Amplifier 2017-2018 Winter Edition (Volume 98-Issue 2)

West Linn, Ore. / Volume 98 / Issue 2 / Winter 2018

REACH FOR THE GOAL

INSIDE

Amplifier West Linn High School

CURRENT EVENTS

Pg. 4 - Mock Trial finishes sixth at World Championships in New York.

SPORTS

Pg. 6 - Wrestlers kick off season with tournament win.

Pageant raises funds supporting local charity

PHOTO STORY BY EMILY EBSEN - EYES ON THE PRIZE. Raising money for a local charity, Matthew Lewis and Brady McDevitt, seniors, captivate the crowd at the Mr. and Ms. West Linn pageant. The pageant promotes the same cause, helping the community grow and become a safer place for everyone. BABY, BABY, BABY. As a Justin Bieber superfan, Claire Newrones, senior, explains her passion for the pop icon. PERFORMING PENGUINS. Dressed as their would-be super hero, Lewis and McDevitt explain their interests and passions.

ROARING WITH PASSION. Dressed as a lion, Max Becker, senior, shares his goals for the future during the question portion of the program. LINING UP. Crowning Ms. West Linn, Shaylee Hicks, senior, the entire production raised a total of $3,740.35 supporting Oregon Impact, a non-profit providing an educational experience to end impaired and distracted driving for a safer environment. “It was exciting to see how passionate the students were about keeping the road a safe space,” Ashley Yablonsky, sophomore, said.

'The Last Jedi,' 2017’s big blockbuster

BY BRYCE CUMPSTON staff reporter

E

very Christmas, one film suddenly seems to hijack conversations everywhere you go. This year especially, it feels nearly impossible to avoid the hype around the latest addition to the world’s most notorious science fiction saga. “Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi” hit theatres on Dec. 14, 2017, and love it or hate it - it is undoubtedly a gamechanger for this long-running film series.

Despite a wave of severe and extremely polarized reactions to

the film, there’s one thing every movie-goer can agree on about the new “Star Wars:” it’s different from the others.

“I do like the fact that it’s different and that it’s changing things up,” Nathaniel Olds, senior, said, who has seen the film twice already. “It’s important that things change.” Olds enjoyed “The Last Jedi,” although he realizes why some might not.

“The second time was better than the first time,” Olds said.

“I don’t see why people would

get upset about it,” Steve Davala, chemistry teacher and Star Wars aficionado, said. “Coming out of the movie, I thought, ‘This is a great movie. Everyone’s gonna like it.’”

Davala, who just got finished reading not one, but two Star Wars spin-off novels delving into the backstories of characters in the new film, has gained a reputation at West Linn as being the Star Wars expert. If anyone knows what they’re talking about, it’s him.

Continued on pg. 5

Memorial race honors Kelsey Hewitt

BY SAM MISA current events editor The ski team launched their season January 6 with a memorial event at Mount Hood.

Spending almost every day from dusk ‘till dawn over winter break preparing for the season, the team would work on their strength and endurance in the weight room twice a week to be ready in the weeks leading up to the winter break.

For the girls individual race at the memorial event, Alyssa Hargis, freshman, placed in the top 15 out of about 200 other athletes. Trevor Pool, junior, placed in the top 25 for the Boys individuals. Both runs were finished in about 22 seconds.

The competition was an introduction to the team for sev-

eral incoming skiiers.

“I decided to join the ski team because I’ve been skiing for a long time, and my friends ski," John Herbert, freshman, said. "I don’t really want to gain anything from skiing–just have fun.

For Herbert, and the others on the team, training is an important part of preparing for the season as training assists them in preventing injury.

“My biggest fear on the mountain is tearing my acl [Anterior cruciate ligament]," Herbert said, who is working on improving his conditioning as well as working on his skills. "The weak points in my technique are for sure my jump turns. I don’t really expect to win–I’m a freshman.”

Continued on pg. 7

Skiers Emily Miller, Cailin Gahan and Rachel Esnoz, wear tutus at the memorial ski event honoring Kelsey Hewitt. Photo courtesy of Shana White

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OPINION

AMPLIFIER

Classroom Controversy

Truth must be priorotized over belief

BY MATILDA MILNER opinions editor A difference of opinion is merely natural in a climate as diverse as a public school. But when fact and feeling go head to head, fact should always win. Teachers should prioritize the scientific truth, regardless of who disagrees.

Denial of fact is seen throughout our society on the matter of climate change. Especially in the winter months, you may hear people citing the cold weather as evidence that climate change does not exist.

President Donald Trump tweeted on Dec. 28, “In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year’s Eve on record.

Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against. Bundle up!”

This statement reveals that Trump not only has little understanding of what protective measures against climate change would look like, but also that he does not see it as a real or significant issue. The latter sentiment is one that is unfortunately shared with a significant amount of members of our society today.

According to a study from Yale University, 12 percent of Oregon’s population does not believe in climate change.

While this may seem like a small margin of the population, it’s still a large number of people blatantly denying facts. In some states, the numbers are even less. In Kentucky, for example, 18 percent believe climate change isn’t happening, and 52 percent aren’t worried about it.

The battle of fact versus feeling becomes more complicated on the topic of evolution.

A survey from Pew’s Research Center finds that 34 percent of American adults do not believe in the theory of evolution.

This argument is more complicated because, despite the fact that scientists have a plethora of evidence to support evolution, some religions suggest that it did not occur.

And yet the climate is, in fact, changing, and it is the actions of the human race that brought us to this point.

These topics inevitably come up at one point or another throughout the course of public education.

Jonathan Davies, biology teacher, touches on these topics regularly in his classes, even referring to his environmental science class as “intro to climate change.”

“I don’t find either one of them to be beliefs; I don’t find that they’re belief systems,” Davies said when asked what he believed about climate change and evolution. “For each of them we have accumulated data [...] It’s the scientific method, and so it’s not a belief system, it’s drawing conclusions from accumulated data, which is a distinction.”

But is it his responsibility to relay these facts to students regardless of whether or not they want to hear them?

“Oh, absolutely. Both are part of the curriculum,” Davies said.

“Nothing in biology really makes sense without understanding natural selection and evolution.”

Though his job is to present the facts, Davies makes it clear that it isn’t his responsibility

to make any student believe him. “So, with something like natural selection, evolution or climate change, my job is to say, ‘Hey, here’s what we know, here’s what we have.’ And these aren’t like guesses, these are tried and true.”

Davies and the vast majority of scientists agree that the consequences of climate change are visible and extremely damaging.

“Glaciers have shrunk, ice on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier, plant and animal ranges have shifted and trees are flowering sooner,” an article from NASA states.

Denying these facts will only impair our ability to do something about them. This is why it’s extremely important that all students receive education on this topic, regardless of religious beliefs.

Religious beliefs and other sensitivities should always be taken into account, but the separation of church and state exists for a reason. Non-religious students’ education should not be sacrificed for the sake of sparing feelings.

Students who disagree with a curriculum-required subject should be held to the same standard as other students. They should be taught the facts, expected to learn them, and tested on them to the same degree as everybody else.

Students should be expected to approach these issues with an open mind. They should not blindly trust what their family has taught them. Nobody is above learning new information, especially from trained and hired officials.

Political divisions blur school boundries

BY WALLACE MILNER coverage editor

Surreal and crass. These two words better describe our modern political moment than any other.

Language and reason, hardly ever the high points of American cultural conversation, have devolved to the point of childish shouting.

As with all cultural events, the dissolution of conversation runs in both directions, diffused from the top and promoted from the bottom of our nation. In a democracy, controversial subjects will almost always be political. Be it guns, abortion, school prayer or immigration, the stress points of America follow the boundaries of our politics. So it should be no surprise that, in a moment when political discussion has been radicalized and lobotomized, the conversations of average Americans are lacking in restraint.

We see this reflected everywhere: from our talk shows, where accusations of treason and treachery are bandied about recklessly, to our politics, where complicated socio-economic issues are condensed into boorish slogans. A war of words is waged upon Twitter from the highest reaches of executive office.

And of course, it is not merely in dialogue that our culture seems to be devolving. In the age of alternative facts, information is distributed upon partisan lines, ideas are constructed within sheltered minds and political discussion exists only within gated communities. The basis of common understanding, the fact, is dissolving before our eyes.

Of course, we should all be thankful for this reality. That ideas were once written in stone is not a strength of our past.

Had traditional thoughts gone unchallenged by seemingly obscure lines of reason, we would still be teaching bloodletting in health class.

Still, it is a reality that is distinctly uncomfortable and problematic in the classroom.

Controversy serves our nation well in the long run. It forces a confrontation of ideals and allows for wider social progress. The same does not always hold true in the classroom. Especially in this modern moment, as theology, psychology, science and culture converge on the same ground, conflict is unavoidable.

The question remains: where do we draw the line in classrooms?

What can teachers speak on as fact, and what must they avoid?

And conversely, what do students

have reason to contradict, and what should they take as truth? I’m afraid there are no easy answers.

The idea of teachers submitting their opinion is an intensely frightening one, particularly to those on the right, who have long accused schools and universities of left-wing bias. Indeed, for any American, the specter of schools indoctrinating students conjures horrible images of the propaganda-laden textbooks of fascist regimes. This is not to say that teachers must be mindless robots, of course. Emotional education is a vital part of growth.

But we, as a nation, must recognize that a line exists, and take great care to tread on the right side.

And of course, this same argument works in the opposite direction. The government should never restrict teachers’ freedom of speech. As with all other citizens, our teachers have a right to free expression. And so, we must determine that there can be no legal solution to this quandary.

The boundaries of education must remain fluid and undefined; a matter of personal judgment.

To ask that our laws demarcate and delineate what is taught in schools would not merely be an assault upon our Constitution; it would be an assault upon our institutions of education. We must not paint with broad strokes. As reprehensible as it may seem to you that our school teaches, for example, climate change as fact, by opening avenues to restrict that lesson, you place a dangerous degree of faith in a government that has shown a flimsy relation at best with the concept of truth.

However, we must not overlook the reality that some subjects exist outside of a teacher’s purview. It is not the role of teachers to contest matters of faith. It is not the role of teachers to use their influence to sway political thought. It is not the role of teachers to define our morals or to impress upon us their beliefs.

But it is the role of teachers to inform students of the facts. And if the facts change your views on religion, you should not hold our teachers in contempt. If you cannot reconcile your morals and your politics with the world you live in, you should be willing to change them.

The only way we can grow as a society is to grow as individuals.

And so teachers must approach controversial subjects with a willingness to teach, and students must do so with a willingness to learn.

Amplifier

West Linn High School

5464 West A. Street West Linn, OR 97068 503-678-7800 wlhs-amplifier@wlhs.wlwv.k12.or.us WLHSnow.com BROOKE MCKELVEY co-editor in chief GRACE NICKAS co-editor in chief JI HYUN AN co-editor in chief PHILIP CHAN copy editor WALLACE MILNER coverage editor RORY BIALOSTOSKY sports editor SAMUEL MISA current events editor

Cartoon by Philip Chan

WINTER 2018

Social Media

Twitter: @WLHSAmplifier @WLHSNow Facebook: @westlinn.amplifier Youtube: WLHSnow Instagram: @wlhsnow Snapchat: Wlhsnow

BRYCE CRUMPTSON arts and culture editor KATHERINE STALLARD people editor ALEKS BROOKS advertising manager EMILY EBSEN office manager SARAH HEIDEN photo editor MATILDA MILNER opinions editor ANNA STROBBE staff reporter

AMIRHOSSEIN SALEM staff reporter ALEX BISCHEL staff reporter NICOLE MALY staff reporter HAVEN LEE staff reporter ARRONETTE VONLEH staff reporter GLENN KRAKE adviser

The Amplifier is published quarterly by the West Linn High School Journalism Class. Opinions expressed in commentaries and editorials represent only those of the writer, and are not necessarily the opinions of West Linn High School, its administration, faculty, staff, or student body.

PEOPLE

AMPLIFIER

WINTER 2018

Head in the clouds

BY BROOKE MCKELVEY co-editor-in-chief Around this time of year, most juniors are scrambling to find the college best suited to prepare them for their future. For Claire James, junior, the wheels toward her future are already in motion, and college decisions will come second. Instead of waiting around until college graduation, James has already started working toward earning her pilot’s license.

“I want to be an astronaut, and when I started looking into it I learned that a lot of astronauts are pilots first,” James said.

Bogged down with the SAT, college searches, softball practices and her daily school work, James hardly has the time to add flying into her schedule, yet she didn’t back down from this daunting task.

Instead of becoming discouraged, James embraced the challenge and started her research. Although she is only 16, and you have to be 17 in order to get you license, James started the process immediately.

“I thought to myself, ‘Well that

sounds awesome. Who wouldn’t want to do this?’” James said.

In mentioning it to her family, they were immediately accepting, and she learned that it was something her dad had always wanted to pursue but never did.

“I told myself, ‘Then I’ll do it,’” James said.

James joined an aviation class in July of 2017, and quickly discovered that flying would be the easiest part; it took more dedication to work through the tedious bookwork and finding time around homework to finish it up was near impossible.

“I learned a lot about perseverance and being consistent,” James said.

Even though she had to cut back from going down to Aurora State Airport from two to three times a week in the summer to only once a week during the school year, James still has her sights set on getting her license on, or near, her seventeenth birthday.

“She works really hard at everything she does and it always

At Aurora State Airport, Claire James, junior, stands by a Cessna 172R, the plane she is learning how to fly. James hopes to one day be an astronaut, and getting her pilot’s license is the first step she is taking toward achieving her dream. Photo Courtesy of Claire James

pays off,” Weston Miller, senior and softball teammate, said. “Even as a senior I definitely look up to Claire. She already seems like she knows what she wants to do in life.”

James isn’t sure what her college plans are, but she’d like to one day join the military and get as much flying experience as she can there, before officially starting her career. For now, however, once she gets her license, James plans to improve her instrument flight rating, or IFR. This requires at least 50 hours of cross-country flying which means landing at a different point than the pilot took off from.

A red-breasted sapsucker, a type of woodpecker, perches on a mossy tree. Students were encouraged to learn and be able to recognize five to six species of birds before the field trip.

The red-breasted sapsucker was on the list of over 50 birds to choose from.

“During my first flight, my instructor was the one actually flying the plane, and I remember looking at the ground thinking, ‘This is awesome,’” James said.

Now, James goes on solo flights, spending one to two hours in the air. Out of that entire time, James finds taking off to be the most exhilarating moment, enjoying the initial adrenaline rush that comes with pushing the throttle forward and feeling the power of the plane.

“She has worked really hard for this pilot’s license, and she always talks to me about how excited she is which is something to admire,” Miller said.

Students peer through binoculars at a variety of ducks in the swamp across from them. “We’ve been running the trip out there since I was in high school, so almost twenty years ago,” Bingham, geology, mechanical engineering and envi-sci teacher, said. “We’ve been collecting a lot of data since we’ve been out there.”

This trip, Bingham spotted a bird that is not usually seen on Sauvie Island.

“Cinnamon teals just aren’t prevalent [on Sauvie Island] from year to year, this year we had a little group of four, it’s just kind of fun to see things I don’t get to see all the time. [Cinnamon teals] are really pretty. They are all cinnamon colored and have a blue patch on their wing.”

Along with the cinnamon teal, students kept an eye out for other birds such as the pied-billed grebe, northern shoveler, ruddy duck, wood duck and more. “Birds,” Davies chuckled, “It’s all about birds.”

Sauvie Island Studies

At their last stop, students peer across a vast river in search of birds, including the great blue heron. Environmental Science students have been traveling to Sauvie Island since 1994.“The most important thing is I’m hoping [the students] fall in love with nature,” Hartmann said. “If we [the teachers] can get that passion going, that’s what will drive everything else they do after that.”

BY SARAH HEIDEN photo editor

AP Environmental Science students trek through the vast wilderness of Sauvie Island. They are in search of a wide variety of birds, ranging from tundra swans to red-breasted sapsuckers. “[Sauvie Island] is an area that hasn’t really been touched by a lot of construction,” Emily Martin, senior, said. “It was a good example, I think, of how things really should be. It’s refreshing to get out of the city area.” Enveloped in the pristine wilderness, students learn not just about birds, but the beauty of the outdoors.

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Puddles reflect the school bus, which carried over 20 students to Sauvie Island. Traveling down Highway 30, the ride took about an hour, kicking off the birding adventure with a relaxing drive through Portland. Jonathan Davies, Jim Hartmann and Geoff Bingham brought AP Environmental Science students to this bird paradise in late November.

For breakfast, some students stopped at the small Cracker Barrel Grocery, while others started looking for birds.

A small tree frog sits on a student’s finger. On their first all-day field outing, this being their third, the AP Envi-Sci classes were in search of amphibians. Unfortunately, they didn’t see as many as they had hoped for. At Sauvie Island, several small frogs were spotted along the dirt pathway around the island, bringing joy to the students who missed seeing them before.

Eagerly, students swarm around a pair of spotting scopes to view one of Sauvie Island’s famous birds. “We go for the sandhill cranes specifically,” Davies, who teaches Biology and AP Envi-Sci, said, “But we saw over 50 species of birds.” Sandhill cranes are large birds ranging from three to five feet tall. Despite their height, they lingered far away, so students could only get a good look through the spotting scopes.

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CURRENT EVENTS

AMPLIFIER

WINTER 2018

MOCK TRIAL (OVER)RULES AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

BY JI HYUN AN co-editor-in-chief

The Mock Trial team is known for bringing home big awards like State Championships, but this year it won one of the biggest awards yet by taking sixth place at the World Championship of High School Mock Trial, Empire World.

Team members Anisha Arcot, Kaylee Cavoto, Jaiden Cirioli, Skylar Kool, Eric Rucker, Haley Thayer, seniors, and Keira Kramer, Rishima Mukherjee, Ellie Pearce, Madeline Sand, and Aliris Tang, juniors, stayed at New York for five days, from Nov. 15.

“The competition itself was held in the Southern District of the New York Federal Courthouse which was really cool because that is one of the most high profile courthouses in the country and featured in the promo of ‘Law and Or-

der,’” Kool said.

However, the path to winning wasn’t easy. The case was over 300 pages long and included many complex legal elements that needed to expressed in layman’s terms for the jury. This led to many late nights rewriting legal issues and practicing arguments.

“Inherently because of this, our cases on both sides were way too long so we were pretty much cutting until the night before the competition started, rewriting and reworking material,” Kool said. “I remember sitting,in the hotel lobby at 11 p.m., the night before our first trial, completely rewriting my cross from scratch. It was crazy.”

Other than receiving coaching from Matt Kellogg, team adviser, they also acquired help from attorney coaches.

As the competition drifted near, the number of practices

increased.

“We began preparing in July and continued to prepare through November. We started with practice twice a week and increased practice to four times a week, often having full day practices on long weekends,” Arcot said. “We worked with attorney coaches and each other to formulate case theory, write drafts and fine tune our performance.”

All their hard work paid off when the team found themselves in sixth place, the highest West Linn has ever placed in the World Championships.

“We were very happy that our hard work yielded results and it made the long journey feel very much worth it,” Arcot said. Apart from the team award, Kool also earned the award, “Outstanding Attorney.”

“I actually won an outstanding attorney award which was

wild, and I’m still shook about it to be honest,” Kool said. “I feel like every single person on our team deserved an individual award because I think they were all so amazing.”

With the fall season behind them, the Mock Trial team hopes to find similar success in the spring season, where

they’ll be competing for the State Champion title.

“Our goals for the upcoming spring season are to pass through our regional competition to the state competition and win state,” Arcot said.

“We are looking forward to the challenge.”

The Mock Trial team placed sixth out of over 40 teams at Empire World. Photo courtesy of Matt Kellogg.

Band kicks off state conference Symphonic Band serves as opening act at the 2018 All-State Conference

Symphonic Band practices for the opening act of the All-State conference in Eugene, Ore. They performed the following four songs: “Rest” by Frank Ticheli, “Carnaval!” by Julie Giroux, “Magnolia Star” by Steve Danyew and “Fanfare for the Common Man” by Aaron Copland. Photo courtesy of Jackie Wetzsteon

BY GRACE NICKAS co-editor-in-chief

I

ndividuals from all over the state came together the weekend of Jan. 12 and performed a selection of songs in ensembles at the 2018 All-State Conference.

Within these ensembles were many members of the Symphonic Band, the band that had the honor of kicking off the conference.

For the opening act, the Symphonic Band followed the performance of Athey Creek Middle School’s band.

This is the first time in a number of years that West Linn schools have opened for the conference. The Symphonic Band performed “Rest” by Frank Ticheli, “Carnaval!” by Julie Giroux, “Magnolia Star” by Steve Danyew and “Fanfare for

the Common Man” by Aaron Copland.

The performance on Friday was a success for the band.

“I thought it went well,” Lauren Griffith, senior, said. “The fanfare we played was way better than we had expected and many of us thought our performance of ‘Rest’ was the best that we have ever done.”

After the opening performance, individuals from the Symphonic Band made the quick transfer back to their smaller ensembles, in order to prepare for the remainder of the weekend.

“For our smaller ensembles, we practiced Friday night, all day Saturday and Sunday morning,” Jack Pesch, junior, said. “Our practice on Saturday was 12 hours and we had three four hour practices with meal breaks in between all of them.”

Even though the performance was one to remember, the trip in itself held more memories.

“I loved going out for pizza with

everyone before we performed,” Calli Masters, junior, said. “The whole week had been a lot of stressful rehearsals and finetuning, so having a moment to relax and laugh with everyone was the best way to calm us down.”

With all the practices it seems like the band members have no time for anything else, but the conference serves as a way to bond with people from their school or other schools.

“One of my favorite parts of All-State is hanging out with some of my best friends all weekend,” Pesch said. “It’s also nice to form new bonds with people from other schools.”

“I’m incredibly proud to be fortunate enough to have the amazing opportunity to go to All-State, and I’m proud to be a member of a school that has such high representation at All-State,” Pesch said.

Surviving the finals hurdle

BY NIKKI MALY staff reporter After a semester of hard work and exams, your whole grade can be determined by one final. For most students, this week is one of the most stressful of the year, and it can be easy to feel overwhelmed, but here are some tips on how to handle this most dreaded week.

I sat down and spoke with Greg Bean, counselor, to discuss what tips he had for freshman who have never had a finals week or students who have struggled in the past.

“For me, when I talk to students about how to prepare for finals, it’s really about knowing your situation going in,” Bean said. “Somebody’s that’s got a 75, 85, 95 percent in a class, it’s

done; you know what your grade is in the class.” Before you can start studying, Bean encourages you to figure out what class is the most important to put your effort into.

“It’s really important to prioritize what classes you need to focus on the most. If you have classes that are on that bubble of two or even three percent, those are the ones you are going to want to prioritize a little bit more with time and effort.”

Bean also tells how important the review is that the teacher hands out.

“The strategies that I recommend is any review that the teacher provides is going to be where you want to focus your time. That review is extremely important, especially if your teacher is actually going to do a review session

The finals craziness has started. Students sit on the porch preparing for thier final exmas. Photo by Nikki Maly

in the class, then I think it’s important that you have it almost all completed so you can understand the material you struggle with.”

Going into finals is different for each person, and what they should focus on to get the grades they want, but Bean emphasizes these few things can make all the difference.

“Start studying early, prioritize the classes that can have the greatest impact on your grades, communicate with teachers, work with other people, take advantage of what the teacher gives you for resources, and don’t be afraid to involve siblings or parents to quiz you on your material.”

ARTS AND CULTURE

AMPLIFIER

STAR WARS: Go watch ‘The

Last Jedi,’ you will CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Not everyone is as fond of the film as Olds and Davala, however. Senior Ian Walsh and counselor Greg Bean had more mixed feelings about it.

“As a movie itself, it’s pretty good, but as a Star Wars movie, it seemed kind of filler,” Walsh said. “It really just added more questions than answers.” Bean wasn’t thrilled either.

“It just didn’t do it for me. It felt like they were comic book characters

instead of people.” That being said, both did admit that they enjoyed it overall. “It’s worth seeing,” Bean said.

One major complaint that almost everyone seems to be able to agree on is the forced and overcooked jokes in the new film.

“The sense of humor felt a little bit off to me,” Davala said.

“It felt too modern,” Walsh said.

“It focused more on humor than developing characters, like the main

characters, Rey and Finn. We still don’t know much about them ... at all.”

Overall, it would seem the general consensus is that it’s worth a watch.

It has its moments, as well as its hiccups, but overall, people seem to enjoy it. Perhaps it’s a film that everyone needs to see for themselves and formulate their own opinion on.

For more Star Wars coverage, visit WLHSnow.com

Fans eagerly await the film’s big-screen premiere at Clackamas Town Center on opening night. Photo by Bryce Cumpston

WINTER 2018

5

Look for upcoming play

‘The Trial’

BY ALEX BISCHEL staff reporter

“Spamalot” was produced by the drama program in the middle of November. This production was a huge hit for the school and community alike, and since then, the program has set up a new play: “The Trial.”

The acting and drama class began to rehearse “The Trial” on Dec. 6. This play is about a young man named Joseph K., who is wronged in the name of the law without any real reason. It is written in the setting of 1914-1915.

“Spamalot” the musical was a big hit and according to actors, it was a great working enviornment. “‘Spamalot’ was a bigger success than we expected, and we’re all very happy about it,” Ashley Yablonsky, junior actor, said. “We thought it would be very funny, and we’re happy the community thought so too.”

“We all work very hard to create the best production we can,” Yablonsky said, “And we’ll be working at this for a few months. It will portray how crazy our justice system is.”

“The Trial” will bring a classic novel to the stage. The play will be directed by Jon Ares, performing arts technical director.

The play will star Nick Olson as Joseph K., Grant Halverson as Franz and Kain Ashford as Willem.

Opening night will be March 2, and it will go on for a week.

For in-depth coverage of every theater production, visit WLHSnow.com

Fundraiser fills audience with spaghetti, talent

BY KATHERINE STALLARD people editor The spaghetti feed took place Jan. 18, a night many students looked forward to.

For three and a half hours, musicians shared their skills and ate pasta as part of an annual fundraiser.

The event is meant to help raise money in a fun and innovative way for the Performing Arts Center to help fund their escapades, while creating something both performers and audiences can enjoy.

“Groups from the choir and bands perform short little snippets that we put together,” Avery Cook, junior and member of the symphonic band, said.

The whole event is a big deal, where they serve a variety of delicious food to audience members alongside the performance.

“Everybody in band, orchestra and choir form into small chamber groups about, probably no more than five people average, and decide on pieces we’d like to play,” Jack Pesch, junior, said.

The whole event is student led, as the songs that the students play are chosen and prepared on their own.

“The students pick their pieces and will play them for people who buy tickets in the community and come listen to us and eat spaghetti,” Pesch said.

“It’s fun because you get to pick your own music; we usually pick like random, meme-y songs,” Pesch said.

The annual performance of the spaghetti feed has become a tradition, and many were excited.

Cook enjoys the event because of its uniqueness.

“Mr. Egan Jack Pesch, junior, is preparing for his spaghetti feed performance in the practice room. “It’s a pretty cool, pretty fun event,” Pesch said. Photo by wants us to Katherine Stallard. have a fun said. door or in advance. All the spaghetti dinner and way to raise To attend this one-ofproceeds went to the music cheesecake,” Cook said, “And money for the program, and it a-kind tradition, students department. you get to listen to some sweet provides service hours for the could buy a ticket at the “You get a really good music.”

Music Honors Society,” Cook

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SPORTS

AMPLIFIER

WINTER 2018

WRESTLING FIGHTS THEIR WAY TO THE TOP

BY RORY BIALOSTOSKY sports editor

An undefeated start in the Three Rivers League was something that players will tell you they expected to happen to start off the 2017-18 season.

While the Lions lost Seth Long to Northern Arizona University this past spring after graduation, for the most part they’ve maintained the star-studded lineup that has produced trophy after trophy, blue ribbon after blue ribbon to start the year.

“It was nice not losing anyone that’s super vital to our team, and it’s cool just because we can build on what we had last year,” Brett Bell, senior, said. “It’s basically like the season never stopped as we were all working together over the summer and throughout the fall.”

The team dominated their in-league competition to start the year, besting Lake Oswego High School back on Dec. 7 in an easy victory and

Taking down his opponent, Brett Bell, senior, helps his team to victory. Photo courtesy of Brett Bell.

defeating Lakeridge High School 59-22 on Dec. 14.

They’re undefeated in the Three Rivers League so far.

Over winter break, which spanned from Dec. 16 to Jan. 3, the mighty Lions were not resting.

The famous slogan coined by head football coach Chris Miller comes to

mind: the best never rest.

The wrestlers took part in the Pacific Coast Championships from Dec. 29 to Dec. 30 in Bend, Ore., at Mountain View High School.

The list of West Linn players who made it to the podium at the end of the dual is long. Steven Shelofsky, senior, placed

second, Tyler Good, senior, placed fourth, Sean Harman, junior, placed first, Taran Floyd, senior, placed first, and Bell placed first as well.

“Our captains really carried us through and did the job,” Bell said.

As a team, the Lions won the tournament overall.

“Winning that tournament was really nice for our team,” Bell said. “It really showed our guys what we can do. This is a team that can contend for a state title.”

Bell pinned three wrestlers and beat two others by decision on his way to a first-place finish.

Floyd and Harman, the

other first-place finishers, did well and pinned multiple opponents as well.

Harman and Floyd both made it deep into the playoffs for wrestling at the state tournament last season and are looking to build on that.

Harman won his first state title last season and will look to repeat.

The wrestling team is moving onto The Classic tournament which once again takes place in Bend, Ore. “I really want our team to do well in The Classic in a couple of weeks.

Ultimately my goal is to win a state title this year,” Bell said.

As for if they’ll have some rest prior to their second big tournament of the year, Bell is assured that they won’t be taking it easy as they have matches versus Newberg High School and Aloha High School.

“I’m going to have five matches this week, and so will our other guys. It’ll be fun,” Bell said.

Zumba attracts crowd Cheerleaders bring in community with fitness fundraiser

BY ANNA STROBBE staff reporter Dec. 11, 2017 the cheerleaders gathered together and created a fundraiser to raise money for their program.

Zumba teacher Gina Grant led a zumba class for anyone who brought a pair of socks and $5 to participate.

The zumba class took place in the main gym as Grant stood on top of the bleachers as the students watched and repeated. The cheerleaders spread throughout the gym and danced with friends and new faces.

The students watched

and repeated Grant’s routine. Grant’s daughter Anaya Grant, freshman and varsity member, said “It was really fun to dance with my friends, and was amazing to see all the people that showed up to help support.”

Once students felt more comfortable with their moves, they split into groups and had a dance battle. The girls ended up raising $1200.

“The fundraiser was for cheer and goes to the benefit our competition team to go to nationals as well as any new materials we may need,” Kiana LeBlanc, senior varsity member, said.

Cheerleading sisters Anaya and Maliah Grant enlist the help of their mother, Gina Grant, who is a professional Zumba Instructor to lead a class as a fundraiser. Photo by Ashley Newbore

Signing day: A look into the future

BY AARONETTE VONLEH staff reporter On signing day, family and friends gathered in the student commons to celebrate seven student athletes committing to play collegiate sports.

Grace Nickas signed to attend Gonzaga, located in Washington, for rowing. Three starting seniors on girls varsity basketball signed the next 4 years of their education and athletic ability to three universities: Lexie Pritchard to Santa Clara, Brooke Landis to Notre Dame Nazarene and Kennedi Byram to Point Loma University, all located in California.

With only one season left in their high school careers, all three have been making the most of their final year with Pritchard averaging 9.83 points per game, Landis averaging 10.0 points per game and Byram averaging 8.85 points per game “The process of finding the right school was difficult at times,” Landis said. “Luckily, I had the opportunity yo play on an AAU basketball team which traveled over the summer to different states. The school had first noticed my sister so when they found out about me her younger sister, they were inter-

ested immediately.”

Pritchard had a slightly different experience.

“The process was honestly really stressful,” Pritchard admitted.

“I didn’t want to make any mistakes because this is where I’m going to be spending the next 4 years of my life. I learned this was also a great opportunity for me to get to play for a school and get my education expenses covered. It really is a blessing.”

For Byram, the choice started with a location.

“I’ve always loved California and always knew I wanted to live there so the choice was easy when Point Loma showed in-

terest in me,” Landis said.

“I love knowing I have a plan after high school. Even though I don’t know what the future will bring in college until I get there, I am excited to start this new chapter in my life.”

Signing day gave the student athletes some closure to the stress.

“It was the best feeling in the world knowing I didn’t have to stress about college anymore,” Pritchard said. “I love where I’m going and it’s the best place for me personally, Santa Clara has everything I’ve been dreaming of.”

Kennedi Byram, Brooke Landis and Lexie Pritchard, seniors, sign their National Letter of Intent for basketball. Photo by Brooke McKelvey

SPORTS

AMPLIFIER

WINTER 2018

7

MID–SEASON TURNING POINT: WHERE WILL THEY GO FROM HERE?

BY RORY BIALOSTOSKY sports editor Following a 30-point loss to Rainier Beach (WA) on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Lions’ boys basketball team is at a crossroads.

They’ve lost two in a row to other strong teams. Rainier Beach and its

star, Kevin Porter Jr., were dominant, leading 42-16 at halftime, outscoring them 25-6 in the second quarter. Porter finished with 31 points, driving his team to victory.

On Jan. 12, they also fell to Tualatin 70-63. A four-year winning streak against Three Rivers League teams came to an end.

The game was closer and featured better play, but head coach Tyler Toney summed up the mood in a post-game tweet, “We did not play our best, and

I did not put our players in the best situation! We will be back! Learn from your mistakes in sports and life!”

Continued on page 8

Signature Moves

BY AMIR SALEM staff reporter

With a season up for grabs, Keishon Dawkins takes the jump ball against Tualatin Friday, attempting to lead his team to the state championship. Photo by Anna Strobbe

Andre Best considers his signature move the ankle breaker. Just using the crossover step back, Best makes people fall to the floor and makes the shot in front of them.

“My favorite move that I do a lot is an in and out,” Katie Schoenborn, junior, said, who utilizes teammate Aaronette Vonleh in the post. They are 9-1 have lost only one game in a California tournament.

“Anytime I have an open lane front of me, I like to put some sauce in it to make that move nicer,” sophomore shooting guard Micah Garrett said of his signature jelly layup.

SKI TEAM: Skiers participate in memorial race to remember

Continued from page 1

Every Sunday, Herbert and the rest of the team wake up at five in the morning to get on a bus to ride one and a half hours to go Mount Hood to

train. From sunrise to sunset, the team is constantly repeating the same runs to perfect their skiing. During the week, the skiers continue to work on their strength and endurance after school.

At the practice competition, the girls on the team wore tutus for stylistic flair and the race happened to be one where athletes would wear costumes, and that put their uniforms above the rest. The race was

a memorial for Kelsey Hewitt, who tragically died whilst skiing in Dec., 2015.

In the end, the ski team is made for anyone to have fun from all skill levels. There are no tryouts, and no one will get

turned away.

“I would advise anybody who wants to join the ski team, to do so even if they aren’t good skiers, because anybody can do it and it’s a lot of fun,” Herbert said.

VOLUME 98 / ISSUE 2

WLHSnow.com

BACK

Stuck in the brain

8

Indie band Hippo Campus is hard to forget

BY HAVEN LEE staff reporter Don’t mistake this hippocampus for a part of the brain; Hippo Campus the band is an indie rock band originating from St. Paul, Minn..

Comprised of four members, vocalist Jake Luppen, guitarist Nathan Stockar, bassist Zach Sutton and drummer Whistler Allen (known by their nicknames Stitches, Beans, Turntan and Espo) Hippo Campus has recently gained popularity and recognition for their first official tour, The Landmark Tour.

Hippo Campus was formed by the members in their senior year of high school in St. Paul, Minn.

Currently, all members are in their twenties and producing more music every year.

They released their first EP “Bashful Creatures” in 2014, and then signed on with Grand Jury records and re-released the EP under the new label. They then released their second EP, “South” in 2015, and released their single “Boyish” in 2016.

Recently, they released their first full-length album “Landmark” in Feb. 2017 along with their supporting international tour,

The Landmark Tour.

Most recently, they have released a new EP, “Warm Glow,” in Sept. 2017 composed of three songs: “Baseball,” “Traveler” and Warm Glow.

Hippo Campus has been known to be a genre of Indie rock or Alternative rock.

Some of their most popular songs include “South,” “Violet,” “Suicide Saturday” and “Way it Goes.”

Their music is available on many different platforms including YouTube, Spotify and Pandora.

Indie band from Minn. Hippo Campus sticks itself in the brain with every song released. The band poses for a photoshoot. Photo courtesy of Old Rock House under creative commons license

MID-SEASON: Basketball team pushes forward

Continued from page 7

The Lions will surely be able to rack up some more wins against lackluster league competition, and still hold the sixth seed in the OSAA state rankings as of this writing.

They did beat league rival Lake

Oswego, and they definitely do have some talent.

Oregon State football commit Keishon Dawkins, senior, is averaging 15 points per game. Jalen Thompson, senior, is also having his best season of his career averaging 12 points per game.

Dray Caoile, junior, and sophomores Bryson Crockett and Micah Garrett are scoring the ball well too. Caoile is dishing out assists as well, averaging over six per game.

The boys in green and gold will be heading on the road for eight straight games and won’t

see their home floor for almost one whole month.

Road games night after night can take its toll. They’ll face Lake Oswego and Tualatin again in mid-February.

Where will they go from this point? Will they win eight straight and re-establish

themselves as one of the best teams in the state, or will they fall on the road?

Their next test comes on the road against Newberg Thurs., Jan 25.

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