Seniors honored at awards banquet

Female athlete
speaks against
sexism
page 10
PHOTO COURTESY OF INTERNET
The
JOURNAL
The Chernobyl nuclear waste
disaster occurred today in 1986, in
Ukraine.
Issue 5
April 26 2011
Mathematics
Teddy Brow
by Scott Strong
Staff Writer
Three LC scholars took home
scholarships at this years’ Spokane Scholar Banquet on April 20.
Cooper Mellema received 1000
dollars for fourth place in science,
Nick Hendryx received 3000 dollars for second place in fine arts
and Jeremy Dietz received 3000
dollars for second place in history.
This year LC lead the district
in scholarships. Of the seven
scholars who won scholarships,
LC took home three of them.
The Spokane Scholar nominees
of Lewis and Clark illuminates the
top scholars of the student body
in many different departments.
The Spokane Scholars program
History
Jeremy Dietz
Science
Cooper Mellema
was created 19 years ago, and
now awards the top students of
each school, giving scholarships
to the winners.
The three other nominees from
LC were Teddy Brow in mathematics, Ruthie Jablonsky in english and Le’Ecia Farmer in world
languages.
Each student has shown outstanding qualities in his or her
department, enabling them to
distinguish themselves as the top
of their subjects. Hendryx, when
asked about the reasons for his
nomination, said, “I’ve been in
a lot of extracurricular activities,
and won some awards.” Mellema, in response to the same
question, said, “Hard work, all
four years.”
A banquet was held in honor
of the nominees on Wed. April
20. The final scholarship winners
were announced there, so the LC
nominees were kept in suspense
until the day of the banquet.
The event also featured a keynote speaker. Ryan Crocker, former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq,
and current Dean and Executive
Professor of the George Bush
School of Government and Public
Service spoke about giving back
to the community and staying out
of trouble. One of his main points
was the importance of thanking
the people (teachers and parents) who made it possible for
the scholars to be where they are.
Ruthie Jablonsky, English department nominee, in anticipation of the event, said “I’m really
interested to see what such an
Wilburn seeks
students to start
Black Student Union
by Julio Marco Pineda
News Editor
Achievement Gap and Intervention Specialist James Wilburn is working to start
a program at LC called the Black Student
Union (BSU). It is an organization consisting of African American students who develop a social network on campus that is
structured and designed for their academic and social needs.
According to Wilburn, African Americans
gather in the school and have questions
that sometimes relate to them. However,
when they gather, they reach pre-conceived notions that are wrong. Cultural
norms are misconstrued as inappropriate
and then perceived as racist.
Wilburn said, “If their gatherings are
structured, their questions can be dealt
with more clearly.”
On the academic side of the BSU, the
program can develop a peer mentoring
program which helps those struggling in
school. “If they develop a fraternity or sorority attitude, they can mentor or tutor
one another,” Wilburn said. The BSU will
provide a type of bond similar to fraternities and sororities in that they relate to
one another in their cultural context.
Wilburn said that this social network
creates an environment for academic improvement, and in turn will help one another prepare for exams and tests. He also
said that the BSU can help bring out a student’s creative side.
“When I first came to LC, I listened to
the orchestra and noticed that they didn’t
have one African American,” said Wilburn.
“Classical music must not interest them.”
The BSU can create an environment showcasing the talents of African Americans
World Languages
Le’Ecia Farmer
such as a talent show, poetry, singing and
much more.
“It gives them an opportunity to shine,”
he said.
According to Wilburn, some cultural concerns are not being addressed here at LC.
He does not think it is foul play. Rather, it
stems from a lack of cultural competence.
He said, “The overall cultural activities in
LC are Euro centric in nature. It’s not negative; it’s just how it’s set-up.”
Wilburn said that the curriculum is primarily Euro centric and he said that books
seldom have anything about African
Americans, so they know about European
history and culture, but African American
students do not know much of their own
history.
He said that the BSU can address issues
of African Americans that are not addressed in the curriculum. Wilburn said,
“It will help them to be involved and active
if they have ownership of who they are.”
The BSU can bring about some cultural
cohesiveness for the African Americans
who will join the organization.
Wilburn said that conservative parents
may view this organization as negative because changes like this can be unsettling.
However, Wilburn said that the BSU matters for the African Americans students
and he said, “In a BSU, there are more opportunities for African Americans. The BSU
can create programs for them.”
The BSU addresses all concerns of
African Americans and makes resolutions for these concerns. He said,
“They can see a place where they belong. It’s a good social structure.”
Already in Spokane there is a Black Student Union at Ferris High School with
many members of the Ferris community
actively participating.
Fine Arts
Nick Hendryx
important political figure has to
say.”
The LC student nominees were
not just selected for hard work,
however; they had to show a love
of the subject they were nominated for. Jablonsky claims her
love of writing has carried into the
school environment. Jablonsky
said, “I spend a lot of time writing
outside of school, so I guess that’s
carried into papers and such inside of school.”
Brow and Mellema had similar
reasons for their love of math and
science, respectively, saying that
numbers and science help provide
insights into the laws of nature,
and how the world works.
These LC students are up against
other top students from the rest
of the Spokane Schools, a daunt-
English
Ruthie Jablonsky
PHOTOS BY BAXTER ARGUINCHONA
PHOTOS BY BLAKE BEKKEN
Seniors honored at awards banquet
ing idea at best. When asked
about his chances at clinching
the scholarship, Dietz said, “I
guess there’s a chance.” Mellema was a little more optimistic about his chances, saying,
“Well, I hope so: I’ve been to
Washington Aerospace Scholars, so I think my chances are
pretty good.”
The scholars were chosen
based on many criteria, such
as standardized test scores,
extracurricular activities, overall grade point, and any other
subject related activities, such
as music, sports and other hobbies in which they have participated.
The students who won scholarships try to excel in everything they attempt.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHANTAL CZARAPATA
Three State DECA competitors went to state in March and qualified for nationals.
DECA goes to State
by Emily Parkes
Staff Writer
The DECA club at LC attended the 64th
Washington DECA State Conference in
Bellevue, WA from March 3-5. The DECA
members included senior Miles Ormsby,
senior Zach Elton, junior Skye Halliday,
junior Jenika Newsum, junior Christian
Mettam, senior Abby Maurer, sophomore Spencer McLeod, sophomore Alex
Breeze, senior Jackson Shumaker, senior
Morgan Baker, senior Patrick Sullins, junior
Ryan Sullins, senior Kayla Michlig, junior
Marshell Ruehl, junior Alex Steinmetz,
senior Amanda Marchant, junior Andrew
Petersen, senior Tim Harper, sophomore
Michaela Marinos, and sophomore Kylor
Allen.
Competition was fierce, but Baker, Sullins and Marchant qualified for nationals
and will be attending the International
Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida. They will be among 14,000
students. Baker will be receiving a $1,000
scholarship from Safeway. Students that
qualified for state but could not attend
were Nakia Arquette, Madison Clarry, and
Yitian Chen.
To qualify for state, some students put
together a business related written project and presented it at the LC Area DECA
Conference last December. Other students
competed in hands- on competitions in the
areas of advertising, accounting, apparel
and accessories, marketing management,
finance, buying and merchandising, sports
marketing, employment acquisition, and
other projects related to the field of business and marketing. These students took
a 100 point business test and participated
in two relevant problem solving activities
related to their chosen field of study.
At state, depending on their category,
students partake in different tests, hands
on activities, role plays, and/or present a
written project. "It was really fun to go,"
said Halliday. "I really enjoyed competing
with the team."
"It was a great experience," said sophomore Kylor Allen. "It definitely opened
my eyes to what DECA could help me become." DECA focuses on four skills, including but not limited to, understanding business, leadership, community service, and
social intelligence.
DECA students thoroughly enjoyed the
state experience. "It was a lot of fun," said
Harper. "I really liked hanging out with the
team, and Mrs. Czarapata took us out to
dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, so that
was pretty cool."
"We all had a great time," said Marinos.
"Overall, it was a great experience and it
was a lot of fun."
"It was a wonderful experience for all students involved," said Chantal Czarapata,
the LC DECA adviser. "Winning is just the
icing on the cake. All the students are winners, because they are preparing themselves for life after high school."
The three students that qualified for nationals, as of February 28, are Baker, Sullins, and Marchant.
NEWS
The
JOURNAL
Page 2
LC robotics team
gear up at state
Issue 5
April 26 2011
PHOTO BY ALEXIS STORMS
PHOTO BY JULIO PINEDA
From left: Juniors Curtis Balogn and Shelby Balogn and Seniors Jasmine
Sharifi, Nick Hendryx, Grant Eadie and Michael Terhune qualified for the solo
and ensemble state competition. Freshman Haydn Halsted and junior Laura
Chamberlain (not pictured) qualified as well.
The LC robotics team prepare their robot for the Seattle and Portland state
competition. It took 1540 hours of manpower to finish the robot.
by Allison Little
Staff Writer
Ten members of the Lewis and Clark
Robotics Team (team #2944) competed
in the Microsoft Cascade Regional First
Robotics Competition (FRC) at the Qwest
Convention Center in Seattle, Washington
on March 18, 18 an 19, and 14 competed
in the Autodesk Robotics Competition in
Portland, Oregon on March 24, 25 and
26. A total of 100 teams from two regions
traveled to the competition, including
teams from as far away as Turkey. LC
placed 21 in our region in the competition
in Seattle.
“Once you join the Robotics team, you
aren’t dealing with toys anymore,” said
Robotics Advisor Nate Edmons. “This
is top shelf stuff, we have about $9000
worth of materials and equipment that we
deal with.”
All of the competing teams designed and
built their own robots in order to play the
game known as “Logomotion.”
The game “Logomotion” consists of six
different teams’ robots separated into
two groups of three. The robots work to
pick up, elevate, and reposition inflated
rings that are scattered around the course.
Tassie, the name given to LC’s robot, had
to overcome many challenges in order
to keep herself going for each round of
Logomotion.
“In Seattle, the robot violated one of the
structural rules in the competition and we
didn’t have enough time during the build
season to make more tests. we spent most
of the time changing the curved bumper
of the robot which was the structural
violation during the competition,” said
sophomore Julio Pineda. “This robbed the
team hours needed for improving other
aspects of the robot and testing.” Pineda
put in 200 hours of out-of-school time
towards finishing the robot, surpassing the
time put in by all other robotics members.
“The robot did not go as we expected
it to,” said sophomore Robotics captain
Hunter Mellema. “but it was still fun, and
it was a good learning experience for all.”
The robots for every team in the
competition started, and finished their
robots on the same date. The time given
to the students to construct their final
robot is called the “build season.”
“I was an engineer who came up with
creative ideas on how to make things
work, and I was there for moral support,”
said senior Jasmine Sharifi, who donated
42 out-of-school hours. “I made posters,
and everybody loved me!”
On March 30, the weekend following
the first robotics competition, a slightly
different set of about ten students
participated in the Portland Robotics
Competition. The second competition was
smaller than the first (with only 58 teams)
and took place at the Portland Memorial
Coliseum. LC placed lower in the Oregon
competition, but performed better than at
the first competition in Seattle.
One challenge during the build season
was “not having the resources and
materials that we needed but didn’t
have enough of,” said sophomore Jacob
Frederick. “In Seattle we didn’t perform
nearly as well [as in Oregon], but it gave
us a chance to work out some of the bugs
and get it ready for Oregon.”
Teems qualifies
for state debate
Despite the fact that Teems was new
to both of the events in which she was
Staff Writer competing, she still qualified for state. “I’m
really excited and I was really surprised
Junior Rachel Teems participated in that I was able to qualify since there were
the state debate competition March 19 some setbacks in the beginning. I did a
in Tacoma. She also went to Tacoma the partner debate and my partner couldn’t
previous weekend for a different state fit tournaments into their schedule,” said
Teems.
tournament.
Teems didn’t end up winning, but was
This is Teems’ second year on LC’s debate
team, but she was on U-High’s debate still excited she was able to go to state.
team before that. “I was on U-High’s “I didn’t win, but going to state was still
debate team then I continued when I awesome, and we did pretty well for only
having one person,” said
moved to LC. This is year
Teems.
two at LC,” said Teems.
“I was pretty okay with the
“She’s been on the team
results because we got to
the whole time I’ve been
go state which is something
coaching. She’s extremely
we haven’t been able to do
dedicated, very prepared
before and hopefully next
and she comes to all of the
year will be better,” Teems
practices,” said LC debate
said.
coach, Mandy Manning.
Teems is the first state
To qualify for state
qualifier at LC for debate
in debate, you have to
in about three years.
attend at least two GSL PHOTO BY GABBY LYNCH
“We haven’t had a state
tournaments and you have
qualification in at least three
to place or make it to finals Junior Rachel Teems
a certain number of times, joined in two state debate years, our team has been
tenuous,” said Manning.
which was hard for Teems in tournaments in Tacoma.
“Debate is argumentation
the beginning. ”It’s usually
about three times but with individual based on facts and logic,” said Manning.
tournaments it can be anywhere from one “It’s just wonderful, especially all of the
to however many tournaments there are,” people, more people should get into it,”
said Teems.
said Teems.
by Gabby Lynch
Solo and Ensemble
musicians prepare
for state at CWU
by Alexis Storms
Photography Editor
Over 50 students from the LC music
department competed in the Spokane
Falls Music Education Association (SFMEA)
regional Solo and Ensemble competition at
Rogers High School on Feb. 5. Eight of these
students qualified to compete at the state
competition on April 29 and 30 at CWU.
From the instrumental category, the
qualifiers were freshman Haydn Halsted,
timpani, and seniors Nick Hendryx, oboe,
Michael Terhune, mallets, and Grant
Eadie, viola. The small brass ensemble,
The Chops and the Brow, including
senior Jasmine Sharifi, and juniors
Shelby Shanstrom and Curtis Balogh
also qualified. Junior Laura Chamberlain
qualified in the vocal division as well.
According to Hendryx, the best thing about
the regional competition was hearing his
fellow musicians play. “Everyone played
really well and Michael Terhune sounded
amazing on the Marimba,” he said.
In order to qualify for state, each
competitor, Solo or Ensemble must
receive minimum score of 1. The
scoring ranges from 5 to 1, 1 being
the best. Each score also receives a
plus or a minus to tell the competitors
how strong their performance was.
Everyone competes in their division,
divided by instrument or vocal section,
and the winner of that division is picked
by Emily Parkes
by the judges to go to state. The judges
will also select competitors with good
scores to be alternates in case the
winners are unable to compete at state.
“I’m really honored that the judge selected
me,” said Chamberlain. The judges are
mostly music teachers and vocal instructors.
Each competitor has ten minutes on
stage. They first play or sing their piece and
the rest of the time is used to workshop.
“The workshopping and critiquing is
really helpful, it really helps you learn
how to improve,” said senior and first
soprano alternate Liz Connelly. This was
Connelly’s first year competing in the
solo/ensemble regionals. “It was a great
learning opportunity and I’m glad I got to
experience it my senior year,” she said.
A lot of time and practice goes into
the process of preparing for the state
competition. Hendryx said that his to-do list
includes practicing his piece a lot, making
reeds, and practicing with his accompanist.
Chamberlain is preparing by
rehearsing new pieces and getting
her songbooks together. “I’ll probably
have like six books with me,” she said.
She must have original copies of each
piece to prove that she has the rights to
sing those songs in a competitive setting. If
she fails to bring the original copies of her
songs she could risk disqualification from
the competition. However, if she wins in
the soprano competition at state she could
move forward to a national competition.
AP Exam tips
Staff Writer
AP exams are difficult, and final night
cramming is not going to cut it. For most
of us, the real stress begins when the test
actually starts. Here are some tips to help
you prepare for the exam and manage
the stress while taking the exam so you
can perform your best and receive your
optimum score.
Learn the vocabulary for each section—
this is essential. If you do not know all the
vocabulary, you won’t be able to answer
all of the questions. The glossary in the
back of your text books can be hand for
study guides.
Get a good night’s sleep the night before.
Cramming will do more harm than it will
help, so do not cram the night before the
exam.
Eat a good breakfast the day of the
test. Bananas, yogurt, whole wheat bread
and cereal, milk, eggs oranges, oatmeal,
and nuts are all great examples of “brain
power” foods.
Annotate the questions. Highlight,
underline, bracket, or somehowmark key
words in the question. Use these to help
you arrive to the correct answer choice.
For multiple choice questions, read all of
the question and all of the answers before
marking anything. Reading the whole
question and all of the answer may help
you with the process of the elimination,
plus it will help you understand the
question completely.
Pace yourself. Do not spend too much
time on one question, do your best,
and then move on. Answer the easiest
questions first, but be sure to go back to
the ones you’ve skipped.
Use process of elimination when you
are unsure about an answer. Use logic to
work your way through the answer until
you can select one answer as your best
“guess.”
Guess, if you have to. Part of pacing is
moving on when you come to a question
that stumps you. Make the most intelligent
guess you can and move on.
For essay questions, make an
abbreviated outline to plan your essay.
You will not have time to write full outline,
but brainstorm ideas and number them
in the best order to state, develop and
conclude your essay.
Try at least a five-paragraph essay.
Your five paragraphs should incude an
introduction paragraph, threee paragraphs
to develop your points, and a strong
conclusion to develop your thesis.
Write clear and legibly. The readers of
your essays have only 2 or 3 minutes to
read and grade your essays, and won’t have
time to puzzle over confusing handwriting.
Practice writing neatly and quickly.
Most importantly, relax. Remember
that you can do it and do not get too
discourage. Try to stay calm and focused.
Best of luck on your AP exams, Tigers!
Information from collegeboard.com. Visit
collegeboard.com for more information
on AP classes as well as tips for AP exams.
News
The
JOURNAL
Issue 5
April 26 2011
Page 3
Students plant
trees for Susie Forest
Organization
PHOTO BY MADISSON CLARRY
Video production teacher Mandy Manning and various LC students contributed
to the worldwide Susie Forest organization by planting six trees on Feb. 25.
by Madisson Clarry
Features Editor
Various LC students helped plant trees
on Feb. 25 to add to the worldwide
Susie Forest organization. Six trees were
planted behind the LC Field-House field
on the block between Sixth and Stevens.
Nancy MacKerrow, the founder of the
Susie Forest organization and proud
mother of Susie Stephens, spoke in LC
classrooms last month to organize the
plantings. In 2002, Stephens was hit
by bus and killed while crossing the
street in a crosswalk in St. Louis, MO.
In her honor and remembrance,
MacKerrow created the Susie Forest to
inform others about Stephens and what
she stood for. According to MacKerrow,
“Susie was a bicyclist, an environmentalist,
an activist and a world traveler.” Stephens
is an LC alum who graduated in 1983.
She participated in one production at
school, did a lot of drawing, visited Japan,
and helped start the recycling center
at Methow Valley. She also had family
members with special needs. According
to her mother, Stephens was never
in debate, but she should have been.
Students from Geosoph, Drama,
Debate, Japanese Club, Art and DI each
planted separate trees. MacKerrow
chose these clubs to participate
based
upon
Stephen’s
interests.
According to MacKerrow, “She was
dedicated to educating others about
bicyclist and pedestrian safety. The Susie
Forest is a living, growing, legacy to my
daughter Susie and her commitment
to creating livable communities.”
SusieTrees are located all over the
Northwest and throughout the United
States, not to mention the Susie trees in
CT, ME, NC, VA, TN, KY, IN, IL, TX and CA.
There are also trees in Canada, Australia,
New Zealand, England, Brazil, Iran, and the
Philippines with trees planned for France
and Spain according to MacKerrow. 119
of the 175 Susie Trees grow in Spokane.
The website susieforest.com lists where
specific trees are located as well as the
occasion for which they were planted.
People have planted SusieTrees when
welcoming a new member to the family,
celebrating a wedding or anniversary,
having a birthday, or just to remember a
special event. For information on how to
plan your own tree planting party, log onto
susieforest.com, or e-mail MacKerrow at
thesusieforest@hotmail.com
LC drama students go
to state thespian festival
by Gabby Lynch
Staff Writer
13 LC drama students participated in
the state thespian festival for three days
on March 18, 19, and 20. The students
that competed were: Freshman Amy
McDowell, Sophmores Keyonna Knight,
Lacey Lewis, Danny Palomba, Juniors
Laura Chamberlin, Jesse Ward, Andrew
Wildman, and Seniors Jessica Newell,
Camille Wintz, Kate Janzen, Liz Connelley,
Jon O’ Grady, and Shady Dickinson. Amy
McDowell, Andrew Wildman, Jesse Ward,
and Jessica Newell won in their categories.
900 people from all over Washington
State competed at this festival. Four
students from LC won in their category,
Amy McDowell, Andrew Wildman, Jesse
Ward, and Jessica Newell.
To qualify for state, you have to compete
at the regional level and place in the top
20 percent in your category. “You have to
compete at the regional level (ours was in
January) and place in the top 20 percent
in your category,” said LC Drama Teacher
Greg Pschrirrer.
McDowell did the Pantomime scene and
won in her category. “You can’t talk, and it
has to be less than five minutes. You could
use music without words though,” said
McDowell.
Wildman competed in the group musical
category, and won in his category. “I’ve
been in drama since I was in fourth grade
and I started LC drama in my sophomore
year,” said Wildman.
“It was incredible. I learned so much.
And I met so many people and I got to
experience watching other kids from
across the state do completely different
styles of acting,” said McDowell.
“It’s an amazing amazing experience
and a great way to work with university
professors and Broadway professionals,
people that normal high school students
don’t get to interact with,” said Pschirrer.
“It was really exciting. There was a person
there who was on broadway and that was
probably the best thing,” said Wildman.
“At first, they miscalculated my score, so
I thought I wasn’t going to state. Then they
recalculated it and it turned out I could
go,” said McDowell.
“When I actually started performing, I
got nervous because I knew there was so
much talent in the room and I didn’t think
I was any better than any than anyone else
there,” said McDowell. “My performance
just built onto the crowd’s energy and the
crowd of drama students were the most
enthuastic and supportive people ever. It
ended up being so much fun,” McDowell
said.
Wildman plans on continuing drama into
his senior year. He also hopes to qualify
for state next year. “I was ecstatic when I
won,” said Wildman.
McDowell also plans on continuing
drama, and also hopes to qualify for state
next year, but dosen’t know what category
she wants to compete in yet. “I hope to
qualify, but I don’t know what category, so
who knows,” said McDowell.
PHOTO BY DAVE JACKSON
Seniors Nick Hendryx, Phil Siler, Nels Evenson, Cooper Mellema, Michael
Viveiros and sophomore Hunter Mellema took fourth place in the State
Championship Tournament in Handford on March 26. This was LC’s best finish
state ever since winning the tournament in 2006. In the competition, the teams
are asked qeustion about various topics that cover common subjects.
Knowledge Bowl
took fourth place in
state at Hanford
by Nick Cypro
Staff Writer
The LC varsity Knowledge Bowl varsity
team took fourth place at the State
Championship Tournament in Hanford on
March 26. They finished behind Olympia
(1st), Skyline (2nd), and South Kitsap (3rd) in
the 4A classification.
LC was the number one seed coming into
the State tournament after a dominating
performance in the first five rounds of the
regional competition. The team competed
with other teams from various school
classifications throughout the season, but
was ranked only against other 4A teams.
The varsity team consists of seniors
Cooper Mellema, Nick Hendryx, Nels
Evenson, Phil Siler and Michael Viveiros as
well as sophomore Hunter Mellema. Legal
Studies and Career Focus teacher Dave
Jackson and English teacher Emily Haxton
are the two committed coaches.
In Knowledge Bowl, teams are asked
trivia questions of various topics, so it is
important to have team members who
can cover the most common subjects. “My
specialty is science,” said C. Mellema, “and
Nick’s is geography.” The team practices
every Tuesday and Thursday at lunch in
room 117.
The team was rightfully confident they
would do pretty well at State. “We did
well at Regionals, so we’re fairly confident
about our chances,” said Hendryx before
the State tournament.
C. Mellema also thought the team would
have a strong showing at State and said, “I
think we’ll do pretty well, but CV is really
good so they’ll be tough to beat,” he said.
CV turned out not to be a huge threat,
and surprisingly did not finish among the
top nine 4A teams. Both CV and NC failed
to get trophies at State.
Before the State competition, the
team squared off against teacher teams
composed of math teacher Matt Green,
social studies teachers John Hagney and
John Kenlein, science teacher Eric Strate,
English teachers Eric Woodard and Mark
Robbins, assistant principals Theresa
Meyer, Mike Malsam and Dan Close as
well as principal Shawn Jordan. These
teachers and administrators won both of
the lunch competitions.
At the State competition, the team was in
third place following the five preliminary
rounds with 99 points, behind Olympia
(108) and Richland (101). After a semifinal
loss to Central Kitsap and a tie-breaking
win over Bellarmine Prep, the team was
playing for 4th place in the final round.
“We blew everyone away at that point,”
said Jackson, as LC defeated Redmond and
Wenatchee to earn their 4th place State
trophy. This is LC’s best finish at State
since winning the championship in 2006.
“Overall I was happy with our performance
this year,” said Jackson in an interview.
Jackson is confident that the team will do
well next year despite losing five out of six
varsity competitors. “Our JV is really good
and very committed,” he said. Returners
for next year include juniors Alex Chow,
Calum Atkins, Emily Jones, Becca Long,
Molly Rupp, Katie Larson, Elsa Jewell and
sophomores Jacob Frederick, H. Mellema,
Matthew Madany, Federico Contas,
Jackson Peven, Colin McCarthy, Connor
Colestock and David Li.
According to Jackson, the team also
competed in a national competition with
teams across the U.S. as well as Europe
and Asia through several digital rounds on
Monday April 18.
Features
The
JOURNAL
Page 4
COURTESY OF KNITTING CLUB
Issue 5
April 26 2011
Jitterbug down
to the main gym and
join Swing Dance Club
by Madisson Clarry
Sophomores Matt Madany, Kalynn Ritdecha, Katie Herron, Katie Heitkemper and
Taylor Wright, seniors Flo Doval and Mary Weisenburger and advisor Jennifer
Showalter flaunt their leg warmers at the Knitting Club’s Leg Warmers Contest.
The contest was held in support of the Rubber Chicken spirit week.
Knit one,
purrrrl fun
Knitting Club eats treats while they
occasionally knit every Wednesday at lunch
by Ruthie Jablonsky
Editor-in-Chief
LC’s Knitting Club began meeting in
the winter of 2010, with advisor Jennifer
Showalter leading the way. They meet every Wed. in room 019 at lunch to socialize, munch on lunch and occasionally talk
about knitting. Officers of the club are
Senior Jeremy Dietz as president, senior
Kailee Capka as secretary, and senior Kira
Elmer as yarn treasurer.
“It is a chance for people to share lunch
together, eat sweets and talk about knitting,” said Showalter.
The Knitting Club put on a speed knitting contest early in the fall in which contestants had to knit as much as they could
in the time allowed and whoever knitted
the most won. Sophomore Shelby Ward
was the champion of the speed knitting
contest.
The knitting club also held a leg warmers
contest in honor of this year’s “Get Physical for Chuck” Rubber Chicken theme.
The categories in the contest were: most
unique, tackiest, best in show, and homemade.
The knitting club also dabbles in volunteer work. The students collect clothing
and blankets for project Warm Up, which
is a donation program at the YMCA for
homeless and needy people. Knitting club
members have also been known to knit a
by Aidan Griffith
hat or a scarf for the donation project.
“It’s a fun hobby,” said senior secretary
Kailee Capka. “We could always use more
people if you have nowhere to go on
Wednesdays.”
Showalter is a strong advocate for knitting at lunch on Wednesdays. Every week
there are tasty snacks to be consumed and
Showalter is available to teach any newcomers who wish to learn the art of knitting. The club also has a supply of extra
knitting supplies such as yarn and needles,
but needle donations are greatly appreciated.
Their second speed knitting contest was
held the day before St. Patrick’s Day and
had green treats, Irish music and green
yarn. Showalter came in first place, junior
Rachel Teems in second and junior Justice
Hile came in third. The prizes were Milky
Way candy bars.
“I gave mine to sophomore Taylor Wright
who attempted to participate in the competition by winding a ball of yarn around
his hand,” said Showalter. “For ten minutes straight he pretended he was knitting
and at the end he said he made a glove.”
Any students who are interested in joining knitting club can go to room 019 on
Wednesday at lunch or talk to Showalter
any time of the day.
Features Editor
Swing dance club founders sophomores
Tori Beamer and Kale Dotson have been
dance partners and friends for many years
now. Both sharing a passion for swing
dancing, the couple leads other LC students once a week in group tutorials as
well as free dancing. According to Beamer,
“We just kinda teach you what you want
to know.”
Beamer took the initiative to start the club
after encouragement from her friends. She
said, “[They] learned that I knew how to
swing dance, and asked
that I teach it.” Beamer
has been dancing for
about six months. She
learned Swing from her
counselor at Clearwater
Arts camp and has been
hooked ever since.
The club mainly focuses on West Coast Swing
“[when] the lady's movement takes her towards
the man, not away, such
as in a rock step” (spokanedance.com)
with some Lindy Hop inspired moves like
“side-stepping, spinning, lifts and jumps
all executed in close succession” (us.wahanda.com) thrown in the mix. According
to life123.com, “Swing dancing was actually considered to be a mocking form of
Europe's waltzes, with movements from
dances such as tap, the Charleston and
some free-form dancing mixed in.”
Beamer takes pleasure in swing dancing
because, “It’s something that’s from a total different time, and you don’t know a lot
of people who dance like that.”
Dotson enjoys swing dancing because it
is an easy style to learn. “People get surprised when they start it, but it’s so addicting,” said Beamer. The couple’s newly
found favorite move is called “Doggy
Doors” in which the follow has a flat back
and passes underneath the lead’s arm.
When hearing the words “swing dance,”
Beamer said she pictures herself, along
with her partner, Dotson, and what they
would be like in the 1920s. According to
centralhome.com, “The
history of swing dates
back to the 1920s, where
the black community,
while dancing to contemporary Jazz music, discovered the Charleston
and the Lindy Hop.”
Dotson said, “When
you go to a competition,
people aren’t dancing
like it’s a task, they’re
dancing because it’s fun.”
The club has not been receiving the attendance that they would like. Beamer
said, “You’ll be a really cool cat if you
come and swing dance.” She sets up her
boom box every Tuesday at lunch in the
main gym, playing Ella Fitzgerald, Big Band
tunes and even more contemporary jazz
artists like Michael Bublé.
The club welcomes new members and
would like to increase their numbers. Anyone can join by simply showing up in the
gym any Tuesday at lunch. For more information, talk to Dotson or Beamer.
“When you go to a
competition, people
aren’t dancing like
it’s a task, they’re
dancing because it’s
fun.”
PHOTOS BY MADISSON CLARRY
Sophomores Tori Beamer and Kale Dotson practice their moves at the Swing
Dance Club which meets every Tuesday at lunch time in the main gymnasium.
Post high school gap years:
trend gains popularity in America
Opinions Editor
A popular trend in Europe is gaining a
foothold in America. Gap years, where
students take off the year between high
school and college to travel and volunteer,
have long been the norm among European students since they first came about in
the freewheeling days of the ‘60s. They’ve
even become so popular that in some
countries, such as Denmark, the government is seeking to restrict the number of
students taking gap years according to the
Copenhagen Post website.
The gap year movement first started
when students in the ‘60s started visiting
India as a way of creating an “independent
travel market” according to a Butler University document. The movement continued to grow strength until it exploded in
the ‘90s where positive economic condi-
tions as well as the coming of age of the
children of baby boomers led to a massive
increase of popularity for gap years as well
as gap years become a rite of passage in
many countries.
“Kids are so burnt out by the end of
high school,” said Spanish
and French teacher Mary
Myhre.“If you don’t travel now you get into this
mindset of just doing your
four years, then getting a
job and that’s it.”
Myhre herself traveled
around Europe during her
college summers, busking to make it by.
However gap years have not found strong
footing in America, where travel, a chief
cultural part of many nations, perhaps
is not treated as seriously. In the United
States, only 37 percent of the population
have passports according to the State Department website, meaning 63 percent
of the country cannot even visit Canada.
In comparison, 71 percent of UK citizens
have passports.
“Most Americans, if they travel, don’t
rough it out, which I feel is
important,” said freshman
Fionn Hunter-Green.
Things may start to
change though. The web
is now teeming with sites
where low cost travel and
volunteer work opportunities and most if not all
colleges will accept deferments of admission, some of them even supporting potential students taking the year off according to the MSNBC website.
“Most people say they’ll travel but they
never do, so I feel it’s important to travel
“Most Americans,
if they travel, don’t
rough it out, which I
feel is important.”
when you can,” said sophomore Riley Jesset.
And even though the number of passport
owners is low, the State Department website shows that it is rising exponentially
every year. This along with the recent pervasiveness of travel on television, where
there is even a whole channel devoted to
travel, are clear indicators of shifting cultural attitudes when it comes to travel,
and perhaps by extension gap years.
“(Gap years) provide a valuable experience,” said sophomore Cooper Scott.
“If somebody does (take a gap year), then
it’s cool, but if somebody just talks about
and never does it, then that’s dumb,” said
senior Holden Miller.
Most gap year proponents say if you are
considering taking a year off, first get accepted in your college of choice and then
ask to defer admission.
Features
The
JOURNAL
Page 5
Graduation
Party Ideas
PHOTO BY ALEXIS STORMS
Senior Cappy Spruance is having trouble figuring out what she wants to do
for her graduation party. Many seniors
have the same dilemma.
by Alexis Storms
Photography Editor
LC students are quickly approaching the
time of year when the underclassmen
count down the days until summer and
the seniors count down the days until
graduation. Graduation symbolizes a
major turning point in all seniors’ lives: the
time when we must fly the coop and soar
into our adulthood. This begs the question:
how do we celebrate such an event?
Graduation parties are a customary
tradition in our culture. But why
stick to the old fashioned barbeque
with the relatives? In these modern
times, we need to have graduation
parties that break the tired tradition.
According to the experts at
graduationparty.com, there are three
key requirements to having a perfectly
contemporary graduation party.
STEP ONE: KEEP IT SIMPLE. Seniors and
their parents are already under enough
pressure this time of year. With everything
that goes into the graduation process
(senior all-nighter, senior breakfast, prom
etc.) nobody has the time or finances
to plan an insanely elaborate party.
Consider hosting the party with friends
or neighbors to split up the work.
One family could be in charge of food
while the other works on decorations.
This also helps keep the cost lower.
Furthermore, having a joint party means
you can invite more people and host a
bigger bash.
STEP TWO: DARE TO BE DIFFERENT.
Nobody wants to go to another boring
graduation party with all the traditional
food and activities. Consider having the
party as a morning brunch and serve
breakfast foods or as a desert party
with a sundae bar and other sweets.
Choosing a theme for the party is another
great way to be different. For instance, if
you studied Spanish in high school and are
planning on pursuing it, a Fiesta theme
is fitting. Your guests would have a great
time wearing sombreros, hitting a piñata
and besides, who can’t resist a taco bar?
STEP THREE: MAKE SURE THE PARTY
IS A REFLECTION OF THE GRADUATE.
Ultimately, this party is a celebration of
your hard work throughout high school
and transition into adulthood so the
party MUST be centered around you, the
graduate. Some traditions are still okay to
follow though, case in point, it is traditional
for the parents to put together a display
showcasing photos of the graduate
throughout their life. Even though that can
be slightly embarrassing, everyone else at
your party will appreciate the pictures.
So as the seniors carefully countdown
their last days at LC, graduation party
planning will commence. Traditional
graduation parties will come and go, but
the ones that stand out in everyone’s
memories are those that dare to be
different while retaining simplicity and
focus on the graduate.
Issue 5
April 26, 2011
PHOTO COURTESY OF GABRIEL SOILEAU
Freshman Gabriel Soileau poses in front of the piano on which he performed to earn third at the MTNA contest in March.
Freshman plays, competes and
composes on six instruments
By Carter Power-Beggs
Staff Writer
LC freshman Gabriel Soileau placed third this spring in the
Music Teacher National Association (MTNA) composition contest.
He also won two gold medals for accordion in a competition last
summer in Leavenworth, Washington. He has amassed six gold
medals and one silver medal for his piano playing since he started
playing competitively four years ago.
Soileau took third place in the senior division of the MTNA
national composition contest. He placed with his composition,
“The Mistral,” a mistral being a strong wind. “The piece is a tone
poem depicting the movement of the wind with lots of dissonance
and erratic rhythmic and harmonic changes,” said Soileau.
This is not the first time Soileau has placed in a national music
competition. In 2009 he placed third in the junior division of the
MTNA competition. That year he placed with his composition,
“Sarajevo Blues,” Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia Herzegovina.
Soileau has been studying piano for five years under teacher
Barbara Miller and has competed for four years. He also plays the
drums, double bass, electric bass, Chinese flute and accordion.
“I hope through my music that I can give people something to
enjoy,” said Soileau.
It is hard for Soileau to pick his favorite thing about music.
“Sometimes listening, sometimes playing it, I guess the thing I
enjoy the most is that music is fluid, if that makes any sense,” said
Soileau.
He also enjoys the fact that there is no right or wrong answer in
music. Perhaps that is why he enjoys jazz and folk music especially.
Some of his favorite bands include the Bulgarian folk band Ivo
Papasov and the recently deceased alternative experimenter
Captain Beefheart among many others.
Soileau’s compositions do not start with a formula, rather they
start as a feeling or musical texture that he wants to express. He
describes his pieces as more rhythmically and harmonically driven
rather than the recent norm of melody driven music. “Sometimes
I’ll just sit down at the piano and improvise for long periods what
I hear in my head (to help him compose),” said Soileau.
He considers orchestration, the arranging of a piece, a very time
consuming and tedious process. “The Mistral,” is incomplete and
essentially is an outline or blueprint. “Its missing many of the rich
textures I originally imagined,” said Soileau.
Soileau recommends that young composers should not be
overly critical of their work. “If they have an idea, use it, they can
always go back and fix it later,” said Soileau.
This is the chocolatey dessert that is making its way into America. You can find these
treats at your local Safeway.
COURTESY OF THE INTERNET
Australian dessert brings joy to Tigers
by Aidan Griffith
Opinions Editor
The history of everything is made up of revolutions. Not just the
historical revolutions of France, America and other countries but
also revolutions on a cultural level. While most cultural revolutions
are about painting, sculpture or literature, the culinary ones are
buried under the surface.
Often some of the most exciting changes in food are hidden
and obscure. “Tim tam slamming” or simply “slamming” is one
of those major changes which make you feel excited about the
direction the world of food is going. Slamming is marriage of
two simple treats, the Tim Tam biscuit, one of Australia’s favorite
cookies, and a myriad of different drinks, including the Spokane
favorite, hot chocolate. What follows in this
partnership is at times silly, serious and
spiritual.
One takes two opposite corners of the Tim
Tam, a cookie akin to a Twix bar in content,
and bites them off. Then the slammer dips
one of the corners into the drink and sucks
through the opposite corner using the Tim
Tam as straw. As soon as the slammer feels
the hot chocolate they pop the Tim Tam in
their mouth and eat. The experience that
follows is what gives slamming its pedigree.
“The sensation you feel is almost
indescribable,” said senior Holden Miller.
“There is no specific description that does
it justice, you need to experience it.”
“The sweet nectar of cocoa comes rushing
through the Tim Tam’s crumbly interior; its
magic,” said freshman Fionn Hunter-Green
“It’s a ritual everyone needs to experience,” said freshman Evie
Vanderwende
While the whole premise sounds silly, it has rapidly become a
cultural phenomenon with a complex set of rituals being formed
by some LC students.
“You have to have candles around the plate of Tim Tams and do
it in a dining room,” said Miller. “It’s an artform.”
Vanderwende even constructed a derivative of the Lord’s Prayer
to say before every slam.
And while most LC students still prefer hot chocolate, some
students like Senior Kira Elmer are experimenting with other
drinks
“I tried slamming with yerba mate the other day,” said Elmer.
“It was amazing.”
The
JOURNAL
Issue 5
April 26, 2011
Features
Weisenburger
sells first painting
by Chloe McKinnie
“I have been thinking a lot about being a
book illustrator,” She said.
Staff Writer children’s
Weisenburger sold her first painting as a
result of seeing a flyer about an exhibit for
Senior Mary Weisenburger started young artists. She entered two of her oil
painting two years ago. Her sophomore paintings in the art exhibit.
year, she was
Selling a piece
bored and signed
called
“Young
up for a painting
Buck,” a deer
class.
Shortly
dressed in a suit
after taking this
and a tie put $200
class, she signed
in her pocket. “It
up for studio art
was pretty nice.
and really got
It was mostly a
into
painting.
relief to get rid
“Painting is really
of it because it
enjoyable and a
was huge. It was
good way for me
nice to have the
to relieve stress,”
extra spending
We i s e n b u r g e r
money
too,”
said.
We i s e n b u rge r
Weisenburger is
said.
inspired by many
Weisenburger
different artists.
plans on selling
One
of
her
more paintings in
favorite artists is
the future. She
Egon Schiele, an
has more sitting
Austrian painter.
in her studio to
His work is known
sell. She would
for the intensity
love to have the
of his pieces.
LC
community
PHOTO BY CHLOE’ MCKINNIE
Weisenburger
buy some of her
says that she is interested in
also draws and Weisenburger
paintings.
doing illustrations for children’s books.
wants to try out
“She has a lot to
sculpture,
but
learn, but selling
hasn’t gotten around to it. She says her a painting is a step. You’re always striving
parents are one of her biggest supporters. and growing as an artist. When you sell a
Weisenburger has her own art studio in piece as a young artist, it always validates
her basement. “It was actually a guest you. Mary appears to be a young artist,
room that I gutted out and made it my but she is still in high school so she has a
own art studio,” Weisenburger said.
way to go,” Hawley said.
Teachers in the LC art department also
“They are not that expensive, I do
support Weisenburger. “She was in one commissions too if anyone’s interested,”
of my classes, but even if she wasn’t, we Weisenburger said. Weisenburger takes
all support each other and critique. It’s suggestions on paintings. “I am willing to
incredible; we’re all one big art family,” LC do anything as long as it is not offensive,”
art teacher Mackenzie Hawley said.
she said.
Weisenburger is hoping to attend Pacific
Anybody can talk to Weisenburger about
Northwest College of Arts in Portland, purchasing a painting anytime if you
Oregon. She is hoping to attend this see her walking down the halls. You can
college for painting, but Weisenburger also contact her about her paintings at
also has an interest in being an illustrator. veisenburgar@gmail.com
PHOTO BY JANICE SMITH
Page 6
Rules of the road for bicyclists and
pedestrians are practically the same.
The only exceptions are that bicyclists
must wear helmets, have reflectors,
and use the bike lanes instead of the
road. If they do disobey the rules of
the road, they can be ticketed a fine
that is equivalent to that of a driver.
Rules for pedestrians include not walking on the highway, using crosswalks,
and not standing in the middle of the
road.
Follow Spokane’s
rules of the road
by Janice Smith
Staff Writer
If you ride a bike to school or walk, you
should follow and learn all the rules of the
road. For, instance, if you are jaywalking
than you can be ticketed or just warned.
The road rules for pedestrians and bicyclists are almost the same, but they have a
slightly different twist to them. If you are
riding or walking across the street than
you may be ticketed for jay walking if you
are not at a cross walk. Officer Dan Johnson said that, “A jay-walking ticket in 2006
was $114 for one woman and I don’t think
that it has changed much.”
The laws for pedestrians and the laws
for bikes are similar, as MyCummute.org
states, except bicyclists have even more
laws than pedestrians do: they have to
wear helmets and they need reflectors,
and they have to respect the cars and the
bike lanes. If you violate traffic laws, you
may be ticketed with the same penalty as
cars.
Rules that pedestrians have to abide by
include: no walking on the highway, no
standing in the middle of the road, and always cross at a crosswalk. These rules and
guidelines are not necessarily what people
follow, but they are the law.
If you do not follow these rules than it
is fair to say that you should be ticketed,
but you can also get hurt if you do not follow these rules. The rules of the road are
sometimes not enforced. “Usually people
don’t care. Sometimes we get someone
who honks but mostly nobody cares,” said
junior Alison Keenan.
Can get hurt by riding without a helmet,
and that can include getting a concussion.
You are riding in the street instead of a
bike lane you can be faulted in an accident.
In Spokane, you have to ride a bike with
a helmet or you can be fined. Freshman,
Alexandria Copeland said, “The Helmet
law is pointless because it is not enforced.”
Rules that pedestrians have to abide by
include: no walking on the highway, no
standing in the middle of the road, and always crossing at a crosswalk. These rules
and guidelines are not necessarily what
people follow, but they are the law. Also
these rules do not apply to cars themselves.
If you go night biking you need only one
different thing, lights and reflectors are
required: a white light in the front that
is visible for 500 feet and a red reflector
required for the back and must shine 800
feet behind your bike. According to sophomore, Olga Shevchenko do people follow
the rules of the road, “No one follows
those, we only have one rule and that is
we run against traffic.” Even if you are following all the rules, you need to watch out
for cars.
On the road, bicyclists may ride side by
side, but no more than two beside each
other and if you are in a big group stay with
a partner so you do not get lost. Freshman
Katelynn Dobson said, “I like riding with a
friend because you can discuss stuff.”
The rules of the road can be found in
books and on the internet. You need to
follow these rules for, “there are many different types of jay-walking,” according to
Johnson. There are many ways to get tickets or to get a warning.
PHOTO COURTESEY OF INTERNET
Independent writers
publish their work at the Ponderlounge
by Emily Parkes
Staff Writer
Any young adult can publish their writing
to the world at PonderLounge.org, an
interactive literary community dedicated
to middle and high school students.
PonderLounge allows you to explore
your literary creativity while having the
option to publish your works online and
receive comments from other “Loungers”
and Literary Artists such as teachers,
authors and college seniors in the
relevant fields of study. PounderLounge
takes an innovative approach to literary
practice by allowing members to do free
writes, respond to prompts and enter
contests to be published online for free.
PonderLounge offers many activities for
Loungers (members of PonderLounge)
including writing prompts, free writes,
“CreateAFriend,” contests and more.
For people pursuing a major in writing
or English in college, want to stretch their
creativity, gain insight into working with
an online organization, or just simply
love writing, PonderLounge also offers
a high school internship. Interns dive
deep into the lives of one of the four
PounderLounge “Residents,” or characters,
and blog twice a week “in character”.
Interns get to help develop regular
blogs while receiving direct coaching
from the PounderLounge founders.
PonderLounge also has frequent contests
that loungers can enter, receive prizes and
is a great way to gain recognition for hard
work and creativity. Past contest prompts
include “Places in Poetry,” “Valentine’s
Day Poem,” “What if I Met a Famous
Person” and “Rapid Rant Halloween.”
Prizes for contests include anything from
chocolates to Barnes and Noble Gift Cards.
Co-creators Anita Chung and
Lori Burke created the concept of
PonderLounge while both of their
families were living in Shanghai, China.
Chung grew up in Hong Kong and has
been living in the US on and off for 25
years. She worked in the hi-tech field
with a focus on international business
development and licensing. After the
birth of her second child, Chung quit her
traveling career, focused on consulting
with a few startups, and in 2005 accepted
a foreign assignment in Shanghai, China
where she mentored several local
Chinese people to build their small
business. Chung now lives in the, what
she calls “most caffeine-charge, Vitamin-D
deficient city” of Seattle with her family.
“I love it when I read submissions that
touch my heart,” said Chung, “ and They
really help dissipate the cloud over the
Seattle sky. I also enjoy the interaction
with the loungers; it really gives me a
sense of community. But, most of all,
it’s very gratifying how PounderLounge
becomes the voice for the members,
especially the very active bunch!”
Burke grew up outside of Boston, MA
and has lived in Atlanta, GA, Shanghai,
China, and now Fort Meyers, FL with her
husband and two daughters. While living
in Shanghai, Burke was involved in many
community outreach programs, charities
and was the Executive director for Shanghai
Sunrise, an educational sponsorship
program. Burke also experienced working
in China as a marketing consultant.
“PonderLounge gives me an opportunity
to share my love of writing with young
people,” said Burke, “and I am amazed
every time I read their submissions. Young
people have so much to say, and they say
it so wonderfully, bravely and confidently.
PonderLounge gives young people a
chance to write with courage and not
worry about their writing being perfect
– the only prerequisite for submission is
creative, honest and authentic writing.”
SPORTS
Issue 5
April 26, 2011
Page 7
Track picks up pace after weather delays
by Alexis Storms
Photography Editor
After a slow start to the beginning of
their season, the boys and girls track teams
have picked up the pace as the weather has
improved. Both the girls and boys teams
won their meet against Rogers on April 14.
At the beginning of the spring sports
season, most teams have had to face
the treacherous weather conditions
of Spokane’s prolonged winter. The
track team had to have their first few
practices in the LC Field House due to
the poor weather. Limited gym space
left the team drilling inside and running
through the streets of downtown.
Junior distance runner Grafton Pannell
said, “The weather has not really
affected the distance team because we
can run on the road but I know for the
rest of the team that needs the track
they have gotten off to a later start.”
Eventually, the team made it up to Hart
Field where they had to shovel the track
and face the bitter cold. Senior thrower
Dani McCammon said, “Sure the weather
hasn’t been great this season so far but we
have all practiced through the rain and the
snow and we are better prepared than most
other schools that haven’t got to practice
outside much because they are wimps.”
Now that it is warming up outside,
track practices are in full swing and
the team is ready to compete to their
fullest potential. “Weather never stops
the LC Track team,” said McCammon.
The winning team at a track meet is
based on the group score. Group scores
are compiled of each competitor’s
individual scores. Even though the boys
and girls teams’ scores are separate
from each other in meets, the teams
still practice and compete together.
The majority of the team practices every
school day at Hart Field, the distance
teams also practice on Saturdays. Pannell
said that “Practices are difficult and a
good solid workout but very doable and
good for us to become better runners.”
Senior distance runner Jackson
Shumaker said that “the distance
events are widely regarded as
having the most difficult practices.”
The JV team does core exercises and
stretching on top of running five to
six miles per practice. Shumaker said,
“This is fairly tame however, as it is not
uncommon for the varsity squad to run
10 to 12 miles in a practice, or as long
as two hours on a Saturday practice.”
The track team has the greatest
number of athletes out of all the teams
at LC, and most track members agree
PHOTO BY CAPPY SPRUANCE
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JEREMY DIETZ
Junior sprinter Amar Johnson ends his
race against CV at Hart Field.
Junior Abbi Johnson and senior
Maddie Ballou race to a close finish.
that this team is all about competing
at a high level and having a lot of fun.
McCammon hopes to beat her personal
records and do well at Regionals and make
it to State. Pannell said has also set some
goals for himself for the season. He said, “I
expect to improve my time and hopefully
run around a 4:45 or under for the 1600.”
McCammon said, “For the team I
expect everyone to try their hardest, stay
connected and have a lot of fun! We have
a great, strong group of girls this year.”
Their next meet will take place on April
28 at Hart Field.
Allen and Lovell
swim at YMCA Nationals
Winning at Nationals brings
scholarship and sponsorship opportunities
by Bridgette Olson
Staff Writer
Junior Teague Knapton proudly shows off his “shotgun sweep” in celebration of
his new spot on the Professional Inline Speed skating Circuit.
Teague Knapton
skates his way to the top
by Cappy Spruance
Ad Manager
Junior Teague Knapton recently received
a spot on the Professional Inline Speed
skating Circuit. Knapton has been inline
speed skating for almost three years and
is now sponsored by Luigino Racing. He
used to be a self-proclaimed “aggressive
skater,” skating at skate parks until his
friend got him into organized skating at
Pattison’s North Skating Center.
“Pattison’s has public sessions on
Friday and Saturday nights,” Knapton
said, “so I went, and one night Sean
Pattison [the owner] saw me and said I
was fast and should try on some inline
skates. Apparently I was good at it.”
Pattison’s North has an inline team which
ranges from ages 6 to 51. “Obviously, we
practice depending on age,” Knapton said,
“so I’m not practicing with the 6 year old.”
Knapton added that he likes being on a
team with people of such varying ages.
The Pattison’s North team usually has
one home meet a year, during a season
which lasts from October until Nationals in
June. Most of the teams in Washington are
located in Seattle, but inline speed skating
is an international sport.
The National Speed skating Circuit (NSC)
accepted only the top 28 of the nation’s
skaters at the beginning of this year, and
Knapton was one of them. “NSC is team
related but also more individual [than
skating on a team at Pattison’s North],”
said Knapton. “It’s cool because now that
I’m sponsored I get my equipment for free
and I just put the word out about Luigino.”
“It’s an adrenaline rush,
and it’s an underground
sport so everybody knows
everybody.”
Knapton enjoys the camaraderie of his
teams as well as the speed and energy of
skating. “ It’s an adrenaline rush, and it’s
kind of an underground sport so everybody
knows everybody.” When asked if he
thought he would continue skating for
years to come, Knapton said, “My coach is
a world champ and stopped skating when
he was 19 because he’d made such good
money. It’s not gonna fulfill my life forever
but it’s a good way to meet people and
travel the world if that’s what you wanna
do.”
Knapton also won first place at
nationals
for
Novice
Sophomore
Men last summer. He participates
in track and football at LC as well.
If you are interested in speed skating in
Spokane, visit pattisonsnorth.com/speed.
LC students senior Coleman Allen and junior Ben Lovell competed
in the YMCA swimming nationals for
four days during spring break, between April 5 and 8. The competition
took place in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
“We got involved with the YMCA tournament because our team is sponsored
by them,” Allen said. “We all had a really
good time.”
During the four day nationwide event,
over 1600 people came to participate in
nationals this year. “We probably had the
longest way to go to nationals,” Lovell said.
“Most people were from the east coast,
and not many people were going from
the Northwest, though there were people
from all over.”
“On our trip six girls from Mt. Spokane
came along with us.” Lovell said. “I started
swimming four years ago, my younger sister began swimming, and I wasn’t doing so
well in soccer, so I tried out swimming and
loved it.”
“I swam the 100 and 200 yards,” Allen
said. “I placed first in the 100 fly, second in
the 400 IM, third in the 200 IM, and fifth in
the 200 fly.”
The fly is swimming using the butterfly
stroke, while the IM stands for individual
medley. Individual medley consists of a
single swimmer swimming equal distances
of four different strokes within one race
according to Wikipedia.org.
“During the competition I came in ninth
for the 100 fly, ninth in the 100 free, fifth in
the 50 free, and I’m not sure what I came
in for the 100 back,” Lovell said.
Free stands for free style swimming. Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style
used in swimming competitions according
to the rules of FINA, or the international
federation recognized by the International
Olympic Committee (IOC), they regulate
the rules of competitive swimming according to Ymca.com.
The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this
style is generally the fastest. As such the
term freestyle is often used as a synonym
for the front crawl, while the back is swimming using the backstroke. The backstroke, also sometimes called the back
crawl, is one of the four swimming styles
regulated by FINA, and the only regulated
style swum on the back according to Wikipedia.org.
Winning at nationals can mean many
things for the swimmers participating,
including scholarships and also receiving
sponsor offers.
“I am going to continue to keep swimming after I graduate,” Allen said. “I received a swimming scholarship to the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.”
“I would love to continue swimming after
high school; it is something I really enjoy.”
PHOTO BY JULIO MARCO PINEDA
Senior Coleman Allen and junior Ben Lovell share a hug upon their return from
the YMCA Swimming Nationals that took place April 5-8 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Sports
The
JOURNAL
Page 8
Issue 5
April 26 2011
Boys Soccer kicks grass
by Sarah Wood
Staff Writer
2011 seems to be the year for tiger
soccer success. With the girls team coming
off an undefeated GSL title victory in the
fall, the boys hope to represent the orange
and black on the soccer pitch this spring.
The group has already played spoiler to
the league leading Ferris Saxons with a
2-1 victory in front of a ruckus Hart Field
crowd, the third year in a row that the
tigers have beaten their South Hill rivals.
The nine seniors on the roster, including
two future division one collegiate athletes,
Christian Foster (University of San
Francisco) and Jamal Angell (Sacramento
State), are all veterans. “One of our
strengths is that we have a lot of varsity
experience and skill across the board,”
said senior defender Ben Hagood. The
tigers will look to that experience to carry
them through the league season.
As a major team goal, the tigers are
PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES NISBET
Sacramento State recruit senior Jamal Angell sends off five Cheney defenders.
determined to make the post season. “We
only missed a playoff berth by one game
last year so that’s high on our priority list
this season,” said senior Kevin Dunham.
“If they all play for each other and not
as individuals, this team can be very
successful,” said Coach Casey Curtis.
Functioning as a unit is key in all
team sports and at times it can come
PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMMY BEEMER
Fastpitch has
the winning itch
by Sarah Wood
Staff Writer
The 2011 tiger fast pitch team is optimistic
about the future. The young team with
only three seniors is in a building period.
However, “this just means we’ll only
get better from here,” said sophomore
returner Emma Bragg.
The squad is led by senior captain Emily
Ness and junior captain Sammy Beemer.
Ness, a catcher and Beemer, a pitcher,
were both part of the 2009 LC Fast
pitch team that upset the GSL
champion U-high to make it to
the state regional tournament
with a record of 8-17. This year’s
team hopes to continue that
underdog success.
The only thing standing in
their way is a lack of varsity
experience. With several new
players, including many that
float between varsity and junior
varsity, the 2011 tigers have
struggled to establish a team
identity as of yet. “Learning
to play together and learning
each other’s strengths and
weaknesses is one challenge we
have as a team,” said Ness, “We
have a young team.”
However, the tigers did show
the progress they’ve made in
a 5-0 shutout of the Gonzaga
Prep Bull Pups. “We played
great defense and didn’t give
up any runs,” said senior Megan
Haux. They also displayed great
teamwork as they “played with
heart,” said Ness.
With the loss of last season’s
all GSL first team seniors Rachel
Head and Kendall Pavey, the
tigers have big shoes to fill. The two had
led the team since their freshman year
and were both high impact players. “I
think our captains have done a good job
stepping into a leadership role, especially
since Kendall and Rachel have left,” said
senior Miranda Gadau.
Generally, not many student spectators
turn out to the games, and the players
hope to see that change. “Everybody
should come out and watch our games!”
said Bragg. The extra support might just
propel the girls to playoff success.
as a weakness for the tigers. “We don’t
communicate as a team very well on the
field,” said Dunham. However, as the Ferris
game proved, with the right mindset, all
that can be easily overcome. “The guys
that were called upon to step up really
stepped up. We played for each other,”
said Hagood.
The Tigers experienced a rough pre
season only to turn the corner in the Ferris
game. They lost to the Saxons prior to the
regular season only to find revenge in front
of a home crowd. “The fans were crazy,”
said senior Dillion Bush. “It was a super
intense game,” said junior Nick Doran.
Prior to the game, the Saxons were on
a 4-0 winning streak, scoring 12 goals and
keeping a perfect shutout. The tigers held
them to one goal while Foster was able
to muster together two on the offensive
front. “I felt like we came out and got after
it,” said Dunham.
It is clear that the squad has the ability
to take down top tier opponents. The
Spokesman Review predicted the tigers
to finish in the middle of the pack. If they
keep up their current momentum, they
have a chance at a top half finish, and if
not, they could easily spoil others’ title
dreams.
Come support the tiger boys soccer team
as they look to advance late into the post
season. Their last home game is April 29
against Prep.
SPORTS
The
JOURNAL
Issue 5
April 26 2011
Page 9
Golfers start strong, strive for state
by Kate Dinnison
Sports Editor
In striving to continue on with the teams’ previous success, LC’s
golf team has started their season with confident fervor.
Despite bringing on four new varsity players this year, the boys
team won their first GSL match and is projected to be fourth
overall in the GSL. “I hope we could remain GSL champs,” said
sophomore Joey Garrison.
“We are a lot better that they think we are,” said junior JM
Larson. J. Larson also won they boy’s first GSL tournament,
shooting 70.
As for the girl’s team, only one senior graduated from last year’s
team and one senior, Pilar Alfaro, remains. “The new batch of
Freshman is really promising. They are the future,” said history
teacher and girls golf coach Michelle Grafos.
In their first GSL matches on March 30, both the girls and boys
teams won. Junior Megan Haase shot a 72, a score that would
win her the tournament, at the Shriver Cup on March 21.
In another tournament on April 20, both the teams placed first,
making them only one GSL match away from champions. Junior
Sydney Kersten and senior Robby McKee both placed second.
“I am looking to build on the same success that we have had for
the fast five years,” said Grafos.
“This year we get seven spots for state and we are planning on
winning it all,” said Junior Katie Larson.
High School golf programs have a fraction as many students
participate as other sports. “That’s what makes us unique,” said
Grafos.
K. Larson said, “Overall with guys and girls combined, we can
only have 30 players. That’s as many as Indian Canyon can take.”
The athletes tried out and practice at Indian Canyon Golf Course
as well as Manito Country Club’s course.
Physical education teacher and boys coach Jim Travis said, “I
didn’t cut anyone; they just decided whether they wanted to put
time into it.”
Spaces are limited when it comes to playing tournaments,
though. About four or six athletes are able to compete in
invitationals and other tournaments.
“The boys are competitive when it comes to playing in
tournaments,” said Travis.
Senior Robbie McKee, a returning state qualifier is attending
Westminster College and has been recruited for their golf
program.
“I want to play college golf, hopefully, for a big school,” said
junior Megan Haase.
One of the strengths of the team is that “even without many
seniors, we’re still pretty close,” said McKee.
Some athletes agree that because the team is very relaxed, one
of their weaknesses is that they tend to goof off. “We all have our
share of laughs,” said Garrison.
Watch out for the teams’ future games and their participation in
the state events, May 23-25.
Junior Megan Haase shoots an 81 at a
tournament in Liberty lake.
Baseball
has playoff
hopes
Girls tennis
serves
by Ruthie Jablonsky
Editor-in-Chief
The Tiger girls varsity tennis team this
year is comprised of 16 strong players;
five seniors, six juniors, three sophomores
and two freshmen. With a few setbacks
due to Spokane’s ever changing spring
weather, the girls began matches late in
March. History teacher and Coach John
Kenlein has been coaching girls’ tennis for
many years and looks forward to many
great seasons.
Their first match, against EV, on March
22, resulted in a smattering of results.
Some wins and some losses, but overall a
good experience to start the pre- season
with.
Senior Malea Webb said, “As a team we
won’t be that good, but Hayley and I will
probably make it to state.”
Webb and partner Hayley Hendrickson
made all GSL first team last year and
according to Webb plan on going far this
year again.
“A few of my hopes at the beginning
of the season were to have numerous
practices, opportunities to see
growth with repetitions, and different
partnerships in doubles,” said Kenlein,
“with the rainy March this did not
happen.”
So far as a team the girls have defeated
East Valley, Rogers and North Central.
Hendrickson said, “As a team we hope
to finish top three in the GSL.”
The girls have hardly been able to play
any matches or even practice because of
the weather, but they nonetheless have
high hopes for the coming season.
Although there have been only a
few practices, the team is focused and
working towards qualifying for regionals
and then hopefully state.
“At this point the focus is getting
through league matches, playing well
in districts, qualifying for regionals in
Wenatchee, and then state will either be
there for us or it won’t,” said Kenlein.
“I don’t think we’ll go to state as a team,
but there are some people on the team
who have the potential to go,” said senior
Sarah Silha.
Sophomore Mia Martincic said, “This
year the team is strong and although
many of the practices have been
cancelled, we have still been able to do
well in our matches.”
On varsity, Junior Haley Strandness is
the number one singles player and junior
Rachel Smith is number two.
The next matches, if the weather stays
agreeable, are today against Mead, at
Mead.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE GRAFOS
by Allison Little
Staff Writer
PHOTO COURTESY OF BLAKE BEKKEN
Seniors Kenny Rukivina and Holden Miller hit the courts to face G-Prep.
Boys tennis
raises a racquet
by Nick Cypro
Staff Writer
The LC boys’ tennis team entered the
spring season with high hopes to go along
with its current undefeated league record.
The Varsity team has an overall GSL record
of 4-0 as of April 19, with wins over NC,
U-High, CV and Rogers. In addition, the
team has won non-league meets against
Post Falls, Coeur d’Alene, U-High and
Medical Lake and lost to G-Prep.
Coach Tobin Phelps is in his tenth year as
head coach, and said that so far the season
has lived up to his expectations. “We have
a better athlete turnout this year than the
past two years,” he said.
According to Phelps, it has been hard to
tell how good the team is so far because of
all the weather cancellations to practices
and matches. “We haven’t played the real
competitive teams yet, but we’ll know in
the next few weeks where we really stand”
he said.
Varsity senior Holden Miller said that
although G-Prep and Ferris are the
favorites for this year’s GSL title, the Tigers
still have a chance. “We’re shooting for a
finish in the top three spots,” he said.
Miller said he was one of the worst
players on the team freshman year, and
attributes his success to hard work and
determination. “It takes time to get good
this sport,” he said.
Austin Dixon, another senior playing
doubles on Varsity, is only in his first year
playing tennis. “Last year was the first time
I picked up a tennis racquet, so I’m glad to
be playing on Varsity now,” he said.
Senior Scott Wortley said that the team’s
strengths this year include high levels of
determination, heart and participation.
“We don’t have a weakness that I can
think of,” he said.
According to senior Varsity member
Henry Slater, the two best singles players
are Chase Klingel and Tyler Davis. “They
probably have the best chance of getting
past Districts,” said Slater.
JV, on the other hand, has a 2-2 record
for the time being. Senior Sterling Hebner,
however, has won all four of his JV doubles
matches with partner Ben Waples despite
this being his first year on the team. “We
kill it,” said Hebner.
As far as team expectations go, Phelps
said that it is tough to say yet where the
team will finish in the GSL. “G-Prep is the
favorite, followed by Ferris. Otherwise it is
wide open so we hope to finish in the top
three,” Phelps said.
According to Phelps, the team this year
has a good balance of singles and doubles
players, and all ten Varsity players will get
to compete at Districts. “My hope is to
have at least one doubles and one singles
team advance to Regionals,” he said.
The team has six matches left before the
JV competes at all-city and Varsity heads
into Districts.
Throughout the spring sports season,
LC’s baseball team has fought to earn their
place in the play-offs. They hope to turn
their 5-10 season score around with help
from four returning varsity seniors, seven
new varsity juniors and senior captains
Dakota Dubois and Dillon Smith.
In their first game of the season, held
on March 17 at Hart field, they won 11-7
against East Valley. Although they lost the
following five games (two games against
SP with scores of 3-5 and 1-8, two games
against U-High with scores of 3-12 and
0-18, and one game against Moses Lake
with a score of 0-10) they pulled together
to win the next game on March 30,
defeating NC with a final score of 11-1.
The tigers were up against NC the next
day and defeated them, yet again, with a
score of 6-1.
“Some of us are experienced, and some
of us are not. Were just trying our hardest
to grow as a team,” said Dubois.
The two games that came next were
both against Ferris, one on April 1 and the
other on April 5. The scores were 4-20 and
0-13. At their game against Mead the next
day, on April 6, they defeated the Panthers
9-7.
The Head Coach for the Varsity team is
English teacher Dexter Davisis returning
for his twenty first year of coaching.
“I think we have a lot of less experienced
guys,” said Head Varsity Coach Dexter
Davis. “But I think that if we can round up
a couple of wins, we could possibly be a
play-off team. We have a decent defensive
team and we’ve had decent pitching this
season too.”
“We started the season out kind of slow,
but we won a game against Mead, who is
a very good opponent so I think were on
the upside,” said Smith. “Were still pretty
talented, so I think we’ll finish the year off
strong.”
When the Tigers had a chance to beat
Mead again on April 12, they did not pull
through and Mead ended up winning with
a score of 9-2. LC lost the following two
games against Rogers on April 14 (with a
score of 2-6) and Mt. Spokane on April 19
(with a score of 0-8) but won their next
game on April 20 against Rogers with a
winning score of 15-5. This loss gave the
team a 5-10 score for the season.
Junior Evan Brum said that at the
beginning of the season, “we had a lot of
practices cancelled, and a lot of practices
inside and that’s obviously tough.”
The
JOURNAL
Page 10
Opinion
PHOTO BY RUTHIE JABLONSKY
Dear
Cappy
Dear Cappy,
Apparently my visage resembles that of a troll and
nobody is ashamed to point that out. My friends always
refer to me as “Troll” and I can’t remember the last time I
have been called by my real name. I have never felt so destroyed and shattered in my life. I wake up every morning
paralyzed with hatred and fear for the coming day. What
should I do?
-
Troll
Dear Troll,
It’s not okay for people to treat you badly, especially
if they are supposed to be your friends. I don’t know if
you’ve told them how you feel about this, but you definitely should; maybe they aren’t aware of how much
they’re hurting you.
If they still don’t stop, distance yourself from them
and find some new friends. I know that’s hard, but it’s
definitely for the best; friends are supposed to build you
up, not tear you down. Everyone looks different, and
you’ll find good friends who love you for who you are,
no matter what you look like.
-
Cappy
Dear Cappy,
My friend told me she’s cheating on her boyfriend.
I’m friends with him too and I don’t know what to do!
Help!
-
I Don’t Wanna Know!
Dear Don’t Wanna Know,
That’s a big hunk of news for your friend to drop
on you, especially when you’re both friends. I think
the main thing to ask yourself is this: if you had a
boyfriend who was cheating on you, would you want
your friend to let you know about it? If the answer is
yes, then there’s your answer.
If you don’t think it’s any of your business, then you
should confront your girl friend first. Tell her how you
feel about what she’s doing, and if she still doesn’t
tell him, consider letting him know yourself. I know
it’s a tricky situation, but if you communicate with
them everything will work out.
-
Cappy
Dear Cappy,
My boyfriend and I have been dating for a while and it
feels like we’re running out of things to talk about or do.
We both still like each other and don’t want to break up,
so what can we do to make the relationship interesting
again?
-
Talker
Dear Talker,
Spice things up! Try to think of things you two did
when you were first dating: go on actual dates to dinner,
the movies, bowling or coffee. Sometimes, when people
date for long periods of time they start to just get used
to each other, so do some spontaneous things!
Personally, I think you should serenade him outside
his window.
-
Cappy
Find the pink drop box in the library to get
your questions answered by Cappy.
ISSUE 5
APRIL 26 2011
U.S. to help in
Middle East unrest?
PHOTO COURTESY OF INTERNET
by Kate Dinnison
Sports Editor
Protesters from all corners of
the globe have come out of their
homes to gather and fight for a
well-needed political reform in
Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and
many more countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa.
America’s recent blip concerning the Wisconsin protests cannot
compare to the millions of people
who have left their homes to go
and chant for their country, maybe
never to return again.
These past few months will
be known as the start of revolutions for these countries.
The first uprisings started in
Tunisia, where a wave of street
protests ousted the authoritarian
president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali,
who had ruled for 23 years according to the New York Times.
This uprising, given the name
“The Jasmine Revolution,” caused
the death of 78 civilians and 94
injured by a Tunisian government
figure. In the country’s transition
into a multiparty democracy, it
is vulnerable, and may fall into a
state of anarchy.
Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s former
President, resigned after over a
month of demand for his resignation by his own people, only to be
temporarily replaced by the military.
"By stepping down, President
Mubarak responded to the Egyptian people's hunger for change,
but this is not the end of Egypt's
transition. It's the beginning," said
President Barak Obama in an address after the unrest started.
Obama promised the people of
Egypt, “We (USA) stand ready to
provide whatever assistance is necessary and asked for to pursue a
credible transition to a democracy.”
Another ally of Egypt’s, Israel, has expressed its concern
about Egypt turning into an Islamic theocracy, much like the
Iranian Revolution in 1979 according to Up Front Magazine.
Meanwhile, Libya, under Colonel
Muammar al-Qaddafi, has flung itself into a civil war. Qaddafi’s army
continues to battle rebel forces
over cities and oil facilities, leaving
towns in ruin and refugees without
homes. Many are fleeing into Tunisia, some north to Europe.
Earlier this month, France shut it’s
border to trains coming from Italy.
This is a precaution to stop the flow
of immigrants from north Africa
into France.
These refugees have fled with
good reason. Their tyrant of a leader has vowed to track down and kill
protestors and to die as a martyr
for his country. “I will fight on to
the last drop of my blood,” Qaddafi
said in a television address in
February.
Rebels and Qaddafi have
continued to divide the country, in addition to an US intervention, which enforced a
no-fly zone over the country
to stop air attacks. The US
with the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO,) most
recently struck regime forces
in parts of Libya in order to
help and protect civilians.
US intervention has been
controversial. One argument
is that the US already has
their fingers in too many pies.
We aid Japan and have troops
in Afganistan, and sending a
force to North Africa is pricy,
something that a country in a
recession might not be able to
handle.
It’s for all the better, though.
North Africa is in dire need of
assistance, whether they want
it or not. At this point NATO is
just trying not to repeat the
events that happened in Cambodia in the mid-century, or in
Bosnia.
My, and most people’s hopes
are that Qaddafi will step
down and stop murdering
citizens of his own country, letting these countries of North
Africa have a chance to obtain
a stable, peaceful government
sometime on the future.
Female athlete
speaks out against sexism
by Olivia Noble
Guest Writer
When you think basketball, you
think a girl’s team and a boy’s
team, right? Same with soccer,
tennis, and golf. But when you hear
football you ONLY think of boys. As
for me, when I hear the word football, it’s so much more than just a
word or even a sport. For me football is life, and I can’t have it in my
life anymore because I’m a high
school girl.
I played on the “boys” tackle football league, Pop Warner, for four
years on the same team. We were
undefeated one year and won the
state championship. The other
years we only lost to one team.
During many of the games, the
other team never knew I was “the
girl” until the end of the game
when I would take off my helmet.
It was with this experience, this
knowledge and confidence that
I turned out for the football program at LC. I went to the football
meeting and was the only girl. The
reception given me was “chilly” to
say the least.
It was the most isolated I had
ever felt. When I played for all
those years before, I was always
part of the team. This time, I was
in a different locker room.
I wasn’t included in the team
meetings that happened in the
locker room. Nearly all of the
players would not talk to me and
there was no team spirit—at least
not extended to me. Still this did
not deter me.
I knew I had to prove myself,
even more than I would have had
to prove myself if I was a boy. I
went out and caught a pass from
a former LC quarterback, a graduated senior, who came to help out
at practice. The pass was thrown
so hard it broke my finger. I never
told anyone. I did not react. I continued to play without showing
that I had a broken finger.
In the summer, I officially turned
out. I put on the equipment. I put
on my cleats, the ones I had worn
for the years before. It was at the
hottest time of the summer. It
was the most grueling physical experience I have ever experienced.
It was all day, with a lunch break. I
would sit in the girl’s locker room
and eat my lunch because none of
the boys wanted to sit with me. I
was so dehydrated I would black
in and out because we weren’t allowed a lot of water.
It wasn’t that I was a girl. There
were many boys throwing up,
falling over, blacking out. If you
messed up your whole group
would have to go back. You
would see players giving up and
going to the middle. The consequence was to have to do sit ups
and pushups. In fact, one of the
biggest wrestlers and football
players in our school went to
the middle at least three times.
I never went to the middle. Not
one time.
From the very beginning, I was
separated. The coaches immediately put me in with the “receivers.” I had always been a
lineman but was not allowed to
show what I could do in that regard. I was put with the other 24
receivers because of my size and
that I was a girl, so the assumption was made that I couldn’t
tackle.
I was never fast and my
strength was always hitting on
the line. There were so many
receivers that I had very little
chance of being able to play.
It was not my strength, and so
when I didn’t do well, the coaches could say “She’s outplayed.”
Continued on page 11
Opinion
The
JOURNAL
Issue 5
April 26 2011
Page 11
“Wasteland”
finds art in trash
by Nick Cypro
Staff Writer
PHOTO COURTESY OF INTERNET
Radiohead continues to delve into more eletronic music with “King of Limbs”
Radiohead: from
limbo to limbs
By Scott Strong
Staff Writer
Released on Valentine’s Day, one
day before the expected circulation,
Radiohead’s new album, “The King of
Limbs” has sparked controversy within
the ranks of their fans. As a Radiohead
faithful, I picked up the album not knowing
what to expect. Unorthodox and bold,
the eight tracks immediately trapped
me: Radiohead, while maintaining the
percussive, synth-based feel of previous
albums, has managed to create a
completely new persona.
“King of Limbs” has reinforced
Radiohead’s transition from the “guitar
band” of “Pablo Honey” and “The Bends”
to the electro-chirruping, synthesized
band of “Kid A” and “In Rainbows.” Sorry,
Bends fans.
In fact, any “In Rainbows” fan with half an
ear will see some similarities between the
two albums. Thom Yorke’s voice provides
continuity through “Lotus Flower,” which
recalls “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” from “In
Rainbows”. Although “The King of Limbs”
has been shaved down time-wise (with
8 tracks totaling 37 minutes, it’s their
shortest yet), it still features the synthsweeps common in their most recent bestseller. However, Radiohead has also taken
steps away from their former selves. This
is the 21st century Radiohead, after all.
Although the off-kilter rhythms of starting
track “Bloom” might throw listeners a
bit, but the intensity and African/jazzlike beats will draw them back for more.
And that’s just the beginning. Mid-album
track “Feral” fulfills Thom Yorke’s hints of a
dubstep/electronica feel, with its twisting
bass lines, Spanish guitar, and eccentric
organ chords.
Here’s what stands out about “King of
Limbs”: Radiohead, a band featuring
three guitarists, includes only a miniscule
amount of guitar in the album. The lack of
bold lead guitar creates an impressionistic
atmosphere, and also signifies Radiohead’s
willingness to branch out to new musical
spheres.
While some fans might despise the new
feel, I personally feel gratified by the shift.
Radiohead has a tendency to alter styles
between albums (compare “The Bends”
with “Kid A”), and “The King of Limbs”
satisfies this tradition. Come into the
album expecting something new, and you
will rewarded with having that expectation
met.
Rumors about a second, as-of-yet not
released, half of the album have been
the buzz of music blogs. The idea for
the album to be released as a double-LP
(two vinyls, both sides of which are used),
would mean that two songs are on each
side of the records. That seems a little
far-fetched, even for Radiohead, and
people now believe that a second CD will
be coming soon. This is not confirmed, of
course.
Anyone approaching this album
expecting the Radiohead of the ‘90s will
be sorely disappointed. Listeners ready
for a shifting Radiohead have another
exceptional album. In “The King of Limbs,”
Radiohead’s potential and adaptability has
been proven yet again.
Continued from Page 10 “Sexism”:
Of course I was outplayed. I didn’t
have the opportunity to play my position.
The coaches knew I had some skills
however. At one practice, one coach asked
if anyone knew how to get away from the
DB to get open for a pass. I told him I did,
and I showed him the swim move that I
had been taught and used in my previous
years. The coach told everyone that this
was “how you do it.” This coach was one
of the coaches that treated me fairly oneon-one.
It is not that I could have been this
first string, amazing player. What I am
angry about is that I was not given the
chance and not treated equally.
In the end, I went to every practice
(5 per week at 2 to 2 ½ hours each). I
went to every lunch meeting and stood
on the sidelines of every game. I did not
challenge the coaches. I did not act badly.
I was supportive of my team. It was an
enormous waste of my time.
It’s really important for you to know
that what I love about football is that it
is not about one person. It is about the
combined efforts of all eleven players on
the field. I was so fortunate to be coached
by someone who taught this to us very
strongly. It was never about “me”; it was
about “we”. In fact, the QB from my Pop
Warner team made it onto the Varsity
football team at Ferris his freshman year.
He also was the first string QB on the
freshman team. Out team was really that
good. All of us.
I didn’t turn out again for LC. I saw
no point. I only had maybe that year, my
sophomore year, and my junior year to
play as I’m sure I would not have been big
enough to play varsity. I certainly could
have played JV, if given the opportunity.
It seems like there are several coaches
around the country who are open-minded
enough to at least let the girls show what
they can do. You have to have sheer
determination and love for the sport and
the fierceness to play this sport. It saddens
me that this is limited to boys.
It is important to remember, that
soccer, basketball, tennis, golf, etc., all
started as male-only sports. We have
opened ourselves to the idea that girls
can play sports. In fact, youth soccer has
13% more injuries than youth football, but
you can actually buy pink soccer cleats.
Obviously, we as a society are OK with this.
After I played in Pop Warner, there
were several little girls in our town who
started playing because they saw that
yes, girls CAN play. I’m talking about little
girls: six, seven, eight and nine year olds
out there in the rain and mud playing with
the boys. Learning to be strong, to be part
of a team and to love this sport. I hope
that if they continue to play that the LC
football program will be receptive to their
participation.
Thanks to the Magic Lantern Theater,
Spokane’s moviegoers have been able to
view several of this year’s Oscar-nominated
documentaries in the last several months.
Among these was “Wasteland,” which
follows artist Vik Muniz as he travels back
to his hometown of Rio de Janeiro in an
effort to find his next art project.
His intention was to go to Jardim
Gramacho, one of the world’s largest
landfills, to carry out his audacious
plan. There, hundreds of workers pick
through the mountains of trash collecting
recyclables which are in turn sold.
At the beginning of the movie, Muniz
says, “What I really want to do is to be able
to change the lives of a group of people
with the same materials that they deal
with everyday.”
Without a doubt he accomplishes this
goal, as the people develop a deep sense
of pride and appreciation for what they
do. At the same time, the audience gains
a better realization of just how much of
an impact garbage has on the lives of the
pickers at Gramacho.
Muniz leaves it relatively unclear at the
beginning of the movie exactly how he
wants to accomplish this, but eventually
his plan comes to light. His hope is to work
with the people to recreate famous works
of art out of the objects found at the
dump, using the same workers as models
for the works.
After taking pictures of the pickers
imitating stances from famous paintings,
he projects the photos onto a huge canvas
spread out on the floor of a warehouse
and instructs the helpers on placing
objects to fill in the “pictures.” The results
are astonishing as the finish works, when
viewed from a distance, perfectly resemble
the individuals themselves.
Part of the movie’s excellence comes
from the emotional connections that
viewers develop with the characters, all
of which have amazing stories to share.
Most of these people are proud of the
work they do, which for many of them is
the only alternative to turning to a life of
drugs or prostitution.
Muniz takes and successfully sells
the portraits at modern art galleries
worldwide, earning over $250,000 for the
Jardim Gramacho Picker’s Association.
Thus, in addition to raising awareness for
the lives of the pickers, he is also able to
reward them for their hard work. In the
end, the audience’s journey proves truly
heartwarming.
Before its nomination for Best
Documentary at the Academy Awards,
“Wasteland” won many other awards
including the Audience’s Pick at the
Sundance Film Festival and was critically
hailed as one of the year’s most
inspirational films. Rotten Tomatoes gave
it the Golden Tomato Award for best
reviewed documentary of 2010.
COURTESY OF THE INTERNET
Artist Victor Muniz makes murals out of trash like this depiction of a worker at
the Jardim Gramacho landfill made out of “found” items in Rio de Janeiro.
wireless
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Opinion
The
JOURNAL
Page 12
Adele creates a
pop-soul classic
By Bridgette Olsen
Staff Writer
Adele may have just put out her first
album “19” in 2008, but the young artist shows that she has changed a lot in 3
years, releasing her new album “21” in
early 2011.
Adele says that she was first inspired
by Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald as a teen.
She then went on to write a future critic
favorite, “Hometown Glory” at the age of
16.
On March 19 2008 Adele signed a record
deal with Columbia Records and XL Recordings as she ventured into US territory.
In February 2009, Adeles first album, “19”
went gold, going on to sell 2.2 million copies worldwide by July 2009 according to
Wikipedia.org.
Andy Gill from “The Independent,” said,
“Three years on from her 19 debut, 21
finds Adele feigning maturity”. Also, Allision Stewart of The Washington Post
agreed that Adele’s vocals can mask or
transcend what would otherwise be considered bland or mediocre material” she
said, “after a strong start, the disc yields
to a forgettable midsection of mostly midtempo tracks that are remarkable only because Adele is singing them.”
In”21” you see songs that appeal to multiple generations, and as Adele proves
with this CD, everything gets better with
time. Adele has been compared to other
breakout pop-soul singers such as Duffy,
Florence+The Machines, and Grace Potter And the Nocturnals, and on this album
you really hear the development of her
voice, and how much improvement she
has made since “19.”
Adele has not failed to impress with her
sophomore album “21” released Jan. 22
2011 according to Wikipedia.org in the US.
Between her soulful singles, such as “Rolling in the Deep,” released Nov. 29 2010
and “Set Fire to the Rain,” released Feb.
25 2011 her sentimental ballad “Turning
Tables” and her powerhouse voice, she is
a true threat in the music industry.
This CD is very soulful, and through I
normally do not listen to this kind of music at all, this was an exception because
Adele balances her strong vocals with her
smooth, extremely personal and soulful
lyrics, she is an artist that is comparable to
Macy Gray or Duffy.
This may not be an album for everyone,
but the singles released do appeal to a
wider audience compared to her complete CD.
This CD is a classic, and will be used as a
standard when listening to other soul artists for decades to come. Adele will begin
touring Europe March 21 2011 in Oslo,
Norway, and will reach the US May 12
2011 starting in Washington, D.C.
The Strokes are back
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE INTERNET
The Strokes experiment and expand with their first album in five years.
by Cappy Spruance
Ad Manager
The rock band The Strokes released their
much anticipated fourth album, “Angles,”
on March 22; the band had not released
an album since its third, “First Impressions
of Earth” in 2006, which critics met with
lukewarm reviews. Since then, each band
member has gone on to either release a
solo album or work with other bands.
“Sonically, I feel it’s the album which
should have been made between ‘Room on
Fire’ and ‘First Impressions of Earth,’” said
bassist Nikolai Fraiture (wikipedia.org).
“Angles” retains The Strokes’ usual indierock sound, but unexpected Caribbean
and synth motifs are interwoven
throughout. The album requires multiple
listens before it makes its impression;
because it was partially inspired by
bands like MGMT and Arctic Monkeys,
many die-hard Strokes fans may feel
disappointed in the slightly changed
sound at first, but after a few repeats they
are sure to find themselves jamming out.
Lead singer Julian Casablancas is
known for his unique vocals, which
are reminiscent of both Lou Reed and
Jim Morrison. His angry croon helped
set him apart from other singers when
The Strokes first became popular in the
early 2000s. Though his voice is often
softer throughout “Angles,” it upholds
its distinctively deep quality, especially
in “You’re So Right” and “Metabolism;”
both songs maintain The Strokes’ typical
sound, simultaneously frightening and
intriguing listeners as low guitar riffs
back up a painful sounding Casablancas.
“Under Cover of Darkness,” the album’s
single, is perhaps the catchiest song of the
bunch with its pop sound, and “Taken for
a Fool” sounds the most mainstream and
typically indie. The funky Mediterranean
vibe of “Machu Piccu” gives the song
a ‘70s feel; “Games” jumped straight
out of the early‘80s; and the beginning
of “Two Kinds of Happiness” would
probably fit well in a Madonna movie.
“Call Me Back,” while the most
obviously soothing track on the album,
is also the weakest. Though Casablancas’
voice stays steady, the backing music
lacks something – perhaps a stronger
guitar loop – to tie it all together.
The Strokes’ varying sounds throughout
this album have made some former
Strokes fans unhappy, but will appeal to
a larger audience of people who have not
yet experienced the band. Their successful
appearance on Saturday Night Live on
March 6, coupled with the successful
release of “Angles,” indicates that The
Strokes may be well on their way to
regaining the spotlight they momentarily
lost. The band is already at work on its fifth
album.
Issue 5
April 26 2011
PHOTO BY SIERRA SCHMIDT
Controversial author Greg Mortenson spoke to a sold-out crowd at GU in March.
“Three Cups of Tea”
comes to a boil
by Kate Dinnison
Sports Editor
As part of Gonzaga University’s
Presidential Speaker Series, best-selling
author of “Three Cups of Tea” and “Stones
into Schools,” Greg Mortenson, spoke to
an audience at the McCarthy Center on
Mar. 18. Mortensen’s two-hour seminar
attracted people from all over Spokane,
selling thousands of seats on Gonzaga’s
campus.
Mortensen’s most recent blip occurred
when multiple sources came out will
allegations that some of his memoir is
fabricated. When I saw the photo of
members of the Taliban willingly smile in
a photo in Mortenson’s book, I had some
doubt about his credibility.
According to CNN, Jon Krakauer, best
selling-author of “Into Thin Air,” was
featured on the CBS report, saying
Mortenson’s account is “a beautiful story,
and it’s a lie.” Despite the later allegations,
Mortenson delievered a moving speech.
Mortenson’s humanitarian efforts
inspired people to hear him speak, even if
they have not read his books. Both of his
books are based on his experiences trying
to improve education.
In 1993 he made a promise to help
children, specifically girls, he came across
in Pakistan and Afganistan, after failing to
climb Pakistan’s infamous K2 Mountain.
Mortenson kept his promise and returned
to Pakistan, to first help the children he
had initially met, but later developed
145 other schools in rural and sometimes
volatile regions of those same countries,
which provided education to more than
68,000 children,
“It is a critically important book at
this time in history. The governments
of Pakistan and Afghanistan are both
failing their students on a massive scale.
The work Mortenson is doing, providing
the poorest students with a balanced
education, is making them much more
difficult for the extremist madrassas to
recruit,” said Ahmed Rashid, author of
“Descent into Chaos.”
Both the illiteracy rate and the presence
of dangerous groups are among some
of the Middle East’s greatest problems.
Mortenson, as well as Rashid, have done
a good deed in shining international
attention
In his discussion with the audience,
he often recognized the benefits of
education as a whole, not just in the area
he focuses on. In a sense, his purpose was
to motivate and empower his audience to
not only read his book, but to recognize
the importance of educators and to lead
people to be active in and helpful to the
global community.
Despite the possibility that some material
in his stories is false, it is undeniable that
he has helped thousands of children in
need reach new heights of education
in addition to being a skilled writer and
speaker.