Volume 101, Issue 1

For students who missed the happenings locally, nationally and globally this past summer, here is the recap of events as identifi ed by students and faculty.

Kicking off the summer was the commotion of the U.S. presidential elections and the ongoing debate between U.S. Democrat President-elect Barack Obama and Republican President-elect Mitt Romney.

“The presidential election could make or break America’s future depending on who wins and if they do a good job [in offi ce],” sophomore Brant Edmonds said.

The drought in the Midwestern U.S. was a trend that continued all summer as well. Considered the worst drought in the past 25 years Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado and South Dakota were hit the hardest. The heat wave brought crop failures and extensive damage to livestock.

“For the U.S., one of the keys [issues] was actually the [Midwest] heat wave, because that’s going to have some long term consequences that are going to impact

us,” American Studies teacher Jamie Smith said. “The lack of corn, that resulted in the slaughtering of thousands of cows, chickens and other animals, which is going to raise beef prices and corn prices. It’s making farmers not able to pay off goods putting more people out of work. That is going to have long term consequences most people haven’t realized. It’s more than just [the Midwest] having to deal with hot weather.”

Another key event of the summer was the Colorado movie theater shooting as it has been called. A man killed 12 and injured 58 others July 20 when he walked into a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises and open fi red on the crowd.

Psychology Teacher Matthew White explained the shooting aftermath in society.

“Gun control issues have been big with Colorado and Wisconsin... it was pretty horrifi c,” White said.

Starting July 27 the Olympic Games held

in London, England were a big part of the summer, hosting thousands of athletes from different countries for two weeks of competition in 302 events and 26 sports.

Senior Carter Chiu believes the Olympics are important.

“To me it seems good for all the nations to get together and compete in a friendly spirit,” Chiu said.

Anatomy and Physiology teacher Pamela Reichel also thought the Olympics were an important event.

“Even though there is that competitive spirit, [the Olympians] get along fabulously and try to encourage each other. [Our community] had several athletes that competed in the Olympics, Hope Solo and Nathan Adrian. I was impressed with that

young man… He didn’t seem arrogant when he won,” Reichel said.

Neil Armstrong, the fi rst man to ever walk on the moon died at age 82, Aug. 25 in his home in Ohio. Armstrong was a part of

the historic Apollo moon landing program launched in the 1960s by NASA.

“Neil Armstrong was important to me because I was a little girl when man touched down on the moon. In fact it was the day before my birthday,” said Reichel. “For me it was exciting. I always used to say it was on my birthday because [Neil Armstrong] was on the moon and there is a time difference. I’ve always remembered him.”

Ending the summer was Hurricane Isaac. Lasting from Aug. 21-Sept. 1 Isaac caused $2 billion in damage in the Caribbean, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

“The hurricane in Florida is supposed to be as big as Katrina. [The taxpayers] might have to help with money to replace buildings. My mom lives in Florida and I was down there when it hit Key West,” junior Danielle Strange said.

As the new school year begins refl ect on the memories of a summer fi lled with new Olympic world records, weather patterns and mass shootings because these are the things summer 2012 will be remembered by.

B Y A B B Y D O V R EA N D S E R E N A F I N K

R E P O R T E R S

VANGUARDT H E V I K I N G

A L I M I T E D F O R U M F O R S T U D E N T E X P R E S S I O N

V O L U M E 1 0 1 | I S S U E O N E | S E P T E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 2 | P U Y A L L U P H I G H S C H O O L | 1 0 5 7 T H S T . S W P U Y A L L U P W A S H , 9 8 3 7 1

Headphones in,hearing out

See page ten

“ G U N C O N T R O L I S S U E S H A V E

B E E N B I G W I T H C O L O R A D O A N D

W I S C O N S I N .I T W A S P R E T T Y

H O R R I F I C . ”

M A T T H E W W H I T EP S Y C H O L O G Y T E A C H E R

S A R A P A R L I M A N | V A N G U A R D

The Puyallup School Board of Directors approved a bond Aug. 27 that they hope will improve the education experience.

The staff and the public have worked very closely to determine what changes need to take place.

“We all took into discussion what the district could afford,” School board legislative representative Pat Donovan said.

After two years of meetings, study sessions and much time spent together, the school board, Bond Advisory Committee (BAC) and Citizens Facilities Advisory Committee (CFAC) have proposed a bond that will change all schools.

“I don’t believe anything [in the bond] will be negative,” School board director Patrick Jenkins said.

With $279.6 million in bonds, changes include replacing two elementary schools, building an elementary school in the southwest area, developing a brand new track along with a fi eld at Edgemont Junior High School, attaining

new student computers, district-wide improvements, remodeling and expanding a few elementary schools as well as Rogers, Emerald Ridge and Puyallup High Schools.

“I would hope [the students] would have a positive reaction,” Jenkins said.

The board of directors is confi dent on the decision they have made, expecting no negative outcome. They have stated that they will not change any of the decisions they have made for the proposed bond.

“We’d like to make [the bond] an even bigger package,” Jenkins said.

If the bond is voted for changes, it will take place February 2013. There may be distractions from construction but board members have wishful thinking that adding classrooms and a larger number of fi elds will signifi cantly benefi t schools.

“If the bond doesn’t pass then where will we house the students?” Donovan said.

There were many options about what changes to make but Puyallup High School seemed to be a necessity to the board, especially if their prediction of a large

increase in students holds to be true.“There’s a fi ne line of things we

feel we need to have,” said Donovan.The board is hoping the students

and staff will be supportive, science teachers especially, as they can expect more science rooms. There will be challenges Vikings need to face during construction but overall the board believes the bond will create more space

so that PHS may accommodate more students.“I’m excited for what the bond is going to mean for

Puyallup High School,” Principal Jason Smith said.

B Y H A Y L E Y M A S C A R OR E P O R T E R

RECAP: For those who may have overlooked the important events that occured over the summer, here are some of the major events that happened.

“ I D O N ’ T B E L I E V E A N Y T H I N G I N T H E

B O N D W I L L B E N E G A T I V E , ”

P A T R I C K J E N K I N SS C H O O L B O A R D

Bond approved, moves to voters in February

NEWSP A G E T W O | P U Y A L L U P H I G H S C H O O L | I S S U E O N E | S E P T E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 2 | T H E V I K I N G V A N G U A R D

Many students and staff drink them. But how many understand the addiction they are exposing their bodies to?

According to an article in the Journal of School Nursing (TJSN) October 2010, caffeine is a stimulant that affects the body, jolting the central nervous system.

Fast food, vending machines and convenient stores: three

suppliers of caffeine whom are easily accessible to any age.

“Caffeine is the world’s most commonly used stimulant and it’s cheap and available so people can maintain their use of caffeine quite easily,” Roland Griffi ths, professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins said.

TJSN stated that the energizing effect comes from caffeine’s ability to block adenosine from signaling the brain that

the body needs rest.“Kids who are drinking caffeinated

drinks are the ones who have sleep deprivation,” psychology teacher Matt White said.

While students use sources of caffeine to pull an all-nighter or wake up, many barely

know the side effects of consuming these drinks.

Senior Jared Crevling, consumed four energy drinks before third

period came around.“I usually crash hard by

fourth period and just sleep,” Crevling said. “I know if I don’t drink them before third, I get headaches.”

Higher doses of caffeine cause anxiety, dizziness, the jitters and aggravated heart problems, according to the website

sponsored by The Nemours Foundation.

It may also affect your sleeping patterns if you take high doses of caffeine.

In American Sign Language class, teacher Kara Harris, had a student OD on energy drinks.

The student came in with a dripping forehead of sweat with shaking hands. He lived but was

hospitalized.“I see kids that drink

something with caffeine in it on an everydaybasis,” the school nurse, Karen Smith said.

Approximately 35 percent to 45 percent of adolescents and young adults report that they drink at least one energy drink per day (TJSN).

They enjoy the burst of energy but it never really assists them.

“I just like the taste of them,” Crevling said.

Drinking caffeinated beverages such as energy drink have a negative effect on their

attention according to the senior English and debate teacher, Sarah Sherry.

“Kids with energy drinks are usually the ones squirreling around theclass,” Sherry said.

To have less than 300 milligrams a day of caffeine is healthy in a person’s diet.

However consuming more than that is when the body reaches an unhealthy limit according to a website sponsored by the National Council on Strength and Fitness.

The founders of the Family & Parenting Company have a few tips in order to substitute for caffeinated beverages.

One is to eat an apple. Reasons being “fructose increases the blood-sugar and creates high alertness similar to caffeine’s energizing boost.”

“More and more kids are turning to caffeinated drinks as breakfast,” Smith said.

To change that, she recommends eating breakfast every morning and exercising to maintain focus throughout the day.

Without exercise, it can cause an individual to drag.

CAFFEINATED DRINKS AFFECT STUDENTSB Y S A M M Y M A G I N

R E P O R T E R

Selk enjoyed spending his time playing his guitar and is remembered by his family as having a great sense of humor.

He is survived by his mother, Danette Selk, father and stepmother, Jimmy and Shawna Schlichting and sister Kaylynn.

His formal memorial service was held Sept. 6 at Celebration Center.

His friends juniors Myles Ricker and Tyler Jones organized a memorial barbeque for Selk’s friends at Wildwood Park Sept. 15.

IN MEMORIAM:Christopher Christopher

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J E S S E G I L E S | V A N G U A R D

Students that drink caffeinated beverages such as energy drinks or coffee obtain a stimulated feeling but are also exposed to negative side affects.

In an effort to increase student health and promote healthy choices the Offi ce of Superintendent of Public Instruction has set new standards for the food served in school cafeterias.

The new meal plan requirements, which are to be implemented during the 2012-2013 school year, emphasizes serving sizes and weekly servings of particular foods, such as meats, legumes, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low-fat milk products.

The serving sizes will vary based on the age group to which they’re served.

For example, one cup of dairy product should be served daily to students in all grades, whereas as students grades 9-12 should be offered 10 to 12 ounces weekly of meat and students grades K-5 should be served eight to nine ounces weekly.

Pediatrician MD Melanie Roscoe has several children in the Puyallup School District and she doesn’t prefer that her kids buy food from school.

She allows her kids to buy school lunch once a week but would allow them to buy more often if the choices were healthier.

“An ideal lunch would involve portions of vegetables, fruit and a whole wheat sandwich that provides protein, such as turkey or ham,” Roscoe said. “The food my kids bring from home is pretty far apart from what they have available at school.”

Roscoe says the food could be easily improved by the reduction of carbohydrates, such as the heavy ones found in pizza, nachos and pasta.

The current dietary guidelines aim to increase healthy carbohydrates by bringing in more whole grain options, including brown rice, oatmeal and whole wheat tortillas.

For the school district, this means making

several changes to the components they serve day to day. Secondary Coordinator Robin Osborn has been part of the change occurring in the Puyallup School District.

“The lunch menu is now planned by components of a meal and have minimum and maximum amounts we can serve to students,” Osborn said. “A meal for a high school student can have no more than two grains now.”

The district began to tweak the menu over the summer but more changes are still to come.

The district is working on incorporating a bakery department to make bread products that they can claim as their own. These products would fulfi ll calorie, fat, carbohydrate and

sodium requirements.Osborn, however, is most

excited to be able to feature a greater variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Students are no longer offered a fruit or vegetable in the lunch line but are required to take it.

According to their website, the Seattle School District believes that students are more likely to eat the food when it’s already on their trays.

Seattle Schools have put a large focus into offering the best fruits and vegetables to their students. The more vibrant the color, the healthier the food. Dark greens, bright oranges and reds, beside legumes such as black beans, chick peas and lentils help round out a meal.

Healthier eating choices can benefi t students in the short term and the long run.

A better lunch means higher levels of concentration and a better mood. Students will “feel good now” and, the Seattle School District hopes, will be enabled to make better choices as adults.

For now, tweaking the menu and offering a few more greens is probably the biggest change the Puyallup School District will see, according to Osborn.

B Y S I E R R A T R Y O NF E A T U R E S E D I T O R

“ T H E L U N C H M E N U I S N O W P L A N N E D B Y C O M P O N E N T S O F A M E A L A N D

H A V E M I N I M U M A N D M A X I M U M A M O U N T S

W E C A N S E R V E T O S T U D E N T S , ”

R O B I N O S B O R NS E C O N D A R Y C O O R D I N A T O R

Senior Christopher Selk passed away Sept. 3 at the age of 17.

D O R I A N P H O T O G R A P H Y

School lunch standards adjust for healthier meals

“ K I D S W I T H E N E R G Y D R I N K S

A R E U S U A L L Y T H E O N E S

S Q U I R R E L I N G A R O U N D I N

C L A S S , ”

S A R A H S H E R R YE N G L I S H T E A C H E R

“ I S E E K I D S T H A T D R I N K

S O M E T H I N G W I T H C A F F E I N E I N I T

O N A N E V E R Y D A Y B A S I S , ”

K A R E N S M I T HN U R S E

VANGUARDT H E V I K I N G

E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P A U L A B I S I A RM A N A G I N G E D I T O R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S O N I A X UO P I N I O N E D I T O R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A M Y C U R T I SF E A T U R E S E D I T O R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S I E R R A T R Y O NF O C U S E D I T O R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B R I P E D I C O N EA & E E D I T O R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Z A C H H A L T ES P O R T S E D I T O R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N O L A N J O H N S O N N E W S E D I T O R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S Y D N E Y W E A T H E R B E EA D M A N A G E R S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S A R A P A R L I M A N. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B R I P E D I C O N EG R A P H I C S E D I T O R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J E S S E G I L E SP H O T O E D I T O R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E M M A M I L L E RG R A P H I C S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L U I S B A R B O Z AP H O T O G R A P H E R S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K A R I D U T C H E R. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P A T R I C K F A I R B A N K S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S O N I A X UV V T V E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R . . . . . . . . . . S A R A P A R L I M A NR E P O R T E R S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G A B E C A R R O L L. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A B B Y D O V R E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S E R E N A F I N K. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S A M M Y M A G I N. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H A Y L E Y M A S C A R O. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K E N Z I E M I L E S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A S H L E Y O W E N S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J O S H W I L L I A M S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J E S S I C A W Y A N TA D V I S E R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S A N D R A C O Y E R , M J E

P U B L I C A T I O N S P O L I C I E S :

E D I T O R I A L P O L I C Y :

The Viking Vanguard operates as a limited forum.

The Viking Vanguard’s duty is to expand student perspectives, maintain community relations and act as a student publication advocating voice. Besides providing an opportunity fo the exchange of viewpoints, The Viking Vanguard serves as an academic tool by which students can voice opinions as well as highlight issues facing today’s students.

L E T T E R P O L I C Y :

The Viking Vanguard accepts unsolicited copy from businesses. Only signed and dated letters with addresses and phone numbers from community members, or grade level from students will be accepted. Letters must be limited to 350 words and will be published as space is available. The staff reserves the right to edit any letter without changing it’s content. All letters are the sole opinion of the writer and do not necessarily represent the opinion of The Viking Vanguard staff. Letters to the Editor may be submitted by E-Mailing them to [email protected], or mailing them to The Viking Vanguard c/o Puyallup High School

A D V E R T I S I N G P O L I C Y :

The Viking Vanguard publication staff accepts advertisements for most products available to the public. However, the staff reserves the right to reject, edit or cancel any advertisement at anytime. Advertisements shall be free of implications that the staff deems offensive in light of normal public standards (WIAA 18.20.0 and 18.20.1) and will not be accepted. The staff will not accept advertising for products or groups which are racist, sexist or illegal for high school students. Advertisements do not necessarily refl ect the views, endorsements and/or positions of The Viking Vanguard, student body, faculty, administration or school board.

C O R R E C T I O N S :

The Viking Vanguard staff values accuracy, and wishes to correct mistakes made in previous issues. If you believe we have made an error, please contact us at: [email protected].

OPINIONT H E V I K I N G V A N G U A R D | P U Y A L L U P H I G H S C H O O L | I S S U E O N E | S E P T E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 2 | P A G E T H R E E

This year marks The Viking Vanguard’s 101st year as a publication and with that the beginning of a new era. In this era we are continuing with one of our more recent traditions of outlining our goals at the beginning of the year.

We hope to accomplish these in order to improve our publication and our ability to serve you, our readers. We hope our audience will hold us accountable for these goals.

Maintain a standard of 1. relevancy: The Viking Vanguard aspires to live up to its name. “Vanguard” means forerunner and we aim to be just that for our readers. We hope to stay relevant to students and the community covering not just local stories but also stories from around the world that have local connections to our readership. We want to cover stories that inform, entertain and educate you. At the same time we would like to offer different perspectives and cover topics that need to be talked about no matter the level of controversy.

Utilize emerging 2. technologies and modernize

the way we keep our readers informed: As we enter this new era we acknowledge the diffi culty of producing a publication in a format that has been said to be a dying breed. The Viking Vanguard aims to become less of a newspaper and more of a news source. We have begun utilizing social networks like Facebook and Twitter and would like to further pursue a transition to an online format in addition to the print publication. We are also working on broadcast pursuits with Viking Vanguard TV (VVTV). By pursuing these formats we hope to become more accessible to our readers and more current than we have previously been capable of due to our once a month distribution.

Embrace student voice: 3. This publication is not just about the Vanguard staff it is also about you, our readers. This year we would like to ensure that student voices are

heard. We encourage you to write letters to the editor, columns and give us feedback. The opinions you wish to voice and have published can be emailed to thevikingvanguard@gmail.

com, submitted to any Vanguard staff member or brought to room 313. We are your newspaper. This publication is about the Viking family and we can only maintain that with your willingness to give us feedback and be a part of the

process. In addition to receiving your feedback we would also like to give a voice to all students, especially those who are most often the quietest. We want to portray your views and give your opinion an outlet.

We look forward to serving our readers at school and in the community this year as we pursue these goals in addition to maintaining our reputation as a student newspaper that upholds professional journalistic standards.

Staff establishes year’s goals

Editorial Cartoon

L U I S B A R B O Z A | V A N G U A R D

“ T H I S P U B L I C A T I O N I S

N O T J U S T A B O U T T H E V A N G U A R D

S T A F F I T I S A L S O A B O U T Y O U . . . ”

O U R V I E W

Student breaks stereotypesHigh school is like a melting pot. There are all kinds of different people who all have

different goals, objectives and personalities. But there is one thing that separates us more

than anything else.Popularity.You can grow up with a person, know them

for years and out of nowhere, see them become someone you know they’re not, just for the sake of being “cool.”

Seeing a friend go through this can be devastating.

Watching as they forget about you and the good times when it didn’t matter what you were wearing or how expensive your car was. Back when doing drugs and smoking cigarettes wasn’t what the coolest kids in school were doing. None of this mattered to anyone.

All that was important was having fun.Every kid has a different opinion of what

they think is fun. Human nature is to fi nd people with similar interests. Students who are not considered to be popular do have plenty of people to befriend.

The popular kids just happen to have more options, whether it’s because they have money or do a lot of different things or just have a personality that relates to anyone. They have a wide variety of people to hang out with, which gives them a lot of personalities to choose from.

Being the popular kid, you have the luxuries of teacher favoritism and the power to infl uence a wide variety of your peers.

Appearance, money and belongings are a prime way for someone to buy their way into popularity.

But is buying a $300 pair of pants worth it? There are kids out there who have similar interests as you that aren’t considered popular. That doesn’t mean you can’t be

friends with them. Who cares if they are considered a band nerd? Playing

an instrument is a talent. If someone is good at something and they enjoy doing it, why should you judge them for that?

Who cares if their favorite movie and TV show is Star Trek and they have action fi gures from the old TV shows? One day those will be worth quite a bit of money or they could be something passed down in their family for generations to come.

That is not your decision to make or worry about. Just accept the little quirks people have and move on. People are all supposed to be equal in this world so what gives anyone the right to take away a person’s individuality for these so-called “perks of being popular?”

Everyone is searching for acceptance and to be part of something greater than themselves.

So instead of separating into stereotypical jocks, nerds, geeks and preps along with other cliques and social circles, people must learn to accept each other for the individual they all are.

There is no truly good reason one person in orchestra, one kid taking all AP classes and the captain of a sports team can’t all be friends if they have some common things they can each relate to.

Instead of looking at what social group they are associated with, look at who the person is and what they like to do. You never know who around you is looking for someone they can relate to.

This simple act of just accepting people for who they are without making a big deal of what they wear and say and do would change so many aspects of the way people feel about themselves and others as well. Complimenting someone can make their day.

It would simply make the world a better place for everyone.

J O S H W I L L I A M SR E P O R T E R

“ J U S T A C C E P T T H E L I T T L E Q U I R K S

P E O P L E H A V E A N D M O V E O N . ”

J O S H W I L L I A M SR E P O R T E R

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http://my.hsj.org/Schools/Newspaper/tabid/100/view/front-page/newspaperid/1534/Default.aspx

HEY!WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING BEFORE EVERYONE ELSE? JOIN VANGUARD STAFF OR FREELANCE TO GAIN THIS INFORMATION!CONTACT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, PAULA BISIAR, VIA RM. 313 OR MRS.COYER.

OPINIONP A G E F O U R | P U Y A L L U P H I G H S C H O O L | I S S U E O N E | S E P T E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 2 | T H E V I K I N G V A N G U A R D

Q:What is your favorite caffeinated drink and how often do you indulge in it?

I ’ M N O T A L L O W E D T O H A V E C A F F E I N E , I H A V E N E V E R H A D C A F F E I N E M Y M O M

T H I N K S I A M H Y P E R E N O U G H . ”

“ A T A H I T I A N A N D P R O B A B L Y L I K E

T W I C E A M O N T H . ”

“ D R . P E P P E R , D U R I N G W A T E R P O L O N O T T H A T M U C H , B U T

P R O B A B L Y T W O T I M E S A W E E K . ”

“ D R . P E P P E R , [ I U S U A L L Y H A V E I T ]

O N C E A M O N T H . ”

“ I R E A L L Y L I K E C A P P U C C I N O S A N D I N A M O N T H I P R O B A B L Y H A V E T H E M A B O U T 2 5

T I M E S . ”

K A T I E H A W L E YS O P H O M O R E

O L I V I A L L O Y BS O P H O M O R E

J A C K R O S EJ U N I O R

E M M A F O R S L U N DS E N I O R

C H A R K R A U S EA S S T . P R I N C I P A L

YADDA!Y A D D A Y A D D A

S E E P A G E N I N E T O L E A R N M O R E A B O U T T H E M Y T H O F S L E N D E R M A N | H A V E A N O P I N I O N ? W R I T E A L E T T E R

T O T H E E D I T O R ; S U B M I T L E T T E R S T O R O O M 3 1 3 , S A N D R A C O Y E R O R T H E V I K I N G V A N G U A R D @ G M A I L . C O M

Sept. 20, 2011 wasn’t supposed to be a signifi cant day.

It was supposed to come and go, to fade into the next day into the next week.

Life wasn’t supposed to stop. That day I lost a teammate, a

confi dant, a friend, a jokester. Her life was stolen

at the recklessness of another.

The fi rst time we met was on the day of try-outs for Revolution, a club soccer team. Both of us were scared, nervous, but confi dent in our abilities.

After making the team together, she was placed at center defense while I played keeper.

I depended on her, she depended on me; together we were unstoppable. The memory of that day is still fresh in my mind.

It was early evening as I scrolled through Facebook after eating dinner, when I noticed a mother from the team had posted something about two of her daughter’s teammates being injured in a car accident.

I rushed to get to my dad who then was left to tell me that one of my teammates had passed away in the accident while another teammate was left injured in the hospital.

Still in shock I received a call asking if this was really happening. When I relayed the horrifi c news, all I heard was the phone dropping to the ground and an ear-splitting scream.

Before I could even begin grasp this very simple thought of someone I know having their life taken so soon, my dad whisked me into the car and we were on our way to the hospital.

Seeing my friend laying in that hospital bed, helpless, glass stuck in her curls, blood crusted on her face is something I’ll never forget.

The time following the accident ended up being the roughest months of my life. I only left my house for school, memorial services and small trips with my mom.

Thinking about all the hurt and pain surrounding me wore me

down.Being tired

consumed me and for the fi rst time ever I felt truly alone, with nowhere to turn.

This was my life. I was sad and I refused to accept help from anyone.

I had created my own little bubble where I didn’t have to face anything more pressing than when I

will sleep next. In this world, I wasn’t happy or

sad. Everything was meaningless. W o r d s ,

e m o t i o n s , thoughts all had zero value in my bubble.

My grades were slipping quickly, my f r i e n d s h i p s were dissolving and my opinion on everything was usually along the lines of “I don’t care.”

I was becoming someone I never thought I would be.

It’s a funny thing, death. Once you’ve suffered through

it, once you experience it, a piece of it will always stay with you.

You can handle it well and say over and over that you’re fi ne, but the truth of it is death never goes away.

The pain can hide away for a while but whenever you get a small reminder of that one person who’s slipped away from you, all the memories come rushing back.

No matter how much time has passed, the death of a loved one will always linger in your mind.

Months later everyone around me who had experienced the same awful event was sharing their stories about the two girls, strengthening their bonds easing their grieving process. Meanwhile I was still wallowing alone in my sadness.

That’s when I fi nally came to peace with my friend’s passing.

I fi nally allowed someone to help me.

To listen to me talk, cry, anything to release the build-up of emotions that once fi lled me up. The weight had been lifted from my shoulders and I was free from death’s aftermath.

A year later the daily struggle to cope with her passing has now faded away.

The overwhelming sadness that had so much power over my life has gone and everything is now looking up.

However, my sadness and suffering could have easily been

avoided if I would have opened up to my friends, family or really anyone about how I was dealing with her passing.

Most people get u n c o m f o r t a b l e when death is talked about.

The only time it’s brought up is if someone we know has died and even then it’s not simple. Although you may think you’re creating awkwardness by reaching out for help on the subject of death, the difference it makes is extraordinary.

Macklemore said, “I don’t control life, but I control how I react to it.”

Personally, I think that’s the way to view life.

We can’t know what hand we’re going to be dealt; all we can do is try to move beyond it. When someone close to you dies, don’t hold it in.

Let the emotion spill from you and the comfort of knowing you’re not alone fl ood in.

Terror.Anticipation. Counting every minute.And with that, senioritis strikes.Being a kid, you look up to the big kids that are older and

wiser than you could ever even imagine yourself to be. First come the super rad sixth graders that get to go off to sixth grade camp and become the coolest seventh graders ever.

Once you reach sixth grade you have this idea in your head that you know everything there is to know and that no one will ever be as sophisticated and awesome as you are.

Followed by the mature-as-ever ninth graders that are practically ruling the junior high.

And then the top of the food chain: seniors.

The ones that are so mature and going off to college and once again, believe that they know everything.

When you see a big kid, your immediate thought is how utterly fantastic they are.

What is going to happen when you reach that age? Throughout my school career, I’ve experienced the year-

after-year changes. I reminisce on the joy of washing off the plastic vis-a-vis projector sheet.

I remember the confusion from switching to the number grading scale. I remember the anticipation of Friday treats.

What do you do when all that’s gone? When it’s time to grow up and graduate? When you have become the big kid?So where does senioritis come from, you may be asking

yourself. I honestly have no idea. This idea of everyone giving up on the home stretch. Trust me, I’m ecstatic to start this new chapter of my life.

With the start of every new chapter comes the previous chapter closing and part of me never wants to turn the page to the next one.

After 12 years of note taking and diligent listening, you can bet your bottom dollar that I’m counting the days until I victoriously amble across the stage with the roar of the crowd and the echo of my name to receive that piece of paper signifying my hard work.

But with great power comes great responsibility and with that, for most people, comes a complete breakdown and questioning of all your life choices.

For years, everyone has been preparing you for being a grown up in the “real world” with life lessons and the humiliation of your mistakes. With a shrug of

your shoulders and nothing more, you can’t help but laugh at how far away the “real world” is.

Truthfully, there is only one world. The one we live in, it’s here and now and we have to embrace it.

Adulthood is just a step away for the class of 2013.When senioritis strikes, take a breath and refl ect on the

joyous moments that will soon be just memories.When senioritis strikes, bask in your accomplishments from

the last 12 years.When senioritis strikes, live every minute that you have left

of your childhood.

A M Y C U R T I SO P / E D E D I T O R

Senioritis strikes

“ T R U T H F U L L Y , T H E R E I S O N L Y

O N E W O R L D . T H E O N E W E L I V E I N ,

I T ’ S H E R E A N D N O W . . . ”

A M Y C U R T I SO P / E D E D I T O R

D A N I E L L E E D W A R D SG U E S T

STUDENT SHARES GRIEF During the fall months most students have schooling on their minds. One student, Danielle Edwards, reminisces on the memory of a friend, a victim of a car accident, this fall marking the one-year anniversary of her unexpected death.

“ B E I N G T I R E D C O N S U M E D M E

A N D F O R T H E F I R S T T I M E E V E R

I F E L T T R U L Y A L O N E . ”

D . E D W A R D SS E N I O R

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Cast. Rehearse. Record. For senior Marc Suralta this process was the one he used when he fi rst started

making videos in seventh grade and is still the process he goes through today in creating WackySketch fi lms.

“I always had an interest in watching movies, plays and musicals,” Suralta said. “I thought it would be fun to make my own videos and post them on YouTube for my friends to see.”

From a young age, Suralta had a talent for fi lm production. He started out making unscripted videos that were just for fun and now has

evolved into full-fl edged fi lmmaking, writing a script, casting, rehearsing, recording and editing.

His mother Sheila Suralta has seen him grow and has supported him throughout the years.

“His motivation to be in the fi lm industry started when he was in elementary [school],” Sheila Suralta said. “He is now a senior and that passion has never wa-vered.”

Although his interest in fi lm production wouldn’t peak until an older age, Marc Suralta’s career truly began as a fi lm critic in his own home.

“We have a huge collection of movies and he always critiques the fi lm after watch-ing it,” Sheila Suralta said. “He also uses the director’s cut at every end of the movie to get some pointers on fi lmmaking and directing.”

Junior Jacob Watkins is both an actor in and a viewer of Marc Suralta’s videos. After watching Suralta’s latest video, he was very impressed with the progress he has made.

“Even though he had little resources, he really followed the script,” said Watkins. “He did a really good job of introducing the characters, developing the plot and he was able to write a script that built tension up until the climax.”

In the future, Suralta plans to continue on with fi lm and video production.“My goal is to be an actor. I’ve picked quite a few colleges that have a good fi lm

department,” Suralta said.Currently Suralta is enrolled in video production.According to Suralta, the class teaches him how to manage his time effectively

and how to be more open minded when it comes to his own videos.Suralta is planning on making more videos in the near future and continuing on

past high school. “My goal is to get accepted in to University of Southern California,” Suralta said.

“This is my number one college because my mom and I did a lot of research on the top fi lm schools in the United States and we found that U.S.C. was in the top three fi lm schools in the U.S.”

Suralta hopes to follow in the footsteps of many before him.“A lot of actors and directors [that we know of] graduated from U.S.C. and made

it big in the movie business,” Suralta said.O.J. Simpson, George Lucas, Mark McGrath, Tom Selleck and Will Ferrell are

among the most successful U.S.C. graduates. However, Suralta’s biggest infl uence is Christopher Nolan, director of Inception

and the Dark Knight trilogy. According to Suralta, Nolan creates movies that make his audience think and

leaves them wondering far after the movie ends. When Suralta fi rst started out he was just a kid with a YouTube account. Now he has turned his passion for video production into a future career.

J E S S E G I L E S | V A N G U A R D

B Y A S H L E Y O W E N SR E P O R T E R

Check out Marc Suralta’s YouTube channel for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui0vgzt74Vk

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B Y P A T R I C K F A I R B A N K S A N D N O L A N J O H N S O N

R E P O R T E R / S P O R T S E D I T O R

Expression eases pain

Most high school students do not consider death to be something they will have to worry about anytime soon, but death and the grief can become very real, very fast.

Death can sometimes be unanticipated and can devastate those closest to the deceased.

“Often grief is from something sudden and unexpected so people don’t know what the resources are,” school nurse Karen Smith said. “Maybe it’s something they’ve never had to deal with before.”

Resources at school are available for students feeling truly down, according to Smith.

“We want kids to know that if they feel like they want to talk they don’t have to do it only at assigned times, you don’t have to make an appointment if you’re feeling really blue or if you’re feeling really sad, angry or whatever. You can always come to the school nurse; you can always come to the school counselor. If you’re feeling really blue we would be more than happy to listen,” Smith said.

In some cases the support the grieving had before and during the funeral goes away.

“The reality is you go through whatever religious beliefs you have, the rituals you have to honor and memorialize the person but then when that is done the support goes away. You fi nd a lot of people when they go into counseling that they’re looking for anyone to turn to and no one else is there,” Therapist Valina Rogers said. “Everyone else has gone about their normal lives and everyone else has forgotten about the person that is grieving. Remember to provide that support. Let them know that you’re there and realize that they’re not going to get over it in two days or two months, it takes time.”

The support can take many forms but the most common and the easiest form of it is being there to talk. If they don’t want to talk, fi nd a way to provide the griever an outlet of their emotion.

“Talk about it. Not everybody is comfortable with that, some people want to be by themselves but you have to be able to get the emotions out however the person is able to express themselves,” Rogers said.

Smith says that even if you are not a good friend you can still help, just by hearing what they have to say.

“One of the biggest things is just to be a good listener. Grief comes in different forms, sometimes kids are just quiet and they just want to be with someone and be quiet. And that needs to be okay with the friend. Others, they want to talk, they want to express anger or frustration or pain or sadness and they want to be able to share that with somebody,” Smith said. “Sometimes that’s a good friend, sometimes it’s a family member, sometimes it’s just anybody who will listen.”

While the support of others is very important, those that are grieving can fi nd solace in independent activities.

“[People are] usually able to cope by talking about it with friends but writing poems, drawing [and] making tributes to the

person all help,” Rogers said.

For some, this form of expression comes in the form of music.

Senior Tyler Jacobson recently lost a close friend. He plays guitar and trombone and says this has helped him cope.

“You can express your emotions through music,” Jacobson said.

Health teacher Susan Krippaehne also highlights the importance of such hobbies as they can help relieve the stress of a death. She recommends activities such as sports, exercise and music to help students.

No matter the level of support or hobbies however, loss is always diffi cult.

Senior Tarek Omar also recently lost a friend who he had known since elementary school. Omar stated that he felt shocked and a feeling of denial upon learning of the death.

“Talking about my feelings helped me realize this was really happening. It helped me pull back down to earth,” Omar

said. “I lost my friend at the end of the summer. When I found out, it was kind of a surreal thing. It came out of nowhere. [I was thinking] school is about to start and I’m about to see all my friends. [Then I realized], I’m not going to see that one.”

That surreal feeling or denial is one of the many phases of grieving. No matter the stage of grief, the best thing family and friends can do is be there for the grieving.

“You have to talk about it, you can’t let it eat you up,” sophomore Madison Near said.

Near lost her cousin Joey to the war in Afghanistan last year. She said that the recognition of what Joey had sacrifi ced for his country helped, as well as the acknowledgment from peers that she was going through a diffi cult time.

If your friend does not want to talk about it the knowledge that friends and family are there for you helps, according to Omar.

“Doing fun activities as a distraction; not to forget [also helped],” Omar said.

Omar, Near and Jacobson all agree that the best and hardest thing to do for yourself is to accept what happened.

By talking with friends and family, they were able to realize

that n o m a t t e r how sad they were, they could not change what occurred.

“Now you just have to live your life the way they would’ve wanted you to,” Omar said. “Remember them as they were, not where they ended.”

Sometimes if you don’t know what to say, you could ask them if they need anything. Offer your help and assure them that you love them and are there for them, according to Smith.

“No matter how strong they are, they neesomeone to lean on,” Near said.

Death must be confronted by everybody busooner it is accepted, the sooner life will go on.

“We all must face death sometime in our livlong process with many hardships, but with tloved ones, friends or family, we can be at ease a Learn to accept it, know that you will be ‘noKrippaehne said.

“ N O W Y O U J U S T H A V E T O L I V E

Y O U R L I F E T H E W A Y T H E Y

W O U L D ’ V E W A N T E D Y O U T O . ”

T A R E K O M A RS E N I O R

B Y A M Y C U R T I S A N D S Y D N E Y W E A T H E R B E E

O P I N I O N A N D N E W S E D I T O R S

Healthcare work takes its

The emergency medical system (EMS) and healthcare system is geared towards saving the lives of others and

dealing with families’ grief. Through training and life experience, healthcare workers are taught to deal with the families of the patients they serve.

But does this training serve enough to help these workers deal with their own grief?

North Olympia Fire and Rescue Lieutenant Travis Osborne has been working in the EMS system for

10 years and admits that although you may get used to seeing death, it is never easy

to cope with. “I don’t care how long you

have been working, t h e

death of a child isn’t easy to dThrough the diffi cult g

people such as chaplaincounselors and stress mhelp guide personnel thrprocess following any aemployees feeling perplex

“It is harder to deal withan someone that is alre“You don’t have that same

Osborne fi rst became system through his dad, been in the fi re and rescTravis Osborne would gowhen he was younger.

“When you’re at workimpersonal. If you keep ialive,” Travis Osborne said

Travis Osborne says thais through the support of

“There is no way you cofor your fi rst dea

“Yo

J E S S E G I L E S | V A N G U A R D

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d

ut the

ves. It is a the help of little sooner.

ormal’ again,”

s tolldeal with,” Osborne said. grieving times, there are ns, employee assistance, management workers to rough their own grieving accident that may leave xed about the situation. ith someone who’s dying ady dead,” Osborne said.

e helpless feeling.”interested in the EMS Jim Osborne, who has

cue service for 30 years. with his dad to training

k you have to keep it it personal it will eat you d. at a big outlet for his grief f his family. ould ever prepare yourself ath,” Travis Osborne said. ou have to rely

on your family to get you through it.”Although the situation of death is never easy

to move past, while at work you don’t have much time to dwell on the situation due to many people, other EMS workers and patients relying on you, according to Travis Osborne

“[You have to explain you’re] doing CPR and everything that you can but the patients are probably not coming back,” Travis Osborne said regarding the issue of informing families of the situation.

A way of dealing with the death of patients is to detach yourself from the diffi cult situation and just accept that when this is your fi eld of work it’s part of life dealingwith death, Travis Osborne says.

Alumnus and Riverside Fire and Rescue Firefi ghter/ emergency medical technician (EMT) Chris Leppell has been involved in the fi re service for almost four years.

Listening to music and sleeping it off are ways that Leppell and Good Samaritan Hospital (GSH) Radiology Technician (RT) Andrew Ferguson both use to grieve.

“[Working at the hospital] makes it easier to deal with death because you see it a lot,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson has worked at GSH for fi ve y e a r s

andhas chosen to go into the healthcare fi eld due to the availability of jobs and security.

“[When I] fi rst went to school this lady came in and tried to scare everybody with stories of working in the hospital and seeing death and blood,” Ferguson said. “It never really bothered me too much [to see blood or vomit].”

Talking to people about death is the best way to deal with it, even if you talk to people that don’t work in healthcare or don’t understand the situation or haven’t been in the same situation.

“There is counseling that you can go to. Our coworkers will be willing to talk to you along with the clinical instructors that prepare you while you are in school,” Ferguson said.

Through the times of grief and coping with death there are always resources that are crucial in the grieving process.

Sometimes that way is better

b e c a u s e t h e y

can be more sympathetic, according to Ferguson.“When I’m at the fi re station it’s a different

atmosphere,” Leppell said. “Real life isn’t the same.”

When volunteering at the fi re department you have the chance to save someone’s life, whereas when you are dealing with death in your personal life and you can’t do anything about it, Leppell

said. “[Following] a double fatality

motor vehicle accident (MVA), I didn’t sleep for three months,” Leppell said.

Although dealing with death is never easy or something that you can get used to, it is particularly diffi cult with people that are expected to live much longer, Leppell says.

“When you get toned out to go on a call with a fatality you already know that’s what you’re going to,” Leppell said. “You are already in that mindset and know what to expect.”

While at work and grieving over a patient that you had previously provided medical attention for, it is imperative to utilize your resources if you come across yourself feeling uncertain about the situation, according to Leppell.

Healthcare workers feel grief just as any person would when dealing with situations

such as death and do everything they can to help those in need, according

to Leppell. “[People need to know] we

risk a lot to save a lot,” Leppell said.

Are you or someone you know grieving with the death of a loved one? Below are some hotlines

that specialize in bereavement recovery.

DEATH: Grief Recovery Hotline1-800-445-4808

Compassionate Friends1-708-990-0010

After Loss800-423-8811

Teen Link1-866-833-6546

[email protected]

: We all must face the inevitable but do we all have the tools to deal with the emotions, memories and feelings that arise? Here, The Viking Vanguard has attempted to provide its readership with understanding and resources.

“ W H E N I ’ M A T T H E F I R E S T A T I O N I T ’ S A D I F F E R E N T

A T M O S P H E R E . L I F E I S N ’ T T H E

S A M E . ”

C H R I S L E P P E L LA L U M N U S A N D E M T

FEATURESP A G E E I G H T | P U Y A L L U P H I G H S C H O O L | I S S U E O N E | S E P T E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 2 | T H E V I K I N G V A N G U A R D

NEW PERSONALITIES INSPIRE PHS

For the seven new staff members this year, all roads seemed to lead to Puyallup.

New Assistant Principal Eric Fredericks came to Puyallup from Chinook Middle School in Bellevue where he taught math. He has been involved in education for 19 years and says he has plans to stay with Puyallup.

“I want to be here as long as I’m possibly welcomed,” Fredericks said. “I love it here.”

Fredericks says he is still getting the hang of being a new staff member but says his nerves usually come out in humor.

“My fi rst thoughts [when meeting new teachers] are ‘I hope I don’t forget your name,’” Fredericks said.

His personal goals for Puyallup and its

staff this year are to inspire students with their actions.

“One way we can do that is through positive relationships,” Fredericks said.

Those thoughts are also shared by other new teachers. Janese Lassen, the new culinary arts teacher and culinary arts adviser, seems to agree with Fredericks.

“I plan on staying and continuing to build the Viking Culinary Program as long as I possibly can,” Lassen said.

Lassen came from the Bethel School District where she taught at Cedarcrest Junior High during the school year and Pierce County Skills Center during the summer. She

says she enjoys teaching culinary and has been doing it for over 10 years now.

So far the new staff members share a common interest in staying as long as possible, including a couple of new

teachers who have also joined the staff in the Resource Department this year. Wil Johnson, teacher of Job Readiness for Special Education, as well as Sharon Cordova, teacher of Transition Class and Applied Algebra are also new.

“As long as they want to keep me, I’m here,” Johnson said. “I enjoy helping people meet their goals.”

Fredericks also agrees with Johnson’s views on personal goals.

“We need to put kids fi rst, teachers should consider themselves servant leaders, because that’s what we are,” said Fredericks. “We’re here for the students.”

According to the teachers at Puyallup, inspiration is one of the main keys they say to reaching the students and learning to teach on their level.

“By better understanding the students,

you inspire them by knowing them,” Johnson said. “I’m inspired by the success of others and get overly excited because

students fi nally get it and that’s all I care about.”

For those new teachers, the success of their students is what pushes them to do what they do every day.

“We have great staff, great kids and great parents,” Fredericks

said. “This is by far, hands down, the best place I’ve ever been.”

None of our new staff members say they plan to leave any time soon. To them it’s all about the teamwork.

“Think of it as a road trip, you have to leave from point A to get to point B and I want to come back to point A to help you, we can take this road together,” Johnson said.

The BORED

The DREAMER

The STUDIOUS

The TIRED

Wil Johnson

Eric Fredericks

Sharon Cordova

Janese Lassen

“ B Y B E T T E R U N D E R S T A N D I N G

T H E S T U D E N T S , Y O U I N S P I R E

T H E M B Y K N O W I N G T H E M . ”

W I L J O H N S O NJ O B R E A D I N E S S

Each new member of the Viking family plans to bring new light by inspiring their current students. The Viking

Vanguard asked them to refl ect on their own days as a student:

WHO WERE YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL?

“ O N E W A Y W E C A N [ I N S P I R E

S T U D E N T S ] I S T H R O U G H

P O S I T I V E R E L A T I O N S H I P S . ”

E R I C F R E D E R I C K SV I C E P R I N C I P A L

B Y J E S S I C A W Y A N TR E P O R T E R

“ I P L A N O N S T A Y I N G A N D

B U I L D I N G T H E V I K I N G C U L I N A R Y

A R T S P R O G R A M A S L O N G A S I

P O S S I B L Y C A N . ”

J A N E S E L A S S E NC U L I N A R Y A R T S

E M M A M I L L E R | V A N G U A R DS O N I A X U | V A N G U A R D

S O N I A X U | V A N G U A R D E M M A M I L L E R | V A N G U A R D

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LEGEND BECOMES INTERNET CRAZEWhat started as a small urban legend, turned into a nationwide viral phenomenon. The legendary creature Slenderman has been infi ltrating Facebook posts, blogs, photos and memes from all over the internet.

Slenderman lives through the mystical pictures and urban legends that can be found all

over the Internet. But who is this Slenderman? Is he just a tall

male with an eating disorder? Don’t be ridiculous! Does he play basketball? No idea! Are those tentacles? Well, yeah… they are. You see, Slenderman is exactly what he looks

like-a slender man with no nose, eyes or mouth. But he does have a business suit and tentacles, so he’s got that going for him.

The classic myth says that Slenderman is a mysterious evil entity that hangs around playgrounds, forests and other terrible places. His hobbies include kidnapping innocent children, breathing down your neck and photobombing.

If you look into the story, be prepared to be taken by a surge of terrifying images of Slenderman hidden in playgrounds and other public places.

You’ll get chills down your spine and sometimes even jump out of your seat searching for Slenderman in the background of these seemingly harmless photos. You can also search blogs and other webpages, research the story of Slenderman and read horrifying stories and experiences from people all over the Internet, if you are bored and are in the mood for some scary stories simply open Google and search “Slenderman” it will be just what you are looking for.

YouTube is by no means a glorious place, full of seedy videos uploaded by seedy people. But if one takes the time to sift through all

the muck and grime, there are certainly a few nuggets of YouTube gold to fi nd. There also happens to be a lump sum of creepy entries on YouTube posted by a user called “marblehornets.”

Over the course of the past three years, “marblehornets” has documented the life of a fi lm student named Alex who has supposedly been haunted by a faceless man in a business suit, slenderman that is. Without giving too much away, the plot thickens rapidly as Alex’s friend, Jay, gets caught up in a web spun by the well-dressed villain himself. Laugh if you will, but these entries are sure to provide you many sleepless nights.

There has never been a better time to tune in to “marblehornets” as the series is still in active development, with Entry #62 having been posted just a few weeks ago. Even though many of the beginning videos might seem boring, things start to pick up the pace and get much creepier the deeper you go.

This man, “marblehornets,” has created a skin-crawlingly creepy set of videos that take fantastic advantage of YouTube as a media source. Whether you take the video series as legitimate evidence of slenderman’s existence or just a good way to soil your pants, fans of tall men in business suits are not to be disappointed.

B Y Z A C H H A L T E A N D G A B E C A R R O L LA & E E D I T O R A N D R E P O R T E R

The most popular way of experiencing Slenderman is to play the video game. The

game is called Slender: The Eight Pages and it is a fi rst person horror game. It is possibly one of the most terrifying things you will ever encounter.

You walk through a forest unarmed, equipped with nothing but a fl ashlight

and a severe lack of batteries. You can also run but only for a limited amount of time, not

that running will help you much.The point of the game is to fi nd all eight cryptic

pages detailing who is actually chasing you, Slenderman. As you wander through the desolate forest, you encounter various landmarks such as a car, a tunnel and a building, in which your pulse pounds as you turn the corners of the well-tiled deathtrap, hoping against hope you don’t see that ominous glowing face which promises death. You lose

the game when Slenderman fi nally catches you and he’s usually right behind you, waiting for you to turn around.

The Legend

The Evidence

The Game

J E S S E G I L E S | V A N G U A R D

One of the pages you may encounter while play-ing Slender: The Eight Pages. The point of the game is to fi nd all eight pages.

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CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

J E S S E G I L E S | V A N G U A R D

Acquisition: As I pulled up to the tHR3E coffee shop, my stomach began to growl. I approached the door and a poster read “Now serving Bagel Boys!” reminding me of my mission. Inside I found that tHR3E was about as empty as my stomach, I was the establishment’s lone customer (which is surprising due to tHR3E’s popularity).

The volunteer barista greeted me kindly and asked what I wanted; I knew the answer: “One pizza bagel, please!” My response was met with what I most feared. “Ooh, I don’t think we can do that,” the barista replied. My heart sank as my brain absorbed the idea that this morsel, most unfortunately, was out of stock; but then, my grief was interrupted by: “Nah, just kidding!” What a tease.

Would you like cream cheese with that? Yes, please! Would you like your bagel toasted? Sure, why not! The barista placed the bagel in something resembling a waffl e maker in order to heat it. For 60 seconds I waited, making small talk with the misleading bagel mistress. A timer beeped, the waffl e maker was pried open. At long last, the bagel was mine!

First Impressions: Eager to eat my toasty treasure, I raced home. The pizza bagel came to me in a large brown paper bag, something fans of Five Guys Burgers and Fries might appreciate. I peeked in to fi nd a plastic knife, a rather large amount of cream cheese in a tiny plastic container and the snack itself: the infamous pizza bagel, cloaked in white and yellow paper. Christmas came early.

I tore through the bagel’s papery grave and what I dug up was rather underwhelming. A fl imsy disk of bread which although emanating the warmth of the waffl e maker, could hardly be called “toasty.” Toasty implies there is a crispiness to the subject at hand, perhaps even some burnt edges and that was not the case here.

But for a beastie such as this bagel, this was hardly a problem. Unimpeded, I put the bagel’s lack of crunch behind me and focused on the melted cheese blanketed upon it and the heavenly smell that urged my stomach to growl once again.

Snack Time: Love at fi rst bite is probably one of the most over-used and obnoxious clichés known to mankind. Therefore, I am happy to say that that is not at all what I felt with the pizza bagel.

Being a newcomer to the bagel scene I took my fi rst bite without any cream cheese. This was not very satisfying. My second bite I added some butter, as I always prefer my bagels to be buttered and the taste became more pleasant, more fl avorful! Yet still, I yearned for more!

Knowing this bagel had more to offer, I lathered on some cream cheese. This, my friends, was a brilliant idea. The originally bland fl avor of the pizza bagel came to life. Like some rare tropical bird released from its cage, the pizza bagel took fl ight. It was beautiful and it fi lled my belly.

Last Words: The pizza bagel is a majestic beast; however, it can only be fully appreciated when coupled with other fl avors. If I can give you any advice when ordering this snack, it is always say “yes!” when asked if you want cream cheese or if you want your bagel toasted (even though it’s really just being warmed in a waffl e maker). The lack of crunch is hardly an issue but if you’re a stickler for toasty perfection just ask for your bagel to be toasted a bit longer, problem solved!

You can purchase a pizza bagel of your own in the cafeteria during lunch for $2 or at tHR3E across the street for $1.75. Whether you choose to support the school or the coffee shop is up to you, but either way, it’s a win win. Come to think of it, you really can’t lose with the pizza bagel.

Treble. Beat. Frequency. Bass.

The components of music that all of us experience in different ways. For some students, they prefer to

experience music by turning the volume to the max when listening to their headphones.

According to an article in Healthy Living July 2011, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced more than 12 percent of children and teens exposed to continuous loud noises have suffered permanent damage to their hearing resulting from the excessive use of headphones.

American Sign Language teacher Kara Harris, explains why headphones can cause damage to students’ ears. “Being at a concert is different than [listening to] headphones because a [concert] is just one big punch of sound and then you leave,” Harris said. “Repetitive and high decibel levels being pumped into the ear and the constant exposure is what damages it.”

Harris also comments that teens hearing are much more sensitive than that of an adults making students more prone to ear damage from loud music.

Senior Brittney Lindstrom, enjoys listening to her music at maximum volume while at school and at home.

“I like listening to music loudly because if someone is talking I can hear my music over them and I just like it loud in general,” Lindstrom

said.Lindstrom states that she notices many

other students around school listening to their music at full volume whether it be on the bus ride

home, at lunch or before and after school.“I am aware of the damage it may or may not cause but, being a teenager, I am

thinking that can’t happen to me,” Lindstrom said.Even though some students such as senior Mary French are conscious of the harmful damage headphones

may cause, they continue to listen to music at whatever volume level they want. “It drowns out other people so I don’t have to listen to them,” French said. “I also already have problems hearing so I

don’t see a difference.”The hazards are there and Harris states that it is risky behavior to listen to music at extreme volume but there is no way to control

or stop students from listening to music as loud as they please.“If [students] love music so much, why risk not being able to ever listen to it again?” Harris said.

B Y S Y D N E Y W E A T H E R B E EN E W S E D I T O R

Choose Your BagelPizza Bagel:It’s a pizza, It’s a bagel.What could be better?

Plain Bagel:The original gangster of bagels. It brings out the fl avor of the cream cheese.

Italian Bagel:It’s like the pizza bagel but with pesto. And pesto is delicious.

Choose Your Cheese Pesto Sundried

TomatoRegular

Review: Boy Meets Bagel

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B Y G A B E C A R R O L LR E P O R T E R

Thinking of going over to tHR3E to buy a pizza bagel? Well you should be!

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TEAMS TREAD WATER MIDSEASON

Above: Senior Aaron Beck rises out of the water and slams the ball in the goal against the Roger Rams Sept. 13. Puyallup Vikings won this game, beat-ing the cross-town rivals 19-5. The next game to watch is at home against Emerald Jaguars Oct. 2 at 7:30p.m

Some students spend their time playing sports, others invest their time in teaching kids how to play their favorite sports.

Seniors CJ Kraft and Rachel Shaffer are two of those individuals; they have both been spending their time coaching children’s sports teams.

Shaffer has been coaching soccer to third and fourth graders at the YMCA.

“[Coaching] teaches responsibility and how to work with children,” Shaffer said.

Kraft has been coaching his 7-year-old sister’s soccer team, with the assistance of his father, for two years.

“It’s defi nitely good [for improving] communication and learning how to deal with little kids, talking to their parents, how to train and create drills, stuff to get them better and ways that you better,” Kraft said.

Children are very easily distracted, according to Kraft. They lose attention after about fi ve seconds and then they play with the grass or in the dirt.

“[It’s] not hard [coaching them] they are so much fun, they want to learn, they are entertaining; they have so much energy. Sometimes it’s hard to get them focused, but for the most part it is pretty fun,” Kraft said.

Shaffer agrees but she had a bit of help.“It is mostly easy but it is easier because I had two other

people helping me out,” Shaffer said.

The boys and girls soccer coach Matt White has been coaching since he was 18 years old. He has coached both track and soccer and has a different view of coaching.

“Working with people of any age has challenges. I wouldn’t say it’s hard; if it’s hard, people probably won’t do it. It is diffi cult and requires fl exibility,” White said.

As high school students they have other obligations when it comes to school work.

“I only have one practice a week and one game a week. I also do my homework with my friend before practice,” Shaffer said.

Kraft thinks of it as any other school sport.“[I balance it the] same way you balance your own

sports, because my sports and coaching alternate so it’s like being in school sports, like there is a practice everyday,” Kraft said.

They also have other obligations as a high school student such as the senior portfolio and community service.

“It worked out perfectly for my community service hours but I wouldn’t recommend doing it just for your community service,” Shaffer said.

According to Kraft, if you enjoy the sport you are currently participating in, then coaching is a wonderful experience.

“If you love the sport you’re doing it’s a good experience, you get to work with people, and be involved with your sports,” Kraft said.

Usually there are some requirements to work with children, Kraft and Shaffer had different experiences with this.

“You need a head coach older than 18 [with] no criminal record [and] a prior knowledge of the sport,” Kraft said.

Shaffer had different requirements.“You have to go through a child abuse

class and a rule meeting but other than that, anyone can become a coach,” Shaffer says.

Coaching is a rewarding experience, according to Kraft.

“I look forward to it. We practice twice a week and have one game a week. I get to watch my sister play and coach. I get to be with my friends too because there are a couple people from the soccer team that help too,” Kraft said.

According to White, the kids will look up to the students because they are high school students.

“The kids see a role model. They see who they would like to be someday,” White said.

According to Shaffer, becoming a student coach is really worth your time and very entertaining.

“It is a really fun worthwhile experience but it is also a lot of hard work,” Shaffer said.

Students volunteer extra time to coach kidsB Y K E N Z I E M I L E S

R E P O R T E R

“ [ I T ’ S ] N O T H A R D [ C O A C H I N G T H E M ] T H E Y A R E

S O M U C H F U N , T H E Y W A N T T O

L E A R N . . . ”

C J K R A F TS E N I O R

S O N I A X U | V A N G U A R D

J E S S E G I L E S | V A N G U A R D

S O N I A X U S O N I A X U | | V A N G U A R DV A N G U A R D

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B Y K A R I D U T C H E R A N D A B B Y D O V R ER E P O R T E R S

Cross CountryIt takes a special kind of person to

run cross country, the athlete must be dedicated to the sport, driven to fi nish the race and enjoy running.

According to coach Sandra Monaghan, senior Michael Ottesen has grown leaps and bounds since running as a freshman on JV. He is now a captain and holds the number two spot on the team.

“[Ottesen is a] great athlete, hard working, superior student and [a] true leader,” Monaghan said.

Sophomore Mary Josten is a fi rst time varsity runner after starting running last year as a ninth grader at Kalles.

“She has trained hard all summer running almost everyday. Mary is a driven competitor who leaves it all at the fi nish line,” Monaghan said.

If you are looking for a race the Viks will be running Oct. 10 at Wildwood Park. Boys JV start at 4 p.m., girls at 4:30 p.m. and boys varsity at 5 p.m.

VolleyballLast season ended with the Lady Viks in

fi fth place at the state championship, only losing one out of fi ve games.

“I think we are going to be very competitive,” coach Tony Batinovich said.

Playing at such a high level of competition requires inspiration and motivation something that junior Braylie Jeffers brings to the court.

“She’s the one that gets us fi red up and doesn’t want us to lose,” Batinovich said.

There will be a game Oct. 23; it will be the last league game of the season and may determine who goes on to post season play.

“I think Rogers has a pretty competitive team this year,” Batinovich said.

The game will start at 7 p.m. and admission is $5 with ASB.

Girls SoccerLast year girls soccer made it to the

playoffs and according to coach Matt White, they are expected to do the same this year, giving the Vikings another winning season. The team has a strong mix of returning players and new players.

“[The key is they have] got to like each other and serve the group rather than themselves,” White said.

Unlike most sport teams where voting for a captain means writing down a name, White has his players explain why they are choosing their teammate for the position.

“[Our] team base is the three E’s: encourage, example and enforce,” White said. “I think our three [senior] captains Allison Shelton, Sierra Carrington and Justine Ibarra are working hard to do all three.”

There will be a home game Thursday, Oct. 25 when the Puyallup Vikings take on the Curtis Vikings.

GolfIn most sports getting the lowest score

does not win any trophies but in golf low is what they shoot for.

“[Junior Taylor Woods] is probably a bogey golfer or better; she takes more of a leadership role,” said girls coach Craig White said.

A bogey is when a player scores one stroke over par.

The boys golf team has won the South Puget Sound League title the last six years and is expected to make this year their seventh.

“We are the team to beat this year,” boys coach Glenn Halverson said. “Our best player is [senior] Vinnie Murphy.”

Murphy is a two time league champion, winning the title both his freshman and junior years.

“An unsung player who is real solid

and just a good example of our team is [junior] Tanner Kovacevich [and has] good potential as a player and a leader,” Halverson said.

While both boys and girls practice together at High Cedars Golf Course in Orting but on match day one team travels for their meet while the other stays home to compete.

Boys Tennis“The boys season is halfway through

and the team has a tough schedule for the remainder of the season with six games in six consecutive school days.

“I am happy with our season [so far],” said coach Brooks Hazen.

The team had a big win against Emerald Ridge Sept. 6, beating the Jags 3-2.

There are 10 seniors on the team this year leading to multiple leaders on the team but one stands out in the crowd.

“[Senior Dylan Call] is inclusive of all kids and a tennis junkie,” Hazen said.

Senior night will be held Monday, Oct. 1 against Bethel with a 3:30 p.m. match start.

FootballFootball season at Puyallup High School

is full of Friday night games, cheering and crazy spirit, to cheer on the Vikings.

“I think we are a pretty young team this year playing lots of sophomores and juniors,” coach Gary Jeffers said.

The team record is 1-3.“It’s hard to predict what the future

holds, hopefully make the play-offs again,” Jeffers said.

With such a fresh team this year, seniors have had to step up and become role models for younger players.

“Troy Neyer is one of our senior captains and he’s a warrior; he leads by example,” Jeffers said.

Boys Water PoloIt is not every day you see an athlete

make a dynamic shot without looking at the goal yet that is exactly the kind of player senior Aaron Beck is.

“He plays hole set offense, its exciting to watch and a lot of action (mainly under water),” coach Travis Braddock said.

Last year water polo made it to the state tournament and they hope to return to the tournament again this year.

“It’s going to be an exciting year,” Braddock said.

The Viks took on the Rogers Sept. 11 and won 19-5 not letting the Rams score until the second quarter. They face Emerald Ridge Oct. 2.

“It will be a good rivalry game because we share the Puyallup pool for practice,” Braddock said.

Girls Swim and DiveWith 57 girls, sportsmanship, spirit

and fun are the cornerstones of the team according to Coach Andrea Stammen. As 2011 South Puget Sound League champions, expectations are high for the 2012 season.

Leading this team are seniors Kari Dutcher, Kirstyn Powers and Carlie Holland.

“At practice they are really hard workers,” Stammen said. “They are very spirited and organized. [They] have been doing a good job helping out our younger swimmers. We have 27 new girls this year.”

An upcoming meet is Puyallup School District Championships on Sept. 29. Puyallup, Emerald Ridge and Rogers all compete for one trophy and bragging rights. Not only is a trophy at stake, the proceeds benefi t breast cancer awareness.

Aug. 20 marked the fi rst day of practice for many sports getting ready for the fall season. Here is a quick glimpse of how the season is going, the games, matches or races to attend and the rising stars.

LIGHTNING QUICK FALL OVERVIEW

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Upper row, from left: Senior swimmers Kari Dutcher, Carlie Holland and Kirstyn Powers. Middle row, from left: Senior soccer players Sierra Carrington, Allison Shelton and Justine Ibarra, senior football player Troy Neyer and sophomore runner Mary Josten. Front row, left: Senior tennis player Dylan Call and junior golfers Tanner Kovacevich and Taylor Woods.