Perfectionist, outgoing and busy are just three of the many words that describe Mary Earp, senior. Earp heard about Amplifier from her eighth grade English teacher, and has been a part of the staff since her freshman year. Currently, she is one of the three Co-Editors-in-chiefs of the paper.
Most people have goals that they would like to pursue in their life, and this is a true statement for Earp as well. “I want to be a doctor, and I know this sounds cheesy, but I would really like to make a difference in the world,” Earp said. After high school, her hopes include attending either Pomona College or University of California, Berkeley.
Outside of school, Earp has a very hectic life which includes playing co-ed soccer, being a member of the school Mock Trial team and being the President of National Honor Society. She is traveling to New York in late October for an international Mock Trial Competition, Empire, where she is assigned to present the closing argument and both direct and cross examinations for the trial.
Some highlights of Earp’s summer were hanging out with friends and taking a vacation to North Carolina, where she visited family and spent some time at the warm sunny beach.
If Earp could visit any place two places in the world, she would choose “Italy and Machu Picchu, Peru, because the scenery is beautiful,” Earp said.
Her favorite year in high school so far was junior year.
“It challenged me the most and broadened my horizons,” Earp said. So far in her senior year, the class Earp most enjoys is AP Environmental Science, “It’s very interesting, enlightening, and I have a great teacher,” Earp said.
Earp’s senior year is packed with AP Environmental Science, AP Calculus BC and AP English, leaving her with a long night of work to complete. The most challenging part of taking these classes “is all of the work involved,” Earp said.
So far, her last year in high school has been hectic and full of work, yet she is excited and looking forward to all of the opportunities that lie ahead in her future.
Elise Brown, senior, has always felt comfortable standing up and giving her opinion in front of everyone and for the most part, she enjoys it very much. That is one of the many reasons why she heads the debate team, and also why in June she earned a place in the National Speech and Debate Competition in Indianapolis.
Out of the 250 people entered in the competition, she finished 151st in the country. Before she earned her rightful place in Nationals, however, she needed to prove herself in Districts and State.
Her 10 minute long speech about socialism and its benefits took first and second in Districts and State, respectively.
“In the National competition the judges didn’t appreciate politics or controversy as much as they did in Districts and State,” Brown said. This was confirmed from one of the judges she conversed with in order to find out what she could do better.
Brown’s interest in current events started in the eighth grade. She then did the Amplifier, the high school newspaper to help communicate her ideas about the world with her fellow peers, she also did the debate team to better understand the problems throughout the world and learn how to solve them somewhat.
“Debate involves knowing what is going on in the world,” Brown said.
This year for upcoming competitions, she has a speech in the works that she feels will top her last one. This year’s speech is about interdependence inspired by the “you didn’t build that debate,” caused when President Barack Obama told business people that they did not create their businesses on their own.
Brown’s passion for debate has influenced what college she will go to, what she will study in college, and what she wants to do in her life. Brown’s goal is to graduate high school and then travel to Massachusetts and attend Wellesley College, a very well known and prestigious college, where Brown hopes to study political science.
To achieve this goal she has taken part in a number of rigorous courses and activities such as Speech and Debate, AP Government, AP Economics, Honors Law, AP English and journalism. Once Brown achieves her education goals, her next goal is to become a political commentator.
“I want to change people’s minds,” Brown said. Brown has chosen the path to become a political commentator because she believes political power lies with the media.
Brown has worked very hard throughout high school and continues to work hard through her senior year. She has taken many challenging courses to achieve her goal of going to Wellesley, and will need to continue down the very rigorous path to success to accomplish her goals.
Ideas for her future career of becoming a zoologist started back in Beaverton, Ore for Chrisann Kim, senior.
“I love working and being around animals,” Kim said. Kim wants to learn about them and not be someone who takes animals for granted.
“I want to be [a zoologist] because humanity and mankind need to realize that we share this planet with absolutely spectacular creatures, and we avert our eyes away and never wonder what the other biological worlds are like,” Kim said.
Though she enjoys Oregon, Kim wishes she was born in England. Sophistication is one of the many words that describe Kim and another reason for her love of England. Kim loves the style and sophistication of England.
“I’m sort of a British freak! I wish I was British,” Kim said. If Kim had the money, she would go to England for school.
Kim’s favorite artist is Taylor Swift. Last year, she was given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend Swift’s Speak Now World Tour. A lucky win via a country radio station landed her a spot in the pit at the concert.
“Hands down, the best part was seeing my idol and role mode perform live five feet away from me. Just being in her presence was absolutely mesmerizing, because I never believed that I could make it to [the concert],” Kim said. “She has helped me in unfathomable ways and to see her for myself was the moment of my life.”
A Class of 2013 senior, Kim is ready to move on with her life. She is now ready to take on whatever life throws at her. Chrisann is prepared to begin the next chapter in her life, as a freshman in college.
At a young age, many boys dream of becoming a swashbuckling pirate, or a strong, brave firefighter; Derek Fieldhouse, senior, wanted to be an investment banker. Fieldhouse, who has climbed the corporate ladder of the Amplifier, now acts as Managing Editor.
“I was not interested in following this path,” Fieldhouse said. “I just wanted to improve my writing.”
But writing isn’t the only thing Fieldhouse enjoys. Outside of all the hectic writing, reading and studying, he can be found running with the cross country team, sleeping, and hanging out with friends. Because he is a senior, Fieldhouse spends many free moments filling out college applications.
“I want to go to a coastal college. I would not be able to withstand being land-locked,” Fieldhouse said.” I think it would be a cool thing to hang out with friends on the beach on the weekends and stuff.”
Fieldhouse is a “complicated mess of stuff,” and enjoys it, because it is his life. The only thing he is looking forward to “is getting out of this place and entering the world of business.”
Whether it’s riding horses or reading about war history, Meredith Bowers, sophomore, is always inspired by something. This is her second year in journalism, but she is no longer a reporter; she is one of Amplifier’s newest editors. Bowers thinks it is important to showcase yourself and your work just like her favorite quote by John Jakes; “Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write. Every piece you finish.”
For a long time, Bowers has dreamed about being in the Air Force. Her path to joining the United State Air Force started when she played Call of Duty WWII games and watched the HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers.” She hopes to participate in Reserve Officer’s Training Corps in college.
Reading books about WWII and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan also inspires her to join. After researching, she would like to be in Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Security Forces, or a pilot of fighter jets or cargo planes.
“I had a liking towards the military and aircraft but I never realized two very important people in my life had been in the military,” Bowers said. Her dad was in the Air Force for a short period of time, and her horseback riding friend’s mom is a Senior Master Sergeant. She finds the branches outside of the Air Force equally fascinating.
“I wouldn’t mind if I was in any of the other branches, they are all exciting in their own way,” Bowers said.
Although the Air Force is Bowers’ main passion, she is also involved in many activities. In her freshman year, She was one of the best female discus throwers. She is also on the school’s swim team and takes horseback riding lessons at the Stafford Hills Equestrian. One day she hopes to write a book, travel all over Europe, skydive and maybe even be in an action movie.
Bowers looks forward to her sophomore year in journalism, but looking to the future, Bowers thinks that “it’d be great to serve in the military, help people and protect our country. Although I want to join for self-fulfillment and completely selfish reasons, it looks great to have the military on your job application.”
Balancing her academics with extracurricular activities and friends is something that Sarah Chung, Current Events Editor, has come to master. Chung is constantly on the go but always finds room for relaxation.
Along with her tough workload from classes such as AP Calculus AB, Honors English and AP Biology, Chung participates in Tennis and Model UN.
“Even though my classes are hard, I enjoy them because I have a lot of friends in them and the subjects interest me,” Chung said.
Chung loves the healthy competition and being with her friends. In Model UN, Chung represents Syria and will attend a conference about current world issues and human rights.
In her future, Chung would like to become a doctor to help poor countries that struggle with medical care.
“Ever since my mission trip to Nicaragua I’ve wanted to travel to other countries and help them through mission trips,” Chung said.
Chung spends a considerable amount of time doing charity work at Legacy Meridian Hospital. Another of Chung’s interests is playing the piano which she has done for 10 years.
“I hate practicing, but I love learning new songs and building my repertoire,” Chung said.
In addition to extracurricular activities, Chung also makes time to spend with her family. Her family consists of Jonathan, her dad, Grace, her mom and Nathan, her brother. Chung thinks Dr. Pepper tastes like toothpaste, hates the sound of Velcro and is in love with superheroes.
Chung dedicates herself to whatever she sets her mind to. Whether it be school, sports, or other aspects of her life, Chung excels in many areas.
Sports and school are the main pillars in Kenney Whitbey’s life. Whitbey, junior Opinion Editor for the Amplifier, spends most of his time at school, either in the classroom or on the football field.
Whitbey described his daily routine as “Wake up, go to school, go to football, eat dinner, do homework, go to sleep.”
Whitbey is a very active athlete. He is currently a wide receiver and cornerback for the varsity football team and plans to play lacrosse and intramural basketball later this school year. Whitbey also enjoys watching sports, especially the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers. He also likes to watch college sports and roots for the Oregon State Beavers.
Along with being an active athlete, Whitbey is also an exceptional student. He has maintained straight A’s throughout high school and is taking on challenging classes this year, such as AP Calculus and AP Chemistry. Due to his AP Chemistry class, Whitbey was unable to continue taking Journalism with the rest of the Amplifier staff during second period. He is still on the staff, however, because he was dedicated enough to sign up to take Journalism as an Independent Study class.
School and sports take up a huge piece of Whitbey’s time. However, he is able to have time to relax at home when everyone else at his academic level would need to be studying.
“I retain information from my classes very well, so I don’t need to spend much time at home studying,” Whitbey said.
It is clear that Whitbey challenges himself to be his best in both sports and school. Whether he is on the football field or in class, Whitbey knows what he needs to do to succeed in these major areas of his life.
Rain and clouds are in the forecast for Lenaya Leblanc, senior, because she wants to stay in Oregon for college. LeBlanc has high hopes for the end of the year and is determined to do her best.
LeBlanc loves science, so it’s only natural that she wants to use her love for science as a nurse. She doesn’t know exactly what college she wants to go to; she only knows she wants to stay in Oregon so she can stay close to her family.
She has a family of four, living in Oregon. They are her mom, dad, sister Kiana, and grandma. She gets along with her sister pretty well. “As she gets older we are getting closer, and I like being there for her,” LeBlanc said. She sees her grandma at least twice a week, and says that they are really close. LeBlanc is also “best friends with her mom.”
Oregon may have rain and clouds, but for LeBlanc it is a lot more than that. It is where her family lives, and it is her home. And it looks like it is going to be her home for a long time to come.
Community service is a way that Kara Ghorbani-Elizeh, senior, gives back. Helping people has always been an important aspect of Ghorbani-Elizeh’s life because she has always been aware of how lucky she is to live a privileged life. Ghorbani-Elizeh considers it selfish when people have a chance to help someone and they don’t.
“Whenever a person in my group of friends needs help, I am the go-to person,” Ghorbani-Elizeh said. She would love to continue helping people throughout her life and is considering becoming a psychiatrist when she grows up.
“I first became interested in psychology when I took it as a class my sophomore year of high school,” Ghorbani-Elizeh said. “I loved it because I think it is really cool how there are reasons for a person’s behavior and how scientists can figure out how the brain works.”
Although helping people is a big part in Ghorbani-Elizeh’s life, she also loves to travel and took a three week trip to Italy and Greece this summer.
“It was the most amazing trip of my whole life, the food was delicious and the beaches were beautiful. You could see straight down into the ocean,” Ghorbani-Elizeh said.
Ghorbani-Elizeh has always been aware of other people’s needs and wants. She is the first person her friends go to in times of need and in her free time, you will see her volunteering for her community. She is truly devoted to helping people, and wants to make her life career about assisting other people in their problems.
While reading a Sports Illustrated magazine 20 years in the future, don’t be surprised to see Benjamin Jacobs’ name as the author of a feature article. “Writing sports isn’t a task to me, but rather it’s an exciting opportunity,”Jacobs said. After being recommended by his freshman English teacher, John Fitzgerald, Jacobs decided to join the Amplifier staff to pursue his love of sports journalism.
Not only does Jacobs write about sports, but he is involved in them, too. Jacobs plays on the Varsity Football Team as a receiver, kicker and a cornerback. He can also be seen on the baseball diamond as the team’s outfielder and pitcher, but prefers baseball, because he has been playing for so long.
“I’ve been playing since I was little and it’s the sport where I feel the most like myself because it’s where I’m most comfortable being,” Jacobs said.
When Jacobs isn’t training for sports, he is working hard in the classroom.He enjoys taking classes that focus on what he wants to do and not what he’s required to do. The biggest challenge throughout high school for Jacobs is “balancing academics and the SAT along with sports, and trying to fit in your social life,”. Jacobs intends to pursue journalism throughout his college years.
Jacobs prefers not to live in Oregon his whole life, but rather live in the Seattle area and attend the University of Washington to pursue his journalism career.“I want to live wherever my profession takes me,” Jacobs said.
Swimming in underground caves in West Virginia is scary enough, but when mixed with cold water and fish with no eyes, it becomes downright frightful. This, among other things, makes Marley Young, senior, different than your average high school student.
“We had to swim out of the underground caves in freezing 50 degree cold water.” said Young, her traveling experience makes her a pro at adapting to new situations like frigid cold cave swimming. Young’s best vacation consisted of a trip to Alaska, where she whale watched and kayaked. But that’s not the only place Young wishes to visit.
“I want to live in Italy because of the good food, great culture and people.” Having lived in Ohio, West Virginia and Oregon, Young has traveling experience, and her passion for orangutan rehabilitation may take her all over the world. While in these exotic places she might incorporate her special talents of, clarinet, drums, violin and piano. When Young has free time she can relax with her hobbies of hiking, rock climbing, golf and eating Thai food.
All of these travels, talents and hobbies add on to the list that makes Marley Young a extreme adventure junkie, pro traveler and not your average high school student.
He aims, he shoots, he scores – basketball is one of many activities that Christian Marvin, junior and Athletics Editor, has an affinity for. In fact, a life full of friends, church and sports is one that he leads daily. With his hands full of engaging activities, in and out of school, Marvin looks forward to an exciting year.
This school year, Marvin has a full schedule on his hands. Physics is his favorite class because it is less rigorous than a handful of his other AP and Honors classes. He enjoys being on Amplifier because he “likes to write and there’s always something to do”.
Though he does not know exactly what path to take in the future, he does know that he wants to try his best in high school and start from there.
“I’m really want to get good grades this year, especially because I’m taking some hard classes,” Marvin said. “I also want to be more involved in service projects too.”
At home, Marvin prefers to eat, relax and then do homework. He and his sister have two fish: Marvin’s is Flo, and his sister’s is King Triton. Despite his busy schedule, Marvin always finds time to spend for himself and with his family. Marvin enjoys eating chicken alfredo and drinking root beer and Dr. Pepper as well.
Out of school and home, Marvin is an avid participator in his church. Every Sunday, he teaches kindergarten at church, and attends youth group every Wednesday. In addition, Marvin also goes to Night Strike, a program in which he feeds homeless in downtown Portland.
“I like getting to play with the kids and teaching them,” Marvin said. “The kids are really fun and I like getting to know them.”
As for the sports aspect of his life, Marvin plays basketball. He prefers not to play on a school basketball team, but rather plays for enjoyment. Marvin’s specialty is shooting half-court shots and dunking on a ten foot net. He enjoys playing with friends because it is more fun, and there is a friendly competition.
Marvin hopes to complete his junior year and enjoy his last year in high school. He believes that can get through his high school life with the help of his family and friends. In all aspects of his life, he hopes to be successful and take the next step of his life.
Hand-delivering a golden owl to one of your heroes may seem like an impossible dream, but for Charlie Craft, senior, this is a dream come true. Craft’s favorite band, My Morning Jacket, announced a tour before his recent trip to Japan in the summer of 2012. Knowing the band has an obsession with owls and bears, he made it his personal goal to find an item to give to the band. While scouring various markets in Tokyo, Kobe and Osaka, Japan, Craft found the perfect golden owl.
Craft was luckily able to obtain sound-check tickets where he met the singer, Jim James. After briefly talking, he handed James the owl and in return, received an owl of his own. Star-struck, he could do nothing but say “thank you.”
“Owls are my favorite animal,” Craft said, “Because they look funny and are silent killers.”
For now, Craft has to worry about repaying his parents for his Japan trip. Craft works at Bellagio’s Pizza where he is a self-proclaimed “Pizza Insider.”
“A Pizza Insider does everything short of delivering pizzas,” Craft said.
Being stuck in a terrible job is Craft’s greatest fear, which is not the current case. Craft plans to work at Bellagio’s until college. He hopes to attend the University of Oregon, ideally majoring in media studies but he admits it could change at any moment.
The college search process has been “weighing down on” him for a while and Craft is ready to finalize his future plans. Until then, he plans on protecting his coveted owl from his three cats and golden retriever and also “loving” his cat Curry.
Science for Camille Collier, sophomore, means enjoyment and interest. Collier has been interested in science since seventh grade, but it wasn’t until last summer that she fell in love with microbiology. Collier spent time working in a plant pathology internship in Aurora, Oregon.
“Since I haven’t been interested in science for a long time, I haven’t been able to develop a passion for any specific science,” Collier said, “[but] it’s cool! I like the non-stereotypical science; not the frizzy haired, white lab coat wearing scientists. Those aren’t the real scientists. I like to grow things in petri dishes. It’s fun.”
Collier’s favorite subject in school is science because she thinks it is more hands-on than others. She sees a possible future in the science field and she thinks that she is working hard towards accomplishing this future.
“I might go into the medical field, because its recession proof, but I’m not sure yet. I’d like to be a technologist in a laboratory,” Collier said,“then, if I wanted to… I’d get a doctorate.”
Collier remembers being scouted by past Amplifier staff members. She chose to start in Journalism I as a freshman and has continued to be an active member of The Amplifier. She is currently one of the two editors of the Arts & Culture section.
While she is known as crazy, talented and certainly enthusiastic, Emily McDonald, senior, is a well-rounded person who is preparing for college. Among her top picks Montana State University or Oregon State University are the two front runners in checking out colleges.
“I would probably get distracted in Montana because of all the things there is to do there, so my second choice would be Oregon State,” McDonald said.
Captain of the the Girls Varsity Ski Team, McDonald enjoys other out of school activities such as long boarding, horseback riding and writing her own music. She was dubbed with the nickname Taylor because she writes songs like Taylor Swift, who is one of her favorite music artists.
Thinking of the future, McDonald in interested in many careers; she is motivated about the possibility of becoming a ski resort manager or perhaps an emergency room nurse. This is a very large contrast from her first idea of becoming a stunt double. McDonald is interested in extreme activities; it would be a job where she would get to come to work and do what she loves.
McDonald has a passion for writing. She chooses to be on Amplifier staff because of the people that surround her, and because she is able to get involved with many different activities around the school.
McDonald is on the path to her careers and future, she is known for her enthusiasm and will take that wherever she goes.
Andre To, senior, returns from a brief break from the Amplifier. He was a photographer for the Amplifier last year, but didn’t make plans to rejoin the class his senior year. To realized he couldn’t resist the allure of photojournalism and decided to return to the Amplifier.
“I was looking at the online website for the Amplifier and felt that I could help improve the photo and graphic quality of the site,” To said, “Although I can’t switch into the class because of class conflicts, I will be coming in first period to upload and edit photos regularly and may be switching into third period independent study journalism.”
Having enjoyed taking photos since a young age, he bought his own camera when he was in seventh grade. To loves photographing sporting events since he likes trying to capture the action in a moment, and subsequently it is his most photographed subject coming in at over 2,000 photos for the online Amplifier.
To is the first in his family to like photography even though he has two older brothers, Arthur and Anthony, graduates. He wishes to follow in their footsteps and attend Oregon State Honors college next year.
“I want to continue taking photos into college and plan to be a photographer for the OSU student newspaper,” To said, “I hope to become the lead photo editor before I graduate.”
Clara Altemus, senior, spends her time as a member of Link Crew, International Club and as Co-Photo Editor for the Amplifier, though these are only some things that Altemus contributes her time to.
Starting her freshman year, Altemus began taking photos for the paper. After completing a few memorable photo essays, she was hooked.
“Journalism is a key to connecting the outside world. It’s a way of communicating to the students,” Altemus said. “It sounds cliche, but photos really can tell a thousand words. It is ever more important that we get the news to everybody.”
This year, Altemus’ class load is filled with AP Physics , AP Environmental Science, Pre Calculus, Primary Tutor, and English. Looking back, she found her favorite class to be Physics, taught by Julie McDevitt.
“It seems to really click. The concepts and ideas just make sense to me and I enjoy continually learning about things that we encounter daily, plus, it helped to build a foundation for ISEF (International Science and Engineering Fair).”
Meeting weekly, Altemus, along with Arianna Hall and Zoe Maxwell, seniors, has engineered a new way of generating energy from rainfall. Their project took them from the small district fair, to a statewide fair and almost to internationals. Recently presenting at an international conference in Portland, Altemus said, “We hope to make it to ISWEEP this year. Our goal is to have a patentable project by April.”
When her time isn’t spent at work or school, she is continually involved in volunteering. Altemus volunteers regularly at the Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center, general surgery unit. She started because she thought it would be a good experience for a possible career path, though her thoughts have changed somewhat. Over the summer Altemus also volunteered at Camp Yakety Yak, a day camp for children with special needs, for six weeks, a total of 250 hours.
Altemus also enjoys going out to eat with friends and try new places. She loves being outdoors and hiking or rock climbing whenever possible. “When I’m not incredibly busy, I try to get out for a hike. We have so many gorgeous landscapes around us that are perfect for weekend breaks,” Altemus said.
There is a new creative mind in the world of film. Mat Grothe, senior, is determined to make his mark in the history of filmmaking. Grothe has had an interest in film for as long as he can remember and hopes to study film in college. Some colleges that Grothe is looking into include University of Southern California and UT Austin.
Grothe has an utter passion for films and the art of of cinema.
“I don’t have a favorite film,” Grothe said. “You can’t ask someone that, it’s like asking them who their favorite child is.” Grothe loves making films but does not have the budget to continue independently producing his art.
Grothe signed up for Amplifier hoping for a way to express his film genius without spending so much money. “I saw a disgraceful film department in Amplifier and thought that I could improve it,” Grothe said.
Grothe hopes to make a career in film and he wants to enter some of his movies in local film festivals later this year.
“I have taken classes on film but never shown my film in a public forum until Amplifier,” Grothe said.
Grothe is excited for the upcoming year in Amplifier and wants to spread the news through video. Grothe wants this year to be a learning experience and wants is looking forward to sharing his “videos” with Amplifier. Grothe’s ultimate goal is to use film to make the world a better place.
Photos are magical to Jake Parker, junior because he can capture the beauty of the world and would like to photograph all over it someday.
“My ideal places to photograph would be in Portland. San Francisco, Hawaii or the Himalayas,” Parker said.
Parker would photograph Portland because he finds it to be a world of different types art and photo and the “crazy people”. Portland’s motto is “Keep Portland weird,” and he tries to show that in his pictures. San Francisco because of his family, the market and Fisherman’s Wharf. Fisherman’s Wharf is San Francisco historical fishing district. A family attraction that has many opportunities for interesting photos. Hawaii or the Himalayas beckon because he would like to travel there someday. Parker would photograph these places because he wants capture their beauty, which is not always seen by most people.
When Parker is taking photos, he has access to another world: the world of beauty and the unknown. He captures what the world may not always see. When he’s taking photos it’s just him and the camera.
The Amplifier gives Parker the pleasure of living out one of his passions everyday. He would love to be senior photo editor next year. In Amplifier Parker feels that he can’t be judged and that he can just be himself. Parker doesn’t have to worry, he can just escape and take photos.
“The reason I love photo is because it’s an escape from the world around us,” Parker said.
Henry Craft, junior, has a thirst for music and a love for creativity. He hopes to go into a possible career in music doing whatever he can, but he really wants to own his own record label. Craft is not sure if it’s a realistic career path, but he is open to it.
Craft claims to be a very talented guitar player who “jams” on and off with his friends. Craft has only been playing the six string for four years, but he thinks he’s “pretty darn good.”
“My favorite band is always changing because my perspective is always changing,” Craft said.
Craft’s favorite instrument is his guitar. “It’s the only instrument I enjoy playing,” Craft said.
How many guitars does Craft own? “More than one and less than one hundred,” Craft said.
Craft signed up for the Amplifier for photography, however, he would love to find a way to add his love of music into the mix. While there is no music department in the Amplifier, Craft thinks there should be one, and he plans to find a way.
“I don’t really know how i’ll do it, but I plan on finding a way to express music and the news together,” Craft said.
Craft loves the Amplifier and hopes to gain new skills from the experiences it has to offer, in whatever form they may come. His ultimate goal is to spread love and happiness through whatever medium he can.
It seems as if instead of only having one younger brother, she had too many siblings to count. Madeline Marshall, freshman, spent her childhood years growing up with her 27 other cousins.
In her childhood, Marshall spent a lot of time with her tight-knit family, since they all lived in close proximity to one another. Her favorite childhood memory consisted of “hanging out with my cousins and doing crazy fun things like going night swimming,” Marshall said. “We also took summer trips to places like Canada, Sunriver and even Arizona.”
Being with her family all the time, she was able to observe her Aunt Kathy who works as a reporter for KGW News.
“We always had the news on in the house,” Marshall said. “So I think that is a reason why I want to someday be a reporter, too.”
But not just any kind of reporter. From a young age of three months old, she was also exposed to football. Marshall’s family was always going to Beaver games, which she describes as “loud, fun, and energetic.” That too has also led to her desire to be a sports reporter.
Even though she is only 14 years old, Marshall already has a plan in mind.
“I want to go to college in Boston, and eventually live there. I love the city and all the fun things there are to do. Plus the market is good and most media happens on the east coast.”
All these factors contribute to to her lifelong dream of becoming a sports reporter.
Although Marshall would be away from her family, she would be turning her family inspired dreams into a reality.
From different cultures to different people, Ashlyn Miller-Sanders, freshman, found a whole different world while living in Japan. She returned from Japan last year after living there for four years and attending a school on a Military base before moving to West Linn.
“The schools were very alike to schools here. An average school day was the same too,” Miller-Sanders said. The types of classes offered were somewhat different than the ones here. The curriculum was mostly the same though. She met many new friends there. Her friend Reimi, who is Japanese lives in Texas now.
When Miller-Sanders wasn’t at school, she was out and about. The most exciting thing she saw in Japan was the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. It is the third largest aquarium in the world. Her favorite thing to see at the aquarium were the huge whale sharks. “They had a lot of big and exotic animals.” Miller-Sanders said.
“The greatest thing in Japan was its festivals” Miller-Sanders said “And one of the prettiest is the Nakijin castle cherry blossom. Where you can see the beautiful cherry blossoms in bloom and see a historical site of Okinawa’s most famous ancient castle ruins. There is only certain times of the year that the cherry blossoms bloom.”
Now that Miller-Sanders is back in the states, some things have changed. She lives with her dad, stepmom, half sister and her many pets.. Besides family, she has made many new friends.
In the future Miller-Sanders would enjoy being a fantasy writer. She also loves to read mythology and fantasy books. When she reads she feels like she is a character in the book and whatever they do she does too.
Miller-Sanders would love to go back to Japan someday if she could.
“I had a lot of friends there.” Miller-Sanders said. “It was always hot. It was really fun living there.”
Aspiring young scientist, Shana Feltham, sophomore, hopes to one day join the Peace Corps and make the world a more positive place for humanity.
“I want to feel like I have a say in the world,” Feltham said. Feltham lives her life with one idea in her mind: make the world a more peaceful place.
Feltham was adopted from China at the age of one.
“I feel extremely lucky that I got adopted into such an amazing family,” Feltham said. “I am very thankful and grateful for my adopted family,”. She is inspired by the idea of loving life, living every day to its fullest and taking advantage of every opportunity possible.
“I love helping charities that contribute to making people happy,“ Feltham said.
“One day I hope to travel to an African country with the Peace Corps. I would love to get the opportunity to help people when I am older.”
Feltham is worried about many conflicts in the world but her top concerns are for global warming, KONY 2012 and body image issues in young ladies.
“I want girls to feel like they always have someone to talk to,” Feltham said. “No one deserves to feel alone or like they have nobody to talk to about their issues.”
Feltham uses her bubbly personality to aid in making the world a more positive place.
“I am terrified of spiders. I can not and will not be within a mile of a spider. I will die! I would much rather be in a climate zone where I’m sweating buckets, than be in the rain,” Feltham said.
As well as making the world a better place, she loves to bake. Baking has been one of Feltham’s passions since she was five years old. One of her earliest memories is baking her first batch chocolate chip cookies with her mother when she was five.
“When I first baked cookies with my mom, I remember that my batch tasted awful! I pretended they were good and ate them anyways because I was proud I actually baked something,”. As much as she loves baking, she hopes to pursue a career with her science discoveries.
“I hope to attend Stanford University in sunny California,” Feltham said she is competing for the second year in a row in ISEF. She is doing a continuation of last years project concerning the rate of which bacteria die while under a laser.
“Our project made it to the international level last year, and we went to Pittsburgh. It was a great experience and I hope to return again this year,” said Feltham.
Feltham has love for science , a passion for baking and one goal in mind — help the world be a better place for mankind. She motivated girl who hopes to someday make a positive difference in the world by joining the Peace Corps.
Bright lights, Broadway shows and a world full of opportunities—this is what is in store for Jacqueline DelBene, freshman. DelBene hopes to live in New York when she is older because she sees many opportunities for herself there, she loves it and she wants to be near her family. Along with this, she aspires to work in the fashion industry as a Professional Buyer in New York.
“I did want to dance professionally, and then I realized that it wasn’t realistic,” DelBene said. “Now I want to be a professional buyer and work on the business side of fashion.”
When DelBene isn’t dreaming about the future, she thinks about the present. She loves to dance, and has been dancing for ten years total and for five years competitively.
“I do basically every kind of dance,” DelBene said. “Contemporary is my favorite though, which is a mix between lyrical and ballet.”
DelBene is very serious about dance, even going to a workshop in New York over the summer based on dance. There, she worked with casting directors, learned a great deal and ultimately enjoyed herself very much.
Over the summer, along with dance, DelBene went to Hawaii with her family. She had a blast here, and feels that she had the whole experience of Hawaii.
“I went surfing, hung out on the beach, and had a lot of fun,” DelBene said. “We also went to a luau, so we did all of the basic stuff there.”
Along with enjoying herself in Hawaii, she also went to Reno for her sister’s softball tournament this summer. She is close with her sister, Danielle, who is also on the Amplifier staff.
“I didn’t even know that my sister was in Amplifier until her name popped up on the staff profiles when the staff members came to my school,” DelBene said. “I asked her how it was, and she said she liked it, so I decided to join the class.”
DelBene also joined the newspaper staff because she loves writing, and she is looking forward to working on it. She likes the Amplifier, but she enjoys her other classes as well, like AP Human Geography.
“It’s cool being able to take an AP class as a freshman,” DelBene said.
Along with this, she enjoys high school because of how it challenges her. She likes having homework to do because she didn’t have much in middle school. She also enjoys the freedom that high school brings. DelBene’s overall goal in high school is to receive a 4.0, to meet new people and to understand what she is learning.
Writing her own adventures, Belle Cogan, freshman, knows that you can’t just wish for an adventure to happen— you have to take it into your own hands. This started in third grade when she discovered her passion for writing.
“I read books and there was something that made me want to do this,” Cogan said.
One book in particular, “Twilight,” propelled Cogan to start writing fictionalstories and she hasn’t stopped since reading the book in elementary school. Cogan’s love for literature is illustrated in the interests she has. Her favorite subject is English, and she plans on becoming a mystery/horror novelist.
“English has been my favorite subject since I was a small child. It made me want to write,” Cogan said.
Cogan has an adventurous take on life in the real world as well, not just in the pages upon which she writes. She wants to live in Japan when she has the opportunity, as she loves the culture and has spent time researching it in the past.
Cogan dreams of going to college at Southern Oregon University. She loves the town because of the memorable vacations her family has taken to see the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Cogan isn’t one to let fear stop her from having fun either. While some would cower behind the couch, Cogan loves the thrill of a scary movie. This applies to other aspects of her life as well. Those who know Cogan agree that she doesn’t let fear stop her from pursuing her dreams. Cogan’s friend, Marisa Bishel, freshman, expressed her feelings about her classmate.
“Belle is a great friend because she is so charismatic. She works hard to make her dreams a reality,” Bishel said.
Though Cogan is adventurous it comes with a realistic viewpoint. When she pictures her life in the future, she has always seen herself living in a condo— not because she needs to, but because it’s something she wants to do out of enjoyment.
“I don’t need a big house. I’m a small person and a small person doesn’t need to live in an enormous house,” Cogan said.
In the past, people who have lived lives full of adventure, and yet still remain realistic in mentality, have gone far in life, because they have practicality to back up their ideas. Cogan’s peers and family will attest to the fact that Cogan is such a person.
“No matter what she decides to do in life I know she will go far because she has goals and sticks to them.” Bishel said.
Cogan is one who does not flinch at scary movies, took up writing as a hobby, and is already making motions to turn it into a career. Cogan will write her own path in her life, as well as her many adventures because she loves taking it into her own hands.
As a nature photographer, Jessica Reguera, freshman, enjoys snapping photos of many different species of nature. In her photographs, she has no specific preference of what type of nature she captures. She enjoys using unusual angles while making the photos more interesting.
“My favorite photo was one that I took while in downtown Portland of a glass wall with raindrops running down it,” Reguera said. “I like different angles and just different things, nothing ordinary.”
Reguera also has a knack for taking photos of her medium-sized pug, Frankie. These photos usually end up on Christmas cards that she sends to others who can appreciate her pictures of her dog.
Reguera prefers digital photography over film photography.
“You can view what you’re taking and if it’s not good you can retake it” Reguera said. “It’s a hassle with film to do that.”
When it comes to film photography, she likes the quality and different views that you can receive from film photography. Reguera’s favorite place to take photos is at the beach.
“You can do so much there, there’s endless possibilities like the water, the sand and the scenery,” Reguera said.
As she goes on in high school she hopes to take more photography classes, preferably digital photography.
When Reguera is not taking photos, she is creating web layouts. Web design is a hobby of hers that started about three years ago when she saw her friend’s brother making web sites and she thought it was interesting. Web design is one of her classes this semester where she has made web layouts but hasn’t made her own web site yet.
“I likes web design because its fun and I get to make web layouts and work in Photoshop,” Reguera said.
Reguera eventually wants to make a website for her photography. This website would help combine her love of photography and her hobby of web design into one. This will also help her to share her knowledge of photography and web design. Reguera’s favorite thing about photography is “It can capture what can’t really be see with your eyes.”
It was 6 a.m. when Madison Staten, freshman, heard a strange rumbling noise coming from her family’s RV. They were stopped for the night on their way to Yosemite, Calif. when everything took a turn for the worse. A colony of ants broke into the van and began to invade. Sewage backed up into the van.
“This nonsense all happened in a series of two hours,” Staten said.“We took a taxi and drove 50 miles back to the airport to get a rental car, and then we drove 50 miles back to the RV. It wasn’t that bad though,” Staten said,” I still had fun with my family. We went to a lodge after that. We went swimming and it was a blast.”
Adventure is in her range of interest. Staten wants to travel all over the world. Staten has always wanted to visit Paris and visit the Eiffel Tower.
“I used to have pictures of the Eiffel Tower all over the walls in my room. I loved the Eiffel tower and I still do,” Staten said. “Visiting the Louvre would be nice too.”
Staten hopes to incorporate her love of travel in to a job as a missionary. A missionary is a person, usually participating in a group, who travels to different places to help people in different countries or villages. A missionary keeps track of what they are doing to help and often write about their findings and doings. the reason why, is they do this to share with the world about what is happening in different parts of the continent.
Staten already has experience in writing. “I love to write. I keep journals full of free writing stories,” Staten said. She usually writes fictional stories, or newspaper articles. She even does some work for the West Linn Tidings in the opinion section. She works with 550 word columns about her views or facts like when she first became a freshman.
“I get to write about interesting little things and it’s fun,” Staten said. This occupation can be really helpful later on at her future occupations. Having jobs full of adventure is just what she is looking for.
“Writing and traveling overseas as an interviewer is what I want to proceed with,” she said.
Wishing to escape what she sees as the constant, everlasting rain of Oregon, Rachel Porche, freshman, seeks to relocate under the world famous California sun. It is there that she hopes to pursue her dreams of becoming a Navy engineer and follow in the footsteps of her father, a former Navy Seal. Her ambition for engineering sparked from her passion for math, a subject that has always captivated her.
“I like the confusion,” Porche said. “There are so many ways to find the same answer,” Porche said.
Other reasons also fuel her hunger for the Golden State; a large portion of her family currently lives there. She likes to visit her family members in Anaheim because their house is conveniently close to Disneyland, the place that holds many of Porche’s most treasured memories. With family, fun and the future all waiting for her in the land of opportunities, all she has to do now is think about the present.
As a high school rookie, Porche has taken to looking at life with a new perspective. One of the many changes she noticed in her transition from middle school to high school was the teachers. In middle school, she perceived them as being more forgiving. High school caught her off guard when she learned that it was all about deadlines. She recalls having long grace periods after her absences, allowing for more time to complete her assignments. Now she’s playing a whole new game, and is having to meet the new standards of high school.
Porche was excited nonetheless to meet the teachers. “It gives me the ability to tell my little sister (Dani Porche, 7th grader) who she should look out for and who she should be excited for when it’s her time to be a high schooler,” Porche said. Her sister will soon have her turn to be in the big-leagues, and Porche has no doubt that she will adapt as quickly as she did herself.
With her passion for math, plans for the future, and her ability to draw inspiration from her family, Porche is looking forward to the next three years of high school, which she is sure will be “the best years of her life, before she start the journey into adulthood.”
“Sit! Stay! Come!” These are the words that Jaime Sullivan, freshman uses when she works with guide dogs to train them. Even though they might slobber on her clothes or hands, she really enjoys training guide dogs.
“My favorite part of raising guide dogs is the feeling of helping someone else get a dog that will change their life. I love animals; I have a dog and a cat and raising guide dogs is a good way to work with animals,” Sullivan said.
Her family has been raising guide dogs since she was eight years old. “My mom learned about it and we have been training guide dogs ever since,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan enjoys working with dogs and helping them to become disciplined enough to help someone who is blind or has other health issues. Over the course of six years, her family has worked with and trained seven dogs who then go on to help people with disabilities. Even though she might not always be working with guide dogs, she will always be an animal lover.
When she is not working with guide dogs, she is running cross country.Sullivan has been running for the past year and really enjoys it.
“I enjoy cross country more than track because it changes more than running track where it could be the same thing every time,” Sullivan said. Running is something she really enjoys and is thinking about pursuing running cross country in college.
Sullivan hopes to attend college in Colorado and study management in television and film. Afterwards she wishes to work behind the scenes on a television show, or on movies sets.
“I find it interesting how everything works behind the scenes, I think it would be cool to run a show.”
Sullivan hopes to be able to run her own show someday, making sure everything behind the scenes runs neat and smooth,exactly like how she works with and raises guide dogs. To be strict and firm, but keep everything running neat and orderly, so the dogs will end up being properly behaved. Like running a television set, her cross country running will also help her by staying on her feet while running around a busy television set.
Although she is looking forward to future events in her life, Shreya Nathan, freshman, still enjoys doing things she started being a part of years ago. Looking forward to such things as Prom, graduation, college, and her career, Nathan still puts some of her time into playing softball.
“Softball is like a release from my daily life,” Nathan said.
Nathan has played softball since she was eight years old and considers it a serious sport. She normally plays third base, but on occasion she will play outfield.
The most memorable season of softball for Nathan was in seventh grade when she had five home runs and four double plays.
“It felt like I lifted the team and that I was a worthy player,” Nathan said.
Although softball has been a part of her life for so long, Nathan also enjoys some of her classes, especially biology. Nathan’s favorite part is learning about cells and genetics, because she likes knowing how things grow and evolve.
“I grew up in a family of doctors. My mom’s a doctor and she has a big influence over me,” Nathan said. She wants to use the knowledge she gains especially in biology to go to Stanford for college. Nathan wants to eventually become a surgeon.
Although she has set herself long term goals for college and a career, Nathan is looking forward to enjoying her high school experience.
“Everyone says that high school is the best four years of your life. I’m looking forward to prom and graduation, even though they are in a few years,” Nathan said.
Even with everything she is looking forward to, Nathan still enjoys the things she is currently a part of, such as biology, and things she has been putting time into for years, such as softball.
Entering Journalism for the fourth year, Danny Mcgarry, senior, has formed some interest in Journalism. McGarry went to Athey Creek not until he joined the journalism because his middle school teachers recommended it. He also thought it would be interesting.
Danny took the Journalism III for the second time because he knew journalism was something he wanted to go into. After being part of the Amplifier Senior Edition, McGarry feels great and “has fun because he makes lots of connections with people,” McGarry said. Writing is his favorite part of journalism, because it’s an easier way to express his point.
McGarry’s favorite hobby is playing Starcraft, a video game that he’s decent at playing. Playing the drums and guitar are his other hobbies, as well as listening to music. McGarry feels himself playing the actual instrument when listening to music.
McGarry was born in Virginia, and moved to Oregon at the age of two. He went to Stafford Elementary School and then to Athey Creek Middle school. McGarry says that he’s “great at everything.” McGarry has lots of freedom in school when in journalism.
What McGarry is most looking forward to most this year is being able to graduate high school. So far he’s taking AP classes such as AP English and AP Computer Science. He’s taking Journalism because he wants to major in communication.
The horn sounds as the Oregon Ducks storm the court after they have just hit a buzzer beater to win a College Basketball Invitational game. Walker McCrae, sophomore, sits in the crowd watching and thinks to himself, “ The University of Oregon is the place for me.”
A reporter on the Amplifier newspaper staff, McCrae doesn’t plan on just having his journalism career end in high school, but maybe make it his career.
“I would like to attend U of O to study journalism,” McCrae said. “Mostly because it’s my favorite school.”
McCrae has an early case of “duck-fever,” attending the football games in Eugene during the fall, which is, accoring to McCrae, his “favorite activity in the fall.” He also enjoys watching the Portland Timbers and even had the great opportunity to witness the Timbers battle the Los Angeles Galaxy.
“[The game] had such a great atmosphere,” McCrae said.
When he isn’t cheering at the top of his lungs for the home team or walking through WLHS halls, McCrae likes to watch “Top Gear” with his parents and hang out with his best friend Parker Kilstrom, sophomore, whom he’s known since kindergarten.
Whether he’s screaming “OOOOO” or quietly repeating the Timbers Army explicit chants to himself, McCrae is a real die-hard U of O sports fan, and hopes one day to be paid to write about his stomping grounds.
Whether running drills on the tennis court or jamming in his basement, Craig Wright, senior, fully commits himself to his passions. Wright has been playing tennis since he was six, when he was shorter than the net. He has been on the Boys Varsity Team all four years of high school and hopes to be captain this year. Wright is just as big of a fanatic about music as he is about tennis; he’s been to too many concerts to have a sure count; his best estimate is 34.
Wright’s interest in tennis was inherited; his dad played tennis in high school and shared his interest with Wright’s mom. His parents introduced he and his brother, Brett, to the sport and they both took to it. Last year Wright and his doubles partner, Jonathan Macemon, Class of 2012, were third in the District Championship and made it to State. In fact Wright’s favorite vacation was going South Carolina, primarily because he and his family were able to play tennis on real green clay courts.
Even though he plays tennis year round,somehow Wright has time for intramural basketball. However, according to Wright, when it comes to intramural “the less effort the better.” Another extracurricular activity that Wright participates in is Symphonic Band; he is a percussionist.
Wright’s interest in music extends beyond percussion; he has been playing guitar since sixth grade and bass guitar since eighth grade. The reason that Wright is so interested in playing instruments is that he is a huge music fan.
“I like a little bit of everything,” Wright said.
Wright’s brother introduced him to a wide variety of music, and they share many favorite bands like The Beatles, The Replacements, My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire, Gaslight Anthem, The Ramones and The Clash. Wright idolizes many musicians and dreams of meeting them.
“Joe Strummer[The Clash] would be awesome [to meet], but he’s dead,” Wright said, “I’d like to meet Brian Fallon[The Gaslight Anthem]; he’s just a cool dude.”
Wright’s interest in the arts continues into his academic career. His favorite class is AP English, and he thinks he wants to study English or journalism in college.
Going from a guitar playing, Taylor Swift loving girl, to one day representing and fighting for America’s freedom, Sarah Oliveras, freshman, loves new adventures and giving back. She is inspired by those around her and one day hopes to inspire others as well.
“I think when people are inspired by another, they feel better about themselves and what they do,”Oliveras said. “All I really want to do is help people.”
Oliveras has moved all over the country and even lived in Puerto Rico for two years. From Seattle to Virginia, then to Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and finally Oregon, Oliveras has experienced many different cultures and different ways of life.
“You can walk down the streets of Puerto Rico and hold baby animals,” Oliveras said. “I even learned how to climb bamboo before learning to climb a tree.”
Even though she has traveled all around the world with her family — Heather, her mother, an emergency room nurse, her 12-year old younger brother, Jon, and Robert, her father, who is in the Army as a colonel — Oliveras has always wanted to travel to Japan.
“I want to travel to Japan because I have never been exposed to Asian culture,” Oliveras said. In 20 years Oliveras sees herself in, “some foreign country.” “ I want to travel the world,” she said.
Along with new adventures, Oliveras also likes to try new things. In her free time, she likes to swim and go running. When she hurt her knee three years ago, inspired by her love for Taylor Swift, she decided to pick up her guitar to pass the time. Since then she has enjoyed playing cords and creating her own music. Her favorite thing about playing the guitar is the creativity it brings when writing original songs and music.
One of her favorite quotes is from Picasso, “Everything you imagine is real.” It inspires her to show her creativity, and “think outside the box.”
Oliveras‘s true role model in her life is her father, with whom she is very close. With his work in the army, and his various missions to Iraq helping people all around the world, he inspires Oliveras to give back and appreciate what is given to her. With her dad as her primary inspiration, Oliveras enjoys helping people and various charities. She hopes to inform and inspire people about the dangers of teen suicide and inspire them toward a positive body image. She hopes to do this by letting people know that they are not alone and there are always people to help. Also inspired by her dad, she wishes to attend an Air Force college after high school, and later enter active service.
“I want to join the Air Force because I want to be able to have a say about what goes on in the world,” Oliveras said.
Not only does she look up to her parents but also famous figures such as Helen Keller and Swift.
“I look up to them because they do not complain about the tough situations that they face, they just get through it, ” Oliveras said.
From the diversity of the places she has lived, people she has met along the way, and most importantly with her dad’s influence, these past experiences have shaped Oliveras into the adventure-seeking, caring person, who is always trying to lend a helping hand.
Laid back, easy-going and energetic is just how “Nick-Knack,” Nicole Gray, sophomore, describes herself. With a fresh new year underway, Gray is looking forward to the new opportunities that journalism has to offer. Interested in the writing and photography aspects of the course, she’s excited to add these experiences to college applications in the future.
A dog lover, Gray aspires to be a veterinarian someday and currently has three dogs, a lab named Cooper, and two mutts, Cole and Joey. She is inspired by the nice, friendly atmosphere of a family friend’s clinic in Newberg.
“I honestly can’t recall a single day I’ve lived without having a dog,” Gray said.
Spending the summer at her family’s home in Newberg, Ore., Gray and her twin brother, Chris, attend school in West Linn because of the good school district. Over the summer, she enjoyed swimming with friends in her pool, although her favorite memories were from her week at Wildhorse Camp, especially the zip line. Gray loves adventure.
“Also, I ski almost every weekend in the winter with my dad,” Gray said. “We ski at [Mt. Hood] Meadows and I love it.”
A surfer for four years, she attended surf camp in California at Huntington and Newport beaches, staying with friends who run the camp. Gray loves the ocean, hence the reason behind why her favorite color is blue.
When she isn’t busy catching waves in the summer or hanging with friends, Gray enjoys volleyball, tennis, skiing and music. She enjoys listening to Taylor Swift, her favorite song by her is “Sparks Fly.” More favorites include the TV show “Modern Family,” the movie “The Blind Side”, winter and spring seasons, and shopping at Urban Outfitters, “because, well, it’s Urban. I mean come on,” Gray said. “It’s like the coolest store.”
Although born in the United States, when she was five years old, Gray and her family moved across the globe to Istanbul, Turkey, for a year due to her dad’s job with Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge.
“I remember one time my brother and I looked out our window and saw these cows just walking down the street in front of our house,” Gray said. “They had x’s marked on them, so they were probably meant for slaughter, but it was strange to see them just walking around like that.”
She and her brother attended one of the few English-speaking schools while living in Istanbul. Her family returned to Oregon after her brother’s appendix had to be removed.
Gray is looking forward to being a reporter and photographer for the Amplifier this year and is excited to experience all of the new and interesting opportunities the class brings.
Colin Squires, freshman, is a jack of many trades. Whether it be unicycling, running cross country or traveling around the continent, Squires is bound to have a new trick up his sleeve.
Squires is now adding the trade of writing to his bag of tricks as he is now a reporter for the West Linn Amplifier.
“I like writing and I thought it’d be cool to be a part of the paper and the website. I like the fact that they get ideas out there,” Squires said. Not only does he like to “get his ideas out there,” but Squires also likes to participate within the school by running cross country.
Squires runs varsity and is giving the team a great edge towards going to State. He averages 17.30 for a 5K which is a little over three miles. When Squires isn’t running between the trees and in the heat, he is often traveling around the world.
This summer Squires went to New York to visit family and had a blast sight seeing around the “Big Apple.” In the past, he has traveled to Hawaii and Paris. Vacationing to both places he grew his appreciation for other cultures and he looks forward to visiting again. Most people travel by plane, car or ship, but Squires enjoys transportation on one wheel.
Squires acquired a unicycle as a Christmas present from his grandparents three years ago. He practiced until he could wheel around as if he’d been doing it his whole life.
Squires has many talents and the future will only teach him more. For now, he will learn from the experiences journalism will present him.
st people wouldn’t enjoy watching a game from the sidelines, but for Natalie Lin, freshman, watching from the sidelines drove her to do what she loves: soccer.
Since kindergarten, Lin has had a burning passion for soccer. Though she didn’t start with classic soccer—a level above recreational soccer—Lin is currently a member of the Junior Varsity Girls Soccer Team and she plays for the Premier Team for the Oswego South Side Association (OSSA).
“I like the adrenaline that rushes through me,” Lin said. “When I score a goal, everything stops in place so you can enjoy the moment and you can live in it for 20 seconds.”
In order to gain the inspiration to keep on playing on the field, Lin’s idol, Alex Morgan, a member of the U.S Womens National Team, motivates her through words. Lin keeps an autograph from Morgan that her parents surprised her with for OSSA tryouts. Before a game, she admires the autograph and thinks of how Morgan plays.
Besides soccer, Lin’s hobbies including spending time with her friends and family, but mostly her family.
“My family means a lot to me,” Lin said. “My friends are there for me, but I can’t trust them with my whole life, unlike my family. They’re there for me 24/7.”
Even though her friends and family mean a lot, Lin does not stray from her school life. She pays close attention to her academics. Her favorite subject so far is technical theatre because of her love of spending time on play sets.
Lin’s future includes her dream to become an elementary school teacher. She wants to attend Stanford University on a soccer scholarship and major with a degree in chemistry. However, her life-long passion of soccer makes up her ultimate dream: to become a professional soccer player for the U.S. Womens National Team.
“I’m getting steps closer to reaching my dream,” Lin said. “If I reach my dream, or if I don’t and end up becoming a soccer coach, as long as I stay active, I can stay in the game.”
With practices nearly every day, Danielle DelBene, junior, has a life that revolves around sports. DelBene has played many sports in the past, from soccer to basketball, but she currently only plays softball.
“Freshman year I played sports in every season, but now I decided to focus on softball,” DelBene said. “I enjoyed it the most, and I wanted to get better.”
DelBene has played softball since she was five years old. She plays year round, with fall ball, winter workouts, spring and summer ball. According to DelBene, it is sometimes overwhelming.
“There are some weeks when I have softball every day because I have practice Monday through Saturday, and then I have the hitting clinic on Sunday,” DelBene said.
DelBene’s interests do not stop at playing sports, though, because she hopes to pursue a career in athletics.
“Ever since elementary school I’ve known [that I want a career in sports],” DelBene said.
This desire to work in athletics was her motivation for joining the Amplifier, according to DelBene, where she works as a staff reporter.
“I want to think about doing sportscasting as a career, and [Amplifier] was the closest elective,” DelBene said.
Athletics are not only a possible career and pastime for DelBene, but they also describe who DelBene is as a person. DelBene regards herself as “athletic and quiet-ish.”
“I’m fairly quiet, but I can be crazy when I want,” DelBene said. “I’m kind of crazy when you get to know me. I get weird and do whatever I want.”
According to DelBene, this is something that many people don’t know about her. She also said that many people don’t know about her plans for the future.
“I want to go to college in North Carolina,” DelBene said. “It’s kind of a whim, but it’s so different there. Plus, my favorite television show is based out of there, and it’s just so pretty.”
Elvis. Etta James. The Beatles. All popular names of their time, but their fame has receded with this generation. There are exceptions though, and Julia Mogen, freshman, is one of them. She enjoys old music.
“I like weird music. Sixties, eighties and nineties music are all great,” Mogen said. “I get tired of bubblegum pop because it all sounds the same. There’s a variety of music that is enjoyable that came before our time, and I enjoy discovering it.”
Other than music, Mogen also enjoys theatre. Before starting Amplifier this year, Mogen visited Ashland. with her cousins and grandmother to attend the Oregon Shakespeare Festival as she does every summer. She attended productions of “Romeo and Juliet,” “Animal Crackers,” “Medea/Macbeth/Cinderella” and “The Very Merry Wives of Windsor, Iowa.”
“The plays in Ashland were enjoyable, but the acting in “Medea/Macbeth/Cinderella” was terrible,” Mogen said, “I really like the atmosphere of the town in June. There’s a lot of strange people, but they’re what makes the town interesting.”
In addition to traveling to Ashland, Mogen visited the Sunriver Lava Beds and Oregon Coast. On future vacations, she would like to see Europe, especially France.
Along with Amplifier, Mogen is participating in co-ed soccer as well as pep band where she plays the French horn.
“Pep band is exciting because it doesn’t matter what you sound like, it’s just fun being there with your friends and performing,” said Mogen.
When she’s not at school, doing homework, or participating in extracurricular activities, Mogen likes to lounge around her house in her pajamas or hang out with her friends. When around them, she describes herself as “weird; it’s more comfortable that way.” The other person she can be weird with is her brother, Evan Mogen, who is also on the Amplifier staff.
“We’re always talking in weird voices together,” Mogen said.
Mogen is looking into a few different career options, including journalism, writing and law.
“I like current events. It’s good to keep yourself up-to-date with what’s happening around you. Law seems like it’d be exciting, and there’s a lot of different things you can do in that career field,” Mogen said.
One of the positives of high school for Mogen are the many different types of people— more so than in middle school. On the other hand, she does not like being a freshman because of the harassing that goes on; sometimes she ends up feeling sorry for herself.
When feeling down, one of Mogen’s favorite quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist, reminds her to stay positive: “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
Dazzling fireworks and decorative birthday cakes are the essence of July for Alessandra Sisca, Senior. While she celebrates the Fourth of July with usual traditions, the day marks the end of a two-day celebration that begins with her July third birthday.
“I don’t really think of it like my birthday,” Sisca said. “When it’s Fourth of July, I do what most people do—if we’re at the beach, sometimes [my family will] do a cookout and we’ll go to the parade—if we’re home we’ll do something quiet. My neighbors go up to Washington and buy fireworks, and basically you hear them from the time it barely gets dark until midnight. So we basically get our own firework show.”
The excitement of this summer has transitioned straight into the new school year. Sisca has been absent from Amplifier for the past two years, but she has decided to return to West Linn High School’s independent newspaper for her final year in high school.
For Sisca, freshman year of high school marked the beginning of a journey and a new passion. Sisca has worked with the Oregon City Children’s Theater as an aide in shows and a mentor to young actors for the last four years. The organization, according to Sisca, is an independently-run program that is “an open theater to anybody.”
For two shows, she has worked backstage, and recently Sisca debuted as an actress in two other shows. The shows that she has acted in were “Alice in Wonderland” as a Jabberwocky and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” as an Italian reporter. She was able to take advantage of her Italian heritage by displaying an authentic Italian accent.
“I kind of tried to imitate the way my grandparents speak,” Sisca said.
Because the productions are put on by a small collection of people, fundraising is done completely by those who run it. The sets, according to Sisca, are not as extravagant as Broadway and even some high school displays, but she considers them to be a good quality for a community theater. Sisca’s favorite set was from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
“It was a lot of fun to set up all the rooms in the factory, “ Sisca said. “It was a lot of fun to watch everything come to life.”
Sisca feels that theater has helped herself grow as a person.
“I’ve learned a lot about myself through theater. It’s kind of fun because the director, Michelle, makes the experience fun for everyone,” Sisca said.
While Sisca is involved with the theater beyond school, she hopes to sleep at a decent hour and raise her GPA. After high school, Sisca plans to fulfill her graduation requirements and afterwards attend the University of Windsor in Canada. There she will study business in the hopes of one day running her own dress shop. This shop, Sisca described, will contain dresses of all shapes, sizes, colors and styles.
With hobbies like piano and knowing three different languages, Samuel Maksimov, freshman, has a lot on his platter for his first year at high school.
Coming from a Russian household, Maksimov speaks both Russian and English fluently, and is currently learning Spanish.
“I learned Russian first be1cause that was what was spoken in my house,” Maksimov said. “I learned English through my brother and school.”
Other hobbies of his are playing video games, the piano, baritone and playing basketball. He also like listens to jazz and to people such as Yanni, a famous pianist and composer.
Along with his favorite hobbies, Maksimov visited multiple places around Oregon, including Kah-Nee-Ta, which was his favorite. His least favorite part was when had to stay at home and didn’t go outside.When he was stuck at home, he would watch “Family Guy,” “South Park” and “American Dad.”
Maksimov is most looking forward to earning good grades and being able to meet new teachers and friends. The articles that he is hoping to write are articles that are “something interesting, something that’s happening.” He believes his writing ability, organization and people skills will help him rise to the top.
Walking the streets of Japan, Raina Schutz, freshman, admired the new atmosphere and her international adventure over the summer. Schutz was in awe of the scenery and the cultural difference. Being exposed to something extremely new, Schutz found it eye opening to meet new people and learn about their culture.
“Everything was so beautiful, the parks were so fun and there was never a single moment that I was bored with looking around,” Schutz, said.
Through this culturally diverse experience, Schutz has found a new appreciation for the people around her. Through a foreign exchange program in Hood River, Schutz had the opportunity to take a trip to Japan with a group of kids her own age. She was exposed to the city and faced everyday life with a host family, such as observing the emphasis on manners between family members to show respect.
“You couldn’t slouch or lean against walls. They found it extremely disrespectful and a sign of being uninterested. We needed to stand tall and have good posture to show our appreciation,” Schutz said.
Schutz has also found a special appreciation for the people around her through her move from Lake Oswego to West Linn. Between elementary school and middle school, Schutz was given the option to transfer to the West Linn-Wilsonville School District. She has found herself become more comfortable with her new friends and more welcomed by the West Linn community. She feels fortunate to have found close and welcoming friends during her transition and graduation into high school.
“Everyone is so much nicer here in West Linn, the people are so much more welcoming and friendly,” Schutz said.
Her trip to Japan also shows that Schutz is well-rounded. She has many different interests and loves trying out new things.
Between being busy with friends and extracurricular activities such as co-ed soccer, snow boarding and dance; Schutz has made goals for herself to achieve in order to start her high school year off successfully. She plans to achieve a B in every class and looks forward to facing the challenges in Biology. Schutz looks forward to acting and journalism the most.
“Journalism and acting are my favorite because it’s really fun and has a relaxed environment without any tedious homework.” Schutz said.
Schutz plans to participate in video and write in the Opinion section specifically. Over the course of this year, she hopes to become a better writer and looks forward to seeing her writing on the school website.
As a five-year-old boy living in London, Kyle Cannelos, freshman, hears the thundering of bombs going off at a nearby underground train station. Later, they explode again while his mother is at work. She is told to “stay away from the windows” to be safe. Confused and curious, his interest in global current events awakens.
“I learned that there was violence all over the world,” Cannelos said, “and I just wanted to know more about it and how it relates to us.”
Cannelos’ life has taken him all around the world he continues to study. His family moved to Baltimore shortly after his birth in Hawaii. They later moved to England, living in London and Chelmsford when his father found work there. He has lived in West Linn for the past five years.
The penchant for the news Cannelos developed continued throughout middle school. In seventh grade, he discovered the best way to communicate his findings and thoughts about global events: writing. He credits Anne Voegtlin, Rosemont Ridge Language Arts teacher, for helping him perfect his skills. Now he is writing for the Amplifier, and is excited to put his skills to use.
“I’m here because I love to write about worldwide current events; being on the staff will allow me a lot of freedom to write about what I’m interested in,” Cannelos said.
His interests at school include science— especially chemistry— and social studies. Outside of school he is a soccer player who has played for nine years. He’s hoping to go to law school after high school, but he’s keeping his options open just in case. For now, he’s ready to write news, take photos and do social media — all the while thinking globally.
He never planned on being in journalism, but Jacob Humphrey, freshman, aspires to be one of the most valuable writers. Always having a passion for writing, he has continually enjoyed his English and Language Arts classes, especially the opinion and narrative aspects.
“I like to write short stories because they are more imaginative, as well as reviews because that lets me experience something and let other people know how I felt about it,” Humphrey said. Often writing on his own, Humphrey has conjured up stories such as one of an octopus ending up lost on a train. He normally spends about half an hour at home out a piece.
For as much time as he spends writing fantasy stories, he is equally involved in online video games. “Chilling with friends in his room,” he can spend up to five hours killing the militia in “Call of Duty: Black Operations Modern Warfare 2.”
On top of this, when Humphrey isn’t focused on his favorite novel, “Into Thin Air,” or listening to his favorite band, “My Chemical Romance,” he will probably be found deep into his studies. With a goal of earning all As for the year, Humphrey won’t be rock climbing at the Portland Rock Gym as much as in the past, though he still plans on attending when he can.
Throughout the year, he will be involved in numerous other co-curricular activities including in the theatre and drama department, acting as a backstage techie for multiple productions. Humphrey, with his love of writing, has found journalism to be a happy accident.
Few people can say that they visited the place that they were named after, but that’s exactly what Makena Buser, freshman and staff writer, can say. People who are named after cities tend to be named after well-known spots, like Paris, Florence or Sydney, but that’s not the case for Buser.
Last year, Buser was able to visit her namesake beach in Maui, Hawaii. Makena Beach State Park is a special place for Buser and her family. Before Buser was born, her parents took a vacation to Maui and visited the beach. Immediately after visiting, Buser’s parents knew it would become their own little paradise.
“When my parents were there, they fell in love with the beach, especially the more secluded parts,” said Buser. “It felt odd being at my beach, especially being named after such a pretty place.”
Buser’s unique name may help her stand out in her hopeful future as a politician. Her dreams of going into politics were brought to life when she was able to accompany her dad on a trip to Washington D.C. in Nov. 2011 to lobby for funding to expanded the Willamette Meteorite information sight at Fields Bridge Park. While there, Buser was able to tour the House of Representatives and the Senate, even meeting some Representatives and Senators along the way. This hands-on tour through the nation’s capitol helped pave the way for Buser’s aspirations to become a social scientist, particularly one that is involved with government.
“I want to be a social scientist because it would be fun to be involved in another country’s political system,” Buser said.
If Buser ever does decide to have a career in politics, she’ll be sure to have a name to remember.
When he isn’t listening to classical music, Caleb Barrett, freshman, is out surfing the beautiful ocean. Barrett moved into the district from Lincoln City, Ore. and used to love surfing in his free time, which he is unable to do in West Linn. He didn’t pick up surfing on his own, but instead was encouraged by his dad.
“My dad really wanted us all to learn how to surf, to carry on the tradition, and I was kind of dreading it at first,” Barrett said, “It’s a lot of fun, though, and I enjoy surfing with all of my friends.”
Instead of surfing while in West Linn, he focuses on his other sport— soccer. He currently plays on one of the coed soccer teams. However, Barrett hopes that one day he is able to start a Surfing Club and head down to the beach again.
Barrett’s family consists of two older brothers, a younger sister, a dog and two cats. He works better with silence, finding he has difficulty focusing with noise, but with so many siblings it is a wonder how anyone could find peace and quiet. When that silence is unattainable, Barrett prefers to listen to classical music.
Barrett takes school very seriously and considers himself loving in nature. He went to Athey Creek Middle School, but is not nervous about the change from middle school to high school; instead, he is finding that he is excited about the freedom he will experience.
“I think [high school] will be harder but better. I have always just glided through my classes, and since this is such a top notch school, I want to be able to challenge myself,” Barrett said.
Barrett chose Amplifier as one of his electives because he loves reading and writing, but more importantly, it gives him a chance to publish his work. He hopes that he becomes a better writer through the class and is able to accomplish his goal of becoming an editor.
