InFlight Auburn Riverside Student Voice NOV 19, 2013 • VOLUME 19 • ISSUE #2
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iversity of religion See page 5
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Opinion
InFlight Nov 19, 2013
Technology advances faster than comprehension Mackenzie Brown EDITOR-IN-CHEIF As generations come and go, our society slowly becomes more familiar with the advancement of technology. Decades ago, cell phones were uncommon. Now, children grow up with them and are using them on a regular basis. It may seem like we’re becoming too focused on electronics, but in a way, it’s a good thing. The advancement of technology isn’t going to slow down. That’s why people work so hard to keep up by making sure they have the latest phone or maybe even a TV you can control with your voice. This may seem like a burden, as if we’re relying too much on inanimate objects. Deciding to boycott any new developments isn’t going to stop companies from advancing. All that will happen is that users will fall behind. The best way to keep up with electronics is to try using them. If things seem complicated now, in ten years, things will be so developed that you’ll hardly remember the days of the iPhone 5. Opening up to the new ideas could end up helping you out big
PHOTO COURTESY CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE, FLICKR.COM
Many newer types of technology, like iPads, have been introduced to students in some elementary schools to be used for various subjects, even music.
time. In many cases, high schools have begun giving students laptops or tablets in an
attempt to broaden their learning abilities. Giving students the resources they may not have at home gives them more options and
keeps them updated. As far as publicity goes, it appears that the only things younger generations use modern technology for is social media. Social media can even be beneficial in some ways. Sure, it takes away from everyday face-to-face communication, but it also keeps people in touch with the world around them that they can’t access in person. For many teens and young adults, social media is their only source of news coverage on the average day. “A bunch of people take advantage and don’t appreciate the things they have,” sophomore Bailee Trinidad said. “Everyone is glued to technology and can’t do anything on their own without it, stuff like that worries me about what the future will be like.” One definite downside to the advancing of technology is that now, future generations will grow up and spend their prime years attached to electronics. What has already been invented is being corrected and advanced every single day, so getting on board with it now could really help in the future.
Shoppers snag good deals during Black Friday
Karlee Johnson STAFF REPORTER
One of the most amazing times of the year is coming up faster than expected. Everyone loves it and looks forward to getting great deals and maybe some of their favorite, potentially unnecessary items. We all know it as Black Friday.
PHOTO COURTESY CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE, FLICKR.COM
InFlight
editor-in-chief Mackenzie Brown business manager Karlee Johnson photographer Dylan Johnston social media editor Jude Hanno cover illustration Jude Hanno adviser Patrick Swenson
staff reporters Mackenzie Brown Jude Hanno Karlee Johnson Dylan Johnston Alex Vasquez guest reporters Cameron Fairchild Brianna Martinez Maddie Nassirian Eric Walker
mas and birthdays. It also provides you with the chance to go and get things that you have needed for a while if you just haven’t had the money or the time. Personally, I’ve been going to a few stores that I think have the best deals that fit my needs. Those places are Fred Meyer, Big Lots, Victoria Secret Pink, Nike and tons of other stores. A lot of people who go out on Black Friday tend to go for the bigMany people deal with extremely crowded stores ger items such as TVs, cameras, and lines in freezing cold temperatures in order to and video game equipment. A ton of shoppers know that going out for be the first to score limited deals. that type of stuff on this day is really dangerous. People tend not to I can honestly say Black Friday is one of the few days my care about others safety, they go for what family looks forward to the entire they want and get mad if you get in the year. It’s the one day of the year way. Black Friday is also one of those days where we can get ridiculously where you should be prepared just in case something bad does happen. good deals. Around the school, it looks like a lot of It’s a really good opportunity for those who don’t want to spend people are ready for their Black Friday shoptons of money on gifts for Christ- ping. Asking around, everyone is so ready
InFlight policies InFlight is compiled by the student newspaper staff at Auburn Riverside High School, 501 Oravetz Road, Auburn, WA 98092. The InFlight staff strives to maintain accurate and objective reporting for our stories. However, opinion stories are included. Any commentary which is signed by the author accounts for his or her opinion only, and not necessarily that of anyone else on staff. An unsigned editorial reflects the majority opinion of the InFlight staff. InFlight accepts student, faculty, and community members’ letters to the editor,
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and pumped, and I couldn’t agree more. “When I go Black Friday shopping I go to Sports Authority because I’m able to get cleats,” junior Carlos Sandoval said. “I also shop for clothes and electronics.” This time for me is like an early Christmas that I may or may not regret. Those who do shop on this day probably spend way more than they should, but in all honesty, it is so worth it. I could also mention something that doesn’t really go with Black Friday, but goes along with the idea of Black Friday. Cyber Monday, which is the following Monday after Black Friday. Cyber Monday is a day where you are able to shop online and get most and maybe better deals than Black Friday. One example is if you needed to buy plane tickets you can do it on this day because they are really cheap prices. Don’t hesitate to go Black Friday shopping; it only happens once a year. Take advantage of it. Buy gifts for Christmas, birthdays—that is exactly what this day is meant for.
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Opinion
Auburn Riverside High School
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Anon accounts work to “spread the love” Alex Vasquez STAFF REPORTER
go more in depth, beyond generic physical features and actually talk about that specific persons personality,” Polkow said. As much as the accounts do try to spread the love, it just doesn’t seem to be going very far. When you think about it,
There are so many different anonymous Facebook and Twitter accounts associated with Riverside. A couple of them are ARHS Nice and Riverside Raven on Facebook. On Twitter, there are even more, like @ARHSnice, @asksiranon and more recently, @Raven_nation13. Some of these you may recognize and like, but are these accounts really making a difference? These accounts are made specifically to “spread the love,” but some students aren’t feeling it. “I don’t think it’s fair when they single out their friends, it shows favoritism, which is not a kind thing,” junior Emily Polkow said. Now don’t get me wrong, but most of these accounts seem to just repeat the same thing to every person. I understand that they want to make every student feel good about themselves, but if they just say “you’re super nice and really funny” to every person, then that’s not really making the person feel unique and noticed as an individual, which was the whole point of making the anonymous account, right? “I think that everyone should just get their own specific paragraph that’s huge,” sophomore Lyzelle Maranan said. Although these accounts do have their faults, it still shows that there are some nice people out there who actually put forth the effort to help make someone feel good. “They’re so sweet! They kind of give you a boost of confidence with their compliments,” Maranan said. Many students find the good-natured statuses very nice, but think that there could be just a little more substance to it. Especially if the status about the person is PHOTO BY MACKENZIE BROWN just a generic “you’re awesome,” which could be found @Raven_nation13 is one of the many accounts that works towards in many similar statuses as well. “I feel like they should “spreading love” and defining the meaning of RPOE.
these accounts aren’t just run by robots. They’re run by actual students at Riverside who spend their time trying to make others happy. Keeping up with an account like this takes up a lot of time. “I would usually try to do it on the weekends and even then it took almost my whole day,” sophomore Kyle Brest, who used to be the account @asksiranon, said. Time can be a costly thing of course. Especially since most of the accounts mentioned have either become very inactive for a while or have revealed their identities and just given up. With so much time and effort put into these accounts, you would think that people would appreciate it just a little bit right? Not entirely true; many students take these accounts as a joke. Some have even reported the accounts, trying to get their point across. “I had to give up the account because someone reported it as a fake account,” Brest said. “So after that, I could only post one tweet a day and I didn’t like that.” Although it’s nice that they do this, if they told someone how much they’re appreciated to their face, it would be so much more meaningful and memorable in the long run. Given the fact that these accounts try so hard, but still end up falling short of students expectations, is saddening. If the students really want to change the way the accounts run, they have the power to do something about it. Instead of hating and complaining about the accounts themselves, go on a private message or a direct message and give them suggestions on what they should say or do. The accounts will most likely take these suggestions into consideration and make changes in order to satisfy the students. That’s exactly what these accounts are made for, to help be the change that everyone talks about wanting. Kudos to those wonderful examples of Ravenkind. Although there are repetitively too many of these accounts, may they help to brighten your day, one little complement at a time!
Fall season bombarded by Christmas Video games fail to progress Mackenzie Brown EDITOR-IN-CHEIF The entire month of December, we shop, prepare, and celebrate Christmas. It’s not like we will ever forget that Christmas is coming. No one needs to be reminded. Even though the coming of Christmas is obvious, stores still feel the need to set up displays and decorations in November, October, or sadly, even September. It’s hard knowing a holiday that you love is so far away.
PHOTO COURTESY CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE, FLICKR.COM
Before Thanksgiving passes, stores set up their Christmas displays to encourage shoppers to start their Christmas shopping early.
It’s even worse to have to be reminded of it constantly. Seeing decorations months before Christmas is painful. You feel the warmth of Christmas time, but the pain of knowing it’s months away. Christmas isn’t the only holiday affected by early advertising. Every year, we get out of school in late June, and no more than two weeks later, walk into stores plastered with back to school deals on supplies. Our few months of freedom are tarnished by the one thing every student lives to forget: school. It’s not like walking past early holiday decorations is all that bad, but it’s a lot like when your neighbors set up their lights in early November. It’s just not timely. Halloween and Thanksgiving are the understudies of the main act, Christmas. It wouldn’t have to be this way if all three holidays got equal time to shine, but instead, the celebrations are cut short by Christmas. It’s different if you’re a fan of Christmas music in November, but we need to recognize our other holidays too. Some people like to decorate for Halloween and Thanksgiving, maybe even Veteran’s Day. How is anyone supposed to find some decorative turkey napkins amidst a store with only Christmas trees? It’s not like anyone’s going to get up until five days before Christmas and realize they forgot to buy gifts and decorations because the stores didn’t remind them. A great majority of the students at Riverside celebrate Christmas. However, for those who don’t, it’s probably really annoying to be bombarded with decorations for a holiday you don’t even celebrate or care about. It’d be like if, for the entire month of October, all anyone talked about was Columbus. We get it. We know who Columbus was, but we don’t care. Christmas should be saved for December and stores should stop shoving the holiday down our throats the minute the leaves turn orange.
Dylan Johnston STAFF REPORTER Another year, another line up of “great games” come out. How long will these games last before they lose your interest? Will it be an amazing game that you play forever, or just another game you drop $60 on and never play again? Some games you buy, you don’t even play more than once. Video games should not be released every single year, because eventually, they just get old. For example, Call of Duty Black Ops 3: Super Hyper Ultra Mega Combo Tournament Edition 2014 or even Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Ultra Mega Fatality Unblockable Foot Dive Final Remix GOTY Edition. If a company is going to make yearly releases of a game, they might as well just release a giant update for the previous game instead. Most of the time, the changes will be so small that you won’t even know its a brand new game. Pretty soon, by the time a new game comes out, you will play it for a couple months then stop playing it forever. Then it’s back to being bored and having nothing to play. There are so few good games that come out, it’s surprising. One might think that with the advancements in technology, the games would be near perfect. When games were starting to come out people would ask: Is the story good? What about the gameplay? Now when a brand new game comes out they ask: Did they fix the lag? Are there dedicated servers? How good are the graphics? Did they fix the problems from the previous games? Video games should be special, a work of art, so to speak. Not just something a company throws together in just under a year just to make more money. If you have to go spend $60+ on a game, it should be a game that can be played multiple times, over and over again. No one should have to sell a game after spending so much money on it. Games should stay in a collection.
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News
InFlight Nov 19, 2013
Students model urban clothes at annual fashion show Mackenzie Brown EDITOR-IN-CHEIF Next month, Riverside’s Fashion Apparel and Interior Design class will be presenting this year’s fashion show. As of right now, the location is set to be at Riverside and the show will start around 3 p.m. Head coordinator Kelly Jensen, at the moment, is trying to plan for the show to be held at the Outlet Collection Seattle (previously the Supermall) to help promote the newly added stores. However, until final decisions have been made, the show is set to be held at Riverside. Ticket prices are yet to be determined for the show but donations will be taken, and they will be going towards a charity chosen by the Fashion Apparel and Interior Design class. This year, the theme for the show is Street Style. The students put together outfits that fit a urban city or hipster appeal. The outfits have been being designed by the fashion students since the beginning of this month. Other than the clothing, the backdrop for the show is a major focus for production. The students working on the set are those specifically studying interior design in the class. The interior design students are planning on working with several different places that will help donate to the materials
that will be used on the set. Modeling the clothes will be different students. The students designing the clothes get first pick at whether or not they want to model. Other than that, students are chosen by the Model Committee and asked if they want to model the clothing. If you want to be a model in the show, contact Jensen or the Model Committee itself. They only need a limited amount of models, so interested students should contact Jensen immediately. Check out the show next month to see and support the showcasing of some of Riverside’s hidden talents.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF KELLY JENSEN
Models from the fashion show in 2009, Once Upon a Midnight-mare, sport Halloween inspired outfits for the spooky show.
Santa parade welcomes Christmas Capital Outlay Levy brings improvements Alex Vasquez STAFF REPORTER
Key Club Adviser Kelly Jensen believes the Santa Parade is something worth attending. “We want to welcome everyone It’s almost that time of year again! to shop downtown,” she said. “The band Christmas is just around the corner and the will be performing there also, so it’s a good annual Santa Parade and Tree Lighting is althing for students to go to.” If you would most here. It will be held on Saturday, Dec. like to get involved, the Key Club is look7. The venue is going to be held in downing for volunteers to help at the parade, as town Auburn at 4:30 p.m. starting in front well. of Washington Elementry school and ending In addition to the parade, there will in front of the City Hall. be a “Snack and Craft” That will be held at During the parade there will be many Washington Elementary from 2:00 p.m. to different forms of entertainment, including 4:00 p.m. There will be opportunities for families to build gingerbread houses, make ornaments, or participate in other activities. That will cost $5 at the door, or pre-registration will be $3-$4. Lastly, “AveKids: The Not Its Rockin’ Holiday,” which will also be held on Saturday, will start at 6:00 p.m. at the Auburn Avenue Theater. This is the same day as the Santa Parade. The price of admission for the movie PHOTO COURTESY CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE, FLICKR.COM with be $3. Many families have the Riverside marching band, who will be made the parade and other activities into marching in the parade as well as playing an annual tradition. Also, this is an aweChristmas tunes. Also, quite a few students some way to get some community service from the Key Club are participating in the hours in if you’re still in need of some! But parade. They will be selling hot chocolate most of all, just enjoy the holiday season and cheering on all the other forms of enand try to create some new and fun family tertainment in the parade. traditions!
Dylan Johnston STAFF REPORTER
are going to be cleaned as well, new culinary arts equipment will be added, and the library will be remodeled. This new change to the library will make for more space, and a better learning environment. The cluttered amounts of wires and cords will no longer be seen. The cords will be hidden under the floor and out of the way of walking people, and rolling chairs. Next year when you come to school, a lot will be different thanks to the money for improvements and upgrades to the building, which comes from property taxes.
Six years ago, the Capital Outlay Levy was passed. An ad-hoc committee made up of Auburn employees from the community got together to decide which buildings in Auburn need upgrades. They ordered which buildings needed the upgrades the most by how old the building was. There were 19 schools, six support facilities, and 657 improvements all around. They split $46.4 million dollars between all of the buildings. There were over 2,700 improvements proposed. Now in the summer of 2014, Riverside will be getting some upgrades and improvements from this levy. The reason why we are getting upgrades six years later is because they prioritized us that way. Some of the upgrades include handicap exits, improvements to the heating/cooling systems, a new set of bleachers in the main gym, upgrades to the sound system in the gym, and upgrades to viscom, electronics, woodshop, band and sports medicine rooms. Originally the sports medicine room was supposed to be a science room with PHOTO BY DYLAN JOHNSTON a lab in it. With the new One example of one of Riverside’s much needed upgrades is the exupgrades it will now have cessive bundles of cables that hang from the back of computers. one. The bricks outside
Feature 5
Auburn Riverside High School
Religions create diverse student atmosphere Cameron Fairchild GUEST REPORTER In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth. The Big Bang created the universe. Man was created by God on Earth. Man was created in Paradise, a place independent of Earth. Man was created as a product of millions of years of evolution. Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Jesus is not the Messiah. God is love. God is dead. Praise Xenu. Any community is host to the myriad beliefs and religious practices that populate the world, and our student body is no different. One of the issues this raises, then, is how to peacefully coexist in an enclosed society filled with these varying beliefs. “Just being accepting of others,” Principal Dave Halford said, is the key. “We are different but have a lot of commonalities.” Halford further advocated school spirit and the yearly theme, “Rip Up Your Cool Cards,” as tools to overcome religious and other personal differences within our student body. Many students feel that religious tolerance is already a common practice. “I tolerate others, and they tolerate me,” sophomore Madison Foster, an atheist, said. Sophomore Ben Summers, a Mormon, agreed. “I’d say they’re tolerant from what I’ve seen,” Summers said. “There’s some friendly teasing, but it’s not done in a negative way.” While our student community is undoubtedly diverse, a few religious majorities persist. For example, 64.7% students identified as Christians in a random poll. Junior Adrian Correa personally advocated his faith.
“It’s a guideline,” Correa said. “It keeps you stronger on the inside.” Senior Nina Raum thinks along similar lines, claiming that Christianity drives her entire life. The second-largest majority of students, at 17.6%, identified as an agnostic, open-minded believers in a heavenly spirit or spirits who haven’t found an official religion to support. “I believe religion is your choice,” junior Neve Gallion, a self described agnostic-existentialist, said. “I have no problem with other people’s religions.” This high percent of agnostics has drawn some theories from various students. Junior Lindsey Sanborn, a Christian, believes agnosticism is the result of indecision. She posited that agnostics simply have nothing to tie their faith to. Summers had a similar idea. “I think part of it is confusion,” he said. Minorities revealed in the poll included Mormons, Muslims, and atheists, an indication of the student body’s diverse range of beliefs. Foster, as an atheist, finds that religion simply doesn’t make sense. She claims that it is ridiculous and contradictory. Summers disagreed. “I think [religion] allows students to have more of a reason in life than to just get through it,” he said. Religious diversity has had some controversial effects on schools’ policies towards holidays. Halloween, for example, has been seen by some as a demonic practice or a religious holiday, and whether or not to celebrate the holiday in public schools has become a nationwide concern, even affecting local Auburn schools’ policies.
R
aven uling
Students share their opinion on current topics and pop culture
Stuffing
57%
Stuffing: The process of making it is not entirely pretty. However, a majority says they can look past that, because it tastes that good.
Black Friday Shopping
63%
It’s crazy and crowded, but for broke teenagers, a deal’s a deal. Venturing out into the “unknown” to score some great savings is totally worth it.
Sanborn scoffs at the controversy. “It’s just fun for kids,” Sanborn said. “They don’t know what hell or demons are.” Young Life leader Elena Lindell concurs. “It’s nothing demonic,” she said. Many religious clubs and programs are offered in the district, such as Young Life, a Christian-sponsored youth group, and the Seminary class, which is devoted to Bible study, to give students extracurricular opportunities to express their faith among peers. Junior Hayley Ayers supports Young Life. She finds that the program, which she has partaken in since middle school, ties her to her religion. “It’s a way to learn important things about religion that I would not have the chance to learn,” Summers said about Seminary. He has been enrolled in the class for two years. These clubs face certain restrictions based on their religious affiliations. Seminary is not recognized by the district and is not held in an official school building, while Young Life has to print a disclaimer stating that the district does not run the club. The federal separation of Church and State is the cause of this. “We cannot give credit to religious studies,” Halford said. Although the district cannot give credit or recognize these institutions, Halford bears no ill will towards them, and believes the programs are great for people to do what’s best for them. Faith unites; faith divides; faith defines individuals, communities, and society at large. It’s no mystery why so many here view it as an important thing to have and understand.
Snow
82% Egg Nog
50% Parades
56%
Snow makes the dreaded cold of winter worthwhile: snowball fights, sledding, and best of all, school closure.
This seasonal drink, which causes quite the debate, is made from egg, sugar, milk and cream. For some, it’s a Christmas miracle. Others wait for it to make its appearance and leave.
As fall comes to a close, it becomes the season for parades. Veteran’s Day Parades, Thanksgiving Parades, and of course Christmas Parades. Students say there are never enough.
51%
MySpace became uncool, Facebook’s becoming uncool, and up next: Twitter. Twitter is slowly starting to lose its touch with the teens, so who knows what will be next?
Ramirez “Home and school lives are two different things. It might not be weird but it’s definitely unique. It really depends on the student.”
Frank Ramirez
“It isn’t weird at all, actually, that we both go here. He’s in work mode and I’m in student mode.”
Jolene Forte
At first, I didn’t know what to call him. Do I say ‘Dad’ or call him my teacher?”
Wagne
“A lot of people said that look alike.. but I d know how that wou She’s not even my mother.”
Mehgan Wagner
Kolten Rosin
“He makes sure to respect my privacy, which is a huge beneficial factor.”
“With my son Zachary, who I have in Geometry, it’s sometimes difficult to seperate the teacher from the parent.”
“It’s not like she picks on me, just says things an like ‘Why did you that?’”
“I love being around my kids!” Ed Rosin
Tom Earl
“I switch off between calling him ‘Father,’ ‘Mr. Earl,’ ‘Thomas,’ and ‘Dad.’” Zach Earl
“It’s both good and bad that they’re around. You can’t really get away with anything. But it’s nice that they’re around.”
Summer Ramirez
Earl Myles Earl
Rosin/Forte
Brooklynn Forte
“I don’t know what to call him so I just raise my hand and say ‘Hey...you...’”
“Having my family at school can be really fun...and annoying.”
Garrett Rosin
Gaebi Wilson
“I love having her around. I call h my car buddy. We g share the high sch experience togethe
Neu
er
we don’t uld be. birth
Mya Wagner
“We’ll be going on the trip to New York [with the band], and we’re just going to let [Mya and Hailey] have their own space. Just let them hang out with their friends and let them be kids.”
Sue Neu
“She’ll come into my classes and give me a hug and my students will just be like ‘who is that?’”
“I don’t get to see my mom a lot because I’ve never had her as a teacher. But when I do see her, I yell out to her and say ‘Hi, Mom!”
Kathryn Neu
McKeehan/Chow
she d it’s u say Hailey Wagner
Wilson “I was much more rebellious in middle school, because I felt like my mother wasn’t really around.”
her et to ool er.”
Nola Wilson
Janalyn McKeehan
“I have a picture of her up on my desk in the back of the classroom. People always say ‘Wait...doesn’t that girl go to this school?’”
“People only ask if I am related to them if they see my pictures up in their classrooms and ask if they’re my parents and I say ‘Yeah.’ It’s pretty exciting stuff.”
Patrick McKeehan
Makenna Chow
“Work and home are two separate things that go on at school and our home life. It isn’t weird because we separate them.”
TEACHER’S KIDS Jude Hanno STAFF REPORTER
S
ome students here are blessed with having their parents as teachers. We all know students here who have the opportunity to drag their family lives to their public school. One student is freshman Gaebi Wilson. Her mother is assistant principal Nola Wilson. Gaebi feels as though high school is now much more restricted, due to her mother’s absence in middle school. If Gaebi were to get in trouble, Wilson said, “The agreement is that another administrator would deal with it.” Gaebi’s mother also embarrases her during classes. “When my mom comes in to talk to the class sometimes, she’d call me out and say ‘This is an example of a girl who hasn’t studied.’” An interesting addition to the fact that Gaebi is the student of a staff member, is that Nola Wilson was also the student of a teacher and a principal. Band teacher Meghan Wagner also has two step-daughters who are enrolled in her Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, and Jazz II classes. Her daughters, freshmen students Mya and Hailey Wagner, believe that their step-mom occasionally puts them on the spot. “She embarrasses me,” said Hailey. Mya, also agrees with this statement. When informed that her daughters have said she embarrases them, Meghan Wagner responds with “I know, I tease them sometimes during classes.” Another student with a staff member as a parent is junior Summer Ramirez. Her father, Frank Ramirez, is one of our assistant principals. According to Summer, it isn’t incredibly strange for her to see her dad at school. “I don’t really get to see him that often. He’s off watching different hallways and I’m just off learning in my classes.” Sophomore Kathryn Neu’s mother is language arts teacher Sue Neu. “It’s really not that weird because of the fact that I don’t really see her, ” said Kathryn. Sue prefers not to have Katie in any of her classes. She said, “It sets the boundary between home and school. It also gives her the opportunity to learn from other awesome teachers.” Social studies teacher Patrick Mckeehan loves having his daugher, senior Makenna Chow, at school with him. “I don’t really get to see her very often, but people are always surprised when I say she’s my daughter.” Social Studies teacher Janalyn Mckeehan never sees her daughter anyway, “except when she needs money.” The Earl family at school is a family of three. Math teacher Tom Earl, junior Myles Earl, and freshman student Zach Earl. When asked if it was strange that his home life and work life are connected, Tom Earl said, “Yes. It is, because it’s sometimes difficult to separate the student from the son.” Zach commented, “I’m not sure any other family is quite like ours.” Myles said they recieve a lot of shocked faces when people find out they are related. The Forte/Rosin’s set a new record this year with five family members in the school. Senior Jolene Forte, junior Kolten Rosin, and the two freshmen, Brooklyn Forte and Garrett Rosin all come from the same household, with their dad being math teacher Ed Rosin. According to Jolene, they’re a really closelyknit family who are always supportive of one another. Kolten said that people say he looks like his father. The four students from the Rosin/Forte family all have the problem of being unable to know what to call Ed Rosin. Brooklyn avoids having to call him anything completely. Garrett seems to have figured it out. “I say, ‘Hey, teach!’ which is just an easier way to go around it.” These two freshman siblings are incredibly close-knit due to the fact that they are in the same grade. “We have the same friends and the same 6th period, so we tell each other a lot.” Not only do Garrett and Brooklyn have the same 6th period, they also have that hour with their father as the teacher and their older sister, Jolene, as the TA. Although having their parents teach at the same school they’re attending may be a weird thought for some students, these students try and make the best of it.
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Feature
InFlight Nov 19, 2013
Wallen leads and plays by example Maddie Nassirian GUEST REPORTER Fifteen seconds remain of the football game. All of a sudden, a tall blur with red hair bolts by and scores a winning touchdown. But, wait. Didn’t we just see him hosting our pep assembly? That’s right, not only is senior Drew Wallen a star on the field, but off the field too as he plays the role of our ASB President. When students hear the name “Drew Wallen,” they might describe him like freshman Catherine Manivanh did. “He’s a really inspirational dude,” she said. “And he always has a smile on his face.” The staff has also joined in sharing their appreciation for Wallen. “He always wants to do what’s best for him and others,” Science teacher Edmund Valentin said. Whether it’s his bright red hair or his outgoing and open personality, Wallen makes an impression on people. After only nine weeks of school, 100 percent of freshmen know who Wallen is, according to a student poll. “It’s impossible not to notice an outstanding guy like Drew,” freshman Angel Torres said. “He’s a cool guy.” One thing Wallen puts his heart and soul into is football. Recently, he was recognized as the Week 6 CenturyLink Student Athlete of the Week. Each week, CenturyLink and the Seattle Seahawks select one student to receive this recognition. They look for someone who is dedicated to their school, and community, and is a good overall person. Since Wallen won, he was recognized at a Seahawks foot-
ball game and received a $1,000 grant for ASB funds at our school. Wallen has some of his future mapped out in his head. “I want to continue to pursue my dream of being a broadcaster, and then eventually be a high school coach for basketball and football,” he said. “I definitely want to stay involved with church and my community.” A typical day for Wallen usually involves him staying at school from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Why so long? In the morning, he has a zero period leadership class and after school he goes to practice or another sporting event to support our school. “He’s really dedicated to this school,” senior Derek Hart said. “He spends a lot of time here displaying his great leadership.” One of Wallen’s close friends, junior Tye Dutcher, shared a heartfelt moment he had with Drew. “One time he was driving me home from the varsity soccer game and I told him what a great guy he is, to which he replied with telling me how great I am,” Dutcher said. “It was a moment with brotherly love. I love that guy, he’s awesome.” Rarely do students ever see Drew Wallen without a positive attitude. As proven by his friends and teachers, he is the ultimate leader for our school. Top: Drew Wallen spends a lot of his time contributing to ASB functions, including when he played one of the lead roles in Riverside’s beginning of the year video. Right: As a player on the football team, Wallen was the CenturyLink High School Athlete of the Week back in October.
School spending tops $13 million Eric Walker GUEST REPORTER How much is Riverside allowed to spend anyway? Do you ever wonder where it goes? Our school’s budget is quite a lot at $13 million; this money gets spread throughout the school for various purposes. ASB also has ways of getting money too, not only branching off of the budget but in their own fundraisers and events. The money at our school gets distributed everywhere throughout in large chunks, and trickles down into smaller parts of the school. According to Principal Dave Halford, the Auburn School District gets around $130 million dollars of revenue, for all the schools and utilities combined. The state government regulates how much money it gets by the number of students in the district, and the school district manages the money. Our school gets $13 million of that and is what we use to keep the school up and running. The majority of it goes to school staff salaries, power, heat, and air-conditioning expenses. Halford said that debt usually is no issue unless the district builds a school. Then they may go under, but an emergency fund of $5-8 million is used to insure that staff doesn’t have to get laid off. Halford gets jurisdiction to use $55,000 of the money, and uses it on things such as buying copy paper ($25,000) and toner ($13,000). Whatever is left from this gets distributed to different departments such as the science department. The science department is one of the most funded so that it can be able to get supplies for experiments and other things that go on. The administrators aren’t the only ones dealing with the money. According to senior and drama president Nicole
PHOTO COURTESY MERI BENEDICT
Coppola, ASB has a $1 million dollar budget as well for various student programs such as drama, athletics, etc. Those dollars sure do go to use. A typical musical production costs between $12,000 to $14,000 to put on. Although the most funded program in ASB, not surprisingly, is the athletics program. In a recent student poll taken on campus, students thought the school’s budget was much lower than it is. Thirty-three percent of students thought the budget was around $500,000, 25 percent thought it was around $1,000,000, another 25 percent thought it was around $10,000, and 16 percent thought it was around $5,000. Other students responded to the question: What do you think the money at school goes to? Senior Brad Filler thought it went to activities and athletics. Other students had more technology-based answers. “Computers and repairs,” sophomore Michael Shaffer answered. Senior Marcos Rivera agreed. “I think the money goes to hardware and software,” but he also believed some went to financial aid for students. Bookkeeper Nancy Waters is constantly dealing with different money deposits from various clubs and departments. The type of deposit made the most, she said, varies by the time of year because of certain things like Homecoming, ASB cards, and Prom. Our school spends a lot and attains a lot of money per year, and is put to use on good things and causes that help us students get an education and a good high school experience. ASB also helps students be a part of things such as drama, athletics or music. Although Riverside gets a small piece of the district’s 130 million, it goes to good use.
PHOTO COURTESY MARSHA MEEHAN
Auburn Riverside High School
Arts & Entertainment
9
Ender’s Game wins big
Brianna Martinez GUEST REPORTER
Free Birds should be locked up Alex Vasquez STAFF REPORTER Free Birds hit theaters on Nov.1. Personally, I love to watch animations, but I must admit that it wasn’t the best animation I’ve ever seen. All the previews gave the impression that it was a family-friendly movie about two turkeys on a mission to go back in time to the very first Thanksgiving and save turkeys from being put on the menu for all the future Thanksgivings to come. It seemed to be like almost every other animated movie that Hollywood has been throwing at us lately. It lacked a good plot and had so many historical errors it almost made me burst into tears of sadness. This was an animated movie meant for little kids, but even the little kid sitting in front of me in the theater didn’t like it. To my understanding, this was supposed to be a “children’s movie” but with a rating of PG it obviously wasn’t a very good one. I feel that if I had taken my little sister, who loves animations, to go see it, she would’ve been very scared. It was completely filled with violence, such as a turkey screaming at a dead turkey being carved for Thanksgiving dinner, things getting blown up and cannons being shot. All of which could make a child very frightened. During the movie I noticed that one of the main characters had a crossed, drifting eye that she constantly had to “fix.” I immediatly though of how offensive this could be. This is basically encouraging children to make fun of each others’ disabilities. Which is exactly like saying it’s okay to bully someone because they look a little different. But in reality it’s really not okay, and there are so many different kind of bullying campaigns that try to prevent just that. Yet, Hollywood is provoking children to do the exact opposite. Although, after overlooking that specific trait, there were certain parts of the movie that were actually fairly humorous as a kid movie can get. It still failed to impress the audience that was there. All in all though, I wouldn’t recommend this movie to anyone who ever wants to take a younger sibling out to a movie.
The movie everyone has been talking about is finally out: Ender’s Game. It was hands down fantastic. The story is set in the future where an alien race, called the Formics, waits to strike Earth again. The human race looks for the smartest and brightest kids so they can defeat the Formics, and main character Ender Wiggin is chosen. They take the kids and send them to battle school, and from there, combat school to train for the war. The movie is based off of a series by Orson Scott Card. Card wrote another book series similar to these, which take the exact same events but displays them in a different storyline. These types of books are called parallel books. So many movies that premiere after books have incredibly rough acting roles, but these actors playing them were very talented. They played their roles perfectly and I thought they fit into their character’s personalities quite well. The movie was produced well and I could tell that a lot of time and effort was put into it. The graphics were amazing as well. Considering the storyline was in space, it was well put together and I really enjoyed watching the intesity grow with the plot.The graphics weren’t cheesy at all; they were well-developed and made to fit the part perfectly. My favorite part was towards the end. To avoid spoilers, the ending was very surprising. I didn’t anticipate it when I had read the book, and the people I went with who didn’t previously know the storyline were very surprised to find that there was a major plot twist as well. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. I attended it with my friends and family and their reactions to the movie were priceless. I could tell I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed it. I would give the movie an overall rating of 10/10 stars because it was outstanding. I would recommend anyone to go watch it. You won’t regret it.
Thor 2 hammers villains, disappointment Dylan Johnston STAFF REPORTER “Bring the hammer down.” More like bring the disappointment down. Thor: The Dark World looked really cool in the previews, but I was still very skeptical about seeing this movie. After seeing the first Thor, which was terrible (I won’t get into the details about why it was bad), I was 100 percent certain that the second movie was going to be bad too. The movie started out with this really cool battle scene with the Dark Elves and the Asgardians. The scene was just your generic good v.s. evil battle, with the evil side trying to make the world all dark and spooky, and the good side stopping them. I felt like the villain was really underdeveloped and needed more umpf. Malekith, leader of the Dark Elves, was really Godlike in the beginning to the middle of the movie, and then he got destroyed at the end of the movie. You would think that Malekith with his unlimited power and unstoppable ancient weapon of mass destruction would win throughout the whole movie right? There were also numerous amounts of people in the movie that should not have been there in the first place. For example, some of Thor’s friends did not even need to make any appearance, let alone speak a word in the movie. I absolutely loved Loki’s part in the movie. He was more of a hero rather than a villain. The God of Trickery definitely lived up to his title. My mind was blown constantly whenever Loki made his appearance. I would say why, but some people might consider it a spoiler. If you go to watch the movie, there is a really cool twist at towards the end with Loki and Thor. I also really enjoyed the scientists in the movie excluding Jane. Erik Selvig, the crazy scientist from the Avengers did a good job in the movie and he has some really funny lines. My favorite part of the movie was when Captain America made his cameo in the movie. It was the best 5-6 seconds. The plot of Thor: The Dark World revolves around this ancient weapon called the aether. Whenever you make a movie the revolves around a super weapon you practically are writing yourself into a corner. I honestly do not have any real developed opinion about this film. I am very unsure what to think of the movie. I would give this movie a solid 7/10.
10
Arts and Entertainment
InFlight Nov 19, 2013
Curious Savage impresses audiences Did you know?
Interesting facts about the fall play
• “Savage” from the title is actually just Ethel’s last name • The set of The Curious Savage took about 22 hours to paint • The play first premiered in 1950 at the Martin Beck Theater in New York • John Patrick, the playwright, was abandoned as a child so he became a delinquent in many foster homes • There are only 16 total actors in the play • Of the 16 actors, 25 percent have braces
Jude Hanno STAFF REPORTER Have you ever been completely blown away by a book, movie, play, TV show, or any other form of visual entertainment? When you’re in complete awe, you can feel the goosebumps on your arms, and you just can’t fully take in all that is happening on the screen/stage that you are watching? Well, that’s exactly how I felt when I saw this wonderful play, directed by drama advisor Karla Seman. The fall play, The Curious Savage, written by John Patrick, follows a little old woman by the name of Ethel who is admitted into a mental institution due to the fact that her children believe her to be insane. Right as I walked into the ART, I was completely taken away by the great detail and how perfect the set was. It’s obvious that the set designers worked extra hard to complete this work of art. Not only was the set amazing, the storyline of the play itself was incredibly interesting. Ethel, the old insane woman in the mental instituion, has a fortune of 10 million dollars granted to her because of the death of her husband. That in itself is a story I would love to watch. It sounded cool even before I walked into the theater. The Riverside Players also have so much talent. They’re incredible actors who put their heart and soul into the work that they do, and this is incredibly evi-
Shake and Go get a burger and fries Mackenzie Brown EDITOR-IN-CHEIF Auburn has so many small restaurants that many people never get the chance to experience. One place definitely worth checking out is Shake and Go, a small burger place in the development containing the Starbucks and the Taco Time off of A Street. With a weird name for a burger restaurant, Shake and Go separates themselves from the competition with, none other than their shakes. They have really good shakes in pretty basic flavors you might be able to find other places. That is, with the exception of their seasonal drinks like Pumpkin or Gingerbread. The burger itself tasted just like something off the grill. It was pretty good, or at least well above average. The thing that was by far the best about the experience was the fries. They felt like, by far, the most unhealthy fries I’ve ever eaten. However, after glancing across the menu again,
I noticed that it states that the fries are always cooked in trans fat and cholesterol free oil. They tasted like they were practically double deep fried in magic, extra crunchy and tasty. Paired with their fry sauce, they were, dare I say it, better than the fries at McDonalds. If you want cheap, you get poor quality. Same goes with good quality burgers: they tend to be expensive. Sadly, Shake and Go is no exception to the rule. Their burgers are delicious, but the price isn’t too friendly to your wallet. For around eight dollars for most burgers, you get the burger and a side of fries. What I can say, is that they don’t skimp out. You get a lot for your money. Everyone can probably find a burger that sounds appetizing to them on Shake and Go’s extensive menu. They have over thirty burgers alone, not to mention all their wraps and sides. They’ve got sandwiches, seafood, soup and chili, salads, and smoothies. They even sell corn dogs if
dent in their performance. They transform themselves into the characters that they play and I couldn’t even imagine that these are regular teenagers that roam the halls with me every single day. They change into completely different people. Not only did the players do amazing things, I give a lot of this credit to Seman, the wonderful director. The night I went, Saturday night Nov. 9, was stunning. It’s understandable that some nights are better than others. If this night wasn’t the best performance, I don’t know how it could’ve been any better. Check out the next production, the spring musical, All Shook Up.
PHOTO COURTESY JASMINE PAIK
Top: Seniors Jasmine Paik and Nicole Coppola finish their makeup to play characters Mrs. Paddy and Ethel Savage, respectively. Left: Paik starts the lengthy proccess of putting on make-up in order to age herself to appear to be an old lady. PHOTO BY DYLAN JOHNSTON
you’re interested. The inside of the restaurant is small and cute, and is just really casual. It was pretty empty last time I went, which made for a nice and quiet eating environment. Compared to places like Red Robin or Hop Jacks, it’s nice to get a meal and not feel like you’re being shouted at by dozens of
people all within a few feet of you. Overall, Shake and Go is a great eatery. Everything about it is way better than the average burger joint, and if you’re ever feeling adventurous, or like trying something new, make a trip to Shake and Go your adventure and try anything off their menu, because you’ll probably love it.
12
Sports
InFlight Nov 19, 2013
Fall sports dominate post-season Karlee Johnson STAFF REPORTER
PHOTO BY MARCIA MEEHAN
against Auburn High School. After their win against Auburn, their first playoff game was a home game on Nov. 8 against Cascade High School from Everett. That game was a loss for the football team, and it’s where they finished their playoff season. The volleyball team had Districts on Nov. 8 through Nov. 9 at Kentwood High School, where they lost their first game against Olympia. They then went on to play Bethel, where they won 3-0. After that game they played Rogers from Puyallup and lost 3-1, which meant that they were out. For cross country, Rachel Covey was the only one to make it to State. State for her happened on Nov. 9 in Pasco, Washington. Thanks to lots of practice as well as the encouragement of teamates Claire Kerbs, Sammy Sponenburg, and Kaitlyn Clugston, Covey successfully participated in the event. “I did pretty good, my time was good,” Covey said. For Covey, making the trip to state was different than other years due to the fact that no runners from the boys team qualified. “With team sports, it’s different
to be alone for once,” she said. She placed 91st out of 143 in her 5K run. The boy’s water polo team had their first state game last Wednesday against Rogers. “It’s a tough round to get through,” coach Mike Van Eaton said. Sadly, the boys lost a heartbreaker to the Rams, 10-9. This was the end of their journey at State. Representing golf are junior Haley Vandenberg and senior Crystal Song. Vandenberg and Song will be heading to the state qualifing tournament in spring at Golden Mountain in Bremerton. If they’re successful, they’ll go to State.
Junior Haley Vandenberg
PHOTO COURTESY CRYSTAL CONANT
Many of the teams at Riverside played more than just seasonal games this year. Out of the fall sports, several teams went or are still in districts, playoffs or state championships including girls soccer, football, volleyball, one student from cross country, boys water polo, and two students from girls golf. The girls soccer team made it to the playoffs when they beat Kentwood on Oct. 30. Their first playoff game was on Nov.
5 against Todd Beamer and they won in a shoot out towards the end of the game. When it came time for the girls to play in their second playoff game, they went all the way to Vancouver, Washington to play Union High School and for that game it was the end of the girls playoff season. They lost 2-0 in overtime. “This was the first time in five years that the Riverside girls soccer team has gone to the playoffs,” sophomore Moesha Parker said. “It’s sad that we lost but it was a big accomplishment to even win the first playoff game. So that was something our team was proud of.” The football team also made the playoffs and the entire school was filled with excitement. “We don’t mix up our routine, because I feel like to get something stuck in your head we have to do the same thing over and over again,” head coach Bryant Thomas said. “The guys should be able to say that they are able to do something and stick to it. This is why they work so hard.” Their first playoff game location was determined on if they lost or won the game