Seniors celebrate accomplishments and recall their most memorable moments from high school
SENIOR ACHIEVEMENTS
04-05
CTE Completers: Stories from seniors and their three or more CTE credits
Seal of Biliteracy: Requirements and highlights for certified biliterate students
Award Winners: Memories from department award receivers and upcoming valedictorians
All of AVID: Timeline of key moments from long-time AVID participants
LEAVING A LEGACY 06-07
Kendyl Arnett: How volleyball contributes to identity
Hailey Blaine: The track and field runner’s memories of support
Henry Catlin: The journey to high school soccer
Jonathan Fiscal: The athlete’s new and successful seasons with track and field
Bella Kinghorn: A rollercoaster of hope through high school golf
Kyle Milburn: The swimmer’s long history in the pool
REMEMBER THE BULLDOGS 08-09
Post COVID: The lasting effects of COVID-19 on the class of 2024
Senior Highlights: Timeline of key memorable moments for 2024’s senior class
Emotional Experiences: What this year’s seniors missed out on, and what was extra special
HOLDING ON 10-11
TO ME, FROM ME 12-13
Letters from seniors to their past and future selves
SENIOR COLUMNS 14-15
Final words about high school from the publication’s graduating seniors
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14 11
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Looking back on favorite souvenirs from childhood and high school 12
Front Cover: Avneet Dhaliwal
Back Cover: Mina Clower and Helen Whiteside
EDITORS’ NOTE
As the school year of 2024 ends, seniors have the opportunity to look back on everything they have completed. From the start of coming back in person after COVID with masks and a pep band, bulldog, and group of cheerleaders welcoming students into the school; on to sophmore year as the juniors and seniors congrigated in the center during a pep assembly, jumping the rail and making their way to the floor, air guitar (we won’t talk about that) and Mr. White in the polar bear costume.
CELEBRATING THE SUCCESS OF EVERYONE
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grow students into who they will become.
Since it is time to leave the nest, we want to remind all the graduates of the good memories and accomplishments they made through the pages of The Whirlwind. We want to celebrate the graduates for making it so far and preparing for the unknown. The academic awards, sports trophies, special senior experiences as a way to a glimpse of which can be seen in our magazine to try and remind those moving on to be proud of what they have done.
Behind the scenes of each the graduating student comes dedication, hard work, and perseverance. Academic achievers in each of their fields who went above and beyond in class and gain recognition on pages 4-5. Six athletes who rose to the top of their game participating in state games/meets, breaking school and state records are profiled on pages 6-7. Senior events such as senior sunrise, prom, and air guitar are explained and personal experiences are shared on pages 8-9. Pages 10-13 feature seniors and the objects that are sentimental to the graduating class as well as letters to their future selves of advice and dreams. Finally, the seniors who are apart of the Whirlwind staff wrote personal columns on things they have learned throughout their high school experience on pages 14-15.
Though the whole student body isn’t individually featured, we want to represent how the student body as a whole can be shown through their work, athletic ability, and the traditions they carried after the pandemic.
Editors-in-Chief
Avneet Dhaliwal
Helen Whiteside
Managing Editors
Mina Clower
Ariana Goettl
Mina Clower, Avneet Dhaliwal, Emi Ludlow, Helen Whiteside
The Whirlwind Editors in Chief
Taylour Veith
Jesus Cisneros-Obledo
Edson S. Conn
Arts & Entertainment
Adilynn Atchley
Reader Engagement Director
Braxton Bullard
Copy Editor
Kayla Stefan
Staff
Arabella Autry
Mollie Brown
Charley Harrington
Gigi Roldan
Yesenia Rosas
A’Shyia Swensen
Ayrianna Vanhoorebeke
Bri White
Mika Winder
Ming Wong
Chance Young
Adviser
Michelle Balmeo
CONTACT US
Corrections and Letters to the Editors
Please send corrections or comments on this issue to: wahswhirlwind@gmail.com
THE WHIRLWIND is a dedicated student forum. Content and editorial decisions are made by student staff members exercising their rights as protected by the First Amendment and the Oregon Student Free Expression Law (Ore. Rev. Stat. sec. 336.477 (2007)). Opinions are those of The Whirlwind staff and not West Albany High School or the Greater Albany Public School District.
Academic Achievements
THE GRADUATING CLASS OF 2024’S ACHIVEMENTS THROUGHTOUT THE ACADEMIC FIELD
CTE Completer’s favorite memories
“I OPENED [A BOTTLE OF GLITTER] UP AND I [WAS POURING] SOME IN MY HAND, BUT THE WHOLE CAP CAME OFF AND I DUMPED THE ENTIRE BOTTLE INTO MY HAND. THE FAN WAS ON AND IT TURNED INTO A GLITTER TORNADO.”
“THE CHRISTMAS PARTY WAS REALLY FUN. I THINK WE ALL MADE STUFF AND PEOPLE BROUGHT STUFF AND IT WAS REALLY GOOD. IT WAS JUST FUN TO HANG OUT WITH EVERYONE AND HAVE GOOD FOOD.”
What is the Seal of Biliteracy?
High schools often require two years of a foreign language for kids to get a jumpstart on their college education where most four year universities ask for two years of a foreign language to prepare students for the global marketplace and new, unfamiliar interactions within the workplace.
The Seal of Biliteracy began as a grassroots program by well established organizations: Californians Together and Velázquez Press in 2008. This program garnered enough recognition via academic programs that California enacted it into state law in 2011. Other states across the nation soon followed suit, with Oregon passing it’s own legislation in 2016. Currently, all 50 states and Washington D.C have implemented the program. The seal is composed of four sections: listening, reading, speaking, and writin comprehension/proficiency. Many people who do decide to take the test are often already bilingual due to a second language being spoken in the home.
Senior David Cisneros Obledo passed the test through preparation and getting familiar with writing and reading Spanish. “I read a book in Spanish” Cisneros Obledo said. “I tried to read a chapter before bed.”
Senior Al Robles felt confident about passing the test, stating, “[Spanish] was my first language…My parents are both from Mexico.” Her family gave her an early advantage in the language.
Katherine Croco was first introduced to AVID during elementary school but started the program in sixth grade. “The whole purpose of AVID is to build connections with people and help you build the future that you want,” Croco said.
6TH GRADE
After being part of the AVID program for two years, Croco decided to leave the program because the AVID teacher at her school would no longer be the advisor. “My favorite teacher, who was originally teaching [AVID], wasn’t going to teach [my] eighth-grade year,” Croco said.
8TH GRADE
Lily Peña Fine Woodworking and Technology CTE Completer
Zoey Sabbatino Culinary CTE completer
Stories and Photos by Helen Whiteside, Mina Clower, Emi Ludlow, Avneet Dhaliwal, Ariana Goettl, and Kayla Stefan
Department Awards
& Valedictorian
SENIOR KYLE WHITTIER, CALCULUS AB
FAVORITE MEMORY: Junior year in Calculus AB after the AP exam in May. “We did a lot of non-school fun stuff,” Whittier said. “[Calculus teacher Sam] Hartman used his astrophysics PhD to teach us about space.”
FAVORITE CLASS: AP Calculus AB was Whittier’s favorite class in the math department, a class that led him to win an award his senior year. He took it his junior year and fell in love with it.
“It was very fun for me because I had a lot of friends in the class,” Whittier said, “and I loved Mr. Hartman as a teacher.”
PASSION FOR MATH: Whitter got his passion for math from his older brother Justin Whittier, who loves math. “I remember I was in the fourth grade, and I learned how to do algebra on a napkin at Red Robin.”
THE FUTURE: Engineering major at Oregon State University
SENIOR NOAH WINES, AP AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
FAVORITE MEMORY: After tests, History teacher Marty Johnston played ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ by Marvin Gaye. “In the morning, especially on the day after [the] weekends, we would have extensive conversations about the weekend, and it was just a nice opening to the class,” Wines said.
PASSION FOR GOVERNMENT: Wines first participated in Youth and Government his sophomore year. He fell in love with it almost instantly. Falling in love with Youth and Government led him to take many other politics classes.
THE FUTURE: Wines plans to pursue American Government. “My two main interests are environmental stuff and then also, politics and law.”
SENIOR MADISON GRAY, VALEDICTORIAN
AP CLASSES: Senior Madison Gray has taken a total of seven AP classes
“I’ve taken AP World History, AP US History, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus, AP Bio, AP Lit, and AP Composition” Gray states.
WAS VALEDICTORIAN ALWAYS THE GOAL : Getting Valedictorian wasn’t always Gray’s goal. She decided to aim for valedictorian her sophomore year because she always cared about her grades, and she was already on the path to it.
“I’ve always cared about how I do in school, “Gray said. “It wasn’t my number one goal until it was sophomore year.”
ADVICE FOR UPCOMING VALEDICTORIANS:
Gray’s main advice is to take one or two APs your sophomore year to get it out of the way and stay on top of dates.
“Definitely taking one or two APs your sophomore year makes your later years a lot easier. It’s hard to keep straight A’s when you’re procrastinating [until the] last minute.”
SENIOR AMY BURFORD, SCHOOL & COMMUNITY
FAVORITE MEMORY: This year’s food drive, specifically going to the houses and seeing how happy and grateful people were with all of the food.
“To be one of the kids putting all of the food that students donate into[the parents’] cars was so good and hearing the parents saying ‘thank you so much’,” Burford said.
FAVORITE CLASS: Leadership is Burford’s favorite class. Burford loves leadership because of the close community and how, because of it, she gets to help the people around her.
“It gives me the ability to serve others and I get to know new kinds of people and how to work with them,” Burford said.
PASSION FOR LEADERSHIP: Burford came to West Albany in the second semester of her sophomore year. She described herself as a very shy kid at the time but the ‘Rake-and-Run’ last year made her become more confident and passionate about leadership.
“We raced to different houses, and we would rake leaves it really got me out of my shell to do hard work with the people around me,” Burford said.
Chance Fullmer was introduced to AVID in middle school but didn’t join until his freshman year of high school when everything went remote. “I’ve been doing it in high school specifically because of the college preparatory part,” Fullmer said.
9TH GRADE
“I got reintroduced to [AVID] my junior year when my childhood best friend was in the class,” Croco said. “I didn’t see a purpose for it [during] my freshman and sophomore years, and then I thought, “Why not?””
11TH GRADE
Fullmer described how, during AVID, there would be Fun Fridays, during which the students would get the opportunity to play kickball. “[Risinger also] brought the whole class a stovetop, and we made breakfast burritos during class,” Fullmer said.
Senior Chance Fullmer
Senior Katherine Croco
The G.O.A.T.
SENIOR ATHLETES TAKE SPORTS TO NEW LEVELS, LEAVING THEIR FOOTPRINTS IN HISTORY.
Senior Hailey Blaine has been running track since 6th grade, but she only fully committed to it once she hit freshman year. Sports have helped Blaine make friends, with whom she has fun on and off the track.
“You learn a lot of things from sports about work ethic,” Blaine said, “and you get characteristics that you want to carry with you outside of sports, [like] determination.”
She always had her family backing her up. Her parents would drive her to practices and meets. Blaine would also get support from her brother who would also work hard alongside her in the stuff he would do. Along with her family, Blaine had help from others outside of her family.
“[The coaches] give me workouts and training,” Blaine said. “They tell me when not to train too much because overtraining is not good.”
“Just stick with it and have fun with it,” Blaine said. “Having fun is the most important part because [if] you’re not having fun, it’s not worth it, and it makes it a lot harder to do good if you’re constantly fighting against yourself about thinking, man, this sucks. I don’t wanna do this.”
After Blaine graduates, she plans on going to Boise State University and running both track and cross country, but education-wise Blaine has not yet decided on a major.
Senior Kendyl Arnett started volleyball in third grade, and she will continue to play at Southern Oregon University in the fall. While she is committed to a college for volleyball, a challenging time for any athlete during a sport is college recruitment.
“A lot of coaches give you interest, telling you that they want you, but in reality, you are third on their list,” Arnett said. “Then they don’t want you as bad as they act. They keep players
Senior Henry Catlin, who has been playing club and school soccer since he was a little kid, has finally reached the point where he can fulfill his dream of playing soccer for a college and having fun while doing it. “I’m going to go to Western Washington University of Bellingham, Washington,” Catlin said. “I was scouted by a college coach at one of the games I was playing at, and we stayed in contact.”
Catlin, whose freshman year of high school was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, saw quarantining as an opening to practicing his sport and becoming a better athlete.“It was kind of different because in my freshman year, we played soccer in the summer, but we didn’t play games until spring. And because of that, it was like intermixing with club because club starts in the winter and then goes until spring. I had to choose which practices I wanted to go to,” said Catlin.
Of all the goals that Catlin has scored and all the penalties that he has taken, Catlin feels that the chance to play soccer in college has been his favorite moment of his whole career. “Being committed to a college is probably the main one,” said Catlin. “I mean, I’ve won some clubs and state competitions, but I wouldn’t consider that to be my best, but I would say committing to a college.”
around to make sure they have all their options.”
When the Covid pandemic made its way across the world, Arnett’s freshman year of volleyball was halted. Athletes faced struggles, such as whether or not there was practice, wearing masks, and having games canceled. However, the biggest setback Arnett faced was her progress in the sport slowing down.
“I think my progress slowed down in my skills,” Arnett said. “So the next year was a bigger year for me to train.”
Even with the challenges Arnett has had to overcome, like rejections from schools and slowed skills progress, she feels that volleyball
When he isn’t in the water, senior Kyle Milburn can be found pacing the pool deck at swim meets, offering encouragement to the other swimmers on his team, something he says his older brother, a former member of the team, inspired him to do.
“Before their race, I’ll go up, and I’ll talk them through whatever race they’re going to do and what they should focus on and tell them good luck,” Milburn said. “And then afterwards, I’ll give him a high five and tell him good job just because it creates a super positive team atmosphere.”
Milburn swam before he could walk, and he has been on a team since he was six. While also doing water polo for the first time his senior year, he won both relays and races at districts for swimming and continued on to win both his relays at state. Collectively, the boys swim team also placed first at state, which was something he was hoping for.
“I wanted to see the team itself succeed because I knew we had a good chance at state this year,” Milburn said. “And so I was trying the whole time to hype up everybody on the team because while we are racing individually, each meet, we earn points that go to the total scores for the team to win.”
For Milburn, swimming hasn’t only brought him wins but friends that he says he wouldn’t have had otherwise if it wasn’t because of the sport.
“I eat lunch every day with my friends from the swim team,” he said. “We spend our time together outside of school, too. My [Dungeons and Dragon] group are all my swim friends, and it’s just, they’re my inner friend group.”
gives her a name, including her winning Mountain West Conference Co-player of the Year and First Team All-League for two years now. Arnett’s high school volleyball experience ended this year with her getting the recognition she has always wanted.
“Volleyball gives me an identity, and if I didn’t play volleyball, I wouldn’t feel like I was Kendyl,” Arnett said. “I feel like it is just something that makes me myself.”
After being an athlete for multiple years, Arnett advises future players “have fun with it because it can get carried away from you when you are focused.”
Stories by Edson S. Conn, Jesus Cisneros-Obledo, Addi Winter, Taylour Veith, Ming Wong, Charley Harrington
Ever since he was young, senior Jonathan Fiscal has been in sports, experiencing the crowd cheering him on, whether through soccer or on the track, and now he’s on the varsity track and field team, breaking school records in multiple different events.
1 4 2 3 5
Fiscal joined the track and field team as a junior and has made it a comfortable place for himself by getting to know the other people, but he has made the hard task of meeting new people seem easy. “Just making the friends that I now have,” Fiscal said, “that’s probably what has benefitted me more than anything.”
This season, Fiscal got first place in the 40yard dash, and first place in the 4x400 relay with junior Gavin Chamberlin, junior Henry Samoylich, and freshman Fieldin Babbitt. Fiscal also got second place in the 400-meter dash.
“When I was younger, I found myself just maybe not as good as the other guys. So I definitely had to work harder,” Fiscal said, “but that benefits me where I am now.”
Fiscal doesn’t know exactly how his future is going to turn out, but he wants to go into a trade and continue sports through college. “If I do get a scholarship anywhere else, I’d probably go for that, but as of right now, [I would] go to either Lane [Community College] or LBCC, and I would do trades at LBCC,” Fiscal said. “But I would be able to do track and soccer at Lane.”
(1) Senior Jonathan Fiscal and (3) senior Hailey Blaine compete at a home league meet on April 4. (2) Senior Kendyl Arnett serves against McKay on Oct. 3. (4) Senior Henry Catlin plays in a game against Corvallis on Oct. 19. (5) Senior Bella Kinghorn plays at the MWC Conference tournament at the Springhill Golf Course on April 15. (6) Senior Kyle Milburn swims against Cresent Valley on Jan. 23.
Senior Bella Kinghorn went to her first high school golf practice with nerves. She didn’t have a friend in sight. Not knowing where to begin, she decided to start by driving the ball. Even though this wasn’t her first time playing golf, she was still afraid of making mistakes, she remembers. If she were to hit the ball and have it go out of control, in her head, everyone would be watching her make the mistake.
“I just didn’t know anybody. I knew what I was doing, I just didn’t know anyone,” Kinghorn said. “I didn’t know how it was going to work.”
This didn’t stop Kinghorn. She moved beyond the initial anxiety and made it to state as a senior. Kinghorn’s golf career didn’t begin here. It has been a journey for Kinghorn to get to where she is today.
Two years ago, she was competing in a tournament to go to state. She was nervous from the peer pressure and afraid to mess up. Kinghorn’s holes in that tournament were great, but her next hole, she realized that you
always need to try harder and work harder.
Kinghorn had hooked the ball, causing her to be one stroke away from making it to state that year. “I was waiting for my name, hopefully, and they did not say my name,” Kinghorn remembers. “They came up to me and said if anyone drops out, it’s you next because you were one stroke over. I looked at my grandparents, [coach Matt] Boase and Baker, and I was sobbing my eyes out.”
Kinghorn wanted to continue what she loved. Kinghorn would tell herself, “Try harder, work harder.” Her favorite moment in golf would be going to state last year because she knew her hard work had paid off.
“I was really proud of myself and Baker was there with me the whole time on both state days,” Kinghorn said.
1. Photo by Edson S. Conn, 2. Photo by Jada Cavazos-Ang, 3. Phot by Edson S. Conn, 4. Photo by Abby Bratton, 5. Photo by Shiloh Grauer, 6. Photo by Lizi Kutchukhidze
“Now we come to time of parting...
AS THE LAST CLASS TO EXPERIENCE THE PANDEMIC DURING HIGH SCHOOL, SENIORS REFLECTS ON WHAT THEY MISSED AND WHAT THEY BROUGHT BACK
Stories by Adilynn Atchley
The graduating Class of 2024 had a unique experience freshman year. The COVID-19 pandemic closed schools throughout the country in 2020, causing the class of 2024’s eighth grade year to be cut short, followed by a freshman year of distance learning. This unconventional start to their high school career caused some significant problems down the line. Online school had an effect on students’ credits.
“I had high school credits and they didn’t transfer over,” senior Geneva Reed said. “I’m stressing about Math and English senior year because of COVID.”
Online classes didn’t just affect the seniors academically, they also affected people socially. “It’s made everybody really antisocial, especially me,” senior Lucy Rouse said. “I’m so glued to my phone, and so I don’t know how to have a real conversation with people.”
While the pandemic affected people’s individual abilities to connect, it also affected groups as a whole. “Our class became very disconnected,” senior Rylie Cornell said. “We weren’t doing a lot of things together.”
Distance learning also caused the seniors to miss out on what would’ve been their “firsts” from high school. Their first school dance, their first air guitar, the first year of their high
“I’VE ALWAYS LOVED FOOTBALL GAMES, NOT JUST HIGH SCHOOL ONES, BUT THE ENERGY IS ALWAYS SO FUN AND I LIKED THE WINTER FORMAL DANCE, IT WAS FUN.”
Photo by Katie Anderson school experience. Though to some, it didn’t feel like the first year of high school at all.
“I fully did not feel like I was even going to West Albany [during freshman year],” Rouse said. “I was just in my own world freshman year. I think everybody was.” During this time, many of West Albany’s senior traditions were unable to happen. But West has decided to renew them in recent years, to give the class of ‘24 a senior year to remember.
“I WOULD SAY [MY FAVORITE TRIP] WAS THE BSU TRIP TO PORTLAND. THAT WAS REALLY FUN TO LEARN ABOUT.”
“WINTER FORMAL [WAS MY FAVORITE] THIS YEAR JUST BECAUSE I WAS WITH A GOOD GROUP OF FRIENDS. WE HAD SOME DECENT MUSIC. THE SETUP WAS GREAT, IT WAS REALLY PRETTY.”
The class of ‘24 performing the class chant at the Homecoming assembly on Sept. 29.
“I REALLY LIKED THE SCHOOL SPIRIT WHEN WE GO [TO SPORTS GAMES], I LIKE HOW THEY HAVE DIFFERENT DRESS UP DAYS ACCORDING TO IT.”
Zion Mollel, Braxton Bullard, Arabella Autry, and A’Shyia Swensson; photos by Braxton Bullard, and Zion Mollel, and photo used with permission of Geneva Reed
SENIOR LUCY ROUSE
SENIOR ANIKA YLEN
SENIOR RYLIE CORNELL
SENIOR GENEVA REED
SENIOR EVENTS OF THE 23-24 SCHOOL YEAR
SEPT. 6, 2023
At the very beginning of the 23-24 school year, the class of ‘24 got up early to get to school before the sun came up. As the yearly tradition goes, they watched as the sun rose, some with their friends, marking the start of their senior year.
APRIL 11, 2024
Prom is an annual event for every school. This year, West Albany’s prom theme was Once Upon a Prom. Juniors and seniors can attend prom with any date they choose, or none at all, and have a magical night. The participants dressed in fairytale attire for prom night.
The Oregon Department of Education statistics share the enrollment of online, hybrid, and in-person schooling in Oct. 2020 compared to May 2021.
FEB. 15, 2024
This year, the senior Air Guitar theme was based off the 2011 animated film “Rio”. The choreography was created by Sarah Ward and took weeks of practice to put together with over 56 participants. The senior performance placed them 2nd overall and was a crowd favorite.
When the pandemic hit, many parts of WAHS culture and tradition were affected. Traditions were lost, attendance at school sporting events and dances were impacted, and the overall high school experience was affected. The past four years have been an uphill battle for the class of 2024 as they have fought for, and successfully brought back many of the traditions we lost to COVID-19. Not only has the senior class helped keep traditions strong, such as air guitar, but they have also brought back traditions that were lost before the pandemic, like the school dodgeball tournament.
School spirit and class participation have gone up in the past year as students start to get back into the rhythm of school post-pandemic.
“I really liked the school spirit when we go [to sports games],” senior Anika Ylen said. Ylen has noticed a rise in attendance for many school events as the teachers and the leadership class have promoted many events that the whole school is involved in. “More classes incorporate things to make people want to go, like a student [raffle] at the game or something like that to encourage more people to go,” Ylen said.
“I went to everything that I could. I went to sunrise, I went to most of the home football games, [and] I had a little keychain that said the date on them so I wouldn’t miss them,” Rouse said.
Rouse, along with some other seniors, went to many different school events this year. Some seniors choose to attend these events for different reasons. For Ylen, she went to these events to make memories and experience senior year.
“I wanted to go to as many events that we’ve had as possible,” Ylen said, “just because I wanted to gauge the whole senior experience.”
...Yet our heads held high.”
Seniors Gigi Roldan, Brynna Gritter, Lucy Rouse, Zoey Sabbtino, Molly Ramseyer, Alayna Peterson kick off the year at senior sunrise.
Photo used with permission of Gigi Roldan
The class of ‘24 performing “Rio” at airguitar.
Photo by Lucy Rouse
West Albany’s prom 2024 held at Reser Stadium.
Photo by Arabella Autry
WHAT A
Feeling
THINGs tO HOLD ON TO
THESE SENIORS TALK ABOUT AN OBJECT IMPORTANT TO THEIR SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL
Story and photos by Julia Berg
This semester in pottery senior Ellyse Hamilton created a mug that is special to her. Hamilton made the mug in remembrance of her dog Sammy who passed away from old age. Around the mug are little paw prints and doggy bones. Unfortunately, it has a crack in it, but it can still be used to hold pencils. It is a sweet mug that has great meaning to Hamilton.
Clark was given this handbag with cats, dots and squiggly lines on it, as a late birthday gift from special education teacher Tracy Stinson. The bag was just sitting in Stinson’s attic, but it reminded her of Clark, so a few days after their birthday, Stinson gave it to them. “[One] day at school, I was sitting at my desk,” Clark said, “and [Stinson] brought this handbag.”
“Not only does it have cats on it, but the designs in general remind [her] of me,” Clark said. “I thought that was really cool because this does remind me of myself.”
Clark uses the bag to hold their stuff and it has pencils, pens, and other things inside of it. “I don’t even know what could be in there,” Clark said.
SENIOR LINCOLN TIDWELL
Senior Lincoln Tidwell has played basketball for all four years of high school. Every year at senior night for basketball, seniors get their team jersey in a case.
“There was a lot of emotion seeing some of the friends I made have to leave,” Tidwell said. “Experiencing it myself [a year] later was kind of surreal.”
Tidwell’s jersey, number 11, is NBA player Klay Thompson’s, a player who Tidwell looks up to. Tidwell’s jersey has special importance to him as it is a memento of his time on the basketball team.
“It represents the work and the hours I put in on the court,” Tidwell said, “and it represents the connections with the people I’ve been around, like my teammates and coaches.”
SENIOR ELLYSE HAMILTON
SENIOR ZILLY CLARK
These are moments
SOME SENIORS’ FAVORITE CORE MEMORIES FROM THE FOUR YEARS THEY HAVE BEEN AT WAHS.
Story by Ayrianna Vanhoorebeke
by Helen Whiteside
What is one of your favorite core memory from the past four years?
Senior Diego Leal- “I’d say definitely just meeting my people here in West Albany for sure. I mean, I’ve created some great new bonds with some staff here. And I met new friends, and that’s one of the core memories, you know, meeting great people here and having a great time.”
Why is that your favorite memory?
“Just to cope with people and how they are, you know, how they make me feel throughout the day. It’s that one person that makes me feel different and makes me have a great day. You just have to see that one person.”
What is one of your favorite core memory from the past four years?
Senior Hannah Wible- “One of my memories has to be my second period study skills class with [social studies teacher Kyle] Hall junior year. In the mornings, I spent most of my time with my friend Angel in the mornings. I’d go and pick her up and stuff, and it was just a really good way to start the day, like really give it a good vibe.”
Why is that your favorite memory?
“Probably because it brought me and my friend closer. And it did definitely kind of help me because that time in my life was really hard to go through on my own, and it gave me support from Mr. Hall and just my friends around me. It was a good class. Nothing’s made me cry.”
People toRemember
THESE SENIORS SHARE SIGNIFICANT PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES THAT HAVE IMPACTED THEM
Story by Chance Young Photos by Lizi Kutchukhidze
After being at West Albany High School for four years, the class of 2024 have had lots of opportunities to meet people. With so many students coming to WAHS every year, roughly 300, a senior gets hundreds of chances to meet someone in their high school career that might have an impact on them.
Senior Hunter Whitted is a student who has been impacted by WAHS staff “[Art teacher Erin] Wallace [has] inspired me a lot [since] my junior year. With
her being here, jewelry making has really changed. Because I’m a senior this year and I want to continue doing jewelry making because it’s fallen [into] my heart,” Whitted said.
Senior Jacob Sutherland has felt impacted by staff members as well, “I had [language arts teacher Michelle] Balmeo last year when I was a junior [for] American Studies,” Sutherland, said. “She had a closed, nice environment. There are always students asking her things. You [can] come up to her with any question [and] she [doesn’t] make you feel awkward about it. It was really comfortable.”
SENIOR HUNTER WHITTED
Photos
SENIOR HANNAH WIBLE
SENIOR
Addressed To Me ...
SENIORS SHARE WHAT THEY WOULD WRITE IN A LETTER TO THEIR YOUNGER AND FUTURE SELVES
Dear past Lukas Hews,
Now that I have experienced high school in all its entirety, I really wish we put more effort into working out for ourself instead of for coaches and athletics. This wouldn’t have led to so much burnout. You’ve got to do it for yourself instead of other people. I have been lucky enough to be appreciated for my athletics and have younger people see me as a role model. So I would say stop being so critical of yourself, be confident in what you do and don’t let people’s judgment lead you astray from your goals.
Our hopes and aspirations of becoming a lawyer like dad are still going strong. After several changes of decision of what major I want to go into, I have always stayed with becoming a lawyer. I’ve meet with multiple people who have influenced me, like people on the city council who furthered my decision, but fifth grade me always knew this. Younger Lukas has always known since the little drawings I did asking what I wanted to be and that was a lawyer.
So my final advice is don’t let people’s opinions and judgments cloud what is important to you and always put in the hard work for yourself.
Dear past Zing,
Hi to my younger self. Here’s some advice I wish I knew when I was at your age. Now as a high school senior, I have experienced things that have changed my mindset. I’ve reflected on my decisions and mindset and am here to tell you, hard work truly does pay off no matter what you might think. While the rewards of hard work may often be delayed and at times feel unsatisfying and not worth it, it is never a waste and continue on and catch your goals. Go after
You don’t have to fear others’ judgment toward you or your goals. You shouldn’t let others make you feel undeserving of the goals and ambitions you have for your own life. Be confident in yourself; that’s what makes your goals come true. This is an important reminder to you to learn to enjoy every stage and good or awkward phase you go through because time goes by too fast and there is always something to learn from each phase, obstacle, loss, and setback that comes your way. Most importantly, everything always works out even though it may not feel that way or seem that way in the moment of the situation. Life has a funny way of working itself out. Remember that.
By the authors as told to Yesenia Rosas and Adilynn Atchley, with light editing for length and clarity
Senior Zing Par
Senior Lukas Hews
Photos used with permission of each senior
Dear Future Hadley,
Dear Future Natalie,
I just want to know what my life is gonna be like, and how different it is going to be from now. For me right now my lifestyle is whatever I want for the day, but it changes every 10 minutes.
I hope I made a better choice on the people I’m friends with. I think in high school we really discover what kind of people work for you and what kind of groups don’t. Which I think is really valuable to know when you’re older, so I hope I used that to my advantage.
I hope I shot through all the expectations my parents currently have for me, like I got school done all at once without breaking it all up.
I hope I am somewhat independent in the near future. My parents have helped me a lot recently to help me be kind of independent for five, 10, even 20 years from now. But I think it is the best we can do, you know? It’s hard to prepare for the future, if you even can. You never know what could happen. a difficult process.”
Senior Natalie Marthaller
I’m thinking this is 10 years or so in the future, so am I thinking about having kids? Did I ever move out? Is it scary on my own? I’m scared of living by myself now, its intimidating.
Did mom and dad move too? Dad wants to move to the coast, so did he ever get the chance too? Did I get to go to San Fransisco trip with him?
Right now I’m thinking about the University of Idaho. I want to double major in philosophy and psychology with a minor in data science. Was the University of Idaho as great as I think it will be? Or did I ever make it that far, did I even become a psychologist? I hope I pursed some kind of graduate school and didn’t stop at undergrad. I’m really worried about the student debt, so I hope I payed all of that off.
Do I like what I’m doing, or did I change my passion? I know I was interested in art for a little bit, maybe even criminal justice. Or did I get more interested in politics? I was pretty hyped about winning the ‘If I Were Mayor’ contest and being involved in Youth and Government. Did I go somewhere with that political interest?
Do I regret going into psychology? I want to be a high school counselor, and I’m not regretting it now, I’m excited even. But do you ever wish there was something you did differently?
Senior Hadley
Huzefka
Looking Back , Moving Forward.
By Mollie Brown
The moon shone through the cloudy side windows, and our tired faces reflected the blue light screen of the Mac computer. The four of us crowded around one desk and sighed as I
rearranged the headline for what felt like the hundredth time. We had been at the school for so long that I felt as though I had been sitting at the same desk for my entire life.
gorgeous tonight.”
WHIRLWIND SENIORS REFLECT UPON THEIR PAST AND LOOK TO THE FUTURE
It was time well spent. We had filled the hours with playful banter and an exchange of creative ideas, and I felt a sense of fulfillment in our accomplishments. As this magazine finally came together, each page felt unique and inspired. Its wide assortment of topics and designs perfectly represented the diversity and individuality of the staff. I hit “save and export” on my computer before logging off. We all cheered and beamed as our files were sent to the printer, as we were ecstatic to have compiled a twenty-four page issue that represented three months of dedication and hard work.
As we turned off the lights and packed our bags, the four of us took a moment to step outside. I sat down on the concrete — riddled with cracks and weeds — and felt the cool night air on my face.
“GUYS,” my new co-editor exclaimed. “The moon looks
I looked up to appreciate the cloudless sky filled with starlight. It was a moment of contentment unlike any other, and it helped me to appreciate the community that I had found with my new fellow head editors. Even though it was eleven o’clock and we all had school the next morning, we found the time to appreciate what we had accomplished as a team, and to enjoy our peaceful moment in the school parking lot together.
A couple of weeks later, our finished issue arrived from the printers. They were stacked haphazardly onto the table in the backroom, and I picked one up off of the top pile. I felt the glossy pages slip through my fingers as I took in the finished product. All of our inspiration and hard work was suddenly a tangible object we had created. I’ll always remember this first magazine as something that reflects on what it means to create meaningful work.
Creative Collaboration Checkmate
By Mika Winder
Iwas sitting on the couch when I received the email that I had been wait-listed for my number one university. It was late evening, the day before the college had to send out admission letters. I felt so nervous opening the email to check that it felt like I was watching myself from a thirdperson perspective.
The letter was very impersonal but polite, saying that I wasn’t exactly what they had been looking for, reiterating several times
how many people had applied. It felt like a bad dream, having my plans uprooted and left up in the air at the whim of a late summer decision that could go either way. I hadn’t been particularly worried leading up to this since it was a state school with an acceptance rate of 80%, but that fact only made the shock and disappointment more pronounced.
In the following days, I fell into depression. I had been accepted into the other schools I had applied to, and there was still a possibility that I would get into my dream school, but it felt like the chess pieces of my future had suddenly been knocked into disarray. Combining that with the fact that it felt like my friends were unconcerned with the prospect of me no longer going to school with them, I fell further into despair. It took me a few days of catastrophizing to realize why the acceptance mattered so much to me beyond my excitement at the idea of going to school with my friends. In truth, I had slowly become more and more disillusioned with the idea of
going to a traditional university, and this was my only remaining hope to feel passionate about my further education.
With this realization, I made the difficult but relieving decision to go to a community college in the fall rather than a traditional university. Going with my instincts rather than forcing myself into the path I considered ‘acceptable’ was a big risk, but it also allowed me to feel excited about what’s coming next for the first time in a while.
I’ve picked up the pieces, and I’m ready to put my future into checkmate.
“I love u 2,” he replied.
By Ming Wong
What would be a good name for that,” the barista at Starbucks always asks.
“Robert,” I reply, using my dad’s name, avoiding the unwelcome spotlight that comes from my own non-Western name: Ming. Although, ironically, my dad considers Starbucks too expensive.
My dad’s a Chinese immigrant from Hong Kong. I’m his son. My mother’s a Caucasian woman from Utah. I’m her son. My life’s been an internal battle between these two cultures. I’m nobody’s son. Or maybe, I’m society’s son? However, no matter whose son I am, I’m definitely an insecure, lost teenager whose environment has shaped me into who I am today.
I can say growing up in a “small,” majority white town, with a white mom and a majority white
group of friends, has impacted me. I can say growing up 500 miles away from my dad’s family – seeing them once a year – has impacted me. I can say that I never truly embraced my Asian side growing up, but in writing this, I question what truly embracing the culture even means. I never really thought about it.
Does it mean eating rice every night? Does it mean learning the language? Does it mean being a math whiz? Using soy sauce? Using chopsticks? Having an Asian girlfriend? Does it mean … Does it mean being a stereotypical Asian? However, there is one thing that I can say I did embrace from my dad’s culture: not saying, “I love you.”
I only occasionally heard the saying growing up, mostly from my mom and her family. In my dad’s family, culture dictated that love was shown, not spoken, and he carried that into our home. This meant that my definition of the word “love” was most heavily influenced by the romantic whelms of pop music and comedy television shows and left me with an unbending view of the subject. It meant that even when my mom’s mother would tell me she loved me, I didn’t immediately reciprocate the gesture, feeling uncomfortable saying it back.
That is, I felt uncomfortable until I put the pieces of my upbringing together and understood why I felt and acted the way I did, and in writing this, the pieces fit together even more perfectly. And now, with a relatively new understanding behind my discomfort, I am able to move forward freely saying the phrase to those in my life who I care about. In the waning days of high school, I proudly told my “opp” I loved them back.
The Crocodiles
By A’Shyia
Istarted seeing The Crocodiles when I went into foster care in seventh grade. I’d meet them in my dreams, thrashing in the ocean with them, or drifting along a deep Oregon river in the woods. They’d be lurking at the bottom, watching, moving imposingly, large threatening bodies floating just close enough to make my chest ache and thud with fear. When I’d wake up, they would still be there. I could feel them pulling through water in my stomach all day. In eighth grade, I’d be diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. A lot of my teenage years I remember feeling filled with dread — dread for my future, dread of facing my family issues. Dread that I would burn out before I could become the adult I hoped I’d become, and that my second chance given to me by the Department of Human Services would be wasted. These nerves swam within me. I’ve always thought the best way to calm your fears is to learn more about them, so I decided to do my research.
Suicide Notes
Writing this final piece for The Whirlwind reminds me of writing suicide notes.
I’ve used my laptop to write both: this column was typed upon its keys, and many scrapped drafts of goodbyes have been drafted on its screen. This one article, a rite of passage for graduating senior journalists on our staff, explores each person’s experiences and reflections as they near the end of high school. It’s the writer’s lasting statement before they move on to a different life. Ironically, suicide notes hold the same meaning for me.
Reflecting on my high school years, I can think of a single fact to describe my experience. Throughout, I had one persistent,
I read that dreams with crocodiles can represent challenges in our lives. In these dreams, if the crocodiles never get a chance to attack, it means that the dreamer is navigating these fears and not wavering on their path. After that, crocodiles didn’t scare me anymore. I collected crocodile stuffed animals. I learned that the Egyptian god Sobek, represented as a strong humanoid Nile crocodile, was the god of war and protection. In my dreams now, I am peaceful and sure of myself. I thank The Crocodiles now because they taught me that I am capable of braving strange waters. Thank you for being a piece of my journey, West Albany High School. I hope we can meet again someday, further down the river…
never-changing thought. In 2021, I can count the number of days I thought about ending my life: 365 days. It was the same in 2022, and 2023, and most likely will stay that way throughout 2024.
Each time a thought circulated through my head, whether it be an invasive suggestion or a panic-induced breakdown, I usually would circle back to several key questions. “When I die, what will I leave to everyone? How will I leave my mark? How do I want my friends, my family, my life to frame my existence?” And that’s why writing this is like a suicide note. It’s the writer’s last mark upon a person, group, or the world. It can be written on anything they wish, whether it be reflection, explanations, or wishes for those they leave it for. And, just like the personal column, they are so damn hard to write.
I would try to write suicide notes constantly. Whether it was on my notes app while pretending to text, scribbling in the margins of my writings and sketches, scrawled desperately on every inch and surface of any material I could easily hide or destroy.
They were always terrible. Each felt blank and lifeless, as though someone had taken everything I wanted to say and drowned it in my own sorrows. Letters meant to thank teachers for their endless support and love sounded hollow. Sentences for dear friends felt hopelessly detached. Words for my family were nothing more than grouped lines on paper.
In the end, I always came to the same conclusion: If I want to leave my impression on others and show the care and admiration I hold in every nook and cranny of my being, I need to exist within it. Each breath I take should communicate the emotion I want to bestow on those I care about. My life, no matter how dark it becomes, should be focused on continuing to find who is important to me, who is part of my journey.
I’ve learned that I need to live my life as an open letter rather than a forgotten note.
If you or someone you know is in danger of harming them self, please contact the National Suicide Hot-line at 988.
