November 2009

theblazerThe Student Newsmagazine of Timberline High School Volume X, Issue 2 • November 6, 2009

Football on to stateBlazers vs

Lancers tonight

26

Teachers growing up

Staff in their glory days

7Bringing back

the beards

See pageSee page

“No shave” November

5See page

photo illustration by Danica Thomas

See story on pages 13-15

dowhywe

fail?

blazer news02 www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazer november 6, 2009

TIDTHS BITS

By Staff Writer JamiSon StevenS

Rachel’s new friends The Rachel’s Challenge Assembly last month has changed some students at Timber-line. That day might be over, but a few stu-dents are trying to keep that day alive with a new club. The Friends of Rachel (FOR) club is for students who believe in what Rachel did, and want to carry on her dream. Faculty such as Derek Weldon, Jodi Stevens, Jason Bush, Deeanne Flaherty, and Terri Bader will be as-sissting in the club’s ambitions. Despite the club’s recent unveiling, club officers have big plans for Timberline.

Much brainstorming and planning has gone into making Timber-line a friendlier place. One idea is the new student program which is meant to make new students feel welcome in a different school enviroment.

“The purpose of the FOR club is to create unity throughout the

school through kindness and compassion by starting a chain reaction,” said Myranda Bell, junior. “Our two projects are a letter program

and chain program. That’s where everyone has a piece of paper and they write acts of kindness they see. From those pieces of pa-per we will create a chain with them.” Bell is among the selected students taking on leader-ship roles within the club.

Inspired at Latino Youth Summit Three weeks ago, the seventh annual La-tino Youth Summit was held at St. Martin’s University. Students within the Thurston, Mason, Lewis, Grays Harbor, and Pacific counties attended the summit. Spokane resident

Guillermo “Willie” Lopez was the se-lected speaker. Lopez emerged from a life of hardship, faced ob-stacles such as gang violence, living in a drug enviroment, and was a victim of dis-crimination. Lopez’s words inspired many students.

Lopez’s difficult life, rich in obstacles, created ambition rather than diminishing his self-confidence. The Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico native recognized that action, not wallowing in sorrow, would have positive re-sults. Jessica Maldonado, junior, attended the summit and was among the many impacted by Lopez’s speech. “He inspired me to want to go after my dreams,” said Maldonado. “His main message was that no one can stop you from being successful but yourself.”

Berlin Wall’s 20th anniversary This Monday, Timberline’s German Club will hold a twentieth anniversary celebra-tion of the Berlin Wall. A variety of speak-ers will present at the gathering along with

a slide show and discussion. Enter-tainment will be provided through-out the night cor-responding with the German cul-ture. “The fall of the Berlin Wall marked a turning

point in Germany, it’s now one of the largest

economic powers in the world,” said senior Patrick Phelps. This celebration gives attendees the op-portunity to recoginze the economic and political influence Germany has offered the world. “German is a business language. I wanted to learn German anyway, but the busi-ness aspect is a nice benefit,” said Phelps.

Timberline’s career fair premiere Two weeks ago Timberline hosted its first College and Career Fair. Colleges that attend-ed included Seattle University, the University of Portland, the University of Washington, and Pacific Lutheran University along with representatives from every branch of the military. The college and career fair rotates among the schools in the North Thurston district. “The goal [of the fair] is to make this a dis-trict level event involving every high school,” said THS councelor Matt Stevens.

photo by Hana Brown

NOV

12 Thursday the 21st:Auto Club trip to

Seattle Auto Show. Tickets $10

26Thursday the 26th:Thanksgiving Break

NO SCHOOL

27Friday the 27th:

Thanksgiving BreakNO SCHOOL

9Monday the 9th:

German Club celebrating anniversary

of Berlin Wall7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at

Timberline

11Wednesday the 11th:

Veteran’s DayNO SCHOOL

10Tuesday the 10th:

Veteran’s Day assembly

C A L E N D A R

Jessica Maldonado, junior

Myranda Bell,junior

Patrick Phelps,senior

17 Tuesday the 17th:

End of DECA Opera-tion Christmas Child

Reenact: Diane Weston, AP US history teacher, plays Ben Franklin in the class reenactment of the ConstitutionalConvertion. Junior Nesley Bravo represents one the delegates present of the convention.

blazer news 03www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazer november 6, 2009

By Staff Writer Shandra Clark

Legislators and legislation alike were voted into action last Tuesday, in an election that is sure to be groundbreaking po-

litically, socially, and amongst Timber-line students.

Many students voted for the first time on referendums and initiatives that are

causing a lot of buzz in the halls of Timberline—and outside of them, as well.Senior Dillon Welch, who turned 18 on Oct. 7 was

excited to vote for the first time. “It was empowering. I always watch the presidential elec-

tions and wanted to be able to vote in them.” Like Welch, senior Athena Ward, who turned 18 on Sept.

11, feels that voting as soon as you can is a major stepping stone in any high schooler’s life.

“I think it’s [voting] the most important thing you get to do when you turn 18,” said Ward.

Similarly Welch said, “It feels good to know that I am changing things in my community. I don’t know why people wouldn’t want to affect change.”

Registering to vote is made purposefully convenient and simple. Those wanting to register can either go online to the Thurston County Auditor’s Office website or pick up a pa-per mail-in application at Thurston County Auditor’s office building.

“It was really easy to register. I just had to go online and put in my driver’s license number,” said Ward.

On the other hand, Welch had to physically visit the Thurston County Auditor’s Office in order to turn in his application because of complications with his

birth date. “The way I registered was definitely less conven-tional than most.”

Ballot measures cause commotionThe measure on the ballot that is arguably causing the

most commotion is Referendum 71, an initiative that will give domestic partnerships in Washington State the same rights as married couples.

“It’s really innovative,” said Welch. “We’re moving for-ward with gay rights, and that’s good.”

This appears to be the attitude amongst a big faction of Timberline students. Senior Tanis Hartsell says that he, “can’t believe this is even still an issue.” But there are some dissent-ing opinions, as well.

“I’m all for it just as long as they aren’t called ‘married,’” said Jason Cannon, a senior. “Marriage is supposed to be be-tween a man and a woman.”

While Referendum 71 is the subject of much of the po-litical chatter, there is one other measure that could have a significant effect: Initiative 1033. A series of tax and budget cuts that would deplete a general fund that is used for many government services, and lock in the budget cuts that the state is currently making, will potentially take away thousands of job opportunities in the next few years. In fact, this initiative is met with such heavy opposition, that it is being called the, “Job Killer,” in many situations.

Of course, there are also things that didn’t make it onto the ballot, and there is one subject that has kids breathing sighs of relief. Vehicle taxes, a set of three different initiatives, all with the intention of increasing the price of car tabs to $25, with a $5 filing fee, and implementing various other charges.

“I’m glad it didn’t make it,” said junior Jessica Town-shend. “It’s just another ridiculous way that the government wants to take money from people.”

Register to VoteGo to http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/auditor.Click on the “Register to Vote On-

line” button.Have your driver’s license near-by and be 18 years old, 30 days prior to next election.Fill out all information.And you’re REGISTERED!

1.2.3.

4.5.

Illustration by Sam Bice

Elections Last Tuesday some Blazers voted forthe first time.

theblazerThe Student Newsmagazine Website of Timberline High School

online

The Blazer Timberline High School Lacey, WA 98503

www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazer

Check out the new student newsmagazine website of Timberline High School!

Real People, Real Issues, & Real Situations


Blazers adopt hairy habit

By Staff Writer taylor Boardman

The start of November brings with it the chaos of students studying for SATs, the excitement of Election Day, bitter, cold weather, and the buzz of the upcom-

ing holiday season. November will also signal the sightings of multiple scruffy chins as facial hair is allowed to grow free.

“It shows dedication to something,” said senior Willy Laughlin. “It’s nice to see who has the best beard at the end.”

No Shave November is a globally recognized tradition. For one month, razors are set aside as the participants resist shaving and cutting their hair. Blazers have participated in this odd tradition for several years. This year, however, the trend seems to be growing in popularity among students.

Taylor Shanda, a junior, plans to join those at Timberline who will abstain from shaving. “Every-one else who can grow facial hair does it, so I’m willing to participate,” he said.

With so many people participating this year, it’s hard to imagine that a little competition won’t take place. “The goal is to beat Ben,” Laughlin said, referring to senior Ben Talbot.

This year will be the second year Talbot has participated in No Shave November. “I pride my-self in having the sweetest beard at the end,” he said. “Everyone tries to beat me, but they can’t.” As the month progresses, many of the boys have competitions to see who can accumulate the thick-est mane.

Not everyone is competing with each other, though. Some students have other reasons for tak-ing part in the event. “I do it for fun,” said Shanda on why he is participating. “It’s a sign of masculin-ity at the same time.”

This November will be senior Spencer Risk’s first No Shave November. “I’m hoping to grow a

goatee,” Risk said. Risk is also joining in the boy-cott against shaving to have fun with his friends.

The participating male body seem to be excited to ignore their razors for an entire month. However, some are not comfortable with letting their hair grow for a whole month.

“I think it’s a great idea, I just can’t pull it off,” said senior Cody White. “I’m really particular about being clean.”

The unhygienic nature of the tradition turns some of the student body away. “I could probably last three days,” added White.

Laughlin isn’t bothered by the idea, though still comments that the event comes with its own chal-lenges. “The hardest part is not getting your hair cut, and the itching,” he said.

Talbot, however, disagrees. “It’s too fun not to shave,” Talbot said. He asserts that none of the rules associated with No Shave November will cause trouble for him.

The number of participants is rising, though few know the history of what they’re participat-ing in. “I don’t know anything about it,” Risk said. He’s not the only one who is unfamiliar with the background of the worldwide practice.

No one can pinpoint exactly when this tradition was established.

The purpose of No Shave November, for many people around the world, is for testicular can-cer awareness. Just as women sport pink ribbons to represent breast cancer, men all over the world avoid putting the blade to their face to symbolize and draw attention to the deadly disease.

Talbot has heard this about the origins of No Shave November but said, “I’ve never heard a good source that said that.”

Regardless of how the tradition began or what its significance may be, students all over the Tim-berline campus will be seen with overgrown facial hair.

The longest beard was measured at 17 feet, 6 inches and belonged to •Hans Langseth.Amanwillspendaboutfivemonthsofhislifeshaving.•Facial hair grows faster than any other hair on the body.•Onaverage,facialhairgrows5.5inchesperyear.•

Source: wikipedia.org

FacialHairFacTs

Photo by Danica Thomas

Scruff: Kevin Huston, senior, gets an early start on growing out his facial whis-kers. He plans to participate all month for No Shave November.

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A blast from the past

“ “

I finally knew all the rules and how to break them

-Kim Mason, English teacher

By Staff Writer Haley Slater

Finally, it’s the last assembly of the year and a freshman boy sits in the far right hand section of the bleach-

ers, anxiously awaiting the seniors to enter the gym. At this assembly he will no lon-ger be considered the bottom of the high school food chain.

This freshman was Jeff Pel-tier, now Timberline’s audio and visual staff. Graduated in 1985, he never got to be that senior pa-rading into the gym. This rite of passage ceased to exist after his freshman year. “I wish we would bring it back,” said Peltier. The “move up” assembly was always held before the end of the year. It was anticipated by many stu-dents, mainly seniors, who at the time paraded into the center of the gym to celebrate their graduation. Soon after they left, the rest of the school got to move to the student section that awaited them the upcoming fall. The last year Timberline had assem-blies like this was in 1982. “The rumor was that they felt it was too dangerous and somebody would get hurt. [The school district] was also trying to cut back on assemblies, but I’m sure there were numerous rea-sons why,” said Peltier. Along with Peltier, many other Timberline faculty members have made their way through the school since the opening in 1970, playing an important part in the Blazer commu-nity. In 1978, Mr. Holt, one of Peltier’s former teachers, started teaching English, then later moved to Spanish. He first taught at Timberline when the old building was eight-years-old. “[The layout of the building] was an open con-cept, there were no walls and it made it really hard to focus,” said Holt. The old building back in the 1980s sat six to a table and was divided into sections for each class by lockers. Kevin Olson, this year’s new social studies teacher graduated from Timberline in 2002. “The coolest thing was that you had to walk outside. It ac-tually felt like you were in the woods,” said Olson.

Students trudge through three years of high school to do one thing, finally be able to call themselves seniors. Kim Mason accomplished this her 1989-1990 school year here at Timberline. “I finally knew all the rules and how to break them,” she said. “I knew exactly what I could get away with.” Other staff members who attended Tim-

berline as students in-clude Meghan Knight, Jeff Birbeck, and Brian Weston. Along with being a se-nior, comes the perk of pulling a senior prank. “My senior year we had a cold winter but no snow, so the assem-bly before winter vaca-tion we brought in bags and bags of confetti, we made it snow,” said Ja-

son Bush, class of 1992. “You could find it [white confetti] scattered up and down Mullen road.” Bush transferred to Tim-berline as a junior. Right away he noticed the positive atmosphere of the school. “I was immediately welcomed in by the stu-dent body,” he said. The liveliness and honor at the school was alive and thriving from bonfires

and spirit week to the after school dances. “Our student body was so diverse, we took a lot of pride in it,” said Peltier. Back then, Timberline was different. Stu-dents’ level of respect has definitely shift-ed. “We weren’t quite as mischievous,” said Bush. But along with this, there were still problems at the school, one of them be-ing tobacco. “Kids were always chewing. You’d go to get a drink from the drinking fountain and there would be a big wad of chew in it,” said Bob Atwell, a Timberline teacher from 1978 to 2004. “Even the office people had ashtrays on their desks,” said business teacher Debbie Lonborg. Her career at Timberline began in 1998. At lunch there was a designated smok-ing area, on campus. It was in the back of the school, right outside the cafeteria. “It was called the ‘SAC’, and was outlined in red tape,” said Atwell. “A law was passed stating there was no smoking on school property,” said Lon-borg. This changed the option to smoke on campus, moving Timberline’s smoke pit from the school grounds to an area outside school boundaries.

Guess who...?

A

B

C

D

E

Answers: A) Peltier B)Olson C) Malkmus D) Lehnis E) Holt 12years at THS as a student

and teacher combined

Jason Bush

5years at THS as a student and teacher combined

Kevin Olson15years at THS as a student and teacher combined

Kim Mason

20years at THS as a student and teacher combined

Jeff Peltier

photos by Danica Thomas

Their familiar faces appear in Timberline’s halls during their days among THS students. But time has left its mark on these teachers. Can determine who these high school yearbook photos are?

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Welcome to heartbreakBy Staff Writer MiSSy ayreS

“It’s over.” It’s time that we get up, stand on our own two feet, and move on. For some, however, this is not so easily done. The halls of Timberline are swarmed with

students who clump together to use their passing period for seeing that certain someone. Whether they’re displaying affection for each other or arguing, it’s unavoidable that on and off relationships are a part of Timberline culture.

I n c o n s i s t e n t relationships are commonly found at THS. On-again and off-again relationships are different under many circumstances. Junior Kiana Castillo and Senior Colten Montes, for example, have been in a shaky relationship for three years. “Our main problem was that we fought too much, and over stupid things,” said Castillo. Montes said, “Our personalities clashed because we’re both stubborn and don’t like being wrong.”

M a n y people don’t u n d e r s t a n d why couples still get back together after the third or thirtieth time

breaking up. “If it’s on and off again and you’re even contemplating whether or not you want to be with them. It isn’t healthy and it isn’t worth it,” said senior Cody White. After being in a relationship of that sort for one and a half years, White wants others to realize that, “it’s just high school, you shouldn’t waste it on something that won’t or isn’t working out.”

Some speculate whether students should get in a committed relationship so early in their lives. Timberline’s psychologist, Amanda Brakebill, said,

“Students sometimes date in high school because that’s all there is, but they should explore the world before deciding this is it. I met my husband three years ago, and I am so glad I waited.”

White understands first hand why people stay in these dysfunctional relationships. “It was like mood swings and puppy love, you have to separate that from having a deep connection and a passion for them,” said White. He wants to live

life with no regrets and thinks others should try to do the same.

Unlike couples who have a difficult time working things out, juniors Haley

Matson and Tim Dzubay have been in a steady relationship since April 28, 2006. Dzubay feels that with on and off couples, “It’s just not going to work in the end.” Matson attributes their success to having the same friend base, balanced personalities, and

their parents liking their partners.On the other hand, Couples like Castillo and

Montes, who have been on and off agree that the reason they keep getting back together is that they miss each other. “I don’t see myself without him because I’ve been with him almost half of my life. Yeah we’ve broken up a lot, but we just deal with our arguements in a different way.”

Because the couples are still young, there are people in their lives who tell them that staying in a serious relationship so early is a bad idea and they need to try new things. Matson described how that has happened to her before and in response she has said that, “[My boyfriend] is really flexible, so there’s never a need for me to try new things with other people.”

For some couples, the end is never official, in the case of Castillo and Montes who, at press time, were not together, yet others, like Matson and Dzubay, are

still going strong.W h i t e ,

who has been through all this, has ult imately d e c i d e d that, “No

one can control how they feel. For

some people it takes little things to end it, but for others,

things pile up and it’s the cherry on top that ends

it all.”

1 2 34 5

Cheating Arguing

Lost interest

Drugs or alcohol

Outside opinion

Last week The Blazer conducted a random poll of 200 students to determine the top five reasons that teenage couples break up.

Top reasons to re akB Up5Illustration by Pascuala Gaspar-Esteban





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1-800-519-3517(360) 943-1123





Digging deep, reaching for the stars

By Staff Writer annah Pritchett

This year, Timberline is providing two new science electives: astronomy and geology. These

subjects are taught by Zandrea Edenstrom, who teaches freshmen science for her other three periods.

Edenstrom has a degree in earth science, making her the ideal choice to teach these classes. “Of all the sciences, I really love earth science,” she said.

Each class is a semester long with one semester of astronomy followed by a semester of geology and vis versa. The classes are exclusive to juniors and seniors. “It’s a class that isn’t math heavy,” said Edenstrom. This is attractive to students who aren’t interested in a science credit such as chemistry. Other students signed up for the class because it has helped them make up credits. Junior Jessica Townshend said, “I didn’t take science my sophomore year, and this year I wanted another class in addition to chemistry.”

Studying sciences for the futureIn astronomy the classes are

learning about the basics of the solar system. “We will be making three

dimensional models of celestial spheres,” said senior Shari Hughes. She is looking forward to the hands on projects in her astronomy class.

In geology the students are learning about much more than just rocks and minerals.

T h e focus is on ancient stuff, like how the earth was made,” said Townshend. This study of fault lines and erosion, is called stratigraphy.

Geology a n d a s t r o n o m y a l l o w students to have an open mind about issues such as global warming. “It opens up perspective,” said Townshend. “In middle school we learned that global warming is caused by humans, but in geology it talks about how the earth goes through heating and cooling phases that humans have no control

over.” The most unique quality about

these electives is that all the work is completed online. “It’s one of the best aspects, because everything is saved on computers as oppsed to loose papers,” said Hughes. Students are in the

computer lab three days a week. There are virtually no papers or tests that aren’t taken online. “We are basically using technology and web 2.0,” said Edenstrom. “It is E-learning.”

A c c o r d i n g to Geology.com, careers in geology are plentiful. The demand for geologists is stronger than in most other business sectors, according to the website.

Things differ for astronomy, however. “Astronomy is not a high-profit business. Our ‘product’ is knowledge about the universe, something you can’t own or sell,” according to Joe Harrington of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

photo by Olivia Smaciarz

Wired: Juniors Cody Tederick, left, and Chris Evans work together on an electronics lab. The electronics class is a hands-on class where students have the chance to participate in a lot of labs that require wiring and electricity.

“ “

My mom is actually a geologist, and I like learning about rocks

- Sarah Meyers, junior

I want to be a...GeophysicistMajor - geology or physicsdegree - BA requiredSalary - starting at $27,900 deScription - measure, examine, and explore the physical properties of the earth

GeologistMajor - geology or geophysicsdegree - BA requiredSalary - starting at $38,300deScription - analyzing rock for-mations, interpreting data, and fieldwork studying rocks

AstronomerMajor - astronomydegree - BA requiredSalary - starting at $30,000deScription - track, study and re-view data of energy emitted from stars, movements of planetary bod-ies, and the interactions between these phenomena

Aerospace EngineerMajor - physics, chemistry, com-puter science, mathematics, engi-neering degree - BA requiredSalary - starting at $39,000deScription - examine, analyze, design, produce, and install compo-nents that make up aircraft, space-craft, high-altitude vehicles

AstronautMajor - aerospace engineering, medicine, biology, chemistry, phys-ics, astronomy, optics, or computer sciencedegree - BA requiredSalary - starting at deScription - command space-craft and high-altitude vehicles that venture into space

Source: www.princetonreview.com/Careers.aspx

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blazer spotlight 13www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazer november 6, 2009

Last year, 304 Timberline students failed at least one class. Many failedmore than

one. Mixed in among the current student body are 28 kids who have been at Timberline longer than the standard four years. The futures of

hundreds of students are slowly slipping through their fingers. But

this year the administration has stepped up to the plate and

begun fighting back.

andwhat are we

about itdoing

dowhywefail?

?

blazer spotlight14 www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazernovember 6, 2009

blazer spotlight 15www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazer november 6, 2009

Timberline has begun fighting back against the onslaught of failing studentsBy Staff WriterS ann HuynH and HannaH yunker

Finally, it is the last day of the semester. He steps off the bus. Reluctantly, he stammers towards the door. His mom glances in his direction and she already knows. His report card is in hand. A handful of

F’s stare accusingly from the page. Overthepastfiveyears,23%ofstudentshavefailedone or more classes, according to assistant principal De-nise Landwehrle.

No student left behind Desperate for change, Landwehrle and several other teachers attended a convention called ‘Pyramid Interven-tion’inordertofindaplanthatwouldworkforthestu-dents and teachers of Timberline. The staff ultimately decided upon the ‘Blazer Time’ model.Thisnewwayofinterveningcalledforavote:72out of 74 staff members supported the plan. “Our staff is

willing to try new things,” said principal Dave Lehnis. ‘Blazer Time’ is intended to give students – particu-larly those who are not succeeding academically – time they might not otherwise have to work on their home-work, conference with their teachers, or get caught up in the class. Landwehrle believes that the timing is just right for Timberline. “If you continue to do what you’ve done, you will continue to get what you’ve got,” said Landwehrle. There are several possible causes for what we’ve been getting. Many students feel that their lack of drive is the main contributor to academic failure. “I felt disappointed in myself for not being able to get better grades,” said Jacob Phinney, sophomore. Allen Rhodes, sophomore, said, “I’m not motivated enough to get good grades, so I don’t.” This I-don’t-really-care attitude is an epidemic that has spread to more than one student. Junior Jasmine Bu-haine said, “I’m cool with it when I fail a class.”

“I don’t apply myself and my parents think I’m a straight A student,” said Buhaine, “but I have never got-ten one in my life.”

Home life is a battlefield Though many students say that their failure is a result of their lack of drive and effort, some kids are also battling their own circumstances at home. From family hardships to private issues, students are faced with various obstacles that prevent them from succeeding in school. Between school and football, freshman Jeston Hol-land found himself coping with unstable parents who were lost in a struggle with drugs. Before he knew it, his dad was in prison and his mom had passed away. “After my mom died, I stopped feeling like I needed to do work,” said Holland. “[My family] was all I could think about. When I was in class, I’d put my head down and think about it.” “I never really dealt with it,” said Holland. “I couldn’t talk to my grandma, because she always cried. My sister

would go to her room. My grandpa is just quiet, so he never told us about it.” With nowhere to turn, Holland broke down. He couldn’t believe what had happened. Bewilderment turned into depression. Apathy towards school lingered in the corners of his mind. His grades quickly slipped to four F’s, one D, and one B. JustasHollandwasreadytoraiseawhiteflagofsur-render, his grandfather pushed him back onto the right path. “I was scared because my grandpa said I’d get held back and be in the same grade as my sister,” Holland said. Freshman Kasey Dunn also felt his grades fall from A’s to F’s as soon as his parents were separated. His brother, Tyler Dunn, has undergone both the loss of close friends and a few friends who are currently dealing with cancer. With thesehardships,TylerDunnfinds itdificult tofocus on school. Freshman year, Tyler Dunn was so dis-

tracted that he he failed to earn any high school credits. “I’ve been trying to keep my grades up, but more and more stuff gets out of control,” Kasey Dunn said. “I would do half of my work and call it good,” said Tyler Dunn. “I would plan to do it later, but never get around to it.” Tyler Dunn suspects that he may have to spend an extra year at Timberline in order to graduate. This is also the case for Senior Tommy Villa. Not too long ago, one of Villa’s closest friends got in a car acci-dent. Following this incident, Villa fell into a deep depres-sion. He began skipping and losing all reason for caring about school. “I had all F’s except one,” said Villa. He dropped out andfinishedhisyearatanonlineschool,butultimatelydecided that it wasn’t for him. “I hated it,” Villa said, “so I came back this year.” Junior Dustin Stockwell said, “I failed almost all of my classes my sophomore year because I got expelled in January.”

Stockwell will be making up his lost credits through summer school and a credit retrieval program. “I know I’m going to graduate,” said Stockwell. “It’s hard to deal with school work when you’ve got something else on your mind,” said freshman Chance Topliss. Topliss missed four days of school several weeks ago when his father suffered a heart attack and had to spend a few nights in the hospital. “Sooner or later, it will get better. I’m trying to push those thoughts out,” said Kasey Dunn. “I’m more con-cerned about the future than the past.”

Ongoing efforts to improve Lehnis understands that ‘Blazer Time’ cannot solve every problem, especially since the reasons for failure vary from kid to kid, but he believes that it is a very ben-eficialtoolforthosewhochoosetouseit. “We continue to look for ways to intervene,” said Landwehrle.

Hey, kids! Is Blazer Time passing?This month The Blazer asked students to turn the tables, and give their own grades to the effectiveness of our school’s new schedule.

GRADE: CSometimes I need time to do more work, and other times, it’s a total waste of [the] class period. Blazer Time could be improved by keep-ing school open longer for an after-school study hall. -Jesse Kaczmarski,

freshman

GRADE: BSometimes I just talk to my friends. I do my work at home [because] I always forget we have Blazer Time the next day. Once I get to know the schedule better, I can use it better. -Kimmie Stringfellow, freshman

GRADE: F I think it’s pointless especially on Mondays because kids have the whole weekend to do homework. Why should they be given more room to be irresponsible?

-Ana Backman, Junior

GRADE: C You pretty much do nothing the whole time but if you have homework for another class, it's handy.

-Craig Keen, senior

GRADE : B Blazer Time helps me a lot. I have fastpitch after school, so it helps me get my work done without having to at home .

-Katherine Van Den Bos, freshman

Long Live the

Blazer Man !

Kickin ’ rad

doodles by

Sam Bice

We Y our

gigantic new

school!

16 www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazer

blazer opinionnovember 6, 2009

Letters to the Editor

Staff Editorial:

THUMBSThe opinions below represent the opinions

of a majority of The Blazer staff.

Most students who went to this year’s Homecoming, or any dances last year, have probably noticed the out-

landish cost-$15 per ticket, which has been the price for several years. Fifteen dollars by itself may not seem too steep, but it is when you tag on all the other things, such as clothing and dresses, traditional dinner before the dance, and having photos taken

to immortalize the evening. Often, all the financial re-sponsibility falls, out of courtesy, upon the shoulders of one person in each couple. These events too expensive for what they are- upscale, formalized middle school dances. (22 staff members agreed: 3 disagreed: 9 did not vote)

The “Rachel’s Challenge” assembly was a perfect example of how a change of pace can keep school more interesting. Our assemblies can benefit from this kind

of change. The majority of assemblies take place at the end of a long day, and many students feel that school should just be over, so why go to yet another pep assembly? Pep assemblies seem to be more and more of the same, causing a large number of students

to skip. Having an assembly earlier in the day with a unique message was refreshing. (22 staff members agreed: 3 disagreed: 6 did not vote)

High price of school dances

High school relationships are often hard to keep track of. Who is dat-

ing whom? How long they have been going out? Why did they break up? All the drama in be-tween makes it even harder. To make matters worse, many of these romances seem to start and end within a couple weeks’ time, then start and end again a week later.

What lies at the center of all this, though, is one key el-ement: maturity. Many teen-agers lack it (or at least don’t exhibit it) when entering a rela-tionship. Often they don’t really think it through beforehand, and starting a brand-new relation-ship becomes more of an im-pulse based off hormones and hopeful fantasies rather than something meaningful. When

it’s over, some feel their whole world was just crushed, but are back on their feet again in a few days.

However, that’s not to say long-lasting relationships can’t come out of high school. Some do just that. If not, some good can come out of even the short-est relationships. If both involved are ready to take it more seri-ously their struggle can become a valuable experience. The sad fact of the matter is a much larger number of these relation-ships don’t reach that point be-fore ending for good.

Staff editorials represent the opinion of a majority of the newspaper staff. This month: • 20 staff members agreed • 5 staff members disagreed • 6 staff member did not vote

Dang it, there’s too much swearing!

Dear Editor, Something I have noticed over the years at Tim-berline, and I’m sure others have as well, is the copi-ous amounts of bad language that goes on in the halls and in the classrooms. Sure, a word or two may slip out on occasion. I’m certainly guilty of that, but when I walk through the halls and hear strings of cursing, it startles me what a lack of respect we have for each other. More distressing is a lack of respect for ourselves. When we allow ouselves to be called outside of our names, we make it ok for the rest of the world to view us as such. Young ladies calling each other “bitches” and people throwing around the “N” word like it never meant anything offensive. We all need to check our-selves. It isn’t okay to throw around deragatory names, either in anger, or just playing around. -Jordan Martin, junior

Dear Editor, Come January, Washington State will face a $3.2 billion budget shortfall. Education alone will face an $800 million cut. The North Thurston School Board was forced to cut $5 million from their annual budget. And Timberline’s administrators are patrolling the hall-ways for tardy students. The recently announced tardy policy places admin-istrative staff around the school during passing periods. Straggling students face lunch detention the following day. This is in addition to individual teachers’ tardy policies and the call home that every student receives after five tardies. A sizable portion of the student body has already entered the workforce. In the real world, there aren’t paid hall-monitors accosting employees when they’re late. Disciplinary action is enforced by management, not the company’s CEO. Teacher action is enough to deter and punish tardiness. More important though is the quantity of resources needed for policy enactment. Timberline’s most valu-able administrative employees are the ones idly wait-ing for tardy students. Ultimately, failing students will flunk out of school whether or not they’re late to class. Likewise, honors students will graduate with honors whether or not they’re chastised by administrators for being 30 seconds late. In this tough economy, administrators should spend their time on activities that have value. Informing al-ready aware students that they’re late is neither mean-ingful nor worth the resources required. All considered, the newly adopted tardy policy is pedantic and fiscally irresponsible. -Renee Wyman, senior

Relationships are not a revolving door

Illustration by Sam Bice

Switching up our assemblies

Tardy policy is a waste of enforcement

17www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazer

By Staff Writer Simon Bakke

We’ve all seen the reports. For some reason, American stu-dents constantly fall just below par when it comes to aca-demic testing,

especially in math and science. According to a 2006 Program for In-ternational Student Assessment (PISA) study, high percentages of 8th grade stu-dents reached the advanced benchmark for international mathematics standards: 40% of Korean students, 31% of Japa-nese, 10% for Hungary, 8% for England, and a whopping 45% for Chinese Taipei. The US standing brings up the rear at just 6%. For most, this isn’t surprising; Amer-ican students are commonly stereotyped as “dumb,” however unfair that may be. But the worrisome part of this Ameri-can stereotype is there are people around the world who sincerely believe this. It appears to be backed up by data dating back to when such surveys began (the first PISA was in 2000, but our scores have been weak in comparison since before the 1980s). The explanation for these results is sim-ple-differing education systems across the globe are being combined into one big international “standard.” The style of math and science teaching methods vary greatly from here to Japan. A school


We’re American, not stupid

Every issue The Blazer invites a member of the Timber-line community to be a guest columnist. This month’s guest is Franklin Riggins, a fifth-year senior at Timberline High School. He reflects on his decision to earn all of his high school credits by attending Timberline for a fifth year.

Hello, my fellow students. My name is Franklin Riggins and I am a super se-nior. Instead of getting my GED or tak-ing online classes, I chose to come back to high school because I want to get my diploma. I do not want to be known as a failure and I want to continue having peo-ple in my family graduate. I feel like I will

accomplish this and have a better understanding of what I’ve learned in school by attending high school this year.

My goals are to graduate high school and go to college. I would like to continue to support my daughter and remain the best son and brother to my mom and sister that I can be.

What held me back from graduating in four years were the mistakes that I made in my freshman and sophomore years. I wish I did things differently and made better decisions. If I had focused more on work instead of being at school just to chill, I would have not had to come back this year.

One thing that I like about being back at Timberline is to be able to be around my friends and teachers. I like the fact that people don’t care about what you were in high school, but they care more about the mark you leave behind. I also think that it’s cool how people are welcoming to each other and how we are coming together through Rachel’s Challenge.

One thing that I dislike is that I have to be at school for a full day. I would rather go to New Market for half of the day, and come back to school for the other half. Also, I wish that things were different when people find out information about another person; rumors are spread like wild fire. I want to turn over a new leaf and make people see that I am a nice and smart guy.

My future goals are to be the best father to my daughter that I can be, and to be there for her when she needs me the

most. Her name is Lillie Diane Brown. She was born on May 25 of 2009, and she has the most beautiful light blue eyes that I have ever seen. She’s going to be a heart breaker when she grows up.

Another goal that I have that I want to achieve in my future is to make it into

the Christian music business, and to be nominated for a Dove award. I would like to be a professional sound engineer and be able to work in the movie and music business; I want to some-day be able to show people who I am through my music.

BE O

URGUEST Franklin Riggins

“When students work [at a job], they very well may be sacrificing their success in school and in turn, their success in life.”

Austin Davin The Tomatalk

Kamiakin High SchoolKennewick, Wash.

“Having older siblings can be a blessing or a curse depending on who you are...Following in the steps of an older sibling can be difficult for some, but for others it’s an easy ticket to stardom.”

Kilee PertlThe Eyrie

Eden Prairie High SchoolEden Prairie, Minn.

“Only 66 percent of parents in our district are registered to vote...how are we supposed to pass a legislation to better the education of students in our community when one third of their parents are too lazy to fill out a ballot?” Editorial Team

QuillGlendale High School

Springfield, Mich.

“The thrill of “rebelling” is a desire buried deep within the teenage mind. We may lie to our parents, push the boundaries of curfew, or even drive without our license. Whether from boredom or peer pressure, these actions truly stem from our craving to blur the lines of right and wrong..”

Stacia Czichas The Cardinal

Franklin Pierce High SchoolTacoma, Wash.

Ever wonder what kids are saying at other schools? Below are excerpts from the opinion pages from other high school newspapers “down the highway.”

highwayVoices down the

Senior feels super about THS

Illustration by Sam Biceday there may run until late, and a 12-hour day is not unusual for the Japanese high school student (before homework). Even in France, the school system has both public and private university com-ponents, funded by the government. Stu-dents get an extra boost in the subject of their choice, since each university has a focus.

Is it really fair comparing us to kids whose educations are exceptionally dif-ferent from our own? Our schools may have a few kinks to work out, but that’s something we cannot blame our collec-tive intelligence on. American students do well given what we have, and we can’t let a few weighted test scores make us think any differently.

Did you see the latest test scores that rank Ameri-can students at the bottom?

Yeah, like I have time to do anything except study my chemistry...

18 [email protected]


Mission Statement The mission of The Blazer is to provide the students and staff of Timberline High School and the surrounding community with a quality, thought-provoking publication. We aspire to print a publication that adheres to professional journalism standards, including sincerity, truthfulness, accuracy, impar-tiality in reporting news events, and equal representation of opposing sides. The Blazer will serve as a public forum for the free exchange of information, opinions, and artistic expres-sion in a civil and constructive manner.

Student Submissions Works submitted by students not on the staff, particularly letters, editorials and artistic expression, shall receive the highest priority for publication as long as they fall within the realms of good taste according to the standards of the read-ership. The Blazer will print as many submissions as space permits and request that all submitted work include the con-tributor’s name and grade. The Blazer reserves the rights to edit all submission for content, accuracy, spelling and grammar. All student work may be submitted in the Blazer

Staff Room, room #425. All work may also be submitted via email at [email protected].

EditorialsThe opinion section of The Blazer will serve as a public fo-rum for thoughtful, well-written forms of expression. Bylined editorials represent the views of the author. Non-bylined edi-torials represent the views of a majority of The Blazer staff. Views printed herein are meant to be opinionated and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Timberline faculty, administration, or the North Thurston School Board.

Advertising The Blazer will not accept any advertising that we believe to be factually inaccurate; designed to mislead, deceive or de-fraud; containing malicious, vindictive, or unsubstantiated at-tacks; offering goods and/or services illegal for all teenagers to possess, buy or use; libelous; obscene; creating imminent danger or disruption to school. Advertisements do not neces-sarily represent the views or endorsements of The Blazer staff or the Timberline faculty, administration, or the North Thur-ston School Board.

Editor-in-Chief: Victoria ZollerAssistant Editor-in-Chief: Delas RaifordNews Editors: Emerson Hardebeck, Bailey PritchettArts and Entertainment Editor: Zack BeltramoSports Editor: John FerreiraOpinion Page Editor: Lyndsey KellarGraphics Editor: Danica ThomasBusiness Manager: Amanda AngleWeb Master: Jeffrey StilesStaff Writers: Missy Ayres, Tasiana Babauta, Simon Bakke, Alec Beal, Taylor Boardman, Shandra Clark, Matthew Connor, Owen Davies, Ann Huynh, Shavon McKinstry, Annah Pritchett, Savannah Purcell-Kasper, Thomas Sauer, Haley Slater, Jamison Stevens-Lee, Hannah YunkerGraphics Staff: Samuel Bice, Hana Brown, Pascuala Gaspar-Esteban, Sawyer Hardebeck, Olivia Smaciarz

The Blazer Staff

Timberline High School • 6120 Mullen Rd. SE • Lacey, WA 98503 • (360) 412-4860 • www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazer

PRO / CONBattle of the Bloggers: Facebook vs. MySpace

By Staff Writer Haley Slater

From time-consuming apps to constant status updates, social networking has become a major part of daily life. There are many insignificant websites such as MySpace, AOL, and Twitter, but above all of these

Facebook is the only one worth anyone’s valuable time. Jerking is the new Soulja Boy, iPhone the new Razr, and Facebook the new MySpace. Outdated and over rated, MySpace allows young girls, throwing up peace signs, to act older than they are; or even worse, allows old men to pose as Hollister models. Too bad when this sixteen year old girl meets her dream date in person she’s sur-prised by a middle-aged man, who hasn’t showered in days and feasts on McDon-ald’s four times a day. Thanks, Tom. Too many teens hide behind their computers and type away their lives, even keeping online relationships through this infamous website. Facebook is simple and easy to use; MySpacers find it confusing, but who could blame them? Sitting on a lap-top debating over what color your background should be isn’t the biggest brain buster out there. Facebook gives the opportunity to easily update your status. It’s effortless to find friends and change your pro-file, unlike the impostor which calls for hours upon hours of work to correctly make a layout. Facebook is so easy a caveman could do it. Thanks to the ingenious pop-up blocker, Facebook is fast. It gives the option to click on an ad but doesn’t throw millions of them at your screen. Unfortunately, Tom didn’t think of this. I wonder why? Pos-sibly the lack of technology and knowledge, or could it be that he was too busy checking fan mail and wasting Internet space trying to become more advanced than Facebook? We all know this is impossible. Facebook was made to connect with friends, not to center around bulletin posts that start drama amongst our teenage genera-tion. We have all seen posts such as, “Who stole whose boyfriend?” Cat-fights are trashy, and MySpace constantly encourages this immature behavior. This social network is used all around the world, giving anyone the option to add family or friends from Japan to Ireland. Where there is Internet, there is Facebook.

By Staff Writer SavannaH Purcell

There is one word that anyone with an internet con-nection recognizes: MySpace. From its founding six years ago, MySpace has become the most popular social networking site in America.

Of course, with anything great there are always poor imita-tions. One such imitation is Facebook. MySpace actually offers the opportunity for one to

express their personalities through pic-tures, layout and background designs, and music. It can create a stronger con-

nection between friends and new con-nections between strangers.

Facebook offers the opportunity to become stalker-ish in the following of friends’ wall posts and developing a cult like obsession to check the updates and no-

tifications. You may care about the update you posted,

about not being able to find your ballet shoes, or the results you got for “What color Converse fits your person-ality?” or “What movie love story are you?” but, no one else does. If it’s personality quizzes that float your boat, MySpace has an app specifically made for them and the results you

get aren’t just shoved in all your friends’ faces as they are on Facebook.

Unlike Facebook, MySpace allows you to post things such as surveys, rants, and quiz results in bulletins, a non-obtrusive

way of getting your point across. Well, Facebook has something like that, Notes, but no one reads them and they are essentially a

waste of the blogger’s time. Bulletins are actually read because one, they’re easier to access and two, they are easier to manipulate and edit, making them more interesting to read. From a safety perspective even, MySpace trumps Facebook, with a multitude of options to allow only certain people to view your pro-

file, pictures, blogs, and videos. There are also other options to al-low you to avoid spam, bands or comedians, and certain age groups to view your page. There are even options that allow people to message you or send you a friend request only if

they know your last name or e-mail. If all the options are checked, it severely limits the ability of a predator to gain information about you. Uncreative, lazy people who just want the whole world to see hun-

dreds of pictures of themselves and what they’re doing every minute of day use Facebook. MySpace was first, and you can’t beat the original.

blazer arts & entertainment 19www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazer november 6, 2009

drawing by Emma Marsh

photo by Josh Beam

?submitWe will take anything!

Send to:[email protected] 122 or 425

< . ...

rtEach month, The Blazer goes in search of students with a talent for art. This is what they have to show and say.

On Looking Backby Chris Adams

Slowly, slower; drawing closer; hear the hunter’s hunger roarMoving quickly through the meadow like a shadow walks the floor

Never will you see his tracks, as if he’d never been beforeStalks the wily specter now, his body made of memoir.

Bang, it rang, the shot goes out,The prey drops to its knees.

Rustling and hustlingIt hides beneath the trees

Never saw it coming and now never looking back,To the moment of the moment of its memoir’s attack.

What inspired you to write this?“The inspiration for this poem was actually drawn from personal experience; the kind of which I think is evident from the work itself.”For what purpose do you write poetry, or write at all?“...I write to communicate ideas. I believe that poetry has a power above all other styles of writing to convey tone, which enables it to express the artist’s thought process and, more importantly, their state of mind.”

What do you like taking pictures of?“I really like taking photos of sports action. But I always like participating in sports more.”How do you like your digital photo class?“I really like my photography class. I have learned that there is always more than one way to view the simple things in life.”

How long have you been painting or drawing?“I’ve been painting and drawing my whole life, but I started to take art classes about two years ago.”What place does art have in your life?

“Art is really important to me because I love to draw and paint. Drawing always calms me down so I’m sure I’ll be doing it for the rest of my life.”

.. ...

..... <

...............

blazer arts & entertainment20 www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazernovember 6, 2009

By Staff Writer Shavon McKinStry

Every Sunday morning Frank Warren gathers the secrets of 20 strangers and posts them onto his website, PostSecret.com, where millions of people can see these anonymous individu-

als’ deepest and most private thoughts and feelings. All of these secrets are sent to Warren’s house on postcards, decorated or plain, all with no return address. Whetheritbefilledwithbrieftalesoftragiclove,furious messages to a hurtful person in their life or even just a funny quirk or experience the individual had, the postcards all represent something that has affected the sender deeply. All of these people, with their different exploits and feelings, share a common trait in trusting Warren with their heartfelt revelations. “Nobody knows him, so it’s anonymous. You can tell him anything without really giving much away,” said sophomore Jessie Vinson.

PostSecret has humble beginnings Warren’s initial plan when starting the site, which now boasts over 200 million total visitors, was to build a place where people could reveal their most private thoughts without discouragement; a place where their secrets would be treated with dignity in a non-judgmen-tal way. A sense of comfort and trust has always been prevalent in Warren’s idea of the project. The actual site lacks a comment feature, making it impossible for oth-ers to comment directly on the site about the secrets. However, the visitors are still drawn in to check up-dates. “It’s human curiosity to want to see what other peo-ples’ secrets are,” said senior Krista Collins, explaining a reason for the popularity of the site, “It’s cool to see if someone shares the same secret as you, too.” In 2004, Warren began the idea as an art project, which would later develop into a website in 2005. That same year, the postcards received publicity from the band All-American Rejects in their music video Dirty Little Secret, which featured

the site’s postcards amongst clips of the band playing. “I found out about PostSecret when someone posted a secret on a bulletin on MySpace,” said junior Malika Garoui, “The secret said, ‘I wrote a note on a dollar hopinghewouldfindit.’” While PostSecret was started initially to give strangers a safe and comfortable place to share their deepest secrets anony-mously, many of the students at Timber-line High School actually cannot findthemselves sharing their secrets with complete strangers. “I’m not that stupid,” said senior Victoria Valles on the idea of sending something to PostSecret. “I’d rather just yell at the person instead.” Some students, such as freshman Me-gan Pielmeier, have apprehensions to the publicity of it all. “Anyone can read them without you knowing,” Pielmeier said. While it is true that a common theme of the postcard secrets hold darker tones, they frequently take on lighter subjects. Junior Alyssa Thrasher cites the funnier secrets as be-ing one of her main reasons for reading the site when she does.

Suicide prevention works with P.S. Some of the secrets however do present a deeper meaning. Warren cooperates with 1-800-Suicide, a sui-cide prevention group founded in 1998, and advertises the national foundation on the PostSecret homepage. Often enough, secrets sent to Warren are in relation to

suicidal thoughts and depression. The secrets seem to be more than just postcards to students. Valles said that a majority of the secrets “would be a lot to deal with”, noting on the strong mes-sages associated with most of the cards. Warren also hosts events at college campuses

around the nation, where he speaks about secrets in society and has stu-dents and visitors share their secrets. The site has also spawned an art exhibition, where thousands of postcards are displayed for the gal-lery viewers, still in the same anony-mous atmosphere of the website. However, the secrets Warren receives are not just the secrets of their senders. While only 20 people get their postcards posted on the site a week, the secrets often hold a com-mon place with many of the readers at a time, reaching out to them and letting them know that they are not alone and that someone may be feel-ing the same way they are.

“You’reboundtofindonecard thatreallyspeaksto you individually,” said Frank Warren. “You realize, there’s a stranger out there who’s more like you than you imagine, and I think that encourages empathy.” Like Warren, not all students at Timberline feel that the secrets are too personal. “My friends and I have talked about getting togeth-er and having a PostSecret party where we make our own postcards,” said Garoui, giving consent to the idea of sending in secrets. Warren has hopes that his project will allow others to think more about the people they know. “All of us have a secret that would break your heart if you knew what it was,” said Warren, “If we all remembered that,

there would be more compassion and understanding in the world.”

Students find solace in PostSecret

“ “

It’s human cu-riosity to see what other peoples’ secrets are,”

- Krista Collins, senior

What’sYourSecret?

- anonymous

“I forced myself to cry at my grandma’s funeral.”

- anonymous

“I was in a public bathroom with my friend. I decided to expose my geni-tals when he came out of the stall as a joke. It wasn’t my friend that walked out.”

- anonymous

“Sometimes, I hope that other people fail, in order to feel more successful in my life.”

- anonymous

“Every night my worry dolls hear my thoughts, they don’t judge, they don’t criticize. Because of them, I am where I am today.”

- anonymous

illustration by Sam Bice

“I saw what you did that night. I’m living with your secret and you have absolutely no idea. You don’t deserve it, you slut, but I’m a better person than you are.”

blazer arts & entertainment 21www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazer november 6, 2009

PHO?By Staff Writer taSiana BaBauta

At a restaurant on Martin Way, one block from North Thurston High School, a waiter comes out. Against the wet Washington weather the waiter enters through the kitchen door with a

steaming hot bowl of soup. “I’ve seen it everywhere but no one knows what it means,” Ana Backman, a junior, told The Blazer. Backman is referring to the steaming soup known asphở.Pronouncedas“fuh,”itisatraditionalVietnam-ese beef and rice noodle soup. It is usually served with bean sprouts, lime, jalapenos and basil. These extra in-gredients are often served on a separate plate so that customers can adjust it to their liking.

Pho may fluster first-timers Forfirsttimephởtastersthisisanewexperiencetosoak in, and may cause some confusion. Loc Nguyen, ajunioratNorthThurston,hasbeenawaiteratthephởrestaurantPhởSaigon8foralmostayear. “I brought a plate of bean sprouts and basil and [the customer asked] ‘what do I do with that?’” Nguyen said. “You put it in the soup,” he replied. Nguyensaidthatatfirst,customerstendtobesortof awkward, but once he assists them that things im-prove. “They always come back. They especially like the broth,” said Nguyen. He also added that it is not uncom-

mon for him to see his friends and classmates enjoying phởattherestaurantwhereheworks. But while Nguyen claims that most customers en-joyphởandcomebackformore,itisnotnecessarilyafavorite of everyone’s palette. Jenna Bell, a freshman, had an unwanted experi-encewithphở.Urgedbyherbrotherandmother, shetried somethingunfamiliar. “I didn’t really like [phở]that much. I don’t know, [it] didn’t please my taste buds,” said Bell.

Pho is for some, but not everybody Celine Bravo, a sophomore, believes that when it comestoenjoyingphở,itisrelatedtowhatyourstom-ach is looking for. “It depends if you like really hot things, meat-balls, or different types ofmeat,” saidBravo. Phở ismost commonly served with different types of beef like meatballs,flanksteak,ortripe.Usuallyphởrestaurantshave seafood, chicken, or tofu options as well. Bravo had a different experience compared to Bell whenshetastedphởforthefirsttime.“Itwasaninter-esting taste and I liked it after that,” said Bravo. Evenwithher indifference tophở,Bravohasherprecautions for people who have not eaten it before. “For examplemyuncledoesn’t like thephở for howhot it is,” said Bravo. Despite the various reactions Nguyen is still eager. “[Phở],it’smorepopular.”

What thePho Saigon 8Address: 4045 Martin Way E Olympia, Wash.Phone: (360) 456-5001Pho Prices: $5.99 (Sm) $6.99 (Lg)unique AsPect: Friendly teenage waiters who will explain the menu to newcomers.Public oPinion: “I liked it but I don’t think I’ll go back again.” - Malika Garoui, junior.

Pho Vy RestaurantAddress: 909 Sleater Kinney Rd Lacey, Wash.Phone: (360) 438-0195Pho Prices: $6-6.75 (Sm) $6.50-7.50 (Lg)unique AsPect: They have two televisions for viewing, and a large buddha statue.Public oPinion: “You can take your time en-joying [the food]. You’re not rushed.” - Christy Saevivat, junior.

Pho ManiaAddress: 7839 Martin Way E Olympia, Wash.Phone: (360) 456-2929Pho Prices: $6.29 (Sm) $6.99 (Lg)unique AsPect: Apart from the typical Viet-namese menu, they also sell Bubble Tea.Public oPinion: “It’s my favorite place to go for pho besides Pho Hoa.” - Mai Roach, senior.

The strangely pro-nounced Vietnamese dish has caught the eye of many T-line students.

F i n dlocalpho

delicious:Senior Shannon

Andino chows down on a steam-ing bowl of pho ga at Pho Saigon 8 in Olympia. Pho ga is a typical pho dish,

but with chicken mixed in.

photo by Hana Brown

1-800-519-3517(360) 943-1123




the T-house 23www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazer

By Staff Writer alec BealEvery issue of The Blazer, a staff member is chosen to go out in the hallways of Timberline and get to know someone new. Meet Anthony Stengline, a senior, and my new best friend.

What are some things that you do outside of school?“I just got my hunting tags.” How long have you been hunting?“I have been hunting for a few years.” Where do you usually go hunting?“I go to either Capital Forest or Matlock.” Who are some people that you hunt with?“I go with my brother and sometimes one of his friends.” What are you hunting?“Right now it’s deer season, so deer.” What other animals have you hunted?“Grouse, which is a bird-type thing, and bear.” Bear sounds dangerous, do you have to take a class to learn everything?“You have to take a hunting class to get a permit and then go to where the tags are sold.” So are there rules and regulations that you have to follow?“There are certain areas where you can and can’t go, plus there are other rules for your safety and the safety of others.” Will you be my new best friend?“Of course I will, Alec!”

FRIENDMY N

EW

best

Every issue of The Blazer, Timberline students are asked to voice their opinion on this month’s subject in one, final word. This month’s topic: Yankees!

“World” - Francisco Barros, senior“Jerseys” - Stevi Strahan, sophomore“Baseball” - Caitee Borges, senior“Team” - Will Landon, senior“Championships” - Ben Smith, junior“Jeter” - Lucas Williard, junior“Losers” - Amber Lewis, sophomore“A-Roid” - Cobi Beal, freshman“Suck” - Maverick Rasche, senior“Boo” - Madi Sylvester, freshman“Bat” - Kayci Johnson, freshman“Jerks” - Ryan Tydinco, sophomore

“Sox” - Chris Gardipee, senior“Winners” - Terri Edwards, junior“Blue’n’white” - Bri Welsh, junior“NY” - Stephanie Teeters, freshman“Money” - Randy Johnson, senior“Rich” - Nathan Knox, sophomore“Pinstripes” - Ryan Valovich, senior“Stripes” - Kasim Salahuddin, senior“Random” - Mitchell Smith, senior“Overrated” - Chase Wasson, junior“Pay-Rod” - Chuck Hinson, sophomore“Steroids” - Austin Kleinhans, junior

Just for the Halibut‘‘

‘‘

Commentary, humor, satire, and possibly another fish joke, by Pascuala Gaspar-Esteban

FINALword

-Anonymous,as always

Normal Hard

Solutions for Normal sudoku: Solutions for Hard sudoku:

november 6, 2009

“

I was told I was a homo-erectus.

“

The Blazer’s Monthly Game:

HeardHallway

in the

Sudoku

I got a great idea to stop this old gizzard.

Geeze...Frank, are you really

sure it’s going to work?

turkey

turkey turkey

turkey turkey

turkey turkey turkey

blazer sports24 www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazernovember 6, 2009

UTSTIM

E

30 second

By Staff WriterS Savannah Purcell and JamiSon StevenS

Swimmers advance to districts With the swimming season over, individuals from the girls swim team have moved on to districts. Ashley Thomson, a junior, said, “I was really excited when I found out I was going to districts. It’s been a big goal of mine to make it. I don’t expect to go to state this year though.” The other girls who made districts were equally excited but also apprehensive about advancing to state. “I’m not too confident about our relay team making state. Ours is good but there a lot better teams out there,” said swim team captain Victoria Valles, a senior.

Boys tennis suffers winless season After a 0-16 season, boys tennis went to sub-districts. Though the team as a whole did not do well, some individuals had a chance to show their talents. On one of the doubles team Nammy Tran, a junior, said, “It’s nice being in sub-districts because it’s more individualized so you have a greater chance of success. Though I do doubt we will be advancing far but we’re going to try and stay in for as long as possible.” Tran’s doubles partner, Michael Ho, had a similar view. “I haven’t played doubles all season just a couple of games and there’s a lot of better doubles so I’m not too confident in how we’ll perform,” he said.

Golfers look forward to state Boys golf is looking to follow up their successful season with a good post-season. They have worked hard to get where they are. Seniors John Jordan and Ben Talbot have already advanced to state and senior Casey Worcestor made it to distircts with a chance at state. Talbot said, “I was pretty excited to make it to state straight from districts.” Both Talbot and Jordan are confident that they will do well in state, “I’ve made it to state four years in a row and I think I’m going to win this year. I feel really good,” said Jordan.

Boys and girls basketball tryouts November 16-17 Timberline’s boys basketball team will be holding their preseason tryouts in the gym from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Many student athletes have been preparing all year for the upcoming season by going to workouts and open gyms throughout the off season. “Going to off season workouts has helped me get my shot back,” said sophomore Cooper Podowicz. “I feel like I have a pretty good chance of making the cut for the 20 man roster this year.” The girls’ tryouts will be four days from November 16-19. “We won a lot of games during fall ball this year. It really helped our team chemistry,” said junior Camille Williams.

Blazer baseball ready for the spring The Timberline Blazers baseball team went to a tournament this fall with 5 other teams, including local opponents such as North Thurston, Bonney Lake, and Capital. The Blazers made it all the way to the championship game against Bonney Lake. The Blazers won 26-2 by scoring 12 runs in the second inning. “I feel like this win over Bonney Lake is a big leap for our team,” said junior Spencer Howard. “Hopefully this will transfer over to the spring season.”

Ready: Senior Elizabeth Ponce

and freshman Keyana Davenport

stand poised and ready to dive into

the water in a home competition against

Peninsula High School.

Tonight the girls swimming districts

take place at Hazen High School.

Photo by Hana Brown

SPORTSNovember DATES

Week 1

Week 3

Week 5

Nov. 16Boys basketball tryouts beginGirls basketball tryouts begin

Wrestling tryouts begin

Nov. 6Varsity football playoffs at

South Sound Stadium7 p.m.

Nov. 7Cross country state

Girls swimming district Varsity volleyball district

Week 4Nov. 28

Varsity football semi finalsTacoma Dome

TBA

Week 2

Nov. 13Volleyball state playoffs

Girls swimming state at King County AC

Nov. 14Girls swimming stateat King County AC

Varsity volleyball state playoffs

blazer sports 25www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazer november 6, 2009

The Timberline girls soccer team ended their regular season with eight losses in non-league games, two wins in-league, and four losses making their total record 2-12 and

finishing third in the Western Cascade Conference. The Western Cascade Conference is made up of

four schools Capital: North Thurston, Timberline, and Yelm. Facing any school outside of this league does not count for league progress and usually makes up most matches. Competing against Capital, North Thurston, and Yelm will determine place in postseason competition. Timberline’s losses came from eight non-league games. Two more losses came from in-league matches against Capital and Yelm. Both victories came from facing North Thurston on Oct. 6 and Oct. 22. On Oct. 22 at South Sound Stadium, Timberline faced North Thurston. The game started with a long struggle between the two teams. Twenty-six minutes into the first half, North Thurston scored a goal that went over the goal keeper’s reach. Timberline shifted into a more aggressive offensive, trying to equalize. With this new stategy, senior Rachel Warman broke her wrist trying to push the ball down field.

With the start of the second half and the loss of Warman, Timberline was determined to score against North Thurston. Thirty-two minutes went by with many failed attempts at scoring a goal. Finally, in the waning moments of the game, a shot by Alyssa Gubser found the back of the net, tying the game 1-1.

The game went into five minute overtime. Three minutes in, Haley Ziegler intercepted the ball from the 40 yard mark and passed to Gubser for the go ahead goal and her second of the game. Timberline came away with a win and their second victory against North Thurston, with a final score of 2-1.

With two victories against North Thurston, Timberline was able to move to sub-districts and play against the Trojans of Olympic High School .

The team mostly agreed that this season was difficult and they were faced with lots of problems concerning players’ health and condition.

“This season was really difficult,” said coach Jeff Peltier. “We had lots of injuries even before the game. It made the season hard. It was harder because we also had a lot of people getting sick. We had to change our

starting line-up so many times. We were really inconsistent this season.”

Allie Bakotich, a sophomore, said, “I don’t think we put out hearts in our games.” One of the games considered by the team to be one of their worst efforts was against Bonney Lake which they lost 8-0.

Returning all-league goalkeeper Marikka Benson was absent for parts of the season. Bakotich considers Benson’s absence to be one of the setbacks for the down season.

Because Benson is graduating this year, the soccer team is worried that they will have a harder time without her. Sophomore Haley Ziegler said, “Last year’s team had better teamwork, and stronger individual players that made the team better and considered this team inferior to last year’s.”

Warman said, “The team has improved from last year because there were stronger connections between

the players this year.” This year’s team has welcomed many new players,

mostly sophomores. Although the team is young, Ziegler is optimistic. She believes that the team still has potential for next year. “If we’re able to use it, we’ll succeed,” she said.

“Consistency is what we’ll be aiming for next year. It’ll be important that these freshmen will have at least one year of experience under their belt,” said Peltier.

“I didn’t think we underperformed this year,” said Captain Kristen Piepoff. “We have new players. It’s more of a rebuilding season. We’ll have a better team next year. We plan on getting together to do summer practices.”

Peltier believes that the more experience the team builds up, the stronger their foundation will be for next season.“We are a good team and we have not played to our full potential,” said Peltier.

Girls soccer saves season with win

Push: Junior Kristen Piepoff pushes the ball down the pitch in a 5-0 loss against rival Capital on Oct. 15.

With a win against rival North Thurston on Oct. 22, the girls soccer team earned the third seed for sub-districts and a chance for playoff contention. The Blazers traveled to play Olympic on Nov. 3By Staff Writer tom Sauer

photos by Sawyer Hardebeck

Defense: Freshman Jordan Meyer works to stop a sprinting Capital forward from scoring.

save: Senior Rachel Warman defends a Capital forward and pushes to get the ball out of play in a game on Oct. 15.

score: Junior Kristen Piephoff stretches the Capital defense in a game on Oct. 15 in an attempt to score.

blazer sports26 [email protected]

blazer sports26 www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazernovember 6, 2009

BLAZERS vs. LANCERS

photo by Hana Brown

Coach Nick Mullen inherited them as freshmen when he first arrived at Timberline. Tonight, the seniors will lead the football team into the playoffs, where their perfect, undefeated season will be on the line.

Tonight, the Blazer football team will welcome in the postseason when they take on Kennedy Catholic in a cross-over game at South Sound Stadium at 7 p.m. Last week, Timberline cruised by North Thurston, in a 35-17 victory

earning the Olympic Western League championship title. The Blazers clinched a playoff spot with a nail-bit-ing victory against Capital on Oct. 16. Jordan Radc-liffe provided the spark on offense for Timberline as he scampered for a season-high 219 yards on 26 carries along with a touchdown to lead the Blazers to a 7-0 start, and a 5-0 record in league. Relying on an impres-sive offensive line which was able to create numerous opportunities for the Blazers running game, Timberline found running room all night long, while a cohesive defensive unit gave up just one touchdown against the Cougars. “The offensive line has been one of the main reasons for our success,” quarterback Kevin Russell said. “Our

defense has done a great job this season by shutting down our opponents’ running backs.” Despite the that the Blazers are averaging a league-high 44.2 points per game, their defense has been just as dominant, allowing just 15.2 points per game. “It feels great,” senior Captain Jesse Mueller said. “A win is a win, but we have to continue to work hard in practice, because if we keep winning by a lot every time, we can get overconfident.” Timberline started the game with a tone-setting six-play, 50-yard drive, in which Radcliffe broke away on a 41 yard rush, igniting a scoring opportunity. Dropping back in the pocket and rolling left, Russell was able to make a quick-strike 14-yard pass on a line to the left corner of the endzone, as Timberline quickly jumped out to a seven point lead. Using a mix of run and pass plays on the opening drive to set the tone against Capi-tal, the Blazers showcased their myriad of explosive power, agility, and pure skill from the first play of the game. “We have more weapons. I feel like we are a lot faster

and more balanced on both sides of the ball,” Radcliffe said. “Speed, speed, speed. I feel like we can out-athlete anybody in the state.” With 11:20 remaining in the second quarter, Capital set up a goal line offense on second-and-goal from the Timberline three. Running a sweep around the left side of the Capital offensive line, Capital running back Tyler Sundburg had little room to even breathe. A swarm of green and gold jerseys quickly wrapped him up, and pummeled him for a short loss. After another stop on third-and-goal, the Cougars were forced to settle with a field goal, slicing Timberline’s lead down to 7-3 with 10:32 remaining in the game. After a 15 yard touchdown pass by Russell gave Tim-berline an 11 point lead, the Blazers were faced with their first real challenge of the game. Capital quickly rallied back, marching down the field in under three minutes, scoring a four yard touchdown on a dive up the middle, to cut the Timberline lead to 14-10. With 9:10 remaining in the game, as Capital drove down field, a short pass was intercepted by Quinton Si-

SeniorS: The class of 2010 senior football players together before their Oct. 16 Homecoming game against crosstown rival Capital High School. The seniors led the Blazers to a 21-16 victory bringing their win-loss record over the last two regular seasons to 16-2.

By Staff WriterS Matt Connor and oWen davieS

blazer sports 27www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazer november 6, 2009

son at the Timberline 30, and he sprinted his way back to the 50 yard line, giving Timberline the ball back at midfield. Throughout the game, Timberline capitalized on an onslaught of errors by Capital, as they had several breakaway runs and key interceptions deep in their own territory. “This season has been a bit of an emotional roller coaster for us,” Mullen said. “This team has many play makers, and guys who can step up when we need it. We are strongly balanced on both sides of the ball.” Radcliffe agreed. “We play like a family, like broth-ers,” he said. Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Blazers of-fense worked effi-ciently against the Capital defense, as Radcliffe juked his way through Capi-tal’s defensive line and then leaped over the last line of defenders and into the end zone, giving Timberline an eleven point lead after Brandon Meyer’s extra point kick. However, before Timberline could savor the final min-utes of their vic-tory, the Cougars roared back with a 60-yard touchdown pass from quarter-back Alex Everson to wide reciever Greg Hibbard with only 1:58 remaining in the game. Having the ball back in their possession the Blazers were able to run out the clock, as they hung on to knock off Capital, 21-16, preserving their first place tie with North Thurston in league. “Overall, we played together and we seemed to have a little extra motivation because it was a homecoming game in front of a large crowd,” Mullen said. At 9-0 , hopes are high for the Blazers, who have an opportunity to become the first Timberline football team to win a state championship. “I think our strategy should be what we are doing right now. Just keep our work ethic up,” Mueller said. “But we have to avoid getting overconfident, so we have to keep working hard in practice.” Other players agree that having a strong work ethic as well as avoiding becoming arrogant against any op-ponent is vital to the team’s success. “Our goal is to just keep winning. We change our strategy every week,” Swanstrom said. “We’re not re-

ally satisfied with just beating Capital.” With the team’s consistent on-field success week-in and week-out, many factors have contributed to their undefeated start. “The way this team has gelled and worked together has been one of the main reasons for our record,” Mul-len said. “Team unity and the expectations that kids have for themselves, and the standards that they hold each other to, is what helps us play as a team.” As the team progresses through the season, their team chemistry continues to flourish. However, the team struggled to become cohesive in the spring because in-dividualism was dominant, as players vied for starting

positions. Despite the rough start as a team, players be-gan to turn to each other and form strong bonds as teammates. “We are a stron-ger team, with less individualism,” ju-nior wide receiver Bubba Garcia said. “Coach Mullen has turned us into a family, and he’s helped me grow as an individual,” Garcia said. Despite the indi-vidualism present at the beginning of the season, play-ers have learned to

feed off each other’s strengths and work together. “You really learn how to be a good teammate,” Rad-cliffe said. As a captain Mueller thinks that everyone trusts him. “I have a good bond with the team,” he said. “We all like each other.” The positive team chemistry present on the football team has helped lead to great results. However, not only is the team more unified and cooperative, but players are beginning to believe in each other. “Everyone has a high level of respect for each other, and we truly are one heart, one team,” Russell said. “The team is more comfortable as a unit, and relaxed as a group.” Mullen stresses team unity as vital to being able to win games. He believes that the team’s ability to have faith in each other, is important to being able to perform under pressure. “This team has a rare trait in the fact that everyone be-lieves in each other,” Mullen said. “They work together like a family, and they are excellent at executing.”

the reaSon:

the opponent:

Darin Robinson: Grade: 12 Bench: 300 / Squat: 495 Favorite Memory: “Beating the brakes off teams.”

Nick Barr Grade: 12 Bench: 265 / Squat: 450 Favorite Memory: “That feeling I get before a big football game during the National Anthem.”

Amosa Oloi: Grade: 11 Bench: 370 / Squat: 525 Favorite Memory: “Being undefeatedthis year.”

Colten Montes Grade: 12 Bench: 265 / Squat: 450 Favorite Memory: “Getting moved up to varsity my freshman year.”

William Landon Grade: 12 Bench: 235 / Squat: 295 Favorite Memory: “My first year playing football.”

Every play starts with the offensive linemen. Without a strong effort from the line, the play will be unsuccessful. For that, their team-mates call them “the reason.” Here’s an in-troduction to these often overlooked heroes:

ChaSe: Josh Quinterro (center) of Tumwater breaks free as Quinton Sison (right) and Jesse Mueller try to track him down in a 38-14 Blazer victory.

SaCk: Number 44, junior Kalai Cababat, sacks Alex Nettleton in a 52-6 blowout against North Kitsap.

taCkle: A group of Blazers tackle Yelm’s running back, Alex Alameida, in a 44-14 victory on Oct. 22.

Photos by Sawyer Hardebeck

LT#70

LG#56

C#76

RT#64

RG#55

Game tonight, at South Sound Stadium, 7:00 p.m.

Opponent: Kennedy Catholic LancersCoach: Bob BourgetteRecord: 6-3Seed: Seamount #3What to watch for: Their “Wing-T” offense,which makes it hard to follow who has the ball

photo essay 28www.my.hsj.org/schools/theblazer november 6, 2009

Timberline’s anticipation for Homecoming was displayed Oct.12-16 during Spirit Week, when Blazers had a chance to participate in a school-wide spirit competition. The week included Col-lege Day, Superhero Day, Wacky Day, Decades Day, and, of couse, Spirit Day.

Blazer pride infectious during Spirit Week

Juniors Alexis Hebert and Acasia Lucero pose with sophomores Brandie Eadie and Hannah Padilla as they “kick it oldschool” for Decades Day.

Freshmen wear white, sophomores wear geen, juniors wear gold...Spen-cer Risk and the rest of the seniors? Togas.

photos by Olivia Smaciarz and Sawyer HardebeckThe sophomores show their spirit while competing against the other classes in the “Peppy Pooper” pep-rally tradition at the Homecoming assembly Oct. 16.

The varsity football team cheers on senior Cody White dur-ing a class competition at the Homecoming assembly.

November 2009

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