in flight
AU B U R N R I V E R S I D E S T U D E N T
VOICE
October 11, 2011 VOLUME 17ISSUE #1
OPINION Check yourself before you wreck yourself 2
KELLEY PICKETT Staff Reporter “I find it really ridiculous that raven crew got first pick at lockers.. Just sayin,” senior McKenna Rottle posted on the Raven Nation Facebook page following Raven Day. Fifteen insignificant words were posted and a flame war ensued. It started out as a discussion, students simply voicing their opinions about Raven Crew seniors getting lockers in the senior section first, causing other non-Raven Crew seniors to lose their highly anticipated lockers, and shortly thereafter it turned into a hostile post in which students, and non-students, were attacking one another. Comments about things like ethics, financial status, age, work habits and even sexual orientation were brought up and thrown out onto the Internet for all to see. Personal jabs, threats, and posts written with the sole purpose of hurting people filled pages and pages. Generalized stereotypes about Raven Crew members were made and PHOTO BY JAYMES FLEURY posted on a forum where anyone can access it. Teen contemplates about what to post on Facebook on another’s wall. “I didn’t get my spot in the 700 (hall). Some slut in Raven Crew probably took it,” one junior posted early on in the post. Derogatory, on the Internet is not only permanent but can come back to stereotypical and crude. An attack on a whole bite you. It may not be immediate. The consequence may group of students who did not have control over the locker not directly affect you. But there are consequences. You situation at all, like many assumed. In reality, Raven Crew might be thinking right now, “That Raven Nation page got students were asked if they wanted the entire Senior Sec- taken down, what I posted is gone forever!” Wrong. Anyone tion to be turned into the Raven Crew lockers, and they had the option to copy that entire post onto a Microsoft declined. Hear that? They declined taking over the entire Word document. And think about it: if that person didn’t locker section despite working long hours on Raven Day to like you or what you were saying to people, they could make it run smoothly for the entire student body. And this send a copy to your parents, your boss, or even the college particular student, among others, thought it was appropri- you’re applying to. They could do anything with it. Even ate to hide behind his keyboard and name-call over Raven lend a copy to the school newspaper, if they saw fit. People Crew getting first-pick. need to be conscientious of what they write on the Internet “Volunteers shouldn’t get compensation,” Rottle stat- because it can definitely impact their futures. ed. And maybe she’s right. Part of volunteering is doing I also would like to add that because people abused jobs without pay. But is a reward the same thing as pay- the Raven Nation page, it is now as good as gone. It was a ment? page that Principal Halford said “Promoted really cool proDon’t get me wrong, there were some level-headed grams,” and also “mobilized” the student body. It turned Ravens out there, ready to talk it out like adults. “I believe into a place to harass people instead of what it once was, a that everyone should get to pick lockers on the same day helpful tool to the student body. Halford added that “(Rathere should be no reason for Raven Crew to get lockers be- ven Nation) was really important last year,” but that now it fore everyone,” senior Sean Caldwell posted. “I was there “has gotten out of control.” It’s going to be hard to forget exactly at 8 and one of the first to get through the line and what happened on the Raven Nation Facebook page, which I still didn’t get a locker in the senior section. First come reflects the entire school to the public, and even harder to first serve would be nice if it worked but it doesn’t because get the word out about school events now that it has been Raven Crew gets to pick first.” Others continued to bash blacklisted. and smash the club, and also individuals, to an excess. Moral of the story is, think before you act. Stop and What kids don’t realize though is that what you post ponder if you would be hurt by what you’re writing if it was said to you. And always, always, ask yourself “If my grandma reads this, will she be ashamed of me?” before you hit that POST button.
in flight
editor-in-chief Shayla McGinness business manager Lisa Gray adviser Patrick Swenson
staff reporters Jaymes Fleury Lisa Gray Kelley Pickett guest reporter Alice Roup
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 member’s letters to the editor, artwork, opinions and comments. However, we will not print any unsigned letters or work. Please contact us in room 402, through e-mail at inflightnews@ yahoo.com or by calling 253-804-5154.
10/11/11
Transition to high school next step to adulthood LISA GRAY Staff Reporter “Coming into high school helped me figure out who I am and who I want to be in the future,” freshman Shania Supanich said. Changing schools is always a big deal. Whether it is moving up to the next level in school or moving to a different state entirely, starting in a new school can be a bit scary. There are new rules, new teachers and new people watching you and judging you. “Changing schools was not hard for me because I used to live here when I was younger, so the friendships I made when I was younger helped me reconnect to people,” senior Braden Mast said. “But it was still hard for me to reconnect to people because it was a long time ago and people change.” Not everyone is as lucky as Mast. Some people move across the country and know no one in their new school. For kids, moving often means leaving behind the security of their school and friends, and that can be one of the most stressful times in their young lives. From www.theparentreport.com, Karen Turner writes, “Moving can be particularly difficult for teens. I think moving during adolescents in an extremely stressful experience, especially if you’re into the early junior high or early senior high year. Students tend to have established a very strong peer network during that period in their lives. Often this has more influence on them even than their families in some cases, and when they’re torn from that there’s often resentment.” When moving from middle school to high school, a lot of things change. For example, in middle school students don’t hold hands and their day is full of filling out planners and standing in lines. But over the summer between middle school and high school, the faculty expects students to become more mature. So in high school holding hands is acceptable and there are no daily planners and no follow the leader. High school is a stepping stone to becoming an adult. It is where students get a lot of firsts: first job, car, real relationship, and many more. When getting “firsts,” they are expected to be more responsible, such as having that first car and being expected to pay for the insurance and gas. Every stepping stone is important and missing one can have side effects later in life. Make sure to make the most fun out of every situation.
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10/11/11
OPINION
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The downward spiral of American Education SHAYLA MCGINNESS Editor-In-Chief Walking down the halls of Riverside, one thing can be spotted when looking at most of the students. This would be a lack of desire to be there. Not just a lack, but a loathing to attend school. It seems these days that school isn’t even school anymore. We have so many different activities, sports, and other programs that take away from class time that it seems school is more of a “social hangout” than a place of learning and teaching. How many of you feel like you’ve actually learned something after class or school is over? Probably not very many. How many of you actually pride yourself on being smart and studying hard? Yeah, sometimes a football game is missed or a Friday night is taken because of homework. The unappreciation of education and knowledge itself unfortunately seems to stem from our society. So many kids waste opportunities every day to learn, but why? We are provided with a FREE education. We are handed opportunities to better ourselves and expand our minds. One reason kids waste these opportunities is probably because of a lack of need. In our society it’s possible to get rich without a lick of education or, at a minimum, a GED. Take India for an example. They are one of the world’s top ranking countries in math and science. One reason for that is because they have a need and a desire to learn. India
has a high poverty rate and education is a way out of poverty for many who live there. This leads to the conclusion that many Americana’s don’t have the drive in relation to education and learning, because for a lot of us, we don’t have the ultimatum of making something of ourselves or living in extreme poverty forever. I’m not saying people don’t have it difficult in America either, particularly in this economy; it’s easy to look down the street and see many people struggling to pay their bills. In fact, Americans have another challenge not necessarily harder, but different that countries like India do not deal with. Distractions are an elemental key of American society: TVs, iPods, computers, part time jobs, after school activities, clubs, sports, and friends. Because Americans have so many distractions, it’s a constant struggle to maintain not only focus during school but also interest. But the realization of this should not be used as an excuse. Instead, by realizing we have this dilemma with media and distractions in general we should try harder and apply ourselves more. Education is everything; it provides opportunity and a period of time where we learn about ourselves and who we are, who we want to become, and what we want in life. We should also give thanks to our teachers. They have dedicated their lives to serving the community and society by expanding the minds of students and preparing them for life outside of school. It’s funny how unappreciated teachers are because
most people fail to realize that without teachers other jobs wouldn’t be accessible because there would be no one to teach people how to do them. Take for instance English teacher Sue Neu. According to her, being a teacher isn’t easy. It’s a job that requires taking work home and making sacrifices. The hours she should be spending with her two daughters are instead dedicated to grading and planning. She does it though, because she is a great teacher who not only about doing her job well and thoroughly, but also cares about her students. “Even if only one student walks away from my class having learned something that year, I still know I’ve done my job,” Neu said. The relationship between student and teacher is a precarious one, but it should be a partnership. The student desires to learn and the teacher wants to teach the student, but both have to be committed. A problem I commonly see is that because school is mandatory, students lack a certain drive to excel. Teachers then become frustrated because they are wasting time and resources on students who don’t want to be there. It is also unfair to the students who want to go to school and want an education; time that could have been spent teaching is often wasted on dealing with unruly students who are forced to attend class. Maybe school shouldn’t be mandatory. Maybe there should be a choice between working and education.
Be BIG elephants please KELLEY PICKETT Staff Reporter
Newest fads of stupidity JAYMES FLEURY Staff Reporter Planking: The act of lying facedown in a random location. Excuse me? People are actually trying to look like they’ve dropped dead in public? Planking has been an enormous internet fad in the past year or so. It started, supposedly, as a game where whoever could create the most “inventive” plank photo wins. These contenders then post their board poses online. You name it: Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Tumblr — all host thousands of people imitating the plywood section of Home Depot. But wait, there’s more. By random places, I also meant inconvenient/stupid places. Some people have reportedly planked atop police squad cars (don’t worry, they were arrested). Doctors have been suspended for planking on the job and some people have even fallen off seven-story balconies to their well-deserved deaths. All right, maybe the last bit was a little harsh, but come on: you can plank in your graves. I will admit this is a substitute for some of the internet’s other beaten-to-death fads: cat videos, trolling, Chuck Norris jokes, “Dr. Octagonapus BWAAARGH!” But this photo fad has created its own breed of stupid. Shortly after the creation of planking, Owling was born! For those lucky enough to not know of owling, it’s when the photographed person crouches down with his hands on the ground and in between his legs. It ends up looking more like he has just soiled himself. But we are not finished yet. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you: Batmanning. No, people are not running around in black and beating people to a pulp. They are just hanging upside-down by their toes. Youtube is going to love this
stuff; I see many concussions in our viral futures. Then it falls down to teapotting and horsemanning, which aren’t even worth an explanation or the energy for a few more keystrokes. Having a few inquiries of my own, I wanted a more professional opinion on this crazy fad. I decided to ask our very own photographer, Viscom teacher Gina Sandland. “I enjoy looking at [photos of planking], but I don’t understand the ‘why,’” Sandland said. Which is completely understandable. I, too, find people who resemble wood “interesting to look at.” The same way I feel about hairless cats “interesting.” However interesting they may be, no one has yet to plank for her class. “It’s dangerous, don’t do it,” Sandland warns. Planking goes against her safety codes in most of her classes. And students who plank will receive an automatic failure. Finally someone who understands my pain! Here is a little anecdote. It was a hot summer day in Minneapolis, Minnesota. My group and I had been in line for two hours and we finally reached the mine-themed tunnel. About halfway through the tunnel I spotted something. Actually, I heard profanities screamed at a certain gentleman. This man had climbed onto the rafters of the tunnel and, you guessed it, began to plank. I would be lying if I said I did not yell some awful things, but that’s beside the point. This (expletive deleted) was holding up a line of around 250 people in and outside of the tunnel! All the hassle for an uncreative, annoying, and anger-evoking photo. In sum, I beg of you, on my knees here. Please never plank. Not only does it make the participant look ridiculous and over-the-top annoying, it’s also taking over the internet. Stop the planking virus now! Thank you.
BE NICE. Easy enough, right? You would think so. But obviously, this is not the case, or else, more people would do so. Stu Cabe is a professional actor turned professional inspirational speaker, and this month, staff and students had the pleasure of listening to him talk about, as you all know, being nice. He had many things to say on the matter. Plenty of interesting anecdotes that made us smile, laugh and sometimes even cry. Stu Cabe got a lot of people’s gears turning. The next day, many of the students sported crowns of all shapes and sizes, referencing the story Stu told about his daughter, Maddie, who was picked on for wearing a crown to school on hat day. There were Riverside students with whiteboards hanging from their necks, decorated with simple messages, showing support for Stu’s son Jackson, who was portrayed as a boy with a “tender heart.” There are now elephant posters plastered over the walls in almost every single classroom, as well as BE NICE t-shirts being purchased school-wide. During our assembly, I realized that he was probably the most inspirational speaker I had ever listened to. He has an amazing sense of humor that draws students in, to get them riled up and ready to hear what he has to say, and then he throws quirky short stories at you, with great narration and sound effects. And then it hits you. Those stories have a message! A great one! And you realize that it’s a message that’ll rattle around your head for a while before you let it go. Senior Katie Alexander agreed that Cabe was a successful speaker. “He relates well to students and knows how to make his point come across with humor,” she said. Katie listened to Cabe speak at a leadership conference last year, and enjoyed both occasions immensely. Cabe is working all over to get his message across and change the world. Just be nice. I think it is a pretty easy task for all of us to reach out, and spread the word, lend a hand, and be the change. Go Ravens!
NEWS
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10/11/11
Attention Seniors! Yearbook Senior Ad Rates 1/8th page 1/4th page Half page Full page
$40 $68 $135 $260
2 ½ x 4 in. 5 ¼ x 4 in. 5 ¼ x 8 ¼ in. 10 ¾ x 8 ¼ in.
Ad arranged by Yearbook staff, additional $20 fee. Senior ads can be arranged at home and sent in, if a margin of 1/2” is left outside the body of the ad. Please do not put the name or border on. This is done in the publishing process. A 1/8th page ad should have no more than 2 photos, 1/4th page ad up to 3 photos, for half page ads up to 6 photos, a full page ad no more than 8 photos. All loose photos or papers (like personalized messages) should be placed in an envelope or ziplock baggie with the student’s name on it and on indivdual photos. Please submit this along with the check or money order payable to Auburn Riverside High School. Ads can also be turned in on a CD if the ad is 300 dpi (ppi). A senior ad form can be picked up at the cashier’s office and are necessary when purchasing ads.
Senior Pictures Senior photos should be wallet size and show the head and shoulders. The student name should be written on the back, and put in an enevolope labeled “Senior Picture.” Pictures can also be submitted digitally through the “Contact Me” button on the Yearbooks website (image size, H3” x W 2.5”, resolution, 300 dpi).
Senior Baby Pictures Baby pictures should be the same size but in a seperate envelope. Names must be written on the back of the picture. If the picture is a one of a kind original, then making a copy and turning that in is advised. Photos will be available for pick up in June 2012.
All Senior/Baby Pictures and Ads are due October 28th.
Lunch policy changes Students without documentation must be provided with lunch ALICE ROUP Guest Reporter Over the summer our school was the recipient of a federal memorandum requesting schools not to ask students for documentation papers. Riverside has accepted this and Assistant Principal Nola Wilson recognizes that “We don’t have the right to ask.” This memo came about after schools around the country began requiring submission of immigration papers for enrollment. However, according to nytimes.com, Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe in 1982 set a precedent that all children have the right to free schooling, a right these schools have been violating. This policy has repercussions in unexpected places. For example, the free and reduced lunch program now inherently includes all students, legal or not. Some students support this idea. “They go to our school just like everybody else,” junior Brooke Wellman said, “so they should be able to eat lunch like everyone else.” Principal Dave Halford agrees. “I couldn’t imagine going through the day without eating breakfast or lunch” Halford said. “I don’t want to punish or inhibit learning because of outside factors.”
Club Bulletin Board Chess Club
Japan Club Japan Club meets every other Monday, and their first meeting was October 3rd. In Japan Club, club members learn about Japanese culture, Japan’s history and many other things. But there is more than just learning. Tey also watch movies, do arts and crafts, and cook. Japan Club meets in room 410, and their adviser is Mr. Guisinger.
Key Club Key Club meets every 2nd and 4th Wednesday. The officers of Key Club are junior Kayla Seamster, president, junior Janet Yi, vice president of Community Service, senior Suhaila Hanno, vice president of Social, junior Steffani Hedstrom, financial advisor, junior Victoria Lee, bullied editore, junior Yeh-Eun Lee, secretary, and junior Casey Kaku, historian. Key Club is all about community service. The calender in front of the library has the days of Key Club meetings.
Clubs featured this month:
Chess Club meets every Monday in room 600. You don’t have to know how to play chess to join Chess Club. You can be a beginner or an expert and you are welcome. Currently there are about 15 people in the club. Adviser Ernie Zeiger said “People should join Chess Club because it is fun and it betters your thinking.” The next meeting is on Monday the October 17.
RAKE Club RAKE Club meets every Wednesday in room 208 at 7:20 a.m. RAKE stands for Random Acts Of Kindness Etc. People should join if they are looking for opportunities to help people. RAKE club has a Facebook page and everyone is able to add them as a friend. RAKE Club is always open to new members and is open to any grade level. RAKE club’s goal for the year is to better the school and community.
FEATURE
10/11/11
5
t h g i N e h t e r u s a e r T Homecoming will be a night to remember. Dates, dresses, dinner, dancing, plus this year’s theme: Treasure the Night. We hope to see everyone clad in jewels, beads, satin and bright colors. Think Aladdin and Princess Jasmine and get ready to have a fun, safe night. The dance will be held at Riverside on October 15, from 8 pm to 11 pm. Tickets are $22.50 per person, and a signed dance contract is required of all attendees.
Do
Don’t
Nitpick your date Be rude or disrepectful Ditch your date Dance inappropriately Wear scanty dresses
Take a ton of pictures Compliment your date Be nice, show some class Thank the chaperones Wear what’s comfortable
No date? Go with a group...
If all else fails, and you can’t go with that special someone, there’s no shame in going with a group of friends, or even just a friend. Going with a group gets rid of the awkward date tension, the awkward stag tension, and any other kind of awkwardness. Rip up the dance floor as a group, and slow dance with your bestie. There’s no obligations to meet “her parents” or buy a corsage. Homecoming minus the date means an all-in-all carefree night, left to focus on having fun.
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FEATURE
6
How to Halloween! Ghoulish Get Ups Frightening Films 13 movies guaranteed to make you
scream Undead Music Artists:
It Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) The Thing (1982) 13 Ghosts Pet Semetery The Shining The Descent 1-2 The Hills Have Eyes
Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, George Harrison, John Lennon
Group costumes:
Scooby Doo, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Up, Zombie Horde, Harry Potter
10/11/11 DON’T be cheap; gimme the good stuff! There is a neverending battle between buying good-sized candy and buying affordable candy. Kids want the good stuff, parents want to stay within the budget. But is it better to buy King Size candy bars and run out of them before dark, or go with the cheap assorted bag of candy that lasts all night? The middle ground is to buy the miniature chocolate bars, which everyone loves. They are semi-affordable, and the bag contains quite a few individually packaged all-time favorites for a low cost. They are called fun size for a reason.
Friday the 13th The Others Poltergeist Phantasm (1979) Insidious
Candy?
Brains?
A&E
10/11/11 The Diary of Anne Frank A powerful story of ordinary people, and extraordinary circumstances...
“The play offers a lot of perspective . . . it’s necessary for us to take part in something like this, as high school students. I’ve learned a lot from it; I’m not quite the same from taking part in this. I hope people will be able to take a lot from it by seeing the show. As well as a fantastic acting and performing experience, it’s also a wonderful historical experience.” —Senior Actor, Kyle Stocker
The Riverside Drama Department presents:
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The Raven Ruling
InFlight & Journalism votes on culture
Homecoming Theme
Vending Machines
The Homecoming theme is “Treasure The Night.” A bit of a split vote for us. But truthfully, there can never be a theme everybody will like; the cheerleaders have a tough job with picking the theme and decorating; hopefully this year will be a blast.
Brand new vending machines come with brand new prices. They also come with the option of using a debit card, but the catch is that the machine charges you an extra 15 cents. We’re not sure the convenience is worth it.
The Riverside Raven Players
in a production of The Diary of Anne Frank November 10th-19th @ 7:00 p.m. Donation Matinee Performance Nov 16 right after school Play written by: Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett Newly adapted by Wendy Kesselman
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Two Lunches Last year the transition from three to two lunches didn’t have a positive reaction. Despite having a greater chance at scoring the same lunch as your friends, two lunches still aren’t preferred. We agree.
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Neon-colored Be Nice T-shirts Not everybody looks good in neon. The shirts had a good message, but most people don’t want to look like highlighters and traffic cones. Our vote might have been different with neon blue, or teal.
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Mayonnaise Mayonnaise and Miracle Whip, two basic condiments that people have strong opinions about. Thumbs up or thumbs down? We’re almost split down the middle with this one.
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Haunted Houses Some think that walking through a confined space with dressed up people screaming at you is a fun time. To others, not so much. We say the more scares and screams, the better.
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SPORTS
10/11/11
Versatile junior leads Raven defense KELLEY PICKETT Staff Reporter Junior Skylar Harris shined at the very first varsity football game held at Auburn Riverside’s own field. He led the team through the night, helping the team to earn the 37-14 victory against the Kent-Meridian Royals. Harris plays a non-traditional offensive lineman position which, according to Coach Morgan, is not the position he started out playing this season. “He’s done a really nice job with it,” Morgan added, considering that a new sports position is usually a challenge. Harris has made the transition almost seamlessly; in the last game he had 4½ tackles for a loss and 2½ sacks, a total of 7 tackles. Harris has been playing football since the sixth grade. He started due to his dad’s urgings, who wanted him to try the sport out. Harris has continued playing football for the past six years because he has fallen in love with it, and he has come pretty far.
Outside football season, Harris also plays lacrosse and participates in the shotput event for track. He idolizes Clay Matthews, who plays for the Green Bay Packers. “He’s a monster,” he said. “I wanna be like that.” With hard work, he just might get there. As with any passion, there comes a price. Harris has to work hard to balance school work and sports. “It’s difficult,” he admitted, “but it makes me work hard.” Harris said that he is going to try to continue football in college, but doesn’t have definite plans as to where he is going to attend. He’s definitely got plenty of time to figure that out though, with a whole next season of football in his senior year coming up. All in all, Harris has a good head on his shoulders, and his future is looking bright.
Junior Skylar Harris
“He’s a good kid, a team player,” Morgan said. “He does what the coaches say without asking questions and has a team-first attitude.” He is a great asset to the football team, and we are certainly glad to have him.
PHOTOS BY KELLEY PICKETT
Harris focuses on a drill during football practice. Only a junior, he’ll have another full year playing for the varsity.