r
5 -----
7
Should Americans come
to the aid of those who
are less fortunate
in Africa?
From All Hallow's Eve \6
Halloween: the Nstpry of
Halloween revealed.
- Page 6
m
With a victory over
Milwaukie, 36-21, the
Varsity Football Team
clinches a playoff spot.
Check out all the
upcoming concerts in
the Portland area
Hate iPods? iPod
Alternatives reviewed.
- page 14
page 17
- page 18
____________
Official Student Publication of West Linn High School
Published Since 1921
October 2006 - Volume 95, Issue 2
National Merit Semifinalists eniov fine arts
L auren L evine
Isaac C ohen
co-Editor-in-Chief
Every year, more than one
million high school juniors
across the country enter the
National Merit Program by
taking the Preliminary SAT.
Of these students, the highest
scoring entrants in each state
are chosen as semifinalists
to compete for some of 8,200
scholarships worth 33 million
dollars in scholarship money.
In order to become a
National Merit finalist,
students must submit an
application which includes an
essay, tell about participation
in community or leadership
activities, earn similar scores
on the SAT to their qualifying
score on the PSAT as well as
having a recommendation
by the school principal and
an outstanding high school
record.
This year, nine seniors
from WLHS have been
named semifinalists, allowing
them the chance to apply
Future plans: Sailing away
into the sunrise.
Extracurricular activities: Fine
Arts, Young Socialist Club
Advanced classes: "That's not
important."
Jen n i D enekas
National Merit semifinalists Marta Hanson, Heather Wallace, Isaac Cohen, Eric Nesbit, Alix Gerber,
Christiana Cha, Audrey Riesen and Jenni Denekas compete for scholarships. The eight seniors were
Photo by Cole Fiala
among the highest scoring entrants in Oregon.
for finalist status and the
chance to win scholarship
money. With the pool of
semifinalists representing
less than one percent of high
school students in the U.S.,
many would say that being
a semifinalist would be an
honor. "I feel so honored,"
Marta Hanson, senior, said.
But most of the semifinalists
at WLHS agree that "it's just
a standardized test/' Audrey
Riesen, senior, said.
"Achieving the finalist
level would be more
meaningful because it's more
than just a (test) score," Eric
Nesbit, senior, said.
C hristiana Cha
Future plans: Hopes to attend
Pepperdine University in
Malibu, Calif.
YourSpace gives students opportunity
to personalize 2007 yearbook
all color yearbook, students
can express themselves by
submitting quotes, memories,
artwork, photos, or anything
else that is meaningful to
them.
Students must submit
their entry by Nov. 18. They
can find the submission
information by going to the
yearbook website.
Staff Reporter
The idea came as a joint
effort from the yearbook
All students will have
staff during yearbook camp
the opportunity to include
when they brainstormed
their personal artwork,
ideas to personalize the
quotes or photos in the
yearbook. They were
yearbook. This area is
doing this to include more
YourSpace, a space where
coverage that matters to
each student can submit
more people. The theme
something personal that
Y E A R B O O K : Your Space
this year is "Best Year
is important to them.
Name (pfease print) £rc.>W "r.__________________
Ever."
YourSpace is an area
Grade lev
Students and their
that will be featured
This is youf opportunity to submit a photo, artwork, quote or persona!
memory for the yearbook. Each student will have a space in the yearbook
parents are also invited
throughout the
to contribute appropriate materia! that is uniquely yours!
The space below is yours. Submit by 11/18/06 to Room D102, or you may
to submit candid
yearbook at the bottom
submit it electroninaliv to WLHS-yearbook@wlhs.wtwv.k12.or.us
photos by e-mail to
of each page. There will
f* '* » ^
-fre-i/. pknhi f
wlhs-y earbook@wlhs.
be seven spaces to each
t>Wl **!- rw K j
wlwv.kl2.or.us or by
double page spread and
Vmk vutw’n j
putting them in Breyne’s
original submissions
mailbox in the office.
will be proportionally
J
Students can also add
reduced to fit the space.
Who.
i* *
A
*■
their name, hobbies,
"It is always a
** V k S ***»
»u/Wkjfak , c ^
and activities on the
challenge to get
When. tt»^iU «* <£■ ip*-
cover of their yearbook
everyone in the
WliSfO, V = s’’
for an additional cost.
yearbook somewhere
WhyrVv
They can do this by
besides their school
•fi*1
How:
visiting www.jostens.
photo," Ann Breyne,
com/yearbook/SP_
(Use the back if needed. Please submit on-line or return to Room D102.)
Green and Gold
Yearbook Adviser, said. YourSpace submissions are due Nov. 18. personalize.asp.
Information is also available on the website,
The deadlines for
"Our goal is to give
which can be accessed by clicking Activités/ senior photos, senior
them more ways to be
Clubs, and then Yearbook on the school
ads, and senior quotes is
in the yearbook."
website.
also Nov. 18.
In this part of the
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to
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Extracurricular activities:
Varsity Tennis, Winter
Track, Students of Support,
International Club, Ecology
Club, Amnesty International
and Symphonic Choir.
Advanced classes: Physics,
Pre-calculus, French IV, AP
Psychology, AP Chemistry,
AP European History, Honors
English 11, AP English 12, AP
Biology and AP Calculus.
Future plans: College;
schools of interest include
Whitman College, University
of Puget Sound, Santa Clara
University and Stanford
University.
Extracurricular activities:
Cross Country, Track,
National Honor Society,
National Art Honor Society,
International Club and
Ecology Club.
Advanced classes: AP U.S.
History, Pre Calculus, AP
Calculus AB, Honors Physics,
Honors English, AP European
History, AP Studio Art, AP
English, Honors Humanities,
AP Environmental Science.
Natioiiai ffletit Scholars______ a
continued on page 5
GATA: young club looks
to make big difference
H ill! ClAVARELLO
Staff Reporter
GATA (Global Awareness
Take Action) was started by
20 students after listening
to Bono, lead singer of rock
band U2, give a speech at
the Oregon World Affairs
Council International
Speaker Series in 2004.
Since then, they have been
bringing awareness to
students and trying to create
positive changes through
several different projects.
Their goals are to
raise awareness about
changeable conditions in
Africa, raise money for a
service project to Africa
next summer, traveling with
both students and staff,
and to keep energy high.
To raise awareness, the
students have had booths
at the Club Fair, made
educational videos and
took part in the 2004 World
Affairs Council's Global
Skills Competition, where
they had the opportunity to
reach more than 200 Oregon
high school students.
They plan to keep
student interest high by
having GATA members
come up with issues they
find most urgent.
"The students have been
incredible; Maddie Kiely,
Michael Bemert, Kelsey
Figone, just to name a
few. They are completely
inspirational to me and
make my job easier," David
Frick, adviser and history
teacher, said.
Last year they created
Global Awareness Day,
with speakers from Kenya,
Tanzania and Nicaragua,
to help students and the
community learn more
about global issues.
In the future, GATA
members hope to expand
their vision to other
students and communities
that wish to help. Frick has
been approached by other
schools and organizations
hoping to set up their own
GATA club. He even jokes,
"Franchise, baby!"