CLARION

Inside This Issue

Playing the Part 12-13 The newest addition to North Salem’s student clubs.

Making a Splash 15 Swimmers drive head first into a very successful season.

Through Hoops 16-17 Back from a tropical vacation, North’s basketball team gets down to business.

Back on Track 14North Salem’s track and football feild get a much needed facelift.

The Avatar Experience 18 The year’s biggest box office hit seems to be a favorite among Vikings.

Sherlock Holmes 18 Need a clue about one of the year’s hottest movie’s? We can help.

Community Involvement 6 Students from around the Salem area are working to give back to the communnity.

College Advice 10-11 Hoping to take that next step into your future? Here are some tips for juniors.

VikStyle 19 The latest fashions around our school and how to affordably join the scene.

An Idea Called Abstinence 22 Guest writer Deidrene Crisanto has a few things to say about protecting yourself intelligently.

Above the Influence 23 Facts and figures about real world issues here at North Salem High School.

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Letters from the Editors 5 From your editors, a behind the scene look at the happens within the Viking newsroom.

Sophomore Spotlight 8 Proving Mr. Slack wrong, sophomores are not always forgotten.

Viking Advice 7 From fellow Viking Sarah Silverstone, advice on your daily problems and questions!

Student Opinions 9 North Salem students speak out about some of today’s current issues.

The Sounds of Salem 20 Musical genuis Andy Alverez gives tips on starting your very own band.

Viking Surveys 21 Aguilera vs. Spears? Efron vs. Pattinson? Find out which vikings like more.

ClarionEditor-in Chief

callie gisler

Assistant EditorKelsey Boles

OpinionMarco garciaTaylor BarKer

News and SportsDaniel Dixon

EntertainmentanDy alverezMarco garciaTaylor BarKer

Fashionsarah silversTone

Photographycallie gisler

Layout and DesignKelsey Bolescallie gisler

The Parental SupervisionMr. JaMie Davis

Contributing SorucesnorTh saleM yearBooK

The viKing cupnorTh saleM swiM TeaMsnorTh saleM BasKeTBall

Photo CreditsuniversiTy of oregon

oregon sTaTe universiTyfox filM corporTaTions

niKe shoesnorThface cloThing

Juciy couTureuggs

sTarBucKs coffeeaDDTional phoTographers anD

sources

Dream of being the next... Stephen King? Emily Dickinson? Andy Warhol?

The Clarion is looking for submissions for North Salem's upcoming literary

magazine, Points North.

Submit your short stories, poems, photos, drawings, and other works of art to Mr. Davis in

room 132 or email us at nsclariononline@gmail.com.

Be sure to include your name, grade, and student number.

You might see your work featured in the special edition May-June issue of

the Clarion!

With February here already, it means that we are already half through this school year, a fact that is hard to believe. It also means, for myself and the rest of the senior class, that graduation is right around the corner. I believe it's a time of mixed emotions for people. Personally, I am on the "pre-college high" right now. I'd pack up and move into my dorm room now if you asked me to. But for seniors, this is also the time to savor the last semester of high school, create memories, and squeeze out every last drop of the high school experience you can manage. This last semester has kept us here at The Clarion, but I think this has been the most re-warding year that I have been involved with the school newspaper. For the past several months, I have been working with our advisor, Mr. Davis and school principal Jon Honey to establish and plan out the online version of North's student pub-lication. It has been an exciting process, one that included a meeting with the "big-wigs" of the dis-trict and an upcoming presentation in front of the school board. Our entire staff has been looking forward to this, and the many opportunities it will open up. Though the bulk of our stories, articles, and columns will begin to appear online now, The Clarion Magazine will continue, which just adds another dimension to North Salem's media scene. So between updating Myspace, Twitter, and Fa-cebook, make sure to swing by the Clarion Online (www.vforviking.com). Click around, skim through a story or two, get up-to-date on the newest events and news around North Salem. Hope you guys en-joy/

I remember my first day of journalism last school year. I thought, "Who are all those weird people?" and "Am I really stuck with them?" Of course, I was. However, it was not the slow and painful torture I expected it to be, but instead, it allowed me to make some of the best friends I possibly could have made. And this year, though all are gone and graduated but one, we have a whole new group of misfits that have made the perfect team. Our group is filled with people that you wouldn't expect to ever even talk to one another, much less become good friends. I guess it is just because journalism is so laid back and relaxed that nobody really cares about being fake or stuck up, they just want to hang out. This is how I wish every class would be. No excluding or excommunicating be-cause you're not part of "the crowd". You come as you are, and we'll take you just like that. No need to change; no need to put up a front. Journalism is about finding the truth and writing it, and journal-ists are about showing the truth and living it.

5

from theeDitors

clothes to the teenagers in our community. Irma Oliveros, a school dis-trict employee who works with homeless teens, says that not having clothes to wear is one of the top reasons why they don't go to school. The outfits they do own are old and dirty, and it would be obvious to anyone paying atten-tion that they were homeless. These students don't want to stand out, they want to blend in and become just like everybody else. And that is what GIVEASHIRT is trying to accomplish. The whole process is very sim-ple, you buy the fifteen dollar shirt, and ten dollars goes to a fund for the homeless teenagers and five dollars goes to making the shirts. The organization is completely non-profit; all of the money goes towards the teens. The money goes towards host-ing events for any homeless teen-

I Give a Shirt

By Daniel Dixon

agers who want to come, and also towards buying clothes. The teen-agers are taken shopping and get to choose the clothes they want. This way, instead of receiving some article of clothing that they can't use, like t-shirts and shorts in winter time, the homeless teen can get what he/she needs at that time. This idea was created com-pletely by the high school students at Salem Alliance Church. Over the summer the pasto-ral team decided they wanted to have a completely student run organization that would make a difference in people's lives. After students submitted ideas, the stu-dents then voted for the idea they liked the most. GIVEASHIRT was the winner, and the youth ministry devoted themselves to making the idea work. And it has definitely worked.

Read the rest of this article online at

www.vforviking.com

When most high school stu-dents wake up, one of the first things they do is decide on what to wear for the day. Our closets are full of varieties of clothing op-tions. If it is a cold day, pick out a sweatshirt. If it is warm, wear a t-shirt. Or if you're focused on fashion, choose the best match-ing outfit. But imagine waking up, and only having the clothes you went to sleep in. Or waking up and having one or two other pairs of mismatched, tattered, and old clothes. That is the reality for over nine hundred teenagers in Salem-Keizer. They wake up and then decide not to go to school simply because the clothes they do have are old and don't fit. But the Salem Alliance Church youth group is trying to change that. Their idea, which was cre-ated by West Salem senior Whit-ney Ferrin, is quite simple; give

VikiNg ADViCEHey, I'm Sarah and this is my advice column. If you

need advice on any subject you can e-mail me anytime at nsclariononline@gmail.com. Everything you submit will remain anonymous. Hope you hear from you soon!

By sarah silversTone

""

NSCLAriONONLiNE@gmAiL.COmSubmiT yOur quESTiONS TO

Dear Sarah,It seems like my best friend since second grade has been avoiding me. She's starting to hang out with a different crowd that's just not my scene. She doesn't invite me over anymore because she says she's hanging out with her "other friends." How do I get her to stop paying attention to them, and start paying attention to me?

-Annoyed

Dear Hurting,Friends tend to branch off and move away in high school. It's not fun to go through, but it does happen. People change and want something different as they get older. You could try making friends with her new friends and if you really can't stand them then the best thing to do is move on. Also, talk to your friend. Talking and working things out is the best solution in any situation. Try to compromise with her and tell her what's been on your mind. Some-times we have to let go of some-thing good in order to experience something even better.

-Sarah

Dear Sarah,I like this boy and I don't know if he likes me. I had one of my guy friends to ask him and they told me he said "no." I was a lit-tle disappointed. But then I just found out that the friend who I had go ask for me has liked me since forever, and I think that he just said "no" to try and get with me. How do I find out the truth?

-Confused

Dear Confused, If you want an answer to a ques-tion, just ask the question. The best thing to do is just ask the guy whom you like what he thinks of you. Rejection can be scary but when we rely on other people to get our answers situations get twisted and people tend to lie. Be straight forward and with the boy you like and you will get the truth.

-Sarah

Dear Sarah, I"m super scared that I might be pregnant. My stomach has been getting bigger. I haven't changed

my diet at all so I don't know what's up. I've been with this guy for three years and I'm in love with him but I don't want a baby right now. On the flip side, I don't want to get an abortion because I don't want to hurt my boyfriend. What do I do and how do I approach him about this?

-Scared

Dear Scared, First thing, get a pregnancy test because if you are then you need to start thinking about the future. Having a baby is when your child-hood ends. There are tons of new responsibilities that you have to take on and school becomes very hard. If you are pregnant you really need to think about the next step. If you don't want to get an abor-tion then there's always the option of adoption. There's no easy way to talk to your boyfriend about this so my suggestion is to be com-pletely upfront. He will help you get through this and so will your family. Hear their opinions about the situation and try to make the best decision for yourself and for the baby.

-Sarah

Sophomores in the Spotlight

Amanda Zuniga is a sophomore here at North Salem High School. She is fifteen years old and was born April 9, 1994. Before starting high school, Amanda attended Parish Middle School next door. Prior to living in Or-egon, Amanda lived in three different states. Amanda comes from a smaller family, and the older of her two sisters, Amber Board, is a senior here at North. Like every Viking, Amanda has her opinions about the many different aspects of high school. Biology and painting are among her favorite classes. And out of all the teachers, Amanda couldn't possibly pick her favorite. What about lanyards? It was not a surpris-ing answer. Like many students, Amanda doesn't like them, but she does enjoy the hour-long lunch. After high school, Amanda wants to attend college to study science and pursue a career as a scientist. Amanda's friends in the senior class also had some great things to say about this sophomore Viking. "She is freaking awesome," said one friend. "She isn't as loud as her sister," said another. And did Amanda have anything to add? "My sister is graduating, thank God."

Joey Lacy is also a sophomore here at North Salem. He is sixteen years old, and was born on October 26, 1993. He was originally from Spring-

field, Oregon but moved to Salem when he was eight years old. Before coming to North Salem,

Joey attended Grant Community School. Besides classes and homework, Joey keeps himself busy with activities like Club Med, band, and the choir program. Outside of school, he also volunteers with the Salem Hospital. Joey enjoys the atmosphere of North Salem High School, which includes the ever controversial lanyards. Joey explained he doesn't have a problem with the new policy. After high school, Joey plans on attending Cheme-keta. When his general studies are out of the way, he plans to transfer to a university and begin his studies to become a chiropractor.

By Marco garcia

amanDa Zuniga

Joey Lacy

Here at North Salem many of us are in rela-tionships, which are fine, yet what isn't fine is the fact that people tend to excessively smother each other in the hallways. No one enjoys seeing an af-ter school special while trying to eat their lunch. A quick kiss here and there is no big deal; though if you find yourself in a prolonged kiss for more than thirty seconds, then it's too much. I'm not saying to just stop kissing altogether. Kissing is a natural thing. What I'm saying is that we are at school, not your room. You never know when someone re-ally important can be walking down the hallway that might see you. Some of you will say; "I only get to see her/him at school though!" If that's the case, go out and see a movie or something. Even though Salem is a small town, there are still things for a couple to do on a Friday night. This will give you plenty of time to do whatever you want. We come to school to learn, not to watch people with their legs around their boy-friend or girlfriend. Sure, a prolonged kiss here and there is fine, but not every time. Ladies, it is okay to leave a guy wanting more. In fact, it might gain you more respect altogether. Guys, don't think that if your friends see you with a different girl every week that they truly like you. I know every guy has that side of them, and it's ok to show your friends a kiss, but a full on make-out session is not something your friends enjoy seeing. If you are one of those people who can't "control" themselves, now would be the perfect time to start practicing. Plus, you don't want to show your sig-nificant other all of your best moves in the first day. They will get bored fast and move on. So keep your public display of affection to a minimum while in the school halls. Let's show the teachers that we are teenagers, but that we don't always think about who we are going to be with tonight or this weekend. Let them see that we actually care about our education. So please, keep it G-rated during school hours. It's for the best. Not everyone wants to see what you do in your spare time.

What No oNe WaNts to see

It really makes me mad when people say that North Salem is a bad school; "a ghetto" school. But what's even sadder is that the people who say this the most are North Salem students. Have we no sense of school pride? When people say this, they say it without ever taking a real look at North Salem High School. So how can they really know what our school is like? Yes, North does have some bad students, but that does not represent North in its entirety. We might not be the richest school in Salem, but we always strive to make our community a better place. Our blood drives or our annual holi-day baskets that go to people in need, or Cancer Crusaders which raises money for the Cancer Society of America are all examples of the good we do. So yes, North may not be known for the school with the best sports programs or lots of money, but one thing we should be recognized for is our commitment to our community. So the next time you hear or even think about saying how bad our school is, take a deeper look inside and consider that here at North, we try to do everything to help those in need, as many can see with our holiday baskets that were delivered to families in need in the 2009 holiday season. And that is what bothers me, so seriously, don't always focus on the bad. Try to see all the good that North Salem has done for our commu-nity. As you can see for the past twenty-seven years, North Salem has been the number one in the region for high school blood donations. I hope you all take this to heart and seriously think about what we do the next time you want to say something bad about our school. After all, isn't it time that we get the recognition that we deserve for all the good we do? North Salem High School has more positive attributes than most people accredit to it.

By Tayler BarKer

STuDENT OPiNiONS

BriNgiNg DoWN the BaD RepBy Marco garcia

This summer and much of this year, I spent my spare time looking up scholarships, checking out college pro-grams I was interested in, and estimating the cost of the schools I wanted to attend. It was the best thing I could have done, and I would do it again if I had the chance. Here are some things you might consider do-ing with your time so you're not stuck without a paddle when it comes time to attend college. Find out what you like to do. The academy strands here at North are designed to help you decide what you like to do, so don't ignore them. If you are interested in a health field, then find colleges that have excellent health programs and then figure out the cost. If you are interested in fine arts, your school will likely be more expensive, but it can be managed. Save your money. If you have rich and generous grandparents, then you probably don't have a lot to worry about. However, if you are like me and are com-pletely responsible for paying your way through school, you'd better lay off the Starbucks and reevaluate your spending priorities. We have all heard Top Ramen hor-ror stories from students who didn't even have money for food, so scrape your pennies together and remem-ber that it will be worth it not to have a latt' today so you can have dinner in a couple years. Choose a school that doesn't break the bank. I am looking at a possible $125,000 total for living, food, tuition and supplies for the school I am planning to at-tend. A word from the wise: don't do that to yourself. In-state, public colleges are the best thing that ever happened to education. You don't have to go far to find a great school at an affordable price. Search for scholarships. Start with the ones available at your college of choice, they are the most promis-ing. Then there are lots of websites: Zinch.com, Col-legeboard.com, Fastweb.com, Salliemae.com, and all of them have loads of scholarships just waiting for you to find. You put in your information and they give you the scholarships that apply to you. You could win a couple thousand dollars in tuition money if you write a stellar essay. Now, just a warning, your ears will be-gan crying after hearing the next five letters so many times over that you just can't stand it anymore: FAFSA. This is the federal government giving you money to go to school. Just apply. It's smarter. Also look into the Oregon Student Assistance Commission (Or OSAC), which you can find more information about online at: www.osac.state.or.us.

With the passing decade, the times of buy-ing a CD in the store, cracking open a book to do research for that history paper, or pick-ing up the phone to call a friend are over. In the twenty-first century, the internet and electronics have shaped the way our soci-ety functions. This also includes the modern day fate of newspapers and the media. Here at North Salem High School, the Clarion has been a cornerstone in our school's tradition and history, though many might have noticed the ultimate change in format over the past year. From clas-sic newsprint to a contemporary magazine form, the Clarion in changing right along side the rest of the media industry. Some might have even stumbled upon "The Clarion Online", a make-shift website project started last year. The idea of an on-line version of North Salem's student news-paper has continued into this year as well. In the past several months, our crew and adviser have been working along side Mr. Honey and the Salem-Keizer district to de-velop and plan what could become a very successful online project. North Salem High School hasn't been the only school in the area to be making such changes. Recently, North Eugene High School in Eugene, Oregon made the switch to internet publishing. And McMinnville High School's newspaper, The Bruin, has been noted for their spectacular work online. The Clarion Staff has been hard at work designing and establishing the future online home of our student publication. Students and staff will be able to visit us online for up-to-date articles and information on all things North Salem High. The Clarion Mag-azine will also continue to remain an im-portant part with publications three to four times a year. Visit us at www.vforviking.com to get the latest school news and find out what is go-ing on in your Viking community.

Viking Media

vforviking.com

By callie gisler

Preparing for College

Look to your parents, grand-parents, guardians, or whoever is taking care of you at the pres-ent, for support. I have to talk with my mom a lot because I will be seventeen when I go, and legally not an adult. Make sure that the things you do are ok with them, their support is really important. Find a job. Now I know the economy we are in just now. I live in it, too. Even part-time work like twice a week is better than noth-ing. One really good way to find a job is to volunteer at a small facil-ity that could use a little help. I volunteered for a couple months at a retirement community every Friday night, and they decided I was invaluable and hired me over the summer. I now work once a week, and make close to $100 a month. Now, compared with $125,000 that's not much, but it

is certainly $100 more than I had before.

By Kelsey BolesPreparing for CollegeAll these things should help you out. If it is your senior year and you don't even know where to be-gin, then you are probably going to be stuck at community college for a while. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Chemeketa, Linn-Benton or any of those oth-er great schools, but if you want more, then you need to start early and plan for it. Admissions direc-tors at schools are impressed with students who get started on their college search early. One last thing that helped me out a lot: make a calendar. Mark down scholarship due dates, work hours, college appointments and so on, so you don't feel over-whelmed. Once you write it down and can see it in front of you, you can plan to use time ahead so you don't get stuck doing everything at the last minute. I hope you all follow your dreams, whether it be college or not. But the best way to get anywhere is to start by mak-ing a plan.

University of Oregon - Eugene, Oregon.

Oregon State University - Corvallis, Oregon.

Playing The Part Being different has always been encouraged to young peo-ple as a form of expression. Be-coming someone different, even for a short period of time, can be an exhilarating experience. The North Salem Role-Playing Club has gathered a group of mem-bers who are accepting enough of one another to put this twist on reality into practice. The club began when founder Ryan Carroll, a junior this year, and his group of friends de-cided to expand their game and group. The members gained the help of Mr. Jeff Alan, a teacher here at North Salem, as their ad-viser and started advertising the club to their peers. Most of the Japanese Club joined them in their adventures and soon they had a membership of forty. Club leader Ryan Carroll says, "We started the club to help organize what we do and we ended up growing in members. But it has been a great thing. The Club is organized into regiments, each led by a lieuten-ant with a following of two or three members. There are a total of twelve regiments and they all answer to their captain, Ryan. During club meetings is where the real fun begins. For the duration of the meeting, all

club members "become" a char-acter that they have created, and must act like that character until the bell rings. This keeps the spirit of excitement in the air, because for even a time just as short as a Plus Period, being a normal mem-ber of society is thrown away, and members get the chance to expe-rience what it is like to be some-one else, someone they have imagined and want to be. They also get to be viewed a different way by others, and enjoy it all in the company of friends. The club also meets occasionally outside of school for "boffer wars", which are jousts and spars with foam weapons wrapped in duct tape, where they can test their battle skills against other members and get some exercise. The sense of competition amongst characters is ever-present, and the wars are usually one-on-one, specifically directed toward a certain rival. Club member and officer Michael Benson says, "It's fun to get to be someone else. I like my character, he's just like me but still different." The idea explored here is no different than a little girl pretending she is a princess, or a little boy playing the part of his favorite superhero, and all be-cause they have fun doing it. Un-fortunately, society has said that

By callie gisler

Introducing North Salem's newest student organization

Playing The Part

pretending is only for children, but when adventure cannot be found in every day life, teens and even adults must seek it out with cre-ativity in mind. Many people resort to watching TV as an escape from reality, but this club has taken it

a step further by becoming anoth-er person rather than just watch-ing and listening and wishing that you could be like some else. M e m b e r s enjoy their par-ticipation in the Club because it is fun, they make good friends, and it is unlike anything they can do anywhere else. To join the

club, talk with Ryan or adviser Mr. Allen, or anyone you know affili-ated with the club. They can get you set up and help you find your own escape to an experience un-like any other.

By callie gisler

"It's fun to get to be someone else for a

little while."

As many of you Viking students know, North Salem is getting new sports facilities next year. The football field will be receiving much-needed repair, going from mud and grass to turf. Along with the football field the stadium itself will be renovated and changed to be better and safer for specta-tors. The track also desperately needs repairs, and will be reno-vated and improved. While most students know about that portion of the project, they may not know that North Salem also is planning to improve the softball/baseball fields. These changes to out ath-letic facilities are most likely going to be implemented in 2010, prob-ably near the end of the school year. In fact, work on the stadium has already started, as many peo-ple have already noticed that dur-ing November a work crew took out the bleachers. Although this senior class is disappointed that they won't be able to use the new and improved facilities, the rest of the school is happy that they'll have some time to enjoy the state of the art fields and stadium. These changes are needed, and it is good that North Salem finally has enough support to go through with it. How these athletic facili-ties look is an important factor in the renovation. During summer time our football field isn't in bad condition, in fact it usually looks nice and is safe. But by mid Oc-tober, after several teams have

Back on Track played on it, and it has rained many times, the field becomes very muddy. Protecting the athletes from in-juries is another important factor in the school's decision to rebuild the athletic facilities. This isn't safe because it increases the risk of injury for the football players. It's easier to roll an ankle, or slip and pull a hamstring. The track isn't that much better; it's basically cement and faded in places, and sometimes it is hard to know what lane you are running in. When it rains the tracks gets even more torn up, and sometimes it seems like you're running on just cement. Track athlete Cody Franklin is very excited to get a new track, saying that "I think it's a good addition. The old one was getting old, and for runners it's going to be much safer as far as injuries go." The softball/baseball complexes aren't in a major state of disarray, but they could also be improved. While athletes are excited for the new facilities to come in, and are looking forward to using them, it won't come cheaply. This proj-ect is definitely not cheap, it will cost somewhere around $2 million to complete the project. Whenev-er a school decides to spend that much money on anything there will always be controversy and people who disagree. In the end though, the athletes will be safer with the new facilities, and it is the school's job to take care of their students.

By Daniel Dixon

A special look at the Viking swim season!Making a SplaSh

By Daniel Dixon

On November 9th the swimming season officially began for North Salem High School, and so far many of the swimmers are hav-ing a great season. The team is instructed by 2nd year coach Tim LaDuke, who also coaches swimming clubs at the YMCA and 1st year coach Ash-ley Schmidt, who teaches social studies at North. Team captain Brian Weaver is excited about the team's chances in the district race, saying that, "I'm looking for-ward to a successful season. This year we're going to be good." While the Vikings finished last year in the lower half of the league, they are going to try and make a splash in the league standings this year and catch some people off-guard. In the swim meets they have already had, the Viking swimmers have been extremely competitive. The swimming team has been helped out by club swimmer Carol-Jo Hertz, who swims year round and is faster than some of the male swimmers, and has a tough, competitive attitude. Weaver said of the team attitude, "We all are working hard this year so that we can be better." Although the Vikings were de-feated by the best team in the league, McNary, they fought hard and expect to beat some other teams in the conference. One reason for the opti-mism this year is that

the boys and girls squads seem to be much improved from last year's teams. The girl's squad is led by Hertz and team captain Dianali Ortiz, while the top swimmer for the guys is sophomore Michael Tom-scha. Tomscha and Hertz are the individual leaders for the Viking swimmers, and both are experi-enced, as they both participate in club swimming all year round. While the team is looking for-ward to being competitive, anoth-er highlight of the season is fun. Swimming this year has a high turnout, and a primary reason is that many athletes consider it to be enjoyable, because it is a dif-ferent type of workout than they'd find in volleyball, football, or soc-cer, and works different muscle groups. It is hard, but a different kind of hard than you would find in a different sports practice. The team atmosphere is also enjoyable and fun, despite some early hard workouts. Said fresh-man Jordan Weaver about the swim team, "It is kind of hard right now, but it will get better and be more fun once we get further into the season." Another highlight for the sea-son is the fact that there are many young-er swim-

mers on the team. This year the Vikings have a number of un-derclassmen and new swimmers competing for them, and there are very few seniors on the team. While these young swimmers may not make an immediate impact for this season, it's a sign that the Vi-kings will continue to have a large turnout, and that the team will be quite good in a few years once these freshmen and sophomores gain experience. As they gain experience in the years to come they will gradually get better, and in the next few seasons the North swim team could become a domi-nant force in the CVC. The swim team also has quite a few new upperclassmen as well who made the choice to compete for North and their leadership skills can help the Vikings out this sea-son. Although it may seem like this inexperience may hurt the Vikings, the enthusiasm and work ethic that they bring to the pool more than makes up for their lack of swim-ming experience and helps the season memorable.

15

Through The Vikings basketball team is off to a fast start this year, with a 7-3 record after Winter Break. Although having a win-ning record is nice, the highlight of this season so far has been a trip to Hawaii. The team went down to the islands and played in a tournament there, and was quite successful as they won the tournament. The Vikings team was clearly the best team out of the four teams invited; their of-fense was unstoppable, and their defensive level of play was just as high. The Hawaiian teams weren't bad, they were all varsity teams, but North Salem just played extremely well against them. The reason why the team went down to Hawaii was because their head coach, Joe Cho who is in his second year, is from that area, and knows the people who are in charge of the tourna-ment. Although it was quite an experi-ence, the trip wasn't free, costing each player $600. But the players say that it was worth it. Vikings senior Ethan Rank, a starter, said that, "Even though it was a lot of money the experience really was worth it." In order for all of the athletes to get enough money to go, the team had fundraisers during the summer, including one where they sold fireworks. While win-ning the tournament was the high point of the trip, just the chance to spend some time in Hawaii with teammates was enjoyable. The team flew down on the Wednesday be-fore winter break started, and had an awe-some time. Aside from playing basketball, the team spent quite a bit of time on the beach, learning how to surf and bonding together. One way that these athletes have prepared for this season is through summer league bas-ketball. This keeps the players in shape during the summer, and it also gives the coaches more

time to evaluate their players so they can use what they've seen in summer league games to help choose who makes the basketball team. The tryouts for summer bas-ketball take place near the end of the school year. To compete for the North Salem team you have to go through a few days of tough try-outs, and they will be a lot easier if you are fit enough to play bas-ketball. To help the athletes out, the coaches had open gyms after school in the months before the season started. The open gyms are the best way for a potential basketball player to get ready to make the team. These sessions are open to everyone and concen-trate on getting players into top condition for the season. Anthony Wagers, a senior varsity athlete, said that, "We would work out with coaches and we did a lot of run-ning and after that we'd play some short scrimmages. The main fo-cus was defense." Going to these open gyms is probably the very best way to get ready for basket-ball season, because after these practices you'll be stronger, bet-ter conditioned and ready to get on the team. Although any stu-dent who wants to can show up to these practices, if you are playing another sport you aren't allowed to. But you will be working out in your current sport, so it won't be too much of a problem. The team is very young, with two freshmen and four sopho-mores on varsity. There are only five seniors on the varsity team, out of fifteen total players. That means that the Viking basketball program will continue to be strong

Hoops By Daniel Dixon anD anDy alvarez

in the next few years. In fact, Sam Lyon, a sophomore on var-sity, says, "This guarantees that we'll win a CVC championship be-fore my class graduates." While that claim is a bit audacious, the team certainly will be very good if all of the young athletes on the team keep on working towards that goal. Leadership isn't much of a concern with this young team, since all five of their seniors have been playing for North every year since they were freshmen. Howev-er, as with any young team there are still some problems. Nick Jor-genson, a senior, comments that, "The team struggles with imma-turity sometimes." As the season continues the younger players will gain more experience, and hope-fully that will help them grow. This is why it helps to have those ex-perienced seniors on the team; they help alleviate the problems the players might face as they go through the growing pains of playing varsity basketball against the best basketball players in the city. The Junior Varsity basketball team is also young with only four juniors out of the fourteen play-ers on the team. The rest of the players are all freshmen or soph-omores, so the whole basketball program is young, which means that once these players mature they will be much better in years to come. So far this season, the bas-ketball team has been doing quite well, and they always appreciate it when people came out to watch their games. Although they try their hardest every game, when fellow students are there to sup-port them the players put in the extra effort needed to come away from a game with a victory. This doesn't apply to just home games either; the players love it when their friends make the trip to another school to support them there, in a hostile environment. Anthony Davis, a sophomore on

the varsity team, says, "It feels good to have people watching us play and cheering us on." Almost all of their conference games are in town, with an exception for a trip to Redmond, which means it shouldn't be hard to go to their conference games and sup-port the North players as they try to make it to the play-offs. The basketball team plays on Tuesdays and Fridays and home games alternate between the two days so come to the basketball games and watch the Viking team! The Viking basketball team has a good shot at making it to the playoffs this year. The top four teams go, and North looks like they could be one of those four. The Vikings play defense quite well, and are one of the most athletic teams in the conference. The conference isn't extremely deep this year, and the Vi-kings' style of play matches up well with them. North is led by sophomore Avry Holmes, who was featured in the Statesman Journal's article about lo-cal basketball athletes to watch this year, and he consistently has been leading the team in scoring and also functions as a leader despite being a sophomore. The Statesman Jour-nal picked the team to finish fourth in the conference, which would put them in the last play-off spot. Al-though they were picked to finish in that spot, games are won on the basketball court, not by what a journalist has to say about the team. In order to finish fourth, or if possible higher, the team will have to mold together into a co-hesive unit that works together to defeat their opponents. If the team develops better than origi-nally thought, the Vikings could take third place, or even sec-ond. But the opposite is true as well; if the younger players can't handle the pressure the Vikings could drop down to fifth or sixth. The team really wants to get to the playoffs, so the chances of them drop-ping a few spots isn't very likely, and if the players continue their stellar game they could be playoff bound

The Avatar ExperienceBy Marco garcia

Sherlock HolmesBy Tayler BarKer

Sherlock Holmes hit the box office Christmas day. Yet it was over-looked by the mass outbreak of Av-atar. I assure you, though, Sherlock Holmes is a must see for all ages. It has a little bit of everything, yet it doesn't go astray from the true es-sence of original Sherlock style. You get to see the wit and unique sense of humor that only Mr. Holmes has. Even with everything that goes on in the film, it doesn't take away the fact that it is truly a mystery that Dr. Watson and Holmes have to solve. There are twists and turns around every corner that leave you on the edge of your seat. You will never know what is going to happen next. This movie isn't lacking in any cat-egory. Sherlock and Dr. Watson are out to stop long time nemesis Lord Blackwood after they have already sentenced him to death. They are then told that he has in fact returned from the dead and plans on killing the Covent that he was thrown out of. This is all set to go down when they all meet in Parliament. Sher-lock enlists help from a long time friend and possible romantic inter-est Irene Adler, yet he is unaware of the fact that she is playing on both sides of the fence. Will this mystery ever get solved? Go to the box office to find out. Director Guy Richie made both Robert Downy Jr and Jude Law do their own stunts which has paid off highly for Robert who says he is in the best shape of his life. This is very apparent when they are doing demanding action scenes. Yet Rob-ert almost didn't get the part. He brings his usual arrogance to the set and it really works. The setting makes you feel like you are back in that time. Overall, this is a great movie for most ages, though there are a few things that are not suit-able for children.

Avatar is definitely a "must see" movie. This 3D experience is un-like any other, and even if you don't get the chance to see it in more than two dimensions, the principles of the film alone are worth watching. Directed by James Cameron, Avatar tells the story of an indig-enous tribe called the Omitmica-ya and its people the Na'Vi who live on the planet Pandora. The film is set in the future and shows the bitter struggle that the Na'Vi people must face as mankind is looking for an expensive metal on the planet, but in order to obtain it they must go deeper into Omitmi-caya territory. Using Avatars that are con-trolled by humans, they can re-search the tribe, their language and ways. Jake Sully, a paralegic with nothing going for him on earth, takes the trip to Pandora and is recruited by the Avatar research team and learns to control his Av-atar through a mental

connection. However, the military person-nel on the planet do not intend to waste time getting to know the natives and would rather bulldoze right over the territory. Working as a spy, Sully uses his Avatar to gain the trust of the Na'Vi with the hopes of moving them away from the area where the precious metal is most abundant. Of course, like any good movie, Sully experi-ences conflict as he begins to be-come like the Na'Vi, and falls for their princess Neytiri. This blockbuster epic is an incredible interpretation of hu-manity and accepting people (or

aliens) as different than you and respecting the tradi-tions of others.

Read the rest of this article, and many oth-

ers, online at the Clarion's new

website! Check us out today!

www.vforviking.com

V I KS T Y L E

Spring is close at hand and Vikings fashion is changing like the sea-sons. Between the different social groups and grades, what North Salem students are wear-ing these days is always different. So how do you stay warm and in fashion for the rest of this winter season? For girls, UGGs are back in. They are cute and comfortable but come at a pricey cost. This year they have many different looks and colors to fit your own style. If you can't afford the real thing, they have different brands such as Mina Tonka. With this brand you can get the same look at a cheaper price. Scarves are also coming back in style. There are many differ-ent ways to wear scarves and they come in every color, shape, and pattern, making them a per-fect accessory to any outfit. The scarves most girls are wearing have fringed edges and a plaid print. Big, bold purses are also very in, especially with the brand Juicy Couture. Juicy is an expensive

brand but it is much cheaper than other brands such as Coach and Gucci. It is high fash-ion and much more affordable for high school girls. Blazer coats are coming back as well. They are warm and give that cute look for fall. The prices vary, but the style on any blazer is the same. On the boy's spectrum, shoes are in. Whether it is Nikes, Jor-dans, DCs, Converse or Vans, it is the brand that counts with guys. You have to be wearing the shoes if you want to rock the fashions this season. Northface is also coming back this year. They come in basic col-ors and are both comfortable and very warm. This brand is also a pricey one, so if you want the same look at a cheaper price, Co-lumbia is the way to go. Ed Hardy is another brand that

i s m a k -ing a move. It is hard to find, but Nordstrom has a pretty good selection. Much like Juicy Couture, Ed Hardy is much more affordable than other high fash-ioned brands. Flap rimed hats are another fashion mark. Most guys have their favorite teams posted on them, making it their own. These are just a few of the icon-ic staples that fashion has made upon Salem high schools. The trends come and go every day, so don't spend too much money for something that will only be good for one season. Happy shopping!

By sarah silversTone

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Sounds of Salem

By anDy alvarez

Have you ever been interested in starting your very own band? Ever wanted to be up on the stage playing in front of a live crowd? Did you ever want to have people come up to you and think you're the most famous person alive? Well, here are some tips on start-ing your own music group and, possibly, making it big. First, you personally need to know how to play an instrument, or how to sing. This is a very important step to starting a band. Remem-ber, if you can't do anything for the band, you can't really be in the band. Yes, you can always be the promoter or manager, but that's something totally different. Second, you need to find oth-er people who know how to play instruments. They can range from anywhere from best friends to someone you've only met once. Just make sure that they are rea-sonably nice and are not hard to work with. Remember that when you're in a band you spend lots of time practicing and are together a lot. Don't be afraid to approach someone you don't really know well to ask if they would like to be in your band. If you don't ask, then it is possible you just passed up the next Hendrix because you were too shy to speak up.

Third is practicing and writing songs. Composing songs is a re-ally fun part of being in a band, especially when they come out su-per good and together. Always try to write original songs, because it's hard to get famous as a cov-er band. Its okay to cover a few songs but don't overdo it. Once you have got some songs, make sure that you practice these as frequently as you can. Yes, it will be lots of work and can get irritat-ing, especially when you practice one song repeatedly. Don't worry though. Once you've practiced and got your songs down they will sound great.

Fourth is playing these songs live in front of others (parents don't count). To really know how good your band is, you have to play live shows and to get honest feedback from your audience. Your first shows most likely won't be at a stadium filled with thousands of people. That's just usual though. Remember, there are many ways for a band to get famous and the right place to start would be small venues. These range from house shows to coffee shops and be-yond. You're probably thinking, "Why start small?" But the best

way to start is to play small shows and get a following of people that like your music then work up the ranks to bigger venues. Also, a great way to play at a bigger ven-ue if you're a new band is to ask to open for big bands headlining the show. You might get some of their fans to like your music and become a fan of yours. Fifth is merchandise. A great way to make some money for your band so you can buy equipment or just to get your name out is mer-chandise. Merchandise can range from CDs to shirts to even some patches or buttons. Just think if you pass out free demo CDs to friends and family, they can share their favorite songs with others. Word of mouth publicity can sometimes be the best kind. Also, if you sell some T-shirts then not only do you make some money, but that's a free advertisement for you. Make sure to get merchan-

dise for your band and sell it. Sixth is to be prepared for defeat and failure. You can be in a band and think it's going su-

per great, but then you guys split up. Don't let this stop you keep on going with the music. Many famous musi- c i ans have been in bands that split up and then started or joined an-other band. R e m e m -ber, ev-ery band d o e s n ' t make it big, but don't for-

Six tips to starting your own band

20

Viking Battles

”

“ At North Salem High School we have a bunch of caffeine ad-

dicts. We see them every day walking through the halls with their large Dutch Bros. or their venti Star-bucks. We asked 130 stu-dents which they thought was better, the local Dutch Bros. or the mainstream-line Starbucks. Which chain pulls in most of our

46%of students preferred Dutch Bros

Starbucks vs. Dutch Bros

of students preferred Starbucks

42%12% of students didn’t care

”

“ North Salem's hottest girl was discovered in our last issue to

be Megan Fox. Now it's time to find out which guy our students find more attractive, Zac Efron or Robert Pattin-son. Turns out that the majority really don't care, so why do we see their faces everywhere in our school? Be-tween the two, however, it looks like the sparkly vampire and the musical hearthrob are actually about even.

65%of students preferred Pattinson

Zac Efron vs. Rob Pattinson

of students didn’t care

14%13% of students preferred Efron

“ Most North students have a pop princess on their iPod, but which is it? Britt-

ney or Christina? Most say they lost interest in Brittney after her breakdown that the whole world got to see, yet Christina has stayed out of the drama these last few years and has even settled down. So which diva could take home North Salem's Pop Music Award?

43%of students preferred Christina Aguilera

Brittney vs. Christina

of students didn’t care

42%14% of students preferred Brittney Spears ”

21

By Tayler BarKer

Sex, drugs, and rock n' roll: some of the big-gest influences (negative or positive) of all time. So what's the big whoop about doing "it"? Here's a couple big whoops: unplanned preg-nancy, unexpected infections and disease, and psychological baggage to boot. Regardless of your beliefs and opinions about sex you should know that there's a lot more to "it" than who you're going to do it with and when. There is a safe way to go about sex; using condoms, getting tested, being in a mutual one partner relation-ship. But the safest way to handle sex is to not engage in it at all. Besides the obvious reasons abstinence is the way to go- no "happy little accidents" with dia-pers to change, a full working set of reproductive organs, and a happy immune system and mind- there is so much more. As a teenager, we are asked to do so many

An IdeA CAlledAbstInenCe

deIdrene CrIsAnto

things; we have a lot on our plates and the world on our shoulders; why should we add more by engaging in risky sexual behaviors? Do yourself a favor and consider the pros of abstaining from sex before you engage in a risky behavior: your wallet will feel nice and full, since you won't need to buy condoms if you stick to your guns: and infection and disease treatments are spendy! It's one less thing to worry about with school, family, friends, sports, music, the-atre, volunteering, work, etc, etc taking up your time. And of course you get to practice those nifty "no" slogans you've been learning in Wellness! Although the tone of this article is pretty light, in all seriousness, sex is complicated matter with many risks if not with in the proper manner: so do yourself a favor and "keep it in your pants."

be better to find a new and im-proved way of teaching to children nowadays." And drug usage might not be the only thing that students should be more aware of. "Party hardy drink a 40" are words that are becoming more common then ever when it comes to teenagers and the party scene. In fact, 57 percent of the teens surveyed admitted to consuming alcohol. One student even said, "Alcohol is fun! But alcohol and fighting is not." Out of that 57 percent that said yes to consuming alcohol, 20 per-cent of those students said they only consume alcohol at parties. What does that mean for the oth-er 80 percent? Again, that these habits has expanded outside of the party scene. So why is it that teens feel the need to drink? Based on survey results, 14 percent of the teens that consumed alcohol said that they need to break away from problem at home. But 31 percent said that they just wanted to see what is was like. The idea is al-most shocking.

By Tayler BarKer anD Marco garcia

Sex, drugs and rock n' roll. Common words among the high school crowd. Yet how many of us are actually doing these things? We here at the Clarion wanted to find out if everyone is really do-ing what they claim to be doing. We surveyed a percentage of the North Salem student body to find out a little more about our fellow Vikings. Out of the 544 high school stu-dents that were surveyed, 34 per-cent have claimed to have used some form of illegal drugs. Most of them also claim that when they go to a party, marijuana isn't a rare sight. What is scary though is the fact that 14 percent of peo-ple say they have seen Ecstasy. Only 14 percent of the surveyed students say that parties are the only place they do drugs, while 86 percent say that parties aren't the only place. As we go down the ladder here at North, more and more students have claimed to use illegal drugs. Why is this? Students might not fully understand the risks that drug use can lead to. Mrs. Ebbs, one of our health teachers here at North Salem, has said "Even if students were in programs like D.A.R.E, it's not very helpful. They use scare tactics." Those "scare tactics" may have worked then, but they aren't work-ing now. Mrs. Ebbs says, "It would

Above the Influence?A closer look at modern day influences

at North Salem High School

Read the rest of this article online at

www.vforviking.com

554 students from North Salem

were surveyed.

34 % have claimed to use some form of

illegal drugs.

48% students have taken part in some

type of drug aware-ness program like

D.A.R.E

Only 26% claimed that the education has helped them.

57% have claimed to have consumed alcholic drinks.

29% have claimed to have had sex.

But 83% of those students used

protection during intercourse.