North Th urston High School

Volume 5, Issue 509

RAMPAGEMay 24. 2013

Tru Hicks: The athletic forward didn’t just bring his talents to the court but to the football field. His speed gave him an advantage few athletes had the pleasure of utilizing. Doing something enjoyable and beneficial is all this great athlete is about.

Football

Haley Harn: The spunky, bubbly, and entertaining scholar athlete has one of the more decorated resumes as far as athletes go. With great work on and off the court, it’s safe to say Haley has her mind set on a life of success.

Girls BasketballJordan Agatarap: This friendly and lively athlete always manages to keep a smile on his face and no matter how exhausted he got running at a race; at the end of the race he would continue smiling. No matter the outcome.

Cross Country

Allie Amico: This rugged soccer player leaves it all on the turf, grass, and dirt, whatever. Her attitude and style of play brings her enjoyment and the needed confidence to be successful. No matter how difficult losses are to her, she’s always ready to lace up her cleats for the next game.

Girls Soccer

Brittany and Brandy Rutherford: This dynamic duo helped raise the lady rams play on their way to 2nd in state for 3A. The girls on that volleyball squad brought it every game and each of their op-ponents had to suffer at the hands of Brittany’s aggressive play.

Volleyball

Mo Manning: His athleticism and de-meanor is intimidating but catch this guy in the class room and you would think of him as one of the more enjoyable students who is always down to hang out with the fellas. Everybody loves him…unless you’re on the other team.

Boys Basketball

Girls Swimming

Boys Swimming

Wrestling

Matt Brickey and Tyler Ridgeway: These two tore up the pool this year in indepen-dent swims and even relays with each other. The two friends started getting to know each other more and more, and now going through their swimming experience, they’ve grown together.

Arriya Hagen: This spunky athlete kept her wits up in the swimming pool awarding her a trip to state for all four ears at Thurston. Her success has been slim compared to the affect she has had on her friends and teachers in the classroom.

Justin Savard and Marcus Uloth: Just two of the many characters on the wrestling team. But not only did they have charisma, they had great success on the mat. Both advanced to state playoffs and went through the season growing their friendship and helping each other out every step of the way.

Nina Ruiz: Arguably one of the most talented and skilled students at Thurston. A superb singer with the ability to man-age school, social life, a job, and all her other necessities. And still manage to be a cap-tain of the cheerleading squad. She’s truly made the most of her time at Thurston.

Cheerleading

Ande Grantham and Matt Zeutenhorst: These two studs on the baseball dia-mond have played baseball since they’ve been walking and have enjoyed the four seasons on baseball they’ve played for Thurston. They’ve made their high school career unforgettable.

Baseball

FastpitchAlisa Feliciano: One of the more ag-gressive athletes Thurston has. From her play on the basketball court to the fast pitch diamond. She has a work ethic the expresses leadership. With her personality to back it up, she not only could be the leader but her teammates best friends.

Boys SoccerKenny Heo: This charismatic, humorous and beloved athlete has entertained most of the student body at Thurston on and off the field. His lightning quick speed and cuts allow him to shred his opponents on the soccer field.

Sheree and Shanelle Enlow: The twins pack a punch by themselves alone. Together is double trouble. The twins bring attitude to their play and make sure they gain an ag-gressive advantage over their opponent. After all, they’ve been playing roller hockey since they were young.

Girls Tennis

Brandon Belisario: One of the best athletes here at Thurston. He strives to be the best he can be in the weight room, class, and clubs. One of Thurston’s most respected and glorified student athletes.

Kha Hoang: Representing boys tennis with friendly play and skill-ful tactics, this athlete grew as a tennis player and person. Growing more as a person and improving his character.

Tyson Winder: The wiry body of Tyson gave him a nice frame to structure his golf swing. His knowledge of the game awarded this senior with a year of new experiences on the course.

Bobby Cervantes: Arguably the fastest pure sprinter at Thurston. His elusiveness and speed guided him toward suc-cess on the football field and in track. On the relay team, running for a pass, it’s all the same for this speedster.

Brittany Sebesta: One of the more athletic females at Thur-ston. She’s played at least three sports all four years at Thurston and she’ll be the first to tell you that each one has been better than the last. Whether it’s basketball, fast pitch, or volleyball.

Bowling

Golf

MVP’s

Track

Boys Tennis

Sarah Pagel: Surely the bowling team didn’t get as much publicity as say football or basketball. But what these girls did surely shouldn’t be forgotten. They had a great year with numerous state qualified bowlers, like Sarah.

Medical Field/Health25%

Science 10%

The Arts 11%

Other 8%

Education 8%

Engineering

17%

Business 7%

Law 4%Undecided

8%

Communication/Journalism2%

by Anna Provoe & Deborah Garrison

Aging and graduating can be stressful at times, especially

if you choose to go to college or techni-cal school and choose to get a job as well. With the economy being as bad as it is, living life on your own can be hard, depending on your job and where you go to college. Most college students are living paycheck to paycheck and still end up with debt. According to degreesearch.com the average student spends about $13,000 a year. Also, they make about $750 a month at their jobs, so the students usually end up with about $2,700 of debt. But don’t be too freaked out about the price, after you have a job, you will have a constant cash flow coming in and the cost remaining will surely go down. Don’t

stress about the cash. You are getting the education so you can hopefully get a better job. When you are in a college, you may want to have a part time job. Just to keep up with the payments of regular life like food, room, and board. Try to pay little chunks of your tuition at a time.

In applying for a job, ready your-self for a rejection. Nobody is so incred-ible that they get a job immediately with little to no work experience. Even when applying to multiple jobs, it is unlikely that you might get any of them. Don’t be discouraged by this, however; everyone goes through the process of rejection.

Just remember that Harry Potter was rejected from multiple publishers before someone picked it up and it became the multi-million dollar franchise that it is

today. Eventually you will get hired; with each interview, your experience and the chance of getting hired increases. These days it is hard for any young adult to get a job. When you finally do find one, re-member that with great power comes great responsibility.

If you decide not to go to con-tinue education after high school, that is a big decision to make. Luckily you can change your mind, and attend college later in life if you choose to do so. People who have college degrees are more likely to get the job over non educated people. If you have a college degree it shows ambi-tion, responsibility, and that you are more qualified. So although you don’t have to go to college, you will definitely have the advantage if you do. Another thing is people with college experience might get paid more too, because the employers feel that they are more experienced and fit for the job. Most of the time, people think it is required for a job but that is not always the case. Consider that 48% of all college graduates are in jobs that don’t require a degree according to csmonitor.com. But, 71% of all jobs require a college degree according to the New York Times. With a college degree you get paid more and you also get more choices of what to do.

Senio

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**Survey compiled by RamPage of most North Thurston Seniors.

10%

by Masai Hunter

Ryley Campbell (Sr.) and Alyonna Kniestedt (Jr.) have been together for a year and a half. As adorable as they are, the number one thing that has kept them close together is their honesty with one another. They have a genuine connection and friendship as Ryley puts it “She’s my best friend.”

Ryley and Aly lift each other up and have learned a lot about each other since they fi rst met through Facebook. “I’m pretty shy and he makes me feel confi dent” Aly said with a sweet smile as Ryley smiled back saying “she motivates me to be better”. The sweetest things these two do for each other range from Aly making a scrapbook of pictures out of thoughtfulness in response to Ryley asking her to prom. “He put two roses in each of my classrooms with a poem on a card asking me to prom,” Aly said. Aly and Ryley are not only high school sweethearts, but also best friends.

Tristan Olson (Sr.) and Reagan Scofi eld (Sr.) have been together for eleven months as of May 5th, but this enduring relationship hasn’t lasted because they just have so much in common. In fact, they admit that they seem to have very little in common, and yet they continue to keep fi nding new things that they both enjoy in order to make it work. They met in P.E. freshmen year and “shortly after,” Reagan admits, “he hit me in the face with a dodge ball.”

Tristan’s sense of humor is something Reagan can appreciate the most about him, but she also admits he can get on her nerves sometimes. He recognizes this, saying, “We make fun of each other pretty much 24/7, but yet we still trust and care for the other a lot.” They both agree that they are a very unique in the sense that they don’t act like the average high school couple.

While most guys might ask a girl to prom with fl owers, Tristan made the effort to get two of his friends (Ben and Josh Watson) to act out a skit which he performed and sang to her in her English class. Reagan had to admit that his habit of fi nding interesting ways to ask her to dances has been one of his cutest qualities. “He’s done a lot,” she shares, “But I think I would have to say that getting his friends to learn a choreographed dance to help ask me to Homecoming was one of the cutest things he’s done.” For Tristan, however, the cutest thing Reagan has done is watch all three Lord of the Rings movies even when she didn’t know what was going on.

Although these two have learned things about each other that they don’t always agree on, they have found how to make their differences work to their advantage. They have both enjoyed being to-gether over the past eleven months and even with Tristan’s crazy sense of humor and Reagan’s indeci-siveness, they don’t plan on letting those small differences get in between them.

by Zachery Slagle

As I sit here typing this article, I’m resisting the deep temptation of falling asleep. It’s 8:35 AM

and I don’t recall anything I was intended to learn from my first period. I’m totally out of it right now and I could really use some sleep. However, it so happens that my school starts at 7:30 forc-ing me to wake up no later than 6:30. That alone for a teenager is hard, if I need an hour for my low-maintenance self, think about a high school student who is more devoted to him/her appear-ance than I. Probably a good 45 minutes alone for getting ready then you have breakfast and all the every morning essentials. Then to catch the bus? That calls for at least an hour and a half to two hours in some cases, forcing that poor student to wake up around 5:30 or possibly sooner. The point I’m getting at is I am a total non-supporter of our schedule. Not necessarily the class length or lunch times, none of that. The fact that we have to start school at 7:30 every morning becomes a drag and starts to wear

out each individual a little bit more as each day goes by.

The motivation to go to school and try their best for a senior alone is hard after going through three years of the same motion and actions. Then senioritis kicks in, and no matter how bad teachers don’t want it to af-fect their seniors, it’s like father time. It’s un-beatable. Then you have incoming freshmen who aren’t used to starting school so early. And you know how freshmen are; thinking they’re too cool for school, so they already will have a hard time following instruction and adjusting to the atmosphere high school brings. The sophomores and juniors by now know how high school is…well…no com-ment.

Let’s think about this for second. Let’s start imagining school started at nine? Add six and half hours to that and you get out 3:30. Sports go from when school gets out to 5:30 at the latest, making it easier for families to pick them up because their kids don’t wait for an hour after practice for

their parents to pick them up. Students go home and complete their homework and don’t have to worry about getting enough sleep because they have an extra hour or so for sleep. Then early releases are the same deal. Start school at nine and it’d be out by two. To add on to that you could possibly wake up the next morning and notice there’s too much snow on the roads, due to school starting later, the advisors don’t have to make a judgment call on whether or not the roads are safe to drive on. Since school starts later it gives more time to make that call and possibly the snow could go away. All in all, I think the rewards of starting school later in the morning are more beneficial than they are now starting early.

by Adam Byrnes

Sleep is something that everyone needs in our life. But would you rather get up later and not get home until

near sunset? Then after homework, dinner and maybe chores, it’s pretty late. So why not go to school earlier, and then you can get home around 2:15-2:30? Even after homework and extra things, you have time to mess around a bit. Take a nap and recover lost hours of sleep if you want. Also, the weekends exist for a reason: catching up on sleep. Life would just be more annoying if we had to leave school every day when it’s so late.

Getting up at 5:30 – 6:30 AM can be tough, even I can ad-mit to that. But what I enjoy about starting at 7:30 is the fact when you do get home, you have lots of time left to do homework and relax. Even during sports, you still have a decent chunk left. Now if we were to get out at 4:00, also counting sports, a normal student wouldn’t be returning until 6:30 or 7:00, which is very late to fin-ish homework. Some students actually enjoy having some time to relax. “I like coming home and feeling I have some of the day left,” Ben Watson (So.) told me. “Getting home late makes me feel like I wasted the whole day,”

According to educationext, a study was shown in California that 1 in every 3 schools starts in the time frame of 7:00 – 8:00 AM and gets out at 1:30 – 2:30 PM. Also, the brain takes about an hour after waking up to function. So getting up around 5:30 – 6:30 gives you plenty of time to wake up the brain. And we need that, with how busy our schedule is such as sports.

But even with sports, there are other things keeping students busy. “I have lots to do after school, so I enjoy getting out early. It makes my life easier,” Tasneem Osman (So.) explained. Students like her sometimes have work or activities going on after school that they must at-tend. A schedule that conflicts time would just cause problems. Even if it means getting up a little earlier, life becomes a lot easier when you get home early and still have time to do homework, or just take a nap. Either way, our schedules are packed enough.

So if you are a person who thinks we should start school later, I implore you to reconsider. If sleep is an issue, just take a nap. But with all of the stuff we have going on in our life, wouldn’t it just be easier to get out at 2:00 so we can get home and finish our homework on time? I would rather not cram until midnight to fin-ish a project for science because our school gets out late.

by Zachery Slagle Have you ever wondered where you’ll be after high

school? I mean you may have an understanding of where you’re going to for college and you may also have dreams for a career. But what about until then? Will you put in the appropriate amount of effort and work into your dreams for them to come true? Well that’s neither here nor there; I got a chance to catch up with a former senior here at North Thur-ston who graduated last year.

Logan Russel was one of those beloved students. He came to school with an adventurous attitude and had swag for days. Of course he had plans after high school but he also faced reality and realized he would have to adjust to certain circumstances, but he never lost sight of his goal. As of right now Logan is working at Church of Living Water in association with the Anthem program, which is part time school/ leadership program. This way he can stay in school and still stay connected with his religious background. As far as life after high school for him, he said, “it’s full of real life responsibility but it’s really fun.” His personality brings new experiences to him and he makes sure that he lives life without regret.

I asked him if looking back on high school, he had changed as far as his personality, or his attitude, or appear-ance. He doesn’t doubt the fact that high school changed him. He believes it’s ultimately going to happen to everyone in their behavior, character, etc. Sure, high school changed Logan in a couple traits but for him, the change in his char-acter was the least of his worries. He said he wish he gave high school more of a chance for his first couple years of school. By the time he realized that he needed to put more dedication into high school he was ready for the challenge. He took a couple AP classes his senior year and he wish he joined them sooner.

Logan is overjoyed with the friends he made at Thurston and he says, “High school was one of my favorite times in life and I wouldn’t trade those back for anything.”

by Adam Byrnes Austin (AJ) Byrnes has started school at Carol College in

Helena, Montana. He is double majoring for Business and Sports Management and currently works for the Helena Brewers as part of the college maintenance crew. His favorite class in college was Business 101 and he plans to take more business-related classes in the future. “High school is just the ending to the beginning; there is a lot more to come”, AJ told us. To the current seniors, AJ says: “Life is going to have its difficult moments, but fight through them, and enjoy the little victories. Congratulations to all of you seniors graduating!” In the future five years from now, he sees himself working for a Major League Baseball team.

Congratulations to the fellow seniors graduating! Moving on from high school is a huge part of your life. Some of the seniors from last year have taken huge steps. From college to clinics to work, the class of 2012 has taken major steps towards their careers. Here are a few seniors who have already started with their futures.

by Mikayla BellAfter graduation in 2012, Cassandra (Cassie) Bell has

completed college at SPSCC, and is continuing work at Lacey Animal Clinic. She is taking off one year of schooling before she attends Pierce Community College, to get her degree and become a Veterinary Technician.

After being promoted to Clinic Assistant and getting a $1.50 raise, Cassie has been working full time and has all of her school tuition paid off. “I’m really excited to have my school fees paid off! I’m one step closer to moving towards my career.” She is currently looking for an apartment or a house to rent with her boyfriend of two years. “I’m really excited to start moving on with my life. Growing up is scary, but i’m ready to go full throttle into my future!”

Student NameRyan Glendenning

What university, job, or branch of military are you participat-ing in next year? I am going to be attending West-ern Washington University next year.

You were nominated by Mr. Wienski. How has your experi-ence in his class been? My experience in Mr. Wienski’s class has been great. Having a teacher for four years straight creates an understanding of that teacher’s style of teaching and really allow you to thrive as a student.

For how many years have you known this teacher? I have known Mr. Wienski since my freshman year, so four years.

What was your first impression of this teacher? I originally thought he was mean and strict, but as I got to know Mr. Wienski, he turned out to be an amazing teacher, an extremely intelligent person, and a great mentor.

If you could say anything to this teacher, what you it be? I would tell him, thank you for pushing me for four years and thank you for being the best teacher I will ever have.

Nomination reasoning by Mr. Wienski I have had the extreme pleasure of having Ryan Glenden-ning in my math class every year during his stay at North Thurston, as a freshman in Geometry, as a sophomore in Al-gebra 2, as a junior in Pre-Calculus and this year in Calculus. Every year, he was one of the highest performing students in my class earning an A in ever semester. He is always on-task, completes all assignments on time, and works extremely well with other students. I have also had time to interact with him on a personal basis. I know Ryan to be a conscientious, high integrity, dependable and sincere person. Ryan has been a tremendous student and an asset to our school. Ryan has a strong pursuit of personal and academic excel-lence, relentless strive for perfection, a strong ability to bal-ance priorities, a never ending positive “I can do it” attitude, and has a positive influence on other students. He is eternally optimistic, extremely hard working, considerate of his peers, and has a deep commitment to excellence in his academic, athletic, and social achievement. He is a true leader who will be a tremendous success in whatever career he pursues and in his personal life. It has been an honor to watch Ryan mature into a find young adult over the past four years.

The end of the school year is fast approaching, and many seniors are getting recognized for their various accomplishments. These ac-complishments range from earning a scholarship to getting into that dream college. Teachers also have their share of students they feel deserve some recognition. After talking with Mrs. Funston, a Spanish teacher, and Mr. Hall, a science teacher, they told us

about a senior they feel deserves to be highlighted. This student is always willing to participate is Spanish discussions. She is considered an excellent student in all her schoolwork and has a positive attitude, as well as only speaking Spanish in Mrs. Fun-ston’s class. Mr. Hall also commented that this student always has a “ready smile and is polite and respectful to her peers and teachers.” A former Chemistry student of Mr. Hall, she is now one of his Physics students. This exceptional senior is Charlotte Sadlier.

One of Charlotte’s biggest accomplishments during her senior year is winning first place at the band’s last competition. North Thurston’s band is always top notch and this win really stood out to her. This senior has a love for science and is work-ing toward a dream job as a forensic scientist. “I want to help put criminals away without being a cop,” Charlotte states when asked to elaborate. Some people only see cops dealing with criminals, but forensic scientist help cops find them to begin with.

One of the things that charlotte loves about Mr. Hall’s class is that “he gives out a partner test (basically a pre-test) before a big unit test so you can see how much studying you will need to do.” A fond memory that Charlotte has had with Mr. Hall is when he along with Mr. Aufort used fire to blow up balloons filled with different gases like Hydrogen. Charlotte also mentions that she likes how Mr. Hall “is never condescending toward his students. He respects his students and tries really hard to explain problems and concepts.”

Each person has a family they find close to them, from bloodline to figurative. Charlotte’s figurative family consists of all the band students, whom she has known since fifth grade. As a senior she will have to say good bye to a large portion of this family. Out of all the things that has happened, Charlotte can think of only one regret that stood out to her. During spring break, a group of students went on a historical trip from Wash-ington D.C. to Boston. Unfortunately she was unable to go due to unforeseen circumstances.

Charlotte is a senior who knows where she is going and what she’s leaving behind. She felt so blessed when told she had been chosen as Mrs. Funston’s student of choice on top of being chosen by Mr. Hall. She also recommends that everyone take at least one of Mr. Hall’s science classes while at North Thur-ston.

Congratulations Ms. Sadlier, and good luck for the future.

What is your favorite thing about Mr. Gentry’s class? Why?

My favorite thing about Mr. Gentry’s class is that I know every day I dress down and go up to the weight room I am going to im-prove, physically and mentally.

What’s the best memory you have had in Mr. Gentry’s class?

My best memory in Mr. Gentry’s class is when he spent an entire period trying to teach Brittany Sebesta how to skip.

What’s the number one thing you like about Mr. Gentry? Explain?

The number one thing I like about Mr. Gentry is that he is there 100% for all his students. He pushes us all to be the best that we can be as athletes and people and he is always there to turn to when you need someone to lean on and to believe in you.

Is there anything else you would to add?

For me personally, Mr. Gentry is one of my biggest role mod-els. I have the highest respect for him. He has believed in me from the beginning even when I didn’t believe in myself and he has always been there to give me honest and caring advice. I owe a lot of my athletic success to him and who I have become as a person. Anyone lucky enough to take his class should not take it for granted but should always give their all in everything they do just like Mr. Gentry does for us.

Mr. Gentry’s reason for nomination:

Mr. Gentry would like to highlight Haley Harn because of her growth as an athlete and as a leader throughout the years. He had her earlier in high school and now that she is his teacher assistant for his fourth period, he realizes that her develop-ment is drastic and very impressive.

Mr. Olson has four classes of just seniors for his AP Government class. That’s over 120 students that he interacts with on a daily basis. Now, I bet you wouldn’t believe it, but he does in fact have a favorite student. He/she was chosen very carefully from a handful of students. However, he wanted to keep the student anonymous. So he’s supplemented the name with a false one, leaving it up to us to figure out who it is. Or, how many people it is.

The suspense was killing me as he described...Brock Steel. He began with the scholarly aspects, calling him a great student and a fellow Social Studies and Government nerd. He then went on to describe why he likes the student so much. From the information he gave me, you can really tell that they have a lot in common as people. They both enjoy rockin’ the button down shirt with a pair of freshly ironed khakis. In addition to that simple thing, they love to have critical think-ing battles and debates on current, and controversial, topics. “Brock has an ability to critically think that is completely astounding for his age and asks the truly important questions,” Mr. Olson stated when asked about why he enjoys spending time outside of class with Brock.

He recalled one time in class where Brock, a “well liked student by everyone,” completely singled him out in front of the class when he incorrectly summarized a court case, and then filled in the blanks for all of his fellow stu-dents. “Brock Steel is one of the nicest kids I know. He is al-ways willing to help out another student and is just awesome in general,” a statement made ever so fondly by Mr. Olson.

**Th e data was compiled from the RamPage surveys passed out to all senior students. If your name wasn’t entered the RamPage Staff apologizes. **

by Chelsie Bopp

Seniors are annually leaving high school, and moving on to college. It is a process

that must be completed each year, and this year is no exception. Ms. Deneen, the drama instructor, has worked with a wide variety of students during the last 4 years in an attempt to produce a theatrical experi-ence among our school that is to be remembered.

In the theater business, there are many dif-ferent fields that need to be spotlighted. There are the stage crew, the costume shop workers, the actors, the directors, lighting, and PAC tech crew. All these different groups work together to make a produc-tion happen. Of the graduating seniors, there is a large amount of them moving on who were steadily involved in drama. Jenna Doran (Sr.), Candice Orfao (Sr.), Annika Henderson (Sr.) and Mallory Halbert (Sr.) have all worked hard as technical employees to maintain the Performing Arts Center, and keep the shows running smoothly. They have worked beyond the average drama kid, and have gone the extra mile to keep our props creative, our costumes ironed, our ticket booths managed, our lights maintained, and the everyday things that need to be tended to in the PAC running easily.

Tristan Olson (Sr.) and Emily Henderson (Sr.) have acted throughout their 4 years of high school, showing extreme enthusiasm, true talent, and notewor-thy characters. Each of them have grown as individu-als throughout these years, and have also made the drama department evolve the way it is. North Thurston drama would certainly be a different story if we didn’t have Tristan and Emily to constantly lift the spirits of those around them.

Ms. Deneen wants to express that the seniors moving out of the drama wing, and into the big bad world of adulthood and college should “work hard to learn all that you can, build friendships and act with integrity and character! Oh yes, have a little bit of fun too!”

by Ben Watson

This year’s music program has been one of the best so far with outstanding concerts and multiple groups from all

three sections of North Thurston’s music department making it to state in competitions. Who contributes the most to makes these programs so amazing? The Seniors.

Throughout the years students gain experience and skill in just about anything they choose to stick with. A superb example of this is Jazz Choir’s 2013 graduating seniors who show exactly what excel-lence looks like.

But no matter how great they are this year, every singer had to start somewhere. For Natasha Smith (Sr.) it was sophomore year, “because my best friend told me to and then she ended up not doing, it but I stayed because I liked it so much!” When asked what her favorite memory out of all her years of singing, Natasha promptly said that it would “probably [be] the Jazz sleepover! It was awesome! Or anytime I’ve spent in choir with Monica Renda (Jr.) and Carly Harris (Jr.)!”

While choir is sometimes full of fun and games, life lessons are learned quite often and will stick with these seniors for many years to come. When asked the question of what he will take away from his 5 years in choir (three of which were in Jazz), choir god Josh Watson (Sr.) says “I learned that I can’t do everything by myself. No mat-ter how hard I try. The main thing that I will remember that choir has taught me is that constructive criticism is a vital part to growth whether you like it or not.” When asked the same question Natasha added that “I learned to be more confident with myself! You have to put yourself out there in choir so it has definitely forced me to grow as a person. I’m going to take away some great memories and friends!”

However possibly the most important thing that these seniors can offer, other than their beautiful voices, is their advice. Josh’s coun-sel to underclassmen currently in, or joining choir is “respect those who have more experience than you and be willing to take constructive criticism. In singing, input from others will greatly improve your talent and ability.” Sound guidance from someone who has been in choir for five years, four of which were high school and three spent in Jazz.

Singing isn’t just a class that these students go to every day. It’s something that they incorporate into their very lives. Seeing as your vocal chords are extremely portable you can take them anywhere. Just be careful where you use them. Librarians might not take too kindly if you bust out into song. Maybe in High School Musical, but not in real life.

A Dramatic Exit Jazzy Seniors

by Cheyenne Watler

Just like how many people start their band career, Zac

Wrinkle (Sr.) started because it was his mother’s choice. In the fifth grade he went to his band director and he said, “You can learn and play the French horn free of charge because no one else is.” And Zac accepted the huge horn. “Get-ting started, if you’re not into it, and the band conductor doesn’t make it fun for your first year, you’re probably not going to come back for another,” said Zac. And that goes with many new things. Having a fun first experience will get you to love something and keep on going back to challenge yourself to play better.

As a senior, Zac knows what he is going to do after high school. “I plan on taking all of my undergraduate classes at SPSCC and then transferring to West-ern Washington when I am ready” said Zac. Having moved three times, he isn’t worried about not making friends in col-lege because every time he hasn’t really disliked anyone or had a difficult time making friends. And about the music in college Zac says, “Not to be preachy, but practice is important. The music we do here now and then can be difficult.” But some of the best parts of band are the memories that keep forever.

Zac also shared some fun experiences he had while being in band at North Thurston. “Last year during Basketball season, the band went to play at an away game without Mr. Johnson. About 15 to 20 people showed up at River Ridge. I think and we hung out and

played. Aside from the 30 to 50 people there, we were the loudest.” The pep band is one of the things that Zac will miss through high school band. One of Zac’s favorite moments in band here at North Thurston was when he went to Victoria, Canada, his sophomore year. “I was at the Spaghetti Factory with Lau-ren Schwartz (Class of 2011), Gunner Lemcke (Sr.) and Jake Langston (Class of 2012) and it was just a cool experi-ence. I was eating good food, in another country, with people who became my best friends.”

Being a part of NTHS band, there are many traditions that Zac will miss. One of the traditions is the “Third Quarter Rave”. During basketball games, when you see the band leave during halftime and they don’t come back till the start of the fourth quarter, they are at the Third Quarter Rave. Zac said, “Dur-ing that time we go to the band room, and usually there is some kind of activity going on that was planned like a lip sync or fashion show this year for instance. Other times we play dubstep through Mr. J’s speakers and play with glow sticks.”

Another big band tradition is the annual Lock-In. “I only went to one, but I am missing them right now. It was fun, but not something I think anyone would want to do more than once a year,” said Zac. “At this lock in, it started with food and a lot of games. There were video games in one music room, movies in the other and then the Gym for whatever. I looked at the clock and it read about nine something. Later we checked the clock

and it was maybe twelve. Next thing I know a dodge ball game at four in the morning!” He played basketball with Mr. Johnson, Valentin Parker (Sr.) and Ruby Carillo (So.) at midnight during the lock in. “Valentin and Mr. Johnson were on one team while Ruby and I were on the other. Mr. Johnson and Valentin won six to four or something like that,” said Zac. Zac is also a member of Tri-M, Music Honor Society. “I’m probably going to miss hanging out with the members,” Zac said laughing, “The music depart-ment is full of goofballs.”

Zac explained the things that Tri-M does to volunteer throughout the community. “We volunteer at the Food Bank and before I was here they volun-teered at Habitat for Humanity. Later this month, we are going on a trip to different elementary schools to get the little ones interested and participating in music.” Tri-M also arranges a swing dance for band, chorus, orchestra and others to have fun and dance. “But the biggest event is the annual Tri-M Barbeque,” says Zac, “and that is just another way to hang out. We go to a park and barbeque, Tri-M members only, just to hang out and have fun. Usually there’s volleyball or something that we play.”

Being a part of band here at NTHS has given Zac many memories that he will hold on to forever. To the incoming seniors Zac advises them to “keep practicing and to not give up. And to try and set some kind of good example for others.”

Music Memories

Orchestra Expertby Callie Wood

Violinist, Candice Orfao (Sr.), has been playing the violin since the 5th grade, like most of her peers. Over the past eight years she’s enjoyed playing many pieces and forming bonds with her fellow orchestra students.

I asked about any trips they’ve gone on and she mentioned a trip that the seniors in the class took last week to see the Seattle Symphony. “We went to the Spaghetti Factory beforehand and there was this loaf of bread...” she was then

overcome with laughter. When asked what her favorite

piece was, she said, “There were so many wonderful pieces that we played over the years, but I have to choose the Pirates of the Caribbean medley.”

However, her years in orchestra haven’t exactly been a cakewalk. She’s had to adapt new fingerings for music she’s never read, lead her section through practices, and teach herself (and oth-ers) new techniques to improve tone and intonation.

She decided to join the class because she’s always been fond of fiddle tunes, she said reminiscently, and plans to continue to play occasionally for years to come, but not for show or any ensembles.

Despite only playing the violin, Candice is very knowledgeable about mu-sic and has a deep emotional connection to her instrument and the friends she’s made while learning how to do so.

by Tasneem OsmanThere comes a stressful and

anxious time that tends to arise when promtime is near. For many high school-ers, prom is the high point in one’s high school experience. Girls spend months of preparation trying to find the per-fect dresses, and making nail, hair and makeup appointments.

Getting ready for prom is an event in itself. After waiting for that special person to ask them in a special way, students embrace the hectic prepara-tion and overwhelming rush for this one special night. The amount of time spent for these couple of hours could easily be looked at as outrageous. “[Cody and I] were preparing about 2 weeks earlier, so we could match our outfits for prom and get our group along with where we were going before... just the basic prom organi-zation.” says Whitney Vu (Sr.).

However, to many students this night was completely worth it. All the glitz and glamour is well worth the effort. “In a girl’s point of view, my favorite part about prom was getting dressed up, and being able to feel like a princess for the night.” says Whitney. Kalei Sabas (Sr.) seconds that, saying, “If you can look past the expense aspect, it really is worth it!” When asked what his favorite part of prom was, Kalei replied saying, “Dress-ing in a tux and looking good!”

Prom is oftentimes viewed as that magical night where everything is perfect and there is no care in the world for a couple of hours. With the music bumping, stress seems to seep out through the skin. Out of all the high points in not only high school but in one’s life, prom undoubtedly has made it to one of the highest on the list. Thurston has yet again, done a great job carrying out the expectations of the students.

by Whitney Vu

When it comes to wearing your hair under a graduation cap, the simpler the better. The last thing you want to do is try to fix an up do once you remove your cap. Here are some easy yet amazing hairstyles to try for Graduation.

Straight and sleek: Down and wavy:

To get this straight and sleek look, part your hair first. A middle part is best for this kind of look. Then blow dry your hair straight using a paddle brush, and use a flat iron on the bottom half of your hair to make sure it stays straight throughout the day.

To get this look; part your hair down the middle and apply texturizing product to your hair to add some hold. Then sepa-rate your hair into 2-inch sections and wrap each section around a 1 1/2-inch curling iron. (A wand curler is great for this too). Just wrap your hair around the clamp-less iron for a fun, beachy wave.

A side braid is such a fun look to wear to your graduation. Part your hair slightly to the middle, and bring all of your hair to the side. Start braiding your hair pretty close to the head, and secure the braid a few inches above the ends of your hair. Keep it nice and loose, a bit messy and tousled-looking. It shouldn’t be a too-perfect braid.

A side braid:

For women, this means a knee-length or longer dress, skirt and top or dress pants and blouse. A nice dress is always appropriate. It should be a dress that fits the dignity of the ceremony, so very tight, low-cut styles and spaghetti straps are not as suitable as dresses with sleeves and modest necklines. Another option is a skirt and dress shirt. Your skirt should be close to knee length or longer and your shirt should be modest and complementary. Women also have the choice of wearing a nice pantsuit in neutral colors such as cream, taupe, navy blue or black. For girls and women, dressy flats or low heeled shoes are appropriate and will keep your feet comfortable while you're standing and walking. Heels that are too high can get uncomfortable if you spend hours at your commencement ceremony.

For men, this means dress pants and a button-down shirt. Choose dressy but comfortable shoes, you don't want to fall as you walk across the stage and receive your diploma. Boys and men should wear dress slacks and a dress shirt. A tie is usually called for, so choose one in a complementary color and design. Make sure your shirt and pants are clean and pressed. While the color of your slacks is a personal choice, you’re far better with neutral tones like black, brown, blue and taupe. A simple white dress shirt is always appropriate for the occasion. Boys and men should stick to black or brown dress shoes.

Ladies’ under robe Guys’ under robe

As the year comes to the end, a new ASB president has

been chosen to lead a new year, while the previous offers what wisdom he has in a metaphorical passing of the torch. As our president, Attila Herrera has been responsible for leading assemblies, updating information, and much more than the average student realizes. When one typically thinks of the position of ASB president they usually think of it as nothing more than a fi gure head for all the “real positions”. In reality, it requires much initiative to organize and complete the average workload the ASB offi ce typically faces. Despite all the hardships, Attila has remained on top of his work as

an AP student.At the end of his reign the presi-

dent has decided to share some of his wis-dom with those aspiring to do great deeds. He has learned two lessons during his time in offi ce; the fi rst being to have initiative. Very rarely will there be a time when there is nothing that needs to be done in ASB, and students must always be prepared to seek out what needs to be done without being told. “The second is to be in close contact with the rest of leadership. Many times they will know the projects that they are working on, and need to be done, better than you,” he admitted. It isn’t just school that you must be able to go to, over his year of service Attila has had to at-

tend multiple events scattered throughout Olympia. “If it wasn’t for my phone’s GPS I would have been lost and late to many events,” Attila comments on a late night drive with a certain interviewer.

The president also has some words describing his time spent not only in ASB but a senior in general. He calls it “The single hardest year of my life so far,” for many reasons. First and foremost on his mind, (as well as many of our school’s students) were the AP classes, and how much they required of him on top of his presidential duties. Now that the year is, over he comments that it went by much faster than he anticipated and looking back on all that has transpired. “It marks the end of an era, and the beginning of another,” he states with mixed emotions.

Brooklyn Falter not only has to live up to the glorious mantle that Attila has left in place, but those of previous presidents. The school has been in good hands, and will continue to be with Brook-lyn in the driver’s seat. Thank you, Attila, for your service in ASB, and good luck to you, Brooklyn Falter.

by Megan Wilson & Alissa Sorger

With May fi nally here, the one thing that seems to be on every senior’s mind is graduation. They will fi nally get the chance to walk across the stage, receive their diplomas and enter the real world. With their year coming to an end, the class of 2013 has

some helpful advice for the incoming upper-class.

Melissa Luper: “My advice to next year’s seniors is that if you want to get a job at some point during the year, do it sooner rather than later because it’s worth it! You’ll be glad you did.”

Natasha Smith: “Never tell yourself you can’t. The college or program of your dreams may seem like a long shot, but ap-ply anyways! You never know, this may just be the one time you are one in a million.”

Cindy Shaw: “Do your homework, and if you need help paying for college start apply-ing for scholarships right away. Do not wait until the last minute.”

Andy Amphone-phong: “Have fun and take it easy! Don’t take senior year too seriously!”

Patrice Mitchell: “Start strong, and fi nish strong. Keep your head up and don’t give up.”

David Cregg: “My advice to the incoming seniors: Talk to Ms. Abel early and often, seek a leadership role doing something you enjoy, and talk to underclass-men, because they’re too afraid to talk to you.”

By Kalei Sabas and Carlin Devorss

Imagine packing up your previ-ous life in your home country

only to fly to a foreign country known as the United States of America. Not know-ing anyone or anything about this new life in this strange land. Taking a chance, taking a risk, and taking a trip of a lifetime are what these seven brave exchange students have accomplished throughout the course of this school year. Now these students are all filled with mixed feelings as they finish up their journey here in America and prepare for the long trip back to the lands that they each call home.

Looking back on their time spent in America, many great memories were created. Yuriko Sugimoto (Sr.) from Japan says “going to Homecoming was one of my favorite memories here.” Tu Nguyen (Sr.) from Vietnam and Mauricio Andres Toquica-Quintero from Colum-bia (Sr.) both said that during their stay in America they enjoyed participating in the school sports. “I really liked being on the swim team,” Mauricio says and Tu has played soccer and tennis, which she says were both a fun experience. Leoplold Moltubakk (Sr.) from Norway says that he was very excited to come to Ameica and be able to experience new things. For Veronika Lupke (Sr.) from Germany, her favorite moments were when she worked on a video project for history. She says “my group and I made a 1920s video for history. It was really fun to do and we worked super hard on it. In the end we

got a good grade too. The whole thing was really exciting.” Although their stay in the US is coming to an end, their memories will always stick with them.

Some things in this country are quite different from things in other coun-tries. The exchange students were able to experience this and live in a completely different way and learn something new. Tu says “I learned to ski which was really fun because I had never done it before.” She adds that there is no snow back home for her so she had previously not had the chance to ride the slopes. Alan Pavec (Sr.) from France said “I did not expect so many teenagers to own cars. It is cool that they are able to drive around to places whenever they like.” Also, Raquel Domin-gos (Sr.) from Brazil says that her time in America has helped to become a more responsible and overall better person.

In the past, exchange students have not been able to graduate with the rest of the senior class. Veronika, however,

wanted to change this so that she and the other exchange students would be able to graduate as well. “I decided to start a peti-tion so that we too could walk across that stage. A lot of people have signed it and I am working with the school to change the

policy,” she says. Due to her dedication, the school is currently working hard and with the district office to be able to allow the exchange students to graduate with their fellow classmates.

As the students’ time here in America is dwindling down there are still a few things on their checklists that are yet to be crossed off. Alan had been looking forward to going to prom and being able to graduate. For Yuriko, she wanted to be a part of making a set for the spring parade. Raquel says, “Before I leave, I would like to visit Chinatown.” Veronika is looking forward to going camping and seeing her mom, who will come to see her in America. Also, Tu would like to go bun-gee jumping and Mauricio says, “I would like to try out skydiving.”

After spending an entire school

year here it is time for the exchange students to go back to their own coun-try. Among them are mixed feelings of excitement to return and see friends and family, but sadness at the same time to be leaving the fun experiences and newly made friends. Some are not homesick, but ready to see their loved ones again while others are missing their familiar homes. After a long stay in America, the time has just about come for them to return to their loving homes and come back with new memories and stories to share with the people at their homes.

By Mikayla Bell and Megan Harn

“Not getting any all year. I should have put a little more

emphasis on getting a girlfriend instead of playing and making

videogames.”

Regret

“I didn’t go to prom.”

“Not becoming

friends with an ex... Th e time will have

been wasted if we can’t even be friends.”

Regret

“Not angering Mrs. Reed more.” :)

“I regret not making a move on my girlfriend until almost

the end of the year when I should have made a move at

the beginning.”

“Cementing toilets in the ground.”

Experience

“What I regret most was taking AP[Class]. I let a friend talk me into it and it was abso-

lutely killing me.”Regre

t

“Going to away football games

this year. Tailgating every single game with friends and going crazy over wins was a

blast.  Th e 2 best games were at Shelton (storming the fi eld)

and the game in Kenne-wick.”

Exper

ience

“Winning 1st place at my DECA

competition.”

Experience

“Partying hard.”

“I regret not

taking more classes with John

Corey.”

“Getting a major case of

senioritis.”“I regret not

confronting people with their lies... I wish I

could just rip their actions apart and make them

cry.”

“I regret

working so hard to get good

grades.”

“Hanging out with Tristan Olson.”

Experience

“New Year’s Eve

was fun. We got really [stupid]

and it was fun.”

“My favorite experience is go-

ing to my fi rst rock concert in Seattle. Deck the Hall Ball

2012.”“Skipping class with

friends.”

Regret

Top 5

0 Sen

ior Cl

ass P

laylis

t

**According to 300 seniors surveyed, the above songs are the top 50. Numbers 8-50 are alphabetical, all having the same number of votes.

1. Mirrors by Justin Timberlake2. Radioactive by Imagine Drag-

ons3. Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore4. Suit and Tie by Justin Timber-

lake5. Stronger by Kanye West6. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen7. Thinking About You by Frank

Ocean8. 22 by Taylor Swift9. Adorn by Miguel10. All the Above by Maino ft.

T-Pain11. Apologize by One Republic12. Awkward by San Cisco13. Baby by Justin Bieber14. Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-

Lot15. Burn It to the Ground by

Nickelback16. Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae

Jepsen17. Danza Kuduro by Lucenzo18. Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga19. Empire State of Mind by Alicia

Keys20. Feel that Fire by Dierks

Bentley21. Figure .09 by Linkin Park22. Free Run by Chris Brown23. Gravity by Shawn MacDonald24. Here With Me by Michelle

Branch25. Home by Loeka

26. Hotel California by The Eagles27. Lights by Ellie Goulding28. Love Bites by DEF Leppard29. Me and You by Cassie30. Mean by Taylor Swift31. No One by Alicia Keys32. Numb by Linkin Park33. Peanut Butter by RuPaul34. Put a Ring on It by Beyonce35. Replay by Sean Kingston36. Rich Girl by Hall and Oates37. Same Lane by Macklemore38. She’s Not Just a Pretty Face by

Shania Twain39. Sorry by Clara40. Summertime by Kenny

Chesney41. Take a Back Road by Rodney

Atlantis42. Teenage Rebel by Chameleon

Circuit43. The Player by Kid Cudi44. The Thrill by Wiz Khalifa45. Thrift Shop by Macklemore46. Under the Sea by Sebastian

(Little Mermaid)47. Wade in Your Water by

Common Kings48. We Could Run Away by

Needtobreathe49. Winter Wind by Mumford and

Sons50. You Gonna Let Me by Pleasure

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