Image provided by: West Linn High School; West Linn, OR
About The amplifier. (West Linn, Oregon) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2010)
2 April News Teachers reflect on life of beloved music teacher grow or gain the discipline or attitude needed for reaching her expectations." Morrison taught those around her many lessons, not only about music, but about teaching and life. "Be the best you can be," Pass said. Pass learned from Morrison that relationships with students are the foundations to teaching. "Music is a great way to connect with people," Eppelsheimer said. "She wanted the world to know how important music education is in our society." Eppelsheimer believes a fitting remembrance would be to plant something in the Circle of Friends Memorial Garden in front of the school as a way to commemorate N ora H and _______________ Candace Morrison, former choir director, died March 10 in Hockinson, Wash. She was riding horseback without a helmet and died from blunt force head trauma. Morrison was the choir director at WLHS for 33 years. She retired in 2004, but returned to teaching at Hudson's Bay High School. "She loved the kids and worried about them all the time," Karen Mitchell, former WLHS Drama teacher and current Arts and Drama teacher at Art Tech, said. "She felt she needed to go back into the choir classroom. She could not just sit back and let the world go by." "She knew choir," Patricia Amore, former Battleground choir and drama teacher, said. "She knew how to make it successful and inspire kids." Colleagues developed friendships and had great respect for Morrison. Gary Eppelsheimer, fine arts and technology teacher, admired her willingness to not only do what she did in the classroom, but all the extra time she put into concerts and musicals. "She was like a light when she came into the room," Lynn Pass, arts teacher, said. "She saw the good in everybody." Fellow teachers remember her to be a bubbly, kind, fun person. "I can't think of her face without a smile on it," Pass said. "She was beautiful inside and out." "W hen you work with positive people, it's hard not to be effected in a positive Morrison. Pass encourages people to look for the best in everybody as a way to preserve her memory. "I think her memory is preserved through the thousands of students she taught to sing and encouraged to follow their love of music," Mitchell said. "As long as they are out there doing what she taught them, she's still around." On March 18, a "celebration of life" was held for Morrison at Liberty Bible Church of the Nazarene. "The way she died is the way she lived," Mitchell said. "Having a fabulous day, riding as fast as she could on her horse, not caring about the danger. She embraced her humanity." MUN returns from State ietfei UfiM Nations_________ Photo courtesy of Barbara Fontana Candace Morrison, former WLHS choir director for 33 years, was known for her dedication to teaching her students. Morrison died from blunt force head trauma caused when she fell off her horse on March 10. way," Eppelsheimer said. She was known as a dedicated teacher. She sought extra training whenever she could. According to Mitchell, who worked with Morrison from 1979-2004, she was a teacher that always assumed she had more to learn. Morrison would travel all over just to help her knowledge grow. "I strive to be the kind of person she was," Pass said. Through her teaching, she took her choirs to many competitions at which they won many awards. She also inspired many of her students, according to Amore. They wanted to sing well and learn. "In all the time I knew her, I never heard her speak disparagingly of a student," Mitchell said. "She was able to be firm with them, main tain high expectations for her choirs, and encourage students to live up to those expectations, but she never made negative comments about them. She assumed that every individual was trying his or her hardest, and if they were not, that it was up to her to figure out what was needed to help them improve, continued from page 2 "I love taking West Linn students to Eugene because they always reflect proudly on the school and community. Every year our Model United Nations delegates prove to be both great students and great people," Todd Jones, adviser, said. This is his second year as adviser. The conference is unique in the way it is organized; each representative is a member in different committees. "The conference is divided into sub-committees, each with a different issue. If a sub-committee is able to pass a resolution, then it goes on to the General Assembly where its fate will be decided," Cramer said. Outside of committee meetings, the students enjoyed leisure time. On one of the nights, the students took over the recreational center where they could participate in multiple activities, including karaoke, rock-climbing, rock band or a dance. The delegates worked hard and then cut loose. "Mitch is a karaoke behemoth," Cramer said. Prior to the actual event, the club spent months in preparation for the conference. Each member had to write two position papers and one resolution, as well as being credentialed before they could go to State. "Preparing for the event was tough. It took a lot of time, effort and dedication. It was all worth it though; the event itself was fun," Shrestha said. Shorts is back, featuring student written, directed plays B ailey M iddleton _____________ Playwrights. Directors. Actors. All theater lovers unite for Shorts, a series of one act plays that are directed, perform ed and som etim es w ritten by students. Shorts, in its eleventh run, features three plays. The first is "Four for Amore" a selection from Com m edia Dell' Arte, w ritten by Jon Ares, Perform ing Arts Technical Producer, and directed by Katie Carnahan, senior, and Anna Stapleton, junior. The second is "The M orning Lands" written and directed by Katherine Dudley, senior. The third is "Lost at Sea" w ritten by Alexandra M ink, senior, and directed by Hannah Bradford and Lucy Walker, seniors. "The students love it," Jessica Murray, Theater Arts Program Director, said. "It is the best w ay for advanced students to dem onstrate their learning. It's also the Photo by Mark Poppert Melissa Cozzi, freshman, Sequoyah Hill, junior, Bradley Stone, freshman, Ian Stout, freshman, and Louie Hogan, junior, rehearse a scene in "The Morning Lands," written by Katherine Dudley, senior. Dudley's play, along with two others, will be featured in Shorts XI which runs May 13-15. training ground." "Sim ply put, it's fun." M ink agreed. "It’s truly a great learning experience. Plus, you make new friends along the way." Auditions for Shorts XI were held on M arch 30, and 32 West Linn students were cast in roles ranging from leads to chorus girls. Dudley says that Shorts is "an incredible learning experience" because most of the Thespians experience their big break in Shorts. Dudley is the only student this year w ho is directing the play she wrote. "I don't see it as 'This is my play, this is som ething I've written'. It's really becom e it's own thing. It's like having a baby and watching it grow up on its own," Dudley said. Her play "The M orning Lands" is about two brothers who are growing up in an abusive house w ith their stepfather and mother. The older brother creates a magical world for his younger brother to live in for the night. Dudley says she wrote it for a friend of hers in the same situation. Shuns___________________ continued on page 5
