24-25 The Whirlwind - Issue 4

M

S

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12-13: Female athletes balance strength and beauty

18-19: Band and choir journey to state competition

A I

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16-17: Car modifications and cars with personality

24-31: How recent immigration policies have affected students and families in Albany

NAVIGATING CITIZENSHIP

Read about student experiences with the immigration system here in America 31

By Taylour Veith

Follow us on Instagram!

Cover Illustration | Emi Ludlow

Back Cover Illustration | Mina Clower

Albany, 97321, OR

How Athletes are embracing their femininity along with their strength

Hidden talents and hobbies

Zoom into the world of stick shifts, custom cars, and look-alikes!

Peering behind the curtain to reveal the bonds and achievements of our choir and band

Taking a deeper look into Oregon’s annual test results and why we may score how we do

MIRROR IMAGE

Editor Zion Mollel shares her experience of growing up biracial in the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest and how it has shaped her identity

The robotics team based at West, Team 957 SWARM, has had a killer season so far with their robot in the underwater themed season this year 1130 Queen Ave

Do some people look like their cars? Or do their cars look like them? Read more to find out how these students have personalized their vehicules to fit them

A student shares their personal experience with deportation and how it has effected their family in ways other people may be unaware of

EDITORS’ LETTER

STAFF

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Avneet Dhaliwal

Helen Whiteside

MANAGING EDITORS

Mina Clower

Emi Ludlow

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Adilynn Atchley

Zion Mollel

NEWS

Ari Goettl

Chance Young

OPINION

Julia Berg

SPECIAL

Taylour Veith

Addi Winter

SPORTS

Jesus Cisneros Obledo

Charley Harrington

COPY EDITOR

Kayla Stefan

Lena Larson

SOCIAL MEDIA

Braxton Bullard

WEB DESIGN

Lena Larson

ADVISER

Michelle Balmeo

Close

to Home

When you are the editors of a journalistic news publication, there are some things you can’t ignore. This issue, our board of editors felt it would be journalistically irresponsible to neglect the recent changes in America’s immigration policies and, more importantly, their real-life impacts on the people of our community.

There were long conversations about all aspects of the package of stories featured in the final eight pages of this issue, but specifically our sources. With such a real and personal subject, those who share their stories with us are putting themselves at risk, leaving us with an important question: How, as journalists, do we honor that risk and everything that comes with it while also using the opportunity to open the eyes and broaden the understanding of our readers?

For the main story on recent policies, editors Emi Ludlow and Addi Winter attended a meeting with all three of West Albany’s affinity groups to present the opportunity to be a source to as many students as possible, offering a platform for unheard voices.

While working on a story about experiences with deportation, staff writer Hailoh Smith encountered a student who was willing to share her story, but requested anonymity to protect her family. By working with her, Smith’s source was able to share a personal side of immigration enforcement (Silent Struggles, 29), hopefully opening the eyes and minds of her peers who may have misconceptions about undocumented immigrants..

Editor Avneet Dhaliwal approached English Language Development teachers for their unique perspectives on recent changes in legislation and student life (I’m Here For You, 26), hearing firsthand the shock of such sudden and drastic policy changes and the pressure that comes with being an educator in their wake.

With the inclusion of accounts not only from students but also teachers, police officers, and other community members, we were able to better accomplish our mission of a comprehensive and in-depth look at a complex and ever-evolving issue.

STAFF

Teah Caffarella

Ava Clark

Alana Ebaugh

AJ Howard

Charlie Mack

Naima Nguyen

Gavin Ray

Geronimo Smith

Hailoh Smith

Each piece of work in this issue’s special package serves a distinct purpose and contains the voices of so many valuable community members, many of whose lives have been or are being constantly affected by rapid changes in immigration policies. After all, these issues aren’t just legislation written and signed in some faraway office. They shape the basis of people’s lives, and it’s our duty to convey that reality these policies create and lift the voices of those most drastically affected.

Ayrianna Vanhoorebeke

Mina Clower, Avneet Dhaliwal, Emi Ludlow, Helen Whiteside 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

STAFF EDITORIAL

Don’t Be Blind

WHAT IS A MICROAGGRESSION? HOW DO THEY AFFECT STUDENTS AT WEST ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL?

Opnion by Julia Berg

Illistration by AJ Howard

One day, a student was paired up into a group assignment for class, but the other people in the group didn’t want to work with them because there was a language barrier. The rest of the group left the student to do the entire project by themselves. This can be a reality for many students who are learning English.

A microaggression is defined as an act of discrimination against people in a marginalized group. These acts can be unintentional, but that doesn’t negate the fact that they are targeted at that individual. Things that can be considered microaggressions are when people claim to “not see color” or when they deny a person’s race. Not “seeing” race can seem like the right thing to do because if one doesn’t see race, then how can they be racist? But doing this can deny a part of a person’s identity.

Other examples of microaggressions could be things such as projecting harmful stereotypes onto others. Microaggressions can and do happen anywhere, including WAHS. The example above happened to a student at West, and it IS a microaggression. The students in that group didn’t try to bridge the language barrier or problem-solve whatsoever, leaving the other student alone.

If you don’t personally experience microaggressions or witness them occurring, then the thought of them occurring may not even cross your mind. But just because someone hasn’t seen a microaggression occur or doesn’t know people who have seen or been affected by microaggressions doesn’t mean they can turn a blind eye to the situation as a whole. For

example, some students experiencing microaggressions trust Spanish teacher Emily Mehl to listen to them and believe their stories, though she herself may not experience or witness what they’re describing.

Although some may believe that microaggressions only apply in racial contexts, that isn’t the case. Any comment, action, or incident that discriminates against any marginalized group of people is a microaggression. Here is a real case that happened in our school:

A student was in class when a special education group passed by. One of these students was squealing in excitement. A person asked one of their friends if there was a guinea pig in the school. This joke was funny to the aggressor and their friend, but deeply hurt the student next to them because they are a sibling of a special education student.

Inappropriate jokes or playing on stereotypes is a form of microaggression. They can be presented through backhanded compliments around topics such as language proficiency or culture. Just because these “compliments” are playing off deeply ingrained stereotypes doesn’t make them right to say. For example, some Asian students who excel academically have their success attributed to their race, diminishing the hard work they put into earning their academic success. Likewise, some black students have been told they are good at sports because of their “genetics,” which though seemingly a compliment on the surface, plays off of longstanding stereotypes.

People who make discriminatory comments like this may not have bad intentions, but that doesn’t excuse them from the fact that such comments

are inappropriate and insensitive.

If you have found yourself accidentally saying something harmful, make an effort to learn from that experience. Or if you overhear a microaggression, step in and help the person understand why what they’re saying is harmful, even if well-intentioned.

Don’t look the other way, don’t be blind to the fact that it is happening, be mindful of stereotypes, and don’t play into them.

THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO BE CLOSED MINDED OR IGNORANT ARE MISSING OUT ON THE TRUE JOY, RESILIENCE, INTELLIGENCE, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, AND SO MUCH MORE THAT BLACK PEOPLE ADD TO THIS WORLD.

Latinx

Teacher Advisor Emily

“ [SOMETHIMES] IT’S SOMEBODY SAYING SOMETHING THAT THEY DON’T REALIZE IS A MICROAGGRESSION “

Naboisho

We should be able to come together and accept others without compromise

Opinion of Zion Mollel

Igrew up in a small town in southwest Kansas named Lakin.

With a population of about 2,121 people, I went to school with the same 90 people all the way from kindergarten to seventh grade. We all interacted together. They witnessed my biggest laughs and cries; they were my first friends and my first enemies. Even though I had grown up with those people for the first half of my life, in a sense, I was always an outsider. We grew up together and learned everything about everyone. I acted the same way as some of my white friends in elementary school, but I was still not the same as everyone else. I was always “too loud,” “too big,” “too opinionated.” I tried to change the way I acted, change my personality to try to fit in more; but no matter how much I straightened my hair and kept to myself, there was always a stain on my skin that I couldn’t scrub off.

I am mixed: half black, half white. Not only am I half black, but I am a first generation Tanzanian-American. My dad is a part of the Maasai tribe, a nomadic tribe located across the Kenyan-Tanzanian border. Though Lakin was no stranger to foreigners, home to a large Hispanic population, our family didn’t quite fit into their categories.

Maasai have a way of thinking that is very community-based. They are willing to help anyone who needs it. When entering a village, they greet people and ask a variety of questions to try to get to know them: “Who’s are you?”, “What’s your clan?”,“What’s your father’s clan?”, “What’s your mother’s clan?”, and so on and so forth. They don’t care about what you believe in, your past, or your status. If someone needs help, they will accept them with open arms. This is a strong contradiction to the environment in Lakin.

While in Lakin, I experienced many microaggressions, as well as blatant racism from both my Hispanic and white peers. I tried everything from confrontation to silently coping. Though I moved to Oregon the summer before eighth grade, some of the things people said to me, about me, and around me still stick, both big and small. While looking back on all the hateful words I have been surrounded with for years, one word helps me process what I heard.

Naboisho.

It is a Maasai word that most closely translates to “unity,” though the true meaning is more similar to “oneness.” In order to have true unity, one has to comply and change their beliefs in the name of compromise. The emphasis on “unity” and in comparison to “oneness” isn’t just practiced in Kansas, but is prevalent in Oregon as well. This is a national ideal that is restricting us from fully accepting others in their own quirk and faults. Oneness is the acceptance of others, no matter what your opinion is. It is being kind and diligent towards everyone, no matter their circumstance or background. I hope everyone all over will continue to strive for naboisho.

BSU Teacher Advisor Stephanie Perkins

Say ‘Cheese!’

WHERE WEST ALBANY

STUDENTS LIKE TO GET PIZZA IN ALBANY

Story by Addi Winter

BEST IN TOWN

“MY

FAVORITE PIZZA PLACE IS CIDDICHIS BECAUSE I LIKE THEIR PEPPERONI PIZZA.”

“FOR REGULAR PIZZA, SOUTHPAWS. I THINK OVER ALL SOUTHPAWS BECASUE THEIR GARLIC ROLLS ARE REALLY GOOD THERE.”

“MY FAVORITE PIZZA PLACE IS PAPA MURPHY’S. THEIR CHEESY BREAD [IS] DELICIOUS. THEY’RE SO GOOD, THEY’RE MY FAVORITE.”

Sports Betting: Taking a shot

SENIORS TALK ABOUT WHY THEY BET ON SPORTS

Story by Ava Clark

Photos by Charlie Mack

Out of the student population, there’s a group of sports fans with a special interest: sports betting. The reasoning differs for each: for fun, money, or an excuse to watch sports. No matter the reason, it fosters excitement for seniors Wyatt Morse, Joshua Briggs and Jacob Wisherd.

“I bet on sports for the fun of it. I get enjoyment out of winning on my bets. I have been sports betting for about two months. I am still pretty new to it. [Senior] Wyatt Morse introduced me to it. At first I didn’t know I could do it in Oregon yet [because] I thought I needed to be 21. The benefits are enjoyment and the possibility of making money if you are decent at it.”

“I bet on sports because it’s fun and I know enough that it’s rare that I lose money… I’ve been watching sports pretty much every day since I was a young kid. It makes every sport/game feel like a fantasy. I have been betting since my birthday last year, so almost four months. I enjoy it because I feel like it gives me a reason to watch the games. Some people might see it as pointless, but I like watching and having a reason to do it.”

“I bet on sports mostly because I love watching sports and I thought if I can make some money while watching it then I might as well. It’s just a hobby for me. I kind of introduced myself to it but social media got me to learn about it and manage a bankroll so I stay responsible while doing it.”

Photos by Addi Winter and Courtesy of Southpaws Website

Senior Jacob Wisherd

Senior Wyattt Morse

Senior Joshua Briggs

Junior Olivia Kinion Olivia’s top pick: Ciddichis

Marcie’s to pick: Southpaws

Math Teacher Marcie McCarthur

Junior Isabelle Johnson Isabelle’s top pick: Papa Murphy’s

WHAT’S 4 LUNCH?

A New Menu?

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CHANGING OF FOOD VENDORS.

Story by Charley Harrington

Photo by Emi Ludlow

The most recent school board meeting on March 10, 2025, ended with a detailed explanation of how lunches and nutrition will be handled in the upcoming spring if Genuine Foods, a qualityfocused food service company that provides scratch-made meals to school systems, is approved by the board.

Tim Waldsmith, the senior vice president of Genuine Foods, highlighted the company’s encouragement of participation from people in the community during the meeting.

“We listen and we engage with students, with faculty, with parents, and members of the community,” Waldsmith said to the board. “We believe in surveying, engaging, and making sure that the students have a voice in what’s going on [their] plate.”

a point of pride for the company.

OREGON WAS RANKED THE 35TH STATE ON THE HEALTHIEST SCHOOL LUNCH REPORT (PROCARE THERAPY)

GENUINE FOODS IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING COMPANIES IN THE US AND MADE THE INC. 5000 IN 2022

DIFFERENT MEAL PLANS GENUINE FOODS OFFERS: SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM (SBP), NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM (NSLP), CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM (CACFP), SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM (SFSP), FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PROGRAM (FFVP)

“We believe purchasing locally within a 200 mile radius from farms is key to success… fresh fruits and vegetables,” Waldsmith said. “15% of our purchases are going to come from local direct farms…95% of the menu items are scratch cooked.”

https://www.genuine-

Waldsmith touched on the lack of student input in the current system, and described their company’s main ways of targeting the lack of participation through constant surveying and reforms. “We work very closely with the team and the staff to make sure that we’re constantly addressing any menu changes and putting items forward that are both healthy, scratch cooked, and acceptable to the student pallet,” Waldsmith said. One of the key distinctions between the current food vendor and Genuine Foods would be their commitment to fresh produce and local market support. Their dedication to training and developing staff to be able to prepare and cook the food from scratch through instructional cooking techniques, knife handling skills, and storage and organization is

Jen Callaway, a chief program officer for Genuine Foods, explained how the program would help the schools and students. “We’re not going to get it 100% right the first time, but because we’re going to have those feedback loops in place.” Adding, “We will be able to quickly adjust and continuously improve and refine the program so that it reflects what you guys really want and what you’re going to eat.”

Callaway emphasizes the importance of students’ input, saying, “I think the most important thing about any school food program is to make sure that the students feel heard.”

Although no confirmation on the approval of Genuine Foods being a vendor has been made, the district website posted this in January, “[GAPS] made a determination that it will enter into a contract for food service management using a noncompetitive procurement method for one year.”

LEGEND MCMULLENARUNDELPREPARES SCHOOL LUNCH

BEHIND THE SCENES

The Writing Club

WHAT GOES ON BEHIND THE SCENES OF A SELF PACED CLUB

Story and photo by Adilynn Atchley

When you sit down and write, what thoughts run through your mind? Are you lost in the world you’re creating, or do you start to contemplate life itself?

Sophomores Josiah Bright and Rebecca Johnson enjoy writing fiction and love to see what others enjoy writing as well. With a little push from their parents, they created a club for creative minds to share projects and experiences: The Fiction Writing Club.

“I know there [are] writers who tend to be introverted. I want to meet them and see what they’re working on,” said Bright. “But that’s not gonna happen on its own.”

Wanting to interact with more writers, Bright’s main reason was to be able to talk to other writers and learn what they’re interested in, as well as what they are writing about.

Much the opposite, Johnson’s main reason for starting the club, was her parents. They wanted her to join a club making it a major factor in her decision. “[Mostly] parents pestering about clubs,” said Johnson.

Another motivator was the lack of writing clubs already present in school.

“And there is no writing club here, and we thought it was stupid.” Out of all of the listed clubs on the WAHS website, the Fiction Writing Club is the only writing club.

Sophomore Avin Hayes, an active club member, found the club to be a way for a previous hobby to resurface.

“When I heard some of my friends were going to [start] a writing club I thought ‘I should join and force myself back into writing,’ and it has worked.” Hayes said.

“I used to write a lot more, [but] I kind of fell out of it.” Since his time in the club, he has expanded his writing skills, as well as his social skills.

“I got some new ideas for writing [and] I have met a few new people who come here, which is nice.”

“We design it to be something where people

ADVICE FOR WRITING YOUR NOVEL

Advice from sophomores Becca Johnson and Josiah Bright

“Don’t be afraid to abandon a project that isn’t working. Sometime you put a lot of work into something that peters out, and that’s okay.”

“Don’t be afraid to change your plans. Even if the idea is the main plot of your novel, it’s okay to change it as you write and your ideas develop.”

“In writing, the process only matters to one person, you. If you want to write with friends, sure. Use Ai for feedback, go ahead. It’s a good idea to keep certain rules in mind. But that’s all they are, “‘good ideas’, and they may or may not apply to your situation.”

can meet a goal and get advice from each other,” said Bright. “We’re not gonna be able to give full advice to everyone.”

Bright and Johnson deliberately constructed the club to give time for many things, so members can be focused for part of the meeting and can socialize for the rest. This includes sharing work and progress, giving advice and constructive criticism, and chatting about whatever they can think of.

Meetings for the Fiction Writing Club are mostly held most commonly on Wednesdays, at times of convenience for all parties involved.

In the Fiction Writing club, members work on “projects” during writing time. “We do 30 minutes of writing time essentially, where everyone can work on their projects, it can be any form of fiction writing. Short form, long form, any genre” said Bright.

Bright and Johnson both focus their writing on the fantasy genre.

“Pretty much everyone has some kind of long term project they are working on at the moment,” said Johnson.

“We usually mess around on the white board first, then at three we sit down and write for half an hour,” said Hayes. “[We’re] silent, occasionally talking.”

“I hope that when we leave, there will be people who enjoy it enough to keep it going, [and] create its own little community,” said Bright. Regarding the future of the club, both Bright and Johnson wish for it to continue after they graduate.

“Like a community of writers,” said Johnson.

SOPHOMORES JOSIAH BRIGHT, BECCA JOHNSON, AND AVIN HAYES WRITING IN RESPONSE TO THE WEEKLY PROMPT, “DESERT, REWORK, PYLON” ON MARCH 12 IN THE LIBRARY. CLUB MEMBERS SPENT 30 MINUTES TO FOCUS ON WRITING SILENTLY.

THE GOOD IT’S COMPLICATED

The Hive is Beginning to Buzz

SWARM TEAM GETS EXCITED ABOUT COMPETITION SEASON DEBUT

In an underwater-themed season called “Reef-Scape,” bots and humans combined forces to score “algae” for points.

This 23rd season kicked off West Albany’s robotics team, the Team 957 SWARM, into tone of their best debuts yet. Through SWARM’s four different but equally impactful divisions (media, mechanical, electrical and software), their bot creation efforts were rewarded in this season’s debut.

Freshman Dillon Pyburn is participating in his first SWARM season through the software division. Prior to one of the team’s matches, Pyburn noticed an error in the bot’s wheel drive.

“[It would] have likely had a catch on fire at some point in the match, which would have put us out and disqualified us,” Pyburn said. However, due to his observation, the team was able to fix it in time and advance to district finals.

“We had our first competition this weekend, and we placed second finalists,” Pyburn said. “I think we’re on track to make it to the Pacific Northwest Championship this year, and potentially world’s [robotics competition].”

Greater communication among teammates and the ability to work under strict deadlines are several factors to the team’s recent successes.

“We actually collaborate with each other. We have fun, we experiment, enjoy, we socialize too—quite a bit...We interact with the world,” Pyburn said.

After his participation in Sunrise Elementary’s “science night,” Pyburn saw the impact robotics has on the next generation.

“People showed interest in robotics. But overall, it’s ‘not just sitting there and working…you’re gaining life skills that you will use for the rest of your life,’” he said.

Senior Zhaine Raymundo has been on SWARM for three years and has achieved several awards for the SWARM team.

“So, my first full year [2023], I really wanted to push our team to get the Spirit Award, and so I handed out all of our spirit gear... made sure as many people wore them as possible,” Raymundo said and when she heard the news, “...I started crying because I was…so happy.”

Additionally, Raymundo’s position as the SWARM’s spokesperson in 2024 earned the SWARM team the Engineering Innovation Award. Then, this year their team won both the Autonomous and Finalist Awards, with the latter award celebrating the SWARM team’s entry into the finals. These movements have been pivotal to Raymundo.

“I get to tell my story to people. I didn’t think it was something possible…in such a male dominated field, and then to have such a major role on a team. Younger me would not have believed me,” she said.

In fact, Raymundo, like Pyburn, considered SWARM a fundamental part of who she is. “I’ve fallen in love with it. I talk about it almost as much as I can. It’s just become a huge part of my life…” Raymundo said.

Currently, the SWARM team are ranked fourteen in the Pacific Northwest District.

“I think we’re already pretty understaffed as we are, and so to get rid of even more teachers, would maybe restrict a lot of the classes that can be taught, so maybe electives and some extracurriculars will be cut.”

“They won’t get as much of an experience with other teachers, because each teacher is different. I feel like that would affect the experience of each class.”

District Budget Cuts

On March 10, 2025, the Greater Albany Public Schools district held their routine board meeting with reauthorized public comment. In this board meeting, the school board announced many new changes coming into effect at the start of the 2025-2026 school year. Amongst the barrage of announcements in what is to come, some that stuck out are that the district is reportedly in a $6 million dollar deficit that will force them to make some sudden and noticeable changes to GAPS schools. These new changes

“If we’re cutting teachers and getting rid of them to pay the other teachers more, I feel like that’s not really solving the problem. It’s just making it worse for other people and a little better for somebody else.

involve new lunch providers for students across the district. The most notable announcement made during the meeting by the school board mentioned changes in staff size.

This new policy is aimed at cutting staff numbers in order to meet the increase of wages for staff. It is occurring due to alterations on the GAPS educator staff contracts from the strike in November.

For more information, visit the GAPS website at https://albany.k12.or.us/

“I honestly think that’s not the best choice. I think it’s kind of lame, because I like all our staff, and I think they’re good people, and I don’t think firing a bunch of people is the right option, even if it means higher wages.”

SENIOR HOLDEN HART FRESHMAN IZZY HOUSE

JUNIOR MAE DARTE

SOPHOMORE EVEYLN MATTINGLY

Story by Naima Nguyen

Story by Avneet Dhaliwal

Photos by Lena Larson and Mina Clower

True Inspirations

ATHLETES REVEAL THEIR ROLE MODELS

GAVIN AGUILAR

SENIOR BASKETBALL

Senior Gavin Aguilar started playing basketball when he was around five. It was his first sport and holds a special place as he has continued throughout high school.

His favorite achievement this year has been his team’s victory.

“We won league for the first time in my high school career at West, obviously,” Aguilar said. “That’s pretty cool.”

After high school, Aguilar would like to continue playing basketball. He is still finishing up the basketball season, then is looking to go to college after graduation.

“I look up to everyone in my family, they’re all mentors and I try to be like them,” Aguilar said.

Aguilar’s inspirations have stayed the same over the years as he has admired his family members.

“They inspire me because they just push me to be a better person every day,” Aguilar said. “That’s just kind of what you need.”

Aguilar’s familial relationships have motivated him through tough shortcomings and losses.

“When we lost in the state game, and they just pushed me, even when I was down, we had another game the next day and they encouraged me not to let the loss affect me,” Aguilar said. “[They] just inspired me to want to win today.”

WEST ALBANY BECAME THE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS FOR THE 24/25 SEASON

THE TEAM FINISHED THE SEASON OFF WITH A 22-7 RECORD

THE WEST ALBANY BASKETBALL TEAM WAS ABLE TO GET 4TH PLACE IN THE STATE IN THE 24/25 SEASON

THEY WERE ABLE TO BEAT BOTH THE #1 SEED CALDERA AND #2 SEED

THURSTON

Story and photos by Braxton Bullard and Jesus Cisneros Obledo

Photo by Charlie Mack

Out on the football field, there are fourth and fifth graders running around in mini bulldog uniforms. Recently, the cheer team has took coaching a step further and have a new team of cheerleaders called the little bulldogs. Students at West Albany have a wide variety of people who inspire them, some look up to athletes that play professionally while others look up to family close to them. Role models help athletes have a direction in which to strive and have goals to set for themselves.

Even though some may have never met their role models personally, they still have a connection with them personally. They still help them out by simply playing their sport and doing what they do best.

Inspirations can change for some of these athletes but their are also some that have kept there inspirations the same for a couple of years.

BAILEY BLEVINS FRESHMAN FRESHMAN

Freshman Bailey Blevins joined softball in fourth grade when her cousin convinced her to. She joined and played first base, taking after her inspiration Kiko Romero, a former Corvallis Knights player.

Blevins studied everything about softball with a goal in mind, to be as good as Romero. “He started baseball at a young age, [and I’ve seen] how much he’s grown, now playing with the New York Yankees.”

“I saw how good he was, and I was like, ‘I could be that good,’” Blevins said. “So I sat and watched a lot of softball, and I was like, ‘I could be like that.’ So now it’s been my goal to work toward.”

Blevins has been a fan of Romero for around six years, ever since she went to her first baseball game. Romero went up first and immediately got the out for his team. Blevins was shocked, wondering how Romero was able to do it that quick in the game.

“It’s really cool to see how I could have gone from softball, to being college, or being something big too,” Blevins said. “I always think about that when I go out there, that I could be one of those people.”

Freshman Lucian Sukhdeo started watching the NFL three years ago when he was in middle school. He was interested in watching football, but what really stood out was Myles Garrett, a defensive end on the Cleveland Browns.

Sukhdeo was inspired by Garrett’s skill and techniques and joined West Albany’s football team as a defensive end. Sukhdeo appreciates the effort that Garrett puts into football, and tries to follow similar patterns that the Browns player does on the field.

“[My inspiration] stayed the same. He really stuck out to me ever since I started. I never really had any aspirations to play anywhere else,” Sukhdeo said.

Garrett’s story felt more personal to Sukhdeo, making connections to their lives.

“He came up, he didn’t really have much,” Sukhdeo said, “He was kind of nerdy, had glasses, it stuck out to me, so it felt like something I could relate to.”

Sophomore Natalie Tidwell has been participating in sports her whole life and is currently playing basketball, though last year she also did volleyball and track.

Tidwell is inspired by her parents as they have helped her to be the best athlete she could be.

“They push me to be my best self. They know what I’m capable of,” Tidwell said.

But as she has grown up, the encouragement has expanded from just her parents cheering her on to coach Shawn Stinson as well.

Coach Stinson has been one of Tidwell’s sources of motivation since her freshman year as he knows her work ethic well, and other girls on the basketball team like Sophomore Payton Starwalt, Sophomore Karley Martitrano, and Junior Cate Kurth know this as well.

“During a summer ball game, he told me to just be confident and let my shot fly, and I hit 10 [threepoint shots],” Tidwell said.

Junior Xavier Cabrera Argueta grew up playing baseball with both his uncle and grandpa. Cabrera’s favorite sport is track, but the sport he is best at is baseball.

One of Cabrera’s memorable moments in baseball was when he played in the little league in sixth grade and after having played for awhile, he began getting better and improved his ranking.

His inspirations have shifted as he has been trying out different sports.

“It’s changed by meeting new people and through different sports, like switching my focus to different sports because I’d like to focus on baseball, [but] now [my focus is] just on track and cross country,” Cabrera said.

He saw his uncle playing baseball once and was inspired. “It was really cool. It’s indescribable. You gotta see it and feel it to be able to understand it,” Cabrera said.

NATALIE TIDWELL

SOPHOMORE

XAVIER CABRERA ARGUETA

LUCIAN SUKHDEO

JUNIOR

Do a quick google search for sexist comments about female athletes, and you’ll find quotes like, “The German team didn’t stop Norway’s free kick goal because they might not have wanted to mess their hair up,” which was said by TV personality Stephen A. Smith during the Women’s World Cup.

Or “Do you think Bartoli’s dad told her when she was little: ‘You’re never going to be a looker, you’ll never be a Sharapova, so you have to be scrappy and fight?’” which BBC personality John Inverdale said over live radio.

Or a Tweet by Frankie Boyle saying, “I worry that Rebecca Adlington will have an unfair advantage in swimming by possessing a dolphin’s face.” All of these comments, which were reported in a Buzzfeed article, show what female athletes deal with regularly.

Many female athletes know what it’s like to play and grow in environments that value appearance over performance when they participate in any sport.

“They want someone who’s skinny and has a certain body shape. They don’t like to see girls who are bigger and more muscular, even though they are stronger,” said senior distance runner Bethany Doggett. “You see those comments [from] adults…especially men, who don’t know what it takes to be healthy, strong and athletic, it’s mostly what they want to see.”

Doggett has dealt with multiple stereotypes throughout her time as a runner, consisting of outside criticism about how her and other females’ bodies should look for their sports.

“There’s so many things people are going to tell you to do, like how you should train… what you should eat, and what your body should look like. People who are saying she’s bigger, she’s not going to go as fast, she’s not going to be as good, or just commenting on my body.”

Doggett credits her mental strength to her confidence: “It’s just building your own individual confidence in who you want to be and what your goals are… It’s just kind of shutting out a lot of those outside voices and focusing on what is the best for you and what builds your strength and ability the most.”

Bodies change throughout life, especially in high school. Doggett’s physical focus and training over the years has changed to a stronger and more physically fit approach. “When [I was] small, frail, thin, it didn’t make me feel feminine or strong at all. It’s these moments when I am strong, I think it’s the confidence that comes with it that really makes me feel feminine.”

Doggett finds a lot of inspiration from the other runners she competes against, attributing her confidence on the track to the camaraderie of the race. “There’s something just feminine about the sport in general, lining up with a bunch of women your age and just pushing each other, no guys on the field, it’s just you,” Doggett said.

There is also a feeling or satisfaction from her training when she can compete against other girls.

“When I’m strong, especially when with that strength, I’m on the level that I can compete with all these other strong, advanced, good female athletes. It builds a lot of confidence to see myself as one of them.”

However, she didn’t always have such a positive outlook on the people she raced.

“It was scary at first, especially when you see things like [your] competition, who are, you know, all skinny and thin and whipped or something,” Doggett said.

But Doggett overcame the intimidation by focusing on what she could control, adding, “it’s just thinking about you and your future and saying, ‘You don’t know the health of these people, they might be healthy at that weight, body type, and they might not,’ and just focusing on you and what’s healthy.”

Individual sports such as distance running take a lot of self-confidence to perform at the level Doggett does; she explains how her routine adds self-assurance.

“I like to do little things for race day. I’ll put on makeup, like sparkly eyeshadow or blue eyeliner or lip gloss before the race…It may seem like it’s unnecessary, but with running being such a mental sport, it adds a lot to my confidence.”

Doggett works to counter the stereotypes against female athletes by how she prepares for her races, “I see the actions I take as resistance to [the stereotypes] because now I actively focus on nutrition, eating a lot, strength training, building muscle and stuff like that, as opposed to the stereotype of, don’t eat too much, you don’t want to gain weight, don’t get fat, you don’t want to get slow” Doggett said.

Senior cheerleader Sabrina Ulibarri has experienced multiple changes throughout her time as a cheerleader, starting out as a flyer, and eventually changing to a base. She realized the strength and determination that is required for her current position.

“I enjoy showing off my physical strength because everybody can be strong in their own way,” Ulibarri said.

Ulibarri feels her position on the team is very important to the competitions and performances, and to resisting the stereotype.

“I think that it might come across if you’re super strong and muscular, you don’t look as feminine as the normal beauty standards show… In reality, I feel like showing that you’re protecting other people and using your strength to help. Just making your whole team better is important,” Ulibarri said.

Ulibarri emphasizes the impact and importance of the support she’s gotten from her coaches.

“Having [cheerleading coach Morgan] Wadlow as a coach made all the girls feel way

more comfortable in their bodies,” said Ulibarri.

Though it hadn’t always been such a welcoming and positive environment, she emphasizes the difficulties her past teammates have faced.

“A few years ago, we had girls on the team who were kind of body shamed a little bit, and our old coaches used to kind of body shame us before my current coach,” Ulibarri said.

“We used to be told our uniforms would look better if we lost a few pounds or gained a few pounds. So I think that was a huge pushback.”

Many people find different ways to cope with outside judgments. Ulibarri finds the support and encouragement from the people around her have helped her dramatically throughout the sport.

“If you’re around teammates who are super supportive of your physical and personal side,” Ulibarri said.”I think I have such a team, a good team, with such great girls, that we all are just so comfortable around each other and never feel judged.”

SENIOR SABRINA ULIBARRI CHEERLEADER

PRETTY PLAYING

What things do you do that make you feel feminine?

Manning: During my sport I do my hair really cute, I’ll put bows in my hair, and wear pink singlets before a wrestling match.

What does it mean to you to be able to showcase your strength while being a woman?

Manning: It makes me feel empowered, the fact that girls can do just as much as boys can.

Any other comments to add on this topic?

Manning: Each year wrestling grows more and more with girls, and it’s really showing how much girls are digging up, and being feminine in their strength.

Q&A WITH SOPHOMORE MACIE MANNING - WRESTLING AND SOFTBALL

HOW ATHLETES EMBRACE THEIR FEMININITY AND STRENGTH

PRETTY PLAYING

SENIOR BETHANY DOGGETT DISTANCE RUNNER

Story by Charley Harrington and Mina Clower

Photos by Charlie Mack

Behind Closed Doors

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TALENTS AND HOBBIES OF THE STAFF THAT STUDENTS DON’T KNOW ABOUT?

By Adilynn Atchley

How much do students really know about their teachers? Beyond planning lessons and writing instructions on whiteboards, many things go on in the private lives of every one of them. Whether it be some interesting past hobby, or a current unexpected talent, the teachers at West Albany have lots of things to do outside of school.

One hobby that may be a little unexpected to some is playing and hosting trivia. Social studies teacher Erik Ihde hosted trivia night at Southpaws for around eight years. During his time hosting, Ihde would find himself thinking about possible trivia questions all throughout his day.

“It became my way to fill in the little gaps of time,” Ihde said. “Sometimes I’d be driving and I would think, ‘That’d be a good trivia category’ and I would think of some questions in my head, and when I stopped I would type them in my notepad [app].”

Another teacher with an interesting hobby history is math teacher Ashleigh Johnson. Before she had kids, Johnson participated in local Olympic weight lifts and competitions. She finds that perseverance is an important part of lifting

weights, but it also applies to the classroom.

“The idea of getting better each day and trying to be a little stronger as a math student and as a weightlifter, is a key thing,” Johnson said.

Being a DJ, although somewhat random, is the endeared hobby of science teacher Lucas Risinger. Risinger often performs at weddings, and he recognizes that in order to be a good DJ, it requires feeling the ‘vibe’ of the room in order to understand how people feel about the songs being played.

“One of the main skills a DJ has is trying to spread your awareness out to the whole room, to feel what everyone is feeling,” Risinger said. “To try and make the energy flow with them as best as possible.” He relates this awareness to how he handles his classroom.

“Teaching is the same way, you have to be aware of what each of your students is feeling and thinking at all times, and try to match their energy or shift it to what you think you need it to be.”

Emily Bell, a special education teacher, loves to sing. She has been singing for as long as she can remember and loves how it makes her feel.

DANCE

“I dance in a group, and it allows me to step out of whatever is happening in my life. I feel peaceful dancing and trying to create that feeling in my workspace is really important to me. I’ve learned that teaching something I love helps me grow as well, so I would probably be teaching [others dance].”

What she most enjoys is the ability it gives her to express herself.

“It’s not like, ‘Hey I want to be up front,’ it’s more like ‘I have something to tell you, and this is how I’m gonna tell you,’” Bell said. “It’s like communicating how I feel about something.”

Bell loves music more than anything, but she also has some regrets that have come from this talent, one being American Idol.

“I dreamed in the past about being on American Idol, too old for that now [though],” Bell said. Even with such regrets about her past, she still finds joy in her current life, and has advice for others that she wishes she could have told herself.

“If there’s something that you love, chase it because you’ll never know where it could have taken you. That’s one of my biggest regrets in life, I will never know, if I had chased [my dream] where would I be?” Bell said. “I am so happy I am a teacher here and I am thrilled about how my life has turned out, but if you have something that you love, it’s totally worth chasing.”

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

“[Giving up volleyball] was hard, but it’s a mindset thing for me. I’m finding joy in golf and fishing, and these are things I still can do. Cancer is a bummer deal, life happens and there are things that are out of our control. I still love volleyball, [but] I have adopted these other activities and found I enjoy these things.”

Science Teacher Kelli Backer

Production Center staff Robyn James BACKER RATED HER OUTDOOR HOBBIES A 4 OUT OF 5 ON THE “DREAM JOB” SCALE

“Being a history guy, I think [liking trivia] is a natural draw. Around 12 years ago my friends found a trivia night at Applebee’s and we started a trivia team, and we just pulled in a bunch of teachers. There was probably half a dozen of us, and we won a lot because we’re a bunch of nerds. They stopped doing trivia in Albany so we had to go to Corvallis and it was difficult. When Chris Reese opened Southpaws, I mentioned to [former teacher], Todd Zimmerman, that it’d be fun to create trivia. He told me about this new restaurant, [Southpaws] and ‘I know they’re looking to get business up during the middle of the week.’ I

LOCAL DJ

talked to Chris and told him I was too busy, but I would do it for six weeks. A lot of people when they have five minutes of spare time will scroll on their phone, I would just come up with trivia questions. It was always a fun thing to do on the side, I haven’t done it for a year or two. It [took] a lot of time, my favorite part [was I] became connected with my kids, they both got jobs and are teaching so I just decided ‘I’ll pack it up.’”

LOCAL OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING

“[Olympic weightlifting] has two components. The snatch, which goes from floor to overhead, and the clean and jerk- a clean and then a jerk over the head. My husband was an intern at the Sports Performance Center for OSU [Oregon State University], and we started doing a club there that worked out and did some regional competitions. It was a lot of fun to do something where you could lift big heavy weights, it was a great exercise and a fun competition. [My mindset was] to do the best I could. It didn’t really matter what weights I did

“In highschool I was forced to do a mentorship project, and I ended up doing it with this guy in town who was a music producer. I would go to his studio every night and that’s where I learned how to record music and start making hip-hop beats. I got exposed to different musics and setup, and [I was] always told I had good music taste. [I’ve DJed] at three or so weddings, and for those usually the couple has songs they wanted played, and then they give me kind of a creative license. I usually

because it’s not something to take super seriously, just trying to be better than I was before. I really like the idea of persevering and getting better each day, like as a math student and a weightlifter. I remember one meet I did in Seattle, we got to meet an Olympian [Melanie Roach], she was one of the few Americans that actually get to go to the Olympics for weightlifting. They only send three females and three males, so you have to be amazing to go, she was really cool.”

start working on a playlist a month or two before, and get it [how] I want in order and practice my transitions. My first wedding I did was one of my best friends’ weddings, and I went from one song to another and people actually cheered. I’m not used to people cheering for a DJ, and that was a real special feeling for me, it got me invested and wanting more.”

LOCAL SINGER

“Third or fourth grade is when I really started singing. I started singing around the house and at church, I got involved lots and lots. I was in a choir at Linn Benton, it’s like Pitch Perfect but with guys and girls and I loved it. By the time I went to Oregon State I was married, and there wasn’t as much time for it, but I would continue to sing at church and do special services and things. I love Broadway. I’m obsessed with Les [Miserables], I saw it [around] eighth grade and I was like, ‘This is what I want to do.’ On the opposite end I

love folk. The acoustic, tight harmonies, that’s the other genre I love to sing. I feel like it’s a way I can best express myself, to get people to understand my perspective on things is singing. I don’t necessarily do it for performing, but at the same time I do because I never get to anymore. I sing at home a lot just to [be] myself again. It’s more like communicating how I feel about something, and it helps me connect to others.”

Math Teacher Ashleigh Johnson

Photo by Adilynn Atchley

History Teacher Erik Ihde

Photo by Zion Mollel

Science Teacher Lucas Risinger

Photo by Joe Wagner

Special Education Teacher Emily Bell Photo by Zion Mollel

Shift Happens

On November 22, 2024, Cole Harnar and I were driving up to McNary High School for the football playoff game against Mountain View High School. Cole was at the wheel, offering to drive since I normally drove to most of the away games. Cole drives a 2007 Toyota Matrix, which is a manual transmission. We had decided to take the back roads, due to a wreck on I-5, which would have caused us to miss the first half of the game. As we were driving through the winding backroads, heading north to Salem. Siri provided us with an alternative route that would help us get to the game faster. Obviously we chose to take this new faster alternative route.

Little did we know that it would be taking us up a substantially steep gravel road for nearly three miles. As we began to climb the hill in pitch black darkness, Cole’s clutch began to give out. He switched into first gear slamming the clutch, trying to get the little Twinkie of a car to start accelerating uphill. We started to smell a rank smell that smelled like burning rubber. There was no room to pull off on this hill and we were rolling down the hill with increasing speed. Naturally we both started to panic, having no idea how to resolve this crisis, as neither one of us had cell service or knew how to fix a car.

As we began rolling down this hill of death, Cole began to drift into the one driveway on the hill, giving us a chance to calm down. He began to rev his engine and try to regain control of his clutch, but it wouldn’t budge. After two minutes of battling the clutch, we had felt that we had won the battle with the hill, but as we were pulling out of the random red neck’s driveway, the smell of burning rubber started to increase. It became so unbearable we had to roll down all of the windows, which really didn’t help, but the smell kept coming through the ac vents in the car.

With our heads out the windows we continued on our trek up this winding gravel road for what felt like an eternity. Eventually, we reached a real, paved road and felt more relief than ever. That trip up the hill truly felt like it was going to be the death of me.

This is How we Roll

SENIORS THAT HAVE CUSTOMIZED AND MODIFIED THEIR CARS

NOAH LOPEZ

Senior Noah Lopez has had a 2004 Nissan RZ for three years. Over those three years, Lopez has made it a priority to customize his car to his liking.

“I have a carbon fiber hood cover, a fiber fender, cat black exhaust... and I have unique costum headlights.” That isn’t where the list ends, Lopez has twenty plus parts that are modified to fit his likings. Lopez was inspired to get his RZ because of his older brother’s 2000 Honda S2000. Not only is Lopez’s car heavily customized, he has one of the only RZ’s in the area.

LINCON WILLIAMS

Senior Lincon Williams purchased a 2016 Subaru WRX this year, and has waited no time to customize his car. Williams purchased the car because it is his little brother’s favorite car and he was looking for a more reliable option. “I think the combination of the sequential headlights and taillights [make it pretty unique]” Williams said. Williams suggested that replacing the lights, like he did, was one of the more affordable options, but still provided a higher level of swagger to the car. Williams also installed underglow lights that give the car an exuding aura wherever he goes.

HENRY SAMOYLICH

Senior Henry Samoylich acquired a 2014 Scion FRS on an auction site in the spring of 2024. Samoylich had to drive to Seattle, Washington to acquire the Scion from the auction company. The car was originally located in Canada, but was stolen and recovered by the police, putting it on auction. “The clutch kind of exploded, so I had to replace it. I also got new headlights and tail lights, but I’ve tried to keep it stock.” Samoylich explained.

Opinion of Charlie Mack

Story by Charlie Mack

Mirror Image

HOW SOME STUDENTS’ CARS REFLECT THEIR PERSONALITIES

PIPER PLANALP

Senior Piper Planalp’s orange, decorative bug often draws eyes. “I’ll drive by a car of kids or something, and just chaos ensues,” Planalp said. Her car is named Lola Mac. “It’s Lola because [of] Lola Bunny, because she’s orange and… carrots, bunnies; and Mac, because [of] mac and cheese — also orange.” Planalp uses “her” to talk about Lola Mac as well, and her friends have taken to this address of her car. “They’ll be like, ‘Oh, let’s go ride in the Lola Mac,’ or in the Mac mobile.” Planalp finds her car special because it’s cute and orange. Students at West know of her car with the floral wheel and wind-up attachment and often say it represents Planalp’s personality.

Senior Brady Chronicle’s truck is large and has a loud exhaust. “[It’s] definitely an eye catcher versus some other cars in the parking lot,” Chronicle said. He got it in October 2023 after previously owning a Ford. “The transmission was about to go on that, so [I] sold it and got something a little more reliable and newer.” The general opinions from the people Chronicle knew when he got his truck were positive. “They thought it was cool. They thought it sounded pretty good.”

Sophomore Senia Robin got her car four months ago. When people see her drive her car, they aren’t surprised. “They usually say it looks like a car I would drive. They could see me driving it.” Her blue bug is functional and she likes it. “I like the color and it’s nice and small. It works well for me.”

SENIA ROBIN

Story and Photos by Lena Larson

SING IT LOUD

WAHS CHOIR MEMBERS SHARE INSIGHT ON PERFORMANCES

The lights dim while the auditorium hums with anticipation as each member of the choir steps onto the stage, their steps echoing in the room. The air stands still as their director raises their hand, the air coming to a standstill before voices fill the room with beauty, painting it with colors that are invisible to the eye.

Before the performance, singers work on various things to make progress in their music, including breath support and control, phrasing through musical lines, and stressing different words. To some, the work leading up to the performance can be overwhelming.

“You’re taking everything you’ve ever learned, and now you’re putting it together, and you have to remember all that with the pieces. So it can be a little stressful, especially with other people,” junior August Slamp said.

During rehearsal, the Choir and Theater Director, Cate Cafferella, spends time ensuring that parts are taught during rehearsals, and she suggests that students focus on sectionals outside of class leading up to performances to improve musicality.

“She kind of lights a fire under our butt to get us moving and drive home that we need to be practicing in small groups outside of class,” senior Noah Mortensen said.

Cafferella tries to make each performance the best it can be, but due to the focus needed for the singe,s the process can be draining for some.

“Caffarella gets nitpicky, which is good and is part of the process,

but it’s really hard to be told the same things over and over again,” sophomore Caelyn Rose said.

According to the National Institutes of Health, repetition is statistically proven to benefit memory and understanding. However, some students in their sections find it hard to maintain focus during rehearsal.

“It can be kind of frustrating when we have people that don’t take it as seriously,” Slamp said. “Just getting your section to pay attention and keep in mind the things we were already taught [is hard].”

Maintaining high levels of focus can be challenging for some during rehearsal, but Cafferella frequently suggests students utilize sectional time as a way to practice the music.

“Sectionalizing is useful for making sure that everyone in the same part is together. Because if there’s just one person who’s a little late, it’s not nearly as powerful,” Mortensen said.

Although the lead-up to festival season can be stressful for some, and rehearsals can get repetitive, the performance itself is enjoyable and an interesting learning experience for some performers.

“You can learn so much from different groups,” Slamp said. “The sound that other people create in those competition spaces is so cool because you know they’ve been working hard.”

The ability to perform in front of other groups allows them to influence other choirs like they look up to other groups.

“I wear [my uniform] as a badge of honor; being on stage with my peers in our uniforms is really special to me because it feels like we’re a unified group and that we’re doing something special,” Rose said.

Story and photos by Kayla Stefan

ABOVE: JUNIOR AUGUST SLAMP RIGHT: SOPHOMORE CAELYN ROSE

WAHS’S WIND ENSEMBLE’S JOURNEY TO STATE

Story by Helen Whiteside

Photos by Charlie Mack and Helen Whiteside

PLAY IT PROUD Jazzy MAKE IT

State champions two years in a row. Out of the four most recent annual state competitions, West Albany High School’s Wind Ensemble band has taken first place at three. The band festival season begins mid-March and includes three main competitions; districts, league, and state.

As the school year progresses and the festivals and state draw closer, different band students witness a palpable change in focus in the band room. Junior Alexander Antrim is in Percussion Ensemble and plays the alto saxophone for the competing Wind Ensemble, and feels a noticeable difference as state gets closer.

“There is definitely an energy shift [during competition season]...We get more focused on learning the literature faster,” Antrim said.

Senior Symeon Braman plays euphonium in Wind Ensemble, and observes a difference in practice habits as well.

“I think everyone starts feeling the pressure when a day is coming up to perform. Everyone as a collective will start practicing [more]…the growth just gets exponentially better,” he said.

As WAHS’s Wind Ensemble has taken home the 5A State Champion trophy in both 2023 and 2024, the pressure is even greater. Freshman Sophia Brandon filled the empty French horn chair this year, and is enjoying the process and excitement leading to state. Though the festivals are competitive in nature, she mostly values the time the band gets to receive feedback.

“My favorite part [of festivals] is really just getting to the clinic and meeting the adjudicator and hearing what they have the say,” Brandon said.

Braman’s personal favorite moments of a festival come from both performing and being part of the audience.

“My favorite thing would be being able to go to festivals and hear other schools perform as well and running through all the songs ourselves, because a lot of times in practice we’ll never actually play a whole song.”

Antrim feels similarly. At the state competition

in 2024, Antrim recalls a McKay High School’s competing band playing an arrangement of ‘Give Us This Day’ by David Maslanka, prompting an overwhelmingly positive response from the audience.

“Even though we ended up beating [McKay], I wasn’t sitting there while they were doing this amazing performance and going ‘Oh crap, they might beat us’...I was like ‘Wow, this is just amazing,’” Antrim said. “It’s competitive, but almost like we’re all in this together.”

THIS YEAR’S STATE COMPETITION IS ON MAY 16 AT OSU’S LASELLE CENTER

Story by Ayrianna Vanhoorebeke

Preparations for performances differ for every player, ranging from concentrating on the present, listening to other musicians, and maintaining focus during practices with the rest of the jazz band.

Freshman Leland Ashworth knows that in his performances, he can’t change mistakes that he makes.

“Leave it in the past, [it’s] not like I can change it,” Ashworth said.

ABOVE: JUNIOR ALEXANDER ANTRIM BELOW: SENIOR SYMEON BRAMAN

This idea also resonates with sophomore Emery Wylie.

“My mistake is [I] usually need to play louder, and I fix it by listening to recordings and listening to the people around me,” Wylie said.

Senior Merannen Gatien does some exercises before a concert to prepare himself.

“Right before the performance, I take a lot of deep breaths and just try to relax my body so I’m not nervous when I go up on stage,” Gatien said.

Ashworth’s routine consists of getting inspiration from other musicians.

“I’ll be constantly listening to music all day, whether that’s the music we’re going to play or the music I enjoy,” Ashworth said.

Wiley’s routine is similar, although she uses music to get her mindset in the right space. “It’s really nice to listen to other bands play before and see where their mindset is at, so that I can set [my mind] where [it] should be. And so I can really just feel like I’m in the moment, rather than outside of it,” she said.

“I listen to the recordings of professionals who play it, so I can try to copy their style and articulation, and make it sound super good, and then usually match that with [my] section,” Gatien said.

Ashworth has another routine that helps her if she messes up during her performance. “I [am] always mentally taking notes of everything that I’ve [wanted] to focus on, because the moment you focus on knowledge, basic things [and] everything else improves 100 times,” Ashworth said.

Gatien focuses mainly on his section’s ability to stay in unison throughout their different parts. “You’re all playing the same thing, same articulation, same style so it’s not different interpretations, then you match it with the whole ensemble,” he said. Finding a routine is a large part of preparing for each competition or performance, and each player has a unique way of doing so.

The Many Faces of AI

THE LENS OF USING AI AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL FROM THE EYES OF STUDENTS AND STAFF

Story and photos by Naima Nguyen

Throughout recent years AI, specifically ChatGPT, has begun to seat itself in classrooms and students’ lives. As AI’s role in education has grown, so have the variety of perspectives both students and staff hold. AI’s presentation of timely and concise information is known for its convenience. However, sometimes its technology hits a roadblock on accuracy.

For instance, sophomore Zara Morris examines AI’s merits on both its convenience and accuracy.

“I have used it to write poems a lot. Sometimes I’ll just be messing around with it, but…when it does [generate content], it’s never really accurate,” Morris said.

For instance, after a history lesson, Morris explored how AI would use the Roman Empire in a written context.

“It was using the right terms, and the right information, but it wasn’t using stuff in the right context,” Morris said. This demonstrates the limitations that AI has when it comes to generating content from preexisting facts.

As AI becomes more accessible in classrooms, certain academic habits developed from AI use also shows the impact that AI has had on students. Social studies teacher Jen Winchell shared her own stories about ChatGPT use among students.

“[I’ve] seen one essay fully written using Chat GPT,” Winchell said.

Winchell mentions that time management could also be a factor in plagiarism.

“It’s common in schools because students can get overwhelmed and are looking for ways to reduce their homework or how much work they need to spend on things,” she said.

She sees the potential consequences of depending on AI for high academic performance. “Sometimes, students use it as a shortcut that undercuts their own education, and that directly correlates to how they will learn and function in the world outside of school.”

Similar concerns are expressed by english teacher Blain Willard, who predicts what could happen within society if students venture into AI without any internal motive aside from an easy grade. He expressed concern that society would favor knowing information versus understanding its content which could hold a significant impact on how society interprets knowledge.

“We’re going to be a society of people who can access information, who can locate information, but will have no ability to think critically about that information. It’s kind of like having knowledge without wisdom,” Willard said.

Among academic and societal concerns, sophomore Ian Beireis points out a factor to consider when it comes to using AI as a tool: the possibility of unknowingly endangering one’s own personal safety. A person’s personal information, such as their name or password could be at risk of accidentally being shared with another person without their knowledge if they showed it to AI.

IT’S KIND OF LIKE HAVING KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT WISDOM “

“I’ve actually seen this with an assignment before. They’ll take a picture of an assignment with their name on it…that’s just information you don’t need to be giving out, because they can hallucinate with that…it’s all put into a database,” Beireis said.

In some cases, AI can pose issues to developing critical thinking.

“Most of [the subjects in] school [are there] just to develop our critical thinking,” Morris said. “Sometimes, different stuff you learn isn’t necessarily going to be applied later in life…but [with AI] doing the work for them, you know, they lose kind of a chance to develop that.”

In other cases, it could lead to people taking shortcuts in other areas of their life.

“I feel like when you look for an easy way

REAL OR AI?

Spot the difference bewteen an AI generated photo and a human-taken photo.

Photos by Teah Caffarella

out to do something, that habit will start to apply to other things. So, [if] you use AI in one class, you might try to use [it for] others and so and so, and you might just try to take the easier way out of life from there on out, not necessarily [with] AI, but with other things too,” Beireis said.

As these concerns are addressed, there among AI’s many faces appears to be another side to it. The twist that if used with good intent, it may help with critical thinking. AI can be akin to having a personal tutor.

“You ask it a question. It provides an answer…and you just engage in a conversation with it, in which you are asking it questions to clarify your thinking, that’s a powerful tool. That’s every single one of us having a personal assistant or a tutor to help explain things to us,” Willard said.

“...I think the ramifications of AI use are yet to be seen, and so I personally don’t use it very frequently,” Winchell said.

With that considered, when used responsibly, AI can demonstrate its growing potential as a useful tool.

“I feel like [AI] has a bit of an upper hand there, because a lot of other study tools…are only limited to one thing. Well, it doesn’t necessarily have a limit. It can keep moving on,” Beireis said.

The adaptability of AI can be seen as a valuable ally when it comes to learning new topics. But to what extent? And how can someone know if their AI use is ethical?

Ethics and integrity around AI use are the foundation of Winchell’s policy for its use. The biggest advice she has for students is to take a moment to think about how their teacher would

Story by Gavin Ray

THE PROS AND CONS OF AI

-AI can automatically complete otherwise menial tasks

-AI is easily accessible

-AI can simplify complex subjects and tasks

-AI can help people with different learning methods

-AI can eliminate biases people may have

PROS CONS FOR AI

-AI could replace human jobs

-AI could be used to cheat on assignments

-AI could lead to a lack of understanding when it comes to learning and practicing skills

-AI is known to collect personal data

-AI could be used for unethical information gathering

view their AI use.

“I think a very clear boundary is used with teacher knowledge and teachers’ choice in… whatever class or project or activity. I think most students, if they ask themselves, ‘if my teacher was standing here, would they be okay with me using Generative AI ChatGPT?’ They would be able to tell you, ‘Yes, this teacher is okay with it,’” Winchell said.

As the era of Generative AI is still growing, so will the perspectives of both students and staff as they continue to navigate its complexities and define its role in society.

Off The Track

A FAILING REPORT

Story by Ariana Goettl

THE FACTORS THAT GO INTO THE OREGON REPORT CARD

Oregon and other states get this report card titled the “At-A-Glance”. The "At-A-Glance" profile is shown on Oregon’s website and the profile lets teachers know what they can do to improve on their teaching. This year’s profile for GAPS shows information about how the district did in different classes and tells how different demographics, like race and students’ living situations, are affecting how they are performing in the district. This year the GAPS district didn’t do very well. GAPS has a 25% in Mathematics, which is lower than the state average, and a 42% in English, which is higher than the state average. Assistant principal, Sean Saxton, and Math teacher, Bryce Johnson were asked some questions regarding the “At-A-Glance” profile for GAPS.

Based on the most recent school profile, in the 20232024 school season, 67% of students attend school regularly, but 82% of students graduate on time. According to Saxton, the reason for the discrepancy is because some students manage to pass their required classes despite having less than perfect attendance.

“Students don’t need to get straight A’s to graduate on time,” Saxton said. So students can miss quite a bit of school and still have the ability to graduate on time, these stats are the reason why there are more than half students going to school and then over 80% of students graduating on time.

THE NATION’S REPORT CARD; HOW OREGON DID IN MATH AND ENGLISH IN 2024

In the 8th grade Mathematics out of the average score (229):

33% of students are Below Average 36% of students are Average 25% of students are Proficient 6% of students are Advanced

Compared to the Nation:

24% of students are Below Average 36% of students are Average

31% of students are Proficient 9% of students are Advanced

Yet, Johnson also states “being absent, or absenteeism is one the biggest factors that leads to kids failing classes or not graduating eventually.”

According to the GAPS’ “At-A-Glance” profile, students are doing significantly worse in mathematics than other classes the district offers.

“The COVID years had a big effect,” Johnson said, “I think we are still seeing the effects of that.” Johnson thinks that the years affected by COVID had a significant impact on student work ethic due to passing classes with minimal effort. Along with the mathematics scores going down, “Teachers at West should prioritize math instruction, and have some sort of incentives for kids who do pass the tests.” Saxton said. With fixing attendance and prioritizing math instructions, there’s a chance that GAPS “At-A-Glance stats can be higher by the 2025-2026 years.

MR. JOHNSON’S 7TH PERIOD ALGEBRA TWO CLASS TAKING NOTES PHOTO BY CHANCE YOUNG

FRESHMEN

WHO

FAILED

CLASSES

LAST SEMESTER ARE NOW 'OFF TRACK.' WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO TO GET BACK ON TRACK?

Story

Every year at least a few students, will fail a class and not get their required credits. Freshman who are new to highschool and it's systems can sometimes fall behind first semester, usually called “off track” students. It can be hard to bounce bck from this but there are ways to do it.

“I think the biggest thing for students to do is just [wanting] it,” freshman English teacher Chris Martin said.

The term “off track” is a word used to describe freshman students (And any other grade as well) who failed classes first semester and are off track from graduating on time. To be “on track” a student must have all their required credits by the end of their highschool career, a freshman student who failed their English class first semester may be considered “off track” as they would no longer have the ability to get their four English credits needed to graduate unless they were to double up.

Martin says that “off track” students need to reach out and advocate for themselves , to show that they want to succeed.

“Sometimes it’s hard for a teacher to get to everybody at a level that they may need to succeed. So sometimes it has to fall on [the student’s] own shoulders, and [they] need to reach out."said Martin, "Then once [the teacher knows] that [they] need that help, it’s a lot easier for teachers to continue down that path and get [them] the help [they] need.”

“Nothing’s going to be guaranteed,” Martin said, “but once [they] flip that switch and decide that [they] want to succeed and [they] want to get grades, passing grades, I think [they’re] on the right track.”

Garnier barely graduated high school, he says, and he only found what motivates him in college, which made him do very well there.

“The number one thing I want to tell kids is don’t quit,”Garnier said. “Don’t let this make you quit second semester.” This year he has seen fewer freshman students failing than his last three years of teaching at WAHS, and the ones who did are now working to get better grades this semester.

“We have a better on-track percentage this year than we’ve had in previous years, [meaning] more students are passing classes than in previous years,” Freshman Assistant Counselor Tristan Heisely said. “We do a lot of frequent check-ins with the kids on their grades. We’re doing [it] in study skills.”

“The first semester of freshman year, if you fail every single class, it’s going to [take] work to fix it,” Science teacher Mike Garnier said, “but it has very little bearing on whether or not you can graduate.” Science teacher Mike Garnier said on students considered “off track.” Garnier wishes that by not having a late fee, he can teach his freshmen students the persistence that they need for their later classes in higher grades.

Freshmen write down their classes, grades, and missing assignments so they can prioritize the classes they are struggling most in. “I truly believe that every single kid could be on track,” Heisley said. “A lot of the conversations that I have with kids right now [are] telling them, you need to lock in, because they can do it.” Heisley explains that kids who go home and do other activities like video games or watching TV and do not prioritize schoolwork, Heisley continues by saying that freshmen do not actively realize how their present impacts their future, year’s down the road.

YOUR LIFE OUTSIDE OF HIGH SCHOOL IS A LOT LONGER THAN YOUR LIFE IN SCHOOL UP TO THIS POINT. SO YOU WANT TO HAVE A GOOD LIFE. IT STARTS WITH TAKING SCHOOL SERIOUSLY AND DOING THE RIGHT THING

“ “

YOU WANT THESE GRADES TO COUNT, YOU WANT TO SUCCEED AND HAVE A TRANSCRIPT THAT IS GLOWING AT THE END OF YOUR FOUR YEARS HERE

Freshman English Teacher Chris Martin

Freshman Assistant Counselor Tristan Heisley

by Chance Young

SPEAKING

Photos by Teah Caffarella, Emi Ludlow, and Taylour Veith

SPEAKING OUT

HOW LAW ENFORCEMENT AND STUDENTS VIEW AND ACT ON NEW POLICIES REGARDINGIMMIGRANTS

With the recent change in presidency, policies regarding immigrants and the definition of what constitutes a U.S. citizen have been significantly altered. These changes have sparked intense debate and division within American society. Deportation policies, which are used to return immigrants lacking permanent legal status, convicts, and even some green card holders to their countries of origin, have become a central point of contention. At West Albany, the impact of these policies is felt deeply among students and staff, particularly those who are first or second-generation immigrants. Many of these people live with the constant fear of deportation, which

Story by Emi Ludlow and Addi Winter

Photoillustration by Addi Winter

Since the start of the new year under a new federal administration, we, as Americans have seen rapid changes occur within our local communities in just a few weeks. Of the most noticeable that was especially talked about by American media has been the new immigration policies set by the Trump administration. One report that made rounds across the country was Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency showing up at an elementary school in Chicago with the intention of detaining particular students. Here, at West Albany, certain educators were the first to see how the enactment of Trump’s executive orders on immigration have been affecting our student body and larger community.

“There was no time to react, or to figure out what [sudden Immigration and Customs Enforcement news] meant, or even for some people to read what the executive order was before things started happening,” Spanish and English Language Development teacher Ken Beiser said.

The overall well-being of students in the classroom is just one more of the numerous responsibilities that teachers have to juggle on top of their daily lessons, but with sensitive topics like these, teachers work to make sure they don’t box any students in with generic stereotypes of what someone from their background has been boxed into.

“It’s tricky because you want to respect people’s privacy. You don’t want to assume anything about anyone,” Spanish and English Language Development teacher Emily Mehl said. You want your students to know that you are there to support them as much as they need, but you also don’t want to make anyone feel like you think you need to do that for them.”

Students are often under the impression that teachers, as adults, are unaware of the resurgences of liberal and conservative movements that, in today’s time, are instigated through underlying

There are two main police departments and two sheriff’s offices in Linn-Benton County. Albany is under the jurisdiction of the Albany Police Department, led by Chief Marcia Harnden. An announcement was made to the public to the school district that the local police force would not be cooperating with any federal government agencies when it came to citizenship and status.

“There [are] multiple layers of law enforcement in this country—federal, down to state level,” Harnden said in an interview. “The laws that guide us in our daily duties are the Oregon state laws. We follow the Oregon state Constitution.”

Oregon is a sanctuary state, meaning that there is a restriction on how much the police can engage and share information with immigration authorities. If the federal government comes to

I*M HERE FOR YOU

ELD TEACHERS SHARE HOW THEY SUPPORT STUDENTS UNDER A NEW ERA OF POLICY

messaging in popular trends and memes; however, much of the themes hidden are common enough within each movement that teachers are able to pick up on what message is truly being sent through youth trends. With the rise of dark humor on several social media platforms, the algorithm begins to push that harmful rhetoric onto everyone’s homepages, which further spreads the negative connotations being insinuated by the supposed joke. Eventually, through the normalization of certain stereotypes being stuck onto certain backgrounds, this commentary makes its way into the real world, where it actively harms members of our community.

the Albany Police Department for issues related to immigration, the local police do not have the authority to share information unless there is a warrant signed by a judicial judge.

“We can’t ask where they are from or if they are in the country legally,” Harnden said. “We can’t share the jail roster information with immigration authorities.”

The exception to this is if there were an extreme crime. In that case, the police would work with federal authorities, which is called a criminal nexus. If a person is involved with drugs, human or labor trafficking, or other federal offenses, these are cases when the Albany police have worked with the FBI or U.S. Marshals.

“Immigration is where it becomes more gray,” Harnden said.

In these cases, sharing a person’s citizenship

“I’m sad for our youth, no matter your background, race, or anything like that. We’re in 2025 and we should be going in one direction, and everything’s going backwards right now,” Mehl said. “It feels like we take two steps forward and twelve steps backwards in every aspect.”

Practically overnight, many educators and education staff across the country were expected to step up to answer urgent questions that students had for them revolving around the new executive orders. Despite the anxiety that came with stepping up to this sudden role, students are the people that make up a significant bit of teachers’ daily life giving them a connection to

status is discussed by the higher levels of the police department.

“We take [this] very seriously,” Harnden said. “We would share the information about the case and the impacts across state lines and country borders.”

Once President Donald Trump took office, the Attorney General’s office sent a reminder to all Oregon forces of the Oregon laws that the federal government has no say on. When it comes to the recent politics regarding immigration, Harnden speaks for a majority of the force when it comes to the community.

“I’ve been doing this for 32 years, and Albany is between 12-15% Hispanic. Most of us don’t care,” Harnden said. According to Harnden, when police interact with the public on a daily basis, they are not allowed to ask a person’s immigration status. “That’s the expectation. It’s

Story by Avneet Dhaliwal and Photo by Lena Larson

CHIEF MARCIA HARNDEN

youth that many other adults do not get the opportunity to do so.

“It’s stressful even when it’s not affecting you directly,” Mehl said. “It’s affecting your community of people that you care about.”

For many young students, their main source of information is from the adults and peers closest to them in their day-to-day life. With many young people simply repeating things that they’ve heard online, the words they say cause a lot of grief to children who truly are vulnerable to the new immigration policies, and much of the information spread is often misinformation.

“It’s messed up that a little kid can’t go to school and not worry about [whether] they would come home to no family members or parents, and now they’re having to worry about this happening to them,” Mehl said.

Similarly, Beiser tries to manage a classroom where some students have to deal with carrying immense stress regarding their personal life and trying to stay caught up with responsibilities in their academic life.

“It’s really hard to ask someone to focus on their homework or to study for a quiz when you know they’re not sure what’s going to happen to them or their family,” Beiser said.

Despite the rapid changes taking place in our government on the federal level and the uncertainty we feel from it, it is important to acknowledge that the full force of President Trump’s executive orders are not felt as urgently in the state of Oregon. In this way, Oregonians are generally much more sheltered from news that revolves around Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, although hearing the news from other states can lead to a rise in hysteria among vulnerable groups of people.

“There are a lot of states in the U.S. right now that are making these sweeping changes,” Beiser said. “So, I think with all of the craziness going on, we are very lucky to be in a state like Oregon [that] has really put emphasis on the dignity of just being a person.”

not our job.”

The fear on national news about deportation and ICE has negatively affected the stereotype of police across the nation. There has constantly been a poor portrayal of police within recent culture, commonly police abusing their power according to Harnden. This stereotype has increased with people accusing any officers of being Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in disguise.

“[People] are afraid of the police,” Harnden said, “and we’ve worked hard to build a good relationship with all of our community members, particularly our Hispanic community, and have done a lot to reassure them that they should not fear [police].”

PRECEDENT OF THE POLICIES

WHY IMMIGRATION IS NOT A NEW ISSUE

Common Misunderstandings:

14 year olds applying for a visa are now obligated to be registered with the United Stated Government, with civil and criminal penalty if not met. That every highschooler in the country with a visa application or with undocumented status is now under the jurisdiction of this new executive order 14159, that requires all undocumented people above the age of 14 to register and be fingerprinted by the United States Government.

During American history, immigration has always been an issue. The first legislation on immigration was the 1790 Naturalization Act, which declared that the only people granted citizenship would be free white persons who had resided in the country for at least two years, and could swear on moral quality and the constitution. This first set of legislation is important for understanding the

“There’s an entire green card system and there’s student visas and there’s professional visas, and so there’s this massive gray area of people in the country who aren’t American citizens but are legally here.”

-Social Studies Teacher Andrew Sturgill

that did the exact opposite,” social studies teacher Andrew Sturgill said. The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act changed the way that immigration works so completely, that immigration had been done in such a discriminatory way, that so many people had to bear in their time.. In 1965, immigration changed from restricting individuals based on nationality, to allowing people based on their connection and relationships to US citizens, opening immigration to people based on personal information, rather than the government’s broad generalization about a group of people.

New policy is arising every day, but what’s the basis of it? Why is immigration such a poignant issue in American politics today?

“Immigrants are actually less likely to commit crimes than native born Americans. A lot of Americans don’t realize that immigrants are typically the safest people to have as neighbors.”

-Andrew Sturgill

current immigration issues. That the problem with immigration historically has not been immigration itself, but bias against different groups. The fact that America first had legislation stating that it was only acceptable to be an immigrant if you were white is important to acknowledge when considering current motivations for potential legislation on immigration.

When considering immigration acts, legislation usually focuses on restricting a certain group instead of immigrants as a whole, such as the Immigration Quota Act of 1921 and the 1924 National Origins Quota Act, which limited how many people could immigrate based on nationality, severely discriminating against Southern and Eastern Europeans, Europeans who were typically non-Protestants.

“Essentially, we were trying to restrict what type of American was here, and then in 1965 [there] was an immigration act

“There’s always historically been an issue with people, that it’s the in group versus out group,” psychology teacher Kyle Hall said. “We came in as immigrants, and essentially took over an entire continent, just because we felt empowered and we felt superior. Then after that, anybody else that came in, once we established a norm for what it means to be an American, it gave us the ability to judge other people who weren’t

“People in the United States who are undocumented, upwards of [40%, according to the Center for Migration Studies] came to the United States legally and then just did not leave when they were supposed to. So this notion that there are tens of millions of people illegally crossing borders, it just doesn’t match with reality.”

-Spanish Teacher Ken Beiser

American, even though we were a bunch of immigrants that did the same thing. And so it’s just manifested, it’s changed into something that’s more aggressive and more hurtful,” Hall said.

“We’ve been arguing the immigration debate for literally as long as I can remember. It’s always been an issue that’s never been solved,” Hall said. “I always tell my kids, there’s no such thing as a simple answer to a complex problem. People are trying to solve immigration simply.”

Story by AJ Howard, Photo by Taylour Veith

It was the year of 1998: a Chinese immigrant moving to America under a student visa was going to attend Clemson University in South Carolina. Because his name, Xinyu, was too hard to pronounce for his peers and professors at his university, he became Mark. After around four months of being in America, Xinyu’s wife Bei Shen, who did not change her last name because it’s common in Chinese culture to keep your last name after marriage, decided to travel to America as well and to join Xinyu.

During Bill Clinton’s time in the presidential office, he strived to make the education system for immigrants and their families better by improving their standard of living and making bilingual education easier and more accessible. This increased the number of immigrants who were looking for education in the U.S.

When the couple was beginning their life in America, they didn’t experience any negative interactions with the government; however, they found themselves subject to standard stereotypes of Asians, which was annoying.

Junior Jerry Wang, the child of these two, is now a high school student attending WAHS. Wang was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and moved to Albany at three months old, making him a U.S. citizen since birth. “I’m a U.S. citizen,” Wang said. “I have an American passport.”

Both of Wang’s parents are permanent residents and green card holders, and have been since 2011.. As of now, green card holders cannot be deported unless they commit certain crimes. However, recent events regarding a student from Columbia University, a notable figure in the Gaza war protest there, have raised concern in Wang’s mind.

“I was only mildly concerned, but since the incident with Mahmoud Khalil, I suddenly feel more and more concerned,” Wang said. “I’m starting to get [actively] worried.”

Wang’s worries regarding potential changes to federal laws and the possibilities of the future still arise. Wang described his evolving concerns for

his family and their legal status.

“I’m concerned that at this rate, all of our legal protections are being rolled back and assaulted,” Wang said, anxiously clutching his lunch bag to his chest. “Right now, I’m worried that my family is going to, at worst, get deported or arrested. I don’t think my parents are in danger of deportation, but I feel like that still probably won’t stop a lot of people from wanting them deported.”

Although Wang’s concerns have developed over time, he shared the recent worries he has developed regarding events happening today. “I still don’t think they [can] do anything to me legally, but now after the [events with Khalil], I don’t think my parents are as safe as they were before.” Wang shared that he isn’t worried that his U.S. citizenship will be taken away or that he will be deported, but questions on what the future looks like fill his mind.

SENIOR STANISLAVA YAKAVENKA

From the small country of Belarus, senior Stanislava Yakavenka moved to the United States at four years old.

“[I] walk[ed] into America and didn’t realize that it was a different country,” Yakavenka said. “I [spoke] Russian and didn’t make any friends until I took on English.”

It wasn’t difficult for Yakaneka to pick up English at a young age; they felt like they fit in and weren’t judged for their heritage because they were Slavic.

“You can’t tell. I’m white and don’t have a Russian accent anymore in

1790 The first immigration policy in the United States, established that only free white persons would be able to be naturalized as citizens in the new country.

1882

Chinese Exclusion ActFirst piece of legislation limiting an immigrating racial group of laborers.

1892

Geary Act- to limit Chinese immigrants even more by requiring a registration card, a precursor to the modern green card.

1917 Immigration Act, or the Asiatic Barred Zone Act, Restricted people viewed as ‘undesirable’ and imposed literacy tests on immigrants

1924

National Origins

Quota Act-Limited immigrants based on a quota of specific nationalities. 1945 War Brides Act- The spouses and children of men who served in WWII would be allowed to immigrate to the United States, regardless of previously established quotas.

SILENT

1948

Displaced persons act of 1948-First act addressing refugees, made after almost 7 million people were displaced after WWII and allowed them to immigrate regardless of quotas.

1965 Immigration and Nationality ActRedid the original quota act stating that the system would favor those with connections to US citizens rather than the national quotas.

1986

Immigration Reform and Control ActEmployers can now face civil and criminal penalties for employing undocumented workers.

2001

USA Patriot Act- This bill discriminated against foreign nations, making the reasons for deportations to be incredibly light and arbitrary. Created as a response to 9/11.

2006

Secure Fence Act700 miles of fences along the US Mexico border 2023

U.S. Citizenship ActReplaces the use of the word ‘alien’ with ‘non- citizen’ in legal immigration processes.

WHAT IS ICE?

Story by Alana Ebaugh-Berg

FACTS ABOUT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

* “ICE” stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is a federal agency

* While ICE covers the crimes of trafficking, contraband, and public safety issues, they mainly focus on immigration

* On average, over 4,000 undocumented immigrants have been arrested monthly since January 2017

* ICE soared in funding after the 9/11 attack since they assumed more attacks were heading their way

* More than 20,000 people are employed with ICE

* ICE has three sub-agencies, Enforcement and Removal Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, and Office of the Principal Legal Advisor

* The previous yearly budget for ICE was $3.3 billion and has increased to $7.4 billion since 2018

* Oregon is one of the few states that have “sanctuary cities” for undocumented immigration assistance. The laws within these cities prevent police from asking about immigration status and disallow ICE arrests at the courthouse

* Oregon is called a “sanctuary state” because the state does not allow its officials and police operations to share information with or help ICE

English,” Yakavenka said. “But with my parents, they get small pauses after people start talking to them.”

When President Trump first took office, Yakavenka’s parents were concerned with the fact that they could get deported because they only held their green cards at that point.

“My parents got freaked out, especially because we weren’t technically fully legal immigrants,” Yakavenka said. “It was only during [the presidential term of Joe] Biden that we got naturalized, specifically so that if Trump ever came back, we would be fine.”

When it comes to Yakavenka’s identity, they consider themself Russian.

“I understand American culture, and I do partake in a majority of it, but I still consider myself Russian,” Yakavenka said. “We eat the food, we talk in Russian at our house… I don’t like to particularly [identify as] American; it feels like I’m abandoning my roots.”

FRESHMAN MAYA ESQUIVEL

Freshman Maya Esquivel Gutierrez’s heritage is an important part of her identity. Gutierrez’s father came to America from his family in Mexico for better work opportunities. It wasn’t until regulations about immigration became more severe that he gained citizenship. It was then he married and moved to Albany.

Gutierrez explained how it was to be an immigrant without legal status and the potential threat of deportation through her mother’s experience.

“She wasn’t really living, she was mostly surviving for her future. To go through so much mental stress and stress on your body [by] working yourself tirelessly,” Gutierrez said. “Then only for all of that to be ripped away because you weren’t born here really hurts me.”

After the pandemic, Gutierrez returned to school, often bringing ethnic food for lunch that took her mother hours to make.

“I was proud of who I was because my parents taught me that I shouldn’t be ashamed of the place I’m from,” Gutierrez said.

It was then she was discriminated against for her food

and her ethnicity as a Mexican with her family immigrant history.

“[People] would comment on my features and my skin color. One of them would tell me I looked exotic… One of them went out of their way to comment on my mom’s foods,” Gutierrez said. “It hurt me. A lot of those foods that my mom would make, she put a lot of effort and love into them.”

Now, when asked about immigration policies, Gutierrez argues that America should be open to refugees and workers in need of a better life.

“They will come here without those papers because they need [to]. They just can’t wait any longer,” Gutierrez said.

CONCLUSION

As Trump’s presidency goes on, there are expected changes with immigration status and prevention of illegal crossings in the up coming future. Uncertainty can be found within students and community members of how things will change. As of right now, Oregon’s sanctuary laws are the code Albany officers are following, and immigration authorities don’t have access to information regarding legal status unless shared with them through the police.

N A V I G A T I

PERSONAL STORIES BEHIND U.S. VISA AND CITIZENSHIP APPLICATIONS

Story and Photos by Taylour Veith

N G CITIZENSHIP

In a country as diverse as ours, getting citizenship or a visa is an eventual part of the process for people who immigrate here. Legal documentation can relieve stressful tensions about navigating through an unfamiliar legal system and provides the opportunity for a fresh start.

Learning about what immigrants go through to get legal status can help the average American better understand the nuances that come with immigration and how immigration affects communities across the country. As immigrants move through the legal process, their stories show the difficulties and successes of beginning their American dream.

“[Getting a visa] took seven years, and it was really expensive,” junior Nengai Mollel said. “I was supposed to be here when I was two, but the process of getting [a visa] took a long time.”

Navigating the path to legal status in the United States can be challenging. Immigrants

often face obstacles such as long waits that can last decades depending on their former country, complicated paperwork, numerous documents, and high fees to afford immigration attorneys. According to the official website of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, getting a green card can take anywhere from months to over ten years, depending on various factors.

“It is a process that has been prolonged over and over again—to the point where it’s almost impossible to gain your Green Card [in order] to gain status as an American citizen,” senior Edson Conn said. “For me specifically, it took about nine years. Nine years to become a citizen.”

The per-country limit for preference immigrants is set at 7% (25,620 people) of the total annual family-sponsored and employmentbased preference limits, while the dependent area limit is set at 2% (7,320 people). These numbers are more than just statistics — they represent real people and their journeys.

“I came to America because my father thought it would be a great idea for me [for] better education,” Mollel said. “People back home don’t have education like people here, so [he thought it’d] be a big opportunity for me.”

For many immigrants, their journey involves moving from one place to another to seek better economic opportunities, reunite with family, pursue education, or escape persecution or violence in their home country.

“I was adopted,” Conn said. “First I was taken to a baby’s home. More of an orphanage for kids like me. I spent a year there, and then was adopted and brought to America in 2015.”

The personal stories of immigrants, including students here at West Albany, highlight both the struggles and triumphs experienced on this journey. By understanding these experiences, others can gain insight into the broader immigration system and the ongoing pursuit of the American dream.

IMMIGRATION QUIZ

Test your knowledge on national and local immigration statistics

1) OREGON IS ONE OF HOW MANY SANCTUARY STATES IN THE U.S.?

A) 7 states

B) 16 states

C) 11 states

D) 4 states

4) AS OF 2022, WHAT PERCENT OF RECENTLY ARRIVED IMMIGRANTS HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE OR HIGHER?

A) 48%

B) 18%

C) 62%

D) 24%

7) WHAT PERCENT OF OREGONIANS HAVE AT LEAST ONE IMMIGRANT PARENT?

A) 2.5%

B) 8%

C) 12%

D) 5.5%

2) WHAT PERCENT OF STUDENTS WITHIN THE DISTRICT IDENTIFY AS HISPANIC/LATINO?

A) 30.5%

B) 25%

C) 12%

D) 8.5%

5) HOW MANY IMMIGRANTS LEGALLY ENTERED THE UNITED STATES IN 2022?

A) About 2 million

B) 1.4 million

C) About 2.6 million

D) Less than 1 million

8) HOW MANY UNAUTHORIZED IMMIGRANTS CURRENTLY RESIDE IN THE UNITED STATES?

A)About 9.2 million

B) Around 15.2 million

C) About 11.4 million

D) Around 8.6 million

3) WHAT PERCENT OF OREGON'S POPULATION IS FOREIGN BORN?

A) 9.5%

B) 20%

C) 6%

D) 5.5%

6) IN OREGON, OTHER THAN ENGLISH, WHAT ARE THE 3 MOST COMMONLY SPOKEN LANGUAGES?

A) Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese

B) Spanish, French, and Chinese

C) Spanish, Tagalog and German

INFORMATION FROM:

OREGON.GOV

AMERICANIMMIGRATIONCOUNCIL.ORG

MIGRATIONPOLICY.ORG

USAFACTS.ORG

FAIRUS.ORG