Volume XLVIX Issue 7

SectionsNews.................2, 3Athletics............4, 5

Features.............6Entertainment......7Commentary........8

Tomorrow’s WeatherPartly sunny, highs of

80 to 82.

Meet Hoke’s New Baby...Page 6 Features...

RECYCLE, PLEASE!

ON THE CALENDAR:

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Keeping Thurston High School informed every step of the way...

PONY EXPRESSTHE

HARLEY EMERY | REPORTER

This year’s pageant has been different from past Mr. THS pageants

in many ways. This is in part because of its new administrator, Noland Peebles. For the past four years, the pageant was run by former teachers Jericho Schwab, and Sarah Meston. “The pageant was always a lot of work, but they really took it to a whole new level,” said Peebles. Last year the pageant raised a record amount of money: 42,000 dollars.

The Mr. THS pageant has been toned down a bit this year, due to all of the stress that was felt by the contestants and their committee girls in previous years. “We dialed back the intensity,” said Peebles. This year the pageant has not required as much time from its participants, and there were two less fundraisers. However, the amount of money raised still added up to be over 34,000 dollars.

“This year there has been a lot more contestant bonding time, and the pageant itself was shorter, and more to the point,” said contestant Shane Quarterley when asked about how the pageant was been different this year.

During the pageant itself, each contestant competed in six areas, which included a dance, interview questions, formal wear combined with a letter to

each contestant’s mother, talent, Kid Connection, and the amount of money that each boy raised.

The talents ranged from synchronized swimming, to swing dancing, and everything in between. All of the competitors put lots of effort into their performances, as well as the other parts of the competition. To prepare for the dance number that was performed on pageant night, the men

of Mr. THS attended dance rehearsals twice a week, which were at 6:30 am. “Although waking up at 5:45 to go to dance practice wasn’t fun, it was such a great experience, because I got to spend time with my nine best friends,” said Erik Umenhofer, “I looked forward to every second of it.”

Continued on page 3... “Mr. THS”

HARLEY EMERY | REPORTER

On Wednesday, April 10th, at 9:30 am, Thurston began a Code Blue lock-down.

During a Code Blue, students are supposed to stay inside classrooms with the blinds down and doors locked, however teachers are instructed to continue teaching.

Although there were numerous rumors heard throughout the halls following the lockdown, most held little truth. The reason for the lockdown was a domestic dispute in a household in the Thurston neighborhood, two blocks from the school.

“The victim called the Springfi eld Police Department, and when the suspect realized the police had been

involved, he ran. The woman wasn’t sure if he had weapons on him, so the school had to be cautious. The suspect was soon found near a hill by Thurston, without weapons,” said Noland Peebles.

A large number of students had heard about another incident happening around the same time as the dispute near Thurston; however there was no other incident, according to THS staff members.

Several Thurston students heard different stories in regards to the lockdown, and many had different reactions. “I walked into school, and someone in the offi ce said I could either stay there, or go to the auditorium. The said there was some weird guy walking around campus,” said senior Thomas

Simpson. “I thought it was a joke,” said

freshman Robert Connor, when asked what fi rst went through his mind when he heard about the Code Blue over the intercom.

Others responded differently. “I was terrifi ed. I was scared for my life,” said sophomore Johnny Contreras. Another student had a similar reaction to the lockdown. “I called my mom and told her, ‘If I don’t make it out of here, I love you,’ ” said senior Chad Graham.

There were also some interesting points having to do with gun control brought up after the lockdown. “I would feel so much safer in situations like this if I knew my teacher had a gun in their desk, as opposed to being completely helpless,” said Graham.

The King of the Jungle: Garrett Ogan takes the Mr. THS crown

Domestic Dispute Causes Code Blue

Garrett Ogan accepts his crown and prizes as he becomes this year’s Mr. THSHAILEY PRATT | PHOTOGRAPHERMADISON WILSON | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

On Wednesday, April 17th, members of the Thurston High School band and orchestra made their way to Honolulu, Hawaii, starting from Thurston at three AM.

“The most challenging part was defi nitely the fl ight times,” senior Felicia Copland said.

Though the fl ight was long, the students soon arrived in Hawaii. The fi rst evening was allotted for a luau.

“It was pretty fun,” sophomore Ryan Huls said, “I liked watching the performances, like the fi re dancers.”

The second day was reserved for a half-day snorkeling trip. Not only did the students get to visit a coral reef, but they were also able to view turtles and play volleyball a mile out in the water.

“I really liked snorkeling,” Copeland said, “it gave us time to be out in the ocean and see lots of fi sh.”

The next day, the students walked to their performance site at the Kaliaponai Park. That evening, the group went to a show put on by the Society of Seven.

The Society of Seven is a singing and entertaining group that has been performing in Waikiki for over 30 years. Their array of entertainment ranged from Beyonce songs to Elvis impersonations.

Continued on page 2...“Hawaii”

Aloha!Thurston band and or-

chestra travel to Hawaii

Freshman open house

Student Acheivement Assembly

Pops Concert

Scholarship Night

May

15th

17th

22nd

22nd

Cheer Executes in

AnaheimSee page 4... “Kind of a Big Deal”

Thurston’s Future

EngineersSee Page 3... “Engineering for a Cause”

THE PONY EXPRESS STAFF

AdvisorJoseph Roberson

Editors-in-ChiefMacie Gale

Madison Wilson

Page EditorsBarney Stinson

Katie LivelyKevin Hagel

McKayla Figueroa

Copy EditorAndrew Kronser

ReportersZachary Farr

Angela LaliberteAnnashea Wright

Rachael GaleVictoria CalkinsSteven StewartElisebeth StarkHarley EmeryErik Fjordbek

Noah Th oresonConer Jensen

Alexander Youngbauer

{

{ CURRENT EVENTS }2World News

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK{

Contact us at:thurstonpublications@yahoo.com

The Pony Express aims to inform the THS student body of the newsworthy events, people, and ideas around campus that simply aren’t covered anywhere else.

We encourage you to join our endeav-or by submitting a letter to our editors.

Letters may be turned into Room 140, and must be signed. Limit 250 words.

{

RACHAEL GALE | REPORTER

A group of eleven students from Thurston High School along with Dionne Hasforth and former employee of THS, Jericho Schwab, will be going to Spain this summer. This trip started to be planned in February 2012 so that students and parents would have plenty of time to fund raise and work for the trip.

Junior and participant in this trip, Hailey Pratt said, “We’ve done all kinds of fund raisers, one every month. We’ve done Papa’s Pizza, Dickie Jo’s, a garage sale at McKenzie Feed and Seed in the summer, car washes, and lots of others. I started fundraising January of last year.”

The cost of the trip, which includes airfare, hotel, ground transportation, entrance fees for all museums and parts, two meals a day and a bilingual tour guide, is approximately $3,700. Outside of that cost students also had to save for spending money and pay to get passports.

From June 23rd to July 4th, the group will be traveling not only to Spain, but also Portugal and Morocco.

The main organizer for this trip is one of Thurston’s beloved Spanish teachers, Dionne Hasforth. “I’ve always wanted

to take students traveling. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to become a teacher. I think to fully understand our place in the world, it’s important to get outside of our own country and gain a larger perspective,” she said.

She later stated, “International travel can be life changing. I wanted to share this with students. From a Spanish teaching perspective, there just isn’t anything more inspiring or motivating for a student than to be able to use their language skills in a Spanish-speaking country.”

As the trip quickly approaches not only do students excitements heighten, but also their nerves. Junior, McKenzie Saultz, said, “I’ve only had one year of Spanish and I am not very confi dent in my Spanish skills, so that’s one of the only things I’m pretty nervous about. I sure hope Mrs. Hasforth loosens up and says we don’t have to speak as much Spanish as she said we did, because she said she was going to teach us how to bargain in Spanish, which makes me even more nervous.”

During this amazing trip there will be numerous activities that will occupy these students traveling experience. They will

be going to see castles that were built in the 1400’s, basking on the Mediterranean beaches, enjoying the Turkish baths at the Alhambra, and experiencing the art of Gaudí.

“We’ll be riding camels on the beach, which I am so excited for since I don’t think I’ll ever get the chance to that again in my life, especially in another country,” Saultz said.

As these students wait in anticipation to leave the country, they are counting down the days until they leave U.S. soil.

While the students fund raising efforts were key in making this trip happen, there were other factors that helped.

Hasforth said, “I’d like to thank the Springfi eld Education Foundation. Without their support in taking us under their wing we would have been unable to fund raise and may not have been able to make this trip a reality. Thank you!”

For those who would like to experience a trip like this extraordinary one, Hasforth would love to be able to take students somewhere every other summer. The next place she has in mind is Argentina. So, keep your eyes and ears open for any news!

PromProm is in coming so here is some information that you will probably fi nd valuable.

Location: Emerald Valley Resort

Date: May 18th

Time: 8:00-12:00

Theme: Midnight Sky

“I think that this is an awful tragedy,

but I don’t think the culprits should be tried as terrorists

due the their Ameri-can citizenship. Just because the weapon used was a bomb.

They should be called mass murder-ers rather than Ter-

rorists.”

-Gabriella Montgomery on the Boston bombing

ELISABETH STARK | REPORTER

Even in Oregon, the sun is now coming out and everywhere you can fi nally see the fl owers blooming. For those people, who still need plants for their houses and backyards, Thurston High School is doing a plant sale on May 11th, the day before mother’s day.

“We sell all kinds of fl owers, herbs and vegetables”, said Christine Jesser, the teacher of the greenhouse class. There are twenty-six people participating and they’ve been planting and caring for the plants since the beginning of the semester.

“I really like that class, because

you learn a lot about gardening”, said Cheyenne Kessler, one of the students. Together with her classmates, she goes to the greenhouse at the back of the school every 7th and 8th period, to grow all the plants for the sale.

This class has been offered at Thurston High School for twenty years now.

“It has become really successful in the past years”, said Jesser. The money is mainly used to buy and grow the plants for the next year, but it will be also spent for fi eld trips for the students.

So if you are looking for some plants, you should defi nitely support this project. The prices vary between two and ten

dollars and it is really worth your money.

Thurston Plant Sale

Culturing O ur Students

ASB ElectionsPresident: Chris Mudder

Vice President: Kate Miller

Financial: Daisia Wafford

Publicity: Maddy Simons

Assemblies: Maddy Smith

Plants like this bush near the junior parking lot were sold at the THS Plant Sale. Eric Zack | Photographer

{ CURRENT EVENTS} 3RACHAEL GALE | REPORTER

There is now a program at Thurston High School called The Engineering Project where students who are interested engineering can now prepare themselves for college.

Under the direction of THS’s chemistry and physics teacher Bob Green, The Engineering Project has students designing and building prototypes that fall under one of the Design for the Other 90% categories. An example of this involves improving Conestoga Huts, which are 6 by 10 foot homeless shelters that can be built for about $250-500. To gain the skills of being able to build and design these prototypes, students must go through the “Pathway to Engineering” program set up by Mr. Green.

“The idea is that the students who sign up for this are the ones who are considering Engineering as a career. Becoming a part of the engineering project students agree to take 4.0 credits of math and science (including physics), 1.0 credits of Engineering and Industrial Technology,” said Mr. Green.

The 1.0 credit of Engineering comes from the Intro to Engineering/Energy class, which is a prerequisite to the class called Engineering Projects that does the actual building and designing of the prototypes.

“I’ve been interested in

Engineering for a while and when Mr. Green figured that out he suggested I take the Intro to Engineering/Energy class,” said junior Cody Warner. “In the class we’ve done a lot of projects related to civil engineering. Just recently the class built spaghetti bridges. We had a week to do it, but basically he gave us a box of spaghetti and some hot glue and the goal was to see whose bridge could hold the most weight. And since our class is really

competitive it was fun.” The goal for The Engineering

Project is not only to prepare THS students for entry into a college engineering program, but also to help the less fortunate.

“Eventually the idea will be that students will come in as ninth graders and say this is what I want to do, as tenth graders they will take the Intro to Engineering/Energy class, and as twelfth grades they will take the

Engineering Projects class,” said Green.

Currently there are two seniors, Avery Caird and Cristian Garcia, in the Engineering Projects class, designing improvements for Conestoga Huts.

“Basically on top the huts we are placing a solar panel that we then connect wires from the solar panels to this thing called a Raspberry Pi, which is basically a small computer. These along with a monitor, keyboard, and a mouse will allow the occupants to have a computer,” said Garcia, who is planning on going into electrical engineering next year.

The purpose of this improvement to the Conestoga Huts is to give the homeless people access to the internet to search for jobs.

Mr. Green said, “The plan in the next few years is to turn this into a school wide project. So students in the woodshop classes would be building the Conestoga huts,

students in leadership or marketing would be fundraising and contacting people in the community that would be willing to allow people to live on their property with these huts, and so forth.”

For any interested in becoming an engineer or helping out the community, more information can be found from Mr. Green. He can be reached in room 130 or emailed at bob.green@springfield.k12.or.us

RACHAEL GALE | PHOTOGRAPHER

Avery Caird (left) and Cristian Garcia work to improve Conestoga huts in the Engineering Projects program

Engineering for a Cause

KATIE LIVELY | PAGE EDITOR

Game shows, math tests, and relay races were interrelated for one day at Lane Community College for THS students competing in the LCC Math Skills Fair.

Students from every math level from Algebra Foundations to Calculus competed in the Math Skills Fair on April 10th. Two students from each division except Pre-Calculus, which had one, were selected by THS math teachers to attend the event.

The day was divided into three major events: a race against the clock and other teams to “Solve that Problem,” a written exam for each division, and a relay in which team members would

take turns solving a problem from their level as quickly as possible.

Junior Ryan Boatman, a participant in the Pre-Calculus division, could clearly see which part of the day inspired the most team spirit.

“A lot of people liked the relay,” Boatman said. “I heard people yelling [to their teammates] to hurry up.”

As a group, the THS team finished second in the competition. Only Oak Hill School, an independent K-12 school with an emphasis on applied learning in math and science starting in kindergarten, finished ahead of THS. Oak Hill’s teams are comprised mostly of high-achieving middle school students.

Individually, THS had one high

score and three second place finishes on the written test. Freshman Justin Hambright tied for first place in the Algebra I division, while second place finishes were awarded to freshman Geometry competitor Doran Simpson, senior Calculus student Jacob Dawes, and Boatman.

The THS Algebra I and Geometry teams also won “Solve that Problem.” Hambright and freshman Kishon Lange made up the winning Algebra I team, while Simpson was paired with freshman Matthew Gley in the Geometry division.

“I initially planned on not going, but [Gley] encouraged me,” Simpson said. “I would definitely do it again.”

THS Places Second at Math Fair

Continued from Front

The Kid Connection portion of the pageant was meant to show how well each contestant can relate to their assigned Miracle Child. Each group performed short skits, which made up 20 percent of the scoring. “My partner Garret and I had twin boys who are two years old, so we couldn’t really plan much for the skit, we mostly just improvised,” said committee girl Samantha Martin.

The favorite part of this experience for most of the participants in the pageant was the visit to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Riverbend Hospital. All of the contestants found this visit extremely gratifying. “It was a very rewarding experience getting to meet the babies you’re fundraising for; the parents are always so thankful for what we’re doing,” said Martin.

At the end of the night, Shane Quarterley was announced Mr. Almost THS (First Runner-up), and Garret Ogan was announced the winner of this year’s pageant. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” said Garret Ogan, Mr. THS 2013. “The most impactful part of the pageant was without a doubt the NICU visit, but besides that, my favorite part was being with the other guys, and watching them grow through the whole process,” said Ogan.

Garrett of the

Jungle

Continued from Front

“Society of Seven was pretty unique, and they were really funny,” Huls stated. As part of the show, the Society of Seven even called up three audience members to do Elvis impersonations, Huls was one of these members.

One of the final activities was a half-day trip to Kualoa Ranch. At the ranch, students were able to ride ATVs

or horses and then go on a couple of different tours including a tour of movie sets that had been on the island, like Jurassic Park.

The last day was reserved for a somber trip to Pearl Harbor where students visited the memorial of the USS Arizona and then toured the Missouri. The final activity of the trip was a visit to the Punchbowl, a collapsed volcano that served as a

World War Two memorial.“It was humbling to see the

memorial and get to be apart of the remembrance of their deaths,” Huls said.

This trip has become a tradition amongst music students. Every few years, Thurston’s band director, Tim Vian, organizes a trip to Hawaii. This trip is always a favorite amongst students and is sure to continue.

Hawaiian Times

{ ATHLETICS }4 { ATHLETICS } 5Kind of a Big

DealThurston Coed-Varsity Cheer Places 3rd in the Nation

MACIE GALE | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Who knew that the team who ranked 3rd in the March National Competition

in Anaheim, California, our very own Thurston Co-Ed Cheer, had re-organized their routine several times the week before the big competition.

Senior team captain Thomas Simpson, who plans on joining the Navy next year, said, “We had some set backs, but we trusted the coaches and got through it.”

“They were the most stressful practices ever,” Simpson continued, “A couple people got injured, and we had to re-form the routine about four times in the week before Nationals. In the end it all worked out, and added a ‘thrill of the unknown’ kind of thing.”

One of these injuries involved sophomore Savannah Wright in a car accident.

Freshman Kayla Schneider said, “I was the person who took [Wright’s] spot. I kind of just went with the fl ow because my coaches wouldn’t have put me in that position if they didn’t think I could do it so I just had to trust them.”

“It was stressful. We didn’t have time to do the full routine until we went on the mat to compete,” Team Captain Hailey Woodman said, “Given how hard we had to work and all the people called to spots they weren’t expected to be called to, it went really well.”

Woodman plans on attending OSU and trying out for the Cheer team there.

“ P r a c t i c e F r i d a y Morning before DisneyLand was my least favorite part. None of us were in the zone, so it was a hard practice and tested us a lot. There was fi ghting and bickering, and it really made us think of the bond we have and it got us through it,” she said.

The trip was not all business in the land of sunshine, however, as Disney Land was a highlight on the agenda Friday.

Freshman McKenzie Journey

said, “Any time we got a chance to we would stunt. In line, I would stunt with Thomas and we would have a little competitive time with other teams in line.”

She continued, “At the Tower of Terror we waited two hours, and I had to duck under a wooden beam because I would have hit my head in a stunt.”

A c c o r d i n g to Simpson, D i s n e y L a n d helped the team to get back on track as a team before their c o m p e t i t i o n Saturday.

The time for fun soon ended, and it was time to focus on their mission: their

fi nal push to success.On Saturday, Thurston tied for

fourth place, and on Sunday they not only took fourth, but stole third with their performance.

“One of my favorite parts was seeing the coaches being really happy,

and seeing the joy in their eyes. I don’t think that they cared how we did, but just that we were there,” said Kayla Schneider.

“I also enjoyed the team bonding, like Disneyland, morning breakfasts at the Hotel, Rainforest Café, stunting in the swimming pool, and defi nitely the competition,” Schneider continued. “Also, it was funny that the guys had to shave their legs.”

Ali Leylekci, a foreign exchange student from Turkey, said, “In the beginning it was hard for me because I had never done cheer before, and I was afraid that if I said something wrong they would make fun of me. James and my teammates helped me a lot with that and said that I’m a good learner and coachable.”

“After doing cheer here I wish I was born here and had done this for seven years of my life, but at least I’ve gotten to do it for seven months,” he said.

As a senior-heavy team with 14 seniors out of 22, the team will have a hole of talent to fi ll next year, but they can go on knowing that they left all they had on the mats, leaving an inspiring benchmark for future teams.

“It was stressful. We didn’t have time to do the full routine

until we went on the mat to compete.”

-Hailey Woodman, Senior

ANONYMOUS | PHOTOGRAPHERThe cheer team takes a fun day full of adventures and magical moments, like this one, in Disney Land the day before the National competition. (Back row) Logan Hankins, Thomas Simp-son, Kate Miller, Abby Hyland, Haley Thomas, Jessica Linster, Monica Bjoralt, Emily Donahue, Ty Vanlandingham, Jarett Smith, Joey Dodson, (middle row) Kyle Hansen, Amber Franklin,

Haley Randell, Heidi Brown, McKenzie Journey, Zack Fulton, Ali Leylekci, Savannah0 Wright, (front row) Kayla Schneider, McKayla Figueroa, Cassandra Lewandowski, Hayley Adair, Ashley Thomas, Kallie Ridge, Marissa Letcher, Hailey Woodman, and Kelsie Herman pose in front of the Disney Princess Castle.

ALEX YOUNGBAUER | REPORTER

Thurston athletes sprinted, threw, and jumped their way to the top spots in a decathlon

held at Sweet Home High School on March 29th and 30th.

Five track and fi eld participants took part in the decathlon, and Thurston captured the top two places. Sophomore Grant Shurtliff took home the fi rst place ribbon, while junior Cody Warner earned second place.

Colts who also competed include senior Colin Lahti, junior Christopher Mudder, and freshman Cole Fowler.

The decathlon is a ten-event, points-based competition consisting of sprinting, jumping, hurdles, and throwing events.

Before beginning the decathlon, Shurtliff was not expecting to win. “I was pretty surprised… I didn’t think I was going to beat Cody. I defi nitely want to do it again.”

Shurtliff thrived in his usual events, like the sprinting and hurdle races, but surprisingly enjoyed the always-tough 1500 meters.

“I defi nitely liked the jumping, pole vault, and 1500. I knew I was fi nished after the 1500, and knowing you were done was a big relief,” said Shurtliff.

Chris Mudder believes it is an event like no other. “When you think of track and fi eld athletes, you think of someone training for, and doing, a single distance or event. But with the decathlon, there are ten events.”

Being confi dent in your abilities and what you’ve been working hard for is very necessary to compete in this ancient Greek event.

Mudder stated his expectations before entering competition: “I wanted to fi nish all ten events. Because it’s so physically grueling, it takes a different type of endurance and perseverance. Just doing it is a check off of my bucket list. I’ve always wanted to try it; I fi nally got the chance to, and I had fun.”

It was the fi rst decathlon for Mudder, and he had an up-and-down two days of competition.

“I set a PR (personal record) in discus, and that was a big accomplishment for me.”

However, later in the day, Mudder suffered a minor hip injury, and as a

result, his performance in some of the remaining events was compromised.

“Completing all ten events was the best part. It was so hot, and you got so dehydrated. It was just ‘one more event, one more event’ and fi nally you were fi nished.”

Despite all the hardships, Mudder thinks Thurston athletes would love to compete in more decathlons.

“I’d defi nitely do it again, but I’d train a different way, prepare myself for the events I don’t normally do.”

Thurston’s athletes performed great in their fi rst decathlon, but with more training and preparation, they can only get better. The competition better watch out, because these Colts are striving, and reaching, success at an alarming rate.

Home Sweet Decathlon

DANA FOWLER | PHOTOGRAPHER Grant Shurtliff, Cole Fowler, Chris Mudder, Head Coach K.C. Gillespie, Collin Lahti, and Cody War-ner stay cool under the bleachers.

NOAH THORESON | REPORTER

Devastated by budget cuts, the Colts’ Tennis team pulled through looking

to improve upon their 3-5 campaign

from last season. Head Coach Wilson Sherk, when

referring to budget cuts, said, “We cover our expenses with the sign-up fees and fundraising. We’ve only held one fundraising event (at Papa’s) so far.”

“Even though we are called a ‘club’ sport, we do everything all other teams do: we compete in Varsity 6A league matches, our players letter, we travel for away games... just without funding.” he said, “Most schools we compete against are funded and have not ‘cut’ tennis like North and South

Medford, and Roseburg.”“We are 3-3 this year. Our goal is

to win half of our matches. So far, so good!” said Sherk in reference to the team’s goals this year.

Freshman Chase Robbins said “We have some young talent to go along with a variety of leadership.”

Senior Hunter Lewis said, “We are looking to improve our skills this year. Our practices have been more serious, and we are seeing great success.”

THS is looking to build upon a team that is determined to be better than they were last year.

“We play from February 25th to May 11th. We will have 12 to 14 matches depending on rain outs. We fi nish the season with a 6A District Tournament.” said Sherk.

ERIK FJORDBECK | REPORTER

Thurston baseball has just started its quest for another state championship.

Recently, they had just returned from their spring training trip.

The Colts went 4-0 in Arizona. Beating two teams from Arizona, and two teams from Colorado.

With this type of showing, you can expect good things for the season ahead.

After being together for a total of nine days, the team has really grown together and became better people. “After the trip to Arizona, my teammates and I have a closer bond,” said junior TJ Canaday.

“This is my fi rst year back since freshmen year, and I have really come to appreciate the THS tradition that has been built up in the last few years,” said senior Cory Weick.

“I think our team has a good chance

of making it to state this year. It’s state or bust,” said senior Brandon Aitken.

This team lost key players such as Hunter Combs, Kyler Ridge, Joey Urness, Stefan Drake, and Jarren Goddard. This year’s team will revolve around Coach Phil Dube, and the chemistry of the players.

The Colts have been ranked in the top ten all year according to OSAA.org.

The Colts have things looking up for them this season. Baseball has always been a very popular sport at THS, but in the last few years they

have gotten very popular not only here but all over the state as well. “I expect big things this season. This is our year,” said freshmen Logan Sebright

Since 2008, Dube has had his team in the state championship 3 out of the 5 years he’s coached. This team may be the most talented team they’ve had, the only key is if they can play together as

team.

Baseball Builds Steam

“I think our team has a good chance

of making it to State this year. It’s

State or bust.”-Brandon Aitken, Senior

Track and Field makes a Dent at Crater

After a spring training trip in Arizona, men’s

baseball prepares for a highlight year.

AI

MING

STRAIGHT

Junior Sierra Hebert-Birkenbach practices some swings before a meet at Thurston April 23.MACIE GALE | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

JEAN GALE | PHOTOGRAPHER

Thurston Athletes Shurtliff and Warner take gold and silver at Sweet Home Decathlon.

Home Sweet Home, Sweet Home

3 2rd ndThe girls took home 3rd place at the Crater Classic Invitational in Medford Sat-urday April 20. Macie Gale, Tori Helmick, Kenzie Weston, Katie Tolbert, Alliyah

Gallup, Katie Jobanek, Abby Forrest, and Amira Johnson, hold their trophy after a day of hot sun and hard work.

The boys earned 2nd place at Crater High School. (Back) Kameron Lightheart, Jayce Keller, Cody Warner, Robert Konner, Chris Mudder, (front) John Player, Ryan Smith, Thomas Simpson, and Grant Shirtliff

gather for a shot with their trophy at the fi nish line.

Decathlon participants Grant Shurtliff (left) and Cody Warner (right) soar into the sandpit.

{ ATHLETICS }4 { ATHLETICS } 5Kind of a Big

DealThurston Coed-Varsity Cheer Places 3rd in the Nation

MACIE GALE | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Who knew that the team who ranked 3rd in the March National Competition

in Anaheim, California, our very own Thurston Co-Ed Cheer, had re-organized their routine several times the week before the big competition.

Senior team captain Thomas Simpson, who plans on joining the Navy next year, said, “We had some set backs, but we trusted the coaches and got through it.”

“They were the most stressful practices ever,” Simpson continued, “A couple people got injured, and we had to re-form the routine about four times in the week before Nationals. In the end it all worked out, and added a ‘thrill of the unknown’ kind of thing.”

One of these injuries involved sophomore Savannah Wright in a car accident.

Freshman Kayla Schneider said, “I was the person who took [Wright’s] spot. I kind of just went with the flow because my coaches wouldn’t have put me in that position if they didn’t think I could do it so I just had to trust them.”

“It was stressful. We didn’t have time to do the full routine until we went on the mat to compete,” Team Captain Hailey Woodman said, “Given how hard we had to work and all the people called to spots they weren’t expected to be called to, it went really well.”

Woodman plans on attending OSU and trying out for the Cheer team there.

“ P r a c t i c e F r i d a y Morning before DisneyLand was my least favorite part. None of us were in the zone, so it was a hard practice and tested us a lot. There was fighting and bickering, and it really made us think of the bond we have and it got us through it,” she said.

The trip was not all business in the land of sunshine, however, as Disney Land was a highlight on the agenda Friday.

Freshman McKenzie Journey

said, “Any time we got a chance to we would stunt. In line, I would stunt with Thomas and we would have a little competitive time with other teams in line.”

She continued, “At the Tower of Terror we waited two hours, and I had to duck under a wooden beam because I would have hit my head in a stunt.”

A c c o r d i n g to Simpson, D i s n e y L a n d helped the team to get back on track as a team before their c o m p e t i t i o n Saturday.

The time for fun soon ended, and it was time to focus on their mission: their

final push to success.On Saturday, Thurston tied for

fourth place, and on Sunday they not only took fourth, but stole third with their performance.

“One of my favorite parts was seeing the coaches being really happy,

and seeing the joy in their eyes. I don’t think that they cared how we did, but just that we were there,” said Kayla Schneider.

“I also enjoyed the team bonding, like Disneyland, morning breakfasts at the Hotel, Rainforest Café, stunting in the swimming pool, and definitely the competition,” Schneider continued. “Also, it was funny that the guys had to shave their legs.”

Ali Leylekci, a foreign exchange student from Turkey, said, “In the beginning it was hard for me because I had never done cheer before, and I was afraid that if I said something wrong they would make fun of me. James and my teammates helped me a lot with that and said that I’m a good learner and coachable.”

“After doing cheer here I wish I was born here and had done this for seven years of my life, but at least I’ve gotten to do it for seven months,” he said.

As a senior-heavy team with 14 seniors out of 22, the team will have a hole of talent to fill next year, but they can go on knowing that they left all they had on the mats, leaving an inspiring benchmark for future teams.

“It was stressful. We didn’t have time to do the full routine

until we went on the mat to compete.”

-Hailey Woodman, Senior

ANONYMOUS | PHOTOGRAPHERThe cheer team takes a fun day full of adventures and magical moments, like this one, in Disney Land the day before the National competition. (Back row) Logan Hankins, Thomas Simp-son, Kate Miller, Abby Hyland, Haley Thomas, Jessica Linster, Monica Bjoralt, Emily Donahue, Ty Vanlandingham, Jarett Smith, Joey Dodson, (middle row) Kyle Hansen, Amber Franklin,

Haley Randell, Heidi Brown, McKenzie Journey, Zack Fulton, Ali Leylekci, Savannah0 Wright, (front row) Kayla Schneider, McKayla Figueroa, Cassandra Lewandowski, Hayley Adair, Ashley Thomas, Kallie Ridge, Marissa Letcher, Hailey Woodman, and Kelsie Herman pose in front of the Disney Princess Castle.

ALEX YOUNGBAUER | REPORTER

Thurston athletes sprinted, threw, and jumped their way to the top spots in a decathlon

held at Sweet Home High School on March 29th and 30th.

Five track and field participants took part in the decathlon, and Thurston captured the top two places. Sophomore Grant Shurtliff took home the first place ribbon, while junior Cody Warner earned second place.

Colts who also competed include senior Colin Lahti, junior Christopher Mudder, and freshman Cole Fowler.

The decathlon is a ten-event, points-based competition consisting of sprinting, jumping, hurdles, and throwing events.

Before beginning the decathlon, Shurtliff was not expecting to win. “I was pretty surprised… I didn’t think I was going to beat Cody. I definitely want to do it again.”

Shurtliff thrived in his usual events, like the sprinting and hurdle races, but surprisingly enjoyed the always-tough 1500 meters.

“I definitely liked the jumping, pole vault, and 1500. I knew I was finished after the 1500, and knowing you were done was a big relief,” said Shurtliff.

Chris Mudder believes it is an event like no other. “When you think of track and field athletes, you think of someone training for, and doing, a single distance or event. But with the decathlon, there are ten events.”

Being confident in your abilities and what you’ve been working hard for is very necessary to compete in this ancient Greek event.

Mudder stated his expectations before entering competition: “I wanted to finish all ten events. Because it’s so physically grueling, it takes a different type of endurance and perseverance. Just doing it is a check off of my bucket list. I’ve always wanted to try it; I finally got the chance to, and I had fun.”

It was the first decathlon for Mudder, and he had an up-and-down two days of competition.

“I set a PR (personal record) in discus, and that was a big accomplishment for me.”

However, later in the day, Mudder suffered a minor hip injury, and as a

result, his performance in some of the remaining events was compromised.

“Completing all ten events was the best part. It was so hot, and you got so dehydrated. It was just ‘one more event, one more event’ and finally you were finished.”

Despite all the hardships, Mudder thinks Thurston athletes would love to compete in more decathlons.

“I’d definitely do it again, but I’d train a different way, prepare myself for the events I don’t normally do.”

Thurston’s athletes performed great in their first decathlon, but with more training and preparation, they can only get better. The competition better watch out, because these Colts are striving, and reaching, success at an alarming rate.

Home Sweet Decathlon

DANA FOWLER | PHOTOGRAPHER Grant Shurtliff, Cole Fowler, Chris Mudder, Head Coach K.C. Gillespie, Collin Lahti, and Cody War-ner stay cool under the bleachers.

NOAH THORESON | REPORTER

Devastated by budget cuts, the Colts’ Tennis team pulled through looking

to improve upon their 3-5 campaign

from last season. Head Coach Wilson Sherk, when

referring to budget cuts, said, “We cover our expenses with the sign-up fees and fundraising. We’ve only held one fundraising event (at Papa’s) so far.”

“Even though we are called a ‘club’ sport, we do everything all other teams do: we compete in Varsity 6A league matches, our players letter, we travel for away games... just without funding.” he said, “Most schools we compete against are funded and have not ‘cut’ tennis like North and South

Medford, and Roseburg.”“We are 3-3 this year. Our goal is

to win half of our matches. So far, so good!” said Sherk in reference to the team’s goals this year.

Freshman Chase Robbins said “We have some young talent to go along with a variety of leadership.”

Senior Hunter Lewis said, “We are looking to improve our skills this year. Our practices have been more serious, and we are seeing great success.”

THS is looking to build upon a team that is determined to be better than they were last year.

“We play from February 25th to May 11th. We will have 12 to 14 matches depending on rain outs. We finish the season with a 6A District Tournament.” said Sherk.

ERIK FJORDBECK | REPORTER

Thurston baseball has just started its quest for another state championship.

Recently, they had just returned from their spring training trip.

The Colts went 4-0 in Arizona. Beating two teams from Arizona, and two teams from Colorado.

With this type of showing, you can expect good things for the season ahead.

After being together for a total of nine days, the team has really grown together and became better people. “After the trip to Arizona, my teammates and I have a closer bond,” said junior TJ Canaday.

“This is my first year back since freshmen year, and I have really come to appreciate the THS tradition that has been built up in the last few years,” said senior Cory Weick.

“I think our team has a good chance

of making it to state this year. It’s state or bust,” said senior Brandon Aitken.

This team lost key players such as Hunter Combs, Kyler Ridge, Joey Urness, Stefan Drake, and Jarren Goddard. This year’s team will revolve around Coach Phil Dube, and the chemistry of the players.

The Colts have been ranked in the top ten all year according to OSAA.org.

The Colts have things looking up for them this season. Baseball has always been a very popular sport at THS, but in the last few years they

have gotten very popular not only here but all over the state as well. “I expect big things this season. This is our year,” said freshmen Logan Sebright

Since 2008, Dube has had his team in the state championship 3 out of the 5 years he’s coached. This team may be the most talented team they’ve had, the only key is if they can play together as

team.

Baseball Builds Steam

“I think our team has a good chance

of making it to State this year. It’s

State or bust.”-Brandon Aitken, Senior

Track and Field makes a Dent at Crater

After a spring training trip in Arizona, men’s

baseball prepares for a highlight year.

AI

MING

STRAIGHT

Junior Sierra Hebert-Birkenbach practices some swings before a meet at Thurston April 23.MACIE GALE | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

JEAN GALE | PHOTOGRAPHER

Thurston Athletes Shurtliff and Warner take gold and silver at Sweet Home Decathlon.

Home Sweet Home, Sweet Home

3 2rd ndThe girls took home 3rd place at the Crater Classic Invitational in Medford Sat-urday April 20. Macie Gale, Tori Helmick, Kenzie Weston, Katie Tolbert, Alliyah

Gallup, Katie Jobanek, Abby Forrest, and Amira Johnson, hold their trophy after a day of hot sun and hard work.

The boys earned 2nd place at Crater High School. (Back) Kameron Lightheart, Jayce Keller, Cody Warner, Robert Konner, Chris Mudder, (front) John Player, Ryan Smith, Thomas Simpson, and Grant Shirtliff

gather for a shot with their trophy at the finish line.

Decathlon participants Grant Shurtliff (left) and Cody Warner (right) soar into the sandpit.

{ FEATURES }6KATIE LIVELY | PAGE EDITOR

They had been anxiously waiting in front of a window at the airport for two hours, father and daughter passing the time by making up stories about anyone who walked past them. Finally, escorts arrived with four children, one of whom was the adopted child of THS English teacher Ginny Hoke and her family.

Since high school, Hoke had considered the idea of adopting a child from another country, and it became a reality when she fi rst held her then-6-month-old daughter, Zoe, at the airport in January.

The experience brought both excitement and sadness for Hoke, as she knew that Zoe lost everything she knew back home in the Congo when she came to the United States.

“I had very mixed emotions when I saw her,” Hoke said. “I knew how excited and thrilled I was to meet her, but that was tempered by the fact that us meeting her on that day was connected with a great deal of loss in her own life.”

Hoke took three months off from work to help her daughter adjust to

this new life, during which retired THS teacher Julie Klarr stepped in as her substitute, and returned to THS after spring break.

Adopting Zoe required far more time and patience on the Hoke

family’s part than adopting a child from within the United States would have required. Holt International, the agency through which the Hoke family adopted Zoe, needed to compile information about them through a home study, references from friends, and a wide variety of documents including passports and criminal history.

Though Hoke told herself to avoid becoming emotionally invested in any child too soon, she struggled to follow through on that once she received Zoe’s referral picture.

“I never, in this whole process,

did a very good job of guarding my heart,” Hoke said. “I really just fell in love with that picture, and the idea of her, right away.”

Hoke’s older daughter, 7-year-old Maddie Hoke, was the only kid at the

airport when her own family and three others fi nally met their new children. While this was a special e x p e r i e n c e for Maddie Hoke and she was eager to become a big sister, she was surprised when the new baby started crying and s c r e a m i n g on the drive home.

“She was looking over at [Zoe] like, ‘what are you doing? What have I gotten myself into?’” Hoke said.

Swimmers from Team Eugene Aquatics, the swim club at which Hoke’s husband Trevor Hoke coaches, brought the family dinner every night so that he and Hoke had more time to spend with their daughters.

Hoke and her husband were prepared for changes and helped Zoe learn to trust her new family. Though she was considered part of the family from day one, Zoe, now 10 months old, has fully adapted to her

ANNASHEA WRIGHT | REPORTER

With a smile on her face and tears in her eyes, Diane Amundson ascended the stairs to the stage at the Hult Center to accept the “A Champion in Education” (ACE) award.

For 21 years, Amundson has been working at Thurston’s Child D e v e l o p m e n t Center as the program director. The title carries many duties, including a r r a n g i n g transportation, taking care of children with special needs, keeping track of children’s records, and much more.

“I have a job of many hats,” Amundson said with a friendly laugh.

On April 23rd, Amundson attended the award ceremony for all ACE nominees.

“I had no idea I was going to win,” said Amundson. “I even told my

husband and children not to come, because I didn’t think I would win. They did come, though.”

In order to be in the running for the ACE award, a person must be nominated through personal references about the prospective nominee. A colleague, teacher, and parents of children at the CDC wrote

letters to nominate Amundson. She made it to the fi nal round in the classifi ed category, along with three others.

The CDC runs a preschool for children ages three to fi ve, as well as an afternoon program for some

kindergarteners. Some of the children who have attended the CDC come back in their high school years as part of Thurston’s child development classes.

“I love watching the students grow up. It is fun to see how some of them change a lot, while others look or act exactly the same as they did

when they went here,” said Amundson.

There have even been people who bring their children back to the CDC as second-generation students after attending when they were young. The teachers at the CDC call this “the circle.”

In addition to running the CDC, Amundson has also passed a bill into Oregon state law. The bill, called “Tyler’s Law,” was passed in 2003, two years after her son’s

tragic death. Now, children under the age of 16 have to wear a helmet while riding skateboards, scooters, and inline skates. Amundson’s son was killed in 2001 while he was riding his scooter down the Thurston Hills and was struck by a truck.

“ACE” Shines Brightly Among Us

ANNASHEA WRIGHT | REPORTERChild Development Center preschoolers Rylan Sharp, Addison Nelson, and Lucy Rogers

are all smiles as they pose with program director Diane Amundson (back). Nelson (center) holds Amundson’s “ACE” award.

Baby, Hoke is Back!

ANONYMOUS | PHOTOGRAPHERTrevor, Maddie, and Ginny Hoke hold their new family member, Zoe.

THS Hosts Six Foreign Exchange

StudentsANGELA LALIBERTE | REPORTER

Elisabeth Stark has dreamed of visiting America her whole life. Stark enjoys many aspects of THS such as the variety of sports and activities. Her favorite class, however, is Theater. Stark blew her classmates away at

the Regional Acting Competition with her stunning performance as a loud character. “She may seem quiet but there is more going on than meets the eye,” said theater instructor Andy Hock.

From joining ASB Leadership and Track and Field to making it to Nationals for Varsity Cheer and taking a picture with every Disney character at Disneyland, Ali Leylekci has certainly made the most of his American experience. Leylekci is the fi rst male exchange student to participate in THS Cheer. “The thing about Ali is he is so easy to get along with, everyone feels comfortable around him and he is so hardworking,” said Coach James Underwood. Leylekci is hoping to start a cheer team back home in Turkey.

Antonia Reyes is a lover of music and has been playing the guitar for three years. While she was in America, two of her favorite activities were going to the mountains and visiting the aquarium in Newport. Reyes has never experienced the

crunch of snow beneath her feet until this year. “It’s not that we don’t have snow, it’s just I have never seen snow before,” Reyes said.

Ray Lai is a very intelligent young man from the city of Taiwan. America is fi lled with fast food restaurants, which Lai loves. “I like fast food and the McDonald burgers,” Lai said. While here at THS Lai has become friends with sophomore Jacob Ross, also new to Oregon at the time. “Ray fi ts in easily and he isn’t afraid to get to know people,” said Ross.

Anyone who has ever traveled to another country knows that people’s customs and interactions with each other are quite different. Alessia Gazzotti experienced this fi rsthand. “The fi rst thing that struck me as odd was

wherever you are in America people say hi to you even if they don’t know you. In Italy sometimes you don’t even say hi to the people you know,” said Gazzotti.

For those who may not know Klara Fenclova, she is an outstanding baker. She can make a variety of things from scratch, such as cakes, pasta and sushi. “I once spent eight hours in the kitchen baking a cake for my mom’s birthday,” Fenclova said.

ANNASHEA WRIGHT | REPORTER

At 7:45 AM on April 23rd, juniors sat down in their assigned classrooms to take

the two-hour college-admittance test known as the ACT.

Usually, the ACT costs fifty dollars and takes place on a Saturday morning at a school miles away. However, thanks to a grant the school received two years ago, students now have the privilege of taking the test for free on a normal school day. Guidance consular Amy Stranieri is the head of the ACT committee. “The ACT is a college admittance test that normally costs fifty dollars, so I’m really glad we received this grant,” Stranieri said. “In the past, some students were not able to take the test, due to money issues. Now, everyone can take it.” The ACT is scored on a composite scale of 13 to 36. Approximately 0.0625 Scores are considered very well if they are in the mid 20s and higher. In addition to opening doors for college acceptances, most colleges offer scholarships to students with high scores.

Senior Hailey Woodman took the ACT last year and received an exceptional score. “To prepare, I downloaded the ACT app on my phone and did their Question of the Day each day. It was really nice, because a lot of the questions that were on the app appeared on the actual test,” Woodman said.

Since the ACT grant has only been going on for two years, there is no conclusive statistics on the score year to year, but the scores have been the same for the past two years. “I believe that teachers are much willing to start preparing students for the ACT in their classes than they have been in the past,” Stranieri said, “and junior literature teachers are especially good about it. In addition, math and science teachers are also doing more.”

All colleges require scores from either the ACT or the SAT to start the application process. The SAT covers concepts that are related more towards vocabulary and literature skills, and it does not include a science section whereas the ACT does have a science section and the questions are clearly stated.

American College Testing:

It’s Baaaaaaack...

{ ENTERTAINMENT } 7

ERIC ZACK | PAGE EDITOR

As we all know, the most anticipated and dreaded dance of high school (Prom)

is a mere sixteen days away. For those of you who have yet to ask your date, be it for lack of a creative idea or because all high schoolers love to procrastinate, we have some ideas and tips that will, hopefully, ensure that you get the yes.

• Go big. If the girl, or boy, you are asking isn’t afraid to be just a little embarrassed and the envy of all their friends, then do something grandiose and over the top that everyone will see. A classic method for this tactic is a banner in the courtyard or putting sticky notes on their car with “Prom?” and your name written on every single one. Obviously, if everyone did something big then it would become the

norm and wouldn’t be special anymore, so if that’s not your style keep reading.

• Be creative. If the same tricks got used over and over again they would lose their significance and would eventually be worse than just asking someone over text. By the way, never ever do that... ever. Listen to what they talk about. I don’t just mean hearing, I mean actually listening. If you hear her/him talking about something they thought was “really sweet” or “cute” then model what you do after that, but don’t go and do the exact same thing. The more creative and personal it is, the bigger the impact will have.

• If you are a nerd and proud of it, then use that to your advantage. If you go to www.cdsingers.com/artists/ThePromSingers, you can download a song asking her/him to prom and put

it to a slide show of any pictures of the two of you. The prom song has been made for over 600 different names for girls and guys so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding the right one. But just giving her a slideshow wouldn’t be any fun at all! If you have a class with her, you could ask your teacher to play it up on the projector screen. Another alternative is to send her on an internet scavenger hunt eventually ending with the slideshow at a specific URL.

• Be sweet about it. No matter what you do make sure to make them feel special when you ask, and roses never hurt anyone. If you are completely void of any other ideas, just going up to them and asking in the sweetest and most genuine way you can muster is always a good fallback. So go out there and get ‘em tiger... or tigress.

ELIZABETH STARK | REPORTER

When we think of Cinderella, we usually think of

singing mice, talking horses and songs like “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo”. But the newest musical production at Thurston High School doesn’t have any of those.

Though it has mainly the same plot, this production is based on the Cinderella made for TV in 1957 by Rodger and Hammerstein, rather than on the Disney movie.

“I wanted to do a play that is accessible to any audience”, said Andrew Hock, the director of the play, “Some of the other productions had some adult themes in them, but this one is something the whole family can go to.”

It is the biggest theatre production this year and includes “thirty-eight of Thurston’s most skilled and talented performers”, according to Hock.

Rehearsals are at least three times a week. The two main parts of Cinderella and her Prince Charming were given to Macy Hyland and Aaron Smart. “I was really excited to do a role I don’t usually do”, said Smart, who usually plays takes on more humorous roles.

For Hyland, it is also a kind of character she doesn’t often play, but

she was more than happy to finally get a lead. “I am really excited to wear the pretty blue dress”, she said.

“The play has a bunch of really contrasting characters”, said Timminy Carlson, who plays one of Cinderella’s evil stepsisters. Working with Natalie Kronser as stepmother and Ali Byers as the other stepsister, she is one of the villains of the play.

“I think that Ali and Timminy are making really good choices with their characters. They might just steal the show”, said Hock.

A part of the musical most of the students don’t have much experience

in is the dancing. But Smart isn’t worried about that. “I am naturally very graceful”, he said. “Everyone works together to put all the dances together”, explained Hock.

The set builders have just as much work to do as the actors in this production. Mark Huisenga’s stage craft class is already working on the set that will, of course, include the beautiful castle. One of the challenges they still have to face is making Cinderella’s famous glass slipper. “There will be the glass slipper. That, we are able to come up with.” promised Huisenga. But in his opinion, the most

difficult thing will be to transform the pumpkin into the magic carriage that brings Cinderella to the ball.

Opening night is the 2nd of May at 7:30 and the cast is really looking forward to it. “I love opening night. You either make it or break it”, said Chris Crum, who has the part of the Herald. There will also be a children’s matinee show on the 11th that starts at 12:30 p.m., so that elementary schools can also go see it.

It will be a wonderful play and everyone hopes for a big audience. Like Huisenga said: “Everyone should come. It will be fun!”

Promblems

The Prince is Giving a Ball?

THESE PUNS ARE TEAR-ABLE

KEVIN HAGEL | PAGE EDITOR

Animals who eat eucalyptus can’t get many jobs. They lack the necessary koalafications.

A friend of mine recently got a job as an elevator operator. He says the job has its ups and downs.

I fell into a sarchasm the other day. I was just fine. It wasn’t like all my bones were broken or anything.

I climbed a mountain with a very talkative man. He was interesting, but it took him forever to get to the point.

The last camping trip I went on was in tents.

I love bananas. I’ve always found them very appeeling.

Once I stayed up all night to see where the sun went. Then it dawned on me.

There were seven dwarves in my uncle’s college dorm. They were geology miners.

My girlfriend went to the dry cleaners with a pair of jeans that had a counterfeit twenty-dollar bill in the pocket. She was arrested for money laundering.

A horse walks into a bar. The bartender asks him, “Why the long face?” The horse, not understanding English, knocks over a table and leaves.

Pressing F5 is so refreshing.Comparing apples to oranges is

a fruitless exercise.Someone stole a bunch of my

keyboard keys. I lost control.The printer in Mr. Roberson’s

room was filled with peanut butter. Strange. Usually it just jams.

JEAN GALE | PHOTOGRAPHER

Cinderella, played by senior Macy Hyland, lets Prince Charming Aaron Smart try the glass slipper on her in the Spring Musical Cinderella.

{ COMMENTARY } 8

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK Have any questions, comments, or compli-

ments about the paper? Contact Roberson at:

joseph.roberson@springfield.k12.us

}{

CONOR JENSEN | REPORTER

Let’s talk fear.Specifi cally phobias.Now most people are

familiar with the usual phobias such as arachnophobia (the fear of spiders), acrophobia (fear of heights), or even bacteriophobia (the fear of bacteria). These kinds of phobia are very common amongst the general populace and are often more relatable fears.

However, most people are unaware of some of the...uncommon fears. Which includebotanophobia, the fear of plants;c o n s e c t o l e o p h o b i a , the fear of chopsticks;hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia, the fear of long words;hyophobia, the fear of forests; and lutraphobia, the fear of otters.

Most of these fears might come off as downright silly

to most, which is partially true. These phobias seem very irrational and it wouldn’t make sense for one to have such an intense fear for any of these.

However, that is the thing about fear: it’s irrational, it’s intangible, it’s something you

can’t really explain. Fear is a instinctive feeling, not a thought that someone mulls over and goes “You know what, I’m deathly afraid of otters.”

Fear is more often then not something that can’t be explained, and defi nitely not something that should be brushed aside as “silly” or even

“stupid”. You could sit there and explain to someone with a phobia how dumb their fear is, but it won’t change the fact that they are afraid of said action/thing.

Think for example a very common fear, arachnophobia.

Off the top of my head I could think of a few reason as to why spiders aren’t particularly terrifying creatures (spiders in our area are very small, often benign in nature, and do

not wish us harm for the most part) but that won’t make them any less of an underworld-spawn murder machine that arachnophobia see them as.

Fear is a very real thing, and it’s something that should defi nitely be looked at with considerable maturity and thought.

MCKAYLA FIGUEROA | PAGE EDITOR

In the spirit of upcoming festivities, I have decided to discuss some Prom-related

choices, behaviors and even share a few tips. Now as with all theories and observations, there are exceptions. Since girls usually have a plan ten years in advance, guys may be more curious. There are exceptions to every rule, though.

First and foremost, the dress a girl chooses to wear to prom says a lot about her and her expectations of the night. If she has chosen a full-length taffeta dress with poof for days, then you may assume that your Tuxedo Tuesday shirt will not be appreciated. More than likely, she will assume that you are not going to provide her the lifestyle to which she wishes to become accustomed to. Rent a suit, tux or anything that is not powder blue. Other dress cues include that a date in black will generally be classy and fun while a date that chooses a full-length white dress may already have bridesmaids in

mind.Now, most of us will not be walking

to Prom, so there are of course some general tips. If you have already pooled enough cash together among friends to rent a limousine, then that is great. If you are using your own car to pick up your date then clean out your car. I can

safely assume that she doesn’t want to stick her new heels in greasy Taco Bell wrappers. If you are a lady making the drive, then it should be known that those things are even less desirable in a female. Also, make sure you have enough gas to get you to all of your pre-planned destinations. A good thing to remember is that romantic comedies lie and breaking down halfway there

will not help your relationship in any way.

I also don’t get the all-out assault that we usually carry out on our wallets. Your dress or suit does not have to be several hundred dollars. In fact, you are going to wear it only once. Why would you pay so much for something that is going to sit in your closet and taunt you for the rest of forever? Find an amount and cap your budget there for your wearable items. Afterwards you can use the saved money to have a stellar dinner with your date and/or friends.

Most of all, don’t be afraid of wearing the same outfi t, spilling a drop of something on your dress (seriously don’t wear white) or whatever. The night will probably go great no matter how many things you manage to botch on the way, and if they don’t you will lie to future generations anyways.

Phobias and You

CONOR JENSEN | REPORTER

All throughout Elementary and Middle school, my older siblings would always talk

about how much freedom they got when it came to a lot of different areas. They would always say how much I would enjoy High School and how it would be some of the best years of my life.

Then I left middle school, and the fi rst thing I notice is a black fence; something that restricts our freedom

as a High School student. Of course I reasoned that the gate was there for a reason, but I’m a Junior now, and I can say with absolute certainty that the fencing around the school is completely and utterly pointless.

No, I’m not talking about the fences that are able to keep cars from going in and out during closing hours, I’m talking about the black gates that hold us within the confi nes of the hallways and classrooms.

It feels like an unnecessary restriction to High School life, it feels

like money that could of been pushed elsewhere. Not only that, but it kind of makes the campus feel more like a cramped prison than school.

The black gates honestly feel like they are actually impeding my safety if some event were to occur, whether it be a fi re or some other disaster, and could potentially do more harm then good if the need arises that I need to leave the premises.

Really the main question is: What was the intention for the black gates? Were they supposed to protect us? To

keep us in? Unfortunately as it stands now

the black barrier between us and the outside world seems completely unneeded.

Put a Little Fence Around Itkeep us in? keep us in?

Prom Peculiarities

This isn’t another research

project, is it?

Hey dude! Want to go cave

exploring?

No way! This is

totally just for fun!

Okay, but if I see a

clipboard, I’m running.

...Umm, I want to

turn back!

Why?

I have eruchiaphobia.

What’s that? Fear of caves?

No...

MORGYN OEHLER | ARTIST

“Fear is a instinctive feeling, not a thought that someone mulls over and

goes ‘You know what, I’m deathly afraid of otters.’”

MORGYN OEHLER | ARTIST

“A good thing to remember is that romantic comedies

lie and breaking down halfway there will not help

your relationship in any way.”