Lake Stevens High School In this issue...

Meet Mickey the... Avenger? ALHALLA See page 6 VVolume 82 || Issue 1 | October 7, 2009 Drumline marches to a diff erent beat Community Drumline and band keep spirits up during the sports season shocked KAILA ALFORD FEATURES EDITOR by murder- It is the end of the day on a Friday after- noon, and classrooms empty as students fl ee campus for the weekend. By 2:30, ev- suicide ery classroom is empty except room 572; JAKE BARTOLINI a room that every Friday becomes a living NEWS EDITOR entity in itself as soon as the bell rings. A man and woman were found shot dead Senior Kelsey Hopkins is one of the many in front of a local in-home daycare in the members of drumline pounding away at 300 block of 119th Drive Southeast on any instrument she can get her hands on. September 16. Authorities have ruled the “It’s chaotic at fi rst, but around 2:30, we incident to be a murder-suicide. all get settled,” said Hopkins. An anonymous caller in the neighborhood The result of this chaos is what can only phoned in around 2:30 p.m. to report an be described as an audio overdose, too altercation between a man and a woman. much unorganized noise, coming from too Shortly after a deputy arrived, shots were many sources. fi red, and both involved in the argument Promptly at two-thirty, senior Tyler were dead. The deceased pair apparently Springer wrangles control of the group dated, but had cut off their relationship. and begins practice. Springer, a member of The woman was pregnant at the time of drumline since his sophomore year, is the her murder. group’s section leader. “We had three offi cers that responded,” “My job is to keep everyone in line and on Celori said. “We normally back up the track,” said Springer. “I think I do a good sheriff’s offi ce on urgent calls.” The inci- job.” dent happened outside of jurisdiction of the Another of Springer’s jobs, along with Lake Stevens Police Department, and was other drumline veterans, is to help with the handled by the Snohomish County Sher- instruction of its newest members. iff’s Offi ce. “You have to re-teach the new guys be- “I was shocked to come home from work fore you move forward. Sometimes it’s a and see this on the news,” said senior Scott challenge, but it’s worth it in the end,” said Macdonald. “This kind of thing doesn’t Springer. happen in Lake Stevens.” The members of drumline enjoy the re- “I don’t think there was much danger to laxed atmosphere that the group has cre- the children in the daycare,” said Lake Ste- ated as they meet for two hours after school vens Chief of Police, Randy Celori. “Our nearly every Friday, biggest concern was the impact of the con- “It’s serious, but at the same time we can dition of the scene that would be there for mess around,” said senior Devin Breuer. the children. They were kept from viewing Even when they are simply messing the area where the incident took place, and around, none can get music off their minds. they were loaded up into an ambulance and While breaking from rehearsal for a few driven out of the cul-de-sac to meet up with moments, Springer and his friend, senior their parents.” Ryker Edwards, still managed to drum out Senior Jesse Purvis drums away at the fall sports assembly PHOTO COURTESY OF MRS . GRANILLO “You hear of these occasionally through- a few bars on everything from the cement out the nation,” Celori said, “however, fl oor to the gym doors. “We’re playing more diffi cult songs this dents on the fi rst day of school, and are a these are uncommon in our area.” In fact, Both can agree, however, that the drum- year,” said Hopkins. “We’re really step- staple at pep assemblies, they are only a Celori could not recall any murder-suicides line is best when they’re all together. “It’s ping it up.” small part of a bigger machine at work. taking place in Lake Stevens in all of his completely different when you play as a The drumline is always a present force “We’re our own unit, but we’re also part years working at the Lake Stevens Police group,” said Edwards. at Friday night football games during the of the band too,” said sophomore Alain Department. As a whole, drumline feels like this year fall season. They, along with the rest of the Orbino. “When it comes to the marching As of now, neither of the names has been is an improvement compared to the prior band, keep spirits up among the gridiron band, the whole band contributes.” released, and due to the open-and-closed year, partly due to the complexity of their fans. nature of cases like this, it’s likely that they new material. Even though the drumline welcomed stu- SEE DRUMLINE, PAGE 11 never will be released to the public. Schedule changes inconvenient, but not completely awful Faculty and students make the best of a less than ideal situati on EMILY GARVIN STAFF REPORTER you’ve laid down your expectations, and think letting teachers go in the spring. They ing books from a large ‘to read before you then to have them taken out [is diffi cult],” ended up hiring some of the teachers back die’ list.” Over 300 students received a counselor’s said Principal Ken Collins, who remem- only a week into the year, instead of over note during the fi rst week of school; a slip bers when he was in the same situation. the summer, causing frustration and a lot of SEE SCHEDULE, PAGE 3 of paper that became synonymous with the “It’s not the greatest,” he said. extra work for faculty. dreaded schedule changes. Five full time teachers were RIFed (Re- “I was elated when I got the call because Students in a variety of subjects were reor- duction in Force) at the end of last year, I applied for other jobs, even though I ganized in order to fi ll ten additional class- due to the massive statewide budget cuts wanted to stay at Lake Stevens, but there es—and three new teachers—that were in every area of government spending, in- wasn’t much out there. It’s a tough time added to the schedule after school started. cluding public schools. According to Col- for so many people; I just feel lucky that I But what could’ve been an ugly situation lins, it was “a $9.1 billion shortfall in the have a great place to work,” said Mrs. Em- was surprisingly met with relief by stu- state budget, which of course trickles down ily Chilson, one of the teachers who was dents and teachers, wanting desperately to to education because we’re about 80 per- hired back. decrease numbers in their classrooms. cent of the state’s budget.” “Two of my classes are groups of students “It’s tough for both teachers and students, But when students came to school early in from all different classrooms, and one is a especially if you have a class you feel September, some were enrolled in classes whole class from a different teacher,” Chil- pretty good about in terms of your relation- of 35 students or more. The teachers and son said. If she wasn’t teaching, she said Students waiti ng to change their schedules ships with students. You’ve already devel- administration knew almost at once that she would be subbing in Everett and Lake PHOTO BY EMMA DERUS oped a kind of chemistry in the class and they had a problem, causing them to re- Stevens, and, “learning Spanish and read- News VALHALLA School funding comes from a variety of sources

Arti st rendering of the new football stadium to be built this year PHOTO COURTESY OF LAKE STEVENS SCHOOL DISTRICT

JORY WEISSERT schools. This will allow the school to proval to pass in a minor majority. the moment; a maintenance and operation STAFF REPORTER hire more people like para-educators, “A bond is another venue that we can levy. It’s due to expire and a vote will be A school district is funded by three main teachers, and provide top of the notch use to go ask our community to support held to run another in February 2010. sources: the state government, bonds, and school programs. us,” said Hulten. In the past, voters have “[The voting age is] 18 in the United levies, which are all intertwined to make “Even though we’re asking families to passed bonds for the construction of States. It would be a shame if our seniors up the school budget. The state govern- pay a little bit for athletics now through Cavelero, improvements for elementary weren’t registered to vote. I mean, I be- ment gives the school a certain amount athletic fees [and] participation fees, schools, and the new football fi eld. lieve that it’s a fundamental concept in of money, and the school district asks for it doesn’t cover all of it,” said Head of Together with the state money, levies a democracy that you need to register to bonds and levies by the public. Public Relations Arlene Hulten. “So the and bonds make up the school budget. vote and you need to exercise your right Levies are more for every day use and money from the levy that’s approved by “State bonds and levies- they are dif- to vote. That’s what makes a democracy have three certain categories they fall un- voters covers the difference. So we can ferent sources. That’s pretty much all of work,” said Superintendent Dr. David der. For example, there is a maintenance ask for voters to approve through prop- our sources. So, from the levy- it’s about Burgess. and operation levy, a technology levy, a erty taxes levies for maintenance and op- 17%. From the state, it is about 72%. And Seniors who are 18 years old and reg- transportation levy, etc. Levies are re- eration.” bonds, [are] 100% of our money; from ister at least six weeks prior to February newed much more frequently than bonds; A bond, on the other hand, is used for the bonds but that goes into capital proj- will be able to vote for or against running a levy expires every four years in the dis- capital projects. The district can’t take ects,” said Director of Business Services this newest proposed levy. trict. A levy can only ask for 24 percent money from a bond and use it for some- Teresa Main. “I’m not encouraging people to vote just of the schools’ general fund, and can be thing other than what was originally “What we do get from the state is an for the levy, people might have a different put in place for one to four years. promised voters. Such as, they can’t allocation of what they think it should point of view and I want to respect that. But In the last several elections, board mem- take money given in a bond and use it for cost to educate a child. And that’s about it’s important that you vote,” said Burgess. bers have asked for four year levies that something a levy is supposed to cover. It $5,000 per child for regular education. will help provide fi nancial assistance to requires 60 percent of voters to say yes It’s a little bit more for special-ed,” said pay for student programs, teacher sala- for a bond to pass in a super majority, Main. ries, maintenance and operation of the while levies require only 50 percent ap- The school district has one levy going at Lake Stevens prepares for second round of deadly virus

contact with,” said Tilley. With a bit of sanitizer and common sense, the spread of JORY WEISSERT STAFF REPORTER Sophomore Brianna Diaz was told last year she couldn’t fl u throughout school can hopefully be kept to a mini- come to school because she was sick with symptoms of mum. The H1N1 Virus left thousands sick and hundreds dead the fl u. At the time, they did not know if she had swine around the world. But the real panic that left people gnaw- fl u or not. Later it was confi rmed she was not sick with ing their nails was the possibility of the virus mutating into the H1N1 virus. a pandemic strain that could become even more deadly. “I had to stay home for fi ve days. They wouldn’t let me “I think in the beginning, the concern was that [H1N1 come to school. I would have had to stay home longer if was going to cause] a higher mortality rate,” said school I still showed [Flu] symptoms,” Diaz said. nurse Shannon Porter. “Then as the symptoms evolved Simple preventative steps can be taken by students to and became more known, the media was able to put out help thwart the spread of the swine fl u, and other infl u- that it was just going to be the same fl u symptoms. By enza viruses, or diseases in general. that time, people already had gotten concerned.” “The best prevention is what I tell students all the time, The real question still is whether students have reason which is frequent hand washing with soap and water to worry. before meals, after [using] the bathroom, and whenever “[People should be as concerned] as [they are] about your hands are obviously dirty,” said Porter. Students in getting the regular fl u. There [are] some high risk groups, a classroom without soap and water can use hand sani- so the high risk groups do need to be more concerned tizer. “The other big one would be covering your cough- than the general population: people who are pregnant, if you don’t have a tissue, use your sleeve or the crook of [or] people who have another chronic condition like your elbow,” said Porter. asthma or diabetes,” said Porter. As for the school, Porter also revealed many steps the The hype has not died down yet, though. On Thursday school district has taken this year and last year when it September 15, Mrs. Kati Tilley had a student in her class- comes to preventing the swine fl u. Students and staff that room with a confi rmed case of swine fl u. might be in a higher risk group to get the fl u are also Briana Sherwood protects herself from the H1N1 virus. “[I] came in last Thursday and apparently they had being notifi ed by the school. The Purple and Gold Club PHOTO BY ASHLEIGH BORTLES scrubbed the desks and anything students would come in purchased and donated supplies to minimize the spread.

Page 2 October 7, 2009 News VALHALLA Teacher strike avoided--if only for a year

EMILY GARVIN Contract “good enough” to hold off a strike. STAFF REPORTER While students were celebrating their one extra day and the high counselor case load. of summer, teachers and administrators were work- “The reduction in resources as a result of the budget ing down to the wire to ensure that school would defi cit made negotiations a little tougher,” said Col- start without teachers having to strike. lins. “Without monetary resources, you end up nego- “With the lateness of negotiations, both sides agreed tiating any other resources you have; time, working it would probably be better if teachers had another conditions, and things like that.” day to prepare,” said Principal, Ken Collins, who “I think it’s good that they only did a one year insisted that there was no strike, just a contract ne- contract. If they don’t like what came out of this gotiation. one they can change it quickly,” said senior Clara Mr. Bob Ingraham was on the bargaining commit- Kurtenbach, whose mother teaches at Glenwood El- tee that spoke for the teacher’s union. “Because we ementary. Kurtenbach said her mom didn’t want to didn’t have a contract in August, the membership strike either, though she would in order to get more voted that if we didn’t have a contract for them to planning time, an issue for teachers as well. ratify they wouldn’t show up for work,” said Ingra- The most visible part of the latest contract is the brand ham. new Wednesday one hour late starts, something that The teachers ended up voting on a contract the week is on a trial basis this year. Unlike the once monthly, before school started, avoiding the strike. It was, two hour late starts from last year, the Wednesday however, a one year contract as opposed to the nor- late starts will be nearly every week.“Teachers will mal three years. be able to do some much needed work,” said Col- “The offer from the district wasn’t good enough lins. to look at three years,” Ingraham said. Ms. Heather “My feeling at this building is that we really respect Helman agreed with Ingraham when she said, “I was our teachers tremendously. We’re thrilled that we’re not convinced that we had negotiated the best possi- back,” Collins said. ble contract where class size was concerned.” Other Next year, all sides hope for more to bargain with. issues considered were the lack of Special Education But until then, “We got something we can all live PHOTO BY EMMA DERUS support, the lack of fulltime librarians, the low pay, with for at least a year,” said Ingraham. Schedule

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 that ended up being way off, the reason why could physically count the kids and see around the school much more manageable. the teachers were hired back. who’s here. They wanted to see the whites Collins sees nothing but good things from “[The district and the teacher’s union] use of their eyes,” said Strong. this change. “It’ll benefi t teaching and learn- Already burdened by beginning of the year a certain formula to determine student num- When they were sure of the amount of stu- ing in the long run. We appreciate how co- voluntary schedule changes, counselors, bers [for the following year],” Strong said. dents, they hired back three teachers, and operative people were. Obviously it’s a situ- along with many others, found themselves “We base it on the rate of attrition [the added 10 classes: three English classes, ation that’s not great; we wanted to make up to their neck in paperwork. amount of students who leave each year] three history classes, three math classes, and the best of a bad situation, so hopefully we “[The amount of extra work was] crazy. The over the last fi ve years, and we aim for a a cooking class, which made class sizes all did that.” counselors need counseling,” said counselor midpoint,” said Collins. The attrition rate Ms. Dede Strong. She and the other coun- is between 50 to 100 students a year. The selors spent a whole week redistributing stu- district estimated the enrollment would de- dents, and changing close to 300 schedules. Dr. Tony Pool, O.D. crease, but it ended up staying about the “I really praise our counseling staff; they’ve same, causing alarm for many. Personalized Care for Routine & Complex Vision Problems done a great job at getting this done. It’s “It would be a worse to hire a bunch of not easy and they’re kind of caught in the teachers and then not have students for them Target Optical middle- they have to be the bearer of a bad to teach. You’ve hired them for a one year Lake Stevens message,” said Collins, who also said he’s contract,” said Collins. In other words, the treating the counselors to a special—and 425-334-5536 district wanted to make sure of the amount well-deserved—lunch on Friday, Septem- of kids before they started hiring more www.TPool2020.com ber 25. teachers. Also determined last year was the estimat- “[The district] wanted to wait until they Eye Exams, Glasses, Contact Lenses ed total enrollment for this year, a number Things Other Papers Won’t Tell You Texas woman fi nds tasty Swedish man att empts to way to end relati onship milk himself It’s not a good time to be a goldfi sh in Pasa- Ragnar Bengtsson, 26, of dena, Texas. Amidst a recent domestic distur- Stockholm, has embarked bance in the area, a woman alledgedly broke on a milk-making journey. into her ex husband’s apartment, stole seven of In early September, 2009, his prized goldfi sh, fried them, and ate them. Old man makes Bengtsson began pump- No charges have been fi led. arrest--in the nude ing his breasts every three hours. He hopes to produce Early Saturday, September 26, a 91 milk, without hormonal aid, year old South Florida man awoke by December of this year. to the barking of his dog. He jumped Hopefully, he will succeed out of bed, grabbed his .38, and held a in his endeavor, and never would-be burglar at gunpoint until au- be thirsty again. thorities arrived. He did all of this in his birthday suit.

October 7, 2009 Page 3 Opinion VALHALLA The legacy of the Class of 2009 lives on

think of no better way to put it other than, it was just plain fun. They made it fun. The assemblies were always playful and casual, their pep and exuberance was unmatched, and they were responsible for iconic mem- ories such as the Mustard. The class lead- ers were charismatic, talented, hilarious, and always seemed up for anything. Now, I don’t mean to say that the class of 2009 was the best this school has ever seen, or even that I’ve ever seen. All I mean to say is that my class has a lot to live up to, just based on what previously MADELINE HEFFERNAN preceded it. Seeing as we are only entering STAFF REPORTER our third week of school, it’s hard to judge At the beginning of each year, there are ad- whether the class of 2010 will live up to the justments to be made; new teachers, new expectations. So far our track record isn’t projects, new policies, and a new senior doing wonders: we lost Tolo (although to class. The latter, perhaps, is the most im- be fair, we aren’t the fi rst), we may be the portant change for the students. The senior most apathetic class in years (we had to be class may not alter how the school is run or freshman and ‘freshmores’, it hurt the ego the amount of off-campus passes we get, a bit), and we’ve had some trouble with but what we do change is atmosphere. And clapping at assemblies. in public school, where it’s the extra stuff But I vote not to hold these digressions that keeps us going, a mediocre ambience against us, our underclassman years are can change everything; it’s like substitut- over and we deserve a clean slate. I’m sure ing Dr. Bold for Dr. Pepper; although they the senior superiority complex will kick seem identical, deep down, you know it in and we’ll be everything a senior class can never match the taste of the real thing. should be. We’re off to a good start al- Last year, we were blessed with a fantastic ready: we all stood up for our spirit check. group of seniors. I pondered over how best to phrase their infl uence last year and could ART BY HANNAH PATTEN Athletes pay fee for a priceless goal

BEAU CASTILLO MANAGING EDITOR mowing lawns, babysitting, or even fi nding a job. the success our teams have during competitions. Athletes understand that sometimes to do what you Our district and our athletics department are hav- When the fi nal love, you have to make sacrifi ces. ing an increasingly diffi cult time fi nancially this bell rings at 2:10, “I myself am playing three school sports this year. year. When the football team needs new jerseys, students nor- I’m not going to let an 80 dollar fee stand in my or the cross country team needs new shorts, the mally scramble way of doing something I really enjoy,” said junior athletics department must dip into the funds from to leave as fast Kyle Hedges. ASB that act as a crutch throughout the year. With as possible. It is Passionate and dedicated players are sometimes money already tight, getting new uniforms will hard to imagine compared to, and even not chosen over, less dedi- not be as easy as simply signing a check. If stu- students voluntarily paying to stay after school to cated students. When seniors look back on the dents can contribute 80 dollars to the athletic de- work. credits that they need to graduate, that pesky phys- partment’s funds, new uniforms, new equipment, Considering the economic hardships that Ameri- ical education credit seems to sneak up on them and various activities will not be hollow requests cans have experienced this past year, to many stu- when it is already too late to take the class. Left to the district. Not only this, but the district will dents 80 dollars is a ridiculous price to pay for a without many options, these seniors turn out for a not be burdened with fees for transportation to and sport. After school practice is incomparable to the sport with intentions of coming to practice as little from games, or fees for new equipment experience students get on a select team, which is as possible. Hopefully, this new fee will help fi lter “If it’s something you really enjoy, or it’s some- also paid for. In spite of this, kids are still out on the out students who are there for the credit, and leave thing you are good at, then why not [pay]?”said fi eld, in the pool, running, or out on the court, com- those who are there for the sport. Teammates will Hedges. At the end of the day, even with an empty peting in the sport that is their passion. Sure, they be able to form a more cohesive bond, and as a wallet, every athlete knows the fee is a small price may be having diffi cult times, but they fi nd ways result, our teams will hopefully bring home more to pay to do what they are passionate about. to scrape together the fee, whether it is through wins. We students never get sick of hearing about Valhalla Policy Our Mission Statement: The Valhalla’s mission is to provide the LSHS community with a quality, thought-provoking publicati on. In these eff orts, the Valhalla has established several open forums for the exchange of informati on, opinions, and arti sti c expression dedicated to those in the LSHS community.

Editorials: The editorial secti on of the Valhalla serves as a forum for well-writt en, thoughtf ul, longer forms of expression. Signed editorials represent the opinions of the author(s). Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Valhalla staff . Views printed here are meant to be opinionated and/or persuasive, but do not necessarily represent the opinions of the student body, administrati on, or school board.

Lett ers to the Editor: The Valhalla will generally print as many lett ers as space allows each issue. Lett ers must include the author’s name, signa- ture, and class or positi on relati ve to the school. Typed or legibly handwritt en lett ers are acceptable, but none should be more than 400 words. The Valhalla reserves the right to edit all lett ers for space, accuracy, spelling, and grammar. We reserve the right to refuse to print any lett ers. Submit lett ers to room 303, or email them to [email protected]. Lett ers submitt ed by email should be pasted into the body of the mes- sage. We reserve the right to print all lett ers submitt ed, either in person or electronically.

Page 4 October 7, 2009 Opinion VALHALLA Fearless pride; not such a bad idea I think it’s because we’re in high school. Almost MADELINE HEFFERNAN STAFF REPORTER all of us are confused, slightly depressed, frustrated, and frightened. As with the many other ‘pep talks’ Ah, Fearless Pride, our not-quite-so beloved theme. we’ve received over the last few years of our lives, Actually, this unprecedented dislike from the student we blow it off. These ‘inspiring’ ideas and speeches body that has occurred over the last few weeks took usually imply a confi dence on-off switch, which al- me completely by surprise. I’m not exactly thrilled most every teenager knows is complete cockamamie. with the theme, but the controversy seems a bit mis- It’s easy to tell a student to be proud of his or her placed. self, but it’s never that simple; it takes life-experience The idea behind the Fearless Pride is absolutely and self-discovery. In a way, Fearless Pride seems positive. It’s no secret that our school isn’t the most more for the people who already have confi dence and enthusiastic when it comes to school spirit. Possibly, spirit. To the rest, it feels empty. It places emphasis with encouragement, our apathetic state could be al- on what we know we don’t have. tered. But, I suppose we must also take into consideration But there is more to this theme than just purple that this is one of the fi rst years we’ve actually had a greasepaint and a gold sequined bowler hat, because theme. We had one last year, unity, but it wasn’t real- that’s only a part of it. Fearless Pride is about us; it’s ly emphasized or utilized to any great extent. Perhaps about being proud of exactly who you are. It is even the student aversion to Fearless Pride is just ampli- taking solace in your own individuality and idio- fi ed because we aren’t used to it. If this was a yearly syncrasies, for example, being able to play Amazing tradition, we probably wouldn’t bat an eye. Grace on the harmonica. But, regardless, Fearless Pride is here to stay. Maybe It may be a bit cheesy, but as a theme it’s fi ne. it will have a positive impact. Maybe some of us will There’s nothing outwardly bad about inclusion and take some chances we wouldn’t usually have taken. enthusiasm, as they are both generally positive traits. Maybe we’ll fi nally come together as a class. Or Fearless Pride doesn’t have to affect your life at all, if maybe we’ll just move along as usual, fi guring out you don’t want it to; you could completely ignore it. who we are along the way. I doubt a lot of people would say they’re opposed to pride and courage. So, why all of the bickering? ART BY HANNAH PATTEN School administrati on should have looked at all potenti al outcomes

Last year, the fi nal day of school was un- ally came back to school Some even left the state to fi nd a new job; teachers would not have to be set a week usually bitter sweet. Sure, spirits ran high An increasing number of students and leaving behind friends, family, and the fa- behind in their curriculum. with the idea of summer on our minds. But fewer teachers in the classroom is not a miliarity of home. Next year, when the school district goes the last day was also a solemn reminder that recipe for success. The school district’s All of this should have been avoided. Not through the process of fi nding ways to it was our fi nal farewell to many teachers. solution to avoid crowded classrooms was only would it have saved the threatened save money, they have an obligation to No one would have guessed that in light of ingenious: hire more teachers. teachers from the unwarranted stress of take into account every possible conse- the budget cuts, our school would actually Before telling teachers that their positions job hunting, but it would also have saved quence of their decisions. For the sake hire new teachers this year. were not set in stone this year, the district the students and the school the trouble of of providing the best education possible, Rumors quickly spread last year about should have evaluated what the conse- scrambling to place kids in different class- school offi cials cannot let what happened which teachers would keep their position, quences of laying off these teachers would es. Entire days were set aside to change this year happen again. and who would lose theirs. Through the be. Struck with the reality that they would schedules in an attempt to lower classroom grapevine, we heard the names, the ap- be jobless, many teachers were forced to sizes. Had this been done at the beginning -THE EDITORIAL BOARD proximate number, and the reasons. But take extreme measures to fi nd new jobs. of the year, students would not now have none of this was confi rmed until we actu- Their lives were turned upside down. to play catch up in their new classes, and Valhalla Staff TOP TEN Editorial Board ways to prevent swine flu Alissa Margett Editor-in-Chief Beau Castillo Managing Editor Britton Nesheim Design Manager Kaylynn Tobias Business Manager Jacob Bartolini News Editor 10. Ward off with garlic around the neck. Kaila Alford Features Editor Kaitlyn LaVelle A&E Editor 9. Don’t touch anything, learn to levitate. Tyler Irwin Sports Editor 8. Completely isolate yourself in a closet full Kami Yorita Photography Manager of moth balls. Photographers Staff Reporters 7. Taint the water supply with Purell™. Ashleigh Bortles Bre Baumann Emma Derus Katie Egelstad 6. Listen to Cake and Meatloaf’s greatest hits Catherine Straume Emily Garvin Alicia Terry Madeline Heffernan for 12 hours. Elizabeth Granillo Anais Mendez 5. Do a handstand, clap three times, while Contributing photographer Sarah Ruiz Jory Weissert shouting “Rick James.” Connor Wilson Jordan Wyrick 4. Hand sanitizer in a belt holster. 3. Keep your mouth to yourself – at all costs. Contributing Artist Adviser 2. Kidnap Mr. Ingraham and force him to Hannah Patten Tiffany Lagant create a cure. 1. Fake a pep assembly and quarantine everyone in the gym.

October 7, 2009 Page 5 Sports VALHALLA Athletes conti nue to play despite the costs

BREANNE BAUMAN STAFF REPORTER

The new term circulating around campus is pay to play. This refers sports and opportunities as we can,” said Bailey. to the new athletic fee for any student who plans on participating Though there is now a fee for sports, it did not affect the number in a high school sport. of students who tried out for fall sports. “We want participation The intention of the school board in introducing this new par- to be high, and actually, what we have seen is it hasn’t affected ticipation fee is to help offset the budget cuts that have been our numbers. The numbers of kids participating in fall sports have made in the athletic department. been consistent with what we had prior to pay to play,” said Bai- Though some resent the fee, many students do not real- ley. ize that the district has to pay for many aspects of school Also, it has not affected athletes from playing their sports. The sports. These expenses include the transportation to and price is $80 or $40 for students with free or reduced lunch. If from games, sports offi cials, police offi cers, and coach’s students are still having fi nancial diffi culty paying, they can salaries. speak to Bailey personally to try and fi gure out a payment plan “The participation fee helps the district absorb the cost of instead. athletics” said Athletic Director Ed Bailey. The student body is having mixed feelings about this subject. The athletic department is not the only one that felt the Many students feel that sports already cost them enough without effects of these statewide budget cuts. The transportation throwing in the extra fee. department, classrooms, teacher and janitors, and the ad- “It’s not necessary to pay to play a sport because players already ministration have all experienced fi nancial strains. have to pay so much for shoes and other accessories, we shouldn’t Another drawback to the cuts, besides the athletic fee, is have to pay more just to play the sport we love,” said senior girls the loss of c-team sports. This year, for sophomores to be basketball player Stephanie Schumacher. able to participate on a high school cut sport, they have to Other students feel that it’s not that tough to help out the district. make junior varsity or varsity. Not only the students have “ Playing sports is a privilege not a right, and if the economy and lost the c-team, but the coaches of these teams have also the school are having a hard time we need to buck up and pay the lost their coaching positions. price,” said senior boys basketball player Chris Finley. “Only three Wesco teams out of 18 had the c-team programs last year. C-team programs Whether students agree or disagree with why we have the policy, were pretty much cutting themselves because of lack of schools having teams. We were it really doesn’t matter. What it comes down to is that if you’re go- one of the few teams left in the league to provide that activity”, said Bailey. ing to play a sport, you’re going to have to pay the price. “If you don’t have a participation fee and you’re going to reduce costs, that means reducing programs. So if I had my choice of having an 80 dollar participation fee or cutting out more sports, I would rather opt for an 80 participation fee and keep as many Photo by: Alicia Terry

Photo Gallery

Photos by Kami Yorita & Viking football players walk united as one. Alicia Terry

Senior Arvid Isaksen avoids multi ple defenders as he gains more yardage. Volleyball, spiking it to them

BREANNE BAUMAN STAFF REPORTER

Viking Varsity Volleyball has kicked off to three times a week, along with after their season in a major way, defeating Ev- school practice,” said Wiklund. erett 3-1 on September 10. The game had Along with building a strong working been predicted as diffi cult to win for the team, the players have developed friend- Senior Brennan Frost runs free again. team. ships with each other. Having ‘no drama’ “I feel so excited that all the hard work helps the girls focus on their game. has paid off,” said Senior Captain, Miranda “The team has really come together. We Shultz. “Everett is a really tough team.” all get along with each other,” said senior Head volleyball coach, Amy Wiklund, is player Kait Johnson. now in her tenth season coaching volley- Commitment is a big part of this team. ball, and her fourth season here. Wiklund Everyone has to work their hardest at is confi dent in her players this year, and be- the sport, along with staying focused on lieves that the rest of the season will result school. With two-a-day practices, school in our schools volleyball team being put on can be overwhelming. This team is ready the map. for anything though. The team has been working a great deal “These girls are far more talented than harder this season; having two-a-day ses- girls in the past. Their talent level is higher, sions, working on the fundamentals of the [and] their dedication is higher, which I game, and making sure to be both mentally think in turn will make for an all around and physically prepared. strong season,” said Wiklund. “They have been practicing at 6 a.m. two Senior Chameron Lackey avoids a tackle. Junior Brooke Dalgleish PHOTO BY ALICIA TERRY Page 6 October 7, 2009 Sports VALHALLA All you need is a good cheer

ANAIS MENDEZ STAFF REPORTER On September 22, 24, and 25, our cheerleaders mentored Everyone was having fun, including the parents who came over 50 young cheerleaders from around the school dis- out to watch in the bleachers. trict, as well as from Marysville. The girls came for a fund Each of the girls who attended had to pay about raiser that was started by the cheer squad program Jr. Vi- $45. The cheerleaders held this fund raiser to raise money king Cheer Clinic. for their uniforms, and any other supplies that they need In this program, girls from kindergarten to fi fth grade for this year were given the opportunity to do different cheers with the At the end of the cheer clinic, each of the younger girls cheerleaders, also known as Fourteen. While there, the was awarded ribbons for their hard work. The cheerlead- girls were shown how much fun cheerleading can be, and ers were very proud of all of the effort the kids put in at were encouraged to become future cheerleaders for their the clinic. high school. The cost to hold the clinic was over $300 for the snacks Most of the cheer squad was there, teaching the basics to and supplies; a worthwhile fee considering the profi t they the younger girls. earned and the smiles from all the young girls who at- For instance, they were taught simple cheers called Fired, tended. Touch. They also learned how to cheer to the song, Hey Baby.

The cheerleaders practice the extension PHOTO BY KAMI YORITA Leaving the rest in the dust Making a big splash Cross Country is ready to compete The team has been training hard to make an impact this year.

ANAIS MENDEZ STAFF REPORTER “I enjoy being able to work hard and Swimming is such a technique driven sport achieve goals,” said girls swim coach Ms. that you have to have good technique in or- Sarah Summers. Summers has been coach- der to swim fast,” said Summers. ing for about 14 years now, and has been Although the pay to play policy has been swimming competitively for 12 years. enforced, and the C-team has been cut, the Summers coached the summer league her amount of girls has stayed about the same fi rst year after fi nishing college, which on the girls swim team in comparison to then encouraged her choice to continue earlier years. “Well, it fl uctuates every coaching. year. We typically have around 30 girls. Summers expects the best out of her We have 28 this year, so I haven’t seen a swimmers. ”They have practice everyday big change,” said Summers. after school from 2:30 to 4:00, and basi- One of their star swimmers, Sophomore Cross Country ruuners: Juan Casti llo, Samantha Minor, and Dakota Pilon PHOTO BY ALICIA TERRY cally we expect 100 percent attendance,” Lindsay Vanderhoff, has been swimming said Summers. competitively since age eight. She has won TYLER IRWIN SPORTS EDITOR “In swimming, training and practice is numerous competitions at state, districts, critical to being able to compete well,” said and fi rst place at numerous swim meets for Cross country is one of the few sports that runners who show up everyday are setting Summers. Summers is also very confi dent our school. athletes willingly run for long distances in themselves up for success. with the team this year. Though most are Vanderhoff also holds one of the records the sweltering summer heat. With great runners on the team, such as underclassmen, Summers said her team is at the school for the fastest 100 meter back- The cross country team started their train- seniors, Juan Castillo, Brandon Martz, and extremely hardworking. “They care about stroke, swimming a 1:11:05 during a com- ing the week after school ended, and trained Johnny Bywater, the team is expected to be each other. They have a lot of team spirit. petition. through August 1. The team’s training reg- a powerful force in the postseason at dis- There is a real cohesiveness to this group “My goal is to get a swimming scholar- iment included long distance runs, interval tricts and state. that I haven’t had for a number of years, so ship to ASU after I graduate, and hope- training, and even games such as ultimate Runners showed their presence early by I’m really pleased with them,” said Sum- fully [to] make it to Olympic trials,” said frisbee. The team also trained by going to placing second at the Edmonds Invite, mers. Vanderhoff. Vanderhoff swims at least fi ve cross country camps during the summer. which 11 schools participated in. Summers believes that athletes can be- days a week, twice a day, sometimes for Cross country Head Coach, Mr. Cliff Chaf- One of these runners, junior Zach Kilburn, come better swimmers if they constantly two or more hours at a time. fee, has high hopes for the team. “I think has high hopes for the team this season. practice. “Well peoples times can drop, but With an experienced coach and star swim- we could place second at state this year “We’re really hoping to place in the top ten for most of [the athletes] that swim year mers, the team expects to go far this sea- with the great competitors on our team this at state this year,” said Kilburn. round, it’s just a matter of increasing their son. year, as long as no injuries or other prob- After placing 12 at state last year, the team training and then increasing technique. lems come up,” said Chaffee. “We’ve had seems primed to improve their record, and a lot of our top runners showing up every- to bring more respect to the cross country day and working hard at practice to make team. themselves the best.” In a sport where con- ditioning is the focus during practices, the

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October 7, 2009 Page 7 VALHALLA A&E Recipe of Instructi ons: Crumble Preparation: the issue Place ingredients in a bowl and stir Going out to eat these days is tough, but good with a fork until completely combined. food shouldn’t be comprimised because of it. Filling Preparation: Preheat oven to 350° Peels apples; Cut in half and remove Apple Crisp cores Cut apples into 1/4 inch wedge Crumble: Place the sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, 2 cups fl ower and canilla in a large bowl and still until 1 cup brown sugar combined. 1/2 cup oatmeal Add apples and toss until coated. 3/4 cup melted butter Place 1/2 of the crumble mix in an un- greased 9 by 13 in. pan and pat it down Filling: to form a crust. 6 Apples Pour the apple mix evenly over the 1 cup sugar crust. 3 TBSP cornstarch Sprinkle the remaining crumble over 1/4 TBSP salt the apples and bake for 40-45 min. or 1 cup water until golden brown. 1 TSP vanilla Serve with a scoop of vanilla icecream and enjoy! PHOTO BY KAITLYN LAVELLE

no one else world. He cracks jokes Questi on of the Issue about parenting, drugs, religion, ho- Be one of the fi rst seven to Room 303 with the answer and win a Prize mosexuality, and sex. In the book, Invisible Monsters, he What’s the most remote spot on earth? wrote, “All God does is watch us and then kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring.” His novels Fight Club and Choke, have both been made into movies, An author to and Invisible Monsters is in the pro- cess, expected to hit the big screen in remember JORDAN WYRICK 2010. Another of his novels, Survi- STAFF REPORTER vor, was in production, but was put Fight Club is a title that most people on hold and remains incomplete. Its are familiar with. The name Chuck production was around the time of Palahniuk however is not. Palah- the 9/11 attacks, consequently cut niuk is the author of Fight Club, due its content about high jacking and many other thought-provoking and crashing a plane. novels. Palahniuk is defi nitely unique, and In the beginning, no publishers even a bit odd, but each story con- were willing to publish his works tains thought provoking, humorous, because of his odd sense of humor. serious, and alluring elements with- Some may fi nd his style of humor in its pages. offensive, but he dares to step out- PHOTO BY ALICIA TERRY side of the box by saying things that Marvel sells out

JORDAN WYRICK STAFF REPORTER “We’re so happy we are independent,” Marvel recently stated, according to www.iesb.net. Despite that comment, on Monday September 14, Marvel Comics did something that shocked us all. For a settlement of $4 billion, Marvel sold over all rights to Disney. Over 5,000 Marvel characters are now in the hands of Disney, leaving fans with mixed feeling about the sale. “I thought it was pretty ridiculous, [that they] sold out in general,” said senior Kristen Plumb. “4 billion dollars is a lot of money. [Marvel] should do it because they like it, not just for the money.” Marvel had a fan base of people of all ages. It is under- standable that Disney looked to expand their target audi- ence. With a hefty $4 billion price tag, one can only as- sume that Disney has grand plans in store. ART BY BRITTON NESHEIM “Disney did make good action movies like Pirates of the characters: will Iron Man still drink his bottle of whiskey morning to watch cartoons, like X-Men, Spider Man, and Caribbean, so they should do a good job,” said senior, or will The Incredible Hulk remain dangerous? Only time many more is a fond part of most of our childhoods. We Roger Olinger, who is trying to stay positive about the will tell. will have to wait to see if Disney plans on bringing out loss. Some students question whether Disney will continue those Saturday morning TV shows once again, while also Not all fans are as optimistic though. with the recently released X-MEN: Origins. Disney has focusing on the fi lm aspect. “They are just going to ruin the name of Marvel,” said not released a statement saying whether or not they will While many fans are saddened by the loss of Marvel, hope senior Brandon Hoelzel. continue the new series. remains high. Disney is capable of doing great things with Other fans share worries that Disney will make the heroes Our generation, and the generations surrounding us, grew Marvel, and hopefully more great things will come. too kid-friendly, and wonder whether Disney will alter the up with Marvel superheroes. Waking up every Saturday Page 8 October 7, 2009 AE VALHALLA & Remembering the King of Pop

JORDAN WYRICK Moon Walk in 1988. STAFF REPORTER Jackson released his fi nal album, Invincible, in Jackson left behind a legacy that will never be for- 2001. Totaling fi ve solo albums with Epic Records, gotten. “He was a big icon for our time and those and selling an estimated 750 million records world before us,” said senior Shebly Miksch. wide, and 13 number one hits, he was voted twice It began back in 1966, when the Jackson 5 fi rst hit into the Rock Hall of Fame for his impressive musi- the scene with I Want You Back. While in the Jackson cal career. 5, his father used Michael as the example for all his Earlier this year Jackson returned and announced older brothers. He was born into stardom. his fi nal tour, titled This Is It. Jackson was sched- In early 1972, Jackson began producing solo music. uled to perform 50 concerts throughout London. Ben, his fi rst song, was a love song that captured ev- Rehearsals were going along as planned, everything eryone’s attention. Off the Wall was Jackson’s fi rst was looking great. In June they were going through solo album in 1979. Jackson was titled 1980’s Big- fi nal dress rehearsals. Then tragedy struck on June gest Star. In 1982, his album Thriller was released. 25, when Michael Jackson died of cardiac arrest at He was recognized by the Guinness Book of World the age of 50. Records as Most Successful Entertainer of All Time, Despite the ups and downs of his crazy life, Jackson with Thriller as the Biggest Selling Album of All was The King of Pop. “He ruled with a mighty fi st,” Time. said junior Mikey Kemp. “Everyone knows who In 1983, the sequined glove and white socks made Michael Jackson is, for good or bad reasons. People their fi rst appearance when Jackson performed Billy will remember him forever,” said Miksch. Jean, and this style soon became a symbol for Jack- Currently in the making is a movie about Jackson’s son. In 1984, Jackson won eight Grammy’s. But he life and accomplishments, titled, as his tour would didn’t stop there: three years later he released the al- have been, This Is It. bum Bad. He then wrote his autobiography titled Zack Murphy att empti ng the “Thriller” move PHOTO BY ALICA TERRY Where to dine homecoming night

Luca’s Italian and larger dishes range from $8 Top Picks CONNOR WILSON to $16. The environment is a little TAFF EPORTER Deli and Café: S R noisy, since it is one big room, but A more local venue, across from One thing that a lot of people the service is great, and you won’t where Dairy Queen formerly was. don’t plan for during homecoming leave disappointed. “I love Ixtapa,” They serve authentic pasta, pizza, Top T.V. Series of the Fall is what to eat before the dance. said junior Riley Frasier. salads, and many other choice en- Here are some of the best local trees. “The spaghetti is awesome,” The Repp: restaurants that you might consider said junior Taylor Metzger. The Formerly known as Sebastian’s, before the dance. prices are low enough so that foods is a casual restaurant in Snohom- “Dexter” Sundays at 10 p.m. (Showtime): The Anthony’s Woodfi re Grill: are affordable. The service is good, ish along the river. The Repp is forensics specialist/serial killer, Dexter, driven This restaurant is located near the and the environment is welcom- quite expensive, costing around by his deceased stepfather’s set of rules to ferry by Jetty Island in Everett. $20 for an entrée, pizza, steak, or ing. Luca’s even offers a wood- survival, attempts to lead a “normal” life while Anthony’s is great if you’re a fan burning, brick stove for patrons to burgers. The atmosphere of the of seafood. Because the prices are watch the pizzas cook. place is great, though. The service quenching his thirst for blood by killing only a bit high, only go if you‘re willing Ixtapa: is respectable, and they usually those “worthy of death.” to spend a little bit more money. have live music playing on a high A good, local place to eat if you The beautiful view of the marina rise stage. This is a top notch enjoy affordable Mexican food. A and high end food make the bit of restaurant, and is worth the bill. “Glee” Wednesdays at 9 p.m. (FOX): An opti- bowl of chicken soup is only $5, extra money worth it. mistic teacher takes on the sinking “glee club” in hopes of bringing it back to its former glory. Its wide array of students brings up controversy between student cliques and teachers.

“House” Mondays at 8 p.m. (FOX): A crude doctor, Greg House, runs a staff of doctors, taking on only the most odd and diffi cult of patients while fi ghting his drug addiction and personal confl icts.

“The Offi ce” Thursdays at 9 p.m. (NBC): A socially awkward manager attempts to run a PHOTO BY ALICIA TERRY group of equally social awkward workers.

Up into the great The vastness of the sky “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” Thurs- expanse. The Sky’s begins to collapse upon the Schoolyard days at 10 p.m. (FOX): Five friends run a bar, I see the stars twin- Descent fl ying birds. kling above. Waterfalls of sadness that (“Sweet Dee” Renolds, Charlie Kelly, Dennis Poetry CAT STRAUME Airplanes fl y by, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER once overwhelmed me. Reynolds, Mac, and Franc Reynolds) while liv- gliding in freedom. The sky is falling upon us Liquid forming dewdrops, The Ladder The lights below are this day. plastering the trees. ing life in the most outrageous of ways CAT STRAUME enchanting. The sky is falling in such a The weather represents the STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The day is now night. beautiful way. feeling in my heart. I am so young and alive. “The Mighty Boosh” Sundays at 1 a.m. (Adult And I climb higher … Stars trickle down, scatter- The sky has been falling And I climb higher, And higher … ing across the fl oor. since the day I was born, Swim): Howard Moon and Vince Noir, along Up into the crystal blue Until I can no longer see They tumble to the ground, Since the very start. with their friends Naboo and Bollo run a sky. the ground. I have asked for no more. The sky is falling upon us I can see the clouds drifting knickknack store, while having outrageous Now I am alone. Blue is melting from be- this day. overhead. I am old and fragile. hind the clouds, white and The sky is falling in such a adventures in a world where the real world and Beautiful birds pass me by, And into the darkness I powdered. beautiful way. fantasy collide. soaring around. frightfully jump … It rains down on me, such The colors below are mes- KAITLYN LAVELLE From the ladder of my life. an elegant shower. A&E EDITOR merizing. Tears fall as rain with ev- The sun creeps down. ery spoken word. And I climb higher. October 7, 2009 Page 9 Features VALHALLA Rune staff ers capture every memorable moment KATIE EGELSTAD STAFF REPORTER

The May-June frenzy marks the time of year where enthusiastic chatter about end-of-the-year activities becomes the main thought, but no event causes as much excitement as yearbook distribu- tion. This year has brought many changes for The Rune, with both a new staff and advisor. With a fresh staff on board, se- nior and co-editor Caley Mintken said the biggest challenge was that “a lot of kids didn’t know how to use Adobe or Photoshop.” However, a young staff on The Rune was not the only thing Rune Veter- ans had to adapt to. Mr. Unckles, who worked on yearbook between 1986 and 1990, took the job after Ms. Herron was no longer working at Lake Stevens. “[I took the job for] the desire to have a challenge that kept me occupied and busy and involved in nearly everything that happens at the high school during the school year,” said Unckles. “And the desire to be in contact with more students and more teachers then I had been in years previously.” Senior Jennica Kreger, juniors Kaitlyn Neighbors and Briyanna Blue, and senior Caley Mintken goof around while working on the yearbook “It was weird getting used to a new ad- PHOTO BY CATHERINE STRAUME visor because it wasn’t just us learning everything, but it was [Unckles], too,” challenges—deadlines to meet and stu- which is a lot better,” said Mintken. feel when we’re done that we did it right said Mintken. “But we had a meeting dents to please—this year’s changes to Success is by no means a far off goal to and together,” said Unckles. “To have and we got everything under control so the class will not be detrimental to the reach for The Rune. The best medicine worked so hard together that we bonded we’re doing a lot better now.” experience or enthusiasm about work- for a diffi cult job is a sense of humor so completely, and that it was one of the The biggest difference for Unckles, in ing on staff. and a strong work ethic, of which the most rewarding experiences of our high comparison to his work on yearbook be- Senior and Communications Direc- staff is not lacking. This June, after the school time.” fore, was the newer technology. tor of The Rune, senior Jennica Kreger tense wait to receive yearbooks, every- “I think it will be successful because “Almost all of what we have to do said, “I think it’s going to be a lot of one will get to see that though the year- I know that we can all come together now is digital. Almost none of what we work but it’s also going to be a lot of book has changed on the outside, just and get it done,” said Kreger. “When it did then was digital,” he said. “We had fun. We have a good group.” like the class, that on the inside the heart comes down to pressure, I know we can computers but we couldn’t design pages “We all really get along. We always tell is still there. do it.” or manipulate photos.” jokes, we’re always laughing, and we “I think the biggest challenge for the Though The Rune staff faces many just know how to make the work fun class, and for me, and for all of us, is to

Matt Main brings the face of fearless pride

good way to do that,” said Main. “It was all really positive. A fi ed,” Main said. “I think overall porate the idea of fearless pride Over the summer, however, bunch of stuff like ‘Yeah this is it is about school unity, and it can into the various committees, and Main decided it was time to take some really good stuff you’re even go beyond that into the com- to continue associating it with his dedication one step further. writing’,” said Main. munity,” said Main. school and self pride throughout Expanding on an idea that mem- The positive feedback Main re- Main, along with the rest of ASB, the year. As for Main, he hopes bers of ASB and Leadership cre- ceived encouraged him to write is hoping that students can apply he, along with the senior class, ated while at their annual summer another letter, this time directed the concept of fearless pride into leaves a lasting legacy long after camp, Main presented the idea of solely to the Class of 2010. other things besides school spirit. graduation in June. fearless pride to the entire student “That was just mostly about the They also realize that the mean- “I’m just pretty much like ev- body. senior class and our kind of lack ing of fearless pride varies with eryone else, I want to leave this Fearless pride is the concept that of spirit in the past,” said Main. each person. place better than I found it,” said one should fully invest themselves Main hoped that the messages “I don’t know if there’s a lot we Main. in something they feel strongly he sent would have an impact on can do in ASB. I think it’s more of about, whether it be pride in their seniors just in time for the fi rst as- an individual thing that someone school or other aspects of their sembly. needs to fi nd what they are fear- life. “The spirit check was going to be lessly proud of,” said Main. “It was really everybody’s kind a big thing for me,” said Main. The ASB is working to incor- PHOTO BY CATHERINE STRAUME of general consensus of what we When students delivered on their KAILA ALFORD wanted to do this year,” Main said. fi rst senior spirit check, Main Homecoming Spirit Days FEATURES EDITOR “All I really tried to do was put knew that this year Viking pride 10/12 Monday a solid defi nition on it and share wouldn’t be in short supply this that with the rest of the school.” year. Multi -Color Day “Everyone has to push their own “We pulled through. It was really 10/13 Tuesday When senior Matt Main was limits in their own way. What we good, so I was proud of us,” said elected Vice President of the must do is support and encour- Main. Cowboy Day student body for the 2009-2010 age people to take those steps Stressing the importance of stu- 10/14 Wednesday school year, he was simply look- into fearless pride,” said Main in dents working together is among ing to improve his school. his letter he sent to his Facebook the goals of ASB this year. He Fashion Disaster Day “Last year I just decided that I re- friends over the summer. Main uses last year’s fundraising for 10/15 Thursday ally wanted to get more involved, was pleased with the reactions Coach Biggs as an example. and I fi gured ASB would be a from his fellow Vikings. “At that point, we were uni- Class Color Day

October 7, 2009 Page 10 Features VALHALLA Lake Stevens goes internati onal KATIE EGELSTAD STAFF REPORTER Slovakia Jospehine Nowak Denmark Teerissara Niivadee Ivan Simkovic Thailand

Nowak enjoys the school spirit we have in Lake Niivadee takes pleasure in traveling with her Simkovic is happy playing tennis here and en- Stevens, but misses her friends. She is having fun all host family and being at school. She enjoys Mr. joys Ms. Lewis’ Honors CWI class. All of his of her classes. Though she misses her friends back Kelly’s Advanced Grammar class. So far, she best friends are also in an exchange student pro- home, she likes all of the school spirit we Vikings has enjoyed traveling with her host family, mak- gram in America or Australia, so he misses talk- have. ing new friends, and school. ing to them. “My host mom is probably going to read this and “I miss my friends because in Thailand we are “Its kind of a coincidence that all of my best wants me to say English, Exposition. Andy and Min- dy Marks are my host parents so she’d probably like in the same class, same day, everybody in the friends are somewhere around America or Aus- it if I said that. But all of my classes are great,” said class is the same all day so we have studied to- tralia as exchange students so it’s not like I talk Nowak. gether for about six years,” said Niivadee. to them much,” said Simkovic.

PHOTOS BY ASHLEIGH BORTLES , EMMA DERUS AND ALICIA TERRY

Julie Veaas Norway Andres Valencia

Chunlin Chen China Colombia

Chen likes school here and misses her friends, Veaas has wanted to come to the United States Valencia fi nds the weather and people here nice. family, and food from home the most. She since she was 13. She misses her friends, but His favorite class is CAI with Mr. Hodgins loves all of her classes and teachers here, but especially some things with her school back because of all he gets to learn about America. especially AP Calculus AB, AP Chemistry, and home. Her favorite class is Creative Writing He misses his friends and family, including his AP Biology. with Ms. Ayotte. twin brother. “I miss my friends, of course. And some of “I like the weather here in Lake Stevens. The the things with school. School here, for now people are so nice to everyone. It’s so friendly,” at least is a bit diffi cult for me,” said Veaas. said Valencia. “It’s nice and this school is so fun.” Drumline Conti nued from page 1 Currently, the entire band is pre- stuff; it’s really cool.” noise of ten becomes one collec- paring for the half-time show dur- In Neil Proff’s band room, the tive sound. ing this year’s homecoming game drumline prepares to do another They end abruptly, and Springer against Monroe. song. A track keeping time plays nods approvingly. “We do formations with the rest loudly through the speakers and “That was good. Let’s do it of the band before homecoming,” Springer counts them off. The again.” said Hopkins. “The rest of the room erupts once again, but this band does different dances and time everyone is in sync, as the

Page 11 October 7 , 2009 F eatures VALHALLA Students fi nd unique ways to ask their date to Homecoming Many juniors and seniors are excited for another home- coming. For attending sophomores, however, excitement surrounds not knowing what to expect. Sophomores Priscilla Trivisono and her boyfriend Jordan Anderson are both excited to go to homecoming together. “We’ve been together on and off since the eighth grade. Jordan thought it would be cute to ask me to homecoming on September 18th, our one year and eight month anniver- sary. There was a bouquet of roses and attached to the roses were fi ve balloons that were numbered one through fi ve on each balloon. Then inside the bouquet of roses there was a letter with a needle attached that said “You might need this,” said Trivisono. “Each balloon had a saying like ‘Pop me fi rst,’ ‘Pop me second’, etc. so I did and as each balloon popped, a note fell out. The last one said ‘So on our 1 year and 8 months will you make me the happiest guy and go to homecoming with me?’” All of the nervousness can pay off: when the big night fi - nally arrives, guys will be impressed by the time and effort invested by their date into their appearance. “A guy’s favorite part, I think, is when we go to our date’s house and they walk down in their dress for the fi rst time. We are always astounded at how gorgeous our dates look,” said senior Anthony Cuadras. Homecoming would be a very different experience for many if they did not get to dress up. For some of the girls, the aspect of dressing up is what they are most excited Seniors Britt any Armistad and Steven Fulton are both looking foward to homecoming this year. PHOTO BY ATHERINE TRAUME C S for. SARAH RUIZ days, perhaps weeks, to fi gure out the perfect way to ask “It was my fi rst offi cial dance [last year], where I actually STAFF REPORTER their date to homecoming. dressed up. It was exciting,” said junior Stella Rudge. Homecoming is rapidly approaching, as is the excitement. Junior Daniela Montelongo still remembers how her date At the prospect of wearing suits and the ties, many guys The halls are adorned with posters, guys are asking their asked her to last year’s homecoming. are eager to dress up for homecoming. dates, and girls are looking for dresses. It is time for home- “It was an away football game at Arlington, and after- “I’m excited to dress up because I get to wear a fuchsia coming, and lots of people are getting pumped for the big wards the football players normally would go straight colored tie,” said sophomore Jake Nelson. night. to the locker room and not talk to the fans, but Brandon Homecoming is getting closer and closer, and students are “I’m most excited for the dance. It’s going to be intense, [Preslar] found me and lifted his jersey and pads off and growing more excited each day. When homecoming does like the circus,” said junior Mark Russel. said ‘Cool shirt huh?’ and it said ‘Daniela, Homecoming?’ fi nally get here, many guys and girls will be enjoying the With homecoming comes all of the unique ways a guy Then he handed me fl owers and after I said yes,” said night, and all the excitement it brings. asks a girl to go with them. A few of the guys will take Montelongo. Senior offi cers work hard for the Class of 2010

SARAH RUIZ ensure that all projects are accomplished STAFF REPORTER by making the events “the most fun for the Offi cers of the senior class, Katie Egelstad, seniors instead of just something they have Bradon Martz, and Melissa Peterson, aren’t to go to or, obligated to go to.” wasting any time diving into their respon- Martz encourages people to get involved sibilities. In preparing for homecoming, with ASB because students should be able the offi cers have already jumpe started the to have a say. “If they want school to be year, and are looking forward to what lies run the way they want it to be run to get ahead. involved because everyone wants to make Egelstad, president, is determined to “get changes.” everything done on time, be successful, The support system for Egelstad and Mar- and make as many people happy as she tz is Secretary and Treasurer, Melissa Pe- possibly can,” said Egelstad. terson. Peterson has been involved with the Building off of her junior year, Egelstad ASB offi ce since her freshman year, and has climbed her way up the ASB/Leader- loves being able to be a part of her school. ship ladder, and made her way up to class Peterson chose to get into ASB because “it president. Egelstad loves her job, and is represents the student body and I was in- doing all she can to make sure that this terested in helping make decisions that are year is a great one. Kicking off Egelsatd’s going to change our school and knowing year was her fi rst project, homecoming. what’s going to go on in our school and She had to organize the event: generate a Offi cers Kati e Egelstad, Brandon Martz, and Melissa Peterson have exciti ng plans in store for the having an infl uence in that.” senior class. theme, pick a date, fi gure out decorations, PHOTO BY CATHERINE STRAUME Being involved has always interested Pe- and fi nd a DJ. that I am, I feel like it is a lot more orga- and takes part in helping brainstorm ideas. terson; she was a part of the yearbook com- “I defi nitely think that homecoming is my nized, and I feel like I am on top of things, He also will help put on Autumnfest. Au- mittee at Lake Stevens Middle School and favorite thing we have done so far because and that does make me feel good too.” tumnfest is the carnival at the football game jumped right into ASB her fi rst year of high prom is different. It’s a little more at the Egelstad enjoys being a big part of her that raises money for the various clubs. school. Peterson’s job is to help Egelstad end of the year with a lot of pre-planning school and loves when her friends can “Originally I wanted to get involved in and Martz by keeping notes at the ASB and then you kind of just wait around, but come up to her and ask her what is going ASB because there was a lot of changes I meetings. She also keeps track of the Class this is just go go go, and its been diffi cult on and is able to tell them exactly what is wanted to make to the school and I didn’t of 2010’s money, and sets an example for but its also been a lot of fun.” happening in their school. really know how to get them changed, so the senators. “It’s basically just presiding After homecoming her next big project is Although being the class president can that’s why I became involved,” said Martz. over the senior class along with the presi- Autumnfest. “I feel like I have a dedica- sometime create a lot of stress, Egelstad is Knowing that the ball is in his court, Martz dent and vice president,” Peterson said. tion to making sure that I don’t screw up.” confi dent that she is the right person for the is ready to do all he can to make this year Peterson’s goals for this year are to help Egelstad is in charge of running the ASB job. She strives to be her best and goes to memorable for the seniors. out the President and Vice President as meetings and making some of the major lengths to make sure she isn’t remembered Despite doing Running Start this year, he much as she can, and to help make sure decisions for the senior class. Having a as “that president that gets everything makes sure to always be there to give his that all of their activities run smoothly. She say in her school has always been some- wrong or messes things up and people are input and to make sure everything is get- plans to be successful by making the senior thing she has enjoyed. like ‘oh yeah she did a bad job I remember ting done. “[Being an ASB offi cer] became class happy and content with how their of- “In the past I was just being a senate mem- her’,” said Egelstad. one way I would stay attached to the school fi cers are representing them. “I know the ber, so I just took a backseat and I didn’t get Helping Egelstad with all of her respon- while doing Running Start,” said Martz. way things work and I have seen things fail all of the things I wanted. I felt like things sibilities is Vice President Brandon Martz. Martz is ready to make sure that all of the and I have seen things succeed.” could have been more organized, and now Martz helps Egelstad with decision making future senior projects go great. He plans to

Page 12 October 7, 2009