Hi Spots, April 1, 2010

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April 1, 2010 Vol. 84 Edition 4

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Table of Contents

12 CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF katie murphy & brittany nguyen COPY EDITOR maris schwarz DESIGN EDITOR morgan chan PHOTO EDITORS andy abeyta and enrique de-la-cuesta NEWS EDITOR katie murphy FEATURES EDITOR brittany nguyen FASHION EDITOR brenna cleveland SPORTS EDITORS tess langseth & jessica lemieux ADVERTISMENT EDITOR dev devvrat COPY EDITOR maris schwarz STAFF WRITERS ashton babcock, katie burger, raymond corral, teddi faller, emma johnson, shannon malamphy, silvia martinez, joe morauski ADVISER nancy mayer

Photo by Enrique De-La-Cuesta

FEATURES 12 how green is THS? 15 recycle your body

NEWS spring dance 4 Till talks Shakespeare 5 class elections 6 POPLIFE 18 music & movie reviews 19 calendar SPORTS spring sports preview 8 girls basketball 11 EDITORIALS 17 america’s got talent cover photo by andy abeyta

TOC | April 1, 2010 | PAGE 3


Quick News Japan Night brings fun events Free night highlights culture By Kenneth Haskett

From flower arrangements to Kendo fencing, students can experience Japanese culture from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on April 2 in the main gym and commons areas. “I hope that Japan Night will give background on the Japanese culture,” said Japanese teacher Noriko Roberts. This event is held to raise money for an intern from Japan to teach at THS, said Roberts who has taught at Tigard for 20 years. “People from the entire community should attend, not just students,’’ said freshman Aya Bukres,

Reseed the earth and have fun at PDX fair By Chris Turner and Tomi Patterson

Celebrate Earth day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 24. More than 100 booths will be set up at Southeast 12th and Stark in Portland. The event, sponsored by City Repair, will feature musicians and bands from throughout Oregon, as well as various artists and businesses. Mayor Sam Adams is also expected to speak. Public relations manager Eden Davis said “we know people care about the Earth so we’re trying to shed a little more light on the problem.”

PAGE 4 | April 1, 2010 | NEWS

adding that the event is being sponsored by the Japanese Honor Society. Last year’s event raised $957.45 and brought $400.34 to THS. This year the society hopes to raise $500. Activities include a Japanese tea ceremony and a kimono demonstration. While admission is free, there will be Japanese food for sale, and some of the games will also have a small fee. In addition, there will be a raffle for gift certificates for places such as Starbucks and Teriyaki Express.

Last year’s Japan Night included calligraphy demonstrations.

Dance, dance, dance: April 9 By Anna Warren

“Highlight Your Night” with black lights, white shirts and neon when THS kicks off its spring dance at 8 p.m. April 9. “If you don’t go, you won’t have anyone to hang out with because they will all be at ‘Highlight Your Night’,” said junior Tracie Tran about the dance formally known as the Sadie Hawkins Dance.

This event is not formal, but on the other hand, it’s not considered a mixer. Students from all grades are encouraged to wear white to shine under the black lights to help create the neon environment. “‘Highlight Your Night’ is really going to highlight your night. No pun intended,” said junior Sohayla Horani. The neon dance costs $5

per student at the entrance. Students are welcome to bring guests from other high schools, as long as they are signed up on the guest list in the main office at least one day before the dance. Leadership is also considering inviting Tualatin High students to attend as well. “It will be the highlight…of your night,” said senior Hannah Olson.

Presley, The Rolling Stones, and many more to come. “The students have been working extremely hard to pull off this concert; I’m so proud of these hard working students,” said guitar teacher Jerry King.

Students said they were excited to play songs from this era. “I think the concert will be good since it’s back in the 50s and 60s,” said guitar student Jessica Trosin.

Rock out at guitar concert

By Alex Chang Rock out to the 50s and 60s from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. April 18. THS guitarists will play songs by The Beatles, Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Elvis


Shakespeare shake off Junior heads to NY to perform

Photo By Enrique De La Cuesta

By Micah Lundstrom Junior Robert “Robbie” Till will battle against 58 other students this April as he represents Oregon in the national ESU Shakespearean competition in New York. Till will be the only competitor from Oregon and is the third student ever selected from Tigard. Only one Oregon student has ever won, and no Tigard student has yet to make it past finals. Till’s journey began in December when English teacher Matt Wilson asked Till if

he would like to participate in the school’s Shakespearean Festival. This opportunity sparked immediate interest for Till. He needed to produce one monologue of his choice for the competition at Tigard. Soon Till had won the school contest and was off to the state competition. For state, he would once again have to produce a monologue but this time he must perform a Shakespearean sonnet. Wilson helped Till pick out Sonnet 29 to help show off his talents “Robbie did a lot of mental preparation analyzing the text,” said Wilson. Till also got help from theater teacher and actor Todd Hermanson. Hermanson practiced with Till, making sure he knew what he was saying and the character he was portraying. “He was like a sponge, soaking up suggestions,” Hermason said. “I enjoyed working with him.” Till now anxiously awaits nationals, practicing vigorously and studying his piece. In April, Till will represent Oregon at the nationals in New York. “That’s the thing, it’s hard because you don’t know exactly what they’re looking for, so you just got to go out there and give the best performance you can,” said Till.

Teens to ‘survive’ library By Arianna Gittins

Tigard Public Library will be the scene for Teen Survivor Library Edition from 5-7 p.m. on April 22. Teens will participate in a variety of events such as scavenger hunts, food competitions, and, if weather permits, outdoor relay races. They will also form teams to see who will become the ultimate survivor and there will be prizes for the winners.

“We want to make the participants feel like the library is their playground,” said Lisa Elliot, a librarian in the Young Adult area. This event helps celebrate Turn Off Your TV week and is also meant to help teens understand just how the library works -- but in an entertaining way. The night, based on the popular “Survivor” TV show, is part of the Minds At Play series at the library and is a free event.

Who has the best smile? Who’s the biggest flirt? Seniors, it’s time to vote for the best and most categories for the 2010 year-

book. Find a voting form in Room 424 to vote by April 2. Winners of the categories will have their pictures in the yearbook.

Seniors: Who is the best and most?

SONNET 29

By William Shakespeare When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries And look upon myself and curse my fate, Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, Featured like him, like him with friends possess’d, Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope, With what I most enjoy contented least; Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, Haply I think on thee, and then my state, Like to the lark at break of day arising From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate; For thy sweet love remember’d such wealth brings That then I scorn to change my state

with kings.

Choir goes for state spot By Berit Foster

Students from Tigard and the other five Pacific League schools will compete April 15 at the Pacific League Choir Festival to secure a spot in the state choir competition. THS Concert Choir students will compete for a spot in the state competition, said choir instructor Sue Hale. “The competition is great and Tigard has generally been one of the top choirs at the League Festival,” said sophomore CJ Irving. “I’m excited!” This year’s event will be held at Forest Grove High School. NEWS | April 1, 2010 | PAGE 5


A new era of elections Getting into leadership won’t be a popularity contest anymore By Brittany Nguyen Co-Editor-In-Chief

The lights shut off and the video begins to play. On the screen pops up a YouTube-worthy video with student election candidates making students laugh -- and hopefully vote them into leadership. Before this year, Tigard’s elections were like most other high school elections throughout the country. Any candidate with a GPA of at least 3.00 who turned in an application could run. In the election process, the more memorable the candidate’s speech, the more likely he or she would make it into leadership. Kiss that kind of election good-bye. Witty election speeches and clever videos won’t happen this year. This year candidates will be voted in based on qualifications rather than who has the most supportive friends or the funniest speeches. “It will no longer be a popularity contest,” said junior Yadira Trujillo. “Instead, it will be more about people’s skills. It’ll bring better people into leadership.” There will be no speeches. Instead, applicants filled out a form due this past week to be reviewed by the administration, who will choose finalists. Next a panel of teachers will screen the applications. The remaining applicants will be put on a ballot. Students will then vote on these candidates in voting booths during lunches later this month. “With this new process, we will get a broader range of students in leadership,” said Principal Mark Neffendorf. “It will hopefully be a group of kids that want to lead the student body and will be involved in all facets of Tigard High, including policy and curriculum changes, not just the activities aspect of the school.” In addition, students will no longer run for specific jobs, such as publicity and president, but will run for leadership as a whole. “I can’t stand the new system,” said junior Brad Burke. “It takes away what little power students had. Students need to be able to vote for students who will represent us, from start to finish.” What’s worse, Burke said, is that leadership in this school had little power in the first place, and now the elections will be rigged by the administration and by teachers. “Now, we’ll have no power.” Neffendorf said that students will be asked to have more input on a wider range of issues, once leadership is chosen this year, adding that leadership teacher Mindy Yarnell and the leadership students chose this new system. “The only thing I wanted was to be able to have a say in who will be in the class as a whole,’’ Neffendorf said. Sophomore Jack Turzillo said the process itself will not represent the student body well: “School is supposed to be a microcosm of Democracy. This policy takes our rights away. This new process silences more than 2,000 students.” After the elections, freshly elected ASB officers will then decide PAGE 6 | April 1, 2010 | NEWS

Photo By Andy Abeyta

ASB president Taylor Friesen calls the new system democratic. who will get what position. Many current leadership students see the value of this change: “The new system will be tough to implement but it’s the easiest way to do it democratically,” said ASB President Taylor Friesen. Leadership teacher Mindy Yarnell, under pressure from the administration to widen the type of students who sought leadership positions, suggested a change in the election process, said ASB Human Relations officer Anna Lennartz. It’s a new era of elections and perhaps a new era of leadership.


Six ‘speechies’ head to nationals By Erin Matheson Six speech team members will head to nationals after qualifying at the Northern Oregon NFL tournament in March. “Right before awards started, I bet Manning that we would qualify more people this year than we did last year, where we qualified three people in regular events and two in Congress,” said sophomore Anthony Quach. “Although a lot of us had finaled at this NatQuals, she didn’t want to get her hopes up, so she bet that we wouldn’t. I won the bet.” In June, these students will head to Kansas City with coach Amber Manning to compete against the best speakers in the country: senior Narintohn Luangrath, international extemporaneous; sophomore Sean Sakaguchi, cross-examination debate; sophomore Anthony Quach, cross-examination debate; junior Jamy Lee, oratory; freshman Courtney Bither, Lincoln-Douglas Value debate; and sophomore Erin Matheson, dramatic interpretation. “Our hard work paid off,” Lee said. “But nationals is a whole new level. The work isn’t over yet just because we made it.” The debaters hope to continue to dominate at districts and state tournaments in April. Their commitment to do so shows in their weekly after-school practices and meetings, which sometimes last for three hours straight. “I think we’re going to do well this year because last year we had lots of experienced seniors who did well and finaled but this year we have a lot of talented underclassmen who far exceed everyone’s expectations. Plus, we have seniors this year who are just as strong as the ones last year. Overall, we’re going to be very successful,” Manning said. The team’s track record this year backs up Manning’s predic-

Photo by Amber Manning

The speech team poses proudly as they prepare to head to nationals. tions. The team has won several competitions this year and expects to sweep districts. “It’s always great to win and come home with a big, shiny trophy,” said sophomore Nikki Yoke. “But the best part of competing is the team -- friendships and inside jokes and midnight Starbucks runs.”

Tigerettes take third

By Clare Addington The Tigerettes took third place in State at the Memorial Coliseum on March 18.

Photo by Andy Abeyta

This year’s routine was to the theme of ‘Brand New Day’. The dance consisted of a mix of Annie Lennox songs, beginning with a lyrical piece “Brand New Day”, which transformed into a sassy jazz to “Would I Lie To You”, and finishing with a powerful “Little Bird”. After performing the routine Wednesday and Thursday, the team achieved an overall score of 80.0, only .6 behind the second place team, Forest Grove. The score was based on technique, choreography, showmanship, and formations the team executed on the floor. Senior Erica Boudreau won a scholarship at the competition, while she and seniors Adam Harris and Anna Lennartz made the All-State team. Yet state was not the end of the road for

the Tigerettes, who performed and competed in Disneyland last week. The nationals team, composed of 16 dancers, took third place among the best teams in the country at USA Nationals. “We went to compete with no expectations, the last time we went we got 9th. We were ecstatic about our 3rd place finish,” said captain Deanna Patterson. As the Tigerette season came to a close, the team and its coaches couldn’t be more proud of their performance and sense of family. “We really came together as a team this year,” said captain Rebekah Brems. “I couldn’t be more proud.” The teams state performance can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Iu7BTW0fhDs NEWS | April 1, 2010 | PAGE 7


SPRING SPORTS

PREVIEW By Jessica Lemieux and Tess Langseth

Plans for success “I’m expecting similar results to last year’s district results for guys and girls,” said Denise Foote, distance coach. Last season the THS track team went undefeated in dual meets for both boys and girls. They had an undefeated record of 5-0 and earned the title of ‘league champs’. This season looks promising for the team as well. The 120+ athletes are led by a core group of upperclassmen who plan to work hard and win big. “People should expect some really impressive performances by some individuals this season. I think both teams have a great chance to place well at state... top 5 or better,” said Head Coach Erik Smith.

Players to watch Seniors: Jordan Latt, Zac Schlachter, Ian McGetrick, Makenzie Bittinger, Kaleigh Morrison, Ian Walch; and juniors Kelsi Schaer, Mark Medgin, Aaron Kirch, Nick Roche’, Diana Merchant, Katie Humphrey, and Beau Hansen

Key games

April 8th vs Newberg at THS April 29th vs Canby at THS May 4th vs Tualatin at THS By Kristin Taylor

Players to watch Seniors Katie Aden and Chelsea Biglow; juniors Erin Nyberg and Kelsey Kailen and sophomore Jessica Lemieux

Key games

Forest Grove, McMinnville, Westview, Rex Putnam, and Tualatin

By Enrique De La Cuesta

PAGE 8 | April 1, 2010 | SPORTS

Plans for success Even though it has been a full year since the Tigard softball team has had a practice together, they have started the season with a winning attitude. They lost two senior players last year, one being the pitcher and one rotating in at left field, but they have many returning players. “We have a lot of experience coming back,” said Head Coach Gary Edwards. The team looks strong with five All League players returning to the field.


boy’s golf Plans for success The boys golf team this season is composed of 5 boys: Alex King, Aaron Burnick, Mark Jensen, Stuart Noslen, and Matt Merkling. All five of them look to have promising seasons and Coach Stu Bailey has high hopes for the boys this year. “They’re a bunch of goofballs,” said Bailey. “Once we get them all on the same page, we’ll be off to a great start.” This season the boys golf team is at a loss for their key player Alex Kim due to graduation last year, but they have a fairly young team that should swing towards success. “We finished pretty high at state last year, and I’m hoping we do the same this year,” said Bailey. “We have a long way to go, but we can absolutely finish strong.”

tennis

Players to watch Alex King, Aaron Burnick, Mark Jensen

Key games April 28 at the Oregon High School Invitational May 10- 11 at the District tournament

Players to watch Girls: Priya Patel, Anka Wirtz

Boys: Seniors Calvin Horne and Kevin Baese; and freshman Eli Potts

Key games

Boys- May 5 vs Tualatin at THS Girls- April 20 vs Tualatin at THS By Enrique De La Cuesta

baseball

Look for some serious competition between the Wolves and the Tigers!

Plans for success The goal throughout the team this year is to make it to the playoffs. The motivation to achieve this goal is seen through the dedication the team has for the sport; many play year round on the THS turf as they practice hard and play hard in the summer league. “Success depends on our pitching and our offense,” said coach Tom Campbell.

By Kristin Taylor

Plans for success It is Matthew Rubrecht’s first year as THS’ girl’s tennis coach and he’s excited and ready to win. “Being my first year, I am not sure what to expect. I would like to get more than one win this year. I want the team to play their best and if we don’t win, give the other team a really tough match.” The girls not only have a strong returning team this year but have many new freshmen who all look to be huge contributors for the season. “I believe we graduated 10 girls last year, but we still have a pretty strong returning team,” said Rubrecht. With four returning seniors from last year and a team full of young players, coach Jack Cullen believes the boys tennis team has a fighting chance. “We have a lot of young players who are inexperienced in matches. However, once they learn that its not how you begin, its how you finish, they’ll be off to a great start.” said Cullen. This season, the boys will be led by captains Calvin Horne and Kevin Base. Last year the boys placed third overall and with their promising team this year, they hope to do the same, if not better.

Players to watch Seniors Brad Hall, Darian Kramer, Dominic Zandi, and Andrew Stephens

Key games

April 13 vs Tualatin May 12 vs Canby

SPORTS | April 1, 2010 | PAGE 9


lacrosse Plans for success

Players to watch

“My goal is to have players step up and show their skills, and to make sure every player has their best chance to improve,” said girl’s coach Ted Mayhugh. This season gives the team a chance to prove themselves to the competition. “It’s our time to show our competitors that THS is just as strong even without our seniors from last year,” said junior Sohyala Horani. Last season, the boys went to the playoffs and played against Lakeridge, where they lost in the first round. This year, they hope to do better. “Our goal is to make it to state past the first round,” said senior John Sarvay. “We want to place at least in the top three in our league.”

Seniors Mackenzie LeBrun and Rachael Glancy; and junior Sohayla Horani

girl’s golf

Seniors Omar Horani; junior Colin O’Neal; sophomore Dange Wolfe.

Key games

April 9 at 8:00 Southridge April 16 at 8:00 THS April 23 at 8:00 THS

Plans for success Players to watch Juniors Laree Foster, Natasha Malik, Ashlee Triem; sophomores Taylor Farquhar, Hanna Ha

Key games

April 12 at Tualatin Country Club

Last season the girls golf team finished 3rd in all of their league matches. This year, however, the girls hope to turn that three into a one. They’ve already pulled out a win against Tualatin–a huge stepping stone towards the state tournament. “Our goal is to get the whole team to state,” Said Coach Carlson, “The girls-even when the weather is miserablekeep good spirits and keep each other going.” They practice rain or shine at the Tualatin Country Club and though the weather does not look promising this spring, the girls’ game does. With state in mind, the team is headed for a very promising season.

Ultimate Frisbee ready to throw By Sydney Hutton The PUFFY Spring League launches its opening game for the THS Ultimate Frisbee team at noon on April 14 at Cook Park. The team’s biggest rivals this year are Waldorf and Sunset High schools. Players this year are practicing more to accomplish the ultimate goal of winning first in league, said Brad Burke, co-coach. “Being one of the oldest teams in the league we have still failed to bring home the first place title,” Burke said. PUFFY, known as the Portland Ultimate Frisbee Federation for PAGE 10 | April 1, 2010 | SPORTS

Youth, has been playing for eight years and has 14 participating teams. “This is probably the youngest team that we’ve had, but we’re running more offensive and defensive packages than ever before,” Burke said about the new additions to the team. He has recruited almost all new teammates, with the majority of them being freshman and sophomores. “It’s just like any sport, with hard work and determination you can accomplish what has been sought after,” said co-coach Joe Reistetter.


Naylor Nation: a journey to roses Girl’s basketball comes together as they go to state

By Tess Langseth

Despite the loss at the Rose Garden, Naylor is proud Making it to the Rose Garden of the season. was not a simple task for the Tigard “We’ve been first place in High School girls basketball team. the Pacific Conference for the At the end of the season, the girls last three years,” said Naylor. held a 10-game winning streak, but “Our goal was to make it to peaked with an unfortunate loss to the Rose Garden and w acthe Skyhawks of Southridge in the complished that with a lot of quarterfinals at the Rose Garden on hard work.” March 6. The season, though stren“We came out timid,” said junior uous, brought the team new Kelsey Kaelin, “It’s a huge stage, friendships and incredible and I think we all just got nervous bonds. going into the Rose Garden.” “It came down to four The team had relied on strong things,” said Naylor. “Chemdefense all season, something they istry between players, great lacked going into the state game leadership, playing smart, against Southridge. However, even and hard work.” with the loss against the Skyhawks, Naylor stressed the idea Tigard only allowed opponents that the chemistry on the team 35.8 points per game, a new 6A reand between players gave cord. them that push to success and Tigard won their first two playdesire to win. Another part of off games at home against Redthis equation was reflected in mond and the St. Mary’s Blues. the classroom with the girl’s These games sent them on their basketball team ranking numway to state. ber one in the state in overall “We played amazing defense GPA (average of 3.78). against St. Mary’s and Redmond,” “Out of any other team I’ve Freshman Megan Risinger shoots and scores for the team. said senior captain Chelsea Biglow. been on, this one has been Photo by Andy Abeyta “We played smart and made sure the most fun and memorable we didn’t fall into their traps. We just slowed “He told us to give it our all and leave every- by far,” said sophomore Maddie Black who the ball down and pulled out the victory!” thing we’ve got on the court.” made 1st team all league this season. “We all With those games behind them, the TiThe girls came out of the locker room grew really close and the chemistry that regard athletes turned towards the Rose Gar- fired up and ready to win. Kaelin, who made sulted was definitely a factor in our success. den where they faced the 6A state champs– first team all league and player of the year in It was an amazing season!” Southridge Skyhawks. The Skyhawks took off the Pacific Conference this season, was held Throughout the 2009-2010 basketball with an 11-0 lead, and the Tigers struggled to two points out of the first half, but came season, the girls’ bonds became closer and to catch up. They were down 11-4 before the back in the second half with eight points. much deeper. From tournaments at Disney first quarter ended. Though Southridge stuck all 12 of their World to team sleepovers in the Tigard High “It just wasn’t working in the first half,” free-throw shots in the fourth quarter, Ti- School gym, the girls grew stronger everysaid Biglow, “but we definitely picked it up gard forced them into 20 turnovers. Despite day. in the second half.” the rough start, Tigard held Southridge to “Our chemistry was definitely the numAt halftime coach Steve Naylor gave the only 44 points while scoring 32. Naylor and ber one thing that got us so far,” said Biglow. girls some words of encouragement and got the girls continued to throw words of en- “We were hard on each other on the court, them ready for the second half. couragement around until the last buzzer but off the court we were best friends.” “He really pumped us up,” said Kaelin, sounded. SPORTS | April 1, 2010 | PAGE 11


How does THS compare? THS colors: black, white and not-so-green.

By Katie Murphy, Brittany Nguyen and Shannon Malamphy

We compared THS to da Vinci Arts School and found that through a little more effort, we could be saving the environment - and money. Tigard High School could save hundreds of dollars a month, if it just took recycling seriously. In a Hi-Spots survey of 20 classroom trash cans, one-third of all trash was actually recyclable. Currently, THS spends around $2,500 on trash disposal per month. It pays much less for the Pride Disposal Company to haul away recyclables. Considering that about one third of trash is actually recyclable, that’s a huge monthly savings if THS became more green. Some classrooms sport small recycling containers, but walk the halls, and you will see there are no recycling centers. In the cafeteria and commons, food waste is not recycled as it is at OHSU, University of Oregon and many other municipalities. Recyclables are picked up not by the regular custodial staff but by a special education class, which could not handle the sheer volume of recycling material if the school took the problem more seriously. “Teachers hand out paper we don’t end up needing, and a lot of it just ends up being thrown away,” said junior Kaitlynn Davis. Ironically, on the district’s website, there is a site that boasts how much electricity is PAGE 12 | April 1, 2010 | FEATURES

saved by “green” initiatives. Look closer, and those simply mean that teachers are beginning to turn off lights and shut off machines. Yet not all schools are as brown as THS. Nestled into the corner of Northwest Portland lies da Vinci Arts Middle School, a public school focused on the arts. When walking through the doors, every locker is covered in neon paint, with a piano in the hall complete with guitar playing middle schoolers that are fierce about recycling. “Instead of Styrofoam trays at lunch we use plastic,” said Claire Manning, a member of the green team at da Vinci. Donated silverware keeps the school from throwing out plastic utensils after every meal, also. The halls are lined with recycling bins where not one piece of trash can be found. But da Vinci goes beyond recycling to be even more environmentally friendly than a golden retriever. At the back of the rustic brick building lies an abandoned tennis court turned into a haven. Complete with a pond, theatre, wetland, gazebo, living machine and solar panels, the garden is the epitome of green. “Everything you see here was built and

put into place by the hands of kids,” said Dan Evans, retired science teacher and creator of the water garden. Water flows off the roofs of three portables and the parking lot into the garden. The solar panels help power the garden, such as the living machine, a digester of liquid waste. “It becomes an area we can really use,” said Evans. He originally got the idea ten years ago when pondering a use for all of the rain. “When I first told them I wanted to do this they thought I was nuts,” said Evans. But his greatest accomplishment was the Evans Harvard Music Center. Next to the water garden sits the music room, which uses no net energy. Completely computerized, the room contains a shade that diffuses sunlight and reflects it around the room so no electric lights are ever needed during the day. Whirling air vents on the roof keep the room cool, but the thick walls keep it warm. The money to fund the $800,000 room came from grants, the district and an unrelated lawsuit. It is a prototype for future buildings in the district.


Da Vinci is not just a special case. In the Portland school district, recycling is not only a requirement, but a social expectation. “All of our schools have a strong recycling program,” said Nancy Bond, a research conservation specialist for the district. Part of the reason for this is savings. PPS pays $36.85 per bin of waste removed and a mere $7.06 for each bin of recycling. Each school is required to have a recycling program and work with a group of coordinators and janitors to ensure it is implemented. When presented with the question of obstacles of starting a recycling program, Bond never mentioned a lack of money. “All the efforts I do are without a budget. Everything is done by being creative and resourceful,” said Bond. Instead, Bond cited a lack of attention of students and teachers, and people simply recycling incorrectly as major problems in starting a recycling program. To combat this, PPS starts young. “It starts with working with really young kids first,” said Bond. She believes that bringing the message of recycling forward in a new and exciting way will get people interested. Once good recycling practices are implemented

at the elementary school level, being green becomes the norm and second nature. PPS uses educational efforts such as assemblies and presentations, and even have a “green magician” visiting schools soon. This interest and motivation is not shared by THS, however. Though the halls are lined with trashcans, trash never seems to find its way into them, leaving janitors with a bigger job than necessary. In the commons, students are seen attempting to throw their trash into the bins – and missing. With a dismissive wave, they leave the trash on the ground. “Think of the hundreds of bottles, cardboard and paper goods that get thrown away at lunch. It’s just disgusting,” said sophomore Rachel Bedolla. When the trash does make it into the trashcan, however, it shares the bin with products that could have otherwise been recycled. The newspaper staff took a closer look into just how much trash at THS can be recycled. With the guidance of Oregon Green Schools, we determined an estimated percentage of recyclable trash. The newspaper staff took trash out of 12 different rooms throughout the school. With gloves and a strong gag reflex, we were

able to sort through the trash to determine the amount of recyclable products. After weighing the total amount of trash as well as the sorted paper recycling and glass/aluminum/plastic recycling, it was found that a total of 34 percent of the trash weighed was recyclable. 26.9 percent came from the paper recycling while 7.08 percent came from the rest. Though it seems like a lot, it is actually very close to the average school waste, which is at 32 percent (determined by a 1993 EPA Education Waste characterization Study). This does not mean that we shouldn’t make more of an effort, however. Many products that were found in the trash could have easily been recycled, especially paper. It could also mean saving money for the school, especially since the waste bill averages around $2,500 a month. Being a green school doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Every student can make an effort to help maintain a clean learning environment, whether it be as simple as throwing their trash away, or picking up trash in the hallways. Remember, our school colors are black, white, and green. Not black, white, and brown. FEATURES | April 1, 2010 | PAGE 13


Carpoolers unite: Saving the world is hard -- carpooling is easy By Emma Johnson

Tigard High students and staff have a new way to get to and from school: carpooling. Forget the noisy bus, rainy walks, or expensive gas-- THS is saving the planet and saving money, now that Carpool Match Northwest has added Tigard High as a drop-in location. Matt Wilson and Murray Carlisle are two THS teachers that began carpooling daily even without the online help. Carlisle said that he carpools “to conserve natural resources.” “It’s silly to have a whole bunch of cars on the road with one person in each car,” said Wilson. For those who don’t have a shared ride already, it’s easy to find someone by going to Carpool Northwest’s site at www.carpoolmatchnw.org where about 150 people register each month to carpool.

Carpool Northwest

www.carpoolmatchnw.org The car-matching service doesn’t specify age differences, so a minor could be matched with an adult. In the case of Tigard High, students could match with peers that they don’t know, teachers or staff members, or other people who signed up to go to Tigard High who can’t be trusted. THS resident Police Officer Andy Pastroe recommends these safety tips. -Have your parents meet other student’s parents. -Have them meet the adult that could be taking you. -Get the address and contact information. -Ask why they’re going to THS. -If they’re an adult find out what part of the staff they’re on. -Try to go with someone that you know. PAGE 14 | April 1, 2010 | FEATURES

Photo by Andy Abeyta

Juniors Austin Dean (passanger seat), John Moeller (back seat), and Kareem Rassian (driver’s seat) are saving the world one ride at a time

How it works The program pairs commuters who live near each other and are going near the same place. People can choose to drive all the time, part time, or just get a ride. There are also preferences to choose from, such as a car with a smoker or non-smoker. While THS is a commuter site, the program is most commonly used in companies and schools. At Intel, for example, 286 employees use the program as means to get to work, said communications manager Bill MacKenzie, calling Carpool Northwest “a very useful tool.”

Why some don’t share

Although carpooling has many great qualities, some drivers are reluctant to start sharing rides. Carpool Northwest’s Mary Ann Aschentrenner’s opinion is that we “preserve cars as an extension of our own living space.” She thinks people need to realize that their car is a car, and it’s OK to let someone sit in it and accept a ride. Principal Mark Neffendorf believes that adding Tigard High to the website’s dropin locations could be a good way to create a

sense of community for the staff. Neffendorf said he believed that if it’s publicized correctly, it could run smoothly and be useful. “We don’t have enough parking,” added Neffendorf. This program would not only help economically and environmentally, but it would also make it easier to get in and out of the student parking lot. While this is a good tool for students to find other students and staff to find other staff, associate Principal Mickey Toft cautions against students and teachers carpooling together. “I don’t believe it is good practice for adults to provide students transportation,” Toft said.

Be cautious

It’s fine for teachers to ride with a group of students during a field trip when it makes sense to take one vehicle, but “teachers should never give a ride to a single student, especially one of the opposite sex.” With that caveat, Toft said that carpooling would be a great way for Tigard staff and students to reduce their carbon footprint. “Given the right circumstances and guidelines, carpooling could be a very efficient way to travel,” said Toft.


Recycle your body Tissue Corneas, the middle ear, skin, heart valves, bone, veins, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments can be stored in tissue banks and used to restore sight, cover burns, repair hearts, replace veins, and mend damaged connective tissue and cartilage in recipients.

Peripheral blood stem cells The same types of stem cells found in marrow can be pushed out into a donor’s bloodstream after the donor receives daily injections of a medication called filgrastim. This medication increases the number of stem cells circulating in the blood and provides a source of donor stem cells that can be collected in a way that is similar to blood donation.

Blood and Platelets Blood and platelets are formed by the body, go through a life cycle, and are continuously replaced throughout life. This means that you can donate blood and platelets more than once. It is safe to donate blood every 56 days and platelets twice in one week up to 24 times a year. Blood is stored in a blood bank according to type (A, B, AB, or O) and Rh factor (positive or negative). Blood can be used whole, or separated into packed red cells, plasma, and platelets, all of which have different lifesaving uses. Platelets are tiny cell fragments that circulate throughout the blood and aid in blood clotting. Platelets can be donated without donating blood. When a specific patient needs platelets, but does not need blood, a matching donor is found and platelets are separated from the rest of the blood which is returned to the donor. The donor’s body will replace the missing platelets within a few hours.

What to do with those shareable body parts Organs

The organs that can be transplanted are kidneys, heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, and the intestines. Organs cannot be stored and must be used within hours of removing them from the donor’s body. Most donated organs are from people who have died, but a living individual can donate a kidney, part of the pancreas, lung, liver and intestine.

Cord blood stem cells The umbilical cord that connects a newborn to the mother during pregnancy contains blood and this blood has been shown to contain high levels of blood stem cells. Cord blood can be collected and stored in large freezers for a long period of time, and therefore offers another source of stem cells available for transplanting into patients.

Marrow This soft tissue is found in the interior cavities of bones and is a major site of blood cell production and is removed to obtain stem cells.

Interested? Go to http://organdonor. gov/ where this information originated. FEATURES | April 1, 2010 | PAGE 15


So fresh, so green The Tiger Cage presents an event to promote health and environmental awareness By Raymond Corral Staff Writer

The Tiger Cage will celebrate Earth Day this year with a ‘So Fresh So Green’ promotional campaign, one of the Tiger Cage’s prominent celebrations this year. “The Tiger Cage, working together with DECA, wants to promote social responsibility with ‘So Fresh So Green,” said Tiger Cage adviser Kelly McGetrick. They are promoting ‘So Fresh So Green’ by purchasing recycling bins for plastic bottles and containers. There will also be a concert held at Deb Fennell Auditorium at 7 p.m. May 22, promoting ‘So Fresh So Green’. Christian Burghardt, a 2006 THS graduate, will perform with his band, which includes lead guitarist and 2006 THS graduate Sam Larso. DECA and the Tiger Cage will also join to promote this concert.

Sophomores Steven Kerr and Adam Holman socialize while buying products from the Tiger Cage. “I was appointed as president, but in general we are all working together to make Tigard a greener and better place,” said senior Travis Tipton, president of DECA Club. The Tiger Cage will promote healthy foods and drinks such as 100 percent fruit juice slushies and 100 percent fruit fruit-leathers. They also hope to sell organic, local produce such as apples, bananas and other fruits and vegetables. There will also be Jamba Juice promotions on Wednesdays. They will continue to sell products they’ve been selling the whole year, such as Powerade, SmartWater, Vitamin Water 10 and whole grain, lowfat cookies. All six Tiger Cage managers worked together to plan product selections. “I take care of the profit we make, promotional ideas and check what we’ve sold and what we have left over. I also make sweet

cookies as well,” said senior Dev Devvrat, a Tiger Cage manager. Not only will the Tiger Cage be promoting nutritious foods, but they will also be promoting products that affect the environment in a positive way. They will have recycling bins for plastic bottles in hopes that students will recycle. Paper cups are being used instead of plastic, an eco-responsible decision made by the managers in March. The Tiger Cage is remodeling from paper usage that is constantly being thrown away to a chalkboard menu. “DECA Club and the Tiger Cage is helping the school become greener and more ecofriendly,” Tipton said. ‘So Fresh So Green’ was a promotional idea brainstormed by marketing students last spring and will finally be in place in 2010.

T-shirts will be sold on April 22 to represent ‘So Fresh So Green’ PAGE 16 | April 1, 2010 | FEATURES

POLL

Will students actually participate in recycling during Earth week?

16%

NO

84%

YES


America’s Got Talent: The Auditions By an anonymous Editorialist

Mmm, Whatcha Say? Auditions? When I watch America’s Got Talent, I do it to point out that so-and-so was flat on her final note, or comment on David Hasselhoff’s resemblance to a poised tarantula. I never thought I’d be a part of the actual audition process. But sometime in early February, my father mentioned that the producers were coming to Portland for preliminary auditions. Immediately I imagined myself receiving a bouquet of roses and a huge check for $1 million and getting confetti stuck in my hair, blowing kisses to the audience and hugging the runner-up. Then I imagined myself as Bianca Ryan, almost forgotten two years later. I registered online as a singer and printed out the four-page contract, threepage guardianship release form and five-page application. This is an opportunity I will not let go, despite the ridiculously long registration process.

Hey, Soul Sister, Accompany Me?

I asked my mom to come with me to the auditions to accompany me on piano. She agreed, grudgingly. But after a few weeks of practicing, she realized how awesome this opportunity was. We decided to perform the song “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. She played piano, I sang the lead and she sang the harmony. On the morning of the audition, I woke up at 5 a.m. and meticulously got everything together, making sure we remembered everything. The line in front of the Convention Center stretched almost the length of the entire building. The very first person in line showed up at 8 the night before and camped out, we found out later.

Bad Romance, Bad Start

My mother turned to me and asked if I had brought my ID. Quickly, all the color drained from my face and my mouth formed the word “no.” Five minutes later, we were in the car, racing home, my mother lecturing me on the importance of getting ready the night before. After retrieving the elusive ID, we returned to the line. There were about 200 new people. We waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, we received numbers and wristbands.

You Would Not Believe Your Eyes

We were then ushered to the opposite side of the building to get some crowd shots. This took about a half an hour and was extremely

boring. They made us say “Northwest is best” about seven times, and “Portland’s Got Talent” another five times, as well as some “silent cheering” and sweeping shots. Some of the more interesting people, such as the break-dancers and unicyclists, were featured yelling various catch phrases into the large, intimidating jib camera. When we returned to our places in line, we got to know a few of the people surrounding us. There was Sybil, the woman who resembled Aretha Franklin and sang just as well; Spencer, the break-dancer on skates; Katie, the overly friendly dancer from Seattle; a talented band of teenage girls who kept playing “Vertigo” by U2; and Sam, the singer from San Francisco who was on his second audition for the show.

Replay, More Lines

Finally we got to go inside. We turned in our paperwork and did some more waiting. At this point it was about 10:30 a.m. The process was going much faster than I had anticipated, but there was still more waiting to do. We were arranged in the holding room by type of act. In our sitting area, we had a small jam session when a young boy began to play “I’m Yours” on guitar and the rest of us sang. Another kid began to back us up with drums and there was even a little bit of alto saxophone.

Tik Tok, Record Deal

Finally, they called us in. The moment I walked into the audition room, I felt my personality slowly seep out, and I became an expressionless blob, stammering the name of our act. There was a panel of judges, not David Hasselhoff or Sharon Osbourne, but still intimidating, and a cameraman. We performed, and they stared. There were no big mistakes, although my mom sang “and from her lips she drew a hallelujah” instead of “and from her lips she drew the hallelujah.” When we were done, we were told we would know if we progress to the next round in the next couple of weeks.

Today Was A Fairytale

We left at noon and got lunch at the Laughing Planet, excitedly going through the details of our day over Thai curry burritos and plantains. I still haven’t heard whether I’ll be back for David Hasselhoff, but the best part of the day was that I never even needed my ID.

EDITORIALS | April 1, 2010 | PAGE 17


Poplife

Music and movies to check out this spring

Are you “Too Fast for Love”? By Teddi Faller 3Oh!3 and Cobra Starship are coming to Portland’s Roseland Theater to perform at 7 p.m. on May 25. The two bands are touring together on their “Too Fast for Love” tour across America. The show is for all ages and the doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $27 at the door, but buy in advance and you can save some cash. The concert is going to be a high-energy extravaganza of 3Oh!3 and Cobra Starship’s best music. For an added bonus, Travie McCoy of the Gym Class Heroes and I Fight Dragons will make a guest appearance at the show. This concert is a must-see event packed with budding artists and high-energy music.

Clash of the Titans

Becca: “Alive!”

By Katie Burger

By Teddi Faller

Clash of the Titans looks to be the next CGI-filled action movie of the season, full of man-eating monsters, brave warriors, and lots of Greek mythology. Based on a famous Greek myth, Clash of the Titans follows the adventures of Perseus, the son of a mortal woman and the god Zeus. Perseus must fight the forces of Hades, the god of the Underworld, to keep him from taking control of the Earth and the heavens. Sam Worthington, the lead actor from Avatar, plays Perseus, and Ralph Fiennes plays Hades. Clash of the Titans is a remake of a 1981 movie of the same name, and will be released on April 2 in both 2D and 3D.

Becca Hollcraft has all the components of a great album, from fun tracks such as “I’m Alive” and “Turn Up the Stereo”, to a softer side with “Lose You Now” and “Falling Down”, and even to the scandalous lyrics of “Guilty Pleasure”. Her lyrics and punky attitude gives this album the energy needed to make it big. The music sounds like a mix of Top 40 hits with an added edge. Out of five stars, a solid four.

PAGE 18 | April 1, 2010 | POPLIFE


Wednesday Thursday Friday

1

Good Friday

April Fools’ Day

6

5 12 19 Guitar Concert

26

7

Acaemic Awards

Powdertuff

13

14

20

21

PAC6 Band Festival

Girls’ Tennis vs Tualatin

27

8

THS Track vs Newburg

PAC6 Choir Festival

22

Tuesday

24

11

16

17

18

23

24

25

Wednesday Thursday Friday

Saturday

1

4

5

6

7

11

12

13

14

Prom Voting Prom Voting THS Track vs Boys’ Golf vs Mr. and Mrs. Fierce Tualatin Tualatin

Golf Golf District District Tournament Tournament

Senior Art Show

The Last Song April 2 Buy tickets in advance at www. fandango.com Owl City and Muse April 3 Rose Garden Date Movie April 7 Cirque du Soleil: Kooza April 9 Under the Grand Chapteau

30

THS Track vs Canby

17

Easter

4

Leadership Retreat

29

10

3

Sunday

10

No School

Earth Day Teen Survivor Library Edition

3

9

Highlight your Night

15

Monday

May 2010

Iron Man 2 May 7 Nickelback May 8 Memorial Coliseum Taylor Swift May 16 Rose Garden The Eagles May 17 Rose Garden Shrek Forever After May 21 Cobra Starfish and 3Oh!3 May 25 Roseland Theater

28

Japan Night

2

Saturday

April 2010

Tuesday

Monday

18 Senior Art Show

25

19 Senior ArtShow

26

20 Senior Art Show

27

21 Senior Art Show

28

8 15

Prom

Night of the Tigers

Sunday

2 9

Mothers’ Day

16

22

23

29

30

So Fresh, So Green

POPLIFE | April 1, 2010 | PAGE 19


How to make it: eco-friendly wallets

Junior Viktoria Hatchadourian creates funky wallets out of old juice cartons and is here to teach you By Maris Schwarz Junior Viktoria Hatchadourian is re-inventing how to recycle, and it doesn’t involve big red bins or a trip to the grocery store: You just need an empty juice carton and a butter knife. It all started with a routine bus ride when Hatchadourian noticed a girl with a unique accessory. It was a folded-up juice carton that she made into a versatile and edgy wallet. “When I saw the girl on the bus, I thought

Do it yourself:

When done cutting, your carton should look like this.

When done folding, sides should look like this. To make the folding easier, use a butter knife.

it was really cool, so I went home and found the pattern on the internet,” said Hatchadourian. “I just typed in ‘juice carton wallet.’” Hatchadourian has been making the wallets for two months, and even though she has had many requests to make them, she’s only made around five. “I don’t drink that much juice,” Hatchaudorian explained. “They’re easy to make

though, and pretty durable. I’ve had mine for two months, and it’s still holding up,” she said. Holding up to 10 bankcards and numerous bills, the wallets are not only cute, they’re practical as well. These wallets are ‘green’, edgy and bright, but the best part is — they’re free and anyone can make them.

Gather supplies: empty juice carton, scissors, pattern from www.familyfun.com, butter knife for folding.

Place pattern in flat juice carton. To make carton flat, cut out the sides.

When cutting, make sure the juice carton spout is placed where the pattern says it should be.

Make a large hole on the opposite side of the spout, large enough to go around the spout.

Fold the sides/flaps inwards

Fix any asymmetries between the sides. On the flaps, fold accordion style.

Fold the side with the man made hole over and put the spout through it. Use the screw-top as a button.

PAGE 20 | April 1, 2010 | FASHION

For the pattern and further directions, go to www. familyfun.com


Green Fashion By Brenna Cleveland

American Apparel

• The store now has a focus on preserving the environment and promoting positive ecological practices. American Apparel doesn’t sell any clothing manufactured in sweat shops. • The store is cutting down the use of conventional cotton. Twenty-five percent of the world’s pesticide use occurs during the cotton cultivation process. It harms not only the environment but it is also the cause of many deaths. • Latest innovation: the sustainable cotton line, made with transitional organic combed cotton. This will be their first, and most crucial, step towards being environmentally friendly. It will now offer three of American Apparel’s most popular t-shirt styles: Girly Basic T-shirt, Girly Fine Jersey T-shirt, and Standard American Fine Jersey T-shirt. They will be available in the natural color of this environmentally friendly fabric. • Offers the same high fashion, just a difference in material. • Has a variety of different types of comfy and bold apparel.

**You can purchase clothing online at: http://www.americanapparel.com/ or at any nearby store location. Source: http://www.ewire.com/display.cfm/Wire_ID/1668

Threads 4 Thought

• Each collection is inspired by three major causes: the environment, Africa and world conflict. Also, Threads 4 Thought supports three charities: International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and ENOUGH. • All Threads 4 Thought clothing is made primarily in the United States, using certified organic cotton. • Each clothing item uses low impact dyes. • They offer high fashion without sacrificing comfort. • Many of their t-shirts not only help the environment but make a statement about it through catchy slogans. • Their clothing is worn by celebrities like Paris Hilton, George Clooney, Colin Farrell, Jamie Fox, Ludacris, Gavin Rosedale, Gwen Stefani, Lindsay Lohan, the cast of American Idol, and much more.

** You can shop at this store online at http://threadsforthought. com/ Source: http://www.agentredintl.com/threads4thought/

TOMS Shoes

• TOMS Shoes was founded on the simple promise that with every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One. • It was founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie. • They have delivered over 400,000 shoes to children in need. • It is a vegan company. • Their shoes are made with a mix of organic canvas material and post-consumer recycled plastics that makes for long lasting shoes. • Cute, comfy, everyday-wear type of shoes. There are many different styles and patterns to choose from.

**You can purchase them at http://www.tomsshoes.com/productslist.aspx?CategoryID=8 Source: http://www.tomsshoes.com/content.asp?tid=227

FASHION | April 1, 2010 | PAGE 21


facebook Top THS Facebook statuses by Dev Devvrat Ad Editor

Omar Horani F to the r to e, e to the c to the r to d i t. Freecreditreport.com Julie Lewellyn I karate chopped a banana in line at the bank because I’m AWESOME! Austin Dean So at Templeton today, this kid comes into the office, tears streaming down his face and he screams “I GOT THE SICKNESS!!!”, drops to his knees and continues to cough loudly. Then goes into the nurses office, falls down and screams the same thing then hangs his head over the trash. The other little girl in the office scoots away with a frightened look on her face. I know this shouldn’t be funny but it made my day. Katie Aden is experiencing life at a rate of several WTH’s a minute…

Chelsea Rodgers two things: 1. I have a secret card, its a powerful card....possibly a trump card 2. I want juice. Jack Ohman joined the group Maybe It Would Be Highly Amusing To Have Sarah Palin as President So That We Knew The Apocalypse Was Here and We Could Get a Headstart on The Whole Thing. Victor Gavojdea Dude, if I were a cat, and all my life humans had been talking this weird language and then all of a sudden one of them MEOWS at me, I would be like ... That stuff would throw me off guard. Makenzie Bittinger mmmm its like an angel gave birth in my mouth!

Derek Harris wow you know you’re bored when you google boredom ...

Amy Phou has two options in order to make it to finals for 100 fly, 1) find girl ranked #16, kidnap her & break her legs, or 2) swim my mighty hardest and have swimmers eat my bubbles! ...I’m feelin’ option #1... Lauren Saddler History IA, if you were a person, I would shun you. Shun I say!

PAGE 22 | April 1, 2010 | POPLIFE


Taz becomes principal Neffendorf quits for a ‘senior moment’ in sports By Morgan Chan

Principal Mark Neffendorf abruptly quit April 1, saying he wanted to join a senior-league basketball team in Miami, Florida, leaving students with their fifth principal in four years. “I’m destined to be the best old athlete in the world,’’ Neffendorf said. “I’m sorry I’m leaving, but, hey, you’ve got a great replacement.” Superintendent Rob Saxton announced he would replace Neffendorf immediately with Taz, whose metallic personality will whip the staff into shape. When asked if the staff would have input on this decision, Saxton replied, “Give Taz a chance. You’ll admire his firm grip.” Robotics adviser Steve Fulton gushed when he heard the news. “Our robotics team, while new to the state, has been able to create the first robotic principal. We have programmed U.S. Navy commands into him, so he should lead with confidence as I did when I served this great country for 25 years as a Navy commander.” When Taz was asked to elaborate on his goals, he turned silently and kicked a soccer ball down the hall toward Four Corners. “He’s cool,” said yearbook editor Silvia

Martinez. “And I bet he won’t worry about enforcing the dress code.”

APRIL FOOLS! Neffendorf loves THS and plans to stay. Sorry Taz.

No 1: The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest -1957 The respected BBC news show Panorama announced that thanks to a very mild winter and the virtual elimination of the dreaded spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. It showed footage of Swiss peasants pulling strands of spaghetti down from trees. Many viewers called the BBC wanting to know how they could grow their own spaghetti tree. To this the BBC diplomati-

cally replied, “place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best.” (Look on YouTube: The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest) No. 3: Instant Color TV -- 1962 In 1962 there was only one TV channel in Sweden, and it broadcast in black and white. The station’s technical expert, Kjell Stensson, appeared on the news to announce that, thanks to a new technology, viewers could convert their existing sets to display color reception.

All they had to do was pull a nylon stocking over their TV screen. Stensson demonstrated the process. Thousands of people were taken in. Regular color broadcasts only commenced in Sweden on April 1, 1970. No. 10 The Taco Liberty Bell -- 1996 The Taco Bell Corporation announced it had bought the Liberty Bell and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. Hundreds of outraged . . . . (Go to http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/ hoax/aprilfool/) to finish. April Fools!

Senior Alan Sherman works with the new principal, Taz.

Here are a few historical April Fools hoaxes

APRIL FOOLS | April 1, 2010 | PAGE 23

APRIL FOOLS! There’s no hidden paw in this issue.


Lo

Spots An independent student newspaper

April 1, 2010 Vol. 84 Edition 4

Say it ain’t so!

Teachers gettin’ friendly By Brittany Nguyen Teachers have taken the administrative directive to “be more friendly” too seriously, said many surprised students. “I walked down freshmen hall yesterday and saw this clog of students hugging each other in a circle,’’ said freshman Sofia Alvarez-Castro. “I tried to push my way through, but it was impossible. Mr. Bailey was singing “Kumbaya” with the kids, and they were swaying in a huge huddle. What’s up with

that? ’’ What’s up is a push by the administration to get teachers to relate to their students better. Instructors have been asked to smile when they walk the halls and to create a more supportive ‘community’ school atmosphere. Graphics teacher Chuck Laiti took the directive to the floor. “My aching back!” Laiti said as he got off the floor, fresh from a break-dancing bout

between classes. When asked if he needed a doctor, he smiled. “It’s all good,’’ Laiti said. “I’m down with the dawgs. It’s DOPE.’’ Other teachers said they were not happy with this new directive. “I wasn’t paid to be friendly or nice,’’ said a veteran teacher who asked to remain notorious. “I don’t like kids, and they don’t like me. Why is the administration trying to rock a perfectly balanced boat?”


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