Amplifier 2020-2021 Spring Edition (Volume 101- Issue 2)

Amplifier West Linn High School

West Linn, Ore. / Volume 102 / Issue 2 / Spring 2021

CE FA

E C A F

o t

“

“This edition of the Amplifier aims to remind us of the faces behind the large and small scale victories, unveiling the everyday human interest stories, and in them documenting the human experience.”

-The Editors

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 MATILDA MILNER co-editor in chief SKYLAR MOORE co-editor in chief HELENA ERDAHL coverage editor LILY GOTTSCHLING copy editor KARINA ROWER web manager AUDREY LIPPERT podcast editor HAYDEN FISH arts and culture editor LOGAN WINDER opinions editor ETHAN WALLHOOD photo editor AUGUSTIN SEIGNEUR co-social media editor DELANEY CALLAGHAN people editor SYDENY McCRONE current events editor GLENN KRAKE adviser

TWITTER: @wlhsamplifier @wlhsNOW FACEBOOK: @westlinn.amplifier INSTAGRAM: @wlhsNOW SNAPCHAT: @wlhsNOW YOUTUBE: wlhsNOW The Amplifier is published bi-annually by the West Linn High School journalism class. Opinions expressed in commentaries and editorials represent thoes of the writer, and are not necessarily the opinons of West Linn High School, its administration, faculty, staff or student body.

2

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS We live in the digital age, in the technology age, and in the fast-paced, hyperactive culture of the 21 century.

Our capitalist society is dominated by productivity, centralizing our lens of focus on lucrative successes, billboards and majorities. We see corporate names and social media profiles, but beneath these far away figures, in our world of nearly eight billion, we can unintentionally breeze over the faces behind these successes.

We hear of new music, of climate change, of the student debt crisis, of global tensions, of far away policies going into place in far away cities across the world. We hear a lot about things, and a lot about events, but it’s not always often that we sit down to listen to the individuals responsible for, or affected by the news headlines and social content flooding our mental eyes.

As a staff, we hoped to explore the faces of our community, touching on unconventional paths, underrepresented groups and the stories of the student body. After over a year of the pandemic, this anonymity has been only exacerbated, we find ourselves separated by the walls of our homes, Zoom screens, and physical face coverings. We created this edition to honor the faces that may seem far away.

This edition of the Amplifier aims to remind us of the faces behind the large and small scale victories, unveiling the everyday human interest stories, and in them documenting the human experience. As globalization runs its course, we are rapidly becoming

citizens of the world first and foremost, often blind to the individual lives around us, which are ultimately what connects us.

In the cover you will see two different faces, one takes the high ground and the other, the low, one shrouded in darkness and the other illuminated by light. They’re divided by a break in the page, yet as they look toward one another--face to face--and we see that though they are separate, they are connected.

Throughout this issue, we want to offer our readers the opportunity to come face to face with different members of our community, allowing them to see these figures for who they are rather than what they represent.

Inside are the stories of the athletes who stayed committed to their sports throughout the pandemic, the artists and early graduates pursuing their passions, the experiences of online schooling, and the individuals affecting change through our affinity club.

We invite you to use this edition of the Amplifier as means of closing the distance that has grown in our community. Take a moment to see the faces you recognize, and the ones you don’t, and honor all that they have achieved. Our community is larger than the individuals within your bubble, and ultimately, our stories are what connect us.

Sincerely and truly, Your editors, Matilda Milner and Skylar Moore

FRONT PAGE BY LILY GOTTSCHLING AND KARINA ROWER

Table of Contents Quarantine: A year in 4-5 review

6-7

6

Competing in a new world

10

8-9 Behind the masks that is 10-11 Research ‘switching the

12-13

narrative’ TBD

the 14-15 Defying crowd

16-18 Arts and culture a 20-21 Curating community

22-23 TBD

30

and 24-25 Celebration conversation

26-27 28-29

Alumnus appointed to city council Sister albums side by side

24

7

26

8

during 30-31 Schooling COVID-19 3

A year of quarantine

A look at life from March 2020-2021

Illust

ratio

BY LILY GOTTSCHLING copy editor

W

hen life came to a screeching halt in March of 2020 and the world watched as individuals became distant through lockdown, many wondered when life would become normal again.

4

However, business shutdowns, meals from restaurants being relegated to take-out, and the fear that a common cold could be something more made our normal lives begin to feel impossibly distant.

Some elements of what once was an average life have changed drastically while others have stayed the same.

Just as people began getting used to

n by

Lily

Got

tsc hli

ng

life in lockdown, the world seems to be opening back up. Mask mandates are being lifted, borders are reopening, and learning is taking on a new hybrid model. With nearly 150,000,000 vaccine doses being administered since December, there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel, and people around the world are becoming hopeful that life will return to normal by next March.

schooling

technology

politics

social issues

Education is one of the foremost affected aspects of quarantine. When students left school on March 13, 2020, they expected a spring break extended by a week. That week became a month and, eventually, a year. Between then and now, pencils were traded for keyboards, home offices were turned into classrooms, and table groups became breakout rooms.

On March 15, 2021, students and teachers returned to the classroom, this time with desks spaced six feet apart, masks kept on at all times, and half the number of students and class periods. While students had the choice to remain online for CDL, teachers were required to attend in-person classes every day. This requirement bumped teachers up on the vaccination list — officially deeming them essential workers. Students 16 years and older are now going to be eligible for the vaccine in mid-April, decreasing the likelihood of a school-wide outbreak.

Last year, an outbreak of the common cold in a school was counteracted by signs posted on bulletin boards reminding students and staff members to wash their hands. This year, an outbreak of COVID-19 in a school could result in another months-long shutdown, a major reason that so many students remain home.

In a time when human contact became exceedingly limited, technology became an increasingly essential part of day-to-day life. Family reunions now take place over Zoom, catching up with friends became a string of fleeting texts, and any sort of gatherings are now to be done in small groups, six feet apart and masked up.

Social media also became a quintessential element of contact with people living through the same pandemic.

Beyond providing a semblance of human interaction, apps like TikTok and Instagram also provided a way to pass the time when minutes felt like hours.

Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon saw a vast increase in users as their original and streamed content grew in demand.

Early on “Outerbanks” was trending on Netflix and across the internet as “Tiger King” captivated audiences filled with fans of the absurd and intriguing story.

In an already tense election, a global pandemic became the source of debate between already divided factions of American politics.

Questions of how politicians can better support healthcare workers and other essential workers as well as vaccine development and rollout became a determining factor in the outcome of the election.

Governors were left to make decisions for their states while facing pressure from state residents and the federal government. Lockdowns remained strict in most states until June when things like outdoor seating at restaurants and limited capacities in non-essential stores returned. The desire to completely lift restrictions put pressure on state governments and led to political turmoil at both a local and national level.

In November, Joseph Biden was elected as President of the United States while Democrats gained control of the House and Senate. Right-leaning politicians turned to conspiracy theories to try and explain to their supporters why they saw so many defeats in the election. Several of these theories and dog-whistling tactics led to the storming of the Capitol Building in January and history seemed to repeat itself with the second impeachment of former President, Donald Trump.

When the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor became highly publicized in the media and online, an outcry of support for the Black Lives Matter movement became prevalent through the summer.

As we near the anniversary of George Floyd’s death the trial of his murderers is set to begin.

America has also seen an influx of hate crimes targeting people of Asian descent as a result of racist stigmas perpetuated by politicians and the media.

A mass shooting on March 16 that was targeted against a group of Asian women sparked protests country-wide. However, a variety of macro and microaggressions against Asian people have consistently occurred since the beginning of the pandemic.

The pandemic also forced people to become more aware of the issues faced by homeless populations.

With a lack of access to PPE and secure housing, people began to ask: how do you stay in your house to remain safe if you don’t have a house? The intersectionality between systemic inequalities and impoverished communities became blatantly clear and was a motivation in calls for changes to be made.

5

COMPETING IN A

New World

Four student athletes share their perspective on sports during COVID-19

Masks on! Seasons start for altheltes as COVID-19 spreadprompting careful procedures to stay safe. [Left picture - Photo by Miles Brown.] [Right picture- photo by Katelyn Howard.]

BY HELENA ERDAHL coverage editor

A

mong new guidelines and rules, sports during this year have seemed unanimously challenging for athletes. During COVID-19, scholarship processes have changed dramatically, and the way that athletes play their sports has been altered in a variety of different ways.

Raynah Cheng, sophomore, is one 6

of the athletes playing in modified sports. As a student pole-vaulter for varsity track and field, changes have been minimal. They have to bring their own equipment, wear masks, and stay distanced. For her, these alterations don’t bother her as much. Cheng offers a much-needed perspective on the way athletes are told to play sports now.

“I think they’re doing the best they can,” Cheng said. “Honestly, I mean it took a while for them to just figure out everything and figure out distancing

and how they would even play out.

Compared to other organizations, I think they’re doing great.”

Some of these changes include the recruitment and scholarship processes, which have been majorly affected. In many cases, recruiters and coaches would visit athletes in person to see their performance, but this year this method of recruitment isn’t as practical. Due to these limitations, Cheng has turned to more virtual ways of getting in contact with coaches.

“Sometimes recruiting people will come to the polling facility, which they’re not really able to do right now, to just watch us and critique us and see what we’re doing,” Cheng said.

“But I think going online and just posting your profile or whatever is like another way to do that even if you could do that even before COVID as well. I think this is just like a missed opportunity for recruiters.”

In the life of cheerleaders, participating in their sport also hasn’t been easy. For Megan Wilson, sophomore, participating in varsity cheerleading, has been challenging because it is a high contact sport.

“We cheer at the football games and also at soccer games,” Wilson said.

“We also compete in competitions with other [cheer] teams.”

As cheer is an indoor sport, many precautions have been taken to limit the spread of COVID-19. This year cheer hasn’t been allowed to stunt until recently.

Stunting is building performances that display a person or group’s skill. These performances can range from basic to complicated actions, and stunts can be connected in a routine. Some examples of these stunts include pyramid structure moves, basket tosses, and many more, which are all contact moves that have proven to be challenging.

“We now just started to be able to stunt, and are able to get close which is really nice,” Wilson said.

For some, sports opening up again is an exciting chance to get back to a normal routine, despite all the precautions necessary to return

to practices and competition.

Kogen Brown, sophomore, has felt similar emotions about this year, and how he’s able to play his sport. While participating in varsity cross country, there are significant differences between last and this year, and how his team has been. Due to these differences, some students feel frustrated because of the lost time and experiences of their high school life.

“I think the team has handled it really well,” Brown said. “I understand them. My friends are upset that they’re [in] their senior season, especially have been upset by the pandemic, but

“We now just started to be able to stunt, and are able to get close which is really nice.”

–Megan Wilson

I think people, in general, are handling it pretty well for the circumstances.”

One of the major changes in the scheduling of their season, which is relevant to their year. A sports season and the amount of time that you’re competing during the year is greatly important to the amount of time available to do schoolwork and other responsibilities which are harder to manage during the seasons in play.

“Our season was moved from usually when it starts in August, to start in February this year and “A 12-game that was definitely a bit season would of a change,” Brown said. have been “And we’ve got to keep our fantastic but masks on during practice six games are and while we’re running incredible too on that, that’s definitely so just knowing one big change, and also how special is the season is about half as that we get to long as it normally is.” have this.”

Changes in season are –Cole Peters a common occurrence this year for studentathletes and are especially

“I think [West Linn] is doing the best they can.”

–Raynah Cheng

frustrating for those seeking scholarships. Cole Peters, senior, is one of the athletes noticing this pattern.

“I had plenty of opportunities to play sophomore and junior year, “ Peters said. “So, it was, again, from that standpoint, I was really fortunate, but it’s really frustrating for me seeing my guys, my teammates, my brothers who I know should be given opportunities that were there kind of screwed over. “ While adjusting to this new reality of harsher rules, fewer fans, and even less games, Peters and other athletes have struggled with the loss of morale with these new obstacles.

“We didn’t really know what we were preparing for if we were putting hours into practice into working out into our own player that practices on that kind of thing,” Peters said. “If we were all doing that for nothing, then that was very useful to us and it’s kind of something that stayed in the back of your mind for that time so during that time was hard to see in high spirits when we just kind of had to keep the mentality that if we had a season that we had to be ready and ended up working out, fortunately.”

Though Peters and his teammates had less morale during the pre-season of the year, he still maintains a wise outlook on the outcome of the year.

“A 12-game season would have been fantastic but six games are incredible too so just knowing how special is that we get to have this, from when you’re so close to not makes it a lot easier to keep our spirits up now,’’ Peters said.

While track and field, cheerleading, cross country, and football are all vastly different, various sports have a lot in common this year in regards to COVID-19. These student-athletes appear to enjoy playing in the game but also struggle with the strictness of the sport that used to be so different.

7

Behind the masks A look into the lives of three students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

BY AUDREY LIPPERT podcast and blogs editor

Over a year has now passed since the day students were sent home for an extended spring break due to COVID-19.

Since then our lives have

changed in many ways. We have lost friends and family members, as well as made new ones. We’ve picked up new skills and hobbies in place of the sports and after school activities we used to participate in, and through it all we’ve adapted.

Claudia Lane

Photo by Audrey Lippert

8

The people featured in this article are just three of the hundreds of students at our school that all have unique stories, struggles, and successes. They are the students that you wave to on the way to class, normal students with likes and

Students have had to adapt to a new reality this past year, and as a soccer player and swimmer, sports have looked very different for Claudia Lane, sophomore,throughout the pandemic. “At first we did a little bit of swimming, but it wasn’t actually in a swimming pool. We just did conditioning workouts at Rosemont,” Lane said.

Due to the lack of traditional sports, Lane had a lot more time on her hands than normal. She used this free time to try new things like yoga, and listen to new types of music. “I’ve listened to a lot of BTS, and I recently started listening to Frank Ocean,” Lane said. “Very chill songs, and also a little bit of Tyler the Creator.”

Recently, Lane also returned

dislikes, hopes and dreams, families and friends, struggles and successes.

They are all of us, and the faces behind the words West Linn High School.

to hybrid in-person classes.

“It was really, really strange at first,” Lane said. “It’s so weird to actually see people in real life, walking around the hallways like normal, and there was probably only like five to ten people in each of my classes.”

While at school in hybrid students are required to wear a mask or face-covering at all times, as well as maintaining six feet of distance between them and their peers. “The masks weren’t really a big deal and everyone was wearing them,” Lane said. About the hybrid model in general Lane said, “I think I could get used to it, I like it.”

Avery McDowell

Photo by Audrey Lippert

Opting to attend the FUEL ed online program instead of hybrid has given Avery McDowell, junior, new opportunities. “It’s working out really well for me because I was able to get a job during the hours I’m not doing school, and I’ve been able to work my school schedule around that,” McDowell said.

She now works at Jimmy Johns and said that staying online was, “A family decision because my stepmom has some health issues, so they thought that it would be better, and more safe for me to just be in the fully online program.”

Outside of her job McDowell is a member of the ecology club and has lived in West Linn since she was seven. As a person she feels like she is, “A very driven, caring, and empathetic person, who struggles sometimes, but al-

ways strives to do her best.”

“My one life goal will always be to be happy and whole as a person,” McDowell said. In the future she plans to, “Find out what my passion is, and to follow it, and to make great memories along the way.”

“West Linn in general is just a very welcoming community,” McDowell said, when asked about her experience so far in high school. “And obviously it’s still high school, so it’s not perfect, but I think the teachers and staff do their best to make it a good experience for students, as much as they can,” McDowell said.

While some students have decided to stay home, Christian San Nicolas, senior, returned to school in the hybrid model. For him, being in a physical classroom, “Really helps me get in the mindset, like this is class I’m here to do work versus at home learning where you get to go at your own pace, and you can slack off a little more than you would in normal school,” San Nicolas said.

“Surprisingly my classes were very small,” San Nicolas said.

“Going into AP Environmental Science I only had four of the people in class on the first day, and the second day only two others. In AP Stats I only had seven and that whittled down to four.”

Though the numbers in his in-person classes have been fluctuating, “Symphonic band is the same everyday, because every-

one loves going back to in-person playing,” San Nicolas said.

He is very involved in the band program, playing baritone saxophone before school in jazz band, as well as in symphonic band during the school day. For most of the year San Nicolas’ band classes have been over Zoom and in his opinion, “You can’t really do a lot over band Zoom.”

“It’s nice, it’s enjoyable being in a situation again where you’re around peers, people in the same grade and teachers again,” San Nicolas said. When asked about his plans after high school, San Nicolas said, “I’ve got a full ride at UO, so I’ll probably go there.”

Christian San Nicolas

Photo by Audrey Lippert

9

Research that is

“switching the narrative”

PHOTOGRAPHED BY KARINA ROWER.

10

BY KARINA ROWER web editor

Ava Sechrist’s research project looks to take on weight-based bias on Instagram

T

he human brain is inherently biased. Every individual has their own point of view as well as their opinion of the world, and their interpretation of the people around them. Despite one’s best efforts to be impartial, human beings are naturally biased.

The International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) is an outlet for scientifically inclined students to express their ideas to experts in their fields of study. Though all projects entered in the science fair are aiming to be innovative and solve current problems, they can also reveal truths about the societal tendencies of the human race that are not normally discussed.

Sechrist’s research question was, “Can exposure to Instagram posts with positive messaging associated with fat individuals impact a high school-aged teenager’s level of weightbased bias?” Sechrist had previously done a science project in a group of people that was more biology-focused, but going solo allowed her to delve into and further explore her stronger interest in psychology.

“I tend to lean towards being more interested in questions that have to do with people, and people’s behavior, and how we can influence people’s thoughts and behavior. Just because I find it to be so interesting, and so important to the world,” Sechrist said.

To conduct her research, Sechrist

“The messages we are exposed to on social media all the time, are constantly having an impact on how we see the world, even if we don’t realize it.”

-Ava Sechrist “The results of the project are pretty inconclusive,” Sechrist said. “It was really interesting because people were all over the map with how they ended up after the 30 days. And I think this makes sense, especially given the month that this experiment was done.

It was done in January which is New Year’s resolution time.” Her notion that the month Sechrist conducted the experiment proved to have no effect on her in the ISEF competition, as Sechrist was awarded the Naval Excellence in Science and Engineering award and the Oustanding Research in Psychology award.

In Sechrist’s research in preparation for her experiment, she began to see patterns in the data she was studying. “There’s lots of studies that have been done showing how heavier individuals are treated in workplaces and just in society, and even in medical settings, how a lot of times conditions will go undiagnosed or not taken seriously with heavier individuals,” Sechrist said.

Reflecting on her experience with ISEF, Sechrist had an intention for her project and knew what change she wanted to create on social media.

“So I wanted to look at switching the narrative on Instagram and seeing if I could give people something to look at, or just sort of some different messaging for a little bit to see if that could have an impact on what that implicit bias is.”

Graphic by Karina Rower

Ava Sechrist, junior, conducted a research project to be entered into ISEF that took on how social media impacts our bias towards plus-size individuals. “Social media itself can be a tool for really either direction for creating more misinformation and biases verses, it can also be a tool to help counteract that,” Sechrist said.

“The messages we are exposed to on social media all the time, are just constantly having an impact on how we see the world, even if we don’t realize it.”

had her 11 participants take Harvard University’s Implicit Association Test for weight bias prior to testing her theory. The experimental group of Sechrist’s research was sent Instagram posts with positive messaging and information associated with fat people for the month of January. Participants viewed 59 posts over the span of the testing period. After that, the group took the implicit bias test again.

“I had enough research to really back my reasoning, and that I was able to clearly articulate the importance of this project,” Sechrist said. “It really is a reflection of real world issues. So that was my main goal to communicate to the judges.” Her project was not only successful at the science fair, but also sparked conversation on how larger individuals are treated and what a person can do to take away the bias.

11

Sipping into

An inside look at the coffee shops in Old Willamette

BY SYDNEY MCCRONE current events editor Families look forward to enjoying a nice outdoor dinner with their kids, and teens look forward to walking around with friends and bumping into classmates along the way. Old Willamette features a variety of quaint, local coffee shops and hang out spots that are fun and easy to get to in the West Linn area.

During the time of COVID-19, it’s been hard for businesses to stay open and welcome customers that feel safe around others.

Some students have felt that it’s been a lot easier to see friends who are around the West Linn area by going to local businesses to hang out. A popular way to meet up with friends and family has been by going to some of the few coffee shops located around town.

For Angie Nelson, sophomore, her favorite place to get coffee in West Linn is the Willamette Coffee House.

spring

“I love how close it is to my house and I feel like it is a very affordable place for students to go to,” Nelson said. “My friends and I like to go anytime throughout the day for a little pick-me-up or during the summer to grab a snack before heading to the Willamette docks.”

items, as well as your choice of coffees and teas.

Old Willamette also holds another coffee shop up the road called Lark Cafe. Lark Cafe is similar to Willamette Coffee house by offering indoor and outdoor dining options, but offers a different style cafe menu.

Karah Highland, sophomore, enjoys Lark cafe to grab a quick and easy breakfast when dining in West Linn. “My favorite thing to order from Lark Cafe is the avocado toast and a chai tea latte,” Highland said.

Lark Cafe offers a more modern type of menu which includes many stereotypical millennial type food options such as avocado toast, breakfast sandwiches, bagels, and varying types of iced and hot coffees.

This cafe also has many inclusive options of non-dairy milks like oat, soy and almond to offer to customers who prefer something different than the traditional latte recipe.

As spring approaches, Old Willamette opens up its doors to the busiest time of the year.

12

The Willamette Coffee House not only offers food, but indoor and outdoor seating so you can sit down and enjoy your food or take a break to do some homework with friends while sipping on a refreshment.

The Willamette Coffee House features a typical cafe style menu including pastries and breakfast

Outside Lark Cafe, on

y Morning. a busy, sunny, Monda

The entrance to Para Jui opening in Old Willa ce Bar, one week after it’s grand mette.

13

DEFYING CROWD the

Spotlighting this early graduate’s choice to pursue beauty school

BY SKYLAR MOOE co-editor in chief As the end of the year approaches, after high school decisions coexist.

Pressure to pursue a degree from a post-secondary institution has dominated for the majority, however in recent years-- as a result of things like increased tuition costs, student debt and the pandemic--more and more people have begun to explore paths

outside of the college apparatus.

For a student like Desi Zegar, an ontrack class of 2021 student who finished high school a year early, college was not the right path.

Zegar’s story started when she was 15. Trips to the salon sparked an interest in the field of esthetics, and after talking with her hairdresser she received her license at age 16 to begin an internship. Zegar began researching schools, eventually landing on Phagans School of Hair Design, located in Clackamas Town Center.

The school offered a program for high school seniors to attend school half of the day and beauty school the other half.

However, it caught Zegar’s attention that there may be another option to help jumpstart her future: graduating early.

“I had enough credits to kind of make it work,” Zegar said. “So it was January of junior year at that point. I signed up for a bunch of online classes and got them done with. And then COVID hit so it ended up being perfect.”

As a class of 2020 graduate, Zegar was able to start her classes at Phagans in August, where she’s on track to graduate from by the end of the year.

Zegar started off in courses for hair coloring and cutting, perms and styling, and then advanced to esthetics classes, which consisted of waxing, lash lifts, makeup and nails classes.

Anticipating that some states require different credentials, Zegar has been licensed in everything to prevent closed doors in the future.

In February Zegar finished her classes, bridging the transition to start practicing on the floor, where she

19.7 million students enrolled in college during the fall 2020 year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. However, below are five benefits of pursuing a vocational or trade school path instead:

1

Find immediate employment

2

Save money A photo from Zegar’s senior photoshoot. Photo courtesy of Desi Zegar.

14

works from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and sees three to four clients a day.

Compared to the traditional path where students occupy their time in university classes, homework and exams, Zegar has been able to move straight into the working world, spending her time learning skills to help navigate the real world.

“The biggest thing is how to talk to people,” Zegar said. “You have a client in your chair and you’re standing there for an hour to five hours putting stuff in their hair, depending on what they’re getting done.

That’s a lot of time to have to talk to a random stranger so you have to learn how to start up conversations. You have to learn how to steer away from certain topics.”

Pursuing a vocational path over a traditional four-year university also comes with money saving benefits. “I worked through high school, saved up money and paid for my school out of pocket. And I’ll be graduating with no debt in my name and a full license to do whatever I want and a $100,000 a year career, without having to go to a full year school,” Zegar said. “Someone who goes to four year college when they don’t know exactly what they’re going to do, they’re in debt by a lot, they’re

going for something that they might not even like, just because they think they have to.”

Societal, parental and peer pressures often propel kids into these post-secondary schools, with hopes of yielding future CEOs and moneymakers. Our capitalist economy values prosperity, but Zegar speaks out on this.

easily. So you have to kind of push other people’s thoughts away if you’re interested in something.”

Zegar will now be moving on to take classes in advanced esthetics, focusing on laser hair removal and the medical side of skin care.

Looking forward, she has hopes to travel and potentially start her own business down the road, however her plans are not “I I think the coolest thing is that you’ll have someone concrete. planned out come in to see you and then they’ll want to come so much of schooling back again -- they request you again. People my at a young will look to you for advice. It’s just cool to have age. At 15 I had already that connection with somebody. They say your d e c i d e d , ” hairdresser is like your therapist and you’d be Zegar said. “So I’m trying for surprised how true it is. –Desi Zegar the next year not to rush it, just because I already kind “That’s not how it should be. Find of rushed myself for this part. So I’m something that you like because if trying just to enjoy the school that I’m you’re going to spend the money, spend in, enjoy the people, learn.” it on something you want to do,” Zegar Reflecting on her decision overall, said.

Zegar understands that curtailing the While often underrated in affluent college experience can be a bold choice, communities with 10-year-old but advocates that it’s not the only prospective college students, blue- option available to students. collar and other fields that don’t “You can go to college if you know require a four-year degree can sustain that’s what you want to do, or if that’s a healthy lifestyle. the path that you want to go down,” “People make assumptions about Zegar said. “But that doesn’t mean that that kind of industry,” Zegar said. “You you have to do it that way.That doesn’t Google it and it says you make 30,000 mean you can’t have a career if you a year. That’s not the reality of it. You don’t go.” make a lot more than 30,000 a year,

“

3

5

Pursue a known field of passion

Find real-world applications

4

Save time

15

MATILDA MILNER co-editor-in-chief

The internet age has forever changed the way that art is created, inspired, bought, sold, and shared. Social media provides professional artists and amateurs alike a platform to post their work. Students Jesika Conner, sophomore; Megan Riehlee, senior; and Ivy Brucker, senior, have all taken their passion for creating to Instagram, each arriving from a different path, and taking something unique from the experience.

‘It’s no longer a hobby’

Who’s encouraged and motivated you to pursue art?

I: My parents were supportive of it. And it kept me, you know, sitting down for a while. So, I think they like that. They gave me supplies for it.

And, also, my teachers were supportive of me with it. I think my teacher was the first person who gave me an actual, like, drawing pad, because I would get up every five minutes to get paper from the scratch bin.

Are there other artists in your family?

I: My older brother is a really, really good artist. I think that that could have also been an influence on me as a kid, like copying your siblings and what they’re doing. He’s still really good now.

Is that ever intimidating?

I: We both have different art styles in different areas we focus on so it’s very, like, you know-sometimes we just compare what we’ve been doing. I wouldn’t call it intimidating because we both admire each other’s works, and I think we both learn from each other.

16

We’re trying to work on some art together, and it’s usually [that] we’re just talking about like comics want to draw together, or something like that.

What inspires your art?

I: I guess when I’m coming up with an idea for something to draw,I like either making up a story of what I’m drawing while I’m doing it, or I have the art itself is influenced by, like, some weird dream or story I had beforehand.

I find like artists that I really really like, every month or so. And I usually just, you know, go on like a binge of all their artwork.

I do think I try and take something aesthetic-wise from artists I aspire to.

I don’t really like creating from my life. It’s always more escapism, you know?

I try to think of something different than what’s around me.

Are you in an art class now?

I: Yeah, I’m in AP art. I, yeah, I just take whatever interests me. And I’ve taken all the art classes and a couple of like, graphic designs.

This illustration can be found on Brucker’s Instagram, both as seen above, and for sale on a t-shirt. Photo courtesy of Ivy Bucker.

What mediums do you tend to use?

I: I enjoy pen and ink the most. Without any color, or anything. I’ve done that for a very long time. And I think maybe my strongest area.

What has your experience posting and selling your art on social media been like?

I: You’re like, thinking of it in like a different way.

It’s no longer a hobby, you’re just you’re trying to make it, you know, like a business. And in some ways, it can be a little creatively draining. That’s why I’m not trying to force myself to post something every day or sell something every day. Because I don’t want to drain myself.

Have you ever considered doing art professionally?

I: For most of my childhood, it was just like, you know, my main hobby, I never really considered, like, to be an artist, I guess.

Until a couple of years ago, when I realized that I didn’t really enjoy doing a lot of other things, or really want to do a lot of other things.

What are you working on right now?

I: Well, I’m working on my comic idea with my brother and writing a story together. And also had that and I’m finishing my AP concentration.

Name: Ivy Brucker Grade: Senior Artistic inspiration: Zdzslaw Beksinski Instagram: @_ivy_rain_

Name: Jesika Connor Grade: Sophomore Artistic inspiration: Disney animation Instagram: @twas_brillig_ studios When did you start making art?

J: I know that ever since I was like, little kid, I was always really into art. Even in kindergarten, I was always at the art table, just drawing and painting. And I never really considered it seriously until maybe around fourth grade when I had a really influential teacher that just like pushed me to further my artistic skills. And I just became super involved in a bunch of different mediums then on.

It really was one thing I enjoyed because I wasn’t a super social child growing up but I would always have some outlet when I would do my artwork.

What inspired your art at that age?

J: it allowed me to definitely show people something that I enjoyed. I did a lot of like, drawing Disney things, because I loved Disney stuff.

And it would let me kind of show people that I was acknowledging something they enjoyed or showing them something I enjoyed, in the form of creating something.

What inspires your art now?

J: I draw a lot of buildings that I think are really pretty and a lot of places around the world that I’d like to visit, or people that I really admire. It’s just anything that I see that I really enjoy, I just want to create art about it so that I can capture a little piece of it.

‘Anything I can get my hands on’

What mediums do you typically use?

J: I do a lot of just typical pen and ink. I like watercolor. I do acrylic. I do a lot of sewing embroidery. I do a lot of sculpting mixed media. I crochet, I knit. Just anything I can get my hands on.

What are some barriers to creating art you’ve faced?

J: I definitely would consider myself a perfectionist.

And that kind of comes through in the style of artwork I make, and the style of things I just produce in general. I really like everything to be in order and very perfect the first time. It’s hard to put into words, but it can be kind of limiting.

How do you cope with perfectionism?

J: I find that if I do something that is a lot less like, there’s low stakes, I’m not giving it to somebody, I’m just doing it for myself, I can try to convince myself that like, Alright, it doesn’t have to be perfect. I’ve also started drawing things on sticky notes. And for some reason, when I’m not on, like, the nice professional paper in a sketchbook, it’s a lot easier to be loose and to allow myself to like mess up.

What’s something you’ve created that you’re proud of?

J: I did a bullet journaling for a while. And the finished journal that I have of like, the one year is just filled with all of my best artwork.

A lot of my teachers started to know it and it always be like, “oh, what does Jessica have in our bullet journal

now?” and it would end up, like, floating around the room. And that’s something I’m really, I’m really proud of.

What are you working on now?

J: I’m kind of in the middle of a lot of little projects.

I’m working on for art, still life painting. And then I’m knitting a sweater. And I’m also working on a couple projects for friends.

Do you give your art away often?

J: that’s actually recently become a little bit of a problem. And as I’m going back and looking for art, because I just moved to hang up, I realized I don’t have any art, I’ve given probably 90% of it away. Like when I’m creating something, almost all of the time, it will be a birthday gift or a Christmas gift or a just because I just if I’m creating something, I want to give it to somebody.

What drives you to give so much of your art away?

J: I think that it’s just, there’s a kind of motivation that go bes behind knowing that what you’re doing, somebody is going to remember, like, I don’t remember

everything I’ve created. But then I’ll get texts month later, or somebody is like, “Oh, I was just looking at that painting You made me and I was thinking of you.” It’s like I didn’t even remember I made that painting.

But it just brings people so much joy to like see the you put time into something for them. And it’s just, it’s always, like the smile on their face just makes all of the time that I spend on it worth it.

Has posting your art on social media changed that?

J: A lot of the things I put on Instagram were things that I was making for myself. But at the same time I started putting some of those gifts on there. And it was like, it was a way for me to share with people without having to commit to the time of making something for them.

I could still make something for myself, but feel like I was giving it to other people letting them see it, letting them experience it, even if it’s not something made for them.

Connor’s bullet journal goes where she goes, serving as both planner and sketchbook.

Photo courtesy of Jesika Connor.

17

‘Make your own beauty’ can make people feel more connected or included by making art that looks like them.

Displaying mastery over a diverse array of mediums, Rhielee’s hand embroidered jeans, as well as other artwork, can be found for sale on her art Instagram. Photo courtesy of Megan Rhilee.

When did you start making art?

M: Well I kind of always made art, like I went to a Montessori Preschool, and they really encourage creative thinking and making art. So I’ve kind of always played around with art, but I’ve been more serious about art since like, middle school, because I had this awesome art teacher in sixth grade. Who just inspired me.

Are you taking art classes now?

M: I’m in an AP art history class, which obviously is a lot different. And so I’m not practicing studio art through any kind of program right now. But learning about art history has been really interesting as well.

Has taking art history changed the way you create?

I wasn’t super excited about

18

taking the class in the first place, just because I was expecting to be in a studio art class. But it’s been really interesting, just to see how like, history plays a much bigger role in art than I thought it did. Or then I realized that that I guess, because art’s always been sort of like, not like political, but sort of political.

What tends to inspire your art?

M: Recently I’ve been kind of trying to channel my art into more socially engaged topics, but prior to recent pieces that I’ve been making it’s usually been centered around nature. I really like to draw people because drawing people was always super scary when I was younger because everybody thinks they’re really bad at drawing people. I have really enjoyed trying to draw people and that’s just fun like exploring how you

What mediums do you use?

M: I feel like everybody kind of starts with, like, drawing and painting just because they’re the least daunting. But I’ve been trying recently to work with clay and pottery, but there’s a lot of, like, equipment that goes with that. So that’s kind of difficult. I’ve been crocheting recently. And I kind of tried to play around and work with textiles and clothing and all kinds of stuff.

Do you give your art away often?

M: I hate getting rid of my art. And like, recently, I’ve been trying to sell it just because, I’m thinking about college and, and I obviously need to save money and stuff, but I hate getting rid of my art.

Why do you hate getting rid of your art?

M: I think it’s really, it’s really weird for me to put, like, a monetary value on my art. It’s kind of a personal process and just getting rid of my art makes it somebody else’s, which also feels really weird, because then it’s out in the world for everybody else to like experience, which is really cool. And exciting, but it’s also it feels really vulnerable.

What has your experience with posting your art on social media been like?

M: I’ve been meaning to do that for so long, and my sister has been pushing me to try and do that for so long as well. I just haven’t wanted to just because it’s kind of scary, but it’s been really cool so far. And just recently, people have started following me who I don’t even know like, it’s not just my friends and like family, which has been really weird and cool. And everybody’s been super supportive and kind. So it’s been a really good experience so far.

What’s something art has taught you?

M: I think one of the biggest things that art has taught me is about self expression and self confidence because art deals a lot with aesthetics and beauty standards, and stuff like that. And obviously as a young woman, I have had to tackle a lot of those things.

Like seeing the beauty standard and not necessarily knowing whether or not I fit into it. And making art has been something that has been a way for me to like-you make your own beauty, and in art you have all the control over how beautiful what you make is.

So I think that that’s taught me a lot about just like seeing beauty is something that is very individual, and there’s not like a there’s a spectrum that you can put points on to measure beauty and I think that we’ve done a lot better of a job at judging art that way then we have judging people.

Name: Megan Rhilee Grade: Senior Artistic inspiration: Artemisia Gentileschi Instagram: @peace.ofluv

CHECK US OUT ONLINE @WLHSNOW.COM

WLHSNOW BOOK NOOK A monthly book review podcast that discusses everything from young adult pop culture phenomenons like “Twilight” to classic thrillers such as “We Have Always Lived in the Castle”. Hosted by copy editor Lily Gottschling, coverage editor Helena Erdahl, and podcast and blogs editor Audrey Lippert, you can find the latest episode using the Spotify code, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

WEST LINN WEEKLY WAKE UP A weekly podcast that discusses current events, local news, sports, and pop culture hosted by podcast and blogs editor Audrey Lippert and web editor Karina Rower. Find the latest episode using the Spotify code or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

WLHSNOW.COM 19

CULTIVATING A COMMUNIT Y

How music memes start online discussions This image is a colaboration of multiple album covers, used as the profile photo for “@the_okayest_computer”. The albums include David Bowies’s “Blackstar”, Father John Misty’s “Pure Comedy”, and Radiohead’s “Kid A’, and “OK Computer”.

BY HAYDEN FISH arts and culture editor

D A recent example of one of Tervo’s memes, here the shipping boat that blocked the suez Canal, is inserted into the ‘98 classic “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea”.

Photo courtsey of Patrick Tervo

20

o you have a favorite song?

What about a favorite album? Well, chances are sophomore Patrick Tervo has heard it. Tervo is the sole creator and contributor to “@ the_okayest_computer”, an Instagram music meme account that has taken on a life of its own.

Tervo takes existing internet trends, culture, and memes, giving them their own musical spin.

He mixes current events into the background of famous album covers, holds large-scale music discussions for thousands of people, and keeps his followers up to date on his exclusive top 200 album chart.

Tervo’s love for music began as a child with classic rock, where it blossomed outwards from there. Today, his favorite band is Radiohead, even the title of his account: “@ the_okayest_computer”, is itself a spoof on the title of Radiohead’s third album, “OK Computer”.

Tervo made the account on a whim, when he was bored on a road trip. Now, less than two years later, it sits at over 35,000 followers. “I do it because I love it. I’m grateful for every single one of my followers, though I don’t do it for the followers,” he said.

Recently, he’s begun to branch out, starting a YouTube channel under the same name. Through consistent uploads he gives monthly recommendations, and takes deep dives into the artist’s background or discography.

Tervo is thinking longterm with “@the_okayest_ computer”, and he envisions himself continuing to run this account long into college. “I think managing these social media profiles has greatly helped my time management skills,” Tervo said, as he spoke about how these accounts keep him busy. He posts original content across multiple platforms practically every day.

In addition to the musical memes, Tervo is a musician

“

himself, at four, he began playing piano, and has always loved singing. Tervo mentioned. After joining “School of Rock”, an extracurricular music school which he’s attended for the last few years, mixed with his ambitious personal exploration, he’s learned guitar, bass, and ukulele.

“Basically anything except the drums, although I really really want to learn to play drums,” Tervo said. Following a handful of song covers, last Feb. Tervo released an original solo musical project to Bandcamp, entitled “In Light, In Dark”, self-described as a “brief ambient EP divided into two contrasting halves.” This is Tervo’s first full length musical endeavor, to whichc he’s chosen the alias “Hells”. By layering multiple recordings with different instruments, Tervo becomes his own one man band, all from his living room.

Given the opportunity for Tervo to recommend a single album to our student body, he quickly

Album cover for Patrick Tervo’s solo original ep, “In Light, In Dark” released to Bandcamp.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Tervo

The primary reason I do it now, is to have people who love musci as much as I do, all gathered in one place

S ’ K IC R T PA C K S PI

Artist: Phoebe Bridgers Album: “Punisher” Release: June 2020 Notible Track: “Kyoto” Check out Lily Gottschling’s review of “Punisher” on wlhsNOW.com

responded with “Punisher” by Phoebe Bridgers.

Phoebe Bridgers is an American alternative singersongwriter who’s been covered thoroughly by Lily Gottschling on wlhsNOW.com, so check out her review there for more. This particular album was Tervo’s favorite of 2020, describing it as an album “the world needs to hear,” noting how it brings “comfort and reassurance,” amidst, “chaos and madness.”

Tervo has cultivated his own little corner on the internet, by building a community for his niche. The likes and followers are nice, but what Tervo going “to have people that love music as much as I do all gathered in one place.”

an album the world needs to hear

Photo by Lily Gottschling

21

The Sport Of Music

22

I

By LOGAN WINDER opinions editor

n the modern era, what is considered a sport has become broader and broader. Traditional sports like football and basketball are what most would think when hearing the word “Sport”. Skiing and snowboarding, though a little more niche, would still fall into the category of a sport. All the way on the other side of the spectrum, video games are considered sports. High-level competitive play for a team has earned itself the title of “e-sports”.

There is quite a range of activities that fall under the umbrella of sports, so it is no wonder why there is constant debate as to what is and isn’t a sport. This debate has been further fueled by the loss of our traditional sports due to COVID-19. Due to their absence, activities that can be more socially distant have slowly come out of the woodwork to fill the gap. One of the most recent activities to be thrown into the debate is choir. Choir shares many qualities with traditional sports, yet at the same time does many things against the grain of what would often be considered a sport.

To gain a better understanding of he arguments on both sides of the debate, two choir students agreed to give their thoughts and insights into this issue.

Alec Snyder, senior, is a member of the Symphonic Choir and is also a swimmer He is on the side of the argument that believes choir should be considered a sport. To Snyder, choir fulfills many of the requirements a sport has.

“I think choir is a sport, I mean we have competitions, teamwork, physical exertion, ect.”

Snyder doesn’t really have a set definition of what a sport should be, rather, he sees sports as activities that fulfill certain qualities. Hard work, cooperation, dedication, commitment, competition, physical exertion. To Snyder, having sports locked into a set definition is detrimental to people and their goals. “I’ve had people tell me swimming wasn’t a sport because we didn’t use balls.” Snyder said.

Taking an objective look at choir, we can see how it measures up against the qualities that Snyder laid out as sportlike.

Does it require teamwork? Absolutely, to sound good as a choir, you have to be able to work together and understand your part.

What about hard work? “For me, I practice about an hour and a half in class, and 30 minutes to an hour outside of class,” Alec said.

Competition? “Normally in symphonic choir, we go to one or two festivals a year and compete at league, and then state if we qualify, which we won in 2019,” Snyder said. “We also have four concerts a year.”

Alec has shown us a strong argument as to why choir should be considered a sport, and now it’s time to look at the other side.

“I think gatekeeping what can and can’t be a sport can really easily delegitimize someone’s passion and I think that isn’t a positive force,” - Alec Snyder Maddie Meyer, junior, has been doing choir for three years and is currently a member of the Symphonic Choir. She is of the mindset that choir shouldn’t be considered a sport. “I do not think choir is a sport because even though it is very competitive and you’re using your lungs, that doesn’t make it a sport,” Meyer said.

Meyer’s definition of a sport is, “Something that involves physical exertion and activity,” with a very clear weight on the physical exertion portion. This becomes more clear in her

elaboration on why choir isn’t a sport.

“You are not moving around or physically exerting yourself” Meyer said.

Meyer, much like Snyder, has certain qualities that she considers sport-like.

“Some qualities would be a team-oriented environment, competitive nature, certain equipment or uniform for the physical activity, and being able to stay active for a while,” Meyer said.

Knowing what she considers sportlike qualities, we gain further insight into her view of sports as a whole, “I think the current definition of sports is too broad. It is defined by saying a sport is ‘an activity involving physical exertion, in a competitive sense’ and many things could fall under that category.”

Though Maddie may have a more narrow definition of sports compared to Alec, it shouldn’t necessarily be seen as a negative. There has to be some sort of line that divides sports and nonsports. Having a strong standpoint on where that line is the only way an argument like this is decided. If people are too wishy-washy in their standpoint, it keeps those who are the subject of the argument from ever finding a definitive place where they can say they belong.

There probably will never be a day where this argument comes to an end.

For activities like esports, while it may have the title of a sport, the argument whether it is still rages on to this day. Honestly though, it shouldn’t matter if something is a sport or not. If you enjoy doing it, continue to do it. A title really doesn’t matter when you have found something that makes you happy.

Graphic and photos by Logan Winder

23

CELEBRATION AND CONVERSATION Affinity Groups provide safe places for cultural socialization and awareness

BY LILY GOTTSCHLING copy editor

Illustrations by Lily Gottschling

24

T

hree years ago, a group of teachers decided to work together to create a group for students of color to share their experiences and concerns with one another. The Affinity group has now become a safe space for students of color to not only have discussions about race but also to share elements of their cultures and traditions with each other.

Meagyn Karmakar, an English teacher, and adviser for the Affinity groups, helped to form the club. She felt that it was necessary to create a safe space for students of color to discuss the issues that they face living in a predominantly white community. With a recent spike in racially motivated hate crimes, a place like an Affinity club exists to give BIPOC students a place to feel safe speaking about their fears and feelings surrounding these incidents that occur on and off-campus.

“Three years ago, a small group of teachers came together to work as a PLC, which is a professional learning community, and as that [community], we decided to focus on race,” Karmakar said. “One of the things we did as part of that PLC is to create, to get some data, and to hear experiences from our BIPOC students so we created a kind of listening session.”

The Affinity group includes five smaller groups: the Black Student Union, the Indian Sub-Continent and Middle East Student Affinity Group, MEChA, the Pacific East Asian Affinity Group, and the Indigenous Student Union. Each of these groups aims to be involved in a variety of fundraising activities and in spreading awareness about different issues.

“The large Affinity group has focused more on socialization, conversation, and getting students from all of the smaller groups to come together and talk about issues surrounding race in West Linn,” Karmakar said. “I know that in MEChA they actually are working on a bunch of activities and projects. They have their own website, now they have their own podcast. The Black Student Union actually is connecting with Wilsonville right now, and so they’re working with Wilsonville and online students to create an atmosphere and conversation topics. The Indigenous Student Union in the winter they did a fundraiser and clothing drive for Indigenous populations, especially

during the time when they have been hit this hard by the COVID pandemic.”

The Affinity group has two main focuses as a club: celebrating each other’s cultures and discussing issues faced by people of color at a local and national level. Rhea Grover, senior, has been attending these meetings for a couple of years and feels that both aspects of the club are important.

“We want to be a positive space where people can celebrate their identity,” Grover said. “We’ve done events where we’ve done a traditional dress day and we did a day where we shared our traditions from our

“We’ve been talking about things that we maybe add to or change about the school to work towards making it more inclusive.”

-Rhea Groverfamilies. We’ve also done some sharing of the cultural artifacts that are important to us, and then the other goal is to work on equity and inclusion in our district. We’ve been talking about things that we maybe add to or change about the school to work towards making it more inclusive.”

Grover, like other members of the Affinity group, was interested in attending Affinity group meetings because of the sense of comradery and kinship with other students of color.

“My thing was really wanting to kind of have a community to talk about issues that affected the students of color, and then also celebrate our identities and our heritages,” Grover said.

Kaiya Kremer, sophomore, began attending Affinity meetings earlier this school year after hearing about it from a friend. Kremer felt compelled to join the club because she wanted to find a group of students who shared similar experiences being people of color in West Linn.

“I really love being able to talk with a group of students of color, especially in a place like West Linn,” Kremer said. “I found that there’s not a lot of people of color here and not a lot that can relate to that, so being able to be in a space with other people that are minorities is really comforting and it really makes a safe space to share thoughts.”

Kremer also felt compelled to attend these meetings following concerns she had last year about an offensive painting that was hanging in the office of Officer Halverson, a student resource officer. The painting was of a clown portrayed wearing culturally insensitive makeup that made Kremer and other students uncomfortable. The painting was brought to the attention of the administration in February and was taken down by Officer Halverson.

Kremer had concerns about it prior to the story gaining recognition in the community but felt unsafe reporting it to the administration.

“I personally didn’t feel safe to report it, especially being a student of color,” Kremer said, “I felt I would put a target on my back and the club decided that that’s not something that students should fear.” Kremer explained that this incident and others were part of a decision by the Affinity groups to create an anonymous reporting system for students to use in the event of, “incidents regarding race or any sort of bias.”

With fundraisers, clothing drives, and methods of raising awareness for issues based upon racial discrimination, the Affinity club has and will continue to work to make sure that BIPOC students and staff feel safe in our community.

“I’m really hoping that, in my time here and after, our group can make West Linn High School and the community surrounding schools a safer place for students of color and can change the culture that’s currently pretty oppressive and sometimes scary,” Kremer said.

25

26

Alumnus appointed to city council

Rory Bialostosky shares his progress and hopes for his time as a councilmember.

BY HELENA ERDAHL coverage editor On Nov. 6 last year, our city’s voters elected who they think would be the best people to help our city improve.

As one of the candidates voted in, Rory Bialostosky is the youngest member of the council and sees his job as a way to represent the youth of West Linn in their daily decisions.

“It’s fun to make an impact and help out where I can and bring a youthful perspective,” Bialostosky said. “I mean I’m 21 years old, so `that’s what I tried to do — represent the youth and the students and everybody as well but bringing a vision for more down the line.”

As an individual, Bialostosky decided to run for the city council because of his expressed disapproval in the council of the past, and felt like his contributions could help the council improve.

“I wasn’t happy with the direction of this past City Council. They were very dysfunctional, their meetings were long and they weren’t making progress on moving the waterfront project that everybody cares about,” Bialostosky said, “And just being efficient in their meetings, they were going to 11 o’clock, costing the city a lot of money and staff time or legal time. So I just kind of felt like I could do a better job and I felt like that could come in and help.”

Bialostosky’s aspirations for a better city council fueled his campaign and has brought a new perspective as the

council continues their efforts to better the city, “I’m looking forward to these next few years, we will be able to plan better and make progress on issues and make our community safe and inclusive,” Bialostosky said. “I know that’s been a big issue lately, we had the Fesser case of racism at the police department.

Now we’re trying to better ourselves and make sure that doesn’t happen again, and kind of move forward, and make our community a better place.”

Bialostosky’s responsibilities as a

“I’m looking forward to these next few years, we will be able to plan better and make progress on issues and make our community safe and inclusive.”

- Rory Bialostosky member include working with his associates in improving City Council and our city as a whole.

“I would say the main role of what I do as a councilor is help the city council set the policy for the city, like the legislative policy. And we hire a city manager who runs the day-to-day operations, so we’re kind of the big picture,” Bialostosky said. “Setting the

general policy for the long term and making decisions on land use, and just trying to make sure that people are happy, the residents are happy.”

COVID-19 has made a significant impact on the way that the City Council operates. Meetings before COVID-19 be in-person and the real-life interaction between members would be more often compared to recently.

“I’m not able to physically be with my fellow members and the staff, and City Hall was closed to the public for a long time,” Bialostosky said. “But with COVID, you know, it’s got to be more careful with meeting people, and part of the job as an elected official is to meet people. So doing that a lot virtually and working on issues virtually it’s kind of a change.”

During this time, the city council is working on a variety of projects for West Linn. Looking into these projects, specifically, Bialostosky’s main efforts are concentrated on developing the waterfront next to the Willamette River, reversing back-in parking in the Old Willamette business area, and developing the Youth Advisory Council. ‘’We want to have a robust Youth Advisory Council which is made of citizens from the high school,” Bialostosky said. “Students from the high school that can advise the city on policy.’’

New beginnings! Rory Biolastoky helps lead at City Council. Photo by Helena Erdahl

27

folklore

O

BY LILY GOTTSCHLING copy editor

n June 23, Taylor Swift announced that she would be releasing her eighth studio album the following day at midnight.

With “folklore”, Swift ventured into a new indie-folk sound, after having released music in the country and pop genres. Swift brought in a range of collaborators for production and songwriting: Jack Antonoff, who Swift previously worked with on her albums “1989”, “reputation”, and “Lover”; Aaron Dessner, of the band “The National”; Justin Vernon of Bon Iver who is featured on “exile”; and William Bowery, the pseudonym for Swift’s boyfriend Joe Alwyn who has multiple songwriting credits on the album.

At the center of “folklore” is a trio of songs that tell the story of a teenage love triangle. Each character is represented in their own song as they tell their version of events: “cardigan”, told from Betty’s perspective; “august”, told from the perspective of James’ summertime fling; and “betty”, told from the perspective of James begging for Betty’s forgiveness. “cardigan” introduces listeners to the love triangle as Betty reminisces about a relationship from her teenage years.

As an adult, Betty still feels haunted by the relationship as she thinks about what could’ve been. The perspective of the “august” girl tells the story of the girl with whom James cheated on Betty in the summertime. Feelings of unrequited love and being the second choice plague “august” girl as she watches James run back to Betty in the album’s 14th track and conclusion to the love triangle.

Fans noticed that Swift 28

photo by Lily Gottschling

stepped away from her generally autobiographical storytelling in this album, but she didn’t necessarily stop telling true stories. “the last great american dynasty” tells the story of Rebekah Harkness, a mid-1900s philanthropist who climbed to the upper class after marrying William Hale Harkness in 1947. Swift was inspired to tell this story ever since she purchased Holiday House, a mansion that was once owned and lived in by

“Time, curious time

Gave me no compasses, gave me no signs

Were there clues I didn’t see?”

-”invisible string”Harkness. In her lifetime, Harkness fell victim to sexist claims that she ruined the family name and was even blamed for her husband’s death, which Swift represents in the lyric, “The doctor had told him to settle down/ It must have been her fault his heart gave out”. Swift then draws parallels to her own life by changing the lyrics “She had a marvelous time ruining everything” to “I had a marvelous time ruining everything”.

Swift’s ability to write astoundingly heartbreaking lyrics is showcased on the album’s sixth song, “mirrorball”.

Prevalent is the feeling of hopelessness and failure in the track, which has

resonated with listeners for a myriad of reasons. Swift expresses her desire to entertain and the effect that the cancelation of her tour had on her as a performer and as a person. The lyric, “And I’m still a believer, but I don’t know why/ I’ve never been a natural, all I do is try, try, try” expresses the hopeless feeling of never thinking you’re good enough, despite how hard you try. It also parallels “this is me trying”, in which the narrator’s hopelessness leads them to a dark place that they are desperately trying to get out of.

Swift steps into the shoes of her younger self on the seventh track, aptly named “seven”. Opening with imagery of Pennsylvania outdoors, where Swift grew up, the scene is set for a bittersweet tale of innocence and nostalgia that is shrouded in a sense of darkness. “And I’ve been meaning to tell you/ I think your house is haunted/ Your dad is always mad/ And that must be why”, she sings, showing the naivety of the song’s narrator as she witnesses her friend living in a toxic household. Swift then switches to an older perspective as she sings, “And though I can’t recall your face/ I still got love for you”, personifying a feeling that many have when remembering childhood friends.

Swift’s new genre and the era were popular amongst fans and critics alike. Swift received a multitude of nominations at the Grammys and took home Album of the Year. Along with Dessner, Antonoff, and Bowery, Swift wrote an additional 17 tracks for “folklore”’s companion album, “evermore”.

evermore T

BY HELENA ERDAHL coverage editor

aylor Swift released “evermore” in December, only six months after the release of “folklore”.

Both these albums share a nostalgia of a calmer existence, contrasting to the chaos of this and last year.

These albums have felt like an escape for listeners, and have drawn in a new audience for Swift with the new, more indie style that she has adopted. With its calm and escapist songs, “evermore” helped listeners explore the lives of many and feel the complex emotions stirred through their misfortunes and successes.

This album features a few select songs that have stood out to listeners.

Upon its release, “no body no crime” was an instant fan favorite.

With intriguing lyrics and riveting characters, this song felt like a reprieve from the homebound lives that we’ve all lived through.

This song incorporates true crime elements, hinted from the lines, “I think he did it, but I just can’t prove it.” This song captures her well known country sound loved by Swift’s fans, and an intriguing story. This track was also featured with HAIM, a band that Swift has worked with once before, and contributed vocals that truly helped the track live up to its full potential. “champagne problems” is one of the tracks that stands out in this project.

While listening, you’re transported to the world of a person drowning in void emotions, and the lack of empathy felt towards the main character’s struggles.

From the lyrics, “You won’t remember all my champagne

“I was dancing when the music stopped And in the disbelief, I can’t face reinvention I haven’t met the new me yet” -“happiness”problems”, listeners feel the narrator’s frustration of her feelings not being understood, because their privilege is understood to cancel out struggle.

This experience was expressed by the lyric “‘She would’ve made such a lovely bride/what a shame she’s f***ked in the head’, they said.” “willow” is also a quintessential track that has been incorporated into this album. With pop elements and fun imagery, this song is a mix of her past happier songs and dreamy escapism that has been an important part of “evermore”.

Throughout the track, Swift uses describing words

with ships, wrecks and the ocean.

These themes are also incorporated into “folklore” used in the song “my tears ricochet”.

The lines “Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind” shows the happier mood of the track while also including fun imagery that makes a truly enjoyable song.

A remarkable quality of “evermore” is the production and the true genius of the people helping in this album.

Some of these people who make it stand out are Jack Antonoff, who has also produced albums by other notable artists such as Lana Del Ray, Lorde, and St Vincent. This production helps make this album truly great. Another quality to this track that is widely appreciated is the contributions of Bon Iver, HAIM, and the National.

Bon Iver’s feature was especially prevalent to this album, bringing in new audiences as Bon Iver is also an extremely popular artist in the altindie music genre.

There are many attributes that make this album stand out in the music industry. With the sister tracklist connected to “folklore”, a production quality that continues to impress listeners, and featured artists that draws in new audiences, “evermore” is a must listen album with impressive storytelling that continues to make this album stand out.

photo by Audrey Lippert

29

Schooling during COVID-19

BY CAEL BRUNSON social media editor

Starting Mar. 15, students were able to start school in the hybrid in-person model. This allowed students to attend class in person, masking up when present, while having the class time lined up with Zoom calls. Students who did not opt into hybrid can still attend class for that day from home. Issac Nutter, junior, gave details about his experience in hybrid.

Classrooms are typically far from crowded. “Only two to three people showed up to each class,” Nutter said. Classes run from 8 a.m to 1:40 p.m, with busses departing at 2:00 p.m. Students are required to wear a mask at all times, and follow social distancing rules that include walking directions in the halls and arranged seating. “Feels like afterhours with how few people are actually in the building.” Nutter added.

“I really miss eating lunch with friends,” Nutter said. “It was great to take that break and see people. I also miss the paper test.

Google forms just aren’t the same.”

Photos by Cael

Brunson

Students who chose to stay in Comprehensive Distance Learning (CDL) such as Sophie Jonker, senior, had a very different experience.

“All of my classes are entirely online, and have been since the start of the year,” Jonker said.

“There’s live lessons in the mornings, but besides that, I make my own schedule as I go. I can even get my work done at 3 a.m. if I really wanted to.”

When asked if she ever has to leave home for classes, Jonker said, “I’m never required to leave my computer for any of my classes. Sometimes however, I will go out on local trails, to get a better understanding of what we’re learning about in my AP environmental science class.”

“I really miss my choir class, and socializing with my classmates,” Jonker said. “It does not seem responsible to bring kids back into classes before vaccinations, especially if people are just going onto Zoom calls when they get into class. “

30

Students are expected to continue using the hybrid program until June 8 for seniors, and June 22 for everybody else. Hybrid classes have been introduced to students with the structure still being formatted throughout the year. With vaccinations being administered more rapidly, and all Oregonians over 16 being eligible for vaccination April 19, schooling is already planning to change. From an official West Linn-Wilsonville district email signed by Kathy Ludwig, the district plans to return to a full schedule of five days of in-person classes every week starting next year. The district also plans on allowing a remote schooling program for all students K-12 who would prefer to still learn from home.

Local Sustainability

BY SYDNEY McCRONE current events editor Every year on April 22, we celebrate the nature and beauty surrounding us on Earth Day. Earth Day rolls around to spread awareness on how we can conserve the planet and the ways that we can prevent climate change and pollution.

In our everyday lives, we often contribute to more harm than good by not knowing the ways we contribute to overconsumption of goods and purchases as well as ways that we unknowingly pollute the earth, and continuously leave carbon footprints.

The first ever Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970. A junior Senator of Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, was disturbed by the fact that politics and media were not covering the importance of our environment and the issues surrounding the subject.

Nelson, along with many others, witnessed the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California.

Nelson was inspired by the ongoing anti-war protests of the 60s and joined both issues to introduce his ideas to other politicians. By starting a trend of recognition to the issue, many people started to celebrate the idea of Earth Day by bringing the project to college campuses to gain more participation.

After teaming up with a Republican House member, Pete McKloskey, and a young activist, Denis Hayes, they chose to have the day fall between spring break and

final exams to get the most student participation.

An article published by the Earth Day website, dives into a greater understanding of the history of Earth Day and the ways people have celebrated it from year to year. Global warming is one of the biggest issues in the world today, and as we are progressing from year to year the effects are worsening at a faster rate.

A separate article published by the National Resources Defense Council, discusses how humans have been the greatest contributors to climate change.

“According to the National Climate Assessment, human influences are the number one cause of global warming, especially the carbon pollution we cause by burning fossil fuels and the pollution-capturing we prevent by destroying forests,” the article said.

They also warn us about changes linked to human carbon pollution and the overuse of fossil fuels. “Evidence shows that 2000 to 2009 was hotter than any other decade in at least the past 1,300 years. This warming is altering the Earth’s climate system, including its land, atmosphere, oceans, and ice, in far-reaching ways.”

For more information regarding helpful contributions to our planet, check out Earthday.org or Conserve Energy Future. Don’t forget to educate yourself on the long lasting environmental effects and the ways you can help celebrate this year’s Earth Day. Graphic by Skylar Moore

31

LETTER TO THE EDITORS

T

he past two years of work from the Amplifier staff have been full of great articles, both on the website and in print — none of which would have been possible without the work of our editors-in-chief, Skylar Moore and Matilda Milner. As members of the staff we know that none of us would be where we are today without them.

We are so grateful for all that they have done for us and for wlhsNOW publications. Skylar and Matilda taught us everything we know about journalism, from AP Style to how we can avoid getting sued. Through these experiences we developed confidence and a love for journalism.

Like many things, journalism has been vastly affected by COVID-19. We went from conducting interviews inperson to doing it online, from taking photos with professional equipment to using our iPhones, and from working as a staff in the classroom to communicating through Zoom.

Skylar and Matilda’s guidance was instrumental in helping us navigate through these challenges and making us better journalists and people. We cannot be more thankful for all the effort and care that they put into helping us grow and improve.

Their exemplary communication with one another taught us how to work as a staff, as well as how to

problem solve and interact with our peers. We have learned so much from them and we know these experiences will stick with us for the rest of our lives.

In their four years on staff, Skylar and Matilda have vastly improved the quality of work being produced and any publication will be lucky to have them on staff. We will miss them greatly but we know that both of them will go on to do amazing things.

Skylar and Matilda, we cannot thank you enough for all that you have done.

-The Editorial Board

WORDSEARCH