2008
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Features
Facing retirement, Noah reflects on career
m
CALLEY LlTHROP
Staff Reporter
social studies and world
language. Their job is to
meet with teachers, set
goals and try to improve the
departments, which Noah has
wanted ever since walking
also attend school events.
Paperwork can bury
Noah, as she answers 50-100
emails a day, and signs on
the dotted line for teacher
absence forms, transfers,
The big cheese, the head
honcho, the big kahuna...
Principal Kim Noah. Student
stereotypes abound about
the Noah and her often
■■■■■■■Hi
misunderstood role in leading
the school.
Noah’s tidy office is
furnished with Asian art, a
sort of feng shui. All seems
to be in its proper place,
but Noah admits she isn’t
naturally this tidy.
"It's taken a long time to
get as organized as I am; it's
always a struggle," Noah
said, "I have a fairly flexible
schedule, but things can come
up that must be dealt with."
Although Noah always
carries her Blackberry at
Julie Kahle, secretary, works with Kim Noah, principal, on scheduling.
her side, situations she
Noah has been principal at WLHS since 2000 and is retiring at the end
encounters as a high school
of the year. However, she hopes to still play a role at the school.
principal are anything but
Photo by Calley Lathrop
predictable.
through
theschool's
doors
for
verifications,
curriculum
Noah began her career
the first time.
and Plan H's. Certain times
as a middle and high school
* "I had a vision for this
of the year also come with
teacher in California before
school, I try to look at the
duties, for example, during
becoming principal at
past, present and future. I
forecasting time. Noah enjoys
Athey Creek Middle School.
wanted, and still want, to
the challenge.
However, she had dreamed
"I love participating in
^
an educator long
- ^^e n g th e ji relationship?
between everyone and build
things like forecasting, and
before.
trust. My job is to serve our
"I was the girl who set up
school and community,"
my dolls and a chalkboard
Noah said.
and played teacher in my
There are many meetings
U H ilu C iavarello
room," Noah said. After
with staff, students and
News Editor
attending college, Noah
administrators, some weekly
Imagine this: you're bored
pursued administration at a
and others spur-of-the-
and you have nowhere to
time when it was considered
moment. However, her door
go. For some of you this
a "man's job," and struggle to
is almost always open. "I try
might be normal, for others
be accepted. "I had to work
to be accessible, and if there's
its the occasional realization
extra hard to prove myself to
an issue, you can usually get
of being stuck in suburbia
staff and parents at times,"
to me."
with nothing but reminders
she said.
According to Noah, there
of your mundane existenciyggi
Noah became Principal at
are many misconceptions
But the newest fad to escape
WLHS in 2000 shortly after
surrounding her job. The
from that fate is spendirij|&
her daughter Marissa, now
biggest, she says, is that the
Friday or Saturday nighfout
25, graduated from high
principal should know every
on the town, specifically fat the
school. The job includes long
Escape Nightclub.
hours, stretching from around student by name and develop
relationships with them.
The Escape Nightclub
10 -12 hours a day.
prides itself on being a haven
"There are 1600 students in
"I think of myself as an
for all—no matter what sexual
this building. It's very hard to
'umbrella' over the school.
orientation one may be. The
talk to everyone. I love when
I work to keep it open and
I meet students. Come up and club, which opened in 1979,
functioning, but 1 have lots
is a gay nightclub located in
say
'Hi' sometime."
of support from teachers,
downtown Portland. Students
All students do have the
students and administrators,"
at West Linn, as well as
chance
to
chat
with
Noah
Noah said. She and other
around the Portland metro
during lunch, as she and Kim
administrators have the
area, have not only found
Carlson, Assistant Principal,
task of overseeing certain
The Escape Nightclub to be
frequent the library area and
departments, Noah's being
an exciting way to spend a
Saturday night, but also see it
as a safe place where they can
be themselves.
A typical night at The
Escape includes hours of
dancing on the Saturday Night
Fever inspired floor, as well
as a drag show in which the
songs performed range from
Dolly Parton to liamshow.
corn's internet craze, "Shoes."
"I love the drag shows
and that queens/bois/the
transgendered community
is embraced [by them].
being able to take a role in
helping students get where
they want to be," she said.
According to Noah, the
hardest part of her job is
dealing with conflict among
students, parents or staff.
"I never want to do things
like fire people or discipline
students, but when I do it's
in their and our school's best
interest, and must be done,"
Noah said. Her favorite part
of being principal, she says,
is watching students "grow,
learn and enjoy school,"
and attending after-school
activities like sports games
and plays.
Some students don't like
school and they don't enjoy
the work, the time and the
effort it takes. "We want
students to enjoy coming
here, and work very hard
to make this a good place,"
Noah said.
School may take up a large
portion of her life, but Noah
enjoys many hobbies and
extra-curriculars. A health
nut, Noah works- out at home
in the mornings and was
having a lunch of sparkling
water, veggies, wheat
crackers and spreads with
Carlson upon my arrival.
However, her favorite food
is still a juicy hamburger
and french fries. An avid
reader, she also enjoys -
travelling, spending time
with her family including
her husband, Ken, who is
Superintendent at Gresham
Barlow School District.
Noah will be retiring at
the end of this year, and she
hopes to enjoy the freedom,
relax and leave a positive
legacy. '1 hope our principal
does well wherever life leads
her," Courtney Hagerman,
sophomore, said.
"I have a lot of respect for
her. It'd be hard to be in her*
shoes. She's very patient and
nice, and I really like her,"
Ashley Bright, junior, said.
Noah has been the school's
leader for eight years. As
her final day draws near,
applications are being filed
and candidates are being
interviewed to determine her
successor. "I may be retiring,
but would still like to help
this school; it’s like a part of
me," she said.
Portland nightclub offers fun, safe "Escape"
Everyone's uniqueness
becomes a common theme at
The Escape. It is awesome that
The Escape offers this type of
open, accepting community
to young people. Plus, drag
shows are fun," Angela
Oliverio, senior,
The JEscape also holds many
theme nights, from blacklight
lit only dances to masquerade
balls. One the most interesting
aspects the club has to
offer are its pageants. Club
attendees have the ability to
enter into the annual Rosebud
and Thom Pageant, in which
participants take part in a
show to earn their title.
Another aspect that The
Escape offers students is the
fact that it doesn't sugarcoat
the "hard to talk about"
subjects. The Escape promotes
safe sex by passing out free
condoms, as well as being host
to a free HIV testing clinic.
Rules of the club are set to
let students feel just the right
level of open-mindedness,
according to club owners,
which helps the night not only
be fun, but also a learning
experience about the lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender, and
queer community (LGBTQ).
"I think it's cool that sex
is an open and comfortable
subject at the Escape. It's a
refreshing change from the
hyper-conservative, overtly
pro-abstinence environment in
which we live and ’learn.' Sex
is human. We should be able
to talk about it," one senior
student who frequents The
Escape, said.
Recently, students in the
CQFU2 class were assigned
a project to spend a day
in someone else's shoes.
Student projects ranged
froi^fccoverin g the
hardships of homelessness
to tm lBstanding the pulls of
drug addiction. Seniors Eli
Groman, Alexandra Namhie,
Breonna Winfield, Erin Butts
and Malia Chong tried to gain
perspective on the lives of the
LGBTQ community by visiting
the Escape Nightclub.
"I was really excited about
presenting our CORE project
because I felt like The Escape
wasn't something everyone
really knew about. I think it
was important to talk about
The Escape because it is a gay,
straight, and bisexual friendly
place that is really involved
in the community," Butts said.
"I think The Escape is a safe
place where I jean go and have
fun and just be myself; I don't
have to worry about anything
and I can just be free and enjoy
myself without being judged."
The Escape is open Friday's
10:30 p.m. to 4 a.m., with
admission $7, as well on
Saturday's 10:30 p.m. to 4
a.m., with admission $10. It is
located at 333 SW Park Ave.