Ashland High School is partic-ularly dedicated to nurturing the atmosphere of community that makes the school unique from other high schools. For the past two years, AHS staff have been planning the implementation of a program called Advisory that will provide a route for each and every student to navigate high school and life after it. Advisory is “So your big questions get answered because your big questions keep changing,” AHS principal Mi-chelle Zundel explained. The AHS Research and Design Committee has been working at

developing the Advisory program since 2009. Composed of teach-ers, district staff, parents and stu-dents, the committee’s primary aim is to personalize education for each student. “I believe that our students are consumers of education, and I want to provide valuable opportunities for them,” Zundel said. AHS Dean of Students Glenna Stiles agreed that “We need to support our kids more.” For the rest of this school year, Stiles and Zundel will meet whenever they feel it is neces-sary to continue refining next year’s plans. On Nov. 18, an all-day meeting was held on campus

for students, administrators and guests who have studied educa-tion to go through each month and decide what each grade level

will be doing in Advisory. Nov. 30 was an open meeting for par-ents of the community to come and share their thoughts. Most recently, on Jan. 13, Stiles and Zundel finished the schedule of

activities for every Advisory class of next year’s first semester. Addi-tionally, teacher training sessions will be held once a month for two hours on White Days after school from February through May, along with two more in the fall of the 2011-2012 school year. “I think it’s going to give us the opportunity to really form some relationships on a deeper level than we’re used to,” AHS teacher Matthew McKinnon said, who is in favor of the changes soon to take place. Over the summer, all AHS teachers will be trained for the new responsibilities involved in being an Advisory teacher and

counselor. “Advisory has more thought behind it,” McKinnon commented when asked how it compared to past advising pro-grams like Guide. “Information is power. Advi-sory is where you’re going to get information,” Zundel empha-sized. Advisory is more than just a class – it’s a comprehensive program that will reinvent what high school is about. “At every grade what we found is you need to reassess, ‘Who am I, and where am I going?’” Zundel said. From the looks of it, next year is gear-ing up to be a time for change and growth to rival any previous year in the history of AHS.

by Morgan Carne

Students Teachers

February 3, 2011

Vol. V, Issue V

by Sarah Kasiah

1,050 students.Only 2 guidance counselors.The solution? Advisory. What Advisory will mean for...

85-minute classes versus 95-minute classes40-minute Advisory periods on Red Days40-minute study hall periods on White DaysRed Days end at 3:35 p.m.White Days end at 2:15 p.m.A deeper sense of unity throughout the entire schoolMore preparation for post-high school lifeStudy skills and make-up time for everyone so that there will be more time to

enjoy life after school hoursContinued PSAT, SAT, ACT, etc. remindersFresh Start-type activities throughout the year

Advisory will transform the high school experience when it is in-troduced next year. It will give students more hands-on mentor-ing. But just what does it mean for students and teachers? Morgan Carne investigates.

At every grade [...] you need to reassess, ‘Who am I, and where

am I going?’

The Ashland High Robotics team is off and running on making its 2011 competi-tion robot. On Jan. 9 robotics clubs from all around Oregon were given their basic robot-making kit (including a $4,500 programming system for the designers) as well as the requirements for this year’s robot. The members of the club Wyler McAninch-Ruenzi, Dylan Schink, Julian Jones, Megan Huggins, Joshua Majchrzak, Ari Falkner and Sam Cowan meet almost every day. They meet in Eli Schless’s shop, a metal fabricator who has volunteered to let them use his shop. This year’s state-wide robotics conven-

tion will be held in Portland at the Me-morial Coliseum from March 24-26. Day One: members unpack the robot and fix anything that is broken. Day Two: the robots compete. “Starting around midday on Day Two, you lose all memory and percep-tion of time and start working in a sleep deprivation induced delirium. By the end of it no one knows what happened, but we seem to remember that it was fun,” Dylan Schink, a key member of the club, said. This year’s robot must hang tubes on pegs at the edges of the arena and avoid other robots. A miniature robot must also be able to climb up a pole. The Ashland High School robot will be mainly out of

aluminum tubing and motors. The club has many sponsors, includ-ing Modern Fan, JCPenny, Les Schwab, Evogeneao, Denny from Ashland Forge, and Bruce Smith from Ashland Fabrica-tion. The sponsors all donated their time

and expertise to the club. Last year the team placed 20th out of 65 teams at the convention. They are hoping to create an even better robot and place higher this year. Good luck to the Ashland High Ro-botics team!

20 students per advisorStronger relationships with a select few studentsFull 85-minute class periods – counseling office anouncements, assemblies, etc. will occur during Advisory periods instead of classMore focus and direction from students towards future educationLess stress due to after-school hours given for students to make-up work being changed to White Day study hall period

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto

The Ashland High Robotics Club is off to a great start!

Photo by Laulel SagerThe first stages of robot construction.

Those who traveled the Oregon Trail just over a century ago had good reason for doing so; our fine state is abundant with diverse agricultural resources. This makes the average food consumer wonder why so much of our produce comes from science labs instead of Oregon’s back yard. Fortunately access to local products is now greater than ever in Southern Oregon. Thrive, the Rogue Initiative for a Vital Economy makes buying local possible from your home computer nearly every day of the week. “Business can be a good force in the world,” Executive Director Wendy Siporen said. The business currently carries a customer base of roughly 700, averaging about 50 orders a week with “A lot of room to grow.” “[The] Buy Local—Buy Rogue campaign is a non-profit business alliance of locally owned, independent businesses committed to building a more socially, environmentally and financially sustainable economy in the Rogue Valley,” ac-cording to buylocalrogue.org. The Initiative employs farm-ers within 100 miles of Ashland, ensuring that all products bought and sold are guaranteed local. The ideology behind Buy Local, Buy Rogue is in their vigor for fueling a provincial economy, “Each time a dollar is re-spent in the local econo-my, it’s like new income – creating a ‘multiplier effect’ - rath-er than this money ‘leaking out’ through remote corporate headquarters and centralized purchasing departments,” af-firmed the organization’s website. The affordability of Buy Local, Buy Rogue lies in both the mission and the quality of the products. Not to mention, Buy Local, Buy Rogue now accepts Oregon Trail cards. With today‘s economic status, aiding the local economy has never been more important to our families and neigh-bors. It has been proven time and time again that even the smallest initiatives with specific intentions are the most in-fluential on a global scale. Place your order today at www.buylocalrogue.org.

February 3, 2011Page 2 Rogue News

Buy Local, buy rogueby Elle Swarttouw

Academic Challenge Like all good high schools AHS has its fair share of smart kids. While many would consider this group of kids to be raging nerds who spend their lives in their mother’s basement research-ing a new element, the “smart crowd” at AHS is in fact proac-tively participating in Academic Challenge. Fronted by a dynamic duo (Mr. Huard and Mr. Corne-lius), The Academic Challenge team has spent the year crushing the competition and learning to love the sport of intelligence. Dante Toppo, Lee Owens-Oas, Jeremy Huard, Maureen Paige and Ian Smeenk spend their Tues-day lunches in Cornelius’s room practicing for the days when they are seen on Channel 5 ravaging all that comes into their path. This year’s team has a tough act to

follow, considering that last year’s team was one of the most success-ful teams in the school’s history. As Lee Owens-Oas said, “It takes

courage to act like the most intel-ligent person in the room, espe-cially when everyone around you is more intelligent than you are”.

by Ryan Mills

Photo by Laurel SagerAcadmic challenge students at work.

Ashland High School is returning to the past while simul-taneously taking a leap into the future. In math teacher Tammy Anderson’s room, students are returning to the use of slates. Remember the miniature chalk-boards that students had at their desks? Anderson is bringing them

back, but now the slates are smart. Mrs. Anderson requested a grant through donorschoose.org to buy three Smart Slates. In to-tal, the Smart Slates cost approxi-mately $1,200 and were funded by US Cellular. The Smart Slates communicate with the Smart Board in the classroom, projecting

anything written on them onto the Smart Board. Mrs. Anderson has used the Smart Slates to fur-ther involve students in class dis-cussions. Anderson commented, “The bottom line is the Smart Slates engage students, and when students are engaged, they are learning.”

Smarter than everby Michaela Anderson

by Amelia Farber

New restrictions on Facebook have arrived at Ashland High School. The new restictions, which are in effect as of Jan. 21, 2011, will be similar to the current cell phone policy: Facebook can be accessed before and after school, during lunch and between classes. The restrictions have yet to make too much of a stir among students. “I didn’t even know there was a restriction,” senior Kai Dowding said. Consequences of violation follow the basic rule of the school. The first use of Facebook at an inappropriate time will result in a warning, and the following consequences get more severe and can

result in revoking all of your school in-ternet privileges. Some students don’t seem phased by the restrictions. “That seems fair,” freshman Kristen Fitzpat-rick commented on the new policy, “stu-dents shouldn’t be on Facebook during class anyway.” Glenna Stiles said that Ashland High was one of only about six Oregon high schools, out of 200, that had not banned the use of Facebook on campus. Why the restrictions now? The main issue was students using Facebook during study skills classes or out periods in the library when other students needed computers for finishing school related projects.

Facebook restrictions

at AHS

Page 3February, 2011 Rogue News

Valentine’s Day

photo by Sierra Kister

Editorial/Designer BoardEditors-in-Chief...................................Grace Riley-Adams, Hannah SaylesFront Page....................................................Sarah Kasiah/ Taylor PattersonNews Page.............................................Michaela Anderson/ Megan GanimArts and Entertainment....................................Elle Swarttouw/ Ian SmeenkIn-Depth page..........................Olivia Fidler/ Hannah Sayles, Anya LudwigOpinion Page........................................Grace Riley-Adams/ Hannah MillerSports Page......................................................Neil Presicci/ Zack Hartman Backpage..................................................Angelica Florio/ Elias OpgenorthOnline Editors...................................................Mack Conroy, Dante ToppoManaging Editor......................................................................Sadie SheltonChief Designer.......................................................................Hannah SaylesPhotography Editor..................................................................Laurel SagerBusiness Manager…….…..…..................................................Talen Heater

Rogue News is published by the newspaper classes of Ashland High School, 201 South Mountain Ave., Ashland, Oregon 97520. (541) 482-8771 ext. 195. The editorials written by the Rogue News express the opinions of the editorial staff on issues relevant to the staff, the school and the community. Personal columns do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire staff and are written as the opinion of the individual author. Letters to the editor, which should be under 250 words, are encouraged. They can be dropped off outside of Room 202, put in Mr. William Gabriel’s box in the main office or emailed to RogueNews@ashland.k12.or.us. No letters will be printed without a verified signature. Letters received in the second week of production will not appear until the next issue. The Rogue News staff reserves the right to refuse to print any poten-tially libelous or obscene material, anything that would invade the privacy of others, or anything that could cause a disruption of the school environment.

Rogue News

photo by Laurel Sager

AngelicMess

ages Dante’sInferno

Editorial Congratulations. If you are reading this you have undoubtedly survived finals. Those days of dreading every test, the hours spent studying, and the weeks playing Dolphin Olympics while procrastinating, are over. If Mordor was finals then you have finally thrown your cursed ring into the fiery chasm from whence it came. Every student, whether or not you bombed that English project or if you didn’t do so well on the third part of your math teacher’s four part final, can relish in the beauty of a clean slate on Power School. Step away from the text books, relax in your chair and take three deep breaths while you enjoy a tall chilled Rogue News. For those of you who are still dwelling on last week, we’re here to de-liver you a new-semester pep talk. Freshmen, good work on accomplishing what was likely the hardest week of your life. Don’t loose steam yet- seven more finals weeks to go! Sophomore’s, if you’ve made it this far then there’s really no point in giving up now. Junior’s, I have good news for you- you probably think this is hardest year of your life- it isn’t! Seniors, my comrades. Between college appli-cations, scholarship applications, complicated

relationship statuses on Facebook and AP classes, I know this semester was unquestionably Dante’s In-ferno. Don’t give up hope, that pearly diploma is al-most ours! Though it might be impossible for you to disappear to Spain for the last semester of this year, there are still some small comforts you can enjoy. Just imagine- college apps are done, Winter Formal is Yule Ball, and you’re starting anew in the grade book. Now you can just sit back and enjoy the last moments you have of being in the same school as your childhood friends. Just remember, while colleges don’t care about that pimple on your chin, they do care about marks on your transcript. So be proactive (I’m not getting paid to endorse, don’t worry); don’t drop any classes this semester just because you got into your university early. No transcript, however beautiful, can pull off a big fat W for withdrawal. If you short change your education now then you may be short of change the rest of your life. So seniors, it’s time to pick up your-selves and start with a fresh canvas as the new semes-ter begins. You can do it. Unlike Voldemort, Power School holds no grudges, and the end is nigh.

I despise Valentine’s Day.Before you chastise, please just let

me sayThis is not the spite of a bitter old

heartPierced too many times by love’s cruel darts.

This is real loathing forged by cold reason,

By the obvious flaws of this despicable season.

I hate the bad love poemsMaking silly girls swoon

Like the blonde in Indi-ana Jones and the Temple of

DoomIn fact those baboons

Whose heads Indy was servedDuring dinnertime

Could write far better verse Than hallmark card rhymes.

I hate slashing a thumb with dumb safety scissors

Cutting out cards for Valentines projectsWhile you spill on your pants a

whole bottle of glitterCause you were surprised to see your hot ex

I hate the heart candiesThat taste like chalk and deathMake your fingers all sandyAbsolutely ruin your breath

So that any small chance of a Valen-tines kissAny rose of romance; short lived teen-age trystIs nipped in the bud by this yearly re-minder:That girl you’ve been looking for- you’ll never find her.

If there is one thing I knowFrom Valentines pastIt’s that Cupid’s arrowIs a pain in the … neck

February 14. For some it

is just another day on the calendar, for others it is a day of hibernation, and for many like me, it is the most wonderful day of the year. Valentine’s Day has become a somewhat controversial topic, as some have criticized it for being a made up holiday that takes advantage of love sick consumers. This is a fallacy, as often the best celebrations of this sacred day involve no money. The currency of V-Day is love, and that is something that everybody has.

I embrace the hearts, streamers, glitter, carnations and cupids. Can’t you feel the love…tonight? It’s time to wake up, smell the roses and accept that Valentine’s Day is inevitable, and if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. I encourage everybody to get in the spirit of the holiday by renting Titanic, doodling some hearts, writing a love sonnet and eating some chalk- I mean Sweethearts. Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be shared with a significant other, it can be a beautiful day spent with your friends, siblings, parents and even pets. If you’re feeling down about being minus one, just remember that Valentine’s Day plus single people equals loneliness, and loneliness equals desperation, and desperation raises your probability of finding a mate by 500%. How else do you think Dante gets all his ladies? However, for this reason, it is sometimes more advisable to spend Valentine’s Day in the safety of your home to avoid a regret filled February 15. No matter what, regardless of whether or not you’ve been struck by Cupid’s arrow, you always have the reliable company of Ben and Jerry, and you will not be alone.

Ladies and gentlemen, my emotions

on this issue are of such magnitude that it is only appropriate for me to ex-press them in the form of poetry. Please enjoy:

:RELAX!!!

Applying to college can be overwhelming, but the Rogue News has got your back. We’ve created a comprehensive check list to keep you on track.

Many high school students, when faced with the prospect of graduation, have one unifying question: now what? There are two prominent answers to this question: two-year college and four-year university. The trick lies in picking between the two. Here at the Rogue News, we’ve decided to help make the choice easier by providing some basic facts about the institutions.

Money Workers with a bachelor’s degree typically make more money than those with a two year degree. Starting pay with a bachelor’s degree is on average 20% higher than it would be with an associate’s degree. Furthermore, after 10 years of work experience, the bachelor’s degree’s lead increases to 47%. It is worth remembering that these numbers are descriptive of the average case and may not be representative of every individual. While the averages side overwhelmingly with the bachelor’s degree, there are some professions that deviate from these pay averages. For example, if you are seeking a career as an administrative assistant, dental hygienist, funeral director, interior designer, registered nurse, systems

administrator or executive chef, then the advantages of a bachelor’s degree are limited. In each of these fields, those with a bachelor’s degree make less than 10% more than those with an associate’s degree. In sharp contrast, those with a bachelor’s degree acting as a construction project manager, data analyst, financial controller, graphic artist, information technology manager, inside sales representative, outside sales manager, or systems engineer make over 15% more than those with just an associate’s degree. As a general rule of thumb, degrees in fields that require lots of hands on work experience will benefit less from a bachelor’s degree, while fields that are more managerial or academic will benefit the most.

Tuition Costs However, the extra two years of education do not come free. Assuming someone paid $8,000 dollars a year in tuition and forewent $35,100 per year in income by not working. The cost of the bachelor’s degree would be $88,200. On average it would take over ten years to make back that amount of money working at the median rate for someone with a bachelor’s degree.

2-year vs. 4-year collegeby Zach Markovich

Travel vs. School School, school, school… After spending two-thirds of your life in school, thinking about college right after graduation can seem more than a little daunting. Of course, you will benefit from higher education, and most of our alumni attend two and four year colleges, but there are other options. Many colleges and universities allow students to defer for some time before starting classes. This means that after you accept admission and enroll in the school, you have a set plan to attend college but are able to take a semester or two off

before you launch yourself back into the school scene. These ‘gap years’ are ideal for gaining work experience prior to college while making a little money to offset the cost of school. Traveling the world for a bit to test your independence is another alternative. Another option is to attend a vocational school. There are plenty of careers out there that don’t require a Bachelors or Masters degree. Sure, higher education is crucial to your future success, but it’s good to know that you can create your own personalized plan. After all, it is your life.

by Anya Ludwig

Illustration by Kailey Cockell

February* Maintain your grades. *Have mid-year transcripts been sent?*Check announcements for scholarships.*Write to the department you plan to major in at the school you hope to attend and ask for scholarship information.*Check deadlines for any remaining college applications.*Complete FAFSA if you have not done so already.

March*Local scholarship applications are available in the Counseling Office the first week of March, go pick them up!*You will receive student aid report from sending in your FAFSA (check for errors and call your school if there are mistakes).

April*Local scholarship applications are due in the Counseling Office around the first of the month.*Check housing opportunities at your college.*Wait to hear from all of your colleges before making a decision.*Notify the colleges of your decision. Send deposit to school before May 1.

May*Maintain your grades! Acceptance is provisional and based on your final semester grades.*Notify schools you have decided not to attend.*Check on placement exams at various colleges.*Prepare a budget for the following year.

June

Senior Checklist

September *Will you meet college requirements? *Get involved in activities. *Register for PSAT test. *Sign up for an ASPIRE counselor through the Counseling Office.

October* College Fair. *Take PSAT test.

November*Research the colleges in which you are interested by using computer and book re-sources in the counseling office and library.*Write to colleges for additional informa-tion.

December*Review your PSAT scores.*Talk with graduates who are home from college.*Send for college view books or check on-line for a more detailed study of the schools you are interested in.* Research admission and test requirements using the College Handbook or CIS comput-ers in the Counseling Office or the library.

January*Prepare for semester exams.*Schedule the SAT Reasoning Test, SAT Subject Tests and ACT test.

Junior Checklist

Sophomore Calendar*Fulfill fine arts requirement if you’re inter-ested in attending a California higher educa-tion.*Take PSAT; If taking an AP class, consider taking the Subject Test in June.

Freshman Calendar February

*Plan senior year courses.*Plan to attend workshop on selecting a college, scholarships, and financial aid.*Parent information meeting will be pre-sented in late February or early March.*Register for March SAT/ACT.

March*Register for May and June SAT Reason-ing, SAT Subject, or ACT tests.*Go over your senior schedule with your counselor.

April*Develop a preliminary list of colleges that interest you and request information from them.*File Service Academics and ROTC Scholarship applications.

May*Identify adults whom you can ask for recommendations.*Take SAT Reasoning test or ACT.*Complete your high school resume, in-cluding the senior activities in which you plan to participate.

June *Prepare for finals.*Take SAT Reasoning Test or ACT.*Continue the college search and visit when possible.

August*Obtain applications from every school you are considering. Many schools give you the option of completing your appli-cation online.*Get requests for letters of recommenda-tion ready to hand to teachers and coun-selor/administrator.

*Get involved in activities.*Fulfill fine arts requirement if you’re interest-ed in attending a California Higher Education.

Checklist compiled by Olivia Fidler & Sadie Shelton

GRADUATE!

Feb 3, 2011Page 6 Rogue News

Some call it pure sonic genius, others call it an assault to the eardrums. But one thing is for sure, dubstep has emerged as a significant player in the game of contemporary music. All across the nation, gentle and smooth pop melodies are being overtaken by power-fully distorted bass, erratic beats and grimy electronics. Within the past two years it has turned from unheard of (in America) to one of the most popular genres in music. Many Ashland High School students have been raving over the new sensation. “Dubstep is the greatest thing since Little River Band came out with the song ‘Reminiscing,’” sopho-more Ben Sager said. There are many critics of dubstep who dis-miss it as just noise. “[Dubstep is] irritating and there’s no rythym to it,” freshman Anthony Davis said refering to the genre, which to some might seem appealing but to many others, it’s not.

Contrary to popular belief dubstep is by no means is a new genre. British kids had been jamming to dubstep for almost an entire decade before most American teenagers heard about it. It was originally a synthesis of characteristics of certain genres, such as grunge and drum-and-bass music. It also has roots in Jamaican dub music, hence the “dub” in “dubstep.” Many critics of dubstep condemn it for being too loud and cacophonous. However, this is only characteristic of certain types of dubstep. Certain artists, including Burial and James Blake, embrace a more artistic type of dubstep that focuses more on the beauty and simplicity than raw sonic force. Dubstep has far from peaked in a popular-ity standpoint, and continues to break further into the mainstream. Even Britney Spear’s most recent song, “Hold It Against Me,” contains el-ements of dubstep in its musical structure.

Photo by Jack Thomas

On his future: “Next year I am taking a gap year. I’ll be traveling, mostly to Israel. I’ve been to the Middle East five times. When I go to college, I would be interested in pursuing the arts, perhaps through the digital arts.”The AHS art program: “Mark’s art class is a great way to start experimenting in what you like. Because its very lax, you are free to do and go wherever you want, and you’ll find something you probably wouldn’t.”

The process: “First I have to figure out the structure, and use central wires for the frame. After that I just wrap around the basis of the wire, using pliers and wire cutters, of course.”

His inspiration: “Drawing in black and white with pen-cil is also an interest of mine. I started using graphing paper and learning about the proportions of the human body and that has transferred over to wire art. I have this one piece that has man holding up a weight and I had to plan out exactly how it would balance out. Wire sculp-ture is all about playing with balance.”

On wire art: “I’ve always been a very right brain person. I work best with my hands and when I am being physical... I don’t really like painting, and I’ve found that making wire art is a very meditative process, it’ s relaxing.”

How he got started: “I first began making wire sculptures two years ago, in my sophomore year, after Mark gave it as an assignment. I think initially, I was good at it, so it inspired me to keep making more.”

by Erin Keoppen

Photo by Elle Swarttouw

Illustration by Yuval Zonnenschein

by Ian SmeenkGoing from don’t want to don’t need to is a difficult process,Pointless positions are absent from individual necessity but

vitally important for vanity or frugal sprees of affluence,Why is it that some cultures can own so few physical amenities yet be so joyous, so much more fulfilled than our own Western society which takes wasteful spending as a means of “finding”

happiness,My mind is at peace and at its height of positive engagement while surrounded by warm friends and beautiful landscape,

It’s odd; at times I feel the urge, an instinctual gravity toward materialism,

Finding the humble level of spending on useless possessions is an important discovery we all must find,

Like in impoverished, seemingly depressed countries,The West must be taught how to find the equilibrium of nature

and interpersonal interaction so we may seek true happiness,And thrive amongst friends and intellectual challenge,

Where love and satisfaction are found.

A False Friendby Ryan Bellinson

AHS Poet

AHS senior Yuval Zonnenschein.

Page 7Feb 3, 2010 Rogue News

5 steals each by Wesley Hitchko and Jake McCoy in the second half of the Grizzly boys 65-58 defeat of Henley on Jan. 7.

1:26.92 Sheralyn Shumway’s combined time on her way to winning both the 50 and 100 meter freestyle at the Southern Oregon University pool, against South Medford, on Wednesday, January 12.

2 Grizzly wrestlers that won their weight class at the 2011 Bend Invitational. Sam Cowan and Jeremy Byrd both provided championship efforts for the Grizzlies.

45 number of athletes, both boys and girls, on the AHS snowboard team this winter.

3,898 total pin fall of the AHS varsity boys bowl-ing team at their recent tourna-ment in Roseburg, Jan. 23.

4 AHS boys skiers that fin-ished in the top 10 of the first Southern Oregon league race at Mt. Ashland on Jan. 14 and 15 (Alec Bishop – fourth, Austin Lawrence – fifth, Colin Hamel – seventh, Ryan Bellinson – tenth).

Where are they now?by Neil Presicci

By the #’s

Player of the Month:Billy “Superstar” Hansen

The Rogue News Sports Department has selected Billy Hansen as the “Player of the Month.” Hansen, also known as “Superstar,” has led the Ash-land boys basketball team to a 7-7 record so far this season, av-eraging 20.0 points per game. “I started playing at the Y when I was in kindergarten,” Hansen recalled with a nostal-gic look on his face. Being the humble player that he is, how-ever, Hansen failed to mention that he played in leagues with

kids one year older. In the Grizzlies’ game against Eureka on December 5, 2010, Hansen tied Paul Kitzman’s school scoring record with 37 points. Hansen again came close to breaking the record on December 18 against Henley, scoring 36 points and nailing 10 three-pointers. Hansen’s performance this season has started to get him region-wide recognition. Di-vision-I NCAA schools have already started recruiting him

and he is the second ranked class of 2012 “combo guard” in the Northwest. In the 2010-2011, Hansen has scored a team-leading 280 points and sunk an eye-popping 52 “treys”. “With so many great athletes at Ashland High School, it is an honor to be chosen as player of the month”, Hansen said. Good luck to Billy Hansen, and the rest of the Ashland boys basketball team, as they continue towards the state tournament.

by Josh Harris

by Jonathan Mills and Neil Presicci

Photo by Laurel Sager

Rory BlancheClass of 2007Basketball/FowardWestern Washington University

Grizz Achievements: Southern Sky Conference Player of the Year, 5A all-state second-team in 2006-07. Averaged 20.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.Achievements at the next level: Great Northwest Athletic Conference Aca-demic All-Star as a sophomore in 2009-10. Averaged 8.5 points on 58.1 percent field-goal shooting. Voted Most Im-proved Player by his teammates for the second straight year.Thoughts: “The biggest difference be-tween college ball and high school is the speed of the game. Your weaknesses will be exposed quickly if you don’t work to make them better. Playing in college takes a lot of work and dedication but it has brought me many opportunities as well.”

Jamie RouppClass of 2006Basketball/GuardWashington State University, Portland State University,

Southern Oregon UniversityGrizz Achievements: Southern Oregon Conference Player of the Year, Second team All-State. Averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.4 steals per game her senior season.Achievements at the next level: Attend-ed Washington State as a freshman, com-ing off the bench for valuable minutes. Transferred to Portland State and was a key reserve in 2008-09. Averaging 6.5 points, 3.5 assists, and 5.2 rebounds this season for the Southern Oregon Raiders.Thoughts: “Playing in college just in-tensified the sport for me. It’s your main focus besides school. It has been very re-warding to see all of the hard work over the years pay off.”

Photo by SOU

Andrew TredwayClass of 1995GolfUniversity of Oregon

Photo by Mercer University

For years, Ashland High School has produced students that are successful outside of the classroom in many ways. One of the ways they succeed is through athletics. A cer-tain unexplainable fire burns in the belly of a Grizzly, and this fire has led AHS gradu-ates to accomplish things far greater than recieving varsity letters. From coaching at the collegiate level to playing professionally, there are AHS graduates sprinkled across the country, using the skills they learned and honed on this very campus.

Photo submitted by Rory Blanche

Grizz Achievements: Won an Oregon state junior championship in 1994.Achievements at the next level: Played college golf at U of O, competing in two NCAA Championships. Competed pro-fessionally on the Australian PGA tour. Began coaching career as an assistant coach at the University of Alabama, and now the head coach for the University of Mercer. Thoughts: “Having been through what my players have, in college, amateur, and professional golf, I have a very good idea of what they are feeling when they are out there competing in the daily grind of practice.”

The Man, The Myth, The Legend.

Which author has inspired you most?

Mark Salzman, the author of six novels and memoirs, never knew that he would become the

acclaimed writer that he is today - he originally thought he would become a professional cellist or

Kung Fu Master. After graduating from Yale Uni-versity in 1982, Salzman moved to China to pursue

martial arts training and teach English at the Hunan Medical College of Changsha. However, after returning from China, Salzman real-ized that his American martial arts pupils were more interested in learning how to “break necks without a sweat and have super-natural powers” than under-standing the art. When his passion for writing grew stronger, Salzman decided to close his studio and go in a new direction. Since then, Salzman has become widely recog-nized for his novels and memoirs. He is the author of “Iron and Silk,” “True Notebooks,” “Lost in Place,” “The Laughing Sutra,” “The Soloist” and “Lying Awake.” For Iron and Silk, Salzman received the Christopher Award and the Literary Lions Award of the New York Public Library and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize’s nonfiction category. Although he still reflects upon his previous passions for music, martial arts, the Chinese language and philosophy, Salzman acknowl-edges that they have had their seasons. Re-cently, Salzman has been staying home with his wife and two daughters while slowing the pace on his writing.

by Annika Hearn & Nayeon Kim

Visit theroguenews.com to read

the full interView with salzman.

carried upward by the heat of an invisible

flame.” - an excerpt from “Lying Awake” by Mark Salzman

One of my favorite authors of all time is E.B. White, who wrote Charlotte’s Web. People mostly think of him as hav-ing written books for kids, but he’s also a terrific essayist. I really admire his clear writing. He has great ideas put so simply that when you’re reading, you feel it’s effortless. When I’m writing, I’m constantly rewriting. What I don’t like is the feeling that there are words that don’t have to be there. Someone once said that in sculpting, what’s important isn’t the building, but that the artist is chipping away until all that’s left is what absolutely must be there.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

The only authentic advice that I can give is on how to handle feeling discouraged. It’s difficult to reach points where you simply run out of ideas; you have dry spells where you just don’t know what to write about, and it’s frustrating. It makes you wonder whether you were really meant to do this. The other thing is when you go through long stretch-es when you’re writing a lot but the writing isn’t any good and you start producing things that people don’t respond to, and it baffles you.

How would you suggest writers deal with this issue?

Just be patient, because these obstacles aren’t within your control. The one thing that is within your power is whether or not you keep going. If you’re not gentle with yourself and you punish yourself for not writing well enough, fast enough, brilliantly enough, or originally enough, you’re going to wear yourself out. All of the energy you need to write is going to be channeled into self-imposed punishment. It’s my main challenge at age 51. If you can just keep up with it, then you’re a writer! illustration by Kailey Cockell

“She became an ember,Award Winning Novelist, Mark Salzman, Comes to Ashland

Q & awith mark salzman