Join Ashland High School in supporting our Art community with the Winter Fine Arts Festival (WFAF). It will be held on Jan 13 and 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the Mountain Avenue Theatre. Bring friends and family to listen to music, watch dances, view artwork and more. Art from display cases will be put into a silent auction, which raises money for the art department and student scholarships. There will also be a café in the commons with fantastic food. Be sure to sign up for the annual blood drive on Dec 18. Remember, you must be sixteen or older and have parental consent.

Have spare cans of food lying around at home? Bring what you have during the canned food drive to help out families in need. The canned food drive will end on Dec 18.

Show your talent at the annual Ashland High School Talent show. It will take place in the Mountain Avenue Theatre on Dec 12.

Did you miss the last assemblies at Ashland High? Then be sure to bring your school spirit to the Winter Assembly on Jan 17.

POSTPONED- The Funkadelic dance has been postponed. It will take place prior to the Winter Formal, which is on Jan 31.

Ashland High School’s FIRST Robotics Club has received its grant from NASA and is now looking for any community volunteers to help with the construction and programming of their robot for competition. For more information please contact the team captain, Max Parker-Shames, at max.parkershames@gmail.com

Ashland High School’s Speech and Debate Team, with over 60 members, is gearing up for winter competition. Second-year coach Wendy Werthaiser-Kent and a team of 10 experienced debaters have drilled the team. So far, the work has paid off: they took first place the Willamette tournament in October. For more information, check out the full article at roguenews.net

Key Club is giving back! The club, along with the leadership class, is running a giving tree in the main office from Dec 1 through Dec 19. Tags are on the tree with a name, age and desired gift of a needy child. You can bring either a new gift or a used one that is in near perfect shape.

On Nov. 24 during the Demographer’s report, Charles Rynerson announced that AHS enrollment is projected to stabalize at around 900 students in nine years.

School budget crisis: change inevitablewww.roguenews.netAshland, Oregon Vol. III Issue III

December 4, 2008

From left: Budget Committee Chair Rick Barth, School Board member Keith Massey, Superintendent Juli DiChiro, Business Manager Jill Turner and Administrative Assistant / Human Resources Coordinator Jeanne Peterson discuss the coming finacial shortfall at the Budget Committee meeting in the AHS library on Nov 24.

Photo by Justin Aziere

On the afternoon of November 24, all Ashland School District teachers and staff received a letter from Superintendent Juli DiChiro. They read it, brows furrowed, and issued quiet sighs of concern. The news was not good, and they knew that it would seriously change the future of education in the Ashland School District, and indeed the entire state of Oregon. Due to the downward turn of the economy, Oregon’s government is running out of money and is making across the board cuts to all state programs. The anticipated loss of revenue for Ashland this school year is $380,000. Compounding this problem is the fact that Ashland schools are still suffering from declining enrollment. The projected loss of revenue for the next year is $2.5 million, or roughly a 9% reduction of the total budget. However, all of these numbers are estimates. The exact numbers will become clearer after the state government’s financial forecast in early December. “This is one of the largest substantial reductions that the Ashland School District has ever had to face,” Ashland School Board Chair Mat Marr said. The problem is complicated. The Ashland School District is required to set its budget for the following year in May. However, the Legislature often does not allocate funds for education until later in the session, sometimes as late as September. In other words, the district has to create a budget before they know

how much they have to spend, and in this case they have to cut spending that has already been allocated. The latest crisis comes only six years after the last major budget reductions of 2002 when ten days were cut from the school year, eighth period at AHS was removed, and staff were laid off. Similar actions will probably be needed to combat these budget cuts. “85% of the budget is salary [and benefits] for staff…You just can’t get to 2.5 million without layoffs,” said Marr. No layoffs are planned for this school year because of the immense disruption it would cause part way through the school year. Instead, the current proposal is to remove five days from the school year, with teachers receiving no pay for those days, and students, no instruction. However, the reality of budget cuts for next year is beginning to sink in with the staff, and even some of the students. “There’s already a lot of unease and uncertainty and fear from some of our employees who think they might be the first to go,” government teacher Matthew McKinnon said. While some students are rejoicing at the idea of extra days off of school, they may not get the break they are anticipating. “We just give more homework. We still have to cover the same amount of material,” science teacher Kate Kennedy said. “I hope we cut days after the AP exam,” she said, explaining that it would be difficult to review for AP tests in May if Spring Break were lengthened, one of the current proposals. School Board Student Representative Amie Jacobson added, “Students have strong bonds with specific teachers and it’s just going to be so sad to lose them…we’re just going to have to work with what we have and make the best out of it.”

$380,000 in cuts projected for this year. $2.5 million in cuts projected for 2009-2010.

by Phoebe Parker-Shames

There is a group of young men at Ashland High School at the peak of their physical and mental ability and they have been taking exercise and sports to a whole new level. Mack Conroy is the leader of the Air Trekking Squad Veri-tas, or “Truth Holders.” While many think Ger-man engineering reached its peak with Volkswagen, this group of, dare I say “mav-ericks,” begs to differ. The actual “Air Trekkers”, a.k.a. jumping stilts, were invented and patented in 1992 in Ber-lin, Germany, by Alexander Böck. They are an apparatus that attaches to the shoe and knee and allows the user to show off their more-than-human athletic abilities. Since the Nineties the sport has been growing in popularity and is big in East-ern Europe and parts of Asia. The U.S. has only be-gun to take notice in recent years because the jumping stilts have become a You-Tube sensation. Air Trekkers really have few limits. You can run at 25 MPH and jump at least 4.5 feet directly off the ground. The Veritas Squad constantly runs at high speeds up and down steep hills, do back and front flips and are usually a good 6 ft. from the ground. Conroy on his own has beat-en a bike in a race downhill. Like the activity park-our, which involves a lot of jumping and liveliness, Air Trekking is a good exercise. The sheer act of running in the Air Trekkers builds mus-cle, strengthens the core and makes the user’s body look like a cross between Michael Phelps and Chuck Norris. In fact, every member of The Veritas Sqaud is an accomplished athlete and student. An extraordinary example of this is Conroy himself. He is a star debater, a long time gymnast/dancer, maintains a 4.0 grade point average and is an all around Adonis incarnate. “I used to be weak, I used to be feeble… until I found the light. By God’s almighty did I work. Until I became something more… Some-thing stronger…Something Better…Something Great. Air trekking was that light,” Mackenzie Allen Running-Bear Richardson Conroy said.

Roaming the streets of Ashland is Josh McLaughlin and his 1988 Jeep Cherokee. This very well worn vehi-cle has been around for 20 years and it isn’t hard to tell that its appearance hasn’t evaded the toll of time. Now, some people say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but no mat-ter how you hold the word beauty, McLaughlin’s car won’t feel the same. The driver’s side is coated with a bar-rage of bumps, dents and scratch-es—and that’s its good side. The front has a couple good-sized dents and the headlight panel only decides to stay attached part of the time. The right side has the most character, predominantly taken up by a crater larger than most swimming pools. After one of the more notable crashes the front passenger door was sealed closed by the metal roof. At least one of the windows has a stick-er of “Ernie,” the roommate of Bert from “Sesame Street” fame. The backside is actu-ally in decent shape, unfortunately, the only feature is a bumper that’s about three strong kicks away from falling off and the trunk door that never opens. Now let’s go inside. Allowing the fact that we might not be able to actually “get inside.” I say this because if any of the doors (except for the driver’s) are locked they wont be opened again without many strenuous hours of work. If it’s a hot

Heap of the week

by Vince Brinegarby Vince Brinegar

Josh Mclaughlin and his heap of the week. Photo by Vince Brinegar

Air trekkers

Rogue News-The Rogue News will strive to practice professional journalism at Ashland High School. It will aim to be a voice for the student body, and an important contribution to the school and community. In order to achieve this goal, the Rogue News will attempt to do the following to the best of it’s ability.-Report accurate and objective information-Uphold all journalistic ethics and standards-Provide an outlet for voices within the school through letters editor and editorials. Unsigned editorials represent the views of the staff, all others are signed. Letters to the editor must be signed unless extenuating circumstances warrant a students name being withheld, as decided by the Editor-in-Chiefs or newspaper advisor.-Attempt to cover school events fairly and evenly

Editorial BoardEditors-in-Chief...............................Phoebe Parker-Shames, Žena SheltonManaging Editor..............................................................Ella Riley-AdamsFront Page Editors...................................Arthur Lawniczak, Žena SheltonQuadlife Editor.....................................................................Erik Peterson Feature Editors................................................Nicholas Dake, Abbie DealIn-Depth Editors...........................................Sophie Javna, Hannah SaylesTechnology Page Editor..........................................................Morgan HallSports Editors..................... ....................Trevor Hilligoss, Zach KitamuraBack Page Editors..............................Phoebe Parker-Shames, Anna HumeGraphic Designer/Ad Designer.................................................Jesse SmithAdvertising Managers.............Anna Hume, Adam Pavlich, Jackson SanteeDistrubution Manager.........................................................Nicholas DakeTechnical Advisor........................................................Max Parker-Shames

day and you’re looking for a cool and re-freshing ride, don’t count on Josh. The air conditioner hasn’t been in use for years and its actual chance of working is slim to none and to top it off, the windows on the left side don’t even open. If you haven’t heard enough about this less than fortunate piece of automobile craftsmanship here’s a little list to round it off. Both side view mirrors aren’t sealed in place. This means that while driving they

spin side to side. The rear view mirror is held in place by a strong faith in super glue. The paneling to the trunk door is just plain gone, revealing a lonely sheet of metal. Rats used to nest by the engine and chew on wires causing engine problems. The whole of the interior covered in multiple layers of filth. Congrats Josh, you and you’re Jeep have truly earned “Heap of the Week.”

Thanksgiving has past, and along with it the good food and the long weekend. But the good food doesn’t have to end with Thanksgiving. Since August, the Ashland School District has brought in organic, locally grown produce to the district’s cafeterias. This was possible through the Farm to School federal program and will end in December. “Really, do you want your vegetables to come to you via truck from Iowa? Wouldn’t it be nice if it came from Ap-plegate? We live in a very agra-rich area. There’s not much need to go outside your region for food,” Tracey Hard-ing, the Farm to School’s coordinator for Ashland, said. The high school has been the lowest receiver of local pro-duce and most students don’t know that the onions, winter squash and carrots in the cafeteria are from local organic farms. Without more students eating lunch at the cafeteria and without positive feedback, Sodexo, the National pro-vider of AHS’s cafeteria food, may choose not to continue this program. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, show your appreciation for local produce by eating at the cafeteria and letting the school administration know how much you enjoy it.

Editorial: local produce

Rogue News December 4, 2008Page 2

The idea of giving gifts was first prac-ticed by the Romans during the Winter Solstice. From there it has been passed down from generation to generation and has morphed into our current idea of gift giving. The Romans gave gifts of sentimental value, but today, giving gifts has little to do with sentiment and more do to with the cultural norm. According to a website that analyzes spending in the United States, Ameri-cans spend about $457 billion per year during the holidays. This is a shocking amount considering America’s eco-nomic crises. With the strain on the pockets of Americans, why is there an excessive need to give gifts? Family values, the media and the de-sire to fit into the American culture all affect a person’s need to buy gifts, but has the obsession gone too far? “I think that many of our holidays have become superficial, and gift giv-ing has a lot to do with it. I think that people should look at holidays as a way to spend quality time with their families. For example, when asked how one’s winter vacation was spent, their response should not be based upon how many good gifts one received, but rather if their time was spent in an en-joyable or memorable way with family and friends,” Dahna Black, a senior at Ashland High School, said. Giving gifts can require more energy and thought than one bargained for, but for some, the sight of a gracious face upon receiving a gift is worth the effort. “It’s not how much you spend on the present, but the feeling you get when you’re searching for that unique thing for someone you care about. There is a joy in giving without expecting some-thing back,” Gladys Contreras, a Span-ish teacher at Ashland High School, said. The American idea of gift giving may have gone to the extreme, but it still has meaning for some poeple. “It’s a way of saying that I care,” Contreras said. The holidays may be filled with un-pleasant family members and frustra-tions about finding the perfect gift, but gift giving is still a way to show some-one you’re thinking about them.

What is this picture of and when was it taken? Answer at www.roguenews.net

Gift giving: sentimental or selfish?

by Sadie SheltonIllustration by Sadie Shelton

Music of Morocco Music is the heartbeat, the pulse of a culture. Students at Ashland High School are being invited to take a trip to Morocco and join a diverse audience from around the world at the Gnaoua World Music Festival. Steve Scholl, the creator of Imagine Adventures, is one of the leaders of the trip along with Mark Schoenleber, AHS art teacher, and Abdi Aziz Guled, Ashland Middle School counselor and AHS coach. “The purpose of the tour is to develop leadership skills and to provide an unforget-table overseas experience for students who want not just adventure but to be a spark for social change in the world.” Scholl said. According to the Imagine Adventures website, “The Gnaoua World Music Festi-val is an exhilarating celebration of mystical Gnaoua masters playing with their friends from around the world.” It is a mixture of music and dialogue, of tradition and the modern world. It is a place where cultures from all over the world come together in a demonstration of the spiritual power of music. It is held every year in the city of Essaouira, Morocco. “Morocco is rough around the edges, but within the chaos there is beauty.” Scholl said in an article he wrote for the Jeferson Monthly.

Scholl plans to take a group of 20 to 25 students in June 16-30, 2009. The World Music Festival will be the centerpiece of the trip, but the activities of the tour group are by no means limited to that. The group will also explore cities like Fes and Marrakech, which is known as “the Red City,” and hike the breathtaking Atlas Mountains. “The old city of Fes (Fes el-Bali) is the most faithfully preserved medieval medina in the Arab world. The sights, smells, and sounds are just phenomenal,” Scholl said. In Fes, “the spiritual center of Mo-rocco,” the students will have a chance to interact with Sufi teachers and listen to tra-ditional music at a Sufi concert. Sufism is widely considered something that cannot be learned through books and is an impor-tant part of Islamic culture. “I think it’s going to be mind expanding to not only experience other cultures but also to go to this festival where the atten-dance is like 400,000 people!” Scholenleber said. There will be an informational meeting held Monday, December 8 at 7:00 p.m. in the Ashland Community Hospital Confer-ence room. To find out more visit www.imagine-adventures.com.

by Abbie Deal

Photo courtesy of Terry Skibby

Rogue NewsDecember 4, 2008 Page 3

Are you tired of being stingy during the holiday season? Well, thanks to the recent economic downfall, you’re not alone. “Whenever I think of the magical unicorns and high-powered robots that I want to give my friends for Christnakawanzah, I realize that I can’t afford those kinds of things,” said Kai Yearsley. In her search for the affordable gift, Kai turns to her friend Sophie Scheer for holiday giving ideas. “The actual present doesn’t matter…it’s the thought that counts,” responded Scheer wisely. Although times are tough, there are still ways to show you care without spending your piggy-bank fortune. In honor of the struggling students at AHS who are experiencing “gift-woes”, Rogue News has compiled a list of 10 ways to give a great gift—without breaking your budget.

Makeacouponbook.Includethingslike“freehug,”“freemassage,”and“freebackcrack”.They’ll

loveit.

. Shaveyourhead!Boyorgirl,everyonelovesagoodjokearoundtheholidays.Youcanbesureitwillbeagiftthey’llneverforget.

. Createsomeart.Remember,abstractisalwaysthebestwaytogoifyou’reshortontime.Butifyouaren’tartisticallyinclined,youcanalways“borrow”someoldartfromMarkSchonleiber’sroomandsignyournameatthebottom.

Writethemasong.They’llbesureto“cryyouariver”.

. MakeyourfriendbikeorwalkALLday.

Helpkeepyourfriendsinshape!Andbesides,youneverknowwhenyoucouldbesavingthemfromacaraccident.

Gifts Ideas for the Rich at Heart

.Sendagoodthought.Spendsometimethinkingaboutyourlovedones.Anicethoughtcangoalongway!

(Makesuretoletyournon-telepathic

friendsknow,though).

Olivia Granach sends good thoughts to her friends and family.

Are you tired of being stingy during the holiday season? Well, thanks to the recent economic downfall, you’re not alone. “Whenever I think of the magical unicorns and high-powered robots that I want to give my friends for Christnakawanzah, I realize that I can’t afford those kinds of things,” said Kai Yearsley. In her search for the affordable gift, Kai turns to her friend Sophie Scheer for holiday giving ideas. “The actual present doesn’t matter…it’s the thought that counts,” responded Scheer wisely. Although times are tough, there are still ways to show you care without spending your piggy-bank fortune. In honor of the struggling students at AHS who are experiencing “gift-woes”, Rogue News has compiled a list of 10 ways to give a great gift—without breaking your budget.

by Hannah Sayles and Sophie Javna

. Givesomegoodadvice.Forgetyourownproblemsforadayandstartcriticizingyourclosefriends!They’llappreciateitinthelongrun.

Makeacouponbook.Includethingslike“freehug,”“freemassage,”and“freebackcrack”.They’ll

loveit.

Reusegifts.EvergottenagiftfromyourgreatauntSallythatyouhate,butwouldbeperfectforyourfriend?Passiton!Noonewilleverknow,andremember:reusingisgoodfortheenvironment.

. Bakesomethingdelicious.

EveryoneenjoysagoodholidayPB&J.Tomakeitfestive,simplytieafancyribbonarounditorcutitintheshapeofaChristmastree.

Makeafriendcollage.

Thisclichésentimentnevergetsold!Don’tworry—eveniftheydon’tlikeit,they’llsaytheydo.

Writethemasong.They’llbesureto“cryyouariver”.

. MakeyourfriendbikeorwalkALLday.

Helpkeepyourfriendsinshape!Andbesides,youneverknowwhenyoucouldbesavingthemfromacaraccident.

Gifts Ideas for the Rich at Heart

Willy Terrall gives his friend, Matt Kandaris, advice.

“It’s just a game.” I’ve heard plenty of people, myself included, ut-ter that phrase. To some, video games are a lifestyle. Some people can just sit in front of a screen for hours on end. You probably know someone who does this. I’ve done it. Sounds pretty lame, right? Well what if you found out you could make a living off of playing video games? Many people do, and one of them goes to school here at AHS. Joe Edwards is a senior and plays Halo 3 competi-tively. He goes by the moniker of ‘STEELSNIP3R’ and has garnered a cult following. “Stay Positive,” Joe’s Halo team, is one of the best in the United States. Watching Joe play Halo is an entertaining spec-tacle. He decimates the competition. Sometimes when he gets a kill you can hear him mutter phrases like “You’re trash.” “Destroyed!” or “Bad kid!” If there’s an audience, they often join in the trash talking. Major League Gaming is the league in which Ed-wards does a majority of his competitions. MLG is North America’s first professional videogame league. It operates the multi-city MLG Pro Circuit and exclu-

sively represents the best gamers in the world. The league was founded in 2002, and is based in New York City. You may have turned on ESPN to find that they were broadcasting one of MLG’s Halo 3 tournaments. Recently over 500,000 people tuned in to see the live online broadcast of the MLG 2008 playoffs. The gam-ing scene is growing, as viewership is up over 38% this year alone. Teams like Final Boss, Legendz and Team Classic brings the excitement to the gaming scene. That excite-

ment brings revenue to MLG, who in turn pays teams ranked in the Top Eight. Since these eight teams bring the main fan base to MLG, they are greatly rewarded. Each team receives a one million dollar contract. Yes, one million dollars. The four members of each team receive 250 grand individually. Guess they won’t qualify for Obama’s tax cuts. Edwards says he has been playing Halo online for about five years, dating back to the original Halo. He knows and has played with everyone im-portant in the scene. He first got into playing Halo when he bought his first Xbox. In Joe’s time spent not playing Halo, he enjoys playing other video games, snowboarding and

skateboarding.Edwards plans to move to California to be closer to his girlfriend and closer to Las Vegas. Why Las Vegas? MLG holds a majority of its tournaments in Las Vegas. These tournaments have huge cash prizes. A recent tournament boasted $1 Million in cash prizes. Winner “Final Boss” took home 100 grand. We’re talking $100,000 for first place, which, on a four-person team is $25,000 apiece. 25 grand for play-ing a video game? Hand me the controller!

Ell it like it is: textual relationships

Hook-ups, break-ups, make-ups and make outs. It’s all very confusing in the high school realm of like (or love, if that’s what you prefer). With our twenty- first century innovations, the game of relationships has become even more complex. In order to reel in a good catch, one needs to know how to communicate affection through text messages, phone conversations and face-to-face. Not to mention Myspace mail and Facebook chats. But now that there are so many more options in letting someone know you like them, is getting a date any easier?

by Ella Riley-Adams

Gaming it up, Halo style

Joe Edwards stands by a picture of his Halo 3 character. Photo by Morgan Hall

Have you ever dreamed of making money by playing video games? Well, this senior actually does.

Rogue News December 4, 2008Page 6

by Morgan Hall

Technology doesn’t really help anyone play the dating game. According to “The Concise Art of Se-duction” (yes, it’s a real publication), “Successful se-ductions rarely begin with an obvious maneuver or strategic device. Successful seductions begin with your character, your ability to radiate some quality that at-tracts people…” That attracting feature may be a sly smile, coquettish glance or gravelly tone of voice. The point is, it’s difficult to woo someone with that ‘radiant quality’ when all they see are letters on a cell phone screen. Yes, some lucky people possess the ability to appear eloquent in a text, but they are few and far be-tween. Now that everyone has a cell phone and com-puter, flirtations are much less personal. And, of course, with technology, break-ups can be worse than ever. Imagine receiving a text message from your significant other: “Sorry Babe, things aren’t working out for me. Time to move on.” At least with a face-to-face break up, it’s a delicate situation for both people. The instigator has to see the consequences of their action, whether it be anger or tears and a crest-fallen face. However, with new technology, high schoolers are also better able to face their fears when it comes to flirting. A conversation doesn’t have to include awk-ward silence sand blushing if it’s conducted over Face-book, and text messages are a simple way to talk while doing something else. “Technology makes things less personal so it’s easier

to talk to people,” Junior Natasha Brooks said, “And you can stretch one conversation to last a day rather than five minutes.” However, the quality of conversa-tion may have decreased. The necessity for witty ban-ter and clever dialogue seems to be gone. Of course it’s nice every once in a while, but why take the time to speak face-to-face when you can stay at home and chat online? It’s a more comfortable situation for all involved. Plus, when emailing or sending a text, friends are available to correct flirting faux pas or to encourage the sender. Whether or not you take advantage of these new additions to the “art of seduction,” keep in mind that maybe the Victorian poets had it right when they spoke of their innumerable reasons to love and their summer days. As sappy as it may sound, nothing can replace the sound of laughter between two people or seeing someone smile. Sorry, but the computer smiley face just doesn’t cut it. Now that constant communication is commonplace, the battlefield of love has transformed into more of an obstacle course. Playing hard to get has always been a strategy, but now there are different ways to prolong the thrill of the chase. Waiting to respond to a text, or not responding at all, talking online but never saying hi in the halls…these are the new moves to better play the field. As we grow up, we’ll learn the rest of the rules. But for now, remember: it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.

This years AHS Boys Water Polo Squad proved that group chemistry can propel any team to success. The Griz-zlies may not have been built on your typical athletes, but with a strong sense of family and a lot of determination, the boys controlled the state championship tournament. The boys’ team took the championship

in dominant form, defeating Parkrose 17-9. The Grizzlies came out strong, playing their best game of the season. The game saw the Grizzlies storm out early, leading 8-0 at the end of the first quarter. After that, the game was a breeze. “It was the best we ever played as a team,” junior Rafferty Swink said. Similar to the girls’ game, Parkrose

may have dismissed the Grizzlies when they saw them play in the semi-final against Cottage Grove, a tough game in which Ashland gave a less than stellar performance. “I guess they thought they would walk over us.” Swink said. How-ever, the Broncos were surprised as the Grizzlies came out firing. Veterans Troy Robinson, the lone senior and captain of the team, and Jake Gavin, Lucas Opgenorth, Wynn Michael, Mahkah Wu, and Swink, all juniors, have played wa-ter polo every fall for AHS and anchor the team. German foreign exchange student Robin Haase provided the Grizzlies with a final

offensive boost that helped them run away with the state title. Haase was named league and state tour-nament MVP and Robinson made first team All-State. However, both of these players will be leaving this year. This still leaves five starters, including Junior Wil-lis Plummer, and a strong bench that will continue to develop into next year. The team has had a long, arduous

journey to win the title. The school ac-tivities levy and booster club helped the team along the way, but much of the support came from parents’ and players’ fundraising. This fundraising, in addi-tion to practice, didn’t discourage them, but made the team a cohesive family. “You have to give credit to their resil-ience,” Coach Christi Gilmore said. After a tough loss in the conference final to South Eugene, the Grizzlies mo-rale was low. But Coach Gilmore was able to rally them back to top form. “They had to get reenergized for state,” Gilmore said. The fire was rekindled preparing for state and the boys never looked back. “They came to state and played beautifully.” The team hadn’t really thought of winning the title at the beginning of the year, but played for a love of the game. However, they eventually found out what it’s like. “Being a champion is something that can’t be explained,” Gilmore said. “It’s not about a parade or an assembly, but the feeling you get inside. Then you know why you worked so hard.”

ust a year ago, the Ashland Girls’ Wa-ter Polo Team was fighting for its ex-istence. At the end of last summer,

the team’s fate was in jeopardy until a few basketball players crossed over and found a niche in the sport. Now, they are the 5A champions of Oregon Water Polo. The girl’s water polo team triumphed over Parkrose from Portland 12-10 to win the state championship at the Os-born Aquatic Center in Corvallis. The Parkrose Broncos may have been over confident coming into the game. “In the locker room they were saying we had no chance of winning,” Junior Driver Kalli Walker said. The game started out even, but then the Grizzlies took control. By halftime, the Grizzlies were up 8-4. The Broncos crept back and cut the lead to one in the fourth quarter. But with 35 seconds left in the game, Jacy Mairs iced the match with an insurance goal, skipping it off the water, which locked up the first Grizzly’s water polo

state championship. “We played good de-fense, and that helped our counter-attack,” Walker said. “Everyone wanted to prove themselves.” Captain Natalie DelCar-lo scored five goals while Goalie Carley Santee saved five shots in the final. The girls traveled a long road to the top. Last year DelCarlo dragged four of her basketball teammates, Allison Gida, Xenia Con-treras, Tori Lipski, and Santee into the pool with no experience in the sport. Some, like Walker and Con-treras, hardly saw game time last year. This year, both were starters on the team. DelCarlo won league MVP honors this year, while Allison Gida won tour-nament MVP. Del Carlo, Gida, and Santee were named First-Team All-State. Lipski was named Second-Team All-State. Kelsey Westhelle-Grant was a starter, and Abby Kollar, Sophia Gi-

acomelli, and Mairs contributed from the bench. Part of the team’s fuel to win was to get revenge for a surprising loss to North Eugene in the conference championship game. After a first round trouncing of Albany, they took on the Highlanders in the state semi-final and avenged their loss 12-4. After that, there was no stopping the Grizzlies.

The girl’s have never placed in state before, so this is a huge step for the team. Still, the team has several gradu-ating players and new recruits will be needed for next year. “Getting a girl’s team is tough every year,” Coach Chris-ti Gilmore said. So don’t let inexperience prevent you from participating. You just might become a state champion.

Water Polo Wins State!J

Photo submitted by AshlandH20Polo.com Grizz players senior Tori Lipski (top) and junior Xenia Contreras

Photo submitted by AshlandH20Polo

GIRLS

Stories by Zach Kitamura

BOYSSenior Robin Haase passes over a defender

Go to RoGueNews.Net oR AshlANdh20polo.oRG

FoR MoRe...

Rogue NewsDecember 4, 2008 Page 7

Black Friday ‘Twas the day after Thanksgiving, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. But miles away at the Rogue Valley Mall, mobs were arriving, wanting it all. If you were like myself and the other 172 millions shoppers this year, you called it a very early morning this November 27. Around the country, people rushed to their lo- cal department stores to splurge on sales and ring in the holiday shopping season. I personally rolled out of bed at 4 a.m., and regardless of trypto-phane wearing me down, ad-ventured to Medford to take place in perhaps the largest display of materialism that exists today, Black Friday. Allow me to give a little insight to those who have neglected to pay attention to the news for say, the past twenty to thirty years. Black Friday falls annually on the Friday after Thanksgiving and is the busiest retail shopping day of the year. The term “Black F r i d a y ” i s a reference to the amount of money taken in that day, thus keeping businesses “in the black.” In large cities, it isn’t uncommon to see lines for big department stores wrapping around the block for hours. This was my first time attending, but I had been hearing epic tales about this in-famous day for years. To be frank, I was disappointed by the lack of excitement and ac-tion. I dragged myself out of my house into the freezing cold, prepared to wait in lines, get in fights and endure anything to get my item of choice. The stores were crowded but you could have seen the same thing on a busy weekend day, and I didn’t even witness one dispute between crazed shoppers. “I was expecting a war zone, but it was actually pretty calm,” said Junior Nino Foley, who arrived at the Rogue Valley Mall at 4:30 a.m. “No one even attempted to push someone off the balcony.” Not to say I wasn’t pleased with the sales. I mean, who would’ve thought you could buy five Santa Claus head

The tradition of the Christmas holiday is an ancient day of the year, dating back almost 4000 years to the Mesopotamian God Marduk. The worhsipers of Marduk would give thanks to their god for defending them in the battle against chaos, and honor each other with gift giving. This tradition has endured through the years and has adapted to different cul-tures, transforming it from what it used to be. However, all forms of Christmas have an underlying theme: remembering what you’re thankful for. For many, they don’t have much to give thanks for, except for the clothing on their backs. “There’s a lot of need in this community,” Vice Principal Don Valentini said. In fact, there are approximately 11,294 homeless students enrolled in Oregon high schools across the state, and about a dozen of them go to this very high school. We have all noticed the people holding various signs saying, “God Bless,” or “Help a Hippie out,” and even “Will conduct free brain surgery,” but did anyone stop and wonder if that sign was written by a high school student, an AHS Griz-zly? They are all in need and this holiday season may require you to live up to the tradition. Remember that age old saying, “Give, don’t receive?” Put it to use and help out in any way you can. We are required to do 100 hours of community ser-vice, why not volunteer at the local food shelter? Or donate your old clothing to Goodwill and show your good will. So, enjoy the holiday season; stuff yourself with turkey and make your Christ-mas lists extravagant. Just remember: anything helps, even the small things, for those who are homeless for the holidays.

The Act of Giving

by Anna Hume

Photo by Alaina Barrett

Cars converge on the Rogue Valley Mall on Black Friday. See more photos online at roguenews.net

by Jackson Santee

mugs for three dollars at Fred Meyers? That, my friend, is what I call a steal. To say the least, things were not as calm in larger cities. Regardless of the current economic state, buyer show-up was even greater than last year and a total of $10.6 billion dollars were spent, an 8% increase from 2007. Lines started forming on the morning before in some large cities which means yes, some deal-hungry shoppers sacrificed their home-cooked Thanksgiving meal

to get early Christmas presents for 50% off. I’m sure some of you have heard about the poor Wal-Mart Employee who was tram-

pled to death at 3:30 a.m. in New York only to have people continue shopping.

Although this day was not exactly what I expected, I can cross a

few people off my Christ-mas list. I even got my-

self a zip-up hoodie from Old Navy for only 15 dol-

lars, only to come back into Ashland and find out that

every teenage female I know purchased the same one. That

should make for an interesting Monday.

It was nice to see so many people I knew and absorb the

festive decorations (even though they’ve been up since early Oc-

tober). Ultimately I was just too tired for this frantic holiday frenzy.

The sales go on all day and in some cases, all weekend, so for the future, I

would suggest gradually waking up at 9 or 10, eating some Thanksgiving left-

overs and then starting your shopping day. If you missed Black Friday this year, don’t stress, there is always the second busiest shopping day of the year, the Saturday before Christmas. And remember, although the shopping extravaganza may be exhilarating, this is the season of giving, not buying, and nothing says happy holidays like a home-made gift or a locally made treasure.