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