May IS, 2013
glorila nò (Observer
Page 9
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Reflecting on My Growth and the Future
High school
graduate ready for
next challenge
by
K endall J osey
G raduation is right
around the com er and it
seems surreal.
T he ex citem en t is
building within me as I
look toward new expe­
riences. Although I’m
excited to begin the next leg o f my
education marathon, I will miss and fondly
reflect upon the experiences I was able
to have in high school.
These past few years, community
projects as well as school-related activi­
ties have kept me busy and have helped
me continue to grow. When I graduate
from Fort Vancouver High School, I plan
on attending the Florida State Univer­
sity. I’m going to major in hospitality
management and minor in performance
vocals.
Relocating for college will be another
way for me to find myself, but there are
things about high school and my environ­
ment that I will undoubtedly miss.
Throughout my high school career, I
have solidified within me the character­
istics o f strong leadership, and have had
the opportunity to demonstrate these
qualities at local businesses, thanks to
Deena Pierott, the founder of iUrban
Teen Tech.
The program provides underserved
youth in Oregon and Washington with
the opportunity to learn about careers in
technology. iUrban Teen Tech summits
allow students ages 13-18 to experience
an energetic business networking envi­
ronment.
Kids who may have never had con­
nections to people who help them culti­
vate their talents get the unique opportu­
nity to meet professionals in different
areas of technology. The technology
summits have been held at different
college campuses in Oregon and W ash­
ington, and I have attended every one.
Ms. Pierott requested my assistance
with the promotion and progression of
these Tech Summits on different occa­
sions, because she recognized in me the
qualities of leadership and ingenuity. This
program has opened doors for me in the
areas of networking and personal devel­
opment. I will definitely miss this cre­
ative outlet. Since I began volunteering
at these events, I have been able to push
my own boundaries and make an impact
on my peers.
Another big part of high school that I
will miss is just having the chance to
showcase my talents for my classm ates’
entertainment without being too harshly
judged.
From singing in the True Colors glee
club to playing Dorothy in The Wizard of
Oz, 1 have had the opportunity to show
people what I love to do in a safe envi­
ronment. In October of last year, I took
on yet another performance role by jo in ­
ing I.D.K. (Infinity Dance Krew), my
high school dance team.
Our team, made up o f dynamic black,
white, Asian, Latina and Pacific Islander
girls showed the beauty of diversity in
m otion! I believe that when young ladies
of color saw me displaying my talents in
different areas, it instilled in them that
they really can do anything their hearts
desire.
Besides my family and my church,
both of which are huge parts of my life,
I will miss my Vancouver community of
supporters and friends.
I will cherish the connections I have
made and the networks I have been a
part of. It hasn’t always been easy going,
these past four years. There have been
struggles, disappointments and losses.
However, I have discovered that the
challenges are what make each accom­
plishment worthwhile.
Kendall Josey, 18, is a graduating
senior at Fort Vancouver High School.
War Drumming Re-Run from
Haven’t we
seen this movie
before?
by
D onald K aul
Can you hear it?
Conservatives are
beating their war
drums and banging their tam­
bourines, trying to gin up support
for U.S. intervention in Syria.
R epublican Senators John
McCain of Arizona and Lindsey
Graham of South Carolina have
been particularly vocal about
their desire to get us deeply
embroiled in yet another Middle
Eastern conflict.
They want us to arm the rebels
and establish a no-fly zone to
keep Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad from bombing his own
people, 70,000 o f whom have
been killed in that miserable war.
They don't want us to put "boots
on the ground" — not yet —
although they don't say how we're
supposed to avoid that if things
go south.
The surge in enthusiasm for
intervention came after reports
that Assad may have used poi­
sonous sarin gas against rebel
forces.
All of which presents a grave
moral dilem m a for President
Barack Obama. He has said
Syria's use of chemical weap­
ons would constitute a "red line"
that would require an American
response. But he didn't say what
the response would be.
Arming the rebels, however,
would present its own set of prob­
lems. How do we know the people
we arm wouldn't eventually turn
those weapons against us? It's not
a hypothetical question. Remem-
Established 1970
USPS 959-680
We went into Afghanistan to
Personally, I think that you
avenge ourselves against bin never have to apologize for not
Laden for the 9/11 attacks and wanting to get into a war. Even
stayed to rid the Afghan people if a war is justified (which most
of the scourge of the Taliban, aren't) it doesn't hurt to have a
which we d id...for a while.
few dissenters arguing for a way
We went into Iraq to rescue to avoid it.
the c o u n try from S ad d am
One my favorite politicians
Hussein's tyranny, which we did. o f all tim e is the p a c ifis t
The Iraqis have been killing each Jeannette Rankin o f M issouri.
other ever since.
A lm ost im m ediately after be­
We pressured Hosni Mubarak com ing the first woman elected
to relinquish power in Egypt and to the H ouse o f R epresenta­
the people elected a Muslim gov­ tives in 1916, she voted against
ernment that seems to be morphing our entry into W orld W ar I.
into a repressive, authoritarian,
She was defeated in the fol­
Mubarak-style regime.
lowing election but was elected
You can talk in high-minded again 24 years later — when she
terms about confronting evil cast the only vote against our
where you find it because you entry into World W ar II.
are the high and mighty United
That's my idea of a Profile in
States o f America. But unless Courage.
you have something better that
O therW ords
colum nist
can replace it, what have you Donald Kaul lives in Ann Ar­
accomplished?
bor, Mich. OtherWords.org
47 4 7 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211
Mark Washington
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P u b l is h e r :
E d it o r :
ber those "freedom -fighting"
mujahideen who were suppos­
edly our allies when they fought
the Soviets in Afghanistan but
then
b ru tally
oppressed
Afghanistan's women and killed
our troops?
If we don't do anything, will that
be a signal to our enemies that we
lack resolve and are weak? As
the gentleman from South Caro­
lina put it: "If we keep this hands-
off approach to Syria.. .we're go­
ing to start a war with Iran be­
cause Iran's going to take our
inaction in Syria as meaning we're
not serious about their nuclear
weapons program." .
G raham exaggerated how
"hands-off' our Syrian policy has
been, but he applied typical Re­
publican logic when he called for
to waging one war to prevent
another. Haven't we seen this
movie before?
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