Volume 35, Issue 3
RIMSON TIMES
2700 NW Glencoe Rd Hillsboro, Oregon Thursday, March 19, 2015 Follow @GHS_Crimson_Times
photo by CHRISTON SENEKHAM Science teacher Richard Stanley dedicates his time after school to separate recyclable items from the garbage.
School struggles with recycling by THERESA WANNER Junior Melodie Deisher made a shocking discovery. Last April, she was researching the waste management and recycling at Glencoe for her final project in AP Environmental Science. Her goal was to teach the school and community how to properly dispose aluminum cans and plastic bottles. However, during that process, she discovered the truth about where the recyclable items actually end up – In the landfill. Nearly 100 cardboard recycling boxes are located throughout the school, but according to science teacher Richard Stanley, everything in these boxes goes straight to garbage due to contamination. “Contamination is the worst enemy when it comes to recycling,” Stanley said. “Whenever something unrecyclable such as banana peels are put into these bins, everything that is touched by it becomes unrecyclable.” Head custodian Javier Monsivais also confirmed this information by saying that the custodians do not have time to differentiate between the disposed items, and if there is obvious contamination within the bin, it is treated like any other garbage can in the school. Stanley also clarified that the only can and bottle recycling at Glencoe is done by him. Every day after school, he goes from bin to bin and digs out recyclable items from the garbage cans so he can put them in the recycling.
See RECYCLING, page 6
Teachers and students prepare for SBAC test by CONNER WILSON Juniors can expect to apply critical thinking skills as they take the SBAC this April. The new SBAC test is a way to assess if students have met the Common Core standards. Forty three states, the District of Columbia, and the Territories have all adopted these standards according to the Common Core website. Students in these states will be taking the SBAC, Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, or something similar this year.
See SBAC, page 3
ELIJAH BEATS CANCER
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just a broken bone. The next ne day, three-year- day, they took Elijah to his old Elijah Cole pediatrician to run some Maurer dropped tests, followed by a visit a toy on his foot. It hurt. to their orthopedist. The But then it kept hurting the orthopedist ordered more next day. And the next day. scans, MRI’s, ultrasounds, That’s when he noticed the blood tests, and other exams bump on his foot. At first, to pinpoint the problem. his parents thought it was See ELIJAH, page 3 by NIDHI PAI
Inside this Issue Senior works for congresswoman Shirley Araiza transforms from a shy student to a confident leader Page 2 Students struggle with racism Students share their experiences and explain why it’s important to listen Page 4 Tattoos with meaning Students remember their loved ones and tell stories through their tattoos Page 6
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Senior driven by passion for politics
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s a shy teenager afraid of taking risks, senior Shirley Araiza never took chances for fear of failure. But when something sparked her political interest, Araiza’s passion caused her fears to subside. After noticing the lack of youth-adult involvement during the 2012 election, Araiza decided she wanted to get more politically involved. An opportunity presented itself to get involved with city leaders through The Youth Advisory Council, and she decided to apply. Araiza began to come out of her shell when she was accepted into The Youth Advisory Council. When YAC advisor Kristi Wilson first met Araiza, she was immediately impressed. Wilson said Araiza was well spoken, gave her a good handshake and handed her two letters of recommendation instead of the required one. “I could tell she was going to go above and beyond,” Wilson said. By participating in a group where people cared about similar issues and everyone was friendly, Araiza did not feel intimidated and even started to open up. “This was an opportunity for me to get better and do something well,” Araiza said. She found herself forgetting to be shy
tening to,” Wilson said. Araiza’s acceptance into YAC led to a trip to Washington, D.C, with the National League of Congressional Cities conference where she spoke to elected officials and learned about issues on a local and federal level. While in D.C., she took full advantage of getting to interact with members of congress like Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “When we went to D.C., the stars started to align for her,” Wilson said. Araiza now has an internship with U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici, working alongside the legislative staff that focuses on case work and issues that constituents face in the first congressional district. Although Araiza is not directly involved with the case work yet, she observes the work and helps around the office. “The district office is not like [what] photo by CHRISTON SENEKHAM TV dramas convey. It is just a regular ofShirley Araiza speaks on a panel advocating for the rights of local minorities. fice with people who are helping people,” Araiza said. because she was too busy wanting to get erful students are when displaying what Araiza is planning to double major in involved in the things around her. they care about. The adults truly listen political science and public health when “It is amazing to see her go from getting when that side comes through. she goes to college. her application two years ago to where she Wilson said that Araiza has a quality she “I plan on doing something in public is now. She was so shy at first, but now she wished she could keep in a bottle. service, but as far as public office goes, that leads meetings,” Wilson said. “[Araiza] makes [the adults] realize that is to be determined,” Araiza said. Araiza said she is inspired by how pow- youth have a voice, and it is one worth lis-
NEWS ROUNDUP Speech and Debate Competing in nine tournaments so far, the speech and debate team have consistently placed first and second. Junior Ryan Barger and sophomore Ashwin Datta usually place in the top three at tournaments. Senior Haley Inman has placed at every tournament so far and has taken first at two tournaments. Senior Maricella Magdaleno has also reached finals in several different events. The team has four tournaments left this year, including their district and state tournaments and the national qualifier tournament.
Wrestling Seven wrestlers qualified for the State Wrestling Tournament, taking fifth overall out of 43 schools. Junior Nate Johnson placed first in the 126 weight class earning him a state title. Other individual placers included junior Tyler Self (second at 182), junior Christian Chan (third at 138), sophomore Ian Stettler (fifth at 126) and junior Keegan Watters (sixth at 195). The team was led by Coach James Harless, who recently was awarded Wrestling Coach of the Year by the Metro West Wrestling Officials Association.
August Wilson Monologue Competition Senior Alex Morgan performed in the August Wilson Monologue Competition on March 2. Morgan was one of 18 students chosen out of 90 who auditioned. The students attended master classes taught by theatre professors and then performed their monologues in front of an audience of community members and professionals from around the country. An OPB special about Portland’s August Wilson Monologue competition is currently being made and will include Morgan’s performance from the competition.
photo by CHRISTON SENEKHAM Junior Nate Johnson wins at the Century tournament on Feb. 27.
Cheerleading Placing sixth at the state competition, the Glencoe cheerleading team was less than a point away from earning a state title. Junior Miranda Masury was recognized as an All-State cheerleader. In previous competitions, Glencoe Cheer placed fourth at Wilsonville and David Douglas and second at Springfield.
Winter guard
Winter guard and drumline will be hosting a Family and Friends Showcase on March 27. In earlier competitions, the varsity team has placed in the top three in the Scholastic A Division and JV has placed in the top five in the Regional A Division. On March 14, Glencoe color guard hosted a showcase with over 20 teams from Oregon and Washington.
Drumline
Drumline is competing with a show called “Pulse: A Heart’s Journey,” a routine about human life’s emotional stages. They placed third at the OCI Show of Hands show in McMinnville Saturday Feb 14 and had another competition in Sacramento, California last weekend. (Results not available at press time). They are now preparing for championships which will be held at Evergreen High School in Vancouver, Wash., March 28.
Dance Dance team will be competing at the OSAA State Championship tomorrow and Saturday at the Moda Center. Their show, “Spellbound”, includes props, such as a bridge and a moon that turns red. Dance team coach Stephanie Harper, got the idea for Spellbound and specifically the red moon, from the Blood Moon that occurs during the fall. Their costumes are white wispy dresses with black scarves and lace sleeves
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SBAC:
School prepares for new test
Shirley Araiza earns an internship with U.S. Representitive Suzanne Bonamici after gaining confidence and political experience by Juliana Matragrano
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photo submitted by LIJAH’S PATH FACEBOOK PAGE Elijah Maurer has a facebook page featuring updates on his life and photos like this one. Check it out at https://www.facebook.com/ElijahColeMaurer.
ELIJAH: Sparrow beats cancer Continued from page 1 Something looked wrong with the scan results. So, a week and a half later, Elijah was taken into Randall’s Children’s Hospital for a biopsy. He received his diagnosis on March 31, 2014. But it was not a broken foot. Not even close. Elijah was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare and highly aggressive bone cancer. According to cancer.gov, Ewing’s occurs in only three cases per million per year, with an even smaller likelihood of affecting children under the age of five. “[When we found out], it was very terrifying, to say the least. Ewing’s is not one that you want. [There aren’t] really a lot of options…If the first course of options doesn’t work, there are only a few choices left. And after that, there’s just not really much you can do,” said Elijah’s mom, Crissy Maurer. The diagnosis hit the family hard. But that was not the only thing the Maurers were faced with that day. The day Elijah received his diagnosis, the Maurers had also just received the key to their new house in Hillsboro. They were now faced with the news about Elijah’s health, moving into a new house and transferring schools for their other three sons. A huge financial challenge lay before them. Before his treatment began, a family friend had set up a donation website for Elijah, with which they raised about $5,000. “Just from moving, Chris [Elijah’s father], taking time off work, then five trips a week to the hospital, we went through all of that money in less than a week,” Crissy Maurer said. For the entire week after Elijah’s diagnosis, doctors ran more tests to confirm that this was the only cancer in his body. Despite the 25% chance of the cancer spreading to other parts of his body, the only cancer discovered remained in his foot. Now their task was to destroy every last cancer cell left so it did not return. Chemotherapy is a critical part for the treatment of Ewing’s Sarcoma. It uses drugs to prevent the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. “It’s all just luck whether or not your kid is going to respond to treatment. If it doesn’t, well… you just won’t have your kid for very long,” Crissy said. Elijah’s first phase of chemotherapy lasted for over 12 weeks, from the beginning of April to the end of July. An aggressive form of treatment, chemotherapy knocked down Elijah’s neutrophil counts
to almost zero, meaning he became too weak to fight anything. “For every two weeks, he had about 4-5 days where his [blood] counts were just horrible and he couldn’t go anywhere,” Elijah’s mom added. Following the first phase of chemo, Elijah had to undergo a partial foot amputation to remove the tumor. His big toe and two bones below it were amputated. But despite a predicted “two-week” recovery process, Elijah was up and walking within three days of surgery. “He doesn’t like to be held down. And when he is watching all of his brothers playing, it’s hard not to be playing himself,” his mother said.
“ [When we found out], it was very terrifying, to say the least.
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Ewing’s is not one that you want.
However, even though the cancerous tumor had now been removed, Elijah’s chemotherapy continued for another 20-21 weeks to eradicate the microscopic cells that could have remained after surgery. Elijah started chemo again in August and received his final chemo on Jan. 31. About a week later, the Maurers received the news they had been longing to hear. After running full-body scans, doctors confirmed that Elijah was cancer-free on Feb. 10, almost a year after his diagnosis. Elijah’s recovery process would not have been as successful without the love and support of his three brothers: Bryce (8), Austin (7) and Liam (3). When Elijah had lost all his hair because of the cancer, the boys and their dad showed their support by shaving their heads. Elijah is ecstatic that his “cancer is all gone!” Not only has his own hair started to grow back, but now that he is doing better, he wants to start playing basketball. On Valentine’s Day, Crissy Maurer surprised the family with a three-month old rescue puppy, Drexler Maurer. With continued support from his family and puppy, Elijah’s health is continuing to improve. Elijah and his family extend their thanks to the Glencoe and Evergreen communities for the help and prayers they gave. According to Layton Fishback, Glencoe’s sparrow club adviser, Glencoe and Evergreen raised over $10,090 for the Maurers. “[They are] a special family that allows an entire school to come alongside them and be a part of their life during such a challenging time. This family not only let Glencoe into their lives, but shared their lives and journey very openly with us. As much as we tried to serve them, they really were the ones serving us,” Fishback said.
“The SBAC is the best way to compare how we are doing with other states,” Principal Bob Macauley said. The tests are designed to focus on the Common Core State Standards and to measure a student’s ability to apply knowledge and skills rather than demonstrating reading comprehension. Vice Principal Karen Shea said the SBAC is different because it is not entirely multiple choice like the OAKS test. Students will respond to questions by writing short essays. The SBAC will be more extensive and will require students to apply knowledge and also demonstrate critical thinking skills. Macauley said the questions on the SBAC have students take information and analyze it rather than picking the best option, which represents questions students will more likely see in college. According to Shea, all students are required to take the SBAC, if someone fails, there are other ways for students to meet the Essential Skills requirement for graduation, such as passing work samples and AP tests. If a student has passed OAKS in 9th or 10th grade, it can count for the Essential Skills requirement, although they are still required to take the SBAC. Shea also said that along with taking the SBAC, students will also be taking the OAKS science test. Concerning scheduling, Macauley said the SBAC test does not interfere with AP testing. The SBAC was built around the AP testing schedule, and students would only be missing a few classes. If someone is considering opting out, Macauley suggests that they should not. He also said that you should challenge yourself, it will be a good test to see where you are. Although opting out is an option, it will hurt the school participation rate. “[This test will] build confidence for people who do well,” Macauley said. According to Shea, the SBAC will provide another measure for students to gauge their academic growth and achievement. “We have very talented, hard-working students at our school who take their academic achievement seriously,” Shea said. “I am confident that our students can and will do well.”
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Texting is a pain in the neck
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Excessive cell phone use can lead to long-term strains on your neck and spine
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itting in a classroom consisting of mostly white students with a white teacher, senior Giovanni Salazar, a Mexican American, feels out of place. During class, the teacher constantly interacts with the white students. Salazar raises his hand, but the teacher fails to recognize him. In addition, Salazar realizes the teacher consistently ignores other Latino students as well. Senior Ally Yoshioka, a Japanese American, often feels like she is objectified by men because of her ethnicity. Men constantly flirt with her and make sexual comments. When she is with her white friends, she said they constantly treat her with less respect and make racist jokes. She has also experienced an adult male who repeatedly flirted with her and invited her to watch samurai movies at his house. Sophomore Chidube Egbo, an African American, is the victim of unrelenting jokes because he is black. It has reached the point that he feels uncomfortable with the color of his skin. “People say that [racism occurred] a long time ago and that it’s over,” Egbo said. “There have been improvements, but we still aren’t done. We aren’t even close to being done.” Today, a subtle form of racism has developed from a belief that not recognizing racial differences is a way to show acceptance. This idea of color blindness was originally seen as a way to combat racism. However, now it has become a way to deny the struggles minorities face, according to art teacher Ezra Ereckson. Three years ago, Ereckson started an Equity Team at Glencoe, which focuses on celebrating diversity and creating racial equity. Color blindness comes from a noble impulse, Ereckson said, but is actually harmful because it removes the recognition of the different experiences that different races go through. According to English teacher Bill Huntzinger, who is also an Equity Team member, color blindness makes the assumption that everyone, regardless of race, has equal opportunity to succeed although that is not the case. When people begin to ignore race and say that everyone is the same, Ereckson said it becomes a way to avoid discussing the structures, including those in Glencoe, that affect racial minorities. This idea of color blindness, according to Egbo, has made some people unable to see the struggles that racial minorities still face today. His parents have taught him to be careful so that he is seen as non-threatening. He must not wear hoodies, not run in stores, and not sound uneducated when he talks. His race is an identity that shapes his everyday activities and behavior. This is something that white people do not normally think about, but for non-whites it is unavoidable. Egbo wants others to recognize that his experience as an African American is fundamentally different from white Americans.
by STEPHANIE FACHIOL lthough we will try to deny it, the fact of the matter is, we love our phones. We cannot help it. Ours is a romance of the electronic type, with an infatuation so dear that we hunch over the little screens the way a spy in a movie would hunch over his girlfriend to save her from an impending explosion. But there’s a very real danger in our devotion, and it’s not in the form of impending explosions. Our phones are wreaking havoc upon us, quite literally. The problem arises from posture- specifically, how our heads lean forward when we use our phones or conduct other activities. The average texting position is at a 60-degrees incline. Spending too long inclined that far can result in a condition known as “text neck.” When your head is held upright, it weighs 10-12 pounds, but those 60 degrees can transform that weight into as much as 60 pounds. Think of the struggle
Illustration by REBECCA DAN
COLOR BLINDNESS: THE NEW RACISM by MILES TRINIDAD
“People say that [racism occurred] a long time ago and that it’s over ... We aren’t even close to being done.”
Salazar also wants people to recognize what Latinos experience with racism. He feels that the school has been successful in embracing Hispanic culture with the bilingual immersion program. However, he also feels some teachers are still not treating Latino students the same as white students. This imbalance of attention leaves Latino students without the same personalized attention. Salazar said he has had experiences like this throughout his years in school. This led him to believe that nobody cared about him or other Latino students. Salazar’s experience illustrates how racism and prejudice are embedded in institutions, such as education. This pattern of favoring certain groups creates a problem in which some students are not given an equal opportunity to succeed because they do not receive the same attention as other students. However, this system can be challenged by an individual who decides to reach out. When English teacher Layton Fishback became supportive of Salazar and helped him pursue his dream of becoming a teacher, it set him on a path to college that he never seriously considered until then. “Nobody tells you that you can do anything,” Salazar said. “[But] she believed in me when nobody else would.” This kind of support can have a profound effect on people, such as Salazar, who have faced a lifetime of prejudice. Ereckson said past social structures, such as segregation and slavery, have ramifications that have put minorities at a disadvantage which has been compounded for centuries. Without solutions directly countering this disadvantage, these differences get worse over time. When people do not address or correct the issues, they continue to exist even if people cease to acknowledge them. Color blindness, according to Egbo, is not something people should aspire to if they want to solve the issue of racism. It requires recognition and a dialogue to solve a problem. “Not talking about an issue does nothing to solve it. Talking about the issue helps people understand it and helps people get to the point where people are able to advocate for other people,” Egbo said. Huntzinger said he sees a divide among students about the issue of racism. While some students are eager and willing to start a dialogue, other students feel uncomfortable talking about race. Although the discussion of race may make people uncomfortable, Ereckson urges people to start that discussion. “We have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable if we want anything to change,” Ereckson said. Egbo said minority students have countless experiences with racism, and that none of them are the same. Listening to and understanding students’ struggles with racism is the first step to stop color blindness. “Listen to the stories that people have to say. Listen and realize they are different than your
in lifting just a heavy backpack, which can weigh about 20 pounds according to “The New York Times.” Now multiply that by three, and put it on your neck and shoulders. That would give a pretty accurate idea of what those 60 pounds mean. “Every inch [forward] adds 10 pounds,” Toni Powers, licensed massage therapist and owner of Northwest Massage Center, said. According to Powers, the human body is built to be able to hold quite a bit of weight on its shoulders. But bending forward forces back and neck muscles to tighten, and gravity’s added pull makes things worse. This cannot be good news for the spine. In fact, according to Laura Sullivan’s Nov. 2014 NPR article on ‘text neck,’ teens may find themselves bent over for over 5,000 cumulative hours a year, which can only aggravate the situation. Ouch. It’s no wonder the spine will start to go on strike, leading to wear and tear, and possible cor-
As the neck bends forward, the weight on the spine increases. rective surgeries down the road. “The cervical and lumbar [parts of the spine] suffer,” physical therapist Robert Fleming said. But cell phones are not the only thing teens should worry about when considering their posture. “It’s not just cell phone use,” Fleming said. “Reading, writing, and using the computer a lot [can bring additional weight]. I used to see patients from Intel with neck and shoulder pain.” Slouching forward during any activity causes additional harm to the shoulders. Fleming said that slouching while using a phone
— or just while sitting down— causes the shoulder blades to tip forward, wearing out the tendons, the tissues that connect muscles to bones. “There’s usually 1.6 mm between [the shoulder blades and the rib cage],” Fleming said. “Slouching reduces it to 0.8 mm. [That’s] about half the distance.” Powers said overworking the neck muscles and shoulder blades can also lead to tension headaches. All of these symptoms, however, are completely preventable. Lori Massengale, a licensed massage therapist, said that to
graphic by SHAUN ARMSTRONG avoid these effects, people need to change their cell phone habits. “[You] shouldn’t sit for more than an hour a day hunched,” Massengale said. “Keep it as short as you can.” So don’t go to the extreme over your school desk, and try to avoid mimicking hunching like a secret agent. Ask Siri if you don’t believe me. (For Sullivan’s complete NPR article, see http://www.opb.org/ news/article/npr-keep-your-headup-text-neck-takes-a-toll-on-thespine/)
Sophomore leaps into professional dancing Lauren Kness was selected to be a member of the prestigious Portland Ballet
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by KENDALL ROSIER
ophomore Lauren Kness never imagined she would be dancing for the Portland Ballet. Last year she started thinking about auditioning for this prestigious company, but the ballet only accepts around 30 dancers each year. To prepare for the audition, she knew she first needed more training. She started attending weekend classes taught by the Portland Ballet teachers. She also began working with a dance coach who taught her to be more focused on developing power and control while dancing. In an audition for a ballet company, a teacher wants to see the technique used. Kness danced in a regular class at the Portland Ballet taught by a company teacher who then watched and decided if she had the skill, power and endurance to dance, and she did. “Dance is physically hard but also mentally hard because there are so many things you have to think about while you’re dancing,” Kness said. Even though she had done auditions before, it was still stressful, especially for her mom Sandra Rogers. “The audition was nerve-wracking for me because I knew she wanted to dance for them, and they do not let parents watch. I think Lauren was really confident and focused,” Rogers said. Kness loves all the performance opportunities she gets now that she is a part of the Portland Ballet. The dancers are really supportive, and the teachers are very professional and encouraging for younger dancers. “Something cool about the [Portland Ballet] is that we
get a live pianist instead of listening to the same music,” Kness said. “Music is a super important part of dance and it’s cool that we get live music.” Her mom said Kness has always been the kind of person who is very driven, she takes feedback from her instructors well and strives to push herself every day. “Dance is an incredibly demanding sport. Strength, endurance and flexibility are very important, and you have to be willing to work very hard. She has given up a lot to dance at this level, and her dad and I are incredibly proud of her,” Rogers said. One of her most memorable experiences was back at her Forest Grove studio when she was Clara in “The Nutcracker.” She has also received a $250 dance scholarship from the New York City Dance Alliance. According to her close friend, sophomore Ashley Cox, Kness spent the summer in Wisconsin dancing with the Milwaukie Ballet. She even traveled to Seattle to try out for several summer dance programs. “When it comes to dancing, Lauren is incredibly humble about all her accomplishments and success, never boasting about her amazing talent. She’s extremely devoted, dancing six days a week, having literally no free photo submitted by LAUREN KNESS time. Lauren’s given up a lot to get where she’s at, and I Sophomore Lauren Kness (left) practicing as a part of can’t wait to see the extraordinary dancer she becomes in the Portland Ballet. the future,” Cox said. the Portland Ballet, compared to only dancing four hours a It takes a lot of dedication and energy to dance as much week at her Forest Grove Studio. as Kness does, but she does not back down from a chal“I think Lauren still loves dancing as much as […] she lenge. Now she dances six days a week, four hours a day at did when she was younger,” Rogers said.
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Junior Ruby Vega
Marketing teacher Shannon McIntyre
Junior Kody Chun
Senior Grace Wilcox photos by CHRISTON SENEKHAM
by HALEY INMAN attoos are becoming a popular way for teens to tell their stories. Often tattoos are ways for teens to honor those who have touched their lives. Senior Grace Wilcox’s tattoo was drawn in remembrance of her grandfather. She describes him as not only a grandpa, but also a fatherly friend. “My grandpa was super close to me all my life and a huge father figure for me since my dad passed away when I was little. I got the tattoo as his initials (RW) and the dates (1929-2014) to show he shaped me as a person,” Wilcox said. Wilcox had her tattoo drawn on Jan. 8. It depicts two telephone poles connected by her grandpa’s initials and the years of his life. Senior Caroline Smith said her three tattoos tell a story. The one on her collarbone reads, “Terrible thing to live in fear.” She got this tattoo after she overcame an eating disorder a few years ago. She uses it as a reminder that she has the ability to overcome any hardship. Smith also has three roses on her hip to represent her mom,
dad, and brother. Her other two tattoos represent her grandparents who passed away a few years ago. “Tattoos are like written adventures while you’re still alive. Your body is a sketchbook. It tells a story about you,” Smith said. In addition to the idea of using tattoos as a way of honoring family members, they are also drawn in honor of a person’s heritage. Junior Christian Chan has a tribal tattoo (drawn and designed by his father) resembling symbols of his family’s Native American heritage. “My dad and I drew up the design of my tattoo together, but he’s the artist, not me. It represents my family’s heritage. It has a family crest, and similar patterns to those resembled in my father’s tattoos,” Chan said. Often, the assumption is made that teens are simply marking their skin with nonsense. However, for several students at Glencoe, tattoos are a way to remember moments or people that have made impacts. Tattoos have become a way to remember things that might otherSenior Danny Hernandez wise be forgotten.
Breaking the mold: student perceptions of beauty We need to remember to “love ourselves, too. ” by MICA ANNIS
Touched-up magazines and materialistic celebrity culture present people as gods and goddesses with perfect skin, shiny hair and big eyes. The media depicts a form of beauty that convinces teens and adults that beauty is skin deep and unachievable. Even with all the images of what beauty should be, some people have rejected this definition of beauty and are seeing it as something that lies deeper than the surface of the skin. Several female students have opened the discussion about teenage girls’ perception of beauty.
Sophomore Tsacha Hyneman described beauty as “anything not repulsive,” while others said it could be seen in actions of kindness and compassion. When senior, Olivia Burke described someone beautiful, she spoke about her mom and how “she always thinks about other people before herself.” Almost every person put a heavier emphasis on the heart, soul and mind rather than the skin, bust and waist. With her hair cut bluntly above her ears, wearing ripped black skinny-jeans, and a graphic T-shirt, sophomore Jamie Talty says culture in the United States teaches
us that beauty is the way something looks. She says “[it is] to be skinny or be muscular...or to dress a certain way.” Yet, Talty, who does not necessarily fit that mold, still sees herself as beautiful. Whether or not women fit into the media’s mold of beauty, many women are rejecting the mold altogether and recognizing the beauty within themselves. With viral social media campaigns such as the #20BeautifulWomenChallenge encouraging women and men to post selfies ac-
RECYCLING:
Staff and students do their part
Continued from page 1 “As of now, it’s a solo operation,” Stanley said. “It would be nice if students took a moment to separate these items by putting them into a recycling bin.” Despite the struggles the school faces in terms of recycling, students are currently involved in activities to contribute to making a positive impact on the environment. For the past four years, freshman and sophomore students from Glencoe’s biology classes have been volunteering for SOLVE’s Green Team Program. They volunteer to restore the environmental health of McKay Creek, located behind the school, and they finish the course with a heightened awareness
Can’t Deny It
Our actions have caused climate change, and it is now our responsibility to repair the damage
Rebel in the Oregon Rain
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ur generation’s g r e a t e s t challenge is not terrorism or nuclear war — it is global climate change. Climate change is a silent killer quickly depleting our once thriving planet. Yet some people continue to ignore the darker reality that we are the ones destroying our home. The lack of consensus about the legitimacy of climate change is unnerving. Only 41 percent of Americans believe climate change is man-made, according to the Pew Research Organization. While a group of scientists found that 97 percent of 15,000 abstracts found significant evidence that climate change is influenced by man. Because of the solid scientific evidence, it is indisputable that we must end the debate and focus on action. The time to act is now. If preserving our current way of life is important for our future generations then we may be making a big mistake. Our way of life got us here. It will require a complete overhaul of our system and our values to save the
by REBECCA DAN
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must e a t less meat. This change will not be easy because eating meat is “American.” But it all comes down to our priorities. We do not need meat, but we do need our planet. Deciding which we give up is our decision to make. If we continue to prioritize our tradition and cultures -- actions that are destroying our world -- then we will continue to kick the can down the road. We can not wait for the next generation to solve the crisis. Now is the time to
Policy for Letters to the Editor The Crimson Times welcomes letters to the editor. The letters must be 250 words or less, and may be edited for grammar and content as long as the changes do not affect the meaning of the letter. Due to space limitations, the staff cannot guarantee all letters will be published, but will do its best to cover all topics fully. The Crimson Times will not publish material that is libelous, obscene, profane, invades privacy, or substantially disrupts the school process.
knowledging their inner and outer beauty, people are beginning to see themselves as individual, beautiful beings Every girl recognized the importance of acknowledging your own beauty. Senior, Maria Gallegos pointed out that, although it can be hard, “we need to remember to love ourselves, too.” To hear more individuals speak about beauty, listen to the full interviews with Olivia Burke, Jamie Talty, Tsacha Hyneman and Maria Gallegos at www.crimsontimes. wix.com/glencoe
of their impact on the world around them. In the program’s first year, students removed 3,900 pounds of invasive Armenian blackberry bushes, planted over 1,340 native trees, and removed 300 pounds of litter from the creek. Several students at Glencoe are also encouraging environmental awareness within the school to make the community more sustainable. Members of the Environmental Impact Club, run by Stanley, are working on installing a composting system in the cafeteria, which will reduce the amount of waste put out by food. “I saw this as an opportunity to make use of Glencoe’s food waste,” said senior Erin Ruark, a member of the Environmental Impact Club. “Composting doesn’t have to be intimidating or totally repulsive if we view it as a chance to contribute, quite easily, to a global movement towards lessening our impact on the environment. Besides, I think it can be a great learning tool for teachers and students as well.”
planet. Almost 200 other nations have started taking action, but it is not enough. Their contributions will mean nothing if the United States fails to act. Americans have a larger responsibility for solving this crisis. The United States makes up less than 5 percent of the world’s population, but we account for almost 20 percent of all the world’s total primary energy consumption, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This is not sustainable. Our continuous drive to consume is the crux of the problem. We need to cut out the luxuries in our lives. Saving the planet is more than reducing, reusing, and recycling -- it means a new you. It starts with bigger changes. The meat industry releases more greenhouse gas emissions than all modes of transportation combined, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. To save the planet we
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Glencoe Crimson Times Staff Co-Editors in chief Becca Collins Miles Trinidad Production Manager Kendall Rosier Business Manager Becca Collins Feature Editor Juliana Matragrano Sports Editor Marcus Trinidad Photo Editor Haley Inman Photographer Christon Senekham Design Editor
Shaun Armstrong Graphic Designers Rebecca Dan Shaun Armstrong Business Scott Ackerman Shirley Araiza Reporters Scott Ackerman Maya Aguilar Victoria Anderson Mica Annis Stephanie Fachiol Haley Inman Juliana Matragrano Nidhi Pai Kendall Rosier
Marcus Trinidad Miles Trinidad Theresa Wanner Conner Wilson Adviser Juanita Reiter
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Sports
Thursday, March 19, 2015
CrimsonTimes
Surprise jump to success After quitting gymnastics because of shoulder surgeries, senior Courtney Vacek had no idea that she would break the school record or become a state champion in triple jump during her first season by BECCA COLLINS
W
hen senior Courtney Vacek was encouraged to join track last year, she had no idea that she was about to uncover a hidden talent, or that this talent would make her a state champion in triple jump in just a few short months. “I had some friends who were doing triple jump,” Vacek said. “I wasn’t that fast, and I couldn’t pole vault [because of shoulder surgeries], so I decided to try it.” Senior Chloe Harris, a good friend of Vacek’s, encouraged her to participate. “I was the only [triple jumper], so I tried to get her to join,” Harris said. Vacek found immediate success in her first meet at Tigard on April 2 last year when she jumped 36’6” to break Glencoe’s school record. “I didn’t really know anything about the school record, and I had no idea I broke it until my coaches told me a few minutes after my first jump,” Vacek said. This meet was only her second
time ever triple jumping because practices usually only consist of workouts and drills, never the actual technique.
Triple jump is al“most identical to a leap series [in gymnastics] that I’d been practicing for years.
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“She had never even practiced going into the sand,” Head Coach Dennis Rice said. “It was incredible. The school record was 10 years old.” Vacek credited her success to her background in gymnastics. “Gymnastics incorporates dances, and the routines have leaps,” Vacek said. “Triple jump is almost identical to a leap series [in gymnastics] that I’d been practicing for years.” Vacek’s gymnastics career ended quickly during September of her junior year because of shoulder injuries and resulting surgeries. Although she had been participating in gymnastics from the age of three, she could
not compromise her future health, especially considering she did not think she would see much future improvement. “As much as I enjoyed [gymnastics], I had reached my peak,” Vacek said. “I wouldn’t get any better.” Luckily, Vacek found a new sport. Her track success continued throughout the season. At the half-point in the season, she was jumping around 37’. She jumped 38’7” at districts, which qualified her for state, where she jumped 38’6” which was enough to place first. Her state title resulted in numerous letters from college track programs, including Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania. She reached out to UC Davis and is hoping to attend in the fall to participate in triple jump. After winning state and breaking the school record as a junior, both Vacek and Rice have high hopes for her senior season. “We’re really looking forward to this year,” Rice said. “Because she won as a junior, she has the motivation to repeat.”
photo submitted by COURTNEY VACEK Courtney Vacek broke the school record during her first track meet last year at Tigard High, where she jumped 36’6”.
Snowboarders’ final season
Seniors Anna Burton and Walker Roe qualify for the state competition in their last season on the Glencoe snowboarding team by MAYA AGUILAR Proudly wearing black jerseys with a silhouette of Mt. Hood and “Glencoe” printed in crimson, two seniors represented Glencoe in the 2015 state competition for snowboarding last week. (Results were not available at press time.) Anna Burton competed in half-pipe, slopestyle and banked slalom/boardercross, while Walker Roe competed in banked slalom and slopestyle. Burton has qualified for state the past two years and competed her sophomore year, but was unable to attend last year’s due to a ruptured appendix. This was Roe’s first time competing at state. Roe’s most memorable moment this season was when he got a perfect run on a slopestyle competition. “It felt so good to get everything right,” he said. Both Burton and Roe said they enjoy being on the team and appreciate how much it has taught them. “It’s crazy how much you progress with a team versus when you’re alone,” Burton said. “Just having a team is a great feeling.” Roe started snowboarding when he was about eight and joined the team this year through a friend who was on the Forest Grove team. Burton, on the other hand, started snowboarding in eighth grade, but she really got into it when she joined the team
her sophomore year. She said 2014 graduate Liam Garrett influenced her to join. According to Burton, Roe fit right in even though he did not know anyone. Roe said that Burton has great team spirit and is always making sure everyone is having fun. They both enjoy having each other on the team. “[Snowboarding] is the highlight of my winter,” Burton says. “People are missing all the sunshine, but the mountain is higher than the clouds.” Glencoe’s team practices with Banks and Forest Grove at least once a week and competes on weekends. They have the same team manager and coaches: Justin McRobert, Grant McRobert and Ryan Audett, respectively. Because of the lack of snow, this season they have only had four competitions, two slopestyle, one half-pipe and one banked slalom/boardercross. Glencoe’s team along with Banks, Forest Grove, La Salle, Tigard and Tualatin, make up the Sunset league. According to Burton, the Sunset league is the fun league. They don’t stress as much as the other leagues. One year during an awards ceremony, they dressed up in swim trunks, towels and snowboarding goggles with no lenses. “It’s a bunch of people who snowboard and have fun. It’s laid back, and everyone’s up there to have fun,” Roe said