2 News/Feedback - Pleasant Hill School District

News/Feedback
2
Designed by Jordan Wildish
7th Graders pleasantly surprised
Seanar Letaw
Reporter
Are 7th graders terrified? Or are some
parents making a scene of what they are
assuming their children are thinking?
7th graders seem to be surprised about
the high school.
“It’s good. I didn’t think the high
schoolers would be this nice,” said Jesika Lenard. One up,
high schoolers.
Junior David Finfrock and Senior Brian Riggs
New Kids on the Block
Kelleen Richins
Reporter
You walk into the classroom. The room is
bustling with people you don’t know. Nobody seems to notice you. Where do you sit?
Most have not had this experience, but
for the few who have, it can be hard.
Pleasant Hill has foreign exchange students, Evina Wijaya from Bogor on the
Java islands in Indonesia and Sean Trummer from Cologne, Germany.
It can be scary going to a whole different country, culture and language; but
quite conveniently they both speak fluent
English, so don’t be scared to say ‘hi’ and
make a new friend.
Another new face is David Finfrock,
or you might more recognize him as
the 6’6” guy with the amazing ‘fro.
He moved from Riverview, Missouri.
It’s his junior year and is participating in both football and basketball.
Brian Riggs, coming from Lowell, runs
track, wrestles and is learning how to play
the guitar. Riggs also is a National Merit
Scholar based on outstanding PSAT scores.
“So go ahead and get to know them better” suggest Mr. Meinzen and as Douglas
Pagels says “A friend is one of the nicest things you can have and the best thing
you can be.”
The Air Force option
Emma Lanfear
Reporter
Some people choose to be a doctor,
some choose to be a firefighter. But the
guys I interviewed chose to enlist in the
Air Force. My question for them was
Why?
Austen Carroll, a senior, said “I was destined to be in the Air Force. It sets you up
for later in life.” Carroll also has other
family members who were in the Air
Force, although that didn’t affect his decision to enlist last
summer.
Cameron Thoms,
also a senior, said
that he doesn’t have
to worry about anything throughout
his senior year, except for graduating
because the Air Force takes care of his
necessities after high school.
When Carroll approached his family
about his Air Force choice, he said that
“both parents signed gladly though I do
hope they all will miss me.”
In contrast, Thoms family responded to
his decision differently. “My dad said “a
man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.”
My mom said that I might as well paint a
target on my chest and walk into a field.
But I know she was just being a mom.”
I asked both seniors what they wanted
to do in the Air Force. Thoms said “I want
to be a pilot.” Carroll wants to be a
PJ (Pararescue Man
Jumper).
“It’s a one man
ambulance
on
crack” he teased.
Both of these
guys are very confident about their choice to join the Air
Force and feel that it is a decision that will
enhance their lives in the future.
“I was destined to be in
the Air Force. It sets you
up for later in life.”
Pleasant Hill High School announces our 2nd
annual Tribute to Veterans to be held in the
high school gym on Tuesday, November 10th at
10:40 am until 11:30 am.
All veterans are invited to attend and asked
to contact Timothy Meinzen at 736-0729 or
tmeinzen@gmail.com.
BIG THANKS TO:
all the community volunteers
who helped put up the stadium
lights this summer!
“I like that we have
time between classes and we see a variety of people,” Alley Gilmore noted.
“It’s good. I
opinions about the high schoolers. But
enough of the high schoolers, what
about the actual high school?
Liv Nordquist spoke about the ups
and downs.
“[The high school] is pretty awesome. I like art class because we have a
real art teacher, but
our lockers need to
didn’t think be bigger.”
the high schoolers would
be this nice,
”
Last year, when the 7th graders were
in 6th grade, there was little time between one class and another. There was
no need. Kids didn’t have a locker to
put their belongings in because all their
books and materials were in their desks.
Lenard and Gilmore have similar
Others, like Keihona Rinker complement
Barbara
Turcott, A.K.A. the
“lunch lady,” in one
simple word:
“Food.” Rinker says.
“I’m really enjoying it here, its fun,”
added Brittany Odegaard.
“I like it.” Trea Rogers said.
Are Freshmen frustrated?
Mariah Hardy
Reporter
S
o far, High school for PHHS freshmen
has been a little disappointing. I set
out to interview the class of 2013 on their
views of life as the “middle children” of
high school. Here are their reactions:
Serena Violet has attended kindergarten
through 8th grade at Pleasant Hill. However, the beginning of her freshman year has
been the worst experience yet. Crowded
halls are just one of many reasons why
freshmen are frustrated.
With the addition of two grades to the
campus, halls are hot, noisy, and jampacked with kids rushing to classes.
“The bell schedule is ridiculous,” said
Violet.
According to Violet, a chaotic bell
schedule means that the halls are awful.
Violet feels that the reconfiguration is affecting the learning environment of students. Having to maneuver through a sea
of students, grab your books from your
locker, and make your way back through
the crowd to class before the bell rings is
quite a task for some freshmen.
This brings us to another subject.
How do the freshmen feel about the
7th and 8th graders tagging along to high
school?
“Resentful,” “Frustrated,” and “Mistreated” were the most common answers
I found.
A new student in the Pleasant Hill
school district, Isaac Kronenberg isn’t
fond of sharing a hall with 7/8th graders
either. Rather than being part of the high
school group, the 9th graders feel “stuck”
into a hall with middle school students.
9th graders are also irritated that they
will never truly have a high school experience with the 7th and 8th graders in the
building. Part of being a freshman is being the youngest class in the school.
9th grader Sarah Lueders said, “…we
were all planning on being (at) the bottom
of the food chain when we came to high
school, but now we will never have the
experience of really being the bottom of
the high school food chain.”
High school is much different than Middle School, Sarah Lueders explains, “…
In middle school you are kind of forced
to be around everyone. But in high school
you really get to choose who you associate with.”
Not everything is grim, the Freshmen
especially like some things about high
school:
ɶɶ
Having multiple elective choices. Compared to only five electives at
the middle school, freshmen appreciate
choosing two elective periods.
ɶɶ
Sharing classes with older students. Most of the 9th grade have known
their classmates for quite a few years.
“Sharing classes with older students…
helps us (freshmen) hear new and different ideas and opinions from people…”
said Lueders
ɶɶ
Bigger lockers—enough said.
Some things about high school just can’t
be changed, however, the class of 2013
hopes that the things that can be changed,
will be changed for the better.
Summer Workers from Page 1: Christian Scheer, Kalani Ebaniz, Kat
Maidment, Amanda Richards, and Danny Vance take a look up from their
work remaking campus this summer. Their hard work, coupled with the
support of Steve Smith, W.C. Harbert and Kathy Duval brought dramatic
improvements to campus.
Focus
DesigneD by JorDan WilDish
from Bogor, Indonesia
3
from Pruem,Germany
Eve Wijaya
Sean Trummer
sally roesel
Reporter
E
vina (Eve) Wijaya is the first
student from Indonesia to attend Pleasant Hill High School.
Wijaya is not only a pioneer of
sorts, but she is
smart, courageous and wellinformed. Her
home is in Indonesia’s which
is the world’s
most populous
Islamic nation
with 197 million residents.
Here are some
questions we
asked
Evina
about her country, and coming
to the United
States.
Why did you
decide to come
to the United
States?
Because
the
U.S. has a huge
influence over
the world. A
lot of news reports about the
United States [make it to Indonesia] and
the U.S. is very controversial in different
points of view. I wanted to try to spend
my year as a student in this country, so
that I can learn the life style, culture, and
American point of view about the world.
What has been the most interesting experience while being in the United States?
I really like the school. Being at
school makes me learn and get information about the U.S. that I want to know.
Especially in U.S. History and Govern-
caroline streK
Reporter
ment class. I can ask anything about the
U.S. and I can’t see the U.S. teenager life.
School is the most interesting.
What do you
miss the most
from Indonesia?
I miss a lot
of things. Family, friends, and
food. I really
miss my National anthem, “Indonesia Raya” that
I always learn
every Monday in
my school when
we do the Flag
Ceremony before
the class starts.
What do you
notice about the
American culture
that is different
from Indonesia?
American
culture is really
LIBERAL. The
way students talk
to their teachers,
and how they
talk to older people, are the same way they talk to their
friends. Even sometimes they say “mean
things” to their teachers. If they were in
my school, they would be dropped out immediately!
If you could visit anywhere in the U.S.
country where would you go?
California, because I want to go see
Disneyland. Then Washington to see the
shooting location of Twilight. And New
York, I want to see Statue of Liberty.
S
ean Trummer, may seem like an
guitar and violin in his spare time. He is
average American teenager, but
self-taught on the guitar. Sean also played
first impressions may be deceivthe drums when he was a few years
ing.
younger. Sleeping outside and playing
Sean was born in Pruem, Germany but
soccer are just a few of the activities that
Trummer has an American mom, Mariam
he enjoys.
Larson, from Eugene. His dad is German.
In Germany, Sean attends “gymnasium”
Being born in Germany and having an
called Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium.
American mother, Sean has dual citizenGymnasium is a secondary school, like
ship in America and in
American
high
Germany. Travel in
schools. His favorand out of the counite subject in Gertry is easier than for
many is Economics.
most people.
To attend a gymThis is not his first
nasium, a student
visit to America. He
needs many acahas made several
demic recommenthroughout his life
dations which must
to visit his family
be given to students
in Pleasant Hill, the
who wish to attend.
Larson’s, and one
Students also learn
of his brothers, who
at least two foreign
lives in Eugene.
languages.
He also has a sisSean speaks
ter and a brother in
English, Latin and
Cologne. Sean is
French in addition
excited for school
to his German. Alin the US. He feels
though, in Germany
like it could be a
teachers give the
memorable experistudents more reence.
sponsibility, Sean
A difference beprefers
Pleasant
tween
Cologne
Hill High School to
and Eugene is that
school in Germany.
transportation is by
“In Germany,
train in Germany,
teachers treat stuunlike the buses of
dents much more like
Eugene. Cologne
college students, from
has a population
5th grade and up,” said
In
Germany,
teachers
of around four milSean.
lion while Eugene’ treat students much more
has about 138
like college students, from
thousand.
Trummer plays 5th grade and up,
“
”
Homecoming
The History of
Mariah harDy
Reporter
A
s you wandered through the
halls of Pleasant Hill High
School last week, students
of all ages talked about one
thing: Homecoming.
So it’s the hot topic, but did we always
celebrate Homecoming? When did the
tradition of Homecoming start at Pleasant
Hill?
Let’s turn back the hands of time and see
when it all began.
The tradition of Homecoming began in
the year 1955, and was kicked off with a
giant bonfire. It was a crisp, sunny day,
and students and community members
came from around the little town to meet
their friends and talk before the football
game. Homecoming was meant to wel-
come home alumni.
Homecoming was made possible by
the senior class, who fundraised, donated
and organized the occasion. Nowadays,
the Student Council sponsors the festivities. Somehow, the seniors managed to
pass the burden onto the younger grade.
All attendees were ready for a football game, and
so were the
Billies. Adorned
w i t h
leather helmets
a n d
stained uniforms,
the Billies played
their
hardest,
gave it their all,
and
emerged
winners.
The crowd
erupted
into
clapping, the team was ecstatic. Eager
from their win, the Billies were then
ready to choose the Homecoming Queen.
Instead of the crowning occurring at halftime, the royalty was chosen after the
game.
Rather than the student body selecting
who should wear the royal crown, the
football team
decided the winner in
the early
stages of the tradition.
When the team had
reached a verdict,
freshman Deanna
Doane was announced the winner
in 1955. A surprised,
but excited Deanna
was crowned by the
team captain, Rich
Ward.
The Queen then led the rest of her court
to the school dance, a football themed social held in the school gymnasium.
In those days, there were no floats, and
Spirit Week was not celebrated.
Although some things have changed,
many things have remained the same
throughout the years.
The roar of a crowd, thrilled by the win
of their team, the smile of the crowned
royalty, or a grin worn by the player who
has just scored the winning touchdown,
those things are timeless.
THE BILLIE BULLETIN IS:
teiJa stearns
JorDan WilDish
JorDan elaine fisher
ben letaW
Kelleen richins
seanar letaW
eDitor in chief
senior eDitor
JUnior eDitor
JUnior eDitor
JUnior eDitor
graPhic artist
laUren Wilson
brianna hUey
DereK ball
carlee hUff
cassy harris
siDney DaVie
senior rePorter
senior rePorter
senior rePorter
rePorter
rePorter
rePorter
Jacob shaDWicK
KenDra chaMbers
nathan boys
Mariah harDy
sally roesel
sierra WestlaKe
caroline streK
senior rePorter
colUMnist/rePorter eMMa lanfear
colUMnist/rePorter brittani hirsch
rePorter
rePorter
rePorter
rePorter
rePorter
rePorter