viking

march 2010issue 3

thevikingnews.com

the

the

viking coffee shop

hot drinks, live music,

friday mornings.

where: room 135drinks & snacks for

$1.50!

when: 8:00-8:50 every other

friday morning

first lookediting team

Michelle DelgadoLauren Pichon

Dani Psimas

online teamMichael Carter

Torri Hart

copy teamCourtney Coombs

photography teamJessica Carver

Haley JohnstonBrian Wagner

ad teamMari Kiyota

Kamna Talwar

staff writersRachel Boisjolie

Charlotte CooperTatum DavenportTierra DongieuxMelissa Fairfax

Leigh GeorgeJosh Janney

Acacia LawsonMaddi Luckman

Ben LutrarioZack Miller

Mae MarkowskiJoe Midolo

Courtney MorganMorgan Screptock

Lakshman Ulanowsky

Carter WallerBen WaringDana Wood

adviserPaige Cox “Everything is an

experiment.”

mega menagerie

2 over the top testing

3 newsbird’s eye view

viking viewmega menagerie10

Freshman Troy Taylor, a deaf student in ASL, signs a “bridge” across the communication gap.cover illustration/Brian Wagner & Michael Carter

coverstaff

Paige Coxpaige.cox@lcps.org

340 N. Maple AvenuePurcellville, VA 20132

540-751-2400

contact

photo/Haley Johnston

inside

centerspreadwords of wisdom 12a&eanime underground14sportsinside gymnastics18

-Geoffrey Nichols, senior

editorial

2 editorial

?we’re wrongwhat

if

standardized testing is called into question as the first generation of tested students reaches

college

If you’re like me, you’ve bubbled in thousands of Scantron sheets. With billions of dollars invested in

standardized testing programs and test-driven curricula, educators and legislators are now beginning to evaluate their handiwork. It would be hard to admit at this point, but what if we’ve been wrong about testing?

The last 10 years of American education policy have been devoted to testing, testing, and more testing, leaving students less prepared for critical thinking challenges than ever before. The source of the wave of testing is the Bush administration’s No Child Left Behind program, which was originally designed to shore up failing schools. President Obama has changed the program’s name, “Race to the Top,” but the underlying principles of competing for funding based on test scores remain constant.

While this goal is worthy, testing does little – arguably nothing – to prepare students for a fast-paced global economy in which they will compete for college acceptance letters and jobs. With technology rapidly blazing new and unpredictable

paths, the demand for skill-based knowledge overpowers the demand for the memorization required for successful standardized testing. More valuable skills include group dynamics, critical analysis, and dynamic thinking.

The New York Times recently reported that the Advanced Placement (AP) testing system is due to change in the 2012-13 school year, seeming to imply that the current testing model is indeed deeply flawed. Still, the changes seem promising: Lab sciences like AP Biology will be restructured to place focus where it belongs, on hypothesis formulation, in order to better reflect science in the “real world.” Similarly, AP United States History, which is infamous for its heavy reading level and overwhelming amount of essential material, will be scaled back in curriculur requirements and skills will include historical interpretation and argument.

This new emphasis on creativity seems to confirm that the decade-old standard of testing is the wrong approach. Any curriculum designed to encourage knowledge without understanding is inherently flawed. ■

article/Michelle Delgado

Senior Jamie Delaney stared in disbelief at the belligerent

travelers as they stripped down and insisted on walking through the security scanners completely nude to protest the new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) guidelines.

Dealing with the protests against the TSA machines is just one of the many experiences that make Delaney’s job as a student ambassador at Dulles Airport unique. From the customs office, Delaney has insight into timely international and

Bird’s Eye View

worldview of a teenage customs

employee

photo/Haley Johnston

domestic issues, from the influx of U.S. citizens and refugees fleeing Egypt to deportation.

Delaney has a bird’s eye view of global news and society. People from every corner of the world come together for brief moments in the airport, creating a unique intersection of world culture. “The airport is the largest scope I could ever see of the world at this time,” she said.

The intermingling of people creates a multicultural, multilingual environment. Delaney relates information, mediates conflicts, and connects with newcomers, all without speaking their language. Sometimes the barrier threatens

to be insurmountable. “I definitely struggled at

the beginning. I could not relate to them what was going on,” Delaney said. However, she quickly learned to communicate through body language and gestures. “It’s like a game of charades. It’s really exciting when their eyes light up because they get what I’m saying.”

The communication barriers often reveal prejudices and misunderstandings between nations. Delaney is challenged to resolve conflicts between foreign nationals without speaking either language herself. “They turn around and they immediately

make all these judgments,” said Delaney. “That’s such a barrier in learning. They could have learned something new that day instead of getting all worked up.”

To resolve bilingual arguments, Delaney uses gestures to put the issue into perspective. “I’ll literally just point to every single person in the line, telling them ‘look at them.’ I’ll point to a kid who is crying, or something else that is happening in the room,” said Delaney. “As soon as you move them away from that situation they immediately see that it doesn’t make sense to argue over something so trivial.”

While misunderstandings

degreesseparation

of

Delaney isn’t the only student at Valley broadening her viewpoint as a global citizen. Brazil, Morocco, Hungary, Kazakhstan, India, and China are thousands of miles away from Purcellville, Virginia, but are closer now than ever before thanks to connections made through social media and international exchange programs.

4 news

do occur in the immigration room, more often Delaney sees the universal humanity that holds us all together. In one instance, a Chinese father faced with deportation was given two options for his children: he could take them back to China or leave them in the U.S. with an appointed guardian. In the end, he chose to let them stay in the U.S. “I couldn’t understand anything he said, but just from the tone of his voice, the way he was walking, the way he was looking at people, I think he just kept thinking that his kids were okay,” said Delaney.

Later, the two children returned to the airport to travel back to China to visit their

father. Delaney was able to talk with them through the help of a translator. “One of the kids told me that it’s okay because she knows that they’re safe, and she knows that her dad is safe, even though they’re across the world from each other,” said Delaney. “And even if he’s not [safe], he made a great sacrifice for them, and she can never be upset about that. I was blown away.”

Similarly, Delaney’s experiences have allowed her to see the humanity of immigration, not the political controversy. “All these people want is a good life, a good job, money, a family. Wherever they were, they saw the U.S. as the

only opportunity. I hear people saying that we need to limit the amount of people coming in. I think of the actual faces I worked with, the actual people I’ve talked to. How could you say that to somebody?”

Delaney’s precocious experience with cultural barriers and sensitive political issues is uncommon, but the issues themselves are not.“People are so scared of people that aren’t like them. Just because someone is not like you, that does not mean they’re any different necessarily. I feel like that is a message for everybody.” ■

article/Dani PsimasMichael Carter

Purcellville, Virginia

Khouribga, Morocco

Debrecen,Hungary Jijan, China

New Delhi,India

Almaty,Kazakhstan

São Paulo, Brazil

generation6 news

After lunch, students throw the remainder of their sloppy lunch in the garbage. But then

they recycle their water bottles, cans, and even their chip bags. Recycling has fast become the most visible form of being green. Valley has been involved in helping the environment through recycling for years.

The most recent addition to the green initiative is the TerraCycling program, introduced last winter by senior Alyssa Pull. “I started the program when I saw TerraCycling on the back of a cookie package. I went to the website and was like, ‘Hey! I want to do that!’” said Pull.

The program collects items

green

such as chip bags, granola bar wrappers, and Ziploc bags that the TerraCycle company turns into new products to sell. “I feel like we’re really materialistic and consume a lot, so it’s our duty to protect the environment and reduce what we can, while we can,” Pull said.

Like Pull, other Valley students participate in the green culture. Thrifting, for example, is trendy and cheap as well as environmentally friendly. “I shop at thrift stores because their clothes are so cheap and nobody else has the clothes you’re buying,” said senior Ellie Fallon.

Other students buy locally grown vegetarian food for the health and environmental

benefits. “It’s just so much more healthy than how most Americans eat,” said English teacher Julie Hildbold, who takes careful note of her health by buying food from farmer’s markets, like the Hillsboro organic farmer’s market.

Still more students are inspired to be green by the Environmental Science program, which provides insight into environmental problems through outdoor field trips.

Senior Jacob Hardbower, who took the class last year, said, “As we got further into the year, I began to notice things in nature that I look over every day. I think that once you see the direct impact of what you do every day, you become aware of

how important our actions are.”The increasing importance

of the environment class is obvious, and to meet students’ needs it will be offered as an AP course next year. David Marshall, who took AP Environmental at his former high school, now plans on being a lawyer with a focus on areas of environmental concern. “I just want to be involved in making people aware and changing laws to make people live a different lifestyle because until people realize how much more it’s worth preventing the degradation of our environment, rather than trying to fix it after we’ve already destroyed it, then we have to start at the top [with legislation] and work down [to

It’s up to us to be smart about how we use our purchasing power and how we vote.”David Marshall,senior

“

us], and hopefully eventually that will change,” said Marshall.

With the rise of industry and its hazardous byproducts, our generation has recognized the need to take action. “Our responsibility is to fix a lot of the problems that we’ve created for ourselves,” said Marshall.

Liam McGranaghan, Environmental Science teacher, has picked up on the shift in mindset. “I’ve definitely seen more recycling amongst students, more getting involved outdoors, planting trees, less litter, and maintaining outdoor surroundings,” he said.

The “Green Generation” is more involved than the past few generations, whether the

actions are big, like cleaning up our roads and taking care of displaced animals, or small, such as switching to fluorescent light bulbs and fabric grocery bags. Small steps like these lead to greater strides toward our goal.

“The biggest step our generation is taking is moving toward cleaner energy sources, in the cars that we drive and how much we drive, living in a way that’s more economically sound. The more efficient we are with the energy we use, and the less money we spend on energy, the more we’re helping the environment. It’s up to us to be smart about how we use our purchasing power and how we vote,” said Marshall. ■

article/Kamna Talwar &Charlotte Cooper

surprising

the amount of WASTE we can REDUCE by recycling

the number of GALLONS of water we can save by turning off the water while brushing

our teeth

the amount of money we can save on ENERGY BILLS by unplugging our TV and cell phone chargers when NOT

IN USE

the number of POUNDS of greenhouse gases saved by

flourescent light bulbs

STATS75%

1.5 BILLION

1trillion

$1 BILLION

illustration/Michelle Delgado

8 viking view

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American Sign Language (ASL) students are building a case for ASL to be accepted by

all Virginia colleges in order to give the Deaf a voice, leading a crusade to pass legislation that would require the same recognition for ASL that is given to other foreign languages taught in public schools.

“If the colleges say ‘we’re not accepting this, it’s not a unique language,’ it makes the Deaf community feel like second-class citizens,” said Dawn Hitchens, ASL teacher. “They don’t want to be considered as having a handicap; they’re using a different language that sets them apart.”

The journey to Richmond began when Hitchens’ ASL II class discussed the fact that some Virginia colleges refuse to accept ASL foreign language credits when evaluating students for acceptance. In April 2010, the students took action. Following the lead of a former Congressional

ASL class drives bill through Virginia legislature

page in the class, 2010 graduate Hollis Erickson, they researched the issue and sent letters to members of the Virginia legislature requesting that a 1996 Virginia law be changed from “recommending” acceptance of ASL credits to “requiring” acceptance.

Even after the students moved into ASL III and the class was split between Valley and Woodgrove, the movement continued. A second, revised letter was sent in December, and Delegate Richard Bell offered to present the bill.

“It is required by law that school counselors recommend students don’t take ASL if they’re serious about going to college, because there’s this uncertainty about colleges accepting it,” said senior Jessica McCann, a campaign participant. “[The bill is] going to force all Virginia colleges to accept ASL as a foreign language credit, because if I went to Longwood, they wouldn’t accept my foreign language credits, and it would

e

9viking view

i l n c e L E G I S A T I O N

R L

ASL students and teacher Dawn Hitchens pose with Delegate Richard Bell in Richmond ■ photo/Jessica McCann

be like I had never taken ASL for three years.”

ASL students journeyed to Richmond twice to make their case and rescue the bill from committee in both the Virginia House and Senate. The bill passed the House 21-1, and the Senate 11-4. Currently, the bill awaits Governor Bob McDonnell’s signature.

“We made an actual impact on the world from our little classroom with just a dream, working hard to reach our goal,” said McCann. “That’s something that you only hear or see in movies.”

With its own syntax,

morphology, discourse, grammatical structure, and rules of behavior, ASL is nothing like English. According to the ASL class’s letter to the legislature, by not requiring public colleges to accept ASL as a credited course, the Commonwealth discriminates against the Deaf community, refusing to accept their unique culture and language.

“Because their language isn’t being accepted, they aren’t, and it also means there are fewer people learning how to communicate with them,” said Hitchens.

Freshman Troy Taylor

was born Deaf and learned ASL as he grew up. Though he came to Valley knowing some signed English, a branch of sign language where individual words are signed word-for-word in English sentence structure, Taylor is enrolled in ASL I to gain friendships with other ASL students. “Some people look at ASL and think it’s weird, they don’t want it,” signed Taylor. “They are scared of accepting something that is not normal.”

The passage of the bill would indicate a break in the wall between the hearing and the Deaf communities. Assured college credit would

encourage more students to take ASL, thereby offering the Deaf community more qualified teachers and interpreters. It will also help Deaf individuals who study both English and ASL apply to college, because ASL will fulfill foreign language requirements that previously shut them out.

When asked how the passage of the bill would affect the relationship between the hearing and the Deaf communities, Taylor signed, “Hearing people and Deaf people will be equal.” ■

article/Dana Wood

om m u Nic AT I O N

10 viking view

MENAGERIEmega

senior geoffrey nichols’ farm is home to a host of unusual animals

photo/Haley Johnston

11viking view

A younger Geoffrey Nichols peered over the edge of his mattress, determined to

investigate the noise he heard. That’s when he discovered a monster under his bed.

“There was a snake under my bed. One of my father’s snakes [a boa] had gotten out,” Nichols, a senior, nonchalantly recalls. Such an occurrence isn’t out of the ordinary for Nichols, the son of two veterinarians. His family owns over 400 animals, including emus, zebras, snakes, lizards, birds, horses, dogs, and livestock.

The menagerie has

Left page: Geoffrey Nichols holds a modena pigeon he bred. ■ Right page, clockwise: Zebras Zelda and Ziggy huddle together in the snow. ■ An alpine goat poses. ■ Emu eggs wait to be made into an omelet on the kitchen counter. ■ Nichols holds a gregari-ous zebra finch still for the camera.

MENAGERIE photos/Geoffrey Nichols

grown over the years. Their passion for animals has led to adoptions and experimental breeding programs. Nichols has continued the scientific tradition that his parents began before he was born. “I’ve been breeding zebra finches since I was seven,” said Nichols. “I do cross breeding programs just for fun. Just to see what happens.”

Soon, the Nichols family will begin with their latest cross-breeding projects: zorses, and zonkeys. Nichols, experienced with animals and reading their behavior, took us to meet the zebras firsthand. He explained that the zebras,

Ziggy, Zelda, and Zena, were still unaccustomed to people. They paced around their enclosure, flicking their tails out of nervousness and suspicion.

The exotic animals have attracted a lot of attention. “People are obsessed with zebras,” said Nichols. “But they’re actually a common pet in the US. Really it’s just a striped horse.”

After showing us the zebra enclosure, Nichols took us to the house to see the reptile room. He explained the backgrounds of the tortoises and lizards as he handed them over for show and tell. The snakes, on the other hand,

were left in their cages, pinned shut with heavy weights. The weights, he explained, were to keep the snakes from pushing through the top of the cage and escaping into the house.

Nichols realizes that the menagerie may seem unusual to outsiders, but for him it’s ordinary. “It just is. It’s just something I do.”

Nichols attends the Academy of Science every other day, where he continues his scientific research. He plans to study biology at William and Mary next year. As for the future, “I’ll be a scientist,” said Nichols, “but I don’t know exactly what I want to do.” ■

article/Dani Psimas

photo/Haley Johnston

this

When you think back on your high school years, you won’t remember your 10th

grade biology midterm or your AP Lang notecard project, but all of the advice

you were given. We interviewed Vikings to discover the best advice

they’ve ever received.

lifeHIGH SCHOOL

Sometimes the most important things can’t be learned in books.

photo/Haley Johnston & Michelle Delgado

14 arts & entertainment

The lights go out. Students lounge in their chairs, alternately talking and shushing

each other over pizza and soda while the movie plays. Someone makes a joke about the “melting ice cream monster” that fails to save the protagonists, and everyone laughs. Another comments on the recurring themes in all the director’s films, and people chime in with other titles to back up his theory. There is an undercurrent of kinship in the groans when the footage skips, and those who have already seen the anime Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind quickly but quietly fill their friends in.

“I’ve always been into anime. When we were little, me and my brother used to always watch Pokémon and Dragonball Z, the classics, and that’s become my love of it today,” said sophomore Kelsey Baughman, member of the Anime-Manga club. “The storylines and the art are always different, and it’s always kept my interest, even

Anime Club brings together a community of like-minded artists and thinkers for films and fun.

ANIME CLUB

glossary an•i•me (an-im-ay) n. cartoons with a distinct

Asian influence in the art direction; most are produced

in Japan; characterized by large eyes, inventive hair, and a focus on teenage or young

adult characters

cos•play (cawz-play) v. dressing up as a character

fan•art (fan art) n. art produced by fans

featuring characters, settings, or concepts from established

anime, manga, or video games

man•ga (man-guh OR mong-guh) n. graphic novels with the same style as anime; many series have an anime and a manga telling similar or

identical stories

shou•nen (show-nen) n. genre of anime/manga

that contains a lot of action, usually from rival characters engaged in physical combat

shou•jo (anime) n. genre of anime/manga that typically features a

female protagonist whose relationships are integral to

the plot

when the show ends up being completely stupid.”

Valley’s Anime-Manga Club is a prime example of the anime community in micro, gathering once a week to watch anime series or movies, discuss them, and generally hang out with friends who connect over something they all enjoy.

“I don’t really see a difference between books and animation, they’re more or less the same thing,” said senior Enrico Casimiro, former vice president of the Anime-Manga Club. “You’re creating a fictional world, so why not discuss it the same way?”

The rise of anime in America has created a fandom similar to the fraternity of sports fans or band followers, fueled by the availability of anime on YouTube and other online streamers. There is a plethora of fan sites and forums on which to congregate and share opinions, new series, fan-produced material, and inside jokes with the international fan community.

“Anime is not who I am as a whole person. I’m into photography and art and

writing, but because I’m into anime I’ve made great friends through that,” said Baughman. “Because of one thing I drew and posted on dA [deviantArt, an extensive art-sharing website], I have had a five-year friendship with one person.”

Fans also congregate at conventions such as “Katsucon,” a convention in Maryland to which the Anime-Manga club recently journeyed. At Katsucon, companies hawk merchandise, and artists sell independent work. Enthusiasts have the opportunity to meet with famous voice actors, cartoonists, and internet celebrities, and often compete in dance, karaoke, and costume contests.

“Think of it as the science fiction culture,” said Casimiro. “That’s basically the closest equivalent I can think of to the anime subculture, to the point where we have conventions as well and these little, secret groups of nerds as you say.”

“Well, not really secretive though,” he added. “We’re kind of obvious about it.”

Anime itself is no longer

known only to those who can already find it. While its distinctive Japanese style still sets it apart from other cartoons, American and European companies have created successful anime franchises like “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Animation mogul Walt Disney dubs and releases many works by the Studio Ghibli production company, including Spirited Away, the only film made outside the English-speaking world to win an Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

“Because it’s animation you can really do anything. It’s not limited to live action and what your budget is,” said junior Colby Macleod, Anime-Manga Club member.

“Anime has evolved since it began. It has become much more about plot and art as a whole,” said Baughman. “Anime still has big eyes and big hair, but it’s much more about realism than it was.” ■

article/Dana Wood

Left page: Club president Angel Workman poses with a fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas at Katsucon 2011. ■ Right Page: (L) Members of the anime club pose at Katsucon 2011. ■ (R) Original fan art created by club president Angel Workman.

tapping withattitudeSenior Sarah Klett’s passion for

tap dance takes her on travels nation-wide.

Above: Klett (second from left) performs rhythm tap in a dance ensemble ■ Right: Klett (left) uses different steps to create a

wide range of sounds with her tap shoes.

16 viking view

Lively crescendos, percussive beats, and not an instrument in sight: It’s a tap dance

jam circle. Senior Sarah Klett is part of a dynamic subculture that creates music with their feet.

Klett passionately dances rhythm tap. “Rhythm tap isn’t like show tap or jazzy tap, but making music with my tapping,” said Klett. “It’s just more focused on the rhythms and it’s more grounded.”

During her eight years of training, rhythm tap has taken her all over the country: in addition to performing at festivals annually in Chicago, she has danced for audiences in New York City

and Washington, D.C. Klett has worked with some of the biggest names in the tap world, including Jason Samuels Smith, Maud Arnold, Jason Janice, and Barbara Duffy.

Klett’s grandparents supported her early interest in dance, and she began to learn rhythm tap in private lessons. When the studio unexpectedly closed its doors, her studio director suggested she audition for the Tappers With Attitude Youth Ensemble, a nationally renowned dance company based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Ignoring her instructor’s warning that she may not be ready, Klett auditioned for the company and made it into the ensemble.

During her time in Tappers With Attitude, Klett practiced an average of ten hours per week, traveling an hour and a half just to make it to the studio. Unfortunately, after three years of tapping with the company, she was subjected once more to the unpredictability of the dancing world when the Tappers With Attitude studio shut down due to financial difficulties. From there, Klett joined the Capital Tap and Rhythm in Blue dance companies, where she dances now.

Klett spends the majority of her time outside of school tapping. From weekends to summers, there is rarely a time when she isn’t dancing, even forgoing her Senior Prom to

perform in a combination African dance/hip hop festival.

Despite such a rigorous and demanding rehearsal schedule, Klett has no regrets, citing her love for the tightly-knit community that shares her passion for creating rhythm as one of tapping’s most rewarding aspects.

“Because you have to have a lot of dedication to even make it to rehearsal every week, I’ve learned a lot about myself as a person,” Klett said. “I’ve learned how to work really hard and to get something back from all of it.” ■

article/Morgan Screptock

17sports

A sport of pure and raw contact. Fast paced, adrenaline-filled, intense. This is rugby.

Loudoun County Public Schools refuses to sponsor rugby due to the dangerous nature of the sport. H owever, enthusiasts have formed two local teams for high school students, the Suburbs League and the Wolverines.

Practices are filled with focused chatter, encouragement, and the sounds of tackling bodies. But beyond the bloodshed, players respect each other. “Rugby is like a brotherhood,” said Erik Carlson, senior.

Team members push each other, striving to compete and win at the highest level. Colleges like Penn State and UVA offer rugby clinics that give players the opportunity to improve their game. “It’s a huge learning process for players of all experience levels,” said Ginnie Griffith, senior.

Rugby has gained popularity in recent years. The teams’ presence in Loudoun is as visible as any varsity team, and they play with the same determination to win. However, many students are unaware of the rugby leagues, and often miss out on the opportunity to play. “Since it’s not a school-sponsored sport, a lot of kids don’t know about it,” said Laurence Kelly, senior.

Still, the brutal sport demands attention. Students’ passion for rugby will broaden the community even further. “I really like that I can challenge myself and work really hard,” said Griffith. “And I have a lot of fun!” ■

article/Ben WaringcontributorDani Psimas

illustration/Brian Wagner & Michael Carter

Gymnas icsinside the season

As Jess Bramhall stares down the beam preparing for her dismount, yells of

encouragement from her nearby teammates escalate, filling the quiet practice room with a feeling of excitement.

Whether during practice or at a meet, this sense of intensity is present in every member of the team and radiates from head coach Jennifer Cooper Barlow. The girls’ work ethic and focus were a major reason the team advanced as far as they did this year—placing second in the Cedar Run District and fourth in the Northwest Region.

With only four out of ten returning athletes, this accomplishment was a learning experience for Barlow. “I learned that hard work often is better than talent. Many of these young ladies have never gotten on bars and beam and the improvement they made through the season was tremendous.” Originally planning on managing for the team, senior Maggie Gutierrez tried out on a whim. “We were setting up the gym and it looked like a lot of fun, and some people on the team said that I

18 sports

should just do it, so I decided to try out.”

New gymnasts like Gutierrez were not the only ones to improve. Senior captain Victoria White focused on conquering her fear of falling. “When I started gymnastics, I used to be afraid of things and I wouldn’t try anything new,” White said. “This year I blossomed into gymnastics Tori—the Tori who is not afraid to fall off the beam.”

Though the team finished its run in the regionals at home,

senior Jess Bramhall advanced to the state tournament. “Making it through an entire gymnastics season was a big accomplishment. I was hurt and on injury leave my freshman, sophomore, and junior years, so actually completing a season was awesome.”

With all the trial and error that goes into preparing for events, teammates rely on each other for support. “My favorite part about the team is how close we are. It’s a small team, so it’s a tight group,” Gutierrez

said. This closeness created an encouraging environment for sophomore Josephine Trombadore, who grew from a “struggling, inexperienced freshman” to helping her teammates and giving them advice. “We’re able to really bond well and get to know each other not just as athletes, but as people. At this point, we’re practically family,” Trombadore said. ■

article/Haley Johnston

photo/LifetouchSophomore Josephine Trombadore does the splits on the beam.

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When the earth was young, the rocks were soft, and the dirt was clean,

art teacher Paul Shaver and now-retired psychology teacher Doug Livesay established a

tropical tradition: wearing their Hawaiian shirts every Friday.

The tradition was inspired by Shaver’s growing collection of shirts. Several years later, he had received so many as gifts from relatives that he couldn’t

possibly wear them on Fridays alone. He decided that every day should be a Hawaiian t-shirt day.

Wearing the shirts every day angered the “Big Kahuna,” Livesay, and the teachers

disbanded the tradition. However, Shaver still wears the Hawaiian shirts every day. He currently owns over 50 shirts, and his bright get-ups are an essential component of Valley culture. ■

article/Dani Psimasphoto/Brian Wagner

theSHIRTSof SHAVER