Image provided by: West Linn High School; West Linn, OR
About The amplifier. (West Linn, Oregon) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2008)
2 February News Powerful spring play features humor, heartfelt moments ■ SYDNEY M ac N au GHTON ______ staff Reporter "The Diviners/' the poignant story of a small farming community during the depression era, will debut in the black box on March 7. Nick Altishin and Troy Spivey, Nick Altishin, junior, and Rosie Dickson, senior, rehearse in preparation for the spring black box play "The Diviners". It opens March 7 and continues March 8,9,13,14 and 15. Photo by Sydney MacNaughton Students nominated for presidential-sized honor u C alley L athrop Staff Reporter W ashington D.C holds many attractions such as the Lincoln M em orial, the W ashington M onum ent and the W hite House. Elise Biancardi and M arisa Peralta, seniors, have been nom inated to go beyond lourü^h^uapshots and tours, and could end up on the inside looking out at the President's residence. The pair was recently nom inated for the US Presidential Scholars Program , nom inations are awarded on a basis of SAT/ ACT scores, leadership, involvem ent in com munity and school activities and character. "They send you a letter saying that you qualify to apply. Then you fill out the application. It's really . long, w ith essays and three pages of basic inform ation," Biancardi said. A fter the initial applications are filed, the selection of students is narrowed down until 141 rem ain. They receive the top honor of travelling to W ashington D .C, m eeting the president and getting a com m em orative m edal. Two years ago, M atthew Ronglie, 2006 graduate, won that honor. There is no m onetary com pensation, but, according to Carrie Guy, Curriculum Secretary, colleges weigh the win when looking at applications. "She's top notch," Andrew W est, English teacher, said, regarding Peralta. The senior has focused on academ ics, m aintaining a 4.0 grade point average. O utside of school, she enjoys Highland Dancing, along w ith teaching dance classes to children. Peralta credits her parents for helping her achieve all that she has. "They don't pressure m e, w hich is great. If I m ess up, I'm not raked over the coals, and that gives m e a sense of personal responsibility," Peralta said. A ccording to Peralta, the nom ination cam e as a surprise. "I w as surprised w hen I got the letter because I know it's a sm all pool o f people. But I'm really excited and pleased w ith it," she said. W hat does Biancardi think? "It's pretty cool, I think it w ould be a lot of fun to go to W ashington and everything," she said. Biancardi also partakes in fine arts, singing and acting being her 'specialty.' She perform ed in "O nce Upon A M attress," and sings in Sym phonic Choir. A ccording to Biancardi, the persistence and dedication show n by Barbara Fontana, choir teacher, has played a role in her success. "She cares about her m usic, but she cares m ore about the students and has helped m e a lot in the last few years," she said. Biancardi also has analytical sid e, as she enjoys M ock Trial and H onors H um anities. "It m akes m e think a lot. There's not so m uch bulk w ork. It's m ore about learning and understanding," she said. "Both girls are incredibly intelligent and their talent goes beyond academ ics. They're hard w orkers and w atching them grow over the last few years has been great. The nom ination is very w ell deserved," Tana D earborn, chem istry teacher, said. juniors, play the lead parts of Buddy and CC Showers along with Rosie Dickson, senior, who plays Buddy's caring sister, Jennie May. According to Jessica Murray, Theatre Arts Program Director, the play showcases a cast of many talented students. The play will open after three months of rehearsal, oh March 7, with additional shows on March 8 ,9 ,1 3 ,1 4 and 15. Written by James Leonard, the play is a story of a common bond between Showers, a back-sliding preacher, and Buddy, a "sim ple" boy who has the gift of water-witching. Set in the depression in the drought-stricken town of Zion, HI., the play foHows the relationship between the two and the way their bond changes the course of the lives of those around them. "The process has been really great," Corbin Weseott, junior, said. "The small ensemble gets to know each other and really bond as a cast. It makes the intimate performance in the black box so much better." Many students work behind the scenes, helping with props, costumes, sound and lighting. Mimi d' Autremont, junior, is the Production Stage Manager who runs rehearsals, takes notes during rehearsal and makes sure the actors say their lines correctly. Jessica Johnson, senior, is assisting Barb Murray, English teacher, with costumes and Katherine Millage, junior, is assisting with props. Corbiiv Weseott, junior, is the Sound Designer in addition to acting in the play. Plays in the black box are much more personal than those in the auditorium according to Jessica Murray because the small venue gives audience members views on almost all four sides. She encourages students to come see the work the students are doing. "The play speaks to my heart. I have been wanting to do it for years and was waiting for the right time and the right kids. This is a beautiful and powerful show; a wonderful opportunity for our actors," Murray said. Mold problems found in 700 building m K aitlyn R agan . Staff Reporter M old and m ildew caused a smeUy, green, fuzzy dilemma aU over the ceiling tiles in the entry way of the 700 building in late January. A leaky heating pipe prompted the growth of mold w hich posed a health hazard to the students and teachers w ith classes in the building. The mold grew surprisingly fast and spread throughout several ceiling tiles w ithin a m atter of days. Some students were w orried that this was an unsafe environm ent in w hich to have class, but the problem was quickly addressed. "It was safe for students. The m aintenance crew does a wonderful job putting students' health first," Geoffrey Bingham, science teacher, said. Although mold is usually not a cause o f m ajor health issues for those affected by ailm ents like asthma and aUergies, they can be potentiaUy dangerous. They can cause things such as flu like sym ptom s and rashes. M ost of the tim e, however, these are tem porary and quickly fixed w ith the rem oval of the mold. "An environm ental control com pany oversaw the work com pleted and took test sam ples. In the interim , they deemed the building safe to occupy," Rob H olstrom , A ssistant Principal, said. The problem caused few, if any, disruptions in the learning environm ent, as the tiles were replaced and the leak fixed by the end of the week. Before and during the repair, fans were put in the haUway to minim ize the leaky pipe as weU as the ceiling, and installed new lighting in the process. The building has previously experienced leaking pipes, and plans to remodel the building have been addressed. The Dave Baer and Jeff Chambers, maintenance workers for the West Linn-Wilsonville School District, hang new ceiling tiles in the 700 building. Many of the old ones were infected with asbestos and had to be replaced. Photo by Malia Chong m oisture in the air and keep the room dry. "There haven't been any problem s in my classes. [The students] have been quiet and efficient. The biggest inconvenience was not being able to access the building over the w eekend," Bingham said. The building was closed betw een Jan. 18 and Jari. 22 to make the necessary repairs. A team came in to fix district office has set a tim e for its renovation in the near future, starting this upcoming faU. "The building is getting old. We wiU be adding the rem odel of the 700 building to next faH's bond for the school district, but we w ill still need to utilize the building for this year and next year, prior to any rem odeling taking place," Holstrom said. Rejuvenation includes nap time, massages, green tea Stu dents and teachers seemed to enjoy the week. "The tea m the morning [was my favorite part], it was a nice way to start the day. It overall seemed like a very good idea. Students seemed to be interested and to gain some thing from it," Tina LaFerriere, math teacher, said. ASB members plan to have m ore schoolw ide activ ities this sem ester, including an Environm ental Week during the week o f Earth Day, and the traditional May Day celebra tion week in May. "We hope things like Reju venation Week, Environmen tal Week and other upcoming weeks w ill help students get more excited about things at school and our im pact on the community," Kiely said.
