2009
News
3
Cell phones may have classroom potential
M ary W ood
Virtually everyone has a cell
phone, and their presence in
classrooms is obvious. Looking
around in any classroom
throughout the day, one can
see many students using their
phones to text their friends.
This is probably why most
teachers don't allow cell
phone use in class; it distracts
from lesson material. But
with all the new technology
developing for smart phones,
the school district is raising
a question: is there room for
phones in class?
"We need to make better use
of available technology," Roger
Woehl, superintendent, said.
Last year, the website
youtube.com was made
available at school, and this
year facebook.com followed.
Cell phones seem to be the
next step. Woehl believes
phones should be made visible
in class, and agreements
should be made within each
class about their use.
Glenn Krake, English
teacher, also believes phone
use is important, and
something inevitable in
today's world.
"Students use them every
day, and are going to use them
every day in the real world,"
Krake said. "I already use them
in my class. To pretend they
are irrelevant is silly."
The district is encouraging
this issue to be addressed.
Although phones can be
used to fool around in class,
they can also make a positive
contribution to the classroom
as an organizational tool.
Gary Eppelsheimer,
photography teacher, recalled
an instance two years ago
when he was giving an
assignment and saw a student
on their phone while he
was talking. When he went
to take it away, the student
was flustered; they had been
entering the due date for the
assignment onto their phone.
Although a regular school
planner works fine for many
students, others prefer to
follow that student's lead and
use their phones, and these
varying preferences can be
taken into account.
In addition to help with
organization, new technology
on smart phones creates ®
opportunities for in-school use
on research projects.
FROM THF
Located in the basement, through a series of storage
rooms and locked doors lies the Vault. The Vault holds
school records going back decades, including Amplifiers
from as far back as 1921. Our editors have sorted
through the papers to reprint past articles, bringing
you an interesting view of life from students of another
generation.
"From the Vault“ articles will appear in the
corresponding section in which they were originally
printed. Check each issue of the Amplifier to find more
treasures from the Vault.
Problem-
M arc W hittaker
D ecember
22,1982
The condition of the place
changes periodically. One
day the smoking lounge can
be a litter-strewn mess, the
next day it can be spotless,
save the cigarette butts that
invariably cover the ground.
The problems are numer­
ous. Some are* the result of
serves purpose
the non-student visitors that
often inhabit the area. Others
involve the issue of class time
use of the lounge. Adminis­
trative Vice Principal Dan
Rollins explains, "Some kids
lounge."
The problems don't stop
there, however. Recently, a
fire was started in the wooden
1 ‘
\ Other instances
Photo by Dan Avila
:hris Dailey and Bubba Ek relax in smoking lounge. Although
ontroversial, the lounge has alleviated many problems of 13 years
ago.
of vandalism accompany
the class-cutting issue and
the non-student user dilem-
ma at the top of the lounge
problems list.
One of the most serious
problems with the lounge
is the association between
it and the drug traffic at
West Linn.
Counselor Bob Sweet be­
lieves for such reasons the
lounge should be relocated
in an area more easily moni­
tored by the administration.
Rollins, on the other hand,
associates the parking lot
w ith m o st o f the drug
problems and expresses no
wish to relocate the smoking
lounge.
According to Rollins the
present list of problem s
hasn't been so long since
the lounge was started 13
years ago. He attributes the
increase of difficulties with
the area and its occupants
to the lack of a "lounge com­
mittee."
The "lounge committee"
was originally formed at the
same time as the lounge to
prevent the type of problems
which now plague the area.
The committee consisted of
a few student members who
reported problems with the
lounge or violations of the
"lounge constitution," the
governing document of the
lounge.
CoBtiMed en Pase 6
"Some students have the
internet right in their pocket,"
Eppelsheimer said.
Of course the extent to
which major research can be
done on a cell phone is limited,
but it can act as a valuable
resource. There are numerous
applications on phones that
provide helpful tools at the
touch of a button.
"(My phone) has instant
access to all kinds of things for
me," Woehl said.
The main issue that goes
along with cell phone use in
school is how to ensure that
phones are being used for the
right reasons. Woehl suggests
that in each class, students and
teachers discuss the situation
and set up rules together about
how phones should be used.
"When you make
agreements with people, they
tend to keep them," Woehl
said.
Krake also believes the
benefits of cell phones
outweigh the struggles that go
along with them, like students
texting when they shouldn't
be.
"How is it any different
than passing notes?" Krake
said. "Students will find ways
to be dishonest. To throw out
the baby with the bath water
is irresponsible on our part as
educators."
Though no policy has
been made allowing phone
use in class, the district has
provided something to think
about. Although cell phones
can be distracting, they can
also provide new tools for
academics. With technology
ever-expanding, it seems
important to find a way to
provide some balance with
phones and school, something
students can play a huge role
in.
"My challenge to students
is to help teachers think about
this," Woehl said. "You can
help."
Sophom ores excel at
Thespian Improv Festival
J ulia V an W inkle
________
improv specialists.
They were judged on idea
and plot, acting, staging
and the overall feeling of
the scene. The eight best
Sophomores Emily
Axelrod, second place in
State, and Jennifer Warmack,
State Finalist, prevailed at
scenes were performed for
this year's Thespian Improv
everyone and a panel of
Festival which was held Oct.
three judges. The judges
3 at Roosevelt High School
then scored the scenes and
in Portland. Ashley Welp,
added up the scores. While
sophomore, Rachel Metzler,
the scores were being added
junior, and Lucy Walker,
up, the host school provided
senior, advanced, performing
entertainment. Afterward, the
with their groups in front of
winner was announced.
participants.
Ailish Duff, sophomore,
"Our students represented
Hannah Bradford, senior and
West Linn well, not only in
Caitlyn Olson, Class of 2009,
competition, but by their
placed last year in the festival.
character," Jessica Murray,
Bradford went to the festival
Theatre Arts Director, said.
for the first time last year. She
Forty actors competed
was pleased with her effort
against students from 31
and was happy with the way
different
schools
from around
the state.
Participants
were divided
into randomly
chosen groups
of six or seven,
comprised
of students
from different
schools.
"It was
fun and
challenging,"
Welp said. "I
Photo by Eiise Brown
met so many
creative people Jennifer Warmack, sophom ore, was named as a finalist
who could work and Em ily Axelrod, sophom ore, won second place in the
state at the Thespian Improv Festival. According to Jessica
with prompts." Murray, Theatre Arts Director, the 40 WLHS actors not
The groups only represented the school well in the com petition but
were provided also in the character they dem onstrated.
that it went. She went in
a picture and a word for
wanting to go with the flow
inspiration. They then had an
and be a friendly person.
hour to craft a creative scene.
"I loved being able
Once the hour was up, they
to interact with so many
performed their scene for a
different people whose
panel of two judges in two
passion was theater,"
rounds. The judges included
Bradford, said.
professional actors and