24-25 The Whirlwind - Issue 1

Special Report

Exploring the real consequences of gun violence and the effect it’s having in schools nationwide

Pages 22-31

We the children...

ARE READY FOR THE FUTURE

ELECTIONS, INCREASED VIOLENCE, POLLUTION, AND THE WORLD AS IT IS BECOMING

WEST ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL • NOVEMBER 2024 • ISSUE 1

Cover Illustration | Emi

Back Cover Illustration | Helen

1130 Queen Ave SW, Albany, 97321, OR

What motivates recent transfer athletes to leave their home schools behind and play for a new team?

REACTING RATIONALLY & WHO IS TO BLAME

How staff and students are processing the aftermath of the Apalachee shooting in Georgia and the role guardians play during a school shooting 30-31

How students are coping with bad weather and what pushes them to keep playing

The challenges present in teacher and district negotiations

The delectable, delightful eateries hidden in our quaint little town

How students are embracing Halloween and Dia de los Muertos

How students are coping with increased gun violence around the country

AROUND TOWN

GAPS teachers had a long contract negotiation journey. Take a close look at how the bargaining process evolved.

A look into some of the hidden gems in our city and what to expect, both of mouthwatering dishes and the range of varying prices.

The cultural differences a student observes in terms of how gun violence is handled in the U.S. and in New Zealand.

Ludlow

Above: An Albany Police Department car parks outside the front entrance to the school. Photo by Kayla Stefan

Whiteside

EDITORS’ LETTER SPEAK UP

STAFF

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Avneet Dhaliwal

Helen Whiteside

MANAGING EDITORS

Mina Clower

Emi Ludlow

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Adilynn Atchley

Zion Mollel

NEWS

Ari Goettl

OPINION

Julia Berg SPECIAL

Taylour Veith

Addi Winter SPORTS

Jesus Cisneros Obledo

Charley Harrington

COPY EDITOR

Kayla Stefan

SOCIAL MEDIA

Braxton Bullard

ADVISER

Michelle Balmeo

STAFF

Calix Argle

Belle Beisell

Harley Bourgeois

Teah Caffarella

Ava Clark

As students in this day and age, we’re constantly taking in news; whether it’s online, from the people around us, or even as you’re picking up this magazine right now. This autumn, there has been one thing swarming all news outlets: Politics. Some people love to talk about them, some people claim they’re neutral, and others completely avoid the topic altogether.

Regardless of how you feel about politics, The Whirlwind believes that everyone should have access to local, reliable, unbiased news sources about not just politics, but all kinds of things happening in our community. It’s not often when we decide to do a “double special issue.”

Gun safety and violence within our school and community have been a large concern of students and staff since even before the Georgia Apalachee School Shooting on Sept. 4, 2024. Gun violence is a scary thing to talk about at school, the fear of never knowing what could happen is unfortunately a reality of going to school at this point in time. In this “double special” issue we look at gun violence through many different lenses such as, Preventions and Procedures (29), reactions surrounding the Georgia Apalachee School Shooting (30), a personal column from a non-american about American school culture (27), a timeline of school shootings (26), and what role the parent plays in situations like this (31). The different angles explored in the gun violence special section broadens the way people can look at and interpret such a complex issue.

The other special package focuses on the upcoming election. In order to help educate first time voters and prepare future voters to make educated decisions in future elections, we explore different angles like what students want to hear politicians (22-23), how first time voters chose who they voted for (20), Oregon measures explained (23), and how politics have changed over the years (22).

As we continue to look toward the future, we hope that awareness is raised as we shape our future one vote, rally, and choice at a time.

Elizabeth Crittenden

Alana Ebaugh

AJ Howard

Virgil Isaac

Lena Larson

Ethan Leffler

Charlie Mack

Mary Parmele

Geronimo Smith

Hailoh Smith

Ian Stith

Ayrianna Vanhoorebeke

Chance Young

Mina Clower, Avneet Dhaliwal, Emi Ludlow, HelenWhiteside, TheWhirlwind Managing Editors and Editors in Chief

The Whirlwind, West Albany High School’s student news publication, is seeking sponsors for this school year. Whirlwind provides a unique service to the school community, covering news and issues related to the WAHS student body. Sponsoring The Whirlwind is a way to show your support for the civic engagement, open dialogue, critical thinking and free exercise of expression that good student journalism encourages. Any individual or business can sponsor The Whirlwind. Sponsorship does not indicate endorsement of the views or opinions expressed in The Whirlwind. Contact us at wahswhirlwind@gmail.com

The People’s Responsiblity

THE THINGS THAT NEED TO CHANGE IN RELATION TO GUN LAWS

Opinion of Julia Berg

Guns. They have been an ingrained part of our society culturally since the beginning. They are so much a part of our country that the Second Amendment to the Constitution says that, as a nation, have the right to bear arms. This is an important thing, having access to guns is important for a lot of people. But this does not negate the fact that as the years go on, some owners of these guns are choosing to cause more and more harm.

Each year, guns become more and more efficient at killing.

Each year, more and more guns get produced.

Each year, guns become more of a killing machine that not only experts use with ease, but those who have never even touched a gun can also use as a catalyst of destruction. This is the scary reality of the world that we live in now. Because of this fact, the same gun laws that have existed for years can’t just keep being the same. Our government needs to change the gun laws so that those who want to do harm have a harder time getting these weapons that hurt so many.

One of the things that needs to change is how we handle the parents of the children who cause school shootings. Although not every parent should not be charged with jail time because of their child’s choices, it should be considered if they had any part in it. For example, if the child had been told by a parent how to get to their guns or if they had a designated gun that the child had access to at all times this could play a part in the investigation. These

things can be problematic and can help a kid have access to the tools they need to go through with committing a terrible act such as a school shooting.

However this does not negate the fact that there are times when letting a kid use a gun can be unproblematic, such as when a family goes hunting Or if the child is shooting a gun at a target with adult supervision. The main connection that these two activities have in common is supervision. This oversight of the child when they have the gun makes it unproblematic.

The earliest age that a person is allowed to buy a gun in Oregon is 18 years old. Although this is the age at which someone becomes an adult, the frontal lobe doesn’t fully develop until a person is approximately 25 years old. This part of the brain controls our decision-making. It helps us weigh our options and the pros and cons of a decision. An 18-year-old can’t buy every gun on the market however, they can still purchase long guns. This small restriction does not negate the age gap between the frontal lobe fully developing and a person becoming an “adult.” Just because someone is legally old enough to be considered an adult does not mean that they are mentally ready to be in possession of a gun.

The next age that someone can buy a different type of gun is only 21 years old. This is still too young. The type of gun that they are able to buy are handguns. Which is very easy to conceal and even this age can be seen as a little problematic as it is still a full four years or perhaps even longer until the frontal lobe is completely

STAFF EDITORIAL

developed. This part of the brain is an essential part of helping people go through situations and choose what choice that they want to go with, with more of a thought towards the consequences.

Just because there are things that need to be changed doesn’t mean that guns should be banned. They have been a part of our nation, and many would be outraged if all guns were banned. This means that rules that are in place should be changed. For example, instead of having the minimum age for buying long guns be at 18, change it to 21, and in extension, move the minimum age for handguns to 25. This helps put guns into the hands of older and, hopefully, more responsible people.

DEFINITIONS

LONG GUNS

These are any guns that have a long barrel and have been intended to be fired from the shoulder.

Ex: Shotgun, sniper rifle, assault rifle

Supporting Educators

MY EXPERINCES AS A CHILD OF TEACHERS

Opinion of Teah Caffarella

Ihave spent the majority of my life, if not all of it, on the grounds of West Albany High School. The school is practically my second home, where I spend almost more time than I do in my own house. From early mornings to late nights, even staying over at the school once or twice, I can almost always be found in the school. I’m always here because both my parents are teachers.

My father was teaching at Linn-Benton Community College as a music teacher but quit a few years ago and is now a substitute in the district. My mother has been teaching at WAHS as the choir and drama teacher for longer than I’ve been alive. Both of my parents have put so much of their own time into their jobs, it’s incredible, and because of this, I believe that every teacher, not just my parents, does not get enough recognition.

Teachers are the backbone of our country, our state, and every county and city. They sacrifice their time, sometimes even their lives, to keep students safe and educated. Ever since I was young, I was told to respect school staff, and I have been told real-life horror stories from my parents about teachers we know having been beaten up by students, sent to the hospital, disrespected by their students and their parents, and even facing backlash from their own coworkers. Those same teachers were expected to be working the next day with the same kids who had caused these horrors without any compensation or help from their school.

I see stories online posted by other teachers who have had similar experiences to our friends. Every time I hear stories like this, I can understand why so many teachers have been quitting their jobs and advocating for a better workplace. However, I sometimes worry: what will happen if their voices go unheard and no change is made?

The dangerous environments in classrooms are an evergrowing issue. Ever since the pandemic, I have heard more and more stories about rowdy kids and having a difficult time managing those kids, especially when those kids are part of an already large class. As classes grow, so does the violence and the hours worked off of the clock, finishing tasks such as grading.

My mother works an estimated 40 hours every week until it is time to put on a production. During those months, another 20 hours are added to the clock. Sixty hours she spends at the school, and those hours are underpaid or not paid at all. This topic is brought up often as we have all had to pitch in our own money to put on these productions. A lot of money goes toward productions, but I also have two older brothers who are both attending college, and college is expensive.

HANDGUNS

These are guns that can and/or are meant to be fired with one hand.

Ex: Pistol, revolver, Glock

I support teachers. I support GAEA and the concerns they are voicing, hoping for a change, and I am expecting changes for the best. If there is no change, I fear more teachers will leave their jobs, leaving people uneducated and unemployed, and there will be a large and obvious downfall in our society.

Fall Drinks

WHAT WEST ALBANY STUDENTS ARE DRINKING THIS FALL

During autumn, there are a lot of calling cards with the leaves falling, the break of the sun, and new rain. However, something that shifts in autumn is what beverages people enjoy. Seasonal drinks are not limited to fall, for some people, they bring back fond memories and warm the heart. Another notable change is the shift of beverages on menus and consumers’ seasonal favorites. More coffee shops and cafes create seasonal specials, and they truly are special in their association to this unique season.

Bailey Vitek, Junior

WW: What do you like to drink exclusively during fall?

Vitek: “I feel like, come fall time, I really start to pick up on tea specifically and hot chocolate. I don’t really drink tea at Christmas time, even though it’s still cold. It’s really something I pick up at the end of summer and beginning of fall. I’m not a pumpkin spice person. I never have been, I’m very basic. When I do drink tea, I really, really like green tea.”

WW: What drinks do you associate with autumn?

Vitek: “The smell of coffee and definitely the smell of cumin and cinnamon, so the smell of pumpkin spice, [even if] I don’t drink it.”

WW: Do these fall drinks invoke any memories or feelings?

Vitek: “They make me feel warm and fuzzy inside.”

Symeon Braman, Senior

WW: What do you like to drink

exclusively during fall?

Braman: “Pumpkin spice lattes are very good and a seasonal drink, and they don’t hit the same any other time of the year. Also, warm apple cider like what the woodshop does during football games.”

WW: What drinks do you associate with autumn?

Braman: “Apple cider and pumpkin spice lattes. All the apple and pumpkin-related drinks, like seasonal fruits in a way.”

WW: Do these fall drinks invoke any memories or feelings?

Braman: “They actually do. There’s a part of the summer that I don’t really care for. There’s no feel to the air. But the crisp fall air, something about that, whenever I smell a good pumpkin or apple cider, it brings back the crisp memories of all the years past fall. I like it because I like fall a lot more than summer.”

Aidan Richards, Senior

WW: What do you like to drink exclusively during fall?

Richards: “Not going to lie, I don’t really drink anything special during fall. I’m a big advocate of water.”

WW: What drinks do you associate with autumn?

Richards: “What comes to mind is pumpkin spice lattes, but I’m just not a big fan personally.”

WW: Do these fall drinks invoke any memories or feelings?

Richards: “I drink water every single day in the fall, so it really brings back every memory I’ve ever had.”

Five Stars!

FASHIONISTA’S WORLDWIDE ARE PLAYING ROBLOXS BIGGEST GAME, DRESS TO IMPRESS

By Braxton Bullard

Dress to Impress is the latest trending game on Roblox, a game creation platform with millions of players. When it was first released in November of 2023, it was just another of the many dress-up games available on Roblox. However, during the summer of 2024, Dress to Impress had a rapid rise in popularity. By the end of June 2024, the concurrent player count was up to 228,975, and the numbers have only continued to rise. The highest player count the game has seen is 410,135 concurrent players on September 28, 2024, and in total,

Dress to Impress has had 3.3 Billion visits. Gigi, the creator of Dress to Impress, is only seventeen years old and has already received praise from the internet and the Roblox corporation, winning a Roblox Innovation Award in September because of her game. The game is still receiving constant updates to and teasing future updates on social media. These constant updates keep garnering attention to the game, and it seems now that everyone is playing this game, including our student body at West Albany.

Why do you think DTI has blown up in popularity?

“It probably had a blow-up in popularity because of all the little kids [playing], and I would say it's just a really fun game, and you can really get into it and pass a lot of time. [Streamers like] CaseOh play the game a lot, but I don't really watch them play it.”

Do you think that Dress to impress will stay trending, or will it fall off?

“It’s definitely going to fall off in popularity. A lot of what the internet does is it hypes up a fashion style, a makeup trend, an influencer, a person, a game, an activity, an aesthetic, a lifestyle, so much, and it just falls off. At the end of the day, nothing’s going to be permanent because the rise and fall of trends become so much more prevalent in this world, and it’s only going to get faster.”

How many of your friends play Dress to Impress?

“My whole family plays. I don’t have a lot of friends, but the friends I do have, two of them play. My dad’s favorite thing to do is play Dress to Impress with me.”

Story and Illistration by AJ Howard

Junior Cadence McAllister

Sophmore Anna Dineen

Junior Mari Smith

Watch Me Cook

RECIPES AROUND THE SCHOOL

Story By Harley Bourgeois and Ian Stith

French Techer Jaqueline Kahler

WW: What is your favorite recipe, and would you recommend it to others?

Kahler: “My favorite recipe is my caramelized onion galette. I recommend this recipe to others because when I bring it to staff events, it’s a really popular dish, and that’s the only thing they want me to bring.”

WW: How do you make the food?

Kahler: “So first you have to make a pie crust, and then your pie crust should be resting for half an hour, and while that’s happening, you have to caramelize some onions, which you put in a satta pan on very low heat with sliced onion with some olive oil and a little bit of butter until they start to melt then you turn up the heat to get the carmelized you have to cook them a little longer till their golden brown at times adding water scraping from

the bottom add a little salt then you take your crust you roll it out like a pie, and you put the caramelized onions in the interior, and you fold the edges of the crust in words then I put parmesan cheese over the edges and bake it flat bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.”

WW: Is the food more of a treat or more of a meal, and Is it a healthy food or a snack food?

Kahler: “It’s more of a treat food, and it’s more of a side dish and a snack food.”

Band Director Brian McFadden

WW: What is your favorite recipe, and would you recommend it to others?

McFadden: “I don’t really cook with Recipes. I normally just add things until they taste good…one thing I come back to is a marinade. I do recommend it to others, but it’s

TIPS FOR NEW CHEFS FROM JAQUELINE KAHLER:

“You don’t want cross-contamination

Why? This is a good culinary tip because you don’t want to get sick from food and ruin the food and the work you did.

“Set your temperature right” Why? This tip is important to make sure you have the right temperature so the food isn’t ruined and the food looks good.

“Have your parents supervise you” Why? This tip is important because. Being in the kitchen without much experience can be dangerous without any supervision is important so you don’t get hurt.

hard to follow.”

WW: How do you make the food?

McFadden: “Soy sauce- based marinade, then I throw in garlic and green onions and a little sriracha, some ginger sometimes not always, saranna peppers, brown sugar not so much it’s like a teriyaki sauce, a little bit of pepper, a little olive oil, sometimes a little bit of sesame oil, and lime juice.”

WW: Is the food more of a treat or more of a meal, and Is it a healthy food or a snack food?

McFadden: “I think it depends on how long you marinate it. If you leave it overnight, it gets super salty, which is kinda good, but I wouldn’t call it an everyday okay food.”

Daniel Lake

WW: What is your favorite recipe, and would you recommend it to

others?

Lake: “Double chocolate chip cookies. Yes, because it is a dessert with very large servings.”

WW: How do you make the food? Lake: “Mix ingredients together and put the chopped-up chocolate bar in and then bake it.”

WW: Is the food more of a treat or more of a meal, and Is it a healthy food or a snack food? Lake: “It’s more of a treat.”

Used with permission of Jaqueline Kahler

Tune In, and Turn Up

WEST ALBANY MAKES A CHANGE IN ATHLETIC RECORDING SYSTEMS, FROM NFHS TO HUDL

Story and Photo by Charlie Mack

At the start of the 2024-25 school year, West Albany’s Athletic Director, Don Lien, would make the switch from NFHS (National Federation of High School Associations) to Hudl. NFHS and Hudl are services high school sports use to livestream and record sporting events. West Albany had used NFHS for the last four years, but after the recent growth of Hudl, a new broadcasting site, Lien decided to make the switch.

“Seven of our ten schools in our league already moved over [to Hudl]” Lien says. Hudl provides many benefits that NFHS did not provide, such as the ability to easily clip highlights, stats breakdowns, more accessibility to sports, and higher video quality.

“NFHS [didn’t] have the same capabilities of Hudl in terms of how services are available for coaches. Hudl is able to do more for coaches: film games, exchange [and] breakdown film. All the pieces that were [needed].”

Hudl will spare coaches the hassle of sitting down after games and having to count stats and break them down on their own. Hudl Assist the stat program, allows you to submit the recording of your sporting event immediately after the game ends and provides you with a full breakdown within twenty four hours after submission.

Football defensive coordinator, Cole Pouliot states, “We have Hudl Assist and it will calculate a lot of data for us. So we don’t have to manually enter all that stuff, which speeds up our process.”

When the school still used NFHS as the recording system, coaches would have to manually go through the game or event and input all of the stats by hand. This wasted lots of time for coaches when they could be coaching rather than sitting in front of a screen.

SPORTS

VIDEO

A

help and develop players. It was a large initial investment, but athletic director Lien believes that it will be a sound investment in the long run.

In the future, viewers will have to purchase a subscription that allows them to view live events.

“It’s the better system for helping our coaches, coach…” says Lien. Hudl gives the advantage to coaches freeing up more time to

Lien says “I believe that when we start charging for streaming, that our viewers will pay for the complete package of Hudl, so it becomes a way to free up athletic budget to go back to sports.”

This helps give West Albany athletic programs more opportunities to succeed by potentially granting them more funding. Another bonus of Hudl is the quality of the recording is superior to the previous system. This makes a more enjoyable experience for viewers watching the game.

The quality boost doesn’t just benefit viewers though, when coaches and players are reviewing the film it becomes much easier to

identify successes and failures. Coaches can now time stamp specific spots during the game which allows them to quickly skip through key moments throughout the game. Which plays into another feature Hudl offers to players, creating highlight reels.

Players are able to clip recordings of key moments that they were involved in such as goals, assists, or touchdowns and compile them into one video highlight reel. Once the video is assembled, players are able to send the video out to coaches, friends, or family members.

Hudl will also grant greater excesibility to more West Albany sports. With Hudl even some Junior Varsity (JV) athletics will be lived streamed, such as jv volleyball or jv football. Sports that didn’t have acesss to streaming or qaulity recording like lacrosse will have the ability to livestream and record film their games.

As the year goes on we will continue to explore the new benefits of Hudl and how they benefit our athletic community.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

WEST ALBANY

The home page for all West Albany athletics on Hudl

UPCOMING GAMES

Thanksgiving Food Drive

HOW ANNUAL EVENT POSITIVELY IMPACTS COMMUNITY

The annual Thanksgiving food drive has been a longstanding tradition at West Albany High School, Every year WAHS staff and students donate to the food drive in order to provide meals to those in need.

In previous years, WAHS would make “Thanksgiving Baskets” and distribute them to families in the community, but throughout time the people receiving them have shifted.

“It goes directly to West Albany families, which feels more impactful, taking care of our own,” Said leadership advisor, Erik Ihde.

Memorial Middle School also holds a food drive, WAHS and MMS collaborate to put together boxes of food so families can have a Thanksgiving meal.

On average this food drive helps bring meals to 22 families from both WAHS and MMS.

“Usually [75%] of those families are from West and about [25%] are from Memorial,” said Ihde.

This year the food drive will start on Nov. 4 and ends on Nov. 22. Students are encouraged to donate if they are able to in order to help provide families with food this thanksgiving season.

It’s complicated

THE

THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND CLOSING THE GYM AND HOW IT AFFECTED STUDENTS AT WAHS

Story by Zion Mollel

At the start of the school year the main gym, a once hangout staple during passing periods, suddenly shut down leaving many people without a space to congregate. This seemingly rash decision sparked controversy among the students and staff at West Albany High School. Why did they close the gym? What is causing all the blockage? How does this affect the students at WAHS? What are student and staff opinions on the matter? All of the questions have been answered by members of our WAHS family. WAHS Principal Rich Engel shares his thoughts behind the decision to close the gym as well as his motivations and goals. Morgan Wadlow, business and marketing teacher, shares how she has adapted to the new gym blockage and gives insight into the past “Hang-Out Areas” at WAHS whenever she attended. Finally, senior Erica Hildenbrand shares her student perspective on how the gym blockage has affected her as a student.

“It was probably 2017, the last time the floor was redone, so [it] w[as] in horrible shape.”

“It’s a classroom, and nobody is cutting through the journalism classroom [C9] to access the parking lot, so we needed to treat it as such.”

“The hallway blockage is annoying, as West Albany highschool students know because I am always yelling at them”

“I think everyone’s really upset that the gym was taken from them, but they need to know that the gym was never student territory in the history of West Albany. It’s never been a hangout space. It’s always been a gym, and it just recently became a hang-out spot.”

“I understand that they want to keep the gym nice and clean, not scuffing [the floors]. But still, it’s a gym. People are going to run on it anyway. Eventually, they are going to have to redo it.”

“Since people are used to using the gym all the time, now everything is clogged up in the hallways and I’m always [pushed up] against someone, which is super inconvenient.”

PRINCIPAL RICH ENGEL

BUISNESS TEACHER MORGAN WADLOW

SENIOR ERICA HILDENBRAND

Story by Mina Clower and Helen Whiteside

photo by Jaysen Koerntgen

CONROD

Senior Dwayne Conrod previously attended South Albany, but transferred to West Albany at the start of this school year. Transferring schools was brought on by his parents in order to get better educational opportunities, but sports also played a part in the decision.

He has played as a wide receiver in football for many years, but this is his first year playing as a defensive

SOUTH ALBANY

back.

Conrod says that the teachers at WAHS are a lot nicer than they were at South Albany. “They are a lot more interested in the students,” he said.

Conrod also said that he likes “the people here as well, they have a nice culture and friendliness.”

Conrod also plans on playing basketball and track and field later in the year.

WEST SALEM TRENT MARTIRANO

Last year, Senior quarterback Kaden Martirano made the decision to transfer from West Salem High School to West Albany along with his sister Karlee Martirano, and is now playing his first season for the West football team.

“I’ve been to different schools before so I kind of know how to interact with people that I don’t know…It was a learning curve learning new names and finding new friends but it was easy with me playing football and having those friends,” Kaden Martirano said.

Once winter comes up, Kaden Martirano also plans on playing on the basketball team.

UPDATED ATTIRE,

WEST ALBANY TRANSFERS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES AS NEW STUDENTS AND ON NEW SPORTS TEAMS

Story by Jesus Cisneros Obledo,

Photos by Charlie Mack

KARLEE MARTIRANO

Sophomore Karlee Martirano previously went to West Salem High School alongside her brother Kaden Martirano but made the decision to transfer to West Albany to play basketball after the end of her freshman year.

She hopes to play as a point guard here at West once the basketball season starts. Karlee Martirano already had friends at West and also had connections with some of the people here. “The community is great, people are great, [and] I like the kind of sense of family within the sports at school,” she said.

WEST SALEM CATE KURTH CRESCENT VALLEY

Junior Cate Kurth went to Crescent Valley High School but decided to transfer to WAHS this year to play basketball. Kurth has been playing basketball for around two or three years as a guard. Her time at CV wasn’t as good of an experience as she had hoped, so she transferred in hopes to find a more supportive and welcoming atmosphere.

She played in a club basketball program called Tropics and made friends with some of the students who played here at WAHS. She also had some teammates who were considering transferring, and they convinced her.

She commutes to and from school from her home in Corvallis, lasting sometime around 30 minutes both ways.

Kurth said, “It feels really great…a sense of community and school spirit and all that. Everyone I’ve met is really nice and outgoing.”

SAME PASSION

up goes bad air quality Down goes sports games

HOW AIR QUALITY AND HEAT AFFECT ATHLETES PHSYCALLY AND MENTALLY

Weather has canceled numerous games of all sorts, indoor and outdoor due to ice, heat, and smog. But something that became a major issue, starting in the 20th century is air pollution. In urban areas, elitce athletes have complained in the past such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics of headaches, difficulty breathing, and slower times. Now, it doesn’t have to be a bustling city such as New York for the air quality alert to go off.

The revised 2022 OSAA air quality guidelines have a chart ready directing whether certain activities are safe for athletes with asthma, sensitivity to air pollution, or any heart/lung diseases. The worse the quality gets, the fewer activities any athlete can do.

These conditions can greatly affect an athlete’s mental state and play. Sports psychology teacher Drew Halvorson speaks about what kind of effects physically and mentally can occur while practicing or playing with bad air quality. “What you’re going to see is people get sick, things like heat stroke,” he said.

Though there may not be a quick effect on the games or athlete, it can still impact them in the long run. “You might not see an immediate injury right now, but down the road you could see some adverse side effects,” Halvorson said.

The preparation that goes into pre-game play are important and affects the athletes. “It’s tough for athletes to gear themselves up for a game. You practice, get ready, go through a routine and mindset… then it gets called off, that is tough for athletes to reset” Halvorson said.

There have been cancellations of soccer games this fall season. Freshman Luciano Sukhdeo

Story by Emi Ludlow, Photos by Charlie Mack

comments on the mental effect of practice being canceled during the 2020 wildfires. “It’s stressful with less prep time…We lost all our games, [we] probably would have done better if we had more time.”

[WE] PROBABLY WOULD HAVE DONE BETTER IF WE HAD MORE TIME. “

Less practice time can have a difficult effect on coaches with something out of their control affecting their seasons. Pollution has rapidly increased within the last 50 years and major professional companies such as NFL and MLB have an impact on the players’ decision making and setbacks with much left

undiscovered according to the National Library of Medicine.

Research of the parallel of athlete performance and the rising air quality issue is still small with many other factors having a play. Numerous other sports have not been looked at so the range of study is narrowed, but there is a connection.

When looking toward the future, it is probable that games and practices will continue to decrease for outdoor sports due to rising heat and pollution. “[It’s] not worth anybody’s health,” Halvorson said. “Especially with longer term negative consequences that could come from it.”

With students’ health conditions such as asthma already being impacted from smoke and air, the effects will only worsen over time. When asked about what concerns for the future, Sukhedo says “How many more plans [will pollution] disrupt? It scares me.”

5-3-1

An OSAA visability test to monitor the visiblity and determine if any vaction is neccesary.

Air quality index 5-3-1 visibility Action for outdoor activities

51-100 5-15 miles

Athletes with sensitivity or athsma should be ready with inhalers and take long breaks

101-150 3-5 miles

Consider moving locations, any athlete with athsma, hear diseases, or other medical issues should consider indoor sports only.

151-200 1-3 miles

All outdoor practices should be moved or canceled.

SENIOR CRAIG MAYNARD MID PLAY ON SEPTEMBER 6TH AT BEND HIGH SCHOOL. THE EVENING OF TVHE 6TH HAD HARSH AIR QUALITY AT A HIGH OF 137 AQI, POSING A CHALLENGE TO THE PLAYERS.

WAHS SPANISH TEACHER AND ELD COORDINATOR

KEN BEISER SPEAKS AT A GAEA RALLY AT NORTH ALBANY MIDDLE SCHOOL ON SEPT. 23 ON BEHALF OF THE BARGAINING TEAM

Story by Helen Whiteside

by Charlie Mack and Helen Whiteside

TJ LUNGER, SPECIAL EDUCATION STAFF AT NORTH ALBANY ELEMENTARY, DISPLAYS PHOTOS OF GAPS TEACHER INJURIES INFLICTED BY STUDENTS AT GAEA FORUM AT FIRST CHRISTIAN

THE TUMULTUOUS HISTORY OF GAPS’ 2024 CONTRACT BARGAINING

“WE DON’T WANT TO STRIKE.”

FEBRUARY “SUNSHINING”: BOTH PARTIES INTRODUCED TOPICS THEY INTENDED TO BARGAIN

MARCH-AUGUST NEGOTIATIONS:

BOTH SIDES SAT DOWN WITH A LEGAL OBLIGATION TO BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH IN AN ATTEMPT TO REACH AN AGREEMENT

CROWD RALLIES TO SUPPORT GAEA AT NORTH ALBANY MIDDLE SCHOOL ON SEPT. 23

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER MEDIATION: A STATE-APPOINTED MEDIATOR ATTEMPTED TO HELP THE TWO SIDES RECONCILE THEIR DIFFERENCES. IF UNSUCCESSFUL, EITHER PARTY COULD DECLARE IMPASSE AFTER 15 DAYS

OCTOBER IMPASSE: WITHIN 7 DAYS OF GAEA’S DECLARATION OF IMPASSE, SIDES SUBMITTED FINAL COST SUMMARIES

Photos

AVID

ON SEPT. 23 AT NORTH

COORDINATOR ANGELA SPENCER HOLDS A SIGN IN SUPPORT OF GAEA AT THE RALLY AT NORTH ALBANY MIDDLE SCHOOL

With a long, tense, and complicated contract bargaining season, Greater Albany Public Schools families, teachers, and students alike are hearing rumblings of a staff strike.

Every two to three years, school district staff contracts expire and bargaining begins as a new copy is drafted. Since February of 2024, GAPS and the Greater Albany Education Association have been negotiating, unable to come to an agreement.

Holding multiple forums and rallies along with the routine school board meetings, GAEA put significant effort into fostering support from parents and the community. On Oct. 24, the organization hosted a community forum structured specifically for parents. As the union declared impasse earlier in the month, meaning they feel the negotiations have stalled and are no longer productive, their primary goal for hosting the forum was to hold a Q&A for concerned parents and community members, as well as students.

Max Nazarian, a 5th grade teacher at Liberty Elementary and Vice President of the GAEA, led the opening of the meeting, sharing his deep love and care for the district and his job.

“Back in January, we started brainstorming: how we can develop the best schools that we possibly can…We reached out to all of our educators and asked, ‘What is your vision for our schools? What do our kids need? And what do you need to be the best educators you can be for our kids?’...and that’s how we designed all of our proposals,” he said.

higher pay, smaller class sizes, better staffing, and updated curriculum. Dana Lovejoy, president of the union, added that her strongest concern was for students throughout the process.

”We chose to come to this career, but our contract has not kept up with the times of what our students need…We believe that our district has the resources to meet [those needs], but we have to have a different vision in our district in order to [do so],” she said.

Another teacher that evening shared her experience with students who have unmet needs, specifically those in the special education program.

“Our schools are not staffed as they should be,” she said. “I have students in my classroom that legally, because of their IEP [Individualized Education Plan], are supposed to have an assistant with them. They are not given an assistant during the day. That is a huge thing we are trying to fight for; our kids deserve it; it’s legally entitled to them, and again, it’s what’s fueling us.”

According to the GAEA’s bargaining timeline as of Oct. 28, the next action point would be a potential strike. However, all members and leaders of the union have made it clear that it’s their absolute last resort.

“We are not looking to strike,” another GAEA member shared. “We want to avoid a strike, but we feel like that’s our last mechanism based on how this bargain has gone.”

The week of Oct. 20-25, select district staff members began attending strike school.

IMPASSE: OF GAEA’S OF IMPASSE, BOTH SUBMITTED FINAL OFFERS AND SUMMARIES

“COOLING OFF”: A 30 DAY “COOLING OFF” PERIOD FOLLOWS THE PUBLICATION OF THE FINAL OFFERS. THIS TIME ALLOWS FURTHER EFFORTS TO SETTLE THE DISPUTE. HERE AS OF OCT. 28

POSSIBLE STRIKE: GAEA CAN LEGALLY STRIKE AFTER 10 DAYS NOTICE (RESULTS ANNOUNCED ON OCT. 29)

West Albany social studies teacher Erik Ihde shared how out of all the similar sized districts in Oregon, GAPS is ranked last out of 35 in terms of teacher salary, and according to GAEA representatives, GAPS teacher contracts have changed very little over time.

”Our contract has made very little progress since the 1980s,” Nazarian said.

Among the union’s top priorities are student and teacher safety, especially at the elementary level;

On Oct. 4, when the GAEA declared impasse, the GAPS school board reported via their website that “We [the school board] want to assure you [community members] that we are committed to open communication and bargaining in good faith to reach a fair and equitable contract with our staff.”

Updated information from all sides can be found at albanyteachers.org (GAEA) and albany.k12.or.us.

Hidden Gems

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS

ZION MOLLEL AND ADILYNN ATCHLEY

REVIEW THE NEWEST HANGOUT SPOTS IN TOWN

Story and photos by Zion Mollel and Adilynn Atchley

In a town of about 57,997 people, Albany has a variety of activities and hang out spots. From a downtown thrift store like Connie’s Antiques, to the LakeShore Lanes bowling alley on Pacific Blvd., you can find a bit of everything in Albany. Staples like Pix, a local family owned theater, have been around for over 53 years. In that time they have improved with a remodle and a switch in ownership in 2006, and growth in all areas. Though Albany has an abundance of hang out destinations, new hidden gems are constantly opening around town. Recent such examples are an adult arcade spin off for all ages, a humble family owned Indian restaurant, and an expansion of a local ice cream shop from Corvallis. The A&E Editors went on a day out around town hitting these new spots, and reviewing them.

COIN JAM 4/5

2736 PACIFIC BLVD SE SUITE B

PRICES : CREDITS: $5 - $30

20, 40, & 80 CREDITS

CLAW MACHINE: 5 - 8 CREDITS

SHOOTING GAMES: 5 - 6 CREDITS

FIGHTING GAMES: 3 - 6 CREDITS

RACING GAMES: 2 - 3 CREDITS

• MAIN LOCATION IN SALEM

• $20 AVERAGES TO 20 GAMES

• $20 LASTS AROUND 1-1.5 HOURS

*NO MINORS PAST AFTER 8 PM

IT HAS A VARIETY OF GAMES TO CHOOSE FROM, WITH GAMES FOR EVERYONE OF ALL AGES AND INTERESTS.

INDIAN FAMILY KITCHEN 3.5/5

642 NW HICKORY ST.

PRICES : MAIN ENTREES: $17 - $20 OPTIONS: CHICKEN, VEGAN, LAMB, FROM THE SEA

• APPETIZERS: $6 - $10

• BREADS: $3 - $7

• DRINKS & DESSERTS: $4

• FAST SERVICE

• FAMILY OWNED

THEIR FOOD IS NOT THE BEST QUALITY, BUT THEIR SPEEDY SERVICE AND OTHER ASPECTS MADE UP FOR IT.

SUGAR JS 4.5/5

PRICES:

SCOOPS: $4.50 - $7.50

SIZES: EXTRA SMALL, SINGLE, MIXED SINGLE, DOUBLE

*SPRINKLES - FREE PINT-TO-GO: $9.50

• DIVERSE VEGAN SELECTION DARK CHOCOLATE, PISTACHIO LATTE, RASPBERRY, COOKIES AND CREAM

THEIR ICE CREAM SELECTION WAS VERY UNIQUE, AND THEIR TAKE OF TRADITIONAL FLAVORS WAS VERY PLEASANT.

Under the Mask

WAHS STUDENTS PERSPECTIVE ON HALLOWEEN COSTUME INEQUALITY, AND THE GENDER DIVIDE THAT COMES WITH IT

Story and photos by

When choosing a Halloween costume, there is an apparent difference in the costumes based on gender. Regardless of their beliefs, many students have noticed differences in design between the same costume when made for the opposite gender. For many students, these costume details and the way costumes have been adapted seem unfair.

Freshman Landon Duran noticed a difference in Halloween costumes while shopping for his own, which this year is a Ghostface costume.

“For women, Ghostface [costumes] show a lot more of the legs. There’s two slits on each side,” Duran said, “There’s always a choice to dress that way, but I do think it’s really unfair.”

These costume alterations to make the design more open make it difficult for people to dress up. Duran noticed this affects him and others as well depending on who they might be.

“Let’s say that I wanted to dress up as a girl character,” Duran said. “It would be weird, but if a girl wanted to dress as a boy character, it would be fine.”

He expresses in this statement how not even he would feel comfortable in a costume intended for women, yet he feels as if men’s costumes are comfortable enough for all genders to partake in. Senior River Catalan had a similar experience when looking for her Halloween costume.

“Well, it’s kinda hard when you find

1950 2024

something but have to alter it or put something underneath it to make it less revealing,” Catalan said.

Many women’s costumes seem to be sexualized to the extent where they require some alterations to be comfortable to wear. As well, when you’re considering the weather these costumes are intended to be worn in, it’s hard to comprehend why the women’s costumes would need to have less fabric and more open areas. Catalan’s difficulty finding a costume led her to choosing an alternative.

“I was going for a more feminine one, but everything I found was uncomfortably short,” Catalan said, “so I ended up having to go with Lydia [from Beetlejuice] because she is one of the characters that is least sexualized.”

Catalan is disappointed that someone made the decision to change the clothing of the character from the film, leading to a more sexual tone.

“Women’s [costumes] tend to be more provocative, out there, and sluttier,” Catalan said. “They often make the men’s costumes scary and women’s sexualized.”

Catalan makes it clear that she’s not interested in dressing up in a way that sexualizes her, and that Halloween has a different meaning for her.

When it comes down to finding a Halloween costume, it becomes an unsettling reminder of how we represent gender unequally.

1994

2024

2019

2024

Hailoh Smith Illustrations by AJ Howard

Freshman Landon Duran

Senior River Catalan

A McCalls Costume sewing pattern released in 1994 titled “Sea Wench”.

Sea Wench costume sold by Spirit Halloween for $39.99

Teen Witch Costume (7-8) sold by Amazon for $10.00

A witch costume sewing pattern sold by McCalls in the 1950s.

A sewing pattern released in January 2019 by Simplicity.

Adult Say Ahhh Nurse Costume sold by Spirit Halloween for $39.99

Timeline by Teah Caffarella

Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday that takes place on November 1st and November 2nd. With this holiday, people believe that this time of year is a window for all those who have passed away to come back home. “It is believed that the spirits and souls of those who have passed can come back [to] visit and spend time with their families during these days.” Spanish Teacher Anne Timm said.

Families will gather together at times, whether it be a house party or the graves of your loved ones. It’s a time to connect with others, and to recall memories of those who have passed. But these gatherings also serve as a time to celebrate the lives that they lived. “Families come together and spend time together, or go out with people and celebrate.” Timm said. “I like the quiet time where people come together and visit and spend time together.”

A big part of celebrating Dia de los Muertos is the festivals! A particularly large celebration takes place in Oaxaca Mexico every year, according to The Grace Museum. At these celebrations you will see many types of food, parades, and hear lots of music. People will often dress up too. Some dress as monarch butterflies that are believed to hold the spirits of the dead. People also paint their faces to look like a skeleton, and wear very vibrant colors, to make costumes colorful and creative.

During celebrations, whether it be a family

Honoring our Ancestors

THE HISTORY AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE BEHIND DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

Story by Adilynn Atchley

Illustrations by AJ Howard

event or a large fiesta, there is almost always food. A popular food to see is Pan de Muerto. Pan de Muerto directly translates to ‘Bread of the Dead’ and is typically shaped like a round loaf of bread, with bones crossing the top of it. It is a sweet and slightly sugary bread that is usually served and dipped in coffee or hot chocolate. It is usually placed on altars, but can be made specifically for a group to eat as well.

One of the reasons people put food and drinks on the ofrendas is with the intention of giving the passed family members something they can eat or drink. “They put a cup of water, and [on] the second day of November,” the second day the holiday is celebrated, “they go check to see if the water has gone down. We believe that if the drinks go down [it’s] the dead drinking it,” said Munoz.

YOU

foods or drinks, if it’s a kid, some candy or their favorite toy.

“

STILL WANT THEM TO BE PART OF YOUR LIVES AFTER THEY’VE PASSED AWAY

A main tradition of this holiday is building an altar, called an ofrenda or offering. “On the altar you put things that will attract them to want to visit and come home.” Timm said.

You can put many things on the altar to help guide the spirits home. People cover the table with cempasúchil flowers, otherwise known as marigolds, sugar skulls, decorative skulls made of sugar or clay, and papel picado, cut up decorative paper on the edges of the altar to add color. These bright colors are meant to attract the souls toward the ofrendas made for them. You can also add a glass of water or salt for purity, or candles and incense for an attracting smell.

A big part of building the ofrenda is making it personalized for the person you’re honoring. Putting a portrait of them, some of their favorite

One of the reasons people put food and drinks on the ofrendas is with the intention of giving the passed family members something they can eat or drink. “They put a cup of water, and [on] the second day of November,” the second day the holiday is celebrated, “they go check to see if the water has gone down. We believe that if the drinks go down [it’s] the dead drinking it,” said Munoz. Another common practice is making a path of flower petals from outside into your home. “[We do] pathways leading to the altar with orange flowers,” Jessica Munoz said through a translator. “We need to show [the spirits] the way home with flower petals.” Said Timm. Using cempasúchil, they disperse them to make a defined pathway.

People recognize that death isn’t as scary as it seems, and look forward to the days where their loved ones can return home. “You miss your loved one, and you don’t want them to be forgotten. You still want them to be part of your lives after they’ve passed away.” Timm said. American culture always sees death as something that is dark, and scary, but it doesn’t have to be that way. “Every year you can look forward to celebrating the lives of those people who you really miss. I think American culture could kind of learn something from that where death isn’t so horrible and scary after the fact.”

Yes, death is sad, it always will be, but the Day of the Dead gives people something to be excited for. People don’t need to be worried about not seeing their friends and family after they’re gone, cause they’re always there, and they get the chance to be in their presence again every year.

the VOTES are in

First Choice

STUDENTS WHO PLANNED TO VOTE IN THE RECENT ELECTION SHARE WHY THEY WANT THEIR VOICE TO BE HEARD

Story by Lena Larson

Teenagers are given many new responsibilities and opportunities when they turn 18. They can enlist in the military, get married, and move out of their parents’ house. Another thing they can do is vote.

Nevertheless, younger voters are consistently less likely to vote than their older counterparts, as stated by the United States Census Bureau. In the 2020 presidential election, the voter turnout for ages 18 to 24 was 51.4%, while for all ages, it was 66.8%, leaving a large gap.

One factor contributing to this is that young voters may have misconceptions about the voting process that they haven’t yet participated in.

“Yeah, there’s the electoral college, and people like to argue that they’re just doing it based on

a majority or a consensus, and my vote doesn’t really matter,” said Senior Maggie Baas, “but I’m like, it’s because you vote that there’s a majority.”

Another common theory as to why young people are less likely to vote is that they’re apathetic to the state of the government. The Administration and Cost of Elections Electoral Knowledge Network disproved this, saying that the low voter turnout is due to young people’s distrust of traditional government institutions and disconnect from the complex voting process.

Senior Luc Tomich said, “I think that it’s important [to vote] because we’re going to be growing up in that government, and so in order to be able to shape it to what would be best for us, [we have to vote].”

Senior Sadie Tatum thinks that voting young sets a path to voting in future elections, too.

“If you’re not going to vote young, you’re probably not going to vote older either.” When one begins voting at an older age, they also haven’t had time to acclimate to the process and it becomes more daunting.

Voter turnout in youth has increased in the past few presidential elections, and this trend is likely to continue. Like Tatum said, “[Young voters are] the only way to get a voice for our generation.”

Thinking For Ourselves

HOW INFORMATION SOURCES WE TRUST CAN MISLEAD US

No matter where you look, the information given about any given topic will be imbued with some form of bias. Whether they’re positive or negative: biases can alter the way we think, feel, and treat another person or group of people. When it comes to politics, it’s critical that we engage with the statements made by politicians and political entities with caution.

All students in this building are only a couple of years away from being able to exercise the right to vote with some students feeling strongly about politics, while others shy away from them for a number of reasons. Some reasons could be that students don’t feel that the issues are applicable to them or hold any importance to them; whereas, others may feel hesitant about discussing politics with the people around them due to our current political climate.

“It’s so convoluted these days, how are you going to get more involved in politics if all the news you see, if you’re Republican, is Fox News or others that support your ideals. The same thing with Democrats, they’ll only see CNN and similar stuff, so how do you get more politically active if all you see is one side of the story instead of both?” said senior Cooper Burdick.

Burdick mentioned how any of the political content he comes across online comes in the form of advertisements and not spread organically by other users on the web. These ads are filled with propaganda themselves, which can make it difficult to verify what is true and what

is false when someone may simply be scrolling through social media to unwind after a long day or to connect with the people in their lives. The messages that these ads send can cause someone to subconsciously alter their opinion about a certain issue or they can do exactly the opposite and give someone a full body reaction to the absurdity of the information presented.

For most, finding political information is not difficult at all—it is quite literally everywhere. People hear and see their information from word-of-mouth, traditional news reports, prominent news publications on all sides of the political spectrum, to influencers with little political background or knowledge, and people with charged, often ill-informed opinions on various social media platforms. Although, most people denounce social media apps like Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter, they offer a user a unique perspective that is hard to receive from other sources of political information: they can give an individual a firsthand look into the way politicians and their policies directly affect the lives of Americans and, even, people in other countries. People from all facets of society exist on these apps. Now, this can prove to be both a positive and negative thing as some people share their feelings on certain topics that inform others about how certain policies have a direct effect on their lives causing empathy from other users who may be suffering from the same issue; or they can just be spreading information that is harmful, irrelevant to the issue, and, honestly, just untruthful.

Some students have already done the work to learn about certain issues and where they typically stand on the political spectrum. Something that can be challenging to navigate as a young adult in the political landscape is the difference in opinion that others may hold— which is something that adults themselves can have trouble with.

“I’ve disagreed with a few of my friends and I understand where they’re coming from and their beliefs…they’re aligning to their political ideology, and I’m aligning my beliefs to mine. We both think we’re kind of right, even though there’s no telling who’s exactly right,” senior Sierra Buhlert said.

With the misinformation spread all around us as well as an algorithm that only feeds us what we’d like to see, it is easy to become divided and hostile towards those with different beliefs of how things should be handled. Which is why it is crucial to approach people with open mindedness and have the tenacity to find the voice of reason in a sea of irrationality.

“People need to know the truth…[students] need to figure out what they want for themselves, not what [is] want[ed of] them,” said senior Matt Wilcox.

Story by Avneet Dhaliwal

Illistration by AJ Howard

Turning Tides

WHAT HAS CHANGED IN POLITICS OVER THE YEARS AND WHAT HAS BEEN OBSERVED?

Story by Belle Beisell, Photo by Taylour Veith

Politics are changing all around us and in the world. At least somewhere in the world, there’s always someone new rising in power, a new member of the Senate, the House of Representatives, presidents, and more. Amongst all these people, there are some who are always willing to do something that’s going to change the way politics work. Everyone rules in their own ways, which means everywhere, politics are going to be run differently.

Here at West Albany High School, we have some of our government and history teachers who have been observing politics over several years and how they changed over time.

“When September 11th happened,” language arts teacher Chris Martin said. “I think that might have shaped some politics for me.” Martin has seen some events that happened in the past that shook his views on politics. Martin has explained that for him, politics are getting a bit more dangerous, risking a lot with all of the chaos that has been occuring in the last several years.

“It feels like things are getting more heated, more dangerous, more attacking,” Martin said.

Government teacher Erik Ihde doesn’t have any significant key events that have shaped politics. Still, he thinks a turning point for some people was the political ideas that became more relevant during the pandemic in 2019.

“I would say that the politics that surrounded the Covid pandemic, around the shutdown, I think that was a turning point in terms for us,” Ihde said.

For history teacher Andrew Sturgill, the Cold War was an important event in the past that changed the way he saw politics, as well as September 11.

“Most of my childhood was during the Cold War, so that might have shaped some politics for me,” Sturgill said. “The other event that took place was later, in 2001, and that was the September 11th attack.”

Sturgill also says that politics have changed a lot, but one of the main

differences is the internet. Because of the internet, we believe things we see even if they aren’t true.

“I think that there’s definitely a difference in politics from then and now,” Sturgill said. “I find that today people are more likely to believe things that aren’t true than I feel like they used to.”

Something mentioned more than once by more than one teacher was how there is a divide in the world.

“I think all the lies also add to the divide because most of the nontruths are purposefully trying to create division,” Sturgill said. And Ihde said something similar.

Both Sturgill and Martin, said that September 11th was probably a big thing that changed the way they saw politics.

“The thing that’s different today has a lot to do with the internet,” Sturgill said.

YOU DON’T SAY WHAT STUDENTS REALLY WANT TO KNOW FROM POLITICANS

When senior Berkeley Bolf listens to the upcoming election in their AP Government class or the election for Oregon’s congress, they often pay attention to future laws that directly affect us.

“Local politics are very important,” Bolf said. “Who we elect for governor, mayor, and for state representative.”

Senior Jake Bailey isn’t following the election very closely, but in his AP Government class they frequently view updates of the election. When Bailey listens to what is happening in the election in the class, he doesn’t look for anything super specific, he looks for which candidates are more in the lead.

“I want to see who has the upper hand [in] the swing states,” Bailey said.

SENIOR BERKELEY BOLF

SENIOR JAKE BAILEY

Story by Ariana Goettl

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER ANDREW STURGILL TEACHES INTERNATIONAL ISSUES ON OCT. 28. STUDENTS IN THIS AND OTHER SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSES DISCUSS CURRENT EVENTS FACING THE NATION AND WORLD TODAY.

OREGON MEASURES

By Chance Young

For those who are now old enough to vote, finding out exactly whether you should vote yes or no on a specific measure can be difficult; reading through very long and complicated documents isn’t something everyone wants to do.

Whether you are old enough to vote or not, these measures impact all Oregonians. Here’s an explanation of what’s on the ballot this year.

But first, what is a measure? In politics, a measure is an action to address a specific issue. It’s usually formatted as: [State] Measure [Number], [Measure Topic] (Year), for example, Oregon Measure 118 Corporate Tax Revenue Rebate for Residents Initiative (2024).

In Oregon currently, there are five measures on the ballot: measures 115, 116, 117, 118, and 119. The most controversial one is measure 118. To get a more professional explantion of these meausures here are the words of three WAHS goverment teachers.

According to American Government teacher Byran Wadlow, Measure 118 rebates residents from surplus corporate tax revenue and gives a $1,600 credit or payment to every Oregon resident. ”That can be enticing, Wadlow said, “but I always caution people about what free [could] actually mean.” .

“Any business that has over $30 million in revenue. [The measure] does not specify if that is revenue, mean[ing] what they’ve [made in] profit[s], or just sales. It reads as just sales, which means that [businesses with] $30 million in sales are taxed at an additional 3%,” Wadlow said.

Wadlow worries that the vague definitions could lead to increased item prices, the opposite of the goal of the measure.

On measure 115, American Government teacher Erik Ihde explains the measure would allow for Oregon’s legislature to impeach and remove elected members.

“I like the intent of accountability,” Ihde said.

“Its application in other states has been, it’s shown itself to be a political weapon at times, in other states, for partisan politics, and that’s something that I’m not a big fan of.”

Measure 115 would allow members of legislature to be impeached, which basically means kicked out of their political position before the end of their term.

AP American

Government teacher Blain Willard says he is most excited for Measure 117, which allows ranked choice voting. “It gives voters more choices, so we get to move beyond the false dichotomy of the twoparty system that we have,” Willard said.

117 would change Oregon elections to use a voting system called rankedchoice voting, which lets a person rank from their first choice to however many choices there are. In the first round of voting, only the first votes will be counted, and if one of them gets above 50%, they win immediately. However, if no one gets above 50%, the candidates with the lowest percentages are eliminated. If the ones eliminated are someone’s first choice, their vote will go to their second choice, and this cycle repeats until someone gets a majority vote.

SENIOR GAVIN CHAMBERLAIN

Senior Gavin Chamberlain isn’t very into politics but follows it closely in his AP Government class. When he watches the election in AP Gov, he doesn’t look for anything specific but still plans to vote in this upcoming election.

“I plan on voting in this election, but I won’t be voting during midterm elections,” Chamberlain said.

Senior Shaii Yakavenka is in AP Government and is following the election closely in that class. When Yakavenka is watching the election in class, she doesn’t look for any very specific answers about certain topics from the candidates, but she would like to know more about what happens with our taxes.

“Where [do] our taxes go?” Yakavenka said. “I feel we give a lot of money to the government, but we don’t get a lot back.”

Government teacher Bryan Wadlow

Government teacher Erik Ihde

Government teacher Blain WIllard

SENIOR SHAII YAKAVENKA

If anything happens I YOu

EXPLORING PROCEDURES, PAST STORIES AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH GUN VIOLENCE

On The Rise

On The Rise

A LOOK INTO SCHOOL SHOOTINGS OVER THE YEARS

Story by Taylour Veith

ROBB ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOOTING IN UVALDE, TEXAS WITH 17 INJURIES AND 21 DEATHS 2022

LADD-PEEBLES

STADIUM SHOOTING IN MOBILE, ALABAMA WITH 10 INJURIES AND 0 DEATHS 2019

OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING IN OXFORD, MICHIGAN WITH 7 INJURIES AND 4 DEATHS 2021

2019

WYNBROOKE ELEMENTARY THEME SCHOOL SHOOTING IN STONE MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA WITH 10 INJURIES AND 0 KILLED

SANTA FE HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING IN SANTA FE, TEXAS WITH 13 INJURIES AND 10 DEATHS 2018

RANCHO TEHAMA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOOTING IN RANCHO TEHAMA RESERVE CALIFORNIA, WITH 18 INJURIES AND 0 DEATHS

2017

2015

UMPQUA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SHOOTING IN ROSEBURG, OREGON WITH 7 INJURIES AND 9 DEATHS

VIRGINIA TECH UNIVERSITY SHOOTING IN BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA WITH 26 INJURIES AND 32 DEATHS

ASSULT WEAPON BAN PASSED

ASSAULT WEAPON BAN EXPIRED

SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOOTING IN NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT WITH 0 INJURIES AND 26 DEATHS 2012

MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING IN PARKLAND, FLORIDA WITH 17 INJURIES AND 17 DEATHS 2018

MARSHALL COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING IN BENTON, KENTUCKY WITH 18 INJURIES AND 2 DEATHS 2018

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA SHOOTING IN ISLA VISTA, CALIFORNIA, WITH 14 INJURIES AND 6 DEATHS 2014

2008

NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY SHOOTING IN DEKALB, ILLINOIS WITH 16 INJURIES AND 5 DEATHS

SANTANA HIGH SCHOOL IN SANTEE CALIFORNIA

COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL MASSACRE: DEADLIEST MASS SHOOTING DURING THE BAN

FIRST SHOOTING IN THE US. UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SNIPER SHOOTING

WHAT IS YOUR SAFETY CONCERN?

STUDENTS AND STAFF ANSWER THE QUESTION “WHAT ARE YOUR SAFETY CONCERNS AT WEST?”

Story and Photos by Virgil Isaac

PERCENTAGE OF ACTIVE SHOOTER INCIDENTS BY SCHOOL LEVEL

Illustrations by Kayla Stefan

MASS SHOOTING DEATHS IN THE US FROM 1981 TO 2017

MATH TEACHER STEVE OCKERMAN

“It’s a worry of mine that I’ll say something in the wrong way and it’ll hurt someone else.”

lock down

A PERSPECTIVE FROM A NON-AMERICAN

Opinion of Ava Clark

Ilived in New Zealand until age three, moved to Australia until I was eight, then moved back to New Zealand and stayed until I was 13. Now I am 14 and living in America. Last December when I moved to America I found it surprising how much danger people are exposed to when it comes to gun violence.

At the start of this school year, there were threats going around about shooting up Sweet Home and Lebanon. When I heard about that, terror struck me and I realized that all the things I’d heard on the news and online weren’t just in those big cities, but everywhere.

In fourth grade, I experienced my first real lockdown. There were two mass shootings with a white man targeting Muslims that took place in Christchurch, the city I was living in at the time. I was stuck sharing half my classroom with about 30 people for three hours. He killed 51 people and 89 people were injured with the belief of white genocide, antiimmigration, white nationalism, and a ton of other things going against black people or people of color. It made me feel sick that someone could do that sort of thing just because they hated the way those people were different from the majority. Since the incident that happened in 2019, nothing else like that has happened and a year later there was a memorial for all those lives lost that dark day.

When I came to Oregon, I learned that people who are over 18 can buy a gun after a background check at the register and carry it around wherever they go. I feel uneasy that people have such easier access to guns here than in any other country I have lived in. When I had my first lockdown drill, I realized how serious people here are about lockdowns. I mean, I was surprised to hear that police were going to be walking around and acting like they were a person trying to get in. I had only ever had drills where we sat in silence for a little bit, and then the principal would go round to say the drills over. It’s sad because as a kid I’d always dream of going to America and having the experience of going to a proper American school. I would talk to my friends about it, and we would just go on and on talking about how amazing and cool it would be to go to a school where you wouldn’t have to wear uniforms and have the school make lunch for you. And moving here I didn’t expect to have to worry about these things as much as I have.

It shouldn’t be this common and kids shouldn’t have to grow up with so much fear of just simply going to school. Kids should grow up laughing and having fun not hearing the sound of the lockdown alarm. School should be a safe learning place where students feel wellprotected and secure. But with every school shooting, I feel that school is just becoming a targeted place rather than a safe one.

Data from Percentage of Active Shooter Incidents by School Level according to the K-12 School Shooting Database

Data from Mass shooting deaths in the U.S. from 1990-2007 according to Ohio Capital Journal

Hitting Home

ONE TEACHER’S PERSONAL EXPERIENCE DURING A SCHOOL SHOOTING

Story and photo by Addi Winter

Ilistened to my brother’s message a couple times in a row. ” Jordan Ruppert, English and Latin teacher said. “I couldn’t get a hold of him. I tried to call him, but I only had a few moments before class started.”

On Oct. 1, 2015, Ruppert, teaching freshman English, received a frantic message from his younger brother who lived in the same apartment complex as students attending Umpqua Community College at the time. Among these were students that Ruppert had previously taught.

Umpqua Community College had been the target of a school shooting by a student attending the school. A 26 year old who committed suicide after the shooting opened fire that day, injuring eight and killing nine.

“Dozens of people that I have taught were enrolled there,” Rupert said. “I was wondering about all of them. My brother’s neighbors had received the notification from the school not to come into their class.”

After having received the message from his little brother, Ruppert says, “I don’t remember what I was teaching. I don’t remember how [the] class went. [Teaching class] was probably really, really difficult. It was all kind of a blur, my memory goes black. I do remember, I had a bunch of students who were students [at Umpqua], and my sister-in-law was meant to be on campus that day, so I was concerned. I didn’t know anything. I found out after class

that she was okay. She was sick, and didn’t go to campus that day, which was fortunate.”

Ruppert explains his relation to Umpqua and how he developed relationships with his former students who attended the school.

Rupert taught at Douglas High school, which is fifteen minutes away from Montclair for three years.

“Dozens of people that I taught were enrolled there so I was wondering about all of them, and details [were] sort of slow to emerge.”

Ruppert continues to explain his thoughts and concerns during this time.

“There [were] several people who had been shot but a former student of mine, [she] was in the room and played dead to avoid [getting shot].”

Ruppert continues to explain what he knew during the experience and how he got the information, “I was getting some kind of updates from people that I stayed in touch with. I was close [with her brother] as well. I was getting some sort of updates, but I knew she was in critical [care].”

He goes on to describe how this experience impacted his view of teaching.

“Umpqua’s just one of dozens of similar episodes and I was probably somewhat desensitized to it having read about it so many times that it was already a sort of assumed part of reality.”

Ruppert has remained in teaching for the past years despite having a connection with this level of tragedy.

“I [don’t] go to school scared. I don’t know that it changed my approach to teaching as much as

just experiencing being of close connection to this level of tragedy does one of lots of other things.”

“You follow those stories, [and] someone always says they never thought it would happen here. The odds are so unlikely, even though it’s so much more common than ought to be.”

“Living through grief changes every one of us. All of our experiences wrinkle us a bit” said Ruppert.

To honor the people and lives lost that day at Umpqua, many candlelight vigils were held for the victims and families of the mass tragedy.

“The regular advice of living well applies here,” Ruppert said, “You have the people you really love in your life. [Give them] a hug. [At] that scale, [with] so many lives all at once, [it] does make you put things in perspective.”

JUNIOR KYA SCHLOSSER

“If there’s gonna be a school shooting, it’s gonna be a student, and they already know all of our routines.”

Prevention

WHAT MEASURES ARE ADMIN, ADMINISTRATORS, AND OFFICERS TAKING TO KEEP STUDENTS SAFE IF THERE IS THE THREAT OF GUN VIOLENCE?

Story and Illistrations by Ethan Leffler

After the September Apalachee High School shooting, threats of gun violence in schools began to rise. One rumor was targeted toward South Albany High School, whose campus is only about three miles away from West Albany High School. How do law enforcement and school officials react to these kinds of threats, and how do they react if these rumors of school shootings become realities?

When asked about what things are done to prevent gun violence in schools, officer Sam Posthuma from the Albany Police Department explains, “If we get word of an active threat that hasn’t occurred yet or is rumored to occur, we are investigating it right from the very beginning.” Their main goal in these kind of situations is “to stop the threat.”

Before becoming officers, members of the Albany police department learn how to respond to active threats. Even after all that, “Once a year, we go through what

we call our in-service trainings. Our police officers go through active threat scenarios that Albany Police Department put on themselves,” Posthuma said.

Posthuma emphasized the importance of staff and student relationships and what measures the school should be taking in order to prevent threats toward student safety. Officer Posthuma put it, “I think relationship building is important, and again, the students need to feel comfortable with going to a teacher outside of any sort of consequence or feeling like they’re telling on someone.”

Posthuma expressed the importance of parents properly storing their weapons, Officer Posthuma explains how parents need to store their weapons where they are safe and un-accessible to youth or at-risk individuals in the home.

“Not keeping it in your dresser drawer, on your nightstand, or in your closet. [Not] in your truck or in the garage,” Posthuma said. “Unsecure, that’s not the answer.”

&

West Albany High School staff have an especially interesting point of view when it comes to the threat of violence in the halls.

“Every teacher in the building went through a training in the library where we had to practice applying tourniquets… and packing bullet wounds,” Spanish Teacher Ken Beiser expanded on this, explaining how the red bags in each classroom are not just basic first aid kits, but have the materials required for teachers to apply that life-saving first aid.

Beiser also went on to point out one of the causes of this violence. “There’s a lot of resources out there for your physical health, but mental health is still very much taboo.” There are a lot of factors that cause and complicate these situations, but as Beiser states, “It’s tough, but kids are getting killed at school... very often, so it’s something that we really need to address.”

SPANISH TEACHER ANNE TIMM

“There’s a lack of funding to equip the building with better protocols and equipment. I wish there were the money for

P R O C E

Reacting Rationally

WHAT STAFF AND STUDENTS THINK ABOUT WEST ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL IN RELATION TO THE GEORGIA APALACHEE SHOOT SHOOTING

Story by Mina Clower, Photo by Gretchen Morgenstern

Around 10:20 am (EDT), on Sept. 4th, 2024, the first day of school for West Albany students, a 14 year old opened fire at Georgia Apalachee High School. Allegedly 11 people were injured and four people lost their lives, two teachers and two students. Such a deadly school shooting, especially one that got so much media attention, happening so early in the year is quite uncommon.

With the media attention, concerns started to rise among the community.

“I didn’t [follow the story closely],” Assistant Principal Jessica Smith said. “I think concerns are already high. I think people are already hyper-aware.”

Students like freshman Riley Smith (no relation) have concerns about safety at WAHS following the shooting in Georgia.

“I do fear that, like, it might happen here. So I am trying my hardest to not think about that, and hopefully that, it won’t ever happen,” Riley Smith said.

Along with understanding the risks from an administrator’s perspective, Jessica Smith also understands from a parent’s perspective. She is a parent to three kids: one college-aged, one high school-aged, and one elementary-aged. Both of Jessica Smith’s elementary and high school-aged children attend school in the Greater Albany Public School District.

“I feel very trusting of the other administrators in the district. Knowing the training they’ve received and what our protocols are makes me feel better,” Jessica Smith said.

There are many ways staff and students can help keep WAHS safer, such as only using the C hall doors and front entrance to enter and exit the school to help monitor the people coming

in and out of the campus. Staff in the GAPS school district also go through training to ensure that schools stay safe.

“We train teachers just like we train students on our lockdown drills and our safety protocols,” Jessica Smith said. “There’s a district-wide safety committee that every school has representatives for. So there’s a lot of thought and intentionality in our training and in our processes.”

Along with trusting and understanding the training administrators go through and knowing the standard Jessica Smith also has had

WE TRAIN TEACHERS JUST LIKE WE TRAIN STUDENTS ON OUR LOCKDOWN DRILLS AND OUR SAFETY PROTOCOLS “

conversations with her children about what to do in the event of a school lockdown.

“It’s an unfortunate reality of being a parent right now,” Jessica Smith said. “It’s the same conversation you have when you talk about fire safety at home, like you don’t hide from the firefighters, and you have a protocol, and you know what the plan is.”

Riley Smith has also spoken with her parents at home about what to do if school went into lockdown.

“They say, make sure you have your phone on you and make sure that you are safe and you know where to go [afterwards],” Riley Smith said.

As well as with talking with her children about what to do in the event of a lockdown, Jessica Smith has also had conversations with her children about what to do to help prevent such a situation from happening in the first place.

“We talk a lot about if something doesn’t feel right, or if you’re concerned about a friend, make sure you tell your teacher or you tell somebody at school, ” Jessica Smith said.

The same mindset should apply to all students, to help ensure safety within our communities and school.

“See something say something. That’s the biggest one. that’s what keeps us safe. Something doesn’t feel right, or you hear kids talking about something that doesn’t sound right, go to an adult immediately,” Jessica Smith said.

“I truly believe that the relationships that we build with our students and taking care of people is that’s what makes the difference,” said Jessica Smith.

SENIORS SADIE TATUM AND MILAN BOYD HIDE IN CLASSROOM C-9 DURING A LOCKDOWN DRILL DURING THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR.

SENIOR JADE HOWAT

“A lot of people make a lot of insensitive jokes and stuff… I feel like a lot of peopledon’t take it seriously.”

Who is to Blame

THE

ROLE PARENTS PLAY WHEN A SCHOOL SHOOTING OCCURS

Nov. 30, 2021, Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the Oxford High School shooter, was tried and found guilty of four counts of manslaughter. Never before in United States history has a parent been convicted of a crime committed by their child, even with the U.S. having the highest rate of school shootings among other nations.

The conviction of Crumbley sparked controversy because some parents had expressed concern about being convicted for crimes they didn’t commit. Not every case is as extreme as this one. But that doesn’t mean it’s not possible.

On Sept. 4, 2024, Apalachee High School was faced with the tragedy of the 45th school shooting in the United States in 2024. The shooter had been charged with four counts of murder, but his father, Colin Gray, was also charged with involuntary manslaughter.

The Crumbley and Gray families were accused of negligence and ignorance of the signs. The Crumbley family was reckless when it came to their firearms, while Gray gifted his son the weapon.

Seeing The Signs and Ensuring Safety

Every school shooter is different, but there are often some commonalities: the child has mental health issues, potential grudges against someone, and could have been isolated or bullied for some time. Based on those patterns, parents should make a more vital attempt to try and see those signs before it’s too late.

At school, there are many ways to ensure that students are safe and have the proper way to express themselves and what they need. However, some things go under the radar. If students threaten one of their peers and the administration gets wind of it, counseling would look into it.

“If the student is at risk of harming themselves or others, you have every right to break confidentiality to keep them and everybody else safe,” senior counselor McKenna Fee said. “We can do absolutely everything possible in the school, but when the student goes home, we don’t have any influence at all.”

ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS 253 SHOOTINGS OCCURED ON A K-12 CAMPUS BETWEEN THE YEARS 1990 AND 2016

In the case of the Crumbley and Gray family, the families neglected the signs their child was presenting and ignored contact made by their child’s administration team when they reached out, expressing concerns that something terrible may happen. 98% 86% 47% 42%

SOPHOMORE IAN BEIREIS

OF ADOLESCENT SCHOOL SCHOOTERS WERE MALE OF ADOLESCENT SCHOOL SCHOOTERS USED HANDGUNS OF ADOLESCENT SCHOOL SCHOOTINGS INVOLVED AT LEAST ONE FATALITY

OF ADOLESCENT SCHOOL SCHOOTERS OBTAINED THEIR FIREARM FROM RELATIVES

Proper Gun Handling and Safety Measures

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 253 shootings occurred on a K-12 campus between the years 1990 and 2016. The shootings included in the study were those where perpetrated by adolescents under the age of 19 and included at least one fatality.

To try and reduce the number of school shootings, parents could ensure that their firearm is appropriately secured. According to AAP, 42% of adolescent school shooters obtained their firearm from relatives, primarily by taking it without their knowledge.

“Never put your finger on the trigger unless you are going to shoot. Always treat it like it’s loaded,” junior Jacob Jones said. “Never point it at another person. Don’t mess with guns unless you’re going to use [them].” In Jones’s home, his parents have ensured that rules surrounding the weapons have been established to ensure that no one is accidentally harmed.

In the State of Oregon, Senate Bill 554 requires gun owners to secure their weapons in a locked container, safe, or gun room using a trigger or cable lock. These rules are in place when the firearm is not being carried.

School shootings are a tragedy, and there are preventative measures that could be put in place to try and reduce numbers and protect children while in an educational setting. Jones said, “You shouldn’t be afraid of [guns] because they are a

“Kids get angry at each other over really small things that then escalate into a fight. Peers would rather watch it happen than help stop it.”

Story and Photos by Kayla Stefan

JUNIOR JACOB JONES

SENIOR COUNSELOR MCKENNA FEE

True False OR

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM!

NIKKI HALEY, ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR.,

GUESS WHICH STATEMENT ON EACH LINE IS TRUE AND WHICH IS FALSE OR THE THIRD PARTY CANDIDATES THIS YEAR ARE:

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON, JILL

51.4%