April 2010 Volume 2, Issue 4

Simply the Best: Davenport FBLA sends six qualifiers to Nationals

National Qualifiers- 1st Place Cheyenne Pace, Hayden Pitman, Sami

Sawyer

National Qualifiers-2nd Place-Conner Van Pevenage, Amria Akre, Sam

Graber

By Sami Sawyer Staff ReporterDavenport FBLA students returned home successful in the 2010 State Business Leadership Conference, which was held in Yakima, Washington.

Susan Reider, Alysha Brantley and Rosie Cruz placed fourth in Business Financial Plan. Their project was focused on the renovation of a coffee shop, and how much the cost of the project would be. “Overall it was fun. I learned that running a business can be very time consuming, and it wasn’t even real!” Alysha Brantley states. She also noted how much she enjoyed the Conference in Yakima.

American Enterprise Project, which was put together by Ian Bouchard, Skyler Watkins, and Matt Rosman, was titled “Kevin vs. Costco” and was centered on the benefits of buying local. “Buying local helps the entire community grow.” Group member Ian Bouchard explained. “The money all comes back around and is used to improve schools, roads, and the park” he explained further the fun facts about buying from a local store, rather than traveling to Spokane to purchase your consumer products and services.

In February, the Davenport Chapter took a field trip to Costco. Amria Akre, Sam Graber, and Conner Van Pevenage used this experience for their Partnership with Business Project. The goal of the project was to show the difference between local businesses and large businesses and how they are organized. At the State Business Leadership Conference, the Partnership with Business project placed second and qualified for the National Business Leadership Conference. “I’m extremely stoked to go to Nationals!” exclaims Conner Van Pevenage.

Kevin Hansen, owner of Davenport of Family Foods, won “Washington FBLA Business Person of the Year” after being nominated by the Davenport FBLA Chapter. “We nominated Kevin, because of all the support he has offered FBLA throughout the years” explains Advisor, Karen Hay. He was awarded at the State Business Leadership Conference and will also be recognized at the National

Business Leadership Conference this summer.Hayden Pitman, Cheyenne Pace, and Samantha Sawyer placed first at the State Business Leadership

Conference, and also qualified for the National competition this summer. They created HELP, a tutoring service located here in Davenport, which stood for “homework, education, and learning opportunities.” “Team work and hard work really pay off” concludes Hayden Pitman, while holding the first place plaque.

Also attending the National Business Leadership Conference will be Peter Rustemeyer who was elected the State Parliamentarian for Washington State FBLA. The conference will be held July 14 through 17 in Nashville, Tennessee. All students are excited for the National Competition and have already begun making preparations for their projects.

By Ian BouchardStaff ReporterOn May 19 the Physics class

will take a trip to Silverwood theme park to celebrate the annual Physics Day. According to Mr. Fisk, one of the Davenport science teachers, “Physics Day is when we go to Silverwood to ride the roller coasters. When going on a ride like the Aftershock, we will measure the g-force and acceleration using

spring scales and accelerometers.” Jarod Gunning, a Physics student participating in this trip, talks about how the class will go to Silverwood to ride all of the roller coasters, record data to learn about the necessary physics involved in making a roller coaster operate the way it does.Physics Day started in 1983 by Don Ranthjen who was a Physics teacher at Foothill High School. Originally starting with his

class, Physics Day grew to several classes, then to several schools with all of the students carrying proper materials. Participation for this day continues to grow nationally. Over the years, amusement parks all over the country have opened their gates on a non-operating day, exclusively for Physics students to enjoy the rides and record the necessary data they had gathered. Ranthjen decided to create this day to connect

classroom teachings with common teenage fun. This way, the students can see real examples of Physics at its finest. Maybe with just this single day, it will persuade students to research more into the modern sciences of our lifetime, or possibly just gain an interest in physics. Yet, whether they gain an interest or not, they still experience the influence physics has over their everyday lives.

Upcoming Physics Day allows students to learn while having fun

Page 2 Gorilla Prints April 2010

Editorials

By Kylee HoskingStaff Reporter“It just doesn’t matter” is one

of the most famous lines of Mr. Schweiger has decided that it is time to retire at the end of the school year. Over his Thanksgiving break of 2009 he decided that he is going to retire because he feels that his old school method of teaching does not fit in with the present day education. Mr. Schweiger will continue coaching however as long as he feels and as long as the players and parents think that he is doing a good job to continue coaching. With not teaching during the weeks he will have a lot of spare time on his hands. And since he has

no hobbies other than officiating basketball he will have a lot of time to learn how to have fun.

He started teaching back in 1975 in Starbuck, Washington. He has taught in a K-8 school. He has also been an administrator, head teacher, and has taught third through eleventh graders. Before moving to Davenport he taught in Kahlotus for five years and that is where he met his wife Leslie.

When Mr. Schweiger decided to become a teacher he went to college at Washington State to get his major in Elementary Education with a minor in Social Studies. He has taught Earth Science, Social Studies, Math, Reading, Health and

Physical Education. He is going to be greatly missed next year as a teacher. Kylee Hosking

Another staff member that decided in January that it was time to retire was Mr. Patterson because he wanted to retire at the same time as Mr, Schweiger and it was just the right time.

In his spare time he said he going to relax do yard work and what ever Mrs. Patterson wants him to do. Also he is going to Japan this summer and is going to volunteer at the Davenport high school and elemantary school.

He started teaching back in 1971 after he graduated from Eastern Washington University. He has

taught at three different school. Those school are Klickitat home of the vandals, Tonasket home of the tigers and Davenport home of the gorillas! While he has been teaching at Davenport he has coached every sport except for wrestling.

He has done many different things since he has been teaching. He has taught 6th graders, PNW, World History, 7th grade reading, P.E. in both the high school and elemantary school, earth science, and athleteic director for 2 years and was a high school principal for 20 years. He also started Cispus in Davenport. He will also be missed greatly.

2010 Retiring Staff will be greatly missed

By Kathy TapaniStaff ReporterDavenport High School teacher Mr. Perry was my choice for Staff of

the Month because after conversing with a few students on this subject, I felt that Mr. Perry is one of the most well liked teachers in our school. One of the students in Mr. Perry’s World History class said that “not only are his classes entertaining, but he is very knowledgeable so he can teach his classes thoroughly.” She also stated that, “Mr. Perry is beneficial to Davenport High School because he is such a great teacher and coach.”

Mr. Perry was born in Great Falls Montana, on March 19. He spent his childhood there, but by 11th grade had moved to Conrod, Montana, where he finished his high school career. After high school Mr. Perry went on to college like most students do. He graduated from the University of Montana with a bachelor’s and master’s degree and is currently a doctoral candidate from this University. Mr. Perry previously worked as a superintendent and principal, as well as teaching. He also sold smartboards, trimmed Christmas trees, and drove trucks. Another line of work that he has experienced is working in a hospital as an NAC (certified nurse’s assistant), and managing a convenience store and a temporary job business. Currently, Mr. Perry manages two jobs: working as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for Lincoln county along with his teaching job at Davenport High School and during his free time he enjoys reading.

We have been fortunate to have had Mr. Perry’s presence in our school for the last five years. As many of you may know, Mr. Perry was first

employed at Davenport High School as principal. After two years, he gave up the position and has been teaching for the past three years. This year

Mr. Perry teaches Advanced Government, Advanced Placement vs. History, World History, World Geography, 7 grade Social Studies, and Current World Problems.

When asked what his favorite part of working at Davenport is, Mr. Perry answered, “I really enjoy working with the students because most of the students work hard and want to learn.” He has also tried to bring different aspects of technology into the classroom and tries to connect history to today’s world, in an attempt to help the students learn their lessons. Congratulations to Mr. Perry for doing a great

job and being chosen as Staff of the Month!

Mr. Perry named April Staff of the Month

Mr. Perry

From the seniors to Ms. Hein and Ben:Thank you for all the worknights! They are greatly

appreciated!

Gorilla Prints Page 3April 2010

Editorials

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Davenport High School’s newly elected ASB officialsBy Alysha BrantleyEditorThis past year Davenport High School has had 8 successful student

leaders. Leading this year was President Susan Reider. She, along with the other 7, work hard all year to help run the school along with staff. Joining Susan are Jarod Gunning as Vice President, Alysha Brantley as Secretary, Cody Hopkins as Treasurer, Matthew Rosman as Assistant Treasurer, Miranda Mielke as Social Chairman, Katie Vesneske as Reporter/Historian, and Peter Rustymeyer as the School Board Liaison. All 8 of these leaders make up the student government for DHS.

Last year, the elections were no competition considering every position ran unopposed besides the president’s position. Susan Reider ran against Jordan Sliger last year for the responsibility of the ASB President. This year’s election was held on April 22 in the high school auditorium. Each running candidate provided a short speech for the student body giving a few qualities on why they were better suited for the position.

Congradulations to the 2010-2011 ASB Officers: President Peter Rustymeyer, Vice President Joey Gunning, Secretary Miranda Mielke, Treasurer Matthew Rosman, Assistant Treasurer Lauren Erickson, Social Chairman Conner Van Pevenage, Reporter/Historian Sam Graber, and School Board Liaison Rosie Cruz. The 2010 officers wish you all the best

of luck; you have taken one step closer to being a leader.

Top Left-President, Peter Rustymeyer, Vice-President, Joey Gunning, Secretary-Miranda Mielke, Treasurer-Matthew Rosman

Bottom Left-Assistant Treasurer, Lauren Erickson, Reporter/Historina, Sam Graber, School Board Liaison, Rosie Cruz, and Social Chairman,

Conner Van Pevenage

Page 4 Gorilla Prints April 2010

FeaturesBy Kaycee LiebingStaff ReporterFounded in 1958, Jr. Miss has been going on in all 50 states with

more than 700,000 young women participants. Davenport Jr. Miss is an official local introduction of the America’s Junior Miss Scholarship Program, awarding college scholarships to high school women. The contestants competing in this contest appear in front of five judges, whom are all impartial, where they are judged on scholastics, interview, talent, fitness and self-expression.

Scholas t ics a re 20% of the overall score and are based on high school transcript evaluation and the contestant’s academic record and test scores. The interview being worth 25% of the overall score is judged on personality, maturity, and her ability to relate to others. The talent is a 90 second performance presented in front of the panel of judges as well as an audience and is 25%. During the talent judges look for technical ability, stage presence and execution. Fitness is worth 15% of the score and the judges look for overall physical stamina, coordination, agility and flexibility during their aerobic routine. The remaining 15% goes to self-expression which is evaluated according to the participant’s grace, poise, carriage and posture and speaking ability.

Local Washington Jr. Miss winners proceed to the state competition which is held in Pullman, WA and the winner of the state competition will compete in the national competition, known as America’s Junior Miss, in Mobile, Alabama. In America’s Junior Miss the competitors will have the privilege to possibly earn at least $150,000 in cash scholarship money.

Laura Ensor is the Davenport Junior Miss coordinator and has been for the last five years. Monica Wilson, Davenport Junior Miss 2007, was part of the assistance. When asked what inspired her to coordinate Davenport Junior Miss for the last five year, Laura replied, “In 2000 I was

one of 14 Deer Park Junior Miss participants and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Although I didn’t win any awards, I had stepped out of my comfort zone & showcased my best self on that stage so I felt like a winner. I feel strongly that every young woman should have an opportunity to learn more about themselves and the world around them,

as well as a chance at winning scholarships while serving as a community representative and a role model to younger girls. Running the Davenport Junior Miss program is my way of offering this positive experience tothese young women.” This year there were only two Junior Miss contestants; Amria Akre and Samantha Sawyer, Sami Sawyer winning. Samantha was asked if she would recommend upcoming juniors to participate in Jr. Miss, amd she responded “I think they should because it is a good experience. The program encourages girls to be their best self (which is the motto of the program). And after all it is a scholarship program,

who doesn’t want free money.”Amria Akre, Jr. Miss Finalist, also agreed with Samantha that upcoming

juniors should without doubt participate in Junior Miss. Amria’s advice to future Junior Miss candidates is to “be yourself and don’t be something you aren’t, the judges will catch on to that.” She also explained how Junior Miss really is a great opportunity and you will learn a lot, “For one thing I learned to walk in heels and I gained confidence and found out I can make friends easily with a lot of different people.

This program would be impossible without the contributions from the community and the countless efforts of the families and volunteers. Every year we strive to improve all components of the program with the goals of encouraging more participants, increasing scholarships, and constructing a float that our community can be proud of. I hope more girls choose to participate in this empowering program, we have a huge support system to help them meet their goals,”says Laura Ensor.

2010 Jr. Miss, Samantha Sawyer and Finalist Amria Akre

Introducing 2010-2011 Davenport Jr.Miss and Finalist

By Maranda BrantleyStaff ReporterNext year, due to our school district starting to build the new middle

school, we will school on August 23, 2010 and end school May 25, 2011. Due to the amount of kids enrolled in both the Davenport High and the Davenport Elementary schools, the need for the new building is a must!

We will have a shorter summer this year, but in our favor, we will have a longer summer next year. Late starts on Wednesdays are still

scheduled and will be included in the 2010-2011 school year as well.. We will have a three day thanksgiving break in November, and in December our Christmas break will be shortened to 7 days. As for spring break in March, we will have a 5 day vacation. Semester testing will be normal times, as well as the HSPE testing. The seniors that graduate in 2011 will graduate May 22. Thank you to all involved in the building of the new school, your help along with the community members has been greatly appreciated!

Building of new middle school changes school year’s scheduling

April 2010 Gorilla Prints Page 5

FeaturesMay 3- 2:00p.m. H.S. Boy’s Golf @Odessa4:00p.m. J.H. Softball/Baseball @ReardanMay 4- 2:00p.m. H.S. Girl’s Golf @Harrington3:00p.m. H.S. Softball/Baseball @Odessa3:30p.m. H.S. Tennis @Home vs. Freeman3:30p.m. H.S. Track Meet @Ritzville (Bi-County

Championships)May 5- 8:00a.m. AP Calculus8:00a.m. Spokane Jr. Show6:00p.m. Jr. Parent MeetingMay 6- 8:00a.m. Spokane Jr. Show3:30p.m. J.H. Track Meet @Wilbur (Davenport Host)May 7- 8:00a.m. AP United State History8:00p.m. Spokane Jr. Show4:00p.m. H.S. JV Softball @RitzvilleMay 8- 8:00a.m. Spokane Jr. Show11:00a.m. H.S. Tennis @Home vs. W/CMay 10- 12:00p.m. H.S. Boy’s Golf @Deer Park (Sub

District)4:00p.m. H.S. Softball/Baseball @AlmiraMay 11- All Day Event H.S. Tennis @TBA (Make-up

Matches)All Day Event Sub Districts H.S. Baseball @TBA3:00p.m. H.S. Softball @Home vs. Reardan3:30p.m. H.S. Track Meet @Colfax (Bi-County Qualifying)May 12- 8:00a.m. AP English Language and Composition12:00p.m. H.S. Girl’s Golf @Deer Park (Sub Districts)May 13- All Day Event FFA Competition3:30p.m. H.S. Track Meet @Ritzville (Bi-County)May 14- No School (Snow Day Make-up)May 15- All Day Event H.S. Tennis @TBA (Seconds

Tournament)7:45p.m. Lilac ParadeMay 17- 12:00p.m. H.S. Boy’s Golf @Deer Park (Districts)4:00p.m. H.S. Softball/Baseball @Home vs. W/CMay 18- All Day Event H.S. Baseball @TBA (Districts)12:00p.m. H.S. Softball @TBA (Sub Districts)3:00p.m. H.S. Track Meet @Whitworth (Districts

Championships)May 19- All Day Event Culminating Project Presentations12:00p.m. H.S. Girl’s Golf @Deer Park (Districts)May 20-21- All Day Event H.S. Tennis @TBA (District6:00p.m. Honor Society InductionMay 22- All Day Event H.S. Tennis @TBA (Districts)2:00p.m. H.S. Softball @TBA (Districts)May 24- 7:00p.m. Elementary Spring ConcertMay 25-26- All Day Event H.S. Boy’s/ Girl’s Golf @

Tri-Cities (State) TBA5:00p.m. J.H. Parent Orientation6:15p.m. 9th Grade Parent OrientationMay 28- All Day Event H.S. Tennis @Yakima (State) TBAAll Day Event H.S. Softball/Baseball @Yakima (State)

TBAState Track @EWU (Cheney)May 29- H.S. Tennis @Yakima (State)H.S. Softball/Baseball @Yakima (State)H.S. State Track @EWU (Cheney)May 31- No School (Memorial Day)

May CalendarNational Honor SocietyBy Savitri CantrellStaff ReporterIf there was a club that helped our community would you want to join? If yes, then you

should learn more about this club. It is called National Honor Society (NHS) and Ms. Webb is the director. Davenport’s NHS is composed of 22 members and each student has to maintain a 3.4 GPA to continue being a part of this service organization club.

National Honor Society members serve the community in different ways. One of these members, Kenzie Graber, stated that “being involved with Honor Society gets me exposed to community service.” For example, every summer at the fair they work at the Burger Barn and that money goes to the Jake Boothe foundation. The Jake Boothe foundation is a schol-arship created by NHS because they always have left over money at the end of the year and they wanted to find a way to give back to the school. This scholarship is awarded to a senior who is going to attend a 2 year technical college. National Honor Society members also go on a trip every year, which is their reward for such a terrific usage of their time serving the community. This year they went to The Davenport Hotel in Spokane for breakfast, then they watched a movie at the theater, and lastly each member was given money to buy about $400.00 worth of toys for the Community Christmas Project next year.

National Honor Society benefits you by building your character, leadership, and citizen-ship. According to Ms. Webb, NHS is composed of “a darn good group of kids.” She really enjoys being the advisor and helping the students. When asked what Kenzie’s favorite part about being in NHS she said the community service activities. She really enjoyed going to the Nursing Home and decorating picture frames with the residents. Kenzie also said that NHS “helps me help the community.” Her advice to you is to “keep your grades up so that you can be in National Honor Society because it is really fun.” Currently, NHS received a grant to put a shed in at the community garden. They are also planning their induction ceremony for May 21st. So if you are interested in being involved with this club, keep your grades up!!

By Savannah PlasenciaStaff ReporterThere are a lot of jobs available for teens this summer. Depending on your experience and

skills you can get a really good, decent paying job. You can advertise your services in the local newspaper or advertiser. Some job ideas for people might be babysitting, lawn work, house care, or pet care. There are also organizations, such as the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), that teens can apply to for summer work and good pay. There can also be situations where a certain kind of permit might be necessary, such as a food permit, child care permit, or a workers permit. A workers permit is needed when you are under eighteen and it allows you to work for somebody under the legal limits.

I asked Mrs. Denise Hayes, owner of Scrapper’s Studio, a few questions about summer jobs. I asked “What do you look for in an employee? Mrs. Hayes said,“politeness, cleanliness, self- confidence, and willingness to do what needs to be done.” She also stated that some special requirements are “you must work well with other people and be organized. There are a lot of things to consider before applying for a job, make sure you can meet the standards so that you are more likely to get hired.”

Make sure you also include the amount of summer sports you are involved in. This has been an issure among many students at Davenport High. Most businesses, if you communicate well, will understand the time needed for sporting events.

Many students have had summer jobs including babysitting, yard work, harvesting, working at the Lincoln County Hospital, and many others. Do not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone when choosing a job because you will not know what is best for you if you do not. Make your summer one to remember, and start now by finding your summer job.

Summer jobs available for teens

Page 6 Gorilla Prints April 2010

SportsBy Miranda MielkeStaff ReporterThis year’s tennis team has kicked off their season in a great

position. Luckily snow really has not been interfering with the practice schedule but some rain, wind, and cold weather have been a slight setback. When the unpredictable warm days come, the team jumps on the courts and gets straight to practicing.

The boys’ team has only lost one league match to St.Georges and hope to keep up the good work. There are still some big matches that the boys need to win in order to take first place in league as a team. Along with the boys, the girls’ team has a winning season in progress. Near the beginning of the season the girls did not have a full team but managed to pull a few more girls in. Now they have a full team of seven girls which include Amria Akre, Krista Becker, Charlie French, Sarah Guhlke , Miranda Mielke, Amber Rutter and Elizabeth Wandling. Both the boys and girls on the DHS tennis team are pushing themselves to more wins while enjoying the sport.

The team pulls together a lot of excitement due to the close friendships forming. Not only does playing many hours a week make the participants better but the people around them help as well. When Amber Rutter was asked if she felt she had improved since the beginning of the season she replied, “Yes, with all the help from the coaches and fellow teammates I feel I have improved.” Head coach Yvonne Paul stated, “The participating members have a great time playing games; their all time favorite is ‘bump your neighbor.’ Also they enjoy serving games and Queen/King of the Court. The kids are a big part of the team’s success; they are always there for each other by being supportive. Even frequent challenge matches never seem to cause hard feelings between the players.”

Practice time is very essential to improving. Mrs. Paul said, “Practices have been very productive, we are working on the basic doubles skills and singles strategies. We also work on footwork skills frequently in practices to improve foot speed. I expect the boys’ team to have a good shot at winning the league. They should all be very successful at the district tournament; I am hoping to have more than one boy to state. As for the girls, Miranda Mielke will be one of the strong players in the field. I hope to have a fun and successful season.”

The Davenport Tennis Team is off to a great start and looking to keep excitement throughout the whole season!

Gorilla Tennis is Staying Hopeful to be the First in League as a Team

This year’s 2010 Tennis Team

By Lauren EricksonStaff Reporter It is a new season for the Davenport Gorilla tracksters! With a lot

of hard work in practice, meets have finally arrived and the competition is fierce. The first meet was held at Old “U” High on Tuesday April 6. Overall, the team experienced ups and downs throughout the meet. The boys placed 5 and the girls placed 6 out of 10 teams. While this may seem upsetting,

it was the first meet of the year leaving r o o m t o improve. Individually, t h e r e w e r e n u m e r o u s s u c c e s s e s . While many team members

have reached a goal, the only athletes from Davenport to place in the top 3 in a race were sophomores. Joey Gunning and Cole Evers, both hurdlers, placed 3rd in their events. Gunning ran the boys’ 110 meter hurdles with an impressive time of 18:47 while Evers participated in the boys’ 300 meter hurdles with a time of 46:44. Lauren Erickson placed 2 in the girls’ 1600 meter race with a 6:30 and also 2 in the girls’ 800 meter race, finishing in 2:55. Ryan Zeller placed 3 in the boys’ 800 meter race in 2:17.

As for the field participants, James Cronrath took 2 in the boys’ shot-put with a distance of 36’6.5”. Joey Gunning tied for 2 in the boys’ high jump with a height of 5’2”. Katie Vesneske placed 2 in the girls’ shot-put throwing a distance of 31’11” which she expressed was “better than expected”. When asked about her goals for the season, Vesneske said she “hopes to compete at a higher level, such as districts or even state”. Jordan Sliger, 3, had a distance of 28’6” in girls’ shot-put. In the girls’ high jump, Tia Bausmen placed 3 with a jump of 3’8”.

Overall, the Davenport track and field team has started off flourishing. Be sure to support them throughout the rest of the season!

Davenport’s Track team has began this season with great potential

Track members warming up

Gorilla Prints Page 7April 2010

SportsBy Ashley BordenStaff ReporterBaseball boys began their season

with 12 players, and practice started March 1. The team started off the season playing Reardan and beat them 19-2 the first game and 9-2 the second game. Last year’s season was one no one wanted to remember, but this year will be simply unforgettable. All of the boys have dedicated themselves to their team, hoping to shine bright throughout the entire season.

Many of the players have personal goals and team goals for the season and hope to achieve them. “I hope to have fun and a winning season,” states Kevin Morcom, a senior baseball player, “and to do my best and finish out my senior year with a great time to remember. I think this season, even thought we have less players then last season, we can do extremely well as a team. Something’s the team needs to work on is when someone makes a mistake to not

get down on themselves, and stay positive so they will not make another mistakes.”

Some team goals the players have are to improve everyday and have a fun season. The team hopes to go to state and do well. Last year the team finished out with a record

of 8-8 in regular season, and went 2-1 in post season play. This year the team has a 5-5 overall record

and a 2-2 league record. On March 30 the Gorillas went to Wilbur hoping for a win and fought hard but lost 4-1 and 8-1. On April 3 and April 6 Davenport hosted two

home games against A/C/H and LaCrosse-Washtucna and pulled out with three wins and one lost. The score of the A/C/H game was 10-8 and 2-16. Three days later the team won 16-0 and 18-0. On April 17 Davenport traveled to Liberty try their hardest and never gave up, but lost 11-1 and 6-2.

This season, four freshmen have stepped up to take a position on the field and help the Gorillas achieve a winning season. With the seniors leading the team, they expect to have a positive attitude, along with a great time getting back onto the field and making the most out of what they have. “It’s going to be difficult to come out with a winning season with the numbers we have, but it is possible if we sustain the positive attitude and perform at our best” says Kevin Morcom. Baseball is important to the players who put a lot of time into it, and for the seniors, since it is their last shot at making it to Yakima for the State Championships.

Baseball players dedicate time through season

By Jarod GunningStaff ReporterIn order to participate in high school athletics, a high school student

must put in an enormous amount of both time and effort. He/she must maintain good grades and make time for family and friends, all while getting in practice at their sports. This can be a most difficult task for the student athletes in school. However there is a substantial amount of dedication and guidance being provided by another source; for every successful student athlete there is at least one strong and determined parent. This month the “Diary of the Dedicated” is being “dedicated” to all of the parents that have students in DHS athletics.

Let us first begin with the amount of time a parent must spend on their children during sports. The average three sport high school athlete will participate in 10 to 20 fall contests, 20 to 30 winter contests, and 15 to 20 spring contests each year. Taking the median of each seasonal sport, an athlete will have roughly 60 games or events per year. Multiply this number by four and the total comes to 240 games the average high school student athlete will participate in during their career. Not including any junior varsity sports, a parent can expect to spend about two hours on the field or at the gym for each event. This means that for high school sports

alone, the average parent will be watching their kids play sports for 480 hours, or 20 days straight.

This is not even close to the total time a parent dedicates to their children’s athletics. After some strenuous research and investigating, it was discovered that parents do a lot more than just watch their kids participate in sports. In order to find the total time, one must include all AAU events, summer games, youth sports through grade school, and most importantly the time spent traveling. A well educated group of individuals estimate that the average everyday “soccer mom” can expect to give up over 1000 hours of her life to her children’s athletics.

Parents give up a surreal amount of time for their kids during sports, but they give up something else as well. They have to spend lots and lots of money! On just gate fees alone, a parent can spend up to $1200 during a student’s high school tenure. Add this to the gas money, food, drinks, and equipment, and it is figured that some parents spend well over $5000 on just one child a sport.

It is quite apparent that without the dedication of the parents at Davenport High School, athletics would not exist. Students should be thankful that their parents are do dedicated. Thank you to all of the great parents of our community. Go Gorillas!

Diary of the Dedicated: Parents’ Commitment

The boys’ team huddles up to talk strategy

Page 8 Gorilla Prints April 2010

Our WorldBy McKenna JankeStaff ReporterSomething as simple as text messaging a friend about plans for the weekend can end up more dangerous than you could ever imagine. Not only

does it have possible medical problems later in life, penalties of crime or death may occur. While under half of the US population will admit to being

in a car with the driver texting or talking on the phone, over half of the teenage population will admit to actually texting or talking on the phone when driving. This texting while driving fad is mostly under the age of twenty-six.

The SMS text concept was invented around 1975, by Mr. Matti Makkonen from Finland. Text messages did not take off until the late 1990’s. Only to be banned in many states while driving less than ten years later due to the increase of crashes and people paying less attention to the road and more attention to staying connected. Madison Throop, a junior at Davenport High School, has stated that, “Driving behind the wheel is immature and you should not do it.”

In January 2008 the illegalization of texting while driving was set. Under this law, drivers who read and compose text messages or talk on the phone while without a hands-free will face no less than a $101 ticket. It was stated, however, that in emergencies and some situations drivers will be exempt from this law.

Not only does texting while driving have unsatisfying results to many, it may also lead to crimes you may not think about. For example, sending and receiving inappropriate pictures (meaning, pictures you wouldn’t want your grandparents seeing) is a gate way to be registered as a sex offender. If the picture is of anyone under 18, he or she is a minor, those pictures are child pornography. Once you send something, you have no control

of it after that. No matter how much you trust the receiver. A picture could; end up on the internet, be printed, used as black mail, and/or get you involved in scandal. Madison has also said, “People who send pictures are just desperate for attention, and should do something more productive and appropriate for attention.”

An example of texting while driving

By Sarah SotoStaff ReporterAs you all know, we are in the middle an economic down-fall. Stores,

families, and even schools have been cutting budgets and even jobs have been laying people off from their jobs. As of now, the unemployment rates have reached a climatic uprising to a high 9.7%. The endless splurging of money in the past has become a surreal ideal in the eyes of many people: no jobs, no money, no spending. This is the cycle that puts us in our recession and this is the process that has kept us in this recession. But how do we keep up with our collapsing economy? Well, one word: budgets. Budgets are the key to stay afloat at these hard times.

Asking staff from Davenport High school:The main concept the staff interviewed was, pay your bills first! Mrs. Patterson and Mrs. Carruth are two staff members that brought this suggestion forward. Bills should be put first! Bills are the problem of most people, but do need to be taken

care of first so deeper debt won’t be in place. Having debt in the first place is easy to get into, but hard to get out of. The longer the debt gets paid off, the high the interests raises. This puts you farther behind. As Mr. Young says, “cable and eating” out are two big issues that get in the way of paying the bills first. Even though that weekend dinner may seem worth it, it actually is putting you on a hold up for more important expenses.

The second issue that came across was to be aware of how much money you have.Mrs. Reider had the comment to make sure you know what you are spending and how much you have to spend. Sometimes having a debit or credit card could become a little overwhelming. Spending money and not knowing how much you have can become risky. So remember to write a record of everything you purchase and be aware if what you are purchasing will be worth it in the long run.

These times may be hard on some, but with the advice of Davenport High School staff, it can be a little easier on everyone.

Economic Down-fall Brings Budget Crisis: many being affected

Texting while driving shown to be dangerous