used to but all of them have done a club sport, so leading scorer—I was like, ‘I think Hailey “ T H E Y P U S H E A C H did not really want to go to that school, they know what it takes. They are used to being pushed needs to be closer to the goal.’” O T H E R T O B E T H E but living with someone you know makes and challenged so that is going to correlate for them,” Hailey Smoot will be playing soccer for BEST THAT THEY Ainslie said. “They work well together; they work hard Pacific Lutheran University next season, C A N B E A N D T H E Y it way better,” After coaching Miller for four years for each other. They are all very competitive and they are an opportunity she had not originally SE E M TO H AV E A in softball and Jeffers for three years in going to work hard and expect their teammates to work considered. CON N EC T ION.” volleyball, Batinovich has many positives hard for them as well.” “I had the California dream and I really to say about the two star athletes. As girls’ basketball season ends and senior year wanted to move down there but I got a “Marissa came in as a freshman in slowly comes to a close, the girls will have to say good TONY BATINOVICH dose of reality and realized that it was COACH softball and [had] the talent. It [was] funs bye to shooting hoops together not only as high school going to be too expensive and I would to see [Miller and Jeffers] grow and get teammates but as childhood teammates as well, Julie miss home,” Hailey Smoot said. “I had a better and watch their skills improve. They are both the Smoot reflects. couple of colleges here that I was interested in but I really kind of young ladies that are very dedicated to their sport “They had so much fun on and off the court and they did not like [Pacific Lutheran University]… until I had my and hopefully will continue to reap the benefits of that,” did not want it to end. It has been a little bit emotional, visit, then I fell in love.” Batinovich said. “It has been a pleasure to be around all of because I think about how long I have known these girls The transition will be a challenge, but Hailey Smoot is them and we wish them nothing but the best. It is always and watching them play together... This is it,” Julie Smoot sure she is ready for it. “It is a whole new experience and it will be so different fun to go watch them play at the next level and to know said. The three athletes will not have the chance to play from high school. It is scary, but I am ready,” Hailey Smoot that maybe you had a little part in that.” Julie Smoot knows Jeffers and Miller have the qualities all together on a team again but the time spent with says. “I am just really excited to meet new people and to needed to continue their athletic career into college. one another will always be what shaped them into the get the chance to room [with Marissa].” “Braylie is known for her tenacity and Marissa has really successful athletes that they are today. Along with Hailey Smoot, Miller will also be attending shown as a leader the last couple of years,” Julie Smoot Jeffers reminisces on their time spent together playing PLU in the fall. She is planning on playing softball. said. the sport they love. Julie Smoot is just as happy about her daughter’s new While still undecided as to where she will find herself “We have been playing together for too long,” Jeffers roommate as Hailey Smoot and Miller are. next fall, Jeffers is keeping PLU in mind. said. “Basketball is what brought us together.” “Even though Hailey and Marissa’s personalities are “Both my parents went to school there so it was kind of