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4
October
News
New class offers different way to look at world
, H illary K rippaehne __________
Staff Reporter
Debating and discussing
has become an everyday
occurrence for students in the
new International Relations
class. Social Studies teachers
David Frick and Stacy
Erickson are teaching the
new course.
"It is an opportunity for
students to understand what
is happening in the world
in a deeper way," Erickson
said. She also thinks the
class is perfect for people
who are good at debate and
interested in the world and
traveling. Students take
Anna Koll, Nick Stowell, Courtney Solem and Hailey Faccio listen as
Stacy Erickson, social studies teacher, delivers a lecture in International
Relations. Students are learning about the United Nations and
participating in UN simulations.
Photo by Cole Fiala
Cookie Club takes bite out of hunger
m
R ussell H ill _______________
Staff Reporter
Cookie Club is taking a
bite out of hunger by offering
different varieties of cookies
for club members to test
and also donating the baked
goods to the Oregon Food
Bank, which receives food
from farmers, manufacturers,
wholesalers, retailers,
individuals and government
sources then distributes the
food out to food banks across
Oregon.
"We make, eat, and
celebrate cookies," Breanne
Tusinski, junior and co
president, said. The Cookie
Club also holds a fundraiser
through bake sales to help
raise money for the Oregon
Food Bank. The club started
when friends Tusinski, Alex
Spady, junior, and Morgan
Calverley, junior, were talking
about cookies one day and
decided it would be fun to
have a club that would just
eat cookies and celebrate
all the different types. Then
they thought they could take
their love of cookies to a
new height and sell them for
charity.
"It brings students
together through a love of
cookies. It also provides a fun
opportunity to help others in
a way that other clubs can't
offer. So far it's doing well.
We had a great turnout at
our first meeting and we are
having a lot of fun. We have
had a recent set back in that
the administration told us
that we are unable to give out
homemade cookies. We are
trying to find a resolution and
are not letting it crush our
spirits," Tusinski said.
"The people attending the
club seem to enjoy it, but some
people who aren't in the club
seem to think it's a joke. We
hope to show people that we
aren't just eating cookies, we
are helping the Oregon Food
Bank," Alex Spady, junior said.
After only one meeting,
50 people are in the Cookie
Club. During the meeting on
Friday, they ate cookies, talked
with friends, and discussed
ways to help and fundraise.
They think they compare
to other clubs in the school
pretty well. "We may not be
changing the world like GATA
(Global Awareness Takes
Breanne Tusinski, vice president,
and Alex Spady, president, talk
to members of the Cookie Club.
Cookie Club members sample
cookies while helping raise funds
for the Oregon Food Bank.
Photo by Sydney MacNaughton
Action), but we are helping
the less fortunate and we're
also having a lot of fun while
doing it!" Tusinski said.
"If you want to do
something, practical and
applicable to help our
neighbors who are suffering,
then you should join and
enjoy some cookies while
you're at it," Meagyn Keys,
club adviser, said. The Cookie
Club meets Fridays during
lunch in Room B204, you
can also join via Myspace
at www.myspace.com/
wlhscookieclub.
Fundraisers earn money for global issues
u
K ate T olan _________________
Staff Reporter
GATA fundraisers so
far have included a used
CD drive, selling fair trade
chocolate bars. Currently,
GATA is selling T-shirts.
Students were asked to
donate CDs and put them in
boxes located in classrooms
throughout the school. For
every five CDs donated,
donors received a raffle
ticket for a $100 gas card.
The winner, Nicole Aden,
senior, was announced at the
Homecoming Pep Assembly.
Aden donated 65 CDs and
gave the gas card to her dad
in exchange for $100 dollars
in cash.
Divine chocolate bars, a
fair trade product which pays
workers fair wages, were sold
for $1. According to the GATA
website the response has been
overwhelmingly positive.
GATA members raised over
$2,000 by selling the chocolate
bars.
GATA T-shirts in two
different designs and 100%
sweatshop free, are selling
for $15 dollars or two for $25.
The designs: a GATA logo
of a rising sun and a G ATA
shield with the colors of the
Kenyan flag (representing
West Linn's sister school).
Battle of the Bands
The upcoming Battle
of the Bands on Nov. 18 at
7:30 p.m. will feature four
Portland bands: Ross Beach,
Stereovega, Aisle 3 and Welsh
Rabbits. The competition will
also feature a West Linn band.
Auditions were submitted
on CD, tapes and through
MySpace pages in place of
live auditions.
The event promises a
positive vibe and an Indie/ ,
Rock spotlight. "This will be
the most exciting event that's
happened since I've been
here," Jamie Kelso, biology
teacher and event coordinator,
said. Along with Kelso,
Stereovega is one of four bands
playing Battle of the Bands.
Photo courtesy of Internet
several members from GATA
are heading this event.
A $1,000 prize for the
winning team has been
donated by private parties.
The winner will be decided by
a panel of three to four judges.
Each team will perform a
short set and in between,
there will be slideshows
and readings to promote
awareness.
"Battle of the Bands is
going to be awesome; it will
rock West Linn," Kelso said.
lis lil issues f:88i!ftn§rs
m
continued on page 16
world problems and issues
and attempt to solve them
through the discussions and
debates.
"This class allows students
to experience different world
viewpoints and offers them
the opportunity to walk in
someone else's shoes," Frick
said. There are 10 sections
total for this class throughout
the year. According to Frick,
this means many students are
interested in the new class.
He is hoping students will
gain, "an understanding of
perspective, empathy and self
knowledge concerning issues
in the world. Hopefully
they will get the motivation
to apply that awareness to
something that will make a
difference for the better in the
world."
Students are also
enjoying the class. "I like the
discussions. We really get
into them. Our class gets to
be serious at times and goof
off during others. It is fun,"
Shannon Sirvaitis, junior,
said. Sirvaitis decided to
take this class because it was
new and because Frick had
suggested he take it.
Joseph Offer, junior, chose
to take the class because he
heard good things about
Frick. Offer also likes
going out in the world and
experiencing new things.
"My favorite part about the
class is learning about other
countries," Offer said. He
jokingly added, "and he
(Frick) has good pirate jokes."
Both students explained
they are enjoying the class
more than they expected.
They thought the class would
be more book work and
tests, but in reality the class
is mostly discussions. "It is
a hard class for shy people,"
Sirvaitis said.
Erickson's favorite part
of the class is the United
Nation simulations. In these
simulations everyone has
a country. There is a crisis
and everyone works as their
country to solve the problem.
"These kids will solve the
world's problems," Erickson
said.
Frick decided to take
on the extra class because,
"so much of what we do in
education seems to be about
giving knowledge to students
on an individual basis. This
class allows them to see and
understand their place in a
global community." Erickson
agreed. "Students don't just
talk about it, they do it!"
Fiber Arts adds to curriculum
u
E mmaue C ox _______________
Staff Reporter
Fiber Arts, a new class
taught by Diane Gauthier,
art teacher, has knitted its
way into the curriculum. The
class focuses on hands-on
projects with hemp, twine,
embroidery, paste paper,
batik, tie-dye, weaving and
knitting.
Fiber Arts is open to all
students grade 9-12. There
is no prerequisite for this
class, only a pair of knitting
needles and a $50 supplies
fee are required. "It's hard to
narrow down what to teach,"
Gauthier said. Students
must come to class with an
interest and enthusiasm to
explore fiber arts. Projects are
assigned regularly and are in
no way limited.
Once Gauthier has taught
the class the skill needed
for the project, the students
are able to create their own
project of any type as long as
they use all the techniques
they learned.
"I like how it's kinda'
relaxed. You can just come in
and work on your project all
day," Justin Williams, junior,
said.
Gauthier majored in art
with an emphasis in design
and textiles and has a
Bachelor of Arts in Art from
Portland State University and
more recently, a Masters of
Art in Teaching (MAT) from
George Fox University. She
came up with the course and
worked all summer with her
daughters designing projects
Kassy Vernon, senior, works on
a project in Fiber Arts. Students
learn sewing and quilting among
other things.
Photo by Cole Fiala
for the class.
Gauthier loves sewing
and quilting and has made
clothes for her children since
they were little. She enjoys
giving the students a hands-
on environment.
"I like to tell them that this
is a high-touch class, because
we have so much high-
tech already in our lives,"
Gauthier said. She hopes the
skills they learn will provide
springboards for hands-on
professions.
Gauthier hopes to instruct
this class for many years to
come. She is planning on
designing new projects each
year and developing new
assignments for curriculum
for years ahead. "Kids want
to make things, and to be
able to say, Hey, look what I
made’," she said.